Before we delve into this week’s gratitude post, I thought I’d share that I’ve noticed lately that whenever I upload photos, especially if there are more than a couple, it somehow messes up the HTML coding, cutting off certain parts of the article.   I never had that problem before so it must have something to do with the recent WordPress upgrade to Version 2.6.2.

The last two posts got screwed up because of this HTML thing.  Thankfully it was spotted by Nita, an alert subscriber, who told me she couldn’t see parts of the article and the comment box - they had “mysteriously disappeared” said Nita.

After a brief investigation, I found some HTML gooblygook lurking somewhere inside the post - somehow it found its way there.   When I removed it, the whole article plus the comment box miraculously reappeared.   But when Philip’s interview first went live this past Wednesday, I hadn’t yet caught it.  The questions and answer section was completely cut off, including the comment box.    Not good.

But now that it’s been fixed, could I ask you to give a little comment love to the Philip McCluskey interview (Part I)? Philip is the inspiring young man who lost 200 lbs as a result of pursuing the raw/living food lifestyle two and a half years ago.   Thanks!

Okay dokey, now moving on with this week’s gratitude post.

I’ve noticed a peculiar pattern in my life.  Whenever I am passionate about something, I literally go crazy and raid Amazon dot com and the local brick and mortar bookstores.    In last two months, I’ve bought and read at least 5 raw food books already. I’ve also joined Give It To Me Raw, a raw food community with thousands of members, many of who’ve already reached out to me, sharing their thoughts and making me feel welcome. Check it out - - it’s free.

My life has changed so much that every time I go to the supermarket, I’m like a kid in a candy store — in the fruits and vegetables section!   My eyes take in the colorful array of produce, usually looking for something I just read about.

Found this photo of Kale at Wikipedia.org

Like for instance, kale.   Have you ever heard of it?  It’s a very dark green leafy vegetable that dwarfs other produce on the shelves.  It’s a large, dark intimidating bunch of green leafs, looking rather beastly.   For years I ignored them until now.

In fact, I’ve already used kale for my morning smoothies.   Despite its reputation for being bitter, I actually liked it.  Of course, it helps that I put in a combination one or more of the following in the blender to make it sweeter:  apples, strawberries, mango or blueberries.    All I noticed was that my green smoothies were significantly darker than when I used spinach!

By the way, it’s recommended that you use a variety of different green leafy vegetables for your green smoothies.  When I first started, spinach was used as the base ingredient but then when I learned that it was best to switch among different green leafy vegetables, I began alternating between kale, red leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce.    What fun it is to try different ingredients!   The only time I had to dump a full container into the sink was when I tried to blend two lemons with other ingredients - man, that was HORRIBLE!  LOL.

Can you tell that I’m having a hellva a good time??   I have absolutely NO idea why I’m so fascinated with raw foods but I’m supremely grateful because I’ve benefited from it enormously.  My friend Linda (the certified Colon Hydrotherapist who did my first-ever colonic cleansing a few weeks ago) told me that she thought I fell into this way of life because I was divinely led to it.    “Looks like you’re being prepared for the next stage of your life,” she said, adding, “becoming better physically, mentally and spiritually for whatever God has in store for you.”   Sure makes sense to me!

Here’s a rundown of the benefits that I’ve garnered so far from this way of eating:

• Clear, soft facial skin (it seems shiny, clean and clear, not to mention soft to the touch)
• More energy throughout the day, especially at the gym
• Lowest weight in several years (currently at 153.5 lbs - at the beginning of this summer, I was almost at 180)
• Been resting and sleeping well yet getting up earlier and earlier without feeling tired (averaging between 4:30 and 5:30 am without the alarm clock)
• Waking up fresh and energetic
• Relying more on my inner intuition leading me to take greater risks at the drop of the hat like that one day when i was out running errands and heard an inner voice tell me, “It’s time to go to London.”   Then off I went without so much thought put into it!
• Bright eyes, white, not bloodshot
• Quick healing of things like cold sores (had one on my lower lip recently and it went away sooner than normal)
• Lost of desire for toxic foods and substances
• Cleaner teeth (the stains from smoking cigars and drinking coffee are gradually fading)
• I no longer smoke cigars (been 3 weeks now!)
• I no longer drink coffee (which is something I had every single morning for several years!)
• My jeans feel comfortable on me as opposed to being too tight (I now need to tighten my belt to hold them up, which feels fantastic!)
• Buying new clothes that are smaller and snug, making me feel deliciously attractive (example would be the athletic tops that runners use to keep the upper body warm while running outside in the cold - they’re nice and snug)
• Rarely eat meat and dairy products (except for raw cheese, the occasional chicken pieces and pasteurized cheese but that’s about it)
• Discovering incredible things like the value of live enzymes found in raw foods versus meat (which contains no live enzymes and are therefore considered “dead meat”), the long term effects of consuming pasteurized/processed foods/drinks on the colon and how they have caused many illnesses and diseases.

The more I do research, the more dismayed I become at the lengths the food, drug and medical industries will go to cover up vital life-saving information for the stake of making a buck.    One day, I was visiting a friend of a friend in a nursing home when it suddenly struck me that the reason they were there was because of years of consuming the Standard American Diet (SAD) over the years!

I’m also angry to learn how many of the prescriptions given by doctors have done more harm than good.    I feel like I’ve stumbled on to the greatest health secrets that aren’t really secrets because all of it is readily available to the public!   All they have to do is make good use of Google.   But people just don’t know about it because they are distracted by misleading advertisements and subliminal messages financed by powerful drug and food companies.

Let me give you an example.  Did you know that soy milk is the biggest cause of mucus?  Yet you don’t know about that.  Why?  Because you are bombarded with misleading advertisements saying that soy milk is very good for you.    Same thing with pasteurized milk.   You get the picture.

In short, I’m grateful for the incredible amount of information I’ve been absorbing lately.  I’m also grateful for the raw food movement pioneers who have gone before us and shared their experiences in the form of books, articles, videos and so on.

Juiceman Jr. Juicer from WalMart

Every week something new happens - this week was no exception.

After much research on the value of juicing, I decided to buy my first juicer. Alas, a cheap one from Walmart to start with.   Thanks to another faithful subscriber, Patricia Singleton of Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker, I was introduced to a low end juicer called Juiceman, Jr.

Patricia told me she found this to be adequate for her juicing needs.  I talked with a juicing expert at a seminar the other night and she concurred that if I wasn’t ready to spend another $300 to $500 for a commercial juicer (remember, I bought the high end Vita-Mix blender for $500 in September), I would be fine starting out with Juiceman, Jr. and then working my way up.

Ingredients for the first-ever morning juice (carrots, spinach, parsley, several celery sticks)

Soooooo, I had my very first juice this morning!  Several celery stalks, a handful of spinach, another handful of carrots and some parsley were all put through the paces in the juicer.

Juiceman, Jr. seemed to do its job.  Even though I loved the taste, I suspect that because the juicer is on the low end of the juicing spectrum, I probably didn’t get all the nutrients that I could have gotten with something like the GreenStar but that’s okay for now.  At least it’s a good start.

I would suspect many of you would probably want to start off the same way, especially if you aren’t ready or willing to invest several hundred dollars for a juicer.  In my opinion, it’s best to start cheap and work your way up (except for the blender - I actually recommend you get the Vita-Mix right from the get-go, especially if you’re serious about making yourself healthy green smoothies in the mornings).

First Ever Morning Juice! It was deeeelicious!

After downing two glasses of homemade juice this morning, I felt great energy throughout the rest of the day.  The difference between green smoothies and juices is that I feel full after having a smoothie whereas the juice leaves me wanting more.  That’s because when you mix the ingredients in the blender, the fiber remains (making you feel full) whereas the juicing machine separates the fiber by spitting it into another container.

The Juiceman, jr. has 6 movable parts, which took about 15 or 20 minutes to clean but it was relatively easy to take apart and put back together after a couple of attempts.

For those of you who don’t work at home, you might have to either get up earlier to make your juices.   Or if you’re really in a hurry, you could always use your blender and then strain the pulp/fiber by using a nut milk bag.

I’m grateful to Angela Stokes who wrote a juice feasting handbook, A Juice Feaster’s Handbook.   You may recall that I met her and Matt Monarch when I was in London a few weeks ago.   I highly recommend the handbook because she did a great job describing the benefits of juicing.

One day I will embark on a juice feast program similiar to what she did (to help detoxify the body more) but not now.  I’m still new at this and will only make myself an occasional juice throughout the week to balance out the green smoothies.

Infrared Sauna at Crossroads Education and Wellness Center (Canton, OH)

Not only did I attempt to make my first juice but I also used the infrared sauna and had my first-ever detoxing foot bath at Crossroads this week!

Both are additional ways to help my body become cleaner.  For more information about them, please visit the Crossroads website to learn about what the infrared sauna and an Aqua-Chia foot bath can do for you.    It’s fascinating stuff!

In closing, I’m incredibly grateful for the vitality I feel these days.   The right people, places and circumstances appear to be manifesting in my life faster than ever before.    My energy vibration also seems to be rising further and further, putting me more in touch with my inner spirit.

Could these be the reasons why I was divinely led to this way of life?

Hmmmmm……..

Food for Thought:   Have you ever tried changing your life in dramatic ways to the point where you can’t help but be grateful?  If so, share them with us in the comment section!  You never know, you might be helping someone who’s experiencing whatever you went through!

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