Lately I've become aware of a whole new world of "healthy." Most recently I have done lots of studying on the "raw culture" and superfoods. I personally have enjoyed learning that I can actually heal myself through these deliciously raw foods. I want to share with you the amazing things I've learned, while showing you that anyone can eat raw! Raw, live foods, and superfoods have wonderful health benefits and healing properties. So, join me on my journey of this "Rawfully Wonderful" experience.
So, I told you yesterday that I had found a raw-vegan protein powder that I was in love with. I've been looking forward to sharing it with you for some time now, but wanted to make sure I really liked it first. I am by no means saying I'm a protein expert, but over the years, I have tried a lot of different varieties and have learned a fair amount them. I've tried several different vegan proteins as well, but wasn't too crazy about any of them. Of course I'm sure there are plenty out there that I have not tried.
Over the years of drinking protein shakes, I have sampled many conventional types of whey proteins that also don't taste that great. I prefer to stay away from dairy so whey is obviously not a good choice. Protein isolates tend to be processed so I try to stay away from those as well. Over the past 4 1/2 years I've been using a whey protein isolate made by my competition nutritional trainer. It's been the best tasting whey protein I've ever had, but I just prefer to be as raw and unprocessed as possible, especially considering my raw food lifestyle. So, introducing Sun Warrior Raw Vegan protein powder.
Sprouted whole grain brown rice protein
I love this stuff! It has all of the complete amino acids needed to help build healthy lean muscle. I like to mix mine with almond milk. You could experiment with other nut milks too to give it a slightly different taste.
There's also a new Warrior Blend made with pea protein, cranberry protein, hemp protein, and coconut MCT's. It has a very high amount of glutamine, leucine, lysine, arginine, and branch chain amino acids. It helps to improve your overall health and boosts the immune system. Both types of protein are non-gmo, all natural, gluten free, and contain no chemicals or artificial ingredients. Check out this video below to get more info about the Warrior Blend.
http://youtu.be/FUHQkMECPuw
Nutrition Facts
Sunwarrior Protein - Raw Sprouted Whole Grain Brown Rice Protein Powder
Calories
70
Sodium
50 mg
Total Fat
1 g
Potassium
0 mg
Saturated
0 g
Total Carbs
4 g
Polyunsaturated
0 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Monounsaturated
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Trans
0 g
Protein
16 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Vitamin A
0%
Calcium
6%
Vitamin C
0%
Iron
20%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Sunwarrior - Warrior Blend Raw Protein Plant Based Vanilla
Calories
84
Sodium
0 mg
Total Fat
1 g
Potassium
0 mg
Saturated
0 g
Total Carbs
4 g
Polyunsaturated
0 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Monounsaturated
0 g
Sugars
3 g
Trans
0 g
Protein
16 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Vitamin A
0%
Calcium
0%
Vitamin C
0%
Iron
6%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The prices for the Sunwarrior protein vary from about $42-48 per 2 lb bag. I found a place to get it at $35 a bag, so stay tuned for that info coming soon!
Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for healthy bodies, but our bodies don't naturally make it. We have to get omega 3's from food sources. The most common places to get it are fish, such as salmon, halibut, and tuna. It can also be obtained from algae, krill, some plants, and nut oils. So, if you're a vegetarian and looking for an omega supplement, you are limited to the plants and nut oils of course.
From the University of Maryland Medical Center:
Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function. In fact, infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems. Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation.
It is important to have the proper ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 (another essential fatty acid) in the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, and most omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation. The typical American diet tends to contain 14 - 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, which many nutritionally oriented physicians consider to be way too high on the omega-6 side.
The Udo's Oil Blend shown above is a great Omega supplement and it's completely plant based. I add it to my raw oatmeal, a salad, or I even put it in smoothies.
Here are some disease processes that Omega 3 Fatty Acids have been shown to help: Heart disease High Cholesterol High Blood Pressure Bipolar Disorder Depression Schizophrenia ADHD Cognitive decline Diabetes Lupus (SLE) Rheumatoid Arthritis Osteoporosis Skin disorders Asthma Inflammatory Bowel Disease Colon Cancer Breast Cancer Prostate Cancer Menstrual Cramps Macular Degeneration
To read more about each of these diseases and how Omega 3 has been shown to help, click here.
I don't have a recipe for you today, but I'm hoping you have about 9 minutes for me! I was doing some research today on detox and found some information on Glutathione that is definitely worth knowing! Let me just give you a brief overview about Glutathione before you watch the video below.
Glutathione (GSH) is an endogenous antioxidant, which means it's only produced in our bodies. It does about 20-30 things in our cells, but here are the 3 major things for us to remember: 1. Antioxidant, so it helps reduce free radicals and oxidative stress. 2. Immune system booster. 3. Detoxifier, including heavy metals and environmental chemicals. Since Glutathione (GSH) isn't found in foods, we need to consume foods that have precursors to Glutathione, meaning they can help raise Glutathione levels. One of the precursors to Glutathione is Cysteine. According to studies, these foods can slightly help to increase our bodies naturally occurring Glutathione: apples, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, grapefruit, spinach, and tomatoes. The best way to increase you Glutathione levels is take a powdered supplement. I will have to do further research on this, but in the meantime, I'm going to increase my intake of the above veggies!! I would guess it would be beneficial to consume foods high in Cysteine as well, which include broccoli, brussel sprouts, garlic, oats, onion, and red peppers.
It's always fun to learn new things, especially if it's something that our body does for us! Even though it seems we can't dramatically boost Glutathione levels without a supplement, it makes me want to feed my body the best food so it continues to do the best work that it can! After all, we only have one.
There's also a new Warrior Blend made with pea protein, cranberry protein, hemp protein, and coconut MCT's. It has a very high amount of glutamine, leucine, lysine, arginine, and branch chain amino acids. It helps to improve your overall health and boosts the immune system. Both types of protein are non-gmo, all natural, gluten free, and contain no chemicals or artificial ingredients. Check out this video below to get more info about the Warrior Blend.
