The Organic Climber – Vegetarian running, cycling, swimming, rock climbing and raw foods.

Chris, my brother-in-law and co-founder of Adventure Naturals explains raw foods in plain, easy to understand language. It’s as easy as apple pie to understand, so watch and learn. Also, don’t forget; we are still raising our startup funds on Kickstarter. We have 40 days left to meet our $5,000 goal. Anything helps, even giving at the $5 level means more than you will ever know. That is the beauty of crowd funding. Hundreds of people can donate a small amount and make a HUGE difference.

Health & Fitness, RAW Food, Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
adventure naturals, energy bar, RAW Food
4 comments

Cinnamon Girls - A yummy raw dessert. Great for Holiday parties.

1. Proper portions are key. Continue maintaining a healthy portion of food at every meal; even at the big extravagant meals with family. The rule, “eat until content” still remains the same. If you eat until you are full, you have already overeaten.

2. Bring a healthy dish. Make sure to bring a healthy dish to your next Thanksgiving or Christmas feast to share with everybody. This will ensure you have something healthy to eat and are able to share the love with others at the same time. This might especially be important if you are vegetarian like myself.

3. Avoid the grazing tables. Fortunately, I no longer work in an office so I won’t be faced with the constant barrage of Holiday treats in the break room. You are best off avoiding them all together. Once you indulge it’s hard to not keep going back, unless you have a lot of self-control. Rather than grazing at the table, bring your own healthy snacks to curb your hunger, and as always – drink lots of water.

4. In addition to the grazing tables at work, avoid lingering around food when at parties. The temptation to constantly consume food is far less when it’s not right in front of you.

5. Make healthy holiday snacks. One of my favorite raw deserts to make around the Holiday’s is my raw oatmeal cookies. They are not only delicious, but healthy too! But remember, just because it’s raw food doesn’t mean you can’t overdo it.

6. Continue exercising. It can be easy to slip out of your regular exercise routine with all the extra time off work and time spent with family. Make sure you still maintain your normal level of exercise, if not more, because lets face it – you are still going to consume more calories, even if you manage to follow most of these tips.

7. Self-control is key. Just say no! When you are tempted to over indulge, just refuse to give into the temptation.

The Holiday’s can be a difficult time for even the healthiest of eaters to maintain a healthy diet. The tips above are just a few suggestions that have helped me at times. There is no magic formula for success, but I will say don’t forget to enjoy yourself. The Holiday’s are meant to share food with family and friends, so be careful that you don’t grow too pretentious about your “diet” that you alienate yourself from loved ones. Living life with loved ones is more important than food.

I would also like to share with you one of my favorite recipes that I like to bring to Holiday gatherings. This desert is one of my all-time favorite raw deserts.

Cinnamon Girls, from Matt Amsden’s Rawvolution

The Recipe
2 cups of raw almonds, finely ground in food processor
1/3 cups of cinnamon
1 cup of raisins
¾ cup of agave nectar
2 tbsp of olive oil

Directions: in a medium mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir until mixed well. Next, add the agave and olive oil and mix until a dough like consistency is reached. Using your hands, form ping-pong-sized balls and place into a container or large serving platter. Serve as is, or freeze overnight for a more solid consistency.

Health & Fitness, RAW Food, Recipes by OrganicClimber
christmas, fit, health, holiday, RAW Food, thanksgiving
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Well, I’m back in Austin after enjoying a week-long cruise with my new wife in the Western Caribbean. Now, I’m not normally a lay out in the sun type of person, but I really enjoyed the cruise. It was so relaxing. People waited on you hand and foot, dinner was prepared for you every night, your bed was made twice a day, food was always at the ready, and there was always somebody offering drinks.

We had a blast laying out in the sun, driving through the mountains in Jamaica to visit a rum distillery, and even snorkeling. Oh, and we had LOTS of nap time too. That was one of the best parts of the trip. I’m spending today catching up on emails, promoting the Kickstarter Project (as seen in the side bar), doing laundry, and cleaning the house. I will be sure to post a full trip report later this week, before Thanksgiving.

If you haven’t donated to our Kickstarter project yet, please consider doing so. The quicker we raise our startup funds the sooner we can start production. All giving levels ($5 and up) will receive a gift of at least one energy bar.

RAW Food, Trip Reports by OrganicClimber
cruise, energy bar, honeymoon, kickstarter, RAW Food
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Me, near the summit of the First Flatiron in Boulder Colorado. A day's journey that was fueled on raw foods!

Honestly, right now I have been getting sort of bored with raw foods. I think it has to do with a number of things. One, I just moved to Austin, and there are so many good eateries here, all vegetarian friendly too. Two, I’m experiencing salad burnout, but that is partly my fault for not changing things up enough. Three, I’m out of routine. Being self-employed and starting up my own business has been great, but it is harder to eat raw since I’m working from coffee shops – salads won’t keep without a refrigerator.

My diet is probably around 50% raw currently, except on weeks that involve traveling on the weekends. I’m becoming more and more okay with this though, as who I am is not defined by my diet. I do notice a difference in my health though when I’m not eating as much raw foods, and when I make poor choices with cooked foods – my digestive system lets me know. When I first started getting into raw foods, I went all out. My diet consisted of 70-80% raw food, and meat a few times a week. I eventually departed from that though and was completely vegetarian. I have found the high raw food lifestyle is very difficult to maintain.

So, all this to say – I’m totally fine with my current raw food intake. But, I will say I want to make sure I’m making healthier cooked food choices, which can be hard with so many good, local eateries here in Austin. I especially need to make this a priority because of my bike accident. I know from experience with my high raw food intake in the past that the healing process can be much faster when you provide your body with nutritionally dense foods and lots of greens.

I have also decided that it’s okay to eat snack foods and deserts in moderation, although I still avoid the really bad things that are made of nothing but sugar and unnatural ingredients. One of my main reasons for this is because of the comradery it provides with other people. I always hated it when I wouldn’t indulge in a tasty desert and the conversation would then focus on me and my diet. Not only that, but I also believe there is absolutely nothing wrong with these indulgences, just as long as they are in moderation.

I have grown to hate some of the pretentiousness I have seen in the raw food community as well. But, I am thankful for people like, Philip McClusky who have recently announced to the community they have introduced cooked foods into their diet. Perhaps it will take down the high and mighty attitude some people have about their diet. I admittedly was sucked into finding part of my identity in raw foods for a while, but thankfully have realized that is not where my identity lies.  We are human beings, created in the image of God, there is much more to who we are than what we eat.

I guess what I am getting at is that you shouldn’t worry about how closely you cling to a particular diet; especially one that restricts you from enjoying life, and other people. I still aspire to eat mostly raw foods and strongly believe it’s a highly beneficial lifestyle, but I refuse to let it dominate and define my life. So, finding a good balance will be a challenge, especially since I can tend to struggle with moderation when not being strict on my diet. But, I do believe a balance can be found.

RAW Food by OrganicClimber
confession, RAW Food
2 comments

Delicious Almonds

First of all, it’s important to understand why nuts are healthy and good for you. Next to hemp seed protein, nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein available. They are also rich in fiber and antioxidants. Additionally, nuts are high in fat – the good kind! They contain mostly omega 3 fats (most nuts), which are great for reduction of inflammation and helping metabolize fat, this is very important for athletes.

Almonds are one of the post popular nuts and are especially high in vitamin B2, fiber and antioxidants. Almonds are the most nutritious nut of all. Walnuts are also a very healthy nut, and highly beneficial to athletes. They are rich in B vitamins, potassium, and magnesium. They also help retain electrolyte levels, which is important to help athletes stay hydrated.

Now that you know some of the health benefits of nuts it’s time to learn how to include more of them into your daily diet. It should be noted though that since nuts are high in calories they should serve as a replacement food, and not an addition to our daily caloric intake.

1. Snacks: Everybody loves snacks, but often times we tend to choose unhealthy options. Making healthy choices can be difficult when vending machines are readily available and clients bring good into the office. Nuts are great to keep around your desk to curb those hunger cravings. Seasoned nuts make for an very tasty snack, there are many store bought options, but most are not raw. You can make your own raw, seasoned nuts, at home; just check out my recipes here.
2. Nut Butters: Almond butter is pretty much a staple food in my diet, I often put it in my smoothies or spread it over a piece of Ezekiel bread, topped with banana and occasionally agave nectar. Cashew butter is considered a delicacy in my book, but can be easily made at home if you have a high-speed blender such as the Vita-Mix.
3. Raw Deserts: You would be surprised at how many delicious raw deserts are out there that involve nuts. Susan over at Rawmazing has a new book out full of delicious raw deserts; it’s well worth checking out. There are also plenty of great raw food (and a few cooked) recipes on the site.
4. Energy Bars: Nuts are a great source of complex carbs and protein, and are easily consumed in the form of an energy bar. Check out the recipes I have here on my blog. There are also plenty of store bought raw energy bars, but it’s much more cost effective to make your own if you can find the time.
5. Almond Milk: Easy to make, and highly nutritious! Simply blend up 1 cup of almonds to 3 cups of water and strain through a milk bag or fine cheesecloth and you have your self a highly nutritious non-dairy beverage that is great in smoothies, with granola, or as a simple morning drink. You can also sweeten your nut milk by using dates, stevia, or agave nectar. Almond milk is also a great substitute for dairy and soy products to use in your tea or coffee. Store bought almond milk is also a good alternative.

The Benefits of Soaking Nuts

Soaking nuts before you consume them is very important. Nuts have a natural enzyme inhibitor that makes them more difficult to digest. Soaking nuts (and seeds) neutralizes the enzyme inhibitor and makes them easier to digest. Additionally the amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and essential fatty acids your body can absorb increases. Soaked nuts are simply put, more nutritious.

Soaking Times

• Almonds            8-12 hours (the only nuts that sprout*)
• Cashews            2.5 hours
• Walnuts            4 hours
• All others          6 hours

Although these nuts sprout, you will not see tails. They only swell.

Feel free to share your favorite nutty recipes here. Also, be sure to check back on future Fridays for great nutty recipes.

Nutty Friday, RAW Food by OrganicClimber
almonds, cashews, healthy, macadamia nuts, nuts, omega-3, pecans, RAW Food, raw nuts
7 comments

Energy bars made with dates, a simple carbohydrate that is an excellent source of energy.

There is no better way to fuel your adventures than with raw foods! Whether you are a climber, a runner, a cyclist or backpacker – raw foods are the optimal source of energy. Just a few years ago you would have found me at the climbing area with a bag full of gummy bears, orange slices (not the fruit, the candy) and maybe a peanut butter sandwich. I have even heard other climbers and hikers refer to these sugary snacks as energy. Sure, they may provide a quick boost and large amount of calories; but, it will quickly wear off. Additionally, these types of snacks are void of any real nutritional value.

When fueling your adventure, you want to give your body the most nutrient rich, easily digestible food possible. Foods high in calories and carbohydrates are going to be your best option. This is important so your body doesn’t start burning protein as a source of energy, thus reducing your bodies’ ability to build up muscle tissue. It’s crucial that your body burn fat as a source of energy, not muscle.

Most importantly though, simple carbohydrates are the best source of “quick” fuel available. They are easy to digest and provide a quick release of energy. These simple carbohydrate foods are what Brendan Brazier calls a one-step nutrient; they can be directly used as fuel by the body.

Foods rich in simple carbohydrates
Bananas
Dates
Mangos
Pineapples
Berries

Another reason to focus on simple carbohydrate foods as fuel, is that your body requires the least amount of energy to process, thus providing your body with more energy by conserving energy during digestion. Your goal is to gain the most amount of energy with the least amount of food, also the goal of the Thrive Diet.

When climbing or hiking my favorite simple carbohydrate foods to pack in my bag are: dates, bananas, and dehydrated mangoes. Really, the mangoes would be better fresh because they help in maintaining hydration, but when dehydrated they are lighter and easier to carry.

Fueling your adventure when running or cycling with these clunky fruits can be a bit more difficult, but have no fear. There is a great solution. I have developed my own energy bars, raw “shot bloks”, and energy gel to help fuel your endurance sport. Below is a list of recipes I have posted throughout the blog that use dates and agave nectar as the primary source of fuel. They also contain a small amount of protein as well.

Recipes to fuel your endurance sport, hiking or climbing trip
- Raw Shot Bloks
- Raw Energy Bars
- Raw Energy Gel (this recipe is coming soon, I thought I had posted it already)

Another favorite of mine that is easy to make if you have a food dehydrator is my raw buckwheat treats. These tasty snacks are actual full of both complex and simple carbs that will help provide you with longer lasting energy. A quick note on complex carbs; these are essential for providing high-quality protein but take longer to process and are not as readily available as energy to our body.

Climbing, Cross Training, Cycling, Health & Fitness, RAW Food by OrganicClimber
complex carbohydrates, cycling, energy, RAW Food, Running, simple carbohydrates
4 comments

I’m a little apprehensive about posting this, but sense my goal is to start posting more again I figured I would. Plus, I’m behind on part two of my trip report to Colorado. I have some pretty big news to share. Even though nothing 100% official yet I have begun work on a raw food snack company along with a friend of mine from Austin. I have already started trying to perfect recipes, test larger batches, and research production. We will be having our first actual business meeting tomorrow morning.

This may not come to a surprise to those of you that have tried my recipes before and even suggested I go into business selling them. It has been an idea I kept in the back of my mind for a long time. But, after recent career coaching with Kent Julian of Live it Forward, and reading Dan Miller’s books 48 Days to the Work you Love and No More Monday’s, I have decided it’s high time I go into business for myself.

Through reading Dan’s books and being coached by Ken I have been inspired to finally pursue work I truly love. I have always known I’m not truly cut out for the traditional 9-5 job, but have always been afraid to take a leap of faith and start my own business, or when I did, I quit pursuing at the first road block that came my way. I’m tried of mediocrity and know I’m fully capable of achieving something great. I have decided to take my passion for raw foods (especially snack and energy foods) and start something I can truly pursue and enjoy with all my being.

I have become a firm believer that we don’t have to settle for a job we hate just because it’s “secure”. With the current state of our economy, no job is truly secure. So why not take charge of your career path and begin working for yourself? Or, if you truly feel you need the structure of a traditional 9-5, then don’t just settle for a job because it pays well or has good benefits. If you don’t like your job it’s not worth the misery, and you will never truly succeed unless you are doing something you genuinely care about.

So, I would encourage any of my readers that may be frustrated with their job to take action and start living your dream! The two links posted at the beginning of this blog post are a great place to start for inspiration. I have spent the past seven years simply performing a job that I’m not truly cut out for. Fear has kept me from pursuing greater things in the past, but the material I mentioned above has helped me break free from that fear. I am looking forward to this business venture and will be sharing details here as they unfold. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and add me to your blog feed if you haven’t already.

Well, my weekend officially begins after work today. I’m headed down to Austin for a nice long four day weekend. I will be meeting with my business partner, spending time with my girlfriend, and rock climbing. It should be an exciting weekend!

RAW Food by OrganicClimber
48 Days, career, company, Dan Miller, dream, dreams, inspiration, job, Kent Julian, RAW Food, startup
1 comment

Raw onion and garlic flax seed crackers.

The other day I unexpectedly steeped into a raw food making frenzy. I think feeling run down, as if sickness was creeping up on me inspired me to create some raw foods. In addition to creating some of my raw granola, aka, raw buckwheat treats, I made some really simple flax seed crackers, which are perhaps the best I have made so far. This recipe is also simpler, in that it does not require soaking the seeds. It was purely accident that I did not soak the seeds. Normally I would, but it had been so long since I have made flax crackers I completely forgot about this step, but they still came out amazing.

The Recipe

• 1 cup of golden flax seeds
• 1 cup of brown flax seeds
• 2 TBSP onion granules
• generous amount of garlic salt
• 1/2 cup of Namu Shoyu
• 3/4 cups of water

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well mixed
2. Spread the mixture onto a teflex dehydrator sheet, should but enough for one full sheet in a nine tray Excalibur dehydrator.
3. Score the mixture into desired shapes using a pizza roller or sharp knife
4. Dehydrate crackers at 95-100 degrees for about 8-10 hours.
5. Flip the crackers over and dehydrate for another 8-10 hours, until crisp.

These crackers have a slightly salty/spicy flavor without too much hint of garlic or onion. If you like a stronger garlic or onion taste, simply add more garlic salt or onion granules.

These are great just as a side item to a meal, or served as a snack with almond butter. They would also go great with a raw cheese spread or pizza sauce. Best part is, these will stay practically stay fresh forever.

RAW Food, Recipes by OrganicClimber
dehydrated, dehydrator, flax crackers, flax seed, garlic, onion, RAW Food, raw granola, raw snack
4 comments

The other day I found myself making another batch of almond butter in the Vita-Mix. My tradition is to always make a smoothie immediately afterwards, because of all the nut butter that sticks to the bottom of the blades. There are usually at least two tablespoons worth, if not more. By making a smoothie I don’t have to waste the almond butter by washing it out. This is also where I tend to go crazy and get creative rather than making my standard mixed berry smoothie.

For this particular smoothie I decided to use some Flax Seed oil since I was experiencing some inflammation. The flax seed oil also ads a nice flavor in my opinion. Some people may not like it, but I think it’s awesome. It’s also great as a base in salad dressings as well. I was also lacking in greens today so I tossed in a hand full of spinach to start with. After browsing the frozen fruit in my freezer I decided to keep it simple and just toss in some mangoes and bananas. I also added some honey to sweeten things up a bit and give the smoothie some more thickens.

The flavor of this one was a bit more “green” than I thought it was going to be. Usually just one banana will overpower a fairly large amount of spinach. So, if you aren’t a huge fan of the “green” flavor you may want to add more banana or sweetener to offset the green taste. I typically don’t like smoothies that taste strongly green, but this one I did enjoy. Just as I did my Granny drink your greens smoothie.

The Recipe

• 2 TBSP of almond butter (cashew would work well too)
• 2 TBSP of honey
• 1-2 TBSP of flax seed oil (optional, but good)
• 1-2 frozen bananas
• 1/4 package of frozen mangoes (10oz package)
• 1 hand full of spinach

This smoothie provides a good source of calcium and protein, and is anti-inflammatory. A great post climb or run recovery drink. For additional protein add a couple table spoons of hemp seed protein.

RAW Food, Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
almond butter, flax seed oil, inflammation, RAW Food, smoothie, spinach
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Looking for reasons to go raw this New Year? Make your New Years Resolution to, “go raw”. Here are nine good reasons to make this dietary transition. These are all reasons I have learned along the way and have experienced myself first hand. Additionally I would like to note, this is really not a “diet”. It’s a food philosophy. It’s not something temporary as a means to loose weight, this is about how you look at food.

Raw BBQ Tacos, my favorite, easy to make raw meal.

1. Live a more vibrant life. I say this because to say “live longer” conflicts with my religious beliefs that our days are already numbered. But we can take good care of ourselves while we are here and live a healthy enjoyable lifestyle.
2. Cardiovascular health – Greens contain chlorophyll, which improves oxygen uptake, thus increasing your VO2 Max. This is amazing news to any athlete, as it boosts energy levels, increases endurance and reduces recovery times.
3. Less sick days – Since going green over a year and a half ago I have only been ill once. Sure there were days I wasn’t feeling great, but I have only had a cold once, and I know exactly how I got it too. Eating green improves your immune system, thus warding off the attacks of virus’.
4. More energy – Back when I was eating the SAD (Standard American Diet) I would always get really tired and sluggish about an hour after lunch. I would often times have to go for a second round of coffee (which for me was another 3 cups) just to stay awake. Eating green will require less energy to digest your food, thus giving you more energy to go throughout your day and be more productive. In fact, you won’t even need to depend on coffee if you chose to give that up, as your body will naturally be more energized.
5. Less sleep – Eating a nutrient rich diet will require less sleep. I am fully functional on six hours of sleep. This isn’t much different from when I was not eating raw foods, but the main difference now is I am actually functional and I don’t need coffee to keep myself going.
6. Reduce Stress – Eating a nutrient rich diet also leads to less stress on the body. It also affects mental stress as well. When the body isn’t adequately nourished it becomes stressed, thus accumulating additional body fat. The less stressed we are the better our bodies and mind can function.
7. Reduce the risk of cancer – Eating pure, whole foods greatly reduces your risk of cancer. I have read numerous articles about people’s cancer going away through raw foods. Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Cancer is a prime example. Eating raw foods also reduces your chances of diseases in general. Today’s modern diet is a major cause of obesity and chronic disease in our society.  Take diabetes for example: simply changing ones diet will cure one of this disease, but most are unwilling to take on the challenge. They would rather be addicted to medication. (please note I say this knowing that there may be some situations where that is not the case and medications are a must)
8. Maintain weight – Through eating raw foods it is much easier to maintain a healthy weight. When I first went raw I dropped 10 lbs FAST, but since then  have maintained that weight and have only fluctuated within a couple of pounds. I have yet to drop below 170, and usually stay around 173 – I am 6′ tall.
9. Eating high amounts of raw food leads to healthier looking skin. That makes perfect sense – cut out greasy foods it’s only natural that your skin will begin to look better. I had some friends from Austin that commented on how great my skin looked after not seeing them for two months, and I had just started introducing raw foods into my diet the last time I had seen them.

Ready to take the plunge yet? Well, it’s easier than you think. You don’t even have to become 100% raw, I’m not. You will get many of these health benefits just from switching to a 50% raw diet. But the more raw foods you include into your diet the better. I always feel better when I am eating more raw foods.

They key to making it work for you is starting simple. I recommend starting with nutritious smoothies every morning, then begin working in fruits and other raw snacks (such as nuts, seeds and flax crackers) throughout your day and eating smaller cooked meals for lunch and dinner. Then, start phasing salads into your diet until you are having a large filling salad every day. At this point you will be eating 66% of your diet raw.

After that you can start phasing in “raw meals” made from cookbooks and the plethora of raw food web sites and blogs on the internet. I tend to have one or two “raw meals” a week, sometimes more. So, about 75% of my diet is raw. 50% is about the lowest it will ever go and that only happens when I forgot my salad for lunch or I go out of town.

Many of the raw cookbooks out there portray “raw gourmet” recipes that are difficult and time consuming to make. There are lots of blogs out there the offer simpler recipes that don’t require lots of prep time. A few of my favorite blogs for simple recipes are RawDawg Rory, Rawmazing, and Julie’s Raw Ambition.

Once you start eating more raw foods I suggest you purchase digestive enzymes to take for those times you do eat cooked foods. It will help you digest your food more easily.  You will quickly begin to notice the difference in how your body digests food. When you eat raw foods you will find yourself feeling much better afterward, as your stomach will not be churning trying to process a bunch of crap.

Also, expect to experience detox symptoms. This can come in a variety of ways, for me, it was strong headaches (but not migraine strength) for nearly a month. My system was getting rid of lots of toxins. I was also giving up coffee cold turkey at the time as well. I have sense then though allowed myself to have coffee a couple times a week. But detox is a good thing. If you are starting to go raw and experience this, just know you are doing something good for your body.

Health & Fitness, RAW Food by OrganicClimber
cancer, cardiovascular, detox, diet, energy, food phillosphy, health, healthy skin, new years resolution, RAW Food, stress
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