""No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change  - Barbara de Angeli

Thanks for all the great questions everyone's sending me via email and Facebook!!
It's given me some guidance as to where to go each day  :)


 This was not really a diet I set out to do ~ I did want to lose weight but I also wanted to feel better ~ plain & simple.  I read an article about the benefits of adding greens to your diet and thought I'd give it a try. I bought a juicer and tried that for about a month but it wasn't for me. I did feel better,  it was just too much work. I stumbled across a recipe for green smoothies & thought I'd give it a try... From there on it's all been a gradual progression that occurred naturally once I began to treat my body more kindly. As many of you know I had been struggling with my weight all of my life. I had also been struggling with chronic neurological Lyme disease for the past 20 years. At times it was completely debilitating.  To my surprise and joy I have had absolutely no Lyme symptoms in this past year. To think that I can attribute these small miracles in my life to the foods I enjoy each day!!  


Life is not all green smoothies... For the first time in my life I feel free to eat as much as I want ~ whenever I want!
freedom to actually enjoy food ~ that makes me happy :)


What do I eat on a typical day?   Here's what I had yesterday...


I always start the day with a big mug of tea in the morning ~ I LOVE jasmine green and licorice root tea.
Licorice root is a natural sweetener and has numerous healing attributes. I drink this all day long!


next up ~ my green smoothie ~ apple ~ carrots ~ celery ~  cuke ~  ginger ~ parsley ~ kale ~ sprouts ~ hemp seeds

lunch ~ bowl of cooked  wheat berries with pomegranate seeds ~ apple chunks ~ raisins ~ walnuts ~ pumella slices ~ cinnamon
another green smoothie


afternoon ~ handful of raw almonds
Apple Lara bar ~ my favorite indulgence!  I eat one, sometimes 2 a day.... Healthy & delicious!
tea


Dinner ~ Rosemary & thyme quinoa with sundried tomatoes, broccoli **
roasted brussel sprouts & garlic


evening snack ~ apple Lara bar with Jasmine, licorice tea....


                 *~*  I never  go hungry ~ I'm always satisfied & enjoy everything !!  *~*

I'm SO excited!!

 Brian & I shot a video while making a Green Smoothie :)

Ingredients

1 granny smith apple

1 banana

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 cucumber peeled

2 large handfuls of spinach

1 inch piece of ginger peeled

1 tsp raw honey

1 cup of water ~ approx.

blend 1/2 cup of water with spinach

add each ingredient one by one ~ stirring in a circular motion with tamper

blend until smooth

add more water to fill till top

I always store my smoothies in a 16 oz. Ball mason jar.

They will last up to 2 days in the fridge 

be sure to refrigerate them soon after making them

I take them to work daily along to enjoy with some raw almonds ~ filling and nutritious!

Enjoy :)

 Feel free to ask any questions & please share what  combinations you are blending up!

What's for dinner?


a beautiful salad of mixed greens ~ apples slices ~ pomegranate seeds ~ pecans ~ sprouts that I sprouted myself!  I squeezed on fresh orange juice as a dressing ~ delicious!


I just love all the colors of fruits and veggies  :) 

think I need a better camera ~ but you get the idea  :)

Good Morning!


I realize that I have so much information to share that I have to stop organizing and just get it out there little by little. I've posted some links of people that have greatly inspired me on this journey.
They shine with light ~ love & health ~ I wanted what they have ~ it's that simple!


You don't have to eat 100% raw to reap all the benefits!
I began by adding in my greens ~ fruits & veggies and I am the happiest & healthiest I have ever been!
It  all began with my Green Smoothies  :)

Life Regenerator ~ Dan the man!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HejJY_BEsZE
  Dan's videos were the first I discovered and made a huge impact on me... he speaks from his heart and has tons of inspirational & informative videos...


Philip McCluskey ~ wonderful inspiration!  http://www.lovingraw.com/blog/2010/5/9/how-i-lost-215-lbs-video.html
Philip is terrific guy who shares his story of losing 215 lbs on a raw food diet ~ but there is SO much more to learn from Philip too! You don't have to be interested in eating 100% raw to benefit from all that Philip has to offer! I had the pleasure to meet Philip in person and he shared something with me that is now my mantra for my life. When I said I wasn't sure I wanted to go 100% raw, but knew I wanted to be healthier & thinner he said....
"It's your life ~ there are no rules"    
WOW so simple yet so very true! Thank you Philip :)


Rawdawg Rory!  http://rawdawgrory.com/
Rory has also been a great source of information, recipes & laughter along the way! He has lots to offer whether you aspire to eat raw or not! 


Enjoy :)

Favorite Chia cereal (updated)

My favorite Chia cereal


2 tbsp of chia seeds  
1 cup of water 
handful of walnuts
sliced banana
handful of raisins
diced granny smith apple
couple dashes of cinnamon


directions 
pour everything into a bowl
                                                                                     let sit for 5 minutes
                                                                                 stir & enjoy  ~ how easy is that?

One of the best discoveries I've ever made are Chia seeds!  They're one of my FAVORITE foods and I can't say enough good things about them :)  


Chia seeds are easy to prepare ~ versatile and oh so filling!!
  And there's more ~ they are super energizing! 


Yes they are the same seeds that grow on those Chia pets we all remember. But they are also an amazing superfood!  Chia is the Mayan word for strength. They're called the "Indian running food" because they  were eaten by the ancient Aztec warriors to provide energy and endurance on their long conquests. They're highly nutritious and have many beneficial medicinal properties.
Due to their high fiber content they absorb more than 10 times their weight in water, making it a terrific source of hydration. They form a gel that slows absorption of sugar into the bloodstream,binding to toxins and helps eliminate waste.


You can find Chia seeds in any of your health food stores. If you can boil water you can prepare them! I eat them as a cereal for any time of the day or as a pudding which is much like tapioca. 
They are definitely a mainstay of my diet ~ love them  love them  love them...
 you have to give them a try!


Just like the smoothies you can be as creative as you feel .... add fruit ~ nuts ~ cinnamon 
 whatever strikes your fancy  :)

Just a few quick comments in regard to smoothie ingredients.... If you're not a fan of bananas, pears are a wonderful fruit to add to your smoothies. Personally I do not like my smoothies sweet so I prefer granny smith apples as my fruit choice lately ~ it makes for a tarter smoothie. Ginger is also a healthy, zingy addition. 
But my base always consists of greens (Kale or spinach), cukes, carrots and celery.
Facts on why these ingredients are key to cleansing and great health to follow :)

Good Morning!


 Today Brian is coming over and we are going to make some smoothies and a few other staple foods that I enjoy regularly. He is looking to lose some weight and regain his natural energy. I am thrilled to know that my 25 year old son wants to feel as amazing as his mom ~ wow that feels good :)
 As Brian would say ~ he` wants to experience some of this awesomeness!!


This will be great because it takes me back to when I first started out on this path and helps me to remember all the little steps and changes that have occurred this past year. It will enable me to share everything I've done along the way and pass it on to anyone that wants to hear it!! 


I have to say that never in my wildest dreams did I expect that adding Green Smoothies into my diet would alter my life so dramatically. It's not just about the weight loss ~ it is the total sense of health and well being that I now experience each and every day  :)


Hugs

Time to make a green smoothie!

Anyone can do it . It's easy ~ have FUN with it. ~ you can be creative ~ The main thing is to enjoy your green smoothie & get those greens in!!

There are so many different recipes for green smoothies out there ~ so many lovely choices of fruits and greens to pick from. Let's start with the one I began with and is still one of my favorites today. It's really simple to whip up. 

It's rich in nutrients ~ low in calories ~ extremely filling and really delicious!

You are going to need a blender.

 I use a Vitamix , which is a high speed blender, but I didn't start with one in the beginning. It's not necessary to have the Vitamix! Your smoothie will just have a creamier consistency and you don't have to chop up your fruit. Using a regular kitchen blender is fine. You should chop up any firm fruits in smaller  pieces if you are using your kitchen blender.

I'm going to use a regular kitchen blender for this since that's what most people have...

Ingredients:

  1 apple

 2 bananas      ( to sweeten it more add another banana ) 

  2 carrots 

 1 celery stalk

 1 peeled cucumber

 2 handfuls of spinach 

1 1/2  cup of water

Wash everything really well  ~  slice your apple and carrots to blend easily 

Directions ~ it's important not to add all ingred. at once ~ they won't blend properly

blend approx. 30 seconds each time

add 1 cup of water

all spinach .... Blend for abt 30 seconds 

add carrots & blend 

add rest of water & blend

add apple slices & blend

add celery & blend    

add cucumber slices & blend

add bananas & blend until creamy   

ENJOY!!

Feel free to add more fruit ~ any fruits if you prefer it sweeter to start ~ your tastebuds will ask for less and less fruit as you continue drinking them ~ I PROMISE!!!

I would love some feedback.... Feel free to ask any questions, share your thoughts or share your own green smoothie recipes ~ let's have some fun with this  :)

A little morning magic  :)

Along with losing the weight is the amazing feeling of well being that seems to come from filling my body with wholesome green natural foods. It's really quite amazing how truly simple it is! 

I'll just give you a little background on how I came to enjoy all these healthy foods I now love so much. As I said, it all started with the green smoothies. Ahhh those green smoothies that everyone's been asking me about since I began drinking them.They aren't the prettiest looking things but they're surprisingly delicious.Anyone who's ever tried them were shocked, because all you really taste is the fruit.What exactly is a green smoothie? It's a blended mix of leafy greens such as spinach or kale mixed with any fruit that you choose. As long as your getting in those greens the changes begin. Not long after I started drinking them I noticed my palate changed. I no longer craved junk food, sugar or carbs. I was dropping pounds and I was pretty excited!
I started this blog in answer to all the questions I get about what I've been doing to become this healthier, happier me.There's just too much to share all at once so I thought this might be a fun place to start.
My son Brian has decided he would like to lose about 25 pounds and he came to me for a little guidance. That really makes me smile :)
He organized a "biggest loser" competition at work and a lot of his co workers are involved ~ that's pretty exciting right there!
We thought it would be nice to post what he's eating and the smoothies he's drinking along with step by step information along the way. We're going to prepare all the foods that have helped me along my journey and you can follow along with us :)

I've been tossing around the idea of a blog for some time now. My mind is full of recipes, thoughts and ideas that excite me and have helped along my healthier path. I have pages upon pages of links and articles and of course my own experiences that I want to share. I truly believe that good health does equal happiness ~ something my mother always said but I had to learn for myself :)

What makes me happy?
Grocery shopping! I LOVE grocery shopping. All those beautiful fruits and veggies in the produce department ~ I never know what I'll find from week to week. There are so many lovely greens!
This week I bought Rainbow Swiss Chard, Dino Kale and Mustard Greens....
Not sure what they are or what they look like? I'll post some photos.
I never ate greens before making smoothies ~ I would pass right by them in the store. Now most of my shopping is done in the produce section :)
Here's a peek at what my fridge looks like nowadays ~ who would've thought!!