My Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs on my Raw Food Journey

Yesterday and the preceding days leading up to it were a struggle. Not so much a struggle to stay on the raw food diet regimen but I found myself feeling tired and sluggish more and more so as the days progressed forward. I was truly at my wits end. I have no desire for cooked foods anymore which is shocking in and of itself...I guess I'm growing or I've finally just stopped fighting my desire for cooked foods. At the suggestion of my Holistic Health Doctor I decided a lil over a month ago to go raw 100 %. I did a personal private juice fast for 17 days and I loved it. I felt better than ever. I lost 13 pounds or more, I say that because I was well into my juice fast before I weighed and once I weighed I kept track of my weight from there.

I broke the fast not in the traditional way...I kinda dug into a veggie sandwich with my daughter without thinking twice about it. Ok, so the bread was not raw but I have been 100% since that day. Now I'm eating solid food again and I have no appetite. I'm going all day with nothing to eat but a piece of fruit here and there. Some mornings I make a green smoothie and most mornings I don't. I'm also discovering that I'm seriously full after only haven eaten a couple bites. It really didn't bother me until yesterday. I began feeling lite headed and dizzy a couple times throughout the day and that kinda bothered me. However, I'm still not hungry and I haven't eaten at all yet and I still haven't made the connection. I actually began to think it was because I was 100% raw. Hey I'm no longer eating animals and everything I do eat is supposed to have lifeforce in it so why am I feeling sooo bad. I contacted a sistah friend on skype last night to discuss my dismay and she helped me to see that it was because I wasn't eating and it all made since.

I ended my evening close to midnight with a fruit salad. I awakened energized and ready to seize the day. I'm feeling better than ever right now.

Until next time!

Starla J.

Keeping It Simple in the Kitchen

WHATEVER IS LEFT IN THE FRIDGE SALAD

I visited my local farmer's market today. I bought a few organic fruits and vegetables. As I opened my refridgerator to put my purchases away I saw that I needed to make room. I took out almost everything and decided to throw it all together and create a fabulous meal for dinner.

Adding raw foods into your diet doesn't have to be as dounting as it seems. You don't need a $400 -$500 dollar blender. You don't need a dehydrator. I used a $20 dollar personal blendar similar to that of the magic bullet to make my salad dressing. All you really need is the desire to become healthy and to eat better. The best raw food meals are the ones you create on the fly.

Here is the recipe for my fabulous creation:

3 stalks of baby bok choy

1 head of corn

10 -12 stalks of snap peas

2 small heads of zucchini

a little bit of Purple cabbage

a lil' bit of onion

a handful of Cilantro

1 Tomatoe

1/2 Alvocado

Assemble any way you like.

MANGO LIME DRESSING

I don't really measure anything...I kinda throw a lil of this and that together but here is a list of what I used.

a lil' Olive Oil

2 small cloves of garlic

1/2 Mango

1 Lime

a lil bit of Apple Cider Vinegar

a dash of sea salt

a dash of cayenne pepper

3 dates

Blend till creamy.

ENJOY!

Raw Sausage Pizza

Ingredient List:

PIZZA CRUST:

1 medium zucchini

1 carrot

1 cup buckwheat (soaked)

3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, (soaked)

1 avocado

1 onion minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup flaxseed (ground)

1 cup sunflower seed (ground)

Process the buckwheat, tomatoes, avocados, onion, zucchini, carrot, sea salt until smooth. Remove to a bowl and add the flaxmeal and sunflower meal. Spread on two Teflex sheets, or Parchment paper. Score into slices and dehydrate for 3 hrs at 115. Flip the slices, turn the heat to 95 degrees and dehydrate for another 10 hrs.

Pizza Sauce:

1 cup sundried tomatoes

1 tsp oregano or more to taste

1 clove of garlic

1/2 tsp of basil

Blend together ingredients with just enough soak water to make a thick sauce.

Sausage:

2 medjool dates

1/2 tsp fennel seed or more to taste

1 cup walnuts

1 pinch of crushed red pepper or more to taste

1 dash ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon each sea salt, pepper, oregano, basil

Process the walnuts till chopped. Add dates, fennel, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and process until it comes together. Form small meat balls and place in dehydrator...dehydrate 8-10hrs.

Mozzarella Cheese:

Blend together 1 cup of almonds (soaked), 2 tsp tahini, 1 tbsp Lemon juice, 1/2 tsp Nama Shoyu, or Braggs Aminos or Tamari, 1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast. Blend till smooth in vita mix or other high powered blender. Let sit in fridge over night.

Assemble crust, tomatoe sauce, mozzarella, sausage, chopped onion, tomatoes, green pepper and or whatever other toppings you like!

Enjoy!

Peace, health and blessings,

Starla

Your Body is Your Temple #2 Proper Hydration

Greetings Fam! Today I will discuss the importance of making sure that your body is hydrated. If you just happen to feel thirsty, you can be certain that you are indeed dehydrated. Often while dieting we often hear that you need to drink at least 8 - 8oz glasses of water a day. Being that we all have different body sizes, which means to me that a person weighing 200lbs and a person weighing 130lbs will have different caloric requirements as well as water intake.

The human body is between 60 -75 % water. When you are not meeting the minimum hydration requirement there are a hosts of dire consequences on the body such as:

Constipation

Forgetfulness

Brain Fog

Weight gain

Inability to release weight

Toxicity

Kidney disfunction

Acne

Boils

Skin Rashes

Liver disfunction

Water Retention

Dry Skin

Mind you this is just a partial list. There are oh so many benefits that drinking adequate amounts of water will bring to the health of the body as well.

When you are drinking Soda's, artificially flavored and/or sweetened beverages you are drinking wet liquids that do not hydrate but continue to dehydrate. For optimum health and wellness it is important that you drink enough water on a daily basis for your body. How do you know how much is enough? Try drinking half your body weight in ounces. After about 2-3 days, you will begin to develop a natural thirst for water. If you still need a flavoring agent to help you get it down, try squeezing a slice of fresh lemon or lime in your water. You may also try herbal teas sweetened with a little stevia.


Remember, Your Body is Your Temple! Are you treating yours as such?

Check out my latest youtube video and join us this Sunday, May 24th at 9PM EST on BlogtalkRadio/living naturally (718) 508-9939

Health & Wellness to you!

Your body is Your Temple #1

Discipline is the KEY!

Master Cleanse Final Update

Hi guys, I know I've been MIA for more than a few days. The MC this time around took me on a journey of healing in which I wasn't prepared. The detox symptoms were to the 10th power. I had a few days of excruciating stomach pain. So much so, that I almost thru in the towel and ended the fast early. However, I was encouraged by a fellow twitter to stay the course because what I was experiencing was a "healing crisis". I had never heard that term before but something about it resonated with my spirit and I pressed on.

I had many days of craving food not necessarily from hunger but because I love to eat and I missed the pleasure I get from doing so. Disciplining ones self is more than a notion. I prayed alot during this time as well. It felt really good to connect with The Father during this time. I received a lot of spiritual revelation and insight, clarity of thought and a general overall sense of well being. I've decided to give my digestive system a brake once a week by fasting.

I do believe I should have stayed the course longer than 10 days but I was ready for it to end. I don't believe I received complete healing from the cleanse this time around but I am definitely on my way.

Abundant Blessings!

Master Cleanse Day 3

Today I woke up about 5am. I just laid there thinking if I should continue with this fast or break it today. I am really missing food today even though I don't really feel hungry right now, I just miss the joy that eating brings. It's all emotional. I decided to keep going and began my morning with the laxative tea. Once I drank a glass of the lemonade mixture, I began to feel better about not eating. I feel great so far today and I have an abundance of energy.

10:00 AM: I'm still thinking alot about food and I want to eat really bad. I have to remind myself why I choose to do this fast and how it will benefit my body. Besides, I know that eating will make me feel bad not necessarily emotionally but physically.

10:15 AM: I am trying to keep busy doing other things but I keep thinking about eating. Geez, I hate this!!!!

12:00PM: My stomach is growling!

1:30PM: Stomach is rumbling loudly!

3:15PM: I'm experiencing extreme swelling in my lower extremidies. I can only assume the toxins in my body are being released into my blood stream. I'm drinking water to flush my system in addition to the lemonade mixture.


5:47PM: I drank a glass of water and experienced extreme stomach cramping. I was doubled over for about 20 minutes. I'm not sure if i'm going to drink anything else tonight.

7:30PM: Drank more water...more excrutiating abdominal pain. I'm seriously thinking about stopping the fast. I think this cleanse is making my Inflammatory bowel disease episode worse.
I'm going to bed now.

Master Cleanse Day 2 in Review

Review of day 2

6:30am: Begin drinking the salt water flush. It took 2hrs to get it all down. I'm feeling nauseous.

8:20am: 1st elimination

8:45am: Drank my 1st glass of the lemonade. I think I added too much cayenne pepper but I'm sure by days end I will be use to it.

10:00am: I'm not hungry but thinking alot about food. I think I'm a food addict. I love to eat and I miss it. Cucumbers would be nice right now.

11:00am: I'm feeling sleepy and have no energy. I'm going back to bed.

3:45pm: 2nd elimination

4:30pm: I am hungry. Anything fried would be nice. I'm definitely detoxing and I feel awful.

Later in the evening, I began to feel much better with greater energy.

On with day 3!

Master Cleanse Day 1 In Review

Day 1 went well. My starting weight on day 1: 140.

Not to make excuses but I am experiencing edema from using a substance that contains msg a few days ago. My weight fluctuates from 138 -145.

I started off my day drinking a laxative tea. This maybe too much information but on this blog I plan to share everything. I had a partial BM after drinking the tea this morning. I hate drinking the salt water flush but I love the results of the internal bath. Plus, I need to have a good BM...I am constipated.

My case of IBD, I'm either experiencing diarrhea or constipation. As of late, the latter has befriended me. :-(

I only drank a couple glasses of the lemonade today as I wasn't really hungry or thirsty. My goal is to get the whole 64 ounces down tomorrow. We'll see how that goes...stay tuned!

Day 1 7:30PM: I'm having stomach pains...it feels like a big mass of something is trying to move but its stuck on my right side. I'm getting ready to drink another cup of laxative tea...hopefully that will help.

I may have experienced a little detox as well. I slept alot today. I've learned that the body rests, heals and rejuvenates itself while sleeping so I guess it was a good thing.

I woke up at 12:15am with a headache right between my eyes. I'm quite sure I'm detoxing already because a headache is unusual for me. I also had to twinkle, still no BM. Salt water flush in the morning!

Day 2 begins now...Stay Tuned!

Good Health & Abundant Blessings!

The Master Cleanse

Today will be day 1 of the Master Cleanse. The ingredients for this cleanse are: Organic Lemons, Grade B Organic Maple Syrup, Cayenne Pepper.

I will be drinking a minimum of 6 glasses of this lemonade and up to 8 glasses a day if I'm still feeling hungry.

The purpose of my doing this cleanse at this time is to once again cleanse my system and allow my body to heal. Currently, I am experiencing a bout with inflammatory bowl disease. This will give my digestive system a break and allow my body to heal naturally without chemical laden pharmacueticals. Feel free to join me or follow me on my journey.

Good Health & Blessings!

Starla

Raw Food Confusion

While experiencing major health challenges and knowing what types of foods to eat that will help my body heal. I still fight with the urge to eat unhealthy things. Yesterday I had a severe craving for a snicker's bar. No, no, I didn't give into the craving but had there been one in the house I would have killed for it. Lucky for me or maybe not so lucky, I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to go out, otherwise I would have went and purchased one from the store.

Being a raw vegan or striving to be a raw vegan is more than a notion. The more information I gather regarding the lifestyle, super foods and even organ produce are somewhat confusing. The raw food Guru's can't even agree. You have one saying to eat predominantly fruits, you have another saying that fruits should be limited. You have someone saying Cacao is great for you, you have another saying that Cacao is toxic and should not be eaten. You have one saying fats such as coconut oil and avocados are good for you, you have someone else saying to avoid all fats. The conflict list grows larger and larger by the moment. I've always been somewhat intuitive even though it doesn't take intuition to know how detrimental certain foods are to the body such as a snicker's bar or a sugar laden soda, even diet soda for that matter. When it comes to improving ones health I suggest we all listen to our own consciousness regarding certain food items. Try them and see how your body responds. My body is very sensitive to certain things, I can tell almost immediately whether this is something I should be eating or not. Based on how my body responds is how I will respond in relation to whether or not something is good for me.
You become the expert regarding your body, after all, YOU live there no one else. I refuse to allow anyone tell me what is or isn't good for me. No one other than myself is an expert of my 40 something year old body...I've lived here the longest and I know my body better than anyone else. I will experiment with different "health foods" and see how they work for me. The so called experts or "gurus" don't know everything their opinions are based on what has worked for them.

If you are new to the raw foods way of eating. Go easy on yourself. Please don't be overwhelmed with all the information out there. If you start with eliminating one thing from your diet that you know is detrimental and add a few raw fruits and vegetables to your diet. You are on the right track. Don't feel that you have to become 100% raw over night. Take it one meal at a time.

In the mean time, as Bunny Berry would say from Rawfu "Eat your veggies"!

Peace, Good Health and Abundant Blessings,

Starla

100 Day Raw Food Challenge

Greetings! Today is the 1st day of the 100 day raw food challenge and I gotta tell you how excited I am about it. I tried it once before never being able to eat 100% raw. When winter arrived, my body craved warm comfort foods like chili, soups and casseroles. I gave into the cravings. I still made my own vegetarian versions. I often vacillate between whether or not being 100% raw is doable long term. It's really difficult to know whether or not certain seasonings, flavorings, spices, etc...are actually raw. In any event, I am committed to this challenge.

A few additional goals for this season:
1.) Drink my daily water requirement
2.) Focus my energy on healing my digestive system
3.) Take 1hr a day to learn something new regarding health & nutrition
4.) Exercise 45 min - 1 hr a day.
5.) Post a daily vlog about my experiences.

Until next time,
Be Blessed!

My Man Plan

Get your minds out the gutter. It's not what you maybe thinking. I am taking notice as to how much of my time is being devoured in a day on the internet. It's time for me to take my man, massive action now, plan and make some things happen.

I've been home for a month and in a semi-vegetative state of mind and function. I may have worked out 3 or 4 times and I'm being liberal in my guestimation. As I sit here typing this blog, there are 101 things running through my mind that I should be doing. I have set big goals for myself in various areas of my life. I will share a few in here and in future blogs as I see fit.
Currently, my man plan is to:

1.) Workout everyday for an hour for the following 30 days. No Excuses!
2.) Create a viable income stream. Work that plan 2 hrs a day for the next 30 days.
3.) Discipline myself to spend 3 hrs a day online, unless I'm working. (This is gonna be hard)
4.) Nourish my Mind & Spirit with Prayer, Meditation & Gratitude.
5.) Feed my body the best, highest quality food that I can afford.

That's all for now! Now you tell me by leaving a comment what is your "man" plan?

Be Blessed!

Supplements I CanNOT Live Without

BEE POLLEN: I suggest you purchase it local to your area. The benefits are too many to list here but do google it. If you have an allergy to bees it may not be a good supplement for you.

MACA: Maca is a root grown in peru. Some of the benefits include but are not limited to helping to lower cholestrol, balancing hormones, boosting the immune system, increasing stamina, can also be used in place of viagra, increase in energy and a host of other benefits.

HEMP PROTEIN: Antioxidants, essential fatty acids, chlorophyll, minerals, vitamins, amino acids.

Spirulina: Highest form of protein, b12, iron, trace minerals, essential fatty acids GLA, richest source of beta carotene.

10 Reasons Why I Choose to Eat a Raw Diet

1. Natural Weight Loss

2. Beautiful Glowing Skin

3. Great Digestion

4. Healthy Hair & Nails

5. No Body Odor

6. The body uses the nutrients to heal itself

7. Makes you feel calm and balanced

8. You can eat desert for breakfast and right before dinner.

9. Great friends you meet along the same journey

10. Amazing Energy

RAW: My Unadulturated Journey

My decision to become a rawfoodist was not an easy one. I've been a carnivore the majority of my life. I often recall hearing my grandma saying, "you're a meat eater, eat some vegetables". As a child I hated vegetables. I also didn't particularly care for the meat at the table either but hot dogs & bolonga was where it was at for me. My grandfather raised his own animals so whatever the meat was for dinner was killed by my grandfather and prepared by my grandmother or my mom. Feeding the animals was my responsibility and dinner time was bittersweet because I knew the ham or roast, chicken, duck or rabbit being served was one of my pets.

During my teenage years my grandparents and my dad were diagnosed with having high blood pressure, high cholesteral, high triglycerides, diabetes and last but not least heart disease. My mother died prematurely, they say from natural causes. I personally don't think its natural at all to die at the age of 54 for no apparent real reason. Putting 2 & 2 together I came to the conclusion that the reason my grandparents and my parents were so unhealthy was because of our diets. I knew from the age of 16 that I needed to do something different if I wanted to remain healthy. I first heard about being a vegetarian from Dr. Paul Goss, creator of New Body Products in Compton CA. I began to attend his herbal, nutrition and Iridology classes on a regularly basis thus my journey on the path to being healthy began.

I remember going on my first diet with my "Big Momma" at the age of 5. Oh yes, you read it right. I started my first diet at 5yrs old. I remember eating boiled eggs, cottage cheese and grapefruits. At birth I weighed 4lbs 5oz, from what I've been told by my father when they brought me home from the hospital he instructed my mother to fatten me up, I was too small and I looked funny. That's when my battle of the bulge began. Needless to say, I've been on and off diets ever since. When I was 12yrs old my doctor informed me that I was obese, weighing in at a whopping 203lbs. I didn't know what obese meant at the time and I really didn't care.

I thought by becoming a vegetarian I would slim down and become healthy. Boy was I wrong! My eating regime consisted of pasta, breads, rice & beans, dairy, processed vegetarian transition meats, textured vegetable protein and everything sweetened with refined sugar. My weight continued to climb and all the while, I thought I was being healthy by being a "vegetarian". That lasted on and off a few years.

My disenchantment with western medicine began when I was a senior in high school. I became inflicted with some sort of skin dis-ease. After seeking medical attention from one doctor and then being referred to another and another and another and another still not knowing what the heck I was dealing with having been treated with all types of toxic prescriptions, ultra violet rays and eventually radiation. I still to this day don't know what I had. I saw 5 so called specialist and neither of them could agree on my condition. Needless to say, I was removed from attending school for almost 3 months. I began to understand why the term "medical practice" was used. They were "practicing" medicine on me. I quickly realized that doctors weren't so smart after all and instinctively I knew there had to be a better way. I believe in the power of prayer and the laying on of hands and used that as my means of healing. Immediately following my prayer session my skin began to immediately dry up and from that day to this day, 25 years later, the disorder has not returned.

Roughly six years ago, I began to experience strange episodes in my body. My heart would begin to race, my breathing was disturbed and I would start to sweat. It felt almost like I would pass out if I didn't sit down or like I was shorting out, similar to a light bulb when its on the blink. I went to see my PCP and I told him my symptoms. He immediately took out his pad and wrote me a prescription for an anti-depressant. I became enraged because I knew I wasn't dealing with depression even though I was deeply saddened by the events of 911 like every other American. My symptoms were more than simply being depressed. I began to ask him how he could just write a prescription without checking me for anything? He hadn't ran any labs at all. I became irrate and began to have an "episode" right there in his office in front of him. This one was really bad because I actually fainted. I awakened with him shining his little flash light in my pupil. He immediately ordered labs for blood tests and he requested to have the results asap. Within a very short period of time the results were back and he tried to admit me into the hospital immediately, telling me my red blood cells were not close to where they should be on the charts and that I needed a blood transfusion immediately. I on the other hand didn't trust anything he said and told him that I would be willing to try increasing my iron intake over the next few weeks but having a blood transfusion today was out of the question. I grabbed my purse and marched right out with him in the background trying to convince me to stay, telling me just how serious my condition was and how I could just drop dead at any moment without the transfusion. My reply to him, with my flip attitude and a few choice words, were that if I had been an idiot I would have taken the prescription for anti-depression and still died so I will just take my chances from this moment on and I continued on out the door. When I got home I began my research on anemia and ways I could increase my iron levels. I had been taking prescription iron for many years already and couldn't understand why my levels were so low. I happened upon an article speaking about how the particular type of iron I was taking needed vitamin C in order for the body to absorb it. I increased my iron from 2 a day to 4 a day with the vitamin C and it worked! I didn't drop dead and today I am no longer anemic.

On to my choice to be raw, yet again I started having symptoms in my body and out of habit I went to the doctor and he wrote a prescription without running any tests and I decided for once and for all I would use food as my medicine and let my body heal itself. Common sense tells me that my body was wonderfully made. When things are out of wack it fights hard to get everything in order and I knew given the right nutrients my body will heal naturally.

I began to chronolize my journey on youtube and I began with the Master Cleanse. Then I discovered Bunny Berry doing her 100 day rawfood challenge. I finished the Master Cleanse with great results and Bunny had just finished her 1st 100 day rawfood challenge. She decided to do it again and this time she invited everyone to join her on Rawfu so I did. Honestly, I had never felt better in my life! Then I changed jobs and being 100 percent raw was next to impossible. The symptoms returned and yet again my career path has changed and I'm back home and back on the path. I've decided that my health is primary and I will no longer risk it for a job. I've been 90 percent raw now for almost a week and already my symptoms are reversing, I'm full of boundless energy and I'm happy.

I've learned that being raw means always being prepared and having things prepped and ready to eat on hand will prevent me from falling off the wagon. My ability to prepare beautiful and tasty meals is increasing and my desire to be a catalyst for others is insatiable.

Stay tuned...because this is just the beginning!

Peace & Blessings!

Going Green

Okay so the green movement is sweeping the nation. I too am on that wagon. I started recycling over 10 yrs ago. I began making my own skincare products 8ish yrs ago and even started a company where I sold my very own natural product line. Currently, my creative juices have began to flow once again. I enlisted my older sister today to pull out her sewing machine and work on an idea that popped into my head that I feel will be a big hit for those who are challenged by the sewing machine. She eagerly agreed and said she would run out tomorrow and pic up all the supplies needed for the project. If after testing and all goes well, we will begin to sale them on ebay or maybe itsy.

I've used Dr. Bonner's Castile soap since I was a teenager. I always enjoyed taking baths with the peppermint or lavendar soap. I tried washing my hair with the peppermint but I didn't like it back then...I think the problem may have been because I didn't dilute it. I love the Almond, Tea Tree, and Citrus Orange as a body wash and shampoo. Today I used my diluted Citrus Orange spray bottle that I've been using to shampoo my hair to clean my Tub and Shower. To my surprise the dirt just melted away and my bathtub is sqeaky clean. In light of the economy its good to know that I can use a few products for multi-purposes around my home. I love to wash my laundry with it as well and the clothes smell great afterwards and I feel great wearing them knowing that I didn't use any harsh chemicals to clean them.

I also make my own toothpaste. The cost for everything I currently use is less than $30 dollars and will last me over 6 months I'm sure.

I am making my own 100% cotton facial cloths and crocheting a wool scarf and hat. I will do another blog with the finished results with photos when I finish. I love being creative, I feel so ALIVE!

Becoming Healthy, Mind, Body & Spirit

Today is my 1st blog entry of 2009. I whole heartedly believe that we all can create a healthy lifestyle which is the reason I named my blog HEALTHY LIFESTYLES.

I cried today. My emotions needed a good cleansing. I've been through alot in 2008 and I suppose everything just came to a head today. I am usually the strong one...at least that's what everyone tells me. I'm assuming because it's very rare that I share my true emotions. I maybe strong to everyone on the outside but on the inside if truth be told, I'm really a softy. I cry in the dark, usually alone.

I've had to eliminate a few people from my life already this year. I've declared 2009 the year of "POSITIVITY", the year that I will make all my goals manifest! I've decided that even though there is no positive without a negative, I will only see the light and focus on what's positive. Some people in my life can't seem to get with that so I have to limit my time with them and when the conversation turns into a negative pity party, that's when I opt out.

I separated myself from the man in my life for a few days this past weekend. I needed the time alone to re-evaluate our relationship. Deep down inside, I knew I needed to let this relationship go. This so called relationship is not anything I've ever experienced before and I felt things weren't going any where. I let him know my feelings this morning and it didn't go over too well with him. He acted just as I had expected...not really, I actually expected him to act like an adult about it. Non-the-less, it's OVER! I can make room for someone new and better suited for me.

Most often I find myself focusing on physical health, making sure that I put only the best foods in my body and getting the proper exercise. This year starts with me focusing on my emotional health, making sure that negative, non-productive relationships are eliminated from my life.

Until next time, BE BLESSED!