Day 3 of My Husband's 7 day Challenge

My husband and I had a date at Whole Foods Market today. Just being there gave my hubby a boost in the arm to carry on. The environments we surround ourselves with are very important to our success.
We ate our lunch from the salad bar. The advantage for me was I did not have to prepare it or clean up, so this was a real treat!
Today was a long day away from home. We left for church early and did not return until after 6 pm. Before leaving the house I made sure we were prepared so I packed cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, pineapple slices, 1/2 cantaloupe and green smoothies. I always try to take juice and raw foods with me when I leave home. This way I don't have to make unnecessary stops and this helps with temptations. Today we brought a lot of it back home, but that is okay, it is better to be prepared than hungry.

My husbands menu today~

Amazing Green Grass Smoothie~raw almond milk,big scoop of Green Grass~chocolate, banana, cacao, organic no sugar Peanut butter, mesquite

Green smoothie~water, spinach, 1/2 banana, strawberries

salad at Whole Foods~mixed greens, shredded carrots, red onions, cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms with balsamic vinegrette
very small amount of pasta salad and brown rice salad

At Home~
Marinated Mushroom (Zuchinni) Linguini w/ Cashew cheese and walnut parmesan
Cauliflower Salad (Boutenko's recipe from Eating without Heating)I added cherry tomatoes for color

Stalk of celery with Spicy Almond Cheese (from Eating w/o Heating)
cherry tomatoes

1/2 Cantaloupe

Green Lemonade

Walnut Parmesan~walnuts, nutritional yeast and gourmet pasta seasoning~threw the ingredients in the vita-mix (sorry no measurements)


My husband has always eaten a large quantity of foods prior to going high raw vegan, therefore he wants to eat frequently. He is doing a great job and making good choices as he meets the challenges of continuing on this path.
The pasta that he ate at Whole Foods was the only no-no, but it was an extremely small amount..so we are still counting this day as a success!

My food choices today~

Smoothie~raw almond milk, banana, mesquite, lacuma, maca, cacao

16 oz of Green Lemonade (time to make more...this is the last one!)

Amazing Green Grass Smoothie~ raw almond milk, Green Grass~chocolate, banana, mesquite, cacao, frozen cherries(no Peanut butter for me!)

Very large Salad~mixed greens, romaine, spinach, shredded carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, cukes, Beet Salad, sunflower seeds, Kale Salad
Ginger Kombucha ~GT's is my favorite!!!

celery sticks
Green lemonade

Amazing Green Grass Smoothie

2 T. Artichoke/garlic salsa and a couple of blue corn chips

I made 1 gallon of Green Lemonade~celery,spinach, lemon and ginger~I love this stuff. By the end of today I felt dehydrated. I only had 16 oz this morning and I am used to drinking 1-2 quarts a day, sometimes I drink more.
I also made some carrot ginger juice for my husband. He prefers it over the green lemonade.

Thanks to those of you that have commented. This has encouraged my husband!!!.....and it is nice to know someone is out there. :)

Day 2 of my Husband's 7 day cleanse

My husband is doing a 7 day cleanse and is on day two. He is doing great. He has his moments and visions of Bacon-a-tors, but has been able to overcome these thoughts. I continue to encourage him and draw him into my world. So tonight as a reward for today's success he had a few raw pecans with chocolate sauce.
At this point his greatest challenge is removing old thought patterns from his mind about what to eat. He has been high raw vegan for 16 days so this is a great accomplishment! I am so proud of him! I think diet is the hardest thing to change. As I have said before, we have to eat every day...we don't have to smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs...but we do have to eat. Therefore we have the opportunity to overeat or indulge in ways that are unhealthy. We can choose not to be around the former things but we probably cannot always choose to stay away from unhealthy foods. It is everywhere, at work, during social and family gatherings, etc. So our opportunities are closer to trip us up. This is why we really need to have support from people that genuinely care about us...but, it is still very challenging. Again, I encourage you to find someone (preferrably the same gender~esp. if you are married) to support you in your journey.

My husband's eats today~
oranges
1 banana
1 16 oz green juice

very large salad~red romaine, cukes, green onion, cilantro, grape tomatoes,
salsa with artichokes, sprinkle of sesame seeds, 1 Avocado diced
Topped with Black beans salad (black beans, chopped carrots, diced red/yellow peppers, cumin, lime juice and olive oil

Amazing Grass Smoothie, raw almond milk, banana, big scoop of Amazing Grass~chocolate, cacao, mesquite, frozen cherries, ice

3-4 raw pecans with very little choclate sauce..cocoa and raw honey

today I ate~

64 oz of Green Lemonade

one ring of pinapple,a strawberry, cuke, a couple strips of bell pepper,
2 olives (I ate this at a baby shower I attended)

Salad~red leaf lettuce, cuke, 1/2 avocado, salsa, green onion, cilantro, raw sunflower seed dressing(no oil)

Amazing Green Grass Smoothie w/ my hubby-ingredients above

4 raw pecans w/ a bit of chocolate sauce

Kombucha tea

My husband's first day on Penni's 7-Day Rejuvenation Cleanse

Mixed Veggie/Portabella Mushroom and
Wilted Spinach (I is a take off( very modified)from a recipe out of Raw Food Cleanse)

Portabella Mushrooms cleaned and sliced (the big ones)
Red and Green Peppers de-seeded and sliced thinly (1 each)
Yellow Squash peeled and sliced in long strips

Marinade: 1-2 hours or overnight
Braggs Liquid Aminos (I just squirt enough to have about 1/4-1/2 in. in bottom of shallow dish~I used a 13x9)
2 cloves of pressed garlic

Spinach Salad

1-1/2 bags of fresh spinach
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. olive oil
2 garlic cloves pressed
1/2 t. sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Mix together with hands and massage until wilted

I place both of these items in the dehydrator to warm them for about an hour
Then place a bed of spinach on a plate with veggie/mushroom mixture on top.
We sprinkled ours with Sesame Ginger Seasoning (a mixture of black and brown sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, red pepper(hot) and sesame seed oil


Today when my hubby got up he said he needed to kick it up a notch on his diet. He feels that he has reached a plateau. So I got out my handy Raw Food Cleanse book by Penni Shelton and suggested a 7 day cleanse. She states that you can continue working and not be adversely affected while doing this cleanse. So he enthusiastically agreed to do it.
I will try to post his eats each day as he walks his own journey to better health.
My husband works nights so his main meal is usually early afternoon before he leaves for work. His menu's will reflect this.

Today for the husband:
WATER
16 oz Green Smoothie

Veggie Portabella Wilted Spinach Entree w/ sesame mixture sprinkled on it
He ate a large plate of this and said it filled him up and that it was good
Packed meals for tonight:
2 16 oz smoothies (spinach, banana, strawberries, water)
1 whole cantaloupe cubed
1 pear
2 clementines
sm bag of celery sticks
another baggie with a mixture of baby carrots, 2 radishes, grape tomatoes
Macho Nacho Cheese 2T for dipping(macadamia cheese) recipe link on sidebar
1 whole cantaloupe

My husband may not eat all of the fruit and drink both smoothies, but I want him prepared in case he has a weak moment with nothing on hand to eat.
He is really wanting to decrease his portions at this time, so we will see how this goes.


My eats for today:

Smoothie~almond milk, banana, maca, lacuma, mesquite, cacao,1 t. instant coffee(organic)

32 oz of Green Lemonade

1 c. clementines/mango mixture (fresh)

Veggie/Portabella/wilted spinach plate with sesame seed mixture topping

4 oz of ginger Kombucha tea (made by a local entrepreur) delicious!

Amazing Green Grass Smoothie~raw almond milk, banana, big scoop of chocolate green grass, mesquite, cacao

Eggplant Bacon

Eggplant Bacon~(modified from "How we all went Raw"~Nungesser & Malachi)
2 eggplants peeled and sliced thinly lengthwise
1 1/2 olive oil
2 t. black pepper
1/4 c. raw honey
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

marinate eggplant for two hours, place on teflex sheets and dry approx. 9 hours and then turn and dry for another 9 hrs.
after the first 9 hours I removed the teflex sheets and placed it on the mesh screen withone teflex sheet under the bottom tray to catch any oil drips. (after it is done to desired crispness you may want to dab off the excess oil)
This makes quite a bit of bacon. I chopped some of it into small pieces for bacon bits for my salad. I made my vegan son a BLT on whole grain toast with Vegenaise. I made me one just wrapped in Red leaf lettuce as my bread.

I have had a good day. I made a gallon of Green Lemonade this afternoon.
Not much else going on in my kitchen. I have prepared meals in the fridge so it was a nice break from the kitchen.


Eats Today~

1 QT of Green Lemonade

Smoothie~fresh raw almond milk, banana, maca, lucuma, cacao, mesquite

Big Salad~red leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, cukes, carrots, a radish, mung bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, hemp seeds,sunflower seeds, tahini dressing, eggplant bacon bits

Chocolate covered cherries~recipe on yesterday's post
I made some for my hubby and the kids and I just had to have some too~

16oz of Green Lemonade

Eggplant BLT~red leaf to roll it in~ eggplant bacon, roma tomatoes, vegenaise

yoga practice~

Health Screening Results~Cleansing, Chocolate Covered Cheeries

Last week I went and got a health screening. I was curious as to what my cholesterol and glucose levels are at. This was a fasting test. Therefore nothing but water for twelve hours prior to the test.
Here are my results:

Total Cholesterol: 152
less than 200=desirable
200-239= Borderline High
Greater than 240=High

HDL 64
(This is the the good stuff, the higher the value the better)
less than 40= Low HDL, potential for heart disease
40-59=Average
Greater than 60=High HDL, this is considered ideal

LDL 80
(This is the Bad stuff, the lower the
better)and can be determined
by your physician

greater than 160 is considered high for all populations
less than 100 is desirable for heart vascular disease, diabetes
100-159=goals depend on your overall risk status and can be determined by your physician

Triglycerides 42
(these are free fats in the blood)
less than 150=normal
150-199=boarderline high
200-499=High
more than 500=Very high


Glucose 76
less than 59=considered low
60-100=desirable
101-125=potential pre-diabetes
greater than 126=suggests possibility of
diabetes

Interpetation infomation provided by Hendricks Regional Health


Overall I am very happy with my results. My 18 year old son who is a strict Vegan had a total cholesterol of 118. Whoo Hoo!!! All of his counts were better than mine with the exception of a couple of points on the glucose and triglycerides.
I would like to encourage you to go to a health screening in your area. The one I attended took a blood draw and I fasted beforehand. This is your ideal situation for a true result. I have been at others that just took a skin prick.(It was at my local Sam's Club) I did fast prior to this one also, but I did not get the other details. Whichever is available remember to fast at least 12 hours beforehand. My screening was free and it was done thru our county hospital. Yippee! They do it every quarter and it is like a mini health fare. Most of the vendors are AMA approved and I didn't find one promoting nutrition. Most vendors offered sweet treats but they also had drawings for door prizes, such as gift cards and tickets to a Football game.
Check with your local hospitals and you will probably find similar situations.
This will also give you a baseline to see where you are now and then do it again to watch for any improvements in your numbers as your health improves.
This can provide you with some solid encouragement for yourself and when others question your weird way of eating. :)

Today I am semi cleansing. I have been taking a Genesis Today product called, "4 Total Cleanse" It is an herbal dietary supplement. Here are the benefits taken from their site:

Helps to ensures 2-3 good bowel movements each and every day with absolutely no dependency
Formulations backed with 20 years of real life clinical experience and 2.5 years of actual testing
Does not cause cramping, diarrhea, gas or over stimulating effects like other internal cleansers
Includes critical cleansing herbs that other popular internal cleansers do not contain, such as Wasabi, Uva Ursi Leaf, Yellow Dock Root, Pau D-Arco Bark, Gentian, Horsetail and many others
Non habit forming and buffered to help support proper gastrointestinal elimination*
Supports healthy detoxification of all seven channels of elimination*
100% vegetarian product with almost no excipients or binders - less than 4 mg per capsule (made with vegetarian capsules)
Does NOT contain Magnesium Hydroxide, Cape Aloe Gel, Senna or other harsh, un-buffered active ingredients that have potential negative effects associated with their use

My hubby and I are doing this simple cleanse regimen to support the diet changes he is making. I am doing this to support him and to enhance my own eliminatory organs. I choose this for it's simplicity and cost effectiveness. This product is a good one that is simple in that you continue eating (there is no fasting involved). My hubby is getting a gentle cleanse as he makes changes in eating habits.
When we make too many radical changes in our life at the same time it can be overwhelming. So start simple and do what will guarantee success and not sabotage your efforts. My husband has lost 8lbs in less than two weeks by eating a high raw vegan diet. I have seen improvements in his apprearance, attitude, energy levels and clearer thinking and his bad breath is gone!!! :) He has shared that he truely feels better! My daughter has noticed a change in the color of his face. Where his skin was always red, it is beginning to even out and becoming a more natural fleshy color.


Today's eats~

Smoothie
almond milk, banana, maca, lucuma, mesquite, raw cacao

40 oz Green Lemonade

Amazing Green Smoothie~almond milk, Amazing Green Grass Chocolate banana, raw cacao, lucuma, mesquite, maca, frozen sweet dark cherries, ice


I really love this stuff and it is full of superfoods and it is raw and vegan! I prefer the chocolate but my youngest likes the berry. The berry flavor kinda reminds me of those Pixy Stix candy we used to eat as children~the powdery candy in a straw.

Blended Salad~red leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, celery, cukes, 1 radish, marinated portabellas, homemade tahini dressing

Tahini Dressing
tahini
lemon juice
Braggs Liquid Aminos
water to thin

snack~banana~sliced with raw coconut, pecans and drizzled with chocolate sauce...
My kiddo's reminded me we had dark sweet cherries so I made a bit more chocolate sauce..but this time I left out the water and then we dipped the cherries in it...DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

CHOCOLATE SAUCE
COCOA, RAW HONEY AND MIX UNTIL THICK...I KEPT MINE A LITTLE ON THE BITTER SIDE
Yesterday's eats~
1/2 gallon of Green Lemonade
water
dark sweet cherries~handful
a few celery sticks/carrots/grape tomatoes dipped in a bit of spiced hummus
med. banana drizzled with chocolate syrup(cocoa, raw honey,vanilla,water)topped with a few raw pecans


The most important thing thing you will wear today is your smile, it may be the only one that someone may see... and remember to be Kind because every one is struggling with something.

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

Get Ready to Kickstart Your Health on March 1!

Based on research by Neal Barnard, M.D., one of America’s leading health advocates, this program is designed for anyone who wants to explore and experience the health benefits of a vegan diet.

For those you you that want to improve your health or lose weight and are not interested in going on a RAW diet or may be transitioning.. I highly recommend this program. You can click on the link below to see what it is all about and join if you like.

Clinical researcher and author Neal Barnard, M.D., is one of America’s leading advocates for health, nutrition, and higher standards in research. As the principal investigator of several human clinical research trials, whose results are published in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals, Dr. Barnard has examined key issues in health and nutrition.

Neal Barnard is the founder and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Dr. Barnard is also president of The Cancer Project, a nonprofit organization advancing cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education and research.

PCRM 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 21-Day Vegan Kickstart
Get Ready to Kickstart Your Health on March 1!

Biographical Sketch~
Neal Barnard, M.D., is a clinical researcher, author, and health advocate. He has been the principal investigator or coinvestigator on several clinical trials investigating the effects of diet on health. He was a coinvestigator on a study, conducted in conjunction with Georgetown University, of the effect of dietary interventions in type 2 diabetes, and was the principal investigator of a study on dietary interventions in diabetes, funded by the National Institutes of Health and conducted under the auspices of the George Washington University School of Medicine, in association with the University of Toronto. Dr. Barnard was also the principal investigator of a study assessing the effects of dietary interventions on premenstrual and menstrual symptoms and of a study on weight loss in postmenopausal women.

He is the author of dozens of publications in scientific and medical journals as well as numerous nutrition books for lay readers and is frequently called on by news programs to discuss issues related to nutrition, research issues, and other controversial areas in modern medicine.

He is a frequent lecturer at scientific and lay conferences and has made presentations for the American Public Health Association, the World Bank, the National Library of Medicine, the Franklin Institute, the American Medical Writers Association, the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and many state dietetic associations.

Dr. Barnard grew up in Fargo, N.D. He received his M.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and completed his residency at the same institution. He practiced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York before returning to Washington to found the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in 1985. PCRM has since grown into a nationwide group of physicians and lay supporters that promotes preventive medicine and addresses controversies in modern medicine. As president of PCRM, Dr. Barnard has been instrumental in efforts to reform federal dietary guidelines.

Dr. Barnard is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, a Life Member of the American Medical Association, and a member of the American Diabetes Association.

Wedding Plans and a Few of my Favorite Things~

It has been a couple weeks since I posted. The day is drawing near that my eldest is to be married. My daughter is still working out the final details of the wedding and I get to go along for the ride most of the time. It has been a wonderful blessing to spend this time with her before she changes her name and becomes one with her mate. She will be moving many miles away so I want to get in every moment I can before she leaves.
She has been gone this weekend working on the house that she and her husband will occupy~ therefore I thought I would blog since I had a few minutes.
I am continuing to stay High Raw and I still feel great. My husband is now transitioning into a healthier diet. He has tried many times before just as many of us attempted. Most people do not just begin a lifestyle change and never have setbacks, so don't be discouraged if you have tried before and then go back to old habits. Just get up and begin again!
I have found that community and support from others is a MAJOR benefit to success....sometimes pain or fear is a good motivator too. I encourage you to find others to join you in your quest to improve your health through lifestyle changes. Then you will have someone to discuss your trials and successes with. There are many communities on the internet and there may be some in your area. Just start searching on the internet or asking at your health food store.
We have a Raw Support Group here locally that meets once a month to share information and recipes. They also plan field trips and visit Raw Restaurants and such.
Below I have a couple links to community sites where you can join others that are on this same journey.
One that I highly recommend is Raw Food Rehab. Penni Shelton created this site. Her recently published book, "Raw Food Cleanse" is a great book for the newbie to raw foods or the seasoned raw foodie. It could be used for a group study for those that are new to raw foods.

Juicing and My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets~

Yesterday I juiced 2 1/2 gallons of Green Lemonade and Carrot/ginger juice.
My trusty old Jack LaLanne juicer just will not give up the ghost. I love it because it has a large opening for the veggies/fruits and it is easy to clean up. I also own a Green Power Juicer that I use for wheatgrass. It is a twin powered juicer so it runs slower. This decreases oxidation so that it retains its nutritional value longer. I have a Champion Juicer too. I pull it out for raw ice creams and some day for nut butter. The latter two juicers have small shoots so you must chop up your produce and they are slower juicers, therefore it takes longer to juice and clean up.
Vita-mix~is my most used gadget in the kitchen. I use it probably 5-10 times a day. For making nut milks, juices, nut cheeses, sauces, blended salads, soups, smoothies...etc.
Salad Shooter~ I use this alot...to shred veggies and shave almonds
Vadalia Chopper~ another useful item for chopping veggies into large or small squares for salads or salsa
Garlic Press~ self explanatory
Peeler~making noodles or peeling veggies
Dehydrator~raw cookies & crackers, drying soaked nuts & seeds, herbs, drying nut pulp into flour, granola, I dry veggies that I cannot use up
Good Set of Knives
Glass jars with Good lids~for storing raw veggies and everything else
Crockpot~for my family of non raw fooders~I try to keep lentils/beans in the crock almost daily for quick meals. Each day I change it up a bit by adding another ingredient or two until they are used up

All of these items are not essential for a Raw Kitchen. You just need a good set of knives and a good imagination.
These are just the items that I have accumulated over the last few years and that I find helpful in my food preparation at this point in my journey.


Today's eats~

1 qt of Green Lemonade

Smoothie~raw almond milk, banana, maca, lucuma, mesquite, raw cacao, 1 t. instant organic coffee, ice

Nori Rolls~guac, shredded carrots, spinach, tabouli (parsley,green onions, sprouted or cooked quinoa tomatoes, cukes, cumin, lime, olive oil, pepper)

Smoothie~raw almond milk, banana, Amazing Green Grass Chocolate powder, 1 T organic no sugar Peanut Butter

Small Salad~spinach & red leaf, tomatoes, carrots, green onions, tahini dressing
Celery with Macho Nacho Cheese

Raw almond Cookies with macadamia icing

Kombucha Tea

Raw Food Cleanse by Penni Shelton of Raw Food Rehab

Just a quick note to let you know that Raw Food Cleanse by Penni Shelton is being shipped as of today through Amazon.com!!

Order yours today!!!

The Perils of Dairy

Milk, butter, ice cream and cheese are a great source of nutrition -- if you want to pack on weight, feed allergies and autoimmune diseases, and grow fatal tumors.

We thought you might enjoy viewing Dr. John McDougall's FULL 1 hour-plus presentation from the 2005 Healthy Lifestyle Expo.

In it he shows why dairy products are probably the most unhealthy aspect of the standard Western diet.

You can link up to the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvrlwnEqbs


You can get more information about this video at
Vegsource.com