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!

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 :(

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!!!

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?

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.

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....

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!

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!!

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?

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!