Supporting Locals

Blogosphere, meet Damaris. 

She's a local health coach (among other awesome things) who presented on juicing the other day.

I found her workshop via Meetup.com.  For those of you who are constantly moving (ahem, I know who you are!), you should check it out so you can connect with others who have like interests in your area.

(And even if you don't move around a lot, it's helpful.)

So obviously I jumped at the chance to meet up with like minded, health conscious folks.  They don't put the "nut" in "health nut" for nothing. 

Or maybe they do.

Etymology check!

Anywho, "Wellness Within," is a quaint downtown shop where aromas of various teas and sandalwood filled the air. It is also where the workshop was held.  

Damaris unloaded her gear: two juicers, a Vitamix, and various mason jars, empty and full, along with the delicious food (some seen in the first photo) which tantalized all attendees. 

Well, at least this attendee was tantalized.

Damaris spent a good portion of the workshop discussing the scientific basis and many healthy outcomes of juicing and juice/smoothie fasting.

And thankfully, her information lined up with what we've been sharing with y'all since day one. 

Phew!

Damaris is a certified health coach through Integrative Nutrition and a certified Raw Chef through Alissa Cohen. For those who don't know what all that means, it means she knows what she's talking about and doing! 

Stories of people reversing compromised health conditions such as Chrone's Disease, colitis, breast cancer and arthritis were touched upon at various points during the presentation.

And since Damaris also works at the hospital and witnesses first hand the benefits of a clean diet and/or sad outcomes of people choosing allopathic methods over live food, I think it's safe to say she's a reliable source.

I mean, have you seen hospital food lately? 

Damaris cringes every time she walks by the food cart heading to the cancer unit. All dead, mostly acidic food. 

Here's the cozy crew. 

Damaris is down to earth about health. Sure she knows her stuff, but like all of us on our journeys, one thing she said that resonated with me is that "we're constantly re-evalutaing."

And it's true. What might work for me nutritionally, may not work for you. 

(I sorta say that through a forked tongue because I don't want readers to take that as license to go off and eat fast food all the time because it "suits" them.)

You understand. Right?

I need not clarify errrr. . .well, I'm gonna anyway:

Live food makes us more live/well!  

How much and what varieties of live food a person consumes is where personal and professional evaluations can come together to figure out.  

But I'm just a talking head . . .a desperate housewife and mom who reads too much and has unrefined communication skills.

That's why it's so important to have people like Damaris.

Okay, we interrupt that public service announcement to feast your eyes on this little shot of goodness: Raw lemonande!

Lemons and apples. That's it! Sometimes she adds strawberries for a strawberry lemonade flavor. But this was so sweet and delicious, I couldn't believe it. I think for every lemon you add 2 apples.

Okay, here's one last shout out to Damaris and her healthy pursuits:

Rochestarians, you can visit her at the Brighton Farmer's Market on Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm.  

Also, visit her website, order juice and/or contact her for more info. 

What a great event! Glad I went!

Smoothies Vs. Juice

Some of you have asked us which is better...juicing or smoothie-ing?

The main distinction between the two is the "F" word . . .Fiber.
(You guessed that, right?)

As most of you know, juicing eliminates the pulp (the main source of fiber), which allows the micronutrients (good, dense vitamins and minerals) and phytochemicals (more good plant stuff) of the fruit or vegetable to be very easily absorbed by the stomach and put into the bloodstream quickly.  If an individual is sick, it might be more advantageous to juice in order to speed up the healing process.

Vitamix

However, having pulp in smoothies also has its advantages. Fiber is important for proper digestion.  Also, it makes us fuller faster.  Plus, you're getting all the micronutrients and phytochemicals, too.  You really can't lose either way.

Ultimately, it is a matter of choice and goals.  How do you want the food to work for you?  Is it a meal or  supplement? Medicinal (Though, I'd argue all organic fruits and veggies are medicinal) or Treat? And then there's the all important budget concerns.

The question that might likely proceed is about the equipment. What should you buy--a juicer or blender?  First, I am totally going to sway anyone who asks me about blenders to invest and buy a Vitamix. This thing liquifies wooden blocks. You think I'm joking.  But It's costly--between three to four hundred smackeroos.  Though, consider it a health investment if you are committed to eating a good portion of your food raw. The Vitamix comes with a five year warranty and is VERY easy to use. Also, you can juice with it if you have cheesecloths.




I just purchased two cheesecloths for approximately $5. This allows me to solely utilize my blender (and not have to buy a juicer) so I can strain all the pulp out of the smoothie for a pure juice. It's a marvelous little invention (the cheesecloths) since I can also make my own nut milks and utilize the pulp to make nut cheeses.   In general, pulp is very useful in various recipes.

But if you only have a juicer, great! Use it! The only other problem, though, is that you will likely spend more money on produce if you want to drink a lot of juice, use them as meal replacements or for fasting.  Just something to consider.

Otherwise, it's ALL good!

Juice it or blend it up!