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white sugar and dairy milk. Neither offer any nutritional value, and the dairy raises our cholesterol, depletes our calcium, and places a strain on our heart. Both sugar and dairy cause an allergic response in the body, as well as swelling that makes us feel and look bloated.
    My Matcha Shake, on the other hand, is sweetened with dates, which is a whole fruit full of vitamins and such minerals as iron and potassium. My mylk is made from almonds, which is an FDA superfood that lowers cholesterol and gives us vitamins and minerals for healthy skin and hair, in addition to antioxidants to fight free-radical damage.

    Sun teas are antioxidant rich and are made by brewing water in a glass jar with tea bags in the sun. As with traditionally cooked teas, you can add mylk to make a latte.

SMOOTHIES

BASIC FRUIT SMOOTHIE
    MAKES 4 CUPS

    Blend up your favorite fruit into a delicious, nutritious smoothie. Choose agave syrup or dates to sweeten, and adjust to your desired level of sweetness. Adding dates will give your smoothie more body, because dates are a whole fruit with fiber. Dates are caramel in color, so they will darken your smoothie. Agave syrup, on the other hand, is good to use for a lighter consistency and lighter color.
    4 cups fruit, such as sliced banana, cubed pineapple or persimmon, or blueberries
¼ cup agave syrup, or 1/3 to ½ cup pitted dates, packed, as desired
2 cups filtered water
Ice (optional)
    Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
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    Add ice, if using, and blend to mix well. Serve immediately.
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    Will keep for 1 day in the fridge.

    Sweeten with Stevia
    FOR THE first many years of being 100 percent raw, I always stuffed myself full and never worried about calories. Recently, I’ve started to keep count of what I’m eating and have been reminded that most calories do come from sweets such as fruit and agave syrup.
    For a noncaloric and nonglycemic alternative sweetener, replace dates and agave with a tiny bit of stevia powder instead. Stevia goes a long way, so use sparingly and see if you like the taste.

BASIC GREEN SMOOTHIE
    MAKES 4 CUPS
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    I’ve been blending greens for years, but this particular style of blending half fruit with half greens was introduced by Victoria Butenko and is relatively new in the raw food world. To get more greens into any diet, use fruit to help mask some of the more intense “green” flavors. Masking the color by using a darker fruit such as blueberries will help when feeding to kids. And, you can always include an additional sweetener, such as a pinch of stevia, for flavor, if desired.
    2 cups chopped greens, such as romaine lettuce, kale, or collards
2 cups fruit, such as sliced banana, cubed mango, or blueberries
2 cups filtered water, as desired
    Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
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    Will keep for 1 day in the fridge, but best enjoyed immediately.
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    SUGGESTIONS: Start with milder-tasting greens and stronger-flavored fruits. Although you can use kale, chard, and collards, their flavors are strong and harder to mask. Try these combos:
    2 cups chopped spinach with 2 cups sliced bananas
2 cups chopped spinach with 2 cups cubed pineapple
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce with 2 cups cubed mango

BASIC KREAMY FRUIT SMOOTHIE
    MAKES 4 CUPS
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    Blending nuts creates a creamy consistency, so adding them to your smoothie will add more body, richness, and a creamy color, too.
    Once blended, add one to two cups of ice and blend, to add a frosty chill.
    3 cups fruit, such as sliced banana, cubed pineapple or persimmon, blueberries, or açai
½ cup nuts or seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, almonds, or pecans
¼ cup agave syrup, or 1/3 to ½ cup pitted dates, packed, as desired
2 cups filtered water
Ice (optional)
    Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
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    Add ice, if using, and blend to mix well. Serve immediately.
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    Will keep