Dear Readers,
Here we go into another Season, days are getting shorter, the air is brisk and Mother Nature gracefully makes its passage way into winter. Why is it that nature is so peaceful with change and the human being less so? I have a list, part of it mental, some of it written down, on all the things about me that either need to change or simply must change in order to remain aligned with my values on health and wellness.
In our article with raw food chef Chad Sarno, he states, "There is a trend to be healthy and definitely a trend to be beautiful." Yes, I would agree. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and standards are set by our world around us for what is beautiful and what is less so. But in my case, pants that are too tight, once having not been, and shirts that no longer stay buttoned are not beautiful, they are annoying. So here, you lucky reader, I will share my journey on the struggle to get thin and at the same time healthy in both mind and body, even as we rush headlong into the holiday feeding season.
Weight gain is most certainly one of those things that really creep up on you. One day you know yourself as a size 6 and the next, zap, you are on your back, squirming and squeezing into those Levi's purchased only a few months ago. Yuck, I hate this. Could it be the desk job? It certainly can't be that I am eating more--maybe it's middle age...What? Already? A person's mind dashes through the changes made over the last few months or year that set this new matter in motion, the motion of Roley-Poley-Dom.
I speak to people nearly everyday day on health and lifestyle. Often maintaining or reducing one's poundage is top on the list. So, great, now it can be on my list as well. Perfect. Greater empathy for all who connect with the same concern.
The first place I will start is by throwing out that stupid scale, this is the worst possible way to start your day. I intend to go by how my clothes fit. Increase intake of water--to lose weight one must drink half their body weight in ounces of water daily. Grapefruit each morning, why? Because I like it and it is a natural, effective liver cleanser. As far as the rest of meals go, well, I am going to eat whatever I want, only smaller portions. Thank heavens my cravings for sugar disappeared years ago with the introduction of enzymes to daily maintenance routine.
I will reduce my ingestion of white carbohydrates, potatoes, breads, rice and pasta, and increase ingestion of proteins, like hard boiled eggs--they are easy and can be made ahead of time. I am busy, like all of us, and if it is not easy and or fast, well, I am less likely to stick with the new routine over time.
Dr. Fuller's Herbal Accelerator...yes, I'll start taking them daily. However, I know from my research they work best 30 minutes before exercise combined with the enzyme Lypozyme (the enzyme that helps digest fat). This is coupled with a good dose of E-2 Digest Aid, and flushing niacin prior to yoga or any other exercise regime. Niacin supports opening of capillaries, thus improving blood flow assisting with detoxifying (in this case moving fats out of the blood). With higher water intake, supplements that support digestion, and a good deal of sweating from Bikram's Yoga, I am on my way.
Speaking of exercise, when the day is long and or stressful, exercise often goes to the bottom of the list. That will need to change, and I am expecting that be a bit of a challenge. We are all creatures of habit and molded by the examples set for us early in life. My mother was an active woman, but I never experienced exercise on her list of daily activities, and she never had a weight problem--a perfect size 6 always. At least there was one thing that doesn't run in the family...
And lastly, dear reader, we will be placing a blog or journal on the site soon. I am so often asked, how I got here, what do I do to create health and vibrancy in my own life. The journaling will prove that it is a process for me as well.
Stay tuned, and if weight control is an issue for you as well, please call me. I could use a good partner in crime--half the battle is having a support system around you.
Blessings and happy journey,
Jan "Shay" Arave, President
Pure Energy Rx
Raw Fooding is a rocketing trend in vegetarianism, as well as in upscale restaurants. Chad Sarno has been making what is considered boring, unpalatable raw food delicious, attractive and uncannily close to cooked foods in both taste and appearance, but with all the high nutrition that raw foods offer. "I think there's a trend to be healthy, and definitely a trend to look beautiful," says Chad. "Everybody thinks its trendy because there are all these movie stars doing it. People are starting to realize, Hey I can throw away all these pills, and just eat good food."
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HOLIDAY SALAD!
Here is a light recipe from our kitchen, perfect for your Holiday gathering, light, festive and oh so tasty!
Avocado, Lime and Heart of Palm Salad
1- 16 ounce can hearts of palm, drained and cut into strips
1- Avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced
1- Lime, peeled and sliced
1- Cup fresh arugula
3 Tbs. - Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lime
Place the palm hearts, avocado, lime slices and arugula in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil and lime juice. Serves 2-4. [LINK: What IS an Avocado?]
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From Boyd Martin, Caretaker
