Disqus - Latest Comments for bav

Re: Pure Food & Wine Marathon

bav — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:52:57 -0000

Kris, SO wish I was with you that day, you know my love of all things related to Pure Food and Wine!!

For those who don't know me, well, I am kind of a Pure Food addict, the restaurant PF&W, for lunch/juice/smoothies Pure Juice and Takeaway, the cookbooks, oneluckyduck.

When I am in the city, most days include a visit to Pure Juice and Takeaway, right around the corner from the restaurant. The dessert case alone will make you swoon. Can anyone say Mallowmars??? Other faves are the seaweed salad - I make it at home too, recipe is in Raw Food Real World, and I dream about the tacos. I stock up on the fresh coconut water to stay hydrated in the hot city too.

Going to either the restaurant or the takeout place just makes me SO happy! (yes, it really is that simple.) To know I am purchasing food that is good for me in every way, good for the planet and so incredibly delicious - well, it just doesn't get better than that for me.

The ice cream... you will never go back to regular dairy ice cream, nothing has the burst of flavor like raw ice cream.

And if you can share all the above with good friends, like Kris did, well, that just makes it all the better. I usually go with my sister, who lives in the city. And I have sent several of my friends, who are now hooked too.

This is the kind of food addiction I don't feel guilty about...

If you are not familiar with raw food, I highly encourage you to look for a raw food restaurant to learn about what eating this way can be like. And if in NYC, Pure Food and Wine is a MUST!!

Or try a recipe on your own. When Kris was recently at my house, I had made 2 dishes for her, a raw lasagna and a raw pasta with a creamy truffle sauce. I think she was pretty happy with her meal, and it was so easy to make! Be adventurous, you might surprise yourself.

Hugs,
b

Re: CSA farm fun = veggies on the cheap

bav — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:50:18 -0000

I just love supporting the local farms in my community - I live in the midst of a few of them. Some of the farmstands still just have a metal box for you to put in your money and make your own change - can you believe places like that still exist?? It just makes me smile so.

And this is a great way to jump start your transition to eating Crazy Sexy. Remember, all you newbies, it is a transition - not an overnight radically change everything scenario. This is not a restrictive way of eating, it is learning/discovering more healthful ways to feed your body. Try one of those veggies from the farm you have never eaten. Start by adding - green juice, more veggies. This is about abundance - of choices, of minerals, enzymes, vitamins, etc. Be patient with yourselves, it is a steep learning curve! Ask questions, there is lots of guidance and support here for you.

big hugs,
b

Re: OMEGA!!!

bav — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:05:52 -0000

It was everything Kris said... and more!

Personally, I was so touched by the bravery of everyone there. Each woman was a teacher in her own right. I received many reminders of qualities I have in myself that I often overlook because of the negative loop running in my head.

Not any more!! Not after - yet again - releasing the yuck and replacing it with the fabulous. For me, this is an ongoing process.

I share all this because I want each woman who participated in the Camp to know that I got just as much, if not more, from them, as they hopefully did from me.

I will carry this experience and each woman's spirit with me for a long time to come.

Thank you all!!

Hugs,
b

Re: My 100th Post!

bav — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:05:35 -0000

Ummm, are you still pushing up/out crystal daisies too??

:)
hugs, b

Re: New life - Phase one

bav — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:15:22 -0000

Honey,

Feathering your nest is a purrfect response to your grief. I love the changes you've made in the house, the new meditation/yoga room looks fabulous!! So much different than a couple of weeks ago. Tangible moving forward. I say that should be our first "to-do" when I get there next week - meditating and/or yoga together. Perhaps we can help each other release some of the emotional muck we are respectively carrying. Maybe we could even face Overlook together? Or at the very least I can break out some more freak medical stories for dinner conversation and make you laugh...

I love you oodles! Talk to you later tonight....
b

Re: Oprah

bav — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:51:56 -0000

on the one hand, I totally hear you, on the other, our time together at omega will so get us recentered - you know how we do when the three of us are together.....

hang in there, girl! i am sending you twinkles!!
hugs,
b

Re: Oprah

bav — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:49:44 -0000

Yes, Sherry, I am human!!! Thank goodness you have me down on level ground now right next to you, where I belong. :)

I was laying in bed all night, thinking, "now beth, let's keep this in perspective. it has been maybe 4 iced drinks over 3 weeks. they've all been organic. they've all been with nondairy milk -either nut or rice. they've all been sweetened with either stevia or agave."

Then I was like, "oh man, listen to me, i've got all my excuses lined up. I SOO am on a slippery slope here!" Plus, this iced caffeine drink is completely out of character for me. I was never a coffee drinker even before cancer.

Alas, I admit, over the last few weeks, I have been giving myself the "treat" of an iced beverage. As I said before, completely emotional consumption, mea culpa, mea culpa. The fact that I've known that all along has only made it worse in my mind.

I am glad to hear I am not the only one though - so thanks all for chiming in!!

Today, I am not going to focus on the fact that I've fallen off the CSL train. I am going to focus on climbing back on, "treating" myself with things that actually make me feel better and are good for me.

Yesterday, I made fresh tea with mint from the garden - delicious and way more refreshing. I made raw lasagna from the Pure Food and Wine cookbook- scrumptious. I've been doing my walks/hikes with the dogs, being more consistent with my yoga, and slowly getting back on the meditation schedule.

The cleanse will be spot on to kick my tush back into high gear.
I look forward to that "lightness of being" I normally feel when my system is zinging along on a raw food, alkaline high.

Big hugs,
b

Re: Oprah

bav — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:10:02 -0000

Thanks, Deb,

It's been a rough go for me lately, so my attention to self-care has lapsed a bit. Which of course brings out the internal judge and jury.
But I am getting back on track in multiple venues, so I plan on expunging all that negative yuck. Thank you for your support, it is greatly appreciated!

Hugs,
b

Re: Oprah

bav — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:29:25 -0000

My mother is letting everyone and anyone in the greater Portland area know you are going to be here this week - she is spreading tickets around, passing out web addresses, and emailing about the reair tomorrow on Oprah. She is sooo excited to meet you, girl.

I need the cleanse desperately!! As you know, I have not been my super strict self of late either - ay caramba!! So much going on, I have been overwhelmed in my own emotional muck.

Sherry - I discovered this local place that makes drinks with either hemp or rice milk, so I have been doing chai and the occassional coffee iced latte too!!! This is so super BAD for me because caffeine potentiates the symptoms of the cancer I have. I feel awful after I have caffeine, but lately I just can't seem to say "no." Let the self-flagellation begin. Emotional drinking for sure. I may need a 12 step program.... want to be my sponsor?? :)

Hugs to all,
b

Re: DEEPAK AND ME by Terri Cole

bav — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:01:42 -0000

Terri,

I am currently grieving much that is "dying" in my life, as I am making way for new creativity and work to enter. I have recently recommitted to my own daily meditative practice, as I have been feeling that disconnect in my days without it. Thank you for sharing this, you have reaffirmed what I need to do to take care of myself, my spirit.

I am here in Woodstock, this morning I hiked 2.5 miles up Overlook Mountain and meditated on a stone promonitory overlooking the mountains and Echo Lake. It was perfectly blissful. It felt like a return home, to that place I have been missing, craving.

I look forward to dishing more about this in person and perhaps rockin' some meditation together at Omega.

Big hugs. Miss the Trifecta! :)
b

Re: The Art of S L O W I N G D O W N!

bav — Mon, 26 May 2008 19:05:00 -0000

Spot on, Terri! Eckhart has me consciously working on my awareness, which is helping me to slowly break my feeling of being crushed by time - or lack thereof. I am also listening to some Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness cds, which just reinforce everything you speak of. Our society is so rushed, so focused on the clock, it really is about repatterning our thought.

Thank you for putting it out there, sharing your success, nudging us all to keep our focus on NOW, where life is actually happening.

Big hugs, big love, my friend!
b

Re: Taking Fun Seriously

bav — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:53:17 -0000

What fun, Laura!! And don't worry about the 2...um 3 drinks - everyone once in awhile is a big difference than weekly.

And next time in the city, for a tasty sweet treat that is more up our alley, either go to Pure Food and Take Away and get some delish raw treats, or check out Babycakes - bakery, lower east side, sugar-free, vegan, gluten-free - cupcakes, cookies, muffins, scones, etc etc etc. :)

Hugs!
b

Re: Taking Fun Seriously

bav — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:17:15 -0000

It's funny, I have literally written on prescription pads for some of my patients, "Excercise daily for 30 minutes." or "Relax for 1 hour nightly prior to bed." And when given as a directive, they do it. When I had previously simply suggested it, it went ignored.

Yet, I myself am not always so good about not letting work carry my time away. Spring, a time of new beginnings, is definitely a good time to refresh my priority list. More consistent meditation, back on the yoga mat, no, I don't HAVE to work 14+ hour days 7 days a week. In fact, I can't. My body has been calling a time-out, rebelling with sickness that slows me down.

Not the kind of down time I want.

Great reminder Kris that our lifestyle is multi-dimensional and that we need to give each area a bit of time, space and nuturing.

Hugs,
b

Re: pH - “p” who?? by Crazy Sexy Beth MD

bav — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:59:26 -0000

Thanks, Girl. I'm all about "zen" everything these days....

Re: pH - “p” who?? by Crazy Sexy Beth MD

bav — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:16:58 -0000

Laura!!! :)

Girl, replace those nuts with raw veggie snacks and you will be good to go!!

Hugs,
b

Re: pH - “p” who?? by Crazy Sexy Beth MD

bav — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:13:20 -0000

Oh boy, sister, that is not a black or white question. Let's start with what we know for sure.

You are absolutely correct, your body is super acidic right now from treatment. Taste buds, digestion, liver function - it's all off.

But what can we do about it? This is my opinion, I think supporting your body, through the best nutritional choices you can make during this period, is critical. Listen to your body. It it is craving juice, honor that, drink juice.

My taste and smell were acutely sensitive during chemo. I had a metallic taste in my mouth from chemo for awhile. For me, it didn't affect my affinity for foods either positively or negatively after chemo. So I don't think we should worry about what may or may not happen in the future. We will deal with that when the time comes.

Right here, right now, give your body what it is asking for.
Colonics and liver detox don't necessarily have to wait until after treatment. But they will definitely be at the top of the to-do list then for sure. Begin tomorrow, start every morning with warm water and lemon - nice gentle liver detoxifier.

As far as time-frame for clean up... that depends. It will vary from person to person depending on how often they got chemo, for how long, at what dose, etc. Factor in what your diet has been like during that period, and time to recovery gets murkier. Have you kept your body moving during chemo? Have you avoided meat and dairy? etc. etc. This will all impact recovery time.

I think the more important thing to focus on is not how long, but what can I do today? The more nutritional support you give your body in the way of lovely oxygen and enzymes, in my opinion, the easier it will be for your body to recover. And when you are done treatment, it may not be such a toxic detox if you have included components of the lifestyle as much as possible along the way.

If your white counts are low, just make sure you buy as much organic produce as you can, and wash thoroughly with food-grade hydrogen peroxide.

I would recommend dry brushing daily!! Get those toxins off of there!

Do what you can. Baby steps. Your body is working on overload right now, so let's not add stress to the mix, ok?? :)

Big hugs,
b

Re: pH - “p” who?? by Crazy Sexy Beth MD

bav — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:22:44 -0000

I am a visual girl myself, so glad that helped you. I could feel your "stress" about this in your words. Stress will make you acidic, woman, so please, be gentler, kinder with yourself. It sounds to me like you are doing beautifully - truly! Breathe! Keep it simple, this is not about driving yourself crazy, it is about finding a flow that works for you. Maybe just add a nice green juice in the evening. If you do fresh wheatgrass, try an evening shot. Or a nice fresh cucumber juice - super alkalizing and hydrating.

Step back and give yourself credit for all the fabulous choices you are making, Sherry. It is a work in progress for ALL of us, myself included. Think of how far you have come.

Also, at night, your body is "catching up" on a lot of cleaning up, clearing out from the day, which will make you slightly more acidic upon waking. I know I tend to be slightly more acidic in the morning too because some of my medications are taken at night.

I don't stress about it, I just take the steps to help my body move back towards the alkaline side. I start every morning with warm water and lemon, which besides being alkalinizing, it is also a great liver detoxifier, and gets the pooper moving. Then, a nice big fresh green juice. I know that gets my pH right where it needs to be.

There are going to be fluctuations in your pH, accept that, don't become a slave to the pH strip. Just focus on the positive steps you know help keep that scale tipped towards 7.365.

You are doing great, Sherry! Your commitment to your health is obvious, and that is what this is all about!

Hugs,
b

Re: pH - “p” who?? by Crazy Sexy Beth MD

bav — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:38:01 -0000

Sherry,

First, picture your plate, over 3/4 of it, or 80% of it should be raw vegetables. That thin slice left is where you put your quinoa, sobe, kamut or whatever. The best way to keep yourself alkaline most of the time is to eat in this proportion. If you do this, it should keep you from see-sawing too much.

As for grains and legumes, this will be in order from most alkaline to most acidic: soy nuts (soaked soybeans then air dried, NOT roasted or heated), white navy beans, fresh soybeans, lima beans, lentils... now very very slightly acidic, spelt, millet, buckwheat groats. (soba noodles are buckwheat)

Seeds: from alkaline to acidic: caraway, fennel, cumin, sesame... to the acidic side... flax, sunflower, pumpkin.

Now, let's put this in context again... if 80% of your plate is the raw veggies, fill that 20% slice with your quinoa, soba noodles, spelt, millet, it will more than compensate for the slight acidity of these foods.

Nuts should be eaten in moderation anyways b/c of the acidity we talked about above. But aside from acidity, nuts have lots of fat, the good kind of fat, but nonetheless, fat. So if you are trying to watch your weight, these should be used even more sparingly.

You didn't mention green juice. That is gonna give you a huge alkaline boost, even moreso than lemon water.

From the list of foods you mentioned, it sounds like you are eating high-quality foods. This is about proportions, not cutting everything out completely.

Does that help??

Re: pH - “p” who?? by Crazy Sexy Beth MD

bav — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:38:13 -0000

Kris must have posted when I was typing, cuz I saw her response when I posted mine... too funny!

Re: pH - “p” who?? by Crazy Sexy Beth MD

bav — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:32:13 -0000

Thanks, everyone!! I really want to help everyone understand the concepts we talk so much about.

Wheatgrass - super alkalinizing, absolute fabulous source of cholorphyll. It contains every vitamin in the B complex family, it is chock full of minerals, it is very rich in vitamins E, K and C. It has one of the highest contents of pro-vitamin A (gets converted in body) of any food. And the kicker, it has a higher protein percentage than meat, eggs, dairy, fish or beans!! It is 25% protein. It also contains laetrile - which there has been much to-do about in the supplement world for its anticancer properties. That I am not convinced on (it can also be found in peach pits) but I can tell you it does have antifungal and antimycotic properties.

To answer your question about wheatgrass powder, Debbie, I am a strong believer in getting things fresh. For me, it is the same principle as the juice - anything that has been heated, dried, processed into something other than the way it came out of the earth, well, it has been altered, it is no longer living. And it is the oxygen-rich, living, active chlorophyll and enzymes that have the benefits. When on the road travelling, I think powders can help keep you green in a pinch, although I would first look for a local juice bar. Fresh always comes first, in my opinion. When at home, I recommend everyone use fresh.

Corinne - nuts - they vary in acidity. The most alkaline are almonds. The slightly more acidic nuts, from least acidic to most, are brazil nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and then walnuts. However, the level of acidity in nuts is much less than meat, dairy, wheat, even brown rice. Most of us don't eat many at a time because they are so filling - ie full of fat, so think you should be ok, just don't go overboard. (Now keep in mind, I am talking about RAW nuts, the only nuts I would suggest eating. If you can soak them, then dehydrate them, you are a superstar. Roasted nuts are rancid - stay away.)

Hope that helps!
Hugs,
b

Re: Marianne Monday

bav — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:51:44 -0000

It is so easy to get swept up in the pace, as we constantly talk about. I know I feel a difference on the days I don't start off by centering myself somehow. Because really, at the heart of it all, we can't "change our mind" until we can create the quiet in order to hear what our higher selves are guiding us to do.

You are SOOO right, quite a wobbly seat we will have if we don't ground it, ground it, ground it. Just like yoga, grouding the four corners of your feet so you can be steady and strong in your poses.

Big hugs, big love!
b

Re: Friend to animals, friend to me & our first CanSer chap - Dan Paul!

bav — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:12:09 -0000

WOW! Beautifully done, inspiring, motivating, the very best any of us could hope to communicate through the written word. While reading, it was palpable that you have taken that angst you felt post-treatment and have channelled it into this newfound passion for life - for all creatures. You brought tears to my eyes, Dan. I think so many of us after treatment have that, "now what?" struggle that can be difficult to navigate, because the journey does change you. My two dogs have been mainstays in my life. Their intelligence, sensitivity, compassion amazes me daily. I fail to understand how we, as a "civilized" society, do some of the things we do in the name of industry. Please keep us up to date on what is going on in your world, and how we, as a community, can effect change for the better.

Big hugs,
b

Re: Sugar…. not so sweet? Part 1

bav — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:17:45 -0000

Alas... say it isn't so.... but honey is actually one of the sugars that is "harmful." It has the highest caloric content of all sugars. Because of the way most honey is manufactured, much of it is laden with pesticides. Even most "raw" honey on the market has been heated by manufacturers to make it look prettier so people will buy it. If your honey is a liquid, it ain't raw. If you are going to consume honey, it should be RARELY, it should be raw and unheated - which means in the jar it should be a solid, not liquid. I love honey, so this was a hard one for me to say goodbye to... until I found raw agave. Honey is not much better than white sugar. Ouch!

:( Sorry, Deb, wish it weren't so....