The Raw Food Buzz

Ok, I'm not a total fanatic yet, but I'm well on my way. I love raw foods. I will say it again, I LOVE raw foods! While it is hard to give up on all of the other comfort foods I usually eat and I am not always perfect at sticking to my diet, the benefits of raw foods are amazing. I honestly can say I feel a sense of euphoria while eating and afterwords as well.

Perhaps its because I've just finished the Nutriclean cleanse and my body is so clean that I'm absorbing more nutrients and now I'm introducing superfoods into my diet. But man its amazing. For example, raw chocolate (cacao). I ate my first raw chocolate bar the other night and felt like I'd drank a glass of wine. I decided to add raw cacao to a fruit smoothie today and I feel amazing. I will probably try to sweeten my smoothies a bit with some agave nectar, because the taste was just slightly bitter and I have a big sweet tooth, but it was great. Here's what I put in the smoothie:
1 banana
1/2 avocado
2 large strawberries
2 scoops (I just used a regular spoon) cacao nibs
splash of coconut keifer for liquid
Blended until smooth
It actually almost made a mousse, so I might try it with some coconut as well as the agave nectar to make desert for my hubby one night :o).

Here is the website I've been perusing while learning about the raw diet:
www.bestofrawfood.com

Spring Cleaning

"Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." (Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are) ~Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

Spring is almost here, and my resolve to treat my body in a more healthy manor is renewed. Once the sun began to shine, its like a desire to have be more healthful awoke inside of me. Earlier this year I decided to give up meat from my diet and become a "vegetarian". I decided to take this very slowly, because I've never been successful with it before. What I really wanted to do was to try the Raw Diet, but I knew I had to move slowly into that because if I tried it outright from the diet I had maintained before, I would fail miserably.

Currently I am doing a Colon/Liver cleans called Nutriclean. A dear friend of mine Laura Garza (www.marketamerica.com/nutrigenomics) got it for me. As well as being an amazing ballet guru she works for a company that specializes in nutritional supplements and health/wellness. The cleanse consists of a fiber powder you mix with water and two kinds of herbal supplements that cleans the liver and the colon. This is the second time I have done the cleanse, however the first time I didn't really stick to the dietary guidelines as well as I am now. I definitely feel the effects of the cleans in a more intense way this time around. Basically, I have given up meat and dairy for the 7 days I am on the cleanse and am eating mostly raw vegetables, fuits, nuts as well as lots of whole grains and legumes (I did eat a hard boiled egg on my salad today as well). I also managed to find some chocolate at whole foods that had no dairy in it which is really helpful since I can't seem to go a day without chocolate. I've been drinking soy milk in my coffee in the morning, but as soon as that's gone I'm going to be switching to almond milk.

I'm on day three of the cleanse and today I feel great. I will admit the first two days and nights were a little challenging because my body was getting rid of all the junk it didn't need. I had some night sweats and spent a lot of time in the bathroom (sorry, TMI!), but over all I definitely feel my energy has increased and I am noticing that my tummy is a lot happier. I'm looking forward to the next few days to see how the cleanse affects my overall well being.

I've decided to keep going to with the diet after the cleanse is over. After all, its about to be springtime and I know my cravings for hot food will be diminishing and I'm loving the way I am starting to feel on this new diet. This May, Mike and I as well as a few friends are going to embark upon the Raw Diet and I am really excited as I do more research. I'm hoping to stick to it for 40 days, that's my goal. Wish me luck!

A few of my favorite things to eat right now:

Chocolate!

Avocados

Raw Almonds

Mixed Greens (Arugula how I love thee!)

Tomatoes

Quinoa

Black Beans

Beets

Hummos and Pita

Coconut Keifer

Kombucha

So its been a billion years

So yes, I haven't blogged in forever. Actually that's not true, I have been blogging on my website (www.dragonflydance.com) until recently when the lovely Shannon Siriano took over for me. So basically a lot has happened since my last blog, I got pregnant, had a baby, and started a company to showcase my work. So far all is going really well and other than being totally exhausted, I am very happy.

Which brings me to my next point. I am terribly exhausted and still holding onto about 5-7 lbs depending on the day. So I am on a quest this year to really get myself as healthy as possible and in terrific shape.

I take two ballet classes a week in addition to teaching as well as rehearsing. Which is a lot of movement but no longer serves to keep me in shape. I've noticed since I've had Jacob it takes SOOO much more. Hopefully once this snow melts and it gets a big warmer, I can resume walking as well to add some cardio to the mix.

So basically I am going to try to use this blog to keep a record of things I am doing with my diet and fitness that help. First up, I am trying to eat a LOT better. I'm cutting down on meat and upping veggies. Most days for lunch I eat a mixed greens salad with tomato, avacado and quinoa. I can't cut out the balsamic vinaigrette, because its too delicious. But I use the reduced fat Paul Newman brand.

I'm also drinking Mochatonix and trying to cut down on coffee. Mochatonix is AWESOME. All natural caffeine and vitamins. Mike calls it, "Mommy's little helper" because it tends to give me quite a boost. It also has a fat burner in it as well, which will hopefully help to kick start my metabolism a bit more.

Anyway, wish me luck! Hopefully I'll have that hot yoga body back soon!