My heart goes out to all drug and alcohol addicts who have received
harsh judgment from the people of America. Addiction. What a powerful
beast. You just can't seem to relate to who a person can CRAVE a shot of
meth or someone who shakes until they get their next shot of gin.
Sounds repulsing to you. Or does it.
Let's take a closer look.
What if we define an addiction as: Any behavior that is associated with
cravings, temporary relief, along with long term negative consequences.
Could this describe your secret affair with processed foods? This
definition sure steps on my toes regarding my chip addiction. Surely,
I'm not the only addict among us. Or perhaps am I one of the few who is
transparent enough to admit it?
Temporary relief, huh? Is that what
you're feeling when you go back for seconds and thirds knowing full
well you've had enough? Trying to stay numb? Is temporary relief the
feeling you have when you drive up to that fast food restaurant and pull
the food out of the bag to sink your bite into that greasy saltiness
before you exit the parking lot? Or perhaps temporary relief is what
you're feeling when you go to the pantry and grab the pack of Oreos and
go back to the empty bed and just munch. Mindlessly. Cookie after
mind-numbing cookie.
We all can agree that these habits have long
term negative consequences, can't we? So why do we do it? Why do you
roll up to Shipleys or Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts for breakfast when
in your heart you know you want to be healthy? It's called denial.
You've seen the show: "Intervention." How many drug addicts raise their
hand to say I have a problem? How many alcoholics admit they have a
problem. It may sound trite, but there really is power in taking the
first step to admitting there is a problem. Currently, I'm fully raw -
my chip addiction is the only challenge I have - cooked foods are not my
temptation. It's chips. Every raw fast or juice fast or water fast I've
ever endured has always always always been broken with chips. That's
problematic. Why, do you ask, am I so open about it?
Well, because I
know whoever reading this isn't perfect either. There is no shame in my
game. Not one us is perfect. There is no one who is 100% anything. Oh,
people may not be forthcoming about their shortcomings, but as long as
they are wearing human skin, you can rest assured they are flawed. Maybe
not with the same addictions you have, but we all have them.
I
could go on talking about WHY we all have this insatiable craving that
needs to be filled by "something", but that would make this a religious
post. My point here is to encourage you to take the power out of
strongholds by telling someone - maybe Facebook isn't your platform,
you're much more "private" than that. So, don't. Text your best friend
right now and confess: "Girl, I have a food addiction." She'll think
you're crazy, but this is about you; this is about YOU taking the first
step the break free from the powers that bind.
I'm a work in
progress - or rather a mess in progress - lol - but I'm working on me.
Isn't it time you commit to doing the work - as messy as it may be - and
go get your body! Withdrawals and all. Trust me - no amount of celery
in this house can replace the saltiness of chips - but I refuse to
continue to repeat the cycle of self-abuse that has kept me bound to
this fat body.
I'm sure the slaves used to say: "I want to be free.
. . I'm running for it. I don't know what's out there, but I know it's
hell where I am."
In that spirit, I'm running for it. Will you run with me?
Let's break the power of addiction this year!
Love y'all,
Lisa
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Save the Elderly!
Quality of Life for the Aged Among us
What is the current health status of the elderly among you? Are they able to walk unassisted? Are they free of popping pills? Are they able to lift weights or run marathons? Enjoy an active sex life? Avoid the nursing home? Travel actively?
Do they have high cholesterol? Osteoporosis? Type 2 diabetes? High blood pressure? Arthritis? Dementia? Cataracts? IBS? Any recurring cancer battles?
Think: How is the quality of their life? Now ask yourself: How much do you love them? Do you think disease is a natural companion to aging? Is this your perception? Do you think a 70y.o. should be able to run? Do you think an 80y.o. should be able to climb stairs? Do you think a 90y.o. should still be sexually active? What do you actually believe about the quality of life of the aging?
Do you not believe the elderly should be able to live vibrant lives? Key word BELIEVE - because believe is an action word. If you have an elderly family member who is living a debilitated pill popping life, and you have not intervened to pass on the knowledge of nutrition I have diligently preached to you, then I hold you accountable for their painful, miserable existence.
I remember telling a doctor once that as a vegan I intend to live well into my 100s. He quickly exclaimed: "I don't want to live that long." I know why he responded that way - do you? His perception of the aged among us is that of a frail, weak, sickly, bed-ridden, nursing home living, debilitated individual. Nutrition allows us to THRIVE as we age. We aren't supposed to be weak, out of breath, and feeble.
Y'all, listen: All major diseases are DIRECTLY - do you hear me - DIRECTLY connected to what we put in our mouths - to how we nourish our cells.
Don't want cancer? Then stay away from creating and cultivating an acidic body. Eat more alkaline foods. Simple. You don't have to cross your fingers and pray that you don't get cancer. Just don't eat foods that cultivate an acidic body.
Don't want to drop dead of a heart attack or a suffer the damages or even death of a stroke? Then of course don't smoke - but more importantly, don't eat foods that introduce cholesterol into your body. You don't just wake up at 65 with heart disease - you ATE your way into heart disease - starting as a child when your parents shoved animal proteins down your throat. You just weren't informed. Now you are.
If there is any one sickly among you, especially the elderly, do not let them die this young. 70s? YOUNG! 80s? YOUNG! 90s even? YOUNG! Let 2015 be the year you reclaim the HEALTH of the elderly among you. You are responsible for their health with this knowledge I have given to you. People perish for a lack of knowledge except you are no longer uninformed. If you are still reading this, you are informed. Don't let Mom die on your watch or continue to pop pills on your watch. Don't let Dad die on your watch. Don't let Grandmom die a sickly death on your watch. Begin to feed them foods that have no cholesterol. Feed them foods that offer plenty of fiber. Feed them foods that create an alkaline environment in their bodies.
I don't know ONE elderly person in my family who died of natural causes. My loved ones suffered from heart disease, pancreatic cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. It is in their honor, that I live a life to raise awareness so that you can SAVE your family members.
This new year isn't just about you. Give Dad oatmeal for breakfast (without cow's milk or butter). Fix Mom greens without hammocks and pork.(Yes, Black folks, I'm talking to you). Prepare nice big salad and vegetable soups. Let your Aunts eat potatoes, rice, beans, and fruit. It's never too late to reclaim their health. (Refined/processed sugar is acidic; keep them away from it. Focus on whole foods).
Here's the good news: Most diseases are reversible by diet. In 30 days you will see a new Mom, a new Grandpop. If they won't go for a complete diet overhaul (I know how stubborn they can be), just encourage them to DECREASE consumption of all animal products. I know folks who brag that their kinfolk live long lives - well, duh, it ain't too hard to live long, the question is HOW ARE THEY LIVING? Are they running marathons or sitting on a couch? It's not difficult to age - the body wants to live. The trick is to eat so well that we THRIVE as we age and live vibrant, sexual, active lives.
And even if fate happens that we don't live beyond 100, let's live healthy lives until we die as we can't control accidents that occur - but we can make sure we enjoy living in a healthy vibrant body while we're here. We can't stop car accidents, senseless murders, or plane crashes - but we can ensure that we were our healthiest self until the day of our demise - because we all know - none of us gets our of this soap opera alive anyway. The winners of this game are those who die without disease.
If you take nothing else from this post, take this: Aging and living sickly and debilitated do not go hand in hand. All the feeble elderly folks among you have mostly eaten their way to disease. Now, you must help them eat their way back to health so they can enjoy the fruits of decades of labor. Enjoy all their progeny. Enjoy all the money they worked for all their lives. Enjoy the sights to see. Continue to spread their love, their witness, their recipes and hot dance moves to younger generations.
We are supposed to enjoy this ride, y'all until that final sleep overtakes us in peace.
SAVE The Elderly! Let them eat fruit too! :-)
Love y'all,
Lisa
What is the current health status of the elderly among you? Are they able to walk unassisted? Are they free of popping pills? Are they able to lift weights or run marathons? Enjoy an active sex life? Avoid the nursing home? Travel actively?
Do they have high cholesterol? Osteoporosis? Type 2 diabetes? High blood pressure? Arthritis? Dementia? Cataracts? IBS? Any recurring cancer battles?
Think: How is the quality of their life? Now ask yourself: How much do you love them? Do you think disease is a natural companion to aging? Is this your perception? Do you think a 70y.o. should be able to run? Do you think an 80y.o. should be able to climb stairs? Do you think a 90y.o. should still be sexually active? What do you actually believe about the quality of life of the aging?
Do you not believe the elderly should be able to live vibrant lives? Key word BELIEVE - because believe is an action word. If you have an elderly family member who is living a debilitated pill popping life, and you have not intervened to pass on the knowledge of nutrition I have diligently preached to you, then I hold you accountable for their painful, miserable existence.
I remember telling a doctor once that as a vegan I intend to live well into my 100s. He quickly exclaimed: "I don't want to live that long." I know why he responded that way - do you? His perception of the aged among us is that of a frail, weak, sickly, bed-ridden, nursing home living, debilitated individual. Nutrition allows us to THRIVE as we age. We aren't supposed to be weak, out of breath, and feeble.
Y'all, listen: All major diseases are DIRECTLY - do you hear me - DIRECTLY connected to what we put in our mouths - to how we nourish our cells.
Don't want cancer? Then stay away from creating and cultivating an acidic body. Eat more alkaline foods. Simple. You don't have to cross your fingers and pray that you don't get cancer. Just don't eat foods that cultivate an acidic body.
Don't want to drop dead of a heart attack or a suffer the damages or even death of a stroke? Then of course don't smoke - but more importantly, don't eat foods that introduce cholesterol into your body. You don't just wake up at 65 with heart disease - you ATE your way into heart disease - starting as a child when your parents shoved animal proteins down your throat. You just weren't informed. Now you are.
If there is any one sickly among you, especially the elderly, do not let them die this young. 70s? YOUNG! 80s? YOUNG! 90s even? YOUNG! Let 2015 be the year you reclaim the HEALTH of the elderly among you. You are responsible for their health with this knowledge I have given to you. People perish for a lack of knowledge except you are no longer uninformed. If you are still reading this, you are informed. Don't let Mom die on your watch or continue to pop pills on your watch. Don't let Dad die on your watch. Don't let Grandmom die a sickly death on your watch. Begin to feed them foods that have no cholesterol. Feed them foods that offer plenty of fiber. Feed them foods that create an alkaline environment in their bodies.
I don't know ONE elderly person in my family who died of natural causes. My loved ones suffered from heart disease, pancreatic cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. It is in their honor, that I live a life to raise awareness so that you can SAVE your family members.
This new year isn't just about you. Give Dad oatmeal for breakfast (without cow's milk or butter). Fix Mom greens without hammocks and pork.(Yes, Black folks, I'm talking to you). Prepare nice big salad and vegetable soups. Let your Aunts eat potatoes, rice, beans, and fruit. It's never too late to reclaim their health. (Refined/processed sugar is acidic; keep them away from it. Focus on whole foods).
Here's the good news: Most diseases are reversible by diet. In 30 days you will see a new Mom, a new Grandpop. If they won't go for a complete diet overhaul (I know how stubborn they can be), just encourage them to DECREASE consumption of all animal products. I know folks who brag that their kinfolk live long lives - well, duh, it ain't too hard to live long, the question is HOW ARE THEY LIVING? Are they running marathons or sitting on a couch? It's not difficult to age - the body wants to live. The trick is to eat so well that we THRIVE as we age and live vibrant, sexual, active lives.
And even if fate happens that we don't live beyond 100, let's live healthy lives until we die as we can't control accidents that occur - but we can make sure we enjoy living in a healthy vibrant body while we're here. We can't stop car accidents, senseless murders, or plane crashes - but we can ensure that we were our healthiest self until the day of our demise - because we all know - none of us gets our of this soap opera alive anyway. The winners of this game are those who die without disease.
If you take nothing else from this post, take this: Aging and living sickly and debilitated do not go hand in hand. All the feeble elderly folks among you have mostly eaten their way to disease. Now, you must help them eat their way back to health so they can enjoy the fruits of decades of labor. Enjoy all their progeny. Enjoy all the money they worked for all their lives. Enjoy the sights to see. Continue to spread their love, their witness, their recipes and hot dance moves to younger generations.
We are supposed to enjoy this ride, y'all until that final sleep overtakes us in peace.
SAVE The Elderly! Let them eat fruit too! :-)
Love y'all,
Lisa
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Isn't It Like Double Dutch?
I liken my attempts to be fully raw to attempting double dutch.
You know that moment when the ropes are turning and you're standing, hesitantly, outside waiting for the right moment to jump in?
Well, sometimes those attempts to jump in are clean and smooth - you get in there, find your rhythm, and fly. Then, there are other times when you attempt to jump in smoothly and the rope slaps you in the face.
Sound familiar?
Yes, I'm sure it's happened to all of us. Well, this is how I feel
making efforts to overcome my salt addiction and give my health a real
chance.
Most days, I'll "jump in" and I'm coasting - until suddenly - the Rope. Slaps. Me. In. The. Face.
As you already know, HIGH-RAW is my life. I am a high-raw vegan for life, so THAT'S not the source of my struggle. Raw breakfast? Win. Raw lunch? Win. Raw dinner? Uh, um, er, - I haven't mastered this part of my day yet (not consistently).
If I opt for my big green salad (delicious) then I crave Townhouse crackers to go along with it (or crumbled Fritos on top). If I opt for a fruit dinner, I haven't satiated my need for the savory. Sigh. So, I reach for a bowl of white bean chili or a baked sweet potato w/ steamed broccoli (or something like that) instead.
[Aside: Let the truth be told, if I could eat chips, I would easily eat raw meals every day - hands down. . . yep, just call me Raw + chips. . . ha ha ha - that would be my new moniker] I'm serious! lol!
Anyway, I hate that "FAILURE" feeling. Don't you? I often wonder: What about me is scared to let go and just jump in and go for it? I have even included a few Jedi mind tricks to motivate me:
1. Be comfortable being uncomfortable.
2. There's nothing wrong with a little cooked food, but only raw can yield optimal healing the quickest.
3. Do the work.
etc. . . blah, blah, blah (lol!)
Some days these mantras empower me while other days I tune them out (just being real!)
What is all of this about? Well, I am sharing my struggles with you so that you know when it comes to making healthy changes, YOU are not alone.
Are you venturing to go fully raw? Probably not (maybe .5% of you reading this). However, what challenges ARE you facing as you transition to a healthier life?
Are you struggling implementing one fully raw meal? Or are you struggling eliminating too many cups of caffeine, eliminating sugary foods and drinks, bypassing aspartame, walking by the donuts or vending machine at work, adding more veggies to your dinner, adding daily exercise, asking for the salad dressing on the side, decreasing your dependency on animal proteins, switching to a nut-based milk --- something --- there's a struggle somewhere, I'm sure of it.
My attitude? I get up each day with the intent of making it. Just like double dutch - I may be entangled in the rope with this attempt, but one of these times, I'm getting in, and I'm going to laugh and jump and have a good time. Flawlessly.
Love y'all!
Lisa
Most days, I'll "jump in" and I'm coasting - until suddenly - the Rope. Slaps. Me. In. The. Face.
As you already know, HIGH-RAW is my life. I am a high-raw vegan for life, so THAT'S not the source of my struggle. Raw breakfast? Win. Raw lunch? Win. Raw dinner? Uh, um, er, - I haven't mastered this part of my day yet (not consistently).
If I opt for my big green salad (delicious) then I crave Townhouse crackers to go along with it (or crumbled Fritos on top). If I opt for a fruit dinner, I haven't satiated my need for the savory. Sigh. So, I reach for a bowl of white bean chili or a baked sweet potato w/ steamed broccoli (or something like that) instead.
[Aside: Let the truth be told, if I could eat chips, I would easily eat raw meals every day - hands down. . . yep, just call me Raw + chips. . . ha ha ha - that would be my new moniker] I'm serious! lol!
Anyway, I hate that "FAILURE" feeling. Don't you? I often wonder: What about me is scared to let go and just jump in and go for it? I have even included a few Jedi mind tricks to motivate me:
1. Be comfortable being uncomfortable.
2. There's nothing wrong with a little cooked food, but only raw can yield optimal healing the quickest.
3. Do the work.
etc. . . blah, blah, blah (lol!)
Some days these mantras empower me while other days I tune them out (just being real!)
What is all of this about? Well, I am sharing my struggles with you so that you know when it comes to making healthy changes, YOU are not alone.
Are you venturing to go fully raw? Probably not (maybe .5% of you reading this). However, what challenges ARE you facing as you transition to a healthier life?
Are you struggling implementing one fully raw meal? Or are you struggling eliminating too many cups of caffeine, eliminating sugary foods and drinks, bypassing aspartame, walking by the donuts or vending machine at work, adding more veggies to your dinner, adding daily exercise, asking for the salad dressing on the side, decreasing your dependency on animal proteins, switching to a nut-based milk --- something --- there's a struggle somewhere, I'm sure of it.
My attitude? I get up each day with the intent of making it. Just like double dutch - I may be entangled in the rope with this attempt, but one of these times, I'm getting in, and I'm going to laugh and jump and have a good time. Flawlessly.
Love y'all!
Lisa
Can't We All Just Tell the Truth?
Can we replace: Can't we all just get along with can't we all just tell the truth?
Yes, skinny people can drop dead of a heart attack; yes, skinny people can be unhealthy. . . HOWEVER, that's no excuse to fall back on to carry around FAT. The older we get, fat will get the best of us. I was just talking to my 19 y.o. daughter this evening, and I exclaimed: At this point, I don't care HOW you do it - just make a commitment to not be FAT. I say the same to myself and I exhort you as well to do the necessary work to get the d*mn fat off. I don't mean to sound harsh - just urgent. (And if you REALLY love someone, you will find a way - gentle or brash - to tell them the truth. . . maybe you don't like the word FAT - well, don't use it - but do what it takes to get your message across: LOSE WEIGHT!) There, I said it.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Tell Fat People the Truth!
Tell fat people they are fat. Society is so backwards...we don't say ONE word to an obese person...yet we all recognize that this person is at least 100lbs overweight. What do we do instead? Well, if the person loses the weight, we THEN suddenly become outspoken: "Don't get too small." "Don't lose anymore weight." "You look good." Really? Are these comments authentic? Why the boldness of stating how you feel about my weight loss now? Why did you opt to say NOTHING 70lbs earlier? I'm about truth telling. I'm a fat woman in transition to a healthier version by summer 2015...and I feel other fat people need to be shaken up...especially those 40+ who are in danger of cutting their lives short. You just don't see vibrant, agile, obese 60 year olds. You just don't. Gently let those you love know they need to lose weight. If you're fat, and you're reading this message, take the truth from me...you need to get healthy. Period. This isn't about being vegan, this is about making a plan to lose the weight by any healthy means necessary. Funny thing is not even my family opened their mouths to say: "Girl, you done let yo'self go." Tough to hear? Yes. But someone should have said something. I didn't REALIZE how fat I was until I lost weight then looked back at me and was like D*mn!!!
I was that big and no one said anything? So, like me, you may be comfortable with your weight...loving the "curves"...well, keep loving yourself as this is great, but hiding behind the weight isn't real love. Step on the scale. What does THAT feedback tell you? How far away from your high school weight are you? I hear a lot of women say "I don't want to be that small again." Really? Or is it the work to get back there you're afraid of? I'm going back to my high school weight and one size below that...yep! I ain't scared and I'm willing to do the work to get there. If you're too afraid of the scale, what about your waistline? Dress size? 18? 20? 24? C'mon...tell the truth and shame the devil. Does is keep creeping up each year? 200lbs? 225lbs? 266lbs? What. Are. You. Doing??? Where is this obese road going to lead you? Let today be the day you make a change. Commit to walking 2 miles everyday. 1 mile before work and 1 mile after work (or 2 miles together). Start there. Start today. Commit to this every day for 1 year (don't worry about other fancy workouts)...if you quit, you're cheating only yourself...be a woman of your word...especially to yourself. Also, quit playing with sugar and processed foods...just stop it. Yes, you're addicted. No, there is no d*mn moderation and you know it. Treat sugar like the plague while you're fighting for true health. Increase more fruits and vegetables. Drink at least 64 oz of water...no less...that's a good start. And warning: Be prepared to tackle this journey alone...sometimes others are unsupportive and uncomfortable when you begin to change, so if you need weight loss support or healthy eating support, there are a plethora of strangers in FB groups who will quickly become answers to your supportive desires. Clean out the fridge and the pantry. No sugary drinks. Replace sugar with stevia. This might sound vegan-ish but the truth is animal products are fattening. That's not my opinion that's truth. You cannot strive for health and hold on to butter, sour cream, cheese, milk...you can't. Even if you consider yourself an "omnivore" read the label on your meat!!! My sister Lori did and she was shocked!!! She threw that frozen chicken with 56% cholesterol on her floor then tossed it in the trash never to touch meat again (of course we lost our mother to a heart attack so that's more motivation for us not to eat artery clogging foods). Have you seen her weight loss before and after? I'll post it below. Look, Friends, don't wait any longer. If you are no where NEAR your high school size, I'm telling you now: You Are Fat. Sounds harsh but someone has to say it...your spouse loves you "the way you are" yes, but just wait until they reap the benefits of the new you. No more fatigue. No more saying "no"...blow the dust off some sexual positions you aint done in a while because of the weight...c'mon! Can we be real here? There are no children on my page *wink*. Grownfolks conversation.
I love you and I want you operating at optimal! Looking at reunion pics I see so many have blown up! We all see it...Just no one says anything. That's seems to be the norm: Graduate from high school and college and gain weight. Hell, I did. Gained 80lbs with my 1st born...stayed fat for 20 years y'all. Well, I guarantee you I won't be fat for the next 20. Who's with me?
One healthy choice at a time. Don't wait until January to resolve this issue...start today. And holidays-schmolidays...psh...Enjoy your Thanksgiving and Christmas feast...but today aint Thanksgiving or Christmas. ..quit playing. Do the work. Get down to size 14/16...then 12...then keep going...but let 14/16 be your 1st goal. Start today.
Love y'all.
Lisa
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Morning Apple Salad
2cups spinach - 20 cal
1 apple - 89 cal
1/8c walnuts - 90 cal
2TB vinaigrette - 40 cal
5 Townhouse crackers - 90 cal
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