COLD - COLDS - AI YI YI

I can't believe it's been an entire week since I last posted here. But then again I can. My life seems to be moving faster and faster recently....lots of stuff going on, lots of stress, still not 100% sure this cold has left...as it's still lingering in my sinuses....out damn cold.....leave me be! And I have definitely been a bit dysfunctional in the food scene. Not overly so, but I have yet to return to 100% raw. sigh. I am still doing green smoothies......they are always good, but I have brought salad for lunch 3 days in row and not eaten it, and ended up eating cocktail peanuts and cashews and mozarella cheetos (at least they aren't dayglo orange) etc. And dinners have been ok, but cooked.....more of my yummy veggie filled lentil soup, sprouted grain toast (ezekial bread) with peanut butter and cinnamon and stevia.......bananas, apples......nuts....yah.

Cooked food makes me gain weight. And the kickboxing...well, I missed almost 2 weeks when I was sick, then missed this Tuesday because my husband's tenure vote was Tuesday and it was approved unanimously, so we went out to celebrate rather than go to kickboxing. I did go Wednesday, but will not be going tonight or tomorrow as my dh and I are going to Santa Fe to celebrate his tenure. But I am hoping to really focus more on it next week......though it's election week and I am totally freaked about how things are going to play out no matter what happens...
no matter who gets 'selected'. I am freaked about unreliable possibly tampered with voting machines, voter intimidation, the fringe out-there who believe outrageous things and are prone to outrageous acts......may they be limited to internet postings and outrageous remarks and peaceful actions.....

And I am stressed about my friend Tammy....having sent her back to Nebraska after spending nearly $2500 and she is no better off than she was before.......oh this bothers me so much, as I was truly wanting to get some real results, real help for her. sigh. Now with dropping stock prices and limited options.........it's starting to feel very hard....but I am turning it over to a higher power as I know it is not in my control....

Morning weight today was 186.....sigh. Not awful, but no sustained progress........sigh sigh sigh.

Today so far I've had my green smoothie with tons of parsley and kale, some organic grapes and fresh squeezed oj and 2 bananas....it was very filling.

Then I had a coconut cream pie Lara bar......I am very conflicted about eating Lara bars, as the company is now owned by a large corporation, General Mills or some such...and they have totally compromised on the original product. They now put out a 60% raw bar, called "Peanut Butter Cookie".......I really have to quit. It goes against my principles, very much. But they really hit the spot in the middle of the day when I am at work. So make your own, girl!!! Yes I know....
I have made something like them, and they have been good.......just have to keep it up.

So......hoping to be more raw, and eat my salad for lunch today...rather than having it just go bad on me, like the last one, (after being brought back and forth to the office 3 times, no refrigeration except overnight....) silly me.

Going to Santa Fe this weekend....don't expect to be all raw......just high raw. Will resume the 100% next week. It is hard to do when you still feel like you have a cold and the weather turns cold cold cold........excuses yes.....but it does make it harder.

ciao bellas!
love
Alessandra

BUSYNESS FULL MOON

I have been lost in the throes of extreme busyness.....and temporarily stepped off of raw, but I was 100% raw yesterday and I expect to continue with raw. The reasons for stopping were my blasted cold, which turned into bronchitis which needed antibiotics to scare it off, as getting enough rest has not been an option and probably wouldn't have been enough although it definitely would have helped. Work has been extremely busy and last weekend was cold, rainy and so I made another lentil soup chock full of veggies and ginger, ate that, and a wonderful yummy veggie corn tamale at the Farmer's Market....oh they make them so wonderfully well!

I mostly ate well while eating cooked food, but I did eat some Annie's cheddar bunnies and cocktail peanuts while at work....I was working full stop for a good week, as it was the last tax deadline of the year, and between clients who drag their feet and accountants who do the same, we had a good number of returns to get out. And they go through 10 people and all end up on my desk. Yes. I. Was. Busy!!! So, still feeling quite tired although my bronchitis seems to be on the run.......hate taking antibiotics but really wouldn't know what to do without them. I can't imagine life before them, people really suffered and little illnesses could lead to fatal complications and death.

So, throughout all this I have been keeping up with green smoothies....and today's is yummy. Parsley, some mixed salad greens and red butter lettuce leaves. 2 bananas and the juice of 3 oranges with a good dollop of olive oil.......oh it is good! And filling.

So....I have been taking 2 Probiotic Advantage pearls each morning, plus 4 B-100 vitamin capsules (the antibiotics use up B vits quite a bit) some Chanca Piedra (4 capsules) and sometimes some Oregon Graperoot capsules. I used to think the Graperoot helped the liver, which it probably does, but it also kills candida...which explains why sometimes when I take them (and I take about 8 caps at a time) I get in this really good mood! Same as I do whenever my candida takes a dive.

So, glad to be back............so glad to be back on raw......while on cooked I just felt bloated, constipated (like it wasn't all coming out, even though I was still having regular bowel movements) and losing that glow. I went back up to 186 pounds but this morning after just 1 day back 100% raw, I am back to 183.5. I will take that.

So........keep your sights set high.........eat your greens and your veggies.....
and oh yes, the moon, the lovely moon......this full moon felt like it's energies were quite beneficial....I was in wonderful moods, but then I always am whenever I get to gaze upon her beautiful magnificence. (sp)

peace, love and full moon bathing
ciao bellas!
love
Alessandra

BLAST THIS COLD!!

This dang cold of mine has made a comeback....I really did not rest enough last week when I should have, it's hard to just do nothing, but that is what I need to do to get rid of it. So...maybe this weekend. The weather has turned cold and cloudy, so staying home and doing nothing will be easier. I am still 100% raw......did have the last bowl of the lentil soup last night as I rushed off to my chorus rehearsal.....but everything else has been all raw. The soup did me good with it's load of ginger and veggies. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to stay for the entire rehearsal last night, but I was pretty psyched up for it. It was our first rehearsal of the season, and I got to switch at the last minute to Soprano 2. From Alto 2. I was very glad to be able to do that. The music is more interesting to me, and the Soprano 2's are more my type of people. We have a large women's chorus of over 100 women. It's a great group, awesome director, we have lots of fun.

Got alot of our new music last night, looks good.....and hopefully NO CHOREOGRAPHY this year. Last year we did some that frankly, I felt was ridiculous.........and so hopefully no choreography. I can't see any of the pieces lending themselves to ridiculous gestures on our part.

So.....work has been very very busy this week, and will continue to be very very busy through next Wed. Last tax deadline of the year, and of course, on Fri we are still getting clients papers in to process. Ought to charge the late comers double. Or at least set a deadline for getting stuff in, and after the deadline, pay a fee for last minute processing, a fee that goes up each week closer to the deadline. But with the state of everyone's finances being what it is, I doubt that idea will get much action.

So.......still eating on the fly........green smoothies for breakfast, salad for lunch/dinner...no time to make anything interesting.....but it's been good. Snacking on apples, plums, nectarines, Lara bars, flax crackers, and nuts.

Weight was 182.5 one day this week, then 183......this morning was 183.

Kind of stuck there.........more kickboxing will help, but I am too tired to do it tonight...and not sure about tomorrow. Need to get well!!!

Had an interesting thought to share.......but in my busyness it has gotten lost. I remember that I had it, but not what it was. My friend Tammy goes back home this weekend.....I am so frustrated as she hasn't gotten any better.........but we have determined without a doubt what her greatest issues are. Candida and leaky gut. The heavy metals are still a concern of course, but she has had enough IV Chelation to really lower those numbers......the biggest concern is that she cannot eat much of anything and is way underweight.....can't gain any.

And......sigh......with the stock market falling daily, my money I had for her to use has disappeared. There is barely enough to pay for what has already been used, and may even not be enough of that.......if things keep going down.

So.........hang onto your hats.........as the ride is going to get pretty wild eh?

ciao bellas!
love
Alessandra

KICK-A-POO-BOXING

I went to kickboxing tonight..hurray, and I did okay. Still a bit lacking in the energy dept., esp the core energy dept....need to build up my core strength so there is more oomph in my kicks...but I did ok. It will come.

This is going to be a short post as I am tired and it is almost bedtime. Thinking I need to eat fewer nuts as my weight seems to either be standing still or going north when I want it to go south. One of the few things that I want to go south. This morning was 184.5. Hah!

Today was yes, all raw, and busy busy busy...didn't get to eat my lunch salad til after work...after 5 pm. However, it was a good day.......and chorus starts tomorrow...and I hopefully will be changing from the Alto 2 section to the Soprano 2 section. I do believe my range is good enough....so wish me luck!

ciao bellas
love
Alessandra

A RAWTHER DULL DAY

Today was a rawther dull day, but then again, not so. 100% raw today, busy at work, but got through the day feeling pretty good, my cold is finally truly leaving. I do hope I will have energy for kickboxing tomorrow. And I did get an awesome email from my sister about some family ancestry which we always wondered about and now we know more! We have this photo of someone in my dad's family....only knew her name...not how she was related to us. Turns out she is our dad's grandmother...not sure why he didn't know this, and we knew she was probably half native american, but didn't know what tribe or anything like that....

Well, my sister got an email address from my mom of a cousin of our dad...(he died in Feb of this year) and the cousin has more photos and details. Turns out our greatgrandmother is the daughter of a Kickapoo woman who was kidnapped by a fur trader who liked her and married her....they had 9 children one of which was my greatgrandmother. Our grandfather on my dad's side looks just like his grandmother....and the indian face has definitely passed down through the generations as my dad, my other sister and I all have the face of our Kickapoo relative....so I am officially 1/16th Kickapoo. Interesting. My sister who has done all of this research takes after my mom's side of the family....... I keep telling her she's adopted. lol

So I am proud of myself today as even though I slept a bit late, didn't get my green smoothie made, I did bring enough food to work that I was able to stay all raw and have energy. I brought 3 apples, 2 bananas, 1 lara bar, a large salad of mixed greens with broccoli, carrot and tomato, and 2 nectarines. Dinner was more mixed greens with some pecans and tomato. I also snacked on another banana and macadamia nuts. Feeling rather hungry at the moment....wish my avocados were ripe!!! Not sure what I will eat....maybe some more nectarines and have some plums to finish. I will eat plums. I bought them, I better eat them.....

Anyone want an onery 16 yr old cat? We adopted him last year from our neighbors as they just didn't know what to do with him, moving to SF and not wanting to bring him....so we took him in.
He's sweet, but has an onery streak...just ask his vet, as with Otis there is no good side to him if you are his vet. Otis instinctively hates the vet. Could be something about being declawed.....that just might do it to you. Anyhoo....lately he has been very mean and agressive with our cat, Desert Sky, who is my heart and soul....and that just won't do. So.....I am going to call the vet to see if they have any idea what might be going on and how to deal with it, and then of course, there are always pet psychics.....and then of course, could just drug the old coot. He can sleep 24/7 instead of 20/7. lol. But seriously, this cat has got to behave. I can't have him acting all mean to my cat...he actually attacks him...starts fights with him. Not good. I am a bit surprised at this as my cat is basically a Siamese....I say basically as he is probably a traditional Balinese.....but if you picture a long haired choc pt Siamese.....that is my beautiful Desert Sky.

think kitty peace
think kitty love
stay healthy, hang on to your money, and buy local
ciao bellas!
love
Alessandra

YUMMY LENTIL SOUP

I made my yummy lentil soup tonight....and broke all of the rules. It wasn't raw or vegetarian. At least not 100%. The base was some turkey broth leftover from our organic thanksgiving turkey, and of course, the soup was cooked...but it is chock full of veggies. I started out with 4 cups of turkey broth, added 4 cups of water, then a Maneschevitz lentil soup packet (you know those long skinny cello wrapped packets of lentils, split peas, more lentils and pasta). I threw away the seasoning packet as I don't trust what is in it, then chopped off the top part of a butternut squash, peeled it, cut it into thin long pieces, and let that all cook. While that was cooking, I put 4 smallish onions and at least 6 stalks of celery through the slicer in my food processor, sauteed those lightly in a pan with lots of olive oil, salt and pepper, then set those aside in a bowl, while I sliced up and sauteed and then pureed a red bell pepper (all this subterfuge to fool my 12 yr old who does not like peppers), once the lentils and squash were cooked through, I mashed them a bit with a potato masher, then added about half or two thirds of the onion celery mixture plus all of the bell pepper puree, then pureed the rest of the onion celery mix and threw that in as well, then I grated a good bit of fresh ginger into it, at least an inch, used the ceramic Japanese ginger grater, which makes it nice and fine fine fine, then I chopped up a good bit of Lacinato aka Black aka Dino kale...need to chop that up very well or you get it all clumped up like I did, so I pulled it back out and chopped it a bit more in the food processor. Then I added a bit of apple cider vinegar (not too much...just to taste), then a bit of Mrs. Dash's spicy seasoning blend, a good bit of curry, and also about half of a jar of Bertolli's pasta sauce (olive oil & garlic) which by the way you can buy at super Target for about $2.04 a jar. It is the best. And voila.......a very nutritious and delicious soup which is soooo good for you.
If you like less spice, then leave the spicy stuff out, it is still delicious and nutritious.

I ate some. But it's lots of veggies, and I didn't cook them too much and and and...and it feels good especially with this cold which is so slow to leave. But I am getting better. Had more energy today. And I am still raw...but this is good for me to do. Didn't bring me down like cooked food usually does, so I know it was a good thing.

Otherwise I have been very good and all raw. Breakfast was a banana then a Lara bar, then went out and ran errands. Came back and made my usual Green smoothie with parsley from my garden (next year I am planting lots and lots of parsley) (it comes back for a second season on it's own but not a third), and dandelion greens and kale...with orange juice and grapefruit juice and banana. And my boys ate one again even though it was thick and a bit fibrous. yeah boys.

Weight this morning was 183.......will it be 183 tomorrow? I also ate some macadamia nuts and pecans today and some yummy nectarines from the farmers market. Maybe do a salad later...but that soup is still calling to me. My silly scale also showed me 179.5....it's a digital...but that was good. It's a sign of what's to come! Do hope I have energy on Tuesday for kickboxing....probably will go no matter what, as I've missed 2 already. This type of cold is definitely my nemesis. I rarely get sick.....but this cold got me. But not again.

When did it get to be fall? I love it, but I wish we could just have September and October for the next 4 months, then move right on into spring. I do not like winter so much. I like snow but not the cold...esp in my house as we don't heat it much.....and it's cold...but this winter I will be a cozy bear......and if I am cold I will just wear more clothes. Just lots and lots of clothes. That is what I do.

Oh Oh OH!! My dh and I are going to New Mexico.......in 2 weeks? 3 weeks....staying in a b&b in Chimayo, with it's own little fireplace it's kind of a suite.....and has a kitchenette if you can call a microwave and a toaster oven a kitchenette, but that's okay because I don't eat cooked foods! And I have foresworn microwaves..don't even heat my tea in them anymore.

And the boyos are staying behind with friends.......so we are going to be alone.......we so rarely go anywhere. It will be so nice!

Ciao bellas!
Stay healthy
love
Alessandra

RAW DAIRY, LIST OF DEAD FOODS, GREEN SMOOTHIE DELUXE

I have been sick this week. Dang. And it all started last week, after sharing my water bottle with my son who was getting sick but didn't realize it yet (foolish thing, that, as I know better) and for a time, I felt tired, but okay, no overt symptoms, until.........until the day I ate about 2 ounces of raw cheddar goat cheese. Within 20 minutes I was sneezing my head off and things only went from bad to worse. I thought inspite of all that that I was managing, until Tuesday evening my sinuses drained like a faucet non-stop, thank you Candida, which only stopped after I got up and ate some dried currants. For me with Candida, it works like this. Certain sweets turn my Candida on, certain sweets turn it off (ie the sinus drainage, and other Candida affects such as inordinate crabbiness, feeling off and zombie like, etc.) So I tried currants, and they worked. It is always a guessing game, but thankfully it worked, but not before the lovely drainage sent the cold down into my lungs. I woke up on Wednesday feeling a bit blah but relatively ok, but by mid-day it was clear to me that I was not feeling well at all, that I was getting bronchitis, so I went home, but on the way stopped at the vitamin store and bought some OregaResp (Oregano oil capsules with other herbal oils), and lots of fruit. Plums, oranges and grapefruit. I went home and took lots of OregaResp, made tea, and drank orange/grapefruit juice and rested. My loving hubby made dinner. I stayed home from work Thursday and Friday, sleeping and resting, and eating lightly and am slowly getting better.

And I discovered a new raw website, by Zoe Desmond and Chris Carlton...and their list of dead foods. I was sad to find out that raw tahini isn't truly raw and neither are macadamia nuts or brazil nuts. But it makes sense, and I suppose one could grind their own raw tahini. And here I just stocked up on macadamias. I will still eat them, but will think twice about getting more. Luckily pine nuts are truly raw, and of course we all know that after that lovely September dictatorial edict no almonds from the US are truly raw anymore. You can find the entire list at Zoe & Chris' website www.purelyraw.com Don't they both just look so marvelous?

I also have been making some truly deluxe green smoothies. And my kids even like them. One important thing when making them is to get the greens well blended/ground up. I don't have a VitaMix or a K-tec, but here is what I do. I put the greens in my food processor with the S-blade, breaking them into pieces if they are long, like parsley, taking the middle stems out of kale (so it isn't overly fibrous) and I use lots of greens, and I put them in first, and blend them until they are quite finely ground. Then I add a generous amount of olive oil and blend them some more. Say 1/4 to 1/2 cup, I actually do not measure. Then I add in 2 ripe bananas and blend some more. Then for this particular smoothie, my deluxe smoothie, I add the juice of 4 oranges and 1 large grapefruit. This is a really good combo for adding in cilantro as the flavors work with it so well. My boys ages 12 & 14 didn't really want any, but after they drank them (with a bit of coersion from moi, involving loss of computers) they asked for more. Yes!

Another thing I read, in Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko, was about body acidity and alkalinity. It turns out the main cause of cancer, what allows it to exist, is an acidic body. And she mentioned parmesan cheese as being highly acidic. wah. sigh. It makes such a lovely addition to my salads. sigh. Will have to leave that behind, but I have recently discovered some wonderful flax crackers made by "Matter of Flax" of Prescott, AZ...and they are so good! So far I have tried the Italian and the Mexican flax crackers and I love them both. They really help when I am missing something crunchy and breadlike.

So happy that I am doing well being 100% raw...okay 99% but aiming for 100%. Need to get raw salad dressings into my routine, I know making them is extremely easy, but it's a matter of having the ingredients, bottles to store them in, fridge space...logistics. Drop the parmesan cheese, and the occasional non-raw salsa that I mix with my avocado. So yummy though...it's a hot spicy Salsa Diablo made by Desert Pepper Trading Company.

Today's food was a large green smoothie, made as described above, then later on, a lime Lara bar, not sure how raw that is, supposed to be raw, but doubt it's 100%, then I came home and made another large green smoothie and shared it with my family, then at 2 plums, some flax crackers (not all at once, over a period of time), dinner was a large mixed greens salad, with a small orange sweet pepper, a large carrot shredded, some broccoli, half an avocado, a medium tomato, a small bit of red onion, a bit of thinly sliced poblano pepper (spicy!) and a nice handful of pine nuts, with some Seeds of Change Greek Feta Dressing (not raw). Yummy!~No parmesan cheese, though it would be delicious on this salad. Too acidic. sigh.


So stay healthy all y'all
ciao bellas!
love
Alessandra