Friday, August 31, 2012

Happy Holiday Weekend!!!


I always find the end of summer to be bittersweet. Knowing the end of long, hot, sunny days is near always makes me a little sad even though I really do love fall too. Just knowing that in a few short months I'm going to be constantly freezing and pale as S-H-I-T doesn't really sit well with me. 

So this weekend (hopefully the weather will cooperate) I fully plan on sitting on the beach ALL day long for the next 3 days. Even though I feel I got plenty of beach time this summer, I am still maximizing this weekend.  

Here's to the last hoorah before everyone gets back into the swing of things on Tuesday!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Worried Sick

I woke up sick Monday morning. I mean really sick. Out of nowhere. Sunday I was fine. Well, let me rephrase that. I thought I might be getting sick, like a little twinge of something, in the middle of the day, but I took a diesel nap and woke up with no trace. Fast forward 12 hours and I'm waking up feeling like my head is in a vice and my throat is on fire. WTF?

I might also mention that I was having a mental tug-of-war in my head all weekend over something that now seems absolutely redunkulous. I worked myself up so much that I think that is why I got sick. Now I know where the phrase 'worried sick' comes from. Normally I can attribute my sickness to burning the candle at both ends, but this is definitely not the case this week. I have been fully rested and getting my almost daily dose of vitamin D, juicing pretty regularly, and eating healthy overall.

So what the hell happened? Well, this is just a theory, but I have heard from numerous sources that emotions play a role in health. And the more I think about it the more I believe it. Actually, when I think back to the times I have been most frequently sick in my life I have been supremely unhappy.

Some people are good at being unhappy. I'm not. This is a lesson I continue to teach myself. Getting out of my head is hard sometimes, and if it goes on too long I literally have physical symptoms. But I keep on tryin'!

Have to get back into the swing of things so I can get S-H-I-T done before the long weekend! Can't believe the summer is almost over :(

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Cucumbers are on the menu


The only thing we have successfully grown a lot of this summer has been cucumbers. It's amazing how many pounds of cucumbers we got out of literally 6 seeds. They seem to love what we've got going on in our garden.

I had about 15 of them that I needed to do something with before they went bad. So I decided to make pickles. I figured it couldn't be that difficult and it wasn't. Here goes it:

  • 2 whole cloves garlic (like the entire bunch, not just a piece)
  • 1 sweet or Vidalia onion
  • 1 bunch dill
  • 1/2 c. jarring salt (or fine sea salt if you can't find jarring)
  • 2 qts. water
  • 1 c. white vinegar
  • 5 medium cucumbers
You also need mason jars for this, preferably the ones with the 2-part lids. I used 1 half gallon and 2 quart sized jars, but it would have been better with 2 half gallon jars. 

  1. Run the jars and lids through a short, very hot cycle in the dish washer
  2. Peel all garlic and quarter the onion
  3. Heat water, salt, and vinegar in a pot until salt is dissolved
  4. Put garlic, onion, and dill at bottom of jars
  5. Fill with quartered cucumbers
  6. Place jars in sink
  7. Pour water mixture to fill jars to top.
  8. Pickles may pop out the top of the jar, this is ok. When you go to put the lid on them, press the flat part of the lid down until it creates a seal with the jar. It will force some of the liquid out which is why it is easier to do this in the sink.
  9. Screw on ring and let sit on counter for 2 days.
  10. Then refrigerate for up to 9 months to a year!
can't wait to try these!!!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Corn, Candy, & Your Meat


As if we need another reason to eat locally and humanely raised meat. This is the latest shortcut large scale farmers are taking to cut their costs because of the rising costs of corn. For those of you who weren't aware there has been a huge drought this summer which has devastated corn crops. And guess what is in almost everything that we eat (if you eat packaged/processed foods)?

CORN

Desperate Farmers Turn to Feeding Their Cattle Candy Loaded with Corn Syrup
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 by: J. D. Heyes for Natural News (Original Source
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and no question the current drought spanning much of the nation's mid-section has left many a farmer desperate. For some cattle; however, things are pretty sweet at the moment.
That's because as feed becomes harder to get and more expensive, some farmers are turning to an odd dietary supplement: Candy.
Struggling with spiking corn prices (corn is a major ingredient in cattle feed) due to the drought's devastation on this year's corn crop, ranchers have found it increasingly expensive to feed cattle that aren't necessarily worth their weight, so to speak.
So it's in that environment that one rancher has come up with a rather bizarre alternative.
Farmer Joseph Watson, at Mayfield's United Livestock Commodities in Mayfield, Ky., has tweaked a recipe for success. "Just to be able to survive, we have to look for other sources of nutrition," he told CNN.
'Sweet' deal for rancher, candy distributors
Watson, who has 1,400 head of cattle, is no longer feeding them corn. Grain prices are just too high to keep it on hand. So earlier this year, he started buying second-hand candy.
"It has a higher ratio of fat than actually feeding straight corn," Watson said. "It's hard to believe it will work but we've already seen the results of it now."
Which begs the question - do veterinarians practice dentistry? But we digress.
Here's how Watson pulls this off. He mixes candy with an ethanol byproduct and a mineral nutrient. And thus far, he says, cows haven't shown any health problems from consuming so much candy. In fact, he says, his cows are gaining weight - like they should.
"This ration is balanced to have not too much fat in it," he said.
What's more, he's paying well below premium prices for his new sweet "feed." Watson says he gets his candy at discounted rates because it's no longer fit to sell to the public. Also, in buying the candy, he is helping the candy distributors too.
"Salvage is a problem for a lot of these companies and they're proud to have a place to go with it," he said.
Speaking of ethanol...
The drought's impact on corn prices is affecting more than just cattle ranchers. It's also affecting consumers, because as corn prices go up, so do prices for the products in which corn is an ingredient. In fact, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, the drought has caused corn prices to jump 60 percent since June, to more than $8 a bushel.
And one such product is corn-based ethanol, which - via federal mandate - is blended into the gasoline we burn.
Farm consortiums have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily waive part of the mandate requiring the corn-based ethanol blend, because, they argue, doing so will make more corn available for feed and other commodities, thereby lowering prices for those items.
"The range of impact of an [Renewable Fuel Standard] waiver goes from zero to $1.30 per bushel for corn," Wally Tyner, an energy policy specialist at Purdue University, said of a new study indicating corn prices could fall under certain conditions if the waiver was issued.
The EPA is said to be examining the issue. Under its normal schedule, the agency has until October "to gather information on the extent of any economic harm done by the original Renewable Fuel Standard level and to decide if it will issue a waiver," said a report in the Southwest Farm Press, an industry publication. "For consumers, the decision could affect what they pay for fuel and food."
And of course, anything that would lower prices consumers pay for commodities is sweet.


Welp, I guess since feeding humans a diet high in sugar has worked so well, we ought to give it to our animals. Do I even need to explain how F-ed up this is? If you haven't already I would seriously look into buying your meat from a local farmer, or you could just give up meat and start eating candy bars yourself, because that old saying "you are what you eat" is right.

Another thought just crossed my mind. I'm not even sure how it's cheaper to feed them candy because all commercial candy has corn syrup in it which is a byproduct of corn. And, I don't know if you've looked at the price of candy lately, it's not cheap!

Who's with me on this one?

Friday, August 24, 2012

I've figured out my body (for now)

bibb lettuce is my absolute favorite lately
So over the past year I have been seriously experimenting with changing my diet. My ultimate goal is to find a  healthy way of eating that is sustainable for me for the long haul. But one of my more immediate goals was to lose the weight I had gained in college and after (yes, I am still dealing with it- but I figure the longer it takes to get it off the longer it will stay off- hopefully forever!).

I've tried all raw, high raw, no specific way of eating (usually including a lot of eating out), no meat, no dairy.

What I've found works for me is this: fruit and/or juice in the morning, an omelette for lunch (between 11am and 3pm), and then more juice and salads in the evening.

With this specific "diet" I get the best of both worlds. I end up drinking a lot of juice and eating some fruits and vegetables, and I don't go into the evening starving and craving salty carbs (can be deadly). I have my big meal in the middle of the day which is digested by early evening so all I want is a small light meal.

I lose weight this way, not even working out. This is what I did the week before and after the Raw Generation launch when I was too busy to work out, and guess what?

I lost weight literally effortlessly!!

It took me a long time to figure out the balance between getting enough nutrition in my body and feeling satisfied, but I did it.

When you find the balance that is right for your body, weight-loss can literally be effortless.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

My motivation of the moment


Last weekend I ended up going shopping with my sister. It was a cool and cloudy day so we didn't last on the beach for very long. We didn't plan on shopping, and I wasn't even in the mood after the long brunch we had just finished. BUT! The stores were having sidewalk sales...so we looked. My sister was pretty successful at finding amazing deals, but I was less than thrilled with what I saw.

Then at the last store, something sparkly caught me attention out of the corner of my eye. (I'm such a girl) I meandered over to find the most beautiful piece of clothing I had found in a long time.



I fell in love with it instantly. But....would it fit? They only had a medium and two smalls. I am definitely not a small, haven't been since high school, and probably never will be again. So I crossed my fingers and went into the dressing room with the medium.

For those of you who don't know me I have the ass equivalent of a black girl's: big and round. I almost got it zipped all the way up but I didn't want to rip it. It was just a little too tight (and short- which I can deal with if it isn't too tight).

So I tried to get my sister to buy it, hoping maybe I would slim down another 5 and be able to borrow it. But she wasn't in love with it like I was. So I tried it on one more time w/ her in the dressing room and she was like 'wait, a minute...you can fit into this' and got me in. If I just lost another 5 lbs (which is half of what my goal is) then it would fit perfectly.

So I bought it.

I never do that. I forced myself to stop buying clothes that didn't fit with the hopes of fitting into them a few years ago. But this was different. It was gorgeous. You know when you see little girls who wear tutus all day everyday? This skirt makes me feel the adult equivalent to little girls who only want to wear tutus. I want to wear it everyday.

I hung it up on my armoir and every time I look at it it reminds me that I am going to fit into it by my 30th birthday (less than 2 months away). It is my motivation to eat the way I know I need to in order to be healthy and lose that last 10 lbs. It may seem superficial, but whatever!

And no I'm not starving myself. I've figured out how I can eat to lose weight and still feel satisfied. More on that tomorrow....

Monday, August 20, 2012

UPDATE: Liver Cleanse Juice

So a few weeks ago I wrote about a liver cleanse that I came across in my travels. It was basically citrus juice, cayenne pepper, olive oil, ginger, and garlic. Well instead of making juice, I decided it would be faster to smoothie everything. It was rather gross but I pushed through and drank as much as I could for a few days.

I'm not really sure if it actually did anything to my liver, but I assume it was beneficial overall. With all those potent living fruits and vegetables and spices it had to help something.

So this time I decided to juice the citrus fruits, including the garlic and ginger. That made all the difference. This juice version is so good! It's like a spicy lemonade that is a little on the sweeter side because of the oranges. If you have a juicer I highly suggest you try it.

  • 3 oranges
  • 1 grapefruit
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 knob ginger root
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • dash olive oil
I would recommend putting the olive oil and cayenne pepper at the bottom of the glass before you juice the fruits, ginger, and garlic. And be careful (!) because you don't need a lot for it to become really spicy.

Enjoy!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

For all you POPCORN lovers out there

this was me last night

So lately I've been bothered by the fact that I cannot find any microwave popcorn at my grocery store that isn't filled with tons of chemical ingredients and fake butter flavors. I found it one time, but that was it. It disappeared.

Growing up we had an air popper which, if you are not familiar with what it is, you put corn kernels in it and they are popped with hot air. I bought one a while back, but after using it a couple of times it broke and I never got around to ordering another one. Then I tried to do it old-fashioned-style on the stove. AWEFUL results! Just plain gross (I at it anyway).

Then last night I was craving something salty but had NOTHING in my kitchen because if I keep salty crunchy things in the house I eat them regardless of whether I am craving them or not. For some reason, the popped in my head that I could just microwave the corn kernels like I would a bag of microwave popcorn.

The angels must have parted the heavens or something. Why did it take me 29 3/4 years to figure this out!?!?! DUH! You just put the kernels in a bowl, cover it with a kitchen hand towel, and microwave it for the same amount of time you would a bag of microwave popcorn. Voila! Fresh popcorn! And this way you can use real butter (it makes everything better) and sea salt. Plus (BONUS) bags of plain corn kernels are soooo cheap! All you need is 1/2 a cup of kernels and it make a big bowl full of popcorn.

I feel like the SMARTEST person in the world!!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

It's been a busy week!


But so worth it! I am happy to say that in the past 7 days I finished and launched my eBook (which you can find here), past my final exam for my Holistic Health Coach Certification, and Raw Generation is officially open for business! Go check out our website!

I have to admit, when I'm productive, I'm productive. If only every week was like the past.... I'd rule the world!!! Haha, kidding. 

I also managed to get everything done without ANY anxiety, without getting sick, without giving up my mostly healthy eating habits, and without over exhausting myself. I am thoroughly beat though and need some R&R in my bed with some tea and a book. 

PS... I know I haven't been posting anything lately about cooking and whatnot, but to be honest I haven't been cooking or even preparing much. I've been drinking a lot of juice and eating a lot of eggs. I'll get back into it one of these days. Cooler weather is coming which means I'll be getting into some great comforting soups and such.

How is everyone else's week going?

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Feeling like I'm inside a tornado


SO, this is it! Raw Generation opens it's website tomorrow! I am excited and nervous, but very happy that this day is here. As if that doesn't produce enough to do and worry about, my final exam opened up yesterday for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I really have a knack for overloading myself. I was contemplating waiting until next week to take it, but decided since I get two tries, I would just try to pass it right away to get it off my plate.

And guess what? I passed!! Ahhhh, one less thing to worry about. Now all I have to do is finish the website, and make sure everything is set up right so tomorrow goes as smooth as possible. I know there will be issues, but I'm trying to button everything up as much as I can.

Oh, and I also finished my first eBook Frustrated to Fabulous which you can find here.

Wow, that's a lot! I can't believe I'm getting everything done and not having anxiety attacks. I've come such a long way over the past two years.

Sorry for the shortness of this all, but I'm sure you can understand. See you tomorrow!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Just Say NO


I have a hard time with this word. For some reason I have a hard time saying NO and therefore get myself into more commitments than I have time for. I have a really overwhelming way of thinking I can do everything (superwoman syndrome) and still take care of myself. 

Well, I'm trying to give it up, because I can't do everything. The latest incident happened yesterday. I made plans to go to this conference in NYC because it would be a good networking opportunity and it is an extension of the business coaching program I'm currently in. Awesome. What I didn't consider would be that I was exhausted from the week. 

First I planned to go up to my sister's in the city to stay overnight so that I could just wake up and go. Then I decided since it started so early I should just drive in Saturday morning (at 6:30 am) because there wouldn't be any traffic and I wouldn't spend as much time getting there as if I were to drive to the train, take the train, take a subway and walk to my sister's apartment. Then by the time it was time to go to sleep, I was like 'there is no way I can wake up at 6 am, drive there, and sit there for 5 hours, and drive back.'

So I didn't. Instead I had the best most relaxing Saturday EVER! It was rainy so I didn't feel any pressure to get out of bed. I woke up and read for 3 hours!!!! So amazing! Then my sister and I sat on my porch just talking and listening to the rain. Then we went for a run and out to lunch. Then I went home and got back into bed to read and ended up taking a 2 hour nap. 

I seriously needed that. Bad. Yesterday made me realize that I need my weekends. I need to not have any work commitments for 2 days out of the week unless it is absolutely necessary. Sometimes it will be, but most of the time it's stuff that I just don't need to do. 

So my goal is to just say no to working on the weekends! Who's with me?

Friday, August 10, 2012

Hunger Pains


I'm not talking about physical hunger, like "I haven't eaten in hours and my stomach is growling". I'm talking about the hunger pains you get when something in your life is missing, or maybe a lot of things in your life are missing. How do you feed that hunger for love from others, a career you love, a life you love? SHOPPING!

I used to shop my hunger pains away and the degree of my shopping sprees were based on how miserable I was at the time. I think I figured out why so many people buy so many things. Getting new things fills the void.

When I was living in Atlanta I was at the height of hating my life and thus my bank account suffered. I hated my job and felt like I was stuck there because I had signed a year lease on my apartment and made the move from Savannah to Atlanta. I made a commitment to my employer. Plus, I wasn't ready to move home yet, which was pretty much my only other option at that point. I had no serious love interests and within months of moving to ATL all of my friends had serious boyfriends and became much less available. That was the first time in my life that I was truly lonely.

So I shopped. I bought clothes, shoes, more shoes, furniture, and sporting goods for my new hobbies to fill the alone time I had so much of. No wonder I was always running low on funds. I was shopping every week, several times a week. I would buy new things and then lose interest in them rather quickly. Like with clothes. I wore something a few times at the most and then didn't like it anymore. So I would go out and buy new.


Fast forward to now and I feel the exact opposite about most everything in my life. Aside from the fact that I'm completely and totally single, I am really happy about everything else that is going on in my life. I am finally (!!!!!!!) doing something that I love and that I actually think will make a difference in people's lives, I love where I live, I love my friends and family, and I just got a beautiful new car! And guess what I have zero urge to do? SHOP!

I'm not kidding, this is probably the happiest I've ever been in my adult life and the least I have shopped. EVER! I went shopping once at the beginning of May and bought a few things that I needed, but other than that nothing. My favorite past time is usually digging for hours in the racks at Marshall's and I haven't been there in many months.

Happiness is a work in progress and I think for a lot of people (including myself) it is something that has to be worked on constantly. Instead of buying my happiness, I am working on filling those voids with substance.

So the question of the day is if you are filling your life with stuff, what void are you actually trying to fill? 

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Some more good news about GMO crops

(Source)
I read a lot of information every day and most of it isn't newsworthy. But when I read something that makes my blood boil, I feel the need to pass it on to all of you so we can all make better food choices. Dr. Mercola puts out a lot of information about a range of topics related to diet and disease prevention. Some of you who have been reading my blog may be familiar with him. I received his latest article via email this morning. I'll just let the article speak for itself.

Decade-Long Feeding Study Reveals Significant Health Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods
By Dr. Mercola (Original Source)
Scientists in Norway have released results from experimental feeding studies carried out over a 10-year period, and the verdict is in: If you want to avoid obesity, then avoid eating genetically engineered (GE) corn, corn-based products, and animals that are fed a diet of GE grain.
As reported by Cornucopia.org1, the project also looked at the effects on organ changes, and researchers found significant changes that affected weight gain, eating behaviors, and immune function.

How Genetically Engineered Corn and Soy Can Wreak Havoc on Your Health
According to the featured article2:
“The results show a positive link between GE corn and obesity. Animals fed a GE corn diet got fatter quicker and retained the weight compared to animals fed a non-GE grain diet. The studies were performed on rats, mice, pigs and salmon, achieving the same results.
... Researchers found distinct changes to the intestines of animals fed GMOs compared to those fed non-GMOs. This confirms other studies done by US researchers. Significant changes occurred in the digestive systems of the test animals’ major organs including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, genitals and more.”
Their findings (which were published July 11, 2012 in Norway by Forskning.no, an online news source devoted to Norwegian and international research3) showed that animals fed genetically engineered Bt corn ate more, got fatter, and were less able to digest proteins due to alterations in the micro-structure of their intestines.
They also suffered immune system alterations. The impaired ability to digest proteins may be of particular concern as this can have far-reaching implications for your health. If your body cannot digest proteins, your body will be less able to produce amino acids, which are necessary building blocks for proper cell growth and function.
As noted by Cornucopia.org:
“This not only may relate to a rise in obesity, but to increases in many modern diseases. These diseases include diabetes, digestive disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (ADD), autoimmune diseases, sexual dysfunction, sterility, asthma, COPD and many more.
...[Lead author] Professor Krogdahl explains: “It has often been claimed that the new genes in genetically modified foods can’t do any damage because all genes are broken down beyond recognition in the gut. Our results show the contrary; that genes can be taken up across the intestinal wall, is transferred to the blood and is left in the blood, muscle and liver in large chunks so that they can be easily recognized... The biological impact of this gene transfer is unknown.”

Bt Toxin Found in Blood of Women and Fetuses
This is not the first time scientists have revealed significant biological impacts and related health problems as a result of eating a diet of genetically engineered foods. More often than not, unless the research is tainted by industry ties, studies into the effects of genetically engineered foods demonstrate that it is anything but safe. This isn’t so surprising when you consider that simple logic will tell you it’s probably not wise to consume a plant designed to produce its own pesticide, for example.
So-called “Bt corn” is equipped with a gene from the soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces Bt-toxin—a pesticide that breaks open the stomach of certain insects and kills them. This pesticide-producing corn entered the food supply in the late 1990's, and over the past decade, the horror stories have started piling up.
Monsanto and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) swore that the toxin would only affect insects munching on the crop. The Bt-toxin, they claimed, would be completely destroyed in the human digestive system and would not have any impact on animals and humans. The biotech companies have doggedly insisted that Bt-toxin doesn't bind or interact with the intestinal walls of mammals, and therefore humans.
The featured research proves all such claims false.
Prior findings have already shown that Bt corn is anything but innocuous to the human system. Just last year, doctors at Sherbrooke University Hospital in Quebec found Bt-toxin in the blood4 of:
93 percent of pregnant women tested
80 percent of umbilical blood in their babies, and
67 percent of non-pregnant women
Bt-toxin breaks open the stomach of insects. Could it similarly be damaging the integrity of your digestive tract? If Bt-toxins can damage the intestinal walls of newborns and young children, the passage of undigested foods and toxins into the blood from the digestive tract could be devastating to their future health. Scientists speculate that it may lead to autoimmune diseases and food allergies. Furthermore, since the blood-brain barrier is not developed in newborns, toxins may enter the brain causing serious cognitive problems. Some healthcare practitioners and scientists are convinced that this one mechanism for autism.
If Bt genes are colonizing the bacteria living in the digestive tract of North Americans, we might expect to see an increase in gastrointestinal problems, autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and childhood learning disorders since the advent of Bt crops in 1996, and that’s exactly what’s being reported. For example, between 1997 and 2002 the number of hospitalizations related to allergic reactions to food increased by a whopping 265 percent. One out of 17 children now has some form of food allergy and allergy rates are rising.

Genetically Engineered Foods Trigger Adverse Immune System Responses
There’s plenty of evidence showing that the Bt-toxin produced in genetically modified Bt crops like corn and cotton plants is toxic to humans and mammals andtriggers immune system responses. For example, in government-sponsored research in Italy5, mice fed Monsanto's Bt corn showed a wide range of immune responses, such as:
Elevated IgE and IgG antibodies, which are typically associated with allergies and infections
An increase in cytokines, which are associated with allergic and inflammatory responses. The specific cytokines (interleukins) that were found to be elevated are also higher in humans who suffer from a wide range of disorders, from arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, to MS and cancer
Elevated T cells (gamma delta), which are increased in people with asthma, and in children with food allergies, juvenile arthritis, and connective tissue diseases.
Rats fed another of Monsanto's Bt corn varieties called MON 863, also experienced an activation of their immune systems, showing higher numbers of basophils, lymphocytes, and white blood cells6. These can indicate possible allergies, infections, toxins, and various disease states including cancer. There were also signs of liver and kidney toxicity.
Find the rest of the article here.

When are scientists/Monsanto/governments going to stop playing with people's health? If there is one thing you do for yourself today, get rid of all the products in your pantry that have corn ingredients and soy ingredients in them. The only way these two are not GMO are if they are labeled organic. This is seriously dangerous stuff (in my humble opinion) that needs to be avoided at all costs. It will be an adjustment for sure since most processed foods have corn and soy ingredients in them. Actually, it's mind boggling when you start to really look at labels to see what is really in the food you are eating. But if you have allergies, food allergies, are on the autistic spectrum, are pregnant or trying to become pregnant it is imperative that you eliminate this toxic science experiment from your diet. For everyone else it's still a good idea.

No more GMO's!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Reflecting on the last year


I started this blog a year ago to document all of the things I found out about in terms of diet and preventing disease. Well, it's a year later and I'm still disease free and awesome! Haha, but seriously I know it is a lifelong process of making little decisions every day that will add up to lasting health and happiness. Over the past year I've not only made some leaps and bounds with my diet, but I've come to realize that it's a lot more than what we eat. It's not about being a perfect vegetarian or 100% raw all the time. It's more about the whole picture.

It's about trying to be happy as much as possible, and surrounding yourself with great people that are not only going to support you but push you to be a better person. It's not about being perfect. It's about being able to laugh at yourself when you do something ridiculous. It's about giving yourself a pass to have a "lazy" day. It's about pushing yourself to live an active life and listening to your body when it needs to sleep.

We are all going to die (Debbie downer I know), but as much as it's about prolonging my life it's also about creating the best life possible.

Because, what's the point of striving to live until 110 if I'm not enjoying the ride? 

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Raw Generation Opening in Less Than 2 Weeks

I am pleased to announce that Raw Generation is opening its doors (actually more like website) in less than 2 weeks! Wednesday August 15th we will be making our website live and taking orders. At that time the blog will also become live so I will be writing all about the raw food and juice stuff there. Plenty of Thyme will be more about preventing disease going forward and less about raw foods, although the two do go hand in hand. I am not sure how often I am going to post on either of them, but between the two it will be at least once a day.

So much to do in the next 13 days! If you would like to join our mailing list you can go to Raw Generation  or sign up to the left

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We are going to be launching with 3 products: Recipe #1 (100% dark greens- kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, and wheatgrass), Recipe #2 (50% dark greens [same 5 as above plus apple and lemon]), and Wheatgrass Juice Shots! This is straight wheatgrass that we've juiced and frozen into convenient ice cubes that are perfect for smoothies or to thaw and drink straight.

It's been 6 months in the making and I'm so excited that it's finally time to sell our juices! Stay tuned for more updates. We'll be busy little bees for the next 2 weeks! Wish us luck. xoxo

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Plenty of Thyme is 1 year old today!


One year ago today I started writing Plenty of Thyme. I never would have imagined that in 365 days I could have my blog read over 78,000 times. Since January 1st over 35,000 people in 106 countries have read what I have to say. It's actually very humbling and mind boggling at the same time.

One year ago I was just considering signing up for Integrative Nutrition. I am less than a month from being a Certified Holistic Health Coach.

One year ago I was not sure where this new "career" was going to take me. We are two weeks from launching Raw Generation. (More to come on this tomorrow!)

One year ago I was not as happy as I am today.

One year ago I was not as confident as I am today.

Today is a good day!!!

Here's a few of my favorite posts:
Cancer is a B-I-T-C-H! (My first post ever!)
FIBER: When Doody Calls
Who Nu Cookies Could Be So Good For You?
This Health Food's SOYld Reputation


I would love for you to say Hi! from (insert country). And thank you from the bottom of my heart!
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