Giveaway: Gone Nuts! Sprouted and Seasoned Nut Blends

Living Intentions was founded by Elizabeth and Josh. Elizabeth shares with us how their company was formed.



"Josh and I knew each other as teens (high school sweethearts!) and reconnected 10 years later. When I saw him again, he was a chef diving into the world of raw foods. He was the portrait of health. He introduced me to all these new concepts of eating, and… Wow! I felt great after just a few weeks of incorporating raw foods into my diet. It was amazing to observe how quickly my body began to heal itself and reverse some health problems I had been dealing with."

"About a year later in 2004, we started Living Intentions in the spirit of bringing new health and environmental awareness to others. With Josh’s background in raw foods and mine in politics and the environment, it was special to create something to channel our passions. In the food industry pure, healthy raw foods were so absent, it was very clear to us this was what we needed to do. Our goal was to create a line of foods that would demonstrate to people that eating healthy wasn’t about sacrifice—that pure, living foods can be delicious also! And so our premier snack line, Gone Nuts, was born.:

Gone Nuts! How they are made:

Most snack nuts you’ll find on store shelves are flavored and roasted. Our nut blends undergo a unique process that makes them much easier to digest, and keeps the flavors especially bright. We start by soaking the nuts and seeds in water for several hours. This process, called germination, activates dormant enzymes and nutrients, and transforms existing fats into healthier amino acids. Live enzymes allow the nuts to be easily digested and the nutrients readily absorbed by our bodies.

We then season and gently air-dry the nuts in dehydrators, at low temperatures around 115 degrees. Low-temperature drying, instead of roasting, protects all of the live enzymes and nutrients. The end result is live nuts!

Where does the inspiration for the various nut blends come from?

"The inspiration comes from everywhere! Our own backyard, for example, inspired our Rosemary Garlic flavor. We have tons of rosemary growing throughout our property, and it’s such an amazing herb—for its flavor, scent and medicinal properties. We were excited to showcase it in a flavor. Sometimes Josh and I are at a restaurant or walking through a store, when we see a new exotic ingredient featured on a menu or tucked away on a shelf somewhere. It starts with that seed of inspiration and blossoms from there. And of course, anything we can use that is fair trade and/ or organic always inspires us. The agave nectar we use in our three Cacao flavors is the best quality agave we have experienced. The type of plant from which it’s harvested has the highest concentrations of minerals and a high inulin content. The agave is completely translucent, and its taste is best described as a honey, though one must try it for the full experience. This is a really special sweetener that replaces traditional sugars and is extremely low on the glycemic index—great for diabetics."

**Please note that some of the sweet blends contain Rapadura, which is essentially dried sugarcane juice, in addition to the agave nectar.

PURCHASING:

Our products can be found at Whole Foods throughout CA, AZ and NV. Independent natural foods stores nationwide carry our products.



We are beginning distribution throughout Canada at this time, and next we expect to be carried in the UK. For more information, to place an order online or to get our snacks in a store near you, contact us through www.livingintentions.com.

Favorite Flavor Giveaway:

4 Lucky readers will win the following flavors, which our panel picked as their favorite, courtesy of Living Intentions:

*Raw Cacao Brazil Nuts and Mulberries
*Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Pistachios

To enter, Please send an email to:

info[AT]SuccessThroughPlay.com with "Gone Nuts!" in the subject line.

Please include the following information:

*Your name, email and mailing address
*Name 2 flavors which you would like to try from the Gone Nuts Line

Enter by midnight (PST) on Sunday, April 27, 2008. One winner will be randomly selected. Contact details will NOT be sold, distributed or used for newsletters. Rest assured that we don't tolerate SPAM.

Success Through Play™ comments:

Remember a time when 3 square meals were the norm and snacking in between meals was considered a no no! Todays foremost physicians and registered dietitians are telling us to eat smaller meals more frequently with healthy snacks in between meals. Finding healthy snacks at the store can be very challenging. Walk down the snack aisle of your grocery store and you will find sugar laden snacks made with trans fats and processed sugar which can wreak havoc on your immune system.

We are really excited to highlight the Gone Nuts line of healthy sprouted and seasoned nut blends, brought to you by Living Intentions. Recent research is showing how beneficial nuts are to your health. Pistachios can help with blood sugar control, Brazil nuts are high is selenium which is a powerful antioxidant and almonds are a wonderful source of vitamin E. Walnuts are particularly special: they boast a high omega-3 fatty acid content, provide heart healthy monounsaturated fats, contain ellagic acid, an antioxidant which supports a healthy immune system and contain high levels of l-arginine, an amino acid which promotes healthy blood pressure.

Source: www.DrWeil.com

Afraid of eating too many calories? Relax, because the Gone Nuts line is so superbly seasoned , that a small serving with satisfy your cravings! The nuts have been soaked, to enhance their digestibility and nutritional profile. What is so remarkable, is that the nut blends taste as if they have been roasted; they are crunchy and have a delicious roasted flavor. They however have not been roasted, but rather air dried. We sprinkled the nut blends over salads in place of croûtons, added the sweet blends to flavor plain yogurt, and decorated dessert trays with them. Of course you can simply enjoy them straight from the bag. It is a good idea to keep any nuts that you have in the refrigerator, to keep them fresh and to avoid them spoiling.

We lined up our test panel to sample each of the 8 flavors in the Gone Nuts Line. It is clearly evident that the expert chefs have carefully chosen each seasoned blend, which will awaken your taste buds and satisfy your cravings.



FLAVORFUL BLENDS:

*Rosemary, Garlic and Green Onion Pistachio Almond Medley:


Lovers of Italian food will be deeply satisfied with this flavor. The pistachios and almonds are encrusted with this superb Italian blend which is bold and flavorful and will compliment any salad beautifully. Garlic lovers can eat them straight from the bag!

*Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Pistachios:

This spicy blend is created from a trio of red chilies, accentuating the flavor of smoked jalapeño, with a kick of cumin and other seasonings. The seasonings compliment each other beautifully to create this one a kind pistachio blend which will delight lovers of spicy foods!

*Sun dried Marinara Almonds and Pistachios:



This blend is inspired by a Sicilian Style Marinara. The Italian herbs and spices will compliment any salad and the combination of the almonds and the pistachios add a delightful texture and crunch!

*Cilantro, Lime Mojo Pistachios and Pepitas:



Inspired by the traditional Latin sauce called a Mojo, this effervescent blend packs a spicy punch. This fresh, zesty citrus blend will awaken your senses and remind you of the flavors of Mexico.

SWEET TREATS:

*Raw Cacao Almonds and Raisins:



Heading to the movies and looking to replace the usual sugar laden snacks with something more nutritious? Consider the chocolate covered almonds and raisins which are a healthier alternative to the big brand names. The delicious chocolate coating will delight your taste buds and leave you very satisfied!

*Raw Cacao Amazon Peanuts and Raisins (soon to be discontinued):

This exotic blend is truly unique and you can truly indulge guilt-free. Amazonian peanuts are aflatoxin-free, contain 26% protein, with all of the 8 essential amino acids, high in oleic acid and did we mention utterly delicious! The raw cacao powder is packed with antioxidants and is superior to cocoa powder, which is processed and roasted.

*Raw Cacao Covered Brazil Nuts and Mulberries:

The contrast between the crisp, Brazil Nuts and the softer crunchy wild sundried mulberries is nothing short of exquisite! The decadent antioxidant rich cacao is rich and satisfying and will delight the chocolate lover. Munching these will take on a spiritual experience......

*Maple Mesquite Flour Candied Walnuts:



This blend is sheer decadence. You have never tasted candied walnuts like this before. This gourmet blend is complex, rich and intensely satisfying. Be warned, you won't be able to resist eating the entire bag, so stock up to avoid disappointment.

With a goal of creating healthy snacks that reflected their philosophy that "eating healthy wasn’t about sacrifice—that pure, living foods can be delicious also," we think that Living Intentions has clearly succeeded! Their gourmet line of sprouted and seasoned nut blends will evoke all of your senses and change your view about healthy snacking for life. Living Intentions loves hearing from everyone! Any questions or comments you might have, feel free to connect with them through through their website:

www.livingintentions.com

Also, check out Elizabeth's new blog at www.myspace.com/elizabeth347, where she’ll share food and environmental tips and random thoughts regularly.