Victoria Boutenko - what I got from her class

[Rawkinlocs]

Hey all,

Just got to see Victoria today and my husband and I learned a lot from her class. I took a few notes and wanted to share what she talked about.

She talked about the benefit of green smoothies, which we have all heard about and discussed a lot. But there were some things she shared that I don't believe I have seen thus far in the article/newsletter, etc. unless I overlooked it.

1. The greens help our bodies produce Hydrochloric Acid which doctors USED to think acid reflux and other similar problems meant we had too much of, and are now realizing that it's not due to too much, but not enough. So, she said some of the signs that your body is low in hydrochloric acid are:

- heartburn
- indigestion
- acne
- constipation/diarrhea
- low iron/anemia
- food allergies
- eczema
- thyroid disease

2. She mentioned about amino acids and mentioned two in particular - Tryptophen and Tyrosine Phenylalanine. She said that signs you need more Tryptophen are alot of the emotional problems such as depression, panic attacks, etc. She said that kale and endive are good sources of this amino acid (about 27 mg).

The signs of being low in Tyrosine are: lack of energy; lack of drive; lack of focus/concentration; ADD; and cravings for sweets, starch, alcohol and drugs.

She also mentioned briefly about B12 and cobalt and how in order to assimilate B12, we need Cobalt and that cobalt is very sensitive to the chemicals in conventionally grown produce and therefore, according to the chart she had (could only see it briefly) that inorganic produce has little-to-zero amounts of cobalt but ORGANICALLY grown produce has it. For example:

organic tomatoes had over 1200 mg of cobalt and inorganic ones had none.
organic lettuce has 60 mg of cobalt while inorganic has 0 mg.
the chart also showed how organ meat has 15-25 mg of cobalt and it listed some other things I couldn't get down before she put the chart away. But that just went to show that most say we should get this from animal protein, but the ORGANIC veggies had more of it than the meat!

She said that the best edible greens to use in your smoothies were:
chickweed, dandelion, kale, stinging nettles and her favorite, lambsquarter (which she said is delicious and is like romaine lettuce)

She mentioned that after having been drinking the green smoothies for some time, a wart that had grown on her knee just fell off in the shower as she was washing her leg. A mole she had (since the age of around 17) on her face somewhere between her eyes near the bridge of her nose, just one day fell off with no scar or anything.

She said her husband's hair is now growing in dark whereas it was growing in white/grey.

That's about all I have to share I guess. :)

[rawpriestess]

Dear Rawkinlocks,

Thanks so much for sharing.

Victoria Boutenko and family were my very first Raw food teachers, I've always loved them so much, they are knowledgable, and kind and very informative, and continue to gain even more knowledge each day.

They are a true blessing, as you are for sharing all this great information here.

Thanks. :o)

[Sharon in Colorado]

Thanks Cherie,

So interesting about the nutrients you posted. I've heard that there are thousands of undiscovered nutrients in fruits and veggies. Sooner or later, as the next beneficial nutrients are discovered, no doubt they'll be pill companies trying to develop supplements for those nutrients, and tell us we 'need' them and need to take their supps.

I'd be interested to know where to find lambsquarter.

[bellamausi]

Thanks for sharing, very interesting info indeed! :)

[Ginger]

Isn't lambsquarter one of the weeds you can find in your yard?

[Rawkinlocs]

You're welcome everyone! Glad I attended, and glad to share :)


Isn't lambsquarter one of the weeds you can find in your yard?

Yep, I believe it is! She did mention something about (my husband kept talking to me so some things I kinda missed) one of her neighbors loving her for picking the weeds from their yard so that they don't have to do it! :p

I wasn't sure which she was talking about, but perhaps it was the lambsquarter as she was talking about it the same time she was mentioning the dandelion, stinging nettles, etc.

She said just pull them up and put in your blender.

I also forgot to mention that they served some yummy nut pate on lettuce with tomato - they ran out of Igor's crackers, probably at the earlier session that was in Ann Arbor, MI. I was looking around and everyone's plate was clean. There was a raw cake served at the end as well and it was pretty good, but I could tell it was made with a lower-grade coconut oil. I've tasted one brand and the cake tasted exactly like that and I HATE that flavor. But the Virgin De Coco brand I got from Alissa - YUMMY! Other than that, the cake was good. But it wasn't made by the Boutenkos, there was a lady there who is going to be having raw classes, etc. here in the area who made the cakes.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Thanks Rawkinlocs!!!!!

I do try to buy organic when I can, but now I'm going to be sure I buy as MUCH as I can organically. I can't wait to get my organic garden started!!!!

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[rawjojo]

Hi Rawkinlocs and others!

Yes, Yes, Yes!!! I was fortunate enough to see the boutenkos a few day earlier here in Ohio and it was fabulous. Every bit of info that she gave to us is so valuable. I have been sucking down green smoothies every day since and seriously I felt a difference right away. I was blown away by that chart that she had about the colbalt and the organic produce. I too have already tried to use mostly organic but now I am so convinced that most if not all of the nutrients are sucked out of the soil that conventional produce is grown in. I have made it my new resolution to purchase only organic. I owe it to my body after all of the years of torture I have done to it. AND I know a ton of people are going to bring up the price issue but seriously there are co-ops in every state and if you don't have one local start you own. Thats what we did. Now, we get organic for less than we pay for conventional in the regular grocery stores! It's unbelievable. I already had the books so I purchased teh video and it too is very good.

Rawjojo

p.s. Rawkinlocs ............bummer that they ran out of the crackers because they were soooooooo good. Did they give you the recipe anyways. Let me know because I have already made them and they are great! It's definitely true what Igor says about flax and fiber widdleing away at you middle. My pouch is already starting to disappear.

[raeannasun]

Rawjojo, which recipe is it? Is it in 12 Steps?

[rawjojo]

I am not sure if it's in 12 steps or not I sort of rememer her saying it was in thier kids cookbook but again I'll have to check. I am at work right now so I will take a look when I get home!
rawjojo

[veggie]

What do you put in your green smoothies?

[Rawkinlocs]

Helen: You're welcome! Yeah, I still sometimes have to buy inorganic due to our current budget and our family size. But once we move and get settled and our business takes off, I plan to buy organic as much as I can and when we buy a home, I'll do my own garden more than likely.

RawJojo: Yes it was a great class wasn't it! I'm sorry I missed out on the crackers, but I have the recipe - I'm sure it has to be the one in all their books and I have (now) 3 of 'em! :p I bought "12 Steps to Raw Foods", already had "Eating without Heating" (that was my first raw recipe book) and my husband bought "Raw Family" (which is excellent and very inspiring - Igor had the same thyroid problem my husband had) and he also bought the raw food prep video tape which I watched last night and really liked.

But it would have been nice to taste the crackers made from the originator of the recipe!

Veggie: if you click on the banana icon at the top and type in "Green smoothies", there are some discussions with a lot of various recipes for green smoothies using various greens and fruits.

[rawjojo]

Yeah Veggie, there are tons listed on this site. For me personally, I usually always use kale (sometimes endive) banana, berries, and if I have peaches or pineapple or mango etc. I just use what I have to top it off. BUT always I use mostly kale!

[Pailani]

2. She mentioned about amino acids and mentioned two in particular - Tryptophen and Tyrosine Phenylalanine. She said that signs you need more Tryptophen are alot of the emotional problems such as depression, panic attacks, etc. She said that kale and endive are good sources of this amino acid (about 27 mg).

Kale and endive are good sources of tryptophan? What are good sources of tyrosine phenylalanine?

[Rawkinlocs]

Kale and endive are good sources of tryptophan? What are good sources of tyrosine phenylalanine?

According to the chart she had they are...I've never looked into myself as that was the first time I had ever even heard these terms :)

As for the tyrosine phenylalanine - the chart she had mainly stated the signs of being low in it, but I can only assume that because it was all brought up in the context of greens and green smoothies that greens are good sources - but she didn't give particulars that I can recall unless I missed it (again, my husband was constantly whispering comments to me and I had to keep telling him, "SHHHH!" :p )

[sailaway]

Wow Thanks for this site I just read all the posts and clicked all the links. I am making raw food for myself, family and several friends to help them get started and all this info is such a help. One question the stinging nettles?? are they really the horrible things in my yard and do they really just pull them and (wash) stick in the blender or do they juice them and add to the smoothie, or take like a wheatgrass shot??

[Rawkinlocs]

Wow Thanks for this site I just read all the posts and clicked all the links. I am making raw food for myself, family and several friends to help them get started and all this info is such a help. One question the stinging nettles?? are they really the horrible things in my yard and do they really just pull them and (wash) stick in the blender or do they juice them and add to the smoothie, or take like a wheatgrass shot??

She said to just rinse and toss into the blender and blend with fruit (if using stinging nettles, she said be sure to wear protective gardening gloves so you don't get stung!)

[Wendy]

My doctor also suggests using HCL pills for under HCL production. I am currently treating for an ulcer and let me say, I wish I could have gotten rid of it in a different manner. My mouth tastes like metal all the time and I have to keep taking pro-biotics daily or risk diarrhea.

It sucks.

[Tina]

Rawkinlocs, thank you for being so kind to share this information. It's always a treat to get information from lectures that we weren't able to attend ourselves. But, I am a bit confused at some of the information you presented. I did an internet search to check some of the amino acids mentioned and found the following:

Tyrosine, which is produced in the body from phenylalanine, is found in soy products, chicken, turkey, fish, peanuts, almonds, avocados, bananas, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.

Tryptophan, is particularly plentiful in chocolate, oats, bananas, dried dates, milk, cottage cheese, meat, fish, turkey, and peanuts. Tryptophan is associated with serotonin and melatonin production.

I found no mention of these amino acids being available in greens. Just wanted to make sure the facts are presented and we're not mistakenly led to false information. Don't get me wrong, I love my greens, recommend them, consume them daily and find great benefit to their consumption but, I don't find mention of these amino acids to be available in greens? Just wanted to throw that out there. Maybe someone may find further information that I didn't come across.

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Tina,

No problem...glad I was able to attend and come back and share what I learned! :)

After reading your post, of COURSE I had to go and do a little digging for myself and this is what I found:

======
Tryptophan

EATING WELL FOR OPTIMAL HEALING:
Dietary suggestions for pain management
What and how we eat are important factors in recovering and maintaining optimal health. Eating habits can
support healing—or can prolong injury, pain, and suffering. Below are some simple dietary suggestions to
promote injury recovery and overall well-being.
Reducing pain and suffering from pain
The neurotransmitter serotonin, which the body makes from dietary tryptophan, is an important mediator of both
pain and mood. Serotonin deficiencies reduce the ability to control pain—leading to lower pain thresholds and
tolerance. Serotonin also regulates mood, and deficiencies can increase the risks of depression, anxiety and
suffering from pain.
Foods to eat: Yogurt, bananas, turkey, dark leafy greens all contain tryptophan.

Source: www.essentialhealthcare.com/info_pdfs/diet_for_pain.pdf (It's a PDF document that needs Adobe)
---------------
999 Foods Highest in Tryptophan

2. Vegetables and Vegetable Products
# mg/200 Cal Food Name
939 270 Horseradish-tree, leafy tips, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
940 270 Mustard greens, frozen, unprepared
941 270 Horseradish-tree, leafy tips, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt
947 269.6 Amaranth leaves, raw
948 269.6 Chicory greens, raw

Source: http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000079000000000000000-19.html

------------------

Tyrosine:

Tyrosine Food Sources

Rice, leafy vegetables, curd, cheese, and milk contain generous amounts of tyrosine.

Source: http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/tyrosine.htm

--------------

999 Foods
Highest in Tyrosine
(based on levels per 200 Calories)

Vegetables and Vegetable Products
# mg/200 Cal Food Name
002 2046 Seaweed, spirulina, raw
007 1782 Seaweed, spirulina, dried
009 1761 Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, unprepared
023 1642 Pumpkin leaves, raw
033 1587 Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
034 1587 Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt
037 1525 Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
038 1525 Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

(They're saying to cook a lot of these, but we know better! ;) )

Source: http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000087000000000000000.html



Rawkinlocs, thank you for being so kind to share this information. It's always a treat to get information from lectures that we weren't able to attend ourselves. But, I am a bit confused at some of the information you presented. I did an internet search to check some of the amino acids mentioned and found the following:

Tyrosine, which is produced in the body from phenylalanine, is found in soy products, chicken, turkey, fish, peanuts, almonds, avocados, bananas, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.

Tryptophan, is particularly plentiful in chocolate, oats, bananas, dried dates, milk, cottage cheese, meat, fish, turkey, and peanuts. Tryptophan is associated with serotonin and melatonin production.

I found no mention of these amino acids being available in greens. Just wanted to make sure the facts are presented and we're not mistakenly led to false information. Don't get me wrong, I love my greens, recommend them, consume them daily and find great benefit to their consumption but, I don't find mention of these amino acids to be available in greens? Just wanted to throw that out there. Maybe someone may find further information that I didn't come across.

[RawTruth]

I found no mention of these amino acids being available in greens. Just wanted to make sure the facts are presented and we're not mistakenly led to false information. Don't get me wrong, I love my greens, recommend them, consume them daily and find great benefit to their consumption but, I don't find mention of these amino acids to be available in greens?Tina, something to keep in mind is that a lot of sources (maybe the vast majority) do not consider greens to be even as important as meats, milk products, etc. let alone superior to them. Therefore, they wouldn't look very hard for evidence or research ... or, perhaps, they may even be biased against them as are manyt SAD eaters. If you read Alissa's post on Protein on this site (and in her book), she explains that ALL the amino acids are available in vegetables, especially greens. I guess what I'm saying is to beware of experts of are only familar with "nutrition" information that is based on cooked food and animal products. I believe that information is inaccurate and skewed because it's all designed to make up for the deficiencies that type of food creates in our bodies.

Rawkinlocs, you rawk once again -- what great information you found. And ... what a truly informational thread you started.

When I saw the Boutenkos, thankfully I was alone, so I didn't have the whispering in my ear that distracted you!
;)

[Tina]

Hello ladies,

Rawlinkolics, thank you for doing further research than I was able to last night.

RawTruth, I am very familiar with the value of greens and know how the supposed "authorities on nutrition" reject the benefits of a vegetarian or raw diet. Thank goodness that lately, through research, more fruits and vegetables are being promoted by the media to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

My point to comment on the post was merely to make sure that accurate information is presented. Many people on this site are novices to health and nutrition and take every word as truth. When we do post we really should make sure that accurate and factual information is being presented. Yes, there are amino acids in greens but Kale and Endive specifically are not mentioned as being sources for either of the amino acids. Who knows, maybe the are? I just got concerned when my initial search did not show these amino acids in the greens mentioned.

Please know that I am not trying to be confrontational or challenging. I really do appreciate all of the valuable information given from this recent lecture and all of the other infomation on this site. And Rawlinkolics, thank you again for further looking into these amino acids, I appreciate the update.

[Tina]

Rawkinlocs....so sorry, just realized that I butchered your name. I really apologize. Don't know what in the world happended to my fingers on this keyboard!

[AubreyG]

Rawkinlocs! THANK YOU for sharing. How very cool. I love this site because just when you think you are getting into the "groove" of eating raw, you learn something new and inspiring to make you come to appreciate all over again what a miracle nature really is.

Severe anemia runs in the women on my mom's side, and I have battled it my entire life, every time I have gone vegetarian; I had always had to go back to eating meat in order to get my B-12 :eek: ! Since going 100% raw (almost 2 weeks now) there has been no anemia so far, and this new information makes me even more optimistic! Green drinks it is! :D

Thanks so much!
Aubrey

[Rawkinlocs]

Tina, no problem about the name - it's just a handle and not my "real" name! ;)

I noted in your reply to RawTruth you mentioned that Kale and Endive were not specifically mentioned as being sources of the amino acids. One thing I realized when I was doing my short bit of research was that, some sites mentioned specific greens (and it's probable that even they didn't consider such greens as kale, endive or even the weeds for that matter) to even research the content of nutrients; some sites said "dark leafy greens" or "leafy vegetables", which kind of leaves it up to us to decide which ones as they weren't specific in the least; and some sites I investigated didn't list any greens at all...not a one. Some sites said one or both of the specific amino acids I looked up (the two "T's") were important to us while some gave the impression they were not - see where I'm going with this?

I think it's kind of like with protein - depending on the source of information, you're bound to find things listed at one source that aren't listed at another. Some will list veggies and nuts as a source while others will dismiss those and ONLY list the animal protein sources.

But I understand what you're saying about some of us being novices to nutrition and taking things at face value. I think for me, as I had mentioned before in one of my earlier posts in this thread, I hadn't even considered researching what Victoria said prior to hearing her talk because I had never even heard those terms before. Most people are most concerned with "Will I get my protein" or "Will I get B12" or "Will I get calcium"? Not, "Will I get my amino acids"?

So, it never really dawned on me and I think one of the reasons for ME, personally, and perhaps for a lot of others here is that we've come to a point in our lives where we've trusted nutritionists and doctors with our lives basically and are finding out that they don't always have all the answers and now, we're trusting nature and our bodies as I personally think it should be.

I mean, and this may sound naive and novice of me and it may sound very cliche' of the "raw food movement", but in nature, other species do not concern themselves with all these various (man-made, might I add) names. I mean, when these plants first came on the scene of this earth before there was any intervention of man at all - there were no fancy-smancy names given for us to identify what this or that nutrient was. All we had were our senses and our instinct to rely on.

Now, we have all these individuals in the form of experts and authorities dictating to us what we should and should not eat when before they evolved into the seemingly knowledgable people they are, our noses, eyes and mouths were what guided and we faired well.

Sorry for the lengthiness, it's not directed personally at you - just when I got to typing, my mind got to going and my fingers followed suit! That's just how I feel, personally. Hopefully it will lead me to a road of health and not destruction...but I have a hunch that I won't be any worse off than I was before I began eating raw ;)

AubreyG - So glad the information was so inspiring to you. It was to my husband and me as well. :)

OH! Wanted to add that, I was actually drinking green smoothies before the "Ode" even came into the picture! About a year ago a friend of mine said to me, "You know if you add kale or other greens to your smoothies, that's a good way to sneak your greens in and it tastes good too!" I was like, "No way!" but I tried it and found she was right. I wasn't using a bunch of greens, just a leaf or two! :o But now, I am using more just to test the waters and see what happens as a result.

[Tina]

Hi Rawkinlocs, you're a real sweetie. Listen gurl, if you have a good green concoction that you like, give me the details. I love the green juices but haven't gotten into the blending of them yet. Is there any particular combo that works for you and is pleasant to drink? Doing organic is so expensive that I hate to ruin my veggies so I tend to stick with things I know I like. I've been afraid to throw the kale/spinach in my blender with a banana. I once read someone mention the combo of water, celery and banana. And gotta tell ya that this did not appeal to me, I had a hard time drinking it. Maybe because I'm not a big celery fan unless it's in a juice or smeared with almond butter and raisens. :) I'd love anyone's tried and true recipes for these green smoothies if you'd like to share.

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Rawkinlocs, you're a real sweetie. Listen gurl, if you have a good green concoction that you like, give me the details. I love the green juices but haven't gotten into the blending of them yet. Is there any particular combo that works for you and is pleasant to drink? Doing organic is so expensive that I hate to ruin my veggies so I tend to stick with things I know I like. I've been afraid to throw the kale/spinach in my blender with a banana. I once read someone mention the combo of water, celery and banana. And gotta tell ya that this did not appeal to me, I had a hard time drinking it. Maybe because I'm not a big celery fan unless it's in a juice or smeared with almond butter and raisens. :) I'd love anyone's tried and true recipes for these green smoothies if you'd like to share.

:D Awww...Thanks! :) I forgot to mention that concerning "butchering my name" it wasn't nearly as bad as someone here a while back was addressing me as "Rawcolonics"! :eek: LMBO!

yeah, my favorite is to blend banana (really ripe), strawberries and/or blueberries, an apple and either some kale or spinach or even romaine lettuce. But I also really like celery in my smoothies. I am not really a big fan of celery either and so when someone suggested to ME to put it in my smoothies, I think I cringed at the idea more than I did the idea of adding dark greens! :eek: I just couldn't imagine it being palettable. I don't even like to munch on celery with dressing, dip or almond butter too much. But to my surprise, I really, really liked it! I didn't use a lot of it, maybe like one branch (I always thought that one stick of celery was a stalk, but the whole big thing is the stalk!!) of it to about 2 bananas and some other fruit and some water. But now, I'll add like 2 or 3 sticks of celery and love it!

But yeah, I don't have exact measurements, I usually just throw in what I decide on and it usually turns out good. But I think a good, fool-proof blended green drink is the banana, berry, greens. Then from there, you can play around and experiment with other things like mango, pears, OH and pineapple, add some pineapple and it's REALLY good!

[RawTruth]

RawTruth, I am very familiar with the value of greens and know how the supposed "authorities on nutrition" reject the benefits of a vegetarian or raw diet. Thank goodness that lately, through research, more fruits and vegetables are being promoted by the media to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

My point to comment on the post was merely to make sure that accurate information is presented. Many people on this site are novices to health and nutrition and take every word as truth. When we do post we really should make sure that accurate and factual information is being presented. Yes, there are amino acids in greens but Kale and Endive specifically are not mentioned as being sources for either of the amino acids. Who knows, maybe the are? I just got concerned when my initial search did not show these amino acids in the greens mentioned.Hi Tina -- In message #25, Rawkinlocs was so much better at what I was trying to say. Glad you didn't take my phrasing the wrong way. Everything's cool, right?

I agree, Cherie, this is a level that I hadn't given much time to considering. I so appreciate Victoria continuing with her research to enlighten us.

[simple berry]

What an awesome thread -- so much interesting info! Thanks Rawkinlocs!

It would make such a difference if some of the info out there, like at nutritiondata.com, was presented in a more usable fashion. Most databases seem seem to be organized for SAD people, with the "200 calorie" mark as the baseline, as if we were trying to check out the value of a deck-of-cards-sized-chunk-of-animal! When was the last time ANY of us consumed 200 calories worth of kale, spinach, spirulina, or any other greens?
I am still lost on how to reliably and easily source some of the trickier nutrients.

[Tina]

Hi RawTruth, wanna tell ya....just love your smile! I think you thought I may have been verbally attacking Rawkinlocs for a moment so I can understand your response. Plus, you don't know me so your response was appropriate. You were trying to educate and that's understandable and appreciated. By the way, I enjoy reading your posts, you add value to this site. I also appreciate Rawkinlocs, she presents valuable, concise information so I was not getting on her case. I'm just a gluten for knowlege so I investigate everything and question things when in doubt.

Rawkinlics! Did ya notice...I got your name right????!!!!! You cracked me up by telling me the way someone previously wrote your name! Thanks for the laugh and not holding it against me. At least I hope... :)

I'll definitely try the green smoothie concoction you mention...I promise!

Blessings to you both.