Once you have made the decision to give your cat a raw food diet, you will find that a variety of ways to implement it exist.

In general, raw foods are closer to what your cat's body was designed to digest, so he or she will receive more nutrients and enjoy a greater quality of life in return. To ensure the best possible results, there are some things that should be considered when selecting the ingredients for your cat's new diet.

Choosing Meats

Meats provide phosphorous and are an integral part of a raw food diet. Chicken and rabbit are the two preferred sources of meat in a diet comprised of raw foods. They are very similar to what your cat might be eating in the wild and are easy to prepare. Beef and fish are not as recommended because they have been known to be hypoallergenic for cats. Raw fish contains thiaminase, which is unhealthy for cats because it reduces their thiamine level considerably.

Other options of meat choices are Cornish game hen, quail, and guinea fowl. Turkey is considered an option as well, but turkeys have larger bones that would need to be ground. Overall, chicken and rabbit seem to be the most convenient in preparation, availability, and health requirements.

When purchasing raw meat for your cat, look for free-range chicken thighs that are free of any antibiotics and hormones. It is advised to shop at a whole foods market instead of a supermarket that stocks pre-packaged meats. Keep the meats fresh and freeze them when preparing meals in bulk or advance. Rabbits can be bought in pre-ground and extra fine double grounded forms. Again, avoid any extra additives to keep the meat close to a diet observed in the wild.

Adding Bones

Bones are the best source of calcium for your cats. They are not considered a supplement and are essential to a feline's diet. Most of the meat you can buy will include the bones, thought they should be ground. If the bones are larger, extra grinding may be necessary. Rabbits have a higher bone content, so a popular recipe is to blend both rabbit and chicken together using smaller chunks of chicken. This also balances out the low fat that rabbits have, and the chicken chunks are excellent for the dental health of your cat.

Remember to only use bone-free chicken when adding it to rabbit. Otherwise, for meals that are based mainly on the chicken itself, include the bones or a bone meal. In some cases, too much calcium can lead to constipation. Monitor your cat closely during the beginning of the diet and reduce the amount of bones as needed.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Other Additives

In addition to the meats and bones discussed above, water is added to your cat's diet for consistency and disease prevention. Liver is naturally included in select meat sources, such as rabbit, but can be missing from chicken thighs. Add liver as needed along with taurine, which is available in a powder or tablet form.

Salmon oil is an excellent way to give your cat the essential fatty acids that he or she needs. Vitamin E and Vitamin B Complex promote healthier functions, and psyllium is an optional fiber additive that should be used with extra water. Eggs are a source of protein; the yolks can remain raw and the whites are cooked. Check for any allergic reactions to recipes with eggs or digestive intolerance.

Some cat owners prefer to feed their cats vegetables, while others maintain that a cat does not need them as part of their diet. In fact, large amounts of vegetables can actually cause intestinal problems. When the vegetables are consumed in the wild as part of a cat's prey, they have been digested already and processed by the prey's enzymes. Since cats do not have the enzymes to directly digest vegetables on their own, only small amounts, if any, are recommended, including 5% or less of peas or zucchini.

Ready Made or Frozen Raw Cat Foods

Making it even simpler to use a raw cat food diet, several types of ready made or frozen meals can be purchased. However, many of them have a high percentage of vegetables in them and should be avoided. The frozen meals that do not have vegetables are made up of primarily meat, bones, and organs. It is better to select the ones without necks or backs that have more bones than meat (and thus an improper balance of calcium to phosphorus).

Please consult with your cat's veterinarian and/or the resource below for exact recipes and ingredient amounts.

Sources:

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood^[5]

References^{^}

HelloLife™ Home (www.hellolife.net)^{^} Explore Home (www.hellolife.net)^{^} View all posts in Pet Nutrition (www.hellolife.net)^{^} How to Choose a Raw Food Diet for Your Cat (www.hellolife.net)^{^} http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood (www.catinfo.org)^{^}

Once diagnosed with cancer, most people look at a truncated life with bouts of chemotherapy, hair loss, and all the myriad side effects they will have to endure.  However, there are some natural cures that have helped the cancer stricken overcome the disease to a large extent and make their lives a little longer and healthier.

Predominantly, the approach is diet based. The general consensus is that a diet rich in meat, dairy, white rice, sugar and flour along with coffee, soda, liquor, and tobacco all contribute to cancer in the long run. In the University of Victoria in British Colombia, researchers carried out a study where about 200 cancer stricken people participated. They were encouraged to switch to a vegetarian diet. It was seen that about 87% of them underwent “spontaneous remission”.

Cancer occurs when the immune system is compromised by bad diets and wrong types of food. Today, the National Institute of Cancer recommends lots of bananas, oranges, and green leafy vegetables in everyone’s diet, as they contain cancer fighting agents like fiber and vitamins.

Along with a good diet, natural cures also advocate the use of sodium bicarbonate and iodine as two possible ways to cure cancer. There are other natural cures too like colloidal silver and organic sulphate which must be used under medical supervision.

Keeping the body in pH harmony with the right foods, minerals, and other essential nutrients will go a long way in keeping cancer at bay.

Build Immune System To Fight Cancer

Our immune system is the best defense against cancer. Drugs, herbs, or treatment will not work if the immune system is down.  Building up the immune system to fight cancer requires a radical change in diet and approach to the overall health of the person.

• Avoid sugar and junk food - White sugar affects the performance of the white blood cells. The general opinion is that 25 spoons of sugar will paralyze about 92% of white blood cells. Now consider this: colas have about 8-10 spoons of sugar, a banana split has 24 spoons, and white bread has 2 spoons per slice. These are just 3 of the many types of food that we eat on a daily basis. Just think how much sugar you are actually eating in a day.

• Avoid high fat food - Breast cancer is common among women who have too much refined fat in their daily diet. This includes saturated and animal fat. A low fat diet will help reduce the chances of breast cancer and increase the survival of those who already have breast cancer.

• Opt for raw food diet - This diet is the best and most difficult to follow. Raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and sprouted grains will help ensure that your immune system gets the required boost to fight cancer.   Avoid cooked food as much as possible.  The logic is very simple: a cooked seed will not grow if you plant it, but a raw seed will. This is the basic principle of life.  Cooked food kills the nutritive powers of food. When fighting an enemy like cancer, you need all the ammo you can get in raw food.

There is something known as natural functional food which is known for its nutritive powers. A functional food is defined as one which has health properties that go beyond its basic function of supplying nutrients.  Some functional foods commonly known to us and easily available are yogurt, tuna, cereals, citrus fruits, and whole grains.

Some of the benefits one can gain from functional foods are:

• Lends support to the immune system to help fight cancer
• Aids stress relief, particularly  chronic stress
• Supports detoxification
• Helps improve  liver function
• Provides the body with essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc.
• Supports the  natural acid-alkaline balance in the body

Other Natural cures and Supplements

Bicarbonate plus Molasses Treatment

The observation that cancer is similar to an advanced Candida Albicans fungal stage within a low oxygen cellular and acidic environment has led to the finding of the Bicarbonate plus Molasses Treatment.  The humble sodium bicarbonate has been found to be amazingly effective in battling cancerous cells. The basic principle lies in its alkalinity, which is not good for cancer cells. It lets oxygen into the cells, which is something the cancerous cells cannot tolerate as they cannot survive in a high oxygen environment.

There are studies that have indicated that some forms of chemotherapy have been enhanced by tumor pH manipulation using sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate is safe, inexpensive, and proving to be very effective in arresting cancer.

Molasses used along with sodium bicarbonate has helped some people get rid of tumors. By itself, molasses has a very high concentration of trace elements and minerals that offer a broad spectrum alkalizing support that aids sodium bicarbonate as an effective remedy for cancer tumors. It is important to note that baking soda with aluminum added to it must be avoided at all costs.

For long term alkalisation and well-being all the minerals are required, not just sodium bicarbonate as a means of alkalisation. Furthermore the balance of sodium to potassium, calcium to magnesium and so on should be fostered and maintained.

Iodine

Iodine has been found to be effective in ridding the body of unhealthy cells. In correct doses, it helps kill the fungi and micro-organisms that are an inherent part of the cancer process. Breast cancer, ovarian, and prostate cancer are hormonally related cancers, and iodine works very well to balance the hormones and aid recovery.

Tumor suppression was seen in experimental animals that were given iodine as part of treatment. It has also been seen that selenium is required for iodine to work effectively. Selenium aids the immune system.

While these are natural cures for cancer which have been tried and tested, they are best used under consultation with your healthcare provider or oncologist.

UPDATE: Based on some of the comments we want to make it clear that we are in 100% support of eating raw foods, our previous post on the topic (Part 1) explained the Benefits of a Raw Food Diet.  Our goal here was to explore the flip side. Lets stay open to the fact that everyone is different and at various levels of health. There are indeed dangers to any kind of extreme.

Raw foodism, widely trumpeted to be the best dietary approach ever by its advocates, has been a rage across the world, especially in the United States. Staunch advocates of raw foodism have even claimed that a 100% adherence to raw foodism ushers in multiple benefits for your body.

However, the validity and the extent of raw food benefits are being widely debated, and on the other side of the table are the followers of the cooked food approach. Expectedly, the other group fiercely contests the claims of the raw food proponents.

Obviously, the debate is polarized between two diametrically opposing groups, but there are a lot of people who just want to stay healthy and fit and want to find out how good raw food really is. You are not an expert on raw food and thus can be vulnerable to persuasion.

Therefore, it is important to know that a 100% switch to raw foods may not be suitable for your body. Raw foods, as its advocates claim, have many advantages, and if harnessed properly, can help you lead a healthy life. Balance is the key here, and you must know your body well. Raw foodism, just like any other dietary approach, has its disadvantages, and it is worthwhile to take a look at some of them.

• According to an article by a food and nutrition expert from Cornell University, you get more nutrition when certain eatables are cooked. Cooked tomatoes, for example, contain more lycopene, a compound that helps fight cancer, than raw tomatoes.

• According to Donna Gates, the author of Body Ecology Diet, one needs to have a robust digestive system to absorb raw foods all the time. This effectively reduces the universal acceptability of raw foods.

• According to researchers at the Rutgers University, at least 37 of 48 sampled vegetables are easily digestible when they are stir-fried, boiled, grilled, or steamed.

• Experts opine that while raw foods like vegetables and fruits are great for your health, it may not be wise to go for a 100% raw diet, as that can cause a deficiency in a variety of nutrients like Vitamin B-12, iron, calcium, and protein.

• The incidence of food poisoning due to contaminated raw food has risen as much as 10 times since the 1970s. People have been found to suffer from food poisoning and other problems due to the consumption of raw lettuce, salad, melons, and berries.

• Certain categories of raw foods are said to contain anti-nutrient factors (ANF) that are destroyed by cooking.

• According to other dietary approaches (for example: Ayurveda and Macrobiotics), a raw dietary approach may not be suitable for regions with extremely cold climates.

• Critics of raw foodism point out that though cooked foods can lose some enzymes, the body enzymes are enough to help absorb the consumed food. Also, cooking helps you absorb certain phytochemicals (for example: beta-carotene in carrots) better.

• A study by Washington University found that people on a raw diet had a low bone mass.

A raw diet is certainly better than the Standard American Diet (SAD). However, empirical data suggests that many have just jumped into the raw diet with the expectation that they are going to be among the fittest people on the planet. They forsake cooked food totally in favor of a raw diet, only to realize after some time that the diet was not what their body wanted.

Needless to say, one needs to think hard before deciding on the proportion of raw foods. A blood test would be a wise thing to do for just about every raw food aspirant. It makes sense to be aware of one’s health condition and one’s needs before you take any hasty decision.

As stated earlier, balance is the key, and this holds true especially if one is coming off a Standard American Diet (SAD). A gradual transition to raw food habits is always preferable over a sudden and a total transition from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to a raw food diet.

A raw diet brings along with it multiple advantages, and one needs to carefully harness the power of a raw diet strictly in accordance with his/her health condition. One need not abandon cooked food, as that may give rise to other problems. Ideally, one should plan a diet with around 60% to 80% raw food depending on individual needs.

Talk to your doctor to specifically identify the kind of raw foods (for example: vegetables and fruits) that will be suitable for the body.

To sum it up, balance, a full awareness of your body, and a careful identification of healthy raw foods are the keys to leading a healthy life.

Note: Thank you all for the feedback and openness in having a discussion on the topic. We've received lots of negative comments and most people misunderstood us. We never said that raw food is bad for you! We've explained last week the advantages of raw foods and in this article we were just trying to educate people about downfalls. We of course encourage people to eat 70-90% raw. Our point was that a 100% raw diet switch may not be for everyone and people on a conventional diet may harm themselves doing a full switch.

References
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/08/01/eating_raw_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_according_to_various_experts.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism#Potential_harmful_effects_of_cooked_foods

Raw foodism, also known as rawism, is a lifestyle that promotes consumption of unprocessed, uncooked, and organic foods as part of your diet. The advocates of raw foodism for a long time have presented it as an alternative and a superior dietary approach, relative to other diets.

Obviously, the supporters of raw foodism claim that this approach brings about multiple benefits that cooked or processed foods can’t. Raw foods are said to support our natural physiological processes without modifying them or intervening into their working style. In other words, raw foods are totally compatible with our body requirements.

Raw foods have been found to improve immunity to sickness and prevent many diseases. These foods contain essential nutrients which can be lost if they are cooked.

Raw food advantages

• Since raw food is primarily sourced from nature, your body is strengthened naturally and can stave off diseases for a longer duration.

• Raw foods are believed to contain enzymes, such asamylases, lipases and proteases that aid digestion. These enzymes are lost if food is cooked over 104 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Raw foods contain micro-organisms and bacteria that perform many useful functions, such as fermenting energy substrates that are unused, preventing harmful and pathogenic bacteria growth, and bolstering the immune system for your body.

• These foods are believed to have higher nutrient values than those of cooked foods.

• Raw foods do not contain excitotoxins, such as for example, flavor enhancers and do not cause excitotoxicity.

• They are high on antioxidants and help fight aging.

• They contain fewer trans fats and saturated fats than a typical Western diet. A typical raw food diet is also low on sodium and high on potassium, fiber, magnesium, and folate. Obviously, raw food is considered an excellent way to prevent heart disease and cancer.

• Raw foods, as its proponents claim, can increase the immunity levels in human beings. As such, you have increased protection from flu, cold, and measles. You can also prevent problems such as gas, indigestion, heartburn, and constipation.

• Studies over the years have shown that a raw diet has helped reduce and ward off obesity, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis.

• According to a study by German researchers in 2003, women can significantly lower the risks of breast cancer by including a large amount of raw vegetables in their diet.

• According to another research carried out in Germany, raw foods consumed on a long term basis has been found to cause favorable plasma beta-carotene and low plasma lycopene concentrations.

• A research found that the consumption of unpasteurized milk can significantly reduce allergies.

• Raw foods naturally have more flavors than cooked foods and therefore, don’t have to add salt, spices or any kind of condiments that can cause irritation to your organs and digestive system.

However, if you are thinking of becoming a raw foodie, step back and think a while. You need to exercise some care before you embrace raw foods and see how far your body is going to accept them. Fred Bisci, a renowned nutritionist and food scientist has been a raw foodie for the last 40 years and believes that a raw vegan diet can be the healthiest diet one can ever follow. However, Fred Bisci adds that one needs to follow a vegan diet correctly and monitor their nutrient levels regularly.

Indeed, the emphasis must be correctness and more importantly, on customization. No two human bodies are same and their requirements will vary widely too. Therefore, you should not be swayed by what the confirmed raw foodies say about raw foodism and must stick to what is beneficial for you. Consulting your doctor and taking a few medical tests to ascertain the suitability might be a good idea.

You need to watch out for certain deficiencies that may occur if you have been on a prolonged raw vegan diet. Vitamin B12 deficiency may eventually set in and those living in a cold climate may suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Taking a blood test and nutrient profile will be really helpful in determining the extent and nature of deficiencies. According to Fred Bisci, a raw vegan diet works wonders when one complements the diet with vitamin B12, vitamin D and other mineral supplements. In a nutshell, balance is the key to staying healthy and energetic with a raw food diet.

References

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/Raw_Food.htm

http://www.rawfoodhowto.com/ten-advantages-to-eating-raw.cfm

http://fresh-network.typepad.com/fresh_network_blog/2010/01/the-rise-of-raw-but-not-vegan.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism

Look up superfoods and you're likely to find berries, eggs, broccoli and quinoa. Great common foods, no question, but there's more out there! We've compiled a list of superfoods that for some reason very few are talking about.

Often we do know that something is good for us without knowing the reason why. Case in point maybe with superfoods. There are some of these amazing foods that have always been hailed as nutritious and good for health. However, thanks to modern technology and health processes, today we are able to identify these foods as superfoods and this is because they do not possess just a single nutrient, but many.

Superfoods are nutrient-rich foods that offer us many benefits at the same time so in effect you get more nutrition with lesser amount of food that you eat. Look at your lunch or dinner and you’re probably hard pressed to find even a single superfood in it. Instead it’s probably chockfull of cholesterol laden junk food that can do wonders to your waistline (increase it) and damage your heart and arteries irrevocably.

Superfoods are actually easily available and it’s only in recent times that they’ve been identified as superfoods with near super powers. Also, since everyone is now into organic food, it’s become easier to find these foods in most places where you wouldn’t have found them even a few years ago.

Why should you eat superfoods?

Obviously, it’s for the amazing health benefits that they offer. These foods are rich in nutrients and work wonders in keeping your mind and body healthy. But, this is not all. Once you start consuming superfoods on a regular basis, you will start noticing the difference in not just how you feel, but also how you look.

Eating these foods regularly makes your body healthier, helps you flush out toxins more frequently and leaves you with a healthy glow. It also helps you maintain your weight and you can continue to remain healthy without having to take annoying vitamins or mineral tablets. Superfoods in fact contain all the right nutrients in the right proportions. But there’s more. So far, you’ve only read that they contain nutrients. But what nutrients are these?

Typically superfoods contain antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, essential fatty acids, polysaccharides, enzymes and glyconutrients to name a few. However, the best part is that these foods are clean and pesticide free, organic sources of these nutrients, so in effect they act faster and work better.

So, what are these superfoods and where can you find them? Here’s a list of top 16 superfoods that you should include in your diet and see the remarkable changes that they bring in your life.

1. Goji berries – Also known as wolfberry, desert thorn and matrimony vine, these berries are typically found in Asia and America. Goji berries have many interesting legends associated with them, particularly Chinese. What makes these so popular is that they can grow well in harsh weathers of both extremes and they can even survive desert type of environment. Goji berries are deep red in color and are often dried and eaten as raisins. So, how does the Goji berry help you?

• Increases immunity
• Protects liver
• Improves eyesight
• Improves quality of blood
• Prevent aging

An important thing to remember is that Goji berries should not be used to treat illness but to prevent it from occurring. Also, Goji berries provide overall nourishment by providing an amazing number of rich nutrients. In fact, the number of nutrients that it contains by way of amino acids, vitamins, polysaccharides, HGH (human growth hormone), are too many to be listed.

Goji berries improve the quality of your life and help you live longer. The Chinese also believe that Goji berries can considerably enhance libido and improve sex life. However, the most important aspect of Goji berries is that it is a very rich source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are crucial to keep you young but also to improve vision and eyesight.  Goji berries are known to aid the production of choline, which stops the production of free radicals and prevents degeneration of the brain due to diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Finally, these are also known to protect the arteries from narrowing down due to build up of plaque along the walls, which can cause heart related diseases.

Goji berries can be added to tea or soups to make them healthier or you could just munch on them as you would with raisins. Goji berries can also be blended into smoothies or juices or added to other recipes to fortify them.

2. Açaí – This South American fruit has been one of the richest food sources for the people of the Amazon but it has started gaining immense popularity across the world as well for some of its excellent health benefits. The Amazon people of Brazil have been using the Açaí from many years and they seem to have fundamentally known that it had all these superfood powers without being formally educated about it. Scientists today are still discovering all the wonderful things that the Açaí berry can do, but nevertheless, some of its well known benefits have been documented already. Here’s a quick look at what the Açaí berry can do.

• Helps people sleep better
• Makes the immune system stronger
• Slows down the aging process
• Regulates the levels of cholesterol in the body
• Improves vision
• Improves circulation and functioning of the heart
• Reduces inflammation
• Detoxifies the body

What does the Açaí berry have which makes it such a fantastic superfood? It is known to contain significant amounts of essential fatty acids such as Omega 3 and Omega 6 as well as monounsaturated oleic acid. Açaí berries also have a high concentration of blue pigmented antioxidants and it has the one of the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) values amongst fruits. As we all know, free radicals are the cause of all harm in our bodies, including the ageing process and Açaí berries are excellent in absorbing these free radicals.

Açaí berries also contain plant sterols which are known for their cholesterol absorption qualities. Furthermore, Açaí berries have as many as nineteen different amino acids for building healthy proteins and it has plenty of dietary fiber as well which helps out in digestion.  Açaí berries also contain very less sugar and have plenty of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus and vitamins such as beta-carotene and vitamin E.  One of the most amazing qualities of Açaí berries is that since it has such a high concentration of anti-oxidants, it is also being considered as a cancer fighter, and research is being conducted to verify this aspect.

Today, the internet is full of information about how the Açaí berry can help you lose weight and yes, this is one of the fantastic side effects of using this berry. All the elements of Açaí berries such as fatty acids, amino acids, fiber and phytosterols work together to help you burn body fat and become trimmer.

Açaí berries can be consumed as supplements or as part of smoothies and juices. No matter how you consume it, it’s bound to benefit you in many ways, so make it a part of your regular diet.

3. Cacao – There’s always some sort of research being conducted on chocolate and every time the findings are always positive. This goes to show that chocolate is indeed good for us, but if you’ve noticed, the findings are always in favor of dark chocolate, a chocolate with very little sugar content. If you travel a little backwards and see, the origin of chocolate, that is, the cacao beans are actually much more than a source of chocolate. These are superfoods in themselves and have some amazing health benefits.

Cacao has a fascinating history with plenty of legends surrounding it, but what can be deduced is that until sugar was added, the drink made from cacao was considered highly potent. Today, there’s plenty of research available to suggest that cacao is indeed really good for us. Here are the ways in which cacao can help us as far as health is concerned.  Now don't run out and gorge on chocolate, cacao is a stimulant so moderation is key! Here are some amazing benefits of using cacao:

• Increases blood flow to the brain and enhances brain function
• Has a high concentration of anti oxidants such as polyphenols, catechins and epicatechins. Anti oxidants as we all know are the holy grail of youth and a disease free life.
• The magnesium in cacao is good for the heart, helps prevent constipation and even eases menstrual cramps.
• Cacao also has iron, which makes it a great weapon to fight against anemia.
• Cacao contains chromium, a trace mineral which works wonders to maintain the balance of blood sugar.
• Manganese, another trace mineral that can be found in cacao is great when it comes to building up of hemoglobin.
• Zinc, another mineral that cacao contains is known for its essential role in enhancing our immune system.
• Raw cacao contains vitamin C as well which has its own gamut of uses.
• Raw cacao contains essential omega 6 fatty acids. An important thing to note is that cooked and processed chocolate contains rancid omega 6 fatty acids or trans fats which are not healthy for you.
• Cacao beans contain certain compounds that can trigger weight loss, make you feel good and improve your mood considerably.
• The fiber in cacao beans works wonderfully to cleanse the digestive system.

Cacao can be found as cacao beans with or without the skin, cacao nibs, cacao butter, powder or paste and ideally it should all be organic. A great idea would be to buy raw cacao products and include them in your usual drinks such as tea or coffee or even coconut water. You can also use cacao nibs in desserts but ideally if you love dark chocolate, you should be able to adjust to the bitter taste of raw cacao which can do so many wonders for your body. Science yet has to understand the many layers and benefits of chocolate, but these are indeed pretty much there for everyone to see.

4. Maca – Maca is typically found in the Andes, at a high location where the land is barren and weather conditions extreme. These harsh conditions could probably be the reason why the maca root is chockfull of nutrients which makes it a highly valued superfood. Maca root in its various forms, either powdered or cooked has been traditionally consumed by the people of the Andes for many years and in recent times, scientists are recognizing it for its immense nutritional value. The world over, people are waking up to the enormous health benefits it offers, making it a highly prized superfood. Here’s how it can help you:

• Increases stamina and libido
• Helps the endocrine system function properly, thereby eliminating hormonal imbalances
• Lowers anemia and alleviates menstrual discomfort and cramps
• Is also known to be effective in fighting stomach cancer and tuberculosis
• Rich source of fatty acids and sterols
• Has a good concentration of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus as well as vitamins such as B1, C, B2 and E
• Known to help women deal with menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings
• Works wonders at reducing the symptoms of altitude sickness

Maca root is usually dried and powdered and can be consumed as part of smoothies, teas, milk or coffee. Maca chocolate bars and energy bars are also available, but the most amazing thing is that maca works best with cacao so you can combine these two superfoods and create your own super powered superfood.

A word of caution though. As with anything, extremes are not a good idea, so never consume more maca than you should because it can cause adverse reactions in your body. Hyperactivity, insomnia, diarrhea and dehydration are some of the side effects that can occur as a result of over dosage of maca.

Maca is indeed one of the more potent types of superfoods because these can cause changes in the way you live and react as well. It’s always advised to use superfoods cautiously and never in excess because of the side effects that can result.

Next week, we’ll learn about some more amazing superfoods, some you may not have heard of. Until then, eat well and stay healthy!

This is an amazing recipe that you will love!
Crust

2 cups raw, finely ground almonds (grind prior to use)
3 cups diced, crimini mushrooms
1 cup spinach leaves, chopped
¾ cup diced, broccoli crowns
½ small, red bell pepper chopped
¾ cup diced, white and green onions (combo of both)
5 pieces, softened sun-dried tomatoes
1/8 cup olive oil
¼ cup tahini (or a little less)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried tarragon
1 TB Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 TB lemon juice
½ cup water (to help blend)

In food processor, combine all of the crust ingredients. Process until it forms a ball. Spread out on parchment paper lined dehydrator screen. Dehydrate until firm.

Spicy Red Pepper Spread

1 small red bell pepper
6-9 (depending on size) softened sun-dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, pressed
½ small white onion, chopped
sea salt
ground cayenne pepper

Blend until thick and creamy.

For this pizza I topped it with zucchini that marinated in a small amount of Nama Shoyu, paprika, and just a pinch of ground chipotle chili pepper. Sliced onions, fresh parsley, and raw pine nuts helped finish the toppings list. You can put on whatever you like.

After pizza crust is firm spoon the red pepper spread on thick.
Top with zucchini, onions, pine nuts and parsley.

Found at http://irawvegan.blogspot.com/2009/06/veggie-pizzaraw.html