Healthy Diet and Lifestyle
Exercise for Energy Tip
May 17th
With the summer months approaching, take advantage of the warm weather and longer days by getting outside to exercise. Getting sunshine is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and is emphasized on The Hallelujah Diet. Receive the benefits of being exposed to the sun’s rays in the form of vitamin D. Go for a walk, take a bike ride or go swimming in an outdoor pool to receive adequate vitamin D for bone health.
Did You Know?
May 15th
The difference between smoothies and juices is a big one. We get about 93% of the value from our Juices because there is no fiber, but in raw food that still has the fiber we would only get up to 45% of the value. The reason for this is because the body needs to digest the fiber and in the process of digestion we lose about half the value. A smoothie has the whole food including the fiber so digestion is involved but because the blender has broken the fiber down so fine it will be more easily digested by the body at the cellular level therefore affording us the whole 45% value that is available in raw food.
Summer is Here
May 14th
For many people the Summer months bring busier schedules and vacations that disrupt your everyday routines. You may find it harder to stay committed to the Hallelujah Diet during these months. This will be my 15th summer living the Hallelujah Diet and my 4th summer travelling around Canada. Some might think it is impossible to stay on this diet and lifestyle so long, especially when travelling, but I have found it quite easy when I plan what I need. Here are some helpful tips I want to share with you to make it easier for you too!
During the summer months I find I eat mostly raw so the Hallelujah Diet with its 85% raw and 15% cooked fits right into this equation!
When buying groceries, plan menus 3-4 days at a time so you do not waste food that will rot if kept for too long.
Get yourself an insulated bag for carrying your food for the day whether you are going for a day trip or a week’s holidays. We have the Yellow cooler bag that helps to keep your fruits and veggies from overheating, or if you have something you want to keep warm it does that too!
For carrying your water make sure you have at least 2 containers to take enough pure water with you. I have a wonderful 4 litre jug that is made of a food grade blue tinted plastic to carry my water plus my stainless litre bottle for my personal use during the day. Keep the larger jug in the trunk away from the sun so that it does not get heated up from being in the car. For a mid-morning or afternoon snack, pack a smoothie in a thermos container to keep it cool and shake it up before you’re ready for a drink.
I use our wonderful Survival Bars for my breakfast while travelling and our other nut snack bars for my mid-day treat. I also buy fruit to add to my breakfast each day.
You need to take frequent stops while travelling for washroom breaks and to stretch and walk to get out the kinks. Since I drive for 3-8 hours each day as I travel around Canada teaching about the HA diet I make sure I stop every 2 hours. My lunch break is usually at the local grocery store where I can buy a great raw lunch made of veggies and if you’re lucky you might even be able to get a raw dip that has been made that same day by the grocery store staff. I am finding that more and more grocery stores are providing us with healthier choices! When I do not have luck finding dips I buy some raw veggies and seeds and use my Personal Blender to make my own raw dips when I am stopped for the night – the way you make this is to blend some veggies like a small tomato and the juice from a lemon with some cucumber and spinach as well as a few sunflower seeds and a piece of garlic – then put it in a plastic container in your hotel fridge for the night and it is ready to take with you in the morning when you start your day.
Supper time is when I have stopped for the day and have my final meal in a restaurant. We are very fortunate here in Canada because we have more choices for healthier meals than in the US. I usually try to eat early around 5pm before the supper rush so the chef can make something for me that is vegan. I have found that if I go to the better restaurants (and sometimes the steakhouses are the best) they will try very hard to accommodate my vegan diet. If they do not have a dinner sized salad 
I ask for two salads and they are always able to make me a raw salad dressing using lemon and oil with any herbs they have on hand. If I am in the mood for some cooked food, a baked potato or some pasta with veggies works well to fill me up.
Remember these helpful tips and plan ahead to ensure you don’t get off track from the Hallelujah Diet during the upcoming Summer months.
Summer Sunshine Juice:
Making citrus fruit juice is simple to do using a Citri Star Juicer
Take 1 grapefruit and 1 orange for each person and squeeze the liquid discarding the pits – serve right away since citrus juice oxidizes quickly!
Let’s Make Smoothies
May 13th
FRUIT Smoothies: today we have a Strawberry Smoothie
Fruits are best eaten as a whole food (juicing concentrates the sugar levels), so when eating fruit use your blender to keep the juice and fiber together.
Start with ripe bananas peeled and frozen (or use fresh bananas and ice-cubes to make it cold and more like a milkshake consistency).
Slice the bananas into thin pieces and put into your blender.
Add any frozen fruit (berries, pineapple, peaches, cranberries … the list is endless).
Add a few slices of fresh ginger root or a few mint leaves for added flavour.
Add 1 tbsp. freshly ground flax seed for more protein.
Add distilled water until you get the consistency of a milkshake, blend on high for a few minutes.
Serve in a tall fancy glass and enjoy!
Keep this simple. I do not feel there is any need to add soy or rice milk because we want this to be a total living drink and the taste is great without them.
GREEN Smoothies: today we have a Pineapple with Ginger Smoothie
Mix ripe fruit with greens to make a nutritiously good drink. It is important to eat large amounts of greens every day. The only problem is that most people say they do not have time to sit and chew a large bowlful of greens for their lunch so here is my solution.
Try having a GREEN SMOOTHIE: this is a great way to serve your spinach, Bok Choy, parsley, romaine lettuce, kale, mint and other herbs, in larger amounts.
Just take some ripe fruit: bananas, peaches, pears, berries, mangos, kiwi – add something green with some cold distilled water (or add a little organic apple juice to sweeten it if you need that) – blend on high until everything is well blended and serve right away (add some ice cubes to make it cold).
Exercise for Energy Tip
May 10th
Enjoy the benefits of the growing your own fruits and vegetables while getting exercise! Gardening is great exercise that can help you lower your blood pressure, increase blood flow, build muscle, and decrease your cholesterol. Gardening can be straining on your body, so you need to be sure to approach it the same way you would approach exercising. Make sure you stretch your limbs before you begin your gardening.
