Amanda Love

The Story of the Lemon Liver Flush: I magically concocted this healing elixer about 20 years ago when I lived in Sebastopol, CA. It was a very special time in my life when I lived in the Redwoods and felt very connected to nature. It was at that time in my young adult life that I embraced the gift that I could do magical and healing things with food. One fateful day while I was soaking in the hot tub underneath some very tall Redwood trees and pondering what my new business name could be, the name “The Barefoot Cook” just plopped into my lap. Even though I had already been cooking for several years by that time, it was official and my career as a Natural Food Chef really began.

At this time, I happened to live on some land with an elderly couple that were very committed to conscious and healthful living.  In addition to eating more wild blackberries and heirloom apples, pears and quince than I can ever imagine, I also ate regularly from the incredible garden which was rich in medicinal herbs and veggies. One day, while experimenting in the beautiful kitchen built out of reclaimed redwood, stained glass windows and a wood stove, I met the amazing tool which would become a daily friend – the Vitamix. With this powerful blender, the sky was the limit and I was inspired to make all manner of new and interesting creations. One particular winter, I had access to so much delicious citrus from a local organic produce market down the road. I already knew about doing the Liver Gallbladder flush with lemon, olive oil and epsom salts to release gallstones and liver sludge but I was too chicken to try it. I figured if that was good for your liver, than doing something less extreme on a daily basis would be good too and…more manageable. I whipped up this frothy drink with lemon, olive oil, vanilla and a bit of stevia and it made me feel amazing! I discovered it was equally great with lime and grapefruit as well. So, I have been making it and drinking it ever since. It’s easy and delicious. Check it out and feel the benefits. One of my good friends who is a big fan of this drink has noticed that the fine lines in her face have reduced due to the bioflavonoid content of the citrus peel. Pretty cool!

Eating Seasonal Citrus: There are few fruits that nature gives to us in the winter. Most fruits are available in the summer. The few fruits that are available come winter are tart, sour fruits like persimmons, pomegranates, grapefruits, oranges, and lemons. It makes sense that we shouldn’t eat sweet and sugary fruits in winter, a time when we sweat much less and are typically less active. Eating too much sweet and not building enough heat to burn it off can result in damp conditions in the body. This lends to the perfect breeding ground for conditions like candida as well as colds and flu’s. It is important to eat in season and eat the fruits offered by mother nature at the time she offers them. Lemons are perfect to emphasize at this time. They are sour, the flavor which helps the liver to purge excess that we might have accumulated from over indulgences from the fall harvest.

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