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DISCLOSURE If you have a health condition or if you are pregnant, make sure to consult your doctor before embarking on any big dietary change.

I am not a doctor and do not claim to be one. As such, the information you read cannot be taken as medical advice and is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. I shall not be held liable for the medical decisions made by the users of this guide.

If you have any current food allergies, be sure to modify recipes to address such issues.

© 2012 Elena Wilkins All rights reserved and as such, may not be redistributed or copied without explicit permission from the author. No part of this book should be copied, claimed as your own, or resold. If you need to quote a part of this publication on your web­site/blog, proper credit must be given to the author and linked to www.vega­licious.com. If someone you know wishes to own a copy of this book, please direct them to www.vega­licious.com for their own copy.

Thank you!

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Table of Contents About Elena....................................................................................................................................7 The WHAT, WHY and the HOW of the Daniel Fast .....................................................................8 What is Fasting? ..................................................................................................................... 9 What is the Daniel Fast? ..................................................................................................... 10 Why the Daniel Fast? .......................................................................................................... 11 What Happens During the Fast? ....................................................................................... 11 Preparing for the Daniel Fast ............................................................................................. 13 A Word About Water .......................................................................................................... 13 During the Fast..................................................................................................................... 13 Daniel Fast Approved Foods ............................................................................................. 14 Making Date Syrup ............................................................................................................. 15 Salt......................................................................................................................................... 16 Foods to Avoid on the Daniel Fast.................................................................................... 16 Read Labels ......................................................................................................................... 17 Medication & Supplements during the Fast .................................................................... 17 For Pregnant and Nursing Mothers ................................................................................... 17 Nutrition during the Daniel Fast ......................................................................................... 17 Meals..................................................................................................................................... 18 White Flour............................................................................................................................ 19 A True Fast ............................................................................................................................ 19 Blessings ................................................................................................................................ 20 Tips, Tricks & Equipment ............................................................................................................. 21 Preparing Your Meals ......................................................................................................... 22 Almost Daniel Fast Recipes ................................................................................................ 22 Grocery Shopping............................................................................................................... 22 Freezing Prepared Meals & Ingredients ........................................................................... 22 Reducing the "Gas" Effect ................................................................................................. 23 Why Soaking Nuts and Legumes is a Great Idea ........................................................... 23 KISS ........................................................................................................................................ 23 A Word about Green Smoothies ...................................................................................... 23 Why Smoothies? .................................................................................................................. 24 Why Greens are Great ....................................................................................................... 24 Green Smoothie Rotation .................................................................................................. 25 Eating .................................................................................................................................... 25 Cooking Without Oil ............................................................................................................ 25 Living Oil Free ....................................................................................................................... 25 Equipment ............................................................................................................................ 26 Navigation ........................................................................................................................... 26 Meal Planners .............................................................................................................................. 27 A Word about Nuts ............................................................................................................. 28 A Word about Breakfast Foods ......................................................................................... 28 Snack Options ..................................................................................................................... 28 Plant Milks ............................................................................................................................. 29 Almond Milk Recipe............................................................................................................ 29 Daily Food Intake Model .................................................................................................... 29 Weekly Menu Planning....................................................................................................... 30 The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

Page |3 Week 1 .................................................................................................................................. 31 Week 2 .................................................................................................................................. 32 Week 3 .................................................................................................................................. 33 Daniel Fast Shopping List .................................................................................................... 34 RECIPES......................................................................................................................................... 37 GREEN SMOOTHIES Dandelion Green Smoothie ............................................................................................... 38 Pear and Bok Choy Green Smoothie ............................................................................... 38 Clementine Romaine Green Smoothie............................................................................ 38 Papaya Parsley Green Smoothie ...................................................................................... 38 Orange Collards Green Smoothie .................................................................................... 39 Pear Chard Green Smoothie ............................................................................................. 39 Pineapple Cilantro Green Smoothie ................................................................................ 39 Orange Ginger Green Smoothie ...................................................................................... 39 Strawberry Spinach Green Smoothie ............................................................................... 39 Banana Pear Green Smoothie .......................................................................................... 40 Rainbow Chard Green Smoothie ..................................................................................... 40 Peach Green Smoothie...................................................................................................... 40 FRUIT SMOOTHIES Mango Peach Smoothie .................................................................................................... 41 Apricot Smoothie ................................................................................................................ 41 Strawberry Pear Smoothie.................................................................................................. 41 Strawberry Banana Smoothie............................................................................................ 41 Tropical Blueberry Smoothie .............................................................................................. 42 Tropical Thunder .................................................................................................................. 42 Berry Bunch .......................................................................................................................... 42 DIPS & DRESSINGS Simple Dressings................................................................................................................... 43 Hummus ................................................................................................................................ 43 Sun Dried Tomato Hummus................................................................................................ 44 Raw Sunflower Seeds Hummus ......................................................................................... 45 Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette .......................................................................................... 45 Blueberry Goodness Dressing ............................................................................................ 46 Pineapple Salsa ................................................................................................................... 46 Tahini Salad Dressing........................................................................................................... 46 Mango & Kiwi Salsa ............................................................................................................. 47

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Page |4 Cashew Creamy Dressing/Alfredo Sauce ....................................................................... 47 SALADS Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette ......................................................................... 48 Crunchy Salad ..................................................................................................................... 48 Cucumber Salad ................................................................................................................. 48 Cilantro & Spinach Salad ................................................................................................... 49 Goji Delight Salad ............................................................................................................... 49 Green Salad with Raisins .................................................................................................... 50 Huge Green Salad .............................................................................................................. 50 Garden Salad ...................................................................................................................... 50 Cucumber & Bok Choy Salad ........................................................................................... 51 Dinosaur Kale Salad ............................................................................................................ 52 Raw Sushi .............................................................................................................................. 52 Tomatoes Zucchini Summer Salad.................................................................................... 53 Green Beans ........................................................................................................................ 53 Fat Free Vegan Quinoa Salad .......................................................................................... 54 Cucumber Delight Salad ................................................................................................... 55 Fat Free Plantain Salad....................................................................................................... 55 Raw Zucchini Pasta with Alfredo Sauce .......................................................................... 56 RAW SOUPS Corn Bisque .......................................................................................................................... 58 Corn Chowder ..................................................................................................................... 58 Avocado Cucumber Soup ................................................................................................ 59 Taco Soup ............................................................................................................................ 60 COOKED SOUPS Chunky Chili ......................................................................................................................... 61 Minestrone Soup .................................................................................................................. 62 Chickpea Curry ................................................................................................................... 62 Brown Rice & Bean Warming Soup................................................................................... 63 Ironlicious Lentil Soup .......................................................................................................... 64 Split Pea Soup ...................................................................................................................... 65 MAIN DISHES Brown Rice and Corn.......................................................................................................... 67 Spring Pesto with Whole Wheat Penne ............................................................................ 67 Quinoa Pilaf.......................................................................................................................... 68 Spring Couscous .................................................................................................................. 68 Cilantro Ravioli ..................................................................................................................... 69 The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

Page |5 Creamed Mushrooms Polenta .......................................................................................... 71 Stuffed Bell Peppers ............................................................................................................ 73 Potatoes with Onions .......................................................................................................... 74 Baked Eggplant ................................................................................................................... 75 Sundried Tomatoes Gluten Free Penne Pasta ................................................................ 75 Breakfast Burritos.................................................................................................................. 76 Stovetop Ratatouille ........................................................................................................... 77 Veggie Burger {Soy, Wheat and Fat Free}....................................................................... 77 Nutritious Veggie Wrap ...................................................................................................... 79 Raw Veggie Hummus Wrap .............................................................................................. 80 Fat Free Lasagna................................................................................................................. 81 Falafels .................................................................................................................................. 83 DESSERTS Cherry Ice Cream ............................................................................................................... 85 Cookie Dough Banana Ice Cream .................................................................................. 86 Almond Strawberry Cookies .............................................................................................. 86 Raw Buckwheat Strawberry Thumb Cookies .................................................................. 88 SNACKS Vegalicious Snack Bars ....................................................................................................... 91 Vegalicious Cereal.............................................................................................................. 92 Raw Kale Chips.................................................................................................................... 93 Yam Chips ............................................................................................................................ 94 Simple Trail Mix ..................................................................................................................... 92 BREADS Raw Flax Crackers ............................................................................................................... 95 Whole Wheat Crisps ............................................................................................................ 96 Whole Wheat Wraps ........................................................................................................... 97 “Almost Daniel Fast” Recipes.................................................................................................... 98 Chickpea & Spinach Soup ................................................................................................ 99 Broccoli & Cheese Soup .................................................................................................. 100 Potato Salad ...................................................................................................................... 101 Pasta Salad ........................................................................................................................ 102 Best Vegan Macaroni & Cheese Recipe {Gluten Free} .............................................. 103 Whole Wheat Bagels ........................................................................................................ 105 Home Made Bread ........................................................................................................... 107 Home Made Bread Oven Bread Recipe ....................................................................... 107

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Page |6 Almond Muffins .................................................................................................................. 108 Sugar Free Banana Popsicles .......................................................................................... 109 Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup ........................................................................................... 110 Afterword & More by Elena .................................................................................................... 111 Appendix A: Truth about Protein ............................................................................................ 113 Appendix B: Truth about Fat ................................................................................................... 122 Appendix C: Truth about Microwaves................................................................................... 135 Appendix C: Truth about Sugar .............................................................................................. 146 Appendix D: Smoothies Basics–HOW­TO ............................................................................... 158

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About Elena When it comes to my credentials, I am a certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer. I have studied nutrition, specifically, plant­based, for the last 7 years of my life. I am also a believer in natural and very supernatural miracles. I believe that God has not changed, so He is able to perform whatever He wants, regardless of the times we live in. My life is a proof of that.

Several years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and a pituitary gland tumor, both of which caused numerous health problems, including infertility. I was told by my doctors that both conditions were irreversible and I have to be on medication for the rest of my life. I spent the next few years proving them wrong and achieving the impossible... because I dared to believe that “with God all things are possible,” and I meant that literally. As of today, due to drastic dietary and lifestyle changes, my thyroid operates normally and I have no symptoms of a pituitary gland tumor. I am also glad to report that I was able to naturally conceive and deliver a healthy vegan baby, who is the love of our lives.

However, most importantly, I am a child of God. Everything I am and I have, I owe to Him. These are not just words, this is my life. This is who I am.

While we were believing God for our healings, we learned that we had to do our part and as a result, we changed our diet and our lifestyle. We both received our healings (my husband had some health issues as well). Since then we decided to practice a plant­based lifestyle for the rest of our lives. The kind of diet we eat is very close to the Daniel Fast way of eating, with fewer restrictions. We decided that living a fasted lifestyle made more sense than going on seasons of fasting, although we still do those as well.

It is my hope and prayer that our experience and expertise in the area of plant nutrition will be of great help to you, while you are embarking on your spiritual quest.

www.vega­licious.com

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The WHAT, WHY and the HOW of the Daniel Fast

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In the beginning of each year thousands of believers in God (Jesus) are going on a Daniel Fast. While some fully understand what it is and how to do it, others are new to the idea of fasting and need further explanation. In the next few paragraphs I will talk about the What, Why and the How of the Daniel Fast, followed by a 21­day menu planner with recipes.

What is Fasting?

Fasting ALWAYS involves FOOD! You might have heard some say: “I am fasting my friends,” or “I am fasting television,” etc. However these people misunderstand what fasting is and isn’t. The Hebrew word for fast means “to cover the mouth.” The Greek word for fast means “to abstain from food.” While we do need to get away from every day destructions of our lives and spend time alone with God, away from people, fasting is always about restricting food!

Everything else is self­discipline and dying to our flesh. So, to truly benefit from the fast one would have to restrict/change their normal food intake.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline. It is done not so we can change God’s mind, but rather to get quiet before Him, so we can hear what He is speaking. When we satisfy our flesh with everything that it demands we tend to drown out God’s voice because we become preoccupied with self­gratification. During fasting we take charge of our flesh, making it a servant to our spirit, and thus we are able to get in tune with the Holy Spirit speaking to us.

A couple of programs I offer, Vegalicious Boot Camp and Personal Coaching, are designed to help people transition into a plant­based diet successfully.

When I work with those who believe in Christ, most report the same thing—they begin to hear from the Lord more clearly, and they are more disciplined in their Christian walk.

Fasting is NEVER to be done to show off what one might perceive as “spirituality”.

Jesus was very clear on the subject.

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:16­18) So, when you fast, don’t toot your own horn, don’t brag about what you are doing and how you are “sacrificing” something for God—let the Lord be your Rewarder, not men! However, if you are taking part in a congregational fast,

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feel free to invite others to join, with humility. You might find that having outside support will help you be more diligent in your efforts as well.

What is the Daniel Fast?

The Daniel Fast is a Biblically based partial fast* based on two instances of Daniel’s fasting experiences “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.” (Daniel 1:12) “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” (Daniel 10:1­2) Based on the information that we glean from these references we understand that the Daniel Fast eating plan is vegan in nature, with additional restrictions. In the first Scripture we see that Daniel: 1. Ate only Fruits and Vegetables 2. And drank ONLY water Which would also mean that he ate no processed, artificial, or chemically altered foods. From the second Scripture we learn that Daniel’s diet did not allow: 3. Animal products 4. Pleasant/precious food, which would include all sweeteners, including honey, agave syrup, maples syrup, etc.

5. Alcohol It has become a tradition that during the Daniel Fast people abstain from 6. Any kind of leavened bread (anything made with yeast, baking powder, baking soda, etc.)

However, digging into the Scriptures, one does not find a reference indicating that it should be the case. If we did the 21 fast, which is referred to in Daniel 10, then what Daniel said was as follows: "I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over." (v 3).

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I know that some translations say: "I ate no pleasant bread," while others say: "I ate no desirable bread" and yet others say: "I didn't eat any good­tasting food."

I know some refer to Daniel 1 for food guidelines: fruit, veggies only. However, the chapter never says how long Daniel and his friends maintained this diet and does not refer to it as a fast.

After one of my Jewish readers brought it to my attention, I decided to research it further and reached out to a friend who might be able to offer some insight.

She had spent many years of her life in Israel, and knew about Jewish fasting practices. She concurred­­there is no reference to not having leavened bread during the fast, and unleavened bread was normally consumed during the Passover feast. As such, the lesson here is, if you find leavened bread to be "pleasant food", or something you think you cannot live without, then you can avoid leavened bread during the fast; if not, you can use the bread recipe found at the end of this ebook to make some at home—for your family. Be sure to avoid any additives and chemicals. *while full fasts exclude all foods, and at times even water, partial fasts permit a restricted food intake.

Why the Daniel Fast?

Fasting is not a diet! Fasting is not done for weight loss! Fasting is ALWAYS done for spiritual purposes. Fasting should be done with a PURPOSE! Before you begin the fast you should decide on the purpose of your fast. Without a purpose, you will be simply dieting. Take the time to prayerfully consider the reason of your fast.

What is your greatest need at this time? Can your marriage grow stronger? Are you facing financial difficulties? Do you want to learn to trust God and develop a deeper relationship with Him? Take the time in prayer to decide on the purpose of your fast.

When you are fasting, set time aside for prayer, worship, meditation and Bible study. Keep a journal of your revelations, of what God is speaking to you. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you and to reveal areas in your life that need purification.

What Happens During the Fast?

The Daniel Fast is undertaken by people of all ages for many various reasons.

Whatever your need/reason is you can be certain that your entire being will benefit from it: Spirit, Soul and Body.

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We are a triune being. When we fast we learn to allow God­intended order into our life: a human is a spirit that possesses a soul and lives in a body.

Body Our bodies are most definitely going to be effected as we change our diet for 21 days. For some the change is going to be very dramatic. You might experience detoxing from food addictions, such as—caffeine, processed or unnatural foods, chemicals and sugar.

The symptoms that accompany the detoxification vary from person to person and include: headaches, leg cramps, fatigue, nausea and even light depression. As the body detoxes, the symptoms abate and you will experience more energy, better sleep, a clearer and sharper mind, and many other benefits. Take the time to ride it out. If you need support, ask others for prayer, and, if you are on Facebook, join the Daniel Fast group I created for this very purpose.

Most people will lose weight during the fast. Many experience healings from various maladies, such as: diabetes, allergies, arthritis, high cholesterol and even cancer.

Soul The soul is the central place of our emotions, intellect and will. It is the place where we make decisions, experience anger, fear, love, frustration and cravings. The soul is frequently referred to as “the flesh” in the Bible.

During the fast your soul may rebel against the change in your diet. You will get an opportunity to experience and win this battle over the flesh, which might prove to be one of the most powerful lessons of the fast.

Spirit Our spirit is the part of us that has been born again when we gave our lives over to Christ. It should be the part that surrenders to God. When we are fully surrendered we can truly abide with the Father and the Son. Our spirit is filled with the Holy Spirit if we yield to Him. The purpose of the fast is to place our spirit in control of the other two parts of us: soul and body. When our flesh is acting out with a craving, we take control of it with our spirit, in the same way that a parent would take control of a rebellious child.

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Preparing for the Daniel Fast In addition to spending time in prayer to decide on the focus of your fast you should take the time to prepare your body as well. Start easing off things that you feel you cannot live without: ease off caffeine, sugar, animal (if you eat an omnivorous diet) and processed foods. Try to do it before the first day of the fast, otherwise you might experience mild­to­strong detox symptoms: headaches, cramping, nausea, etc.

I would also strongly suggest that you not go on an eating binge of all your favorite foods the night before your fast begins! I call it the Last Supper syndrome when I train people. First, it really shows that your flesh is stronger than your spirit. Scond, it will be harder for you to start the fast because processed, animal and fatty foods will create a craving that will be hard to deal with for days to come.

To prepare for the fast, start drinking more water to flush out toxins faster and make the transition easier.

A Word About Water If you don’t drink enough water, your body is probably used to storing water.

Water retention=extra unwanted weight. Before and during the fast you need to learn to consume enough water to stay hydrated. How much water exactly?

While there is no specific formula, the suggestion is:

HALF OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN OUNCES So, if you weigh 180 lbs., you should drink 90 oz. of filtered water a day.

By increasing fluid consumption you will help your body to flush out toxins and train it not to store extra water. You can drink warm/hot water throughout the day with a wedge of lemon to help reduce fluid retention. However, make sure that you the water you drink is without chemicals as much as possible.

During the Fast Physically, in the initial phase of the fast, you will experience hunger pains.

Before going for a snack or a meal drink some water—most people misinterpret signs of dehydration for hunger. If you drink some water the “hunger” pains might go away. If hunger does not go away, make sure to snack.

The purpose of the fast is not to simply change the foods you eat but also to restrict how much you eat, so learn to spend the time you would normally spend eating in prayer and meditation. It is also advisable that you eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of three huge “square” meals that overwhelm your

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body. By “snacking” throughout the day, you will be able to aid your body in processing the foods you eat faster and easier, while maintaining the level of clarity needed to perform daily tasks.

Spiritually, you will experience a more successful fast when you spend time each day in prayer and communion with God. Establish a time during the day for quiet time and meditation on the Word of God. Study His Word and seek His face. You may have to set aside some time at home. If you have a long commute to and from work, use the time to talk to the Savior, worship and listen to an audio Bible.

Emotionally you might be tempted during the fast to break a few “rules” and eat/drink something your body craves. For example, you might decide not to drink water only but include herbal teas. However, think that Daniel refused to eat any pleasant food/drinks, and for the most part the herbal teas that we consume are to add a pleasant taste. There are exceptions when you might be drinking certain herbs for therapeutic reasons, such as parsley, chamomile or clover teas.

If the temptation comes, we can often learn a lesson by examining ourselves at that time. Ask yourself why you would want the thing you desire. If you respond in the manner that will indicate that it is because YOU WANT it, it will be a good time to exercise control over your flesh and show it who is truly in control.

However, I would highly recommend avoiding legalism with some of the guidelines—after all, it is the condition of your spirit (your heart) that matters most to God. If drinking an herbal tea is not a big deal (an addiction) for you, and you decide to do it, do so, with peace in your heart.

Daniel Fast Approved Foods I found a great list of foods on­line that is Daniel Fast friendly. You can print it out and take it with you when you go grocery shopping.

All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. However, you will fill much better physically if you consume fresh fruit. If you decide on canned fruit, make sure that no sweeteners of preservatives were used in the process. I also would suggest avoiding juiced fruit (if you juice at home), as the released sugars will spike your blood sugar levels too fast. By retaining the fiber you will still enjoy the fruit, while also keeping your body happy.

Fruits include but are not limited to: apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines,

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oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon.

All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Same rule would apply to canned vegetables as those listed above for fruit.

Vegetables include but are not limited to: all kinds of greens, artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini.

All whole grains, including but not limited to: whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.

All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to: sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also, additive free nut butters including peanut butter, although I highly recommend avoiding peanut butter, unless it is freshly made, as it might be highly processed and roasted oils (as found in roasted nuts) are harmful to our health.

All legumes. These can be canned or dried. If canned, make sure not preservatives or sugars were used.

Legumes include but are not limited to: dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans.

Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters; fruit smoothies, made from real fruit (not juices), green smoothies, unsweetened plant milks.

Other:

soy sauce, vinegar, seasonings, salt (sea or Himalayan salt preferred, see below for a detailed explanation), herbs and spices.

Making Date Syrup Dried fruits are just fruits, and as long as they are chemical free, they are great to be used to add a little sweetness to dishes. I especially like dates—they have a great level

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To make syrup: take 15­20 dates (I prefer Medjool dates—they are “meatier” and very sweet) take out pits soak in enough water to cover them for 1­2 hours strain about half of the water (but hold onto it), placing remaining soaking water and the dates into a high speed blender blend until smooth for a more liquid syrup, add remaining water If refrigerated, the syrup will keep well for 2 to 3 weeks.

Salt Table Salt is highly processed, and most of the times not vegan in nature, which means it has some sort of animal residue in it, due to processing. Oftentimes, to bleach salt it is processed through crushed animals bones. Not only that, but since it is highly processed it has NO nutritional value and has the potential to raise your blood pressure.

As humans we need very little salt in our diet and we regularly consume way too much of it. This fast will be an opportunity for you to retrain your body to eat healthier… and to feel better! If you do decide to use salt, buy the kinds still have minerals in it, such as Sea or Himalayan salt.

Foods to Avoid on the Daniel Fast All meat and animal products including but not limited to: beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.

All dairy products including but not limited to: milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs.

All sweeteners including but not limited to: sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice.

All sweet baked goods (see my thoughts on bread in the earlier section—you can choose to avoid all of it, or you can have some).

All refined and processed food products including but not limited to: artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives.

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All deep fried foods including but not limited to: potato chips, French fries, corn chips.

All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.

Beverages including but not limited to: coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.

Read Labels I would strongly suggest not using any packaged (boxed), canned or bottled foods during the fast. However, if you do, please remember to READ THE LABELS! Foods should be sugar and chemical free. Using boxed whole wheat pasta products, as long as they contain basic ingredients, should be fine.

Medication & Supplements during the Fast You should seek the advice of your health care practitioner about medications you might be taking. If you depend on them for any serious reason DO NOT discontinue them without first advising your doctor. Supplements are food for the most part and can be safely taken during Daniel Fast.

Special Note: if you have health issues, please be sure to contact your health professional for advice before committing to any fast. You can print out the list of foods you will be using on the Daniel Fast and take it with you.

Daniel Fast is very sound and safe and most practitioners will be more than happy to approve it. However, if in doubt, check it out!

For Pregnant and Nursing Mothers If you are an expectant mother OR if you are nursing you would need to ease into Daniel Fast. If your diet is far from vegan, you might want to limit yourself by excluding only certain food groups from your diet and taking a few days to transition into the Daniel Fast. If you are currently eating a lot of animal products and try to stop abruptly your body might detox too quickly, which could be harmful to your baby. If you are eating a clean, plant based diet, then excluding a few more items should not pose a problem. However, in either case, I do have to advise you to contact your physician.

Nutrition during the Daniel Fast A lot of people are scared into thinking that they somehow will not get sufficient nutrition during the Daniel Fast. I would urge you not to worry. You will have more than enough of everything your body needs.

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If you are worried about where you will get your protein and have other topics of concern when it comes to nutrition, make sure to read the Appendix on Protein at the end of this book.

If you are worried about healthy Fat sources, read the Appendix on Fat, and your worries will be put to rest.

To keep most nutrition in your foods, try eating your fruits and vegetables raw (uncooked), and try to stay away from microwaving your foods altogether, as it will destroy all important nutrients. To find out more about microwaving disadvantages, check out Appendix C.

Meals Since most of the foods sold in grocery stores are heavily processed and full of chemicals you will find it necessary to make your own meals. Meal preparation can be very simple, or more complex, depending on how much time you desire to spend in the kitchen. It can be as simple as slicing up some veggies and fruits and snacking on them throughout the day, or more involved if you want to create a very special dinner for yourself and your loved ones.

There are certain steps you can take to help yourself streamline food preparation.

Meal Planning You will find it easy to succeed if you plan your meals a few days ahead of time.

You can plan them for the entire week. Once you make sure you have all the ingredients you won’t be as tempted to grab foods that you used to consume before the fast to satisfy your hunger.

In addition to preparing your meal plan for the week and buying groceries for it, I would strongly suggest that you clean out your cupboards from all of the foods that are not Daniel Fast acceptable–out of sight, hopefully, out of mind. It is much easier to overcome a temptation to have Ben & Jerry’s ice cream when you cannot easily find it in your house. Instead, when you open your fridge you might see an apple or a banana and go for it.

Set a Cooking Day Another way to save time and avoid temptations is to prepare your meals ahead of time. Use a day when you are not working to wash, chop, cook and refrigerate/freeze your meals for the whole week, or several meals in advance.

For example you can make a large pot of soup and refrigerate/freeze portions of it to be eaten throughout the week. It makes it easy to pull it out and warm it up later. You can also prepare all of your salad ingredients, place them into bags or glass containers and refrigerate, so when you want a salad all you The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

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would have to do is pull out your containers and quickly assemble a scrumptious salad.

White Flour Over 90% of white flour sold on the market is heavily processed to achieve its look and taste. Through the process grain is stripped of all its nutritious value, and, when consumed, acts much like white sugar in your body. To learn why it is bad for you, read Appendix on Sugar in this eBook. You should avoid WHITE FLOUR, white rice and other processed grains while on Daniel Fast.

On a rare occasion you might find Hard White flour that undergoes Unifine process when ground. During the process the grain enters a high speed rotor and is instantly shattered into fine flour – even the bran and germ are burst! Air goes through the rotor with the grain and blows the flour out, thus keeping it cool throughout the process, retaining many nutrients. With the Unifine Process the natural oils in the grain are kept intact and do not get hot like in regular grain milling and stoneground milling. This kind of flour is safe to use. If you grind your own flour (such as in a high speed blender, like Vitamix) and use white wheat, you are safe as well.

A True Fast In all things, I would like to remind you that being legalistic about these guidelines is not the best decision. After all, a true fast happens in the heart of the person fasting—it is much more important than the foods s/he eats. If you end up being stranded somewhere and cannot fulfill the fast guidelines you choose, you will have to eat what you can. Maintaining a heart of worship and humility is going to be what matters in the end. That is the fast that the Lord chooses.

Read Isaiah 58:6­9 (and the whole chapter) (NIV): “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I." The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

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Blessings As you start on your fast I pray God’s blessings for you. May He answer your prayers and may you successfully subdue your flesh into a full submission to your spirit. Remember that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) If He could do a miracle in our lives, He can surely do one in your life as well, for “…with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) You will find more instructions, recipes and meal planner is the pages to come.

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Tips, Tricks & Equipment

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Preparing Your Meals As I mentioned earlier, meal preparation can be as simple or as complex as you would like for it to be. So that you do not feel overwhelmed during the week, dedicate one or two days of your week to food preparation. Precook grains and legumes, cut up veggies, or cook soups–plant based foods store longer than their animal counterparts.

Most grains will last for over a week if refrigerated. So, take away the stress–prep ahead of time.

If at all possible, cook your own beans­­it is cheaper and healthier. If you don't find it possible, use organic canned beans, but make sure that the company which makes them does not use chemical in the can lining, and watch out for sugar! Whenever you see "canned beans" in recipes, substitute with home­made.

Soaking grains and legumes for a few hours (or overnight) before cooking, will reduce on your cooking time (saves electricity too!), and in case of legumes, will cut down on the "gas" effect.

Most people go through only about 6­8 main course recipes in a month. I am including more than that in several categories. Some recipes will be included in the meal planners, while some are added as options. The way I designed meals is that each main course meal should feed 2­3 people for a day or two.

Almost Daniel Fast Recipes While it would be ideal for us all to do the Daniel Fast with our entire families, this may be an impossibility for many. I am including a section for those family members, such as your children, if you have any, who might want to participate in the Daniel Fast, but with a few extra treats.

Grocery Shopping At the end of the menu planners, which you will fill up with the dishes of your choice from the Recipes section, I am including a grocery shopping list template, which you can use for your shopping trips, having printed them out. I hope this will make your life much easier.

Freezing Prepared Meals & Ingredients Most foods, including fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes, freeze really well, once cooked. You can pre­cut your vegetables and place them into Ziploc bags, to later use in soups or stir­fries. You can freeze any fruit you are afraid might go bad and use it in smoothies. Grans or beans, once cooked and cooled, can be placed into bags as well, laid out flat and placed in a freezer. To use them later, all you have to do is pull out the bag you want to use, either overnight or a few hours ahead of time, place in the refrigerator and let it defrost. All you will have to do, when you are ready to eat, is place your food of choice on a skillet and warm up with a little bit of water, adding your favorite chopped vegetables and seasoning. You can even freeze precooked meals, including soups.

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P a g e | 23 Likewise, greens, if you are planning to use them in green smoothies later (to be blended), can be prewashed, air dried or dried using paper towels or a salad spinner, chopped, placed in bags and frozen. When using this method, I like to pull out greens from the freezer when I am ready to blend them, smash them into smaller pieces and dump into my blender to be enjoyed in a nutrient packed green smoothie. You do not want to try to defrost greens, however—they will turn out a bit messy and tasteless that way.

Reducing the "Gas" Effect For those of you who will come from a low fiber diet to the Daniel Fast diet, which is packed with high fiber foods, most, if not all, will experience a great deal of flatulence.

Not to worry, your bodies will adjust and it will pass. However, there are a couple of ways to avoid this problem.

If you eat high fiber foods, such as whole grains and legumes, and combine them with any processed foods or sugar, you will have gas–it is inevitable. So, don't have sugar foods, even high sugar fruit, when eating legumes (beans) or grains. Eventually things will get better and you will be able to add some fruit to a pasta salad, without any complications.

When cooking beans, to reduce the possibility of having gas, make sure to do the following: Pre­soak them for 3­8 hours ahead of time, then rinse before cooking When cooking, add a couple of bay leaves, and make sure to skim the foam off the top of your pot Salt your beans AFTER cooking–it will reduce your salt intake!

Add a piece of kombu (seaweed) to the pot, when cooking beans (optional)

Why Soaking Nuts and Legumes is a Great Idea If you decide to munch on nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.), read the article on the importance of SOAKING NUTS before consumption. In short, it makes them more digestible. After soaking, nuts can be dehydrated for crunchy goodness; however, do not overthink this.

KISS KISS—Keep It Simple, Saints! I will be providing meal plans, however they are there to help you and to serve as a guideline—a helper, not to be followed to the point of stress. You can mix and match recipes as you would like, making less or more of a dish, or making enough to last you a few days, and having the same dish for a couple of days, which I actually highly suggest! Do not overthink your food! KISS ;)

A Word about Green Smoothies I highly recommend adding Green Smoothies to your daily food intake, at least once or twice. They are quick, fun, delicious; they are great at any time of the day and deliver an amazing dose of nutrition. And, oh, are they tasty! They can be consumed at ANY

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P a g e | 24 time of the day as a snack or a meal replacement, and are great for on­the­go meal, or in case if you do not want to spend much time in the kitchen. You can make them with fruit or vegetables. You can pre­make green smoothies the night before, or even a couple of days ahead of time. They will last up to 3 days in a refrigerator, but, as with everything, the fresher the better.

Try to use glass containers for your smoothies, if you are going to store them, since plastic will leach chemicals into your foods.

If you never made a smoothie/green smoothie before, read Appendix E to learn all about it. You will also find a list of ingredients you can use in making Green Smoothies.

Why Smoothies?

My family drinks a lot of green smoothies on a daily basis. Once in a while we have fun and make all­fruit smoothies as well. My nieces and nephews love to visit us for that reason. They always ask for second servings, and third, and… Well, you get the idea.

Smoothie making is fun and easy. There is no limit to how many combinations you can come up with. The recipes you will explore in this book are only a drop in the bucket of where your imagination can take you.

Smoothies are also easier to digest than whole plants (i.e. apple, salad, etc). Blending is a sort of pre­digestion. When blended, the walls of the plant get broken down to their cellular level and your body does not have to spend the energy it otherwise would breaking it down on its own. It can get straight to absorbing it, leaving you plenty of energy to do other tasks throughout your busy day.

Green Smoothies are raw, which means they are full of enzymes. Enzymes help our bodies to digest and burn foods more efficiently. The body does not have to borrow its own enzymes from other physiological processes to digest raw foods, thus being able to still function as it was intended. When we eat cooked foods, which have been heated to over 118­120° F, enzymes die, and ingested foods overburden our bodies by pulling enzymes from the body, thus disturbing other important processes, such as detoxing, immune support, healing and repairing, etc., which stresses our bodies and makes us age faster on top of leaving us feeling tired, sluggish, and slower. Now, I am not saying that we should not eat any cooked foods–I do. However, I always make sure to eat more raw than cooked foods, and all of my cooked meals are always accompanied by big helpings of raw foods.

Why Greens are Great Leafy greens are known as nature’s blood. And it is no surprise. Greens are full of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is absolutely necessary for plants to grow and produce fruit.

Look out the window… Go ahead! You see, green must be God’s favorite color, since most of our surroundings are covered with green grass, trees and bushes. And, if God

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P a g e | 25 thinks that greens are so important, maybe we should reevaluate our opinion about them as well.

Chlorophyll make leaves turn the luscious green color and gets its pigmentation and oxygen directly from the sunlight. When chlorophyll (think oxygen) gets into our bodies it brings along with it healing; diseases can thrive only in acidic, oxygen deprived environments, so the more greens you can get into your body, the more alkaline (healing) it becomes. So, greens essentially are your lifeline.

The only reason we are using fruit in our smoothies is to make greens more palatable, inviting, and simply delicious.

The goal of this e­book is to help you get started on getting more greens into your diet in the most digestible form.

Green Smoothie Rotation If you do decide to add green smoothies to your daily intake, to get most out of your experience you will need to remember to ROTATE GREENS EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS to get the MOST BENEFIT and get a Variety of Minerals and Vitamins–you do not want to get stuck eating only spinach or kale for the rest of your life.

Eating Let's start simple–you will eat whenever you get hungry! You are not going to count calories–doesn't that make you feel better?! You will eat until you feel satiated.

The best meals for before and after working out are green smoothies–they will fill you with energy and reduce your recovery time.

Cooking Without Oil Since we won't be using oil in cooking, watch this video to see how you can sauté/fry veggies with water.

Living Oil Free Yes, I know that this is the holy grail and I am stepping on a lot of people’s toes, but I get it—I once used to also think that there were good and bad oils. I used to cook with “healthy” (good) oils, but the more I thought about it, the more research I did on the topic, to more I realized that there is no such thing as “healthy” oils.

The best book to read on the topic is Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

To get a concise overview of my research on the topic, read this article: Why There are No Healthy Oils You will also enjoy this 60­minute video on the topic, presented by the man who wrote the above mentioned book—Caldwell Esselstyn.

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Equipment The basic equipment is a cutting board, knives, pots and pans. Anything else is an added bonus. If a recipe calls for a piece of equipment you do not have in your kitchen, feel free to skip it, or adjust as needed.

Blenders A high speed blender is one of the more expensive, but at the same time the most valuable pieces of equipment you will ever invest in. You can use it not only for smoothie making, but to make dressings, dips, soups, nut butters and so much more. I have been happily using my Vitamix 5200 for several years now and could not be happier with it. There are a few more options out there, depending on your budget: Vitamix Blenders–price range: $350­500 Blendtec Blenders–price range: $400+ Omni Blenders­price range: $250­400 {refurbished site} There are also Breville and Cuisinart blenders, as well as 5­speed Kitchen Aid blenders, which range in the low $100's I would not buy anything cheaper than the Kitchen Aid option, as the quality quickly will prove insufficient for smoothie blending… unless that is all you can afford at the moment–you can make anything work!

More about blenders in Appendix E.

Other Things A great food processor is a plus, but you can do without for these 21 days.

A Mandolin Slicer and a Julienne peeler are also great and cheap investments, along with a good Spirulizer, but these are not a necessity for this challenge.

Navigation Menu planners have links to recipes. To get to the recipe, without scrolling through all pages, simply click on the link in that recipe and you will be taken directly to it!

If you need to get to a specific section from the TABLE OF CONTENTS, simply click on the section where you would like to be taken–it is that easy!

External links are green color, internal links are dark orange.

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Meal Planners You have the flexibility of making up your own menus from the recipe section. You can also change up ingredients in recipes as you need to. Simply follow Daniel Fast guidelines when it comes to meal planning, creation and preparation.

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A Word about Nuts If you choose to snack on nuts, make sure not to do it every day. Albeit a healthy choice, if you choose organic, raw nuts that you first soak and dehydrate, they are packed with calories and some oils. So, keep your nut delights to only about twice a week.

A Word about Breakfast Foods I am not sure who came up with specialty breakfast food idea. Pre­packaged cereals are filled with sugars, sodium and oils. Eggs and bacon are heavy with cholesterol, saturated fats, and salt. Pancakes are a sure way to put someone back to sleep, instead of energizing them for the day.

Breakfast foods should be the foods that give you energy, helping your body to wake up and embrace the day. As such, it should be mostly raw foods, which still have enzymes, thus they will help your body to function as opposed to slowing it down. It should be whole grains, which are filled with vitamins, mineral and nutrients; and it should be water. Anything that falls within this category is “break fast” food.

Your breakfast can be simple: oatmeal made with water or a plant milk, sprinkled with chopped dates and berries; bulgar (cracked wheat), cooked in the same manner, or any other grain—use your imagination. It can also be a green smoothie—a favorite of mine. With an addition of flax or chia seeds, green smoothies become very filling and won’t slow you down at all! On the contrary, they will bust your energy and keep you going, keeping your mind clear, and spirit unburdened to listen to the voice of God. (Junk food is a sure way to overburden your body so much that your spirit can’t even stay awake to do that! )

Snack Options Your choice of snacks is varied, so I will list it here, instead of on every day men. Make sure not to get stuck in the rut and eat the same snack over and over again, try rotating them as much as you can.

Fruit, fresh or dried. If using dried fruit, make sure it does not have chemicals, as a lot of dried fruit, unless organic, are dehydrated with chemicals to preserve them. Also make sure that they have no oils added.

Veggies, such as: carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, etc. You can dip them into Chickpea Hummus or Sunflower Seeds Hummus.

Green or fruit smoothies Nuts that have been soaked and dehydrated. Make sure not to get the ones with salt, roasted or with other junk in them.

Vegalicious Raw Nutrition Bars

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Plant Milks When looking to buy plant milks, try to buy organic, make sure it is unsweetened(sugar free); or even make your own, to avoid any added preservatives. You can then use plant milk with Vegalicious Cereal, by itself or in smoothies.

Making plant milk is very easy. Here is a video you can follow to make your own nut milk, if you have a blender.

Almond Milk Recipe Ingredients 1.5 cup almonds Water, to cover almonds by about 2 inches 3.5 cups of water Dash of salt 3 pitted dates 1 tsp of vanilla extract Preparation Soak nuts for 4­8 hours, or overnight, in water.

Strain water, place nuts in a blender.

Add 3.5 cups filtered water, salt, dates and vanilla.

Blend until smooth.

Use a milk bag to strain the pulp*.

Milk will keep up to 3 days refrigerated. *keep the pulp to add to one of Daniel Fast approved cookie recipes in the Dessert section,

Daily Food Intake Model Breakfast: Vegalicious cereal, green smoothie, oatmeal or other grains with nutmilk—choose whichever you prefer.

Snack: from listed snack options Lunch: a whole grain with a salad/veggies or soup with salad/veggies Snack Dinner: a while grain with a salad/veggies or soup with salad/veggies, can be same as Lunch Snack Don’t forget about your water, between meals, as needed

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Weekly Menu Planning I highly recommend choosing 3 main course meals and a couple of soups; pre­making them and refrigerating. For salads, pick 3­4, chop veggies for them, place into container and refrigerate, so you can pull out and eat quickly.

In each week’s section write down the meals you plan to make for each week, then on the Grocery Shopping list, list your ingredients to make it easier to shop for them.

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Week 1 Snacks: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Fruit smoothies: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Green Smoothies: ___________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfasts: __________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Main Dishes: ________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Soups: ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Salads: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Desserts: ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Week 2 Snacks: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Fruit smoothies: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Green Smoothies: ___________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfasts: __________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Main Dishes: ________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Soups: ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Salads: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Desserts: ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Week 3 Snacks: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Fruit smoothies: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Green Smoothies: ___________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfasts: __________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Main Dishes: ________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Soups: ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Salads: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Desserts: ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Daniel Fast Shopping List Food Item

Quantity

Food Item

Quantity

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Daniel Fast Shopping List Food Item

Quantity

Food Item

Quantity

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Daniel Fast Shopping List Food Item

Quantity

Food Item

Quantity

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RECIPESÂ

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GREEN SMOOTHIES In any of the Green Smoothie or Fruit Smoothie recipes, feel free to add DATES (dried fruit) to add to sweetness, if needed. Add flax or hemp/chia seeds for your Omega oils.

You need only about 2 tbsp a day of any of these seeds.

Dandelion Green Smoothie 2­3 cups water 1­2 cups frozen of fresh raspberries 1 ripe banana 5 pitted dates 1/2 bunch­1 full bunch of dandelion greens Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Pear and Smoothie

Bok

Choy

Green

2­3 cups water 2 ripe, juicy pears 6 large bok choy leaves 2 ripe bananas Blend in a high speed blender until smooth. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

Clementine Romaine Green Smoothie 2­3 cups water 1 head romaine lettuce 2 bananas (fresh or frozen) 3 clementines 1/2 bunch parsley Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Papaya Parsley Green Smoothie 2­3 cups water 1/2 bunch parsley 3 large leaves collard greens 2 cups papaya 1 ripe pear Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

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Orange Collards Green Smoothie 2­3 cups water 5 large leaves collard greens 1 apple, cored 2 oranges, peeled and seeded Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pear Chard Green Smoothie 2 cups water 1 banana 2 ripe pears, seeded 3 large leaves chard greens Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pineapple Cilantro Green Smoothie Makes close to 60 oz 2­3 cups water 1/2 bunch cilantro (about 2 cups if chopped) 4­5 collard greens leaves, stemmed 1/3 of large, ripe pineapple, cored* *if you have a high speed blender, you do not have to core the pineapple.

Orange Ginger Green Smoothie 3 cups water 3 extra­large collard greens leaves 1 banana 2 oranges, peeled and seeded 1 inch of ginger root dates for sweetness, if needed

Strawberry Spinach Green Smoothie yields 2 servings 3 cups water 2 ripe bananas 3 cups ripe strawberries 2 huge handfuls of spinach

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Banana Pear Green Smoothie yields 2­3 servings 4 cups water 2 bananas 1 large pear, seeded 1 bunch of dinosaur kale 1 spring of mint

Rainbow Chard Green Smoothie yields 1 serving 2 cups water 1 large Fuji apple, cored 2­3 very large rainbow chard leaves 2 inch long ginger root, peeled

Peach Green Smoothie yields 3 servings 3 cups water 2 ripe peaches 3 cups cantaloupe large handful of lambsquarters large handful of kale

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FRUIT SMOOTHIES Mango Peach Smoothie yields 3 servings 1.5­2 cups filtered water 2 ripe oranges, peeled and de­seeded 2 ripe peaches, pitted 1 large ripe mango, pitted (if not using organic and if you do not have a high speed blender, remove the skin as well) use dates for sweetness, if needed Blend until smooth; add 2 cups ice and crush in a blender.

Apricot Smoothie yields 2­3 servings ½­1 cup water 1 cup ice 10­15 ripe apricots dates, as needed Blend all ingredients, except for ice, until homogenous; add ice and blend until it’s been crushed.

Strawberry Pear Smoothie yields 2 servings 3 cups water 1 large ripe pear 3 bananas dates, as needed Blend until smooth and enjoy.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie yields 2 servings 1.5 cups water 2 quarts strawberries 4 mint leaves (optional) dates or other approved sweeteners as needed 2 bananas Blend everything until smooth, then add 2 cups of ice and crush on a slower speed.

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Tropical Blueberry Smoothie yields 2­3 servings 1cup of water 1/3 pineapple 1 orange 3 cups blueberries Blend until smooth.

Tropical Thunder yields 2­3 servings 1­2 cups water 1 ripe mango, pitted and skinned 2 cups blueberries 1 cups raspberries 2 cups strawberries dates, as needed Blend until smooth.

Berry Bunch yields 2­3 servings 2 cups water 1 cup pineapple 2 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen) 1 apple, seeded 1 banana Blend until smooth.

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DIPS & DRESSINGS

Simple Dressings There are a few ways you can dress your green salads in only a matter of seconds: Squeeze fresh lemon juice over it Squeeze ½ orange over the salad, and grate some of the zest over it Sprinkle a couple of spoonfuls of balsamic or apple cider vinegar

Hummus

Ingredients 5 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 1 cup tahini paste* 3­3.5 cups water, depending on how thick you want your mixture to be–I used 3 cups in this recipe, but could have comfortably added another .5 cup (you can use water beans were cooked in) juice of 1 1/2­2 lemons 7 cloves of garlic 2 1/4 tbsp salt or to taste

Preparation I cook my own chickpeas. To do that I soak them in water overnight or for a few hours. Drain, rinse and boil in water [so they are submerged/covered in water]. Cook for 1 hr or until soft. pour into a high speed blender, such as VitaMix 5200, or a food processor add remaining ingredients Blend until smooth (be careful not to burn your blender's motor!)

Refrigerate and enjoy!

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P a g e | 44 To get your Hummus a bit more sophisticated feel free do dress it up: add your favorite seasoning; add cumin or roasted red bell pepper; if you like it spicy add a chili pepper or whatever else you might fancy. Let your imagination take you places. *tahini paste is simply pressed sesame seeds. The oil found in it is simply squeezed out of seeds, not added to them.

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus Makes 1.5 quart

Ingredients 1. 5 cups cooked chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) 2. 5­7 cloves of garlic 3. 2.5 cups chickpea water* (water that you cooked chickpeas in) 4. 5 tbsp tahini paste 5. juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed 6. 1 cup sun dried tomatoes (when you buy dried tomatoes, place them in a little bit of water to rehydrate by placing in some water for at least an hour) 7. 1.5 tsp Himalayan or sea salt (or to taste)

Preparation Soak 3 cups of dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in water for several hours or overnight; Drain water, rinse beans, then fill a pot with water, covering chickpeas by double their mass, and cook until tender; Drain chickpeas, but keep the water; Place ingredients 1­7 in a food processor or high speed blender, starting with water; If using food processor, process 4­5 minutes or until homogeneous mass is achieved; If using high speed blender add ingredients slowly to avoid burning your motor; if using Vita­Mix, use temper to keep ingredients moving at all times; Refrigerate or use immediately. Hummus should keep for up to 1.5 weeks easily.

Use as dip for veggies, or instead of “sour cream”, or as a spread.

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Raw Sunflower Seeds Hummus yields 20 oz (~2.5 cups) Ingredients 1 cup sunflower seeds ½ cup of water + 1 cup for soaking seeds 1 small­medium size zucchini (about 1­1.5 cup) 2 tbsp raw tahini paste (optional) 1 medium­large size clove of garlic 2 tsp ground cumin 4 tbsp lemon juice sea or Himalayan salt to taste (I use only about 1.5 tsp) Preparation Soak sunflower seeds in 1 (or more) cup of water for 2­4 hours Rinse and drain Peel zucchini and chop into large chunks Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth

Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette Ingredients 8­10 oz. raspberries, fresh or frozen date syrup to taste

Preparation Blend in a high speed blender.

Pour over salad and enjoy.

Absolutely delicious! Satisfy your summer crunch!

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Blueberry Goodness Dressing yields 1/3 cup Ingredients ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if you using frozen, defrost before preparation) juice and zest of 1 orange 2­3 soaked dates Preparation Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender Pour over your salad and enjoy!

Pineapple Salsa 1/2 pineapple, chopped into small cubes 2 cloves crushed garlic 1/4 cup dices onions 1 cup chopped cilantro 1 ripe avocado cubed 1 green bell pepper, chopped into small cubes Himalayan salt to taste a dash of your favorite seasoning (I use Kirkland Organic mix, sold at Costco) 1­2 tbsp date syrup, if extra sweetness is needed Preparation Mix all ingredients and serve with flax crackers

Tahini Salad Dressing 4 tablespoons tahini paste fresh lemon juice of 1 lemon sea salt to taste (optional) 1­2 teaspoons of date syrup (optional) Filtered water (the amount depends strictly on how thick or runny you like your dressing) All you have to do is combine these ingredients and you are done. I place my ingredients into a glass jar, cover with a lead and shake until well­blended.

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Mango & Kiwi Salsa Ingredients 5 large tomatoes, diced ½­3/4 large mongo, skinned and diced 2 kiwis, skinned and diced 1 clove of garlic, diced red onion, diced (to taste) 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped Sea salt (or Himalayan) to taste

Preparation

Combine all ingredients and enjoy.

Cashew Creamy Dressing/Alfredo Sauce Ingredients 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1 cup cashews 1 cup water Sea or Himalayan salt to taste 2 medium size cloves of garlic 1­2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp favorite seasoning (I use Kirkland’s organic mix)

Preparation 1. Soak cashews in water for at least an hour, up to two hours 2. Place ALL ingredients, including soaking water, into a high speed blender (I use Vita­Mix 5200) 3. Blend until smooth (I start with a low speed and increase it to the highest setting) 4. Pour over your salad or noodles 5. Refrigerate leftovers and use as needed

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SALADS Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette 2 hearts of Romaine Lettuce, chopped 1 bell peppers, thinly sliced in rounds 2 pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced 2 kiwi fruit, skinned and sliced Serve with Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Crunchy Salad 5­6 leaves of dark leaf lettuce, torn into eatable pieces, or 3 cups of spinach 1/2 red or orange pepper sliced into thing long slices 1 Roma tomato sliced lengthwise 1­3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice Himalayan or sea salt to taste Sprinkle of your favorite seasoning on top

Toss all ingredients together and serve!

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients 2 English cucumbers, sliced (if you are not using organic cucumbers I would highly recommend to peel them) 2 tbsp green onions, chopped 1 ripe avocado, mashed into smooth mixture 1­2 tbsp dill, chopped 1 tbsp vinegar Salt to taste

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Preparation Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve

Cilantro & Spinach Salad 3 large handfuls spinach, chopped 1 handful cilantro, chopped 1 carrot, julienned 1 cup artichoke hearts (marinated in water) 1 ripe avocado, cubed 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

For dressing mix 1 ripe avocado mashed with 2­3 tbsp fresh lemon juice salt to taste favorite seasoning

Goji Delight Salad Ingredients 5­6 leaves of Romaine or Dark Leaf lettuce, cut or torn in chunks 1/2 cup or more sprouts 2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional) 1 tsp favorite seasoning (I use Kirkland Organic) 2 tbsp lemon juice Himalayan or Sea salt to taste 1/3 cup goji berries

Preparation Place greens in a bowl Add sprouts, seeds, seasoning Sprinkle with lemon juice and salt Top with goji berries

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Green Salad with Raisins

Serves 4 with pasta, or 2 by itself

Ingredients

1 large head of dark leaf lettuce of your choice, chopped or torn into edible size pieces 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced, spread on top of lettuce 1­1 1/2 zucchini cut into match­stick size or on a mandolin slicer, spread over onions 1/4 cup hemp seeds, sprinkled on top 1/2 raisins, on top of the salad

Dressing 2 tbsp lemon juice your favorite seasoning (I use Kirkland organic) sea or Himalayan salt to taste

Huge Green Salad 2 large handfuls of spinach 1 bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced 1 cucumber, thinly sliced 1 tomato cut into cubes 2­3 springs of green onion, chopped 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar salt and seasoning to taste Toss and enjoy!

Garden Salad Ingredients 2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced in a way you like

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P a g e | 51 1/3 red onion sliced 2 avocados, cubed any other vegetable of your choice, such as a cucumber

Preparation Toss all ingredients together and dress with: Sea or Himalayan salt to taste Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning 2­3 tbsp apples cider or balsamic vinegar

Cucumber & Bok Choy Salad

Ingredients 1/2 head of bok choy (bottom portion, see image below; save top part for smoothie making) 1 English cucumber (if it is not organic, make sure to peel) 2 tbsp chopped dill 1­2 tbsp apple cider vinegar Himalayan or sea salt to taste

Preparation Chop bok choy and cucumber as shown in image #2; Toss with vinegar, dill and salt and serve.

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Dinosaur Kale Salad 6­10 leaves dinosaur kale 1 ripe avocado 2 tsp lemon juice tiny dash of salt Preparation separate stems from kale, and cut kale into bite size pieces sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and massage kale with your hands, until it looks wilted and reduces in size about 3­4 times add chopped or mashed(ripe) avocado and lemon juice and massage into kale

Raw Sushi makes 18­20 pieces

Ingredients

3 Nori sheets 1/2 large jicoma root* 1 carrot, julienned 1­2 cucumbers, julienned 1 avocado, cut into thin strips 1 shoot of green onion, green part cut into thin long strips Ground ginger, just enough to taste it Tamari sauce Wasabi sauce

Preparation Peel jicoma root, cut into medium size junks and pulse in a food processor until looks like rice, although to smaller pieces (you should still have small fibrous junks, so don’t process until the root becomes too mooshie) Lay out one nori sheet at a time Strain jicoma root from all liquid (I use a slotted spoon and push liquid out of it as much as possible). If you don’t strain jicoma juice your nori rolls will fall apart in no time.

Divide jicoma into 3 equal part, and spread on the nori sheet, leaving about an inch of space on the side closes to you and up to 1­2 inches on the far side of the sheet Take julienned vegetables, make a little groove in jicoma “rice” closer to the edge closest to you (about 2 inches from the edge), lay them in a straight line, one on top of another, smearing a bit of ginger or wasabi sauce underneath

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P a g e | 53 Roll up the sheet, wetting the far end of the roll with a little bit of water. Make sure to press down on the roll, as you are moving it forward. Once you get to the edge, go along the roll and press it until the sheet is “sealed” Repeat with remaining ingredients Cut each roll into 6­7 equal length parts and place face up on a plate (as see on the image above) Serve with organic Tamari sauce. Add Wasabi sauce if you want a little bit of spice. *you can use cooked brown rice instead of jicoma root

Tomatoes Zucchini Summer Salad Ingredients 3 large tomatoes, cut in chunks 1 zucchini, thinly sliced 1/4­1/3 cup diced red onion 3 springs green onions, chopped 2 cups of cooked beans (any kind) sea of Himalayan salt to taste 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill lemon juice, to taste, if desired

Preparation Toss all ingredients together and let marinate for 10­15 minutes before serving.

Green Beans

Ingredients

1/4 cup water to sauté veggies ½ large onion, chopped 4 cups fresh green beans cut into smaller pieces (unless you like long beans) The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

P a g e | 54 3 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced sea salt to taste all­purpose seasoning to taste

Preparation Prepare all ingredients.

Place onions on a skillet; sauté with water for 1­2 minutes on medium heat, just enough to bring out sweetness.

Add beans and sauté on medium heat for no longer than 1­2 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer into a cold dish.

Fat Free Vegan Quinoa Salad yields 4 servings (you can also enjoy this as a main dish)

Ingredients 4 cups precooked quinoa grain 6 Roma tomatoes (you can use any other kind as well), cut into small cubes 4­5 cloves of garlic (diced or mashed) 1 cup thinly chopped green onions (image below) 1/2 cup cilantro chopped (image below) sea or Himalayan salt to taste 1­2 tbsp ground cumin or any other favorite spice of choice 1­2 tbsp lemon juice (totally optional)

Preparation if making quinoa just for this dish, cook it according to instructions, when cooked, add remaining ingredients chop herbs and tomatoes mash garlic (or dice it) stir ingredients until well combined and serve, or chill and serve as a cold dish

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P a g e | 55 That is how simple, filling and delicious it is. If you have pre­cooked grain it will take you no more than 5­10 minutes to chop up and combine all ingredients.

Cucumber Delight Salad Serves 2 Ingredients 1 English cucumber 1 ripe avocado 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen) 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar a tiny dash of salt 1 tbsp of your favorite herb (cilantro, dill, basil, etc.) and a dash of your favorite seasoning (I used Kirkland’s Organic)–optional

Preparation Using a knife or a mandoline slicer (I cannot live without mine), or even a vegetable peeler, slice cucumber into thin long strips, then cut into linguine like strips Cut avocado into small cubes, add to cucumber strips Add remaining ingredients, mix and it is ready to be enjoyed!

We like this salad with baked potatoes.

Fat Free Plantain Salad

Ingredients 3 plantains 1/2 large red onion 1 red bell pepper

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P a g e | 56 2 springs green onion 8 springs cilantro 6 springs parsley 6­8 tbsp date syrup 5.5­6 tbsp rice vinegar 2.5­3 tbsp apple cider vinegar dash of salt dash of freshly ground pepper (optional)

Preparation slice onion and red pepper lengthwise (see image), chopping bell pepper slices into 2­3 parts slice plantains into bite size pieces and finely chop herbs preheat a cast iron skillet on medium or medium­high, adding onion and bell pepper when veggies begin to sizzle, reduce heat to medium and splash 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 3­4 tbsp of date syrup continue stirring veggies so they sauté in the marinade for 5­6 minutes transfer into a glass container turn up the heat to medium­high or high, place plantains on the skillet, reduce heat to medium, and splash with 3.5 tbsp rice vinegar and 1.5­2 tbsp apple cider vinegar on plantains, as needed, while plantains brown up on both sides, which means you will have to turn them over remove from the skillet and transfer into the veggie dish add remaining ingredients (herbs, date syrup, vinegars, salt and pepper) and stir until well combined place in a refrigerator to chill for 30­40 minutes before serving You will experience the most explosive and amazing taste bud party ever!

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Alfredo Sauce

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Ingredients

1. 3 medium足large zucchinis, cut by a spiral slicer 2. Sea or Himalayan salt to taste 3. Alfredo Sauce (recipe linked, or can be found in the Dressings Section)

Preparation

1. Using a spiral slicer, make noodles out of zucchinis 2. After making zucchini noodles, combine them with Cashew Alfredo sauce 3. Serve immediately or refrigerate

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RAW SOUPS Corn Bisque

Ingredients Part I 2.5 cups warm water 4 cups fresh or frozen corn 2 cloves medium size garlic Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Part II 1­2 cups corn

Preparation Blend Part I ingredients until smooth Pour into a large bowl and mix in Part II ingredients you can also add a handful of sunflower seeds for crunch

Corn Chowder Ingredients Part I 2 cups warm­hot water 4 cups fresh or frozen corn 2 cloves medium size garlic Himalayan salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp cumin

Part II 1/3 medium size jicoma root, cut in a food processor to look like rice [I put it in chunks an pulse a few times]

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P a g e | 59 ½ green, or any other kind, bell pepper, chopped into small [very small] cubes 2 cups corn 2 medium avocados, cubed

Preparation Blend Part I ingredients until smooth Pour into a large bowl and mix in Part II ingredients Enjoy!

Avocado Cucumber Soup

Ingredients Part I 1/2 cup water 1 medium­large ripe avocado 1 large cucumber (regular or English) 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 clove garlic 1 tsp cumin Himalayan or sea salt to taste 2 springs of cilantro

Part II [for garnish] 1 medium size Roma tomato, diced 1­2 tbsp red onions chopped 1/2 avocado, chopped in cubes, if desired

Preparation Blend Part I ingredients in a blender until creamy smooth Pour in your favorite pretty bowl Garnish with Part II ingredients The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

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Taco Soup Ingredients 3.5 cups water (cold, warm or hot) 2 Roma tomatoes 2 stalks celery 6 tbsp corn 2 medium carrots 2 springs of green onion, or 1/4­1/3 cup white onion 1 handful of cashews Few springs of parsley 1 clove of garlic 1.5 tbsp chili powder (or taco seasoning) ½ tbsp cumin ¼ tsp white or black pepper (optional) 1 tsp Kirkland organic seasoning Himalayan salt to taste

Garnish 3 small­medium size avocados, cubed 2 Roma tomatoes, cubed

Preparation Blend ingredients in a high speed blender Pour in a bowl, add garnish and serve!

It will make you lick your bowl!

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COOKED SOUPS Chunky Chili

Ingredients 1/2 cup water to sauté veggies 2 cups chopped onion (1 large or 2 smaller onions) ½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper ½ cup chopped green or red pepper 3 minced garlic cloves 1 ½­2 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 chopped zucchini or yellow squash (optional) 2 (16 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes, un­drained 1 (14­15oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 (14­15oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 (14­15oz.) can pinto or great northern beans, rinsed and drained 2­3 cups of water

Preparation Pre­heat skillet over high heat Add onion, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic Sauté 3­5 minutes, with water, reducing heat to medium Add salt and remaining spices Add drained beans and un­drained tomatoes and water (feel free to add more water) Bring to boil Reduce heat to medium­low and simmer 20­30 minutes Garnish with cilantro or chopped green onion

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Minestrone Soup

Ingredients 1/4 cup of water for sautéing 1 cup chopped onion 9 cups water 2 cups cubed zucchini 1 cup cubed carrot 2 cups home cooked or 1 (one) 14­16 oz. can your favorite beans 1 cup chopped celery ½ teaspoon dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh basil sea or Himalayan salt to taste ½ teaspoon oregano or your favorite seasoning 2 (two)14 oz. cans diced tomatoes, un­drained 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup uncooked wheat pasta (your favorite kind)

Preparation Preheat skillet on high; add onion, reduce heat to medium and sauté 3 minutes with water.

Add remaining water and all other ingredients, except for pasta.

Cover; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5­10 minutes.

Add pasta. Cook until pasta is tender.

Chickpea Curry Ingredients 1/4 cup of water for sautéing 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

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P a g e | 63 2 large zucchinis peeled and cubed into small chunks (you can keep the skin on, if you choose) 2 large carrots, cubed 1 large onion, peeled and cubed 1/2­1 eggplant, peeled and cubed (you can keep the skin on, if you choose).

2­3 cups precooked chickpeas Sea or Himalayan salt to taste 2­3 tbsp cumin powder 1 (one) 16 oz. can diced tomatoes, or 1 cup spaghetti sauce 2­6 cups of water (if you like thicker soups stick with 2 cups, if you like more liquids as I do, use 6 or more cups)

Garnish 1/4 cups your favorite herb, chopped (I used cilantro)

Preparation Sauté ingredients 1­6 for 15­20 minutes on medium heat with water. If potatoes begin to stick to your skillet/pot, add 1 cup of water (ingredient #11) Add ingredients 7­11 in, bring to boil and simmer for 10­20 minutes Garnish with your favorite herb.

Brown Rice & Bean Warming Soup The recipe was made to feed a crowd, so if you are going to be feeding only a couple of people cut down on the ingredients, otherwise you will have enough to last you 3 days.

Ingredients 1. 6 Quarts water 2. 2 1/2 cups brown rice 3. 2 cups adzuki beans (if you presoak them you will cut down on the cooking time) 4. sea or Himalayan salt to taste 5. 1 bay leaf 6. 1/2 large egg plant, skinned and cubed into medium size chunks 7. 1 onion, cubed 8. 2 cloves of garlic, diced 9. 2 large carrot, sliced in a manner you like 10. 1/4 cup water to sauté vegetables 11. 2 cups of thingy sliced cabbage 12. 2 tsp chili powder 13. 1tbsp cumin

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Preparation Bring water to boil with ingredients 1­5, then reduce heat to low and let the ingredients cook until done.

Sauté these ingredients 6­11 for 15­20 minutes on low heat. When brown rice and beans have cooked through add sautéed ingredients in along with chili powder and cumin.

Boil together on low heat for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro or basil.

Ironlicious Lentil Soup Serves: 6 (makes 12 cups) Each serving provides ~51% iron DV

Ingredients 1. 2 cups of dry masoor (pink) lentils 2. water for soaking lentils 3. 7­8 cups water for cooking 4. 2 bay leaves 5. 1.5 tbsp Himalayan salt (or to taste) 6. 4 medium potatoes (keep skin on) 7. ¼ cup water to sauté veggies 8. 1­2 cloves of garlic 9. 1 medium­large onion 10. 1 carrot 11. 2 tsp dried thyme leaves 12. 3­6 cups raw spinach 13. 3 tbsp chopped dill 14. 3­4 tbsp chopped cilantro 15. 2 tbsp turmeric 16. 2­3 tbsp lemon juice or organic vinegar (or to taste) (optional)

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P a g e | 65 Preparation 1. Soak lentils in filtered water for 2­3 hours–water should cover lentils but about 1­ 2 inches; strain water and disregard 2. Pour 7­8 cups of water in a pot, add lentils, salt, and bay leaves and bring to boil 3. Reduce heat to medium and remove white foam off the top 4. Boil for 10 minutes 5. While lentils are boiling, mash garlic, chop onions, slice carrot into chunks, and chop potatoes 6. Sauté: garlic, onion and carrots with water for 10 minutes on medium heat, then add thyme and turmeric 7. Having boiled lentils for 10 minutes, add sliced potatoes (with skins on) and boil for additional 5 minutes 8. Add sautéed ingredients, bring mixture to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover pot and boil for 20 minutes 9. Meanwhile chop spinach (make it chunky), dill and cilantro 10. Having boiled soup for additional 20 minutes, you should taste it to see that lentils and potatoes are thoroughly cooked 11. Add chopped greens If you want a little zing to the taste, add fresh lemon juice or organic vinegar until your taste buds are happy (about 2­3 tbsp)

Split Pea Soup makes enough to feed 4 people for a couple of days

Ingredients 6 quarts of filtered water 3 cups of split peas, rinsed and drained sea or Himalayan salt to taste 3 large potatoes, chopped 1 large bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, sliced 2 medium­large carrots, sliced or shredded

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P a g e | 66 ¼ cup water to sauté veggies favorite seasoning to taste 2 bay leaves (optional—you can discard them after soup has been cooked) chopped dill, cilantro or green onions for garnish Preparation 1. Pour water into a pot, add salt, bay leaves and peas 2. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and boil for 30 minutes 3. Add potatoes; boil additional 20­30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and peas are falling apart 4. Meanwhile heat up a skillet and sauté onion, bell pepper, carrots and seasoning in water, on medium heat for 5 minutes 5. When potatoes and peas are cooked through, add sautéed vegetables and boil soup for additional 10­15 minutes 6. Serve hot 7. Garnish with your favorite herb

Amazingly the soup gets only better if it sits overnight.

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MAIN DISHES

Brown Rice and Corn Ingredients 2 cups cooked brown rice 2­3 Roma tomatoes, diced 1/3 red onion, diced 2 cups frozen corn, thawed salt and spices to taste 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Spring Pesto with Whole Wheat Penne

Ingredients 1 bag of whole wheat organic penne pasta 10 oz. of frozen peas, thawed 1 cup basil leaves 2 handfuls soaked and dehydrated walnuts 1/3 cup water 1 tsp grated lemon peel Sea or Himalaya salt to taste Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation Cook pasta according to directions on the package, salting the water Drain pasta, almost completely, leaving a little bit of liquid in In a food processor, blend half the peas with basil, walnuts, water, and lemon peel until coarsely chopped Add pesto to pasta and combine, adding remaining peas Sprinkle with pepper and enjoy!

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Quinoa Pilaf

Ingredients 1 large onion, cubed 3 medium­large carrots, thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic water to sauté veggies 4 tbsp finely chopped dill 3 cups quinoa 5.5 cups water Sea or Himalayan salt to taste 1 tbsp your favorite seasoning [I used Kirkland organic blend]

Preparation In a pan, sauté onion, carrots, and garlic, for 5­7 minutes on medium heat Add spices Add quinoa, salt and pour in water; stir.

Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until water is 2/3 is gone; stir occasionally Reduce heat to low; cover the pan and allow grain to cook through Add dill, stir and serve

Spring Couscous makes 6­8 servings Ingredients 10 springs of green onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed water for sautéing 4 cups whole wheat couscous grain 6 cups water 4 tbsp cumin

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P a g e | 69 1.5 tbsp sea or Himalayan salt [or to taste] 8 Roma tomatoes, chopped into small squares 1/2­1 cups chopped dill

Preparation sauté green onions in water for about 1­2 minutes on medium heat add garlic, sauté for another 30 seconds add cumin, salt, couscous and water bring to boil on high heat, stirring reduce heat and boil for 1 min, stirring take off heat, and cover for 10 minutes meanwhile chop tomatoes and dill after 10 minutes mix in tomatoes and dill and serve!

That simple! And super delicious.

I like serving my Couscous with a very simple tomato salad: chopped tomatoes, little bit of chopped white or green onions, salt.

Cilantro Ravioli

Ingredients Dough 1 cup warm water 3 tablespoons cilantro*, chopped 2 cups white, unbleached organic flour 2 cup whole wheat organic flour 1 teaspoon of favorite all­purpose seasoning 1 teaspoon sea salt *You can substitute cilantro with basil.

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Filling 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cooked** 2 tablespoons cilantro or dill, chopped Mash potatoes and add cilantro or dill.

Let it chill to room temperature. **Make sure to salt with to taste when cooking.

Preparation To make dough, place water and cilantro (or basil) in the food processor and blend until cilantro has been finely chopped up.

Add salt, seasoning and flour, one cup at a time. Pulse until flour is blended in.

Transfer dough to a flat surface and knead until smooth, adding a bit of flour if needed.

Divide dough into four equal parts. Roll out each part into a thin sheet.

Use a round glass to cut out circles.

You will have shred of dough left over. Set it aside, and when you are done with all four parts, combine altogether and repeat steps as for all other parts, until all dough has been used.

Use a teaspoon to distribute chilled potatoes unto each circle.

There are two different ways you can shape ravioli: half足moons or circles.

To make a half moon, place potatoes away from the middle. Flip the dough to cover it, and pinch with your fingers, until dough has been tightly sealed.

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To make round ravioli: place mashed potatoes in the middle of the circle, place second circle over potatoes, then pinch around the circle with your fingers, until dough has been tightly sealed.

Meanwhile, bring water to boil (about half of the pot that you choose to use).

Once water is boiling, add ravioli.

Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium.

Half­moon ravioli need no more than 10­11 minutes, whereas round ravioli will need 12­13 minutes to cook through.

Once ravioli has been cooked, pull out with a ladle or a strainer and serve immediately.

Creamed Mushrooms Polenta

Ingredients 3 cups polenta, cooked according to instructions (I boil polenta in 1.5 cups of water for each cup of grain, lightly salted and seasoned)

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P a g e | 72 1/4 cup water for sautéing veggies 18 oz. (or more) mushrooms of your choice 1 large yellow union 1­2 red bell peppers 2­3 cloves garlic 3­4 cups water, unsweetened plant milk or veggie broth 2 tbsp organic whole wheat flour 1­2 tsp your favorite seasoning sea or Himalayan salt to taste

Preparation Prepare polenta as described above While it is cooking chop all veggies (mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, garlic), season with seasoning and sauté with water on a skillet for 5 minutes on high heat and 10 minutes on low heat Pour in water/plant milk or veggie broth, increasing heat to high, bring to boil Salt to taste Reduce heat to low and stir in flour very slowly so it does not clump up (if you are not sure how to keep flour from clumping, mix it in a bowl with 1/4­1/2 cup of milk first, then pour into the skillet while stirring) stir for 1­2 minutes, turn off heat

To Serve Spread veggie mix on the plate Using a mold place polenta on top of it Pour more mushroom mixture over the top Garnish with celery or parsley Even my mushroom­hating husband enjoyed this dish…. and asked for seconds.

You will have polenta left over, which will clump in a very funky way when it cools off. To spare yourself “ugly” polenta, when it cools off place it on a piece of parchment and shape into a round tube (I have a measuring tube that I use to give it shape, which I then squeeze onto the parchment paper–see next page) Place in a zip­lock bag and refrigerate. You can later pull it out, slice it as you wish, and warm it up for another tasty serving with creamed mushrooms. It makes meal planning so much easier!

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Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients 6 red bell peppers 1 cup cooked rice (your favorite kind), lightly salted ¼ cup water to sauté veggies 6 medium­large carrots, grated 1 large onion, cubed 4 cups shredded cabbage 2 zucchinis, cubed 1 (one) 14­16 oz. can tomato sauce Sea or Himalayan salt to taste 2 tsp favorite seasoning or to taste 4 cups water

Preparation Clean bell peppers thoroughly. Carefully cut off tops and remove the part that holds seeds.

Preheat large sauce pan on high, add 4 of 6 shredded carrots, onion, cabbage, and zucchini, reduce heat to medium and sauté with water.

Salt to taste and sprinkle seasoning to taste.

Sauté for 10 minutes on medium heat; add tomato sauce and sauté for 2 more minutes.

While vegetables are sautéing, combine rice with 2 shredded carrots and season with your favorite seasoning to taste. Lightly salt rice when cooking.

Stuff rice into bell peppers and cover with cut off tops.

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P a g e | 74 Add remaining water to vegetables; salt to taste and cook for 3­5 minutes.

Place stuffed bell peppers into the sauce pan; cover; bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium­low and cook for 35 minutes.

Serve in a bowl, as seen on the photo above. The tops are eatable, and make for a beautiful presentation, but if you choose not to eat them, chop them into small cubes and add to sauce.

Potatoes with Onions Ingredients 5 large potatoes Water to boil potatoes–you want enough to bring it to the level of potatoes sea or Himalayan salt to taste 1 medium onion ¼ water to sauté onion favorite all­purpose seasoning or Mr. Dash to taste

Preparation Chop potatoes in medium size chunks–I do not peel mine, since I eat organic, but you can Place in a pot and cover with water; add salt Boil until potatoes are tender Meanwhile sauté chopped onions in water for 4­5 minute on medium­low heat When potatoes are ready, drain of all water, leaving only a bit to keep potatoes moist; mix in onions Season with favorite seasoning

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Baked Eggplant Ingredients 1 eggplant, cut lengthwise into about 1/4 inch slices (if the eggplant is too long, cut into half and then cut lengthwise) sea or Himalayan salt to taste, and your favorite spices 2­3 ripe tomatoes 1­2 avocados 1 zucchini 2 tbsp roughly ground flour to cover the baking sheet to prevent eggplants from sticking 2­3 garlic cloves, pressed in a garlic press

Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400 F 2. Coat baking sheet with flour, to prevent eggplants from sticking 3. Mix salt and spices, toss eggplants in the mixture and lay out on the baking dish 4. Bake until desired tenderness is reached 5. Meanwhile slice zucchini as thin as you can, sprinkle with a little bit of salt and let the slices marinate in their juice (is zucchini skin is too bitter, peel it off)

6. Cut tomatoes into thin rounds, or you can make them as thick as you like 7. Take avocados out of their shell and smash with fork, adding salt and any other

spice you like 8. When eggplants are done, take them out of the oven and lay out on a plate 9. Take squeezed garlic and spread over eggplant slices (a little goes a long way, but do spread all over the slice evenly—don’t drop into one spot) 10. Spread desired amount of avocado blend 11. Lay a couple of slices of zucchini 12. Finish by placing a couple of tomato slices on top (if you like sprinkle a bit of salt on top)

Sundried Tomatoes Gluten Free Penne Pasta Ingredients 1. 12 oz. box penne brown rice pasta 2. 2 medium­large yellow or white onions, 3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

chopped 1/4 cup water to sauté onions 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped (rehydrate with water beforehand) 3 cloves garlic, crashed Himalayan/sea salt to taste freshly ground pepper to taste, or your favorite seasoning 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (only if you like a little heat in your food) 3 springs green onions, chopped (use green part for garnish, harder, white part can be tossed in with yellow onions) The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

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Preparation Cook pasta according to directions, adding a little bit of salt; drain but save cooking water; Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in water for about 3­5 minutes on high heat, stirring, then reduce to medium heat; Add sundried tomatoes ; Add seasoning(s); When pasta is cooked, add to vegetables; Add 1/2 cup cooking water, or more, if you feel necessary; Turn off heat; Serve with a salad and enjoy!

Breakfast Burritos Ingredients Whole wheat tortilla (leaven free) Chopped boiled potato (optional) Grated zucchini Sliced bell pepper Sliced red onion Sliced tomatoes Avocado cubes sea salt to taste *You can substitute “sour cream” with your favorite dressings.

Preparation 1. Prepare all veggies 2. Preheat a skillet (use iron cast, if you have it, to prevent burritos from sticking to the surface, or bake in the oven at 375 F)

3. Lay all ingredients on the tortilla (I start with “sour cream” and build from there).

4. Create an envelope out of tortilla, leaving the top open (you can close all

sides, it is up to you).

5. Lay tortilla seam down on the skillet and grill on each side until you achieve golden crispness (or whenever you feel like removing it)

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Stovetop Ratatouille Ingredients 1 large eggplant, cubed 2­3 carrots, cubed 1 large onion, cubed 3­4 medium size potatoes, cubed 1 zucchini or squash, or both, cubed 2 large tomatoes, cubed 2­4 garlic cloves, minced 1 small can of tomato sauce Anything else you feel like adding to this veggie medley Sea salt to taste Your favorite all­purpose seasoning (I use Kirkland organic mix) ¼ cup water to fry veggies

Preparation Start by preheating a skillet Add potatoes and fry for 5 minutes, while splashing with water Add reimagining ingredients and cook on medium heat for 5­10 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium­low or low, depending on your cookware, and cook until potatoes are cooked through and vegetables intermix their flavors.

The dish can be served by itself with a piece of whole wheat bread, or on top of your favorite pasta.

Veggie Burger {Soy, Wheat and Fat Free} yields 12 veggie burger patties This burgers, instead of bread, can be eaten wrapped in a huge chard leaf, layered with avocado slices, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, sprouts and a dollop of hummus.

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Ingredients 1. 1 lb. (3 large) portabella mushrooms 2. 1/2 large white onion 3. 2 cloves garlic 4. 10 springs fresh parsley 5. 2 tbsp tomato paste 6. 2 tsp organic Kirkland seasoning; [or 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried thyme] 7. 3 cups cooked barley* 8. Sea or Himalayan salt to taste [but don't go crazy! ] 9. 1/2 of 12 oz. jar of Mezzetta roasted red bell peppers [makes about 3/4 cup when chopped]**, dice or chop into small pieces 10. 1 cup of rolled oats, ground into flour [instructions below] 11. 1/4 cup brown rice flour 12. *it takes about1­1.5 cup of dry barley to make 3 cups of cooked barley

**you can use any other brand, but look for the ones marinated in water, not oil!

Preparation 1. cook barley until very soft; to reduce your cooking time, soak grains for a few

hours, strain water, rinse and then cook in water, as instructed on the package 2. wash and chop mushrooms into medium size chunks 3. peel and chop onion into medium size chunks 4. peel garlic 5. wash and chop parsley 6. place ingredients 1­4 into a food processor and process until puree­like consistency is achieved [see first image below] 7. preheat a pan on medium heat, transfer ingredients into it; 8. add tomato paste, seasoning, salt and roasted pepper 9. when mixture warms up and start bubbling, reduce heat to medium­low and let it simmer, while stirring for about 15 minutes to reduce water 10. add barley and stir it in 11. reduce hit to the lowest setting 12. have 1 cup of rolled oats prepared into flour by placing oats into a high speed blender, and giving them a whirl for a few seconds until you get oat flour [it this is not an option, just buy some oat flour]; same goes for brown rice–you can make your own flour at home in blender, or buy from the store 13. stir in oat and brown rice flour, until well blended in [see second image below]

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14. remove pan from heat; let the mixture cool off until warm so you do not burn

your hands shaping burger patties from it; or, if you are impatient like me, see step 16 15. the only oil I used, since I do not have a grill, and you might find a way around it, was a tiny bit to grease baking sheets–it was the tiniest bit–so, lightly grease two baking sheets, and preheat your oven to 375 F; to avoid using any and all oil, try using parchment paper to line the baking sheets 16. I used a little gadget, known as Adjust­A­ Cup, to make my patties, that is why they were so pretty and round; stuff the container with the veggie burger mixture and push it out slowly, cutting it off ever 1.5 inch or so with a knife, onto the baking sheet, the lightly press it down, to make the patty bigger [see third image below] 17. bake at 375 F for 7 minutes–one sheet on top and one on the bottom; then switch and bake for additional 7 minutes 18. pull out, and make your very own, favorite veggie burger! To make it extra creamy, add sliced avocados to the burger;

19. you can store extra patties in a glass container and reheat to eat later

Nutritious Veggie Wrap (you can watch the video, or follow the recipe)

Ingredients 1­2 whole wheat leaven free wraps (or Whole Wheat Wrap from the Breads section) 1­2 tbsp hummus for each wrap handful of sprouts handful of spinach, chopped 1­2 Roma tomato sliced white/red onion slices banana pepper, sliced The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

P a g e | 80 Himalayan or sea salt to taste Dried thyme, to use as spice, or any other favorite seasoning

Wrap all ingredients into the wrap and enjoy!

Raw Veggie Hummus Wrap (you can watch the video, or follow the recipe)

Ingredients 1 large chard leaf ¼ cup chopped tomatoes ¼ cup chopped carrot ¼ cup chopped cucumber ½ sliced avocado ¼ cup sprouts of any kind Chopped onions, to taste 2 heaping spoons of hummus

Preparation If you want to, you can lightly steam the chard leaf, but it is not necessary. You can simply cut off the hard part of the stem, then flip the chard leaf over and thin the back of the stem on the back of the leaf with a knife (simply cutting the top portion off) Lay the leaf flat, laying out hummus and veggies on top Season and salt to taste and enjoy!

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Fat Free Lasagna serves 8­9 people

Ingredients 1 box of Delallo organic whole wheat no boil lasagna (15 sheets) (for Gluten Free version, use GF lasagna) 25­30 oz. fat free pasta sauce 1 medium size zucchini 1 medium size yellow onion 3 medium carrots 1/2 red bell pepper (you can use any color you have at home) 8­12 oz. crimini or white mushrooms 1/2­2/3 large eggplant 3 cloves of garlic, crushed sea or Himalayan salt to taste any of your favorite seasoning to taste, if desired

Preparation Either by hand, or in a food processor, grade all vegetables and mix with garlic, sauce, seasoning and salt (note: if you have very picky eaters that you are trying to switch to a plant diet, you can also blend the ingredients, leaving no chunks )

Preheat oven to 400 F The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

P a g e | 82 Option 1: if you like your veggies on a softer side, saut辿 veggie mixture for 10 minutes on medium heat (you will not need any oil to do so, since spaghetti sauce is more than enough to keep the pot moist, but you might want to add additional 1/2+ cup of sauce to the mixture) Option 2: if you like your veggies to taste a bit more firm, like me, use mixture as is Spread a few spoonfuls of the veggie mixture on the bottom of the baking dish Lay out 3足5 lasagna sheets over it (my baking dish could fit in only 3, so I ended up with 5 wonderful layers) Spread 1.5 cup of veggie mixture on top Cover with 3 more lasagna sheets and repeat the process until all lasagna and veggie mixture have been used

Cover with foil and place in the preheated oven Bake for 40 minutes Remove foil, and make for additional 25足30 minutes, uncovered, at 375 F Almost Daniel Fast option: (for your loved ones) 1/3 pack of vegan Dayia cheese, spread over the top and broil for 45足60 seconds, or until melted (for Daniel fast skip this step) Let lasagna cool off for a few minutes before serving If you need more moisture, simply add more spaghetti sauce under lasagna before serving, and you are set Serve with your favorite salad

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Falafels

Ingredients 2 cups soaked sunflower seeds (soak overnight or for at least 4 hours) ½ cup tahini paste 1 cup chopped celery 2­3 cloves of garlic 2 tbsp dried or 4 tbsp freshly chopped parsley 1 scallion or 1­2 shoot of green onion, chopped 1 cups cooked garbanzo beans 2 tsp cumin 1­1.5 tsp sea or Himalayan salt Paprika for sprinkling on top

Preparation Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well mixed but with small chunks Use a small ice cream scoop or a teaspoon to create balls.

If you are using a teaspoon, like I did, place ingredients into your hand and roll it into a perfect ball, and then place either on a dehydrator mesh sheet for RAW version, or a parchment covered baking sheet for BAKED version Sprinkle with Paprika

For Cooked Version Preheat oven to 375 F and baked until falafels are slightly crisp on the outside but still feel soft on the inside [about 20­25 minutes]

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For RAW version Place balls on a dehydrator mesh sheet and dehydrate at 118° F for 6­8 hours, looking for the same qualities as in cooked version: crisp on the outside, soft on the inside To enjoy falafels, use on a salad inside a Whole Wheat Wrap

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DESSERTS Cherry Ice Cream Makes 9­12 servings

Ice Cream Ingredients 4 frozen bananas 1­2 cups fresh pitted cherries (you can freeze these also, which will make for thicker ice cream)

Brownie Cup Ingredients 1.5 cup walnuts (pre­soaked and dehydrated) 1.5 cups almonds (pre­soaked and dehydrated) 2 cups pitted dates 1/3­1/2 cup raw cacao powder

Garnish Cherries

Preparation Cups Place all ingredients in a food processor and run it until all ingredients start balling up and forming a dough­like substance.

If you have a muffin form, line it with plastic, (you can also shape cups by hand or use any container you like) Divide brownie dough into 9­12 equal parts and press into muffin form, shaping the dough alongside the walls of each muffin cup. I found it is easier done by placing another layer of plastic on top of the dough and pressing through it, that way the dough does not stick to your hands Place in the freezer for 20+ minutes or until set and firm

Ice Cream The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

P a g e | 86 When brownie cups are ready, place bananas and cherries into a food blender and blend until homogenous mixture has been achieved, but don’t melt it all the way Take brownie cups out of the freezer, remove from muffin form, fill with ice cream Garnish with ground walnuts and cherries, if desired

Cookie Dough Banana Ice Cream 2 LARGE servings, or 4 smaller servings Ingredients 5 ripe frozen bananas 2 large handfuls raisins (make sure to get the ones that are sugar, chemical and oil free)

Preparation Blend both ingredients in a food processor until smooth. You might have to stop a couple of times to push the mixture down to the blades.

Serve immediately, or freeze in a Popsicle for later indulgence You can also add frozen strawberries, dates and other wonderful guilt­free ingredients.

Almond Strawberry Cookies [Raw, Gluten Free] Yields 16 cookies

Ingredients 1 cup raw buckwheat groats, ground to flour in a high speed blender or coffee grinder

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P a g e | 87 1 cup raw almonds or walnuts, ground to flour in a high speed blender or coffee grinder* 1/2 tsp sea or Himalayan salt 1/3 cup date syrup 1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice 4 oz fresh strawberries *soaked and then dehydrated Preparation Dough

1.

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Place the ground buckwheat and ground nuts into a food processor.

Add remaining ingredients.

Process until the mixture (dough) forms into a ball.

Remove dough from the food processor and place on a clean flat surface, you can also cover the surface with wax paper, which will make removing cookies easier.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or the mouth of a round jar, press into dough to form cookies.

Peel away excess dough, rolling into a bowl and repeat process until all dough is used.

Press down on the center of each cookie to form an indentation then fill with the filling. Use a spatula to lift the cookies from the surface and place on a dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate 4 hours or to desired texture.

Filling Place strawberries into a food processor or high speed blender and blend until well mixed.

Try not eating all cookies in one setting, as my husband would :) TIP: If you do not have a dehydrator and still want to make these delectable bites, place cookies on a baking sheet, preheating the oven to 120° F, and leave them in the oven for 3­4 hrs. to achieve same results.

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Raw Buckwheat Strawberry Thumb Cookies yields 16­20 2­inch cookies

Ingredients 1 cup raw buckwheat groats, ground to flour* 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, ground to flour* 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp date syrup 1/4 tsp sea or Himalayan salt 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 8 large strawberries Preparation *Grind buckwheat and sunflower seeds into flour in a coffee grinder or a high speed blender, such as Vita­Mix; Place buckwheat and sunflower flours into a food processor;

Add salt and pulse a few times to mix it in; Add syrup and lemon juice to the mix, process until dough starts coming together

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Keep processing until the dough forms into a ball

Remove, place on a table and shape into a large bowl; Using your fingers, break off enough dough to form a 1­inch balls Keeping the ball in your hand, press it down, until it's about 2­inches wide—it should form almost a perfect circle Using your thumb, apply gentle pressure and form indentation in the middle

Lay cookies out on a dehydrator sheet and prepare strawberry filling; Take strawberries and place in a food processor or blender, and pulse until well blended, but be careful not to over­blend, so that the jam does not become too liquid

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Spoon strawberry filling in the indentation of each cookie

Set dehydrator trays into dehydrator Dehydrate 4足5 hours at 115足118 F余 Cookies will keep for over a week refrigerated.

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SNACKS Vegalicious Snack Bars yields 13 bars

Ingredients 1. 1 ½ cup pitted Medjool dates (14­15 total) 2. juice and zest of 2 oranges 3. ¾ cup cashews (optional) 4. 2.5 cups rolled oats 5. 1/3­1/2 cup shelled pistachios 6. ¾ cup pumpkin seeds 7. ¾ cup sunflower seeds 8. 1 cup raisins Preparation 1. Using a food processor, mix ingredients 1­3 until (dates, juice of oranges with zest and cashews) until almost smooth, but can leave slightly chunky 2. Add rolled oats and pulse 10 times, stop, scrape mixture off sides, and repeat process three more times 3. Add remaining ingredients and pulse 10­15 times 4. Remove, place in a bowl, and thoroughly mix by hand

5. Form into ¾ in tall, 1 ½ in wide and 4 in long bricks (should make 13) 6. Or roll out into 1/8­1/4 in tall thin layer

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7. Dehydrate at 118° F for 1.5­2 hrs. for thins, flip over and score, then dehydrate

for another 5­6 hours 8. Or, of making bars, dehydrate at 118° F for 7­8 hrs.

9. Store in a refrigerator, in a bag or air tight container. Bars should keep for 7+ days when properly stored.

Vegalicious Cereal If you are a cereal lover, you can use the same ingredients as in Vegalicious Snack Bars to make an amazing homemade cereal.

Preparation 1. Using a food processor or a blender, mix ingredients 1­2 until (dates, juice of oranges with zest and cashews) until smooth 2. Remove from the container 3. Place cashews (optional), rolled oats, pistachios (optional) pumpkin and sunflower seeds into the food processor and pulse several times to chop ingredients into smaller junks 4. Remove and place in a bowl, adding raisins 5. Pour liquid ingredients over and massage by hand until well mixed 6. Layout on dehydrator sheets, fluff with your hands, so ingredients are somewhat separated 7. Dehydrate at 118° F 4­6 hrs. or until crunchy 8. Store in a refrigerator, in a bag or air tight container 9. Enjoy with a plant, homemade milk.

Simple Trail Mix 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup pumpkin seeds ¾ cup raisins ¾ cup goji berries Mix; sprinkle with your favorite seasoning and a dash of salt, and you have a snack ready to go!

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Raw Kale Chips

Ingredients 1.5­2 bunches of kale (your choice of variety) freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice of 1 lemon or lime ¼ cup water, you can increase it to ½ cup, if mixture becomes too thick ½ tbsp raw honey (optional) sea or Himalayan salt to taste ½­¾ cup soaked raw sunflower seeds (optional)

Preparation take stems out of kale (the hard part), tearing it into smaller size pieces (as shown in the image) combine remaining ingredients in high speed blender and blend in a until smooth pour over torn kale pieces and massage in with your hands until evenly distributed lay out kale on dehydrator sheets dehydrate at 115­118° F for 6­8 hours or until crisp store in a glass container

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Yam Chips Ingredients 2­3 yams 2­3 large garlic cloves, mashed with a garlic press 3 tbsp lemon juice lightly salt with Himalayan salt Preparation Slice yams with a mandolin slicer on the thinnest setting on with a potato peeler, to make long strips or large round discs Toss with garlic, lemon juice and salt Lay out on dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 115° F until crisp and crunchy Yams are one of the best kept secrets—full of potassium, manganese, vitamin C and B6.

B6 helps our bodies to break down homocysteine, which can directly damage blood vessel walls. Potassium helps to control blood pressure.

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BREADS Raw Flax Crackers

Ingredients 2.5 cups flax seeds 2.5 cups water 1/2 onion 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp Kirkland organic seasoning Himalayan salt to taste

Preparation Place all ingredients, except for flax seeds into a high speed blender (I use VitaMix 5200) Blend, slowly adding flax seeds (you might have to use temper to push seeds down, as the mixture is going to thicken up very quickly) Blend until seeds are ground up Transfer onto dehydrator non­stick sheets (I ended up with 3 1/2 sheets) Dehydrate at 118 F for 4 hours, flip cracker sheet over, off the non­stick sheets, score break lines with a knife, so it will be easier to break crackers into squares when they are done Dehydrate until crisp

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Whole Wheat Crisps

Ingredients 2 cups water 6.5 cups whole wheat or hard white unfine flour (you might need about ¼ cup more for rolling out dough later) 1­1.5 tsp sea or Himalayan salt or to taste 1tbsp your favorite seasoning (I use Kirkland organic blend)

Preparation Preheat oven to 375 F If you have a bread machine, set it on Dough cycle; feel safe to pull out dough after 30­40 minutes, since it is unleavened and you won’t have to wait for it to rise If you don’t have a bread machine, combine all ingredients, saving water to be added last, little by little, adding more flour in the end if needed; then knead dough until elastic When dough is ready, divide into 10 equal parts Roll out each part—you can choose to make some of the parts as tortillas for Whole Wheat Wraps (see below) and some for crackers When dough is rolled out thin, take a knife or a pizza roller and cut it into any shape you might like

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P a g e | 97 Bake until light golden and slightly crisp—the pieces will get more crisp after sitting out for a while Cool and serve on their own or with hummus

Whole Wheat Wraps

Same recipe as above, you can even choose to split dough half way Preheat a skillet on medium­high Roll out each dough part into a circle Drop on the hot skillet, moving the piece in the beginning so it does not get stuck Flip over and repeat until done (you should be able to see when it is cooked through or slightly golden in parts) Fill with any filling you desire

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“Almost Daniel Fast” Recipes

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Chickpea & Spinach Soup

Ingredients 1/4 cup of water for sautéing 4 garlic cloves, crashed 1 onion, chopped 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 5 cups water or vegetable stock (look for no/low sodium if you choose this option) 2 ½ cups finely chopped potatoes 2 cups of home cooked or 1 (one) 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2/3 cup soy cream or soy milk 2 tablespoons tahini* paste 3 ½ cups shredded spinach sea or Himalayan salt to taste 2 tsp favorite seasoning *Tahini is sesame seed paste and can be found in the ethnic section of your local supermarket, a specialty or a nutrition store.

Preparation Preheat skillet on high; add garlic and onion, reduce heat to medium and sauté with water for 5 minutes, stirring Add cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute Add water/stock and potatoes; season with salt; bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes Add rinsed chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender Blend together: cornstarch, soy cream/milk, tahini and seasoning Stir mixture into the soup Add spinach and bring to boil, stirring

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P a g e | 100 Lower the heat and simmer for 1­2 minutes Add more seasoning if necessary. If you have a favorite herb (like cilantro), throw in a couple of tablespoons

Broccoli & Cheese Soup yields 6­8 servings

Ingredients 1 medium­large size white onion 2­3 large cloves of garlic 1/2 cup water 3 medium potatoes 1 tbsp all­purpose organic seasoning (I use Kirkland Organic sold at Costco) 1­1.5 lbs broccoli (fresh or frozen) 2 medium size carrots 4 cups almond milk sea or Himalayan salt to taste or 3/4 tbsp 14­16 oz Daiya vegan Cheddar Cheese 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional) 1 tbsp ground turmeric 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

Preparation Peel and chop onion into small cubes Peel and dice garlic Preheat a pot on high heat and throw in onion and garlic, reduce heat to medium and sauté with water for 2­3 minutes, by adding little splashes at a time, as needed Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes; add to the pot, adding remaining water

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P a g e | 101 Add seasoning, and stir occasionally Peel and slice carrots into thin slices (I use a Mandolin slicer) Chop broccoli into 2 inch pieces; if you are going to use the stem, peel the hard outer skin off first Add carrots and broccoli to the pot and stir in, adding salt (see image below) Add almond milk, turn stove to high and bring to boil Reduce heat to medium or medium low/low, depending on your cookware, and simmer for 15­20 minutes, or until potatoes are done Add remaining ingredients, except for cheese, stir in and transfer mixture into a blender or a food processor Give the mixture a whirl–you can either puree it, as in the image below, or leave soup a bit chunky, like a the first image in this post, but giving it just a few whirls in a blender (I use VitaMix 5200 for this task alternating speed a few times) Transfer soup back into the pot, turning heat to medium or medium low Add cheese, cover and let the pot sit so the cheese melts; occasionally stirring Garnish with some cheese and vegan whole grain croutons (I make my own, by slicing homemade, whole wheat bread and toasting in the oven at 400 F until golden and crisp)

Potato Salad

Ingredients 8 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed 1 cup garbanzo beans, cooked 2 cups chopped celery 2 carrots, cubed 1 large zucchini, cubed

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P a g e | 102 ½ large apple, cubed ½ onion, cubed 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Zest of ½ lemon 2 tablespoons dill ½­1 red bell pepper, cubed Sea Salt to taste 1­1½ teaspoon all­purpose seasoning 3 tablespoons vegan mayo

Preparation Combine all ingredients and season to taste.

Chill for at least an hour; serve cold.

Pasta Salad Makes 4 quarts

Ingredients 1. 1 bag (16 oz.) whole wheat or gluten free pasta [I used elbow pasta] 2. 1 English cucumber 3. 4 pickles 4. 2 carrots 5. 1/2 daikon radish 6. 1 Granny Smith [or any other crunchy kind] apple 7. 1 medium size onion, yellow, white or purple 8. 1 ripe pear 9. 1 red bell pepper (you can use red or orange as well) 10. 1 cup parsley, chopped 11. 1/2 cup dill, chopped 12. 6 tbsp Veganaise (vegan mayonnaise) 13. 1 tbsp raw honey (optional) 14. 2­3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 15. 1 tsp favorite seasoning [( used Kirkland organic mix) 16. Himalayan or sea salt to taste

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Preparation

17. Cook pasta according to directions on the bag; 18. Dice ingredients 2­9; (if you are not sure how to dice veggies/fruit, images are provided below) 19. Combine ingredients 1­16, toss until well coated; 20. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Dicing You can dice vegetables by hand. First slice into thin, long slices, then chop into very small cubes If you have a Mandolin Slicer, you can first slice veggies with it [I used the smaller blade], and then finish slicing them into cubes by hand.

When all of your ingredients are diced you will have a huge bowl of freshly, mostly raw, ingredients–in fact much more than pasta that will be added to them; so you will end up having two dishes in one!

Best Vegan Macaroni & Cheese Recipe {Gluten Free} feeds 4­6 people

Ingredients 12 oz. box of organic brown rice pasta (I used Lunberg; you can use wheat pasta also) 2 medium size white or yellow onions 1/4 cup water to sauté vegetables 1/4 cup water 2 garlic cloves Himalayan or Sea salt to taste 1/8­1/4 tsp your favorite, freshly ground pepper (I used pink and white pepper corns)

Optional 8 oz. of mushrooms, chopped (mushrooms can be added to onions and sautéed)

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Cheese 10 oz. vegan Cheddar cheese by Vegan Gourmet (image #3) 4 oz. [half of the container] vegan cream cheese by Toffuti (image #4) 1­1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice (I prefer vinegar) 1­2 tsp yellow or Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1 1/3 cup cooking water from pasta

Preparation Cook pasta according to directions, salt water lightly; drain and save cooking water; Chop onions into cubes (image #1), sauté on high heat with water for 4­5 minutes, stirring, then reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic, and sauté for additional 5 minutes; Add cooked pasta and stir together, taking off the heat (image #2) To make cheese: add all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth (see image #5); you might want to chop cheddar cheese into smaller cubes to make it easier to blend; Transfer pasta into a baking dish; stir in cheese mixture (see image #6); sprinkle with freshly ground pepper of your choice; Bake for 10 minutes, uncovered, at 400 F; Serve and enjoy!

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Whole Wheat Bagels

Ingredients 1 1/8 cups warm water 1 ½ cups unbleached white flour 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 1 ½ tablespoons unbleached sugar 1 ½ teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons yeast *If the dough comes out to be too soft, knead in a bit more flour.

Preparation Place all ingredients in a bread machine.

Set for dough.

Let the machine knead once.

When it stops for the first time, turn it off and let the dough sit and rise for 20 minutes.

If you do not have a bread machine, mix all ingredient and knead by hand until all ingredients are mixed well. Then, let it sit for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, divide dough into 8 pieces. I normally lightly grease the surface with olive oil and separate dough by hand.

Roll each piece into a rope about 1 inch thick. Wet ends with water and stick together.

Put all bagels on a greased baking sheet; cover and let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.

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If you desire something other than plain bagels, you can mix in ingredients in two different ways: add your favorite ingredient in the dough from the beginning, and make the entire batch the same way, or, if you are like me and want a couple of different kinds, have your ingredient (such as onion or dates) chopped up and ready. When you have your 8 pieces, you can flatten each one and add the ingredient of your choice, and then roll it into a rope, making sure to seal the edges.

If you like sesame seeds, sprinkle some on the surface, and, while rolling out dough, roll each piece in them, making sure they get set deep in the dough.

Fill a cooking pot with about three inches of water. Place 2 tablespoons of sugar in water and bring to a boil.

After the bagels rise for 15 minutes add them to the boiling water for 1 minute turning them as they boil.

Drain and place on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 500º F for 10­11 minutes or until golden brown (check it at 10 minutes, and if they are not brown enough, add one more minute to your timer).

Let bagels cool for a few minutes before serving.

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Home Made Bread

This loaf was made with home­milled wheat.

Option 1 1.5 cups warm water 1.5 tsp salt 2 tsp unbleached sugar or honey 1.5 tsp bread machine yeast 1.5 cup white organic flour 2.5 cups whole wheat organic flour Bake on 3 hr. 30 minutes cycle or 3 hr. 40 minutes, or whichever is closest to it.

Option 2 1.5 cups warm water 1.5 tsp salt 2 tsp unbleached sugar or honey 2 tsp bread machine yeast 4 cups whole wheat organic flour Bake on whole wheat cycle.

Don't eat too much of it! ;)

Home Made Bread Oven Bread Recipe as provided by a very talented niece of mine 4 cups warm water 1 tbsp yeast [you can add an extra tsp for whole wheat] 1 tbsp sea salt 1 tbsp honey or sugar (optional) 8 cups unbleached whole wheat flour (or half and half)

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Combine 4 cups of warm water and 1 tbsp of yeast and let stand for 5 min Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well cover with towel and let rise for 2 hours.

Oil hands and split dough in 3 balls.

Put in glass bread baking shells and let rise for 2 more hours.

Preheat oven to 375 and carefully place dough in the oven for 30 min, or until bread is a golden color.

Almond Muffins (Gluten Free)

Ingredients 3 cups Gluten Free JK Gourmet Almond Flour or other almond flour of your choice 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp sea or Himalayan salt 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries* 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract [optional] 1/2 cup honey 1 1/2 cup apple sauce 2 tsp egg replacer prepared according to instructions Preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.* 2. Line muffin tin with muffin cups.

3. Combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, egg replacer and cinnamon.

4. Add vanilla, honey, apple sauce and gently fold in.

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5. Stir in raspberries.

6. Evenly fill each baking cup [I filled mine to the top] 7. Bake for 25 minutes, then increase temperature to 375º F and bake additional 15 minutes, until golden brown.

8. Cool off for at least 10­15 minutes before serving.

Sugar Free Banana Popsicles yields 12 (3 oz) servings

Ingredients 6­7 large, ripe organic bananas 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries or cherries 2 tbsp raw cacao powder 12 Dixie cups 12 popsicle sticks

Preparation Set up 12 Dixie cups, or, if you have perfect popsicle molds, get them ready In a food processor, blend 5 peeled bananas With a spoon, fill Dixie cups 1/3 of the way with the mixture Add strawberries/cherries to the remaining banana mixture and blend until smooth With a spoon, fill Dixie cups 2/3 of the way with the mixture Add renaming peeled bananas and cacao powder to the renaming mixture in the food processor and blend until smooth

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P a g e | 110 Fill Dixie cups with the mixture all the way to the top, place popsicle sticks in the middle and freeze until hard–about 2­3 hours Remove paper cups and indulge in these sugar free popsicles or, serve them dipped into sugar free melted chocolate syrup with crushed Macademia nuts!

Freeze leftover popsicles in a plastic bag.

Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup covers 4­5 3 oz popcicles

Ingredients 1/4 cup sugar free vegan chocolate chips, such as Sunprise Grain Sweetened dairy free chocolate chips 7 tbsp almond milk (or other plant milk)

Preparation preheat a pan on medium heat, add both ingredients and, constantly stirring, reduce heat to low­medium and melt chocolate chips until the mixture turns into syrup pour over popsicles with a spoon sprinkle some crushed Macademia nuts on top and place in a freezer for a few minutes until chocolate hardens.

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Afterword & More by Elena I am so happy you decided to do the Daniel Fast. I pray that as you dedicated yourself to listen to the Lord during this fast, your body, soul and spirit were rejuvenated.

I also pray that you have experienced the healing powers of plant foods, provided by our wonderful Creator. I personally had, when we started our life­long fasted lifestyle several years ago. I am certain that you felt a difference in the way you feel, think and even sleep. So, why go back to anything less than feeling your best?! If you would like to learn more about plant (vegan) living, I have several options for you: 1. Sign up to receive Vegalicious posts into your Inbox—I will be posting more recipes, nutrition and fitness tips. As a bonus you will also be able to download a FREE 220­page report on the benefits of a plant based diet.

2. Read three posts I had written on how to safely and properly transition into a plant­based diet: Vegan Done Wrong (Transitioning to Vegan Living While Avoiding Major Pitfalls Part I) Vegan Done Wrong (Transitioning to Vegan Living While Avoiding Major Pitfalls Part II) Vegan Done Wrong (Transitioning to Vegan Living While Avoiding Major Pitfalls Part III) 3. Join a 30­day program I teach online to learn how to transition to a plant based diet, with accountability, and on­line support group. Learn more about the Boot Camp (full program or a Do It Yourself option) by clicking on the link.

4. Connect with like­minded people, by following Vegalicious blog and Vegalicious page on Facebook.

5. Get more recipes, like you enjoyed this month from the Vegalicious blog or the Store. I have published more ebooks, filled with healing plant goodness. You will find: Boot Camp Manuals Life on Greens—green smoothie ebook filled with over 60 recipes 3­day Green Smoothie cleanse—a manual on how to do a 3­day Green Smoothie cleanse Fruity Delights—fruit smoothie ebook Soup­O­Licious—soups only ebook Two (!) vegan dessert ebooks: Sweet Cravings and Guilt Free Vegan Desserts High on Raw—ebook filled with nothing but Raw (uncooked) vegan recipes The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

P a g e | 112 Whichever path you choose, I wish you a healthful, blessed life and joy in the Lord! And remember: “Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

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Appendix A: Truth about Protein

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P a g e | 114 As someone who eats a 100% vegan diet I am constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, asked this question: “But where do you get your protein?”

In the beginning of our vegan journey I took the time to explain it. Eventually I got smarter and instead of answering the question, I would first ask a question in return: “Can you tell me what Protein is?” Over 90% of the people did not know. They also failed to know what protein is for. With education on the topic of protein lacking it is really pointless to tell people where to get protein. We first must understand what protein is.

What is Protein?

Protein became the new American mantra about 100 years ago. A nutrition researcher Max Rubner (1854­1932) stated that meat protein intake was a symbol of civilization itself: “A right protein allowance is the right of a civilized man.” People almost get a religious glow on their faces when they talk about it, and they get indignant when you suggest they quit meats and dairy, since they were led to believe that is the only true source of protein. Interestingly enough, when, instead of answering their question, I ask them a question: “What is protein?” they have a blank look on their face.

So, before I tell you where and how you get your protein, let me tell you what protein is.

Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids. There are 22 different types of amino acid and our bodies need all of them to function properly.

Amino acids are chemical compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, which combine together into different structures to form the various types of protein that the body requires.

There are many forms of protein, which all play an important role in the function of the body. For example, collagen is a protein and is vital for the strength, elasticity and composition of our hair and skin.

Proteins, through digestion, are broken down into individual amino acids. The amino acids are then absorbed and reform in order to create new proteins that are then used by the body.

The 22 types of amino acid are divided into two groups: essential and non­essential amino acids.

Out of the 22 there are 14 non­essential amino acids. They are termed non­essential because they can be manufactured by the body, the rest have to be derived from food, thus they are dubbed essential.

Now, it does not mean that non­essential amino acids are not important! Not at all!

Without them the new proteins that are formed by the body cannot be properly formed.

I am sure that now you are curious to know what amino acids are essential. Well, ok, since you asked. But make sure to memorize them and recite in your dream. So here we go: phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, leucine, and

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P a g e | 115 lysine. Shoosh… you must feel so much smarter now—you can memorize these to impress your friends at the next dinner party.

Cysteine (or sulphur­containing amino acids), tyrosine (or aromatic amino acids), histidine and arginine are additionally required by infants and growing children.

The amino acids arginine, cysteine, glycine, glutamine, histidine, proline, serine and tyrosine are considered conditionally essential, meaning they are not normally required in the diet, but must be supplied exogenously to specific populations that do not synthesize it in adequate amounts. [Source: Wikipedia] I hope that you are feeling much more enlightened now. So, next time you think about protein you might actually know what it means.

Complete and incomplete Proteins Some foods contain all of the 8 essential amino acids. These foods are called “complete” and are considered to be of superior quality. Interestingly enough, modern science has discovered that the proteins that are closest to ours can be found in animal products only and thus labeled it “complete”.

The incomplete proteins are usually lacking one or more of the essential amino acids.

They were generally thought to be found in plants, such as vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and legumes. Since these protein sources were labeled “incomplete” they have been written off and the society decided that the only way to meet our protein requirements is through consuming animal foods.

What you are not told and don’t know, though, is that, even if this false theory was true, by combining two or more of the “incomplete” proteins, a complete supply of essential amino acids could be made available. For example rice and beans will form a “complete” protein and give your body all the essential amino acids it needs. And… you would not even have to eat these two at the same meal to get that—your body will do that for you!

However, this belief, as much as our meat eating society wanted to have it embedded in our brains, is not correct.

“The American Dietetic Association abandoned that idea decades ago. Susan Havala Hobbs, Ph.D, R.D. describes how the ADA discarded the protein combining idea: There was no basis for [protein combining] that I could see…. I began calling around and talking to people and asking them what the justification was for saying that you had to complement proteins, and there was none. And what I got instead was some interesting insight from people who were knowledgeable and actually felt that there was probably no need to complement proteins. So we went ahead and made that change in the paper. [The paper was approved by peer review and by a delegation vote before becoming official.] And it was a couple of years after that that Vernon Young and Peter Pellet published their paper that became the definitive contemporary guide to protein metabolism in humans. And it also confirmed that complementing proteins at meals was totally unnecessary.

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P a g e | 116 (8.5 Vegetarianism: Movement or Moment?, p. 38.)” Source

I found it totally compelling and amazing to find out just how many different foods do measure up to the complete protein standard (click on this link to see large view of this image):

(Image source) The following quotations were taken from this source.

“Besides the American Dietetic Association, other medical and nutrition professionals who have actually looked at the science have come to the same conclusion that there is no need to carefully combine proteins. For example:

Dennis Gordon, M.Ed, R.D.: [C]omplementing proteins is not necessary with vegetable proteins. The myth that vegetable source proteins need to be complemented is similar to the myths that persist about sugar making one’s blood glucose go up faster than starch does. These myths have great staying power despite their being no evidence to support them and plenty to refute them.

Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D.: Recently, I was teaching a nutrition class and describing the adequacy of plant­based diets to meet human nutritional needs. A woman raised her hand and stated, “I’ve read that because plant foods don’t contain all the essential amino acids that humans need, to be healthy we must either eat animal protein or combine certain plant foods with others in order to ensure that we get complete proteins.”

I was a little surprised to hear this, since this is one of the oldest myths related to vegetarianism and was disproved long ago. When I pointed this out, the woman identified herself as a medical resident and stated that her current textbook in human physiology states this and that in her classes, her professors have emphasized this point.

I was shocked. If myths like this not only abound in the general population, but also in the medical community, how can anyone ever learn how to eat healthfully? It is The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

P a g e | 117 important to correct this misinformation because many people are afraid to follow healthful, plant­based, and/or total vegetarian (vegan) diets because they worry about “incomplete proteins” from plant sources. …if you calculate the amount of each essential amino acid provided by unprocessed plant foods … you will find that any single one, or combination, of these whole natural plant foods provides all of the essential amino acids. …

Modern researchers know that it is virtually impossible to design a calorie­sufficient diet based on unprocessed whole natural plant foods that is deficient in any of the amino acids. (The only possible exception could be a diet based solely on fruit.)

John A. McDougall, M.D.: Many people believe than animal foods contain protein that is superior in quality to the protein found in plants. This is a misconception dating back to 1914, when Osborn and Mendel studied the protein requirements of laboratory rats.[11]… Based on these early rat experiments the amino acid pattern found in animal products was declared to be the standard by which to compare the amino acid pattern of vegetable foods.

According to this concept, wheat and rice were declared deficient in lysine, and corn was deficient in tryptophan. It has since been shown that the initial premise that animal products supplied the most ideal protein pattern for humans, as it did for rats, was incorrect…. From the chart, it is clear that even single vegetable foods contain more than enough of all amino acids essential for humans…. Furthermore, many investigators have found no improvement by mixing plant foods or supplementing them with amino acid mixtures to make the combined amino acid pattern look more like that of flesh, milk, or eggs.[35­44] … People have actually lived for long periods of time in excellent health by satisfying their entire nutritional needs with potatoes and water alone.[33] …

Nature has designed vegetable foods to be complete. If people living before the age of modern dietetics had had to worry about achieving the correct protein combinations in their diets, our species would not have survived for these millions of years.

Andrew Weil, M.D.: You may have heard that vegetable sources of protein are “incomplete” and become “complete” only when correctly combined. Research has discredited that notion so you don’t have to worry that you won’t get enough usable protein if you don’t put together some magical combination of foods at each meal.

Charles Attwood, M.D.: Beans, however, are rich sources of all essential amino acids. The old ideas about the necessity of carefully combining vegetables at every meal to ensure the supply of essential amino acids has been totally refuted. “

The Role of Protein So, now that you know what protein (complete and incomplete) is, you curiosity might be finally be peaking enough to know WHY you need proteins at all. I am glad you are thinking about that.

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P a g e | 118 Protein is required by the body for growth, maintenance and repair of all cells. Protein is a major component of muscles, tissues and organs and is essential for nearly all processes that occur in our bodies, such as metabolism, digestion and even transporting nutrients and oxygen in the blood.

Protein is also responsible for the production of antibodies, which fight against invaders: illness, infection, etc. It is also responsible for the main nutrient that keeps our hair healthy and shiny, our skin fresh and glowing, our nails and our bones strong and healthy.

Which foods are good sources of Protein?

The amazing part of the answer is that most plants have some protein in them. It is truly unfortunate that the dairy and the meat companies along with media created this myth that the only true source of protein we have is animal products.

History proves that it was not always so. Actually, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century, as the wages started to go up and employment was not as scarce as it was for centuries passed, that a common man was even able to afford such luxury foods as eggs, milk, cheeses and, especially meat. When I was growing up overseas, we did not have meat in every meal we consumed. Most of our meals were plant based and only occasionally did we have a chicken to share among the entire family in a week’s time. Milk was more readily available, but dairy products, such as cheeses, were more of a special occasion treat. Interestingly enough we were no sicker than the Americans. On the contrary, the population of our country was slimmer, with less coronary related diseases, and very few cancer cases compared to the American statistics. The allergies were not very common as well as obesity was almost an unknown phenomenon.

So, where did we get our protein? Are you ready for the answer?! Same place animals do, of course—Plants!

It is almost naïve to think that animals, somehow miraculously covert sunshine or air into protein in their bodies. The animals eat grass (for the most part, or at least they should, as God intended it), and then their bodies extract needed nutrients to make protein, just like ours do. So, as you can see, we can, in fact, get a better quality protein by skipping the middle “man”, by going straight to the source.

Here are just a few sources that will give you an idea of where to look for protein: oatmeal, brown rice, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, dark colored greens, etc. Just to give you an idea of how easy it is to get your daily protein intake, here is a comparison between animal and plant protein:

100 calories (about 1.5 oz.) of steak has 13 grams of protein 100 calories (15 oz.) of spinach has 12 grams of protein 100 calories (2 tablespoons) of raw chickpeas has 5 grams of protein Sweet fruit averages about 4­8% protein Leafy greens and veggies are about 15 to 20% protein

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P a g e | 119 Sprouts (the most digestible source of protein) are up to 35% protein of their content

So, next time you start worrying about your protein needs being met, think about the simplest most digestible form of protein available—plant protein; skip the middle “man” (animal products) and get straight to the source.

How much protein should we eat each day?

The average American consumes 15­20% of protein, which is much higher than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 10%. 10% dietary protein is equivalent to eating about 50­60 grams of protein per day. The national average of 15­16% is about 70­100 grams of protein.

World Health Organizations recommends only 5% of calorie intake as protein, 6% for pregnant women and 7% for women who are nursing. Interestingly, these numbers were doubled only in about the last 25+ years, as before that, the recommended percentage of protein intake were about 2.5­10% of our daily food intake. By these figures, even if you are an avid athlete and are burning 3,000 calories a day, you need only around 37 grams of protein. By looking at the figures I have provided above you can easily realize how effortless it is to get all the protein you need in just a few servings of plant foods.

Source These days, most people suffer from protein overdose, resulting in many of our modern day illnesses. If you’re interested in reading more on the subject, read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.

As far as I know, and I have studied this subject extensively and applied it in my own life, there is more than ample protein in the raw/vegan food diet.

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Is too much protein bad for you?

Glad that you asked! It is a question that begs to be answered, especially following the statements I had just made.

The only harmful protein that you can consume is animal protein. The more you consume of it, the more risk you are placing yourself in and making yourself more susceptible to various diseases, such as coronary diseases, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, various forms of cancer, skin problems, hormone imbalances, etc.

On the other hand, studies have shown (refer to The China Study) that plant protein, regardless of how much of it you consume, is not harmful at all. It is also important to note that when we consume whole plant based diet (i.e. unprocessed and as close to its natural state as possible) it is almost impossible to overeat on any give nutrient. From my observation and personal experience I find it altogether impossible. The rich content of fiber, enzymes, vitamins, nutrients and minerals makes you feel full faster, thus preventing overeating.

Protein Conversion Protein, when consumed, is converted by our bodies into energy. The process can be likened to gas to energy conversion in cars. The cleaner the gas the less toxicity is involved. As with cars, you don’t want any toxic residue staying behind in your body and poisoning you from within. To avoid toxic pollution internally you have to take the cleanest form of protein possible—plant protein.

On a plant based diet, since protein intake is cleaner and less in quantity than average intake on SAD (Standard American Diet) the body is able to operate more efficiently and utilize every bit of protein you give it. If you do not agree with me, just think about all Thanksgiving dinners you have been to, where animal protein is to be the king.

Instead of becoming more energetic after eating all turkey and ham imaginable, the pants and belts get loosened, happy eaters slide back in their seats to give room for air to get into their lungs, and go into “protein” coma. Their bodies work extra hard to push the dead weight (pun intended) of animal flesh down to their stomach, where it sits anywhere between 4­7 hours and then into the intestinal tract. I don’t know about you, but I can hardly call this kind of protein “life giving”. Living foods, such as vegetables and greens, take less than an hour to pass through your stomach and head on into the intestinal tract.

Another thing you should consider is the design of the human body. Our gastro­ intestinal tract is long and increases the transit time of food from the time of its intake to the time of its disposal. If foods are consumed that are devoid of fiber, such as animal food, we end up with a lot of putrefaction—rotting of animal protein our bodies are trying to digest.

Pick quality Protein sources!

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Bottom Line The bottom line is that you don’t need to consume flesh foods (that included dairy as well) to meet your protein needs. Eat foods that make sense—foods that are easily digestible and are easy to eliminate; foods that will give you energy instead of foods that will deprive you of energy. Think long­term, not immediate pleasure.

In Conclusion Animal protein, such as found in milk, is only 50% digestible by the human body. Plant and human protein, such as found in breast milk, is 100% digestible.

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Appendix B: Truth about Fat

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P a g e | 123 I had written on the topic of fat on my blog a while back, and, as the time went on and I became wiser, I had gone back to update the two posts in which I shared my thoughts:

Let’s Talk About Fat, Part 1 Let’s Talk about Fat, Part 2

Search for Fatty Truth In the beginning of our health journey, hubby and I, like many other unsuspecting souls, believe that there were good and bad fats. Naturally we cut out all of the bad, i.e. animal and processed, fats and kept what we thought was good for us–organic, cold pressed oils, such as olive, flax, coconut, etc. We did not go crazy on them–no deep frying, no mouth­over­bottle oil sucking, but we did use them sparingly. I never bought into the myth that oils are so good for us, especially the coconut oil, that we should be eating a tablespoon of it a day. It just made no sense! Why would ANYONE down a tablespoon of oil?!

If you read my story you know that when we first went vegan, hubby dropped his cholesterol from 220 to 149 mg/dL in a matter of only a few months. I was happy with the results, and enjoyed my own victory–my cholesterol went from 179 to 131 mg/dL. However, as the time went on, I heard of the stories of people who were on a plant based diet and their cholesterol levels fell even lower. I was a bit bewildered–why not ours? While my TSH marker kept dropping, my cholesterol number did not change much for a couple of years, after the initially drop off. To make things worse, last time Hubby had his cholesterol tested the number went up a little, to around 160 mg/dL. While by US standards it was “prefect”, I was horrified because my goal was to get our numbers under 150 mg/dL, and keep them there. By then I already knew that oil had something to do with it. And it also turned out that only a couple of days before his test Hubby had some “healthy” organic corn chips… with some oil in them and, unbenounced to me, some “healthy” vegan desserts. URGH! But I needed to know more, so, I was out to find out why we were not dropping our total cholesterol numbers to what I had in mind.

My search led me to very common­sense, scientifically proven facts–there are no healthy oils! Our labs were a proof of that. Although we used oils VERY moderately, sometimes going days without taking any in, they still affected us. Then, finally, after years of being plant based, I got to hear Dr. Esselstyn in person on the topic of heart health and then read his fantastic book: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. All of a sudden all things made sense to me–THERE ARE NO healthy oils out there, not even in moderation! (And what is moderation after all? It is very subjective. While moderation can mean a tablespoon of oil a day to one, to another, 5 slices of cake is moderation is a definition of health…)

What was great about learning the truth, is that it came with a ton of scientific research and proof, not to mention changed health and lives of those who followed “not fats (oils)” plant­based path.

Dr. Esselstyn, for example, had a patient

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P a g e | 124 whose cholesterol dropped by over 100 mg/dL in 10 days! And to think that I was impressed that we dropped Hubby’s from 220 to 173 mg/dL in 3 months…

The evidence was there, and I already knew, somewhere deep down inside, that it was exactly what we were missing. Immediately we were OIL FREE! And yes, that included touted “healthy” oils: olive, coconut, flax, etc. (I know, I know, you heard that Mediterranean diet [whatever it is] is good for you, and by the diet people normally do not mean the diet itself, since they are clueless about it, but oil; I also know that you heard that coconut oil is miracle working and great for your hormones… but, alas! it isn’t so. But before you click off or right me a mad comment, take a few minutes to read through the entire post.) As of the time when I finally saw the whole “oily” and “fatty” truth, I use NO OIL in my cooking at all, except for OCCASIONAL baked desserts, and even then I try avoiding them. However, if I ever do use plant fats, I NEVER claim that food to be healthy or say that it is okay to eat it. Just being honest here At those times, I also go VERY high raw and eat/drink a ton of greens. But to give you an idea of how often I make such desserts, which are primarily not even for me–about every 3 months or so.

In the next few paragraphs I will tell you all of the whys and they hows of my steps arriving at my conclusions and why I am now unshakable in my opinion regarding oils, despite of getting ungodly backlash from the “health” community (and trust me, I have been called names on my own Vegalicious Facebook page, on YouTube, etc.). One thing I had learned in the process of our health­searching, however, is that those who oppose something so common sense are not wroth wasting my time on arguing with. They will not change their mind, and neither will I. Those who are open to explore the possibility of improving their health, however, are always welcome to leave comments and have an open conversation under this post, on Facebook, YouTube or anywhere else. After all, what I am proposing here is not criminal–I am not asking you to take medication, I am not asking you to snort crack or give up your firstborn. I am simply proposing that there are times when we think we know the truth, just like I did, but in reality we might have been mislead by good intentioned but misinformed people, or worse yet, by our own research and conclusions drawn from the wrong sources. I am simply asking you to be open­minded for the next few minutes.

NOTE: There are 3 videos in this post. All of them are VERY important to each point I make, so, for the sake of your health, please take the time to watch them.

Truth about Fat and Oils There is so much controversy about the topic FAT that I thought it would only be appropriate to shed some light on it. I would love to help you dispel some of the misinformation that has been fed to you, or to simply help you figure out what role fat plays in our life.

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Are All Fats Created Equal?

vs.

Before I begin I would like to make a deal with you—let’s agree to forget, at least for the next few minutes, while you are reading this post, everything you have been told about fat. EVERYTHING! Is that a deal?! Let’s lock up all the talk you heard about poly­ and mono­ saturated fats, Omega­3 and ­6 marketing hype, etc. in tiny compartment in your brain and throw the key away for just a few minutes, and let’s start from the beginning.

Not all fats are created equal. There are good and bad fats. Primarily we should be thinking not about the quantity, but rather quality of fats.

With this said, let’s get into the essential of FAT learning.

Is Fat important?

The reason we like fats, whether we want to admit it or not, is because they are pleasant to taste. Their molecules are round and feel great in our mouths. But that is not why fat is important… if it is at all.

Our body has to have a certain percentage of fat in it to function properly. For males 12­16% body fat is considered normal, for females—18­24%.

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P a g e | 126 Here is a quick chart for those of you who are visual:

Now, don’t stop reading and try to figure out how much fat you have or how much you need to lose to fit into a certain category—you will get to that some other time.

Remember that we want to learn about health first! Weight loss is a benefit of the entire process. It is bound to happen if you have a balanced diet.

As you can see from the figures above, the perpetuated image of all French women having 0% body fat is actually not a good one. Our bodies need fat for many reasons.

Healthy fats are necessary for proper brain function. Roughly 50­60% of the brain’s overall weight is pure fat; the rest of it is a mix of protein and carbohydrates. The brain uses fat as insulation for its billions of nerve cells. The better insulated a cell, the faster it sends messages and the speedier your thinking becomes. Good fats are necessary for the brain. Walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds and dark, leafy greens will help the brain to run smoothly.

Women, especially those hoping to achieve pregnancy, have to maintain their body fat at the level of at least 10%. Becoming too thin, which seems to be a problem with models and young girls they inspire, causes cessation of menses, and leads not only to infertility but to a host of other problems. Lack of menstruation disrupts hormonal production in females. Hormone imbalance can lead to severe disorders of pituitary gland, adrenal glands and thyroid. These, often neglected, small members of our body are of primary importance and cannot be neglected.

Not All Fats Are Created Equal There are horrible fats which cause problems by clogging our arteries and increasing our blood pressure, as well as wreaking havoc in many other ways. These kinds of fats are found in processed and animal products.

Then there are fats that are good for us (yes, they do exist!): Omega­3 ­6 and ­9 fatty acids (found in flax and hemp seeds), and polyunsaturated fats (e.g., walnuts). They contain antioxidants and good oils that help joints, nerves, and bones, as well

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P a g e | 127 as possess properties that help to lower the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol, and have proven effects on lowering high blood pressure.

Avocado Sandwich–source of GOOD fat

Fats also help us to feel satiated. They are of paramount importance in digesting fat­ soluble vitamins (A,K, D and E), and they promote brain function. These fats—provided we eat them in reasonable quantities—are not only beneficial, but vital to our diets.

I hope this makes you feel better already. Now, don’t run out and get a jug of olive oil and have a bread­dipping party! Healthy fats are those fats that are found in nature in an unprocessed form. Vegetable and seed oils, no matter how wonderful they are said to be, be they cold­pressed or not, organic or otherwise, do not naturally occur in nature. It takes a lot of olives to make an ounce of olive oil; it takes even more sesame seeds to make sesame oil. Oils are processed foods.

Are “Good” Oils Really Good for Us? Studies have shown that oils, even of the highest quality, should be avoided, since they cause damage to our arteries. Watch this 60 minute video, presented by one of the most respected men in the Health and Nutrition sphere, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, to uncover the truth for yourself. Every moment you spend watching his lecture will be an investment in your health.

A study on humans conducted by David Blankenhorn, M.D., and his associates compared the effects of different types of fats on the growth of atherosclerotic lesions inside the coronary arteries of people by studying the results of angiograms taken one year apart (JAMA 263:1646, 1990). The study demonstrated that all three types of fat– saturated animal fat, monounsaturated (olive oil), and polyunsaturated (EFA)–were associated with a significant increase in new atherosclerotic lesions. Most importantly, the growth of these lesions did not stop when polyunsaturated fats of the w­ 6 type (linoleic acid) and monounsaturated fats (olive oil) were substituted for saturated fats. Only by decreasing all fat intake–including poly­ and monounsaturated fats–did the lesions stop growing. (Source)

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P a g e | 128 Oh, no! I am taking away the holy grail! Some of you are probably thinking: “You mean to tell me that olive oil and coconut oil, which I have been spooning down every day, are bad for me?” Yes, I am saying exactly that. And don’t be afraid to learn something new–I also once thought that “healthy” oils were good for me… until I learned the truth. “But, but… the Mediterranean diet works!” you want to shout, “The studies have proven that!” Have they really? And I also wonder who was sponsoring those studies.

So, let’s look at how healthy a Mediterranean diet really is.

There was another study done which investigated “how well subjects’ arteries were dilating to accommodate blood flow after they had eaten several meals. Each meal emphasized a different component of the Mediterranean diet. After the meal rich in olive oil, dilation in the arteries was impaired.(Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2000; 36: 1455) The meal caused severe constrictions, which can injure the endothelium, the inner lining of arteries, contributing to heart disease. No such problems occurred with the other meals. “The beneficial components of the Mediterranean diet,” concluded Robert Vogel, MD, and colleagues at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, “appear to be antioxidant­rich foods…” These foods, he continued, “appear to provide some protection against the direct impairment in endothelial function produced by high­fat foods, including olive oil.” So if you’re not eating fruits and veggies, you’re not getting protection.

Research recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology also found that “dilation was worse” after 24 people, 12 healthy and 12 with high cholesterol levels, consumed olive oil. Five teaspoons of olive oil swallowed after salami­and­ cheese meals did not help the arteries relax and expand.(Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2006; 48: 1666) According to Dr. Robert Vogel, this research and other data indicate that olive oil is not heart protective. (Source–emphasis added) And may I add, that NO OIL that is concentrated is good for us. NONE!

What the Heck is Mediterranean Diet Anyway?

Did you ever ask yourself that question? I know I did. And is there such as place as Mediterranean? Not that I know or could find it on the map. So, what gives? I also always wondered when the study was done and under what conditions. Luckily for you all, I recently came on to a gem of a 10 minute video you have to see to find out answers to these questions. But hold on to your chairs, because you might feel like you are getting blown away by… common sense! (presented by Jeff Novick, MS, RD, LD, LN) Are you feeling any heart palpitations after watching this? laugh.

It sure gave me a good

Oily Pitfalls of Mainstream and Raw Diets I know that if you come from the mainstream diet or even vegan or raw, you might have been taught to think otherwise–that there are good and bad oils, just like I used to think. However, because my goal was not to be a vegan, but healthy, when

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P a g e | 129 I started my quest, I was open minded to what would take me there, no matter how much I had to change my mind. When being a whole foods, no fat vegan had a promise to get me to where I needed to get, I was open minded to give up what I thought I knew. I had no “sacred cows” that I was not willing to give up. But I found that not everyone feel the same way about this. There are a lot of junk vegans for example, who suffer from the same ailments as the rest of our society. There are also raw vegans, who are supposed to be a lot healthier than the rest, who, for example, are known to overdo on fats–oils, nuts, etc., just so they can feel satiated. However, recent change of mind about fats among the raw community pillars is pointing to the same fact–excessive use of fats is NOT good for us.

In a recent interview with VegNews Victoria Boutenko said: “Q: …what flaws have you discovered in the raw diet?

A: I found an error in my favorite statement “anything raw is superior to anything cooked.” For example, I compared the nutritional value of raw cabbage versus cooked cabbage, raw potatoes versus fried potatoes, raw walnuts versus roasted walnuts, and so on. The conclusion seemed clear to me. What I failed to think about was if there was any cooked food that had more nutritional value over any raw food.

What is more nourishing: steamed asparagus or cashew nuts? Lightly cooked red cabbage or an ounce of raw almond butter? A baked apple or a slice of a raw dessert? I know now these cooked foods are nutritionally superior, but I didn’t know then to ask these questions.”

“Q: … in the book, Chad Sarno talks about how a high­oil raw diet sent his cholesterol and triglycerides through the roof, which put him at risk for heart disease. You also talk at length about omega­3s throughout the book. Tell us why you think they’re vital to good health, and the best way to get them?

A: The latest scientific research reveals that the vast majority of us are seriously deficient in omega­3 essential fatty acids, causing thousands of preventable deaths each year. It became apparent to me that omega­3 fatty acids were essential to positive rejuvenation and healing in the body, while as raw foodists we were consuming too many omega­6s (most nuts have an extremely high omega­6 content, with almonds containing 2,000 times more omega­6s than omega­3s). Fortunately, omega­3s are widely available in all greens, especially spinach, romaine, arugula, and purslane, as well as in flax seeds, walnuts, hemp, and chia seeds.”

Coconut Oil and Hormone Myth In the last few years I heard it numerous times: Coconut Oil is good for thyroid health, Coconut Oil is good for hormones, etc. But what I could never understand is this: how can oil be good for my hormones, and where is the research that would prove this to be true?

I reversed hypothyroidism while avoiding most oils altogether (now I am not consuming any at all, as mentioned before). What I found is contrary to the belief that coconut oil is good for hormones. See, extra fat has to be dealt with by our bodies somehow, and coconut oil IS FAT, so our body creates fat cells to store it. But fat cells are ‘good” for

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P a g e | 130 other things too–they store other impurities, like extra estrogen, which leads to hormone imbalances, and female cancers. To think that a spoonful of coconut oil a day is somehow going to balance hormones or thyroid is quiet absurd, especially if the rest of the diet is messed up.

The optimal way to balance hormones is live an unprocessed, whole foods, low fat, plant­based diet, and use optimal health eating practices. When that happens, and we supplement with B12, our bodies naturally balance hormones.

Case in Point Don’t believe me? A couple of months back I was contacted by a wonderful lady who suffered from hypothyroid condition. She read my story and she wanted to see if it would work for her too, although she had already been vegetarian for 10­15 years, if not more. Although I do not consult on health related issues, I do teach people how to eat the way I do and offer all detailed information of my journey, so they can try to see if it works for them too. After two coaching sessions she felt that she can maintain what I taught her on her won (what a trooper…. or maybe I am just a good teacher ). A couple of weeks ago I received an exciting e­mail from her. Here is what she told me: “Dear Elena, I just went to see my doctor today, a little unsure as to what my blood tests were going to reveal. My TSH had come down from 5.37 to 4.25, so I was really happy. I know that this is only the beginning and that my numbers are going to be much better which is very exciting for me and a little amazing. For the first time in years I feel that I am making a difference to what goes on with my body and not playing the guessing game all the time and constantly looking for the perfect supplement. This diet is so easy and light and fulfilling, and now that I can see real results it makes it even more inspiring. I have lost about 8 pounds, I feel clearer in my thinking, I have more energy, my sleep is better and I feel happier.

My doctor was a little surprised and was really interested to hear what I had been doing. She typed away furiously as I downloaded all that I had been doing and taking. I am going to have my blood work redone in 3 months which I am looking forward to. My husband, who has high blood sugar is also on the diet and is doing great!! We are both vegan now and it shows.

Thank you, Elena.

Love to you, ~J” Before our coaching, J thought that coconut oil was good for us too, but after chatting we decided that she should avoid it altogether, along with all other oils and certain foods. While trying for years to achieve improvement in her health she came to a brick wall, only two months of whole foods, unprocessed, no oil, no sugar eating diet, led for her TSH to drop by 1.12 points without medication. Those who have or had hypothyroid condition know well it is a miracle!

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P a g e | 131 Do I use coconut oil? Only on my skin and as a makeup remover

.

Good Fats Healthy fats can be found in their natural state in many foods: nuts, seeds, avocados and coconuts. It would be very hard to get fat from these “fatty” foods. Remember that when we consume foods in their natural state they come with fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc., which make it very hard to “overdose” on fats they contain. I know that I cannot have more than a handful or two of soaked nuts at a time—they fill me very quickly, and I eat nuts only about once every other week, so no danger there. Avocados? I normally can master one, maximum two in one meal, but then I don’t eat them on a daily basis, so I do not worry about the quantity.

So, let me emphasize this again: it’s not that all fat­containing foods are to be avoided, but rather the quality of fats you’re eating that you should question. The question, when you sit down to a meal, shouldn’t be “how much fat is in this?” but rather “what kind of fat is this” and “how digestible is it?”

Difference between Cooked and Raw Fats Raw fats enter the body with the lipase enzyme, which helps us to digest the fat itself intact and provide and easy digestion and assimilation. Cooked fats don’t contain lipase, which makes it tougher for us to assimilate them properly. Unassimilated fats are stored by the body and end up clogging our arteries, while creating other problems and settling on our hips and thighs.

Cooked fats change their molecular structure and, if they reach a smoking point, become carcinogenic. Oil, at high heat, releases carcinogens, including acrolein, nitrosamines, hydrocarbons, and benzopyrene (one of the worst cancer­causing agents known). This is why some oils now list their “safe heating” temperature on the bottle.

Plant Fat and Cholesterol In the last several years Cholesterol has become a buzz word, especially with all drug ads running on TV, radio and printed media. People are now starting to read labels. Let me help you to save time and get straight to the magic formula.

There is NO cholesterol in PLANT foods!

Cholesterol is made in the liver. Animals produce cholesterol, humans do as well. We need the cholesterol that WE produce to live healthy lives.

Even strict vegans will produce about 800­1500 milligrams of cholesterol a day internally. If you follow the logic here, you will realize that since we produce our own cholesterol we don’t need to bring an outside (animal) source to help us with the

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P a g e | 132 process. Animals have a different DNA than we do, so their cholesterol is harmful to our bodies!

When we ingest dietary cholesterol from animal products we increase levels of cholesterol in our bodies, and with that the chances of heart disease, obesity, and high­cholesterol.

If you eat plants, even “fatty” plants, your body will not be invaded with foreign cholesterol and will make enough of its own, picking and choosing what it needs from the plants to produce needed amounts.

However, let me emphasize this again—this does not mean that you are going to run out and get a bottle of olive oil to have a bread­dipping party! When I talk about natural fats, I am referring to the ones that have not been altered and are consumed in their unaltered state. Need an example? Nuts, seeds, whole olives, whole coconuts, avocados etc.

Will Plant Fat Make Me FAT? Let me start with a disclaimer: if you’re overeating anything, with a possible exception of greens, you’re not going to feel too great, and you may retain weight. Whatever the origin of food is: plant, animal, raw or cooked, our bodies are not created to have excess of it. Food is meant to be eaten to provide energy and sustenance to our bodies. It is our fuel, if you will. Just like a car, we should fill our “tank” only until it gets full; otherwise everything extra is going to be a waste. The only difference with this metaphor is that in our case, instead of spilling on the ground, extra “gas” will be settling on our waistline. So, let’s think of moderation when we talk about any food intake, including healthy plant fats (in their unaltered state!).

With that in mind, thinking that the fat in avocados or other plant­based sources will make you fat reveals a serious misunderstanding of what does and doesn’t contribute to weight gain. Overeating bad fats does contribute to weight issues, but since we are talking about moderate intake of healthy fats, we should look at more than the number of grams or calories of fat we consume. We need to look at the accumulation of waste and toxins in our bodies which results from poor, mainstream diets, and our inability to process what we eat efficiently.

When we consume poor diet that consists of highly acidic foods (animal and processed sources) we begin to store and accumulate waste matter. Even if we think we’re eliminating normally, we’re not! Chances are, we’re clogged up from years of eating bad, junk foods. Given, some of us eat better diets than others, in which instances there is less waste accumulation. However, most modern­day people, especially those living in “developed” countries, eat highly acidic diets, which create highly acidic bodies. With acidic bodies comes waste accumulation, and it comes with consequences: gastrointestinal disorders like IBS and excessive bloating, low energy, and weight retention, in spite of exercise and efforts to eat well. There are other severe side­effects that might be experienced: chronic colds and flu, yeast infections, acne, eczema and psoriasis, fatigue, depression, migraines, etc.

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P a g e | 133 To break the cycle of waste accumulation and weight retention we need to create alkaline environment in our bodies, which is achieved through a plant­based, easy­to­ digest diet. This includes: greens, vegetables, green smoothies, avocados, nuts, legumes, grains and other delicious foods. These foods do not only help to raise our bodies’ alkalinity, but, due to their high enzyme (in raw foods) and fiber content, also act like brooms and rough sponges, sweeping and scrubbing through our systems, removing the waste and toxins we’ve been storing. The effect of these foods will help you end the weight retention and provide you with a renewed capacity to assimilate foods efficiently—fats included.

The key to a slim, supple body is not avoiding fats. It is avoiding dense, acidic foods! Avoiding healthy fats is not going to keep you slim if you’re still eating tons of grains, soy, and dairy. It’s wise to avoid animal fats, but along with that you also should avoid other offenders, especially in their processed and refined forms: soy, grains, fried foods. These all might contribute to acidity and weight retention.

The good news is that eating moderate amounts of healthy fats will not make you gain weight (and please remember, when I am talking about healthy fats at this point, I am talking about those found in whole foods, not processed fats like oils, no matter how touted they are to be healthy and good for you!). If anything, avocados and young coconuts will help to alkalize your systems and keep you satiated, which can contribute to weight release. This is not a joke, I promise! I stay slim effortlessly, without counting calories or figuring out how many grams of fat are in my food.

(Disclaimer: those of you who have had or have coronary issues or are fighting cancers should stay away from even real, healthy plant fats, such as nuts and avocados, at the suggestion of such nutrition­world pillars as Caldwell Esselstyn, Collin T. Campbell and others.)

Cooking Without Oils So, some of you are probably thinking: “It just makes sense now!” and are ready to live and eat without adding any processed oils to your diet, but you wonder how you could possibly sauté of fry your veggies without using oils. It is very simple, really. Simple enough that even my husband can do it! Just watch this 2 minute video to see how easily you can make your favorite stir fry all oil free!

Need more ideas? I just released an easy to follow soup recipe e­book (Soup­O­Licious) filled with fat­ free, heart­healthy soup recipes, and my Boot Camp manual is filled with a ton of main dish and salad recipes prepared oil free!

In Conclusion There is more research that I could cite, but I believe what I presented here should be sufficient to show anyone who is open to hear, that there are NO HEALTHY OILS. If you have your mind made up, like

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P a g e | 134 some I came across, that there are in fact, good extracted oils, I am sorry, and no matter the argument that you can present, we will not see eye to eye on the subject. Forgetting all of the research and scientific data I just presented, my personal experience was profound–our labs improved without oil use, as well as our overall well­being. I know that arguments could be made otherwise, but there is no backing or proof to them. If you still doubt, then when you read opposing research, always make sure to check all of the facts, and also know WHO is doing the research, and if the involved parties have any vested interest in promoting oil consumption.

As for now, here are a few points I hope you drew from reading this article: 1. Not all fats are bad! Let’s recap everything to make sure that you walk away having learned a lesson. o Animal fats are acidic and need to be avoided o Raw plant fats, which have not been extracted from their natural sources, are essential for our health 2. Concentrated fats are not “good”, while unprocessed fats are o Olives or avocados are not the same as olive or avocado oil o Coconut oil is NOT good for your hormones, in fact it is the opposite 3. Avocados are not evil! o In a properly structured diet it is hard to overeat on avocados and gain weight o Avocados are rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients and should not be feared 4. Cooked fats are dangerous o Heated fats, especially when they rich a smoking point, release carcinogens 5. Plant fats will not make you fat! o When foods are eaten in their natural (original) state, you will be unlikely to overeat them o However, if you eat a plant­based diet that is highly processed you are likely to have weight and health problems 6. Don’t count calories, consider foods you eat o Ask yourself these questions: “Is this good fat or bad fat? Will it be easy to digest and eliminate or will it clog my insides?”

We don’t have to be slaves to mainstream mentality which would shackle us to label reading and fearing avocados for their high fat content, while encouraging us to swallow spoonfuls of coconut or olive oils. We can enjoy fats in healthy quantities without suffering any ill effects.

So, get up, go get yourself a couple of avocados and make a great tasting guacamole!

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P a g e | 135

Appendix C: Truth about Microwaves

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P a g e | 136 When we first started our health journey we had MANY questions from friends and relatives. We would often invite people over—it seemed that "show and tell" [i.e. eat and talk] was so much easier than just telling the story alone.

Many such "show and tell" (or "blab and grab") visits were quite interesting, through provoking and even humorous.

One time my niece and a couple of her friends came over for dinner. They brought along a beautiful toddler. As you already know, I am a proponent of consuming unaltered fresh fruits and vegetables, and food in general. When we sat down to eat, I saw the little girl’s mom pull out a jar of “baby food”. I believe it was squash or something of sorts. Everything inside of me protested, knowing that by the time the baby was going to consume that food, she will get little to no of the benefits of vitamins and nutrients that could be found in a fresh form of the same food. Her mother proceeded to go into our kitchen. I saw her looking around, a bit bewildered... She seemed confused, so she twirled on her toes to see if she was missing something. I knew immediately what she was looking for… a MICROWAVE. The mom was surprised to see that we did not have one. She asked me how we warm up our foods.

Growing up in the former USSR, I had not even a slightest clue of what a microwave oven was. It was not until my family immigrated to the USA that we discovered the modern­day­marvel. Unfortunately for us, we did not know any better, so we quickly adapted to the American dietary lifestyle, and, as you can guess, since microwaves are considered to be a necessity, (a holy cow, really) we made sure to have one our kitchen.

A few of years ago, when I was researching all I could about nutrition, I discovered the truth about microwaves. We immediately removed our microwave from the kitchen. I went back to the old conventional style of warming up our foods: stovetop. Since then I have not missed having a microwave at all.

Old fashioned? No! Not at all. Let me tell you why. Let’s get to my research.

Why Russians BANNED Microwaves The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

P a g e | 137 After the World War II, the Russians experimented with microwave ovens. From 1957 up to recently, their research has been carried out mainly at the Institute of Radio Technology at Klinsk, Byelorussia. According to US researcher William Kopp, who gathered much of the results of Russian and German research ­ and was apparently prosecuted for doing so (J. Nat. Sci, 1998; 1:42­3) ­ the following effects were observed

by Russian forensic teams: 1. Heating prepared meats in a microwave sufficiently for human consumption created:  d­Nitrosodiethanolamine (a well­known cancer­causing agent)  Destabilization of active protein biomolecular compounds  Creation of a binding effect to radioactivity in the atmosphere  Creation of cancer­causing agents within protein­hydrosylate compounds in milk and cereal grains; 2. Microwave emissions also caused alteration in the catabolic (breakdown) behavior of glucoside ­ and galactoside ­ elements within frozen fruits when thawed in this way; 3. Microwaves altered catabolic behavior of plant­alkaloids when raw, cooked or frozen vegetables were exposed for even very short periods; 4. Cancer­causing free radicals were formed within certain trace­mineral molecular formations in plant substances, especially in raw root vegetables; 5. Ingestion of micro­waved foods caused a higher percentage of cancerous cells in blood; 6. Due to chemical alterations within food substances, malfunctions occurred in the lymphatic system, causing degeneration of the immune system's capacity to protect itself against cancerous growth; 7. The unstable catabolism of microwaved foods altered their elemental food substances, leading to disorders in the digestive system; 8. Those ingesting microwaved foods showed a statistically higher incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers, plus a general degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues with a gradual breakdown of digestive and excretory system function; 9. Microwave exposure caused significant decreases in the nutritional value of all foods studied, particularly:  A decrease in the bioavailability of B­complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotrophics  Destruction of the nutritional value of nucleoproteins in meats  Lowering of the metabolic activity of alkaloids, glucosides, galactosides and nitrilosides (all basic plant substances in fruits and vegetables)  Marked acceleration of structural disintegration in all foods.

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P a g e | 138 As a result microwave ovens were banned in Russia in 1976. Unfortunately, the ban was lifted after Perestroika.

Microwaved Plastic Wrap has 10,000,000 Times FDA Limits of Carcinogens!

As a seventh grade student, Claire Nelson learned that di(ethylhexyl)adepate (DEHA), considered a carcinogen, is found in plastic wrap. She also learned that the FDA had never studied the effect of microwave cooking on plastic­wrapped food. Three years later, with encouragement from her high school science teacher, Claire set out to test what the FDA had not. Although she had an idea for studying the effect of microwave radiation on plastic wrapped food, she did not have the equipment. Eventually, Dr. Jon Wilkes at the National Center for Toxicological Research agreed to help her.

The research center, which is affiliated with the FDA, let her use its facilities to perform her experiments, which involved microwaving plastic wrap in virgin olive oil.

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P a g e | 139 Claire tested four different plastic wraps and "found not just the carcinogens but also xenoestrogen was migrating [into the oil]...." Xenoestrogens are linked to low sperm counts in men and to breast cancer in women.

Throughout her junior and senior years, Claire made a couple of trips each week to the research center, which was 25 miles from her home, to work on her experiment. An article in Options reported "her analysis found that DEHA was migrating into the oil at between 200 parts and 500 parts per million. The FDA standard is 0.05 parts per billion."

Her summarized results have been published in science journals. Claire Nelson received the American Chemical Society's top science prize for students during her junior year and fourth place at the International Science and Engineering Fair (Fort Worth,Texas) as a senior.

"Carcinogens—At 10,000,000 Times FDA Limits" Options, May 2000, published by People Against Cancer, 515­972­4444.

Interestingly enough, when I went to USDA web­site here is what the mention about microwave cooking (which, unfortunately, they do not discourage): “Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow enough space between the food and the top of the dish so that plastic wrap does not touch the food.” Yes, that's what the FDA says!

Uninformed Public A little evidence of the harm caused by microwaving cooking was given by the University of Minnesota in a radio announcement: "Microwaves ... are not recommended for heating a baby's bottle. The bottle may seem cool to the touch, but the liquid inside may become extremely hot and could burn the baby's mouth and throat... Heating the bottle in a microwave can cause slight changes in the milk. In infant formulas, there may be a loss of some vitamins. In expressed breast milk, some protective properties may be destroyed.... Warming a bottle by holding it under tap water or by setting it in a bowl of warm water, then testing it on your wrist before feeding, may take a few minutes longer, but it is much safer".

The Swiss Clinical Study Dr. Hans Ulrich Hertel, who is now retired, worked as a food scientist for many years with one of the major Swiss food companies that do business on a global scale. A few years ago, he was fired from his job for questioning certain processing procedures that denatured the food.

In 1991, he and a Lausanne University professor published a research paper indicating that food cooked in microwave ovens could pose a greater risk to health than food cooked by conventional means.

An article also appeared in issue 19 of the Journal Franz Weber in which it was stated that the consumption of food cooked in microwave ovens had cancerous effects on The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins

P a g e | 140 the blood. The research paper itself followed the article. On the cover of the magazine there was a picture of the Grim Reaper holding a microwave oven in one of his hands.

Dr. Hertel was the first scientist to conceive and carry out aquality clinical study on the effects microwaved nutrients have on the blood and physiology of the human body.

His small but well controlled study showed thedegenerative force produced in microwave ovens and the food processed in them. The scientific conclusion showed that microwave cooking changed the nutrients in the food; and, changes took place in theparticipants' blood that could cause deterioration in the human system.

Hertel's scientific study was done along with Dr. Bernard H. Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the University Institute for Biochemistry. In intervals of two to five days, the volunteers in the study received one of the following food variants on an empty stomach: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

raw milk; the same milk conventionally cooked; pasteurized milk; the same raw milks cooked in a microwave oven; raw vegetables from an organic farm; the same vegetables cooked conventionally; the same vegetables frozen and defrosted in a microwave oven; and the same vegetables cooked in the microwave oven.

Once the volunteers were isolated, blood samples were taken from every volunteer immediately before eating. Then, blood samples were taken at defined intervals after eating from the above milk or vegetable preparations.

Significant changes were discovered in the blood samples from the intervals following the foods cooked in the microwave oven. These changes included a decrease in all hemoglobin and cholesterol values, especially the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) values.

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P a g e | 141 Lymphocytes (white blood cells) showed a more distinct short­term decrease following the intake of microwaved food than after the intake of all the other variants. Each of these indicators pointed to degeneration.

Additionally, there was a highly significant association between the amount of microwave energy in the test foods and the luminous power of luminescent bacteria exposed to serum from test persons who ate that food.

This led Dr. Hertel to the conclusion that such technically derived energies may, indeed, be passed along to man inductively via eating microwaved food.

According to Dr. Hertel "Leukocytosis, which cannot be accounted for by normal daily deviations, is taken very seriously by hemotologists. Leukocytes are often signs of pathogenic effects on the living system, such as poisoning and cell damage.

The increase of leukocytes with the microwaved foods were more pronounced than with all the other variants. It appears that these marked increases were caused entirely by ingesting the microwaved substances.

This process is based on physical principles and has already been confirmed in the literature. The apparent additional energy exhibited by the luminescent bacteria was merely an extra confirmation.

There is extensive scientific literature concerning the hazardous effects of direct microwave radiation on living systems. It is astonishing, therefore, to realize how little effort has been taken to replace this detrimental technique of microwaves with technology more in accordance with nature.

Technically produced microwaves are based on the principle of alternating current.

Atoms, molecules, and cells hit by this hard electromagnetic radiation are forced to reverse polarity 1­100 billion times a second.

There are no atoms, molecules or cells of any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive power for any extended period of time, not even in the low energy range of milliwatts.

Of all the natural substances ­ which are polar ­ the oxygen of water molecules reacts most sensitively. This is how microwave cooking heat is generated ­ friction from this violence in water molecules.

Structures of molecules are torn apart, molecules are forcefully deformed, called structural isomerism, and thus become impaired in quality. This is contrary to conventional heating of food where heat transfers convectionally from without to within.

Cooking by microwaves begins within the cells and molecules where water is present and where the energy is transformed into frictional heat.

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P a g e | 142 In addition to the violent frictional heat effects, called thermic effects, there are also athermic effects which have hardly ever been taken into account. These athermic effects are not presently measurable, but they can also deform the structures of molecules and have qualitative consequences.

For example the weakening of cell membranes by microwaves is used in the field of gene altering technology. Because of the force involved, the cells are actually broken, thereby neutralizing the electrical potentials, the very life of the cells, between the outer and inner side of the cell membranes.

Impaired cells become easy prey for viruses, fungi and other microorganisms. The natural repair mechanisms are suppressed and cells are forced to adapt to a state of energy emergency ­ they switch from aerobic to anaerobic respiration. Instead of water and carbon dioxide, the cell poisons hydrogen peroxide and carbon monoxide are produced."

The same violent deformations that occur in our bodies, when we are directly exposed to radar or microwaves, also occur in the molecules of foods cooked in a microwave oven.

This radiation results in the destruction and deformation of food molecules. Microwaving also creates new compounds, called radiolytic compounds, which are unknown fusions not found in nature. Radiolytic compounds are created by molecular decomposition— decay—as a direct result of radiation.

Microwave oven manufacturers insist that microwaved and irradiated foods do not have any significantly higher radiolytic compounds than do broiled, baked or other conventionally cooked foods. As you can imagine they have all of the financial reasons in the world to carry on with such statements.

The scientific clinical evidence presented here has shown that this is simply a lie. In America, neither universities nor the federal government have conducted any tests concerning the effects on our bodies from eating microwaved foods. Isn't that a bit odd? They're more concerned with studies on what happens if the door on a microwave oven doesn't close properly. Once again, common sense tells us that their attention should be centered on what happens to food cooked inside a microwave oven.

Since people ingest this altered food, shouldn't there be concern for how the same decayed molecules will affect our own human biological cell structure?

Industry's Action to Hide the Truth As soon as Doctors Hertel and Blanc published their results, the authorities reacted. A powerful trade organization, the Swiss Association of Dealers for Electro­apparatuses for Households and Industry, known as FEA, struck swiftly in 1992.

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P a g e | 143 They forced the President of the Court of Seftigen, Canton of Bern, to issue a "gag order" against Drs. Hertel and Blanc. In March 1993, Dr. Hertel was convicted for "interfering with commerce" and prohibited from further publishing his results. However, Dr. Hertel stood his ground and fought this decision over the years.

Not long ago, this decision was reversed in a judgment delivered in Strasbourg, Austria, on August 25, 1998. The European Court of Human Rights held that there had been a violation of Hertel's rights in the 1993 decision.

The European Court of Human Rights also ruled that the "gag order" issued by the Swiss court in 1992 against Dr. Hertel, prohibiting him from declaring that microwave ovens are dangerous to human health, was contrary to the right to freedom of expression. In addition, Switzerland was ordered to pay Dr. Hertel compensation.

Carcinogens in Microwaved Food In Dr. Lita Lee's book, Health Effects of Microwave Radiation ­ Microwave Ovens, and in the March and September 1991 issues of Earthletter, she stated that every microwave oven leaks electro­magnetic radiation, harms food, and converts substances cooked in it to dangerous organ­toxic and carcinogenic products.

Further research summarized in this article reveal that microwave ovens are far more harmful than previously imagined.

The following is a summary of the Russian investigations published by the Atlantis Raising Educational Center in Portland, Oregon. Carcinogens were formed in virtually all foods tested.

No test food was subjected to more microwaving than necessary to accomplish the purpose, i.e., cooking, thawing, or heating to insure sanitary ingestion. Here's a summary of some of the results: • Microwaving prepared meats sufficiently to insure sanitary ingestion caused formation of d­Nitrosodienthanolamines, a well­known carcinogen.

• Microwaving milk and cereal grains converted some of their amino acids into carcinogens.

• Thawing frozen fruits converted their glucoside and galactoside containing fractions into carcinogenic substances.

• Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens.

• Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables.

• Decrease in nutritional value • Russian researchers also reported a marked acceleration of structural degradation leading to a decreased food value of 60 to 90% in all foods tested. Among the changes observed were: Deceased bio­availability of vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotropics factors in all food tested. Various kinds of damaged to many plant substances, such as alkaloids, glucosides, galactosides and nitrilosides.

• The degradation of nucleo­proteins in meats.

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P a g e | 144

Reasons to throw out your Microwave Oven From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, I will conclude this article with the following: 1. Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term ­ permanent ­brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de­ polarizing or de­magnetizing the brain tissue].

2. The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by­products created in microwaved food.

3. Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods. [Have you ever wondered why there are so many hormonal issues in the modern, and especially American society?]

4. The effects of microwaved food by­products areresidual [long term, permanent] within the human body.

5. Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

6. The minerals in vegetables are altered intocancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.

7. Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.

8. The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

9. Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10. Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

I hope that having read all the facts I presented to you, you will ask yourself whether you can now continue to use microwave ovens and harm your, and possibly, your family's bodies and future? If you knew you were serving a cancer on a plate to your loved one, would you still do it? How about your children? I am sure that the answer is NO! But this is in fact exactly what we do, even though unknowingly.

My hope is that having read these facts you will be ready to make a change. I did!

And I have not missed microwaves in the least. In fact, I would rather eat cold food than poison myself with warm carcinogens. What about you?

If you are still in doubt look what a simple experiment with microwave water did to these plants:

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How to warm up your Food: Alternatives Very simple, you can do it on a stove, using a pan or a skillet, or in a conventional oven.

It will take only minutes longer, but after a short while you won’t even miss the microwave oven any more.

In Conclusion I hope that as you taken the time to read this post, you will take the time to consider long­lasting effects of microwaved foods on your body. One of my friends once said: We should spend at least as much time thinking about what you put in your body as you do when it comes to what you put in your car.

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Appendix C: Truth about Sugar

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The Sugar Trap Does sugar have a place in our diet? What are good and bad sources of sugar? And should conscious health eaters consume any sugar? In today’s article I will answer these questions and more. I will tell you what I learned from years of research and personal experience.

Truth about Sugar I find that the issue of sugar is so dear to many. My husband is a recovering sugar addict. I know it sounds funny, and, although it might not be something he would like to hear me say, as much as he would want to sugar coat it (no pun intended) and call it “having a sweet tooth”, the truth is, in the past, and at times even now, if there were sweets in the house he would forego all other foods just to get his sugar fix. He looked like this at the sight of sweets (and there is nothing he would not do for his favorite apple pie ):

image source: mix967.ca I will be a good boy, just, please, PLEASE, PLEASE give me some sugar!

Thankfully living a high raw diet, high green, plant based diet, and having a desire for better health is helping him to overcome his weakness, but he still has his times of struggle. But shhhhhhhh… don’t tell him I said anything ☺.

I know that my husband is not alone in this world in his sugar addiction. I have many other sugar addicts in the family, and I work with a lot of them who enroll to undergo my Boot Camp (I should really call it the Veg Camp, since I teach people how to transition to a whole foods, plant­based way of living) in order to rid themselves of such dangerous monsters. One of my sisters­in­law self­proclaimed that she cannot live a healthier life because she does not have the self­will to part with sweets. She admits that it is her downfall, yet she is not even willing to consider living without them.

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image source: weirdworm.com I certainly can give you more stories, but why should I bore you? I am certain you can tell me a few of your own.

You might be curious if I personally had to battle sugar “demons” in my life. I am happy to report that I have been blessed my whole life not to have acquired a “sweet tooth.”

Sure I do have occasional taste for sweets, but they are easily met with a handful of dates, raw cookies, or simple things such as fruit.

History Our sugar consumption, as a society in total, has been drastically altered in the last century. Americans in the US consume close to, and at times more than, 156 lbs. of sugar per year per person [Source: USDA]. That’s ¼­½ lbs. of sugar per DAY! Most of it comes from refined sources, in forms of table sugar, baked foods, packaged foods, sodas, sports drinks, etc., not to mention that is it added to breads, pastas and salad dressings among other things.

As little as 100 years ago, it is estimated that Americans ate around one pound of sugar a year!

Image source: free­photo­gallery.org

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What Is Sugar?

Sugars are the simplest forms of carbohydrates.

Let’s visit Wikipedia for a deeper explanation on the subject. Shall we?

“Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose.

Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple (in maple syrup), and in many other sources. Excessive consumption of sugar has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity and tooth decay.

Scientifically, sugar refers to any monosaccharide or disaccharide. Monosaccharides (also called “simple sugars”), such as glucose, store chemical energy, which biological cells convert to other types of energy. Glucose (a type of sugar found in human blood plasma) has the molecular formula C6 H12 O6.”

Now that you are starting to feel more enlightened, let’s dig deeper and make you feel even more educated.

As I mentioned — sugars are simple carbohydrates. Carbohydrates serve as energy stores, fuels, and metabolic intermediates. Certain carbohydrates, ribose and deoxyribose sugars form part of the structural framework of RNA and DNA. Polysaccharides are structural elements in the cell walls of bacteria and plants.

Carbohydrates are linked to many proteins and lipids, where they play key roles in mediating interactions among and between cells and other elements in the cellular environment. (So, next time someone tells you that carbs are bad for you, go ahead and show off your newly acquired knowledge and put them to shame! There is a huge difference between bad and good carbs… but that’s the reason we are having this conversation in the first place ☺. We will reserve GOOD CARBS for our next conversation. ☺ ) Carbohydrates are simple organic compounds. The basic carbohydrate units are called monosaccharides, such as glucose, galactose, and fructose.

Now we have come full circle and established that sugars are simple carbs, and simple carbs are sugars.

Some carbohydrates are known as inoline or fruit­oligo­saccharides, which occur in certain foods like asparagus, leeks, onions, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, and other roots and bulbs. They help feed our healthy bacteria in the gut. They are crucial for our health.

When the bacteria are being fed by those carbohydrates, they become healthier and prevent the increase of bad bacteria in our gastric intestinal tract. They change our cholesterol level for the better; they inhibit various bad bacteria and viruses, and help

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P a g e | 150 to restore our gut flora, if we are ever subjected to go through antibiotic therapy. They also produce vitamins such as B vitamin, folic acid, and others.

Is Sugar Important?

Sugar, the right kind, serves several purposes in our bodies. One that everyone is well acquainted with is the fact that sugars provide us with energy. Sugar is a fuel that burns easily. It creates the energy factor that is known as ATP. ATP (adenosine triphosphate)] is the major ‘currency’ of energy in the body. It is not energy itself, but rather temporarily stores energy. ATP is the activated carrier which gives organisms energy. If you love or teach fitness in any kind of way, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Sugar is actually incorporated into our physical structure and acts as storage for energy in the future.

(Hold on, dear warrior! Now that you are becoming more educated on the topic of sugar don’t bolt out the door and head to the nearest store to buy a pint of Häagen­ Dazs or German chocolate cake {my hubby’s former mistress} or any other favorite dessert. Be careful! This is not the kind of sugar I am talking about here!)

WARNING: refined/processed sugars do not serve any purpose in our bodies! People who eat too much sugar, especially white sugar (i.e. my sister­in­law and, formerly, my dearest husband), as well as refined carbohydrates, such as white flour that is so common in baked goods, tend to create increased acidity in their tissues, which leads towards an anaerobic [ineffective] metabolism. Excessive intake of such sugars and refined carbohydrates leads to changes in our blood, making our blood platelets stick together and make the blood viscosity higher, which contributes to cardiovascular risk and diseases. Not to mention that acidic physical environments are perfect for bad bacteria (diseases) to thrive, and encourage the growth and spread of various cancers.

Things to Know About Sugar Consumption and especially consumption of bad sugars refined/processed) is dangerous!

over­ (i.e.

The body easily converts excess sugar into fat. Any time we have extra sugar in the body, the body absorbs it into the cells or the liver, where it gets converted into fat.

Sugar level fluctuations affect our mood, behavior, memory and focus, among many other important functions. It is imperative to realize what foods and eating behaviors can cause sugar roller­coasters and avoid them. We need a constant supply of energy to maintain a healthy body. We need to ensure that our blood sugar level is always stable.

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Stable Sugars?

Naturally occurring (unrefined/unprocessed) sugars are stable. Plants are made up of carbohydrates, which our body breaks down to extract right amounts of sugars. The sugars inside plants are not isolated, and are surrounded by wonderful things such as fiber. Our body has to work harder to extract such sugars, which takes time for sugar to be released into our blood stream, thus preventing spikes. Refined sugars, on the other hand, go directly into our blood stream and cause us to have sugar spikes.

If we eat unprocessed foods, they will supply us with a proper dosage of sugar, also providing us with mental clarity and physical alertness. It is when we part from what God intended for our food that we get ourselves into huge trouble.

Why Is Processed Sugar Bad for Me? Nowadays most people would agree that white (processed) sugar is bad for them.

However, they are fooled to believe that somehow sugar that is darker in color is not as bad and feel at peace consuming it instead. The truth?

Both evaporated cane juice and white cane sugar have been heavily processed to remove the molasses content. During this processing the vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids, and trace elements that make molasses nutritious are stripped away, leaving one of the purest chemicals ever manufactured. Following processing, evaporated cane juice is99.5% sucrose, and white sugar is 99.9% sucrose. Turbinado sugar, considered the least processed of any of the forms of sugar, is 99% sucrose.

Whether sugar is eaten in the form of white sugar, evaporated cane juice, turbinado, or any of the other names for it, its effect on the body is the same — when eaten in large amounts, or eaten without fat or protein (the kinds we talked about in previous posts), each of them will produce the same sort of insulin spike, weight gain, immune system suppression, and increased chance for diabetes. (Source) All sugar is processed from the sugar cane or sugar beet plant, and the two types of plants are used interchangeably. High quality brown sugar is made by cutting short the refinement process and leaving a bit of molasses in the sugar for taste and color. Lower quality brown sugar sold in conventional grocery stores is usually made from processed white sugar with the addition of caramel for coloring. Some brown sugar is even made by processing white sugar through animal bone charcoal to add color.

The big difference between evaporated cane juice and granulated sugar is the price, which runs about $8­$10 dollars a pound for evaporated cane juice compared to about $1­$3 dollars a pound for white sugar. If manufacturers are willing to spend the extra money to put the words evaporated cane juice on their labels, it means they know the public is seriously trying to avoid eating sugar and needs to be tricked into eating it anyway. (Source) How Important Is Glycemic Index?

Glycemic index, also known as GI is another buzz word we are all familiar with.

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P a g e | 152 Carbohydrates behave quite differently one from another in our bodies. The GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels.

I am sure that you might have heard that choosing low GI carbs — the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels — is the secret to long­term health and weight loss. However, it is only a partial truth! Unfortunately GI, as many other things, became nothing more than another marketing tool and a tactic to sell products that are not good for consumption.

Look at some of the ingredients on processed foods like sodas, cereals, even energy bars and ice creams — some have lower GI than naturally occurring plant foods (fruit). But it does not mean that they are good for your consumption! Processed foods that are low in GI can lead to various health issues: cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and many others.

Stress and Sugar

image source: sheknows.com Physical exercise and physical stress can change our blood sugar levels. To cope with stress, be it emotional or physical, our bodies start secreting hormones like cortisol.

Cortisol increases blood sugar levels. In stressful situations our brain and muscles use sugar to deal with stress, making us more alert and giving us a boost of energy (fight or flight mode).

An increase in blood sugar level will have a weakening effect on the adrenal glands, which produce the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol have a negative physical effect; given time, it can lead to osteoporosis, menstrual problems, fatigue, irritability, high blood pressure, depression, obesity, suppressed thyroid function and other problems. This was the very reason I personally developed hormone imbalance and hypothyroid, which, thankfully, having come to my senses, I was able to reverse naturally, without any medical intervention.

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Why Do Sweets Make Us Feel Good?

Image Source

Sugar helps our body to manufacture serotonin in the brain, which makes us feel good and relaxed. It is a natural antidepressant in a sense, so we become addicted to it.

Unfortunately when the blood sugar goes down after we eat refined sugars, we end up more depressed than we did before eating them. So, we eat more sugar, get another spike, and get down again. It becomes an addiction, same as drugs. Because of these ups and downs the vicious cycle of addiction gets worse and worse.

Emotional and physical stress, and eventually sugar addiction, will cause a lot of sugar cravings in order to reduce negative emotions, by increasing the serotonin output. Increased blood sugar decreases DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) levels.

(DHEA is a hormone that protects us from stress, cancer, aging, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, from weakening immune system, hypothyroidism, and is a precursor to healthy sex hormones and other hormones.)

Sugar spikes also affect our insulin metabolism. When cortisol levels go up insulin does not work, so not only do we increase the sugar in the blood, but we reduce the utilization of sugar in the tissues, as a result the tissues cannot regenerate. Because of this we release more fatty acids from the tissues, and reduce the synthesis (creation and absorption) of proteins. Our bodies go into a stage of breaking down instead of building our tissues up.

Sugar Is More Addictive Than Cocaine! (image source: beautyshallsavetheworld.com) In 2007 there was a lab study done on the effects of sugar addiction compared to cocaine. (If you click through, you can indulge in the entire study yourself, but, yes, the nerd that I am, I read the whole thing.) The findings were very interesting.

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P a g e | 154 “…when rats were allowed to choose mutually­exclusively between water sweetened with saccharin–an intense calorie­free sweetener–and intravenous cocaine –a highly addictive and harmful substance – the large majority of animals (94%) preferred the sweet taste of saccharin. …the preference for saccharin was not surmountable by increasing doses of cocaine and was observed despite either cocaine intoxication, sensitization or intake escalation–the latter being a hallmark of drug addiction.”

The conclusion of the study was this: “Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug­ sensitized and ­addicted individuals… In most mammals, including rats and humans, sweet receptors evolved in ancestral environments poor in sugars and are thus not adapted to high concentrations of sweet tastants. The supranormal stimulation of these receptors by sugar­rich diets, such as those now widely available in modern societies, would generate a supranormal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self­control mechanisms and thus to lead to addiction.”

Can you believe this?! I can! I had seen people so addicted to this stuff that they would rather choose poor health and slow death than giving it up. Thankfully my husband was not one of them! I hope that you will not be either, if you are one of those people who sees sweets as a sort of reward for “good behavior.” After all, what could be a better reward: sugar treat which will take you down and take away your health, or… optimal health, by avoiding such “treats”?!

What Else Can Influence Blood Sugar and Increase Cortisol Level?

Emotional stress and refined sugars are not the only culprits. So, what else causes cortisol levels to increase? Surprise! One thing that nobody wants talk about is animal protein. Whenever we increase animal protein in diet, we start increasing cortisol secretion. This in turn will decrease our testosterone level (ladies, you might be thinking that you don’t have to worry about this subject, but we all: male and female, need a certain level of testosterone in our body, so don’t dismiss this issue). Animal proteins can also cause extra estrogen production that can become detrimental to males and females alike.

Most issues that I have previously mentioned: osteoporosis, menstrual problems, fatigue, cancer

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P a g e | 155 and other diseases, are associated with high sugar and high cortisol correlation that will occur with excessive animal protein intake. (You can find more on the topic in the bookThe China Study, by T Colin Campbell) Increase in blood sugar causes continuous elevation in our insulin. When insulin is elevated for a long period of time the body might create insulin resistance. The insulin cell receptors lose their functionality, which creates the beginning of pre­diabetes, also known as metabolic syndrome. With increased insulin level in the blood we also have increased fats in the blood, increased triglycerides, and sometimes increased blood pressure. With that also comes increase in fat, especially around the belly. The problem in many cases, even before full­fledged diabetes which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, can cause a heart attack.

What about Sweeteners?

First, let differentiate. There are artificial sweeteners and there are natural sweeteners. The natural sweeteners are derived from certain fruits, certain vegetables, and certain tubers. However, because they are derived from a natural product trough chemical processes they can cause some problems. There are also artificial sweeteners that are absolutely dangerous for your health (you will find a lot of them are used by diabetics and “health conscious” population of our society). These sweeteners were invented in a chemical lab—not found in nature, so steer clear from them.

A Word about Agave

image source: sportsnutritionresource.com I know that a lot of vegans and raw vegans become agave syrup crazy (although most agave is not raw!) — it becomes their sugar substitute, while better, healthier options are rejected. It is sweet to the highest degree, and people think that since it is derived from a plant source it must be healthy. But… had they stopped to think that high corn fructose syrup (HFCS) is also derived from a plant source? ☺ Think about it!

Another interesting fact to compare the two: agave nectar is 56­92% (some claim that the number is 70­85%)

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P a g e | 156 fructose, with the rest mostly glucose  HFCS, vilified as much as agave nectar is worshipped, is 55% fructose, the rest glucose. Yes, almost the same exact composition as some agave syrup. (Source) What’s more, both HFCS and agave are nearly identical to the white sugar sold in stores! So, when it comes to health effects, they are… identical!

To add insult to injury, recent finding point to the fact that extracted (processed) fructose, in fact, in a lot of cases, is more dangerous than glucose. It actually has been shows that fructose is what fuels cancer growth. (Source)

Where Do I Get My Sugar?

First of all let’s establish that it is never a good idea to abuse even natural sugars. There are many wonderful sources of God­given sugar. The best, of course, is raw vegetables and fruits, as well as vegetables. They will provide your body with complex sugars while preventing sugar spikes. You will be amazed just how sweet vegetables are once you wean yourself off extreme, processed sugars.

There are also sweeteners like honey, brown rice syrup, date syrup and stevia (leaf, not extract!). If you use these, use them in moderation. I personally prefer to use dried fruit, such as: dates and raisins, etc. in my smoothies and desserts.

If you decide to add dried fruits to your diet, the best way to do so is by dehydrating them yourself. Most commercially dried fruits have chemical additives to give them shelf life. If you cannot dehydrate your own fruit carefully examine labels of the fruit you are buying to make sure you are not buying sulfate, pesticides and herbicides along with the fruit.

How to Wean Yourself off Sugar Depending on the level of your addiction the commitment to health might be more trying for some than others. While I have no problem saying NO to a piece of chocolate cake, or, if I make it for a special occasion (vegan­way), and have only a slice, my husband, if you let him, could have the entire cake to himself.

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P a g e | 157 So, what are the steps that you can take to wean yourself off sugar? When doing my monthly Boot Camps, I get a few sugar addicts here and there, and since being on the Boot Camp regimen requires ZERO consumption of sugar, everyone is forced to face their demons. What we found is that the introduction of Green Smoothies, a high raw, unprocessed plant­based diet, and accountability was a great way to cleanse from a sugar addiction. The first couple of weeks are normally more trying for some, while the addiction is being broken and brought under control, but then it gets easier, and by weeks 4­6 my sugar addicts start experiencing cravings relief. Some find that munching on fruit or dried fruit, like dates, is eventually all they need to satisfy their sweet cravings. In the process they also learn to make sugar free desserts, like this amazing Chocolate Mousse.

So, if you need help in overcoming sugar addiction, now that you know all you need about the dangers of consuming processed sugars, make sure to reach out and get help and follow these steps…

In Conclusion Remember that the most natural, unprocessed, whole, raw sources of sugar are your best friends and artificial and processed sugars are you enemies.

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Appendix D: Smoothies Basics– HOW-TO

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Step 1: Get Equipped!

The only piece of equipment you need to make a great smoothie is a good blender.

Not all blenders are created equal! You can get away with using a simple blender that will cost you $30­$40, and it might last you a few months, if you treat it gently, but most of them cannot take regular, day­to­day load. I have broken a couple very quickly, so I know.

You can go a step further by getting a Kitchen Aid blender which might cost you $50­ $100.

KitchenAid 5 speed blender [click on the link to explore] Before I was introduced to green smoothies, I used one of these for over 2 years before upgrading to a VitaMix 5200. It served me well, and I still keep it as my back up. It is a very good quality product.

consuming more greens!

It will not blend greens as well as a high speed blenders (see below), but it will get you going in the right direction—

Vita­Mix [click on the link to explore options] If you have the money and the passion then the best way you could invest it for the long haul (and, yes, your long­life health is an investment—great health is much cheaper than poor health!) is without a doubt in the one of the best blenders out there—the Vita­Mix. I have VitaMix 5200, and use it several times a day. It is a work horse, and I cannot imagine my kitchen without it. I waited to buy mine, saving for it patiently, for a couple of years, and ever since I got it, I have not stopped blending. I make smoothies, soups, dressings, drinks and even grind my grains in it. It comes with a 7 year warranty!

Blendtech [click on the link to explore] Second favorite blender of mine is Blendtech. I had one and enjoyed it very much, but then I saw how easy it was for my 80+ years young Mom to use, so it now adorns her kitchen, helping her stay well and vibrant. (My Mom is an amazing woman, she still goes swimming 5 times a week, cooks, knits, plays with grand­ and great­grand­kids, and thanks to now a nearly vegan diet, she was able to lose over 30 lbs and come off most of her medication!)

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P a g e | 160 The wide jar (don't get the ones with a narrow jar, because it will require a temper, like Vita­Mix, which Blendtech does NOT offer) model is phenomenal, and is quiet comparable to Vita­Mix. It leaves little guessing with its preprogrammed cycles. All you have to do is push a button–that's the reason my Mom likes it so much.

The top two blenders—VitaMix and Blendtec—are the champions in their industry; however, I do realize that not everyone can run out and spend $300+ on a blender, although with time you can look at it as an investment. So, simply get what you can afford now. There are other, less expensive, high speed blender options available on the market–just do your research before taking the plunge.

Salad Spinner [click on the link to purchase] Other than a good blender, having a good knife and a cutting board is really all you need. Having a good Salad Spinner (to wash and dry your greens, so you can store them) is an amazing bonus!

Step 2: Get Ingredients Start with the basics, and introduce new ingredients as you become more comfortable, so you do not become overwhelmed. In the recipes you will find a lot of ingredients you never heard about, although I am going to dedicate an entire section to them.

They will be marked with an asterisks (*), so you know they are optional. For now concentrate on these: Fresh fruit (if you don’t have fresh, frozen organic* is your second best choice, but NEVER canned) Fresh greens Herbs Sweeteners–artificial sweeteners are harmful and unnecessary. If you pick ripe fruit, you will get all the sweetness you need in your smoothie. If you do need a little oomph, however, you can use dried fruit: dates are my favorite, figs, pineapples, etc., to give your smoothies a little kick. You can also use brown rice or date syrups. If you have diabetes, do stay away from sweeteners–use ripe fruit, or use dried fruits to sweeten your drinks.

Whole flax, chia and hemp seeds–you can use them interchangeably. When buying seeds make sure they are organic and NOT pre­ground–more details in a moment. o Flax, chia and hemp seeds are a great source of Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils, and are rich in fiber. They are a great reason to quit taking fish oil caps, if you are doing it now, since fish is now one of the most polluted animal foods. You will get the whole set of omegas in these little seeds.

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o

o

You will use about 2­3 tablespoons of ground seeds a day, in one of your smoothies—I prefer to add ground flax seed to my morning smoothies and hemp seed to after­work out smoothies.

If you end up using a blender that is not compatible with Vitamix or Blendtec, to grind your seeds use a small coffee grinder (I got one for about $8­10 just for this purpose before getting my VitaMix). If you have a high speed blender, such as Vita­Mix, you can add whole seeds to your smoothie, along with water, and blend it together with other ingredients.

Grind enough seeds as you need—do not try grinding enough for several intakes. Ground seeds and grains go rancid within 36 hours, unless frozen!

*Always try using organic ingredients as much as you can afford to. You will get more nutrients and avoid collecting harmful toxins in your body, and even eating genetically modified (GM) or engineered (GE) foods. To read more about WHY you should try to eat organic, visit these two articles: Why Organic I, Why Organic II.

Step 3: Pick Your Spot Pick a spot in your kitchen where you will be most comfortable making smoothies. Find counter space for your blender and keep it there—ready for use at all times. When you smoothie on regular basis it is hard to keep pulling it in and out of cupboards, so dedicate a little bit of your counter space just for this marvelous machine. Make sure to place it in such a way that you can easily get to the sink, to wash your ingredients, and with enough space to have the ingredients near you. Avoid frustration at all cost!

Step 4: Create a Recipe I am giving you an extensive list of green smoothie recipes, so you don’t have to worry about coming up with your own any time soon.

However, if you feel extra adventurous–smoothie making is easy! Pour about a cup of filtered water into the blender, take your favorite fruit(s) and a handful (big handful) of greens, and you are set to go! If you are using flax or hemp seed, throw them in as well, and throw in your favorite super food, and you are done!

Step 5: Get Smoothie'ing!

I want your smoothies to be simple. If you are just learning–take baby steps. Don’t complicate your recipes–use only a 2­4 of ingredients at a time. You can make a great smoothie with just a cup of water, a juicy apple and a handful of greens. You decide!

The most important part is that you will actually be doing it.

As you get used to the whole “smoothie­ing” experience you will be able to experiment. I love adding fresh strawberries and blueberries to my smoothies. They add such a flavorful dimension to my food.

When blending smoothies, make sure to run your blender until all ingredients incorporate into a delicious looking smooth mixture–you don't want to chew your smoothies! If you do not have a high speed blender, start with water and greens, and, after blending them, add remaining ingredients one by one.

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Step 6: Storing Smoothies I prefer to make my smoothies fresh every day. I make a big pitcher, drink 16­24 oz., or until I am full, and store the rest in a glass jar for later. It is possible to pre­make green smoothies and store them for up to three days, but the longer they sit around the more nutrients get lost.

this is an example of my prep for a 3­day green smoothie cleanse–the 6 jars lasted my husband and I only 1­1.5 days If you do store your smoothies, make sure to stay away from plastic–it will leach harmful chemicals into your nutritious food. Use glass bottles or jars. I simply repurpose my glass jars from pasta sauces, canned foods, etc.–the best part is that they do not cost me extra money!

Ingredients As you are getting ready to embark on this life/health changing journey, think about all the wonderful fruits and greens you will get to taste, maybe even for the first time in your life! I don't want to leave you wondering about any detail on this trek, so I will make sure that you get equipped and prepared. Here is a list of all possible ingredients you can use.

greens It might be hard to imagine to constantly keep eating green salads to get enough greens, although I do enjoy mine at least once a day. But not to worry, the tasty green smoothies you are about to start making will make you fall in love with greens.

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P a g e | 163 Leafy greens can be added to any of your favorite fruit smoothies. They can also be blended into raw soups to boost your mineral intake.

To help you I am listing edible greens in alphabetical order, so you can take this list when you go shopping.

REMEMBER TO ROTATE GREENS EVERY DAY or COUPLE OF DAYS to get the MOST BENEFIT and get a Variety of Minerals and Vitamins–you do not want to get stuck eating only spinach or kale for the rest of your life. ~A~ Alfalfa Arugula ~B~ Basil Beat Greens (greens and stems) Bok Choy (Chinese Cabbage) Broccoli Greens (leaf and flowers) ~C~ Carrot greens (bitter and detoxing, might be too potent for some. I would ~E~ Endive

not advise it to those who are pregnant or breastfeeding) Chard (leaf and stem) Chickweed Cilantro Clover (greens and flowers) Collard Greens ~D~ Dandelion (greens and flowers) Dill (good for detoxing) Mustard Greens (spicy and mustardy)

~K~ Kale (green, purple, dinosaur)

~N~ Nettles, Stinging (greens) ~P~ Parsley (various kinds) Plantain (greens) Purslane (greens)

~L~ Lambsquarters (greens) Lettuce (dark varieties)

~R~ Raspberry green leaves Radish leaves

~M~ Malva (greens) Miner’s lettuce (greens and flowers) Mint (oh, so delicious!)

~S~ Spinach Sunflower sprouts Swiss Chard

~F~ Fennel

Warning: When in doubt, don't eat the plant!

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Remember: the more GREENS you can add to your smoothie the better you will feel, and the sooner the healing and cleansing will take place.

fruit Here is a list of some fruits you can choose from: Sweet Fruit Banana Carob Custard Apples Dates Fig Mango

Papaya Prunes Persimmon Raisins & Dried fruit (use sparingly and avoid in detox)

Sapote

Sub­Acid Fruit Apple Apricot Blackberries Blueberries Cherimoya Cherries

Elderberries Gooseberries Grapes Huckleberries Mango Nectarine

Peach Pear Plum Quince Raspberries Sapodilla

Acid Fruit Currant Grapefruit Guava Kumquat Lemon Lime

Orange Loganberry Kiwi Mandarin Oranges Passion fruit Pineapple

Pomegranate Strawberries Tamarind Tangerine

Melons Banana melon Cantaloupe Casaba Christmas melon

Persian melon Crenshaw melon Honeydew melon Muskmelon

Nutmeg melon Watermelon

There are other more exotic fruits out there you can add to this list.

herbs Fresh herbs add zest and zing to your dishes and smoothies.

Most herbs are fresh greens, so you will be able to add flavor and nutrition without processed spices or salt to any dish, and make your green smoothie sing.

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Dill, basil, chives, cilantro, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme.

There are many others, of course, so feel free to explore.

sprouts Sprouts are an excellent source of concentrated nutrients, proteins and fiber. Proteins found in sprouts are some of the easiest to digest, as all forces of the plant are concentrated on bringing forth new life. I dedicated a whole section in this e­book to the power of sprouts, so make sure to read it. I would like to recommend sprouts that are only a few days old, as they are denser in nutrition and taste than older sprouts.

There are certain sprouts that are sold at grocery stores, but you can grow your own, in the comfort of your home, for only pennies. Make sure to check out this post to learn how to: How to Sprout Organic Seeds and Benefits of Sprouting.

You will be surprised how easy it is to grow your own sprouts, even if you live in an apartment! You don’t even need any special gadgets to do that—only a few jars and sprouting lids that you can find at almost any store.

Here are a few sprouts that you can add to your wraps, salads, and even raw soups or smoothies: Alfalfa, adzuki beans, broccoli, buckwheat, fenugreek, garlic, lentil, onion, pea shoots, sunflower and many others.

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The Daniel Fast Menu Planner by Elena Wilkins