Nice to see my little brother

My little brother, Ed, is in town on business this week and this evening the kids and I got to spend a little bit of time with him. It was so nice to see him! I think he was surprised to actually see "in person" how much weight I have lost (about 35 pounds now) and how much healthier I look. He came back to the house with me and we went through my pantry so I could show him all of the foods I have on hand every day compared to what I had when I was eating a SAD diet.

One common misperception is that eating raw is hard. It is not. Granted, some things can be complicated to prepare, but only because they are different than what we are accustomed to preparing. However, I would never have made mom's home made lasagna on a school night when I ate a SAD diet; likewise, I don't make a difficult raw dish on a busy school night either. The biggest and hardest change that one has to make on a raw food diet is to change their mind about what they are putting in their body. The rest is easy! What could be easier than fruits and veggies? I find that green smoothies are one of the easiest things in the world to make -- throw it all in the Vita Mix and presto, 15 seconds later I have dinner. Last night I spent 15 minutes I would have spent waiting for water to boil julienning zucchini and dicing tomatoes. I literally had dinner on the table in 15 minutes -- that was almost unheard of on a SAD diet!

Anyway, my brother looked really good and it was nice to be around someone in my family. Sometimes I feel so far away from them all and I truly miss them. It was fun to sit around the kitchen table and have the kids want to tell him everything they are learning in school, show him all of their pets (we have 2 birds, 3 hermit crabs, 2 frogs, and 2 dogs so that takes a while), and want him to play with all of their toys. The kitchen table can truly be a magical place!

They were eager to tell Uncle Ed everything about their lives while we were at the table. Since I home school and I am a "type A" personality I sometimes wonder how much the kids are really digesting what they learn. I worry about whether or not I am getting through to them, or if they really get what we are studying. It was wonderful to hear them so excited about the things they have been working on in school. They were reciting latin words and derivatives, commenting on the geography of the Middle East, and asking him if he wanted to try one of their Raw Revolution Bars. It made me feel really good about teaching them and about being home with them. I am so glad we were able to spend some time together. It was good for my soul!

Loving my Raw Food

I am feeling so much better today and glad to be back on my raw food diet! My mind and my mood felt so much better this morning and my energy level has been consistent throughout the day! I am very glad to be feeling like myself again. I have gotten used to the fact that my food choices can improve my physiological health, but it continues to amaze me how much my food can affect the way I feel. I guess this is because I have gone through my whole life not knowing that my food choices could make me FEEL this good! I would have never thought that what I ate could have such noticeable impact on my general sense of well-being.

Before a raw food diet, I thought it "felt" good to eat things like a cheeseburger, a beef chimichanga, macaroni and cheese, or a plateful of lasagna because they were "comfort foods." Now I realize that those things didn't make me feel good at all. They didn't comfort me -- they made me feel comfortable with a "be happy with less than life really has to offer me" attitude. They made me complacent, fat, and numb to all of the wonderful things that life really has to offer. Raw foods give me the energy, clarity of mind, and drive to go for what I really want out of life, namely LOVE, SPIRITUAL WHOLENESS, CONFIDENCE in myself and my choices, INTENTION and PURPOSEFULNESS, ENJOYMENT OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, and THE APPRECIATION OF THE BEAUTY THE WORLD OFFERS ME EACH AND EVERY DAY through nature, food, people, self, art, and music.

I have had many of you tell me that you really like it when I put recipes or things that I ate today on here. So, today I had a wonderful shake -- 2 large handfuls of spinach, the water and meat of a YOUNG coconut, 2 peaches, a mango, and juice from one orange. It was very good and about 32 ounces. I had some trail mix and a banana for a snack. The trail mix had raw pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, dried Turkish apricots, raisins, raw cashews, and raw walnuts in it. For dinner I made zucchini pasta with garlic dressing (I posted that recipe with a picture a couple weeks ago).

Falling off and Climbing Back on the Raw Food Wagon

Today was definitely a Monday! I just could not seem to get my stuff together today. I think it is because I got upset yesterday and allowed my emotions to get the better of me. Unfortunately, I am an emotional eater. I have been so much better about not having emotional eating binges since eating a raw diet. I have really felt in control of my food, but Sunday afternoon I fell off of my raw wagon.

Wayne had had some friends over the night before and we had bought some cheese and crackers to set out for them since they were not raw foodists. When I got upset on Sunday I opened the refrigerator and saw what remained of the brie and swiss cheese and decided to eat it all! Then I had some chocolate ice cream (which I had to get in the car and drive to the store to get) to top it all off. Remember, I have been eating raw for about 4 months now, so that means I have not had any animal products, including cheese and ice cream for that long.

After being ashamed and disappointed in myself, I decided the best thing I could do was get back on the raw food wagon. I made myself a list of things I could do instead of eat a pound of cheese the next time something happens that make me upset, and decided it was just not a good idea to give other people that kind of power over my choices.

So anyway, back to my Monday, I felt so sluggish and tired today! I could not seem to get my body going. I even looked tired. I haven't felt this lousy since I started eating raw. I am listening to my body and it is definitely telling me what is good for it. I also learned that next time we entertain I will have my guests try raw food. It is so good and I think almost anyone will enjoy it. It simply is not worth it to have food that makes me feel this bad in my house.

Green Smoothies for Dogs?

We have two dogs. Clyde is our wonderful mutt from New Orleans. He traveled to Nashville from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and we adopted him from a shelter. He is a Lab / daschund mix, we think. He is a strange little dog. When we moved to Texas Clyde was approximately 3 years old and began having seizures. At first they were pretty bad and even quit breathing a couple of times, but they seem to be milder now and have been 3 - 6 months apart. Clyde is our rocket dog -- he loves to run around the house as fast as he can and play.

We adopted Bonnie from the shelter about a year after we moved to Texas. She is a boxer/terrier mix. She is our lover dog -- she loves to cuddle, and thinks she is a lap dog.

I recently read Victoria Boutenko's book Green Smoothie Revolution and she talks about feeding pets (particularly dogs) green smoothies. I thought it was pretty funny when I read it. Then one day I had a little extra smoothie in the blender that would not fit into my cup so I thought what the heck? I poured a little into Clyde's bowl and a little into Bonnie's bowl. Clyde lapped it up quickly and then helped himself to Bonnie's portion as well. I did this every day for a week. Clyde loved all of the smoothies -- kale, spinach, watercress, romaine lettuce, etc. Bonnie would sniff, but not taste -- which was fine because that meant more for Clyde. After about a week I would turn the blender on and Clyde would come running and stand by my side waiting for his portion.

It is now his morning ritual as much as it is mine. He is so funny standing there, wagging his tail, and climbing over me to get to the blender when I start to pour it in his bowl. He has been having green smoothies for about 3 months and so far no seizures. It is really too soon to tell if they will help him, but I am hopeful. They have helped me so much, so maybe they can help him, too. I will keep you posted on his condition. Bonnie is still unsure and she misses out when she hesitates because Clyde gobbles it all up. We'll have to see if she changes her mind one day.

The difference between vegetarian, vegan, and raw

I believe I mentioned in an earlier blog that I became a vegetarian for a short time before going raw. My doctors recommended the vegetarian diet due to some kidney issues. I think being vegetarian made it easier to transition to a raw food diet because I was already past the cravings for red meat, chicken, fish, and eggs. When I decided to try a raw food diet I also cut out milk and milk products. That made me a vegan. Additionally, I cut out all processed foods (yes, that means I don't eat rice, bread, pasta, etc). Many processed foods contain animal products anyway, so many vegans eat this way as well. However, raw foodists don't heat their food above 104 degrees. If you think about it, that is not really hard since I am not eating meat of any kind, dairy products of any kind, or processed foods. Fruits and veggies taste best in their natural state. I do sometimes warm my food in the Vitamix, just not above 104 degrees. I warm only soups that I make, and not all of them. Usually I don't get anywhere near 104 degrees either.

Yesterday I gave a shout out to my friend Liz. Today she emailed me regarding her daughter, "She loves the food and says that she "notices" her food more. She also said that she has

more energy and her "mood seems more level." Your readers should know that she has been vegetarian since she was about 10 years old (and she is 33 now)...so raw is even making a difference with her!"

I am so happy to hear that other people are experiencing some of the same benefits I have experienced.

Shout out to Liz!

I have to start today's blog with a shout out to my good friend Liz and her daughter. They started a raw diet late last week and I received an email from her today saying that she was doing very well and was amazed how good she felt. She also said she was not hungry at all. I am so excited for her! Liz is one of those people that is just comforting to be around. I feel at home with her and she has inspired me in so many ways -- I am glad that I have inspired her, too!

Today was a crazy busy day for us at home! We were running all over and spent a good bit of the time at the library. I wanted to spend as much time on school as we could before we had to pick Phillip up from school so Jake, Emma and I all had a raw food bar that I just found at Whole Foods. Jake and Emma were unsure, but loved the Raw Revolution chocolate chip cookie dough bars. I had one that was chocolate hazelnut flavored -- it was very good, I am sure that I would have eaten that even when I wasn't eating raw foods. Wayne likes the Lärabar, but I have yet to try one of those. These bars taste so good and are a great way to snack while we are busy and not able to prepare a meal. I will be buying more. As an aside, I just figured out how to put those two little dots above the a in Lärabar -- you hold the alt key and type the letter u (for umlaut) and then type the letter you want under the umlaut. I am very proud of myself for figuring this out, if you can't tell.

Anyway, we chose our next novel while we were at the library -- we will be reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I am excited about it because I remember loving it; I hope Jake and Emma will like it, too. We were able to check out 2 identical copies at the library so we can read it together. We also talked about Kohlberg's stages of Moral Development. It was interesting to hear children's views on these stages and their experiences with them while dealing with adults. I am definitely guilty of spending my fair share of time in Stage 1 thinking. We made it a goal to try and advance our thinking in school and at home. Thanks to Rafe Esquith for suggesting Kohlberg in his book, Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire. It was a very fruitful discussion.

Music to my ears!

I went to the grocery this morning. The kids helped me unload the care because we planned to eat lunch and watch Beowulf together. They just finished reading Beowulf and I promised them that when we finished studying it they could watch the movie. Anyway, they were helping me unload the groceries and Emma said, "Mom, all you bought was fruit and vegetables." She said it in a half whine. I just commented happily, "That's right, they all just looked so good!" She started reaching in the bags to see what all was there and I hear her say, "Yeah! Broccoli! Yeah! Apples! Oh good, look Jake, mom bought pears! Thanks mom for buying my favorite kind of salad." Jake was in the kitchen by this time going through the bags as well. He said, "Mom, thank you, thank you, thank you -- I love dried cranberries! Did you get me any papaya spears?" I had to smile to myself listening to their comments. I did my "happy dance" while I sang, "Go Mommy! Go Mommy! Go Mommy!" Can you hear the bass?

It is good that we had a nice lunch because Beowulf was very disappointing to all of us. Jake and Emma couldn't wait to see it (partly because it is PG-13) and they kept saying over and over again, "that's not what happened in the book! How can they change the story that much mom?" They were right, it really wasn't much like the book at all. When it was over Jake said that if he ever became a movie producer he would like to make a movie that was like the book because the book was so much better! Emma enthusiastically agreed adding all of the things the movie left out. I just sat back and listened -more music to my ears!

So many of you commented on the pics I took last week of my dinner that I included one today. I made raw tacos tonight. SO GOOD! First I made a salad: 2 heirloom tomatoes (I used 1 red one and 1 yellow one because I like to mix the flavors and I think it is pretty), 1 red bell pepper, half a small purple onion, 2 avocados, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp chili powder, a garlic clove (crushed), Himalayan salt to taste, and cayenne pepper to taste. I chopped all the veggies and put them in a bowl and then added the spices and herbs. The "meat" was 1 and half cups soaked raw sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup soaked raw almonds, 1 package of sun-dried tomatoes soaked for 15 minutes, 1/2 TBSP of cumin, 1/2 TBSP chili powder, 1/2 TBSP onion powder, 1 clove of garlic, cayenne to taste. I pulsed it in the food processor until it was mixed well and has the texture of ground taco meat. We don't use taco shells, instead we use romaine lettuce leaves and layer the meat and salad on the leaf. I hope you like it! The most time consuming part is chopping the veggies for the salad --- unless you use your Vitamix on low speed like I did. I hope you enjoy this recipe -- it is one of my favorites!!!! I love to top it with fresh cilantro, too!

A little Boo-Boo

This weekend was very busy! Jake had a youth car wash that we volunteered to help as "quality control" on Saturday. That took most of the day. The sun was out, though, and it was a very nice day to be outside. It was the first day in about 10 days that it wasn't raining. Saturday night Wayne and I went to Octoberfest in a nearby city (I know, it is still September and it makes no sense). It was fun. We met up with some friends and went to a bar afterwards. Wayne and I ordered a hummus plate. Hummus isn't technically raw, but it was pretty close and not a bad choice for restaurant food, especially because it was served with raw veggies. Our friends had lots of questions about how I was eating and if I was hungry. It was neat to be answering so many questions and feel so good about the decisions I have made for myself and my health.

This morning we went to church and then Emma and I went for a little girl time while Wayne took the boys to the driving range. Emma and I were enjoying our afternoon out when I got a slightly panicked call from Wayne. He was on his way to the emergency room because Phillip had run up behind Jake while Jake was swinging his club and he got smacked with the club. Thank God it hit him just below his lower lip and not in the head. Phillip had a hole in his mouth where the club cut him straight through. Needless to say, Emma and I spent our afternoon and most of the evening in the ER, too. Poor Phillip. He was a trooper, though, and did very well while they sewed him up -- 5 stitches. Jake felt horrible and would not leave his side.

Phillip says he doesn't want to play golf ever again. Maybe he will change his mind once he feels better. I hope the green smoothies will help him heal quickly.

Yesterday the big 3-Ohh, and Today THIS!

I was so excited yesterday to learn that I had lost 30 pounds since starting a raw food diet, but today's news is even MORE EXCITING than yesterday. Most of you know I went to the doctor about 3 weeks ago and had all my labs run again. Today I went back for the results of those labs, and I am HAPPY to report that for the first time in 2 1/2 years my labs were completely normal!

My last labs were taken on Jun 30th. It was at that time we discovered that my kidney values had not righted themselves, and although my lab values had improved slightly, the amount of protein, calcium, and sodium in my urine were dangerously high. For instance, calcium in my urine was at 380 (normal is below 200 for women, and below 250 for men) in Mid May. My endocrinologist and urologist put me on a vegetarian diet at this point. At the end of June it was at 336. I was prescribed a medication that would help me absorb more calcium so that it would stay out of my kidneys on this visit, but I was also warned that other lab values would probably also be affected and it would most likely become necessary to add another medication to control those values. That is when I began a raw food diet. I knew I had to do something! Today my calcium value was 202!!!! Not only that but the lab values that they told me would most likely be affected by the medication were not, and had also improved from the previous labs! They were unable to find any traces of protein in my urine at all! And my sodium levels were within the normal range. Ever since my surgery 2 and half years ago I required calcium supplements to maintain my blood calcium levels. When my previous labs came bag with so much calcium in my urine they took me off of all calcium supplements, but were unsure of how this would affect my blood calcium levels. Last time I had a significant drop in blood calcium I suffered severe and uncontrollable muscle spasms. However, today we were so pleased to learn that my blood calcium levels were perfectly normal! I had a feeling they were normal because I have had no signs or symptoms that it was low, but it was nice to have the confirmation!

The doctor told me that he felt like my labs were so good in part to my excellent nutrition. He expressed that ordinarily he would be concerned for someone with a history of low calcium and hypoparathyroidism to be a vegan because they "do not consume the foods richest in calcium like milk, yogurt, and cheese." But, he said, "Your levels are perfect so you need to keep doing exactly what you are doing." He asked me if I ate a lot of greens and I told him that I ate a lot of greens and that I loved green smoothies! He had no idea that I meant I ate several POUNDS of green stuff everyday.

Since I have no thyroid I have taken Synthroid ever since my surgery. The last thing he did before I left was lower my dose of Synthroid. Because I have lost so much weight, I no longer need as much Sythroid.

I am so EXCITED! I am so proud of myself! I feel so good! I feel as though I have my life back and am no longer going from one medical complication to another. I have a clean slate and boy, am I ready to color it beautiful! Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me on this raw journey! Hold on...who knows where we will go from here!

The BIG 3 - 0hhh

Today I hit the big 3....0! No, I am not 30 years old -- that was quite some time ago. I have lost 30 pounds since I started eating raw (about 4 months). I am really excited! When I began eating a raw diet losing weight was not my primary goal. Rather, I wanted to heal my body. That being said, I believe that losing weight has helped me heal my body. It is no longer under added stress, and losing weight (that doctors told me I would just have to live with because of my thyroid) has boosted my confidence and energy levels.

For two years after my surgery my primary complaint to my family was that I felt as if my surgery aged me ten years. I felt sluggish and tired all of the time. My medical complications and the medicines I had to take for them made me feel sick and sometimes, even in pain. I was not happy. When I looked in the mirror, my image of myself did not match what I saw and I felt disconnected from my body. I felt lost in my own skin.

Today, when I look in the mirror I see me! Not only do I feel like I my age again, I feel 10 years younger than my age! Tonight I am celebrating the restoration of my mind, body, and spirit!

Rough Day turned Good: Elevation

This morning started out rough! As many of you know, I home school our two oldest children (ages 10 and 12). Our youngest (Phillip, age 4) started a Spanish immersion kindergarten this year. He goes to school from 9 am - 2 pm so that I can work with Jake and Emma on their lessons. This morning was particularly crazy as Wayne is out of town and Jake and Emma both had difficult lessons this morning that they needed help understanding. Phillip wanted to play with me and I was trying to help Emma with grammar. I kept telling him we would play before his school started, but I simply ran out of time. So, Emma was upset because she didn't understand her lesson, Phillip was crying because he had to go to school and "we didn't get a chance to play yet, Mommy." Jake was upset because he couldn't concentrate on math for all of the noise from his siblings. Unfortunately, I was stressed to the max and told Phillip to quit crying and get in the car, Emma to suck it up and do the best she can (in a not so nice tone of voice), and Jake to just be patient for a few more minutes so that I could get Phillip to school.

Needless to say, I felt horrible! I dropped Phillip off at school and cried half of the way home. The day just did not start like I had wanted it to start! Then I thought of a quote in the book I am reading that had inspired me the night before. It is from Walden by Henry David Thoreau,

"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of humanity (man) to elevate his/her life by a conscious endeavor."(italics mine)

After throwing my small pity party, I made a conscious choice that the day would get better. I had Jake and Emma gather their books and we headed for a change of scenery. We went to a local grocery store, got a good 2nd breakfast, and sat in their dining area and did multiplication tables and grammar with much more success than earlier that morning. We did get behind on our goals for the day, but decided we would make up our Beowulf reading on Saturday. When I picked Phillip up from school I was ready to play and we sang silly songs.

The day improved greatly! I am, however, still frustrated with our pace in some subjects and need to do some re-thinking of our school schedule. We will get it together, though, I am confident of that. This morning I felt like a failure and this evening I felt like a million dollars when Phillip kissed me goodnight and told me he couldn't wait to play again tomorrow. This morning I felt like a horrible teacher. This evening when I discussed with Jake and Emma how we were going to make up the reading that we missed, I felt like a mentor when they said they couldn't wait to find out what happened to Beowulf next and couldn't we just stay up a little later to finish it. Funny how that happens.

Now I am sitting in the (finally) quiet house. It is good to be still. It is good to be quiet. I caught up on notes from friends and am encouraged that several of you are beginning your own raw food journeys tomorrow. I am so excited that the people I love are taking care of themselves! My best advice is to listen to your bodies -- they will tell you what they need, and to make a conscious endeavor to take care of yourself and your health. As long as you do that your life will be elevated! I am definitely encouraged!

Garlic Lover's "Pasta"

Wayne is out of town this week so I figured what the heck, I am going to eat all of the onions and garlic I want! LOL! Dinner tonight was so easy and so good! It also shows you that you do not need a million dollar kitchen to prepare raw meals. Here is what I did:

I peeled a zucchini squash and then used my julienne tool to make long spaghetti noodles. My julienne tool came from Bed, Bath, and Beyond and was about $4. I topped that with some fresh diced heirloom tomatoes and some fresh basil. Next I used my magic bullet to whip up a sauce to go on top of the "noodles." It had 4 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup EV olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt and a couple of grinds of pepper, Italian seasoning to taste (I used dry seasoning, but fresh would also be good), and 1 pitted medjool date. I pulsed it in the bullet until it was creamy -- about 10 seconds. I dabbed it over the "noodles," tomatoes, and basil. It smelled delicious! I have been eating raw long enough to not care if it looks like real noodles, but this dish looked and smelled like the cooked version.

When I first started eating raw I was scared to venture off of a recipe page, afraid I would mess something up. The Boutenko's numerous books gave me the courage to experiment a little. They talk about the five flavors and different things you can add to any dish to make it taste sweeter, more sour, bitter, etc. I highly recommend reading all of the Boutenko books because they have helped me so much! I checked a couple of them out from the library -- you can't get any cheaper than that.

The other thing that strikes me as I write this recipe now is that I would never have had medjool dates in my house before I started eating raw. Now medjool dates are always in my house -- a true staple. I have a tendency to throw one in a smoothie every now and then and they make great brownies, cookies, and crusts. My grocery shopping habits have definitely changed.

My old staples used to be cereal, milk, eggs, turkey (deli meat), lean ground beef, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and bread. My new staples (I am talking things I buy or make sure I have EVERY time I go to the grocery) are medjool dates, almonds, a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables (this is the bulk of my food), lemons, dried fruit, and olive oil. That is a big shift from four months ago! If you calculate the cost of what I was eating and compare it to what I eat now the are almost equal. Yet, I look and feel so much better!

I hope you enjoy the recipe. It was DELICIOUS!

What my food looks like

Let me be the first to say, I am NOT a chef. I am a regular person preparing raw foods in my home for my family. Oftentimes, dinner preparation in my house involves Emma peeling carrots, Jake chopping onions (he is the only one who doesn't cry) and me chopping other vegetables, using the Vitamix, or the food processor. Phillip is usually chasing the dogs through the kitchen with his hot wheels. It gets crowded and sometimes tempers flare if Phillip accidentally rams the car into someone's toe or one of the dogs gets too excited and jumps on someone. There may even be tears and/or yelling in my kitchen during meal preparation.

That being said, I am always surprised how most of what we prepare turns out beautifully! My ordinary, everyday kitchen, with mail piled on the countertop and trash that desperately needs to be taken out can still produce some of the most colorful, tasty, and healthy food that I have ever put in my mouth! I love the way our food looks and smells.

These pictures are from my dinner tonight. I made "raw family green soup" from Victoria Boutenko's book, Green Smoothie Revolution. It has chard, celery, parsley, lemon juice, water and avocado in it. As she suggested, I topped it with some grated carrots, dulse leaves, and sprouts. I attached pictures of the soup before blending and after I put it in the bowl. Believe me, if I can do this, ANYONE can do this. It is so easy! Victoria's books have been a life line for me!

I also made the kids a smoothie out of butter lettuce, pears, blueberries, water and ice. I didn't think they would like it, but they drank it all without complaint. I did not include a picture of it because it was gone before I could snap a picture. I adapted this smoothie from the same book. Boutenko users miner's lettuce, but I did not have any (nor do I know where I can find any around here).

I was also having a major craving for some chocolate. I think I mentioned in a previous blog that I have a sweet tooth, so I made some raw brownies to LIVE for! The recipe was from the book Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People by Jennifer Cornbleet. I think they took about 10 minutes max from the time I opened the recipe page until I put a brownie in my mouth. If you are just starting to enjoy raw foods I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed this book! They are so good! Jake and Emma LOVE them! There is a picture of what remains of the brownies.

On the Go

It has been raining and raining like you would not believe here today! We have joked that we will soon have an infinity pool in our back yard. The rain makes it hard to get around in Dallas because nothing drains very well, but it is hard to complain because we need it so badly! We actually enjoyed being out in the rain today, taking our time (no one in Dallas takes their time while driving unless forced to do so by Mother Nature).

We had a very busy day and were out running lots of errands. I have recently found these raw food bars that I like to tuck in my purse when I know I will be out and about. They are "Go RAW" bars -- I love the real live flax bar and the spirulina bar, but they are all good. I bought one of each flavor a few weeks ago and tried them all. Wayne had his first one today and he really liked it, too. He had the pumpkin seed one. Since many of you ask about the cost of eating raw, I will tell you they are a bit more expensive than your average meal replacement bar. That being said, they are not very expensive at all if you eat it as a meal replacement. I also think about all of the good things I am putting in my body vs. the chemicals and "fake food" I would be eating in an average meal replacement bar. These make me feel great about what I am putting in my body.

Oh, before I forget, I have to tell you about Wayne's success. Yesterday we went shopping and Wayne was able to fit into a 34 inch waist pair of jeans. He was so excited! He said, "It is actually fun to shop for clothes again. For those of you who don't know, Wayne is 6 feet 6 inches tall and he has not worn a 34 inch waist since high school! In his words, "One thing about eating raw is that it is something that sticks; it is not like any regular diet. I look better, I feel better, my face is clear, no more greasy skin or little pimples on my forehead, and my hair feels thicker, too. The benefits make me want to keep doing it." He went on to say, "I never thought I would eat raw foods or like them, but I do." I am so happy for him and happy that we can share this lifestyle with each other, our family, our friends, and with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Today is my mom's birthday! She is 63 and gorgeous! About a week and a half ago she and my dad were in line at the grocery store with their cart full of fresh fruit and vegetables. The lady standing next to her was looking at her cart and finally asked, "what are you going to do with all of that stuff?" My mom told her that she made smoothies with it (she and my dad have been enjoying raw smoothies for a few months now, and have started eating raw --not 100%, but a good deal -- in the last month). The lady asked her if they used that smoothie powder to make their smoothies. My mom laughed to herself and said no. Then she explained how they make the smoothies with banana and spinach and agave nectar, or peach\mango\ and greens\ with agave, and how they just experiment with different fruits and veggies. The lady commented that was pretty neat and then looked at my mom and dad and said, "Well, I don't know what all you are doing, but keep doing it --you both are glowing!"

They felt so good! A perfect stranger told them they were glowing! I am so glad that my parents are healthy and happy. My mom is my best friend, my hero, my goddess, my confidant, my soul mate, and I do not know what I would ever do without her! Happy Birthday mom, I love you!

I Needed Some Green Goddess Soup b/c of my school district

Tonight I wasn't expecting Wayne to be home for dinner so I hadn't planned to make anything. I like just drinking a green smoothie for dinner, but he usually likes something that you chew. He called to say he was on his way home so I just decided to throw some things in the blender and see what happened. When he walked in and saw green stuff in the blender he was a little disappointed I could tell. (In all honesty, I've tried a few tragic raw soup recipes online so his disappointment was not unfounded.) I told him not to be disappointed yet because this recipe came from my head. I couldn't tell if that comforted him in any way, but he got a spoon and took a sip. His face lit up as he exclaimed, "This is really good!" I named it Green Goddess Soup:

3 heirloom tomatoes -- seeds and all

2 avocados

1 red pepper seeded

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 bunch of cilantro

1 garlic clove

1 Tbsp raw agave nectar

cumin to taste

chili powder to taste

cayenne pepper to taste (ours was pretty spicy -- made your lips tingle)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Needless to say, he ate it all without complaint.

I needed to Green Goddess Soup tonight because it gave me the fire I needed to shoot off a letter to the School Superintendent. He sent a letter to the district explaining lame excuses why they chose not to show the President's speech yesterday (like they did not have enough time to read the speech beforehand, and the concern of many parents that the speech would be controversial). I know, my children aren't even in public school anymore, but I am still part of the public that pays taxes so that all children will have an opportunity to receive an education. Here is what I said:

Dear Douglas W. Otto,

Thank you for sending a letter to the school district parents. I appreciate your attempt to communicate with us despite the late hour. That being said, I completely disagree with your decision and think your reasons for choosing to not show the president's speech are simply excuses. Our children are watching us, all of us, not just the president. What you have taught them is that when they disagree with someone they do not have to listen to them. That is not the way the world works. The school district is not just responsible for teaching our children to pass standardized tests, it is responsible for educating our children in ways that will help them be responsible, respectful adults. We have failed them. I am disappointed in your decision not to show the speech. If we cannot teach our children to show common courtesy and respect to the President of the United States (no matter what your political affiliation), how can we expect our children to be respectful and courteous to their teachers and principals. We have done our children a great disservice.

Respectfully,

New pics

Right now Wayne is making some yummy ice cream! He is treating me while I write my blog. Oh my God, he did good!

Recipe:Frozen strawberries and 1 -2 cups of almond milk blended in the Vitamix. Add a little raw agave or honey if you like it sweeter. Now we are topping the ice cream with raw chocolate syrup -- 1 cup pure organic maple syrup and 2 tbsp raw cocoa blended together (I usually blend this is my magic bullet and we often have some in our fridge, like tonight.) It is so good and so easy!

On another note, we started school today. Emma did great! She was very excited about school and eager to see how home schooling was going to work. Today we spent a couple hours at the library doing some work and showing her how to independently access sources. Jake had a harder time getting readjusted to school. He is trying to figure out how he can "share" mom. I think he liked being home schooled alone.

Phillip started Kindergarten today, too. He is going to a private Spanish immersion school this year so I can get the other two situated at home and into a nice routine. Phillip had so much fun! He was so excited about going to his "learning school." I don't think he ate any lunch at lunch time because he the the whole thing in the car on the way home. He said he was too busy learning. Gotta love that! He was exhausted this afternoon though, and slept all the way to his sister's ballet lessons. Too funny!

My mom pointed out that I had not put a new pic of myself up in while. I have now lost 27 pounds since I started -- I guess about 3 months. So here are a couple new pics.

Happy Labor Day!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day! We went to Fossil Rim -- a wildlife animal conservation park. It was fun, however it was much more crowded than the last time we went. I like it when it is less crowded better, but it was nice to be surrounded by nature.

Tomorrow we start school so I am going to bed! Wish me luck.

Pictures as Promised

Well, as promised, here is a pic of me wearing the dress I wore to leave our wedding reception and another pic of me wearing the same dress today. Hard to believe that it is 16 years difference and 3 kids later. I am so glad I found raw foods!

Raw Foods News Magazine* Raw Foods News * formerly www.RawFoodsNews.com :: Celebrating the raw foods lifestyle with breaking news, authoritative info and fun features

Raw Foods News Magazine* Raw Foods News * formerly www.RawFoodsNews.com :: Celebrating the raw foods lifestyle with breaking news, authoritative info and fun features

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Happy Anniversary to me!

Yesterday was my 16th wedding anniversary. Wayne took off of work and we ran some errands, planned some remodeling of Jake's bathroom, and went to Phillip's "meet and greet" at Kindergarten. It was a busy day. We did manage to make some time to have dinner together alone last night. Then we did a little shopping because both of us have lost so much weight that our clothes are not fitting very well these days. I know it doesn't sound very romantic, but it was a lot of fun!

I tried on a size 6 pair of jeans which fit perfectly! I wore a size 6 on our wedding day. When I comfortably put my hands in the pockets, I had such a sense of confidence and accomplishment! Two years ago I thought I would never again wear a size 6 in my life! Despite eating and never cheating on "South Beach" or "The Zone" and hours of exercise, my body was stuck in an unhealthy state of being. I felt horrible and my body reflected on the outside how I was feeling on the inside. Yesterday, when I looked in the mirror, I liked what I saw. Not only did I fit into the jeans, but I FIT back into my life as a wife, a mother, a friend, and a woman. What I saw in the mirror was a reflection of what I was feeling inside -- a vibrant and healthy young woman who has the world by the tail. It has been a long time since I felt that way.

I was so inspired by our shopping excursion that when we got home I decided to try on the dress that I wore as we left our wedding reception 16 years ago. Yes, I have kept it in my closet all of these years for sentimental reasons and as "my skinny dress." Funny thing is, it was a little bit big. Fitting into that dress was wonderful, but not near as satisfying as I thought it would be -- I can't believe I wore shoulder pads that big! lol. I will try and post pictures later.

I cannot believe we have been married for 16 years! I feel so blessed to be with Wayne. Eating Raw has given me my life back and I can't wait to see what the next 16 years will bring! I have a feeling that the best is yet to come.

Transitioning from a SAD diet to a RAW diet

A few of you have asked me how to transition from a SAD (Standard American Diet) to a RAW one. I went from a SAD diet to a vegetarian diet overnight. It took me about 2 weeks to become a vegan and about one more week to start eating raw. It was not hard for me at all, but I also had some serious medical risks that really didn't leave me much room for transitioning on the sliding scale.

Wayne, on the other hand, took the transition much more slowly. He started by eating meat about 2 times a week. Then he went down to once a week. His next phase was eating only fish (as a meat source) and transitioning the dairy products out of his diet. Once he actually tried the almond milk, he really liked it! The hard part was getting over the idea of drinking almond milk.

The easiest meal to change for both of us was breakfast. Smoothies are an easy and delicious way to transition. We started with mostly fruit smoothies at first (banana, orange, mango and blueberry, almond milk, with ice were some of our favorites).

One thing I have found is that you can eat raw as simply or as complicated as you would like. I transitioned simply, eating mostly salads. I loaded them up with all kinds of veggies -- purple onion, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, cucumber, zucchini, summer squash, and there are many wonderful raw food salad dressing recipes. I looked online for "raw food recipes" and came up with dozens! I also at a lot of trail mix. I found some raw food cereal at Whole Foods and ate that as well. I have a major sweet tooth so I knew I would need some sweets to get me through the transition. Thank God there are so many raw food cookie recipes online! Raw almond and Not Peanut Butter cookies convinced me that I wasn't having to "give up" anything! These cookies have become a staple in our house. I always have some in the refrigerator or freezer. If you know that you definitely want to change to a raw food diet or are pretty sure, I highly recommend 12 Steps to Raw Food by Victoria Boutenko.

Wayne transitioned with more complicated foods. Granted, eating raw was not his idea or something he ever thought he would do. When he saw how good I was doing and mentioned that he might try eating raw I wanted to make him things I knew he would love. That is when I started trying things like Raw Tacos, Raw Thai food, Spring Rolls, and vegetable Sushi. None of the things are very hard to make, they just take more ingredients (ones we weren't used to buying). Wayne is eating about 80% raw these days and he feels so good. I am very proud of him for opening his mind to trying new things! Now Wayne enjoys simple raw foods like salads and a piece of fruit, but he needed the fancy things to help him cross over.

Most people think eating raw is expensive, but once we stopped buying all of the other things we normally ate and stopped eating out the price was about the same. You can start with any blender you have on hand and then later, if you decide this diet is for you, you can invest in a Vitamix. I LOVE mine! It is the most used appliance in our entire house.

If you are interested in transitioning to a RAW diet, the most important thing to remember is to listen to your own body. You can make the move as quickly or as slowly as you would like. You will know when you are ready better than anyone else. My view is that any amount of raw you can add to your diet is probably better than what you were eating on the SAD diet. Some people never reach a 100% raw diet and don't really feel the need to pursue that as a goal. That is fine. Honor yourself. In my experience, the more intention and love you put into your body, the more you will get out. GOOD LUCK! Please keep me posted on your transitions.

Check out your library

This morning the kids and I went to the library where I checked out some books on raw food that our library had. I am finding that I am hungry to read everything I can get my hands on. There is so much to learn and the more I read, the more there is to read. The book I read today is The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose. Most of the recipes in this book are raw food recipes, but there are some cooked food recipes as well (some made with fish or shellfish). I am not interested in those recipes, especially given my recent allergy development, but the other recipes looked interesting and I thought it was worth a try.

Tonight I made Creamy Asian Salad and Dressing from page 118. It was so good! Emma had dance tonight so Wayne met me and the boys at the park close to her dance school and we had a picnic. It was fun. When we got home I made home made raw vanilla ice cream (pg 165) banana splits. Oh my! So good! The ice cream by itself was delicious, but when I added the chocolate sauce (pg 147), bananas and strawberries...well, let's just say there weren't leftovers. The ice cream is made with ice, young coconut meat and a little of the coconut water, maple syrup, and vanilla. The chocolate syrup was just maple syrup and cocoa blended together. I am glad I checked out the library and got this book because tonight's dinner alone was worth the trip to the library. Check out your nearest library and try some recipes before you invest in some raw food recipe books for your home. You can see what you like.