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...