by Olga Aura

Are your children frequently sick? Hyperactive or withdrawn? Unable to focus and learn at school? If your children are deficient in nutrients they will be lethargic, unhappy, sickly and perhaps show physical signs of deficiencies such as dark circles or bags under the eyes, blotchy skin, or very ridged nails.

If this describes your children, it may be time for a change of diet. Eating more natural raw foods will radically improve not only your children’s physical health, but also their mental abilities and behavior.

Quick and Healthy Breakfast Ideas:

Out with the pasteurized cow’s milk. In with the raw almond milk.

Did you know that the human body cannot digest cooked (pasteurized) milk protein? Actually, no body can digest cooked milk. A few years back there was a scientific study where a baby calf was given cooked cow’s milk for six months; the calf died. The explanation involves the molecular structure of a protein strand in cow’s milk that is extremely heat-sensitive; once you cook it, it becomes a biological mutant, a poison. That’s why so many kids are allergic     to dairy products.

Raw Almond Milk

Preparation time: 3 minutes

1 cup of almonds (soaked in  water overnight)

2 cups of water

1 teaspoon honey, or 1 date

Rinse the soaked almonds. Blend everything together. Strain through a cheesecloth or nut-milk bag; nut-milk bags are now available in most health food stores.

This makes a very fine quality milk. Make a double batch, so you don’t have to prepare it every morning. Fresh almond milk will store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed glass jar for up to three days. Serve with granola.

Another nice choice: smoothies.

Blend any three fruits together with water; frozen fruits are OK. The result is like a slushy. You can add ice into the blender to make it more so if you want.

Fast and Filling Lunch ideas:

Out with the white wheat bread. In with the sprouted grain bread.

Did you know that gluten, the protein in wheat, is a common allergen for children and adults? Headaches, sinus infections, skin rashes, lethargy and mood swings are just a few symptoms. But no worries, because now we have delicious gluten-free alternatives in most markets:

• Sprouted grain bread and pasta; the brand I recommend is Ezekiel 4:9.

• Buckwheat bread and pasta.

• Brown rice bread and pasta.

Sprouted Bread Sandwich:

2 pieces of Ezekiel 4:9

Almond mayonnaise (see recipe below)

Sliced avocado, tomato, sprouts.

Raw Almond Mayonnaise

I absolutely love this quick and easy recipe from my dear friend, Elaina Love.

1 cup soaked almonds

3/4 cup water

1 clove crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons lemon juice or 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 medjool dates or 1 tablespoon agave nectar

dash cayenne pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend everything together except the olive oil, until smooth. Add the oil and blend briefly.

The mayonnaise will store in a jar in the refrigerator for 10 days.

Another nice choice: veggie sticks.

Cut up any vegetables (such as cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, celery, broccoli, bell peppers, or jicama) and serve with the almond mayonnaise as a dip. Kids love it!

Anytime Idea: Prepare foods together!

Kids are hands-on interactive types. So another way to interest them in food is to let them help make it! Make a mess in the kitchen together, go to an organic farm to pick fruits, gather wild berries in the woods. Play!

As parents we have a unique chance to influence the world, the future. We are our children’s primary educators and friends. If a child shows symptoms of un-rest and dis-ease, it does not always mean that the deficiency is solely  nutritional. The child may also need more emotional or spiritual nourishment.

Olga Aura is a cleansing and raw foods expert, emotional eating counselor, inspirational speaker, and writer who founded the 21-Day Seasonal Cleanse. For more information visit www.IamFullyAlive.com or call Aura at 415-512-5775 to schedule a complimentary consultation.

The views expressed in this column are the opinion of the author.