The Power of Raw juice

Life is the most profound mystery of the universe and raw juice is bursting with it. Raw juice is the most powerful fuel because its assimilated to cleanse and nurture the body while supplying it with a full range of essential nutrients. Freshly extracted juices are bursting with a vital natural energy that is miraculous in its beneficial effect on the human body. Get into the routine of drinking raw juice on a regular basis and you will feel that the more you drink of it, the better you'll feel.

The facts

Water constitutes 70% of the human body and serves the crucial function within the body of transporting nutrients to its tissues and, in turn, removing waste products. if we failed to regularly replenish the water in our bodies which is lost through perspiration we would soon start to wilt (aka aging)

Life Water

The kind of water your body craves and depends upon to function at peak efficiency does not come out of the tap, or from a bottle, but it is only to be found in fresh fruits and vegetables. The water extracted from raw fruit and vegetables has a unique, organic, living quality. it is readily absorbed by the body. Because it is so rich in essential micronutrients, raw juice effectively replenishes lost energy. In fact, raw juice is the most profoundly refreshing thing you can drink!

Energize your life

Fresh fruit and vegetables also have another quality which is intangible and unquantifiable, but could be compared to an electric charge… Raw Energy! The most immediate way to experience its power is by drinking raw juice.

All our energy is ultimately derived from the food we eat, but the body has to expend energy in order to break down and digest our food before we can derive any nutritional benefit from it. Without proper digestion there can be no such thing as good nutrition. By extracting the juices of fruits and veg, removing the fiber, you can provide the body with an excellent source of nutrition that is virtually predigested, so that it is absorbed into the body with minimum expenditure of energy. In fact, freshly extracted, nutrient-rich live juice is nothing but liquid Raw Energy.

Detoxing

Juice-blitzing is a great way to detox and give your body a rest from digesting solids. The aim of detoxing is to bring your body back into balance by taking in alkaline living foods to balance the bodies acidic build up caused from unhealthy eating. A powerful way to detox is to make a "green juice" and sip on this throughout the day. The longer the detox the more effective it will be. A day of detoxing on only Green Juice is sufficient- ultimately a 3 day detox on green juice is ideal to give your body a good cleanse. After which slowly incorporate living, whole foods back into your diet such as raw salads etc, maintaining a green juice daily. (You can also drink raw soups to accompany your green juice detox if you can't manage it alone).

Green juice is a great way to start the day! In fact, it is best assimilated into the body in the morning on an empty stomach.

Green juice recipe:-

The Green Alkalizer

Makes 500ml 

dilute with the same quantity of spring water to make 1litre

• 1 apple
• 1/2 grapefruit
• 1/2 lemon
• 5 celery stalks
• 4 spinach leaves
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 segment of fennel
• 1 kale leaf
• 2 pan choi leaves
• 3 tatsoi leaves

(You can also add a tablespoon of a green powder such as wheatgrass, barley green or spiralina etc.)

Juice all ingredients and dilute with water

Tip: Pour in an aluminum flask with ice and sip throughout the day

If you are drinking a litre or more of this per day its likely that it can take the place of a meal. at the very least it will discourage mid morning and mid afternoon snacking

Play around with different fruits and veg and invent raw juice cocktails of your own!

Order organic! The new way to shop

Ordering fresh produce from online organic food stores are becoming more and more popular, and I now understand why after ordering a fresh box from ethical co-op. The produce is guaranteed organic and fresh, the service is convenient, affordable and supports our local farmers! I placed my order online on tuesday and collected my box today (the same Friday)

Ethical Co-op supplies organic, biodynamic and ethical produce around Cape Town and countrywide

"In 2005, a group of us grew tired of travelling the Peninsula and beyond to buy the best quality, best-priced authentic produce. We got together and decided to get it brought to us.

Now, our offering is available countrywide. We offer fresh organic fruit, vegetables and dairy in Cape Town, and, countrywide, a wide range of products that meet our high standards, such as herbs and spices, body products, seeds and paints. Products that we use every day on ourselves and our children because we can't find anything better for us, and the broader community. Our range is growing all the time, and if you know of a product that you think beats what we have on offer (healthier, produced more sustainably, and produced closer to home), please let us know about it.

We're a co-operative, so our aim is not to generate vast profits for shareholders. We've had almost no funding, and our overheads are low. Our markups are consequently quite low, and we quite often are better value than the supermarkets."

To place your order visit ethical.org.za

What's the difference between organic and biodynamic?
Biodynamic is a term that predates organic, and applies to farms that adhere to the anthroposophical principles of Rudolph Steiner. Biodynamic farms share principles with organic farms in that they do not permit chemical or GM additives, but go further in taking into account factors such as the influence of the moon and planets.

What does 'non-certified organic' mean?
Non-certified organic means that the product is grown or made according to organic standards, but is not certified organic. Certifying costs money and has strict auditing requirements, making it unfeasible for small farmers and suppliers. 

Moonlight mass revolution

Cape Town is one of the most naturally beautiful cities in the world. It’s a wonder why more people don’t cycle in the city. Reasons to cycle:

• It’s cost-effective (in fact it costs nothing at all)
• It has zero carbon emissions (that’s a BIG reason)
• Cycling keeps you fit and healthy
• Its fun (Bonus!)

Reasons that could possibly deter people from cycling are the lack of sufficient bicycle lanes, lack of respect from motorists and there being no bicycle culture outside the sport. This is the thinking behind the moonlight mass initiative- to raise awareness for cycling in the city and the safety of cyclists in the urban environment and create a cycling culture.

The brainchild of Daniel Graham and Elad Kirshenbaum, Moonlight mass is a casual night bicycle ride starting at the Green Point Circle on a full moon once a month. Started as a social experiment on twitter the ride has been gaining popularity. On Tuesday there were way over 1000 riders, and the numbers are sure to grow!

Cycling on our Trend-e-bikes

The cycle was great fun, and felt so good to be part of an initiative where the people of Cape Town come together to champion a cause. My ride was particularly exciting and pumped up, some would say I cheated a bit (I heard that a lot). I was given the new Trend eBike to ride- a premium electric bicycle soon to hit SA stores! A very cool, trendy, eco-friendly alternative to a car. Look out for the initial launch of Trend eBike at the Hermanus Whale festive in September

The next moonlight mass cycle in Cape Town is on the 4 August- join the revolution!

For more info on moonlight mass cycle follow the event on twitter @moonlightmass, and @trend_e_bike for updates on the Trend eBike

Sustainabilty Week 25-29th July 2012, Sandton Convention Centre

Sustainability week kicks off next month at the sandton convention centre from 25-29 July 2012.

Learn about the latest in green building, décor and design with over 100 eco products and technology exhibits at the Green Home and Lifestyle Fair, watch the latest eco-fashion trends hit the runway at the Eco Fashion Show, and check out the latest energy efficient cars at the Eco car show.

There will also be public lectures and workshops given by experts in sustainability- An opportunity to listen to environmental leaders speak about the opportunities inherent in the green economy, not only for the future but for right now.

For more info visit sustainabilityweek.co.za

Plant a herb box!

I have my first herb box! Yay and snaps for me! I’m so excited to watch these babies grow- I’ve literally been checking them every couple of hours to see if they’ve grow inches… borderline obsessive I know.

For those who thought you couldn’t have a veggie and herb garden while “city slicking” it in an apartment, well think again. I give to you the mother of all solutions to having your very own garden without a garden aka. for those living in an apartment or area without grass. I introduce to you… the herb box…

But not just any old herb box… A really cool herb box- like mineJ

How cool is this herb box?!

So after a visit to my local friendly Starke Ayre nursery near me (what a great nursery), I ended up with a boot kitted out with all the supplies needed to establish my herb box. Supplies included:-

• 1x cool herb box
• 3 bags compost (I only ended up using two)
• a hand spade (really not necessary- I’m all for getting your hands dirty and getting stuck in there)
• a variety of herbs in trays (sweet basil, rocket, rosemary, mixed lettuce, Italian parsley and Petunias- because I just love them)
• 1x a small tin of varnish to seal the herb box

And after giving the herb box a good lick of varnish, then leaving to dry, and then layering the box with black sheets of plastic- it was time to put the compost in and plant the herbs. Leaving the final ingredient- watering the herbs with LOVE and positive, nurturing energy!

E Voila! The recipe for growing delicious yummy herbs! (mmm get in my belly)

I highly encourage you to plant your own cool herb box! (Do it, do it)

Happy planting:)

Go Green stationary

Have a look at this Eco range of stationery I stumbled upon at the supermarket (checkers) today

A range called Go Green of eco friendly stationary made from plant starch and soy-based ink, thats 76% Biodegradable (The part of the pen made from PLA- polylactic acid, a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources).

Love it!