Consuming raw foods is natural. Our bodies respond very well to all that is fresh and vital and thrive when consuming these types of food. By increasing the amount of raw food that you eat you are actually opting for a feeling of increased well being. When you switch to a raw food diet, the raw food recipes are based on uncooked or unprocessed plant foods, preferably organic. These plant foods include a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, dried fruit, fresh juices and purified water.
The reason why you should switch to raw food recipes is because it is basically a vegetarian diet that promotes eating and drinking living foods. By consuming living foods and juices, you benefit from the maximum amount of fiber that can be found in a raw product. This fiber can be lost when the food is either processed or cooked. Raw foods are metabolized easier and are not as high in calories as the products consumed when following an average diet. The basic principle of a raw food diet is heating the foods up to 1160 F or about 460 C. The reason why you should not heat them at higher temperatures is found in the enzymes that are destroyed when subjected to such temperatures. The enzymes help food digestion and food absorption and they also give the nutritional value of foods. Therefore it is in our best interests to keep them intact. In the opposite situation, we actually force our bodies to an increased amount of work and we also contribute to the diminishing of the nutritional value of our food.
Subsequently, the benefits of raw food recipes are numerous. If you have a diet consistent of at least 75% raw foods you will receive health benefits such as increased energy, improved skin appearance, better digestion, weight loss or weight gain (depending on what your body needs). Other benefits include reducing the risks of serious illnesses like heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and more.
Raw food recipes are based on components that contain little or no saturated fats. Also, they are low in sodium, but high on magnesium, potassium and fiber. You can also use raw food recipes as detoxification solutions. If you appeal to different combinations of raw, living foods and juices you may find that they are useful for colon cleansing, liver cleansing, kidney cleansing and skin cleansing.
The reasons why you should appeal to a raw food diet may vary. Depending on these reasons, you can choose what to consume in order to improve that aspect of your health you are particularly interested in. For instance, sprouted brown rice helps slow glucose absorption and improve the metabolism; cabbage supports cellular function while radish leaves act as an anti-oxidant; carrots, a great source of vitamin A, are well-known to encourage healthy eyesight, but they also support a reliable cardio-vascular system.
Some people enjoy eating cakes and sweets. If you switch to a raw food diet, you shouldn’t think that you have to stop eating desserts. In a raw food diet you can use raw honey as a sweetener. Raw honey contains traces of propolis, a substance used by bees to seal the hive and protect it from harmful microorganisms. Other substances found in raw honey, called phytonutrients, help prevent colon cancer and can also help heal internal ulcers.
If you consume honey regularly, it is known to be beneficial for the general well-being and it also helps digestion. Amazing as it sounds, raw honey has been shown to improve athletic performance, a secret that was discovered by ancient Olympians. This happens because it helps maintain balanced levels of blood sugar, which in turn helps at keeping energy levels consistent. In addition, it helps muscle recovery. Other amazing properties of raw honey include the support it gives to the immune system in warding off colds and flu. It is a healthy substitute for sugar that can even help reduce the cholesterol levels. Include it in your raw food recipes and you will get the best for your body and mind.
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17Sep
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16Sep
Have you ever become frustrated over a gift idea for that friend or family member that has everything? Do you dread birthdays and holidays because of the stress of finding that perfect gift for that special someone? All hope is not lost. A great gift idea that is sure to please everyone on your list is a magazine subscription. Thankfully, there are hundreds of magazines to choose from, which are interest specific, gender specific, or geared at multiple readers.
Every magazine on the stands provides a subscription request card that can be removed, and mailed without any cost to you. If you prefer, most magazines also allow subscription request over the phone, or off of their website. When ordering a subscription for another person, make sure that you list their name and address as the recipient, and your address for billing purposes. Some magazine companies deliver the magazine with a gift note. If the magazine you choose does not have that service, then you can purchase a current magazine off the stands, and include a card that explains the gift.
For the entertainment junkie, or people watcher, there are several celebrity and entertainment magazines available.
People Magazine: One of the better known entertainment magazines, People offers stories about celebrities and hometown heroes as well as book, music, and movie reviews. It is distributed weekly, and intended for an adult audience. There is a Spanish version called People En Espanol.
Rolling Stone Magazine: This magazine provides the music lover with updates, news stories, interviews, and reviews on all things related to music including Billboard’s top albums and songs.
Entertainment Weekly: A weekly magazine that allows you to get a V.I.P look at the TV, movie, and music industry, with the latest news, and reviews on what is hot.
A child loves to get their own mail, and the magazine arrives with the child’s name on it. There are many children’s magazines available to choose from.
Highlights for Children: A monthly publication for children ages 3-12, with educational and entertaining content, games, puzzles and more.
Nickelodeon Magazine: Published 10 times per year, this magazine if produced by the Nickelodeon TV Network, and offers updates on all things related to the television programming as well as comics, jokes, prank ideas, and silly but edible recipes. The intended audience is ages 6-14 years old. Nick Jr. Magazine is for ages 0-11, and not only provides valuable information for parents, but also has a pull-out section just for little ones with engaging stories and activities.
National Geographic Kids: Another great magazine for children ages 6-14; this magazine provides interesting facts, games, and activities related to animals. There is also a “Little Kid” version of the magazine for children ages 3-6, with plenty of pictures.
For the sports enthusiast, there are several magazines that specialize in one particular sport, such as Golf Digest, Field and Stream, or 90:00 Minutes Soccer Magazine and several that spotlight some of the mainstream sports in one magazine.
Sports Illustrated: This weekly magazine provides the sports enthusiast with up to date news and information on all sports, including college and women’s sports. A junior version of this magazine, Sports Illustrated for Kids, includes more pictures, and funny comics.
ESPN the Magazine: This bi-weekly magazine spotlights interviews with sports stars as well as coaches, and reports on all sports including baseball, hockey, and tennis.
Or, for that special man or woman in your life, the magazine world has provided plenty of choices.
Details Magazine: A monthly fashion magazine for men, Details has much to offer. Each issue provides articles on the latest styles and trends, as well as celebrity interviews.
Men’s Health Magazine: A seasonal magazine, Men’s Health is one of the few health magazines for men that also offers relationship, lifestyle, and money advice.
Cosmopolitan Magazine: Cosmo is a popular young women’s magazine offering style, career, and relationship advice.
Good Housekeeping: In publication for over 100 years, this magazine continues to appeal to the contemporary woman, with features on beauty, family, fitness and food.
For the news hound, there are also several great choices.
Time Magazine: This weekly magazine features reports on business, politics, human achievement, and scientific breakthroughs.
Newsweek Magazine: Newsweek provides weekly updates of the news, with an emphasis on international news, and politics.
There are magazines available for mostly every hobby, and craft, including scrap booking and knitting magazines. There are magazines dedicated to food, either in the production, or the consuming level. You can also find a vast amount of magazines devoted to travel, such as Travel and Leisure, or Conde Nast Traveler. No matter which magazine you choose, it is sure to be a hit with everyone on your shopping list. -
15Sep
*In the voice of Dan LaFontaine (AKA Movie Announcer Guy)*
“The order of a world hangs on the brink of destruction. A world of sub-freezing temperatures well lit behind a glass door leading into the abyss beyond. One energy drink, a drink that has stood in defiance to the passage of time in a raging American economy. One energy drink holds its ground in the face of destruction. Destruction from the five most powerful energy drink armies known to man. Five armies so fierce, so large, that they shake the very shelves they stand on. The sole energy drink standard spawned with the beginning of time itself now fights in the eclipse of the Five Armies. The Five Armies of Amp, Monster, Sobe, Rip-It, and Rockstar have all found their way to the battlefield. Tradition will battle evolution in the ultimate showdown. One will survive. One will fall. One lone energy drink blogger will risk it all. Risk it all to tell all as he covers the results of the epic battle. What army will reign supreme and threaten the very nature of the current world? Read on… or take cover.”
Amp
This is Pepsi’s entry into the market. It started with the timeless and irresistibly tasty original Amp. This was one of the first energy drinks to break away from the standard energy drink flavor, and in hindsight was ahead of its time. Drink makers to this day have a hard time producing energy drinks with such a wonderful better-than-soda flavor. The Amp line quickly evolved with the addition of 5 other variations and a couple of recent tea additions. The line-up does not have one bad tasting drink, but a lack of energy plagues each and every one of them.
Variety: 3/5 Taste: 4/5 Energy: 2/5
Total: 9/15
Monster
This drink line-up is one mean powerhouse of taste, energy, tradition, and advertising power. The original Monster started out slow in the needy niche of the videogamer, but soon evolved into motor sports. Monster now undeniably commands the motor sport genre, and has won over the hearts of many average energy drink consumers with its unique taste and impressive energy offerings. It’s hard to not be intrigued by a can graphic of a monster inside the can clawing to get out. Monster’s popularity grew exponentially as soon as it started finding its way out of LAN gaming sessions to more and more gas station shelves, and soon added 4 other variations. Even more, Monster branched out extensively with their Java line-up to cater to the bean and tea lovers out there.
Variety: 4/5 Taste: 3/5 Energy: 4/5
Total: 11/15
SoBe
Pepsi just couldn’t get enough of the energy drink dollar with the Amp lineup! So, shortly after gobbling up SoBe from its original owners, they cranked out more energy drinks under the SoBe name. The first, No Fear, was an instant hit with its no-bs grapefruit taste. This drink picked a flavor direction, fully committed itself to it, and nailed it. Energy in the SoBe line has always been moderate, though, unfortunately. This seems to be a recurring theme with Pepsi. Obviously the SoBe line had No Fear, as its roster soon became incredibly deep. Added to the family were the Adrenaline Rush variants, sugar free versions, Gold, a promotional limited run Superman drink, a couple Essential Energy variants, and the recent Super Energy variants. In total, we’re talking 14 energy drinks in the history of SoBe. Currently, about 12 are available. The original No Fear cans are virtually nonexistent and the Superman drink is long gone.
Variety: 5/5 Taste: 3/5 Energy: 3/5
Total: 11/15
Rip-It
I have no idea where these drinks came from, it’s as if they flooded gas station coolers overnight. Unlike the other drink lines, this one did not start on a single successful drink and build up. This collection hit the market with an exceptional variety that hundreds of other drink manufacturers are still struggling to achieve. Rip-It’s offerings are also unique in the sense that each drink has its own highly unique (and enjoyable) taste, not just a special flavoring on top of a familiar taste foundation. This is actually quite an uncommon feature in the majority of energy drink collections out there. Unfortunately, energy offerings are mediocre at best. It is not uncommon to drink one of these drinks and feel nothing. To count the number of Rip-It flavors available you may just need to get a calculator out. This collection ties SoBe for the most extensive energy drink line-up known to man (Rockstar actually pretty much makes it a three-way tie, read on).
Variety: 5/5 Taste: 5/5 Energy: 2/5
Total: 12/15
Rockstar
To me, this drink’s gimmicky name and associated slogans are entirely lame. It seems as if the people behind the name of the drink did not trust the average consumer’s ability to understand analogies for the concept of energy, and landed with Rockstar – which conveniently comes packaged with a goody bag of painfully obvious cliché’s. “Gee guys. When I drink this drink I feel like I wanna… I dunno it’s awesome I think I wanna party! Ooh oohoooooh I know! I want to PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR! Hahaha did you hear that? I totally just made that connection on the fly! Ahh oh ooooh that’s so cool because rockstars like, you know – get crazy pumped up on life and totally bang all the hot chicks. This is awesome.” Ok, enough of my rant. I’ll get straight to the point – this drink is coffee’s worst enemy. The original Rockstar was received moderately well. It was a little late in the game, but it made a statement with its own take on flavor and energy; oh the energy! I’m telling you, the company behind Rockstar simply gets us. The drinks that followed the original Rockstar, all 10 of them (PLUS some coffee flavors), each offered more caffeine than any other drink collection has the guts to. Some of the drinks may not be the tastiest out there, but they certainly don’t gag you. But seriously, this drink line-up is the energy king.
Variety: 5/5 Taste: 3/5 Energy: 5/5
Total: 13/15
Victor: Rockstar!!!
This is the drink collection made for energy fiends. Down any one of their drinks, and you can almost always count on a pleasant experience with guaranteed wake-up power. To the rest of the four armies, take a book out of Rockstar’s page and give the customers what they want. Pack your 16oz cans with energy, and if you’re worried we won’t like it, offer some smaller cans. Rockstar, I salute you. I wish you the best of luck in knocking down the reigning king of energy drink sales. You know the one.
Individual Awards:
Most Improved: Rockstar Best Value: Rip-It (starting at $1.09 I have to add) Best Aesthetics: Monster Best Product Naming: Rip-It
Other random awards for product lines not mentioned above:
Most promising up-and-comer: NOS Worst tasting: Vitamin Energy Best chance to give you a heart attack: Spike
Disclaimer: It may be obvious for some, but don’t forget these are all one person’s opinion
To qualify as an “army,” the company needed offer at least 7 different drinks (not including shots) that retail in the U.S. Product lines in the posted picture are not comprehensive. Written by Dusty Smith
