Author:Lisa Virtue

November 7, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Green Smoothies: Food Fit for an Anthropoid

I am enjoying delicious, alkalinizing green smoothies just about daily now. I discovered these creamy concoctions after reading Victoria Boutenko’s, Green for Life. She and her family had been thriving raw foodists for 7 years, having healed themselves from various ailments, including diabetes. After the years passed however, they felt their health fading once again. Victoria decided to stop looking to humans for guidance, seeing as we are by far the sickest species on earth, and instead she turned to our closest genetically related relatives: chimpanzees. We share 99.4% of our genes with these fellow anthropoids. So then, how do chimps...

October 18, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Is Soy Really Bad for Your Health?

There we North Americans go again, enjoying too much of a good thing. I’m talking about soy products. But the Japanese have been eating soy for centuries, and they seem so lean and old, and healthy. This is true. However, upon further examination, we notice that the soy consumed in Japan is often fermented, in the form of tempeh, miso, natto, and soy sauce. Fermented soy is better for us, because the nice bacteria break down all the hard to digest phytic acid coating the beans. These troublesome phytates also block mineral absorption, leading to osteoporosis. But more good news:...

October 17, 2014 In Food, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Eat Like a Caveman: The Paleo Diet

We live in an era of information overload, especially surrounding nutrition. I personally have been overwhelmed and confused about food for most of my life. At times I thought I had the answer, after having followed a certain diet for months and months, only to be defeated by feeling sick and malnourished. I’ve tried The South Beach Diet, the vegan Thrive Diet, a basic whole foods organic diet, and a raw fruitarian-vegan diet After feeling highly unstable on my six month fruit kick, I began following a Paleo diet. Though it is just about the fourth month in, I can say that...

October 17, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight, Uncategorized By Lisa Virtue

Hemp Milk Does a Body Good

If you’re looking for a creamy, rich and delicious drink, filled with protein and healthy fats, look no further. Hemp milk may be your tasty answer. Hemp seeds contain all 8 of the essential amino acids, making it a pretty great protein source. Just half a cup of hemp seeds offers 44 grams of protein, (that’s 11 grams of protein per ounce) and 640 calories. Another amazing fact about this glorious seed, is that it is perfectly balanced in essential fats. Humans need both omega-6 and omega-3 fats in order to function at our best. The ideal ratio is thought to...

October 15, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Nut-Milk for Heart Health and Diabetes

Did you know that nuts and seeds can protect your heart? They contain arginine, an amino acid that helps improve blood flow. (Which could also prove useful on date night, wink wink.) Studies have shown that when nuts (or nut milk) were substituted for an equal amount of carbohydrate in participants’ diets, heart disease risk dropped by 30%. Another study on cholesterol found that compared to a low-fat diet recommended by the American Heart Association, the addition of a handful of pecans a day greatly improved cholesterol and blood triglyceride levels, while low-fat dieters continued to suffer. The risk of type 2 diabetes...

May 4, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News By Lisa Virtue

Why Avoid the Noodles? Healthy Vegetable Noodles

Why Avoid the Noodles? Healthy Vegetable Noodles Summer is a time for eating light, refreshing meals. In this season, I like to eat more raw foods, and feel inspired to create natural noodle dishes!! These noodles are different than typical store-bought, dried wheat noodles. I’m talking about fresh vegetable spirals! The only device you need is a spiralizer, though you could also make do with a peeler or grater. Vegetable noodles can be made from any firm vegetable or even fruit, such as carrot, beet, turnip, daikon, jicama, potato, squash, apple, or the most popular of all, zucchini. The larger the vegetable...

March 15, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Like Almond Milk? You Will Love Almond-Macadamia Milk

Almond milk is incredibly delicious. But almond-macadamia milk is beyond words. You have to taste it to understand the sacredness of this drink. And it’s no surprise really, since almonds were sacred to the Romans too—they would shower them upon newlyweds as a fertility charm. This is why we see them at present day weddings, (often covered in a thick shell of sugar, unfortunately). Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fat, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin E, and they are 20% protein. Almonds are a source of amygdalin, also known as laetrile, a component said to fight cancer. Studies have also found almonds to be...

December 14, 2011 In Editor's Picks: Must Haves for Staying Healthy, Green & Healthy Living, News, Product Reviews, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Release some tension with all natural Spoonk acupressure mats

History often repeats itself, especially when we’ve done good. In India, yogis have been privy to the healing effects of the ancient bed of nails for centuries. This practice is known as acupressure.  Finally the western world is catching on, and just when we need it! With modern day stress, we are in dire need of methods of relaxation. It seems paradoxical, that a bed of sharp nails may actually serve to relax us. But once you give it a good try, you will see for yourself how soothing it is. The modern day version of the yogis’ bed of nails, is...

September 23, 2011 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Colon cancer cold spot: Africa

Present day North America, unfortunately, is a hot spot for a variety of diseases - no need to depress you with names you know too well. Luckily, there are places in the world that can teach us how to reverse such sickly trends, as they are disease “cold spots.” Enter Africa: cold spot for colon cancer, with only 1 case in 100,000 (1). African Americans are affected at 60 in 100,000 (1), with Caucasian Americans not far behind at about 50 in 100,000 (2). This is a disease of the West, affecting all ethnicities, ironically though hitting the people of...

August 24, 2011 In Fitness, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Fruitarian athletes are thriving and breaking records

It’s a challenge keeping up with vegetarianism these days; there’s ovo-vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, vegan and pesca-vegan. To add to these options, we also have fruitarianism. Like the title suggests, followers of this diet eat fruit. Some fruitarians eat a fruit only diet, while most also enjoy plenty of leafy greens, some vegetables and small quantities of nuts and seeds. Take note: tomato, peppers, cucumber, zucchini, avocado, okra and eggplant are all botanically fruits! It is also implied that the food be consumed raw. Thus the terms: fruitarian, raw foodist, and raw vegan are sometimes used interchangeably. To mainstream western society, this...