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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.