Raw Foods Wealth 2 Health

Foods high in Magnesium

2011-10-18T18:41:00.001-04:00

Since Prograf depletes our bodies from Calcium and Magnesium here are two posts listing foods high in both these vitamins. This one is on Magnesium and the prior post is on Calcium.

Beans (soybeans, white beans, black beans, lima beans)

raw broccoli
artichokes
bananas
prune juice
almonds
broccoli
pumpkins
spinachtofu
figs
cornmeal
pumpkin seeds
tomato paste
whole wheat bread
yogurt
halibut
oysters
tuna

Healthaliciousness.com claims that the top 10 foods high in Magnesium are as follows:
#1: Bran (Rice, Wheat, and Oat)
#2: Dried Herbs
#3: Squash, Pumpkin, and Watermelon Seeds
#4: Cocoa Powder (Dark Chocolate)
#5: Flax, Sesame Seeds, and Sesame Butter (Tahini)
#6: Brazil Nuts
#7: Sunflower Seeds
#8: Almonds and Cashews (Mixed nuts, Pine Nuts)
#9: Molasses
#10: Roasted Soybeans (Edamame)
Click on their link above or this one for more information

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Foods High In Calcium

2011-08-07T13:36:00.000-04:00

Since Prograf depletes our bodies from Calcium I decided to make a post of foods high in Calcium to help our bodies along.
Dried Herbs
Sesame Seeds – Tahini (sesame seed butter)
Tofu
Almonds
Flax seeds
Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kelp kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, celery, Greens (collard, turnip, mustard and dandelion), bok choy and okra
Brazil nuts
Oranges
Black beans, navy beans, soybeans
Tempeh
Soy yogurt/soy milk

Animal products:
Cheese
Milk, Yogurt and other dairy products
Herring
Oysters
Not only will all these foods give you plenty of calcium they will provide many other health benefits as well. A good resource for foods high in calcium by food group is here.

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Kidney Cleanse

2011-07-28T07:39:00.000-04:00

Being an advocate for raw foods and a lung transplant recipient I wanted to research ways to keep my kidneys healthy since the medication I am on could affect my kidneys. So I figured there would be some good produce that would assist in cleansing the kidney. What I found out was that the best way for everyone to keep their kidneys healthy is by drinking a lot water. Yes some claim that purified and filtered water is best but we can all start by trying to drink good quality water. Others claim that juicing cucumbers and or celery is an excellent alternative to water. Yes smoothies would aid in a kidney cleanse but it seems it would help most because we would be cleansing our body and getting rid of excess waste. The smoothies themselves would not directly detox the kidneys.

Since keeping hydrated is the best way to keep our kidneys clean then produce that is high in water content would be great to eat (spinach, watermelon, grapes, berries, parsley, wheat grass). Of course many say to use organic produce but if you use conventional or organic produce it is still recommended to wash the produce with a high quality produce wash.

Juice fasting is also a way to cleanse the kidneys. A watermelon cleanse has also been suggested but not for diabetics. This is where you eat only watermelon for a day. You can eat as many watermelons as you would like for a day.

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Organ transplant recipients start boot camp at Stanford - San Jose Mercury News

2011-07-02T22:18:00.000-04:00

Organ transplant recipients start boot camp at Stanford - San Jose Mercury News

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 3 - Aura

2011-07-01T22:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight I got a picture of my Aura. The aura is the electromagnetic field that surrounds our bodies. Every living object in the universe has an aura. These magnetic energies vary in density and go in and out of the body. They also extend above the head about 2 to 3 feet and below the feet into the ground. The predominate color surrounding most of the upper part of my body in my aura picture was yellow. I had some blue around my chest and the neatest thing in the picture is that you can see my lungs. It looks like an x-ray of my lungs and this area is black.I will get this picture scanned and put it up on the blog.

Raw nutrients of the day:
16oz kiwano horned melon and mango juice
6oz young coconut water
1oz E3Live algae
2 Quinary
2 NuPlus
2 Fortune Delight
1 very large cantaloupe
2 5" plates of various salads
48 oz Calli

Quote of the day:

"Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus." - Oprah Winfrey

Live life,
Alma

Proactive with my Healthcare

2010-12-06T12:31:00.004-05:00

I just finished a batch of apple/celery juice. What I am doing now is making a big batch at once and storing the juice in stanless steel lined drink cups. I read that stanless steal helps to maintain the nutrients. I used to do the drinks as I wanted to drink them but now a days I do not have the energy to do the drinks a few times a day and clean up the machinery. I make enough that lasts me about 3 days. Conserving energy and getting my vitamins. I also ate 1/2 canteloupe so I am good to go for a while.

Transplant update:
Well I finally heard from Duke or shall I say my nurse practioner did. They want me to do 2 tests and when Duke receives and reviews the results they will schedule an appointment. In the meantime I have reached out to Duke to see what the process is and how long this will probably take. I had to leave a message and am awaiting a call. My calculations estimate that the visit could be within the last two weeks of this year at best. YIKES! To think that I wanted this all done before this winter. Well you cant always get what you want when you want it.

I also called Cleveland Clinic to get information from their program. I know they will fly me into their facility at time of transplant. I had to leave a message there as well. I did get to talk to the transplant coordinator at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center but I would have to live in PA within 3 hours of Pittsburgh and their average wait time is 6 months. This would be like starting over for me so this facility is out as far as my second choice. It is between Duke and Cleveland Clinic."

Not too late
It's never too late to richly live the moment you're in. Don't let regrets about the past destroy the unique opportunity you have right now.
Do you feel frustrated by your lack of progress? Then tap into the energy of that frustration to bring yourself fully to life in this moment that you now have to work with.

Today, you are more experienced and knowledgeable than you've ever been. Today, you can be more motivated than ever before to reach in and connect with your own special goodness.

And today you can put all of what you have into making real and positive progress. Today you can connect in a new and fulfilling way with what matters most.

You've already made an amazing journey to get to this moment. You've brought yourself here for a reason, so let yourself live that reason.

Make life the best it can be right now by doing something truly meaningful with it. Whatever you've come through, wherever you've been, it is never too late to feel the beautiful joy of being alive and making a difference.

-- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Waiting is the worse

2010-12-01T16:29:00.002-05:00

Well I had an "a-ha" moment last week. I was talking with a friend about my family's emotional well being during my dad's pulmonary fibrosis and his lung transplant. When I told her that 'the waiting was the worse time' it dawned on me that, that is where I am now. I am waiting and this by far has become the most stressful time to date. Yes there are moments that I cannot stop coughing nor can catch my breath that become very stressful but these times pass. They come and go. Waiting on the transplant list is an underlying stress with many peaks and valleys but the stress is always there.

So what do I do. I continue to go to pulmonary therapy 3 times a week. I still drink my green smoothies daily. I have not talked much about raw foods lately. I guess I have been consumed by the transplant however I have not lost sight on how important diet and exercise is. I want to be the absolute strongest I can be for this surgery.

Remember I start training for volleyball and 5K races the day after surgery. :)

You deserve

You deserve the best in life. And you deserve the experience of creating it.

You are worthy of a life that's rich and filled with meaning. And you are worthy of working through the difficult challenges to make that life a reality.

At any given moment, including this moment right now, you are fully deserving of life's greatest experiences. It is never too early and it is never too late to fully feel how it feels to be uniquely alive.

You deserve to be extraordinarily happy in your own special way. And you deserve to realize and to understand that you are the only person who can choose to let that happiness flow.

You deserve to find the strength within yourself to triumph over difficult challenges. You deserve to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from a job well done.

You deserve whatever you truly desire and whatever you most authentically imagine. Get busy now, with a love of the possibilities, and give yourself what you deserve.

-- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,
Alma

The stronger before, the stronger after

2010-11-01T14:23:00.005-04:00

It is no secret that the stronger I am before surgery, the stronger I will be post surgery. To think of all the work, work outs that I have done trying to stay in shape. Working my lungs with cardiac exercises, the conditioning and the strength training. Now when I need to do these things the most is when I have the least energy. Yes, that does make sense due to the progression of this disease but it stinks. I could never let all that work go in vein so I started pulmonary therapy when I realized that I could no longer play volleyball. Playing volleyball with two oxygen tanks took a lot of coordination and strength. When the two tanks could not deliver my needs I knew it was time to quit (temporarily of course!) Ironically enough, as I think about it now, it was shortly afterward that I started using oxygen 24/7. So I guess I did get the best bang for my buck as far as oxygen goes. :)

I go to pulmonary rehab three times a week and I can only do 26 to 30 min of cardio but guess what? I do 26 to 30 min of cardio! I know am transitioning back to as much raw, healthy, nutritional foods. Life happened and I fell off the "raw foods" wagon. I am really just trying to get back to being vegetarian. I have been enjoying seafood. Some times I can do these things overnight and other times it is a transition. I have not given up my green smoothies though. These I enjoy almost daily. I feel that if I can eat mostly vegetables perhaps that will get my energy levels up some so that I can move around more. I have become too sedentary. I live my life avoiding oxygen deprivation and avoiding coughing.

Besides I have a few 5K's to run after my surgery. My nurse and I are running the Donor 5K in Philadelphia next year, I have a 5K in Puerto Rico in honor of my cousin. There are three more that I have planned with friends. I have a lot of training to do but first I need to upgrade my equipment.

Live in gratitude

Fear of loss is what creates loss. Love of possibilities is what drives the fulfillment of those possibilities.
What good is it to have something if you constantly live in fear of losing it? In some ways, that's worse than not having it at all.
Instead of living in fear, live in gratitude. Fill your heart with love and thankfulness for all that you now have, so that there is no space left for fear.
Fill your mind with thoughts of the very best of what is possible for your world. Fill your spirit with a bright, sparkling vision of how good you know life can be.
Sure, the superficial things will come and go, so don't let those things define you. Instead, treasure the values that transcend every moment and every circumstance.
The genuine person inside is much more powerful than your ego that always feels so threatened. Live in gratitude and let the real, authentic, courageous person you are, always come shining through.
-- Ralph Marston
Celebrate Life,
Alma

Why organ transplant

2010-10-31T21:31:00.006-04:00

Days after I was on the organ transplant list I made a list of reasons for myself as to why I should be on the list. For some reason my life experience, lab test results and internal suffering was not enough. I had to see it on paper in order to try and justify it to myself.
I have been on oxygen 24/7 since the end of June 2010. So I keep at a level that is good enough for me just sitting or laying down. If I have to stand up or move or talk I have to adjust the level higher.
This was a list I created months ago:
Moving in bed, walking to the bathroom, brushing my teeth, bathing, talking and standing up. I kept telling myself, this is not normal Alma. It may be part of my world and others dependent on oxygen supplementation but it certainly is not normal. Nor are the coughing spells I go into. I can cough anywhere from 3 to 4 minutes to 20 to 25 minutes. These spells come from anything. Sometimes it is from exertion where I did not get enough oxygen, sometimes it could be the weather. Be it humidity, heat, cold or wind. It could be pollen, dust, perfume or scents. People with IPF (Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis) are hyper-sensitive to many smells.

No limit

There is no limit to how much love your heart can hold. So put a little more love in your life right now.

There is no limit to how much beauty you can admire. So make a point in each moment to see some new beauty you've never noticed before.

There is no limit to how much joy you can experience. So go ahead and feel the joy that lives inside, as you generously let it flow out to the whole world.

There is no limit to kindness, to hope, or to faith. There is no limit to the goodness and value that you can imagine.

Though some things in this world are occasionally in short supply, there is no limit to the best things in life. There is no limit to what really matters.

Treasure those good things that have no limit. For there is no limit to the richness they can bring.

-- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Accepting an Organ Transplant

2010-10-30T22:20:00.008-04:00

My biggest struggle with being on the lung transplant list is that someone has to pass in order for me to get lungs. I have thought about this for months, perhaps years since my father had a lung transplant 9 years ago. No matter what, it is still a tough situation to process. I have met a few earth angels along the way that have given me ways to accept this so I should pony up, take the positive and run with it. The only thing is that this is very difficult. I have had to come to the computer four times already trying to write this entree. This is so difficult to put into words.

The best example I could use is that if I had met anyone with any of my cousin Teddy's or niece Patricia's organs it would have comforted me. Unfortunately too much time lapsed for them to give organs because of the way they passed. The comfort and joy that I believe I would feel if I knew my relatives would have given others a second chance in life is what helps me to accept this gift for myself. I was able to process these feelings better when they were for my father but it is very different to internalize for myself.

This is assuming that the organs I receive are from someone who has registered as an organ donor. Now imagine getting organs from someone who was never on the list. These dedicated employee's that work for UNOS make calls to families during the worse times of their lives. These people are grieving and making arrangements for their loved one's passing they are asked to save other people's lives through organ transplantation.

Ignite your passion

Ability is about more than skill. Ability is about more than knowledge.

Though skill and knowledge and experience are important, there's something even more powerful that drives ability. It is passion.

If you do not have a strong desire, fueled by passion, it doesn't really matter how much skill you have. If you lack passion, it doesn't matter how much experience or knowledge you have.

When you are truly passionate, that brings your skills and knowledge to life. When you are truly passionate, even if you lack sufficient skills you will find a way to acquire them.

Passion compels and enables you to connect with whatever is necessary to express and fulfill that passion. Passion pushes you into action, and supplies the energy for perseverance.

What are the things that ignite your passion? It's well worth your time and effort to know exactly what they are.

-- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,
Alma

On Transplant List

2010-10-29T12:30:00.005-04:00

Gosh, I have been procrastinating on posting and now that I actually am sitting down to post I am overwhelmed by everything. I guess writing what I am about to say is another way of having to face the reality of my health and my life.

It is 6 years this month that I am on oxygen. I am now on the organ transplant list and I am waiting for two lungs. A lot of life has transpired in the last 6 years and I could never recap it all but I must say that I have put my best foot forward and have lived my life with a zest like never before. Out of the last 5 years, this past year has been the most challenging of all. I am unable to play volleyball and get around as before. I basically stay at home and wait for assistance to go shopping, to clean my home, for meals and any leisure activities outside my home. However, let me tell you what I can do!

I can keep my positive attitude.
I can keep a smile on my face.
I can keep working out at my pulmonary rehabilitation sessions.
I can keep making goals and visualize them.
I can keep making affirmations and I can pray.
I can keep working towards making myself stronger before surgery so I can come out stronger from it.

Decide to enjoy

Even the most difficult work feels easy when you let it flow from your heart. You can take on the most complicated and challenging tasks with effortless ease when you let go of your resistance to them.

Do you feel resentment about what you must do? If so, you're only making it more difficult and unpleasant.

Can you choose instead to feel sincere gratitude for the opportunity to get it done? Of course you can, and by so doing you dramatically improve your performance.

If the effort feels disagreeable, that's only because you want it to feel disagreeable. And why exactly would you want that?

Resentment and resistance will only bring you down, and cause you to work longer at doing what you don't want to do. Yet it is always within your power to make a positive change.

Decide to enjoy what you're doing, and just like magic you'll suddenly be doing what you enjoy. Not only that, you'll be doing a much better job of it.

-- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,

Alma

IM CURED

2010-01-20T20:32:00.001-05:00

Today is my 5 year anniversary of lung cancer survivorship. I am considered cured!

Happy Dance!

CELEBRATING LIFE,
Alma

Is the time right?

2009-12-14T18:15:00.005-05:00

Hello,
I am on my quest of raw foods wholeheartedly again. It's not that I never stopped but rather was not over 50% raw foods. So my intention is to write down all I eat in hopes that it serves as another support structure for me. Perhaps small posts will encourage me to continue this blog.

Today's Intake:

Green smoothie

2 tangerine

Raw chocolate granola and coconut milk

Kale hemp seaweed salad

Raw lasagna

Yogurt

1 cup of decaf coffee

1 granny smith apple

I am sure I will eat again today but I am off to volleyball. I do not think I will post so late so here it is. A small step for Alma! At least I am moving forward.

Celebrate Life,
Alma

In Memory of Teddy and Patricia Mercado

2009-10-02T13:12:00.008-04:00

Never in a million years would I think that the post right after "In Your Honor" would be the post "In Your Memory." What can I say?

It's 2 months to the day that we lost both of your physical bodies but your spirits live on. Your love lives on as well. It is comforting to know that the love and the memories live on much longer than our physical bodies.

Teddy, you are my cousin, you are my brother. You always expressed your love to me like no one else could. Your words were so profound, kind and comforting. It is no wonder why you have so, so many friends and loved ones. You will live inside of me forever.

I am so glad that we had the opportunity to have a very long conversation just days before you left. You reminded me that you once told me that if we looked at the moon at the very same time it would close the distance between us. You told me so many beautiful things on how you love to make people happy, how you lived for your family and as always how much you loved me.

I was listening to some old voice mails and much to my surprise I had saved one of yours from Valentine's Day. It was awesome to hear your voice again. Thank you for that!

I keep seeing butterflies since your passing. Two beautiful butterflies came to visit me at mom's backyard. At different occasions one or two butterflies have flown around. One in my backyard fluttered all around my face and stayed with me for a while. There are many signs out there. You just have to be aware and see them.

Mr Big Stuff, my GI Joe there will never be a full moon when I do not look at it and think of you.

You are FOREVER in my heart!

Celebrating Your Life,

Your Sister - Almita

This is in your HONOR

2009-07-25T13:48:00.014-04:00

This is your light - I'm waking again in your HONOR

This is what was written in an email sent to me by my cousin Teddy. Teddy has been walking/running in my honor in The American Cancer Society's 'Relay for Life' ever since my lung cancer diagnosis. He participates in Puerto Rico where they call it 'Relevo Por La Vida.'

He had always communicated when he would be walking but this year he did something different. He sent me a picture of my light!

This left quite an impression on me. I got goosebumps when I opened the email.

Words cannot express the tremendous honor I felt and still feel to this day by this picture. This is only a 'candle in a bag' to some. This candle just shined for a short while on this earth - just as I will in this lifetime. This candle symbolizes

the light that I still get to shine on this earth because I AM A SURVIVOR.

These are the rewards in life that are immeasureable!

Teddy this post

IN YOUR HONOR

Thank you for celebrating my life,

Alma

4.5 years - Pain = weakness coming out of your body

2009-07-23T18:47:00.004-04:00

I am sitting here reviewing my blog and I noticed my 4 year cancer free anniversary post. Last Monday it was 4.5 years and I am happy to say that on Tuesday I started jumping rope. I was doing 30 second intervals every few minutes. What a joy! To think of surviving lung cancer is one thing but to be skipping rope, using oxygen with pulmonary fibrosis is just priceless.

So Wednesday I played volleyball and I must say that the new Helios Marathon has really turned my life around. I could play and not cough nearly as much as I have in the past. When my oxygen levels get low, I cough. With this new system I get a constant stream of oxygen which enables me to perform better and feel better. I have not had such a sense of "normalcy" going up a flight of stairs in years.

Anyway, on Thursday morning about 12:30AM I got a charlie horse to beat all charlie horses ever. It was over 6 - 7 before my muscle calmed down and softened some. I was screaming in pain. I finally got a grip on the pain and tried to massage the muscle. Well I finally got it to a state of tolerable pain when I realized I had to go to the bathroom. Of course, I had drank a lot of water since I was playing outside in the heat but not nearly enough water to prevent a major muscle cramp. I could not put much weight on my leg. I went to the bathroom and went back to sleep.

About 4AM I got to a coherent level of consciousness and decided to rub some mineral ice on my calf. I thought it was in my bathroom but luck have it, it was not. So I hobbled all the way to the other bathroom and back. I massaged my calf and continued to nurse it all day. The next day I was about 80 to 85% normal and today I am about 95 to 97% back. Tomorrow I start working out again but I may wait a few days before I start jumping rope again.

Quote of the day:

Discover your way forward.

Whatever it is you choose to do, or to be, or to create, go ahead and begin.

Take some initial action, and that action will quickly feed other actions.
Though you may not yet know everything that must be done, you do know of something you can do right now.

So do it, and get yourself started.
The first step will enable you to see what the second step is to be.

The second step will begin to establish powerful momentum.
Discover your way forward, and uncover joys that you would have never guessed were there. Learn and grow and build and create your way to whatever destination you have chosen.
No situation is ever hopeless.

Because whatever the situation may be, the moment you start to take action, you change it.
Begin to act, and your world begins to change.

Keep going, and your life takes on more and more of the flavor of your dreams.
-- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,

Alma

A quick note...

2009-06-15T20:44:00.004-04:00

I got a new Helios oxygen tank. This one has the option of continuous flow and oxygen on demand when I breathe in. I have been using the on demand one for over 4.5 years. Last week I decided to test the continuous flow one and today was the first day I exercised with it. Well I was on the treadmill for 45 min at the fastest rate I have done and I actually ran. Yes you read that right, I ran. Ok so at first it was for 10 seconds. I had to catch my breath and after I realized that I had actually ran, I did it again for 20 seconds. Mind you I decided to run after working out on the treadmill for over 35 minutes.

I am exhausted and I am going to bed. Yes this is another thing my body will have to adjust to. I had a good night sleep and my exhaustion was due to the workout. I ate very good today. All fresh fruits and veges. I had some raw nuts and two soy yogurts.

I dont know if I will do the treadmill again tomorrow but I may. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Celebrate Life,
Alma

My Body Responded

2009-06-03T20:06:00.003-04:00

It finally happened!!!

I have always believed in my mind that I could get off oxygen. There has never been a doubt and for the first time ever my body is starting to believe it as well. This is what happened. Last Thursday I ran out of oxygen while playing volleyball and I continued to play. Of course, I took it easy and did not serve for two games because the exertion is just too much for me even with oxygen. Well we were playing the last game and I wanted to serve. I got up about 4 times and I served one and two points, no big deal. On my last attempt I served about 9 points.

After serving three points, I remember thinking that I would be out of air soon and start coughing because my heart was pounding hard and I was breathing heavy. When I served the fourth point I was at about the same level as I was on the third point. I then remember thinking, I could do this. So I proceeded to serve. At about my sixth serve I told my teammates that I was going to sit out the rest of the game after my service. I was thinking that I would start coughing hard and not be able to recuperate enough to run around playing volleyball. Well when I finished serving I did sit down and guess what?

I never coughed!

Now that has never happened. That was a sure sign for me. All the exercising I am doing is finally paying off. My heart is in better shape and so are my lungs.

This has served as a new motivation and I cannot wait to see where this road takes me.

Quote of the day:

Today is a great day to be alive. The world is filled with positive possibilities, and those possibilities grow more numerous with each passing moment.

Sure, there are challenges and disappointments and frustrations. And within those challenges, within those disappointments, are some of the greatest possibilities.

Today is a great day to be alive because today you can make things happen. You can set a goal, chart a course, take stock of your situation and use it to create new value.

Pay no attention to those who claim to know how things will be. Your future is yours to determine, and this is the day to make it great.

You don't need any one's permission to live with joy and fulfillment. You don't need to wait for certain circumstances to line up in a specific way.

For today is a great day to be alive, to be productive, to be effective and to fulfill your best possibilities. And now is the moment to enthusiastically get busy making it all happen.

-- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Reclaiming My LIFE and Running for Joy

2009-04-21T19:20:00.005-04:00

It has been 3 months now that I have been training for a 5K race in October. I work out at least 5 times a week and play volleyball at least twice. The great thing is that one of my workouts is a yoga class. I have missed yoga very much and I am fortunate enough to be able to take a class during working hours at our gym.

I must say that this goal is one of my most challenging of all. How I ever thought this one up is beyond me! However, the goal is set and I will run/jog this race. I will not not walk this 5K. I have a friend who is sharing her knowledge of exercises. Let's just put it this way. She often says fill up 2 oxygen tanks because you are going to need them. I am very lucky to have such a great friend that want to help me succeed in my goal and is willing to help me out.

What a blessing to be able to do these athletic tasks twice a day. I must say that by the time I workout, work and either play volleyball or go work out again my entire day is practically gone. But I cannot think of a better investment than in myself. So I will continue to keep you up to date with my progress.

I finally bought myself a dehydrater. Better yet, I finally used it and a co-worker saw me drinking my green drinks and offered me a juicer. Well it happens to be that I purchased a Champion juicer from her and now I an outstanding juicer, dehydrator and blender. This will help me eat more and more raw foods!

LIFE IS GOOD!

Quote of the day:
Discover your way forward.
Whatever it is you choose to do, or to be, or to create, go ahead and begin.
Take some initial action, and that action will quickly feed other actions.
Though you may not yet know everything that must be done,
you do know of something you can do right now.
So do it, and get yourself started.
The first step will enable you to see what the second step is to be.
The second step will begin to establish powerful momentum.
Discover your way forward, and uncover joys that you would have never guessed were there. Learn and grow and build and create your way to whatever destination you have chosen.
No situation is ever hopeless.
Because whatever the situation may be, the moment you start to take action, you change it. Begin to act, and your world begins to change.
Keep going, and your life takes on more and more of the flavor of your dreams. -- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Buckwheat Grouts

2009-03-25T19:05:00.003-04:00

Buckwheat groats are available from health food stores and have a distinct flavour. For a milder taste, substitute oat groats or steel-cut oats. Whole grains provide essential amino acids and B vitamins to help with stress. Add dates to the groats as they provide plenty of sweetness along with fibre and minerals.

Raw Buckwheat Breakfast
8 dates 1 cup (250 mL) buckwheat
1 cup (250 mL) apple or pear juice
1 apple, coarsely diced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) shredded coconut
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

In a large bowl, cover buckwheat groats and dates with water and soak overnight at room temperature.
Drain buckwheat and dates, reserving 1 cup (250 mL) of liquid.
Blend reserved liquid, buckwheat, and dates together with apple juice and apple.
Top with coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add other dried fruits, nuts and seeds to taste.
Serves 2

Quote of the day: The power of feelings
You can feel good for no reason at all. In fact, you can choose to feel any way you wish at any time and in any situation. Whatever you desire, you desire because of the way you think it will make you feel. Whatever you avoid, you avoid because you don't wish to experience the feelings that you assume it will bring. Yet the fact is that your feelings are not controlled by your circumstances. Those feelings are determined by how you choose to respond to various situations and events. Your feelings in any moment are yours to choose. You can choose to feel the wonderful reality of your most treasured dreams long before those dreams have been fully achieved. And when you do, you put yourself in a positive, powerful place from which you can surely make those dreams real. When you feel good for no reason, you immediately begin to create the reasons. Choose each day to feel the way you wish to feel, no matter what is going on around you. And let your feelings pull you toward the fulfillment of your destiny.

-- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Papaya, Parsley and Applesauce

2009-03-15T15:06:00.005-04:00

Papaya is best known for its digestive properties. It is high in fiber and aids in restoring the natural flora in your intestines. The active digestive enzyme is papain and it is rich in vitamin C and carotene. The skin and pulp are also known as healing agents.

Emerald Apple Sauce
By Aletha Nowitzky
Blend well the following ingredients in the blender.
Two large apples ½ bunch (or one cup) parsley
Yields 2 cups Source: http://www.rawfamily.com/ newsletter

Parsley contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges, twice as much iron as spinach, is rich in vitamin A and contains folate, potassium and calcium.
Source: http://health.learninginfo.org/parsley.htm

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Happy Valentine's Day My Love

2009-02-14T12:55:00.010-05:00

I wish we were skidding rocks into an ocean somewhere.

Well here I am in week three of training for my 5K race in October. Although most of you probably can walk quicker than I am jogging, it is a start. Progress has already been seen on the volleyball court which has encouraged me to continue on this journey. I played exceptionally well last Thursdays and my teammates and the other team we played against all took the time to tell me so. I am so proud of my accomplishment. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for me. I am up to 30 min of jogging. Some days I have walked quickly but mostly a jog. Some days I have wanted to quit earlier but I have stuck with it. I would say that I have been doing the 30 min for about 2 weeks now. I took a week to go get to that point and if you know me, you will know that I did that way too fast. I was hurting the first few days. I should have stayed at 20 min for a week and then increased my time but nooooo, not me.

I have been drinking my green smoothies faithfully for the last two months and I have too much energy at times. I love it! I think that is what has given me the strength to play and jog. Well that is my update for now.

Celebrate Life,

Alma

MARGARITA --- GOOD LUCK

2009-01-23T19:10:00.012-05:00

Margaritaville

Good Luck Margarita!
We had a blast at the Margaritaville party. We wish you health and send our love. You will be in our prayers and we cannot wait to celebrate our next Margaritaville party.

Salt, salt, salt!

I would like thank all of you for coming to my home and making wonderful memories. Your generosity, companionship and overall enthusiasm to party was greatly appreciated. I know that Margarita was heartfelt just as each and every one of us was to share such wonderful evening. I am honored to have such great friends!

Con mucho amore y carino!

Celebrate Life,
Almita

4 Year Anniversary - much Gratefulness

2009-01-20T07:55:00.011-05:00

My first conscious thoughts of the day were of gratefulness. Thank you Lord for the last 4 years. Now I am going for 50 more. How happy am I to be alive! I went into tears of happiness today talking about my survival. Well this day is really bringing out a lot of emotion. More than I anticipated. I want to say that I have to get a grip but I have learned that I should be with the emotions I am feeling instead of keeping them bottled up inside. So I will cry.

I am also grateful for google for giving people like me the opportunity to express our feelings out into the world. I would never share these thoughts with anyone but this has become my avenue of expression. It has given me a release and a voice. It is here for myself as well as for milliions to read. I genually love the person I have become.

Quote of the day:

Create the best

Calm your thoughts and be peaceful.

Know that all is well, all the time.

This moment is already the best it can be, and is everything it can be.

Accept it and move forward.

Do not fear the worst, for your thoughts of fear give great power to whatever it is you fear. Instead, sincerely expect the best and you create the best.

Know that the positive possibilities are always present, and your eyes will be opened to them. Everything that is, can be put to good use in moving toward your highest vision for life.

As life unfolds in each moment, new opportunities are being born.

No matter what has already happened, choose to create the very best you can imagine.

This is the day that you have to work with.

Live with peaceful purpose, and use it to create a magnificent world. -- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Millet

2009-01-10T20:06:00.004-05:00

You'll benefit from plenty of protein when you include millet in your diet. Depending on the variety, millet's protein content is very close to that of wheat, with a half-cup serving, cooked, providing 4.2 grams. One-half cup raw millet contains 11 grams of protein.
Millet is rich in B vitamins, especially niacin, B6, and folacin and offers calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Since millet contains no gluten, it cannot rise to form a light bread. For a raised bread, it's best to combine it with wheat. Used alone, it's ideal for making flatbread.
The only grain that retains its alkaline nature when cooked, millet is ideal for those who are allergic to wheat and gluten
Millet can be used in many dishes in place of buckwheat, rice, or quinoa. It makes a tasty, light breakfast cereal, works well in vegetable loaves, gives extra body to soups or stews, and used raw, adds delightful, crunchy texture to muffins and quickbreads.

STORING: Store millet at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to a month. For longer storage, it should be refrigerated.

PREPARATION: All grains should be washed before cooking. Because millet absorbs water rapidly, wash the grains briefly. Measure the quantity you are planning to cook before washing.
1 cup raw millet yields 3 cups cooked. When measuring, use 3 1/2 parts liquid to 1 part millet. For 1 cup raw millet, add 1 t. salt.

COOKING: Because all pearl millet is not the same, cooking times may vary. Millet cooks up to make a fluffy, delicate-tasting grain that is best enjoyed warm. When cold it tends to become hard, dry, and lumpy.

TIMING:
To Bake, set oven at 350, put millet, salt, and liquid in a covered casserole, and bake for 45 minutes.

To Boil: Bring millet, salt, and liquid to a rolling boil and boil 10 minutes. Some varieties may take longer.

To Steam: Combine millet, salt, and liquid in a saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately turn heat down to low, and steam for 15 minutes without lifting lid. Turn off heat and set aside without peeking for 10 to 15 minutes. Some varieties require longer cooking, about 10 to 15 minutes more.

Enjoy millet often with this easy-to-prepare recipe. Serve with a crisp tossed salad, steamed vegetables, and whole grain bread.

Millet Crunch Granola

This healthy granola makes a great topping for fruit or yogurt. You can even eat it alone for a crunchy snack.

2 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup uncooked millet
1/3 cup brown rice syrup, agave nectar, or maple syrup
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 250ºF. Place rolled oats and millet on baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour.

I will put my dehydrator on 105ºF and roast for 3 to 4 hours and melt my tahini and water at the same time.

In small pan, melt sweetener, tahini, and water together over low heat. In large bowl, toss oats, millet, and seeds with tahini mixture until completely coated. Spread on unoiled baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes or until crisp. Dehydrate for another hour or two. Stir once or twice during baking. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Makes 8 servings

Variation: Add 1/2 to 1 cup dried fruit to cooked granola and store as directed.

Do not bake fruit.

Motivation of the Day: Over and Over

The actions, thoughts and words that become a permanent part of you are the ones you choose to repeat over and over again. Doing something once will certainly bring some kind of result, and doing it repeatedly will multiply its power many times over. You cannot lift a thousand pounds all at once. Yet you can lift one pound a thousand times. In the repetition of your thoughts and actions, there is great power. Choose to make complete and purposeful use of that power. Add immense leverage to what you do by doing it again and again. Give great strength to your actions by persistently repeating them. Nothing of value is ever accomplished in an instant. No skill is ever fully developed in a single day. Take the time to make the effort over and over again. That time and those efforts will bring great rewards. -- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Raw Grains - Yummy

2009-01-10T19:15:00.004-05:00

It's not uncommon to eat soaked or sprouted grains within the raw food community. So I have decided to give them a try since it is difficult for me to stay raw during the winter months. All I have to do with the grains is soak them, like I do with nuts and seeds to deactivate the enzyme inhibitors which interfere with digestion.

Try soaking steel cut oats (they are raw). They are so nice as a cereal in the morning (drain excess water and mix in a small bit of celtic sea or himalayan salt) with a bit of honey.

Healthy Multi-Grain Breakfast Cereal Recipe

Buy approximately 1/3 lb of each of the following grains: Brown rice Steel cut oats Wheat berry

Barley
Buckwheat
Lentils
Millet
Spelt
Sunflower seeds
Flax seed
Quinoa

Put all the grains together in a large container and mix so that the grains are uniformly distributed throughout the cereal.

To serve, begin by grinding approximately 1/8 to 1/3 cup of grain per serving.

Prepare the cereal the night before by placing the serving in a bowl, adding approximately an equal amount of water, covering it and allowing it to sit over night. Soaking the mixture is necessary to deactivate the enzyme inhibitors which interfere with digestion.

In the morning, add whatever fruit you have available or some chopped soaked almonds, raisins, and/or a dash of cinnamon. You can add honey and cinnamon or just eat it plain.

Motivation:
Something wonderful will come from this. Something of great value is already taking shape. In every disappointment, there are fertile seeds of accomplishment. In times of pain, there are opportunities arising for magnificent joy. When you are making your way through the dark and lonely valley, keep going. Keep going and you'll soon reach the place where you begin to climb out and up toward the mountaintop. Allow your difficulties the opportunity to give you strength. Let the tough times make the good times much more rewarding than they otherwise would have been. Be truly thankful for each opportunity to more fully appreciate life's goodness. And be confident that the goodness is always there. Know that something wonderful will come from this. And it will. -- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Alkalizing foods - Reply to Sue

2009-01-08T22:25:00.002-05:00

Sue wrote a comment on this blog on my post Happy Holidays from Saturday, December 27th. Here is my reply:

I still believe that alkalizing the body improves overall health and prevents disease. I have been reading about foods and their affects on our bodies faithfully for over 3 years now and my undergraduate degree is in foods and nutrition. This is my opinion but I feel that I am living proof as well. I judge how foods affects my body by my volleyball play and I can say there was a difference when I went vegetarian and a difference when I added green smoothies and an even bigger difference when I went raw.

Please send me the source where you read about just drinking the green drink and adding alkaline drops to water alone will make a big difference as it balances the acidic foods eaten making the body more alkaline. I would love to review the information.

My other blog entry on this topic can be found here.

Quote of the day:

"A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. " Wade Boggs

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Happy New Year

2009-01-04T10:34:00.003-05:00

I went shopping for my greens this morning and I just finished making my green smoothies for the week. I freeze them and have them ready in the morning. I use the frozen smoothie as ice for my lunch bag. When I am ready to drink my smoothie it is nice and cold. Today I made my green smoothies with red leaf lettuce, dandelion, apples and bananas.

I will also have some live shakes in the morning with spirulina. I bought some spirulina powder and I cannot believe the color. It is so incredibly dark green. I am used to green foods but this is incredible. The problem is that it is so darn expensive. I am going to shop on the internet and see what I can find. You know that I will post my findings.

Now is your moment:
It is now, and now is different. Even though you may have experienced an overwhelming amount of disappointment in the past, the past is over. Perhaps you've failed again and again. Now is different. That was then and this is now. Now you have the opportunity to move forward. Now you can do what you've never been able to do before. Now you can follow through on the things you've been unable or unwilling to do in the past. Now is your moment to live. Now is the time to act. Now is when you can truly make a difference. Stand up, step forward and live. -- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Gall Bladder Blues

2008-12-29T16:40:00.005-05:00

I have had a few problems with my gall bladder throughout the years and I had an episode a few weeks ago. So I want to see what foods and supplements will aid in restoring my gall bladder.

The main function of the gall bladder is to collect and concentrate the bile that the body uses to digest fats. The gall bladder takes a lot of workload off the liver and I have read that if your gall bladder is dysfunctional it is often due to the fact that the liver is as well. So since the gall bladder and liver work together I feel as I should work on improving the function of both.

Recommended supplements are:

MSM (Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane), as sulphur is a vital component of healthy bile

Vitamin C because it will neutralize the free radicals in the detoxification process

Flaxseed Oil as it aids in reducing inflamation of the liver

Livatone® Plus - an herbal liver tonic with dandelion, Milk Thistle, amino acids and lecithin. Dandelion increases bile production and causes the gall bladder to expel any small stones and gravel. Lecithin aids in fat digestion
Selenium - reduces gall bladder inflamation
Raw Juices - shocker huh? Like I could not figure that one out

I used to have Quotes of the Day and got away from it for some unknown reason. Now I decided to have a motivational quote of the day. I go to this webisite almost every day and it is inspiring to me so I hope it will have the same effect on you.

Powerful or Desperate?

You can either be desperate or you can be powerful. How would you prefer to be? You can ignore your responsibilities and continue to let yourself fall more and more behind, until you have no choice but to desperately take action. Or, you can push yourself a little bit more each day, grabbing every opportunity to make progress, and put yourself firmly in control of your own circumstances. Use time as it comes, to be productive and creative and effective. The more wisely you use your time, the more control you'll have over all the aspects of your life. Get in the habit of doing what is best instead of merely what is easiest. In fact, seek out the difficult challenges and deal with them on your own terms rather than waiting until they find you. If you wish, you can come up with plenty of excuses for not taking action. But those excuses will add nothing of value to your life. Instead, go ahead and do what must be done, then take the initiative and do even more. Live life on the highest level by working your way upward each chance you get. -- Ralph Marston

Celebrate Life,

Alma

HAPPPY HOLIDAYS

2008-12-27T18:28:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,

I have not written in a while but what can I say. Like most of you I have been very busy with the holiday season. I just got back from a visit to my parents and well, I want to surf the internet and catch up on some stuff. I have a few ideas for a few new posts but you will have to wait for the information.

Luigi (above picture) and I wish you and your families Health and Happiness!

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Start the Celebration

2008-12-03T17:42:00.011-05:00

Well its time for me to start my 4 year cancer survivor celebration. Even though my actual anniversary date is January 20Th. Every six months I have been going to see my pulmonary doctor, I get a cat scan and pulmonary function tests done. Well today was my 4 year checkup. My pulmonary tests have been consistent for the past 5 years so that is good news. This disease has not progressed.

My doctor still smiles when he asks me if I am still playing volleyball and I say YES. He also smiles when I tell him all the activities I do. He says I am a high functioning human being and that the numbers he sees from my tests mean nothing to him because of how good I am doing. Another physician that is doing her fellowship with him stated that most people on oxygen do not want to do anything and she was quite impressed with my exercise regime.

So I will continue on my journey using medical science and alternative methods to regain my pulmonary functions back up to 100%. Greens every day, foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements, non-processed foods and a positive attitude. These have helped me to regain my strength and peace of mind so far so why change things. I will keep learning about foods and keep sharing with all of you . It is a win-win situation. So...

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Inspiration comes in many ways

2008-11-16T06:58:00.002-05:00

I switched jobs earlier this year and what I miss the most is the people from my old job. They were so supportive of my 'raw food diet' and very inquisitive. Every day different people would stop by to see what I was drinking and or eating. I had a corner desk so I was in a very visible spot. Many times I would make enough fruit or green smoothies to share and when it was time to celebrate birthdays or different occasions I would bring in raw foods. I received many questions about foods and nutrition. I would come home research them and then post them on this blog. Anyway I recently received an email from a coworker and I wanted to share it with you. Many have looked to me as an inspiration but this email inspired me!

Everything is great on my end. I actually went to a nutritionist for 5 visits. We talked about alot of things. One thing I requested was for her to research ALKALINE AND ACID and to put it into laymans terms for me ( I had such a hard time translating the book you gave me). The outcome was very interesting. Originally she put together my own personalized eating plan ~ the proper proportions of protein and (good ) carbs to total the correct amount of calories per day. Later on when she did the alkaline/acid proportions, it definitely tied back to the protein and carbs schedule I was following (eg) Salmon & Yams....Awesome right? and I have you to thank. I have this little Alma voice in my head ( daily) reminding me ~ you are what you eat ~also what you drink~ mineral water vs reg water.

Thanks Mary Ann

We can make a difference!

Quote of the Day:
'Most people work hard and spend their health trying to achieve wealth. Then they retire and spend their wealth trying to get back their health.'

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Spirulina vs. Chlorella

2008-11-15T15:20:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine (JJ) read that I was going to be taking Chlorella tablets and she stated that she had been taking Spirulina for a while along with her green smoothies. Should she switch or add Chlorella tablets to her diet. She wanted to know the difference between the two.

I did some research and I summed up what I read. In my opinion I would take both Spirulina and Chlorella because they both offer a lot as far nutrients and restoring your body to health.

Both these algaes are considered super foods which means they are inordinarily high in healing substances. They are way better to eat than regular foods.
Spirulina is very high in vitamin B12, B complex, iron, essential trace minerals, beta-carotene and gamma-linolenic acid. It is the richest source of natural antioxidants of any whole food and it has more concentrated vegetable nutrition than any other whole food. It is said to prevent and reverse kidney damage. Some people have claimed that this can cure everything from wrinkles and shortness of breath when climbing stairs to hives, asthma and white hair in young people. It is one of the most efficient, oxygen generating foods in existence. Spirulina is said to be the easiest to digest and absorb of all the algaes.

Chlorella is a green single-celled micro algae that contains the highest concentrations of chlorophyll known (60 mg/serving). It has high levels of Beta-Carotene, Vitamin B12, Iron, RNA and DNA, and protein. Chlorella is a powerful chelator valued for its ability to bind and remove heavy metals from the body. This is harder to digest than the other algaes because of the indigestible cell walls. The cell wall needs to be ruptured so it can absorb mercury and to allow access to its nutrients. Heavy metal toxicity could be from amalgam fillings, childhood immunizations and our diet. Detoxing our bodies from heavy metals is a definite first step to mental and physical health.

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Live Foods

2008-11-11T18:32:00.004-05:00

Chlorella Tablets

Incan Golden Berries

Goji Berries

I am still on my raw foods diet but this time I have incorporated more live foods like miso and sprouts. I also have added more superfoods like macca and hemp seeds. I still love my blue green algae and I do not have many fruits. I have been trying to go without sugar for a while but that is a real challenge. I still have some raisins and goji berries as well as Incan golden berries in my cabinet that I do not want to discard. (My gosh, these foods sound like a totally different language. I would not know what these foods were a few years ago. Now they are normal terms in my household.)

I also want to get into Chlorella tablets since it is the richest natural source of chlorophyll. I also have different kinds of enzymes but I have not been consistent in taking them. So I am still and will always be a WIP (work in progress).

Celebrate Life,
Alma

I am back on track

2008-10-21T21:09:00.002-04:00

Hello All,
I am happy to say that I started eating 100% raw again now for about a week and I am feeling fantastic! I played volleyball yesterday better than ever before! My body was like a machine. Yes I was out of breath but my heart recooperated quicker than ever before and I was able to run and jump better than ever before.

Yes I was not eating 100% raw for a few months but I started feeling yucky. I was not feeling at the top of my game and I started feeling tired a lot. I started eating raw foods more and more and built up to where I am now. I am happy to say that I have not napped after work for over a month now.

My diet has changed some from before too. I am incorporating many more vegetables and juicing. I have eliminated fruits too. The premise is that cancer likes sugar and since I do not like cancer I am willing to give it up for a while. Actually Gabriel Cousens and Hippocrates Health institute have diets that do not have any sugar. So my diet mainly consists of vegetables, nuts and seeds. Oh the fruits I am allowing myself to have are tomatoes, avocado, coconuts and cucumbers.

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Raw Books and My Book

2008-08-14T21:25:00.004-04:00

Hello, I just got a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble and I want to purchase a couple of new Raw Food recipe books. I would like some easy recipes for those days after work when a quick fix is all that is needed. I would also like a book to help during those long, cold winter days. So if any of you have any great books you want to make me aware of please do so.

I am getting settled into my new home. Yes, I moved and my quest is my book. In a couple of weeks I am going to seriously get to writing a book. I have small bits and pieces and some photos and poetry but I have to put it all together and write a lot. I set a few goals this year and they have all come to fruition and the only one missing is my book. My goal for the book was to start writing it in my new home.

So I am here to tell you that dreams do come true. If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen. I have worked on this over and over again and it really works. Create the intention, believe in it and stay focused on it and it will manifest.

Of course not everything goes my way so I just read my favorite post and I want to share the link with you because it serves as a reminder of the person I want to be. I am that person but I am human and sometimes I lose focus. I hope you enjoy reading it again. Here it is.

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Water Fast

2008-08-04T20:30:00.004-04:00

Well today I decided to fast. I have not been 100% raw so I figured it would be a good time to show myself who is in control of my life. I have done well. I am hoping that I could get to bed without tummy noises so I am drinking all I can. The other dilema will be getting up too many times during the night to excrete this water. All I can say is that it is surely going through me.

I have 1/2 a cantaloupe cut up for breakfast tomorrow and I have a bottle of kombucha ready to go. I also have a couple of apples. I just might eat all fruit tomorrow. I will see how I feel and perhaps fast again on Wednesday.

I have a cleansing kit for the entire body and it will last over a month. Yes I can eat raw foods while on the cleanse but it would be best to do it with just organic apple juice. It seems a little extreme but I have to figure out what I will do. I have many options. I can do each section as a fast and take a few days off in between and just eat raw foods. Or I can eat one raw meal per day. This sounds the most feasible to me at this time but first I want to fast a couple of days a week for a short while.

I hope I get the feeling of peace and ease within my body that I got the first time I fasted for a day. Ahhh, I long for tomorrow for that awesome feeling.

Celebrate Life,
Alma

and so the training begins...

2008-07-22T20:03:00.001-04:00

This week I will start my training for my 5K in October. I will just be walking for 30 to 60 minutes as long as my knee holds up. A few week ago my left knee started bothering me and now I am taking an OTC remedy to ease the discomfort away.

I have done some research and here is my first training workout that I will attempt by the end of next week.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Now this might be too strenuous for me so I have to see how much I can do. However I will adjust as necessary. I may start with a 30 second jog and 60 walk to see how my heart and lungs hold up. I will report back and let you know.

As for my diet I am going to attempt to have green smoothies daily and do a lot of juicing. Wish me luck!
Celebrating Life,
Alma

This one's for me

2008-07-16T18:27:00.003-04:00

I put a goal out there to run a 5K race some time this year. The time has come for me to register and I feel myself fearing. Fearing the race, the training and the diet. I have come so far only to let it go. I have been back on track the last couple of weeks eating more and more raw foods as the days go on. I still carry about 15 pounds of weight gain since I went off track. My motivation for exercising subsided but I am working on that too.

I know that I am the only one holding myself back. I want this race to be a metaphor for leaving my past in the past and looking forward to the future and the possibilities of doing anything I put my mind to. Imagine a person with oxygen running a race. I will run for life! My life!
Celebrate Life,
Alma

Green Smoothies

2008-07-10T16:40:00.006-04:00

Tonight it is back to volleyball. The NorthEast is getting a break from some hot, humid weather and I am glad! I like the different seasons but the humidity makes it harder for me to breathe hense harder for me to play volleyball. Anyway tonight should be a lot of fun. People will be wanting to play since last week was the day before the holiday and many people did not get to play. I have my oxygen tanks full and my LARGE bottled water in the refrigerator. When that clock ticks to 7PM, I am out of here!

My diet is going well! I am not 100% raw but I am pleased with the way it is going. I eat a small portion of cooked foods on a daily basis. I do my green juices and green smoothies. I eat my LaraBars, raw trailmix and fruits. My weight loss has not been the same as last time I went raw and that is because I am not exercising as much and I am not 100% raw. Hopefully I will get myself back to that space real soon.

Kait asked me about green smoothies today. I found a list of recipes that she can start up with. This list is from Frederic Patenaude.

Always blend the fruit first –
2-3 cups any greens of your choice, 2 cups papaya, 2 oranges, 3 dates
1 handful lettuce leaves, 1 handful mint, 4 bananas, 1/2 cup water
1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, 1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, water
4-5 kale leaves, 4 apples, 1/2 lemon juiced, water
2 big handfuls mixed baby greens, 2 pears, 2 mangoes, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
choc-mint – 2 cups spinach, 10-12 mint leaves, 3 bananas, 2 Tbs. carob powder, 1 cup water
1 handful of spinach, 2 stalks of celery, 2 bananas, 2 pears, 1 apple, 1 cup water
1 small handful of spinach, 2 cups arugula, 2-3 mangoes, 1 cup water
1/2 head romaine lettuce, 1 small pineapple, 1 large mango, 1-inch fresh ginger
1 handful wild greens (e.g. dandelion), 1 small handful mint leaves, 3 cups honeydew melon
3-4 stalks celery, 2 ripe persimmons, 1 banana
1 handful chard leaves, 5-6 kale leaves, 3 large bananas, 1 cup water
1 handful parsley, 3 cups of peeled papaya

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Drummer Gal

2008-07-01T16:52:00.005-04:00

I just found out that LaraBars was bought out by General Mills in a co-bloggers site. Here is the link. I too hope the quality and integrity of the product does not suffer. So much for helping out the little guys. Why is it that the little guys usually get bought out by the big ones?

Anyway, I had a lot of fun on the 4Th of July. I got to play a drum once again in a parade. Nothing like the joy of creating and playing music ! Who knows I may have a new career.

I had a great weekend eating lots of watermelon and delicious Jersey tomatoes. It rained but I was able to enjoy the beach, family, friends and my puppy.

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-01T16:15:00.005-04:00

Wow, I am actually proud of myself. I am doing well on raw again. I have stuck to diet and have enjoyed it. Looking back I believe that I will have to have a better plan of action for the winter months. Fruits and vegetables do not run as abundant, sweet and affordable. Besides that my body wanted something hot and substantial and cheesecake could only cut it so far. I tried because I did eat a lot of cheesecake but I am going to try to get some recipes that will become my new "comfort" foods.

I ordered LaraBars from amazon.com and they just came in today. I am so excited because when I want cake or a chocolate candy bar I reach out for the Jocalat. I love their cherry pie flavor also. Has anyone tried their chocolate coffee one?

Well last night I made 4 batches of green smoothies in my Vitamix and I froze them in containers. I am good to go for about a month. It is time consuming and I do lose some of the nutrients but it is a quick fix. I usually try to have 2 containers or servings out at a time. I try to have a green smoothie for breakfast on a daily basis. This starts my day off right! Sometimes I will have another serving after volleyball. Nothing like replenishing your body with good carbohydrates after a workout. This really assists your body in replenishing nutrients and building your muscles.

My smoothies consisted of kale, collards, a little spinach, bananas. I varied each batch with different fruits. One had blueberries, one strawberries, one was mostly bananas and the last one had fruit sorbet which I had made last month. Thanks to my parents for going shopping for me. They went to Amish country in PA on Sunday and bought be lots of fruits and vegetables. I still have a watermelon to cut up and sprouts to juice.

Enjoy the weather and happy 4th!

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Back to Raw

2008-06-26T18:18:00.003-04:00

Hello,

It has been a while since I have blogged. I started eating 100% raw two days ago. I have thought a lot about why I started eating cooked foods but mostly why I have not been able to get back to eating raw and one of the main reasons I have come to realize is my support system. Since I switched jobs in the early part of March I lost a very large structure of support. My previous co-workers were very instrumental in my day-to-day diet. They were always very curious and would have lots of questions. Many of them changed various parts of their diets to incorporate raw foods, juicing or overall healthier diets.

Earlier this week I realized that I would have to do this diet and get self-motivated. Well I did that and today I was talking with a new co-worker about The Master Cleanse and about healthy eating. She stated that she was glad that I was around to talk to about healthful eating and that she wanted to learn more about the raw food lifestyle. Here is where I came full circle. Kait is the start of my support system in my new job. Our interactions will lead to many new posts on this blog. This should help her, help me and help everyone else reading this.

So welcome back everyone. May this be a renewed friendship!

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Grezzo Restaurant

2008-04-12T09:10:00.005-04:00

Hello all,
I am in Boston and I had the pleasure of eating at Grezzo's last night. We had an incredible meal. Pics to follow. There were three of us and we ate the following:
Sweet white corn soup with jicama, avocado & cayenne
House salad - soft baby lettuce with house-made cheese, croutons and green goddess vinaigrette
Native tomato ravioli - house-made Boursin, micro mint, Italian parsley and truffle
Gnocchi carbonara - house-made dumplings, creamy rawmesan and fresh English peas with crispy eggplant and pea shoots

We all ate the same entree -
Vegetable lasagna - winter vegetable lasagna layered with béchamel, house-made pomodoro and fresh oregano

We split a desert because we were stuffed -Sinfully delicious cheesecake - fresh berries, kiwi and lavender

Oh and to drink we had a mojito made with kambucha. I tell you we loved it and would love to go back for more. Alissa was not there but the staff was really friendly and knowledgeable of all the food. The restaurant is tastefully done and I would highly recommend it.

Celebrate Life!

Beijing Here I Come

2008-03-11T21:05:00.001-04:00

I am entering a contest at work that would give me the opportunity to travel to Beijing for a week as an online correspondent for the Olympic games. The prize consists of being equipped with a laptop, an all-expense-paid trip to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to attend Olympic events, meet athletes and much more. The company claims that in order for the athletes to make their Olympic dreams a reality, rely on a network of caregivers including their family, physicians and trainers to give them the support they need to achieve their peak performance. In 300 words or less, write about the caregiver(s) in your life who have helped you to achieve your goals and dreams. Personally I cannot see how I could not win this contest but instead of sounding so confident I just want to put it out in the universe that I want to win this. Do you hear me universe, I WANT TO WIN THIS!!!

Well yesterday and today I have eaten pretty much the same things. I figure if I eat fruit and salad all day then I can have desert for dinner. So that is what I did. Dinner was blueberry pie and cheesecake. I think this is a marvelous idea and I might just keep this habit up!

When life's problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself fortunate." - Ann Landers

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Food Kicks

2008-03-10T18:44:00.001-04:00

I have been on food kicks lately. I ate chocolate cheesecake for about 3 weeks. I ate an entire cheesecake one weekend and then that kick was over. After that I had a cheesecake in the freezer for 2 weeks before I even tried a piece.

That is because I went into a coconut milk kick. I get the juice and flesh of 2 to 3 young Thai coconuts and put them in the vitamix and add some vanilla, cinnamon and Stevia and indulge. This has been going on for about 2 weeks now.

Last night I made Alissa's blueberry pie. Now we're talking! Tonight for dinner I had a large piece of blueberry pie and a piece of cheesecake. Dinner of champions.Now I am off to volleyball. Have a great night everyone!

Celebrate Life

pH Balance – achieving a healthy acid/alkaline balance

2008-03-05T09:51:00.002-05:00

Our blood must maintain a slightly alkaline state for our survival and many of our metabolic processes and enzyme reactions require this type of environment in order to function properly. The good news is that it is easy to correct improper pH balances by eating alkaline-forming foods. The bad news is that the American diet is mainly composed of foods that are highly acidic or turn highly acidic when digested.

Many acidic foods digest as alkaline in your body like citrus fruits so some research should be done. I recommend reading The Acid-Alkaline Diet and The Acid Alkaline Balance Diet.

Highly acidic foods: processed, sugary, fried, animal proteins and gluten

Highly alkaline foods: fruits, vegetables, seaweeds, almonds and cashews

Some quick ideas:
Take deep breaths
Use liquid amino acids instead of vinegar in salads
Use sea salt or eat more sea vegetables like dulse and kelp instead of table salt
Eat lots of green foods including alfalfa, chlorella and spirulina

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you" - Wayne Dyer

Celebrate Life
Alma

Double Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

2008-03-02T18:01:00.004-05:00

I have been eating a lot of raw cheesecake lately and the recipe that I have used is Kristen’s Double Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake. I have altered the receipe using crasins for ½ the amount of raisins, I have used cacao butter and coconut butter instead of coconut oil and just fiddled around with the recipe and the results were all good. I actually used the vitamix for the filling as it makes it much smoother and silkier. So give it a try. I am sure you will love it as much as I do.

Here are a couple of pictures of some friends. President’s day meant to volleyball so we got together anyway. Have you heard of bobbleheads? Here is our version of drinkheads?

“Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal.” - Author Unknown

Celebrate Life,

Alma

In Memory of Carol Baer...

2008-02-07T22:14:00.000-05:00

I will miss her phone calls
I will miss her laughter as it still echos in my mind

We laughed and played like children,
We misbehaved like mischeivous teenagers
We cried and grieved like adults

Always supportive,
Encouraging,
Full of compliments
Wanting to know my next steps
Celebrating my little wins
While her health was declining rapidly.

My dad found this link and sent it to me in honor of Carol. Please view
The Dash

I Celebrate your Life Carol

5 Month - Before and After

2008-01-29T23:06:00.000-05:00

01/25/08

09/02/07

It has been so hard to stay raw the last couple of days. I have done it but it I have been eating mostly packaged goods. I have been living on live food bars, dehydrated crackers, almond butter and homemade trail mix. Tomorrow I work from home from about 1 to 9PM so I am going shopping in the morning. I am going to buy produce out the wazoo! I miss my fruit and salads! Yes salads! I cannot believe I just said that. I usually drink my salads but the other day I made the best impromptu salad dressing and now I am craving salads. I guess that is what my body needs. Oh, I forgot, I made a chocolate cheesecake last night that is pretty good

I just need to keep myself motivated because I have not lost a lot of weight but rather inches. I am almost over it about now but like my buddy greenday I am going to watch my nut intake, take my digestive enzymes regularly and stick with this healthy program. I will succeed! I think it is time to show my before and after to keep my motor going. It will serve as a reminder for myself and perhaps it will help and inspire some of you. It’s a WIN-WIN situation for all of us. You can see my after picture taken last Friday 1/25/8 and my before taken 9/2/7.

"This one step - choosing a goal and staying to it - changes everything."- Scott Reed

Celebrate Life

Exhausted & Exhilarated

2008-01-28T07:40:00.000-05:00

I played in a volleyball tournament yesterday. We played from 11AM to 4PM with breaks in between but I was exhausted. I napped for 2 hours after the game but that was not enough. I went back to bed thereafter until this morning.

I did a search for a raw food restaurant in the area and it looks like there is a new one about 20 minutes away. I will be calling them today!

The good news of the day was that someone from Facebook invited me to give a talk at one of their potluck meetups. It is in TN so we will have to work out the logistics however, I put the message out there and there was someone wanting the service.

I love this life, world and universe! Have a great day!

"Never give up, never, never give up." - Winston Churchill

Celebrate Life!

Happy, happy, joy, joy

2008-01-26T22:28:00.000-05:00

Picture taken by Wendy Lynch

As if the last 1.5 weeks has not been magical enough. I wrote to a few professional photographers I know about my writing my life story and I asked them about publishing. Well Elizabeth Opalenik (Opa) wrote back to me and she was thrilled for me and all my news. She read many of my blog posts and loved the glow on my face! I am suppose to meet in July in Colorado with a few friends to hike, hang out and take photos. Anyway my point is that she offered to do my author’s portrait or work with me so I could do a self-portrait. YIPEE, YAHOO! That dancing figure in my chest keeps doing cartwheels! Opa has published a book entitled Poetic Grace, is featured in many photographic magazines and it well know in her industry. She has a passion for teaching that I have never encountered in anyone else and her website shows some of her work. I will share a couple of pictures that she has taken of me but this is one my friend Wendy Lynch took of Opa and me from a distance. This is where I spent about 5 weeks in the last 3 years on vacation and retreats.

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." - Albert Einstein

Rawk on! Life is good!

Celebrate Life

Orb? White Light? Energy?

2008-01-25T21:46:00.001-05:00

Remember in yesterday’s blog how I said “I am so happy and so crazed about celebrating life that I feel a little "mini-me" inside my chest jumping around saying YIPEE, YAHOO, WOOHOO.” I have never felt joy and happiness like this before. This little “mini-me” example was the best way for me to describe this. I told one co-worker, Kerrianne, this story yesterday and today my co-workers threw a surprise party for me to celebrate my 3 years of being cancer free. We had all agreed to wear red for woman’s heart disease awareness. So I took a picture with Kerrianne. We immediately looked at the picture to see how it came out. I saw something white on my sweater in the picture and when I looked at my actual sweater there was nothing there. Kerrianne actually voiced this. I immediately said it was an angel. Hours went by and Kerrianne said let’s zoom into that white thing on your chest. Now things got more interesting. It definitely looks like a source of energy, an orb. Two other people stated that it was an angel. What do you think?

Don't be afraid of the space between yourdreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so." - Belva Davis

Celebrate Life

Dancing Person in my Chest

2008-01-24T18:13:00.000-05:00

I am so happy and so crazed about celebrating life that I feel a little "mini-me" inside my chest jumping around saying YIPEE, YAHOO, WOOHOO!!!

I am so happy that I went up to Maine and took Alissa Cohen's certification class. It was about the food and not about the food. I learned a lot about raw foods but learned even more about myself. I am charged up and ready to go! I am happy to say that I am going to publish the story of my life and include some poems and photography. The plan is set in motion and this is the beginning of a new journey for me! YES

I got good news today. I have had a nurse calling me every three months for the last three years checking up on me and my health. Today she said that she was going to close my case because I am doing so well. She said she was proud of my progress and how I took control of my life with exercising and diet. I was very happy and very emotional. I had a bittersweet response but realized that her time was better spent on people who really need her help. Our last few phone calls were more social. This nurse has been with me through hell and back and it was kind of a relief and a closing of a chapter of my life. "I am done with that for FOREVER!"

I am eating again

2008-01-14T22:16:00.000-05:00

Yahoo, I finished my fast. I did my 5 day colon cleanse and I am off to play volleyball in a short while. I must write a quick post because I want to eat something before I go. I have to say that I really missed the “eating” experience. I missed chewing! I had an apple this morning and waited a couple of hours and then had another one. I lunch I had vegetable soup with fresh avocado. YUM, did I say YUM? I love avocados. I also had an orange. For a snack I had another orange. Now I am going to make some kind of concoction with young Thai coconuts. I am doing the happy dance in honor of raw foods!

"The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible -- and achieve it, generation after generation." - Pearl S. Buck

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Fast Day 5

2008-01-13T17:26:00.001-05:00

Today was a lot easier than yesterday. Part of the reason why is because I have spent my entire day at the volleyball court. I got up this morning, did a few things around the house and went to play VB. I played for 2.5 hours. We did 1.5 hour + of drills and almost 1 hour of game play. Then I sat there and watched the advanced players for almost 2 hours. I was exhausted and I wanted my body temperature to return to normal before I left. I got so involved into the games that I lost track of time. What I am most proud of is the workout I had and the ability of my body to keep up. This was definitely the toughest day for me yet and I am very joyful of the outcome. I actually got teared up several times when I would think of what I put my body through today and it was able to respond. WOW! YAHOO!

"For every failure, there's an alternative courseof action. You just have to find it. When youcome to a roadblock, take a detour." - Mary Kay

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Fast Day 4

2008-01-13T10:25:00.001-05:00

I made it through another day and today was rough. Last night it started getting rough and it was not that I was hungry. I think I just missed chewing. So I took a thin slice of an apple and chewed it to get all the juice out and spit out the rest of it. Tonight I made dinner for a friend that has spent the day with me. I was soooooooo tempted but I did not eat. I am glad that is over because it was difficult. I also got a steam burn on my writst that is pretty bad. I put raw potato on it so it would not blister but I had to go to ice. It was hours ago and if I do not keep ice on it, like now while I am typing, it stings like crazy.

"The greatest mistake you can make in life isto be continually fearing you will

make one." - Elbert Hubbard

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Fast Day 3

2008-01-11T16:13:00.000-05:00

I am happy to say that I am on day 3 and everything is going better than I expected as far as hunger pangs go. I thought it would be harder, that is until I read another blog and the author wrote about pizza. I could smell it and kindof taste it. Wow, did that hit me in the saliva glands! I am drinking water but it is not doing the trick. Anyhow, I received an interesting phone call this morning. A good friend of mine just told me that she is going raw. I was shocked! I did not expect it. She had asked me to help her with some recipes because one of her daughters wanted to eat vegetarian for a week. Soon after someone else in the family wanted to try it. My friend said that she has seen what I have done with my life and she has seen all the positive changes that have occurred that she has to try this for herself. This has made me feel very special. To think I inspired someone to go raw. She has checked out RFT (RFT) and she will be joining soon. Oh, and her kids love Alissa’s banana ice cream. They have been asking for it every night.

I love the dailyrawcafe. I make many of their recipes. I tried these out and I wanted to share. You can find the recipes for the following pictures right here.

Spinach-Stuffed Meatloaf

Lemon Green Beans

Honey-Glazed Carrots

"Yesterday's failures are today's seeds that must be diligently planted to be able to abundantly harvest tomorrow's successes." - Author Unknown

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Fast Day 2

2008-01-10T21:46:00.000-05:00

Day 2 of 5 day fast, which has now turned into a 6 day fast because I have enough product and why not? That means I get to eat on Tuesday. It has not been hard, the not eating thing, until I see food. I found myself salivating before so I changed the TV channel. I was going to go through my raw cookbooks but I think I will wait on that too. The headaches subsided some today. Hallelujah! I woke up with a real sore throat and have gone through a few coughing spells today. Overall, I am keeping my good attitude because I know I will be feeling much better in a few days!

"What you get by reaching your destination is not nearly as important as what you will become by reaching your destination." - Zig Ziglar

Celebrate Life ,

Alma

Fast Day 1

2008-01-09T19:55:00.000-05:00

Today is my first day of a 5 day fast. I felt so awesome after a 2 day fast that I decided to do a colon cleanse and this herbal dietary supplement I am using recommends a 5 day juice fast for best results. So today I have been dealing with a bad headache for most the day. It comes and goes at times but it is there big time. Every time I have felt a little hunger pang it is time for my apple juice and herbal formula. It has not been too bad as far as the hunger goes. I cannot wait to experience the effects after this one. I can eat again on Monday. Then Thursday I am off to Maine where I will be eating 100% raw organic foods for 5 days. It seems like the next two weeks will be life changing. Stay tuned for updates.

"Success doesn't come to you, you go to it." - Marva Collins

Celebrate life,

Alma

Mexican Meal - Welcome Rianna

2008-01-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

I tried this recipe compliments of The Daily Raw Cafe and it was delicious.

Here is the recipe:

WALNUT TACO MEAT
1 c walnut, soaked 2 hours
½ c sun-dried tomatoes, soaked 30 minutes, save water
¼ c finely chopped yellow onion
½ t taco seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ sun-dried tomato water
½ t sea salt

Combine ingredients in food processor until mixed well.
***For a less moist texture, put in dehydrator for 1 hour.

SOUR CREAM
½ c macadamia nuts
juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ t sea salt
6-7 T water

Blend macadamia nuts, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Add 1 tablespoon water at a time to create a smooth consistency.

TOPPINGS
2 tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
Avocado, chopped or Guacamole
4 cups shredded lettuce

Place 1 cup lettuce, a portion of the walnut taco meat, tomatoes, avocado and sour cream on a plate.

Spicy Refried Beans
Compliments of Alissa Cohen's Cookbook (checkout my link at top of blog)

2 cups sprouted chickpeas
1 cup walnuts
2 avocados
2 limes, juiced
1 clove garlic
2 tsp olive oil
4 tsp cumin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more)
pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Salsa

6 tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lime

¾ - 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes,

2 tbso extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

jalapenos (optional)

Mix together onion and garlic. Then add juice of 1 lime and chopped tomatoes. Add the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Best if made the day before!

"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." - Elbert Hubbard

Celebrate Life,
Alma

2 day Fast - 60 hours

2008-01-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

I decided to do a 2 day fast and I am happy to say that I did it. I have never gone on a fast before so this was a totally new experience. I have to thank Alissa Cohen for her message boards at RawFoodTalk because the feeds on fasting really helped me out. I read the majority of the posts yesterday and that gave me the strength to do this fast. By the time I get up tomorrow morning it will be a 60 hour fast.

1/1/8

40 oz salt water colon cleanse

40 oz apple celery juice

8 oz raw apple cider vinegar with water and raw honey

32 oz carrot lettuce juice

32 oz carrot juice

80 oz water

32 oz apple celery juice

10 oz herbal tea

The first symptoms I started feeling on my first day were cold fingers, toes and lips. Due to my oxygen needs there are many times when I cannot get warm and my fingers and toes get real cold but I have not realized the cold lips. Next a headache set in so now I know for sure that I am detoxing. I had these symptoms most of the day but I made it. It has been over 24 hours that I did not eat anything. Woohoo!

1/2/8

10 oz salt water colon cleanse

16 oz apple celery juice

10 oz herbal tea

32 oz carrot lettuce juice2

4 oz strawberry juice

24 oz tangerine juice

32 oz apple celery cabbage juice

32 oz water

The symptoms today were headache on and off all day and night and cold feet and hands again. I thought I would extend this another day but I have changed my mind. I went to the produce market today and bought some cherries, strawberries, lettuce, cabbage and avacados. I already made coleslaw for tomorrow and I cannot wait til the morning to bite into some cherries. YUM.

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you" - Wayne Dyer

Celebrate Life,

Alma

JUDGEMENT, FORGIVENESS & COMPASSION

2008-01-01T10:59:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!
I do not remember ever writing New Year resolutions but today I want to write down things that I have practiced but feel that I need a lot more work on.
First one is judgement. I am sure that there have been many times in your life when you assume something about someone and you are wrong. You make a story around something that occurred and you were way off base. I have done this thousands of times but the last few years I have caught myself many times and stopped doing this. I have learned to turn the negative judgement into a positive one or I will stop creating the story in my own mind. The other side of judgement that hurts is the side where people judge me. Yes I am probably more sensitive than others because I have to use oxygen at exertion and my handicap is visible but some people can be overly caring and some people can just shut me out. This is where compassion and forgiveness comes in for me.
I have to be more compassionate for myself because things are the way they are. I am doing everything possible that I know of for my health. I do more than most people do as far as eating healthy and exercising. My only fault is that I am human and the more I get the more I want. I take things for granted even though I do not want to. I practice being grateful every single day.
As far as forgiveness goes, I declare that I forgive all those who have done me harm and that pass judgement onto me. I must practice forgiveness every single day because if I do not then those who I feel have harmed me will control me. I have come too far in my life to let anything or anyone control my life. I am in control of my life each and every second.

I forgive you like:
A sailor forgives the sea,
The desert forgives the sun,
The farmland forgives an early frost,
An autumn leaf forgives the tree,
A mother forgives the pain of her baby’s entry into the world,
Like a snowflake forgives its melting on a tongue,
But most of all I forgive you for just being human. – Raw Wealth Alma

Celebrate Life and Happy New Year,
Alma

Garden Lasagna

2007-12-31T19:54:00.000-05:00

Garden Lasagna
I want to thank gliving.tv for this recipe by Chad Sarno.
(Pine Nut Ricotta, Olive Relish, Wild Mushroom, Sweet Pepper Coulis)
Serves 6-8

For the Lasagna:
3-4 round zucchini sliced into thin rounds, or long zucchini sliced thin in strips
4-6 black plum tomatoes, or roma, sliced in thin rounds
1 cup sliced mushrooms (portabella, chanterelle,
baby oyster), toss with 2 T shoyu and 2 T olive oil
1 cup Pine nut Ricotta (see recipe)
1/2 cup seeded and tomatoes tossed with T olive oil
1 cup olive relish (see recipe)
½ cup smoked red pepper puree (see recipe)
½ cup smoked yellow pepper puree (see recipe)
Course sea salt, smoked (for garnish on each plate)

To assemble:
Layer individual ‘lasagnas’ right before serving, by layering in the following order:
Sliced zucchini, ricotta, sliced tomato, marinated mushrooms, zucchini, olive relish, sliced tomato, finish the top layer with a small spoonful of ricotta. Garnish plate with pepper puree and diced tomatoes.

For the Pine Nut Ricotta:
1 cup cashews soaked 10-12 hours
1 cup pine nuts
2 TB flax or olive oil
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB Sea Salt
1 clove garlic
3 TB water
2 TB fresh chives minced
2 TB sage, or oregano minced

Step 1: In food processor, process all ingredients except the chives and sage until smooth.
Step 2: Hand-mix in the minced chives and sage. Serve as a layer in lasagna, or top crostini with this as a spread.

For the Fresh Olive Relish:
2 cup Sicilian green olives pitted and course chopped
2 cups kalamata olives pitted and course chopped
2 cloves of garlic fine minced
2 TB tarragon fine chopped
2 TB black truffle oil
For best consistency, course chop all ingredients by hand. Finish by drizzling truffle oil, tossing mixture well.
Serve as layer with lasagna, or with leftovers serve with crostini, or chips.

For the Sweet Pepper Puree:
1 cup fresh sweet peppers seeded and chopped
2 TB olive oil
1 TB lemon juice
1 tsp. smoked salt
In high speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth, put through fine strainer for optimum consistency.

"There's a very positive relationship between people's ability to accomplish any task and the time they're willing to spend on it." - Joyce Brothers

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Something to look forward to

2007-12-26T21:59:00.000-05:00

I am very excited because in two weeks I am going to Maine for a 5-day certification class on raw foods. This class will give me the knowledge and training to become a raw food chef and trainer. I will be able to teach others how to start and stay on a raw food diet. Not only will I learn food preparation, and more nutrition but I will also learn the mental and emotional aspects of a raw food diet. For example, how to deal with friends and family while on raw foods or traveling while raw. So far there is someone attending the class from Japan, Switzerland, Jamaica, Hawaii, California, Washington State, Upstate New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona and Ottawa, Canada. This should be a great experience and I cannot wait.

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you" - Wayne Dyer

Celebrate Life,

Alma

What brought you where you are today with Raw Foods?

2007-12-19T21:23:00.000-05:00

Someone today asked how I found out about raw foods and what brought me to where I am today. This was my answer. I found this way of living because I became a victim of life. I must say that now I make life happen and I am no longer a victim. About 3 years (1/20/5) I had an operation to remove a mass on the upper lobe of my right lung. It was diagnosed as cancer AND I was also diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. After the struggles of chemotherapy I went back to work and won an iPod. I found out about podcasts and the only subject that has always interested me was food. I started listening to vegan podcasts and then found one on raw foods. I became vegetarian in April of 2006 and started on my raw journey at the end of August 2007. I found Alissa Cohen’s web site and bought her book and DVD and I was on my way. I had felt a lot better being vegetarian but I made great strides becoming raw. If you read my profile or a few posts in this blog you will see the big changes that have occurred since I have gone raw.

"To guarantee success, act as if it were impossible to fail." - Dorothea Brande

Celebrate Life,

Alma

An apple a day...

2007-12-16T20:38:00.000-05:00

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that fights germs, odors and bacteria. Hippocrates found and treated his patients with undistilled ACV. It is know as a powerful cleansing and healing elixir. Everyone was uninformed of the powerful health qualities of ACV.
And it was soon taken over by clear, pasteurized, refined and distilled vinegars. The reason for this is that consumers demanded a clear look. They did not find the brownish color and the "mother" floating as unappealing.
"Apples are a rich source of potassium, which is to the soft tissues of the body as calcium is to the bones and harder tissues. Potassium is the mineral of youthfulness; it is the "artery softener," keeping the arteries of the body flexible and resilient. It is a fighter of dangerous bacteria and viruses." This is quoted from Apple Cider Vinegar Miracle Health System by Paul and Patricia Bragg. You can purchase this book under "My Favorite Books" on the right hand column of this blog.

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." - Abraham Lincoln

Celebrate Life,
Alma

More on Wheatgrass

2007-12-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

I have been drinking two to three shots of wheatgrass for 3 weeks now. I love it and I just finished reading Steve Meyerowitz’s Wheatgrass, Nature’s Finest Medicine. Yes another book on wheatgrass. I have to get other people’s opinions. Steve does give Ann Wigmore credit for starting the wheatgrass craze. Steve claims that cuts, bruises, rashes, burns and bangs are best treated by making a bandage from cloth dipped in wheatgrass juice. You can also use the grass pulp and put it under a bandage. Chlorophyll has been to increase the rate of healing wounds by 25%. Chlorophyll reduces swellings, takes the sting out of burns and is an anesthetic that soothes the pain and eases the shock of an accident.

Wheatgrass is not a cure all potion it is a healing food. It is probably the finest healing food but it takes time to heal, time to get your health to an optimum level so please give wheatgrass time to work on you.

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." - Helen Keller

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Raw food recipe of the week

2007-12-13T18:24:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes from thedailyrawcafe.com. This recipe was so good that I had to post it for all my raw foodie followers.

Raw Fruitcake serves 4-6

Dried Fruit

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped into small pieces

1/4 cup dried pineapples, chopped into small pieces

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup golden raisins

Cake

4 cups walnuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup dates

In a large bowl, whisk agave nectar and water together. Add all of dried fruit into bowl. Let set for one-two hours or until the fruit softens.In a food processor, combine walnuts, seasonings and sea salt. Add dates and continue to mix until you achieve a sticky dough.Transfer the walnut dough to a large bowl. Fold in the soaked fruit until distributed throughout the dough.Shape the fruitcake in a 5-inch round.

"Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become." - Jim Rohn

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Answering comments on Raw Foods

2007-12-10T17:03:00.000-05:00

Hello,
This is one of the comments that was recently left on my blog. This was sent in by vasilisa. Please check out her blog. She has great healthy recipes. Anyway the comment: What kind of dehydrator do you have? I've been thinking about getting one, but haven't decided if it's necessary yet...What's nuplus?I'm thinking about incorporating coconuts into our diet, but they just seem a bit too sweet at this point. PS: my blender just arrived! A Vita Mix! I'm so excited! Any good ideas for yummy green smoothie?

I do have a small traditional dehydrator but not one where I can make fruit leathers or breads, crackers or meals but I know exactly which one I am going to get. I am getting the Excalibur 9 tray that you can purchase at my link above for Amazon. It is not necessary to get one but there are times when I would like to make certain desserts or dishes that I am not able to because an oven cannot do what a dehydrator does. So in time when you want a variety of dishes you may want to consider a dehydrator.

Nuplus is a balanced herbal formula based on the Chinese tradition that serves as a foundation on which to build a healthy diet and to fill in nutritional gaps. I can give you more information if you would like.

Vitamix - a blender with a car motor. :)
I love
spinach and mango smoothies
2 to 3 big handsful of spinach
1 mango
(Actually any greens with mango are good.)

I also love
celery and apple juice
1 large stalk of celery
2 apples
1 cup of water
blend

I definately recommend Victoria Boutenko's Green for Life book for green smoothie recipes. It is my favorite green smoothie book. It was my inspiration for drinking them too. (Save 12% by clicking on the link above.)

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
16 oz green smoothie
8 oz herbal tea
kale hemp seed salad
8 oz herbal tea
1/2 slice cheesecake
1 sunbar
1 nuplus
1 quinary
1 vitadolphilis
32 oz apple-celery juice
2 bananas

"If one advances confidently in the direction ofhis dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." - H.D. Thoreau

Celebrate Life,
Alma

What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?

2007-12-09T22:07:00.000-05:00

Someone recently asked me what Pulmonary Fibrois was. I sat down and wrote out my understanding of this disease and this is what I wrote. Pulmonary fibrosis is the stiffening of lung tissue. In the classic cases of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) the lung tissue usually forms into honeycombs at the edges. I do not have the honeycombing. When you look at the film of a cat scan of my lungs they show spots that look sort of like cotton candy. Almost like what a freezer burn looks like on meat.

The effect this disease has on my body is that I cannot supply enough oxygen when I exert myself. So if I were to walk at my normal speed, let’s say 100 yards, I would probably need my oxygen, because my body could not product enough oxygen for my efforts. If I do not have my oxygen on and I exert myself I will cough until my blood oxygen level goes back to normal. I am told that I am at the acute stages of this disease and that my body recovers from the lack of oxygenvery fast. Given perfect weather, I could probably take this walk without any problems and I would be fine but those days are few throughout the year. Another effect of PF is a lot of mucous production in the lungs. This is one of the reasons why I started watching what I ate. I know that many foods produce mucous like dairy products.

I basically do everything I used to just perhaps a bit slower. I actually started exercising more and watching what I ate after surving lung cancer and finding out about my PF. So in many ways I have better health and fitness now than before. Changing my diet and becoming vegetarian has helped me out tremendously. Before the dietary changes I would need my O2 to go to the restroom, the mailroom or cafeteria at work. Now I really do not use the O2 at work unless it is an extremely humid day. I also need oxygen if I have to carry anything over a couple of pounds. Now after going raw my health has gone up to another level. I am now able to run under the ball at volleyball and I even jogged ½ mile out on the street last month. That is what the ticker on my blog signifies.

Trust me I have gone through a lot of turmoil over my PF. This past summer I learned to embrace this disease after years of anger and madness. Now I say, given pulmonary fibrosis what is possible. I learned to trust my lungs and relax my shoulders. I do not guard my lungs like I used to. I could actually touch inbetween my arm socket and chest and feel sore. I did not know what it was until I was told that I was holding my shoulders rigid in order to protect my lungs. This was stopping me from deep breathing because I used to guard myself from coughing. Now I can breath down into my stomach. I guess I could go on and on huh? Anyway overcoming this has become my total focus.

"There's only one way to succeed in anythingand that is to give everything." - Vince Lombardi

Celebrate Life,

Alma

A higly functional human being

2007-12-06T18:16:00.000-05:00

I went to the doctor's office and my test results were favorable. I had pulmonary function tests got better than 6 months ago when the numbers had declined some and then we compared the numbers to my first test in August of 05 and the numbers were pretty much the same. So my disease has been stable for over 2.5 years. I do not want to seem ungrateful but I can say that I was not thrilled with the results. I want improvement and I want it now. Or should I say I want drastic improvements and I want them now. I did improve back to my baseline of 8/05. I go again in 6 months so we will see. I know that 3.5 months of raw foods is not going to turn back time so quickly. I will focus on some progress for June's 2008 tests.

When I told my doctor that at times I feel like I am not doing enough for my health he said he thinks that I do. He said that there are many patients that have the same results as I have in their pulmonary tests that do not do anything. He says you are a highly functional human being and you are doing everything you can. He just gets a big smile when I tell him I play volleyball 3 times a week. I have to practice more compassion for myself.

Nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
1 oz E3Live algae
6 oz fresh squeezed OJ 1 sunbar
8 oz herbal tea
16 oz vegetable soup
1/4 sandwich with Life Force Rye Bread (yummy) and raw turkey salad
8 oz herbal tea
1 nuplus
1/2 slice raw cheesecake
8 oz herbal tea
1 oz E3Live
20 oz green smoothie with sprouts, coconut water, kale, blueberries, banana
32 oz apple-celery juice with Evergreen and Electrosport
7 slices of Yacun fruit
2 oz wheatgrass

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Ghandi

Celebrate Life,
Alma

New Raw Food Recipes

2007-12-03T22:59:00.001-05:00

Today I tried a few new recipes. Two are from Alissa Cohen's book and two I created. I created my version of macaroon after making coconut milk from old coconuts (not young Thai coconuts). I had bought 2 coconuts but the flesh on these is hard not like the young ones where the flesh is just forming and it is very soft. There was so much fiber in the coconut milk that I decided to take it out so I could drink the coconut milk on its own. Well when I saw the fiber I thought of a macaroon. So I added some honey and I was going to roll it up into a ball and dehydrate it. Well it really did not have much texture. So I took some more coconut and grated it. I added this to my mixture and then formed them into a ball and dehydrated them. Now they had texture and tasted pretty good. They are not done yet but I will let you know how they come out. I can say right now that 2 of the 6 broke apart as I turned them over in the dehydrator.
I also made a banana-mango pie and carob covered bananas with coconuts and nuts.

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
32 oz apple-celery juice
1 evergreen
1 oz E3Live algae
1 raw revolution organic live food bar-chocolate & coconut
1 pt vegetable soup
1/2 spirulina energy bar
8 oz cafix
1 garlic-flax cracker
3 raweo cookies
8 oz herbal tea
1 oz wheatgrass
1 tsp bee pollen
2 oz E3Live algae
20 oz green smoothie with sprouts
2 bags nuplus
2 sunbars
1 oz wheatgrass

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Wheatgrass - green, green, green

2007-12-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

I was able to buy a flat of wheatgrass at a local health food store. I have a hand crank wheatgrass juicer and I have been doing 3-1 oz shots of wheatgrass daily for over a week. I actually bought another flat of wheatgrass yesterday. I am on a chlorophyll kick! This was my next phase of raw foods. For me, I seem to get into something and then go deeper and deeper into it. For example, I started the vegetarian journey and then went vegan almost overnight. I then started incorporating green smoothies. After a while I decided to go into raw foods. As I read and educated myself more in this field I apply my learning’s. Now I am doing wheatgrass for it’s many benefits. The main benefit is chlorophyll because this helps build red blood cells, which in turn will brings more oxygen into my body. This will definitely help me attain my goal of reversing my pulmonary fibrosis and the use of oxygen at exertion. I believe my next phase in this diet will be to start going my own sprouts. I have started incorporating sprouts into my green smoothies daily. I have to read a couple of books on sprouting and be on my merry way.

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
12 oz apple-celery juice
16 oz smoothie - kale, romaine lettuce, blueberries, bananas and snow pea shoots
8 oz carrot juice
4 oz kale and romaine lettuce juice
1/2 oz hunza dried pomegratnates
1 quinary
1 vitashake
7 olives
1 sunbar
1 oz wheatgrass
1 banana
1 quinary 1 vitashake

"You can't cross a sea by merely staring into the water." - Rabindranath Tagore

Celebrate Life,
Alma

You've come a long way baby...

2007-12-03T22:49:00.001-05:00

I was really looking at the foods I ate the other day and I just grinned. My thoughts were along the lines of how far I have come. I am proud of what I have accomplished. I am proud of the person I have become and the lifestyle I have chosen. I do not think I would have been able to make those statements 3 years ago but the fact is that I can say them now. Years ago I did go through a craze for fast food but that was not what my diet was about. I had my basic standard American diet with a starch and protein and a vegetable at lunch and dinner with a diet soda. I ate deserts and had a breakfast of coffee with a bagel. Coffee with a sugar substitute as a snack and an appetite suppressor, or so I thought. Now I look at these foods like simple carbs (starch), dead animal meat (protein), acid forming drinks (coffee and diet soda), blood glue (bagel) and powdered carcinogen (sugar substitute).

Accomplishment of the week:

This past Thursday we only had 8 women show up for volleyball. In the past I attempted to play with 4 women on one side but I would get home and basically pass out and be non functioning the next day. It would take me 36 to 48 hours to get back to normal. Many times when we play I will always be on the side with the extra person because of the strain that it puts on my lungs, heart and body. I actually declined playing a few months ago because there would only be 4 players on my side. Well I realized this past Friday that I had played for 2 hours with 4 women on my side. I came home bathed, watched Survivor and went to bed after 11PM. I woke up Friday and everything was normal. I did not realize this accomplishment until I was speaking with my mom. I was so shocked that I could not talk. I really could not make a sentence when I realized how great I felt only 16 hours later. I am grateful for this and for raw foods. I know that my this lifestyle has helped me tremendously and I am going to continue to THRIVE.

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
16 oz green smoothie
8oz fresh squeezed OJ with sprouts
1 oz E3Live algae
8 oz chocolate pudding
1 oz wheatgrass few pieces of mango
1 banana
1 sweet potato
1 carob coated banana with coconut and nuts
1 slice mango-banana pie
8 oz herbal tea
2 bags nuplus
1 oz wheatgrass

"There's only one way to succeed in anything and that is to give everything." - Vince Lombardi

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Comments on Raw Foods

2007-11-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting comment on my blog the other day that I am sharing with all of you.

"I began making smoothies months ago because of Alma and her new way of living. I had a problem with the green drinks, but the fruit smoothies I create are just great! Each day Alma comes in with new products and in work on Tuesday I tasted two snack bars she now is showing on her blog here. I love them and now they are part of my everyday eating. I am very fortunate to have a friend with so much excitement about eating better, because she has turned me on to her way of thinking. Everyone needs to be tuned into Alma. All her research will be a benefit to your health. I thank you my friend for caring enough to share your world with me."

My reply:

Thanks DB, I appreciate your kind words. One of my goals in documenting my journey is to help people make better choices about what they eat. Your comments inspire me to keep researching, learning and sharing.

Today's raw nutrients
1 oz wheatgrass
12 oz apple-celery juice
16 oz smoothie - kale, romaine lettuce, blueberries, bananas and snow pea shoots
8 oz carrot juice
4 oz kale and romaine lettuce juice
1/2 oz hunza dried pomegratnates
1 quinary
1 vitashake
7 olives
1 sunbar
1 oz wheatgrass

"Success is not to be pursued; it is to beattracted by the person we become."- Jim Rohn

Live Life,
Alma

Testing Raw Foods - 1, 2, 3

2007-11-28T16:29:00.000-05:00

I have not written in a week and I believe it was because I was eating cooked foods. Yes, I decided to eat 1 meal per day for a couple of weeks because of various reasons. Now I am claiming these two weeks as some kind of test. I must say that I started 100% raw again this past Monday. Many symptoms came back and if they disappear again I will know for sure that it is the raw food that is helping me. Now I have to ask why I do this? Why do we as humans have to test things? My quest this week and next will be to see if these so called symptoms disappear again. I started eating raw foods for my health and then when it started helping me beyond my expectations I had to stop. Just to test it and make sure. I started feeling like crap and had the need to start over again. So here I am. When these symptoms disappear again, as I know they will. I will let you know my before and after and my other before and after. :)

Tuesday's raw nutrients:

1 oz wheatgrass

1 live pumpkin bar http://www.goraw.com/

1 vitashake

1 quinary

16 oz Cafix

1 spirulina & cashew bar - by Raw Revolution -you can purchase from this blog under my My Favorite Snacks section on the right

32 oz apple-celery juice

1 oz wheatgrass

1/2 chewy almond bar

1 tsp bee pollen

2 oz e3live

1 oz evergreen chlorophll drink

20 oz apple-celery juice

2 bags of nutripuffs

1 oz wheatgrass

"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you." - Arnold Palmer

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Look at all these Raw Food Goodies

2007-11-19T17:06:00.000-05:00

I went shopping again at Dean's Natural Market and I found a few more raw items. It was not as good as Katrina's in New Hampshire but I am grateful for the selection they have. This is what I bought: Sweet pea shoots & Super Salad sprouts - alfalfa, radish, peas, garbanzo,k sufnlower, lental, azuki and wheat sprouts from http://thesproutman.com/

Oh So Fudgie Raweo Cookies by Alive and Radient Foods

Kim Chi - A staple in the Korean diet is a mixture of vegetables left to culture for 5 to 7 days in stainless steel containers. This kind I bought has cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger, high mineral health salt and ground dried red pepper and

Fresh Raw Tahini - from:

http://www.rejuvenative.com/

Raw Revolution Organic Live Food Bars in Chocolate & Coconut, Spirulina & Cashew, Raspberry & Chocolate and Hazelnut & Chocolate by http://www.rawindulgence.com/

Raw Revolution Organic Live Food Bars in Chocolate & Coconut, Spirulina & Cashew, Raspberry & Chocolate and Hazelnut & Chocolate by http://www.rawindulgence.com/

Almond Raisin Cookie & Pineapple Flax by http://www.gopalshealthfoods.com/nature_s_gift.html

"Simple" Flax Snax, Banana "Bread" Flax Bar, Live Pumpkin Bar & Spirulina Energy Bar - http://www.goraw.com/

Cocao powder by Navitas - http://www.nativasnaturals.com/

BIJA's Dark Chocolate covered Omega Truffles with 2.5 g of Omega 3 per serving by http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/USA/Products/TGU8.htm#62008 . This product is not raw and it does contain cane sugar but I wanted to try it to see what it is all about.

Raw Foods for Kids - Yo Adrien, this one's for you!

2007-11-17T15:48:00.000-05:00

A request has been made of me to assist a friend in incorporating vegetables into her kids meals. I love requests like this because I get to search new recipes, I get to share my wealth of raw foods and it helps me stay creative in my own kitchen. I have to get simple recipes and consider the equipment that my friend has. Since I am a child at heart I am sure I will enjoy the recipes as well. So Adrian, this one’s for you!

I found the following recipes at http://goneraw.com/ /

Nana Milk
Ingredients
1 banana, peeled
1 pinch sea salt
1 dash vanilla
3 ice cubes
¼ cup water
Preparation
Throw all in the blender and blend till frothy! High in Enzymes! Yeah Bananas!

Ants on a Log
Ingredients
2 stalks celery
raw almond butter
raisins

Preparation
Wash the celery stalks and trim the ends. Fill with raw almond butter. Cut into fourths. Top with raisin "ants".

I found the following recipe at http://karenknowler.typepad.com/

Real chocolate ice-cream
Serves 6 not-very-greedy people.
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp raw chocolate or carob powder
16 Medjool dates
600 ml of pure water
4 cups of cashews OR 4 Tbsp raw cashew butter

Preparations:
Blend the cashews (or cashew butter) with the water to create cashew milk.
Add in remaining ingredients and blend well.
Pour into an ice-cream maker and process until ready to eat OR pour into a freezable container with a lid and freeze.
When your ice-cream is ready, serve, salivate and enjoy!

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence...Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge

Celebrate Living,
Alma

Memories of a Raw weekend in New Hampshire

2007-11-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

While in New Hampshire this weekend I found an awesome organic health food store. It is called Katrina’s Organic Market & Cafe and it RAWKS! It is like walking into a Raw Foodist Paradise. They have superfoods, prepared meals, fresh juices and smoothies and lots more. They also have products from many of the food sites that I order from. It was just great to be able to shop for it all at one location. I was with three other friends and I was very grateful that they did not rush me out of the store. We all tried some raw chocolate made right there and we tried raw pumpkin pie. Thank my lucky stars I purchased a lot of products and if I had stayed in that store longer I would have had to apply for a job. Another reason to move to New England. Katrina is going to start an Internet site in the future and I for one cannot wait. She said I could order from her and she would ship out the product to me. You can reach her at naturesmarketnh@yahoo.com I cannot wait to try all the products!

I purchased:
Muesli and granola from Good Stuff
Sun-flax Italian bread from Life Force
Spirulina Bars and Sunflower Seed Bread from Lydia’s Organics
Maca and Greek Olives from Sunfoods
Carob Powder from Natural Zing
Coconut Butter and Black Sesame Tahini from Artisana
Himalyan Raw Honey from Heavenly Organics
Zambezi Honey from Zambia from ZAM-B-A Honey Inc.

Anyway, while in New Hampshire this weekend and I turned some friends on to some raw foods. I had told a friend about this apple-celery juice and she was curious because she does not like celery either. Sold her, she liked it very much. She loves coconut so I turned her on to young Thai coconut juice. I took 2 young coconuts and used all the juice and flesh and put it in my Vitamix with some stevia and cinnamon. She enjoyed that too along with another friend. They even tried some algae. I mixed that in some apple cider and they were okay with it. Another big hit was Banana Ice Cream. I tell you I have not met one person who has tried this that has not loved it! I also made some cole slaw and I added jimica and black sesame seeds and it all went.

So many people do like raw foods. They just don't know it. They need recipes or people to make it for them. I just would love others to embrace more raw foods so we could all enjoy health and great meals together.

I have enjoyed my day today although I am feeling a sugar high from an apple-celery juice I drank a few minutes ago. I bought some gala apples grown in upstate NY today and they are awesome. They are so sweet. My new kick lately has been apple-celery juice. I read that it is a great source for sodium and potassium and that you could not taste the celery in the juice. I am not a fan of celery and I know it is suppose to be very hydrating and very good for my lungs. Well now I have this juice daily and I love it.

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Celebrate Life,
Alma

New Hampshire for some R & R

2007-11-13T23:08:00.000-05:00

40 Points about Wheatgrass and its Nutritional Values

2007-11-07T18:50:00.000-05:00

Source: http://www.wheatgrasskits.com/40pointsofwheatgrass.htm
1 Wheatgrass Juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available.
2 Chlorophyll is the first product of light and, therefore, contains more light energy than any other element.
3 Wheatgrass juice is a crude chlorophyll and can be taken orally and as a colon implant without toxic side effects.
4 Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life.
5 Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly-oxygenated environment.
6 Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.
7 Dr. Bernard Jensen says that it only takes minutes to digest wheatgrass juice and uses up very little body energy.
8 Science has proven that chlorophyll arrests growth and development of unfriendly bacteria.
9 Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. The red cell count was returned to normal within 4 to 5 days of the administration of chlorophyll, even in those animals which were known to be extremely anemic or low in red cell count.
10 Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)
11 Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man. If grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the known 102 minerals from the soil.
12 Wheatgrass has what is called the grass-juice factor, which has been shown to keep herbivorous animals alive indefinitely.
13 Dr. Ann Wigmore and institutes based on her teachings has been helping people get well from chronic disorders for 30 years using wheatgrass.
14 Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines them and makes them over.
15 Wheatgrass Juice is a superior detoxification agent compared to carrot juice and other fruits and vegetables. Dr Earp-Thomas, associate of Ann Wigmore, says that 15 pounds of Wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrot, lettuce, celery, and so forth.
16 Liquid chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the body.
17 Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.
18 Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.
19 Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems.
20 In the American Journal of Surgery (1940), Benjamin Gruskin, M.D. recommends chlorophyll for its antiseptic benefits. The article suggests the following clinical uses for chlorophyll: to clear up foul smelling odors, neutralize Strep infections, heal wounds, hasten skin grafting, cure chronic sinusitis, overcome chronic inner-ear inflammation and infection, reduce varicose veins and heal leg ulcers, eliminate impetigo and other scabby eruptions, heal rectal sores, successfully treat inflammation of the uterine cervix, get rid of parasitic vaginal infections, reduce typhoid fever, and cure advanced pyorrhea in many cases.21 Wheatgrass Juice cures acne and even help to remove scars after it has been ingested for seven to eight months. The diet must be improved at the same time.
22 Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body and is used as a body deodorant.
23 A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the human diet helps prevents tooth decay.
24 Wheatgrass juice held in the mouth for 5 minutes will help eliminate toothaches. It pulls poisons from the gums.
25 Gargle Wheatgrass Juice for a sore throat.
26 Drink Wheatgrass Juice for skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis.
27 Wheatgrass Juice keeps the hair from graying.
28 Pyorrhea of the mouth: lay pulp of wheatgrass soaked in juice on diseased area in mouth or chew wheatgrass, spitting out the pulp.
29 By taking Wheatgrass Juice, one may feel a difference in strength, endurance, health, and spirituality, and experience a sense of well-being.
30 Wheatgrass juice improves the digestion.
31 Wheatgrass juice is high in enzymes.
32 Wheatgrass juice is an excellent skin cleanser and can be absorbed through the skin for nutrition. Pour green juice over your body in a tub of warm water and soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water.
33 Wheatgrass implants (enemas) are great for healing and detoxifying the colon walls. The implants also heal and cleanse the internal organs. After an enema, wait 20 minutes, then implant 4 ounces of wheatgrass juice. Retain for 20 minutes.
34 Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
35 Dr. Birscher, a research scientist, called chlorophyll "concentrated sun power." He said, "chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the intestines, the uterus, and the lungs."
36 According to Dr. Birscher, nature uses chlorophyll (wheatgrass) as a body cleanser, rebuilder, and neutralizer of toxins.
37 Wheatgrass juice can dissolve the scars that are formed in the lungs from breathing acid gasses. The effect of carbon monoxide is minimized since chlorophyll increases hemoglobin production.
38 Wheatgrass Juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances the capillaries.
39 Wheatgrass Juice can remove heavy metals from the body.
40 Wheatgrass juice is great for blood disorders of all kinds

Quote of the day:
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Raw Foods Wealth 2 Health - Let's do a shot

2007-11-06T21:44:00.001-05:00

Let's do a shot -- of WHEATGRASS!
I read in Ann Wigmore’s book The Wheatgrass Book that plants are to earth as the lungs are to humans. We inhale O2 and exhale CO2 while plants inhale CO2 and exhale O2. Human blood is practically identical to chlorophyll the only difference is the central nucleus. In blood it is iron and in chlorophyll it is magnesium. I have known this fact for a while now but you can see why I want to take my diet to another level and try eating more greens. I feel that if I really concentrate on providing my body with more chlorophyll it will provide me with more red blood cells hence more oxygen in my body. There have been tests done that prove that the animal body is capable of converting chlorophyll to hemoglobin. Actually some physicians used chlorophyll to treat anemia used. Wheatgrass juice contains liquid oxygen and I have heard chlorophyll called liquid energy, liquid sunshine and condensed solar energy.

This book made an interesting point and that is that no prescription drug heals a person. Our own immune system, our body is what heals us. So why don’t we spend time getting healthier so we can have a stronger mechanism to fight off ailments and diseases? Chlorophyll detoxifies the liver and bloodstream by neutralizing the polluting elements. This is probably the best way to protect us from pollutants.

Quote of the day:
"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."- Abraham Lincoln

Vive la Vida,
Alma

Raw Foods Wealth 2 Health - Another Level

2007-11-04T19:28:00.000-05:00

I believe it is time for me to take this diet to another level. I really have to concentrate on greens now that I know I can follow a raw diet. I want to get a juicer and I am hoping that I win one from crazysexycancer.com. Either way, I am going to drink my E3Live, Evergreen, my celery and apple juice that is so yummy and other green juices. Currently I am reading a book by Ann Wigmore entitled The Wheatgrass Book and it seems like I will be growing and drinking wheatgrass. More on that later.

Here are some pictures of the flowers I gave my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago.

Quote of the day:
"Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus." - Oprah Winfrey

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Raw Food Day 65 - How to get started in Raw Foods

2007-11-02T08:12:00.001-04:00

People have asked me how do they get started on a raw food diet and I usually give them two ideas. One is to incorporate live food in each meal. Like fruit for breakfast and either a salad and or raw vegetable with lunch. You can also start making raw deserts. The other way is to transform one meal at a time. For example, you can make fruit or vegetable smoothies for breakfast. (Don't forget to leave the dairy out.) You can eat fruit or make fruit juices or you can even make raw muesli. I suggest a good cookbook. Something like Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food book and DVD, which you can purchase here.

Don't forget to drink a lot of water. Drink as much as you can to rehydrate your body. Coconut water, fruit juices and celery juice help in rehydrating your body as well.

Remember that raw foods is more about what you do not put into your body. Avoid processed foods and white sugar. There are many sugar substitutes like agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup or raw honey.

Once you are comfortable with raw breakfasts then you can start with lunch. You can use different vegetable leaves to make sandwich wraps. Like collard greens, nori sheets (used for sushi) or lettuce. You can have salads or make some guacamole.

Then you can start on snacks and deserts. Frozen bananas put in a blender is a great substitute for ice cream. You can flavor it with fruit too. You can eat raw nuts and dehydrated fruits. Little by little you keep adding more raw food. You can look into dehydrated foods, sprouting and superfoods. The list just grows and grows. The basic appliances you need are a blender and or a juicer, and or a food processor and or a dehydrator.

You should start off with easy recipes and as you get accustom to these foods then you can make nut chesses, dips or even pates.

Raw nutrients of the day:
4oz kombucha
32oz cafix
3 flaxseed crackers with almond butter and honey
32oz pineapple coconut juice
banana ice cream (2) with coconut meat and alomond butter and honey
16oz water

Quote of the day:
"It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly." - Isaac Asimov

Live life and enjoy your weekend,
Alma

Raw Food Day 64 - Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

2007-10-31T20:22:00.000-04:00

From raw gourmet chef Josephine Lee from Medford, Oregon. Her email:
WyJozU2@aol.com

So Lemony and the frosting so creamy!

Cake:

1 1/2 c ground/grated jicama

1 Granny Smith apple pealed & ground

2 c. almonds soaked/dehydrated ground fine

4 T golden flax ground fine

1/4 c agave

1 tsp vanilla

lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/2 c poppy seeds.

Mix all Ingredients and form in any shape you want;

I made a 5 1/2 inch round dish lined with saran wrap. Then topped the first layer with Frosting. Then topped the 2nd layer/round. Flip out and place on a plate and frost the whole cake (top & sides)

Frosting:

1 c OMEGA NUTRITION coconut oil (it does not smell/taste coconuty) The one I used is just like Crisco! Beat/Whip this with beaters!

Add 1/4 c agave juice

1/2 lemon IF YOU LIKE MORE LEMON DO juice of 1 and or zest.

Whip again. Spread quickly as it starts to melt a little.Sprinkle Poppy Seeds on sides or designs if you make a different shape.Top with Lemon zest curls or slices.Place in Ref for an hour or so. Serve at room temperature!
This recipe is in the current Purely Delicious Magazine and is on the RAW 2008 Calendar Cover !

Raw nutrients of the day:

2# potatoes

10oz green smoothie

24oz cafix

raw sweet potato pie

1/2 raw chocolate brownie

1 nu puff

1 liter water

Quote of the day:
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Celebrate life,

Alma

Raw Food Day 62 & 63 - Rambling on

2007-10-31T09:44:00.000-04:00

Eating raw foods has become a lifestyle choice for me. Although meals can be easily made eating raw can be very difficult to follow especially if you are going out to eat. You can easily isolate yourself because of the rules however you can free yourself of all worries if you plan ahead. Sometimes a meal for me could be eating 3 bananas or slicing up an avocado and adding a little salt and onions. There are times when I make complicated things like sweet potato pie or dehydrated foods which involve a lot of steps, ingredients and time. I suppose my biggest distraction in all this is when I crave something. I feel that I should not deny my body of something it craves. I believe the cravings come from my inner voice telling me that I need some kind of nutrient from the food I am craving. My only dicerning factor when I am having a craving is to decide whether or not it is that inner voice or hunger. If my cravings are from hunger I have to satiate the need and stuff something in my mouth, usually a fruit like a banana. Bananas have definitely helped me stay raw because those moments of despiration when I have waited too long to eat. You know those moments where you would eat almost anything and everything in site. I have reached out and eaten a banana or two or three and they have saved me. Many times while I am preparing a meal I will eat a banana just to hold me over. If my cravings are not from hunger than I try to eat that food. Sometimes there is a raw version available and sometimes there isn’t.

Take last night for example, I was craving all cooked foods. Long story short I roasted some potatos that I added some salt, pepper, garlic, herbs with spinach and parsley and some olive oil. It wasn’t raw but it was what my body wanted. I had some leftover so I had some for breakfast too. The great thing is that today I followed the potatos up with a green smoothie. So I am not one of those who breaks the raw food diet for a day or a week. I do it for a meal and sometimes it may be one item in a meal. I will always try to eat live foods with a meal if not 100% raw.

Monday’s Raw nutrients:
2oz E3Live algae
6oz herbal tea

4oz kambucha tea
turkey salad (prepared raw food)
1 flax seed cracker
20oz apple celery juice
4 fruit kabobs (pineapple, cantaloupe and grapes)
2 vitashake
2 quinary
2 vitalite sunbar
1 banana 1
nupuff
2oz E3Live algae
20oz celery apple juice
28oz fresh pineapple and coconut juice
1 raw pizza
1 small piece of fudge
48 oz water

Tuesday’s Raw nutrients:
2oz E3Live algae
8oz herbal tea
2 vitashake
2 quinary
Avocado goes Nuts recipe (nuts, onions, salt and sesame oil)
2 flaxseed crackers with almond butter and honey
1/2 sun burger
16oz cafix
16oz water
1.5 # potatos
2 nupuffs

Quote of the day:
"There's only one way to succeed in anythingand that is to give everything." - Vince Lombardi

Celebrate life,

Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 26 & 27 - more Volleyball

2007-10-28T19:04:00.000-04:00

What a great weekend I had. Friday night I stayed home and caught up on some blogging and computer searches on juicing. Saturday I had a few friends over for dinner and it was fun. I introduced them to some raw foods and they embraced the experience. Let me see if I can remember all that I made. We had fruit kabobs with cantaloupe, fresh cut pineapple and grapes; mango salsa with red peppers, onion, salt, pepper and olive oil; pomegranates, durian, nori rolls with avocado, apples, cilantro and lettuce; sweet potato pie; chocolate ice cream and my Avocado goes Nuts recipe with avocado, onions, olive oil and nuts.

Today I went to my co-ed league and played a lot of volleyball. It was awesome playing with 5 players on each side. As the weather gets colder the more people come to play. I really enjoy all the support and tips that the more experienced players offer.

I went back to Dean’s Natural Market and was able to buy some prepared raw foods from www.awesomefoods.com. I purchased some raw turkey salad, onion bread, fudge and pizza. I will let you know my reviews during the week. I already know that the raw turkey salad is totally awesome. It was the first meal that I felt total satisfaction from during my raw food journey. I also bought 4 other Synergy, kambucha teas. They did not have the mango flavor that I enjoyed but this opened up other flavors for me to try.

Saturday's Raw nutrients of the day:
2 oz E3Live algae
2oz fresh squeezed tangerine juice
20oz celery and apple juice
16 oz green smoothie
A buffet of snacks from my dinner party

Sunday's Raw nutrients of the day:
2 oz E3Live algae
2oz fresh squeezed tangerine juice
20oz celery and apple juice
16oz green smoothie
24oz young Thai coconut and fresh pineapple juice
1 veggie burger
1 cup jimica fries
1 slice sweet potato pie
12oz herbal tea
96 oz water

Quote of the day: "And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

Celebrate life and be grateful,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 24 & 25 - Fruits Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

2007-10-26T21:42:00.000-04:00

I just learned how oatmeal lowers cholesterol. There are two main types of fiber and they are soluble and insoluble. Oat bran contains moderate solubile fiber while fruit has highly soluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and feeds the intestinal bacteria. These bacteria ferment to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). As these SCFAs travel through the large intestines they nourish and stimulate healing. As they get absorbed they travel to the liver and decrease it’s production of cholesterol, hense lowering blood cholesterol levels. This means that fruits can lower your cholesterol more than oatmeal. However the fruit counsel does not have nearly the budget for advertising as the major corporations do so this is why you do not hear any of this in the media.

Thursday's Raw nutrients of the day:

My Purple Grape Juice

4oz fresh squeezed tangerine juice

Cabbage wraps with broccoli, onions, mushroom and carrots

20oz apple and celery juice

Flaxseed crackers with almond butter and honey

2 NuPlus

2 vitadophilis

2 quinary

20oz apple and celery juice

Friday's Raw nutrients of the day:

4oz fresh squeezed tangerine juice

16oz apple and celery juice

2oz E3Live algae

Flaxseed crackers with almond butter and honey

1 cocoa vitashakes

2 vitadophilis

1 quinary
Pesto stuffed mushrooms
2 garden salads
6oz fresh squeezed tangerine juice
20oz herbal tea
2 bags of NuPuffs

Quote of the day:
"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

Live life and be happy,

Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 23 - Mostly Fruits - Creative Recipes

2007-10-24T16:17:00.000-04:00

Hello, Today I have eaten mostly fruits all day long. It has been refreshing and I did not experience a sugar high at all. I started the day off with a bunch of grapes. I did not feel like eating them so I juiced them. I hope to create the same recipe tomorrow for breakfast because it was so yummy. :) It happened to be a creative day as far as recipes go. I created a few of them which I would like to share with you.

Today I got a very nice compliment from a nurse that calls me every 3 months. She is tied into my health benefits at work and we have been talking for about 5 to 6 years. Anyway she said that she does not know of anyone who could do more for their health than I am doing. It is nice to hear what people think of my efforts.

Purple Grape Juice
1 pt of organic red grapes
2 oz E3Live
1/4 tsp of enzymes
1/4 probiotics a
3gm acidophilis powder
6 oz of water
Ice
Blend it in the Vitamix. Pour and drink up! Yields about 24oz of juice.

Coconut Pear Pudding
meat of 1 Thai coconut
2 pears
stevia to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a dash of molasses
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour into bowl. You can freeze some too. When serving let desert sit out for about 15 to soften. Yields about 1 cup of pudding.

Avocado goes Nuts
1/2 avocado
2 tbsp of nuts* (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Brazilian nuts and sliced almonds)
1/8 cup sliced onions
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil cold pressed
*The nuts were soaked overnight and then dehydrated for 12 hours.
Slice the avocado, place onions on top, sprinkle the nuts and salt and then drizzle the olive oil and EAT UP!

Raw nutrients of the day:
12oz of Purple Grape Juice (see recipe above)
32oz cantaloupe juice (cantaloupe and water)
4oz fresh squeezed tangerine juice
4oz Coconut Pear Pudding
Avocado goes Nuts (1/2 avocado with nuts and onions )
Flaxseed crackers with almond butter and honey
16oz green smoothie
3 strawberry vitashakes
3 vitadophilis
3 quinary

Quote of the day:
"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not by strength but by perseverance." - H. Jackson Brown

Celebrate Life and be grateful,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 23 - Reversing Diabetes Naturally

2007-10-23T19:40:00.000-04:00

I just watched a trailer for a movie coming out called "Raw for 30 Days" and it is quite the opposite from "Supersize Me." It is just under 9 minutes. Take a look.

Raw nutrients of the day:
2oz E3Live
56oz water
fruit salad (cantoloupe, pineapple, honeydew)
24oz Cafix (water)
3 raw flax seed crackers w/ raw almond butter and raw honey 1/2 avocado, nuts, onion and himalayan salt
2 vitalite nutrition bars
2 bags nupuffs

Quote of the day:
"Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success." - Dr. Joyce Brothers

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 22 - Eat live foods at every meal

2007-10-22T22:44:00.000-04:00

I am sure that many of you might think that eating 100% raw foods is extreme or nearly impossible for you but let me give you some guidance. Perhaps your first goal should be something like trying to incorporate something live at every meal. It could be fresh orange juice at breakfast or a fruit. You can have a fruit or small salad or vegetable for lunch and dinner. For many of you the challenge might be just to eat a fruit or vegetable on a daily basis, never mind at each meal. Maybe you would like raw deserts for a while. I have an awesome recipe for chocolate pudding and this week I am going t publish a recipe for persimmon pudding. Where ever you are at is fine but if you want to get healthier these are just a couple of ideas. Just remember to eat a variety of greens, vegetables and fruits. This will ensure you are getting different vitamins and minerals.

Tonight was my 2ND night of the new woman's league I joined. Tonight I felt more comfortable. #1 it was my second time so my nerves were more settled and #2 it was a bigger gym. I still could not do my "normal" serve but it was almost there. Next Monday we are back to a small gym. That I am not that keen on but we will see how it goes. Tonight we won 3 out of 4 games. We play the best out of 5 games. Although the main objective is to have fun tonight was better than last week when we lost 3 out of 3 games.

Raw nutrients of the day:
4oz fresh squeezed orange juice
2oz E3Live
16oz Cafix
1 tangerine
3 flax seed crackers with raw almond butter and raw honey
48oz Cali tea
20oz mineral water
64 oz water total
1 mango
1/2 avocado with nuts, onions, olive oil
juice of 1 young Thai coconut
2 bags NuPuffs
1 Vitalite Sunbar
2 quinary
2 vitadolphilis
2 strawberry vitashakes

Quote of the day:
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 21

2007-10-21T20:08:00.000-04:00

I just finished by 2nd book by Victoria Boutenko. This woman was my main inspiration to going raw. The first book I read of her’s, Green for Life, and it taught me how to incorporate greens into my diet by making greens and fruit smoothies. It is a very easy way to increase nutrition into your diet. She had a clinical study showing that people could just add these green/fruit smoothies and not change anything else in their diet and their health will improve. Her book has testimonies and a lot of good information. The book I just finished is 12 Steps to Raw foods, How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food. In this book she gives a lot of insight on enzymes and their importance in our bodies. The best chapter is how she explains to live in harmoney with people who eat cooked foods.

Amazon.com Widgets

Here is some produce that I purchased today.

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 banana
Seaweed
Vegetable sushi rolls
2 vitalite sunbars
2 strawberry vitashakes
48oz Cali
NuPuffs
8 raw olives

Quote of the day:
"The belief in a thing makes it happen." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 20 Happy 50th Anniversary Mom & Dad!

2007-10-20T20:53:00.001-04:00

Today I went to visit my parents and I took them out for dinner for their 50th wedding anniversary. We went out for dinner and spent the day looking at old family pictures. It was a lot of fun and we bathed in memories. Here are a few for you to enjoy.

View Album

Get your own

Luigi had a great day today. He ran outside all afternoon and he is now exhausted. I just found his puppy picture on my dad’s computer.

View Album

Get your own

Raw nutrients of the day:
8oz fresh squeezed orange juice with
2oz E3Live
1oz aloe vera juice
2 bananas
2 quinary
2 fortune delight
2 strawberry vitashake
1 garden salad
Steamed vegetables (mushrooms, onions, carrots, squash, broccoli, snap pea pods)
1 baked sweet potato

Quote of the day:
Be the change you want to see in the world. – Gandhi

Live and celebrate life,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 18 & 19 Dehydration?

2007-10-19T20:30:00.000-04:00

It is time to get back to writing about my journey with raw foods. I did my public service blogs on the environment and on pet foods.

I had a bout with dehydration last week and I had a slight one last night. I got a muscle cramp in my left calf while playing volleyball. I rubbed it and walked it off. Then when I got home and was preparing my young Thai coconut I got muscle cramps in my other leg. Well I am going to eliminate one detoxing tea from my diet for one or two weeks and see if that was it. If it was I will dilute it more than I already do and try it again. If I feel the effects of dehydration again I will have to seek help from a professional raw foodist.

Recipe of the Week:

I had some avocado on Wednesday and had some left over. I had seen this recipe and decided to look for it and try it out. It was really good. I have to admit that I thought that avocado was weird and not really something that I would match up with desert but it works. It gives the pudding a great consistency and texture. Try it out.

Chocolate Pudding:

1 avocado, diced

1/2 c agave nectar (or Medjools dates)

1/4 c cocoa powder

1/4 c water

2 T vanilla extract

1/4 t sea salt

Place avocado, agave nectar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sea salt in a blender.

Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to achieve a creamy consistency.

Picture and recipe from http://www.thedailyrawcafe.com/

Thursday's Raw nutrients of the day:

8oz fresh squeezed orange juice with

2oz E3Live

1oz aloe vera juice

1 apple

1 pear

1 banana

2 quinary

1 chocolate vitashake

2 fortune delight
1 strawberry vitashake
Juice of 1 young Thai coconut
Meat of one young Thai coconut with water, vanilla extract, 1 banana and agave nectar
1+ gallons of water
1 NuPuff

Friday's Raw nutrients of the day:

16oz fresh squeezed orange juice with

2oz E3Live

1oz aloe vera juice

2 bananas
24oz Cafix

1 cup chocolate pudding (avocado, carob powder, vanilla extract and water

1 Sunbar

1 Rawies (dehydrated fresh mango, coconut and cashew) 1 NuPuff
48oz water
2 quinary

2 NuPlus

2 fortune delight

2 NuPuffs

Quote of the day:

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might...Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Celebrate Life and drink lots of water,

Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 16 & 17 Raw Foods for Pets

2007-10-17T22:20:00.000-04:00

A large number of vets are stating that the main cause of illness and premature death of our pets is due to processed pet foods. Yes it does the same to our animals as it does to us by suppressing our immune system. Please read the labels of your pet's food and find out what is in it.

Most pet owners recoil at the thought of feeding raw meat to their dog or cat, concerned about bacteria or parasites. However, dogs and cats don't get salmonella poisoning because their digestive system is so acidic (or at least it should be) that it kills everything. This is why a dog can bury a bone and dig it up two weeks later and eat the rotting meat. (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawpetfood.html)

If you would like to read some more on raw foods for pets here are a few web sites:
http://www.barfworld.com/ and http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/bybrawdiets.htm.
Here are some pics of my co-worker's pets. They all want more love, more food and more petting. So send them more via the web and enjoy these beautiful animals!

Tuesday's Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz E3Live with fresh squeezed orange juice with aloe vera
24oz Cafix
3 NuPlus
3 Quinary
3 Fortune Delight
48oz Calli
Sprouts and red leaf lettuce salad
8oz Passionberry Bliss Kombucha drink
1 vege meatball and 1oz spaghetti (zucchini, carrots, squash and tomato)
1 piece of almond fudge
1 piece of coconut gogi berry fudge46 oz Calli
Flax seed crackers with almond butter and raw honey

Wednesday's Raw nutrients of the day:
8 oz Kambucha drink
6oz Fresh squeezed orange juice with aloe vera
3 NuPlus
3 Quinary
1 Fortune Delight
2 VitaShakes
60oz Calli
16oz pear juice
Chocolate pudding (avocado, carob powder, agave nectar and vanilla extract)
Watercress
2oz raw chocolate
Flax seed crackers with almond butter and raw honey

Quote of the day:
Love of animals is a universal impulse, a common ground on which all of us may meet. By loving and understanding animals, perhaps we humans shall come to understand each other. — Dr. Louis J. Camuti

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 15 Green Minded People

2007-10-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

Today most of our food is traveling thousands of miles before it hits our plates. So please support organic, Fair Trade and locally produced products and businesses. It is time to break the sweatshop driven economies. Fair trade certified food ensures a proper wage and working conditions for those who harvest and handle it.

 Local foods provide exceptional taste and freshness. It also cuts back on the climate-change impacts of transportation
 Local food also generally uses less packaging, is fresher and tastier, and comes in more varieties
 Local foods strengthen our local economy and supports endangered family farms.
 Along the way it losses nutrients, burns fossil fuels and contributes to global warming
 Food taste better because the fresher the produce the longer it holds it’s vitality and it’s nutrients
 Local foods preserve genetic diversity due to the large number of variety local farmers produce in order to provide a long harvest season
 Keeps the money in the neighborhood. For every 100 dollars spent at a locally owned business, $45 goes back into your community and our tax base. For every $100 spent at a chain store, only $14 comes back.

Small Changes You Can Make
 Enjoy raw fruits, vegetables and salads to reduce energy consumption.
 Clean produce in short water baths rather than with running water.
 Replace appliances with more energy efficient models. You’ll save energy and maybe even benefit from additional savings with an energy credit.
 Avoid plastic containers in favor of Eco-friendly storage.
 Switch to reusable stainless steel water bottles instead of plastic.
 Run your dishwasher only when full and on the lowest energy setting (for example – let the dishes air dry instead of using the heated dry setting).
 Consider composting. Use egg shells, coffee grounds and cover with torn pieces of cardboard to create a compost heap that yield rich soil.
 Buy minimally packaged foods.
 David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge suggests making one day a week meat-free. And yes, that small change will make a difference. Just as opting not to drive one day a week will make a difference. And as that one day grows into more days a week, we will start to see bigger differences. An analogy sometimes used to illustrate the relative effects of incremental dietary changes on the environment says that eating meat is like driving a huge SUV, eating a vegetarian diet is like driving a compact car, and eating a vegan diet is like riding a bicycle or walking.
 Composting leftovers will ease the burden on the landfill, give you great soil, and keep your kitchen wastebasket from smelling. Apartment dwellers and yardless wonders can do it too! And yes, a composting toilet can be part of the miraculous cycle as well.
 Meat is the most resource-intensive food on the table and eating less of it can be the single greenest move a person makes. Producing meat requires huge amounts of water, grain, land, and other inputs including hormones and antibiotics, and leads to pollution of soil, air, and water. A pound of beef requires around 12,000 gallons of water to produce, compared to 60 gallons for a pound of potatoes. If you’re a meat eater, for starters, try cutting out a serving of meat each week. Going vegetarian or vegan is a profoundly meaningful environmental choice.
 Eating a plant-based diet keeps the earth green. Each vegetarian saves one acre of trees a year by the food they eat. It is these trees which keep the planet alive by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. In addition, they provide a habitat for millions of species, many of whom are rapidly going extinct as their natural homes get eaten up by human greed.
 According to John Robbins, the average vegan uses about 1/6 of an acre of land to satisfy his or her food requirements for a year; the average vegetarian who consumes dairy products and eggs requires about three times that, and the average meat-eater requires about 20 times that much land.
 When you eat organic, don’t just picture the healthy food you are putting in your body, picture the healthy ecosystems which produced that food, the workers who are safer from chemicals, the land, water, and air that is being protected, and the wildlife that is being allowed to thrive. Organic vegetables, fruits, grains, juice, wine and beer are grown and processed in ways that support healthy people and a healthy planet.

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz E3Live with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon bee pollen
16oz Cafix
3 NuPlus
3Quinary
3 Fortune Delight
2 garden salads
Mushrooms with spinach and parsley
Sprouts and red leaf lettuce salad
2 oz E3Live with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon bee pollen
8oz Passionberry Bliss Kombucha drink
1 vege meatball and 1oz spaghetti (zuchinni, carrots, squash and tomato)
1 piece of almond fudge
1 piece of coconut gogi berry fudge
46 oz Calli

Below are some green photos.

Quote of the day:
Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might...Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Celebrate Life and be green,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 10 through 14 – Dehydration

2007-10-14T20:06:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night I was tired so I did not journal/blog. Thursday night I was exhausted and could not even do anything after volleyball but pass out in bed. Friday night I was tired again. This was totally strange to me because last Saturday through Tuesday I was ENERGIZED and very HAPPY. You could hear the excitement and happiness in my voice. So what happened? After thinking about what could have happened many times I came to realize that I got dehydrated. I was passing water very frequently on Thursday. So much so that I had called my mom and told her. I went to play volleyball and I was sweating more than usual due to the humidity. I drank my coconut water and felt no effect from it. I made a mental note of this because it usually revives me. During game play I had mentioned how tired I was a few times and I even thought of stopping. I stayed and came home and just about made it to bed and passed out til 2AM. I am assuming that I drank too much detoxing tea but I could be wrong. I really do not know exactly why I dehydrated but I know I did. I had pains in my upper thighs that I have always felt when I have passed too much water and my electrolytes were low. I used to take 1 or 2 potassium supplements and I was good to go. I actually took one on Saturday because I was not up to par with my energy levels.

Today I went to play volleyball with the co-ed league and there were four guys and myself. I still was not up to 100% but I was able to play for a couple of hours. I stopped because I did not want to push myself too much but if I go next Sunday I will probably play longer if given the chance. The great weather has been keeping people outside. Indoor volleyball is usually busy during the colder, gloomier days of winter. Much more excitement to come.

Tomorrow I start a woman’s league of indoor volleyball. This league has referee’s and many rules and regulations. It will be fire by baptism with all the rules so I have to pay attention so that I could learn quickly. I hope to play with these rules at all times so there is no confusion on my part (at least I hope not).

Below are some pictures I just uploaded onto my computer.

Wednesday’s Raw nutrients of the day:
24oz sesame milk with cantaloupe juice
3 Quinary
3 Fortune Delights
3 NuPlus
76oz Calli
4 cashew cheese sticks
4 snowballs (raisins, dates, coconut, agave nectar)
Portobellos, watercress, tomato and eggplant
NuPuff

Thursday’s Raw nutrients of the day:
E3Live with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 banana
1 chewy almond crunch bar
16oz Cafix
4 snowballs (raisins, almonds, dates, walnuts and coconuts
Cauliflower and tomatoes
24oz San Pellegrino
3 NuPlus
3Quinary
3 Fortune Delight
46oz Calli
20oz green smoothie with 1 cup sesame seeds
16oz young Thai coconut water

Friday’s Raw nutrients of the day:
E3Live with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 banana
1 apple
24oz Cafix
2 snowballs (raisins, almonds, dates, walnuts and coconuts
1 large garden salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, olive oil and vinegar)
20oz herbal tea
3 NuPlus
3Quinary
3 Fortune Delight
46oz Calli
2 flax seed crackers
3/4 cup almond butter
2 pieces of fudge

Saturday’s Raw nutrients of the day:

20 oz green smoothie with sesame seeds and meat from 1 coconut
16oz Cafix
3 NuPlus
3Quinary
3 Fortune Delight
¼ cup almond butter
2 pieces of fudge

Sunday’s Raw nutrients of the day:
2 oz E3Live with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon bee pollen
16 oz green smoothie with sesame seeds and meat from 1 coconut
8oz Cafix
16oz coconut water with orange and cranberry juice
1 Vitalite Sunbar
3 NuPlus
3Quinary
3 Fortune Delight
16oz Mystic Mango Kombucha drink
1 vege meatball and 2 oz spaghetti (zucchini, carrots, squash and tomato)
16 raw olives
1 piece of almond fudge
1 piece of vanilla fudge
46 oz Calli

Quote of the day:
"The heights by great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the night." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Alma and Annette at The Stone Pony

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Margarita, Joe and Annette at The Stone Pony

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Joe, Alma and Margarita at The Stone Pony
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Raw Food Phase 2 Day 9 – Another Good Dr. and Nutritionist Visit

2007-10-09T22:49:00.000-04:00

Tonight I had a live blood analysis done and I received some expert advice as to what foods and supplements to take to assist me in my quest to health. The doctor admired my determination and the nutritionist was pleased with my desire to educate myself in all aspects of my health. I am going to up my basic Sunrider meals from twice a day to three times a day (which I started doing yesterday) and I am going to add some Vitadolphilus. Then I will get more blood work done in a few months. I was also told that I was calcium deficient so I am going to add sesame milk to my diet. The funny thing was that I was thinking about this today and I was going to add sesame milk to a list I was working on today. The body knows what it needs if you just listen to it. I was also found to have a lot of allergies. This is no secret to anyone who knows me. The great news is that I am not as sensitive to allergens as I was a few years ago. In the last 3 year I have gotten better and better with my tolerance to different smells, irritants and allergens. There was no cholesterol or fat in my blood all because of my diet and because I hardly had any fat today.

Another reason to listen to your body. Last night I posted a question in Alissa Cohen’s message boards. I asked if anyone knew any foods that would help me get over muscle soreness. I had played volleyball with guys on Sunday and I was sore on Monday. Then I played VB with the woman’s league on Monday which made my muscles even more sore. This morning I read the responses and someone said to eat pineapple because that helps with inflammation. The ironic thing was that when I first opened my eyes this morning I thought of the pineapple I had and how I would some for breakfast. I would start my day with vitamin C. So my body already knew what I wanted before my mind did.

Nutrients of the day:
1oz E3Live 1/2 pineapple
3 Quinary
3 Fortune Delights
3 NuPlus
1 cantaloupe
32oz Cafix
48 oz Calli 3 Snowball (raisins, dates, coconut)
16oz Chai Rooibos herbal tea
¼ red pepper
Cantaloupe, honeydew
1 apple
Grapes
4 nori rolls (watercress, avocado, cucumbers)
1 Vitalite Sunbar

Quote of the day:
"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." - John Dryden

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 8 – Good Dr. Visit

2007-10-08T22:11:00.000-04:00

Today I visited my general practitioner for my flu shot and yearly checkup. She was happy that I had lost 21 pounds and she said that she could see a difference in my energy level and my overall appearance looked brighter. She asked if I felt more energetic. Duh, I am bouncing off trees. Energy is my middle name since I have been on raw foods. That is until the flu shot. I actually came home and napped for 40+ minutes. I have not napped before volleyball in months. Come to think of it this was the first time since I started on raw foods that I napped before VB. Actually it was a common occurrence for me to do that. There add another positive thing on my list!

The prepared products that I bought yesterday are available at http://www.awesomefoods.com/. You can also get them in a variety of stores just check out at http://www.awesomefoods.com/locations.asp. They have hundreds of products available!

Sunday’s nutrients after blog entry
2 nori rolls (avocado, watercress, cucumber and cauliflower)

Raw nutrients of the day:
20oz Green smoothie
3 Quinary
3 Fortune Delights
3 NuPlus
Raw butternut squash crackers
Raw better than turkey salad (Dang, I finished it. I WANT MORE!)
16oz Cafix
80 oz Calli
1 heaping tsp of bee pollen
1 nori rolls (avocado, watercress, cucumber and cauliflower)
2oz E3Live algae
Juice of 1 young coconut with 2 apples (during volleyball as an electrolyte replacement)
Coconut sherbet

Quote of the day:
"Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." - Conrad Hilton

Celebrate life,
Alma