Cherie's Chocolate Pudding

id=templateFooter v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"> "Let juice be your medicine, and your medicine be your juice.”   v:shapes="_x0000_s1027"> > Books to Help You Shape Up My latest book "The Juice Lady's Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies" and "The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet" will help you get in shape after the holidays. Also,  "The Juice Lady’s Living Foods Revolution" and "Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life" make great companion books.   The Juice Lady’s Remedies for Stress & Adrenal Fatigue Stress has become an epidemic in our country and a leading cause of many illnesses and issues. Fight back with these all-natural juice remedies. Events You Won't Want to Miss! Jan 9-11: Jumpstart: Supernatural Health Conference Feb 15-23: Health & Fitness Cruise Mar 23 - 28: Juice Lady’s Health & Wellness Cleanse Retreat May 18 - 23: Juice Lady’s Health & Wellness Cleanse Retreat Give a Gift of Health Do you have a friend, relative, or coworker who needs a health reboot? A juice book makes a great gift to get someone started on a healthier path. For that special person on your list, you could give a juicer--a true gift of life.  And for a person you really love--send them to our January Jumpstart Your Health Conference or our Trinity Health and Wellness Retreat. Best Holiday Gift Book for the Health Nut on Your List The Juice Lady’s Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies (It was just recommended by theBlot.com) Health Tip of the Week   It’s that time of year when sweets surround us.  If you’ve been resisting the bad stuff, but want a great holiday treat, try my raw chocolate pudding.  Avoid sugar; it depresses the immune system.  Completely avoid Splenda and Nutra Sweet; both are damaging to your health. It’s the happiest time of the year!  Have a few laughs in your kitchen making healthy food! Recipe of the Week Raw Chocolate Pudding Ingredients 2 tablespoons virgin organic coconut oil 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia* 3 dates soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and chopped 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 ripe avocados 1/2 cup cacao powder 1/2 to 1 cup almond or coconut milk Pinch Celtic sea salt *Recommend Sweet Leaf Vanilla Creme Topping Options (choose what you like) Chopped pistachios Chopped walnuts Chopped fresh strawberries Raspberries Fresh mint leaves Shredded coconut 1. Add ingredients to a blender or food processor in this order: oil, sweetener, dates, vanilla, avocados, cocoa powder, half the non-dairy milk, sea salt. 2. Blend until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add additional non-dairy milk as needed until the pudding is the consistency you want. A little on the thin side is best since it will thicken after chilling in the refrigerator. 3. Spoon into ramekins or bowls, cover and chill. 4. Top with your favorite fruits or nuts. Enjoy! The Health Impacts Regarding Fracking I have been asked why I’ve written about fracking. I want you to be aware of its negative effects on health. I often see people whose health has been severely harmed by toxicity in their bodies. Environmental chemicals have caused untold suffering and loss of life.  Though the argument on the other side is that fracking is good for our economy and will help our country not be as dependent on fuel from the Middle East, we must ask how many lives are we willing to sacrifice for the economy?  We can use conventional drilling, but this non-conventional practice of oil and gas drilling needs to be stopped primarily because of all the health-damaging chemicals required in the process.  As a nutritionist, my first goal is to help people stay healthy or recover from illness through natural remedies. What is Fracking? Hydrofracking is a controversial oil and gas extraction technique developed in the late 1940s to gain access to fossil energy deposits previously inaccessible to drilling operations. The process, "hydraulic fracturing," literally involves the smashing of rock with millions of gallons of water--along with sand and an undisclosed assortment of chemicals in order to bring gas to the surface. Due to the multitude of potential health and environmental impacts of hydrofracking source contamination can be complicated. The well location where drilling takes place is only one piece of the fracking puzzle. Since each well can require up to 8 million gallons of water, and up to 40,000 gallons of chemicals, a well site may need up to 2000 tanker truck trips, per frack. A well can be fracked up to 20 times.  This leads to contamination of groundwater and exposure to toxic chemicals to the people living in the area. Health Impacts From Fracking Health impacts from fracking are only now being examined by health experts, since such large-scale drilling is a recent phenomenon. Exposure to toxic chemicals even at low levels can cause tremendous harm to humans; the endocrine system is sensitive to chemical exposures measuring in parts-per-billions, or less. Nevertheless, many of the health risks from the toxins used during the fracking process do not express themselves immediately, and require studies looking into long-term health effects. A 2011 article in the journal, Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, examined the potential health impacts of oil and gas drilling in relation to the chemicals used during drilling, fracking, processing, and delivery of natural gas. The paper compiled a list of 632 chemicals (an incomplete list due to trade secrecy exemptions) identified from drilling operations throughout the U.S. Their research found that 75% of the chemicals could affect the skin, eyes, and other sensory organs, and the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Approximately 40–50% could affect the brain/nervous system, immune and cardiovascular systems, and the kidneys; 37% could affect the endocrine system; and 25% could cause cancer and mutations. My friend Nan owns a farm in Washington state.  She’s very concerned about fracking and how it could ruin their well water and the lovely stream that runs through their property.  She is collecting signatures to help stop this health-damaging process.  Please email her and she’ll get your name added to the petition - nan.monk@gmail.com. Notes These are excerpts taken from Geology and Human Health. For more information...