Hi Joy,
Thank you for your speedy reply.  I do have one other question. We just purchased a Blendtec blender last week and absolutely love it.  I see that it has a juice setting on it, but I know it’s not a traditional juicer, where the pulp (fiber) is discarded. In your juice recipes, will I need to use an actual juicer, one that discards the pulp?  I don’t have one and don’t really want to make that additional investment.  What are your thoughts?
Jennifer

ANSWER:

Jennifer,

No- you don’t need one!  You will see me use the Vita-Mix (different brand of high speed blender) to make the juice each morning in the videos.  You simply strain out the fiber with a fine mesh sieve.  It takes a few extra minutes, but it works beautifully. Even though I have a juicer, I still use my Vita-Mix sometimes when I want the pulp for crackers or other dishes.

I will also clarify WHY you would strain the juice instead of enjoy it as a smoothie.  You can drink the morning beverage as a smoothie if you want, but I like the removal of the fibrous cellulose to ease digestion and give the body a straight shot of the phytonutrients without the extra work of digesting the fiber.  It makes a big nutritional boost in the morning- kind of like a natural vitamin supplement to start your day.  If you choose to drink it as a smoothy you will simply have more fiber.  Again, that is fine, but if there is one thing I am not worried about you getting too little of on the Rocking Body Raw Food Diet, it is fiber!

Either way is fine.  I personally LOVE to start my day with a green juice.  That said, I mix it up and do a green smoothie instead for diversity.  OI also prefer a smoothie when the drink will be my only morning meal, so it will hold me over until lunch.

I hope that clarifies.  Let me know how I can best support you on your adventures in raw!

Eat like your life depends on it.  It does!
Joy Houston

Here is a video that shows you how to make juice without a juicer, using your high speed blender…

Hi Joy,
I don’t really like macadamia nuts and they are very expensive in northern Manitoba. My question is can you substitute them for cashews.
I am really enjoying rocking body raw.
Thanks
Sherry

ANSWER:

Certainly!  Cashews are a fabulous substitution for macadamia nuts.  The have only a slightly more oily texture, so if you ever feel that the recipe could use a bit more oil- simply add a dash of olive oil. Some people also feel that macadamias lend themselves to the mock-cheese flavor better than cashews. I don’t feel this way, but I bump up the “cheesiness” by adding a bit of nutritional yeast to satisfy those who do.

I am thrilled to hear you are enjoying the raw foods on the Rocking Body Raw Food Diet.  Let me know how I can best support you on your raw food adventure.
Joy

Also, does my husband need his own membership, or can we share one?We would start on the same day and do it together. I’m assuming that the recipes are for everyone and aren’t tailored to us in any way. Please advise on that.

I understand how important it is to educate our planet about food and how it affects every facet of our lives. I’ve been on that mission for the last couple of years, so I thank you for putting together such an informative web-site.

Thank you,
Jennife

ANSWER:

Jennifer,
Thank you for your email. You will not need the Juice Plus because you will be making your own juices- and I hope they will be so lovely that you will continue to incorporate juicing long after the cleanse.  You can always add it back in after if you feel the need, but fresh juice with all it’s enzymes intact is a far better choice.  You will learn about enzymes in the course and get more clarity on the power of fresh juices.

You can absolutely share with your husband.  I commend  you both for taking it on together! My husband and I do the cleanse as-is together and it is more than enough food for both of us.  It is designed for two.  So there is no need to double the recipes.

Thank you for finding me and Rocking Body Raw Food.  This way of eating has changed my life and given my husband and me our gorgeous son Maverick.  It is my pleasure to share this with you, but it is always nice to be noticed and acknowledged, so thank you.

Please let me know how I can best support you on your cleanse.

Joy

Answer:
Linn,
Thank you for your question, for purchasing my books, watching The Delicious Revolution You Tube Channel, and for being in the conversation with me here.  I understand how confusing it can be to find reliable information on health and nutrition.

People who advise against putting wheat grass in the Vita-Mix  are not wrong.  They are trying to get you the highest and best nutritional yield.  They usually warn about oxidation and enzyme destruction. While it is true that you would see less enzyme destruction and far less oxidation with a juicer, especially a juicer like the Green Star or Juice Angel, my suggestion is to do the best you can.  If you do not have a juicer, but you do have a Vita-Mix and that is your method for incorporating these highly alkalizing, mineral-rich, detoxifying greens into your diet, then go for it.  Sure the purists have a point, but my concern is that you do the best you can and be happy with what you are doing for your body.

If you are fretting over the way you are getting wheat grass into your diet, that is a negative emotion.  If you choke down a juiced concoction and don’t enjoy it, that lacks the pleasure you might get if you enjoy the smoothies you are making in your Vita-Mix.  This is an ideal example of knowing when to acknowledge yourself for doing “well enough”.  Maybe as you alkalize, as your health changes and your tastes change (no judgment or labels like “better” or “worse”), you may want to invest in a juicer as well and enjoy wheat grass in that form as well.  For now, I am happy to hear that you include it.  It is a gift from nature that helps the body look and feel amazing.  Keep up the greens my friend, no matter how you do it.  Just do it.

Thanks again,
Joy

Dear Jacquelyn,

I am thrilled that you are enjoying the foods. Occasionally, I too find a chunks of veggies in the pulp bucket of my Breville Juice Fountain Elite. Something like the Green Star you have would definitely do a more thorough job. The top dog of juicers – the Juice Angel- would dominate in terms of extracting the juice fully.  That said, for the price, the prep time required for the produce and the ease of clean up, the Breville is a middle of the road option that is so easy to use and clean that I juice a couple (sometimes a few) times a day and enjoy it.  I think it is a great introductory machine. Once you get addicted to the benefits of juicing you can always invest in a machine that offers more in the way of extraction and enzyme preservation.

I do have one tip for you with this Breville model.  I line the pulp container with a nut milk bag and I squeeze out extra liquid by hand whenever I am dealing with very soft fruits, berries, pineapples, even tomatoes.  I sometimes even use the pulp for recipes.  Berrie pulp makes a great addition to my berry sorbet.  Tomato pulp to my flax crackers.   It makes me feel like I am getting the highest and best use out of what I have left over.

Keep me posted on your usage of the Breville and how it compares to your Green Star.  I will do the same if I pick up another juicer.  For now, I will deal with the occasional chunks, squeeze extra juice out by hand, and get creative with pulp from time to time.

Thank you for your question,
Joy

Shonna

ANSWER:
Shonna,
Let’s address your questions one at a time…

First and foremost the fatigue. Yes, that can happen and is normal especially if this is a drastic change in your diet. There are two things I would like to check in about. The first is about the support you are offering your body. You need to be supporting your body’s natural detoxification processes by doing ALL of the things listed in the tips & tricks for success section.

If you feel like you need a boost in the morning try the Maca F.A.C.A. or the Healthy Latte to jump start your day. That said, you shouldn’t NEED something in the addicted-to-coffee sort of way. I am also curious about your morning routine.

For me, when I first transitioned, I think my body was very efficiently working (and maybe detoxing) at night while I slept. Then when I woke up I didn’t start feeling great until I moved around a bunch. I attributed that to the lack of movement of lymph while being so still and sleeping so soundly (which was new for me!). What worked for me was to do a few sun salutations (yoga) and then hop into the shower finishing with the hot/cold rinse. Voila! Happy woman in the morning.

Since your night fatigue is coming at your usual bed time, that seems like a good thing that will help you get plenty of rest. That is obviously not a time when you need to feel ramped up and ready to rock. Unless it is disconcerting to you, it should help you get sound rest.

Pineapple: If you don’t enjoy the taste of pineapple, you can simply substitute with oranges or another citrus that you enjoy.  There are some different digestive enzymes in pineapple that are not in oranges, so you may want to add a bit of papaya to your diet. Pineapple is a unique fruit from the Bromeliaceae family, that is actually a composite of flowers, each distinguishable by the little “eyes” on the pineapple.  They provide impressive support for macular (eye)health, so support your eyes as well with more carrots.

Keep me posted,
Joy

Oh the comments you get on YouTube when you talk about soaking nuts! Don’t teen boys have video games to play?  I’ve limited my videos on the subject to this membership site for the sole purpose of keeping my inbox free of lame comments.  But in case you are skipping through the Rocking Body Raw Food Course and missed the discussion on soaking nuts, here is the deal.  It is as simple as it sounds. You simply put the nuts in a bowl of water so they are fully submersed.  That’s it!  You wait as long as is designated in the recipe, then you rinse them of their soak water by running them under the tap in a strainer.

General guidelines for soaking nuts and seeds on the raw food diet

.

Forget to soak your nuts? Here are a few quick-fix options when you forgot to soak and you want the fats & protein from nuts or seeds.

Got milk?: When you are out of nut milk and you have no soaked nuts, blend water, almond butter, vanilla and a couple of dates or a dash of maple  for a quick milk.  No need to strain the milk through a nut milk bag because the nut butter is so much smoother.  Less mess, less time.  It is not as smooth as the proper method, but it is totally delicious.

Speed Soak: if you want a quick nut pate and you have not soaked nuts, use raw sunflower seeds or “speed soaked” pecans or walnuts.  Speed soaking is my uber-quick fix.  Here is how you do it. Soak pecans or walnuts in luke warm water for ten minutes.  Strain them, rinse them and soak them again with fresh warm water.  They plump up quickly in the second round of fresh water.

Soaked nuts and can’t use them right away?
If you can’t use the nuts that you have soaked when their soak time is done, do not fret!  Simply put them in the fridge and use them when you are ready.  If  you have soaked nuts and you don’t know when you will have time to get to them, consider dehydrating them.  Here are the guidelines I suggest.

• If you can prepare them within the next 36 hours, they will keep – no problem.  You simply need to be sure they are well drained, not sitting in any soak water.  Store them in a glass container with a lid.  Proceed with your recipe when  you are ready.
• If  you soak nuts and won’t get around to preparing them today or tomorrow, dehydrate them.  Pick a flavor that appeals to you and make a little marinade about two tablespoons per cup of soaked nuts. For example, a mixture of maple, cayenne and salt makes a delicious flavoring for soaked pecans.  Toss them in the mixture.  Place them on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate them until they are crunchy.  YUM!  Once dehydrated, they will keep in an airtight container on the counter for at least a week, but good luck keeping them around at all! They are so delicious and make an easy to-go snack or topping for salads.  The cayenne, maple pecans go fabulously well with a honey mustard dressing on dark greens.

The only point of restricting access at all is to ensure the video hosting bill doesn’t get out of control on my end!  Please relax about the time restriction.  If for some reason life throws you curve balls that get you off track and you need more time, I’ll happily extend your access. Don’t stress about that.  ENJOY it, go as slow as you need to and keep in touch with me about any support you might need- extended time or otherwise! This raw food course only works if you LEARN the methods.  I am here to ensure that is the case.  The contact button is easy to find and I generally reply within 24 hours.

How does The Delicious Revolution Cookbook compare to the Rocking Body Raw Food Diet?

Rocking Body Raw Food is ALL raw food. It is meant to give you lessons in raw food and show you a pattern of preparing foods so that you don’t get overwhelmed with preparations, but still have some of the dishes that mock foods you might miss. Because it contains mock meats, mock cheeses, and crackers – it is great for beginners because these things fill you up and keep you from bouncing back and forth between whole, raw foods and your local pizza joint.  Once you ween yourself from all the processed sugars, fats and flours you will find that you won’t need to rely on mock foods as much.  Your taste buds renew (because they only live ten days) and your system balances out.  Once that happens you will find green drinks, salads, and the lighter dishes are fully satisfying.

If you plan to go raw for two weeks and then stick with a raw or high raw diet, Rocking body Raw Food is the best video course you can find because it not only teaches you the foods for the two week diet, it also walks you through variations and encourages you to note the ratios rather than the recipes. That means you will be empowered to make endless variations of the recipes once you understand the ratios in the recipes.

The Delicious Revolution Cookbook is meant to be a gateway to healthy eating.  The premise of the Delicious Revolution Cookbook is that most people will continue to eat meat, cheese, and some processed foods. My goal with that book is encourage readers to comprise their meals of half or more veggies & fruits, giving their bodies the phytonutrients, fiber, and live enzymes to make digestion easier and to offset any cholesterol and cooked food toxins they are consuming.

To share with you how I personally use the two, I eat raw food most of the time, but when my family wants “the other stuff”, I use recipes from The Delicious Revolution Cookbook as a compromise.