Ask *Raw Mom*. . . Your questions.

Each Wednesday we will be answering questions from our readers. If you have a question for *Raw Mom* send it to Ask *Raw Mom*

Q: Hi ladies,

I have been interested in your new dessert book and the lunchbox book, but because I am overseas things like coconut meat and the variety of fresh berries and interesting fruits is limited. Not to mention cacao butter costs the bomb – are many of your recipes dependent on exotic foods?  ( I would have a minimal to moderate amount of superfoodage going on )

In Gratitude,
Julia

A: Hi Julia,

The HEALTHY LUNCHBOX recipe book contains no hard to find or exotic ingredients; even the cacao recipes call for the substitution of carob if cacao isn’t an option. Where coconut water is used, the recipe mentions and does just as well with plain water or nut mylk, so its really interchangeable, as all good, user-friendly recipes are.
Chia seeds and goji berries show up a couple times, but they are not difficult to find anymore, and of all the superfoods, I feel they are mostly economical because a little goes a long way.  Goji berries are costly, however, so raisins, currants or other dried fruits acan be substituted if need be.

I appreciate the whole Superfood movement and recognize its value, yet as a mom I mostly relate to the struggle moms have just getting real food into their children… so I have kept it all pretty real.  The 2 recipes that have jicima, which is a root vegetable that tastes between a potato and an apple, and the few that contain coconut buttter (olive oil would work too) are kind of nice and refreshing because I feel and made the statement in the opening of the book that it is good to try new things, and be open.  Good nutrition almost depends on it.

So its mostly common ingredients with a few surprises thrown in to keep it interesting.
I very much hope you will enjoy it!

Blissings,
~Shakaya
Shannon Shakaya Breeze Leone

Q: Dear Raw Mom,

1. How do you transition your child(ren) from SAD to raw?

2. How long did it take to get them to eat healthy?

3. How do you prepare your child(ren) to deal with social situations, such
as birthday parties, where there will be lots of unhealthy SAD food there?

A: It’s all in the DOING!

It starts with the AWARENESS of what is possible…of the importance of proper nutrition on our children’s young bodies, minds and spirit.
I personally recommend ppl start by

• REMOVE ALL JUNKFOOD from the diet i.e. refined sugar and flour use fruit, honey and other natural sweeteners and create or buy natural and less processed treats.
• ADD IN GREEN SMOOTHIES daily- read GREEN FOR LIFE.
• GO RAW ALL DAY UNTIL DINNER.

Fill up in the day with fresh fruit, veggies and dips, raw soups and flax crackers, raw trail mixes, raw puddings and cereals, salads and garden burgers and zucchini pasta and cabbage burritos and manna bread avocado, tomato, lettuce, cucumber sandwiches or peanut butter/almond/cashew butter with banana.

Green Smoothies and/or Green Juices and/or Nut milks and/or Herbal Teas, with superfoods and supplements such as SPIRULINA/HEMP SEEDS/CHIA SEEDS/BEE POLLEN~ all great protein sources.

Then serve whatever is comforting and wholesome for dinner: soups, stews, steamed veggies, non-gluten grains such as MILLET, QUINOA, AMARANTH, BUCKWHEAT, RICE

Here is where you would have your meat or fish or other cooked foods.

The key here is HEALTH.

HOWEVER long it takes to do this, which could be as fast and quick as you like, its up to each family to go at their own pace.

At social events, bring fruit platters and raw desserts, and big salads and fill-up ahead of time with green smoothies and bring trail mix for the car; and then let go a bit and enjoy the festivities.  My rule is no meat, no junk food.  If they want to try something, I let my kids now, (when they were younger than 9 I just created their plates with the best choices I could find – now that they are 10 and 11, they do this themselves)
And the next day, we are raw and simple and ‘detoxing’ so its all good!

I hope this helps!
Just follow your heart and for some inspiration check out my HEALTHY LUNCHBOX e-book and/or my DVD RAISING CHILDREN RAISES US at the rawmom.com site

Blissings,
xoxoxShakaya

Choices. . .

by Mary Delasantos
Yesterday I picked up my daughter, Kim, and granddaughter Hannah, and brought them over to our house for a visit.  Just like any other grandma (or mom), my first thought was that they must need to eat; so on the way to our house we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things. We went to the produce department first and Hannah picked out a pint of bright red strawberries for her snack. As we browsed the rest of the store she held on to her treat.  Later when it was our turn at the cash register Hannah would not release the package and protected it as if her life depended upon it.  The cashier had to walk around to the cart where Hannah was sitting so she could scan the price label.

When we got to the house, Kim washed and sliced about half of the strawberries for Hannah.  Hannah was completely enjoying her brightly colored, sweet and juicy snack until Kim and I joined her at the kitchen counter with our snacks.  I offered Kim tortilla chips to go with some very yummy fresh made salsa that Dan had whipped up a few minutes earlier and I had a handful of raw sundried spiced olives. As soon as we sat down Hannah pushed away the strawberries and wanted some of Kim’s chips.  We told her that she could have a chip after she finished all of her strawberries.  Two year old Hannah retrieved her bowl and continued eating.  When Hannah took her last slice of strawberry she slipped off her stool and walked away having forgotten all about the chips.

This made me think about the way most of us eat.  We have tendencies to go for the less nutritious processed foods such as chips and crackers because they are so readily available to us.  If we learn to keep the fresh and nutritious items in our line of site we too, just as Hannah did, will truly enjoy those choices as well.  And, we will feel better for making those choices both mentally and physically.

Happy Eating!

Mary Delasantos
voiceofthevegan.com

Take it easy….

by Kemi Nekvapil
As mothers we are very blessed to be able to take on the role as healers in our families. Sometimes this means holding our children when they are hurt, physically or emotionally. Sometimes it means holding ourselves and our partners in the same circumstances.
But there is also the role of healer in the food we choose to nourish our families with.
If like me you are part of the green smoothie revolution, and you are enjoying the pure nectar on a regular basis, you know how it makes you feel.

What if, though, your family is not joining you?

My husband Emrys may even love them more than me. My daughter Ella, will have a whole blender full, if you turn your back, your breakfast is gone!
My son Benji started to be a little ‘something’ about the texture of his drinks. He would gobble down any variety of freshly juiced fruit and veg, but when it came to a green smoothie he would always try, and sometimes ask for a cup of it, but would never really have any.

So I kept making them, as did my husband. Three of us were drinking but one was not. I was not too worried because I thought “he eats such great food and if he does not get into green smoothies, the world would not end, would it?”
And then one day it happened!

Ella was ill and she did not have an appetite all day, so later on I asked her if she wanted a little soup or a green smoothie, she choose the smoothie. I then had the idea of having a smoothie soup and bingo, I thought “I will add more texture!’’
So Benji and Ella tucked into their green smoothie soups with finely chopped fruit salad on top.
Benji  then looked and me and said ‘’Mum, can I have some more please?’’ Benji had three helpings of soup!

It made me realise that we can have the knowledge to nourish and heal our families. But if we can take it easy, be patient, and offer life-giving foods, then they can heal themselves .

Breast feeding hints and tips…

by Ruth Hofer

Navaho tradition has it that when a mother is careful about what she eats and does, the child will drink in this quality of carefulness along with her milk. He will get a taste of responsibility.  This is the reason, they say, that a breastfeed child is more willing to listen to the elders of the tribe than a bottle-fed child and why he is more likely to become a responsible member of his culture.  This means that for a Navaho mother, being careful about her diet while breastfeeding is an expression of love and concern on many levels.

-Hiilary Jacobson, p32 Mother Food

I used to see an acupuncturist skilled in fertility, pregnancy and post partum during my first pregnancy.  Close to my due date she gave me a seemingly unrelated list of foods to avoid for the first six weeks post partum, along with the instruction to gradually reintroduce them one at time, observing the baby’s reaction to the new flavour in my milk.

The idea was primarily to avoid the dreaded colic and keep the baby mellow. Furthermore, following this protocol would (hopefully) ensure a child that grows up allergy free and with an impeccable digestive system that works to the best of its potential.  An extra bonus being that by holding off for these early weeks you might be able to freely eat said foods down the track in your nursing relationship.  Whereas by indulging in it now might mean a baby who is always going to have a sensitivity to that particular food.  She swore by it, telling me stories of her three children, whom with the last-born she caved in and ate berries everyday.  He is the only one of her children to now suffer food sensitivities and digestive upsets while traveling, not to mention the diarrhoea and stomach pains he suffered as a new born.

Thinking that 5000 years of practice meant that traditional Chinese medicine (otherwise know as TCM)  might have worked out a thing or two (besides, I actually enjoy the idea of restricting my diet) I wholeheartly accepted her advice.

Foods to avoid for first six weeks postpartum

• Onions, garlic, leek, chives
• brassica family: cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts
• stone fruit: peaches, plums, apricots, mangos
• melons
• berries (goji berries are okay)
• coffee, chocolate, tea
• peanuts
• tomatoes
• citrus (lemons and limes being okay in small quantities)
• chili
• vinegar

Avoiding stimulants is pretty straight forward, and it’s already somewhat common knowledge that cabbage and onions in the nursing mother’s diet can play havoc on the babies digestive system. The other foods on the list aren’t as straight forward without looking at it from a TCM perspective.  And as I’m not a TCM doctor myself I can’t go into any great detail, except to say it’s worked for me.  Also, I later found out, at the magical six weeks mark a lot of the baby’s digestive system kicks in for the first time, before that it was still developing.  At two weeks, apparently, there is also a major change.

Personally, I have found this advice to work really well. I liked the way it keeps me totally connected to my baby as I nourish them.  I found that I was really aware of how what I ate affected them.  By keeping my diet neutral I could tell immediately if something novel affected my baby is any way.  I personally liked the way it reset my palate, all flavours became more intense as I began to try them again.  My eldest is nearly three, and she has awesome digestion. As a baby in Bali she would eat with local families, constantly putting things in her mouth from off the floor and never once got sick. The only foods I could never eat, until she began eating solid food herself, were watermelons and oranges. Both those fruit in my milk would give her instant diarrhoea, but as soon as she ate other things besides breastmilk, watermelon and oranges were her two of her favourites!

So now your next question to me is probably going to be, well what can I eat?

There are tons of super nourishing, milk supporting raw foods that also tonify the baby’s digestion. Dates, spinach, all sprouts (especially sprouted grains), papayas, fennel, celery, cucumbers, pears, coconut, beets, chard, dill, basil, cilantro, carrots, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, dandelion, sweet potato, avocados, tahini, nettles, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, anise seeds.  These foods help ‘build your blood’ which is then turned into milk, ensure that you milk is full of all the necessary fatty acids, and soothe your baby’s stomach.

A True Story: How I Left My Family for 5 Days… And How They Survived

I always do everything. I plan the meals, buy the food, prepare the dishes. I also do all the cleaning, all the bills, and generally just keep the family running. I do it all. My family could not survive without me.

Well, o.k. They help a bit. … But I do most of it.

So, when I decided to go to the Raw Spirit Fest in DC for 5 days, I came up with a plan of action to ensure that my husband and 12-year-old daughter could make it through this rough spot.

Step 1. Panic
Panicking is an important tool in every mother’s toolbox. If you start with panicking at the outset, then it doesn’t need to be done later. Just get it out of the way right at the beginning. Make sure to envision every possible thing that could go wrong, every accident, every poorly-combined meal, every dish left uncleaned. Fill your mind with visions of returning home to 3 inches of dust and dirt, with family members crawling helplessly around the floor, calling your name in desperation and sadness. Imagine the dog emaciated and dehydrated and the gerbils clawing at the walls of their cage. … OK. Got that in your mind? Good. Now let’s move onto Step 2.

Step 2. Emergency Preparedness
Does your family have enough Band-Aids, toilet paper, fruits, veggies, and other consumables? Do they have raw food recipe websites bookmarked? Are all the emergency numbers posted in the appropriate places? Are family members familiar with dish soap and toothpaste? Think through each crisis and make sure that resources are in place to avert any and all disasters. Talk often with each family member about your what-if fears and make sure that your fears become their fears. Wonder why your family is talking about you in hushed tones when you’re out of the room. Go to Step 3.

Step 3. Travel… with Multiple Daily Check-Ins
After completing Step 2, you can feel good that your family is well-prepared for any emergency that may arise. Try to breathe and enjoy your travels. Check-ins morning, noon, and night are recommended. Notice their voice inflections during each check-in: Are they trying to hide their sadness? Are they telling you everything? How are the gerbils and dog? How will you truly know if they’re doing well? Building in little surprise questions throughout the conversations help to test their survival and coping skills. Some examples could include: “So, what did you end up having for breakfast?… Uh-hungh. Hmm… And did the GERBILS enjoy their breakfast, too?” … or… “So, did you have that spinach with your dinner last night?… What?! You DIDN’T eat any GREENS?!?” Little reminders like these will be much appreciated throughout your time away from home. Proceed to Step 4.

Step 4. The Return Home
When you return home, brace yourself for all the chaos envisioned in Step 1, but act cool and casual as you walk through the door, reminding yourself that your family’s fragile self-esteem is in your hands. As you set down your bags, nonchalantly inspect each and every corner of the house, the weight and demeanor of the dog, the liveliness of the gerbils, and the contents of the fridge. Thank your family for their willingness to accept this trial by fire with open minds and hearts and… wonder how they learned to survive without you.

Author’s Note: When I got home, I did indeed follow Step 4 and have to tell you honestly that what I was greeted with was an enthusiastic dog, a father and daughter that got some good bonding time in, and a fridge that was empty of all the raw vegan food I purchased. The house was surprisingly clean and nothing was ruined or out of order. The author is now looking into a 3-week trip to India… by herself.

**Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt is a raw foods chef and teacher and owner of Rite Food and Company , which offers workshops on intentional and joyful eating. Lisa Marie and her homeschooled daughter, Mo, record a weekly podcast – called Sweet Peas Podcast – chronicling their raw foods journey together.