God, Greens, and Mixed Marriages.

A common centerpiece.  Mangoes, accidentally bought non-organic this time because usually the sale is 10 for $10 organic, I thought!  

Are you in a "Mixed Marriage"?  A marriage where one you is trying to stay on a healthy, plant based, high raw foods diet that includes cooked, whole grain, unprocessed foods?  And your spouse just isn't into it?  It's a little different than other hobbies.  You share the kitchen so not only does it either destroy you by leading you to temptation, and this time it isn't Eve's organic apple, it's Doritos!-Or, it makes you one smart raw vegan cookie.  

I also bought the last of the Organic Red Kale last time.  There were only 2 bunches left.  Most the the Kale at Whole Foods was "Conventional" last week.  Even "mainstreamers" like Dr. Oz suggest you eat organic greens.  Very odd for Whole Foods though, because they usually have at least 3 types of Organic Kale.  I used an entire bunch (2.49) for my Magical Mango Green Smoothie.

There are many approaches to all of this.  Recently I heard a mom say that she had to have her own cupboard because dad wasn't going to quit eating garbage and it was hard for mom to stay away.  So they split the kitchen territory up!  Another way is to just bring your whole family along, right away, and quit cooking garbage or buying garbage and put up with a few weeks of whining.  Or you can do it little by little, sneaking in more veggies & whole grains.  Serving smaller portions of the bad food and bigger portions of the good food.  The mom in the video below started serving salads (real salads, not a bowl of iceberg lettuce) before dinner, so hubby and son had no other option.  They were hungry and basically they would eat the salad while they waited for their other food to be done.  After a few weeks the kid wised up and just told dad that they had better just eat their salad because he knew mom wasn't serving any other food until those salad bowls were empty!

Red Kale is so beautiful!

Hallelujah Acres is a Biblically Based Nutrition and Healing Organization that has it's roots based in scripture.  They believe that certain scriptures make it very clear that we are supposed to be eating plants to heal (and to prevent illnesses).  It all began (Hallelujah Acres, not the beginning of time) when George Malkmus was told he had colon cancer.  He was a Reverend in New York at the time and he was leery of radiation and chemo.  His mother died of colon cancer, despite having had chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.  One of his friends, Lester Roloff, was an evangelist who encouraged him to eat lots of raw foods and pound the carrot juice.  He started to heal.  After searching the Bible for information about this very simple way of eating, he found his answers in  Genesis 1:20.  After one year, his baseball sized tumor was gone.  

Now there are actually MD's that have experience in Holistic Healing.  They can't legally "treat" you for cancer or say they you may be able to "cure"  something (at least not within the US border), but they can  counsel you on a more healthy lifestyle.  Sometimes your insurance will cover this, other times it will depend if you go to that particular doctor for "Traditional" or "Holistic" medicine.  As there is so much red tape attached to a Doctor giving Holistic advice and then billing an insurance company.  So it takes a plunge of faith if you actually have to pay out of pocket to see either a Regular MD that specializes in Holistic Health or to see someone without the letters, but that is also supporting healthy lifestyle choices.  Even though I believe these types of visits would actually save a bazillion dollars in the long run, our Insurance Industry needs a medical code for each problem, even if you don't know what the problem is yet!    You can't just say you don't feel right, you actually need something that will have a matching number. Your symptoms need a code for a visit and a script for a drug to be be "covered". And Kale isn't usually on the script.  A juicer isn't usually on it either.  Although all of them are far more economical than prescription drugs.  Even if you count the organic produce!  

So One bunch of Kale, 2 Champagne Mangoes.

I signed up for the Hallelujah Acres mailing list years ago when my mom told me some of the peeps in her neck of the woods loosely followed this diet.  Also, they had some cool published studies about different juicers.  Basically Norwalk kept juices longest, but for a lot less & basically the same result, you could buy a Champion or Green Star and a People's Press.  This was at a time when I was looking into juicers as "Carrot Chemo".  Something that might turn your skin orange, but it won't actually take your life just because you have some microscopic cancer cells hanging around.  Do I sound bitter?  Bitter like Arugula.  Bitter like my Bold Volunteer Mustard Plants. 

And a Monster Blender.  A.K.A., Vita-Mix.  Although don't fret if you don't have one!  There are lots of power blenders out there that will make a great green smoothie.

 The "God" part is very complimentary to the "Carrot Chemo" though, as if you ever decide to go against the "grain" of a regular MD, you will need all of the faith that is within you.  Most likely they will question you and perhaps even be condescending towards you.  They might "strongly encourage" you to get the only treatment available, the only treatment they offer, the only treatment that your Insurance Company will cover.  They will make you doubt yourself and you will really have to dig deep to try to sort it all out.  You may want to get more opinions and most of the ones that your insurance company will pay for, will offer you similar scenarios.  Maybe slightly different types of chemo.  Some more targeted than others.  Some may offer an experimental vaccine that may not cause the same type of ravage to your body.  If you are into God & Greens, then check out all of the different Hallelujah Acres programs!  What's cool about them is that they even have "Villages" where you can buy a house & live in a community of like minded folk (In North Carolina).  But if you aren't up for that yet, they have lots of events (even close to Branson, Missouri!) all over the country.  Hitting lots of places that traditionally are not known for being super into health-the Bible & Cattle Belt.  They keep the Bible part and replace Cattle with Collards.  Or more like Barley Greens Powder!  If you are curious, then sign up for their free mailing list.  Always full of lots of inspirational stories of people who have overcome lots of dis-ease.  And the free 'zine includes some recipes (same kinds of ideas as "Forks Over Knives" for you folks you have just heard about the Power of Plants from Dr. Oz) and it always include several pages that tell you what foods are on "the plan" and what foods to avoid.

About a minute in the blender.  I usually add some Stevia and recently I have a new love.  Coconut Syrup.  It's supposed to be raw and low glycemic and it makes a freakin' mess.  My husband freaked when he saw I was buying it again while it was all over the kitchen from the last bottle!  The stuff is like sap and it's hard to get a "clean pour".  It doesn't have all the controversy surrounding it like Agave.  Who knows.  But it works.  

So while a lot of people might think of raw foodies and health nuts as being hippie, boho types-that's not exactly how it started.  Think about it.  Before processed food came along, we just ate stuff that came from plants.   There are raw foodies that date back to Iran & India! So it didn't start with Whole Foods or David Wolfe's Raw Cacao Smoothies!  It was just food.  Then food evolved into chemicals and plastic packaging.  And now it's apparently "yuppie" to just want "food" again.  There are a lot of Christian, Essene, and other "Spiritual" folk out there that are on a Plant Strong Journey and get their Mojo from texts say that we already have all that we need from the earth.  It's actually really old, not some new yuppie thing.  And if you grow your own, frequent your local farmer's markets, join a CSA, or even buy your fruits & veggies from Whole Foods (if you quit buying junk in packages!), you will find an economic savings in addition to better health.  

Kale Mango Smoothie.

This is what I found when I walked in the house.  There isn't much at the local market that I will eat, but he manages to find some stuff!  They have Eden Beans (BPA free Cans!).  The Peanuts are for him, but I Love them.  I try to hide them so I won't eat the whole bag.  The same store also has Vegan Cookies!   I think this was a hint that he wanted Vegan Tostada Night. 

Starting some Peas, Cilantro, Basil, Greens, Greens, Greens, Greens & more Greens!

Take a look at this short Hallelujah Acres  video that talks about a common problem and one wife/mother's way of fixing it little by little. The Wonder Wife who slowly transformed her family's health!

"Get Skinny's" Delicious Dandelion Smoothie

Breakfast of pretend champions.
Dandelion Smoothie.

 Well......I am STILL on the yerba mate, as I can only imagine heroin or something stronger (coffee) may be more difficult to quit!!  But then it is sold as a "health supplement" so maybe it isn't the demise of my character.  :)   However, I have been stocking up on greens and using an entire bunch of greens in my smoothies.  Dandelions....how funny that I have planted 2 packets full and maybe 2 plants came up.  When you are seeking it, it just does not come!! Think of all of those years I was brainwashed to think Dandelions were bad!  Now I pay $2.50 a bunch for them (organic) and will try to nurture them in the Square Foot Garden again this year.

Ingredients.

1.  One Bunch Greens.  If you are a Green Virgin, use something mild like spinach.  Later, try Kale,     Collards, Swiss Chard, or Dandelion Greens.  If you are hardcore, Arugula.

2.  2 bananas.

3. Stevia packet. Add a splash of vanilla if you'd like.

4. Water or Coconut water.  Or....Nut Milk if you want to fatten it up a little.

5.  Blend.  Vita-mix is the best but any high speed blender should work.

6.  Welcome, you are no longer a "Green Virgin".

So Simple.  1 minute total time! Bananas, One Bunch Dandelion Greens, Stevia, splash of Vanilla.

Okay, I always buy the plain herb.  But this is really so much better in smoothies.  It is very sweet and the texture is a bit nicer.  I know it's better to just use the herb, but I find myself not drinking an ENTIRE bunch of dandelions that way!!  So.....compromises.

                   

While I can't seem to pry myself out of bed for yoga or mediation, I always seem to hear the alarm when I go out with the "Gateway Girls" to feed the dogs in East St. Louis.  PJ has gone EVERY single day, for well over a decade, to feed and care for the dogs in this severely impoverished area.  Whenever there is a foster available, GPG can pull the dog from the streets and they get a new chance at life.  While any other activity this early in the morning would be total drudgery, this one leaves me feeling good.  Well, most of the time.  It is hard to see all of the animals that are on the street and may never make it to a home.  Many are there for years, and then one day they disappear.  I just have to put up a wall in my head to be able to go see them......I remind myself that in the "normal" world millions of boy baby chicks are ground up alive, daily, because they don't produce eggs.  I remind myself of all of the animals suffering in factory farms.  Of the people in other countries that have to risk their lives to even get a drink of water.  Of all of the suffering.  Somehow, if I overwhelm myself with all of the suffering, then I trick myself into being able see this microcosm of suffering.  And just recognizing that I cannot change all of the suffering. But recognizing this does not excuse me from seeing from what is in front of my face and doing little things to just try to reduce the suffering in a small way.  So many people just throw in the towel because they can't change it all, asking what difference they can make.  Well, each one of us can make a HUGE difference.  Think of all of the changes that have already been made.  Think of "No-Kill" cities like San-Francisco.  Think of people like Dennis Kucinich who think that creating ways to provide water to all of the people in the world would be far more productive to our "National Security" than trying to build more weapons to protect what we have, or what someone else has and we want.  

What are things you do to "reduce the suffering" in your life?? Have you given up red meat?  Fish?  Recycle?  Try to live with less than you need?  Meditate? Be a mentor to kids?  Foster stray animals?  Help people overcome addictions?  Try to purchase more sustainable products? 


Are you a dandelion lover?  Are you growing greens in your garden this year??