In a recent post I discussed the importance of eating raw sprouted nuts and seeds. However, I didn’t explain how to sprout them.

Almonds are the easiest of all of the seeds and nuts to sprout. Simply soak them in water for 8 to 12 hours. This will sprout them.  Make sure to rinse them off thoroughly afterwards in a colander. You will see a brown film come off of them. You will say to yourself, “Man, I was eating that?” Sprouted almonds taste much different than regular raw almonds.  They have to be refrigerated and they only stay good for about a week. Only sprout as many as you think you will eat in about three to five days. 
Note: I am often asked if it is necessary to peel the almonds after they are sprouted.  The answer is no.

Isn’t that easy?

Here’s what I do: A couple of hours before I go to bed, I pour some raw almonds into a bowl and add some good clean water. When I wake up in the morning I rinse the almonds in the manner suggested above.

I sprouted some almonds last night and was able to add them to my smoothie in the morning. They taste delicious and they are easy to make.

Remember, sprouted almonds are nutritious living foods. There is no comparison between sprouted almonds and unsprouted almonds.

Try this out for yourself, you’ll be glad that you did.

Tenga un buen dia (Have a great day)!

Alexander Morentin
Holistic Fitness Coach
www.myfitlife.net

Salt is another area where there is a great deal of confusion. The kind of salt that we are accustomed to is processed and refined table salt.

Regular table salt is very bad for you. It is one of the white devils. Stay away from it. Table salt has been stripped of all of its beneficial properties until only the sodium chloride (NaCl) remains. Often times, a small percentage of harmful and other chemicals will be added to the salt. Table salt robs your body of its vital nutrient stores in order to process through it. Basically, refined table salt is like a poison to your body.

What Kind Of Salt Can I Use?
Salt in its natural form contains a variety of minerals which are beneficial to your body. There are two varieties of salts that can be beneficial for you:
1. Sea Salt
2. Himalayan Salt

Sea Salt contains a variety of beneficial nutrients. The amount and type of the nutrients contained in sea salt is dependent on it s source of origin. As with all other foods, the process through which sea salt is harvested will determine its nutritional benefit. The salt must be solar dried in order to keep its nutrient value intact. If it is subjected to high heats, such as in an oven, the delicate nutrients will be destroyed.

My Favorite Type of Salt
Himalayan Salt is my favorite type of salt. It has many benefits which are extremely beneficial for you:

• Himalayan Salt contains 84 of the nutritional elements we need. The highest elemental content of any salt.
• Himalayan Salt balances the pH in your body.
• Himalayan Salt contains no environmental pollutants.
• Himalayan Salt helps to regulate blood pressure.

I have listed just a few of the many benefits of Himalayan Salt. It is a bit more expensive than other salts, but it is well worth it. Basically, Himalayan Salt has beneficial nutrients that will be added to your body with nothing taken away.

Remember:
1. Stay away from table salt, it is like a poison to your body
2. Himalayan Salt and solar dried sea salt are good for you

Bye for now,

Alexander Morentin
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life

It is best to avoid roasted nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds that have been subjected to high heat, such as cooking or roasting, are not good for you. Reason being, the high temperatures denature the oils (fats) that they contain. What was once beneficial will now wreak havoc on your body.

Raw nuts and seeds are a much better choice than their roasted counterparts. It really does make a difference. If you decide to make raw nuts and seeds a part of your diet, do so sparingly; they have the potential to make you gain body fat.

Sprouting Is Best
Most seeds and nuts can and should be sprouted. Sprouting activates the enzymes inside of them, which turns them into living organisms. Because of this, sprouted nuts and seeds have to be refrigerated and will spoil in about a week or two as opposed to raw unsprouted nuts and seeds that you can keep on your shelf for long periods of time.

Mother Nature Installed a Defense Mechanism
Seeds and nuts have enzyme inhibitors inside of them which keep them dormant. This is a protective mechanism which allows them to be stored for long periods of time. Farmers must be able to store seed in their dormant state until they are ready to use them. If this was not possible, farmers would lose all of their seed.

When they come in contact with moisture, the seeds will sprout and the enzymes will be activated. They become a living food again. This means that they will completely breakdown in your body, providing you with a ton of nutrition. Sprouted nuts and seeds are very delicious and are very beneficial for you. There is no comparison between sprouted nuts and seeds and their dormant unsprouted counterparts.
Once again: It’s all about the enzymes!

Have a great weekend.

Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life

It’s Tuesday night and I am just getting home from the local Farmer’s Market.

I look forward to going to the Farmer’s Market every week. It is always an extremely rewarding experience for me.

The people are friendly; the produce is fresh; what more could you ask for?

In fact, I always leave happier than when I arrive. Why? Because I feel very fortunate that local farmers do what they do… working hard to bring us delicious healthy food at a terrific price week after week.

Which leads me to the point of this post:
How much is that produce?

Whenever I educate people about the benefits of eating fresh whole foods I will often times get this reponse: “But I can’t afford it. Those fruits and vegetables are too expensive.”

Well, I don’t really understand this statement.
Tonight, I brought home:

• 2 pounds of spinach
• Broccoli
• 5 tomatoes
• A bunch of celery
• A bunch of green onions
• 5 nectarines
• 5 peaches
• 8 apricots
• 8 plums

All of this fresh delicious produce cost me an astronomical $19.50! That is less than the price of 6 gallons of gas in Southern California. I personally think that this is one hell of a deal. 

I don’t understand why people think that buying fresh produce is more expensive, but they do.

If you are one of these people, then I highly suggest you find a local Farmer’s Market. Not only will you find affordable healthy produce, you will find a new lifestyle that I promise will be extremely rewarding.

Well, it looks like it’s time for me to go to bed.

Bye for now,

Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life

It’s Saturday night and I have just returned home from a fantastic night out at the pre-opening party for Orange County’s newest raw food restaurant.

118 Degrees is owned and operated by raw food chef Jenny Ross.

There was music, fun, laughter, and a never ending sampling of chef Jenny’s raw and living cuisine. Raw food never tasted so good.

I had a particularly good time because I was able to connect with many people that I have not seen in a long while. Of course, I also met a few very interesting and talented people.

The energy was high and the food was fantastic. Chef Jenny gets better and better with every passing year.

Not only is the food  great, but the atmosphere is out of this world. Jenny and her partners did a fantastic job on the interior design of the place. And the location couldn’t be any better.

118 Degrees is located at the Camp in Costa Mesa:

2981 Bristol St. Ste. B-5
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.754.0718
http://www.shop118degrees.com/

Well, it’s time for me to go to bed.
Bye for now.

Alexander Morentin
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life