PURE Bar - Veronica’s Blog

I never thought I’d be broaching this subject.  Should I cut coffee out of my life?  *Sigh* 

Here’s why I am considering it.  I don’t think, as much as I am addicted to it, it makes me feel very good.  The older I get, the more in tune I am with my body (either that or my body is just talking a bit louder these days).  I’ve been noticing that even 1-2 cups of coffee makes me really jittery and even a bit high strung and irritable.  Gone are the college days when a 2 liter of Mountain Dew had seemingly no effect on me-scary I know.  Even in my 20’s I can’t remember ever thinking twice about guzzling loads of it before starting the day as a teacher.  It never really affected me, consciously anyway. 

Things are different now.  It does affect me and frankly, I’m losing patience with the affects.  According to my spouse, the reason I can feel the affects so prominently now is because I’m “burning it too clean”.

“You need some good ole’ toxins in your body to keep it calibrated.  You eat too healthy -so now even coffee is making you weird”

Thanks honey.

But I want to make a good decision so let’s dive into the research:

I have to say that most of the research out there on coffee is very positive.  Either that is because it’s true or because coffee has a stronger lobby than the not to coffee.  Nonetheless it is summarized well in this article from Men’s Health which is posted on Web MD.  The article points out that coffee has been proven (in a pretty sound bunch of studies I might add) to be beneficial to us in many ways. From lowering risk of Parkinson’s (funny how drinking too much makes me feel like I have Parkinson’s) to decreasing risk of diabetes and colon cancer (no surprise there), coffee can be a valuable addition to our daily routine.  It is packed with antioxidants (for most people it is the #1 source of antioxidants in their diet). And coffee is also touted as increasing focus, lifting mood, decreasing cavity formation and protecting vital organs from damage.  Whew, put that in your cup and drink it.

Although it was more difficult to find research against coffee, it is still out there, most of it actually zeroing in on the caffeine within the coffee.  This article in Natural News seemed to be quite sound.  Essentially it focuses on the dangers of excessive caffeine which include prolonged adrenal glad stimulation and perpetual flight or fight response in your body (do we really need to mimic stress in our lives?).  This can cause fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, irritability and depression.  Any amount of caffeine immediately triggers the release of these stress hormones which generate alertness, but can also prompt hunger and exhaustion.  Some other negative effects of caffeine claimed are insulin release, and blood vessel constriction.  One of the more interesting facts I picked up was how chemicals sprayed on conventional coffee (non-organic) are dangerous.  In particular the chemical Trichloroethylene which is sprayed as a pesticide has been shown to damage the liver and nervous system.  Another reason to buy organic!!!

All in all I came out a little more affectionate toward coffee than when I started.  Although for me, I still believe that I need to listen to my body and gradually start to decrease my consumption.  Teechino is making that easier J.  I’d love to hear from my readers on this.  How does coffee affect you?  Would you, could you ever give it up?

I may need a little peer pressure on the subject to move in one direction or the next!

Austin, Texas of course.  I had 2 TV spots last week in Texas, one on CBS and one on FOX talking about Raw and Organic food and the Pure Bars.  It was my first visit to Austin, and man is it ever a groovy town.  Austin is the perfect blend of hippie, eco conscious, and strong Corporate America.  Companies like Dell and Silicone Technologies, headquarter in Austin as well as Whole Foods Market, Sweet Leaf Tea, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and of course the University of Texas, Austin is there boasting 55,000 college students.  The town is built around a series of beautiful lakes and is unexpectedly lush and hilly.  

But the best thing about Austin is its stimulating environment (trust me on this one).  The whole town is abuzz.  It is the live music capital of the world and there are people outside everywhere enjoying food, music, nature and creating unique and cool places that capture the essence of this town’s eco culture.   Blocks away from a stunningly modern corporate headquarters is a dusty lot with airstreams that sell fair trade coffee, vegan tomallies, raw food, and cupcakes. 

Quirky sheds called The Daily Juice allow you to submerge yourself in nature while drinking the most pure concoctions of raw and living juice.

 While there I had a meeting overlooking the beauty of Lake Travis from the deck of the Oasis.

Another meeting was held on the dock of the Hula Hut, feasting on raw Guacamole and Mango salad - it was rough.  

hula-hut

I enjoyed fantastic lunch at the Four Seasons right on Town Lake, and a hot and spicy (oh yeah) dinner at the coolest Mexican Dive called Polvos complete with twinkle lights, kick butt Margaritas and an electrifying atmosphere.  

On Friday night I ran the 4.4 mile loop around Town Lake that was full of happy runners, happy dogs, and happy Kayakers just enjoying themselves in nature.   

I also spent some time on South Congress Avenue which is a revitalized artsy district that has trendy hotels, shops and the greatest little natural food store called Farm to Market.

 The ethos in Austin is one the rest of the country can look to for inspiration.  It seemed to me the perfect marriage of successful and responsible, a booming economy without the materialistic presence that often accompanies it.  The town is flourishing, but laid back and accepting.  The real, organic, raw food culture is strong and accessible.  Austin is my kind of place… for so many reasons. 

I can’t seem to get started on this blog because in thinking about it I always have to stop and drizzle loads of raw honey  on my favorite Ezekiel Bread   and devour before I continue.  Honey is one of those foods that if you think about it long enough, you just HAVE to eat it!!  Be honest, you’re already craving aren’t you?

Raw Honey

I decided to write about the benefits of raw honey for relief of seasonal allergies because my husband is a victim of this cruel affliction.  Each year when the most longed after season in Michigan (spring) finally makes his appearance, most of us shout for joy that the long winter is over- not Mike.  He would take the cold dreary miserable pollen free winter over the magnificence of spring any day.  He immediately looks with fear at the amazingly beautiful flowers and cute little new leaves.  He cowers from the greenery that is renewing itself and curses the nature we all embrace.  The war of the windows begins in our house.

“Shut that @$#** window!  What are you trying to kill me?”

The guest room and Kleenex box become his new best friends. 

So I became interested in this last year when I stopped to talk to our local honey vendor at the Farmer’s Market and he mentioned the allergy relief.  The theory behind using local raw honey for allergies is based on the same theory we use for immunizations.  People have allergic reactions to tree pollen for example because they are sensitive to the pollen (their bodies view it as a harmful germ) and in the spring they are inundated with it, so their bodies do everything to expel the “germ” (sneezing, coughing, mucus membrane stimulation etc.) Thus the allergic reaction.  Local honey contains the same tree pollen (that the bees pick up while doing their job of gathering nectar) in very small manageable amounts.  Therefore eating it helps your body to build immunity to it on a slow steady scale so when spring comes around your body is more equip to handle the pollen and does not have such an extreme reaction to it.

And allergy relief is not the only benefit of local raw honey click here  to read what else this amazing and yummy substance can do for you.  So head down to your local Farmers Market and pick some up.  Your family’s allergy sufferers and your taste buds will thank you!

Some of the best advice I’ve ever received was:

“You don’t have to take the whole bottle of aspirin” 

I can’t describe how many times I’ve said that to myself.  I think most of us want solutions to our problems QUICK and NOW.  We’d be much better off taking slower, smarter, methodical steps toward our goals…one aspirin at a time.

I ran across an article from the Associated Press that talked about retraining your brain when it comes to your nutritional habits.  Eating is like a drug…we are all addicted to it right?  This is good because its one of the ways we stay alive.  Just like any narcotic, when you consume food, Dopamine a neurotransmitter is released into your brains pleasure center and you feel good.  

So far so good, but the problem comes when we condition ourselves to associate the pleasure of eating with the wrong kind of food.  We know that higher fat and sugar foods create more of a pleasure reaction, and our society’s food industry has perfected the fat/sugar narcotic effect in the form of high fructose corn syrup and trans/saturated fat.  When we regularly consume these foods we literally become addicted to them.

So how do you retrain your brain?  Remember the aspirin advice…you do it slowly, methodically and the way I like to look at it, without much effort (I am not into self deprivation).  When my 6 year old became a vegetarian, I started eating more and more vegetarian foods. I started by happenstance then also consuming more raw foods but lets be clear I absolutely refused to deprive myself.  We are talking amazing guacamole, the best homemade veggie sushi from the gourmet health store, stuffed grape leaves from Pereddies Italian Market and lots of Mediterranean food thanks to my great friend and neighbor Fadi who gave me a wonderful and authentic Middle East cook book.

The more you eat vegetarian and raw, the more you will crave it period.  You will slowly begin to lose your cravings for the bad stuff. Your body will in a sense take over and help you.  Your brain will start to get retrained and you will be on the right path (but don’t expect perfection…remember the aspirin advice…). 

 Earth, our home, what nourishes our bodies, what calms our mind, what stimulates our creativity, what draws out our spirituality, gives us joy, fills our senses. One of my favorite authors Wendell Berry says 

“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.”  

 We are intimately connected with our Earth  It is a connection that we tend to lose awareness of  in our busy lives but is one so vital to our health mentally an physically that we can not afford to ignore it.   

I love this time of year in Michigan.  The long cold winter is over, trees are flowering and tiny leaves and appearing. 

Forsythia and yellow bleeding heart

I find myself craving the outdoors, the smells, and the feel of the dirt.  Tiny plants are popping out of the ground. 

mini Blue Hyacinth in the garden

The strawberries are getting ready to flower; the thyme is peeking up through the brown leaves.  The kids are anxious to plant their gardens- carrots, peas and spinach are favorites along with basil, oregano, dill and sage.  I love telling the kids to run out to the garden and collect something for dinner - real, fresh, unadulterated food from the earth.

Strawberry plant in the garden

Soon we will hike the dunes on our favorite path through the tall musty forest until we get to the wide expanse of the lake stretching out as far as we can see from the top of the dune.  The kids will race down the dune and at the bottom carve into the sand a huge circle with a big X in the middle and we will play tag in the paths through the circle-step out of the lines and you are out.

Lake Michigan from the top of the dune

Behind the house runs a creek. Each spring a mama and papa duck come back to nest and have babies.  They stay for the summer and then leave until next year.

Mama and Papa duck in our creek

Everyday I am thankful for our planet and what it gives to us.  I am in awe of what a perfect caretaker our earth is of us.  How it formulates perfectly balanced food to keep us strong and healthy, how it provides us with challenges to overcome and beauty to enjoy.  How it is the ultimate amusement park.   Makes me want to give back to it in whatever ways we can.

True scenario during travel last week:  Noah is in his seat wailing because we forgot his favorite DVD.  Anna is simultaneously throwing up into the bag.  Aleah shouts at me over the two of them “MOM HOW LONG IS THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA?” 

Our family just returned from a Spring Break trip out West.  There are always issues when traveling with a family by air or by car, one of the biggest for us is what in the world we are going to eat.  With 2 vegetarians, a food Nazi mother, kids that barely know what French fries or hamburgers are (Noah regarding hamburger:  “What’s that black thing?”) and a husband who’s normally accepting and patient attitude about our different eating habits flies right out the window during travel …

Mike: “Why the #@$% can’t our kids find something to eat at McDonalds like every other kid in America?”

Anna:  “Dad, I won’t eat at a place that supports the horrors of the meat industry …”

Needless to say a little planning goes a long way.  And after returning from lots of travel I reiterate my feelings that no one should have to eat at a fast food restaurant just because they are hungry and there is nothing else for hours and hours.  So I am writing to share some of the ways I make travel and eating easier. 

1)      Everyone has a full aluminum water bottle filled with cold water that can be re-filled during the trip.

2)      Each of us has a container of cut up strawberries, grapes, and/or oranges.  Juicy cut fruit tastes so good when you are traveling, dehydrated, and a little woozy.  I will also throw a few whole apples into the carryon.

3)      Hummus and flax seed crackers /carrots:  Hummus is filling and substantial, my kids love it…dip and eat always works well.  I bring extra flax crackers to crunch on.

4)      Ants on a log: I know it’s the oldest snack in the book but my kids scarf it down, the peanut butter sticks to their ribs and they are getting a veggie, protein and fruit in one snack (celery spread with peanut butter topped with raisins).  I put them in a plastic container and separate the layers with wax paper.

5)      Thermos with fresh squeezed OJ provides vitamin C, tons of antioxidants because it is fresh squeezed and it is very refreshing to have along.  The insides of planes and public restrooms are like Petri dishes.  We need all the antioxidant protection we can get!!

6)      Pure bars: Of course because they are raw, nutritious, organic, filling, not messy and taste great.

7)      Organic fruit strips: Just organic dried fruit and concentrate – easy to pack and carry and the kids think they are a treat.   

8       Dehydrated Veggies:  This is a bit ambitious but is a good crunchy/salty treat.  Slice thin some sweet potatoes or zucchini, spray w olive oil and sprinkle with salt or seasoning of your choice.  Dehydrate until crisp and place in a baggy for easy access during the trip.

It takes about an hour for me to prepare and pack the above items.  It helps so much with travel, keeping us full and healthy until we can take control of our meals again.  Let me know readers what you would add to this list.  I’d love to hear about what works for you when you travel, and how you get ahead of the fast food trap.  Meanwhile I’m glad to be home but the adage holds true that now that I’m home I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.  

I have several interviews in the coming weeks with media regarding the benefits of eating raw food, so I thought I’d talk about it and provide some of the recipes that I’ll be preparing on air. 

First of all, what is raw food?  Very basically it is natural food (fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, vegetables, legumes) that has not been heated above 118 degrees.  When food is heated above 118 degrees, the enzymes present begin to breakdown and become useless.  These enzymes are important because they allow our body to extract maximum nutrients from the food.  Heated food is simply less nutritious then raw, unheated food.  Raw food has much better, deeper, more colorful flavor than cooked food. BTW I always choose organic!!

Why is raw food a healthy choice?  As stated above raw food is more nutritious.  Whole raw food is also perfectly made to nourish our bodies.  It is filling and has a perfect blend of fats, sugars, fiber, protein so eating a wide variety of raw foods will give you great nutrition as opposed to cooked and highly processed foods which leave your body craving more and tend to artificially nourish us ( a chocolate/peanut butter energy bar just shouldn’t be packed with Vitamin C).

How does someone go raw?  I always tell people that it is the easiest life change there is.  The key is to go slow.  Gradually incorporate more raw choices into your life (see recipes below).  Find raw foods that you crave, (for me guacamole is one-Pure Bars another) and enjoy every bite you take.  Juicing is another delicious and filling way to incorporate more raw food into your eating.  I have found that the more raw I eat, the more my body takes over and starts to change on its own.  It begins to crave raw instead of cooked and processed.  I used to crave ice cream and have a weakness for it.  Now I can hardly stomach it.  The funny thing is that it was never a conscious choice.  It just happened along the way.  If you can get to eating about 70% raw you are doing fabulous!!    

Fav Recipes: (All ingredients are organic)

Guacamole:

1 avocado chopped

1 tomato chopped

1/2 a small onion chopped

1/4 cup cilantro

Juice of 1-2 limes

1/2 jalapeno chopped

This is one of my favorite lunches just mix it all together and eat with some raw flax crackers (see next recipe).

Flax crackers:

Combine 3 cups flax seeds (you can sprout if you want by soaking them in water for 1/2 hour) juice of a lemon and 1/4 cup Nama shouyo (like soy sauce) blend for a short time and spread onto cookie sheet or dehydrating grid.  Dehydrate at 110 degrees (my oven has a bread rising selection that keeps the temp at 104-perfect) for 3 hours or until cracker-like.  You can also purchase raw flax crackers at your local health food store.  They are great with guac. and hummus and fresh salsa too!

Hummus:

1 cup garbanzo beans ( you can use the boiled from a can or if you want all raw hummus then soak them for 8 hours rinsing well every 2 hours)

1-2 cloves garlic

Juice of 1-2 lemons

1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil

2 tsp Tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/8 cup water

3 tsp fresh parsley

Pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Sprinkle w paprika.

Mango Butternut Soup:

3 cups raw butternut squash peeled seeded chopped

1 mango

2 tsp curry powder

4 cups fresh squeezed OJ

1/2 cup honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and garnish w a banana and some mint.

Earth Lovers Wrap:

Hummus

Chopped carrots

Sliced tomato

Sliced cucumber

Romaine lettuce

Honey

Tortilla (I like the green spinach ones)

Spread the tortilla with hummus.  Drizzle honey over the hummus.  Layer lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots.  Roll and eat!

Raw Oatmeal: (if I’m not having a Pure Bar for breakfast, this is it baby!!)

Soak 1/2 cup of oats in water overnight in the fridge (put enough water so oatmeal will be creamy).

In the morning stir in pieces of apple, pear, raw almonds, walnuts and banana.  Drizzle with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar…so good!!!

Juices:

Kale Apple Lemon

Orange Apple Carrot

Spinach Beet Apple lemon

Get creative!  I invested in a Green Start Juicer- a great decision!

Hopefully this gets you started.  Remember the key is to go slow, add raw food gradually and ALWAYS enjoy what you choose to eat.  Eating needs to be a pleasurable experience.  Some amazing side effects of going raw include better skin and nails, more energy (tons) and losing weight even though you are always full and satisfied. Have at it!!    

What do you get when you mix one of the largest convention centers in the world with a bunch of entrepreneur tree huggers like me?   Travel to Anaheim, CA in early March and you’ll find out.   Natural Products Expo West , the largest natural and organic food show in the nation is unique and fun because of the remarkably cool mix of innovative products and some of the nicest people in the country.  And the energy in that convention center made you quickly forget the economic woes we can’t seem to escape on the outside.

The PURE BAR Name in Lights!!

I had the privilege of showcasing Pure Bars  at Expo West last week and getting to know some interesting individuals and their products in the natural foods world.  Expo West is a trade show so it is largely attended by buyers from all the major retailers nationwide -Whole Foods, HEB, Meijer, Sprouts …really everyone I would want to talk to regarding selling Pure Bars in stores.  It is very concentrated and productive marketing so it’s well worth the time and resources.  It is also a great place to check out innovative products and ideas and see who else is in the same boat as me as a natural/organic product creator and marketer. 

Pure Bar: It kinda does grow on trees!

One of my first stops was at Elite Naturel 100% organic juices.  Clean unadulterated 100% juice and so good!  My favorite was the watermelon juice-tasted like a summer picnic-and so original!  

Elite Naturel 100% Organic Juices

I couldn’t resist the story behind Caffé Ibis Coffee They support an all-woman consortium of coffee producers in the rural coffee producing areas of Peru called Café Femenino.  Grants are provided to bring in women and train them in environmentally responsible methods of producing coffee.  Opportunity for women in an area like this is unheard of and helps to break the cycle of abuse as well as offer self esteem and income to better the lives of these women.  Hats off to Café Ibis!!  

Caffe Ibis

Loved Kopali Organics with their line of delicious super food fruit medleys and indulgent chocolate covered fruits, and coffee beans. A spoonful of these chocolate covered espresso beans gave me even more energy than normal (to the dismay of my partners)

Kopali Organics

And I have to mention my great friends at Frey Winery who have a Holland connection.  The wife of one of the owners is a Holland MI native just like me…never hurts to know someone in the wine industry J AND let me tell you that organic wine does not give you headaches like non-organic wine.  Trust me, I’ve done many case studies on myself. 

Me with my good friends at Frey Winery (No I did not drink half that bottle, only wish I had)

I could go on and on about cool people, causes and products.  But the bottom line for me this year was that the natural and organic segment is thriving, even in these uncertain times.  There were more people, more buyers more products and an overall positive energy at the show.  It was, to say the least, refreshing and genuinely fun.

Beautiful Teas

 

Meyers Booth was cool

 

My friend Dhrumil posted a hilarious link the other day to a You Tube spiff about the FDA creating a drug for the “annoyingly happy”.  What caught my attention was a small section which made the amusing remark that one didn’t need a pill to feel depressed, all you needed was to consume a diet of corn syrup and white bread for a period of time to achieve the wanted results of lethargic depressiveness.  

It got me thinking again about how food affects our mood.  With my kids, it’s fascinating to observe.  It seems like after every meal they are super-charged no matter what they eat.  This tells me that kids are more influenced by food and given their little bodies feel its effects, good and bad probably to a greater degree than we do.

Regarding me, certain things I consume have an obvious effect, like coffee. I know caffeine  lifts me.  I admit that I crave my coffee in the morning.  It makes me happy and I like it, and I’m not yet entirely convinced it is bad for me in moderation.  But it does change my mood. Should I be concerned about that?  

I’m trying to currently assess how eating more raw fruits and vegetables and less breads, refined sugar and processed food affects me personally.  This is more difficult for me to asses, probably because I tend to eat mostly healthy and raw anyway so the occasional cranberry nut muffin from Deboer bakery doesn’t seem to greatly impact me negatively (maybe that’s because I also get a fully charged latte to go with it).  What I have noticed is that when I start my morning out with a sliced mango, leftover hummus or Pure Bar, I am less hungry throughout the day.  If I start introducing processed or bread products, I get hungrier and hungrier. I’ve also noticed that as I eat more raw  food and more whole foods my body becomes partial to them, wanting bad foods less and good foods more (thanks body!).  It is less of a challenge now for me then it ever has to eat the way I should.  I believe this is because I have gradually introduced more raw and whole organic foods into my diet.

But maybe its not so much about the immediate effects of food choices.  Even though I am not a  patient person, eating raw is probably more about the long term effects on inner health, mental health and even outer shine that should be motivating me to take the path of organic, raw and real most often.  It certainly is what motivates me to instill those choices in the lives of my kids.  

If you’re reading this let me know how food affects your mood.  What have you noticed? What works for you, what doesn’t?  I am interested in your individual experience because even though we operate differently, the old adage “You are what you eat” is true for all of us.

Yes I like Lily Allen

Although it might not seem like the type of music a 30-something mother of 3,  member of a conservative community would be listening to…actually now that I think about it, it is exactly what my repressed, boundaried self would probably enjoy.  Regardless, my best friend left her Lily Allen CD in my car last week and I popped it in on my 30 mile trip to Grand Rapids.  It was by far the most entertained I have been by a CD in ages and ages.  I think she is brilliant.  True, some may view her lyrics as an “aural assault” as one music critic so eloquently put it.  But the way I see it no one can argue with real.

We are so bombarded with fake all the time -fake food, fake politicians, fake smiles, fake toys (happy meal)  fake pleasures ($400.00 shoes) fake religion, (“you are going to hell”) fake happiness (“their life seems perfect”), fake coffee, fake paintings, fake wood, fake hair, fake leather, fake bodies. 

It is utterly refreshing to be immersed in the real. 

The older I get the more I search for, yearn for and cling to real in my life. It’s not that easy to find real, but when you do it fills your heart to the brim. It nourishes you properly.  It truly entertains.  It is beauty.  It makes life momentous. 

Real is the love I share with my children,  the chemistry with my soul mate,  my best friend , a work of art, all of nature,  my God-given spirituality, laughter, a strawberry from my garden…and a great, authentic CD.

Children, Lake Michigan: Big REALS in our life.