Raw Food Phase 2 Day 26 & 27 - more Volleyball

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

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

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

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

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

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.



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!

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?

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

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

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

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

(Click to enlarge)

Margarita, Joe and Annette at The Stone Pony

(Click to enlarge)

Joe, Alma and Margarita at The Stone Pony
(Click to enlarge)

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 9 – Another Good Dr. and Nutritionist Visit

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

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

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 6 and 7 – Prepared Raw Food

Wow did I hit a gold mine today! I stopped at a health food store that I noticed last night and am I happy that I stopped. They actually make green and fruit smoothies and they sell prepared raw foods!!! YUM. I almost bought one of everything to try. I purchased the following at http://www.deansnaturalfoodmarket.com/:
Golden flax seed crackers with tomato and bell pepper
Raw better than turkey salad
Cashew cheese sticks
Raw chocolate coconut fudge
Banana balls
Raw butternut squash crackers

I tried everything tonight and I might add that the turkey salad on the flax seed crackers was very good and very satisfying. The fudge was too good to be true. I loved getting the dehydrated crackers and cheese sticks. Since I do not have a dehydrator yet this makes it easier on me. I use my oven for dehydrating but it is not the same. I was told if it was a convection oven that goes down to 105 degrees it would be more like a dehydrator. I am waiting for Alissa Cohen’s new dehydrator coming out before the end of the year before I purchase one.

Saturday’s Raw nutrients of the day:
1oz E3Live algae
2 Quinary
2 Fortune Delights
2NuPlus
1/4 cantaloupe
8oz Cafix
64 oz Calli
1 banana
1 heaping tsp of bee pollen
20oz green smoothie
40oz water

Sunday’s Raw nutrients of the day:
20 oz green smoothie
2 Quinary
2 Fortune Delights
2 NuPlus
1.25 gallons of Calli
16oz herbal tea
Turkey Salad
Flax seed crackers
Fudge

Quote of the day:
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin. - Anonymous


Live life,
Alma

Raw Food Phase 2 Day 4 and Day 5 - Hot Air Ballon

Thursday night was another fun night at volleyball. I get so excited about my body’s performance that I cannot sleep. I am so elated that I am energized. So I stayed up late reading. I wasn’t that tired on Friday. At least not how I used to be after a hard night of volleyball. I will see my how my progress goes on Sunday when I go play in the co-ed league.

Last night I had a lot of fun. I went to a breast cancer benefit where they had 5 different bands playing. They had door prizes, raffles, a 50:50, and an auction. There was good energy in the air as everyone was happy to come to the aids of others and there is always hope for a cure.

Today my hopes were to go on a tandem hot air balloon ride. I had my camera ready to record a video however Mother Nature had other plans. I must say I was somewhat relieved because a little bit of fear was creeping in when I was watching the pilot attempt a trial run. Better safe than sorry. Perhaps the weather will cooperate next year.

I bought a case of peaches today and I made a few batches of green smoothies today. I used flax seeds and hemp as my source of omega 3’s put them in containers and froze them so it will be easier during the next couple of weeks. I love treating my body to great carbohydrates after a workout so I make sure that I drink at least 8 to 16 ounces of a green smoothie afterwards. The body has to heal then and the two best things to give your body, as far as my readings, are coconut water to replace the electrolytes, and good carbohydrates for muscle repair.

Another practice I have been doing is that I drink 1 to 2 ounces of E3Live algae for the chlorophyll and a heaping teaspoon of bee pollen prior to exercise. Since chlorophyll is the closest food to the hemoglobin in our blood. I figure this will aid my body in delivering more oxygen to my cells. The bee pollen is strictly for energy.

Thursday’s Nutrients of the day:
1oz E3Live algae with 4oz of young Thai coconut water and banana smoothie
2 Quinary
2 Fortune Delights
2NuPlus
1 cantaloupe
8oz Cafix
26 oz Calli
2 oz E3Live
1 heaping tsp of bee pollen
6oz young Thai coconut water
32oz greeen smoothie (kale, papaya, banana, mango and flax seeds)

Friday’s Nutrients of the day:
3 Quinary
3 Fortune Delights
3 NuPlus
1 cantaloupe
16oz Cafix
48 oz Calli

Day 2 phase 2 Raw Food Organs

I am still very excited about my ½ mile jog last night. Believe me I cannot forget because my calves are sore. I am excited to jog again tomorrow night or Thursday night. I will see how sore I am tomorrow, Hopefully I will not be sore at all. Now I can see many more opportunities that I did before. My goal, as you know, is to run a 5K race next summer so I have to start training now. I am most proud of my way of thinking. Several months ago I would have thought or said "Take that cancer or take that pulmonary fibrosis" but I last night after the explosion of joy and happiness, I was grateful. Yes there is a part of me that says "HA" but mostly I am thankful to my lungs because they are the true workhorses here. They are the ones that have to perform and heal at alarming rates. I am definitely giving them a workout but I must say that I am truly trying to take care of them by offering my body proper nutrition. I will continue to do my part and I am sure my lungs will continue to support all my efforts, challenges and goals.

I tried the kiwano horned melon tonight and it was good. The taste was not bitter at all by my standards. When I cut into it, it was like cutting into a citrus fruit. The pulp was familiar but it was green. It had seeds like a cucumber and the taste was pleasant, mild and sweet. I ate about ¼ of it and mixed the rest with mangoes for a smoothie.

Now for organs, there are no organs in Raw Foods. The reason for this entry is that my dad also has pulmonary fibrosis but he had a lung transplant almost 6 years ago. Another donor recipient gave me an article to read and it is a poem that was written by Robert Noel Test (1926-1994) entitled To Remember Me and it is about donating organs after death.

The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying.
At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.

When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine. And don’t call this my deathbed. Let it be called the Bed of Life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.

Give my sight to a man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby’s face or love in the eyes of a woman.

Give my heart to a person whose own heart has pain.

Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.

Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week.
Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.

Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that , someday, a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her windows.

Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.

If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all my prejudice against my fellow man.

Give my sins to the devil. Give my soul to God. If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you.

If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.

Raw nutrients of the day:
6oz green smoothie
6oz papaya-banana smoothie
1oz E3Live algae
2 NuPlus
2 Fortune Delight
2 Quinary
32oz Cafix
1 Sunbar nutrient bar
1 Garden salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, & olives)
1 Mango
¼ kiwano horned melon
64 oz Calli

Quote of the day:
"Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a
crisis that didn't make me stronger." - Lou Holtz

Live life,
Alma

Day 1 phase 2 Raw Food Honesty

Hello All,
I am sorry that I have not written the entire weekend. I had a very busy weekend and did not make the time to write but I am back! Today I started what I call phase 2. I am going to eat raw foods for another 30 days. I read this weekend that it is better to do it 100% raw or 0% if you have a disease. The reason is that by eating some cooked foods here and there stops the body from cleansing and healing. It lands up confusing the body and it will take a lot longer in time to heal. So I am going to do my best. Like I said before I am going to get some support online and I am reading another book from Victoria Boutenko and it is suppose to help people that go raw stay raw in 12 easy steps. More on that later.


I did eat cooked foods on Friday and I ate too many shrimp. I suffered by having a stomachache for hours. I would fall asleep and wake up with my stomach hurting. It must have hurt for 4 to 5 hours. Then on Saturday I ate some more cooked foods and I actually feel asleep on the ride home from the restaurant. I have not slept after eating in a long, long time. I felt sluggish and lethargic Saturday night and Sunday. So on Sunday I ate mostly raw foods. I thought about not including the comments about my eating cooked foods but I am human and most of all I want to show and share with the world that no one is perfect. My goal is extreme because I am trying to do something at 100%. I am still very proud of my accomplishments and I can still sleep at night without any guilt.


Today I came home and cut up a case of mangoes and froze them for future use. I also made a big batch of papaya-banana pudding. I froze half the batch and refrigerated the rest. Today I ate my Sunrider products and consumed mostly bananas and felt great all day.
Tonight I played 2 hours of volleyball and when I got home I had so much energy that I jogged ½ mile. Yes I JOGGED ½ MILE!!!!!!!!!!! That is the first time I have run/jogged that far in about 20 years. Mark your calendars because this is another milestone. My intentions are to run a 5K race next summer. I am able to do 45 to 60 minutes on an elliptical machine at work but actual road running is different.


Raw nutrients of the day:
5 bananas
3 Cafix
2 fortune delight
2 Quinary
2 NuPlus
2 oz E3Live (algae)
1 heaping teaspoon of bee pollen
1 Sunbar nutrient bar
4 oz green smoothie
16 oz papaya-banana pudding


Quote of the day:
"Success doesn't come to you, you go to it." - Marva Collins


Live life,
Alma

Day 32 New Inspiration

Tonight I got my inspiration for this blog from some new readers. Welcome Milltown’s Women’s Volleyball players. I had 3 VB players approach me about my blog tonight and I had one co-worker. Four new readers and I am very happy about this. I love when I get questions because I can spread the word of healthy eating and inspire others to think about their choices. Don’t get me wrong. I am human and I stray from healthy items at times but it is by choice. These are "my" rules and at the end of the day I only answer to myself. If my body craves something I feel it needs whatever nutrients are in that food so I try to satisfy it. It’s funny after my bout with chemotherapy I rarely get food cravings. I think I went about 1.5 to 2 years without consciously having a food craving. Weird huh? At least it has helped me lose weight because I have not craved much of the non-nutritive foods. Okay, junk food. I said it, alright. I also love that the people I share my life with can share in my journey and see the difference that these food choices make in my life. It’s all-GOOD!


I started drinking a new tea called Calli today along with Fortune Delight. These teas have a lot of antioxidants and therefore aid the body in its purification and elimination processes. These teas also contain a lot of herbs that aid the body in cleansing waste and toxins. Calli is alkaline in nature and you know that no disease can live in an alkaline body. My quest is to make this body alkaline!

Raw nutrients of the day:
12oz green smoothie
1 liter of mineral water
Homemade salsa
Tomato and spinach salad
64 oz Calli tea
2 cups Cafix
3 oz E3live
6 oz green smoothie
1 teaspoon of bee pollen
Dehydrated potatoes
1 Sunbar


Quote of the day:
"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

Day 30 & 31 I made it!!!

Wow, let me pause a second and breath. I try to celebrate all wins be them large or small. This has been quite a quest but I am up to do it again but I want to stay 100% raw for 30 days. I am going to guess and say I was about 98 to 99% raw. I am up for the challenge and I am going online for some support. I do not want to say that this discipline was hard because I do not feel it was that bad. I would like to feel as part of a community so I am reaching out for some support. There are many message boards that offer a form of communication that I believe will benefit me. I have done some homework and joined a few meetup groups. I have only reached out to one group but I will be attending another function next month that is local. It will be great to experience a meal with other like-minded people. These groups are located in Princeton NJ, New Brunswick NJ, Pennsylvania and New York City. Two of these locations are nearby and I will attend the other two if something special is really going on or if I plan to be in the area.


I find it difficult to stay 100% raw when dining out of my home. There is such a lack of restaurants that provide raw foods never mind organic raw foods. I will have to go into New York City to experience a variety of raw food restaurants. There is an online service that will deliver several meals and snacks but I did not like the food, the quality or the service. I will keep seeking and I am sure I will find other sites that will offer fresh, nutritious raw foods.


Day 31
Raw nutrients of the day:
16oz green smoothie
16 oz rice milk with Cafix
Fresh squeezed orange juice with aloe
NuPlus, Fortune Delight & Quinary
Portobellos with pesto
64 oz water
2 bananas
2 apples
2 rings of pineapple
2 cups Cafix
1 Sunbar


Day 30
Raw nutrients of the day:
1 durian pod milk shake (1 pod, water and vanilla extract) with E3live Juice of 1 young coconut with fresh pineapple juice grilled vegetables fruit salad (pineapple, grapes, cantaloupe, honeydew) 1 cup Cafix
NuPlus, Fortune Delgiht & Quinary
48 oz water
16 oz green smoothie
1 cup herbal tea
Soy ravioli with tomato and onions

Quote of the day:
"All life is a chance. So take it! The person who goes furthest is the one who is willing to do and dare." - Dale Carnegie

Celebrate life,
Alma

Day 29 kiwano horned melon

I found out the name of the melon I bought yesterday and it is kwano horned melon. Thai melon is native to Africa but it is also grown in New Zealand and other parts of the world. It has been around for over 3,000 years. This melon has a georgous orange rind with spikes and the inside has a yellowish, greenish flesh that has a consistency of jello. I have read mixed reviews on the taste from it being very bitter to it tasting like a cross between melon, limes, bananas and cucumbers. Now I am a little leary to try this but I will let you know tomorrow what I think of it. At the very least I could use the outside of this as a beautiful serving dish. Haha $4.00 for 2 temporary 4oz serving dishes. Let’s hope this is a delicious fruit. It is suppose to be high in vitamin A & C and high in fiber.

I played volleyball tonight and then I did some community work. Half of the volleyball players went and stuffed envelopes for a community day mailing. Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.

Raw nutrients of the day:
E3live with fresh squeezed orange juice
NuPlus, Fortune Delgiht & Quinary
16oz green smoothie
32 oz water
Eggplant, peppers, & greens with baslamic vinegar
1 cup Cafix
48 oz water
½ gallon of water
16 oz green smoothie
NuPlus, Fortune Delgiht & Quinary
1 cup herbal tea

Quote of the day:
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Celebrate life,
Alma