daily detox tips

Hey guys! So I've been getting lots of requests to talk about post-holiday detoxing tips. There are so many detox programs out there that it can get a little overwhelming and confusing. But, don't be discouraged, I'm here to show you it doesn't have to be so complicated...or expensive for that matter.


If you're anything like me, you might have consumed just a little too much over the past week. One too many Christmas cookies and a few too many glasses of red. No regrets, but I'd rather start the new year off feeling like a million bucks, wouldn't you? 


My philosophy is that you don't necessarily need to go on a strict juice cleanse in order to experience a cleansing effect. I think it's little things that we can do everyday that really add up and contribute to our overall health. There are times that you might want to go on a strict detox program, but they are not always very realistic and they aren't too much fun. I don't like feeling restricted, I'd rather make healthy choices because I want to, not because I'm supposed to. So, I'm going to give you a few daily detox tips that are super simple to follow. Feel free to incorporate as many or as few into your daily routine. 


drum roll please...


1. Keep a coffee tumbler full of warm water and sip it continuously throughout the day. This is an Ayurvedic (for more information on Ayurveda medicine click here) health tip that has really helped me. The warm water helps to gently move toxins out of the body. I've been asked if warm tea or coffee can do the trick, but it really is important to stick to water in this case. If you use anything but water, the cleansing effect will not be experienced. The herbs and the caffeine in coffee and tea throw the body off even more--the point of cleansing is to get your body back to a state of homeostasis without the use of stimulants. 


2. Breathe. It sounds funny but most people don't really know how to breathe. As a yoga instructor, I notice immediately when I haven't taken a deep breath in a while. Begin to notice the type of breaths that you take. Are they mostly shallow? Changing the way you breathe can change how you feel. I remember Oprah said one time that every time she takes her keys out and puts them in her door she reminds herself to take three deep breaths. I think this is a great way to start practicing mindfulness. 


3. Go for the greens. I can't say it enough. Eat your veggies, but especially your greens. If you don't like eating salads (I'm with ya) then blend 'em up into a delish smoothie. Take a few handfuls of spinach/kale/whatever, throw it in your blender with a frozen banana, some berries, and some coconut water. boom. Click here for more information on why green smoothies are so great, and click here for more ideas of what to throw together. 


4. Consider a green powder supplement. When I'm in a pinch and don't have time to make a green smoothie or eat a big salad (or if I'm just really lazy, let's face it). I have my go-to green powder. This stuff is so awesome. I currently am using this stuff that I got from Whole Foods called The Amazing Trio by Amazing Grass (check it out). I just put a scoop of it into a water bottle, shake it up, and drink it down. It has wheatgrass, alfalfa sprouts, and barley grass in it. I don't think you can get much healthier. 


5. Look into E3Live. If you've heard of it before you get brownie points. This stuff is loved by athletes and cool people all over the world. Jason Mraz is a big fan. It sounds really funky and it is. It's a nutrient dense superfood that is basically an algae that is only harvested in some lake in Oregon. It provides 65 easily absorbed vitamins, minerals and enzymes and has more biologically active chlorophyll than any known food (Here's a link). Chlorophyll is the buzz word here, friends. Get it, as much as you can. You can get this stuff in the freezer section at Whole Foods. It's actually not that bad. You only take like 2 oz. a day and it goes down really quick & easy. 


6. Move yo'self. It's not rocket science. Just get your body moving. Even just a little bit. Take your dog on a walk, run up and down your stairs a few times, just get your body moving somehow. It'll force you to breathe deeply and it'll get your blood flowing and moving toxins out more efficiently. Remember to stretch at the end of your work out. Stretching will feel really good and help you feel more agile. 


7. If there's one thing that we can do everyday that would make all of the difference in the world, it would be to drink excessive amounts of water. Most Americans are chronically dehydrated and don't even know it. By the time you feel thirst coming on, it's too late, you're already dehydrated. Don't wait for yourself to feel thirsty to drink up. Just do it. I know it can be a pain, but it's just so easy. I know you hear 8 cups a day and all this crap but I don't walk around with a cup everywhere I go. So I just try to get down two Nalgenes a day. That works for me. 


8. Do Yoga! You knew it was coming. Go to a class or do some sun salutations on  your own. I think it's best to go first thing in the morning to really set the tone for the day, but any time will do. Yoga is a natural detox. Make sure to get lots of twists in (prayer twist, supine twist, etc)...twisting massages your inner organs and aids in detoxing. 


9. Try oil pulling. This one is REALLY weird and sounds pretty gross but it's SO effective. It's another tip from Ayurvedic medicine--they use a lot of oil in their practices. Basically all that you have to do is take a spoonful of oil (preferably coconut oil) and swish it around your mouth for 15-20 minutes a day. I've been reading about this for years and never did it because it sounds nasty. But, I tried it a couple weeks ago, and it is amazing. I had an awful cough, so I tried oil pulling for 15 minutes. The rest of the day I didn't cough at all. It was bizarre. It's not only helpful for when you're getting sick, it also has tons of other benefits. Read about them here. There's no right way to do it, just pretend you have mouth wash in your mouth, swish it around, and don't swallow it. The toxins from your body are literally pulled out and end up in the oil--so swallowing it would just negate the whole process. Give it a try and let me know what you think!


10. Neti pot!! Have you ever tried a neti pot? I love these little things. First of all it looks like a genie lamp, so that's pretty cool. Second of all, it makes you feel amazing. I think these are great to use, especially in the winter, because they keep your sinuses from blocking up. Click here for information on how they work. 




I hope you can find one of these that works for you. Just remember that you're not going to experience any kind of a detox if you're being too hard on yourself and not enjoying the process. Just chill out and smile because your body will really appreciate the break. 


Happy New Year!


love,
d

an attitude of gratitude

It's about time that I write something here.

I've got to admit that if I'm going to continue writing this blog, it is going to have to evolve a lot. In the first entry, I wrote that I made a commitment to stay 100% raw. Well, that worked. For like five days. I'm not saying that I'm giving up on the raw food but I definitely am giving myself some slack. I've been getting into a rhythm of making green smoothies (shrek shakes) pretty much everyday. This has been extremely helpful. As I've mentioned in earlier entries, greens are insanely healing for our bodies. So, instead of eliminating every bit of cooked food out of my diet, I've just been trying to add tons of veggies--mainly greens--in. 

But, I don't feel like writing about what I'm eating. I don't really know why anyone would really care to know what I'm eating either, so I'm gonna write about something else today. 

I think what has helped me more than any veggie is being mindful of how blessed I am. A huge part of managing Crohn's (or being healthy in general for that matter) is managing stress and anxiety. It's really easy to let my Crohn's take over and determine my outlook on life, but I really prefer not to. Each day is different and I deal along the way. You've just gotta take the good ones. It's all about perspective. And there are so many ways to go about getting a bigger perspective. I can honestly say that when I can get to the place of having a broader perspective, I have nothing to complain about. I'm left with SO much to be grateful for. 

I heard once that it's virtually impossible to be simultaneously depressed and grateful. So, that's the golden ticket. Whenever I catch myself feeling bad or feeling limited by my Crohn's, I just remind myself to be grateful. Even if all I can think of are small things to be grateful for, they still make a huge difference. I've even been grateful for my Crohn's. That's weird, right? But, having Crohn's has allowed me to be more compassionate towards others and forced me to be introspective. So, really, I'm grateful for that. 

I just read a little book that was given to me by a friend called Finding My Marbles by Clare Sente. It was a really simple story about a woman who was stuck in a rut and not getting much out of life at all. She was given a green marble by a little boy in a check out line and since that day she kept the marble in her pocket as a reminder to practice gratitude. Her life began to unfold like crazy--for the better. The story is proof that when you change, everything else around you changes. 

For the last few months I've been pretty regular about writing down lists of what I'm grateful for. I like to keep a notebook by my bed so that when I wake up I can write down a couple things that I want to give thanks to the Big Guy for. It's just ridiculous how much there is. Once you get into an "attitude of gratitude" your whole vibration changes. Instead of a tired and low vibe, your energy quickly escalates and you begin to send a more positive vibration into the world. Bear with me, I know I sound like a nut to some of you. But, like I've mentioned before, we each have the power to create our lives just by altering our thoughts. Our lives are a direct reflection of how much we like ourselves. Seriously though, it's true. If all you think about is how miserable you are, miserable is what you'll get. But, if all you think about is how grateful and happy you are, you're gonna get more things to be grateful and happy about! It's so simple. 

Recently I made the decision to stop grad school in order to follow my dream of opening up a yoga/dance studio. I can't believe I'm actually officially writing this down because I've always thought that it was kind of a pipe dream. Sure, I've wanted to have my own studio for as long as I can remember, but I never thought I'd actually do it. Owning my own business just sounds like way too daunting of a task and like way too big of a risk. But, that hasn't stopped me before--if you know me at all you know I like to shake it up every once in a while. A little risk is good for the soul. So, just about a month ago I put my foot down and handed myself over to my dream. It's a little scary, but way more exhilarating and exciting. I absolutely love teaching yoga and I know that I have a lot to offer to people in this area. And the reason I'm good at it is because I'm extremely passionate about it. At the end of the day, what's life all about if we aren't following our bliss?

I know the only way that I am going to be successful with my studio, my health, and having an abundant life in general is by believing that I already have it. Having a positive attitude and believing that life is going to unfold the way you want it to is more than half the battle. It's so easy to fall off the band wagon, but there are ways to stay on the good track:

1. Practice gratitude -- start by making a list for yourself, then maybe start writing notes to people who you're grateful for, maybe thank people spontaneously for being nice, tell people why you're grateful for them. I love doing this.

2. Find your daily joy--it's different for everyone. (yoga, working out, fresh flowers, a cup of hot chocolate...)

3. Turn down the noise--this is one that I tend to be bad at. I love listening to music at every moment of the day, but sometimes I need to tell myself to take a break. Turn down the noise and tune into peace. I know some people who have to have the tv on at all times just to have some noise in the background. I get this, but what are we trying to avoid? Ever since I started practicing yoga, I've been able to appreciate the practice of being completely present and tuning into peace. If you take time to be comfortable in silence (even for just a few minutes) you might be surprised at the ideas that come forward. 

4. Imagine your dreams -- whatever it is that you want from life, you've got to envision it. See it as if it is already manifested. 

5. Connect with support -- share your vision with people you care about, just knowing that people support you can help you move mountains

6. Do something you've never done -- get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Do one thing everyday that scares you. We need to be brave with our lives so that others can be brave with theirs. 

7. Give back -- "Find love and give it all away" is a lyric by Foreigner and it's so true. Once you find your bliss, once you find what makes you tick, you've got to give it away. Give back to the world and you'll just keep receiving amazing gifts. 

I hope that some of these suggestions can help brighten your life, too. Health is all about the bigger picture. If we only focus our lens on what we think he problem is, the problem will just get worse. But, see the whole picture, and the problem really is just a speck. 

A couple of quotes to sign off with:

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -anonymous

"When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears." -Anthony Robbins 

love & lettuce,

d

green smoothie go-to guide

Just so you don't think I abandoned you completely...I'm still thinking of you...just gathering my thoughts :) In the meantime, enjoy this awesome guide!


love & lettuce,
d

so this is love...mhmm mhmm

So, I have a confession to make. I haven't posted in over two weeks because I've fallen pretty far off the bandwagon. It all started the week before my brother's wedding when my family started coming in town. My mom started cooking dinners for everyone and I ended up eating them because I hated feeling left out from my favorite meals with some of my favorite people. Then the wedding came and so did a huge sweet table and lots of left over cookies at my house. I can go on and on about the reasons I went back to eating cooked food pretty quickly, but all they are are excuses. No other person or situation is ever responsible for my decisions or for my health -- I am taking full responsibility. 


It sounds like I'm getting really down on myself for this slip-up, and I'm going to be honest, I've been feeling a little upset with myself. But, this morning, I woke up and shook myself out of the negative self-talk. Life is messy and no matter how hard I aim for perfection, I will always have a little mess in the perfection. Knowing this, I think it's so important to love ourselves not only despite, but for, our imperfections. After all, we're only human, and no one likes a control-freak perfectionist...at least I don't. 


Living with Crohn's isn't a lot of fun, but I'm not about to let it define me. If all I think about 100% of the time is making sure to keep a clean diet, then the joke's on me. I'd be missing out on the life that's happening all around me. There's a balance that I'm still working toward of staying mostly raw and simultaneously enjoying life in all of its abundance. So much of our wellness doesn't necessarily come from the things we do to stay well, but from our attitude toward the life we lead. I've met so many people that are obsessed with their health, and have tried just about everything, but who still tend to be the sickest people I know. 


What are they doing wrong? What have I been doing wrong? I may not know the answer to life's biggest questions, but one thing I'm sure about, people weren't placed on this earth to be sick. I think we were placed here to LOVE, love, and love some more. That includes loving ourselves. And I can speak for myself, the times in my life when my "love tank" was most full, when I felt most perfect in my own skin, I wasn't sick...there was no sign of Crohn's. 


I met an incredible girl last spring at the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego. She was the quirkiest person I have ever met, but she exuded an energy that drew everyone to her. She explained to me that she had Crohn's, but she found the "cure." She told me to fall in love. She explained how every time she's been in love, her Crohn's has disappeared. At first I thought this girl was telling me to find my prince charming, but I realized later that falling in love doesn't always have to be in a romantic context. I've fallen in love many times in my life. I've fallen in love with God, with dance, with surfing, with being on stage, with my family and friends, with a boy or two, with Dante's Divine Comedy, with the outdoors, with speaking Italian, with Rome, and I dare to say, with myself!....I could go on and on! I love being in love, and I don't need to wait for a boyfriend to fill that tank. As I look back on my life and the times I've felt most deeply in love, I know that at those times, I felt most vibrantly healthy as well.


There's got to be a connection...


I read today that you can lock an overweight person up in a room for 30 days without food, and they would still gain weight. It isn't about the food, it's about the attitude. If you FEEL fat (or sick, or tired, etc), you will BE fat, sick, tired...but if you change your thought patterns, you can achieve anything you put your mind to, no matter what kind of food you're eating (apparently). The law of attraction, baby. Get it. 


"All that we are is a result of what we have thought" - Buddha


"Whether you think you can or can't, either way you're right." -Henry Ford


These quotes have really been on my mind lately. A couple weeks ago I watched The Secret on Netflix. I was expecting it to be a little silly, and it did seem a little out there, but man, they're really onto something. Our thoughts are directly correlated to the way our life pans out. I really recommend watching this movie, it could change the way you think greatly. 


In order to move forward, I've got to let go of trying so hard to perfect my health. Once I let go and allow myself to fall in love with life all over again, I'll be naturally drawn to make healthy decisions...and then, I know, I'll be feeling better, once again. 


And just because I love my Jesuits, I absolutely must share this quote:

"Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude...


Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” 
-Pedro Arrupe, S.J.


love & lettuce,
d


PS - I got a GREAT tip from my friend Erin regarding my last post on the Shrek Shake. She suggests using coconut water for the liquid base. I tried it and haven't looked back. It definitely gives it the perfect flavor. Enjoy! Thanks, Erin! :) 


PPS- If you need a little help finding how GREAT you are, watch this clip :)

the shrek shake

As promised, I began my day with a bright green smoothie! 


WHY would you ever mix greens into a smoothie? This is crazy talk. I thought so, too. Until I became a belieber. I mean believer. 


The first mistake is to think you're just blending up a bunch of leaves and holding your breath while slurping down this slimy,  shrek-y concoction. 


The key is to mix it all together with fruit! Once you add fruit into the blender, all is well in the world. It will smell good, taste good, and make you feel GREAT. 


The truth is, we are getting nowhere NEAR the amount of greens that we need to be consuming in our diets. No one really wants to go around eating salads day in and day out...lame. So, that's where smoothies and juicing comes in. I've been juicing my veggies for a while now, and although I think it's a great way to get a TON of veggies into your diet, I've got to be honest--it tastes nasty. 


Juicing is great when you are trying to heal your gut because it requires absolutely no work from your digestive system while giving it an incredible kick of nutrients to support the healing process. GOOD stuff. Not knockin it, just haven't found a way to completely enjoy it yet. 


But, all is well in the blending world. You can have your salad and enjoy it too--with an added bonus of not consuming all of the crap we like to add on top of our salads to make it somewhat enjoyable -- croutons, fatty dressings, bacon bits... you'll be greatly reducing the consumption of salt and oils in your diet. None of the bad stuff but ALL of the good stuff! AND it tastes way better and goes down way easier.


The reason our greens are so important is simple: they contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll, or "liquid sunshine," has been seen to help in the growth and repair of tissues. It's ridiculously healing stuff. A molecule of chlorophyll closely resembles a molecule of human blood. According to Ann Wigmore, "consuming chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood transfusion." 


In case you're feeling a little inspired to get blendin', let me tell you about the benefits of adding a green smoothie to your daily diet:


-look and feel younger
-have more energy and motivation
-clearer, more positive thoughts
-improved digestion and assimilation 
-better concentration and mental focus
-be calm & feel at peace
-increased immunity
-weight loss
-finally stop unhealthy habits
-increase productivity 


Get excited! Here's a simple recipe to kick off the madness:


one handful of spinach (or any other greens, kale tends to be strong)
1-2 frozen bananas
1 tbs of ground flax seeds (optional)
enough apple juice/water/ or almond milk to blend well


BAM! You've got yourself a Shrek Shake! 


As for me, I need to get back on the right track, so I'm going to be doing a green smoothie feast for the next three days. My big brother is getting married on Saturday, so I want to be in ship shape--no tummy aches allowed. :) Shrek Shakes it is for the next three days! I'll keep you updated on my progress!


love & lettuce,
d

we gotta go where we can shine

It's a funny thing. Once you let something go from your life that needs to be left behind, you often find an empty hole in your heart in the shape of that particular thing or person. This is why oftentimes, people who are in abusive relationships skip from one bad relationship to the next, and don't understand what they're doing wrong. 

What I've learned is that once you let something go, you need to make sure you have something else to fill the empty space with. This doesn't mean going to find some "rebound" boyfriend...actually, don't, please...haha. But, what it does mean is that you need to take some time to think about what it is that you want to welcome into your life. Maybe a hobby or a sport you used to play when you were younger. Something that you always think about doing that puts a smile on your face, but you never seem to have the time to do it. For me, it's dancing. I used to dance almost every day of the week, for hours on end, when I was younger. It's something that since I've been sick I haven't been able to do much of. So, now that I'm beginning to feel better and now that I've made space in my life by letting go of what no longer serves me, I am going to fill that with dance classes! I guess that sounds funny, but we all have our things, right? :)


A lot of times you'll meet people who have been sick for years who begin to feel better and heal on a raw food diet after just a few weeks. It sounds crazy, but it is not uncommon that these people will stop the diet all together and go back to unhealthy patterns once again. The thing is, if you've been deathly ill for years, it (unfortunately) can begin to define who you are. Once the problems go away and you start to feel vibrant, there are no more doctors and medications to complain about, no more aches and pains and sleepless nights...what's left to talk about? What's left to complain about? Nothing much...


People are funny. Ever notice how we thrive off of negativity? We love to talk about how awful our jobs are, how annoying our friend is, how terrible traffic is. It's just human nature. So, if one day, all of those things to complain about suddenly vanish (boohoo), how are we going to socialize? 


For some people, they simply don't know how else to live their lives in any other way than being sick. I say this with the utmost respect and compassion. Change is difficult. And for some, it can be paralyzing. I am first to say that I have been in this exact position--feeling vibrant and healthy, and then going right back to my old ways of being sick. Being healthy and fully alive is a dream that many people have, but when we can actually grasp that dream, how many people would truly receive it? Mariane Williamson wrote an incredible poem that begins like this: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 


The poem ends with these lines: As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 


I'm not telling you that you need to be a raw foodist in order to be "powerful beyond measure." I'm also not saying that it isn't a path to that state, but everyone has their own road to take. When I was deciding whether or not to become a yoga instructor, I met a teacher who would walk into a room of 50 people and have everyone captivated. She is my favorite teacher to this day and it is because she has completely embraced who she is, and she doesn't apologize for being awesome. She knows she's great, and by owning that, she in turn allows everyone who meets her to do the same. It's easy for us to shy away from compliments and from giving ourselves credit for how great we are, but who is that serving? No one. We should all be proud of who we are and excited to share ourselves with the world. If you don't like who you are, or aren't proud of the life you lead, then what is holding you back? You are your own best friend and advocate, and you are the only person who has the power to change your life. Give yourself permission to shine. When you do, you'll give everyone around you that same gift. 


My raw food journey has been very up and down but in the past couple weeks I have been able to sustain a much higher percentage of raw foods. However, I've noticed that when I start to feel really great, I let myself go a little bit. Just a little cooked food turns into a little more, and more, until I just had two slices of pumpkin pie and a fully cooked dinner. Once in a while it is okay for me to eat cooked food, but I have to have so much control when I do it. Since it is highly addictive, it's hard to know when to stop, and the cravings intensify greatly. Also, since my body has gotten used to feeling so great on all of the raw/living food, it immediately knows when I am allowing toxins in. The first thing that happens when I begin to eat more than one meal of cooked food a day is feeling a mental haze. I get tired and lazy and just want to hibernate. Then comes the chills--my body gets so cold that no amount of layers can remedy it. It's pretty crazy to see the way that my body reacts now that it is a little "cleaner." 


So, to get back on track, I'll be starting tomorrow with a green smoothie...which is where I'll leave off for tonight. Get ready to read all about these delish drinks mañana. 


love & lunges,
d


ps- by the way, I'm not going to apologize for quoting Miley below. Or for playing her song on my playlist. Just like she's just being Miley, I'm just being Dana. xo

There's always gonna be another mountain.I'm always gonna wanna make it move.Always gonna be an uphill battleAnd sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.It ain't about how fast I get there,Ain't about whats waiting on the other side.It's the climb.

a little bit stronger

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
-- Raymond Lindquist 


We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.
-- Joseph Campbell 

Have you ever let go of something you never imagined you could? This week I had to let go of something that I've been holding onto for years. I finally realized the only way for me to move forward, to live more fully, and to heal--both physically and spiritually--was to let go. By letting go, I regained my self-worth -- without which, I could never expect to go very far. To quote one of my favorite songs, "sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same" [all at once, the fray].


I can sit here and write to you about the most healing foods in the world, the most calming yoga postures, and the benefits of going raw. But, none of that means anything if you don't realize your worth. The first step to healing yourself and the rest of the world is to love yourself unconditionally. I can promise you that if you're still holding onto something that does not build you up, you will have a much more difficult time trying to improve your life--it will seem more of a chore than a pleasure. You will only meet resistance and self-doubt. But, let go of whatever is holding you back -- negative thinking, an unhealthy relationship, an un-admitted addiction -- and get ready for your life to begin. Admitting you need to let go is half the battle. 


Let go of what no longer serves you.


And open your heart to the world that is embracing you and pushing you forward toward your best self. 


This week I got a little bit stronger. And it feels good. 


love & let go,
d


ps ~ if you're interested to read more about what I have to say about the topic of letting go, check out a blog entry I wrote about a year ago: You May Return Here Once You Realize You Are Always Here. 

wakey wakey, chocolate shakey!

enjoying my chocolate banana smoothie before my morning yoga practice. so good the birds were singing. sis, this one's for you--head tilt and all!

Who woulda thought that a girl on an endeavor to eat a mosssstly raw/living food diet would be indulging in chocolate shakes pre-yoga sesh? Could it really be true?? YES. Raw chocolate is the bomb dot com.


Side-note: Rony, if you're reading this, I know I gave you a raw cacao bean and you almost died trying to eat it. But, when it's made into a powder and put in a shake, it's muy delicioso and I'll prove it to you next time you try some of my food ;)


So a goal that I have for this blog is to start spreading the word about something super awesome: raw superfoods! Today we'll start with my (thus far) favorite...drum roll please...the cacao bean (aka raw chocolate!). This is God's gift to raw foodies.


As an aspiring teacher, allow me to give you a little history lesson. Cacao beans were brought to Central America during the times of the Mayans and Aztecs--the beans were so revered that they actually used them as a form of money! Montezuma, the famous Aztec emperor, filled his vaults not with gold, but with about 960,000,000 raw cacao beans! Now that's a choc-o-holic if I ever knew one...


Let's get on to the exciting facts:


*Cacao is the #1 natural source of magnesium of ANY food....magnesium builds strong bones and is associated with increased happiness. Over 80% of Americans are chronically deficient in magnesium.


*It is high in sulfur. Sulfur builds strong nails, hair, beautiful skin, detoxifies the liver, and supports healthy pancreas functioning.


*Cacao diminishes appetite, due to it's MAO inhibitors--these facilitate rejuvenation.


*Cacao contains phenylethylamine (PEA) which is an adrenal-related chemical that is also produced within the brain when we are in love :) It increases focus and alertness.


*Anandamide (the bliss chemical) is found in cacao. it is released naturally in the brain when we are feeling great.


*Cacao is the highest known source of antioxidants. It has nearly 20 times the antioxidants of red wine and up to 30 times that of green tea.


Raw foodies love their cacao. It opens the doors to endless amounts of desserts--minus the calories, fat, and sugar!


I must say, the other day I started feeling a little down (must of been the cloudy weather). I didn't have the energy to make anything, but I forced myself to make this shake. Let's just say I no longer was a dana downer...this stuff seriously has some happy chemicals in it! After drinking my smoothie I was out the door, getting stuff done, and enjoying my cloudy day!


I have seen cacao used in raw mint-chocolate brownies, raw chocolate mousse, and raw chocolate cakes. The way that I like to use cacao in my diet is in smoothies--simply because it's super simple and quick. Feel free to play around with different ingredients, but here's the recipe for my raw chocolate banana smoothie:


1-2 frozen bananas
about a cup of coconut water
2 spoonfuls of raw cacao powder
1-2 spoonfuls of raw almond butter


Smoothie Tips:
-always peel your bananas and freeze them the night before for a creamy, frothy smoothie!
-adding raw almond butter increases the "filling" factor of your smoothie and gives you a great dose of protein
-using coconut water not only tastes heavenly, but it contains more potassium (about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg), it also contains less sodium, and has the same electrolytic balance as we have in our blood--so it is often called the "fluid of life."


If this didn't make you excited about raw foods, I'm not sure what will...
Don't worry, I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve!


love & lettuce,
d

raw food 101

Whenever I start to tell someone about the raw food diet, a lot of questions come up. The most common questions I get are:


*What do you eat?
*Why are raw foods considered to be healing?
*How do you get enough protein?


So, I thought I'd take a moment to address these questions. Hopefully they'll clear up any confusion and help you better understand how this diet is so healing.


First of all, raw and living food is not cooked, heated, or processed. It is (hardly ever) contained in a bottle or jar. It is never in a can. Raw food consists of uncooked fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains. They are not altered in anyway and enjoyed in their natural state. This includes sea vegetables, dried fruits, beans, raw honey, sea salt, raw carob powder (helloooo chocolate!), spices, herbs, almond butter, fresh fruit/veggie juices, and the list goes on.


What raw/living food does not include is: meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, processed frozen foods, cooked grains, store bought juices (these are pasteurized), coffee, soda, caffeinated tea, sugar, and alcohol (except red wine!).


I bet a lot of you reading this are terrorized by the idea of eating in such a way, but let's look at why a person may choose to go this "extreme." The main reason that raw food has helped people feel well and healthy for the first time in their lives is because this diet feeds your body and cells with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other substances that cooking destroys. The two most important factors connecting raw food to improved health are enzymes and acid alkaline balance.


As we age, our body's natural source of enzymes becomes depleted. If we continue to cook away the enzymes that are present in our food, we will eventually begin to use our own natural enzyme reserves. We need to replenish this source with the foods that we eat. The process of cooking our food makes it very difficult for our bodies to digest the food that we eat; consequently, the food begins to be stored in our bodies as toxins, leading to all sorts of diseases. The enzymes that are contained in raw food actually aid in the digestion of that food when it is chewed. If we fail to gain enzymes from raw food and continue to use up our enzyme reserves by digesting cooked foods, we become more susceptible to aging, disease, and premature death. I know, scary, right? Cooking our foods destroys enzymes and is detrimental to our immune system, brain function and energy levels.


When I began eating a mostly raw food diet, I almost immediately experienced an improved state of mind and clarity. I am more energized, more at peace, better able to focus, and I feel as if a "mental haze" has been lifted. Feeling emotional clarity, increased energy, and healing of physical problems are things that people who go raw notice. We need to be mindful of our enzyme reserve, and eat enough whole, raw foods in order to improve our quality of life and health.


Another huge factor that plays a role in the healing power of raw foods is how this diet is very alkaline forming for our bodies. The Standard American Diet (SAD) consists of foods that are extremely acid forming once we put them into our bodies. When we consume acidic foods (example: milk, eggs, cheese, meat, sugar, pasta, pop, you get the picture), we are creating a playing ground for disease to manifest. When your body is too acidic the systems and organs of your body need to work overtime in order to reach homeostasis. Think about your organs always being in the state of fight or flight. If the body is in this state for a long period of time, it becomes exhausted, and an exhausted body cannot compete with disease. An acidic body impacts your mental state, causing headaches, slower thinking, dulled mentality, and even depression. Fatigue, muscle stiffness, pain, and low calcium states are also on account of an acidic environment.


Diet is the major factor in our bodies becoming too acidic. Many doctors believe that our diets should be made up of 80% alkaline foods and 20% acid foods. The goal is to have an internal environment that is slightly alkaline. We can do this by eliminating acid producing foods and enjoying a diet high in raw foods.


Fun fact: almost all fruits and vegetables are alkaline forming. Certain foods are externally acidic, but internally alkaline, such as: grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes.


Tip: A great way to start your day is to begin with a large glass of water with fresh lemon juice squeezed into it. Lemons are extremely alkaline forming.


And now for the burning question.....Where on EARTH do you get your protein, crazy lady?! Let me tell ya. Eating protein does not create protein in your body. Amino acids are what create protein in your body, and the best source of amino acids are dark, leafy, green vegetables. When you eat meat, you're not actually getting as much protein as you think you are. For example, say you're going to eat a chicken breast. It has 20 grams of protein in it. Once it is cooked, 50% of the protein is destroyed. Now your body needs to digest and assimilate this dense source of 10 grams of protein (which can take up to 100 hours). If you're lucky, you might end up getting a few grams of protein.


A bowl of uncooked greens or sprouts may only contain a few grams of protein, but--and this is key--you can easily digest and assimilate every single gram because they still have all of their minerals, enzymes, and vitamins intact. In the end, you get a lot more protein while eating a lot less food. One cup of store bought almond milk contains 1 gram of protein (because it has been heated in order to be stored and sold in stores). On the other hand, raw almond milk contains 10 grams of protein! Click here for a link to a recipe for homemade, raw almond milk.


More fun information to come! Stay posted and let me know if you have any questions you'd like me to address :)

"If we eat wrongly, no doctor can cure us; if we eat rightly, no doctor is needed." -Dr. Victor G Rocine, 1930

love & lettuce,

d

surf's up

I woke up early this morning, before the sun rose. What's even stranger is that I felt completely rested. It's not even like I went to bed early, I don't think I was in bed until around midnight. I looked out the window and realized that this new lifestyle is already working miracles in my life. I've been feeling so good for the last few days that I almost forgot what life is usually like for me. 


Typically:
-I never feel rested, even after sleeping 12 hours
-I am always in pain after I eat anything...I used to joke around that the only thing I can eat without getting sick is an ice cube
-I get anxiety about going downtown for class, finding parking, and making it through without being distracted by pain 
-My stomach is usually distended because of the inflammation from the Crohn's


But now...:
-I feel well rested, and instead of having a roller-coaster of energy throughout the day, I feel like I am on a steady ride
-I don't experience pain after eating
-I went to class this week with NO anxiety, totally felt back to my old, chill self 
-Just out of curiosity, I weighed myself this morning and saw that I've lost six pounds since Monday. I did this because I noticed my stomach was a lot flatter, and pressing on it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did before. As a disclaimer, I just want to say that I'm not doing this diet for the purpose of weight loss--my intention is to heal, and whatever else happens along the way is a bonus. However, many people do use this as a weight loss tactic. I know from experience that this diet tends to bring your body to the weight that it wants to be at, which is so great! But, I do not think it's healthy for people to go on yo-yo diets, so I don't encourage anyone to do this for weight loss purposes unless they intend to stick with the lifestyle, because you'll just gain the weight back and then some after returning to cooked food. 


In addition to all of those great benefits that I've already noticed after FOUR DAYS people (and not even being completely 100%, I might add), I've also noticed that my skin is so much clearer, softer, I don't use as much moisturizer, and it looks like my skin tone has evened out a lot. It's exciting to see these changes on the outside because that means that my inside--where it counts--is going through similar changes!! I just am so excited at this point, and can hardly imagine what more time in this lifestyle will reveal. 


I usually don't remember my dreams, but my dream felt so real last night that I woke up smiling because it was so great. Not much happened in my dream, but I know I was surfing. Surfing is probably my favorite thing to do, besides dancing. I thought about it and realized that this week has been a lot like surfing a really smooth wave. A couple years ago, my family and I went to Costa Rica for New Years. We found a beach that hardly anyone was at and set up camp. I walked down the beach to find a break that looked welcoming, and found one that was pretty far out, but there were a couple people out there, so I knew it was legit. I started paddling out, finally made it to the line up, and took a few minutes to catch my breath, talk to the other surfers, and notice the seal that was swimming beside me. After a few attempts at getting in some waves with no success, I finally scored the best wave of my life. It all felt like slow motion. I paddled into the wave, felt it pull me in, and I knew I was getting a ride. I popped up, stood up straight, and realized I was totally stable. I was so far from shore that the ride ended up being what seemed like a lifetime. I got comfortable, bent my knees, skimmed the water with my fingertips, took some deep breaths, and laughed as I took time to look around me. My family was too far away to see me, and the other surfers only saw the beginning of my ride, I knew that I was the only one who was witnessing this moment--and I liked it that way. 


The reason I'm talking about surfing is because I feel a little bit of that sensation right now. The liberation that comes from realizing that you're fully supported by the ocean beneath you is a lot like the liberation that comes from realizing that I'm fully supported by the raw, living food that the earth has supplied me with. By eating this whole food, my body is better able to support me in the way I want to live my life. And that is freedom. I can imagine if you've been healthy your whole life, and not really experienced much sickness, this might not be much of an enlightenment. But, my "normal" was sick, tired, and pain. This week, my "normal" is energized, happy, pain-free, and easy going. This is the beginning of a whole new life. 

how I turned into a crazy, raw food loving, (clean) hippy

In order to jump start my detoxing process, I am using the "Clean" system. It's a detox program started by a medical doctor that lasts for 3-4 weeks. On the cleanse I'll drink a shake for breakfast and dinner and eat a solid meal for lunch. I can snack as much as I'd like, as long as I stay within the list of foods that are allowed. The program doesn't require me to be 100% raw, but my goal is still going to stay there. 

Speaking of that goal, I have to confess that I had a couple slices of homemade pizza tonight. I know I didn't have to tell the world, but I want to be honest! I'm not going to feel bad about it, because what good would that do? It's all a part of my process. And, I think it was a great thing because I feel AWFUL. My stomach is hurting so badly that I can barely stand up straight. So, lesson learned. I'm not going to be eating pizza again anytime soon! 

Before I get any further into this blog, I'd like to take a minute to reflect on what brought me to this place--not only to help you, my awesome reader, understand why the heck this girl would restrict herself to carrot sticks (joke. seriously. I eat way cooler things than that), but also to remind myself why this is so important to me. So, allow me to reminisce a sec, yeah? 

It was almost exactly a year ago that I moved back to Chicago from L.A. because of my health issues. I was two months into my year of volunteering with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in sunny East LA when my body decided to tucker out. To be honest, I hadn't been feeling well before I left for JVC in early August, and my health progressively worsened as time went on. My volunteer work as well as my commitment to my community took priority over my health, and although I tried my best to ignore the signs, I no longer could hold myself together. It broke my heart to leave JVC, my roommates and the community that I grew to love. 

On October 1st of 2010, I flew home to Chicago and was hospitalized. I had to have a blood transfusion among other fun things. I had never allowed my Crohn's to get in the way of anything that I set my heart to, and now that it had brought me home, I had to put my foot down. I became semi-obsessed with finding a cure, anything that would give me relief. Knowing very well that Crohn's Disease is a chronic disease with no known cure, I still knew in my heart that there had to be something to help. 

Somehow I was led to Karyn's Raw in Chicago's Lincoln Park. I read all about Karyn Calabrese and the people that she had helped on her detox program. So for the month of November, I started my first vegan/raw food cleanse. Each Wednesday of the month, Karyn had a two hour seminar on the detox protocol for the following week. She also taught us all about the benefits of raw food. All of this new information on holistic healing completely rocked my world. My entire life I was told by doctors that nutrition had nothing to do with my disease. But Karyn and this new world I was being opened up to begged to differ. And not only did I have to take her word for it, I experienced the effects for myself. 

After the detox class ended, I slowly ended my raw food kick...the holidays rolled around and I started poppin' ginger cookies rather than ginger root. (ginger root would be gross to pop, but it's a good kick in a veggie juice ;) Anyway, things got rocky again, and my health was extremely unstable for the next few months. Enough became enough again, and I was led to the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego. I spent a couple of weeks there in April. At OHI, they believe in healing people through the use of raw, living food. And that's what we did! We juice fasted and ate lots of leaves. I can't lie and say that I was twirling around, wearing leaves in my hair, and loving life at the time. I actually snuck out a couple times thanks to a couple great friends, ate some sushi and maybe some fudge from the Del Coronado. Don't tell. BUT, what I will say is that I felt incredible. I was glowing from head to toe. Those leaves really have some power in them. And I was determined to like them, gosh darnit. 

My family and friends can be a witness to you of what has happened between then and now. It's been a bumpy ride. Being in the real world has it's challenges for a raw foodie. Once again, I slowly progressed back to a cooked food diet, and my health declined with me. August comes around, and I am back in the hospital for surgery this time. I still am thanking God that it wasn't more serious than I feared, but I know I can only be lucky so many times. It was the wake up call I needed. And here I am. 

But this time something's different. I've got you :) I'm pretty sure you're the missing piece I've been looking for this whole time. You're holding me accountable even if you don't know it. And, I have the high hope that this might reach someone who needs to read this message just as badly as I needed to hear it. 

love & lettuce,

d