Raw Pumpkin Puree

PUMPKIN!!!!! PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How can you ever have fall without pumpkin? Carving, Pies, and pumpkin...well..everything!

So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the minute I got the opportunity, I bought myself a pumpkin and carved the heck out of it. Kudos to anyone who can guess what I carved. If you can, leave a comment below telling me what or who you think I carved!

Here's a hint:

Making raw food from pumpkin, however, is a bit harder if you don't do it right. Most pumpkin purees involve boiling the pumpkin to soften it enough to use. With this in mind, I set out to create a delicious pumpkin puree without having to cook it. So this is what i've come up with.

Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients:

1 Pie Pumpkin

1 Apple

-Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out all of the seeds and insides. An ice cream scoop works excellently for this. Then core the apple.

-Cut up the pumpkin and apple into small pieces or cubes and put those pieces into a juicer.

-Put both the pulp and the juice into a food processor or blender and blend until the texture is smooth. Add water if needed until everything is smooth.

-Enjoy!

I also saved some of the juice just for the sake of Harry Potter references

Finally, a pumpkin puree that a raw foodist can partake of. Some people just settle for carrot puree and say you can't tell the difference, but if I want some pumpkin then i'm gonna have some pumpkin!

Pumpkin is also one of the nutritious fruits available (yes, its a fruit). Not only the mineral rich flesh, but the seeds are also incredibly good for your body and in many cases considered one of the healthiest foods on earth. But I didn't really use the seeds in this recipe in this post, so lets save that for another day.

I'm not big on counting my calories since I really dont need to worry about it with a raw diet but for those of you who are, there are only about 40 calories in every half cup of this puree! It contains a load of beta-carotene, which is basically just Vitamin A when its in the body. Vitamin A is awesome for your vision and helping to reverse skin damage. Also this vitamin is not too bad at boosting your immune system so when its combined with the vitamin C that's in here, its a perfect food for those winter colds.

It also has about 5 grams of fiber for ever 1/2 cup so your digestive system and cholesterol levels will both thank you for that. The Vitamin E in here will help your skin and the vitamin B5 will help to balance out your hormones.

So not only is this stuff going to taste incredibly good in a pie (a recipe for that is coming), but its also amazingly healthy for your body too! I added the apple in here to give it some sweetness for desserts, but you don't really need it if you plan on using this recipe for a soup. Expect me to be eating this stuff all month long!

Whats your favorite pumpkin recipe? And did anyone get what I carved?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Only a warrior could handle this mega shake...

Its green, slimy, and will revitalize you faster than the cure for the zombie apocalypse. I don't care what you say man, this stuff tastes GOOD! You can give me weird looks all day long, but I guarantee that now one of them will get me worked up in the slightest. You can say what you want, but I think I just found my after-workout snack.

It looks like a mint-green color but tastes nothing like it. Actually, it kind of tastes chocolaty. That's one of my favorite aspects of raw food. I can make something that tastes absolutley amazing, but people look at me as though i'm devouring the slimy brains of another helpless victim. Being a raw, vegan highschooler is awesome!

Choc.Cado Super Shake

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 Avocado

1/8 c. Cacao Nibs

1/4 c. Chia Seeds

2 tbsp. Coconut oil

4 tbsp. PURE SYNERGY Powder

4 tbsp. Honey/Agave

-Mix the chia seed with 1/4 c. of water (or coconut water works well too!) and set it aside while you prep your other ingredients.

-Skin and pit your avocado and throw all of your ingredients into the blender. Blend until everything is well mixed. Add a bit of water if needed.

-Pour into a glass and enjoy!

I....FEEL.....THE POWARRRR!!!!!

Recovery smoothies and shakes are so incredibly easy to make. Its all about whats inside that makes it all worth while. So lets go over the yumminess inside, shall we?

Chia: What the crap is a chia?

Chia is like a dieter's dream come true. You soak it and it gets filled with water in about 3 minutes. Then those big, slimy beads of water fill your stomach so you feel full...off of WATER! Water has no calories! Not only that, but it contains a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber which balance out your blood sugar by slowing down the conversion of starches into sugars. They also are a complete source of protein to help build you up and are rich in antioxidants omega 3s.

My favorite part of it all is its cleansing aspects though. As it runs through your body, it picks up a lot of the build-up in your body and safely moves it all out. So this food builds you the good and cleans out the bad all at the same time!

Avocado: Guacamole in my drink?

This green fruit(yes, its a fruit) is one of the best foods to add to just about anything for the reason that it helps you to absorb nutrients. The fats in avocado are soluble, meaning they are absorbent. So when nutrients is eaten with and absorbed into the avocado, your body is able to take in sometimes five times as much of the benefits!

And the fats themselves prevent different cancers on so many levels and the Vitamin E is one of the best for radiant and clean skin. The oils and fats in it are especially excellent for tissue repair after your workout.

Coconut Oil: Need I say more?

I really need to do a coconut oil post. This is my absolute favorite food and is one of the most complete foods on the planet. Its contains the best oils for your hair and your skin, is incredibly rich in antioxidants, contains acids that fight of viruses, helps with high blood pressure, tissue repair, revitalizing blood......i really need a coconut post.

But for now, it is excellent for both repairing old tissue and rebuilding new tissue after your work out. It also strengthens your thyroid which increases your metabolism for more of a fat burn after your work out. A fat that burns fat is always loved! Not to mention the energy it will give you after eating it!

Green is Good: Pure Synergy is beast!!

As i've stated in previous posts, pure synergy is probably the only green superfood formula I will ever use. Its raw, completely organic, and is the most complete green superfood powder on the market. I could basically live off of this stuff and still maintain optimum health.

I am NOT advertising for them by any means, nor is this a medicine supplement. Its basically just some of the most potent foods on earth dried and ground up to size where your body can digest it the easiest. I just strongly believe that this powder is by far superior by all standards due to the complete combination of enzymes , fruits, and sea vegetables, and herbs.

In short, this stuff is amazing!

Cacao and Honey: Not just for taste..

Raw chocolate and unheated, organic honey are the two most antioxidant and enzyme rich foods ever recorded to this day! Chocolate contains the same oleic acid as the coconut oil and macadamia nuts do, which is the absolute best oil for your skin. Honey absorbs nutrients rather quickly and sends them straight to your blood stream.

The sugars in honey if it is unprocess and unheated are mostly fructose, which are the best foods to power your brain and metabolism. Its even been shown that eating a spoonful of honey before bed send energy to your brain without storing it, and then to your thyroid to produce more metabolic hormones. In short, eating a spoonful of it before bed can help you loose weight!

Its also sends energy directly through your body without need for digestion, so fuels and repairs your body almost instantly to help with that after-workout burn.

In short, this shake-smoothie thing tastes delicious and begins repairing your body almost instantly, building you up and strengthening you from the inside out!

Whats your favorite after-workout snack or meal?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

USDA's Evil Little Secret

I am so sick and tired of people falsly telling the world what to eat. I'm sick of it! Now before you continue reading this, i'm going to warm you that I do argue against the government just a little bit in this post, but I am NOT planning on protesting outside of city hall in an attempt to make a statement for change in what I truly believe in.

As many of you health minions of mine know, the USDA comes out with a little something every ten years known previously as a My Food Pyramid, although recently it has been changed into My Plate. This guide is essentially the American guideline for what healthy eating supposedly should look like. You can either look at the chart and decide what you need nutritionally based off what you eat, or you can simply go to ChooseMyPlate.gov and have it do everything for you based off of your size and level of activeness.

2005:

2011:

As this may be an excellent conversion from what it has been in the past, the opinions of the USDA have shown to be over-biased for the past couple of years. I mean, think about it. Grains can be found in a chemically-enriched and overly processed piece of bread according to their standards. Meat can easily be greasy and fried as long as its 4-6oz a serving. Not to mention that even a milkshake is considered dairy under their standards. Sounds to me like the equivalence of any fast-food restaurant i've ever walked into.

I will admit that the increase in fruits and vegetables is a plus but by their daily allowance, it could very well be one of those extremely sugary fruit cups packed in syrup that a majority of American kids currently pack in their lunches. Why would such a "loving" government who "cares" for its people ever wish to harm the citizens of out nation?

The answer is actually incredibly simple and has been going on since the foundation of our country. The United States Department of Agriculture gets a large bit of its money from big-buisness farmers and drug companies. When food began to become studied in the late 20th century, protein was thought to be the absolute most important thing for you. Everyone needed protein and you couldn't be strong without it. Meat, being a sufficient source of protein, was then raised and bred to feed our nation. It has always been about getting as much protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and whatever else we've been told, despite the source of our information.

What we fail to realize is that our bodies need good, whole food to be sustainable instead of the overly processed chemical dumps our bodies have been put into. "FIBER" in big bold letters on the box catches your attention and you automaticlly think thats what you need for a healthy diet. So what is it do we need?

Do we need foods that have been grown in horrible conditions and covered with pesticides?

No.

Do we need food that has been canned, cooked, or processed?

No.

Do we need "enriched" foods where all of the healthy parts are replaced with man-made chemical vitamins and minerals?

No!!

Do we need sugary fiber bars and get-slim-now milkshakes?

HECK NO!!! (They taste gross anyway)

We need food that is not only going to bring nourish and sustain our bodies, as well as are going to fill our soil back with nutrients. We need foods that don't require the counting of calories to keep the weight off. What we need for optimum health is food that will teach us to trust our bodies so that we cleanse ourself out and learn to trust our bodies and know what we need. Optimum health is not going on a diet and getting a few nutrients a day. Nutrition can even be a cure for any illness you may have when done right. Getting more and more of one nutrient is not what we need.

Perfect health is when all of the nutrients in your body work together in perfect harmony. So sorry My Pyramid. Sorry to mess up your little USDA plan. Lets see what you guys come up with next time.

-Andrew D. Morrison

Raw Macadamia-Hemp Cake (with chocolate-fig icing)

Making a raw cake actually taste somewhat good was a bit of a challenge, as most of the ones i've found and tried all pretty much tasted the same. They tasted like walnuts, dates, and chocolate. I mean, theres nothing wrong with that, but its too simple for me. No matter what the recipe was, it tasted like that and it just gets old after a while.

That needs to change around here.

Using the subtly sweet and crunchy macadamia nut and the soft texture of hemp seeds, I created a raw cake that is a bit different from the rest. Ladies and gentleman I give you:

Raw Macadamia-Hemp Cake

(w/ Chocolate-Fig Icing)

Serves 2

Cake Ingredients:

1 c. Macadamia Nuts(raw)

1/4 c. Hemp Seeds (raw, shelled)

2 dried Figs

1/8 c. Raw Honey

2 tbsp. Coconut Oil (raw)

1/4 tsp. Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Method:

-Set your figs in a jar or glass of water for about 5 minutes, or until soft.

-Blend your macadamia nuts and hemp seeds in a food processor until coarse.

-Add the remaining cake ingredients and continue to process until you get a dough-like consistancy.

-Mold your dough into the shape of a cake, and set aside as you make the icing.

Icing ingredients:

3 dried Figs

3 tbsp. Coconut oil (raw)'

1/8 c. raw Honey

1/4 c. raw Cacao Powder

Method:

-set your figs in a jar or glass of water to soak for about 5 minutes, or until soft.

-Put all of your ingredients into a food processor and blend until you get a thick, paste like consistency.

-Add your icing to the cake any way you'd like and enjoy!

This actually turned out exactly as I had hoped. Rich, sweet, crunchy, and delicious. The fig frosting didnt look as beautiful as I wanted due to the figs, but they added a bit of fudginess that made it taste so much better. Definatley better than a walnut cake.

Whats in it?

Hemp seeds are one of the most mineral-rich foods on the planet. In light of not boring you with millions of words, iron, sulfur, and calcium are just a few well-known ones. They also contain the highest protein source on the planet per weight (33.6% of the seed), with the exception of algae. Not only that, but the protein form itself is globular which doesnt cause protein digestion problems. Hemp seeds also are the only seed known to contain the perfect ratio of essential fatty acids (one part omega-3 to three pares Omega-6).

Macadamia nuts have been well established as an unusually rich source of healthy, beautifying oils. They are the highest source of monounsaturated fats (80%), even more so than olive oil. They also the richest source of the beautifying oleic acid(omega-9).

Figs are one of the only dried fruits I ever buy. They are one of the most mineral and alkaline of all fruits and act as both for congestion and digestion.

Both nutrient-dense and better tasting? I would take this over a walnut-based cake anyday.

Whats your favorite nut?

-Andrew David Morrison-