The health benefits that I’ll talk about here are only for the Organic, Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar. The brownish stuff that floats in it is called the "Mother," which is well-named as it nourishes the whole bottle of vinegar. We don’t consume any other variety, only the one with the "Mother."

Health Benefits

From the Mother to the Father … The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, used this type of vinegar around 400 B.C. for its health-giving qualities. Apparently he used only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh ripe apples that are fermented. The vinegar contains vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, and iron.

Pectin in the vinegar is a fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol and helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar. This vinegar helps extract calcium from whole, uncooked plant foods — the only way that the body can assimilate calcium to maintain strong bones is from nutrients in foods.

Apple cider vinegar is loaded with potassium, which is needed to strengthen hair, finger nails, teeth, and sinuses. In addition, potassium in this vinegar helps to eliminate toxic waste from the body. Beta-carotene helps to reverse damage caused by free radicals, helping you to maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance.

For fat loss, Apple cider vinegar helps to break down fat which helps in natural weight reduction. It also serves as a mild appetite suppressant.

Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid, which fights fungal and bacterial infections. This acid dissolves uric acid deposits that form around joints, so that it can more easily be eliminated from the body, resulting in relief of joint pain.

Many people report that apple cider vinegar helps in conditions such as constipation, headaches, arthritis, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, obesity, along with many other ailments.

Get Your Daily Apple in Cider Vinegar

Again, I want to remind you to consume only the natural, organic, unfiltered variety of apple cider vinegar. Clear vinegar (white or amber) is over processed, yielding no health benefits.

Some like to drink it diluted, first thing in the morning. One method is to mix two tablespoons each of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of warm or room temperature water. (Personally, I prefer it without honey.) This helps the bowels to move, an especially helpful remedy if you are constipated or have a tendency to be constipated. You will feel more energetic and less cranky. Your skin will radiate and look more youthful.

Salads, of course, are a traditional way to enjoy the benefits of apple cider vinegar. You don’t need any oil, just pour this tangy tasting liquid over your leaves. Add herbs if you want, but the vinegar alone adds plenty of taste and nutrition.

Enjoy an apple cider vinegar cocktail before meals. This is non-alcoholic, of course. Just water and apple cider vinegar: 1-6 teaspoons in a glass of water. You can put it in a wine glass and sip it or in a tumbler and drink it down. It aids in digestion and produces a slight alkaline effect on the body.

Topical Applications

Apple Cider Vinegar is also wonderful for the skin. I keep a small spray bottle of ACV in the bathroom. I spray it on a cotton ball and rub it on my face and spray it directly on my hair. Be certain not to get it in your eyes; even the fumes can sting your eyes.

Many people report that gray hair returns to natural color, attributed to both internal and topical use.

Remember, get it organic, unfiltered, "mother" laced, nutrition filled, and healthful — apple cider vinegar.

The Skinny on Your Skin

Your whole body is covered with it. On average for an adult, it covers about 3000 square inches and weighs about 6 pounds.

It grows as you grow. It contracts as you get slim. It regenerates and repairs itself after most injuries to it.

Your skin is an important organ for releasing toxins from the body, through what many people prefer not to talk about — sweat. The skin also absorbs substances directly — topical remedies, environmental toxins, components of the water you soak in.

Your skin protects vital organs, aids in regulating body temperature, and gives you information through touch or sensations.

People spend thousands of dollars on skin preparations  to make their skin look a certain way, for example, younger or more radiant. Many of these products introduce chemicals into the body. Healthy facial products are also available for sale.

Raw Foods on Your Skin

Many health food advocates know the value of placing certain organic raw or living foods directly on the skin. Avocado, coconut oil, raw honey, aloe vera, raw apple cider vinegar, are among the popular favorites.

Cucumber slices soothe the eyes when you close your eyes, lie down, and put slices on your eyes. Raw honey soothes burns and heals abrasions. Raw apple cider vinegar acts as an astringent and fast facial cleanser.

We use a lot of aloe vera, directly from the plant leaf. We cut pieces for smoothies, raw soups, and salad dressings and then rub the rest on our faces. Topical application of aloe vera takes the discomfort and discoloration from a bruise.

Eating Raw Foods for Your Skin

When you start to eat raw foods after a long time of eating highly processed foods, you can have a healing reaction that shows on your skin. Acne, rashes, or other conditions can show that you are releasing toxins. When all your other releasing organs are working at maximum capacity, this is minor or non existent.

When your body is finished with its cleansing, though, you will see changes in the texture, tone, and vitality of your skin. Your skin will radiate. It will be well worth the discomfort (which you may not even experience).

Organic, living, raw foods provide you with the vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and amino acids your body needs for your skin. Raw foods are filled with water, so that you add moisture to your skin, from the inside out.

When your systems and organs are fed the nutrition they need to function properly, your skin advertises your health. When you get your nutrients and moisture from foods like leafy greens and apples and sprouts, you will know the real meaning of phrases like "inner beauty" and "inner glow."

When your body and skin are getting their nutrition with organic, raw, living foods, you’ll look and feel your best, naturally. Show the world your health with the glow of your skin!

The short best answer is: It depends.

Expanding on that answer a little : Yes, it’s likely, but everyone is different. Besides the differences in individuals, there are many other variables: what you were eating before, how quickly you make the transition, what foods are in your raw diet, what you’re doing to moderate the detoxification symptoms.

Common Detox Symptoms and How to Think About Them

Not everyone has all or any of these symptoms. Here are some, just to give you an idea: (1) headaches, (2) grogginess, (3) fatigue and/or sleepiness, (4) sleep problems, (5) cravings for the familiar foods, (6) releasing from the releasing organs, such as runny nose, coughing, shift in bowel function, (7) increase in aches and pains, especially old injuries or conditions, (8) stress or irritability, (9) and others.

I name these to give you a broad perspective, and to more easily say this … when you notice symptoms such as this, think of them as part of the "healing" and not as a "sickness."

If think of yourself as sick, you might be inclined to reach for some over-the-counter remedy to lessen the symptoms, or stop the raw food eating. The symptoms are uncomfortable, for sure, but there are healthier ways to deal with them, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

If you think of yourself as now providing the nutrients to clear your system of toxins, you are well on your way to optimal health. With a perspective such as this, you are more like to reach for truly healthy ways to moderate the symptoms and stick to the raw food eating.

Transition May be the Key for You

I speak about transitioning gradually in Eating Raw: Must it be 100%? This one strategy alone can make a difference for many people. As you add more organic, fresh, uncooked food to every meal, you will likely have fewer detoxifying symptoms.

The transition can continue for many months until you reach a high percentage of raw, living foods, maybe even to 100%. Not many people achieve that, as it’s not easy socially. But you can still experience enormous health benefits at a lower percentage, and you are likely to have fewer or less intense detox symptoms if you take your time.

Your Pre-Raw Food Eating and Purpose for Eating Raw

Some people decide to adopt a raw food or mostly raw food eating plan for general well being; others for specific health conditions, especially losing weight. A raw food diet plan is a way to release unwanted pounds. The excess pounds are filled with toxins. When you get rid of toxins and waste from the body, you lose weight.

I write more about Losing Weight with Raw Foods, in answer to another reader’s question.

Many other conditions — related to excess weight or not — occur because of the body’s toxicity level. So if your purpose is to release the toxins or to lessen the negative impact of the specific condition, you must be prepared for some toxic release.

When you understand that you are purifying your body, the discomfort can be easier to endure. You might even be able to say (happily!), oh, goody, it’s working!

You want to feel better on the inside and look better on the outside. A raw food eating style can do that for you, over time.

Moderating the Discomfort of Detox

• Simplify Your Meals. For example, combine similar or compatible foods at one meal.
• Eat More Greens. Greens — especially when broken down in a high-speed blender — carry off the toxins more quickly and efficiently.
• Minimize Fruit. Fruit is an acceptable food for a raw foodist; however, by its nature, it’s a cleansing food. If you’re detoxifying too fast, reducing fruit may slow it down.
• Do Not Combine Fruit with Other Foods. Certain food combinations can be distressful to the digestive system, and be counter productive to the detoxification you want. However, apples, cucumbers, and lemons usually combine well with non-fruit foods.
• Drink Lots of Good Water. When you’re on a 100% raw food eating plan, you may find you need less water (because the foods contain water). However, if you’re still consuming or detoxifying from processed foods, drink plenty of water. The prevailing formula is: take your body weight in pounds, divide by 2, and drink that many ounces.
• Eat Small Meals. Eating very small meals is much easier on your system. Many raw foodists eat 5 smaller meals rather than 3 larger ones.
• Balance Rest and Exercise. Exercise is important, and so is rest. That’s true anytime, but especially when you’re detoxifying. Meditation is also powerful.

A Nice Blended Raw Meal

Here’s a wonderful raw meal you can prepare quickly to reduce the detoxifying symptoms. In any blender, add some water (1/2 cup – 2 cups depending on desired liquidity) and then add:

1 head dark red and green lettuce
5- 10 leaves of dark leafy green vegetables (examples include kale, spinach, collards, dandelion greens)
1-2 celery stalks
1 whole lemon, juiced with at least some of the rind
2 apples, cored (optional)

Blend until it is as smooth as possible and enjoy this healthy concoction!

(P.S. Thanks, Ray, for your question.)

Inflammation is a NATURAL response of the body to protect itself (and its parts) against harmful stimuli. The inflammation is like a cushion or protective shield that allows the impacted part of the body to heal.

BUT — and this is a BIG BUT — when the body contains too much inflammation over long periods of time, many different symptoms and dysfunctions can occur. As with many dynamics in life, a good thing is a good thing in the proper amount. Too much is no longer a good thing.

On David Wolfe’s pod cast, he talks about the foods that are most likely to increase the inflammation in your body: for example, foods you’re allergic to and foods high in protein.

Just as important to know are foods that are anti-inflammatory, for example, sulfur-containing foods, aloe vera, whole fresh noni.

But, don’t take my word for it. Please listen to his podcast directly, as he says more. In only THREE minutes he gives enough information to help you to change the amount of inflammation in your body just by adjusting your food intake.

Transition Gradually

For someone new to exploring a raw food lifestyle, just “adding more raw foods” is a great strategy. Later you can decide percentage, but “more” will make a difference in your life, especially if you add “more” on a regular basis.

And speaking of more … the more nutrients you consume, the less food you need. Raw organic plant foods have more nutrients than cooked foods.

It is not necessary to eat 100% raw to benefit from raw foods. Often a little shift will be easier to maintain. For example, if you are eating cooked jams/jelly with sugar, change to whole berries without any added sweetener. If you use sugar in your coffee or tea, substitute stevia.

Organically grown plant foods taste better than those treated with pesticides, so avoid conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. Instead of regular packaged crackers, look for raw, organic flax seed crackers. Simple adjustments like these are easier to make than strict rules that make you feel like a failure when you can’t or don’t follow the rules.

Drink the best water available to you and you will have less of a craving for bottled juices or soda or milk. Want a little flavoring in your water? Add some fresh lemon or cayenne pepper or cinnamon. If you want a sweet drink, select some of your favorite fruits, prepare for eating, put in blender with some water, blend and enjoy.

Honor Your Preferences

Your own habits and preferences are important. If you like the idea of a raw food eating style, honor your preferences, take your time, and transition slowly.

As you are discovering the proper percentage for you, ask yourself this question repeatedly: how does this taste to me? As you regularly have more raw foods in your meals, your tastes will change. Likely you will find that raw foods become more delicious and cooked foods become less delicious. Or perhaps, you will find that everything you choose is tasty and perfect for you.

Remember: if after one bite the food does not taste good, stop eating! If it tastes good at first and you continue to eat and it begins to not taste good, stop eating! Let your feelings and taste guide you.

Meal times are often social times for most people. You may find that by deciding to eat raw foods at home and cooked foods when you are with friends or on a business trip that you find the right balance for you.

Find Your Way

Experiment. Read. Ask questions. Find your own way. Be gentle with yourself. Enjoy the process. Keep a positive attitude. When you decide that your own well being is the priority, you will find the right balance or percentage.

What is the best percentage of raw for you? The one you can maintain!

Aloe Vera is widely known as a healing substance, or the medicine plant. My family has grown it for many years, on a window sill in our pre-California days, and now outside.

Aloe Vera is part of the lily family rather than a cactus, although nursery salespeople usually just refer to it as a succulent. Aloe is a very large species of plants, and not all Aloe are Aloe Vera.

It is raw healing at its best, internally and topically.

The Aloe Plant and Leaves

About a year ago, I became curious about the large Aloe Vera leaves from SunFood.com. I initially ordered them because I didn’t like the butchered look of my Aloe plants in my yard. For the occasional cut or burn, a severed Aloe leaf was acceptable; multiple cut leaves required for greater consumption create a truly unaesthetic look.

I had quite a visceral reaction when I opened the first package of these large leaves. "Wow, they are alive!" I don’t know how else to describe my reaction. I almost expected them to wiggle off the paper. (They didn’t.)

The plants these leaves come from are much larger than the typical household or backyard plant. The grower breaks or cuts off the whole leaf from the base of the plant rather than cutting into the leaf.

Eating the Fresh, Raw Aloe

Regularly, we use a slice of a leaf — gel only — in our smoothies, raw soups, salad dressings, and assorted savory and sweet dishes.  Aloe is a nice semi-liquid with a slightly tart taste. Sometimes it seems bitter; other times it seems sour.

Aloe is great in a pesto. I fillet a chunk, put it in a small glass container with some Celtic sea salt while I prepare all the other ingredients. The Celtic sea salt helps to "liquefy" or "activate" the aloe.    

Once I tried putting Aloe through the juicer for a green drink. That was not very satisfactory because of its gelatinous texture. However, the "salt trick" works well, so that I add the liquefied Aloe to the prepared green drink. The blender loves Aloe Vera.

Fresh, raw Aloe Vera supports the immune system, digestion, and liver. It is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. It seems to enhance the nutrients when combined with other superfoods, as well.

Using Now and Freezing Aloe Vera for Later Use

When we purchase the large leaves, we refrigerate all but one leaf. We use one at a time by slicing a chunk and filleting it as we need it. We either eat it fresh or freeze it within two days, three at the most. Often we use 2-4 chunks fresh and freeze one chunk, as that is usually the proper ratio to use the whole leaf in two days.

When freezing it, we cut it in serving-size pieces and freeze each piece in a small plastic bag or wrap. Once frozen, we place all the pieces in a larger freezer bag for easy grabbing.

Freezing Aloe Vera breaks down the fibers somewhat so that it blends even better in combinations. I think it’s also a little sweeter. Likely, the freezing reduces nutritional value somewhat.

When we’ve consumed the fresh supply, we start using the frozen bits.

If we have lots of company or extraordinary needs for the Aloe Vera, we skip the freezing for that leaf. Somehow, it all works more easily than it sounds.

Topical Applications for Fresh, Raw Aloe

To complete and go beyond the culinary experience, we end with the best skin treatment ever. We rub the inside of the green outer part on our skin and hair.

Several years ago, I acquired a wicked bruise and found that the Aloe Vera greatly reduced the discoloration and accelerated the healing. For that, I used — and learned for the first time — the Celtic sea salt trick. Using Celtic salt on Aloe Vera and applying both to a bruise were suggestions from my Latina housekeeper whose father used to grow Aloe Vera to mend and repair his active children.

Other Thoughts and Tips

Most of the bottled Aloe Vera products are likely to be processed in some way to stabilize and standardize the Aloe Vera gel. Read labels carefully so that you are confident of the contents. I’ve never seen fresh Aloe Vera in airports or hotels, so I have to find alternatives from time to time.

If you work with the larger leaves and make a cut without finishing the whole leaf, place a little piece of paper towel on the cut. This serves the same purpose as when a man cuts himself shaving and puts a piece of tissue on the cut.

After my experiences with the large Aloe Vera leaves, we now separate the outer leafs of our own plants and use the whole, smaller leaf right away. The plant loves this approach because it’s sustainable gardening. And no more butchered Aloe Vera plants!

There are no poisonous aspects to warn you about for the grand Aloe Vera medicine. This sturdy plant comes in many varieties and shapes and sizes. Remember, if you are purchasing, be certain it is Aloe Vera and not just any Aloe plant. Water it, but let it go dry thoroughly before watering again.

If you’ve had experiences with this plant treasure, please share it by adding a comment below.

David Wolfe has prepared several videos to introduce you to his Longevity Now Program. The introductory videos, of course, are free. If you access any of these videos from the respective link, you’ll also have access to the others.

Food and Money

I’ve seen how powerfully a change in food choices can change a person’s outlook on life. With a new perspective, all aspects of life change.

Some people are focused so strongly on not having enough money, which, of course, attracts more of not enough money. When trapped in negative thinking, it’s often a good idea to change the subject to another one.

Some people also have some rather negative relationships with food. "I can’t eat this." Or, "I shouldn’t eat that." Again, changing the subject to something more pleasant can be helpful.

Better yet, create ways to think and speak about positive aspects of food and money.

Both money and food are subjects you’re likely to be faced with every day — in fact, many times a day. When you find ways to think and speak positively about each, you experience a more satisfying relationship with both.

As I said in My Raw Food Story, I found enormous inspiration in studying about raw food cuisine when I chose to make a change in my food consumption. In fact, I had been a rather healthy eater before my illness, and didn’t attribute my illness to food choices. But the focus on eating healthy, living, raw, and interesting meals gave me a positive focus and direction.

David Wolfe’s perspective is very powerful, and based on far more research than my own. I encourage you to watch Foods that Attract Money.

Changing Habits Requires Discipline

The easiest thing to do today is what you did yesterday. Habits simplify life. However, when the actions that form the habits are destruction, you owe it to yourself to change the habits. This requires discipline.

Discipline involves consistent action that strengthens or empowers you. How will YOU stay healthy, stand strong, and still have fun along the way? Discipline creates freedom when you approach it to the proper mindset.

David Wolfe says, "Health is simple; illness is complex." Absolutely.

You can reach all your health and financial goals and achieve maximum healthy longevity without forcing yourself to do anything you don’t want to do!

Make positive choices.

Check out David’s Discipline Video.

Longevity Now Program

These videos introduce you to the Longevity Now Program that teaches you step-by-step how to achieve stunning longevity, beauty, vitality, and prosperity… all through tiny, effortless, fun-filled steps.

The videos are free, with valuable information. They lead you to the Program with a price tag. It’s a reasonable price, IF you listen to and apply the principles and techniques. You will change not only your food, but your health, and your prosperity.

It’s your choice. I encourage you to at least watch the videos.

This blog is all about making choices joyfully. I’ll share with you as much as I can from my heart. David Wolfe is one of the person’s I am genuinely delighted to introduce you to.