René’s Blog

We had a great time on the “Swamp Tromp” learning about the wild edibles of Florida! They are having another tour at Grassy Waters Preserve on Saturday, August 7th if you’d like to go…for more info, go to http://grassywaterspreserve.com or call 561-804-4985.  Click here if the photos don’t come up instantly.  Enjoy!  Please send comments or questions to rene.oswald@att.net

Hi Rene,

Is it true that you have to fry plantains to eat them or can I eat them raw?

Stacy

Hi Stacy,

Plantains are not as sweet as bananas and they are starchier, however they can be eaten raw.  They need to be ripe (as in the photo above) and they will often only ripen if they have started ripening on the tree before they are picked.  That’s the tricky part, since most fruit in the US is picked long before it is ripe.  We’ve been lucky enough to find ripe ones at our local farmer’s market.

If you have any trouble posting your comments or questions here, please email me at rene.oswald@att.net.

I’m on the 27th day of a juice feast and feeling fantastic!  I have done juice feasts in the past, but this is by far the best one I’ve ever experienced.  I am having better results and more energy and I think the reason is the quality of the greens that are available to me this time.  We have been blessed to have an abundant supply of greens (both cultivated and wild edibles) from our backyard.  Thanks to Allan’s hard work in the garden, we have 3 raised beds of greens at the moment and thanks to nature we have an abundance of wild edibles.   We are fortunate to have many Asian greens this year thanks to a good friend and neighbor who shared some of his plants and knowledge with us.  Here are some photos of the amazing greens I’ve been including in my juices:

Rau Moung (also known as water spinach) 

Tia to

Purslane

Sweet Potato Greens (the young leaves are the tastiest)

Pea Greens

Rutubaga Greens

Lambs Quarters

Baby Romaine

Tat Soi

Pig Weed

The comment section doesn’t seem to always function here, so if you’d like to add a comment or question, please email me at rene.oswald@att.net

Have a juicy day,

Rene

Hi Rene,

I am enjoying all the recipes in your “TLC” book.  My health is improving so much, I’m noticing positive changes almost daily and I’m losing about a pound a day!  I have many relatives that are skeptical about my new eating style and I have been invited to a Memorial Day Picnic on Monday.  I was wondering if you have any suggestions on some good recipes that everyone would enjoy.  

Forever grateful to you,

Brenda 

Hi Brenda,

I am so glad that you are enjoying the book and experiencing positive health benefits and weight loss!  Here are some recipes that I would suggest, that are always a hit..

The Mock Potato Salad from page 174

The Fruity Creme Pie from page 207

The Veggie Sushi from page 197 with the Cashew Cheeze Pate from page 51 (video demo #59 at http://reneoswald.com/videos.html )

The Italian Wraps from page 123 (video demo #53 at http://reneoswald.com/videos.html )

Top these with your choice of veggie pates from page 46-52 and topped with your favorite veggies and sprouts!

Spinach pate from page 49 on Italian Wraps with chopped shredded jicama, carrots, red peppers, etc.

The Cauliflower Creation from Video demo # 18 at http://reneoswald.com/videos.html

Kale Chips from Video Demo #10 at http://reneoswald.com/videos.html

The Carob Coconut Truffles from page 100 or the Figgy Coconut Delights from page 102

I hope you have a wonderful Celebration with your family!

Rene

I just made a tasty juice:

1 beet with the greens

6 large leaves of romaine

1 cucumber

3 stalks celery

1 granny smith apple

1/2 lime (peel and seeds removed)

2″ fresh ginger (all organic ingredients)

Check out my latest eBook, “Juice Feasting for Life”!  The most amazing real “Superfood” way to cleanse and rebuild your body! 

If you’ve been juice feasting, please comment below about your experience! 

To your health,

René

Hi Rene,

Just bought the Vita-Mix blender and ordered your cookbook.  One of my first challenges is to make almond milk and strive to get my family to replace cows milk.  In reading wikipedia* how do I differ from regular almonds versus “bitter” almonds as described in the wikipedia note below?   

* ”However, users should be cautious not to use bitter almonds, since the combination of bitter almonds and water releases cyanide^[1].”

Can I assume store bought bags of almonds from Kroger or Publix are the sweet almonds?

Thanks, Lynn

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for the great question!

They are most likely talking about apricot kernels, which resemble and taste like almonds, but are smaller in size, and have a bitter aftertaste.  If an adult eats more than 40 a day or a child eats more than 7-10 a day they can cause adverse reactions and even death.   Apricot kernels (Prunus armeniaca) are a good source of amygdaline. This controversial compound helps prevent cancer. It’s also known as vitamin B17 and laetrile.  Other good sources of B17 are flax seed, blackberries, cranberries, boysenberries, gooseberries, logan berries, currants, buckwheat, millet, chickpea, fava beans and mung beans. 

Back to making almond milk.  In case you weren’t aware, there has been a law in effect in the US since 9-07 requiring the pasteurization of almonds.  Most grocery stores sell pasteurized almonds, but you can find sources of truly raw almonds in some health food stores and websites that import from Italy.  Two sources that currently supply raw almonds are     http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/   and      http://www.livingnutz.com/

To view a video about the Raw Almond Controversy with Seth Leaf from Living Nutz, go to:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eQI4Xk9qQE

Hi Rene,

Our star fruit tree produced hundreds of star ftuit this year.  We’ve given them away to friends and neighbors, but we still have more than we can eat.  What can I do with them?

Becky from Stuart, FL

Hi Becky,

Our tree produced lots for us this year too!  We use them in juices, green smoothies, fruit salads and wrapped in lettuce leaves!  You can also make great Star Fruit Candy by dehydrating them.   

Star Fruit before dehydrating

Star Fruit Candy after dehydrating

Hi Rene,

I love everything about the raw food diet in the summer months, but when it starts getting cold (I live in Illinois) I find it hard to stay on this diet.  Do you have any tips?

Thanks so much,

Marcia

Hi Marcia,

That’s a great question.  Many of you, who live in a cold climate, are asking if there are any tricks to staying on the raw food path when the weather gets cold. 

I used to recommend warming soups made in the high-speed blender by running the blender on high-speed for a few minutes longer until it reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  I now feel that more nutrients are retained by blending for the minimum amount until smooth and then heating to 105 degrees Fahrenheit by placing in a pan or bowl of hot water. 

The attached photo is of the Chai Holiday Smoothie from my ”Living Cuisine for Happy Holidays” eBook http://reneoswald.com/ebooks.html .  This smoothie is delicious when warmed to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. 

When heating soups or sauces that have been refrigerated I store them in a class jar and about 15-30 minutes before serving I place them in a large bowl of hot water.  You may have to change the water once or twice during this time for larger quantities of food.

I have also used a heating pad to warm cold foods by placing the heating pad around the jar of food.

There are many spices that you can use to help provide “heat” to your foods that often help you stay warm.  I use cayenne, chili powder, ginger and white pepper and fresh hot peppers. 

Make warm saloups instead of cold salads.  I have lots of recipes for saloups in the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book.   

Instead of cold green smoothies, make warm energy soups.

For fruit smoothies and green smoothies, use fruit at room temperature instead of using frozen fruit.

Dry skin brushing for 3-4 minutes, followed by an intermittent hot/cool shower is great to improve circulation and also helps remove toxins from the body.  Always brush towards the heart and then take a 10 minute shower, alternating 1 minute of hot water, then 1 minute of cool water 5 times for a total of 10 minutes.  Start with hot water and end with cool water.

Another way to “warm up” is by exercising when you are feeling cold.  There are so many things that you can do in the comfort of your home to get a little exercise in those cold winter months!  Here are a few:

©      Jumping jacks

©      Rebounding

©      Jump roping

©      An abdominal workout

©      Pilates

©      Yoga

©      Strength training with weights or bands

©      Table tennis

You’ll find it only takes a few minutes to “warm up” and you get the benefit of a good workout! 

I hope some of these suggestions have helped you. 

We live in a tropical climate now, but I did live in Upstate NY for 21 years and I do remember how cold it could get and I do “feel your pain”!    

Please post your comments and questions below or email me at rene.oswald@att.net   I love hearing from all of you! 

Stay warm,

Rene

Hello Rene,

With differing health opinions out there, I find it difficult to decide which health choices are best for my family.  However, I do feel blessed I came across the RAW FOOD DIET, even though it has many approaches to learn about.  I don’t know much about raw foods yet & only briefly mentioned a few things to my family.  I don’t know if they’ll ever be open to this lifestyle (& if so, to what degree), but I hope so, I’d like to.  I think it would help us all with our individual illnesses.  We eat cooked & raw food.  For now, I hope we’ll increase our RAW: fruits, veggies (& greens), nuts, seeds, avocadoes & in future, embrace this diet more.

For a long time, I’ve been trying to find out which ‘FAT/OIL’ is best to use for cooking, especially as mum has high cholesterol.  But I’m confused, as different ‘fats/oils’ state they’re the healthiest for COOKING, e.g. extra virgin olive oil, rice bran oil, raw extra virgin coconut oil/coconut butter.

I’VE LEARNED ‘FATS/OILS’ SHOULDN’T BE HEATED.  But, if we’re still going to cook with ‘fats/oils’….. do you know which ‘fat/oil’ is best, even at very high heats (will retain maximum nutrition & be least damaged)?  And Why? 

Regards,

Sara from Australia

Hi Sara,

Thanks for the great question!

The best way to consume fats is in their whole, natural state in the form of olives, coconut, avocado, nuts and seeds.  When eaten in their natural state we don’t tend to overeat fat and we get the added benefit of the whole food with the fiber and other components that are essential to the complete digestion of that food.   When eating concentrated fat in the form of oils we often over-consume.  There are up to 1,375 olives in each liter of olive oil.  This means that it takes 45 olives to make just one ounce of olive oil, which is the minimum amount of oil that the average person eats on a small salad!.  Most people are not aware of how much fat they consume in a day when they are using oil on their foods during cooking and their use of salad dressings.  One of the first things that I do with people when counseling them is to look over their daily consumption of fats in their daily menu.  Most people are shocked when they find out they are eating 40-60% fat in a day.  Our daily fat requirement is 10-20%. 

The best oils are cold-pressed (first pressed), unrefined and best used unheated.  When cooking it’s best to steam, boil, bake or roast your food and sprinkle a small amount of oil on after if you need the added oil. 

Prune puree and ground flax seed are great replacements for the fat in baked recipes.  (See the ‘Healthy Ingredient Substitution Chart’ on pg. 56 of the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book)

To make Prune Puree, combine 8 oz. of prunes with 3/4 cup water in a food processor with S-blade.  Process until smooth.  If a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, substitute with 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 cup prune puree.  May be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month. 

To substitute flaxseed for one large egg in a recipe, whisk 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water and let sit for 5 minutes before using.

If using oil in sauteeing or frying it is important to be aware of the oil’s “Smoke Point”
An oil’s ‘smoke point’ indicates how high the heat can get to before it begins to smoke. When oil smokes, it releases carcinogens and free radicals. For the healthiest approach, discard any oil that has gone beyond its smoke point, and clean the pan.  All oils are not created equal.  As you’ll see from the list below, there are many differences in the ‘smoke points’ of the same oils.  When deciding on an oil it’s best to check what the smoke point is with the manufacturer.  The smoke point can have a 100 degree difference from the same kind of oil, depending on how if is refined.   

Smoke Points of Various Oils

Oils with a high ‘smoke point’ are best for sautéing, frying and other high heat applications.

Avocado 430°F-510°F
Almond 495°F
Apricot Kernel 495°F
Grapeseed Oil  420-485°F

Canola (Super High Heat) 460°F
Safflower (Super High Heat) 450°F-460°F
Sunflower 450°F-460°F
Safflower, High Oleic 445°F-510°F-
Sesame 445°F-445°F

Oils with a medium-high ‘smoke point’ are best for sautéing at medium-high heat or for baking.

Hazelnut Oil  430°F-

Canola 425°F-445°F
Walnut 400°F-
Safflower, High Oleic 390°F
Coconut 350°F-365°F
Soy 360°F-495°F-

Medium heat oils are good for sauces and salad dressings, or for sautéing at medium heat where the oil’s flavor is intended as an integral part of the finished dish.

Sesame 350°F
Peanut 350°F-450°F-
Macadamia Nut Oil  389°F-

Toasted Sesame 350°F
Olive 325°F-445°F-
Corn 320°F-450°F-
Coconut 280°F

Butter  350°F-

Hemp Seed Oil 350°F

 These oils with low ‘smoke points’ have a fragile structure and are best  poured directly onto a finished dish, or blended into a dressing or sauce.

Borage 225°F
Evening Primrose 225°F
Flax Oil 225°F
Wheat Germ 225°F