Ann Wigmore was a pioneer of the raw and living foods movement, and helped thousands of people regain their health with the Hippocrates Health Institute program which she founded.

I was rereading one of her books today “Be Your Own Doctor. A positive guide to natural living” and I came across these gems of wisdom:

“Disease stems from deficiencies and a lack of understanding of Mother Nature’s laws of health, plus the unwillingness to accept the obligation to keep the precious temple – the body – in order. This is accomplished by keeping it clean and well-nourished. And, of course, providing necessary aids such as rest, relaxation, positive thinking and plenty of exercise through hard work.”

“We fail to learn how to think for ourselves and to take care of our bodies properly by asking for the guidance which is always there for us to utilize instantly and which will amply provide for our individual needs. Our bodies definitely let us know whether or not we are treating them right or wrong.”

“Since most health problems result from deficiencies, the vital need is nourishment and that nourishment has to be unprocessed and uncooked, and in addition grown in organic earth.”

“We know that no known disease can penetrate the strength of a healthy body. A low protein, low starch, low fat and high enzyme, high vitamin, highly alkaline and high mineral diet is the key.  Anyone can restore health by way of detoxification and rebuilding healthy cells so that the body can heal itself.  Sickness is only a failure to understand the balance of the body, mind, and spirit, which creates well-being.”

“Hippocrates theorized that it was necessary to first remove the cause of bodily upset and then to provide Nature with the proper tools to repair the damage. These tools included a semi-fast to cleanse the bloodstream, food to bring live nourishment to the cells, moist heat and massage to relax the muscles, clean air to bring oxygen to the lungs, exercise to stimulate the circulation, fresh water to lubricate the body tissues, and dismissal of all fear to permit real relaxation.”

Ann Wigmore wrote several books on health and healing, and they are full of genuine, down to earth information that is of benefit to anyone looking at incorporating more raw foods into their diet. 

The Raw food lifestyle has become very “trendy” and Ann’s books certainly don’t fit in that category - but if you are after the real deal, then you can’t go past this legend of the greens!

One of the most common dairy foods that a lot of people like to eat is yoghurt. Even if they have eliminated a lot of dairy from their diet in the way of milk, cheese and ice-cream - yoghurt still has the perception of being a “health” food.

If you are sensitive to dairy then it doesn’t make sense to eat it, and with most yoghurt’s being made from pasteurised milk, with sugar, colours and flavours added, it is far from being “healthy”. There is often little to no good bacteria to speak of in many common supermarket yoghurts, in direct contrast to their marketing pitch.

Just recently I found out how to make a superb alternative to yoghurt that took about 1 minute in my blender - and is so healthy you can eat as much of it as you like!

There were three ingredients in my fruit “yoghurt” and that was paw paw, banana and handful of frozen raspberries, with a small amount of water so that it blended together into a creamy mousse like texture.

I poured mine over some strawberries and it was absolutely delightful!

Of course this type of yoghurt is not fermented and doesn’t contain any good bacteria - so we would need to look to other fermented products for that - such as sauerkraut or non-dairy kefir - but more about those another day!

Here is a great article from the Food Matters newsletter:

“Why superfoods?

Superfoods are a category of foods found in nature, they are superior sources of essential nutrients - nutrients we need but can’t make ourselves. We all may be adding more salads and vegetables to our diets, but concern for the quality of foods grown on mineral depleted soils makes superfoods popular.

They are nutritionally more potent then regular foods and are wonderful food sources of anti-oxidants for healthy healing. Superfoods are nutrient dense and calorie sparse.

Superfoods can be divided into 5 main groups:

Green Superfoods
Bees Superfoods
Seaweed Superfoods
Herb Superfoods
Fruit and Nut Superfoods”

Superfoods are a very important part of any diet, raw or otherwise. To find out more and to continue reading about the numerous benefits of these different types of superfoods you can go to the full article here: 

http://www.foodmatters.tv/superfoods.html#Green

I am very happy to be announcing the launch of my fantastic health retreat experience, the Embracing Life!
Six Day Detox, Healing and Renewal Retreat.  My passion in life is to spend time with people dedicated to
learning about health and healing, and there is nothing better that doing that with a group of like-minded people in a beautiful luxury setting.
 
You can read more about this exceptional retreat experience below, and you will find more detailed information, and how to book in for the retreat, at my website: www.EmbracingHealth.com.au/retreat
 
The first of these retreats is being held on the Sunshine Coast of QLD in September, and if you are quick, there is an early-bird special for 6 lucky people who book and pay for the retreat in July.

I’ve put the retreat blurb below for you to have a bit of a read of - and you can also register your interest to have a retreat held in your area at the website.  I look forward to many of you joining me for a great week of detoxing, fun, relaxation, laughter and fantastic food!

Leisa Wheeler, founder of Embracing Health, is proud to announce the creation of a fresh, innovative style of luxury health retreat.  Departing from the rigid ways of “right” and “wrong” that have pervaded the older mind-sets of healing, Leisa has brought to life a new approach to the concept of a healing retreat - designing a program that empowers participants with knowledge that opens them to a higher awareness of what healing really means.

Not bound by any one strict doctrine, Leisa has woven together the best of the natural medicine world, blending the fields of detoxification, the secrets of superfoods,  the art of raw vegan gourmet cuisine, and the healing power of whole foods, into a delightful six day living experience of food as medicine.

Healing with whole food is only one part of the Embracing Life! Retreat, where as much emphasis is placed on feeding the mind,  understanding the emotions, and nurturing the soul, as in supporting the body.

Daily lectures on a range of health subjects cut through the confusion; yoga and meditative walks centre the mind; healing massage soothes the body; discussions on the role of emotional healing provides sustenance for the soul; and plenty of personal time gives you the space to really rest…

With dedicated attention to every detail of your six day renewal retreat, you will find the information, the luxury settings in exclusive boutique resorts around Australia, the food, the support, the whole experience – will surpass every expectation you ever had about what a week in a healing space should be.

You deserve to take some time out, to experience the divine combination of pampering, detoxification, education, rest and inspiration that a week with Leisa and her team will bring.

We look forward to seeing you there…

I regularly receive a newsletter from Matt Monarch, raw food guru, and in his latest e-mail he links to a great radio show, “Vitality” on Tribeca Radio.

He was interviewed by the hosts of the show, about raw foods, cleansing and his spiritual experiences with the raw diet - it’s great to hear about other people’s experiences and philosophies.

The radio show also has some other great interviews with people such as David Wolfe and Fred Bisci with links to many more programs on health and wellness.

Check it out here!