HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT, ELIMINATE DISEASES AND INCREASE ENERGY

The FullyRaw Persimmon Salsa!

Fabulous Fashionistas [HD]

These fabulous Octogenarians show us HOW TO KEEP GOING!

THIS is FABULOUS!!

The Fabulous Fashionistas:

(from left) Sue, Daphne, Lady Trumpington, Jean, Gillian, & Bridget

Watch the entire inspiring documentary below:

How to Beat Cravings (10 Easy Tips!)

If you are thinking about going RAW with me ... SAVE this video ... I wish I would have had it four years ago when this journey began!

Is Eating FullyRaw Extreme?

Why Are American Health Care Costs So High?

Free Healing Meditation from Deepak Chopra by NPowerYourMind.com

Change Your Reality BE WELL

This video is very in depth about how our world's physical ideas work...
I'm posting it to help you open your mind to knowing that by being in the present, by focusing on what you believe (or what you want to be true... your reality can change.

 Here's what I mean:
You are currently saying: "I'm sick." my doctor says "I'm incurable."
What you should be saying: "I and well, complete, whole." and "I am creating wellness because I am changing my lifestyle to cause healing."

 Believe in your power to create the reality you want. Now, for the video:

Black Seed

FYI Link... the little seed that CAN.

The Black Dot of Meditation

A great article on meditation. The "Black Dot" the "Blue Pearl"... As our consciousness deepens, and our frequency rises the phenomenon of "the dot" can be startling, frightning, or if you are prepared for it...assuring that you are finally getting something rigt in your life...

Eat the Sun 2011 Peter Sorcher

Gratitude

This is an amazing video... and a reminder that every day is important. Every day is the most important.

Sungazing and Strength

Okay, obviously SUN GAZING is becoming a greater part of my life...

It felt so "right" from the first ten seconds when I began this experiment following the HRM Theory. And since I have become more and more convinced that my return to sun gazing is perfectly timed and even though I began the experiment in an effort to ban all of the annoying emotional food cravings that plagued me for the last four years since turning raw...

This video is fairly interesting, perhaps not John's best, but he covers a lot of area very quickly and if you are as ADHD as I am you can probably make the huge mental leaps he takes.



As John mentions, some of the people who are following him on Facebook are not following the HRM method completely but are rather following instinct and letting what resonates with them day to day to guide them... I am one of those people.

Yes, of course I started this by following HRM with 10sec, 20sec, 30sec, blah, blah to about the 2 minute mark and then disaster happened in the form of unpredictable Ohio weather and rain, and more rain, with complete cloud cover-to the point many joked about building an ark-and I started getting so depressed because I wanted to gaze so desperately...

I juice fasted... I meditated... I was still CRAVING sunlight...
On about Day 5 of no sun, I gazed at the sky where the sun should be... but not for 2minutes minus 100seconds of backward progress as one poster suggested is recommended when you have to do without sun... that would put me right back to Day 2... so I started at 3 minutes, and the next day, clouds, oh well 4 minutes, and the next and the next until the sun shined and I had to make a decision: go back to the 2 minute mark where I left off, or just keep moving forward. I chose forward and gazed for many minutes without ill effect. Of course I worried, Maybe the ten seconds is supposed to build character or, or...

And my gut said, "Shut the fuck up. Do what feels right and forget about all the people who are "in the know" ... because they really know only what someone told them to believe anyway, and when have I ever played by the rules of the sheeple?"

I'm gazing at 17 minutes tonight...
I hope to be to thirty by mid-August and plan to maintain that as long as it feels right.
I'm in no hurry to reach HRM's "Magic Forty-Four Minutes" ... (If you want to try to understand his philosophy, go for it) ... AND DO START WITH 10 SECONDS and increase by 10 seconds, at least for 12-14 days (Just to get a feel for what the hell you are doing and time to figure out what you want to accomplish)

My goals are still the same:
Eliminate Cravings - I feel I am making huge progress here
Heal - I'm feeling pretty good about my future

Unexpected results:
I am calm. Even when faced with the huge stress of people wanting me to deal with their dramas. I am so over that. Thank goddess.

I feel strong. Seriously strong. Even on days when my hips or shoulders or fingers are flaring, I find myself saying "fuck this shit-I can!" and then I go and do whatever I think I should be doing...yoga (breathe through the pain and I'm stronger and surer when I'm done) hike (again, breathe, work through it, keep moving, and feel stronger) ...

Seriously DEEP SLEEP - who knew I could actually sleep?

Vivid dreams... sometimes amusing, sometimes troubling, I've been taking notes...

Separation/Detachment ... this has always been a difficult meditation/enlightenment concept for me, that most often or not falls into the cliched "Let It Go" followed immediately by the equally cliched "Whatever" category... I'm actually not only understanding now, I'm doing it, and if that isn't a mind-boggling result I don't know what could be.

Sun Gazing Update

Sun Gazing Milestone to date 8 Minutes
There have been four solid days of heavy clouds and rain that have made sungazing nearly impossible, but I find myself drawn to the windows at even the tiniest glimmer of a ray peaking through. I don't know how this is happening but I trust my instincts and when something inside my brain compels me to look, I look. At first I thought it was a coincidence but I believe that less an less as each time my urge proves right.

Tonight there was a heavily shaded over orb peaking in and out of the clouds. I looked as long as I could look and stopped the timer each time the orb fully disappeared. I believe I made almost nine minutes... but I was left wanting/ This small reminder of what every winter in this part of the world holds in store makes me dread the crummy weather even more.

I really want to get past the fifteen minute mark before that happens.
I want to note a lessening of negative thought.
I want to notice a lessening of urge to keep returning to the old unhealthy eating patterns...
I hope all HRM promises is true but only time and sungazing time will prove the truth.

On the days I gaze, I do feel physically and mentally stronger, there is no doubting that.

• My day goes better and I am able to deflect negativity more easily. I smile more. 
• It is easier to stay 100% raw and less than 10% fat...
• The night following a good day's sun gazing I can fall asleep easier and sleep more deeply.

I thought this was a lovely video. It is subtitled in English.

Easy Ideas For Adding Raw

I may no claims to the ideas in the attached link... just sharing someone else's genius...
Give it a try and you got nothing to lose (except excess weight) and better health and well being to gain!

http://www.thespinachspot.com/2013/01/8-ways-to-eat-more-raw-foods.html?m=1&utm_content=buffera23f3&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Buffer

Learn to Meditate and Easy Tools to Teach Children

♥ Love this site ♥ 
With age appropriate tools for teaching children as young as 3 (although I assume would also work with younger children) to meditate and deal positively with strong emotions... and also helpful tools for adults who need new ways to deal with stress... this is great!

http://www.heartmath.org/free-services/tools-for-well-being/tools-for-well-being-home.html

Cravings, Unexpected Flares ... Seeking Answers

A couple of months ago I was feeling so strong. Really strong. I was juicing, RAW, happy...
And then a string of events not within my control created chaos in my body.
-A few days after my birthday a car accident caused repercussions through my body that caused joint pain and huge fatigue for months.
-Huge life changes for two of my daughters, and while those changes directly caused chaos in their lives, indirectly they affected me because, ya know, mom's worry. Worry. And my guts flared on top of all that joint pain and fatigue...

I don't know about you... but when I feel like crap... I reach for comfort food. And lets face it... comfort food is BAD! I not only fell off the raw wagon, I nosed dived straight into a pizza binge that lasted weeks. That's right... wheat.... dairy... mortal enemies to all that ailed me... and worse, led to a state of depression that really made me not care.

I'm not sure how or what or why I woke up one day and realized I was killing myself with food... not just making my symptoms worse... but killing myself. KILLING MY DREAMS.
Motorcycle lessons and ownership put on hold... indefinitely.
Belly dance... out of the question.
Hiking, rock climbing... not gonna happen.
The much dreamed about vacation to New Orleans...cancelled.
My summer had gone from bright, beautiful, and exciting... to dead. I was stuck on the couch and moving nowhere...again.
AGAIN!

Damn me, I am my own worse enemy.
BUT I AM ALSO MY OWN SAVIOR... because I WOKE UP.
I started listening to my body and looking for signs... and the expectation led to signs... guideposts.

And I started over again...
AGAIN!
Juice, tonics, sunbathing, and meditation.

The real turn around came about because I faced that I am an addict. I have an addictive personality. I am addicted to food... and I needed answers.Luckily I saw a random post about sun gazing ... on of all places... Facebook... but it triggered a memory.

I'd studied sun gazing in college twenty years earlier and dallied... a little... it was a good reason to skip class and head for the beach for a "clear view" if I remember my mindset at that time...

Sun gazing can stop addiction. Sun gazing can interrupt and cure bouts of depression. Sun gazing can HEAL.
And sun gazing controls appetite. How had I forgotten this important piece of the puzzle?

So, a few weeks ago I started sun gazing again...
(safe guidelines that must be adhered to in order to not damage your eyes)
I didn't expect much that first week... wow, was I wrong.
Every morning I woke up EARLY and ready to go.
I started meditating again...
I juiced for the first time in almost two months...
By day four I was dragging out my yoga mat...
And by day ten ... I feel amazing.

I'm raw again ... and I want to be ... I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything.
I crave orange juice especially... and salad... I can't get enough salad... and bananas...
After believing I never wanted to see another banana again ... I'm loving them now.

Maybe it's a placebo effect ... I don't care.
I just want it to last.

49 and Feeling Great

I haven't photo updated for awhile, and although I did not begin this journey for weight loss... I've lost a significant amount of weight :) Not too bad for a "side effect"...

As far as my health goes... Joint pain and inflammation minimal and usually following hard work or a physically challenging activity... jogging, cycling, rock climbing, belly dance... I know, who would have ever dreamed my life would be "normal again? Certainly not my (now ex)RA doctor... or my DO...

As far as my current diet:

I've been maintaining 75% or more raw... and choosing foods from the low-fodmap list.

If I could maintain 100% raw all winter, I'd be 95% raw, but living in Ohio with ice, sleet, snow, and blustery winds... I add some grains as my intestines allow (oatmeal, rice, and an occasional gluten-free spaghetti) which has led me to just say "I'm 75% raw year round" because it simplifies the time explaining and if I want a beer on a hot summer day, I'm covered ...

And as far as the occasional pain and inflammation?

The tonics are the answer. Guaranteed. Better than any pain med or NSAID and no ugly side effects!

(I'll try to update the tonic info later for anyone who wants recipes:)

FRUIT POO aka fluffy fruity floaters for a flat stomach

Continuing Lessons Along the Fruitarian Adventure

I posted at the beginning of the month that I was still having huge problems with my guts... even though raw has relieved my joint pain 95%+ ... and had decided to try Fruitarian for awhile with the 30 Bananas A Day Diet Framework, basically 90-5-5 as far as a carb/protein/fat ratio goes... A step beyond the 80-10-10 Diet I've been trying to maintain for the last few years...

I loved eating bananas and oranges and apples all day...
It's probably the easiest dietary change I've made to date...
I had loads of energy and zero joint problems!
And it was the best experiment I've ever tried to relieve my gut issues for the simple reason that after two weeks I had to face facts that I was exasperating the problem instead of improving it.

EEK!
Back to SQUARE ONE! Right?
Nope.

About a month ago I was on an IBS Forum and there was a lot of chat going on about a Low-Fod-Map diet and how everyone (hundreds) were experiencing some level of success... So, curious and ever happy to try ANYTHING, I printed out the easy to follow list of approved vs discouraged foods...
And promptly said "No F-ing way! All my fave foods are on the Do Not Eat List...
I filed it under "NOT UNTIL I AM DESPERATE OR DYING"

So yep, two weeks ago I pulled it out and compared what I'd been living on for close to two weeks:
Bananas, Oranges, Mangoes, Avocados, Watermelon, Blueberries, and Apples...
All but the Bananas and Blueberries were on the "Do Not Eat" list...

I decided to try a week of following the Low-Fodmap List 100% while staying within the 80-5-5 framework...but adding in some grains (oatmeal or rice not in excess of one cup per day)... and staying completely vegan...

I didn't have to wait a week. After less than 24 hours I had relief from excruciating stomach pain. By the 48 hour mark, my intestines had stopped spasming... and I was convinced but waited the full week to have the ah-ha moment... My bowels were voiding in my best guess estimate of what "normal might be like" NORMALLY... I have never, in my lifetime, had a "normal" "reliable" daily bowel movement...

Yes, I miss my fav foods! Especially Apples, Avocados, and Watermelon...
But I am Gastro-intestinally Pain-Free and Symptom-free for the first time in 48 years...

The LOW-FODMAP LIST and Info I rely on most comes from the University of Arizona's Campus Health Dept... there are others, but I feel like this one is the easiest to read, understand, and use when trying to eliminate and test adding foods back in successfully...

My story

THE REAL V8 JUICE!