So much for homemade bread!

Well, my cleanse has been going great! I feel healthier, more energetic, and I have lost 8 pounds. However, I discovered with my cleanse that I am allergic to wheat!! UGH!! HOWEVER, I am happy because I can now eat without the pain! I found that everytime I ate something I was in pain and constipated. I thought it was just cooked food in general, but it was any wheat (bread, pasta. . .). I did end up altering my cleanse a little though. I ended up doing a 20 day cleanse through my Chiropractor. It was still based on natrual whole herbs. The diet was pretty strick. Only fresh fruits, veggies, smoothies, and a few cooked veggies. I feel great on this kind of eating.

After the 20 days I went back to the herbal regiment I posted earlier. I love my energy levels! The cleanse helped me to discover my food allergy and I have felt great ever since.

100% CRUNCH!!

Great day today! Had a green smoothie for breakfast and veggie sandwich for lunch. I notice that my Chlorella makes me nauseous when it finally dissolves.

For dinner I had my favorite homemade bread with a little olive bruschetta. The bruschetta has black olives, green olives, capers, and olive oil all chopped up. I said in my last post that I would be eating only homemade bread that I am in control of. I decide what does or does not go into my bread. I still do not want to be in the habit of eating it everyday, but I am not going to eliminate it all together for now.

Anyway, my favorite bread is called 100% Crunch and I want to share it with you. I use a bread maker so I have no instructions other to put it in the bread machine, put the setting on whole wheat, and set it at a 2 lb (or large) loaf.

100% CRUNCH
1 1/4 c. +1 Tbs. Water
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 ts. salt
2 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. molasses
1 Tbs. gluten
2 Tbs. olive oil
2/3 c. seeds (I use equal amounts of sunflower, flaxseeds, & pumpkin seeds)
2 tsp. fast rise yeast or 3 tsp. active dry yeast

A "CLEAN" Slate Begins!

So I went to sit down with a journal to record an experiment I wanted to try. I was first going to make a list of all of my current health "issues" so that I might have a record of progress. Then it dawned on me that this is what my blog is for.

First, the experiment: I want to do an herbal cleanse of the body. I have been between 20-25 lbs over weight and miserable for months now. Never have I not been able to lose weight, but my body is screaming at me in so many ways. I came to realize and learn that my body will not let go of the fat without letting go of the toxins! It is nearly impossible for the body to let go of fat when it holds SO many toxins (especially in the LIVER).

Here is the cleanse: Dr. Christopher's Blood Stream formula, Kidney formula, and Liver & Gall Bladder formula. The first two will be taken for 30 days and the Liver will be taken for 90. I will also be taking a double dose of Dr. Christopher's Vitalerbs which contain Jurassic Green, oastraw, rosehips, ginger root, purple dulce leaf, dandelion root, spirulina, irish moss, kelp, beet root, nutritional yeast, cayenne 40 mhu, blue violet leaf, & carrot. I will be taking mega doses of Chlorella (10,000 mg a day). BarleyMax w/alfalfa will be taken daily as well. I will also be drinking Bentonite Clay. And to keep my hormones in check I will be taking my MSM. And of course you can't forget heaping doses of fiber (chia seeds, psyllium husk, and flax seeds)to clean out the bowels.

As for the food I will consume in order to help the cleanse along: NO refined processed sugar of any kind and no processed food of any kind. My food intake will consist of whole raw fruits and veggies, smoothies, salads, nuts, seeds, and some occasional home made bread (made w/wholesome ingredients of course). YUM!!

I would now like to make a list of my health issues so that I might be able to record my progress.
sluggish/lack of energy
weight gain (inability to lose it)
itchy bum (sorry, gotta be completely honest)
headaches
sleepiness (not quiet the same as sluggish)
irritability
general brain fog (forgetfulness, stuttering, slurred speech)
constipation
gassiness (both ends) sorry, again trying to be honest
bloating
I think that might sum it up for now. If I think of more later I will post them. I actually began this regiment yesterday (4-3-10)

I am actually quit excited to see some positive changes in my health. Next to my religion and my family, health is the most important thing. I've heard a saying that says, "We spend our health trying to obtain wealth. Then we retire and spend our wealth trying to gain back our health." Well folks, I am still young enough that I would rather spend my time and energy on my health so that I might be "rich" in health when I am old enough to afford the finer things in life. What good is a good retirement if your health isn't good enough to enjoy a cruise right?

HAVE A HAPPY HEALTHY DAY!!

Gratitude

This month is a relflection of Gratitude with it being the spirit of Thanksgiving. I have been extensively teaching my children the history of Thanksgiving. I am teaching them the good, the bad, and the ugly of the first Thanksgiving. I hope and pray that what I am trying to get through to them will work. I REALLY want my children to learn to have a constant feeling of gratitude. I believe with gratitude we will find true joy in life. Having gratitude helps to keep us from feeling sorry for ourselves and our situation.

I am SO grateful for the knowledge Heavenly Father has given me about my health. I am even more grateful that I never give up on myself. I KNOW that I will master my natural man some day. I do know what is best for me, and it isn't always what I think it is. I am always learning and growing. I realize now that I don't have to be perfect. I do always have to be trying though. Sometimes in my quest to be perfect I stop trying altogether. So with that being said, I will NEVER stop trying! I love myself and know that my Father in Heaven loves me. Each day a little more motivation comes to me! I can and I will take care of this temple in which my spirit dwells; for THAT is the only true way I can show thanks for my body!

Letting go of the Control

I feel bad that I let so much time go w/out blogging. Life is great and I have learned and grown so much in the past few months. I have learned a lot about myself, my eating habits, and my family.

I love life, I love people, I love my family, and I love food. However, my love for food is a love/hate relationship. I wish ALL food was good for you, made you healthy, and never made you gain a pound. Wishful thinking just doesn't get you any where! However, I find that my relationship to food has everything to do w/my relationship to my Heavenly Father. If I let Him be in control of my life, then I, in turn, am in more control of my life. However, the more I try to control things on my own, the more I lose control.

So, one would say, "Then give up the control!" Oh. . .ok. . .that is easy! Duh! Guess what folks? It's NOT easy! We, by human nature, are control freaks. We must be in control of what happens in our lives, when it happens, who it happens with, how it happens, and in most cases, even why it happens. However, I am learning that the more I give in, the more I get in return.

So by holding on so tight, I wasn't able to get my stinkin' hand out of the cookie jar. I knew that I could do it by MYSELF because I am a strong woman. We are only as strong as our relationship with the Savoir. I have found that my level of dependance on him determines my level of happiness. This is not to say in anyway that we should not make any decisions w/out Him. On the contrary, I believe He wants us to take our decisions to Him and pray for His help.

I choose to eat healthy and I know I cannot do it alone. I don't HAVE to have the support of others as I thought I did. I just need devine intervention. I WILL make healthy choices both physically and spiritually. My husband taught be that all we need to do is PREPARE. It is an acronym for Pray, Read scriptures, Exercise, Plan, Accomplish, Review, End your day w/prayer! Do this daily, and ALL else will take care of itself.

HAVE A HAPPY HEALTHY DAY!

Green Smoothie Baby

This is my beautiful great niece Brooklyn. They were here for a visit this last week. The last day that she was here she kept trying to grab my smoothie from me. I had seen her mom feed her ice cream and other things so I decided to try the smoothie to see if she liked it. Well, she LOVED it! She could not get it fast enough. She got upset if I stopped long enough to take a drink myself. It goes to show that we know at birth what is good for our bodies. Isn't she the most beautiful baby? She is almost 6 months and is already loving the smoothies. BTW, her mom and dad both liked the smoothies a lot too.

Plantain Smoothie

Ok, so I have been doing some research on the herb Plantain. The beauty of this plant is that it grows wild all over this area. Free is beautiful. Everyone I know here has plantain growing in their yard. So this morning, I went out in my yard and cut me some plantain and made a smoothie. I took some pics of everything I put in the smoothie. I put in plantain, frozen strawberries, 2 very ripe bananas, chia seeds, 3-4 dates, and a dash of agave to sweeten it. To learn more about the health benefits of plantain go to: http://herbs.ygoy.com/2009/02/13/health-benefits-of-plantain-herb/



This is what plantain looks like.




This only shows one banana, but I ended up putting in another because I wasn't used to the different taste.




Not bad at all. My hubby and niece both liked the flavor. It almost had a coconut flavor in it. Yum!

Melaleuca Testimonial

Due to a late night, I didn't get to blog yesterday. I was 100% raw yesterday w/the exception of a few corn chips in my taco salad. I took a hike yesterday and LOVED it. I took off my MP3 player and enjoyed the beautiful sounds of nature. I also did an hour of yoga. I am ready for some different yoga DVD's. I like the ones I have ok, but the instructor talks too much. Any suggestions out there?

Today was a great day. I did eat a little bit of popcorn (homemade), but all else was raw. I went for a good, short, brisk walk w/my oldest daughter. I enjoyed being with her. I also got a LOT of deep cleaning done in my laundry room and that felt GOOD! I have switched to natural products for cleaning my home. I now use Melaleuca products and am loving it. They are very inexpensive and boy do the laundry products really WORK. Just so you know, this is coming from a mother of 9 children. That spot cleaner even got out my husband's ring around the collar. Ok, now I sound like a commercial, and no, I am not selling it. It just makes me happy that I have found a product that works, is inexpensive, and MUCH better for the enviornment.

I also got to babysit for one of my favorite babies! These things may seem mundane, but they are all part of a happy, healthy life. Keeping balance is important to good health. Loving and serving others, even if it is your own family can bring us joy!

HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY DAY!!

Another GREAT Day!!

Another great day today! I walked for 50 min, did yoga for an hour, ate lots of greens, and stayed 100% raw again. I also planted a few herbs in my herb garden. Getting your hands in the dirt is always a good, rewarding thing. After talking to a great friend today, I came to the realization that the biggest mistake we make in trying to accomplish anything is thinking we have failed when we falter. As soon as we think we have failed we have the tendency to give up all together. Instead, we should always credit ourselves for what we have done.

HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY DAY!!

A Happy Healthy Day!!

Ok, as far as a Happy, Healthy Day; this has been a great one! I was 100% raw today and I went on a 45 min. walk WITH ankle weights, and half of the walk was uphill! I ate lots of greens and took my vitalherbs and barleymax. I also talked to a good friend about being raw, and she too is ready to begin again. That really made my day! I also secured some financial future for my family today. This has everything to do with health because feeling secure and happy helps us release toxins. On the opposite hand when we are angry, stressed, frustrated, or worried it is toxic to the body. We should do all we can to release stress in our life. Prayer, my hubby, friends, meditation, and yoga are my stress releases, and I am grateful for all of them! I realize that not everyday can be so full of joy, but we can make it full of joy if we purposely look for the positive in our lives. I can guarantee that no matter how bad a day may seem, there IS positive in it!

Have a HAPPY, HEALTHY DAY!!

Raw taco picture!

Ok, so this is one of my favorite (ok, so that doesn't mean much since I have a LOT of favorites) raw foods. I used to try using Collard Greens, but we just do not live in the right area for big beautiful greens like I see on the internet from people out west. Anyway I buy this romaine type lettuce. I didn't do the taco "meat" in this one. I spread fresh guacamole on the lettuce, then add tomatoes, black olives, diced jalapenos, diced onion, and fresh salsa, and chopped up greens. I even put on a few cashews for some crunch. This is what I ate for dinner tonight. Oh yeah, and I stayed 100% raw today! Yeah! I feel SO good today! I even had the temptation of pie at a friends house (who does not know my diet). When I declined the offer, she offered me a piece of fruit and some prunes instead. Imagine my excitement!





HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY DAY!!

Supportive family & friends!

I first want to start out by saying thank you to Jennifer for her comment. It was SO true and very inspired! I agree 100% and I do recognize my successes. Thank You. That being said, I did pretty well today. Today was a BUSY day; fashion show 11:00am, track meet 12:00pm, friends, cleaning, and talent show 7pm, then friends and snacks at our place. I did GREAT until the snacks at our place. However, it did not get me down like it would have before. I see it as a challenge to do better tomorrow. I'm not so worried. And you know what, I CAN and WILL do this by myself if I have to. I have a VERY supportive (and NON-judgmental) husband and friends. They never tease or judge when I slide. They are awesome! I realize that not everyone is so fortunate to have such a great support system. Even my sweet children encourage and support me.

HAVE A HAPPY HEALTHY DAY!!

Someone STOP me!

I feel so miserable right now. I feel drained both physically and emotionally. I ate myself into an oblivion today! Most of it cooked food. You know I went 2 whole months of eating 100% raw and NEVER cheating. Then one day I cheated and that was it. I try each day to start over only to fail by the end of the day.

I feel so alone in this. I know others want to do this, but like me they fail too. Why? Why is this so hard? I KNOW it is what is best, yet my addiction takes over me. When I am in control I feel on top of the world. I just want to crawl into my own little world and shut everyone out. I don't want to answer questions, I don't want to talk to ANYONE about how I eat, what I eat, or why I eat that way. I just want it to all go away. I don't want to be held accountable to anyone, including myself. Yet I feel let down by myself and those around me. I have to say that this is a foreign feeling for me. I am usually not one to let others affect me, but that is not the case right now.

I wish I never would have told anyone how I feel about health, nutrition, or alternative health. I feel so alone in my feelings. Yes, those around me agree with me and wish they could live what I preach, but nobody has the same passion I do. Do I even have the same passion I used to.

Sorry, I didn't mean for this to sound so depressing. I just want everyone to know that I am human. I suffer from the same addictions, frustrations, emotions, and temptations that everyone else does. I am NOT perfect and I am ok with that. I just wish I had one like minded friend who could stick this out with me. I want someone to have this in common with. I WILL do it alone if I have to; I just don't want to.

I am going to take advantage of this blog to hold myself accountable. I'm not sure why I feel this is an appropriate place considering not many people read this. That being said, this is more for me then anyone else. I am going to recommit myself to 100% raw. This means NO popcorn, chips & salsa; PERIOD! No, I will not even eat these on occasion as I do believe that this is what made me fail. The nice thing is, I have an amazing husband and great friends. They may not be doing it with me, but they love and support me. They will encourage me without making me feel insecure, and they love me in spite of me always "starting over" again. I am grateful for a great support in that way.

That being said, tomorrow is day 1 of my 100% raw. I will record each day and I will be HONEST with this blog and with myself.

EARTH DAY

I LOVE Earth Day! I am so grateful for this beautiful Earth my Father in Heaven gave me. I love spring and being outdoors. I love to watch the blossoms on the trees and the flowers blooming, and the beautiful serene sound of the birds in the breaking hours of the day. The beautiful world provides us with all that we need to not only live, but to love and enjoy life. The colors are breath taking and inspiring. There are scenes so beautiful that it calms my soul and delights my senses. Stress, anxiety, and worries can be eliminated with a little piece of quiet reflection in God's masterpiece we call "nature". The sounds and sights He has given us cannot be perfected. How can we show gratitude for this precious gift He has given us? Are words of gratitude enough? Use it, love it, take care of it. The best way to show our appreciation is to take care of this beautiful place we live. I really feel like my raw food life style has made me more aware and grateful for this great gift my Father has given me. I will try always to take care of this planet I have been given. Thank You Heavenly Father for this beautiful place that I live.

The Good (w/raw) & the Bad this week

What a week! Monday morning I had my 3rd and final wisdom tooth cut out. No fun! The bad part is, I was still somewhat sick when I got the tooth removed. That just made matters worse, because I got worse! I have been sick, tired, & miserable ALL week. I feel like I have spent my week sleeping and drinking cayenne. I know I need the rest, but I am sick of it! I miss my energy and my yoga!

However, in the midst of my illness, I still see benefits of staying raw. My weight seems to be dropping off. I am NOT one to lose weight easily, but it seems pretty easy right now. I have also noticed this week a softness to my skin. My face seems more soft, clear, and smooth. I've seen this in other raw fooders before, but never noticed a difference in my own skin. I am really seeeing a difference now.

Next week is a new week. I WILL be feeling better, have more energy, and will being doing my new Yin Yoga DVD. I also can't wait to run on my treadmill (or outside if weather is good). For now, I will curl up in my pj's with much gratitude for a warm home. I can hear the cold, bitter wind outside my window. Please. . .spring come NOW!

Raw diet & sickness

I mentioned before that my entire family was sick and how I wasn't sure what it was that kept me from being sick. Well, Thursday night I started to feel sick, but was still able to teach my sprouting class. My symptoms were not as severe as my family's. I had the fever, cold chills, and felt tired, tired, tired! Yesterday was even worse. I was afraid it was going to hit me full blown. I still went shopping and remodeled my daughter's bathroom, but after that I slept ALL day. My temp was betwee 100.2-100.8; much lower then my family's.

I complained to my hubbby that this wasn't fair. I, being raw, shouldn't get sick. As we discussed it, I came to some realizations. First off, being raw does not keep you from catching a virus which is what my family had. However, being raw helps to fight it off faster and with less severe symptoms. My family was OUT, in bed, in pain, and MISERABLE (some vomitting). I had a slight fever, no headache, no body aches, and was still able to function. I mean really, I went shopping and remodeled a bathroom. The other thing is, I feel a LOT better today. The fever is gone, and the tiredness is worn off. I really only had a MILD form of it for about 36 hours. My family was sick for 4-5 days w/a few still hacking up their lungs.

In short, had I not been 100% raw, this would have hit me twice as hard, twice as long. It is amazing what your body is able to overcome when you give it the right nutrients. BTW, cayenne is a best friend when mucus arrives. Well, best friend to you, worst enemy to mucus.

Have a HAPPY, Healthy Day!

RAW TACO RECIPE

I have to share one of my favorite raw recipes. I got the recipe from a Youtube video. If you do a search on youtube for raw tacos you will find it. However, it is a 2 part video so be sure to watch them both.

Sorry, I do not have an exact recipe, but it is more by taste anyway:
2 cups of walnuts (they do not have to be soaked)
cumin to taste
garlic powder to taste
1-3 TBS. Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce)

Mix well in a food processor or vita-mix. It will look like a "meat" consistancy.
Serve on a leaf of any favorite green. I use Collard Greens.
Add fresh salsa, cut romaine, tomatoes, avocados, black olive. . .
Just add whatever you would add on a taco, but raw.
The next time I make this I will take a picture and post it. It is SO yummy, and full of lots of greens.
ENJOY!!

Have a HAPPY, Healthy Day!!

One Sick Family

My poor family is so sick. I have 6 of my 9 children sick and my hubby as well. I have been around coughing, sneezing, vomite, and more! My poor family. However, I have yet to get sick. I feel somewhat weak and tired, but no fever, chills, or vomite! Can being 100% raw really help fight off illness that much or is Heavenly Father just blessing me? Perhaps a little of both? Either way, I am grateful. I have a pic of my darling kids eating their green smoothies for breakfast. I either starved them (if they couldn't stomach food) or I feed them raw. I got out a gallon of raw home made apple juice from the freezer and they have drank that all day too. Lots of liquids for my babies!

How to Overcome Strong Temptations!!

I had a ROUGH night tonight. I am emotional, hormonal, and well. . .just a woman! The kids had an early out and I wanted to have a special night for them. I bought them the ready bake cheese pizza's from the store. That is a big treat since I don't usually feed them pizza. Anyway, I hadn't started making my dinner when the pizza's were coming out of the oven and my kids were slicing them. I was SOOOO tempted!! That was the worst I have been tempted to eat cooked foods since I have been 100%. It would have been SO easy for me to just pick up a slice and devour it! I quickly made myself a raw taco w/collard greens, and a green mix instead of romaine. I made THREE of them. My thought was that I would rather eat too much raw food, then give into a little cooked food.

I CANNOT believe I did not give in. Personally, I feel like the answer to nearly any craving is GREENS!!! EAT GREENS when you are tempted. What if you don't like greens? It doesn't matter! Do something to make it taste good to you. Put it in a smoothie. Just do something to get some greens in you! And get AWAY from the temptation! I walked out of the kitchen and ate my meal away from the pizza. Thank goodness my kids were almost done by the time I started eating. I can't image how sick I would have felt had I given in. I KNOW it would NOT have been worth it. I am now 39 days at 100% raw, and nothing feels better then to say that on a day like today!

Have a Happy, Healthy Day!

Elaina's Cinnamon Rolls

Below is a few pictures and recipe of the cinnamon rolls I made today. They come for the book by Alisa Cohen called "Living on Live Foods". Alissa says, "They are so doughy ans sweet, just like the real thing. This book has some of my favorite recipes. The cinnamon rolls are very yummy and very filling. Here is the recipe for Elaina's Cinnamon Rolls (with frosting):
DOUGH:
2 1/2 c. almond meal (left from making almond milk)
2 1/2 c. flax meal

1 c. soft pitted dates firmly packed
1/8 c. pure water
1/4 t. celtic sea salt (i omitted this)
dash cayenne (i also omitted this)
1/4 c. olive oil or coconut butter

1. Blend the dates and water together in a food processor or blender until it becomes a paste.
2. Mix everything together in a large bowl and work with your hands until the dough is well mixed.
3. Place the dough on a Teflex sheet or piece of wax paper and form into a 1/4 inch thick square using your hands to shape.
4. Cover with another Teflex sheet or wax paper and roll with a rolling pin until the dough is uniform thickness.
5. Prepare the filling.

FILLING:
1 c. soft pitted date firmly packed
1 c. raisins
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 c. water
Extra raisins
3/4 c. soaked and dehydrated walnuts, coarsley chopped.
Note: Don't worry, if you don't have a dehydrator, just use your walnuts w/out soaking.

1. Puree the first 4 ingredients in a food processor until it becomes smooth.
2. Spread the mixture onto the dough.
3. Sprinkle with extra raisins and walnuts.
4. Using the Teflex sheet on the bottom to push, roll the dough tightly.
5. Wrap the roll in the Teflex or wax paper and refrigerate until chilled.
6. Slice into desired thicknesses and, if wanted, dehydrate at 105 until warm.

FROSTING: (optional, but sure tastes good)
1 c. sunflower seeds soaked 4+ hours (1 1/2 c. after soaking)
3/4 c. water
6 Tbs. honey or dates
Juice of 1 small tangerine
1 tsp. vanilla