Thursday, January 13

changing habits....


Part of my goals this New Year, along with eating tons of raw foods, is changing habits that are no longer serving me. So far I have quit my daily coffee and replaced it with antioxidant rich green tea. Yes, I was head achy for a bit but so worth it for me now! Coffee just was NOT working for me on a daily basis.... When I came down from my coffee buzz I would just crash... made me really hungry, moody, nervous & even more tired, needing to drink more coffee to get through my day. This is *my* experience with coffee, everybody is different. Yes, green tea does still have caffeine but less and does not effect me so dramatically. Plus green tea has so many health benefits to boot. I'm in love with jasmine green tea right now...I got a huge bag of Numi Monkey King Jasmine Green Tea for Christmas & it's really light & lovely! I have also quit my (almost) daily evening wine ritual....I use to enjoy a couple of glasses while cooking & eating dinner but it was packing on the pounds among other things. At first I replaced it with Kombucha, but that gives me energy, so I have moved that to the morning time instead. I'm playing around with "mocktails" now. I made this fun & tasty drink last night from Diana Stobo's book, "Get Naked Fast!", PINK GRAPEFRUIT COSMOPOLITAN ..... my kids really enjoyed it as well. Cheers!

Wednesday, January 12

Spinach-Basil Pesto on Zucchini Noodles


Ella's last delicious post got me craving some raw pasta big time! So I whipped this up yesterday! I really enjoyed it. The pesto would also be great on some raw flat bread with cherry tomato's on top. This is a lighter (less fat) pesto than most using hemp seeds instead of pine nuts. You could easily sub pine nuts if you wanted a heavier more traditional pesto. I was really happy with how this turned out and will be making it part of my regular menu.

Recipe can be found at the RAW FOOD RECIPES site; we just discovered this gem of a site with delicious looking recipes and so user friendly!!!

Spinach Basil Pesto

Monday, January 10

Lunch: Zucchini + Marinara

Mr. B and I had a little kitchen fun while whipping up a simple marinara (vine ripened tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, olive oil, basil, oregano, cayenne and sea salt) and making noodle art with zucchini. Simplicity tastes best!




Zucchini Marinara of our own design.

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Sunday, January 9

baby steps...

My week has been filled with lots of positive changes in my lifestyle...
I'm starting to get in the swing of things with the "Resolve to Evolve" initiative over at Raw Food Rehab. I think the accountability has been a good thing for me. I've lost 4lbs. thus far eating a high raw vegan diet this past week...I've also quit the coffee and the evening wine ritual. I am starting to feel better, more positive, more even keeled emotionally, energy starting to return, & skin looking better. I feel happy. I have a long way to go, goal wise, but I'm just taking it one day at a time, baby steps....I am excited about all the things to come this up
coming year. I've replaced my coffee intake with organic green tea....I hope to reduce my caffeine intake even more over time. I've had a bit of a small lingering headache for the past few days...nothing major, mild headache...detox perhaps or caffeine withdrawal.
I'm rather new over at the Raw Food Rehab site, but everyone is so nice and POSITIVE...the site is filled with lots of positive affirmations....a really lovely atmosphere. I've been eating pretty simply...lots of smoothies & salads! Will be whipping up some raw recipes these upcoming weeks though. Here's a pic of a lovely smoothie I made the other day that was so delicious. It is so simple to make but so luscious! Just one papaya and bag of frozen strawberries and a squirt of agave. My family ate this whole raw blueberry pie today! Sooooo good!!!!! It is Alissa Cohen's recipe from her book, "Living on Live Food".


Muesli for breakfast




My husband, Mr. B, made this delicious muesli from Diana Stobo's book, Get Naked Fast. We think it turned out so well- we'll be having it for breakfast tomorrow morning.

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Tuesday, January 4

Commitment



So I made a commitment to myself this morning & joined "Resolve to Evolve 2011
Wellness initiative" over on the Raw Food Rehab site.

It is an 11 week commitment to eating raw food. I'm excited & a little apprehensive both! But I was really needing more accountability in living a healthy lifestyle & losing some weight & gaining energy. Wish me luck! I know I will grow from this experience immensely!

So I started off my day with lots of green tea to replace my usual coffee & this wonderful wild blueberry/hemp smoothie. It is one of my menu regulars & I always keep the ingredients on hand. I got the recipe from Green Chefs over at G Living years ago. I will try to add the link for the recipe if I can still find it. It has wild organic blueberries (I use frozen), hemp seeds, purified water, coconut oil/butter, vanilla, a frozen banana. You can add sweetener like agave if you want it sweeter but I am good without it. Also this smoothie is an excellent base to add greens-- to make it a green smoothie. The rich purple color covers up the green color nicely when I serve it to my kids! I like to add a few kale leaves myself.

Found the link:
Blueberry Hemp Shake

Monday, January 3

New Year, New ATTITUDE!!!

So here I am, a New Year & new promises (or rather same ol' promises) to myself. Ok, so honestly I failed last years resolutions big time, but I'm not giving up!!! I've got a new attitude and failing is not in the picture. I'm visualizing myself glowing from health at my ideal weight and living joyously. Is that too much to wish for?!?

What has kept me from this ideal in the past? Well myself & the way I handle stress. Beware this next paragraph is a bit gloomy....
So I've been to the dark side and back these last 5 years...A tragic suicide in the family left me realing ... I started smoking (ick) again after having quit for over 10 years. Then to add onto that pain my father was very ill for the past years from diabetes & heart disease, in & out of the hospitals & unwilling to live a more healthy lifestyle. This was hard to witness when you love someone....He eventually had a leg amputated which put me over the edge & having to be on anti-depressants/anti-anxiety pills so I could keep it together. He eventually passed away a year ago this week. I miss him intensely...

So here I am still in the healing process, 40+ pounds overweight, smoking & drinking too much wine. Trying to find myself once again.
I have gotten off the Lexapro thank goodness 6 months ago. I take 5-htp when feeling overwhelmed, down or an anxiety attack coming on and it serves me well with no side effects like the Lexapro. So now I am wanting to replace my other bad habits with good ones! I need to learn to deal with stress in healthier ways, because stress will always be a part of life unfortunately. So now that I've shared my weaknesses I do have some things that are already in place that will aide me on my quest for ultimate health & happiness...
I am well versed in healthy eating & food allergies. Both of my kids have been gluten-free and dairy-free for many years...--No preservatives & no additives. We eat organic & whole foods & no fast foods. We live a pretty natural & green life for the most part, at least
we try our best anyways...I also have the best cheerleader in the world, my dearest friend Ella, who's friendship & support has helped keep
me sane through the hard times! She's such an inspiration to me as well! I also have a supportive loving family whom love me unconditionally. I am blessed. I can do this. I have been raw vegan for short stints of time-- before the dark time in my life and felt all the health benefits! I am trying to get back to where I left off.... This is my journey, my transformation that I will be blogging about....

Sunday, January 2

Lick this Ick!

Who is mono eating tangerines, mega dosing on vita c, d and all sorts of magic herbies? RawElla, Mr. B and inevitably- little baby i. We all have a nasty little bug Mr. B unwrapped around xmas time.

Well, that's all ok because very soon we will be 100% well and I'll be reporting on my raw cookbook recipe making adventures. Bring it on Ani Phyo! Welcome 2011! xoxo

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