You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong><br />
<strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
by<br />
Robyn Openshaw<br />
i
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
Published by Robyn Openshaw/GreenSmoothieGirl.com<br />
Lindon, UT<br />
5th Printing December 2011<br />
Copyright © 2008-2011 Robyn Openshaw/GreenSmoothieGirl.com<br />
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, s<strong>to</strong>red in or introduced in<strong>to</strong> a retrieval system, or<br />
transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, pho<strong>to</strong>copying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior<br />
written permission of the copyright owner.<br />
ISBN 978-0-9831113-7-5<br />
Printed in the United States of America.<br />
Credits<br />
Cover pho<strong>to</strong>graphy & design: Alana Mae Jenkins (southcoastdesigner@hotmail.com)<br />
Food staging & pho<strong>to</strong>graphy: Katie Dudley (katiedudley3@gmail.com)<br />
Editing & page design/formatting: Deb Tokarewich (d<strong>to</strong>karewich@yahoo.com)<br />
Disclaimer<br />
Nothing in this book is intended <strong>to</strong> claim <strong>to</strong> diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This book is not a substitute for<br />
primary medical care, but should be seen rather as an educational resource.<br />
Trademarks<br />
All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.<br />
ii
Table of Contents<br />
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i<br />
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi<br />
Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii<br />
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1<br />
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5<br />
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9<br />
What Is the Goal of This Program? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9<br />
How Do I Know What’s True and What’s Not in Nutrition? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10<br />
How Do I Get My Kids <strong>to</strong> Eat Right? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11<br />
More Reading on Raising Kids and Nutrition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18<br />
Don’t I Need <strong>to</strong> Eat for My Blood/Metabolic Type? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19<br />
What about Food Combining and Digestive Problems? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19<br />
Will I Have <strong>to</strong> Use Lots of Tools and Ingredients I’m Not Familiar With? . . . 21<br />
Why Should I Document My Health in <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> Journal Entries? . . . . . . . . . . 22<br />
Why Should I Make Changes with a Support System in Place? . . . . . . . . . . . . 23<br />
How Will I Find the Time? The GreenSmoothieGirl Law of Physics . . . . . . . 26<br />
CHAPTER 1 Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29<br />
Why Soft Drinks Are Bad for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />
What <strong>to</strong> Do about a Cleansing Reaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32<br />
The Highest and Best Use of Your Kitchen Time: Green Smoothies . . . . . . . . 33<br />
Benefits of Green Smoothies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35<br />
Sugar Restrictions and Sweeteners for Smoothies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39<br />
Nutritional Facts of Various Greens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40<br />
Protein in Green Smoothies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41<br />
Money-Saving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42<br />
Green Smoothie Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42<br />
Green Smoothie Testimonials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> i
Table of Contents<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52<br />
CHAPTER 2 Making Salad the Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53<br />
What about Protein? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55<br />
Why Are Enzymes So Important?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56<br />
Why Maximize Raw Food?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57<br />
What Salad Greens Should I Buy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58<br />
Money-Saving Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59<br />
Basic Salad Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62<br />
Everyday Green Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Onion-Cucumber Salad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63<br />
Party Salads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63<br />
Craisin Salad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64<br />
Cabbage Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64<br />
Christmasy Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66<br />
Waldorf Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67<br />
Asian Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67<br />
Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68<br />
Southwest Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69<br />
Salsa Verde Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73<br />
CHAPTER 3 Dressing Up Your Salads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75<br />
Dangerous Ingredients in Commercial Salad Dressings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76<br />
High-Nutrition Ingredients <strong>to</strong> Use Instead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77<br />
Money- and Time-Saving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79<br />
Salad Dressing Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82<br />
Craisin Salad Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82<br />
Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83<br />
Orange-Walnut Salad Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84<br />
Avocado Dressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84<br />
ii<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Table of Contents<br />
Cabbage Salad Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85<br />
Tangy Dill Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85<br />
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86<br />
Maple Syrup Dressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87<br />
Asian Ginger Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87<br />
Ranch Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87<br />
Green Goddess Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88<br />
Bleu Cheese Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88<br />
Balsamic-Miso Vinaigrette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89<br />
Honey Dressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89<br />
Yogurt Curry Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90<br />
Pes<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91<br />
Cilantro-Toma<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91<br />
Salsa Verde Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92<br />
Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94<br />
Lemon-Lime Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94<br />
CHAPTER 4 Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95<br />
Why Should I Eat Flaxseed Oil? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97<br />
Shouldn’t I Be Eating Fish Oil?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98<br />
Why Should I Eat Coconut Oil? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99<br />
Why Should I Eat Olive Oil?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100<br />
What Are the Best Oils for My Beauty Regimen? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101<br />
How Can I Eat Coconut, Olive, and Flax Oils?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102<br />
Coconut Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102<br />
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102<br />
Flaxseed Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102<br />
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103<br />
Coconut Oil Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106<br />
Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108<br />
Almond Joyful Fudge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110<br />
Microwave Popcorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110<br />
Faux Kettle Corn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1<strong>12</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> iii
Table of Contents<br />
Rice Pudding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1<strong>12</strong><br />
Millet Porridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113<br />
Flaxseed Oil Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113<br />
Flax/Coconut “Butter” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113<br />
Flaxseed Cookies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114<br />
Garlic Mayo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117<br />
CHAPTER 5 Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119<br />
Making Gardening a Family Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <strong>12</strong>0<br />
Why Heirloom Seeds?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <strong>12</strong>1<br />
Where <strong>to</strong> Put Your Gardening Efforts—And How. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <strong>12</strong>3<br />
What <strong>to</strong> Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <strong>12</strong>3<br />
What Are the Easiest Green Smoothie Ingredients <strong>to</strong> Grow? . . . . . . . . . . . <strong>12</strong>8<br />
What about Organic Produce? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <strong>12</strong>9<br />
Why Should I Consider Square-Foot Gardening? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130<br />
How Do I Keep the Pests Away without Using Chemicals? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132<br />
How Can I Get Garden Produce in the Winter? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133<br />
Money-Saving Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135<br />
Beet Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140<br />
Russian Borscht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140<br />
Beets in Spicy Mustard Sauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142<br />
Marinated Steamed Beets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142<br />
Bell Pepper Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143<br />
Tempeh Pitas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144<br />
Carrot Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144<br />
Buttery Dill Sautéed Carrots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144<br />
Carrot-Orange Soup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146<br />
Chard Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146<br />
Pasta and Garlic Greens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146<br />
Chard Rice Rolls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147<br />
Green Bean Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147<br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148<br />
iv<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Table of Contents<br />
Kale Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149<br />
Easy Kale Salad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149<br />
Pasta with Kale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150<br />
Spinach Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151<br />
Sautéed Garlic Spinach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151<br />
Dinner Pancakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152<br />
Zucchini/Squash Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152<br />
Squash Fritters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153<br />
Zucchini Pitas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153<br />
Rainbow Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154<br />
Vanilla Pudding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155<br />
CHAPTER 6 Making Plant-Based Main Dishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157<br />
Will I Get Enough Protein and Calcium with Plant <strong>Foods</strong>? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158<br />
What If I Love Pota<strong>to</strong>es? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161<br />
What about Protein, Carbs, and Glycemic Index?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161<br />
Introducing Grains/Seeds You Can Cook With. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162<br />
Cautions about the Glycemic Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163<br />
Tips for Cooking Beans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164<br />
Tips for Saving Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong> (and Root Vegetable) Main Dish Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168<br />
Garlic-Greens Mashed Pota<strong>to</strong>es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171<br />
Quinoa Main Dish Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172<br />
Curried Quinoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173<br />
Southwest Quinoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176<br />
Grain/Seed, Pasta, and Legume Main Dish Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177<br />
Lentil Tacos (also Taco Salad) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179<br />
Mexicali Wraps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> v
Table of Contents<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182<br />
Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184<br />
Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185<br />
Country Market Stew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185<br />
Vegetarian Chili . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186<br />
Green Lentil Soup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187<br />
Split Pea Soup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196<br />
CHAPTER 7 Sprouting and Dehydrating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199<br />
Why Is Sprouting Important? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200<br />
How Can I Eat Bread with Sprouted Grains? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201<br />
How Do I Sprout Grains, Nuts, and Seeds? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202<br />
What <strong>Foods</strong> Should I Sprout? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203<br />
Other Sproutable <strong>Foods</strong>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204<br />
The Virtues of Flax Seed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205<br />
Dehydrated Snacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205<br />
Money-Saving Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207<br />
Sprouted Almond Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210<br />
Sprouted-Nut Milk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210<br />
Candied Nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210<br />
Teriyaki Almonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210<br />
Cocoa Almonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211<br />
Almond Cherry Cookies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211<br />
Sprouted Pumpkin Seed Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Sprouted-Seed Crackers/Chips Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Nori Nachos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214<br />
vi<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Table of Contents<br />
Parmesan Flax Crackers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216<br />
Savory Flax Crackers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216<br />
Kale Chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217<br />
Dill Pickle Kale Crisps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217<br />
Lemony Kale Crisps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217<br />
“Cheesy” Collard / Kale Crisps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218<br />
Other Recipe Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219<br />
Sprouted Hummus Spread. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220<br />
Roasted Eggplant Spread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221<br />
Salsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221<br />
Guacamole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222<br />
CHAPTER 8 Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223<br />
Fermented Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224<br />
Fermented Dairy Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224<br />
Fermented Grains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228<br />
Money-Saving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230<br />
Kefir Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233<br />
Dairy or Goat Milk Kefir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233<br />
Coconut Liquid Kefir / Water Kefir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235<br />
Yogurt Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236<br />
Basic Yogurt Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236<br />
Almond Yogurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237<br />
Other Fermented Dairy Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237<br />
Crème Fraîche (Sour Cream) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237<br />
Cultured Butter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237<br />
Rejuvelac Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238<br />
Raw Kombucha Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238<br />
Fermented Vegetable Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240<br />
Pickled Beets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240<br />
Beet Kvass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241<br />
Pickle Slices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241<br />
Spiced Carrots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241<br />
Sauerkraut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242<br />
Kimchi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> vii
Table of Contents<br />
CHAPTER 9 Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245<br />
What Are the <strong>Whole</strong> Grains? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248<br />
How Do I Substitute <strong>Whole</strong> Grain for White Flour? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249<br />
What Are Phytates and How Do I Avoid Them? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249<br />
Should I Combine a Grain and Legume for “Perfect Proteins”? . . . . . . . . . . . . 251<br />
Why Is Commercial Yeast Bad and Sourdough Good? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251<br />
What Other Grains Besides Wheat Make Good Bread and Other<br />
Baked Goods? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253<br />
What Is the 1, 2 Rating System in the Recipes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255<br />
Money-Saving Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259<br />
Buttermilk Cornbread (1 or 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260<br />
Ethiopian Flatbread (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262<br />
Chapati (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Biscuits (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263<br />
Polenta (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264<br />
Rice Milk (1 or 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266<br />
Amaranth L’Orange (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread and Variation (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269<br />
Kamut Sourdough Pita Pockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269<br />
Sourdough <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Bread and Variations (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270<br />
Darlene’s Kamut Sourdough Bread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272<br />
CHAPTER 10 Starting Your Morning Off Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275<br />
Why Drink Water upon Waking? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275<br />
Why Should I Use Salt, and What Kind? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277<br />
How Do I Make Sole (Salt Solution)? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279<br />
Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280<br />
What Is the 1, 2, 3 Rating System in the Recipes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281<br />
Breakfast Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284<br />
Robyn’s Granola (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285<br />
Kefir Smoothie (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286<br />
viii<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Table of Contents<br />
Nut Milk (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286<br />
Coconut Milk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289<br />
German Pancakes (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten Free) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291<br />
Flax Waffles (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292<br />
Three Toppings for Pancakes and Waffles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293<br />
Live Granola (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296<br />
Breakfast Pudding (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296<br />
Chia Pudding (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297<br />
CHAPTER 11 Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299<br />
How Do I Convert a Treat Recipe <strong>to</strong> Be Nutritious?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300<br />
What Is the 1, 2, 3 Rating System in the Recipes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302<br />
Treat Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305<br />
Chocolate Beet Cake (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305<br />
Zucchini Bread (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307<br />
Chocolate Frosting (1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308<br />
Quinoa Cookies (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies (1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310<br />
Orange-Glaze Donuts (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311<br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Orange-Almond Pudding with Berry Sauce (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Berry Sauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313<br />
Almond Cream Sauce (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313<br />
Gelatin Dessert (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313<br />
Popsicles (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313<br />
Fruity Sorbet (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> ix
Table of Contents<br />
Chocolate Shake (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314<br />
Chocolate Goji Smoothie (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316<br />
Chocolate Pudding (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318<br />
Lemon Chews (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318<br />
Chocolate Balls (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319<br />
Halva (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319<br />
World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream or Shake (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream (3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl’s Oat-Coconut Cookie Mix with Variations (1). . . . . . 321<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s Amazing “Power through the Day” Bars (2). . . . . . . 323<br />
Other Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323<br />
CHAPTER <strong>12</strong> Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325<br />
Why Is Water So Important?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325<br />
Shouldn’t I Avoid Drinking Water Because It’s Contaminated? . . . . . . . . . . . . 326<br />
Why Is Alkalinity Important? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327<br />
WHY Should I Drink Alkaline Water?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328<br />
WHEN Should I Drink Alkaline Water?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328<br />
HOW Do I Get Alkaline Water? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329<br />
What <strong>Foods</strong> Are Alkaline and Acid? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329<br />
Should I Buy a Dehydrated Greens Product? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331<br />
Your Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Food Sweeteners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337<br />
Non-<strong>Whole</strong>-<strong>Foods</strong> Sweeteners <strong>to</strong> Avoid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338<br />
Other Unfamiliar Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338<br />
For Those Wanting <strong>to</strong> Eat More Raw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341<br />
For Anyone Wanting <strong>to</strong> Read the World’s Most Important Books<br />
on Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342<br />
For Those Interested in Cleansing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345<br />
For Parents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345<br />
For Those Wanting <strong>to</strong> Grow a Garden (the #1 Way <strong>to</strong> Save Money<br />
When Eating a Plant-Based Diet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347<br />
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351<br />
x<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
About the Author<br />
Robyn Openshaw grew up the eldest of eight children, raised on a tight budget where the menu was dominated<br />
by simple plant foods: whole grains and legumes, greens, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. She has a<br />
Web site, GreenSmoothieGirl.com, with tens of thousands of new visi<strong>to</strong>rs monthly, dedicated <strong>to</strong> helping people<br />
achieve high energy and vibrant health. Its mission is <strong>to</strong> teach families how <strong>to</strong> live a whole-food lifestyle<br />
(mostly plants and 60-80% raw) diet that is easy, inexpensive, and delicious in addition <strong>to</strong> nourishing.<br />
Robyn taught at a university and now lectures all over the U.S. She is the author of <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
with over 175 recipes, The Green Smoothies Diet, Healthy Holiday Favorites and several other recipe books,<br />
and a children’s book, The Adventures of Junk Food Dude.<br />
She is a single mom of four competitive athletes with high-caloric needs who help develop and test her<br />
recipes. She converted <strong>to</strong> a whole-foods, 95% plant-based diet when her oldest child was a year old and<br />
critically ill and underweight. Not only is that boy now a 6'3" standout high school pitcher, but she also cured<br />
herself completely of 21 chronic health conditions, including being overweight, three au<strong>to</strong>-immune conditions,<br />
transient ischemic attacks and migraines, and the need <strong>to</strong> wear corrective eyewear.<br />
She received undergraduate and graduate degrees from BYU and the University of Utah and loves “arranging<br />
the elements” in the kitchen, reading and writing, cycling, running, skiing, and competitive tennis.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> xi
Reviews<br />
What People Are Saying about <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
My friends and I left at 4:45 a.m. <strong>to</strong> attend your class in Portland several hours away. I was so nervous <strong>to</strong> meet<br />
and talk with you, and sat on the front row trying <strong>to</strong> get the courage <strong>to</strong> talk <strong>to</strong> you.<br />
I started <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> just over a year ago and I have lost 100 lbs.! When you introduced me <strong>to</strong> the<br />
crowd in Portland, everyone gasped. Until that moment it had not really occurred <strong>to</strong> me what losing 100 lbs.<br />
meant. I just knew how wonderful it was <strong>to</strong> look in the mirror and see “me” again and know I am on the right<br />
path that will allow me <strong>to</strong> stay this way forever. [Following are K’Lynne’s “before” and “after” pho<strong>to</strong>s.]<br />
I have been overweight my whole life. I have tried <strong>to</strong>ns of “diets.” Sometimes I lost weight, but the weight<br />
came back. Someone <strong>to</strong>ld me about GreenSmoothieGirl.com, and I loved what I saw there. I read <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong><br />
cover <strong>to</strong> cover within a few weeks and immediately put it in<strong>to</strong> practice. I drank my vegetables in a green<br />
smoothie, cut out processed foods, ate more whole grains and natural foods, and sprouted and dehydrated food<br />
as well. I’m off my blood pressure meds and I feel better and happier than I have in many years.<br />
People noticed my transformation and asked me what I was doing. I am usually a woman of few words, so I<br />
just <strong>to</strong>ld them about the first step, green smoothies, and directed them <strong>to</strong> GreenSmoothieGirl.com. I am amazed<br />
how people are so ready <strong>to</strong> get healthy, and it’s so easy <strong>to</strong> share, so I tell everyone because I am so passionate!<br />
My good friend with breast cancer <strong>to</strong>ld me that whatever I was doing, she wanted <strong>to</strong> know more, because she<br />
could tell I’d made a comprehensive change for the better.<br />
xii<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Now she has <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> and is in remission, loving being healthy and sharing with others as well!<br />
I have done all <strong>12</strong> steps. I did not count calories. I did not feel deprived. I ate yummy food. Everything in the<br />
program makes logical sense and is the way we should naturally eat. I love the recipes and feel the knowledge<br />
I have gained is a blessing. I’m excited <strong>to</strong> learn and experiment with new things, more whole foods.<br />
I feel like I’ve been asleep and now I am awake, full of life, looking forward <strong>to</strong> a long, happy, healthy life!<br />
—K’Lynne Wagner, Oregon<br />
Decades ago, “scientists” and “nutritionists” assumed control over the creation and dissemination of nutrition<br />
information. With <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong>, Robyn Openshaw gives the control back <strong>to</strong> the best sources of<br />
wisdom: Mother Nature…and mothers.<br />
I was fortunate <strong>to</strong> discover <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> when my children were very young (i.e., still in diapers).<br />
My oldest was just beginning <strong>to</strong> eat solid foods and had no firmly established eating habits or preferences. For<br />
my family, this book has been more than a “health kick” or fad—it is a lifestyle and parenting guide. The things<br />
I have learned and experienced with this program empower me <strong>to</strong> raise my children with confidence that if I<br />
nurture their bodies with good food, their bodies will take care of themselves. I’ve learned from Robyn that<br />
providing my family with good nutrition at each and every meal is not impossible; it is doable, fun, fairly<br />
inexpensive, and yummy!<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> is a compendium of all the best practices in good nutrition, a concise yet thorough<br />
summary containing as much information as you might get in a dozen other books. This program fills two gaps<br />
in the existing body of nutrition education: (1) it provides research-based information about the basic principles<br />
of nutrition, giving readers the knowledge necessary <strong>to</strong> make informed choices about what we put in our<br />
bodies, and (2) it contains hundreds of delicious recipes that empower and excite readers <strong>to</strong> act on their new<br />
knowledge. And though the people of our world have ample cause <strong>to</strong> be alarmed by the state of our health,<br />
Robyn writes in a voice that is nurturing, encouraging, and helpful—not angry, strident, and paranoid.<br />
The step-by-step organization of this program helped my family make significant changes without getting<br />
overwhelmed and quitting. And the results of our new habits manifested themselves immediately:<br />
• Step 1 gave us healthy digestive systems that operate like clockwork (a huge benefit with potty training<br />
young ones!).<br />
• <strong>Steps</strong> 2 and 3 showed us that salads can be diverse and delicious—the centerpiece of every dinner—and<br />
that even two-year-olds can eat and enjoy salads.<br />
• Step 4 taught us natural and efficient ways <strong>to</strong> use healthy oils <strong>to</strong> obtain Omega 3s and improve the<br />
softness of our skin.<br />
• Step 5 motivated us <strong>to</strong> plant our first garden and <strong>to</strong> get our children involved in their own nutrition. As<br />
a result, they tried several new vegetables and are proud <strong>to</strong> eat what they grow.<br />
• Step 6 was a huge eye-opener for our family because it showed me how <strong>to</strong> bring vegetables out of their<br />
side-dish hiding place and how <strong>to</strong> make plant-based dishes hearty enough <strong>to</strong> provide the main substance<br />
of a meal.<br />
• Step 7 taught me a skill I didn't even know existed: sprouting. The recipes help me provide healthy<br />
snacks for my children so they don't feel deprived when I tell them we don’t eat goldfish and fruit<br />
snacks.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> xiii
• Step 8 expanded my palate significantly and taught me <strong>to</strong> make and use kefir <strong>to</strong> keep our immune<br />
systems at their best. It gives me confidence <strong>to</strong> say no <strong>to</strong> antibiotics and <strong>to</strong> pursue good nutrition even<br />
when illness hits.<br />
• Step 9 shattered my illusions that I was healthy because I followed government guidelines <strong>to</strong> make at<br />
least half of our grains whole grains. I have since experimented with several of the grains Robyn<br />
teaches about and have loved the variety of taste they bring <strong>to</strong> our table.<br />
• Step 10 was a godsend for my children and husband who get bored eating the same breakfast (green<br />
smoothie and granola) every morning. The delicious breakfast recipes make weekends a special time<br />
for our family.<br />
• Step 11 helps me share my lifestyle with others at parties and potlucks because my nutritious treats are<br />
always a huge hit. I enjoy knowing that I can “splurge” a bit without setting aside all I know about<br />
nutrition.<br />
• Step <strong>12</strong> made me much more aware of the role that water plays in nutrition. I have significantly<br />
increased the amount of water my family drinks each day, and we are feeling the benefits of that new<br />
habit. Though I haven't purchased an alkaline filter yet, I am definitely more aware of how important<br />
water is for my body.<br />
Following <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> has absolutely changed my family's life. It gave us the knowledge and<br />
confidence <strong>to</strong> turn away from the “Standard American Diet” and <strong>to</strong> embrace a whole-foods lifestyle that is<br />
nurturing, joyful, and healthful.<br />
—Tina Huntsman (New Mexico)<br />
Robyn Openshaw’s <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> is by far the most comprehensive, must-read, nutritional material<br />
out there! Our family has spent years reading the latest raw-food books/plans and struggled with contradicting<br />
information. We found most recipes <strong>to</strong> be <strong>to</strong>o time consuming, complicated, and expensive for our large<br />
family. And we still had questions—if we are <strong>to</strong> eat “every seed bearing thing,” why aren’t grains widely used<br />
in raw food recipes? What about good qualities of dairy, such as probiotics in yogurt, etc.? Most importantly,<br />
how can a mom of four with a limited budget possibly make it all work?<br />
I found Robyn’s site by chance—and all of a sudden the answers (plus more!) we’d been searching for were<br />
right in front of our eyes. Robyn has covered pretty much every <strong>to</strong>pic in the nutrition field with a<br />
simple, doable approach. We are excited <strong>to</strong> finally have found a way <strong>to</strong> make nutrition work for our family!<br />
—Jennifer Bartlett<br />
Two years ago, illness and disease brought my life <strong>to</strong> a grinding halt. The medical community could not<br />
explain my symp<strong>to</strong>ms nor could they offer me relief from my pain. I began <strong>to</strong> read books on natural healing<br />
and discovered the underlying truth that I needed <strong>to</strong> revamp my diet. I stumbled upon a GreenSmoothieGirl<br />
video on YouTube and discovered <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> shortly thereafter on the GSG Web site [in early<br />
2008]. What an amazing experience that was! Within a few short months, I was able <strong>to</strong> completely<br />
revolutionize my nutritional world. Wow!!<br />
xiv<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
The <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> program is a well researched, easy-<strong>to</strong>-read guide on eating well, with lots of great suggestions on<br />
how <strong>to</strong> save time and money. Since implementing this program, I feel so confident about nutritionally meeting<br />
the needs of my family. Every chapter has fabulous recipes and challenging nutritional content. It charts a clear,<br />
achievable course for people who want <strong>to</strong> eat well but just don't know how.<br />
Since living the GSG diet, I have healed my metabolism. I weigh 20 pounds less and I finally feel comfortable<br />
with my weight and how my clothes fit. My diet has become the foundation <strong>to</strong> my healing program, and the<br />
improvement in my health has been remarkable in the last two years. I have way more energy and am excited<br />
about how my health will continue <strong>to</strong> improve.<br />
I greatly appreciate the information in the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> program; it is well balanced and integrates time-tested<br />
traditional ways of eating with the latest research on healthy eating. Thank you for being a calm, reassuring<br />
voice that encourages us <strong>to</strong> make lifelong change. It’s not about products or gimmicks. It works for moms on<br />
tight budgets who stand as nutritional gatekeepers <strong>to</strong> the home. It worked for me, and now my family is reaping<br />
the many, many benefits of whole foods! Thank you!<br />
—Darlene U., Canada<br />
I have LOVED <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong>! The book is very informational and easy <strong>to</strong> understand and implement. The biggest<br />
thing I want <strong>to</strong> comment on are the recipes. Recipes are key <strong>to</strong> success, and you need good-tasting recipes <strong>to</strong><br />
make transitions like these. Robyn’s recipes are FANTASTIC! I have yet <strong>to</strong> try any that we did not love and<br />
now use as a family favorite consistently. Whenever I am “experimenting” with new recipes, my hubby gets<br />
nervous—but if I tell him it’s a <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> recipe, he calms down and doesn’t worry since there’s not one he<br />
hasn’t loved. I really like that I can count on the recipes being tasty since I’ve read/owned many, many health<br />
books with terrible recipes in them—blah! But these are great!<br />
Another thing I wanted <strong>to</strong> mention about the recipes is that we eat gluten, dairy, egg, and soy free, and a huge<br />
majority of the recipes are naturally free of these things. There are still plenty of worthwhile recipes in the<br />
collections having these restrictions that make it worth the purchase.<br />
I love that Robyn has broken it in<strong>to</strong> <strong>12</strong> steps—and if you can add them in<strong>to</strong> your life, you will be so much<br />
healthier and happier!<br />
—Laura Tervort<br />
I have been reading Robyn’s blog for a few months and then attended a class she taught about green<br />
smoothies. It has been just over a month, but we are drinking green smoothies daily and I’ve already converted<br />
a few friends. I can’t help but smile as I watch my five kids drink their smoothies loaded with veggies and fruits<br />
every day.<br />
I bought the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> program shortly after I started my new green smoothie habit. I had already watched all of<br />
the YouTube videos and read everything on GreenSmoothieGirl.com. I just couldn’t get enough. I have read so<br />
many books and articles on healthy eating, and this feels like a breath of fresh air. I find some of the same<br />
things I’ve learned elsewhere, but <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> is much easier and more enjoyable <strong>to</strong> read and follow.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> xv
I love the practical approach. I love that Robyn is sensitive <strong>to</strong> the time and money constraints that are part of<br />
real life. The program is simple, affordable, and doable even for a busy mom with five kids. We are just getting<br />
started, but I’ve made the Chocolate Beet Cake (Ch. 11) along with several different smoothies and some<br />
fabulous salads. I’m so excited <strong>to</strong> implement each of these steps throughout the coming year and record the<br />
benefits that we experience from each upgrade <strong>to</strong> our diet.<br />
The <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> program is loaded with information. I bought a freezer and am already planning for my garden<br />
next year with all of this new information in mind. It has really changed the way I look at food and food<br />
preparation.<br />
I can’t thank you enough for the time and effort you’ve put in<strong>to</strong> sorting through all of the information available<br />
and bringing the most relevant and useful information in<strong>to</strong> one program that can be followed by anyone.<br />
Perhaps the biggest challenge is <strong>to</strong> take it one step at a time and not get overwhelmed by trying <strong>to</strong> do it all at<br />
once. Thanks again, and keep up the good work.<br />
—Kelleen P.<br />
I started drinking green smoothies kind of sporadically about three months ago. I felt great when I had them,<br />
but some days I didn’t plan well enough and forgot <strong>to</strong> make them. When I’m on green smoothies I feel lighter,<br />
lose weight quickly, and sleep better. My whole energy over all is so much higher, and my skin looks the best it<br />
ever has! A few weeks ago, for some reason, I s<strong>to</strong>pped drinking them and dove back in<strong>to</strong> not eating great, and<br />
I felt awful immediately. My skin broke out badly and I was miserable. That’s when I said I am never going off<br />
of them again. I started again last Tuesday, and here it is Monday—and I feel wonderful again!<br />
I have a hot pink smoothie in the morning and a piece of fruit mid-morning. Lunch is a green smoothie and<br />
salad, sometimes just some almonds. Dinner is something healthy and a large salad. I have no cravings for any<br />
of the junk I used <strong>to</strong> live on. And my kids actually really do like green smoothies. The way I make mine, they<br />
taste like lemonade, which they like. I also started cooking with coconut oil and using it on my skin. Wow! I<br />
will never use anything else again! The recipes are awesome and the advice is great! This is the best lifestyle<br />
change ever, so thank you!<br />
—Beth from Connecticut<br />
I am so glad I found Robyn’s <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong>. The book is well organized and easy <strong>to</strong> read, and I feel<br />
the step-by-step approach is so beneficial. In my counseling with people, very few people can jump in<strong>to</strong> a<br />
healthy lifestyle all at once. Taking one step at a time is more often lasting and permanent in their lives. It has<br />
been a great <strong>to</strong>ol for me <strong>to</strong> recommend <strong>to</strong> people wanting <strong>to</strong> be healthier and wondering where <strong>to</strong> start. <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong><br />
takes people by their hand and gently guides them in<strong>to</strong> a healthier lifestyle. I would encourage you <strong>to</strong> change<br />
your health step by step.<br />
—NutriMom<br />
xvi<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Over the years, I have learned a lot of good information about nutrition, but I have never been able <strong>to</strong> follow<br />
through with what I know. So many nutrition gurus make it sound like you need <strong>to</strong> go <strong>to</strong> extremes <strong>to</strong> be healthy,<br />
and it’s very difficult <strong>to</strong> follow these programs and still participate in social events. Robyn insists on good<br />
nutrition, but she is not extreme.<br />
The <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> program is something I can do—and with my children! Robyn makes fantastic<br />
nutrition available <strong>to</strong> everyone, including single/working moms and families with low budgets. The program is<br />
set up <strong>to</strong> work at your own pace. If you are overwhelmed, you can go slowly and introduce one step per month.<br />
If you are ready <strong>to</strong> make big changes, you can speed up the steps.<br />
Robyn’s recipes taste good! She includes many recipes that reluctant children and adults will enjoy. I tell<br />
people about Robyn’s green smoothies all the time. If someone is ready <strong>to</strong> make changes in their diet, I tell<br />
them about the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> course. This is a program that I can recommend without worry—it is<br />
not extreme and it is doable!<br />
—Katie Gibson<br />
I have learned so much from the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> program! I have learned <strong>to</strong> go back <strong>to</strong> the basics,<br />
what God intended us <strong>to</strong> eat. So many people ask me, “Well, what do you eat then?” There is an abundance of<br />
food <strong>to</strong> eat! It is aggravating because so many people are so ignorant about good nutrition. I am now more<br />
aware of all the advertisements promoting good nutrition in certain products just <strong>to</strong> make a sale, when they are<br />
really so far from good nutrition.<br />
I tell so many people about the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> program! It is very obvious that I do not eat according <strong>to</strong> the ways of<br />
the world. I stand out like a sore thumb when I don’t eat the food at a party and I bring my own snacks. For<br />
example, I was at dinner a few months ago and one of the other guests was a pharmacist. He was giving me a<br />
hard time about why I eat the way I do. He asked, “Why do you eat like that?” I said, “To put you out of<br />
business one day.” He said, “Well, what about when you get diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol?” I<br />
<strong>to</strong>ld him I wouldn’t get those diseases because of the way I eat and the things I do. People don’t get how<br />
important food is—not just <strong>to</strong> live but <strong>to</strong> live a healthy, full life and stay out of the doc<strong>to</strong>r’s office. I have not<br />
gotten sick since being on the program. I am a runner and feel better than I did before.<br />
I have a degree in Exercise Science and have taken many nutrition classes. A whole-foods program makes the<br />
most sense, since it is what our bodies were designed <strong>to</strong> have. I have a friend that is getting her masters in<br />
Nutrition and she snubs me for the way I eat. She thinks it is bogus, but then wonders why she can’t lose 20<br />
pounds. This program has no comparison <strong>to</strong> other nutritional plans. This one makes sense and it is easy, very<br />
easy!<br />
I absolutely love the recipes in <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong>! I make my shopping list from the book. I printed off<br />
all of the pages [from the Web site, before the actual book was available] and made it in<strong>to</strong> my own book so I<br />
could keep it in the kitchen. The salads are my favorite! (Well, and the treats <strong>to</strong>o!)<br />
I feel incredible since I have been on the program. And it is easier than most people think. I enjoy the fresh<br />
food, and I look forward <strong>to</strong> the day when I can have a garden and just walk outside <strong>to</strong> pick ingredients for<br />
dinner. The benefits are countless. The extra time in the kitchen and the extra money spent are more than worth<br />
it. It is like putting money in<strong>to</strong> savings because I won’t spend it on bad health in the future.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> xvii
I will continue on the journey for myself and continue telling others about the program. It is time <strong>to</strong> reverse the<br />
way we eat. It will only help us. Thank you!<br />
—Meghan Meredith<br />
It’s been over 30 years since my husband and I started working on a healthy nutritional plan. It <strong>to</strong>ok 10 years of<br />
that time for me <strong>to</strong> consider myself fairly knowledgeable about nutrition and <strong>to</strong> have a “health food kitchen”<br />
with whole grains, cold-pressed oils, etc.<br />
My impetus for going veggie was a diagnosis of Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD: Lupus,<br />
scleroderma, and rheuma<strong>to</strong>id arthritis). Then I met my husband who was perfectly healthy but also working <strong>to</strong><br />
become a vegetarian.<br />
I remember when we first started <strong>to</strong> be vegetarians, all I knew how <strong>to</strong> prepare was stir-fry. I mean, I put every<br />
vegetable known <strong>to</strong>gether in every combination! We had so much stir-fry that if I never see it again, it will be<br />
<strong>to</strong>o soon!<br />
The years passed, and we learned more and more and eventually became vegans. About four years ago I was<br />
diagnosed with Au<strong>to</strong>immune Inner Ear Disease and started <strong>to</strong> lose my hearing. It didn’t take long until I was<br />
wearing hearing aids turned up <strong>to</strong> the maximum hearing ability. In all the trials I had with MCTD, I never even<br />
considered I might lose my hearing.<br />
Thankfully, last November, a BFF emailed me your website. I immediately downloaded “<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong><br />
<strong>Foods</strong>.” I LOVE it and know that I could have saved 10 years off my nutritional education if I had your book<br />
30 years ago! Of course, I know you were only <strong>12</strong> at the time!<br />
I started in just as the book suggests <strong>to</strong> read one chapter a month and follow what it says. I bought a Blendtec<br />
and I was off and running. Within 2½ months, my hearing was completely res<strong>to</strong>red and my hearing tests<br />
normal! I just never thought that might be a result of the smoothies and was so pleasantly surprised!<br />
I’m sure you know that connective tissue disorders are very inflamma<strong>to</strong>ry, and with the grace of God and your<br />
green smoothies my Sed. Rate (measure of inflammation) went <strong>to</strong> 1 on a scale of 1-30. I can just imagine what<br />
other fabulous things green smoothies are doing for my body!<br />
I feel so grateful for you and your book. I know for a fact that if we had not pursued good nutrition 30 years<br />
ago, I would not be alive <strong>to</strong>day. I know that with the knowledge I have gained from “<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong>” that I will live a<br />
quality life even longer!<br />
Thank you, thank you!<br />
—Margaret Kalin<br />
xviii<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
I knew a “whole-foods diet” was good for you. I knew it would help me with my health, weight, energy, and<br />
such. I knew that it would be good for my family and my children. But where <strong>to</strong> start was the question.<br />
Reading all of the information out there was overwhelming. With busy days and hectic schedules, it was simply<br />
<strong>to</strong>o much for me <strong>to</strong> add “one more thing”—studying nutrition— <strong>to</strong> my day, and it seemed (at the time) that it<br />
would be much easier just <strong>to</strong> find the quickest meal and be done with it.<br />
But I came across Robyn's <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> program, read more and more about it, and thought, “I<br />
could do that!” Having it divided in<strong>to</strong> <strong>12</strong> steps and being encouraged <strong>to</strong> take on one new step and habit each<br />
month was something that didn’t seem overwhelming. Soon the idea of sprouting, dehydrating, drinking green<br />
smoothies, and creating a lifestyle change with whole foods was not intimidating—rather, it was exciting and<br />
motivating. As soon as I got the book, I dived right in<strong>to</strong> it. I <strong>to</strong>ok it on vacation, on car rides, <strong>to</strong> appointments,<br />
you name it—I was ready <strong>to</strong> make a change and it was so enjoyable <strong>to</strong> read.<br />
I loved knowing the “why” behind what I was doing in each step, and then implementing those ideas with the<br />
easy recipes. I can honestly say that this <strong>12</strong>-step manual is the “cookbook” I now use the majority of the time.<br />
While other recipe books sit in a drawer, Robyn's <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> is one that stays on the counter <strong>to</strong> be<br />
referenced on a daily basis. It’s marked up with a highlighter pen, written on with my own “a-ha moment” side<br />
notes and, yes, even a bit messy because of a little food here and there from the kitchen. I see it as both my<br />
favorite health book and cookbook.<br />
Thank you, Robyn, for the recipes, experiences, and the “you really can do this!” attitude you present in your<br />
book, blog, and videos. It’s inspiring, and it does make a difference.<br />
—Kim Chris<strong>to</strong>pherson (founder of YouCanMakeThis.com)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> xix
xx<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Foreword<br />
By family physician Denise Punger, M.D.<br />
Robyn Openshaw’s <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> is like having a personal nutrition coach in the kitchen<br />
with me, guiding me <strong>to</strong>wards better health.<br />
Prior <strong>to</strong> finding GreenSmoothieGirl.com, my own eating habits were not a main concern. My mind<br />
was on a busy medical practice. My husband, also a family physician, <strong>to</strong>ok on the responsibility of<br />
picking up our groceries and take-out food. Before marriage, I was in school many years, depending on<br />
dormi<strong>to</strong>ry meal plans and hospital cafeterias.<br />
Holidays were a time for home-cooked meals by our families, who were glad <strong>to</strong> contribute something<br />
<strong>to</strong> our insanely busy medical school lifestyle. Meals were always provided for me and very welcomed.<br />
Besides my reckless eating patterns, preparing meals in the kitchen as I became a young mother was<br />
intimidating. I didn’t know where <strong>to</strong> start. I never had <strong>to</strong> do it before. Good nutrition was barely a<br />
thought, let alone a priority. Like most people, for me, it was all about taste and convenience.<br />
In the months leading up <strong>to</strong> my wake-up call <strong>to</strong> feed my body right, I was always hungry despite<br />
always eating. I couldn’t figure out why I never felt satiated. I was 40 pounds heavier than I am now,<br />
and my skin often broke out. I had an irritating cough that disrupted work and time with patients. I<br />
often had headaches. I didn’t represent the preventative health message that I wanted <strong>to</strong> give.<br />
Like most Americans, I read labels and believed the “heart healthy” and “low fat” claims often made<br />
on them, yet I was also confused by the labels. Finally, like a wake-up call, blood testing revealed that<br />
I had some food sensitivities.<br />
After a few months of feeling deprived while coping with my in<strong>to</strong>lerances, I found<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com. GSG changed my approach radically. As I became engrossed in Robyn’s<br />
blog and videos, I became excited about all the new meal possibilities. “Good nutrition” once seemed<br />
like a tasteless curse, but was now looking like an exciting adventure.<br />
I had once wondered if I would live the rest of my life on the defensive side of food. But with all the<br />
new recipes ideas and diverse ingredients <strong>to</strong> experiment with, I became empowered.<br />
Once I found it, I read and reread Robyn’s blog and Web site <strong>to</strong> glean everything from it I could. I love<br />
making green smoothies. When my ordinary blender burned out, I ordered the Blendtec Total Blender<br />
Robyn recommends through GreenSmoothieGirl.com and finally received her <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong><br />
<strong>Foods</strong> program free when I purchased the blender.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 1
Foreword<br />
The title of the course grabbed my attention. I initially assumed that “<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong>” was a spin-off of anonymous<br />
recovery type programs. That spoke <strong>to</strong> me, because I was and am a food addict.<br />
Really, “<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong>” refers <strong>to</strong> making small nutritional changes through the year, introducing a new idea each<br />
month. Green smoothies were just the beginning. I was <strong>to</strong>tally mesmerized as I read through this guide. It was<br />
like having Robyn in the kitchen guiding me, step by step. Remember, I’d never spent time in the kitchen!<br />
The mystery of making tasty, healthy meals out of whole foods was unraveled. I needed all the information she<br />
posts on the Web, but the organized, sequential course was essential. I wish I had it when I first found out I was<br />
food sensitive. In fact, I wish I had this information before I began dealing with my sensitivities. Now, I grow<br />
my own herbs and sprouts. I use my dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. I even make fermented vegetables. And it’s easy!<br />
I finally lost weight without deprivation or hunger (and so did my two pre-teens!). In fact, I rarely feel hungry<br />
eating whole foods now when starting my day with a green smoothie. My skin is clear. Ankle swelling, which<br />
I <strong>to</strong>lerated because I attributed it <strong>to</strong> aging (had no idea was food related), has disappeared. Headaches, which I<br />
thought were stress related, are rare. I focus on whole, plant-based foods as the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> course teaches, and<br />
that naturally pushes the refined sugars and flours and preservatives and chemicals out of my diet. I am not a<br />
slave <strong>to</strong> my food in<strong>to</strong>lerances.<br />
I have made virtually all the recipes from the videos. I use my Blendtec Total Blender several times a day for<br />
smoothies, puddings, sauces and dressings, and desserts. I can’t imagine being without it, as Robyn predicted<br />
would be the case.<br />
In a broader sense, after years of medical school where nutrition is barely addressed, nutrition finally made<br />
sense <strong>to</strong> me! I don’t depend on food labels anymore. In fact, packaged foods are a minimal part of my diet now,<br />
and I feel better than ever.<br />
I am excited about Robyn expanding the original <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> course <strong>to</strong> include a journal, audio support, video<br />
demos, and printed steps and recipes, because this will help me help my patients. I already refer my patients <strong>to</strong><br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com via my blog and handouts I give in my office, but now I can recommend a<br />
comprehensive and practical <strong>to</strong>ol <strong>to</strong> all my patients.<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl is also the nutrition plan I now suggest <strong>to</strong> my pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. The<br />
program incorporates or supersedes any other previous nutrition recommendations I was making.<br />
I find myself recommending green smoothies <strong>to</strong> many of my other patients <strong>to</strong> help control glucose and<br />
cholesterol levels and <strong>to</strong> improve antioxidant levels, which decreases risk of cardiovascular disease and<br />
cancers. And I immediately teach anyone with digestive problems about nutrition so they see the relationship<br />
between what goes in their mouth and their symp<strong>to</strong>ms of ill health.<br />
Since many of my patients are facing surgery and other procedures, incorporating green smoothies and whole<br />
foods in<strong>to</strong> the pre-op plans optimizes nutrition <strong>to</strong> give them the highest probability of a smooth and easy<br />
procedure. I am recommending green smoothie plan <strong>to</strong> most anyone who is motivated and self responsible. My<br />
patients appreciate my offering a nutritional approach first, before considering drugs or surgeries.<br />
Many of my patients have started on the first step, which is <strong>to</strong> incorporate green smoothies in<strong>to</strong> their diets. I am<br />
impressed by how the GSG nutrition program has influenced my practice. Many times my patients’ office<br />
visits focus on staying well rather than searching for disease. Through nutrition, I can help prevent illness and<br />
often alleviate symp<strong>to</strong>ms.<br />
2 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Foreword<br />
GSG nutrition is compatible with both staying well and preventing disease. My young moms love green<br />
smoothies and whole foods through their pregnancies and breastfeeding years. And my own family has been<br />
tremendously blessed by my newfound education in nutrition. We are all enjoying the benefits of a much<br />
healthier diet!<br />
— Denise Punger, MD FAAFP IBCLC<br />
About Dr. Punger<br />
Dr. Punger is a family physician and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. In private practice<br />
with her husband, John Coquelet, in South Florida, she emphasizes prevention and wellness through<br />
breastfeeding and nutrition. She strives <strong>to</strong> set an example for her patients by following a high-raw, plant-based<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl diet.<br />
She is the author of Permission <strong>to</strong> Mother: Going Beyond the Standard of Care <strong>to</strong> Nurture Our Children,<br />
inspired by her three sons and extraordinary patients, <strong>to</strong> show all mothers that they have choices when it comes<br />
<strong>to</strong> their young children. She offers her blog as an extension of her services <strong>to</strong> further communicate with patients<br />
and readers nationwide: www.permission<strong>to</strong>mother.com.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 3
Foreword<br />
4 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preface<br />
You’ve always wanted <strong>to</strong> eat better, and you know you should. But it seems so daunting! Fast food and<br />
convenient processed foods are ubiqui<strong>to</strong>us in the modern world, and our social lives revolve around<br />
sugar and trans fats (and <strong>to</strong>bacco and alcohol, for many). Every day you wake up intending <strong>to</strong> regain<br />
your energy and start losing that 10 pounds—or 100—but the day gets away from you, and you end up<br />
eating beef jerky, a Big Gulp with an apple fritter, or a Quarter Pounder instead. Maybe all three, by the<br />
time the day is over.<br />
What should you eat? Where should you start? What should you buy? You might have a spouse or<br />
child who isn’t willing <strong>to</strong> change with you. You want <strong>to</strong> get healthier, but you can’t do everything at<br />
once—you’re just <strong>to</strong>o busy. And you don’t want <strong>to</strong> be “extreme,” eating a macrobiotic, all-alkaline,<br />
vegan, or all-raw diet.<br />
If this is you, have no fear. I was in this position 15 years ago, with my four children being born one<br />
after the other, each diagnosed with asthma in their first year, some as early as four months of age.<br />
Doc<strong>to</strong>rs were not able <strong>to</strong> help me and provided nothing but prescriptions for steroids and<br />
bronchodila<strong>to</strong>rs. I went out on my own for answers and have never been back <strong>to</strong> the doc<strong>to</strong>r for a<br />
prescription since.<br />
Ironically, it was the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, who first said, “Let your food be your<br />
medicine and your medicine be your food.” I <strong>to</strong>ok that ancient advice <strong>to</strong> heart and have spent<br />
thousands of hours culling every nutrition book I could find, comparing and sifting through<br />
contradic<strong>to</strong>ry theories, trying recipes, and experimenting on my sometimes-wary family.<br />
Many hundreds of hours of efforts have certainly paid off big! Since undertaking <strong>to</strong> eliminate<br />
processed foods and using whole, primarily plant foods, no one in my home has had the flu or strep<br />
throat—not even me, even though I had it several times a year growing up and every winter as an adult<br />
until I changed our diet years ago. I have never seen green snot (a sign of a highly acidic climate in the<br />
body, the perfect host for ongoing infection) coming out of my child’s nose in 10 years.<br />
My children are all strong, competitive athletes known for not ever asking <strong>to</strong> be taken out of a game:<br />
their oxygen exchange is excellent because they drink no soft drinks, saying “no, thanks” <strong>to</strong> the cookie<br />
and soda offered after games and the “sports drinks” offered during the games (full of dyes, other<br />
chemicals, and sugar). We have no degenerative or chronic disease or unexplained health problems.<br />
These rewards are more than I ever expected, more than I set out <strong>to</strong> accomplish—and well worth my<br />
time and effort.<br />
My original quest was just <strong>to</strong> find a way out of putting my little children on drugs. However, although<br />
that goal was accomplished, so many more blessings have poured in<strong>to</strong> my life as a direct result of<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 5
Preface<br />
choosing <strong>to</strong> adopt a whole-food lifestyle—I could write a whole chapter just on that <strong>to</strong>pic. I have felt very<br />
grateful for the results of that choice and ensuing choices, and I have come <strong>to</strong> feel certain in the past few years<br />
that my purpose in life is greater than just <strong>to</strong> help my children out of their chronic health problems. I feel a<br />
drive and an obligation <strong>to</strong> help others—especially parents who will feed and teach the next generation—learn<br />
and apply knowledge about whole foods that is al<strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong>o rare in a world of convenience food.<br />
I have written this course imagining you and thinking of what your hopes and dreams are. I picture you <strong>to</strong> be<br />
someone who doesn’t always make good nutritional choices, but who wants <strong>to</strong> improve your health. As long as<br />
it isn’t <strong>to</strong>o hard and as long as you still get <strong>to</strong> have fun, right? You might be a mother or father who desperately<br />
loves your children and doesn’t want <strong>to</strong> cause health problems for them with nutritional deficiencies or weight<br />
problems. How am I doing so far?<br />
This course is my effort <strong>to</strong> flatten the learning curve for everyone else, now that I’ve done it the hard way. I<br />
always wished that just one book contained all the things I wanted <strong>to</strong> learn about—mostly because people<br />
always ask me, “Tell me the one book I should read.” I have an arsenal of books that have added new facets <strong>to</strong><br />
my knowledge of nutrition, but I have never found one definitive book or resource. Thus, <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong><br />
<strong>Foods</strong> is the culmination of all the nutritional principles I find worthwhile and valuable.<br />
The thing I hear most often teaching nutrition classes or counseling people is “I’m overwhelmed—where do I<br />
start? Tell me what <strong>to</strong> eat!”<br />
You can’t eat a whole elephant in one sitting…and because I want you <strong>to</strong> have a successful experience, I<br />
suggest you don’t try <strong>to</strong> do everything at once. The premise of this book is that you can tackle one new<br />
nutrition habit a month in your quest <strong>to</strong> replace refined foods with whole-food, plant-based meals that are at<br />
least 60% raw. Find your favorite recipes within that chapter and habit and get in the zone of mastering that one<br />
simple thing. If one chapter a month is <strong>to</strong>o many, slow down and take it at your own pace. If you do just the<br />
first month of this program and keep that habit for life, you’re far, far ahead of 98% of Americans!<br />
I’ll be your guide for each new habit, condensing for you the best practices from my huge library of nutrition<br />
research. I’ll give you tips <strong>to</strong> save time and money as you improve your family’s diet and, ultimately, their<br />
health and well-being.<br />
At the end of a year, you will be as<strong>to</strong>nished at how you have become a whole-foods family, miles ahead of<br />
where you were a year ago, with knowledge and recipes and <strong>to</strong>ols. That may be your only goal right now, but I<br />
assure you that you can also be an example, resource, and blessing <strong>to</strong> many people in your life who are<br />
struggling.<br />
Rather than reading this course through, skim it if you want. But just read one chapter before each month<br />
begins—then at the first of each month, you should have on hand anything needed for that month’s goal. After<br />
reading the chapter, you’ll know why its nutrition principle is important and how you can implement it, with<br />
recipes and ideas <strong>to</strong> get started. At the end of each month, document any changes in your health, attitude, and<br />
energy that result from the new habit in the Journal Entry section at the end of each step/chapter’s introduction.<br />
The idea is not <strong>to</strong> tackle the project of “getting healthy” all at once in January! Too many people have tried and<br />
failed, fallen off the wagon, gotten discouraged, and quit. My goal with this book is <strong>to</strong> help you take baby<br />
steps. But although they're slowly paced steps, they’re actually very significant steps that will add years <strong>to</strong> your<br />
life—and life <strong>to</strong> your years.<br />
6 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preface<br />
If you struggle with your weight and have been on countless diets, you should be assured that pounds will melt<br />
off when you begin eating and enjoying the best foods God put on the planet, in their unadulterated state. You<br />
may feel that this is the first time you have lost weight and kept it off, and not felt “deprived.” Fads—and<br />
dieting in general—should be counted part of your past, not your present and future.<br />
Or the flip side of the same coin is that if you are underweight despite eating what everyone else is eating, you<br />
may not be absorbing nutrition. It’s not just overweight people who need <strong>to</strong> address nutrition! A study released<br />
in 2007 showed that over half of people who are normal weight are “overweight” on the inside, their organs<br />
marbled with fat. The study discovered that people who are normal weight but do not exercise are at a higher<br />
risk of morbidity than overweight people who exercise regularly.<br />
This is just one of many examples of how one’s appearance on the outside, then, does not always indicate<br />
health. (Neither does the fact that you don’t often catch the bug going around necessarily, by itself, indicate<br />
good health.) You will achieve an optimal weight when your body is receiving the components it needs every<br />
day <strong>to</strong> build healthy tissues—not when you spend short periods of time suppressing calories or eating a strange,<br />
unnatural diet heavy in protein or lopsided in some other way.<br />
My experience is that every minute you spend in the kitchen preparing whole-plant foods (60% <strong>to</strong> 80% raw)<br />
will yield you two minutes in increased energy. You might find yourself tackling projects you’ve always meant<br />
<strong>to</strong> do but never had the energy for.<br />
Your expenditures of time and commitment learning about nutrition and preparing food should be considered<br />
an investment in your family’s future—not a chore. I have considered carefully how <strong>to</strong> minimize that kitchen<br />
time, because I’m a busy working mom of a big family, <strong>to</strong>o. So <strong>12</strong> Step recipes are simple and easy <strong>to</strong> follow,<br />
without long ingredient lists and complicated steps.<br />
Best wishes for your future of a long, vibrant, energetic life!<br />
~ Robyn Openshaw<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 7
Preface<br />
8 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
What Is the Goal of This Program?<br />
Although the virtues of a plant-based diet are not discussed in detail in this introduction, we will do so<br />
in greater detail in various chapters. Suffice it <strong>to</strong> say that science points clearly, in hundreds of studies,<br />
<strong>to</strong> evidence that eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds leads <strong>to</strong> a long,<br />
vigorous, healthy life. This is the ultimate goal of <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong>, that you will:<br />
Achieve optimal weight, eliminate chronic health problems, dramatically reduce<br />
disease risk, regain energy you may have lost years ago, and enjoy a newfound positive<br />
attitude and outlook on life!<br />
At the conclusion of <strong>12</strong> months in this program, you should find this daily diet easy:<br />
1. 2 lbs. of vegetables—60-80% raw, half of them above-ground greens<br />
2. 3-5 raw fruits<br />
3. 1 C whole grains (cooked and/or sprouted)<br />
4. 1 C legumes (cooked and/or sprouted)<br />
5. 3-6 Tbsp. of fats found in vegetables, nuts, seeds, and the highest quality oils that are<br />
antioxidant- and lignan-rich, with Omega fats (3, 6, and 9) and essential fatty acids<br />
6. Organic, free-range animal products minimized <strong>to</strong> 5% or less of the daily diet, with processed/<br />
refined foods and concentrated sweeteners minimized or eliminated<br />
This simple list may sound boring but, in fact, the average American family eats a rotating diet of only<br />
about 10 main dishes for dinner. In this single book, you have the option <strong>to</strong> adopt a whole new<br />
reper<strong>to</strong>ire of main dishes, as well as salads, dressings, snacks, breakfasts, treats, and smoothies.<br />
Finding just one recipe you adore can make a huge impact on your life and your health. For instance,<br />
my assistant, Kristin, has become addicted <strong>to</strong> my Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie (page 285). Like me,<br />
it’s all she wants for breakfast. That, all by itself, has replaced 25% of her daily nutrition—with raw<br />
food! Keep trying recipes until you have an arsenal, your own personal reper<strong>to</strong>ire that lets you not only<br />
become healthy, but enjoy the journey doing it! We provide you far more recipes in this program than<br />
you need. (The Premium Course has over 1,000 recipes.) You'll never try all of them, so don’t task<br />
yourself with that. Just enjoy the abundance of choices and try recipes until you’ve assembled your<br />
own personal set. With this attitude, you needn’t be overwhelmed.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 9
Introduction<br />
The best flavors on the planet are the natural ones, and I have made every effort <strong>to</strong> leverage a wide variety of<br />
flavors and textures in my recipes. The goal is <strong>to</strong> make your exploration of a mostly raw, plant-based diet more<br />
than just a move <strong>to</strong>ward optimal health—it should also be an exciting adventure for your taste buds!<br />
How Do I Know What’s True and What’s Not in Nutrition?<br />
Advances in the field of nutrition are taking place faster than ever in his<strong>to</strong>ry. For example, just this decade, the<br />
“master hormone” leptin, which governs the other hormones, was discovered. New data calls in<strong>to</strong> question the<br />
popular counsel of the past decade <strong>to</strong> eat 4-6 small meals daily: leptin research suggests that we should eat<br />
three meals daily and allow our bodies much rest from digestion. In just 2004, a class of glyconutrients (sugars)<br />
have been found <strong>to</strong> have powerful healing properties, which disputes a decade of anti-carb “experts.”<br />
Many people become frustrated by all the new information and competing voices telling us what <strong>to</strong> eat, what<br />
not <strong>to</strong> eat, and why. So that you don’t give up and “throw the baby out with the bath water,” I have a bit of<br />
common-sense advice that super-simplifies the essence of a statistics class.<br />
The main way <strong>to</strong> push through the inevitable cognitive dissonance is <strong>to</strong> read and learn all you can: this book is<br />
a good start, and you may also consider the reading list found on www.greensmoothiegirl.com (and also at the<br />
end of this book). Whenever you encounter contradictions, consider several things.<br />
First, what is the funding behind the research? You don’t have <strong>to</strong> become paranoid <strong>to</strong> examine whether research<br />
was undertaken <strong>to</strong> objectively examine an issue or <strong>to</strong> promote an agenda. It’s simply a part of being a savvy<br />
consumer of information in an age when we are all bombarded with thousands of voices. For instance, if a<br />
study tells you that drinking wine daily prevents heart disease, use your critical thinking skills. Why did<br />
researchers study wine instead of grape juice—or better yet, grapes? Before you go out and s<strong>to</strong>ck up on a<br />
year’s supply of wine, ascertain, if you can, who paid for the study. Was it the wine growers of Sonoma Valley?<br />
Often studies in the modern age are funded, second-level, by an industry wanting <strong>to</strong> promote a product (often<br />
one that is under fire), even if the legitimate-sounding researchers named in the media, such as a university, is<br />
not directly linked <strong>to</strong> a motive.<br />
Second, is the study valid? This is the highest standard in statistics and research, and it means Does the study<br />
measure what it purports <strong>to</strong> measure? This seems simple enough, but it is, in fact, a difficult thing for<br />
researchers <strong>to</strong> achieve. If wine drinkers have much less cancer than beer drinkers, wine must be preventing<br />
cancer, right? Not necessarily. Maybe wine drinkers are a higher socioeconomic class than beer drinkers, in the<br />
aggregate, and beer drinkers also eat more fast food and smoke at higher rates.<br />
Third, is the study reliable? This is the second basic research standard, and it means Is the research repeatable<br />
with consistent results? Reliability is one of the best things about Colin Campbell’s The China Study, the<br />
largest nutrition study in his<strong>to</strong>ry, which will be referenced throughout this book. Dr. Campbell’s animal<br />
research showing the benefits of a low-animal-protein diet were duplicated by other researchers, using various<br />
animals, all over the world. The results were very consistent in showing that a plant-based diet prevents disease<br />
and an animal-protein diet causes all the maladies of the modern age.<br />
10 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
Finally, have a basic understanding of and consider carefully a few other things before placing much s<strong>to</strong>ck in<br />
what you read:<br />
• Is the study longitudinal (covering a long period of time)?<br />
• Was it double-blinded, which means that neither the researcher nor the subject knows which of multiple<br />
therapies the person is receiving?<br />
• Was it placebo controlled, meaning that some subjects received a placebo (sugar tablet) instead of the<br />
supplement or drug?<br />
• Was the research published in peer-reviewed journals (often, though not always, ensuring more<br />
scientific analysis)?<br />
• How big was the sample size? Bigger is better, and although case studies (with only a few subjects) are<br />
interesting, without further research, you shouldn’t bet the farm on findings of those kinds.<br />
The more you read and study, the more confidence you can have that the very important decisions you make<br />
about how <strong>to</strong> fuel your body are sound. This book undertakes <strong>to</strong> synthesize the research and best practices from<br />
around the world, leading <strong>to</strong> dietary practice that is simple and achievable and cus<strong>to</strong>mizable for your personal<br />
dietary needs—a direct route <strong>to</strong> optimal health.<br />
How Do I Get My Kids <strong>to</strong> Eat Right?<br />
This may be the #1 question I am asked, and it’s also the one I care about most. It’s therefore worthy of dealing<br />
with right here, before we even get started. Tackling <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> is a worthy goal for anyone, and<br />
you can make these changes whether or not you have children, and whether or not they live at home.<br />
But one of my greatest passions in life is <strong>to</strong> help parents understand the importance of excellent nutrition early<br />
in life and implement strategies <strong>to</strong> achieve it. So if you have children at home (or are close <strong>to</strong> people who do),<br />
this is for you.<br />
I have found dietitians <strong>to</strong> be often useless and sometimes harmful in what they teach mothers about nutrition.<br />
(Truth-seeking dietitians do exist, however, and higher education in nutrition is improving steadily.) Keep in<br />
mind that these are the folks designing the menus in school and hospital lunchrooms. (Enough said?) It’s not<br />
their fault: they are taught curricula heavily influenced and even written by the wealthiest industries in<br />
America: the dairy and meat conglomerates.<br />
My experience is that dietitians feel their main job is <strong>to</strong> push milk and dairy products, because they have been<br />
taught that these products create strong bones and teeth. I spoke with a dietitian recently who had never heard<br />
of any of the ingredients in Appendix A (whole-food sweeteners and other whole, organic, and raw products<br />
you can find in health food s<strong>to</strong>res). She taught in a class I attended that getting your child <strong>to</strong> drink “flavored”<br />
milk is a great idea. By that she meant hormone- and antibiotic-contaminated milk with pink chemical dye and<br />
plenty of sugar added.<br />
Many dietitians also believe that <strong>to</strong> get protein, you need <strong>to</strong> eat plenty of animal flesh. When I was growing up,<br />
the government-sponsored “food pyramid” pushed two servings of meat and four servings of dairy daily!<br />
Fortunately, thanks <strong>to</strong> an overwhelming, virtually undeniable body of research pointing <strong>to</strong> disease prevention<br />
being in the form of plant foods such as vegetables and whole grains, a very slow, positive shift is taking place<br />
at the policy level. (The powerful meat and dairy industries still, however, have far <strong>to</strong>o much influence on<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 11
Introduction<br />
government standards.) I have mostly looked elsewhere for my own nutrition education and recommend that<br />
you do the same. Know that not all research is equal, and use the practical, basic understanding of research<br />
described in the previous section.<br />
This book does not advocate for vegetarianism but, rather, teaches about the virtues of increasing whole plant<br />
foods in the diet. But the most bioavailable sources of calcium for humans are not found in the milk of other<br />
animals. And protein is manufactured and utilized by the human body very well when the range of amino acids<br />
(the building blocks of proteins) in whole-plant foods are supplied as fuel. We need look no further than our<br />
vegetarian cousins, the primates, for evidence of this.<br />
If you are a young mother, you have the perfect opportunity that mothers of teens and adults do not have: you<br />
have control over your family’s diet. You have the power <strong>to</strong> direct the course of your family’s health—for<br />
good—forever! Young mothers do not feel very powerful. Many have turned away from other opportunities <strong>to</strong><br />
give their children first priority. It can be a thankless job. But the moms of young children are the only people<br />
who can turn the nightmare of the Standard American Diet around!<br />
Mothers of young children can follow the path of least resistance and send overweight children with thinning<br />
bones and massive nutritional deficiencies out in<strong>to</strong> the world with a host of risk fac<strong>to</strong>rs. You also have the<br />
choice <strong>to</strong> give them every possible advantage by incorporating the <strong>12</strong> great habits in this book. That way,<br />
they’ll be prepared <strong>to</strong> be strong, energetic leaders and teach your grandchildren great habits, <strong>to</strong>o.<br />
You young parents are in a powerful position and are educating yourself at a perfect time. If you’re not a parent<br />
of young children and you’re still reading, I hope you’ll undertake <strong>to</strong> get this book in<strong>to</strong> the hands of someone<br />
who is such a parent.<br />
As of 2007, 35% of children in America are overweight, and half of those are obese. And those numbers will<br />
double by adulthood. Soda consumption for American teen boys has tripled (and has doubled for girls) since<br />
you young parents were born. The high phosphorus content in soft drinks (not <strong>to</strong> mention 10 teaspoons of sugar<br />
per <strong>12</strong>-oz. can) robs calcium directly from the bones at the critical age of childhood and adolescence. During<br />
that time, bone mass must increase <strong>to</strong> offset bone thinning that begins almost inevitably in one’s 30s.<br />
Children who drink soda are four times more likely <strong>to</strong> break a bone than those who don’t. Some evidence<br />
suggests that even a 10% reduction in bone mass accumulation in adolescence leads <strong>to</strong> a 50% higher chance of<br />
osteoporosis only a decade or two later.<br />
Children who are overweight have quality-of-life ratings similar <strong>to</strong> children with cancer, according <strong>to</strong> a Yale<br />
study. They are teased by peers and even teachers and parents, and the vast majority of them become<br />
overweight adults with all the attendant physical and emotional risks. The obesity epidemic threatens <strong>to</strong><br />
bankrupt us, with $0.87 of every health care dollar spent on obesity-related issues. Cardiac problems are almost<br />
always linked <strong>to</strong> being overweight, and cardiac problems are our #1 killer.<br />
Now that you’ve absorbed that brief education, let’s move on <strong>to</strong> the positive and constructive <strong>to</strong>pics of how <strong>to</strong><br />
get your kids <strong>to</strong> buy in.<br />
First and foremost, as a parent, embrace your role as a leader in your home, with everything that entails. You’re<br />
a teacher, a role model and, above all, the single most important leader your children look <strong>to</strong> for information,<br />
opinions, and advice. You can’t count on the schools <strong>to</strong> teach your child good nutrition (for the reasons<br />
mentioned above; the deficits in the field of dietetics, in general; and the curricula written with an agenda, in<br />
particular). Nutrition education has <strong>to</strong> happen in the home—that’s where most food is prepared and served,<br />
anyway.<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
Nutrition is no different than any other <strong>to</strong>pic. Would you allow your 9-year-old <strong>to</strong> opt out of her least favorite<br />
subjects in school—say, math and science? Just quit, not participate at all from kindergarten through high<br />
school graduation? Why would we knowingly allow our children <strong>to</strong> opt out of the most important food groups<br />
they need for growth, development, energy, and disease prevention? Yet this is what modern parents do: they<br />
leave all food choices <strong>to</strong> the child and throw up their hands, saying, “She just won’t eat any vegetables!”<br />
As parents who embrace being in charge, you can certainly be your child’s friend, just as long as you know that<br />
you’re a parent-leader first—and sometimes your child will resist the structure you provide and even not “like”<br />
you for short periods of time. I avoid fighting with my children about food, and I use firm but positive phrases,<br />
with a smile, such as, “This is what we’re having <strong>to</strong>night.” Or “I’m sorry this isn’t your favorite—sometimes<br />
we have <strong>to</strong> try something a few times before it appeals <strong>to</strong> us.” Or “I think you’ll like this better mixed in<strong>to</strong> your<br />
salad—you’re welcome <strong>to</strong> have a small helping.”<br />
Sometimes I point out that I don’t always get <strong>to</strong> eat my favorite foods every night, but if I did, they probably<br />
wouldn’t be my favorite foods any more. To drive these points home and teach about nutrition on a level even<br />
a young child will understand, I read two of my favorite books <strong>to</strong> my children about food choices: Bread and<br />
Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban and The Children’s Health Food Book by Ron Seaborn.Bread and Jam<br />
doesn’t teach about good nutrition, but it teaches children that life is more interesting when you try new foods.<br />
Because I never found an appealing, completely true, children’s book about good nutrition, I wrote The<br />
Adventures of Junk Food Dude. It teaches about good choices and consequences—in food, at home, and at<br />
school—through a fiction s<strong>to</strong>ry. There’s a picture quiz at the end, and I tested it on children before publishing<br />
it. It is my favorite of the 10 books I have written or edited/published.<br />
I don’t plead, beg, guilt-trip, wheedle, cajole, or whine at my children about food—and I don’t reward those<br />
behaviors in them, either. The rules are clear (after you state and enforce them the first 20+ times): they can<br />
have what is served or skip the meal. They rarely, if ever, choose <strong>to</strong> skip a meal after that initial period of<br />
testing limits.<br />
Some say, “Well, you must just not have picky kids like I do.” In fact, three of my four kids tried out “picky,”<br />
and the youngest two would be insufferably “picky” if I allowed it. Only one of my children has happily<br />
slurped up vegetables since infancy. But they are, at this point, all “very good eaters,” as the saying goes.<br />
The natural consequences of skipping a meal are hunger pains. It’s not abuse and, contrary <strong>to</strong> the strange<br />
traditions you see all around you, you have no obligation as a parent <strong>to</strong> provide a junk food alternative <strong>to</strong> the<br />
family meal. The natural consequences of eating a few bites of zucchini are that you then get <strong>to</strong> eat the rest of<br />
the meal that you like better. Trust in natural consequences as a teacher. They’re “natural” if they’re the family<br />
rules. Parents have the prerogative and even responsibility <strong>to</strong> create consequences. Before the mac-n-cheese,<br />
junk food era, agricultural communities had these family rules for thousands of years: one meal was served,<br />
and everyone ate it or had <strong>to</strong> wait until the next meal. You’ll spare yourself gray hair and a lot of irritation and<br />
drama if you adopt this simple rule.<br />
You might also incorporate what my mom did: we were allowed <strong>to</strong> have one food we absolutely refused <strong>to</strong> eat.<br />
One, not two—and certainly not 90% of foods, like many of the kids I know. Most of us kids had the same food<br />
we loathed: spinach soufflé. (Some of my brothers chose mushrooms as their won’t-eat food.) My mother<br />
consequently raised eight children who will eat virtually anything.<br />
Many parents allow each child <strong>to</strong> eat his or her own separate, cus<strong>to</strong>mized meal. I believe this is an outgrowth of<br />
modern dietitians, pediatricians, and parenting publications always talking about offering your <strong>to</strong>ddler or small<br />
child “options.” As in, offer them a bowl of processed mac-n-cheese or a bowl of steamed broccoli. Modern<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 13
Introduction<br />
parenting theory says that you should just keep offering the options, hoping that one day, the child’s natural<br />
instinct will be <strong>to</strong>wards the broccoli (while otherwise eating white flour and processed cheese for years). I<br />
wonder how much broccoli you will throw away (or eat yourself) attempting <strong>to</strong> follow this advice!<br />
This theory and advice is worthless on many levels, and I’ll mention just three. First, when we have given<br />
children a taste for processed food by serving it regularly, any desires for natural foods change and often<br />
diminish. (On the flip side: in my research published in The Green Smoothies Diet, 65% of regular greensmoothie<br />
drinkers noticed that their cravings for sweets and junk food was reduced or eliminated!) Sugar is the<br />
most addictive substance on the planet—more addictive than cocaine, according <strong>to</strong> several studies. Those<br />
addictions and unnaturally altered tastes lead a child <strong>to</strong> make poor choices most of the time.<br />
Second, a small child does not have the wisdom and judgment <strong>to</strong> make good food choices. He knows only what<br />
tastes good, not what his body needs. Once one of my university students gave a presentation on nutrition and<br />
asked the class, “When you were 8 years old, given the choice, would you have chosen a piece of Chuck E<br />
Cheese pizza or a plate of fruit?” One hundred percent of the class, myself included, raised their hands for the<br />
pizza. This is why God, in His infinite wisdom, gave children parents.<br />
Third, the past two generations have been the first in his<strong>to</strong>ry where this idea of “options” came in<strong>to</strong> vogue,<br />
especially where junk food is usually one of those “options.” I trust in the wisdom of his<strong>to</strong>ry and tradition:<br />
encouraging children <strong>to</strong> have tantrums, express an opinion about every food, and demand that parents go<br />
running <strong>to</strong> find something else is unwise counsel.<br />
Catering <strong>to</strong> every child’s likes and dislikes can be an exercise in frustration and burnout for a mom, and it’s just<br />
a bad habit <strong>to</strong> get in<strong>to</strong>. Young parents may not realize what the fruits of indulging “picky” will be. I may not be<br />
popular for saying what follows, but I’m going <strong>to</strong> do it anyway. If you allow your children <strong>to</strong> say no <strong>to</strong><br />
nutritious foods now, you will spend hundreds of hours in your future making separate meals for each of<br />
them—and preparing several different meals takes so much longer than just one. Do that <strong>to</strong>day and I promise<br />
that your child will absolutely demand it <strong>to</strong>morrow. You will also feel guilty and wonder what the difference<br />
good nutrition would have made, should your child encounter any of the many health problems caused by a<br />
modern diet of processed food. It’s not worth it.<br />
When you’re making a meal, everyone in the family eating that meal is both a worldwide tradition and an<br />
opportunity <strong>to</strong> learn many good things, open mindedness being just one of them. Emphasize good manners as<br />
you emphasize good nutrition. In my family growing up, we weren’t allowed <strong>to</strong> say that we “hate” or “don’t<br />
like” any food my mother made. Both of my parents required that we show respect for the effort my mom made<br />
in preparing the meal.<br />
We were allowed <strong>to</strong> say, “I don’t care for this very much.” Of course, that became something we joked about:<br />
imagine eight children saying that in the most proper British accent we could come up with. Imagine how I was<br />
mocked when I <strong>to</strong>ld my husband’s teenaged siblings that rule when we were first married and I made broccoli<br />
soup for his large family. But the joking did help my two youngest sisters-in-law open their minds enough <strong>to</strong><br />
try the soup. One of them even liked it.<br />
We learned good manners in addition <strong>to</strong> being open <strong>to</strong> new foods, and both are important <strong>to</strong> learn as we<br />
become adults and enter in<strong>to</strong> social situations. I hereby publicly thank my parents for providing one<br />
nutritionally sound meal, three times a day, with the only “option” being <strong>to</strong> eat it or go hungry.<br />
14 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
Keep your talk about nutritious food positive, while expecting some reaction <strong>to</strong> your changes <strong>to</strong>ward good<br />
nutrition. Avoid adopting the attitude, as you speak <strong>to</strong> your kids, that eating good food is a chore <strong>to</strong> be endured<br />
on our way <strong>to</strong> dessert.<br />
With a little thought and effort on your part, children become “invested” in the process of improving the<br />
family’s nutrition, through the several ideas that follow, and many more you may think of.<br />
First, ask your children <strong>to</strong> taste a new recipe and suggest ways <strong>to</strong> change it. What ingredients does it need more<br />
of, or less of? Treat the experience as a taste test. I have a lot of experience in this, having tested every one of<br />
the recipes in this book on my own four kids (sometimes several times, because I didn’t get it right). They<br />
loved telling me what they liked and what needed <strong>to</strong> be different, and they contributed many ideas <strong>to</strong> the<br />
recipes herein.<br />
Second, have a child help you make the recipe, or give him the entire responsibility. My mother always started<br />
dinner with the “compliments,” such as, “The salad is compliments of Robyn. The vegetables in the soup are<br />
compliments of Dave,” etc. We rolled our eyes at this tradition but secretly appreciated the acknowledgment of<br />
our contribution.<br />
Third, as you’re educating yourself, educate your kids. As with so many things, knowledge is truly the key!<br />
Some of your children may relish the opportunity <strong>to</strong> read each chapter of this book with you and discuss it with<br />
you afterward. Everyone knows “vegetables are good for you,” but when we know several very specific<br />
reasons why they’re critical <strong>to</strong> a quality life, suddenly we care more. Then it’s a group project everyone is<br />
invested in, not just you—and they know what’s coming next in your plans <strong>to</strong> get healthy, and why. Tell your<br />
children what you’re learning as you read <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong>!<br />
Someone once said, “I’ll go <strong>to</strong> the ends of the earth for you, if I know why you want me <strong>to</strong>.” I often use the<br />
dinner table conversation as an opportunity <strong>to</strong> talk about why the foods we’re having are so good for us. I use<br />
descriptions relevant <strong>to</strong> my children’s lives. They may not be interested in a discussion of the interplay of<br />
phosphorus in soft drinks and calcium in bones, especially when they’re <strong>to</strong>o young <strong>to</strong> study chemistry.<br />
However, my competitive soccer players are very interested that carbonation robs their red blood cells of the<br />
ability <strong>to</strong> exchange oxygen—they are, therefore, more competitive than soda drinkers because they abstain.<br />
A teenage, weight-lifting son might be interested <strong>to</strong> know that Bill Pearl was a vegetarian Mr. Universe. He’d<br />
be interested <strong>to</strong> know that Arnold Schwarzenegger said that while Bill didn’t convince him <strong>to</strong> become<br />
vegetarian, he did convince Arnold that a vegetarian can be a world-class bodybuilder! That leads in<strong>to</strong> a<br />
conversation about proteins—which proteins lead <strong>to</strong> lasting muscle mass and why.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 15
Introduction<br />
I once taught my children about the three parts of a grain—the bran<br />
(fiber), the germ (vitamins), and the endosperm (the glue). I’ve <strong>to</strong>ld<br />
them that white bread throws away the two good parts and keeps<br />
only the one useless part—the “glue” of the grain. Months later, I<br />
happened upon a conversation between my daughter and one of her<br />
friends, where she was explaining <strong>to</strong> her friend, waving a bottle of<br />
Elmer’s glue, that the bread her friend eats every day is made of<br />
exactly that substance. Obviously she’d taken what I said far <strong>to</strong>o<br />
literally. Consider it a challenge <strong>to</strong> explain nutrition principles you<br />
read about in terms a child can understand.<br />
My belief is that parents willing <strong>to</strong> “walk the talk” and fill their own<br />
plates up with good things are teaching in the most powerful way<br />
possible: by example. But also, as the parents, we believe that we<br />
are in charge. Salad is not an option and it’s not a “side dish,”<br />
something in a corner taking up a square inch or two. I started feeding my kids green salad when they were old<br />
enough <strong>to</strong> chew. We did have <strong>to</strong> put it on the fork for them and help them with it, the first few years. In our<br />
family, we eat salad first (<strong>to</strong> provide enzymes for any cooked food that will follow)—so if you want the rest of<br />
the meal at our house, you are required <strong>to</strong> eat a big helping of salad.<br />
All four of my kids love and crave raw, green salads. So much for the idea we’ve often heard that if we “make”<br />
them do it, they’ll hate it and “rebel.” (My mom “made” me eat salad every night, <strong>to</strong>o, and my siblings and I all<br />
love salad.) People simply do not rebel against everything they’re taught, and so a sound strategy is <strong>to</strong> teach<br />
true principles and set sound expectations regardless of any random guess about choices children might make<br />
in 20 years in reaction <strong>to</strong> those principles and expectations. On the other hand, kids who rarely or never eat<br />
vegetables aren’t likely <strong>to</strong> make the switch <strong>to</strong> eating nutritious food in adulthood.<br />
My kids don’t give me a hard time about eating salad because (1) the rule is well unders<strong>to</strong>od, (2) they know<br />
exactly why I provide them raw green food every night, and (3) they have learned, from listening <strong>to</strong> their<br />
bodies, that they prefer how they feel when eating lots of green roughage.<br />
Further, no one person burns out on making salads, because we take turns doing it—washing and chopping<br />
greens and other vegetables, getting a large salad <strong>to</strong>gether in 10 or 15 minutes. Only my youngest doesn’t help<br />
with that, because he’s not old enough <strong>to</strong> handle a knife yet (he can set the table and do other tasks, though).<br />
Not only does this free my time so I don’t burn out on being a slave <strong>to</strong> the kitchen, but it also gives my children<br />
a chance <strong>to</strong> contribute <strong>to</strong> the meal they will eat, a sense of accomplishment for having done a job well, and an<br />
opportunity <strong>to</strong> learn healthy habits for life. Many busy parents these days do not teach their children <strong>to</strong> cook.<br />
Not only will teaching them how <strong>to</strong> prepare a salad give them necessary skills for the future, but your child just<br />
might enjoy it and it can take a task off your plate (pun intended)!<br />
On this next suggestion, I’m going <strong>to</strong> mince no words: get rid of the worst choices from your fridge and pantry.<br />
Just quit buying them, cold turkey. Especially soft drinks, processed meat, pota<strong>to</strong> chips, and sugar. Life won't<br />
be over or even less fun. They’ll still see those foods on occasions such as parties and barbecues—and that’s<br />
where those foods belong, a once-in-a-while indulgence (if they are important <strong>to</strong> you), not daily fare. Tell your<br />
family you’re going <strong>to</strong> learn <strong>to</strong> make treats that are both yummy and good for them. (Refer <strong>to</strong> Chapter 11 as<br />
much as you want!)<br />
I want <strong>to</strong> assure you that “picky kids” will not starve themselves. People who eat sugar every day have tastes<br />
adapted <strong>to</strong> that very addictive chemical and the dopamine recep<strong>to</strong>rs that respond <strong>to</strong> the chemical. But get rid of<br />
16 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
sugary foods for even a few days, and tastes change rather dramatically (of course, you have <strong>to</strong> live with the<br />
withdrawal symp<strong>to</strong>ms in the meantime, but they don’t usually last more than a few days). Fruit tastes better, for<br />
instance, when you’re “off” sugar. And green smoothies are in the realm of possibilities when Capri Sun has<br />
been out of the picture for a while!<br />
A fair amount of research on “food neophobes,” which you can Google if you want <strong>to</strong> learn more, indicates that<br />
picky children must be exposed <strong>to</strong> a food nine <strong>to</strong> 10 times before accepting it. So don’t try green smoothies, or<br />
cauliflower, or Indian Dahl twice and then throw in the <strong>to</strong>wel. Kids eat whole foods when whole foods become<br />
a lifestyle.<br />
When all else fails, resort <strong>to</strong> bribery. Do it in a subtle way you can live with. I haven’t used this technique, but<br />
I might if I were starting out with older children and needing <strong>to</strong> break them of bad habits. My friend Brenda<br />
pays her kids $20 for a month of eating no sugar, and then doubles that amount for each additional month. If<br />
that’s <strong>to</strong>o crass for you, start out your green smoothie experiment with a chart on the fridge and a fun family<br />
outing planned for the end of the month for anyone who drinks a glassful every day that you make it during the<br />
month. The downside <strong>to</strong> this approach is that kids will expect <strong>to</strong> be rewarded in the future as well, so decide in<br />
advance how desperate you are, and if you can live with that.<br />
Then have a conversation with your kids and document in a <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> journal entry the health effects they<br />
noticed, as well. Tell them at the beginning of the month that it’s a personal experiment for them as well as a<br />
family experiment, and you want them <strong>to</strong> keep an eye on whether they have more energy, more focus in school,<br />
better digestion, or a more positive mood. Tell them these are very common side effects of kicking out sugar<br />
and eating nutritious food.<br />
Tell your kids about Principal Yvonne Sanders-Butler in Lithonia, Georgia, who changed her diet when heart<br />
problems threatened her life. She lost 60 lbs. and got her life back. But she also banned sugar in her school and<br />
saw math and reading scores go up 15% and visits <strong>to</strong> the school nurse and discipline problems decrease.<br />
Educating your children will help your changes become permanent rather than just another short-lived “health<br />
kick.” The more you talk <strong>to</strong> your kids, the more they’ll hold you accountable for long-term changes!<br />
I went on a highly rated network television show in the summer of 2007 and stayed with a family whose<br />
lifestyle was the virtual opposite of my own. The inner-city skaters I was with ate a diet of exclusively junk<br />
food. Most of them didn’t even know the names of most everyday vegetables and had never tasted whole-grain<br />
bread. The crew, I’m sure, thought the kids would absolutely revolt when I whipped out the green smoothies.<br />
Imagine the lack of drama—the boring, almost unwatchable footage—of a couple dozen boys drinking the<br />
smoothies and saying, “Hmm, that’s pretty good. Can I have more?” The big vegetarian dinner I prepared<br />
featuring lots of raw vegetables was probably just as frustrating for the direc<strong>to</strong>rs and producers: the kids ate it<br />
all up, said thank you, and asked for more!<br />
If inner-city skaters who’d never eaten spinach or beets went for it, your kids will, <strong>to</strong>o. Give it time and<br />
patience and your best leadership skills, find the ingredients they like best, and tell them a few reasons why<br />
they should give nutritious foods a try.<br />
Avoid cutting the skins off fruit (and the crusts off whole-grain breads) for your small children. First, more<br />
nutrition and fiber (and less sugar) is found in the skin than anywhere else. Second, the minute you do this one<br />
time, the child will demand it, and you have now made nature’s perfect fast foods a labor-intensive chore for<br />
the rest of your child’s life in your home. Third, you are helping the child’s jaw and palate weaken and narrow,<br />
making him less able <strong>to</strong> break down fibrous whole foods with their superior nutrition.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 17
Introduction<br />
More Reading on Raising Kids and Nutrition<br />
You may like <strong>to</strong> read more of my extensive writings on the issue of raising children on whole foods in a junk<br />
food world. In fact, this was the original mission of GreenSmoothieGirl.com, until I globalized and expanded it<br />
<strong>to</strong> be more inclusive. Below are links <strong>to</strong> some of the series I have written on the subject.<br />
• This would be my first choice, if you went <strong>to</strong> only one blog entry (November 28, 2010), because it<br />
contains links <strong>to</strong> my most significant and serious blog writing on the subject—plus a more light-hearted<br />
series, <strong>to</strong>o, about the challenges of raising “picky kids”:<br />
http://tinyurl.com/7mo4umr<br />
• I recently answered at length on my blog this reader question: “Dear GreenSmoothieGirl: I get so sick<br />
of cajoling my kids <strong>to</strong> eat right. It’s exhausting! So a lot of the time, I just cave <strong>to</strong> the pressure and let<br />
them eat crap. What do I do?”<br />
Here’s Part 1 of that Parenting and Nutrition series (November 10, 2011; parts 2 and 3 follow on<br />
subsequent days):<br />
http://tinyurl.com/76aj9sp<br />
• Another good blog entry is “10 Minutes <strong>to</strong> Feel Like a Great Mom. Because You Are!” (December 10,<br />
2010):<br />
http://tinyurl.com/7s8xhxc<br />
• My comments, in two parts, about a Washing<strong>to</strong>n Post series about the elementary school epidemic of<br />
high blood pressure, joint conditions, diabetes, and obesity. Part 1 (May 22, 2008) is here:<br />
http://tinyurl.com/7s6few2<br />
• This is a very raw and honest three-part series on being a single parent trying <strong>to</strong> fight the good fight<br />
with what I feed my kids. Part 1 (July 31, 2011) is here:<br />
http://tinyurl.com/8xbzjvh<br />
• One day (May 17, 2011) I wrote about thinking carefully about the hills you die on as a parent:<br />
http://tinyurl.com/7dswc48<br />
• And a blog entry (November 1, 2009) about reconsidering any statements that make spouse or children<br />
fearful of a sea change coming—but, rather, doing it gradually and without fanfare:<br />
http://tinyurl.com/7l2cnat<br />
18 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
Don’t I Need <strong>to</strong> Eat for My Blood/Metabolic Type?<br />
The fields of diet and nutrition have so many competing voices, it’s no wonder that most people have tried<br />
many diets. Contradic<strong>to</strong>ry philosophies include the high-protein Atkins diet, the high-complex-carb and lowfat<br />
McDougall-Pritikin diet, macrobiotics, vegetarian or vegan, raw food, alkalarian, and many other food cults<br />
or fads. Recently, many people have put their confidence in eating for their blood or body type.<br />
From studying all of these diets and reviewing the responses of people <strong>to</strong> them, one fact emerges: some people<br />
find that a specific diet works brilliantly for them, and others find them impossible <strong>to</strong> follow. This leads <strong>to</strong> the<br />
new view that we are programmed differently, individually, <strong>to</strong> need a variety of ratios of protein,<br />
carbohydrates, and fats.<br />
As with virtually all of these diet programs, we’re likely <strong>to</strong> find some truth and some falsehood. What is true is<br />
that people are different and each of us needs <strong>to</strong> find our optimal balance. In particular, some need more protein<br />
than others. What’s false is that a heavily meat-based diet is necessary for those who need more protein.<br />
Remember the China Study (covered in more detail in Chapter 1), the largest piece of nutrition research in<br />
his<strong>to</strong>ry: people who eat an animal-protein diet are not healthy people. People think that meat is necessary<br />
because they have not tried <strong>to</strong> maximize proteins within the realm of plant foods.<br />
Every time you make a change of any kind, your body and sometimes your psyche reacts. Allow for this <strong>to</strong> be<br />
temporary. Discomfort, or change, is not always a bad sign. In fact, sometimes it is a good sign. Your body is<br />
also likely <strong>to</strong> de<strong>to</strong>xify when you decrease or eliminate animal protein and instead give it high-nutrient foods. It<br />
de<strong>to</strong>xifies because it can, finally, perhaps for the first time in a long while.<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-plant foods contain a wide variety of ratios of the three main food components. Without much stress or<br />
effort, and just a little knowledge and planning, someone who needs high protein but wants the advantages of a<br />
disease-preventative, high-fiber, mostly live foods diet can thrive. Gone are the days where people must<br />
assume that plant foods leave people hungry. Just in the last 10 years, high-protein ancient grains have been<br />
rediscovered and popularized (Chapter 6 and Chapter 9 of this book), spirulina and blue-green algae with 60-<br />
70% protein (Chapter <strong>12</strong>) have become widely available, and research offers us options for vegetables with<br />
extremely high protein content. (Did you know that both broccoli and spinach have higher than 40% protein?)<br />
Nuts and seeds are another very important solution for protein seekers, and in this book you’ll learn how <strong>to</strong><br />
make dips, crackers, desserts, and many other interesting dishes from them. You can eat a 60-80% raw, wholefoods<br />
diet and get plenty of protein. These issues are discussed in each relevant chapter for those who are<br />
concerned that plant foods are <strong>to</strong>o high in carbohydrates.<br />
What about Food Combining and Digestive Problems?<br />
You may have encountered a theory about good and bad food combinations. The theory behind these theories<br />
revolves around the idea that a food that takes 20 minutes <strong>to</strong> digest will ferment in the gut when it’s present<br />
with a food that takes 8 hours, and different enzymes, <strong>to</strong> digest.<br />
Some experts dispute that this is something we need <strong>to</strong> worry about, and I prefer <strong>to</strong> keep my advice simple and<br />
uncluttered by unproven theory. However, if you do find that starches and sugars are a bad combination for you<br />
(for instance, fruits or above-ground vegetables with grains), feel free <strong>to</strong> avoid those. One way <strong>to</strong> tell if certain<br />
food groups should not be combined is if you experience intestinal gas and/or bloating.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 19
Introduction<br />
But you can rest assured that, in the case of green smoothies, the combination of greens and fruit is very valid<br />
and will not cause digestive distress. That’s because greens are not precisely vegetables; they belong in their<br />
own class. They are not starchy and are extremely low in sugar, and they are perfectly appropriate blended with<br />
fruits.<br />
For the most part, I don’t buy in<strong>to</strong> food-combining theories for several reasons.<br />
First of all, common sense suggests that we were not meant <strong>to</strong> make rocket science of exactly what foods <strong>to</strong><br />
eat, in combination with which others, and when. Eating is supposed <strong>to</strong> be varied, natural and, above all,<br />
simple.<br />
Second, I have never seen any real science behind food-combining theories with complicated diets built on<br />
those claims. It has become big business and those advocating for heightened awareness of how <strong>to</strong> eat are<br />
finding financial success, and some adherents claim <strong>to</strong> feel better. However, that success and improved health<br />
may be far more related <strong>to</strong> these new “experts” advocating against eating processed food than any code of<br />
combinations.<br />
Third, food-combining “rules” make people fearful or even paranoid and damage our ability <strong>to</strong> truly enjoy<br />
what we eat, especially in social settings.<br />
Fourth, food-combining “no-no’s” resolve themselves anyway when you eat a plant-based diet. Plants digest<br />
within a few hours, at most, so even if you buy in<strong>to</strong> the idea that you should eat only foods that digest in the<br />
same length of time, a vegetarian diet generally does not cause problems in a lot of combinations and variety.<br />
That said, in the modern age, many of us have degenerative gut issues. Celiac disease and other milder gluten<br />
in<strong>to</strong>lerances, Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, colitis, and many other gastrointestinal disorders<br />
have reached epidemic proportions, and un<strong>to</strong>ld numbers are as yet undiagnosed. I believe that due <strong>to</strong> three<br />
generations of a processed-food diet, as well as a meteoric surge in genetically modified foods, we will<br />
continue <strong>to</strong> see astronomical numbers of new diagnoses of food allergies and sensitivities as well as diseases of<br />
the GI tract. Candida overgrowth affects at least one in three Americans and it gives rise <strong>to</strong> many of our health<br />
complaints. (The candida yeast feeds on sugars.) I believe these maladies will continue <strong>to</strong> escalate until we<br />
radically change our growing and eating practices.<br />
If you are in the beginning stages of trying <strong>to</strong> ascertain why you have digestive problems, a few simple<br />
experiments may be in order. The first two are related <strong>to</strong> simple, common-sense food combining.<br />
First, I believe it may make sense <strong>to</strong> eat fruits only on an empty s<strong>to</strong>mach, well in advance of a meal or a few<br />
hours after it. Fruits take 20 <strong>to</strong> 45 minutes <strong>to</strong> digest.<br />
Second, if there are two classes of foods I think do not go <strong>to</strong>gether, it is animal proteins (which take a long time<br />
<strong>to</strong> digest) and fruits (which take a very short time <strong>to</strong> digest).<br />
Third, anyone with digestive problems should make a strong effort <strong>to</strong> eat probiotic-rich foods, such as kefir or<br />
yogurt, and homemade raw sauerkraut. And I advise doing Step 8 (page 223) of this <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> program sooner<br />
rather than later! Make a daily habit of consuming foods with live cultures <strong>to</strong> repopulate your s<strong>to</strong>mach,<br />
intestines, and colon with the friendly flora that are your best defense against invading viruses and bacteria,<br />
yeasts, fungus, molds, and parasites.<br />
20 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
Fourth, I strongly recommend a food-elimination cleanse program, overseen by a naturopath or another<br />
practitioner you trust, <strong>to</strong> get <strong>to</strong> the bot<strong>to</strong>m of what classes of foods are causing you problems. You may<br />
eventually be able <strong>to</strong> heal your gut and eliminate some food in<strong>to</strong>lerances under the care of a good practitioner<br />
and while eating nourishing whole foods.<br />
Fifth and finally, I have reviewed many (if not all) of the food-combining theories, and if you are going <strong>to</strong> do<br />
one—especially <strong>to</strong> starve out candida (it never goes away, but it can become controlled and dormant, as the<br />
immune system is strengthened)—I recommend Donna Gates’ Body Ecology Diet. It focuses heavily on sea<br />
vegetables, which will be very foreign <strong>to</strong> most people. It also emphasizes probiotic-intensive foods.<br />
I am not a big fan of the poultry, fish, and eggs Gates recommends (my review of The China Study, on<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com under “Book Review” and in other places, will explain why). However, when you<br />
eliminate fruits and grains, in an effort <strong>to</strong> regain a healthy terrain populated with good bacteria rather than bad,<br />
getting enough calories is a problem. Therefore, for those with candida or significant health problems, I am<br />
supportive of undertaking the Body Ecology Diet and then, when you are healed, shifting <strong>to</strong> eating fruits and<br />
other whole plant foods.<br />
Will I Have <strong>to</strong> Use Lots of Tools and Ingredients I’m Not<br />
Familiar With?<br />
You’ll be introduced <strong>to</strong> lots of whole foods in this book, but never fear: in Appendix A (page 337), ingredients<br />
you may not be familiar with are explained, with tips on where you can find them. I have made an effort not <strong>to</strong><br />
use large numbers of ingredients in my recipes or exotic, hard-<strong>to</strong>-find ingredients. I’ve also made an effort <strong>to</strong><br />
use every ingredient in more than one recipe, so you have other places <strong>to</strong> “use it up” if you buy it—you can<br />
look up any ingredient in the index <strong>to</strong> find all recipes in this manual that use it. Usually you’ll find a new<br />
ingredient in your local health food s<strong>to</strong>re, a place you will inevitably become quite intimate with in the course<br />
of following this program!<br />
A whole-foods kitchen does have certain <strong>to</strong>ols, but I have suggested them only when they are needed for each<br />
new step. Most months, you won’t need any new or expensive <strong>to</strong>ols. However, one thing that no one who cares<br />
about nutrition should be without is the Blendtec Total Blender. On my site (www.greensmoothiegirl.com), I<br />
explain why I like this high-powered blender best, even though I own several (including VitaMix, Bosch, and<br />
others). This is a pricey machine at around $400, but it is the single best thing I own. Not the single best kitchen<br />
<strong>to</strong>ol I own, but literally the best thing I own, period! I use mine four or more times every single day. I even take<br />
it in my suitcase <strong>to</strong> hotel rooms on vacation. I can’t overestimate the importance of having a high-horsepower<br />
blender with a good warranty for increasing your nutrition using many of these <strong>12</strong> steps—especially step 1.<br />
Some of the foods you’ll be introduced <strong>to</strong> are not expensive. For instance, whole grains and legumes are<br />
inexpensive—much cheaper than processed, packaged foods and meat and dairy products. And most chapters<br />
have a section on tips for saving money. Of course, some of the chapters, such as the vegetable garden, main<br />
dishes, and whole-grain sections, are inherently going <strong>to</strong> help you save. I know that most people live on a<br />
closely guarded budget, and being a frugal person with humble beginnings myself, I will not suggest you<br />
purchase anything that isn’t really important and a great investment in your family’s nutrition. Most of the<br />
people I know who are living this lifestyle—whole-food nutrition every day—are folks who live on a strict<br />
budget. You don’t have <strong>to</strong> be wealthy <strong>to</strong> be healthy!<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 21
Introduction<br />
Why Should I Document My Health in <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> Journal<br />
Entries?<br />
As I have observed people making changes in their lives, it goes like this: on Jan. 1, we start exercising and<br />
eating right. We feel great and we know that exercise and diet were the reasons. But what change, specifically,<br />
led <strong>to</strong> what positive health benefit? That’s hard <strong>to</strong> know when multiple changes happened at once, which is so<br />
often the case when you go on a “health kick.” My goal in helping you, in writing this book, is not <strong>to</strong> help you<br />
get on another health kick. Or lose a few pounds (again). It’s <strong>to</strong> change your life.<br />
Thus, one of the advantages <strong>to</strong> this <strong>12</strong>-step program, besides that it’s easier <strong>to</strong> do piecemeal, is that you have<br />
the rare opportunity <strong>to</strong> document each step’s individual effect on your health. Writing those effects down helps<br />
you become very analytical about your health, and you will notice smaller effects on your health (for instance,<br />
sounder sleep or fingernails no longer being brittle) in addition <strong>to</strong> those one or two big ones that have you<br />
motivated right now <strong>to</strong> make a change (like reducing high blood pressure or losing weight).<br />
May I recommend, <strong>to</strong> make your personal experiments in nutrition as pure as possible, that you do one thing at<br />
a time? If you are not exercising, for instance, you may want <strong>to</strong> tackle that for a little while before making the<br />
first nutritional change. Although this book is not about exercise, I love breaking a sweat every day, with the<br />
accompanying endorphins, as much as I love good nutrition. I recommend that you move your body six days a<br />
week, doing (a) aerobic exercise such as walking or running, (b) anaerobic exercise such as weight lifting or<br />
isometric exercises, and (c) Pilates or yoga for energy, strengthening, and mind-body tuning.<br />
I also recommend you undertake this year of exciting changes with your own scientific case study by using the<br />
journal entry sections in this manual, found at the end of each step. Years from now, you may want <strong>to</strong> look back<br />
and recall how you felt before you made some of the most significant changes of your life. That will help you<br />
continue your commitment <strong>to</strong> honoring your body by giving it the very best fuel available.<br />
Change can be scary, as you know. But after so many changes we’ve made in our lives, we look back and<br />
wonder why we didn’t do it sooner. Making the transition <strong>to</strong> whole foods is just such a change: daunting at<br />
first, but so worth the investment of time <strong>to</strong> learn how. So remember, change is good! This is not about denying<br />
yourself foods you love: it’s about learning some positive new habits you’ll never want <strong>to</strong> be without.<br />
Whenever you’re in your kitchen preparing food, that’s when you’re thinking about food, so it’s the perfect<br />
time <strong>to</strong> jot down a few notes about changes you notice in your health as you adopt the monthly goal. So keep<br />
this manual/journal and a pen handy in a kitchen drawer.<br />
Start by articulating your goals for the year. Writing them down will help you be accountable <strong>to</strong> you. What,<br />
specifically, would you like <strong>to</strong> change in your health, weight, or appearance? Don’t be afraid <strong>to</strong> say, “I want<br />
pretty skin and hair” or “I want <strong>to</strong> be at my ideal weight of 140 lbs. by the end of the year.”<br />
Begin documenting the differences you see as you improve your nutrition. Do you have more energy? Do you<br />
notice your digestion changing? (Don’t be afraid <strong>to</strong> be graphic—your only audience is you!) Do you lose<br />
weight without suffering, feeling deprived, and counting calories? Do your skin and hair look and feel<br />
different? Do chronic conditions (heartburn, allergies, blood sugar problems, for instance) lessen or disappear?<br />
What changes do you notice in your children’s behavior? Date and document changes you notice—and you<br />
will definitely notice changes! If you find yourself tackling projects you’ve always meant <strong>to</strong> do, with newfound<br />
energy, write it down.<br />
22 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
Document any “cleansing reactions” you have, noting them as such <strong>to</strong> help you get through them. Very<br />
common are headaches, digestive disturbances, cold-like symp<strong>to</strong>ms, and skin breakouts. Write about setbacks<br />
you have—why did you have them? How do you anticipate success the next time you have a similar challenge?<br />
What recipes do you like? What ingredients do you like so much that you want <strong>to</strong> find more recipes that use<br />
them?<br />
If you can afford it, you may also want <strong>to</strong> start this year of change with a panel of blood work <strong>to</strong> document that<br />
your health risks are decreasing, which will be another powerful motiva<strong>to</strong>r for you. Ask your doc<strong>to</strong>r for a<br />
prescription for testing for cholesterol (LDL and HDL), triglycerides, B<strong>12</strong> and folate, blood glucose, and<br />
hormone testing (especially important for women age 40+).<br />
You may then wish <strong>to</strong> get tested again at 6 and <strong>12</strong> months later as you begin <strong>to</strong> see changes in your health. The<br />
more scientific you can be in documenting important changes both large and small, the more likely you will be<br />
<strong>to</strong> make long-term lifestyle changes rather than going on yet another short-term “health kick.”<br />
Why Should I Make Changes with a Support System in Place?<br />
We are spiritually and emotionally connected, social beings. We need someone <strong>to</strong> talk <strong>to</strong> every day about things<br />
that matter. Quit-smoking programs, Weight Watchers, professional organizations, church groups, and many<br />
other examples are evidence of how people are more successful when they come <strong>to</strong>gether in a common goal.<br />
Many research studies have documented how people lose weight more successfully if they do it with someone<br />
else.<br />
To that end, please talk about <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong>—your thoughts, successes, health improvements, favorite recipes,<br />
challenges—on the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> blog at www.greensmoothiegirl.com/<strong>12</strong>-step-blog/. If you are married or have<br />
children or roommates living with you, ask them forthrightly for support in your efforts. Tell them your hopes<br />
and goals, why you want <strong>to</strong> make a change. You may want <strong>to</strong> ask a friend <strong>to</strong> do the program with you.<br />
The importance of the support of a spouse or “significant other” cannot be overstated. My own family lets me<br />
know when a recipe I invent isn’t very good, which I want them <strong>to</strong> do—but they also thank me for meals I<br />
make. Some of my family members have genuinely appreciated that they are healthy and fit partly because of<br />
my efforts, and they tell me so. I hope that you will obtain the support of those closest <strong>to</strong> you, because it’s<br />
tremendously important.<br />
You can’t always control what your spouse thinks about eating right, and many of us live alone. You can<br />
control one thing, however. Almost regardless of where you live, support groups are available. I am a member<br />
of a number of groups that gather for monthly potlucks and <strong>to</strong> discuss a <strong>to</strong>pic related <strong>to</strong> health and nutrition.<br />
Ask someone you know who is “earthy crunchy,” ask at the health food s<strong>to</strong>re, or call a naturopathic doc<strong>to</strong>r’s<br />
office until you find a support group. Of course, you can always start your own group, <strong>to</strong>o! It’s probable that<br />
you have several friends who would really like <strong>to</strong> take charge of their health but need a bit of hand holding, as<br />
we all do. I like the names of a couple of support groups in my area: “A Healer in Every Home” and “Raw<br />
Lunch Bunch.”<br />
The benefits of a support network are more than just someone <strong>to</strong> share your experience with: you’ll gain new<br />
friends, new knowledge, recipe ideas and, most importantly, inspiration every time you get <strong>to</strong>gether. I am just<br />
like you. Even though I get hundreds of “love letters” from GreenSmoothieGirl.com readers whose lives are<br />
changed for the better, and I love that, nothing recharges my battery like meeting with real, live people.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 23
Introduction<br />
Let me share with you a great example of how one woman’s desire <strong>to</strong> share her enthusiasm for green smoothies<br />
and a whole-foods lifestyle created a great support system in her local community. Here’s Kim Newhouse’s<br />
s<strong>to</strong>ry (with pho<strong>to</strong>s by her husband, Mark Newhouse):<br />
Here in Tucson we’ve instituted<br />
monthly “Green Smoothie Parties”<br />
where we gather <strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong> have fun<br />
learning more about good nutrition.<br />
After winning <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> Food<br />
Eating at one of Robyn’s lectures, I<br />
knew this information was <strong>to</strong>o good<br />
<strong>to</strong> keep <strong>to</strong> myself! I had been on a<br />
journey <strong>to</strong> better nutrition for several<br />
years and had seen amazing changes<br />
in my health. I went from having<br />
constant infections and illnesses <strong>to</strong><br />
having a strong immune system. I<br />
sleep better, have more energy, and<br />
am so pleased that my 5 children love<br />
this way of eating <strong>to</strong>o! My friends call<br />
me “the whole food evangelist”<br />
because I’m so eager <strong>to</strong> tell others<br />
how beneficial it is <strong>to</strong> get off of<br />
processed foods.<br />
Kim Newhouse following along with Robyn’s video at a GSG<br />
party in her home.<br />
Watching Robyn’s demo video. (Back <strong>to</strong> front: Tere Joe, Bethany<br />
Newhouse [age 17, Kim’s daughter], Dale Fox [cancer survivor],<br />
Tacia Kissel, and Jordan Newhouse [age 19], Kim’s oldest daughter.)<br />
Now I use Robyn’s material <strong>to</strong><br />
spread the good news about healthy<br />
eating. Each month my husband<br />
creates a Web page where each<br />
person can sign up <strong>to</strong> bring an<br />
ingredient for a recipe or two that<br />
goes along with Robyn’s video clip<br />
that we are going <strong>to</strong> watch.<br />
Everyone enjoys the demonstration,<br />
tasting, and the related discussion<br />
that ensues. It’s a great opportunity<br />
<strong>to</strong> gather new ideas, and we have the<br />
accountability of checking in with<br />
each other <strong>to</strong> share about how we’ve<br />
been putting in<strong>to</strong> practice all that<br />
we’ve learned. Women and girls of a<br />
wide range of ages have attended<br />
and even a few brave “Green<br />
Smoothie Guys” have joined in.<br />
They leave satisfied with what they’ve tasted and received and are eager <strong>to</strong> share what they’ve<br />
discovered with others. It’s not just a girly thing! It’s families—teens, spouses, children—coming<br />
<strong>to</strong>gether as a team. Well, that’s our mission, anyway!<br />
24 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
I’ve invited the attendees <strong>to</strong> come early and explore our garden or help harvest an ingredient for a recipe<br />
we’re going <strong>to</strong> make (basil for pes<strong>to</strong>, herbs for salad dressing, etc). The hands-on opportunity provides<br />
inspiration and motivation—we’ve even distributed plant cuttings or new sprouts for them <strong>to</strong> take home<br />
and get started with. I also encourage them <strong>to</strong> try out the high-powered blenders <strong>to</strong> see for themselves<br />
how easy and fun it can be! It works best <strong>to</strong> have someone bring another blender so we can make<br />
multiple recipes simultaneously.<br />
Friendships have formed out of<br />
these meetings as people meet<br />
others with their specific<br />
challenges (ie gluten or other food<br />
allergy). Having a group of likeminded<br />
folks can make all the<br />
difference in one’s success—we<br />
highly recommend it!<br />
Enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of their labors! (Clockwise from lower<br />
left: Tere Joe, Jordan Newhouse, Anne White, Stephanie Bleakmore, Helen<br />
Vosburgh, Beth Flores, Katrina Livingood, Dale Fox, and Bethany<br />
Newhouse.)<br />
You’ve got many new followers in<br />
Tucson now! Here’s a testimonial<br />
from a 21-year-old who attended<br />
my first party (she has 7 siblings):<br />
“We all love the green smoothies<br />
and are making them at least once<br />
a day with ginger, bee pollen, kale,<br />
collard greens, chard, spinach,<br />
cabbage, chia, flax oil, and fruit.<br />
My brothers think they are dessert<br />
and say we haven’t made a green<br />
smoothie they didn’t like yet!<br />
Thank you so much for opening your home for green smoothie night, and we are looking forward <strong>to</strong> the<br />
next one!”<br />
And one of our regular attendees, Dale Fox, who is a three-time cancer survivor, has this <strong>to</strong> say: “After<br />
I attended my first Green Smoothie Girl Party, I knew I found what I was looking for. I have been<br />
wanting and needing <strong>to</strong> make dietary changes for some time, but felt overwhelmed and not sure where<br />
<strong>to</strong> start. <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> has been key <strong>to</strong> achieving this goal. As a three-time cancer survivor, it<br />
feels great <strong>to</strong> know I am finally eating in a manner I feel good about, both physically and mentally. I<br />
look forward <strong>to</strong> the Green Smoothie Girl Party each month. We learn a lot from Robyn as well as<br />
sharing tips, recipes, and products with one another. My family and I have been enjoying green<br />
smoothies every day and we’re on our way <strong>to</strong> a whole foods lifestyle. I am so excited <strong>to</strong> be making<br />
these changes and so very grateful <strong>to</strong> Robyn.”<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 25
Introduction<br />
How Will I Find the Time? The GreenSmoothieGirl Law of<br />
Physics<br />
On this site, and in my book, I often preach <strong>to</strong> the unbelieving a certain principle. It can be an uphill battle <strong>to</strong><br />
get anyone <strong>to</strong> buy in<strong>to</strong> my counterintuitive principle of physics until she gives it a try. And that<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl Law of Physics is that an expenditure of energy yields more energy.<br />
People are always saying <strong>to</strong> me, “I just don’t want <strong>to</strong> spend any time in the kitchen. I’m exhausted at the end of<br />
the day and don’t have the energy for it!” Many folks have gotten in the “energy conservation” habit of<br />
carefully doling out their limited energy for just the most basic of life activities (sleep, eat, work, start over), all<br />
while watching with great horror that energy pool ever shrinking.<br />
Readers of GreenSmoothieGirl.com know what I say, and I will repeat it here. A minute of kitchen time, eating<br />
the way I teach you <strong>to</strong> prepare food, yields two minutes of newfound energy. Time freed up that you used <strong>to</strong><br />
spend in a depressed funk or, worse, oversleeping. Eating a GreenSmoothieGirl diet gives you quantifiable<br />
gains in energy that open up a whole new world of service opportunities, goal achievement, fun, the ability <strong>to</strong><br />
invest in new and old relationships, and the disappearance of “energy conservation.”<br />
And I say that, as with spiritual faith, if you can’t believe that, then just experiment upon the word. Simply try<br />
it and tell me if I’m wrong. Don’t do it for two weeks, where everything is new and at first things take you<br />
longer. Commit <strong>to</strong> making my recipes for several months, because the learning curve flattens and you’ll finally<br />
understand what I’m talking about (as many have attested <strong>to</strong> in GreenSmoothieGirl.com blogs). For anyone<br />
who begins this journey seriously ill, you may need <strong>to</strong> give this experiment a full year <strong>to</strong> see the gains clearly.<br />
You think that the idea of spending a resource causing that same resource <strong>to</strong> double is simply scientific<br />
falsehood? For the sake of the semantic debate, even before you put it <strong>to</strong> the test, let’s compare it <strong>to</strong> three other<br />
arenas in life, <strong>to</strong> lower your cognitive dissonance.<br />
First, are you a parent of at least two children, or are you close <strong>to</strong> someone who is? Many first-time parents are<br />
so smitten by their firstborn that when they begin <strong>to</strong> consider bringing another baby in<strong>to</strong> their family, they fret:<br />
“I’m not sure I can love another baby as much as I love this one.”<br />
Our concrete, finite minds not used <strong>to</strong> “abundance thinking,” sometimes can’t at first bend around the principle<br />
that spending can yield dividends. That is, there’s more <strong>to</strong> be had, good things multiply, scarce thinking breeds<br />
actual scarcity, and abundant thinking breeds actual abundance—in relationships and the world. Give some of<br />
your love and your capacity for love multiplies.<br />
And so parents take the leap and find, virtually universally, that they can, in fact, love another child as much as<br />
the first. So much love that it makes your heart nearly burst sometimes.<br />
Second, consider Olympic athletes. We all love swimmer Michael Phelps, of course. But Dara Torres is my alltime<br />
Olympic hero: because she is my age and she silver medaled three times in the 2008 Olympic Games. She<br />
did this all while nurturing her competi<strong>to</strong>rs and chasing a <strong>to</strong>ddler and proving <strong>to</strong> all the disbelievers that she<br />
achieved her athletic prowess and physique naturally. She had earned a few Olympic gold medals before at<br />
least one of her 2008 competi<strong>to</strong>rs was even born.<br />
Do Olympic athletes have less energy because they give so much energy <strong>to</strong> their sports? No, they are fireballs<br />
of energy because energy begets energy. When they turn their attention <strong>to</strong> other things—volunteerism, media,<br />
26 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Introduction<br />
business, family—they have plenty <strong>to</strong> give. And it doesn’t s<strong>to</strong>p there: thousands of others are affected by their<br />
energy. I have a big pho<strong>to</strong> of Dara Torres <strong>to</strong>rn from a magazine taped right next <strong>to</strong> my computer screen. Her<br />
arms, holding her daughter, are ripped and beautiful, and they inspire me <strong>to</strong> push myself lifting weights.<br />
Third, if you’ve ever owned a real estate property or started a company, you know that spending money on<br />
improvements often brings more business and profits flooding in. Hence, the old saying, “You have <strong>to</strong> spend<br />
money <strong>to</strong> make money.”<br />
So it also is with the time you will spend in the kitchen preparing a GreenSmoothieGirl diet. That time will give<br />
back. It will richly bless your life. It will make possible your achieving goals you’ve had on the back burner a<br />
long time. Go make it happen, one recipe at a time, one day at a time. Just one step <strong>to</strong> whole foods at a time!<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 27
Introduction<br />
28 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 1 Bye-Bye, Stimulants —<br />
Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Your Goal:<br />
Getting off stimulants (coffee and soft drinks)…and on<strong>to</strong> green smoothies!<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
• A Blendtec Total Blender (ask for it for your birthday or Christmas!). An inexpensive blender<br />
will not work long term (even my $100 Bosch blender attachment does not make edible green<br />
smoothies). The Blendtec is the best investment you will make in your health, and you’ll use it<br />
throughout the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> in this book. You can get one through the links <strong>to</strong> those companies on<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com, where we always offer free products with that purchase.<br />
• Fresh greens (preferably organic)—especially spinach, chard, collards, and kale, which are<br />
plentiful in the market and relatively inexpensive even in the winter—as well as fruits such as<br />
frozen berries, pears, and bananas.<br />
America’s obsession with caffeine is undermining our health. Barring the unlikely event of Folger’s,<br />
Red Bull, and Coca Cola going out of business, we’d all be better off making a resolution <strong>to</strong> get off<br />
coffee, energy drinks, and sodas (including diet sodas). I’ve made a simple list for you of why this is a<br />
critical goal for you and your kids as part of your resolutions for this year. You can put this list on your<br />
fridge or mirror as a reminder and motiva<strong>to</strong>r.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 29
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Why Soft Drinks Are Bad for You<br />
Since 1978, males age <strong>12</strong>-29 have tripled their soda consumption,<br />
now drinking 160 gallons per year on average—that’s almost half a<br />
gallon per day. Girls’ consumption has tripled, and the average<br />
person drinks 3 quarts per week. One <strong>12</strong>-oz. can of soda contains 10<br />
spoonfuls of sugar, and diet sodas are high in sodium and the <strong>to</strong>xic<br />
chemical sweetener aspartame, which contains wood alcohol and is<br />
linked <strong>to</strong> more health complaints <strong>to</strong> the FDA than all other food<br />
additives combined.<br />
Reasons <strong>to</strong> quit drinking soda now 1 :<br />
1. Children who drink just one soft drink a day are 60% more<br />
likely <strong>to</strong> become obese than those who don’t, according <strong>to</strong> a<br />
2001 study by Harvard University and Bos<strong>to</strong>n Children’s<br />
Hospital.<br />
2. A huge body of published research links the rise in soft drink<br />
consumption <strong>to</strong> osteoporosis and bone fractures, as soda is<br />
high in phosphorus and robs the body of calcium. Kids who<br />
drink sodas have a three <strong>to</strong> four times higher risk of bone<br />
fracture than those who don’t.<br />
3. Dr. Judith Valentine (Ph.D., C.N.A., C.N.C.) says that virtually every child she has treated who<br />
complains of s<strong>to</strong>mach problems has been easy <strong>to</strong> treat: get the child off soft drinks, and the symp<strong>to</strong>ms<br />
disappear. Sodas increase s<strong>to</strong>mach acid levels, irritate and erode the gastric lining, and burn out tissue<br />
binders, “eating away at your liver like Hannibal Lecter,” according <strong>to</strong> Barnet Meltzer, M.D.<br />
4. Sugar and acid in soft drinks (an array of chemicals including synthetic acetic, fumaric, gluconic, and<br />
phosphoric acids) dissolve <strong>to</strong>oth enamel.<br />
5. The sugar from one soft drink damages the white blood cells’ ability <strong>to</strong> ingest and kill bacteria for seven<br />
hours, according <strong>to</strong> the research of James Howenstine, M.D.<br />
6. Carbonation robs the red blood cells of their ability <strong>to</strong> exchange oxygen, which sets back an athlete or<br />
anyone who needs stamina and energy.<br />
7. Caffeine withdrawal symp<strong>to</strong>ms (experienced by people who drink as little as a single cup of coffee or<br />
soda per day) include headache, fatigue, mild depression, muscle pain, flu-like symp<strong>to</strong>ms, nausea, and<br />
vomiting, according <strong>to</strong> a study at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine by Roland R. Griffiths,<br />
M.D.<br />
8. According <strong>to</strong> the Johns Hopkins study, women who drink caffeinated beverages are more prone <strong>to</strong><br />
PMS: the more they drink, the worse PMS symp<strong>to</strong>ms are.<br />
Why should you s<strong>to</strong>p eating sugar now? Because sugar…<br />
1. Is more addictive than cocaine.<br />
2. Makes you fat.<br />
3. Ages you perhaps more than anything else, decreasing tissue elasticity.<br />
4. Makes you tired.<br />
5. Controls your behavior, making you moody or anxious.<br />
6. Destabilizes your blood sugar, notably causing energy crashes.<br />
30 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
7. Rots your teeth.<br />
8. Weakens your immune system.<br />
9. Feeds cancer cells.<br />
10. Burns out your adrenal glands so you can’t manage stress with calmness.<br />
11. Massively increases your risk of Type 2 diabetes.<br />
<strong>12</strong>. Increases your risk of arthritis.<br />
13. Increases your risk of heart disease.<br />
14. Causes hypoglycemia.<br />
15. Spikes your triglycerides.<br />
16. Increases your risk of Crohn’s disease and colitis.<br />
17. Feeds Candida Albicans, which generally makes you miserable in a hundred ways.<br />
18. Causes acidity in your body.<br />
19. Damages your pancreas and draws heavily on pancreatic enzymes.<br />
20. Makes you develop a fatty liver.<br />
21. Causes your thinking <strong>to</strong> be fuzzy, decreasing grade performance and learning.<br />
22. Makes you dizzy.<br />
23. Makes your blood platelets stick <strong>to</strong>gether.<br />
24. Makes you constipated, like glue.<br />
25. Gives you headaches.<br />
26. Causes kidney s<strong>to</strong>nes and galls<strong>to</strong>nes.<br />
27. Increases your risk of breast cancer.<br />
28. Causes varicose veins.<br />
29. Degenerates your eyesight.<br />
30. Causes deficiencies in copper, calcium, magnesium, chromium, and your overall mineral profile.<br />
The average American eats 150 lbs. of white sugar a year, plus 50 lbs. of high-fruc<strong>to</strong>se corn syrup. That’s 40<br />
5-lb. bags of white sugar! It’s not amazing <strong>to</strong> me that more than 50% of us suffer from a chronic condition; it is<br />
amazing that any of us lives, eating that way.<br />
I made a bet with my friend Matthew that we wouldn’t eat sugar for a year. If we did, we had <strong>to</strong> pay each other<br />
$10,000. No birthday cake, no Thanksgiving pie, nothing. We didn’t even miss it. Once the choice is removed,<br />
you have no agonizing decisions, whether <strong>to</strong> eat that mint-frosting brownie or not! (No brownie is worth<br />
$10,000.) I have never eaten much sugar <strong>to</strong> begin with, but I was amazed that I didn’t feel deprived when the<br />
choice was virtually removed.<br />
Not one bad thing happens when you eliminate refined sugar from your diet. Only good things happen.<br />
If you want something sweet, use stevia, molasses, or small amounts of raw honey, agave, maple syrup, or<br />
coconut palm sugar. If you go off sugar, you lose your cravings and addictions. The first four days are the<br />
hardest. It gets better after that!<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 31
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
What <strong>to</strong> Do about a Cleansing Reaction<br />
Remember that you are, in a very literal sense, what you eat. Your body’s cells are programmed <strong>to</strong> preserve<br />
themselves and build whenever they can. You are, at a most elemental level, without even knowing it or<br />
making a conscious effort, very industrious! Thus, when the quality of the food coming in<strong>to</strong> your body is of<br />
higher quality than the tissues your body is built of, your cells begins <strong>to</strong> throw out the inferior materials and<br />
tissues <strong>to</strong> make room for the good materials that it now wants <strong>to</strong> use <strong>to</strong> build healthier tissue.<br />
When you make a change <strong>to</strong> throw out the bad and bring in the good, a “cleansing reaction” is common. For<br />
instance, abandoning caffeine or other stimulants (like sugar, even) can cause headaches and the other<br />
symp<strong>to</strong>ms described in Reason #7 <strong>to</strong> get off soft drinks/coffee above. Introducing live, natural foods like<br />
greens can initially cause changes in digestive habits, including loose s<strong>to</strong>ol. The point is <strong>to</strong> recognize the<br />
cleansing reaction for what it is—a good thing, not a bad one—and push through it. Generally, headaches and<br />
other reactions last no longer than three days and are followed by a period of feeling rejuvenated and newly<br />
energetic because of a layer of <strong>to</strong>xic burden being eliminated.<br />
If you suddenly gave up alcohol, cigarettes, and junk food, your body would move from a mode of struggling<br />
<strong>to</strong> cope <strong>to</strong> a mode of fighting <strong>to</strong> cleanse and rebuild. In particular, your body will attempt <strong>to</strong> rid itself of<br />
chemicals like caffeine and theobromine. Add in some good, raw plant food fuel, and the body will throw off<br />
dead weight as fast as it can. Sometimes this can “swamp” the organs of elimination such as the kidneys, liver,<br />
and skin. The skin can break out and other organs of elimination can take on more <strong>to</strong>xicity than they can<br />
process in a short time—fatigue, weakness, and susceptibility <strong>to</strong> viruses can be the result.<br />
Know this in advance and be aware of two things you should do:<br />
1. Cleansing is a normal process and a good sign—and while it can be uncomfortable, the rewards are<br />
worth it. Don’t quit because of an initial period of discomfort or pain. Instead, visually imagine tiny<br />
armies of plant fiber and antioxidants marching the bad guys out of your body! The more bad guys who<br />
fall, the more likely a traffic jam or pileup is likely. Get extra rest, drink extra water (at least one ounce<br />
per day, for every two pounds of body weight), and be patient. Love your body and honor the way it<br />
serves you well—enough <strong>to</strong> not s<strong>to</strong>p the good process you have begun. After the cleansing reaction,<br />
you should feel the best you’ve felt in a long time.<br />
2. Respect your body’s signs and be willing <strong>to</strong> go slowly. If whole foods are relatively new <strong>to</strong> you, take the<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> in this book as they’re intended: one at a time. If you want <strong>to</strong> accelerate the program <strong>to</strong><br />
tackling a new step more than once a month, fine—especially if you already eat several raw vegetables<br />
a day, avoid processed food, and are not overweight. But consider that your body will be de<strong>to</strong>xifying<br />
the whole time you introduce new habits. If you spent 30 or 50 years accumulating <strong>to</strong>xicity, you won’t<br />
get rid of it in a week or a month. In particular, adding greens, raw foods, and coconut oil will be very<br />
effective at cleansing. Just start small and add more of these vital foods gradually as your body adjusts.<br />
At the same time that you’re getting off soft drinks (and <strong>to</strong> those who aren’t addicted, lucky you!), you’re<br />
adding in a very positive habit: daily green smoothies.<br />
32 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
The Highest and Best Use of Your Kitchen Time: Green<br />
Smoothies<br />
When I’m asked, “What one thing should I do for good nutrition, if my time is limited?” my answer is always<br />
<strong>to</strong> make your one new habit green smoothies!<br />
Why? Because in just one quart of green smoothie—your daily goal for this month—you get 15 servings of<br />
raw, enzyme-rich greens and fruits! That is literally 150% of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance<br />
(USRDA) of fruits and vegetables. Please don’t think you’re “overdosing” on greens, because you really can’t.<br />
You can overdose on isolated, synthetic derivatives of the nutrients found in greens. But you aren’t likely <strong>to</strong> get<br />
<strong>to</strong>o much of any green, especially if you get a wide variety, as I teach you in this chapter.<br />
The USRDA isn’t really targeting ideals: it’s considering the state of the modern diet and raising the bar from<br />
there <strong>to</strong> what our government thinks the average person can reasonably do. Many indigenous peoples around<br />
the world get more than the 5-10 fruits and vegetables our government recommends, especially when you<br />
consider that the serving sizes recommended are tiny! One two-inch piece of a cucumber, or 10 berries, for<br />
instance, counts as a “serving!”<br />
With a green smoothie daily, you can do better than that. If you follow the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> all the way through, you’ll<br />
be eating about two pounds of vegetables daily. And right now, with this first step, you’re already taking a huge<br />
leap <strong>to</strong>wards that goal.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 33
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Remember your primordial cousin, the gorilla. He eats greens all day long, and unless he’s captured and fed an<br />
unnatural diet in captivity, he virtually never gets heart disease, cancer, or au<strong>to</strong>immune diseases.<br />
Believe it or not, kids will drink green smoothies, and you will be surprised that you enjoy them and even learn<br />
<strong>to</strong> crave them. Don’t let the name put you off—I make them look more purple than green, with a magic<br />
ingredient called frozen mixed berries.<br />
Vic<strong>to</strong>ria Boutenko’s book Green for Life is a comprehensive report on why greens are so important and why<br />
even long-time raw foodists like Boutenko, committed <strong>to</strong> good nutrition, find they can be nutrient deficient<br />
without a large amount of dark, leafy greens. Her research of 30 people each drinking a quart of green smoothie<br />
(made every two days and hand delivered by Boutenko and her family) for 30 days yielded 100% positive<br />
reviews. The <strong>to</strong>p three health benefits reported by those involved in the study were better digestion/<br />
elimination, more energy, and weight loss. 2<br />
The results of my own poll of 175 green smoothie drinkers published in my book The Green Smoothies Diet<br />
yielded some interesting results that suggest quite definitively that it’s a 10-min. habit worth adopting! To<br />
participate in the questionnaire, one had <strong>to</strong> be drinking green smoothies for at least 30 days, a pint a day for at<br />
least 4 days a week. Many were drinking more, up <strong>to</strong> my recommended one quart daily.<br />
The vast majority, 95.4%, said green smoothies noticeably improved their health or quality of life. Very<br />
exciting <strong>to</strong> me is the fact that 84% of those drinking green smoothies are so enthusiastic about the positive<br />
health benefits that they’ve <strong>to</strong>ld others about or taught them the habit!<br />
The <strong>to</strong>p health effects people experienced were (in order) more energy, improved digestion, fewer cravings for<br />
sweets, a more positive mood, improvements in skin <strong>to</strong>ne, and weight loss. And, significantly, although not all<br />
the respondents needed <strong>to</strong> lose weight, 50% of them did—nearly the same percentage as the amount of<br />
Americans <strong>to</strong>day who are overweight (66%).<br />
Interestingly, Boutenko’s three benefits coincide with the <strong>to</strong>p three complaints of Americans: we are tired, we<br />
have major digestive problems, and we are overweight. In the green smoothie, you find a triple whammy: three<br />
sickly birds killed with one s<strong>to</strong>ne!<br />
I’ve designed a master template for green smoothies at the end of this chapter that you can adapt <strong>to</strong> a wide<br />
variety of greens and fruit. I also have many more recipes and additional information in my books The Big<br />
Book of Green Smoothies (with 230 recipes) and The Green Smoothies Diet. 3<br />
34 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Benefits of Green Smoothies<br />
Greens You’d Never Otherwise Eat. Who eats a big plate of plain,<br />
raw, kale, collards, spinach, and celery? Mustard greens, arugula,<br />
turnip greens, dandelion greens, beet greens, and chard don’t end up<br />
in <strong>to</strong>o many salads, even for the most health conscious among us.<br />
Just the time <strong>to</strong> chew it would be half an hour—and add chopping<br />
time <strong>to</strong> that. Those unusual but oh-so-good-for-you greens are a<br />
regular feature in my green smoothies every day.<br />
No Salad Dressings Required. Another benefit of a smoothie<br />
versus a salad is that you don’t have <strong>to</strong> drizzle (or douse!) your<br />
greens with fattening, chemical-laden salad dressings <strong>to</strong> get them<br />
down. Many people are not aware that salad dressings you purchase<br />
in the s<strong>to</strong>re are full of <strong>to</strong>xic chemicals like monosodium glutamate<br />
(which goes by many names you may not recognize on a label); the<br />
very worst refined sweetener, high-fruc<strong>to</strong>se corn syrup; refined salt;<br />
and rancid, refined oils like soybean and other vegetable oils.<br />
Lowest Calorie, Highest Nutrition, Least Expensive Meal You Can Eat. A quart of green smoothie is 188<br />
calories, using the template recipe that utilizes water, greens, and fruit. (If you add some flax seeds or flaxseed<br />
oil, that will add calories, but good ones! It will add good fats <strong>to</strong> your diet, the kind that burn the bad fats.)<br />
Your s<strong>to</strong>mach will be very full with a quart of green smoothie. Does a protein bar fill you up? No, and it has<br />
more calories and fat and lots of refined-food products and salt in it. Simply put, there is no food you can eat<br />
that will give you higher micronutrients, for fewer calories, than a green smoothie. (Micronutrients meaning<br />
100 or more different phy<strong>to</strong>nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.)<br />
I bought retail-priced ingredients and measured how much a quart of green smoothie costs, and it was only<br />
$2.50! A Starbucks latte costs more than that and its nutrition isn't even in the same galaxy! You can pay $4 for<br />
fat, caffeine, sugar, and aging in your morning coffee. Or you can pay $2.50 for a full s<strong>to</strong>mach, lots of energy, a<br />
positive mood, stable blood sugar, weight loss, pretty skin/hair/nails, and excellent digestion. (See my book<br />
The Green Smoothies Diet for details on these results in my research.) My smoothies cost much less because I<br />
grow organic spinach, kale, collards, chard, and beet greens in my garden, and then in the fall I freeze them for<br />
the winter. I also compost peels and other plant waste products <strong>to</strong> feed the soil that then grows my family’s<br />
food. It’s easy and fun, and I teach you much more about this in Chapter 5 (page 119).<br />
If you think $2.50 is a lot because you eat ramen noodles and a candy bar for lunch for only $1, consider that<br />
you will spend far more than that differential in health care and lost productivity, when you choose<br />
inexpensive, <strong>to</strong>xic food. Not <strong>to</strong> mention you’ll also be hungry again in about an hour and will likely look for<br />
more food <strong>to</strong> help fill you up…and how much additional money will you spend on that?<br />
Predigested Nutrition. Boutenko recommends you try an experiment of chewing your salad up and then right<br />
before you would normally swallow it, spit it out and look at it. To be digestible, it needs <strong>to</strong> be fully broken<br />
down in<strong>to</strong> the tiniest particles—“creamed” like wide-palate primates with strong jaws are able <strong>to</strong> do easily,<br />
without any observable “chunks” of green.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 35
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
You are likely <strong>to</strong> see a mouthful of <strong>to</strong>rn-up greens, nowhere near “creamed.” That’s because over the past few<br />
generations, our palates have narrowed (thus the meteoric rise in orthodontic work—more and more<br />
orthodontists are widening children’s palates). Our jaws have weakened. We are no longer capable of breaking<br />
down the most important foods in our diet, greens. Blended greens have been shown <strong>to</strong> increase nutrient<br />
absorption. Grey hair, for instance, is a sign of mineral deficiency. Ann Wigmore, the wheat grass juice<br />
pioneer, famously regained her hair color with blended greens.<br />
Maybe you can’t back up “devolution” of the jaw. But the good news is that while I still highly recommend<br />
salads, and chewing them well, your high-powered blender “creams” the greens—i.e., predigests them—for<br />
you. It breaks them down <strong>to</strong> actually crushing the cell walls, making nutrients highly bioavailable when eaten<br />
right after processing in your blender. The only thing you need <strong>to</strong> do with your green smoothie is “chew” it<br />
fully in your mouth (even though it is smooth and liquefied) <strong>to</strong> add the important digestive juices and enzymes<br />
from saliva <strong>to</strong> your food before it goes <strong>to</strong> the s<strong>to</strong>mach.<br />
Closer <strong>to</strong> the Diet Nature Intended. Boutenko studied the dietary<br />
habits of our closest relatives, large primates. Because we share<br />
almost 99% of our DNA with our cousins, the primates, we would<br />
do well <strong>to</strong> observe what they do in nature, driven by instinct. Of<br />
course, primates are largely vegetarian and eat a diet of primarily<br />
greens. Gorillas don’t eat a whole tree in a day; rather, they eat a<br />
little every day of a wide variety of greens.<br />
The problem is, we have devolved as a species as a result of eating<br />
an increasingly soft-food (processed) diet the past few generations.<br />
Parents in <strong>to</strong>day’s generation protect their children from having <strong>to</strong><br />
chew...well...anything. My friends cut the peel off their children’s<br />
apples, even after all the children’s teeth have come in. Some of my<br />
friends even cut the crusts off their children’s white bread<br />
sandwiches!<br />
Plant fiber is completely missing from the diets of modern children as their muscles are developing. An openminded<br />
child willing <strong>to</strong> eat a salad is likely <strong>to</strong> barely chew it before swallowing—and while the insoluble fiber<br />
is still beneficial, no doubt, the body simply cannot break down and utilize the nutrition in the greens without<br />
them being fully chewed.<br />
Big Bang for the Buck and for Your Time in the Kitchen. Fifteen servings and loads of fiber. The first time<br />
I measured, I couldn’t believe how much green food a $2.50 homemade quart of smoothie has in it: fully 15<br />
servings of raw greens and fruit. This included lots of plant energy from chlorophyll, which is the equivalent in<br />
a plant <strong>to</strong> the hemoglobin in a human red blood cell. Chlorophyll neutralizes internal body odors and bad<br />
breath, and it mops up free radicals that cause cancer and all degenerative disease. Greens are a powerhouse of<br />
enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. They are, ounce for ounce, the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet.<br />
(Please note that I am not including iceberg lettuce in the category of “leafy greens,” because it is an essentially<br />
nutrition-free food that is not easily digested by humans. So I suggest you purchase vibrant greens for your<br />
smoothies.)<br />
36 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Better and Easier Than Juicing. Many of us have a Champion, Jack LaLanne, or Omega juicer collecting<br />
dust in a back cupboard. We’ve juiced in fits and starts. Unlike these outdated kitchen <strong>to</strong>ols (which make a<br />
huge mess and cost us a lot of time <strong>to</strong> clean up and put away many breakable parts), your Blendtec blender<br />
allows you <strong>to</strong> leverage all the benefits of many plant foods without throwing away most of the plant.<br />
Green smoothies are packed with insoluble plant fiber cleaning the 30+ feet of your entire digestive tract, as<br />
well as your blood and all the organs that your blood flows <strong>to</strong>. Think of kale as a little green guy with bulging<br />
muscles: he can carry out of your body several times more than his own body weight in <strong>to</strong>xins! Eating plenty of<br />
plant fiber is your main antidote <strong>to</strong> colon cancer, a leading cause of death and misery in the U.S.<br />
Easy-<strong>to</strong>-Get Fiber. Drinking a quart a day of green smoothie addresses what I believe is the #1 deficit in the<br />
American diet: enzymes.<br />
Enzymes are catalysts in all bodily functions, including digestion. Digestive enzymes break down food for<br />
s<strong>to</strong>rage in the liver of muscles. And while your body’s organs can produce the needed digestive enzymes, those<br />
organs typically become exhausted in the body of anyone eating a typical Western diet of dead, processed<br />
foods.<br />
According <strong>to</strong> most estimates, you have at best about 30 years’ worth of enzyme production capacity. Eating<br />
raw foods, particularly greens that have intact enzymes (heating above 116° destroys enzymes), gives you<br />
energy that does not deplete your limited enzymatic capacity. Drinking a quart of green smoothie daily will go<br />
a long way in providing your body the enzymes it needs <strong>to</strong> digest other cooked food.<br />
The #2 deficit in the Western diet is overall plant fiber. Because fiber is removed from refined foods,<br />
Americans eat an average of only 11-14 grams of it per day (you get more than that in your green smoothie<br />
alone), and the USRDA recommendation is 25-30 grams.<br />
May I strongly recommend that at least 40 grams is actually ideal. A chimpanzee in the wild (left <strong>to</strong> his own<br />
devices <strong>to</strong> choose his diet) eats 300 grams per day! As with many other things, the FDA and USDA cave <strong>to</strong><br />
meat/dairy interests and water down the truth <strong>to</strong> appease those industries and avoid overwhelming middle<br />
America. Of course, drinking a quart of green smoothie daily addresses this critical issue of insufficient plant<br />
fiber, <strong>to</strong>o.<br />
Fiber lowers blood's “bad” cholesterol level and stabilizes blood sugar. It prevents hemorrhoids, constipation,<br />
colon cancer, and other diseases of the colon. Insoluble plant fiber, while not digested, is critical in removing<br />
<strong>to</strong>xins (including metals) from the body. It is found abundantly in greens as well as in vegetables, whole grains,<br />
legumes, nuts, and seeds.<br />
Fast <strong>to</strong> Prepare and Eat. I love that green smoothies are “fast food” that is healthful. I do love salads for sitdown<br />
meals <strong>to</strong> further augment your consumption of greens (and will address that in Chapter 3). But unlike a<br />
salad, I can make a green smoothie the night before and put it in my GreenSmoothieGirl Jug in the fridge.<br />
When I leave for work, I grab the smoothie, a straw and a napkin, and put them in an insulated lunch box with<br />
a refreezable coolant. Your coworkers will definitely say, “What is that?!” if you drink it openly like I do,<br />
always hoping for a convert. (If you’re shy, you can always hide with a thermos.) But if you respond with<br />
enthusiasm and a testimonial about the health benefits you’ve experienced, some of them will ask you later<br />
how <strong>to</strong> make it. (I’ve been known <strong>to</strong> thrust my green smoothie at random strangers with an extra straw and say,<br />
“Try it!”)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 37
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Bring one <strong>to</strong> work the next day for your coworker, and spread the word as your good deed for the day! Pretty<br />
soon your whole office will be converted. People love a live demo, if you’re willing <strong>to</strong> bring your turbo blender<br />
and greens <strong>to</strong> work—but I’ve given very detailed instructions in my “template recipe,” and you can also guide<br />
others <strong>to</strong> my three-minute YouTube green smoothie demo (www.tiny.cc/0dSxR).<br />
What about E Coli? I’m often asked about whether I’m scared of spinach after the E Coli scare in 2006. I’m<br />
not afraid of it at all. A 10-year study done by the Centers for Disease Control proved that eating raw plant<br />
foods is the safest strategy, because less than 1/10 of 1% of food-borne diseases are caused by raw plant foods.<br />
All the others are caused by animal and/or cooked foods.<br />
In fact, I’m pretty sure my kids and I ate some E Coli-tainted spinach, a couple of days in a row, during the<br />
outbreak in 2006. I barely noticed it. People with healthy gastrointestinal tracts who are eating excellent<br />
nutrition every day are not the ones who succumb <strong>to</strong> parasites and intestinal bacteria. If you eat plenty of raw,<br />
nutrition-dense plant fiber and stay away from foods that compromise your immune function, after a possible<br />
initial cleansing period, you will likely find that you go through the winter without falling prey <strong>to</strong> the viruses<br />
that are felling everyone around you.<br />
Should I blanche my greens before freezing them? In a word, no! Blanching (or quick-boiling) kills all the<br />
enzymes and many other nutrients as well. It’s an “old wives’ tale” that there is some benefit in this practice,<br />
which ruins perfectly good raw plant food. Just wash your greens, put them in quart or gallon Ziploc freezer<br />
bags, suck the air out with a straw <strong>to</strong> minimize the space they take in the freezer, zip tight, and freeze. You can<br />
then put frozen greens in your blender later.<br />
What about oxalates? A popular and growing theory and opinion among those interested in nutrition is that<br />
greens (especially spinach) are high in oxalates and should be avoided because they cause kidney s<strong>to</strong>nes or<br />
gallbladder problems, since oxalates may interfere with absorption of calcium from the body. Another popular<br />
opinion is that cooking spinach renders the oxalates harmless.<br />
In fact, a review of the peer-reviewed research reveals that the ability of oxalates <strong>to</strong> lower calcium absorption is<br />
small and does not outweigh the ability of those foods <strong>to</strong> contribute significant calcium <strong>to</strong> the diet, since<br />
spinach is rich in calcium. A few rare health conditions require oxalate restriction: absorptive hypercalciuria<br />
type II, enteric hyperoxaluria, and primary hyperoxaluria. These are not the more common condition wherein<br />
kidney s<strong>to</strong>nes are formed. The research is not clear that restricting foods such as spinach helps prevent s<strong>to</strong>nes<br />
in those who have previously had them. Many researchers believe that dietary restriction cannot reduce risk of<br />
s<strong>to</strong>ne formation. In fact, some foods that were assumed <strong>to</strong> increase s<strong>to</strong>ne formation because of oxalate content<br />
(like black tea) have appeared in more recent research <strong>to</strong> have a preventative effect.<br />
Further, cooking has a small impact (about 10%) on the oxalate content of foods, with no statistically<br />
significant lowering of oxalates following blanching or boiling of greens. It appears that the nutritional<br />
advantages of eating raw greens continue <strong>to</strong> far outweigh any benefit of cooking them.<br />
Dr. Norman W. Walker says the following about oxalates in the “Vegetable Juices - Uses and Benefits” chapter<br />
of his book Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices: What’s Missing in Your Body?<br />
Spinach should never be eaten when cooked unless we are particularly anxious <strong>to</strong> accumulate oxalic<br />
acid crystals in our kidneys with the consequent pain and kidney trouble. When spinach is cooked or<br />
canned, the oxalic acid a<strong>to</strong>ms become inorganic as a result of excessive heat and may form oxalic acid<br />
crystals in the kidneys.<br />
38 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
When the food is raw, whether whole or in the form of juice, every a<strong>to</strong>m in such food is vital<br />
ORGANIC and is replete with enzymes. Therefore, the oxalic acid in our raw vegetables and their<br />
juices is organic, and as such is not only beneficial but essential for the physiological functions of the<br />
body.<br />
The oxalic acid in cooked and processed foods, however, is definitely dead, or INORGANIC, and as<br />
such is both pernicious and destructive. Oxalic acid readily combines with calcium. If these are both<br />
organic, the result is a beneficial constructive combination, as the former helps the digestive<br />
assimilation of the latter, at the same time stimulating the peristaltic functions in the body.<br />
When the oxalic acid has become INORGANIC by cooking or processing the foods that contain it, then<br />
this acid forms an interlocking compound with the calcium even combining with the calcium in other<br />
foods eaten during the same meal, destroying the nourishing value of both. This results in such a serious<br />
deficiency of calcium that it has been known <strong>to</strong> cause decomposition of the bones. 4<br />
Two other classes of nutritional compounds, purines and goitrogens, are found in some leafy greens such as<br />
spinach. Eating “excessive” amounts of spinach or cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower, for<br />
instance) containing these compounds can be a problem for people who suffer with gout, kidney s<strong>to</strong>nes, or low<br />
thyroid hormone production. These chemical compounds are also found in peanuts, strawberries, soy products,<br />
and other foods as well. However, the literature seems <strong>to</strong> support that a few weekly servings of these foods is a<br />
good idea for almost everyone. 5<br />
Sugar Restrictions and Sweeteners for Smoothies<br />
If you are diabetic, hypoglycemic, or trying <strong>to</strong> cut down on sugar, using<br />
stevia as your smoothie sweetener is wise if you want <strong>to</strong> use any<br />
sweetener at all. Stevia is 100 times sweeter than sugar, but it is derived<br />
from an herb and is natural (though processors do add fillers <strong>to</strong> the<br />
powdered versions and a base <strong>to</strong> the liquid versions), so you can use ¼<br />
<strong>to</strong> ½ tsp. <strong>to</strong> sweeten a full blender of smoothie. You can purchase stevia<br />
either powdered or liquid form at any health food s<strong>to</strong>re.<br />
In Asia, stevia has been widely used and well known for decades,<br />
although it has not been studied in clinical trials. Many forces,<br />
including governmental ones, conspired <strong>to</strong> keep stevia out of the hands<br />
of American consumers for many years, even banning it from the<br />
shelves of s<strong>to</strong>res selling food. This was not because of any consumer<br />
complaints about side effects (no side effects of stevia have been<br />
documented as of this writing), but because of the monopolistic<br />
chokehold that the manufacturers of the artificial sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet) had on the American food<br />
industry.<br />
I believe the erosion of aspartame’s power, as it began <strong>to</strong> give way <strong>to</strong> Splenda (much like saccharin gave way <strong>to</strong><br />
aspartame many years ago), created the opportunity for stevia <strong>to</strong> become accepted in the western hemisphere.<br />
Aspartame’s current decline can be directly attributed <strong>to</strong> the fact that of over 4,000 food additives approved by<br />
the FDA, aspartame has more health-related complaints than all the other food additives put <strong>to</strong>gether!<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 39
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
If you don’t like stevia in the form you purchase it, you may wish <strong>to</strong> try another kind (powdered, liquid drops,<br />
flavored drops, etc.) or brand. I don’t notice an “aftertaste,” but some who use stevia say they do.<br />
My second-favorite smoothie-sweetening option nutritionally (it’s my favorite option taste-wise) is <strong>to</strong> use raw,<br />
organic agave nectar, derived from cactus plants. It has one-third the glycemic index of sugar and honey. It is a<br />
syrup with a pleasant, neutral flavor that you won’t notice, and it is sweeter than sugar. You can purchase it<br />
online or in health food s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
Nutritional Facts of Various Greens<br />
The following charts show how wide the nutritional variety is among greens, demonstrating the value of eating<br />
several each day. 6 Green smoothies make getting a wide variety very easy!<br />
40 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Protein in Green Smoothies<br />
If you are looking <strong>to</strong> increase protein in your plant foods, consider that spinach and broccoli are over 40%<br />
protein and so use them liberally in your green smoothies (while also getting a variety of other greens). Try <strong>to</strong><br />
make your smoothies as low in fruit as possible for your own taste, and consider the no-fruit smoothie in this<br />
chapter.<br />
You can certainly add protein powder, though most whey- and soy-based protein powders are fractionated, heat<br />
treated, and not good for you. Whey protein is highly refined, and soy is <strong>to</strong>o estrogenic—and we have far <strong>to</strong>o<br />
many refined soy products in our food supply, causing endocrine problems. The best protein powder, for<br />
nutrition as well as taste, is Sun Warrior’s, which you can find online in the GreenSmoothieGirl.com s<strong>to</strong>re. One<br />
variety is made from brown rice, and the other is a proprietary blend of hemp, cranberry, and split peas, with a<br />
little coconut oil medium-chain fatty acids. These two proteins are the best, both taste-wise and nutritionally.<br />
I often eat a handful of sprouted, dehydrated almonds (see Chapter 7 on page 199) with my green smoothie for<br />
extra plant protein in a very satisfying lunch.<br />
Money-Saving Tips<br />
• A variety of greens can be harvested from empty lots in your neighborhood when the weather is warm.<br />
Edible weeds include lambsquarter leaves, nettles, morning glory, and purslane (or even thistle) found<br />
in most climates. Purslane has a very mild flavor and texture for addition <strong>to</strong> smoothies; it is an<br />
unusually rich source of Omega-3s and iron.<br />
Dandelion weeds can sometimes be bitter, but are plentiful in most climates, and I often throw a handful<br />
in the blender. Avoid picking these weeds in areas next <strong>to</strong> busy roadways, as greens absorb the <strong>to</strong>xins in<br />
car exhaust fumes. Also avoid any areas that have been sprayed with pesticides or weed killer.<br />
• <strong>Whole</strong>sale membership clubs like Costco usually carry huge (2.5 lb.) bags of washed spinach at lower<br />
prices than regular grocery and health food s<strong>to</strong>res (only $3.99 where I live). That’s half of what you’d<br />
spend on the 10-oz. bags of spinach for $1.99 at regular grocery s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
• Spinach, chard, and kale are very easy <strong>to</strong> grow in backyard or patio gardens, and you can replant at the<br />
end of the summer for a fall harvest that really explodes again in the spring right through the frost<br />
season. Chard in particular produces a massive amount of green food and does not bolt easily in hot<br />
weather—and by staggering plantings, I harvest it from a few weeks after the spring frost until well<br />
after the last fall frost.<br />
• Keep an eye on the contents of the health food s<strong>to</strong>res in your area. At my local health food s<strong>to</strong>re,<br />
although organic bunches of kale, collards, and chard are admittedly more expensive than conventional<br />
produce, the bunches are much bigger, so the higher price is probably not higher per ounce. In this case,<br />
paying more is warranted for more reasons than just nutrition.<br />
• Buy fruit on sale and in season, and freeze it before it goes bad. I have never thrown fruit away in quite<br />
a few years, because if I see the bananas are getting black spots and I can’t use them all, I peel them,<br />
break them in<strong>to</strong> chunks, and put them in sandwich baggies in the freezer. I buy a box or two of peaches<br />
when they’re in season, and I wash and quarter them in baggies <strong>to</strong> freeze and last through the winter.<br />
• Greens, <strong>to</strong>o, while they can’t be frozen for salads and other purposes, can be easily frozen for later use<br />
in smoothies. No one will be able <strong>to</strong> tell. So you never have <strong>to</strong> let the spinach go bad again.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 41
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
• You can freeze pints or quarts of green smoothies <strong>to</strong> take them on a trip. I put them in a cooler for a road<br />
trip, but I also take them on airplanes, frozen, packed well inside my suitcase. Most hotel rooms have<br />
mini-fridges, and you can request a room with one or make sure <strong>to</strong> check for that amenity when<br />
booking your hotel online. Thawed green smoothies don’t have a great texture; I just remind myself I<br />
drink them for my health rather than for enjoyment.<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
Use these next pages <strong>to</strong> record the health benefits you observe from following this first step for 30 days. This<br />
will be important as you look back, later in your life, <strong>to</strong> determine whether <strong>to</strong> continue with this habit.<br />
In my book The Green Smoothies Diet, I review my research of 175 participants who documented the changes<br />
in their health after drinking at least a pint of green smoothie at least four times a week for 30 days. The <strong>to</strong>p six<br />
health benefits reported were higher energy, improved digestion, fewer cravings for sweets, a more positive<br />
mood, improvements in skin <strong>to</strong>ne, and weight loss. Other effects included elimination of PMS symp<strong>to</strong>ms,<br />
asthma, skin problems, insomnia, dandruff, depression, and blood sugar fluctuations. Others claimed a better<br />
sex life.<br />
You may wish <strong>to</strong> compare your own journal responses <strong>to</strong> questions asked of people in my study published in<br />
The Green Smoothies Diet by taking the same questionnaire yourself below. You can also take the selfpopulating<br />
poll online at GreenSmoothieGirl.com/poll.html <strong>to</strong> be a part of ongoing research.<br />
GREEN SMOOTHIE QUESTIONNAIRE<br />
Have you found that green smoothies have noticeably improved your health or quality of life? Yes / No<br />
What health benefits have you noticed from drinking green smoothies? (Select all that apply.)<br />
• Improved digestion (more regular and/or complete bowel movements, no straining, soft/formed s<strong>to</strong>ol,<br />
etc.)<br />
• Weight loss<br />
• More energy<br />
• Improved sleep (need less of it, decreased insomnia, more alert in the mornings, etc.)<br />
• Decreased cravings for sweets and processed foods<br />
• Fingernails grow faster and/or are stronger<br />
• Decrease in PMS symp<strong>to</strong>ms<br />
• Improved libido (sex drive)<br />
• Positive, stable mood<br />
• Less stressed out<br />
• Blood sugar stabilization<br />
• Increased desire <strong>to</strong> exercise<br />
• Improvement in skin <strong>to</strong>ne and/or fewer blemishes<br />
• People telling me I look better<br />
42 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
• Hair is shinier and/or dandruff is gone<br />
• Other: ______________<br />
If you have lost weight, how many pounds have you lost?<br />
Did you have any uncomfortable cleansing reactions as you began drinking green smoothies? Yes / No<br />
If so, what were they? How long did they last?<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 43
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Have you seen any chronic or degenerative conditions improved or gone? Yes / No<br />
If so, please explain:<br />
44 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Have you felt so positively about your green smoothie conversion that you’ve converted anyone else? Yes / No<br />
Record any other observations you may have made during your first month of green smoothies:<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 45
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
46 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
GREEN SMOOTHIE TESTIMONIALS<br />
I have received hundreds of testimonials in my research and on my Web site www.greensmoothiegirl.com.<br />
(You can read many more there, including quite a few with s<strong>to</strong>ries of measurable improvements in biomarkers).<br />
These were the very first ones I was given as I began writing this course.<br />
I am at my ideal weight and have never been overweight, and I run or lift weights six days a week and eat a<br />
healthy diet. Imagine my shock when I went <strong>to</strong> a clinic and was <strong>to</strong>ld I was pre-diabetic, that it was just a matter<br />
of time before I had full-blown diabetes. I burst out laughing when the nurse practitioner <strong>to</strong>ld me her<br />
recommendation was <strong>to</strong> cut out sugar, since I eat so little of it already. Robyn taught me about green smoothies,<br />
and I began making them daily for my family, as well as teaching others about them. I just went back <strong>to</strong> the<br />
clinic after several months of my new green smoothie habit, and they said all signs of the pre-diabetic condition<br />
were gone. The only thing I changed was adding green smoothies <strong>to</strong> my diet!<br />
— Laura B., Utah<br />
I started green smoothies in Dec. 2010. I wanted <strong>to</strong> be a little healthier—didn’t know all the benefits I would<br />
receive! I have had s<strong>to</strong>mach pain for 10 years, and two weeks after I started green smoothies, my s<strong>to</strong>mach<br />
s<strong>to</strong>pped hurting. And I was no longer constipated. My husband had <strong>to</strong>ld me I had bad breath, and it disappeared<br />
with my green smoothie habit. I read all about the colon online and learned what was causing a lot of my pain.<br />
Now I am crazy about healthy whole foods, and Robyn’s books have helped so much!<br />
I’ve lost 10 lbs. and am at my perfect weight of 1<strong>12</strong> lbs. without trying. I always had pain with sex, and it has<br />
disappeared. My teeth are no longer sensitive, and I don’t crave candy bars, ice cream, and cookies.<br />
This has changed my life and maybe saved it. My grandfather died of colon cancer at 69 and great grandmother<br />
at 45. I am 42 and have always exercised and thought I was eating healthy. I feel better now than I have in the<br />
last five years. Adding lots more greens and whole foods in<strong>to</strong> my diet has been amazing for me and my family.<br />
—LL, Utah<br />
The power of peer influence is impressive. I’d been drinking green smoothies regularly for several months, but<br />
had yet <strong>to</strong> convince my children <strong>to</strong> participate. One day I was looking at your Web site and my children, ages 4-<br />
<strong>12</strong>, were looking over my shoulder. They saw a picture of Emma, flexing, with her green smoothie [on the<br />
original GSG site's home page], and my daughter said, “Wow—she’s buff!” That day they all had a small glass<br />
of green smoothie for the first time! I guess kids really will drink them.<br />
— Leslie S., Utah<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 47
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Robyn first <strong>to</strong>ld me about green smoothies about a year and a half ago. I dabbled with making them at first, but<br />
once I figured out what recipes worked well for me, I became hooked! I make a big green smoothie every<br />
morning for breakfast, and I finally don't have a late-morning energy crash like I used <strong>to</strong>. As a busy college<br />
student, it's become the perfect fast food—how else am I going <strong>to</strong> get all these great veggies in<strong>to</strong> my diet<br />
before noon? I find the smoothies refreshing and surprisingly filling (especially if I add an avocado)—and if I<br />
eat something else for breakfast one morning, I always end up making a green smoothie later in the day<br />
because I miss it! Both my mom and sister are hooked now, <strong>to</strong>o, and make them every morning for breakfast.<br />
— Laura T., California<br />
Is it possible <strong>to</strong> be addicted <strong>to</strong> green smoothies? Ever since you first introduced me <strong>to</strong> green drinks years ago,<br />
I've dabbled here and there with them. Things got serious, though, this past spring when I started working and<br />
knew that my diet would suffer now that I don't have a lot of time <strong>to</strong> devote <strong>to</strong> thinking about what I am eating.<br />
I decided <strong>to</strong> make green smoothies my daily morning meal—there isn't a quicker, more nutritious breakfast <strong>to</strong><br />
be had! I've even introduced green smoothies <strong>to</strong> my friends at the office, and even whip up an extra drink for<br />
one of my co-workers, who now says she can't wait for Monday mornings <strong>to</strong> come so she can have a smoothie<br />
for breakfast! I love the way I feel since incorporating green smoothies in<strong>to</strong> my daily diet! I have energy for the<br />
entire morning; I do not crave sugar nearly as much. I can definitely say without doubt that green smoothies<br />
have made a difference; I just feel healthy!<br />
This past week I made a green smoothie for a little nephew of mine who has never, ever eaten a vegetable in his<br />
life. Ever. My sister was very skeptical that he would even try it, let alone like it. Not only did he like it, he<br />
asked for more. My sister was blown away, and soooo happy <strong>to</strong> know that there was a way <strong>to</strong> get her little guy<br />
<strong>to</strong> get so much more nutrition in<strong>to</strong> his diet. Oh, my sister loved it <strong>to</strong>o!<br />
Thanks, Robyn, for introducing us slowly but surely <strong>to</strong> green-drink-heaven! If I miss a day of green smoothies,<br />
I miss it—CRAVE it, even. I've become a true addict.<br />
— Sheri H., Utah<br />
When Robyn introduced me <strong>to</strong> green smoothies, I was intrigued by the idea of drinking my greens. I eat lots of<br />
fruits and vegetables in my diet, but I was looking for an easy way <strong>to</strong> double my fiber. I love green smoothies.<br />
I don't just drink a glass or two, but three or four—and then whatever is left over after my children drink theirs.<br />
I feel better. I feel thinner, and by measurable standards—the scale, the tape measure—I am thinner.<br />
The combination of green smoothies and lots of water promote weight loss in me. Feeling better about myself,<br />
I have a brighter outlook on life, naturally, but I simply have more energy <strong>to</strong> meet the demands and challenges<br />
of my busy days.<br />
— Jill W., Utah<br />
48 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
Our family has been drinking green smoothies for the last 3 months and I feel that it has improved our overall<br />
health. It has completely taken away the guilt in regards <strong>to</strong> my children's diet. I no longer have <strong>to</strong> worry about<br />
if they have gotten enough fruits and vegetables. I give them healthy snacks <strong>to</strong> eat, but on crazy hectic days<br />
even if they have not had one other fruit or vegetable, I don't worry because they’ve had their green smoothie!<br />
I have a 5- and 3-year-old and worried if they would drink it. My 5-year-old loves it and many days asks for<br />
seconds, and my 3-year-old occasionally has <strong>to</strong> be reminded <strong>to</strong> drink his smoothie, but it was a lot easier <strong>to</strong> get<br />
them <strong>to</strong> drink it than I imagined it would be. I add frozen strawberries <strong>to</strong> our smoothies and they really like it.<br />
My husband just had a bone marrow transplant and we are very conscious that good nutrition is a key element<br />
in his recovery. One of the other benefits that I have experienced is I feel it has helped me keep up my milk<br />
supply for my newborn. I have had milk supply issues in the past and I am nursing my third baby longer than I<br />
was able <strong>to</strong> nurse my other two children. I feel green smoothies have played a part in my ability <strong>to</strong> do this.<br />
Green smoothies are a great way <strong>to</strong> make sure your family is getting all the fruits and vegetables they need <strong>to</strong><br />
be as healthy as they possibly can be!<br />
— Quinn S., North Carolina<br />
My family—including my picky two-year-old—really enjoys green smoothies. We like the fact that we're<br />
taking a significant step <strong>to</strong>ward better health, and we've had far fewer illnesses since incorporating them in<strong>to</strong><br />
our diet. We've also made them for visiting family and friends, and they're all pleasantly surprised at how good<br />
they taste.<br />
— Kari W., Utah<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 49
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
50 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
ROBYN’S GREEN SMOOTHIE<br />
The Highest and Best Use of Your Time in the Kitchen!<br />
TIP: For beginners and those trying <strong>to</strong> convert children, consider using LESS greens and MORE fruit (especially<br />
berries and bananas) in the beginning, gradually working up <strong>to</strong> a 50/50 ratio as described here. Use just the mild<br />
flavors in this transition phase, like spinach, kale, collards, and chard. With kids, consider using only spinach the<br />
first few days, then gradually sneak in the other mild but excellent greens (chard, collards, and kale). Add other<br />
savory or bitter greens only when your family are “experts” in green smoothies! Add a bit more water if you feel<br />
the smoothie is <strong>to</strong>o thick.<br />
1. Put 2 C filtered water in the high-powered blender.<br />
2. Optionally, add:<br />
¾ - 1 tsp. stevia (herbal sweetener) or C raw, organic agave syrup (low glycemic index)<br />
¼ whole lemon, including peel (anti-skin cancer, high in flavanoids)<br />
2-3 Tbsp. fresh, refrigerated flaxseed oil (Omega-3-rich oil)<br />
3. Gradually add the following greens until briefly puréed and the mixture comes up <strong>to</strong> the 5-cup line (or<br />
less, if you are “converting”), and then purée the mixture for 90 seconds until very smooth.<br />
¾ - 1 lb. raw, washed greens:<br />
spinach, chard, kale, collards (your mainstays)<br />
turnip, mustard, dandelion greens, arugula (use more sparingly, as they are spicy or bitter)<br />
lettuces and beet greens (also good—use freely)<br />
avocado or cabbage or 1-2 stalks celery (try, <strong>to</strong> see if you enjoy their inclusion)<br />
edible weeds from unsprayed fields (For the adventurous! Purslane has a mild flavor and vines are<br />
along the ground everywhere. Use stronger flavors of lambsquarter leaves [not the woody stems],<br />
morning glory, and thistle sparingly.)<br />
4. Gradually add the following fruit until the container is very full, then blend for 90 seconds or until<br />
smooth:<br />
1-2 bananas (for a creamy texture and sweetness)<br />
1-2 C frozen mixed berries (tastes wonderful and makes the smoothie purple rather than green)<br />
any other fruit <strong>to</strong> taste: our favorites are pears and peaches, but can also use apples, oranges, apricots,<br />
cantaloupe (with seeds—very high in antioxidants!), mango, pineapple, anything!<br />
The more frozen fruit, the tastier your smoothie will be—and your high-powered blender can handle it! You<br />
can save your smoothie in the fridge for up <strong>to</strong> two days—just shake well before drinking.<br />
Makes approx. 8 cups of 100% raw smoothie.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 51
Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Green Smoothies<br />
EASIEST STARTER GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE<br />
Anyone will enjoy this easy first-timer’s concoction, including children and those with finicky tastes!<br />
1¾ C water<br />
1 Tbsp. honey (raw) or agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 10-oz. bag spinach<br />
1 banana (preferably frozen in chunks)<br />
2 C frozen mixed berries<br />
1 peach, pear, apple, or orange<br />
Blend all until very smooth. Pour in glasses and enjoy, or refrigerate for up <strong>to</strong> 48 hours, shaking well before<br />
serving. Makes about 3 pints.<br />
LAURA’S NO-FRUIT GREEN SMOOTHIE<br />
If you’re diabetic or hypoglycemic, or just trying <strong>to</strong> reduce sugars in your diet, you may wish <strong>to</strong> cut fruits and<br />
maximize greens. My former student, Laura, spent seven years of her adolescence and young adult life in bed<br />
with serious health issues. She doesn’t do well with sugar of any kind and devised this green smoothie that is<br />
highly alkaline and low in sugar.<br />
Combine in high-powered blender:<br />
1 avocado<br />
1 large cucumber<br />
2 C spinach<br />
2 large leaves collard greens<br />
2 leaves black kale<br />
2 or 3 lemons, juice only (<strong>to</strong> taste)<br />
1 C water<br />
optional: a few slices of Gala apples<br />
Purée well and enjoy.<br />
52 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 2<br />
Making Salad the Star<br />
Your Goal:<br />
Making a colorful, green/vegetable salad the “main dish” at supper. To make this a habit for life, the<br />
keys are (a) simplicity and (b) variety. You can now make what was formerly your “main dish” half its<br />
original size.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
You don’t need <strong>to</strong> buy anything new this month, though investment in a couple of very sharp knives<br />
will make your life—newly committed <strong>to</strong> plant foods—so much easier! I love my Cutco knives, with<br />
free sharpening for life (www.cutco.com).<br />
It might seem strange <strong>to</strong> you that our second step<br />
<strong>to</strong>ward a diet of whole foods is still primarily<br />
focused on vegetables, and even more greens.<br />
That’s how strongly I feel that Americans are<br />
mostly missing out on the best foods available on<br />
the planet—raw vegetables and, particularly,<br />
green foods. Remember from the introduction<br />
that part of our goal is getting about two pounds<br />
of vegetables (half of those greens) in an adult’s<br />
daily diet. A big salad with dinner is a great<br />
second step <strong>to</strong>wards that end.<br />
A comparison of beets, parsnips, radishes, and<br />
turnips with their above-ground counterparts<br />
(beet greens, parsley, and radish and turnip<br />
greens) reveals why greens are worth taking<br />
another look at for dinner. The below-ground root<br />
vegetables are certainly good for you! But they<br />
average more than double the calories, carbs, and<br />
sugar than the greens attached <strong>to</strong> them above<br />
ground. And they have only about 50-70% of the<br />
vitamin, mineral, and enzyme content. The fact<br />
that may surprise you most is that beet greens,<br />
parsley, and turnip greens have about twice as<br />
much protein as the root vegetables they’re attached <strong>to</strong>! Again, ounce for ounce, green foods are the<br />
most perfect, sustaining foods on the planet—low in calories, high in nutrition.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 53
Making Salad the Star<br />
So, we’re focusing again this month on a change that will move you closer from the typical American diet of<br />
11 grams of fiber <strong>to</strong> the typical chimpanzee diet of 300 grams of fiber! Some studies suggest that ancient man<br />
ate 150 grams of fiber daily. We won’t get as far as the chimps or even ancient people, but this step—along<br />
with your green smoothie—will put you in the <strong>to</strong>p 1% of Americans for having a healthy diet! (That’s assuming<br />
the remainder of your diet isn’t burgers, fries, and candy bars, of course.) How many other areas in your life are<br />
you in the <strong>to</strong>p 1%? And you’re only on Step 2!<br />
With these recipes, I’ve endeavored <strong>to</strong> help you explore the incredible variety of vegetables that are available<br />
in your local market—vegetables you may not have eaten before. I believe the key <strong>to</strong> making a salad every<br />
night a habit for life is <strong>to</strong> have a wide reper<strong>to</strong>ire of food-combining choices. If you change it up, it never gets<br />
boring!<br />
Make a big salad the central part of your meal—the “main dish,” if you will. You can have whatever else you<br />
like for dinner—keep your “comfort foods” on the menu if you want <strong>to</strong>—but begin <strong>to</strong> make the mental shift <strong>to</strong><br />
a mostly raw vegetable dish as the biggest thing on your plate. After a while, you won’t want <strong>to</strong> go back <strong>to</strong> the<br />
way you felt before you began eating dinners featuring a big salad.<br />
My family enjoys a tradition of going out every Saturday night <strong>to</strong> our favorite salad bar restaurant. My children<br />
pile up a huge plate of raw greens and colorful veggies, and I always compliment the child with the most<br />
colorful plate. They tend <strong>to</strong> compete with each other <strong>to</strong> impress Mom with their choices! Most of the other kids<br />
at the restaurant choose mostly cubed ham, cheese, and Jell-O as they go through the salad bar. Occasionally<br />
you see a child with peas or corn on the plate: these are the least nutritious of all vegetables, especially canned.<br />
On several occasions, I have seen parents pointing <strong>to</strong> my kids’ plates and whispering <strong>to</strong> their children.<br />
My children (clockwise from left) Emma, Tennyson, Kincade, and Mary Elizabeth making<br />
people stare because of how many veggies they eat.<br />
54 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
This month, unless you’re feeling ambitious enough <strong>to</strong> tackle two new steps at once, continue buying whatever<br />
salad dressings you normally like, because we will tackle salad dressings with high nutrition next month. If you<br />
see a salad with a suggested salad dressing in Chapter 3, though, and you want <strong>to</strong> try it, you can jump ahead and<br />
use that recipe—or just use whatever bottled dressings you currently have on hand.<br />
What about Protein?<br />
People are surprised <strong>to</strong> learn that many of the highest-protein foods are actually plants. They include quinoa,<br />
soy, wheat, almonds, kidney beans, and black beans.<br />
If you were raised in a meat-and-pota<strong>to</strong>es family, a dinner plate may not<br />
seem proper without some meat, chicken, or fish on it, and without part of<br />
the meal being hot. If this is important <strong>to</strong> you, transition <strong>to</strong> a diet higher in<br />
plant food by practicing this month making your meat dish smaller. In<br />
fact, you can cut your effort in half by making the same amount that you<br />
used <strong>to</strong> serve your family for one night—but this time serve half the<br />
portion sizes, replacing the big portion with the large vegetable “main<br />
dish.” In essence, have the main dish and side dish trade places, size-wise!<br />
Then you have the rest of that chicken or fish dish for another night,<br />
saving time and money.<br />
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, in Eat <strong>to</strong> Live, writes of how doc<strong>to</strong>rs and dietitians “are<br />
surprised <strong>to</strong> learn that…when you eat large quantities of green vegetables,<br />
you receive a considerable amount of protein.” 1 Eating a variety of greens<br />
(spinach, kale, and broccoli are over 40% protein), you can build muscle<br />
mass even for competitive body building, as is well documented by<br />
weightlifter Stephen Arlin in Raw Power! 2 As you begin buying several<br />
types of greens each week for your smoothies and several others for your salads, you have the complete array<br />
of amino acids from which your body can build its own complete proteins. This method of getting protein,<br />
from fundamental building blocks, is more work for your body, but the proteins are more durable and resilient.<br />
If you still aren’t convinced, consider that legumes and nuts are another<br />
excellent source of plant protein and are always a great addition <strong>to</strong><br />
salads. They are also a fantastic source of dietary fiber, and some recipes<br />
in this chapter feature beans so meat eaters especially feel they are<br />
getting a hearty meal. If you feel your body type needs extra protein, an<br />
easy way <strong>to</strong> add it <strong>to</strong> a “main dish” salad <strong>to</strong> make it a meal (if you are not<br />
vegetarian/vegan) is <strong>to</strong> add hard-boiled eggs or a can of tuna—making<br />
sure that your eggs are free-range and organic.<br />
Regarding eggs, if you choose <strong>to</strong> use them, consider that most eggs that<br />
come from penned chickens are fed antibiotics, steroids, and other<br />
chemicals that eventually become part of you. These eggs have a heavily<br />
skewed 6:1 ratio of Omega-6 <strong>to</strong> Omega-3 fatty acids. Compare that <strong>to</strong><br />
what your body needs (and what organic eggs have), a 1:2 ratio of<br />
Omega-6 <strong>to</strong> Omega-3. Of all the foods you may wish <strong>to</strong> consider buying<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 55
Making Salad the Star<br />
organic, place eggs at the <strong>to</strong>p of the list. Most health food s<strong>to</strong>res sell organic, free-range eggs—and many<br />
regular grocery s<strong>to</strong>res also sell them now.<br />
Why Are Enzymes So Important?<br />
If you read my Web site and blog, you know that I believe the #1 deficit in the American diet, and the root<br />
cause of all disease, is that we are not getting enzymes in our food. Our ances<strong>to</strong>rs got plenty of enzymes, as do<br />
indigenous peoples around the world who eat close <strong>to</strong> the land. The peoples of the world who are free of<br />
cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and au<strong>to</strong>immune diseases are people who don’t cook most of their<br />
food. Ironically, the legacy of affluence is that most of us now eat cooked, processed, refined foods as the bulk<br />
of every meal and snack.<br />
The body has a limited capacity <strong>to</strong> produce digestive enzymes, the catalysts in the digestive process. Most<br />
experts estimate that our bodies have about 30 years’ worth of ability <strong>to</strong> produce enzymes. So, if we eat a diet<br />
of dead foods (cooked and/or processed), our body is taxed, and we use up enzymatic potential that cannot be<br />
replaced.<br />
Every bodily system is affected by enzyme depletion. Because enzymes must be present <strong>to</strong> digest any food, the<br />
body becomes very resourceful when cooked (or worse, denatured) foods are supplied as fuel. The body robs<br />
the enzymes from other organs, and from other metabolic processes that need them, when the pancreas cannot<br />
supply enough. The short-term effects of losing our enzyme-production capacity and drawing <strong>to</strong>o heavily on<br />
the body’s ability <strong>to</strong> manufacture them include indigestion, heartburn, constipation, gas, and bloating. The<br />
long-term effects are all the degenerative diseases (cancer, heart disease, and many more) resulting from<br />
burnout of our organs. It all starts with enzyme depletion.<br />
On the other hand, if we eat live and raw food, the food itself provides the enzymes needed for complete<br />
digestion and breakdown of nutrients. Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates, lipase breaks<br />
down fats, and protease breaks down proteins for absorption by the body. Live food—raw, not heated above<br />
116° contains enzymes. Several of our <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> throughout this year of change are<br />
concentrated on increasing the quantity of live, enzyme-intact foods in your diet.<br />
The highest enzyme content is found in sprouted seeds, nuts, and grains. A nut, seed, or grain that is soaked for<br />
a few hours explodes with enzyme potential when it germinates and becomes a live food with sometimes 100<br />
times the nutrition of the unsprouted food—so much more than just a food with the potential <strong>to</strong> become alive.<br />
Second only <strong>to</strong> sprouts in enzyme content are greens. Eat live and green foods at every meal, and you will be<br />
vibrantly healthy even as so many around you making more typical choices are suffering the consequences of<br />
those choices: aging and degenerating more quickly than is necessary.<br />
Like you, I’m sure, I like <strong>to</strong> travel and go <strong>to</strong> parties, barbecues, or restaurants with friends or family now and<br />
then. If I can, I always get a big green salad or plate of fruits and vegetables before eating anything cooked. I’m<br />
a big fan of getting vitamins and minerals from food rather than synthetic supplements, which I think do us<br />
little or no good and are largely a waste of money. However, I am a fan of two daily supplements: first, a<br />
probiotic and, second, a comprehensive enzyme supplement. You can find both at health food s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
For times when I can’t get that big plate of greens with my meal, I keep a bottle of digestive enzymes in my<br />
purse. Take two capsules before any meal that you know will be heavy and less than 60% raw. You would be<br />
wise, in fact, <strong>to</strong> take one capsule before any meal that is less than 80% raw.<br />
56 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
Why Maximize Raw Food?<br />
I have many friends who eat only raw plant food, and they are the healthiest people I know. I have several times<br />
eaten a 100% raw diet for a few months at a time and never felt better! But for most of the past 15 years, I have<br />
eaten a 60-80% raw diet, and I have noticed something interesting.<br />
The 60-80% raw goal is rather easy <strong>to</strong> achieve. The differential between 60-80% and 100%, however,<br />
represents an enormous leap in terms of time spent. It reminds me of getting a B+ or A- in college, versus<br />
getting an A: the time/commitment differential is most significant at that level. It’s especially hard <strong>to</strong> feed an<br />
entire family 100% raw. Even my kids—who have been fed whole foods their entire lives—resist it. I believe<br />
part of the reason is that eliminating bread is terribly hard when you’re feeding teenagers, because bread is so<br />
filling and requires less time than most all-raw recipes. So when you’re making one thing for yourself and<br />
another for your family, you may find you’re spending <strong>to</strong>o much time in the kitchen.<br />
Since I am interested in teaching things I believe <strong>to</strong> be achievable by anyone, I don’t set the bar that high. If<br />
you wish <strong>to</strong> do that and are capable of it, I applaud and encourage you, and I have listed my favorite raw books<br />
in Appendix B <strong>to</strong> help you continue.<br />
But, <strong>to</strong> you who want a very manageable plan, I believe that a 60-80% raw diet is adequate <strong>to</strong> supply the<br />
enzymes needed <strong>to</strong> break down the 40% of the diet that is cooked whole food. Most of the healthiest<br />
populations of the world do eat cooked food along with raw food. But some caveats come along with this<br />
counsel <strong>to</strong> get 60% raw.<br />
First, you should aim for 60% raw in every meal or snack. Remember that a fully cooked meal will draw on<br />
your body’s enzyme reserves. So, if you are drinking a quart of green smoothie every day, you may wish <strong>to</strong><br />
drink half of it before the cooked part of your lunch, and half of it before the cooked part of your late-afternoon<br />
snack, for instance. This would be preferable <strong>to</strong> drinking nothing but the entire quart of smoothie for lunch, and<br />
then three hours later eating a cooked snack. Then, eat a big green salad as at least 60% of your dinner. You<br />
have supplied your daily enzyme needs and lengthened your own life (and/or supplied your existing years with<br />
more vitality). Breakfasts that are largely raw are a step we will take later in the year. Getting a raw breakfast is<br />
easier, since people often want a “hot meal” for lunch or dinner.<br />
Second, if you are suffering from serious illness, including cancer, you may wish <strong>to</strong> undertake a 100% raw diet.<br />
I have a large handful of friends, including my grandmother, who eliminated “deadly” cancers with an all-raw<br />
diet. Cancer cannot live in the presence of oxygen, and raw plant foods oxygenate the blood and tissues.<br />
Third, if 60% of your diet is raw and the other 40% consists heavily of dead, denatured foods rather than whole<br />
foods, that 60% may be insufficient for you <strong>to</strong> experience vibrant health. The 60% advice assumes that your<br />
consumption of the very worst foods (meat—especially processed meat, soft drinks, sugar, white flour, and<br />
refined oils) is minimal, and that the other 40% of your diet is mostly whole grains, legumes, etc.<br />
Try <strong>to</strong> keep animal products and refined foods like white flour and white sugar under 10% of your diet, if you<br />
feel you must eat them occasionally <strong>to</strong> live in the “real world” and avoid feeling deprived. Also consider that<br />
you can live a “normal” life while still having a few foods you simply never eat.<br />
At my house, we never eat (even at a party) three foods: (1) processed meat like hot dogs and bacon, (2) sodas,<br />
and (3) pork. Processed meat is full of the most carcinogenic food additives ever approved by the FDA<br />
(nitrates/nitrites). The risk is not worth it. Sodas, as we have mentioned before, are full of nasty ingredients:<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 57
Making Salad the Star<br />
carbonation that robs your red blood cells of oxygen, chemicals your body cannot digest or eliminate, and<br />
either 10 tsp. of sugar per can, and/or NutraSweet, and/or caffeine. Pork is considered “unclean” by various<br />
religions for good reasons: pigs have no sweat glands or lymph system, and their cooked juices have a<br />
chemical composition eerily similar <strong>to</strong> urine. Pork takes the human body three days or even weeks <strong>to</strong><br />
completely digest, and we humans are built <strong>to</strong> digest our food in a day or less; otherwise it becomes putrefied<br />
and <strong>to</strong>xic in our long digestive tract.<br />
You would be wise <strong>to</strong> make a short list of foods you simply never <strong>to</strong>uch. People always say that “balance is the<br />
key.” While that’s a good saying that applies <strong>to</strong> many things, you’d agree that common sense dictates that “just<br />
a little” arsenic in one’s diet doesn’t equate <strong>to</strong> “balance.” Neither does getting “just a little” dose of poisons like<br />
MSG, aspartame (NutraSweet), and nitrates/nitrites—even if you do choose <strong>to</strong> indulge in a little white flour,<br />
white sugar, meat, or cheese occasionally.<br />
What Salad Greens Should I Buy?<br />
With green smoothies, we are able <strong>to</strong> easily use cruciferous greens, the heavy-textured ones with a peppery,<br />
slightly bitter, or savory flavors (like kale, collards, mustard, radish, and turnip greens), along with milder<br />
tasting spinach and chard. With salads, you can save a bit of those heavier greens out of your green smoothie <strong>to</strong><br />
add denser texture, if you want, but here we mostly concentrate on lettuces.<br />
Primary Greens—with a Mild Flavor<br />
NOTE: Iceberg lettuce isn’t included because it contains little nutrition and I never use it.<br />
Romaine (crunchy)<br />
Red leaf and green leaf lettuces (available year 'round)<br />
Butterhead/Bos<strong>to</strong>n/Bibb lettuce (delicate texture and buttery taste)<br />
Spinach<br />
Mache (mild flavored, grows in the winter)<br />
Mesclun or Spring Greens (a mixture of salad greens grown and/or packaged <strong>to</strong>gether)<br />
Secondary Greens—<strong>to</strong> Mix in<strong>to</strong> a Salad Made with One of the Primary Greens<br />
Watercress (peppery flavor)<br />
Arugula (mustard-like flavor)<br />
Dandelion greens (can be bitter—harvest these weeds away from roadways)<br />
Radicchio (shred it long and thin)<br />
Escarole (mildly bitter)<br />
Baby chicory / frisée / curly endive (curly leafed)<br />
Belgian endive (bitter)<br />
Cabbages (red, green, savoy—have a coarse, crunchy texture)<br />
58 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
Money-Saving Tips<br />
• If you buy <strong>to</strong>o much lettuce for salads, don’t let it go <strong>to</strong> waste. Remember that before it goes bad, you<br />
can put it in a Ziploc bag and freeze it. It won’t work for salads after being frozen, but it will work<br />
perfectly in green smoothies!<br />
• I cook big batches of beans for adding <strong>to</strong> salads. Black turtle beans are my favorite. Rinse dry beans<br />
well, and cover them in a saucepan with twice as much water as beans. Bring <strong>to</strong> a boil and lower heat.<br />
Simmer for 2-3 hours, until beans are tender. Allow <strong>to</strong> cool and freeze them in sandwich baggies. I take<br />
a baggie out of the freezer in the morning, and by dinner time I have some extremely inexpensive,<br />
sodium-free protein and fiber <strong>to</strong> add <strong>to</strong> our salads.<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
Make sure you take a few minutes <strong>to</strong> document here any changes in your health that resulted from adding a big<br />
salad <strong>to</strong> your dinner menu every night. These are questions <strong>to</strong> consider:<br />
1. How do you feel after a dinner with salad as the main course, compared <strong>to</strong> your previous diet?<br />
2. Do you notice any other changes in your health from adding more greens and raw vegetables <strong>to</strong> your<br />
diet? Any changes in weight, energy, digestion, elimination, or chronic conditions?<br />
3. Are you spending more time in the kitchen than you did before and, if so, have you found a<br />
compensa<strong>to</strong>ry increase in your energy and ability <strong>to</strong> get other things done?<br />
4. Is this change worth the investment of your time <strong>to</strong> learn about it and implement it?<br />
5. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?<br />
6. Any other observations during this month?<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 59
Making Salad the Star<br />
60 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 61
Making Salad the Star<br />
BASIC SALAD RECIPES<br />
Everyday Green Salad<br />
I confess I keep these ingredients on hand and make this most nights, but changing the dressings give the basic<br />
salad variety, and we also throw in whatever vegetables and beans we have on hand.<br />
1 large head romaine lettuce, washed and <strong>to</strong>rn in<strong>to</strong> pieces<br />
2 handfuls spring greens or spinach<br />
2 large <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced<br />
1 bell pepper (any color), peeled and sliced thinly<br />
¼ red onion, sliced thinly<br />
½ C sprouts, any kind (nuts, grains, or seeds)<br />
optional: ½ C black or green olives<br />
optional: ½ C crumbled feta cheese<br />
optional: ½ C walnut pieces<br />
optional: 1 can black, kidney, or garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained well<br />
Toss all ingredients, then do what the Italians do: drizzle<br />
olive oil and any vinegar (or fresh lemon juice) over the salad<br />
and <strong>to</strong>ss. I also sprinkle Trocomare (a low-sodium herbal<br />
seasoning found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res) or dried kelp on the<br />
salad.<br />
62 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Onion-Cucumber Salad<br />
Make this when you’re in a hurry but want your 60% raw meal—a favorite tradition in Europe.<br />
3 English cucumbers, peeled and sliced thinly<br />
½ red onion, sliced thinly<br />
8-10 Roma <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, quartered<br />
optional: basil leaves, chopped<br />
Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh-ground pepper, and marinate for 30 min. if you<br />
have time.<br />
PARTY SALADS<br />
I have noticed an interesting phenomenon: the salads people like best are the ones that have interesting<br />
combinations of nuts and fruit in the greens. The next 10 salads are that kind—the ones you take <strong>to</strong> a party and<br />
are the first <strong>to</strong> disappear. Everyone will ask you for the recipe. But your family will be delighted if you make<br />
them at home, <strong>to</strong>o, <strong>to</strong> avoid burning out on the “same old” salad.<br />
Craisin Salad<br />
1 head red leaf lettuce<br />
2 heads Bos<strong>to</strong>n/Bibb/butter lettuce<br />
1 large can mandarin oranges, drained<br />
1 C Craisins<br />
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated<br />
1 C sliced almonds<br />
1 Tbsp. butter<br />
2 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic) or maple syrup<br />
Sauté almonds over medium heat with butter and maple syrup, stirring constantly until light brown (be careful<br />
not <strong>to</strong> burn). Set aside. Toss all remaining ingredients <strong>to</strong>gether. Add nuts and dressing and <strong>to</strong>ss right before<br />
serving. Serves 6-8.<br />
The Craisin Salad Dressing (page 82) is perfect for this salad.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 63
Making Salad the Star<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad<br />
2 washed bags of spinach, <strong>to</strong>rn in<strong>to</strong> pieces<br />
4 C sliced strawberries<br />
½ C pecans<br />
optional: ¾ red onion, finely sliced<br />
Toss spinach, strawberries, and pecans. The Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing (page 83) is perfect for this<br />
salad. Serves 8-<strong>12</strong>.<br />
Cabbage Salad<br />
½ head red cabbage, shredded<br />
½ head green cabbage, shredded<br />
1½ C grapes, halved<br />
2 cans drained mandarin oranges<br />
1 C pumpkin seeds<br />
½ C almonds (or walnuts), sliced or chopped<br />
optional: ½ C Chinese crunchy noodles<br />
optional: ½ C raisins or Craisins<br />
Toss all ingredients along with any vinaigrette. The following dressings are also good with this salad.<br />
Serves 8-10.<br />
Asian Ginger Dressing (page 87)<br />
Balsamic-Miso Vinaigrette (page 88)<br />
Avocado Dressing (page 84)<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing (page 89)<br />
(page 94)<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad<br />
1 head cauliflower, cut in<strong>to</strong> bite-sized chunks<br />
3 heads broccoli, cut in<strong>to</strong> bite-sized chunks<br />
½ red onion, sliced<br />
1 C raisins<br />
1 C sunflower seeds<br />
optional: 1 Tbsp. curry powder<br />
Lightly steam cauliflower and broccoli (8-10 min.), let cool. Add other ingredients except curry powder.<br />
Toss with the Avocado Dressing (page 84) (optionally mixed with 1 Tbsp. curry powder) or (page 94). Chill<br />
and serve. Serves 8-10.<br />
64 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
Christmasy Salad<br />
4 C kale and/or collards, cut in<strong>to</strong> ribbons<br />
1 C green cabbage, finely chopped<br />
1 C red cabbage, finely chopped<br />
2 large <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
1 C radishes, finely chopped or julienned<br />
2 apples, shredded<br />
1 large mango, finely chopped<br />
seeds from ¾ of a pomegranate<br />
2 avocados, diced<br />
NOTE: To save time, I chop by hand only the kale, collards, mango, and avocado. The cabbage, apples, and radishes<br />
I coarsely grate in my food processor.<br />
Mix all well. The Tangy Dill Dressing (page 85) is perfect for this salad. Serves 8-<strong>12</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 65
Making Salad the Star<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad<br />
1 C walnut pieces<br />
10 oz. mixed greens<br />
1 head butter lettuce (or romaine if unavailable), chopped<br />
2 large navel oranges, peeled and sectioned, with each section cut in half<br />
½ red onion, sliced<br />
1 tub Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled<br />
optional: 1 can kidney beans, well drained<br />
Toast walnuts in a dry sauté pan or under an oven broiler until browned (being careful not <strong>to</strong> burn them). Toss<br />
all salad ingredients except cheese. Sprinkle crumbled cheese on <strong>to</strong>p of each serving.<br />
The Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing (page 83) is perfect for this salad. Serves 8-10.<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad<br />
1 10-oz. bag spinach<br />
1 large jicama, peeled and cut in<strong>to</strong> matchsticks<br />
1 C dried coconut (large flakes, or shredded if not available)<br />
3 grapefruits, halved and sections scooped out with grapefruit spoon and extra juice reserved<br />
½ C walnuts, chopped<br />
Dressing:<br />
½ C grapefruit juice (squeeze out of grapefruits after sectioning them)<br />
¼ C honey (raw)<br />
2 tsp. dill weed<br />
2 garlic cloves<br />
Blend dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth, and <strong>to</strong>ss with salad ingredients. Let sit for<br />
30 min. or more <strong>to</strong> marinate spinach before serving. Serves 6-8.<br />
66 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
Waldorf Salad<br />
1 large celery root, peeled and cut in<strong>to</strong> thin 3" sticks<br />
10 oz. spring mix greens<br />
2 large handfuls of spinach<br />
3 Jonathan or Gala apples, cut in<strong>to</strong> thin 3" sticks<br />
¼ C lemon juice<br />
¾ C raisins<br />
1 C walnuts, chopped<br />
Dressing:<br />
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard<br />
½ C yogurt<br />
1 C extra virgin olive oil<br />
¼ C white wine vinegar<br />
2 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
Blanch celery root sticks in boiling water for 1 min., rinse in cold water, and drain. Put them in a bowl, stir in<br />
lemon juice, and refrigerate for a few hours. Blend all dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender until<br />
smooth. Toss all ingredients with dressing. Serves 8-10.<br />
Asian Salad<br />
1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and <strong>to</strong>rn up<br />
1 head green leaf lettuce, washed and <strong>to</strong>rn up<br />
1 C cilantro, chopped<br />
1 C dried currants<br />
1 C dried coconut flakes (larger than shreds)<br />
1 C peanuts<br />
Toss all and serve with the (page 94) or Asian Ginger Dressing (page 87). Serves 8-10.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 67
Making Salad the Star<br />
Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad<br />
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained<br />
3 ears fresh corn (cut off cobs, then boiled 1 min.) or 2 C frozen white/sweet corn (thawed)<br />
½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped<br />
juice of 1 lime<br />
C balsamic vinegar<br />
2 roasted red peppers*, cut in<strong>to</strong> long strips and then diced<br />
* To roast red peppers: Wash and dry peppers. Broil close <strong>to</strong> the hot coil in the oven (or roast directly on a gas<br />
s<strong>to</strong>ve flame or on a grill), turning until all sides are blackened and blistered. Put in a closed paper bag until<br />
cool. Remove and peel off blackened skin. Cut open and remove seeds. DO NOT RINSE.<br />
Toss all ingredients <strong>to</strong>gether and chill one hour or longer <strong>to</strong> let flavors mix. Serves 6-8.<br />
NOTE: Optionally, for simplicity, use just the first three ingredients and a pinch of salt.<br />
68 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
Southwest Salad<br />
1 head green leaf, red leaf, or romaine lettuce, washed and <strong>to</strong>rn up<br />
2 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped<br />
1 C corn kernels (preferably fresh or thawed frozen)<br />
1 C black beans, rinsed well<br />
whole-wheat bread croû<strong>to</strong>ns*<br />
* To make croû<strong>to</strong>ns: Bush bread with olive oil, sprinkle with basil/oregano, chop in<strong>to</strong> cubes, and <strong>to</strong>ast under<br />
broiler.<br />
Toss all and serve with the Avocado Dressing (page 84). Serves 6.<br />
Salsa Verde Salad<br />
This big salad is a dinner all by itself for a family of 6, or you can serve it with corn bread (page 259) or wholewheat<br />
biscuits (page 262).<br />
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped<br />
2 C chopped green cabbage<br />
2 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and julienned<br />
1½ C jicama, peeled and julienned<br />
1 can (rinsed) or 1½ C fresh (or frozen, thawed) corn kernels<br />
2 avocados, diced<br />
1 can black beans, rinsed well<br />
1 can black olives, sliced<br />
1 C feta cheese, crumbled<br />
corn <strong>to</strong>rtilla strips*<br />
* To make corn <strong>to</strong>rtilla strips: Cut 8 corn <strong>to</strong>rtillas in<strong>to</strong> long, thin strips, and then fry in ¼ C coconut oil until<br />
crisp.<br />
Toss all ingredients except <strong>to</strong>rtilla strips. Serve <strong>to</strong>ssed with the entire batch of (page 94). Add <strong>to</strong>rtilla strips<br />
right before serving.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 69
Making Salad the Star<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad<br />
This recipe is a teaser for sprouting, and for using high-protein grains, in two later chapters.<br />
2 C sprouted quinoa*<br />
juice of 3 small or 2 large limes<br />
1 small apple (Pink Lady, Fuji, Jonagold)<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
1½ tsp. dried (or ¼ C fresh) mint leaves, chopped<br />
1½ tsp. sea salt<br />
freshly ground black pepper<br />
3 C sliced red grapes<br />
6 stalks celery, diced<br />
1 bunch cilantro, chopped<br />
½ C basil leaves, chopped<br />
3 green onions, sliced (include most of the green part)<br />
2 C diced broccoli or 2 red bell peppers, diced<br />
1 C raw cashews, chopped<br />
* To sprout quinoa: Rinse it well, then soak it several hours. Drain it, then let it sit in a fine mesh strainer on the<br />
counter for a day or two—just rinse it twice a day until you use it.<br />
In a high-powered blender, purée lime juice, apple, olive oil, mint leaves, salt, and pepper. Toss all ingredients<br />
except cashews. Marinate a few hours in the fridge if time allows. Add cashews right before serving.<br />
Serves 8-<strong>12</strong>.<br />
70 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 71
Making Salad the Star<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata<br />
This is my duplication of my favorite salad they used <strong>to</strong> serve at Macaroni Grill, but nutritious and<br />
vegetarian—and I think it even tastes better. It’s a hit everywhere I take it.<br />
1 C uncooked whole-wheat orzo pasta (boil it approx. 6-7 min. and rinse well <strong>to</strong> keep grains separate,<br />
then cool)<br />
10+ C spinach (about 2 10-oz. bags), chopped<br />
1 pkg. fresh basil, cut in<strong>to</strong> ribbons<br />
2 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, diced small<br />
1 can black olives, sliced<br />
2 oz. capers (half a 4-oz. jar), drained<br />
½ C raw pine nuts<br />
optional: shaved Parmesan <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Toss all ingredients except optional Parmesan. Add dressing <strong>to</strong> taste (the Tangy Dill Dressing on page 85 is<br />
perfect) and <strong>to</strong>ss. Top each plate with shaved Parmesan if desired. Serves 4 as a complete meal.<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad<br />
This is one of my favorite salads—filling as an entire lunch.<br />
6 medium <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
6 avocados, diced<br />
1 C raw almonds, soaked and drained, then chopped<br />
1 C celery, finely chopped<br />
1 green onion, chopped<br />
½ C chopped cilantro<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
dash of agave (raw, organic)<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt or Trocomare<br />
optional: 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast<br />
optional: ½ tsp. cayenne<br />
Mix and enjoy! Serves 6.<br />
72 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Salad the Star<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad<br />
4 beets<br />
3 ripe pears<br />
1 head of butter lettuce, washed and dried<br />
1 C pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight and drained<br />
juice of ¾ a lemon<br />
¼ C olive oil<br />
7 oz. feta cheese<br />
sea salt<br />
freshly ground pepper<br />
optional: mint leaves, chopped<br />
Cut the beets and pears finely in<strong>to</strong> matchsticks. Add pumpkin seeds. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over<br />
all and <strong>to</strong>ss. Crumble feta (and optional mint leaves) on <strong>to</strong>p. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.<br />
Serve on leaves of butter lettuce. (Optionally, the salad can be served as a wrap inside the lettuce leaves.)<br />
Serves 6.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 73
Making Salad the Star<br />
74 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 3<br />
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To eliminate commercial salad dressings and begin making your own. You’ll eliminate carcinogenic,<br />
rancid, processed oils and dangerous additives. You’ll enjoy fresh ingredients and extra virgin,<br />
antioxidant-rich oils that nourish every cell and make your skin and hair beautiful.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
No new <strong>to</strong>ols are required this month, but an inexpensive electric citrus juicer would be very helpful, as<br />
fresh lemon, lime, and orange juices make fantastic fresh salad dressings. When you have a juicer, you<br />
can quickly extract every drop of juice, making the process very efficient.<br />
Have on hand extra virgin olive oil, and refrigerated flax oil found at the health food s<strong>to</strong>re. To make a<br />
variety of delicious dressings, you should also have different vinegars on hand: balsamic, raw apple<br />
cider, brown rice, red wine, white wine, and umeboshi plum (found at the health food s<strong>to</strong>re or online).<br />
An interesting homemade salad<br />
dressing (like the Tangy Dill shown at<br />
right; see page 85) can make a simple<br />
meal fabulous, much like accessories<br />
transform an outfit. Salad dressings are<br />
a great way <strong>to</strong> get good fats in<strong>to</strong> your<br />
diet—and eating good fats rids the body<br />
of old fat because live, lipase-rich fatty<br />
food helps us metabolize s<strong>to</strong>red fat<br />
deposits.<br />
Quality salad dressings take only a few<br />
minutes <strong>to</strong> make in your turbo blender,<br />
and they s<strong>to</strong>re well in the fridge. The<br />
best news of all about this month’s goal<br />
is that homemade salad dressings taste<br />
so much better than anything made with refined oils and preserved on the s<strong>to</strong>re shelf with chemicals. If<br />
you take the challenge <strong>to</strong> eat no s<strong>to</strong>re-bought dressings this month, you will be amazed that at the end<br />
of the month, you will find bottled dressings anywhere from unappetizing <strong>to</strong> inedible.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 75
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Dangerous Ingredients in Commercial Salad Dressings<br />
Bottled salad dressings are a danger <strong>to</strong> your health. Virtually all of them, including the expensive refrigerated<br />
kinds, contain one or more of the following dangerous ingredients that your fresh, homemade salad dressings<br />
will not contain.<br />
Monosodium glutamate (MSG). This chemical is purchased under the<br />
brand name “Accent.” It is also hiding in hydrolyzed vegetable protein<br />
and dozens of other food additives, so you may not recognize that it’s in<br />
your bottled dressings, especially nonrefrigerated types. MSG makes you<br />
crave more of the foods it is in and thus has been linked <strong>to</strong> the obesity<br />
epidemic. Perhaps even more importantly, it is a neuro<strong>to</strong>xin that has been<br />
linked <strong>to</strong> brain damage, central nervous system damage, and dozens of<br />
other major health problems.<br />
Chemical additives and preservatives. These include propylene glycol,<br />
sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), and other chemicals whose names you<br />
cannot pronounce. Although PG and SLS are known by the FDA <strong>to</strong> cause<br />
liver and kidney damage, the FDA approves these chemicals and many<br />
others if they are “food grade,” which means that the rodents and<br />
droppings are strained out.<br />
Refined oils. These are oils such as soy, safflower, canola, and other vegetable oils which are heated above<br />
400° and made rancid and, therefore, carcinogenic. Everyone knows trans fatty acids (TFAs) are deadly, but<br />
even refined oils that are not manufactured and bombarded with hydrogen a<strong>to</strong>ms like TFAs are very harmful <strong>to</strong><br />
our health, damaging every cell they come in<strong>to</strong> contact with. Despite the claims of soy product manufacturers,<br />
who have been very successful at promoting soy in the past two decades, soy oil and other refined soy products<br />
are thyroid suppressants. Since millions of American women are walking around with undiagnosed lowthyroid<br />
(hypothyroid) problems, we would be wise <strong>to</strong> stay away from all refined soy products, which are in<br />
many foods.<br />
High-fruc<strong>to</strong>se corn syrup. The very worst of all the refined sugars, it is<br />
linked <strong>to</strong> diabetes, <strong>to</strong>oth decay, and obesity, among dozens of other health<br />
risks. This is what dietitians call “added sugar,” because it is <strong>to</strong>tally<br />
unnecessary <strong>to</strong>pping a salad. Craving a treat and eating a piece of chocolate<br />
is one thing. But no one will miss cheap, refined sugars in their salad!<br />
You should recognize most of your favorite dressing types in this chapter’s<br />
recipes, but none have chemicals or ingredients that will damage your<br />
health. All feature lipase-rich, antioxidant-packed ingredients that will<br />
make a dramatic difference in the longevity and health of every cell in your<br />
body.<br />
76 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
High-Nutrition Ingredients <strong>to</strong> Use Instead<br />
The best salad oils <strong>to</strong> use are olive oil and flax oil, as they are highly nutritious, are liquid (unlike coconut oil,<br />
which is solid above 76°), and have flavors that complement raw vegetables. Feel free <strong>to</strong> experiment with<br />
grape seed and other seed and nut oils as well, also highly nutritious—but buy extra virgin, unprocessed<br />
versions.<br />
Olive oil. Always buy organic, extra virgin—the greenest olive oil you can find. The greener it is, the higher in<br />
antioxidants it is. “Extra virgin” means that the oil is raw and comes from the first pressing of the olives.<br />
Subsequent pressings become more bitter, less nutritious and, more importantly, require more heat processing<br />
<strong>to</strong> extract.<br />
Flaxseed oil. Flax seed and, in particular, its oil are the richest source of Omega-3 fatty acids of any food.<br />
These “essential fatty acids” are critical building blocks in the human body, and the body cannot manufacture<br />
them from other elements, as with so many other things. Buy flax oil in dark, refrigerated bottles at the health<br />
food s<strong>to</strong>re—and always keep it in the fridge, as it breaks down and goes rancid more quickly than other oils.<br />
Sprouts. I add a couple of tablespoons of alfalfa sprouts <strong>to</strong> many of my salad dressing recipes, simply because<br />
they are the most high-nutrition food on the planet (greens being in second place), and we can easily sneak<br />
them in<strong>to</strong> dressings. We will focus on sprouting and live foods later, in Chapter 7 (page 199). If you have never<br />
sprouted, you can wait until Chapter 7 <strong>to</strong> start incorporating sprouts in<strong>to</strong> your dressings (or purchase organic<br />
spouts if you can't wait).<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 77
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Money- and Time-Saving Tips<br />
• Because many good dressings call for citrus juice, <strong>to</strong> save<br />
time, I juice a bunch of lemons, limes, or oranges at a time<br />
when they are on sale or when a friend in Arizona, California,<br />
or Florida gives me a bag- or boxful. I use a $10-$20 electric<br />
citrus juicer, which you can get from such s<strong>to</strong>res as Target or<br />
Wal-Mart. It is worth the money because you can get double<br />
the amount of juice compared <strong>to</strong> squeezing by hand. Then I<br />
freeze 2 Tbsp. portions in ice cube trays and save the cubes in<br />
a plastic freezer bag for easy use over a few months. I like <strong>to</strong><br />
have a bag each of frozen orange, lemon, and lime juice<br />
always on hand.<br />
• I cut up and freeze the lemon rinds in fourths, <strong>to</strong>o, rather than<br />
throwing them away! (You could also use orange or lime rinds<br />
as well.) I put one-fourth of a lemon rind in a blenderful of<br />
green smoothie. The rind adds a nice lemon flavor as well as<br />
powerful flavanoid compounds that have been documented <strong>to</strong><br />
prevent and eliminate skin cancers (if you spent your<br />
adolescence in the sun getting burned like I did, you’ll<br />
especially want <strong>to</strong> use lemon rind).<br />
• I keep several heads of romaine and standard salad vegetables<br />
(<strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, red onions, peppers, and cucumbers) on hand every day, week, and month of the year. That<br />
way, if I s<strong>to</strong>p at the s<strong>to</strong>re, I don’t need an ingredient list or recipe <strong>to</strong> be able <strong>to</strong> grab items <strong>to</strong> make a big<br />
salad several days in a row. I often just drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice on a basic<br />
salad when I’m in a hurry and don’t have a fancier dressing made up (I also sprinkle the salad with<br />
basil, kelp, or Trocomare).<br />
• After dinner, I pour vinegar and oil from the salad bowl in<strong>to</strong> a<br />
pint jar. After a few days, I have enough salad dressing for<br />
another salad. (Drain your lettuce well when making the salad,<br />
or you’ll have watery salad dressing and unusable “lef<strong>to</strong>vers.”<br />
I love my $15 salad spinner.) Call me cheap, but somehow the<br />
Depression-era frugal/conserving “make do” attitude lasted<br />
three generations in my family.<br />
• Make big batches of dressing and freeze some for later.<br />
Dressings will last only as long as the perishable ingredients<br />
in them, such as onions or sprouts.<br />
• Use any of the homemade salad dressings for your lef<strong>to</strong>vers.<br />
My neighbor Kris says any of the 18 dressings in this chapter<br />
go well with quinoa (which takes 10 minutes <strong>to</strong> cook) and any<br />
steamed or raw veggies for a quick, nutritious, light meal.<br />
78 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
Make sure you take a few minutes at the end of this month <strong>to</strong> document any changes in your health from<br />
committing <strong>to</strong> making nutritious salad dressings. These are questions <strong>to</strong> consider:<br />
1. What changes in your health do you notice from getting olive and flax oil and other good fats in<strong>to</strong> your<br />
diet in the form of homemade salad dressings?<br />
2. Do you notice anything different about your hair, skin, and fingernails, which are often dramatically<br />
affected by inclusion of good fats in the diet?<br />
3. How time consuming has it been <strong>to</strong> make salad dressings, and have any gains in your health been worth<br />
that time?<br />
4. Do you like the taste of homemade dressings better than s<strong>to</strong>re bought? Do you miss bottled salad<br />
dressing?<br />
5. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?<br />
6. Any other observations during this month?<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 79
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
80 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 81
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
SALAD DRESSING RECIPES<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations<br />
Mix in a high-powered blender until smooth:<br />
1 C extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 Tbsp. unrefined flaxseed oil<br />
¼ C red wine, apple cider, or balsamic vinegar<br />
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard<br />
optional: 2 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts<br />
Variations<br />
add two cloves garlic<br />
Makes 1½ cups.<br />
add finely chopped parsley, thyme, or oregano<br />
add sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and green onion<br />
substitute cream (or nuts like pine nuts or walnuts) for part of the olive oil, for a creamy-type<br />
dressing<br />
add <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and basil<br />
Craisin Salad Dressing<br />
½ C honey (raw)<br />
½ C apple cider vinegar<br />
1 C extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp. mustard<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
1 small red onion, cut in<strong>to</strong> fourths<br />
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds<br />
Blend all ingredients except poppy seeds in a high-powered blender until onion is puréed. Add poppy seeds<br />
and pulse a couple of times.<br />
This dressing is perfect with the Craisin Salad (page 63). Makes over 2 cups, enough for 2-3 salads.<br />
82 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C white wine vinegar<br />
¼ C honey (raw)<br />
¼ tsp. paprika<br />
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds<br />
optional: 2-3 Tbsp. puréed strawberries or raspberries<br />
optional: ¼ tsp. basil<br />
Blend all ingredients except poppy seeds briefly in high-powered blender. Add poppy seeds and pulse a couple<br />
of times.<br />
This dressing is perfect with the Spinach-Strawberry Salad (page 64). Makes 1¼ cups.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 83
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Orange-Walnut Salad Dressing<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
C orange juice<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic) or honey (raw)<br />
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar<br />
2 tsp. Dijon mustard<br />
¼ tsp. dried oregano<br />
¼ tsp. black pepper<br />
optional: 2 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts<br />
Blend all in a high-powered blender just until smooth. This dressing is perfect with the Craisin Salad (page 63).<br />
Makes 1½ cups.<br />
Avocado Dressing<br />
Avocado is rich in the best fats. I often eat an entire large avocado with a meal, day after day, and don’t gain<br />
weight. You needn’t fear eating avocados in abundance if you love them, and they make a lovely salad<br />
dressing.<br />
2 large avocados<br />
½ C fresh lemon juice<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
2 Tbsp. Nama Shoyu (page 339) or Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
2-4 Tbsp. water <strong>to</strong> achieve desired consistency<br />
optional: 2 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Toss a liberal amount with salad immediately<br />
before serving. Makes 2-2½ cups.<br />
84 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Cabbage Salad Dressing<br />
1 C extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C raw honey (raw)<br />
¼ C + 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar<br />
1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard<br />
½ white onion, chopped<br />
pinch sea salt<br />
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds<br />
optional: 2 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts<br />
Blend all ingredients except poppy seeds well in a high-powered blender. Add poppy seeds and pulse just <strong>to</strong><br />
mix. Makes 1¾ cups.<br />
Tangy Dill Dressing<br />
¼ C fresh lemon juice<br />
¼ C fresh orange juice<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
¼ C apple cider vinegar<br />
2 Tbsp. honey (raw)<br />
2 garlic cloves<br />
1 Tbsp. dried (or ¼ C fresh) dill weed<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender.<br />
This dressing is lovely on the Christmasy Salad (page 65) and the Spinach-Orzo Ensalata (page 72), or in<br />
veggie wraps made with sprouted-wheat <strong>to</strong>rtillas or pitas. Makes 1½ cups.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 85
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette<br />
¼ C fresh lemon juice<br />
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar<br />
2 Tbsp. honey (raw)<br />
2 Tbsp. brown mustard<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
¼ C unrefined flaxseed oil<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
pinch of sea salt<br />
freshly ground black pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
1 tsp. cayenne<br />
2+ Tbsp. water (<strong>to</strong> achieve desired consistency)<br />
1 Tbsp. whole mustard seeds (soaked in 2 Tbsp. water, above, for 30 min.)<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Makes scant 2 cups.<br />
86 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Maple Syrup Dressing<br />
This is my favorite dressing. Easy <strong>to</strong> make, good on anything, and lasts weeks in the fridge if you use 1 tsp.<br />
onion powder instead of fresh onion.<br />
¾ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
¾ C red wine vinegar<br />
6 Tbsp. maple syrup<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ C brown mustard<br />
¼ yellow or white onion<br />
½ tsp. garlic powder<br />
Blend in a high-powered blender until smooth. Makes 2 cups.<br />
Asian Ginger Dressing<br />
4 cloves garlic<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, minced<br />
¾ C extra virgin olive oil*<br />
C rice vinegar<br />
½ C Nama Shoyu (page 339)<br />
3 Tbsp. honey (raw)<br />
* Optionally, substitute organic, unrefined <strong>to</strong>asted sesame oil (which is less nutritious but more authentic).<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until the honey is liquefied and the ginger root and garlic are<br />
well blended. Makes scant 1½ cups.<br />
This dressing is delicious with shredded cabbage and <strong>to</strong>asted sesame seeds, or with the Waldorf Salad<br />
(page 67).<br />
Ranch Dressing<br />
1 C buttermilk<br />
1 C sour cream<br />
1 Tbsp. dried parsley<br />
1 Tbsp. dried chives<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. ground black pepper<br />
1 tsp. onion powder<br />
1 tsp. garlic powder<br />
Blend briefly in a high-powered blender until just mixed, pour in<strong>to</strong> a jar, and put in the fridge for a few hours <strong>to</strong><br />
meld flavors. Makes scant 2¼ cups.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 87
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Green Goddess Dressing<br />
After using this on salad one night, use the rest drizzled over steamed broccoli the next night—delicious!<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
juice of 2 small lemons (or 1 very large one)<br />
2 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts<br />
1 C cilantro<br />
1 C fresh parsley<br />
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338) or Nama Shoyu (page 339)<br />
1 Tbsp. umeboshi plum vinegar<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 tsp. dried kelp<br />
optional: 1-4 Tbsp. water (<strong>to</strong> achieve desired consistency)<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Makes 1½-2 cups.<br />
Bleu Cheese Dressing<br />
1 C extra virgin olive oil<br />
C rice vinegar<br />
2 tsp. Dijon mustard<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
½ Tbsp. dried tarragon<br />
6-8 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
optional: 2 Tbsp. alfalfa or clover sprouts<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender. Best if chilled overnight <strong>to</strong> blend flavors. Makes 2 cups.<br />
Balsamic-Miso Vinaigrette<br />
¾ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
6 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar<br />
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar<br />
3 Tbsp. honey (raw)<br />
1 Tbsp. oregano<br />
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
3 Tbsp. white Miso (page 339)<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
¼ C chopped parsley<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Makes 2 cups.<br />
88 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing<br />
This is reminiscent of Thai flavors.<br />
½ C lemon juice<br />
½ C orange juice<br />
2 green onions (the entire stalk and bulb)<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
¼ C fresh, raw ginger root<br />
C white Miso (page 339)<br />
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 Tbsp. maple syrup<br />
¼ C Umeboshi plum paste (page 339)<br />
¼ C water<br />
sea salt <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
optional: 2 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender, and add water if <strong>to</strong>o thick. Makes 2½-3 cups.<br />
Honey Dressing<br />
¾ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C honey (raw)<br />
1 C fresh lemon juice<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
Blend in a high-powered blender until smooth. Makes 2¼ cups.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 89
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Yogurt Curry Dressing<br />
½ C plain yogurt (thick yogurt is best, but kefir works <strong>to</strong>o)<br />
C extra virgin olive oil<br />
C rice vinegar<br />
¼ C white wine vinegar<br />
2 tsp. curry powder<br />
tsp. allspice<br />
1 tsp. fresh ginger root<br />
¼ tsp. chili powder<br />
tsp. pepper<br />
Blend vinegar, oil, and ginger in a high-powered blender on high speed until smooth. Add remaining<br />
ingredients and blend on lowest speed until just mixed. Makes 1½ cups.<br />
90 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Pes<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette<br />
Great recipe for using lef<strong>to</strong>ver pes<strong>to</strong> sauce.<br />
¾ C pes<strong>to</strong> sauce (see recipe (page 183) or use s<strong>to</strong>re-bought pes<strong>to</strong>)<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
¼ C flaxseed oil<br />
½ C red wine vinegar<br />
3 Tbsp. C fresh lemon juice<br />
tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender. Makes 2 cups.<br />
Cilantro-Toma<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette<br />
1½ C puréed fresh <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
¼ C sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 C cilantro leaves<br />
½ C white wine vinegar<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
1 tsp. chili powder<br />
juice of 1 lime<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until desired consistency is achieved. Makes 3 cups.<br />
Salsa Verde Dressing<br />
3 <strong>to</strong>matillos, husked<br />
½ C cilantro<br />
5 Tbsp. fresh lime juice<br />
2 tsp. jalapeño pepper (remove seeds unless you like it HOT)<br />
1 garlic clove<br />
6 Tbsp. olive oil<br />
4 large green onions (entire onion, just the ragged ends cut off)<br />
¾ tsp. sea salt<br />
¾ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. This is perfect served with the Salsa Verde Salad<br />
(page 69). Makes 1½ cups.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 91
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing<br />
In addition <strong>to</strong> being a great salad dressing, you can also <strong>to</strong>ss this with cooked quinoa, whole-grain couscous, or<br />
soba noodles and chopped raw or steamed veggies.<br />
½ C raw tahini (sesame seed paste, found in health food and grocery s<strong>to</strong>res)<br />
½ C fresh lemon juice<br />
½ C fresh orange juice<br />
a small chunk of lemon peel, about the size of a quarter<br />
2 Tbsp. olive oil<br />
¼ - ½ C water (<strong>to</strong> achieve desired consistency)<br />
1 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
1 Tbsp. ginger root<br />
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
¼ C parsley<br />
¼ C cilantro<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Makes 2½ cups.<br />
92 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 93
Dressing Up Your Salads<br />
Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette<br />
½ - ¾ C basil leaves<br />
1 C oil (2 Tbsp. flaxseed, the remainder olive)<br />
½ C Parmesan cheese<br />
¼ C balsamic vinegar<br />
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender, then put in fridge <strong>to</strong> meld flavors for 2 hours. Makes 2 cups.<br />
Lemon-Lime Dressing<br />
½ C honey (raw)<br />
¾ C fresh lemon juice<br />
¼ C fresh lime juice<br />
C Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
1" fresh ginger root, peeled and diced<br />
4 cloves garlic<br />
¾ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
¼ C flaxseed oil<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender on high speed until ginger is puréed. Makes 3 cups.<br />
94 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 4<br />
Avoiding Bad Fats,<br />
Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To throw out refined oils and learn <strong>to</strong> use and enjoy the good fats in your diet and beauty regimen<br />
necessary for silky, shiny hair; dewy, clear, unlined skin; and robust cells in every organ and tissue of<br />
your body. We will focus on three extremely nutritious oils that have different virtues and uses, both<br />
internal and external.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
You’ll want <strong>to</strong> buy some refrigerated flaxseed oil (at the health food s<strong>to</strong>re); some extra virgin olive oil;<br />
and some virgin, organic coconut oil. See “Robyn Recommends” on www.GreenSmoothieGirl.com for<br />
coconut oil—and if my source is out of s<strong>to</strong>ck, try again shortly, as they keep only small, fresh<br />
quantities on hand.)<br />
Fat in general was unfairly maligned for about 10 years in the “low-fat” obsession that damaged the<br />
American psyche. Even otherwise-sensible proponents of a plant-based diet continue <strong>to</strong> operate under<br />
the fallacy that fats should be avoided and that a low-fat diet is a natural one. To this day, people in my<br />
community come up <strong>to</strong> me everywhere I go and, in an effort <strong>to</strong> tell me about their own interest in<br />
nutrition, catalog their meals of skim milk and oatmeal, low-fat yogurt, egg substitutes, spray salad<br />
dressings, and other denatured or fake foods engineered <strong>to</strong> avoid fat<br />
.<br />
Long before I under<strong>to</strong>ok <strong>to</strong> study the issue for myself, long before good research replaced the “low-fat”<br />
craze, I was brainwashed (like you, I’m sure) by the constant barrage of illegitimate information we<br />
were fed that we should avoid foods with fat in them. I still struggle a bit <strong>to</strong> put coconut, olive, and flax<br />
oil in my food—or eat an entire avocado—because of the way I was influenced in those years.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 95
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Fortunately, my vain desire <strong>to</strong> have healthy skin, hair, and nails usually wins out, and I put that avocado on my<br />
salad after all. It feels like a guilty pleasure, and it shouldn’t be! I wish I could undo the damage <strong>to</strong> my health of<br />
that decade of my 20s I spent buying artificial foods <strong>to</strong> avoid the natural, good ones: butter, olive oil, nuts,<br />
seeds, olives, avocados, and—gasp!—even saturated fats like coconut oil.<br />
I know a number of people, and you probably do as well, who still embrace eating “low-fat” as being<br />
synonymous with “healthy.” They are thin, but they don’t look good. That’s because we need fats <strong>to</strong> protect<br />
every cell membrane <strong>to</strong> keep it hydrated, elastic, and youthful. People who avoid all fats look dry, prematurely<br />
aged, leathery, and unhealthy.<br />
The first year I began using coconut oil and flax seed oil in my diet regularly, my longtime problem with<br />
wintertime dry skin and eczema disappeared completely. Further, my lifelong circulation problems (cold hands<br />
and feet) s<strong>to</strong>pped that winter as well.<br />
Now, of course, we’ve been enduring a decade of silliness about how carbohydrates are going <strong>to</strong> kill us. It’s<br />
pure marketing genius, of course, <strong>to</strong> decide every 10 years <strong>to</strong> tell the American public that one-third of the<br />
nutrition in natural foods is bad for them (fats, carbs, and protein making up the three parts). I wonder if an<br />
anti-protein fad is next.<br />
Still, most of the fats used regularly by Americans are destructive rather than nourishing. These include all<br />
refined and processed oils, which are often heated above 400°, deodorized, and purified. They are also<br />
sometimes made in<strong>to</strong> “trans fats” by bombarding them with extra hydrogen a<strong>to</strong>ms <strong>to</strong> make them solid at room<br />
temperature. They are already rancid and, therefore, carcinogenic (full of free radicals) when they arrive on the<br />
s<strong>to</strong>re shelf. Additionally, they are heavy in Omega-6 fatty acids and deficient in Omega-3s), leading <strong>to</strong> extreme<br />
imbalances in our Essential Fatty Acid s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
In particular, avoid processed canola, corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, and cot<strong>to</strong>nseed oils. Canola oil has<br />
some linoleic acid (which is good) but, unlike flaxseed and olive oils, it doesn’t have a venerable his<strong>to</strong>ry of<br />
being used for centuries by healthy populations. It was discovered in Canada and derived from the rape seed,<br />
and many negative health effects have been linked <strong>to</strong> it. In particular, s<strong>to</strong>re-brand peanut butters often have<br />
rapeseed oil added <strong>to</strong> stabilize the natural oils in the peanuts that would otherwise separate and cause people <strong>to</strong><br />
spend a minute stirring. The hydrogenated version of this oil is the worst of the bad, and you would do well <strong>to</strong><br />
avoid processed canola oil completely.<br />
So, eat nuts, avocado, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, and olive oil daily—not necessarily all of those every day, but<br />
some of them every day! That said, a word <strong>to</strong> the wise is in order: excess fats are s<strong>to</strong>red as fat deposits on the<br />
body—so, as a guideline, 1 Tbsp. daily of each of these oils, or 1-2 oz. of nuts, is plenty for an adult or a child.<br />
If this month you continue <strong>to</strong> eat all the bad fats from your “former life” and add only some good fats, you may<br />
not see weight loss. Let the good stuff bump out the bad!<br />
96 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Why Should I Eat Flaxseed Oil?<br />
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are the unsaturated Omega-3 (alpha-linoleic acid)<br />
and Omega-6 (linoleic acid) fatty acids called “essential” because the body<br />
cannot manufacture them and therefore must be supplied by diet. (Your body<br />
can produce adequate Omega-9s if enough essential fats are available.) These<br />
fats support many of the body’s systems, including the nervous, immune,<br />
cardiovascular, and reproductive systems. EFAs are used by the body <strong>to</strong> make<br />
and repair cell membranes and eliminate waste from cells. They also produce<br />
prostaglandins, which regulate blood pressure, clotting, heart rate, and fertility.<br />
EFAs are particularly critical for babies, pregnant women, and children for<br />
neural development.<br />
Americans are Omega-3 deficient. We need a ratio of between 1:1 and 4:1<br />
Omega-6 <strong>to</strong> Omega-3 fatty acids, but most Americans get between 10:1 and<br />
25:1. Deficiencies in Omega-3, as well as inappropriate Omega-6 <strong>to</strong> Omega-3<br />
ratios, have been linked <strong>to</strong> many of the diseases the U.S. leads the world in:<br />
depression, cancer, heart disease, stroke, asthma, lupus, diabetes, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s. Americans get <strong>to</strong>o<br />
much Omega-6 partly because of our reliance on processed vegetable oils, which are high in damaged, lowgrade<br />
versions of that nutrient.<br />
If anyone experiences symp<strong>to</strong>ms of depression or anxiety, the first thing I recommend trying is flax seed or<br />
flaxseed oil in the diet every day, which can create dramatic improvement by addressing Omega-3 deficiency.<br />
Yet another reason <strong>to</strong> enjoy foods rich in EFAs is that they have the effect of combating damage done by the<br />
“bad fats.” The phy<strong>to</strong>estrogens in flax have a documented result of balancing hormones for women: <strong>to</strong>o-high<br />
estrogen counts tend <strong>to</strong> come down and <strong>to</strong>o-low estrogen counts tend <strong>to</strong> come up when eating flax seed. And<br />
compounds in this power food are well established tumor inhibi<strong>to</strong>rs, so anyone with a his<strong>to</strong>ry or risk for cancer<br />
should take note.<br />
The American Cancer Institute acknowledges 27 different compounds in flax seed that are anti-carcinogenic.<br />
In particular, a diet containing flax inhibits breast and colon cancers. In recent years, a hot <strong>to</strong>pic of research is<br />
the lignan compounds, a special carbohydrate known <strong>to</strong> prevent both cancer and heart disease, as well as other<br />
inflamma<strong>to</strong>ry conditions. Virtually all of our modern diseases are inflamma<strong>to</strong>ry diseases. Flax has the highest<br />
known concentration of these lignans, 75 times higher than the next-highest food!<br />
Possibly the best way <strong>to</strong> get EFAs is in the form of flax or hemp seeds. However, two cautions are in order.<br />
First, smell them when you purchase them (and look at the expiration date <strong>to</strong> make sure that they are fresh).<br />
You can usually tell if they smell rancid. Grind them in your high-powered blender only just before using them,<br />
as they oxidize quickly once ground. Second, whole flax seeds that aren't broken down pass through the<br />
intestine doing little other than absorbing liquid—so chew flax very well if you eat it whole, or grind it instead.<br />
You can get your EFAs easily from high-quality flaxseed oil, which must be purchased refrigerated in dark<br />
bottles at health food s<strong>to</strong>res. Barlean’s and Udo’s are excellent brands that use organic flax and refrigerate it<br />
from production <strong>to</strong> point of sale. One tablespoon of flaxseed oil daily provides an adequate quantity of EFAs<br />
with the ideal Omega 3:6 ratio. Including the whole seed in your diet, however, will be less expensive and will<br />
add dietary fiber. Use about 2 Tbsp. a day of flax seeds. If you eat flax crackers, eat a few small crackers, not a<br />
cup of them. We will focus more on flax seeds again in Chapter 7 (page 199).<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 97
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
In addition <strong>to</strong> flax, foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids also include walnuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds,<br />
avocados, and leafy greens like kale, spinach, and collards. Eating these foods may be even better than eating<br />
oil, because their nutrition will be utilized by the body throughout the day, absorption being slowed by the fiber<br />
in the seeds. Uses for pumpkin and sesame seeds are found in Chapter 7 (page 199) and Chapter 10 (page 275).<br />
Shouldn’t I Be Eating Fish Oil?<br />
Fish oil enjoyed a lot of attention for about 10 years and has been considered <strong>to</strong> be a great way <strong>to</strong> prevent heart<br />
disease. Fish oils are rich in Essential Fatty Acids, and many people think they are the best source. That’s<br />
because most of the research on EFAs focused on the fish oils for many years. More recent studies show no<br />
difference in heart disease between people who take fish oil and people who don’t. And Harvard-educated<br />
M.D. Donald Rudin says that his own research yielded better results with flaxseed oil. 1<br />
Furthermore, fish oil has risks associated with it. First, one<br />
study shows that you could drink lake water for 100 years and<br />
not get as much deadly PCBs as you could get from eating half<br />
a pound of fish from that lake. 2 Relying on eating fish itself can<br />
be problematic because some of the EFAs (linoleic acids) are<br />
destroyed in cooking.<br />
Also, fish oil is often rancid in the capsules. Try cutting one<br />
open, if you have some—it will not likely taste fresh, and may<br />
very likely taste horrible. And many people burp the fish taste<br />
up for hours afterward, a sign of poor digestibility and possibly<br />
rancidity.<br />
Unlike fish oil, flax is a whole-plant food packaged with lots of fiber and other virtues—not least of which is<br />
the fact that it’s much less expensive than fish oil. In fact, I believe flax seed <strong>to</strong> be potentially the most<br />
nutritious food on the planet, with such a rare, full array of merits. You do not need <strong>to</strong> eat much of it: 1-2 Tbsp.<br />
daily is plenty.<br />
Flax is high in Omega-3 EPA but does not have as much Omega-3 DHA as fish oil does. However, you should<br />
consider several fac<strong>to</strong>rs along with that information. First, you need very little DHA. Second, your body s<strong>to</strong>res<br />
and recycles it rather effectively. Third, if you would like <strong>to</strong> supplement with DHA, you can get it<br />
inexpensively from plant sources in tablet form at your health food s<strong>to</strong>re.<br />
98 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Why Should I Eat Coconut Oil?<br />
A very successful political campaign in the 80s and 90s by the soy industry effectively blacklisted tropical oils<br />
(coconut and palm) and made “saturated fat” a swear word in nutrition. We were <strong>to</strong>ld instead <strong>to</strong> use canola or<br />
corn oils when we couldn’t avoid oil in a recipe. Unfortunately, refined and nutritionally inferior vegetable oils<br />
that replaced coconut oil ended up increasing health problems rather than decreasing them.<br />
Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are necessary in our diet and lead <strong>to</strong> silky skin and hair, as well as healthy<br />
cellular function buffered by lipids (fats) everywhere in the body. Organic, virgin coconut oil has the highest<br />
levels of MCFAs (58%) and has provided for thousands of years some of the healthiest and most beautiful<br />
people on the planet with excellent nutrition. Dr. Bruce Fife has documented in The Coconut Oil Miracle how<br />
indigenous Pacific Islanders who are relatively unaffected by Westernization have virtually no heart disease<br />
and cancer, with ideal height/weight ratios. Their diet is up <strong>to</strong> 60% fat, most of it saturated fat from coconut! 3<br />
MCFAs supply quick energy because they are metabolized in the liver like carbs rather than being s<strong>to</strong>red in the<br />
adipose tissue or as belly fat. MCFAs enhance our immune system with critical nutrients. Coconut oil is<br />
antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal—shown <strong>to</strong> kill strep, staph, fungus, the virus that causes leukemia,<br />
and much more.<br />
My teenaged son once had a fungal infection on his face that wouldn’t go<br />
away all summer. We tried everything on it, including colloidal silver and<br />
even over-the-counter <strong>to</strong>pical drugs. Nothing worked, and the spot was<br />
growing bigger and becoming a social liability. Finally, I had the idea <strong>to</strong><br />
apply some virgin coconut oil. The quarter-sized fungal infection<br />
disappeared in 36 hours! My 8-yr. old has twice gotten painful urinary tract<br />
infections, and they disappeared quickly when I had him eat a few<br />
spoonfuls of coconut oil twice a day. (He doesn’t like it plain, so I spread a<br />
thick layer on a sprouted-wheat English muffin or whole-grain <strong>to</strong>ast, and he<br />
thought that was a treat.)<br />
The good and bad fat debate centered on saturation for many years,<br />
obscuring other fac<strong>to</strong>rs. Not all saturated fats are bad. Lauric acid (the<br />
immune-boosting compound in mother’s milk) is found abundantly in<br />
coconut oil, as well as in smaller amounts in butter. Many supplement<br />
makers isolate lauric acid or make it in synthetic form and sell it as an<br />
immune system aid. Coconut oil has lauric acid in the whole-food form,<br />
which is always utilized better by the body than an isolate or synthetic.<br />
Unlike other oils, coconut oil does not produce dangerous trans fatty acids, even when cooked at high<br />
temperatures. (Even olive oil produces some TFAs.) For this reason, coconut oil is ideal for sautéing. If you<br />
don’t like the coconut flavor imparted <strong>to</strong> fried foods, I would recommend non-virgin coconut oil—for this<br />
purpose only—since cooking with high heat would kill many of the enzymes and nutrients anyway. The nonvirgin<br />
oils tend <strong>to</strong> not have the coconut flavor.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 99
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Although coconut oil is low in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), it increases the utilization of EFAs by up <strong>to</strong> 100%.<br />
It also nourishes the thyroid and increases metabolic rate for up <strong>to</strong> 24 hours. You may know that proteins and<br />
carbs have 4 calories per gram, and fats have 9 calories per gram. But you may be surprised <strong>to</strong> learn that the<br />
MCFAs in coconut oil actually have only 6.9 calories per gram, making coconut oil a slightly lower-calorie fat!<br />
Again, eat coconut oil, but don’t go crazy with it. Bruce Fife recommends 3-4 Tbsp. daily for an adult. 10 I<br />
personally don’t eat anywhere near that much but, including what I put on my lips and face every day (my<br />
teenagers do the same), I get probably 2 Tbsp. daily. With fats, small amounts are all you need, and 10% of<br />
your diet is enough.<br />
Why Should I Eat Olive Oil?<br />
Of the three oils promoted in this chapter, olive oil’s benefits are the most<br />
widely known, since it has been extensively studied for the longest time. That<br />
is partly due <strong>to</strong> the fact that olive oil has been consumed in abundance (often<br />
35% of calories) in some of the healthiest populations of the world for<br />
literally thousands of years. My friend David Wolfe—author, nutritionist, and<br />
leading raw-food expert—says that his research indicates that olive oil and<br />
chocolate are the two foods most linked <strong>to</strong> longevity.<br />
One study documented that those eating a typical Mediterranean diet rich in<br />
olive oil, raw vegetables, and poultry had a huge advantage—50% lower<br />
mortality risk!—over those eating lots of pasta, meat, bread, and wine. Greek<br />
research published in Clinical Cardiology found that those using only olive<br />
oil (forgoing other fats) had 47% less heart disease than the control group—<br />
whereas those using other, refined fats as well had no protection against heart<br />
disease. 4 At least one very large study (20,000 subjects) even isolated the<br />
fac<strong>to</strong>r making the biggest difference in the Mediterranean diet’s exceptional<br />
effect in lowering blood pressure: virgin olive oil. 5<br />
Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that actually leads <strong>to</strong> breaking down s<strong>to</strong>red fats in the body, and published<br />
research shows both animals and humans losing weight when other oils are replaced in the diet with olive oil,<br />
even with caloric intake remaining constant.<br />
Olive oil is rich in the antioxidant classes polyphenols and carotenoids, as well as chlorophyll and vitamin E.<br />
Many studies for several decades have documented that those who eat olive oil regularly (instead of other fats)<br />
have dramatically lower rates of diabetes, colon cancer, asthma, and heart disease. Olive-oil-rich diets lower<br />
blood sugar as well as prevent diseases as diverse as atherosclerosis, inflammation, and bone loss. So<br />
significant were the findings of a French study on olive oil’s effect on bone health that a Brazilian company is<br />
now developing patented olive polyphenol supplements and teas for anti-osteoporosis effects. And more than<br />
one group of researchers has documented a much lower risk of breast cancer in populations eating olive oil<br />
daily.<br />
100 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Even small amounts of olive oil have been found <strong>to</strong> kill helicobacter pylori—an antibiotic-resistant bacteria<br />
that causes chronic inflammation, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer—because it contains antimicrobial<br />
properties.<br />
Always use extra virgin olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives, as it is unrefined and<br />
highest in polyphenols. It is a longer-chain fatty acid, and while 2 Tbsp. daily has been studied as a good<br />
amount <strong>to</strong> reduce heart disease risk, large amounts of this oil (more than 2 Tbsp. per meal) can lead <strong>to</strong> weight<br />
gain. Instead of sautéing food in oil, a good idea is <strong>to</strong> dress vegetables or grains in olive oil immediately after<br />
steaming them or sautéing them in vegetable broth. This preserves all the compounds discussed above that are<br />
found in the raw oil.<br />
You need no more than 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil daily. And that’s instead of, not in addition <strong>to</strong>, the bad fats in<br />
animal flesh and processed foods.<br />
What Are the Best Oils for My Beauty Regimen?<br />
I use pure coconut oil, the same virgin oil from my kitchen, every night on my face as a moisturizer, with<br />
excellent anti-aging results. The skin absorbs the oil quickly, so you won’t have shiny skin with standing oil on<br />
it. A nice benefit is that although coconut oil may be expensive compared <strong>to</strong> other refined oils you formerly<br />
cooked with, it’s very inexpensive compared <strong>to</strong> commercially prepared facial treatments!<br />
One night a week, work a couple tablespoons of warmed oil through<br />
your hair and in<strong>to</strong> the scalp. (Put the oil in a glass and set the glass in<br />
hot tap water <strong>to</strong> warm it.) Wear a s<strong>to</strong>cking cap <strong>to</strong> bed and wash your<br />
hair in the morning. This practice makes hair silky and smooth, and<br />
the cost of the treatment is very low compared <strong>to</strong> commercial oil<br />
treatments that include emulsifying and preserving chemicals.<br />
I also keep a small container of coconut oil close by <strong>to</strong> use as a lip<br />
balm. By applying it <strong>to</strong> the skin, it is absorbed and utilized by the<br />
body the same way as when you eat it. Applying it directly <strong>to</strong> the skin<br />
has all the same benefits, as it is absorbed in<strong>to</strong> the bloodstream, in<br />
addition <strong>to</strong> the direct moisturizing effect on the skin, hair, and lips.<br />
If you have dry skin, you may wish <strong>to</strong> put a tablespoon of coconut oil<br />
in your bath water, <strong>to</strong> res<strong>to</strong>re the antimicrobial oils that are a natural<br />
barrier on your skin and that get washed off when showering or<br />
bathing. In the shower, you can apply coconut oil (olive oil works<br />
well, <strong>to</strong>o) <strong>to</strong> the face and body after washing, then pat the skin dry<br />
with a <strong>to</strong>wel. Just keep a small container of oil in the shower and<br />
bath.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 101
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
How Can I Eat Coconut, Olive, and Flax Oils?<br />
This is an easy and fun step in month 4 of your <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong>, because some of the coconut oil recipes are snacks<br />
and treats, and flax oil can be easily added <strong>to</strong> salad dressings (replacing ¼ of the olive oil) and green smoothies<br />
you’re already making. The recipes in this chapter will give you new ideas, and Chapter 11 has plenty of ideas<br />
<strong>to</strong> use coconut oil in treats, as well.<br />
Coconut Oil<br />
This oil is excellent for frying, baking, desserts, popcorn, and “buttering” whole-grain <strong>to</strong>ast. Substitute for<br />
butter or shortening in any cookie recipe, using it in its solid form.<br />
Coconut oil doesn’t work well in salad dressings (or in things that are cold, such as green smoothies). That’s<br />
because it becomes solid in the refrigera<strong>to</strong>r (lower than 76°), and unprocessed oil has a strong coconut flavor.<br />
Some of the main dishes in Chapter 6 use small amounts of coconut oil, which you can replace with olive oil if<br />
you don’t like the slight taste of coconut in the food.<br />
You can use coconut oil as a solid fat (like shortening) or as a liquid oil.If your home is colder than 76°, and<br />
you want liquid oil, don’t microwave it (which kills nutrition with radiation). Instead, just put your bucket of<br />
coconut oil in a sink with a couple of inches of hot tap water for a few minutes until enough oil becomes liquid<br />
<strong>to</strong> pour out.<br />
Several coconut products are in the recipes in this book. However, while they are all good for you, these are the<br />
coconut products you should use, in order of highest <strong>to</strong> lowest nutrition:<br />
1. Raw young coconut meat and liquid (perfect electrolyte balance, completely raw and unprocessed—see<br />
my GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube video on how <strong>to</strong> open them: www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi)<br />
2. Extra virgin, organic coconut oil<br />
3. Coconut cream concentrate<br />
4. Dried coconut, shreds or flakes (from a good source, not the sweetened kind containing the <strong>to</strong>xic<br />
chemical propylene glycol)<br />
Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />
This oil is rich in oleic acid and antioxidants and is an excellent salad oil. It is comprised of long-chain fatty<br />
acids that contribute <strong>to</strong> body fat, so use it in moderation. Use olive oil for salad dressings, as well as for<br />
sautéing when you don’t like your food <strong>to</strong> have a slight coconut flavor. The greener your olive oil is, the more<br />
nutritious and unprocessed it is—so don’t buy olive oil that doesn’t say “extra virgin.” Extra virgin means that<br />
the oil came from the first pressing of the olives and is not heat treated.<br />
Flaxseed Oil<br />
This oil is best added <strong>to</strong> a green smoothie. I put a couple of tablespoons in my blenderful every day, unless I<br />
will be eating flax crackers with my smoothie for lunch. The other way <strong>to</strong> use flaxseed oil is <strong>to</strong> replace a little<br />
of the olive oil in salad dressings with flaxseed oil instead. Do not heat flaxseed oil.<br />
102 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Summary<br />
Know the difference between good and bad fats, because fats are critical and necessary for a healthy life.<br />
Obsessively counting fat grams will not lead <strong>to</strong> health and leanness. I have personally eaten a handful of nuts<br />
and one entire avocado daily for extended periods of time with absolutely no weight gain over my ideal weight.<br />
Actively seek out adequate amounts of good dietary fat, including unprocessed, organic coconut oil; extra<br />
virgin olive oil; and refrigerated, fresh flaxseed oil. Coconut oil, used in baking or directly on the skin, is<br />
metabolized more like a carbohydrate, in the liver, than other fats. It supplies medium-chain fatty acids missing<br />
in most Western diets, and is high in lauric acid, an immune-system support. Extra virgin olive oil can be used<br />
in sautéing and in dressings. It is linked <strong>to</strong> longevity, is well documented in many studies of the Mediterranean<br />
diet, and has many heart-healthy nutrients. Flaxseed oil, used cold only (not for cooking), helps address an<br />
Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency in our diet; it is a compound found in very few foods that the body cannot<br />
manufacture from other materials. Flaxseed oil in salad dressings or green smoothies can help prevent mood<br />
disorders and hormone imbalances and it has cancer- and heart disease-preventative effects.<br />
Eat a variety of high-fat whole plant foods like avocados, seeds, and nuts every day. Avoid “like the plague”<br />
fake fats like margarine and shortening (and other hydrogenated fats such as rapeseed oil found in low-quality<br />
peanut butters), vegetable oils, and any processed oil such as canola and safflower. If you purchase specialty<br />
oils (such as almond or sesame) for special recipes, remember that “virgin” oils are unprocessed and others<br />
should be avoided as much as possible.<br />
This month, you have a small number of recipes <strong>to</strong> try, but Chapter 11 (page 299) has many treats that feature<br />
dried, shredded coconut and coconut oil, if you want <strong>to</strong> augment your experimentation this month. Chapter 6<br />
(page 157), Chapter 9 (page 245), and Chapter 10 (page 275) also have recipes using coconut. Using the tips<br />
above for each oil, using these oils is simple, in both your food and your nightly beauty regimen.<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
What changes do you notice, using these highly nutritious oils, both externally and internally, and avoiding<br />
processed oils?<br />
1. Do you notice any difference in your skin, lips, and/or hair using coconut oil <strong>to</strong>pically?<br />
2. Do you notice any differences in your hair, skin, or nails from internal use of lipid-rich, high-nutrient<br />
oils?<br />
3. Did you gain or lose any weight while using these oils?<br />
4. What are your favorite ways <strong>to</strong> make sure you get the wide-ranging benefits of these various oils in<br />
your diet?<br />
5. Do you feel better using these oils rather than the refined vegetable oils or butter or shortening that you<br />
used before?<br />
6. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?<br />
7. Any other observations during this month?<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 103
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
104 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 105
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
COCONUT OIL RECIPES<br />
My favorite ways <strong>to</strong> use coconut oil (and oil-rich coconut milk or coconut cream concentrate) are in baked<br />
goods, vegetable sautés, and cream sauces that bring whole grains and vegetables <strong>to</strong>gether.<br />
Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations<br />
I don’t even usually like sweet pota<strong>to</strong>es, but I like these!<br />
8 C sweet pota<strong>to</strong>es, peeled and chopped in<strong>to</strong> sticks<br />
¼ C coconut oil<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
Heat oil on medium-high in a large skillet, add sweet pota<strong>to</strong>es, and sauté several minutes, stirring frequently<br />
with a spatula, until tender. Sprinkle with salt and serve.<br />
Variations<br />
To serve fries on a bed of hot, quick-<strong>to</strong>-make whole grain for a more filling main dish:<br />
1 C quinoa or bulgur<br />
2 C water<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
Bring water and salt <strong>to</strong> a boil, add rinsed quinoa, cover, and reduce heat <strong>to</strong> low. Simmer for 15 min. (For<br />
bulgur, cover and turn off heat, then let sit for 15 min.)<br />
To make “Thanksgiving-like” sweet pota<strong>to</strong> fries:<br />
Add 2 Tbsp. maple syrup and ½ tsp. cinnamon <strong>to</strong> basic recipe and <strong>to</strong>ss <strong>to</strong> coat well.<br />
To make Steffanie’s spicy fries:<br />
1 tsp. cumin<br />
2 tsp. garlic powder<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. cayenne<br />
1-2 C chopped cilantro<br />
Blend spices and sprinkle over 8 C of just-sautéed fries, then <strong>to</strong>ss. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve over<br />
quinoa.<br />
106 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 107
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars<br />
A delicious way <strong>to</strong> use coconut in several forms.<br />
¾ C coconut oil (solid)<br />
C agave (raw, organic)<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. nutmeg<br />
½ C water<br />
C fresh orange juice<br />
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest<br />
1 C shredded coconut<br />
1½ (packed) C shredded carrots<br />
2½ C whole-wheat flour (finely ground, preferably soft white wheat)<br />
2 tsp. baking soda<br />
Cream the coconut oil and agave in a mixer, then add the eggs and vanilla and blend. Add the salt, nutmeg,<br />
water, orange juice, orange zest, coconut, and shredded carrots and mix well. Add the flour and baking soda<br />
and mix well. Spread the mixture with a spatula in<strong>to</strong> a greased 9"x13" pan and bake at 350° for 35 min. Pour<br />
Creamy Glaze (see below) over the bars and cut them in<strong>to</strong> pieces. Excellent served warm.<br />
Creamy Glaze:<br />
½ C coconut cream concentrate* (found at health food s<strong>to</strong>res or online)<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
½ C fresh orange juice<br />
Blend well in a blender, then pour the glaze over warm bars and serve.<br />
* You can also use coconut milk instead of coconut cream concentrate, for a thinner glaze. I like <strong>to</strong> use the rest<br />
of the can of coconut milk the next morning, with any lef<strong>to</strong>ver orange juice and agave mixed in, poured on<br />
millet porridge (recipe below).<br />
108 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Almond Joyful Fudge<br />
2 C agave (raw, organic)<br />
2 C coconut oil<br />
If your coconut oil is solid, place its container in a sink of hot tap water <strong>to</strong> melt it first. Then put both<br />
ingredients in a high-powered blender and add:<br />
1 C raw powdered chocolate (or unsweetened cocoa)<br />
Blend well, then pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a bowl and stir in:<br />
2 C shredded coconut<br />
2 C chopped almonds<br />
Pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a 9"x13" pan, chill 2 hours, and cut in<strong>to</strong> squares <strong>to</strong> serve.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 109
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies<br />
C coconut oil (liquid)<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
C unsweetened applesauce<br />
C agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
¼ C water<br />
1 C raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat<br />
1¼ C whole-wheat flour, finely ground (soft white wheat is best)<br />
1 C shredded coconut<br />
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder<br />
1½ tsp. baking powder (the no-aluminum variety)<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
optional: ½ C walnuts or pecans, chopped<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 350°. Blend the eggs, water, coconut sugar/Sucanat, applesauce, agave, vanilla, and coconut<br />
oil and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter in<strong>to</strong> a greased 9"x9" pan and bake for<br />
35 min. Cool and cut in<strong>to</strong> squares.<br />
Microwave Popcorn<br />
Stir 1 Tbsp. liquid coconut oil in<strong>to</strong> ½ C popcorn kernels. Put corn/oil inside a paper bag, and then put that<br />
inside another paper bag (double-bagging the corn/oil). Pop in the microwave until 2 seconds pass between<br />
pops. Pour in<strong>to</strong> a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.<br />
Faux Kettle Corn<br />
Air-pop 3 batches of popcorn, then pour it in<strong>to</strong> a paper grocery bag or very large mixing bowl.<br />
If your coconut oil is solid, place its container in a sink of hot tap water <strong>to</strong> melt it first. Then put<br />
C raw, organic agave nectar and C coconut oil in a blender and blend well. Then slowly pour the mixture<br />
over the popcorn in the bowl or paper bag. Gradually sprinkle with 2 tsp. sea salt while shaking or stirring it<br />
well.<br />
110 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup<br />
1 pound asparagus, cleaned, trimmed, and cut in<strong>to</strong> bite-sized pieces<br />
2 stalks celery, chopped<br />
3 pota<strong>to</strong>es, washed and chopped<br />
1 yellow onion, chopped<br />
4 C water<br />
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped<br />
2 cans (14 oz.) coconut milk<br />
2 Tbsp. cornstarch<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. paprika<br />
½ tsp. dried (or 1 Tbsp. fresh, chopped) tarragon<br />
1 tsp. dried (or 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped) basil<br />
Bring the water <strong>to</strong> boil, then add the asparagus, celery, pota<strong>to</strong>es, and onion. Cover and reduce the heat <strong>to</strong><br />
medium low and simmer 20 min. Add the artichoke hearts and simmer another 10 min. In a blender, blend the<br />
coconut milk, cornstarch, salt, paprika, tarragon, and basil. Add the blend <strong>to</strong> the simmering vegetables and heat<br />
<strong>to</strong> boiling, then simmer on low/medium until thickened, stirring frequently.<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce<br />
2 C brown rice, rinsed well<br />
4 C water<br />
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk<br />
1 Tbsp. cornstarch<br />
1 Tbsp. curry powder<br />
½ C chopped cilantro<br />
¼ C fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried)<br />
2 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
1½ tsp. sea salt<br />
3 stems of broccoli (including most of stalk), cut in<strong>to</strong> bite-sized pieces<br />
8 oz. mushrooms, washed well and cut in thirds<br />
2 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
Bring the water and rice <strong>to</strong> a boil, turn down <strong>to</strong> medium low, cover, and simmer for 45 min. In a large wok or<br />
frying pan, lightly sauté broccoli on medium high for 5 min., then add mushrooms and sauté another 2 min. In<br />
a blender, blend coconut milk, cornstarch, curry powder, and salt. Add the blend <strong>to</strong> the vegetables and heat on<br />
medium high, stirring frequently, gradually reducing <strong>to</strong> a simmer until sauce is thickened. Toss mixture gently<br />
in<strong>to</strong> brown rice, along with the parsley, <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>, and cilantro. Serve hot. Serves 6-8.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 111
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce<br />
My teenaged son calls this dish “Asia Meets Europe.” You can serve it with 4 C of cooked brown rice instead<br />
of pasta, if you prefer <strong>to</strong> keep it truly Asian.<br />
16 oz. whole-wheat or spelt pasta, cooked according <strong>to</strong> package directions<br />
3 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
1 can coconut milk<br />
2 Tbsp. cornstarch<br />
2 onions, chopped<br />
1 head cauliflower, chopped<br />
2 red bell peppers, sliced<br />
3 carrots, chopped<br />
2 Tbsp. fish sauce<br />
2 Tbsp. red curry paste (or green or yellow, if you prefer)<br />
1 can lychee fruit, drained (pronounced “LEE-chee”)<br />
1 can baby corn, drained<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
Heat the coconut oil in a wok or skillet and sauté vegetables until tender-crisp. Blend the coconut milk,<br />
cornstarch, fish sauce, curry paste, and salt in a blender. Add <strong>to</strong> the vegetables, along with the lychees and baby<br />
corn. Heat and stir until sauce thickens. Toss vegetables/sauce with pasta and serve.<br />
Rice Pudding<br />
1½ C brown rice, rinsed and drained well<br />
3 C water<br />
1 can coconut milk<br />
¼ C maple syrup<br />
½ C raisins<br />
½ C shredded coconut<br />
1 Tbsp. cinnamon<br />
½ tsp. nutmeg<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
optional: 3 eggs (organic, free-range), lightly beaten<br />
Bring water <strong>to</strong> a boil, add the rice and salt, reduce the heat <strong>to</strong> medium-low and simmer 45 min. Mix all other<br />
ingredients in<strong>to</strong> the rice and fold in<strong>to</strong> a greased 9"x13" pan. Optionally, lightly sprinkle with additional<br />
cinnamon. Bake at 350° for 30 min., then serve warm.<br />
1<strong>12</strong> <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Millet Porridge<br />
1 C millet, washed well (soak a few minutes, stir well, and drain with fine strainer)<br />
2½ C water<br />
tsp. sea salt<br />
½ can coconut milk<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
½ C fresh orange juice<br />
Bring water, salt, and millet <strong>to</strong> a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 min. Turn off the heat and allow<br />
<strong>to</strong> sit 10 min. Blend coconut milk, agave, and orange juice in a blender and then stir in<strong>to</strong> the millet. Serve hot.<br />
Serves 3-4.<br />
FLAXSEED OIL RECIPES<br />
My favorite ways <strong>to</strong> use flaxseed oil are, first, as an addition <strong>to</strong> a green smoothie. Good fats help increase your<br />
absorption of the nutrients in greens, so it’s a good idea <strong>to</strong> use flaxseed oil or an avocado in your smoothie.<br />
Second, substitute a couple of tablespoons of flaxseed oil for olive oil in any of the salad dressing recipes in<br />
Chapter 3 (page 75). Third, add flaxseed oil <strong>to</strong> any soup or other cooked food, but add it after cooking rather<br />
than before or during, as heat destroys the delicate compounds in the oil.<br />
Flax/Coconut “Butter”<br />
I like <strong>to</strong> spread this on sprouted whole-wheat English muffins. Coconut oil increases your absorption of the<br />
Omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed oil by up <strong>to</strong> 100%!<br />
1 C coconut oil, melted (place oil container in a few inches of hot water in sink)<br />
½ C flaxseed oil, frozen for a few hours<br />
1 tsp. chili powder<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
2 Tbsp. sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
Blend well in a blender, then s<strong>to</strong>re in the fridge.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 113
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Flaxseed Cookies<br />
We will have more flax recipes in Chapter 7 (page 199), but this recipe has both flaxseed oil in the whole,<br />
ground flax form as well as coconut oil, which increases your absorption of the essential fatty acids in the flax.<br />
This large batch makes 5-6 dozen cookies, but you can bake ¼ of the frozen dough at a time.<br />
1½ C honey (raw)<br />
1 C coconut oil, solid<br />
3 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
1 Tbsp. vanilla<br />
3 C flax seeds, ground in a high-powered blender (measured after grinding)<br />
3 C finely ground whole-wheat flour (for best results, use soft white wheat)<br />
3 C regular rolled oats, coarsely ground in a high-powered blender (measured after grinding)<br />
½ C regular rolled oats, coarsely ground in a high-powered blender and set aside<br />
1 Tbsp. baking soda<br />
Cream <strong>to</strong>gether the coconut oil and honey, then blend in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flax seed, flour, 3 C<br />
rolled oats, and baking soda and mix well. Form dough in<strong>to</strong> four logs about 1½" in diameter and roll in the ½ C<br />
rolled oats, as they will be sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze immediately. When ready <strong>to</strong> bake, preheat<br />
the oven <strong>to</strong> 350°, remove the dough from the freezer 10-15 min. before you want <strong>to</strong> use it, and slice the frozen<br />
dough in<strong>to</strong> ¼" slices. Bake 8-10 min. Note that the cookies will not brown very much.<br />
Garlic Mayo<br />
5 cloves garlic<br />
1 egg yolk (organic, free-range)<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
¼ C flaxseed oil<br />
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
Put all ingredients except the oils in a blender and purée briefly. Gradually add the oils in a very thin stream,<br />
with blender on low, until smooth and well incorporated.<br />
114 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa<br />
Use this as a dip for sprouted-<strong>to</strong>rtilla chips or whole-wheat pita chips (cut either in<strong>to</strong> triangles and broil for a<br />
couple of minutes). Or, simmer 2 C of well rinsed quinoa with 2 C water for 15 min., then <strong>to</strong>ss with some of<br />
this salsa for a hot meal.<br />
4 C papaya, diced (1 medium papaya)<br />
1 C dry black-eyed peas, rinsed<br />
1 red bell pepper, diced<br />
1 Anaheim pepper (seeds removed), finely diced<br />
½ small red onion, finely diced<br />
½ C cilantro, chopped<br />
Dressing:<br />
¼ C lime juice<br />
zest of 1 lime<br />
¼ C flaxseed oil<br />
1½ inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped<br />
2 tsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. chili powder<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
Bring 3 C water <strong>to</strong> a boil, add the black-eyed peas, cover, and reduce <strong>to</strong> a simmer for 45 min. Drain and cool<br />
the peas. Combine all the non-dressing ingredients in<strong>to</strong> a bowl and mix. Blend the dressing ingredients in<br />
blender until smooth, then pour over other ingredients and <strong>to</strong>ss.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 115
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
116 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta<br />
16 oz. whole-wheat angel hair pasta (or any whole-grain pasta)<br />
4 large <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
1 C fresh basil leaves, chopped<br />
2 C fresh spinach, chopped<br />
1 C artichoke hearts, chopped<br />
½ C flaxseed oil<br />
1 C sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, drained<br />
1½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 Tbsp. dried basil<br />
freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Cook pasta according <strong>to</strong> directions. In a high-powered blender, blend the flaxseed oil, sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, salt,<br />
and dried basil until sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es are broken down in<strong>to</strong> small bits. Scrape the mixture in<strong>to</strong> the pasta, and<br />
then add the fresh <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, spinach, fresh basil, and artichoke hearts. Grind the pepper on <strong>to</strong>p, <strong>to</strong>ss well, and<br />
serve immediately. Serves 6-8.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 117
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
118 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 5<br />
Reaping a Gardener’s<br />
Rewards<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To plant a garden and use absolutely everything in it! This month will consist of planning and planting,<br />
but the execution of this month’s goal—the harvest, and learning new ways <strong>to</strong> use each vegetable—<br />
will go on for several months.<br />
NOTE: This chapter assumes you are starting this fifth step of the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> in the month of May. If you began<br />
the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> in any month other than January, you will need <strong>to</strong> wait until May rolls around again <strong>to</strong><br />
plant your garden—though you may be able <strong>to</strong> get some things planted that can be harvested before<br />
winter sets in, depending what month it is now. Read on and do as much of this step as you can now,<br />
or wait until your planting conditions are ideal.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
• A garden space (ideally with wooden square-foot boxes) or pots for gardening on a patio if you<br />
have no back yard.<br />
• Compost <strong>to</strong> add <strong>to</strong> the soil (and consider building one or more compost boxes in your back yard<br />
<strong>to</strong> reuse plant waste).<br />
• A package of (preferably non-hybridized, untreated) seeds for each of the vegetables you’d like<br />
<strong>to</strong> grow. A good source is www.heirloomseeds.com. Or, on May 1 in most climates, you may<br />
purchase seedlings from your local nursery for <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, peppers, cabbage, and many other<br />
plants.<br />
• Optionally, a new or used full-sized freezer <strong>to</strong> put in the garage. After gardening, this is the<br />
second-best way <strong>to</strong> save money eating a plant-based diet. It can dramatically extend the life of<br />
your garden produce, giving you vegetables and fruits through the winter. It also allows you <strong>to</strong><br />
buy seeds and nuts in bulk through co-ops.<br />
In other chapters, I’ve featured<br />
“money-savings tips,” but this entire<br />
chapter is a way <strong>to</strong> feed your family<br />
practically for free. People who garden<br />
tend <strong>to</strong> eat much more fresh produce<br />
and have an advantage in any kind of<br />
emergency situation, such as job loss.<br />
It’s an excellent habit <strong>to</strong> cultivate—and<br />
<strong>to</strong> teach children the “law of the<br />
harvest” very directly—that what you<br />
sow (and make an effort at), you reap.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 119
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Fresh, organic garden produce is not only far more nutritious than what you can buy in a grocery s<strong>to</strong>re (which<br />
was picked a week or more before and perhaps chemically ripened), but it’s also fabulously delicious. You may<br />
have forgotten what “real” produce tastes like, and gardening will let you remember! As John Denver famously<br />
wrote, “Only two things that money can’t buy, and that’s true love and home-grown <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es!” and “Where<br />
would I be without home-grown <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es?” In the age of Monsan<strong>to</strong> controlling our seed supply and<br />
genetically engineering our food supply, that question becomes rather profound, far more than I think the<br />
famous, late folk singer intended.<br />
Making Gardening a Family Project<br />
Saundra Lorenz and fellow researchers at Texas A&M University discovered that when children spent 30<br />
minutes weekly gardening, they were more likely <strong>to</strong> eat vegetables. Lorenz pointed out that young children<br />
often think food comes from a grocery s<strong>to</strong>re, and letting them work in a garden helps them make a connection<br />
<strong>to</strong> their food source, making whole-plant foods more appealing. 1<br />
My children tend the garden and pick weeds throughout the summer; they get very excited about bringing food<br />
in for our table later in the summer. We plant radishes not because I particularly like them, but because they’re<br />
the “short-term reinforcer” for the new little gardener: they’re ready <strong>to</strong> pick only a few weeks after planting the<br />
seeds, satisfying for small children with short attention spans.<br />
My third child, Libby, and I plant <strong>to</strong>gether in my square-foot garden in the spring. It’s a<br />
bonding experience and helps us remember and appreciate where our food comes from.<br />
I must admit that my kids’ enthusiasm fades with the zucchini harvest, after they’ve eaten it a few times a week<br />
for a month. An old joke in Utah revolves around an out-of-state visi<strong>to</strong>r being surprised by the fact that Utahns<br />
don’t lock their car doors at the market, gas station, or restaurants he visits with his host. But they go <strong>to</strong> the<br />
<strong>12</strong>0 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
church parking lot, and suddenly his host carefully locks all his car doors. It’s zucchini season, and you’re<br />
likely <strong>to</strong> find the back seat full of baseball-bat-sized, unwanted zucchinis from neighbors desperate <strong>to</strong> “gift”<br />
them when you come out after church services! If nothing else, my family is entertained by how many ways I<br />
can come up with <strong>to</strong> cook zucchini. I buy some ingredients <strong>to</strong> add <strong>to</strong> garden-vegetable recipes, but otherwise<br />
consider it a challenge <strong>to</strong> see how close <strong>to</strong> “free” I can make dinners in the late summer and early fall.<br />
Why Heirloom Seeds?<br />
Heirloom seeds are seeds that produce nonhybridized food plants that produce viable seeds. These special<br />
seeds have lineage that has been protected and cultivated for 50 years or more. Pollination occurs with<br />
heirloom crops by insects and wind, natural means rather than artificial.<br />
A frightening and powerful movement is afoot, led by giant biotech company Monsan<strong>to</strong>, now responsible for<br />
most food production in the U.S., <strong>to</strong> industrialize and genetically engineer our foods. Monsan<strong>to</strong> is aggressively<br />
buying up seed companies, acquiring more than 11,000 seed patents, and bullying small farmers out of<br />
business. They have been ruthless in seeking monopolies on seed production in their labs. Virtually all corn and<br />
soy grown in America is genetically engineered.<br />
Monsan<strong>to</strong> views seeds that are pest resistant, high yield, and do not produce a next generation of seeds as a<br />
positive development. They have developed a glyphosate <strong>to</strong>lerance gene for plants, which are seeds that will<br />
survive being sprayed with Roundup. The “Termina<strong>to</strong>r Gene” makes plants’ seeds sterile. Thus, agricultural<br />
economies controlled by Monsan<strong>to</strong>, such as in India, recently devastated by a drought, must buy their seeds<br />
from the giant corporation because the seeds they save do not reproduce the following season.<br />
While Monsan<strong>to</strong>’s profits are soaring as a consequence, the public health ramifications of increasing<br />
hybridization and genetic modifications of our food are not fully known. But the potential implications of<br />
changing even one gene, in one plant are far reaching. Studies have shown that altering genetics even slightly<br />
can create havoc in the environment and in the organisms that eat the modified plant. I believe that evidence<br />
will soon become so voluminous, mainstream, and undeniable that mass hybridization of grains has led <strong>to</strong><br />
widespread gut issues in North Americans and other cultures who have adopted a Western diet. Gluten<br />
in<strong>to</strong>lerance has become an epidemic, and most people are undiagnosed. Grains have been hybridized <strong>to</strong><br />
maximize gluten for bread making.<br />
When man tries <strong>to</strong> outsmart Mother Nature, we must expect consequences. We cannot always control those<br />
consequences or pull them back. Monsan<strong>to</strong>’s genetic mutations have been found in crops far from anywhere<br />
that their seeds have been planted.<br />
Monsan<strong>to</strong> produced saccharin, DDT, and Agent Orange in the last century. Documentaries like Food, Inc.<br />
show how relentless and powerful Monsan<strong>to</strong>’s efforts have become in changing our food supply <strong>to</strong> further their<br />
agenda. Recently this company has rather successfully lobbied our government <strong>to</strong> make saving seeds illegal.<br />
As we alter our foods, it can only be <strong>to</strong> our detriment.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> <strong>12</strong>1
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
When you have tasted an heirloom <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>, you remember how God<br />
intended <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es <strong>to</strong> taste. They bear no resemblance <strong>to</strong> Monsan<strong>to</strong>’s<br />
high-yield, early picked, chemically ripened “<strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es” sold in grocery<br />
s<strong>to</strong>res. Another handful of companies, combined with Monsan<strong>to</strong>,<br />
control 98% of the world’s seeds. Those other agri-chemical companies<br />
include DuPont, Mitsui, Syngent, Aventis, and Dow.<br />
In the past 30 years, this conglomerate of companies has decimated seed<br />
diversity, squeezing the number of varieties of vegetables from over<br />
5,000 <strong>to</strong> fewer than 500. We depend on biodiversity for our survival in<br />
natural calamities (such as drought or pest infestation) that can wipe out<br />
large swaths of agriculture. If you plant your heirloom crop within five<br />
miles of a hybridized farm, genetically engineered plants will crosspollinate<br />
with yours. Then, Monsan<strong>to</strong>’s secret police can find out if your<br />
crop has Monsan<strong>to</strong>’s patented genetics and take you <strong>to</strong> court against<br />
their lawyers and deep pockets. You will have <strong>to</strong> hire expensive genetic<br />
testing and legal counsel, as other farmers have had <strong>to</strong> do, driving them<br />
in<strong>to</strong> bankruptcy.<br />
I would like <strong>to</strong> encourage you <strong>to</strong> take a little extra time <strong>to</strong> find, purchase, plant, and s<strong>to</strong>re heirloom seeds only.<br />
(Heirloomseeds.com is one place you can still acquire non-hybridized seed.) This is just one way you can take<br />
a stand against the unethical, profiteering, deadly practices of Monsan<strong>to</strong>, and preserve the great things of our<br />
past. S<strong>to</strong>re a few years' worth of seeds in sealed cans in cold s<strong>to</strong>rage.<br />
Knowing what we face in the coming generations—as Monsan<strong>to</strong> may increasingly control our institutions,<br />
including the entire industry of farming, and our policy-making government—may motivate you <strong>to</strong> get your<br />
hands in the dirt and take an important step <strong>to</strong> control the food you eat. The Seed Savers Exchange web site is<br />
www.seedsavers.org. I agree with their mission statement, which begins with this premise: “The future of our<br />
planet depends on a genetically diverse food supply.”<br />
Also please take the time <strong>to</strong> educate your lawmakers and take a stand against Monsan<strong>to</strong>’s practices and agenda.<br />
Europe has banned Monsan<strong>to</strong> products. We should take our agricultural policy back from greedy corporations<br />
and put it back in the hands of the people who have nourished us for thousands of years: small farmers and<br />
anti-trust laws that protect the free market system.<br />
At the time of this writing (2011) over 60 small companies have joined <strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong> file a class-action lawsuit<br />
against Monsan<strong>to</strong> for a variety of egregious practices.<br />
<strong>12</strong>2 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Where <strong>to</strong> Put Your Gardening Efforts—And How<br />
Many gardeners love <strong>to</strong> grow vegetables and then wonder what <strong>to</strong> do with it all when the plants offer up a<br />
yield. In this chapter, gardening tips are minimal, and I stick <strong>to</strong> the basics related <strong>to</strong> getting whole foods on the<br />
table economically rather than giving a detailed how-<strong>to</strong> of the science of gardening.<br />
The main goal of this chapter is <strong>to</strong> give a beginning or intermediate gardener a few suggestions, <strong>to</strong> offer new<br />
ideas for ways <strong>to</strong> use some garden vegetables grown easily in U.S. climates, and <strong>to</strong> convey a description of<br />
why, nutritionally, each one is a great addition <strong>to</strong> your family’s menu. Covering every vegetable is impossible;<br />
thus, I have included only those I find (a) easy <strong>to</strong> grow, (b) very high in nutrition and yield, and (c) harder <strong>to</strong><br />
think of uses for. Secondarily, I chose vegetables <strong>to</strong> include in this section that yield great benefits when grown<br />
at home because the s<strong>to</strong>re-bought vegetable is often chemically sprayed and nutritionally inferior.<br />
What <strong>to</strong> Plant<br />
I find broccoli difficult <strong>to</strong> grow, with a low yield. Pumpkins take a massive amount of space, and peas are low<br />
yield, high effort. Thus these are not featured in this chapter, though you may wish <strong>to</strong> grow them.<br />
Onions are in many of the recipes in this book already, especially main dishes coming in Chapter 6 (page 157).<br />
Garden staples <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, peppers, cucumbers, radishes, and corn are easy <strong>to</strong> grow, well known, and a snap <strong>to</strong><br />
use raw in virtually any salad—including recipes in Chapter 2 (page 53)—as well as salsas. Many people don’t<br />
know that radish <strong>to</strong>ps are edible, so don’t throw them away, and try them in your green smoothies. Raspberries<br />
and strawberries are also great perennial additions <strong>to</strong> your garden, if you have the space, and you can use them<br />
in everyday green smoothies as well as desserts. An excellent resource for gardeners wanting hundreds of<br />
recipes and color pho<strong>to</strong>s for 30+ garden vegetables is Marian Morash’s Vic<strong>to</strong>ry Garden Cookbook.<br />
Many communities offer gardening space for free, or for a very small fee, so ask your city about its resources.<br />
When my husband and I were college students and living in apartments, we still had huge gardens, because one<br />
year we asked an elderly neighbor with unused garden space <strong>to</strong> let us use it, and another year we used the<br />
university community garden plots.<br />
These are foods I recommend growing, depending on the space you have:<br />
Beets Corn Lettuce Spinach<br />
Bell Peppers Cucumbers Onions Strawberries (perennials)<br />
Cabbage Goji Berries (perennials) Radishes Summer Squash<br />
Carrots Green Beans Raspberries (perennials) Toma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
Chard Kale Spaghetti Squash Zucchini<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> <strong>12</strong>3
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Beets?<br />
Beets are not only easy <strong>to</strong> grow, they’re a “bonus” food since you get two for the price of one. Not only are the<br />
colors in the root vegetable indicative of powerful nutrients, but the greens contain much more iron, vitamin A,<br />
potassium, and calcium than the roots—and they are a mild-tasting green smoothie ingredient. So never throw<br />
them away!<br />
The juice of the beet is rich in sodium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, copper,<br />
bioflavanoids, and vitamins B1, B2, and C. Folic acid, found abundantly in<br />
beets, helps prevent anemias and cervical cancer. The juice is excellent for<br />
cleansing and rebuilding the kidneys and gallbladder. As a fibrous root, it’s<br />
excellent for eliminating constipation, adding bulk <strong>to</strong> the diet, and improving<br />
peristalsis in the intestines. The red color is actually betacyanin, a powerful<br />
anti-carcinogen known <strong>to</strong> prevent colon cancer. And a study showed a 30-<br />
40% drop in the cholesterol and triglycerides of animals fed beet fiber.<br />
Some say that if you see red after you eat beets, you shouldn’t be worried,<br />
because it’s harmless beeturia that dyes your urine or s<strong>to</strong>ol. Others, including<br />
Vic<strong>to</strong>ria Boutenko, claim that red in the s<strong>to</strong>ol or urine after eating beets is a<br />
symp<strong>to</strong>m of hypochlorhydria, or low s<strong>to</strong>mach acid secretion. Thus, eating<br />
beets may be a good test for a health problem that is both important as well as<br />
pervasive in modern culture, with up <strong>to</strong> half of us suffering with low s<strong>to</strong>mach<br />
acid and therefore not absorbing nutrients, especially minerals. Some with<br />
low s<strong>to</strong>mach acid are being incorrectly treated with antacids.<br />
Dr. Ron Kennedy, M.D., says you can take 3-10 capsules (don’t buy tablets) of Betaine HCL (glutamic acid or<br />
hydrochloride) with each meal, starting with one capsule and working your way up, s<strong>to</strong>pping where you feel<br />
any heartburn. If this eliminates the “red” problem, you may have solved your low s<strong>to</strong>mach acid problem. He<br />
also recommends getting vitamin B<strong>12</strong> injections twice a week for a few weeks, and taking folate, as you begin<br />
<strong>to</strong> address a hypochlorhydria problem. Someone close <strong>to</strong> me <strong>to</strong>ok his suggestions for only a couple of months<br />
and the problem has never returned in the ensuing two years.<br />
For recipes, see “Beet Recipes” on page 140.<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Bell Peppers?<br />
Bell peppers can be eaten in large quantities because, unlike most other peppers, they aren’t hot. And grow and<br />
eat them in large quantities you should, not just because they’re crunchy and delicious, but because their bright<br />
colors betray fantastic nutritional properties. Red and orange bell peppers are dramatically higher in vitamin C<br />
than green ones. When the summer harvest provides more bell peppers than you can eat, dice and freeze them<br />
for use in soups and sautéed dishes later.<br />
Peppers are high in two B vitamins, B6 and folic acid, consumption of which leads <strong>to</strong> healthy blood vessels and<br />
lowered risk of stroke and heart attack. The antioxidant lycopene is found in red peppers and known <strong>to</strong> prevent<br />
cancers of the prostate, cervix, bladder, and pancreas. And lowered risk of colon cancer is associated with<br />
vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid—all some of bell peppers’ virtues. Those same compounds also<br />
protect against cataracts, and the lutein and zeaxanthin in red peppers also prevent macular degeneration.<br />
Bell peppers are an important garden crop because they are part of the “dirty dozen,” those fruits and<br />
vegetables most likely <strong>to</strong> contain residues of harmful pesticides when commercially grown. And the colorful<br />
<strong>12</strong>4 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
red, yellow, and orange varieties are usually rather expensive <strong>to</strong> buy. When you grow them yourself, you can<br />
rest assured you have inexpensive, organic produce.<br />
For recipes, see “Bell Pepper Recipes” on page 143.<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Chard?<br />
I find rainbow, swiss, and red chard <strong>to</strong> be the longest-lasting, most prolific<br />
green in my garden: I harvest several varieties from spring until well past the<br />
first frost. The stalks grow <strong>to</strong> be as much as 2’ long, providing a great deal of<br />
food—both the leaves and stalks are highly nutritious and full of fiber. You<br />
can cut stalks from the perennial plant, and they will regrow. It’s one of the<br />
mildest-flavored greens for making green smoothies and, unlike spinach,<br />
chard doesn’t bolt easily in hot weather.<br />
Swiss chard is particularly high in vitamins K, A, and C as well as potassium,<br />
manganese, and magnesium. Chard and other greens like it have been<br />
documented <strong>to</strong> contain phy<strong>to</strong>nutrients called anthocyanins, which prevent<br />
digestive tract cancers. Including chard in your diet can protect the kidneys of<br />
diabetics, and its high fiber content can prevent high blood pressure and<br />
atherosclerosis. Vitamin K is necessary for bone mineralization and has been<br />
documented <strong>to</strong> dramatically lower the risk of cataracts.<br />
Chard is also high in beta-carotene, which lowers the risk of skin cancers, and<br />
a study shows that eating it may lower emphysema risk in those who are exposed <strong>to</strong> smoking.<br />
For recipes, see “Chard Recipes” on page 146.<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Carrots?<br />
Everyone knows that eating carrots preserves your eyesight because of beta-carotene, which improves night<br />
vision and prevents macular degeneration and cataracts. But other lesser known nutrients in carrots called<br />
alpha-carotene and falcarinol also dramatically decrease the risk of cancers of the bladder, colon, esophagus,<br />
larynx, prostate, and cervix. And at least half a dozen studies link carotenoid-rich foods like carrots <strong>to</strong> reduced<br />
risk of heart attacks.<br />
Eating even one carrot daily can cut lung cancer rates in half. Carrots are high in fiber and an excellent source<br />
of vitamins A, K, and C as well as potassium. They keep well in cold s<strong>to</strong>rage and sustain indigenous peoples<br />
through the winter along with other root vegetables such as onions, pota<strong>to</strong>es, and beets. Beta-carotene is not<br />
destroyed by cooking, and their sugars become more bioavailable when carrots are steamed or lightly sautéed.<br />
Carrots got a bad rap as being high in sugars during the anti-carb craze, but eating them actually is beneficial <strong>to</strong><br />
blood sugar regulation and is inversely associated with insulin resistance, possibly because of their high fiber<br />
content. No evidence links them <strong>to</strong> diabetes, despite the hype and conjecture of the high-protein diet doc<strong>to</strong>rs.<br />
For recipes, see “Carrot Recipes” on page 144.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> <strong>12</strong>5
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Cabbage?<br />
Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C, most of the B vitamins, folate, calcium, potassium, manganese, as<br />
well as protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. Polish women’s rate of breast cancer triples when they immigrate <strong>to</strong><br />
the U.S., and researchers hypothesize the reason is that their consumption of cabbage, which averages 30 lbs.<br />
annually in Poland, averages only 10 lbs. in the U.S. The highest nutritional and healing potential is found in<br />
raw and fermented cabbage (not cabbage cooked for long periods of time).<br />
Raw cabbage juice has been very effective in treating peptic ulcers, eliminating them in an average of 10 days.<br />
This is probably because of the amino acid glutamine that fuels s<strong>to</strong>mach and intestinal cells. Another study<br />
shows that the antioxidant polyphenols, especially the anthocyanins, can protect brain cells against<br />
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Red cabbage has 6-8 times as much vitamin C as green<br />
cabbage and is an excellent addition <strong>to</strong> salads, as are Chinese (Napa) and bok choy cabbages.<br />
For recipes, see Cabbage Salad (page 64), Kimchi (page 243), and Sauerkraut (page 242).<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Green Beans?<br />
Green beans are an excellent source of vitamins C, A, K, and most of the B vitamins, as well as manganese,<br />
potassium, iron, copper, calcium, and beta-carotene. They are a very good source of fiber, protein, and Omega-<br />
3 fatty acids. They have a perfect combination of nutrients for preventing diabetic heart disease, lowering<br />
cholesterol, and maintaining healthy vessel walls <strong>to</strong> avoid stroke.<br />
Green beans’ combination of fiber, folate, vitamin C, and beta-carotene are a recipe for colon cancer<br />
prevention, as well as having anti-inflamma<strong>to</strong>ry effects <strong>to</strong> prevent arthritis and asthma. A good source of<br />
riboflavin, green beans may also prevent migraines. And although red meat has iron, green beans provide<br />
highly bioavailable iron (and copper needed <strong>to</strong> utilize iron) without any fat or significant calories.<br />
For recipes, see “Green Bean Recipes” on page 147.<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Kale?<br />
Kale has many varieties, including dinosaur (a.k.a. black or Lacina<strong>to</strong>), curly,<br />
ornamental, and others. It is a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli and<br />
cabbage, shown by a number of studies I surveyed <strong>to</strong> reduce risk of a wide<br />
variety of cancers (including lung, prostate, bladder, breast, colorectal, skin,<br />
and ovarian) by 30-70% in those who eat them even just a few times a week.<br />
Compounds in kale called glucosinolates activate de<strong>to</strong>xifying enzymes in the<br />
liver that neutralize carcinogens. Kale also contains carotenoid antioxidants<br />
lutein and zeaxanthin, which prevent eye damage. It’s a power food rich in<br />
vitamins A, C, and B6 as well as manganese, calcium, potassium, and copper.<br />
And it contains plenty of insoluble fiber that can bind <strong>to</strong> more than its own<br />
weight of carcinogens and other <strong>to</strong>xins <strong>to</strong> remove them from the body.<br />
It’s excellent and easy-<strong>to</strong>-eat blended in green smoothies. And<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com <strong>12</strong> Step beta tester Ruth blogged that she put<br />
steamed kale in her peanut butter sandwich and thought it was great!<br />
For recipes, see “Kale Recipes” on page 149.<br />
<strong>12</strong>6 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Onions and Garlic?<br />
Onions and garlic, which have similar properties, add flavor <strong>to</strong> many or most of the salads (Chapter 2) and<br />
dressings (Chapter 3), main dishes (Chapter 6), and sauces and dips (Chapter 9) in this book. Therefore, I<br />
provide no specifically “onion” or “garlic” recipes in this chapter. Virtually every culture on earth prizes onions<br />
and garlic for the way they flavor cuisine beautifully. But they are also power foods.<br />
Because onions give such nourishment <strong>to</strong> your immune system and are easy <strong>to</strong> grow in almost any climate, I<br />
recommend dedicating a few garden squares <strong>to</strong> your favorite types: green (good for salads and garnishes), red<br />
(colorful addition <strong>to</strong> many dishes), yellow (great for cooking), or white (perfect for salsa) onions. You may not<br />
know that yellow onions have much higher levels of flavonoids than white. As a class, onions also are a good<br />
source of fiber, potassium, phosphorus, copper, manganese and, molybdenum, as well as vitamins B6 and B9<br />
(folate).<br />
Onions are also rich in the trace mineral chromium, plus vitamin C and flavonoids including quercetin, which<br />
combine with other compounds in a virtually perfect package <strong>to</strong> be very effective against the many<br />
inflamma<strong>to</strong>ry diseases that plague Americans (asthma, arthritis, and many others). Both onions and garlic are<br />
in the allium family, and onions’ compound allyl propyl disulphide lowers blood sugar, an important<br />
consideration for diabetics. The more onions clinical test subjects ate, the lower their blood glucose levels.<br />
Chromium also aids in blood sugar levels, and Americans are sometimes chromium deficient, possibly because<br />
eating white flour/sugar and not exercising deplete levels of this mineral. Onions are also one of the highest<br />
known cholesterol- and blood-pressure lowering plant foods.<br />
The antioxidant quercitin protects against colorectal and many other cancers according <strong>to</strong> a number of studies,<br />
and other researchers have found that a newly isolated compound in onions (GPCS) inhibits bone breakdown<br />
and performs similarly <strong>to</strong> anti-osteoporosis drugs. So eat onions abundantly, since onion breath is a much less<br />
serious side effect than the results of bone loss and the side effects of bone-loss drugs.<br />
You can s<strong>to</strong>re onions and garlic very well for a few months at a time in the right conditions: a cool, dark, dry<br />
place such as cold s<strong>to</strong>rage or a hole in the ground built against an outside wall. S<strong>to</strong>re them away from pota<strong>to</strong>es,<br />
however, as onions will spoil more rapidly if exposed <strong>to</strong> pota<strong>to</strong>es’ ethylene gas and moisture.<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Spinach?<br />
Spinach is easy <strong>to</strong> grow, a great crop for spring and fall. Unfortunately, it bolts easily when hot weather hits, so<br />
plant it very early. Plant in the fall and you will find it wintering over and then exploding with new growth<br />
early the next spring. If you have spinach you won’t be able <strong>to</strong> use before it goes bad, freeze it for use in green<br />
smoothies.<br />
One cup of cooked spinach contains more than the daily recommended allowance of vitamins K, A, and C,<br />
as well as manganese, folate, magnesium, and iron. Various studies have linked 13 different anti-cancer<br />
compounds found in spinach <strong>to</strong> protection against s<strong>to</strong>mach, skin, breast, colon, prostate, and ovarian cancers.<br />
Anti-inflamma<strong>to</strong>ry properties are preventative of arthritis and asthma, and other studies show spinach<br />
consumption wards off osteoporosis and heart disease risks.<br />
The Chicago Health and Aging Project found that elderly people eating three daily servings of green and<br />
yellow vegetables had 40% less cognitive decline than people who ate fewer than one serving. Unsurprisingly,<br />
green leafy vegetables were correlated most highly <strong>to</strong> good mental function.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> <strong>12</strong>7
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Lutein is found plentifully in spinach and is linked <strong>to</strong> improved eyesight, especially when combined with highnutrition<br />
fat (a green smoothie with flax oil is perfect). My own s<strong>to</strong>ry is testament of that. After 10 years of<br />
daily green drinks of mostly spinach, and no other intervention or surgeries, my eyesight improved steadily. At<br />
age 40, it is 20/20 again—I had first worn glasses for nearsightedness at the age of 20!<br />
My friend Randy sautés spinach and briefly marinates it in fresh apple juice, with chopped apples and any nuts<br />
or seeds on <strong>to</strong>p.<br />
For recipes, see “Spinach Recipes” on page 151.<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Squash?<br />
Zucchini and yellow squashes are easy <strong>to</strong> grow and yield famously<br />
large amounts of food. Don’t let it go <strong>to</strong> waste if your garden makes<br />
more than you can use: shred it and put it in soups and in<br />
sandwiches and salads, and then freeze the rest for zucchini bread<br />
and other dishes during the fall and winter. Spaghetti squash is a<br />
favorite with children, since it can be steamed, scraped out, and<br />
served just like spaghetti with a marinara sauce. Don’t overcook it,<br />
so it has an “al dente” character just like spaghetti. It is a filling dish<br />
like pasta, but more nutritious and very low calorie.<br />
Lab studies have shown vegetable juices obtained from squash <strong>to</strong><br />
prevent cell mutations, and squash extracts have reduced symp<strong>to</strong>ms<br />
of prostate enlargement. Squash is a great way <strong>to</strong> get beta-carotene, manganese, vitamins C and A, potassium,<br />
folate, copper, phosphorus, and riboflavin. It is also high in fiber, which prevents atherosclerosis, diabetic heart<br />
disease, and colon cancer. The magnesium in whole foods reduces high blood pressure, heart attacks, and<br />
strokes. Copper helps reduce arthritis symp<strong>to</strong>ms, and vitamin C and beta-carotene reduce inflammation that<br />
causes asthma and arthritis.<br />
For recipes, see “Zucchini/Squash Recipes” on page 152.<br />
What Are the Easiest Green Smoothie Ingredients <strong>to</strong> Grow?<br />
My favorite green <strong>to</strong> grow is chard, because it’s easy <strong>to</strong> grow, mild in flavor, and very prolific—it continues <strong>to</strong><br />
produce long after spinach has gone <strong>to</strong> seed. I have fresh chard from May through Oc<strong>to</strong>ber, literally half the<br />
year, despite being in a cold climate. You can cut stalks of chard off the plant, and it just regrows! Freezing my<br />
abundant chard harvest gets me through the winter making green smoothies, <strong>to</strong>o, so I can access this food<br />
virtually year-round. I buy rainbow-colored and regular swiss chard seeds for variety in nutrition.<br />
I do love spinach, and I recommend planting it as early as possible in the spring, and planting at the beginning<br />
of the fall as well—it will be dormant through the winter and suddenly explode with growth in the very early<br />
spring, giving you a harvest long before you could have planted and cultivated it. If you have hot summers, you<br />
won’t have spinach after the temperature hits about 90°, because it does “bolt” (or “go <strong>to</strong> seed”) rather easily.<br />
I also find beets very easy <strong>to</strong> grow and multi-purposed in that I love both its below-ground vegetable and its<br />
green, for very different recipes. I thin the beet greens by cutting a few stalks every time I go out <strong>to</strong> the garden<br />
for spinach and chard. The beets take a few months <strong>to</strong> grow, but feel free <strong>to</strong> use some of the beet greens early<br />
(just leave some of them <strong>to</strong> aid the growth of the root vegetable).<br />
<strong>12</strong>8 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
You can also grow kale, collards, lettuces, and many other greens rather easily. Make sure <strong>to</strong> grow plenty of<br />
cabbage, as it is a good smoothie ingredient, with its impressive cruciferous anti-cancer properties, and we will<br />
also learn in Chapter 8 (page 223) how it is the perfect fermented vegetable as well.<br />
To summarize, grow these ingredients for six months of fresh greens and six months of frozen greens:<br />
Arugula Chard Spinach<br />
Beets Lettuces Squash (eat the leaves <strong>to</strong>o)<br />
Cabbage Kale Turnips<br />
What about Organic Produce?<br />
Besides cost savings and dramatically improved taste, home-grown vegetables have another huge advantage:<br />
you can easily grow them organically. Some studies show that organic produce has higher concentrations of<br />
vitamins and minerals, and other studies have found that “conventional” (sprayed) produce is nutritionally<br />
equal <strong>to</strong> organic. The jury is out on whether nutrient levels are higher, but results clearly prove that unsprayed<br />
produce is lower in <strong>to</strong>xic pesticide and herbicide residue. If you cannot afford <strong>to</strong> buy organic produce, growing<br />
garden produce is an excellent option. Also, using a quality vegetable wash on sprayed produce will<br />
significantly help with pesticide residues—as does cutting out the <strong>to</strong>p and bot<strong>to</strong>m parts of apples and peppers<br />
where pesticides tend <strong>to</strong> accumulate.<br />
The government’s research on pesticide residues revealed that <strong>12</strong> foods tend <strong>to</strong> be high in pesticides—they<br />
have become known as the “dirty dozen”: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines,<br />
peaches, pears, pota<strong>to</strong>es, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries. Note that several of these <strong>12</strong> are in the list<br />
above of recommended foods <strong>to</strong> grow in your garden, and others can be grown by planting fruit trees.<br />
Although research reveals mixed results on nutrient content in organic and conventional produce, I like <strong>to</strong><br />
support local growers rather than international conglomerates wherever possible. Shipping food all over the<br />
planet is unique <strong>to</strong> the generations currently living on the Earth. This practice consumes a lot of nonrenewable<br />
energy in its transportation. I like <strong>to</strong> feed my family organic produce that hasn’t been preserved with long<br />
refrigeration and gassed when green <strong>to</strong> become ripe unnaturally.<br />
However, if your question is whether you should eat conventional produce or just skip it and eat something<br />
else, the answer is clearly <strong>to</strong> eat produce almost however you can get it! Choose U.S.-grown produce over<br />
foreign-grown, whenever you can, since higher regulation means that many of the most dangerous chemicals<br />
are not used in the U.S. (like DDT, still used in some foreign countries and linked <strong>to</strong> birth defects). Also<br />
remember that the farther produce has <strong>to</strong> travel <strong>to</strong> get <strong>to</strong> your local market, the more nonrenewable energy is<br />
used <strong>to</strong> get it there.<br />
My rule of thumb is <strong>to</strong> buy organic when it’s not more than 50% more expensive than conventional—for<br />
example, I am not going <strong>to</strong> pay $1.29/lb. for organic watermelon when conventional watermelon is $0.19/lb. I<br />
suggest creating a rule like this based on your own budget, <strong>to</strong> help guide your buying decisions. Remember that<br />
most of the massive volume of nutrition research showing that vegetable and fruit consumption prevents<br />
disease studied people eating conventional grocery-s<strong>to</strong>re produce.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> <strong>12</strong>9
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Be sure <strong>to</strong> wash produce, especially conventionally grown selections, very well with lukewarm water (cleans<br />
best and doesn’t damage enzymes) and vegetable soap in a spray bottle. I use Shaklee Basic H (a gallon lasts<br />
me a decade), but a variety of options exist online and in s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
In 2011, I discovered an exciting appliance for the kitchen that uses superoxygenation<br />
of water <strong>to</strong> eliminate pesticides, herbicides, and bacteria from<br />
plant foods. A cycle takes about 4-5 minutes, and extremely pesticideheavy<br />
produce such as soft-skinned fruit may take more than one cycle.<br />
But the water ozonation technology, which has been used in many other<br />
industrial applications for years (carpet cleaning, for instance), is now<br />
available, affordably, for home kitchens. I have a YouTube video<br />
demonstrating its use, and you can read more about it under “Robyn<br />
Recommends” (the <strong>to</strong>pic “Eliminate Pesticides”) on<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com. It’s called the Lotus Sanitizer. It is tremendously<br />
helpful for people who cannot afford <strong>to</strong> grow or buy all their produce organic—and that’s most people. It will<br />
give you some very helpful peace of mind. Even if your Lotus doesn't register 100% elimination after a couple<br />
of cycles (for strawberries or grapes, for instance), you can rest assured that the vast majority of chemicals<br />
have been eliminated.<br />
Why Should I Consider Square-Foot Gardening?<br />
For limited spaces, or <strong>to</strong> make the most of the space you have, I highly recommend square-foot gardening,<br />
which maximizes the yield per foot of space. You are gardening based on squares instead of rows, which lets<br />
you get twice the amount of produce out of half the space.<br />
In one square foot, you might have nine beets, or four lettuce heads, or one corn stalk or <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> plant. This<br />
method is eco-friendly, because you use much less water than with traditional gardening. You also have less<br />
weeding and a space designed for better access, since the grow boxes are up off the ground. The author of the<br />
system says that square-foot gardening uses 80% less space, time (especially weeding), water, and money than<br />
the traditional method.<br />
I also recommend that you plan ahead <strong>to</strong> stagger plantings (planting hardier greens and vegetables as early as<br />
possible) so that your harvest doesn’t come all at once, providing much more than you need. With staggered<br />
plantings, you enjoy vegetables for an extended period of time. Square-foot gardening is the perfect way <strong>to</strong><br />
achieve that: I go out every Saturday from April onward, planting just a few squares each week of greens,<br />
beets, corn, and some other crops that I like <strong>to</strong> extend.<br />
If you live in climates that are cold and snowy through the winter, you can plant a few crops as early as 3-5<br />
weeks before the last spring frost, as indicated below. In Utah, we plan on that being May 1, though on a rare<br />
occasion is it later—if you’re new <strong>to</strong> gardening, you’ll have <strong>to</strong> get used <strong>to</strong> the fact that you have no guarantees<br />
in nature! Warm-weather crops are planted on May 1 (and then hold your breath and cover your <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es if the<br />
forecast calls for a freeze). But these are a few exceptions:<br />
You can plant these as early as the first week in April:<br />
Peas and spinach from seed; broccoli and cabbage from seedlings<br />
130 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
You can plant these as early as the second week in April:<br />
Beets, carrots, radishes, lettuce, and chard from seeds; onion sets<br />
Be sure <strong>to</strong> use untreated lumber <strong>to</strong> build boxes that will not leach chemicals in<strong>to</strong> your soil and, therefore, your<br />
food. Boxes sit on <strong>to</strong>p of the ground and can be 4'x4', 4'x6', or even 2'x2'. Use string wound around nails or<br />
screws <strong>to</strong> divide the boxes in<strong>to</strong> squares that are 1'x1'.<br />
I plan my square-foot garden by drawing tables that match each of my boxes, like this 6'x4' box below. I plan<br />
for staggered plantings by detailing the date I want <strong>to</strong> plant that crop in each box. Then I write a check mark<br />
when I have planted the square, <strong>to</strong> keep track of what <strong>to</strong> water.<br />
Carrots<br />
Apr. 1<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 1<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 8<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 15<br />
White onions<br />
Apr. 1<br />
Yellow onions<br />
May 1<br />
Carrots<br />
Apr. 8<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 1<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 8<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 15<br />
White onions<br />
May 1<br />
Scallions<br />
May 1<br />
Carrots<br />
Apr.15<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 1<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 8<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 15<br />
Beets<br />
May 1<br />
Radishes<br />
Apr. 15<br />
Carrots<br />
Apr. 22<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 1<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 8<br />
Spinach<br />
Apr. 15<br />
Beets<br />
May 15<br />
Radishes<br />
May 1<br />
Plant 16 per square:<br />
Radishes, carrots, onions, pole beans<br />
Plant 9 per square:<br />
Beets, spinach, bush beans<br />
Plant 4 per square:<br />
Lettuce, chard, parsley, marigolds<br />
Plant 1 per square:<br />
Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, zucchini, corn, peppers, basil and other herbs<br />
The author of square-foot gardening actually says <strong>to</strong> give zucchini four squares, and <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and cucumbers<br />
two squares. But I vine my zucchini and cucumbers down the rock wall below my garden, or up the fence<br />
behind my garden, away from the squares so they don’t take up so much ground space. And I cage my<br />
<strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and plant one per square.<br />
Water newly planted crops every day until you see the plant above ground. (If the seed dries out, it dies.) After<br />
the plant appears, you can water it every three days, and <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es should go 4-7 days between waterings.<br />
One of the best reasons <strong>to</strong> do square-foot gardening is that you can often get two crops out of one square in one<br />
season. For instance, in April, you can plant cool-weather-loving lettuce, which matures quickly. Then you can<br />
pick it around the end of May, add some compost <strong>to</strong> that square, and plant some radishes or beets in that square.<br />
For detailed information on this method of gardening, I recommend Mel Bartholomew’s Square-Foot<br />
Gardening. You can learn more about vining in the square-foot method, building trellises for vines (I use the<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 131
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
fence next <strong>to</strong> my garden, but we did build metal trellises at our last home), how <strong>to</strong> plant quick-<strong>to</strong>-grow small<br />
vegetables such as radishes in the same square around a plant like bell pepper that takes some time <strong>to</strong> mature,<br />
and much more.<br />
How Do I Keep the Pests Away without Using Chemicals?<br />
Lots of natural and safe techniques can help you leave the good organisms in your garden thriving while killing<br />
the bad ones.<br />
TIP: Feel free <strong>to</strong> mix and match, making teas of a variety of the natural pest-repelling compounds listed below.<br />
• Employ companion planting.<br />
Plant a square of marigolds, onions, or garlic interspersed throughout your gardening boxes, because<br />
pests tend <strong>to</strong> avoid these plants.<br />
• Use garlic, onions, hot peppers.<br />
They kill soft-body insects and paralyze flying insects, as well as serving as a fungicide and repelling<br />
rabbits. Liquefy some of these vegetables in water in your blender and spray the mixture on plants and<br />
soil. You can also pour boiling water mixed with garlic on<strong>to</strong> ant mounds.<br />
• Use apple cider vinegar, ground cloves.<br />
Use 1-2 Tbsp. per gallon of water for a mild fungicide or acidic liquid fertilizer that also contains many<br />
trace elements as a fertilizer. Cloves kill flying insects.<br />
• Use corn meal, dio<strong>to</strong>maceous earth.<br />
Sprinkle on the ground or work in<strong>to</strong> the <strong>to</strong>p inch of soil. Dio<strong>to</strong>maceous earth can work in your soil for<br />
many years; it is the petrified remains of insects and shreds the digestive system of bugs and dehydrates<br />
them. Note that it will kill bees, so avoid spraying it, as we have a honeybee shortage.<br />
• Set traps.<br />
Place a can containing rotten fruit inside a larger can or cut-off milk jug. Around the can, pour a liquid<br />
made of water with 2 Tbsp. dish soap and 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil <strong>to</strong> kill pests. Optionally add 2 Tbsp.<br />
molasses <strong>to</strong> the rotten fruit <strong>to</strong> attract more pests.<br />
• Kill snails and slugs.<br />
Sprinkle calcium carbonate products like lime, dolomite, or crushed egg shells on soil where snails and<br />
slugs live. Their anti-fungal properties are another advantage.<br />
• Use acidic water.<br />
You can also spray the leaves of your plants with acidic water if you have a water ionizer (see Chapter<br />
<strong>12</strong>) <strong>to</strong> kill many pests.<br />
• Plant vines later.<br />
According <strong>to</strong> old-timer gardeners, cucumbers and squash do better when planted on June 1. Often when<br />
I jump the gun and plant on May 1, they end up dead of pest problems. When I wait, they grow and<br />
bloom quickly and produce well.<br />
132 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
How Can I Get Garden Produce in the Winter?<br />
If you want <strong>to</strong> extend the life of your garden and grow cold-weather greens without an expensive and<br />
complicated greenhouse, I highly recommend the following book:<br />
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long, by Eliot Coleman<br />
The author lives in Maine and gets hardy greens like mache (lamb’s lettuce) and spinach throughout the winter,<br />
using modifications <strong>to</strong> the square-food gardening boxes that protect plants and allow the sun <strong>to</strong> warm them<br />
through Plexiglas. You can also interact with others and ask questions about four-season harvesting online,<br />
where support communities are thriving.<br />
Keep in mind that we will be learning about fermented vegetables in Chapter 8 (page 223). We will “put up”<br />
cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, and beets while preserving and enhancing all the raw-food nutrition!<br />
Money-Saving Tips<br />
Using the Produce of Your Garden Long after the Growing Season<br />
Make sure <strong>to</strong> grow as much as possible of cabbage, carrots, beets, and pickling cucumbers. In August, when<br />
fermented foods become your focus, you will have plenty of “free” nutritious food for the winter, without<br />
having <strong>to</strong> invest in new canning lids and without having <strong>to</strong> pressure cook, steam, or boil the food.<br />
The following is adapted from a blog on my Web site, www.greensmoothiegirl.com, that I wrote one Saturday<br />
in Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 2007 on extending the life of the garden <strong>to</strong> have raw foods past the first frost.<br />
Since I quit putting up sugar-added, processed food in jars years ago, I’ve learned new ideas <strong>to</strong> preserve<br />
nutritional value in my garden’s yield. Here’s how the garden will “keep on giving” its raw food in the winter<br />
months—this is what I did <strong>to</strong>day with the help of my family:<br />
• We made sauerkraut. It’s both raw and preserved for the winter, and it provides good lactic acid and<br />
healthy cultures your body needs <strong>to</strong> aid digestion, when used as a condiment or side dish at dinner. You<br />
will read more about the importance of fermented foods and how <strong>to</strong> make sauerkraut in Chapter 8<br />
(page 223).<br />
• Emma and Kincade cut down all the chard, washed and dried it, cut it in thirds, bagged it in gallon<br />
freezer bags, and put it in the freezer. It’s months’ worth of green smoothie ingredients. [Note: I used<br />
the last of it on Apr. 24, the next spring!] You can’t preserve greens for other uses, but who cares if<br />
wilted, formerly frozen greens go in<strong>to</strong> your green smoothie where it gets all blended up anyway.<br />
• I made 3 quarts of pes<strong>to</strong> sauce in our high-powered blender with spinach and basil from the garden. I<br />
put enough for individual family dinners in containers and stuck them in the freezer.<br />
• The kids brought in all the bell peppers—red, yellow, and green—as well as jalapeños and Anaheim<br />
peppers, and I chopped and bagged them in sandwich bags <strong>to</strong> add <strong>to</strong> big pots of vegetarian chili this<br />
winter.<br />
• Kincade pulled most of the beets—some as big as softballs!—and washed, bagged, and froze the beet<br />
greens for use in green smoothies. I peeled the beets and froze chunks for my Hot-Pink Breakfast<br />
Smoothie (page 285) and Chocolate Beet Cake (page 305). [Don’t use frozen/thawed beets for steamed<br />
beet recipes in this chapter, though—they just aren’t the same.] I think I have enough <strong>to</strong> last the year in<br />
my freezer.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 133
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
• My two youngest picked all the green <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and laid them on newspapers in the basement. Once we<br />
had fresh <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es all the way until Christmas using this method of slow-ripening green <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es,<br />
having left the green <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es attached <strong>to</strong> the plants as long as possible. I chopped some <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and<br />
froze them in small bags in the freezer, <strong>to</strong>o, for soups and chili when it’s cold.<br />
• I shredded all the zucchini (I hate <strong>to</strong> see it go <strong>to</strong> waste, and we’ll get it out when we’re no longer sick of<br />
eating it like we are now). We put it in the freezer in quart-size bags, <strong>to</strong> make zucchini bread, fritters,<br />
and pitas [all in this chapter’s recipes].<br />
• I didn’t have much corn this year, but if I did, I’d cut corn off the cobs and freeze it for our favorite<br />
black bean/corn/roasted red pepper salad [see Salsa Verde Salad on page 69].<br />
Composting<br />
As someone who eats a lot of plant food, you have many peels and other vegetable waste that should be going<br />
<strong>to</strong> good use, providing recycled nutrition <strong>to</strong> your plants (and, later, you). Don’t throw any parts of any plants<br />
away!<br />
We have three compost piles that we rotate <strong>to</strong> make good soil supplementation for our garden. We throw<br />
vegetable waste and grass clippings in<strong>to</strong> the first one until we have enough, and then we mix that “green” layer<br />
with the “brown” layer of leaves or sawdust. When our neighbors are bagging their leaves in the fall, we take<br />
some home, poke holes in the bags, and let the water from rain and snow percolate through the bags <strong>to</strong><br />
decompose it, in addition <strong>to</strong> using our own (unbagged) leaves <strong>to</strong> mix with “green” compost. We “turn” the<br />
compost with a pitchfork every month or two, <strong>to</strong> give it oxygen <strong>to</strong> assist in decomposition.<br />
After we s<strong>to</strong>p adding <strong>to</strong> one compost pile, we throw our clippings and peels in<strong>to</strong> the second pile, while the first<br />
one is decomposing for use in the next planting. By rotating the three piles, we have one that is ready <strong>to</strong> use in<br />
gardening, one we are actively adding <strong>to</strong>, and a third that we’re not adding <strong>to</strong>, but still needs some<br />
decomposition time.<br />
Our compost boxes after 6 months of decomposition, about “half done.”<br />
134 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Our compost piles also create some bizarre benefits and drama unrelated <strong>to</strong> “green” recycling and good<br />
nutrition. Our dogs immediately eat some of the produce peels, melon guts, and other waste that we throw in<strong>to</strong><br />
the boxes, which tells me that they want better nutrition than the animal-produce dog food provides. Also,<br />
during the winter of 2007-08, a family of ferrets <strong>to</strong>ok up residence in one of our boxes, and a family of quail in<br />
another box!<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
You may not yet have received the benefits of your planting a garden yet, after just 30 days. So come back <strong>to</strong><br />
this list at the end of the growing season, but answer just the first few questions now:<br />
1. Do you have a sense of accomplishment from growing some of your own food?<br />
2. How will you save money by gardening? Estimate the savings, through the months of the growing<br />
season.<br />
3. Name the various crops that you can “put up,” fermenting raw vegetables, freezing greens and fruit for<br />
smoothies, chopping or shredding and then freezing vegetables such as beets, zucchini, etc.<br />
4. What would you like <strong>to</strong> grow next year that you didn’t this year?<br />
5. What are your best crops?<br />
6. What crops do you need <strong>to</strong> find more ways <strong>to</strong> use?<br />
7. Did any of your crops not grow, and why?<br />
8. What taste difference do you notice in your organic, absolutely fresh, homegrown produce? Can<br />
anything compare <strong>to</strong> a homegrown <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>?<br />
9. Do you want <strong>to</strong> extend your garden in<strong>to</strong> the winter?<br />
10. If you have young children, what are the benefits <strong>to</strong> them of seeing you garden and/or participating in<br />
growing food?<br />
11. Are the efforts worth the rewards?<br />
<strong>12</strong>. What are the effects on your health in the height of the growing season (Aug., Sept.) when you’re using<br />
many things from your garden every day?<br />
13. Do you enjoy getting outside in the sun <strong>to</strong> work in your garden and seeing the fruits of your labor?<br />
14. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?<br />
15. Any other observations during this month?<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 135
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
136 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 137
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
138 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 139
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
BEET RECIPES<br />
Russian Borscht<br />
This is a classic Russian beet soup that can be served hot or cold.<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 large onion, chopped<br />
1 large pota<strong>to</strong>, scrubbed and chopped<br />
2 medium beets, peeled and chopped<br />
1 large carrot, chopped<br />
1 stalk celery, chopped<br />
3 C cabbage, chopped<br />
1 large <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong><br />
1 tsp. caraway seeds<br />
4 C water<br />
2 tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
2 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar<br />
1 tsp. dill weed<br />
optional: sour cream<br />
Sauté the onion in oil until tender. Put all ingredients except the vinegar, agave, and dill in a large s<strong>to</strong>ck pot,<br />
bring <strong>to</strong> a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-45 min. Purée the mixture in a high-powered<br />
blender, adding the agave, vinegar, and dill. Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream if desired.<br />
140 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 141
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Beets in Spicy Mustard Sauce<br />
3 pounds fresh beets, washed and trimmed<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C cashews<br />
¼ C spicy brown mustard<br />
2 Tbsp. lemon juice<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
½ tsp. thyme<br />
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
Steam the beets for 60 min. or until tender. Drain and cool just until the beets can be handled. Peel and cut them<br />
in<strong>to</strong> ¼" thick slices. Purée remaining ingredients until smooth in a high-powered blender. Pour over warm<br />
beets and <strong>to</strong>ss gently. Serve warm or cooled.<br />
Marinated Steamed Beets<br />
2 pounds beets, washed and trimmed<br />
C fresh lemon juice<br />
C extra virgin olive oil<br />
C fresh (or 2 Tbsp. dried) dill weed or basil<br />
Steam the beets for 60 min., cool, then peel and slice them ¼" thick. Purée the oil, lemon juice, and herbs in a<br />
high-powered blender. Pour the mixture over the beets, <strong>to</strong>ss gently, and marinate in the fridge for several hours.<br />
Other Recipes<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie (3) (page 285)<br />
Kimchi (page 243)<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad (page 70)<br />
142 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
BELL PEPPER RECIPES<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers<br />
6 large or 8 small green or red bell peppers<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 large onion, chopped<br />
3 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
1 C dry lentils, washed<br />
1 can vegetable broth<br />
½ C fresh parsley, chopped<br />
8 oz. pkg. mushrooms, chopped<br />
1 C walnuts, chopped<br />
1 piece whole-wheat bread, diced and air dried for 24 hours<br />
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
1 tsp. paprika<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
1 (14-16 oz.) can crushed <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
1 (8 oz.) can <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> sauce<br />
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar<br />
1 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 C pepper jack cheese, cubed<br />
optional: 2 eggs (organic, free-range), lightly beaten<br />
Heat the oil and sauté the onions and 2 cloves of garlic for 1 min. Add the lentils and broth, reduce the heat,<br />
cover, and simmer for 45 min. or until the lentils are tender. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in all<br />
other ingredients except for the peppers, crushed <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, and cheese. Wash the peppers well and slice the<br />
<strong>to</strong>ps off, setting them aside. Remove the seeds, then stuff the peppers with the lentil mixture and put the cubed<br />
cheese on <strong>to</strong>p. Cover each pepper with a <strong>to</strong>p. Pour the can of crushed <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es in a 9"x13" baking dish. Place<br />
the peppers in the dish, cover it with foil, and bake at 350° for one hour. Serve with <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> sauce spooned over<br />
each serving.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 143
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Tempeh Pitas<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided in half<br />
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Tempeh (page 339) (any kind), sliced<br />
¼ C Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
1 onion, thinly sliced<br />
2 bell peppers, any color, thinly sliced<br />
1 Anaheim pepper, diced<br />
1 cucumber, thinly sliced<br />
garlic mayo* or grapeseed oil Veganaise (health food s<strong>to</strong>re or online)<br />
½ C feta cheese, crumbled<br />
4 whole-wheat pita breads, cut in half<br />
* See Flaxseed Cookies (page 114).<br />
Sauté the tempeh slices in 1 Tbsp. oil until lightly browned. Turn and brown other side. Add the Liquid<br />
Aminos, stir gently, and set aside <strong>to</strong> marinate in bowl. Now use the same skillet <strong>to</strong> sauté the onion and all the<br />
peppers in the remaining oil. Spread the inside of the pitas with the garlic mayo or Veganaise and stuff them<br />
with the tempeh, onion/pepper mixture, sliced cucumbers, and 1 Tbsp. feta. Toast briefly or serve immediately.<br />
Other Recipes<br />
Salsa Verde Salad (page 69)<br />
CARROT RECIPES<br />
Never peel your carrots, because the skin of carrots (as well as other fruits and vegetables) contains high<br />
concentrations of nutrition. Just scrub them clean.<br />
Buttery Dill Sautéed Carrots<br />
2 lbs. carrots (about 6 C), sliced diagonally ¼" thick<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
¼ C unsalted butter<br />
2 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic) or honey (raw)<br />
2 Tbsp. dried (or ¼ C fresh chopped) dill weed<br />
2 Tbsp. flax seeds, freshly ground<br />
Put carrots with C water in a frying pan and bring <strong>to</strong> a boil. Cover pan and lower heat <strong>to</strong> medium-low for 8<br />
min. or until carrots are tender-crunchy. Drain any remaining water. Add the butter and sauté for another 1-2<br />
min. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, then <strong>to</strong>ss until just mixed.<br />
144 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Carrot-Orange Soup<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 yellow onions, chopped<br />
<strong>12</strong> average (or 10 large) carrots, scrubbed and chopped<br />
4 C vegetable broth<br />
1 C fresh orange juice<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
1 tsp. orange zest<br />
Sauté the onions in the olive oil until tender. Add the carrots and vegetable broth and bring <strong>to</strong> a boil. Reduce the<br />
heat <strong>to</strong> low and simmer 30-60 min. until the carrots are tender. Purée the mixture in a high-powered blender<br />
until smooth. Return the mixture <strong>to</strong> the pot and add the orange juice, salt, pepper, and orange zest. Add water if<br />
consistency needs <strong>to</strong> be thinner. Simmer until just heated through, then serve.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 145
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce<br />
Steam 3 lbs. of any vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, asparagus, and green beans are especially good).<br />
Dressing:<br />
1 C plain yogurt<br />
½ C white wine vinegar<br />
½ C olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard<br />
1 Tbsp. dried (or 2 Tbsp. fresh) dill weed<br />
1 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
½ tsp. garlic powder<br />
Combine all dressing ingredients on low speed in a high-powered blender. Add 1-2 Tbsp. water if needed <strong>to</strong><br />
achieve desired consistency. Drizzle dressing over vegetables, <strong>to</strong>ss well and serve hot, or chill and serve.<br />
(Dressing makes enough for 2-3 batches of vegetables.)<br />
Other Recipes<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie (3) (page 285)<br />
CHARD RECIPES<br />
Pasta and Garlic Greens<br />
1 lb. whole-wheat (or spelt) penne pasta, cooked according <strong>to</strong> directions and drained<br />
1½ lbs. chard, chopped<br />
C extra virgin olive oil<br />
C fresh lemon juice<br />
8-<strong>12</strong> cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
In large skillet, sauté the chard, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the olive oil until wilted. Toss the pasta with<br />
lemon juice and the greens mixture.<br />
146 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Chard Rice Rolls<br />
The beans and rice make a complete protein.<br />
8-10 large chard leaves, rinsed and drained<br />
2 C cooked brown rice<br />
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained<br />
1 can diced green chili peppers<br />
2 C shredded or diced jalapeño jack cheese<br />
C chopped cilantro<br />
1 red bell pepper, finely diced<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Cut stems off chard leaves, then dice them and place in a strainer. In large saucepan, bring 3 qt. of water <strong>to</strong> a<br />
boil. Submerge the strainer full of diced stems in the boiling water and remove after 5 min. Add the leaves <strong>to</strong><br />
the pan and boil for 2 min. Carefully remove leaves, drain, and set aside.<br />
Mix <strong>to</strong>gether the brown rice, black beans, cooked chard stems, chilis, cilantro, red pepper, salt, and pepper.<br />
Place a scoop of the rice mixture in the middle of each chard leaf and wrap. Place the rolls in a greased<br />
casserole dish, then cover and bake at 400° for 20 min. Serves 5-6.<br />
GREEN BEAN RECIPES<br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad<br />
3 lbs. green beans:<br />
Trim the ends, then blanch in salt water until tender-crisp. Rinse in cold water and refrigerate, preferably<br />
overnight.<br />
Dressing:<br />
C dried (or 1 C fresh) dill weed<br />
½ C parsley<br />
C walnuts<br />
2 bunches green onions<br />
6 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar<br />
1 C unrefined walnut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)<br />
Purée all ingredients in a high-powered blender. Toss with the green beans. Optionally garnish with sprigs of<br />
dill and extra walnuts.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 147
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans<br />
2 lb. green beans<br />
¼ C coconut oil<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
¼ chopped onion<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves<br />
2 tsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
¼ tsp. pepper<br />
½ C water<br />
Wash the beans, remove the tips, cut in halves. Heat the oil in a skillet, and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.<br />
Add the beans and other ingredients, cover, and cook on medium heat until tender-crisp (about 20 min.).<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions<br />
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil<br />
1 lb. string beans, trimmed<br />
¾ C any garden onions (scallions, or red/white/yellow variety), chopped<br />
8 radishes, sliced<br />
sea salt and freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
2 Tbsp. flax seeds, freshly ground<br />
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beans and cook, <strong>to</strong>ssing frequently, until just<br />
beginning <strong>to</strong> soften (about 3 <strong>to</strong> 4 min.). Add the onions and radishes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and<br />
stir often until onions are tender and beans are crisp-tender. Toss with flax seed and serve.<br />
148 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
KALE RECIPES<br />
Easy Kale Salad<br />
Thanks <strong>to</strong> <strong>12</strong>-Stepper Kara Fisher for this idea!<br />
1 large bunch kale, washed well and cut in<strong>to</strong> small ribbons<br />
C fresh lemon juice<br />
C extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C pine nuts, <strong>to</strong>asted in dry sauté pan or under broiler<br />
½ C golden raisins<br />
Blend the lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the kale. Toss well and allow <strong>to</strong> marinate several hours or<br />
overnight <strong>to</strong> soften the kale. Then <strong>to</strong>ss with the pine nuts and raisins and serve immediately.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 149
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Pasta with Kale<br />
1 lb. whole-grain pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or penne)<br />
1 lb. curly kale, cut in<strong>to</strong> thin ribbons<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
¾ C pine nuts<br />
4-6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled<br />
½ C Lemon-Lime Dressing (page 94)<br />
Cook the pasta according <strong>to</strong> package instructions. Sauté the kale in the olive oil until very tender (taste test it <strong>to</strong><br />
make sure it’s broken down <strong>to</strong> be soft and easily chewed). Toss with the pasta, along with the pine nuts, feta<br />
cheese, and dressing. Serve hot.<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
You can serve this dish with Buttermilk Cornbread (page 259) for an excellent winter meal.<br />
1½ lb. kale (about 2 bunches)<br />
2 Tbsp. <strong>to</strong>asted sesame oil (or extra virgin olive oil)<br />
6-8 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 small red onion, sliced<br />
¾ C vegetable broth<br />
1 pt. cherry <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, washed and sliced in half<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
fresh ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
1 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar<br />
1 Tbsp. brown rice syrup or agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
¼ C <strong>to</strong>asted sesame seeds<br />
2 Tbsp. flax seeds, freshly ground<br />
Wash, trim, and chop the kale. In a large wok (or sauté/fry pan), <strong>to</strong>ast the sesame seeds and set them aside. Put<br />
the oil in the wok and lightly sauté the garlic and onion. Add the kale and vegetable s<strong>to</strong>ck. Cook for 10 min.<br />
and stir occasionally, adding the <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and syrup/agave in the last 2<br />
min. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and ground flax seed, and serve. Serves 4-6.<br />
Other Recipes<br />
Christmasy Salad (page 65)<br />
150 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
SPINACH RECIPES<br />
Sautéed Garlic Spinach<br />
This is my very favorite way <strong>to</strong> eat spinach.<br />
2 lbs. spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (80% of a big Costco bag)<br />
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
10+ cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (or you can use whole garlic cloves)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper<br />
optional: ½ C pine nuts, <strong>to</strong>asted under broiler<br />
optional: Parmesan cheese<br />
optional: lemon wedges<br />
Sauté the garlic in olive oil for about 1 min. until garlic is clear. Add the spinach and seasonings and sauté for<br />
1-2 min. or until spinach is wilted. Optionally, <strong>to</strong>ss in pine nuts and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve<br />
immediately with lemon wedges.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 151
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Dinner Pancakes<br />
Putting applesauce on <strong>to</strong>p of this dish might sound strange, but it’s really good!<br />
5 oz. (½ of a 10-oz. bag) spinach (or frozen, squeezed dry)<br />
2 C zucchini, shredded<br />
1 large pota<strong>to</strong>, shredded<br />
½ of an onion, finely chopped<br />
½ C whole-wheat flour (or more if your batter is <strong>to</strong>o thin)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
½ tsp. nutmeg<br />
4 eggs (organic, free-range), lightly beaten<br />
1 Tbsp. coconut or olive oil<br />
1 bottle 100% natural applesauce<br />
Combine the eggs, flour, and spices in a mixing bowl. Add the vegetables and stir well. On a griddle, heat<br />
coconut or olive oil on medium-high heat, then drop the batter by ¼ C on<strong>to</strong> the griddle. Flatten <strong>to</strong> form patties<br />
and fry until golden brown. Turn and cook until second side is lightly brown. Serve <strong>to</strong>pped with applesauce.<br />
Other Recipes<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad (page 64)<br />
ZUCCHINI/SQUASH RECIPES<br />
Squash Fritters<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
2 C grated zucchini or yellow squash<br />
¼ C whole-wheat flour<br />
2 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
1 tsp. mint or dill weed<br />
2 Tbsp. finely crumbled feta or Parmesan cheese<br />
sea salt and freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Beat the eggs, then combine them with all ingredients except the oil. Form the mixture in<strong>to</strong> fritter patties and<br />
fry them in hot coconut oil until browned on both sides. Serve hot.<br />
152 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio<br />
This recipe is all raw except for the pistachio nuts, and it’s easy, unique, and gourmet. My two youngest<br />
children are zucchini haters and they thought they were eating cucumbers, it’s so good!<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice<br />
½ tsp. fine sea salt<br />
¼ C virgin olive oil<br />
1 large zucchini (1-1½ lbs.)<br />
3 or more avocados<br />
½ C pistachios, shells removed, chopped<br />
4 sprigs lemon thyme, leaves and flowers only (not stems)<br />
Stir <strong>to</strong>gether the lemon juice, salt, and oil. Drizzle mixture over very thinly sliced zucchini layered with thinly<br />
sliced avocado on a platter or 9"x13" glass dish. Marinate 30 min. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and lemon<br />
thyme leaves and flowers. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready <strong>to</strong> serve.<br />
Zucchini Pitas<br />
6-8 whole-wheat pita pockets<br />
1 large zucchini (about 16" long), grated<br />
1 large onion, grated<br />
2 large <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
½ C Parmesan cheese<br />
freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
½ tsp. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS) (page 339)<br />
Steam the zucchini and onion for 10 min. Add chopped <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and then<br />
<strong>to</strong>ss. Fill pita pockets at the table and serve immediately. (Optionally, you can put the zucchini mixture on <strong>to</strong>p<br />
of a whole pita, rather than try <strong>to</strong> fill it.)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 153
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Rainbow Salad<br />
2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb. <strong>to</strong>tal), diced<br />
2 large yellow squash (about 1 lb. <strong>to</strong>tal), diced<br />
6 Roma <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped (or 4 regular <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, liquid drained)<br />
½ C kalamata or green olives, drained and chopped<br />
½ C sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es (bottled, drained, and finely chopped)<br />
½ of a red onion, chopped<br />
½ C apple cider vinegar<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 tsp. dried (or ¼ C fresh) basil, chopped<br />
1 tsp. oregano<br />
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
2 Tbsp. flax seeds, freshly ground<br />
Toss all ingredients well and serve.<br />
154 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
Vanilla Pudding<br />
Steam and purée the squash when the kids aren’t looking. They’ll never know. My four kids, including the one<br />
who gags on squash, all gave this pudding, served warm, thumbs up.<br />
3-4 small yellow squash, chopped (about 5 C raw)<br />
3 C water<br />
1 Tbsp. Agar powder (page 338)<br />
2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 egg yolk (organic, free-range) or 1 Tbsp. lecithin<br />
2 Tbsp. ghee*<br />
½ C maple syrup (or raw, organic agave with 1 tsp. maple flavoring)<br />
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract<br />
* Ghee is clarified butter from India. You can buy it in health food or Indian-cuisine s<strong>to</strong>res. Or, I melt butter on<br />
the s<strong>to</strong>ve and barely simmer it on low for about 10 min. <strong>to</strong> eliminate the water. Some nutrition experts claim<br />
ghee converts <strong>to</strong> a short-chain fatty acid in the gut that regulates intestinal flora and promotes colon health.<br />
Chop and steam squash for 10 min. Dissolve agar and arrowroot in 2 C of water in saucepan and cook over low<br />
heat until thickened. Add the salt, egg yolk, maple syrup, ghee, and remaining water. Simmer 10-15 min. Cool<br />
30 min., then blend with the squash in a high-powered blender, adding vanilla, until smooth. Serve warm.<br />
If you refrigerate lef<strong>to</strong>vers, the pudding will become gelatinous. To use lef<strong>to</strong>vers, heat pudding and then<br />
reblend in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy.<br />
Other Recipes<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins (2) (page 307)<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies (1) (page 309)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 155
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
156 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 6<br />
Making Plant-Based<br />
Main Dishes<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To begin making filling, enjoyable, plant-based main dishes <strong>to</strong> reduce or eliminate animal proteins, <strong>to</strong><br />
accompany your big salad for dinner.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
The only new <strong>to</strong>ol you need this month is a large, inexpensive fine strainer <strong>to</strong> wash whole grains. A<br />
regular colander won’t work, because we will be trying some new grains that are very small such as<br />
quinoa. If you are used <strong>to</strong> buying refined grains (white rice, white flour), the refining process that strips<br />
the grain of nutrition also gives you a clean product. <strong>Whole</strong> grains, however, come <strong>to</strong> you straight from<br />
the field and must be rinsed well—especially quinoa, which sometimes has an outer layer of a bitter<br />
natural chemical called saponin.<br />
You will use inexpensive grains, beans, and other legumes that you can find at a health food s<strong>to</strong>re or<br />
buying co-op.<br />
The goal this month is not <strong>to</strong> make a vegetarian of you unless that’s your wish. At my house, only one<br />
of us (my teen daughter) is a pure vegetarian, although we eat very little meat and virtually never eat it<br />
at home unless we’re having carnivorous company over <strong>to</strong> dinner. The goal this month is, rather, <strong>to</strong><br />
make a significant shift <strong>to</strong>ward eating more plant-based whole foods.<br />
I will not try <strong>to</strong> indoctrinate you against meat eating al<strong>to</strong>gether—after all,<br />
the Bible warns against telling people <strong>to</strong> never eat meat. However, I<br />
highly recommend reading The China Study by Colin Campbell, Ph.D.,<br />
the most significant and scientific evidence for eating a much more plantbased<br />
diet than most Americans are eating. Campbell, direc<strong>to</strong>r of the<br />
Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University (former senior<br />
advisor <strong>to</strong> the American Institute for Cancer Research), under<strong>to</strong>ok the<br />
largest nutrition study in his<strong>to</strong>ry. He was raised on a cattle farm and fully<br />
expected, as he set out <strong>to</strong> study liver cancer in Filipino children early in<br />
his career, <strong>to</strong> find that sick children needed more protein.<br />
He was as<strong>to</strong>nished <strong>to</strong> repeatedly find the opposite of his original<br />
assumptions: both animals and humans thrive on a highly plant-based<br />
diet. They grow more tumors, develop more heart disease and au<strong>to</strong>immune diseases, and die earlier<br />
when they eat a diet comprised of 20% animal protein, which is precisely the Standard American Diet<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 157
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
(SAD). Over 200 statistically significant correlations were discovered and published in The Oxford/Cornell<br />
China Project. 1<br />
Campbell’s largest study (examining eating habits of 6,500 humans for 30 years) documented that those who<br />
eat 5% animal protein are leaner, more energetic, and have extremely low rates of all the modern diseases.<br />
High rates of disease and being overweight were found in those eating a 20% animal protein diet, which<br />
parallels the typical American diet. Campbell’s animal studies are even more compelling, since the researchers<br />
could switch the 5% and 20% milk-protein diets and watch cancerous tumors grow or shrink and rats and mice<br />
gain or lose weight, all dependent on the easily isolated, single fac<strong>to</strong>r of quantity of animal protein<br />
consumption.<br />
Anyone eating meat every day ought <strong>to</strong> take note of its implications and move <strong>to</strong>ward a diet that follows the<br />
China Study’s findings that have been duplicated consistently by other researchers all over the world: clearly,<br />
5% or less animal protein is ideal for a longer, more healthful life. This corroborates ancient scripture from my<br />
own faith, that meat is <strong>to</strong> be eaten “sparingly” and in times of “winter and famine.” Eating this ratio is both<br />
easy <strong>to</strong> achieve and realistic, allowing for eating what is served at parties, restaurants, and Thanksgiving. For<br />
an adult woman eating 1,600 calories per day, 5% animal protein equates <strong>to</strong> 80 calories, or 2 oz. of chicken.<br />
This chapter endeavors <strong>to</strong> give you ideas <strong>to</strong> put hearty, substantive dishes on the dinner table that feature plant<br />
food: primarily vegetables, grains, and legumes. I have found in teaching people about nutrition that many<br />
people are very interested in eating more plant food and less meat and dairy—and they usually even know why<br />
they should—but they simply don’t know what <strong>to</strong> make. Most people were raised with beef, poultry, or fish on<br />
the plate every night for dinner.<br />
Eating dinners using the main dishes in this chapter, plus a salad, will not take excessive time in the kitchen and<br />
will leave you feeling satisfied but light. You will spend less money making these main dishes than other<br />
dishes that require beef, poultry, or fish. All of my recipes in this chapter are quick <strong>to</strong> make, with reasonably<br />
short ingredient lists. Best of all, these meals will not tax your body’s enzyme-producing organs or organs of<br />
digestion and elimination. Further, forgoing standard American dinner food for these flavorful dishes will lead<br />
you <strong>to</strong> your ideal weight.<br />
Will I Get Enough Protein and Calcium with Plant <strong>Foods</strong>?<br />
I’m constantly asked, “How do you get enough protein?” on my family’s plant-based diet. This is usually<br />
followed closely by “How do you get enough calcium?”<br />
The proof may be in the pudding: When I was tested at age 40, I had a bone density in<br />
the highest percentage category—comparable <strong>to</strong> a 20-year-old. My diet has consisted<br />
of less than 5% animal protein my entire life. I have never drunk a glass of cow milk<br />
in my life. And according <strong>to</strong> some blood typing, metabolic typing, and ethnic origin<br />
theories, I’m a “protein type.” Remember, before you believe “typing” philosophies,<br />
that these are new, fairly untested fads in nutrition propagated by a charismatic few.<br />
Blood typing has been articulately and soundly debunked by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., in<br />
Eat <strong>to</strong> Live. 2 )<br />
158 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Americans have been falsely educated in<strong>to</strong> thinking they won’t get enough protein if they don’t eat meat. In the<br />
1900s, prevailing wisdom was that people needed <strong>12</strong>0 grams of protein daily. In this century, nutritionists<br />
recommended about 80 grams a day. Newer research shows we need only about 25 grams, as recommended by<br />
the World Health Organization.<br />
A clinical study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association compared amino acids (the building blocks<br />
of proteins) in the diets of meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. They used a high standard that would cover the<br />
needs of pregnant women and growing children. All three diets provided more than enough protein, by double<br />
or more! 3<br />
Other studies document that Americans are getting 150-400% more protein than they need. You can certainly<br />
eat plenty of dairy products (high in calcium) and have a calcium deficiency or absorption problem. How else<br />
are we the highest dairy-consuming nation in the world (by double the next-highest country) and also have the<br />
highest rate of osteoporosis—fully half of us over the age of 60? (I believe that this already high number will<br />
grow dramatically as our soda-drinking youth age.) The massive amount of animal protein we eat causes such<br />
an acidic state in the body that calcium from the bones is robbed in order <strong>to</strong> bring the blood and tissues in<strong>to</strong><br />
alkaline balance.<br />
Many “main dishes” in this chapter are rich in plant protein: remember from Chapter 1 that broccoli and<br />
spinach are nearly 50% protein! But for some who have spent a lifetime thinking of meat as a main dish, a<br />
mental shift will be required <strong>to</strong> recognize a dish with high-protein grains, beans, nuts, and/or whole-grain pasta<br />
as a main dish. Keep in mind that if you feel you need meat, you can always add tuna, grilled fish, chicken or<br />
turkey <strong>to</strong> these dishes, or serve a small side portion of meat on your plate. Eventually, you may find this no<br />
longer necessary.<br />
For those who cannot be dissuaded from maximizing protein, I like a few vegan protein powders that do not<br />
use highly processed whey, or highly estrogenic soy. (See the GreenSmoothieGirl.com for s<strong>to</strong>re for my two<br />
favorite options for both taste and nutrition.) This can be added <strong>to</strong> virtually any breakfast (from Chapter 10)<br />
every day. I don’t think anyone needs more protein than what whole vegetables, grains, nuts, and legumes<br />
provide. People who say they feel poorly when they don’t eat lots of meat are generally just experiencing<br />
cleansing symp<strong>to</strong>ms when they decrease heavy, acidic foods. The uncomfortable reactions make some want <strong>to</strong><br />
return <strong>to</strong> eating meat, and they mistake that desire for dietary “need.”<br />
But for those who want more protein because they’ve been accus<strong>to</strong>med <strong>to</strong> a meat-heavy diet, who are<br />
attempting <strong>to</strong> put on muscle mass, or who feel better with higher levels of protein, hempseed, split-pea, brownrice,<br />
or another plant-based (but not soy) protein is the safest supplementary option. These are much better<br />
nutritionally than soy or whey protein powders.<br />
Most of the main dishes in this chapter are high in protein because I have designed the recipes <strong>to</strong> contain both a<br />
whole grain and a legume. Together, their amino acids complete each other <strong>to</strong> make a “perfect protein.”<br />
Recipes in this chapter that contain a grain/legume combination are identified with an asterisk (*) before their<br />
titles, indicating that they qualify as a “perfect protein.” I include the “perfect protein” designations not<br />
because I think such food combining is necessary, but because others do and they feel better knowing they have<br />
it in their main dish.<br />
No wonder indigenous people used legumes and grains <strong>to</strong>gether for thousands of years—millions of people on<br />
this planet have subsisted primarily on the combination of beans and rice. At dinner, everyone wants energysustaining<br />
food, and that’s a good way <strong>to</strong> get it. However, don’t obsess about the “perfect protein,” feeling that<br />
the only true meal must qualify under this banner. Many experts, including Dr. Robert O. Young, say that if you<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 159
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
eat green food, your body has all the amino acids in a free-floating pool <strong>to</strong> assemble proteins, so you don’t have<br />
<strong>to</strong> eat all of them simultaneously in one meal <strong>to</strong> get enough protein. The amino acids you eat are used over a<br />
24-hour period, so you needn’t make rocket science of your eating habits. 28 Above all else, just eat lots of plant<br />
foods, especially greens.<br />
Because of the way amino acids in plant foods combine, the amount of protein in the chart below, both for the<br />
legume and the grain, don’t give the whole picture. Trust your body <strong>to</strong> manufacture enough protein, even if<br />
your food isn’t “quality” protein. “Quality” only means that it matches human flesh closely, as animal protein<br />
does. The building blocks of proteins are amino acids, and your body can assemble proteins when you give it<br />
all the amino acids found in dishes made of a variety of five natural, whole food categories: grains, legumes,<br />
nuts, seeds, and vegetables. If you are imagining these foods being a limited menu, think again: you have a<br />
huge variety of highly sustaining foods <strong>to</strong> choose from!<br />
When your body builds muscle mass from plant proteins, the muscle mass is more durable and long lasting,<br />
even if it takes longer <strong>to</strong> come by. I am an avid weight lifter, and when I once injured my shoulder kickboxing,<br />
I had <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p lifting weights for nine months. When I started again, I was thrilled <strong>to</strong> find that I had lost virtually<br />
no strength, and was lifting my previous weight within two weeks. This was personal proof <strong>to</strong> me of my studies<br />
that plant proteins create durable muscle mass.<br />
I seem <strong>to</strong> have regular conversations with my powerlifter friends about this <strong>to</strong>pic. Suggesting that a<br />
competitive weightlifter consider eating less meat and more plant food is like trying <strong>to</strong> tell a Catholic priest <strong>to</strong><br />
quit going <strong>to</strong> Mass. What powerlifters do <strong>to</strong> build up huge pecs, lats, biceps, and triceps muscles might win<br />
competitions, but it also accelerates aging as well as disease risk. My friend Roy (who maxes the bench press<br />
with 455 lbs.) recently <strong>to</strong>ld me he’s on a 60% protein diet. While he’s thinking of his upcoming competition<br />
and fearing the ungodly carbohydrate, I’m thinking of the massive enzyme-draining load on his body.<br />
So, the question isn’t “How do I get enough protein?” The more appropriate question may be “How can I avoid<br />
getting <strong>to</strong>o much?”<br />
Dr. Colin Campbell says this, referring <strong>to</strong> the Oxford/Cornell China Project:<br />
There is a strong correlation between dietary protein intake and cancer of the breast, prostate,<br />
pancreas, and colon. The culprit in many of the most prevalent and deadly diseases of our time,<br />
according <strong>to</strong> this study, is none other than the very thing most of us have been taught <strong>to</strong> hold<br />
virtually sacred—animal protein. People who derive 70% of their protein from animal products<br />
have major health difficulties compared <strong>to</strong> people who derive just 5% of their protein from<br />
animal sources. They have 17 times the death rate from heart disease and the women are five<br />
times more likely <strong>to</strong> die of breast cancer. In conclusion, animal protein is at the core of many<br />
chronic diseases. 14<br />
Consider that along with the protein in animal sources also comes synthetic hormones, steroids, antibiotics,<br />
pesticide chemicals, bacteria, and sometimes saturated fat.<br />
160 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
What If I Love Pota<strong>to</strong>es?<br />
Some popular foods are not “glycemic friendly.” Pota<strong>to</strong>es are a highglycemic<br />
index food, releasing sugars in<strong>to</strong> the bloodstream quickly, but many<br />
people love them. The good news is that as a whole food, with the right food<br />
combining, you can include them in your dinners. Use two tips <strong>to</strong> allow you<br />
<strong>to</strong> significantly slow the impact on your blood sugar.<br />
First, leave the pota<strong>to</strong> peels on (scrubbing them well). Most of the nutrition<br />
and valuable fiber in most foods are in the peel. Pota<strong>to</strong>es are no exception.<br />
Fiber is well documented <strong>to</strong> slow the uptake of sugar in<strong>to</strong> the bloodstream.<br />
Second, eat pota<strong>to</strong>es in combination with a large portion of low glycemicindex<br />
(GI) foods, and your blood sugar will remain stable. The effect of a low<br />
GI food on blood sugar levels carries over <strong>to</strong> the next meal. Plan <strong>to</strong> eat at least<br />
one low GI food per meal—and greens are perfect.<br />
If you love pota<strong>to</strong>es, I recommend these recipes in this chapter, eaten with a<br />
big green salad:<br />
Garlic-Greens Mashed Pota<strong>to</strong>es (page 169) (a bigger hit than regular mashed pota<strong>to</strong>es at our family<br />
Thanksgiving)<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es (page 170)<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup (page 168)<br />
The Twice-Baked recipe has plenty of broccoli and spinach, which are both more than 40% protein, so don’t<br />
worry that your meal is <strong>to</strong>o carb heavy. Just keep that green salad the biggest serving in your meal, as we<br />
discussed in Chapter 2, and if you feel your personal need for protein is high, put some kidney beans or lentils<br />
in your salad when you eat pota<strong>to</strong>es. I often keep cooked legumes in my fridge left over from making soups/<br />
main dishes just for this purpose.<br />
What about Protein, Carbs, and Glycemic Index?<br />
Glycemic index refers <strong>to</strong> the measurement between 1 and 100 of how quickly a food raises blood sugar. <strong>Foods</strong><br />
with a high glycemic index (above 60) release glucose quickly in<strong>to</strong> the blood stream. These foods include<br />
refined sugar and fruit like bananas and watermelon. <strong>Foods</strong> with a low glycemic index (under 45) release<br />
glucose more steadily over several hours, keeping blood sugar levels stable. These foods include greens, most<br />
vegetables, nuts, beans, yogurt, and whole grains. These foods are the emphasis in this chapter.<br />
Eating low-glycemic foods prevents insulin resistance, Type II diabetes, weight gain, colorectal cancers, heart<br />
disease, and many other conditions. Carbs have been vilified in the media as being high glycemic index<br />
foods—but, in fact, legumes and whole grains, especially when combined with greens and vegetables, are<br />
excellent foods that do not contribute <strong>to</strong> blood sugar problems and associated health problems. Also consider<br />
that the carbohydrates in whole grains and legumes are complex, slowing the absorption of sugars. Eating a<br />
salad with a whole-grain dish further slows sugar uptake in the bloodstream, as greens are a very low glycemic<br />
index food. They are also high in dietary fiber, leading <strong>to</strong> healthy digestion.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 161
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
The four most effective ways <strong>to</strong> lower the glycemic index of your meals are <strong>to</strong> leave the peel on (as in the case<br />
of pota<strong>to</strong>es), add vegetables, add legumes and whole grains, and/or add good fats—all of which are the primary<br />
focus of this book for this reason and many others.<br />
Introducing Grains/Seeds You Can Cook With<br />
A number of grains and seeds you may be unfamiliar with will significantly expand your reper<strong>to</strong>ire of cooking<br />
whole foods, especially as you are looking <strong>to</strong> serve hearty, filling main dishes that replace an old habit of<br />
serving meat. Protein is found in ideal ratios in grains and legumes, and when served with vegetables, these<br />
extremely inexpensive plant foods are easy <strong>to</strong> digest.<br />
We will leave a more detailed discussion of the virtues of each grain and their various combinations for<br />
Chapter 9, specifically dedicated <strong>to</strong> whole grains. But this month, we will use some grains that are easy <strong>to</strong> cook<br />
with for main dishes. Living in an abundant age with access <strong>to</strong> whole foods from all over the globe, you may be<br />
surprised at how many options you have for nutty, varied, and interesting tastes and textures that are also high<br />
protein, low glycemic index, and low gluten.<br />
Quinoa, millet, and buckwheat are each featured in several “hot meal” recipes in this chapter. Although<br />
commonly thought of as grains, they are technically seeds or fruit.<br />
Quinoa. Most people do not know about the ancient grain (actually a seed) quinoa (pronounced “KEENwah”),<br />
used for 5,000 years in South America, grown primarily in Bolivia. It is high in protein and is, in fact, a<br />
“complete protein” because it contains all nine amino acids. It is exceptionally high in lysine, an amino acid<br />
that isn’t particularly easy <strong>to</strong> find. Quinoa is also a good complement for legumes, which are low in methionine<br />
and cystine. It’s also high in calcium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin E, and several of the B vitamins.<br />
Because of its recent discovery on this continent, it has not been hybridized for high yields and pest resistance;<br />
thus, its a more simple and natural food than wheat. It is less than 1% gluten (and, therefore, <strong>to</strong>lerated well by<br />
most with allergies) and it is an excellent addition <strong>to</strong> your diet. This book provides several easy main dishes<br />
featuring this unique, delicious food that is the fastest whole grain <strong>to</strong> cook.<br />
The bitter outside layer of quinoa, called saponin, must be rinsed off very well. Because the grains are tiny,<br />
they will run through a sieve. To avoid this, soak them for a few minutes before rinsing/draining, stir well <strong>to</strong><br />
clean thoroughly, and pour them through the sieve wet and in large amounts on <strong>to</strong>p of each other, <strong>to</strong> avoid<br />
losing them down the drain. Rinse at least twice.<br />
162 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Millet. This grain is alkaline even when cooked, s<strong>to</strong>res well long term, and is finely textured, mild flavored,<br />
and easy <strong>to</strong> digest. It may be unfamiliar <strong>to</strong> most Americans, but it is one of the most important grains in the<br />
world, growing wild in droughts and heat, and feeding populations of Asia and Africa. It makes a delicious<br />
cooked breakfast cereal.<br />
Buckwheat. Actually a fruit seed rather than a cereal grain, buckwheat has a hardy flavor and texture (doesn’t<br />
go “mushy” when you cook it) and has been found in research <strong>to</strong> help control blood sugar and avoid heart<br />
disease. It satisfies hunger perhaps more than any other grain and, with a little maple syrup, makes a good hot<br />
breakfast.<br />
The following tables list the macronutrients and Glycemic Index for grains and legumes:<br />
Grain // Legume<br />
(1 C cooked) Protein (g) Carbohydrates (g) Fiber (g) Glycemic Index*<br />
Barley (hulled, not pearled) 7 59 14 Low<br />
Brown rice 5 45 3.5 Medium<br />
Buckwheat 6 34 4.5 Medium<br />
Millet 8 57 3 Low<br />
Oats, rolled (not pearled) 6 25 4 Low/Medium<br />
Quinoa 6 29 2.5 Low<br />
Rye 8 39 8 Low/Medium<br />
Spelt 6 30 4.5 Medium<br />
<strong>Whole</strong> wheat 6 34 8 Medium<br />
Beans, common (black, pin<strong>to</strong>, kidney) 14-15 40-44 11-15 Low<br />
Chickpeas (Garbanzos) 15 45 8 Low<br />
Lentils 18 40 10 Low<br />
Split peas 16 41 5 Low<br />
* Low GI = 1-44, Medium GI = 45-60, High GI = 61-100<br />
Cautions about the Glycemic Index<br />
I want <strong>to</strong> suggest caution about taking the glycemic indexes (GI) as the “gospel truth” <strong>to</strong> guide all your eating<br />
habits. I use it <strong>to</strong> keep an eye on how fast sugar enters the bloodstream with various foods, but other fac<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
must also be considered, including the fact that you rarely eat a food all by itself. For instance, pota<strong>to</strong>es,<br />
carrots, and bananas are high on the GI chart—but they also provide excellent nutrition. Also, significant<br />
evidence has come <strong>to</strong> light that a food’s glycemic index is not an accurate predic<strong>to</strong>r of the effect that the food<br />
has on blood sugar, insulin, or cholesterol levels.<br />
Basing my opinion on a survey of the literature, I suggest you feel free <strong>to</strong> eat high-glycemic foods if they are<br />
whole plant foods, rich in fiber and nutrients. No evidence exists that fruits cause weight gain or diabetes; in<br />
fact, quite the opposite is true. Avoid high-glycemic foods that are stripped of nutrition (white flour, white<br />
sugar), and eat high-glycemic foods in their natural state, along with fibrous plant foods such as greens, grains,<br />
legumes, fruits, nuts, and seeds.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 163
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Tips for Cooking Beans<br />
• Although it requires thinking ahead, try <strong>to</strong> cook your own beans rather<br />
than using canned. Canned beans add <strong>to</strong>o much sodium in the form of<br />
refined salt. If you do buy canned beans, look for the “reduced<br />
sodium” versions that are becoming more common. Also, rinse your<br />
canned beans very well regardless of whether they are regular or low<br />
sodium.<br />
• Some people avoid beans because they cause flatulence. Presoak your<br />
beans for several hours <strong>to</strong> reduce the oligosaccharides, the sugars<br />
known <strong>to</strong> cause flatulence, and then rinse and cook them in fresh<br />
water. Cooking with old beans will also cause more gas.<br />
• Grind any kind of (uncooked) small beans in your grain grinder (the<br />
K-Tec Kitchen Mill and GrainMaster Whisper Mill are guaranteed <strong>to</strong><br />
grind all kinds of grains and beans). Cooking bean flour with three<br />
times as much water creates cooked beans in just a few minutes, and<br />
this makes a good gravy base as well.<br />
• Do not add salt and seasonings until beans are fully cooked, as doing<br />
so will increase the cooking time.<br />
• As a rule of thumb, use three cups of water for every cup of beans.<br />
• When you cleanse your intestinal tract with several months of drinking green smoothies, you may find<br />
that things that used <strong>to</strong> cause gas for you don’t anymore.<br />
Tips for Saving Money<br />
To save on energy and time, and <strong>to</strong> avoid using more expensive, salt-added canned beans, soak and drain a<br />
large amount of dry beans all at once, and then bring them <strong>to</strong> a boil and simmer them in a huge pot or slow<br />
cooker. Drain the beans and freeze 4 C each in quart-size freezer bags. Then you have the advantage of very<br />
inexpensive, fresh-cooked, unsalted beans that are as quick and easy <strong>to</strong> use as canned beans.<br />
You can do the same with brown rice, if you find the 45-min. cooking time is a deterrent in meal planning.<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
Make sure you take a few minutes at the end of this month <strong>to</strong> document any changes in your health, as well as<br />
your budget, from decreasing or eliminating meat from the dinner plate and learning new “main dishes” that<br />
are plant based and high in nutrition.<br />
1. What changes in your health do you notice from using legumes and whole grains in your dinner?<br />
2. How you feel different after dinner now, compared <strong>to</strong> after a meat-based dinner? And has your sleep<br />
changed as a result?<br />
3. Has your digestion and elimination changed as a result of getting more fiber in the form of legumes and<br />
whole grains?<br />
164 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
4. Do you feel that you’re getting enough protein from your dinner, based on your energy, perceived or<br />
measured muscle mass, etc.?<br />
5. Have you experienced any weight loss?<br />
6. How has your spending changed, based on using legumes and whole grains in your dinners instead of<br />
fast food, meat, prepared dinners, or whatever you were serving before?<br />
7. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?<br />
8. Any other observations during this month?<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 165
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
166 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 167
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
POTATO (AND ROOT VEGETABLE) MAIN DISH RECIPES<br />
Glycemic Load Minimized<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup<br />
If there’s a “good” dairy product, it’s yogurt or kefir, with live cultures <strong>to</strong> keep your gastrointestinal tract<br />
populated with the good organisms that keep the bad bacterial organisms at bay.<br />
2 leeks (white and green parts, with just the <strong>to</strong>p 6" cut off), cleaned and chopped small<br />
1 C barley (hulled, rather than pearled—pearling partially refines the grain)<br />
3 pota<strong>to</strong>es, scrubbed and unpeeled<br />
3 turnips, peeled and chopped<br />
6 C vegetable broth<br />
10 oz. bag fresh spinach, chopped (or a box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed)<br />
1½ C plain yogurt<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
sea salt <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
optional: 2 green onions (green part as well as white) or small bundle of fresh chives, chopped<br />
optional: steamed asparagus, carrots, or broccoli, chopped<br />
In a s<strong>to</strong>ck pot, boil the pota<strong>to</strong>es and turnips in 4 C of the broth, simmering 20 min. or until soft. In a separate<br />
pot, cook the barley in 2 C of the broth (bring <strong>to</strong> a boil, lower heat, and simmer 45 min.). Sauté the leeks in the<br />
oil until tender, adding the spinach for the last 60 seconds of sautéing. Purée the leeks/spinach/broth mixture in<br />
a high-powered blender with the pota<strong>to</strong>es/turnips/broth mixture.<br />
Pour the combined mixture back in<strong>to</strong> the s<strong>to</strong>ck pot and cook until hot, adding salt <strong>to</strong> taste. Stir in the cooked<br />
barley and yogurt, as well as any chopped steamed asparagus, carrots, or broccoli as desired. (The broccoli<br />
may be puréed with the other ingredients, if your family doesn’t like it.)<br />
Serve immediately with chopped green onions or chives sprinkled on <strong>to</strong>p.<br />
168 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Garlic-Greens Mashed Pota<strong>to</strong>es<br />
I served this at Thanksgiving, and it disappeared faster than the regular mashed pota<strong>to</strong>es we brought for my<br />
non-vegetable-loving nieces and nephews.<br />
8 pota<strong>to</strong>es, scrubbed well but not peeled, cut in<strong>to</strong> chunks<br />
8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped<br />
8 C spinach or collard greens<br />
¼ C butter (or extra virgin olive oil)<br />
1 teaspoon sea salt<br />
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
Place pota<strong>to</strong>es in a heavy saucepan. Cover with water and bring <strong>to</strong> a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and<br />
reduce the heat <strong>to</strong> medium-low. Cook 15-30 min. or until the pota<strong>to</strong>es are tender.<br />
Meanwhile, cut the spinach or collards in<strong>to</strong> ribbons and sauté in a bit of the ¼ C butter (reserving the rest) with<br />
garlic until the greens are wilted and bright green.<br />
When the pota<strong>to</strong>es are tender, remove them from heat,<br />
drain them, and return them <strong>to</strong> saucepan. Add the salt,<br />
pepper, and remainder of the butter, then mix with<br />
hand-held blender until desired consistency is<br />
achieved (smooth or lumpy). Add a bit of water if<br />
needed. Stir in the spinach mixture (including any<br />
liquid) and serve.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 169
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es<br />
My sister-in-law Kelli makes this recipe, and even her vegetable-hating 3-year-old will eat it, even though she<br />
won’t eat broccoli. Of course, I’ve added even more greens.<br />
8 large pota<strong>to</strong>es<br />
1 large head broccoli<br />
4 C spinach<br />
8 green onions, diced (including the long green part)<br />
¼ C grated Parmesan cheese<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1½ tsp. sea salt<br />
freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Bake foil-wrapped pota<strong>to</strong>es at 350° for one hour, then let cool enough <strong>to</strong> handle the pota<strong>to</strong>es. Chop the broccoli<br />
in<strong>to</strong> small pieces and steam for 15 min., adding the spinach for the last 5 min. of steaming. Cut each pota<strong>to</strong> in<br />
half and scoop out the pota<strong>to</strong> “guts,” being careful <strong>to</strong> leave the skin intact with about ¼" of pota<strong>to</strong> all the way<br />
around, <strong>to</strong> keep it firm <strong>to</strong> use later. Set the skins aside.<br />
Use a hand mixer <strong>to</strong> blend until smooth the pota<strong>to</strong> “guts,” steamed broccoli, onions, spinach, Parmesan, olive<br />
oil, and salt and pepper. Add a bit of water if the mixture is <strong>to</strong>o thick <strong>to</strong> blend.<br />
Scoop the mixture back in<strong>to</strong> the pota<strong>to</strong> skins. Optionally sprinkle with additional Parmesan, then bake at 350°<br />
for 15-20 min. Serve immediately.<br />
170 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar<br />
Bake pota<strong>to</strong>es in foil for 45-60 min. at 350°.<br />
Top with:<br />
• Roasted-Garlic Aioli Sauce (recipe below)<br />
• Steamed broccoli<br />
• Chopped raw vegetables including <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, green onions, bell peppers, squash, anything in season,<br />
and anything from your garden<br />
• Lef<strong>to</strong>ver Vegetarian Chili (page 189)<br />
Roasted-Garlic Aioli Sauce:<br />
1½ C raw almonds, soaked overnight and drained<br />
1½ C raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight and drained<br />
1 head garlic, roasted, cooled, and skins removed from cloves<br />
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and seeds removed OR ½ C sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
1½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C fresh lemon juice<br />
1 tsp. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS) (page 339)<br />
freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Blend all ingredients well in a high-powered blender. Add a bit of water if necessary <strong>to</strong> blend <strong>to</strong> a smooth or<br />
chunky texture, whichever you prefer. We love <strong>to</strong> use a generous scoop of this as <strong>to</strong>pping for baked pota<strong>to</strong>es<br />
instead of sour cream. You can also <strong>to</strong>ss it in<strong>to</strong> whole-grain pasta with steamed veggies, or in<strong>to</strong> wraps. Can be<br />
frozen for later use.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 171
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
QUINOA MAIN DISH RECIPES<br />
Power Food, High in Protein<br />
(* = Grain / Legume combo “perfect protein” dish)<br />
The following five recipes feature quinoa, the base of some of my family's favorite dinners. <strong>12</strong>-Stepper Kris<br />
says that she often puts any salad dressing from Chapter 3 (page 75) on some cooked quinoa (10-15 min.<br />
simmered in 2 parts water <strong>to</strong> 1 part quinoa). She says every one she has tried tastes fantastic. I also recommend<br />
<strong>to</strong>ssing in<strong>to</strong> the mix any variety of your favorite chopped raw veggies <strong>to</strong> make an easy, complete meal. This is<br />
one of our favorite dinners on nights we are running around <strong>to</strong> kids’ soccer and baseball games.<br />
Another thing I love <strong>to</strong> <strong>to</strong>ss with quinoa is sweet pota<strong>to</strong> sticks sautéed in coconut oil, seasoned any way you<br />
like it and with a bit of sea salt.<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa<br />
1 C quinoa, rinsed well (soak for a few minutes, then drain in a fine strainer)<br />
1 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
2 C water<br />
½ C pecans, chopped and <strong>to</strong>asted under broiler or in dry sauté pan<br />
1 orange, red, or yellow bell pepper, diced<br />
½ C dried cranberries<br />
2 green onions, chopped (use most of the green part)<br />
C chopped cilantro<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
optional: ¼ C dried apricots, finely chopped<br />
Dressing:<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
¼ C fresh orange juice<br />
1 tsp. grated orange zest<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 Tbsp. dried basil<br />
In a saucepan, sauté the garlic in the oil, then add the quinoa and stir until <strong>to</strong>asted. Add the water and bring <strong>to</strong> a<br />
boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 min. Blend the dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender.<br />
Toss the cooked quinoa with all other ingredients and the dressing (or any Chapter 3 (page 75) dressing that<br />
features orange, lemon, or lime juice—such as Green Goddess Dressing (page 88) or Lemon-Lime Dressing<br />
(page 94). Serve cold or hot.<br />
172 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Curried Quinoa<br />
1¼ C quinoa, rinsed well (soak for a few minutes, then drain in a fine strainer)<br />
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 small onion, diced<br />
1 red bell pepper, diced<br />
1 green bell pepper, diced<br />
1 Tbsp. ginger root, grated<br />
1 can diced green chili peppers<br />
1¼ tsp. turmeric<br />
1¼ tsp. coriander<br />
¼ tsp. cinnamon<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
2 C water<br />
Rinse and drain quinoa well (after soaking for a few minutes first, so grains absorb water and don’t run through<br />
the sieve). Sauté the onions and peppers in oil in a saucepan. Add the ginger, quinoa, and green chilies, and<br />
cook for 1 min. Add the remaining spices and cook for another minute. Add the water and bring <strong>to</strong> a boil.<br />
Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 min. Fluff with a fork before serving.<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa<br />
1 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 small red onion, finely diced<br />
½ C sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, julienned or chopped<br />
2 C vegetable broth<br />
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar<br />
1 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
1 C quinoa, rinsed well (soak for a few minutes, then drain in a fine strainer)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
4-6 C broccoli, cut in<strong>to</strong> small pieces<br />
freshly ground black pepper, <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
1 C cashew pieces, <strong>to</strong>asted in oven<br />
Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for 3 min. Add the sundried<br />
<strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, vegetable s<strong>to</strong>ck, vinegar, agave, and lemon juice and bring <strong>to</strong> a boil. Stir in the quinoa and salt,<br />
then put broccoli on <strong>to</strong>p. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 20-30 min. Remove from the heat<br />
when the broccoli is tender. Add the ground pepper and cashews and <strong>to</strong>ss.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 173
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Southwest Quinoa<br />
I serve this hot, but it also makes a delicious cold salad.<br />
2 C quinoa, rinsed well (soak for a few minutes, then drain in a fine strainer)<br />
4 C water<br />
2 cans black beans, rinsed well<br />
4 medium <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, diced<br />
8 green onions, chopped (including most of the green part)<br />
1 C chopped fresh cilantro<br />
Dressing:<br />
1 heaping Tbsp. grated lime zest<br />
¼ C fresh lime juice<br />
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp. maple syrup<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
Whisk <strong>to</strong>gether the lime zest and juice, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a serving bowl. Simmer the<br />
quinoa in water uncovered for about 10 min. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 10 min. Strain any excess<br />
water. Add the quinoa <strong>to</strong> dressing and <strong>to</strong>ss well, then stir in the remaining ingredients (beans, <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es,<br />
scallions, cilantro).<br />
174 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 175
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa<br />
1 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
1 small onion, diced<br />
1¼ C quinoa, rinsed well (soak for a few minutes, then drain in a fine strainer)<br />
1 red bell pepper, diced<br />
1 C chopped carrots<br />
8 oz. sliced mushrooms<br />
1 C snow peas<br />
2½ C water<br />
1 Tbsp. Nama Shoyu (page 339) or Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
1 tsp. dried rosemary<br />
½ tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
½ C walnuts<br />
Preheat the oven <strong>to</strong> 400° and roast the walnuts for a few minutes until lightly browned. Heat the oil in a<br />
saucepan and add the onion and quinoa. Sauté over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 min. Add the red bell<br />
pepper, carrots, snow peas, and mushrooms and sauté for an additional 2 min. Add the water, Liquid Aminos,<br />
pepper flakes, and rosemary. Bring <strong>to</strong> a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 15 min.<br />
Remove the lid and simmer another 10 min. until the water is almost absorbed. When the quinoa is cooked,<br />
turn off the heat and mix in the walnuts. Let it sit a few minutes before serving.<br />
176 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
GRAIN/SEED, PASTA, AND LEGUME MAIN DISH RECIPES<br />
(* = Grain / Legume combo “perfect protein” dish)<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas<br />
Serve with hot, vegetarian refried beans, shredded vegetables (carrots, cabbage), and sliced vegetables<br />
(<strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, onions, bell peppers) stuffed inside, with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Sometimes we<br />
leave the <strong>to</strong>rtilla flat and put lots of lettuce on <strong>to</strong>p of the beans and veggies, in lieu of a salad. My husband’s<br />
family calls these “flat things” (our version doesn’t contain taco meat, though you can use taco lentils (recipe<br />
below).<br />
2¾ C plus 1 Tbsp. whole-wheat or buckwheat flour<br />
¼ C freshly ground flax seeds (do not grind flax more than a few days in advance)<br />
¼ tsp. aluminum-free baking powder<br />
½ Tbsp. seasoning (brewer’s yeast, powdered garlic, powdered sage, chili powder are some options)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 C warm water<br />
Using a dough hook in a food processor (you can also knead by hand), mix the dry ingredients, then add the<br />
wet. If it’s <strong>to</strong>o dry, add more water a spoonful at a time. Mix until a ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap<br />
and let stand for 10 min. Separate the dough in<strong>to</strong> 16 pieces and form in<strong>to</strong> balls. Roll each ball in<strong>to</strong> a very thin<br />
10" circle. Stack them on plate and cover with a damp cloth.<br />
Preheat a griddle <strong>to</strong> medium-high. Place the dough rounds on the griddle (nongreased), flipping when air<br />
pockets form and piercing the air bubbles. Tortillas are done when they are golden on both sides. Use<br />
immediately or s<strong>to</strong>re in a Ziploc bag in the fridge or freezer. Makes about 10 <strong>to</strong>rtillas.<br />
* Lentil Tacos (also Taco Salad)<br />
My friend Kristin takes taco lentils <strong>to</strong> parties as a dip—they’re a big hit!<br />
2 C lentils, well rinsed<br />
1 pkg. taco seasoning (choose one that does not include MSG or hydrolyzed protein)<br />
water<br />
Make the lentils according <strong>to</strong> package directions, but instead of just water, also add taco seasoning.<br />
Make tacos using this nutritious, tasty filling in the taco shells (or soft tacos with sprouted whole-wheat <strong>to</strong>rtillas<br />
or homemade <strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas (page 177)) instead of ground beef. Continue filling the shells/<br />
<strong>to</strong>rtillas with chopped <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, and salsa.<br />
You can also use these lentils <strong>to</strong> make taco salads by combining them with crumbled taco chips, <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, and<br />
salsa on a bed of lettuce. Serves 8 twice (as tacos and/or taco salad).<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 177
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
178 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas<br />
My kids really love this East-Meets-West recipe—and if you fry them until barely crispy on both sides, the live,<br />
sprouted nutrition of the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) is mostly retained. If using dried chickpeas, start a few<br />
days early <strong>to</strong> sprout them, rinsing, draining, and turning them in a jar 2-3 times a day.<br />
1 C dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and sprouted 3 days (will grow sprouts and become more<br />
volume than 1 C) or 1 can chickpeas, rinsed well<br />
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
2-4 Tbsp. water<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
1 tsp. cumin<br />
1 tsp. chili powder<br />
½ C sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es (drained)<br />
½ C salsa<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
<strong>12</strong> corn <strong>to</strong>rtillas<br />
2 C spinach, chopped<br />
1 C cilantro, chopped<br />
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese<br />
Put the lemon juice, olive oil, water, and garlic in<strong>to</strong> a blender, then add the chickpeas and blend until smooth.<br />
Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray or heat ½ tsp. olive or coconut oil on medium-high heat. Place a<br />
corn <strong>to</strong>rtilla in the pan, sprinkle with mozzarella, and spread hummus on <strong>to</strong>p, ½" thick. Pile the chopped<br />
spinach and cilantro and <strong>to</strong>p with another sprinkle of mozzarella. Put another <strong>to</strong>rtilla on <strong>to</strong>p, and flip after 60<br />
seconds. Fry on the other side for 60 seconds, then remove from the pan. Cut in half with a pizza cutter and<br />
serve immediately. Makes 6 quesadillas.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 179
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Mexicali Wraps<br />
Tempeh, found in health food and Asian food markets, is a delicious soy- or other grain-based fermented food<br />
that contributes <strong>to</strong> hearty dishes for those used <strong>to</strong> eating meat. Combined with the corn <strong>to</strong>rtillas, this is a unique<br />
“perfect protein” meal.<br />
1 Tbsp. coconut or extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 large yellow onion, diced<br />
1 green bell pepper, diced<br />
1 orange or red bell pepper, diced<br />
1 can diced <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, with juice<br />
½ tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />
2 tsp. chili powder<br />
1 tsp. ground cumin<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
freshly ground black pepper, <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
<strong>12</strong> oz. soy tempeh, cut in<strong>to</strong> thin strips 3" long<br />
10 corn <strong>to</strong>rtillas<br />
1 C shredded pepper jack cheese<br />
½ C cilantro, chopped<br />
Sauté the onions and bell peppers in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 min., adding the garlic for the<br />
last minute. Add the <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover, and cook<br />
for 8 min. Remove the lid and place the tempeh pieces in<strong>to</strong> the sauce, then fold <strong>to</strong>gether gently. Cover and<br />
simmer on low for 3 min.<br />
Just before serving, wrap the <strong>to</strong>rtillas in a clean dish <strong>to</strong>wel and heat in a microwave oven until hot, about 1 min.<br />
Fold the tempeh and sauce in<strong>to</strong> the <strong>to</strong>rtillas, and sprinkle with the cheese and cilantro. Serves 6-8.<br />
180 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps<br />
½ head romaine lettuce, washed and whole leaves set aside for wraps<br />
½ C medium or fine bulgur (a whole grain, found at health food and grocery s<strong>to</strong>res)<br />
1 C water<br />
1 cucumber, finely chopped<br />
½ large red onion, finely chopped<br />
½ C fresh parsley, finely chopped<br />
¼ C mint leaves, finely chopped (or 2 Tbsp. dried mint leaves)<br />
¼ C fresh dill weed, finely chopped (or 2 Tbsp. dried dill)<br />
3 large Roma <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, finely chopped<br />
1 celery stalk, finely chopped<br />
¼ tsp. ground allspice<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
¼ tsp. dried kelp<br />
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
¼ C fresh lemon juice<br />
In the morning, bring the water <strong>to</strong> a boil in a saucepan, add the bulgur, then turn off the heat and cover with a<br />
tight-fitting lid. Put the pan in a 350° preheated oven, then turn off the oven. Let the pan sit in the oven all day<br />
in order <strong>to</strong> steam. (Alternatively, bring the water <strong>to</strong> a boil, add the bulgur, reduce the heat, and simmer on low<br />
for 30 min.)<br />
Shake the lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings <strong>to</strong>gether in a pint jar. Add all the other ingredients <strong>to</strong> the bulgur<br />
and <strong>to</strong>ss. Toss in lemon juice/olive oil mixture. Scoop the mixture in<strong>to</strong> romaine lettuce leaves <strong>to</strong> serve. Serves 6<br />
(2-3 wraps each).<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 181
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Falafel Pita Pockets<br />
1 pkg. whole-wheat pita pockets<br />
1½ C dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas) (or 3 C canned garbanzo beans [taken from 2 cans], rinsed<br />
and drained; use remaining beans in a salad another day)<br />
3 C water<br />
2½ C parsley, chopped and loosely packed<br />
2½ yellow onions, chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1 tsp. cumin<br />
1 tsp. coriander<br />
1 tsp. pepper<br />
½ Tbsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. cayenne<br />
coconut oil, for frying<br />
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced<br />
2 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, sliced<br />
Soak the dried garbanzo beans overnight (or 8-<strong>12</strong> hours), then drain well. Bring 3 C water <strong>to</strong> a boil and add the<br />
garbanzo beans. Reduce the heat, simmer for 1 hour, then drain. (Optionally, use canned beans.) Blend the<br />
beans in<strong>to</strong> a paste (not <strong>to</strong>tally creamy) with the parsley and onions in a high-powered blender. Mix the paste<br />
with the spices in a bowl. Refrigerate <strong>to</strong> allow flavors <strong>to</strong> blend, then form in<strong>to</strong> small patties and fry in coconut<br />
oil until lightly browned on both sides. Serve with tahini sauce (below) and sliced <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and cucumbers in<br />
whole-wheat pita pockets. Serves 6-8.<br />
Tahini Sauce:<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C tahini (sesame seed paste)<br />
½ C fresh lemon juice<br />
3-4 Tbsp. water (or enough <strong>to</strong> make a thick but pourable sauce)<br />
Blend everything in a high-powered blender until smooth.<br />
182 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps<br />
1 pkg. sprouted whole-wheat <strong>to</strong>rtillas or 8 homemade whole-wheat flax <strong>to</strong>rtillas (recipe above)<br />
2 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
1 yellow onion, finely chopped<br />
1 tsp. ground cumin<br />
1½ tsp. ground coriander<br />
½ tsp. cayenne<br />
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, with juice<br />
1 tsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 Tbsp. tamarind concentrate (found in Asian markets and health food s<strong>to</strong>res)<br />
2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained<br />
1 10-oz. package prewashed baby spinach<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
freshly ground pepper, <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened and golden brown. Add<br />
the cumin, coriander, and cayenne <strong>to</strong> the skillet and stir well. Add the diced <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es with their juice, agave,<br />
and tamarind concentrate. Stir <strong>to</strong> mix well. Add the chickpeas and bring the mixture <strong>to</strong> a gentle boil. Reduce<br />
the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 min. Stir in the spinach and simmer until wilted. Season with salt and<br />
pepper. Serve hot, folded in<strong>to</strong> warm <strong>to</strong>rtillas. Serves 6-8.<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong><br />
This doesn’t use expensive pine nuts and is light on oil while high in greens. It’s my kids’ very favorite dinner!<br />
1½ lbs. whole-wheat spaghetti, linguine, or penne pasta, cooked according <strong>to</strong> directions<br />
1 lb. spinach, lightly steamed<br />
1 large pkg. fresh basil, leaves only (if grown in your garden, use 30+ leaves; cilantro will work if<br />
you don’t have basil)<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 large <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> or 2 Roma <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
4 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
sea salt <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
½ C walnuts<br />
optional: chopped steamed vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, or broccoli)<br />
Purée the spinach, basil, oil, <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and walnuts in a high-powered blender. Serve<br />
<strong>to</strong>ssed with cooked pasta, sprinkled with extra shredded Parmesan cheese. Add the chopped steamed carrots or<br />
cauliflower or broccoli and <strong>to</strong>ss. Serves 8.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 183
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti<br />
2 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />
1 large onion, chopped<br />
6-8 large Roma <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, diced<br />
2 C cooked lentils, drained<br />
1 C pitted green and/or kalamata olives, sliced<br />
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
8 oz. whole-grain (wheat or spelt) spaghetti<br />
1 C feta cheese, crumbled<br />
Cook the spaghetti according <strong>to</strong> package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over<br />
medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for 5 min. or until soft. Add the <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and cook for 5<br />
min. longer. Stir in the lentils and olives and heat through. Add the salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and <strong>to</strong>ss<br />
with the other ingredients, then <strong>to</strong>p with the feta cheese. Serves 8<br />
.<br />
184 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens<br />
8 oz. whole-grain penne, cooked according <strong>to</strong> directions<br />
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or 1¼ C home-cooked)<br />
1 lb. kale, washed and finely chopped<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C oat groats, soaked and sprouted 1-2 days (overnight, minimally)<br />
½ C water<br />
¼ C tahini<br />
1 tsp. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt<br />
1 tsp. cornstarch (or more/less, depending how thick you want the sauce <strong>to</strong> be)<br />
¼ C Bragg Liquid Aminos (see Appendix A)<br />
2 green onions (including the green part)<br />
Sauté the kale in the olive oil until it is very tender. Add the kidney beans and continue cooking until they are<br />
hot. Purée the oats, water, onion, tahini, salt, cornstarch, and Liquid Aminos in a high-powered blender until<br />
smooth. Toss <strong>to</strong>gether the sauce and just-sautéed greens/beans mixture with the hot, cooked pasta. Serve<br />
immediately. Serves 6-8.<br />
* Country Market Stew<br />
¾ C dried multi-bean mix, sorted and washed well<br />
½ C brown rice, rinsed well<br />
1½ cans vegetable broth<br />
1 can diced <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, with juice<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice<br />
1½ C water<br />
1 tsp. garlic powder<br />
¼ tsp. ground pepper<br />
1 yellow onion, chopped<br />
1 can chopped green chili peppers, drained<br />
Soak the beans overnight, then drain. Add the water and vegetable broth <strong>to</strong> the beans and bring <strong>to</strong> a boil.<br />
Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour (or longer, if the beans are very old), until they are beginning <strong>to</strong> be<br />
tender. Add all the remaining ingredients except the lime juice and simmer 45 min. Stir in the lime juice and<br />
serve. Serves 6-8.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 185
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Vegetarian Chili<br />
I can’t overestimate this recipe’s role in helping my mom raise eight children on my father’s military income.<br />
Vegetarian chili is inexpensive, nutritious, filling, and a complete protein with brown rice added. As kids, we<br />
loved seeing it on the table on winter evenings with chips, shredded cheese, and a big green salad.<br />
2 C dried pin<strong>to</strong> beans, soaked overnight and rinsed well or 2 cans pin<strong>to</strong> beans, rinsed well<br />
6 C water, for dried beans or 2 C water, for canned beans<br />
1 C brown rice, rinsed well<br />
1 diced yellow onions<br />
2 cans <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> sauce<br />
2 (14½ oz.) cans diced <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, with juice<br />
1 Tbsp. chili powder<br />
1 Tbsp. garlic powder<br />
¾ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. pepper<br />
1-2 bay leaves<br />
optional: 1 green bell pepper, diced<br />
optional: 1 Anaheim or jalapeño pepper, diced<br />
In a very large s<strong>to</strong>ck pot, either bring 6 C water and dried beans <strong>to</strong> a boil and then simmer for 2 hours (or<br />
longer, if the beans are very old) until they are almost tender or combine 2 C water and canned beans. Add all<br />
the remaining ingredients, simmer for 1 hour, and serve. The taste improves overnight after refrigeration. Save<br />
lef<strong>to</strong>vers <strong>to</strong> use for a baked pota<strong>to</strong> bar—or, if you have a small family, you’ll have enough <strong>to</strong> freeze for another<br />
night’s meal. Serves 8 <strong>to</strong> 10.<br />
186 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Green Lentil Soup<br />
Lentil soup is better the second day, but you may need <strong>to</strong> add water, as it absorbs water as it sits.<br />
½ lb. green or red lentils<br />
½ C brown rice, rinsed well<br />
1½ large onions, diced<br />
1 leek, diced (use green part <strong>to</strong>o, throwing away only the <strong>to</strong>p few inches)<br />
4 stalks celery, diced<br />
2½ carrots, diced<br />
1½ cloves garlic<br />
C coconut oil<br />
1½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper<br />
½ tsp. dried thyme<br />
½ tsp. cumin<br />
1½ qt. vegetable broth<br />
½ small (8 oz.) can <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> sauce<br />
1½ tsp. red wine vinegar<br />
Cover the lentils and rice with boiling water and let sit for 15 min., then drain. In a large s<strong>to</strong>ck pot, sauté the<br />
onions, leeks, and garlic with the coconut oil and seasonings until the vegetables are tender. Add the carrots and<br />
celery and sauté another 5-10 min. Add the vegetable broth, <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> sauce, and lentils.<br />
Bring <strong>to</strong> a boil and simmer uncovered for one hour. Add the vinegar and serve. Serves 6-8.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 187
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Split Pea Soup<br />
1½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 yellow onions, chopped<br />
1 bay leaves<br />
1½ cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 C dried split peas, rinsed well<br />
½ C brown rice, rinsed well<br />
7 C water<br />
2 carrots, chopped<br />
2 stalks celery, chopped<br />
1½ pota<strong>to</strong>es, diced<br />
2 Tbsp.dried (or 4 Tbsp. fresh) parsley<br />
1½ tsp. dried basil<br />
1½ tsp. dried thyme<br />
tsp. freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 Tbsp. sea salt<br />
In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until the onions are translucent. Add<br />
the peas, rice, bay leaves, salt, and water. Bring <strong>to</strong> a boil and reduce heat <strong>to</strong> low. Simmer for 20 min., stirring<br />
occasionally.<br />
Add the carrots, celery, pota<strong>to</strong>es, parsley, basil, thyme, and pepper. Simmer for 30 min. until the vegetables are<br />
tender. Serves 6.<br />
188 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup<br />
1 C dried black beans, rinsed well<br />
1 Tbsp. coconut oil<br />
1 small yellow onion, chopped<br />
1 carrot, diced<br />
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
½ Tbsp. dried oregano<br />
½ Tbsp. ground cumin<br />
1½ dried chipotle chilies<br />
1 tsp. hot chipotle sauce<br />
4 C water<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
¼ C barley (hulled, not pearled—pearling partially refines the grain)<br />
½ Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
¼ tsp. cinnamon<br />
½ C fresh orange juice<br />
¼ C chopped fresh cilantro<br />
2 tsp. sea salt<br />
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar<br />
Soak the black beans overnight, then drain and rinse well. Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high<br />
heat. Add the onion, peppers, carrots, and garlic and sauté 5 min. Reduce the heat and add the oregano, cumin,<br />
chilies, and sauce and sauté for 1 min. Add the water, bay leaves, beans, and barley. Bring the soup <strong>to</strong> a boil,<br />
then lower it <strong>to</strong> a simmer and cook uncovered for 1½ <strong>to</strong> 2 hours, until the beans are tender. Stir in the cocoa<br />
powder, cinnamon, orange juice, cilantro, vinegar, and salt and simmer for 5 min. uncovered.<br />
Remove the dried chipotle peppers before serving (either throw them away or purée them with a bit of soup and<br />
add them back in). Optionally serve with Buttermilk Cornbread (page 259) or <strong>Whole</strong> Wheat Biscuits<br />
(page 262). Serves 6-8.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 189
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry<br />
¾ C raw buckwheat<br />
1½ C water<br />
3 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
1½ Tbsp. cornstarch<br />
2 Tbsp. water<br />
½ Tbsp. rice wine vinegar<br />
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, grated<br />
½ tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 C fresh asparagus, cut in<strong>to</strong> bite-sized pieces<br />
2 C broccoli, chopped<br />
2 green onions, chopped (use most of the green part)<br />
1 red bell pepper, chopped<br />
½ clove garlic, chopped<br />
¼ C slivered almonds<br />
¼ C sesame seeds<br />
½ can mandarin oranges, drained<br />
In the morning, <strong>to</strong>ast the raw buckwheat in a dry frying pan on high heat, stirring constantly until it turns a few<br />
shades darker. Bring 3 C water <strong>to</strong> a boil in a saucepan and add the <strong>to</strong>asted buckwheat. Turn off the heat, cover,<br />
and allow it <strong>to</strong> sit until dinnertime. Using the same frying pan you used for the buckwheat, dry roast the<br />
almonds on medium-high heat a few minutes, stirring constantly, adding the sesame seeds for the last 1-2 min.<br />
until both are golden. Set aside.<br />
Purée the Liquid Aminos, cornstarch, ginger, red pepper flakes, 2 Tbsp. water, and vinegar in a high-powered<br />
blender until smooth. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil and stir-fry the vegetables and garlic until the<br />
vegetables are crisp/tender, adding the green onions only for the last 30 seconds. Pour the sauce mixture over<br />
the vegetables. Stir until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the nuts, seeds, and<br />
mandarin oranges. Serve over hot buckwheat. Serves 4-6.<br />
190 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake<br />
2¼ C water<br />
¾ C wild rice, rinsed well<br />
¾ C brown rice, rinsed well<br />
1 C water<br />
¼ C raw almonds<br />
¼ can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 C dried, cooked)<br />
1 (10-oz). bag fresh spinach, chopped (or you can use frozen chopped, well drained)<br />
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped<br />
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped<br />
1½ cloves garlic, minced<br />
1½ Tbsp. whole-wheat flour<br />
2 tsp. sea salt<br />
Bring 2¼ C water <strong>to</strong> a boil, then add the brown and wild rice. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 45 min. In<br />
a high-powered blender, blend 1 C water, almonds, and whole-wheat flour on high speed until very smooth.<br />
Pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a pan and add the mushrooms, garlic, onion, and flour. Stir often on medium heat until<br />
the mushrooms and onions are tender.<br />
Pour the hot mixture in<strong>to</strong> a high-powered blender and purée until smooth. Return the mixture <strong>to</strong> the pan and<br />
add the spinach, stirring on medium heat until it is just wilted. (If your family doesn’t like greens, you can<br />
optionally purée the sauce again with the spinach and then return the mixture <strong>to</strong> the pan.)<br />
Preheat the oven <strong>to</strong> 350°. Gently stir the kidney beans and cooked rice in<strong>to</strong> mixture in the pan, then pour<br />
everything in<strong>to</strong> a 9"x13" baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 min. until heated through. Serves 8.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 191
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce<br />
Peanuts are actually legumes, so in this dish you have the blend of amino acids in the legume plus the grain, for<br />
your body <strong>to</strong> assemble a very filling “perfect protein.” If you don’t like rice very “sticky,” don’t soak it<br />
overnight, and cook it in 4 C of water rather than 3 C. Asian ingredients can be found in the Asian section of a<br />
grocery market or in health food and Asian markets.<br />
2 C brown rice<br />
3 C water<br />
1 small yellow onion, chopped<br />
1 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp. dried basil<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
C organic peanut butter<br />
1½ Tbsp. Umeboshi plum paste (page 339)<br />
½ - 1 Tbsp. red curry paste (depending how spicy you like it)<br />
1½ Tbsp. fish sauce<br />
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
C dry-roasted peanuts, chopped<br />
¾ C cilantro, finely chopped<br />
¼ C parsley, finely chopped<br />
Wash and rinse the brown rice well. Cover with water and soak overnight, then drain well. Bring the water <strong>to</strong> a<br />
boil in a saucepan and add the brown rice, basil, and salt. Cover the pan and place it in a 350° preheated oven,<br />
then turn the oven off and leave the rice there for several hours <strong>to</strong> absorb the water. (Or, if you are in a hurry,<br />
simmer it covered on the s<strong>to</strong>ve <strong>to</strong>p for 45 min. instead.)<br />
In a small skillet, sauté the onion in the olive oil. Blend the peanut butter, Umeboshi paste, red curry paste, fish<br />
sauce, and lemon juice in a small bowl by hand. Stir both mixtures in<strong>to</strong> the cooked rice along with the peanuts,<br />
cilantro, and parsley. Serves 4-5.<br />
192 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice<br />
1½ C water<br />
¾ C basmati brown rice, rinsed well<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ tsp. ground cardamom<br />
3 whole cloves<br />
tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
tsp. turmeric<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
½ C green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut in<strong>to</strong> 1" pieces<br />
½ C carrots, chopped<br />
½ C celery, chopped<br />
Bring the water <strong>to</strong> a boil, add all the other ingredients, and stir well. Cover, reduce <strong>to</strong> medium-low heat, and<br />
cook for 45 min. Serve <strong>to</strong>pped with cold avocado sauce (below). Serves 4-6.<br />
Avocado Sauce:<br />
1½ ripe avocados<br />
1½ cloves garlic, minced<br />
½ Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
1½ Tbsp. white wine vinegar<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
1 tsp. Dijon mustard<br />
Mash avocados by hand in a small bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 193
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables<br />
1 C whole-grain couscous<br />
1¼ C water<br />
½ can black beans, rinsed and drained well<br />
½ C carrots, diced very small<br />
1 bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), diced very small<br />
1½ green onions, diced<br />
1 C mushrooms, sautéed for 2 min. in 2 tsp. olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest<br />
¼ C each fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped<br />
½ Tbsp. cumin<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
optional: C fresh mint, chopped<br />
Bring the water <strong>to</strong> a boil in a large pan, add the couscous, then turn off the heat. Cover the pan and let it sit for<br />
20 min.<br />
Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl, then add the mixture <strong>to</strong> the couscous. Toss with dressing (below) and<br />
serve warm. Serves 4-6.<br />
Dressing:<br />
C extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp. flaxseed oil<br />
¼ C fresh lemon juice<br />
1 tsp. ground turmeric<br />
Shake all ingredients in a pint jar and stir in<strong>to</strong> warm couscous mixture.<br />
194 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry<br />
¾ C dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)<br />
½ C brown rice, uncooked<br />
2 C water<br />
1 yellow onion, chopped<br />
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ tsp. cinnamon<br />
tsp. cloves<br />
¼ tsp. allspice<br />
2 C chopped new (red) pota<strong>to</strong>es<br />
1 C vegetable broth<br />
¼ C water<br />
¾ tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ C organic peanut butter (no rapeseed oil or corn syrup/sugar added)<br />
1 Tbsp. red curry paste (for medium-hot; use less if you prefer less spiciness)<br />
C molasses<br />
Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and brown rice <strong>to</strong>gether, and then soak them in water overnight and then<br />
drain well. Bring 4 C water <strong>to</strong> a boil, add the garbanzos and rice, then reduce the heat and simmer for 50 <strong>to</strong> 60<br />
min. until the water is absorbed.<br />
Sauté the onions in the oil until tender, add the spices and pota<strong>to</strong>es, and sauté <strong>to</strong>gether briefly. Add the<br />
vegetable broth, ½ C water, and salt. Simmer until pota<strong>to</strong>es are tender (about 30 min.).<br />
Add the garbanzos and rice, peanut butter, curry paste, and molasses and heat through. Serve hot. Serves 4-5.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 195
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
* Indian Green or Yellow Dahl<br />
1 C split peas (or yellow lentils, depending on whether you want green or yellow dahl)<br />
¾ C brown rice<br />
water<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
½ tsp. ground coriander<br />
1 tsp. kelp granules<br />
¾ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
½ tsp. turmeric<br />
1 tsp. cumin<br />
½ C chopped cilantro<br />
In separate saucepans, rinse the split peas and brown rice well and then drain. Cover each with fresh water and<br />
allow <strong>to</strong> soak several hours, then drain well. Add 3 C of water <strong>to</strong> the rice and 4 C of water <strong>to</strong> the split peas,<br />
bring each <strong>to</strong> a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 min. Add all the seasonings except the cilantro<br />
<strong>to</strong> split peas/lentils and mash with a spoon.<br />
Serve the dahl over the brown rice and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serves 4-5.<br />
196 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 197
Making Plant-Based Main Dishes<br />
198 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 7<br />
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To increase your use of live, sprouted foods—a quantum leap in your nutrition!—and <strong>to</strong> learn <strong>to</strong> use a<br />
dehydra<strong>to</strong>r for live snacks, lunches, and treats.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
• A few pint jars (or quarts, if you have a big family) and a few sprouting lids than you can buy<br />
very inexpensively on Amazon.com or at your health food s<strong>to</strong>re. I actually just make my own<br />
by purchasing plastic mesh sheets at a craft s<strong>to</strong>re and cutting them circle-size, <strong>to</strong> fit inside a<br />
regular or wide-mouth canning ring. Just use a canning lid as a template <strong>to</strong> cut them out. (See<br />
pho<strong>to</strong> below.)<br />
• Some raw seeds, grains, legumes, and nuts, which you can purchase at any health food s<strong>to</strong>re,<br />
usually in the bulk-foods section.<br />
• A dehydra<strong>to</strong>r (one with up <strong>to</strong> nine levels if you have a large family or want <strong>to</strong> put up garden<br />
produce in larger batches). See “Robyn’s Recommendations” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com for<br />
suggestions about the best option for raw-food preservation.<br />
This month is a rather dramatic change for most<br />
people, because very few of us are eating live foods,<br />
especially sprouts. The potential <strong>to</strong> relieve stress on<br />
your body’s organs is enormous when you take this<br />
step, because you are providing live digestive<br />
enzymes rather than drawing on your body’s reserves.<br />
Sprouting and then drying your food below 116°<br />
preserves living enzymes, vitamins, and minerals.<br />
You may know that the juice of wheat grass is a<br />
powerfully medicinal digestive aid and blood<br />
oxygena<strong>to</strong>r. But it isn’t a complete, life-sustaining<br />
food by itself. When you soak and, therefore, sprout<br />
wheat (or another grain, nut, or seed), you bring life <strong>to</strong><br />
it. You are then able <strong>to</strong> use the dense, readily available<br />
nutrition in that seed before the plant uses it.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 199
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
When most people think of sprouts, they think of the 4-inch, scraggly alfalfa sprouts sold in most grocery<br />
s<strong>to</strong>res and found on some salad bars. Because of an E. coli scare several years ago, this food has disappeared<br />
from many of the places that used <strong>to</strong> carry it.<br />
But it’s no big loss, because when you grow a sprout that long, and it sits for a week or more, like those<br />
containers of sprouts sold in your local supermarket, you lose some of the benefit anyway as the sprouts age<br />
and lose nutrition. Many commercial sprouters also spray the sprouts with enzyme inhibi<strong>to</strong>rs so they don’t go<br />
brown. Thus, sprouts should be made at home, because with only a minute or two of your time, you can sprout<br />
a much more nutritionally powerful food. Barely sprouted, you can eat less of the germinated seeds and nuts<br />
for much higher gain in vitamins and minerals.<br />
The nutrition in sprouts is maximized when they are 1 <strong>to</strong> 1½ times as long as the grain, so you should begin <strong>to</strong><br />
think of a sprout as a natural seed, legume, or grain that is barely bigger than the unsprouted version. You can<br />
slow its growth dramatically at that point by putting it in the fridge. You can also, if you want, continue<br />
growing the sprout <strong>to</strong> provide more “greens” <strong>to</strong> your diet, such as long sunflower sprouts that are wonderful in<br />
salads. To do that, you must “put it <strong>to</strong> air,” letting it obtain air and sun (on the windowsill) <strong>to</strong> grow greens.<br />
Adding sprouts <strong>to</strong> various foods—sauces, dressings, salads, cereals, and more—is a great way <strong>to</strong> increase plant<br />
protein in your diet as well, because sprouts are high in protein.<br />
Why Is Sprouting Important?<br />
Enzymes are the vitality sustaining all of our body’s processes. Without enzymes, we die. Thus, enzyme<br />
depletion causes aging, slowing cellular processes and cellular reproduction and causing cells <strong>to</strong> be susceptible<br />
<strong>to</strong> free-radical damage. We age as the body becomes unable <strong>to</strong> replace old cells with healthy new ones. This<br />
applies <strong>to</strong> immune cells, <strong>to</strong>o. Enzyme depletion is why immunity decreases with age: immune cells aren’t<br />
regenerating quickly enough <strong>to</strong> protect the body from disease.<br />
Staying young and healthy (regardless of how many years you’ve been alive) is simply a matter of keeping<br />
enzyme activity maximized in your body. Sprouts do precisely that, and they are the closest thing we have <strong>to</strong> a<br />
“fountain of youth!” 1 Enzyme expert Dr. Edward Howell says that ancient cultures ate most of their grains<br />
partially germinated (or sprouted) and that, unfortunately, modern farming prevents the grains from sprouting<br />
before being s<strong>to</strong>red. 2<br />
Sprouting seeds, grains, nuts, and legumes causes the starches <strong>to</strong> convert <strong>to</strong> easily digested sugars.<br />
Germinating activates the enzymes so the plant begins <strong>to</strong> produce vitamins that it needs for its own growth.<br />
According <strong>to</strong> research performed at the University of Minnesota, sprouting increases the nutrient density of<br />
foods. Sprouted wheat had 28% more thiamine (B1), 315% more riboflavin (B2), 66% more niacin (B3), 65%<br />
more pan<strong>to</strong>thenic acid (B5), 111% more biotin, 278% more folic acid (B9), and 300% more vitamin C than<br />
nonsprouted wheat. In some legumes, vitamins multiply by up <strong>to</strong> 500% after the bean is sprouted. Enzyme<br />
content is sometimes more than 40 times higher in the sprouted grain, and even fiber multiplies 300-400% over<br />
the ground, dry whole grain! Another change brought about in the sprouting process is that carbohydrates<br />
decrease and protein increases substantially, as atmospheric nitrogen is absorbed in the breakdown of<br />
carbohydrate molecules, reformed as amino acid building blocks of protein.<br />
200 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Note the change in mung beans after sprouting, as provided by Sprouts for Optimum Nutrition at<br />
www.healthlibrary.com 3 :<br />
Content<br />
% Change<br />
Total Calories (energy) -15<br />
Total Carbohydrates -15<br />
Calcium +34<br />
Iron +40<br />
Phosphorous +56<br />
Potassium +80<br />
Protein (availability) +30<br />
Sodium +690<br />
Vitamin A (Beta-carotene) +285<br />
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) +208<br />
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) +515<br />
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) +256<br />
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)<br />
Infinite increase<br />
Sprouts regenerate human cells and tissues because they have high concentrations of RNA, DNA, protein, and<br />
essential nutrients found only in living cells. You cannot obtain these benefits from any synthetic supplement<br />
source. All of this makes very clear the fact that we are meant <strong>to</strong> eat raw foods, the only natural sources of<br />
digestive enzymes. Although all raw foods have enzymes, they are found in most concentrated form in<br />
sprouted seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes.<br />
Sprouted wheat and other grains are highly nutritious herbs, no longer “grains.” Thus, by s<strong>to</strong>ring grains, you<br />
have the potential <strong>to</strong> always have live nutrition “in season,” even when fruits and vegetables are in short<br />
supply. Legumes’ starches are broken down by the sprouting process, and those who experience gas/bloating<br />
from eating legumes generally have no problems with sprouted legumes. That’s because when germination<br />
occurs, oligosaccharides that cause flatulence decrease by 90%.<br />
The LDS Church (Mormons), known for encouraging members <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>re food for emergencies, suggests s<strong>to</strong>ring<br />
200 lbs. of grain per person, per year. My family follows this counsel, and we keep 1,200 lbs. of grain for a<br />
one-year supply! One could live on the nutrition in grains quite well, while other foods are unavailable, if those<br />
grains are sprouted. You can get basic calculations of how many pounds of grains and legumes <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>re for your<br />
family's size on www.lds.org.<br />
How Can I Eat Bread with Sprouted Grains?<br />
Sprouted grain can be made in<strong>to</strong> a powerfully nutritious, “live” bread called Essene bread. I know someone<br />
who lives almost exclusively on 14 oz. of dry wheat a day—in the form of Essene bread. His bread is just<br />
sprouted wheat, ground and baked in a round loaf at 185° (in a homemade oven made with light bulbs) for<br />
three hours. (Some of the enzymes will die at that heat, as they are fragile and are damaged when heated over<br />
115°.)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 201
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
The idea of soaking and sprouting grain and drying it in<strong>to</strong> bread comes from an apocryphal book of scripture<br />
known as The Essene Gospel of Peace that some say contains the teachings of Jesus <strong>to</strong> a congregation of<br />
Essenes.<br />
To make Essene bread, you sprout wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, or oats according <strong>to</strong> the directions below. When the<br />
tail (or “hairs”) are about as long as the wheat berries, you then grind the grains (with a meat grinder or food<br />
processor, or you can use a Champion juicer with the homogenizing plate on). You can also add in chopped<br />
nuts or dried fruits such as almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, dates, raisins or apricots. Then form the<br />
dough in<strong>to</strong> patties about 1" thick and dehydrate them at 100-115° for several hours until the desired texture is<br />
achieved. (In an emergency situation, you could allow the bread <strong>to</strong> dry in the sun as described in The Essene<br />
Gospel.) Even a small amount of this bread is very filling, because it is so nutrient dense.<br />
If your family doesn’t like sprouted- or fermented-grain food, you can sprout wheat berries and then dry them<br />
in your dehydra<strong>to</strong>r below 115°. Then grind them in your grain mill and use the flour in any recipe that calls for<br />
it, preferably recipes not cooked at high heats.<br />
How Do I Sprout Grains, Nuts, and Seeds?<br />
More complicated ways of sprouting exist: a Yahoo online group is dedicated just <strong>to</strong> sprouting, and they talk<br />
about complicated methods using blankets, mesh bags, soil, and all kinds of gadgets, and they support each<br />
other in successes and failures. The following simple and quick method has worked for me the past 15 years<br />
and takes just a minute or two of my time. (I also show this in a short GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube video:<br />
http://tiny.cc/4VM1J.)<br />
For anything you choose <strong>to</strong> germinate, fill of a pint or quart jar with the seed or nut. Leave it on a counter<br />
with the remaining of the jar filled with filtered water. Let small seeds like alfalfa/clover/radish sit for about<br />
4-6 hours, and then put the sprouting lid on and drain the water completely. The sprouting lid can be<br />
cheesecloth inside a canning lid, or wire or plastic mesh (I buy plastic mesh from craft s<strong>to</strong>res) cut <strong>to</strong> fit the<br />
inside of a canning lid. You can also purchase canning lids with screens in them at health food s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
With larger beans like mung or garbanzo, or seeds like sunflower or pumpkin, soak 8 them hours or overnight<br />
before draining. (If you accidentally forget and let them go <strong>to</strong>o long, it’s no big deal—just drain them as soon<br />
as you remember.) I find soybeans and wheat berries difficult <strong>to</strong> sprout, because they go sour or moldy easily.<br />
Wheat berries sprout in soil more easily.<br />
Put the jar of soaked and drained seeds on its side, turning it two or three times during the day. The second<br />
morning, rinse and drain the sprouts again. You do this until you see the seeds/nuts just barely begin <strong>to</strong> grow a<br />
sprout, usually after a day or two. With almonds or other nuts, don’t worry about them growing a sprout: they<br />
are germinated and “live” after soaking for eight hours.<br />
Then remove the sprouting lid and put a regular, air-tight canning lid on the jar. Put the sprouts in the fridge,<br />
where growth will slow, and they will last a week or two. Sprouting will happen more quickly in warm<br />
weather. If you live where it is hot and humid, or if you are sprouting in late summer, rinse and turn your<br />
sprouts more often.<br />
202 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
What <strong>Foods</strong> Should I Sprout?<br />
Cashews are somewhat heat treated and will not germinate. Also, in September 2007, the almond growers in<br />
California were required by law <strong>to</strong> begin pasteurizing almonds, which heat treats them above 115° and makes<br />
them unsproutable. This means that, since California produces 80% of the world’s almonds, those who care<br />
about enzymes now have <strong>to</strong> go <strong>to</strong> more trouble <strong>to</strong> find raw almonds for sprouting. (They can still be sold under<br />
certain conditions and in certain limited amounts <strong>to</strong> consumers.)<br />
I recommend you always have soaked, dried almonds on hand for snacks (see Sprouted Almond Recipes on<br />
page 210). This is a good on-the-fly lunch with a green smoothie. Almonds taste wonderful, are lower in fat<br />
than other nuts, high in fiber, and are alkaline-forming, nutritional standouts. Try <strong>to</strong> always have some of this<br />
snack on hand for emergencies where you’d be tempted <strong>to</strong> turn <strong>to</strong> other crunchy foods that aren’t nutritious.<br />
Since I seem <strong>to</strong> always be running behind, I often just grab a little bag of dehydrated sprouted almonds with me<br />
<strong>to</strong> work, and my kids often eat them as an after-school snack. Nuts are good for you, great sources of fiber, B<br />
vitamins, and good fats. But they can be enzyme inhibi<strong>to</strong>rs until germination unlocks their impressive enzyme<br />
potential. Use sprouted/dried almonds in any recipe calling for almonds.<br />
Soak 8+ C of raw almonds overnight, and then drain. They do not need <strong>to</strong> grow sprouted “tails.” In fact, they<br />
will likely grow mold before that—but germination occurs in an 8-hour soak, so dehydrate the nuts after that<br />
until they are crunchy, <strong>to</strong> avoid mold. You need truly “raw” almonds <strong>to</strong> germinate them, since all almonds<br />
coming from California now are pasteurized and, therefore, unsproutable. (You can get up <strong>to</strong> 100 lbs. per day<br />
direct from a California rancher. We facilitate an annual group buy in Oct./Nov. so you can do that. You will<br />
know about it if you are signed up for the GreenSmoothieGirl.com free newsletter or “Like” the GSG<br />
Facebook page.)<br />
Place the almonds on dehydra<strong>to</strong>r racks and dry at 105° until completely dry (6-<strong>12</strong> hrs.). S<strong>to</strong>re in the fridge. (I<br />
learned the hard way that if not completely dry, sprouted almonds will mold if you leave them out on the<br />
counter for more than a few days in the summer.)<br />
Besides the nutritional advantage, the middle of the soaked almonds pop open, and when dehydrated, they<br />
make a crunchy snack that’s lighter and more fun <strong>to</strong> eat than regular almonds.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 203
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Additionally, I suggest you have three types of sprouts in your fridge at all times, <strong>to</strong> use in these ways:<br />
• Sprout an alfalfa/clover mix, and add a large spoonful <strong>to</strong> your granola or oatmeal every morning. Also<br />
notice that you can put 2 Tbsp. in many of the salad dressing recipes in Chapter 3. Alfalfa is one of the<br />
best natural sources of vitamin K. This nutrient helps blood <strong>to</strong> clot by moving calcium in<strong>to</strong> proteins that<br />
form a microscopic net <strong>to</strong> capture red blood cells. Vitamin K likewise helps bones <strong>to</strong> knit by working<br />
with vitamin D <strong>to</strong> build good bones. Your body can’t use calcium without it. Alfalfa not only helps keep<br />
calcium in bones, but it also helps keep calcium out of the linings of arteries.<br />
• Sprout sunflower seeds, which have a mild flavor and most people like, and add a spoonful of these <strong>to</strong><br />
your granola or other cereal every morning.<br />
• Sprout savory, heavier seeds such as broccoli seeds and mung beans—add ¼ - ½ C <strong>to</strong> a dinner salad or<br />
sandwich. The only thing more nutritious than broccoli is a sprouted broccoli seed!<br />
Other Sproutable <strong>Foods</strong><br />
Beans: kidney, lima, black, soy, adzuki—ready in 3 days<br />
Buckwheat: ready in 2 days<br />
Grains: wheat, rye, oats, spelt, Kamut, barley—ready in 3-4 days (rinse very well and be careful <strong>to</strong><br />
avoid standing water in the grains)<br />
Legumes: lentils—ready in 3-4 days<br />
Nuts: pecans, walnuts—ready in 1 day<br />
Quinoa: ready in 1-2 days<br />
Seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, melon, sesame—ready in 2-3 days<br />
Small seeds: chia, onion, radish, clover, flax, cress, fenugreek, coriander, carrot—ready in 2 days<br />
204 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
The Virtues of Flax Seed<br />
Flax, a seed cultivated since ancient times but gaining new popularity the more it is studied, is one of the most<br />
perfect foods available in nature. I can’t think of a food that, by itself, provides as many benefits. When you<br />
soak flax a few hours so that it germinates, it is absolutely unparalleled, nutritionally. The American Cancer<br />
Institute has acknowledged 27 different compounds in flax that are anti-carcinogenic!<br />
Flax is comprised of 35% essential fatty acids (EFAs), the ones your body cannot manufacture on its own and<br />
must be provided by diet. More than half of those EFAs are Omega-3s, critical for heart health and hard <strong>to</strong> find<br />
in other foods. No other food has higher Omega-3s than flax does.<br />
The flax seed also is high in protein, vitamins, and phy<strong>to</strong>nutrients, and it contains a massive dose of fiber—<br />
both soluble and insoluble. In a flax cracker with ¼ C of seeds, you get 10 grams of fiber!<br />
Little-known but critically important compounds that<br />
are garnering more interest from researchers are<br />
lignans, which are important in immune function and<br />
help neutralize estrogens and metabolize<br />
phy<strong>to</strong>estrogens. Flax has 75-800 times more lignans<br />
than any other plant foods. It has also been linked <strong>to</strong><br />
preventing depression, and it’s the first food I<br />
recommend when someone tells me they’ve been<br />
battling a mood disorder.<br />
All these benefits <strong>to</strong>gether yield immune support,<br />
healthy digestion and cholesterol levels, a positive<br />
mood, and even glossy hair and dewy skin. I<br />
recommend you buy whole flax, not preground seeds.<br />
Flax oxidizes quickly when ground. When you grind<br />
them in your high-powered blender (or an inexpensive coffee grinder), you should use them right away or s<strong>to</strong>re<br />
them in the fridge for only a short period of time before using them. I buy them in bulk in our<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com group buys and freeze gallon bags of flax for use in granola and crackers made in my<br />
dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. I share my family’s favorite recipes with you in this chapter.<br />
A small amount (1-2 Tbsp.) of flax daily is plenty. Don’t overdo it, as it is powerful medicine and estrogenic in<br />
<strong>to</strong>o-large quantities.<br />
Dehydrated Snacks<br />
Using the dehydra<strong>to</strong>r is a great way <strong>to</strong> preserve live food, <strong>to</strong> add crunch <strong>to</strong> living food if you like chips and<br />
crackers, and <strong>to</strong> find new and interesting ways <strong>to</strong> eat treats that are exploding with life and nutrition. My<br />
favorite lunch is a green smoothie and dehydrated live-food crackers with guacamole or eggplant dip. Eating a<br />
lunch like this will give you massive energy throughout the afternoon until dinnertime.<br />
To preserve all the enzymes in the food, dehydrate under 115° To be safe, I set my dehydra<strong>to</strong>r at 105°, which<br />
takes a bit longer. Dehydrating preserves food rather well, but if the snack is not completely dry and you keep<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 205
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
it at room temperature in the pantry, it will mold in warm weather. Put anything chewy or not completely dry in<br />
the fridge, if you won’t be eating all of it in a few days.<br />
IMPORTANT! Always drink water with a dehydrated food, because those foods will rehydrate in your s<strong>to</strong>mach, pulling<br />
liquids from anywhere it encounters them. Without moisture, the mucilaginous foods like flax do less<br />
good, because they cannot absorb <strong>to</strong>xins on their way through the body and are instead sticky and<br />
looking for hydration.<br />
In general, I recommend drinking no water 20 min. before or 90 min. after a meal, since water dilutes the<br />
gastric juices (pyloric and hydrochloric acids) needed for digestion. Try <strong>to</strong> get in the habit of drinking two<br />
glasses of water no sooner than 30-60 min. before each meal. However, an important exception is that with<br />
dehydrated fruits, crackers, etc., you must add the water that dehydration has removed by drinking a glass of<br />
water with it.<br />
Money-Saving Tips<br />
• Nuts, seeds, and legumes can be fairly inexpensive when bought in bulk. After you experiment with<br />
small amounts from the bulk foods area of your local health food s<strong>to</strong>re, and you figure out what types of<br />
sprouts you like and will use, find a local buying co-op (such as Azure Standard, which has everything<br />
you can get at your health food s<strong>to</strong>re) and buy a few pounds or more at a time, <strong>to</strong> save significant<br />
amounts of money.<br />
Ask someone you know who is “in<strong>to</strong>” nutrition and health who she knows, then call that person, and so<br />
on, until you find the healthy buying co-ops. I am in at least half a dozen local co-ops. That includes<br />
one I run myself for group buys, as well as a couple of community-supported agriculture (CSA) organic<br />
co-ops. Joining a CSA is a great idea <strong>to</strong> keep your local growers in business and reduce the carbon<br />
emissions you are responsible for, since local food doesn’t require lots of fossil fuel <strong>to</strong> transport.<br />
If you cannot find an Azure Standard buying co-op, you may be able <strong>to</strong> start one by contacting them<br />
(azurestandard.com) <strong>to</strong> inquire about a monthly drop-off for you and others near you who want <strong>to</strong> eat<br />
right and save money, as several <strong>12</strong>-Steppers have done in California, Canada, and the Pacific<br />
Northwest.<br />
• You can buy a clover/radish/alfalfa mix, but if you buy them individually and mix them in gallon bags,<br />
you save significantly. I leave the radish out because I want the mild flavors <strong>to</strong> use mostly in granola<br />
(and radish seeds have a “kick”).<br />
• I have a large freezer in my garage, in addition <strong>to</strong> the two small freezers in the side-by-side refrigera<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
in the kitchen. I use the deep freeze <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>re gallon Ziploc bags of alfalfa-clover seed mix, sunflower<br />
and pumpkin seeds, almonds, and cashews (cashews are not generally fully raw and, therefore, will not<br />
sprout).<br />
If I ever had <strong>to</strong> rely on my food s<strong>to</strong>rage, I would depend on these items <strong>to</strong> give my family live nutrition,<br />
offsetting and improving whatever other low-quality foods we may be forced <strong>to</strong> eat in an emergency<br />
situation. Raw seeds, nuts, and grains are some of very few s<strong>to</strong>rage items that are high in nutrition.<br />
Unfortunately, seeds and nuts will not keep well for a year or more on the shelf, and should really be<br />
frozen if you want them <strong>to</strong> last longer than three <strong>to</strong> six months.<br />
206 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
Take a few minutes <strong>to</strong> write down anything you noticed after a month of using sprouted, live nutrition in your<br />
daily routine. Make sure <strong>to</strong> record what sprouted foods you were eating, so you can refer <strong>to</strong> this in the future<br />
when you no longer remember your initial experimentation.<br />
1. Do you find you have more energy since eating live foods?<br />
2. Do you find you sleep better because of less work involved for your body in digesting cooked food?<br />
3. Do you find that crunchy, live snacks satisfy your snacking or salty cravings?<br />
4. Do you feel your time investment in making live food is worth it?<br />
5. Do you notice any other health benefits?<br />
6. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?<br />
7. Any other observations during this month?<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 207
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
208 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 209
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
SPROUTED ALMOND RECIPES<br />
You will enjoy plain dehydrated almonds—but for both a savory and a sweet snack, try the following variations<br />
as well after soaking and dehydrating. I can’t keep any of them around for more than a couple of days after I<br />
make them, and they are good Christmas gifts for the neighbors. (If you’re the resident health food nut, your<br />
friends come <strong>to</strong> expect that you’re going <strong>to</strong> give them something healthful!)<br />
Sprouted-Nut Milk<br />
For a milk <strong>to</strong> use on cereal, soak any seed or nut (such as almonds), drain, and then purée with four times as<br />
much water as nuts. With almonds, you can strain the pulp and make dehydra<strong>to</strong>r cookies with it rather than<br />
throw it away.<br />
Candied Nuts<br />
8 C raw almonds (or pecans), soaked and dehydrated at 105° approx. 6 hours<br />
C chopped dates, soaked and drained<br />
1½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice<br />
C water<br />
½ C maple syrup<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. butter, butterscotch, or rum flavoring<br />
Blend all ingredients except almonds in a high-powered blender until smooth. Pour in<strong>to</strong> a bowl and fold nuts<br />
in, stirring <strong>to</strong> coat. Let nuts sit for 20 min. <strong>to</strong> absorb the liquid, then stir again. Spread the nuts on Teflex sheets<br />
in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. Dry at 105° for about 16 hours. Place the nuts on mesh sheets and dry again until crunchy<br />
(about 10 hours).<br />
Teriyaki Almonds<br />
10 C raw almonds, soaked and dehydrated at 105° approx. 6 hours<br />
½ C chopped dates, soaked and drained<br />
C Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
2 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 tsp. garlic powder<br />
1 tsp. cayenne<br />
2 tsp. prepared brown mustard<br />
Blend all ingredients except the almonds in a high-powered blender on high until smooth. Pour in<strong>to</strong> a bowl,<br />
add the almonds, and stir well. Let the mixture sit for an hour <strong>to</strong> allow the nuts <strong>to</strong> absorb the liquid, then stir<br />
again. Spread the nuts on Teflex sheets in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. Dry at 105° for about 16 hours. Place the nuts on mesh<br />
sheets and dry again until crunchy (about 10 hours).<br />
210 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Cocoa Almonds<br />
2 C raw almonds, soaked and dehydrated at 105° approx. 6 hours<br />
1 Tbsp. coconut oil, warmed in hot water if necessary so it’s liquid<br />
2 Tbsp. date syrup<br />
1 Tbsp. raw chocolate powder or nonalkalized unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
¼ tsp. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS) (page 339)<br />
Soak raw almonds in water overnight, then drain and allow them <strong>to</strong> air dry (an hour or two). Mix all remaining<br />
ingredients <strong>to</strong>gether well, then stir in the nuts. Spread mixture evenly on dehydra<strong>to</strong>r tray and dry until no longer<br />
wet/sticky—about 14-18 hours, below 115°.<br />
Almond Cherry Cookies<br />
2-2½ C almond pulp<br />
¼ C natural peanut butter<br />
1 C sesame seeds, soaked several hours and drained<br />
1 tsp. almond extract<br />
½ C honey (raw)<br />
¼ tsp. nutmeg<br />
½ tsp. cinnamon<br />
1 C Craisins, soaked several hours and drained<br />
Process all ingredients except the Craisins in a high-powered blender until smooth. Add the Craisins and blend<br />
on low just <strong>to</strong> chop up the Craisins, not purée them. Press large spoonfuls on<strong>to</strong> Teflex sheets in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r.<br />
Dehydrate for <strong>12</strong>+ hours until dry on the <strong>to</strong>ps, then flip and dry another 2 hours until desired consistency is<br />
achieved.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 211
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
SPROUTED PUMPKIN SEED RECIPES<br />
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds<br />
6 C raw pumpkin seeds (hulled)<br />
pure water<br />
C Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
2 tsp. “The Zip” seasoning mix (by Spice Hunter, found at health food s<strong>to</strong>re) or other spicy seasoning<br />
(Avoid MSG and salt. One idea: 1 tsp. cayenne, and 2 tsp. basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)<br />
Soak the pumpkin seeds in water overnight, then drain well. Dry the seeds in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r for 3-4 hours until<br />
they are mostly dry (<strong>to</strong> be able <strong>to</strong> absorb liquid again). Blend the Liquid Aminos and the seasoning mix in a<br />
high-powered blender. Pour the mixture on<strong>to</strong> the pumpkin seeds and stir well. Let them sit, stirring<br />
occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed (15-30 min.). Spread them on Teflex sheets in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r and dry<br />
until crispy (a few hours).<br />
SPROUTED-SEED CRACKERS/CHIPS RECIPES<br />
Nori Nachos<br />
This is a great recipe if you like cheesy chips—and it’s a great way <strong>to</strong> get iodine-rich nutritional thyroid<br />
support.<br />
6 sheets raw nori (roasted has a milder flavor)<br />
1 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong><br />
1 carrot<br />
2 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
¼ C cashews<br />
½ C macadamia nuts<br />
¼ C sunflower seeds<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
Puree the <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>, carrot, vinegar, and lemon juice until smooth in a high-powered blender for about 60<br />
seconds. Then add the remaining ingredients except the nori sheets and blend again until smooth, about another<br />
60 seconds.<br />
Spread the mixture in a thin layer on the nori sheets. Cut the sheets in<strong>to</strong> desired shapes and place on racks in a<br />
dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. Dry below 115° for approximately 24 hours until crispy. S<strong>to</strong>re in a paper sack at room temperature.<br />
2<strong>12</strong> <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers<br />
The bright green “batter” looks daunting, but the crackers dry <strong>to</strong> a darker color—and they got six thumbs-up<br />
from my family the first time I made them. To be objective, the response was not as positive from my niece<br />
who was spending the night, who did politely try them. These crackers are a nutritional powerhouse. If you will<br />
be traveling and unable <strong>to</strong> take your high-powered blender with you, you’ll miss your green smoothies less if<br />
you take along these crackers. Don’t forget <strong>to</strong> eat them with a big glass of water, <strong>to</strong> “rehydrate” in your<br />
s<strong>to</strong>mach!<br />
1 C flax seeds<br />
1 C sunflower seeds<br />
1 C pumpkin seeds<br />
1 C sesame seeds<br />
3 large bunches of leafy greens (collards, kale, chard)<br />
2 onions<br />
½ - 1 C fresh (or 2-4 Tbsp. dried) basil<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes<br />
2 C water<br />
½ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
Blend all four seed types in<strong>to</strong> a meal in a high-powered blender. Place the mixture in a large bowl and set aside.<br />
Blend all the other ingredients in<strong>to</strong> a smooth purée, then fold it in<strong>to</strong> the dry meal. Mix it well and let it sit for 2-<br />
4 hours. Spread the mixture ¼" thick on Teflex trays and dry at 105° for 24 hours or until the <strong>to</strong>ps are dry. Flip<br />
and remove the Teflex, then continue drying until crispy. Break them in<strong>to</strong> cracker pieces, and keep them in<br />
Ziploc gallon bags in the fridge if they will last you longer than a week.<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips<br />
Serve with guacamole for a perfect snack or lunch of good fats, varied textures, and live nutrition.<br />
4 C corn (fresh or frozen)<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ C water<br />
½ C ground flax seeds<br />
1 large Anaheim pepper<br />
1 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 bunch cilantro<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
Mix all ingredients except the flax in a high-powered blender until smooth, then add the flax slowly while<br />
continuing <strong>to</strong> blend. Spread the mixture in thin layers on Teflex sheets in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. After several hours, turn<br />
and score in<strong>to</strong> large triangles. Finish drying until the chips are crispy.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 213
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers<br />
Soak in 4 C water for several hours:<br />
3 C flax seeds (half brown, half golden)<br />
1 C raw sunflower seeds<br />
Shred in food processor, or very finely dice:<br />
1 red bell pepper<br />
2 carrots<br />
Purée in high-powered blender:<br />
4 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
2 stalks celery<br />
4 cloves garlic, peeled<br />
C Nama Shoyu (page 339)<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
1 Tbsp. chili powder<br />
Mix all three mixtures <strong>to</strong>gether well, by hand, and spread about ¼"<br />
thick on plastic dehydra<strong>to</strong>r sheets. Cut in<strong>to</strong> cracker shapes and<br />
dehydrate at 105° until crackers are dry on <strong>to</strong>p (about 24 hours). Turn<br />
over, remove the Teflex sheets, and finish drying until the crackers<br />
are crispy.<br />
We like <strong>to</strong> eat these plain, but we also often put slices of avocado on<br />
<strong>to</strong>p.<br />
214 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 215
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Parmesan Flax Crackers<br />
4 C flax seeds, ground dry in high-powered blender<br />
3 C water<br />
C Parmesan cheese<br />
1 tsp. garlic powder<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
Soak the flax seed for 2-4 hours in the water. Add additional water if the mixture is <strong>to</strong>o thick <strong>to</strong> spread. Add the<br />
Parmesan and seasonings, then mix well. Spread ¼" thick on<strong>to</strong> Teflex sheets on dehydra<strong>to</strong>r trays and dry at<br />
105° until the <strong>to</strong>ps are dry. Then flip and remove the Teflex sheets, and finish drying until the crackers are<br />
crispy. Break them in<strong>to</strong> pieces and s<strong>to</strong>re in the fridge if they will last you longer than a week.<br />
Savory Flax Crackers<br />
2 C flax seeds<br />
1 C water<br />
½ C alfalfa or clover seeds, soaked 2 hrs. and drained<br />
2 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
1 large onion (chopped in<strong>to</strong> four pieces)<br />
2 stalks celery, chopped in<strong>to</strong> a few pieces<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1 tsp. caraway seeds<br />
1 tsp. coriander<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
optional: ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />
Grind the flax seed dry in a coffee grinder or a high-powered blender, then set aside. Blend all the other<br />
ingredients in a high-powered blender. Fold the ground flax seed in<strong>to</strong> the blended mixture by hand (the dough<br />
will be slimy). Cover and ferment the dough slightly (2-3 days). Spread the dough ¼" thick on<strong>to</strong> dehydra<strong>to</strong>r<br />
sheets, cut in<strong>to</strong> cracker shapes, and dry at 105° until the <strong>to</strong>ps are dry. Turn in each tray, remove the Teflex<br />
sheets, and finish drying until the crackers are crispy.<br />
216 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
KALE CHIPS<br />
My favorite thing <strong>to</strong> do with my dehydra<strong>to</strong>r is make kale chips. In two crispy, enjoyable bites, you’ve eaten an<br />
entire huge leaf of kale, one of the most powerful greens there is! The dehydra<strong>to</strong>r removes the water with a bare<br />
minimum of nutrient and enzyme loss, qualifying it as a “raw food.” These are three recipes <strong>to</strong> help you learn<br />
yet another simple habit <strong>to</strong> get more low-calorie, high-nutrition, alkalizing, disease-preventative green food in<br />
your diet.<br />
Dill Pickle Kale Crisps<br />
¼ C chopped onion<br />
2 garlic cloves<br />
1½ Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar<br />
½ tsp. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS) (page 339)<br />
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 Tbsp. dried dill<br />
1 C cashews<br />
1 Tbsp. lemon juice<br />
16 kale leaves<br />
Blend all but the kale leaves in high-powered blender, adding a minimum of water <strong>to</strong> make mixture blend. Pour<br />
in<strong>to</strong> a shallow bowl and dip one side of each kale leaf in<strong>to</strong> the mixture. Dehydrate the kale crisps, dipped side<br />
up, until dry and crispy, below 115° in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. Do not seal in Ziploc bags or Tupperware, or they lose<br />
their crispiness. I leave them in the dehydra<strong>to</strong>r racks or put them on a plate until they’re gone.<br />
Lemony Kale Crisps<br />
8-10 large leaves of kale (any kind), washed and dried<br />
C extra virgin olive oil<br />
C fresh lemon juice<br />
½ tsp. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS) (page 339)<br />
Cut off stems, then chop kale in<strong>to</strong> 2" strips. In a large bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt with a fork<br />
until well blended. With your hand, mix in kale pieces and rub mixture in<strong>to</strong> them. When all are well coated,<br />
place kale pieces on dehydra<strong>to</strong>r trays. Dry at 105° for <strong>12</strong> hours or until crispy. Eat within a few days, as s<strong>to</strong>ring<br />
in a Ziploc bag or sealable container causes the crisps <strong>to</strong> lose their crunch.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 217
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
“Cheesy” Collard / Kale Crisps<br />
20-30 small collard or kale leaves<br />
C cashews<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
3 Tbsp. water<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
tsp. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS) (page 339)<br />
¼ C brewer’s (nutritional) yeast<br />
2 green onions (including green part)<br />
½ tsp. chili powder<br />
½ tsp. cayenne<br />
¼ tsp. turmeric<br />
1 clove fresh garlic, peeled<br />
black pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Blend all the ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth, then pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a plate or pie tin.<br />
Press one side of the washed and dried kale or collard leaves in<strong>to</strong> the mixture. Place dry side down on<br />
dehydra<strong>to</strong>r trays and dry below 116° until crispy (about 4-6 hours).<br />
218 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
OTHER RECIPE IDEAS<br />
In addition <strong>to</strong> the “raw” crackers in this chapter, when you’re craving something crunchy, you can also quickly<br />
cut whole-wheat pita bread, corn <strong>to</strong>rtillas, or sprouted-wheat <strong>to</strong>rtillas in<strong>to</strong> large triangles and broil them in the<br />
oven for a few minutes until lightly browned (or you can dehydrate sprouted <strong>to</strong>rtilla triangles) <strong>to</strong> make crispy<br />
chips. Optionally, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and sea salt before broiling.<br />
Now that you have plenty of crunchy snack ideas, following are five great ideas <strong>to</strong> increase your vegetable,<br />
enzyme, and good fats consumption, and with varying textures and tastes—perfect with your dehydrated chips/<br />
crackers.<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars<br />
This is a high-energy snack created by my friend Debbie Mackin<strong>to</strong>sh.<br />
1½ C pitted dates<br />
½ C raisins (soaked with the dates in 4 C water overnight)<br />
1 C raw sunflower seeds<br />
¼ C sesame seeds (soaked with the sunflower seeds in 2½ C water overnight)<br />
¼ C golden flax seeds (soaked in ½ C water for a few hours or overnight)<br />
1 C buckwheat (soaked in 2 C water overnight)<br />
½ tsp. cinnamon<br />
½ tsp. nutmeg<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
½ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
pinch of sea salt<br />
¼ C ground flax seeds<br />
C raisins<br />
¾ C almonds, soaked, drained, and chopped<br />
¾ C pecans, chopped<br />
¾ C dried fruit (any kind), chopped<br />
optional: 2 allspice berries<br />
optional: 2 whole cloves, crushed<br />
Drain and rinse all the seeds. Cream the dates and raisins and their soak water in a high-powered blender while<br />
adding the next 8 ingredients (buckwheat through salt) <strong>to</strong> the blender. In a large bowl, hand mix the seeds with<br />
the creamed fruit mixture. Then add the final 5 ingredients (flax through dried fruit) and mix well.<br />
Pat the mixture on<strong>to</strong> Teflex sheets in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. Let it dry about <strong>12</strong>-15 hours at 105°. Peel off the Teflex and<br />
dry another 2 hours or until chewy.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 219
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Sprouted Hummus Spread<br />
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed well (Optionally, substitute half-sprouted chickpeas: soak<br />
½ C dry chickpeas overnight, drain, then rinse twice a day for two days.)<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1 C fresh parsley, chopped<br />
½ C raw sesame tahini<br />
½ C fresh lemon juice<br />
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp. sea salt<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth, using a spatula <strong>to</strong> scrape the sides.<br />
220 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Roasted Eggplant Spread<br />
1 medium eggplant<br />
1 red or white onion, peeled<br />
2 red bell peppers, seeded<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 Tbsp. <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> paste<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 400°. Chop the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion in<strong>to</strong> cubes approx. 1" square and then <strong>to</strong>ss<br />
them with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast them on a baking sheet for 45 min. until lightly browned<br />
and soft, turning once during cooking.<br />
Put the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a high-powered blender, add the <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> paste, and pulse until chunky-smooth.<br />
Salsa<br />
I collect many salsa recipes, but this one’s my enduring favorite. Salsa is the greatest thing <strong>to</strong> make in the highpowered<br />
blender—no more chopping, so a big batch takes just five minutes!<br />
10+ medium <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es<br />
1 lg. or 2 med. onions<br />
5-10 cloves garlic<br />
1 jalapeño pepper<br />
1 Anaheim pepper<br />
2-5 tsp. chili powder<br />
1-2 tsp. cumin<br />
1-2 tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice<br />
sea salt and freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
1 bunch cilantro (you can put it directly in<strong>to</strong> the high-powered blender, but I like <strong>to</strong> chop this one<br />
ingredient by hand and add it at the end—the machine can make it a bit stringy)<br />
optional: 1 bell pepper, chopped<br />
optional: 2 chopped avocados and 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained<br />
Place all ingredients (except half of the <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, and any optional items) in a high-powered blender. Blend<br />
until smooth, then add the reserved <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, already chopped cilantro, and any optional items. Pulse until<br />
desired chunky consistency is achieved.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 221
Sprouting and Dehydrating<br />
Guacamole<br />
1 avocado<br />
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice<br />
1 <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>, finely chopped (or ¼ C fresh salsa)<br />
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro<br />
¼ tsp. garlic powder<br />
½ tsp. dried kelp<br />
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Mash the avocado with a fork and stir in other ingredients, mixing well.<br />
222 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 8<br />
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with<br />
Natural Probiotics<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To learn about why fermented foods promote excellent gastrointestinal health and begin making and<br />
eating them.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
You will need wide-mouth quart or pint jars as well as a wooden pounder for making sauerkraut, and<br />
quart or half-gallon jars for making yogurt/kefir. You may wish <strong>to</strong> purchase kefir grains <strong>to</strong> make kefir<br />
or culture starter <strong>to</strong> make yogurt and/or fermented vegetables. Find a source under those <strong>to</strong>pics on<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com under “Robyn Recommends.”<br />
When I <strong>to</strong>ok the step of making<br />
and eating fermented foods, my<br />
family and I completely s<strong>to</strong>pped<br />
getting sick. Where I used <strong>to</strong> get<br />
sick 10 times every winter<br />
throughout my childhood,<br />
college, and well in<strong>to</strong> my 20s, I<br />
now go year after year after year<br />
not getting sick at all.<br />
The importance of this step<br />
cannot be overstated, especially<br />
in a world where harmful viral<br />
and bacterial organisms are<br />
becoming “superbugs” and antibiotics are no longer the savior they once were.<br />
If I had <strong>to</strong> pick the two most important steps in this course, it would be Step 1 (green smoothies) and<br />
this one. Why is this Step 8, then, rather than Step 2? Because it's very unfamiliar <strong>to</strong> most people. If<br />
you are ready for it, you are an advanced thinker and you are a truth seeker willing <strong>to</strong> do what most in<br />
the mainstream won’t. My observation is that even if their lives are at risk, most people will not change<br />
their diet.<br />
Not that this step is difficult. It’s amazingly easy. But I say that <strong>to</strong> congratulate you. These are easy, but<br />
advanced-thinking, habits.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 223
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
I suggest a goal of trying all of the fermented foods in this chapter in the coming month. Then, adopt your<br />
favorites as habits and eat at least two different fermented foods every day.<br />
Fermented Vegetables<br />
Perhaps you grew up, as I did, preserving fruits and vegetables by putting them in jars with lots of sugar and<br />
boiling or pressure-cooking them <strong>to</strong> death (literally). Until I began studying nutrition, I got a lot of satisfaction<br />
out of “putting up” fruits from my trees and vegetables from my garden this way.<br />
Unfortunately, by heavily cooking our produce, we kill all the enzymes and most of the vitamins and minerals<br />
as well—which are the reasons <strong>to</strong> eat produce in the first place. The more I studied about nutrition, the less I<br />
was willing <strong>to</strong> can at the end of the summer. I chopped and froze many things, and still do, but the freezer can<br />
hold only so much.<br />
Imagine my excitement <strong>to</strong> learn that ancient cultures, without canning methods or freezers, preserved<br />
vegetables for long periods of time, using lac<strong>to</strong>-fermentation. Europeans, Asians, and Russians use fermented<br />
foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi <strong>to</strong>day, and the U.S. is almost alone in not regularly eating fermented<br />
foods. Although we have pickles and sauerkraut on our grocery s<strong>to</strong>re shelves, unfortunately, they are heattreated<br />
and chemically processed <strong>to</strong> the point that the benefits of natural, raw fermentation are gone.<br />
Lactic acid is a natural substance, present everywhere, that inhibits the bacteria that cause plant foods <strong>to</strong> rot.<br />
But lac<strong>to</strong>-fermenting has more significant advantages beyond simply preserving summer garden produce<br />
throughout the winter. Fermented vegetables have much higher vitamin content. They also promote healthy<br />
microorganisms populating the gastrointestinal tract <strong>to</strong> protect against harmful bacteria that cause illness,<br />
discussed in more detail below. Cultured foods are more digestible than regular vegetables, and they make the<br />
other foods eaten with the fermented product more easily digested as well. Some of the byproducts of the lac<strong>to</strong>fermentation<br />
process are antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic in nature.<br />
The process of lac<strong>to</strong>-fermentation begins when lids are placed tightly on jars, and the salt preserves the<br />
vegetables long enough for the microorganisms <strong>to</strong> begin <strong>to</strong> proliferate enough for more long-term preservation<br />
<strong>to</strong> occur. Using whey from your yogurt or kefir (discussed below) or a culture starter you can purchase are<br />
ways <strong>to</strong> minimize the amount of salt in a sauerkraut recipe, since the whey or culture introduces live,<br />
multiplying organisms. So I recommend starting your fermented-food experiments this month with kefir or<br />
yogurt, and then you can branch out using the whey/culture <strong>to</strong> ferment veggies.<br />
Fermented vegetables, including homemade sauerkraut, should be used as a condiment at meals. Sauerkraut is<br />
easy <strong>to</strong> make from your garden cabbage—and if you don’t have a garden, cabbage is widely available for a<br />
good price at grocery s<strong>to</strong>res in the late summer and early fall. You don’t even need new canning lids! Used lids,<br />
and canning jars run through the dishwasher, are just fine.<br />
Fermented Dairy Products<br />
This step is very possibly the most important step since Chapter 1’s green smoothies in terms of the potential<br />
positive impact on your health for very little effort. Some evidence shows that fermented milk products prevent<br />
224 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
bone loss and cardiovascular diseases. Kefir and yogurt are a great source of Vitamin B<strong>12</strong>, which most people<br />
believe is deficient in vegans.<br />
Tryp<strong>to</strong>phan is abundant in milk and has a well documented calming effect on the nervous system. It converts <strong>to</strong><br />
sero<strong>to</strong>nin, which you need <strong>to</strong> avoid depression. It also helps achieve a regular, peaceful sleep cycle and<br />
prevents constipation. Conversion of tryp<strong>to</strong>phan requires Vitamin B6, which goat’s milk and cow’s milk kefir<br />
also contain in high amounts.<br />
But one of my favorite benefits of kefir is that when you’ve established a strong population of “friendly”<br />
bacteria in the gut, you’re able <strong>to</strong> metabolize sugar much more easily—natural sugars from fruit, but also<br />
occasional refined sugars if you choose <strong>to</strong> eat them. That’s because the “friendly” yeast and bacteria eat sugars<br />
for their food, thus potentially reducing the effect of those sugars on your own body. (Still, you should<br />
minimize or eliminate refined sugar.) And when you eat lots of cultured foods, your craving for sugary foods<br />
decreases dramatically.<br />
Daily consumption of these foods is a habit of many ancient cultures and modern indigenous peoples who live<br />
long and are disease free. Fermented milk products are extremely common in Western and Eastern Europe,<br />
Russia, Scandinavia, the Middle East, and Africa. In fact, Westerners consuming unfermented animal milk is<br />
unique in the world and a relatively new tradition.<br />
This is the only place in this book that I promote the use of an animal product as highly nutritious. When<br />
fermentation occurs in a dairy product, enzymes proliferate and milk protein (casein) becomes much more<br />
digestible. The enzyme lactase predigests lac<strong>to</strong>se proteins, and several enzymes created by the fermentation<br />
process increase absorption of calcium and other minerals. Even “lac<strong>to</strong>se-in<strong>to</strong>lerant” people usually have no<br />
problem with cultured dairy products like kefir and yogurt. They are also ideal foods for babies, elderly people,<br />
and those with digestive problems. Claude Aubert, in Les aliments fermentés traditionnels, quotes research that<br />
yogurt proteins are digested twice as quickly as those same proteins in unfermented milk. 1<br />
Thus cultured dairy products are a host for beneficial organisms that populate and protect the human<br />
gastrointestinal tract. Some strains of healthy bacteria actually support other strains and they are your insurance<br />
against a takeover by harmful bacteria resulting in infectious diseases. Dr. Bernard Jensen’s extensive studies<br />
show that most Americans have a ratio of 10:1 favoring bad bacteria rather than the exact opposite, a 10:1 ratio<br />
favoring good bacteria, which indicates a healthy digestive system and protects us from illness. 2 Many people<br />
in the Western world <strong>to</strong>day are susceptible <strong>to</strong> harmful bacteria due <strong>to</strong> the absence of good, homemade<br />
fermented foods plus the widespread consumption of <strong>to</strong>xic foods.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 225
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
I personally asked Colin Campbell, author and lead researcher of The<br />
China Study, about the beneficial properties of yogurt or kefir, since the<br />
protein consumed in his animal studies was casein derived from cow’s<br />
milk. He acknowledged that his studies have not examined fermented<br />
products and people’s or animals’ reactions <strong>to</strong> them. Chemical changes<br />
occur in dairy products when lac<strong>to</strong>-fermentation takes place that may<br />
mean a place is warranted in the human diet for these types of animal<br />
products. Keep in mind that Campbell’s studies involved 20% animal<br />
protein diets and 5% animal protein diets (not 0%). That said, pure<br />
vegans can also make kefir out of raw coconut liquid (or canned, though<br />
raw is more nutritious) using water kefir grains (shown at right).<br />
I made a gallon of yogurt every week for many years until I learned that<br />
kefir has a wider variety of probiotic organisms, both bacteria and<br />
friendly yeasts, than yogurt does. These colonize the digestive tract well<br />
(and also the birth canal, which is important for expectant mothers).<br />
Kefir is also easier <strong>to</strong> make once you acquire infinitely reusable kefir<br />
grains (as starter) and it does not require cooking the milk, thereby preserving its enzyme content. Kefir is<br />
more liquid, whereas yogurt is firmer. Yogurt will support the probiotic strains in your gut that keep it clean,<br />
but kefir will actually colonize the gut proactively.<br />
Now I make a gallon of yogurt or kefir every week. I serve it every morning <strong>to</strong> my kids as a smoothie, blended<br />
with bananas and other fruit (along with a bowl of granola and sprouts). You can also make delicious, creamy<br />
popsicles with yogurt/kefir blended with fruit. Keeping the gastrointestinal tract colonized with healthy<br />
bacteria from daily kefir or yogurt dramatically boosts your body’s ability <strong>to</strong> fight bad bacteria. I believe it <strong>to</strong><br />
be the reason none of my children has ever had strep, the flu, or any infection in well over 10 years—nothing<br />
requiring an antibiotic.<br />
“Antibiotic” literally means “against life,” and “probiotic” means “for life”! Taking an antibiotic kills all the<br />
good bacteria as well as the bad, leaving your body wide open <strong>to</strong> the next infection that comes along. So if you<br />
or your child takes a course of antibiotics, you can replenish the good microorganisms killed in your gut by the<br />
antibiotics with about 30 days of eating live, fermented probiotic foods such as kefir or yogurt, raw cultured<br />
vegetables, and/or kombucha.<br />
Unfortunately, antibiotics are so powerful and devastating, often children will become ill again before that<br />
significant amount of time needed for good bacteria <strong>to</strong> regain a foothold has passed. Therefore, my family<br />
avoids antibiotics except in absolute crisis, as a once- or twice-in-a-lifetime event.<br />
Many people take expensive probiotics, which are dried and dormant. These probiotics are inferior <strong>to</strong> the<br />
growing and thriving bacteria in live yogurt or kefir—a very inexpensive, effective probiotic!<br />
Kefir—which originated in the Caucasus region and is still a daily staple there, as well as having become<br />
popular in parts of Europe and the Middle East—is less familiar <strong>to</strong> Americans than yogurt. Some research<br />
suggests that the right-turning, active, live bacteria in kefir are far superior and more beneficial <strong>to</strong> the digestive<br />
tract than left-turning, transient yogurt cultures. Kefir actively populates the gastrointestinal tract with more<br />
species of natural flora, whereas yogurt merely supports that colonization of the gut. The lac<strong>to</strong>se in kefir is<br />
digested by the time you eat it, with the proteins broken down, so it can be used by many people with milk<br />
226 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
sensitivities. And you don’t have <strong>to</strong> scald the milk, so all the enzymatic benefits of raw milk are preserved<br />
when you make kefir.<br />
To make it, you use kefir “grains,” best obtained from someone<br />
near you who has extra (the grains grow and proliferate). Or you<br />
can purchase live kefir grains online: see the “Kefir Grains”<br />
<strong>to</strong>pic under “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com.<br />
You can purchase dried kefir starter at health food s<strong>to</strong>res, but you<br />
have <strong>to</strong> continually buy it for each batch, whereas grains are<br />
infinitely reusable and are live rather than dried. (You do have <strong>to</strong><br />
feed them fresh milk every day, <strong>to</strong> keep them healthy and<br />
proliferating.)<br />
Kefir does have a slightly stronger taste, so if you like yogurt<br />
and aren’t sure about kefir, you can start with yogurt. You can<br />
certainly purchase yogurt at the s<strong>to</strong>re rather than make it, though it will be a pasteurized product, often with<br />
less-than-ideal additives. If you do purchase, be sure <strong>to</strong> buy plain, organic yogurt. Flavored yogurts (even<br />
vanilla) are full of sugar and corn syrup—some of them have more sugar than ice cream!<br />
Although you can purchase yogurt, by buying a gallon of milk and fermenting it in<strong>to</strong> yogurt or kefir, you’ll<br />
save at least 75% of what you’d spend buying that same amount of commercial yogurt/kefir. Once you’ve<br />
made milk in<strong>to</strong> yogurt/kefir, it lasts a long time in the fridge (preserved by lac<strong>to</strong>-fermentation), unlike the milk<br />
it is made from that goes bad in a week or so (even if it is pasteurized). I have never had yogurt or kefir go bad<br />
in my fridge.<br />
Raw milk is best—but if you can’t obtain that, at least find milk from cows that are untreated by hormones.<br />
S<strong>to</strong>res that sell hormone-free milk usually promote it very publicly (with loud outcries and much regulation by<br />
government agencies, because of the pressure by the large dairy companies who use hormones). The dairy<br />
industry is very powerful and wants <strong>to</strong> promote fear about raw milk—and certainly about goat’s milk, its<br />
competi<strong>to</strong>r. Small goat farmers in some states have been so squeezed by the dairy industry’s chokehold on the<br />
FDA that they cannot sell goat’s milk as “food.” You may have <strong>to</strong> find a small local farm <strong>to</strong> sell it <strong>to</strong> you as a<br />
product “unintended for human food.”<br />
Goat’s milk is often <strong>to</strong>lerated well by people who have problems with cow’s milk. It is not mucous-forming<br />
like dairy is, because it has a much smaller fat molecule than cow’s milk that permeates the human semipermeable<br />
membranes. When the body produces mucous in response <strong>to</strong> a food, that’s a sign that the body<br />
wants <strong>to</strong> flush that food out. Getting an occasional cold is a positive thing, because thin, clear mucous is a<br />
natural defense mechanism that bathes and cleanses the tissues and organs. Lots of mucous production and<br />
mucous turning thick and discolored (yellow or green), however, causes a buildup of acids in the body that are<br />
destructive at a cellular level, burning out tissue binders and leading <strong>to</strong> many chronic health problems.<br />
Goat’s milk is more similar <strong>to</strong> human mother’s milk than cow’s milk and, therefore, makes a more nutritious<br />
yogurt or kefir if you have access <strong>to</strong> it. My oldest child had very negative reactions <strong>to</strong> cow’s milk when I was<br />
<strong>to</strong>o young <strong>to</strong> know better and he was constantly fighting a green snotty nose. I switched <strong>to</strong> goat’s milk, and the<br />
mucous never returned. I weaned all my other children on<strong>to</strong> raw goat’s milk, yogurt, and kefir with only<br />
positive results. However, at times, I have been unable <strong>to</strong> obtain raw goat’s milk and I have discovered that my<br />
children do fine with cow’s milk only in its fermented (predigested) forms of yogurt or kefir. I credit strong<br />
internal populations of beneficial organisms from daily kefir/yogurt consumption with the fact that none of my<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 227
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
children has ever had strep, the flu, or any infection or other serious illness. None has ever had yellow/green<br />
(stagnant, acidic) mucous since I made nutritional changes those many years ago.<br />
My mother and some of my friends love <strong>to</strong> drink kefir straight. I don’t personally drink milk of any kind, but I<br />
add two tablespoons of whey <strong>to</strong> my Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothies <strong>to</strong> get the health benefit, or I use part or all<br />
coconut-liquid kefir in it. Whey is the clear yellow liquid that separates from the creamy white part of yogurt or<br />
kefir and it is rich in sodium (not table salt, or sodium chloride, but naturally occurring sodium that you need <strong>to</strong><br />
get from food <strong>to</strong> build healthy tissues).<br />
In addition <strong>to</strong> taking a probiotic, many of us take digestive enzymes. But some studies suggest that cultured<br />
foods will actually replenish the body’s enzyme s<strong>to</strong>res, helping us digest other foods. Bringing fermented foods<br />
back, since they have been largely lost since ancient times, is an important step in achieving health and<br />
wholeness.<br />
I recommend making yogurt or kefir first this month, because having some whey on hand (especially<br />
homemade) is very helpful in making sauerkraut with consistent results and with minimal salt added. In fact, if<br />
you anticipate bottling lots of fermented vegetables for a garden harvest, for instance, you may want <strong>to</strong><br />
s<strong>to</strong>ckpile whey for a week first.<br />
TIP: If you want <strong>to</strong> make fermented vegetables but making whey is daunting for you, or you do not want <strong>to</strong> use any<br />
animal products, we have a vegetable starter recommendation for you. Click on “Robyn Recommends” on<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com, then select “Culture Starter” <strong>to</strong> learn more.<br />
Fermented Grains<br />
Vegetables and dairy products can be fermented, but by far the least expensive, easiest food <strong>to</strong> ferment for<br />
outstanding health benefits are grains.<br />
Ann Wigmore pioneered the technique of sprouting and then fermenting grains. A half gallon of Rejuvelac—a<br />
drink made from cultured, live grains—will cost you about a nickel. I drank a few glasses a day at Creative<br />
Health Institute in Michigan, one of the Ann Wigmore institutes. Direc<strong>to</strong>r Bobby Morgan wrote me later,<br />
“You can ingest huge amounts of nutrients, but unless your body is able <strong>to</strong> actually absorb them, they’re<br />
useless. Dr. Ann Wigmore taught us that Rejuvelac is full of the vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates,<br />
destrines, caccharins, and phosphates that our bodies need <strong>to</strong> be healthy. In fact, she felt that ‘Although a<br />
beverage, Rejuvelac is actually so nutritious, it could be classified as a food by itself.” 3<br />
At CHI, we were <strong>to</strong>ld not <strong>to</strong> drink Rejuvelac after 4 p.m. because it gives you so much energy that it could<br />
interfere with your sleep. This leads <strong>to</strong> a good strategy for those who suffer with low energy, rather than using<br />
chemical stimulants and caffeine, which are not natural and are harmful in a variety of ways.<br />
I use Rejuvelac as a base for my green smoothies. I did not write about this in Chapter 1 and I do not talk about<br />
it in my lectures, because it is <strong>to</strong>o advanced for people currently entrenched in the Standard American Diet. I<br />
have learned that people must take baby steps, and Rejuvelac, as simple as it is <strong>to</strong> make and use, is <strong>to</strong>o far<br />
outside mainstream concepts most people have been exposed <strong>to</strong>.<br />
228 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
Some wonder if Rejuvelac (also Kombucha and other fermented foods) are alcoholic. There is a very small<br />
amount of alcohol produced naturally in the chemical process of digestion. Your gut, however, produces<br />
alcohol as well, far more than in a fermented tea or grain drink, especially if you eat sugar. In fact, one of the<br />
major causes of indigestion is undigested proteins, as a chronic problem. And the best way <strong>to</strong> improve that<br />
situation? Eating probiotic-rich foods, because the cultures also help break down those proteins in the gut as<br />
well. The amount of alcohol produced in a natural cultured food is less than 0.005%, compared <strong>to</strong> beer, which<br />
would be 0.04% or higher.<br />
I read about Rejuvelac 20 years before I began making it. My failure <strong>to</strong> originally implement this habit was due<br />
<strong>to</strong> a bit of a controversy about it. My friend, Dr. Brian Clement, direc<strong>to</strong>r of the Hippocrates Institute in Florida,<br />
said that in the 1980s they tested Rejuvelac <strong>to</strong> be “contaminated.” I do not believe that just because there are<br />
bad bacteria in some foods that we should avoid those foods. In fact, even in an ideal condition, the human gut<br />
is 10% bad bacteria and 90% good. (Most Americans, according <strong>to</strong> Dr. Bernard Jensen, have the opposite ratio:<br />
90% bad, 10% good.) I believe that the successful use of Rejuvelac by Ann Wigmore, Max Gerson, and many<br />
other natural and holistic practitioners warrants serious consideration of the practice of making and consuming<br />
this delicious and inexpensive power food. It gives the body higher ability <strong>to</strong> neutralize and eliminate<br />
organisms that jeopardize our health.<br />
I’ve made a YouTube video showing how <strong>to</strong> make Rejuvelac. Watch it at http://tinyurl.com/3ubw5bj.<br />
Money-Saving Tips<br />
Everything in this chapter will save you money! Using a gallon of milk <strong>to</strong> make kefir saves quite a bit of money<br />
over buying it commercially. And growing lots of cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and beets in your garden allows<br />
you <strong>to</strong> put up, almost for free, dozens of quarts of raw, fermented vegetables that you may find keep illnesses at<br />
bay throughout the winter. If you have incorporated many of the suggestions in the first eight months of this <strong>12</strong>-<br />
step program, you should find that from here on out, your family will be much healthier through the winter.<br />
And Rejuvelac is the most inexpensive habit in this entire course, costing you a nickel a day.<br />
If you have incorporated many of the suggestions in the first eight months of this <strong>12</strong>-step program, you should<br />
find that from here on out, your family will be much healthier through the winter. That in itself is a significant<br />
health-care cost savings, in terms of both money and stress.<br />
If you enjoy fermented vegetables and would like many more recipes for fruit chutneys and ways <strong>to</strong> preserve<br />
more vegetables (radishes, turnips, and more), I recommend Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions. I do not<br />
agree with Fallon’s promotion of heavy use of animal proteins (including flesh), based on my own research and<br />
experience, along with empirical evidence such as that found in The China Study that came out after<br />
Nourishing Traditions was published. (Fallon does, at least, advocate for organic meats and only cultured milk<br />
products.) However, much of her information is very correct, especially the fermented vegetables and fruits and<br />
dairy products chapter, as well as her information on good fats. I also like all the his<strong>to</strong>rical information about<br />
the dietary practices of various healthy cultures and the quotes from many nutrition sources in the page<br />
margins. I recommend owning a copy of this important book. 4<br />
If you’re like me, you don’t want <strong>to</strong> own and milk goats, though I understand they make great pets. So call<br />
around and network <strong>to</strong> find a small, family farm or ranchette with goats that produce milk, and get on a weekly<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 229
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
schedule <strong>to</strong> pick yours up. This is much less expensive (as well as more nutritious and natural) than buying<br />
homogenized, pasteurized goat’s milk from the rare grocery s<strong>to</strong>re that carries it.<br />
Find your local community-supported agriculture groups that will sell you organic local produce such as<br />
cabbage, apples, and even corn that you can pick yourself for free at the end of the harvest. Join all the email<br />
lists of buying co-ops. I am a member of at least six of them locally, including one I run myself for group buys<br />
several times a year. By doing this, in addition <strong>to</strong> saving money and supporting local agriculture, I have made<br />
quite a few friends who enrich my life and teach me many things. They are experts in herbal remedies, or<br />
gardening, or yeast-free bread making, and they give me a support system for raising a healthy family that I<br />
value tremendously. In fact, I learned about fermenting vegetables, making yogurt, and baking sourdough,<br />
whole-grain breads from people in early co-ops I joined.<br />
Sea salt needed in fermentation is certainly more expensive than refined table salt, but I buy it inexpensively<br />
from a local co-op (this year from the local family-owned Bosch s<strong>to</strong>re) in a 25-lb. bag. We should have salt on<br />
hand for emergency supplies anyway, and salt lasts forever, so there’s no concern about it going bad. For<br />
cooking purposes, buy it finely granulated.<br />
If you do not have cold s<strong>to</strong>rage in your basement, you can dig a dirt cellar next <strong>to</strong> your house while it is still<br />
warm, using a wooden lid <strong>to</strong> lift when you want <strong>to</strong> remove something. A buried barrel or box can also work,<br />
and you can read more about these options in Eliot Coleman’s Four-Season Harvest. 5 You can s<strong>to</strong>re your<br />
fermented vegetables—as well as raw root vegetables such as carrots, pota<strong>to</strong>es, turnips, and onions—in an<br />
easily built root cellar <strong>to</strong> last through the winter.<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
After beginning <strong>to</strong> use fermented foods, especially after you’ve gone through your first winter, take note of any<br />
health changes you have experienced.<br />
1. After a winter of using fermented foods, note whether you succumbed <strong>to</strong> viruses and infections less<br />
often than usual (or not at all).<br />
2. When you add fermented foods <strong>to</strong> any meal, do you have fewer or no digestive disturbances, quick and<br />
easy digestion, and easier sleep?<br />
3. Do you notice any other health benefits?<br />
4. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?<br />
5. Any other observations during this month?<br />
230 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 231
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
232 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
KEFIR RECIPES<br />
Learning <strong>to</strong> make kefir is one of the most important steps in the <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> course. It’s easy <strong>to</strong> make and, when<br />
eaten daily over a period of time, can begin <strong>to</strong> heal the gut from antibiotic use and many degenerative gut issues<br />
plaguing many, if not most, in the Western world. If you are going <strong>to</strong> indulge in a small amount of refined sugar<br />
occasionally, having a gastrointestinal tract well populated with good microorganisms is the best way <strong>to</strong> break<br />
those sugars down without harm <strong>to</strong> you. And because it is easy <strong>to</strong> put in<strong>to</strong> your diet every day, kefir may be the<br />
very best way <strong>to</strong> accomplish that.<br />
NOTE: These instructions assume you have live kefir grains, which will allow you <strong>to</strong> make kefir indefinitely, using the<br />
same living grains. (For my recommendation on obtaining live kefir grains, see the “Kefir Grains” <strong>to</strong>pic under<br />
“Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com.) If you purchase a dried starter, you can follow the<br />
directions on the box.<br />
Dairy or Goat Milk Kefir<br />
1 quart jar (or however much you will use in a day)<br />
1 qt. raw milk* (dairy or goat)<br />
2 Tbsp. live kefir grains or one packet culture starter (find a source on GreenSmoothieGirl.com under<br />
“Robyn Recommends”)<br />
* Not all milk is made equal. You may believe that skim or 1% milk is best, if you were indoctrinated in the<br />
“low-fat” age. In fact, it is a refined product, and whole milk is far superior nutritionally. The best option for<br />
your kefir is raw goat’s milk, if you can obtain it and if you like the taste. My second choice would be organic,<br />
raw, whole cow’s milk. (You must culture it when it’s very fresh, as it goes bad quickly.) Lastly, if you cannot<br />
obtain those, at least make sure your milk is Rbst/hormone free.<br />
1. Put kefir grains (or dried kefir start, like Yogourmet’s, that states it has both beneficial or “friendly”<br />
bacteria and yeast) in<strong>to</strong> the jar. Then fill it with the milk, leaving a couple inches of headroom.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 233
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
2. Put the jar on the counter (or, in the winter, put it on <strong>to</strong>p of the fridge where the heating coil is, near a<br />
heat vent, or under a light bulb for warmer conditions) and stir occasionally.<br />
The mixture is cultured after 1-2 days, and faster in a warmer place than a colder place. It will usually<br />
separate in<strong>to</strong> layers, including the whey (clear, yellowish liquid), and it will smell tart.<br />
3. Stir and strain out the kefir grains (if that’s what you used) with a slotted spoon or fine-meshed strainer<br />
<strong>to</strong> keep in the fridge for later use.<br />
Drink kefir plain with a meal for excellent digestion or make it in<strong>to</strong> smoothies with bananas in your highpowered<br />
blender. The kefir will keep for one <strong>to</strong> two weeks in the fridge, and the grains will keep indefinitely.<br />
234 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
Coconut Liquid Kefir / Water Kefir<br />
Vegans may prefer <strong>to</strong> make kefir from coconut liquid or from water. It does not get thick; fermenting makes it<br />
fizzy and tangy. I use it every morning in my Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie (see Ch. 10).<br />
Put 1 <strong>to</strong> 3 Tbsp. of water kefir grains (pictured left) in a<br />
pint jar of coconut liquid. Cover it with a lid and leave it<br />
for 24 hours at room temperature. (Do not refrigerate kefir<br />
grains of any kind. If you do, they will become dormant<br />
and inactive.)<br />
I simply strain the water grains from the coconut liquid that<br />
has been sitting on my counter for 24 hours with a small,<br />
fine-meshed strainer. I transfer it <strong>to</strong> a new jar of coconut<br />
liquid for the next day. It’s okay if the grains ferment the<br />
liquid for an extra day or for less than a day. The longer<br />
you allow the fermentation process, the more tart and tangy<br />
your kefir becomes.<br />
You can get water kefir grains, which are different than milk grains, by selecting “Kefir Grains” on the “Robyn<br />
Recommends” tab on GreenSmoothieGirl.com. Or you can purchase a dehydrated starter at some health food<br />
s<strong>to</strong>res—and then, after making your first batch, you can use a little of the old batch <strong>to</strong> start a new batch. (Do<br />
this for up <strong>to</strong> two batches, but then use a new start <strong>to</strong> ensure your cultures don’t degrade over time.) Live kefir<br />
grains are better, compared <strong>to</strong> dried starter.<br />
To s<strong>to</strong>re and <strong>to</strong> grow your water grains, or <strong>to</strong> make true<br />
“Water Kefir,” fill a quart jar with filtered water and C<br />
organic Sucanat, coconut palm sugar, or agave. Add 1 tsp.<br />
molasses or a piece of an egg shell (make sure the egg has<br />
been cleaned out), because water grains thrive on minerals.<br />
Stir until dissolved and then add ¼ <strong>to</strong> 1 C water grains.<br />
Cover and let it sit at room temperature for up <strong>to</strong> five days.<br />
This, by itself, can be consumed as Water Kefir. The sugars<br />
are mostly consumed by the fermentation process. You can<br />
then start a new batch using the same grains.<br />
You can watch my short GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube<br />
video showing how <strong>to</strong> open and drain a young coconut (www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi). Don’t use an older (hairy, brown)<br />
coconut, which will not likely contain much liquid. Alternatively, you can purchase coconut liquid (also known<br />
as “coconut water”) in cans from a health food s<strong>to</strong>re or Asian s<strong>to</strong>res (I have even seen them at Wal-Mart).<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 235
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
YOGURT RECIPES<br />
Basic Yogurt Recipe<br />
Scald no-hormone-added milk on the s<strong>to</strong>ve (turn the s<strong>to</strong>ve off when a light skim forms on the <strong>to</strong>p and tiny<br />
bubbles appear around the edges of the milk, as shown in the pho<strong>to</strong> below). Let cool until milk is still very<br />
warm but no longer hot.<br />
Pour milk in<strong>to</strong> half-gallon or quart jars. Stir in about 3 Tbsp. plain yogurt per half-gallon of milk (at first, you<br />
may purchase this from the s<strong>to</strong>re, but after that, save out a cup of yogurt <strong>to</strong> start your next batch). Stir gently<br />
but thoroughly. Pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> your quart or half-gallon jars and seal the lids.<br />
Turn your oven on (any temperature) for 90 seconds just <strong>to</strong> warm it up, then turn it off. Place the sealed jars in<br />
the oven for 8-<strong>12</strong> hours. (Or, you may prefer <strong>to</strong> put the jars near a heat vent, possibly covered by a wool blanket<br />
for slightly higher temperatures.) I have sometimes forgotten my yogurt for over 24 hours, which does not<br />
cause a problem.<br />
Although the thickness will vary depending on a<br />
variety of fac<strong>to</strong>rs, you can tell fermentation has<br />
occurred because the milk smells tart when it has<br />
become yogurt. Remove from the warm<br />
environment and refrigerate. Yogurt keeps for<br />
weeks because of the natural preservative of the<br />
cultures in the milk.<br />
236 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
Almond Yogurt<br />
2 C dry, raw almonds<br />
2 C filtered water, plus more for almond soaking<br />
1 tsp. probiotic powder (see the “Culture Starter” <strong>to</strong>pic under “Robyn Recommends” on<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com)<br />
optional: pinch of vanilla bean<br />
Put almonds in a bowl and cover with several inches of filtered water. Soak for 4-8 hours and drain. Rinse well.<br />
Blend soaked almonds with 2 C filtered water, probiotic powder, and optional vanilla in your high-powered<br />
blender for 1 min.<br />
Pour mixture in<strong>to</strong> a container with a lid, but leave the lid off. Cover with a tea <strong>to</strong>wel for 4 hours in a warm<br />
place, then for no more than 8 hours in a cooler place. Cover the container with its lid, s<strong>to</strong>re in fridge, and use<br />
any time within a week. (Microorganisms will continue <strong>to</strong> flourish in the fridge.)<br />
TIP: This yogurt makes a wonderful smoothie base, or it can be mixed with fruit and soaked pumpkin, chia, or<br />
sunflower seeds for breakfast.<br />
OTHER FERMENTED DAIRY RECIPES<br />
Crème Fraîche (Sour Cream)<br />
1 packet culture starter (see “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com)<br />
1 pt. organic, fresh, heavy whipping cream<br />
1 qt. jar with lid<br />
Pour cream in<strong>to</strong> quart jar and let sit for 30 min. <strong>to</strong> come <strong>to</strong> room temperature. Add culture starter, put lid on jar,<br />
and shake well. Let sit for 24 hours at room temperature. Shake again. Refrigerate until used. Texture and<br />
flavor improve over about 2-3 days.<br />
Cultured Butter<br />
1 packet culture starter (see “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com)<br />
1 pt. organic, fresh, heavy cream<br />
1 qt. jar with lid<br />
Refrigerate empty jar. Pour cream in<strong>to</strong> jar and add culture starter. Put lid on jar and shake for about 30 min.<br />
until mixture has separated in<strong>to</strong> butter and buttermilk. (You can also use a churn or an electric hand mixer in a<br />
chilled bowl.) Refrigerate until used.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 237
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
REJUVELAC RECIPE<br />
½ C wheat (any type), rye, quinoa, buckwheat, triticale, or other whole and unmilled grain<br />
½ gal. filtered or distilled water<br />
Soak grains for 6-8 hr. in a quart jar. Drain water, cover jar with a screened lid, and lay the jar on its side for the<br />
grain <strong>to</strong> spread out and be exposed <strong>to</strong> air. Cover with tea <strong>to</strong>wel <strong>to</strong> keep light (and fruit flies, in summer) out of<br />
the aerating jar.<br />
Rinse and drain the sprouting grain, twice a day, for 1-2 days. The grain does not need <strong>to</strong> grow a long tail <strong>to</strong> be<br />
sprouted.<br />
Put grain and half of the water in a high-powered blender and pulse for about 1 min. until grain is broken down.<br />
Then pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a half-gallon jar (or two quart jars) along with the remaining water. Cover the jar<br />
with a mesh lid, then cover the lid with a tea <strong>to</strong>wel.<br />
Allow the mixture <strong>to</strong> culture in a dark place for 24 hours or more. The longer the mixture ferments, the more<br />
tart it becomes. Do not be alarmed that the mixture does not smell particularly appealing! It should taste tart<br />
and lemony, reminiscent of the grain you have sprouted. If you feel the need <strong>to</strong> smell it, just rest assured it does<br />
not taste like it smells.<br />
I have never had Rejuvelac mold. I have heard of it happening, though. If yours molds, throw it out and start<br />
again. This is more likely <strong>to</strong> happen when the fermented grain is neglected for <strong>to</strong>o long or when your<br />
conditions are very hot and humid.<br />
Cover the Rejuvelac and refrigerate it. It will last up <strong>to</strong> 1 week in the fridge. I use it with the sprouted grain as<br />
the base of green smoothies. However, if I drink it as a beverage, I strain out the grain solids with a nut milk<br />
bag or cheesecloth.<br />
You can reuse the sprouted, fermented grain once more <strong>to</strong> make a second, weaker batch of Rejuvelac by adding<br />
water <strong>to</strong> it again and leaving it on the counter for another 1-2 days.<br />
I recommend rotating the grains you use for the widest possible nutritional variety.<br />
RAW KOMBUCHA RECIPE<br />
Kombucha is a fermented tea and one of the easiest and least expensive ways <strong>to</strong> get live probiotics in your diet<br />
while increasing your fluids. It’s easy <strong>to</strong> make once you understand the process and when you get used <strong>to</strong> using<br />
a “mother” and covering your product on the counter while it ferments.<br />
My recipe calls for black or green tea, which contains caffeine, as well as agave, which is a natural sweetener.<br />
However, both the caffeine and the sugars are metabolized or consumed by the “scoby,” or “mother” (the living<br />
culture complex that begins the fermentation; also sometimes called a “mushroom” only because it is a solid<br />
mass of yeasts and microorganisms that looks rather like a mushroom). Those beneficial cultures proliferate in<br />
the tea and then in your s<strong>to</strong>mach and bowels.<br />
238 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
There are trace amounts of alcohol in this fermented tea, but not enough <strong>to</strong> cause anything anywhere close <strong>to</strong><br />
in<strong>to</strong>xication or impairment. Beer has 4.5% <strong>to</strong> 7% alcohol, and the most that kombucha will have is about 0.5%.<br />
You can buy live kombucha scobys online or find a raw foodist who makes kombucha in your community; they<br />
are often willing <strong>to</strong> share.<br />
2 half-gallon jars or 1 large glass bowl/dish<br />
3 qt. filtered water<br />
5-6 black, white, or green tea bags (not herbal teas)<br />
3 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar<br />
1 C agave (raw, organic)<br />
2 kombucha scobys or 1 C of raw kombucha from the health food s<strong>to</strong>re<br />
optional: ¼ C raspberry or mango puree or 1 Tbsp. Ormus Greens<br />
Boil 1 qt. filtered water and steep the tea bags in it for 20 minutes or longer. Throw the tea bags away and add<br />
2 qt. filtered water plus the apple cider vinegar <strong>to</strong> the mixture. Pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> the bowl/dish or jars. (Jars<br />
allow less surface area exposed <strong>to</strong> oxygen, so fermentation will take 10-20 days instead of 7-10 days in a bowl/<br />
dish. The best are dark-colored glass bowls or jars <strong>to</strong> protect from light.) When the mixture has cooled <strong>to</strong> room<br />
temperature (70°-80°), add <strong>to</strong> the jars one of the following:<br />
• Dried (purchased) kombucha scoby (1 in each jar or 2 in bowl/dish)<br />
• Room-temperature, raw bottled kombucha (½ C in each jar or 1 C in bowl/dish)<br />
Cover the bowl or jars with a clean tea <strong>to</strong>wel or paper <strong>to</strong>wel (put a rubber band around the neck of the jar) <strong>to</strong><br />
keep debris from getting in<strong>to</strong> the tea but allow air in. Leave on the counter, at room temperature and away from<br />
light and sun, for 7-10 days (if using dish/bowl) or 10-20 days (if using jars). After 7 (bowl/dish) or 10 (jars)<br />
days, taste the kombucha <strong>to</strong> see if the taste is tart and acidic. (You will have <strong>to</strong> gently move aside the thin<br />
kombucha scoby forming on the surface <strong>to</strong> taste the liquid below it.) Leave it <strong>to</strong> ferment longer, if desired. The<br />
scoby may float or sink (this doesn’t matter).<br />
When it has reached the desired level of fermentation, gently scoop the scoby from the bottle and use it <strong>to</strong> begin<br />
a new batch. Or you can use 1 C of finished kombucha <strong>to</strong> start a new batch. (You can do this several times, but<br />
the microorganisms will decrease, so after four batches, use a new start or scoby.)<br />
NOTE: If you find mold on <strong>to</strong>p of your kombucha, you must discard it. It happens occasionally when lactic acid does<br />
not do its work before the mold, or bad microorganisms, get a foothold.<br />
At this point, you can add the optional fruit puree or Ormus Greens (see the GreenSmoothieGirl.com s<strong>to</strong>re for<br />
this) for 24 hours before refrigerating, adding a bit more fermentation as well as a lovely flavor for variety.<br />
If you made the kombucha in a bowl/dish, transfer it <strong>to</strong> glass jars or bottles with some head room. Sometimes<br />
kombucha is very fizzy, so the best type of bottle is pop bottles with rubber gaskets on them, but any glass jar<br />
will do.<br />
Keep finished kombucha in the fridge. It will keep for a long time and gets even better after a month or two.<br />
Finished kombucha will grow little scobys on <strong>to</strong>p, and there’s nothing wrong with them. For the first<br />
subsequent batch, putting the original “mother” in with one of the “babies” is best for efficient culture growth.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 239
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
FERMENTED VEGETABLE RECIPES<br />
Using dill and whey (or culture starter) in these recipes allows for minimizing salt. If you do not use at least the<br />
whey, you will need <strong>to</strong> increase the amount of salt by 50%, <strong>to</strong> preserve the vegetables longer initially as the<br />
fermentation gets off <strong>to</strong> a slower start. You will also have a higher risk of mold (it happens <strong>to</strong> me about 1 bottle<br />
in 50). If a cultured food molds, throw it out.<br />
Pickled Beets<br />
These were one of my favorite things <strong>to</strong> can, before I learned how <strong>to</strong> preserve raw vegetables.<br />
7 C beets, peeled and cut in<strong>to</strong> bite-sized pieces (do not shred in food processor)<br />
¼ C whey OR 1 pkg. culture starter (see “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com)<br />
2 C distilled or filtered water<br />
2 tsp. Original Crystal Himalayan Salt<br />
Place the chopped beets in<strong>to</strong> two wide-mouth quart canning jars. Mix other ingredients and pour over the beets,<br />
leaving 1" of head room at the <strong>to</strong>p of the jar. Screw the lids on tightly. Keep at room temperature for one week<br />
before transferring <strong>to</strong> cold s<strong>to</strong>rage. Lids do not need <strong>to</strong> be new, and bottles will not “seal” like in traditional<br />
canning. Makes approximately 2 quarts.<br />
240 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
Beet Kvass<br />
Remove your raw pickled beets from cold s<strong>to</strong>rage or fridge (or you can use them after just a few days at room<br />
temperature) and blend in high-powered blender until smooth. Add extra water <strong>to</strong> achieve the right texture.<br />
Enjoy chilled as a drink, mixed with a little bit of fresh lime juice or freshly ground pepper. You can also use<br />
kvass in recipes <strong>to</strong> replace vinegar.<br />
Pickle Slices<br />
10 pickling cucumbers<br />
2 Tbsp. whole mustard seeds<br />
¼ C fresh (or 2 Tbsp. dried) dill weed<br />
2 tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ C whey OR 1 pkg. culture starter (see “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com)<br />
2 C distilled or filtered water<br />
Place the cucumbers in<strong>to</strong> two wide-mouth quart canning jars. Mix the other ingredients and pour over<br />
cucumbers, leaving 1" of head room at the <strong>to</strong>p of the jar. Screw the lids on tightly. Keep at room temperature<br />
for one week before transferring <strong>to</strong> cold s<strong>to</strong>rage. Lids do not need <strong>to</strong> be new, and bottles will not “seal” like in<br />
traditional canning. Makes approximately 2 quarts.<br />
Spiced Carrots<br />
8 C grated carrots<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, grated<br />
1 Tbsp. fresh dill weed<br />
2 tsp. Original Crystal Himalayan Salt<br />
2 Tbsp. whey OR 1 pkg. culture starter (see “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com)<br />
Mix all ingredients in a large plastic bowl and pound with a wooden pounder <strong>to</strong> release the juices before<br />
packing the mixture in<strong>to</strong> two wide-mouth quart canning jars. Leave 1" at the <strong>to</strong>p of the jar and put the lids on<br />
tightly. Keep at room temperature for a week before transferring <strong>to</strong> cold s<strong>to</strong>rage. Lids do not need <strong>to</strong> be new,<br />
and bottles will not “seal” like in traditional canning. Makes approximately 2 quarts.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 241
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
Sauerkraut<br />
This recipe is adapted and printed with permission from Sally Fallon; her book Nourishing Traditions is an<br />
important one <strong>to</strong> have in your nutrition library.<br />
8 C shredded cabbage OR 6 C shredded cabbage and 2 C shredded carrots<br />
2 C distilled or filtered water<br />
¼ C whey OR 1 pkg. culture starter (see “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com)<br />
4 tsp. Original Crystal Himalayan Salt<br />
Optionally, add one or more of the following:<br />
1 tsp. dried (or 2 Tbsp. fresh) dill weed<br />
½ tsp. cumin seeds<br />
½ tsp. mustard seeds<br />
1 tsp. oregano<br />
½ tsp. red pepper flakes<br />
In a large plastic bowl, pound the cabbage with a wooden pounder for several minutes <strong>to</strong> release its juices. Mix<br />
the salt, whey, and any optional seasonings in<strong>to</strong> the water, and pour it over the cabbage. Mix well. Pack the<br />
cabbage tightly in<strong>to</strong> two wide-mouth quart canning jars and add enough liquid <strong>to</strong> cover, leaving 1 inch of space<br />
at the <strong>to</strong>p of the jar. Cover the jars tightly, keep at room temperature for a few days, and then place in cold<br />
s<strong>to</strong>rage.<br />
Lids do not need <strong>to</strong> be new and bottles will not “seal” like in traditional canning. You can eat sauerkraut at that<br />
point, but it’s best after six months when the fermentation has softened the shredded cabbage. Do not open the<br />
jars until you are ready <strong>to</strong> eat the contents, as lac<strong>to</strong>-fermentation is anaerobic and is interrupted by the<br />
introduction of oxygen. Makes approximately 2 quarts.<br />
242 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
Kimchi<br />
2 Chinese (Napa) cabbages, shredded large with food processor or chopped in<strong>to</strong> 1" pieces<br />
1 large white or yellow onion, chopped<br />
¼ C raw sesame seeds<br />
6 cloves garlic, chopped fine<br />
6" piece of ginger root, peeled and finely chopped or shredded<br />
1-2 tsp. cayenne<br />
2 Tbsp. sea salt<br />
C whey OR 1 pkg. culture starter (see “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com)<br />
optional: 2 C sprouted mung beans (1 C dry beans makes about 2 C sprouted)<br />
optional: 1 bunch white or red radishes, chopped<br />
Mix all ingredients by hand for about 5-10 min., <strong>to</strong> help the cabbage begin releasing its juices. Allow it <strong>to</strong> sit on<br />
the counter for several hours or overnight, covered with a tea <strong>to</strong>wel, so that the cabbage wilts and releases more<br />
water content.<br />
Pack in<strong>to</strong> sterilized pint or quart jars, distributing the liquids evenly (should cover the vegetables), leaving 1" of<br />
head room at the <strong>to</strong>p of the jars. Screw the lids on tightly. Keep at room temperature for a few days before<br />
transferring <strong>to</strong> the refrigera<strong>to</strong>r. You can eat the kimchi within a few days if you like, or within a few months.<br />
Makes approximately 3-4 quarts.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 243
Preserving Raw <strong>Foods</strong> with Natural Probiotics<br />
244 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 9<br />
Replacing White Flour with<br />
<strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To replace refined (white) flour in your diet with a variety of hearty, nutritious whole grains full of<br />
vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You’ll learn how <strong>to</strong> make old-fashioned, whole-grain bread without<br />
mineral-leaching phytates, and without quick-rising commercial yeast that causes significant health<br />
problems.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
You can grind grain in your high-powered blender. (Note that if you're using a VitaMix blender, you<br />
will need a separate “dry” container for this.) But, if possible, you should have a grain mill (Blendtec<br />
offers an excellent one which we have in the GreenSmoothieGirl.com s<strong>to</strong>re). A grain mill allows you<br />
<strong>to</strong> grind large quantities of grains in<strong>to</strong> very fine flour, especially helpful for cookies, cakes, and<br />
pastries. It is a good investment for a whole-foods kitchen.<br />
You’ll want <strong>to</strong> obtain a high-quality sourdough start. See our best source for sourdough bread starter<br />
for whole-grain breads under “Robyn Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com.<br />
You will also want a large bread-baking s<strong>to</strong>ne or bread pans.<br />
My great-great-great-great-great grandfather, the world-traveling pioneer Benjamin Franklin Johnson,<br />
once lived for six months on horseback eating nothing but cornmeal. He developed scurvy as a result,<br />
in addition <strong>to</strong> other nutritional deficiencies that made him susceptible <strong>to</strong> malaria and smallpox. I don’t<br />
recommend that one-grain-only diet!<br />
However, the Biblical prophet Ezekiel, as<br />
documented in Ezekiel 4:9, once lived on a<br />
combination of four grains and four legumes<br />
for over a year—resulting in much more<br />
robust health than my pioneer ances<strong>to</strong>r. Some<br />
companies now sell Ezekiel Bread, or a grain<br />
mix based on this formula of excellent<br />
proteins, complex carbohydrates, and fats.<br />
Every nutritional component needed by<br />
humans, except sunlight, is contained in that<br />
combination of grains and legumes.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 245
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
In North America, the bowl of white sugar replaced the molasses and honey jar at the beginning of the<br />
twentieth century, and our health has dramatically declined ever since. Additionally, the discovery and<br />
widespread use of the worst refined sweetener of all, high-fruc<strong>to</strong>se corn syrup, has only accelerated health<br />
problems. White flour was new at about the same time as well, and it makes essentially the same impact on our<br />
blood glucose that white sugar does. That has led <strong>to</strong> a terrible <strong>to</strong>ll on insulin production, a meteoric rise in<br />
diabetes and weight problems, dental decay, and countless effects of acidosis (acids burning out our tissue<br />
binders)—in essence, all the modern “diseases of affluence.”<br />
In May 2007, the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases reported on research that eating<br />
grains such as brown rice, barley, and oatmeal in their whole form prevents clogged arteries, heart attacks, and<br />
strokes. The researchers at Wake Forest University surveyed seven major studies: adults eating 2.5 servings of<br />
whole grains were almost 25% less likely <strong>to</strong> develop cardiovascular disease than those who rarely ate whole<br />
grains. 1<br />
Countless studies link diets that include whole grains <strong>to</strong> protection against diabetes, obesity, stroke, and heart<br />
disease. We should eat about three servings of whole grains daily, but more than 40% of adults in the U.S. eat<br />
none at all. High-fiber diets lead <strong>to</strong> a much lower risk of heart disease, and whole grains are excellent sources<br />
of fiber.<br />
The problem with white flour is two-fold: the removal of the bran and the removal of the germ. The bran<br />
contains lignans, antioxidants, and minerals—in addition <strong>to</strong> most of the fiber in the grain. The germ is packed<br />
with vitamins. Together, they are a food with sustainable energy rather than the quick-acting kind provided by<br />
white flour. The only thing remaining in white flour, with the germ and bran gone, is the almost useless<br />
endosperm (heated and usually bleached), which has just 5% of the antioxidants that the bran contains.<br />
Eating the whole grain lowers the glycemic index of your overall diet while providing plenty of your daily<br />
needs for vitamin E, magnesium, and fiber. White flour, on the other hand, has the same effect on the body as<br />
refined sugar, causing blood sugar <strong>to</strong> spike and then come crashing down and leading <strong>to</strong> a higher risk of<br />
diabetes.<br />
According <strong>to</strong> the USDA’s Web site listing nutrients in whole wheat and in non-enriched white flour, the<br />
following is the tragic loss of nutrition when whole wheat is refined <strong>to</strong> become white flour:<br />
Content % Lost Content % Lost<br />
Calcium 56 Protein 25<br />
Copper 62 Selenium 52<br />
Fiber 95 Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 73<br />
Folate 59 Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 81<br />
Iron 84 Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 80<br />
Manganese 82 Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 87<br />
Phosphorous 69 Vitamin E 95<br />
Potassium 74 Zinc 76<br />
246 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
One of the virtues of whole wheat is that it’s easy <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>re. Those who opened King Tut’s <strong>to</strong>mb found wheat<br />
still capable of sprouting. Wheat can last many years in sealed buckets or cans because of its hard, protective<br />
exterior. When you break that outer layer, grinding it in<strong>to</strong> flour, however, it begins <strong>to</strong> oxidize rapidly, becoming<br />
rancid in a short period of time (a few weeks or months). I believe that many people who say they don’t like<br />
things made with whole wheat actually mean that they don’t like the taste of things made from rancid grain,<br />
since many things made with whole grains go rancid by the time the consumer eats them. When the oils in the<br />
grain become rancid, they are carcinogenic, so you should avoid them for more reasons than just taste. An<br />
electric grain grinder is a worthwhile investment, then, so you can grind your wheat just in time <strong>to</strong> use it.<br />
Even some products being <strong>to</strong>uted as “whole grain” in health food s<strong>to</strong>res are not nutritious. For example, puffed<br />
grains and many other cereal products, even though they are advertised as “whole grain,” are in fact harmful,<br />
for a few reasons.<br />
Most whole-grain granolas and cereals contain a high level of concentrated sweeteners, as well as harmful<br />
refined oils, usually canola or soy oils. And virtually all of them contain <strong>to</strong>xic refined salt. Also, most contain<br />
soy and corn products, which are America’s most genetically modified foods, and we should avoid them as<br />
much as possible.<br />
Finally, they are processed in other ways besides removing the germ and bran. A particular trend <strong>to</strong> begin<br />
noticing and avoiding is the puffed grains that were documented in an unpublished study done by a cereal<br />
company and documented by Paul Stitt. One group of rats received plain whole wheat, water, and synthetic<br />
vitamins and minerals. A second group received puffed wheat (an “extruded” cereal), water, and the same<br />
vitamins and minerals. A third set was given only water. A fourth was given only water and the vitamins and<br />
minerals.<br />
The rats that actually attained “longevity” were those eating only whole wheat. They lived over a year. The rats<br />
on water and vitamins lived two months. Those on water alone lived a month. But the rats given vitamins,<br />
water, and puffed wheat died within two weeks. It is unsurprising that the cereal company elected not <strong>to</strong><br />
publicize these findings.<br />
Another experiment in the 1960s, designed as a joke at Ann Arbor University, fed 18 rats three different diets:<br />
corn flakes, the cardboard box the cornflakes came in, and rat chow. The rat-chow group lived a long time. The<br />
ones who ate cardboard got sick and died. But the cornflake-eating rats died first! Before they did, they<br />
developed schizophrenia, became aggressive with each other, and had seizures.<br />
The chemical changes resulting from pressure of the puffing and other processing apparently causes a<br />
nutritious grain <strong>to</strong> become a <strong>to</strong>xic fuel. So, whole grains are not all made equal!<br />
These trends in packaged foods, or what I call “feel-good health foods,” make it that much more important <strong>to</strong><br />
learn <strong>to</strong> use whole grains, freshly milled, in our own homes, where we can avoid the pitfalls of processed foods<br />
masquerading as good nutrition.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 247
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
What Are the <strong>Whole</strong> Grains?<br />
<strong>Whole</strong> grains are plentiful and varied, and you can try any of these for positive effects on your fiber intake and<br />
overall diet:<br />
Rye 1 Barley 4<br />
Spelt 2 Buckwheat 5<br />
Kamut 3 Millet 6<br />
Oats Quinoa 7<br />
Corn and popcorn<br />
Sorghum<br />
Wheat and bulgur (cracked wheat) Amaranth 8<br />
Brown rice and wild rice<br />
(many varieties of each)<br />
Emmer, farro, grano<br />
(lesser known grains)<br />
248 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
How Do I Substitute <strong>Whole</strong> Grain for White Flour?<br />
If you have been using refined flour in baking, you could strategize shifting <strong>to</strong> whole grains by adding more<br />
and more whole-wheat flour and less and less white flour in your bread and recipes, over time. But if you want<br />
<strong>to</strong> quit buying white flour cold turkey, now that you know how utterly deficient in nutrition and even harmful it<br />
is, another way <strong>to</strong> transition <strong>to</strong> whole grains is <strong>to</strong> use soft white wheat, ground as finely as your grain grinder<br />
allows, for “pastry” flours (cakes, cookies, etc.). It’s very light, and I’ve noticed that children can’t tell the<br />
difference. It does not have the protective outer layer that hard white or hard red wheats have, though, so the<br />
hard wheats are best for long-term s<strong>to</strong>rage (they are also highest in protein and gluten).<br />
For bread, start by using hard white wheat, also ground finely. Once you are enjoying whole-grain breads, you<br />
can transition <strong>to</strong> substituting other grains like red wheat, Kamut, and spelt.<br />
I regularly substitute whole-wheat flour for white flour in cookie and cake recipes, in a 1:1 ratio, with good<br />
success. It’s easy, so don’t be afraid <strong>to</strong> give it a try in virtually anything calling for flour.<br />
What Are Phytates and How Do I Avoid Them?<br />
Getting off refined-grain products and on<strong>to</strong> whole grains is a great first step! But you need <strong>to</strong> learn about two<br />
things: first about phytates, and then about yeast.<br />
Phytates are natural, acidic chemical compounds in the bran of grains that some experts say bind <strong>to</strong> calcium,<br />
magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc, making those nutrients less bioavailable and potentially leading <strong>to</strong><br />
deficiencies. So that we can absorb the nutrition of grains well in the gastrointestinal tract, grains should ideally<br />
be soaked in water, sprouted, or fermented <strong>to</strong> neutralize the phytic acid. This is easy <strong>to</strong> do and requires only a<br />
little planning ahead. You already learned about the power of lac<strong>to</strong>-fermentation in Chapter 8, with vegetables<br />
and milks. The way this works with grains is that enzymes and microorganisms break down starches, tannins,<br />
and proteins including gluten.<br />
Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, Ph.D., say in Nourishing Traditions that “virtually all pre-industrialized people<br />
soaked or fermented their grains before making them in<strong>to</strong> porridge, breads, cakes and casseroles” (p.<br />
452). 22 Modern culture has largely abandoned this practice, and Fallon and Enig say this represents a<br />
detriment <strong>to</strong> our health. That said, I do not believe (as Fallon does) that unsoaked grains pose a great risk <strong>to</strong> our<br />
health, and I believe much evidence exists that unsoaked grains have also been widely used by healthy<br />
populations.<br />
Jordan Rubin (The Maker’s Diet) claims that ancient peoples stacked damp grain in s<strong>to</strong>rage, thus neutralizing<br />
phytates. This makes no sense <strong>to</strong> me, since damp grain quickly becomes moldy grain. I personally have a very<br />
difficult time sprouting grains, as they mold quickly, even though I live in a dry climate. Nuts and seeds sprout<br />
well, and grains can be soaked for up <strong>to</strong> 24 hours—but beyond that, they are difficult <strong>to</strong> grow unless you put a<br />
great deal of effort in<strong>to</strong> the perfect conditions.<br />
The phytate issue is fiercely contested in the nutrition world, with some believing that soaking grains is critical<br />
and others believing it’s unnecessary. I have studied compelling evidence on both sides, leading me <strong>to</strong> the<br />
recommendations that follow.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 249
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Regardless of whether phytates in whole grains lead <strong>to</strong> mineral deficiencies, soaking and slightly fermenting<br />
your grain clearly aids in digestion. It costs nothing and doesn’t really add time <strong>to</strong> a recipe’s preparation,<br />
although you do a portion of the work in advance. Most adults in the Western world need <strong>to</strong> be kind <strong>to</strong> their<br />
digestive systems. That’s because before most of us get serious about treating our bodies right (which you have<br />
done, if you are reading this book), we have abused our bodies with the modern lifestyle. In particular, we’ve<br />
abused our digestive systems. Some of us have decades of damage <strong>to</strong> undo.<br />
Part of your new whole-grain habit, then, is <strong>to</strong> soak your flour or grain for up <strong>to</strong> 24 hours as often as possible<br />
and add a bit of whey, kefir, or yogurt. Even 8 hours of soaking is very helpful. Many of the recipes in this<br />
chapter call for soaking the flour or grain.<br />
The grain with the highest phytate content is oats, so if you like oatmeal, put the boiling water in the rolled oats<br />
right after eating breakfast. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of yogurt or kefir, cover with a lid, and just reheat it for breakfast the<br />
next morning. Leaving it out for 24 hours will not create any problems. If you like sourdough and fermented<br />
foods, you’ll probably like the slight tang of the oatmeal done this way. This requires thinking ahead, but if you<br />
do it for a while, it becomes a habit—and one worth developing.<br />
Unlike oats and wheat, brown rice, millet, and buckwheat have low phytate content, so you can soak them just<br />
overnight, for shorter periods of time. When I am serving brown rice for dinner, I put boiling water in it in the<br />
morning, cover it, and leave it <strong>to</strong> steam all day in the oven, preheated <strong>to</strong> 350 and then turned off. The rice is<br />
perfectly cooked at dinnertime. When making kasha (buckwheat cereal), I put the boiling water in the night<br />
before, letting it steam overnight.<br />
When making baked goods, get in the habit of putting the flour in the blender or bowl with the required liquids<br />
(and with a bit of a fermented dairy product like kefir), and just leaving it all day (or night) before completing<br />
the recipe. You’ll also find that your baked goods are lighter, with a lovely texture, as you take this additional<br />
step. The fermentation creates leavening, so you can reduce or leave out the baking powder when you have<br />
presoaked flour with kefir or yogurt. This extra step of soaking grains or flour, while requiring you <strong>to</strong> think<br />
ahead, doesn’t add time <strong>to</strong> your preparation, since the dish is then ready, or nearly ready, when breakfast or<br />
dinnertime rolls around.<br />
You’ll be glad <strong>to</strong> know that you don’t always have <strong>to</strong> make soaked-grain breads and grain products from<br />
scratch. At your health food s<strong>to</strong>re, you can buy sprouted-grain <strong>to</strong>rtillas, English muffins, and manna bread with<br />
several varieties like sunflower seed, carrot-raisin, and more.<br />
Don’t be frustrated if you just learned about phytates for the first time and now wonder if whole grains are<br />
good for you! If you’re stumped about whether eating whole grains (even unsoaked) is better than white flour,<br />
the answer is a definitive YES! First of all, white flour robs your body of minerals, <strong>to</strong>o, at a faster rate—and it’s<br />
virtually devoid of fiber and nutrition. Second, remember that literally hundreds of studies document the link<br />
between whole grains and blood sugar control, among many other health benefits. And those studies were<br />
based on unsoaked grains. That one benefit alone—that fiber dramatically slows the release of sugars in<strong>to</strong> your<br />
bloodstream—is critically important <strong>to</strong> your future.<br />
Third, the phytate issue, while worth discussing here, is by no means settled science. In fact, Reddy and Sathe<br />
published a book in 2001 called Food Phytates that surveys the growing body of research on phytates. They<br />
claim that phytates are free-radical scavenging antioxidants that may reduce blood glucose as well as the risk<br />
for high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, kidney s<strong>to</strong>nes, and some forms of cancer. 2 So, the jury is still<br />
out on the precise role of phytates. Whether or not they are heroes or villains is a hotly debated controversy—<br />
250 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
so perhaps the best strategy is <strong>to</strong> soak, sprout, or ferment wherever possible, but enjoy eating unsoaked whole<br />
grains sometimes, <strong>to</strong>o.<br />
Should I Combine a Grain and Legume for<br />
“Perfect Proteins”?<br />
Twenty years ago, a fad in vegetarianism was <strong>to</strong> create “perfect proteins” in any given dish or meal with a<br />
legume and a grain. The amino acid profiles of legumes are complemented well by the amino acids in grains,<br />
so that all the amino acids needed for the body <strong>to</strong> assemble proteins are there simultaneously when you eat, for<br />
instance, beans and rice. Those avoiding meat became fearful that they would become malnourished if they<br />
didn’t go <strong>to</strong> a great deal of food-combining effort.<br />
Fortunately for those who find this tedious, we now know that special food combinations are unnecessary,<br />
because the body s<strong>to</strong>res and releases a free-floating pool of amino acids over an approximate 24-hour time<br />
span. Also, a significant portion of our protein needs are met by the body recycling its own cell proteins. This<br />
also helps balance out any variation in amino acid intake from meal <strong>to</strong> meal. This logic is borne out by the fact<br />
that powerful animals such as gorillas, elephants, and rhinoceroses are vegetarians who are very obviously<br />
supplied plenty of protein by plant sources.<br />
This should put your mind at ease about any need you may have felt <strong>to</strong> make each meal contain particular<br />
elements, which unnecessarily complicates dietary planning and preparation. However, you can rest assured<br />
that your body will assemble plenty of protein only if you are eating predominantly whole-plant foods. If your<br />
diet is heavy in white flour and sugar, for instance, you may possibly have amino acid imbalances, since<br />
refined products do not contain them in anything close <strong>to</strong> a complete or balanced state.<br />
All that said, many of the recipes in this book are marked with an asterisk (*) before their names, showing that<br />
they are, in fact, “complete proteins” combining a grain and a legume. Partly that’s because, as many of the<br />
cultures on this planet show, those foods simply go well <strong>to</strong>gether. A second reason I did this is <strong>to</strong> satisfy those<br />
readers who feel they need high-protein meals <strong>to</strong> achieve a sense of satisfaction (usually because of a lifetime<br />
of meat eating). And finally, I did it because I personally exercise intensively six days a week and burn a lot of<br />
calories: I find the legume/grain combination <strong>to</strong> be a more satisfying and sustaining meal.<br />
Why Is Commercial Yeast Bad and Sourdough Good?<br />
For thousands of years, bread was made with natural sourdough (fermented grain) traditions. The bread was<br />
given lots of time <strong>to</strong> rise naturally, and “yeast” was a starter culture that gathered natural yeast spores from the<br />
air, which I will call “wild yeast” or “natural leavening.” Bread was also baked at higher heats in s<strong>to</strong>ne ovens.<br />
The entire process was an all-day activity for women in ancient times.<br />
On the other hand, commercial yeast was created only in the past 100 years. And more recently, “quick-rise”<br />
yeast makes bread making faster than ever, for people who don’t want <strong>to</strong> plan ahead and wait for their bread.<br />
The manufacturers have isolated certain yeast spores that are very enduring and hardy for this purpose.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 251
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
The ancient methods of using wild yeast were vastly superior, because modern quick-rising yeasts do not all<br />
die in the short, lower-temperature baking process. Therefore, yeast can continue <strong>to</strong> proliferate in the gut,<br />
giving rise <strong>to</strong> proliferation of yeasts, molds, and fungus. Even worse are the myco<strong>to</strong>xins, the waste products of<br />
yeast, molds, and fungi. Of particular concern is Candida albicans, a yeast overgrowth in the hundreds of feet<br />
of digestive tract and the blood, in about 95% of Americans according <strong>to</strong> most estimates.<br />
Yeast thrives in warm conditions and explodes with growth when sugar is added. Thus the “perfect s<strong>to</strong>rm” for<br />
health problems is created with the modern diet of commercial yeasts in every bakery product and sugar in<br />
most of our foods. Along with a yeasty environment, harmful bacteria also thrive, and these organisms create<br />
acidic waste products that flood the bloodstream and overwhelm the capacity of white blood cells.<br />
I have asked several natural health-care practitioners and nutrition experts what they think the worst nutritional<br />
threat is <strong>to</strong> the public health. White sugar and flour? Excessive meat eating and processed meat full of<br />
carcinogens? Trans fats and refined oils? Or something else? Knowledgeable practitioners tell me that yeast<br />
overgrowth is the most significant, most destructive part of the modern diet, because along with sugar and acid<br />
conditions and chemicals, it’s exceedingly hard <strong>to</strong> heal health problems with yeast overgrowth in the body.<br />
Yeast is very possibly the most destructive problem in the modern diet, contributing <strong>to</strong> the explosion in<br />
au<strong>to</strong>immune diseases, infectious disease, and allergies.<br />
And yeast very well may be the least known problem among the general population, even among those who are<br />
health conscious. Many people I know who try <strong>to</strong> eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limit fast food<br />
and junk food have no idea how destructive yeast is and have, in fact, never heard about the his<strong>to</strong>ry of bread<br />
making and yeast as I have described in this chapter. For those who want more information and scientific<br />
background and evidence behind these very important nutritional issues, I recommend Dr. Gabriel Cousins’<br />
Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine and Dr. Robert O. Young’s Sick and Tired and The pH Miracle.<br />
In this chapter, you will learn <strong>to</strong> make sourdough bread with whole grains. When added <strong>to</strong> whole-grain flour,<br />
sourdough starter begins <strong>to</strong> ferment the grains and predigest their proteins, in much the same way that we<br />
learned about dairy products and vegetables benefiting from culturing in the last chapter. Thus sourdough<br />
bread is much easier on your digestive system than commercial-yeast breads, especially if you have difficulty<br />
digesting the gluten protein. Further, breads made from sourdough are lower on the glycemic scale, their sugars<br />
being absorbed more slowly in<strong>to</strong> your blood stream.<br />
What you will need, then, is some high-quality sourdough start. All are not created equal, because when you<br />
import Norwegian sourdough starter <strong>to</strong> the U.S., for instance, the start picks up yeast spores from the air and<br />
eventually becomes identical <strong>to</strong> a U.S. product. If a company is making a sourdough starter in a building with<br />
commercial yeast, that commercial yeast will eventually populate the sourdough starter. These are all<br />
frustrating issues in purchasing a start.<br />
When I first published this manual, I went through a series of providers of good sourdough starter for wholegrain<br />
breads. They are not easy <strong>to</strong> find. Because those providers became obsolete, we now maintain a page<br />
called Sourdough Start on GreenSmoothieGirl.com, under the Robyn Recommends tab. Please go there for up<strong>to</strong>-date<br />
information on where you can obtain a starter.<br />
The sourdough starter is a fermented grain product, and when you feed it, it will keep in the fridge indefinitely.<br />
However, you should keep it fresh by “feeding” it with equal parts water and flour at least once a week. When<br />
you make bread, never use all of your sourdough start. Whenever you use some of it, “feed” it by adding 1 C of<br />
flour and 1 C of pure water, stirring well and letting it sit on the counter until the mixture is bubbly. Then return<br />
it <strong>to</strong> the fridge. You may do this every day, or every few days, <strong>to</strong> build up your supply of starter for your next<br />
252 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
bread batch, or <strong>to</strong> share with others. You can also freeze sourdough starter (but let it defrost naturally, not in a<br />
microwave, <strong>to</strong> avoid killing the microorganisms). It’s a good idea <strong>to</strong> keep some in the freezer as well as in the<br />
fridge, just in case.<br />
If you eat whole-grain sourdough bread along with many raw plant foods, forgoing the s<strong>to</strong>re-bought breads<br />
with all their additives, you are giving your body’s systems the opportunity <strong>to</strong> clean house and control the yeast<br />
and resulting waste products. You also have delicious bread with sustaining energy that is easy on your<br />
digestive system.<br />
One of my family’s favorite dinners is a big salad and a batch of sourdough bread from the recipe at the end of<br />
this chapter, made in<strong>to</strong> focaccia bread by pressing the dough on<strong>to</strong> two cookie sheets, brushing it with olive oil,<br />
and sprinkling it with herbs. We dip it, warm out of the oven, in balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.<br />
This is a main dish made for just pennies—just $0.25 worth of whole wheat, and a bit of oil and vinegar!<br />
What Other Grains Besides Wheat Make Good Bread and<br />
Other Baked Goods?<br />
Kamut and spelt are ances<strong>to</strong>rs of modern wheat, but have not been hybridized in the past 100 years like wheat<br />
has <strong>to</strong> increase crop yield and resist diseases, fungus, and pests. Kamut, from Egypt, and spelt, from<br />
Mesopotamia, have been unchanged for thousands of years because they’ve been rediscovered only recently.<br />
Many experts theorize that hybridization has caused a deterioration in wheat’s nutrition and has contributed <strong>to</strong><br />
a host of health problems. Specifically, some scientists theorize that the meteoric rise in “gluten in<strong>to</strong>lerance”<br />
allergies and celiac disease are directly related <strong>to</strong> the genetic modifications and changes in the nutritional<br />
properties of wheat.<br />
Although they are more expensive, nonhybridized grains are still inexpensive relative <strong>to</strong> other foods, including<br />
animal proteins. You may wish <strong>to</strong> substitute some of the following superior, ancient grains and seeds for wheat<br />
in bread and other recipes calling for grain. With low-gluten or gluten-free grains (like spelt, buckwheat,<br />
amaranth, or quinoa), substitute no more than 25% of the wheat in a bread recipe.<br />
Spelt. A grain with 30% higher protein than wheat, spelt is often <strong>to</strong>lerated well by wheat-sensitive people. It<br />
can be purchased as a whole grain or rolled, like oats. It is higher in fat as well as protein (still a low-fat food,<br />
however) and is much lower in gluten. It consequently makes a heavier bread product than wheat. This is<br />
probably why it was not selected for massive cross-hybridization and genetic modifications.<br />
It responds exceptionally well <strong>to</strong> fermentation (with sourdough starters), which breaks down its proteins for<br />
easy digestion. Spelt is more highly water soluble than wheat and is, therefore, easy on the digestive system.<br />
You can substitute spelt for wheat in any recipe, but reduce the water called for by one fourth. Also, for bread<br />
recipes and others that require rising, keep in mind that spelt is low in gluten, so substitute no more than 30% of<br />
the wheat called for in the recipe and/or add a bit more leavening agent.<br />
S<strong>to</strong>rage. Spelt is an excellent grain for long-term s<strong>to</strong>rage.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 253
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Kamut. A close Egyptian relative of wheat with a much larger grain. It has 30% more protein than wheat and<br />
is <strong>to</strong>lerated well by about 70% of people with wheat allergies. If you like peanut butter sandwiches or <strong>to</strong>ast,<br />
keep in mind that peanuts or another legume high in lysine round out Kamut’s amino acid profile <strong>to</strong> give you<br />
an excellent protein source. Kamut hasn't been changed by hybridization, so it retains its ancient nutrition and<br />
flavor.<br />
Because it has slightly higher fat content, it’s a high-energy food, with higher levels of vitamin E, selenium,<br />
thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), phosphorus, copper, magnesium, zinc, and pan<strong>to</strong>thenic acid than wheat. Spelt<br />
and wheat are higher in fiber, but Kamut is a low-glycemic-index food, helping <strong>to</strong> keep insulin levels steady<br />
and avoid blood sugar highs and lows.<br />
S<strong>to</strong>rage. Kamut is an excellent grain for long-term s<strong>to</strong>rage.<br />
Buckwheat. Technically, buckwheat is not a cereal grain, but rather a fruit seed—and a highly nutritious one.<br />
If you substitute 25% of your wheat flour with buckwheat flour, the amino acids round out those in the wheat,<br />
giving you a virtually perfect balance of the full spectrum of amino acids. This is actually a better protein<br />
balance than animal proteins!<br />
Further, buckwheat is rich in linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid) that is fairly rare in foods, and B vitamins as<br />
well as phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese. Buckwheat, along with amaranth and quinoa, is one of<br />
the few plant sources constituting a “perfect protein” because of its well rounded amino acid profile.<br />
S<strong>to</strong>rage. Buckwheat comes <strong>to</strong> you with its outer shell removed, causing it <strong>to</strong> have less protection<br />
against oxidation of its oils than some other grains like wheat. It is, therefore, not a great choice for<br />
long-term s<strong>to</strong>rage. S<strong>to</strong>re it for up <strong>to</strong> a year in airtight containers, preferably with oxygen absorbers.<br />
Cooking directions. Toast buckwheat in an oil-sprayed skillet until lightly browned, <strong>to</strong>ssing often.<br />
Use 1 part <strong>to</strong>asted buckwheat <strong>to</strong> 2 parts water, bring <strong>to</strong> a boil, and reduce the heat <strong>to</strong> simmer for 20-30<br />
min. or until the liquid is absorbed. This is called “kasha” cereal. I like <strong>to</strong> add shredded apples,<br />
cinnamon, and a bit of peanut butter and maple syrup <strong>to</strong> it for breakfast.<br />
Oats. The whole kernel is called a “groat,” and you can use your grain grinder <strong>to</strong> make flour with the groats, or<br />
use regular rolled oats in muffins, cookies, cereal, and many other recipes. Quick oats are a processed food,<br />
having been rolled, cooked, and dehydrated with much of the fiber and vitamins eliminated. Avoid quick oats<br />
and their quick release of sugars <strong>to</strong> the bloodstream, and use “regular rolled oats” instead. If you use 25% oat<br />
flour in your bread, its vitamin E helps keep the bread fresh longer.<br />
Quinoa. Quinoa is not technically a grain, but a fruit seed. If you mix 25% quinoa in<strong>to</strong> your wheat, your bread<br />
or pancakes are a complete protein. Some wheat varieties come close <strong>to</strong> matching quinoa’s protein content, but<br />
barley, corn, and rice have less than half the protein of quinoa. And, quinoa tastes good! The National<br />
Academy of Sciences calls quinoa one of the best sources of vegetable protein, as its amino acid balance is<br />
close <strong>to</strong> the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization ideal.<br />
S<strong>to</strong>rage. Quinoa’s shell is stripped and its oil is more exposed than wheat’s. Therefore, it can be s<strong>to</strong>red<br />
for up <strong>to</strong> a year in your pantry or fridge, or a few years in an airtight container (preferably with oxygen<br />
absorbers).<br />
Cooking directions. Use 1 part well rinsed quinoa <strong>to</strong> 2 parts water. (Rinsing well <strong>to</strong> eliminate the<br />
natural but bitter and slightly <strong>to</strong>xic saponin coating is important—let it sit for a couple of minutes in<br />
water, stir well, then rinse with a fine strainer.) Bring <strong>to</strong> a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 min.<br />
254 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Millet. This is the only grain that is alkaline rather than acidic on the pH scale. Since most of us have a <strong>to</strong>oacidic<br />
internal environment thanks <strong>to</strong> refined foods, meat, and other fac<strong>to</strong>rs in the modern lifestyle, we should<br />
be seeking as many ways as possible <strong>to</strong> alkalize our cells, blood, and tissues. Eating millet is an excellent way<br />
<strong>to</strong> do that, and its alkalinity makes it very easy <strong>to</strong> digest.<br />
Millet is a good source of manganese, magnesium, potassium, copper, and phosphorus. It is a staple in Africa<br />
and is also grown and consumed in Asia and India. Here in the U.S., most people think of it as birdseed or<br />
lives<strong>to</strong>ck feed, but those who try it find it <strong>to</strong> be a great addition <strong>to</strong> the diet. Millet is gluten free and is being<br />
discovered by increasing numbers of gluten-in<strong>to</strong>lerant individuals.<br />
S<strong>to</strong>rage. Millet is an excellent grain for long-term s<strong>to</strong>rage. In an airtight container with oxygen<br />
absorbers, it will last for many years.<br />
Cooking directions. Use 1 part millet <strong>to</strong> 2.5 parts water. Bring <strong>to</strong> a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer<br />
15-25 min.<br />
Amaranth. Prized by Mayan and Incan people anciently, amaranth isn’t truly a cereal grain, but has been<br />
classified variously as a vegetable or herb. It has a phenomenal nutritional profile in dozens of vitamins and<br />
minerals that more traditional American grains like wheat cannot even come close <strong>to</strong>. It is one of the highest<br />
grains in the world in both fiber and protein, and it contains no gluten. It can, therefore, be substituted for wheat<br />
no more than 25% in bread, but use it freely in flatbreads, muffins, or other baked goods.<br />
S<strong>to</strong>rage. Amaranth is not a good long-term s<strong>to</strong>rage grain as it has high oil content, so it goes rancid<br />
before long. I freeze mine in gallon freezer bags if I intend <strong>to</strong> keep it longer than a year. You can s<strong>to</strong>re<br />
it for a few years in airtight containers with oxygen absorbers.<br />
Cooking directions. Use 1 part amaranth <strong>to</strong> 2 parts water. Bring <strong>to</strong> a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer<br />
for 20 min.<br />
What Is the 1, 2 Rating System in the Recipes?<br />
The recipes in this chapter are rated 1 or 2.<br />
Recipes rated 1 are whole grain (and naturally sweetened, where applicable) and are a great transition for<br />
anyone coming from a diet high in refined foods. They are much more nutritious than anything using refined<br />
flours or sugars.<br />
Recipes rated 2 are even more nutritious, because they are made with the highly alkaline grain millet or the<br />
high-protein grain quinoa, or they have lots of raw vegetable ingredients—or they use soaked, sprouted, or<br />
fermented grains <strong>to</strong> neutralize phytic acid and release nutrients in the grains for absorption. This soaking<br />
process also breaks down (or predigests) proteins in the grains, making them easier on your digestive system.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 255
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Money-Saving Tips<br />
• S<strong>to</strong>ring and using whole grains is au<strong>to</strong>matically a money saver. They simply cost a tiny fraction of what<br />
meat and dairy products, as well as refined and processed foods, cost.<br />
• You can save even more by buying grains through a co-op like Azure Standard (which grows its own<br />
organic grain) in 25 lb. or 50 lb. bags.<br />
• You can s<strong>to</strong>re hard-shell grains like wheat virtually forever in sealed buckets lined with plastic bags.<br />
• Use dia<strong>to</strong>maceous earth <strong>to</strong> keep pests out of grain you s<strong>to</strong>re for the long term. (It will not hurt you when<br />
consumed, though I sift most of it out before using the grain.)<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
After using no white flour and replacing it with the impressive nutrition of whole grains for a month, make<br />
notes about these issues:<br />
1. Do you have any improved sense of well-being eating whole grains instead of white flour?<br />
2. Do you find that whole grains give you more sustained energy than their refined counterparts?<br />
3. Do you find that you digest sourdough bread more easily and quickly?<br />
4. Do you find that you digest soaked-grain foods more readily?<br />
5. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?<br />
6. Any other observations during this month?<br />
256 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 257
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
258 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
WHOLE-GRAIN RECIPES<br />
(* = Grain / Legume combo “perfect protein” dish)<br />
* Buttermilk Cornbread (1 or 2)<br />
Serve this delicious cornbread with any of the legume soups in Chapter 6 or by itself for lunch. Although we<br />
mostly avoid dairy products, I make exceptions for cultured products such as yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, sour<br />
cream, and butter. If you soak the flour and cornmeal in buttermilk overnight (recommended), you can cut the<br />
baking powder in half.<br />
¾ C finely ground whole-wheat flour<br />
¾ C yellow cornmeal**<br />
½ C white bean flour (or add ¼ more flour and cornmeal instead)<br />
¼ C raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat (which is dehydrated cane juice)<br />
1 Tbsp. baking powder (no aluminum)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 large egg (organic, free-range), lightly beaten<br />
1 C buttermilk<br />
C applesauce (no sugar added)<br />
** The cornmeal sold in the grocery s<strong>to</strong>re usually says “enriched” because the germ of the corn kernel has been<br />
removed, so it is a refined product. The label should tell you if the corn meal is “degermed.” You can make<br />
your own whole cornmeal by finely grinding unpopped popcorn in your grain mill or high-powered blender.<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 400°. Mix the flours, cornmeal, coconut sugar/Sucanat, baking powder, and salt <strong>to</strong>gether. In a<br />
separate bowl, stir <strong>to</strong>gether the egg, buttermilk, and applesauce. Add the wet ingredients <strong>to</strong> the dry ingredients<br />
and mix. Pour the batter in<strong>to</strong> a sprayed or greased 8"x8" pan and bake for 25-30 min. Serve warm with butter or<br />
coconut oil.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 259
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
* Blueberry Flax Muffins (2)<br />
These are lightly sweetened, but if you are transitioning from refined baking products, you may wish <strong>to</strong> add<br />
another ¾ C of Sucanat. The muffins will rise more and be lighter and more digestible if you soak the grains<br />
overnight as described in the instructions.<br />
3 C warm water<br />
3½ C whole-wheat flour (finely ground soft white wheat is best)<br />
½ C white bean flour<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
½ C yogurt or kefir (or whey)<br />
1 C Sucanat<br />
2 tsp. vanilla<br />
½ C melted coconut oil<br />
1 Tbsp. aluminum-free baking powder (reduce by half if you soak grains overnight)<br />
½ C flax seeds, freshly ground<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
2½ C blueberries, fresh or frozen<br />
Combine the water, flours, flax, and yogurt. Cover and let the mixture sit overnight or all day (this is an<br />
optional step <strong>to</strong> eliminate phytates). Add all remaining ingredients except the blueberries and mix thoroughly.<br />
Gently fold in the blueberries. Bake in lined or greased muffin tins, full, for 23-25 min. at 400°. Makes about<br />
3 dozen muffins.<br />
260 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 261
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
* Ethiopian Flatbread (2)<br />
Millet is a staple of Africa, and this recipe is adapted from their native, daily recipe. In our family, we sauté<br />
garbanzo beans in a bit of coconut oil, adding garam masala or taco seasoning and salt, <strong>to</strong> taste. Then we put<br />
the mixture on <strong>to</strong>p of this flatbread.<br />
2 C millet, ground in grain mill (or high-powered blender)<br />
½ C whole-wheat flour<br />
¾ tsp. sea salt<br />
¾ tsp. aluminum-free baking powder<br />
1 C water<br />
coconut oil for frying<br />
Mix the ground millet, flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the water and stir with a spoon until well mixed.<br />
Scoop large spoonfuls of dough on<strong>to</strong> a small amount of coconut oil melted in a frying pan. Flatten the dough <strong>to</strong><br />
be ¼" thick and cook it until lightly browned on both sides. Serve it warm with the <strong>to</strong>pping of your choice.<br />
Serves 6.<br />
* Chapati (1)<br />
These corn cakes were one of my favorite snacks (or breakfast or dinner!) when I was growing up—but I’ve<br />
made this version higher in protein with the bean flour. My mother learned how <strong>to</strong> make these living in El<br />
Paso, TX, and Silver City, NM, among many Latinos, but her Spanish was really bad so she always called them<br />
“chapitas.”<br />
You can put a little butter or coconut oil on chapatis, and a bit of maple syrup if you don’t use the green chilies.<br />
You can make the cornmeal yourself by finely grinding unpopped popcorn in your wheat grinder or highpowered<br />
blender. What sells as “cornmeal” in grocery s<strong>to</strong>res is a refined/enriched, “degermed” product.<br />
1½ C cornmeal<br />
½ C lentil, split pea, or white bean flour (or another ½ C cornmeal instead)<br />
1½ C hot water<br />
1 egg (organic, free-range)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ C coconut oil<br />
optional: 2 Tbsp. nutritional/brewer’s yeast<br />
optional: 1 can chopped green chili peppers, drained<br />
Pour the water over the cornmeal, bean flour, yeast, egg, green chilies, and any optional items. Mix well by<br />
hand. Let it sit 10 min. (or overnight, covered, <strong>to</strong> eliminate phytates). Spoon the batter on<strong>to</strong> a coconut-oiled<br />
griddle and fry on medium-high heat, turning once. Makes 8 chapatis.<br />
262 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
* <strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Biscuits (1)<br />
2 C whole-wheat flour<br />
½ C white bean flour<br />
1 Tbsp. baking powder (no aluminum)<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ C coconut oil (liquid)<br />
1 egg (organic, free-range)<br />
1 C milk (any kind)<br />
Stir dry ingredients <strong>to</strong>gether, reserving ¼ C wheat flour. Cut in the coconut oil, then mix in the milk and egg.<br />
Spread the reserved ¼ C flour on the counter and knead the dough on it by hand until it is smooth. Roll the<br />
dough out 1" thick, cut it in<strong>to</strong> circles, then bake at 450° for 10-<strong>12</strong> min. Makes <strong>12</strong>-14 biscuits.<br />
* Sesame Seed Crackers (2)<br />
2 C whole-wheat flour<br />
½ C white bean flour (or another ½ C whole-wheat flour)<br />
½ C flax seeds, freshly ground<br />
1 C kefir (or yogurt)<br />
½ C water<br />
1 ¾ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. baking powder, aluminum-free<br />
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds<br />
¼ C sesame seeds<br />
1½ tsp. caraway seeds<br />
¼ C coconut oil<br />
Mix the wheat and bean flours, kefir, and water and let it sit overnight. Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan and<br />
cook the sesame seeds just until lightly browned (about 1 min. on medium-high heat). Mix the soaked flour<br />
with the oil/sesame seed mixture, salt, baking powder, ground flax seeds, and caraway by hand until just<br />
mixed.<br />
Knead thoroughly on a floured counter <strong>to</strong>p until smooth. Roll out the dough as thinly as possible on floured<br />
counter <strong>to</strong>p and cut it in<strong>to</strong> desired shapes. Bake on an oiled cookie sheet at 250° for 60 min., flipping the<br />
crackers after 40 min.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 263
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
* Polenta (2)<br />
For one Valentine’s Day, I made a red heart out of pimien<strong>to</strong>s in the polenta before baking it, and that went over<br />
big with my family. You could do it with sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es or red peppers.<br />
2 C cornmeal (whole grain—I grind unpopped popcorn in grain grinder)<br />
½ C white bean flour (or another ½ C of cornmeal instead)<br />
2 C water<br />
2 Tbsp. kefir (or whey or yogurt)<br />
3 C vegetable broth<br />
1 tsp. sea salt (omit this if the vegetable broth is canned and not low sodium)<br />
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
– 1 C Parmesan cheese (quality, refrigerated kind)<br />
butter or olive oil<br />
Optionally, add one or more of the following:<br />
2 Tbsp. sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
2 red bell peppers, optionally roasted under the broiler and peeled, chopped<br />
1 can diced green chili peppers, drained<br />
1 C corn<br />
Soak the cornmeal, bean flour, water, and kefir overnight (8-24 hours). Sauté the onion in olive oil, then<br />
remove from the heat. In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable broth <strong>to</strong> a boil, adding salt (if broth is low<br />
sodium). Add the soaked cornmeal ½ C at a time, stirring well. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often,<br />
until the mixture is thick.<br />
Stir in the remaining ingredients and then pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a greased 9"x13" pan and bake for 1 hour at<br />
350°. Let it sit for 10-20 min. before serving. Serve <strong>to</strong>pped with butter or olive oil.<br />
264 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 265
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Rice Milk (1 or 2)<br />
If you have been buying Rice Dream <strong>to</strong> replace dairy milk on your breakfast cereal, you will save money by<br />
making your own rice milk with inexpensive brown rice with this recipe (sweet brown rice is the best for this<br />
purpose, but they all work).<br />
½ C dry brown rice, rinsed and drained (and preferably soaked overnight)<br />
8 C filtered water<br />
½ tsp. vanilla extract<br />
optional: ¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
optional: ½ tsp. stevia<br />
Bring 4 C of the water <strong>to</strong> a boil, add the rice, and cover. Reduce the heat <strong>to</strong> medium-low and cook for 45 min.<br />
Pour the rice/water mixture in<strong>to</strong> a high-powered blender and blend on high speed until very smooth. Strain the<br />
mixture using a cheesecloth if you like your milk very smooth, or with a fine strainer, or not at all if whole<br />
nutrition is most important and you don’t mind the sediment. Add another 4 C of water plus the vanilla, salt,<br />
and stevia, and stir. The milk will keep for one week in the refrigera<strong>to</strong>r.<br />
Amaranth L’Orange (2)<br />
All I can say is…this is a weird recipe. But my kids and I really like it for dinner, along with a salad. The tiny<br />
seed grains are crunchy, and the sauce adds raw nutrition and makes it interesting.<br />
2½ C amaranth seeds, dry roasted under the broiler or in a dry sauté pan until golden<br />
6 C vegetable broth<br />
2 tsp. Herbs de Provence (a common French herb combination you can buy at most markets) or<br />
rosemary<br />
8 C broccoli, chopped small<br />
Sauce:<br />
1 C fresh orange juice<br />
½ C raw sunflower seeds, soaked in water several hours, then drained<br />
¼ C yellow miso<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
optional: 2 tsp. orange zest<br />
Put the first four (main) ingredients in a saucepan, stirring as it comes <strong>to</strong> a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for<br />
35 min., stirring occasionally and removing the lid for the last 10 min.<br />
Blend the sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Serve this dish hot, in bowls, with the<br />
sauce spooned over the <strong>to</strong>p.<br />
266 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole (1)<br />
2 C hulled buckwheat, dry roasted (you can buy it this way or roast it yourself)<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced<br />
10 baby (or 2 medium) turnips, diced<br />
1 large yellow onion, diced<br />
2 large carrots, diced<br />
4 C vegetable broth or s<strong>to</strong>ck<br />
Sauce:<br />
½ C cashews<br />
2 Tbsp. brown mustard<br />
½ C water<br />
½ tsp. cayenne<br />
Sauté the buckwheat, garlic, turnips, onion, and carrots in the olive oil until tender crisp. Add the vegetable<br />
broth, then pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a baking dish. Stir until well blended, then bake at 350° for 30 min. Blend the<br />
sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender pour the sauce over the casserole and serve.<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers (2)<br />
I like this recipe as a whole dinner, and I don’t even make a salad <strong>to</strong> go with it because you get an entire bell<br />
pepper plus other raw veggies in one serving.<br />
1 C bulgur<br />
1 C boiling water<br />
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained (or 1½ C home-cooked)<br />
2 Roma <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es, chopped<br />
4 green onions, chopped (use most of the green part)<br />
2 avocados, chopped<br />
5 yellow, red, or orange bell peppers, washed, cored, sliced in half<br />
Dressing:<br />
¼ C fresh lime juice<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
freshly ground pepper <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
½ tsp. cayenne<br />
Pour the bulgur in<strong>to</strong> the boiling water, then remove it from the heat and allow it <strong>to</strong> sit for 30 min. Put the<br />
dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir with a fork. Add the cooked bulgur and all remaining ingredients<br />
except the peppers <strong>to</strong> the dressing and mix. Stuff the pepper halves with the bulgur mixture and serve.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 267
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad (2)<br />
You have five quinoa recipes <strong>to</strong> try in Chapter 6 (“Quinoa Main Dish Recipes” on page 172). Here’s another<br />
interesting one using a different variety of my favorite grain that is delicious, quick <strong>to</strong> prepare, and high in<br />
protein.<br />
2 C red quinoa, rinsed well and drained in a fine strainer<br />
4 C water<br />
1 Vidalia (sweet) onion, diced<br />
½ C shelled pistachios, chopped<br />
5 oz. package of arugula, chopped<br />
½ C dried apricots, soaked, drained, and chopped<br />
juice of 1 orange<br />
juice of 1 lemon<br />
2 cloves garlic, diced<br />
½ C flaxseed oil<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
Bring the water <strong>to</strong> a boil, add the quinoa,<br />
cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 20<br />
min., then drain any excess water and cool.<br />
In a serving bowl, whisk the juices, garlic,<br />
salt, and oil <strong>to</strong>gether. When the quinoa is<br />
cooled, <strong>to</strong>ss all the ingredients well in<br />
dressing and serve immediately.<br />
268 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread and Variation (2)<br />
I like making this bread because it takes very little of my time. You never <strong>to</strong>uch the dough, so if it’s sticky, it<br />
doesn’t matter, because you pour it in<strong>to</strong> the pans using a rubber spatula.<br />
5 C whole-wheat flour (optionally, ½ spelt or kamut; also optionally, up <strong>to</strong> 1 C of this amount can be<br />
white bean flour)<br />
1 C sourdough starter<br />
¼ C kefir<br />
1½ C water<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
2 tsp. sea salt<br />
C coconut oil, melted<br />
2 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
2 Tbsp. dried dill weed<br />
2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes<br />
Mix the flour, sourdough start, kefir, onion flakes, and water in a bread mixer, then let stand overnight. In the<br />
morning, stir the dough down. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Use a rubber spatula <strong>to</strong> pour the<br />
batter in<strong>to</strong> two oiled bread loaf pans.<br />
Cover and let them rise for 60 min. (in a slightly warm oven if room temperature is cold). Bake at 350° for 50<br />
min. until the <strong>to</strong>ps are browned. Serve warm, thick slices with butter.<br />
Rye Bread Variation<br />
• Substitute 2 C of rye flour for half of the whole wheat<br />
• Add 2 Tbsp. caraway seeds (ground in coffee grinder if you don’t want the seed crunch)<br />
• Omit the agave<br />
Kamut Sourdough Pita Pockets<br />
Preheat oven and baking s<strong>to</strong>ne <strong>to</strong> 500º. Follow the recipe above <strong>to</strong> make the dough. Then divide dough in<strong>to</strong><br />
fist-sized portions. Roll out each portion until it is ¼" think and coat all portions in cornmeal <strong>to</strong> keep them from<br />
sticking. Once oven and s<strong>to</strong>ne are HOT, <strong>to</strong>ss pitas on<strong>to</strong> the baking s<strong>to</strong>ne and bake for 4 min. Pitas should puff<br />
up nicely. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 16 pitas.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 269
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
* Sourdough <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Bread and Variations (2)<br />
If you don’t have a sourdough starter, please see the <strong>to</strong>pic “Sourdough Start” under “Robyn Recommends” on<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl.com.<br />
Mix in a Bosch or other mixer:<br />
4 C water<br />
½ C sourdough starter + 1 Tbsp. yogurt or kefir<br />
Add 3 C whole-grain flour and mix well. Add another 6+ C flour (including 1 C any type of bean flour) or until<br />
the dough is quite thick, gluten develops, and the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixer.<br />
Cover the dough and let it rest overnight (<strong>to</strong> rise, but also <strong>to</strong> soak the grains <strong>to</strong> eliminate phytates), ideally at<br />
78°. Then stir it down and add:<br />
1 Tbsp. salt<br />
¼ C extra virgin olive oil<br />
optional: ½ C honey (raw)<br />
Let it rest for 30 min. Preheat the oven <strong>to</strong> 425º and preheat a baking s<strong>to</strong>ne (or loaves will flatten).<br />
Shape the dough in<strong>to</strong> two round loaves and let them rise for 20 min. on the s<strong>to</strong>ne (I put ground cornmeal on the<br />
s<strong>to</strong>ne <strong>to</strong> keep the bread from sticking).<br />
Bake the loaves for 20 min. at 425º, then lower the heat <strong>to</strong> 375º for 25 min. Spray the loaves with water before<br />
and during baking. Cool the loaves on a rack.<br />
Variations<br />
• Pretzels<br />
Roll the dough in<strong>to</strong> “snakes” and form them in<strong>to</strong> pretzel shapes. Sprinkle them with, or roll them in,<br />
coarse sea salt, then let rise for 20 min. Bake for <strong>12</strong>-15 min. at 425°.<br />
• Navajo Tacos<br />
Flatten fist-sized balls of dough coated with olive oil and bake for 15-20 min. at 425°.<br />
• Focaccia bread<br />
Press the dough in<strong>to</strong> an olive-oiled cookie sheet (coat both sides of the loaf) about 1" thick. Sprinkle<br />
with Parmesan cheese and herbs such as Spice Hunter brand Garlic Herb Bread and, optionally, press<br />
dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong>es and chopped pumpkin seeds in<strong>to</strong> dough. Bake for 20 min. at 425° in the middle (not <strong>to</strong>p)<br />
of the oven. Cut in<strong>to</strong> squares and dip in balsamic vinegar/olive oil/Italian herbs.<br />
270 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Darlene’s Kamut Sourdough Bread<br />
Darlene U., in Canada, was one of the very earliest loyal readers of GreenSmoothieGirl.com when it went live<br />
in 2007. She faced daunting health challenges and became, and remains, one of the most committed wholefoodies<br />
I know. Like me, her health crisis has become a blessing in many unanticipated ways: she’s become an<br />
educa<strong>to</strong>r of others, she’s been able <strong>to</strong> help her children and parents, and she remains committed because her<br />
health quickly backslides if she even briefly experiments with inferior food.<br />
She makes sourdough bread far more than I do and she is tremendously detail oriented and analytical, so I<br />
asked for her recipe for you. She says that bread making is an art and you must have patience <strong>to</strong> get <strong>to</strong> know<br />
your starter and <strong>to</strong> experiment with textures, temperatures, and details.<br />
Kamut is a nonhybridized wheat and makes a wonderful bread. The pho<strong>to</strong>s are Darlene’s.<br />
4 C active starter (which means that it is rising well and has the ability <strong>to</strong> double in size between<br />
feedings) *<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 C water<br />
2 tsp. sea salt<br />
5-6 C Kamut flour<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 350º. Mix ingredients <strong>to</strong>gether until they combine well. Knead the dough for about 10 min., let<br />
it rest 10 min., and then knead another 10 min. Form it in<strong>to</strong> two loaves.<br />
NOTE: A stickier dough will produce a lighter loaf, whereas a less tacky dough will produce a denser loaf.<br />
Line loaf pans with parchment paper and allow each loaf <strong>to</strong> rise, covered, until it doubles in size. Then bake for<br />
30-35 min. until loaves are nicely browned.<br />
* About my starter: I begin with a couple of<br />
tablespoons of starter in a mason jar and then feed it<br />
equal portions of water and flour 2 or 3 times,<br />
allowing it <strong>to</strong> double in size between feedings until<br />
the final rising period results in 4 C of active starter<br />
(4 C is when the starter reaches the <strong>to</strong>p of the jar).<br />
The jar makes it easy <strong>to</strong> see when it has doubled.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 271
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Other Recipes<br />
NOTE: * = Grain/Legume combo “perfect protein” dish.<br />
Chapter 4<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce (page 111)<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars (page 108)<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies (page 110)<br />
Flaxseed Cookies (page 114)<br />
Microwave Popcorn (page 110)<br />
Millet Porridge (page 113)<br />
Rice Pudding (page 1<strong>12</strong>)<br />
Chapter 6<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice (page 193)<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa (page 173)<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry (page 190)<br />
* Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup (page 189)<br />
Curried Quinoa (page 173)<br />
* Green Lentil Soup (page 187)<br />
* Indian Green or Yellow Dahl (page 196)<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa (page 172)<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas (page 179)<br />
* Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry (page 195)<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa (page 176)<br />
* Southwest Quinoa (page 174)<br />
* Split Pea Soup (page 188)<br />
* Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce (page 192)<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps (page 181)<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup (page 168)<br />
* Vegetarian Chili (page 186)<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas (page 177)<br />
* Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake (page 191)<br />
272 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
Chapter 10<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies (3) (page 296)<br />
Breakfast Pudding (3) (page 296)<br />
Flax Waffles (2) (page 291)<br />
German Pancakes (1) (page 290)<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes (2) (page 291)<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal (2) (page 287)<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal (1) (page 288)<br />
Live Granola (3) (page 294)<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes (2) (page 292)<br />
Robyn’s Granola (2) (page 284)<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten Free) (page 290)<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes (2) (page 289)<br />
Chapter 11<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins (2) (page 307)<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies (1) (page 309)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 273
Replacing White Flour with <strong>Whole</strong> Grains<br />
274 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 10<br />
Starting Your<br />
Morning Off Right<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To start every day off right with hydration and needed minerals, and then good nutrition for breakfast.<br />
You’ll get off of morning stimulants and sugar cereals and on<strong>to</strong> the sustained energy of whole foods.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
You’ll want <strong>to</strong> order some fine-granulated Original Himalayan Crystal Salt for cooking and salt s<strong>to</strong>nes<br />
for making “sole” (see www.tiny.cc/zekBn for the most reputable source). No new <strong>to</strong>ols are needed this<br />
month.<br />
Even before breakfast, you should know some important<br />
information and create a critical new habit. This habit has the<br />
potential <strong>to</strong> hydrate your body as well as address your body’s<br />
ability <strong>to</strong> absorb and utilize minerals more effectively.<br />
You likely wake up dehydrated in the morning. The proof of that<br />
is extremely yellow urine (a well hydrated person has very light or<br />
clear urine). In my family, the first thing we do upon waking is<br />
drink a pint of water. But the next thing I’m going <strong>to</strong> tell you may<br />
sound strange: I also add 1 tsp. of high-mineral crystal salt<br />
solution, or sole (pronounced “so-lay”), in<strong>to</strong> half of that pint of<br />
water. Let me explain, by first detailing how important water is,<br />
starting at the minute you wake up, and then by telling you about<br />
salt.<br />
Why Drink Water upon Waking?<br />
F. Batmanghelidj, an Iranian medical doc<strong>to</strong>r, was a true pioneer, ahead of his time, and probably the<br />
main researcher behind changing attitudes <strong>to</strong>ward water. Now, one or two fringe voices are telling us<br />
water’s not such a big deal, so go ahead and count your soda as “fluids” for the day. Beware of these<br />
voices; they have no real evidence, that critical “reliability” standard in research. Your body is 70%<br />
water, and some parts are as high as 90% water, so the need <strong>to</strong> flush the body with its primary element<br />
is common sense.<br />
Though Dr. B.’s theories have gained much traction since the 1980s thanks <strong>to</strong> his doggedness, so many<br />
of us are still calling “liquids” or “fluids” our hydration, and we’re not drinking much water. Dr. B.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 275
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
states that absolutely nothing stands in the place of pure water. In fact, sugar or caffeine in a beverage has its<br />
own agenda that competes with water’s agenda. To put it very simply, sugar and caffeine not only confuse the<br />
body’s signals that it needs water, but they defeat water’s purpose.<br />
Dr. B. spent over 30 years of his life trying <strong>to</strong> get the attention of the National Institutes of Health, the FDA,<br />
and medical journals <strong>to</strong> take note of his documentation of this free, life-saving cure for common ailments. He<br />
addressed a phenomenon every bit as common as constipation in our culture: dehydration! (And dehydration is<br />
related <strong>to</strong> our chronic constipation problem, <strong>to</strong>o.)<br />
His teachings have often been repeated with the slogan, “You’re not sick, you’re thirsty.” But we are still<br />
dehydrated and unaware of the many symp<strong>to</strong>ms and problems that occur from not being hydrated.<br />
Dr. B.’s first experience as a young doc<strong>to</strong>r reminds me of Dr. Colin Campbell’s paradigm shift studying cancer<br />
in children in the Philippines—and, for that matter, many great discoveries, like Ben Franklin, the kite, and<br />
electricity. That is, his great discoveries were accidental and <strong>to</strong>tally contrary <strong>to</strong> what he expected <strong>to</strong> find based<br />
on conventional knowledge.<br />
The doc<strong>to</strong>r. was called <strong>to</strong> tend <strong>to</strong> a young man curled up in the fetal position, in acute pain from a peptic ulcer.<br />
The young man was lucky his ulcer didn’t perforate, as he had eaten an entire bottle of antacid with no relief.<br />
Having no medication, the doc<strong>to</strong>r gave him two glasses of water, and the boy began <strong>to</strong> recover. Twenty minutes<br />
later another glass of water was given, and the boy was up walking around the room, pain free.<br />
In Iran, Dr. B. was wrongfully incarcerated after medical school during the Iranian Revolution and was about<br />
<strong>to</strong> be executed when they discovered he was a doc<strong>to</strong>r and could help in the prison. During his stay of execution,<br />
he found an “ideal stress labora<strong>to</strong>ry” in which <strong>to</strong> test his water hypotheses. He presented a paper <strong>to</strong> his<br />
executioners, and they dropped the 32 false charges so he could continue his research. His discoveries about<br />
water were published as an edi<strong>to</strong>rial in Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and in The New York Times. The<br />
Anticancer Research journal published the essence of his first book on pain relief and water—all in the 1980s.<br />
The vast majority of his efforts <strong>to</strong> get the attention of the medical profession and policy makers were<br />
completely unsuccessful. But I believe the public is now much more aware of the importance of drinking water<br />
primarily thanks <strong>to</strong> him. You can read his theories in his books Water Cures and Drugs Kill and Your Body’s<br />
Many Cries for Water. 1<br />
Dr. B. studied over 3,000 peptic ulcer patients and found that all of them responded favorably <strong>to</strong> being<br />
hydrated.<br />
His research showed that chronic pain involved in a number of “disorders” can often be treated easily and<br />
without drugs or expensive diagnostics, with water. Those include dyspeptic pain (for instance, heartburn,<br />
gastritis, duodenitis), rheuma<strong>to</strong>id arthritis, anginal pain, low back pain, leg pain, migraines, hangovers, colitis,<br />
and constipation.<br />
The plain, simple, common sense advice <strong>to</strong> drink 1 ounce of water daily for every 2 lbs. of body weight<br />
reminds me of another s<strong>to</strong>ry. In the Bible, Naaman was a captain in the Syrian army, and he was very ill with<br />
leprosy. He went <strong>to</strong> Elisha the prophet, the introduction having been made by the kings of Syria and Israel.<br />
Imagine his surprise when Elisha, rather than receiving him, sent a messenger out <strong>to</strong> tell Naaman <strong>to</strong> simply<br />
wash in the River Jordan seven times. Naaman was indignant.<br />
276 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
In 2 Kings 5:13, Naaman’s servants say <strong>to</strong> him, “If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou<br />
not have done it? How much rather then, when he sayeth <strong>to</strong> thee, wash, and be clean?” Naaman follows the<br />
simple advice and is healed.<br />
The simplest answers are sometimes hardest <strong>to</strong> believe. Sometimes—especially in this day and age where<br />
we’ve come <strong>to</strong> expect whiz-bang, high-tech miracles—simple answers are the last ones we consider instead of<br />
the first. Doc<strong>to</strong>rs don’t often start with the most simple answers, like chronic dehydration. They go right <strong>to</strong><br />
pharmaceuticals. So we have <strong>to</strong> try those simple answers ourselves.<br />
Are you drinking 8-10 glasses daily? How can you find a way <strong>to</strong> fit this habit in<strong>to</strong> your schedule? For me, a<br />
very important part of achieving that involves drinking about 16 oz. immediately upon waking up. I drink<br />
another 16 oz. after my workout in the morning. The rest I fit in<strong>to</strong> my day, avoiding drinking water right before<br />
or after meals (you should abstain 2 hrs. before/after meals <strong>to</strong> avoid diluting gastric juices).<br />
When I was a first-time breastfeeding mother, a friend <strong>to</strong>ld me, “Never walk past a sink without drinking a<br />
glassful.” This was very helpful advice. I’ve been made fun of for the weird, even obnoxious fact that I bounce<br />
out of bed in the morning like the Energizer Bunny while others need an hour <strong>to</strong> clear the fog. I wonder if that’s<br />
because I drink lots of water, including a sole salt solution, every morning and, therefore, I'm not low on<br />
hydroelectric energy like Dr. B. speaks of?<br />
Dr. B. and other experts say you should drink half your weight in ounces (that’s 8 glasses of water for a <strong>12</strong>8 lb.<br />
person). Of course, the most important fact is that most people are chronically dehydrated and need <strong>to</strong> drink<br />
more. Clear or very light-colored urine shows good hydration—and the darker your urine, the more dehydrated<br />
you are (and first thing in the morning, most of us are dehydrated). Small children, the elderly, and athletes are<br />
at highest risk for dehydration, because we lose 10-15 C of fluids daily through elimination, sweat, and<br />
breathing. The biggest fac<strong>to</strong>r increasing that amount is exercise—but altitude and temperature are other<br />
variables <strong>to</strong> consider.<br />
You can, in fact, drink <strong>to</strong>o much water and achieve water in<strong>to</strong>xication. This usually happens only <strong>to</strong> athletes,<br />
since your kidneys can’t process water during exercise, so competitive athletes must balance sodium and water<br />
intake. Thirteen percent of distance runners (whose weight was measured before and after running and whose<br />
water consumption was measured) drank <strong>to</strong>o much water, causing abnormally or dangerously low blood<br />
sodium levels. So athletes may wish <strong>to</strong> use a small amount of sole in water before and after practice and<br />
competing.<br />
Get in the habit of taking your favorite reusable water bottle with you everywhere you go. Find spaces in your<br />
routine where you learn <strong>to</strong> always drink a glass or two. For instance, drink your 16 oz. water bottle all the way<br />
home from work in the car, before you prepare dinner.<br />
Why Should I Use Salt, and What Kind?<br />
If I go <strong>to</strong> a restaurant and eat something with a lot of sodium, I can barely make a fist when I wake up the next<br />
day. My fingers are like pudgy sausages. My body hates salt. Or so I thought!<br />
You probably know that sodium chloride (table salt) consumption is linked <strong>to</strong> heart disease. Your body can’t<br />
handle more than a minute amount, and when it gets <strong>to</strong>o much, edema results. Swelling of heart tissues is<br />
especially dangerous—and my pudgy fingers are just the first thing I notice if I eat food with refined (table)<br />
salt.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 277
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Your body needs 23 times the amount of water as it receives in table salt in order <strong>to</strong> neutralize it. The excess<br />
salt recrystallizes, causing uric acid <strong>to</strong> form, binding with sodium chloride <strong>to</strong> form crystals which are then<br />
deposited in joints and bones. The results? Arthritis, kidney and gall s<strong>to</strong>nes, gout, and more.<br />
Yet you’ve seen salt licks in fields for cows or horses, and you know salt is needed in the body. Are you<br />
confused? The problem is the devastating consequences of refined salt, added <strong>to</strong> so many modern processed<br />
foods in obscene quantities. It bears no resemblance <strong>to</strong> natural crystal salt. You actually need about .007 oz. of<br />
salt daily, and not having enough salt creates health risks just as significant as having <strong>to</strong>o much.<br />
I recommend drinking sole first thing every morning. sole consists of<br />
1 tsp. of a solution of Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS)<br />
dissolved in water. (Important note: sole is not a teaspoon of salt—<br />
rather, a teaspoon of saltwater solution!) You make it by filling a<br />
small jar with the OHCS s<strong>to</strong>nes (see the source at the beginning of<br />
this chapter), covering it with water, and letting it sit several hours.<br />
(It can be used indefinitely, as salt never goes “bad.”)<br />
Why do this? The body is made up primarily of water and salt, the<br />
most elemental primal force of all. When water and crystalline salt<br />
come <strong>to</strong>gether, they release their properties and are no longer H 2 O<br />
and NaCl. The combination of water and completely unrefined salt<br />
has a higher energetic vibration than either the water or salt alone. 2<br />
With OHCS, hand-mined from where pristine ancient oceans<br />
receded from what are now the Himalayan Mountains, you are<br />
getting a natural concentration of all 84 trace minerals in a natural<br />
form bioavailable <strong>to</strong> the human body. That mineral list is the entire<br />
periodic table except for the 10 inert gases! You may be able <strong>to</strong><br />
address longtime problems stemming from mineral deficiencies over<br />
the course of several months merely by adding this simple habit <strong>to</strong> your routine while also eating a healthy diet.<br />
I have zero water retention using this salt. One tsp. of sole every morning is only 411 mg. of sodium, and the<br />
USDA recommends no more than 2,500 mg. The average American gets 5,000 mg. of sodium (the bad kind,<br />
no less).<br />
Table salt is cooked, refined, and doesn't contain the 84 trace minerals needed for digestion, electrolyte<br />
production, and other bodily functions. People who are salt deprived have aches (especially headaches) and<br />
muscle cramping, especially at night, among other symp<strong>to</strong>ms. You can eat table salt and still be salt deprived,<br />
because that <strong>to</strong>xic substance is not recognized and used well by your body.<br />
And people who are mineral deprived suffer more symp<strong>to</strong>ms than I can list here, but they include fatigue, hair<br />
loss, brittle nails, and graying hair. Mineral deficiencies affect every system in your body.<br />
A double-blind study done in Austria in 2003 examined the effects of drinking a minimum of 1.5 liters of water<br />
with table salt, versus 1.5 liters of water with Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS). Remember that a<br />
double-blind study is one in which neither the researcher nor the subjects know which treatment they are<br />
receiving, thus preventing bias.<br />
278 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Those who drank water with OHCS achieved improvements in respira<strong>to</strong>ry, circula<strong>to</strong>ry, connective tissue,<br />
nervous system, and organ functions. They reported improved sleep, energy, and concentration, as well as<br />
weight loss, noticeable hair and nail growth, and heightened brain activity and consciousness. Those using<br />
table salt saw deterioration rather than improvements in health measurements.<br />
Drinking a teaspoon of sole (the solution of maximum OHCS dissolved in water) added <strong>to</strong> a glass of water<br />
every morning res<strong>to</strong>res the body's acid-alkaline balance, normalizes blood pressure, dissolves and releases<br />
crystallized deposits, cleanses the intestines, improves skin conditions, and has even been found <strong>to</strong> weaken<br />
addictions. Electrolytes are created that improve the body's conductivity and stimulate circulation. To do this,<br />
you have <strong>to</strong> think of salt in a new way: as a critical element for your health, rather than a spice.<br />
Taking a 30-minute bath in OHCS is said <strong>to</strong> be the equivalent of a three-day cleanse or fast: minerals are<br />
absorbed through the skin, and the sole maintains the natural protective film on the skin so it does not dry out.<br />
In addition <strong>to</strong> the daily dose of sole, dissolving 2 lbs. of OHCS in a tub of water helps with skin conditions such<br />
as psoriasis, eczema, Herpes infections, athlete’s foot, and insect bites. Inhaling OCHS salt steam helps with<br />
allergies, asthma, and colds. 27<br />
Some have asked me if Real Salt (mined in Utah) is a good product. The answer is that it's much better than<br />
refined salt, but it claims <strong>to</strong> have only 50 minerals and is still somewhat refined. OHCS has all 84 trace<br />
minerals and has many superior qualities as a crystal salt (developed under high pressure, with minerals the<br />
most bioavailable) rather than a rock salt.<br />
I hope you avoid using chemically processed salt starting now. (Canned and boxed foods contain high amounts<br />
of table salt, even if you don’t add it <strong>to</strong> homemade food.) About 93% of salt worldwide is used for industrial<br />
purposes wherein pure sodium chloride, with minerals removed, is required. Using that substance has enabled<br />
food processors <strong>to</strong> preserve foods for long periods of time, but the consequences for human health have been<br />
disastrous. Refined salt is an aggressive poison, looking <strong>to</strong> bind <strong>to</strong> minerals in your body that you desperately<br />
need.<br />
How Do I Make Sole (Salt Solution)?<br />
You can find Original Himalayan Crystal Salt s<strong>to</strong>nes (and the same salt s<strong>to</strong>nes finely granulated for cooking)<br />
from the most reputable importer, through the link direct <strong>to</strong> that importer on GreenSmoothieGirl.com and the<br />
URL at the beginning of this chapter. Others are not reputable and may be importing another product entirely.<br />
Some are reportedly importing, for instance, road salt from India, which has a high profit margin but no benefit<br />
for your health. I recommend getting some finely ground salt for use in your food, as well as salt s<strong>to</strong>nes <strong>to</strong> get<br />
started making your own sole.<br />
When you obtain the s<strong>to</strong>nes, follow these steps <strong>to</strong> make sole (which is a 26% salt solution):<br />
1. Fill a small glass jar with Original Himalayan Crystal Salt S<strong>to</strong>nes. Then fill the jar with drinking water,<br />
completely covering the salt s<strong>to</strong>nes. Let it sit overnight. Add more water as you use the sole. You will<br />
always see undissolved salt crystals in the bot<strong>to</strong>m of the jar, indicating that the saltwater solution is<br />
maximized. The sole will never go bad, as salt is antibacterial and antifungal. Just keep the jar covered<br />
with a lid <strong>to</strong> avoid evaporation. When the s<strong>to</strong>nes eventually dissolve, fill the jar with them again.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 279
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
2. Each morning, at least half an hour before eating or drinking anything else, add 1 tsp. of the sole<br />
solution <strong>to</strong> a glass of water and drink it. Your body will receive the energetic vibration pattern for 24<br />
hours.<br />
Breakfast<br />
What your mother always <strong>to</strong>ld you is true: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Another truism is<br />
the saying <strong>to</strong> eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper. (Letting your body rest at<br />
night from digestion is critically important for the health of your digestive tract, which needs a break just like<br />
your muscles and brain and eyes obviously do.)<br />
And the more live or raw foods you can eat for breakfast, the higher and more sustained your energy will be<br />
throughout the day. Half an hour or so after drinking sole (salt water), have a bowl of granola with a scoop of<br />
sprouted seeds added—a highly nutritious breakfast for athletes, men with higher caloric needs, and anyone<br />
suffering from constipation. If you choose <strong>to</strong> eat cold cereal, choose whole-grain options such as Shredded<br />
Wheat, Grape Nuts, or Kashi.<br />
Another hot meal that is filling, satisfying, and very alkaline is hot millet porridge with a bit of maple syrup<br />
and coconut oil or butter. Add a big spoonful of soaked (sprouted) alfalfa seeds for live enzymes and high<br />
nutrition. (See the recipe for * You can also use coconut milk instead of coconut cream concentrate, for a<br />
thinner glaze. I like <strong>to</strong> use the rest of the can of coconut milk the next morning, with any lef<strong>to</strong>ver orange juice<br />
and agave mixed in, poured on millet porridge (recipe below). on page 108.)<br />
If you don’t have time <strong>to</strong> sit down and eat, have a Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie (page 285), a delicious all-raw<br />
breakfast that you can take in the car, in a quart jar with a straw, <strong>to</strong> drink on the way <strong>to</strong> work or school.<br />
Another of my favorite breakfasts is Breakfast Pudding (page 296), which has live, sprouted nutrition but is<br />
also filling, slightly sweet, and delicious.<br />
For weekends and holidays, you can replace your processed breakfast food with more nutritious, whole-grain<br />
alternatives. We especially love Pumpkin-Oatmeal Waffles (page 292) <strong>to</strong>pped with applesauce and a little<br />
maple syrup. And we make Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten Free) (page 290) with Berry<br />
Sauce (page 313) a few times a month.<br />
What Is the 1, 2, 3 Rating System in the Recipes?<br />
The recipes in this chapter are rated 1, 2, or 3.<br />
Recipes rated 1 are whole grain (and naturally sweetened, where applicable) and are a great transition for<br />
anyone coming from a diet high in refined foods. They are much more nutritious than anything using refined<br />
flours or sugars.<br />
Recipes rated 2 are even more nutritious, because they are made with the highly alkaline grain millet or the<br />
high-protein grain quinoa, or they have lots of raw vegetable ingredients—or they use soaked, sprouted, or<br />
280 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
fermented grains <strong>to</strong> neutralize phytic acid and release nutrients in the grains for absorption. This soaking<br />
process also breaks down (or predigests) proteins in the grains, making them easier on your digestive system.<br />
Recipes rated 3 contain only raw plant-food ingredients, the most nutritious of all, for those who are seeking a<br />
diet maximizing raw foods that provide their own enzymes and, therefore, don’t draw on the body’s ability <strong>to</strong><br />
produce them.<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
Most breakfast foods eaten in the Western world <strong>to</strong>day are poor energy sources, full of stimulants and quick<br />
jolts <strong>to</strong> the blood sugar. As you’ve replaced those with sustaining, high-fiber, whole-plant-based recipes for 30<br />
days, what have you noticed?<br />
1. Do you have more energy throughout the morning?<br />
2. Do you notice more stability in your blood sugar throughout the day, and particularly when you wake<br />
up?<br />
3. Do you notice any improvement in your overall feeling of well-being?<br />
4. Did you enjoy the breakfasts in this chapter? Which ones are your favorites?<br />
5. Did you find that whole-grain weekend breakfasts give you something <strong>to</strong> look forward <strong>to</strong>?<br />
6. Did you miss junk breakfast?<br />
7. Have you eliminated any stimulants you used <strong>to</strong> use for breakfast (coffee, tea, etc.)? Do you miss them?<br />
Was it a difficult transition at first?<br />
8. Any other observations during this month?<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 281
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
282 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 283
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
BREAKFAST RECIPES<br />
Robyn’s Granola (2)<br />
Try eating this every morning for one week and document what happens <strong>to</strong> your digestion. (I’ll give you a hint:<br />
it will clean you out!) Full of fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids, this is whole-foods nutrition perfect for children<br />
and adults! Kids won’t get hungry before lunch or nag for snacks. I double this recipe and make it in a big<br />
broiler pan with a lid, where I keep it until it’s gone. To each bowl, add a heaping tablespoon of sprouted raw<br />
sunflower seeds and a tablespoon of sprouted alfalfa/clover seeds <strong>to</strong> provide live digestive enzymes.<br />
Mix well:<br />
8 C rolled oats (not instant oats, which are a processed food)<br />
1 C raw wheat germ (found in bulk at the health food s<strong>to</strong>re, high in B vitamins)<br />
1 C shredded coconut (found in bulk at the health food s<strong>to</strong>re—not the sugar kind)<br />
½ C freshly ground flax seeds (grind fresh, in your high-powered blender)<br />
1½ C nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds)<br />
¼ C sesame seeds<br />
2 Tbsp. cinnamon<br />
Heat on the s<strong>to</strong>ve until barely melted, stirring <strong>to</strong>gether:<br />
½ C honey (raw)<br />
½ C molasses or Grade B maple syrup<br />
½ C water<br />
½ C coconut oil<br />
optional: 1 Tbsp. maple flavoring or vanilla<br />
Pour the liquid ingredients in<strong>to</strong> the dry ingredients and mix until distributed evenly (this takes a few minutes).<br />
Bake at 250°, stirring well every 20 min. for 45-90 min. or until dry. Keep in the pantry for up <strong>to</strong> 2 weeks in<br />
cooler weather, or in the fridge for up <strong>to</strong> six weeks. Makes 11 cups.<br />
Serve the granola with nut or rice milk (nut milk recipe below; rice milk recipe on page 264) plus 2 Tbsp.<br />
sprouted raw sunflower and alfalfa seeds mixed in.<br />
To sprout sunflower seeds, cover ½ pt. of sunflower seeds with filtered water overnight, then drain in the<br />
morning. They are now living food with vastly more enzymes and nutrients. You may also sprout raw almonds<br />
or pumpkin seeds <strong>to</strong> add <strong>to</strong> your granola for variety as you serve it.<br />
284 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie (3)<br />
I have been drinking this every morning for quite a few years, just because I love it. Raw beets are an excellent<br />
blood purifier and coconut liquid is packed with minerals and electrolytes—and how many breakfasts do you<br />
know that taste great and contain raw carrots and beets? A 450-calorie breakfast that has four servings of fruits<br />
and vegetables, 15% plant protein, and good fats in the cashews. (View the GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube video<br />
on how <strong>to</strong> open a coconut easily: www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi.)<br />
1½ C coconut liquid (best raw, or use from a can—both can be found at Asian markets)<br />
1 large carrot, cleaned and cut in<strong>to</strong> 3 pieces (or 5-6 baby carrots)<br />
¼ of a medium beet, raw, peeled<br />
¼ C cashews or (for better nutrition) raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight and drained<br />
¼ C chopped dates (inexpensive in bulk foods at a health food s<strong>to</strong>re)<br />
2 tsp. vanilla<br />
<strong>12</strong> frozen strawberries (organic, if possible)<br />
Purée all ingredients except the strawberries and protein powder in your high-powered blender for 90 seconds.<br />
Add the strawberries and purée on high until smooth. Add the protein powder for the last 5 sec. Makes 1 quart.<br />
TIP: See Chapter 8 for how <strong>to</strong> make your coconut<br />
liquid in<strong>to</strong> kefir for excellent added nutrition. It’s a<br />
simple habit <strong>to</strong> make your coconut liquid a<br />
probiotic drink that will not change the taste<br />
significantly, but can aid in preventing viruses<br />
and bacterial infections and improve your<br />
digestion. I remove the water kefir grains from<br />
my coconut liquid every morning and put it in a<br />
new pint jar of coconut liquid for the next day.<br />
Your water kefir grains are infinitely reusable.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 285
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Kefir Smoothie (3)<br />
I have made this for my children every day for many years. I think it’s the most important contributing fac<strong>to</strong>r <strong>to</strong><br />
their immunity <strong>to</strong> viruses and infections that “go around” every winter. They never become seriously ill and<br />
never require antibiotics, because they are fed live probiotics every day in a form far superior than dried<br />
cultures s<strong>to</strong>red for months in pill form.<br />
C kefir (see recipe on page 233)<br />
1 banana, frozen in small chunks<br />
1 peach or 4 strawberries, frozen<br />
optional: 1 scoop WarriorBlend protein powder<br />
Blend all until very smooth in high-powered blender.<br />
Nut Milk (3)<br />
½ C nuts or seeds (such as cashews, almonds, or sesame seeds), soaked and drained<br />
2 C filtered water<br />
optional: ½ tsp. vanilla extract<br />
Blend ingredients in your high-powered blender (optionally with ½ tsp. vanilla). Purée on high speed until<br />
smooth. Strain pulp with nut-milk bag or cheese cloth. (Optionally, mix a small amount of raw, organic agave<br />
and some dried fruit in<strong>to</strong> the pulp, then dehydrate as “cookies.”) Keeps well in the refrigera<strong>to</strong>r.<br />
Coconut Milk<br />
You can purchase coconut milk in a can, but this is a lower-fat version that is quick and easy if you have dried<br />
shredded coconut on hand.<br />
½ C shredded dried coconut (organic, no sweetener or chemicals added)<br />
1 C filtered water<br />
¼ tsp. vanilla<br />
Pinch of stevia (<strong>to</strong> taste)<br />
Blend coconut and water until very smooth, about 90 seconds. Strain pulp with nut-milk bag or cheese cloth.<br />
(Optionally, mix a small amount of raw, organic agave and some dried fruit in<strong>to</strong> the pulp, then dehydrate as<br />
“cookies.”)<br />
286 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix (1)<br />
People who identify themselves as “protein types” should find this breakfast highly sustaining, with the<br />
“perfect protein” combo of lentils and grains. This is a good emergency preparedness recipe you can s<strong>to</strong>re in<br />
gallon freezer bags or buckets. Oat groats are just the grain before the oat is rolled.<br />
1 C kamut (or regular wheat)<br />
1 C millet<br />
1 C brown rice<br />
1 C oat groats<br />
2 C lentils (or garbanzo beans/chickpeas)<br />
1 C popcorn, unpopped<br />
Mix all ingredients <strong>to</strong>gether, grind the mixture in a grain grinder on the coarse setting (or, if you don’t have<br />
one, blend it in your high-powered blender until the mixture is coarsely ground). S<strong>to</strong>re in the fridge.<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal (2)<br />
1 C breakfast cereal mix (recipe above)<br />
2 C water (divided equally in<strong>to</strong> two portions)<br />
2 Tbsp. kefir (or whey, buttermilk, or yogurt)<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
2 Tbsp. honey (raw) or agave (raw, organic)<br />
optional: handful of raisins or other dried fruit (add a bit of extra water)<br />
optional: shredded coconut, ground flax seeds<br />
Mix the cereal mix, 1 C of water, and kefir, and let it sit overnight or, preferably, for up <strong>to</strong> 24 hours. In the<br />
morning, bring the other 1 C of water <strong>to</strong> a boil. Then add the soaked cereal, dried fruit, honey, and salt, and<br />
simmer for 5 min., stirring often <strong>to</strong> avoid lumps. Sprinkle each serving with shredded coconut and ground flax<br />
seed (optional). Serve with any kind of milk and/or a spoonful of coconut oil or butter. For a treat, serve with<br />
cream and berries. Serves 2-4.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 287
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal (1)<br />
1 C kasha (buckwheat groats)<br />
1 egg (organic, free-range)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
2 C boiling water<br />
½ tsp. cinnamon<br />
2 Tbsp. maple syrup or molasses<br />
optional: 2 Tbsp. peanut butter, organic, peanuts only (no rapeseed oil or sugar/corn syrup added)<br />
optional: 1 apple, grated or diced<br />
In a large saucepan, combine the buckwheat and egg, stirring well. Place over medium-high heat and stir while<br />
the grains begin <strong>to</strong> separate. When all the grains have separated and are roasted, add the boiling water and salt,<br />
and cover the pot. Reduce the heat <strong>to</strong> medium-low and steam for about 15-20 min. For the last 5-10 min. of<br />
cooking, add the apple, peanut butter, and optional cinnamon and maple syrup or molasses. Serve with Hot-<br />
Pink Breakfast Smoothie (3) (page 285) or * Polenta (2) (page 264). Serves 3-4.<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s<br />
This is a good way <strong>to</strong> use lef<strong>to</strong>ver baked pota<strong>to</strong>es.<br />
1 pkg. of 6 sprouted-wheat <strong>to</strong>rtillas (or <strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas on page 177)<br />
1 16-oz. package firm <strong>to</strong>fu, chopped<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
2 C fresh (or 1 pkg. frozen) broccoli, chopped<br />
1 red bell pepper, chopped<br />
3 baked pota<strong>to</strong>es, chopped (leave peels on)<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<br />
3 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 338)<br />
1 tsp. turmeric<br />
1 tsp. cumin<br />
1 C cilantro, chopped<br />
plenty of salsa<br />
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, then add the vegetables and <strong>to</strong>fu, and sauté until tender-crisp. Continue<br />
cooking, adding all the seasonings except for the Liquid Aminos and <strong>to</strong>ssing until well coated. Remove the<br />
mixture from the heat and <strong>to</strong>ss in the Liquid Aminos and cilantro. Serve in warmed whole-grain <strong>to</strong>rtillas with<br />
salsa.<br />
288 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes (2)<br />
2 C dry wheat, soaked overnight, drained, sprouted 2-3 days<br />
2 C milk (any kind, or ½ yogurt and ½ water)<br />
1½ C shredded coconut<br />
4 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
½ C coconut oil (liquid, warmed)<br />
1 Tbsp. honey (raw)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 tsp. soda<br />
1 Tbsp. baking powder (no aluminum)<br />
Blend the sprouted wheat and milk in your high-powered blender on high for 2 min. Blend in all the other<br />
ingredients until smooth. Pour by ¼ C on<strong>to</strong> a hot, oiled griddle and cook until both sides are browned. Serve<br />
with applesauce and maple syrup, or the Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes (3) (page 293) and plain yogurt.<br />
Serves 6-8.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 289
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
German Pancakes (1)<br />
These are not as nutritious as other breakfasts in this chapter, but they are a big step up from the alternative, and<br />
we make them on holidays.<br />
6 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
½ C kefir<br />
½ C water<br />
1 C whole-wheat flour, finely ground<br />
Mix the flour, kefir, and water, cover, and allow <strong>to</strong> sit overnight. Add the eggs, mix well, and pour the mixture<br />
in<strong>to</strong> a greased 9"x13" pan. Bake at 425° for 22 min., or until puffy and browned. Serve immediately with maple<br />
syrup.<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten Free)<br />
No flour and gluten free—we love this recipe, which makes a large batch <strong>to</strong> serve 6-8. You can make all the<br />
pancakes and put lef<strong>to</strong>vers in the fridge or freezer. I don’t much like buckwheat-flour recipes, but this one<br />
tastes fantastic because the buckwheat is soaked and then blended.<br />
2½ C raw, dry buckwheat<br />
½ C flax seeds<br />
4 C water<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
½ tsp. nutmeg<br />
2 bananas, peeled<br />
1 Tbsp. aluminum-free baking powder<br />
2 C blueberries<br />
coconut oil<br />
optional: ½ tsp. stevia powder<br />
Soak the buckwheat overnight, then drain and optionally sprout in a strainer for 24 hours (rinsing about every 8<br />
hours). Blend the water and buckwheat in your high-powered blender until smooth. Pour some of the mixture<br />
in<strong>to</strong> a large bowl if blender is <strong>to</strong>o full. Add the flax seed <strong>to</strong> the blender and blend until smooth. Add the stevia,<br />
salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, bananas, and baking powder, then blend for 60 seconds.<br />
Pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> the large bowl that you already put some water/buckwheat mixture in<strong>to</strong>. Add the<br />
blueberries, then stir by hand. Pour by ¼ C on<strong>to</strong> a hot, oiled griddle and fry with a minimal amount of coconut<br />
oil until both sides are browned. Pancakes may still be slightly gooey in the middle: this preserves much of the<br />
sprouted nutrition and actually tastes good, though you can cook them extra long if you want them solid all the<br />
way through.<br />
Serve with maple syrup or any of the Three Toppings for Pancakes and Waffles on page 293.<br />
290 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes (2)<br />
Pancakes are a good way <strong>to</strong> get a wider variety of whole grains in your diet. Although thought of as a high-carb<br />
meal, these pancakes instead feature high-protein grains.<br />
2 C spelt, freshly ground<br />
1 C buckwheat, freshly ground<br />
1 C amaranth seeds, freshly ground<br />
2 C water<br />
2 Tbsp. kefir (or whey)<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range), beaten<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ C raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat<br />
2 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)<br />
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted<br />
½ Tbsp. vanilla extract<br />
Mix the flour, water, and kefir, then cover and let it sit overnight. In the morning, add the eggs, salt, baking<br />
powder, coconut sugar/Sucanat, vanilla, and oil, then mix with an electric hand mixer. Pour by ¼ C on<strong>to</strong> hot,<br />
oiled griddle and cook until both sides are browned. Serve with Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes (3)<br />
(page 293) and yogurt, or Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes (3) (page 293).<br />
Flax Waffles (2)<br />
1½ C whole-wheat flour<br />
¼ C raw wheat germ<br />
¼ C flax seeds, freshly ground<br />
1¼ C water<br />
1 C kefir (or yogurt)<br />
2 Tbsp. agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. cinnamon<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted<br />
Combine the water, yogurt, flour, wheat germ, and flax seed. Let it sit overnight. In the morning, beat the eggs<br />
with an electric hand mixer until fluffy, then blend them in<strong>to</strong> the milk/flour mixture along with the agave, oil,<br />
and other dry ingredients until smooth. Bake in a preheated waffle iron. (They will take longer <strong>to</strong> bake than<br />
other waffles.)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 291
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes (2)<br />
These are my favorite “weekend” breakfast—pumpkin pie in the form of waffles!—and so filling. This is a big<br />
batch that will give you lef<strong>to</strong>vers for the fridge or freezer, unless you have teenagers with huge appetites like I<br />
do!<br />
2 C whole-wheat flour (finely ground, soft white wheat preferable)<br />
2 C regular rolled oats<br />
1 C yogurt or kefir<br />
3 C filtered water<br />
1 (30 oz.) can pumpkin<br />
¼ C coconut oil (liquid)<br />
3 Tbsp. raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat<br />
2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1 tsp. nutmeg<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
1½ tsp. baking powder (no aluminum)—reduce by ½ tsp. if you soaked grains overnight<br />
2 tsp. vanilla<br />
3 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
Mix rolled oats in your high-powered blender <strong>to</strong> break them down <strong>to</strong> a coarse meal. Mix the whole-wheat flour,<br />
oats, yogurt, and water <strong>to</strong>gether, then cover and let sit overnight. In the morning, add the remaining ingredients<br />
and mix by hand but don’t overmix. Pumpkin and whole wheat make the batter very dense, so cooking time is<br />
at least twice as long as for waffles from a mix. If you are making waffles, you will have <strong>to</strong> let them cook<br />
through at least two cycles. Top with Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes (3) (page 293) or maple<br />
syrup.<br />
292 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Three Toppings for Pancakes and Waffles<br />
Using these as <strong>to</strong>ppings for your waffles or pancakes reduces your sugar consumption (compared <strong>to</strong> using<br />
maple syrup), and they add fiber and 1-2 servings of fruit <strong>to</strong> your day.<br />
Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes (3)<br />
6 C frozen mixed berries<br />
½ C maple syrup<br />
1-1½ C hot water (<strong>to</strong> make frozen fruit easier <strong>to</strong> blend)<br />
Purée or pulse all ingredients in your high-powered blender until desired consistency is achieved (smooth or<br />
chunky). Serve over waffles or pancakes. (See pho<strong>to</strong> on page 289.)<br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes (3)<br />
4 large Jonathan or Fuji apples, washed, cored, and quartered<br />
1 C water<br />
C fresh lemon juice<br />
2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
½ tsp. nutmeg<br />
C maple syrup<br />
Pulse all ingredients in your high-powered blender for a chunky sauce. Serve over waffles or pancakes.<br />
Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes (1)<br />
1 large (29 oz.) can fruit cocktail (no sugar added), including the liquid<br />
¼ C arrowroot powder<br />
½ C water<br />
½ C white grape juice concentrate (no sugar added)<br />
Pulse all ingredients in your high-powered blender until almost smooth. Cook over medium heat until the<br />
mixture thickens, stirring often. Serve over waffles or pancakes (and optionally <strong>to</strong>p with fresh raspberries and<br />
plain yogurt).<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 293
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Live Granola (3)<br />
This is more labor intensive than my first granola recipe in this chapter. But everything except the rolled oats is<br />
live, with the full enzyme potential of all the nuts, seeds, and grains unleashed! And you cannot buy a more<br />
delicious granola. I am warning you that this breakfast is addictive: my whole family snacks on this when I<br />
make it, even after breakfast.<br />
Put in very large bowl, cover with filtered water, and soak for 22 hours:<br />
1½ C sunflower seeds<br />
1½ C oat groats<br />
1½ C pumpkin seeds<br />
1½ C raw almonds<br />
1½ C raw walnuts<br />
6 C rolled oats<br />
Drain and rinse, then cover with several inches of water again and add the following <strong>to</strong> the bowl and then soak<br />
the entire mixture for 2 more hours:<br />
1 C flax seeds<br />
1 C sesame seeds<br />
Rinse, drain, and grind the mixture <strong>to</strong> a coarse texture with a nut chopper or food processor.<br />
Next, purée in your high-powered blender:<br />
1 C coconut oil (liquid, container warmed in a sink of hot tap water)<br />
1 C raw honey (raw)<br />
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract<br />
Stir this in<strong>to</strong> the seed, nut, and oat mixture. Spread on dehydra<strong>to</strong>r trays and dry for 24 hours, then stir in any<br />
dried fruit you like (raisins, etc.). S<strong>to</strong>re in the fridge if this batch will last you longer than a week.<br />
294 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 295
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies (3)<br />
My friend Jill asked me if I had a good recipe for “breakfast cookies.” I’d never heard of such a thing, but this<br />
is what I came up with: live, low-sugar nutrition you could eat in the car on mornings you’re in a hurry.<br />
1½ C almonds (preferably soaked and dehydrated)<br />
2 C dry oat groats, soaked, rinsed, and sprouted 2 days<br />
½ C fresh orange juice<br />
½ C sliced (or chopped) almonds<br />
1 C chopped dried apricots<br />
½ C chopped dates<br />
3 Gala or Jonathan apples, cored and chopped (but not peeled)<br />
½ C Craisins, chopped<br />
½ tsp. nutmeg<br />
½ tsp. cinnamon<br />
In a dry container, blend the almonds in<strong>to</strong> flour with your high-powered blender and then set aside in a separate<br />
bowl. Blend the orange juice, sprouted oats, dates, apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the blender until creamy.<br />
Scrape the mixture in<strong>to</strong> a bowl and stir in the Craisins, almonds, and apricots. Stir in almond flour and mix<br />
well. Press spoonfuls on<strong>to</strong> Teflex sheets in a dehydra<strong>to</strong>r and dry at 105° until the cookies are chewy (about 10-<br />
14 hours).<br />
Breakfast Pudding (3)<br />
Blend well in your high-powered blender:<br />
½ C cashews (soaked a few hours in the water <strong>to</strong> be used in this recipe)<br />
1½ C water (add a bit more if needed for consistency)<br />
1 small banana<br />
2 Tbsp. maple syrup<br />
pinch of vanilla bean<br />
dash of cinnamon<br />
dash of sea salt<br />
Add and pulse until broken down in<strong>to</strong> small chunks but not <strong>to</strong>tally smooth:<br />
½ C golden raisins<br />
2 C oat groats, soaked overnight and drained (optionally sprouted 1-2 days)<br />
Serve warm or chilled.<br />
296 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
Chia Pudding (3)<br />
This is a perfect breakfast for a diabetic or anyone with blood sugar problems and for anyone who is anemic<br />
(chia is high in bioavailable iron) or who wants <strong>to</strong> increase protein on their plant-based diet.<br />
Stir <strong>to</strong>gether and let soak for 20 min. or longer:<br />
Then add:<br />
2 Tbsp. chia seeds<br />
C coconut or almond milk<br />
1 tsp. organic ground cinnamon (for additional blood-sugar control)<br />
optional: 1 tsp. raw ground cacao nibs<br />
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds<br />
1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds<br />
1 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds<br />
1 Tbsp shredded coconut (unsweetened)<br />
C mixed berries<br />
Add some water if needed for desired consistency, then stir all <strong>to</strong>gether. Can be saved in the fridge for up <strong>to</strong> 2<br />
days. Makes 2 servings.<br />
Other Recipes<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars (page 108)<br />
* Polenta (2) (page 264)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 297
Starting Your Morning Off Right<br />
298 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER 11<br />
Creating Delicious<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Your Goal:<br />
This is our most-fun step yet, replacing processed-food treats in your diet with more nourishing ones<br />
made with whole foods. The goal is <strong>to</strong> enjoy!<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
You need nothing new this month, although you may want <strong>to</strong> have some higher-nutrition, unrefined<br />
sweeteners on hand: agave nectar, stevia, molasses, and raw coconut palm sugar (see Appendix A for<br />
explanation of bad and good sweeteners). This is also your chance <strong>to</strong> eat chocolate! So, get some raw<br />
chocolate powder or at least less expensive (but not as nutritious) non-alkalized, unsweetened cocoa<br />
powder.<br />
This is an exciting month of experimenting with treats you will enjoy that are easy <strong>to</strong> make, provide<br />
good variety, and are nourishing as well as delicious (such as the peanut butter cookies below; see<br />
page 309). The GreenSmoothieGirl cookie mixes are great neighbor, teacher, and coworker gifts for<br />
the holidays, so you’re not contributing <strong>to</strong> your friends being ill in the winter. All of these recipes can<br />
help you get through the winter holiday season without processed junk food and the resulting lowered<br />
resistance <strong>to</strong> viral bugs. And, an occasional treat will help you not feel “deprived” while staying on<br />
your path <strong>to</strong> good health. I like <strong>to</strong> keep some nutritious cookies or candies in my freezer for any<br />
occasion calling for a treat.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 299
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
How Do I Convert a Treat Recipe <strong>to</strong> Be Nutritious?<br />
Many people don’t know that the six “magic tricks” <strong>to</strong> making any cookie or cake recipe much more nutritious<br />
are really rather simple.<br />
1. Replace the white flour with an equal amount of finely ground soft white wheat flour. You can use other<br />
types of wheat, but soft white wheat most closely resembles white flour, without nutritional loss of the<br />
germ and the fiber loss of the bran.<br />
2. Replace the sugar with raw, organic coconut palm sugar or the less optimal Sucanat (dehydrated,<br />
unrefined organic cane juice). For powdered sugar, blend the coconut sugar or Sucanat in the Blendtec<br />
until it is very fine. Or you can substitute raw honey or agave for better nutrition. Honey is high in<br />
vitamins and minerals and agave has a lower glycemic index. But if you’re using a liquid sweetener,<br />
you can generally cut the amount by half because agave and especially honey are much sweeter than<br />
sugar or Sucanat. With liquid substitutions, you must experiment with the flour amount, increasing it by<br />
one-fourth <strong>to</strong> one-third the amount called for. See Appendix A (page 337) for explanations of good and<br />
not-so-good sugar replacements.<br />
3. Replace shortening, margarine, butter, or oil with coconut oil. Of those three, butter is preferable, if you<br />
choose not <strong>to</strong> use coconut oil, as shortening and margarine are full of fake trans fats, and butter does<br />
have medium-chain fatty acids and some positive nutritional qualities. If you don’t like the taste of<br />
coconut added by virgin, unprocessed coconut oil, use a more processed version of it, which will have<br />
little or no flavor. This option is still much better than the usual fats used in cookie recipes since<br />
coconut oil does not create trans fats even when heated <strong>to</strong> high temperatures. (See page 99.)<br />
4. Use only organic, free-range eggs for a good balance of Omega-6 <strong>to</strong> Omega-3 fatty acids. Or you can<br />
omit the eggs and instead use 1 Tbsp. of ground flax seeds or 1 Tbsp. whole chia seeds mixed with<br />
3 Tbsp. water for each egg in the recipe. (This is preferable <strong>to</strong> using lecithin, which is a fractionated soy<br />
product. Soy products are overused in our food supply, leading <strong>to</strong> a host of hormonal imbalances.)<br />
5. Keep aluminum-free baking powder on hand. The verdict is pretty clear that ingesting aluminum (as<br />
with commercial baking powder) or absorbing it through the skin (as with commercial antiperspirants)<br />
causes Alzheimer’s and a host of other problems.<br />
6. Use sea salt or, best of all, Original Crystal Himalayan Salt for all the minerals in the whole food rather<br />
than the processed salt stripped of nutrition, and also cut the amount of salt called for in half. (See<br />
page 277.)<br />
300 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Making these simple changes <strong>to</strong> your favorite recipes improves nutrition and decreases disease risk in half a<br />
dozen important ways! Do take caution, however, <strong>to</strong> limit concentrated sweeteners in the diet, even less refined<br />
ones like raw coconut sugar or Sucanat. They are still acidic and should be minimized.<br />
The recipes in this chapter take treats <strong>to</strong> the next level of nutrition: all raw, sometimes even sprouted,<br />
ingredients!<br />
One of the best ingredients for desserts that is both delicious and very good for you is the meat of young<br />
coconuts (page 339). Don’t confuse the hairy, brown coconuts sold in most regular grocery s<strong>to</strong>res with young<br />
coconuts. The brown ones are older and contain hard meat that will not work in raw dessert recipes. The<br />
smooth meat of young coconuts makes a creamy base for frostings, puddings, ice creams, and more. The liquid<br />
inside the coconut (averaging about 1¾ C per coconut), according <strong>to</strong> my friend and raw food researcher/author<br />
David Wolfe, is possibly the best source of electrolytes on the planet—sodium and potassium in suspension. He<br />
says that a drink of 45% coconut liquid and 55% wheat grass juice is a “blood transfusion” because of its<br />
perfect nutritional parallels with regeneration of the human blood supply. Most health food s<strong>to</strong>res, in fact, now<br />
carry serving-sized boxes of coconut liquid in the refrigera<strong>to</strong>r with the sports drinks!<br />
Another common ingredient in raw desserts is nuts, especially cashews, which have a smooth consistency<br />
when blended in sauces and take on other flavors and sweeteners well.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 301
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
What Is the 1, 2, 3 Rating System in the Recipes?<br />
The recipes in this chapter are rated 1, 2, or 3.<br />
Recipes rated 1 contain no processed ingredients: they are whole grain and naturally sweetened. Some of these<br />
recipes have a lower glycemic-index sweetener such as agave for a lower impact on your blood sugar.<br />
Recipes rated 2 are even more nutritious, because they call for a vegetable, contain raw food with enzymes or<br />
power foods like flaxseed, and/or call for the grains <strong>to</strong> be soaked <strong>to</strong> neutralize phytic acid.<br />
Recipes rated 3 are the most nutritious of all, as they are 100% raw or very close <strong>to</strong> it.<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
When I was a brand-new mother, I <strong>to</strong>ok my little child <strong>to</strong> the pediatrician, who was about 70 years old. In<br />
dispensing advice, he <strong>to</strong>ld me that if my little one got a s<strong>to</strong>mach bug, I should feed him 7-Up or Sprite. I wasn’t<br />
particularly well educated about nutrition at that time, but I was still surprised and uncomfortable with that<br />
advice. I asked, “Wouldn’t apple juice be better?” He said, “Well, whatever. They’re the same thing. Sugar is<br />
sugar—Sprite and an apple have the exact same effect on the body.”<br />
Is this your experience? Do you feel the same, drinking a can of Sprite as you do eating an apple? Document at<br />
the end of this month of eating no refined-food treats, only treats made from whole-food ingredients, the<br />
difference in the way you feel:<br />
1. Do you notice any more stability in your blood sugar?<br />
2. Do you notice any improvement in your overall feeling of well-being?<br />
3. Did you enjoy naturally sweetened, whole-foods treats? Circle your favorite recipes and make notes in<br />
this book, so when you’re craving something damaging <strong>to</strong> your health, you can make these recipes<br />
instead.<br />
4. Did you get a sense of satisfaction from preparing whole-food treats and serving them <strong>to</strong> your family or<br />
others?<br />
5. Did you miss junk food, as long as you knew you could have treats from the recipes in this chapter?<br />
6. Does anything make you want <strong>to</strong> go back <strong>to</strong> junk-food treats? If so, spend a few minutes documenting<br />
WHY. What are you missing, physically or psychologically? How could you change things <strong>to</strong> meet<br />
those needs better without your former junk-food habits?<br />
7. Do you feel that with whole-food treats, you don’t crave more than you should eat? (Are those foods<br />
less addictive?)<br />
8. Any other observations during this month?<br />
302 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 303
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
304 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
TREAT RECIPES<br />
Chocolate Beet Cake (2)<br />
Great for birthdays and parties—my kids beg for this decadent but rather nutritious cake!<br />
3 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
1½ C organic, raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat (unrefined cane sugar)<br />
¾ C coconut oil (can substitute applesauce for half of this, if desired)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
1¾ C (about 4 medium-large) beets, peeled and steamed<br />
¼ C baking cocoa (non-alkalized) or raw powdered chocolate<br />
2 C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
1½ tsp. baking soda<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 350°. Purée the beets in a<br />
high-powered blender, then add the eggs,<br />
sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add the chocolate<br />
and other ingredients. Bake in a 9"x13"<br />
greased pan for 30 min.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 305
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Zucchini Bread (2)<br />
3 eggs (organic, free-range), beaten<br />
1 Tbsp. vanilla<br />
2½ C finely shredded zucchini<br />
1 C coconut oil, melted<br />
2 C organic, raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat (dehydrated cane juice)<br />
3 C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
1 Tbsp. cinnamon<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. allspice<br />
1 tsp. baking soda<br />
½ tsp. nutmeg<br />
1 tsp. baking powder<br />
½ tsp. cloves<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 325°. Blend the wet ingredients well in a free-standing mixer, then add the dry ingredients and<br />
blend well. Pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> two oiled bread pans and bake for 45 min. or until done.<br />
306 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins (2)<br />
½ C water<br />
2½ C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
1 C buttermilk<br />
1 C unsweetened applesauce<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
2 tsp. vanilla<br />
¾ C cocoa<br />
¾ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
2 tsp. stevia powder<br />
1½ tsp. baking soda<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 C walnuts (optionally <strong>to</strong>asted)<br />
The night before, mix the water, flour, buttermilk, and applesauce, then cover and let it sit overnight. In the<br />
morning, stir in the eggs, vanilla, cocoa, stevia, and agave using first a spoon and then an electric hand mixer.<br />
Add the soda and salt, and mix just until thoroughly blended (don’t overmix).<br />
Let the batter sit 10-20 min. <strong>to</strong> become “fluffy” while the oven preheats <strong>to</strong> 400°. Spray or rub oil on muffin tins<br />
and fill ¾ full (using a ¼ C measuring cup). Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on <strong>to</strong>p. Bake for 20 min. or until<br />
muffins spring back when pressed lightly. Makes 2 dozen muffins.<br />
Chocolate Frosting (1)<br />
Cream <strong>to</strong>gether:<br />
½ C unsweetened cocoa (even better, raw powdered chocolate)<br />
1 C butter, softened (or coconut cream concentrate*, if it is soft but not turned <strong>to</strong> liquid—you can’t<br />
put frosting made with coconut oil/cream on a refrigerated cake or it will become hard)<br />
1 C organic, raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat, powdered/blended in your high-powered blender in<br />
a dry container until very fine (or your frosting will be grainy)<br />
* Coconut cream concentrate is called for in one other recipe in this book, Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars<br />
(page 108).<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 307
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies (2)<br />
You can buy “M&Ms”-like candy or chocolate chips (naturally colored and sweetened, such as the Sunspire<br />
brand) at the health food s<strong>to</strong>re.<br />
1½ C water<br />
1½ C organic, raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat (unrefined, dehydrated cane juice)<br />
2 packets or 1 tsp. powdered stevia<br />
1 C coconut oil, melted<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
2 C finely grated zucchini<br />
2 C rolled oats (lightly blended in high-powered blender <strong>to</strong> break them down a bit)<br />
7 C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
1½ tsp. baking soda<br />
¾ tsp. sea salt<br />
2 tsp. vanilla<br />
optional: 1 (<strong>12</strong>-oz.) pkg. chocolate or carob chips<br />
optional: 1 C walnuts, chopped<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 350°. Cream the coconut sugar/Sucanat and coconut oil <strong>to</strong>gether, add the water and eggs, and<br />
then add the rest of the ingredients, adding the chocolate chips, walnuts, and vanilla last. Drop spoonfuls on<strong>to</strong><br />
cookie sheet and bake for <strong>12</strong> min.<br />
Quinoa Cookies (2)<br />
Low in sugar and high in protein, I send these as a school lunch along with a bag of fruits and veggies.<br />
1 C quinoa flour (blend quinoa in high-powered blender)<br />
1 C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
¼ C organic, raw coconut palm sugar, Sucanat, or raw honey<br />
1 Tbsp. aluminum-free baking powder<br />
½ C coconut oil<br />
1 egg (organic, free-range)<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 350°. Add small amounts of water if needed for mixing. Mix all the ingredients well and bake<br />
for 10 min. or until very lightly browned.<br />
308 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies (1)<br />
2½ C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
¾ tsp. baking soda<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ C butter or coconut oil<br />
½ C peanut butter (organic, peanuts only—no rapeseed oil or sugar/corn syrup)<br />
1 C organic, raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat<br />
½ C applesauce (unsweetened)<br />
1 egg (organic, free-range)<br />
½ tsp. vanilla<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 375°. In a bowl, beat the butter or coconut oil, then add the peanut butter and coconut sugar/<br />
Sucanat and continue beating. Add the egg, vanilla, and applesauce <strong>to</strong> the mixture and beat again. Add the dry<br />
ingredients and mix well. Shape in<strong>to</strong> 1" balls, place 2" apart, and flatten with fork. Bake for 10 min.<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies (1)<br />
½ C pine nuts<br />
3 C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 C coconut oil<br />
1¼ C organic, raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat, blended in high-powered blender until fine<br />
1 egg (organic, free-range)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon (or regular) thyme, finely chopped<br />
1 C finely chopped dried apricots<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 350°. Toast the pine nuts in the oven or in a dry sauté pan until golden, watching carefully for<br />
over-browning. Let them cool and then chop them finely. In a bowl, beat the coconut oil and coconut sugar/<br />
Sucanat until blended, then mix in the egg and vanilla. Next mix in the flour and salt well. Then mix in the<br />
thyme, apricots, and pine nuts. Add 1 tsp. water if needed <strong>to</strong> make the dough stick <strong>to</strong>gether.<br />
Roll the dough in<strong>to</strong> two smooth, even logs about 9" long. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and twist the ends <strong>to</strong><br />
seal, then chill overnight. Cut the logs in<strong>to</strong> ¼" thick slices and bake for <strong>12</strong>-13 min. at 350° until lightly<br />
browned around the edges.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 309
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) (1)<br />
These are a great treat at Christmastime, and molasses is high in B vitamins and iron.<br />
¾ C coconut oil<br />
C agave (raw, organic)<br />
½ C molasses<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range)<br />
3½ C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
1½ tsp. soda<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
2 tsp. ground cloves<br />
3 tsp. ginger<br />
1 tsp. nutmeg<br />
optional: freshly grated ginger root, <strong>to</strong> taste<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 375°. Cream <strong>to</strong>gether the coconut oil and sweeteners, then add the egg and mix well. Add all<br />
the dry ingredients and mix well. Roll in<strong>to</strong> walnut-sized balls and bake for 6 min.<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies (2)<br />
This will satisfy a craving for something chocolaty and crunchy, for those who like candy bars. Great nutrition<br />
with five excellent raw ingredients: almonds, coconut oil, honey, chocolate, and chia seeds!<br />
IMPORTANT! Drink water with these, as chia absorbs up <strong>to</strong> 10 times its own weight in liquid.<br />
1 C almond butter* (or organic peanut butter)<br />
C raw honey (raw)<br />
¼ C chia seeds<br />
¼ C raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa, which is less nutritious)<br />
C coconut oil<br />
1 Tbsp. vanilla<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
6 C crisped brown rice (in a cereal box at the health food s<strong>to</strong>re)<br />
* You can purchase almond butter at a health food s<strong>to</strong>re or you can, more inexpensively, put raw or roasted<br />
almonds through a Champion Juicer with the blank plate on. I like <strong>to</strong> use “live” raw almonds that have been<br />
soaked for 8-<strong>12</strong> hours.<br />
Cream <strong>to</strong>gether all the wet ingredients in large bowl by hand. Add the chia seeds, cacao, and salt and then<br />
blend well. Add the crisped rice and stir until evenly mixed. Chill the dough for 1-2 hours, then form in<strong>to</strong> balls<br />
and refrigerate until serving.<br />
310 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Orange-Glaze Donuts (1)<br />
2 C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
¼ C flax seeds, finely ground<br />
¾ C organic, raw coconut palm sugar<br />
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder<br />
¾ C milk (any kind)<br />
1 tsp. sea salt<br />
2 eggs (organic, free-range), beaten<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
1 tsp. butter, melted<br />
¼ tsp. nutmeg<br />
¼ tsp. cinnamon<br />
Glaze:<br />
½ C honey (raw)<br />
¼ C fresh orange juice<br />
2 tsp. hot water<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 325°. Lightly spray a donut pan with oil. Mix the flour, flax seed, sugar, baking powder, and<br />
salt <strong>to</strong>gether. Add the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla and beat until well blended. Fill each donut hole <br />
full. Bake for 8 min. or until the <strong>to</strong>ps spring back when lightly <strong>to</strong>uched. Cool and remove from pan. (Wipe the<br />
pan clean with a cloth and repeat the process.)<br />
When the donuts are cooled, dip them in the glaze.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 311
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies (2)<br />
3½ C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
2½ C organic, raw coconut palm sugar<br />
1¼ C water<br />
1 C kefir<br />
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder<br />
2 tsp. sea salt<br />
¾ C coconut oil, melted<br />
4 eggs (organic, free-range), lightly beaten<br />
1 Tbsp. almond extract<br />
1 (<strong>12</strong> oz.) bag frozen sweet cherries (no sugar added), thawed<br />
1 C agave (raw, organic)<br />
¾ C slivered or sliced almonds, <strong>to</strong>asted<br />
Preheat oven <strong>to</strong> 350°. Combine the flour, water, coconut sugar, and kefir, and let it sit for 8-<strong>12</strong> hours. Add the<br />
coconut oil, baking powder, salt, eggs, and almond extract, and blend well with hand mixer on low. Pulse the<br />
cherries and agave in a high-powered blender until chunky. Pour the cherry mixture in<strong>to</strong> the batter and use the<br />
hand mixer <strong>to</strong> mix the cherries in.<br />
Pour the batter in<strong>to</strong> a 9"x13" greased pan and bake for 20 min. Remove the pan and sprinkle <strong>to</strong>asted almonds<br />
on <strong>to</strong>p, then bake another 40 min. or until a <strong>to</strong>othpick comes out clean. Serve warm with Almond Cream Sauce<br />
(below).<br />
Orange-Almond Pudding with Berry Sauce (3)<br />
Psyllium husk powder bulks <strong>to</strong> up <strong>to</strong> 50 times its own volume when added <strong>to</strong> liquid. It’s a great way <strong>to</strong> add<br />
fiber <strong>to</strong> your diet, and it thickens this pudding as well. But for that reason, keep in mind that this is very filling,<br />
and you should drink extra water whenever consuming psyllium.<br />
2½ C water<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
<strong>12</strong> large pitted dates (or C chopped dates, rinsed)<br />
1¾ tsp. almond extract<br />
1 C almonds (soaked and dehydrated, or just soaked)<br />
½ an orange, leaving up <strong>to</strong> half the peel on<br />
1-1½ Tbsp. psyllium husk powder (found at health food s<strong>to</strong>re)<br />
½ tsp. powdered stevia<br />
Blend the water, salt, dates, orange, almonds, and almond extract in a high-powered blender until very smooth.<br />
Add the psyllium ½ Tbsp. at a time <strong>to</strong> the mixture, blending well. Pour the pudding in<strong>to</strong> parfait glasses<br />
immediately, alternating with layers of berry sauce (pudding will thicken within a few minutes). Or just pour<br />
all the sauce on <strong>to</strong>p of the pudding—easier but not as pretty.<br />
3<strong>12</strong> <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Berry Sauce<br />
Blend in a high-powered blender until desired texture is achieved:<br />
1½ C mixed berries<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
½ C water<br />
optional: ¼ tsp. stevia<br />
Almond Cream Sauce (1)<br />
C cashews<br />
½ C water<br />
C agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 tsp. almond extract<br />
Purée all the ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Drizzle over Cherry-Almond Blondies<br />
(above).<br />
Gelatin Dessert (1)<br />
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin (you can buy kosher, made without animal products, at a health food<br />
s<strong>to</strong>re or Jewish delicatessen)<br />
1 (<strong>12</strong>-oz.) can frozen 100% fruit juice* with 3 cans filtered water mixed in<br />
ice cubes<br />
optional: fruit, nuts, and/or coconut, as <strong>to</strong>pping<br />
* This makes stiffer, “jiggler”-type gelatin, so use a bit more juice if you like it set not so stiff.<br />
Put 1 C of the cold juice in<strong>to</strong> a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let it stand 1 min. Then add 3 C of juice<br />
heated <strong>to</strong> boiling and stir until gelatin completely dissolves (about 5 min.). Pour the liquid in<strong>to</strong> a pan or cups<br />
and then chill. Stir in fruit after 30 min. in fridge, if desired. Optionally, <strong>to</strong>p with one of the suggested <strong>to</strong>ppings.<br />
Popsicles (2)<br />
1 C homemade plain yogurt or kefir<br />
1 C strawberries, peaches, bananas, mixed berries, or other fruit<br />
optional: pinch of stevia (herbal sweetener) OR 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, raw honey, or fruit juice<br />
concentrate<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> Popsicle trays, insert the<br />
sticks, and freeze. Dip the trays in<strong>to</strong> hot water for a few seconds <strong>to</strong> remove the treats.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 313
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Fruity Sorbet (3)<br />
2 bananas, broken in<strong>to</strong> chunks and frozen<br />
1 mango, cut in<strong>to</strong> pieces and frozen<br />
½ C (approx.) pineapple, cut in<strong>to</strong> pieces and frozen<br />
½ C frozen berries (any or mixed)<br />
Put frozen bananas through a Champion Juicer with the blank plate on. Optionally, you may wish <strong>to</strong> process<br />
the banana a second time <strong>to</strong> make it creamy. Then put the mango, pineapple, and berries through. Mix just <strong>to</strong><br />
swirl and serve immediately.<br />
Chocolate Shake (3)<br />
2 C frozen banana chunks<br />
¼ C raw almonds (preferably soaked and drained)<br />
¾ C water<br />
1 tsp. stevia (or ¼ C maple syrup or raw, organic agave)<br />
2 Tbsp. cacao nibs or raw chocolate powder<br />
½ tsp. almond extract (or a pinch of vanilla bean)<br />
pinch of sea salt<br />
optional: 1 scoop protein powder (brown rice or hemp protein)<br />
Purée the water and almonds in a high-powered blender until<br />
very smooth. Add the bananas, then add all the other<br />
ingredients and blend until creamy.<br />
314 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Chocolate Goji Smoothie (3)<br />
This is both delicious and a nutritional powerhouse, with outrageous levels of antioxidants in the raw<br />
chocolate, fiber in the raspberries, protein and rare plant nutrients in the goji berries, and the perfect electrolyte<br />
and fats balance in the coconut liquid and meat.<br />
1 C young coconut liquid<br />
½ C young coconut meat*<br />
¼ C goji berries (if dried, preferably soaked in the coconut liquid 30 mins.)<br />
3 Tbsp. raw chocolate powder<br />
½ C frozen raspberries<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
crushed ice <strong>to</strong> achieve desired consistency<br />
* See the GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube demo on how <strong>to</strong> get the meat out: www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi.<br />
Puree all ingredients in a high-powered blender and enjoy!<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake (3)<br />
Crust:<br />
2 C pecans or almonds, ground in food processor<br />
¼ C coconut oil (set container in very hot water <strong>to</strong> make oil liquid and warm)<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
Filling:<br />
C raw chocolate powder (cacao)<br />
C agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 inch of vanilla bean<br />
½ tsp. sea salt (OHCS is best)<br />
1 C cashews, soaked for 1+ hour and drained<br />
1 C young coconut meat*<br />
1 small avocado<br />
½ C coconut oil<br />
* See the GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube demo on how <strong>to</strong> get the meat out: www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi.<br />
To make the crust, mix the ground pecans/almonds with the ¼ C coconut oil and ¼ C agave by hand, and then<br />
press the mixture with the back of a spoon in<strong>to</strong> a 9"x13" pan. For the filling, blend the chocolate, C agave,<br />
vanilla bean, salt, cashews, coconut meat, avocado, and ½ C coconut oil in a high-powered blender until<br />
smooth.<br />
Pour mixture in<strong>to</strong> the crust. Chill the pie well or freeze it and then partially thaw it before serving. (Optionally,<br />
serve with the Berry Sauce on page 313.)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 315
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie (3)<br />
Optional Crust:<br />
2 C pecans<br />
½ C fresh orange juice<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
Filling:<br />
1 avocado<br />
C young coconut liquid<br />
C young coconut meat*<br />
¼ C fresh lime juice<br />
½ tsp. vanilla<br />
½ tsp. sea salt<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
¼ tsp. stevia<br />
2-3 tsp. psyllium husk powder<br />
* See the GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube demo on how <strong>to</strong> get the meat out: www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi.<br />
Optionally, soak pecans in orange juice for one hour or more. Process them with the salt in a high-powered<br />
blender or a food processor with an S blade several times until the texture is sticky enough <strong>to</strong> press in<strong>to</strong> a pie<br />
plate for a crust.<br />
Blend the filling ingredients in a high-powered blender, adding psyllium only at the end <strong>to</strong> thicken. Pour the<br />
filling in<strong>to</strong> the above or other no-bake pie crust and chill.<br />
316 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 317
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Chocolate Pudding (3)<br />
2 C young coconut meat*<br />
1 C cashews<br />
4 Tbsp. raw chocolate (or use non-alkalized cocoa powder)<br />
¼ C Grade B maple syrup or honey (raw)<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. peppermint extract (no alcohol) or orange, almond, butterscotch, or other flavoring of your<br />
choice<br />
1 C water<br />
optional: ¼ C spinach<br />
* See the GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube demo on how <strong>to</strong> get the meat out: www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi.<br />
Blend the water and optional spinach <strong>to</strong>gether in a high-powered blender until the spinach is completely<br />
pureed. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, then serve immediately.<br />
Lemon Chews (3)<br />
1 C cashews<br />
C fresh lemon juice<br />
3½ C young coconut meat*<br />
C agave (raw, organic)<br />
1 tsp. lemon zest (finely grated rind)<br />
tsp. sea salt<br />
* See the GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube demo on how <strong>to</strong> get the meat out: www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi.<br />
Blend the cashews, lemon juice, lemon zest, and agave in a high-powered blender until creamy. Add the<br />
coconut meat gradually until the mixture is smooth and thick enough <strong>to</strong> be spooned on<strong>to</strong> Teflex sheets in a<br />
dehydra<strong>to</strong>r. Spoon on<strong>to</strong> the sheets and dry at 105° for 10 hours.<br />
Remove the cookies from the Teflex and turn them over on<strong>to</strong> mesh sheets. Dehydrate them another 6-10 hours<br />
until they achieve desired consistency.<br />
318 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Chocolate Balls (3)<br />
1 C raw almond butter<br />
1 C raw tahini<br />
½ C agave (raw, organic)<br />
½ C raw chocolate powder<br />
tsp. sea salt<br />
optional: ½ C flax seeds, freshly ground<br />
Mix all ingredients <strong>to</strong>gether in a bowl, roll the dough in<strong>to</strong> balls, and chill. Optionally, roll the balls in chopped<br />
nuts or shredded coconut.<br />
Halva (3)<br />
½ C raw honey (raw)<br />
1 C raw tahini (sesame paste)<br />
½ C white and/or black sesame seeds<br />
Stir the honey and tahini <strong>to</strong>gether well, roll it in<strong>to</strong> small<br />
balls, and then roll the balls in the sesame seeds.<br />
Refrigerate or freeze.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 319
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream or Shake (2)<br />
1 C coconut milk<br />
C agave (raw, organic)<br />
¼ C raw chocolate powder (or cocoa)<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
½ tsp. vanilla extract<br />
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender. Then do either of the following:<br />
• Process the mixture in an ice cream maker (according <strong>to</strong> the machine's directions) until frozen, and then<br />
serve.<br />
• Pour the mixture in<strong>to</strong> ice cube trays, freeze, and then blend the cubes in the blender just until smooth<br />
and ice cream consistency. If you blend a bit longer, you will have the consistency of a chocolate shake.<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream (3)<br />
You won’t miss dairy ice cream with this delicious recipe.<br />
4 C water<br />
1 C soaked raw almonds (soaked overnight and drained; becomes about 1½ C)<br />
2½ C young coconut meat*<br />
C chopped dates<br />
1 Tbsp. vanilla<br />
C peanut butter (preferably organic without rapeseed oil and sugar added)<br />
½ C plus 1 Tbsp. maple syrup<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
1 C pecans, chopped<br />
* See the GreenSmoothieGirl YouTube demo on how <strong>to</strong> get the meat out: www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi.<br />
Blend the water and almonds in a high-powered blender until very smooth. Pour out 2½ C in<strong>to</strong> a jar and<br />
refrigerate, leaving the remainder (about 3 C) still in the blender. Add the coconut, dates, vanilla, peanut butter,<br />
maple syrup, and salt <strong>to</strong> the blender, and blend on high speed until smooth. Freeze this mixture in ice cube<br />
trays.<br />
When you are ready <strong>to</strong> serve, put the reserved refrigerated almond milk in a high-powered blender and blend<br />
on high speed while gradually add the frozen mixture cubes (or make half a batch at a time, saving some of the<br />
liquid and some of the frozen cubes for later). Blend until the mixture is thick like ice cream. Sprinkle pecans<br />
on <strong>to</strong>p right before serving.<br />
320 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl’s Oat-Coconut Cookie Mix with Variations (1)<br />
This base mix makes 15 C, which you can s<strong>to</strong>re in the pantry for a few months or freeze for much longer for<br />
making quick, warm cookies or muffins all winter using the five variations that follow.<br />
1½ Tbsp. aluminum-free baking powder<br />
1½ Tbsp. baking soda<br />
2 tsp. Original Crystal Himalayan Salt<br />
6 Tbsp. dehydrated powdered eggs*<br />
4 C rolled oats (pulse in high-powered blender until still chunky but somewhat broken down)<br />
8 C finely ground whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat is best)<br />
2 C shredded coconut<br />
4 C organic, raw coconut palm sugar or Sucanat<br />
* You can omit the egg powder from the mix, if you wish, and add one fresh (organic, free-range) egg <strong>to</strong> the<br />
ingredient lists in the variations below.<br />
Mix all ingredients well. Mix can be kept in the pantry for three months, fridge for six months, or freezer<br />
indefinitely. S<strong>to</strong>re in quart jars or Ziploc freezer bags.<br />
Variations on the Basic Cookie Mix<br />
Coconut-Oat Cookies<br />
To 2 C of the base mix, add:<br />
¼ C coconut oil<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic) or honey (raw)<br />
3 Tbsp. water<br />
Mix all ingredients well. Allow the batter <strong>to</strong> sit for 10 min. Drop small spoonfuls on<strong>to</strong> a cookie sheet and bake<br />
at 350° for 10-<strong>12</strong> min. Makes 24 cookies.<br />
Almond Cookies (Robyn’s favorite)<br />
To 2 C of the base mix, add:<br />
¼ C coconut oil<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic) or honey (raw)<br />
3 Tbsp. water plus 1 tsp. almond extract<br />
optional: ¼ C sliced or finely chopped almonds<br />
Mix all ingredients well. Allow the batter <strong>to</strong> sit for 10 min. Drop small spoonfuls on<strong>to</strong> a cookie sheet and bake<br />
at 350° for 10-<strong>12</strong> min. Makes 24 cookies.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 321
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Chocolate Cookies<br />
To 2 C of the base mix, add:<br />
¼ C coconut oil<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic) or honey (raw)<br />
¼ C water<br />
¼ C Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa (or powdered raw chocolate)<br />
Mix all ingredients well. Allow the batter <strong>to</strong> sit for 10 min. Drop small spoonfuls on<strong>to</strong> a cookie sheet and bake<br />
at 350° for 10-<strong>12</strong> min. Makes 24 cookies.<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies<br />
To 2 C of the base mix, add:<br />
¼ C coconut oil<br />
¼ C agave (raw, organic) or honey (raw)<br />
¼ C water<br />
¼ C peanut butter (preferably organic without rapeseed oil and sugar added)<br />
Mix all ingredients well. Allow the batter <strong>to</strong> sit for 10 min. Drop small rolled balls on<strong>to</strong> a cookie sheet, press<br />
with a fork, and bake at 350° for 10-<strong>12</strong> min. Makes 24 cookies.<br />
Oat-Coconut Muffins<br />
To 4 C of the base mix, add:<br />
1½ C milk (any kind)<br />
½ C coconut oil, melted<br />
6 Tbsp. water<br />
Mix all ingredients well. Allow batter <strong>to</strong> sit for 10-20 min. Use ¼ C measuring cup <strong>to</strong> scoop batter in<strong>to</strong> muffin<br />
liners or muffin tin sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 350° for 20 min.<br />
322 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s Amazing “Power through the Day” Bars (2)<br />
Michelle is a dentist where I live, and she led her entire dental office <strong>to</strong> apply for my TV show pilot,<br />
“GreenSmoothieGirl Makeover.” I loved working with Michelle and her enthusiastic employees as they shifted<br />
<strong>to</strong> whole-foods habits. She made foods for the entire office <strong>to</strong> improve their health, as well as for her own<br />
husband and four children. One day we swapped über-healthy treats, and this was her creation that I love!<br />
2 C unsweetened shredded coconut<br />
2 C chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, etc.—or a combination)<br />
2 C chopped dates (you can buy chopped dates rolled in oat flour inexpensively in bulk at many<br />
health food s<strong>to</strong>res)<br />
½ C flax seeds<br />
½ C chia seeds<br />
½ C raw cocoa, carob, or cacao powder<br />
½ tsp. Original Himalayan Crystal Salt or sea salt (¼ tsp. <strong>to</strong> be used twice)<br />
2 tsp. vanilla (1 tsp. <strong>to</strong> be used twice)<br />
1½ C mini chocolate chips, naturally sweetened<br />
1 pkg. plain vegan gelatin<br />
½ C hot water<br />
½ C raw honey<br />
Blend the coconut, nuts, dates, and flax seeds each separately in a high-powered blender until medium<br />
fine. Mix the blended ingredients with the chia seeds, cocoa powder, ¼ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. vanilla, and the<br />
chocolate chips in a large bowl, then set aside.<br />
Dissolve the gelatin in the hot water and let stand for 5 minutes. Then add the honey, ¼ tsp. salt, and 1 tsp.<br />
vanilla, then beat until fluffy (or mix in a blender until frothy).<br />
Add the honey mixture <strong>to</strong> the mixture in the bowl and stir until everything is moistened. Press in<strong>to</strong> a 9" x 13"<br />
pan with moistened hands. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until set. Cut in<strong>to</strong> bars and keep in a container in the fridge<br />
or freezer.<br />
Other Recipes<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars (page 219)<br />
Microwave Popcorn (page 110)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 323
Creating Delicious <strong>Whole</strong>-Food Treats<br />
324 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
CHAPTER <strong>12</strong><br />
Achieving an Alkaline<br />
Inner Terrain<br />
Your Goal:<br />
To understand the importance of eating and drinking alkaline-forming foods and water. You’ll want <strong>to</strong><br />
improve the acid/alkaline balance in your body with ionized water plus more alkaline-forming foods<br />
and fewer acid-forming foods.<br />
What You’ll Need:<br />
You will need a means <strong>to</strong> provide alkaline water, and the best solution is <strong>to</strong> save for a water ionizer.<br />
You may also wish <strong>to</strong> add a quality dehydrated greens product <strong>to</strong> your daily drinking water.<br />
Why Is Water So Important?<br />
Our bodies are over 70% water. Thinking of<br />
yourself as mostly water, ask yourself this:<br />
Would you rather be a river or a pond?<br />
Ponds sit stagnant, with nothing much<br />
feeding them most of the time. They’re full<br />
of algae and pollutants, and no one wants <strong>to</strong><br />
swim in most of them except the occasional<br />
one that is fed from underground. A river,<br />
however, is in flux, constantly cleaning and<br />
regenerating itself.<br />
Flushing your mostly water body, similarly,<br />
is critically important. Dr. Bernard Jensen<br />
said that most people are chronically<br />
dehydrated, causing all tissues and fluids in the body <strong>to</strong> become viscid and thick. The mucous lining in<br />
the colon changes when dehydrated and fails <strong>to</strong> provide lubrication for feces <strong>to</strong> move easily. Plenty of<br />
water leads <strong>to</strong> a healthy digestion and elimination.<br />
People who drink lots of water eat about 200 calories per day less than people who drink much less.<br />
This is likely one of the reasons why people who drink more water lose weight and people who drink<br />
less water gain weight.<br />
We already addressed water, as a first-thing-in-the-morning habit, in Chapter 10 which talked about<br />
breakfast. It’s so critically important, this water issue, that I bring it up in Chapter 1 as we start green<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 325
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
smoothies and almost inevitably de<strong>to</strong>xify. Then I bring it up again in Chapter 10, because it’s the first thing <strong>to</strong><br />
consider upon waking up dehydrated. And here again, in our last chapter, I ask you once again <strong>to</strong> think about<br />
your water intake all day long.<br />
Are you drinking 8-10 glasses daily? Before I leave it behind for the third time, I want <strong>to</strong> reiterate: it’s the<br />
single most important thing you do <strong>to</strong> nurture your physical health! The type and quality of water you drink<br />
deserves your attention.<br />
Shouldn’t I Avoid Drinking Water Because It’s Contaminated?<br />
We know we should drink water, and yet we’re afraid <strong>to</strong> drink it because it’s so full of <strong>to</strong>xic chemicals. The fact<br />
is, even with the chlorine and fluoride and other additives from the average municipality, flushing the body<br />
with water is still preferable <strong>to</strong> allowing those same chemicals (absorbed from food, air, and anything<br />
containing water) <strong>to</strong> build up in the body by not drinking much at all. After all, it’s water that is most likely <strong>to</strong><br />
cleanse our organs of chemicals in the first place.<br />
This reminds me of the organic produce debate I’m often confronted with: eat some organic produce or none at<br />
all? Similarly, eating lots of raw plant food, even if it has been sprayed with chemicals, is better than not eating<br />
it, because your alternatives <strong>to</strong> meeting your calorie requirements (animal foods and processed foods) have<br />
much higher concentrations of pesticides and herbicides. (But, wash your produce well, and buy or grow<br />
organic when you can.)<br />
I don’t say this <strong>to</strong> downplay the problems in our drinking water supply. I highly recommend making it a high<br />
priority <strong>to</strong> get clean water, not just water. The Environmental Protection Agency sets MCLs (maximum<br />
contaminant levels), which allow for some <strong>to</strong>xins in our water—they enforce standards only when water is<br />
found <strong>to</strong> contain more than the MCL of any chemical. And they enforce only when the offending polluter or<br />
municipality is caught in occasional tests.<br />
Contaminants commonly found in drinking water, according <strong>to</strong> the EPA’s Web site, include microorganisms<br />
such as cryp<strong>to</strong>sporidium, E. coli, and giardia. Disinfectants and their dangerous byproducts are also usually in<br />
our water supply—such things as chlorine, bromates, and chlorites, which are known <strong>to</strong> cause cancer and<br />
anemia as well as liver, kidney, and central nervous system problems.<br />
Inorganic chemicals found in our water include arsenic, fluoride, asbes<strong>to</strong>s, cyanide, lead, mercury, nitrates, and<br />
nitrites. Organic chemicals like dioxin, xylenes, and benzene are also highly dangerous. And the final category<br />
is radionuclides, like radium and uranium. They are, obviously, radioactive and cancer causing.<br />
Chlorine is pervasive in our water supply as a disinfectant, and even if you drink filtered water, you absorb<br />
more chlorine through your skin in one shower than you could ever drink in a day. Fortunately, for a few<br />
hundred dollars, you can have a plumber install a carbon filter on your water source <strong>to</strong> the whole house, <strong>to</strong><br />
remove almost all of the chlorine, in the same low-tech way a Brita pitcher removes chlorine (but nothing else)<br />
from drinking water.<br />
Lots of companies are selling various technologies. You can get confused and disillusioned studying<br />
oxygenated water, hydrogen water, PiMag water, and various “energy” waters—all of which are scientifically<br />
unproven <strong>to</strong> help us. More commonly, many people rely on bottled, spring, reverse osmosis, or distilled water<br />
<strong>to</strong> simply avoid pollutants.<br />
326 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
Pi water and PiMag water. Hoping <strong>to</strong> jump in on the booming altered-water industry, a magnet-selling<br />
Japanese network marketing company is marketing a technology that, no matter how much I read, makes no<br />
scientific sense whatsoever. The only research I find documenting its value is dubious claims about goldfish<br />
living in the water, sealed, for months, and other claims of that nature. I can’t find any evidence that this<br />
machine is worth your money. The company, Nikken, has marketed magnets as health cures for many years,<br />
without any scientific evidence I can find that they are effective.<br />
Bottled water. When bottled water first came on the scene in the 1990s, it was always “spring water,” bottled<br />
at the source in clean springs. Since then, water in bottles has become so pervasive that I was once asked by a<br />
woman in her 20s, “If there weren't water bottles until the last 10 years, how did you used <strong>to</strong> get your water?”<br />
Only people in their 30s or older will smile at that. We used <strong>to</strong> drink out of cups, or fill a thermos or bottle from<br />
the tap or water cooler.<br />
So, because people no longer think that bottling makes water somehow special—it’s simply the only way they<br />
know how <strong>to</strong> get water now—often the water sold in bottles is no more clean or pure than tap water. It’s simply<br />
convenience water, and very little of it is bottled from springs anymore. Sadly, over one million water bottles<br />
daily are landing in U.S. landfills.<br />
Spring water or mineral water. When water in an underground aquifer surfaces, it has generally picked up<br />
dissolved minerals by flowing through underground or mountainous rocks. The term “mineral water” is<br />
misleading, though, since no extra minerals are added; the water is simply natural water containing nature’s<br />
trace minerals. However, this is rather ideal water in its natural state.<br />
Reverse osmosis water. Reverse osmosis (R.O.) filters remove over 99% of impurities from the water. I have<br />
had one in my kitchen for many years, and when I added an ionizer, I had <strong>to</strong> install an inexpensive<br />
remineralizer after the R.O. and before the ionizer. (Water flows through organic minerals <strong>to</strong> replace what has<br />
been removed.) That’s because you cannot ionize water that contains no minerals, and reverse osmosis<br />
removes all minerals, including those naturally found in water that are beneficial. Thus, water molecules with<br />
minerals removed become aggressive in seeking out and leaching those missing minerals from bone and tissues<br />
in the body over time. And R.O. water is slightly acidic.<br />
Distilled water. Distilled water goes through a steam process <strong>to</strong> collect water completely free of impurities.<br />
However, it has a distinctive taste that many people don’t like. And, as with R.O. water, all the minerals<br />
naturally occurring in water are removed along with impurities, with the same result described above regarding<br />
reverse osmosis. This water is also slightly acidic.<br />
Why Is Alkalinity Important?<br />
Reputable nutritionists, doc<strong>to</strong>rs, and others are mostly unaware of the effects of “acidosis” or the overacidification<br />
of the human body. But those who have been studying it, such as Dr. Gabriel Cousens and Dr.<br />
Robert O. Young, all come <strong>to</strong> conclusions like Young’s:<br />
Physiological disease is almost always the result of <strong>to</strong>o much acid stressing the body’s pH balance, <strong>to</strong><br />
the point where it provokes the body in<strong>to</strong> producing symp<strong>to</strong>ms of disease. (Disease can also be simply<br />
the <strong>to</strong>xic effects of an external source, but that is much more rare.) Symp<strong>to</strong>ms can be the expression of<br />
that stress, but they can also be a sign of the body’s effort <strong>to</strong> balance it. 1<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 327
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
The stress that occurs through difficult circumstances in life, job deadlines, relationship problems, and more<br />
contribute <strong>to</strong> acidosis, or more acidity than our body can effectively neutralize, thus burning out the potassium,<br />
calcium, magnesium, and sodium in our tissue binders. Environmental <strong>to</strong>xins in the air and water contribute,<br />
<strong>to</strong>o. These things we have little control over. But an enormous contributing fac<strong>to</strong>r is our diet, and that is where<br />
we do have control.<br />
All our body systems try <strong>to</strong> balance our acid/base internal terrain. As we lose that balance, we experience the<br />
milder of the hundreds of complaints common in the Western world: allergies, sinus problems, succumbing <strong>to</strong><br />
viruses, skin problems, headaches. As time goes on, chronic underlying issues occur that include malfunctions<br />
of the adrenal and thyroid glands. And tipping the scale even further, for years, acidosis causes our decreasing<br />
oxygen levels and a burnout of our cellular metabolism, so that we develop cancers and very serious diseases<br />
that kill us. A highly acidic internal environment in the body causes us <strong>to</strong> gain body fat, since fat cells carry<br />
acids away from our vital organs <strong>to</strong> protect them. As helpful as that is as a non-ideal coping mechanism, when<br />
you eat more alkaline foods, your body doesn’t need the fat s<strong>to</strong>res anymore and weight problems correct<br />
themselves.<br />
When our internal terrain becomes acidic, yeasts, molds, bacteria, viruses, and fungi thrive. They, along with<br />
the cancers they eventually lead <strong>to</strong>, proliferate in a low-oxygen climate. And even worse than that are the<br />
highly acidic waste products they create, microforms that Dr. Young calls myco<strong>to</strong>xins and exo<strong>to</strong>xins, poisons<br />
that feed on glucose and pollute our bloodstream, lymph, and cells. 28<br />
WHY Should I Drink Alkaline Water?<br />
Dr. Young says that in the blood, 20 parts base (alkaline) are required <strong>to</strong> neutralize 1 part acid, so it’s easier <strong>to</strong><br />
maintain than <strong>to</strong> correct an imbalance. Eating 20 lbs. of alkaline food for every 1 lb. of acid is difficult.<br />
(However, I highly recommend minimizing your acidic foods intake, especially processed foods and animal<br />
proteins.) So, drinking alkaline water as often as possible on an empty s<strong>to</strong>mach is the easiest and most effective<br />
way <strong>to</strong> alkalize your body. Adding an excellent dehydrated greens product (like my favorite, Ormus Greens) <strong>to</strong><br />
your water throughout the day is another way <strong>to</strong> boost your alkaline intake.<br />
WHEN Should I Drink Alkaline Water?<br />
You should drink alkaline water any time and always, except during a meal. The best habits <strong>to</strong> achieve are<br />
drinking lots of water upon waking up, and avoiding drinking for 20 min. before and two hours after a meal.<br />
This gives your body a chance <strong>to</strong> do the work of digesting with digestive juices intact and undiluted. For that<br />
reason, do not drink alkaline water during a meal. Also do not drink it with medications. (Take any needed<br />
medications an hour or more before or after drinking alkaline water.)<br />
328 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
HOW Do I Get Alkaline Water?<br />
You can purchase sodium chlorite ion drops online. This product will increase the pH of your water. Over the<br />
long run, however, this will be more expensive than purchasing an ionizer and installing it in your kitchen <strong>to</strong><br />
make all of your drinking water alkaline (as well as giving you acid water for other purposes, such as killing<br />
bugs on plants in the garden, washing and cleaning, or gargling for a sore throat). I’m also a little<br />
uncomfortable with this way of making water alkaline (or adding hydrogen peroxide <strong>to</strong> water). I started out<br />
trying alkaline water this way and felt no difference in my energy or health.<br />
A network marketing company called Enagic was the most dominant presence in the U.S. market, with its high<br />
quality but very expensive counter<strong>to</strong>p machine. The $4,000 price tag necessitated by an eight-levels-deep<br />
compensation plan puts the machine out of range for most.<br />
When I determined I wanted my own machine, I began <strong>to</strong><br />
research the competi<strong>to</strong>rs, all of whom manufacture in Asia, and<br />
the most reputable companies/machines are manufactured in<br />
Korea. Through talking with all the company reps and comparing<br />
machines, I decided <strong>to</strong> purchase a Life Ionizer because they have<br />
an under-counter-installed model that is very high quality with a<br />
five-year warranty. I love that the water comes out of a stainless<br />
steel faucet drilled in<strong>to</strong> my counter <strong>to</strong>p (where my reverse<br />
osmosis faucet used <strong>to</strong> be), without the bulky machine and tubes<br />
on <strong>to</strong>p of the counter.<br />
Because readers of my site asked me <strong>to</strong> obtain discounted pricing,<br />
I do group buys every few months on Life Ionizers (all models) in<br />
order <strong>to</strong> obtain wholesale pricing. By collecting 10 buyers at a time through my local and online communities,<br />
we have made wholesale group purchases <strong>to</strong> save well over 60% over the Enagic price several times now. At<br />
the time of this writing (late 20011), Enagic and Jupiter have no under-sink-mounted model. (Life does have<br />
other models, and renters or those who split time between multiple homes may want <strong>to</strong> choose a more mobile<br />
counter <strong>to</strong>p model.)<br />
If you are interested in participating, you may email us at ionizers@greensmoothiegirl.com for more<br />
information on models, wholesale prices, and when the next group buy will be. We also have a short<br />
educational series of emails for you, which you can sign up for on the Alkaline Water page under “Robyn<br />
Recommends” on GreenSmoothieGirl.com.<br />
What <strong>Foods</strong> Are Alkaline and Acid?<br />
I am not going <strong>to</strong> go in<strong>to</strong> great scientific detail in this book, as I am condensing a massive amount of<br />
information on alkalinity, which has been made a lifestyle by the “alkalarians” (most famously including Dr.<br />
Gabriel Cousens, Dr. Robert O. Young, and lifestyle coach and speaker Anthony Robbins). Most of my readers<br />
will not necessarily want a detailed list of the exact “ash level” of every food. (That’s the pH level of the<br />
metabolized residue of any food. We want a food <strong>to</strong> be “alkaline forming,” or causing a shift <strong>to</strong>ward alkalinity<br />
in the body as the food is metabolized.)<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 329
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
So what I provide in the following table is a list of the most alkaline-forming foods, for you <strong>to</strong> increase in your<br />
diet—and the most acid foods, for you <strong>to</strong> reduce or eliminate. Many foods aren’t on the list because they’re<br />
either uncommon <strong>to</strong> our diet (see similar foods in the chart) or only very slightly acidic or alkaline.<br />
Even for those who try <strong>to</strong> eat right every day and study nutrition rigorously, the pH issue can put some off and<br />
confuse many. I recommend putting the issues here in perspective: unless you are ill with cancer or another<br />
serious disease, just eat more alkaline and less acidic, and stay away from highly acidic refined foods like soda,<br />
coffee, meat, dairy, and refined oils. Worry less about acidic foods that are also whole plant foods (especially<br />
raw). If you have serious health challenges, you would be wise <strong>to</strong> consider eating as close <strong>to</strong> 100% alkaline as<br />
possible.<br />
Food Category<br />
Alkalizing <strong>Foods</strong><br />
(eat more)<br />
Bread none white, whole-grain<br />
Condiments/Spices<br />
raw apple cider vinegar, sea and Celtic<br />
salts, tamari, chili pepper, miso, dried<br />
mustard, curry, cinnamon, ginger, herbs<br />
Acidifying <strong>Foods</strong><br />
(eat less)<br />
MSG, prepared mustard, vinegar, ketchup,<br />
jam/jelly, yeast, cocoa, malt, carob, soy<br />
sauce, black pepper, refined salt, nutmeg,<br />
vanilla, mayonnaise<br />
Drinks alkaline water, distilled water fruit juice, alcohol, beer, tea, coffee, wine,<br />
soft drinks<br />
Fruits<br />
very slightly: lemon, lime, grapefruit,<br />
coconut, sour cherry, date, plum, currant,<br />
fig, nectarine, orange, peach, apricot, all<br />
melons, all berries, avocado<br />
dried fruit, blueberry, cranberry, prune,<br />
ripe banana<br />
Grains millet, quinoa, buckwheat, spelt (mildly) barley, corn, rye, oats, wheat, all rice<br />
types, all pastas, kamut, amaranth<br />
Legumes lentil; soy, lima, kidney, white bean chick pea, black beans, split pea<br />
Meats none pork, veal, beef, chicken, eggs, organ<br />
meats, ocean and farm fish, shellfish, wild<br />
freshwater fish<br />
Milks<br />
goat milk, human breast milk, fermented<br />
milk products<br />
soy milk; rice milk; dairy (cow milk)<br />
products including milk, cheese, ice cream<br />
Nuts/Seeds almond, pumpkin seed pistachio, peanut, cashew, walnut, sesame<br />
seed<br />
Oils olive, coconut, flax, cod liver corn, canola, sunflower; butter and<br />
margarine<br />
Sweeteners<br />
Vegetables (non-root)<br />
Vegetables (root)<br />
stevia, chicory (sweeteners), blackstrap<br />
molasses<br />
spouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber,<br />
spinach, kale, collard greens, mustard<br />
greens, zucchini, leek, pumpkin, radish,<br />
garlic, pea, cabbage, celery, <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong><br />
beet, radish, turnip, carrot, sweet pota<strong>to</strong>,<br />
parsnip<br />
sugar, aspartame, saccharin, corn syrup,<br />
maple syrup, fruc<strong>to</strong>se, honey, rice syrup,<br />
dried cane juice<br />
mushroom, olive<br />
pota<strong>to</strong> (s<strong>to</strong>red)<br />
Note: A food item in italics means it is either highly alkaline or acidic, respectively.<br />
330 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
Should I Buy a Dehydrated Greens Product?<br />
It would be hard <strong>to</strong> read this book without coming away with a clear picture that greens are critical for excellent<br />
health. Ounce for ounce, green foods have the most powerfully healing properties of any food. Packed with<br />
chlorophyll, they are the plant equivalent of hemoglobin in the human body’s red blood cells.<br />
Countless studies document that green foods protect human beings against cholesterol, high blood pressure,<br />
cancer, and much more. They strengthen our immune system, mop up free radicals, and neutralize odors and<br />
bad breath. They’re the most alkaline, highest-micronutrient, lowest-calorie foods you can eat. Green foods are<br />
the most critical components of our diet, and they are in scant supply in the modern diet.<br />
The megahertz of energy in green foods can be found nowhere else. Dried, powdered greens can have up <strong>to</strong> 60<br />
MHz of electrical energy, compared <strong>to</strong> chicken and beef’s energy of 2 MHz (which is the same measured<br />
energy of a cancerous tumor, according <strong>to</strong> Dr. Young’s research). A really great greens-food product has so<br />
much energy it literally jumps off the measuring spoon.<br />
I think that adding organic, finely powdered greens <strong>to</strong> one’s daily drinking water (or taking it in capsule form<br />
with water) is a fantastic and simple idea that will improve your goal of getting more alkalinity and more<br />
greens in<strong>to</strong> your diet.<br />
Many companies now manufacture greens products, and I spent many hours looking at their ingredients and<br />
comparing prices for my GreenSmoothieGirl.com readers. I bought and used many brands for years. I hoped <strong>to</strong><br />
clear the confusion for those wanting <strong>to</strong> (a) put more greens in their diet easily, and (b) s<strong>to</strong>re raw, power foods<br />
against emergencies.<br />
Many issues arose in my research. Many people complain that they hate the taste of greens products, especially<br />
spirulina. Some products are not finely ground and therefore settle <strong>to</strong> the bot<strong>to</strong>m of the water and cause you <strong>to</strong><br />
gag on them. Some products are very expensive (especially those that are network marketed). But my biggest<br />
issue with almost all the products I tried was the quality and, in particular, the inexpensive “filler” additives<br />
that add little or nothing nutritionally.<br />
I wanted <strong>to</strong> recommend a product that does not taste unpleasant, is finely ground so it isn’t noticeable in water,<br />
is affordably priced, is dehydrated at low temperatures, is bottled in amber glass with a long shelf life, and has<br />
nothing in it but the very best ingredients. I wanted only young cereal grasses (wheat grass, barley, Kamut<br />
grass, etc.), and freshwater algae and sea vegetables like high-protein, high-chlorophyll broken-cell-wall<br />
chlorella and spirulina, as well as dulse and kelp that nourish depleted thyroids.<br />
The last requirement—only the best ingredients—eliminated all but two products! I didn’t want sweeteners,<br />
apple pectin, stevia, FOS (fruc<strong>to</strong>-oligosaccharides, which is a sweetener that some like <strong>to</strong> say has health<br />
benefits which I think are dubious), lecithin (a soy derivative), chia, or flax seeds. Chia and flax are nutritious,<br />
but they cost pennies (unlike dehydrated greens), and they also go rancid quickly on the shelf.<br />
My favorite greens product is in the GreenSmoothieGirl.com s<strong>to</strong>re. It has all pure, organic ingredients grown in<br />
ormus-rich volcanic soil in Southern Utah. The ingredient list is simple, which I prefer <strong>to</strong> elaborate herb or<br />
greens products as I think the body is confused and overwhelmed by complexity. Also, unlike another highquality<br />
greens product I used for several years, I actually like the taste of Ormus Greens because it is very<br />
lightly sweetened with stevia (an herb that has no impact on your blood sugar) and peppermint leaf extract.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 331
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
You can get $5 off your Ormus Greens purchase in the <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> section of the GreenSmoothieGirl.com<br />
S<strong>to</strong>re using the coupon code “ILoveStep<strong>12</strong>”. I add a teaspoon of it <strong>to</strong> a pint of water and drink it first thing<br />
every morning!<br />
Your Journal Entry<br />
After drinking alkaline water for 30 days, my friend—who had beaten cancer by eating a 100% vegan, raw diet<br />
for five years—quantified the gains in her health and logged 28 different ways her health had improved in just<br />
that one month. She stated <strong>to</strong> me that the difference in 30 days was as big as the gains from five years of eating<br />
all raw! Make sure you make your own list of how you feel different eating alkaline foods, drinking alkaline<br />
water, and/or adding dehydrated greens <strong>to</strong> your water, as recommended in this chapter:<br />
1. Do you notice having more energy when you drink alkaline water?<br />
2. Do you notice any improvement in any of the following conditions that are caused by overgrowths of<br />
yeast, molds, fungus, and their <strong>to</strong>xic byproducts?<br />
lupus diabetes low blood sugar cancer general pains<br />
atherosclerosis fatigue muscle aches poor circulation rheuma<strong>to</strong>id arthritis<br />
indigestion diarrhea intestinal pain hemorrhoids osteoporosis<br />
colitis ulcers gas/bloating bladder infection joint pain<br />
headaches colds & flu hay fever dry skin & itching numbness<br />
thrush skin rash & hives endometriosis acne dizziness<br />
bad breath receding gums dry mouth heartburn lethargy/laziness<br />
shakiness anxiety mood swings PMS/menstrual problems hyperactivity<br />
irritability depression lack of sex drive hormone imbalances infections<br />
hiatal hernia vaginal yeast infection cysts and tumors memory problems food cravings<br />
insomnia chemical sensitivities burning/itchy eyes puffy eyes<br />
overweight or<br />
underweight<br />
athlete’s foot/nail bed<br />
fungus<br />
asthma/respira<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
problems<br />
general feeling of being<br />
unwell<br />
3. Any other observations during this month?<br />
4. Any final observations or thoughts about your journey this year, now that you’ve completed the<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong>?<br />
332 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 333
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
334 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 335
Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain<br />
336 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
APPENDIX A<br />
Recipe Ingredients<br />
These are ingredients in <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> recipes that you may be unfamiliar with.<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Food Sweeteners<br />
Agave. A syrup or “nectar” derived from a plant similar <strong>to</strong> cactus. You can find agave online or in<br />
health food s<strong>to</strong>res raw and organic. It’s a liquid sweetener and thus can’t be substituted directly for<br />
sugar in baking without alterations <strong>to</strong> the recipe. Despite being very sweet, it has the glycemic index<br />
of sugar and a neutral taste and is, therefore, an excellent sweetener for sauces, dressings, and green<br />
smoothies.<br />
Coconut Palm Sugar. This is my favorite sweetener for baking, with its neutral taste and easy 1:1<br />
substitution (for refined sugar) in a recipe. It has a glycemic index (GI) score of 35, which makes it a<br />
low-glycemic food with slow conversion of sugar in the bloodstream. It has up <strong>to</strong> 1000% more of<br />
minerals like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese (and more)<br />
than agave, honey, or maple syrup. It’s also the world’s most sustainable source of sugar, as coconut<br />
palms are twice as productive as sugar cane, can grow in very depleted soils (sand), and improve soil<br />
structure. This sweetener is not yet widely available—especially in raw, organic form—so we offer it,<br />
at a bulk discount, in our annual group buy on GreenSmoothieGirl.com and by the 5 lb. bag year round.<br />
Honey. In its raw state, honey is extremely nutritious. Some theorize that eating raw local honey<br />
ameliorates seasonal allergies. It’s very sweet, so you can substitute half the amount of honey when<br />
sugar is called for in a recipe. Its effect on your blood sugar is virtually identical <strong>to</strong> sugar and it is high<br />
in calories, so use it sparingly.<br />
Maple syrup. A whole food with a flavor most people like, maple syrup is rich in minerals. (Don’t<br />
confuse real maple syrup with the brand-name “syrups” on most grocery shelves, which are corn syrup<br />
with maple flavoring.) Real maple syrup does have a high glycemic index and high calories, however,<br />
so use it sparingly. The ratings for maple syrup are confusing: Grade B is the most unrefined, so choose<br />
that over Grade A whenever you can.<br />
Molasses. Buy blackstrap, organic, and unsulphured, and you have a very nutritious sweetener, very<br />
high in iron and B vitamins. It’s one of the most inexpensive sweeteners (a gallon costs about $5). Not<br />
everyone likes the dark taste of molasses, but it makes great ginger cookies, and I use it in granola.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 337
Recipe Ingredients<br />
Stevia. Stevia is fairly new <strong>to</strong> the U.S., but has been used in other countries for a much longer time. It is an<br />
herbal sweetener 100 times sweeter than sugar which has no impact on blood sugar. No complaints have been<br />
documented or studied regarding its use in food. You can purchase it in liquid or powdered form. It is generally<br />
refined from the plant version (the more unprocessed versions not tasting very good), and I use it in a limited<br />
way, mostly just a pinch in a blenderful of green smoothie.<br />
Sucanat. This is the brand name of dehydrated cane juice, the same as white sugar but without the nutrition<br />
removed and the product bleached. It is brown and granulated, more coarsely than white sugar. This sweetener<br />
is perfect for baking, as the taste is familiar and neutral and can be used in a 1:1 ratio when sugar is called for.<br />
However, don’t consider this product’s superiority <strong>to</strong> refined sugar <strong>to</strong> be a free license <strong>to</strong> indulge in it in an<br />
unlimited way. It is still a concentrated sweetener (or “added sugar”) and should be used sparingly. Raw<br />
coconut palm sugar is nutritionally superior <strong>to</strong> Sucanat.<br />
Non-<strong>Whole</strong>-<strong>Foods</strong> Sweeteners <strong>to</strong> Avoid<br />
Fruc<strong>to</strong>se. Some people feel that fruc<strong>to</strong>se is preferable <strong>to</strong> other sugars and tastes better than many other options.<br />
Derived from fruit, it may have a slower effect on blood sugar, but it is a very refined sugar and is probably not<br />
the best option for baking. I do not use it.<br />
Malti<strong>to</strong>l and other sugar alcohols. These have a much higher impact on blood glucose than most people<br />
think (about as much as a white pota<strong>to</strong>), and they cause gastric distress. These are chemical sweeteners rather<br />
than whole foods and should be avoided.<br />
Splenda and NutraSweet (aspartame). These are the very worst of the sweeteners and should be avoided<br />
completely. I would rather feed my family sugar than these neuro<strong>to</strong>xic chemicals. More is known about<br />
NutraSweet, for which more side effect complaints have been made <strong>to</strong> the FDA than any other of over 4,000<br />
food additives. Splenda is newer but it, <strong>to</strong>o, is a “fake” or chemical sweetener and will likely be as problematic<br />
as its predecessors aspartame and saccharin were.<br />
Xyli<strong>to</strong>l. I avoid using this refined sugar made from birch trees and corn cobs. It does have the glycemic<br />
index of sugar, however, and is therefore preferred by diabetics. Stevia and agave have low glycemic indexes<br />
as well, but may not be as easy <strong>to</strong> bake with because stevia is so concentrated and agave is a syrup. Virtually all<br />
corn now grown in the U.S. is genetically modified.<br />
Other Unfamiliar Ingredients<br />
Agar powder. Tasteless dried seaweed. Used as a thickener. Can be found online and in health food s<strong>to</strong>res and<br />
Asian markets.<br />
Arrowroot. A natural, plant-based thickener for sauces, found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
Bragg Liquid Aminos. Much less expensive than Nama Shoyu, this product has 16 amino acids and thus adds<br />
protein <strong>to</strong> foods. The product uses non-fermented, non-genetically modified soybeans, and no salt is added.<br />
You can find it at health food s<strong>to</strong>res or online.<br />
338 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Recipe Ingredients<br />
Coconut liquid. I prefer <strong>to</strong> get coconut liquid directly from the young coconut itself, but you can also purchase<br />
it in a can. It is low in fat and high in minerals and electrolytes.<br />
Coconut milk. This product comes in a can and is a rich and creamy dessert base, higher in fat (but nutritious<br />
fat) than coconut liquid.<br />
Coconut oil. See “Why Should I Eat Coconut Oil?” on page 99 <strong>to</strong> find out why this is a power food that should<br />
be substituted for any refined vegetable oils. Perfect for sautéing and baking because it doesn’t create trans fats.<br />
A link <strong>to</strong> the best price on the Internet (much better than prices at your health food s<strong>to</strong>re) is found in the s<strong>to</strong>re<br />
on my site: www.greensmoothiegirl.com.<br />
Kelp noodles. A raw noodle from the sea vegetable, found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res, Asian markets, and many<br />
grocery s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
Miso. Naturally fermented soy paste with several varieties/colors, found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res, Asian markets,<br />
and many grocery s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
Nama Shoyu. Organic, unpasteurized soy sauce found at health food s<strong>to</strong>res and online.<br />
Nutritional yeast (similar <strong>to</strong> Brewer’s Yeast). Nutty/cheesy/creamy-flavored and -textured condiment great<br />
on popcorn and high in B vitamins and protein. The yeast is deactivated, and can be found at health food s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
Original Himalayan Crystal Salt (OHCS). Completely unrefined salt containing all 84 elements needed by<br />
your body in bioavailable form (everything in the periodic table except the 10 inert gases). Available at http://<br />
tinyurl.com/62jzmq.<br />
Peanut butter (organic). Worth buying <strong>to</strong> avoid corn syrup and rapeseed oil (a hydrogenated fat) found in<br />
regular peanut butters. Can be purchased at Costco, health food s<strong>to</strong>res, and some grocery s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
Tempeh. A fermented whole-soybean product from Indonesia. It has a higher content of protein, vitamins, and<br />
dietary fiber than <strong>to</strong>fu as well as a firmer texture and stronger flavor. Can be found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res and<br />
online.<br />
Trocomare. A low-salt herbal seasoning mix found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res.<br />
Ume plum vinegar. Found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res and Asian markets, and online.<br />
Umeboshi plum paste. Found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res and Asian markets, and online.<br />
Young coconuts. Most of these are imported from Thailand, the Philippines, and Fiji, but they are often<br />
referred <strong>to</strong> as “young Thai coconuts.” Don’t confuse them with the hairy brown coconuts you can buy in any<br />
grocery s<strong>to</strong>re. Young coconuts are sold with the fibrous white covering, and they are flat on one end and<br />
pointed on the other end. (They are usually stripped of their green outer shell, which is how you buy them in<br />
Asia.) You can find them at Asian specialty food s<strong>to</strong>res by the case, most inexpensively (I pay $13 for a case of<br />
9), health food s<strong>to</strong>res, and even Wal-Mart. Watch the GreenSmoothieGirl demo on YouTube <strong>to</strong> see how <strong>to</strong> get<br />
them open (www.tiny.cc/3X3Xi).<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 339
Recipe Ingredients<br />
340 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
APPENDIX B GreenSmoothieGirl<br />
Resource Library<br />
These are the recipe and information resources that I recommend.<br />
For Those Wanting <strong>to</strong> Eat More Raw<br />
Igor and Valya Boutenko: Eating without Heating<br />
This book contains easy, great recipes.<br />
Vic<strong>to</strong>ria Boutenko: I recommend any of her books<br />
Jennifer Cornbleet: Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People<br />
Gabriel Cousins: Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine<br />
Jordan Maerin: Raw <strong>Foods</strong> for Busy People<br />
This book contains easy, machine-free recipes.<br />
Brigitte Mars: Rawsome!<br />
This book gives lots of good info in addition <strong>to</strong> recipes.<br />
Kenney and Melngailis: Raw Food Real World<br />
This book contains gourmet recipes—some labor intensive, some pretty easy. The authors are<br />
gorgeous—the perfect examples of what raw cuisine does for beauty.<br />
Renee Underkoffler: Living Cuisine<br />
There is one caveat about this book: the recipes are delicious and gourmet, but time consuming.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 341
GreenSmoothieGirl Resource Library<br />
For Anyone Wanting <strong>to</strong> Read the World’s Most Important<br />
Books on Nutrition<br />
Mike Anderson: The RAVE Diet & Lifestyle<br />
This is a fun book that’s fairly quick <strong>to</strong> read because it pulls no punches. It’s hard hitting and unapologetic in its<br />
promotion of the plant-based diet. It’s jam-packed with information (that duplicates Robbins, Fuhrman, and<br />
Campbell), is well written, and contains lots of easy recipes at the end. My only slight quibble with Anderson<br />
(and Fuhrman) is that I don’t think people in normal weight ranges need <strong>to</strong> be afraid of fats—the kind found in<br />
nuts, seeds, and unprocessed oils.<br />
Steven Arlin: Raw Power<br />
This book is for anyone who wants <strong>to</strong> build muscle mass or compete athletically while eating a raw, vegan diet.<br />
I’m just a girl who’s not a true bodybuilder, but I love weight training, and this book long ago helped me let go<br />
of protein powders and bars and hold my own, strength-wise, with much-younger and carnivorous<br />
weightlifting friends. Arlin has eaten a 100% raw vegan diet for 20 years and would be the biggest guy in most<br />
gyms’ free-weight rooms. His recipes are interesting and unique.<br />
Vic<strong>to</strong>ria Boutenko: Green for Life<br />
This book documents how Boutenko, a long-time raw foodist, felt there was a missing link in her family’s<br />
nutrition, even as good as it was. (They eliminated many chronic diseases from their lives when they went all<br />
raw 15 years ago.) She under<strong>to</strong>ok <strong>to</strong> study the diet of primates, since we humans share 99.4% of our DNA with<br />
primates. Of course, what she found is that they eat copiously of greens, and a wide variety of them.<br />
Boutenko asks the reader <strong>to</strong> undertake an experiment: <strong>to</strong> chew a mouthful of greens and then spit it out right<br />
before swallowing. You’ll find it is simply <strong>to</strong>rn up, not creamed and ready for digestion like it needs <strong>to</strong> be. This<br />
is because over several generations of eating increasingly more refined foods, the human body has adapted by<br />
developing ever-narrower palates. We no longer chew food <strong>to</strong> the extent that we need <strong>to</strong> in order <strong>to</strong> extract<br />
nutrition from denser foods like raw green vegetables, as primates with wide palates do. The Blendtec Total<br />
Blender does that breakdown for you, in the green smoothie: all you have <strong>to</strong> do is “chew” as you drink it, <strong>to</strong><br />
create saliva for digestion.<br />
Greens like kale, collards, mustard greens, arugula, turnip greens, celery, spinach, dandelion greens, beet<br />
greens, and chard don’t end up on <strong>to</strong>o many salad plates. But they’re easy in green smoothies. And you don’t<br />
have <strong>to</strong> drizzle them with fattening, chemical-laden salad dressings <strong>to</strong> get them down in a smoothie.<br />
Best of all, in addition <strong>to</strong> the superior nutrition of dark leafy greens, Boutenko points out that kale fiber, for<br />
instance, can remove many times its own weight in <strong>to</strong>xins from the body. She under<strong>to</strong>ok <strong>to</strong> study a group of 30<br />
people ranging from the morbidly obese in wheelchairs <strong>to</strong> people who already ate a fairly healthful diet: every<br />
one of the 30 reported excellent improvements in health, some of them very dramatic. Many said they just<br />
wished they had more than a quart a day! The <strong>to</strong>p three health benefits were better digestion/elimination, more<br />
energy, and weight loss.<br />
342 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
GreenSmoothieGirl Resource Library<br />
Dr. Colin Campbell: The China Study<br />
This is the largest and most comprehensive nutrition study in his<strong>to</strong>ry, conducted jointly by Oxford and Cornell<br />
universities. It offers the most empirical evidence ever gathered validating a plant-based diet.<br />
Colin Campbell is a professor of nutrition at Cornell University and has sat on the highest nutrition governing<br />
boards in the U.S. He is the son of a cattle rancher and believed, in his early nutrition research, that he would<br />
find lack of protein <strong>to</strong> be the cause of childhood liver cancer in the Philippines.<br />
He found just the opposite: the wealthier children with good access <strong>to</strong> meat/milk were dying of liver cancer, not<br />
the poor children who could afford only plant food. Time and again, Campbell and many other researchers<br />
discovered the same results: that in animals and humans, high consumption of animal protein causes all the<br />
modern Western diseases, including cancer, heart disease, au<strong>to</strong>immune diseases, and much more.<br />
The rodent studies are fascinating: two groups of mice are put on 5% animal protein pellets (casein, from milk)<br />
and 20% animal protein pellets, respectively. That parallels an almost-vegan diet versus the typical American<br />
diet. At the typical rodent life span, the 5% group were lean and healthy and the 20% group were full of<br />
cancerous tumors and many were dead (and all would die prematurely).<br />
Even more fascinating is how the researchers could switch the groups’ diets. Lean, healthy rodents develop<br />
tumors and die when placed on the 20% animal protein diet, and formerly cancerous rodents lose weight,<br />
tumors are eliminated, and they live and thrive when placed on the 5% animal protein diet. These studies were<br />
duplicated, with the same results, by other researchers all over the globe.<br />
Campbell went on <strong>to</strong> conduct the largest, most longitudinal, most comprehensive nutrition study in human<br />
beings in his<strong>to</strong>ry, yielding hundreds of statistically significant correlations. He has been studying 360,000<br />
people in China for about 30 years now. Whether or not you completely eliminate animal foods from your diet,<br />
this book is so compelling that you will be motivated <strong>to</strong> make a commitment <strong>to</strong> a plant-based diet and share the<br />
message with others.<br />
William Dufty: The Sugar Blues<br />
This book was written in the 1950s in a very provocative and engaging style. This seminal book is your chance<br />
<strong>to</strong> get up the motivation <strong>to</strong> kick the sugar habit. As many nutrition authors have stated, sugar is killing us. And<br />
it’s more addictive than cocaine. (I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, am I?) Even more<br />
fascinating is Dufty’s claim that the sugar industry sabotaged his efforts <strong>to</strong> publish his expose.<br />
Sally Fallon: Nourishing Traditions<br />
This book provides a massive amount of great information and <strong>to</strong>ns of recipes (newtrendspublishing.com, 877-<br />
707-1776). I mostly disagree with the author about meat and dairy (which she embraces, in fermented and<br />
organic forms), in light of The China Study’s implications as well as a large body of other research<br />
documenting the virtues of avoiding animal proteins. But I agree with everything else she promotes, and the<br />
book is worth owning just for the fermented foods information and recipes, where Fallon is the reigning<br />
authority.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 343
GreenSmoothieGirl Resource Library<br />
Dr. Joel Furhman: Eat <strong>to</strong> Live<br />
This book presents excellent data about a plant-based diet versus meat and processed foods from a courageous<br />
medical doc<strong>to</strong>r willing <strong>to</strong> recommend vegetarian lifestyle changes instead of drugs and surgeries. The book<br />
contains a limited number of simple recipes at the end. Possibly because many of Furhman’s patients are<br />
cardiac patients, he is preoccupied with “low fat” in Eat <strong>to</strong> Live, which I think is unnecessary and even possibly<br />
harmful for most people, but it’s a small criticism of a great book.<br />
Dr. Edward Howell: Enzyme Nutrition: The Food Enzyme Concept<br />
This is a 162-page abridgment of this medical doc<strong>to</strong>r’s lifelong work that originally culminated in a 700-page<br />
book with 700 references. It is an old book, published in 1985, reviewing all the scientific literature from the<br />
beginning of the twentieth century pointing <strong>to</strong> enzymes being the most critical element that our diet is now<br />
deficient in, as we have strayed from raw foods. It draws conclusions and postulates scientific theory long<br />
before the recent raw-food movement gained any traction.<br />
John Robbins: The Food Revolution<br />
This is a pivotal book with a compassionate voice for the Earth, the animals we abuse raising them for food,<br />
and the people of the planet. The son of Baskin Robbins’ founder, John abandoned his business career destiny<br />
<strong>to</strong> instead teach people about the virtues of a plant-based diet—and you will be forever changed by reading his<br />
book that comprehensively documents why we should eat lower on the food chain. The author is precise with<br />
data and he covers all the data points comprehensively, from cancer and heart disease risk, <strong>to</strong> genetically<br />
modified foods, <strong>to</strong> global warming, <strong>to</strong> animal cruelty. Also recommend his Diet for a New America.<br />
James and Colleen Simmons: Original Fast <strong>Foods</strong><br />
This book is pure in its intent: <strong>to</strong> help others experience the same profound health improvements that the<br />
formerly very ill Jim Simmons achieved when he under<strong>to</strong>ok a whole-foods, plant-based diet. The book is<br />
expensive but intelligently written, and it contains <strong>to</strong>ns of information and lots of good recipes at the end, all of<br />
them easy. This is currently the only book I sell by another author on GreenSmoothieGirl.com.<br />
Dr. Robert O. Young and Shelley Young: Sick and Tired, The pH Miracle, and Back <strong>to</strong> the House of<br />
Health<br />
Dr. Young, with multiple doc<strong>to</strong>rates, is the most credible authority on why an alkaline diet is the most<br />
important aspect of disease prevention and treatment. His ace-in-the-hole over other authors is that his wife is a<br />
recipe developer and, therefore, gives practical help (with the many excellent recipes) in addition <strong>to</strong> this<br />
century’s leading-edge nutrition theory.<br />
344 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
GreenSmoothieGirl Resource Library<br />
For Those Interested in Cleansing<br />
Richard Anderson: Cleanse & Purify Thyself: Books 1 and 2<br />
These books chronicle this naturopathic doc<strong>to</strong>r's quest (because of his own desperate health situation) <strong>to</strong> find<br />
exactly the right herbs for a thorough intestinal and parasite cleanse. He walked around in the mountains for<br />
months, with a friend, experimenting. The commercial products I enthusiastically endorse (because I have<br />
personally experienced the promised results, as well as studied the methodology) that resulted from Dr.<br />
Anderson’s quest are the Arise & Shine cleanse, found in health food s<strong>to</strong>res and at www.ariseandshine.com.<br />
The products are high quality, and the cleanse truly delivers a comprehensive cleanup of the entire<br />
gastrointestinal tract. Other cleanses I researched are lightweight compared <strong>to</strong> this one, and the nutritional<br />
support is as<strong>to</strong>nishing: I lived my normal, crazy-busy soccer mom/professor/entrepreneur life the entire time I<br />
did the regimen, with plenty of energy. These books, <strong>to</strong>o, contain graphic pho<strong>to</strong>s of actual eliminations from<br />
cleanse patients.<br />
Bernard Jensen: Dr. Jensen’s Guide <strong>to</strong> Better Bowel Care: A Complete Program for Tissue Cleansing<br />
through Bowel Management<br />
This is a must-read for anyone willing <strong>to</strong> face the fact that the average person is carrying 10 lbs. of impacted<br />
fecal material. The last 25 pages are color pho<strong>to</strong>s of what those who undergo a colon cleanse actually eliminate,<br />
and I am warning you that it may turn your s<strong>to</strong>mach. However, it may also be just the motivation you need <strong>to</strong><br />
get rid of it. Great information can be found in this book from an early pioneer in health, healing, nutrition, and<br />
cleansing. Dr. Jensen is a man who lived what he preached well in<strong>to</strong> his 90s.<br />
For Parents<br />
Dr. Joel Fuhrman: Disease Proof Your Child<br />
This is an excellent primer, a book <strong>to</strong> buy as a gift for people who love their children and want them <strong>to</strong> be<br />
healthy. It explains why eating plants is our kids’ best protection against the modern plagues that have become<br />
epidemics, and “your new cookbook” at the end is a good resource. I disagree with some of the ingredients<br />
Fuhrman uses, such as canola mayo and lots of soy milk/cheese/etc., as well as his promotion of multivitamins,<br />
but these are small issues considering the dramatic potential of this book for families.<br />
Robert Mendelsohn, M.D.: How <strong>to</strong> Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doc<strong>to</strong>r<br />
This is an enlightening, if old, book by a renowned pediatrician who left a <strong>to</strong>p hospital post after becoming<br />
disgusted with the way modern medicine treats children. Dr. Mendelsohn led a research hospital in Chicago<br />
until he became so disgusted and disenchanted with medical practices that he wrote this book that every parent<br />
should read <strong>to</strong> understand why it’s so critical <strong>to</strong> not put blind faith in medicine. Some of the things I recall most<br />
vividly is how he challenged the escalating trend of <strong>to</strong>nsils and adenoids being taken out of young boys, only <strong>to</strong><br />
find that these surgeries were truly unnecessary and risky for the patients but were needed <strong>to</strong> fill quotas for<br />
medical residents’ requirements.<br />
I learned from Dr. Mendelsohn that a fever is a natural, healthy way for the body <strong>to</strong> fight infection, and that<br />
fever should not be “fought” or drugged. He put my mind at ease with statistics reassuring me that an out-of-<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 345
GreenSmoothieGirl Resource Library<br />
control fever is so rare as <strong>to</strong> be something I needn’t worry about. In his other writings, Dr. Mendelsohn warns<br />
against America’s love affair with vaccination and the epidemic of health consequences we have earned as a<br />
consequence.<br />
This book is a good start <strong>to</strong>ward realizing that the doc<strong>to</strong>r isn’t God: a good first step down a road <strong>to</strong> a mother<br />
becoming a healer in the home.<br />
You won’t so much get alternative health advice from the doc<strong>to</strong>r as you will get understanding about the<br />
medical paradigm’s limitations and abuses, which is helpful in a parent’s initial effort <strong>to</strong> break loose of modern<br />
pediatrics.<br />
Denise Punger, M.D.: Permission <strong>to</strong> Mother: Going Beyond the Standard-of-Care <strong>to</strong> Nurture Our Children<br />
Dr. Punger is a GreenSmoothieGirl <strong>12</strong>-Stepper and a brave new voice in modern medicine. She’s a boardcertified<br />
doc<strong>to</strong>r married <strong>to</strong> another medical doc<strong>to</strong>r, but she’s also a mother who has breastfed for <strong>12</strong> years and<br />
delivered her last baby via home birth. She’s an advocate of home birth, doulas, breastfeeding, and trusting a<br />
mother’s instincts. This book is an important one for young mothers <strong>to</strong> own.<br />
Eric Schlosser: Fast Food Nation and Chew on This: Everything You Don’t Want <strong>to</strong> Know about Fast Food<br />
These books are geared <strong>to</strong>ward teens. Give your kid an incentive <strong>to</strong> read one or both of these books. My 11-<br />
and 13-year-old kids loved these best-selling exposés and never wanted <strong>to</strong> set foot in a fast-food establishment<br />
again. (Okay, they never set foot in fast-food establishments anyway, except <strong>to</strong> make a bathroom s<strong>to</strong>p on a<br />
trip.) They inspired my oldest daughter <strong>to</strong> become a vegetarian, and she later converted her sister. Written for<br />
preteens and teens, this is an excellent education in why you want <strong>to</strong> avoid all fast food. I overheard my<br />
daughter after she read Chew on This telling a friend regarding the friend’s sugar habit, “You know that<br />
children diagnosed with diabetes by the age of 8 shorten their lives by 25-30 years, don’t you?” (Heh-heh! My<br />
evil educational plot is working!) Too bad the author states in the introduction that his favorite meal is a fastfood<br />
burger.<br />
Ron Seaborn: The Children’s Health Food Book<br />
This is a seriously weird book! A friend recommended it <strong>to</strong> me, and when I picked it up at a health food s<strong>to</strong>re,<br />
my then-four-year-old son went crazy for it. I read it <strong>to</strong> him several times a day, because he begged me nons<strong>to</strong>p<br />
until I just couldn’t take it any more and was making up my own words. The antiheroes are the Starch Creature,<br />
the Dairy Goon, the Meat Monster, and the Sugar Demon. Of course, the vegetable, fruit, and whole-grain<br />
superheroes come in and save the day. This book is good for younger kids—just beware that the preschool<br />
teacher might call you and say your kid is scaring the other kids by pointing out how bad their snacks are (this<br />
actually happened <strong>to</strong> me).<br />
Randall Neustaedter: The Vaccine Guide<br />
This is the most science-based, objective, and compelling look at the vaccine issue of all the books I read as I<br />
made the difficult decision not <strong>to</strong> immunize my children. For instance, although the DPT shot seemed a nobrainer<br />
<strong>to</strong> avoid after reading about the evidence, Neustaedter is fair and balanced in saying that no known<br />
deaths result from the tetanus shot.<br />
346 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
GreenSmoothieGirl Resource Library<br />
For Those Wanting <strong>to</strong> Grow a Garden (the #1 Way <strong>to</strong> Save<br />
Money When Eating a Plant-Based Diet)<br />
Mel Bartholomew: Square Foot Gardening<br />
This book has taken the home gardening world by s<strong>to</strong>rm, because it explains the very best way <strong>to</strong> grow a<br />
garden—by maximizing space and minimizing work.<br />
Eliot Coleman: Four Seasons Harvest<br />
This book was a breakthrough for me, showing how <strong>to</strong> grow a winter garden even outdoors in a cold climate.<br />
Marian Morash: The Vic<strong>to</strong>ry Garden Cookbook<br />
This is the definitive garden how-<strong>to</strong>, with hundreds of recipes on how <strong>to</strong> use each of those garden vegetables. I<br />
use this recipe book constantly, except when someone borrows it, falls in love with it, and doesn’t return it!<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 347
GreenSmoothieGirl Resource Library<br />
348 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
APPENDIX C<br />
References<br />
Chapter 1<br />
1. www.newstarget.com/004416.html<br />
2. Boutenko, Vic<strong>to</strong>ria. 2005. Green for Life. Ashland, OR: Raw Family Publishing.<br />
3. Openshaw, Robyn. 2009. The Green Smoothies Diet. Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press.<br />
4. Walker, Norman W. 1978 (revised ed.). Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices: What's Missing in<br />
Your Body? Summer<strong>to</strong>wn, TN: Norwalk Press.<br />
5. Mateljan, George. 2006. The World’s Healthiest <strong>Foods</strong>. Seattle: WA: George Mateljan<br />
Foundation.<br />
6. www.nutritiondata.com, www.whfoods.com.<br />
Chapter 2<br />
1. Fuhrman, Joel, M.D. 2003. Eat <strong>to</strong> Live. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Co.<br />
2. Arlin, Stephen. 2002. Raw Power! San Diego, CA: Maul Brothers Publishing.<br />
Chapter 4<br />
1. Rudin, Donald, M.D. and Felix, Clara. 1996. Omega-3 Oils: A Practical Guide. New York, NY:<br />
Penguin Group (Avery Imprint).<br />
2. “Some Fish Found <strong>to</strong> Contain High Levels of Contaminants.” Family Practice News, June 15-<br />
30, 1989: 46.<br />
3. Fife, Bruce. 2004. The Coconut Oil Miracle. New York, NY: Penguin Group (Avery Imprint).<br />
4. Kon<strong>to</strong>gianni M.D., D.B. Panagiotakos, C. Chrysohoou, C. Pitsavos, A. Zampelas, and C.<br />
Stefanadis. “The impact of olive oil consumption pattern on the risk of acute coronary<br />
syndromes: The CARDIO2000 case-control study.” Clin Cardiol, 3 (Mar. 30, 2007):<strong>12</strong>5-9.<br />
PMID:17385704.<br />
5. Psal<strong>to</strong>poulou, T., A. Naska, P. Orfanos, et. al. “Olive Oil, the Mediterranean Diet, and Aerterial<br />
Blood Pressure: the Greek European Prospective Investigation in<strong>to</strong> Cancer and Nutrition<br />
(EPIC) Study.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 80 (Oct. 2004): 10<strong>12</strong>-1018.<br />
Chapter 5<br />
1. “Gardening Influences Tots’ Views on Veggies.” Reuters Health, Oct. 22, 2002.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 349
References<br />
Chapter 6<br />
1. Campbell, T. Colin, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II. 2006. The China Study. Dallas, TX: BenBella<br />
Books.<br />
2. Fuhrman, Joel, M.D. 2003. Eat <strong>to</strong> Live. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Co.<br />
3. Young, Shelley R. 1999. Back <strong>to</strong> the House of Health. Pleasant Grove, UT: Woodland Publishing.<br />
Chapter 7<br />
1. Peavy, Dr. William S. and Warren Peary. 1992. Super Nutrition Gardening. New York, NY: Penguin<br />
Group (Avery Imprint).<br />
2. Howell, Edward, M.D. 1985. Enzyme Nutrition: The Food Enzyme Concept. New York, NY: Penguin<br />
Group (Avery Imprint).<br />
3. “Sprouts for Optimum Nutrition.” HealthLibrary.com. Accessed Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 2009. www.sproutnet.com/<br />
Press/sprouts_for_optimum_nutrition.htm<br />
Chapter 8<br />
1. Aubert, Claude. 1985. Les aliments fermentés traditionnels. Mens, France: Terre Vivante.<br />
2. Jensen, Bernard. 1999. Dr. Jensen's Guide <strong>to</strong> Better Bowel Care: A Complete Program for Tissue<br />
Cleansing through Bowel Management. New York, NY: Penguin Group (Avery Imprint).<br />
3. Wigmore, Ann. 1991. Rebuild Your Health: With High Energy Enzyme Nourishment. Atlanta, GA:<br />
Living <strong>Foods</strong> Lifestyle.<br />
4. Fallon, Sally. 2001. Nourishing Traditions. Washing<strong>to</strong>n, D.C.: NewTrends Publishing, Inc.<br />
5. Coleman, Eliot. 1999. Four-Season Harvest. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Co.<br />
Chapter 9<br />
1. Mellen, P.B., T. F. Walsh, and D.M. Herring<strong>to</strong>n. “<strong>Whole</strong> grain intake and cardiovascular disease: a<br />
meta-analysis.” Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 78 (2003): 383-390.<br />
2. Reddy, N. Rukma and Shridhar K. Sathe. 2002. Food Phytates. Boca Ra<strong>to</strong>n, FL: CRC Press.<br />
Chapter 10<br />
1. Batmanghelidj, F., M.D. 2008. Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. Vienna, VA: Global Health<br />
Solutions, Inc.<br />
2. Hendel, Dr. Barbara and Peter Ferreira. 2003. Water and Salt: The Essence of Life. Natural Resources,<br />
Inc.<br />
Chapter <strong>12</strong><br />
1. Young, Robert O. and Shelley R. Young. 2002. The pH Miracle. New York, NY: Warner Books. (quote<br />
on p. 14).<br />
350 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
Symbols<br />
“Cheesy” Collard / Kale Crisps recipe 218<br />
A<br />
acidic foods, discussed 329<br />
agar powder, explained 338<br />
agave<br />
Almond Cookies 321<br />
Almond Cream Sauce 313<br />
Almond Joy Fudge 109<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Berry Sauce 313<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Buttery Dill Sautéed Carrots 144<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars 108<br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Chocolate Balls 319<br />
Chocolate Cookies 322<br />
Chocolate Goji Smoothie 315<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins 307<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips 213<br />
Coconut-Oat Cookies 321<br />
Craisin Salad 63<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie 52<br />
explained 337<br />
Faux Kettle Corn 110<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps 183<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) 310<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
Lemon Chews 318<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing 92<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
Millet Porridge 113<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread 269<br />
Orange-Walnut Salad Dressing 84<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies 322<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce 146<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans 148<br />
Teriyaki Almonds 210<br />
Vanilla Pudding 155<br />
Waldorf Salad 67<br />
World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream or Shake 320<br />
alfalfa seeds<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
alfalfa sprouts<br />
Avocado Dressing 84<br />
Bleu Cheese Dressing 88<br />
Cabbage Salad Dressing 85<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing 89<br />
Green Goddess Dressing 88<br />
Orange-Walnut Salad Dressing 84<br />
alkaline<br />
foods, discussed 329<br />
water, how <strong>to</strong> get 329<br />
water, when <strong>to</strong> drink 328<br />
water, why drink 328<br />
alkalinity, importance of 327<br />
almond butter<br />
Chocolate Balls 319<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies 310<br />
Almond Cherry Cookies recipe 211<br />
Almond Cookies recipe 321<br />
Almond Cream Sauce recipe 313<br />
Almond Joy Fudge recipe 109<br />
Almond Yogurt recipe 237<br />
almonds<br />
Almond Cherry Cookies 211<br />
Almond Cookies 321<br />
Almond Joy Fudge 109<br />
Almond Yogurt 237<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream 320<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Candied Nuts 210<br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Chocolate Shake 314<br />
Cocoa Almonds 211<br />
Craisin Salad 63<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
Nut Milk 286<br />
Orange-Almond Pudding with Berry Sauce 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 351
Index<br />
almonds (continued)<br />
Sprouted Nut Milk 210<br />
sprouted, recipes 210<br />
Teriyaki Almonds 210<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
aluminum in baking powder, problem with 300<br />
Amaranth L’Orange recipe 266<br />
amaranth seeds<br />
Amaranth L’Orange 266<br />
explained 255<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
Anaheim pepper<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips 213<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Tempeh Pitas 144<br />
Vegetarian Chili 186<br />
apple<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie 52<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal 288<br />
Laura’s No Fruit Green Smoothie 52<br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Waldorf Salad 67<br />
applesauce<br />
Buttermilk Cornbread 259<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins 307<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies 309<br />
apricot<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies 309<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies recipe 309<br />
arrowroot<br />
explained 338<br />
powder, Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
powder, Vanilla Pudding 155<br />
artichoke<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta 117<br />
arugula<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Asian Ginger Dressing recipe 87<br />
Asian Salad recipe 67<br />
asparagus<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce 146<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
aspartame<br />
explained 338<br />
sweeteners 338<br />
avocado<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice 193<br />
Avocado Dressing 84<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers 267<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Guacamole 222<br />
Laura’s No Fruit Green Smoothie 52<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio 153<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice recipe 193<br />
Avocado Dressing recipe 84<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad recipe 72<br />
B<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar recipe 171<br />
baking<br />
amaranth 255<br />
buckwheat 254<br />
kamut 254<br />
millet 255<br />
oats 254<br />
powder, problem with aluminum in 300<br />
quinoa 254<br />
spelt 253<br />
whole grains 253<br />
Balsamic-Miso Vinaigrette recipe 88<br />
banana<br />
Breakfast Pudding 296<br />
Chocolate Shake 314<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie 52<br />
Fruity Sorbet 314<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten<br />
Free) 290<br />
barley<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
bars<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations recipe 82<br />
Basic Salad recipes 62<br />
basil<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette 94<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
Marinated Steamed Beets 142<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce 192<br />
Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing 83<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans 148<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta 117<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Onion-Cucumber Salad 63<br />
Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette recipe 94<br />
basmati brown rice, Avocado Basmati Rice 193<br />
352 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
bay leaf<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Vegetarian Chili 186<br />
beans<br />
cooking tips 164<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
mixed, Country Market Stew 185<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
beauty regimen, best oils for 101<br />
beet<br />
Beet Kvass 241<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad 73<br />
Beets in Spicy Mustard Sauce 142<br />
Chocolate Beet Cake 305<br />
greens, nutrition facts 40<br />
greens, Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
Marinated Steamed Beets 142<br />
Pickled Beets 240<br />
recipes 140<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>4<br />
Beet Kvass recipe 241<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad recipe 73<br />
Beets in Spicy Mustard Sauce recipe 142<br />
bell pepper<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers 267<br />
Chard Rice Rolls 147<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Curried Quinoa 173<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers 214<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Polenta 264<br />
recipes 143<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
Roasted Eggplant Spread 221<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Southwest Salad 69<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Tempeh Pitas 144<br />
Vegetarian Chili 186<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>4<br />
berries, mixed<br />
Berry Sauce 313<br />
Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie 52<br />
Fruity Sorbet 314<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes recipe 293<br />
Berry Sauce recipe 313<br />
biscuits, <strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Biscuits 263<br />
Black Bean and Corn Salad recipe 68<br />
black beans<br />
Chard Rice Rolls 147<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad 68<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Southwest Quinoa 174<br />
Southwest Salad 69<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa recipe 115<br />
black-eyed peas, Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
blender, type you need for plant-based diet 29<br />
Bleu Cheese Dressing recipe 88<br />
bleu cheese, Bleu Cheese Dressing 88<br />
blondies, Cherry-Almond Blondies 3<strong>12</strong><br />
blueberry<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten<br />
Free) 290<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins recipe 260<br />
bottled water, problems with 327<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es recipe 150<br />
breads<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
Darlene’s Kamut Sourdough Bread 271<br />
Essene, explained 201<br />
Ethiopian Flatbread 262<br />
Ezekiel, explained 245<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Focaccia Bread 270<br />
grains for making good 253<br />
making, with sprouted grains 201<br />
Navajo Taco 270<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread 269<br />
Pretzels 270<br />
rye 269<br />
Sourdough <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Bread 270<br />
Zucchini Bread 306<br />
breakfast<br />
Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Breakfast Pudding 296<br />
Coconut Milk 286<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
foods for 280<br />
Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
German Pancakes 290<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
Hot-Pink Smoothie 285<br />
importance of 275<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal 288<br />
Kefir Smoothie 286<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Millet Porridge 113<br />
Nut Milk 286<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes 292<br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
recipes 284<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 353
Index<br />
breakfast (continued)<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten<br />
Free) 290<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes 289<br />
Three Toppings for Pancakes and Waffles 293<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s recipe 288<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies recipe 296<br />
Breakfast Pudding recipe 296<br />
broccoli<br />
Amaranth L’Orange 266<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad 64<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce 111<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es 170<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa recipe 173<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad recipe 64<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce recipe 111<br />
brown rice<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice 193<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce 111<br />
Chard Rice Rolls 147<br />
Country Market Stew 185<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl 196<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies 310<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry 195<br />
protein powder, Chocolate Shake 314<br />
Rice Milk 266<br />
Rice Pudding 1<strong>12</strong><br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce 192<br />
syrup, Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Vegetarian Chili 186<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
brownies<br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
buckwheat<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
explained 162, 254<br />
flour, <strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
groats, Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal 288<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten<br />
Free) 290<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole 267<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry recipe 190<br />
bulgur<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers 267<br />
Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations 106<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers recipe 267<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream recipe 320<br />
butter, cultured (recipe) 237<br />
buttermilk<br />
Buttermilk Cornbread 259<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins 307<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
Ranch Dressing 87<br />
Buttermilk Cornbread recipe 259<br />
Buttery Dill Sautéed Carrots recipe 144<br />
C<br />
cabbage<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Kimchi 243<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Sauerkraut 242<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>6<br />
Cabbage Salad Dressing recipe 85<br />
Cabbage Salad recipe 64<br />
cacao<br />
Chocolate Shake 314<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies 310<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
cakes<br />
Chocolate Beet Cake 305<br />
Chocolate Frosting 307<br />
calcium, plant-based foods and 158<br />
Candied Nuts recipe 210<br />
candy, Halva 319<br />
cantaloupe, Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
capers, Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
caraway seeds<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Rye Bread 269<br />
Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
carbohydrates and whole foods 161<br />
carob, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies 308<br />
carrot<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice 193<br />
Buttery Dill Sautéed Carrots 144<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars 108<br />
Carrot-Orange Soup 145<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
Nori Nachos 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
recipes 144<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Spiced Carrots 241<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce 146<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole 267<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
354 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>5<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars recipe 108<br />
Carrot-Orange Soup recipe 145<br />
cashews<br />
Almond Cream Sauce 313<br />
Beets in Spicy Mustard Sauce 142<br />
Breakfast Pudding 296<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Cheesy Collard / Kale Crisps 218<br />
Chocolate Pudding 318<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
Lemon Chews 318<br />
Nori Nachos 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Nut Milk 286<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole 267<br />
cauliflower<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad 64<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce 146<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
celery<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice 193<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers 214<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
root, Waldorf Salad 67<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
cereal<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal 288<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Millet Porridge 113<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Chapati recipe 262<br />
chard<br />
Chard Rice Rolls 147<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
nutrition facts 40<br />
Pasta and Garlic Greens 146<br />
recipes 146<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>5<br />
Chard Rice Rolls recipe 147<br />
cheddar cheese, <strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
cheese. See specific cheese name<br />
cheesecake, Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
chemicals, controlling garden pests without 132<br />
cherry, Cherry-Almond Blondies 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies recipe 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Chia Pudding recipe 297<br />
chia seeds<br />
Chia Pudding 297<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies 310<br />
chickpeas<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers 267<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps 183<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry 195<br />
Sprouted Hummus Spread 220<br />
children<br />
getting, <strong>to</strong> eat right 11<br />
green smoothie recipe for 52<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup recipe 189<br />
chipotle chili, Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
chips<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips 213<br />
sprouted-seed recipes 2<strong>12</strong><br />
chives<br />
Ranch Dressing 87<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
chocolate<br />
Chocolate Balls 319<br />
Chocolate Beet Cake 305<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies 308<br />
Chocolate Cookies 322<br />
Chocolate Frosting 307<br />
Chocolate Goji Smoothie 315<br />
Chocolate Pudding 318<br />
Chocolate Shake 314<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins 307<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream or Shake 320<br />
Chocolate Balls recipe 319<br />
Chocolate Beet Cake recipe 305<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies recipe 308<br />
Chocolate Cookies recipe 322<br />
Chocolate Frosting recipe 307<br />
Chocolate Goji Smoothie recipe 315<br />
Chocolate Pudding recipe 318<br />
Chocolate Shake recipe 314<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins recipe 307<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies recipe 110<br />
Christmasy Salad recipe 65<br />
cilantro<br />
Asian Salad 67<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce 111<br />
Chard Rice Rolls 147<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips 213<br />
Cilantro-Toma<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette 91<br />
Green Goddess Dressing 88<br />
Guacamole 222<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl 196<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 355
Index<br />
cilantro (continued)<br />
Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad 68<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing 92<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Dressing 91<br />
Southwest Quinoa 174<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce 192<br />
Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations 106<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips recipe 213<br />
Cilantro-Toma<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette recipe 91<br />
citations, source materials for 349<br />
cleansing reaction, explained 32<br />
clover seeds, Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
cocoa<br />
Almond Joy Fudge 109<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Chocolate Beet Cake 305<br />
Chocolate Cookies 322<br />
Chocolate Frosting 307<br />
Chocolate Pudding 318<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins 307<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
Cocoa Almonds 211<br />
Frosting 307<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies 310<br />
World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream or Shake 320<br />
Cocoa Almonds recipe 211<br />
coconut<br />
Almond Joy Fudge 109<br />
Asian Salad 67<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream 320<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars 108<br />
Chocolate Goji Smoothie 315<br />
Chocolate Pudding 318<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
Coconut Milk 286<br />
cream, Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars 108<br />
cream, Frosting 307<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl’s Oat-Coconut Cookie Mix 321<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad 66<br />
Kefir 235<br />
Lemon Chews 318<br />
liquid, explained 339<br />
liquid, Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
opening 235<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
Rice Pudding 1<strong>12</strong><br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes 289<br />
Coconut Liquid Kefir recipe 235<br />
coconut milk<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce 111<br />
explained 339<br />
Millet Porridge 113<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
recipe for 286<br />
Rice Pudding 1<strong>12</strong><br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream or Shake 320<br />
Coconut Milk recipe 286<br />
coconut oil<br />
Almond Cookies 321<br />
Almond Joy Fudge 109<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies 309<br />
benefits of 99<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce 111<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars 108<br />
Chapati 262<br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Chocolate Beet Cake 305<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies 308<br />
Chocolate Cookies 322<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
Coconut-Oat Cookies 321<br />
Dinner Pancakes 152<br />
Ethiopian Flatbread 262<br />
explained 339<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Faux Kettle Corn 110<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
Flax/Coconut “Butter” 113<br />
Flaxseed Cookies 114<br />
Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps 183<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) 310<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
incorporating in<strong>to</strong> diet 102<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
Microwave Popcorn 110<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies 310<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread 269<br />
Oat-Coconut Muffins 322<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies 309, 322<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes 292<br />
Quinoa Cookies 308<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
recipes 106<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Rye Bread 269<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions 148<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten<br />
Free) 290<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes 289<br />
Squash Fritters 152<br />
Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations 106<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans 148<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Biscuits 263<br />
Zucchini Bread 306<br />
356 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
Coconut-Oat Cookies recipe 321<br />
coffee, getting off of 29<br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad recipe 147<br />
collard greens<br />
Cheesy Collard / Kale Crisps 218<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Garlic-Greens Mashed Pota<strong>to</strong>es 169<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
Laura’s No Fruit Green Smoothie 52<br />
nutrition facts 40<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
composting, for garden 134<br />
converting treat recipe for nutrition 300<br />
cookies<br />
Almond Cherry Cookies 211<br />
Almond Cookies 321<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies 309<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Chocolate Balls 319<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies 308<br />
Chocolate Cookies 322<br />
Coconut-Oat Cookies 321<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) 310<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl’s Oat-Coconut Cookie Mix 321<br />
Lemon Chews 318<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies 310<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies 309, 322<br />
Quinoa Cookies 308<br />
corn<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips 213<br />
Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad 68<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Southwest Salad 69<br />
<strong>to</strong>rtilla strips, Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
cornmeal<br />
Buttermilk Cornbread 259<br />
Chapati 262<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Country Market Stew recipe 185<br />
couscous. See whole-grain couscous<br />
crackers<br />
“Cheesy” Collard / Kale Crisps 218<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers 214<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
Lemony Kale Crisps 217<br />
Parmesan Flax Crackers 216<br />
Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
sprouted-seed recipes 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Craisin Salad Dressing recipe 82<br />
Craisin Salad recipe 63<br />
Craisins<br />
Almond Cherry Cookies 211<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Craisin Salad 63<br />
cranberry, Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
cream, sour (recipe) 237<br />
Crème Fresh recipe 237<br />
cucumber<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Laura’s No Fruit Green Smoothie 52<br />
Pickle Slices 241<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
Tempeh Pitas 144<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Onion-Cucumber Salad 63<br />
Cultured Butter recipe 237<br />
cumin seeds, Sauerkraut 242<br />
currants, Asian Salad 67<br />
Curried Quinoa recipe 173<br />
D<br />
Dairy or Goat Milk Kefir recipe 233<br />
dairy products, fermenting<br />
explained 224<br />
recipes 233, 236, 237<br />
dandelion greens<br />
nutrition facts 40<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Darlene’s Kamut Sourdough Bread recipe 271<br />
dates<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream 320<br />
Candied Nuts 210<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
Orange-Almond Pudding with Berry Sauce 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Teriyaki Almonds 210<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars recipe 219<br />
dehydrated greens products, discussed 331<br />
dehydrating<br />
explained 199<br />
money-saving tips 206<br />
recommended dehydra<strong>to</strong>r 199<br />
snacks 205<br />
diabetes and whole foods 161<br />
Dill Pickle Kale Chips recipe 217<br />
dill weed<br />
Buttery Dill Sautéed Carrots 144<br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad 147<br />
Dill Pickle Kale Chips 217<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad 66<br />
Marinated Steamed Beets 142<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread 269<br />
Pickle Slices 241<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Rye Bread 269<br />
Sauerkraut 242<br />
Spiced Carrots 241<br />
Squash Fritters 152<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce 146<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
Tangy Dill Dressing 85<br />
Dinner Pancakes recipe 152<br />
distilled water, explained 327<br />
donuts, Orange-Glaze Donuts 311<br />
dressing, salad<br />
bottled, harmful ingredients in 76<br />
homemade, making 75<br />
ingredients <strong>to</strong> use in 77<br />
money- and time-saving tips 78<br />
recipes 82<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 357
Index<br />
dried fruit<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
drinks<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
Coconut Milk 286<br />
Nut Milk 286<br />
Rice Milk 266<br />
Sprouted-Nut Milk 210<br />
E<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie recipe 52<br />
Easy Kale Salad recipe 149<br />
edible weeds, Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
eggplant, Roasted Eggplant Spread 221<br />
enzymes, importance of 56<br />
Essene bread, explained 201<br />
Ethiopian Flatbread recipe 262<br />
Everyday Green Salad recipe 62<br />
Ezekiel bread, explained 245<br />
F<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets recipe 182<br />
fats<br />
coconut oil, benefits 99<br />
coconut oil, incorporating in<strong>to</strong> diet 102<br />
fish oil, problems with 98<br />
flaxseed oil, benefits 97<br />
flaxseed oil, incorporating in<strong>to</strong> diet 102<br />
good vs. bad, explained 95<br />
oils for beauty regimen 101<br />
olive oil, benefits 100<br />
olive oil, incorporating in<strong>to</strong> diet 102<br />
Faux Kettle Corn recipe 110<br />
fermented food recipes<br />
kefir 233<br />
Kombucha 238<br />
other dairy 237<br />
Rejuvenac 238<br />
vegetables 240<br />
yogurt 236<br />
fermented vegetables, recipes 240<br />
fermenting, explained<br />
dairy products 224<br />
grains 228<br />
money-saving tips 229<br />
vegetables 224<br />
feta cheese<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad 73<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
Pasta with Kale 150<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Squash Fritters 152<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
Tempeh Pitas 144<br />
fish oil, problems with 98<br />
flax seeds<br />
benefits of 205<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Buttery Dill Sautéed Carrots 144<br />
Chocolate Balls 319<br />
Cilantro-Corn Chips 213<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
Flaxseed Cookies 114<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers 214<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
Orange-Glaze Donuts 311<br />
Parmesan Flax Crackers 216<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions 148<br />
Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten<br />
Free) 290<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
Flax Waffles recipe 291<br />
Flax/Coconut “Butter” recipe 113<br />
Flaxseed Cookies recipe 114<br />
flaxseed oil<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette 94<br />
benefits of 97<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Flax/Coconut “Butter” 113<br />
Garlic Mayo 114<br />
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette 86<br />
incorporating in<strong>to</strong> diet 102<br />
Lemon-Lime Dressing 94<br />
Pes<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette 91<br />
recipes 113<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta 117<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers recipe 214<br />
flour. See specific flour type name<br />
Focaccia Bread recipe 270<br />
four season gardening, explained 133<br />
frosting, chocolate (recipe) 307<br />
fruc<strong>to</strong>se, explained 338<br />
fruit<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
cocktail, Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
juice, Gelatin Dessert 313<br />
Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes recipe 293<br />
fruitless green smoothie recipe 52<br />
Fruity Sorbet recipe 314<br />
G<br />
garbanzo beans. See chickpeas<br />
Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps recipe 183<br />
garden<br />
beets, why grow in <strong>12</strong>4<br />
bell peppers, why grow in <strong>12</strong>4<br />
cabbage, why grow in <strong>12</strong>6<br />
carrots, why grow in <strong>12</strong>5<br />
chard, why grow in <strong>12</strong>5<br />
composting, explained 134<br />
garlic, why grow in <strong>12</strong>7<br />
358 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
green beans, why grow in <strong>12</strong>6<br />
green smoothie ingredients <strong>to</strong> grow in <strong>12</strong>8<br />
kale, why grow in <strong>12</strong>6<br />
money-saving tips 133<br />
necessary items for 119<br />
onions, why grow in <strong>12</strong>7<br />
pests, controlling without chemicals 132<br />
planting 119<br />
spinach, why grow in <strong>12</strong>7<br />
square-foot, explained 130<br />
squash, why grow in <strong>12</strong>8<br />
what <strong>to</strong> plant <strong>12</strong>3<br />
winter produce 133<br />
garlic<br />
Asian Ginger Dressing 87<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice 193<br />
Avocado Dressing 84<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Balsamic-Miso Vinaigrette 88<br />
Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette 94<br />
Beets in Spicy Mustard Sauce 142<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Bleu Cheese Dressing 88<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Cheesy Collard / Kale Crisps 218<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Cilantro-Toma<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette 91<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Flax/Coconut “Butter” 113<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers 214<br />
Garlic Mayo 114<br />
Garlic-Greens Mashed Pota<strong>to</strong>es 169<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing 89<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
Green Goddess Dressing 88<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette 86<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl 196<br />
Kimchi 243<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing 92<br />
Lemon-Lime Dressing 94<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
Pasta and Garlic Greens 146<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Roasted Eggplant Spread 221<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Dressing 91<br />
Sautéed Garlic Spinach 151<br />
Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Sprouted Hummus Spread 220<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans 148<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole 267<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>7<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
Garlic Mayo recipe 114<br />
Garlic-Greens Mashed Pota<strong>to</strong>es recipe 169<br />
Gelatin Dessert recipe 313<br />
German Pancakes recipe 290<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) recipe 310<br />
ginger root<br />
Asian Ginger Dressing 87<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Curried Quinoa 173<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) 310<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing 89<br />
Kimchi 243<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing 92<br />
Lemon-Lime Dressing 94<br />
Spiced Carrots 241<br />
Yogurt Curry Dressing 90<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing recipe 89<br />
gluten-free<br />
grains, listed 253<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes 290<br />
glycemic index<br />
cautions about 163<br />
explained 161<br />
grains and legumes 163<br />
recipes with food lower on 168<br />
goat’s milk<br />
Dairy or Goat Milk Kefir recipe 233<br />
explained 227<br />
in kefir recipe 233<br />
goji berry, Chocolate Goji Smoothie 315<br />
Gorgonzola cheese, Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad 66<br />
grains<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
best, for baking 253<br />
cooking with 162<br />
fermenting, explained 228<br />
main dish recipes 177<br />
money-saving tips 256<br />
nutrients and glycemic index of 163<br />
sprouting, explained 202<br />
sprouting, for bread 201<br />
whole, listed 248<br />
grape juice, Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
grapefruit, Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad 66<br />
grapes<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
grapeseed oil, Tempeh Pitas 144<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti recipe 184<br />
green beans<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice 193<br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad 147<br />
recipes 147<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions 148<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce 146<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans 148<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>6<br />
green chili pepper<br />
Chapati 262<br />
Chard Rice Rolls 147<br />
Country Market Stew 185<br />
Curried Quinoa 173<br />
Polenta 264<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 359
Index<br />
Green Goddess Dressing recipe 88<br />
Green Lentil Soup recipe 187<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers recipe 213<br />
green smoothies<br />
benefits explained 35<br />
blender for 29<br />
including in diet 29<br />
ingredients, easiest <strong>to</strong> grow <strong>12</strong>8<br />
juicing vs. 37<br />
money-saving tips 41<br />
protein in 41<br />
questionnaire 42<br />
recipe, easiest starter 52<br />
recipe, for children 52<br />
recipe, no fruit 52<br />
recipe, Robyn’s 51<br />
science behind 33<br />
sweeteners in 39<br />
testimonials 47<br />
greens<br />
dehydrated, discussed 331<br />
mixed, Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad 66<br />
mixed, Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
nutrition facts of various 40<br />
salad, which <strong>to</strong> buy 58<br />
spring, Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
spring, Waldorf Salad 67<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl’s Oat-Coconut Cookie Mix with<br />
Variations recipe 321<br />
Guacamole recipe 222<br />
H<br />
Halva recipe 319<br />
hemp protein powder<br />
Chocolate Shake 314<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix recipe 287<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal recipe 287<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes recipe 291<br />
homemade salad dressing, making 75<br />
Honey Dressing recipe 89<br />
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette recipe 86<br />
honey, explained 337<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie recipe 285<br />
Hummus Spread recipe 220<br />
I<br />
ice cream<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream 320<br />
Fruity Sorbet 314<br />
Popsicles 313<br />
World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream 320<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl recipe 196<br />
J<br />
jalapeño jack cheese, Chard Rice Rolls 147<br />
jalapeño pepper<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Dressing 91<br />
Vegetarian Chili 186<br />
jicama<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad 66<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad recipe 66<br />
journal, reasons <strong>to</strong> keep <strong>12</strong> Step 22<br />
juicing vs. green smoothies 37<br />
K<br />
kale<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Cheesy Collard / Kale Crisps 218<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Dill Pickle Kale Chips 217<br />
Easy Kale Salad 149<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
kale chips 217<br />
Lemony Kale Crisps 217<br />
nutrition facts 40<br />
Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens 185<br />
Pasta with Kale 150<br />
recipes 149<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>6<br />
kamut<br />
Darlene’s Kamut Sourdough Bread 271<br />
explained 254<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal recipe 288<br />
kasha, Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal 288<br />
kefir<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Coconut Liquid Kefir 235<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
Focaccia Bread 270<br />
German Pancakes 290<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
Kefir Smoothie 286<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread 269<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Pretzels 270<br />
recipes 233<br />
Rye Bread 269<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
Sourdough <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Bread 270<br />
Water Kefir 235<br />
Kefir Smoothie recipe 286<br />
kelp<br />
Green Goddess Dressing 88<br />
Guacamole 222<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl 196<br />
noodles, explained 339<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
kidney beans<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad 66<br />
Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens 185<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
Kimchi recipe 243<br />
Kombucha recipe 238<br />
L<br />
lambsquarter leaves, Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad recipe 68<br />
Laura’s No Fruit Green Smoothie recipe 52<br />
360 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
leek<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
legumes<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
main dish recipes 177<br />
lemon<br />
Avocado Basmati Rice 193<br />
Avocado Dressing 84<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad 73<br />
Beets in Spicy Mustard Sauce 142<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Cheesy Collard / Kale Crisps 218<br />
Easy Kale Salad 149<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Garlic Mayo 114<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing 89<br />
Green Goddess Dressing 88<br />
Guacamole 222<br />
Honey Dressing 89<br />
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette 86<br />
Laura’s No Fruit Green Smoothie 52<br />
Lemon Chews 318<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing 92<br />
Lemon-Lime Dressing 94<br />
Lemony Kale Crisps 217<br />
Marinated Steamed Beets 142<br />
Pasta and Garlic Greens 146<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Pes<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette 91<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Sautéed Garlic Spinach 151<br />
Sprouted Hummus Spread 220<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce 146<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce 192<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
Tangy Dill Dressing 85<br />
Waldorf Salad 67<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio 153<br />
Lemon Chews recipe 318<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing recipe 92<br />
Lemon-Lime Dressing recipe 94<br />
Lemony Kale Crisps recipe 217<br />
lentil flour, Chapati 262<br />
Lentil Tacos recipe 177<br />
lentils<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl 196<br />
Lentil Tacos 177<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
Taco Salad 177<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers recipe 143<br />
lettuce<br />
Asian Salad 67<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad 73<br />
Craisin Salad 63<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Lentil Tacos 177<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad 66<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Southwest Salad 69<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
Taco Salad 177<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
lime<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers 267<br />
Cilantro-Toma<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette 91<br />
Country Market Stew 185<br />
Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad 68<br />
Lemon-Lime Dressing 94<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Dressing 91<br />
Southwest Quinoa 174<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio 153<br />
Live Granola recipe 294<br />
lychee, <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
M<br />
macadamia nuts, Nori Nachos 2<strong>12</strong><br />
main dish<br />
plant-based, making 157<br />
using salad as 53<br />
mali<strong>to</strong>l, explained 338<br />
mandarin orange<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Craisin Salad 63<br />
mango<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Fruity Sorbet 314<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
manna bars recipe 219<br />
maple syrup<br />
Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Breakfast Pudding 296<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream 320<br />
Candied Nuts 210<br />
Chocolate Pudding 318<br />
explained 337<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing 89<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal 288<br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Rice Pudding 1<strong>12</strong><br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Southwest Quinoa 174<br />
Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations 106<br />
Vanilla Pudding 155<br />
Maple Syrup Dressing recipe 87<br />
Marinated Steamed Beets recipe 142<br />
meats, alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
Mexicali Wraps recipe 180<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 361
Index<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars<br />
recipe 323<br />
Microwave Popcorn recipe 110<br />
milk<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
coconut, recipe 286<br />
goat’s 227<br />
kefir recipe 233<br />
nut, recipe 286<br />
Oat-Coconut Muffins 322<br />
Orange-Glaze Donuts 311<br />
rice, recipe 266<br />
rice, Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
sprouted-nut 210<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes 289<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Biscuits 263<br />
millet<br />
Ethiopian Flatbread 262<br />
explained 163, 255<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
Millet Porridge 113<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
Millet Porridge recipe 113<br />
mineral water, explained 327<br />
mint<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad 73<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Squash Fritters 152<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
miso, explained 339<br />
molasses<br />
explained 337<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) 310<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal 288<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry 195<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
money-saving tips<br />
beans, cooking with 164<br />
fermenting foods 229<br />
gardening 133<br />
green smoothies 41<br />
preserving raw foods 229<br />
salad dressing 78<br />
salads 59<br />
sprouting and dehydrating 206<br />
whole grains 256<br />
morning glory, Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
mother (kombucha), explained 238<br />
mozzarella cheese<br />
Craisin Salad 63<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
muffins<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
Chocolate Frosting 307<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins 307<br />
Oat-Coconut Muffins 322<br />
mung beans, Kimchi 243<br />
mushroom<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce 111<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
mustard greens<br />
nutrition facts 40<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
mustard seeds<br />
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette 86<br />
Pickle Slices 241<br />
Sauerkraut 242<br />
N<br />
nachos, nori 217<br />
Navajo Tacos recipe 270<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies recipe 310<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread recipe 269<br />
nori nachos 217<br />
Nori Nachos recipe 217<br />
Nut Milk recipe 286<br />
nut milk, Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
NutraSweet, explained 338<br />
nutrients lost, in refined/white flour 246<br />
nutrition<br />
converting treat recipe for 300<br />
discerning truth about 10<br />
facts, greens 40<br />
nuts. See also specific nut name<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
candied 210<br />
sprouting, explained 202<br />
O<br />
oat groats<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Breakfast Pudding 296<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens 185<br />
Oat-Coconut Muffins recipe 322<br />
oats<br />
explained 254<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
sprouting 202<br />
oil, alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
oils. See fats<br />
olive oil<br />
benefits of 100<br />
incorporating in<strong>to</strong> diet 102<br />
olives<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
onion<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad 64<br />
362 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers 267<br />
Cabbage Salad Dressing 85<br />
Carrot-Orange Soup 145<br />
Cheesy Collard / Kale Crisps 218<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad 147<br />
Country Market Stew 185<br />
Craisin Salad Dressing 82<br />
Curried Quinoa 173<br />
Dinner Pancakes 152<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps 183<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing 89<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
Kimchi 243<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
Maple Syrup Dressing 87<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad 66<br />
Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens 185<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry 195<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Roasted Eggplant Spread 221<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Dressing 91<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions 148<br />
Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
Southwest Quinoa 174<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad 64<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce 192<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans 148<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
Tempeh Pitas 144<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Onion-Cucumber Salad 63<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole 267<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es 170<br />
Vegetarian Chili 186<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>7<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
Zucchini Pitas 153<br />
orange<br />
Amaranth L’Orange 266<br />
Breakfast Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies 296<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars 108<br />
Carrot-Orange Soup 145<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie 52<br />
Ginger-Miso Dressing 89<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing 92<br />
mandarin, Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
mandarin, Cabbage Salad 64<br />
mandarin, Craisin Salad 63<br />
Millet Porridge 113<br />
Orange-Almond Pudding with Berry Sauce 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Orange-Glaze Donuts 311<br />
Orange-Walnut Salad Dressing 84<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad 66<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Tangy Dill Dressing 85<br />
Orange-Almond Pudding with Berry Sauce recipe 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Orange-Glaze Donuts recipe 311<br />
Orange-Walnut Salad Dressing recipe 84<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad recipe 66<br />
oregano<br />
Balsamic-Miso Vinaigrette 88<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Orange-Walnut Salad Dressing 84<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
Sauerkraut 242<br />
organic produce, discussed <strong>12</strong>9<br />
orzo, Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
P<br />
pancakes<br />
Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
German Pancakes 290<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes 292<br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten<br />
Free) 290<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes 289<br />
Three Toppings for Pancakes 293<br />
papaya, Black-Eyed Papaya Salsa 115<br />
Parmesan cheese<br />
Basil-Parmesan Vinaigrette 94<br />
Parmesan Flax Crackers 216<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Sautéed Garlic Spinach 151<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
Squash Fritters 152<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es 170<br />
Zucchini Pitas 153<br />
Parmesan Flax Crackers recipe 216<br />
parsley<br />
Balsamic-Miso Vinaigrette 88<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce 111<br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad 147<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Green Goddess Dressing 88<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing 92<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
Ranch Dressing 87<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 363
Index<br />
parsley (continued)<br />
Sprouted Hummus Spread 220<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce 192<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
Pasta and Garlic Greens recipe 146<br />
Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens recipe 185<br />
Pasta with Kale recipe 150<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> recipe 183<br />
pasta. See whole-wheat pasta<br />
peach<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie 52<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
peanut butter<br />
Almond Cherry Cookies 211<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream 320<br />
Kasha (Roasted Buckwheat) Cereal 288<br />
No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies 310<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies 309, 322<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry 195<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce 192<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies recipe 309, 322<br />
peanuts<br />
Asian Salad 67<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce 192<br />
pear<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad 73<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie 52<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
peas<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl 196<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa recipe 172<br />
pecans<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream 320<br />
Candied Nuts 210<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Michelle Jorgenson’s “Power through the Day” Bars 323<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad 64<br />
pepper jack cheese<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
perfect proteins, explained 251<br />
Pes<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette recipe 91<br />
pests, controlling garden without chemicals 132<br />
phytates, explained 249<br />
Pi/PiMag water, explained 327<br />
Pickle Slices recipe 241<br />
Pickled Beets recipe 240<br />
pies<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
pine nuts<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies 309<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Easy Kale Salad 149<br />
Pasta with Kale 150<br />
Sautéed Garlic Spinach 151<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
pineapple<br />
Fruity Sorbet 314<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas recipe 179<br />
pin<strong>to</strong> beans, Vegetarian Chili 186<br />
pistachios<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio 153<br />
plant-based main dishes, making 157<br />
planting garden 119<br />
Polenta recipe 264<br />
pomegranate seeds, Christmasy Salad 65<br />
popcorn<br />
Faux Kettle Corn 110<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
Microwave Popcorn 110<br />
Polenta 264<br />
poppy seeds<br />
Cabbage Salad Dressing 85<br />
Craisin Salad Dressing 82<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing 83<br />
Popsicles recipe 313<br />
pota<strong>to</strong><br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Dinner Pancakes 152<br />
Garlic-Greens Mashed Pota<strong>to</strong>es 169<br />
including in meals 161<br />
main dish recipes 168<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry 195<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es 170<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup recipe 111<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Garbanzo Curry recipe 195<br />
preserving raw foods with probiotics 223<br />
Pretzels recipe 270<br />
probiotics, preserving raw foods with natural 223<br />
protein<br />
green smoothies and 41<br />
perfect, explained 251<br />
plant-based foods and 158<br />
salad and 55<br />
psyllium husk powder<br />
Orange-Almond Pudding with Berry Sauce 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
puddings<br />
Breakfast Pudding 296<br />
Chia Pudding 297<br />
Chocolate Pudding 318<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes recipe 292<br />
pumpkin seeds<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad 73<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds 2<strong>12</strong><br />
sprouted, recipes 2<strong>12</strong><br />
pumpkin, Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes 292<br />
364 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
purslane<br />
nutrition facts 40<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Q<br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes recipe 293<br />
quinoa<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Curried Quinoa 173<br />
explained 162, 254<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
main dish recipes 172<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
Pecan-Cranberry Quinoa 172<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Southwest Quinoa 174<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations 106<br />
Quinoa Cookies recipe 308<br />
quinoa flour, Quinoa Cookies 308<br />
R<br />
radish<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Kimchi 243<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions 148<br />
Rainbow Salad recipe 154<br />
raisins<br />
Breakfast Pudding 296<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad 64<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Easy Kale Salad 149<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
Waldorf Salad 67<br />
Ranch Dressing recipe 87<br />
raspberry, Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing 83<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake recipe 315<br />
raw food, importance of 57<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie recipe 316<br />
red pepper (roasted), Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad 68<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa recipe 176<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad recipe 268<br />
refined flour, replacing in diet 245<br />
refried beans, <strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
Rejuvelac (fermented grains) recipe 238<br />
reverse osmosis water, explained 327<br />
Rice Milk recipe 266<br />
rice milk, Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Rice Pudding recipe 1<strong>12</strong><br />
Roasted Eggplant Spread recipe 221<br />
roasted red pepper, Laura’s Black Bean and Corn Salad 68<br />
Robyn’s Granola recipe 284<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie recipe 51<br />
rolled oats<br />
Almond Cookies 321<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies 308<br />
Coconut-Oat Cookies 321<br />
Flaxseed Cookies 114<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl’s Oat-Coconut Cookie Mix 321<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes 292<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
romaine, nutrition facts 40<br />
root vegetables, main dish recipes 168<br />
rosemary, Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
Russian Borscht recipe 140<br />
rye<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
sprouting 202<br />
Rye Bread recipe 269<br />
rye flour, Rye Bread 269<br />
S<br />
salad<br />
greens, which <strong>to</strong> buy 58<br />
money-saving tips 59<br />
protein and 55<br />
using, as main dish 53<br />
salad dressing<br />
harmful ingredients in bottled 76<br />
ingredients <strong>to</strong> use in 77<br />
making 75<br />
recipes 82<br />
tips 78<br />
salads<br />
Asian Salad 67<br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Beet-Pear-Feta Salad 73<br />
Black Bean and Corn Salad 68<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad 64<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad 147<br />
Craisin Salad 63<br />
Easy Kale Salad 149<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad 66<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad 66<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
recipes, basic 62<br />
recipes, party 63<br />
Red Quinoa Arugula Salad 268<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions 148<br />
Southwest Salad 69<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad 64<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
Taco Salad 177<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Onion-Cucumber Salad 63<br />
Waldorf Salad 67<br />
salsa<br />
Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
Salsa recipe 221<br />
Salsa Verde Dressing recipe 91<br />
Salsa Verde Salad recipe 69<br />
salt<br />
importance of, for body 277<br />
solution (sole), making 279<br />
which <strong>to</strong> use 277<br />
sauces<br />
Almond Cream Sauce 313<br />
Berry Sauce 313<br />
Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 365
Index<br />
sauces (continued)<br />
Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Orange-Almond Pudding with Berry Sauce 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Sauerkraut recipe 242<br />
Sautéed Garlic Spinach recipe 151<br />
Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and Onions recipe 148<br />
Savory Flax Crackers recipe 216<br />
scoby (kombucha), explained 238<br />
seeds<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
cooking with 162<br />
main dish recipes 177<br />
sprouted, recipes 2<strong>12</strong><br />
sprouting, explained 202<br />
sesame oil, Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers recipe 263<br />
sesame seeds<br />
Almond Cherry Cookies 211<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Buckwheat Asparagus Stir Fry 190<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
Halva 319<br />
Kimchi 243<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Nut Milk 286<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
shakes<br />
Chocolate Shake 314<br />
World’s Best Chocolate Shake 320<br />
smoothies<br />
Chocolate Goji Smoothie 315<br />
easiest starter 52<br />
fruitless 52<br />
Hot Pink Breakfast 285<br />
Kefir 286<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
snacks, dehydrated 205<br />
soft drinks<br />
getting off of 29<br />
why bad for you 30<br />
sole, explained 279<br />
sorbet, Fruity Sorbet 314<br />
soups<br />
Carrot-Orange Soup 145<br />
Chipotle Black Bean-Barley Soup 189<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
sour cream<br />
Ranch Dressing 87<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
Sour Cream recipe 237<br />
source material citations, listed 349<br />
sourdough starter<br />
Focaccia Bread 270<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread 269<br />
Pretzels 270<br />
Rye Bread 269<br />
Sourdough <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Bread 270<br />
sourdough vs. commercial yeast 251<br />
Sourdough <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Bread recipe 270<br />
Southwest Quinoa recipe 174<br />
Southwest Salad recipe 69<br />
spelt<br />
explained 253<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
sprouting 202<br />
spelt pasta<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
Pasta and Garlic Greens 146<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
Spiced Carrots recipe 241<br />
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds recipe 2<strong>12</strong><br />
spinach<br />
Chocolate Pudding 318<br />
Dinner Pancakes 152<br />
Easiest Starter Green Smoothie 52<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps 183<br />
Garlic-Greens Mashed Pota<strong>to</strong>es 169<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad 66<br />
nutrition facts 40<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
recipes 151<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Sautéed Garlic Spinach 151<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad 64<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta 117<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es 170<br />
Waldorf Salad 67<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>7<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata recipe 72<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad recipe 64<br />
Splenda, explained 338<br />
split pea flour, Chapati 262<br />
Split Pea Soup recipe 188<br />
split peas<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
Indian Green or Yellow Dahl 196<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
spreads<br />
Hummus Spread 220<br />
Roasted Eggplant Spread 221<br />
spring water, explained 327<br />
sprouted<br />
almond recipes 210<br />
pumpkin seed recipes 2<strong>12</strong><br />
quinoa, Sprouted Quinoa Salad 70<br />
seed recipes 2<strong>12</strong><br />
wheat <strong>to</strong>rtillas, Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
Sprouted Quinoa Salad recipe 70<br />
Sprouted-Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten Free)<br />
recipe 290<br />
Sprouted-Nut Milk recipe 210<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes recipe 289<br />
366 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
sprouting<br />
almond recipes 210<br />
explained 199<br />
foods recommended for 203<br />
grain, nuts, seeds (explained) 202<br />
grains for bread 201<br />
importance of 200<br />
money-saving tips 206<br />
pumpkin seeds, recipes 2<strong>12</strong><br />
seeds, crackers/chips recipes 2<strong>12</strong><br />
sprouts, Everyday Green Salad 62. See also specific sprout<br />
name<br />
square-foot gardening, explained 130<br />
squash<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
recipes 152<br />
Squash Fritters 152<br />
Vanilla Pudding 155<br />
why grow and eat <strong>12</strong>8<br />
Squash Fritters recipe 152<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce recipe 146<br />
stevia, explained 338<br />
Sticky Rice with Peanut Sauce recipe 192<br />
stimulants, getting off of 29<br />
strawberry<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
Spinach-Strawberry Salad 64<br />
Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing 83<br />
Strawberry-Poppy Seed Dressing recipe 83<br />
string beans, Sautéed String Beans with Radishes and<br />
Onions 148<br />
Sucanat, explained 338<br />
sun-dried <strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong><br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Broccoli-Cashew Quinoa 173<br />
Cilantro-Toma<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette 91<br />
Flax/Coconut “Butter” 113<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta 117<br />
sunflower seeds<br />
Amaranth L’Orange 266<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad 64<br />
Debbie’s Manna Bars 219<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers 214<br />
Green Pes<strong>to</strong> Crackers 213<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Nori Nachos 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations recipe 106<br />
sweet pota<strong>to</strong>, Sweet Pota<strong>to</strong> Fries and Variations 106<br />
sweeteners<br />
agave 337<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
aspartame 338<br />
fruc<strong>to</strong>se 338<br />
green smoothies and 39<br />
honey 337<br />
mali<strong>to</strong>l 338<br />
maple syrup 337<br />
molasses 337<br />
NutraSweet 338<br />
Splenda 338<br />
stevia 338<br />
Sucanat 338<br />
which <strong>to</strong> avoid 338<br />
whole-food, explained 337<br />
Xyli<strong>to</strong>l 338<br />
Sweet-Savory Green Beans recipe 148<br />
T<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps recipe 181<br />
Taco Salad recipe 177<br />
tahini<br />
Chocolate Balls 319<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Halva 319<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing 92<br />
Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens 185<br />
Sprouted Hummus Spread 220<br />
Tangy Dill Dressing recipe 85<br />
tarragon<br />
Bleu Cheese Dressing 88<br />
Pota<strong>to</strong>-Artichoke-Asparagus Soup 111<br />
tea, Kombucha 239<br />
tempeh<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
Tempeh Pitas 144<br />
Tempeh Pitas recipe 144<br />
Teriyaki Almonds recipe 210<br />
testimonials<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> 1<br />
green smoothie 47<br />
thistle, Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Three Toppings for Pancakes and Waffles recipe 293<br />
thyme<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies 309<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Beets in Spicy Mustard Sauce 142<br />
Green Lentil Soup 187<br />
Split Pea Soup 188<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio 153<br />
time-saving tips, salad dressing 78<br />
<strong>to</strong>fu, Breakfast Burri<strong>to</strong>s 288<br />
<strong>to</strong>matillo, Salsa Verde Dressing 91<br />
<strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong><br />
Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
Baked Pota<strong>to</strong> Bar 171<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Braised Kale and Toma<strong>to</strong>es 150<br />
Broccoli-Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce 111<br />
Bulgur-Stuffed Sweet Peppers 267<br />
Christmasy Salad 65<br />
Cilantro-Toma<strong>to</strong> Vinaigrette 91<br />
Country Market Stew 185<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Flax-Veggie Crackers 214<br />
Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps 183<br />
Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
Guacamole 222<br />
Lentil Tacos 177<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 367
Index<br />
<strong>to</strong>ma<strong>to</strong> (continued)<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
Nori Nachos 2<strong>12</strong><br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
Russian Borscht 140<br />
Salsa 221<br />
Salsa Verde Salad 69<br />
Savory Flax Crackers 216<br />
Southwest Quinoa 174<br />
Southwest Salad 69<br />
Spinach-Orzo Ensalata 72<br />
Tabbouleh Wraps 181<br />
Taco Salad 177<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta 117<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Onion-Cucumber Salad 63<br />
Vegetarian Chili 186<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
Zucchini Pitas 153<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta recipe 117<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Onion-Cucumber Salad recipe 63<br />
<strong>to</strong>rtillas<br />
Mexicali Wraps 180<br />
Pink Hummus Quesadillas 179<br />
treats<br />
converting recipe <strong>to</strong> nutritious 300<br />
recipes 305<br />
whole food, explained 299<br />
Trocomare, Avocado-Almond Salad 72<br />
turnip<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole 267<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
Turnip Buckwheat Casserole recipe 267<br />
turnip greens<br />
nutrition facts 40<br />
Robyn’s Green Smoothie 51<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup recipe 168<br />
Twice-Baked Green Pota<strong>to</strong>es recipe 170<br />
V<br />
Vanilla Pudding recipe 155<br />
vegetables<br />
alkalizing/acidifying types 330<br />
fermented, recipes 240<br />
fermenting, explained 224<br />
Vegetarian Chili recipe 186<br />
W<br />
waffles<br />
Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
Fruit Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles 292<br />
Quick Raw Applesauce for Waffles/Pancakes 293<br />
Three Toppings for Waffles 293<br />
Waldorf Salad recipe 67<br />
walnut oil, Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad 147<br />
walnuts<br />
Basic Salad Dressing with Variations 82<br />
Cabbage Salad 64<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies 308<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins 307<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
368 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
Cold Green Bean-Walnut Salad 147<br />
Everyday Green Salad 62<br />
Jicama-Coconut-Grapefruit Salad 66<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
Live Granola 294<br />
Orange-Walnut-Gorgonzola Salad 66<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Red Pepper-Rosemary Quinoa 176<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
Waldorf Salad 67<br />
water<br />
alkaline, how <strong>to</strong> get 329<br />
alkaline, when <strong>to</strong> drink 328<br />
alkaline, why drink 328<br />
bottled, problems with 327<br />
distilled, explained 327<br />
drinking, contamination 326<br />
importance of, for body 325<br />
Pi and PiMag, explained 327<br />
reverse osmosis, explained 327<br />
spring and mineral, explained 327<br />
Water Kefir recipe 235<br />
wheat<br />
berries, sprouting 202<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal Mix 287<br />
Sprouted-Wheat Coconut Pancakes 289<br />
sprouting 202<br />
wheat germ<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
Robyn’s Granola 284<br />
whey<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
explained 234<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
High-Protein, Gluten-Free Pancakes 291<br />
Kimchi 243<br />
Pickle Slices 241<br />
Pickled Beets 240<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Sauerkraut 242<br />
Spiced Carrots 241<br />
white bean flour<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
Buttermilk Cornbread 259<br />
Chapati 262<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Biscuits 263<br />
white flour<br />
nutrients lost in 246<br />
replacing with whole grains 245<br />
substituting whole grain for 249<br />
white grape juice concentrate, Fruit Sauce for Waffles/<br />
Pancakes 293<br />
whole grains<br />
listed 248<br />
recipes 259<br />
substituting, for white flour 249<br />
whole wheat<br />
Buttermilk Cornbread 259<br />
glycemic index 163<br />
nutritional info 163<br />
whole-food sweeteners<br />
explained 337<br />
<strong>to</strong> avoid 338<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Index<br />
whole-grain<br />
couscous, <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables 194<br />
flour, replacing white flour with 245<br />
pasta, Greek Olive-Lentil Spaghetti 184<br />
pasta, Pasta with Creamy Sauce and Greens 185<br />
pasta, Pasta with Kale 150<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Couscous with Vegetables recipe 194<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce recipe 1<strong>12</strong><br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Biscuits recipe 263<br />
whole-wheat bread<br />
croû<strong>to</strong>ns, Southwest Salad 69<br />
Lentil-Stuffed Peppers 143<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas recipe 177<br />
whole-wheat flour<br />
Almond Cookies 321<br />
Apricot-Pine Nut Refrigera<strong>to</strong>r Cookies 309<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
Carrot-Coconut-Orange Bars 108<br />
Cherry-Almond Blondies 3<strong>12</strong><br />
Chocolate Beet Cake 305<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies 308<br />
Chocolate Walnut Muffins 307<br />
Chocolate-Coconut Brownies 110<br />
Coconut-Oat Cookies 321<br />
Dinner Pancakes 152<br />
Ethiopian Flatbread 262<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
Flaxseed Cookies 114<br />
German Pancakes 290<br />
Ginger Cookies (Gingerbread) 310<br />
GreenSmoothieGirl’s Oat-Coconut Cookie Mix 321<br />
No-Knead Sourdough Dill Bread 269<br />
Orange-Glaze Donuts 311<br />
Peanut Butter Cookies 309<br />
Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles or Pancakes 292<br />
Quinoa Cookies 308<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
Squash Fritters 152<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Biscuits 263<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Wheat Flax Tortillas 177<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
Zucchini Bread 306<br />
whole-wheat pasta<br />
main dish recipes 177<br />
Pasta and Garlic Greens 146<br />
Pasta with Pes<strong>to</strong> 183<br />
Toma<strong>to</strong>-Basil Pasta 117<br />
<strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce 1<strong>12</strong><br />
whole-wheat pita bread<br />
Falafel Pita Pockets 182<br />
Tempeh Pitas 144<br />
Zucchini Pitas 153<br />
whole-wheat <strong>to</strong>rtillas, Garbanzo-Spinach Wraps 183<br />
Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake recipe 191<br />
wild rice, Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake 191<br />
winter gardening 133<br />
World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream or Shake recipe 320<br />
Y<br />
yeast, commercial vs. sourdough 251<br />
yogurt<br />
Blueberry Flax Muffins 260<br />
Flax Waffles 291<br />
Focaccia Bread 270<br />
High-Protein Grain/Legume Breakfast Cereal 287<br />
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie 285<br />
Polenta 264<br />
Pretzels 270<br />
recipes 236<br />
Sesame Seed Crackers 263<br />
Sourdough <strong>Whole</strong>-Grain Bread 270<br />
Steamed Vegetables with Yogurt-Dill Sauce 146<br />
Turnip-Leek Barley Soup 168<br />
Waldorf Salad 67<br />
Yogurt Curry Dressing 90<br />
Yogurt Curry Dressing recipe 90<br />
young coconut<br />
Butter Pecan Ice Cream 320<br />
Chocolate Goji Smoothie 315<br />
Chocolate Pudding 318<br />
Lemon Chews 318<br />
opening 235<br />
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake 315<br />
Raw Key Lime Pie 316<br />
Z<br />
zucchini<br />
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies 308<br />
Dinner Pancakes 152<br />
Rainbow Salad 154<br />
recipes 152<br />
Squash Fritters 152<br />
Zucchini Bread 306<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio 153<br />
Zucchini Pitas 153<br />
Zucchini Bread recipe 306<br />
Zucchini Carpaccio recipe 153<br />
Zucchini Pitas recipe 153<br />
X<br />
Xyli<strong>to</strong>l, explained 338<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 369
Index<br />
370 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw