What Beautiful Food Today:
Late Breakfast at One Lucky Duck Juice & Takeway:
Amazing Cacao Latte: banana, almond milk, cacao, vanilla
Sushi Rolls: marinated shitake, avocado, asparagus, red pepper, pignoli and jicama rice, nama shoyu
Lunch:
yummy salad with sherry vinegar (Rebecca)
raw spicy almond pate (Andy's vegan Cafe, Rye, NY)
Sweet Early Dinner:
Shared 1/2 pints of vanilla almond buttercup raw ice cream and oreo raw ice cream
and Moonpie (thick frozen raw chocolate on the outside with layers of raw cream on the inside)
32 ounces water
Is there anything stopping you from being all of you? Where is your ego overshadowing your soul? Imagine being so large that you inhale joy and exhale love with every breath, and that the minutia of life does not get in your way.
If you had an energy field around you that was your soul shining through as large as could be, so that every cell in your body was dancing with the truth of who you are, what would your day tomorrow be like?
Don't let anything stop you from your truth; we need the you who is really you. Shed the layers of early belief systems and shout out to the world, "Here I am."
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Glass Half Full
Yesterday's Food:
No Breakfast
Large Lunch at The Stand, Norwalk, CT:
Raw smoothie with cacao, dried cherries, nutmilk, banana
Curried collard wrap with curry almond pate, red peppers and sprouts
gazpacho with veges and sprouts
Snack;
a piece of a banana
Late Dinner to Ease up a Long Day:
Non-raw at Lime Restaurant, Norwalk, CT
3 pieces homemade whole grain bread with olive oil
pink bean and chipotle soup with 2 grain crackers
salad with tahini dressing
grilled eggplant parmesan with Vermont organic cheese on top of whole wheat penne; broccoli and string beans
Today's Meals: after a spectacular 6 mile run
Breakfast:
32 ounces lemon water
3 bricks 'Two Moms in the Raw' goji berry granola
No Lunch
(non-raw and raw: small tastings of all kinds of beautiful veges prepared in different ways to bring to a friend, from Andy's Vegan Cafe, Rye, NY)
Dinner:
salad with romaine, cabbage, carrot, daikon, sprouts, cuke, 1/2 avocado with dulse, nutritional yeats, olive oil and Herbamare
Dessert:
bowl of Organic Nectars raw pistachio ice cream
If you're a raw foodie and having a non-raw meal, do it from a "glass half full" perspective. Yesterday was a "heavy" day for me; all good, but I was processing some things and could really feel a range of emotions in my body. In the process of processing, I had a full day that ended with a session at my office.
Driving home, I realized I was a bit short on a couple of foods from the market and debated whether to go out to eat or stop at the market and eat after 9:00.
I decided to take myself out and be served.
It's so fine to do this; in fact, treating oneself to meals out is very affirming. But I was wanting to "soothe" my feelings; not to eliminate them, but to soothe them with food.
So, the food was delicious, but I ate it too quickly and my feelings were still there.
This morning I could feel the difference between truly "choosing" that meal and allowing my emotions to choose it.
By the way, I am so grateful for the feelings and for my day yesterday; it's all extraordinary insight and growth. I'm merely speaking to the subtleties of our relationships with food.
When you choose to make change with food, choose it not to fill a place but to nourish and enhance your already filled heart.
Please write in and share your choices...
No Breakfast
Large Lunch at The Stand, Norwalk, CT:
Raw smoothie with cacao, dried cherries, nutmilk, banana
Curried collard wrap with curry almond pate, red peppers and sprouts
gazpacho with veges and sprouts
Snack;
a piece of a banana
Late Dinner to Ease up a Long Day:
Non-raw at Lime Restaurant, Norwalk, CT
3 pieces homemade whole grain bread with olive oil
pink bean and chipotle soup with 2 grain crackers
salad with tahini dressing
grilled eggplant parmesan with Vermont organic cheese on top of whole wheat penne; broccoli and string beans
Today's Meals: after a spectacular 6 mile run
Breakfast:
32 ounces lemon water
3 bricks 'Two Moms in the Raw' goji berry granola
No Lunch
(non-raw and raw: small tastings of all kinds of beautiful veges prepared in different ways to bring to a friend, from Andy's Vegan Cafe, Rye, NY)
Dinner:
salad with romaine, cabbage, carrot, daikon, sprouts, cuke, 1/2 avocado with dulse, nutritional yeats, olive oil and Herbamare
Dessert:
bowl of Organic Nectars raw pistachio ice cream
If you're a raw foodie and having a non-raw meal, do it from a "glass half full" perspective. Yesterday was a "heavy" day for me; all good, but I was processing some things and could really feel a range of emotions in my body. In the process of processing, I had a full day that ended with a session at my office.
Driving home, I realized I was a bit short on a couple of foods from the market and debated whether to go out to eat or stop at the market and eat after 9:00.
I decided to take myself out and be served.
It's so fine to do this; in fact, treating oneself to meals out is very affirming. But I was wanting to "soothe" my feelings; not to eliminate them, but to soothe them with food.
So, the food was delicious, but I ate it too quickly and my feelings were still there.
This morning I could feel the difference between truly "choosing" that meal and allowing my emotions to choose it.
By the way, I am so grateful for the feelings and for my day yesterday; it's all extraordinary insight and growth. I'm merely speaking to the subtleties of our relationships with food.
When you choose to make change with food, choose it not to fill a place but to nourish and enhance your already filled heart.
Please write in and share your choices...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Take Your Time
Today's Beyond the Beyond Food:
Breakfast:
32 ounces lemon water
1 apple with 1-2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter
Lunch/snacks:
6 'Foods Alive' Mexican flax crackers
3 bricks of 'Two Moms in the Raw' goji berry granola
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner: (at Pure Food and Wine, NYC; the finest raw restaurant in the city)
2 coconut waters
shared appetizers of nori rolls filled with kim chi and Dr. Cow's tree nut cheeses
crustinis topped with Bernaise sauce
shared entrees of golden and red beet ravioli filled with pistachio nut cheese with sweet bits of flax crackers
seaweed croquettes with sourkraut, on broccoli rabe with an incredible green sauce
shared dessert of 3 dark chocolate Indian spiced "ice cream" treats; one on a popsicle stick, one a large rectangle and one a miniature ice cream cone; all coated with dark chocolate and infused with cardamon
A girlfriend wanted to offer me a "thank you" gift, and asked me to choose my favorite raw restaurant for dinner, so I picked Pure Food and Wine (on a side note, I must add that it's always a toss up between that and Raw Soul; they are completely different experiences from one another, but I adore Raw Soul as well). Pure Food is the most high end, fine dining raw in the city. Their presentations are just exquisite, delicate and delicious. They also "take the cake" on creating raw chocolate desserts.
We got to the restaurant at 7:00 and left at 11:00. While eating this magical meal, we talked intimately about our lives and opened up whole other aspects of ourselves to one another. In other words, while cultivating our relationship with food, we deepened our relationship with one another; or, while we deepened our relationship with one another, we were also dancing with our food in a symbiotic relationship. Most importantly, we took our time and honored our food and our friendship; savoring every bite and every word.
I really encourage the practice of relating to food in this way. I admit it once again, I am a foodie, I grew up a foodie, and some of my best memories are of 3 or 4 hour meals with specially prepared menus. Those were the most intimate and special times for me. I loved watching food being created at the table by chefs or sitting down to an entire evening at a restaurant with someone I loved. Those were the most special and romantic and passionate times; whether it was with a boyfriend or with family, the excitement of the meal was captivating. I remember meeting my dad each year between February and April, when shad were migrating through the Hudson River, to eat shad (the fish) and roe (the eggs); a culinary delight only available seasonally. It was our time together, and we met either at The Oyster Bar or The Four Seasons Grill Room. We would talk about it through the year: "Wait till it's time for shad." I remember one New Year's Eve with an old boyfreind in an exquisite French restaurant in Hastings, NY; Buffet de la Gare, where the menu was beautifully hand-designed for us to bring home afterwards, and the meal went on for hours and hours. I remember dinner with my parents at Chanterelle, in NYC, thinking, "I hope one day my husband takes me here for the most intimate, romantic dinner." I remember an earlier dinner at Pure Food and Wine, again celebrating New Year's Eve, this time with another boyfriend and my parents, when my dad's illness had started to take a toll on him. We had such an intimate time together, and I remember my dad's sweet smile and love of the experience. All of those meals were slow and delicious; hours long.
I encourage you to balance the meals you eat at the computer; standing up at the kitchen counter; while getting your children ready for school; with the kind I speak about here.
Please write in and tell me about your favorite meal memory...
With Love,
Hope
Breakfast:
32 ounces lemon water
1 apple with 1-2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter
Lunch/snacks:
6 'Foods Alive' Mexican flax crackers
3 bricks of 'Two Moms in the Raw' goji berry granola
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner: (at Pure Food and Wine, NYC; the finest raw restaurant in the city)
2 coconut waters
shared appetizers of nori rolls filled with kim chi and Dr. Cow's tree nut cheeses
crustinis topped with Bernaise sauce
shared entrees of golden and red beet ravioli filled with pistachio nut cheese with sweet bits of flax crackers
seaweed croquettes with sourkraut, on broccoli rabe with an incredible green sauce
shared dessert of 3 dark chocolate Indian spiced "ice cream" treats; one on a popsicle stick, one a large rectangle and one a miniature ice cream cone; all coated with dark chocolate and infused with cardamon
A girlfriend wanted to offer me a "thank you" gift, and asked me to choose my favorite raw restaurant for dinner, so I picked Pure Food and Wine (on a side note, I must add that it's always a toss up between that and Raw Soul; they are completely different experiences from one another, but I adore Raw Soul as well). Pure Food is the most high end, fine dining raw in the city. Their presentations are just exquisite, delicate and delicious. They also "take the cake" on creating raw chocolate desserts.
We got to the restaurant at 7:00 and left at 11:00. While eating this magical meal, we talked intimately about our lives and opened up whole other aspects of ourselves to one another. In other words, while cultivating our relationship with food, we deepened our relationship with one another; or, while we deepened our relationship with one another, we were also dancing with our food in a symbiotic relationship. Most importantly, we took our time and honored our food and our friendship; savoring every bite and every word.
I really encourage the practice of relating to food in this way. I admit it once again, I am a foodie, I grew up a foodie, and some of my best memories are of 3 or 4 hour meals with specially prepared menus. Those were the most intimate and special times for me. I loved watching food being created at the table by chefs or sitting down to an entire evening at a restaurant with someone I loved. Those were the most special and romantic and passionate times; whether it was with a boyfriend or with family, the excitement of the meal was captivating. I remember meeting my dad each year between February and April, when shad were migrating through the Hudson River, to eat shad (the fish) and roe (the eggs); a culinary delight only available seasonally. It was our time together, and we met either at The Oyster Bar or The Four Seasons Grill Room. We would talk about it through the year: "Wait till it's time for shad." I remember one New Year's Eve with an old boyfreind in an exquisite French restaurant in Hastings, NY; Buffet de la Gare, where the menu was beautifully hand-designed for us to bring home afterwards, and the meal went on for hours and hours. I remember dinner with my parents at Chanterelle, in NYC, thinking, "I hope one day my husband takes me here for the most intimate, romantic dinner." I remember an earlier dinner at Pure Food and Wine, again celebrating New Year's Eve, this time with another boyfriend and my parents, when my dad's illness had started to take a toll on him. We had such an intimate time together, and I remember my dad's sweet smile and love of the experience. All of those meals were slow and delicious; hours long.
I encourage you to balance the meals you eat at the computer; standing up at the kitchen counter; while getting your children ready for school; with the kind I speak about here.
Please write in and tell me about your favorite meal memory...
With Love,
Hope
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Be True to Yourself
Today's Food:
Breakfast:
32 ounces lemon water
1 apple
Late Lunch:
non-raw at Le Pain Quotidien
Mediterranean Platter with small bowls of humuus, baba ganoush and tablouleh, with sundried tomatoes; organic breads: walnut, wheat, bagette
a little organic chocolate spread and marmalade
8 ounces water
32 ounces lemon water
What are the dreams you dream for yourself?
Today I went to a funeral for my dearest friend's sister. She died way too young. But she lived her life with utmost joy, passion and purpose every day. Her name was Judy. What struck me, in listening to everyone speak about her, from her precious husband, to her children; from her parents to all of her siblings, was how "unstoppable" she was. What struck me about that was how she believed in herself from a young age, even while understanding the "curves" life throws us. Judy bathed herself in wonder and gratitude every day. It was like she said, "This is who I am, world, and as long as I stay true to that, I can do what I came here to do and breathe it all in."
Judy loved music and nature and colors and places and people and her husband and her two boys and every single thing life offers us. My friend Jessica, her sister, said to me that Judy was always the one to say, "Let's hop on our bikes and go catch the sunrise," or, "We can't miss this fabulous yoga class." What Judy got from life came from what she put into each breath she took.
By the way, Judy loved to experience great food; a wonderful trait that runs in my friend's family (and mine). Her relationship with food was like all of her other relationships; loving, ecstatic, adventuress and delicious.
I am left with this today: Be true to yourself. Do what you have come here to do. If there is anything, from your past or present that is stopping you in that process, identify it and make a commitment to get the guidance you need to transform it so that you can shine.
Each of us has a message to bring to the world.
Judy's was clear, as she inspired everyone who touched her about how to live a passionate life; no matter what.
What is your message? Please write in and share...
and know that the world is just waiting for you to bring it out!
Judy, thank you for being here and for inspiring me.
Breakfast:
32 ounces lemon water
1 apple
Late Lunch:
non-raw at Le Pain Quotidien
Mediterranean Platter with small bowls of humuus, baba ganoush and tablouleh, with sundried tomatoes; organic breads: walnut, wheat, bagette
a little organic chocolate spread and marmalade
8 ounces water
32 ounces lemon water
What are the dreams you dream for yourself?
Today I went to a funeral for my dearest friend's sister. She died way too young. But she lived her life with utmost joy, passion and purpose every day. Her name was Judy. What struck me, in listening to everyone speak about her, from her precious husband, to her children; from her parents to all of her siblings, was how "unstoppable" she was. What struck me about that was how she believed in herself from a young age, even while understanding the "curves" life throws us. Judy bathed herself in wonder and gratitude every day. It was like she said, "This is who I am, world, and as long as I stay true to that, I can do what I came here to do and breathe it all in."
Judy loved music and nature and colors and places and people and her husband and her two boys and every single thing life offers us. My friend Jessica, her sister, said to me that Judy was always the one to say, "Let's hop on our bikes and go catch the sunrise," or, "We can't miss this fabulous yoga class." What Judy got from life came from what she put into each breath she took.
By the way, Judy loved to experience great food; a wonderful trait that runs in my friend's family (and mine). Her relationship with food was like all of her other relationships; loving, ecstatic, adventuress and delicious.
I am left with this today: Be true to yourself. Do what you have come here to do. If there is anything, from your past or present that is stopping you in that process, identify it and make a commitment to get the guidance you need to transform it so that you can shine.
Each of us has a message to bring to the world.
Judy's was clear, as she inspired everyone who touched her about how to live a passionate life; no matter what.
What is your message? Please write in and share...
and know that the world is just waiting for you to bring it out!
Judy, thank you for being here and for inspiring me.
Try Something New!
Today's Food:
Breakfast:
1 apple with 3 tablespoons of raw crunchy almond butter
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner:
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, carrot, daikon, 1/2 avocado, sprouts, cuke, with dulse, nutritional yeast, olive oil and Herbamare
Dessert:
Lori's raw brownies!
Raw Organic Nectars vanilla ice cream
12 ounces water
Lori is my dear friend who is not raw, and who, today on the phone said to me out of the clear blue sky, "Maybe I'll go raw! It looks really good." Then, she proceeded to make raw brownies, having never made a raw recipe before.
We ate so many of them tonight:
carob powder, almond butter, Medjool dates and agave; whoah, you can only imagine!
I really want to acknowledge Lori for her excitement and willingness to try something completely new. She is forever curious and exploring life in the most beautiful ways. Now she thinks raw might be the way to go for the Summer; the recipes intrigue her, and what she reads about it on the health end is calling to her.
I'll keep you posted.....
Let's always be willing to learn new things; open our minds and our hearts.
Don't be afraid to get your hands right in the food. Even if you've never made a raw recipe, just Google raw food recipes and find one that excites you. I promise you cannot fail at this. Let me know what you create...
Breakfast:
1 apple with 3 tablespoons of raw crunchy almond butter
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner:
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, carrot, daikon, 1/2 avocado, sprouts, cuke, with dulse, nutritional yeast, olive oil and Herbamare
Dessert:
Lori's raw brownies!
Raw Organic Nectars vanilla ice cream
12 ounces water
Lori is my dear friend who is not raw, and who, today on the phone said to me out of the clear blue sky, "Maybe I'll go raw! It looks really good." Then, she proceeded to make raw brownies, having never made a raw recipe before.
We ate so many of them tonight:
carob powder, almond butter, Medjool dates and agave; whoah, you can only imagine!
I really want to acknowledge Lori for her excitement and willingness to try something completely new. She is forever curious and exploring life in the most beautiful ways. Now she thinks raw might be the way to go for the Summer; the recipes intrigue her, and what she reads about it on the health end is calling to her.
I'll keep you posted.....
Let's always be willing to learn new things; open our minds and our hearts.
Don't be afraid to get your hands right in the food. Even if you've never made a raw recipe, just Google raw food recipes and find one that excites you. I promise you cannot fail at this. Let me know what you create...
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Energy of Food; Eat Green to Fly High
Rawliscious Food!
Breakfast:
12 ounces blueberry elixir with frozen blueberries, banana and raw honey
Snack:
1/2 cup cashews
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner (with friends at 'Raw Food & Film Night'):
'Sophisticated Salad' with baby spinach, potatoes, apple and walnuts; with beautiful olive oil lemon and more dressing - Irina & Nick
Nut Loaf galore with Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and lots of other goodies and greens; with a delectable Haru sauce - Jane
My marinated asparagus (marinated for 24 hours) in Bragg's, Herbs de Provence, olive oil, nutritional yeast and dulse
Raw Brownies in the shape of little cups with cacao, almond butter, dates and agave - Lizzie
Coconut Bliss ice cream: Peanut Butter Chocolate and Cherry
Most Important: Amazing conversation with good friends!
What's the best way using plant-based food (earth food) to turn fatigue into energy?
Eat leafy greens every day.
OK, so what falls into this category?
Kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, Dandelion greens, mizuma greens, Arugula, Tsat Tsoi, spinach and all the others I forget about until I'm at the farmers' markets each Summer.
Why are these so great for turning fatigue into energy?
Just look at them; they are standing straight up with their leaves reaching towards the sky, saying "Here I am!!" For increasing energy in the body, eat foods that focus their energy upwards.
The other main reason is that "green" actually means, 'filled with chlorophyl and oxygen'; the two most important components for cell growth and rejuventaion, brain function, immune building and energy boosting.
What's a quick and yummy way to eat green?
Steam a pot of mixed leafy greens and put some Bragg's Amino Acids and tahini spread on them. See your energy fly.
Want to really see it? Eat them for breakfast and watch your day transform!
Write in and let me know if you've "gone green" with your food."...
Breakfast:
12 ounces blueberry elixir with frozen blueberries, banana and raw honey
Snack:
1/2 cup cashews
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner (with friends at 'Raw Food & Film Night'):
'Sophisticated Salad' with baby spinach, potatoes, apple and walnuts; with beautiful olive oil lemon and more dressing - Irina & Nick
Nut Loaf galore with Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and lots of other goodies and greens; with a delectable Haru sauce - Jane
My marinated asparagus (marinated for 24 hours) in Bragg's, Herbs de Provence, olive oil, nutritional yeast and dulse
Raw Brownies in the shape of little cups with cacao, almond butter, dates and agave - Lizzie
Coconut Bliss ice cream: Peanut Butter Chocolate and Cherry
Most Important: Amazing conversation with good friends!
What's the best way using plant-based food (earth food) to turn fatigue into energy?
Eat leafy greens every day.
OK, so what falls into this category?
Kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, Dandelion greens, mizuma greens, Arugula, Tsat Tsoi, spinach and all the others I forget about until I'm at the farmers' markets each Summer.
Why are these so great for turning fatigue into energy?
Just look at them; they are standing straight up with their leaves reaching towards the sky, saying "Here I am!!" For increasing energy in the body, eat foods that focus their energy upwards.
The other main reason is that "green" actually means, 'filled with chlorophyl and oxygen'; the two most important components for cell growth and rejuventaion, brain function, immune building and energy boosting.
What's a quick and yummy way to eat green?
Steam a pot of mixed leafy greens and put some Bragg's Amino Acids and tahini spread on them. See your energy fly.
Want to really see it? Eat them for breakfast and watch your day transform!
Write in and let me know if you've "gone green" with your food."...
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Celebrate the Earth by Being with the Earth and Eating From the Earth
Delicious Earth Day Food:
Breakfast:
32 ounces lemon water and a great 5 miler in the warm sunshine
Lunch/Snacks in Varying Degrees:
3 stalks of celery filled with sundried tomato/walnut pate, made lovingly by my dear friend Lizzie
an apple with a tablespoon of almond butter
8 -10 soaked almonds; no skin
thick smoothie with fresh Thai coconut water and meat, 5 leaves of red chard, large handful of parsley and 1 apple
hours of hiking in the warm sunshine in honor of Earth Day
Decadent Snacks with Liz:
Lizzie's raw brownies; two each
3 'One Lucky Duck' raw macaroons; two chocolate (these elicited the "O" response in me!) and one blondie
No Dinner, as I feel satisfied, satiated and filled with very high energy; my body feels complete with food for today
A good friend of mine called me today; we hadn't spoken in awhile. He mentioned owning part of an organic garden and said something about how we should all have our hands in the earth. I responded, "Yes, and being 'hands-in' with the earth will also connect us more deeply to our relationship with our food." When we eat out of cartons, containers and boxes, we lose all connection with the earth, except as a repository for our garbage.
Take your shoes off and walk in a garden. Feel the warm soil on your feet. Today I hiked on the valleys and peaks of the earth with a dear friend; we blessed the earth; we shared our lives and stories and let the earth hear our secrets. And I ate raw food from the earth; no mayonnaise, no pasteurization; no chicken nuggets; just simple food from the earth.
Thank you, dear earth, for putting up with so much abuse and still waking up happy each day. May you continue to cultivate passionate soil and nourish our precious ecosystem.
Breakfast:
32 ounces lemon water and a great 5 miler in the warm sunshine
Lunch/Snacks in Varying Degrees:
3 stalks of celery filled with sundried tomato/walnut pate, made lovingly by my dear friend Lizzie
an apple with a tablespoon of almond butter
8 -10 soaked almonds; no skin
thick smoothie with fresh Thai coconut water and meat, 5 leaves of red chard, large handful of parsley and 1 apple
hours of hiking in the warm sunshine in honor of Earth Day
Decadent Snacks with Liz:
Lizzie's raw brownies; two each
3 'One Lucky Duck' raw macaroons; two chocolate (these elicited the "O" response in me!) and one blondie
No Dinner, as I feel satisfied, satiated and filled with very high energy; my body feels complete with food for today
A good friend of mine called me today; we hadn't spoken in awhile. He mentioned owning part of an organic garden and said something about how we should all have our hands in the earth. I responded, "Yes, and being 'hands-in' with the earth will also connect us more deeply to our relationship with our food." When we eat out of cartons, containers and boxes, we lose all connection with the earth, except as a repository for our garbage.
Take your shoes off and walk in a garden. Feel the warm soil on your feet. Today I hiked on the valleys and peaks of the earth with a dear friend; we blessed the earth; we shared our lives and stories and let the earth hear our secrets. And I ate raw food from the earth; no mayonnaise, no pasteurization; no chicken nuggets; just simple food from the earth.
Thank you, dear earth, for putting up with so much abuse and still waking up happy each day. May you continue to cultivate passionate soil and nourish our precious ecosystem.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Ask the Health Counselor
What I ate today:
Breakfast:
16 ounces of green juice with red chard, apples, ginger root and parsley
Snack:
8 Brazil nuts
Lunch:
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, carrot, daikon, sprouts, 1/2 avocado and cuke with dulse, nutritional yeast, olive oil and Herbamare
Dinner:
6 'Foods Alive Italian Zest' flax crackers
25 ounce smoothie with frozen blueberries, 1 banana and a tablespoon of raw honey
What one question about your food, your body or your health keeps coming up unanswered for you? Starting tonight for one week, I will be answering any and all questions you might have. Please write in by clicking on the word "comments" below. If you do not have a Google account, it takes one minute to create one for free. I will answer every question that comes my way, so if you do send one to me, please follow up the next day by clicking on "comments" for the same blog entry to read my response.
Breakfast:
16 ounces of green juice with red chard, apples, ginger root and parsley
Snack:
8 Brazil nuts
Lunch:
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, carrot, daikon, sprouts, 1/2 avocado and cuke with dulse, nutritional yeast, olive oil and Herbamare
Dinner:
6 'Foods Alive Italian Zest' flax crackers
25 ounce smoothie with frozen blueberries, 1 banana and a tablespoon of raw honey
What one question about your food, your body or your health keeps coming up unanswered for you? Starting tonight for one week, I will be answering any and all questions you might have. Please write in by clicking on the word "comments" below. If you do not have a Google account, it takes one minute to create one for free. I will answer every question that comes my way, so if you do send one to me, please follow up the next day by clicking on "comments" for the same blog entry to read my response.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
I Don't Believe in Willpower
Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
16 ounces of green juice with red chard and golden delicious apples
32 ounces lemon water
Various Foods spaced out over many hours:
handful of Brazil nuts (about 8)
12 ounces green juice with kale, parsley, celery, cuke, apple, ginger
5 raw "Foods Alive" Italian Zest flax crackers
Dinner:
salad with romaine, cabbage, carrot, sprouts, radish with dulse, nutritional yeast, olive oil and Herbamare
When we have cravings, we tend to question our "willpower." In fact, cravings have nothing to do with that word. Willpower is merely a word created to sabotage people's self-image. It has fit really well into the "forever dieting" industry. If I have no willpower, then I must need to be on a diet. Oops, I broke my diet; what's wrong with me? It's a flaw within me that I have no willpower. Time for another diet.
Guess what???? A response to cravings is due either to one or both of these states of being:
1. I am lonely, sad, hurt, tired, angry.....and food fills that uncomfortable place and quells the anxiety,
Or:
2. My blood sugar is off balance and is lowering or spiking my sugar. I may not know this physiologically, but that "thing" I call lack of willpower is actually my low blood sugar having me crave sugar. That's why I'm going crazy fantasizing about the cookies on the counter.
If you recognize the physiological signs of blood sugar imbalance, you can stop beating yourself up for not getting it right and having no willpower.
What's great for balancing low blood sugar?
Root vegetables; sweet potatoes, onion, daikon, radish, carrot, beets and squashes
Whole grains: millet, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, barley, amarinth, triticale
Try steaming some root veges and drizzling a little tahini and Bragg's over them, along with a nice bowl of grain with a little flax or olive oil poured over.
This soothing meal will correctly balance your blood sugar.
What about the emotional reasons?
See if you need a really good hug, a really good cry, a really good scream, a really good journal-writing session or a really good "put on the music as loud as possible and dance your ass off" session.
And throw out the word "Willpower" along with the foods you don't really want to eat.
Breakfast:
16 ounces of green juice with red chard and golden delicious apples
32 ounces lemon water
Various Foods spaced out over many hours:
handful of Brazil nuts (about 8)
12 ounces green juice with kale, parsley, celery, cuke, apple, ginger
5 raw "Foods Alive" Italian Zest flax crackers
Dinner:
salad with romaine, cabbage, carrot, sprouts, radish with dulse, nutritional yeast, olive oil and Herbamare
When we have cravings, we tend to question our "willpower." In fact, cravings have nothing to do with that word. Willpower is merely a word created to sabotage people's self-image. It has fit really well into the "forever dieting" industry. If I have no willpower, then I must need to be on a diet. Oops, I broke my diet; what's wrong with me? It's a flaw within me that I have no willpower. Time for another diet.
Guess what???? A response to cravings is due either to one or both of these states of being:
1. I am lonely, sad, hurt, tired, angry.....and food fills that uncomfortable place and quells the anxiety,
Or:
2. My blood sugar is off balance and is lowering or spiking my sugar. I may not know this physiologically, but that "thing" I call lack of willpower is actually my low blood sugar having me crave sugar. That's why I'm going crazy fantasizing about the cookies on the counter.
If you recognize the physiological signs of blood sugar imbalance, you can stop beating yourself up for not getting it right and having no willpower.
What's great for balancing low blood sugar?
Root vegetables; sweet potatoes, onion, daikon, radish, carrot, beets and squashes
Whole grains: millet, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, barley, amarinth, triticale
Try steaming some root veges and drizzling a little tahini and Bragg's over them, along with a nice bowl of grain with a little flax or olive oil poured over.
This soothing meal will correctly balance your blood sugar.
What about the emotional reasons?
See if you need a really good hug, a really good cry, a really good scream, a really good journal-writing session or a really good "put on the music as loud as possible and dance your ass off" session.
And throw out the word "Willpower" along with the foods you don't really want to eat.
Alchohol and Old Cellular Memories
Yesterday's Food: (got home tooooo late to blog)
Breakfast:
Fabulous green and yellow juice with 4 large leaves of red chard and 3 small golden delicious apples; with 1/4 lime
Lunch:
small amount of leftover sunflower sundried tomato pate on purple cabbage leaves, with 1 carrot; small amount of olive oil and nutritional yeast for dipping
Snack:
Raw Revolution chocolate cashew bar
Dinner (for my brother's birthday - Lotos Club, NYC):
Non-raw:
1 glass of champagne
a couple of handfuls of roasted mixed nuts
1 small hors d'oevre on a slice of cucumber, of I think Yellowtail sushi (this was funny, as I totally forgot what I was eating until after I ate it!)
a few glasses of superb red wine Paulliac
3 kinds of bread: 1 small marble croissant; a few crunchy grain crackers; 1 sourdough dinner roll with olive oil
Parsnip soup (vegan)
parpardelle pasta ribbons with mixed chunked veges with a sprinkling of parmesan
Dessert:
mango and blood orange sorbet
8 ounces water
OK, so my brother Richard celebrated a very auspicious milestone birthday, and our family went out for a really lovely and leisurely dinner. I decided to eat the food that was being offered, as I knew it would just be a really good time.
Here's what I'm left with: It is so rare that I do drink these days; both because of alchohol and susatined health as well as eating raw. Thankfully, I had plenty during other periods of my life! I actually really enjoy the taste. I love these experiments, as I can take them to you and share them with others. I believe there is a whole piece of this raw world that is not being touched upon; that piece is the concept of "cellular memory". People do discuss it in the context of "detox"; as in when you go raw and go through detox, your body is letting go of metabolic waste that can go back many years. In other words, you may be letting go of the metabolic waste of cigarettes you smoked ten years ago or a heavy sugar period in your life. What really isn't touched upon is that you may "re-experience" some aspect of this time period; even a faint smell or taste, or more potently, an emotion or feeling. This is called, "cellular memory". Because a large part of my practice as a Health Counselor surrounds "cellular memory", Somatic, or body-centered processing and releasing old trauma and belief systems from the body, I look at this concept a little differently. It's not just the "waste" we may detox; it may also be the stored "memory," which could include an emotional or energy-based response. This is more so the quantum physics of the body. Why would we believe it's merely the physical that would be stored and then released? We are all of our beings; a composite; physical, emotional and energy. As a result, often when "detoxing" from raw, a person may feel some deep and "old" emotional" responses; really stored energy in the body.
So, getting back to the alchohol and beautiful meal last night. Let me first say I was FULL. This is always so interesting to me, as I never feel full from raw.
I had some dreams about people from my past, and when I awoke, my body carried deep sadness and pain-melancholy feeelings. I have known these feelings before; they are from my past.I remember waking up with them years ago after a night out.
I have been tracking the responses of the body to food for a long time and am completely fascinated with this aspect of stored memory. Look how deeply these "body memories" are stored!
So, two things go on for me today: One, I get to see if there's something from my past worthy of examining a little more deeply in my present, and two, I clean out my body today, starting with a green juice. More on the subject of "cellular memory" to come.
I am wondering: Do you ever wake up and notice specific "feelings" after eating specific foods? Please write in and let me know...
PS - I also feel some reflux in my solar plexus due to the alchohol
Breakfast:
Fabulous green and yellow juice with 4 large leaves of red chard and 3 small golden delicious apples; with 1/4 lime
Lunch:
small amount of leftover sunflower sundried tomato pate on purple cabbage leaves, with 1 carrot; small amount of olive oil and nutritional yeast for dipping
Snack:
Raw Revolution chocolate cashew bar
Dinner (for my brother's birthday - Lotos Club, NYC):
Non-raw:
1 glass of champagne
a couple of handfuls of roasted mixed nuts
1 small hors d'oevre on a slice of cucumber, of I think Yellowtail sushi (this was funny, as I totally forgot what I was eating until after I ate it!)
a few glasses of superb red wine Paulliac
3 kinds of bread: 1 small marble croissant; a few crunchy grain crackers; 1 sourdough dinner roll with olive oil
Parsnip soup (vegan)
parpardelle pasta ribbons with mixed chunked veges with a sprinkling of parmesan
Dessert:
mango and blood orange sorbet
8 ounces water
OK, so my brother Richard celebrated a very auspicious milestone birthday, and our family went out for a really lovely and leisurely dinner. I decided to eat the food that was being offered, as I knew it would just be a really good time.
Here's what I'm left with: It is so rare that I do drink these days; both because of alchohol and susatined health as well as eating raw. Thankfully, I had plenty during other periods of my life! I actually really enjoy the taste. I love these experiments, as I can take them to you and share them with others. I believe there is a whole piece of this raw world that is not being touched upon; that piece is the concept of "cellular memory". People do discuss it in the context of "detox"; as in when you go raw and go through detox, your body is letting go of metabolic waste that can go back many years. In other words, you may be letting go of the metabolic waste of cigarettes you smoked ten years ago or a heavy sugar period in your life. What really isn't touched upon is that you may "re-experience" some aspect of this time period; even a faint smell or taste, or more potently, an emotion or feeling. This is called, "cellular memory". Because a large part of my practice as a Health Counselor surrounds "cellular memory", Somatic, or body-centered processing and releasing old trauma and belief systems from the body, I look at this concept a little differently. It's not just the "waste" we may detox; it may also be the stored "memory," which could include an emotional or energy-based response. This is more so the quantum physics of the body. Why would we believe it's merely the physical that would be stored and then released? We are all of our beings; a composite; physical, emotional and energy. As a result, often when "detoxing" from raw, a person may feel some deep and "old" emotional" responses; really stored energy in the body.
So, getting back to the alchohol and beautiful meal last night. Let me first say I was FULL. This is always so interesting to me, as I never feel full from raw.
I had some dreams about people from my past, and when I awoke, my body carried deep sadness and pain-melancholy feeelings. I have known these feelings before; they are from my past.I remember waking up with them years ago after a night out.
I have been tracking the responses of the body to food for a long time and am completely fascinated with this aspect of stored memory. Look how deeply these "body memories" are stored!
So, two things go on for me today: One, I get to see if there's something from my past worthy of examining a little more deeply in my present, and two, I clean out my body today, starting with a green juice. More on the subject of "cellular memory" to come.
I am wondering: Do you ever wake up and notice specific "feelings" after eating specific foods? Please write in and let me know...
PS - I also feel some reflux in my solar plexus due to the alchohol
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Eat for Spring; Simple and Green
Today's Food:
Early Breakfast: (after a great 5 mile run):
Raw cacao elixir with Thai Coconut water and meat, water, cacao powder and nibs, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon almond butter, Marine Phytoplankton (superfood) and a shot of agave
32 ounces lemon water throughout the day
Brunch:
Non-raw at 'Le Pain Quotidien'; great food and conversation with a friend:
Vegan split pea soup w/ a piece of organic French bagette; with organic white chocolate spread, organic apricot and four fruit spreads
"flute" of nutted raisin bread with spreads and a little organic butter
Tartin (open sandwich on organic wheat bread) with black bean hummus, with slices of avocado and spicy tahini dresssing; with a little mescalin salad
Dinner:
raw pate: soaked sunflower seeds, soaked sundried tomatoes, dulse, olive oil, water, Herbamare, Herbs de Provence and nutritional yeast (in a food processor) with purple cabbage and carrots
Dessert:
Organic Nectars vanilla fudge raw ice cream
I just think these two guys, Jonsi and Alex, and the way they interact with one another and create raw, is just adorable. I especially appreciate Jonsi licking his fingers throughout! The link was once again sent by the lovely Angela Stokes-Monarch in today's Raw Refrom blog
http://www.rawreform.com/index.php
You MUST check out Jonsi and Alex's recipes and UTube videos for "Macadamia Monster Mash," and "Raw Strawberry Pie." These are YUMMY!!! Click Below:
http://jonsiandalex.com/recipes
Is there a favorite recipe you'd like to share with our readers? As Spring unfolds, see how you can tap into simplifying your foods and really tasting green. Take a bunch of asparagus and simply marinate them in Bragg's Amino Acids for one day. Then drizzle a little olive oil and sea salt over them (you can sprinkle a little nutritional yeast as well). See what it's like to make an avocado-spinach soup in your blender; you can add some miso paste (it is not raw but fermented; called a "living" food, due to its powerful nutrients and medicinal properties), a splash of olive oil and a couple of cloves of garlic. Add water slowly to see how thick you want it. One of my favorite salads is tossed endive and radicchio with slices of avocado, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. Notice how only a few ingredients figure into these recipes? If you keep it simple, you get to really tasted the ingredients.
What one food are you ready to let go of this week?
What are you looking to bring into your raw lifestyle?
Early Breakfast: (after a great 5 mile run):
Raw cacao elixir with Thai Coconut water and meat, water, cacao powder and nibs, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon almond butter, Marine Phytoplankton (superfood) and a shot of agave
32 ounces lemon water throughout the day
Brunch:
Non-raw at 'Le Pain Quotidien'; great food and conversation with a friend:
Vegan split pea soup w/ a piece of organic French bagette; with organic white chocolate spread, organic apricot and four fruit spreads
"flute" of nutted raisin bread with spreads and a little organic butter
Tartin (open sandwich on organic wheat bread) with black bean hummus, with slices of avocado and spicy tahini dresssing; with a little mescalin salad
Dinner:
raw pate: soaked sunflower seeds, soaked sundried tomatoes, dulse, olive oil, water, Herbamare, Herbs de Provence and nutritional yeast (in a food processor) with purple cabbage and carrots
Dessert:
Organic Nectars vanilla fudge raw ice cream
I just think these two guys, Jonsi and Alex, and the way they interact with one another and create raw, is just adorable. I especially appreciate Jonsi licking his fingers throughout! The link was once again sent by the lovely Angela Stokes-Monarch in today's Raw Refrom blog
http://www.rawreform.com/index.php
You MUST check out Jonsi and Alex's recipes and UTube videos for "Macadamia Monster Mash," and "Raw Strawberry Pie." These are YUMMY!!! Click Below:
http://jonsiandalex.com/recipes
Is there a favorite recipe you'd like to share with our readers? As Spring unfolds, see how you can tap into simplifying your foods and really tasting green. Take a bunch of asparagus and simply marinate them in Bragg's Amino Acids for one day. Then drizzle a little olive oil and sea salt over them (you can sprinkle a little nutritional yeast as well). See what it's like to make an avocado-spinach soup in your blender; you can add some miso paste (it is not raw but fermented; called a "living" food, due to its powerful nutrients and medicinal properties), a splash of olive oil and a couple of cloves of garlic. Add water slowly to see how thick you want it. One of my favorite salads is tossed endive and radicchio with slices of avocado, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. Notice how only a few ingredients figure into these recipes? If you keep it simple, you get to really tasted the ingredients.
What one food are you ready to let go of this week?
What are you looking to bring into your raw lifestyle?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Food Inc.; Fast Food, Factory Farming and the Way We Treat Our Animals
Today's Food:
Breakfast: 1 banana with a tablespoon of raw, crunchy almond butter with shredded coconut and cinnamon
32 ounces lemon water
Lunch:
"Living Food" salad with shredded cabbage, cauliflower, carrot and broccoli with Bragg's, olive oil and sea salt
Snacks:
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
yummy ripe Bosc pear
golden delicious apple
raw cashews
"Bucksah" or "St. John's Bread," which is actually the whole carob pod. When you chew its hard shell, it has a beautiful sweet carob taste inside. It is tradiitonally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shvat, which honors the harvest and the trees and earth. I had some left from the holiday in February.
Dinner:
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, carrot, daikon, sprouts with nutritional yeast, dulse flakes, olive oil and Herbamare
Dessert:
2 rolled dates in coconut
12 ounces water
The film "Food Inc." was being shown in the wonderful arty theatre near me; the Avon. I hadn't yet seen it, primarily because I have been an advocate for healthy food and farming practices for years and have already seen alot of footage of factory farming and pollution of our planet. However, I was moved to tears while watching it, as I always am when I witness loving animals being tortured and treated like worthless, disposable products used to further the greed and fill the stomachs of ignorance. Robert Kenner made such a beautiful and meaningful film; an important piece of film history for everyone to see, along with Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation") and Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma"). Please take your loved ones, friends and children to see this film. Take your students, congregations and organizations to watch it, and then open up a discussion about their reactions, responses, thoughts, feelings and suggestions for making change and putting an end to this nightmare. I think it's a film that should be viewed more than once, because the truth about how we get to eat what we eat becomes quickly overshadowed by the commercialization, glorification and temptation of this "fake food" pushed upon us.
My heart weeps for every animal who gives up their autonomy to people who cannot see and hear their cries. I highly recommend the book, "Ishmael," by Daniel Quinn; it's about a man's relationship with a gorilla, his teacher and mentor, and the man as the student, and how our concept of evolution is radically skewed. All I could see while watching those parts of Food Inc. were the animals crying out in pain. I could see that in their eyes.
One of the major sources of global warming is the methane gas excreted from factory farms; clean up those practices, take the power away from the three or five conglomerates who own, dominate and terrorize the farming industry, and see our planet heal.
You can check out the trailer for Food Inc. here and find out where the film is playing near you.
http://www.foodincmovie.com/
If you want to organize a raw or vegetarian potluck in your community, you can charge five, ten or twenty dollars per person and donate the money to Farm Sactuary, a magnificent organization with two homes; one in Watkins Glen, NY and the other near Orland, CA. Their mission and dedication is to rescue animals from factory farming practices. They have two farms, where you can visit the animals. You can also "adopt" an animal as a gift for someone (where that person gets updates and a picture of their adoptee), donate money or even just buy a sweatshirt from them. It all goes to help the factory farmed animals they rescue.
http://farmsanctuary.org/
Please write in and share your thoughts about the film...
Breakfast: 1 banana with a tablespoon of raw, crunchy almond butter with shredded coconut and cinnamon
32 ounces lemon water
Lunch:
"Living Food" salad with shredded cabbage, cauliflower, carrot and broccoli with Bragg's, olive oil and sea salt
Snacks:
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar
yummy ripe Bosc pear
golden delicious apple
raw cashews
"Bucksah" or "St. John's Bread," which is actually the whole carob pod. When you chew its hard shell, it has a beautiful sweet carob taste inside. It is tradiitonally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shvat, which honors the harvest and the trees and earth. I had some left from the holiday in February.
Dinner:
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, carrot, daikon, sprouts with nutritional yeast, dulse flakes, olive oil and Herbamare
Dessert:
2 rolled dates in coconut
12 ounces water
The film "Food Inc." was being shown in the wonderful arty theatre near me; the Avon. I hadn't yet seen it, primarily because I have been an advocate for healthy food and farming practices for years and have already seen alot of footage of factory farming and pollution of our planet. However, I was moved to tears while watching it, as I always am when I witness loving animals being tortured and treated like worthless, disposable products used to further the greed and fill the stomachs of ignorance. Robert Kenner made such a beautiful and meaningful film; an important piece of film history for everyone to see, along with Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation") and Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma"). Please take your loved ones, friends and children to see this film. Take your students, congregations and organizations to watch it, and then open up a discussion about their reactions, responses, thoughts, feelings and suggestions for making change and putting an end to this nightmare. I think it's a film that should be viewed more than once, because the truth about how we get to eat what we eat becomes quickly overshadowed by the commercialization, glorification and temptation of this "fake food" pushed upon us.
My heart weeps for every animal who gives up their autonomy to people who cannot see and hear their cries. I highly recommend the book, "Ishmael," by Daniel Quinn; it's about a man's relationship with a gorilla, his teacher and mentor, and the man as the student, and how our concept of evolution is radically skewed. All I could see while watching those parts of Food Inc. were the animals crying out in pain. I could see that in their eyes.
One of the major sources of global warming is the methane gas excreted from factory farms; clean up those practices, take the power away from the three or five conglomerates who own, dominate and terrorize the farming industry, and see our planet heal.
You can check out the trailer for Food Inc. here and find out where the film is playing near you.
http://www.foodincmovie.com/
If you want to organize a raw or vegetarian potluck in your community, you can charge five, ten or twenty dollars per person and donate the money to Farm Sactuary, a magnificent organization with two homes; one in Watkins Glen, NY and the other near Orland, CA. Their mission and dedication is to rescue animals from factory farming practices. They have two farms, where you can visit the animals. You can also "adopt" an animal as a gift for someone (where that person gets updates and a picture of their adoptee), donate money or even just buy a sweatshirt from them. It all goes to help the factory farmed animals they rescue.
http://farmsanctuary.org/
Please write in and share your thoughts about the film...
Friday, April 16, 2010
I Am Proud to Say I Ate All Day; Or, Whatever it Takes!
What Did I Eat?????
Breakfast:
2 bananas with raw crunchy almond butter, shredded coconut and cinnamon (after a nice run)
32 ounces of lemon water
Lunch:
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, carrot, daikon, sprouts and 1/2 avocado with dulse flakes, nutritional yeast and olive oil
Dessert:
3 - 4 rolled dates with coconut
Snacks:
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup "Go Take a Hike!" raw trail mix
Dinner:
bowl of Seaweed Chowder
Dessert:
bowl of Organic Nectars vanilla fudge raw ice cream
12 ounces water
OK, readers, I did not stop eating today! Why? I am finally completing my book proposal (yes, it has to do with the raw lifestyle) and I am so committed to getting this done now that I will do whatever it takes! to be complete. So, as I sat here and wrote, I kept dealing with necessary diversions and writer's 'angst' by walking into my kitchen 3,000 times to eat. I don't think I was ever really hungry any of those times except for the first, this morning after my run. I completely knew what I was doing, and you know what, I chose it. It's whatever it takes right now; so be it! I just hope you don't have to come roll me out of my doorway by the time I actually finish this book! Hey, my friend Karen Ranzi just got her book, "Creating Healthy Children" published and has been on a book tour, and she managed to maintain her beautiful and lean body throughout...how????? I am going with the "food as my muse" theory; the one I just made up! I so appreciate my humanity in all of it. I've had plenty of days where I was so submerged in a project that I barely ate. I trust my body to honor this process just like it does all others.
Do you trust the ebb and flow of your beautiful relationship with food? Please write in and share when you actually embraced nonstop eating!
So, you are so so lucky today, dear readers, as I have two links to share with you.
The first is from "The Daily Raw Inspiration", from Jinjee, at http://thegardendiet.com/
Jinjee writes:
"I have been thinking for a while now about how I want to change my diet. I feel like I need a change, some kind of guidelines to get me eating healthier. Do I need to do a green smoothie fast? Should I go back to eating only between noon and 6? Should I cut out salt? Should I make a menu plan? As I'm not feeling like putting that much head-space and time in to the question, the perfect solution for a diet plan hit me this morning on awakening: "Eat to feel good". A few days ago I was tempted to buy a really yummy raw cappuccino ice cream that I know makes me feel like a slug. I rejected the idea on the basis that I want to feel good. And I do feel good right now. And why should I eat anything that will make me feel less good! That's no treat, really. Treats that make me feel great and in reality taste the best are my favorite fruits like raspberries and cherimoyas, orange juice, and green smoothies. I am happy with this simple and easy-to-remember new guideline for maintaining a higher standard of eating: Eat to feel good!In Joy!Jinjee"
Beautiful, Jinjee; thank you!
The second is a real treat from "The Raw Life Health Show," with Paul Nison. This episode has his lovely wife Andrea teaching us how to make a raw BLT. This one I am going to make; check it out. My mouth was watering...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz27CXsmlGk
Breakfast:
2 bananas with raw crunchy almond butter, shredded coconut and cinnamon (after a nice run)
32 ounces of lemon water
Lunch:
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, carrot, daikon, sprouts and 1/2 avocado with dulse flakes, nutritional yeast and olive oil
Dessert:
3 - 4 rolled dates with coconut
Snacks:
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup "Go Take a Hike!" raw trail mix
Dinner:
bowl of Seaweed Chowder
Dessert:
bowl of Organic Nectars vanilla fudge raw ice cream
12 ounces water
OK, readers, I did not stop eating today! Why? I am finally completing my book proposal (yes, it has to do with the raw lifestyle) and I am so committed to getting this done now that I will do whatever it takes! to be complete. So, as I sat here and wrote, I kept dealing with necessary diversions and writer's 'angst' by walking into my kitchen 3,000 times to eat. I don't think I was ever really hungry any of those times except for the first, this morning after my run. I completely knew what I was doing, and you know what, I chose it. It's whatever it takes right now; so be it! I just hope you don't have to come roll me out of my doorway by the time I actually finish this book! Hey, my friend Karen Ranzi just got her book, "Creating Healthy Children" published and has been on a book tour, and she managed to maintain her beautiful and lean body throughout...how????? I am going with the "food as my muse" theory; the one I just made up! I so appreciate my humanity in all of it. I've had plenty of days where I was so submerged in a project that I barely ate. I trust my body to honor this process just like it does all others.
Do you trust the ebb and flow of your beautiful relationship with food? Please write in and share when you actually embraced nonstop eating!
So, you are so so lucky today, dear readers, as I have two links to share with you.
The first is from "The Daily Raw Inspiration", from Jinjee, at http://thegardendiet.com/
Jinjee writes:
"I have been thinking for a while now about how I want to change my diet. I feel like I need a change, some kind of guidelines to get me eating healthier. Do I need to do a green smoothie fast? Should I go back to eating only between noon and 6? Should I cut out salt? Should I make a menu plan? As I'm not feeling like putting that much head-space and time in to the question, the perfect solution for a diet plan hit me this morning on awakening: "Eat to feel good". A few days ago I was tempted to buy a really yummy raw cappuccino ice cream that I know makes me feel like a slug. I rejected the idea on the basis that I want to feel good. And I do feel good right now. And why should I eat anything that will make me feel less good! That's no treat, really. Treats that make me feel great and in reality taste the best are my favorite fruits like raspberries and cherimoyas, orange juice, and green smoothies. I am happy with this simple and easy-to-remember new guideline for maintaining a higher standard of eating: Eat to feel good!In Joy!Jinjee"
Beautiful, Jinjee; thank you!
The second is a real treat from "The Raw Life Health Show," with Paul Nison. This episode has his lovely wife Andrea teaching us how to make a raw BLT. This one I am going to make; check it out. My mouth was watering...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz27CXsmlGk
Thursday, April 15, 2010
What Would You Change Today?
Today's Food:
Breakfast (after a fabulous run):
2 bananas with 2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter, shredded coconut and cinnamon (becoming a yummy addiction!)
32 ounces lemon water
Lunch:
3/4 cup cashews
3/4 cup "Go Take Hike!" raw trail mix
Snack:
RawRevolution chocolate cashew bar
Dinner (eaten a little later than I'd prefer):
a few garlic olives
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, daikon, carrot, sprouts and dulse with nutritional yeast, Herbamare and olive oil
12 ounces water
What would I change today? Not for guilt, not for imperfection, merely for learning where food still sometimes pulls me into old habits that don't keep my organs, blood and digestive system humming as high level as they could be:
1. I could have chewed my meals much more deeply and eaten more slowly; really savoring each bite. For anyone who has struggled with food or weight in their early life, you'll notice that sometimes you just can't get it in your mouth quick enough, and it's some reaction to immediate taste or consistency you keep seeking. This is as opposed to noticing how the food would taste on the secondary level if you really took your time with it; you wouldn't need as much to fill up, as you would start to shift the cellular response that has you crave food as an addiction. It would actually taste different, and somatically speaking, the charge would be taken out of it. Also, we need to chew until our food becomes liquid for it to digest in a way that allows it to move effectively into our body system.
2. I ate too many nuts. Nuts are a fabulous form of protein and healthy fat, but we're talking about a handful; you know, ten nuts! Don't go nuts with nuts. It's too much fat and protein to digest, unless you're planning on running a half marathon in the morning.
3. I ate dinner too late, having come home from a late session at the office. Therefore, my body does not have enough time to digest before sleep so that it can detoxify during the night. This stresses the body and creates fermentation and gas.
My best option would have been to come home and simply have the ripe Bosc pear that has been sitting in my fridge, and then to have called it a night with food.
I will look to these learnings as I enter into my beautiful relationship with food tomorrow.
What have you learned today about your relationship with food? Please write in and share...
Breakfast (after a fabulous run):
2 bananas with 2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter, shredded coconut and cinnamon (becoming a yummy addiction!)
32 ounces lemon water
Lunch:
3/4 cup cashews
3/4 cup "Go Take Hike!" raw trail mix
Snack:
RawRevolution chocolate cashew bar
Dinner (eaten a little later than I'd prefer):
a few garlic olives
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, daikon, carrot, sprouts and dulse with nutritional yeast, Herbamare and olive oil
12 ounces water
What would I change today? Not for guilt, not for imperfection, merely for learning where food still sometimes pulls me into old habits that don't keep my organs, blood and digestive system humming as high level as they could be:
1. I could have chewed my meals much more deeply and eaten more slowly; really savoring each bite. For anyone who has struggled with food or weight in their early life, you'll notice that sometimes you just can't get it in your mouth quick enough, and it's some reaction to immediate taste or consistency you keep seeking. This is as opposed to noticing how the food would taste on the secondary level if you really took your time with it; you wouldn't need as much to fill up, as you would start to shift the cellular response that has you crave food as an addiction. It would actually taste different, and somatically speaking, the charge would be taken out of it. Also, we need to chew until our food becomes liquid for it to digest in a way that allows it to move effectively into our body system.
2. I ate too many nuts. Nuts are a fabulous form of protein and healthy fat, but we're talking about a handful; you know, ten nuts! Don't go nuts with nuts. It's too much fat and protein to digest, unless you're planning on running a half marathon in the morning.
3. I ate dinner too late, having come home from a late session at the office. Therefore, my body does not have enough time to digest before sleep so that it can detoxify during the night. This stresses the body and creates fermentation and gas.
My best option would have been to come home and simply have the ripe Bosc pear that has been sitting in my fridge, and then to have called it a night with food.
I will look to these learnings as I enter into my beautiful relationship with food tomorrow.
What have you learned today about your relationship with food? Please write in and share...
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Enzymes Make the World Go Round
Today's food:
Breakfast:
1 banana with 1 heaping tablespoon raw crunchy almond butter, with shredded coconut and cinnamon
25 ounces Red Clover herbal infusion in water
Late Lunch:
1 bowl Seaweed Chowder
Snack:
2/3 cup raw cashews
2/3 cup "Go take a Hike!" raw trail mix (gojis, mulberries, golden raisins, cashews and pistachios)
Dinner:
garlic olives
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, daikon, carrot, 1/2 avocado and sprouts with dulse, nutritional yeast and Herbamare
Dessert:
2 rolled dates in coconut
24 ounces water
Here's a fabulous little article on the reason that enzymes are so important to our health. It comes from the Hippocrates Health Institute, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (the foremost center for healing through raw and living foods, headed by Brian and Anna Maria Clement); their e-newsletter is called aliveRaw.com. Click below to read and learn why enzymes are about far more than just digestion:
http://www.aliveraw.com/Articles/The-Enzyme-Account.aspx?rid=0043&key=2546708
Just to reiterate; the more un-cooked and un-processed food we eat, the more enzymes we ingest. Try to go for one to two raw meals a day, and fill them with organic (remember, pesticides denature our food as well) green and plant-based foods; soaked nuts and seeds and green fruit smoothies.
Write in and share in what ways you are increasing your raw...
Breakfast:
1 banana with 1 heaping tablespoon raw crunchy almond butter, with shredded coconut and cinnamon
25 ounces Red Clover herbal infusion in water
Late Lunch:
1 bowl Seaweed Chowder
Snack:
2/3 cup raw cashews
2/3 cup "Go take a Hike!" raw trail mix (gojis, mulberries, golden raisins, cashews and pistachios)
Dinner:
garlic olives
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, daikon, carrot, 1/2 avocado and sprouts with dulse, nutritional yeast and Herbamare
Dessert:
2 rolled dates in coconut
24 ounces water
Here's a fabulous little article on the reason that enzymes are so important to our health. It comes from the Hippocrates Health Institute, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (the foremost center for healing through raw and living foods, headed by Brian and Anna Maria Clement); their e-newsletter is called aliveRaw.com. Click below to read and learn why enzymes are about far more than just digestion:
http://www.aliveraw.com/Articles/The-Enzyme-Account.aspx?rid=0043&key=2546708
Just to reiterate; the more un-cooked and un-processed food we eat, the more enzymes we ingest. Try to go for one to two raw meals a day, and fill them with organic (remember, pesticides denature our food as well) green and plant-based foods; soaked nuts and seeds and green fruit smoothies.
Write in and share in what ways you are increasing your raw...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
PMS Be Gone!
Today's Food:
Breakfast:
2 bananas with two heaping tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter, shredded coconut and cinnamon (after a nice 5 mile run)
32 ounces lemon water
Snacks:
1 cup "Go take a Hike!" raw trail mix with goji berries, mulberries, golden raisins, cashews and pistachios
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner:
garlic olives
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, daikon, carrot, 1/2 avocado and sprouts, with dulse, nutritional yeast and olive oil
Dessert:
2 rolled dates in coconut
12 ounces water
As a follow-up to yesterday's blog, increasing my water gave me the most energized run in a couple of weeks! And, goddess women, my menstrual cycle started today, so imagine that; all that speed and energy to run, just from water!
Speaking of cycles, the other component is how you eat. Would you like to eliminate symptoms of PMS; bloating, tenderness in the breasts, fatigue and huge emotional swings? OK, then start with eliminating these food categories two weeks before your period is due: Sugar, salt, processed food, white flour, dairy, caffeine and alchohol. Watch what happens. You may feel so good that it's a complete surprise when you actually do get it.
Please write in and tell me if you have experienced this or if you would like to try this experiment and write in with the results...
Breakfast:
2 bananas with two heaping tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter, shredded coconut and cinnamon (after a nice 5 mile run)
32 ounces lemon water
Snacks:
1 cup "Go take a Hike!" raw trail mix with goji berries, mulberries, golden raisins, cashews and pistachios
32 ounces lemon water
Dinner:
garlic olives
salad with romaine, purple cabbage, daikon, carrot, 1/2 avocado and sprouts, with dulse, nutritional yeast and olive oil
Dessert:
2 rolled dates in coconut
12 ounces water
As a follow-up to yesterday's blog, increasing my water gave me the most energized run in a couple of weeks! And, goddess women, my menstrual cycle started today, so imagine that; all that speed and energy to run, just from water!
Speaking of cycles, the other component is how you eat. Would you like to eliminate symptoms of PMS; bloating, tenderness in the breasts, fatigue and huge emotional swings? OK, then start with eliminating these food categories two weeks before your period is due: Sugar, salt, processed food, white flour, dairy, caffeine and alchohol. Watch what happens. You may feel so good that it's a complete surprise when you actually do get it.
Please write in and tell me if you have experienced this or if you would like to try this experiment and write in with the results...
Monday, April 12, 2010
Water, Water Everywhere...
Today's Food:
No Breakfast
32 ounces lemon water
Lunch:
bowl of Seaweed Chowder
Snack:
2/3 cups 'Go Take a Hike!' organic and raw goji berries, mulberries, golden raisins, cacao nibs and pistachios
8 raw Himalayan figs
32 ounces lemon water (big water cleansing day)
Dinner:
some garlic olives
salad with romaine, cabbage, diakon, sprouts, cuke and mushrooms with nutritional yeast, dulse and olive oil
Dessert:
2 dates rolled in coconut
12 ounces water
Once again, thanks to the lovely Angela Stokes-Monarch for her blog today, which lists all the Summer's raw festivals. Click below, and once on the site, click on the link on the left that reads: "A list of Raw Food Festivals in Summer 2010."
http://www.rawreform.com/index.php
Hmmm, the 'Space of Love Harvest Festival' in South Africa sounds good! If you want to hang out with Angela and Matt, join them at the 'Raw Food Gathering,' in Vilcabamba, Ecuador; their new home.
Though I was so tired this morning due to late nights and heavy food, by the time I finished 64 ounces of water, I was highly energized! Always look to water over food to really supply you with true energy, cleanse your liver and gallbladder, nourish your cells and clean your blood. Not only that, the more water you take in, the more you will see the collagen in your face become more supple and alive. By the way, eating more raw really hydrates and nourishes the skin. Check out the skin of most 'raw foodists.' It's pretty vibrant.
I know it's hard to drink water when your body is craving a brownie, so pretend you are gathering research to teach a class on the effects of hydrating the body with water.
I always suggest "trying things on" with lightness and fun. Make it an experiment; one day brownies; one day water.
I remember one year, during Wintertime, my normally soft skin was uber dry. I would rub my leg and there was no softness. All I did to change that was to drink a nice amount of water each day and the dryness completely disappeared.
Fatigue is so deceptive, as we always reach for food (usually protein or sugar) to give us a charge; actually, the food often tires us out more, as it makes the body work harder; especially the digestive system. When we simply have water, we get a real surge of energy that is sustained for hours. I do suggest adding fresh lemon, orange or fresh berries, as it makes it so enjoyable to drink.
If you work in an office, here's a great way to increase your water; it worked for me years ago: Go into the office kitchen, and "borrow" the extra pot bellied coffee pot used for the coffee machine; there's always an extra unused one. Then fill it with water from the water machine and bring it back to your desk. Your only commitment is to drink that one pot of water each day; then you're good to go.
Please write in and tell me when you're optimal "watering times" are throughout the day...
No Breakfast
32 ounces lemon water
Lunch:
bowl of Seaweed Chowder
Snack:
2/3 cups 'Go Take a Hike!' organic and raw goji berries, mulberries, golden raisins, cacao nibs and pistachios
8 raw Himalayan figs
32 ounces lemon water (big water cleansing day)
Dinner:
some garlic olives
salad with romaine, cabbage, diakon, sprouts, cuke and mushrooms with nutritional yeast, dulse and olive oil
Dessert:
2 dates rolled in coconut
12 ounces water
Once again, thanks to the lovely Angela Stokes-Monarch for her blog today, which lists all the Summer's raw festivals. Click below, and once on the site, click on the link on the left that reads: "A list of Raw Food Festivals in Summer 2010."
http://www.rawreform.com/index.php
Hmmm, the 'Space of Love Harvest Festival' in South Africa sounds good! If you want to hang out with Angela and Matt, join them at the 'Raw Food Gathering,' in Vilcabamba, Ecuador; their new home.
Though I was so tired this morning due to late nights and heavy food, by the time I finished 64 ounces of water, I was highly energized! Always look to water over food to really supply you with true energy, cleanse your liver and gallbladder, nourish your cells and clean your blood. Not only that, the more water you take in, the more you will see the collagen in your face become more supple and alive. By the way, eating more raw really hydrates and nourishes the skin. Check out the skin of most 'raw foodists.' It's pretty vibrant.
I know it's hard to drink water when your body is craving a brownie, so pretend you are gathering research to teach a class on the effects of hydrating the body with water.
I always suggest "trying things on" with lightness and fun. Make it an experiment; one day brownies; one day water.
I remember one year, during Wintertime, my normally soft skin was uber dry. I would rub my leg and there was no softness. All I did to change that was to drink a nice amount of water each day and the dryness completely disappeared.
Fatigue is so deceptive, as we always reach for food (usually protein or sugar) to give us a charge; actually, the food often tires us out more, as it makes the body work harder; especially the digestive system. When we simply have water, we get a real surge of energy that is sustained for hours. I do suggest adding fresh lemon, orange or fresh berries, as it makes it so enjoyable to drink.
If you work in an office, here's a great way to increase your water; it worked for me years ago: Go into the office kitchen, and "borrow" the extra pot bellied coffee pot used for the coffee machine; there's always an extra unused one. Then fill it with water from the water machine and bring it back to your desk. Your only commitment is to drink that one pot of water each day; then you're good to go.
Please write in and tell me when you're optimal "watering times" are throughout the day...
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Eating Joyfully with Friends
OK, I am back from my wonderful weekend (except for the passing of my dear friend Wendy's doggie Ahbbahdoo, who was and will always be a part of our Tribe) and I missed writing to you so much! After some non-raw integration and lots of revelring with dear friends, I am so looking forward to eating simply and vibrantly tomorrow. Read on and watch the weekend's progression...
Saturday's Food:
Breakfast:
Raw mango smoothie with frozen mango, fresh banana, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds and water
Lunch:
1 banana
Snack:
raw cashews
Dinner at Blossom vegan restaurant on 9th Avenue and 21st Street, NYC:
Shared appetizers:
Seitan empanandas
ravioli with a cashew cream sauce (this dish is beyond the beyond)
cigars (forget what they were filled with); all yummy
Entree:
Rigatoni with a porcini mushroom cream sauce with broccoli rabe
Shared desserts:
Lavender creme brulee
apple fritters
Cocoa V Plate tasting of chocolates
We really wanted their chocolate ganache, but they were out of it
Hours of great conversation with six fabulous women
Today's Food:
large glass of lemon water (thank you, Idele!)
Brunch with friends at Le Pain Quotidien: (bread like you can only get in Paris and Belgium)
Shared bread basket filled with organic breads (nutted, flutes, bagettes) with strawberry and raspberry jams and olive oil
avocado nori Tartan (open sandwich; very delicate) of litely smeared avocado on organic wheat bread with 4 slices of avocado
slices of radish
slices of nori seaweed
small bowl of hummus
Snack:
2 amazing pieces of vegan chocolate at Cocoa V; a praline and a raisin caramel cluster; WOW!!! (9th Avenue and 20th Street, NYC); a vegan chocolate shop with organic wine and chocolate cafe next door; I found out they are open until 10:30 Friday and Saturday nights and serve an aged nut cheese and vegan fondue
Dinner for my dear friend Pat's birthday at Tlaquepaque restaurant on North Avenue in New Rochelle, NY:
1 Mexican beer! at her home
shared guacamole with homemade chips
created for me vegetarian burrito filled with sauteed cactus, mushrooms, pepper and Spanish rice with a melted Spanish cheese similar to Mozzarella; surrounded by tomato sauce
Dessert (while wearing sombrero and cowboy hat):
homemade flan (the real Mexican kind; not Americanized)
Drink of blended cactus, lime and pineapple; created for me by the owner, Victor, when we got to talking about food. He drinks this every day, and it tasted just like a green drink I would make.
Victor and his wife come from the town of Tlaquepaque, right next to Guadalahara, Mexico. His wife does all the cooking and infuses her own personal style. Victor loved creating a vege extravaganza for me, and had I asked him just to give me marinated raw cactus, I know he would have done that, too! Everything is fresh, and when I commented on the dessert, Victor said, "It's made with alot of love."
I look forward to a good night's sleep, a good run in the morning, and lots of water tomorrow!
Please write in and share what foods you had a loving relationship with this weekend...
Saturday's Food:
Breakfast:
Raw mango smoothie with frozen mango, fresh banana, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds and water
Lunch:
1 banana
Snack:
raw cashews
Dinner at Blossom vegan restaurant on 9th Avenue and 21st Street, NYC:
Shared appetizers:
Seitan empanandas
ravioli with a cashew cream sauce (this dish is beyond the beyond)
cigars (forget what they were filled with); all yummy
Entree:
Rigatoni with a porcini mushroom cream sauce with broccoli rabe
Shared desserts:
Lavender creme brulee
apple fritters
Cocoa V Plate tasting of chocolates
We really wanted their chocolate ganache, but they were out of it
Hours of great conversation with six fabulous women
Today's Food:
large glass of lemon water (thank you, Idele!)
Brunch with friends at Le Pain Quotidien: (bread like you can only get in Paris and Belgium)
Shared bread basket filled with organic breads (nutted, flutes, bagettes) with strawberry and raspberry jams and olive oil
avocado nori Tartan (open sandwich; very delicate) of litely smeared avocado on organic wheat bread with 4 slices of avocado
slices of radish
slices of nori seaweed
small bowl of hummus
Snack:
2 amazing pieces of vegan chocolate at Cocoa V; a praline and a raisin caramel cluster; WOW!!! (9th Avenue and 20th Street, NYC); a vegan chocolate shop with organic wine and chocolate cafe next door; I found out they are open until 10:30 Friday and Saturday nights and serve an aged nut cheese and vegan fondue
Dinner for my dear friend Pat's birthday at Tlaquepaque restaurant on North Avenue in New Rochelle, NY:
1 Mexican beer! at her home
shared guacamole with homemade chips
created for me vegetarian burrito filled with sauteed cactus, mushrooms, pepper and Spanish rice with a melted Spanish cheese similar to Mozzarella; surrounded by tomato sauce
Dessert (while wearing sombrero and cowboy hat):
homemade flan (the real Mexican kind; not Americanized)
Drink of blended cactus, lime and pineapple; created for me by the owner, Victor, when we got to talking about food. He drinks this every day, and it tasted just like a green drink I would make.
Victor and his wife come from the town of Tlaquepaque, right next to Guadalahara, Mexico. His wife does all the cooking and infuses her own personal style. Victor loved creating a vege extravaganza for me, and had I asked him just to give me marinated raw cactus, I know he would have done that, too! Everything is fresh, and when I commented on the dessert, Victor said, "It's made with alot of love."
I look forward to a good night's sleep, a good run in the morning, and lots of water tomorrow!
Please write in and share what foods you had a loving relationship with this weekend...
Friday, April 9, 2010
Choosing Your Food With Love...
It's late and I will be getting up at 5:00 AM tomorrow, but I want to write to you and share my day.
Today's Raw:
Breakfast:
1 banana with 2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter with shredded coconut and cinnamon
Lunch:
bowl of Seaweed Chowder (you will see this two times today, as I had to finish off this batch and make a new one for a dinner this eve)
Snacks:
12 small Himalayan raw figs
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar (this was good, but I was really content after the figs)
20 ounces Red Clover herbal infusion in water (nourishing herb; used to clean the whole body)
Dinner with Friends: potluck
Seaweed chowder (me)
guacamole with carrots (Lizzie)
raw cauliflower couscous with raisins (Joy)
lentil-chickpea burgers with cooked lentils, chickpeas, peas and fabulous seasonings with a spicy peanut sauce with curry and cumin (Lyn)
Dessert:
Raw brownies with banana ice cream (Lizzie); the ice cream is just frozen bananas put through the Omega juicer; great for children, too
20 ounces water
Yes, I had 5 small raw brownies, like little cups; they were so beyond the beyond! A very cool thing I did for the first time is this: Lyn made a new recipe from 'The Healthy Hedonist' cookbook; the minute I saw the title, I said, "Yes, that's me!" So, the lentils, chickpeas and peas had been cooked, and I saw how beautiful these patties were. Lyn spent a long time creating them just for us women. As she was about to do the final step of sauteeing them, I asked her if I could taste one pre-stove; it was just fabulous; like the filling for an Indian Samosa. So, we left one out non-sauteed, and that was my share; cooked but not cooked, get it?
What could I have let go of today??? The raw bar for sure; since it was a non-running day, my body did not require that much fuel/calories. Too much fat; since I knew what was coming later, I might have started today with a green juice rather than banana and almond butter. And of course, I could have had two raw brownies...but oh, they were so good.
All this is merely observation and learning for future choices; no regrets; no guilt; only joy and self-love.
Here's my question to you:
What foods could you have let go of today?
What foods could you have increased today?
Which foods gave you the most energy?
Which left you tired?
Are you loving your choices and rejoicing in your body?
What would it take to have an intimate relationship with your food and your body?
Tomorrow night I may not be at my computer or any computer, but I will be at a fabulous vegan (not raw) restaurant in NYC; Blossom. It's a women's night.....so I'll catch up with ya'll on Sunday night.
Choose the foods that you love and that love you.
Peace to you,
Hope
Today's Raw:
Breakfast:
1 banana with 2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter with shredded coconut and cinnamon
Lunch:
bowl of Seaweed Chowder (you will see this two times today, as I had to finish off this batch and make a new one for a dinner this eve)
Snacks:
12 small Himalayan raw figs
Raw Revolution chocolate hazelnut bar (this was good, but I was really content after the figs)
20 ounces Red Clover herbal infusion in water (nourishing herb; used to clean the whole body)
Dinner with Friends: potluck
Seaweed chowder (me)
guacamole with carrots (Lizzie)
raw cauliflower couscous with raisins (Joy)
lentil-chickpea burgers with cooked lentils, chickpeas, peas and fabulous seasonings with a spicy peanut sauce with curry and cumin (Lyn)
Dessert:
Raw brownies with banana ice cream (Lizzie); the ice cream is just frozen bananas put through the Omega juicer; great for children, too
20 ounces water
Yes, I had 5 small raw brownies, like little cups; they were so beyond the beyond! A very cool thing I did for the first time is this: Lyn made a new recipe from 'The Healthy Hedonist' cookbook; the minute I saw the title, I said, "Yes, that's me!" So, the lentils, chickpeas and peas had been cooked, and I saw how beautiful these patties were. Lyn spent a long time creating them just for us women. As she was about to do the final step of sauteeing them, I asked her if I could taste one pre-stove; it was just fabulous; like the filling for an Indian Samosa. So, we left one out non-sauteed, and that was my share; cooked but not cooked, get it?
What could I have let go of today??? The raw bar for sure; since it was a non-running day, my body did not require that much fuel/calories. Too much fat; since I knew what was coming later, I might have started today with a green juice rather than banana and almond butter. And of course, I could have had two raw brownies...but oh, they were so good.
All this is merely observation and learning for future choices; no regrets; no guilt; only joy and self-love.
Here's my question to you:
What foods could you have let go of today?
What foods could you have increased today?
Which foods gave you the most energy?
Which left you tired?
Are you loving your choices and rejoicing in your body?
What would it take to have an intimate relationship with your food and your body?
Tomorrow night I may not be at my computer or any computer, but I will be at a fabulous vegan (not raw) restaurant in NYC; Blossom. It's a women's night.....so I'll catch up with ya'll on Sunday night.
Choose the foods that you love and that love you.
Peace to you,
Hope
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Letting go of Sugar Addiction
My Food:
Breakfast:
1 banana mushed with 2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter, shredded coconut and cinnamon; so nurturing!
20 ounces Nettle herb infusion in water; adaptogen herb to fortify and nourish the body
Lunch:
salad with romaine, cabbage, carrot, daikon, cuke and dulse with nutritional yeast, olive oil and Herbamare
Snack:
3 dates rolled in coconut
Snack:
2 bricks of Two Moms in the raw goji berry granola
Dinner:
1 banana
20 ounces Oatstraw herb infusion in water; nourishing herb for the body
For many years in my early years of practice as a Health Counselor, I gave talks that incorporated the addictive nature of sugar, and how it imbalances the blood sugar like a pinball machine, spiking our energy up and then radically lowering it; even when we may not feel it. My focus was really on processed sugars; you know, the stuff that starts out as a whole food (beet plant and sugar cane) and then goes through ten or twelve steps of refining and processing to become the white powdered substance in our sugar bowls. All the sugars with "natural" names; Florida Crystals, Sugar in the Raw, brown sugar, turbinado sugar; Splenda, maltose, dextrose, glucose, sucrose; I spoke about all of them. And then I would speak about whole food sugars; maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, agave and black strap molasses; the sugars that did not deplete our bodies by creating an acid environment and leaching calcium from our bones.
That being said, sugar is sugar in that it still taps into the cellular memory stored in our bodies that has kept us craving sugar for years.
The source may be healthier for our system than processed sugar, but sugar is still addictive in our body's memory. Sugar is also inflammatory and can trigger Candida (yeast). By the way, both women and men can get Candida. Often when you feel bloated and gass-ey alot, this is what is happening in your body; look to your sugar intake, your dairy intake and to how much water you are drinking each day (remember, do not consume your water with your meal, as it impedes digestion; have a nice big Mason jar in the early morning to really hydrate, and bewteen meals).
Paul Nison just interviewed a 108 year old man on his show, "The Raw Life Health Show," and when asked what the key to health and longevity has been, one of his responses was that he does not eat sugar and stays away from it.
So, you all know I've stopped my nighttime eating, right? And you know that eating involved my raw desserts, right? Well, here's what I noticed tonight: I felt like a Heroin addict without her drugs! I had to "white knuckle" the feeling of craving and hunger. This tells me that the sugar was splaying far too an important role in my body, and especially at night when it wasn't having a chance to properly assimilate. This, of course, has me know that it is definitely time to let go of that nighttime eating. Thankfully, my body always tells me.
Please write in and tell me what you notice in your relationship with sugar...
Breakfast:
1 banana mushed with 2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter, shredded coconut and cinnamon; so nurturing!
20 ounces Nettle herb infusion in water; adaptogen herb to fortify and nourish the body
Lunch:
salad with romaine, cabbage, carrot, daikon, cuke and dulse with nutritional yeast, olive oil and Herbamare
Snack:
3 dates rolled in coconut
Snack:
2 bricks of Two Moms in the raw goji berry granola
Dinner:
1 banana
20 ounces Oatstraw herb infusion in water; nourishing herb for the body
For many years in my early years of practice as a Health Counselor, I gave talks that incorporated the addictive nature of sugar, and how it imbalances the blood sugar like a pinball machine, spiking our energy up and then radically lowering it; even when we may not feel it. My focus was really on processed sugars; you know, the stuff that starts out as a whole food (beet plant and sugar cane) and then goes through ten or twelve steps of refining and processing to become the white powdered substance in our sugar bowls. All the sugars with "natural" names; Florida Crystals, Sugar in the Raw, brown sugar, turbinado sugar; Splenda, maltose, dextrose, glucose, sucrose; I spoke about all of them. And then I would speak about whole food sugars; maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, agave and black strap molasses; the sugars that did not deplete our bodies by creating an acid environment and leaching calcium from our bones.
That being said, sugar is sugar in that it still taps into the cellular memory stored in our bodies that has kept us craving sugar for years.
The source may be healthier for our system than processed sugar, but sugar is still addictive in our body's memory. Sugar is also inflammatory and can trigger Candida (yeast). By the way, both women and men can get Candida. Often when you feel bloated and gass-ey alot, this is what is happening in your body; look to your sugar intake, your dairy intake and to how much water you are drinking each day (remember, do not consume your water with your meal, as it impedes digestion; have a nice big Mason jar in the early morning to really hydrate, and bewteen meals).
Paul Nison just interviewed a 108 year old man on his show, "The Raw Life Health Show," and when asked what the key to health and longevity has been, one of his responses was that he does not eat sugar and stays away from it.
So, you all know I've stopped my nighttime eating, right? And you know that eating involved my raw desserts, right? Well, here's what I noticed tonight: I felt like a Heroin addict without her drugs! I had to "white knuckle" the feeling of craving and hunger. This tells me that the sugar was splaying far too an important role in my body, and especially at night when it wasn't having a chance to properly assimilate. This, of course, has me know that it is definitely time to let go of that nighttime eating. Thankfully, my body always tells me.
Please write in and tell me what you notice in your relationship with sugar...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Raw Recipes are Inspirational - Free Recipe Book
Today's Creations:
No Breakfast
28 ounces of nettle water infusion (nettle is an "adaptogen" herb that strengthens and fortifies the entire body)
25 ounces of fresh Thai Coconut water
Together, these served as my breakfast and throughout the day
Lunch:
An Amazing creation, inspired by Bryan Au's recipe 'Thai Coconut Ginger Rice with Mango and Avocado', included in the "Profoundly Raw Recipes" E-book.
Meat of 1 fresh Thai coconut, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 cup frozen mango, chopped
Chunk of Daikon, chopped
1 small golden delicious apple, chopped
sea salt, dulse flakes, cayenne, lemon peel shake, nutritional yeast
All mixed together and left to sit out for awhile - Truly Amazing!!!!!
Dinner:
Salad with romaine, cabbage, carrot, cuke, sprouts, mushrooms with olive oil, dulse, nutritional yeast and sea salt
Yesterday, in Angela Stokes-Monarch's Raw Reform blog, she offered the most luscious raw recipe book with recipes by some top raw chefs and counselors. It's called "Profoundly Raw Recipes," and is just so beautiful that I can even feel its energy through the computer! And, it's an absolutely free download that takes a matter of seconds and it's yours!!! I've included the link below. By the way, if you want to be inspired, sign up for Angela's blog; I love reading what she eats and all the wonderful and inspirational things she offers the world.
http://www.therawfoodworld.com/blog/?page_id=732 Click here to receive the free E-Book "Proufoundly Raw Recipes."
So, Bryan Au, who wrote the book, "Raw in Ten Minutes," contributed a fabulous recipe (see my lunch above). I took some of his ingredients and combined some of mine. No matter what you have or don't have at home, you can modify a recipe to have it be wonderful; you never know what ingredients you'll end up adding. I was missing some of what was in Bryan's recipe, and modified some other ingredients.
I have to say, this looked like a four-star creation; so beautiful with the different colors and textures, and extremely filling in a nourishing way. So, enjoy "Profoundly Raw Recipes!" Please write in and tell me which ones you love.
No Breakfast
28 ounces of nettle water infusion (nettle is an "adaptogen" herb that strengthens and fortifies the entire body)
25 ounces of fresh Thai Coconut water
Together, these served as my breakfast and throughout the day
Lunch:
An Amazing creation, inspired by Bryan Au's recipe 'Thai Coconut Ginger Rice with Mango and Avocado', included in the "Profoundly Raw Recipes" E-book.
Meat of 1 fresh Thai coconut, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 cup frozen mango, chopped
Chunk of Daikon, chopped
1 small golden delicious apple, chopped
sea salt, dulse flakes, cayenne, lemon peel shake, nutritional yeast
All mixed together and left to sit out for awhile - Truly Amazing!!!!!
Dinner:
Salad with romaine, cabbage, carrot, cuke, sprouts, mushrooms with olive oil, dulse, nutritional yeast and sea salt
Yesterday, in Angela Stokes-Monarch's Raw Reform blog, she offered the most luscious raw recipe book with recipes by some top raw chefs and counselors. It's called "Profoundly Raw Recipes," and is just so beautiful that I can even feel its energy through the computer! And, it's an absolutely free download that takes a matter of seconds and it's yours!!! I've included the link below. By the way, if you want to be inspired, sign up for Angela's blog; I love reading what she eats and all the wonderful and inspirational things she offers the world.
http://www.therawfoodworld.com/blog/?page_id=732 Click here to receive the free E-Book "Proufoundly Raw Recipes."
So, Bryan Au, who wrote the book, "Raw in Ten Minutes," contributed a fabulous recipe (see my lunch above). I took some of his ingredients and combined some of mine. No matter what you have or don't have at home, you can modify a recipe to have it be wonderful; you never know what ingredients you'll end up adding. I was missing some of what was in Bryan's recipe, and modified some other ingredients.
I have to say, this looked like a four-star creation; so beautiful with the different colors and textures, and extremely filling in a nourishing way. So, enjoy "Profoundly Raw Recipes!" Please write in and tell me which ones you love.
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