Hi Everyone,

This will be my last entry. I've started a website on the raw food lifestyle called La Vida Raw. Going forward, you can find me there. Thank you for your support on this blog and please continue to follow me on www.lavidaraw.com.

Live Vibrantly!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Happy New Year! I'm so excited about 2010. 2009 was really rough for me. Too many negative things happened in my life. There will be some big changes for me and I'll keep you posted. By then end of the month, I'll be posting my blogs elsewhere. I'll let you know.

As for my raw vegan life, it's still there. Winter has been hard being 100% raw but I'm high raw. I suppose I could be all raw in winter except that with all that I'm juggling, I just get tired and....lazy. :P That needs to change. What I've done so far is convert my balcony into a cool storage area. My fridge is small to store all my fruits and vegetables, so I store my pineapple, mango and oranges on the balcony to slow down the ripening process. It has helped me quite nicely. I drink warm, caffeine-free tea and have increased my greens.

I've been going to bed early and getting up early, as early as 4am. It's been great. I need some me time and I find that 4am allows me to meditate and devote some me time. I encourage you to try it. I used to go to bed at 11pm or midnight. I've been to bed as early as 8pm. I don't watch tv that much anymore. The only show I watch , I tape all week and then save for the weekend. I still am a movie freak and that won't stop. However, that is saved for the weekend.

It's 9:16pam and it's way past my bed time. Hahaha. Talk to you soon.

The Pity Party's Over!

I did a water fast because I needed some clarity. I've gotten it and I feel a lot better for it. I have a positive outlook about what's going on with me. I have fallen in love even more with my children. I'm becoming more of a conscious raw eater. I'm excited again about losing the weight, transforming my body on raw. I've been praying more and staying closer to my Lord, Jesus Christ (That's right! I said Jesus Christ with no shame! Amen-ah!)

I am ready to cut off my locks. I'm not sure how my pumpkin head is going to look bald but I'm excited for the change. Just thinking about cutting off my hair makes me feel liberated. I never realized how much femininity and hair is tied and even I felt affected by it. Not that I would feel less than a woman without hair, rather the idea of losing my hair with the possibility of no recourse. It's scary. I still have no idea what's going on and I'm not impressed with the doctors I've seen who seem reluctant to refer me to a dermatologist. I wish I could have more control over my health and stop depending on doctors with their prejudices...especially about black hair. It's frustrating. I'm going to look at other alternatives, but I'm still going to cut my hair. Maybe I'll look good rocking a 'fro.

Struggling

I'm going through a challenging period right now. I'm not at my best. I feel extremely awful and I feel I can't juggle all my activities at once. It's hard. I'm worried because I'm losing my hair and I don't know what the root of the problem is. I went to the doctor and they took blood tests. The tests came out positive. In other words, I was not lacking in vitamins nor do I have a thyroid problem. What is it, then! The stress has made me eat more cooked food than ever and I've gained more weight. I'm angry at myself and I'm scared. I usually don't care about long hair, short hair but the fact that I'm losing hair really scares me. I sometimes burst into fits of tears. I may just have to cut my locks, shave my hair.

I think I'll go on a fast to detox my body. Words can't describe how terrible I feel.

Clif Bars

I was shopping with my children for their basic needs and I saw a sale on a dozen Clif bars for $9.99. All of a sudden I began to pick up two boxes. I was justifying that I need the bars for my upcoming 1/2 marathon race yet I knew I should not be purchasing those bars. In the past I would love Clif bars, especially the carrot cake, chocolate chip and the peanut butter crunch. The chocolate chip and the peanut butter crunch was there. Oooh, what temptation. I put two cases in my cart and was roaming around while my children were chatting. I began to talk to myself to get to the root of why I had to buy those bars but really didn't want to. Finally, I convinced myself that as a raw vegan, I need to make my own bars. They'll taste better and be better for me. Then I thought to myself (because I need to really budget my money) that I would be better off spending $20 on good raw vegan/natural health propaganda and then this chemical crap. BINGO!! My head snapped back to normal and I left the boxes at the register.

Raw Vegan= 1

Cooked = 0

My secret plan: Raw Veganism in the Workplace

Everyday I bring my green power smoothie to work and I would sometimes bring some for my co-workers. It's becoming a big hit at the office. I have some regulars looking forward to getting their mason jar of thick green deliciousness. There is a growing demand of my smoothie that I may have to start charging to cover the costs of the ingredients. I'm going to bring it up with my regulars and see what they think. What I may do is charge between $2.50-3.00 for the 500ml jar and $4.50-5.00 for the 1 litre jar. I will also consider using a portion of the money for charity. It's important to give back.

They mock me at work about being the vegan, health freak (which I embrace!). Yet, slowly but surely, I'm encouraging people to eat more fruits and vegetables. I once brought a huge bowl of fruit, I shared it with my co-workers and they practically ate it off. Hahaha. I love that.

Running my 10km race today!!

Today is the day I run the Mississauga Marathon. I'm doing the 10km. It's my first time and I'm very excited. It's something I've been planning since last year. It's been hard training with my work schedule and children but I know I'm going to have a blast and finish anyway. I so love the running community. There is such warmth and camaraderie. There is no competition between runners; you are always competing with yourself, which I love. I constantly want to improve myself and get better, even if it is just 5 seconds better. 

The weather is horrible. It's been raining with hail! I hope it stops by tonight. I know they won't cancel unless it is really bad....it's really bad. Crossing my fingers.

At the Mississauga Marathon expo, I went crazy shopping. I bought 2 running shirts. One says "Who moved the finish line", the other says "If found on ground, please drag to the finish line". Hahaha. Hilarious. 

I signed up for a 15km run in August 2009 called A Midsummer Night's Run (a take on the Shakespeare play). I'm also going to sign up to the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and do the half marathon. 

I am obsessed with running. I love this sport and I enjoy the 'me' time quality I get from running.

Update: The race was beautiful but tough. I struggled. I blame it on the fact that I didn't train enough outside and often. I finished in 1:24. That's not good. I'll do better next time. The good thing is that I finished!

Running Raw: My time was 38:15 for the 5km

The Toronto Marathon was a blast!! I had such a rockin' time. The vibe was great and the atmosphere was wonderful. I ran without stopping and enjoyed the weather. I kept repeating that I was running for me and for the Lord, who has blessed my life so much. I'm able to walk--wait, RUN! There were djs along the route playing music to keep you pumping and people I didn't even know encouraged me. My hubs and children were there. It's great to see your family cheer you on. Running raw...I love it. I'm planning on the Mississauga marathon. I may do the 2km family run. My son loves to run and my hubs would like to participate. I'd like to do another 5km and then build up to a 10km. Eventually, the Boston Marathon. Fi Real!!


I'm the one in red (hahaha).



Dora the Explorer needed to get out of the way ASAP.



Keeping my eyes on the prize....free bananas and oranges for the raw vegan.



Crossed the finish line in 38:15. Next time will be under 30 minutes.



Check out my gold-ish medal.



Running raw!!

Running Raw

I have exactly one more week before the 5km race and today was the first day I ran my 5km outside. I was quite nervous and didn't think I could do it. I've been so used to the gym/treadmil that it almost because a hinderance when I started to run outside. I need to run at least 2-3 more times outside before the race. It has made a great difference and I love the feel of the wind and my foot hitting the ground. It truly is a different kind of energy. 

There were moments I wanted to give up but people waiting at bus stops encouraged me. I heard a few whistles and sweet catcalls like "Bless, Empress" (Cuz of my dreadlocks, other rastas think I am a rasta *smile*). 

When I finally reached home, I was so elated and collapsed on a rock. It was such a beautiful and wonderful feeling to have completed my run. What a natural high!!

Training for a 5 km running race

I used to run a lot and then when I became pregnant with my first son, my running was sporadic (even though I had bought a running stroller). Now that I feel I am fully recovered from my post-pregnancy injury, I am training for the October 19 Toronto Marathon. I won't be doing the marathon but the 5km race. I'm looking forward to it and I am using Runner's World magazine issues to help me train. I have no time to learn from a running club. 

Unfortunately I have to do most of my training indoors. It's better than nothing. I don't have a double stroller to push my 2 sons and my husband is taking night courses. This leaves me no other option but to go to a gym and train on the treadmills and my sons are having fun in the daycare centre there.

This will be my first time training on a 100% raw diet. Even when I was dabbling in raw in the past, I still ate oatmeal for my runs, thinking that fruits and vegetables would not be sufficient for me. Now, I know differently and it hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be; I've been eating well. I just haven't been getting enough sleep in order to recover. 

I'm running raw!! Woo-hoo.

I'm here in Ottawa!!

I like the city of Ottawa. The hotel is very family friendly. I'm staying at the Best Western. The weather is crap!! When we arrived Friday, it was hot and sunny. We took it easy and decided to go to a vegetarian/raw vegan cafe. They only had one raw vegan meal option: a delicious but greasy raw vegan pizza and some desserts. My hubs wasn't impressed with the cafe and I don't blame him. They mainly served omelettes on one side of the restaurant (he doesn't eat eggs) and the other side had a serve-yourself take out meal, which was empty and they weren't going to fill it up. It was only 6pm!

We ended up walking around trying to find a pizzeria for the kids and hubby. I ordered my raw pizza to go. My husband ordered a Mexican meal made by non-Mexicans who probably have never been to Mexico or know what true Mexican food is like. Then we found a pizzeria that seemed quite authentic and bought a small pizza for my son and hubby, in case the Mexican food was a failure. BTW, the burrito according to my husband was awful.

I wanted to see the Raw Film Festival but I was so tired from the train trip. It's a four hour trip from Toronto. That's pretty quick but we just wanted to relax.

Saturday. It was pouring rain and I didn't bring enough umbrellas. Luckily my son had his own and my hubby used the other one for himself and Santiago. I thought the rain wouldn't be so bad. I was drenched and I ran into a Shoppers to buy another umbrella. The festival still went on as planned and there was quite a few people. I got to see Philip McCluskey, yeah!!! He spoke on his raw transformation from 400lbs to half his weight. I liked his sincerity and I think he is really nice. He is inspiring and seems like he would be a cool friend.

I saw Angela Stokes and she is soooo beautiful. I don't know if she had a tan from a previous trip but her skin was flawless and golden. I'm looking forward to hearing her speak tomorrow. I also got to see Paul Nison. He is a Christian raw vegan and it's great to meet another Christian raw foodist. There is not a lot of us out there. When he spoke, he got the crowd laughing, clapping as if it were a church camp meeting. He is hilarious.

There were a lot of great kiosks. I enjoyed this couple Shantree and Lorenna. They are from London, Ontario and they spoke about eating locally, which is what I want to do. I don't want to depend too much on imported Durian and Jackfruit. Ontario has an abundance of fruit and vegetables. I should enjoy them more. I would like to go to there retreat one day. It's not too far from Toronto.

I am so inspired to maintain my raw path and to create a career out of it. I love it. I'm so glad I came to Ottawa. I found what I needed to hear to help me stay 100% raw at the festival and it is as if I've lost all cooked food cravings and desires that seemed to have plagued me before. It's amazing.

Speaking of Ottawa, Ottawans seem to be more healthy than Torontonians. There are a lot of people who ride bicycles and walk. There are no side-by-side restaurants and there is a lot of art. I'd like to come back another time to know more of the city. However, this weekend is for the festival.


The train station in my city.



Did you know a lot of Hollywood movies use this train station?


My son, Ernesto wearing the barf bag on his head.



My other son, Santiago is a big boy and wanted his own seat.



The bed in the hotel room was sooooo comfortable. My sons ended up sleeping with me and my hubby was relegated to the sofa. Hahaha.



Santiago's crib. He hated it. It was like a jail cell.



Downtown Ottawa.



Ottawa's Rideau Canal



Parliament Hill



As usual, I'm washing dishes even on vacation.



The attack of the gigantic spider at the National Gallery. We had to rush through the exposition because we didn't realize our train was going to leave in one hour. We were speedwalking through the gallery. When I asked my hubby what he liked about the exposition, he smiled and said, "I don't know, it was all a blur."

I'm going to the Simply Raw Festival in Ottawa!!

I can't wait to go to Ottawa and attend the festival. I'm sooo excited. My family and I will be taking the train and my son is sooo excited. I'm looking forward to meeting Angela Stokes, Paul Nilson, Philip McClusky and many other people. I will take lots of pics. The weather is not supposed to be that great on Saturday but I'm crossing my fingers. This will be my first time to Ottawa. Shame on me, I should be a better Canadian. Hahaha. I don't even know my nation's capital!

Gotta pack and wrap things up. Sooo excited.

Since when are fruits so bad?

I'm getting tired of people knocking down fruits as if there was something wrong with a banana or an apple. I just don't get it. I notice this more from people who are struggling with their diet or trying to lose weight. I hear things like "Oh, I can't eat fruits, I'll gain weight". What?! You don't have a problem with fat-free processed cheese or drinking cow's breastmilk or eating a "light" meal at McD's but heaven-forbid you eat a mango or a banana. Luscious fruits and vegetables have existed before mankind, before the invention of sliced bread and fat-free this and that. Why is there something unnatural about natural foods and something natural about processed, naturally unnatural food (usually with ingredients you can't even pronounce let alone understand)? Eat your fruits separately and alone (unless with other fruits or certain greens). Eat them in abundance and ease up on the processed crap or better yet, eliminate it. You will start to understand that fruits are best for your body.

The next time someone tells me, "Ooh, I can't eat this apple or grapes. It'll make me gain weight. Fruits aren't good me", I'll just turn to him/her and say, "So what you're telling me is that God made a mistake when creating fruits and veggies? Instead, Kraft and Maple Leaf foods got it right?"

This is my short rant.

I cleaned my colon!

Well I went to Richmond Hill Natural Therapies and it was quite an experience. The place is located in a house. It had a relaxing and comforting feel, and they were very eco-friendly. My colon hydrotherapist, Nnandee was wonderful and it turned out that she is RAW VEGAN!! Yeah!! I can't say that I loved getting my butt cleaned out. It was uncomfortable at times but Nnandee was reassuring and gentle. She massaged my stomach with some essential oils during the process, which helped me relax. However, at one point I jumped off the bed and ran to the washroom with the sheet wrapped around my waist. It was a close call in terms of getting on the toilet in time because my body wanted to expel the matter quickly.
Since Nnandee is raw vegan (since 1994), she was able to give me great advice about my diet, about post-pregnancy raw vegan health and even juice feasting. She said I could do a modified juice feast that will not risk the health of my baby. I must not take the clay nor other cleansing products that are part of the juice feast. Basically she said I can drink juice but I need to continue to include raw flax seed oil and psyllium husk in my diet. I'm glad about that. She also said that she could tell by my fecal matter that I have been eating a lot of sugar (fruits, dates etc...). I need to incorporate more bitter greens like Dandelion. I have been easing off the dates and nuts like cashews.

The disappointing thing about my colonic is that I found it a bit too much for me near the end and I didn't complete the full 45 minutes. Not a problem, a lot already came out and I booked another appointment in 4 days.

Colonics are now a part of my life even though the discomfort seemed worse than when I gave birth to my sons. I'd rather have pain than discomfort. That being said, a colonic is not painful but just awkward feeling.

Mango Pie

Yesterday evening I had so much fun with my friends and family. Hubs made a Spanish paella that looked fantastic. The guests devoured it. I enjoyed my salad of cucumbers and cabbage. I wasn't that hunger in the evening. I tend to graze during the day. Naturally my guests were wondering why I wasn't eating the paella and I explained about my diet. They were curious and understanding. The wife commented that one would certainly lose a lot of weight. I've dealt with a variety of attitudes about the raw food diet. Theirs was great even though I could tell they weren't interested (at least for now) to live on a raw food diet.

Dessert was a smash! They loved my mango pie and I did too. Hubs went crazy over it. So much so that I thought we were going to have baby #3. It was fantastic and so Über easy to make. I used ataulfo mangoes which are my favourite. These type of mangoes create a more richer and naturally sweeter filling.





Tonight, I will meet with a professional track & field coach about jumpstarting my training. This should help with my pelvic recovery. I am really excited about it and hope that he isn't too expensive. I really need to balance my budget and work within my means if I ever hope to accomplish my financial and personal goals.

Okra

Yesterday, I made my husband's favourite Indian dish: okra with tomatoes, onions in a non-dairy sauce served with chappatis. For the first time I was quite tempted to eat the okra. I will try to make the same version raw. Onions are pretty strong raw so I'm looking for a marinade that won't change the overall taste of the recipe and keep the flavour of the onions mild.

My hubs made a strawberry batido (Cuban milkshake) and so I made my own with mangoes, strawberries and some parsley. I thought mine was fantastic! I wouldn't say it was a green smoothie but the hint of parsley made it taste nice. Lately I've been obsessed with mangoes. I need to make sure I balance it out with enough greens.

Tomorrow, I'm having company over to see my newborn. My husband wants to do the cooking for the guests. Even though he is a vegetarian (with the occasional desire to eat some fish), he hasn't embraced raw veganism. He does support me though and that's very important to me.
I'll make sure I have a salad so that I may enjoy it and I'll be making a raw dessert...something with mangoes. Mmm... I'll post the pics tomorrow.

Returned to Running

Last night I decided to return to running. It's been a long time and I miss it so. I figured that I could take it slow. I wouldn't say that the pelvic injury is 100% healed rather 85%. I still feel some soreness at times. I pulled out all my running gear. Santiago and Ernesto were fed and rested, hanging out with papa.

Well as soon as a I stepped on the concrete and began to run, I felt pain. WoW! I'm not ready to run yet. It felt as if something was pressing down on my pelvic bone everytime I took a step. It was a premature move. I ended up walking instead. I realized while walking that I still walk like a penguin a bit. Until my gait is back to normal and balanced, I can't be running.

Nonetheless, I am very pleased with the progress. Seven weeks ago I couldn't even move my legs and get out of bed. Now I'm quite mobile.

I celebrated my accomplishments with a tasty raw concoction of mango, strawberries, an orange and dates all blended. It was delicious.

Having fun with raw foods

I had participated in a Frederic Patenaude contest a year or so ago. The contest was to create a visually enticing raw dish. I came in second place. I don't remember what the prize was because I don't think I claimed it or received it. Hahaha.

Tah-dah!!

Caterpillar
Button mushroom body, cranberry eyes, grape nose and cucumber legs

Porcupine
Green grapes, canteloupe body, red grape eyes, strawberry body

Car
Daikon car, cucumber wheels, cranberry hubcabs, not sure what the head is but the hat is a button mushroom

A lady
Daikon head, cranberry eyes, cucumber mouth, orange torso, dragon fruit skirt

Today was a great day. My eldest son who is 3 years old behaved very well today. Lately he has been acting out with temper tantrums and disobedience. I know it has to do with the terrible twos (which started late for him) and having another member of the family. It's been very trying for me but I have the wonderful support of my sweetheart.

A few days ago I had made some sweet plantain chips. They were delicious and sweet. I have to watch my love of raw sweets. I'll just make these once in awhile. I have such a hectic schedule that I need to make simple quick raw foods. I do love my crackers so I make those on the weekends, enough to last a month.

Feeling the difference

I feel the changes again with my body being slowly restored to its natural form. My body is detoxing and honestly, it feels great. The healing is wonderful even though I've been running to the bathroom after every bite of food. I have been eating mainly raw smoothies in the morning and a sunflower/almond pâté at lunch and a juice or water with lemon in the evening.

It's quite a challenge raising a toddler and a newborn while maintaining a decent household. I find I'm making two kinds of food: raw for myself and cooked vegan for the rest of the family. One thing that is wonderful is that I have the support of my sweetheart. He started out as a hardcore carnivore but I guess I influenced him with my juices and smoothies. He supports a vegetarian diet but not ready to take the plunge into raw. It's nice now to see the fridge completely filled with vegetables and fruits.

I started yoga again but couldn't complete all the poses as I still have soreness in the muscle and pelvic bone area. When I twist, the pain is there. In time this will pass. Tomorrow, I'm going to include running again, but I will be taking it verrrry slow.

Back after a 2 year absence

Wow! I can't believe it has been 2 years since I last used my blog...boo to me. I am back and dedicated. So much has happened. I have another baby boy, mi querido Santiago. I was off the rawfood wagon during my pregnancy (boo to me again). I had a rough pregnancy, which I believe had to do with my awful SAD diet. My delivery resulted in a pelvic injury and I was unable to walk. I was in the hospital for one week. Recovery has been faster than expected. I no longer need a walker and I can carry my son and walk at the same time. I have eliminated animal products (with the exception of raw honey) and I feel so much better. During my pregnancy I had a lot of mucus and I kept getting colds. No more colds and mucus now that I have brushed up on my diet. Now I need to release the pounds I had packed on. This was worse than the first time around but I am determined. If I intend to walk the walk and talk the talk, it starts now. Woo-hoo!!