Imperfectly Raw , Saturday, July 1, 2023

I have started on the Goodbye Lupus protocol promoted by Dr. Brooke Goldner.  She has had enormous success helping people heal from autoimmune diseases.  I have not been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, but I have issues with eyesight, brain fog, and feeling less than optimum that I would like to address.  I have decided to go with this protocol until Thanksgiving and then perhaps add in some healthy plant based foods.

The protocol consists of high nutrient vegetables, Omega 3s,  and hydration.  For reversing inflammatory conditions you eat raw food only, minimum of 1.5 lbs of high nutrient vegetables, maximum of 24 oz of fresh or frozen fruit, Omega's 3s in the form of flax seed, chia seed, or flax seed oil, and 128 oz of water.  Any other veggies are okay after the daily needs are met.  Fermented foods are allowed up to 1/4 cup, olives up to 1/4 cup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, Braggs aminos, dried herbs and spices, cacao, herbal teas, nutritional yeast, and 1 cup of tea or coffee.  No sweeteners.

The key to getting in the high nutrient vegetables in with smoothies and salads.  I love smoothies so I can make two blenders full each morning and have enough to share with Travis and still have plenty for me.

One blender of smoothie:  1/4 cup chia seeds, arugula spinach mix, red cabbage, and frozen strawberries.

I also made cauliflower popcorn.  Recipe:  1 package of cauliflower florets trimmed and cut to popcorn size, coat with flax oil, then add salt and nutritional yeast to taste.

For dinner I made a veggie tray with lettuce leaves, broccoli florets, mini bell pepper slices, sweet onion, fresh cherry tomatoes and fresh sliced tomato.  The dip was homemade guacomole made with avocado, lime juice, and salt.  Normally I add some salsa or pico de gallo but I was out today.

After dinner I made tea using the Organic Great Value Detox Tea made from dandelion, burdock, and nettle.

For dessert I had Nice Cream left over from our raw foods potluck.  I can't remember what was in it but definitely bananas and some fruit....maybe passion fruit...and some sprouts.

My new interest is my deck garden.  My inspiration is @thefrenchiegardner on Instagram.  I bought his book which is in French so the reading is slow.

Habit tracking is a way to bring balance into life so that areas that need work can be strengthened. I do better when I track and post to hold myself accountable.  

According to Google there are 12 areas of life to balance, This includes, love relationships, friendships, adventures, environment, health and fitness, intellectual life, skills, spiritual life, career, creative life, family life, and community life.  

Habit Tracking;

1. Eat on plan.

2. Read the books ... wherever my curiosity leads me.  Today I finished I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.  I started reading Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano.

3.  Walk 7000 steps.  Getting in my steps has been my weakest area ever since I had Covid in March.  I'll be tracking it going forward.

4. Practice my French.  422 day streak of practicing on Duolingo.

5.  Practice the flute.

6.  Tend to my sprouts, microgreens, deck garden and living spaces.

7. Check in on the 12 areas of balance.   Love, friendships, adventures, environment, health, skills spiritual life, career creative life, family life, community life.

8. Post on Simple Raw and Natural.

Today was a hot day.  In the afternoon we went to the boat.  Live music was playing at the marina and people were beginning to celebrate the holiday.  We took the boat out and floated around on our floaties for a couple of hours.  It was fun.

I'm getting the house ready for the family coming in for the 4th.

xo 

Janis

#7000 steps #whatrawveganseat #rawvegan #tryingtostayhealthy #books and coffee #norabbitholeshere #imperfectlyraw #rawfoods #keepingitreal #somerawsomecooked #rawisbetter #stilllearing #followyourcuriosity #flute #eatingonplan #tiktok #instagram #facebook #simplerawandnatural

Imperfectly Raw - Day 59 Sunday, 1/2/22

 Imperfectly Raw - Day 59 - Sunday, 1/2/22

It is cold today.  Winter has arrived.  

First meal today:  Green Smoothie with banana, kiwi, beet microgreens, mixed greens, wheatgrass juice powder, chocolate protein powder, blueberries and a few blackberries, chia seeds, almond milk, and water.

Snack:  Green Juice - (parsley, cilantro, ginger, lemon, cucumber, apple, and celery) and strawberries and blueberries on the side.

Dinner:  Green salad - Mixed salad greens, coleslaw, carrots, tomatoes with a little goat cheese and Bragg’s vinaigrette dressing, some pickled beets, onion, sauerkraut, and a little bit of a leftover green soup.  I had some of the seed crackers I made using my new Bright Kitchen Silicone Sheets along with a Kombucha.

Dessert:  2 goodie balls and hibiscus tea.

After dinner we watched Being the Ricardos on Amazon.

Ticked off all the boxes on my habit tracker today.  9731 steps, ate on plan, practiced my flute, listened to The Seven Husbands of Eleanor Hugo and wrote my report on Sapiens, and posted on my blog/IG/TikTok!

xo

Janis

#2022 #resolutions #8000steps  #whatrawveganseat #rawvegan #tryingtostayhealthy #booksandcoffee #norabbitholeshere #imperfectlyraw #rawfoods #keepingitreal #somerawsomecooked #rawisbetter #stilllearning #newyorktimesbestsellerlist #bestsellers #flute #eatingonplan

Imperfectly Raw - Day 58 - Saturday, 1/1/22

 Imperfectly Raw - Day 58 - Saturday, 1/1/22

Happy New Year!

This year I am resolving to put on my horsey blinders in order to focus on the things I can control. It will be fun to see if  little habits can lead to big changes! 

What you don’t track, you can’t change. Five things I will track: 

1. 8000k steps a day.

2. Eat on Plan.

3. Practice my flute.

4. Read the New York Times best seller list and report on the books I read.

5. To show accountability and gratitude I will blog every day and share on Simple Raw and Natural Facebook page, post a reel on Instagram, and post on TikTok with Hey Travis.

Yesterday we had our neighbors, Kim and Jerry, over to celebrate the New Year and to watch the Razorbacks play Penn State in the Outback Bowl. Hogs won!  Fun game to watch.

Breakfast:  Lemon Ginger Blast and coffee

Lunch:  Salad with mixed greens, slaw mix, grated carrots, green onions, tomatoes; Bragg’s vinaigrette dressing; traditional black-eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, and unsweet tea.  Dessert was goodie balls and cinnamon cake that Kim brought over.  Also served ham (not my food).  

Dinner:  Same as lunch with a kombucha.

My daughter-in-law, Amy,  shared these pics of my two beautiful granddaughters, Ashlyn and Phoebe - then and now.

 Here is what was going on in the USA 50 years ago. 

xoxo

Janis

#2022 #resolutions #8000 steps #whatrawveganseat #rawvegan #tryingtostayhealthy #booksandcoffee #norabbitholeshere #imperfectlyraw #rawfoods #keepingitreal #somerawsomecooked #rawisbetter #stilllearning

Imperfectly Raw- Day 57 - Tuesday - 11/30/21

 Imperfectly Raw- Day 57 - Tuesday - 11/30/21

Good morning!

Breakfast: Coffee and Lemon Ginger Blast

Lunch: Green Smoothie with Vanilla Bean Happy Viking protein powder

Dinner:  Nori rolls with leftover carrot mix, peppers, and cucumbers

Snacks:  Goodie balls, Brazil nuts, Lara Bar, Kombucha

What do I hope to gain by upping my game with raw foods?   I want to be able to participate in adventures and stay active.  I want to do fun things with my people.  I want to travel. I want to learn and grow and experience the world more fully.  I want to be educated and remember things. I want to look good. 

I want to feel good and be free of excess baggage both physically and emotionally.  I want to take only what I need and use what I take.  I want to give back. I want to be an influence for good.  The practice is my activism.

xoxo

Janis

#whatrawveganseat #rawvegan #tryingtostayhealthy #booksandcoffee #norabbitholeshere #imperfectlyraw #rawfoods #keepingitreal #somerawsomecooked #rawisbetter #stilllearning

Imperfectly Raw - Day 56 - Monday - 11/29/21

 Imperfectly Raw - Day 56 - Monday - 11/29/21

Good Morning Ya’ll.

Breakfast:  Coffee and a Lemon Ginger Blast.

Lemon Ginger Blast

Lunch:  A smoothie made with the Green Colada Happy Viking vegan protein powder.  Recipe for two large smoothies:  2 bananas, 2 sun gold kiwi, 2 tsp wheatgrass juice powder, broccoli sprouts, 4 scoops of the green colada protein powder, 1/2 cup almond yogurt, frozen mixed fruit to fill up the blender, 1 can of coconut water, 1 cup almond milk, and water to 3/4 of the carafe.

Snack - 2 goodie balls some Brazil nuts.

Dinner: Leftover carrot nori rolls and a new Tannyraw slaw recipe.

Sauce for slaw:  2 mangos, 8 oz cherry tomatoes, juice of a lime, and cilantro to taste.  Serve the sauce on a bag of slaw with some tomatoes and jalapeno.

Dessert:  Lara Bar

The Raw Reset starts tomorrow.  The raw reset is like therapy to me because it incorporates both mental planning with physical activity.  The best selling book The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk is about innovative treatments for traumatic stress in cases where talk therapy is of little benefit. Trauma is stored in the body and it produces changes in the brain which is why talk therapy and the rational mind may not be the right approach. Other therapies involving the body with touch, movement, and breath are quite effective. So the foods are an important pillar in this lifestyle but equally important is the rebounding, the steps, the growing the microgreens, the staying on plan, doing it as you go through it no matter what comes, arriving wherever you go as yourself and leaving with your integrity intact having kept the promises you made to yourself. It really is a wonderful and complete program.

Travis pulled all the decorations from the attic and we began decorating.  I decorated the Christmas tree, hung the wreaths, and put out some decorations. Travis hung the Christmas flag and blew up some lawn ornaments for the outside.  

xoxo

Janis

www.simplerawandnatural.com

#whatrawveganseat #rawvegan #tryingtostayhealthy #booksandcoffee #norabbitholeshere #imperfectlyraw #rawfoods #keepingitreal #somerawsomecooked #rawisbetter #stilllearning

Imperfectly Raw - Day 55 - Sunday - 11/28/21

 Imperfectly Raw - Day 55 - Sunday - 11/28/21

Good Morning.  Good Vibes,

I am signed up for another Raw Reset with Tannyraw which will begin on Tuesday, 11/30/21.  I am excited about this one which is being called The Gift of Clean, Clear & Bright.  I am sure I will be the oldest one in the group, but that's okay. I do want to be clean, clear and bright, and I want to do it in a way that is sustainable for me.  I like to learn from other people, but I have learned that I can think for myself.  Tanny does a great job of teaching about planning ahead to get the results you want and then working the plan.  

Breakfast:  Lemon Ginger Blast and two oranges.

Travis and I saw King Richard at the movie theater last Tuesday.  It is the story of Venus and Serena Williams' rise in the tennis world from the ghetto to Wimbledon.  I am obsessed with this film, so much so that I ordered the Happy Viking protein powder from Venus Williams.  It comes in four flavors:  strawberry, green colada, vanilla bean, and chocolate.  I ordered all four!  Go big or go home!

 For lunch today we had smoothies made with 2 bananas, 4 scoops of Happy Viking strawberry protein powder, broccoli sprouts, 2 tsp of wheat grass juice powder, 1/2 cup of almond yogurt, frozen mixed fruit, 1 can coconut water, 1 cup almond milk, and water to the 3/4 mark on the blender carafe.  5 stars.  So good.

For dinner I made a modified Tannyraw recipe for nori rolls. 

I used a 10 oz package of grated carrots and made a sauce to go over the carrots.

The sauce:  1/4 cup walnuts, 3/4 cup celery, 1 large peeled lemon with most of the seeds removed, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 cup water, Mrs. Dash Table Blend seasoning, and 2 tsp Gomasio.  Add this sauce to the carrots and mix well.  

Spoon some of the carrot mix onto a nori roll with some thinly sliced mini cucumbers and bell pepper.  Roll up and eat.  This is really good.  I have some left for tomorrow.

Dessert:  Leftover Nice Cream from several days ago and a Kombucha.

The evening tea was Traditional Medicinal Detox tea.

I am still reading/listening to Braiding Sweetgrass.  

I am starting a new jigsaw puzzle for when I need something to do that will keep my mind centered on my own sphere of influence.  I really do want to make the world a better place, but I don't want to get sucked into the rabbit hole, ya'll.  The struggle is real!!!

xoxo

Janis

www.simplerawandnatural.com

#whatrawveganseat #rawvegan #tryingtostayhealthy #booksandcoffee #norabbitholeshere #imperfectlyraw #rawfoods #keepingitreal #somerawsomecooked #rawisbetter #stilllearning

Imperfectly Raw Day 54, Thursday, November 4, 2021

 Imperfectly Raw Day 54, Thursday, November 4, 2021

Breakfast:  Coffee and a Lemon Ginger Blast minus the Blast (jalapeno) - parsley, cilantro, ginger, apple, lime, cucumber, celery.

Travis and I went to three sales today.  We didn't buy much, but it was fun.  I found some  pillowcases and some mugs I liked at an estate sale.  Total cost:  $5.75!

Lunch Smoothies for 2:  2 bananas, 1/4 pineapple, 1 kiwi, spinach, radish microgreens, 1/2 cup almond yogurt, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, frozen strawberry banana mix, leftover Bengal Spice Tea, 1 can of coconut water, and water to 3/4 line of blender carafe.

Snacks for 2:  4 oranges and radish microgreens.

Keeping the promises I made to myself:  practiced my flute and walked my steps.

I made goodie balls this afternoon.

For dinner I made a salad of spring mix, coleslaw, tomatoes from our garden, and purple onion.  Served with Braggs vinaigrette dressing and pickled veggies.

The cooked dish tonight was Vegetarian lo mein from the PlateJoy app with a few modifications.  Vegetarian lo mein recipe:

Cook 9 oz spaghetti per the package directions.  Chop 6 cups broccoli (I used a package of frozen broccoli), 1-1/2 red bell peppers chopped, 3/4 red onion chopped, 1 small package snow peas trimmed.  In a wok or skillet heat 2 Tbsp sesame oil.  Cook the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.  In a bowl, mix together 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1-1/2 tsp minced garlic, and 1-1/2 tsp minced ginger.  Add soy sauce mixture and the noodles to the pan.  Toss to coat and cook for another 2-3 minutes to warm the noodles.  Top with sliced green onions to serve.

Also had kombucha made by my friend Bonita.  She makes the best kombucha.

The sprouts and microgreens are doing well.  I started a flat of broccoli microgreens today.

Evening tea:  Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion

We watched the news on PBS Newshour.  There was an interesting piece about a couple in Columbus, Ohio that are both paleoclimatologists with Ohio State University.  They collect ice cores from glaciers all over the world that are kept frozen at The Ohio State University's Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center.  Many glaciers are disappearing right before our eyes and these ice samples are all that is left from which researchers can study the records of the gaseous composition of the atmosphere.

9158 steps today.

xoxo Janis

www.simplerawandnatural.com

#rawfood #imperfectlyraw #stilllearning #tryingtostayhealthy #readingbooks #booksandcoffee #booksandrecipes #somerawandsomecooked #stayingbusy