Gall Bladder Blues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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