Taking a moment to reflect...

General food intake today:

• a generous 2L of green smoothie (romaine, banana, apple, blueberry, blackberry, maca, Vitamineral Greens, agave, goji berries, cacao beans, lime juice and water)
• a bowl of muesli (rolled oats - not raw, goji berries, mulberries, almonds, sunflower seeds, sucanut - a very small amount (not raw), dried cranberries, a little cinnamon), a banana sliced on top and some thin almond milk
• probably about 1L of water with organic lime in it
• 2c of chia pudding (chia seeds, shredded coconut, sesame milk, agave nectar, lucuma, cinnamon)
• too many raw banana cookies (cashews, bananas, pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg) - seriously, I ate so many I lost track. :P
• a bowl of zucchini "pasta" with mock peanut sauce on it (from jennifer cornbleet's book) and a carrot

Nourished the mind? Yep, read some Jane Goodall today and had some very thought provoking family conversation. And I was banker during Monopoly City family boardgame night; taxing my poor brain into mathematics. Good grief!

Nourished the soul? Yep, had a good laugh today over some of dh's antics. Tai chi is very soul-nourishing, too... creates such space and stillness within. It's wonderful. Got some good hugs today from the family. We enjoyed a really nice dinner together for which I'm very grateful. And the pets - the dog, cats, and yes, even the chickens and rooster, provided some companionship and enriched my life today. And now, even as I type this, I can hear the surf at the ocean, and it's a lovely, soothing sound. :)

Nourished the body? An hour of teaching tai chi, and some delicious raw vegan food. I feel like I'm learning to respect what my body wants - at some moments I buzz around, very focused and getting things done swiftly, other times I lie on the bed and just rest (and ya know what, it's okay. The world doesn't fall apart because I'm lying down in the middle of the day. Who knew?!).

And the question I have for YOU today is this: at what age do you believe children are morally able to embrace the concept of forgiveness? just something I'm wrestling with right now.

Let's Talk about Immunity

(LOL I'm hearing Salt & Peppa's Let's talk about sex in my head as I write that... let's talk about im-mun-ity)

I'm hearin' peeps talkin' about the H1N1 vaccine and the flu shot and stuff, and personally, I'm not sold on 'em. Here's what we do in our house to combat flu season naturally:

• washing the hands regulary with soap, not antibacterial soap, and personally, i don't like the antibacterial gel dispensers you're seeing in more and more places. and i REALLY don't like going somewhere and being told i *HAVE* to use the gel. that REALLY irritates me.


• get lots of rest


• drink lots of water


• drink fresh raw juices; I like mine with extra dark-leafy greens. Better yet, why not just give me a shot of home-grown, freshly juiced wheatgrass every once in a while.


• exercise! I believe regular exercise helps keep our immune systems functioning at a high level.


• eat lots of fresh, raw foods. Garlic. Ginger. Things with Vitamin C in them, like bell peppers and citrus fruits.


• camu camu berry powder added to green smoothies


• other things like goji berries and Vitamineral Greens powder


• I have been known to take Echinacea and Vitamin C supplements :)

And although I'm not getting any sort of kick-back from the rest (hint hint, if you're one of these companies, LOL):

• Emergen'-C powders in water


• Cold-FX products


• BLOCKADE: a friend swears by it. The great thing is b/c it's a lozenge, you can take one when you get sick; you don't have to take it ahead of time with regularity. Which brings me to...


• homeopathics: Boiron Influenzinium and Thymuline, and Oscillococcinum as well. Recommended is taking them throughout the fall, regardless of whether you're feeling something comin' down or not.
• And last but not least, try some Oil of Oregano (I prefer internally to really kick the pants off anything that's trying to get me down). Recently dh had a nasty lingering (non-productive) cough and Oil of Oregano is what finally cleared it.

My neighbour has a recipe for home-made cough syrup that she swears by; I think she said it had marshmallow root and some other things in it - I'll try to remember to ask her for the recipe.

STAY HEALTHY!!!!

Sigg Bottle Voluntary Exchange

I don't know if I've already mentioned it, but Sigg, the company that makes the water bottles pictured above, is offering a VOLUNTARY EXCHANGE on their older bottles until OCTOBER 31st. The older bottles have BPA in the liner and although their tests indicate the BPA does not leach into the water, their newer model of bottle does not have any BPA and they will exchange your older bottle for a newer bottle.

You can find out more information at www.mysigg.com/bulletin and click on Exchange Program.

Abundant Blessings

What a priviliged life I lead (as dh loves to remind me, LOL). Truly, though, I'm very blessed. I wake up when I wish - I rarely have to awaken to an alarm clock (I'd *much* rather awaken to a rooster crowing outside, or the dog needing to go out). I choose not to work outside the home - a choice which undeniably will ruffle the feathers of some, being that I do have a decent education and "could make something of myself" (as some people enjoy telling me), but it's a much-discussed decision that works very well for our family. I live my life as I choose, generally speaking. I am blessed to have access to healthy water, to healthy (raw vegan) food. I have a beautiful (unfinished) home (roof leak notwithstanding, LOL). I am blessed with the company of pets, of our amazing children, of a supportive and loving partner, of friends and extended family. We're financially stable; he has a great job that he enjoys... I could go on, but obviously, life is good. VERY good.

Today, for example, is typical of the luxurious life I lead: I spent the morning lounging, reading Jane Goodall's Harvest for Hope: a guide to mindful eating. She's a FANTASTIC writer. I'm really enjoying the book. The kids and I did their weekly homeschool "reports" and we wasted our time playing computer games (time management ones, LOL). By then it was after noon - we made green smoothies and although the housework was calling, we began to make dough ornaments instead. The kids' friends called & came over, so I reluctantly got dressed... at nearly 2 in the afternoon (N.B.: please phone before coming over. please?! or we might both be embarrased, LOL)... still making dough ornaments... the kids all joined in and we made ornaments pretty much all afternoon... I have a dehydrator FULL of them now!!! The kids went off to play Lego, or dance and play dress-up, depending on their fancy... I bustled about doing the housework that I'd successfully ignored for hours (days, truthfully) - basically vacumming with the puppy trying to eat (& bark at) the vacuum the entire time, or sweeping the kitchen floor while she tries to eat the broom. VERY helpful! Fed all the kidlets and then the older ones and I set about playing a board game (Stock Ticker). I got to play the piano for a while after the kids all went home, we spent time reading an Enid Blyton book before bed, after the kids were asleep I had a relaxing, hot, lavender bath, and now I'm enjoying surfing the net for a bit.

Truly, I am blessed. In a big, BIG way.

I'm feeling grateful...

It's been a good day, a great day really, for which I'm very grateful. dd had her art class; she loved it. Afterwards, the kids went to a birthday party, which was supposed to be for 3 hrs, but we kinda overstayed our welcome and were there 5 hrs... but the kids were playing so welllllllllllll together... why end that just because the clock says to? And besides, I was really enjoying the parents' company, too. Nonetheless, I'll phone tomorrow and apologize, LOL, although I'm pretty sure it was mutual... I'll just check-in on that. ;)

For some reason, though, tonight I'm feeling very... almost melancholy. Maybe contemplative is a better word. Thoughtful. Lost in thought. I'm feeling surrounded by the energy of loss right now. I don't know why; it's not my reality right now at all. It's just that tonight, for various reasons, this is where my thoughts are drawn and I find myself sitting in the darkness, in the soft orange glow of the rock salt lamp, my eyes moist with salty tears that will not come, feeling the loss that so many others have felt, sensing the path others have walked - in a word, grieving. I feel in awe of how courageous people are in the face of adversity, of loss. I guess one way to think of it is not as a "loss" but as "changing form". Perhaps then I will begin to understand. But for right now, I sit with it. Not trying to fix it, change it. It just is.

And just sitting with it, I sense a shift, towards gratitude. It becomes a sense of gratitude - GRATITUDE (it feels very big)... for that kernel of opportunity for growth, for learning, that lies within every moment. Even in loss, there is so much to be had. Time for some Reiki and a warm bath.

Namaste'

Things that have passed my way lately....

....or should I just call it, "These are a few of my favourite things" (yes, I spelled favourite correctly; I'm Canadian, eh), and start singing like Maria from the Sound of Music... ahhhhh yes, my kids love ALL things Julie Andrews. :)

A few things to check out:
www.greenhalloween.org
www.spud.ca
www.realrawfood.com
www.mec.ca

Now, I don't *have* any of these.... I'm just looking at them, thinking, hey, these look handy (and somewhat unnecessary, LOL)... I am considering some of these for gifties for the upcoming holidays...
Pampered Chef's Food Chopper or Tupperware's Quick Chef - the advantage to either of these two products is I could still "food process" when the power's out, which, admittedly, isn't all that often anyways, so remind me again, why would I need these? LOL
Cutco's Knives - Cutco knives are the best I have used.
Epicure's Teapot, brewing basket and kyoto cherry tea (mmm) or Wok
Lee Valley Tools' Mandolin Slicer

Today's agenda: dd's ballet class; teach tai chi; have family Christmas photo taken.
Must get going. :)

O Glorious Days of Autumn!

Two days of glorious, GLORIOUS autumn sunshine! How BLESSED we are. Gone are the torrential downpours (well, temporarily anyways); the roads are dry again and the beautiful sunshine streams in the windows well on its way to the North wall (*love* the passive solar orientation of our house. It's VERY well designed in that regard)... anyways, I begin to digress already...

Feeling much better today, after supplying my digestive system with 60 BILLION helpers, in the form of Acidophilus. Fight, little ones, FIGHT!! Ya, so, who knows what was going on in there - from the excessively loud gurgling and nastiness of it all, i'm glad to be over whatever it was. That's the great thing with raw foods, you heal so quickly! I was at the chiropractor last week, and the month before one of my shoulder blades was giving me the slightest bit of grief - he had popped it back into place, and so now, 6 wks later, he goes to see if it's out of alignment again, but nope - totally healed. He is truly amazed at how young my body is for its 34 years... in the sense of it stays in alignment between visits and it corrects misalignments very quickly, and has amazing flexibility and regeneration. As I was leaving this visit, he said, "Whatever you're eating, keep on eatin' it!" He knows the connection between food and health. We've talked about my raw diet, and although he's not raw himself, he knows that more veggies (especially dark leafy green ones) and fruits are good for the body.

There was a nasty accident on the road into town this afternoon - a loaded logging truck rolled on a corner, taking out 4 power poles as it went. Gratefully, there were no injuries at all, but 1000 homes are without power (probably still) and the road was closed for upwards of 8 hrs, leaving all the rush-hour travellers to take the windy, hilly country road (it even has a single lane bridge to complicate matters)... on our way into town for ds's aikido class, traffic was backed waaaaaaaayyyyy back from the bridge (they did have flaggers - as in flag people - at the bridge, thankfully). I'm just so grateful no one was injured in the accident. Sure, it's a minor inconvenience to travel the long way around, (and I imagine some of those weary commuters were cursing the extra time spent in the car), but really, we have so much to be thankful for.

Yesterday dd went to her friend's across the street and in exchange, ds's friend came over (they're brother & sister - yes, *my* kids, OBVIOUSLY mine are brother & sister, LOL - the friends, THEY're brother & sister)... The two boys and I played an entire game of Full House, a board game in which we are hoteliers, checking in and out guests and running hotels. The game came with our house when we bought it eleven years ago (estate sale - we got EVERYTHING that was in the house - including some men's underwear - LMAO)... and ds just LOVES board games, and this one especially. I'd love to find a copy of it on e-bay since the Guest cards are pretty well-used and we've broken our "people popper" thingee. But it was a GREAT afternoon of boardgaming... the boys eating popcorn with nutritional yeast on it and drinking hot chocolate. Even though it was a beautiful sunny autumn day, we so enjoyed just spending it inside playing together. Later I went out and ate probably 2 cups of fresh raspberries in the garden while just basking in the sunshine. Seriously - Oct 18th and I was eating fresh raspberries. Gotta LOVE living in this beautiful climate!!!

And I read 6 chapters of Brian Jacques' Martin the Warrior last night to finish the book. ds was right into it; dd, not so much, but still enjoys snuggling while being read to. I admit, I love reading aloud to the kids... we've enjoyed so many great books together and it's a wonderful way to reconnect at day's end. I think one of our favourites has been Pierre Berton's The Secret World of Og. Or any of the Enid Blyton books we've read, like The Magic of the Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair and Mr. Galiano's Circus. The Hobbit was a great read. As were the Farley Mowat books we've read. Or... or... or.... Yep, we likes readin'.

I'll leave you with the joke my daughter told me the other day (courtesy of Chirp magazine):
What did one eye say to the other?
Just between you and me, something smells.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (or is that a groan i hear?) ha ha ha ha

Ugh.

I was quite ill last night with some major digestive upsettedness. Did not help that I indulged in a baked sticky bun from the grocery store during the day (wheat & refined sugar, probably some dairy in it - ick)... but I think what sent me over the edge was the raw leftovers I was still eating from Thanksgiving last weekend... and yes, we're talking a full 5 days later even though the recipes said these items wouldn't keep more than 3 days... so I kinda thought I might be pushing it. So after a really REALLY rough night, I woke up feeling a little better this morning, but knew I was going to have to rest more today... and be VERY gentle on my digestive system. All seems well now, but still not 100%.

To boot, it was a sunny, blue sky, crisp fall day here (probably 15 above) and I felt a little troubled that I wasn't doing more outside - cleaning up the yard and stuff, but really, I needed to rest (It's been POURING rain the past few days - serious, torrential downpours that usually create some flooding around these parts - monsoon season has officially arrived). TOMORROW I'll pull the potatoes if I'm feeling up to it. TOMORROW I'll get those chores done. Today (it IS Sunday, after all), I'll rest.

Free Ski Pass for Canadian Gr 4 & 5 students

well, okay, there's an "admin fee" of $15 + tax, but STILL, a great deal to get kids active and on the slopes. AND it's for kids RIGHT ACROSS the country!!!

check it out:
www.skipass.ca

Woohoo!!
~n~

On different types of learning experiences...

We had a family "meeting" (it's always so informal, I hesitate to say meeting, lest you think we run some sort of strict agenda at these things, LOL) the other day - discussing the merits, the benefits, of different learning experiences.

DH grew up playing team sports: soccer, hockey, lacrosse, rugby... just to name a few.

I grew up playing none of these; taking piano lessons and playing centerfield in softball (which dh argues isn't really much of a teamsport), and later as a teen as a cheerleader. I babysat for neighbours, I delivered newspapers on my bike for probably 4 years and then worked part-time mid-teens onwards... so okay, not much 'team sports' there.

The discussion arose because there are two opportunities in front of our children: for each of them, weekly half-hour piano lessons. Sure, I'm a little biased, having taken piano lessons for years as a kid myself, but I really had to sell the benefits of having musical skills to dh (not to the kids, they were already both excited about the prospect). Second opportunity is for ds, who's 9: weekly casual hockey lessons at the rec ctr... at a reasonable hour of the day, no less. Okay, again I'm biased because I've never played on a hockey team, but I hear stories of other parents getting up before dawn and sitting in the cold stands at the arena to watch practices and games... not my cuppa, so I had long ago said if dh was sooooooo bent on ds playing hockey, *he* would have to be the one here to drive him. B/c you see, dh is a GOOD... no, FANTASTIC, hockey player. As a teen he played Junior B and okay, I can't skate to save my life, but he's really REALLY good and was pulled out because his grades fell and his parents felt they had no choice but to take away the one thing he felt passionate about... hockey. So to this day, he is bitter (despite counselling) about how his hockey career was cut short, and since our ds's birth, has been a vocal proponent of having ds play hockey. DS hasn't been asking for hockey, but when dh presented him with this series of classes, ds said he'd like to try it. I don't have an issue with it, being that it's at a reasonable hour of the day, and is casual... not too competitive, like I hear the league is. I have no issue with team sports; I guess I have an issue with competition, now that I think more about it. In the end, ds is going to take this 9 week hockey class, and both children are going to take some piano lessons - I suggested a one year commitment... so that they learn to read music. What they do after that is up to them, but if we're going to go ahead, I wanted to have a trial commitment. Sounds like both activities are a go... and it was a great family discussion.

How's your week going?

The Tuesday that felt like a Monday...

(thanks to a long weekend - being Thanksgiving up here in Canada yesterday. Don't you ever get that after a holiday monday - that Tuesday just feels like a Monday, like the beginning of the week?)

I went to the dentist today for a cleaning... my first cleaning in nearly 5 YEARS. (slightly overdue for one, eh) Aaaaaannnnnnndddddddd..... GOOD NEWS!!! The hygenist & dentist were very impressed with the state of my teeth "considering the lack of professional care". LOL The hygenist said I must have "excellent home care" (meaning I must floss daily, which I confess, I don't... probably every other day. I mean, SERIOUSLY, who flosses daily, other than people who work in the dental industry? ha ha ha) BUT..... the not-so-great news is that my multitude of old mercury fillings (I got about 20-30 fillings throughout my teen years) are all disintegrating in my mouth and all need to be replaced.... yesterday. Some have been in there going on 20 years now and probably all but one (which I had replaced 2 yrs ago when it just fell out on its own) have been in there at least 15 years now. Apparently those old fillings have a lifespan of roughly 12 years (who knew?!). So we'll be replacing quadrant by quadrant over the next month or two, once we know how much the insurance will cover, and once I have the financial means to make it happen. So I have only one cavity that needs attention and it is underneath a filling, which is clearly no longer functioning properly. So I'd say that eating raw, despite hearing of others who have had significant dental problems since going raw, has actually helped my teeth. (that, and I would argue nursing my children for as long as I did... and I'll spare you the gritty details of how many YEARS I spent breastfeeding... but I do believe that breastfeeding benefits the mother as much as the infant/child, but I shan't digress into that rant at this point). I guess I've been diligent enough with dried fruit - making sure I floss and brush after eating them, and also making sure I don't eat too much dried fruit, as well as flossing after things that could get stuck in my all-too-tight contacts between teeth.... anyways, I can see you're already snoring on this one... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

So we'll go on to the other noteworthy moment in my day: I had a fantastic tai chi class this morning. Went to half of the continuing class before teaching a beginner's class for an hour. The beginners are wonderful. They're like sponges, soaking it all up. It's so much fun. And I feel so refreshed afterwards, even though we're not going through the complete 108 move set, the 22 moves they now know are really as beneficial as practising a whole set. And we have a lot of fun.

And Thanksgiving dinner yesterday? Ohhhhh what a raw vegan FEAST I enjoyed!!!!! No kidding. I made (Jennifer Cornbleet's) Mediterranean Kale with red pepper, pine nuts and black kalmata olives; Spinach Salad with apple and dried cranberries and Sweet Spiced Pecans with a delicious Lemon-Shallot dressing (from Ani Phyo's book); Walnut-Cranberry Squash 'Rice' (also an Ani Phyo recipe); Nut Loaf; and Autumn Pumpkin Pie (thanks to Ani Phyo!). mmmmmmmmm doesn't it all sound delicious?! I should've taken a photo. :P And everyone enjoyed Cranberry Cordial (juice of: apple, cranberry, lemon, beet, and celery - some said too much celery, but I disagree). Sure, others at the table were enjoying roast turkey and lamb and cooked veggie sides, but you know, we were all thankful for each other's company and for the freedom to choose whatever we like to eat... raw, vegan, cooked, meat, dairy, whatever. There's room for all at my Thanksgiving table.

Today I picked up Ani Phyo's new dessert cookbook from the library. OMGoodness I am *SOOOOOOO* going to enjoy trying all these recipes out!!! I can't WAIT. Word to the wise: don't read it on an empty stomach. LMAO

Today I am grateful for:
- the feeling of really clean teeth after the dental cleaning.
- most-enjoyable tai chi classes this morning
- raw vegan Thanksgiving leftovers ;)
- Ani Phyo's dessert cookbook and the fantastic PHOTOS!!! everything looks so GOOD!!
- energetic healthy children who are just so special.
- dh. What an all-round great guy!
- resolving not one, but two service-provider issues today
- the raw food order that has finally arrived, 3 WEEKS after being mailed (when it's usually overnight delivery. It got sent by mistake to the other end of the Province, then got LOST on its way here. *slaps forehead* good GRIEF)
- the warm heat of the woodstove all day as it is blustery and chilly (oooh, 8 degrees (celsius) ABOVE today. COLLLLLLLDDDDD. I hear it was -22 in Banff yesterday. That's just sick.)
- Being able to serve: not only through volunteering, and raising our children and caring for their needs, but also through the little daily acts of giving, of loving: making dh's coffee & taking it to him in bed, feeding the cats, letting the chickens out, caring for the puppy, looking after other's needs, sharing laughter and smiles... it's very satisfying. I love it. Don't worry, I didn't leave self-care out: I savoured a delicious young coconut water & fresh orange juice with greens powder this morning, among many other moments throughout the day. ;)

I leave you with one of my all-time favourite poems by Lord Percy Blysshe Shelley:

"Music, when soft voices die"

Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory -
Odours, when sweet violets sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken.

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
Are heaped for the beloved's bed;
And so thy thoughts, when thou are gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.

What's on your bookshelf?

LOL I nearly wrote "bedside table", but then I realized that might yield some far-too-personal details. (giggles) So we'll stick with What are you reading right now?

Here's the line-up around here (in no particular order):

Thich Nhat Hanh "The Miracle of Mindfulness"

Victoria Morgan "Shelter for the Spirit"

Jane Goodall "Harvest for Hope: A guide to mindful eating"

Will Bowen "A Complaint Free World"

Angela Stokes "Raw Emotions"

Sarah Napthali "Buddhism for Mothers of Young Children"

David Wann "Simple Prosperity"

Kiko Denzer "Build Your Own Earth Oven"

and the kids & I are reading Brian Jacques' "Martin the Warrior: A tale of redwall" together.

And, just for laughs, Flight of the Conchords, Season 2 is in the DVD player. YouTube it. Hilarious.

HIGH energy & Thanksgiving plans

Wow. Raw food gives you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much energy. Seriously. Last night I was up until 1:30 and then forced myself to go to sleep. 6 hrs later, I was up and about. And here again, it's past midnight and I'm still going strong, although I know I'll need to just turn this thing off soon and again let sleep come.

And I had such a totally productive day today!! I worked in the office doing the bookkeeping for 6.5 hrs and got sooooo much accomplished. Admittedly, I was months behind on filing and the general books... I was up-to-date on the expenses and sending out invoices, but the general upkeep of the books was in a shambles. So today I made excellent progress; I probably have another 4 hrs to get things into tip-top shape and am looking at getting that done over this long weekend (p.s. here in Canada, Monday the 12th is Thanksgiving).

I have a lovely young coconut in the fridge right now... looks nice and fresh. Can't WAIT to crack it open tomorrow. And a cantaloupe as well; makes LOVELY juice. I'm sprouting some wheatgrass at the moment - going to try that with the blueberry & lime shots when it's ready. yummers.

Odd thing: the pinkies on both hands are freezing cold right now, despite the other fingers being warmer. Can anyone hazard a guess as to why? It's like the extremities of the extremities... weird.

Had someone ask me: What does a raw vegan eat for Thanksgiving dinner? Good question. Last year, we were travelling through the Maritimes and ended up at the Sunshine Cafe on Main Street in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and had a lovely meal there (yes, I had salad, LOL). So last night, I started googling "raw vegan thanksgiving/holiday meals/etc." and came up with some great links.

One is a youtube video - search for Raw Vegan Thanksgiving with the Loucks family on youtube. I don't have the link at hand but it was a great 6 min vid with a few recipes at the end.

I think if I were to make a Thanksgiving meal, I'd probably make:
- appetizers like raw crudites with a creamy cashewy dip, or even guacamole, salsa, maybe even raw non-dairy sour "cream" and some raw corn chips
- salad course - possibly a green salad, but maybe something different, just to mix it up a little. After all, we're celebrating the harvest, let's get a little creative for this one. ;)
- maybe even a soup course - there are so many raw soup recipes out there!
- entrees: nut loaf, mashed jicama or cauliflower recipe, marinated veggies (some marinated kale - mmmm sooooo good), if i could find a good raw stuffing recipe, probably use that, and I'd probably make raw cranberry sauce, just to make it all kinda 'authentic'.
- desserts: mmmmm, well, definitely raw pumpkin (or yam or sweet potato or squash) pie, and raw chocolate truffles, maybe another raw cake or pie s well.

Other choices for entrees might be: zucchini " pasta" with sauce (marinara, pesto, or alfredo), or maybe a raw lasagne... raw burger patties between two portobello mushroom 'buns' with toppings, raw caesar salad, and jicama fries and raw ketchup is also very good, raw pizzas would be nice, too. Or if I were making a large meal for a lot of people, I might just go nuts and make it all and have QUITE the raw buffet!! ;)

Wheat Addiction

How exactly does wheat affect the body? I started reading up because I think people look at me like I'm "a few sandwiches short of a picnic" when I say I am struggling with a wheat addiction. I get a response like, "Wheat's addictive? As if! You're just making poor food choices, that's all."

Yes, it's tough being surrounded by something you're addicted to. I know I've read/heard that with an alcohol addiction, you wouldn't say to the alcoholic, 'Now just have 3 drinks a day but NO MORE.' But with a food addiction, you're confronted with your addiction at least 3 times a day; each time you sit to eat you consciously have to wrestle with it, work through it. And it's legal and well, encouraged. Unlike other addictions, alcohol or drugs, for example, food is fuel for our bodies and we need to learn to work through these attachments.

So where does wheat fit in? How does it affect our bodies? Am I way off-base thinking it has addictive properties?

Apparently not. Read on:
http://www.nutramed.com/eatingdisorders/addictivefoods.htm
A quote from that article: "Pieces of milk and wheat proteins (peptides) can act like the body's own narcotics, the endorphins, and were described by Zioudro, Streaty and Klee as "exorphins" in 1979. Other food proteins, such as gluten, results in the production of substances having opiate- (narcotic) like activity. These substances have been termed "exorphins." Hydrolyzed wheat gluten, for example, was found to prolong intestinal transit time and this effect was reversed by concomitant administration of naloxone, a narcotic-blocking drug... The possibility that exorphins are addictive in some people is a fascinating lead which needs further exploration."

Another article: http://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/health_food_addiction.html
"It is believed that food sensitivity exerts its most profound effect on the limbic portion of the brain. This section of the brain houses the control centers of our emotions as well as memory and vegetative functions, including body temperature, sexuality, blood pressure, sleep, hunger and thirst. Food allergies seem to affect most of these vital functions.

Some researchers speculate that frequent contact with allergenic foods triggers a rise in the brain opioid enkephalin. The enkephalin is a narcotic produced by the body that is as addictive as externally supplied narcotics.

The primary food allergens are coffee, dairy products, wheat, eggs and corn. In Oriental countries, rice is a prominent allergen. Among vegetables, white potatoes and lettuce are potent allergens. 92.2 percent of hospitalized schizophrenic patients were allergic to one or more common substances. When a group of patients diagnosed as hard-to-treat neurotics were tested, 88 percent of them were allergic to wheat, 50 percent to corn and 60 percent to milk."

http://www.anonymousone.com/faq195.htm
http://www.anonymousone.com/faq101.htm
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/wheat-addiction-140-lbs-lost.html

I'm not posting this to justify myself, or to say "I told you so". Not at all. I just am trying to come to terms with the emotional attachment I have to certain foods and wheat (baked goods) seems to be a huge trigger for me, despite not being raw, despite not usually being completely vegan either. I am committed to improving my health; knowing where I've come in the past 3 1/2 years, I know I don't want to go back to that place.

Namaste
~n~

Confession: I think I've not only fallen off the juice feastin' wagon, I've left my self in the dust as it heads off into the distance. This past weekend away with dh, while wonderful in that we had a fantastic time together, was extremely challenging in maintaining the juice feast. We were on a cruise ship and I'd been told no juicers would be allowed on board through security, so I left my Green Star at home, with some sadness and a significant amount of trepidation and anxiety. I packed 4L of juice into the cooler because we had a road trip to get to the ship on Day 1, so I had juices to drink on the way down, which was helpful. Got to the ship in the afternoon and walking around the ship, I quickly realized I was going to be challenged to maintain even a raw vegan lifestyle on board. Three nights, four days of cruising proved to be more than I was willing to withstand. I chose to eat food, for starters, after having been juicing for the entire month of September. Second of all, some of the food I chose to eat wasn't even vegan - I consumed some dairy for the first time in a long time. You can imagine that this isn't the best way to break a juice feast. No, no, I wouldn't recommend going on a cruise at a time like that. Now that I'm back home, I'm trying daily to get back into the juicing... I have liters of juice in the freezer that I keep pulling out and drinking, but I am nowhere near the 4L of daily juice I would like to return to. I'm just having a struggle getting back into the routine. I *did* go to the fitness centre on the ship a couple times and did my best to work off the food I'd eaten, and I enjoyed a lovely hot stone massage as well, but I've yet to jump happily back into exercising since returning home.

I said to dh that if I had my way, I'd organize a raw vegan cruise.... with fresh made-to-order green juices, smoothies, salads, soups, entrees, and desserts, pure water, herbal teas. There would also be a larger fitness centre with constant classes and motivational support: yoga classes, tai chi, and meditation, as well as the traditional "gym" with cardio and weight equipment, running track, personal trainers and even supportive conversation groups throughout the days. Not to mention pools, sauna, and hot tubs. And of course, the spa - massages, and other body work, as well as the hair stylists and manicures and pedicures.

I guess I just need to create more of a support system right now for the choices I'm endeavouring to stick to. I have a hard enough time working through an addiction to anything baked (just say no to the wheat, ~n~) and sadly also things with sugar in them (my accursed sweet tooth) without being surrounded by it. I have created a bit of a haven inside my home; I have my blender for smoothies and juicer close at hand and also a variety of raw food "cook"books, as well as the ingredients to make things. On the ship, it was like being thrown in to how "everyone else" eats... surrounded by alcoholic beverages, meat of every description, dairy in the desserts as well as wheat.... it was too much for me to handle, even after being vegan for 3 1/2 yrs and raw for 1 1/2 years. You'd think by NOW I'd be over my food issues, but I'm just not yet. It ended up feeling VERY overwhelming and stressful, in terms of the whole eating on the ship. On the whole, however, the weekend wasn't just about eating; dh and I had a wonderful time together. :)

You might know that I've been reading Raw Emotions by Angela Stokes. I'm really REALLY looking to release the emotional attachments I have towards food. It's been such a long struggle, and I won't pretend to say that I fully understand my attachments yet. I don't. And it's still a struggle. It's a constant struggle.

Maybe I should stop referring to it as a struggle. That's probably the first thing I need to do. Challenge, yes; struggle, no.

Either way, send healing healthy vibes my way. Because good grief, I need some support for my health-giving, healing raw food lifestyle today!

Poetry for Autumn...

More Lovely Grows the Earth

More lovely grows the earth as we grow old,
More tenderness is in the dawning spring,
More bronze upon the blackbird's burnished wing;
And richer is the autumn cloth-of-gold;
A deeper meaning, too, the years unfold,
Until to waiting hearts each living thing,
For very love its bounty seems to bring,
Intreating us with beauty to behold.

Or is it that with years we grow more wise
And reverent to the mystery profound -
Withheld from careless or indifferent eyes -
That broods in simple things the world around,
More conscious of the Love that glorifies
The common ways and makes them holy ground?

Helena Coleman (b 1860, Canadian)



The Potato Harvest

A high bare field, brown from the plough, and borne
Aslant from sunset; amber wastes of sky
Washing the ridge; a clamour of crows that fly
In from the wide flats where the spent tides mourn
To yon their rocking roosts in pines wind-torn;
A line of grey snake-fence, that zigzags by
A pond, and cattle; from the homestead nigh
The long deep summonings of the supper horn.

Black on the ridge, against that lonely flush,
A cart, and stoop-necked oxen; ranged beside,
Some barrels; and the day-worn harvest folk,
Here emptying their baskets, jar the hush
With hollow thunders; down the dusk hill-side
Lumbers the wain; and day fades out like smoke.

Sir Charles G.D. Roberts (b 1860, Canadian)



October Morning

Birhgt, pallid, changing, chill October morn:
Across your windy, keen, exhilarant air,
You loom, a cameo dream, a vision fair;
Where through your purples and mauves of skeleton trees,
Friezes of lingering foliage, russet browns,
And wine-like crimsons, flaming torches, gold
Of maples, beeches, sumachs, poplars, shine
The horn-like, cloudy windows of the sky.

Nothing on earth more beautiful than this:
To feel your glow, austere, of wintry flame,
Your exquisite, Greek infinities of colour;
And know that inward thrill, that Titan vision,
Once more, Atlantean; the marbled bay;
Th' Olympain mountain, Saturn's mighty crown;
And hear once more the Tritons sing, and know
Once more, immortal, Earth's old godlike dream.

Wilfred Campbell (1861 - 1918, Canadian)

All three poems were published in a book called "Poems Worth Knowing" , compiled by C.E. Lewis, published in 1941.

Day 31!! What are YOU looking to release?!

ahhhhhh a new month. how LOVELY. fresh.... new....

So here we are, Day 31. It's going well. I had 3L of juice today: 2L of romaine/carrot/spinach/with a little (too much) apple and 1L of spinach/celery/apple/ginger/lime, as well as a cup of apple cinnamon herbal tea and maybe a scant litre of water. not enough water. hey, it is what it is, right?

had such a peaceful, calming tai chi class tonight. i've missed my thurs night class the past 2 weeks, so was very grateful to be back with my usual teacher. I learn so much from her. It was a very centering class... the two sets were awesome - i was so focused, so present. It felt wonderful. Still struggling with letting go of ego, with just being the group, but that, too, will come with practice. Not really struggling with it... just aware of ego's presence when it crops up, that's all. There's no judgement of it. Just an awareness of thought. And a letting go, a releasing.

Had lunch with my parents today. Well, they had lunch, I had tea. LOL I haven't told them I'm juicing; they'd worry I'd somehow be causing myself harm. Actually, I am taking better care of myself now than normally (between sauna-ing, tongue-scraping, juicing, dry skin brushing, and more.... there's so much I'm doing that I think is creating healing and vibrant health). I had a conversation with them in my head on the way home from tai chi that basically reaffirmed for me WHY i'm juicing right now: "I'm not doing this for weight loss (although according to the BMI scale I'm technically about 10 lbs overweight in this moment, but I don't give that much credence as I am a muscular athletic build with dense bones, that's all. I'm very happy with where my weight is at). I'm doing it because I recognize that there are emotional attachments, not only to food, but also other patterns in my life that are no longer serving me, and I want to release them, and it's just easier to release things like that when you can step back in some way from how you're currently doing things... and so juicing does that... it offers you a lightness of spirit, a centering and grounding, a clarity of thought, and healing that you don't get from solid food, necessarily. But no, I don't feel it's harming me at all." Yes, I often talk to myself. I enjoy it. Actually, nearly always I'm having conversations in my head. That's why I don't like to drive with the radio on. It interferes with the voices in my head. ha ha h ah ah aha ha ha ha ha ha yes, i realize what i just wrote. and yes, i'm normal. truly, i am. ha ha h ah ah aha ha ha ha ha ah a ohhhhhhh funny. ohhhh i gotta go to bed. Love, light and healing to y'all!!! ;)