Raw Detox : Day #1 ... Grocery List, Detoxing Kitchen, Mindfulness

Hmmmm......... Did I really broadcast to the world that I was going to start a 21 day Raw Food Detox? Yup! Unless I want to feel really bad about myself, then guess I'd better get started.
To start out , I have been detoxing my kitchen. Taking inventory of my ref and cupboards, surprised to see that it's not as bad as I thought it would be. As I looked over my counter tops, I felt the beginnings of a panic attack coming on as my eyes fell upon the coffee pot. I love my coffee and would be lying if I told you I was giving it up. But I am going to make some big changes in that area. First, coffee pot is going into storage and French Press is taking its place. It will make it more time consuming to make the coffee , which I hope will cut down the amount that I drink. Second, will not allow myself to drink that first cup of the day until I drink hot water with lemon...http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/lemon-water.html . Drinking warm water with lemon is known to help with caffeine withdrawal, weight-loss, healthier skin and liver..
Grocery List to get Started :
Bananas, Granny Smith Apples, Kale, Carrots, Almonds, Oatmeal, Flax seed, Celery, Cucumbers, Red Cabbage, Bragg's Vinegar, Green Peppers, Garlic, Onions, Broccoli, Cauliflower,Watermelon, Grapefruit, Oranges,Lemons,Medjool Dates, Grapes,Romaine and Red Leaf Lettuce , Parsnips and Celery Root...Ginger Root.... there are other ingred you will need as time goes on but these are ones that will help get me started ...
Below is Menu for Tuesday Morning (real first day of detox)
2 cups of hot water with lemon
1 cup organic oats ( this I will cook, my husband doesn't , but I just can't do raw oats yet :)
1/4 cup almond milk ( for oatmeal)
fruit smoothie ( 2 banana, 3 kale leaves, grated ginger, drop of organic raw honey) add water as needed to get blender going ...

Lunch

Large Glass of carrot juice ( 6 carrots, 1 granny smith apple, grated ginger )
Rawsome Salad.... ( broccoli, cauliflower, onion, green pepper, romaine lettuce mix, celery, walnuts, cabbage, carrot...with garlic rosemary vinegar.. ( just grate garlic, add dried rosemary to Bragg's vinegar ) Oh yes make sure you add Flax Seeds to your salads daily !!!!

Dinner

Large Rawsome Salad ( as above)
Carrot Juice ( as above)
Bowl of Oatmeal w/ almond milk

Evening Snack

Fruit Smoothie  ( after I get beyond the first few days of raw diet, I will start to add flax seed crackers, hummus, raw cake etc..but want to keep simple to get started....

Please, if at all possible use only organic fruits and veggies!!! The idea here is to become healthy ! I purchase most of my groceries from Square Root in Poland, Axis is Auburn or Fair Share in Norway... you certainly can purchase from chain grocery store, but please be careful as they may say organic but have found non- organic items in the organic fruit and veggie bins...:( http://fruitsticker.com/ ... print off this and carry in pocketbook so you can check code to make sure organic ....

If you don't have a juicer, then you can buy carrot juice put in blender and add peeled , diced apple... there are many kinds to choose from in store...organic and free of added fruits is best... it is expensive this way, but until you decide if you want to juice daily then this will work for you....  You also can buy organic almond milk ( very inexpensive to use for oatmeal or smoothies ) ... I will post demo on face book group showing how to make almond milk very soon ( as soon as I figure out how to do it ...lol )

Mindfulness Tip

Think of your food the way you want to think of your body !
Take time to display your meals in pleasing way... I am going to use one bowl, plate and my wooden silverware for the next 21 days....
Turn off the TV, turn on music to your liking ...light a candle , use special placemat ...what ever will bring you more mindfulness to the fact that your eating for health not just to eat! We all eat far more than our bodies require and for most of us we don't even remember the meal we ate..other than how we feel after, or the scales...that is not what this is about... It's about changing the way we look at food, how , when and why we eat.... and how we FEEL!!!
For those of you with children, meal times together are so important, but a healthy mom is even more important so enjoy your rawsome meal while eating with them and maybe even getting them to eat some of it too.... HINT for Children !!! Give them there own special place setting, plate and silverware...cut veggies and place on plate to look like a happy face :)

Rawsome Day to You !!!

New Year, New Day, Same Hope, Faith and Dreams !

Can't believe that  last date I posted on this blog was June . So many memories been made, days of laughter and tears since then. I stopped blogging for few different reasons. But, the main reason being that I just didn't know how to put into words all the jumbled feelings that I was having. I would sit and stare at the computer screen, wanting so badly to pour out my heart , then would get angry at myself . What did I have to feel sad about..I was not the one in pain, the one that had to endure the terrible healing process of liver surgery. Not the one to once again struggle with the horrors of cancer ! I didn't want to take one moment away from Kylee's healing journey...she is the one that has had to endure it. But my sister said something to me last night that really hit home...She said but Deb, you have a different story to tell. Yes, I do have a story, we all do. Mine is a story of a mother's pain and fear of seeing her child go through the past 2 years battling cancer. ..It's a long story and to many emotions to go into at this time. This blog post is just to give reason to why I have not blogged for months and to encourage all to tell their story. To share is human, we all suffer in one way or another. Sharing makes the suffering easier some how...we all need to believe that we matter. That someone cares, understands or can relate to our lives.
Many people suffer in silence, behind closed doors, alone. They get up in the morning, put on their happy face and lead others to believe that their lives are prefect..Well no ones life is prefect, no person is prefect and we all feel sadness, fear and alone at times... I don't want to feel that way, I don't want you to feel that way..If I open my door , let you see my imperfections, my humanness than maybe it will help others to do the same...
So starting tomorrow, I will be blogging about my 21 day Raw Food Detox journey, fears, sadness, happiness or other emotions that I encounter through my day.. Well maybe not everything :) I am so far from prefect that at times I lose myself in the imperfections!
I'm 52 years old, raised two beautiful daughters, been married for 32 years...Been at my oldest daughters side for past 2 years while she has battled cancer...been too far away from my youngest daughter, lost a job that provided much needed income to my household....which has led to many other changes in my life..BUT...guess what .... I still laugh, love, dream !! Have hope, faith and believe that my story is worth writing...regardless if others read, learn, or dare to tell their story.. I've paid my dues..I am woman now here me Roar :)