Gaia: Integral Veg*n - Raw Gaia

Re: 12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://kahliya.gaia.com — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:34:22 GMT

Hi Nirel!

Im sorry,my timing might be off..but I hope your doing well with your challenge..!
I dont know too much about Raw food,but I happen to know 2 interesting links,if you wish to be inspired.

1. http://therawchefblog.com/

2. these guys are vegan,and have a once a week raw food recipe:

http://veganmenu.blogspot.com/

Goodluck! Mia

Re: 12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://kathysmith.gaia.com — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:01:48 GMT

Hi Nirel ~

I like how you use the @ symbol!!! That is cool your mom works with you on these challenges & is there if needed. We're here just cheering you on. I did go grocery shopping at our Whole Foods & thought of you as I was loading up my cart with fresh fruits & veggies. I am not on a cleanse but am aware to drink lemon squeezed in water in the morning and include raw fruit & veggies throughout the day. I feel the difference & my body thanks you for being part of this trend.

Here's some Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies to make when the 12 days are up...

Re: 12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://nirel4peace.gaia.com — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:28:20 GMT

Day 7

Hello Everyone! I apologize for my delayed reply, as I have not been on the computer for the past few days.

@Lee: I will be sure to watch Siona's video. I do not have a structured way of measuring my intake of protein and carbs; however; I have been finding healthy, raw ways of consuming fats and proteins (i.e. nuts and avocado). I have been usually eating around 5-6 small meals a day. Thank you for your encouragement and the informative raw food site!!

@Meenakshi: A diet consisting of 60-70% raw food is excellent, and your "favorite of the day" sounds dee-lish!

@Joyous: A raw food diet is not for everyone, and I feel it is important that you follow the lifestyle of your choice. I'm doing this 12-day cleanse by myself, but my mom is usually my partner in crime when it comes to raw challenges.

~Nirel (:

Re: My garden is in!

http://kathysmith.gaia.com — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:46:31 GMT

Thanks for letting us know Lizzy! That helps to know. Yum on the veggies. Any advice on preparing this food or ways that you eat it sort of ideas, I am interested. Good luck with the site... it seems we are always tweeking our sites to help keep them in present time, hm!

Re: My garden is in!

http://LizzyL.gaia.com — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:26:16 GMT

Hi all! have been busy helping set up another site. Just an update.
My tomatos and peppers are going well, my cukes, so-s0.
the eggplant-not so good. but I am looking forward to next year.

Re: 12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://NothingiseverAlways.gaia.com — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:21:26 GMT

This one is definitely not for me. Certainly not to become a way-of-life. For a short period (perhaps one day every now-and-then) someday.

I like fruit, water, milk, eggs, tomatos, salads and fish and have begun to be more aware of increasing my in-take of healthy foods. I am not ready to eat all raw, and maybe never will be ready to give up meat in some form.

Do you have some one nearby to do it with you?

Re: 12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://Meenakshi.gaia.com — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:46:37 GMT

Sounds intriguing! I love raw food; but am not taking the challenge of only raw food at the moment. I've not measured, but I think my meals are at least 60-70% raw.

Today's favorite: a simple salad of peppers, tomatoes, onions flavored with cilantro, fresh ginger [slivered], and key lime juice.

Re: 12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://organics.gaia.com — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:50:14 GMT

Have a healthy 12 days Nirel! Siona, our leader recommends water and has a thread going in The Power of Light called The Power of Water...worth taking time out to watch her recommended video. Do you have to have a certain amount of protein, carbs & natural ways of getting the healthy fat when on a raw food regimen? Do you have 3 meals a day or every so many hours plan out what to eat? Thanks!

Here is an interesting Raw Food site.

Re: 12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://nirel4peace.gaia.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:11:52 GMT

Hi Kathy,

Thank you! I will put it in the Scholarship Pod as well. To answer your question, I have been drinking A LOT of water!! For anyone who might be following this thread, it is best to drink 8-10 glasses a day. If that seems like too much, just drink as much as possible!

Also, I realized the extremity of my challenge - so for those who feel they can't switch cold-turkey (or cold-tofu!) to being 100% raw, please know that a "raw" diet usually consists of only 80% raw food.

Happy eating!!
Nirel [Kathy - the nectarine & walnuts combo sounds yummy!!]

Re: 12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://kathysmith.gaia.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:30:24 GMT

Hi Nirel~

What a healthy idea! This would be good to put in the Scholarship Pod too. I believe we have to write Jessica, the cultivator of this group to add it over there.

How much water should you drink between all of this precious heavenly food? Have fun with it! You will be a walking vitamin full of radiant sunshine ... & don't forget... buy some cool school outfits (100% organic!!!) You rock!!! Kathy [I had a nectarine today & walnuts]

12 - Day Raw Challenge

http://nirel4peace.gaia.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:40:14 GMT

Hello fellow veggies!!
As a sort of cleanse before I begin school this fall, I have decided to do what I call a 12 - day raw challenge. To put it simply, I will consume nothing but raw fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes and berries for the next 12 days. I thought it might be fun to post a daily thread, as to let you know how the cleanse is working out. You are more than welcome to join me on this "raw challenge" - I started today and will continue through Aug. 31st. Please feel free to reply with any questions you might have.

Peace & love,
Nirel (:

Re: A Gardening Conversation

http://anuradha.gaia.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:28:29 GMT

thank you for the informative sharing!

Re: A Gardening Conversation

http://kathysmith.gaia.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:55:32 GMT

Ahh such memories ... blazing the trail for the now generation! Good article Lee. I am inspired again and again by your writing.

Re: A Gardening Conversation

http://organics.gaia.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:15:14 GMT

You are working it just fine!!! Certain Miracle Grows act as an anchor for the plant unless you check with the nursery that is is organic. One more pesticide that is natural is Juicy Fruit gum. This works on gophers if they get in your garden. Give it to your gardeners too and have them throw out any pesticide or toxin.
Natural recipes

Twenty-five years ago I was an eccentric for turning our whole city lot into raised garden beds and growing vegetables. Fast forwarding, it seems that I'm now on the cutting edge of a societal re-awakening to the benefits of gardening in the city. We use less water through the drip systems than we would if we had a lawn and typical landscaping, our vegetables-virtually all of them, come from our yard, purely organic, and above all, fresh. The environmental benefits-- from not having to go to the store- not having to have our vegetables shipped to us from a thousand miles away- no chemical fertilizers or pesticides used on our behalf, to mention only a few, are substantial.

Aside from all that, once people have had just-picked vegetables they can never again be happy with store bought. Not as pretty as flowers and landscaping you say? There's nothing more aesthetic than a Japanese eggplant in bloom, a tomato plant 10 feet high loaded with tomatoes, or a bed of sweet potatoes and yams in full blossom.

Right now we're inundated with tomatoes. And it's going to be my least productive crop ever. The spring was too long, too cold, and we had week after week of over-cast. But still I picked 23 lbs. of tomatoes from my 7 plants this morning. Normally, when tomatoes are peaking like they are now, we'll pick 50-70 lbs. from 7 plants every other day.

The sweet corn is over now, and I've planted some green beans in that bed. The Japanese eggplants were so stunted by the cold this year that I took them out and planted potatoes. The hybrid yellow zucchini have done well and they're now in their peak-each plant will give us 30 or 40 at about 1 lb. each over its lifetime. Sauteed with a little olive oil and some of the onions that are now drying under the awning---a feast!

Nothing produced like it should have this, we have about half the usual bounty, and still we're kept busy giving away all that we can't eat, freeze or can. People who haven't grown vegetables are always amazed at how many cucumbers or how many summer squash will come from one plant.

I had dinner with good friends at their house last night. The Mrs. got into vegetable gardening 2 years ago after having dinner out our house. She wanted me to look at her potatoes. They were dying! She didn't grow them last year, had never seen one grow, and neither she nor the other dinner guests had ever had a fresh potato. Indeed they were dying. I asked her to bring me her digging fork and proceeded to dig up a dead plant. She shrieked with glee as the perfectly formed potatoes started rolling in the freshly dug soil. She had 3.5 lbs. of them altogether and wanted to add them to the menu. She quartered and boiled them at my suggestion, served them with a little butter and salt and pepper --- you could have heard a pin drop! If you've never had a potato just taken from the soil, you really don't know how wonderful real food can taste. There were perfect fresh tomatoes, perfect onions, perfect summer squash and the grilled steaks were as perfect as they get. What was gone first? The potatoes of course!

Re: My garden is in!

http://LizzyL.gaia.com — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:37:54 GMT

I forgot to put in my other e-mail that it's in a pot.
The summer has been rather cool this year.

Re: My garden is in!

http://organics.gaia.com — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:19:32 GMT

Hi Lizzy!
Thanks for writing! The blossom drop could be an array of things, but my first questions would include:

* Is the plant in a pot, or in the ground?
* Do you have bees around and have you seen any in the blossoms?
You'll always have far more blossoms than will set fruit--natures way of making sure that at least some will get pollinated. You probably wouldn't be able to knock off any blossom that had been pollinated, or was even going to able to be pollinated, so I'd have no concern about that.

The plant, no matter what vegetable, will only set as much fruit as that particular plant can support. You can have a thousand blossoms, but if the plant will only be able to grow and develop one fruit, that's all you'll get, regardless of pollination.
Eggplants are a warmth loving plant, and if the nights are too cool, say in the mid-50's to low 60's or colder, they just won't produce well. For the first time in 25 years, my Japanese eggplants--really big beautiful plants, simply set almost no fruit at all. It's been a very cold spring and very cool early summer for us-and my worst eggplants ever. I finally considered them a waste of space and pulled them out to plant something else. The Black Beauty in the same bed as always, has produced only 13, which were a month later than usual. I've had 45-75 Black Beauties from the one plant for over 20 years.

I'd still think it was me, but I have two gardening clients in our location. We had Ping Tung Long, Japanese and Black Beauties from different seed, different nursery starts, etc., and all have had the same dismal eggplant production this year.
Of course if you're soil isn't well balanced with nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and calcium, minimally, that could be part of the reason--or all of the reason.

Cucumbers always have loads of male blossoms. The only way to tell is to watch and see which have tiny fruits behind them--and I can never tell that until the blossom has been pollinated and the tiny cuke starts to grow.
Let me know how I might help further?

Re: My garden is in!

http://kathysmith.gaia.com — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:35:14 GMT

sounds so yummy Lizzy! I look forward to lee's answer when he's here.

Re: My garden is in!

http://LizzyL.gaia.com — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:28:21 GMT

Had my first taste of cucumger this morning.
Actually it was a small one, I gleaned it out because I am hoping that it will urge the others to grow.
It was sooo gooood!

Re: My garden is in!

http://LizzyL.gaia.com — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:54:01 GMT

Ok, "momma" has to brag again. My eggplants are really taking off!
I counted this morning--there will be nine of them! and my cukes are popping out too. I don't want to go on ad nausum, but I get alot of deep satisfaction out of my little 'green space".
It has added something to my life that I really can't define. It lifts me up and makes me just glad to be alive!
I hope that I am not boring anybody, but I have struggled with depression for most of my teen and adult life.
I wish I had discovered the uplifting qualites of watching things grow a long time ago.
It brings a sort of peace and calmness.

Re: A Gardening Conversation

http://LizzyL.gaia.com — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:58:33 GMT

Lee,
I have been using some tricks I picked up from some other Gaians to keep bugs away--One was to sprinkle corn meal around to prevent ants from eating the plants.
Another I read in an article on permaculture--Marigolds are supposed to be a natural insect repellant. So far, it is working. Since I do container gardening, I don't get much of a bug or weed problem. I do airate the soil once a week or so. I am using some coconut fiber baskets for the marigolds and my peppers. I don't know why but the baskets seem to need more watering than the regular containers.
I also try to turn my "babies' so they can get the best advantage of the sunlight at all times of day.
Am I being too fussy? I am also using Mircule Grow Organic plant food.
I am not overfeeding I don't think.
It's exciting to see everything I raised from seed during March and April finally coming to bloom. There was a strong wind last night and I got to taste some of my "harvest ' early. One of my tomato plants fell down and a couple of green ones were knocked off. I fried them up in a little olive oil with some Mrs. Dash Italian blend--Yumm Yummm.
liz