A Smile and a Song

Lori's Raw Pasta Pesto

Friday's Food:

Breakfast:

Yes Yes Yes! Morning Maniac Elixir with: 1 fresh Thai coconut water and meat, water, frozen banana and flax seeds with Superfoods extraordinare: Health Force Nutritionals Earth, Vitamineral Green and Vanilla Spice Maca - a luscious green powerhouse of energy
Lunch:
Nuts Online Pink Salt & Cracked Pepper Mixed Nuts & Seeds

Dinner: at One Luck Duck Takeaway, NYC:

Taco Salad with romaine, spicy taco crumble, pico de gallo,guac and cashew sour cream; cilantro-lime dressing

Sushi Rolls: Marinated shitake, avocado, asparagus, red pepper, pignoli and jicama rice, nama shoyu

16 ounces water

Thursday's Delicious Food:
Breakfast: after a glorious misty drizzle 6 mile run:
Nuts Online Sundried Rosemary Garlic Pistachios & Almonds
1 Thai coconut, out on the porch with a straw; water and meat

Lunch:
Fruit Smoothie with frozen strawberries, fresh banana and fresh apple juice
Raw kale salad

Dinner:
2 bowls of Mrs. Green's gazpacho with slices of avocado (all organic tomato, cuke, onion, green pepper, garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, herbs, spices, sea salt)

Dessert:
1/2 pint of One Lucky Duck Raw Oreo ice cream

Wednesday's Yumminess:
Breakfast:
Nuts Online Hemp & Greens Superfood Cereal (while hiking)

Lunch: at Pinemeadow Lake, after an ecstatic hike and swim:
Nuts Online Sundried Marinara Almonds & Pistachios
Salad with mixed greens from Genesis Farm, raw Amish goat cheese, sprouts, olives, dulse, nutritional yeast; with olive oil and sea salt

67 ounces of water

Dinner:
Sunflower seed pate smeared inside red leaf lettuce leaves
Lori's Chocolate Pudding

Tuesday's Ecstatic Food:
Breakfast: After a great run:
1 Thai coconut, out on the porch with a straw; water and meat
Some raw Amish goat cheese

Snack/Lunch:
1 Foods Alive flax cracker with a little sunflower seed pate
Nuts Online raw Sprouted Granola
Taste of my shipment of fabulous seaweeds from Ironbound Island, Maine - the most fabulous dulse

Snack:
Mango smoothie with water, frozen mango and banana

Dinner at Lori's:
1 taco sandwich: romaine leaves filled with raw taco crumble, guac, cashew cheese and tomato; ROOOOOOckin!!!!!!
Bowls of zucchini pasta with raw pesto;WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWoahhhhh!!!!

Dessert:
Tropical Pie: mango, banana and coconut pie;aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"Isn't it better to walk around with a smile and a song than with a face eleven miles long?" Jimmy Durante

I hear this sung most Saturday mornings as part of the opening to David Rothenberg's fabulous Saturday morning show on WBAI 99.5 (both political and theatrical).

This morning his words really struck me in a different way, as I realized how much they echo my beliefs. We always have the capacity to choose how we walk through each moment and each day in our lives; no matter what.

Some circumstances we cannot control; sometimes our own inner reflections of our outer lives surface in us, almost knocking the wind out of us. Even then, we still have the choice to decide how we want to "be" in the face of each life happening. We have an opportunity in our lives to hold a "smile and a song" in our hearts as we navigate the sometimes stormy seas; it is merely who we are and how we choose to live. Our lives are now, and when we can shift the low feelings into remembering that we can access a deep feeling of balance, calm and joy Inside of us at any time, we can create a life of deeper meaning for ourselves. Sadness, grief, hurt and anger have very beneficial places for self-expression and for the markings of loss, relationships and self-growth. What I am speaking of is our deeper energy; how we hold our place in this life with every breath we take. We can be deeply sad and also hold this larger foundation of "well being" in our core. That enables us to live powerfully and feel powerfully at the same time. Yesterday was the anniversary of my dad's passing three years ago. My father and I had a very deep and connected relationship, and each year at this day I feel him and mourn the fact that I cannot now turn to him and give him a hug. But something I read in the prayer book, as I lit the yearly Jewish memorial candle that burns for twenty four hours to mark this day, struck me as much as a truth as the depth of feeling I was experiencing: "There are three ways in which we respond to sorrow. On the first level, we cry. On the second level, we are silent. On the highest level, we take sorrow-and turn it into song." (based on Abraham Joshua Heschel). We do have the right and the availability to live our lives in song every day. May you sing the song that is uniquely yours.

Getting Healthy and Living Your Dreams is Meant to be Shared

Today's Food:
Breakfast: at Le Pain Quotidien, Greenwich, CT (non-raw):
Middle Eastern Plate with hummus, baba ganoush and tabouleh; with baby olives and sundried tomatoes; famous organic bread: wheat and bagette with some organic jams

No Lunch
Snack:
Sun Dried Marinara Almonds & Pistachios (from Nuts Online)

Dinner:
Fruit Elixir with water, frozen banana and mango

Yesterday:

Breakfast:

Pieces of raw goat cheese from the Amish

Sun Dried Marinara Almonds & Pistachios (from Nuts Online)



Brunch at Le pain Quotidien, NYC (non-raw):

2 soft boiled organic eggs

quinoa with artichoke, chickpeas and arugula

French bagette, wheat and nutted organic bread with organic jams, butter and chocolate spread

16 ounces water



Dinner at One Lucky Duck Takeaway, NYC (Rockin' Raw):

Avocolada: avocado, pineapple coco water, lime and vanilla

Portobello hemp burger with saurkraut, homemade mustard and greens

Taco salad with mescalin greens, spicy taco crumble, pico de gallo, guac and cashew sour cream; cilantro-lime dressing

16 ounces water


Dessert:
1 raw Malomar


Are you feeling connected to a community that supports you and your vision for your life? One of the meanings behind the founding of The Holistic Empire is that it's a new kind of empire; filled with whole health for all people and also, support for each person in their process of getting healthy and living their dreams. One of the things that distinguishes us as humans is the ability to connect with others on a deeper cognitive level. We have the capacity to share our most precious dreams and goals with another; to ask for a hug when we are hurting; to show our vulnerability in front of another and to know that we are heard and we are not alone. It is also that we can dance with another; laugh with another and be in community with others who care about who we are. Don't be afraid to reach out and share your secrets with someone who loves you unconditionally. Ask a friend to support you in your goals for getting healthy; let them know about your food and lifestyle changes. Make plans to make a meal together or go away to a special health retreat with someone you love to be with. Ask someone close to be your "health support guide," and let them know this means calling you and leaving uplifting messages checking in on your goals and leaving positive voicemails letting you know, "You can do it!", and "I believe in you." I've had support guides for my running and my book writing. My running "guide" used to leave messages every day, and all through the Winter months, that went like this: "Run, baby, run!" I would get up and look out my window to the cold outside, not sure if I wanted to set foot out my door and finding some very good reasons to not, and then I'd hear the voicemail and be completely energized to run. If you want to break into a new routine with foods or exercise, find others who are doing this as well and "buddy up" with them. Set a time to speak once a week for support check-ins. Also find and attend as many events, lectures and workshops that are about these new lifestyle additions, where you will meet and become friends with others on the same path. Making change and living your dreams is an ecstatic path; no need for isolation; you can dance together the whole way through.