Thursday, January 31, 2008

NCD Zeolites rock!

I noticed that NCD is getting some press lately. For those of you who don't know what NCD is, let me explain.


Natural Cellular Defense is an all natural zeolite that helps remove toxins and heavy metals from your system. It also rids your body of pollutants and things that can trigger allergies.

Here's a little info from the Waiora website:

For centuries, the powdered forms of specific zeolites have been used as traditional remedies throughout Asia to promote overall health and well being.
The story of the "volcanic rocks" has been passed down from generation-to-generation as more and more people have experienced its life-changing benefits.
Zeolites are natural volcanic minerals with an unique, complex crystalline structure. It's honeycomb framework of cavities and channels (like cages) works at the cellular level trapping, heavy metals and toxins. In fact, because it is one of the few negatively charged minerals in nature, zeolites act as magnets drawing toxins to it, capturing them in its cage and removing them from the body

More details on what it does:

  • Supports a healthy immune system.*
  • Helps remove heavy metals, toxins and other substances from the body.*
  • Helps balance pH levels in the body.*
  • 100 percent natural and non-toxic.*
  • Safe for long-term use.*
You can learn more about NCD by clicking here or email me and I'll send you some more detailed info on just what it does for you.

I've been taking NCD for over a year now and love it. When I take it faithfully I don't have any sinus or allergy problems. In fact, it is one of the reasons I joined Waiora.

As a sidenote:
If you are interested in purchasing some for yourself or want to find out more about Waiora or how you can join(so you can get a discount), just give me a holler (email is available on my Waiora page)or send a comment.

BTW ....
Dr. Lou Niles, N.D. believes that NCD is one of the most important supplements you can take.
Also,
Check out what Justin had to say -- he uses NCD in his daily ritual and mentioned it in his juice feasting post
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, January 18, 2008

Holdin' My Own

The last three days have been more or less 70% raw around here. Mostly because I am in need of a run to the store and partly because ... well, just because.

I've found that I like raw and find myself to be full on less amounts of food and am more aware of when I am just "eating to eat" and when I am truly hungry. So far, I haven't gained anything back but I haven't really lost any more either. Can't complain on that front, though.

I notice that I am picky about what non-raw food I eat though. I don't just want any ol' thing. And the stuff I do eat tastes faintly like cardboard. The flavor of raw fruits and veggies is so amazing now. I know... I know... I sound like one of "them" but it's true! I love how even bananas have a really good taste to me now. I think one of my favorite things in all the world right now is EVOO and lime juice (freshly squeezed) on my salad with just a hint of black pepper. Wow! Lime rocks!

But I've gone a wee bit overboard on citrus lately (grapefruits, lime, lemon, oranges, etc) and have a nice fever blister to show for it. Anyway, I digress ...

Here are a few more sites for you to peruse ...

  1. Love Raw Life
  2. Raw Food Talk -- the forum at www.alissacohen.com
  3. Health Freedom Resources -- some recipes here
  4. Green Smoothie Girl -- can't remember if I posted this or not
  5. Rawdorable - a blog -- check out the two posts on Raw Dough that she used as 'Trix' cereal
  6. Julie's Raw Ambition -- another blog
  7. Ann Wigemore Institute
  8. The Raw Table
  9. Pure Raw Cafe
  10. Wheeler's Vegan Ice Cream -- it ain't raw but sometimes you just need a little ice cream
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, January 14, 2008

End of Week 1

It's officially behind me -- my first week raw, that is. I'm sure there are places along the way where I wasn't 100% but I can say that I am fairly confident in that I was 98% or better for the duration of the week.

To that end, I saw a weight loss of nearly 8 pounds this first week! I'm extremely pleased and quite motivated to continue. I feel better than I have in months. I have more energy and have accomplished quite a bit around the house. I've even dealt with a very sick little one in the midst of it all and feel more refreshed than fatigued.

From this point forward, I will take it one day at a time. I reached my goal of one week and feel like I can make it through the entire 30 day experiment, but I'm not so arrogant as to say that for 100% certain. :o)

In fact, I am so proud of myself I just might have to get a Larabar as a special treat!

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

Friday, January 11, 2008

Days 4-5

OK, my friends, I'm at the end of Day 5 and feel human again! I've been busy with mommy things lately and haven't had the time to write long posts. (I've actually been getting more done thanks, in part, to some newfound energy!)

Anyway, things are going well here. I feel really good and am taking it one day at a time. I just wanted to check in with you all and let you know I was still going strong over here.

A couple of Raw Food Cookbooks you might be interested in. I've seen each of them and like each for various reasons:

Alissa Cohen's "Living on Live Food"
I own the DVDs and a friend loaned me the book. Both are informative and the book is HUGE. Part info and part recipes.

RAWvolution - Matt Amsden
Melissa loaned this to me tonight and I've already picked out a few I want to make. I love it because it has photos of each recipe!

Ani's Raw Food Kitchen - Ani Phyo
Melodie has this book and let me peruse it for a few days. I really like some of the recipes in there and she seems to have good variety too. I haven't made many yet but liked the book.

Well, have a good night!

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

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Guacamole never tasted so Good (aka Day 3)

I totally backed off the nut based "meats" and "sauces." It was just too much for me right now. So, today was much better. Very little headache and I'm already 3.5 pounds down (can't complain about that, right?)

As the title suggests I had guacamole on portobello mushrooms tonight ~ yummy! It's amazing how the simplest things can make one so happy! :o)

On another note: it's been unusually warm (high 60s low 70s) here lately and tomorrow it supposed to be finally heading back toward January temps. Yesterday, I overhead my hubby tell our daughter that he couldn't wait to get back to the garden this year. She typically helps him plant the garden. So, that comment brought about squeals of delight and incessant questions as to when it would be warm enough to start the garden again. I'm glad she enjoys the garden as much as she does.

Anyway ... day three is complete and I'm looking forward to see how I feel tomorrow.

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

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Day 2

Day two is over and I'd say I was about 99% today (factoring in the juice in my smoothie and the mints I consumed before realizing it).

I do need to say -- anything made with nuts is out for me right now. I can't stand the sight, smell, or taste of them --- any kind of them!! I'm really looking forward to guacamole tomorrow. So, that is a plus.

I do feel a little better tonight. My headache is finally easing off and I seem to be able to concentrate again.

My goal is to make it to Thursday morning as close to 100% as possible and see how things are going. I really want to make it to Monday -- and will make a valiant effort, but will be happy with one day at a time right now.

On the bright side, except for his coffee (yes, I know) my meat and taters hubby has been raw since Monday too. And isn't complaining at all. He likes the stuff and is surprisingly full on the food as well.

If you're out there and have embarked on this with me, let me know how things are going for you. Leave a comment or send an email.

Ciao ~

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

Monday, January 7, 2008

Day 1

Today was 100% - except for a little orange juice in my smoothie this AM.

My hubby and I had Alissa Cohen's "Mock Salmon Pate" for dinner in lettuce wraps. It was amazing. Even my hubby liked it and said he was full afterward. Score 1 for raw!

I felt lightheaded around lunch and kept a headache for most of the afternoon, but I'm sure that's just my body revolting against me. After all, it isn't used to so much good stuff. ;o)

Anyway, it's late ... I'm tired ... I'll keep you posted.

While you're waiting here are some websites to peruse:

Going Raw with Ronnie and Minh
Raw Food Art
Live Live and Organic
Voss Water

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

Sunday, January 6, 2008

On the Brink

As I ventured out tonight purchasing all the items I think I will need/want for the next few days, it struck me how odd it is to be so conscious of meals and strategies behind planning them. The modern 'conveniences' that we have at our disposal have made well thought out meals a thing of the past. Instinctively, most folks raised in America know that they can just swing by a restaurant or fast food joint if they forget to plan ahead for a meal or if they are out in the middle of the day and get hungry.

I was reminded of a time in my past (some 20 years ago) when my family was transferred to Italy for three years. Although we still had the Air Force Base Commissary to rely on, we chose to become more Italian in how we experienced life. We had small kitchen appliances (teenie fridge and teenie stove) and few cabinets. We purchased nearly all of our fresh fruits and veggies at the local open-air markets each week, and we typically only had enough on hand for the next few days of meals. Although it took some planning, we ate better and felt better than I ever had before or have since.

As my mind continued to wander on what food preparation must have been like for past generations (I won't bore you with the details) I realized that I was done shopping after visiting the produce section and the nuts/seeds area. That was a strange sensation!

I must admit panic set in as I wondered if I would be able to do this ... this new way of eating that was so contrary to all I've ever known. Mercifully, my hubby has agreed to go raw as well, but then I began to panic about his lunches and such (he works in a physically demanding job and is also away from home each day). We talked about it when I returned from the store and we are just going to do the best we can -- after all no one is "making" us do this and we don't "fail" if we aren't 100% raw immediately. (Can you tell the perfectionist in me is rearing her head??)

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day -- the day we chose to give raw a shot. I'm aiming for 100% for this month but we'll see how it goes. Each day, each meal rather, will be a victory in and of itself, I think. I'd like to see what 100% feels like, and what I feel like afterward. I'd like to see what will change with me and what I will lose. I'll wait till a little later on to divulge the dreaded "Before" shot and stats. Suffice it to say that while I'm not the biggest girl on the planet, I sure am bigger than I used to be ;o) -- and that's reason enough to be embarrassed. So, I'll wait until I have good news to report.

I'm headed to bed now to dream about not cooking anything for a month -- LOL
I'll check back in tomorrow night and let anyone who cares know how I did on my first day. Don't expect a blow-by-blow description of what I ate -- that's kinda creepy -- but I will post some about my daily adventures and will post tons more stuff on the raw and vegan finds around the web that I've turned up in preparation for this month long experiment.

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