Dream. Believe. Commit. Do.

My youngest woke me up at 4 am this morning. As she returned to her room, I lay in my own bed with a wandering mind. Four words made their way to the forefront of my consciousness: Dream. Believe. Commit. Do. These four words ran together in my mind like the colors of a tie died shirt. Most achievements in our lives begin with a simple dream, a thought, a whisper of possibility, an intention. After considering our dreams, we must reach a point where we begin to believe in our dreams. Often we have a dream of achieving something wonderful and grand, but we do not actually believe that we can accomplish the dream. We do not believe that we can create the circumstance in which we can chase these dreams. All too often, what we want to happen gets lost in a endless sea of lost possibilities. However, once we believe, the means for our dreams may begin to manifest themselves. Doors shut and doors begin to open; this all because we believed. Once we truly believe and see the path, we must commit. This can often be a scary word. We are afraid that once we commit, we will become vulnerable which often makes commitment feel like a risk. Dreams can not become reality without taking some sort of a risk. But, once we fully commit, the path becomes even clearer. After we commit, there must be action. We must do. We must begin to walk through those doors of the unknown. The word do is defined as "to carry out or perform an action." It is important to remember that our actions speak louder than words and our actions definitely speak louder than our thoughts. Today, do something that will make you one step closer to achieving your dreams. Maybe you haven't dreamt yet. Take the time to explore your thoughts and decipher what it is that your heart truly desires. Wherever you are on this path: Dream, believe, commit, do....I challenge take the time to find your place; which word describes you right now? The dream can be small or can be as grand and magnificent as you allow it to be.

Dream. Believe. Commit. Do.

Morning Supercharge Smoothie

I have been experimenting with combining superfoods in my morning smoothies. I came up with this variations and decided to share.

Morning Supercharge Smoothie

1 young thai coconut- meat and milk
1 banana
1/4 goji berries soaked for at least 20 minutes
1 tbsp cacao powder
3 dates, pitted
1 tbsp maca powder (optional)
ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Enjoy!

Feel Inspired....

....to do something healthy today. Eat something GREEN. Maybe you are someone who cannot stand the taste of those beneficial leafy greens. Don't worry, there are many that do not find greens palatable. However, I find that it is essential to eat greens on a daily basis. Pay not attention to the "man behind the curtain" who says to eat greens only 2 x's weekly. Here is a simply way of adding greens to the diet: Green smoothies. Some people feel as if they are getting their greens through juicing, however, juicing takes the fiber out of the green. Don't get me wrong juicing greens is a good thing, BUT do not rely on this process as your primary method of putting greens into the diet. So back to the smoothie conversation, try a simple recipe such as this to start.

1 banana
1/2 pineapple
2 cups of spinach, kale or other leafy greens
ice

Blend it up and there you go!

Why must we eat greens? Here are a few of the benefits:

• Greens are alkalinizing. Many foods that the general population consumes are very acidic. A highly acidic environment in the body can lead to health issues. Greens can help balance and neutralize the body's pH.
• The chlorophyll found in greens acts as a blood detoxifier.
• Raw greens are powerhouses of nutrients, enzymes and antioxidants.
• Greens are perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrients. (calorie for calorie)
• Greens boost the immune system.

These are among many of the benefits. For more information, I recommend the book, Green for Life by raw foodist, Victoria Boutenko. Victoria Boutenko dramatically changed her health and the health of her entire family through raw foods and green smoothies. I encourage you to explore the Boutenko family's youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BoutenkoFilms#g/u as well as their website: http://www.rawfamily.com/

What is the Inland Empire CSA?

CSA

Well, I finally joined the Inland Empire CSA and received my first box last week. (If you are not exactly sure what a CSA is, see the video posted above.) I set my pick-up location for Pizza Fusion in Temecula on Thursdays. However, when I arrived to pick up my box, it was not there. I contacted Gary who handles new members/paper work, etc and I received a phone call on Friday morning. To make up for the upset, the box was delivered to my home that afternoon. You have the choice of ordering either a full share or a half share. I ordered the full share and was greatly impressed with the amount of produce in the box. It was so extremely fresh with so many lovely winter greens. I was familiar with everything in the box but with the large amount of food, it was a good opportunity for my family to try some new veggies and greens. I try to be an example to my husband and children and although they don't eat everything that I eat, they are in the process of becoming more open to foods such as greens. That night I made a yummy asian cuisine for them which included lightly sautéed baby bok choi. I am so glad that I finally joined as I am forced to eat my least favorite but extremely healthy veggie: beets. I am well aware of the benefits of these beautifully colored roots but the taste for me is not one of the benefits. I have been juicing these little beauties and what do you know….I am becoming somewhat accustomed to their taste. All in all, this is going to be beneficial for all of us. Not only will it benefit our family, but there are other benefits to our membership. By becoming a member, you are dramatically reducing your carbon footprint. Food often travels a great distance to make it to your local grocer. The two farms that provide for this CSA are local to this area. The food is also organic and sustainably farmed. The soil is not being polluting with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and therefore the food is much healthier as it provides more nutrients than commercially produced food. In addition, the food is extremely fresh, often picked the day of delivery. You are also supporting small family farms. As more and more small farms are losing out to 'agribusiness', joining a CSA is great way to support a family farm. You will have the opportunity to try new foods that you are not familiar with. I also find that this is also a good choice economically. I don't think I would be able to get the same amount of organic food that I am receiving in my box for the same amount of money. So check out the photos of my first box. If you are interested in joining, you can follow the link the Inland Empire CSA which will provide you with additional information. http://www.inlandempirecsa.com/index.html