Hi all, I've got the 'There is a Cure for Diabetes' book and basically Cousens' program involves a few weeks of 'green juice fasting' (fasting with just juices of green vegetables) followed by a regime he calls phase I for 3 months (which is made up of vegetables, nuts & seeds, coconut, sea vegetables/superfoods) then what he calls phase II thereafter. Only low GI fruits again. Figs and dates seem to really shoot some people's blood sugars up. Seems like a pretty amazing breakthrough to me.

Just wondering whether there is a picnic in Brisbane planned for July.

If so, where and when?

Many thanks.

Do you guys know any other specific place in Brisbane you can find the young coconuts (other than the Rocklea markets)? They are $4.35 at the Coles in Newmarket. Would love to find them for less than $2 each closer to the city.

Sheryl,

Is it mainly the wattage of the blender that will tell me how powerful it is?

Hey guys,

This is a great cracker recipe I tried just recently. It's sourced from 'Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine' by Gabriel Cousens:

6 cups flaxseeds, soaked
4 cups almonds, soaked
4 cups carrot pulp
2 cups parsley, finely chopped
1 cup sesame seeds, soaked
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked
6 stalks celery, finely chopped
6 tblspn lemon juice
3 tblspn celtic sea salt
3 tblspn powdered kelp (or spirulina)

Process almonds in Champion Juicer with solid plate; combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix well. Spread dough on dehydrator tray with a Teflex sheet approximately 1/2 cm thick.; score crackers with a spatula. Dehydrate at 145°F (approx 60°C) for 2-3hrs then turn over, remove Teflex, and continue dehydrating for 6-8hrs at 115°F (approx 50°C) or until desired moisture obtained. Store in glass jars. Makes nine trays.

These crackers are great with some guacamole or nut cheese. Enjoy!

Do these guys also sell organic coconuts? anaami

Thanks Sheryl - that's very helpful. Warm regards, anaami

I'm currently looking into purchasing a dehydrator.

It seems that the most recommended one out there is the Excalibur 9-Tray model, however I'm not sure how much I will end up using a dehydrator, so am a little reluctant to spend $430.

Would buying an EziDri Snackmaker (I can get one secondhand) as a first step give me a good start in the art of dehydration? Or would I be unwise going for anything but the Excalibur from the start? I notice Gabriel Cousens says the Excaliburs have a more accurate temperature control system than many others and the horizontal tray system means that you can remove trays without disturbing the whole batch. Are there any other major differences?

Any other thoughts or tips would be much appreciated.

MMA is actually a compound which is broken down by B12. There isn't significant amounts of B12 in the urine, although there is in the faeces, which is apparently the reason that many chimpanzees and other apes maintain adequate levels of B12 without eating meat (although some apparently eat small insects as well).

But I'd say taking supplements is a much more tastier alternative!

Dear all,

Having reviewed the recent literature on Vitamin B12 and the vegan/live food diet, I thought I should tell you that the opinion of most experts is that every vegan/live foodist should ideally be taking a regular supplement or B12-fortified food.

Many foods previously thought to be good sources of human B12 have been found to have higher levels of B12 analogues which in fact compete with human B12 for absorption in the distal small intenstine.

As yet, no vegan food has been found to reduce urine MMA levels, which is the new 'gold standard' for measuring body B12 stores. The previously used serum B12 assay (blood test) has been found to be inaccurate. Moreover, the levels previously felt to be sufficient levels of B12 have now been shown to be associated with elevated homocysteine, which leads to higher levels of heart disease amongst other ailments.

Gabriel Cousens M.D., a long-term raw-foodist and vegan, recently revised his recommendations on Vitamin B12 in his book 'Spiritual Nutrition'. In previous material he had quoted that most raw-foodist need not take regular B12 supplementation, however in light of recent evidence has shifted his recommendations to say that all raw-foodists and vegans should take supplements.

It's particularly important for pregnant vegans to make sure they are adequately supplemented with B12 as a number of serious illnesses and even death amongst infants has been reported in B12-deficient mothers.

Here is another webpage with up-to-date information on this issue: http://www.beyondveg.com/walsh-s/vitamin-b12/vegans-1.shtml

Hope this is of value. I myself am a vegan and a medical doctor. B12 needs has nothing to do with our need for meat, but simply reflects our level of sanitisation as a society.

I believe we need to address this issue to show the rest of the community we are not simply idealists but are facing the real-life issues in adopting such a diet.

I would use it for doing up raw smoothies, soups and various other raw meals. I've heard that the standard household ones burn out pretty fast if you're using them for raw preparation.

Hi guys,

Anyone got a suggestion on a good cheap blender below $300?

I looked at a site which had a hand blender called the Vortex the other day: here's the link: http://www.gogogear.com.au/html/96SP-F550.htm

Has anyone tried this? I suspect it would be more trouble than it's worth.

Look forward to hearing your replies.
   

Hi guys,

Anyone got a suggestion on a good cheap blender below $300?

I looked at a site which had a hand blender called the Vortex the other day: here's the link: http://www.gogogear.com.au/html/96SP-F550.htm

Has anyone tried this? I suspect it would be more trouble than it's worth.

Look forward to hearing your replies.
   

Also, I've heard conflicting things about juicing wheatgrass in Champion juicers. Some say that they rob the wheatgrass of all their nutrients - while others say they produce adequate wheatgrass juice.

Any consensus on this one?

It seems to be pretty hard to juicing greens with them....

A

On the subject of Champion Juicers, I was just given one recently by a friend. It's already become an inseparable kitchen companion!

As for producing nut butters, I heard that you need to have a blank screen to replace the filter screen part used for juicing.

The one I was given doesn't seem to have one. Any idea where I might find one?

Thanks, Anaami
New Raw Fooder
Brisbane <_<