Sunshine on an otherwise Dreary Day!

I had a delightful afternoon despite the dreay weather. Nature's Corner Market in Marietta offered an "Intro to Raw Foods" class presented by Sunshine Boatright, Holistic Autism Consultant and Advocate who helps families that have children with autism and ADHD.

I wish I had brought my camera as there was a really nice turnout, we had a great time and we got to enjoy some awesome treats. Although I have been raw for almost three years, there were several things that I did not have the inclination to try, such as "Almond Mylk." Well, today I had an opportunity to try it and man-oh-man, was it delicious ... and SO EASY to make too! I'm thrilled, because now when I have my raw oatmeal, I can use almond mylk instead of apple juice. I also learned how to easily open a young coconut. In the past, I've always purchased the brown "hairy" ones and what a challenge to open. With my new found knowledge, I came home with two young coconuts and I'm eager to make my almond mylk and superfood shake! :D

We also got to watch Sunshine make (and then we got to sample) a Banana-Split Chocolate Shake, a Green Smoothie (which I have often, but it was nice to have someone else make it for a change), and a Superfood Shake which was out of this world! And finally, to top it off, Sunshine treated us to her raw truffles ... to die for!!

It was great to meet her and I am so looking forward to future events.

Speaking of raw oatmeal, I enjoyed a fabulous raw breakfast yesterday which consisted of raw oatmeal and a green smoothie.


The Smoothie is Kale and Pineapple with a little bit of water. The oatmeal consists of uncooked whole oats, walnut, sunflower seeds, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, golden raisins and apple juice. YUMMM!!

Okay gotta go make my Almond Mylk now. I was so excited about the class that I wanted to blog about it.

To life!!!

UTI Blues...

For the past week, I have been wrestling with a Urinary Tract Infection and have been feeling down and out. However, during the times where I wasn't uncomfortable, I experimented with sprouting buckwheat!

This is what my "sprout system" looks like:

This is what buckwheat looks like after two days of rinsing and draining:

I'm excited about my sprouts! Now I'm going to turn them into "Energy Flat Bread" as a base for my raw pizza! Woooohoooo!!
I also discovered a natural way to relieve the discomfort of UTI's .... pour the equivalent of a shot glass of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar (such as Braggs) into a 16.5 oz. bottle of water and drink up. I drank half the bottle and felt immediate relief, so much so that I was able to sleep through the night. YES!!!

Ode to Oats

I was researching oats to see if "Quaker Old Fashioned Rolled Oats" can be considered "raw" and came across this little ditty at FormerFatGuy.com that cracked me up ...

A Counsel On Oats...
A tough, old cowboy once counseled his grandson that if he wanted to live a long life,
the secret was to sprinkle a pinch
of gunpowder on his oatmeal every morning.
The grandson did this religiously
and lived to the age of 110.
He left four children, 20 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren, 10 great great grandchildren and a
50 foot hole where the crematorium used to be.

Anyway, Earth Mother enlightened me (in a comment on this post) to the fact that rolled oats are highly processed and not even remotely close to being raw, so I've edited this post to reflect that wisdom. Bless you Earth Mother. Steel cut oats are the way to go since they undergo much less processing.

I need to get out and pick up some steel cut oats!!

Post Fast

Today went very well. I had fresh squeezed grapefruit juice when I get up this morning. Then I juiced two more grapefruits and blended the juice with a Fuji apple, some spinach and some parsley.

My husband and I went out to lunch and I had vegetable soup (not raw) and a salad. When I got home, I munched on some walnuts and dates. Then for dinner I blanched some green beans and added some crumbled goat cheese (again, not raw), lemon juice, walnuts, sea salt, pepper and flaxseed oil. This evening I had a banana with some dates and a glass of orange juice. So today I was approximately 90% raw.

I was very pleased that I felt fine both yesterday and today in light of the fact that I was only supposed to have fresh squeezed orange juice. I need to do some grocery shopping so I'll have the ingredients to make some raw dishes.

Tomorrow and Saturday will be the real test. My husband and I are going on a couples retreat. I'm not sure how I'm going to eat since we will be at a hotel, but I do know I don't want to go back to eating cooked. The food I ate today that was not raw was borderline acceptable. I will make an exception from time to time, but only if I know it is something that won't throw my digestive system into a tailspin.

I came across the following recipe and cannot wait to try it. It sounds YUMMY!!!

MORNING AFTER DELIGHT

Ingredients (always use raw & organic for the best flavor!)

1/2 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Cashews
1/2 cup Pecans
1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 cup Goji Berries
1/2 cup Raw Chocolate Nibs
2 TBSP Raw Chocolate Powder
1 TBSP of Raw Honey
4 TBSP of Raw Agave nectar
2 dashes of Sea Salt
2 dashes of Cinnamon

Directions
Chop. Mix.

I made it!! WOOOOHOOOO!!

Yesterday was the 10th day of the fast! I didn't cheat at all until last night when I ate 10 blueberries!! :)

I only lost ten pounds. I'm a bit disappointed as I was hoping to lose 20. Maybe if I had exercised some, like walking on the treadmill, I might have achieved my goal. Oh well, better ten than none!

Today and tomorrow, I'm supposed to drink fresh squeezed orange juice all day to wake up my digestive system. I did well this morning; however, this afternoon I blended fresh parsley and spinach into my OJ so I can start pumping some greens into my system. Then I ate some blueberries and all went well, so I ate sunflower seeds, then a peeled apple, and finally a small salad of mixed greens, carrots, tomatoes with a dressing of flaxseed oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. YUMMMMM! And finally, I had walnuts and dates. Probably pushed it just a wee bit. I am now on my second glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. SO far, so good!

The whole fast was a lot easier than I had anticipated. I did experience a little bit of cramping in my intestines and my thigh muscles were very sore. Not sure if the thigh pain was from the ten lunges I did at the beginning of the fast or from a vitamin deficiency, but it's all good now.

Tomorrow I'll get back to my raw vegan lifestyle and start exercising again so I can reach my goal. I'm not sure if I want to go as low as 105 pounds, but between 110 and 115 pounds would be great! Only 25 more pounds to go! Maybe I'll do another fast next month.

On another note ... INSANITY IN THE NEWS

I am very disillusioned by something I read this morning with regard to the newly passed astronomical economic stimulus bill. Apparently, according to Natural News, it "contains a provision creating a Big Brother medical authority in the U.S. government that would track all patient health records in a federal database and dictate the decisions of all doctors across the country?" I don't know about you, but I would prefer to dictate the decision about my health and welfare. This is not good!

Then, yesterday, I heard a radio broadcast that said a recent study concluded that multivitamins are useless in preventing cancer and cardio disease in women. What bull! I cannot believe the insantiy of our government!! If that's not bad enough, the FDA is banning Vitamin B6! OMG! LORD HAVE MERCY ON THIS COUNTRY!!

This is what Natural News reported on the Vitamin study:

The mainstream media has predictably picked up on this story, gleefully running it as "proof" that nutrition is worthless and only pharmaceuticals can enhance your health.

What they're not telling you, though, might shock you. Here's the truth about this so-called "scientific" study on multivitamins:

• No multivitamins were even used in the study! The women followed in this study weren't actually given any multivitamins at all. They were simply asked if they take multivitamins!

• There was no quality control in the study. Since no multivitamins were given to women, there was no quality control at all. Did these women take cheap, synthetic vitamins bought at Costco? Or did they take quality supplements from better sources? Nobody knows because it wasn't tracked!

• Most people SAY they take multivitamins, but don't. If you ask most people, they will TELL you they eat healthy, and that they take multivitamins. But in reality they don't. Most people greatly exaggerate the description of their own health habits.

• Multivitamin consumption FREQUENCY was not accurately measured. There was no ability of this study to reliably measure how often consumers actually took their multivitamins. Did they take them once a week? Once a month? Once a year? Even taking them once a year would have counted in this study as "taking multivitamins." Gee, no wonder the results showed no improvement...

In effect, this study did not measure the effects of multivitamins on cancer and heart disease. What it really measured was the degree to which people exaggerate their own claims of health habits, and the degree to which the mainstream media so easily falls for junk science.

The MSM remains utterly clueless about nutrition, and it simply reprints practically any study published in a medical journal, even when that study is obviously based on deceptive science and a pro-Pharma agenda.

All these attacks on vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidants and multivitamins have the same source: The Big Pharma-funded mainstream media and its effort to try to discredit nutritional supplements in order to please advertisers.

The deception is so infuriating!

Day 7 - 10 Pounds Gone!

Had to "rise and shine" by 6am today in order to attend a Women's Conference. They did not allow drinks or food in the auditorium, so that was a challenge. My stomach and intestines were carrying on big time and I couldn't drink to settle either one down. Not fun. I haven't felt very good today ... not sure if that's because I went to bed after 1AM and woke up five hours later, or if it's due to the lack of fluids all morning. I guess it could be a combination of both.

Overall, this fast has been a lot easier than I originally anticipated. You really need to have the right mindset when you start. I had considered doing the fast for about a year, but just wasn't ready. I started early in December but didn't last long. Way too much temptation, plus I obviously wasn't ready. I was definitely ready this time, because a couple of days ago, my step-daughter made chocolate chip cookies. She left some of the cookie dough in the front of the fridge so that every time I went to get my maple syrup, those little squares of cookie dough were staring me in the face. No problemo. I had no desire. THAT is why I knew I was ready. Even though the scent of chocolate chip cookies permeated the house, I was okay with it. Yay!

It really blows my mind every time I think about the fact that I have gone without food for seven days. Surprisingly, I haven't missed food or been hungry; however, today I was missing my Cafe Mocha for the first time. Oh, and I miss chewing. Just a few more days, and then I get to drink fresh squeezed orange juice for one whole day before I can start introducing whole foods back into my diet. For now, I think I'll hit the sack and try to make up some lost sleep.

Day 6 - Still Going Strong

Well, day 6 was actually yesterday as it is 1am and I need to get to bed. But I have now completed six days with absolutely nothing but lemonade, tea and a little bit of salt water. I'm amazed that I've been able to pull this off, but now it seems so normal. I don't even think about food anymore or when is my next meal. I weighed in at 140 this morning! WOOOOHOOOO!! Eight pounds down.

All is good. I need sleep! I have to be at my church at 7am, so ... nighty nite!!

Day 5 of Fast - Half way there!

Today is the mid point of my fast. As I mentioned in a previous post, I implemented the herbal laxative tea in the evenings and tried to implement the salt water in the morning. I managed to consume eight ounces on my first attempt and about four ounces on my second, but that was a no-go for me. so I've exercised my option of drinking the herbal laxative tea in the morning instead of the salt water. That is much more pleasant! And it has worked successfully, I might add. Last night, between 3:45 and 5:30, I visited the "throne of elimination" four times! I sure wish the urge to eliminate would happen at a more decent hour, like when I'm awake! But atleast I'm detoxing and the cleansing process is working.

I tried to do some exercise this morning and I felt it this evening. I did about 10 lunges and some bicept work. Plus, I did do some wallpapering which required a lot of stepping up and down on a stepstool. Every time I stand up to walk, my thigh muscles start burning and contracting. I think I'll skip exercising until I am back to eating.

On to day six....

Day 4 of Fast - Six pounds down!

Today, I made a discovery. While making my lemonade this morning, I realized that the recipe called for 2 TBSP. of fresh lemon or lime juice and 2 TBSP. of maple syrup in 10 oz. of water, but all along, I've been making my lemonade with 20 ounces of water!! This is probably why I felt so weak yesterday. I corrected the oversight and today I feel GREAT!

I also attempted to drink the quart of warm salt water this morning to clean out the colon. BLECH!! Thank goodness I have the option of drinking the herbal laxative in place of the salt water because, as I managed to drink about 8 ounces, all I could think about was when I was a kid and had a tooth pulled. My mom would make me swish salt water around in my mouth to enhance healing. UGH! So, herbal laxative tea in the morning and night, I can handle.

Day 3 of Fast - Still Sailing Along

I'm amazed that I have gone three days without a bit of solid food. This morning, I weighed myself when I woke up and I had already lost 5 pounds! I have felt a bit weak today with a rapid heartbeat, but according to my handy dandy newly found booklet, "If weakness develops at any time, it is the result of poisons circulating through the blood stream." So, I went out and bought a box of Herbal Laxative Tea as recommended in Stanley Burrough's booklet to assist with elimination. Another reason this booklet was a good find.

I managed to consume a total of 50 ounces of lemonade yesterday and I'm working on my last few ounces for a total of 70 today!

I learned something new about honey. Stanley Burrough's says that "Honey must not be used at any time internally." Wow! That statement certainly raised my curiosity. Apparently, it has detrimental effects on the human body and is deficient in calcium because bees pick the nectar from flowers, then predigest it, vomit it, and store it but add a preservative to it in the process. By being predigested, the honey enters the bloodstream directly, thereby spiking the blood sugar to a dangerous level. The pancreas then kicks in to immediately produce insulin in order to regulate the sugar level and prevent the possibility of death! What's more frightening is that the pancreas could produce more insulin than necessary, thereby causing the blood sugar level to crash, which could cause one to faint or even die if the level gets to low!

All this time, I thought honey was good for you. Stanley says, "The great value attributed to honey is delusive ... honey is only a little less empty and more dangerous than sugar!" If you use honey regularly, it can cause imbalances that will negatively affect the normal function of the spleen, liver and pancreas which could result in hypo- and hyperglycemia. The good news is that maple syrup has balanced sugars and is safe with no harmful side effects.

Okay, that's my golden nugget for today. No more sugar and honey for me. Maple syrup, it is!!

Day 2 of Fast - Confirmation!

"Perhaps it is a good thing that medicine and nature never got together - nature could have very easily suffered the many dangerous side effects."

That quote is on the second page of a very special booklet I found today. How true it is.

I'm SO EXCITED!! On my trip to Huntsville today to see my chiropractor, my sister and I decided to stop at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro. I walked over to the book area and started perusing through the books in the Health/Diet section. I noticed two books that had a small space between them and wondered what was in between. What I drew out was a small yellow booklet, dated 1976, titled "The Master Cleanser" and it was by Stanley Burroughs! I about fell off my feet. Now WHAT are the odds of me finding this booklet buried between two large books amongst the thousands of books in less than 3 minutes!! I was obviously meant to have it and it was confirmation that I am doing the right thing being on this fast or cleanse. My prize find cost me a buck. Wooohooo!!

This find has really fired up my motivation to see this fast through to the end. I've never done a 10-day fast before. Many years ago, I did a 2-day grapefruit fast but that was the only other fast I’ve ever done. I so miss the way I felt when I was raw and look forward to getting back to that ALIVE feeling. Cleansing first is like reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling all your software, getting rid of all the corrupt files and viruses. Afterward, your computer runs great! Well, similarly, by cleansing my body first and then eating a live food diet, I will feel great again.

During the time I reverted back to eating cooked food, I always felt guilty when I ate, partly because I knew what it was doing to my body and partly because I knew what it would do to my health if I continued. I was afraid of becoming addicted to fake food again. I tried to convince myself that by having green smoothies everyday, and eating lots of salads, it was okay to consume macaroni and cheese with chicken dogs, potato chips and French onion dip, spaghetti and meat sauce (made with ground turkey) or my all time favorite – Buffalo wings and French fries. When I started to experience trouble swallowing my food, I knew I was already in the danger zone as the cooked foods were already taking their toll on my body. I’m not one to frequent the doctor and when my husband kept saying, “You need to make an appointment to see a doctor” I decided to start with a fast. If after the fast and resuming a raw food diet, I still have problems swallowing, then I’ll consider going to the doctor, but only as a last resort.

So far, I've consumed 40 ounces of lemonade. I feel good and have not felt hungry yet! I still had my headache this morning, but after my chiropractic adjustment, it's gone! Yeeeeha!! I have another 20 ounces of lemonade to go for today. I think I’ll go make up my last batch and go read my new little booklet.