* My new Samson Juicer should be arriving soon (good deal on Ebay - YAY!). What are your reviews and thoughts and suggestions with this juicer? I have used my Champion juicer for years, but read that the Samson does not destroy(?) the foods as much and has a slower speed, which is supposed to be better for the foods? Thanks for any in-put or experience on this product.

* Where on earth do you find wheatgrass? I've been to several local natural food stores and large grocery stores and cannot find it anywhere. Was happy to find Dandelion Greens, but no WHEATGRASS - Grrrr.

* How do you use Flax Seeds in this raw routine? I just made a Flax Seed "bar" of sorts by mashing up over-ripe bananas and mixing them with ground and whole flax seeds and freezing the mixture in a baking dish to cut into squares later.

Well, more questions to come, but that's all for this round. Thanks so much for your time and help.

Welcome to the raw world. I don't have experience with the Sampson, and I don't use wheatgrass, so I can't answer those questions. As for flax seed, some people ground them in a grinder and put sprinkle them on salads, or soak the seeds to make a gelatinous substance that is used as a binder in dehydrated foods like crackers or burgers.

In addition to looking at the Matt Monarch & Angela Stokes regimen I also recommend looking an increasing the amounts of fresh fruits in your diet. For me, it wasn't until I was getting the bulk of my energy from fruit rather than fat that my health began to soar. And on the raw diet, energy comes from either fruit or fat.

At the healthfood store where I work we don't carry wheatgrass but a flat of wheatgrass can be custom ordered. Also wheatberries can be planted and grown in trays. I usually sprinkle flax seeds in my salad they can also be sprouted or ground and added to smoothies. If your looking for the omega three benefit make sure to ground them fresh. Whole flax seeds are only good for fiber since they cannot usually be digested very well.

Hi plainlydressed,

You can order wheatgrass kits online, here is one site, you can find more in a google search. It is the same story with my local natural food store, no wheatgrass; actually, they used to carry it, but dropped it due to lack of sales, so I am forced to order online now.

[www.wheatgrasskits.com]

As for the Samson, excellent juicer! I have one & I couldn't be more pleased with it. I have juiced just about everything with it except wheatgrass, as I haven't had any of that for awhile.

Some of the softer fruits & apples will tend to create a foam or "slush" on the strainer screen, blocking the flow of juice through it. You will see what I mean when you use it. What I usually do is put all of this foam in my blender while juicing & then use it for a delicious smoothie when I am finished juicing!

Does yours come with both cones, & the 6 different nozzles? If so, you can use the juicer to create some yummy nut butters as well. I made almond butter & all it to smoothies for a nutty flavor kick to it, they are great.

Aside from my Norwalk, I would say this is one of the best, most versatile juicers on the market, especially considering the price.

Great choice! Give us some feedback on it when you receive it & use it.

Hi and welcome! While I like fresh juices here and there, I agree with Bryan that the bulk of your calories, if you want to thrive on a raw-food diet and have ultimate health, should come from whole, fresh, ripe fruit. And some greens.

Flax blends well in smoothies. That bar sounds good though.

Simple Raw Recipes & Health Tips

Thank you all for the wonderful tips and encouragement. I'm learning so much on this forum as I go along. For example, I've been eating huge fresh salads with tons of baby spinach. Little did I know until I read the recent thread "Spinach or Kale?" *sigh* SO MUCH TO LEARN. Even for a lifetime vegan, I feel like I'm back at square-one, starting from scratch. I'm SO GLAD you folks are all here to help me along the way.

Yes, the frozen banana/flax bars turned out nice, but I came up with an even more fun way to use them..... cut them into cubes and run through juicer or blender and it makes a fantastic, nutty ice-cream (of sorts). Still need to play around with the additional ingredients for flavor and variety.

Well thanks again to ALL of you!
Sending {{Raw Hugs}}

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"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
—Thomas Jefferson