HATE TO DRINK WATER? Try this!

DO YOU HATE TO DRINK WATER?  Try this!

INFUSION MADNESS!!!! 

courtesy of: http://infusedwaters.com/post/26096859707/the-benefits-of-drinking-infused-water



this is good stuff and I wanted to share

Infusions add a great taste to you water and gives you some of the nutrients without all the sugar (unless you add it).  Different fruits are good for different things so do your research. 

Great combinations that I've found:

Lemon & Cucumber
Strawberry & Kiwi
Grapefruit, Lemon & Ginger Root
Watermelon & Mint
Mint & Green Tea (You can do a cold brew by dropping the tea bag in and letting it steep overnight)

The possibilities are endless.....


Check out there net there are lots of recipes out there.  And they are great for you (minus the ones with the added sweeteners...those just taste good!)

Oh and they have those fancy smancy bottles out there too, but you I'm a county girl....mason jars work for me. :)

 

Hummus & Vegetables - Snack Time!

 

 

My kids love to snack on finger foods.  I am trying to get in as many cleansing foods as I possibly can as I change my eating habits.  Top of the list are celery, cucumber and asparagus. I am using them to dip in my homemade hummus.

 

Homemade Hummus

 

1 cup cooked chickpeas (I cook them in a small crockpot over night instead of using canned)

1 heaping tablespoon of Tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1 clove of garlic or garlic poweder (to taste)

2 tablespoons of water (if you have a powerful blender or food processor you may not need this)

 

Put everything in the blender and enjoy!

 

Dippers can be anything,  You can use:

pita bread/chips

crackers

carrots

celery

cucumber

asparagus

bell peppers

Make a sandwich -  The choices are endless.

 

There are lots of recipes with add-ins like chili powder, roasted almonds, olives, roasted peppers, black beans, etc.  Feel free to experiement and come up with your own recipes.



 

Hearty Breakfast - Avacados & Rice

I was hungry this morning....My avacado was calling me...."Eat me! Eat me!", it said.  And so I am.

Sometimes you gotta throw together something that's readily available.  I actually saw Lisa Left Eye Lopez eating this during the documentary of her last visit to Dr. Sebi's place in Honduras.  It looked good and I decided to try it one day.  Now I eat it whenever I have it available.

All I used was:

1/2 Avacado
Left over rice (I'm sure brown would be better, maybe even quinoa, amaranth, barley, etc.)
a little salsa for taste
cilantro leaves

Yummy love at my work desk....

Good-MorZing!

Citrus Fruit Smoothie

 

(and a bit on Emotional Eating)

 

Hey Guys and Girls!

 

This is day 3 (yes, I am forever starting over and getting this thing right....it takes practice - Don't judge me! :) ) and I wanted to share some meals I put together for today.

 

My good friend told me I needed to start posting again....so here I am.

 

I stand before you, professing that I am an EMOTIONAL EATER.  I eat when I'm happy, I eat when I'm sad, I eat when I'm bored, I eat when I'm mad (no I am not quoting Dr. Suess!)  But surprisingly, moving towards "eating right"this time really hasn't been a huge challenge.  I think it is just time to do it. I must admit I almost got a glass of wine last night when my family was driving me crazy, but I said "No, go in your art room, sit quietly, do yoga".  So I was able to find my peace.  And the craving went away. 

 

If you are like me, I encourage you to check in with your emotions before you put something in your mouth.  I raise my kids that way, but I have to extend that same discipline to myself.  It is the real challenge for me.  But drawing focus towards the quality of my food has allowed me to become more conscious of what I eat.  I generally hate fast food, but in a pinch I will grab a combo knowing it will make me feel bad after I eat it.  So now I'm thinking, "I don't want to feel sluggish, I like this light feeling that I feel in my body." 

 

On with the recipes....today I made two juices/smoothies that will probably last me two days.  I don't need to survive off of juice, because right  now I am still eating solid foods (mostly raw, but there may be some cooked beans, tofu, rice, etc. at this point until I get it to being less refined).  Both juice/smoothies are quite tasty!

 

Good-MorZing! Citrus Fruit Smoothie

1 orange

1/2 grapefruit

1 banana

piece of ginger (or ginger powder if you are in a pinch)

water and/or apple juice

ice

 

Mix in blender and serve fresh!

 

Mean Green & Lean Juice

1/2 cucumber peeled

1 stalk of celery

handful of spinach

1 pear

water and/or apple juice

ice

 

Mix in blender and serve fresh!

 

Normally I only use water, but I had apple juice and it made it super sweet.  Use this trick if you have someone who thinks they don't like Green Juice.....it will fool them every time!

 

 

 

 

Liver Salad - from MyYogaOnline.com

LOVE YOUR LIVER SALAD
myyogaonline.com
By Andrea Potter • April 3rd, 2012

The energetic nature of sprouts are UP and OUT! All the potential life energy of the plant, breaking through the seed's protection. Sprouts are an enormous source of energy! The first spring foods- baby sprouts and quick-growing veggies like radishes help to kick us out of our winter slumber and prepare us for lighter times ahead!

The following are just some of the ingredients used in this Love Your Liver Salad:
Green apples (and the sour flavor) stimulate the gallbladder and cleanse the liver. Green apples are even used as a therapeutic food for breaking up gallstones.
Beets are liver-loving foods too! They are blood cleansers and so help the liver to do its job. Eating them raw gives us more lightness- perfect for spring!
Clear that winter Brain Fog! Flax oil contains omegas 3 and 6- essential nutrients for brain and nervous functioning.

Ingredients
1 bunch radish, 8 small or 3 medium sized.
2 medium beets, peeled
2 carrots
1 green apple
1 handful of sprouts (try alfalfa, broccoli, mung bean, sunflower…)

-Grate or julienne hard veg and apple, mix in sprouts, add desired amount of salad dressing, enjoy!

Essential salad dressing

Lemon- that sour flavour again! See a theme here? Yes, your liver loves lemon too!

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup flax oil
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
pinch chili flakes, cayenne or black pepper (opt)
pinch sea salt

- Put all ingredients into a mason jar.
-Put the lid on tightly and shake before using.
- Keep in the fridge.
-Make small amounts at a time and use quickly.

List of Alkalining/Acidifying foods:  http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/acid_alkaline_foods_list.html

Excerpt from below from: http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/alkaline-foods.html


Alkaline foods are foods that raise the the amount of oxygen that your blood takes in. The most alkalizing foods are RAW green leafy vegetables, non-sweet fruits and (wheat) grasses. The opposite of alkaline foods are acid foods.
How much oxygen your blood can absorb is measured on a pH scale that ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 0 is most acidic while a pH of 14 is most alkaline.

The Right Acid - Alkaline Balance

Our blood is in balance when we're slightly alkaline: with a pH of 7.365.
In the beginning of the 20th century, very smart scientists and nobel prize winners made a great discovery. If our blood cannot absorb enough oxygen we get sick: cancer, heart issues, arthritis and candida infections, diabetes are the result. When our pH is too high or too low, we don't feel well, we feel tired, gain weight, have poor digestion and get aches and pains.

Most people in the US and Europe are too acidic: they cannot absorb enough oxygen. That's why cancer, heart disease, arthritis,diabetes are epidemic.
Why are we too acidic? The famous four:

• Stress;
• Toxins;
• Parasites; and
• The FOOD we eat.

Acid Foods List

It's too bad that the foods we like most make us most acidic and thus sick. What are these food? You guessed right:

• Junk & Processed foods;
• Sugar;
• All animal food (meat, eggs, chicken, fish, lobster, oysters);
• Grains: (white) wheat, rice, pasta, flour, bread etc.;
• Some Fruits;
• Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter);
• Bad fats;
• Peanuts, cashews.

Alkaline Foods List

During most of our lives, the majority of the foods we eat are (highly) acidic. These make us sick and tired. By eating raw alkaline foods and drinks, we can help our body to heal it self from most diseases:

• Vegetables - especially raw green leafy vegetables.
• Fresh Herbs & Spice - parsley, basil, cilantro, cayenne, ginger;
• Fruits - watermelon, avocado, cucumber, young coconuts; lemon
• Wheat grass;
• Sprouts: i.e. alfalfa, mung bean, broccoli etc.

Green Goodness Juice

 

Green Goodness Juice

 

Video Instruction.....try some~

Kidney Liver Flush

KIDNEY LIVER FLUSH - Detox Video

Old vid but good info....guess it's time for a new one.

The Green Detox Kick Starter

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1 handful of parsley
• 1 celery stock
• 1 lemon squeezed
• 1 green granny smith apple
• Ice if using a blender (it tastes better cold to me)

Once again, I like to have the whole fruit or vegetable, so I use my blender.  But if you just want juice you can use a juicer.

Spring time is a wonderful time to start a cleanse.  Its time to "lighten the load" and get healthier, whether that means juicing for weigh loss or purging your body of a buildup of toxins.

While there are a variety of recipes out there that are incredibly healthy and great for managing your wasteline, this one helps your body to eliminate toxin buildup due to environmental issues, alcohol, and eating heavily processed foods, all while kick-starting your metabolism so that your body burns fat and calories more efficiently, thus aiding in weight loss.

Don't let the "green look" fool you! It just tastes really good! 

 

MISO SOUP

 

 

• 2 cups of boiling hot water
• 1 heaping tablespoon of miso paste (amount is to taste)
• dried shrimp (you can also use fresh)
• 1-2 shitake mushrooms (fresh or dried)
• 1-2 button mushrooms
• 1/2 tomato
• 5 basil leaves
• bean sprouts
• tofu stips
• bok choy leaf (diced)
• diced bell pepper (red, orange or yellow for color)
• cayenne pepper (to taste)
• hot sauce (to taste)
• Dried seaweed flakes (to taste)

Mix all ingredients  above in a containder with a top.  Feel free to modify the quantity of any ingredient or leave out any that you dislike.  The flavor comes from the mushrooms, shrimp and miso mostly so feel free to adjust to your taste buds.

 

 

Pour the boiling water over the ingredients.  Cover and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

 

 

Eat and enjoy!

 

 



Green Split Pea Soup

Ok so doing this vegetarian thing again hasn't been as challenging as I thought it would be.....especially if I decide to cook.  It's also pretty cheap, because meat is expensive.  Another common "excuse" is "But where do I get my protien from?" There are vegetable protein sources and beans & legumes are one of them.  I love split pea soup, especially in the cold months.  Here is a vegetarian version I hope you will like.

 

Ingredients:

 

about 3 cups of water

 

vegetable boullion

 

1-1/2 cups of green split peas

 

diced or shreaded carrot

 

1 tablespoon of olive oil

 

garlic powder or diced garlic (to taste)

 

salt & pepper (to taste)

 

 

Directions:

Bring water to a boil.  Add boullion and seasonings and oil.  Then add the peas & carrots.

 

Simmer until peas start to breakdown and become mushy (but you should still see some whole peas).

 

Cook for about 30 minutes and you're done!

SMOOTHIE:  Morning Zinger

 

WAKIE WAKIE!

 

INGREDIENTS

 

MANGO (PEELED DICED)

 

ORANGE (PEELED DICED)

 

1/2 LEMON (PEELED DICED)

 

CARROT (PEELED DICED)

 

GINGER (PEELED DICED) - TO TASTE - THIS IS THE ZING!!!

 

ICE & WATER

 

Spicy recipe!  Wakes up the digestive system!

 

 

 

Sauted Okra

I personally am a BIG fan of okra.   I'll eat it raw, fried....anyway it comes. Typically, I don't like it boiled unless it's in stews, but I'll eat it that way too.  But this is one of my favorite ways.  Real simple and fast.

INGREDIENTS

Okra (tops chopped off and hole or cut in small slices)

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

garlic powder or chopped garlic

salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a pan.

Add the okra & seasonings.

Saute until slightly browned.

EAT!

Yummy Banana Almond Chai Smoothie

For some reason I was craving chai tea this morning and I didn't have any.  But I remembered a recipe that I heard of for a Banana Chai Smoothie.  So I went online to check you tube to see how people were making them.  Most of them used Tazo Chai tea or a brewed bag chai tea.  I didn't have either of these at my disposal at the time - however, I did have a cabinet full of spices.  So I decided to make my own.  Here's my recipe:

INGREDIENTS

2 Bananas

Ice

Almond Milk (or the milk of your choice - about 1 cup)

A handful of Almonds (mine were dry roasted with no salt or seasonings - raw may be better)

Chai Blend (using what I had in cabinet)
      (None of this was measured, but I estimated quantities for you here)

• ground cinnamon  (about 1 tablespoon)
• ground allspice      (about 3 teaspoons)
• black pepper          (about 1 teaspoons)
• ground cardamom (about 1 tablespoon)

Maple Syrup, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Blend it all up and enjoy.  I think this is probably about 2 servings so don't go overboard!  :)

Beet Juice Anyone?

Hey guys!  I wanted to share this one because I really like this recipe.

I know, I know....I was a skeptic at first too, but I promise if you try it you'll like it.  Beets are sweet and such a treat!

Sweet Beet Juice


1 raw beet peeled & diced

1 raw carrot peeled & diced

1 mango (and/or 1 apple)

ice & water or optional for added sweetness choose apple, grape or orange juice, depending on your taste buds

Vegetable Chowder

INGREDIENTS

5 cups of water

6 medium sized potatoes (washed thoroughly and diced)

2 tablespoons of oil (I used vegetable)

1 onion diced

1/2 red bell pepper

4 cloves of garlic diced

2 celery stalks diced

1 bunch of parsley

3 carrots chopped and diced

2 ears of corn shucked

1 vegetable bouillon

chives (I used dried) to taste

dill (I used dried) to taste

1 crown of broccoli diced

6 mushroom buttons diced

salt & black pepper to taste

FLEXITARIAN OPTION (items below are optional - see directions on how to make this a "real vegetarian" meal)

2 tablespoons of oil

2 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour

1/2 cup of half & half or heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1.            Start to boil the water in a large stock pot. Once water boils add the chopped carrots, bullion, dried herbs and parsley to the pot.

 

 

2.            In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add diced potatoes.  Cover and cook until they start to become slightly translucent and slightly toasted.  When they are almost done, add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic.  Lightly sauté the ingredients together.  The aroma will be wonderful!

3.            Add the ingredients in the pan to the pot.  Let them cook down until the potatoes start to thicken the broth. 

4.            FLEXITARIAN OPTIONAL STEP -If you are a full out vegetarian leave this step out.  In the same pan (you want that aroma from before so don't wash the pan out!), heat two tablespoons of oil (some recipes use butter) on medium heat.  Add corn starch or flour.  Mix the starch into the oil and then add the milk.  Mix until smooth.  It will make a gravy. 

5.            Set it to the side and add the broccoli, mushrooms and salt and pepper to the stock pot to taste.  Once the last ingredient cook down, then add the "gravy" in the pan.

6.            Lastly, take about a third of the soup from the pot and put it in the blender for a few seconds to puree it.  This will make the texture smoother.  If you are a vegetarian, this will give your soup a smooth consistency that you may want for this chowder.  Crackers and toast go wonderfully with this soup!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Going veg - again!

CONFESSION ROOM

Well,  I must admit....I've been away for awhile.  Various reasons but I won't provide you with any excuses......I like chicken.....along with all the other junk that I shouldn't eat.  Unfortunately, last year my physical activity decreased DRAMATICALLY.  Desk jobs suck but hey, someone's gotta do them.  A combination of poor eating and sitting on the computer has packed on over 20 lbs this year.  And it sucks.

Not only does the weight suck, but my clothes don't fit, my energy is lower, and I just don't feel good about me.

SOLUTION

Refocus on me and take care of me.

Plain and simple.  It's time to stop sending all of that energy to my family and job.  It's time for me to take care of me.


RECENT PROGRESS

Over the past month I've taken up hoop dance.  It's great and I'm so excited about my progress.  I was never able to hoop as a child or an adult.  But now I'm doing all kinds of tricks.  It's so much fun and it makes me feel alive.  Check out hooplovers.com to get you started if you are interested.  She has a great 30 day hoop camp that I'm working on.

I've also picked up yoga more often at home again.  I use myyogaonline.com and they have some great teachers and resources available.  There are a lot of online workouts you can look into depending on your interests. 

Both of these work for me because my window to work out is very slim.  I have to get it when I can and going to a gym after work isn't feasible.  I can hoop inside, outside, at the park - whereever!  I can take my computer or smart phone anywhere and do a yoga or meditation center at any time.

UPCOMING POSTS

This blog site was supposed to be dedicated to my 21-day detox journey a few years ago.  To stay with that theme and to prepare to do a detox at the beginning of the year, I will also be posting some of my new vegetarian recipes.  I want to ease myself into it and make it through the holidays.

New posts are on the way!

Great web sites to help you out!

Need help with how to start a detox program?

Check out the E-books at the bottom of this site:  https://www.stopyourtoxiclife.com/transform/


Years ago this is the natural healer's books who started it off for me -  Queen Afua:  http://queenafua.moonfruit.com/

Natural Food Stores & markets in Atlanta:
http://www.sevananda.coop/
http://www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com/

Traveling?  Try this site to do a search in your destination city or your hometown:
http://www.vegguide.org/

In Atlanta and need a vegetarian caterer?  This sister has a WONDERFUL cookbook!  I've used lots of her recipes and I know her food is the bomb! Check out this site!  http://canavacafe.com/quickecookbook.aspx

Maintenance Program

Didn't quite make it to the 21 days this go round....more like 14 and some change. :)  However, I have seen many changes in my appetite, energy level and the girth in my belly! I've had a few people remark on me having lost some weight.  My stomach looks flatter.  When I eat, I can't eat the same quantity of food and I am very aware of feeling too full.  Kind of like I know what "full" feels like now (as opposed to before when I would just keep eating).  I am essentially eating vegetarian foods....the detox made the transition much easier. As long as I get some form of protien in every few hours I feel pretty good and satisfied.

My energy level is much better than before.  The sluggishness has subsided. I walked almost 7 miles yesterday and I feel great today. My skin has also started to improve which I am VERY happy about.  I  hope in another month my complexion will have cleared again.  It's amazing what too much caffeine and sugar can do.

So all in all I'm feeling great about this transition.  I do plan on doing it again, but I will have to choose a time (hopefully in February) where I know I won't have many eating functions to tempt me! :) 

So going forward I look forward to getting back to being vegetarian or at the vary least a flexitarian who eats like a vegetarian most of the time!  I'm excited about it and I'm glad to see those around me making a few changes as well. :)

Trying times, E-book and YouTube

I've had some trying times in the past week or so.  I guess because I expend a lot of energy all day long by tranining people and constantly moving, I have had some SERIOUS protein cravings.  Sometimes I supplement that with nuts and beans but I really have to prepare if I do beans.  That's extra work on a tight schedule.  Fish and an egg here an there has stopped me from eating my young!!!!  I can tell know that this will be a process for me.  I've decided to add some time on to the back end of my 21-days because I've slipped when I felt weak. But at the same time, I'm  not beating up on myself about it.  The goal for me is many fold:

• Have more energy (check!)
• Reduce the abdominal bloating (I've noticed quite a difference in the past few weeks)
• Eat more fruits and veggies (that has been unavoidable!)
• Lose weight (I'm down to 183 now - from almost 190 when I started, I think a good portion of that is excess WASTE not weight....thus the reduction in bloating)
• Get some of my cravings under control (still working on coffee but everything else has improved)

So the process overall is going well.  I'm pleased and I look forward to continuing.

My camera is jacked up right now, so I'll be doing a lot of writing until its fixed.  Please check out the following websites:

http://www.stopyourtoxiclife.com/transform  - There is a book at the bottom of the page that will give you information about detoxing if you are a beginner.  They are E-books and you get both for $14.95.  If you are local to the Atlanta area there is a center available as well if you need additional healthy living help.

Also check out my YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/analoggurl - It has some of the videos I could not upload onto the blog.

Live Well,

TeMika