Blueberry Hemp Smoothie

I'm still on this raw food kick of mine and I am diggin' it. I'm reading Victoria Boutenko's book, "12 Steps to Raw Foods" and I find it really interesting. I'm learning to listen to my body is response to different foods. Anyhow, maybe some more on that another time because today I wanted to share an amazingly heavenly smoothie recipe that I tried from Penni Shelton's Raw Food Cleanse.

Blueberry Hemp Smoothie

2 cups water

1/2 cup hemp seeds

3 tbsp agave

8 ounce package of frozen organic blueberries

1 tsp vanilla extract or raw vanilla powder

1 frozen banana or 1 banana and 4-6 ice cubes

In a blender, blend water and hemp seeds until it forms a milky substance.

Add the remaining ingredients.

High in protein, antioxidants, omegas, potassium and it's delicious!

Attention Boot Campers!

Due to the rainy weather forecast for Monday evening, October 18th, boot camp will be held at an alternative location. If you are a regular to boot camp, check your email for details. If you haven't tried boot camp but would like to, send an email to thepowertodogroupfitness@hotmail.com. Time will remain the same- 7-8pm. Bring your mat, weights and water.

See you there!

Food Matters- Seriously

I am a vegetarian who strives for veganism. I do struggle with the occasional piece of cheese in my diet as I live in a home full of meat and dairy eaters. I only buy organic dairy for my family so I say to myself, "Well, it is organic, right?" and I take a nibble. Within 12 hours, my skin will break out and I see the effects; sometimes my stomach hurts. I do not struggle with the temptation to eat meat as I truly feel in the depth of my mind that staying fully clear of meat is the best choice for me. At times, I also like to dabble in raw foods. Those of you who follow my blog see that I have done Penni Shelton's raw food cleanses and the results are amazing.

The other day, Netflix recommended a documentary for me called "Food Matters." This is an AMAZING movie and I HIGHLY recommended it to everyone. The movie is based on Hippocrates' philosophy, "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." When I turned on the documentary, I was VERY close to taking a dose of sinus medication...this is something I NEVER do. Seriously, I was going to turn on the show, pop a pill and watch it. However, the opening was the Hippocrates quote. I decided to just sit down. The movie spoke a lot about the drug companies, lack of nutritional education in doctors, and the importance of eating raw superfoods as well as vitamin therapy for sickness and disease. I had a cold coming on. The next day was spent nursing it with oil of oregano, vitamin c, d3, zinc and many cups of echinacea tea. Cold....Gone.

Anyhow, watching this documentary as well as hearing the story of Philip McCluskey (below), I am ready for some serious dabbling in raw foods again. Please watch his story and if you can watch "Food Matters" because guess what my friend? Food REALLY does matter. It makes a difference in your energy levels, the quality of your life, your mood and most importantly your health. The movie says it, I have said, and MANY others have said, heard it and believed it- "You are what you eat." So eat well and be well and have a beautiful day!

Raw Food Weight Loss over 215 lbs & Transformed My Life #54

Mochi Waffles with Steamed Greens

This is so yummy that I have to pass this recipe on. I cannot take credit for it. It is from one of my favorite books, The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. I go through phases where I will eat this for breakfast until I run out of mochi until I move on to something else. Measurements are approximate as I am typing the recipe from memory.

Brown rice mochi cut into strips (approximately 5 strips).

Brown rice syrup

1 oz of walnuts

Splash of lemon juice

Any type of greens for steaming.

Place greens in a steamer basket and begin steaming. I used lacinto kale in the picture.

You can purchase mochi from a health food store. I buy the grainaissance brand, plain. (There are other flavors). It comes in a flat rectangular shape. I cut my strips the short width of the rectangle about 1/4". Place the strips in the waffle iron with just a bit of space in between. This is going to seem strange as the mochi is hard and you are going to be wondering how in the world it's going to turn into a waffle but believe me it will.

While it is cooking, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet. Remove from heat and let the pan cool slightly. Add 1-2 tbsp brown rice syrup to the walnuts and squeeze some fresh lemon right into the mixture.

Your waffle should be ready. Remove from iron and put it on the plate. Drizzle your syrup on top and place the greens on the side. So filling and eating those greens first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day! Enjoy!

LOVE yourself, Part II

I went with my family to Sam's Club earlier today to buy a few things. As I walked around the corner, I looked around at all the shoppers. The number of overweight people I saw was saddening. I would have to say that 9 out of 10 people in that store today were at or near obesity. I wanted to help them. It is sad to see what our society has come to. Buying bulk of needless things- of guilty pleasures that should not be pleasing at all. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, "Is this benefiting me?" "Is this serving my purpose in life?" Our purpose in life goes so far beyond eating a dozen cookies and finding your body in a state of shock and dismay. Dig deep. Love yourself more than that.

I am not being critical or mean. I honestly feel that it is sad to see people walk around accepting mediocracy from themselves, in their relationships, from society and from the government that deceives us. Seek the truth. Love your self more than that.

This is the beginning of a new month, my friends. Take the next thirty days or so to challenge yourself and do something for you everyday- something that will serve your greater purpose in life. Meditate, get 30 minutes of exercise a day, drink 64 oz of water, drink a green smoothie. Do something productive and healthy for you today. Love yourself more.

Govindas and Radha kirtan in Goa, India

LOVE yourself

We are multi-faceted diamonds. We wear many hats. I am a teacher, a student, a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a motivator, a life coach, an activist, among many others. Some people do not recognize me when I am wearing a different hat. Even my own husband finds it funny when he hears me teach yoga with my "yoga voice" or boot camp with my "fitness voice." These are all true and unique versions of me and I love each and every one of them. There was a time when there were parts of me that I would suffocate; never allowing them to reach the surface and never allowing them to grow to their full potential. Don't do this to yourself. You must learn to love yourself- every part. This is not something you can accomplish overnight. It's something we must learn to do. I have learned to do this through my yoga practice. I cannot stress enough the benefits of practicing yoga. I find it amazing that when I first began the practice I was competitive and simply looking for that edge through yoga. I only focused on the physical benefits. However, through intense study and a committed practice, I have found so much more. Yoga keeps me grounded and focused. Through yoga, I have learned to love myself, which opens my heart to love others more deeply. I can manage stress more effectively. Not only my body but my mind and my heart-both physically and spiritually- have become stronger. I love myself so I can love others. Allow this to be your mantra. And do it today. Don't wait until tomorrow. Don't wait until you have reached your goals.

I love myself so I can love others.

It makes the world a better place.....