Today's Repast:
Breakfast:
Cacao Morning Madness with coconut water, frozen banana, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, cacao powder and nibs, almond butter and agave; YUM!!
Lunch:
Salad with romaine, carrot, mushrooms, radish and sprouts with dulse and nutritional yeast; dressing of sea salt and olive oil
Snack:
Synergy Grape Kombucha probiotic drink
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
Later Snack (I knew I would be eating late due to the seder and was hungry):
raw cashews
Dinner:
OK, so first of all, I had some more wonderful Shmurah (hand-batched) matzoh tonight, enjoying every crunch.
I only took sips of my wine and grape juice for the 4 cups; total of both maybe = 1/3 cup
jicama and avocado salad with what tasted like a mango dressing (raw)
red and golden beets with a vinagrette (cooked)
cucumber tomato salad (raw)
carrot walnut salad (raw)
Kiwi slices with scoops of pineapple and mango sorbet (no sugar; just fruit and ice)
I just got home from a beautiful second night of Passover seder at the home of Rabbi Moshe and Leah Shemtov of Stamford Chabad.
Chabad is an organization dedicated to serving Jews of all ages regardless of religious background or affiliation.
I cannot say enough about the energy each time I walk into their home. I have been invited their a few times for dinner, and this time for seder. Last time I was there, because Leah knows what I do as a health counselor and how I eat, she made me all kinds of raw vege appetizers for a Sabbath dinner! She has even organized a holistic health night for the community.
The love, the spirit of community and family and the welcoming energy were all present.
When I came in, Leah told me that specifically on Passover, they never use anything processed to make their food; it is all from scratch. They don't use any sugar. She said she had been thinking of that and of me, knowing I would appreciate that. Because of this, though, they do not use oils and just for Passover use chicken fat (schmaltz) instead; just a little bit in all the main dishes.
So, I had all the amazing vege and raw starters and skipped the main course. One of the main course dishes had chopped parsnip and carrot and sweet potato and eggplant; roasted root vegs. I didn't eat it because of the chicken fat, but it looked delicious. Forty five people came to share this seder!
I sat across from a neurologist and we shared what we each do professionally; he appreciated my focus on food as medicine, healing eating disorders and creating an ecstatic relationship with food as our most intimate partner.
He was even sharing some holistically oriented methodologies he brings into his practice.
There was a wonderful young man in his junior year of high school asking me how I deal without having meat and how hard that must be. I got to tell him that it is actually ecstatic. Surprisingly, the neurologist piped in and said, "Meat is an inflammatory in the body, right?" I loved it!!
Please write in and share what food you appreciated today...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tradition Counts as Much as Raw
Today's Food:
Breakfast:
Blueberry elixir with coconut water and water, frozen blueberries and banana, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, raw crunchy almond butter, cacao nibs and agave
a few slices of Manna carrot raisin bread (gave the rest away, as I'm done with grain during the 8 days of Passover)
32 ounces lemon water
Snack:
Raw cashews
Dinner (non-raw!):
Shmurah matzoh ( hand-baked matzoh for Passover that is crisp and yummy)
vege chopped liver (made from nuts and maybe peas? though I don't think so because we don't eat peas on Passover)
eggplant salad with olive oil
Charoset: A specialty for the holiday, used to symbolize the mortar that the Jews as slaves used to make the bricks.
a plate of food with: grilled veges, raw carrot and walnut salad (thank you, Fredi!), tomato cucumber salad, and a piece of my mom's (and Nana's) Farfel Pudding that my cousin made tonight, which contains, apples, walnuts, matzoh meal, matzoh farfel and sugar.
One more vege dish that I can't remember
Dessert (yes, I had dessert!):
1/2 special bakery macaroon with chocolate, thin slice of chocolate ganache, 1/2 tortle (chocolate, walnuts and sugar that looks like a "turtle) and some raspberries and blueberries
I love Passover. We always had the best seders growing up, steeped with tradition and tons of fun. Today it's a time I also think of and miss my dad, who has been gone for almost 3 years. When I was a little girl, he would take me with him through a ritual done the night before Passover, where you symbolically clean your house of all bread and grains. He would place small pieces of bread around the entire house, including the basement, and as guided by the doctrines of the ritual, we had a wooden spoon, a feather and a candle. As we crept through the house, room by room, the game was for me to locate each piece of bread in delight. Then my dad would take the feather and bend down to "sweep" the bread onto the wooden spoon. This went on until we had made our way through all the rooms. In the morning, I would watch him outside as he burned the bread and said a prayer. Then I knew it was really Passover.
To this day, I love ritual and engage in it and facilitate it as much as possible, from clearings to honorings to intentionings, I drum and chant and pray and summon in God and my angels, including my father.
I also love tradition as it extends to food. I love that my cousin Fredi made my Nana's and my mom's Farfel Pudding, and I thought about that and felt it as I took each bite. I loved sharing food with family and connecting with others around the table.
I loved the decadence of those Passover tortles that my mom always had at our seder table, too.
I loved the Charoset, as it always holds incredible memories of being in the kitchen with my mom and my first sister-in-law, who has since passed away, laughing and talking like girls and making Charoset together.
With every bite of food, I honor the holiday and the memories and the love and connection of family, as well as the cherished ones who are no longer with us.
Tomorrow I will be back to raw, and tomorrow night a second seder (stay tuned :)
When you choose to honor something important to you, do it completely and with full intention and appreciation.
Please write in and share your family traditions...
Breakfast:
Blueberry elixir with coconut water and water, frozen blueberries and banana, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, raw crunchy almond butter, cacao nibs and agave
a few slices of Manna carrot raisin bread (gave the rest away, as I'm done with grain during the 8 days of Passover)
32 ounces lemon water
Snack:
Raw cashews
Dinner (non-raw!):
Shmurah matzoh ( hand-baked matzoh for Passover that is crisp and yummy)
vege chopped liver (made from nuts and maybe peas? though I don't think so because we don't eat peas on Passover)
eggplant salad with olive oil
Charoset: A specialty for the holiday, used to symbolize the mortar that the Jews as slaves used to make the bricks.
a plate of food with: grilled veges, raw carrot and walnut salad (thank you, Fredi!), tomato cucumber salad, and a piece of my mom's (and Nana's) Farfel Pudding that my cousin made tonight, which contains, apples, walnuts, matzoh meal, matzoh farfel and sugar.
One more vege dish that I can't remember
Dessert (yes, I had dessert!):
1/2 special bakery macaroon with chocolate, thin slice of chocolate ganache, 1/2 tortle (chocolate, walnuts and sugar that looks like a "turtle) and some raspberries and blueberries
I love Passover. We always had the best seders growing up, steeped with tradition and tons of fun. Today it's a time I also think of and miss my dad, who has been gone for almost 3 years. When I was a little girl, he would take me with him through a ritual done the night before Passover, where you symbolically clean your house of all bread and grains. He would place small pieces of bread around the entire house, including the basement, and as guided by the doctrines of the ritual, we had a wooden spoon, a feather and a candle. As we crept through the house, room by room, the game was for me to locate each piece of bread in delight. Then my dad would take the feather and bend down to "sweep" the bread onto the wooden spoon. This went on until we had made our way through all the rooms. In the morning, I would watch him outside as he burned the bread and said a prayer. Then I knew it was really Passover.
To this day, I love ritual and engage in it and facilitate it as much as possible, from clearings to honorings to intentionings, I drum and chant and pray and summon in God and my angels, including my father.
I also love tradition as it extends to food. I love that my cousin Fredi made my Nana's and my mom's Farfel Pudding, and I thought about that and felt it as I took each bite. I loved sharing food with family and connecting with others around the table.
I loved the decadence of those Passover tortles that my mom always had at our seder table, too.
I loved the Charoset, as it always holds incredible memories of being in the kitchen with my mom and my first sister-in-law, who has since passed away, laughing and talking like girls and making Charoset together.
With every bite of food, I honor the holiday and the memories and the love and connection of family, as well as the cherished ones who are no longer with us.
Tomorrow I will be back to raw, and tomorrow night a second seder (stay tuned :)
When you choose to honor something important to you, do it completely and with full intention and appreciation.
Please write in and share your family traditions...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Healing Properties of Sleep
Breakfast:
Thin slices of semi-frozen Manna Carrot Raisin bread (in honor of one of my readers, who wrote in about trying it this way; thanks, Deborah, for this wonderful tip :) ...I think you'll like the defrosted version even more!) with just a little bit of olive oil
a couple of sips of blueberry elixir with frozen banana and blueberry, coconut water and water, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, raw crunchy almond butter, agave, cacao nibs
32 ounces lemon water
Snack:
raw cashews and dates
Dinner:
1 avocado mashed with dulse, Herbamare seasoning and cayenne
with carrot sticks and one celery stick
8 ounces water
Guess what I'm doing right after I finish T.H.E. Blog!???? I am going to sleep. That's right; no late night emails or Facebook; no late night phone calls to my male BFF in NYC or my close girlfriend in Sedona. Tonight I tuck into my white flannel sheets and let it all down. I breathe deeply and allow every muscle in my body to breathe with me. It's important for you to know that, especially when making food changes and introducing more raw foods into your daily menu, that our bodies will need extra sleep to allow for these transformations. It is also a huge component of detox; the need to honor the body's desire to sleep more. That being said, you might feel huge surges of energy as well, as the appropriate nutrients are now feeding your organs and blood with food. In both cases, your body is speaking to you. The more you honor it, the more it will respond with triple surges of energy. And, letting go of even the raw conversation, please just allow for sleep when you need it or want it! Do not deny it. A friend and colleague of mine was once giving a talk that I attended, and she said, "How many times do you have to go to the bathroom and actually deny that primary need and hold it in while you complete five other tasks????" She asked us to notice when we do not honor our body's voice. I could see everyone in the room got it. From that day forward, I smiled when I saw myself start to do this; now when I need to go to the bathrom, I do.
Eating, Sleeping and Eliminating are our primary needs (though I would say touch is as well). Please listen when they speak to you through the voice of your body.
Goodnight and Sleep Well :)
Thin slices of semi-frozen Manna Carrot Raisin bread (in honor of one of my readers, who wrote in about trying it this way; thanks, Deborah, for this wonderful tip :) ...I think you'll like the defrosted version even more!) with just a little bit of olive oil
a couple of sips of blueberry elixir with frozen banana and blueberry, coconut water and water, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, raw crunchy almond butter, agave, cacao nibs
32 ounces lemon water
Snack:
raw cashews and dates
Dinner:
1 avocado mashed with dulse, Herbamare seasoning and cayenne
with carrot sticks and one celery stick
8 ounces water
Guess what I'm doing right after I finish T.H.E. Blog!???? I am going to sleep. That's right; no late night emails or Facebook; no late night phone calls to my male BFF in NYC or my close girlfriend in Sedona. Tonight I tuck into my white flannel sheets and let it all down. I breathe deeply and allow every muscle in my body to breathe with me. It's important for you to know that, especially when making food changes and introducing more raw foods into your daily menu, that our bodies will need extra sleep to allow for these transformations. It is also a huge component of detox; the need to honor the body's desire to sleep more. That being said, you might feel huge surges of energy as well, as the appropriate nutrients are now feeding your organs and blood with food. In both cases, your body is speaking to you. The more you honor it, the more it will respond with triple surges of energy. And, letting go of even the raw conversation, please just allow for sleep when you need it or want it! Do not deny it. A friend and colleague of mine was once giving a talk that I attended, and she said, "How many times do you have to go to the bathroom and actually deny that primary need and hold it in while you complete five other tasks????" She asked us to notice when we do not honor our body's voice. I could see everyone in the room got it. From that day forward, I smiled when I saw myself start to do this; now when I need to go to the bathrom, I do.
Eating, Sleeping and Eliminating are our primary needs (though I would say touch is as well). Please listen when they speak to you through the voice of your body.
Goodnight and Sleep Well :)
Community Support
YUM! Today's Relationship with Food:
Breakfast:
Blueberry elixir with coconut water, water, frozen banana, frozen blueberries, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, agave, raw crunchy almond butter, cacao nibs
Snack:
2 small golden delicious apples with raw crunchy almond butter
Late Lunch at Book Signing: potluck, at which I tried all of these yummy creations:
dixie cup of mushroom soup (mushrooms, soaked almonds...), guacamole with a couple of flax crackers, beautiful sprout salad with pea shoots and sprouts, with a spicy thai nut dressing, coleslaw with purple cabbage, pistachio-sundried tomatoe pate, sunshine cheese (with soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, water, garlic and sea salt; also a version with the pulp from juicing veges added so this one was green and delicious), jicama fries (one of my favorites) with a tomato basil dipping sauce, apple date cobbler
And...the best part: A friend brought a whole frozen Durian ( a large and sensual fruit from Thailand, which is banned in some places for its funky smell) and we got to eat Durian 'ice cream.' It's been so long since I had it. This, by the way, is beyond the beyond; a sheer food-gasm!
Dinner:
raw cacao elixir with coconut water, water, frozen bananas, cacao powder, cacao nibs, psyllium seed powder, raw crunchy almond butter, agave
I am committed to turning the model of 'alone' into the model of 'support.' The things we create, commit to, envision, dream and execute are not supposed to be navigated by ourselves. Out there, we are taught that we have to take it on and get wherever we are heading all alone. This is not the model I ascribe to; mine is the tribal model of shared support and community. In tribes, it wasn't solely the mother who took care of her baby; all the women had a hand in it. How we get to where and who we dream to be is with the cradling and lifting of others. Over the last couple of years, as I've gotten better and better at this, I ask my "tribe" for support in what I'm up to. I have someone who supports me around writing my book, others who check in about my commitment as a runner. I have a group of friends who walk with me through relationship conversations. And I have people who believe in and offer help with all of my dreams.
So, if you are wanting to bring more raw food into your life, you need to immerse yourself in that community; going to hear talks, joining a raw food Meetup group, asking your friends to support you in this vision and commitment when you eat together. I have asked that of my friends. Today a friend and colleague, Karen Ranzi, had a raw potluck and book signing for her brand new book: 'Creating Healthy Children Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods.' It's a brilliant book by the way, and if the title holds some interest for you and you would like to purchase a copy, you can contact Karen at: karen@superhealthychildren.com or call (201) 934-6778. I got my own signed copy from Karen. So, as you can see from my food today, I got to sample an array of amazing raw dishes. Plus, I met some really cool people, exchanged some emails and talked raw! I am so inspired by Karen and her commitment to the children and to this lifestyle. We get re-inspired everytime we surround ourselves with others who dream the same dream.
Please write in and share where you are asking for support in your life...
Breakfast:
Blueberry elixir with coconut water, water, frozen banana, frozen blueberries, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, agave, raw crunchy almond butter, cacao nibs
Snack:
2 small golden delicious apples with raw crunchy almond butter
Late Lunch at Book Signing: potluck, at which I tried all of these yummy creations:
dixie cup of mushroom soup (mushrooms, soaked almonds...), guacamole with a couple of flax crackers, beautiful sprout salad with pea shoots and sprouts, with a spicy thai nut dressing, coleslaw with purple cabbage, pistachio-sundried tomatoe pate, sunshine cheese (with soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, water, garlic and sea salt; also a version with the pulp from juicing veges added so this one was green and delicious), jicama fries (one of my favorites) with a tomato basil dipping sauce, apple date cobbler
And...the best part: A friend brought a whole frozen Durian ( a large and sensual fruit from Thailand, which is banned in some places for its funky smell) and we got to eat Durian 'ice cream.' It's been so long since I had it. This, by the way, is beyond the beyond; a sheer food-gasm!
Dinner:
raw cacao elixir with coconut water, water, frozen bananas, cacao powder, cacao nibs, psyllium seed powder, raw crunchy almond butter, agave
I am committed to turning the model of 'alone' into the model of 'support.' The things we create, commit to, envision, dream and execute are not supposed to be navigated by ourselves. Out there, we are taught that we have to take it on and get wherever we are heading all alone. This is not the model I ascribe to; mine is the tribal model of shared support and community. In tribes, it wasn't solely the mother who took care of her baby; all the women had a hand in it. How we get to where and who we dream to be is with the cradling and lifting of others. Over the last couple of years, as I've gotten better and better at this, I ask my "tribe" for support in what I'm up to. I have someone who supports me around writing my book, others who check in about my commitment as a runner. I have a group of friends who walk with me through relationship conversations. And I have people who believe in and offer help with all of my dreams.
So, if you are wanting to bring more raw food into your life, you need to immerse yourself in that community; going to hear talks, joining a raw food Meetup group, asking your friends to support you in this vision and commitment when you eat together. I have asked that of my friends. Today a friend and colleague, Karen Ranzi, had a raw potluck and book signing for her brand new book: 'Creating Healthy Children Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods.' It's a brilliant book by the way, and if the title holds some interest for you and you would like to purchase a copy, you can contact Karen at: karen@superhealthychildren.com or call (201) 934-6778. I got my own signed copy from Karen. So, as you can see from my food today, I got to sample an array of amazing raw dishes. Plus, I met some really cool people, exchanged some emails and talked raw! I am so inspired by Karen and her commitment to the children and to this lifestyle. We get re-inspired everytime we surround ourselves with others who dream the same dream.
Please write in and share where you are asking for support in your life...
Friday, March 26, 2010
Where are you Most Struggling in Your Relationship with Food?
What I ate today:
Breakfast:
1 golden delicious apple with crunchy almond butter
32 ounces lemon water
Snack:
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
Dinner Part 1:
cabbage apple salad with apple cider vinegar, Bragg's, olive oil, sea salt, nori and cayenne
1 collard leaf wrap with Sunshine cheese (soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, sea salt and water) and sprouts
Dinner Part II:
Organic Himalayan dried figs
Two Moms in the Raw Goji berry granola
Dessert:
Organic Nectars Mint Chocolate ice cream sprinkled with walnuts and drizzled with agave
20 ounces water
Imagine you could get the exact support you need with your relationship with food, your body and your health. Imagine you could get this support right now, and it could start to shift your struggle into a really loving relationship.
What 3 questions would you ask this health counselor that could help you on your path?
Tonight's forum is to reach out to all of you; please allow for the support you long for.
Write in and share something that keeps you from being the person you long to be in relation to your food, your body and your health: I will listen and respond.
Breakfast:
1 golden delicious apple with crunchy almond butter
32 ounces lemon water
Snack:
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
Dinner Part 1:
cabbage apple salad with apple cider vinegar, Bragg's, olive oil, sea salt, nori and cayenne
1 collard leaf wrap with Sunshine cheese (soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, sea salt and water) and sprouts
Dinner Part II:
Organic Himalayan dried figs
Two Moms in the Raw Goji berry granola
Dessert:
Organic Nectars Mint Chocolate ice cream sprinkled with walnuts and drizzled with agave
20 ounces water
Imagine you could get the exact support you need with your relationship with food, your body and your health. Imagine you could get this support right now, and it could start to shift your struggle into a really loving relationship.
What 3 questions would you ask this health counselor that could help you on your path?
Tonight's forum is to reach out to all of you; please allow for the support you long for.
Write in and share something that keeps you from being the person you long to be in relation to your food, your body and your health: I will listen and respond.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Be Outdoors and Move Those Limbs!
Breakfast:
Raw Blueberry elixir with coconut water, water, frozen fresh banana, frozen blueberries, psylium seed powder, flax seeds, crunchy almond butter, cacao nibs (a small amount) and agave
Lunch:
Sunshine cheese with celery (soaked cashews, water, sea salt and nutritional yeast)
2 small golden delicious apples with almond butter
Snack:
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
Dinner:
salad with romaine, carrot, mushroom, sprouts, dulse; with nutritional yeast and dressing of olive oil and stone ground mustard
Dessert:
bowl of Organic Nectars mint chocolate ice cream with a few walnuts drizzled with agave
12 ounces water
Not enough water today; I was enjoying my elixir so much after my six mile run, that I forgot to have my lemon water. I had a great run today. The sun was sparkling on the water and my "running partner for life or until we finally do a marathon together," Jim, was biking beside me as I ran. Since we have not done this for awhile, it really kicked my butt in a good way; stepping up my running speed to match his biking. Don't get impressed; he was biking very slow, but in order to make it worthwhile for him, I had to challenge myself a little. Have I told you yet how running transformed my relationship with Winter? For the past two Winters, I've been running outside in all weathers; from six degrees to snowstorms and rain. All my friends and family know that Winter used to be extremely difficult for me. From the end of August, when the nights would dip down to fifty degrees, I'd already be freezing and wearing socks to bed. I hadn't run outside in Winter since my twenties. Two Autumns ago, after three seasons of warm running, I said to myself, I need to change my relationship with Winter. Each Winter, I stop running and restart in April, and it gets harder and harder each year to do this. Plus, I'm miserable all Winter. So, I went into the runners' shop and asked for their warmest lightweight clothing. Did I believe it would actually keep Me warm? No way! Lo and behold, it worked. That Winter was a spiritual awakening for me. I ran between seven and nine miles a day (again, know that it's not my speed; I'm a ten minute miler) from five to seven days a week. Also, it was a meditation for me. I was letting go of some things in my life and the running allowed me to process without thinking; I just felt my soul. Believe it or not, I did not actually feel my body as much as my soul. This past Winter, I was running five or six miles. I've also been infusing some other exercise into the mix; dance, yoga, rebounder, jump rope. You know those legs we have? Guess what? They are not designed to sit for long hours in front of the computer or in a car; they are here to move; to bring breath and life into our circulatory system.
If the gym is something you start and stop again and again, think back to what movement excited and inspired you in your early life? Did you love to roller skate or ice skate? Was swimming the most fun for you? Did you grow up playing Frisbee on wide open fields? How about kite flying? Don't do what you "should;" do what you love!
When I was an adolescent, I took six years of modern dance a la Martha Graham; I am still totally turned on by that kind of movement, and bring it into my Thursday night gatherings, along with drumming, singing and chanting (other passions of mine).
Write in and tell me what forms of movement inspire you?
Raw Blueberry elixir with coconut water, water, frozen fresh banana, frozen blueberries, psylium seed powder, flax seeds, crunchy almond butter, cacao nibs (a small amount) and agave
Lunch:
Sunshine cheese with celery (soaked cashews, water, sea salt and nutritional yeast)
2 small golden delicious apples with almond butter
Snack:
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
Dinner:
salad with romaine, carrot, mushroom, sprouts, dulse; with nutritional yeast and dressing of olive oil and stone ground mustard
Dessert:
bowl of Organic Nectars mint chocolate ice cream with a few walnuts drizzled with agave
12 ounces water
Not enough water today; I was enjoying my elixir so much after my six mile run, that I forgot to have my lemon water. I had a great run today. The sun was sparkling on the water and my "running partner for life or until we finally do a marathon together," Jim, was biking beside me as I ran. Since we have not done this for awhile, it really kicked my butt in a good way; stepping up my running speed to match his biking. Don't get impressed; he was biking very slow, but in order to make it worthwhile for him, I had to challenge myself a little. Have I told you yet how running transformed my relationship with Winter? For the past two Winters, I've been running outside in all weathers; from six degrees to snowstorms and rain. All my friends and family know that Winter used to be extremely difficult for me. From the end of August, when the nights would dip down to fifty degrees, I'd already be freezing and wearing socks to bed. I hadn't run outside in Winter since my twenties. Two Autumns ago, after three seasons of warm running, I said to myself, I need to change my relationship with Winter. Each Winter, I stop running and restart in April, and it gets harder and harder each year to do this. Plus, I'm miserable all Winter. So, I went into the runners' shop and asked for their warmest lightweight clothing. Did I believe it would actually keep Me warm? No way! Lo and behold, it worked. That Winter was a spiritual awakening for me. I ran between seven and nine miles a day (again, know that it's not my speed; I'm a ten minute miler) from five to seven days a week. Also, it was a meditation for me. I was letting go of some things in my life and the running allowed me to process without thinking; I just felt my soul. Believe it or not, I did not actually feel my body as much as my soul. This past Winter, I was running five or six miles. I've also been infusing some other exercise into the mix; dance, yoga, rebounder, jump rope. You know those legs we have? Guess what? They are not designed to sit for long hours in front of the computer or in a car; they are here to move; to bring breath and life into our circulatory system.
If the gym is something you start and stop again and again, think back to what movement excited and inspired you in your early life? Did you love to roller skate or ice skate? Was swimming the most fun for you? Did you grow up playing Frisbee on wide open fields? How about kite flying? Don't do what you "should;" do what you love!
When I was an adolescent, I took six years of modern dance a la Martha Graham; I am still totally turned on by that kind of movement, and bring it into my Thursday night gatherings, along with drumming, singing and chanting (other passions of mine).
Write in and tell me what forms of movement inspire you?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Runnin' to Raw Soul for Dinner
Today's Food:
Breakfast (more towards lunchtime):
Amazing, energizing Elixir (with too many cacao nibs - read the blog) with coconut water, water, 2 frozen bananas, chunks of frozen mango, cordyceps powder (a superfood mushroom, or fungus, really, that supports the thyroid, adrenals, endocrine and libido), psyllium seed podwer, flax seeds, cacao nibs and a splash of agave.
Lunch:
a few thin slices of Manna carrot raisin bread with smears of almond butter
1/2 avocado with a little olive oil and Herbamare seasoning
Snack:
3 Brazil nuts
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner at Raw Soul, 145th Street, NYC:
Louisiana Gumbo soup (had tons of veges, including okra); Shared: pesto pizza; lasagna; BBQ burger; pilaf; peppermint cheesecake
16 ounces coconut water
Mid-day, while highly blissed out from my raw elixir, I had the unbelievable urge for dinner at Raw Soul. I asked my friends Ron and Heather to join me. Heather had never eaten a raw meal up until tonight, so that was kind of cool. I think the pesto pizza was her favorite. It's always great to go to Raw Soul with friends; then you can order more food! As it turns out, Lillian and Eddie, the owners of Raw Soul, are going away on holiday tomorrow. If we had come tomorrow, the restaurant would have been closed for vacation; perfect timing!! By the way, I just adore Lil and Eddie, and their hearts and souls go into creating the food and environment. Yay! to Heather for stepping into the raw world! My personal favorites are always the BBQ burger, pesto pizza and any cheesecake that Eddie makes. He masters the art of raw cheesecake, and this one was peppermint with dark fudge frosting; WHOAH! Ron is cool, as he spends half his days eating raw and the other half eating high-end chef food. He is a Holistic Health Counselor, a Kushi Institute macro chef and a graduate of ICE culinary school in NYC; talk about diversity!
On another note, as good as this meal was, and trust me, their food is beautiful, my body is speaking up loud and clear; solid food is feeling way too filling; the cries for a juice feast were coming up again. My body is ready to let go of large-scale eating; it's just a matter of time.
On a side note, when "dancing" with raw chocolate, or cacao. please try to insert it into your day with enough water and or food to balance its responses in the body, or use it sparingly. I think the best time is after a day of food as a raw elixir nighttime drink.
I have lived on raw cacao superfood smoothies with great response in my body, and at other times, the cacao is so intense that it gives me a bit of a nauseous, heady reaction and blood sugar imbalance. One of the raw revolutionaries in my field (who shall remain unnamed) refers to it as crack-ao :) Raw chocolate can act as a superfood, and is loaded with magnesium and other goodies, but just be sure to balance it and not overload your system with it.
My "wei chi" is feeling much better today; had a wonderful run this morning and feeling very energized.
I encourage you to write in with any questions about this lifestyle.....
Breakfast (more towards lunchtime):
Amazing, energizing Elixir (with too many cacao nibs - read the blog) with coconut water, water, 2 frozen bananas, chunks of frozen mango, cordyceps powder (a superfood mushroom, or fungus, really, that supports the thyroid, adrenals, endocrine and libido), psyllium seed podwer, flax seeds, cacao nibs and a splash of agave.
Lunch:
a few thin slices of Manna carrot raisin bread with smears of almond butter
1/2 avocado with a little olive oil and Herbamare seasoning
Snack:
3 Brazil nuts
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner at Raw Soul, 145th Street, NYC:
Louisiana Gumbo soup (had tons of veges, including okra); Shared: pesto pizza; lasagna; BBQ burger; pilaf; peppermint cheesecake
16 ounces coconut water
Mid-day, while highly blissed out from my raw elixir, I had the unbelievable urge for dinner at Raw Soul. I asked my friends Ron and Heather to join me. Heather had never eaten a raw meal up until tonight, so that was kind of cool. I think the pesto pizza was her favorite. It's always great to go to Raw Soul with friends; then you can order more food! As it turns out, Lillian and Eddie, the owners of Raw Soul, are going away on holiday tomorrow. If we had come tomorrow, the restaurant would have been closed for vacation; perfect timing!! By the way, I just adore Lil and Eddie, and their hearts and souls go into creating the food and environment. Yay! to Heather for stepping into the raw world! My personal favorites are always the BBQ burger, pesto pizza and any cheesecake that Eddie makes. He masters the art of raw cheesecake, and this one was peppermint with dark fudge frosting; WHOAH! Ron is cool, as he spends half his days eating raw and the other half eating high-end chef food. He is a Holistic Health Counselor, a Kushi Institute macro chef and a graduate of ICE culinary school in NYC; talk about diversity!
On another note, as good as this meal was, and trust me, their food is beautiful, my body is speaking up loud and clear; solid food is feeling way too filling; the cries for a juice feast were coming up again. My body is ready to let go of large-scale eating; it's just a matter of time.
On a side note, when "dancing" with raw chocolate, or cacao. please try to insert it into your day with enough water and or food to balance its responses in the body, or use it sparingly. I think the best time is after a day of food as a raw elixir nighttime drink.
I have lived on raw cacao superfood smoothies with great response in my body, and at other times, the cacao is so intense that it gives me a bit of a nauseous, heady reaction and blood sugar imbalance. One of the raw revolutionaries in my field (who shall remain unnamed) refers to it as crack-ao :) Raw chocolate can act as a superfood, and is loaded with magnesium and other goodies, but just be sure to balance it and not overload your system with it.
My "wei chi" is feeling much better today; had a wonderful run this morning and feeling very energized.
I encourage you to write in with any questions about this lifestyle.....
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Decreasing Food; Increasing Liquids
Today's Raw:
Breakfast:
6 slices Manna carrot raisin bread with smears of raw crunchy almond butter
32 ounces lemon water
Lunch:
3 bowls
cabbage salad with apple, dressing of apple cider vinegar, Bragg's, sea salt, nori, cayenne, olive oil
Sunshine Cheese from raw soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, sea salt and water
Snack:
4 bricks goji berry granola from two Moms in the Raw
Dinner:
Salad with romaine, radish, carrot, broccoli sprouts, sunflower seeds, with nutritional yeast and dulse, with dressing of olive oil and sea salt
2 cups of coconut water
I can just feel my body getting ready for a cleanse. It feels as though this "detox" I am experiencing is even more exacurbated by the act of eating. Now, anyone reading this who knows me will say, "What??", as they know my passionate relationship with food. I LOVE to eat! But here's the rub: My body is clearly speaking (loudly) to me and saying, "Just clean out; really clean out. Do a two week juice feast and then have a colonic, and you'll be golden." I know when my body talks, as it makes itself known! I am feeling that the more I wean off solids for a couple of weeks, the more energy I will have, and the more my body can unclog and rid itself of any metabolic waste it has accumulated over the past few months that is showing itself in physical ways, like the "wei chi" reactions I blogged about. I already know how high my energy can go when I eat simply and minimally. But the cleansing part is what is talking 'louw-dy' (as Michael Franti says). Hmm, the only thing is my schedule and some playdates and events I have coming up...
If one is going to cleanse, this is the optimal time of the year in the U.S.; Spring cleanse. We accumulate alot during the Winter and want to shed our protective layers and shift into optimizing our systems for the new season. We no longer need the extra Winter fats that kept us warm (I took full advantage of them this Winter!) I just read the Raw Reform blog, from the lovely Angela Stokes-Monarch, and listened to a video of she and Matt Monarch speaking about new extracts they are carrying that are wildcrafted; you can view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK0tPRIalTQ The dark chocolate extract has no caffeine or theobromine; would be great to put in my green smoothies for my cleanse :) see, the foodie in me is back. Here's the link if you're interested: http://www.therawfoodworld.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&zenid=iq3mift7et80v7jo0gi6570k64&keyword=chocolate+extract
Please write in and tell me what messages your body is giving you today?
Breakfast:
6 slices Manna carrot raisin bread with smears of raw crunchy almond butter
32 ounces lemon water
Lunch:
3 bowls
cabbage salad with apple, dressing of apple cider vinegar, Bragg's, sea salt, nori, cayenne, olive oil
Sunshine Cheese from raw soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, sea salt and water
Snack:
4 bricks goji berry granola from two Moms in the Raw
Dinner:
Salad with romaine, radish, carrot, broccoli sprouts, sunflower seeds, with nutritional yeast and dulse, with dressing of olive oil and sea salt
2 cups of coconut water
I can just feel my body getting ready for a cleanse. It feels as though this "detox" I am experiencing is even more exacurbated by the act of eating. Now, anyone reading this who knows me will say, "What??", as they know my passionate relationship with food. I LOVE to eat! But here's the rub: My body is clearly speaking (loudly) to me and saying, "Just clean out; really clean out. Do a two week juice feast and then have a colonic, and you'll be golden." I know when my body talks, as it makes itself known! I am feeling that the more I wean off solids for a couple of weeks, the more energy I will have, and the more my body can unclog and rid itself of any metabolic waste it has accumulated over the past few months that is showing itself in physical ways, like the "wei chi" reactions I blogged about. I already know how high my energy can go when I eat simply and minimally. But the cleansing part is what is talking 'louw-dy' (as Michael Franti says). Hmm, the only thing is my schedule and some playdates and events I have coming up...
If one is going to cleanse, this is the optimal time of the year in the U.S.; Spring cleanse. We accumulate alot during the Winter and want to shed our protective layers and shift into optimizing our systems for the new season. We no longer need the extra Winter fats that kept us warm (I took full advantage of them this Winter!) I just read the Raw Reform blog, from the lovely Angela Stokes-Monarch, and listened to a video of she and Matt Monarch speaking about new extracts they are carrying that are wildcrafted; you can view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK0tPRIalTQ The dark chocolate extract has no caffeine or theobromine; would be great to put in my green smoothies for my cleanse :) see, the foodie in me is back. Here's the link if you're interested: http://www.therawfoodworld.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&zenid=iq3mift7et80v7jo0gi6570k64&keyword=chocolate+extract
Please write in and tell me what messages your body is giving you today?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Detoxing is Allowing Your Body to Have a Voice
Today I ate:
No Breakfast (I chose sleep over breakfast this morning)
Lunch:
2 bowls of:
cabbage salad with sliced cabbage and apple, apple cider vinegar, Bragg's Amino Acids, olive oil, caraway seeds, dulse, cayenne, sea salt
Sunshine cheese with soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, water, sea salt
Snack:
part of 1/2 pint of raw Oreo Cookie ice cream (from last night's Pure Juice Takeaway adventure)
3o ounces of lemon water
Dinner:
large salad with romaine, radish, carrot, 1/2 avocado, sprouts and sunflower seeds with a dressing of olive oil, nutritional yeast and sea salt
4 thin slices of Manna carrot raisin bread with smears of raw crunchy almond butter
Dessert:
part of 1/2 pint of almond buttercup ice cream
8 ounces water
As I've been 100% raw again, my body has been showing some of the detox signs it did 3 3/4 years ago when I first went raw. I know it's detox because 1. I just know, as I trust my body and it speaks to me often and 2. I experience the "symptoms" largely one moment, and then the next day they are completely gone. Last night, I had muscle and joint pain in different parts of my body; it also happened last Thursday night. Then it showed up in my lower back and legs and last night I think my arm and leg. Turning over in bed was uncomfortable. Last week, touching the floor was impossible! Dr. Fred Bisci writes about this, and it really does not get spoken about. When we shift our bodies into a space of only eating raw, the nutrients are super high, where they weren't before. They are now trying to target the parts of our bodies where they are most needed. They first focus the nutrients on our blood and our organs; so the energy or fuel involved in this process of feeding our bodies is pulled away from the "Wei Chi," as they refer to our external body system in Chinese Medicine (which partly encompasses our muscles, tissues and joints) and is utilized first for our organs and blood. Fred speaks about this redistribution; I've added in the Wei Chi part from from my background in Chinese Medicine as applied here with respect to the raw food lifestyle. As a result, we may temporarily feel weak (and I would add, have some isolated pain) until the nutrients can then also be offered to these other parts of the body system (the Wei Chi). The same with sleep; a couple of nights I'm completely exhausted and others I'm only needing five or six hours. Allow your body to speak to you. What is it saying? Observe the changes and don't panic. Of course our bodies change and shift as our food changes and shifts; doesn't that make sense? Our body is a cellular being that responds to what nourishes it. Honor its voice. Trust; your body will respond to you.
No Breakfast (I chose sleep over breakfast this morning)
Lunch:
2 bowls of:
cabbage salad with sliced cabbage and apple, apple cider vinegar, Bragg's Amino Acids, olive oil, caraway seeds, dulse, cayenne, sea salt
Sunshine cheese with soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, water, sea salt
Snack:
part of 1/2 pint of raw Oreo Cookie ice cream (from last night's Pure Juice Takeaway adventure)
3o ounces of lemon water
Dinner:
large salad with romaine, radish, carrot, 1/2 avocado, sprouts and sunflower seeds with a dressing of olive oil, nutritional yeast and sea salt
4 thin slices of Manna carrot raisin bread with smears of raw crunchy almond butter
Dessert:
part of 1/2 pint of almond buttercup ice cream
8 ounces water
As I've been 100% raw again, my body has been showing some of the detox signs it did 3 3/4 years ago when I first went raw. I know it's detox because 1. I just know, as I trust my body and it speaks to me often and 2. I experience the "symptoms" largely one moment, and then the next day they are completely gone. Last night, I had muscle and joint pain in different parts of my body; it also happened last Thursday night. Then it showed up in my lower back and legs and last night I think my arm and leg. Turning over in bed was uncomfortable. Last week, touching the floor was impossible! Dr. Fred Bisci writes about this, and it really does not get spoken about. When we shift our bodies into a space of only eating raw, the nutrients are super high, where they weren't before. They are now trying to target the parts of our bodies where they are most needed. They first focus the nutrients on our blood and our organs; so the energy or fuel involved in this process of feeding our bodies is pulled away from the "Wei Chi," as they refer to our external body system in Chinese Medicine (which partly encompasses our muscles, tissues and joints) and is utilized first for our organs and blood. Fred speaks about this redistribution; I've added in the Wei Chi part from from my background in Chinese Medicine as applied here with respect to the raw food lifestyle. As a result, we may temporarily feel weak (and I would add, have some isolated pain) until the nutrients can then also be offered to these other parts of the body system (the Wei Chi). The same with sleep; a couple of nights I'm completely exhausted and others I'm only needing five or six hours. Allow your body to speak to you. What is it saying? Observe the changes and don't panic. Of course our bodies change and shift as our food changes and shifts; doesn't that make sense? Our body is a cellular being that responds to what nourishes it. Honor its voice. Trust; your body will respond to you.
Spontaneity and the Key to Staying Raw
Oh, boy, what I ate today:
Breakfast:
The remainder of my raw chocolate avocado pudding (did I tell you it gets bettter and better?) straight from the serving bowl
the remainder of my raw cacao elixir; about 5 ounces
a couple of handfuls of cashews
a couple of pieces of raw goji granola
30 ounces lemon water
Dinner:
2 appetizer bowls of guacamole
mixed salad with mescalin greens, avocado and corn
Dessert:
1/2 raw Moon Pie from Pure Juice Takeaway (17th and Irving Street, NYC); part of Pure Food & Wine, and the best raw desserts anywhere. A Moon Pie is a rectangular block of chilled chocolate, layered inside with coconut cream and chocolate
part of 1/2 pint of raw oreo cookie ice ream
part of 1/2 pint of almond butter cup ice cream; also from Pure Juice Takeaway
First of all, for the first time ever, while I was out running, my craving for raw chocolate pudding overtook my desire to run and I literally stopped my run to go home and finish it off!
I realized last night (though with eating all raw, you often don't see any typical monthly "symptoms," that my menstrual cycle has me due tomorrow...therefore the cravings -keep reading to see the yummy foods in which I indulged. Also, hooray that I stopped running to go eat chcolate; sometimes, you just have to listen to your body and your hormones, and this warrior runner did just that!
So, here's the story. I was gifted by my friend Tommy Purple Hays, founder of Drums from Heaven, to dinner and tickets to a fabulous concert, including he and two others opening for the main act (native American two time Grammy winner Bill Miller) with their drumming pieces.
Thank you, Tommy and Donna for this beautiful night. My friend Stephanie came with me as Tommy's guest, too.
So, everyone was ordering Mexican food, and I thought about taking a one night break and having a mushroom quesadilla. But feeling raw has been feeling too good, so I ordered a double order of guac and the salad. I really stayed with my vision and my body's response to being back 100%, and let go of the pull of cooked food.
In the middle of the show, I suddenly had that old "road trip" side of me come up (I am a hippie at heart). By the way, we were in Teaneck, NJ. I thought, when this show is over, I want to make a side trip into NYC and get some raw desserts; this to really honor my choice to stay raw through dinner.
Lucky for me, when I voiced this to Stephanie when leaving the place, she was totally cool with it. So, we drove from NJ into NY before heading back to CT.
Somewhere, a small voice was saying, "What are you doing? Just do the moderate thing and go right home." I am so glad I listened to the rebel in me! We made it into the city in no time, and had a great time at Pure Juice Takeaway. Steph also got a raw strawberry smoothie. Then I had them ice pack (remember that trick!) my remainding ice cream for the trip back to Connecticut (god forbid I should eat the whole thing in front of Stephanie! though once I was by myself eating a whole pint of it and my boyfriend at the time walked in; it was like 10:00 or 11:00 at night!).
When trying to stay clear with your vision and commitments, do whatever it takes to validate that lifestyle, even if it's spontaneous and a bit outrageous.
Write in and let me know whnat you've done recently to ensure your commitments to your life....
Breakfast:
The remainder of my raw chocolate avocado pudding (did I tell you it gets bettter and better?) straight from the serving bowl
the remainder of my raw cacao elixir; about 5 ounces
a couple of handfuls of cashews
a couple of pieces of raw goji granola
30 ounces lemon water
Dinner:
2 appetizer bowls of guacamole
mixed salad with mescalin greens, avocado and corn
Dessert:
1/2 raw Moon Pie from Pure Juice Takeaway (17th and Irving Street, NYC); part of Pure Food & Wine, and the best raw desserts anywhere. A Moon Pie is a rectangular block of chilled chocolate, layered inside with coconut cream and chocolate
part of 1/2 pint of raw oreo cookie ice ream
part of 1/2 pint of almond butter cup ice cream; also from Pure Juice Takeaway
First of all, for the first time ever, while I was out running, my craving for raw chocolate pudding overtook my desire to run and I literally stopped my run to go home and finish it off!
I realized last night (though with eating all raw, you often don't see any typical monthly "symptoms," that my menstrual cycle has me due tomorrow...therefore the cravings -keep reading to see the yummy foods in which I indulged. Also, hooray that I stopped running to go eat chcolate; sometimes, you just have to listen to your body and your hormones, and this warrior runner did just that!
So, here's the story. I was gifted by my friend Tommy Purple Hays, founder of Drums from Heaven, to dinner and tickets to a fabulous concert, including he and two others opening for the main act (native American two time Grammy winner Bill Miller) with their drumming pieces.
Thank you, Tommy and Donna for this beautiful night. My friend Stephanie came with me as Tommy's guest, too.
So, everyone was ordering Mexican food, and I thought about taking a one night break and having a mushroom quesadilla. But feeling raw has been feeling too good, so I ordered a double order of guac and the salad. I really stayed with my vision and my body's response to being back 100%, and let go of the pull of cooked food.
In the middle of the show, I suddenly had that old "road trip" side of me come up (I am a hippie at heart). By the way, we were in Teaneck, NJ. I thought, when this show is over, I want to make a side trip into NYC and get some raw desserts; this to really honor my choice to stay raw through dinner.
Lucky for me, when I voiced this to Stephanie when leaving the place, she was totally cool with it. So, we drove from NJ into NY before heading back to CT.
Somewhere, a small voice was saying, "What are you doing? Just do the moderate thing and go right home." I am so glad I listened to the rebel in me! We made it into the city in no time, and had a great time at Pure Juice Takeaway. Steph also got a raw strawberry smoothie. Then I had them ice pack (remember that trick!) my remainding ice cream for the trip back to Connecticut (god forbid I should eat the whole thing in front of Stephanie! though once I was by myself eating a whole pint of it and my boyfriend at the time walked in; it was like 10:00 or 11:00 at night!).
When trying to stay clear with your vision and commitments, do whatever it takes to validate that lifestyle, even if it's spontaneous and a bit outrageous.
Write in and let me know whnat you've done recently to ensure your commitments to your life....
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Breathe as Deeply as Possible
Breakfast:
32 ounces of Raw elixir with water, banana, mango, psyllium seed powder and agave
Lunch:
salad with romaine, radish, carrot, sprouts with dulse and dressing of nutritional yeast, olive oil and sea salt
32 ounces lemon water
a couple handfuls of raw cashews
Raw Revolution chocolate raisin bar
Dinner:
2 small bowls of last night's chocolate avocado pudding - it only gets better when it sits in the frig for a day!
8 ounces raw cacao elixir with: coconut water, water, cacao powder, cacao nibs, banana, psyllium seed powder, agave, almond butter - this was rockin'!!! Who needs ice cream!
My food was light and wonderful.
Drumming and singing under the sky with good friends to pay homage to and welcome in the Spring Equinox. Wonderful roaring firepit. Just going to sleep now, and it's 1:30 AM. Keeping my food light gave me potent energy.
Today was my first seasonal run in shorts and a tank top! The golden sun was shining down and I was consciously breathing slow, long, deep breaths; kind of like Ujaya yoga breaths, as I ran. I could hear my breath making a gutteral sound as I ran past people at the beach. "Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out." Those are the words of Thich Nat Hahn; breath as a guide to meditation. Bringing in oxygen and chlorophyl are the major catalysts to healing the body. Stop and notice how shallow your breaths might be; now stand or sit comfortably and allow your breath to feel like it's coming up from the earth through the arches of your feet; now into your legs and then into your hips and groin; moving into your belly and solarplexis, expand your belly; now all through your back and up into your shoulders; down your arms and up into your head, face and scalp and out the crown. Expand your belly with each inhlae, let it fall back inward with each exhale. Take your breath to a new edge with each inhale and with each exhale. Exhaling, flow your breath back through your body while lightly raising your tongue in your mouth; you will hear the opening in your wind pipe and a whooshing sound. Full, deep breaths. Now, bring them into your body when you're doing the dishes. Let them enter you while you are making the bed. Consciously connect with the greatest healer of all; your breath as medicine to feed your body and awaken your cells.
Ahhh....
32 ounces of Raw elixir with water, banana, mango, psyllium seed powder and agave
Lunch:
salad with romaine, radish, carrot, sprouts with dulse and dressing of nutritional yeast, olive oil and sea salt
32 ounces lemon water
a couple handfuls of raw cashews
Raw Revolution chocolate raisin bar
Dinner:
2 small bowls of last night's chocolate avocado pudding - it only gets better when it sits in the frig for a day!
8 ounces raw cacao elixir with: coconut water, water, cacao powder, cacao nibs, banana, psyllium seed powder, agave, almond butter - this was rockin'!!! Who needs ice cream!
My food was light and wonderful.
Drumming and singing under the sky with good friends to pay homage to and welcome in the Spring Equinox. Wonderful roaring firepit. Just going to sleep now, and it's 1:30 AM. Keeping my food light gave me potent energy.
Today was my first seasonal run in shorts and a tank top! The golden sun was shining down and I was consciously breathing slow, long, deep breaths; kind of like Ujaya yoga breaths, as I ran. I could hear my breath making a gutteral sound as I ran past people at the beach. "Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out." Those are the words of Thich Nat Hahn; breath as a guide to meditation. Bringing in oxygen and chlorophyl are the major catalysts to healing the body. Stop and notice how shallow your breaths might be; now stand or sit comfortably and allow your breath to feel like it's coming up from the earth through the arches of your feet; now into your legs and then into your hips and groin; moving into your belly and solarplexis, expand your belly; now all through your back and up into your shoulders; down your arms and up into your head, face and scalp and out the crown. Expand your belly with each inhlae, let it fall back inward with each exhale. Take your breath to a new edge with each inhale and with each exhale. Exhaling, flow your breath back through your body while lightly raising your tongue in your mouth; you will hear the opening in your wind pipe and a whooshing sound. Full, deep breaths. Now, bring them into your body when you're doing the dishes. Let them enter you while you are making the bed. Consciously connect with the greatest healer of all; your breath as medicine to feed your body and awaken your cells.
Ahhh....
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Spend time with good friends
What I ate today:
Breakfast:
Juicy Bosc pear
32 ounces lemon water
bites of fresh Thai coconut
tastes of raw chocolate pudding as I was making it for tonight. I licked the bowl clean, and it reminded me of being a child.
Lunch:
remaining teaspoon of sunflower seed sundried tomato pate
elixir of:
fresh Thai coconut
water
blueberries
banana
agave
cacao nibs
Dinner:
beautiful salad with greens and sliced daikon (thank you, Jane)
Sunshine cheese with celery and carrots (Liz and Michael); Yum!
Stuffed portobella mushrooms with walnut pate (Nick and Irina!!!) really elegant
pear juice and Pellegrino
Dessert:
My chocolate pudding:
avocados, fresh Thai coconut water and meat, cacao powder, agave, cacao nibs, rolled dates in coconut
Coconut Bliss ice cream (not totally raw but clean)
Tonight was our monthly Raw Food & Film gathering, which is held at the home of my dear friends Irina and Nicholas.
I know Irina will love me sharing this, as she always tells people that a year ago January (the 16th, to be exact), I held an Un-Cooking Class and she and Nick attended. We made so many dishes, and afterwards, Irina went raw! I didn't find this out until months later, when I ran into a mutual friend who said, 'You know Irina is raw, right?' Tonight, Irina was relaying this story and said, "We ate all these dishes, maybe nine of them, and I thought, if raw food tastes like this, what need is there to eat cooked food!" And so she went raw.
If you are trying to integrate more raw into your life, create opportunities to surround yourself with others who are doing the same. It keeps you accountable to your personal visions and supports having community around the process.
Plus, what could be better on a Friday night than eating, watching a film and having great conversation? Choose those with whom you feel wrapped in a blanket of love and stimulated in your conversation and passion. Friendship is the highest elixir of all.
Think about this:
Who sees you as magnificent?
With whom can you let down and be real?
With whom can you speak your truth?
Who spurs your creativity?
Who will hold you when you need holding?
Who will run with you through the sprinklers in Summertime?
Please share what friendship mean to you....
In Raw Bliss,
Hope
Breakfast:
Juicy Bosc pear
32 ounces lemon water
bites of fresh Thai coconut
tastes of raw chocolate pudding as I was making it for tonight. I licked the bowl clean, and it reminded me of being a child.
Lunch:
remaining teaspoon of sunflower seed sundried tomato pate
elixir of:
fresh Thai coconut
water
blueberries
banana
agave
cacao nibs
Dinner:
beautiful salad with greens and sliced daikon (thank you, Jane)
Sunshine cheese with celery and carrots (Liz and Michael); Yum!
Stuffed portobella mushrooms with walnut pate (Nick and Irina!!!) really elegant
pear juice and Pellegrino
Dessert:
My chocolate pudding:
avocados, fresh Thai coconut water and meat, cacao powder, agave, cacao nibs, rolled dates in coconut
Coconut Bliss ice cream (not totally raw but clean)
Tonight was our monthly Raw Food & Film gathering, which is held at the home of my dear friends Irina and Nicholas.
I know Irina will love me sharing this, as she always tells people that a year ago January (the 16th, to be exact), I held an Un-Cooking Class and she and Nick attended. We made so many dishes, and afterwards, Irina went raw! I didn't find this out until months later, when I ran into a mutual friend who said, 'You know Irina is raw, right?' Tonight, Irina was relaying this story and said, "We ate all these dishes, maybe nine of them, and I thought, if raw food tastes like this, what need is there to eat cooked food!" And so she went raw.
If you are trying to integrate more raw into your life, create opportunities to surround yourself with others who are doing the same. It keeps you accountable to your personal visions and supports having community around the process.
Plus, what could be better on a Friday night than eating, watching a film and having great conversation? Choose those with whom you feel wrapped in a blanket of love and stimulated in your conversation and passion. Friendship is the highest elixir of all.
Think about this:
Who sees you as magnificent?
With whom can you let down and be real?
With whom can you speak your truth?
Who spurs your creativity?
Who will hold you when you need holding?
Who will run with you through the sprinklers in Summertime?
Please share what friendship mean to you....
In Raw Bliss,
Hope
Thursday, March 18, 2010
What way of eating makes your body sing?
Today's Raw Repasts:
32 ounces lemon water
Breakfast:
Manna bread with smears of raw crunchy almond butter
Lunch:
Sunflower seed pate with cut up celery
Snacks:
some raw cashews
some raw granola
Dinner:
Large salad with romaine, mixed greens, carrot, red pepper, cuke, sunflower seeds, sprouts; with dulse and dressing of olive oil, sea salt and nutritional yeast
Snack:
Raw Revolution Hazelnut & chocolate bar
24 ounces water
When I eat raw food, my mind is clear, my body feels elevated, my energy is high, my spirits are blissful.
I remember early on in my raw journey, noticing how present and grounded I felt; how calm and centered when I would speak to a group or teach a class; how ecstatic I felt as the food ignited my blood, my brain and my cells. I remember when I realized that no food lifestyle or "diet" ever touched me in that way. In all my years of counseling and studying the effects of food on the body, and all the way back to my personal journey with food, body image, emotions, energy and well being, hands down raw food does something no other food has ever touched. Put a different way for those of you who share my passion for quantum physics and metaphysics, my body is completely aligned with the raw food lifestyle, and the frequency of the food resonnates with my own personal vibration.
Whenever I get pulled into the appeal of something other than raw and have a day or two of foods that attract me, even in the enjoying of them, it's not the same experience vibrationally. I might be in an exquisite restaurant eating a beautiful meal and loving the presentation, colors and taste (after all, I confess I am a food snob and even when not eating raw I like eating food that excites me), I have noticed that since going raw 3 3/4 years ago, the experience is different. When I go back to 100% raw, my body sings and soars. It's a totally other dimension.
My question to you is: Do you know what food makes your body sing?
When do you feel in alignment?
When are your thoughts, feelings, spirit, energy and food all one?
Please write in and let me know...
32 ounces lemon water
Breakfast:
Manna bread with smears of raw crunchy almond butter
Lunch:
Sunflower seed pate with cut up celery
Snacks:
some raw cashews
some raw granola
Dinner:
Large salad with romaine, mixed greens, carrot, red pepper, cuke, sunflower seeds, sprouts; with dulse and dressing of olive oil, sea salt and nutritional yeast
Snack:
Raw Revolution Hazelnut & chocolate bar
24 ounces water
When I eat raw food, my mind is clear, my body feels elevated, my energy is high, my spirits are blissful.
I remember early on in my raw journey, noticing how present and grounded I felt; how calm and centered when I would speak to a group or teach a class; how ecstatic I felt as the food ignited my blood, my brain and my cells. I remember when I realized that no food lifestyle or "diet" ever touched me in that way. In all my years of counseling and studying the effects of food on the body, and all the way back to my personal journey with food, body image, emotions, energy and well being, hands down raw food does something no other food has ever touched. Put a different way for those of you who share my passion for quantum physics and metaphysics, my body is completely aligned with the raw food lifestyle, and the frequency of the food resonnates with my own personal vibration.
Whenever I get pulled into the appeal of something other than raw and have a day or two of foods that attract me, even in the enjoying of them, it's not the same experience vibrationally. I might be in an exquisite restaurant eating a beautiful meal and loving the presentation, colors and taste (after all, I confess I am a food snob and even when not eating raw I like eating food that excites me), I have noticed that since going raw 3 3/4 years ago, the experience is different. When I go back to 100% raw, my body sings and soars. It's a totally other dimension.
My question to you is: Do you know what food makes your body sing?
When do you feel in alignment?
When are your thoughts, feelings, spirit, energy and food all one?
Please write in and let me know...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
What Truly Inspires You?
32 ounces of lemon water
Breakfast:
12 ounces Brazil nutmilk smoothie, with:
soaked Brazil nuts, water, banana, mango, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, almond butter, lucuma powder, agave
Snack:
some raw cashews
Lunch:
cabbage and apple salad with olive oil, sea salt, lemon, apple cider vinegar, caraway seeds and stone ground mustard
mini collard wraps with sunflower seed pate: soaked sunflower seeds, soaked sundried tomatoes, water from tomatoes, olive oil, celery, sea salt, dulse, paprika, cayenne, Bragg's amino acids
wrapped with mini amounts of with sliced avocado and broccoli sprouts
small mixed salad with dressing of sprinkled nutritional yeast, sea salt and olive oil
small bowl of Organic nectars raw mint chocolate ice cream sprinkled with a couple of pecans
Snack:
Raw Revolution chocolate Hazelnut bar
Dinner:
12 ounces water
more mini collard wraps and cabbage salad
12 ounces water
This blog goes out in acknowledgement to my "sister" Stephanie, who asked me this question the other day: "If you won 12 million dollars, after you were done partying, what would you do? What truly inspires you?" I love this question!
I am inspired by people who want to make change with their health. I am inspired by the relationships I have with clients' hearts as they reveal their life stories to me. I am inspired by speaking my truth without shame; this is who I am. I am inspired by a Winter run at the beach in six degrees. I am inspired by a Spring morning, feeling the warm breeze blow across my bed and hearing the birds back singing. I am inspired by the energy my body feels when eating simply and eating raw. I am inspired when I connect in deep intimacy with someone. I am inspired when I can learn and grow in my life.
Only do what you are inspired to do. Let the rest go, because no matter how good at it your are or how much you produce, if you are not inspired, it is not why you are here. You get to choose to wake up with passion and purpose everyday.
Please write in and let me know what truly inspires you....
Breakfast:
12 ounces Brazil nutmilk smoothie, with:
soaked Brazil nuts, water, banana, mango, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, almond butter, lucuma powder, agave
Snack:
some raw cashews
Lunch:
cabbage and apple salad with olive oil, sea salt, lemon, apple cider vinegar, caraway seeds and stone ground mustard
mini collard wraps with sunflower seed pate: soaked sunflower seeds, soaked sundried tomatoes, water from tomatoes, olive oil, celery, sea salt, dulse, paprika, cayenne, Bragg's amino acids
wrapped with mini amounts of with sliced avocado and broccoli sprouts
small mixed salad with dressing of sprinkled nutritional yeast, sea salt and olive oil
small bowl of Organic nectars raw mint chocolate ice cream sprinkled with a couple of pecans
Snack:
Raw Revolution chocolate Hazelnut bar
Dinner:
12 ounces water
more mini collard wraps and cabbage salad
12 ounces water
This blog goes out in acknowledgement to my "sister" Stephanie, who asked me this question the other day: "If you won 12 million dollars, after you were done partying, what would you do? What truly inspires you?" I love this question!
I am inspired by people who want to make change with their health. I am inspired by the relationships I have with clients' hearts as they reveal their life stories to me. I am inspired by speaking my truth without shame; this is who I am. I am inspired by a Winter run at the beach in six degrees. I am inspired by a Spring morning, feeling the warm breeze blow across my bed and hearing the birds back singing. I am inspired by the energy my body feels when eating simply and eating raw. I am inspired when I connect in deep intimacy with someone. I am inspired when I can learn and grow in my life.
Only do what you are inspired to do. Let the rest go, because no matter how good at it your are or how much you produce, if you are not inspired, it is not why you are here. You get to choose to wake up with passion and purpose everyday.
Please write in and let me know what truly inspires you....
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Playing Hookie is Advisable
Tomorrow will be 60 degrees and sunny. I want to take a moment to send my prayers and energies to all people who have gone through hardship as a result of the storm on Saturday. I know some homes are still without power in Westchester County, Rockland County and Connecticut. Trees are still down all over. People are displaced from their homes. Individuals and stores lost their goods that were refrigerated or frozen. Cars and sections of homes were demolished. Two people died from falling trees. Let's send a prayer out to all concerned; May you be showered with golden light.
In Gratitude for My Food:
Today:
28 ounces lemon water
28 ounces Brazil nutmilk smoothie with:
soaked Brazil nuts
water
flax seeds
psyllium seeds
banana
mango
lucuma powder
almond butter
agave
Lunch:
4 slices Manna carrot raisin bread with smear of almond butter
Dinner:
Large salad with Romaine, carrot, cuke, broccoli sprouts, sunflower seeds with avocado and dulse
dressing of olive oil, nutritional yeast, sea salt and nori shake
After Dinner:
bowl of Organic Nectars mint chocolate raw ice cream sprinkled with some pecans
12 ounces water
Tomorrow my friend Liz is coming over to play hookie with me and take a hike in the warmth of early Spring. Then we'll head over to the beach with lunch in hand.
Liz is a CPA and an Empowerment Coach and I am a Health Counselor.
I used to give myself a hard time about taking a day or half a day to play. What about this project or that upcoming workshop or starting this new thing on my list? Isn't it negligent to leave it all, take off and spread my wings? It is not; in fact, it is a vital component of our health. These times of play balance out our times when creative juices must flow to generate new creations in our livelihood.
"Listen...do you wanna know a secret...do you promise not to tell...?" It's not from the "doing" that we really create and soar to new heights in our "work". It's from our connection to nature; to our divine Source; to the soul spirit that lives within us and already knows it all; to the quiet space inside of us; to the passionate, playful being that we are.
Try this experiment: Go on a hike or to the beach; go to your most favorite place and hang out; take a run; do something that brings you immense joy.
Now, hold the intention that all the guidance for whatever "project" you are working on will just flow through you and you will receive it.
See what happens....
Let me know how it turns out.
With Blessings for the Beauty and Forces of Nature,
Hope
In Gratitude for My Food:
Today:
28 ounces lemon water
28 ounces Brazil nutmilk smoothie with:
soaked Brazil nuts
water
flax seeds
psyllium seeds
banana
mango
lucuma powder
almond butter
agave
Lunch:
4 slices Manna carrot raisin bread with smear of almond butter
Dinner:
Large salad with Romaine, carrot, cuke, broccoli sprouts, sunflower seeds with avocado and dulse
dressing of olive oil, nutritional yeast, sea salt and nori shake
After Dinner:
bowl of Organic Nectars mint chocolate raw ice cream sprinkled with some pecans
12 ounces water
Tomorrow my friend Liz is coming over to play hookie with me and take a hike in the warmth of early Spring. Then we'll head over to the beach with lunch in hand.
Liz is a CPA and an Empowerment Coach and I am a Health Counselor.
I used to give myself a hard time about taking a day or half a day to play. What about this project or that upcoming workshop or starting this new thing on my list? Isn't it negligent to leave it all, take off and spread my wings? It is not; in fact, it is a vital component of our health. These times of play balance out our times when creative juices must flow to generate new creations in our livelihood.
"Listen...do you wanna know a secret...do you promise not to tell...?" It's not from the "doing" that we really create and soar to new heights in our "work". It's from our connection to nature; to our divine Source; to the soul spirit that lives within us and already knows it all; to the quiet space inside of us; to the passionate, playful being that we are.
Try this experiment: Go on a hike or to the beach; go to your most favorite place and hang out; take a run; do something that brings you immense joy.
Now, hold the intention that all the guidance for whatever "project" you are working on will just flow through you and you will receive it.
See what happens....
Let me know how it turns out.
With Blessings for the Beauty and Forces of Nature,
Hope
Monday, March 15, 2010
We've got to "Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative"
What I ate today
Today's Raw Rejuvenations:
Breakfast:
28 ounces Brazil nutmilk smoothie with:
soaked Brazil nuts and water; banana; mango; psyllium seeds; flax seeds; lucuma powder; raw crunchy almond butter; cacao nibs; agave
Lunch: at The Stand in Norwalk, CT: Thanks, Carissa!
large salad with tons of sprouts, spiralized beets, beautiful mix of greens, grape tomatoes and avocado with a cashew, garlic, lemon dressing and kelp shake and cayenne
1/2 Curried collard wrap with curried almond pate, red peppers, avocado and sprouts
Snack:
Way too much yummy raw goji berry granola from 'Two Moms in the Raw'
Dinner:
Salad with romaine, radish, carrot, purple cabbage, sunflower seeds with a dressing of nutritional yeast, olive oil, nori shake and sea salt
"Dessert":
4 rolled dates in coconut
12 ounces of water
OK, so someone's gotta talk about this. I always tell clients, when they bashfully ask me if its OK to get a little descriptive about their bathroom habits, "Go for it! This is the place to do it.I love talking about this subject." Then of course we get really graphic! So often, they assume that eliminating (that's #2, people) should be once a day, once every two or three days, and I've heard once a week as well. When I tell them that the rule of thumb is "meal in; meal out," and that could mean three, four or five times a day, they are completely shocked. Yes, that's true, and I'm already up to four healthy eliminations today! Makes sense with my food intake, right?
How to increase healthy elimination? Drink more water, but not during your meals, as it impedes digestion when added to a meal. Start your day with a 32 ounce mason jar of lemon water, and have some at night, too.
I know the psyllium seed powder in my morning smoothie this morning definitely helped, as psyllium is a colon cleanser and sweeps the colon clean. It also contributes to heart health.
Step up your greens: leafy greens, green superfoods (spirulina, chlorella, barley grass), anything green with chlorophyll
Salads are fabulous with all their fiber; so are fruits (unless you are dealing with an inflammatory issue in the body).
Exercise Exercise: Guess why we have legs??? No, not to sit in front of the TV; to move them and bring oxygen into your cells, joints and muscles. Do anything that "moves you," from dance to running to yoga to teaching your dog how to catch a Frisbee; if you love it, you will keep doing it with passion, and passion is the key to health.
See how your mood lifts when you are eliminating regularly. You are letting go of any debris and waste that shouldn't be hanging around, and that includes emotional bagage.
See how your energy lifts.
From what comes out in the bathroom to how we view our bodies in the bedroom, "We've got to...accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative."
Today's Raw Rejuvenations:
Breakfast:
28 ounces Brazil nutmilk smoothie with:
soaked Brazil nuts and water; banana; mango; psyllium seeds; flax seeds; lucuma powder; raw crunchy almond butter; cacao nibs; agave
Lunch: at The Stand in Norwalk, CT: Thanks, Carissa!
large salad with tons of sprouts, spiralized beets, beautiful mix of greens, grape tomatoes and avocado with a cashew, garlic, lemon dressing and kelp shake and cayenne
1/2 Curried collard wrap with curried almond pate, red peppers, avocado and sprouts
Snack:
Way too much yummy raw goji berry granola from 'Two Moms in the Raw'
Dinner:
Salad with romaine, radish, carrot, purple cabbage, sunflower seeds with a dressing of nutritional yeast, olive oil, nori shake and sea salt
"Dessert":
4 rolled dates in coconut
12 ounces of water
OK, so someone's gotta talk about this. I always tell clients, when they bashfully ask me if its OK to get a little descriptive about their bathroom habits, "Go for it! This is the place to do it.I love talking about this subject." Then of course we get really graphic! So often, they assume that eliminating (that's #2, people) should be once a day, once every two or three days, and I've heard once a week as well. When I tell them that the rule of thumb is "meal in; meal out," and that could mean three, four or five times a day, they are completely shocked. Yes, that's true, and I'm already up to four healthy eliminations today! Makes sense with my food intake, right?
How to increase healthy elimination? Drink more water, but not during your meals, as it impedes digestion when added to a meal. Start your day with a 32 ounce mason jar of lemon water, and have some at night, too.
I know the psyllium seed powder in my morning smoothie this morning definitely helped, as psyllium is a colon cleanser and sweeps the colon clean. It also contributes to heart health.
Step up your greens: leafy greens, green superfoods (spirulina, chlorella, barley grass), anything green with chlorophyll
Salads are fabulous with all their fiber; so are fruits (unless you are dealing with an inflammatory issue in the body).
Exercise Exercise: Guess why we have legs??? No, not to sit in front of the TV; to move them and bring oxygen into your cells, joints and muscles. Do anything that "moves you," from dance to running to yoga to teaching your dog how to catch a Frisbee; if you love it, you will keep doing it with passion, and passion is the key to health.
See how your mood lifts when you are eliminating regularly. You are letting go of any debris and waste that shouldn't be hanging around, and that includes emotional bagage.
See how your energy lifts.
From what comes out in the bathroom to how we view our bodies in the bedroom, "We've got to...accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative."
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Raw Rocks & Homage to the Spruce
What I ate today:
28 ounces of water with lemon
28 ounces of fresh nutmilk smoothie:
soaked Brazil nuts, water, banana, mango, cacao nibs, almond butter, agave - YUM!!!
large salad with lettuce, carrot, radish, purple cabbage, broccoli sprouts, sunflower seeds with dessing of nutritional yeast, olive oil, cayenne & sea salt
guacamole with avocado, tomato, purple onion, sea salt, lemon, cayenne, hot sauce, dulse shake, nori shake; with carrot and celery
manna carrot raisin bread with smears of raw crunchy almond butter (not totally raw at temp of baking, but close enough for this raw foodist today!)
Looked out my window this morning and saw the beautiful blue spruce at the end of the driveway uprooted and stretched across the driveway. The City of Stamford got slammed with the wind and rain storm yesterday. I saw this graceful tree swaying during the day. This morning I cried for him. One time, when I was in a writers' group, I wrote a poem about him and the other spruce, who we lost some years ago. Today, I went down to speak to the tree and offer him some healing touch. Nature really is the Divine Source; all else flows from there. I love you, tree; you made a difference in my life.
It's amazing how increasing my water again is just blasting my energy. Starting my day with a mason jar of lemon water both cleanses and detoxifies my liver daily as well as hydrating me. As a result, I feel energy surging through me and an emotional clarity; as if my brain is also functioning at a higher level.
I loved that the storm allowed me to slow down and stay inside all day yesterday. I purposely did nothing intensive; no cleaning; no Holistic Empire projects; only leisurely detailed journal writing; lots of eating, with special note to finishing off the final piece of raw berry cheesecake that Liz had made me for my birthday; juicy phone conversations with friends and time to connect with me.
As a result, I was so energized today that I went out to run in the rain. I took a great five miler this morning. At the beach, there were sections of the path that were no longer visible and filled with water from the Long Island Sound. I felt like I was running a Bushwack race, maneuvering over sand and grass to make my way around. Benches were sitting in large pools of water. The temperature was mild, and I had a mask on to keep my face dry. It was so exhilirating.
I feel the desire to do a Spring cleanse; it will probably come in the form of a juice feast. I anticipate doing a week-long cleanse this month and then a larger one in June. Gabriel Cousens is spearheading a month-long juice fast to combat global warming. One of the largest sources of global warming comes from the methane produced from factory farming. Coming together through juice fasting is a proactive way to take a stand on global warming and against the suffering created from the factory farming of animals. Who wants to join me?? Juice feasting (as the Raw Foodists have named it) creates so much energy in the body, as the digestive system is not being taxed; therefore no heavy digestion; no inflamation; alkalized body system.
One more day of rain? and then Tuesday Spring is back. Soon I'll start to add in warm weather fruits.
28 ounces of water with lemon
28 ounces of fresh nutmilk smoothie:
soaked Brazil nuts, water, banana, mango, cacao nibs, almond butter, agave - YUM!!!
large salad with lettuce, carrot, radish, purple cabbage, broccoli sprouts, sunflower seeds with dessing of nutritional yeast, olive oil, cayenne & sea salt
guacamole with avocado, tomato, purple onion, sea salt, lemon, cayenne, hot sauce, dulse shake, nori shake; with carrot and celery
manna carrot raisin bread with smears of raw crunchy almond butter (not totally raw at temp of baking, but close enough for this raw foodist today!)
Looked out my window this morning and saw the beautiful blue spruce at the end of the driveway uprooted and stretched across the driveway. The City of Stamford got slammed with the wind and rain storm yesterday. I saw this graceful tree swaying during the day. This morning I cried for him. One time, when I was in a writers' group, I wrote a poem about him and the other spruce, who we lost some years ago. Today, I went down to speak to the tree and offer him some healing touch. Nature really is the Divine Source; all else flows from there. I love you, tree; you made a difference in my life.
It's amazing how increasing my water again is just blasting my energy. Starting my day with a mason jar of lemon water both cleanses and detoxifies my liver daily as well as hydrating me. As a result, I feel energy surging through me and an emotional clarity; as if my brain is also functioning at a higher level.
I loved that the storm allowed me to slow down and stay inside all day yesterday. I purposely did nothing intensive; no cleaning; no Holistic Empire projects; only leisurely detailed journal writing; lots of eating, with special note to finishing off the final piece of raw berry cheesecake that Liz had made me for my birthday; juicy phone conversations with friends and time to connect with me.
As a result, I was so energized today that I went out to run in the rain. I took a great five miler this morning. At the beach, there were sections of the path that were no longer visible and filled with water from the Long Island Sound. I felt like I was running a Bushwack race, maneuvering over sand and grass to make my way around. Benches were sitting in large pools of water. The temperature was mild, and I had a mask on to keep my face dry. It was so exhilirating.
I feel the desire to do a Spring cleanse; it will probably come in the form of a juice feast. I anticipate doing a week-long cleanse this month and then a larger one in June. Gabriel Cousens is spearheading a month-long juice fast to combat global warming. One of the largest sources of global warming comes from the methane produced from factory farming. Coming together through juice fasting is a proactive way to take a stand on global warming and against the suffering created from the factory farming of animals. Who wants to join me?? Juice feasting (as the Raw Foodists have named it) creates so much energy in the body, as the digestive system is not being taxed; therefore no heavy digestion; no inflamation; alkalized body system.
One more day of rain? and then Tuesday Spring is back. Soon I'll start to add in warm weather fruits.
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