Ten Tips to Save Money and Stay Healthy in the New Year

Happy Holidays! With the New Year approaching soon, we at Love Street Living Foods wanted to share with you ten tips to make 2010 a healthier and less-expensive year on an Organic, Vegan, and Raw Diet:

1) Buy food like oils, nuts and seeds (make sure they are fresh) in bulk for maximum savings

2) Buy high-quality, organic supplements online and in bulk

3) Eat fruits and homemade trail mixes and smoothies for sustained energy on-the-go

4) Make meals with others and split the cost of ingredients (especially bulk ingredients) with them to save even more money (and spend time with loved ones!)

5) Grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs for an amazing, fresh taste and as a labor of love

6) Save money overall by eating out less (or eating less-expensive meals at restaurants), eating less processed food, and not visiting the doctor or hospital as much

7) Learn how to maintain an Organic, Vegan, and Raw Diet (for all those days when you crave other foods) with our personalized Nutrition Evaluations

8) Supplement your diet (while staying energized throughout the day) with our very own Personal Training/Coaching Services

9) Sign up for our Newsletter for great discounts to restock on your favorite products, try new ones, and get original recipes

10) Shop online at the health food super store that has searched out all of the best products at the best prices: Love Street Living Foods

A New Raw Transformation

We here at Love Street Living Foods love it when you take charge of your life. We especially love it when you achieve the results that you were looking for:

Colleen, who has been training with our CEO, Jon-Michael Kerestes (an Olympic-caliber coach), for the past 5 months, has lost 42 pounds through weekly sessions and a change in diet. For the full story (and to see some before-and-after photos), take a look at the video testimonial below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mA3XBPKGm4

If you would like to have a success story similar to the one shown here, then please contact us for a FREE fitness and nutrition assessment!

Need a Date?

Well Love Street Living Foods has got you covered! We have just added the third variety of date to our inventory: the Deglet Noor date. Deglet Noors (Arabic: 'translucent' or 'date of light') - are so named because the center appears light or golden when held up to the sun.

Dates are a sweet, fleshy fruit with a long history. Dates have been a staple food in the Middle East for thousands of years--there is even archaeological evidence of date cultivation in eastern Arabia as early as 6000 B.C.

Much like the palm trees we are used to seeing in southern areas of the United States, the Date Palm is a tall tree that produces large bunches of these berry-like fruits. This type of tree is thought to have been migrated from the desert oases of northern Africa to various areas with similar climates around the world. Date Palms are believed to have been brought to America by Spanish Conquistadors in 1765. Our Deglet Noor dates are a product of California, a primary date producing state in the USA. Dates are actually much like berries, in that the fruit is formed above the flower of the plant. They contain a single seed (stone or pit) and are separated into categories by level of sweetness;

"soft" (or sweetest) which includes: 'Barhee', 'Halawy', 'Khadrawy', 'Medjool'
"semi-dry" (or medium sweet) which includes: 'Dayri', 'Deglet Noor', 'Zahidi'
and "dry" (or least sweet) which includes: 'Thoory'

There are many uses for dates--though most often used in desserts, they can be pitted and stuffed with nuts, tahini, other fruits or just eaten plain. Chopping or pureeing dates creates a sweet filling for cookies, pies, puddings or other desserts. The possibilities are endless, try something new and create your own date dish! If you send us the recipe, we will publish it on our website!

Dates have a high tannin and fiber content and are often used to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort, and to promote regularity. They have also been known to be administered as a mild fever reducer, and made into a tonic for the relief of pain associated with sore throats, and bronchitis. While dates are mostly made up of carbohydrates and fiber - they do boast a reasonable protein, calcium and iron content and are very low in fat.

So, why not spice up your diet with a date? Try a new recipe, add them to your favorite dish or just eat them as a snack. Your digestive system will thank you.

All About Agave

Agave syrup (also called agave nectar) is a sweetener produced in Mexico from the leaves of the blue agave plant (Agave tequilana). The blue agave plant is native to Mexico, favoring the land's sandy soil and high altitudes of 1,500 m above sea level. Agave is a large succulent (a plant that retains water), with spiky, fleshy leaves that can grow to over two meters in length. There are over 136 species of agave in Mexico and experts consider this blue agave to be the finest in the world.

Agave is a favorite sweetener of raw foodists and health conscious eaters because it has a delicious, mild and sweet flavor -- like honey without the aftertaste--with a syrup consistency. These qualities make it easy to use in most recipes--replacing processed sugars or honey that can cause spikes in blood sugar and are produced from animal byproducts.

Premium blue agave is a natural sweetener and has a lab-certified low glycemic index, due to its very high (85-90%) fructose content. Possible benefits of using Premium Blue Agave Syrup could include: balanced blood sugar, longer-lasting and more stable energy, steadier moods, weight reduction and more. Blue agave syrup contains iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium—all of which are crucial minerals for health. Its nutrient profile is similar to molasses or dark maple syrup, but with a lower glycemic index.

Love Street Living Foods' Raw Organic Blue Agave Syrup is produced at temperatures below 118 degrees Fahrenheit so that all of the nutritional elements of the nectar are preserved in their natural form. It is also 100% certified organic and kosher and obtained from producers with fair trade growing and harvesting procedures. We now offer it in two convienent sizes: 8 ounce squeeze bottles for your countertop or table, and a 64 ounce size that is great for recipes and refilling your squeeze bottle. Try some in your tea, desserts or favorite recipe today.

Your Experience with Love Street

We want to hear from YOU! How have our Organic, Raw and Vegan products changed you or those that you know? Have you influenced others to try what we have to offer? In what ways do you use Love Street Living Foods in your daily life? Do you:

-Plan out your meals with our Raw Organic Pecans, Sun-Dried Black Botija Olives and/or Artisana Macadamia-Cashew Butter™?

-Experience good, clean bliss with our Body Brush or Agave Washcloth?

-Bathe in or eat meals with our Tibetan Crystal and Hawaiian Red Clay Salts?

-Take a bite of our Super Fudge Bar as a midnight snack?

-Provide Superfood nutrition to your pets with Health Force Green Mush™?

-Purify your home with our environmentally-friendly Eco-Showerhead, Ozone-free HEPA filtration Air Purifier™, or Biokleen Automatic Dish Gel™?

-Create your own recipes with our new BlendTec™ and Vita-Mix™ Blenders and/or Good4U™ Dehydrator?

Let us know what you or others use and how!

Please e-mail: blueforest12@gmail.com with your name (first name is fine), experience with our food and any questions. We would love to feature your story on our blog!

As always, you can review individual products at the bottom of their product page on our website, http://www.lovestreetlivingfoods.com/!

"Raw Food Fabulous!" at Home

Raw food diets are potentially one of the healthiest ways to eat, so one might ask "Why isn't everyone doing this?!". For a lot of people the "3 C's" play a big role in their everyday food choices. Those "3 C's" are:

• Cost
• Consistency
• Convenience

In this economy it is no surprise to hear that people are increasingly concerned with getting more "bang for their buck" in their household grocery bill. Although raw foods are the most nutrient dense types of foods, they are often a bit more expensive than their processed, cooked and preservative laden competition in the supermarket. Dried fruits, Nuts, Trail Mixes and Raw crackers can not only be hard to find (if you don't know where to look), but are considered "health food" or "specialty items" and are priced as such. There is an alternative however; these foods are easy and cost effective to make at home in a home dehydrator.
Home Dehydrators are moderately priced appliances that are easy to use, and hold a myriad of possibilities for the creative low-temperature drying of foods. They often come with recipe books filled with tasty options and ideas for your favorite foods as well as things you may have never tried. Books can also be found at your local library or used bookstore on creative dehyrating. Since there is no hot stove or cooking involved, creating dehydrated snacks can be a fun family activity. Children can learn the importance of healthy foods in a hands-on manner and get to eat the finished products! Here is a recipe that is healthy, and easy to make in a dehydrator - published by Alissa Cohen from "Living on Live Food":

1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
1 cup macadamia nuts (chopped into big pieces)
1 cup bananas ( chopped Up)

In food processor blend raisins and walnuts until smooth. Add in macadamia nuts and bananas. Dehydrate for 8 to 10 hours. (We topped this with our Original Chocolate Spread! YUM!)

Blending can also be a very effective way to gain the most nutritional benefits from your fresh foods, and to add new flavors into your daily diet. Soups, baby foods, purees, smoothies and shakes are all easy to make if you have the right machine. Vita-Mix and BlendTec are two major manufacturers of home, and commercial grade blenders that can serve your every blending need, while helping you better utilize your food, gain more nutrition and save money. Many people find it very convienent to make smoothies in the morning, because they can get all their vitamins and eye opening powders in one tasty, smooth beverage that can be consumed on-the-go! Try this recipe for eye-opening morning nutrition:

Vanilla Nut
A Raw Smoothie Recipe from Jennifer

Jennifer’s Note: I usually use a nut mylk base without straining it in through a nut bag (I’m sometimes lazy) but you can strain it if you like.

-Nut Mylk
-1/2 cup Brazil nuts
-1/2 cup walnuts
-3-5 dates
-1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder
-3-5 cups water

(OPTIONAL)

-Maca powder
-Cacao
-Coconut oil
-Frozen (or fresh) Strawberries
-Frozen (or fresh) blueberries
-Goji berries
-Spinach.

The Key to the smoothie is the AMAZING nut mylk which tastes great on its own and the Vanilla powder. The nut mylk seriously tastes like a soft serve vanilla ice cream and adding the other stuff without straining it makes for a great smoothie with a creamy sort of base.

Check out this link for more great smoothie recipes!
With a small up-front investment in these quality at-home kitchen appliances, you can save yourself;

• Cost - save money making your own dried snacks, baby foods, juices and smoothies and gain every bit of nutrition your fresh foods have to offer!
• Consistency - a great blender will crush ice to snow, and give you the smoothest purees for soups, baby food and shakes!
• Convienence - have food at home that you can grab and go, knowing exactly what's in it, and what isn't! (preservatives, additives and processed sugars and fats!)

and reap the benefits that a Raw Food diet has to offer. For additional information on Raw Food Diets, contact us at info@lovestreetlivingfoods.com, or check out the DVD "Simply Raw".