365 days to a happier, healthier, more beautiful me...

Day 365

2010-12-31T23:06:00.006-05:00

mondopanno@flickrWell, it's the end of my first 365 days. It's been such a wild and interesting year. Besides the Jerry Springer Edition, there was a lot of personal growth as well as learning curve about going Raw. It's still the single most compelling thing I've ever done. The benefits so outweigh eating any other way. I'm hooked and have developed habits I will not be giving up. Yet, it's not

Day 96-276 The Jerry Springer Edition

2010-10-03T21:45:00.008-04:00

photo credit mondopanno@flickrWow. It's been a while since my last post. Things have been a little crazy. I've had so many kind people still follow me and my non-existent blog (thank you) and so here's the latest update, as much as I can cover 5 missing months.The good news is that I've maintained some very good raw food habits and I love it. I still do a gigantic carafe of fresh squeezed OJ

Day 80-96 I Never Really Went Away

2010-04-06T12:21:00.004-04:00

photo credit xdianicx@flickrI'm still here but I guess you could say I'm back! I've not made any further diet progress because my hormones flatlined and pretty much took me out. I was so exhausted that my one and only goal every single day was to get back into bed, even if it were only for 15 minutes. I was setting alarms all day long to get up and take care of things. Insane. I also started a

Day 79 First Day of Spring - Happy Birthday to Me

2010-03-20T11:19:00.004-04:00

photo credit *Ann Gordon@flickrAh! The day we've all been waiting for: The First Day of Spring. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it but it gets even better 'cause it's also my birthday. I feel like I kinda won the birthday lottery by getting a special day of the year on top of it. Not to mention the fact it's a special day sans interference. It's not like it's Christmas or Easter where I have to

Day 76 Taking Matters into My Own Hands

2010-03-17T23:15:00.005-04:00

photo credit Mondopanno@flickrOkay the gloves are off. I'm TIRED of being TIRED. Waaaay tired. It's been 4 months since my hysterectomy and as per my doctor I have not taken anything to supplement for the first 4 months due to the endometriosis die off, which I agree with. But now I feel I need something since the exhaustion is so bad. I will not ever take anything made by big pharma but I will

Days 64-75 I've been busy!

2010-03-16T22:18:00.004-04:00

Wow has it been 10 days? It really seems like 6 months. Remember in the beginning when I said that besides getting a grip on my diet and body I wanted to take control of my house and weed out all the clutter? Well, I've been doing that. It actually dawned on me a few days ago that I've been SPRING CLEANING - and it's not even spring yet. Is it possible that for once in my life I'm ahead?! Oh

Day 64 TGIF

2010-03-05T20:43:00.003-05:00

photo credit onthe6th@flickrToday was really busy with errands and an important appointment, plus I finally got my hair done after more months than I can count. My stylist said he thought something happened to me - LOL! I must say that he was quite shocked by my new appearance. I've not been out in the world much since sequestering myself on this journey. I sometimes think the difference isn't

Day 63 Week 9

2010-03-04T23:40:00.005-05:00

photo credit ratterrell@flickrI'm just gonna run on by and update 'cause I'm working on something else and gotta get back to it. This week I ate 20 bananas and 60 oranges. I did not get any treadmill or swimming in. Today I have a terrible headache. I'm not eating quite enough and I'm a little dehydrated. My weight is the same though I am feeling a bit thinner in the hips and bum area! To date

Day 62 Sanity Preservation

2010-03-03T22:38:00.007-05:00

photo credit Silly lil' Doe!@flickrToday I just took it easy. I had the luxury of being home all day and my daughter had late band practice. I didn't have to face the world til 4:30 p.m. I felt like I'd won the lottery. I was so happy to be home. I did whatever I wanted, which actually ended up being cleaning my bird aviary and then I had a short nap with the cats and dog. I also ate whatever I

Day 61 Stress With a Side of Cheese

2010-03-02T23:19:00.019-05:00

As much as you try to dodge it, some days total annihilation is just inevitable.My day today actually started at 4:30 p.m yesterday. I picked up the mail to find I had an appointment at 10:30 a.m. today with the state regarding some child support issues. Great. 18 hours notice and the issues really aren't mine, they're my ex's, but since I'm the recipient, or really non-recipient of timely child

Day 60 New Month!

2010-03-01T23:13:00.006-05:00

photo credit iheartlinen@flickrOnce again a new month before me. I'm hoping I'll lose some weight this month. The inches are great but I'm not interested in being the only 170 lb size 2 person on the planet! I know I build muscle with exercise. That's great but lets get the weight off please. Last month was hard, lots of stress and then I was sick. I am fortunate to have lost the 13.5 inches.

Day 59 Weights, Measures and Pictures!

2010-02-28T15:31:00.005-05:00

2 months down. Even more so than last month when I was thinking there wouldn't be much discernible change, I was thinking there would be no change at all this month. I figured a new photo would be a waste of time as it wouldn't show any changes whatsoever. I took a pic anyway just to prove to myself there were no changes. But while the scales registered virtually no loss, happily the measurements

Day 58 Banana Date Yummy

2010-02-27T15:43:00.005-05:00

photo credit calafellvalo@flickrI mostly like eating my food separate so I can taste each thing. A lot of raw foodist make smoothies out of bananas and greens. I'm not fond of them. I like those things separate. But one yummy and satisfying thing that I do make occasionally is a banana date smoothie. It couldn't be simpler. 5 large dates2 bananaswaterIn either a blender or a blender cup (for a

Day 57 The Secret End of Hot Flashes

2010-02-26T20:52:00.004-05:00

photo credit myori@flickrCan raw fruits and vegetables end your hot flashes? I don't have a scientific study for you but can tell you something really odd I've noticed about myself. I had a hysterectomy this past December. I am not on hormones as per my doctor (and my own preferences). I was told I'd have hot flashes for many months while the endometriosis died off. I started to get them in

Day 56 Week 8

2010-02-25T23:23:00.004-05:00

Wow week 8. Who knew? Being sick this week and all meant I didn't get to the gym. So, no walking or swimming but I did some hard slave labor week that was pretty intense, at which point I ended up straight in bed for hours, aching and freezing. I spent a huge amount of time sleeping this last week. I'm feeling a little better energy-wise now. This week I ate 21 bananas and 65 oranges. I had a

Day 55 I'm Back

2010-02-24T20:52:00.004-05:00

photo credit Xavier Fargas@flickrI'm back. At least I seem to be. Well, at least the food part is intact so I'm going with it. A few days of feeling wonky and not eating enough have left me looking horrible. Once I'm fully hydrated again I'll look a lot better. The end of the month is looming and I'd like to make a little progress if possible. Exercise has been out all week. Soon I'll have a

Day 52, 53, 54

2010-02-23T12:56:00.005-05:00

photo credit: my daughterI see it's been a few days. If you've read, I've been sick. I'm still standing. I'm just tired. I'm usually tired all the time but now I'm really tired - LOL. Wasn't sure I could be more tired than I was but apparently I'm wrong. Certainly wouldn't be the first time.I'm not giving up. I'm just giving myself some time off from the computer. I wish I could have been a

Day 51 Caution: Life Ahead

2010-02-21T00:47:00.003-05:00

photo credit Gwen@FlickrMy life: World record for most speed bumps per square inch. On Thursday I had some persistent itching on my side from my back and across my ribs. Hmmm. In the back of my mind I knew better, but decided to chalk it up to the possibility of some soap residue on my skin. It returned again Thursday evening around bedtime. On Friday morning I went back to bed forever after

Day 50 Orange Heaven

2010-02-19T20:28:00.006-05:00

photo credit Creativity+@flickrToday I went to Costco armed with a few returns as well as a bonus card they gave me for some poor treatment at the cash register a few months ago. I forgot I had the card - total spiff for me! Sorry about the dude who was out of control at the cash register, but I didn't make the news. I just reported it. $25 for my endurance? Hmm okay. I didn't ask for it but it

Day 49 Week 7

2010-02-18T22:51:00.003-05:00

photo credit lusitania.etsy.comFor week 7 I walked 4 miles and 1.5 swam miles. Actually, that surprised me because I thought it was less. More would have been nice. The snow didn't help. I had other exercise in terms of physical work that is really taking a toll on my very stiff and sore arthritic spine. I actually burned more calories today (over 900) than I did even when I walked 2.5 miles and

Day 48 Toxic Stress

2010-02-17T20:31:00.006-05:00

Despite normally being able to just carry on everyday and brush off 'life's little annoyances', there are times when elderly parents, teenage children and unreasonable other people just converge to take you out. I tend to carry a pretty high level of toxic stress around with me. It's not my choice, I scrape off as much stress as I can, but there are things in life we have handed to us that we

Day 47 CABIN FEVER

2010-02-16T22:00:00.008-05:00

photo credit Tgrab.@flickr I don't know how many days I've been snowed in - what 39 now? Okay, so it's just been two days with freedom tomorrow, but I can tell you I'm really sick of it despite growing up in a ski village. Maybe it's the 12 year old who is making it such a remarkable experience or perhaps the screaming poodle who cannot even begin to fathom why his grassy knoll has vanished. Even

Day 46 Forks Over Knives

2010-02-15T20:51:00.005-05:00

I'm looking forward to this film coming out - Forks Over Knives. It about the rejection of animal-based and processed foods - the cornerstone of the standard American diet. Unlike my blog, this one's done by people who have more than my one brain cell. Wow, data, research and findings - OH MY! I don't think it's 100% raw but it should be a good step in the right direction. I'll be sure to post

Day 45 That Bright Shiny Object? Closer Than It Appears

2010-02-14T20:46:00.011-05:00

photo credit ♥.·•Lovely Haru!•·.♥@flickr (seriously...) You may not realize it, this just being Valentine's Day and all, but there are only 157 days left til the first day of summer. You've rolled your eyes at me, but I did detect your split second heart rate increase. Yes, I did.If you do absolutely nothing different between now and then you'll spend another summer wishing you were fit and

Day 44 The Two Types of Raw Food People

2010-02-13T21:43:00.011-05:00

photo credit Libraryman@flickrThere are basically two types of raw foodists: Raw Gourmet and Raw Low Fat.1. Raw Gourmet. Many people initially embarking on raw food start here. They recreate as many SAD (standard American) diet recipes with raw food as they can. There are websites and glossy magazines devoted to fancy, beautiful raw food. So you have people making fancy stuff as well as pizza and

Day 43 Pilates Free - For ME!

2010-02-12T18:46:00.007-05:00

When I lived in L.A. I used to attend Pilates classes. Let me tell you, it's a LOT harder than it looks. Sleek little machines with shiny cords and hand holdy things - what could be easier? Well after they scraped me off of it the first time, I had respect. I moved shortly there after to somewhere the word Pilates didn't even exist. That is until QVC. My friend, a quirky 6'2" guy, saw it on TV

Day 42 Week 6

2010-02-11T22:41:00.005-05:00

photo credit Jennifer ChaitFor week 6 I walked 1 mile, did not get any swim time in, which is not to say I had no exercise at all. I did. It just involved the clean up of an enormous mess which pretty much ate up 16 hours of my life in the last week rather than the preferred walking and swimming I usually do. This week I ate 23 bananas and 54 oranges. To date I've walked 27.15 miles, swam 6

Day 41 Making Up For Lost Time?

2010-02-10T22:17:00.003-05:00

photo credit Rocketeer@flickrImagine my surprise when I realized I'd logged over 2700 calories for today - and I'm still hungry! What's up with that? I made sure I drank enough water (sometimes we confused hunger with thirst...) and I took a nap and took it easy today. Am I making up for Monday, still? I dunno but that's a new record for me. I'm not worried about it. I don't expect to 'gain

Day 40 Frozen Orange Juices Futures

2010-02-09T23:29:00.004-05:00

photo credit artsydots@flickrIf you've ever seen Trading Places you'll laugh at that title and the pic! I'll bet you a dollar that orange can be reformed! Truth of the matter is it's FREEZING out and last night I bought a fabulous *new* orange squeesher thing (juicer...) and I was excited to be snowed in today to use it. We open it up and it seems someone else already had the same idea. I cannot

Day 39 Some Days Chicken. Next Day Feathers.

2010-02-08T22:14:00.005-05:00

This photo sums up my day exactlyI had a very long and tedious day today cleaning up a total mess. There was no time for myself and no food. I packed food for my day but left it on the counter :( It's freezing beyond belief here and after a 12 hour day with no food I'm just beat. Some days chicken. Next day feathers. It just happens. I grabbed something later but it wasn't the best thing and now

Day 38 YES They Had NO Bananas Today!

2010-02-07T22:13:00.007-05:00

OMG I absolutely could not believe my eyes when I finally got through the crowds at Whole Foods to discover that YES they had NO bananas today! I just stood there in astonishment, blinking away, while the sign that loomed over the deserted lot came into focus and said something about their inability to get fresh produce due to the weather conditions at their warehouse in Washington,

Day 37 Pantry Progress!

2010-02-06T23:37:00.005-05:00

Well, it didn't happen in January but now in February I finally got my pantry and fridge cleaned out of literally tons of stuff that is NOT needed. Many things were just old (graham cracker crumbs, anyone?!) that had to go but there was some 'useful' food for others that I will give away. My daughter (12) is not fully low fat raw vegan and so there are still things around for her. It's not

Day 36 Week 5

2010-02-05T13:35:00.006-05:00

YES I'm a day late and a banana short on this one. I don't know what I was thinking last night but I'd had the longest day that never ended and to add insult to injury, I was up all night. Which then made me sleep half the damn day today. I hate that. For week 5 I walked 9.25 miles, swam 1.5 miles and ate 37 bananas. To date I've walked 26.15 miles, swam 6 miles and have eaten 142 bananas. Is

Day 35 Swim More. Quack Less.

2010-02-04T21:51:00.006-05:00

Back in the pool this week I finally hit the mile mark. Of course, I pick the worst possible night to do it. I'm late getting to the swim center. I have to run first to get warmed up and that takes time and I have to allow time afterward to shower. Plus I need a big chunk of time to swim. Ugh. I head upstairs and bang out a mile and a quarter on the treadmill and then head down to the pool.

Day 34 Orange Secrets

2010-02-03T23:08:00.003-05:00

About a billion years ago when I was a teen I somehow ended up with a copy of Jethro Kloss's book, "Back to Eden". In it was a small section on the 'orange cleansing diet'. I remember I followed it and one of the benefits was my hair grew ridiculously fast. It always did grow fast but this was like over 2 inches a month and the effects seemed to last well past the month I followed the cleanse. I

Day 33 Bananobsession

2010-02-02T19:36:00.007-05:00

photo credit mondopanno @ flickrI remember thinking there was no way I could eat a banana everyday much less anything more than that on a continuous basis. At most, I ate 2 bananas a month. I'd read about other raw foodists eating 30 bananas a day. I love this site: 30bananasaday.com and Harley Johnstone is da bomb but there was no way I could conceive of anymore than 2 bananas a month. I

Day 32 New Month!

2010-02-01T21:38:00.006-05:00

I'm kind of excited - a whole new month to get at it again. Sort of like getting a new lease every 30 days. The only thing I'm really concerned about right now is that the numbering thing on the days is going to get harder. During January it was easy. What day is it? I'd simply have to look at a calendar to see it's January 5th - Day 5! Now it's all messed up and I'll have to look at my last post

Day 31 Weights, Measures and Pictures!

2010-01-31T14:07:00.011-05:00

Well, it's finally been a month! I was thinking last night when I went to bed that there really wasn't going to be much discernible change with my measurements and I was certain there would be no change in the timeline photos for the last month. I was so happy to see I was wrong! How often can you say that?! LOL! So, here are all the stats and pics. They speak for themselves. I wanted to add

Day 30 Books, Cavemen, the FDA and Visiting Flat Planets

2010-01-30T18:39:00.004-05:00

I get some fearful feedback in real life and online about why I'd follow the 80/10/10 book. It seems virtually anything in my life that isn't perfect is suddenly being blamed on bananas. I can understand that to a degree - people think I'm doing something very radical and it scares them. I know my friends and people care about me and really just want the best for me. I can appreciate that. Every

Day 29 2000 Calories

2010-01-29T19:26:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I set a lifetime record. I ate 2000 calories in one day. On purpose. Okay, there may have been days I've eaten that many or more (such as Thanksgiving) but not while following a specified diet. If that had been any other diet day, I'd have blown it massively. It was actually really cool to be fueled all day. Today, on the other hand, I've eaten around 600 calories and not feeling like

Day 28 Week 4

2010-01-28T20:52:00.007-05:00

I've lost 9 pounds since the first of the New Year and 21 pounds total since last year (November). I've also lost more than 20 inches now. There will be an update with timeline pics on the 31st on all that. For week 4 I've walked 3.5 miles, swam .25 miles and have eaten 29 bananas. To date I've walked 16.9 miles, swam 4.5 miles and have eaten 105 bananas. Okay, that made me laugh! It so weird now

Day 27 Beautiful Dresses & Stocking Up

2010-01-27T21:57:00.007-05:00

The month is coming to a close in just a few days. I know I've lost more inches despite maybe just having lost only another pound. Bodies are so weird. I put on an article of clothing today that was formerly tight and binding and was so surprised to simply have it fit - aaaaah! I'm looking forward to the month end measure thing. A friend of mine sent me this beautiful dress - size 8. It doesn't

Day 26 Human Experimentation

2010-01-26T19:06:00.005-05:00

Right. That would be ME. I thought I'd update on some instances of cause and effect. I've done a few intentional and unintentional food experiments. Here's the low down and results of those. Standard TMI warnings may apply. My first experiment came when I reached the end of my salad dressing rope. Many days into this I decided I would just HAVE salad dressing. I mean, everything else has been so

Day 25 Salt Reduction

2010-01-25T20:08:00.002-05:00

There's an interesting article posted --->here<--- that says reducing salt intake could save 92,000 U.S. lives a year. That is a lot of people! Salt contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease and a whole host of other problems like kidney disease and osteoporosis. The article states that women would benefit the most. Oddly a doctor told me I was 'low in iodine' and then advised me to

Day 24 The Protein Myth

2010-01-24T18:13:00.000-05:00

These are very interesting videos on protein. The truth of the matter is it's not protein that we need, it's amino acids that we derive from the protein. There are better ways to get amino acids than the meat and dairy industry would like us to believe. At the same time we still recommend, "The Healing Diet" over at BreastHealthOnline.org because the main audience it was written for are those who

Day 23 Fruit Phobia and Other Psychosis

2010-01-23T23:24:00.006-05:00

You may not realize this, I hadn't even realized this until I entered into this, but most people are fruit phobic. Don't think so? Okay, how much fruit did you eat today? One piece? None? Do you rarely eat fruit? Why is that? It's because we've all been conditioned that it's too much SUGAR. Even the food pyramid doesn't allow for much fruit. But I bet you'll freely eat a donut - heck the grain

Day 22 Going Bananas

2010-01-22T23:16:00.006-05:00

Seems like a good time for some interesting info on the #1 fruit in the world - Bananas.A banana tree isn't a tree at all. It's a giant herb. Bananas are believed by many to be the first fruit cultivated by humans. I'm not surprised at this given how primates are so obsessed with them. Include me in that. Bananas were first introduced to the U.S. at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Celebration.

Day 21 Week 3

2010-01-21T19:52:00.006-05:00

3 weeks? It seems a lot longer! LOL! Not in a bad way, though today was like forever and a year, but not due to my food. I've lost 8 pounds since the first week of the New Year and 20 pounds total since last year. I've also lost 20 inches, and those are from January 1st to date.For week 3 I've walked 4.7 miles, swam 1.5 miles and have eaten 36 bananas. To date I've walked 13.4 miles, swam 4.16

Day 20 Does Everyone Have Collar Bones?

2010-01-20T23:09:00.005-05:00

Does everyone have collar bones? No, really. I mean it. Logic tells me we do. Those odd (hopefully fake) skeletons in the doctor's office tell me we do but I have to tell you, I've not seen mine in so long, I'm wondering if I really do possess a pair. I did discover after nose surgery I was missing cartilage that everyone else has, according to the quite miffed and confused doctor who operated

Day 19 I Picked The Wrong Week To...

2010-01-19T22:37:00.005-05:00

I had the day from hell with little sleep, way too much to do and not enough hours to do it in. It was a mad dash to get everything done before 5pm because I made a commitment to attend a local raw food group's potluck with Lori (BFF!) tonight. I was really sweating it through much of the day but things eased up once we finally set our bowls on the buffet table and settled in. Normally I live

Day 18 Going Commando

2010-01-18T20:56:00.004-05:00

I knew that'd get your attention. When I started this I said I wasn't going to try to make 'pizza out of bananas', as Harley Johnstone said. I agreed with that philosophy. Then I ventured into some chow mein and tried a raw cookie or two and even embarked on a few experiments I'll report on later, but at the end of the day these things really slowed down my progress and took me off my path. I

Day 17 My Non-Problem

2010-01-17T19:13:00.006-05:00

Lori, BFF, informs me I am the proud owner of a non-problem. Anytime anyone loses weight and has a problem along these lines they're really sporting nothing more than a non-problem. She's right. Nonetheless, I'm going to gripe about it anyway :) I've become the Goldilocks of the bathing suit world. I realized a few days ago when my sleek form fitting Speedo racing suit was acting more like a

Day 16 TWENTY POUNDS

2010-01-16T20:32:00.005-05:00

No, not the sequel to a Will Smith movie. I've lost 20 pounds! While I'm at it, I also lost 20 inches! The start of the loss count was November 16 - so two months ago. I lost 12 lbs between November 16th and January 1st. Since the first of the year I've lost 8 more pounds, which in two weeks is no small potatoes. Or in my case, bananas! I can't remember the last time I lost 20 lbs and I'm pretty

Day 15 Cookies & Cravings

2010-01-15T22:38:00.006-05:00

Today in my search for raw tahini (sesame seed paste) I stumbled across the raw section at Rainbow Blossom - an organic and whole foods/health type store. I usually stick to the perimeter of the store, or more pointedly, the produce section but I was looking for raw tahini. Turns out it is also in the produce section! They were just out of it. So as my quest led me astray I discovered these raw

Day 14 Week 2

2010-01-14T20:15:00.004-05:00

2 whole weeks! I've still lost 5 pounds since the first week of the New Year and 17 pounds total since last year. Nothing lost this last week. For week 2 I've walked 4.1 miles, swam 1 mile and have eaten 22 bananas, for all the banana counters out there ;) To date I've walked 8.7 miles, swam 2.66 miles and have eaten 40 bananas. HA! I think one thing I'm battling is that I sometimes don't eat

Day 13 Pic vs 1000 Words

2010-01-13T20:25:00.007-05:00

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words so it looks like you'll get off easy in the blathering department tonight! These pictures were taken on January 5th (L on your screen) and January 12th (R on your screen). I made sure the pictures were the same distance from the camera and same head shot level all around compared to the background. You may notice the painting sticking out of the

Day 12 Finding Other Victims. I Mean Vegans!

2010-01-12T22:49:00.004-05:00

Today Lori (BFF) pointed out to me that there is a raw food group right here where we live that has monthly events. Who knew?! She found them through www.Meetup.com. There may be vegan or raw vegan groups in your area, not to mention a whole host of other groups that might interest you as well. Check it out! I am feeling well tonight :) I have had a few days where my energy was low. I slept in,

Day 11 The Land of Fruit and Nuts

2010-01-11T18:53:00.004-05:00

When people think of any form of vegetarianism they often think of The Land of Fruits and Nuts - California. I happen to have been born and spent the first 42 years of my life there, but check out the latest bumper crop springing forth from Missouri! Here's an article from the Columbia Missourian on 12/29/09, "Some Like it Raw" where regular folks like nurses and pizzeria workers are also going

Day 10 Chow Mein Happiness

2010-01-10T18:38:00.011-05:00

There are a few versions of Raw Chow Mein on the net, but I felt a little like Goldilocks because none of them were 'just right'. One called for wine, another called for powdered spices. One had ingredients that I just felt were not needed. I started with one of the simpler recipes and then built my own from there.I have become completely addicted to this. At first I didn't want to make it

Day 9 I Can Hear You Now

2010-01-09T22:29:00.007-05:00

I thought it was just a fluke that my hearing was more sensitive since I've become raw vegan. I would be in stores and the racket was so much I'd put my head phones in. I've often had stores be loud and my best friend wears ear plugs in stores all the time it's so loud for her, but man, things were seeming a whole lot louder all of a sudden. I blew it off though. Surely my hearing wouldn't

Day 8 Sleep in Peace

2010-01-08T22:55:00.009-05:00

Somehow between my surgery and the first of the year my sleep got even more whacked out than it already was. Over December I would be up til 4 am and then sleep til noon. I'd also nap again later because I was recovering from surgery and I let myself do that all I needed. I know that was one big reason I actually healed quickly and did well. Once the first of the year came I needed to get back on

Day 7 Week 1

2010-01-07T21:50:00.007-05:00

Well, it's been a whole week. I've lost 5 pounds this first week of the New Year and 17 pounds total since last year. This week and to date I've walked 4.6 miles, swam 1.66 miles and have eaten 18 bananas, for those who keep asking how many bananas I'm eating! The benefits of just one week: 1. My belly feels peaceful.2. I have no more of the magical expanding elasti-belly going on.3. My waist is

Day 6 Salad Salvation

2010-01-06T19:29:00.010-05:00

Ask and ye shall receive... Yesterday I was lamenting about the absence of salad dressing and how lemon and lime are great but I wanted something real. Tarah sent me a link to a lot of raw or nearly raw dressing recipes which I read blearily in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. Thank you Tarah, it was exactly what I needed to keep me busy! There were one or two that piqued my

Day 5 Arby's by Osmosis

2010-01-05T20:36:00.003-05:00

I've noticed this really strange thing happening the past few days. I've been enjoying food that is off limits simply through its aroma. Now, this flies in the face of other raw vegan's experiences. People usually complain about enduring meals with others who are eating cooked foods, because it makes them want it. But, I've had a different reaction. Tonight my daughter wanted a French Dip from

Day 4 Feeding Your Inner Monkey

2010-01-04T21:02:00.004-05:00

So, what if you lived on a planet where you could eat unlimited amounts of food and in particular, all the sweets you wanted, all the time. No limit. Just whatever and whenever you wanted it and you'd be healthy, you'd feel great, you'd have tons of energy and you would never have constant cravings for anything anymore. Would you want to move there if it wasn't only in your dreams? Well, I'm here

Day 3 Paging Dr. Bayer

2010-01-03T11:47:00.008-05:00

It's slightly in the background now, but I woke up yesterday morning with a hang-over type headache. I took two aspirins and dove back under the covers with my favorite overweight orange feline for another 30 minutes. My headache hung in the background on and off all day. Nothing huge, just slightly annoying and then it raged back a bit before bed. Two more aspirin and off to sleep I went. Yep,

Day 2 Apple + Apple

2010-01-02T12:59:00.003-05:00

Can't remember the last time I had so many new starts. As of yesterday (the 1st...) I'm the thrilled new owner of an iMac. Buh bye PC. So, apples in my diet and on my desktop - it's all good! It's kinda like working organically. No more worms, viruses or things I don't need polluting my system. YAY! Speaking of apples, my ex-BF (who is just a good friend now) called me this morning about our

Day 1 ...and I'm Feeling Good

2010-01-01T15:51:00.004-05:00

I thought this day would never arrive. All these years of learning, contemplating and changing my diet so I could eat in a way that was totally natural to monkeys. LOL! Finally January 1. I'm so ready to do this. I didn't even go crazy and eat a bunch of stuff I'd 'never get again'. I'm so over that. I had a few things in the last days: A cup of coffee, a little chocolate, a sandwich on

Goals For The Next 365 Days

2009-12-31T13:48:00.009-05:00

So, what's the plan?! GOALS:Lose my excess weightGet in shape, become stronger and more flexibleLook youngerImprove my skinGrow my hair longerTake good care of myselfOrganize my houseBe more honest and authentic with myself Diet: I could blather on for quite some time of my personal experiences with food over the last 46 years and what I plan to eat now and why, or I could just direct you to

40 is the new 20, just not on TV

2009-12-28T01:19:00.001-05:00

Despite the fact I don't have television, I recently wanted to watch a reality show that doesn't exist. I wanted to see them take women who were in their forties and make them, "Hollywood Hot". Not just made over but made amazing. 'A list' amazing. I talked to a girl friend of mine who's husband is 'in the business' in Hollywood and it seems the problem is that, apparently, 40 year old women

Bio

2009-12-27T23:39:00.005-05:00

I write and counsel on a variety of health and nutrition topics. I founded a non-profit a decade ago where I donate my time to help women all over the world through breast surgery. I'm a voracious heath and nutrition reader and long time nutrition guinea pig. I am the author of, "The Healing Diet". The diet is posted on our website, BreastHealthOnline.org, and has helped tens of thousands of