Mother and Daughter Retreat: Health, Healing and Wholeness Through Love

Raw Food Prep With Chef Asha Peri

Ms. Asha Peri giving her lecture

17 January 2014 Manila. A FREE Seminar by SOAP ( Spread Organic Agriculture in the Philippines) was held at Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) with a theme: REBOOT, RENEW WITH RAW FOOD, conducted by Ms. Asha Peri, a raw food chef of Dahon Kusina

The seminar is in collaboration with Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS)  & Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards  (BAFS) of the Department of Agriculture (DAR). 

It was a very successful occasion, everyone is attentive and enthusiastic during the seminar.

The participants

I first encountered raw food way back when I was still in New York, but I didn't pay much attention because I was a student of macrobiotic diet and other healing modalities then, besides I have no plans of being a vegan because my body can't take it. A friend Fleta Errasquin, a cancer survivor of 15 years without a kiss of chemotherapy who embraced a holistic lifestyle re-introduced me to raw food diet and sprouting, she made a really delicious raw foods that I became interested again, not to mention raw and organic food that's keep her healthy (she took a course way back in the US, that time it's not available here), I am just glad that many are into this nowadays and there are now many raw food chefs sharing their passion for live foods. One of them is Chef Asha Peri of Dahon Kusina, let's take a look at some of her recipe..

Chef Asha and her staff

How to make a raw green smoothie

Coconut Vanilla Cream

Chia seeds soaked in water, used as toppings

Angel Hair Pasta

Rainbow Salad

The rainbow salad

More tips from chef Asha

I Noticed in the presentation of Ms. Asha Peri, she loves adding colorful herbs and very creative in food design, being lived in Bali, Indonesia for quite sometime, she learned the art of making food visually appealing.  She also teach participants how to adjust to the diet and how to counteract the downside reaction of the body.

Also she encourage to use our local fruits and vegetables because it is safer and has less toxins. To which I agree, in the principles of Locavore, buy local and grow your own food is good for the environment because it will lessen the carbon impact by transporting produce to different places and not to mention hasten spoilage time. In Macrobiotic principles, food that grows in our soil and temperature is the best food for us and what we really need. Not to mention that imported fruits are sprayed with chemical preservatives and most of them are GMOs. 

This is a diet worth trying and taking a look, cleansing and energizing, that's why it is also called live foods because the nutrients, enzymes, vitamins and minerals  are intact and bio-active.  

To know more about SOAP and its coming activities, seminars and updates: 

Facebook: Spread Organic Agriculture in the Phillipines (SOAP)

Contact: Ms. Sandra Celi

LOCAVORE (Natural Living)

Go Local, Go Locavore! grow your own food as much as you can and possible. Many foods available are not produced organically, some are GMO's, and highly processed. Basically this idea of Localvore is also one of the foundation of the Macrobiotic teachings. I have written in this blog many articles why you should grow and cook you own food or support your local farmers that way, support local economy, also it will lessen the carbon impact ( good for the environment) by lessening use of transportation system and keeping food  fresh and longer life span( iwas lamog) here are some reason why we should grow our own food:

Supermarket shelf poisons:

Secret Ingredients found in your food:

Meriam and Webster define Locavore as : one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible, origin: local+-vore (as in carnivore), first known use in 2005.

Wiki describe it as: a person interested in eating food that is locally produced, not moved long distances to market. The Locavore movement in the United States and elsewhere was spawned as interest in sustainability and eco-consciousness became more prevalent.

here are example of Locavore food in the Philippines, utilizing homegrown vegetables, fresh as it can be, not necessarily vegetarian, just make sure your fish, chickens, meats are organic and naturally raised and fed:

Steamed Okra

Banana hearts salad

"Laing", Taro leaves cooked with coconut milk

Free-range, native, organic Chicken Adobo

Tanglad (lemongrass) and Camote tops (sweet yam) Juice

I love the Idea of Locavore for its practical and economic reasons, eco-friendly and people learn to cultivate plants which is also very therapeutic, for those who do not have vast land or space and no time may buy the locally produced crops and organic markets that is a fad today even in the Philippines, were home-made and home-grown still exist. This way food spoilage is minimize, developed sense of bonding and community  and lessen the carbon impact which is good for the environment and climate change.

In the Philippines, Nipa Hut is a common example of a house made of  indigenous materials (Locavore house)

I am actually a fan of Locavore and trying to start a movement in the Philippines. It is the natural living way for Filipinos in the provinces which is beginning to fade due to changing times, fast-paced lifestyle and development happening, but I wish people try to bring back this old lifestyle and still embrace it and be more appreciative of our local culture. Before the West discover Locavore that is our lifestyle already and Filipino folks during those times and in the provinces are healthier and live longer.   

Natural fish pond with free- flowing water from a trail way spring, the fishes are fed with azola (mosquito fern) and duck weeds.

Photo Credits: All pictures used are from the author

To know more about the Locavore I just found this links: 

10 steps to be a Locavore by Jennifer Maiser

10 Reasons to Eat Local Food by Jennifer Maiser

Locavore in local news ( GMA Network)

What is Locavore?

  

All about Fish (Isda)

On eating fish : 

1. If you are a fish eater , the safest fish would be the ones with scales ( kaliskis ) kasi meron protection sa mga iba pang toxins ng dagat; yung walang kaliskis like the tasty Gg ( galunggong, ) catfish , tuna, sapsap .. mas madaling kapitan ng toxic materials ...like the dangerous oil spills.

2. Yes, the smaller fish the better, kasi baby pa sila mas konti ang kain nila. Did you know research has shown , the small fishes like the Pinoy "dulong" (considered the smallest fish in the world), the lowly 'dilis " , etc ay nakakabata? It means it preserves youth!!! Another research among fishermen in PI., ....the fish eaters tend to have more male children ? You can try.

3. The seafoods are called the scavengers of the sea? They function like the street sweepers ---, sweep , eat , suction the dirt under the sea!!! The "rubbery "pusit and sea shells takes 8 hours to digest or come out thru the dirt shoot in its original form? maski na ilaga ng isang oras ang "heavenly" na talangka eh meron pa raw di namamatay na bacteria . !!! oooops, tama na nga or else the fishermen will run without sales !!!! maganda rin meron bacteria sa katawan. Sabayan na lang ng friendly bacteria na "ACCIDOPHILUS " or maraming yakult. 

4. Always eat cooked fish ---- raw is dangerous ( dahil sa bacteria ) . kilawin pangpulutan sigurado naluto sa suka at sabayan uminom ng alak

5. FISH pond fishes ----mga alagang isda hindi sa dagat : depende sa "feeds "; if non-chemically organic feeds safe yan;

6. Read and master GOD"S natural pharmacy.......me gamot lahat para sa kalusugan.

Anong isda ang safe kainin? (Basahin ito!) 

NARINIG na ba ninyo ang issue tungkol kay KC Concepcion ? Mahilig siya sa isda kaya raw nagkaroon siya ng mercury poisoning na nakaapekto sa kanyang mata. Ang mercury ay nakukuha ng isda sa polusyon sa tubig. Masama sa ating katawan ang isda na may mercury dahil nakasisira ito ng utak at kidneys. Ang sintomas nito ay ang pamamanhid ng mga kamay at paa. May mga guidelines na inilabas sa America tungkol sa limitasyon sa pagkain ng isda. Sundin natin ito.

A. Mga safe na isda: Maaaring kumain ng 2-3 beses (o servings) bawat linggo. Ang bawat serving ng isda ay may timbang na 180 grams o 6 ounces.

1. Samaral

2. Dilis (anchovies)

3. Hito (catfish)

4. Galunggong (mackerel)

5. Salmon

6. Tilapia

7. Mababa sa mercury ang hipon, pusit at alimango.

8. Bangus (milkfish) ay safe din pero mas mataas ang mercury levels kumpara sa ibang nakalista dito.

B. Medyo bawasan ang pagkain: Kumain lamang ng 1-2 beses (o servings) bawat linggo. Ang bawat serving ay may timbang na 180 grams o 6 ounces.

1. Banak (mullet)

2. Tamban

3. Maya-maya (snapper) 

4. Nakalatang tuna (Canned light tuna)

C. Mag-ingat sa pagkain: Pinakamarami ay kumain lamang ng 3 beses (o servings) sa isang buwan.

1. Tuna fresh at sashimi

2. Lapu-lapu (grouper)

3. Sea Bass

D. Huwag kainin ito da hil mataas sa mercury: Marlin, Tuna (Ahi), Swordfish at Pating (Shark).

Dagdag tips sa pag kain ng isda:

1. Piliin ang maliliit na isda dahil mas bata pa sila at hindi pa nakakakuha ng mercury sa katawan. Ang isdang wala pang 12 inches ay mas safe.

2. Kumain na lang ng gu-lay, prutas at manok. Mas safe iyan.

3. Importante: Ang mga buntis at sanggol ay sen sitibo sa epekto ng mercury. Mas bawasan pa ang pag kain ng isda.

Maganda naman ang isda sa katawan pero kailangan piliin ang mas safe na isda.