Let's Talk Story - Down to Earth Blog

When I was thinking about becoming vegetarian, over 10 years ago, like many others, I turned to the internet. I went down a lot of internet “rabbit holes”, I mean A LOT. As I explored all things plant-based, I had to reel it back to reality. A lot of what I was reading online kept pointing to one undeniable truth. In order to eat vegetarian food that I’d like, I was going to have to try… cooking it myself.

Summertime is here and it may be hotter than usual, even though it’s sometimes hard to tell when living in Hawaii! No one likes to use their oven or stove when it’s hot out, and one great way to beat the heat is by enjoying raw foods. The words “raw foods” make many people cringe… until they realize how delicious raw foods can be. Here are some refreshingly raw recipes to enjoy this summer or even year round!

These and other raw food recipes can be found at downtoearth.org.

Honey is such a versatile product. Not only is it nutritious, honey also builds your immune system, energizes you, beautifies you, treats wounds, and it can improve your scalp and be a great moisturizer. If you want to get the best out of your honey make sure it’s raw. Raw honey contains vitamins, minerals, and enzymes as opposed to refined honey. We have many local honeys here at Down to Earth… come in and check them out! (My fav is Manoa honey.)

Here are some treat yo’self honey recipes:

In early March, a group of Down to Earth team members attended Expo West, one of the largest Natural Product shows in the entire world. At this convention, the main draw is usually to see new products and upcoming innovations. There are also numerous events and workshops that cover relevant topics surrounding the Natural Products industry. One of the most popular events focuses on predicting upcoming trends. Usually these feature trending categories like specific kind of snacks or beverages (i.e. plant-based jerky, kombucha, etc.) that are gaining popularity.

My New Year’s resolutions always start out strong and fire-y and then by mid-February, I sizzle out pretty spectacularly. I’ve got the usual stereotypical resolutions: eat better, exercise more, etc. I get all pumped and excited for the first few weeks and go at my resolutions with a vengeance. But eventually it becomes too overwhelming and I burn out. I scour the internet for tricks and hacks but get overloaded with information that is quite frankly too generic for me to practice. But this year, with the help of chocolate, I’m going to try something different.