TV night

This is why I don't have cable and should promptly throw out the rabbit ears:
I feel like a sloth. I watched more TV tonight than usual - I even taped some of it...To sum up...
I watched the Biggest Loser. So far I think it's a pretty uplifting show and what with my health kick here, of course I gotta watch it. I'm rooting for Matt - that guy is all heart. While I watched that show, I taped NCIS (realizing I missed the premiere last week DOH!) Come on, who doesn't love Mark Harmon? Then while I was taping House (guilty pleasure), I watched Commander in Chief. It was a really well-done show, I have to say - definitely fun to watch. So, since I only have enough brain capacity to watch one show at a time, and since I only have 1 VCR for recording, I had to miss My Name is Earl, but not to worry - I got a summary....why does all the good TV have to be on the same night? Perhaps I should look into TIVO...hmmm....

Sorry....

I haven't posted in a week! Lordy. I've been busy, sort of...Work has been breaking my back, literally. I've been a bit out of the weightlifting ring for a few days with a pulled muscle in my back (from lifting patients at the hospital). No worries. The man can't keep me down. I got cleared for regular duty (and working out) last night. yeah! So, with all that extra time I've been making a blanket. I am discovering the ancient lost art of "crochet". Either that, or I truly am becoming an old lady. Nah, I smell too good for that yet....
I don't like to delve too much into my personal affairs here, but I have to say it's also been a really nice week in that I have hooked back up with my long, lost, very cool, brother. Hey, J!
OK, so, what else to say? More recipes, guest essays and of course, shoes coming soon!!!

Bionicle Wars

In my "There's worse things than being centrist, honey" feature, I've been telling you about the pest problems I've had in my garden. Well, I decided to send the Bionicles out to take care of business, but as you can see, they turned on eachother. It seems they are having trouble choosing a leader. I've got my money on the little guy at the top.

Body for Life Challenge 2 Day 17/84

OOOOoooch! My abs! Why my abs!?! Yowza. I did Ab Boot Camp yesterday before cardio. I feel like I've been punched in the ribs. Since I'm so sore, I'm not able to properly do my leg routine today - I'll have to move it to my free day 'er sumthin. I definitely think I should reconsider putting abs on a special day and move them back to the end of leg day....Oh my.....

Body for Life Challenge 2 Day 16/84

So, I'm 2 weeks into my 2nd challenge. It's been a pretty shaky start - I've missed 2 workouts :( But as I've said, I've been focused on what's been going on in my home state, Louisiana. I worked my legs so hard the other day, I almost couldn't walk, and now I'm feeling really sore from yesterday's upper body workout. I don't feel like I'm losing fat at quite the rate I was before, and I owe this to my job. They changed my hours, so it's been nearly impossible to follow the same routine I was before. It's hard to get in all those meals as well as work out on an empty stomach with this schedule they have me on. I'd like to hear from some of you guys on how you work your schedules...Have a good one!

Shoe of the Week - Issue #7

On a scale of 0-5, this shoe gets a 6! You're looking at my very best shoes, the Vivian, by Taryn Rose. I met these shoes at Nordstrom's in San Francisco, and it was love at first fitting. Why are they so great? Well, aside from the fact that they are gorgeous (my picture doesn't do them justice), they are 100% orthopedic. Get out!, you say. No really, they are! They are more comfortable than alot of tennis shoes I've owned! Most Taryn Rose shoes *look* orthopedic, and so do not interest me much, but this pair, with black suede, adjustable silver buckle and gold lining...oh, I could ramble all day. They are the kind of shoes you put in the garden and photograph or otherwise stash away for special occasions, although I did wear them to the gas station once just for fun. The price? Alot! But these shoes are worth every penny, and I know with proper care, they will last for years to come!

Note: Please remember that I bought all these shoes apparently in the days before I had a social conscience (however flawed) of any kind...I sure do miss the shopping :( .........And you know I love shoes, but "Shame on you, Condie!"

another funny pic...

A reader sent this to me in an e mail, so I thought I'd share - too funny :) Hope everyone is doing well!

Q & A

Q: I have done every diet in the book, and none of them work. Why do you think Body for Life is any different?
A: Well, the word diet is defined as "the usual food and drink of a person or animal" - so a diet is anything you eat, really. Diet can also be defined as "a regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss." If the latter definition is what you have in mind when using the word, then I must say, Body for Life isn't a "diet" per se. Diets don't "work". A healthy way of eating, however, leads to a generally healthy body. And that is what BFL is all about. The suggested "eating plan" from BFL promotes eating fruits, veggies, fats and proteins in the right amount at the right times to optimize your exercise routine, muscle building and fat loss...If you follow the plan, you never feel hungry or deprived much like people do when they go on these fad-diets which have short-term results at best. Body for Life is "for life".

Q: What does a typical day of eating look like for you?
A:
Meal 1 - Myoplex Lite shake (vanilla) /c 1 tablespoon Udo's flaxseed oil
Meal 2 - cottage cheese, apple
Meal 3 - grilled chicken, banana, broccoli
Meal 4 - cottage cheese, apple
Meal 5 - can o tuna, wheat toast with organic peanut butter
Meal 6 - Something from the Eating for Life cookbook
Meal 7 - (when I stay up too late) either another shake or a protein bar

Q: I have a lot of back pain from a torn muscle I got in a sports injury last year. Can I still do Body for Life?
A: While I am a health care professional, I can't fully answer your question without more information. Your best bet is to consult a doctor and find out if you have any lifting precautions. I had back pain when I started, and working out actually helped. In fact, most healthcare professionals actually promote exercise as treatment for pain, but like I said, you should consult a Dr. before starting any intensive workout plan.

Q: How can I start my own blog?
A: I tried a lot of blog sites before I chose this one (blogger.com). It's really easy to use and customize. They have a really good help section, as well.

Guest Essay #2

This guest essay comes from a lovely lady I met on-line. Thanks, Vegwriter. And a special thanks for this: Hurricane Relief and Raw Food

Summer Recipes to Keep You Cool
By Judy Pokras

The raw foods lifestyle is a healthful one.

Here are several cooling refreshments for summer. They’re all good for you, loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients. The recipes aren’t hard to make. Some call for nutritious, delicious ingredients that can be ordered online. (See below.)

Lemonade With a Twist
(serves 2)

2 organic lemons
1 juice orange
Raw honey or raw agave nectar to taste
Mineral or spring water
Fresh mint leaves for garnish

The night before you plan to serve the lemonade, juice the orange. Pour the juice into an ice cube tray and freeze.
The next day:
Squeeze one lemon into each tall glass.
Add some raw honey or agave nectar to each glass (a half a teaspoon or more to taste) and stir. You don’t want to overwhelm the juice with sweetness because you want to allow the ice cubes to gradually melt into the juice, bringing the sweetness of orange juice. Add enough mineral or spring water to fill the glass almost to the top. Add the orange juice ice cubes. Garnish with mint leaves. As a variation, use limes instead of lemons.

Summer Fruit Salad
(serves 2)

1 container organic strawberries
1 container fresh organic one
1 package frozen blueberries
½ cup pre-soaked goji berries (Presoaking softens them)
About 20 grapes
2 organic peaches or nectarines, sliced

Hull the strawberries and cut them in half. Place in large bowl with all the other ingredients and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The fruit salad looks pretty brought to the table in a large glass bowl. Serve in dessert bowls.

Frozen Banana Creme Sundae
(serves 2)

4 ripe bananas (bananas are ripe when they have some brown speckles on them)
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup walnut pieces

The night before you plan to serve this, peel the bananas, discard the peels, and break the bananas into two inch pieces. Freeze in a freezer bag. Right before you plan to serve the sundae, run the frozen banana pieces through a Champion or similar juicer. The Champion turns the frozen bananas into a creamy confection with the texture of soft-serve ice cream. If you don’t have a Champion or similar juicer, you can get a similar effect by putting the frozen banana pieces in a food processor with a small amount of water if necessary. (Add only one tablespoon of water at a time). Spoon the banana creme into dessert dishes and sprinkle the shredded coconut and the walnut pieces on top. Decorate with Raw Carob-Cacao Topping.
See recipe below.

Raw Carob-Cacao Topping
(serves 2)

6 peeled raw cacao beans (or 2 teaspoons raw cacao nibs) ground to a fine powder in a coffee grinder
2 tablespoons raw carob powder
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar
½ vanilla bean
optional: 1 tablespoon mesquite powder
optional: 1 tablespoon raw almond butter

Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the insides into a small bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix the ingredients, adding a small amount of spring water to create a smooth texture. The topping should be slightly thinner than the texture of hot fudge.

Banana Papaya Blueberry Ice Creme

4 ripe bananas, peeled
1 large red papaya (at least 10 inches long) peeled and seeded
1 container of blueberries

Puree the above ingredients in a food processor and then pour into an ice cream machine. The taste is out of this world!

You can order raw cacao beans, raw carob powder, goji berries, tocotrienols powder and mesquite powder online at www.RawFoodsNewsMagazine.com

Judy Pokras is the founder and editor of RawFoodsNewsMagazine.com and http://sketchgrrl.blogspot.com and a food consultant on transitioning to a more healthful way of eating. Write her at vegwriter@aol.com

Recipe of the Week

Here's a recipe I found on the forum at JP Fitness. Enjoy!

Spinach dip

8oz cottage cheese
1/4c milk
1tbs lemon juice
dash worcestershire sauce
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt\pepper to taste
1/4 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
8oz chopped up spinach

saute the onion and garlic & set aside

Toss cottage cheese, milk, worcestershire sauce, red flakes, salt & pepper in the blender and let it do it's thing until smooth. Add in spinach, onion & garlic...viola!

"There's worse things than being centrist, honey..." #4

There's nothing centrist about Howard Zinn. Maybe you've heard of him. But I hadn't until I saw the film "Howard Zinn - You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train"

Here are some quotes from the film (and by Howard Zinn)

"...Wars are always accompanied by lies....wars are always accompanied by deceptions...behind war is... basic motive - expansion, power, economics, business, really..."

"I'm supposing, or perhaps only hoping that our future may be found in the past fugitive moments of compassion rather than in the solid centuries of warfare." - discussing his book, "A People's History of the United States"

More info on Howard Zinn:
click here
or here

Home Sweet Home Part 2

I promise I'll have the blog back up to normal operations soon; I don't want this site to completely waver from its originally purpose, but I'm just devastated about what is going on. I have no words to describe my complete horror at what is happening in Louisiana, my home. Or my disappointment at "our government's" response - or lack thereof. Or my complete dismay about how some people are reacting or not reacting. Or my utter sadness about being stuck all the way here in California and not being able to physically be there to help.
Here in Cali, in the local newspaper, there was a story that related to the high gasoline prices in which a woman was actually complaining that she couldn't afford to drive to a baseball game and had to settle for renting movies. Am I supposed to feel sorry for this woman?
I could go on and on and on, but it's too much. The problems too vast for this forum. I just thank God my family is ok (ok, not unaffected) back home, but I *personally* know too many people that have lost all and may never recover fully. If you're reading this and you want to be part of country in which its people take care of eachother, then scroll down to my previous post and click on the Red Cross link (or find other organizations) and give what you can. ok, that's my last plea - thanks for putting up with me :)