Monday, December 5, 2011

Too Long Between Posts

My goodness but it's been too long between posts.  I let life become too busy.  My brain becomes fuzzy and I forget things.  Important things like a good friend's birthday, dates I volunteered for and event at church.


I have gained weight.  It's a bummer but it is also my fault.  No one else's.  No series of events made me choose to eat what I did or choose not to be high raw.  It still amazes me how fast I can put weight on but what a struggle it is to take off.  Even when I'm 100% raw for several weeks straight I can put on weight.  That is discouraging.


Lately my body has felt run down and I know exactly why.  I haven't been drinking water because I'm cold and don't think about dehydration during winter months.  During cold months I drink a lot of hot coffee and sometimes herb tea.  Heavy foods seem to call to me during the cold winter months.  I wonder if that is a natural instinctive hibernation mode we go into.  Whatever it is I'm fully insulated but don't want to be.


Something else I have been struggling with is body image.  The number on the scale doesn't totally upset me but my lumpy sack of potatoes body does.  I saw a picture of a young lady who is overweight by about 50 lbs.  She is very comfortable in her skin.  But I was looking at her sporting a cute bikini bathing suit and actually felt jealousy.  She had a lovely, softly curved body, an hourglass shape that I will never have and I was jealous of her body.  We both have the same amount of extra weight on our frames but she was so proportionate and beautifully shaped.


And let's talk exercise.  So many people talk about how much they enjoy exercising but I can't like it.  It's a chore to me.  I wish I liked exercise.  I have a few great DVDs but I'm not motivated.  I totally understand that I am not going to get the body I want by sitting at the computer and I hardly count housework.   I just need to do it.  Any amount is better than nothing, though.  The body I want isn't going to happen by itself.  There isn't a magic pill, no magic machine that is going to tone my body.  It's a mindset.  Am I tired of my sack-of-potatoes body or am I not?  If so, get off your butt Molly and do something to change it!  Only I can change my thinking.


Okay, that's enough.  I need to not stress and dwell on things, events, and people I cannot control.  I can only control myself and that is more than enough!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Farmer's Market

Friday I went to two local markets and had such a good time.  The first was a small market called New Roots for Refugees.  The people are taught to grow food for themselves and enough to sell so they can learn to be self-sustaining.  This was a great market for greens and I really feel it is one that I can support long-term.  You can read about New Roots for Refugees here.  This is what I came home with:


There are white turnips which are melt-in-your mouth smooth, radish, dill, collards, kale, Muchichu which is some type of green, cilantro, and purple and green kohlrabi.


That evening a couple friends and I went to the Bad Seed Farm market in downtown KC.  That was a lot of fun! Sheep cheese, Local-bucha, greens, peas, turnips.  Next door the owners of a new soon-to-open vegan restaurant was handing out samples.  This wasn't just a Dixie cup but a dessert-sized plate with nice helping of three types of fare.  OMGsh!  It was delicious!  I put my name on the emailing list!

If you have local farmer's markets please visit them.  It's nice to know that what I bought was grown a mere 10 to 15 minutes from my own home.  And these are worthy of our support instead of big-box stores where food comes from where?  They used what type of chemicals?  Who am I supporting with this purchase?  Well, you get the picture, now do you really get the BIG picture?

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Morning Guest


This was such a pleasant start to my day.  This sweet little bird was perched outside the living room window with Mama and Papa Robin chirping away in the nearby tree.  


This is Pumpkin also seeing the baby Robin outside the window.


And Strat is seeing the baby Robin, though he isn't quite as interested as Pumpkin.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Sabotage! and Organized Eating

I don't know why it happens.  Things seem to be going okay (food-wise), losing weight and inches, feeling good, and... KAPOW!  It happens.  A weak moment.  Something slips past the lips and begins a downward spiral of SAD gnoshing and munching that I seem powerless to stop.  




I have been on a junk food binge for a couple weeks and I cannot seem to get off.  I have smoothie makings and made a great fennel, apple, raisin salad the other day.  What makes me crave stuff that is so bad for me?  Why am I so powerless to resist?  I know what it does to me and how it makes me feel.  


I feel like Paul.  I do what I don't want to do and don't do what I know I need to do.  


I have some great fresh foods in the house.  Perhaps if I were better organized in my eating.  Instead of winging my meals, which is easy to do when you cook food, it isn't the best thing for fresh raw foods because there is often prep-time involved.  


That's it... I need to be better organized.  Not necessarily better stocked, just better planning with what I have.  I have never been good at planning ahead and that trait often causes me some stress.



That will be my one goal for the week.  Better planning with my food.  Instead of a drive-thru I'll
have a packed cooler.  One step at a time.  Rome wasn't built in a day and I sure can't change a
lifetime of bad habits overnight.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

It Fits!

After 20 years, a gift my thoughtful husband gave me fits.  Here is the story:

20 years ago I was pregnant with our second child.  At Christmas the office I worked was planning it's usual Christmas party (always a dress-up affair).  The other girls were on diets to lose weight so they could fit into their beautiful slinky dresses.  I on the other hand was putting on weight at six months pregnant and feeling anything but pretty.  The party came and we all have a wonderful time.

Christmas morning:  hubby and I are sitting on the living room floor watching daughter #1 open her presents.  Hubs gives me a thin, wrapped box.  I open the box and inside the tissue paper is a candy apple red satin lingerie set with a camisole top and tap pants.  As I looked at this gift he told me,  "I know you were upset that the girls in the office were trying to lose weight and you're gaining because you're pregnant.  But I know you'll be wearing this soon.  I thought you would look pretty in it."

Well, it's been 20 years since he gave me that gift and I have never been able to wear it.  This morning I saw it in my drawer and thought, "Why not try it on?"  It fits!  The elastic in the taps is pretty much gone (whose isn't after 20 years?!)  but the lingerie fits!  I think I'll surprise my hubby this weekend and thank him for such a loving and thoughtful gift!

Foods That Just Don't Seem As Tempting


I receive several different email notifications from different types of foodie bloggers, raw, vegan, not raw.  The other day I received a post about a coconut baked flat round thing (you can guess, I just didn't want to type it).  This morning I finally opened it expecting it would be one of those recipes to be printed and saved (I am a recipe, cookbook, uncookbook collector).  But when I opened it and looked at the baked flat round thing it didn't set off any sirens, bells or whistles.  I just looked at it and thought, "Eh.  It's a coconut baked flat round thing."  No mouth watering, racing pulse, nothing.

But when I opened the picture of Bryan Au's Bear Claw the drooling mechanism kicked in big time!  Don't get me wrong, I still love to bake and cook, but will admit that even if I snitch a baked treat it just doesn't seem the same as it did say two years ago.  It's still good, just not satisfying.  Does that make sense?

When I first started green smoothies two years ago I would try raw "baked" goods but just couldn't "do" the texture.  It seems so heavy when I had my mouth set for light and fluffy.  It would be nice to find light and fluffy raw goodies, but with my desire for tastes and textures changing, light and fluffy may not be what I like anymore.  We'll see.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Gone Now Back


I have been a bit AWOL and missing out on a lot here at RFR.  My new job has been SO very stressful and it has affected the way I eat.  Some days I couldn't eat because of the knots in my stomach.

Earlier in April I went to a women's retreat sponsored by my church.  I almost didn't go because there was so much work to be done but I needed to go.  Friday night and all Saturday all that went through my mind was what I had forgotten to finish during the week and who I didn't call.  Finally, Saturday night during our worship and prayer time I asked God to help me with my new job.  Help with time management, organization, and all that goes into a supervisor position.

In the middle of this call for help, I heard God very clearly speak to me.  His voice was so clear I actually peeked at the chair beside me!  His word to me was, "I want you home."  Just those four words.  My mind began to race.  "But God!", I said, "You know our finances.  I have to work!"  But His words just raced through my mind.

I asked a friend of mine after prayer time how she would interpret his words.  Was it wishful thinking because my new job was not what I had thought it would be?  Was it because for the past year and a half I have been arguing with God against staying home because we need the money?  (I WANT to stay home, don't get me wrong.  That is my and my husband's heart desire!)

My friend prayed, asking God to protect my mind from the swirling thoughts about work so that I could enjoy the worship and the rest of the weekend.  And He did!  He is so faithful!  I relaxed.  My mind was clear.  No knots in my stomach.  But I still needed to think on His words to me.

As we were leaving the retreat, my roommate (and new friend) said, "Molly, maybe this job is a 2 x 4 for you."  I knew exactly what she meant.

It has taken nearly a month, but I finally came to a decision about my job.  It was a difficult decision because I'm not a quitter and in this field this is a horrible time to leave.  But my health was beginning to suffer and I had a feeling of dread each morning I woke up.  Last Friday I gave my two week's notice.  Oh the peace I have about this decision!  I have missed out on so many opportunities to be God's hands and feet because I was too busy "earning good money".

While the money was VERY good, doing what God wants is even better and I know He's got our back (and front, top, bottom, middle...).  I am nervous but excited at the same time.  Is this how I should feel?  Nervous about one less income but so very excited about the opportunities God will give our family because of obedience in this small area?

Our family will definitely have to lean on the support of God and know that He has nothing but good planned for us.  I am feeling better and working out how I can be the Proverbs 31 wife and am so excited for what God has for our future.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Fruit and Veggie Jewelry

Can you believe these bracelets are made from fruits and vegetables?  They are just beautiful!  This artist also has a watermelon/radish bracelet and other jewelry and household items!  WOW!
The link is below the photo.  Aren't these just extraordinary?  What imagination. http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/fruit-vegetable-parchment-braceletsh

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Am I Focusing On Food Too Much?

Today was the first day of a 28 day raw cleanse.  I did great until dinner time, as usual.  This is a hard time to not eat for me.  I did choose to eat 1 cup of chili and a thick slice of toast with cream cheese.  But that's not my issue with today.

I felt like all I thought about was food.  Healthy raw food, but food none the less.  I don't want to focus on food.  Hopefully as the days go on food will be less of a focus and more of a... I don't even know what to write.  W.W. made me focus on food all day.  Maybe it's because I want to do well that my mind just constantly thinks about food.  I wasn't hungry today because of the delicious juices and salads I ate.  In fact, I probably should not have eaten the salads because I wasn't really hungry, just suffering from cabin fever and boredom.  Tomorrow I'll have another large pitcher of green juice to drink throughout the day and I'll be sure to only eat when my stomach is growly.

My bathroom walls need paint.  Maybe I'll just focus on that instead!
Focus

Monday, January 31, 2011

February 28 Day Raw Cleanse

I have signed myself up for something that has me a bit uneasy.  Not because it's something I don't want to do, but because I'm afraid it will be something I fail at.  It's a 28 day cleanse at the Raw Food Rehab mansion.  I have a game plan and I'm thinking if I write down what I plan on eating beforehand it would help keep me honest.  If my food plan is already written I know what needs to be prepared ahead of time and there is less chance for failure.  I am planning on making kale chips to have around.

Update:  Right now I am literally snow/iced in.  I tried to get out to the store for some cucumbers and celery but couldn't get out of the neighborhood.  It's a good thing I already stocked up and have enough to get me through until the roads are safe.

Here are my weekly, month, and long-term goals:

week 1:  mainly green juice with salad lunches
week 2:  mainly green smoothies with salad lunches
weeks 3 & 4:  remain juicy but start adding more salads to my day

month goal:  remove coffee as my morning pick-me-up
                     add exercise to my week, at least three times a week
                     remain 100% raw and juicy for the 28 days

Here is the plan for day one:  green juice, as much as I can afford to make.  I will be able to do carrot juices and I'll throw in green juice to keep my energy up.  During the afternoon, when the munchies attack, I will eat my salad, then more green juice/smoothie in the evening.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011
morning
green juice: collards, pea vine tips, parsley, juice of 1 lemon, 4 <old> apples
hot decaf herbal tea

lunch
green juice: same as morning juice
raw Brussels sprouts salad
hot decaf herbal tea

snack
green smoothie:  Romaine lettuce, 1 banana, 1 cup fresh pineapple
orange

dinner
green smoothie: same as snack
hot decaf herbal tea

Monday, January 24, 2011

Attitude is a Choice

This is just one of those computer forwards, but I really got the message.  Our attitude is a choice.  My reaction to an event or person is a choice... my choice.  Here is the forward.  I hope it clicks with you like it did with me.

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!'

'You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'

He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or...you can choose to be in a bad mood

I choose to be in a good mood.'

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.

'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?'

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'

'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked.

He continued, '...the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'

'What did you do?' I asked.

'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity''

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude...I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34.

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Score at the Store - #3


I had another great trip to m favorite Asian market.  The fresh produce there is like nothing I will find at Whole Foods or any other specialty market plus the prices RAWk!  Here is a shot of my score:  On the left
is a 1 lb pkg of jalapeno peppers, large top radish, Enoki mushrooms (these look like thin straws with a little ball on the tip), King Oyster mushrooms, fresh okra, pea vine tips, and four oriental eggplant.  For the King Oyster mushrooms I have some nut cheez ferementing and I plan on stuffing them and then dehydrating to warm them a bit.  I'm not sure if marinating the mushrooms would work for this, but I may do that just to add some extra flavor.
The okra is for an okra tomatoe salad I found in The Kitchen at the RFR.  It sounded so good when I found it a couple months ago but okra season was passed.  Now I can make it!  Mmmm!  The eggplant will be thinly sliced and sprinkled with some spices then dehydrated.  These make great chips.

Now these are interesting!  They are a large bottomed radish.  I have not eaten one yet.  I may just slice them up to taste them before adding them to any recipe.  See what I mean about "specialty"?!  I just love visiting this market because you never know what produce they will have.  If you have an asian market I urge you to check them out.  You will be hooked!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Not Feeling Well

This weekend I have felt very run down and unbelievably tired.  I haven't felt this tired in such a long time, over six months.  But I know what has caused this... SAD food in my diet.  I allowed myself to eat foods that I knew were going to make me feel tired and sure enough  I am tired.  On top of the fatigue I am sick.  This is a physical sick not any kind of detox.  I woke up with my throat feeling coated and thick and it took forever to get it cleared out.  I haven't made the best food choices either, but it's what sounded good.

 * thick Panera bread with almond butter and raw honey (I did use real butter under it all.)
 * 1/2 a small chicken enchilada (about 3" piece)

I finally decided my body needed a green smoothie.  Since my collards have been on the spicy side lately I chose to add Spirulina instead.  I hope that will take the place of fresh greens.

* Green Smoothie:  3 tsp Spirulina; 1/2 honeydew melon; 3 clemantines; 1/2 lemon, outer peeling
    removed; 1 persimmon

See how green the Spirulina makes the smoothie!

Am I making the best food choices right now?  Maybe not in the grand scheme of things but for now, feeling a bit crummy, I needed my "sick" foods.  No guilt because I hopped right back up and added a green smoothie to finish out my day.  Just what the doctor ordered!  I hope you all have a great week!  Have a green smoothie kind of day!!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Taffy Doesn't Make a Meal


I think the title of this post says it all.  For some reason I wasn't feeling up to snuff.  I don't know what was going on.  I wasn't sick even though three in my house had an ugly stomach virus.  But my meal/snacks yesterday was Salt Water Taffy, coffee during the day and veg. stir-fry with a red rice for dinner.  By 8pm I had serious heartburn!  Miserable.  Tired.  Yucky.  Those describe my evening.  

Please don't ask me why I chose such unhealthy foods.  I can't tell you why.  Maybe it was because I had cabin fever (lots of snow and I'm a bit of a coward when it comes to driving in it).  It could have been boredom.  Unfortunately I learned to eat when bored as a child and that is a hard habit to break.  There are plenty of raw vegetables to make salads and smoothies but I chose not to eat that.  I paid for it though!  Today I am nursing my tummy with a green smoothie.

Just a note for all you folks:  Taffy does not make a meal!  Trust me!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Dealing with Emotional Eating

Right now I am dealing with some emotional eating issues.  I figured at some point on my raw journey I would deal with emotional eating so I am not surprised that I'm not dealing with it as well as I would want.  Too much candy, coffee and toast today and now I have heartburn.  Ugh!  After writing this blog I plan on blending up a nice green smoothie.   I know that will definitely put the cool-down on the discomfort.

Now I just have to deal with the cause of the stress that causes me go into "Mindless Eating Mode". Easier said than done as we emotional eaters know.  It still is frustrating to realize that I don't really have a handle on emotional eating and my not ever.  This just may be something I'll deal with all my life.  Maybe it will get easier to make better eating choices or even the choice not to eat at all when I am stressed.  Who knows.  I have always said this is a journey and there is a lot to see while on it.  I'll get there but the fun is in the adventures of the ride!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Starting the new year right!

CHEERS!

What a great way to begin 2011... with a glass of delicious green smoothie.  I will list the ingredients below in case you want to join me in a toast.   I have really been rawkin' it out this week in the new Raw Food Rehab initiative called Resolve 2 Evolve.  This time I decided to set a weight goal for myself, 20 lbs in 11 weeks.  

It has been interesting to see what happens when food no longer becomes the main focus in the day.  I have learned so many things about myself in the past six months.  Not all of it has been pleasant.  I had to admit to myself that I stuffed emotions down with food instead of dealing with the circumstances.  But using raw foods, while better health choices, is still using food as a ramming rod.  
So the first initiative I participated in at The RFR Mansion, Rawk Star Initiative I dealt with dealing with my emotions.

During the next initiative at The Mansion, Falling Into Raw, I put what I had learned in the Rawk Star Initiative into practice.  I had to apologize to my husband at one point because I became quite snarky during all of this.  Food was what I used to not deal with emotions.  And it was during Falling Into Raw that being 95% became easier.  Not second nature, but easier and more natural.  I will say that being at home makes it harder to stay raw.  The food in the house for the rest of the family sometimes call to me.  Some days i will make the choice to eat some and other days I can pass it up.  The second initiative, Falling Into Raw, I put into action what I learned the in Rawk Star.

The next initiative at RFR is Resolve 2 Evolve.  During the next six weeks I will be adding movement/exercise to my days.  This is hard for me because I really don't enjoy exercise.  Hopefully I can learn to like it through fun movements.  A Bollywood exercise video is on its way to me and I will be looking into belly dance lessons.  

If you have a chance please check out Raw Food Rehab.  The love, acceptance and support is fantastic.  We are all on a journey and some of us want to be healthy as we travel.  At RFR we are all at different points of interest on our journeys.  We help each other and the recipes!   Never ending, let me tell you!  If you even think you want to learn more about raw food, visit The Mansion at RFR!  You won't regret it!


Ingredients for the GREEN SMOOTHIE pictured above.
2 large handfuls raw spinach
1/4 to 1/3 honeydew melon, seeds removed
3 to 4 Persian cucumbers*
1/2-inch nubbin fresh ginger
Enough water to make it blend-able*


Blend all ingredients until smooth.  If using a VitaMix add ice or freeze the fruit so your smoothie doesn't get warm.  
*Use 1/2 a regular cucumber, peeled
*Add water until it reaches the consistency you like.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Raw Cream of Mushroom Soup

HAPPY 2011!  The new year has started out in it's typical fashion for the Midwest:  cold and blustery.  The best way to ward off a cold winter night is with warm raw soup!  Warm raw soup you ask?  Yes!  It is possible!  This recipe is from the Gone Raw blog.

I think I would like to add some soaked cashews to the sunflower seeds.  Cashews seems to make a creamier cream.  I ended up adding more sunflower seeds to the two cups of water to make a thick soup.  But all in all this was wonderful!  I have four different types of mushrooms so I will try each one.

The Oyster mushrooms have a sweeter flavor than other mushrooms.  Each mushroom has it's own distinct characteristics and flavors and so each soup would be a new taste adventure!  As my mom would say, '"This recipe is a keeper!"'
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