One Month Update

Things are going great on my "Resolve to Evolve" plan, which consists of a very high raw lifestyle. I just finished up my 4th week on this 11 week commitment to myself. I am so glad I decided to join because being accountable has really helped me along! No, it has not always been easy all the time, but nothing worthwhile generally is. The first week was the hardest with intense carbohydrate cravings (Thank you Ella for talking me through those transitional freak-outs)! I believe I have some internal candida issues contributing to these carb cravings as well as some emotional food addiction issues. We will get more in-depth on these topics in the future. Both my boys have these candida issues as well, which we discovered through lab work. They both see a DAN (Defeat Autism Now!) M.D. My oldest son has high-functioning Autism & my youngest son A.D.H.D. & dyslexia. Gut issues are prevalent with spectrum kids. Both my boys have tons of food allergies as well, linked to leaky gut from the candida. We have seen huge improvements with our boys on the D.A.N. protocol & highly recommend it to any parents of spectrum children.

After my first week back on raw it did get easier... my stomach shrinking, appetite decreasing & less cravings. So at the end of my 1st month I've seen many positive changes including:

*loss of 12 pounds (down one jean size)
*clearer skin
*better digestion
*huge improvement in my depression & anxiety (I was able to stop taking my daily 5-htp, haven't needed any for weeks now)!
*less pain with my injured right arm (which I pulled over a year ago!)

I'm really thrilled with how it's been going thus far! I'm really looking forward to what the next month brings.

Oh the photo above is, "Savory Nut Cheese Stuffed Endive", a recipe from Penni Shelton's "Resolve to Evolve" recipe book. It was so tasty & satisfying and most importantly easy to make!

Stay warm friends! It's freezing here in the big D.

Warmly, Lola

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Sweet Tooth

Staying raw is easy as chocolate coconut macaroons with a goji on top when you keep things simple and allow yourself a treat now and then. These delicious orbs of love have raw cacao, shredded coconut, coconut oil and honey. Place them to cool in the freezer or refridgerator and soon enough- you'll have a treat whenever your sweet tooth desires.


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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!

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