I was just thinking about this because of some things that came up here in Hungary.
In the US, I couldn't just go get almonds anywhere, it had to be special ordered and in bulk for it to be affordable and not pasteurized, all that jazz. Since I arrived in Hungary, I tried a few different packaged, unpasteurized almonds, and they did not taste fresh or good or SOMEthing.
I finally found some almonds that were still in the shell. These taste as fresh and wonderful as the ones I ordered from www.almonds-from-california.com... but this means I have to open the almonds' shells by hand every time I eat some.
Then it must be that -- nuts were NOT meant to be eaten in large quantities! If they were, it would not be so difficult to get them out of the shell. Apples and other fruits are so EASY to get to, just pull them off the tree and eat.
How many of you all are shelling your nuts? If you are finding that you have an addiction, my suggestion would be:
1/Buy nuts that you have to shell.
and
2/Conscious eating = ONLY eat when you can focus on only eating (i.e. not while in front of the computer or talking or walking or reading. JUST eating).
This will bring you closer to what nature intended, and you will be more likely to listen to what your body is telling you and to move beyond the emotions telling you to eat for any reason other than hunger.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
ADHD -- Conquering it every day
I committed to writing about the things I do every day to conquer ADHD -- on a bad day! I had too many other things to do, but now it is on my mind that I said I would share some pointers. My husband is here, and we're on vacation, so this will be shorter than I would prefer... but I will spend the time to edit it later.
I must say one thing that is HUGE -- I was NOT able to cope without drugs until I went raw. Then my head cleared up. I still have to do a lot of individual things (many are below), but going raw changed my world. I tried many times to wean myself off meds or to just stop. My life would turn into a chaotic and emotional nightmare. Not so now. I am in control.
For me, my biggest problems have been focusing on things I'm not interested in and keeping organized. I've also been habitually late and have lost personal items all too frequently. I always was the butt of the "you'd lose your head if it wasn't attached" jokes. There's plenty more, but these are the things that have affected me most.
A friend of mine tells me that my coping methods mean I have exchanged ADHD for OCD. I tell him to bug off. It works for me. Here is what I do:
--I have a place for EVERYthing and everything in its place. Always. OK -- actually -- only "always" when I am not on vacation or it is a work day.
My keys? On a hook by the door. I have three sets, just in case. But I don't need them because they always go on the hook now that I have installed it. My purse goes on the same hook. I have a shelf by the door as well, and this is where I put my wallet and other items I might need on my way out the door (metro card etc.). I had to fight to get into this habit, but now it is ingrained.
Scissors, pencils, etc. all have ONE place and they all go there.
--If I find things have gotten a little out of order (which makes me crazy but is not a big problem outside of the work day), I have a digital egg timer (the timer is perfect because the clicking if it weren't digital would make me bonkers but the egg timer is not complicated so it works). I set it for 10 or 15 minutes. I tell myself I will spend x minutes doing my best to get it all in order, then sometimes I will reward myself somehow.
--I have two places for phone numbers and addresses. One is in a safe spot at home and has LOTS of stuff in it, including credit card phone numbers in case they are lost and various account numbers and info. The other goes with me in my wallet and is super small. I never move either of these items from their spots.
--I have ONE set of papers where I write things like passwords and usernames. It is scanned into my computer when I add a page and it's full. If I'm at home, I never just scribble things down. I must write on that set of papers, which has a home in one place only.
--The timer I mentioned above has been really useful for tasks I hate or have a hard time with. I spend 10 or 15 minutes doing everything I can, then move on.
--I have a checklist of things to do every day on my computer, and I add other to-do items to it. This is the ONLY place I put work to-do items unless they're time specific (those go on my calendar and remind me when they're about to start). This way I can keep items off my mind unless it's time to do that particular task. A book called "Getting things done" is where I found out about doing this. It's more detailed than just having the task list, but it's been wildly successful for me. This can be modified for children, work, home, etc. The book is not marketed for ADDers... but it is GREAT for exactly what I need.
--I am patient with myself and realize that I can't always do things the ways others do. Sometimes I have to read out loud or change rooms, get the world organized before I can concentrate. When I can't concentrate on what I'm doing, I pay attention to what's on my mind and do something to improve it. Sometimes I have to walk and talk around my apartment to brainstorm. Sometimes it's better to have music on, or off. I just go with the flow and adjust as needed without making a big thing of it or beating myself up.
--I ALWAYS get some exercise in the morning before work or class. And it has to be enough to make me sweat and to feel really, really happy (the seratonin's got to be going wild before I'm back). This clears my head and makes the day go more smoothly.
--Working at home means I'm in control, but it also means I can do what I need to do to make the world go round exactly as I want. It means if I don't do the things above, I am responsible to move the world back to where it belongs.
I'll add more later!
But for now, other things that I did not touch on and are super important are that various vitamin/mineral deficiencies can be pivotal in making ADHD worse or even causing the symptoms but not necessarily the disorder. Calcium, magnesium, antioxidants, iodine, iron, zinc and omega fatty acids are ALL important. They all work together to make everything work.
Raw foods are the best sources for these, and green smoothies are 100% necessary in my opinion. I have some ground flax, salt, berries, etc. when I crave them and do not limit them at all. If I crave 3 boxes of blueberries, then I listen. If I want salt, salt, salt, I just do it (but it's Himalayan or Celtic sea salt, NOT table salt!!).
Preservatives, wheat products, hydrogenized or any other -ized can mess around with my brain. If I stick to raw, I know it's good. Nama Shoyu and Bragg's liquid aminos are used in MANY raw recipes but are NOT raw and mess with my brain. I choose to not have them ever. Some people do. Good for them... no good for me! ;)
I must say one thing that is HUGE -- I was NOT able to cope without drugs until I went raw. Then my head cleared up. I still have to do a lot of individual things (many are below), but going raw changed my world. I tried many times to wean myself off meds or to just stop. My life would turn into a chaotic and emotional nightmare. Not so now. I am in control.
For me, my biggest problems have been focusing on things I'm not interested in and keeping organized. I've also been habitually late and have lost personal items all too frequently. I always was the butt of the "you'd lose your head if it wasn't attached" jokes. There's plenty more, but these are the things that have affected me most.
A friend of mine tells me that my coping methods mean I have exchanged ADHD for OCD. I tell him to bug off. It works for me. Here is what I do:
--I have a place for EVERYthing and everything in its place. Always. OK -- actually -- only "always" when I am not on vacation or it is a work day.
My keys? On a hook by the door. I have three sets, just in case. But I don't need them because they always go on the hook now that I have installed it. My purse goes on the same hook. I have a shelf by the door as well, and this is where I put my wallet and other items I might need on my way out the door (metro card etc.). I had to fight to get into this habit, but now it is ingrained.
Scissors, pencils, etc. all have ONE place and they all go there.
--If I find things have gotten a little out of order (which makes me crazy but is not a big problem outside of the work day), I have a digital egg timer (the timer is perfect because the clicking if it weren't digital would make me bonkers but the egg timer is not complicated so it works). I set it for 10 or 15 minutes. I tell myself I will spend x minutes doing my best to get it all in order, then sometimes I will reward myself somehow.
--I have two places for phone numbers and addresses. One is in a safe spot at home and has LOTS of stuff in it, including credit card phone numbers in case they are lost and various account numbers and info. The other goes with me in my wallet and is super small. I never move either of these items from their spots.
--I have ONE set of papers where I write things like passwords and usernames. It is scanned into my computer when I add a page and it's full. If I'm at home, I never just scribble things down. I must write on that set of papers, which has a home in one place only.
--The timer I mentioned above has been really useful for tasks I hate or have a hard time with. I spend 10 or 15 minutes doing everything I can, then move on.
--I have a checklist of things to do every day on my computer, and I add other to-do items to it. This is the ONLY place I put work to-do items unless they're time specific (those go on my calendar and remind me when they're about to start). This way I can keep items off my mind unless it's time to do that particular task. A book called "Getting things done" is where I found out about doing this. It's more detailed than just having the task list, but it's been wildly successful for me. This can be modified for children, work, home, etc. The book is not marketed for ADDers... but it is GREAT for exactly what I need.
--I am patient with myself and realize that I can't always do things the ways others do. Sometimes I have to read out loud or change rooms, get the world organized before I can concentrate. When I can't concentrate on what I'm doing, I pay attention to what's on my mind and do something to improve it. Sometimes I have to walk and talk around my apartment to brainstorm. Sometimes it's better to have music on, or off. I just go with the flow and adjust as needed without making a big thing of it or beating myself up.
--I ALWAYS get some exercise in the morning before work or class. And it has to be enough to make me sweat and to feel really, really happy (the seratonin's got to be going wild before I'm back). This clears my head and makes the day go more smoothly.
--Working at home means I'm in control, but it also means I can do what I need to do to make the world go round exactly as I want. It means if I don't do the things above, I am responsible to move the world back to where it belongs.
I'll add more later!
But for now, other things that I did not touch on and are super important are that various vitamin/mineral deficiencies can be pivotal in making ADHD worse or even causing the symptoms but not necessarily the disorder. Calcium, magnesium, antioxidants, iodine, iron, zinc and omega fatty acids are ALL important. They all work together to make everything work.
Raw foods are the best sources for these, and green smoothies are 100% necessary in my opinion. I have some ground flax, salt, berries, etc. when I crave them and do not limit them at all. If I crave 3 boxes of blueberries, then I listen. If I want salt, salt, salt, I just do it (but it's Himalayan or Celtic sea salt, NOT table salt!!).
Preservatives, wheat products, hydrogenized or any other -ized can mess around with my brain. If I stick to raw, I know it's good. Nama Shoyu and Bragg's liquid aminos are used in MANY raw recipes but are NOT raw and mess with my brain. I choose to not have them ever. Some people do. Good for them... no good for me! ;)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Nantucket Raw Food
My last weekend before leaving Martha's Vineyard, some lovely people on the "other" island off the coast of Massachusetts were having a raw food meetup. How could I resist?!To get to Nantucket, I took a high-speed boat (an "inter-island ferry") that runs only a few months out of the year. The boat ride was just over an hour and brought me straight from Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard to Nantucket. Nantucket feels even more like it's out in the middle of the ocean.
From where we landed, I walked around a bit in the town. It was so charming! There were cobblestone streets throughout the downtown area, and the street signs were all handpainted. On Saturday, there was a small farmers' market just down the street from where most of the boats come in.
The health food store was not too far but in a different area (Annye's Whole Foods was on Amelia Drive in what was, I think, the Monomoy area). Annye herself was working there when I went, and she was really pleasant. I couldn't help but compare prices, and some (although not all) of the items were much more than I would usually pay, even on Martha's Vineyard. They did have a very good selection of items, and I think even made fresh, organic food for takeaway.
It cost $2 to take the bus to and from the area where there is a hostel for around $35 per night. It's right on the beach and was very clean and comfortable. It usually fills up in advance for the weekends especially, and it's only open for the summer plus a little time before and after. There were bike trails the whole way there, but I didn't have a bike with me. Next time, I hope I'll be able to stay longer and bring a bike for exploring.
Joe and Sabine are keeping up the raw food meetups on the islands! (http://rawfood.meetup.com/362/) They welcomed me to a raw potluck at their house with about 10 people. It was quite a healthy feast!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
How to Make Chocolate Coconut Truffles
I've been trying SO hard to not have too much cacao, but alas, I had the urge to splurge and ordered some coconut truffles from Alissa Cohen. It was so tough waiting for them to arrive, then I ate the whole darn $13.95-plus-shipping (with FedEx of course) container in a single day.My gracious -- They were GOOD!
But then I was out and wanted MORE!
In a frenzy, I figured out how to make them. And it was so easy!
Without further ado, here is the recipe:
Chocolate Coconut Truffles
Makes 10-15 truffles
6 T cacao powder
5 T cacao butter (also equal to 2.5 fl. oz.)
4 T agave
3/4 t vanilla
1/8 t sea salt (I prefer the Himalayan pink or Celtic gray salts)
1 T coconut flakes
1. Melt the cacao butter in the dehydrator at 105 degrees until it is completely liquified.
2. Grind cacao nibs to a powder (or use already ground cacao if that is not an option).
3. Combine all ingredients except coconut flakes in a small bowl. Mix with a fork or whisk until smooth. Put in the freezer for just a couple minutes so it hardens slightly.
4. Quickly roll balls in one-inch diameter. If you are not quick, the mix will be too hard.
5. Dip the balls in a separate container, which has the coconut flakes in it. Roll them around until they're covered.
6. Put the finished balls in the fridge to set. You can then store them in the fridge or in an airtight container for up to 30 days if they are not in a heated area.
You can find all of the ingredients except the vanilla in my storefront on Alissa Cohen's web site (along with the truffles that inspired this process!). I have found a few of the products less expensive (in bulk) elsewhere, but her store is the only one I trust for truly raw coconut flakes. My affiliate link is at http://www.alissacohen.com/shop/home.php?partner=eva
Here are some more pictures of the process. Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The Basic Green Smoothie
The Drink of Champions
In the raw food circles, green smoothies are pretty well known. For the rest of the world, green + smoothie = Whaaat?!
Anyways, Victoria Boutenko has a book called "Green for Life" that talks about nothing BUT green smoothies and their benefits: www.rawfamily.com. I'll do a quickie of summarizing the whole book. Green smoothies are GREAT to add into your diet. Tossing your greens into a blender does all the chewing we do not have time to do (and more) so that the body is ready to use it. And mixing it with fruit tricks our taste buds into not minding all the greens.
This isn't just about getting big muscles like Popeye, either. The minerals in green smoothies can help rebuild our whole bodies so that we are strong from the inside out. And also --- well --- erm -- our bowels become much healthier to boot (it's like a healthy Drain-o for the body).
So here is the basic recipe:
--1-3 frozen bananas
--Some greens
--Maybe some water
--Maybe some ice
Other options:
For a fresh taste: basil, mint, parsley
The greens: spinach, kale, ANY green leaf... Use less in the beginning, more as you get used to it. Heck, you can even start with ONE LEAF if you hate greens and want to get into it slooooowwwwwwly.
Other great fruits to add: All of 'em
To make it like a mylkshake: Use almond (or another nut/seed) mylk, some soaked dates
To make it "savory": Instead of sweet fruit, use tomatoes, a couple soaked dates and some herbs.
Recipe for the smoothie in my picture:
-1.5 frozen bananas
-5-6 strawberries
-a few sprigs of mint
-6 oz. (about 2-3 c) spinach
-.5 c water
And BLEND!
Happy Blending!
In the raw food circles, green smoothies are pretty well known. For the rest of the world, green + smoothie = Whaaat?!
Anyways, Victoria Boutenko has a book called "Green for Life" that talks about nothing BUT green smoothies and their benefits: www.rawfamily.com. I'll do a quickie of summarizing the whole book. Green smoothies are GREAT to add into your diet. Tossing your greens into a blender does all the chewing we do not have time to do (and more) so that the body is ready to use it. And mixing it with fruit tricks our taste buds into not minding all the greens.
This isn't just about getting big muscles like Popeye, either. The minerals in green smoothies can help rebuild our whole bodies so that we are strong from the inside out. And also --- well --- erm -- our bowels become much healthier to boot (it's like a healthy Drain-o for the body).
So here is the basic recipe:
--1-3 frozen bananas
--Some greens
--Maybe some water
--Maybe some ice
Other options:
For a fresh taste: basil, mint, parsley
The greens: spinach, kale, ANY green leaf... Use less in the beginning, more as you get used to it. Heck, you can even start with ONE LEAF if you hate greens and want to get into it slooooowwwwwwly.
Other great fruits to add: All of 'em
To make it like a mylkshake: Use almond (or another nut/seed) mylk, some soaked dates
To make it "savory": Instead of sweet fruit, use tomatoes, a couple soaked dates and some herbs.
Recipe for the smoothie in my picture:
-1.5 frozen bananas
-5-6 strawberries
-a few sprigs of mint
-6 oz. (about 2-3 c) spinach
-.5 c water
And BLEND!
Happy Blending!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Oil Pulling -- How and Why
The first thing I do when I start my day is head for the kitchen pantry and take a swig of sesame oil. Yup, sesame oil. But I don't swallow it; instead, I swish it around in my mouth until I can't stand it anymore.I read about this last year, and I figured, "Hey, Why not?" I do some crazy things sometimes, and this is the least of them. The first time I tried it, I almost spit it out. After that, it's been no big deal.
This morning, I've already cleaned downstairs, made my bed, done a few work tasks so they would be DONE right away. I've been oil pulling for an hour, and it's 8:15. Not bad.
Time to spit it out really quickly, swish some salt water, brush my teeth. Then I'll be back to explain...
Why Did I Start Oil Pulling?
I started oil pulling because I had already been eating raw food for a few months, and I still didn't have perfect skin. I thought that raw food should perfectly cure me of all ailments immediately. It did a lot, but it did not make my skin dewy and spotless. Hmph.
So, I saw this girl's blog who is/was a model in Copenhagen (and a raw foodist). She had the "same" situation -- eating raw food for awhile and hoping for perfectly perfect skin. She found out about oil pulling and documented her journey. I saw the pictures of her dewy, amazing skin after she did this for awhile.
Sooo, why not?!
Why Oil Pull (according to me)
When I oil pull, my skin feels softer, including on my body. My feet are as soft as they could possibly be. It's really remarkable. I've always had to do these treatments with scrubs and lotions and whathaveyou just to have okay feet -- but even doing NO treatments when I'm oil pulling consistently, they're so ridiculously soft.
My blemishes disappear.
My teeth are whiter, and they feel clean.
All of the mucous is removed so that I breathe perfectly clearly. Even now -- the pollen is EVERYwhere, but I have no sign of mucous in my nose or lungs, except in the morning when I spit it out after oil pulling. Ick.
Why Oil Pull (according to "them" that agree)
(I'm paraphrasing and jumbling up info from several sources for simplicity.)
In alternative medicine, including in old Ayurvedic texts, oil pulling is an oral and systemic remedy that is said to cure about 30 systemic diseases ranging from headaches to diabetes and asthma.
One theory: Just as the skin is an organ that removes toxins from our body, the tongue is also a key organ for the elimination of toxins. Sort of how the foot is mapped out for reflexology, the tongue is also a map. Oil swishing eliminates toxins from every organ.
Another theory: There is lots of not-so-good (and in fact, really gross) bacteria hiding in our mouth. This effectively helps to remove that quickly and "easily."
Why Not to Oil Pull (according to "them" that don't agree)
There is no hard scientific evidence that oil pulling forcibly removes anything from the body.
Yes, You Can Try This At Home
1. Get some sesame or sunflower seed oil that is not roasted or heated. It should say "cold pressed" or "expeller pressed." If it's organic, great! If not, great!
2. Put one tablespoon of oil in your mouth without swallowing it. Ideally, you'll swish this in your mouth for 20 minutes or longer. If not, no sweat.
3. When you're almost finished, put some salt in a jar with hot water and shake it until the salt melts.
4. Spit out the oil, then immediately swish with the salt water. This will get the oily taste out of your mouth and kill some bad guys in one fell swoop.
5. Brush your teeth!
Notes:
-Really try not to swallow it, but if you do, the world won't end.
-There will be more liquid in your mouth as you do this (from saliva and mucous), so if you need to use less than a tablespoon, it's no big deal.
-Ideally, this would be done 1-2 times every single day to start noticing major benefits.
-This should really be done on an empty stomach, perhaps in the morning upon rising and just before bed.
If you're out there swishing while you read, Happy Pulling!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Starting the Adventures Right NOW!
Today has been a magical day. I figured out how to use my pretty inexpensive camera to create a video, uploaded it to my computer, then created an account on YouTube and uploaded it there.I edited some photos Carlos and I took out and about on the island.
I created some email addresses to go along with some web sites I've been toying with lately.
Wowee, the magic of the internet still astounds me!
But, that's not why I'm writing here. I'm writing because I'd like to share my journey and record it. My journey is not about raw food or travel, but it will include a lot of both. I will be lucky enough to move from Martha's Vineyard to Budapest in just one month, and I plan to use these fun toys of modern day to record my adventures.
So, Cheers! -- Here's to Adventures and Good Health!
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