Healthy Eating: Raw Food Challange Day 1

Ok, so I am beginning a 6 week Challange to gradually omit health hazardous foods from my diet. The Challenge is facilitated by Skai Davis of the Yabba Pot, the premier vegetarian/vegan spot in Bmore. Im excited about it, always up for a new challenge. Yeah…

Well today was Day 1 and I did terrible. Didn’t eat a solitary piece…not a speck of raw food. Ok so here’s the deal. The goal was for week one: no meat and no dairy products.

The problem is that I did this very much spur of the moment and didn’t prepare myself for it like I should of. What that means is, I didn’t go to the grocery store, so I didn’t have nothing else to eat. So today, I are very little in fact.

Breakfast was graham crackers dipped in almond milk.
Lunch/Snacks were a peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread and a bowl of rice krispies with almond milk. Then strawberry applesauce.
Dinner was blueberry pancakes: which may be totally unacceptable because Im sure an egg goes somewhere in the batter.

Not a great start at all. But what I did to end my day was I went to the store.

I brought blueberries, avacados, bananas, beets, spring mix salad, granny smiths, gala apples, peaches, mixed frozen veggies, some tofurkey and veggie slice soy based cheese alternative (I have no idea how those last two will taste).

So now, I’m all set for tomorrow. It should be a lovely day.

Baltimore Green Week

Green Week Begins!

4.18.09 ECOFEST Druid Hill Park, 11-5pm
A celebration of all things green! Over 200 vendors, exhibitors, artists and musicians including a rain barrel workshop, yoga for all ages, bike rides around the reservoir and more!

EcoTour Bike Rides, for more information and to register, visit our website.

4.20.09 City Day War Memorial Plaza, 11-2pm
Exhibitors will showcase Baltimore’s Sustainability plan by providing practical solutions for their “at home” needs. Recycle bins will be available for purchase.

4.21.09 Climate Change Day Goucher College, Kelly Lecture Hall, 6:30pm
A unique panel discusses the science, policy, and politics of what the global problem has to do with the Chesapeake Bay.

4.22.09 Sustainable Food Day

Druid Hill Park, 3:30 p.m.
Tree Planting on Earth Day! Lunch provided by Chipotle.

Light Street Branch Public Library, 1251 Light Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, 11:30-2 p.m.
Follow the food from farm to table! Talk to farmers about labeling and consumer health issues related to the food we eat.

Baltimore International College, 210 S. Central Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21202, 6 p.m.
Dietitians discuss the benefits of a plant based diet while Chef Jason Wong does a cooking demonstration of one of his favorite recipes!

Lemongrass,1300 Bank St, Baltimore, MD 21231, 8pm
Networking Happy Hour

4.23.09 Green Jobs & Green Building

Montgomery Park, 1800 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21230, 9:30- 1 p.m. and 1:30- 5 p.m.
Take a bus tour of new LEED certified building design and rehab projects in Baltimore City. RSVP required.

Morgan State University Student Center, 3-5 p.m.
Green for All and Civic Works talk about the importance of new “green” job opportunities and the availability for support from the green job stimulus. Moderated by Mark Steiner.

Neighborhood Design Center, 1401 Hollins Street, Baltimore, MD 21223 , 6-10 p.m.
Talk with Morgan State architect and planning students and local architectural professionals about the student sustainable design projects.

4.24.09 Green Art Reception & Greening for Good Panel

Towson Art Collective, 406 York Road, Lower Level, Towson, MD 21204, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Sustainable Art Opening & Happy Hour

Waldorf School of Baltimore, 4801 Tamarind Road, Baltimore, MD 21209, 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
A discussion on how you can lighten your eco- footprint.

 

FMI: www.baltimoregreenworks.com

Thank You Lord…

It’s funny I can find testimonies in like soo many songs, but as I am readying for school this morning, that particular song was laid on my heart, and I’m walking around eating this really great organic blueberry applesauce (I was packing some for Nay’s bag, and made it breakfast for myself too), but as I was doing so, I really started thinking about the words to that tune.

“Tragedies are common place, all types of diseases people are slipping away, Economies down people not getting enough pay, as for me all I can say is “THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL YOU’VE DONE FOR ME” Cause it could’ve been me, outdoors, with no shoes and no clothes…”

While I’m usually vague, I wanna be really specific in this testimony as to what has me so grateful this morning…

So last night I was at working and I’m talking to another client who is not mine, and she’s asking me questions about my life, and telling me things about hers that I really didn’t inquire to know about, but by the time the conversation was over, I started to feel bad for her in certain ways, and then bad in general for people like her, specifically those who have to live their entire lives in these type of agencies. Particuarly because they drug these ppl up b/c of their psychological disabilities to “fix them” and then the medications they are on, and then those medications in time cause health issues, so they have to add another medication to fix the health issue caused (at least in part) by the 1st medication, and then the cycle just plays itself out… And so I’m just thinking… “It could’ve been me”

Then I get home last night, and I’m opening my mail, only to recieve a check from something I was doing as volunteer work, but it came with a stipend that I had no idea about, and then another letter from my job saying that despite the economy being in shambles, that they are grateful for my hard work and that I am recieving a raise effective in 2009. Economies down people not getting enough pay.

He is looking out for me in ways that I just can’t describe. Things that are easy to take for granted. Like for instance, last week I was at school and I had Naima with me and I was talking to my professor and she was showing me pictures of her grandaughter who is now 7 months and very sick having been diagnosed with some condition that I can’t recall the name of, but how the doctors tried to get the baby aborted saying she would never have a chance, but she is doing so much better than they thought she would, and doing things they said she would never do. Despite that, she is still ill and they don’t think she will make it and she was telling me how they have a big celebration for her every month. Most people only take time out once a year (birthdays) to reflect on how good God is and how he has kept them, and me, having a completely healthy pregnancy, childbirth, and baby…things that I could easily take for granted, but am ever so careful not to. All types of diseases people are slipping away.

And despite all that, 2008 has been an extremely tragic year for me as many friends and family members and passed on to the other side some through accidents, others health issues, and others murder. The begining of this month a young lady who I did not know personally, but was friends to some people I am acquainted with was killed by her husband after dealing with years of domestic abuse in private, but had apparantely in November broke her silence. She was a mother of 3, and now these young kids are without both their parents…and unfortunately it is not a unique situation. Tragedies are common place.

The world around us is in shambles that’s for sure. But despite these things, and though my life is not perfect, and I’m not perfect, he has kept me all this time!! He is so merciful, so kind, and I just wanted to take the time out this morning to show that I am grateful. My life isn’t perfect, but I do have a place to lay my head (so many here in this city don’t, have you been downtown lately?), I have a REASONABLE portion of health and strength, I have clothes on my back, shoes on my feet, food to eat. I can walk, I can talk, and still find time to laugh. And even when I do cry, eventually my tears dry up, and I can smile again… I could go on and on and on… but it all boils down to one thing. I’m Blessed!

THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL YOU’VE DONE FOR ME!

I’m Back…

I’ve been away for some time now, I’m gonna attempt to catch up. These past couple months have been great. God has snatched me out from the spiral of confusion that I was lost in, and it’s a beautiful feeling to be able to share. I’ve joined a new church that is absolutely amazing: God’s Kingdom Builder’s Church of Jesus Christ under the leadership of Pastor Donald G. Crosby. The word preached in that small corner building is so potent, and the spirit moves so freely, I was literally sucked in. I was only visiting, and for a Tuesday Night Bible Study at that, but I’ve been going back ever since, and I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my short lifetime.  In such a few short months, I’ve grown in ways that I never imagined I would, and I’m totally grateful for the way God’s hand is moving in my life.

Aside from that, back in October, around the same time I was introduced to this new church, and before I joined,  I read this book by Don Rauniker called Choosing God’s Best.

It was completely eye-opening for me and it altered the way I viewed dating. Me being the type of person I am, often wanting to know why, or having evidence or proof to back up a statement, I found the begining chapters of this book to be probably the most important in my acceptance of the information presented. The book starts with a brief, but comprehensive outline of the history of dating and how it has evolved into what it is today. The most interesting piece of information that spoke to me was how relatively new dating the way we do is. In the grand scheme of time, its still a baby. Back in the day, they didn’t date like we do now, and back in the day, the divorce rate wasn’t nearly 50% either. Now I know statistics say that is in part to finances, being one of the main causes of marriages failing, but that only goes to further prove the point stated in the book. Dating the way it currently goes is greatly futile in producing lasting relationships let alone marriage. The trend now days is to find someone to take up space here and now, with no thoughts or intentions of a future. But the consequences for this succesion of broken hearts is great. We were not made to withstand such pain (though no doubt we can), but its unnecessary and its not what God intended for our lives. He doesn’t want to see us hurt and in pain. He wants us healthy, happy, and walking in his purpose, but so many of us aren’t. 

I’ve digressed from the book quite a bit, and to get back to it, it offers the biblical alterative of courtship. Courtship is a foreign concept to many indeed, myself included, but I’ve decided that it was a better alternative to dating. Sometimes its all about getting back to the basics, something we’ve gotten so far away from. The model for courtship outlined in his book is just that: a model. I think its a fairly good one, though by no means something that can’t be slightly altered, but it outlines the process of courtship, how it works, why it works, and gives several real life examples of people whom it’s worked for. I’d say at the very least, if you’ve tried dating so faithfully for so long, and it hasn’t worked for you, then its at least worthy of being tried. How does that saying go again…the definition of an idiot is someone who tries the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Yea, well I was an idiot for so long, and I can speak from experience. It just wasn’t working. I mean it was the monotony of same drama with a different person. And that’s not to say that they were the only ones who were wrong. Believe it or not, I have flaws too **gasps** (I know, shocking! but true).

What I found so interesting about this process was that the whole thing made sense. Reading the book (which I just couldn’t put down) I had several “a-ha!” moments where I was like, “why didn’t I think of that before?”  The problem I realized was that all the images and information around me basically said, in order to everntually find “the one” that you must date (a.k.a shop around). It never occured to me that there was any alternative…even something as simple as not dating. I just thought it was something I had to do, and in time it became a burden.

My testimony is that God has, through this book, freed my mind from that false information. Now I know something better. What’s crazy is that if I had read this book any sooner than Idid, I may not have been open enough to really receive it. That’s the funny thing, and I know that for a fact. If I was out there having fun in the dating scene, I’d of looked at the book like it was on crack, and quickly discarded it into the dark abyss of my forgetfullness, but it really spoke to me. I guess because of where I was at. I was at a place where I was tired. The dating, getting the run around, no commitments, empty sex that left me feeling worse off than before…I was tired of all of that. I didn’t know I had an alternative. But I did, God showed me, and my plan is to show you. If you aren’t at that place, or at least in a place where you are open to truth then you probably won’t agree with this book. Not to say that everything in it should be taken as law…use disgression always, but the overall concept I found extremely helpful. Its such a heavy burden I’ve been able to throw off of my shoulders and I wish I had read it sooner, and was at a place where I was open enough to receive it then. But the reality is I had to go through all I went through to get to that place. Hopefully if you haven’t already, you won’t. Read this book, and know that there are alternative choices to the ones Western culture drills in us everyday!

Peace and Love!

losing my mind

i want to lose my mind

cause it keeps me up at night

w         ^a          n          _d          e          ^r           i           _n          g

w         _o          n          ^d          e          _r           i           ⁿ          g

 

for so long I’ve held on too tight

drastically putting up a fight

fretting

thinking if I let go

i’d go crazy

now I just want crazy

to go from me

 

Yes

i want to lose my mind

i tried to leave it behind just the other day

but it found me

permeated my sleep

assaulted my dreams

and haunted me

replaying painful memories from my past

just when i thought i was free at last

 

i want to lose my mind

cause it keeps me

estranged from peace

forever

w         ^a          n          _d          e          ^r           i           _n          g

 

to and fro

ever

w         _o          n          ^d          e          _r           i           ⁿ          g

 

stop and go

 

i want to go ahead

and lose my mind

leave it somewhere far behind

maybe toss it over a rainbow

or shoot it to cloud nine

fly it to the sky

or bury it in the sea

all I want is to lose my mind

but instead my mind keeps losing me

 

© Shannon Winston 2008

Slow Down Baby …..

Slow down baby…

…you’re moving too fast.

Why are we always in such a ding dang rush? I think people must have forgotten or simply don’t know how great it feels to just slow down. Take a deep breath. (No really, do it now. Breathe in…count to 5 wit da Mississippi in between, and SLOWLY release your breath). Doesn’t that feel good? If not, then you probably need to do it a few more times until it does, but check it…

Last night I was at Columbia mall just went there to kill an hour or two off the clock as I wait to pick up my client. I went with no intention of spending money, just figured I would walk around, window shop and chill.
I have no destination so I got my Ipod on, walking slow. With my sixth sense I can sense people behind me somewhat frustrated because they want to get around me and I am moving too slow for them. One little girl asked if whe could go around me. Lol. Even our kids are in a hurry. For what? I know everybody doesn’t have someplace to go like that, though I do acknowledge there are times when we must rush to and fro, but if you recognize that you find yourself rushing 24/7, please find a way to remedy the situation. Its not healthy for mind, body or spirit. This includes u tailgaters out there. Its not that serious and often suck reckless rushing can be deadly, or at least costly.

So my challenge to everyone is for at least 24 hours, don’t rush. If you are running late, o well. Just be late. Walk slowly. Smell the flowers, watch the birds, enjoy the breeze. I guarantee you by the end of the day you will feel much more relaxed.

Don’t take my word for it…try it for yourself!

Ashé.

My Personal Journey through The Master Cleanse (Day 7) Final Day

4:53 pm

 

Hello friends!

 

I have some bittersweet news for you guys, but before I give it to you, I am gonna start with the usual recap of my day. Well today went well. Last night I dreamt of Greek Village. Subs…mmm. In my dream, I stopped the cleanse early for a cheese steak. Well, I believe in signs and omens and so I think its time for me to bid this Master Cleanse a farewell. I didn’t have an abundance of craving today, and I felt fine, but I’m just ready for it to be over now. Don’t be disappointed in me! I still feel as though I accomplished my goal. The goal was to remove toxins from my body and in the past 7 days I have done just that. If anything, I’m superior because what takes some people 10 days only took me seven. Ok, maybe not. But 7 is the biblical number of completion and I feel complete in this here journey, no need to linger here for 3 more days.

 

But really though, I was invited to a cookout Saturday and I wanna go. And not just go and inhale fumes, I want to engage in the bite, chew, swallow process with everybody else.

 

It’s been fun charting my journey, I thank everyone who’s followed along, maybe I’ll do it again someday, maybe for New Years or something…who knows.

 

To all those considering doing this for themselves, I say go for it. It’s worth it even if you don’t reach the end of the 10 days, it’s about the process, and some is better than none. You’ll probably learn a little about yourself in the process. I learned that I have an instant gratification thing that I need to work on. I want what I want when I want it. That means in the future I will try to practice patience a little bit more.

 

I did lose a few pounds though that was not my goal.  (8lbs in 7 days)

 

For those who are interested, get the book. It’s by Stanley Burroughs, you can find it on half.com I only paid like $6 for mines including shipping. I encourage you to do it for the learning process and the detoxification process, not to lose weight. In my own opinion, that shouldn’t be the motivation behind this or any other diet. If you take care of your body, your body will take care of you. That means watching what you put into your body in terms of grease and fried foods, not just counting calories and carbs but incorporating fruits and vegetables in your diet etc. I won’t preach but just know fat is not your enemy, it’s actually healthy (to a certain degree that is), don’t get caught up! Size 6 isn’t always wassup, I’ve spent my life tryna gain weight, it didn’t happen. Don’t let the media/society decide what is right for you or tell you how you should look. I said I wouldn’t preach.

 

Ok, off my soap box. It’s been real.

 

Sayonara.

My Personal Journey through The Master Cleanse (Day 6)

August 18, 2008 (Day 6)

 

10:38 am

 

So this morning presents the first of my “trials” if you will. Besides the constant desire for food, this morning I get up and I’m somewhat dizzy. Every time I get up, I notice a slight dizzy feeling and a tad bit lethargic…maybe I subliminally overindulged in the pork last night. Other than that things are fine, but I did want to take note of the dizziness.

 

2:56 pm

 

So I did a weigh in today and OMG! I’ve lost 5lbs already, and that was so not my goal. But, I can assure you all one thing…come Monday, I’ll be putting them right back on, that’s a promise, cause I’m gonna pig out! (On healthy stuff of course… or somewhat healthy stuff)

 

9:36 pm

 

Ok, so I survived today. It was hard. My sister came in the house with Greek Village yall. I’ve been craving a sub from there, and that’s exactly what her and my mother were eating. I just sat in the room and watched them and inhaled the fumes…while it is torturous, I finds it somewhat settles my desire, temporarily at least. Still counting down, but I know Friday will be here in no time. I’ve already got 3 meals planned out for come Monday.

 

 

My Personal Journey through The Master Cleanse (Day 5)

August 17, 2008 (Day 5)

 

Ok, so this morning I awake to the marvelous aroma of sausage. Mmm. Not that I’ve ever been much of the sausage lover (except for the red sausages whose particular brand I love can only be brought in NC that I swear I would temporary halt my secession of pork for in a minute) but it smells great. In the beginning ten days sounds so small, like such a short amount of time, but as I sit here halfway about through at day 5, and I count that I have still 5 more days to go, it sounds torturous.  Friday seems so far away so what I try to do is sleep as much as I possibly can in an attempt to lessen my waken hours so that the day can fly by as quickly as possible. The result however is that I end up being up later and at night, boy does my stomach grumble. Sounds like it be cursing me out in like 6 different languages, none of which I can comprehend, but I just assure myself that it won’t be long and I continue to think about the foods that I would like to eat come next Monday. Even though the cleanse itself ends on Friday, there is a 3 day “coming off’ period in which you have to rebuild the lining of your stomach (or something like that) to be ready for solid foods again before you ingest them. Day one and two should consist of orange juice and day three you can eat a fresh made vegetable soup, and then by the next day you can go back to your frivolous eating habits. Now, I do still plan to make better choices in the foods I eat as I come off the cleanse, but I’ve realized that the cold turkey approach isn’t the most fitting way, but I will limit most of the not so great stuff to about 2 days a week, at least for now. Some I will be able to eventually remove wholly from my diet, others will remain yet I feel as long as I am making effort, who can say anything? Boy that sausage smells good!

 

11:48 am

 

I want some cookies…

 

8:30 pm

 

So I get home from work today and I walk in the house and what else is sitting on the stove but a half pan of homemade pork BBQ that my father made, and a lone cupcake sitting in a plastic container that once housed at least a dozen just like it. I am mad at myself now that I can’t eat. Granted I’m not supposed to be eating pork anyway, and I have continually asked my father to make the BBQ using turkey instead, but he continues to ignore my promptings. Now before giving up pork, I was a pork lover. Bacon, ham, ribs, you name it, I was eating it. So it’s still very hard when I see those things because I want it! Since I couldn’t have it, I stood in the kitchen as my father transferred the BBQ into a plastic container to put into the refrigerator. I just inhaled the fumes and allowed my imagination to go wild as my belly rumbled. I told him to eat some for me, and I watched as ate what wouldn’t fit into the container and imagined that it was me. Then, even Nay got to eat, so I fixed her a bottle and put her in the crib (hopefully she will go to sleep) and now I’m just counting down the days until I can eat again. Friday seems so far away…

My Personal Journey through The Master Cleanse (Day 4)

August 16, 2008 (Day 4)

 

10:56 am

 

I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on: fruit? Yeah. I had a dream last night where I was being chased by some fruit. That’s all that I can remember about it, but I assume it was yelling “eat me, eat me”. Crazy huh? Indeed. But I’m not hungry still which is cool. What I am is bored so I’m gonna go over to the immaculate library that Howard County has: way cooler that Baltimore County, take back the one book I finished and find something new to check out. Ta-ta. Oh yea, and I skipped the saltwater flush for this morning. the tea plenty did its job last night.

 

1:48 pm

 

I never realized until now just how psychological eating really is. I’m not sure if it’s the tonic that curbs my appetite but my body hardly yearns for food…its all in my mind. That leaves me to wonder if maybe science got it wrong when it suggested we humans need eat three meals a day. Maybe that was just a marketing tool to get us to spend more dollars (you know EVERYTHING is economically driven in the world). My job has plenty downtime and I oft times get bored. Sitting here bored now. But moments ago I was at the library and a young lady was eating McDonald’s (I didn’t even think you could eat in the library, but hey this is Howard County). Now I gave up on fast food a little whiles back, only having slipped up once or twice, but boy did it smell good. It made me crave food to the point where I had to live vicariously through her. But still I haven’t faltered. Let me go drink some tonic…

 

8:04 pm

 

No updates really. Nothing significant to say other than that I’m not craving anything anymore, but I still think about food and I’ve started planning out what I want to eat once I can eat again. Other than that, just sitting at work still and man am I bored…somebody call me!