Shiitake logs: the hot new accessory for spring

In terms of having the latest new accessory, having your own shiitake log is right up there with the new McQueens or a foursquare app.

Shiitakes reduce the appearance of wrinkles and crows feet (say Japanese and Chinese researchers), and American botanists have reported that they decrease cholesterol, fight candida, inhibit the growth of cancer tumours, and have radioprotective properties: mice exposed to x-rays had a higher survival rate when shiitakes were part of their diet.

Plus, they’re anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal.

The beauty is that all you do is throw the log under your deck (or anywhere dark), keep it wet, and it fruits for up to 5 years if you take care if it properly. Yes, you heard us – bundles of organic top-quality shiitake mushrooms (store-bought ones are grown on just sawdust).

We got ours from the Young Urban Farmers (who we adore).

Shiitakes will be making an appearance at our Staying Young Retreat this year – for more info on this 5-day raw vegan vacation, visit http://houseofverona.com/retreats/stayingyoung/.

Before & After Photo: Reduced Wrinkles

My 54-year old mother went to get her passport renewed this week. We were so excited to see her new photos that I wanted to share it with all of you.

A little bit of back story – my mother radically changed her diet and exercise habits 4 years ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

This is what her life looked like 5 years ago:

• Diet: coffee, toast, cheese, basmati rice, vegetables, lamb, lots of salads, the odd dessert
• Exercise: skiing in the winter & tennis in the summer
• Stress levels: high

This is what her life looks like now:

• Diet: 50% raw, daily green juice or smoothie, no dietary sugar, whole grains, fish, salads
• Exercise: daily 30 min walk, yoga and tennis once per week, 20km bike every week in summer, 1 hour uphill hike twice per week in the summer, and skiing 2 days/week in the winter.
• Stress levels: low (she simply decided to put herself first)
• Creative outlets: paints and plays the piano frequently – something she used to love, and stopped doing when she had a family

Here is what she looked like in May 2005 at age 49:

This is what she looks like now in April 2010 at age 54:

She’s had no botox, no surgery, and no cosmetic procedures at all. The photo isn’t photoshopped. She’s not wearing makeup. And because it’s a passport photo, it’s taken with the exact same specs, per passport photo regulations.

You can also see that the “Date of Issue” is 5 years apart.

It doesn’t matter how old you are – you can reverse the aging process at any age. Remember that Dr. Ann Wigmore had reversed her gray hair through nutrition and exercise in her 60s and had her natural hair colour back in her 70s (read more about her story here).

Although we talk about reducing the outward signs of age every week, it really is your spirit that matters. Being happy and maintaining a youthful optimism bodes far better for external beauty than anything else.