86 Responses to “Carrot Fries! And Natural Care for Common Ailments”

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  1. Glad to know that you are feeling better! Those fries look delicious. Once again, I am in awe of how easy and delicious your recipe ideas are.

  2. Gena, I sincerely hope you’re on the mend! Thank you for your post on allopathic vs. alternative medicine and using judgment and not being foolish. How true! There’s a time and place for both, I believe, as well. I am most thoroughly impressed that 1. you are off whipping up new recipes when you’re sick, albeit only carrot fries, it’s still work to be in the kitch when you’re sick and 2. you wrote a long, thorough, and really informative blog post on the heels of a 103F fever. Wow girlfriend, it’s time for you to go to bed and rest yourself. Feel better! :) averie

  3. Cecilia

    I’m glad you’re feeling better now. Phew!!

    Once again, you are amazing in listening to what your body needs. I have to admit, I’m the sort of person who gets caught up with a ‘diet’ and will try to ignore my cravings along the way – in order to stay ‘pure’. You’re such a role model to me!

    Thank you.

  4. Glad you’re feeling better!

    Love the fry recipe. I do this all the time with squash or sweet potatoes, but never thought of carrots… crazy :)

  5. Laura

    These look great- I have some sweet potato fries in the oven at the moment, but I’ll be sure to try carrot next time! Big plus that they are neutral!

  6. Hi Gena, so sorry to hear you’ve been ill! Yucky!! I hope you start getting much better in the next few days and can give yourself some serious R&R for the next week. Those carrot fries look amazing! Can’t wait to try them tonight! xx

  7. Glad to hear you’re feeling better! And thanks for a wonderful post; I appreciate your thoughtful approach to illness. And I can’t wait to try those carrot fries. :)

  8. Oh Gena! Your food looks lovely, but it breaks my heart to hear how sick you’ve been. Poor thing! I hope you continue to feel better and stronger every day!!!

  9. What a genius idea! I must try this soon, as I munch on carrots all day– I need a new way to enjoy them.
    Hope you’re feeling better, m’dear!

  10. Sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling well, but glad you are now on the mend! Thank you for sharing all these great ideas. Will have to try the carrot fries too!

  11. Wonderful post on the various ways of treating illnesses. Also, carrot fries are delicious! I made them by accident once when I was craving fries but had shredded carrots and wanted something relatively healthy. Take care!

  12. Manda

    I am feeling the bite of a virus, too! And I must echo your appreciation for the neti pot. Love it. I can recall reading a study that showed nasal irrigation was actually more effective than medication, but I can’t place where I read it. Antecdotally, it’s been true for me.
    For some reason, my body will not tolerate much food at all (usually I’m terribly hungry when I’m under the weather). Thankfully, I have a fridge stocked with lovely produce that has turned into my juice feast for the day. Lots of veggies and nutrients for me today.
    While I practice allopathic Western medicine for a living, it is something I generally try to avoid for myself and my family. I see health-care as a pyramid, with healthy eating, sunshine/fresh air, and exercise (prevention) as the foundation. Then comes nutritional supplements (vitamins, spirulina, etc), then naturally-sourced (yet allopathic)/homeopathic remedies, and then on top is Western medicine. When I do things in that order, I have found that my need for things like pharmaceuticals greatly decreases. I’m a big believer in letting fevers work themselves out (although with my son, I watch them closely to make sure they aren’t rapidly rising).
    My favorites for viral illnesses are garlic and spirulina. Raw garlic, crushed and left out in the open for a few moments is a terrific anti-microbial, and spirulina boosts the immune system.
    Thank you for the reminder about epsom salts – a nice soak sounds like a wonderful idea! Hope you’re feeling better soon, and thanks for the meal ideas.

  13. Thank you for all the tips! I feel like I may be coming down with something, this is very helpful!

  14. Sorry you were sick :( That sucks, glad you’re feeling better. I need to make those fries — they look easy and delicious!

    Thanks for the tips and I want a neti pot!

  15. kim

    I crave homey and warm food when I’m not feeling well too. How do you make your sweet potatoes? I like to just steam them and even eat the skin as well. Lotsa vitamins and minerals. Feel better soon!

  16. I LOVE this idea! I see carrot fries in my immediate future :) .

  17. Nancy

    Hope you’re getting better quickly!!! I swear that people who normally have lots of energy take it SO much harder when they are sick. A slight cold, and I’m simply miserable. I’m sure with a fever that high, you must be ready to climb the walls and get back to norm. Take care.
    Oh, and that dinner looks great – sick or not sick, that looks like a wonderfully comforting meal on a cool fall night. Delish!

  18. Thank you so much for your sentiments regarding allopathic medicines – you’re right, they ARE available for a reason. And thank goodness for neti pots (love the one we have at home, haha :-D ).

    Those carrot fries look so delicious!! Can’t wait to find out about the new sauce recipe.

    Wishing you a full recovery, my fellow sick gal! :)

  19. So glad to hear you are on the mend! I love baked root veggies but never thought to do carrot fries. Will definitely be trying those out.

  20. I am glad you know how to take care of yourself. Thanks for all the great advice, they all look like great fall foods too.

  21. love the carrot fry idea, as well as the idea of seeing the cooked foods you occasionally enjoy. and i also loved reading your thoughts on natural vs. modern medicine – this is something that’s been on my mind a lot recently for various reasons, and your perspective is very timely. thanks!

    i hope you continue to feel better, gena!

  22. Great post! Love all the tips, glad you are feeling well, sorry you missed the expo!

    I love my neti pot (I have the same one). I also take oregano oil when I have an infection instead of antibiotics and I bought a natural fever reducer (from Whole Foods) for when I was having a flare up and my fever rose a few weeks back. I try to avoid meds whenever possible, especially since I take ones daily for my crohn’s.

    The fries look delicious! I need to get some brussell sprouts soon!

    Keep feeling better! HUGS! XO!

  23. So glad you’re on the mend! I’ve felt a little ‘off’ for the past week or so and I’m blaming the changing seasons. I love to see your discussion of cooked foods and their place in a raw diet, as well, and I know you’ll have wonderful recipes for Autumn – can’t wait!

  24. It is great to hear that you are feeling better. I agree, the neti pot is a life saver. I use mine all the time to ward of the beginning stages of the common cold. I usually crave warm food too. I love steamed zucchini and raw tomato sauce.

    Feel better!

  25. I won’t comment on the previous post since I already have a copy of Clean Plates, but feel compelled to vouch for it. Definitely my go-to guide for restaurant navigation these days! Restaurants not included in it have all but fallen into the shadows for me in the meantime, and that’s just as well not only for health purposes but simply to make NYC dining less overwhelming in the choices department! Sheesh.

    ANYsniffle, hope you’re feeling back among the living today! Definitely noticing a lot of colds circulating right now, including my lunch date on Friday. Yesterday I’m was irritated to notice that certain twinge in my throat and thought I was in for it, despite weeks and weeks of 80-90% clean eating. I haven’t had just a generic cold in SO long! Coincidentally, I hacked open a young coconut last night and made it into red pepper soup (thankyou!) and drank the excess water. Today, no telltale symptoms remain. After reading this (awesome) post, I can’t help but think it’s not coincidence!

    I fully support integration of your favorite cooked foods here every once in a while. I actually think my favorite meals lately have been a combination of raw AND cooked veg on the same plate. All veg, all fun, but feels more conventional so there’s no “compromise” involved. So says my bioindividuality, at least. ;)

    LOVE YOU.

  26. Glad you are feeling better! Thanks for showing your readers that it’s ok to be flexible, you’ve got to honor your body when you are feeling under the weather.

  27. lots of fantastic advice about how to treat our bodies and recover, great post as always.

    ok i just bought carrots today, YEAHHH!!!

  28. You food looks gorg as always Gena! I’m especially loving the Epsom salt tip! I love Epsom salts and use them all the time in baths for achy muscles. I had no idea it also helps to remove toxins from the bod! This is good to know!

  29. Hope you’re all better soon!

    The carrot fries look great, but I was wondering if you think they would be good baked? I’m not a fan of cooking anything in a lot of oil – no matter what kind of oil it is.

    You’re recovery meal looks quite different than the standard BRAT diet:-)

  30. Hope you feel 100% again soon! I’m impressed you have the stamina to make such lovely meals when you’re under the weather. The harvest soup looks fantastic :O).

  31. Gena, I wanted to tell you i LOVE your blog and read it religiously. I just got over a cold (I’m in the same boat – I almost never get sick so I get really upset with myself when I do) and Hot water + Ginger + Agave truly got me through.

    I love the idea of posting some of your cooked meals! Your diet is one I aspire to and it will be great to see more of the “whole picture”

    Keep up the great writing :)

  32. So glad you’re feeling better Gena, and thanks so much for all of these tips. So helpful!

    Whenever I am sick, I totally crave starches. I just want warm pita bread dipped in almond butter. However, your carrot sticks look divine. I will be making those very soon.

    Love the idea of one cooked meal a month. Gorgeous recovery meal!

  33. Gena-
    So glad to hear you are feeling better! I hope you continue to heal quickly.

    I love your carrot fries…they look wonderful.

    My family uses a lot of naturopathic remedies when we’re feeling under the weather, including epsom salts and also a fantastic rub from India that contains fantastic ingredients like eucalyptus, coconut oil, cinnamon.

  34. I’m so glad you are feeling better Gena! I know you’re always working hard and on the go, so I hope you are getting a chance to relax and REST yourself.

    Also, I’m having a giveaway for a year’s subscription to Vegetarian Times, in case you are interested!

  35. Im sorry to hear that you were under the weather, but you will hopefully be up and about again in no time! Those fries look really delicious and simple to boot. Enjoy the last day of fall :)

  36. Sorry you were under the weather – I’ve been dealing with the same thing! Thanks for all of the good tips. I have a netipot at home, and for some reason, didn’t even think about using it…I’m off to go find it in my medicine cabinet :)

  37. Brandi B.

    I’m glad you are feeling better. Do you limit yourself at all when it comes to veggies? I have steered clear of carrots and limited sweet red peppers, sweet potatoes and other veggies that typically have more sugar (which is why I would love the banana soft serve but I limit myself to one serving of berries and one apple per day–never do I dare use dates and although I love coconut and avocado’s I am so afraid of the fat!!). I’m still really new at this and find a lot of conflicting info–just trying to clear some things up:)

    • I definitely don’t, Brandi. I find all the hysteria about carrots and roots and peppers hilarious; let’s turn our attention to refined carbs and excessive fruits and dried fruits, shall we? Carrots are rarely anyone’s real vice.

      Everyone is different. People can take different amounts of sugar, and different kinds. Some people find fructose bloating; others are fine with it.

      But it’s rare that sweet vegetables are truly harming anyone who is being moderate in different areas (desserts, refined carbs, etc.)

  38. The carrot sticks look like heaven. I’m definitely making them soon. Like tonight. ;)

  39. Glad to hear that you are feeling better. I agree with in that warm foods tend to help make me feel better too whenever I am sick. I enjoy soups and quinoa as well. Those carrot fries look so good! My BF introduced me to the nettle pot a few years ago, he loves it, and now got me hooked. Great thing to have on hand.

  40. Delphine

    Hello Gena!

    I started my raw journey almost a month ago but I’ve been reading your blog since early Spring. I adore it. The design, your writing, your recipes! Yum! I just wanted to thank you for providing such a great source of information and for sharing your experiences (food-related and not) with everyone. I haven’t been to NYC in quite some time (I’m from Toronto) but I look forward to trying some of the raw restaurants over there soon.

    Thanks again!

  41. Delphine

    P.S. I had a chance to attend a presentation by and meet Brendan Brazier a few weeks ago at the Toronto Vegetarian Association Food Fair. Very inspiring. I recommend his book ‘Thrive Diet’ to everyone. Maybe next year you’ll have a booth at our fair?? :)

  42. Looks delicious! Glad you’re feeling better! Did you ever notice that New Yorkers seem to get sick more than other people? Not sure if it’s just my imagination, but my clients always seem to be sick. Either that or they’re just pretending because they’ve been eating unhealthy and don’t want to face me!

  43. Julia

    Great post! I love the idea of sharing one cooked recipe a month. It’s really nice because it reminds all of us that the raw lifestyle is about doing what’s right for our bodies, not being type-A about adhering to the label.

    Thanks for being my favorite!

  44. Ada

    Yum, I love carrot “fries”, they’re quite the comfort food!

    Glad you’re feeling better:)

  45. Feel better, love! Thank you for sharing the tips. Glad to see you’re taking care of yourself (but when are you not? hehehe). Anyway, I wish you a speedy and well recovery.

    p.s. I too LOVE putting coconut oil and cinnamon on toast. Try adding some lavender and agave too.

  46. zoe

    Yes, yes, yes! I did. Right after I read your post yesterday, I biked back home and started hacking away at my carrots. I was expecting something good, but THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. Mmmmm… thanks for rejuvenating my love for baked root veggies, Gena!

  47. Carrot fries sound delicious! I’m so sorry about your illness sweet pea! I love that you let your body ride it out naturally. Just like in the good old days, right? Love it to death.
    Coconut oil on toast sounds pretty amazing!

  48. I am a big fan of anything carrot, in pretty much any form. I’ve roasted chunkier pieces of carrot many a time, but haven’t done them up in fry form yet. Yet another reason to get myself a jar of coconut oil :)

  49. Hey, question…

    Do you ever get an upset tummy from eating ezekiel bread? I bought it and didn’t realize it had soybeans in it and when I ate it, my stomach started to hurt. I can’t imagine a large amount of soy in there but do you think that could be what caused it?

    I love the idea of coconut oil and cinnamon, I will have to re-create that soon!

    • Hey Shel!

      You know, the particular loaf I have doesn’t list soybeans in the ingredients. I think it differs from flavor to flavor. Even so, I doubt a touch of soy would upset my stomach too much — hard to say what caused your belly ache!

      Gena

  50. Hi Gena! Just wondering, can you eat yams and sweet potatoes raw? Do you? Got a recipe? (Or maybe I missed it when I searched your recipe section…?)

    Thanks!
    Stef

  51. Hey Gena! I don’t know if I’ve ever commented before – I’ve been reading since the spring and LOVE your blog. I could go on about how great it is… but keeping it short, thanks for this post! I’ve been sitting on the couch guzzling water and feeling terrible the past 2 days, so this post was awesome :-) Also, I can’t wait to try the carrots like that!

  52. And I wrote about you on my blog, because you are amazing :-)

  53. zoe

    Hey Gena,
    I know that you exercise regularly – did you continue your regular routine when you were sick? I’ve got a mild fever and a headache, and I’m not sure if I should be exercising. Thoughts? Thanks a lot!

    • Hi Zoe —

      I strongly urge you not to exercise! It’s ok to do some mild exercise very, very early in a cold, but if you have a fever, it’s best not to heat the body up or take away from its healing with the exertion of exercise. Healing requires rest and self-care — you can get back to the gym and yoga or whatever else you do when you’re well.

      xo

  54. So sorry you were under the weather! I LOVE love LOVE my netti pot! It makes me feel better instantly. I use mine often due to my high allergies and I hate using medicine, like you only when I have to. Your sick craves are similar to mine. I keep a homemade vegan potato leek soup frozen on hand for when I am sick and it always makes me feel better.So sorry you were ill but glad you are better!

  55. Yuck, so sorry you were sick my dear!!!! I love roasting the heck out of carrots. They are so sweet and delicious!

  56. I made the carrot fries last night to compliment my meal. My friend and I LOVED them. Thanks!!!

    I love the natural healing ideas too. I am thrilled to add them to my mix of nonpharmaceutical remedies.

  57. Hi Gena! Hope you don’t mind the silly question, but I just got some coconut oil and have never worked with it before. How do you toss the carrots in the oil, if the oil is solid at room temperature? Do you melt down the oil, first? I really want to make these with the coconut oil but I don’t want to mess them up and have hunks of coconut oil on the fries ;)

    Also, what other uses/recipes do you have for coconut oil?

    Thanks! :)

    • Hey Beauty!

      Coconut oil is actually the only oil I use to cook at high temperatures. Why? Because its molecular structure remains intact at high temperatures. Altering an oil’s structure, which heating does, has been proven harmful in numerous studies. The best oils to cook with at medium or high temps are olive oil and coconut oil.

      If it’s in solid form, just warm it lightly before tossing with the fries. You can do this with a hot water bath (submerge the coconut oil jar into hot water), or just by leaving it near your radiator!

      Enjoy!!!

      xo

  58. Rob

    nothing better than plenty of natural whole foods in your diet. The less preservatives the better ;)

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