life is beautiful

flowers!

2011-09-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

i'm on a flower kick...just added several new websites to my favorites list.
check out these absolutely beautiful websites:
Floracopeia, Anaflora, Lotus Wei & Big Sur Flower Essences
i'm trying flower essences for myself and for some mighty unhappy kitties (there is a new kitten upsetting the mix), and when i get back from vacation i'll try essential oils too. first i am learning how to properly use essential oils as medicine. LOVING this. also check out Boho Girl, a gorgeous and heartfelt blog i stumbled across and the inspiration for learning about flower medicine. although, i don't really think i've stumbled across any of this; it was just time for the inspiration to arrive. thanks universe!
:)

oh, yes please!

2011-09-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

"You are allowed to slow down.
You are allowed to turn off your phone.

You are allowed to lie down…in the sun.”

from this posting by Boho Girl:
http://www.deniseandrade.com/category/enoughness/page/2/

wednesday's philosophical musings

2011-08-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

if we are all creating our own reality, but i am busy creating a life based on doing the least possible harm to all living creatures and protecting them from others, and you are busy creating a life of reaping goods for yourself from all living creatures, then seemingly we are at cross-purposes and what on earth do we do with that?
and
why don't our molecules trail off appreciably behind us as we go through our days?
and
i'd really like to evolve enough in this lifetime to not have to come back here; only, it's so beautiful here and i really don't like to think of never seeing trees, mountains, ocean again...and i'd hate to not be able to keep helping animals in need. but maybe, whatever's next doesn't have suffering...and the memories of the trees will fill my new vision

latest and greatest!

2011-07-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

i am on a spiritual bender, and loving it!

reading books by louise hay, listening to poems by rumi set to music, meditating to a deepak chopra cd, and learning tai ji with this amazing man: chungliang al huang via the magic of youtube videos.

i've got clean eating going on too, thanks to the rawfully organic co-op, and am fired up to re-start my healing protocols for my gallbladder & thyroid. starting august 1 i am going gluten-free again, and eating nothing but raw living foods for a month. going on vacation in september so i'm inspired to get super-clean before then, so i can eat whatever i like during that time. which will mostly be super-clean anyway!

also i've begun spending time meditating, doing affirmations & being alone in nature daily, and i feel so very much more calm & happy. and i have to say, i have the most wonderful books in my home library! i re-discovered this one the other day and it is truly amazing: embrace tiger return to mountain, by chungliang al huang. beautiful and inspirational!

HOW TO ACHIEVE RADIANT HEALTH INSTANTLY!

2011-07-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

Raw Results Initiative update

2011-07-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

On the Raw Results Initiative program I have started, this week's theme is movement. I just watched Dara's video about exercise which was really fun and reminded me that the "gym" is all around me, and movement can happen anywhere, anytime, in any combination...that's really exciting! I'm inspired to put the fun back into exercise, like when I was young and the best thing in the world was to climb a tree, bounce a ball, ride my bike or roller skate around the block. I'm going to make bouncing on my rebounder my go-to morning ritual, along with my hot water & lemon drink.

Eating mostly raw foods is the easy part of this program, as I was really already doing it, for the most part. Cutting out coffee...that's the hardest part. The first 2 days of not drinking my morning cup and a half caused brutal headaches. Both days, I defaulted at lunch and went for a Starbucks (soy hot chocolate, nothing on top)...but it was too late to stop the headaches. Funny how you don't realize just how addicted you are to something until you try to stop it. So today I had my lemon water and a good breakfast, and 2 hours later 3 sips of coffee here at work, just to keep the headache from happening. I work two jobs and cannot get a migraine today. The coffee tasted AWFUL, lol - so that's a good thing! I think I need to find an alternative, milder source of caffeine and wean off more slowly, since I can't just take time off and go through a tough detox at home. Slowly, slowly...

Best Salad Ever

2011-07-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

made this last night, inspired by a video by Dara Dubinet...it was so yummy. also made a dressing from tomatoes, basil, avocado, salt & pepper.

and dessert! so proud, i did not give in to my cravings for reese's peanut butter cups...instead, i blended blueberries, nectarines, peaches & frozen bananas in the vitamix:

delicious & totally satisfying!

Otis

2011-07-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

so, i know that life isn't about material goods and we shouldn't get attached to things.......but i just can't help it...i'm in love with otis. otis is the BEST drinking glass i have ever met. so good that i am now drinking a huge amount of water all day...before otis i was only drinking water before and after work. thank you, crate and barrel!

oh, yummy!

2011-07-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

I'll be trying this one on the weekend for sure!

Thanks Dara!

Raw Food Results!

2011-07-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Well I'm officially gettin' my glow on...I'm taking part in an 11-week raw food initiative hosted by the lovely raw food goddesses Dara Dubinet and Penni Shelton. Check it out, over at Penni's Raw Food Rehab website. I've been avidly following Dara on Facebook and when she announced this program I knew it would be an awesome thing for me to do but I just didn't think I could make time for it...but today I decided to take a leap and go for it. Yay me! ;) In honor of starting this program I sat in the sun for 10 minutes at lunchtime and ran over to Whole Foods to pick up some greens. I'm really excited to make more changes and feel even better. Let's go!!

LIFEREGENERATOR ADVENTURES - AROUND THE WORLD BAREFOOT

2011-05-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Latest & Greatest

2011-05-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Just watched a lovely little film:
All the Days Before Tomorrow

Reading:
Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko

Online faves:
http://www.regenerateyourlife.org/ - Dan the Life Regenerator-Love this guy
http://rawsangha.com/juice-feast/ - Brother Echo rockin' the juice feast
http://rawsangha.com/ - Brother Echo's original site
http://live-love-raw.blogspot.com/ - Dara Dubinet, cool stuff + her awesome FB page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/RAW-a-food-and-lifestyle-choice/300828693535
and of course, the ever inspiring raw T:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/RAWTeresa

Leaving you with something fun!:

long, but WONDERFUL!

2011-05-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

beauty tips to get the glow

2011-05-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

LOVE being married to this man.

2011-04-19T12:06:00.001-07:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by sealionsrule.

Harley Inspires!!!

2011-03-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Paws for Japan! ways to help animal victims

2011-03-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.tailwagsblog.com/2011/03/17/paws-for-japan-to-support-world-vets/

updates here:
http://worldvets.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=203

いろいろな髪形とねこ。-Various hairstyles and Maru.-

2011-03-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

no bones, no blood ina mi kitchen....DATES BABY!!

2011-03-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

So simple! Love it :)

2011-03-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

check out this wonderful video; first half a wonderful viewpoint on veganism, second half a tasty recipe!

2011-02-28T09:34:00.000-08:00

The Fruitarian Living in a Human Diet Horror Movie

2011-02-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

time to slow down

2011-02-16T09:14:00.001-08:00

2010 Farm Sanctuary Rescues!

2010-12-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

Poem

2010-12-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Each day should not be

a waiting,

or a slogging,

or a hanging in

Each day should be

a great Doing

met with Wow, I'm HERE!

Let's GO!

rushing, creeping, turning

to meet the great unfolding

Even if all you can move

is your mind

Elena Brower

2010-11-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Power of Meditation with The Boston Buddha

2010-11-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

Pre – Wanderlust Festival Video

2010-11-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

Pre – Wanderlust Festival Video

Anusara Yoga - Open to Grace

2010-11-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

life is pretty wonderful!

2010-11-11T07:37:00.001-08:00

*Loving: being married!!!

*Reading: Becoming Animal by David Abram

*Listening to:
Weaving a Life of Beauty, a philosophical talk compiled on cd by John Friend
&
House Made of Dawn, music cd by Coyote Oldman

*Plotting & planning: back to yoga! :)

I'm Married!!!!

2010-10-17T15:44:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by sealionsrule.

Jim and I were married October 7, 2010 at under the redwoods at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California....my dream come true!
:)

OMG I'M ENGAGED!!!

2010-07-08T11:55:00.001-07:00

Jim proposed to me in the kitchen at his best friends' house in Austin, Texas on July 4...the engagement ring is coming from Eliza Page in Austin. I loved 2 styles equally so Jim picked for me and the one that arrives will be a wonderful surprise!
So happy!!!!!

wow i never blog anymore

2010-06-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

hey there!

i've been too busy letting life craziness get the better of me.

hmmmmmm.

didn't i say i was going to do awesome things this year?

i'd better get on it!

this is how i'll be feeling:

LOST ate my life

2010-05-28T07:45:00.001-07:00

I'm not blogging because LOST ate my life!

Discovered it via DVD at the library - never watched it on tv. We've been watching it straight through and are seriously addicted. LOVE IT!

2010-04-26T07:46:00.001-07:00

:) ok y'all, here's the latest wonderfulness!!!

*reading: Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul by Deepak Chopra & The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson

*watching: Surf Into Yoga by Rochelle Ballard

*awesome movie i just discovered: The Boys are Back

*changes i am making: learning to do yoga at home from dvd, moving my body everyday (yoga, walking, swimming, riding my bike...), slowing down, clearing clutter, finding something i can have faith and hope in, letting life flow over me

*current favorite influences: markus rothkrantz, dan the life regenerator, mama earth :)

My letter to Mama Earth

2010-04-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Mama Earth,
I was born into this life completely in love with you and all your beautiful aspects. No leaf, sprout, grain of sand or tiny insect escaped my notice and adoration. Growing up I spent countless hours outside, soaking you up with all of my senses. To this day it is to you that I turn in times of trouble, when I am completely overwhelmed by this human life. 20 years ago I was lucky enough to go to a marvellous Earth Day celebration in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I delighted in the excitement of the tribe, the desire to take immediate action to care for you. 20 years later, I sit in my office in Houston, Texas on this Earth Day staring into my computer, cut off completely from your life-giving sun, pushing paper from your beautiful trees all for the financial benefit of another...and I wonder what happened to my intense loyalty? When did the earthsong in my heart go silent? When did I pretend to stop feeling every crime against you deep in my own bones? When did I forget that action is the expression of self? I came here with so much purpose and passion. Today I am remembering my heart's desire...my passion is rekindled and I turn back toward the original meaning of my life with Joy. You give me my wondrously beautiful life...I will from this day on do my very best to give you yours.
All love,
your wild earthchild

Markus! Woot!!!

2010-04-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

"Even the smallest among us deserve a free life without suffering"

2010-04-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

I hope you'll enjoy an awesome blog I just discovered...always so nice to find kindred spirits out there in the world:

http://www.beautiful-vegan.blogspot.com/

:)

Co-op Revisited!

2010-04-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

Check out this past weekend's half-share from the Rawfully Organic Co-op! I wasn't planning on buying in this weekend, but Kristina kindly let me know they had extra boxes and I couldn't pass this up! The offerings this time included:

LOCAL ORGANIC: strawberries, broccoli, red & green lettuces, basil, kale, spinach, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, mizuna, dill

ORGANIC: swiss chard, apples, bell peppers, oranges, grapefruit, kiwis, pears, zucchinis, pineapples, bananas, avocado, carrots, celery
AWESOME!
Everything in the box was just wonderful!
:)

Co-op Shares

2010-04-07T14:03:00.001-07:00

This beauty is a "half-share" box of veggies, greens, fruits & herbs from our local Rawfully Organic Co-op. It's jam-packed with ridiculously awesome food; this time it included:
strawberries, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, avocado, bananas, kale, mizuna, lettuce, cabbage, celery, basil, broccoli, cucumber, carrots, apples, squash...many of these are locally grown - all are organic. You can order a whole share if you need more yumminess than this, as well as being able to purchase extra goodies when you pick up your share. And the cost is so much less than if I purchased all this food at the local Whole Foods or even the farmer's market. I am so excited to have found this amazing resource for healthy food...the fact that it is organic and often locally grown just makes it that much better. And the gal who runs this operation is so fun, friendly & vibrant that it's a joy to interact with her. If you're in Houston, definitely check out the Co-op...if not, research co-ops in your area - you'll be so glad you did! Thanks, Kristina! :)
For more info:
kristina@rawfullyorganic.com

Maru's got nothing on President Bartlett!

2010-04-06T10:49:00.001-07:00

That YouTube sensation Maru is pretty cute, but living with President Bartlett is a non-stop party!

lovely julia in a wonderful video:

2010-03-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogsters!

2010-03-16T09:42:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to say, if you visit my blog, PLEASE take a moment to click on the Animal Rescue Site box to the right to help feed animals in shelters for FREE. While on their website take a moment to sign up for e-mail reminders for yourself, or add the box to your own blog...spread the word and together we can really make a difference.

Thanks so much!

Today I learned...

2010-03-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

...sometimes staying home in bed would be best!
:)

Yesterday I learned...
...time off with your loved one is the best thing in life, and it's ok for me to dream again!
:)

Saturday I learned...
...to not always talk myself out of going to social events, that I CAN have intelligent conversations with people, that the principles of synchronicity / the "Secret" / manifesting are all based in reality and it can happen for me, and that there is hope for healing! Besides which I was reminded that I am with the most awesome & handsome man on the planet.
:)

Growing sprouts, microgreens and wheatgrass, de-mystified!

2010-03-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

This is a truly wonderful video by the Chicago Botanic Garden, showing just how easy it is to grow incredibly nutritious greens at home. I get so bogged down in the apparent complexities advanced by websites that have something to sell that I end up too confused to even try.

Yay for the inherent simplicity that is life on Mother Earth!

I have a jar of alfalfa sprouts growing at home right now, on day 3 and doing great!

Etsy!

2010-03-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

Oh Etsy, how I love you!

This wonderful website is the platform for an amazing amount of incredibly talented individuals to sell their creations. You can find virtually anything there...and get lost window-shopping in EtsyWorld for hours! To me the best part is the wonderful e-mail conversations I've had, when contacting sellers for information, with lovely people from everywhere around the world. This is globalization and the information superhighway at their finest :)

(handmade pottery by Mud Pie Studio)

I'm Dreaming Again!

2010-02-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

Sitting in the sun at lunch, with a little lizard friend you can just barely see in the picture (on the wall, upper right corner), dreaming about going to Integratrive Nutrition school and doing what I love.

Very exciting!

Last night I took inspiration from Katrina Rainoshek's posting about green soups and made the most amazingly yummy soup to have for dinner tonight...threw in carrots, celery, yellow bell pepper, garlic, dill, cilantro, lime, lettuces and baby greens, avocado, and a tomato. Blended them coarsely in the Vitamix. mmmmmmmm can't wait to get home for dinner! I'll garnish it with some microgreens and chopped onion & avocado. Here's Agwe loving dill & green energy soup!:

Best Valentine's Day Ever!

2010-02-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

My guy is the BEST. Sunday was perfect :) I got to sleep late (I was really sick at the end of last week); the beautiful sun came out and it was warm enough to wear shorts; we went to the steam room; came home for a wonderful long bike ride around the neighborhood, during which we went by my old house and I got to say a little more "goodbye" and it didn't really hurt to be there anymore... then we went to the Edwards Cinema, had a yummy dinner at Harlow's and saw a movie (An Education). Then back to our lovely home...and on top of all of that, Boyfriend kitty is feeling so much better! A truly wonderful day. Thank you!!!

Best Movie Ever!

2010-01-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

Just finished watching Up...it is the saddest & funniest movie I've ever seen...truly Wonderful!!!

Yummy food! :)

2010-01-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a beautiful day off, so I made yummy food for my sickly man!

*Apple lemonade, in the Hurom juicer...I think this was originally a Juiceman recipe:
4 apples + 1 lemon

This came out very pulpy so I strained it.

*Raw Tortilla Soup, recipe by Gena of Choosing Raw...found on the Crazy Sexy Life blog:

3 tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, 1/4 C sundried tomatoes, 1/4 C cilantro, 2 large stalks celery, 3/4 C water, 1 T lime juice, 3 T olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp onion powder.

Blend all in Vitamix, serve warm topped with a couple of cilantro leaves + chopped avocado, onion, tomato. Can also serve with tortilla chips. J. was feeling sick tonight so I brought up the spicyness level from the original recipe.

And before going to bed after watching a lovely movie called "Last Chance Harvey"...

*Ginger tea, from Katrina Rainoshek's JuiceFeasting blog:

2 inch piece of ginger + honey + lemon juice

I am thankful for my lovely day at home...for rest, the company of my beautiful kitties, a beautiful home to enjoy and care for, the financial ability to shop for food, the physical ability to clean my house and prepare food for my family, the sound of windchimes coming in the open back door, the simple beauty of a mid-day house full of sleeping kitties & sunbeams, bicycles, and my wonderful man coming home to me.

home!

2010-01-18T12:57:00.001-08:00

oh the joys of being at home! how sad that it is so very rare an occurrence. i had today off, J. did not. i slept half the day, went shopping to stock up on groceries for this week, came home to my sweet kitties and threw open the windows to enjoy the beautiful day while putting things away and cleaning house. next i will start fixing dinner: homemade soup and hemp dip with veggies. this is my idea of a perfect day :)

i listened to podcasts of Daniel Vitalis while i cleaned & got things ready for juicing.

my new dutch bicycle!

2010-01-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

My lovely new bicycle! Just bought her! Better pics to come...J. took this one on the fly right as we got her home. The Batavus will be my transportation to work and for errands. She is so beautiful: shimmery blue, with gorgeous lines and everything needed for commuting. So exciting!

2010-01-07T06:46:00.000-08:00

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

~Mark Twain

This year I will:

learn to skateboard, walk on my hands & surf

commute by bicycle

do yoga...lots of yoga

vacation in California with my family & finally get that tattoo

grow vegetables & herbs

get ripped :)

work less, play more

have a real summer!

love love love

Snapshot:

2010-01-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

*Jamming to: Michael Franti + Spearhead, "Stay Human"
*Watching: Monarch of the Glen, series 1
*Inspired by: Laird Hamilton, "Force of Nature"
*Reading: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

*Recent movie surprise: "Bridge to Terabithia" (much better & way deeper than was advertised)

*Most recent movie in the theater: "Avatar" (awesome!)
*Current skin care: Living Libations
*Saving for: an awesome commuter bicycle! (haven't decided what brand/model yet)

*Blogs I'm loving: lovely bicycle, juice feasting, katrina rainoshek, crazy sexy life, the raw seed
*My next step up the Spectrum of Diet: high raw vegan & gluten-free

*Bad habit I'm kicking to the curb: drinking coffee every day
:)
Life is Beautiful!

Hello 2010

2010-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful time I had with my family for the last week of 2009! I feel so totally blessed right now. I love my family, I love my home, I love who I am in the world right now and where I know I'm headed.

PCRM 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 21-Day Vegan Kickstart

2010-01-04T04:49:00.000-08:00

PCRM 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 21-Day Vegan Kickstart

Sprout Success!!!

2009-12-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

My sprouts were a wonderful success! We ate them with dinner and they were so much better than any sprouts I have ever bought at the store. I'm a proud sprouter! Below, the pictorial story of our sprouty evening...apologies for the poor photo quality, I used my cell phone :)

Living foods are happy foods!

2009-12-21T12:14:00.000-08:00

Sprouts will be ready tonight! Finally got to resume sprouting at home...it's so much fun! I'm using Sproutman's hemp sprouting bags - they are wonderfully easy to use! I had a lot of trouble sprouting in jars last year at J's apartment - all my batches rotted early on, probably because it was hot and stuffy in the apartment (Houston summers!). As it is now winter the jars would probably be fine, but I purchased the hemp bags last year and had not gotten to try them yet. I give them a big thumbs-up! My first two sprout batches are alfalfa and clover. They are beautiful! I also soaked almonds last night and will make a batch of almond milk after work tonight. And last night J. and I made a big batch of Living Hemp Dip, with avocado, broccoli, tomato and naan for dipping. So good! I LOVE getting back to working with living foods in my new lovely home. I'm a very happy girl. :)

Hello Again!

2009-12-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

What a long hiatus I have taken from blogging! Time to start up again. Lots happening as the year comes to its end...I have moved into a cute little house with my love, and it's so very wonderful! A happy house of love :) I'm finally healing from my accident, and there will much family doings with my daughter & her boyfriend visiting for the end of the year and my mother coming in early 2010. President Bartlett is growing like a weed and delights me with his crazy kitten antics! J. and I have gone vintage bicycle crazy, and I bought him a 60's Raleigh Sports 3-speed for Christmas. I will be starting a nice long Juice Feast in January, and coming off juice onto a high-raw, gluten-free vegan diet. From all my research I have great hope that this process will really turn the tide on my autoimmunity and that pesky gallstone. I have hesitated to consider juicing in winter, but now I see it as the perfect time to rest and hit the reset button.

Oh, and we had Snow!!!

BOUGHT A VESPA!!!!!

2009-10-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here she is...a true beauty! She's a 2006 Vespa LX50, in "dragon red". I found her in Austin, and had the best experience buying her from a very cool couple I'm glad I got to meet. I had my first 2-wheeled driving lesson last night!
:)

waiting...thinking...starting over?

2009-09-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Since my car crash a month and a half ago, I've been doing some thinking: about life and about choices...mine, of course. And I've been doing some waiting - I've looked around a bit at cars in my price range, but nothing has been right, and something in me keeps hesitating. I found myself really questioning the choices I have made in my life up 'til now, but J. rightly pointed out that it's just no good to go around lamenting your life. So I guess that all adds up to, time to make some changes! I am thinking a lot about slowing down, being part of the world around me, paring things down. I'm feeling really positive about giving life as a one-car family a serious trial run. J. and I can ride together most days...the metro bus runs an easy line from close to the apartment to just outside my workplace...the Vespa idea is still in play....and I have become totally enamored of the concept of commuting on a bicycle.

These 2 blogs have me kind of bewitched:

http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/ and http://letsgorideabike.wordpress.com/

J. and I both are in love with the Pashley bicycles - photo is Pashley Princess Sovereign (belonging to lovelybike.blogspot.com)

Introducing...President Bartlett!

2009-09-16T12:15:00.001-07:00

This is President Bartlett. He ran out onto a very busy street, under the truck in front of us. 1st miracle: I managed to nab him in time. He is just 7 weeks old - couldn't find a mother cat or siblings anywhere. He is the most precious kitty! Right now we are looking for our 2nd miracle: he is fighting for his life against a heavy case of Coccidiosis. We have about 20 hours to go before we will know if he'll make it. Good luck baby B!

Awesome :)

2009-09-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

The Vespa Experiment from Vespa Experiment on Vimeo.

Wonderful UN Address

2009-07-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Future of American Healthcare

2009-06-22T12:08:00.001-07:00

Yes, those are Red Bull and Monster drinks in the "Stock up your medicine cabinet!" section at Walgreens! hahahahahahahaha

Food, Inc.

2009-06-18T08:08:00.001-07:00

Aloha from Wednesday! ;)

2009-06-17T11:47:00.001-07:00

It is a happy day :) This morning I made a delicious breakfast smoothie:

almond milk (soaked almonds overnight)
1 banana
small handful blueberries
1 tsp maca powder
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp flax seeds (ground this morning)
1 scoop Alive! brand supplement
3 Tbsp E3-Live
1 capful flax oil w/ vegetarian DHA
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
mmmmmmmmmmmm yummy and ridiculously filling.

I used the almond meal left over from making milk on my face, with some raw honey.
I am going to be juice-feasting again starting June 22 - for 9 days. Pretty excited about that! And I'm doing lots of promotion for my event in July: Matt Monarch & Angela Stokes (who are about to get married!) will be doing a talk here in Houston about nutrition and the raw food diet...very exciting!

I just started reading a beautiful book: Tree, A Life Story by David Suzuki & Wayne Grady

I love trees!

Dinner last night was fantastic!

2009-06-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

We made salad with a dressing of olive oil, black sesame oil, balsamic vinagrette, garlic & lemon; steamed broccoli; and 2 new recipes: Cucumber Arame Salad, thanks to the Renegade Health Show; and a raw-ish vegan Creamy Potato Salad thanks to www.choosingraw.com. The cucumber / arame salad is really bright and summery, and the potato salad - WOW! I can have potato salad again! J. loved it too - just a wonderful dinner - incredibly tasty and 100% healthy!
:)

2009-06-16T12:54:00.001-07:00

Juice Feasting with David Rainoshek from keith wahrer on Vimeo.

speaking of learning something new...

2009-06-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

I just learned the most amazing thing, while researching how to make cornsilk tea (reputed to dissolve gallstones). Inside the ear of corn, under the husk, there is one strand of cornsilk for each kernel of corn...the silk provides nourishment from the sun for the corn kernels. How wonderful! :)

Learn something new!

2009-06-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

2 web pages where you can learn something wonderful:

http://www.dailyjuice.org/blogs/nutrition [hover over each item for info]

http://www.turtlelakerefuge.org/Turtle%20Lake%20Refuge/Webpages/Wildfoods%20Hunt.html [click on each item for info]

:) isn't life fun?!

2009-06-11T08:24:00.001-07:00

like a stingray waits out a hurricane at the bottom of the sea, kat disappears when the waters are troubled

but

i'll be back!

Run, don't walk!

2009-05-26T11:40:00.001-07:00

Over the holiday weekend we tried 2 new non-dairy ice creams...and really, all I can say is Wow! First we tried Coconut Bliss coconut ice cream in Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge flavor, then Tempt brand hemp ice cream - Vanilla Bean flavor. The vanilla bean tasted almost exactly like regular ice cream, especially with chocolate syrup on top! Today I had to go to the store, and I picked up Coconut Bliss brand, Vanilla Island flavor - and OMG, it's beyond amazing. I had tried the original non-dairy ice creams made out of soy and rice that came out a year or so ago, and was unimpressed...give these new treats a try - you will not be disappointed!

:) yummy!

one possible future

2009-05-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you Steve "Jedi" Clark!

2009-05-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

"I don't know how they could continue to eat meat after they've seen what cows go through on their way to becoming a hamburger...I love animals, I have had dogs all my life, and really, a cow isn't so different. I just decided I didn't want to eat anything that has a face anymore. I believe that cows have feelings and families and experience love, and we shouldn't be eating them with ketchup and mustard and a slice of cheese."

from the book Go Further, which is also a great documentary

Woody Harrelson's eco website is http://www.voiceyourself.com/site/home/

wonderful, wonderful news!

2009-05-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

My daughter and mother are coming to see me! We'll all be together the first weekend of June! *happyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappy*

Imagine...

2009-05-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Imagine for a moment your own version of a perfect future. See yourself in that future with everything you could wish for at this very moment fulfilled. Now take the memory of that future and bring it here into the present. Let it influence how you will behave from this moment on.

~Deepak Chopra, "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success"

I am imagining my perfect future, living with my wonderful man in beautiful central California in a pretty little cottage with a garden near the sea & the redwoods...working to save animals every day...living close enough to my daughter to meet up for lunch or something fun any time we want...

For Mother's Day

2009-05-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent some time thinking about all the beautiful mothers who do not get to care for their babies; who feel the fierce love mothers do for their children, even before they are born, but have their babies taken from them...

and I sent out as much love as I could to them.

Below, a post from Farm Sanctuary, in honor of those suffering mothers:

After having the honor of knowing these sows, it is painful to think about what their lives were like at the factory farms they only narrowly escaped when the Mississippi River overflowed. But we must think about it because Mango, Rosebud, Nikki, and all the other bright, passionate, loving, and sensitive gestation sows rescued in Iowa are not anomalies in their ability to feel so deeply, and they need us to tell their full stories and show the world what is at stake when factory farms treat sentient creatures like commodities. Every day on factory farms, sows like Nikki and the rest are confined inside 2-foot-wide gestation crates with concrete floors. They cannot turn around, or lie down comfortably. In fact, they can barely move. They are artificially inseminated by hog industry workers and left alone in solitary confinement to carry their babies for a term of 114 days. After giving birth to up to 17 piglets, a number that the pork industry continually pushes to increase, they nurse their babies through the bars of farrowing crates, minimally larger than gestation crates, unable to touch their newborns – let alone experience the kind of tender moments with them that we’ve seen here. After 10 days, the sows’ babies are torn away from them while they watch helplessly, and the cruel cycle begins again. These sows are treated as nothing more than piglet breeding machines.

The love between the sows and piglets that we witness during our observations is remarkable, especially in the moments after the piglets wake from naps and run to reach their mothers’ faces, grunting excitedly into their ears as if to say, “thank goodness you’re still here!” One of Rosebud’s babies, Pepper, is so thrilled to see his mother when he wakes that he sticks his entire nose into her ear.

Nikki gave birth to a litter of piglets while seeking refuge on a levee during the massive Midwest floods of 2008. She built them two nests and taught them to hide from strangers. Nikki now shows off her mothering skills at our New York Shelter, along with other sows rescued from the floodwaters.

2009-05-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes

When I think of you

I am filled with so much love

That my heart aches and

Splits into a million pieces

Of humble gratitude

~Julia Butterfly Hill

i found a cool blog / website

2009-05-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

with an equally cool give-away going on:

http://www.choosingraw.com/spicy-thai-salad-and-my-first-raw-giveaway/comment-page-3/#comment-1951

the food over there looks amazing!

Vegan Nachos - 100% Awesome!

2009-05-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last night we made The Most Awesome Nachos Ever...all vegan :)
Can't believe we didn't take pics...next time, for sure.

In order, from bottom of bowl: low-fat tortilla chips / rice cheddar cheese / vegan green chile fat-free refried beans, heated up / picante sauce / freshly pressed garlic / freshly chopped lettuce / freshly chopped tomato / freshly chopped avocado / Tofutti brand vegan sour cream

The picante sauce & beans were on the spicy side, so didn't add jalapenos.
Wow. Just, Wow.
!!!!!!

Ok, in other food news, I'm SO EXCITED that tomorrow night we're going out to eat & I'm finally answering the call of my long-time craving for veggie loaf with mushroom gravy - mmmmmmm. And I'm gearing up for the Adventure Cleanse over at Crazy Sexy Life...it kicks off May 11.

You'll laugh, you'll cry...

2009-05-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

ok, I laughed so hard I was crying, and couldn't breathe. Please do yourselves a favor and watch this (except you, J...it requires sound!)

Good News for Seals!

2009-05-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Check out today's wonderful news for seals - there's hope!!!

Click the seal pic for a cool page on seals :)

Adventure Cleanse Update!

2009-05-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

http://crazysexylife.com/2009/adventure-cleanse-tune-up-act-stocking-your-pantry-fridge/
aka, eat all the "bad" stuff this week ;)

A lovely celebration!

2009-05-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful evening yesterday, celebrating love! Got dressed up and went to India's restaurant - truly amazingly delicious food! And immaculate service. Happiness!

Ok on the health & nutrition front: I found a new cookbook at Border's last week that I bought so I can appease J's sweet tooth: "Babycakes", a vegan, gluten-free & mostly processed-sugar free cookbook of amazing-looking baked goods by the Babycakes bakery in NYC. Can't wait to get started! We tried a few new things over the weekend: almond butter from Living Tree Community, which is prepared in a special way; nama shoyu, which is raw soy sauce, and Quite Cheesy kale chips, which are crazy-amazing-good and truly taste cheesy. All 3 were wonderful! We ate brown rice, sauteed mushrooms & asparagus for dinner Saturday night, and used the nama shoyu as a dip for the asparagus. Yummy! I soaked pecans overnight and made a really nice raw "porridge" Sunday morning from my Cafe Gratitude cookbook "I Am Grateful"; it featured pecans, apple, strawberries, coconut milk, vanilla & cinnamon. J. added toasted flax crackers with melted almond butter & a drizzle of raw honey, and voila, a truly lovely "raw" breakfast! I also made a batch of almond milk, which I am currently enjoying in a smoothie I made for Monday breakfast. Next up I will try making ice cream using the rest of my almond milk & some frozen strawberries, and I have recipes for a dill & hemp dip and vegan nachos in the lineup. :) I'm super-excited!

Farm Sanctuary Video!

2009-04-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

Please Read:

2009-04-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for someone to talk about this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090430/ap_on_he_me/un_who_swine_flu

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1894703,00.html?cnn=yes

and please help to stop the ignorance by following the lead of the CDC and encouraging others to call it the influenza A(H1N1) instead of swine flu. I thank you, and pigs thank you too!

Feast Breaking

2009-04-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

That's me & my guy, on a recent trip to Florida!

Howdy! I'm breaking out into solid food yeeehaw :)
It's time to stop juicing for a little while, so I can eat out this weekend in celebration! You're SUPPOSED to slowly come out of juicing with blended juices, greens....yikes. I did good at first: blended juice & light soup (the soup, btw, was Yummy! I simmered vegetable broth - Imagine brand - with a large piece of Kombu seaweed, and added garlic, onion, Bragg's aminos & hot pepper sesame oil. mmmmmmm.) But then, the darned simple processed carbs sang their siren song and Boom, I was chowing down on bread & hummus. Really good hummus. :) Still having juices during the day; tonight's meal will be marinara on kelp noodles, and tomorrow night we will have brown rice & steamed vegetables. So, it's not ALL bad. I'm making good on my commitment to try to eat 80/20 (80 % raw, 20% cooked), and I made sure to eat some greens with my meal last night. On May 11, Kris Carr's Adventure Cleanse begins...I'll be part of that, with a commitment to eat 80/20, or raw until dinner...and NO processed white sugar, NO processed white flour, NO oils other than olive, flax, hemp or coconut. It's a 28-day cleanse program that also involves juicing every Wednesday (or whatever day you choose), and you can read about it at http://www.crazysexylife.com/ Somewhere in there J. will JuiceFeast for a week in preparation for his annual physical & blood profile, so I'll be joining him in that. Next JuiceFeasting go 'round we'll keep the juices more simple...I tended to concoct drinks too full of variety. Simplicity is the key. I did manage to get processing time down from an hour and a half to just one hour in the morning - veg. prep at night helps. I'll need to drink more additional water, I was kind of bad about that. And last night while working out, I was reminded of how much my joy in life is connected to my ability to move & groove, so we re-committed to staying active and working out more during the week. On a lark I decided to do something I've read about as being really healthy, and I've seen other people doing it but never thought I'd bring myself to do it too - I hopped from the mucho caliente hot tub to the really-kinda-chilly swimming pool, and back again - twice! A little hot / cold therapy for the immune system. And it was way fun! :)
Yay for new experiences!

Incognito!

2009-04-29T11:40:00.001-07:00

Sorry so quiet...I'm undercover! Actually just a lot going on right now: sick kitty, flu virus is in Houston, someone hacked my computer at work, my daughter in Florida interacted with a kid with a viral infection yesterday at school (she wasn't told he had a virus until after she was around him), too many meetings, too many bills, I keep spilling things in my car :( and I just want to SLEEP! Will post soon about feast-breaking. Take care!

The video says it all

2009-04-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy

2009-04-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Pigs need our help...go here to see how you can be a hero! http://support.pcrm.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=30681.0&autologin=true

Last night I had time to go through my recipe books and make a list of all the ingredients I will need to make some uber-delicious sounding & very healthy meals next week. That made me happy! J. and I have cause to celebrate some wonderful news, so I am breaking my JuiceFeast at the end of this week. I'll start transitioning on Thursday, in order to be able to go out to eat & to a movie on Sunday :) :) :) Wonderfulness! I'm really excited. I will have JuiceFeasted for 18 days. Wow!

So my plan is, juice it up through Thursday, Friday green smoothies and a light soup for dinner, Saturday green smoothies, hummus and a thicker soup, Saturday I'll make a breakfast cereal from my cookbooks and have a juice for lunch and brown rice with mushrooms and a steamed vegetable for dinner. Green smoothies are just juice that hasn't been strained...it's blended veggies, leafy greens & fruits in a smoothie format.

Today I juiced:
*apple / grape / blueberry / lemon / ginger :)
*spinach / apple / parsley
*celery / cucumber / garlic / romaine lettuce / tomato / basil / jalapeno :)
*msm w/ lemon water
add-ins: maca / Vitamineral Green / kelp granules / dha / hemp oil / E3-Live

Still feeling great; have lots of energy today.

My girl rocks!

2009-04-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

I've got the best daughter in the whole world. By the way.
:) LOVE her.

Working my part-time job this weekend and drinking my juice.
Yesterday was a BAD day :( lots of stuff went wrong and i didn't drink more than a glass and a half of my juice. and only one glass of water. Doing much better today.

*apple / grape / blueberry / lemon :)
*tomato / mixed lettuce / carrot / bok choy / cilantro / sunflower sprouts / kale / cucumber / celery :)
*add-ins: hemp oil / dha / kelp granules / maca / Vitamineral Green
*msm water w/ lemon

I figured out how to keep my added powders from clumping! I left some juice in the bowl after pouring half in jars, added the powders & oil, then used a whisk to mix it all up and added it to my jars. Yay no lumps!

Ok for those who are wondering, what I'm doing is called a Juice Feast, and you can learn all about it here: www.juicefeasting.com

Ah, cravings!

2009-04-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

(That's Boyfriend kitty in the garden)

All this time with no food cravings, but 10 days in and I got 'em, big-time...for veggie meatloaf and mashed potatoes! And last night, for no apparent reason, for refried beans. My whole life I was crazy for carbs. Nothing's more comforting than processed simple carbs...right?! After I went veg, I pretty much lived on processed carbs. That was something like 25 years ago! I only really started eating vegetables and fruits in any appreciable amount about 2 1/2 years ago, and now, on my JuiceFeast, I ONLY shop the produce section. It's the most wonderful revelation. And yesterday I missed my cooked carbs, but not enough to want to change anything. This adventure just keeps getting better! The benefits of the JuiceFeast are amazing: I have lost almost all the extra weight I have carried since I was 15, my skin glows, my crow's feet & some of the extra lines on my face have disappeared, I'm eliminating waste from all the years of SAD eating (Standard American Diet), I'm loving learning about the diversity of incredible vegetables & fruits, and about nutrition and health...my hair is thick and oddly, getting curly?!!...I feel light and, when I get enough sleep, energized. I've had NO trouble with my gallbladder, and I've reduced my thyroid meds. And I'm only 10 days in...I can't imagine going back to my old ways. I plan to eat an 80/20 vegan diet when I end my fast. That's 80% living foods ("raw") and 20% cooked (like, vegetables, brown rice, quinoa). I've got incredible cookbooks with amazing recipes for totally healthy treats, so I won't have to do without desserts :) Every recipe I've tried from raw food sites & blogs and my recipe books has been truly wonderful.

Ok enough about the wonders of JuiceFeasting. Juices today:
*spinach / apple
*rasperry / apple / grape / watermelon / ginger
*carrot / mixed lettuces / watercress / radish / pear / celery / cucumber
*lettuce / tomato / basil / carrot
MSM water w/lemon

No add-ins other than E3-Live...didn't feel like having anything extra or any spices.

ps: JuiceFeasting ROCKS!

What day are we on? :)

2009-04-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

They're all running together... ;)

Today's juices:
*apple / ginger / grape / lemon / blueberry
*spinach / parsley / apple
*mixed lettuces / celery / cucumber / garlic / tomato / watercress / dandelion / sprouts
regular add-ins

Detox-o-rama right now, and low energy. Last night we took a lovely walk and that felt great...it's a beautiful day too. Tons of work to do here at the office, so will post coolness later. Have a great Thursday!

***How cool is this?!! http://www.dailyjuice.org/blogs/nutrition

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

It's Mama Nature's big day! Go outside and hug a tree! And a cat! :)

JuiceFeasting Day 8

2009-04-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Funny how, I no longer think of days without juice prep & drinking! At this point, I wouldn't even think of stopping...we'll see what tomorrow brings ;) Also, I just can't seem to stop making enough for 2....hahaha. Let's see...yesterday was crazy-busy and stressful, so it's a great thing that I am juicing or I wouldn't have eaten a thing all day. I have lost 4 pounds so far. The main change has been, my hair is getting really wavy, an unexpected but most welcome new experience! My juices for today are:

*apple / grape / lemon / blueberry
*tomato / basil / garlic / jalapeno / romaine / cilantro
*mixed lettuces / carrot / celery / cucumber / dandelion / beet / pear / watercress
*and of course: MSM water with lemon / maca powder / kelp granules / Vitamineral Green / hemp oil / DHA / E3-Live

Today is Administrative Professionals Day and my boss just surprised me with awesome special gifts! I planned to be a Marine Biologist doing field work and I had an approximation of that for a short time...I never planned to sit at a desk and do secreterial work. But, days like today make it worthwhile, knowing I have brightened someone's day & lightened their load, and that they appreciate me. What a happy day! :)

One Week JuiceFeasting!

2009-04-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

Today is officially the one-week mark on my JuiceFeast! :)

I am feeling really strong & good. Seeing enough changes to want to continue for a while. The pic is me with a stuffed giraffe at a conference I attended last year, haha! Last night I juiced some oranges, had some mmmmmmm delicious coconut butter, & J. & I went shopping for more vegetation. Tried Kroger this time, definitely won't be going back there for these items. So far, Whole Foods surpasses everyone else for produce. In a pinch, Randalls will do; they have a growing organics section, but the quality is kind of poor. And Central Market has lots of veggies but few organics. After my feast, we are going to the Asian market so I can try durian for the first time! Today's juices are:

raspberry / watermelon / apple / lemon / ginger :)

apple / parsley / spinach (aka "the pipe cleaner")

celery / dandelion / cucumber / mixed lettuces / cilantro / garlic / kale / carrot / tomato

And all the usual suspects:

maca / Vitamineral Green / kelp / E3-Live / hemp oil / DHA & MSM water w/lemon

It's another pretty day here, hope to get outside with my kitties mid-day.

I just learned about Bioresonance, and its use in comforting people who are in pain or dying. Extremely cool!

It's definitely a Monday

2009-04-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

long day at work yesterday, detox symptoms last night, woke up late this morning! BUT, managed to juice:

apple / grape / lemon
kale / mixed lettuces / carrots / celery / cucumber / ginger / parsley / bok choy / apple /
red bell pepper
watermelon / cherry / blueberry
& the usual add-ins + msm water

today, just not feeling like drinking anything :(
in better news, i'm in love with the most awesome man on the planet :)

ok to wrap this day up: i drank all my juice! yay. detoxing away today, but that's a good thing. and it's a beautiful day here in houston, so all is well! going home to do a brief workout & visit the steam room & hot tub...and dream about all the lovely live food creations i'll be concocting soon! last night i had out my cookbooks...ani phyo, cafe gratitude, gabriel cousens....can't wait!

2009-04-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it! Day 5! And things are going SO well :) J. is breaking his feast today, but said this morning that he can't imagine going back to life without these juices...YAY! I am feeling incredibly good - and my skin is amazing...I keep staring at my hands when I'm prepping vegetables, thinking, wow, how can there be such a difference? Courtney Pool has it right..."Radical Radiance" for sure! Many things are changing for me; I'll do a detailed list soon. My scientist brain hesitates to get excited too quickly! So, I'll keep JuiceFeasting for a while to get more proof ;)

Today's feast:

tomato / basil / cilantro / romaine / celery / jalapeno / garlic / spices ... mine juiced, J's blended

for feast-breaking

romaine / heirloom lettuce / celery / cucumber / bok choy / dandelion / beet / carrot / broccoli
sprouts / sunflower sprouts
oranges
pineapple w/ core MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM crazy good

MSM water w/ lemon

add-ins: hemp oil / flax oil w/DHA / kelp granules /Vitamineral Green / maca powder /E3-Live

Day 4 update

2009-04-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

The adventure continues!
Every day so far is about half detox, half feeling good. :)
Today's juices:
tomato / basil / cilantro / garlic / romaine / cayenne
romaine / red leaf lettuce / cucumber / celery / carrot / parsley / radish / apple / lemon
pineapple, with the enzyme & mineral-rich core
orange
spinach / apple / celery
+ add-ins: maca powder, kelp granules, Vitamineral Green, Vitamineral Earth, hemp oil, sea salt
+ tsp coconut butter
+ morning msm/lemon water

I'm full!

I may have talked my guy into sticking with this for an additional day - yay! :)