I work to LIVE but I don't live to work...

Well it's been a while since I last posted. I have been so busy trying to schedule my life around work : (

I work a full time boring desk job in downtown Houston. I do not enjoy my job. It's not my passion. It pays the bills though. Hopefully I can find a job closer to home. I spend almost 2 hours a day commuting. It makes me so sad knowing that I am spending 40 hours a week in a closed up space....with no window-view...sitting at a small desk staring at a computer monitor! Is that any way to spend my life? Ugghh....

I hope to one day break free from this rut and find something more suitable. I love nature, health, and raw food. What job could I find near Houston that involves any of these passions? Hmmmm.....

We are getting our puppy next month!!! We have been on a waiting list for over a year. We're getting an American Mastiff from http://www.flyingwfarms.com/ .

I don't know which one is ours but here's a picture of the litter

We are all super excited. Meanwhile my cats have been getting into trouble. I grew my first flats of wheat grass and I have learned a valuable lesson. Grow a small one for the cats and keep them away from mine!!

I had to run to Whole Foods at lunch to get more wheat berries. I just couldn't bear the thought of using the wheat grass after I saw this big

indentation left from my cat's rear end.

They love the stuff. They have been eating "salad" every time I turn my back. I am attempting container gardening. You can see the boxes in the window behind my cats. It's a learn-as-you-go situation. I'm trying to do it all organically this time. So far I have tomatoes, bush beans, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash and butternut squash. Then I ran out of room. I have to move the squash plants around this weekend. My mom told me that they really take up a lot of room. So my sweetie is going to build me a new box!

Well one of my biggest supporters of my raw food adventure is my little girl. She is really getting into it. I have three daughters. The two older ones are interested and try everything but are not as gung-ho as my youngest. Here are the cutest pictures of her with her snap-pea adventure after we came home from the farmer's market this weekend. She had never had them before. She loved them but was also very interested and intrigued by those little snap peas.

Her work of art >>>>>>>

Well...that's my update for now... I am keeping on keeping on. I will post more later. The gig is up and I have to actually do some work now. My manager came back from his meeting. He sits right beside me. (I'm joking....I am dedicated at whatever I set my hands to do---I was just taking a much needed break). I'm not kidding about the seating arrangement. It makes for a very strange working environment.

Be Raw!!!

I stand in shock and awe!!!!

This is quite amazing. I haven't mentioned this but I was diagnosed with the early stages of cervical cancer in the beginning part of this year. It was last year that they told me that I had the HPV virus. When I heard the doctor say that the tests came out showing that I had early stages of cancer, I was devastated. I had always tried to make good health choices and exercised regularly. That's when I decided to go raw in full force. The doctor gave me the option of either: 1) waiting a year to see if my immune system will kick in and heal my body or 2) getting the cells treated in the office (I guess they burn them off?). Well I got the results yesterday. I am happy to report that everything is gone!!! Even the HPV virus. I remember being told that once you have HPV then you always have it. Well I don't have it anymore!!!!

I am so totally blissed out right now!

Be Raw!!!

I love Raw Food!!!!

Wow!!!







Raw food is absolutely amazing. It gives you so much energy. It just struck me this weekend like a big surprise. The energy was incredible. I just kept going and going with out stopping. On Saturday my sister and I went to an arboretum. They had a big plant sale! I bought tons of tomato plants for only $1 each!! And they were big too! I had started some plants by seed and they are only about 2 inches high now so I need some big ones to start the season with.
On Sunday my sweetie made me some planter boxes (square foot gardening method) and I planted tomatoes for myself and for my Dad. He was so happy after we were finished planting his box with marigolds and tomato plants.

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/


I have been experiencing some detox symptoms lately. I have been very cold all the time. I brought a heating pad to work to keep warm. Last week I was very tired. I'm still cold, but no longer tired. Even my 9 year old has been experiencing some detox symptoms. She has been eating about 60% raw lately. She has some red bumps on her face. Oh is she upset about it. I told her that it's better to get it all out now than have breakouts when you're a teenager.

She has been helping me out so much lately. We planted all day yesterday and she was right there beside me helping me out. And every time I 'uncook' anything, she is there and she makes comments as if she is on a cooking show. She pretends to be the chef and I am the assistant. She wants to start a you tube series about our tips and recipes for going raw living. I told her that as soon as we get a camera for our laptop we will start doing it.

Hopefully I can be more faithful to my blog and post something daily. Even though I don't think very many people read it yet : (
I have no idea how to publicize it.

Well bye for now. I will try to add more raw links today if I get time. I'm back at the rat race working for the man. I do not like corporate jobs. I want to be free and enjoy what I do. I just have to figure out a way to do that.

Be Raw!!!

Juice Feaster Failure

Well, I failed. I wasn't able to keep up my juice feast. On Saturday, when I had the family get together at my house, I caved in. Four days on a juice feast though is not too bad. Next time, I will be able to go longer. For now, I am trying to stick to juicing and smoothie'ing during the day and eating raw food at night. I didn't have time to make my green juice for lunch today so I brought some yummy raw cheezy collard wraps. There is this awesome video of the cutest little girl and her mommy making these wraps.
Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuhYa6KKlP4



I did make some great grapefruit/orange juice for breakfast. It's my sweetie's turn to cook dinner for the family tonight so I will have time to make a quart of green juice!!

Juicing is very hard work. Especially when you have a family that eats cooked food and you work a full time job. Not to mention that it can be very expensive and takes a toll on your bank account. I will do it though...eventually. For now I am going to try my best to stay 100% raw and get back to exercising.

I test software for a living and let me tell you...it's the most unrewarding and boring job ever. I do not like the corporate world. Eventually I hope to open up a small shop selling health food items and supplements and 'uncooking' up some raw food goodies. I really love Arnold's place. It's great. Hopefully one day I run a place like that in my area.

Here's Arnold's website: http://www.arnoldsway.com/

He has some great videos on You Tube as well. His user name is ArnoldsWay.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8zZj-9uGgc

Well....I guess I get some work done.

Be Raw!!!

Day 3 of Juice Feasting

Well last night I really messed up. Every Wednesday is co-op day. I pick up fresh organic produce from the co-op during lunch and when I come home from work I spend most of the evening washing and bagging up produce in addition to cooking for my family who does not eat 100% raw and making my juice. So I was swamped with things to do and tired. I had a glass of wine. Then I had another glass of wine. This morning I woke up with the worst hangover. Before being raw I could pull off a few glasses of wine with no after effects. While eating raw, I got a slight headache. But while juicing, it felt like someone had stabbed my head and left the knife in there.
I will not be doing that again. I've been drinking a lot of water today to try and flush my system.

Today, I feel very antsy and full of energy. I also noticed that my personality is changing a bit. I am more outgoing than usual. And when I talk, I am speaking way too loud lately. What is the matter with me? I feel like an old person whose hearing is going.
The biggest change that I've noticed with juice feasting is that I am very cold. Today at work, I have 4 layers on. I am freezing. I think my body temperature is dropping.

Also, I haven't weighed myself lately, but my clothes are getting baggier. My eyes are looking less puffy too. That's a good thing.

My immediate family all lives nearby...Mom, Dad, siblings.....and this weekend we are all getting together at my house to have a get-together with relatives from out of town. What's on the menu? Well everyone wants the SAD diet. You know.....grilled hamburgers, hot dogs (yuck!!) melted cheese and chips....etc.

I am trying to figure out how I am going to pull this one off without letting my family know that I am not going to partake of the food. I don't want to be teased all day long. My dad is a teaser and he will be beside himself if he found out that I have had nothing to eat all week long and have just been drinking juice.

I think I may make a plate and do what little kids to when they want their parents to think they have eaten their vegetables.....I will be equipped with lots of napkins!!! : )

I'm glad to be juicing. It's hard enough trying to eat just raw in social situations, but now I am juicing and that's even harder. I will survive though.

Be Raw!!!

Day 2 of Juice Feasting

This is my very first post!! I've never blogged before. "Blog" is such a funny word.

Today is the second day of my juice feasting!! I started eating about 90% raw last month. I have so much to learn! As soon as I got my tax return, I bought a dehydrator, a better juicer, and a vitamix. I have been researching recipes and trying out a lot of new things. My favorite website to find recipes is http://www.goneraw.com/.





I am doing this juice feast to get rid of toxins in my body.




Plus summer is coming soon and I want to be in shape!!! I have never done a juice feast before and I am taking it day by day. My goal is to end my juice feast on June 7th. I know, I know.....it's a big goal since it's my first time. But I can be stubborn and I will stick to something just for the sake of doing it.

I have been reading so many wonderful blogs out there. You guys are all great. I was hesitant to start this blog. I'm not sure how it will turn out. I hope to get some time to make it look colorful and nice.

I have decided to post information that I come across during my search for raw life information. And I will also let you know what comes up during my journey; all the trials and tribulations and the joys and transformations.

Be Raw!!!