Aloe Vera… Swine Flu Protection?

Got Aloe?

Aloe vera is a plant almost everyone is familiar with and that many have growing in and around their home. If looked at as only an ornamental or at most a topical treatment you do yourself and aloe a great disservice.  I lifted this information from http://www.herbwisdom.com…

Aloe vera is one of the only known natural vegetarian sources of Vitamin B12, and it contains many minerals vital to the growth process and healthy function of all the body’s systems. Numerous studies worldwide indicate that aloe vera is a general tonic for the immune system, helping it to fight illness of all kinds. Various research studies are underway to explore the potential of aloe vera components to boost immunity and combat the HIV virus, and to treat certain types of cancer (particularly leukemia). It may even have a role to play in managing diabetes.

So here’s goo that most peoples interaction with is to squirt it from a bottle after it has been processed and colored green or blue and spread it all over their newly acquired sunburn. It’s cheap, abundant and easily grown and harvested yet the masses prefer their aloe off the shelf, processed, colored and in a bottle. Time to take full advantage of this natural healer. If you have a plant, harvest the leaves. If you don’t, get one or find a friend who has one and harvest their leaves. Read the quote above again and click on the link and read further if you like. We’re talking cancer, HIV and diabetes… and that’s just an overview. Aloe could potentially clear you of all your past parking tickets and return your overdue books to the library.

The video shares my personal method of cutting and  eating aloe. Enjoy… and Keep It Live!

Post-Surf Smoothie

Surfs Up

When fortune smiles upon me and there’s good surf in the morning, I down a morning glass of water and paddle out for a AM surf session. It’s nice to start the morning off with a bit of exercise to stoke the appetite. After an hour or so of flailing around in the ocean… hopefully spending a majority of time above the water than below, I return home with quite an appetite. Tops on my list of post-surf meals is durian, but that isn’t always an option. This week I have a surplus of pears and blood oranges so that’s what has been going into my smoothies. Enjoy this how to smoothie video… Keep it Live.

Recipe: Pear Blood Orange Smoothie – serves 2

3 Blood Oranges

2 Pears

2 Bananas

1 C water

3 T Dry Nettle – Add fresh  1 C packed Spinach or fresh Nettle if possible

1 T Greener Grasses

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 t Bacopa Monieri

1 t Tribulus Terrestris Saponins

1 t Holy Basil

pinch of Himalayan Salt

Raise your smoothie potential by adding these ingredients.

Raise the Bar: 1 T Cinnamon, 1/2 T Fresh Ginger, 1 t Orange Zest

Being Present at The Present Moment Cafe

Flower Child chowing down at The Present Moment Cafe

Never miss an opportunity to help manifest someones dream, especially if it involves delicious vegan live food in the oldest city in the United States. This morning my friend Valerie casually mentioned she’d never been to The Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine. Bummer I thought, continuing with the onion dehydrating project I had started. It took a moment for me to realize the opportunity at hand, the carpe diem, grab the reins by the bull kinda gusto that should be part of a life lived in the Present Moment. She had to work at 2pm at Shakti Life Kitchen in Atlantic Beach (North Florida’s other premiere vegan live food option)… it was totally doable… in the car by 11, we were at the Present Moment by 12 noon… our bellies were full and we were back on the road by 1pm.

With all that said, what tasty treats did we partake in at The Present Moment Cafe? We started out with an amazing Thai style soup with mushrooms, sesame seeds, onions and a hint of lemon grass… I could be totally wrong though on the ingredient list. That’s was my take on it and I neglected to ask for the break down. One things for sure, it wasn’t clam chowder and it was really good.

Yummy Thai Soup

Next up was a massive Cesar salad and 2 stuffed portabellos with a creamy spinach filling, very rich and Frenchy style.

We ain’t done yet… a sampler platter with guacamole, salsa and a refried beans creation (no beans or refrying of course) To accompany the platter was a massive sunlight burger all drippy with cashew provolone… wait, there’s more… a mound of creamy white truffle pesto pasta. This was some serious eating and proof to this fact is that we walked with a to go container… unheard of when sit down to eat. To my defense I showed some restraint so I would have the slightest bit of room left for dessert…

Ceasar Salad and Stuffed Shroom

Warm Pecan Apple Cobbler with a scoop of cashew vanilla ice cream… no to go’s on dessert.

On a scale of “1” to “damn that’s so good I wet my organic cotton briefs”… post meal I would be running to the bathroom to rinse my drawers in the sink… that is if I wore any. All joking aside, The Present Moment Cafe is a boot shooting chart topper with amazing food and very reasonable prices. The pictures don’t lie… portions and plating are superb, staff is wonderful and the atmosphere is so cozy that you’d consider moving in.

White Truffle Pesto Pasta, Chip and Dip sampler, Sunshine Burger

On the down side there’s a bunch of road work being done in front of the restaurant. Noise wasn’t an issue but the only access has been converted to one-way which sends you looking for a western route to India. Once you arrive in the Promise Land all your worries melt away like cacao butter basking in the sun.

If you’re ever in North Florida or even the South East you owe it to yourself to visit the Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine, Florida. Check out there details here:

www.thepresentmomentcafe.com

Keep It Live, Adam