My cousin Margaret called today and asked me to email her my diet. To clarify, she said "just what you eat, and what you don't eat"!
First things first.
If you are thinking about changing your lifestyle, the first thing that I recommend is a full body cleanse. In April of '08 I was introduced to "The Master Cleanser" diet. (This is the diet that David Blaine uses before stunts) This flush cleans your entire body from top to bottom; every organ, vein, artery, pore, colon, intestines, and most importantly, your mind.
Your mind goes through an enormous paradigm change. Only in America do we believe we must not only eat EVERY day, but 3 times a day!! It has a hard time accepting the fact that you are not going to eat. Considering we are in a habit of eating 3 times a day, take a second to think about how much time you spend thinking about what to eat, shopping, preparing and actually eating each meal, then consider taking all of that time and thinking about something else. This is the mind cleanse!
Your tongue gets a white furry coating on it, this is how the toxins get out. It is recommended to continue the cleanse until your tongue turns back to pink. It took 7 days and I lost my first 12 lbs.
It is crazy come day 5, watching other people eat. WOW. Somehow we have come to a point where we are embarrased to eat? I watch people eating (especially fast food) and there is a rat like approach; nervous, fast and embarrased. I also really started thinking how easy it is for us to access and eat meat, from real alive animals.
Imagine for a minute if you will how much meat an average family eats in a week? How much does your neighborhood consume? In a month?
Let's go back, waaaay back.
Men went on hunting trips away from their families, for days. When and if the hunt was successful a celebration was had by all. The animal was hung, skinned, salted and stored for special occasions. When the time came to eat it, a prayer was said and everyone gave appreciation to the animal that gave it's life. They were also sure to use EVERY part. (ever thought about where all our waste goes?)
Today, we drive through McDonald's and eat a cow without thinking twice.
Let's add another perspective;
EVERYTHING in this world has a balance. Up/down, hot/cold, love/hate, black/white, birth/death etc.,etc.,etc.
What kind of balance are we creating when we are creating life and killing it at the rate we are? Not just breeding, plumping and killing all these animals, but not even taking a moment to be thankful for the life.
Someone told me that it takes 3 days for a chicken to be born and put on a table.
I become a vegetarian on Thanksgiving day.
The only regret that I have? That I spent 30 years of my life eating TERRIBLE food.
There are millions of "animal" alternatives, even for you meat lovers!
Seeds; sesame seeds, hemp seeds, chai seeds........... Packed with protein, vitamins, hormone balance, nutrients, vitamins. Put 'em in and on everything!
Nuts. YUM.
Beans, get creative. There are many different ways to incorporate them.
Soy, tofu, and even chicken that tastes much better than a chicken.
FRUITS. Always have 1 with you. Choose a fruit first. If that is not enough, then choose something else. Banana's (contrary to popular belief) are a great bedtime snack. They contain L-triptothan, the same stuff in turkey to help you sleep. The fructose (sugars) will set your metabolism in motion!
VEGETABLES. I have found 100+ varieties I never knew existed and more ways to use them. Add them to everything. Make a salad EVERY night for dinner. Eat it first.
(pureed squashs can be used to thicken sauces and no one will even know)!
Move away from 3 meals a day. We tend to starve waiting for our scheduled eating and then purge, on time!
Carry healthy snack with you and eat when you are hungry. 6-7 meals a day really is easier, healthy and cheaper.
Rearrange your cupboard, put medium salad plates eye level and put the giant plates way up top. Your stomach is the size of your closed fist, or should be.
Excema? indigestion? gas? allergies? ulcers? Colds? acid reflux? Mucus? fat?.....milk.
Please, really consider eating alternatives. They are soooooo much more delicious, digestable, and good for you!
dairy. Milk from cows is designed to make BIG FAT COWS. period.
GROSS.
There are MANY awesome, scrumptous alternatives. We drink; hemp, rice, oat, almond, and soy milk regularly. They make "better than" sour cream, cream cheese etc. We eat rice, soy and veggie cheeses, icecreams etc.
There is a "mayonaise" alternative by
vegenaise that is made from grape seeds. Grape seeds are used to help chloresterol and heart disease. You mayonaise lovers can eat up and help your heart! It's BETTER tasting than Hellman's or Best Foods!
corn. Corn is not digestable by the human body (everyone knows how it comes out) You know that hard fat that will NOT go away? High fructose corn syrup. It must be taken out of our foods, the only way to make that happen is to stop consuming it. Corn is great for things like fuel, plastic like (biodegradable) products etc.
Enriched Flour/rice. To enrich our products, "they" have taken ALL of the vitamins and nutrients out (they give them to cows so they can get bigger faster) and give us the "filler". Eating foods made with filler creates big problems. Your body has to consume an irrational amount of it in order to get the nutrients it needs so it can send out the signal, "I'm full". Insist on using whole grains. You will eat less and weigh less.
"artificial" flavoring/coloring. What is this? What is it doing to our bodies? our brains? Find out before you put anymore of it in your temple.
Omega's, 3-6-9 (fish oil). In the processing of food, all of the essential oils are taken out. Key word; essential. Omega's are found in many foods, the highest in Alaskan Salmon. They help lubricate your entire body and you can see and feel the difference in everything; skin, memory, joints, back, hair, sight, blood pressure, breathing. Without essential oils, we are like a car with no oil, or dirty, sludgy oil.
Many people complain about the price of whole foods vs. poisonous. First, you don't have to eat as much so you don't have to buy as much. Second, are you calculating in all the doctor bills associated with eating processed foods? Third, there is NO price on the changes living healthy brings.
These changes were brought about one by one, slowly. The kids and I take a daily vitamin and an omega, all of us report "feeling different, a good different". Smiles are brought to my face daily watching my children choose healthy for themselves.
I have officially lost 30 lbs., I think 10lbs came from my head. A healthy body helps create a healthy, calm mind.
Let me know how your doing, let's share some yummy healthy recipes!
Take care of yourself, you're all you've got....
xoxoxo
justina
