8/26-31/15

NOURISHMENT

These are a few dishes I made over this week. Some of these were eaten over several days. I continued to drink the Sassafras Tea (yeah...those couple of spoonfuls did make a lot), drank more of my lemon and orange peel water, and finished the raw "Laughing Giraffe' Coconut/Banana Macaroons. I also ate the other dry farmed Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons I got last week at the Farmer's Market. I did not go there this week. Too much food I need to use up first!

Was I 'raw' the whole time? No. I did go out to eat at Robin's and had some cooked food. BUT, I did pick as much raw food as possible and what wasn't still was 'vegan'....even the 'ice cream.' I also had a few bites here and there of the vegan cooked food that mom did not want to finish.

Chinese Nut & Nori Salad

Raw Watermelon Rind & Flax Crackers with toppings

Salad with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers

Mixed Salad with Raw Hummus dressing

Portobella Mushroom Sandwich with Walnut and Flax Patty

...with Tomato and Lettuce toppings

Yesterday my husband, in trying to find new 'raw' ways to treat me with something to eat (instead of bringing home things like french fries, and such)...decided to find a raw recipe on-line and fix it for me. We have some Pineapple that needed to be used up. So, with my help, we did an on-line search for raw recipes with Pineapple. He settled on this one. I think he was a bit surprised that I had all the ingredients readily handy, and that have been 'under his nose' all this time.

FLAT BELLY DETOX SMOOTHIE

* We made the following changes to the recipe and it still was very yummy.

• We used the whole inside, minus the seeds, of half a lemon instead of lime.
• We added a little extra water and additional crushed ice to the recipe, because I tend to like my smoothies more ''fluidly" and frigid tasting.

This Flat Belly Detox Smoothie will help you to fight fatigue, boost your immune system and get fit. The base is pineapple, an excellent fruit to hydrate your body and improve your absorption of essential minerals such as iron. The smoothie also contains fresh lime (packed with vitamin C) and three powerful superfoods: maca powder, spirulina and turmeric. These make an excellent addition to any smoothie!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of ripe pineapple, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 medium size ripe bananas, fresh or frozen and roughly chopped
• ½ cup of water
• ½ small lime, peeled
• 1 teaspoon of maca powder
• ½ teaspoon of spirulina powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of turmeric powder (a little goes a long way!)
• 2 large handfuls of greens of your choice: spinach, kale, chard, collard greens, curly endive, bok choy, dandelion greens, Romaine lettuce… (I used spinach and kale)

Instructions

1. Combine pineapple, banana, water, lime, maca powder, spirulina powder and turmeric in a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Add your leafy greens and blend again.

Notes

JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS: • I topped this smoothie with some chia seeds and hemp seeds for extra protein, and a little spirulina + turmeric powder for color. • Don’t have time to prepare yourself a fresh smoothie in the morning? Blend it the night before, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and you’ve got a super quick and nutritious breakfast waiting for you in the morning! • Turmeric is often called ‘the queen of all spices’. It can protect your heart, enhance your digestion, improve your liver function and much more. I love adding it to vegetable stews, sauces and smoothies like this one. You can substitute the powder for fresh turmeric too! • Maca powder is extremely rich in minerals, vitamins and protein. It will boost your energy levels, help to balance your hormones and reduce your stress levels. • Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae. It is packed with protein, B-vitamins and antioxidants that will help to reduce inflammation and protect you against free radicals. Great news for your skin, hair, nails and overall health!

MOVEMENT

I have been making a point nearly every day to walk on the beach and let the tide do its wonders to my lymphatic system. The swelling, burning and itching (though not entirely gone) is doing a whole lot better than it was this time last month. Sometimes my husband will go with me, and sometimes I go alone. These are just a few of my favorite shots I took this past week while walking. If I posted them all, then this would just be a board of ocean shots. :)

 

REFLECTIONS

I tried the little envelope to write down anytime I ate cooked food. In the end, I found it to be, for me, a pointless and irritating exercise. Keeping track of everything I eat as well has always been to restrictive for me as well. I find it seems to focus on limitations rather than focusing of new horizons to look to.

8.24/25.15

NOURISHMENT


For the 24th, I my drank lemon water for breakfast, had about half of the Suja Juice I bought yesterday for lunch and for dinner I ate half of the dry farmed Watermelon I got at the Farmer's Market. I find that with the dry farmed Watermelons, I can even eat the rind. Not sure if it is just because of the variety they grow (they are VERY seedy...which store bought ones now rarely are) or because of how they are grow, but eating the rind is like eating an apple.

I also put some of the seaweed I picked up at the beach into my dehydrator, just to see how they would turn out.

The only other thing I had was a few cough drops that I keep handy when working...to keep my breathe fresh.

At the end of the day I put up the 'Raw Seal Deal' envelope over my computer. I have it planned that if I eat anything that is not raw, it gets written on a piece of paper and put inside on the envelope.  Well, today I already broke the seal. It is always those little things. I had a VERY busy day and worked on 6 out of the clients that were scheduled in the spa. I saw one of the chocolates got a bit too soft and squishy, so instead of throwing it out...I ate it. The other thing, another 'can't let it go to waste' mentality of mine was that I finished a couple of spoonfuls of the soup my husband made for momma. It was mostly broth and corn. She obviously doesn't have that mentality, given she ate all she wanted and didn't care if the rest was thrown out.

Being it was such a busy day, I really didn't have much time to eat much otherwise. I had 3 more of The Laughing Giraffe Macaroons, which finished up the rest of the bag and ended the day with the rest of the Smoothie I had made the other day.

My biggest thing was to drink plenty of water, given the job I do can be very hot and labor intensive.



MOVEMENT

Yesterday, I focused more on doing about 45 minutes of Self Breema, intensive stretching - focusing on opening up my hips and working the Lymphatic System to help with my swollen legs.

Today, as if doing 6 massages isn't enough! Even so, I still went out to the beach at sunset and walked in the water for about 25 minutes. The tide was coming in and it was getting dark, so that was about as long as I could do safely.



REFLECTIONS

What I did notice though is that my right leg, even with the long day, did not have any signs of swelling at the end of the day. My left leg, though still swollen, appears to be about half as swollen as it normally would be at this time.

I also noticed that I wasn't really tired at the end of the day. I feel, at the end of the day, almost like I used to feel at the start. My husband, on the other hand, was very lethargic. I almost caught him saying that if I had had a day as busy as he had, that I would be as tired as him...but then he caught himself...when he remembered that I not only had had a busy day, I worked straight through without eating much of anything.

8.21/22/23.15

NOURISHMENT

Friday, the 21st, was another left over day. I finished off the rest of the Carrot, Broccoli & Raisin Salad and finished up the smoothie I made a few days ago. I tend to add a lot liquid to my smoothies after they have been blended, which makes one container end up being about 2 or 3 times the amount I drink when done.

Friday is Farmer's Market day, so I snacked on a number of samples as well.

Saturday, the 22nd, I drank some more of the Sassafras tea, this time with lemon juice, putting the rinds into water to drink later.

For lunch I had a couple of Laughing Giraffe's Banana & Coconut Macaroon's.

For dinner my mother brought home some left over salad from her church's potluck. I dug into some fresh made Guacamole, cut some celery stick, and added some raw hummus I made right before this round with the cleanse started.

For today, the 23rd, I started my day with a dry farmed cantaloupe.

DRY FARMING 

For lunch I made another smoothie. This one I used up the rest of the pulp from the grapefruit from a few days back, added an orange, an apple, another avocado pit, two plums, and two frozen bananas. I added a scoop of the Raw Meal. I topped it off with some more of the Sassafras Tea I made from the other day.

We went to Costco, and I did end up sampling a few vegan non raw items, but I brought my smoothie to keep me on track. I did sample some of the smoothie they were making with the Vitamix they were selling. I also bought a Suja Essentials to make sure I stayed preoccupied with something healthy to keep me away from the cheese pizza and sugar laden smoothies they sell outside. Between Fridays shopping and Costco, I think I am now pretty stocked up on Fruit and Veggies for the week.

For dinner I sliced up an English Cucumber and used the slices as crackers. I topped them with the rest of the Guacamole I bought on Friday, more of the Raw Hummus and topped them with Cherry Tomatoes.

I finished off my day day with some Coconut Water with pulp...not fresh but from a can. I had about a dozen of cans to use, so still healthier than the sugared smoothie I was tempted by earlier today.

I also bought some pickling cucumbers. I have a sweet brew and a salty brew. I pulled out the remaining beets that had been pickling in the jar for one (placed them in another one) and reused the juice for a fresh batch. It'll be interesting to see how beet juice infused cucumbers will taste in a few weeks. (On a side note, beet juice makes a great low budget 'blood' for films and photos).

MOVEMENT

Every day now, me and my husband have been making a concerted effort to walk on the beach. I also have been making sure I get my feet into the water.

These walks have been a step in the process of our 'reconciliation', an effort to create alone time for us and also to help with our health. All the years being on my feet, in not so good situations with work, has taken its toll on my legs. Combined with some the numbness I now have in my left leg, lymphedema issues has become a serious problem for me. I have been seeing an osteopath and tried massage.

About a 5 weeks ago I made the mistake in getting a massage from a massage therapist who said they knew how to do lymphatic drainage massage. She went too deep and bruised my 'bad' leg, (the one with the numbness) which has taken nearly a month to heal...and that was with finally breaking down and taking some 'water pills'. The burning and itching got so bad, I was literally wrapping my legs in cold towels every night just to try and get to sleep. Here is what my leg look like on the 5th...

The walks on the the beach have been doing wonders though. The right leg looks almost normal now and the left one, though still swollen, is not nearly as bad. Yesterday, while walking, it dawned on me to pick up one of the Giant Kelp fronds and start massaging the areas on my legs where the edema has begun to harden. The texture was perfect for this sort of massage.

GIANT KELP

REFLECTIONS


An interesting dream:

Review with a View

8.20.15

NOURISHMENT

Today was a day of left overs.

I started the day with fresh squeezed orange juice.

I placed all the leftover rinds and peelings in water to make orange water. I find that is a nice way to adds some flavor to just plain water while upping the vitamin C intake in the rinds and increasing the microbial benefits of the essential oils that are in the peelings. The longer you leave them in the water, the more they break down and increase these benefits. I often pour in 2 or 3 rounds of water, over several days, before tossing them into the compost.


FRUIT PEEL NUTRITION FACTS






Throughout the day, I still nursed the big batch of Sassafras Tea I made the other day as well.

For lunch I had some more of the Broccoli, Carrot & Raisin Salad.

I did sneak in another Chocolate Carmel square at work.

Also snacked on some more of the Green Figs.

I finished the day with the rest of the Green Smoothie I made from the other day as well.



MOVEMENT

Today I took the initiative to go to the beech and walk in the water for about 45 minutes. I have been dealing with some lymphatic drainage issues in my lower extremities and I felt the cool salty ocean water, its pumping rhythm with the tide, and the pumping rhythm created by waking itself would be of benefit. I did seem to help.

REFLECTION

My little jaunt to the ocean, by myself, ended up causing the same jealous reaction that prevented me from doing this so many times before. How much do I NOT do because I don't like the reaction I get for doing things he can not physically do because of his heart condition? Even when I know it will be good for my own health and well being?

I see this as a repetitive pattern as a factor as to why I never seem to stay on the raw diet as well.

I am told it is because he wants to do those things with me, but when we do try to do these things 'together'....he ends up complaining of being too tired...which limits the amount I get to do. Hence, I am operating within HIS limitations, and never really expanding my own horizons to test their limits.

8.19.15

NOURISHMENT

Another simple day food wise, with a lot of hustle and bustle otherwise.

For breakfast, I finished off the smoothies from 8.18.15.

Before leaving to do errands I had a handful of fresh green figs. Oh, so sweet and yummy!

Throughout the day I continued to drink my water and the Sassafras Tea I made on 8.17.15 .


For lunch time I was out of town and in a place with no 'raw' food. Trying to pick something that would be the healthiest option, I bought a bag of sunflower seeds (roasted & salted). By the end of the day I could still taste the not so fresh (rancid) oil sitting in my tummy. A good reminder why fresh uncooked is better for the body.

CAN YOU GET SICK FROM EATING RANCID OIL?

For dinner I had a handful of fresh Cherry Tomatoes.

I finished off the day with a Carrot, Broccoli & Raisin Salad. Ended up with a big batch, so I am sure it will last a few days.

Mix together...
2 heads & stems of Broccoli, chopped
4 Carrots, shredded
4 stalks of Celery, diced
1/2 cup of Raisins
5 T of Rice Vinager
3 T of Black Strap Molasses
1/4 cup of olive oil (I used the left over from the eggplant recipe from yesterday.)

Of course, the Molasses is not raw and some find it offensive. It is still a very nutrient dense food, for getting minerals, without having to eat large quantities of other foods to get the same amount.

BLACK STRAP MOLASSES?

 

 

MOVEMENT

Visited 4 businesses today within a 30 mile radius of our business to cross promote with. We then went 'into town' and I did some shopping for the spa. Got lots of walking in that way. When we arrived home we found out one of the cats had peed on the couch. So, we spent the next several hours cleaning and scrubbing, and cleaning and scrubbing, the couch. That was labor intensive enough for me today.



REFLECTIONS

Tonight is the first night my husband is back home after our fall out a week ago. We spent much of the day together with my momma doing the business errands. I reminded him he still has to do the 'homework' I told him he needed to do to regain the trust in him that was lost.

I do find it interesting that I found the email sent from the woman he 'contacted' right about the same time the Ashley Madison Hacker event was going down. The synchronicity of the collective (un)conscious always is an interesting study. It is not so interesting though when it becomes so personal.

Hackers Dump Ashley Madison Data; Some 15,000 Government Email Addresses Included

8.18.15

NOURISHMENT

Today I kept it pretty simple.

I drank some more of my teas and finished the rest of my fresh squeezed grapefruit juice from 8.17.18.

Couldn't resist two Chocolate Carmel squares that were not raw at work.

For dinner, I just made a green smoothie. Made so much I have plenty for tomorrow's breakfast. It consisted of Frozen Bananas, Frozen Strawberries, Greens, some of the left over pulp from yesterday's grapefruit, left over avocado pits (with the bitter brown skin peeled off) and 2 scoops of Garden of Life's 'Raw Meal'

* After several different ways of saving Avocado Pits for smoothies, the best way I have come up with is to place them in a bowl of water and just store them in the refrigerator until you want to make a smoothie. I usually use one large pit or two smaller pits per Vitamix container. I ALWAYS peel off the brown skin. Not only because is it the most bitter part, I suspect it is likely where most the potential 'toxins', you may hear about, are stored when eating such seeds.

* I like to sometimes give my smoothies a boost. The Garden of Life Raw Meal is the one I am using the most right now:

MOVEMENT

Today I mostly again worked doing massage and resetting up things after the renovations in the spa. Maybe getting up and down off a chair counts when I was rehanging draping over the bright lights on the ceiling?

REFLECTIONS

My husband and I have been on the outs this past week. The outs far enough that I am questioning the integrity and soundness of our marriage. Today we spent nearly 4 hours talking, really talking. Hopefully, honestly enough for the seriousness of the situation to sink in for both of us....for it has been the unknown dishonesty that shattered my trust in him. Can it be rebuilt?

8.17.15

8.17.18

NOURISHMENT

So I once again begin The Garden Diet journey, today being the 1st day for the 21 day cleansing diet program. This time I my goal is more about adapting to what is readily available rather than trying to stick so much to the menu plan.

I have a stash of Sassafras Root Bark that on rare occasion I make a tea with. I drank this through out my day. A few spoonfuls made several jugs of tea that will last me for several days. Drinking this tea brings me back to my childhood and growing up in the health food store my mother owned. Some have concern with drinking this brew, but I do only drink it rarely and far between.

IT'S ALL NATURAL, BUT SASSAFRAS TEA CAN CAUSE LIVER CANCER

The following should temper some of that concern, being it is a natural liver and gallbladder detoxifier. I used pink grapefruit which is sweeter as well.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF GRAPEFRUIT

I took the picture at the end of the day, showing that I drank half of it. Plenty more for tomorrow. Oh, so good.

I set the pulp aside to make a smoothie for tomorrow.

Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice

Throughout the day I snacked on some really squishy, ripe and VERY sweet plums.

FIVE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING PLUMS

My final meal was Corn & Sweet Pepper Salad (my adaption to the Tabbouli today), Eggplant Patties with Curly Leaf Lettuce and Raw Hummus (of which I ate before remembering to take a picture). I did have some left over Corn & Sweet Pepper Salad though.

Here are the basic recipes for my dinner:

Corn and Sweet Peppers Salad

Combine the following.
2 ears of sweet corn with the kernels cut off
a bag of sweet peppers, diced
1 red onion, diced
a dash of black pepper (red pepper might be good to try next time for a bit of kick)
the juice of one lemon (I use the rind to soak in my water to drink later)
about 2 tsp of rice vinegar
about 5 T of olive oil (I used some of the left over oil from the following recipe and put aside the rest for later use.)

* It is common for the corn silk to be thrown out...BUT DON'T DO IT. The corn silk is a natural anti-inflammatory and diuretic and is very good for you. I tend to eat it right as I am cleaning the ears of corn but it can also be dried and used as a very mild tea.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CORN SILK

Eggplant Patties:

Slice an eggplant into 1/4 (or less) inch patties. Mix olive oil and Braggs Amino Sauce together and place the patties into the oil to where they are covered. Soak overnight. (I actually put it in the refrigerator for several days...so they were soaked REALLY good). Remove the patties from the oil and squeeze off the excess. Place the patties in the dehydrator for several hours at the 'raw' temp settings. (I think I had them in for about 6 hours.) When ready roll the patties in Nutritional Yeast.

* My momma said the eggplant was a bit chewy for her. I left the skins on, so I might try it next time without.

*Some have issues with Braggs Amino Sauce and Nutritional Yeast. I would love to hear good alternatives to these.


MOVEMENT

I didn't do any real 'exercise' today, just worked (massaging clients). Does that count?


REFLECTIONS

Relationship and trust is at the forefront of my emotional journey at this time. I am at a point of honesty...and nothing but. BUT, is that really possible?