Here is a new recipe that I just made for Thanksgiving – it’s a great chocolate–pumpkin combination pie, so you don’t have to choose between the two.

I’ve listed the actual recipe, then I noted to the side what you could exchange in the recipe to either make it lower glycemic, gluten free, and/or dairy free.

I loved this pie, but it did take a little longer to cook than just the 50-60 minutes the recipe stated.  I’m not sure if it was because of one or more of the substitutions or what, but it took closer to 75 minutes for it to firm up in the middle, so definitely monitor it closely when cooking.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Midnight Pumpkin Pie – Austin American Statesman

1 cup heavy cream (you can use So Delicious Coconut or Soy Milk instead)
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate bits
15 oz can pumpkin puree
½ cup packed dark brown sugar (replace all or at least ¼ cup with Coconut Sugar)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground dry ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
2 eggs (use Ener-G Egg Replacer instead)
1 prepared (raw) gluten free deep-dish pie crust (or prepare your own)

For whipped cream, you can use Soyatoo Rice Whip Topping.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the cream until just bubbling.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate bits.  Stir until completely melted and smooth.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar (or coconut sugar), cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, salt and the chocolate-cream mixture.  Add the eggs, whisking until everything is thoroughly combined.

If it isn’t already, fit the pie crust into a 9-inch deep pie pan.  Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or so until the center is set and no longer jiggles.

Here is another great recipe for a Vegan Pumpkin Pie.  It was so good last Christmas, I’m making it again this year!

Karina’s Gluten-Free Goddess Recipes – Vegan Pumpkin Pie

I made the pie in a food processor. It helps to thoroughly process the ingredients. If you don’t have a food processor, a macho stand mixer, or a high-speed blender will work.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch glass pie plate. (I use Spectrum Organic Shortening.)

In a food processor bowl add:

1 14.5-oz can – pumpkin
1 1/2 cups – plain hemp milk
2 teaspoons – bourbon vanilla
2 tablespoons – light olive oil
1 tablespoon – Ener-G Egg Replacer
3/4 cup – organic brown sugar
1/2 cup – buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons – tapioca starch/flour
2 teaspoons – baking powder
1/4 teaspoon – xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon – sea salt
1 teaspoon – cinnamon or pie spice
1/2 teaspoon – nutmeg

Cover and process until smooth and creamy. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl, if necessary to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Pour into the prepared pie plate and smooth evenly.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven for about an hour until done. The pie should be firm- but still give a little when lightly touched. The center should not be wet. It will fall a bit as it cools, like my Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe.

Cool the pie on a wire rack completely. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Makes 8 slices.

http://karinaskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/12/vegan-pumpkin-pie.html

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Well, I’ve turned into the incredible shrinking woman lately.  I’ve lost another 12 lbs. since my last blog post — that’s 32 lbs. so far since May!  As I mentioned in my last post, this is highly unusual for me.  I’d really put on a lot of weight these past few years, so losing weight for me had been nearly impossible.  Until now.

So how have I lost so much weight?  Well, there are the reasons I mentioned in my last post “Life after Divine Openings”, but I have something new I’ve started that has really made a difference in my weight, digestion, and overall health.

About 8 weeks ago, I just stopped digesting my food.  I was super tired and weak and shaky and nothing made me feel better.  You see, I had made the mistake of trying to eat lunch with some co-workers, and ate at several restaurants that weren’t offering truly gluten-free meals.

I knew I was only going to be working there for a few weeks, so I thought I’d make the most out of it and eat lunch with them as frequently as possible.  Although I had a good time, I really did a number on my stomach, and I ended up kicking my Leaky Gut Syndrome into gear once again.

I immediately went online searching for a program that would work for me, and I came across a program called the Leaky Gut Cure by Karen Brimeyer, that was being promoted on The Gluten Free Society website.  This was not just a special meal plan, but was an all encompassing program that included all aspects of your diet and lifestyle — a program that has improved not only my digestion, but my overall health.

This plan has been instrumental in helping me lose even more weight and has drastically improved my digestion, metabolism, and energy levels as well.

So what is Leaky Gut?

Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS) is the name given to a condition in which the ability of the intestinal wall to keep out large and undesirable molecules is reduced.

Like your skin, the intestinal lining serves as a barrier between the outside environment (food, drink, etc) and the internal environment (blood stream).  When working properly, nothing harmful can get through.  But when leaky gut is present, the door is open for harmful parasites, bacteria, yeast/fungi, toxins, etc. to move freely into and through the blood stream to any area of the body.

Leaky gut is like the equivalent of having holes in your skin that allow all of the bacteria and other harmful stuff straight into your body!

What are some of the causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome?

• Dietary sources (e.g., white flour, trans-fats, processed foods, processed sugar, pasteurized milk, alcohol)
• Environmental toxins (e.g., food, farming, & household chemicals)
• Chronic stress (e.g., physical, mental, & emotional)
• Dysbiosis (e.g., parasites, bacteria, & yeast)
• and Medications (NSAIDS, antibiotics, & birth control pills)

What are some of the common symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome?

• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Weight loss resistance
• Chronic headaches, muscle and joint pain
• and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What will the Leaky Gut Cure Diet and Program do for you?

The only way to get rid of your chronic symptoms is to heal your leaky gut.  You have to give your body the right foods that it needs to supply the necessary building blocks for healing, and stop feeding it foods that are causing the problems and making everything worse.

Here are some of the highlights of the Leaky Gut Cure program:

• First, every action item that you incorporate into your diet and lifestyle is itemized out, day by day, so you can slowly ease into the program (and don’t become overwhelmed by having to change everything all at once).
• It’s only a 10 week program, so it’s very do-able (and if I can do it, anyone can!)
• You eat frequently, so you are never hungry (you should go no longer than 2-3 hours without food).
• The diet includes mostly proteins and non-starchy vegetables with healthy fats (e.g., coconut oil).
• You eat moderate amounts of protein at every meal (3-5 oz).  All the animal protein you eat on the Leaky Gut Cure program must be lean, hormone-free, and preservative-free, and the animals must be fed a grain-free diet.
• You eat according to your metabolic type (e.g., there is a checklist that helps you choose which of these food combinations you prefer and stick to that ratio for every meal throughout the program:  1) Protein type:  high protein/low carb, 2) Carb type:  high carb/low protein, or 3) Mixed type:  equal amounts of each).
• You must stay completely away from those foods which have been recommended to avoid, along with any other determined food allergies for the length of the program.
• There is a muscle-testing video that explains how you can muscle test yourself to figure out which foods you are sensitive to.
• There is a 4-day food rotation plan to follow to ensure you don’t get any new food sensitivities.
• There are different checklists for you to complete to check for adrenal stress and pathogens.
• There are several different supplement packages depending on what your needs are — available at discounted pricing (e.g., supplements for possible pathogens, adrenal stress, gut healing, etc.)
• There are food checklists to take to the store with you to help you plan your meals.
• And the program also recommends adding stress-relievers like meditation and low-impact exercise into your lifestyle, as stress is a leading contributor to Leaky Gut.

This is by-far the most comprehensive program I’ve ever seen for Leaky Gut Syndrome.  I’m so impressed by the results I’ve seen so far, that I’ve become an affiliate for the Leaky Gut Cure Program.

The diet plan is very straightforward and easy to follow, and I haven’t had any problems implementing the recommendations.  That is saying a lot, since I’m not really a big fan of cooking, and I really liked having packaged snacks that I can easily eat on the run.

The one thing that I think is really helping me not only feel better, but also lose so much weight, is the reduction of grains and the increase in animal protein.  Up until a year ago, I was a vegan and not eating any animal protein at all.  I ate so many grains that I was always feeling tired and bloated.  Now I’m looking lean and feeling better than ever!

The Gluten Free Society (where I found out about the Leaky Gut Cure) recommends that everyone with gluten sensitivity/intolerance should go to a completely “grain free” diet, since there is gluten in all grains, not just wheat, barley, rye, and spelt.  They claim the only true gluten free diet is one that is completely “grain free”.

I think if you are on a gluten free diet and still are not feeling well, it’s probably because you have Leaky Gut Syndrome, so I recommend trying this diet first and see if your symptoms go away.  If after 10 weeks on the Leaky Gut Cure diet, you are not feeling better, you might want to switch to a grain free diet.

Anyway, I really love the results I’m getting from this program:  more energy, continued weight loss, less inflammation, better digestion, more regularity, and overall better health.

If you are having any digestion problems at all, or any of these leaky gut symptoms:  arthritis, asthma, allergies, bloating, gas, constipation, chronic fatigue, gluten/dairy intolerance, joint pain, adrenal fatigue, thyroid problems, eczema, poor memory, recurrent colds & flu, headaches, etc., I highly recommend the Leaky Gut Cure Program.  It’s very affordable, completely downloadable, and incredibly easy to do.

Next post, I’ll be sharing with you some of the easy to prepare foods I’ve been eating on the program.  Plus, I’ll share some of  the holiday recipes that I’ll be modifying for Thanksgiving to make them more Leaky Gut-friendly.

Related posts:

1. Juicing Heals My Leaky Gut Syndrome: Part 1
2. Juicing Heals My Leaky Gut: Part 2
3. Juicing Heals My Leaky Gut: Part 3

A few months ago I found something called Divine Openings, and it has absolutely has changed my life!

What is Divine Openings?  Well, it’s rapid spiritual enlightenment, higher consciousness, practical life solutions, and beyond spiritual healing, all wrapped up into one.  It is about taking your power back, getting out of being a victim, effortlessly ending your struggles and life-long issues, and changing your life forever.

Here’s an excerpt from the Divine Openings website with further explanation:

“This groundbreaking spiritual enlightenment program is different from any spiritual healing or personal development you’ve ever done. Divine Openings does work, and quickly. It’s hard to do Divine Openings justice without sounding like we’re exaggerating – we realize that. But we’re not exaggerating. This is a different reality, and it really is this miraculous and this easy to gain spiritual enlightenment and have a drama-free, ease-filled life with Divine Openings.”

I highly recommend going to the website for more information on Divine Openings, as I cannot really do it justice here.  Plus, you can feel the magnetic energy when you go to the site, and it will actually raise your vibration.  In fact, I recommend visiting the site daily to start your day out right, and read Lola’s quote for the day.

I recently went to the 5-day Silent Retreat which was held back in May in Austin, Texas.  It was an unbelievable, life-changing experience for me, and it’s changing everything in my life on a daily basis.

First and foremost, my physical health has vastly improved.  I have increasingly higher energy levels every day.  Although I still have some food sensitivities (like gluten and wheat) some of them are completely gone (like corn and dairy).  All of my other stomach issues have just mysteriously disappeared.

Second, the weight has just dropped off of me since the 5-day.  I found out that as you lighten up energetically, you are dropping  dense, heavy, low vibrational energy, and subsequently, you drop a lot of the excess weight you have.  In fact, the energy vibration during the retreat was so high, it didn’t matter how much you ate (which we all ate a ton), everyone lost weight by the end of the week.

And in the past 3 months, I have lost 20 lbs.  I couldn’t lose 5 lbs before, much more 20!  I contribute the weight loss not only to my higher energy vibration, but to a couple of other things as well.

One, most of my sugar cravings are gone.  They’ve just disappeared.  I used to be inundated with sweet cravings day and night, but now I can barely stomach eating anything sweet at all.

Two, I started doing Zumba back in June.  If you don’t know what Zumba is, it’s a really fun, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, dance fitness workout.  You can do it at the gym, but I just got the DVD’s.  I just can’t believe how good I feel doing it.  It’s like I’m back in high school on drill team again, but having much more fun!  And it’s really toning up my body.  I love it.

Another thing that has really changed for me physically in the past 3 months are my pain levels.  I used to have chronic back and neck pain — which has been improving over the past year — well now, I only have a little bit of pain in my back from time to time.  Whenever I have pain, I know it is directly related to something that is going on in my life that is causing my energy vibration to drop.  Once I’m able to identify what it is that’s lowering my vibration, I’m able to change it and the pain moves.  Energy is always moving and pain is energy, so when you deal with whatever is going on in your life, it moves, and the pain goes away.

I never used to feel my feelings around difficult situations, but instead would get caught up in the story of it, and then would stuff my feelings.  Nothing ever got resolved, and then it all got stored in my body.  It’s no wonder I have had so many different health problems over the years! Now with Divine Openings, you learn how to deal with everything in a completely new way.  First you drop the story, then you completely feel your feelings, and it will automatically raise your vibration.  It works every time!

The most wonderful change in my life is that I’m now allowing God’s wonderful grace into my life.  I feel like I’ve spent half my life blocking the wonderful things God has for me, and I’m just now experiencing everything life has to offer.  Divine Openings opens you up to more Divine grace.  It’s always been there for me — I just wasn’t very good at letting it in.

One of the biggest changes for me right now is I am going back to work full time — which I’m actually looking forward to.  I will still continue to blog from time to time, but mostly I plan to spend any of my extra time giving Divine Openings sessions.

Once you go to the 5-day Silent Retreat, you become a Divine Openings Giver, and I would love to share this wonderful energy and life-changing experience with you.  Of course, this is way more than just energy work or energy healing — Divine Openings gives you your power back and helps you live a completely new life — the life of your dreams.

Again, I highly recommend visiting the Divine Openings website because I just cannot fully explain it all here.  I can just share with you some of the life changes that have resulted from my experience with Divine Openings.  Everyone’s experiences are different, so you should really go there and read some of the testimonials to see what kind of life-changing results people are getting.

Here is an excerpt from the website:

“Your spiritual awakening initiation or deepening, through Divine Openings ignites your light body, wakes you up to your true self, awakens Divine Intelligence (inner genius), shifts you into higher and higher consciousness, and resolves “issues” en masse. It is real, not new age wishful thinking or dabbling, and erases the myth of needing “spiritual healing.”

To get started with Divine Openings, I highly recommend ordering this book from their website:

Things are Going Great in my Absence:  How to Let Go and Let the Divine do the Heavy Lifting

This book is imperative if you really want to incorporate the lifestyle changes with your Divine Openings.  You can receive the energy all on its own, but you will be experiencing changes very quickly in your life that you may not be able to understand or handle, without the information in this book.  This will be the last spiritual book you will ever need.  It shows you how to take your power back and manifest the life of your dreams. The book is $29, and right now, and the shipping is free if you purchase 1 or 2 books.

Please know that I am free any time to answer any questions you may have about anything I’ve shared on this blog, or to schedule a Divine Openings Session, so please email me at:  tholmes@juicinghealthy.com.  You can also call me at 512-796-4849 for more information on Divine Openings, or you can send me a message via Facebook.  I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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I have recently been certified to facilitate the energy clearing technique called The Quick Pulse.  This energy clearing technique was created by Jo Dunning, and she personally taught this course.  It was amazing learning to use this technique by Jo Dunning herself

So what is The Quick Pulse Technique?  It is an easy-to-use energy clearing technique that has an unbelievably high success rate of 90-95%.  This technique is very powerful and will work on any or all of your issues including:  health issues, finances, relationships, and much, much more.

It will work on virtually anything that you would like to have different in your life!  It also works on other things like procrastination, lack of motivation, memory, love, your job, business, etc.  You can literally use this technique to clear anything you do not like in your life or would like to have different!

The sessions are only about 30 minutes long — and all you have to do is come prepared with a list of 5-6 items you would like to have different in your life.  Each item will only take ~3 minutes each, and we will go through each item one at a time.  It’s just that simple.

So what is a clearing technique?  A clearing technique helps you “clear” anything in the way of having what you want in your life.  For example, say you would like to have more money in your life, but you have unknowingly picked up a negative belief as a child that “Money is Bad”, and it is preventing you from having the money you desire.

A clearing technique can help clear that negative belief, so you can have more money in your life.  The Quick Pulse technique works exactly like that, but it works even better.  It doesn’t just clear one negative belief at a time — it clears everything that’s preventing you from having what you want.  It may take a little longer if you have a lot of negative beliefs, but it keeps going until it’s completely clear.  It is an awesome and powerful technique!

The best part is that you can cover up to 6 different items in a single session.  That means you can work on chronic pain, digestive ailments, money issues, your love life, your job and your in-laws all in one session!

The sessions can be conducted in phone or in person.  If you are interested in setting up a session with me, I’m offering sessions for half price for a limited time.  My typical rate will be $90, but right now, I’m offering sessions for only $45.

If you purchase a package of 3, I will lower the price even more, to only $25/session.

My new website is not completely up and running yet, but will be soon.  Until then you can contact me at tholmes@juicinghealthy.com to schedule a free 15 minute consultation or to schedule an appointment.

I’m available to work with you right now and look forward to talking to you soon!

Related posts:

1. Announcement: I am now a Reiki Master and do Energy Healing Treatments

First, What Is A Raw Food Diet ?

A raw food diet typically consists of nearly all uncooked food. A standard ratio is usually 75% raw food to 25% or less cooked food. Many people will even aim to achieve 90 to 100% raw foods in their diet.

Many wonderful benefits of this type of diet are realized by following these guidelines .

Here are some of the more common types of raw foods …fresh and dried fruits, fresh fruit juices, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts.

Let’s look at some of the most noticeable benefits of a raw food diet people typically experience once they make this shift in their dietary habits.

Powerful Raw Food Diet Benefits

Some of the most common benefits of this diet include…

• Increased energy level.
• Clear, soft skin.
• Establish and maintain your ideal body weight.
• You do not feel deprived of eating.
• Eat as much as you want and not gain weight.
• Enjoy a deep, sound sleep at night.
• Have regular bowel movements and rarely suffer from constipation or indigestion.
• Look younger and healthier.
• Your health and fitness levels increase.
• Your eyes will be more clear and bright.
• Feel happy throughout the day – with no signs of depression.
• Your level of concentration and focus will improve greatly.
• Your instincts and intuitiveness will be sharper.
• Less degenerative disease.
• Less frequent or less intense colds and flus.

Based on the health benefits listed above, it’s plain to see that raw foods are a simple, effective and natural way to improve your overall health and experience life at an optimal level !

For more information on raw foods and following a raw food diet, please visit my website at www.EatingforEnergy.ca to get your free reports on the benefits that raw foods can have on you!

Related posts:

1. Day 3 of Raw Food Challenge
2. Day 5 of Raw Food Challenge: Part 1
3. Day 5 of Raw Food Challenge: Part 2