Veggie2Raw

WVN

2011-09-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

What is WVN you ask?? It's: What is Valora into Now. It seems I'm always experimenting with something different for this reason or that.. And yes, now I'm going in another direction. Let me explain..

Last week I was told that I have "leaky gut" syndrome.. I knew, excuse me, I know I have intestinal issues, and that's partly what has sent me down this path of 'food discovery', the finding out what foods are optimal for health these past few years. But I haven't (in the process) been Healed from this invisible (or more just "unknown") issue with my intestines/digestion. So to finally have someone put a name to my situation has really liberated me. I feel like now that it's been pinpointed, it's My turn to really DO something about it.

So from what I've discerned, this leakage of my intestines can be from a SAD diet (i.e.: refined carbs, processed foods, fast foods, etc) and/or from PARASITES (pronounced 'para-cities' I believe it was in Spanish:). Interestingly I don't eat any of the aforementioned harmful foods, but guess what?! A friend who is into holistic-ish healing tested me several months ago and said I had MaNy para-cities (it just makes me feel better to say parasites in a different way, makes me feel a little less gross:).

So I am facing the inevitable.. I am doing a parasite cleanse. After much research I bought the already combined formula used by Renew Life and CleanseSmart by them as well. I started the two 3 days ago. Wow, the first dose sent me into a near fever, I was not well. It passed within about an hour or less and I've had no other obvious symptom since. Although the first three days you take half the strength of everything.. so tomorrow I go to the full dose for 12 more days, and I will see how my body reacts.

Again, my thinking progressed and I realized how much easier it would be if I were giving my body a "food break" so it could really clean house. But this time instead of a full on juice, I am going to do a grape cleanse.. You can read it in the book Mono Diet, or just google it and read excerpts from the author(s).. I will embark on this journey starting tomorrow, which it's recommended to begin with a 2-3 day water fast, then eat 2-3#'s of grapes every 2 hours from 8am to 8pm. Of course I am taking digestive enzymes and probiotics (since the dx last week) and will continue it (period!), especially thru this cleanse. After the water, then the grapes, I will end my "cleanse" with a 3-day cellulite flush (grapefruit/orange/lemon juice), then transition to smoothies for a few days, then slowly back onto fruits/veggies. This will take me thru the middle of Oct (at the least). I'd love to post a pic of me now and then one at the end. I'm doing this cleanse for my internal body's sake, but I'm sure the outside is going to benefit too. Speaking of which, I am still working out daily, even if I can't get in my rigorous workout I at least go for a jog or do something physical. So my body is continuing to be transformed. You may want to see?

E2L (Eat to Live) - Day 3

2011-09-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon,

So I decided to make the Dijon Date Dressing/Dip from E2L, found on page 256. I have to say it's really good. Usually the dressings I like have a lot of olive oil in them, and while that's considered a healthy fat, too much of it is just too much fat.

This dressing uses cashews for the fat, and is spicy/sweet. I think I like dressings a little tangy-er (not sure if that's a word), so next time I'm going to use 3 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp of red wine vinegar instead.

Here's a picture of the salad I had for lunch today, which has baby lettuce, spinach, green onions, carrots, red bell pepper, mushroom and kidney beans. I love beans so eating this way is going to be fun for me.

Enjoy!

Eat to Live - aka E2L in my future posts

2011-09-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

If you have not read this book yet, go get it now!

Finally, a common sense approach to health and weight loss/management that makes sense!

This book is by Dr. Joel Furhman, MD, who was also featured in the movie 'Sick, Fat and Nearly Dead', which chronicles the transformation of Joe Cross, from an unhealthy, sick and really fat guy who was taking several prescription medications, to a healthy guy off all medications.

Initially, Joe weighed over 300 lbs, and he did a 60 day juice fast, to 'reboot' his body and save his life. If you haven't seen the movie, get on it. Very insprirational and eye-opening, as it shows how most people in the US think eating or drinking just fruits and veggies is crazy. Really?

What's also interesting about this book, is that it's not just pro-vegetarian or pro-vegan eating, as there is a limited amount of animal products allowed. I'm vegetarian/vegan (it's the cheese that's hardest for me: Parmesan specifically, and I will have an occasional bite of fish or prawns), so I won't be eating any of the lean meat choices this plan allows. However, you don't have to be a strict vegetarian or vegan to benefit from this book.

Anyway, back to my story: I've decided to change my life and be serious about getting healthier and thinner. I'm down 24 lbs from my all time high weight (no, I'm not gonna tell you what it was), but I still have a ways to go. I was also inspired to write this blog post after reading Valora's updates below... welcome back GF, we missed you!

I'm not going to commit to writing every day, but I want to include updates and photos of what I'm eating, and how I'm doing with my new lifestyle. I'll admit, it's not going to be easy, but I know I feel so much better physically and mentally when I eat this way. OK, so here goes my first blog post on E2L.

Have fun, be healthy and join me!

Marti :)

Made it to and thru day 10 juicing

2011-08-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

I made it through Wednesday juicing, but for now that was all I had in me. The last two days of juicing and exercising were wearing me out. So Wednesday evening through today I've still had 2qts of juice and/or smoothie and added in some fruits to snack on and dates as well for energy. Today I had my first salad and I will see shortly how that "sits" with my digestion. I'm trying not to act like a kid in a candy store, or should I say vegan at a Farmer's Market!! That's what I feel like, today I hit 3 produce stands. I have gobs of produce along with 3 huge cantaloupes and 2 watermelons, about 15 lbs of grapes, 50 lbs of tomatoes, and the list just goes on.. LOL!!!

One of my friends jumped back on board juicing and she is on day 5 today and is 6lbs down!! I will see her tomorrow and get more info on her progress then. I hope to resume full on juicing, but don't have an exact date (am expecting TOM soon and don't like juicing during TOM, personally, I just am tooo drained then). How about you, are you juicing or adding in juices? What's your favorite? Let me know..

I'm back from the dead

2011-08-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hi All~
Sorry I've been MIA for a loooong time. Well, no beating around the bush..It was a looong, haaard winter, then the day after my children got out of school (end of May) we took off to the country of Panama for 6 weeks. Once we returned it was C.O., then sisters came from Minnesota for a week, then Convention, then school started back! Whew.. So here I am catching my breath from our whirlwind of a summer. Anyway...

I am currently juicing, am on day 8, and am feeling great. Before juicing (and upon return from Panama), I started working out at a Chiropractic office here by my house. I go 2-3 times a week and after just 3-4 weeks I could see soo much definition in my body. Then I decided to look into the routine we were doing and found that the chiro is implementing moves from P90X and Insanity. So I got the videos of Insanity (that's mainly what we are doing) and have started the 2 month/60 day program. It IS Insane!! (if you know what it is, you KNOW what I'm talking about:) Anyway, I am 14 days into the specific Insanity program, and my body is changing sooo much. I highly recommend this workout if you don't have a bad back or knees, etc..

Now about being vegan and working out.. One day while I was at Whole Foods in July, as I had just been curious about being Vegan and working out so rigorously..I stumbled upon the book THRIVE by Brandon Frazier who is a vegan triathlete. Now I'm not looking to be a marathon runner or a triathlete, I just wanted some direction on what to be conscious of to stay nourished and super healthy while working out. Meaning, I didn't want to be sabotaging my progress by not eating the right things after working out and such. (have you seen at your local 'Whole Foods' grocer -or such- the products/powders by the brand name 'Vega'? that's Brandon's line..) Anyhow, I won't go there, but his book Thrive is PERFECT for vegan gym junkies or couch potatoes, and everything in between to have a well balanced, nutritious, delicious, fun Thriving diet!

Moving on. So naturally I can't leave well enough alone, so I decided that I wanted to juice AND workout. As of yet I haven't come across a book that merges the two perfectly, so here is what I came up with to do.. 2 green juices a day, 1 sweet juice, 1 recovery drink (after working out), and 1 "raw meal" (it's a type of powdered drink by Garden of Life) drink a day (an hour and a half after working out, and all these juices are pint size). Wonderfully enough I have had sustained energy, my detox wasn't anything like what it's been each time of juicing before, and my stamina in ALL things has greatly increased. I can't say enough about how well I feel physically and mentally. All I can say is, wish I would have done it sooner!!

About juicing.. Like I mentioned before, I am on day 8 and my original goal was 10 days, now I'm thinking 21 days (ending Sept. 4th). If I can continue sustained juicing and intensely working out for 13 more days, then that's what I will do. I will keep you posted. I have been enjoying as my green juice, 1 cuke, 1 heart of romaine, 3-4 celery stalks, 1 lemon, and 1 apple. I like the mix, it's just right! For my sweet I've changed it up a few times (got a recipe from my mother-in-law, ex, who after watching "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" with her husband, they bought a Breville Ikon and embarked on a juice fast/feast, they are on day 12 of 30, will talk about this more in a different post another time), but a juice she recommends is a 1/2 inch to inch of ginger (peeled) with 2 golden delicious apples over ice. She says it tastes like sherbet, I don't know, it just tastes plain good to me:). Also I may do plain cantaloupe or watermelon juice (don't forget to drink watermelon juice within a few hours of juicing it or it WILL be nasty!). Too, I like 2 handfuls of organic grapes with one apple, that's always a winner! So is orange and grapefruit, but I've yet to have that as it's not on-sale here now and watermelon and cantaloupe is sooo abundant right now, here.

Well I don't mean to go on forever.. I hope this email has helped someone in someway. I will write more later tonight or tomorrow. I'm going to soak up a few minutes in the sun while I do some studying, then workout.. Yay!!

Raw 'live fries' made from jicama!

2011-08-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

Found this book by Victoria Boutenko at an awesome 2nd hand bookstore last week and made the Live Fries on page 231. OK, so they're raw, and not potato fries, but they were actually pretty good. I also added garlic powder and some pepper, and we dipped them in organic ketchup, and they kinda taste like French fries... I said kinda. Anyway, this is actually a good finger food, and yes I would make it again. The recipe is very easy and quick to make.

Found this book at the same store last week, and there's a recipe for rosemary-garlic mashed potatoes made from jicama and cashews that I want to try tonight, along with portobello steaks, that are 'cooked' in a dehydrator for 1-2 hours. I will let you know how it all tastes. This book is very pretty inside, lots of pictures, nice paper, and the front cover shows a wrap made from mangos and young coconut meat that's been dehydrated. Looks very interesting.

Lots of cool recipes in this book, the only problem is that some of them take DAYS to make in the dehydrator. So if I know I want raw blueberry pancakes on Friday morning, I need to start the process today. Not sure I can hang with that, but hardcore raw foodists will have no problem. It takes time to prepare foods that are replacements for familiar cooked foods, and create ways to add flavor and texture without destroying or minimizing the benefits of eating raw foods.

Eating raw is not easy, especially if you want to go beyond sliced fruits & veggies, salads and nuts. Gourmet raw food is out there, and I'm always looking for new recipes to try out on Fred. Here's the Raw Gourmet for one.

My goal is to learn the process and slowly add more raw foods into my daily diet, and not try to overwhelm myself in the process. I don't have hours to spend in the kitchen every day preparing healthy meals, but I'm taking small steps and slowly making changes, heading in the general direction towards raw.

Mango Salsa Recipe

2011-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is the best mango salsa on earth! IMHO... ha ha!

RECIPE:

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl, mix well, cover
and let stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

You're welcome, Kendra! :)

It's all the same disease!

2011-06-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

I was recently reading a medical report that said doctors are having a hard time diagnosing all the diseases people have today because so many of the symptoms are the same in each condition.
Here's a news flash - they are all the same disease!
I know people claim to have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, even MS, etc. But seriously, do you really think you just happened to catch or develop these diseases? Isn't it amazing that everyone I know that has fibromyalgia also has chronic fatigue and is very over weight? What a coincidence!

Or is the answer more likely that their fat choked, fiber-less, sugar filled diet is causing their bodies to express these symptoms that doctor's like to make sound like some exotic and mysterious diseases!? Think about it, did you just happen to be unfortunate enough to get all these illnesses like they fell out of the sky on poor innocent you? I've even had people tell me their baby has acid reflux because they have it! Really! Could it be that your babies poor little body is just reacting in the body's natural way to protect itself from the chemical soup you call "formula" that you fed them in fluoride water and a toxic plastic bottle?

The answer is always the same - stop eating processed garbage and try some fruits and veggies! And no, eating one apple this week isn't enough! Once you really switch to a plant based diet you will watch most, if not all, of your symptoms disappear.

The Return of a Healthy Habit

2011-04-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before I tend to cycle through things, although my rock solid daily habits don't change. One of the very first things I learned when I began trying to take control of my health was also one of the weirdest, the practice of oil pulling.

Now I know many of you have never even heard of this and neither had I but I cannot say enough about it. When I first read about it I thought "I am not doing that, it sounds ridiculous!" but for some reason I knew it would help. The idea is very simple, take a couple tablespoons of sunflower oil in your mouth and swish it around like mouth wash and then spit it out.

When you do this the oil becomes foamy and white, full of bacteria and all kinds of nasty junk in our mouth. After you do this for a few minutes just spit out the oil and brush your teeth like normal (except never use toothpaste!) Here is a great link to the oil pulling site that gives a lot more detail and explains exactly why this work.

When Keith and I first began doing this we noticed amazing results right away. First my teeth felt really strong and all cold and hot sensitivity went away. I've always had problems with a couple of my teeth with spots that just didn't feel right, in fact I was sure I would eventually have problems

with them. Now all that has cleared up, and no more bleeding gums. It has

made my teeth whiter and breath better, not to mention just the over all

great clean feeling that stays all day.

If that isn't enough reason to do it, my sinuses have also completely cleared

up and I can breath clear all the time now. So with spring allergies coming

on, now is a great time to make this part of your daily routine. And the oil

really doesn't have a bad taste, after a few days you won't even notice it.

So as I said this is the return of a good habit, yes I had quit doing it for quite

a while and don't even know why. But now that I have started again I

can't imagine my mornings without my oil!

Kale chips

2011-02-24T10:56:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to make is kale chips in my convection oven, on the dehydrator setting.

In a food processor, mix garlic, olive oil, a red pepper, cashews or other nuts, and spices. Break up the kale into small pieces, coat it with the mixture, spread them out on a cookie sheet and dehydrate until done to desired crispness. I use a Silpat so nothing sticks to the cookie sheet. I flip the chips over after 8-10 hours to help speed up the process. I do mine at 118 degrees.

Here's another tip: taste the kale with the coating on it, and if it tastes good to you before you dehydrate it, it will taste good when it's done.

There are several recipes floating around on the web, so find one you love.

Check out SparkPeople.com - Great free website

2011-02-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

If you haven't checked out SparkPeople.com you should. It's a great free website that will help you take 'baby steps' to your fitness and weight management goals.

It has a food tracker, exercise tracker, goal tracker, water and veggie trackers, etc., and is customizable to fit your needs. Lot's of motivational stories, great free videos about exercise and lifestyle. Lot's of goodies on this site.

There are 'teams' you can join for extra motivation and tips. I'm on the 'veggie' team...

I've added a big button on the left, so use it!

To find me as a Spark Friend, my ID is MartiniBellini, and Amanda is ABLITS.

Get on it and get moving and feeling better!

What's wrong with this picture?

2011-02-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

Are you kidding me?

This label on a butternut squash that I just bought from Sunny Farms gives 'cooking' instructions, if you can call them that, and says

'micro on high, flesh side down...'

REALLY?

So now farmers and the government's label-requiring-quacks are advising people to consume fresh veggies by microwaving all of the nutrition out of them first.

Well, that's one way to keep people sick and supporting the drug and medical industries. Way to go...

I just wonder, how did people 'cook' butternut squash before there were microwave ovens in every house?

Curry Quinoa Salad

2011-02-04T16:22:00.001-08:00

I have a bad habit of getting on a kick of certain foods or recipes and making them nonstop until Keith & I are both sick of it and then I don't make it again for a long time. Well this time I am happy to say one of my favorite foods, quinoa, is making a come back after I ran it into the ground last year! So here is an easy recipe for a fabulous curry quinoa salad that I came up with today and love it so enjoy!

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup raisins (I like the golden but you could also used dried cranberries)

1/2 cup chopped pecans ( you could use sunflower seeds)

1 grated carrot

1 can garbanzo beans drained

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tsp curry (I love the Frontier brand)

salt & pepper to taste

You can adjust this to your taste, more vinegar or honey, but you really can't mess it up.

Is cow's milk really good for you? Don't believe the hype... read this!

2011-01-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

If you've done any research on your own about cow's milk and what it does for you or to you, then you know the scoop.

If not, maybe you should...

I just found this article that debunks the 'milk does a body good' propaganda that we're fed constantly by the mainstream media.

Click the link to read it here: Milk?

Remember, do the research and find out for yourself. Trust no one... especially anyone that pays to get a message out there to sell a product.

Unfortunately, the article referenced above does not give any alternatives to cow's milk, however, there are plenty, including Almond Breeze almond milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk, rice milk, hemp milk... you get the picture, all of which come sweetened, unsweetened, or flavored, and many are fortified with Vitamin D and other goodies, so shop around.

And by drinking alternative milks, you're not dealing with consuming animal proteins or hormones, regardless if they are grass or grain fed.

Almond Breeze vanilla is my absolute favorite for cereal. Yummy!

The Importance of Vitamin B-12

2011-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks I've been feeling a little spacy, out of it, and I couldn't focus on my work. I felt like I was losing my mind, and couldn't figure out what the problem was. I've been taking Vitamin D, and didn't think I was depressed, but I felt like something wasn't quite right.

For some reason I started thinking about the B vitamins, and that I hadn't been taking any for a couple of years. Since I stopped eating meat almost 2 years ago, and have been eating a lot more fruits and veggies, I figured I was getting enough vitamins from my food. I did a search on B vitamin deficiencies and symptoms, and the list had about 20 things on it, most of which I was feeling or experiencing. Could it be that I was deficient in B vitamins, especially B-12?

So I did the most logical thing to get the quickest answer: I called 'Doctor K', I mean Kendra. I asked her if she was taking any B vits, and she said "of course, I take liquid Vit B-12 complex every day".

Again, info that would have been good like maybe 2 years ago!!!

So after I stopped yelling at her, I asked her what brand she takes... she uses Solgar brand drops. I went to Sunny Farms in Sequim and they have NOW brand, so I got the B-12 Ultra drops. I started taking the drops right away, and didn't really feel anything for about 3-4 days. I take it first thing in the morning, about 1 teaspoon, and I hold it under my tongue for about 30 seconds before swallowing it.

So it seems that this may have been the problem... I'm feeling much less cranky and moody, and I can actually focus on my work again. I have to say that I still sometimes feel that I'm losing my mind, but I think it's manageable now, and not overwhelming.

We all have a lot of stress in our lives just to survive, but if you feel that you can't handle it, you should do some investigating, maybe visit a doctor and get a blood test done, and see if Vitamin B-12 and the other Bs may be what you need to feel good again.

It really helped me... take care, Marti :)

My Favorite Things

2010-12-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

As the end of the year approaches I thought I would do a list of products, foods, information, and routines that really work for me and have brought the most results. I have had an interesting year as far as learning new health musts (sauerkraut!) as well as really getting into a daily routine that has allowed me to get through the year without getting sick and keeping my weight within 2lbs.

So with that let me start with a couple of products that I am loving. First is my sleep grounding sheet. I know you have probably never heard of this but I strongly recommend you look into the practice of Earthing. It is amazing how much the human body needs the ground just to function, and in today's world none of us are functioning so we need all the help we can get. Next is my little Wal Mart mini trampoline. That's right, so simple and inexpensive, but when used for just a few minutes a day you get huge results so try it.

This was the year I really and completely eliminated all sugar - wow what a difference! If you haven't already read Sugar Blues I suggest you put that on your to-do list and really learn the horrible health consequences of the innocent looking sugar. It has probably damaged and ended more lives that any other single food in the world. It needs to be eliminated from your life immediately.

Now for foods I have craved, lived on, and loved all year. A few months ago I wrote about the health benefits of making raw sauerkraut. I can't recommend it enough, it has become part of our daily meals. You can research it at bodyecology.com or look up Donna Gates. Everyday I am so thankful that I learned about green smoothies, they were the start and reason for all my health success. I also have perfected the veggie sandwich, I know sounds simple but what an amazing way to keep eating raw most of the day. And where would I be if I hadn't learned about the amazing cashew cheese? Added to some steamed broccoli and you have the perfect meal! I have also discovered Royal Jelly, just a little bit gives your body so much.

On to supplements, or make that the few I have found to be really important. First is vitamin D, we all need more of it, A LOT more of it. Get out in the sunshine ( I know it's December) or get a good quality liquid supplement. Of course we need our B-12 so get that too. Another critical one is daily digestive enzymes, help your body out and take one with every meal. Your body will thank you. If you're looking for a boost both for your detox and mental well being add Niacin to your daily plan. It has to be the real one that will cause the flush, it's not that bad and you'll sleep great.

We have had an amazing year gathering fresh spring water every week. It is so important to have a good water source, it really is the foundation for your health. Don't put it off, get and stick with a good water source. Never drink tap water!

Now onto everyone's favorite subject, colon cleansing. The effects of making coffee enemas a part of your weekly routine cannot be overstated. It is life changing. I know you think it's unnecessary or that your body is functioning just fine, but let me assure you it is worth the time and effort. Once you see how fast your body gets into shape and so many of your health problems disappearing you will make it part of your life. You will literally watch your body and face get younger once you clean all that junk out and your poor liver can start working properly.

Make this the year you stop using toothpaste. You heard me, toothpaste is incredibly damaging not only to your teeth but to your health in general. Make a simple paste out of baking soda and grapefruit seed extract. It will take a little getting used to but you'll never go back to nasty pastes!

Another huge fact this year is not having TV! That's right, we shut off cable and went without. You won't believe how calming it is to have that irritating propaganda machine out of your life. Take time to read (especially daily Bible reading), think, or just be quiet. Try it, there's nothing good on TV anyway.

These are the things that I enjoy and rely on to keep me healthy and at the weight I want to be. How about you? Let me know what works or what doesn't as we try to stay healthy in a diseased world. Make this the year you take charge of your health and body and finally get some control! If you don't you have a life of doctors, pills, and misery ahead. I would love to hear from you! What's your plan this year?

It's Quiet

2010-11-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

Hello any and all that are reading this post. For those concerned I have maintained my weight loss (stable at 140) but have not gone down any. I didn't uphold to my "no nuts/seeds" for several days and I believe that is why my weight hasn't decreased. So I've eliminated them again and am on strict regimen for the next month. I hope to release about 3-5lbs a week ~ we will see how that goes, and I will keep you posted.

I hope this cyber message finds you doing well. If you have any tips for me or encouragement please post it. Thank you.

TG(oodness)IF

2010-11-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

Four Days Down and 8 lbs down. Not a bad start! Amazingly enough I lost 2 lbs yesterday, though I was taking in nutrients from fresh squeezed apple juice. Today is only water and I am interested to see if 2.5 lbs consistently are released. Only tomorrow will tell.

Today is my 4th year wedding anniversary. We don't have anything planned for tonight per se.. But next weekend we are having a Raw meal with AND prepared by Kendra (and with her hubby Keith). She has taken on the pleasure :) of preparing a gourmet Raw dinner for us all. It's very exciting!! (The company will be AWESOME and the meal as well. I bet your weekend won't top ours:) just teasing..

Another Day

2010-11-18T16:55:00.000-08:00

Today has gone smoothly. It was my juice day. And so first thing this morning at 6:30 I drank a tall glass of water. Then I juiced some apples (golden delic) and it was just that - golden and delicious! I had about 1/3 of a quart of it, then stayed with water the rest of the day until about an hour ago, I had a pint of apple juice.

Tomorrow I am onto water again.. It should go well seeming that it is just a one-day-thing. Will keep you posted. As my hubby calls this blog, my personal journal. But I think hey, I'm either going to write it on paper, or here.. And on paper you aren't going to get the benefit of hearing about my boring life. So here it is:)

"eating is sooo over-rated"

2010-11-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Today's title is a direct quote from Red {Kendra}.. If you are following my last few posts you will know that I am on day 2 of a 12 day cleanse (day 1 & 2 was dedicated to water fasting). As the day wore on I got a little interested in skipping ahead to day 3 (which is a juice day), and instead of giving in to "that little voice" I called Kendra. And she reminded me that eating is over-rated!! Hahaha, and that's why she is my BFF!! :)

So I close out today by staying faithful to my agenda.. and I look forward to tomorrow when I get to juice the delicious apples {golden delicious and jonagold} that I bought today from the local Amish. Mmmm...

More Self-Encouragement

2010-11-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hello~
Today has been my Water Day and it has gone well. I haven't drank as much water as intended, I have been occupied with tending to the needs of my sick kidlets. Two of them have been home with me from school the past two days with fever and other symptoms. Hopefully tomorrow they will be on the mend.

I posted another picture that I had dug out from on my computer of me obviously much thinner. This was at the beginning of Chris and I dating (we are going on 4 years of marriage-this Fri). I posted it to continue my encouragement. I hope to soon post a current picture of me looking that thin. I still regret not having a scale at the time this picture was taken, because I have no idea what I weighted. I am figuring though that I will know what is right for my body once I get there..

Updated Goals:

2010-11-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hello all... After much consideration I have decided to update/upgrade my current goals..

I never got a response from anyone wanting to join me for the 3-day juice.. So I've decided to shift gears, and for the next two weeks I will alternate between smoothie (or juice) and water. So starting tomorrow I will take in only water, then the next day smoothies only (or juice), the next day water, and so on.. You get the picture. I will keep you posted, of course:)

Also, on the days I do smoothies/juice I will take my daily dose of wheatgrass, but on my water days I won't take the wheatgrass but will likely take vitamin C to aid in detoxing. I will try to do a daily enema to assist my body in releasing toxins too. Also, I am taking some homeopathics and will keep that up throughout these two weeks. (I realized last Friday that I still have A LOT of work to do on my poor body :)

So there you have it, "My Plan of Action". I'm trying to get my head in the game, and keep it there! My short term goal is still to be 120 lbs by the end of December, and hopefully with much LESS toxins!

Oh, and the picture up top is of me, the same month I met my husband in 2006 (April). This is the girl I want to be again, at least in size:) especially with that smile!! -excuse the hair, it's pulled back all funny..

Alfalfa's Restaurant

2010-11-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

Saturday we took our children to a college football game, afterwards we went to Alfalfa in Lexington, KY. My husband and I have been there a few times over the past year without our children. So we didn't know how they would respond to the food and such. Long story short, it was wonderful!! Alfalfa makes their own rye bread daily, and they bring that out instead of white flour biscuits (awesome), and to our great surprise they loved it. They kept going on about how much they liked it! I was very pleased. Then they easily found something to eat on the menu and enjoyed that as well. {Too we had one of our children's friends with us that is a super picky eater, doesn't even like jelly or peanut butter!! :) and she couldn't stop saying how much she loved it too.} And for me, I picked the house salad, which was fabulous. It consisted of shredded cabbage- purple and green, carrot, cukes, tomato, bell pepper, sprouts and sunflower seeds. I liked it so much I tried to re-create it yesterday:) Mine isn't perfect, but I really like it a lot! {It's hard to find a "good salad" at a restaurant, so I was highly impressed. Even my hubby tried it and liked it. Said next time we go there that he will order the salad too.}

If you have read my previous posts you will notice I vowed not to eat seeds/nuts for the rest of November.. So I am "busted" :) . My salad had sunflower seeds, and too, last night we entertained some friends. While entertaining I got a craving for something sweet so I made a raw treat out of the book RAWvolution. It too called for nuts, almonds. It was soo rich that we all just had an ounce of the chocolaty yum yum. Everyone ate theirs with a gram cracker, I kept mine raw.. So I am proud of myself, and not mad that I ate nuts. Well, that was my weekend. Will power is HIGH:)

Putting Thursday on the Map!

2010-11-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

Hahaha yeah right. Today wasn't truly profound. Unless you call a productive enema profound, then Yes, today was a Great Success! :)

I've been committed to smoothies, salads and wheatgrass - and Zumba (I HATE exercising, but LOVE Zumba! It's actually fun). I haven't had dates in a few days, I just haven't had the desire. So all is well, however as the IMPATIENT person I am, I don't like the slow creeping weight decrease. I like the nearly a pound a day decrease.. So I'm really toying with the idea of juicing 3 days a week. Like Mon, Tues, Wed. I think that would suite me well. Maybe even mix in a day of water fasting here and there.

Does anyone want to join me this coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to juice? Or even just one of those days? A simple juice is Grapefruit (best with pink) and Orange. Or Grapes (red tastes the best to me), Apple and Water. Or you could go with veggies, and the internet has tons of recipes for that. Too I have several books that have all sorts of veggie juices in it that I could share with you if you'd like. Please let me know:)

Confessions of A Food Addict

2010-11-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, I pick the color green to type with today because I feel more green than purple:)

Nothing really revolutionary to say today, I'm just keeping up the pace of Smoothies, Salads and Wheatgrass as my daily regimen (oh, and tons of water, must not forget that!). Also, when I do feel a little naughty, I have a pitted date or two. It always does the trick to cure my desire for "something else" (guess that's my "transition" food). Too, still doing Zumba daily (the dance/exercise that is hitting the infomercials hardcore).

Oh, one thing I would like to mention..is.. sigh.. Okay.
Do you have food addictions? Likely you will say no. If you readily say yes and this is the first time you've ever thought about it, I am sincerely impressed. See, I really never noticed how addicted I was to food. And truly, if you are overweight, surely it is an addiction for you too. I was once thin too, and there seems to be a gap in my thinking.. I remember myself thin, now I'm not.. How did I get here? It seems like all I did was eat food like everybody else. Three times a day, sometimes only two, yeah I snacked occasionally.. I just didn't get it. Even after my juice feast I didn't think I was a "food addict". At the Raw Food seminar (Matt and Angela Monarch's) I bought Angela's book Raw Emotions. I didn't realize it dealt with food addictions. Really, I bought it and every time I picked it up I couldn't relate so I never made it past the first few pages. Here I am nearly a year later, with several juicing experiences behind me, and all the yo-yo-ing, I finally came to the true realization that I AM ADDICTED. Simple truth.. hard to deal with. Once I went without the daily foods I was used to eating, totally switching gears, I saw what I desired. So if it has any chemicals, preservatives, complex carbs, sugar, etc.. and I thought I wanted it/needed it/couldn't think about anything else til I had it-once IT popped into my mind..yeah, I was addicted :( I never realized because I had what I wanted when I wanted it, even if I thought it was "healthy".

So what is my crave?? Sugar and Carbs.. I guess it comes with the territory of being raised in a Fast Food Nation. Having food at my fingertips.. even late in the day/night, which I KNOW is the worst because it just sits in my body, doing nothing except for making me FAT! So I had to get serious with myself. Picture where I wanted to be with my body, what I wanted it to look like, really thinking of how I would feel in that body, how I would move, and how it would boost my self-esteem to tackle my weight issue and be in control of all my actions and choices.

Well, I thought this wasn't going to be an interesting post, but it turned out I have divulged my truths to you. I guess that's part of this process too :) For what it's worth, I hope this can help someone..