Growing Your Own Fresh Produce Just Got Easier
This guest article is written by Tom Corson-Knowles, founder of Authentic Health Coaching. Tom blogs regularly about whole food nutrition, vertical gardening, and other health topics.
I love eating raw foods and fresh produce. The problem is it can be hard to get! And it can be expensive. Growing your own fresh produce is an awesome way to save money and get higher quality, fresher produce that is organic and vine-ripened. The only problem is, over 70% of people live in cities. So how do you grow your own food in a city? Or if you don’t have enough land or space for a garden?
Well, for those of you who can’t grow a typical garden, now you can grow a vertical garden!
Vertical Gardening
Many people credit Patrick Blanc as the inventor of vertical gardening, but the truth is that vertical gardens have been around at least since the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in 600 B.C. It’s quite likely that it dates back even further than that, but either way, vertical gardens have been few and far between. They’ve mostly been reserved for royalty, tourist attractions or novelties… until now.
Just in the last 5 years, vertical farming projects have popped up all over the world. More than 20 countries either now have a large vertical farm project completed or it’s in progress. So what does a vertical farm look like?
What a vertical farm looks like!
Here’s a graphic of a vertical farm project from Dickson Despommier’s landmark book The Vertical Farm.
When you look at it, you’re probably thinking, “I’m never going to build something like that!” Well, you don’t have too!
Home Vertical Gardening Kits
With recent advancements in aeroponics (a form of hydroponics where the plant roots sit in air instead of in water), there are now home growing vertical garden kits available for $500-$600. The kits generally have spots for 20-30 plants, depending on how big a unit you get.
With aeroponic growing, the crops generally grow 2-3 times faster than in soil because the roots can absorb nutrition much more quickly in an aeroponic environment and the plants don’t have to compete with pests or fungus or other organisms like they would in soil. This means that you can grow a tomato plant, for example, from seedling to hundreds of ripe tomatoes in just 4-6 weeks instead of 12-18 weeks in soil. So you can plant and harvest several times a year instead of just once!
Rooftop aeroponic tower garden in NYC!
On the right, you can see a chef from New York City harvesting squash from his vertical garden that he placed on the rooftop. Those squash plants are just 5 weeks old!
With a vertical garden kit, you can grow on rooftops, indoors, outdoors, just about anywhere! There’s even a large commercial vertical farm project being build in the Netherlands that is completely underground! The farm will be using grow lights instead of sunlight.
These commercial farms aren’t just environmentally motivated. Even though aeroponic vertical farms use 10% as much land and 90% less water than conventional growing in soil, these farms are mostly commercial ventures – and they are profitable. Likewise, as a homeowner with just one vertical gardening kit, for your $600 investment, you’ll probably be saving at least $50 a month in grocery bills, meaning your investment would “pay off” in a year or so.
Many of my friends who have been growing aeroponically have had such an abundance of food that they had to give away the extra to their neighbors and friends! For those of you who are entrepreneurial minded, you could also start a small side business selling the extra produce from your vertical garden.
So if you’ve been looking for a way to get more fresh produce, vertical gardening just might be your ticket to a healthier lifestyle – and a whole lot of tomatoes!
Homemade Raw Superfood Granola
Homemade raw superfood granola
For those that love a nice crunchy texture bursting with multiple flavors, you’ll adore this homemade granola recipe. Granola used to be one of my favorite snack foods when I ate more processed, packaged organic foods and wasn’t as clean with my food choices. This is a very flexible recipe that can be adapted based upon what ingredients you currently have in your conscious kitchen and I advise making more than you expect you’ll want to since it’s a pretty addictive healthy snack for your entire family.
The Raw Superfood Granola makes a wonderful travel food and is ideal for people who are super busy with crazy schedules (or many kids) who typically grab whatever is easy when they’re out grabbing a bite to eat on their lunch break.
The base of the recipe is buckwheat, nuts and seeds of choice, raw honey, and organic superfood and/or tonic herbal powders of choice. I used multiple sweeteners (raw honey, lucuma and stevia extract), and many of the superfoods I have in my superwoman stash. It doesn’t have to be as many ingredients as I list; I just wanted to load it up with as much as I could as an experiment to see if it would still be tasty – and, it was! I love simple foods too, yet I do enjoy loading up recipes like this with as much goodness as possible so each bite is packed with nutrition.
The amounts you use aren’t really that important, but I’ve given you a general sense of the amounts I used below. I didn’t measure anything and used my intuition; the base is soaked and rinsed buckwheat and nuts + seeds (so it wasn’t just buckwheat granola) with small amounts of everything else. If you want a lighter granola, use more buckwheat and if you want a more dense, heavy, and nutty granola, use more nuts and seeds. Play around and make a different version each time!
Buckwheat directions: soak a few cups of organic buckwheat (bought in the bulk food section at natural health food stores) in spring water overnight. Rinse thoroughly the next morning – the gooey-ness will go away if rinsed well enough. Let it drip in the sink for a while and then sit on the counter to dry (same process as making sprouts). You can use the buckwheat right away or sprout them for a several more hours or again, overnight.
In making the recipe this way (with a diverse selection of ingredients and choices), I took a chance that it would turn out better than the raw food granola at natural health food stores. This recipe is WAY beyond anything that can be purchased in the raw food section of stores and is incredibly more nutritious and cost-effective.
Pre-dehydrated granola mixture spread evenly on tray
Ingredients (100% raw + organic)
Your Granola Base (approximate measurements):
1+ cup sprouted buckwheat
1/2-1 cup soaked pumpkin seeds
1/2 -1 cup soaked sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cashews or macadamia nuts (truly raw, please!)
1 T homemade almond butter (really nice delicious addition to bind ingredients if you want that)
OR – do primarily buckwheat with just a couple small handfuls of nuts and/or seeds. I did this in my 2nd batch & it’s awesome.
* nuts and seeds do not need to be dehydrated, but they certainly can be – I took them right out of the bowl they were soaking in
Dried Fruit:
- goji berries (I only use the Dragon Herbs Heaven Mountain or Bija brands)
- dried cherries
- raisins (not nearly as nutritious as goji berries, but an good option especially for kids)
Superfoods of Choice (possibilities are endless – I’ve just listed here what I made in the batch that’s pictured; use select ingredients in amounts desired; make a different batch each time and experiment!):
- maca (energy, stamina and hormone balancing)
- cacao (powder and/or sweetened or plain nibs)
- mucuna (natural mood-booster)
- noni powder (super immunity)
- wild blue green algae, spirulina, and/or chlorella (by HealthForce)*
- marine phytoplankton (another epic algae)*
- hand-harvested local pine pollen (or bought online)
- Chocolate or Vanilla Phycocyanin Warrior Food (raw vegan protein powder)
* I consider algae to be very important in a nutritional program and put it in everything.
Sweeteners:
- approx 1 T vanilla or cinnamon infused raw honey (or your favorite raw honey!)
- 1 teaspoon lucuma
- pinches of stevia extract powder (Kal brand), (optional)
* If you’d rather not use raw honey and prefer to keep it super low-glycemic, add more lucuma and stevia to taste. It can be done and really taste dee-lish! You can always add other sweeteners, but the ones I list are my personal favorites.
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 teaspoon wildcrafted vanilla bean
- pinches of sea salt
Directions: Mix your ingredients all together in the food processor. Pulse until mixed well – do not over pulse (unless you want to turn this into granola bars which I’ll share a recipe for in another post)! Spread mixture onto teflex dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for several hours or overnight. Check on your granola and flip once the one side is dry and crunchy, and dehydrate for another few hours until it’s the way you want it.
Package some up and feed it to your kids, keep it around as a healthy snack to nibble on, and bring it with you on road trips so there’s something nutrient-dense that you can eat in lieu of pre-packaged products made with less love than this chewy granola recipe I’ve shared here!
Summer Superfood Detox Intensive Retreat
Greeeeeen juice for beauty, energy, and detoxification
Summertime is around the corner and it’s time to get that beach babe body! The best way to do it? Naturally… with a perfect blend of movement and nutrition to help you accelerate your results so you can be and feel slim, sexy, and healthy!
I’m excited to share with you that I have an intensive weekend retreat coming up and you’re invited! I’ve partnered with my good friend Amber Zuckswert (Pilates & Yoga Master, Professional Dancer, and Founder of EpicSelf.com) to make this an absolutely epic weekend filled with delicious abundance.
Join us for an exceptional weekend intensive taking extraordinary care of yourself with 2 hours of yoga and Pilates movement classes daily, and multiple cleansing classes focused on detoxifying your body temple and lightening up for summer.
You’ll learn how to make AND feast on raw, vegan, superfood-rich recipes throughout the weekend that will cleanse your hard-working body and speed up your metabolism. We are demonstrating several recipes each day to give you a plethora of nutrient-dense, delicious choices when on a cleansing protocol. This Detox Weekend Intensive is intended to inspire you to initiate a longer detoxification program whether the week directly after the Intensive with us, or anytime in the future on your own. We’ll be sharing details of how you can work with us in a fully supported and guided program to let the magic of the weekend continue.
This is a power-packed healthy weekend catered to making you feel and look like the superwoman version of you. It’s bikini weather and if you want to feel comfortable in your bathing suit at the beach or pool this summer, learning how to cleanse your body is a healthy tool that can be used to kick start weight loss anytime you need a boost!
There’s no better time than now to feel and look slim, sexy, and healthy! Come join us for a high vibe weekend where you’ll receive a heaping dose of what need to take your health to the next level. By the end of the weekend, you’ll be very confident in knowing how to squash those unhealthy cravings that leave you feeling less than the best ever.
You’ll be sampling all kinds of mouth-watering drinks and light meals, so there is no need to bring additional food for yourself unless you feel you’ll need a raw trail mix or fresh fruit to snack on during the break midday.
Life-enhancing organic juice
When:
Friday, June 1 from 7-9pm
Saturday, June 2 from 10-5pm
Sunday, June 3 from 10-5pm
Where:
The Happiness Project
11th and Mission St., San Francisco, CA
Cost:
$150 – One Day Only (Saturday or Sunday)
$250 – All Weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
* This is an all-inclusive weekend with no additional costs to you.
Garden green smoothie w/ local bee pollen on top
On the Menu:
SATURDAY:
Everlasting Vitality Juice
Hot Body Replenisher
Master Cleanse Kefir
Green Garden Smoothie
Super Immunity Tonic
Herbal Beauty Elixir
The Goddess Mash
SUNDAY:
Yoga Manna Lemonade
Wild Woman Juice
Mango Carob Chia Pudding
Super Fruit Smoothie
Herbal Tonic Beauty Elixir
Seaweed Slimming Soup
The Most Important 5 Foods That Keep Me Healthy
For a long time now, I’ve been considering what foods I consume on a regular, consistent basis make all the difference in experiencing optimal health. Which foods make me feel the best, and which ones are giving me so many benefits that I could absolutely thrive with these as my staples?
Raw Kraut - so bright red it's feeding my body LOVE !!!
I finally narrowed it down to 5 foods and I am in love with them all and feel a deep dense of nutrition when I eat them. They are part of my daily diet and when I run low, I tend to freak out. I invite you to ponder the same questions I’ve asked myself – what is serving you the most? What is giving you the most bang for your bite (meaning LOTS of nutrition even in lower quantities)? What foods are propelling you forward?
Raw Sauerkraut / Cultured Vegetables / Kim Chee
A year ago, I was not a cultured veggies kind of a girl; in fact, they weren’t even a part of my diet. Thanks to Donna Gates and The Body Ecology Diet though – which I follow more or less with the exception of raw honey, a bit of local, in season fruit, and infrequent quinoa dishes – I have become an ADDICT to raw sauerkraut. I have created the perfect dish that I’ve had nearly every night since last summer and make it a foundational recipe for my clients’ meal plans.
I have turned sooo many people onto raw kraut, especially people who were repulsed by the thought of introducing it into their diet. They thought, “yuck, no way!” – but now… they are crazy fans just like me and are raving about the age-defying benefits of this dietary staple.
Purple-y green cabbage leaves from the garden
I digest everything better, especially healthy fats (makes sense, doesn’t it?)! My energy levels have risen, ability to manage stress has increased, and my skin is looking younger. I could be the poster girl for raw sauerkraut – I’m that much of an avid fan! Because my habit is so heavy, I go through a lot – eating a heaping handful each day (afternoon – dinner), and can hardly keep up with making sure I have enough. I buy some and make some myself and eat all varieties possible, especially loving spicy krauts or ones with tonic herbs (that’s my dream, really – tonic herbs and kraut! – best diet for me ever).
THE GODDESS MASH (simplified)
Mix and Mash:
1/2+ cup raw sauerkraut
1/2 – 1 ripe avocado
Approx 1 teaspoon spirulina
Smoosh it all together into creamy paradise.
OPTIONAL: Add the “works” (any or all of the following): dulse seaweed, sprouts, leafy greens from the garden, apple cider vinegar, raw tahini, quinoa, and Vitamineral Earth (roots, barks, herbs, and probiotics) – mash together and wrap in cabbage leaves from the garden or nori sheets. Hands down, this is my most favorite meal & it makes me happy 
Try it! You’ll have yourself the best fast food meal possible: deeply nourishing, satisfying, quick energy, and easy for your body to break down and assimilate. It’s also no doubt the best travel food / meal ever.
Love my garden leafys & flowers!
Garden Greens
I’ve recently written 2 comprehensive posts about my glorious garden greens and will suggest you read over those articles to get a sense of what kind of impact the leafys & herbs have on me. They blow me away and I am in awe that I wasn’t doing this all along. Believe me, I am doing my best to catch up for lost time 
I’ll just say this: I literally LOVE everything more because of the peace my edible garden brings me. How is this possible?! I don’t know, but it’s exciting!
* The Best Health Decision I EVER Made
* The 5 Must Know Steps About Growing Food
Algae
A couple years ago, for a year consistently, I included so much algae as part of my diet that one would think I was a fish. LOL! I didn’t have specific intentions when I embarked on this blue green adventure, but WOW did it have a powerful health impact for me. I was already consuming algae, just not in heavy quantities. My eyesight got dramatically better… so much so that when I went to renew my contact lens prescription and had the exam, the doctor was astonished when she realized my sight was improving even as I was “getting older” and claimed that this never happens. What in the world I was doing?! Btw – I am getting younger and told her that.
Garden green fruit smoothie with local bee pollen on top!
Ahhh, yes – that’s my algae habit. Simply put, it’s extremely beneficial for the skin (hair, nails, and all things beauty-related), mind, nervous system, digestive system, and every other system you could name. It’s loaded with amino acids, antioxidants, nucleic acids (DNA / RNA), enzymes, minerals, and everything else one wants in their body. I adore spirulina, wild blue green algae, and chlorella and feel a nutritional plan is not complete without them. Algae is a miraculous food, works miracles in the body, and I’ve witnessed health miracles by those who’ve consumed algae.
Most often, I get my algae from HealthForce Nutritionals (product is called Elixir of the Lake and is wild blue green algae at its’ finest!)
Bee Products: Bee Pollen & Royal Jelly
Bee pollen is another favorite that I could talk about forever, but I wrote an article that sums up the outstanding benefits of this true superfood titled, Bee Pollen: The Queen Strategy for Weight Loss and Stress Management. Check it out!
Here’s the thing with royal jelly – if you’re going to do it, do it right. None of that shwaggy liquid stuff that goes rancid quickly at the store. Fortunately, a good friend of mine – Sean Lee Gardner – has created an epic product line and the signature product is “Bee Mana” – a certified organic, truly raw royal jelly that is in powder form. His bees are never fed sugar like most bee are! That’s worth repeating… Sean’s bees are NEVER FED SUGAR! (which is great for you!)
Immortality Alchemy's "Bee Mana" - certified organic, truly raw royal jelly!
Why you want this food as part of your diet (top 3 reasons):
1) It’s known for balancing our hormones & addresses infertility issues
2) If you’re stressed or tired, it helps build stress resilience (contains the entire vitamin B complex, even human active B12 ) so you feel better!
3) It creates silky skin, luscious locks, contains anti-aging hormones (DHEA), and is an ideal supplemental food that has a long history of use for those wanting to look younger without botox injections
Sean has extended a sweet 10% discount for you to order his organic, raw royal jelly! It’s for orders over $99.95 and you’ll also get free shipping! Use the code EDIBLEGODDESS10OFF. Order here to get your 10% discount on this superb longevity food. (He’s also got some epic “Spirit Reishi” that will calm your nerves and soothe your soul faster than anything else.)
Organic apples from my neighbors' garden!
Juicy Fruit
Not the chewing gum, Juicy Fruit – although I did chew plenty of that crap when I was a little girl – but I’m referring to the real deal fruit that grows from organic trees. Nothing replaces it… even fruit powder blends or dried fruit, it’s just not the same and you don’t get the same nutritional benefits. I don’t go overboard with fruit, but it definitely has its place and serves me well.
My very favorite fruits include oranges, mango, blueberries, apples, and avocado (an easy to digest fatty fruit, and I love it!). I eat fresh fruits when they’re in season, either from the farmer’s markets and avocados year round. I do realize that mangoes come from far away, but I love them I’m happy that my current neighbor has some flourishing apple trees.
If you’d like support in creating a winning strategy for you to pinpoint the foods that will serve YOU the most, I can help. Reach out to get the guidance you need and accelerate your results so you can enjoy the health you deserve!
What are the top 5 foods that keep you the healthiest, or that you cannot live without?
The 5 Must Know Steps About Growing Food
Homegrown cabbage
In my experience of growing my own food, there are 5 primary steps that I’ve found to be the most important. They may be obvious steps to some, yet notice the simple upgrades I’ve made to each. I want to share these with you because I’ve found that growing some of my own food, having an edible garden, and going above standards options for gardening by using amendments as discussed below, has been the best health decision I’ve EVER made. Read more
The Best Health Decision I EVER Made
My bountiful garden, a heart-warming project for me
Ten & a half years ago, I lost my mom to the ever-increasing cancer battle that way too many people are familiar with. She had a super rare form of this dis/ease and witnessing her pain and body falling apart – literally dying as the days passed – had a deeply profound effect on me. It would anyone, and I know I’m not the only one with this story – but I am one of the rare birds who consciously spins things like this to my favor. Read more
Mixed Berry Goji Jam
I’ve always wanted to make my own jam – my style – RAW and without white cane sugar like most store bought jams & jellies. I searched and asked around how other health-conscious enthusiasts make theirs, and was inspired to whip one up focusing all the mixed berries in season during summer.
The recipe here was an experiment for a friend who loves my stone ground almond butter that we swirl with raw wildcrafted honey; the jam turned out wonderful and we both loved it!
Enjoy this high-antioxidant jam:
♥ by the spoonful
♥ as the fruit layer in a pie
♥ as part of a nut butter sandwich
♥ swirled together with almond butter in a bowl
♥ as 1 layer in a chilled homemade goey energy bar
Mixed Berry Goji Jam
MIXED BERRY GOJI JAM
*everything should be organic or wildcrafted!
Makes approx 18 ounces
2.5 cups mixed fresh OR thawed and strained frozen strawberries, raspberries, and/or blueberries
8 pitted dates (to taste)
small handful dried (or fresh) goji berries
2 T raw wild honey
1 – 2 T lucuma powder (a Peruvian low-glycemic berry)
Pinch of sea salt
LOVE ♥
Optional: Few drops of your chosen medicine extract from Medicine Flower (I used blueberry): http://www.medicineflower.com/flavorextracts.html
Directions: Process in a food processor for several minutes until everything is well-blended. Scoop into glass jars and store in fridge.
This jam is so light, sweet, and fragrant! If you’d like a more TART jam, use Inca Berries instead of goji berries.
I used the full amount listed for lucuma, but do know that you will be able to taste the powder in the texture just a bit, so if you want to avoid that, use a smaller amount.
Jams are higher in sugar, so be mindful of this when consuming them. I usually do not eat dates very often, but decided to give this a recipe a try WITH them, and will try another version without them. It’s preferable to make your own jams and jellies so you know exactly what goes in them, and you can load it up with high antioxidant organic fruits and organic raw sweeteners so it is balanced.
Mastering the Art of Beauty Elixirs and Low-Glycemic Superfood Smoothies
Mastering the Art of Beauty Elixirs & Low-Glycemic Superfood Smoothies – Monthly Workshop Series in Beautiful Marin County, CA
With Bethanne Wanamaker and Christian Bates
Lemonade Quencher w/ MSM for Beauty
Lemonade Stand
This is the healthier version of what must be 1 of the most popular drinks worldwide: lemonade. It’s an upgrade from what you consumed as a kid.
Imagine trying to sell THIS freshly made lemonade at your lemonade stand instead of the inferior stuff straight from the freezer! It’s just as easy to make. Just like other kids, I sometimes even drank it out of a can and hardly made it fresh.
Here’s the upgraded drink – an elixir style lemonade with plant-derived MSM that will truly quench your thirst. If you’re new to MSM – the “must have supplement” – you’ll find this article that lists all the nutritional benefits, very helpful.
WARNING: This drink is HIGHLY addictive to everyone who has EVER tried it! Feed it to your kids without guilt, even daily – it’s good for them!
Lemonade Quencher
5 cups spring water
7-8 ice cubes
1 teaspoon plant-derived MSM
2 freshly squeezed lemons
up to 1/4 teaspoon stevia extract powder, to taste
several pinches sea salt (be liberal)
Blend on high for 10-20 seconds and serve chilled. Make it a priority to enjoy it this Spring and Summer with your friends and family! Start with just several shakes of the stevia extract powder to sweeten, then taste, and add more if needed. You’ll know when it’s the “right” amount – it WILL be the best tasting lemonade ever and your lips will pucker.
If you love this elixir style lemonade with the MSM to take it to the next level, you’ll love the 30+ recipes in my Superfood Beauty Elixirs book! Grab a copy today so you can start making the sweet, yet low-glycemic healthy versions that are reminiscent of your favorite childhood drinks.
Note: the above recipe is not in the Superfood Beauty Elixirs book, but is a simple mouth-watering recipe that delivers the concept of what it will offer you.
Kelp Chips Recipe, Like Kale Chips but BETTER
This is a guest blog post from raw gourmet chef and master creator in the kitchen, Christian Bates at www.ChristianBates.com.
Freshly dried kelp chips
Kelp Chips are:
- crispy, not hard and chewy like raw seaweed
- a wild food, not a domestic cultivar like kale
- an ideal source of natural iodine to protect your thyroid and kick start your metabolism
First, acquire a big bowl of whole wet kelp. Two ways it can be done:
1. Purchase whole dried kelp and soak in pure water (I prefer my local spring water) in a bowl for 1 hour. Drain off remaining water (which makes great garden fertilizer or compost amendment).
2. Harvest it yourself fresh from an unpolluted beach, take it home and rinse it many times (under your filtered shower head works well). Drain off remaining water.
Then, make a raw cheezy coating:
Cheezy coated kelp ready for the dehydrator
- 1 cup Brazil nuts, soaked
- 1/2 cup spring water
- 1/4 cup sesame tahini
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 small dried or fresh cayenne chili or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder, or any chili of choice
- 1 handful of green gourmet herbs of choice (oregano, thyme, basil, cilantro, parsley, etc.)
- few dashes of freshly ground peppercorn
OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup water kefir to inoculate with probiotics that will make the end product even cheesier.
Blend on high in a high-speed blender until creamy. Scoop into bowl of wet kelp and massage with clean hands, evenly coating the kelp. Feel free to double this recipe if you have more kelp available.
You may also mix kale in with your kelp so that you have kelp n’kale chips. Or, add sliced onions for “un-fried” onion pieces. You can also pile on a few tablespoons of spirulina powder to make this a double-algae (spirulina and kelp are both algae) powerhouse snack.
Evenly spread on solid-sheeted dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 145*F (or lower if you desire) overnight until crispy and deliciously addictive. Try out this recipe and post a comment sharing your own chip creations!
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