Isn't It Like Double Dutch?

(Photo taken from the internet)

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

Real Self Love

Never stop loving yourself - I get that. But love yourself enough to lower your BMI.

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.

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

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

Frogs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails - What Are You Eating?

Liver. I was forced to eat liver (usually paired w/rice and lima beans) as a child. LIVER!!!! Another beast's LIVER! For what? Iron they say? Did no one know that iron is in vegetables? I could puke knowing that I ate the liver - THE LIVER of an animal. Dramatic much? eh, maybe, but I'm just having a moment here. Was it cow's liver? Pig's liver?

Giblets - Have you ever stopped to research what a giblet is and where it comes from? What part of the chicken/turkey is it? I'm betting you have never done this research - your granny gave it to your mama and she gave it to you and now you eat it and feed the garbage to your progeny. Such a shame.

Then there are neck bones. Why are you eating neckbones and turkey necks?The bones of an animal's neck. How barbaric does this sound or does it sound weird to you?

And to the cultures that eat feet, intestines, tongue, brain, eyeballs. What are you doing? How low can you go to eat another beast's FEET - their FEET!!!! You can't find anything other than a TONGUE to put in your stew? Are you telling me that your money is so tight that you gotta eat the intestines of a beast - its digestive system - and have the unmitigated audacity to serve it up with rice, gravy, and a buttered yeast roll on a dinner plate and threaten the little ones to eat it all before leaving the table?

Moment of silence for all the children who've been subjected to this unrelenting cycle of dehumanization.

We are better than this.

Not to mention eggs. You are eating the unfertilized egg of a bird...A BIRD!!! - in humans we call the release of this unfertilized egg our menstrual cycle. Yet, you scramble it right up and serve it for breakfast. I'm positive that at this point people are giving no thought to their diet. None.

And why are you ruining your pot of collards with the STOMACH of a pig - oh, pardon me, I believe you call them HOG MAWS! Is that okay with you? No other seasonings or herbs will satisfy you other than the lining of a beast's stomach? I bet you had no clue what hog maws were - you are just playing your role in passing down ignorance to the next generation.

And there's nothing like eating the spine of a pig is there? You don't eat spine? I beg to differ. I bet you'll salivate over what's better known as pork chops any day.

WAKE. UP.

*Drops mic*

EAT MORE ANIMALS TO LOSE WEIGHT!

EAT MORE ANIMALS TO LOSE WEIGHT! 

Yep, that's the low-carb dieter's creed in a nutshell. (Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, Zone Diet just to name a few.)

Think about it. If a diet plan is telling you to avoid rice, corn, potatoes, & fruit, for example, what's left to eat? Meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. Am I the only one thinking here?

Each of the above named diet plans promotes high fat while demonizing carbs.

Look, there is nothing unhealthy about whole-foods-plant-based carbs, so I suggest you stop blindly following the "leader," exercise common sense which will lead you to eat a cruelty-free, nutrient dense, high-fiber, high carbohydrate diet. Plus you'll witness your health excel. Don't believe a word I say: Try it for yourself. High-fat? C'mon, you're intelligent enough to know that a high-fat life can't propel you into good health.

As for losing weight? Ha! You can lose weight eating only a Snicker's bar every day. But is it healthy? lol! Wake up and stop the madness.

Oh, and in reality, no animal has to die for you to shred your waistline and increase your health.
#TheMoreYouKnow