Here is a great article from the Food Matters newsletter:

“Why superfoods?

Superfoods are a category of foods found in nature, they are superior sources of essential nutrients - nutrients we need but can’t make ourselves. We all may be adding more salads and vegetables to our diets, but concern for the quality of foods grown on mineral depleted soils makes superfoods popular.

They are nutritionally more potent then regular foods and are wonderful food sources of anti-oxidants for healthy healing. Superfoods are nutrient dense and calorie sparse.

Superfoods can be divided into 5 main groups:

Green Superfoods
Bees Superfoods
Seaweed Superfoods
Herb Superfoods
Fruit and Nut Superfoods”

Superfoods are a very important part of any diet, raw or otherwise. To find out more and to continue reading about the numerous benefits of these different types of superfoods you can go to the full article here: 

http://www.foodmatters.tv/superfoods.html#Green

I am an avid reader, and I “stumbled” onto this book a while ago and found it to be an incredibly thought provoking read.  The book is called “Stumbling on Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert, and on the back cover it states:

“Vividly bringing to life the latest scientific research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioural economics, Gilbert reveals what scientists have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, and about our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there.”

If you think from the title that this is just another piece of fluff, feel good, positive thinking, been there read that type of book - then you would be way off track.  This was a very unique book with a very solid base of science to explain some fascinating insights into the way we think, imagine and create happiness.

I found a 20 minute talk by the author on TED talks, and it is a great summary of some of the main points of the book, and the author presents the premise of how we synthesise our own happiness, in a very entertaining way.

If you have a spare 20 minutes, I think you would find it a very enjoyable talk.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html

Figs are a delicious addition to a raw diet and are a great staple to have handy in the pantry.  We mainly see figs available as a dried fruit (sun-dried and sulphur free please), due to the poor ability of them to be transported any distance fresh.

When dried, they are a great source of natural carbohydrates, fibre, and contain many alkalising minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium.  They are actually a very good source of calcium, containing about double the amount found in whole milk, gram for gram!  And we all know that milk is marketed as being high in calcium…

Figs are very sweet and make a great snack on their own, or with some nuts or other fresh fruit.  They also incorporate nicely into many dessert recipes or can be chopped into an innovative style of salad.

I found this Fig Pecan Bar recipe at www.drbenkin.com

3 cups raw pecans
1.5 cups soaked dried figs with stems removed
1.5 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Be sure to allow dried figs to soak in water for 1-2 hours before preparing this recipe.

Drain figs and combine them with raw pecans and pure vanilla extract in a food processor. Process until figs and pecans are well combined to form a moist granola bar-like texture. You may need to pause the food processor once or twice to scrape ingredients off the sides of the processor so that you are not left with big chunks of figs and pecans.

Transfer homogenized figs and pecans to a baking dish or tray and press down gently with a spatula until mixture is approximately 2-3 cm thick. Use a knife to cut into rectangular or square bars.

Put baking dish or tray in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or the freezer for about 20 minutes to allow the bars to take form.

Enjoy these delicious and nutrient-dense fig-pecan energy bars!

One of the most amazing results I witnessed when working as the Naturopath at Hippocrates Health Centre, was the resolution of arthritic pain in less than a week.

I would see people come in on heavy pain medication, stiff, with limited mobility, often with swollen inflamed joints - and after going through a juice fast and detoxification process, they left the retreat with less or no pain, no medication, greater mobility and a reverence for the power of raw food in the healing process.

In arthritis we often find a ‘hot” or acidic condition with inorganic calcium deposits solidifying cartilage and ligaments, restricting movement and causing pain and inflammation.

Juice fasting for a period of time, and then incorporating juices into the diet on a daily basis, can help to break down the accumulation of waste deposits and regenerate the cartilage and joints.

Watermelon is a beautiful alkalising and cleansing juice, and can be of great benefit to hot conditions that need cooling.  Watermelon is a natural diuretic and kidney tonic and after just a few days on watermelon juice, many arthritic patients report an amazing amount of pain relief.

Celery juice is another healing remedy, very high in natural sodium which helps to maintain calcium balance and can facilitate waste excretion.

Carrot juice is highly nutritious and helps in the regeneration process of the cartilage and joints, while green juices such as wheatgrass or barley grass provide essential nutrients and chlorophyll.

Of course correcting the factors that led to the arthritic condition in the first place are important, such as a processed food diet, consumption of inorganic calcium, lack of movement and exercise, stress and poor digestion resulting in a low amount of mineral absorption.

A good detox can put you on the path to recovery and give you fast intial results that inspire you to continue the lifestyle and dietary changes that bring you relief.

You can find out more about detoxification in my July / August newsletter, or you can come to the Embracing Life! Retreat  and experience the benefits of it for yourself!

I am very happy to be announcing the launch of my fantastic health retreat experience, the Embracing Life!
Six Day Detox, Healing and Renewal Retreat.  My passion in life is to spend time with people dedicated to
learning about health and healing, and there is nothing better that doing that with a group of like-minded people in a beautiful luxury setting.
 
You can read more about this exceptional retreat experience below, and you will find more detailed information, and how to book in for the retreat, at my website: www.EmbracingHealth.com.au/retreat
 
The first of these retreats is being held on the Sunshine Coast of QLD in September, and if you are quick, there is an early-bird special for 6 lucky people who book and pay for the retreat in July.

I’ve put the retreat blurb below for you to have a bit of a read of - and you can also register your interest to have a retreat held in your area at the website.  I look forward to many of you joining me for a great week of detoxing, fun, relaxation, laughter and fantastic food!

Leisa Wheeler, founder of Embracing Health, is proud to announce the creation of a fresh, innovative style of luxury health retreat.  Departing from the rigid ways of “right” and “wrong” that have pervaded the older mind-sets of healing, Leisa has brought to life a new approach to the concept of a healing retreat - designing a program that empowers participants with knowledge that opens them to a higher awareness of what healing really means.

Not bound by any one strict doctrine, Leisa has woven together the best of the natural medicine world, blending the fields of detoxification, the secrets of superfoods,  the art of raw vegan gourmet cuisine, and the healing power of whole foods, into a delightful six day living experience of food as medicine.

Healing with whole food is only one part of the Embracing Life! Retreat, where as much emphasis is placed on feeding the mind,  understanding the emotions, and nurturing the soul, as in supporting the body.

Daily lectures on a range of health subjects cut through the confusion; yoga and meditative walks centre the mind; healing massage soothes the body; discussions on the role of emotional healing provides sustenance for the soul; and plenty of personal time gives you the space to really rest…

With dedicated attention to every detail of your six day renewal retreat, you will find the information, the luxury settings in exclusive boutique resorts around Australia, the food, the support, the whole experience – will surpass every expectation you ever had about what a week in a healing space should be.

You deserve to take some time out, to experience the divine combination of pampering, detoxification, education, rest and inspiration that a week with Leisa and her team will bring.

We look forward to seeing you there…