In Memory of Carol Baer...

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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...

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

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