Sister Time

Marsha and I had an amazing vacation in Cozumel, Mexico this last October. We sailed over six hundred miles from Bayport, Texas on the fabulous cruise ship, Ecstasy, to the island of Cozumel. The sister time together gave us a five day vacation (first ever) and an opportunity to explore the island of Cozumel. The first day on the ship we pampered ourselves with a visit to the Time to Spa on board. We were given a luscious lime and ginger salt exfoliation body scrub. A ninety minute full body message removed all the stress and cares from our over worked bodies and minds. Aaahhh!

On Saturday morning we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico with perfect blue skies and lots of warm sunshine. Marsha and I put on our swimsuits and loaded our back packs with Marsha bars, flaxseed crackers and bananas. We took a forty minute bicycle ride to the beautiful beachfront of Uvas Beach. The afternoon was spent snorkeling and swaying from hammocks between coconut trees while stuffing our faces with fresh grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple, and watermelon. Later in the evening we strolled through the marketplace filled with various gift shops made of grass covered roofs.

We had excellent food choices on the cruise ship. We stayed %100 raw foodies the whole trip. Marsha brought her bullet blender and she made yummy raw cacao smoothies every morning in our cabin. She is the traveling raw food queen! The salad bar was open the majority of time so we could always grab bananas and lots of fruit to snack on when the urge hit. Dinner was served at 8:15pm with an elegant flair. Our waiter, Dennis, was from Croatia and he dazzled us with his bedside manner as he catered to our every need. Our maitor d, Eva, was from Croatia also and she was fascinated by our raw food lifestyle. Special attention was given to us as Eva told the chefs to prepare our food raw. They made us banana ice cream and made enough to serve our whole table of guests plus the chefs and wait staff! Everyone went bananas and could not believe it was so good and guilt free!

This was a much needed vacation for me after spending the year in mourning and grief of my precious Jimmy, who is now with Jesus. I want to personally thank Garry Bayer for all his generosity and special gifts he bestowed upon us to make this the best vacation ever for Marsha and myself.

Rest and relaxation are equally important to a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to take time on purpose to enjoy life with those you love because we only get one ride on this planet. A healthy lifestyle comes with choosing life and all the good things God has proved for us. I simply stand amazed as I look at all He has created for me to be strong and healthy. May His peace and knowledge guide you on the pathway to ultimate health.

Thinking green,
Mitzi

Thinking Green

I love the color green. Green comes in numerous shades and I find the color to be refreshing and tranquil. As I look at nature, I am amazed at how much green God used to paint His creation. Next time you take a walk outside in nature, take just a moment and look at how much green you can see. It is everywhere.

A few synonyms for green are emerald, sea green, seafoam, olive, olive drab, pea green, grass green, apple, mint, forest, lawn green, lime, spring green, leaf green, aquamarine, beryl, chartreuse, fir, kelly green, pine, moss, jade, sage, sap, and viridian.

Green symbolizes growth, freshness, fertility and harmony. There is sense of safety as I pass through a green traffic light. Hey, even as I look in the mirror my eyes are a beautiful green! I enjoy the soothing and cooling effects of green. It is the most restful color for our human eyes to behold.

Every morning I make a green drink for my breakfast. I cram bunches of green leafy vegetables with sweet and juicy fruits into my Vita-Mix..then give her a whirl. Whala! A beautiful luscious green smoothie for my sleepy eyes to behold. I pour my smoothie into a frosted glass from the freezer and slide in a drinking straw. As I sip the succulent elixer, a cooling sensation washes over my soul. In the next thirty minutes or less, my internal organs will be bathed in liquid sunshine that the plants took in during photosynthesis. A powerful antioxidant called chlorophyll will soon be racing through my bloodstream and empowering my immune system.

Now, I have fuel to run this incredible machine called the human body. No donuts and coffee to bog down this engine. I need live food for peak performance. I want the clean and lean effects of enzyme rich plant foods for my system.

Before you stop by the local coffee shop and grab a bagel to woof down on your way into work, take a moment to pause and think what you are putting into your body. Are you giving yourself what your body needs to make it through the day? Could it be you missing something in your diet and it is the reason you always feel sick and tired? Pause a moment and allow God's beautiful creation to bring solace and truth into your life. Green means life. I choose life.

Have a healthy green day!
Mitzi

60 Pounds Later

Pictures always tell a story and this one is a trifle bit shocking. Yes, it's really me before the 60 pounds went south. When I look at this picture, it is hard to believe I was so overweight. I think one of the hardest things to do is to take an honest look at ourselves.

Yes, I knew my clothes didn't fit just right. I never had enough energy to exercise but I didn't realize at the time I needed to make some serious decisions. I was struggling with chronic fatigue and every year an upper respiratory infection would take hold of me for weeks. I must admit, I was very ashamed of the way I looked. The reality was I didn't feel like myself anymore. Depression and hopelessness were the only friends I had and as desperate as I was for them to leave they continued to hang around.

My family has always supported me but no one was brave enough to tell me the hard core truth. Mom, you need to loose weight! I'm sure they didn't want to hurt my feelings but I really needed someone to take my hand and guide me. Trapped inside of me, was a beautiful princess warrior, waiting for her prince to come riding in and provide a way of escape.

I was exhausted from all the diet books on the market and I was not going to experiment anymore. One day a dear friend gave me a book to read about biblical nutrition and my journey began. After learning what the bible had to say about God's perspective on how to eat healthy, I made a choice to do it His way. My glorious Prince had finally arrived! He had always been with me but was patiently waiting on me to lean on Him and stop striving in my own strength. The Standard American Diet had been my way for many years and now it was time for me to enter the pathway of freedom.

In Deuteronomy 30:19, God's Word says, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.."

He even tells us the right answer to pick. Life! I stand humble before The Lord today and I am reminded I can do all things through Him Who strenghtens me. Maybe you are struggling today with health issues. I encourage you to humble yourself before The Lord and ask Him to direct you to your pathway of healing. He will help you because He stands forever faithful.

Have a healthy green day!
Mitzi

The Raw Adventure

I finally gave in and spent the outrageous price for this gorgeous looking tropical fruit. I was hesitate because I knew I would be sending my taste buds on a new adventure. After all just the name dragon fruit does not sound too appealing. It could be a ancient fruit that furious, fire spitting dragons grazed upon in mythology times. Perhaps the fruit grew in The Garden of Eden? I like my second idea better.

According to an Asian legend the fruit was produce by a fire breathing dragon. When the dragon was in battle it would breath fire out of it's mouth and the last thing to come out was the fruit. After the dragon was killed the Asian warriors would collect the fruit and present it to the Emperor as a treasure of their victory.

I placed the $6.00 piece of fruit on the cutting board and gave it a good slice down the middle. The flesh was white with little black seeds that look like poppy seeds. The taste is very similar to kiwi but with a gentle sweetness and not as tart. The seeds have a fun, crunchy feel in your mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed it and even shared the other half with my daughter Sarah, who loved it. She wants me to buy another one.

The exploration of trying new raw foods is a great adventure we can all enjoyed if we allow our natural instincts to take over. The bogged-down thinking of the mind that has been fed the standard american diet keeps the body in prison. We are not free to explore the beautiful food God has created for us to eat. We think we have to cook everything and so in turn all the enzymes and nutrients are destroyed leaving us with dead food and eventually a dead body. I challenge you all to think raw! Go on an outrageous taste bud adventure with me and let's explore unknown territory to a far away island giving our bodies the best food God has to offer. My next adventure is a durian! Until next time think green and eat raw!


The Healthy Green Chef
Mitzi