​So, you’ve decided to eat healthier. Whoohoo! Perhaps you’re starting with cutting out meats for at least two or three times a week. Great job! Now, suddenly people bombard you with questions as though you’ve created the cardinal sin of all sins. After all, you have! You are depriving your body of proteins! Ugh!!

Heaven forbid, child, where will you get your proteins from if you don’t eat meat? Oh my! You horribly ignorant thing, you. You’re not getting any proteins! Hurry, eat this triple-decker beef and bacon samich!

If people could only take two mins and read this post (okay, maybe five mins), they will realize that question about proteins should never ever again enter their brain and part from their lips. That question indicates the person asking knows nothing about the metabolic processes of the body in getting and staying healthy.

First, to back up and answer that protein question, I’ve learned through my training under Keidi Awadu and all his research and books, to ask the person THIS question: “Where does the gorilla get HIS protein from? Where does the elephant get HIS protein? Rhinos, hippos, cows, etc? They all are big strong animals who do NOT eat meat. So I’m getting my protein from the same place they get theirs: plants! I’m just cutting out the middleman, that happens to be very disruptive to the digestive system anyway.”

Our digestive tract and intestines were not created to process meat. Over time, man forced that adaptation, which is why we’re seeing the disastrous health situations today. But, that’s a whole nother topic for a whole nother day.
If people had proper knowledge of proteins–besides what the meat industry must be telling them thru advertisements–they would know that proteins are everywhere! Even in the air we breathe. Yes, you need proteins, but you’re still getting them with a whole, plant-based diet.

But, here’s what people really should be focusing on: enzymes. So, my question to you today is, where are you getting your live enzymes from? Enzymes are the power of life itself. Enzymes are living proteins that, thru biochemical and metabolic processes, can repair our DNA, transform and store our energy, balance and enhance our immune system, and so much more!!

People are destroying enzymes in their food by cooking the life out of it! Then, they’re just wasting their time and MONEY eating lifeless, disease-ridden, chemical-induced substances, full of empty calories with no enzymes. BUT, that substance DOES taste good and satisfies our emotions! This practice over time almost always leads to chronic, inflammatory and degenerative outcomes–it’s just a matter of how soon.

If you are cooking your food, you should be taking enzyme supplements! Period. Or, better yet, save your money from buying all those supplements and just eat foods with the highest amount of live enzyme content: raw foods, super foods, fermented foods, sprouted foods.

Now you’re going to complain that those foods are expensive. Once again, the focus is on the wrong thing. You are literally wasting tons more money eating food that has no nutritional value; having to pay for supplements to give you what your body really needs; and then paying thousands of dollars into the medical and pharmaceutical industry to repair the damage that the “cheaper” food caused. smh. Let that sink in for a moment.

Even pets are now getting chronic diseases at an alarming rate! I grew up with dogs in our household almost my entire childhood. I then had dogs almost my children’s entire childhood. Never did we need pet insurance nor have any pet hospital bills. Only one time in my life did I take any dog of mine to the vet (besides getting shots) and that was when one was stung by a bee on his nose and his poor little face swelled up terribly.

People, we have got to get this disease and obesity problem under control in this country! WE have the power to do it. The knowledge is here as well. Are we ready to combine both that power and knowledge with a paradigm shift (change of mindset) to see immediate positive results?
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Contact me if you’d like more info. Make it a great day!

Love & RAWspect,
Terri, aka, t-RAW
817-896-7679
facebook.com/law-raw

75% of our nation’s healthcare spending is used to treat diseases that are treatable by nutrition.

So, chances are, if you’re having unpleasant experiences dealing with your health insurance costs, services and choices, then Obamacare is not the one to blame, YOU and what you’re eating are to blame. That’s right, food! Why? 

Well, first of all, you are to blame if you’re relying on a broken system to give you what you need in terms of reliable AND affordable care. Did you not know that it’s broken? Well, now you do, so what are you going to do about it? On the other hand, you knew it wasn’t a good functioning concept based on various reasons, yet you engage in it anyway and then just complain about it. Didn’t anyone ever teach you that complaining does nothing to fix a problem; whereas, voicing your concern AND coming to the table with a viable solution WILL go a long way to fix many problems?

Secondly, we all are to blame if we haven’t yet taken the time to learn about, test for ourselves, and hence believe the nutrition experts, who for years have been saying most diseases and illness are treatable via proper nutrition. So, if we’re not part of the solution by getting and keeping our bodies healthy and off pharmaceutical drugs, then we are part of the problem.
​ 
Okay, I’m finishing ranting and will now hop off my soapbox. 

For your viewing enjoyment–and maybe a little encouragement–check out below how Oprah and her staff fair adopting a vegan regimen for a week. 

Love & RAWspect,
Terri, aka, t-RAW

​Where I live on the West Coast, I can enjoy watermelon pretty much year round. However, to enjoy the best, and most sweet tasting watermelons, I must patiently wait until summertime rolls around. Boy, is it a long wait for a watermelon lover such as myself.

As much as I love this wonderfully humongous fruit now, I loved it ten times more when I was younger. When pregnant with both my children (now in their mid twenties), I craved watermelon. I mean, I could and most times did, eat a whole one per day. Thank goodness there are only  0.36g of fats,  0.038g of saturated fats,  0.088g of monounsaturated fats, and  0.119g  of polyunsaturated fats in each cup of watermelon, because I couldn’t stop eating it. It certainly provided me a lot of electrolytes, which my body truly needed. I stayed very ill with both pregnancies, experiencing that “morning sickness” syndrome throughout the entire nine months. With all the vomiting I did (I just had to go there, right?), my body highly welcomed watermelon’s fiber, sodium and potassium–not to mention just the overall hydration–to restore my body to an alkalined state.    

Going back even further in my childhood, I cherish great memories as a small child watching my maternal grandfather, the master of watermelon eating, strategically chew the juicy meat of the fruit on one side of his mouth, while spitting the seeds out on the other.  Naturally, us kids worked hard at imitating him. 

Unfortunately, my grandfather, and millions of other people throughout the generations, had it all wrong about those seeds! For decades, people–me included– have been spitting out the most nutritious part of the watermelon! Gasp! Extracting the seeds became so common that soon fruit growers were genetically modifying watermelons, and a host of other fruits,  like grapes for instance. That’s why it’s so easy to purchase seedless watermelons, while you’re hard pressed to find any with seeds. 

We’ve been duped! We pay big money to purchase this GMO fruit WITHOUT the seeds when in essence, doing so is giving us less for our money (not to mention all the other dangers we read about GMO processing). Have no fear! The information is widely available to us nowadays so we can enjoy the whole fruit and do so to our wildest contentment!

Now, excuse me while I go get a bowl of this wonderful melon for breakfast, as you read below about its many benefits to our hair, skin and overall health… 

Here are 17 benefits that blogger stylecraze gives for watermelon seeds:

1. Your body requires amino acids but there are some essential amino acids such as arginine and lysine which the body cannot produce on its own and these have to be provided from food sources. Watermelon seeds contain some of these essential amino acids such as tryptophan and glutamic acids. Lysine helps in calcium absorption to facilitate formation of collagen and connective tissues in the body whereas arginine improves the body’s metabolism, cardiovascular system and sexual health.

2. Watermelon seeds are good sources of magnesium with 100 grams of seeds providing 139 percent of the recommended daily requirement. Magnesium is vital for normal heart functioning, maintenance of normal blood pressure, supporting metabolic process and protein synthesis. It is also beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension besides controlling blood pressure and diabetes.

3. Watermelon seeds contain lycopene which is good for your face and also helps in improving male fertility.

4. These seeds are excellent sources of multivitamin B and can replace some of the supplements. Vitamin B present in watermelon seeds comprises of niacin, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid. B vitamins are vital for maintaining healthy blood, nervous system and effective immune response.

5. These seeds can be used for treating diabetes. Boil a handful of watermelon seeds in 1 liter water for 45 minutes, keeping the pot covered. This concoction should be taken every day like tea.

6. Watermelon seeds are effective in recovering health after illness and sharpening your memory.

7. Almost half of the watermelon seed contains oil which comprises of 20 percent saturated fat and the rest monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat including omega-6 fatty acids. One cup of dried watermelon seeds contains around 50 grams of fat which constitutes about 80 percent of the daily recommended value. Thus, watermelon seeds are an important source of calories and energy.

8. Protein deficiency is quite common, leading to diseases like marasmus and kwashiorkor in poorer countries of the world. Being high in protein, watermelon seeds can be extremely beneficial in combating protein deficiencies. One cup of dried seeds provides about 30 grams of protein. Protein and its amino acids are vital for growth and repair of muscles, skin and connective tissues as well as for making enzymes. Protein is also required for the maintenance of long and strong nails.

Skin Benefits of Watermelon Seeds:

In addition to their health benefits, watermelon seeds are good for your skin as well.  Being rich in nourishing nutrients such as unsaturated fatty acids like oleic and linoleum acids, watermelon seeds keep your skin healthy and glowing from inside. Some of their benefits for skin are as follows.

9. The unsaturated fatty acids in watermelon seeds keep the skin moisturized, soft, firm, well-toned and prevent acne and other skin disorders.

10. Watermelon seeds prevent signs of ageing because they contain antioxidants and oils which make your skin look younger, healthier and more vibrant. These benefits can be observed by consuming a handful or two of watermelon seeds a week.

11. Water melon seed oil, also known as Ootanga oil or Kalahari oil is extremely beneficial for your skin. Being light in texture, it does not clog skin pores, thus allowing your skin to function naturally and is a great moisturizer. Due to its excellent moisturizing properties, watermelon seed oil is used as an essential ingredient in baby oils.

12. Watermelon seed oil also removes sebum, dirt and grease that build up in your skin pores and are responsible for causing acne and giving a dull appearance to your skin. This oil is suitable for all skin types including dry, oily, acne prone and maturing skin.

13. Watermelon seed extract locks moisture, thus combating the ageing degradation. It also rejuvenates the elasticity of your skin.

14. The wide array of nutrients contained in watermelon seeds protects your skin from certain types of skin cancers and infections as well.

Hair Benefits of Watermelon Seeds:

As stated earlier, watermelon seeds have a high content of protein in them which can keep your hair healthy and shiny. This protein contains certain essential amino acids such as lysine, arginine, tryptophan and glutamic acid which are needed by your body to keep your hair healthy and strong.

15. Roasted watermelon seeds contain copper which is involved in the production of melanin. As you know, melanin is a pigment that provides color to your hair and skin.

16. In addition to its skin benefits, watermelon seed oil can also be used for your tresses. As pointed out earlier, this oil is light in texture that gets absorbed easily without clogging the pores of your scalp. It provides moisturizing benefits and improves hair growth by maintaining hair and scalp health.

17. Watermelon seed oil provides the hair with
essential fatty acids which are needed by your hair to prevent breakage and keep it moisturized.

Here are 10 benefits blogger stylecraze gives for watermelon juice:

1. Keeps the heart healthy:

Watermelon is very rich source of Lycopene which is an antioxidant that helps to defuse ‘free radicals’ that could potentially damage tissues and organs of the body (1).

2. Ideal diet for weight loss:

As it mainly comprises of water and minerals and negligible amount of fats it is best suited for weight loss diet. Being rich in electrolytes and Vitamins it proves to be a complete power packed fruit (2).

3. Stress Buster fruit:

Watermelon is high in vitamin B6 (3) which is used by the body which relieves from fatigue, stress, anxiety etc.

4. Anti-aging agent:

The presence of Lycopene in it is also beneficial for the skin as the antioxidants tend to decrease free radicals from the body and retards the process of aging quite effectively (4).

5. Instant source of energy:

It is an excellent source of instant energy as it contains electrolytes (sodium & potassium), minerals and carbohydrates in it which keeps the body hydrated and energetic (5).

6. Fibre rich fruit:

Being a fibre rich fruit (6) it adds bulk to the food and is very helpful in digestion and the water content is responsible for flushing out the toxins from the body.

7. Perfect fruit for skin problems:

It is very good for the skin and removes excess oil from the skin which cures many skin problems like acne and pimples (7).

8. Natural moisturizer:

It proves to be a natural moisturizer and toner for the face and keeps the skin glowing and well hydrated (8).

[ Read: Best Food For Clear Skin ]

9. Remedies to disease:

It is believed that a glass of watermelon juice everyday will keep diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and colon cancer at a good distance.

10. Maintains Blood Pressure:

As it has good proportion of electrolytes, it keeps the blood pressure on a check and normalizes it efficiently (9).

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Bottom line,  watermelon is a terrific fruit to consume as one of your top choices towards a healthier you. With 0mg of cholesterol, and a makeup of 89% carbohydrates, 7% protein, and 4% fats, it would behoove you to bring it to your and your family’s meals as much as possible. 

Love & RAWspect,
Terri 

Check these publications out for great melon juicing tips and recipes!

Living Superfood Recipes – downloadable version 
​Living Superfood Recipes – print version
26 Tips for Healthier Juicing – downloadable

​Remember last fall when I showed you my first attempt at fruit art? No doubt, it had to be a watermelon. This summer, perhaps I’ll try my hand at it some more and become a more skilled fruit scuplturer. 

Day 28 Nutritional Tip: Need to lose weight? Take organic apple cider vinegar to assist.

​This is a continutation from Day 27’s tip. This is such an important point to make about ACV that I wanted to draw it out from the list of its other many benefits. So here goes:

While straight shots are a popular way to drink ACV — don’t. Because its highly acidic, over time ACV has the potential to do real damage to both the esophagus and tooth enamel. Instead, dilute ACV into water. In general, one to two tablespoons mixed into eight ounces of water is the sweet spot (like you’ll find in this delicious ACV honey drink).

Now that you have the formula down, you need to know exactly when to drink it if you’re looking to reap any weight-loss benefits. Carol S. Johnston, PhD, directs Arizona State University’s nutrition program and has been studying ACV for more than 10 years. Johnston recommends drinking an ACV drink once or twice a day and always right before you eat; you want the ACV to be in your stomach before any food makes it way there.

Johnston told the Washington Post that ACV helps to block some starch digestion whenever you eat. Since less starch (and less calories, essentially) are being digested by the body, the spike in blood sugar is lessened. Adding to this benefit is that the good-for-you bacteria in your gut happily feeds on this undigested starch, which can lead to less bloating and a healthier digestive system. If you drink ACV without food, there won’t be anything for it to work off of, which probably defeats the whole purpose of drinking vinegar in the first place.

Love & RAWspect,
Terri