Saturday, May 30, 2009

Four Months!

Okay, it is time to show some progress here. This was me 2 years ago almost at my peak weight. I gained another 10 lbs. or so after this was taken.


Here is how I look now. It may be hard to tell from the photos, but I think my face looks a little thinner. My stomach definitely doesn't stick out as much.

It has been 4 months since I went 100% raw! Wow. Even I am impressed. But I do need to put this into the context of what I have done with diets in the past. Typically I could always do 6 months of any kind of weight loss diet and then it would start to fall apart. With one plan, I stuck it out for a year, but there was a significant decline in my compliance after the 6 month point. So I will get really excited with my progress after I have maintained this for over 6 months.

So what have I accomplished? I have let go of 24 lbs. (33 pounds total) and at least 11 inches from specific measuring points on my body. I have gone down 2 sizes in my clothes...from a 24 to a 20. Now by any standard, these are not banner results, but there have been a lot of other changes that have made this well worth the effort...like the lack of a lot of constant pain in my body, more energy, and a significant shift in my overall outlook on life.

But the slow weight loss has been very frustrating. My diet has been easily sustainable, so I haven't fussed over the number on the scales too much. Now I am wondering if I could tighten things up a bit to see if I can get some faster results. Over the next few weeks, I am going to be looking at what steps I can take that won't be so radical that they cause me to swing back the other way and start craving and binging. Baby steps. It will be small changes that I can make easily that won't be too demanding on my regular routine. It is time to modify "My Plan" and see what else I can do.

I have also continued to do my Body Flex but have not been doing it daily. I go for short 20-30 minute walks on the days I skip the Body Flex. I think I can probably do at least 30-40 minutes of the walking and maybe find a more advanced version of the Body Flex. I have also been thinking of going back to my all-time favorite...yoga. Until now, getting up and down off the floor has been too challenging to think about doing it, but now I think I probably could.

On Friday I had:
Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, banana, orange, and spinach.
Lunch: Broccoli/Bok Choy Salad.
Supper: An Asian inspired salad with marinated kelp noodles, baby bok choy, celery, yellow bell pepper, carrots and red onion. The marinade was tamari, extra virgin sesame oil, lemon juice, garlic and ginger root.

On Saturday I had:
Early Morning: Honeydew melon.
Breakfast: Muesli with almonds and walnuts, chia and sunflower seeds, goji berries and dates, apple and banana with almond milk.
Lunch: A small amount of the leftover broccoli/bok choy salad.
Supper: More of the Asian salad with kelp noodles.
Snack: A couple of power balls.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Perspective

It seems to me that if I am losing weight just for the sake of losing weight, something is profoundly amiss. After doing so many different diets off and on over the years, the one thing I have learned is that the body reflects the mind and emotions. If I am emotionally upset and eat to comfort myself, then dieting isn't going to fix the problem. Maybe it will for a while, but if I don't address the emotional issues, the weight just comes right back.

So after trying traditional therapy, Re-evaluation Counseling, Overeaters Anonymous, dozens of self-help, psychology and philosophy books, numerous Landmark Education programs and seminars, practicing yoga with two Indian gurus, delving deeply into a few mainstream religions, as well as New Age faiths, I feel I have finally worked through a lot of the most plaguing issues I have had in this life.

This week I got a new perspective on it all. There haven't been multiple problems, there has been one problem that has had a hundred different tentacles! The problem was a crazy childhood as a result of being raised by adults who never dealt effectively with their own problems. Please understand, I loved my parents very much and miss them everyday, but the two of them were a couple of highly dysfunctional people trying to live their lives around some pretty big problems. I learned at a young age that food equalled love and it brought a lot of comfortable feelings. So untangling all the upset of my childhood has taken me a long time. For years I had a love/hate relationship with my mother that was a constant roller coaster ride of emotions. But in the end, I finally realized that my mother had been dealing with the hand she was dealt, just the same as my grandmother had!

I finally came to understand how I got so screwed up, but it wasn't until I cared for my mother in her final years that I was able to forgive her and ask for forgiveness. Our relationship was finally healed and then she died. I am now left to clean up the rest of the mess. It looks like 33 boxes of her stuff in my garage and another 20 or so in my basement. Once her possessions are dealt with, then I will be free to live my life and will have no more excuses for abusing my body with food.

Thankfully, I think I have learned something through all this. I have worked through a lot of the painful memories and learned that I don't have to binge on SAD foods to comfort or nurture myself. I know that a living foods diet of mainly fruits and vegetables will restore my health, my sanity and my body.

I bless the path that brought me here.

On Wednesday I ate:
  • Breakfast: Green smoothie of mango, orange, banana, and spinach.
  • Lunch: Salad of escarole, mustard greens, orange bell pepper, celery, mung bean sprouts, and a dressing of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, agave nectar and olive oil.
  • Supper: Corn chowder with fresh sweet corn, cashews, garlic, green onion, carrots, and celery.

On Thursday I ate:
  • Breakfast: Power balls.
  • Lunch: Salad with spring mix, spinach, carrots, celery, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
  • Supper: Lettuce wraps with romaine lettuce, avocado, green onion, orange bell pepper, cilantro, dulse, tomato and garlic powder.
  • Snack: A bowlful of sauerkraut.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

100th Monkey

According to Ken Keyes Jr.'s , Hundredth Monkey theory, social and cultural change can happen on a universal scale once the "100th monkey" has learned something new.

I have personally observed this and seen efforts by gurus and educators to cause this reaction. I remember hearing a long time ago that it was the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's goal to have one million people doing Transcendental Meditation. He did manage to reach the 5 million mark and far more people are meditating today than 20 or 30 years ago. I don't know what his true purpose for this was or if it was achieved or not.

None the less, I have my own theory. Instead of 100 monkeys all learning to pick sweet potatoes out of the sand and wash them before eating, I think my having reached over 100 days of eating 100% raw has had a fundamental shift on my friends and family. My husband is definitely striving towards a raw, vegan diet and my daughter cooked a vegan meal last night for herself. Other friends have been reporting that they are much more aware of what they are eating now too. Some have eliminated meat, others are eating lots more fresh fruits and vegetables, one has given up coffee, and another has had conversations with her family about going vegetarian.

If I have had any influence on these people, I am very happy about it! If I can make that kind of difference for the people in my life that I love, then I am truly humbled. If what I am doing helps someone else eat a healthier diet, then I am thrilled.

Maybe if enough of us continue to eat healthier foods, then someday maybe a lot more people will eat fresh organic produce and reclaim their health. Maybe we can heal ourselves and the planet. If one person can make a difference in the lives of others like this, just think of what else we can do!

On Monday I had:
  • Breakfast: Muesli with cashews, pecans, sunflower and chia seeds, coconut flakes, goji berries, apple and banana with almond milk.
  • Lunch: Citrus Avocado Salad with arugula, mache, oranges, avocado and the usual dressing of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, agave nectar and olive oil.
  • Supper: A salad of chopped bok choy, tomatoes, celery, fennel, red bell pepper with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
On Tuesday I had:

  • Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, orange, banana, mint, and spinach.
  • Lunch: Leftover salad from Monday night.
  • Supper: A salad of cucumbers, red onion, red bell pepper, arame, Celtic sea salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
  • Snack: A small handful of cashews.

Photos: Top: Gelada monkeys of Ethiopia, courtesy of National Geographic. Bottom: Cucumber-Arame Salad, adapted from Kevin Gianni' recipe.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Crazy Sexy Cancer


  • My husband and I went to see a showing of Crazy Sexy Cancer this afternoon. It is a movie about Kris Carr and her journey to a healthy life after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. It was powerful. It was moving. But more importantly, it gave me a new appreciation for my life and my health. Once again I have been brought back to a place of realizing just how precious life is.

    My husband and I went to a vegetarian restaurant afterwards and as I sat there across from him, I realized just how blessed our lives are. Neither one of us has cancer or any other serious illness. We have a home and a family who love us. We have 4 cats that remind us every minute we are home that they need us. Whatever problems we have just don't compare to what Kris Carr has been through. We should be really, really happy. We should be celebrating our love for each other and how good life has been to us. Instead we talk about the stress he is under at work and how to deal with it. We really need to change our lifestyles. We need to be appreciating every moment we are alive, well and happy.

    Another raw friend lost a kidney to cancer this week. She is back home and in good spirits, but her cheerful attitude belies the worry she went through prior to surgery. The threat of chemo and radiation probably took a year or two off her life.

    I need to think more about how good my life is instead of complaining about how slow my weight loss is or how the neighbor's dog wakes me up every morning. Thank God I can wake up in my own bed and hear that dog barking.

On Saturday I ate:

  • Breakfast: Muesli with cashews, walnuts, sunflower and chia seeds, raisins and goji berries, coconut flakes, banana, and apple with almond milk.
  • Lunch: Green smoothie with mango, orange, banana, kale, raw cacao, maca powder, spirulina, and flax seeds. (Felt I needed the super foods.)
  • Supper: Salad with arugula, mache, fennel, tomatoes, celery, red bell pepper, leeks and a lime, Dijon mustard, agave nectar, and olive oil dressing.
  • Snack: Kale chips.

On Sunday I ate:

  • Breakfast: Green smoothie with apple, orange, strawberries, peaches, mustard greens, mint and spinach. (It was clean out the fridge time!)
  • Lunch: A salad of mixed greens with a lemon/herb/olive oil dressing and mint tea.
  • Supper: Fresh corn mixed with some kim chi. (Odd combination, have no idea what inspired that!)

Photo: Kris Carr from her website: http://crazysexylife.com/about/

Friday, May 22, 2009

Wanderlust


It is Memorial Day weekend in the US. It is one of our quieter holidays where we remember those who have passed, especially our service men and women. I drove up to my mother's gravesite on Thursday and planted a pretty array of flowers that would have pleased her very much. Putting flowers on the graves was a tradition we honored every year together when she was alive. It seems peculiar to be doing it for her and not with her.

On my way back home from that task, I spent part of the 2 hour drive on the phone with my nephew from California. He is hosting a big party this weekend and tried to convince me to just hop on a plane and have a weekend adventure at his house. I knew it was a crazy idea and that there was no way we would be going, but then he got my husband on the phone and convinced him that we should do this. After a while, my husband talked me into it...and then changed his mind!

So after that little roller coaster ride of excitement, we are not going anywhere and I am disappointed as we really didn't make any plans for the holiday weekend. In fact, it is our anniversary and we didn't even think to dream up any excitement for ourselves!

It doesn't help matters that over the past several days I have been hearing about the travel plans for several friends and family members. They have ranged from India, Turkey, Greece, Brazil, Mexico, and China, to Alaska and Canada. I guess not everyone is experiencing a recession!

But it got me to thinking about how I would manage such a trip while staying raw. It would definitely take a strong commitment and careful planning to do it. Angela Stokes and Matt Monarch travel the world and stay raw, but for a newbie like me, it might be a bit of a stretch.

On Thursday I had:
  • Breakfast: Green smoothie of apple, orange, banana, and Swiss chard.
  • Lunch: A few power balls.
  • Supper: My broccoli/bok choy salad.
On Friday I fasted until evening and then had:
  • Supper: Lettuce wraps with romaine, avocado, red bell pepper, tomato, sprouts and dulse.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Raw-luck Evening


I went to the local raw-luck tonight. It was a hot day and it seems most of us had the same idea...bring some cool greens. Someone brought some raw coconut macaroons that I could have just sat, smiled, listened to others talk, and quietly put away every single one on the plate! I did restrain myself and saved some for the rest of the group.

My friend Diana was there tonight. She and I go back 15 years and I am so happy to have her along for this raw ride. She is quite enthusiastic about improving her health and suggested that we go up to Michigan to the Creative Health Institute together. Of course she wants to do this in July or August, but I already have a couple of trips planned for those months and am not sure I want to commit to the expenditure. There is no doubt in my mind that the trip would prove well worth the time and money, but is it the best use of resources when my daughter is scraping every dime together to pay for her education? We'll see what miracles happen.

Here is a recipe that I dreamed up a couple of days ago and took to the raw-luck this evening. I can't seem to get enough of it.

Bok Choy/Broccoli Salad

2 bunches baby bok choy, chopped
2 bunches baby broccoli, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 Vidalia onion, chopped
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts

Mix together in a large salad bowl.

Dressing:
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, pressed
2 limes, juiced
1T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk all dressing ingredients together and add any other desired herbs or spices such as basil, sage, rosemary, etc. Celtic sea salt and pepper can be added to taste. Pour over vegetables and toss.

On Tuesday I ate:

  • Breakfast: Green smoothie of mango, banana, orange and collards.
  • Lunch: The rest of the smoothie.
  • Supper: A big bowlful of the above salad.
On Wednesday I had:

  • Breakfast: Green smoothie of apple, orange, banana, collards and Swiss chard.
  • Lunch: Lettuce wraps with romaine, cucumbers, carrots, avocado. Also a few green olives.
  • Supper: A heaping bowlful of the bok choy/broccoli salad.

Monday, May 18, 2009

It's Not Easy Being Green

People always ask how I stay raw when there are so many temptations around all the time. It is true, it isn't easy to stay raw, especially when it is not very well understood or accepted as being an extremely healthy lifestyle. But I have had a lot of support from a small community that I have built around me since before I went 100% raw. Through the miracle of the internet, I have been able to connect with other like-minded people, both in my area and in other states and countries. Generally we are such a small segment of the population that we stick pretty close together.

Today, however, I was shocked when one of the pillars of my community told me she was going to back out of a group that has been supporting each other for several months. She felt the computer time was just getting to be too much. I understand her reasons, and know that she will still be my friend and will continue to improve her health through a raw vegan lifestyle, but I don't think she knows just how much all of us have depended on her rock solid support.

This is the second time in the past couple of weeks that one of the people I have supported and depended on for my support has decided to withdraw. It leaves me feeling very alone and makes me realize how I need to continue to reach out to others.

It also reminds me of all the times when someone else depended on me for something and I have decided that I needed to go my own way. We go along in our lives and try to make the best decisions for ourselves that we can, and frequently we don't live up to someone's expectations when we decide to take another path. I am reminded, once again, that other people depend on me and look to me to keep my promises.



Kermit's tone seems just as lonely as I feel tonight.

On Sunday I had:
  • Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, orange, banana, kale.
  • Lunch: The rest of the smoothie.
  • Supper: A salad with baby bok choy, baby broccoli, red bell pepper, Vidalia onion and a dressing of cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and olive oil.
  • Snack: A handful of cashews.

On Monday I had:

  • Breakfast: Green smoothie of mango, orange, banana, collards.
  • Lunch: More of yesterday's salad.
  • Supper: Zucchini spaghetti with and alfredo sauce of macademia and pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, Celtic sea salt and a few spices.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Horse Power

2009 Preakness Winner, Rachel Alexandra

Just where do you think this Super Star Filly gets her protein? Well it's not from meat!!!



Friday's intake:

Breakfast: Muesli with almonds, walnuts, sunflower and chia seeds, dried apricots, raisins, banana, apples, and almond milk.

Lunch: Green smoothie with strawberries, banana, apple, and collards.

Supper: A handful of cashews.


Saturday:

Breakfast: Juice of carrots, celery, cucumber, beet, ginger root, lemon, and apple.

Lunch: Citrus Avocado Salad with arugula, spinach, pink grapefruit, orange, clementine, avocado, sprouts and dressing of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, agave nectar, and olive oil.

Supper: Green smoothie soup of tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, dulse and spinach.

A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence. ~Pam Brown

Thursday, May 14, 2009

A Delicate Balance


This evening my husband and I went to a free screening of a new movie called A Delicate Balance. The film's director, Aaron Scheibner, was there to discuss the film and answer questions, making it a very worthwhile venture.

Aaron, a native of Australia, became concerned with the ongoing drought in his country and decided to investigate the causes of climate change. As he pursued that topic, he discovered that the consumption of meat can be blamed for more than just clogged arteries. The film has lots of interviews with medical doctors, references to studies, and real scientific evidence that all make a convincing case for vegetarianism...not just for our health, but for the planet. It was very powerful and beautifully done with lots of information to convince the hardest skeptic that vegetarianism might be more than just a good idea.

By the time we returned home last night, my husband announced that he was ready to move towards becoming a vegetarian! The movie made a difference for him. I highly recommend it for the carnivore in your family!

Today I ate:
  • Breakfast: Muesli with almonds, walnuts, sunflower and chia seeds, dried apricots and raisins, a banana, an apple and almond milk.
  • Lunch: Lettuce wraps with romaine, avocado, cucumber, tomato, onion, dulse and sprouts.
  • Supper: Green smoothie with strawberries, banana, watercress and spinach.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Road Trip


A funeral called us to Louisville for the past couple of days and I certainly learned a few lessons about staying raw on a road trip! Despite my best efforts at planning and preparing foods to take along, I found myself staring down iceberg lettuce salads with nothing but table salt and pepper to jazz them up. At one point I sat in a parking lot behind the funeral home and gulped down a day-old smoothie I had brought along. NOT my preferred dining experience!

I also was confronted by all the SAD comfort food available at the wake. I know the hostess was trying very hard to be hospitable, but it wasn't even home-cooked food! It had all been ordered from a restaurant. What has happened to our society that we only want to eat food from restaurants that is cooked beyond all recognition?

On Tuesday I ate:
  • Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, banana, oranges, ginger root, mint, spinach.
  • Lunch: Dehydrated veggies, almonds, clementines.
  • Supper: Restaurant salad of iceberg lettuce and a little bit of fruit with balsamic vinegar dressing. That was followed by a trip to a store for an avocado and pico de gallo that I mixed together in the hotel room.
Wednesday:
  • Breakfast: More of the same green smoothie.
  • Lunch: Another iceberg lettuce salad with cherry tomatoes, red onion, salt and pepper.
  • Snack: Cashews, crudites, and a couple of dried apricots.
  • Supper: Lettuce wraps with avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, sprouts and romaine lettuce.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Smoothie Challenge


A group of my raw food friends wanted to do a green smoothie challenge this week. After agreeing to try to drink as many green smoothies a day as I could, I realized I had already set myself up for failure....there is no way I can survive 7 days drinking nothing but green smoothies. I like to eat!
Actually part of what satisfies me on a daily basis is a variety of flavors and textures, which smoothies do not provide. There is one blended flavor and one texture, and I get bored with them easily. They do, however, pack a lot of nutrition into one simple meal that can be consumed without a lot of fuss...just drink and go. Other things can be added to the smoothies to give them an extra kick, but I prefer mine to be just fruit and/or greens. So while I wish my friends luck with the challenge, I am going to stick with what works for me. I will still try to get more smoothies in this week, but I won't be doing 3 a day.

Nonetheless, I tried today.
  • Breakfast: 1 qt. green smoothie with apple, banana, pear and Swiss chard.
  • Lunch: 1 qt. green smoothie with mango, orange, banana, spinach, ginger root and mint. (This is my favorite!)
  • Supper: Another quart of the lunch smoothie.
  • And then I had: Radishes and carrots with some leftover Brazil nut pate, lettuce wraps with romaine, tomatoes, cauliflower, tahini, red bell pepper, sunflower seeds and Bragg's Aminos.

I ended up overeating late in the day to satisfy my urge to chew. Lesson learned.

Photo: A smoothie favorite: mango, orange and banana.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

100 Days!!!


Another milestone! Every time I reach a new number of days of being 100% raw vegan, I celebrate another victory for me. There is absolutely nothing in my past that would suggest that I would ever be able to accomplish this. I do not take this success for granted though. I know that with one bite of pizza, or some other old favorite, I would be right back where I started from. There would be no "just one bite."

I had a wonderful Mother's Day today. Along with a couple of much needed gifts, my husband and daughter took me to Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio. There we toured the mansion and walked the grounds admiring one extraordinary garden after another. We left there and enjoyed a picnic in a wooded park that we shared only with the wildlife. Then it was onto a small town where I spent my youth and then to Mohican State Park. We spent about an hour gazing into a deep river gorge, watching falcons and turkey buzzards soaring below us through the gorge. The only sounds were the cries of the birds, the raging river and the wind in the trees. It couldn't have been more perfect! Today I ate:
  • Breakfast: Green smoothie with apple, pear, banana, Swiss chard.
  • Lunch: Daikon radish salad with red and green peppers, olive oil, balsamic vinegar; a fruit salad with banana, apple, clementines, and grapes; crudites with a Brazil nut pate.
  • Supper: More of the daikon and fruit salads.
  • Also: Drank lots of water and hot herbal tea.

Photos: Top: Tulips at Kingwood Center, Mansfield, Ohio. Bottom: Clear Fork Gorge, Mohican State Park, Loudenville, Ohio

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Mediterranean Moods


My family all headed out the door early this morning to run their errands, so I enjoyed a leisurely day alone. At one time I might have been upset when my family didn't conform to my plans, but since I have been raw, I experience a much different attitude about how events go now. I feel like I have a lot of room for flexibility in my life and a much more generous attitude towards others. I am so much more relaxed about things and it is a quality I so admire in others. I am glad to discover it in my own nature.

It is the way I imagine people are in the Mediterranean countries....enjoying the company of others when they are present, and enjoying the solitude when they aren't. I have frequent day dreams about what life in Italy or Greece might be like. It is easy to forget that they suffer from the same stresses of everyday life we Americans do. But they do seem to have a more relaxed attitude towards life than we do.

I have a recipe for a Mediterranean Salad that I make frequently and never follow it exactly, but thought I would publish it here to share with anyone else who loves those flavors as much as I do.

Mediterranean Salad

2 - 3 big handfuls arugula, romaine, or spinach
1 small fennel, sliced
2 - 4 Heirloom tomatoes, red, yellow, etc.
1/2 red, green or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 T. capers
5-10 olives, black or green
Fresh basil, as much as you like (I like a lot!)
1/4-1/2 tsp. oregano
1 - 2 T. pinenuts
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Mix all but the last 3 ingredients into a large salad bowl. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt in a mixing cup and whisk until blended. Add a little water if it is too tart for you. Pour over the salad and toss! You can also add chopped zucchini, Italian parsley, sunchokes, or any other vegetable you fancy to vary it. I frequently use different herbs or use garlic or onion powder to sprinkle on top.

Today I had:
  • Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, orange, banana, collards
  • Lunch: Mediterranean Salad
  • Supper: A vegetable chowder with corn, carrots, red bell pepper, shallots, celery, parsley, cashews, and a green onion.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Busy Week

Love the produce options at Whole Foods!

It has been a busy week around here lately. My friend Laura and I met for our "tea and wisdom" chat, which we have been doing for several years now. We sit, drink tea, and share our wisdom with each other. This always proves to be such an inspirational time for both of us. She is the light that guided me to feng shui and I will always be so grateful to her for that. This week her words brought a new vision for my life and motivated me to go home and start creating the space that supports that new vision. Friends like this are just golden!

I also went to the Raw Meetup Group to see Dr. Gabriel Cousens' documentary Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days. I was thrilled to see this movie. I have known for a long time that diabetes is reversible....I did it for my mother. But to see it done with raw foods is exciting. The people in the film were ecstatic with their results and anyone can see why....they have just been given back their lives! Every day doctors tell their patients that they will be on drugs or insulin for the rest of their lives, and don't even know there are other options. What a sad state our medical field is in! Ohio is the second highest state in the U.S. for diabetes in children. There is a lot of education that needs to happen here.

On Wednesday I had:

  • Breakfast: Skipped.
  • Lunch: A few power balls.
  • Supper: Big green salad with spinach, spring mix, celery, tomatoes, red bell peppers and lemon juice and olive oil for a dressing.

On Thursday I had:

  • Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, orange, banana, hemp seeds, and kale.
  • Lunch: The rest of the smoothie and a salad with walnuts, spring mix, cucumber, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil.
  • Supper: A salad with cucumber, arame seaweed, red bell pepper, vinegar and oil.
  • Snack: Kale chips.

On Friday I had:

  • Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, banana, orange, ginger root, mint, and kale.
  • Lunch: Mediterranean salad with arugula, red and yellow Heritage tomatoes, fennel, black olives, basil, pine nuts, garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, and Celtic sea salt.
  • Supper: Lettuce wraps with romaine, avocado, tomato, dulse, shallots, Braggs Aminos, and sprouts.
  • Snack: Kale chips.

I will leave you with Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi from 1970. It seems so appropriate on so many levels.


Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Save the Animals!


When you become a raw vegan, the changes that take place are not just physical changes within yourself. If you weren't before, you become accutely aware of all life on the planet. You celebrate that life when it thrives and mourn when it dies.

Never before on our planet has wildlife been so threatened. It has become of deep concern to me that we could lose major species forever if we don't take action now. The species under pressure from global warming alone ranges from bears, birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, and fish, right down to coral. Like the canary in the coal mine, these animals are a warning that we are in extreme danger. If everything else dies, we do too.

But it isn't just global warming that threatens the animal kingdom. There is habitat loss, highway roadkill, hunting, poaching, and invasive species. Of these, hunting and poaching is the most disturbing to me. There are humans on the planet who inflict unspeakable horrors on animals in the name of medicine and providing food and other products to the world. They have forgotten that we, too, are another species on the planet. Animal cruelty is the most unconscionable demonstration of disconnect with who we are as beings on the planet and there is no excuse for it.

Fortunately groups like Defenders of Wildlife and Humane Society of the United States are scoring victories for animals around the globe. They do this with support from individuals like you and me, along with celebrities and politicians who are in positions to do something to urge our governments into action. I can't say enough to encourage you to get involved with one of these organizations, or any of the others working to support life on the planet.

Yesterday the Humane Society announced that the European Union has banned the trade of products from the Canadian sea hunt! Nothing could have made me happier than to hear that the baby seals of Canada will be a little safer from the bloody, cruel deaths that Canadian fisherman have inflicted on these animals. I could go on about this for hours, but suffice it to say that I am ecstatic over this huge step towards ending government-sanctioned animal abuse. You can read all about it right here.

Today I ate:
Breakfast: Smoothie with blueberries, banana and apple juice and a handful of almonds.
Lunch: Salad with spring mix, cabbage, avocado, tomato, onion, and sprouts with a vinegar and oil dressing.
Supper: Corn chowder with corn, red bell pepper, green onion, cashews, and nutritional yeast.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Spring Allergies


I am not sure why I have been feeling so rotten today. I am inclined to blame my swollen joints, head and body aches on allergies. Last evening's walk in the woods may have been my undoing. Everything was in bloom and there was just enough of a breeze to blow a lot of pollen around. I have gotten through this season without any kind of allergy medication for the first time in decades, so I really can't complain. Last year this time I had a major sinus infection and was sneezing my head off. I have had none of that this year and I give my raw, vegan diet all the credit.

So I will get to bed early tonight and hope for a better day tomorrow. No telling what a good night's rest and lots of fluids will do.

Today I had:
Breakfast: Green smoothie with apple, banana, pear and chickweed.
Lunch: Corn chowder made with frozen corn, green onion, cashews, red bell pepper, carrots, and a few mushrooms.
Supper: Citrus salad with spring mix, spinach, pink grapefruit, clementines, and my usual dressing of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, agave nectar and olive oil.
Snack: A few power balls.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Lazy Sunday

Mr. Maverick re-purposes a Derby Hat.
It has been a very lazy day today. My husband and I took a nice long walk in the woods. I gathered some chickweed for a smoothie tomorrow morning.

Today I had:
Breakfast: Muesli with walnuts and almonds, sunflower and chia seeds, dried apricots and cranberries, dates, banana, apple and almond milk.
Lunch: A nap!
Supper: Citrus Avocado Salad with spring mix, celery, green onion, pink grapefruit, orange, clementine and avocado. Dressing was lemon juice, agave nectar, Dijon mustard and olive oil.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Kentucky Derby Day

When you are married to a man from Louisville, Kentucky, the first Saturday in May is a holiday no matter where you live. Such is the case in my house. Today was Kentucky Derby Day and if you think it is just a horse race, you are quite uninformed! It is the biggest party in the United States short of the ball dropping on New Year's Eve in New York City or Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Louisville celebrates the horse race by starting a festival that lasts for up to 3 weeks prior to the big race. (They really know how to party!) They kick everything off with Thunder over Louisville, which is a plane show that lasts for hours with hundreds of planes doing various acrobatic stunts and other impressive maneuvers. All that is followed by "the world's largest fireworks display." A half million people turn out to sit on the banks of the Ohio River to watch this fantastic, day-long show.

Over the next 3 weeks there are over 100 events that include bed racing, golf tournaments, fashion shows, luncheons, dinners, balls, parades, poker, bingo, marathons, walks, a balloon festival, other horse races, obstacle course races for food service employees, and other such nonsense! All this is aided by lots of good Kentucky bourbon and tons of mint.

We don't live in Louisville and don't have the time or luxury to party for 3 weeks, but we started having our own derby parties back around 1998. Mainly it consisted of getting up late on the day of the race, perfecting our mint juleps early in the day, wearing ridiculous hats, betting quarters on the horses and watching the race on TV. The rest of the weekend was spent sleeping off the hangover before going back to work on Monday morning. We would frequently invite friends to join us, but not being from Louisville, they simply didn't understand the fuss.

When we moved into our current home, our neighbors, who were also from Louisville, showed us their hometown spirit by throwing a big party with burgoo, Benedictine finger sandwiches, derby pie, chocolate walnut pie, shrimp, grits, and gallons of bourbon. They invited everyone from their church so it was a large crowd. (I don't think they understood either, but were happy just to be fed.) There was a contest, so the hats became even more outrageous. The betting was much more intense and I think a mathematician quoted the odds for the group! They also had a BIG screen TV, so it was like having horses running through the living room.

They didn't have their party this year, so we went back to our own routine. My husband had his mint juleps. He put on his dad's 1950s hat with a red, silk rose in the band, tied a string tie around his neck like Colonel Sanders (another Louisville native), choked up singing My Old Kentucky Home, and ate cheese and crackers. But, I no longer eat meat, cheese or sugar, drink alcohol, or cook anything. So what I had was a bowlful of kale chips and my own version of a minty drink.

The kale chips were incredibly easy: Mix a little garlic powder, cayenne pepper, basil and salt into 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil. Tear the kale into small pieces and massage the mixture into it. Dehydrate for 4-6 hours and voila!...a healthy, raw treat.

My drink was a decaffienated green and mint tea that was brewed and cooled. I smashed a half a lemon and about 8 mint leaves in the bottom of my glass with a little stevia, filled the glass with crushed ice and poured in the tea. I was pleased with my results.

We watched the race and prayed that no human or horse would be injured on the muddy track. It was a beautiful, come-from-behind, 50-1 odds horse named Mine That Bird that won. The jockey was ecstatic with his 2nd derby win and made it worth our time to watch. Otherwise it was a quiet day on the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers.

Today I had:
Breakfast: Green smoothie with banana, apple, strawberries, flax seeds, goji berries and kale.
Lunch: Lettuce wraps with romaine, avocado, tomatoes, red bell pepper, green onion, dulse, lime juice and sea salt.
Supper: Spinach salad with cucumber, celery, tomato, red bell pepper and lemon juice, sea salt and olive oil as a dressing.
Snack: Kale chips and my minty tea.


Here is the video of the race if you missed it. Even if you watch the inside rail for Mine That Bird, #8, you still won't see him sneek ahead.
Top photo: A limited edition print found in my in-laws attic of a charcoal drawing of the original Churchill Downs Clubhouse. It is by James L. Puckett, a Louisville native.
Top left: My kale chips.
Bottom right: My "Derby Tea Smash."

Friday, May 1, 2009

Superfoods


There is a group of foods known to raw foodists as "superfoods." Many of the people that I consider to be the stars of the raw food universe (David Wolfe, Kevin Gianni, Matt Monarch, Angela Stokes to name a few) use these foods to boost energy and power up their immune systems. I have tried several of these foods off and on, and know that they do work. So the real question is: why don't I use them more often? Because they can be very expensive to use on a daily basis.

However I do like to keep some of these wonder foods on the shelf and pull them out once in a while to give my body some rocket fuel. Yesterday was one of those days. I had put off some household chores too long and knew that I was going to need some serious energy to get the jobs done. What I didn't bargain for was how these foods effected me since I have dropped some weight! Cleaning the laundry room turned into way more...there were rugs to be cleaned, a big kitchen floor, a bathroom, some laundry, and the garage. I even pulled a few weeds from a flower bed too!

Now for some of you reading this, your response might be "Yeah? So what?" But if you don't know my story, I will refer you back to my original post, Swamp Fever. Suffice it to say that I spent a year in a blue recliner with no energy and no inclination to even live. So having the energy to do so much in one day is a significant event for me.

So what are these superfoods? Here is a short list of the ones I have tried. There are others, but many are very expensive and/or have to be shipped with special care. These listed are not only affordable, but are easily obtained at Whole Foods, online, or at your local health food store.

Chia seeds - Available from the Raw Reform Store
Maca powder - Available from Raw Reform Store and Whole Foods.
Raw Cacao (Chocolate) - Sunfood.com
Goji Berries - Raw Reform Store or Whole Foods
Hemp seeds/oil - Raw Reform Store
Spirulina - Whole Foods
Wheatgrass powder - Available directly from Whole Foods

Please be advised that there is a raging controversy over raw cacao/chocolate. David Wolfe can go on for hours about the benefits, but you might want to see what others are saying about it here. I personally use it very sparingly. A half teaspoon is enough to get me going and will keep me energized for long periods of time.

Today's energetic meals consisted of :
Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, banana, orange, chia seeds, raw cacao, wheat grass powder, goji berries, and ginger root.
Lunch: Lettuce wraps with romaine, avocado, tomato, green onion, lemon juice, sea salt, cucumber and mung bean sprouts.
Supper: Spinach salad with celery, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and a dressing of lemon juice, agave nectar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil.

Photo: From top, left to right: wheatgrass powder, goji berries, raw cacao, chia seeds, a packet of hemp seeds.