Does it anger you that foods like meat, junk food, dairy, grains, etc. are so affordable while fresh fruits and vegetables seem to cost so much?

Don't you think that with the current education and research out today about Cancer prevention (ie eating lots of fruits and vegetables), it should really be taught in schools, not only through education, but by actually offering fresh, whole plant foods to children - instead of special programs giving out detrimental animal products and processed foods, which are hard on growing bodies, robbing them of essential nutrients?

Do you believe that there should be more ads about plant foods building bones and providing essential protein via necessary amino acids (along with other important nutrients that can't be provided from a Flintsone vitamin), instead of the meat and dairy industry constantly bombarding the public with false nutritional claims?

You may know a child whose future could really benefit from the Farm Bill. This could also deeply effect the American public. Please review the information in the following link and pass it on!

http://www.pcrm.org/childhoodobesity/

"You can do anything you want to do as long as you make up your mind...you can do it..." Dick Hoyt

Chances are you have seen this very inspiring and touching video. Many times lately I have watched this and even had the song from the video running around in my head for days on end.

But did you know the story behind the father, who was never a fit athlete, never ran more than a mile, and even had deteriorating health (he called himself a "porker") ...it was for the love of his son that actually helped him to be in the best shape of his life.

This article shows a different perspective of the story, where you get a deeper understanding of how someone can turn his life around, not for himself, but for the love of a child.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''





From http://cjcphoto.com/can/ and www.youtube.com

Here's a fun and flashy video!

90 Days From Today...

There are a little over 100 days until the end of the year. Here are some very inspiring words of wisdom and encouragement. If you have been struggling with making a decision about your health, just think of how much you can do while enjoying those last few days of the year with a new & improved you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you want to make a change, read the following, and then make a decision, take an action, and let the next 90 days be a journey you'll never forget!

90 Days From Today it is possible to have lost a significant amount of bodyfat, enough so others see what they perceive to be a radical change.

90 Days from Today your energy can be exponentially higher than it is right now, and if you make some simple shifts, you'll be able to command the energy you need at will.

90 Days from Today your sense of well being and the confidence you feel both when you're alone and in the presence of others can be at an unprecedented peak. The question, "How are you?" can be answered simply and sincerely, "awesome!"

90 Days From Today you can be lean, toned, and muscular if you so desire.

90 Days From Today you can be shopping for new clothes enjoying the reflection in the dressing room mirror.

90 Days From Today you can move with greater ease, handle the daily routines of life effortlessly, and surprise yourself with a new vitality.

90 Days From Today, while you will chronologically be older, you can actually be living in a body that is biologically younger and better than the one you live in right now.

90 Days From Today you might also be less conditioned, increasingly tired, maximally stressed, distraught, and wondering why you're so "stuck." Get unstuck!!!!

90 Days From Today will be here . . . in precisely 90 days whether you like it or not. Why not like it? You have the choice, but in order to gain control, in order to make certain 90 Days From Today leaves you smiling from ear to ear, begin with a decision and an action.

90 Days From Today will arrive. Design your outcome, or roll with the tide. It's your call.

From: http://www.cincinnatipersonaltraining.com/The_Next_90_Days.html

The Shopping Cart Content Conundrum

A funny thing happened to me at the grocery store...

...is how the joke goes.

Yesterday I was nearly out of bananas, so I went to a couple of stores to pick up some bananas and other produce.

First I stopped into Whole Foods, and I was buying about 20 ripe bananas. The checker was happy to see someone buying so many bananas, then asked if I was planning on making banana bread. Before I paid my bill, the checker learned how to make the most delicious banana ice cream ever.

The next place I went to was Sam's Club. I purchased three 3 lb. bags of ripe bananas, and this time the checker didn't seem to be as thrilled to see me buying so many bananas. She warned me that if I didn't eat all those bananas I would have to make banana bread.

Sometimes I will glance at someone's shopping cart and notice all the "stuff" they are purchasing. At Sam's Club I saw some ladies buying several packages of white hot dog buns. I didn't bother to ask them anything about their purchase. I didn't think to ask them why they were buying all those buns, or if they eat them all, what will they do when they'll be all stopped up for days to weeks.

Sometimes I notice lots of meat items in people's carts. I don't think to ask them if they have a flock of vultures or a den of lions that they are going home to feed. However, I've had friends have checkers ask if they have rabbits or horses, when they buy lots of carrots.

It makes me think how far society is removed from a natural food diet, when it is okay for someone to comment or question a customer with lots of fresh produce, but not okay to comment or question a customer with lots of processed and packaged and animal products.

Sometimes I wonder if I bump into someone I know, and they see some items I'm buying for my family who isn't 100% raw, what they might think. Do they realize that I'm buying this 'stuff' for my family and not for myself. Do I need to explain this to them?

I read an article about why people look at other people's grocery carts. The answer was that people are generally nosey and bored when they are in line at the check out stand.

I guess what it boils down to, is that we will all probably be looking at each other's carts, and sometimes what we see will make us shake our heads. It is up to each of us to use a little common sense and courtesy when bringing up the subject of another's shopping cart contents, and also not to be too quick to judge that the person pushing the cart isn't always the person that is going to eat everything inside of it.

Gimme a break....

The other day I got a mailer from the local grocery store about a new product. It is called "Active Lifestyle Fat Free Milk". Here's the description:

"It's the heart-healthy new fat free milk that's fortified to help reduce cholesterol levels when you drink two servings a day with meals. Active Lifestyle Fat Free Milk has plant sterols like those found in small quanitites within many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and other plants. Active Lifestyle Fat Free milk gives you an easy way to help lower your cholesterol, deliciously!"

In the flyer is a picture of the milk, yogurt and smoothies which also has plant sterols in it.

There is something so wrong with drinking milk to get the goodness in a plant food. Why would anyone want to do that when they can enjoy a variety of delicious and wonderful juicy fruits, delicate veggies and greens and rich nuts and seeds?

Notice how the last sentence says "...help lower your cholesterol delciously" it doesn't say naturally. If cows eat vegetation one would think that the sterols are getting in the milk already but obviously it doesn't.

The truth is that regular milk consumption contributes to a myriad of health problems. Especially drinking processed, homogenized milk with hormones and added vitamins and....surprise!....there already IS cholesterol in milk and all dairy products, even fat-free dairy.

I guess the dairy industry is desparately trying to get their revenues up, hence the suggested 2 serving dose per day. Also there is no disclaimer anywhere about how this product is not meant to cure any disease. If you notice on all products claiming a health benefit this has always been the case, the FDA demands this statement, however the dairy industry seems to get away with making health claims without disclaimers. Hmmmm, I wonder why?

The dairy industry was recently challenged and ordered to stop advertising milk as a weight loss tool, http://www.pcrm.org/news/release070511.html so now it looks like they are up something new.

More milk deception:

http://www.pcrm.org/news/release070628.html

The #1 way to get all the benefits of plants foods is by eating them, not parts of them injected into others foods.

Next Myth:

"All you need to do is eat raw and your life will change drastically."

Yes and no.

Changing your diet to raw will surely help your body make important and positive changes.

But doing this alone will not give you the level of health you are seeking.

There are a number of things to look at -

• Are you getting any type of activity based on your ability, whether it is doing a chair work-out or going on a hike in the mountains, a slow walk, riding a bike for 30 miles a day, or working in the garden? Are you challenging yourself just a little bit? Are you overworking yourself even when your body is telling you to rest?

• Are you breathing in fresh clean air from a clean environment? Are you getting fresh, clean outdoor air everyday? Is your indoor air as clean as possible, or are there unnatural deodorizers, chemical cleaners, etc. that you are inhaling on a daily basis?

• Are you getting a clean source of water? Are you over-drinking or under-drinking your water? Could you be drinking a lot more than you need if you are eating a lot of water-rich fruit and veggies, or could you possibly be over-confident about the food you are eating and avoiding supplemental water, especially during the hot months and during and after exercise?

• Are you getting sufficient sunshine? Are you avoiding the sun in fear? Are you going out in the sun too much during the peak hours of 10-12? Are you going out for at least a few minutes a day if you are sensitive? Are you going out in the sun with so much gusto that you are burning your skin?

• Are you sleeping enough to allow your body to recover, detox, rebuild and repair? Are you feeling like you are a super-being and only need 3 hours of sleep a night, but lose energy in the middle of the day?

• Are you under any stress, or living a peaceful life? Is your family supportive of you? Are you able to communicate yourself freely without getting into debates and arguments with others? Do you feel happy and loving toward others or do you feel defensive about what you do or about other elements in your life?

In The Perfect Health CD series, Dr. Douglas Graham talks about being only as strong as your weakest link. When your health is not improving, you have to look at the many lifestyle factors in your life, and even within those factors, for instance, are you getting too much or too little sun? Are you eating too many fats?

So YES, eating raw food is surely a step in the right direction, but NO it alone cannot bring you to the level of health you desire, or deserve!

Take a look at everything you are doing. Keep a list and note what needs improvement. Then slowly work on one factor at a time.

Next Myth:

"Eating raw is SO expensive. All those nuts, seeds, specialty raw foods, etc. is going to break my pocketbook"

Those things that cost so much - the oils, nuts, raw cacao, dried fruits, coconut, avocados, young coconuts, agave nectar, spices and seasonings - those are the things that should not be a regular part of the raw diet, or at the least should be eaten minimally.

Fresh produce is one of the least expensive things to eat.

As for the difference between a standard American diet and a fresh, raw diet, just compare a bunch of bananas to a box of snack cakes, the price is about the same but the nutritional difference is huge.

Remember also that when you are eating a superior diet, you are cutting down on other things that you don't use when you are experiencing optimal health, or just not eating as optimally:

• You are cutting down on medications, medical and dental expenses.

• Excessive amounts of cleaners, soaps, perfumes to hide body odor, lotions and potions.

• Don't forget those times when you plunk down between $20-40 (or more with a family) to go "out" to eat all of the time.

• With more energy, you won't be renting as many videos to sit around and watch.

• You won't be going to the movies as much, spending oodles of money on concessions.

• You won't be buying cinnamon rolls and pretzels at the mall.

• You won't be buying lattes, specialty coffees and teas all the time.

• You won't be buying girl scout cookies every year. You won't feel obligated to buy all those food coupons that the neighbor's kids, and friends children and family are trying to push on you for their fundraisers.

• You won't be buying all those seasonal cooked foods, bakery goods and treats. Just think of all the money you'll be saving on eggs and candy at Easter; all the meat, buns, cakes, cookies, soda and beer on Independence day; the big turkey, stuffing, rolls, cakes, cookies and pies that has made you and your relatives so sick and tired on Thanksgiving; and the sugary baked goods and tooth decaying candy on Chanukah and Christmas.

• You won't feel the need to buy big coupon books just so you can save going out to restaraunts.

• When you go to the zoo or amusement parks or other outings, you won't need to buy junky cooked lunches.

• When you go to a baseball game you won't be buying mystery meat hot dogs, pretzels, ice cream and beer.

• When on road trips you won't need to be driving through fast food places.

It is amazing how little expenses on a cooked lifestyle add up. $5 here, $10 there for little things, just add up to hundreds and thousands of dollars over a years' time.

I just came across a great blog explaining how cheap raw has been for her family. A family of 6 eating organic produce at less than $200 a week! Wow - I am impressed! Below is the entry and a link after it:

I have gotten a number of emails from college students wondering how I stay raw in college and how I afford such a lifestyle. Also, I have had many ask me about my social life, family life, etc... well...this is my response:

I am going to be a junior at Rice University. I started 100% raw in one night 2.5 years ago in a single dorm with no kitchen, and I washed my fruits and veggies in the bathroom sink that 27 other girls used...ya tell me I am not passionate??

At first, I barely ate organic, and I would buy by the case (bananas, oranges, lettuce), and I would get most of my fruits and salads from the salad bar in the cafeteria. After a few months, I petitioned for organic greens, and Vanderbilt began to offer them. (This was before I transfered to Rice). The next year, I was asked to be in-charge of helping to get Vanderbilt's FIRST organic munchie mart on campus. I smile at this accomplishment.

After that, it was easy to get greens, but fruits was way out of my league....especially bc I was in Nashville...SOOO, I made a bargain with my parents. Because I was on a full-ride to Vanderbilt, I told my parents that I would work certain hours at the university if they paid for me to eat all organic. They agreed. However, finding fruits in Nashville is horrible, and I hate cold weather. Last semester, I transfered to Rice University, where there is warm weather and amazing fruits. Now, I know all the local/organic farmers and all the produce managers in my area, and I buy cases for my whole family....

I feed 6 people eating pretty much 100% raw for less than $200 a week...not bad eh? IT CAN BE DONE :) Oh, and we do not limit ourselves to bananas... to the contrary...when we eat what is in season, we find more variety than our taste buds can handle...

About being social in college: hmmm let's see...well I don't drink, don't smoke, and I definitely don't eat cooked foods. I have found that the people who really want to be your friends will flock to you and they will accept you for who you are, no matter what you eat or what you believe. My closest friends will either now eat raw with me, or they will sit there and laugh as I gnarl down my two heads of lettuce...they love me don't they?

I don't like to be around keg parties anyways...they bore me half to death, and I think people act so stupid when they are drunk. I love to go salsa dancing, and simply doing the things I love, I meet new and wonderful people every day. It's that simple~ Attract the people you want into your life. Family may take more time, but as I have been told by Dr. G and by Lennie...SHOW THEM. In order to truly effect someone, you must lead by example and SHOW them the change in you.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

My family is now almost 100% raw. My sister is 100% raw, and it has taken my parents over two years to begin to embrace this. Only this past year have they switched to 2 raw meals a day and all of their other "foods" bought from the farmer's markets. A little bit of educating people about their choices and about their dollar can make a HUGE difference...and they will THANK you for how much better they feel!

I do miss Costa Rica, and I was living a dream there, but now that I am back, I can very well see that I am needed here to make a difference. I am going to do everything I can to encourage more raw and inspire more people. I know I have a ton of people standing right beside me.

You can check out other interesting entries from the blog here:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-jDIYJQk6ebPiokhbhZ8F4A--?cq=1

Raw Myths

There are so many misconceptions that are passed off as truth in the raw food world. I see it all the time. There are many experts out there who have been uncovering these for the good of the general raw interested public. I’d like to take a few that stand out and discuss them.

“Eat whatever you want, as long as it’s raw…anything that is considered raw is healthy.”

No way!

This is so far from the truth.

Some raw meals and recipes contain more salt and fat than a fast food meal. There are many “gourmet” meals that have had all the water dehydrated out of them, and miscombined (fats and sugars), over-salted and spiced, which has left many people who constantly partake in them, confused, unsatisfied and frustrated with their physical and mental results on raw, leaving many giving up the raw food diet.

The error with this myth, is that people are being advised to eat anything they want as long as it’s raw, so that they aren’t hungry, they are encouraged to eat as many pieces of raw pie, pizza, burgers, and raw “treats” etc. as they need to in order to stay raw. They eat practically no fresh fruits or vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

This may keep people from eating their old standard cooked diets, but it’s no healthier, and in many cases, far less healthy than what they were eating before.

In addition, the majority of people eating questionably fresh and healthy food, and overloading on raw fats, dehydrated foods and raw gourmet recipes rarely see the results they are looking for.

Truth be told, I haven’t actually witnessed, seen or heard of anyone who has met a health goal eating raw food this way. Please come out of the woodwork if you have! I’d love to know about it!

For the most part, they may feel a small difference in the beginning, as cooked food does take a toll on our bodies, and coming off those denatured and damaging foods initially will give people a small taste of a healthier feeling, but that soon dissipates if the person continues with non-fresh, heavy, dehydrated and/or mixed raw foods day in and day out.

This includes yours truly. I’ve been on and off raw several times, and let me say that eating a wildcard raw diet was the most effective the first time around – but going back on the raw diet with gourmet recipes goodies at every meal gave me no results and actually made me feel just as worn out and tired, if not more, than on cooked.

We have gotten so far away from real raw food, we should really be calling this diet the “Fresh Food Diet”, because the best foods are found in whole, fresh form, ripe and ready to eat, and not mixed up with a bunch of other foods, dehydrated, over spiced and concentrated (as in oils, nut butters, etc.) The very best foods, which should be the center of the diet, are fresh ripe fruits, vegetables, and greens complimented by small amounts nuts and seeds. Instead of making a raw pizza or a raw pie as a meal, the meal should be as many pieces of fruits and vegetables as needed to satisfy a person’s hunger.

Should people starting out on raw ever use gourmet recipes and fractionated processed “raw” foods? Only if necessary. In the beginning, people transitioning to raw may experience cravings for heavier, more complicated and more concentrated foods. But by making those raw recipes an everyday habit, it’s like trading one bad habit for another. The habit of eating unnatural food will never be broken if one never gets used to eating naturally.

You could be thinking: “But I really want to enjoy these gourmet recipes, because I’m not ready to eat that simply, all of the time”.

I hear you. That is a very valid place to be, and you are certainly not alone in those thoughts. You can have the best of both worlds.

Try this tip if you are in that recipe rut!

* Allow yourself just one heavy recipe/meal a day in the beginning, after you have at least 1 piece of fruit before the meal. If you can have more than 1 piece of fruit beforehand, great!

* After a couple of weeks reduce your heavy recipe/meal to 3 times a week for the next week, again make sure you eat at least 1 piece of fruit before the recipe or heavier food. Try not to wait more than a couple of weeks to do this,

* By now you should be comfortable enough to start eating more and more fresh food, but if not, in a month, drop the heavy, gourmet stuff to once a week.

Third Meal of the Day & Snacks

Usually your third meal of the day will be your evening meal.

There are a couple different things you may want to do:

Heavy

If you are really, really hungry you may want to have a more heavy, satisfying meal.

This could be a large salad with some nuts, olives, or avocado.

Or it could be a more complex type of raw recipe if you are in a transitional phase.

If you are still eating cooked food, you may choose to eat some complex carbohydates like rice, potatoes and steamed veggies.

Light

If you already had a heavy meal at lunch or just want something sweet, fruit is the perfect choice here.

You could have a lovely fruit pudding of bananas and mangos whirled around in the food processor. Optional: make it tropical by adding young coconut meat or sprinkling dried coconut on top.

Or you could do a nice fruit smoothie, or a cold fruit soup. Strawberries blended with orange juice, agave nectar, honey etc. makes a wonderful soup.

A bowl of grapes or sliced melon is another refreshing light choice.

Snacks

When you don't eat enough to satisfy you to the next meal, and especially during transition, you will be prone to snack or even have smaller meals in between larger ones.

People tend to eat the worst when they are "snacking", whether it is a lick of something they are preparing for others, a bite of pizza, a cookie, a piece of bread, etc. snacks almost always are the cause of people "blowing" their diets. So, being prepared, mentally and physically with plenty of choices will help avoid these pitfalls.

Here are some suggestions:

~ 1 cup of dates

~ 2-3 bananas

~ Baby carrots or celery sticks with optional nut butter, guacamole or hummus

~ A handful of sun-dried raisins

~ Romaine hearts

~ 12 oz. fresh orange juice from 3-4 squeezed oranges

~ Sugar snap peas

If you are transitioning and want something a bit heavier or heartier:

~ Home made trail mix (nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, etc.)

~ Homemade raw cookies, truffles, fudge or brownies

~ Just Corn (freeze dried corn by Just Tomatoes brand - great movie snack)

~ Sulfite and sugar-free dried fruit from the health food store, such as mango cheeks, pineapple rings, tart cherries, figs, prunes, apricots etc. These may not be techinically raw as they are dried under higher heat settings but work for beginners or transitioners.