I just wanted to share a really fun and interesting book I've read. I really don't have a lot of health problems, so it's cool to see the other side of raw foods-the amazing benefits to your appearance! :)


Well, the book's summary is better than what I could write (lol):
Proper nutrition is an art. It is an art form. Every bite is a brush stroke. Every swallow is a new color. Each meal is a cloud or a tree or a flower a piece of the beautiful painting that you are becoming. You are becoming an ever more attractive work of art each day. You truly are a work of art in progress. In Eating for Beauty, David Wolfe, one of America's foremost nutrition experts, describes how to cleanse, nourish, and beautify by utilizing the benefits of a fresh-food diet. You can apply the lessons contained within this book to improve your appearance, vitality, and health.




This is a cool book too:

From supermodel and actress Carol Alt, an inviting guide for anyone who wants to enjoy the benefits of the latest healthy lifestyle trend: raw food.

Carol Alt is among the vanguard of Americans, as many as a million in number, who have discovered that eating foods in their raw state can keep you feeling and looking great. As Carol Alt has learned and explains here, we evolved eating a primarily raw diet, so our bodies perform optimally with raw food as fuel. By eating foods that have not been chemically altered by heat, the body is able to retain more vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and nutrients we need.

The raw food approach, however, does not call for an all-or-nothing, extreme lifestyle change. There is a continuum, not only in how much of your diet is raw, but in how much you cook your food. Eating in the Raw shows how you ease into this new way of eating. It also provides 40 recipes that leave no doubt about how delicious the raw food approach can be.

Carol Alt is passionate about the immediate and long-term benefits of a raw food diet, from having more energy to avoiding serious illness. With Eating in the Raw, she uses all of her supermodel charisma to get the ball rolling on the next big dietary movement.

Cloned meat?

As if I needed another reason to be Vegan! I can't believe I didn't see this in the news before! Have you heard of it? How do they sneak this stuff by us? Google it. There is all kinds of information about it.

What amazes me is all the "scientists" saying how it would be no different than regular meat.


Ummm, how do you know that?!


Why even mess with that?

Is there some kind of shortage of cow's or pigs that I'm not aware of?

Ugh.

Raw Food Class

Hello! Just thought I'd throw the idea out there- if anyone is interested in taking a class by me about Raw Food Basics (sprouting,dehydrating, food processing, questions and answers) let me know and I'll email you when I start offering them.

If you don't live in Michigan, let me know and I'll still include you if I get enough people. I have done teleconferences with work, so that could be an option also.

To get on the list my email is: michiganrawfood@yahoo.com

And I will only send you an email about class updates. Nothing else!

Thanks :)

Twitter!

Ok, so I'm taking this idea from the Welikeitraw Blog (check my blog roll) but it's a good one, so why not?

If you don't know what Twitter is (it's actually really simple, but I don't think the site explains it well!) We Like it Raw explains it better than I could:
http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2008/07/wlir-community.html


Here is the Michigan Raw Food Twitter page if you want to add it to your Twitter page:
http://twitter.com/michiganrawfood

Happy Twittering!

So relaxing...

Here are some pics and video from when I was recently able to enjoy just relaxing outside at Erie Metro-Park. I love the summer!
Now I can preserve a little of it here in the blog world :)

Let's go eat some genetically modified food for lunch!

Do you know what GMO's are? If you are like most people I talk to-you have an idea, but you really don't know.

It's amazing to me how this has slipped into our food system quietly and no one seems to notice.

GMO's alter the DNA of food you eat.

If you are a raw foodist you should be concerned with this!

Eating just fruits and vegetables is not enough. Even organic ones. These are foods I stay away from, even if they are organic, because of the cross-over from Genetically modified crops next to organic ones:
1. Banana's
2. Soy (and besides the GMO- soy has too many other risks)
3. Corn
4. Tomatoes (eat in moderation)


While I may be a bit paranoid to some, there is no way to really know what organic farms are next to genetically altered ones. It would be tough to contact each and every company, so I just try to avoid them. But, I suppose eating organic is better than nothing.

Not convinced how dangerous GMO's are? Read this: http://www.cqs.com/50harm.htm

For a list of bad foods and safe foods: http://www.westonaprice.org/federalupdate/aa2003/actionalert_072403.html



Now, let's NOT go eat some GMO's for lunch!

Paying someone to tend to your garden?

Check out the full article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/dining/22local.html?ref=fitnessandnutrition
People are paying to have someone to make and manage a garden in their backyard! I think this is a great idea!

I can't stand how everyone is acting like they are lazy, or it's a luxury, blahblahblah.

When you get right to it-it's a very creative idea, and it's better than nothing!

Not everyone has the time or the skills to make a garden- so why not let them pay someone else? At least they are eating something right from their backyard. Who cares how they got it? It's their choice if they want to or not.

And who knows? Maybe after awhile of seeing how it's done, they will want to do it themselves.

Anyways, I think it's a great idea!

Ban on Fast Food!

Oh, they so need to do this! I'm being realistic though-what about the lost jobs? While I would love to get rid of the temptation of fast food, they better have a back up for those jobs! Fast food is like crack and so addictive. And if that is all that is available-it's really not fair to the people who live there. Of course they are going eat unhealthy!

I wish someone would make a raw fast food restaurant! How great would that be?

Smoothies, juice, and salads at a DRIVE-THRU! No more cleaning my juicer for half an hour, or wondering about food combinations or making sure my produce doesn't go bad before I eat it all! A smoothie and juice drive-thru. Please, someone make this! :) I would, but I don't want any more loans out! :) But I am working on a juice bar in the downriver area (anybody want to help with that) I hope one day instead of McDonalds we will see raw fast food!

Gotta love dreams :)

Comerica Park

I just read about this and thought it was kind of interesting:

Comerica Park has Vegetarian options- A vegan burger and veggie stir-fry. You can find the burger at the Brushfire Grill area by the Ferris Wheels. The veggie stir-fry is at the Asian Grill near the Big Cat Court, by the merry go-round.


It took TWO years of negotiations to get this to happen! How crazy is that? Next time you go to a game, make sure to get one of these items to show your support.

Also, one of the key groups in making this happen was VegMichigan, so make sure to check out their site and events also. It's kind of like Michigan Raw Food- only it's about Vegans and Vegetarians. They offer a lot of great classes and events: www.VegMichigan.org

Computers..ahhh....

So frustrating!!!! This is how I feel about computers today:



LOL

I am definitely being taught patience today-something I struggle with. It's such an important virtue to have though, isn't it?

Especially with changing your eating habits!

The changes will not happen over night!

It's worth it though-give yourself a break from expecting things to work out now.


Working in TV news, a high stress job, I noticed a lot of people handling situations that were out of their control in a less than mature way. The amount of time they spent throwing a tantrum over things that were clearly out of their control could have been spent doing other things. What a great lesson in time management-and what NOT to do!

So, my computer is not working and I can't do my "day" job...instead of getting mad, I just work on my blog.

Take that attitude with food- so you can't get your raw food recipe tonight, maybe it didn't work out the way you planned? Don't get mad and say that raw food doesn't work! Maybe it's better to just enjoy an apple and doing something else that needs to get done.

When one thing doesn't work, get something else done, until you can go back to what you were originally trying to do. That is much more effective than spending time getting upset!

Here is a pic from the Concert of Colors last night:



And some music from the night (I had video of a guy in a wheelchair who stood up and danced...but of course I can't find it lol)

Alissa Cohen class, and Bucket List, and Detroit oh my!

Weekend update! Ever since I moved over to blogger I haven't posted as much. I don't know why, but it feels more cold than bravejournal! I guess I've always preferred the underdog!

Anyways, it was also an eventful weekend! I took the Raw Food Instructor course for Alissa Cohen's website on Friday. My instructor Beth (her website: http://www.rawteacher.com/bethwilke) was very informative and obviously lives what she teaches. She was ridiculously fit, and did not look her age. At first glance, you might think she was too skinny-but she wasn't-she looks very healthy. Definitely an example of raw food health. I recommend a class from her. Even if you don't care about learning about raw food-than go for the food she makes! You won't belive it's raw food, and not regular stuff.Unfortunately it was a bit of a drive for me and I was pretty late! I hope to teach my own classes in the downriver area, so stay tuned. There really aren't any other teachers in Michigan besides Beth and a few others, so there is more than enough opportunity for all of us to teach! But, it will be a while before I'm ready to teach. I still have a lot to learn.

Beth's class really opened my eyes to one of my problems with going 100% raw. What she said made a lot of sense. When you are first starting out, add more raw food recipes-make food that tastes and looks like regular food.

I would always start out with 100% raw-juicing, or fruits and vegetables. I hate making recipes,and thought I'd have the willpower to go all raw right away, without making foods like my former comfort food. But I always crack and go back to regular foods. I think I'm going to have to get a good recipe book-and I have to say, I really liked Alissa Cohen's recipes that Beth used. I will have to buy one!

After the class I watched the Bucket List. I have to say I had a hard time hearing it because they mumbled, and I had some people who were talking really loud while we were watching it. BUT what I did get from it, was these older men with terminal illness decided to chuck experimental medicine and just go crazy doing all the things they hadn't done in their life.

I found that incredibly sad. One, because Jack Nicholson looked AWFUL. And two, I believe in living every day like it IS your last. How sad to wait until you dying to live life to the fullest?

I may not have a conventionl life...I do not have a white picket fence and the 2.5 kids and a dog. But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

A lot of times I would get mad-why can't my boyfriend and I make a living for ourselves? Why CAN'T we have a family and home?

But it's been a blessing. Nothing is in our life that we did not create. I created this life, as much as I hate to admit that. Look at the "problems" in your life right now. Look at them GOOD. Were they or were they not what you actually wanted at one point?

I say that because I did not want a relationship or marriage. I wanted a career. I wanted to do things the hard way. I have no one to blame but myself! But, I think I did it for a reason. I have learned so much about myself and life by not getting settled into a regular life. I think I knew deep down I needed something else!

I have studied in Italy at a moment's noticed. Lived in Arizona at a health retreat. Been to a Kid Rock Private party. Traveled to Vegas, Boston, NYC, and Denver in one week. Started (and failed!) at my own business. Did live corporate events for Ford and traveled all over the country. Interviewed baseball greats.

And I have discovered my life's purpose and mission at age 28.

I have a lot to be thankful for.

When I'm dying (if I am given any warning) and I look back on my life-there will be some regrets. But not doing what I wanted or being afraid to try new things, will not be one of them!

And hopefully, I will not let myself go health-wise like the characters did.


It's funny I watched that movie because my theme for a blog I was thinking was,"If not now, when?"

In other words, what do you use as an excuse to not eat healthier? I noticed myself saying, when I move (I'm moving in August) than I'll eat healthy. I'll be able to save money than. THAN I will be able to eat healthy.

But nothing is guaranteed!! How silly to say, When (insert excuse) this happens, I will do (insert healthy behavior).

How about NOW? Nothing is guaranteed but the present moment.

I don't want my reasons to turn to when I moved I will eat healthy, to when I have cancer I will eat healthy. When I have a serious illness. When I am obese. When I develop diabetes.

And sometimes, getting sick is what it takes to convince you to change. But I am challenging you today-how about just doing it NOW. Don't wait until you become sick!


And to finalize my weekend, this Sunday I went to the Concert of Colors in Detroit.

Detroit was alive with music and life. How fun!

People from all cultures dancing and enjoying each other. A beautiful sight. Music really is the universal language! If you have not checked out the Concert of Colors, it is every year. Don't miss next years!


Ok, time for bed!

Sunfood Nutrition!

I'm sooo excited!! I finally got approved to be an affiliate for Sunfood Nutrition. Now, I don't endorse ANY product that I have not already tried or believe in...but, Sunfood Nutrition is by far my favorite one. I absolutely love the enzymes:




I'm so excited I can direct you to it now, whenever I tell people about it they look so confused...well, now you can just click on that picture and read about it!

Now I suppose if I ate more raw food I wouldn't need the enzymes, but I'm not there yet. Not even close! So, adding these enzymes helps with my transition.

I think what I really like also is that a lot of thought and care seems to go into the products. They are a little more expensive, but I've always been one to rather pay more for quality, and care than for something that is put together with less thought. I like quality over quantity any day!

They also have a lot of exotic things-or as it's called, "Superfood." Now I'll admit, more often than not I have found things I did not enjoy, such as mulberries (blach!) BUT anything besides a plain old salad or apple helps to keep me interested in raw food. Maybe I'm strange, but I think half the fun of a raw food diet is discovering what works and what doesn't. Sure, it would be nice and convenient if there was one book that said exactly what you should eat each day-what will not only taste good to you, but will also provide you with the optimal nutrients that day. But there isn't. Each day is a journey, and an experience-sometimes good, sometimes not! But what you eat, and what you find is entirely up to YOU. I like that kind of freedom! And discovering unique things is definitely something that will happen when you shop at Sunfood Nutrition.

Ok, so that's enough of my plug for Sunfood Nutrition! :)

Check it out for yourself:

New blog

After blog hopping today, I realized if I didn't have a blogger or wordpress blog, I was unable to respond to a lot of other blogs. :( I had blogger before, and it wasn't working good, which is why I switched over to bravejournal. I am having the same problems on bravejournal, so I have decided to switch over to blogger again!

If you want to check out the old blog, it's at:

http://michiganrawfood.bravejournal.com/