A Heart Matter

This last year of 2008 has been the hardest year of my entire life. After my husband's sudden death, in November of 2007, I was face to face with many uncertainties and a boat load of fears. I loved my role as wife and mother because I believe this is one of the highest callings of a woman. My identity had been wrapped up in raising my five children and being his wife of thirty-eight years. His death left me feeling like a baby bird toppled from the nest by a torrent wind. I didn't know who I was apart from my husband. My role as a stay at home mom was changed in the blink of an eye. The monumental task of being the bread winner overwhelmed me day and night. What was I going to do with myself after all of these years?

God's unconditional love for me and the raw food life style have been two major pillars during this time of grief. There have been days when I felt like I did not have strength to carry on and God's strength held me together. The pain of grief was so intense I felt as though I couldn't draw another breath. God has been my breath. I know I would not have made it through this tough time spiritually or physically. Love, time and God's beautiful foods have been my friends daily.

My passion for life has brought me to share with others the raw food lifestyle. I believe I am called to help as many people who have ears to hear this message of healing and hope. My own life is a work in progress of how God can use His children no matter what the storms of life bring our way. My life is not over. I am awakening into a new life, just like the butterfly, who emerges from the secure cocoon. Freedom calls me to mount up with wings like eagles. I will run and not be weary. I will walk this earth and not be afraid.

The Healthy Green Chef

A Horse Tale

Today began by taking a morning walk in the vegetable garden with my son Jeremy. The crisp fresh air energized our lungs as we put one foot in front of the other, being careful not to step on the rows and rows of leafy greens. My son was in awe of the dark green cabbage unfolding it's perfect head. I think it was the first time he saw cabbage growing in a garden. It was so picture perfect we had to pause a moment and take in the garden magazine quality.

.As I glanced around the garden I noticed three horses grazing in the field. A barbed-wire fence separated the field from the garden. A quick click from my mouth and the horses came trotting over to the fence. The white horse came first, then the brown and the gray followed behind. As I approached the fence, the white horse fixed his eyes upon me and lifted his head over the top of the fence. I spoke soft and loving words to him as I stroked his forehead admiring his beauty. He gave a gentle snort and turned his head for me to stroke his neck. I imagined myself mounting him bareback and riding off into the wind. A few more gentle pats and I turned my attention back to exploring the garden. I looked back over my shoulder and noticed he was walking up and down the fence with my every turn. It was obvious to me he wanted more of my company. I knew not to encourage him too much because he might find a way into the garden and have an awesome raw food breakfast.

Jeremy and I returned home with bunches of fresh leafy greens for our green drinks. After enjoying our green drinks my thoughts returned to the garden. I realized Mister White horse was not afraid of me because he could tell by his sense of smell I was not a meat eater and I would do him no harm. Living the raw food lifestyle makes our bodies clean on the inside and beautiful on the outside. If you are contemplating making a change in your diet, I encourage you to explore living and raw foods. It will be the best choice you have ever made for a healthier you.

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