Good News (And A Long Awaited Update!)

So the good news is....I got into the graduate program in nutrition at Hunter College! I will be starting this fall at the brand new public health campus in East Harlem (a 2 hour trek from my house, but the facilities will be greatly improved). I am currently taking a nutrition 101 level course at Hunter in Manhattan this summer. It's the last prerequisite course I need for the masters program, but most of the information is review for me, so I have an A+ at the moment.

The bad news is...well there really is none, aside from the fact that I haven't updated in 2 months! I was busy studying for finals in May, and I just got back from an 11-day trip to London with my boyfriend a few weeks ago. The trip was great: we saw more sights than humanely possible in 11 days, took thousands of photos (which I have yet to upload to Picasa), and tried some amazing vegan food. We initially had trouble locating places to eat in the "most vegan-friendly city in the world," but once we learned our way around we found some really great vegan and raw cuisine restaurants.

The incredible raw food we tried in London as well as the abundance of fresh veggies I've been getting from my CSA and garden this spring have inspired me to add more raw/living foods to my diet as well. I recently read Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet and became interested in her healthy and positive way of eating and living. Kris Carr is only in her 30's but has survived cancer by trading her standard American diet for a high-raw vegan lifestyle, complete with green juices, yoga, and meditation. Her book is written for everyone, not just for cancer patients, and it discusses a lifestyle, not a "diet." Here are some of the things I've been reading and trying since discovering the Crazy Sexy Diet:

• Juicing - I got hooked on juices at the new Organic Corner health market and juice bar; I bought my own Breville juicer for a great price on Craigslist; I also read The Wheatgrass Book by the "the mother of living foods," Ann Wigmore. 
• Sprouting - I bought an Easy Sprout Sprouter and have been watching instructional videos on Sprout People to learn how to sprout different grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. I have tried lentils, sunflower seeds, and walnuts with great success using my new sprouter. 
• Raw/Living Foods - I was always turned off to raw foods because of the expensive equipment needed to prep the food (VitaMix blenders, powerful food processors, dehydrators, spiralizers, etc.). I recently ordered Jennifer Cornbleet's cookbook Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People, and the only equipment required is a basic food processor and blender. I have been able to make some really great recipes so far using only my mom's ancient La Machine and my Tribest blender. Since no cooking is involved, I have been able to prepare meals faster as well. 

Aged cashew cheese with flax crackers 

from Saf restaurant in London

Raw nachos with guacamole, salsa, and hummus 

and a root veggie and goji berry salad with lemon and maca dressing 

from Inspiral Lounge in London

My raw marinated cremini mushrooms 

stuffed with a sunflower seed and sundried tomato herb pate

I will elaborate on all of these things in future posts, because there are so many health benefits of juicing, sprouting, and raw foods. I am still including cooked foods in my diet though, because they have their nutritional benefits as well!