Get Started / FAQ


Dreaming of a life with less pain, frustration, and ill health? How about considering that the fuel you put into your body actually affects the health of your vehicle. If you put gunk into your car it will not run. This is why you see so many people getting slammed with disease these days. Solution? Whole foods. An exciting wide variety of delicious healthy foods! WE EAT FOOD AND LOSE WEIGHT! Fresh organic produce has created a new vitality in my life by allowing my sick body to reverse disease, and lose 76 pounds! Are you also tired of counting calories, fat grams, carbs, protein, or weighing food? We don't, we eat. There is no joining of clubs, no investment in any company's weight loss products, or pre-packaged 'diet processed foods.' You don't even have to join a gym to get visible results. I do realize exercise is important, although to be honest I did not use any regular vigorous exercise routine to lose my pounds. I lost weight by changing food quality and eating. Your FOOD choices in life are powerful. So imagine how awesome you would be if you do both healthy eating, and moderate exercise! We do not follow any diet, this is a lifestyle of health, that includes body, mind, and Spirit. 

Want to get to your happy healthy place? Let's ease you into it, and get you on the road to feeling your best! Yes, it will take a bit of time to transition from the old ways of eating processed foods. Although be assured that you can easily acquire this intelligent, healthy, playful approach to food within a few months. Dead fake foods can kill you, cause disease, and make you gain weight. Live food will give you a vibrant life and help reverse most of what ails you! Do you really believe corporations know better than you? Eating a rainbow of nutrient dense organic whole foods will bring so much goodness and happiness into your being that you will want to continue to change your ways. All you need is the personal decision that you love your self enough to commit to the lifestyle change of eating fresh organic veggies as the majority of your diet. You don't have to give up all processed foods at once. So relax... there is no pressure, and no judgement here at The Queen's Table. Eating healthy is fun, and you will thrive! Wellness will rock your world! You can create what you visualize. Start nurturing yourself today, and step into the new you! Be the best version of you that you can be... so you can do everything you want to do in life. We are here to live. We are not interested in existing to take a bunch of expensive pills and still feel bad. Let's change that paradigm.

On this page we review the keys to getting off of processed foods. In addition we go over the ever popular 'Frequently Asked Questions' that I get challenged with, concerning these essential food changes. Included lower down the page is bonus material in the form of informative related videos, and articles. The Queen's way is to transition your food choices over time with "good/better/best," and not require perfection. This is so you have time to assimilate the new knowledge. Then you can make embracing these crucial habits part of your daily lifestyle. I send you a big heartfelt hug as you start on your greatest foodie journey!



  • Eat mostly plants
  • Eat mostly organic.
  • Eat mostly uncooked whole food vegetables.
  • Drink green juice and green smoothies.
  • When you cook dark leafy greens and vegetables use steam or water saute. Make lots of homemade soups and stews. Do not eat burnt or barbecue foods.
  • Break the habit of purchasing toxic processed foods and fast foods.
  • Avoid common table salt, sugar, chemical sweeteners, trans fat, white flour, soda, diet soda, energy drinks, sugared drinks, MSG, factory dairy, and factory meat.
  • Educate yourself about the food you eat.
  • Get a doctor that understands the power of nutrient dense foods.
  • Love yourself enough to change. 



1. View a few food & health documentaries on my inspiration page. Start with the movies 'Fat Sick and Nearly Dead!' and 'Food Inc.' Read Dr.Joel Fuhrman's book,"Eat to Live." Once you learn the truth you will not go back to your old ways! Knowledge works! Please use my 'substitution' and 'avoid' page tabs above for tips that will help you succeed in finding delicious replacements for your current foods moving you through Good/Better/Best choices. 

2. Find fresh local organic produce. Research your area for food stores, and Farmers Markets which sell fresh organic whole foods. Join an organic CSA, or grow your own organic food. 

 3. Starting slowly is okay. Replace a few items in your refrigerator and pantry each week. This gives you time to learn about that produce or food. Delete one or more of your old processed food choices a week. If you can do more, great! Transition yourself through 'Good/Better/Best' as you improve your food choice options, eventually eliminating the most toxic.

4. Get a quality juicer and blender, (money issues - try a ninja bullet), so you can easily make green smoothies, and green vegetable juice a regular part of your daily routine.

5. Eat mostly fresh simple whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Eat many of those veggies uncooked as in salads, smoothies, and juices. Eat your other veggies steamed, in a water saute, or in home made soups.

6. Buy organic and Non-GMO items, when you do purchase processed food items.

7. If you eat meats such as beef, chicken, or pork, be sure they are organic grass fed pasture raised animals. Eat no more than 6 oz. a week. Regard meat as a condiment. If you have a cancer diagnosis it is recommended you do not ingest any meat or dairy foods. There are many plantbased meat products now, that were not around when I started. Regard them as a treat and only eat on occasion and when you are transitioning. Many are loaded with sodium and oils. Never eat 'Impossible' brand products. If you eat fish only ingest wild caught salmon that are not contaminated by mercury, or radiation, pollution, and micro plastics from the Ocean. Remember bottom feeders like crabs etc. are there to clean up the trash of the ocean. You don't want to be eating trash. Dairy products should be organic to avoid hormones, pesticides, antibiotics, and GMO's. Best not to ingest any dairy really. With so many plantbased milks, cheese, yogurt and eggs there is no need to harm yourself.

 8. Read labels, all of them, even organic. Lookout for sugars, fake sweeteners, GMO ingredients, chemicals, MSG, fat, sugar, common table salt, and words that are unfamiliar. The word "natural" means nothing. Ignore the ridiculous claims of multi-national corporate products posing as healthy alternatives. 

 9. Continue to educate yourself about the value of nutritional food on your health and longevity by reading books, and online articles. I have lists of websites here. Begin removing toxic personal care items and cleaning products from your home, and replacing them with products approved by the EWG.

10. Reduce conventional wheat products and use organic whole grains. Try going gluten-free and GMO-free for a few weeks to see how good your intestines work. Add some fermented foods to your lifestyle. Purchase a good pro-biotic and prebiotic. (You can start out with 'Pearls' brand probiotic if you are on a budget. I like Garden of Life Womens 50 Billion and California Gold Nutrition Lacto Bif 30 probiotics. Plus Andrew Lessmans (HSN) Digest Assure prebiotic. I get mine at the iherb website.) Adding a teaspoon of organic psyllium seed in tall glass of water with dinner keeps everything moving along nicely. Your gut is the key to your immunity and overall healing. Keep it running well. 

 11. Get a basic metabolic blood test panel done by your doctor to discover if your body requires any extra vitamins or supplements. Have your 25 OH Vitamin D levels, your thyroid, blood sugar, and any issues specific to you checked.

12. Research restaurants in your area for those who may be organic, use sustainably grown local produce, or are farm to table friendly. Avoid restaurant chains and fast food.

 13. Enjoy your food adventure! Find delicious new recipes to try! Experiment! Follow some food and health blogs! Share your results and ideas with friends and family.

14. Give yourself time to change, if you have a bad day, just come back to good food again. It is a process, not a race. You will transition, and improve, if you eat nutrient dense foods.

15. Stand up for your health, and the wellness of your family against the multi-national food corporation lies. Support change in labeling and farming practices. Support your local organic farmers. Grow your own organic food. Be the change you want to see.

16. Enjoy your new vitality! Pay it forward! Be a great example of good health!

On this FAQ page I would like to address concerns which I repeatedly hear even though the fantastic changes I have made to my health are obvious. People wonder, question, or assume, the very same things about my food and wellness choices. Perhaps you do too.

 I understand the misconceptions about organic whole live foods vs. processed supermarket foods as those from my generation were all trained to be 'consumers from birth." Hopefully we will help alleviate any anxiety about this positive change in food lifestyle. 'The Queen's Table' blog is about transitioning, not someone's idea of perfection. We are here to help you get on the road to health with education and yummy inspiration! No judgement. I hope you will consider doing what actually works instead of the sick sad chemical and pharmaceutical ways of the industrial age. Real food does not come from a shrink wrapped box with a list of unknown ingredients. This delicious way of eating is a celebration of food that enlivens your senses and gives energy to your life! This is not an extreme crazy lifestyle, this is simple clean eating the old fashioned way. Take your eating and health to even the next level! Learn the power of food! Change your life!

Eating organic whole foods and green juicing can work magic on anyone! The body uses its ability to heal when it does not have to constantly fight the incoming modern toxins. Most likely you will feel lighter after meals, improve your immunity to colds and flu, regain "regularity," heal faster, improve the overall condition of your body, have more energy, and have more clarity in thought. Check with your doctor as you improve since you may probably drop medications. Each person comes with their own genetic weakness that can be affected and improved by nutrient dense food choices. Then there is that bonus weight thing. After you start getting healthy... you start losing unwanted weight. Modern diseases like cancer, coronary heart disease, strokes, and diabetes can be traced to the advent of processed foods. Detoxing the body from these contaminated industrial food products and ridding the body of constant inflammation, naturally improves all of our body systems. Do you want to feel better?

 Click on the FAQ'S listed below to be taken to that question. (If you are viewing on a mobile phone device you will have to scroll down as the links may not work.)

EXTRA'S




I hear this so much! The very idea of changing food patterns has been totally dismissed...end of story. "I don't want to think about this now. I would have to give up 'blank,' and I just cannot do that, so I will not even consider this at all." 

 This may be a form of unconscious resistance, and not facing present or future personal health issues. Certainly an easy excuse to continue doing whatever the "television" told generations to do and buy. Maybe it's a knee jerk reaction that such ideas are impossible. When did eating real food become the scary thing? Dead processed foods filled with chemicals, toxins, pesticides, fat, sugar, salt, antibiotics, GMO's, MSG, hormones, wax, and less than 10% of the original nutrition is better? Now you know that statement makes no sense at all. I think mostly it's about convenience over wellness, and propaganda over truth. The inspirational Dr. Gabriel Cousins states so wisely,"It's about loving yourself enough to change, and get healthy" 

'The Queen's Table blog' is about transition, not abstention. This is a gradual process where learning the truth about 'what you eat' is nearly as important as what you do eat. Not even trying... is sad. It does not serve anyone to give up on their wellness before giving it a shot. You just need a willingness to change, and you might be amazed at what you can accomplish! I am not even saying that you must work out 20 hours at the gym! I am just suggesting that when you buy food, which you will do anyway, make new choices. We are about Good/Better/Best. Gradual improvements can be achieved by replacements, substitutions, and avoidance over time. Rethink food as fun! 

Perhaps if some people had a buddy to share the experience, it would not seem so intimidating. Some of us can do it alone, and others need to ask for help. That is okay. If you are on your own, I hope this blog can be your buddy in creating more wellness in your life. Ultimately I have learned that you cannot make anyone do anything, or sell them on something they do not want to hear about. They have to "wanna" as I say, or be ready to meet their teacher. Here on this blog I try to meet people where they are, and help them when they ask for it...no judgement. Different people have their own approaches to reach their personal goals. We can get the conversation started, and help each other on the journey to wellness. We did not do this overnight, we gave ourselves the gift of time to learn to make better choices and thrive. I highly recommend that we be gentle on ourselves, while also making a commitment of doing the very best we can each day. Your positive results are going to keep you on the path, as they did me. I feel we are so much more than wanting only the "quick and easy food like stuff" in a package paradigm, that the multi-national food corporations paint us as being. This is one area of our life WE do have the power to change.

Two short posts on learning and changing your unconscious mindset:
It's All Good Food by Cloris Kylie Stock.
Success and Failure: Four styles of learning.
A Loving Guide To Going Vegan
"Have courage to follow your heart and intuition. Somehow they already know what you want to become" (S.Jobs) "Life awaits on the other side of Risk." (N.D. Walsh) 

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There are many more toxins, chemicals, pesticides, and GMO's used in processed foods, drinks, and conventional supermarket produce than you realize! They don't just spray one type of pesticide, think more like two dozen or more per fruit or vegetable. Fifty four on apples. Seriously, does anyone really think ingesting these poisons, whether in fresh produce, in packaged processed foods, or from restaurants, over four times a day will help our bodies? Studies have shown that there are still pesticide residues on fruit and vegetables after being power-washed, and that washing produce at home does very little to solve the problem. Fungicides permeate into the flesh of the produce. Even the farmers that grow conventional potatoes will not eat them. Think about that one, and all the conventional french fries you have eaten.

 Disease rates have skyrocketed in recent years. In addition these toxic chemicals only end up harming your brain, organs, and endocrine systems. Plus processed foods barely have 10% of their original nutrients, and are missing the live enzymes and thousands of phytochemicals found in live whole plants. Time to begin deleting these dead poisoned worthless fake foods from your life. Even if only bit by bit in the beginning. This will create the situation which allows your body begin to heal itself. We all need to eat foods that give us a more alkaline body. Processed foods, meat, and dairy, create acidic bodies which cause inflammation and disease. Get used to the idea that you have 'been trained' to eat "food-like-stuffs"....fake dead food... by an industrial system which advertised 'convenience' as being the most important aspect of your daily food intake. Is that really true? High quality organic "clean" whole food is the needed fuel for allowing our body to heal itself of massive amounts of inflammation, caused by years of toxic ingredients. When your body does not have to spend its days and nights fighting all the toxins coming in, then it can begin the process of doing what it knows to do, which is healing itself. You see this miracle when you get a cut, and your skin quickly begins to heal the wound.

 The corporate industrial model of food is to serve you huge portions of fat, sugar, salt, MSG, and chemical cocktails, for their profit, and all at your health's expense. What has your body got left to run on after eating no real nutrients? Not much. That is why you are always hungry and never satisfied! When you begin eating organic whole foods filled with the right amount of macro and micro nutrients, drinking green juices, and green smoothies, every day, your body will thank you by giving you energy, reversing unhealthy conditions, losing the unwanted weight, creating glowing skin, and allowing you to feel better.... just as nature intended. The industrial model wants you to believe eating fresh organic produce is just impossible. They promote the belief that the everyday person will not change their foods because it is not cheap, and convenient. They say it's just a romantic dream. I say, "Eat organic plants and live!" Also do you realize that many of the owners of the conventional big food giants do not eat their own brands processed foods? True, most of the wealthy ruling elites eat fresh organic foods, and many source their foods from their own private organic farms.

 We need to do this for ourselves and our loved ones! Scientific testing has proven that children's bodies cannot handle the volume of pesticides from non-organic produce. I suggest mom's who want to do what is best for their little ones visit the EWG for shopping tips. Personally I did this to get healthy, instead of suffer from the large number of ailments and diseases that I had been enduring. I mistakenly thought multiple diseases is just what happens when you get older. Wrong! Turns out much of what I medically endured was the result of the daily intake of the industrialized chemical-ized fake food stuffs within the (SAD) Standard American diet. Keeping my body fighting the toxins of modern food stuffs had kept my body from doing it's real work of keeping me healthy. It was all too much, and my body was shutting down. After years of going downhill, life changed for the better when we found the answer to my never ending medical problems in high quality clean whole organic foods.

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Processed food is fakery. Usually a combination of fat, sugar, and salt with barely 10% of any original nutritional value. Add chemical toxins, pesticides, waxes, gases, hormones, antibiotics, GMO's and fungicides to this contaminated unhealthy mix. Now eat that multiple times daily! We know that with the advent of industrialized food we have had an increased incidence of illness, disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. So what do you think? Does food make a difference in a body's health? I say,"Yes!" 

Your body is literally left starving for real foods full of the live enzymes, and the minerals it needs to function normally. By eating nutrient dense organic plants filled with macro and micro nutrients I improved nearly everything, and reversed many of the ailments my sick body suffered for years. Organic whole foods cured me of things many doctors could not even treat properly, let alone remove from my life. They overdosed me with pills for disease, and then tried to force depression medicine on me. I was told by doctors that I would never lose the eighty some pounds in weight gain caused by my non-existent metabolism from my under active thyroid. They told me I should just get used to being fat, and take my pills! My current photos have proved those ignorant doctors wrong! Weight loss for hypo-thyroid disease can be achieved! Diabetes was reversed, along with high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. I no longer take Metformin, or the two blood pressure meds all due to my organic whole food lifestyle. Update: In 2023 I am no longer on thyroid medication at all. 

 I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, so I cannot legally make claims of cures for you, but I can share my personal changes. A few years ago I began to suffer from a thyroid disease called Hashimotos hypothyroidism, very low vitamin D levels, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, extreme menopause, difficulty sleeping, IBS symptoms, restless leg syndrome, and odd prickly sparks throughout my body. Like dominoes, things started falling apart in me. Extreme fatigue, mind fog, and relentless obesity created a person who lived on a sofa, and could not walk across the room. I constantly fell asleep, my heart vibrated like an old lawn mower, blood pressure was high, and normal tasks left me red faced and out of breath. My husband helped me to walk down stairs, while my knees and ankles creaked. I barely had the ability to move myself down to each step. Overall I felt useless, and unable to cope with everyday tasks. I constantly said the word "thingie" since I could not remember words. For two years I spent every week going to doctors and getting lab tests. My body acted as if it was over ninety and totally worn out.

When it came down to it, I had to do something myself, because doctors were not doing much to help me. Most doctors are simply not trained in the effects of nutrition on the body. Doctors told me that I should accept a life in which my body was going downhill, and just take a bunch of pills for mild relief. I was sick of their useless pills! All they talk about is pills. We all know far too many people who are living their lives just like that! That was not going to be me any longer. I had enough! I knew I was more than this weight thing, and this endless piling on of sickness that was happening to me. Read my 'About' page to view the list of ailments I affected from changing to a plant strong life style.

Doctors misdiagnosed me and labs made mistakes, the medical system is a mind-field run by corporations and Big Pharma. So beware when you are pushed into things that do not feel right to you. Yes, we need doctors when we have accidents and emergencies, but everyday living should not be filled with pills. You are actually your own key to health! I recommend when you have medical problems to just ask, "What can I do myself that does not involve constant pharmaceuticals?" Getting off as many of those pills as possible was a personal goal for me. That is where the live food that I ate everyday in the form of green juices, salads, and green smoothies came into the picture. Seek out awesome medical practitioners who understand your thinking and support you in a whole life approach. Finding a great endocrinologist who understands nutrition was important for my thyroid and diabetic issues. Following the nutrition advice of Joel Fuhrman M.D. guides me in my choices to prevent any more cancer problems. Watching documentaries like 'Fat Sick and Nearly Dead,' showed me the power of live food to heal. Organic whole food did become my new medicine! The absolute bonus of getting healthy from eating organic plants is that losing weight is something that happens naturally as a by product. "You don't lose weight to get healthy... you get healthy to lose weight."  

 Each one of us has our own individual genetic weakness where the inflammation caused by modern processed foods settles, and wreaks havoc. Many of these poison pesticides, artificial sweeteners, and processed chemical toxins are endocrine disruptors. They are damaging to the brain as well. Overall, most medical issues will improve for people, and some ailments will completely go away when we remove all toxic products from our life. By removing these modern industrial toxins, along with MSG, fat, sugar, salt, GMO's, and the multitude of chemical additives of the modern nutrient deficient processed food products, the body then has the time to heal itself of the damaging inflammation. Detoxing is like getting out of your own way! Hippocrates had it right, "Let food be thy medicine." Organic whole live foods give the body the macro and micro nutrients, minerals, enzymes, and the recently discovered thousands of phytochemical nutrients that it needs to do it's healing job, without constantly fighting the daily toxic overload of conventional processed foods. Time to alkalize the body with plants, get well and increase your immunity! 

 Improved wellness will happen as long as you are committed to making lifelong changes to the way you think about and purchase food from this point forward. Eating clean organic whole foods, green juicing, and green smoothies, can only make things better for everyone's body, mind, and Spirit!

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The first thought everyone realy has is... "Isn't Organic soooo very expensive?" Everything these days is expensive. We have been trained to expect cheap food. Well, cheap is cheap. If you want cheap, then be ready to give up your good health. Our bodies actually have a threshold of when a lifetime of industrial food toxins begin to take their toll, and stuff starts going seriously wrong inside of us. Most people will start to feel the affects between 45-55 years of age. Personally, I say it's time to get past the multinational companies profit driven mind programming which promotes that we cannot afford to eat healthy, that their companies are all about the business of saving the world, and helping the poor. Yeah, and I've got some swamp land to sell you too. I would much rather pay an organic farmer directly than the lying snake oil salesmen of Big Ag and Big Pharma. Wellness is important for a dynamic life. Change and upgrade your food choices, and do it while you still have time. Choose "quality" first. Press the restart button and become healthier now, instead of assuming it cannot be done, because their propaganda machine says so. There are ways around the budget issue.

 This may cost more initially, to set up your pantry and kitchen, and your routine of shopping will change. But really? Who do you want to give your money to? The doctor? The hospital? Or to healthy food and a vibrant life you can enjoy? I am sure you know that one trip to the hospital could put you in financial ruin these days. Do not let the cost of buying organic keep you from buying healthy food. Medicines and Hospital bills will cost you far more than organic food! Invest in your future! Quality food is money spent wisely, and could be saving you thousands of future dollars! Pay now or pay later. People seem to have no problem spending large sums of money to join weight loss clubs, or on so called weight-loss products. They will pay dearly for exercise gyms to attempt to get healthy or lose weight, and forget about the power of quality food. Don't make the mistake of automatically saying no to organic real whole food, when that will be what actually works to get you healthy. YOU and your life are worth the few extra dollars.  

Perhaps if you re-think your daily expenses, you may have spending habits that can be dropped or reduced, in order to channel that money into something more productive... like your life. This is about priorities. Many people spend their extra money to eat at unhealthy restaurants every week, and they don't complain about that cost. Why be cheap at home? Even fast food restaurants can be costly. Think about it... salty fat globs with no nutrients, minerals, or enzymes, is actually money for nothing. Is the ability to purchase convenience food more important than feeling well? Paying for the convenience food packaging that you get from super markets is actually even more extravagant, especially when you consider that your paying for wrapping a small amount of dead processed food in a box, can, or bag. Read my answer to the next FAQ question to learn how purchasing organic can be done within reason. How about we learn to cook again, and enjoy the flavor of actual real food, that produces leftovers for the next day!

 The reason organic foods are forced to be expensive can be found in many food documentaries. It comes down to the fact that 'Big Ag' is subsidized to grow corn for animal feed, corn syrup, and fuel. Major Ag players are on corporate welfare, and isn't it ironic that they are the ones saying organic is too expensive for you to do. It's the small organic farmer who has to pay the real cost for all their expenses. Unfair yet true. Let's do our part to support those organic farmers who are doing good for our health and the environment! 

 Be aware that there are corporate fake out brands in the organic world too. For example major soda makers sell water and juices under other brand names that sound all natural or full of vitamins. They are not. These fake brands do not support truth in labeling laws for these kind of reasons. Familiarize yourself with those major organic or natural brands who did not support Prop 37, and do not purchase products from any of them. We may need some organic processed foods in our food cart each week, but we should not support those monopolies with a sick fake-out business model.

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If you are lucky enough to have a few health-conscious markets in your area you can compare prices. It has been found that some health and natural food chains organic produce and products cost nearly the same as conventional versions. If you buy organic at a conventional store then you will pay much more. So try to locate a natural food market near you if possible. There are a few regular conventional produce items which you can buy, wash, and then peel off the pesticide laden skins instead of buying the organic version to save money. See the EWG good and bad produce lists here. You can save money on beans by purchasing the dried variety (instead of pre-packaged canned), and then soaking them overnight before using. Natural food stores usually have great 'bulk bins' sections so you can get discounted purchasing power on your nuts, seeds, beans, and grain purchases. Create your own trail mix or granola to place in single serving bags for snacks. Make sure the items are fresh, and hopefully organic. Don't forget to read the labels on the bulk bins too! If you are a baker you do not need to buy every gluten free flour and grain variety on the market. Buy only what you would use in the next couple of months, and keep the flours in the freezer, so they last longer. I rarely bake any food, and have come to not even need the flours any longer.

 Cook simple easy one pan meals that start with a grain like quinoa, add some greens, onions, beans, and a light sauce. Make a big homemade soup or stew that lasts for days served with a side salad. If you have a powerful blender you can make your own almond or hemp milk, and almond or nut butters. Big savings from the store versions. Some people do well with weekly menu planning, so they do not over buy when at the store. I often stretch my weekly food purchase out to two weeks when we have no time to shop by keeping many basics I bought on sale in our pantry. So stock up when items go on sale! Buy seasonal vegetables and fruits in bulk, then freeze them for use later in the year. Freeze or can the extras from the garden. Make ice cream from frozen over ripe bananas: just peel, slice, and place in freezer container. Plan your meals around a seasonal ingredient, or what is on sale. Cooking whole vegetables from scratch, steamed, or in a water saute, is much cheaper and healthier than purchasing packaged versions. You can also buy your equipment for blending and juicing "used" from yard sales, Ebay, and Craigslist to save money. Keep your eye out for special sales and promotions from the makers too. Store your produce in Debbie Meyers Green Bags so your dark leafy greens stay fresh longer in the refrigerator. Find the plantbased or vegan YouTube creators, and get new recipe ideas.

You could go in with a friend or relative to buy a share in a CSA to enjoy the fresh organic bounty together. You could share pot luck organic meals as well. You can go to farmers markets before closing time for discounts, so the farmer does not have to cart the produce home. If you live in the city you may be able to join a community garden, or grow food in containers. You can grow your own veggies and herbs from organic and heirloom seeds at home (see my Grow Food page above). You can share a garden with another family. At the very least you can grow a few pots of your favorite herbs. Growing your own food is the best way to control the quality of your food! You can sprout seeds at home during any season.

 Perhaps you can find a few things in your life that you could begin to cut back on to save money and put towards your new grocery bill. Stop eating at restaurants that serve processed foods. For some people this may be $100 - $200.00 dollars a month. Imagine all the organic fresh fruits and veggies you could buy with that extra money! Instead of eating out during lunch breaks at work, pack your own healthier lunch from home, and utilize your leftovers. Reduce or eliminate those fancy sugar laden overpriced coffees. Eat less meat and dairy products, and use the savings to purchase healthier versions of those food items. Cut back on that expensive meat, and realize that beans are so much cheaper ($3.00 - $8.00 per pound vs. $1.00 a pound). Remember there will be many expensive processed foods you will not be consuming now, as you switch to more produce, that alone will save you money. Ladies you won't need to purchase high priced cosmetics for making your skin look better, since by eating an abundance of plants you will glow naturally from the inside out. A big bonus from eating a plant powered diet will be that you go to the doctor less in the future, so goodbye constant high medical bills!

When cutting back on animal products, or just trying out organic processed foods, be careful not to over-use plant based meat products. Also remember soy products must be organic. TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) is another name for soy which is usually a GMO crop. TVP also contains MSG. It's certainly okay to eat soy just be sure it is organic and GMO free. Tofu and Tempe are wonderful and much better than TVP. 

 The EWG has a great food list guide for buying nutritious food on a tight budget here. You will learn which foods must be organic and what you can buy conventional. Compare prices online for some organic processed foods. Search for organic coupons. Here are a few other websites that have coupons or online sales that you may find helpful. Mambo Sprouts, Organic Deals, Eco Bonus, Money Saving Mom, Whole Foods Market Coupons. Remember if you find an organic brand or product you enjoy be sure to look that company up online to see if they have any available coupons. Not all organic versions of food will cost more, many are the same price as conventional foods. The propaganda used to keep you sick, wants you to believe it is far too expensive to consider going organic for most of your food. You are worth being well!

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Find the whole foods stores, health foods stores, CSA's, and farmers markets in your area by doing internet research. The Eat Well Guide can be helpful in finding the local resources for real food. You may have local farms that sell direct to the public called CSA's! Check out the website 'Local Harvest' to find their locations. Create a list of the stores and farmers market locations, and give yourself enough time when visiting the stores to learn what they offer. Buy from the organic area or aisles, and read the labels of everything, even the items that say they are organic or natural. Use my free shopping list to help you while in the food market (It's located under the Shopping List tab above). Within a few months you will have learned the aisles of the new stores, and you will be a pro at purchasing organic foods! If you can grow your own you can have complete control of your food!

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Many people join local CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) to get their vegetables directly from a farmer. With a local CSA you pre-pay a farmer a fee before the growing season, to get weekly boxes of farm fresh veggies, dairy products, or meats. The CSA we chose runs 26 weeks and is certified organic. The first year we went in with my daughter's family which cut the cost in half to ten dollars a week for our veggie share. Doing the CSA ourselves it costs about twenty dollars a week. You can Google for the information about where they are in your area, or go to the helpful websites Local Harvest and Eat Wild. Be sure to check for listings of your local farmers markets too. You want your produce to come from nearby to where you live. Most industrial food products travel 1500 miles to get to your local store. That is very weird when you live in the country, or the city! Buy and eat local...be a locavore and support small business! Local equals fresh food with more live nutrients! Make sure the farm you choose is organic and follows sustainable practices. Pesticides, fungicides, antibiotics, and hormones are the same toxins, even if they are in 'local' produce, meat, or dairy. Post about CSA here.

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It takes time to change old habits and ingrained patterns. It also may take some time to detox from years of corporate food propaganda. This food transition should be done gradually and thoughtfully as there is much to learn. Do not think you must do this all overnight. Our best recommendation is to start adding new things to your diet, and begin eliminating other items. One step might be to make one food change every week, and try one new food every week. If we fall off track, we will just get back on the good organic whole plant foods wagon again the next day. You should be in the swing of things and changing your shopping patterns within 4 months. Baby steps forward are okay. Think "Good/Better/Best" as you improve your choices. Since it takes time to switch over your pantry to all the healthier food choices, spend this time reading books, watching food documentaries, scoping out a new blender or juicer, collecting recipes for green juices, green smoothies, plant based meals, and snacks. Get excited about what you are doing! You are saving your own life! I found that watching at least a few food documentaries, (which you will find on my Inspiration page), are the most powerful tool for changing your mind set and get you moving forward more quickly. The education you will get about the industrial model of food helps so you never go back to the old ways! I know too much now, and it sickens me to even think about eating those old food choices. Yuk! Information is your power! 

Within a few months the effects of superior nutrition began to make positive and noticeable changes in my body! Plus we found it to be a really fun food adventure! We loved all this interaction with real food sources! This is the way nature intended! During the first year I naturally transitioned into a person that eats mostly raw uncooked or lightly steamed veggies in only a few months, with wild salmon or sardines every two weeks. My husband did not change with the same intensity as me. Everyone is different. He would eat his marscapone and goat cheese for a snack, organic lunch meats, and eat occasional meat or fish dishes when dining out at a healthier restaurant. Initially we both agreed it was extremely important to make overall serious healthy changes to the way we grew up eating, and retrain ourselves when in supermarkets, and learn more about what we really were eating. We now both eat 'mostly' organic fruits and vegetables, and love the colorful abundance of our new food choices. If you can get yourself to a point where you eat 'mostly' organic fruits and veggies, lots of fresh salads, home made soups, have a green juice or green smoothie on 'most days', eat 'mostly' gluten free grains, have one ounce of nuts and seeds, live sprouts, and 'mostly' non-processed foods you will be doing great! Remember to stop eating when you feel full, and save leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

 Give yourself the time to change. We all can use some improvements, and no one is going to be perfect. Be kind to yourself and your expectations while on this path. You can do this, and time is on your side. If you are critically ill as I was, you may need to move faster and get more serious about your food choices immediately. Listen to your body and do what is right for you. Be compassionate about other peoples' food journey as well, no matter what level they may be. Some of us simply must move quicker on the food path, due to severe disease having already compromised our body functions. Only you know how fast you must make these changes, and what you can handle. Do what is best for you.

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No worries! I do not eat lettuce all day! Everyone assumes that they will be eating less foods, when actually the truth is that you will be eating far more. Oh yes! We eat in abundance! Many may believe the "rabbit food" propaganda of carrot and celery sticks. I rarely eat those! We have changed our food routine to include daily homemade green super smoothies for breakfast (which taste like dessert), fresh vegetable juice, awesome salads, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, home made soups, as well as raw and lightly steamed fresh veggies...and dark chocolate! The variety of plants is amazing! This is all about what you CAN eat! So many new dishes to experience! You will become aware of exotic foods along with many new tastier food options that you never before considered. If you eat the typical foods of the standard American diet your body is deficient in minerals and enzymes. That is why you are always hungry! When it comes to plants, you can eat as much as you want, most of the time. We love to eat! Your belly will be full, and your taste buds will be singing!  Check out my "Looks Yummy" Pinterest page!

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Add more raw organic vegetables, fruits, and homemade vegetable juice or green smoothies to your day. If getting a juicer seems difficult at first, try making green smoothies with your blender in the morning. Add some type of fresh salad to lunch and dinner meals, made without heavy processed dressings. Have you ever tried just using the juice of half an orange as a salad dressing? Simply delish! Make your salad with dark leafy greens the star of any meal plan! I make a large jar of overnight oats filled with ground flax, hempseed, ground chia, nuts, mushroom powder, wild blueberries, almond milk, and chopped dates once a week. Snack on some nuts, seeds, apple slices, dark chocolate. Think about how you can add more veggies to every meal whether uncooked (raw), lightly steamed, or in a water saute instead of heavy oils and butter. Water really works, and clean up is easier too! Sometimes I lightly cook with organic extra virgin olive oil in a spray bottle. Homemade seasonal soups are always a good choice, especially at the end of the week to use up the produce in the kitchen. Plus you get leftovers! Eat the rainbow, as each color fruit or vegetable has its own unique micro and macro nutrients. Variety is good! My Recipe page lists many familiar sounding transitional meals that will help cover your cravings in the early stages. Think salads, smoothies, soups, and sprouts!

 Also don't worry, this is not about starving yourself! You will love the taste of this awesome food. Hey! We love to eat too!!! As you change things up you're actually adding far more options! If you are new to making big changes with your food lifestyle, and you think it's scary, this is certainly the place to be. I can honestly tell you these foods are more abundant in variety, and more flavorful than the food of our past! It's so true! This blog is about the beautiful colorful myriad of foods that you CAN eat! Nutrient dense food will make you feel better than you have in years! You really want to feel good... Right? 

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Within a more plant based diet, we no longer eat refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, white rice, processed white flour products, processed regular fake food stuffs, or blah beige and brown colored foods. We never eat "fast foods," fried foods, or most of what is served in regular mainstream restaurants. We do prefer gluten free options when we eat grains. There are a huge variety of gluten free flours and baking products if baking is your passion. Get to know the versatile seed "quinoa." We no longer shop in the regular processed food aisles of the supermarket. Although we do buy a very limited amount of organic packaged items from the natural food co-op market. Most of what we enjoy are whole live organic foods, just as they come from the tree, bush, or ground. We only eat organic potatoes, and never eat conventional potato products as they are loaded with poisonous fungicides. When it comes to rice products we only eat organic Lundberg brand. American rice is grown in pesticide and arsenic laden soil. Remember that in a regular food supermarket the whole foods are usually on the outer ring of the store layout. The inside aisles are filled with empty calories and junk foods. Stay aware and read all labels, even the organic ones.

Go through the page tabs at the top of this blog to learn how to slowly transition yourself off familiar processed supermarket foods. Find substitutes for the things that you may crave early on during your journey to health awareness! Learn what to avoid and why. Modern wheat takes three days to detox from as it has addictive qualities. It just may give you a headache. It generally takes two weeks to get off the sugar addiction. The hidden MSG in processed foods is purposely there to addict you as well. It may surprise you to know that clean whole foods will actually have more flavor compared to the empty foods of your past. These modern industrial food and drinks are simply vehicles to deliver fat, sugar, salt, chemicals, and MSG into your body and treat you like a massive chemical trash heap, as well as dumb you down. Read my informative post about fat, sugar, salt, and cheese here. Watch the fun video at the top of that post! 

It goes without saying that if you smoke, drink alcohol regularly, take drugs, drink soda, drink diet soda, drink so-called energy drinks, drink caffeine products, and continue to eat at fast food restaurants that you cannot expect your health to change much, as all of these items have extremely detrimental effects on the body. Use the 'Foods To Avoid' page above to learn more.

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Of course you can still taste your favorites on occasion. Saying "never" to some of our past food choices is scary, so I try not to say that to anyone. Certainly there are foods you should not eat at all. Although... if you 'took a taste' six months after diving into a plant strong diet, you might surprise yourself! Your taste-buds will have changed and you may be more sensitive to the fatty slime that may coat your mouth, the extreme saltiness, or the overwhelmingly sugary characteristics of your favorite old food, and say "ugh!" Most of those old foods taste like nothingness.

You will find the new recipes for your meals are actually more flavorful, and you no longer crave the sweets and starches of the past. For example if I go to Philly I might have a few bites of a soft Philly pretzel. If I go to a backyard party I eat the salads, and may have a few bites of chocolate cake. I try to fill up on any greens I can find at events. I also bless the food if it seems not to be organic in these situations. Couldn't hurt! I pass by tables of desserts now with no pull to eat them. Things have changed. On special occasions when out at a fancy restaurant my hubby and I may share a dark chocolate dessert. Nowadays I would rather get my daily sugar from a honey crisp apple or a juicy peach. I love very dark 80% plus chocolate and thank goodness that is actually good for you!

When I would eat unhealthy foods as I first started on this healthy food path, I asked myself to really taste what was in my mouth. What about that food made me want to eat it? What was the texture? The flavor? Strangely enough I found many items actually were just very greasy salty pieces of cardboard with no real flavor. Try it the next time you taste anything. The last unhealthy food to go for me was cheeeeeeese. It eventually began to taste like a big greasy piece of rubber. Not very appetizing, or a good mouth feel at all. Blech! Sometimes your body will make the decision for you, instead of your mind. That is very helpful! Thank you body! Oh and I don't like the fake plantbased cheese either. I prefer my homemade cashew based cheese.

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Guess what? We have never done a green juice fast, although perhaps one day we will since it is so beneficial. Perhaps for a weekend. I would recommend that you add green juicing everyday to your routine for the first year if you expect my deep results, or if you are seriously ill. Later when you have improved your health, you can alternate with/or add drinking green smoothies into your schedule. Green juicing has the power to allow the body to heal itself! I do not take fresh organic green juicing lightly, as the effects are quite potent. At the very least make green smoothies every day, and not the fruity ones. If you see a real juice bar where they make them fresh in front of you utilize that moment and get a green juice! My food coop has a juice bar and that is why I love food shopping... someone else makes my juice! If you can get a wheatgrass shot... go for it baby!

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Fresh made vegetable and green juice is actually very sweet. No kidding! You can make it sweeter by how many apples you add in the beginning. It is from drinking fresh juice filled with dark leafy greens everyday that the big changes will appear in your body! I have a Juicing and Smoothie page tab above that will explain the process in-depth to you. Juicing is so very important to get a huge amount of fruits and veggies into you rapidly. You can not eat the amount of vegetables you can get in a glass of green juice! Think of it as a nutritional shot in the arm! Loaded with thousands of phytochemicals and nutrients! Recipes are here for juices which you can see for yourself have a wide variety of flavors. Juices and smoothies must be made with organic produce to avoid getting toxins, as you don't want to be drinking liquid pesticides. You can use some regular produce if the skin is removed. Apples must be organic. See the EWG list here for what produce is safe. If you just cannot handle the commitment of juicing everyday, you certainly can make green smoothies instead, perhaps with a cheap Ninja Bullet, although it will take longer to see the results of your efforts. It is actually the 'combination' of drinking green juices and green smoothies that is best for our bodies. We also believe in investing in top notch equipment since we will be using these machines everyday. Yes the equipment is worth spending the money on. Think of the future medical savings. So if juicing still seems scary at least give it a try at a juice bar, and you will find that the greens are actually sweet. Still afraid of the mean green? Then try to do the liquid salad in a blender, called a green smoothie. Do not make one of those 'fruit only' sugar bomb smoothies that you see all over the internet. Getting those alkaline greens in you is what is most important overall for regaining your good health. When you do get your health back you can reduce the amount of juices and smoothies you have each week.

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Not right away as long as what you eat is 'mostly' nutrient dense plants. Don't worry this is not a place for the food police, or someone's idea of restrictive perfection. This is our happy good food place. You are welcome here no matter where you are on your own food path. Whether you are just starting out, or are already on the road to what is labeled as vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based. What ever you call healthy, it's all about the organic whole plants! It's a mostly plant powered lifestyle. Dr.Joel Fuhrman likes to call this way of eating 'nutritarian' as nutrients are the focus. There are many different "names" for a plant based diet. The name is not important, the quality of what you actually eat is important. The high volume of nutrients and live enzymes that help the body heal itself comes from consuming mostly dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, fresh fruits, beans, mushrooms, sprouts, nuts, and seeds. By adding green juices, and green smoothies, everyday you will be adding a huge amount of veggie improvement immediately. If you are still eating fish and meat it is about the 'quality' of those choices, and 'how often' you eat them for now.

You can make chicken, fish, or beef a condiment in your life in the beginning of your journey just like my husband did at first. If you do buy chicken or meats be sure they are no hormone, antibiotic free, free range, and grass finished, pastured local animals. You want your animals to be eating weeds not grains. The FDA now admits we have been ingesting arsenic by consuming chicken for years! Arsenic is in the chicken feed and rice. Meats and eggs are best purchased at local farms, where you know they are free range, and out in the fields eating those weeds and insects! You do not want to eat animals that have been ingesting GMO crops or ground up pieces of their own species either. The food chain transfers these things to us. Try to buy sustainable fish with low pesticides like wild Alaska salmon. I would now avoid products from the Pacific Ocean, because of the high radiation from Fukishima. I myself liked to eat salmon a couple times a month in the beginning.

Also if you think pastured chicken or meats are too expensive, consider that you will be eating less of them anyway now. Put the savings into buying the healthiest choice when you do consume meat or dairy. If you still eat red meat, try eating bison as it is a leaner meat. I have a post about Bison burgers here. Actually all organic farm pastured animals have more nutrients in their meat than feed lot animals. You could also put your savings from not purchasing so much animal meats, into buying more healthy organic vegetables too! Great Idea! Personally, I just lost my taste for meat over time with the exception of fish. My husband no longer enjoys meat products either. Also stay away from very blackened or barbecued foods, as that "black crust" is a carcinogen. Be sure your organic processed lunch meats or hot dogs are marked nitrate free.

Dr.Joel Fuhrman recommends that if you do eat chicken, or beef, make sure it is a combined total of not more than 6 oz a week. Do the same for fish, as mercury wreaks havoc on the body. I do not take regular fish oil, instead I am taking an algae based DHA-EPA oil created by Dr. Fuhrman with no mercury danger. You might consider taking fish or krill oil if it is high quality and states it is mercury free. These days that is difficult. All people especially vegans should take a daily B12 and DHA/EPA supplement. This is to help prevent Parkinsons and protect the brain.

 Because I had cancer, I can no longer eat dairy or meat products, as they contribute to disease, free radicals, and inflammation in the body. It has to do with those items creating an acid based body, and we want to be more alkaline to be healthy. Those meat and dairy items fertilize cancer cells. They also promote a hormone called IGF 1 which creates cancer cells. If you have serious disease or cancer, you may want to think about not consuming meat and dairy products at all, as I have done. You make the call on your own life. Going plant based is the safest route.

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If you believe that you will not be getting enough protein by not eating meats, let me tell you that is a huge myth! It is not hard to guess what industry has been teaching that false idea by way of television commercials for generations. Dark leafy greens have more nutrient value than meat by far! What do you think that huge elephant is eating? It is not meat. And what animal do we most resemble? Don't they just eat fruit all day? That is something to consider. Also how many people do you hear about suffering from a protein deficiency? How many people do you hear about getting diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease? I think you get my point on what you should be concerned about in getting healthier. There are other foods like quinoa, beans, and hemp seeds, that have a high protein value along with the dark leafy greens. Many athletes are becoming vegan for health reasons, and they have no problem getting enough protein in their diet. In depth article by Dr.Joel Fuhrman about the protein myth, and sources in food here. Article here with protein amounts in food. Visit the EWG for a list of protein foods. I think people should be more concerned about how many toxins, chemicals, and sugar, they are ingesting everyday from processed foods and sodas.

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Raw is eating uncooked vegetables and fruits as they come from the tree, bush, or Earth. Raw living foods are fantastic for your health as they are full of nutrients, enzymes, and water. There are people in the world who prefer to be 100% raw, although most people are 70 - 80% raw within a healthy plant based lifestyle. Don't stress about a standard that seems unreachable, or doing something to impress others. Do the best that you can to eat clean organic live whole foods as much as possible. Green juices and green smoothies work miracles toward this goal. I like to also have soups and stews as well as steamed greens in my plant based lifestyle. If you are inspired to become 100% raw then follow your heart and passion, although not everyone's body or mind can handle such a strict decision. As you get older your body may need the nutrients that come from cooked foods. Be aware of how your individual body handles such a choice. Follow this link to learn what Dr.Joel Fuhrman's thoughts are about eating raw vs. cooked foods. It depends on the season how raw I am, since in the summer there is a greater abundance of produce to eat. In the winter I like to have more warm soups and steamed meals since we live in the Northeast area of the country. One thing is for sure...  eating more organic fresh whole foods in their natural state allows your body to work it's healing miracles. I feel we can learn and gain much towards this goal from the raw vegan teachers and recipes. So eat mostly plants!

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I am not perfect, but I am darn good! My food choices are mostly organic, non-GMO, whether it comes from the local farmers market, or a natural food market. We purchase as little processed foods as possible. I have green smoothies and/or green juice, and I eat many of my veggies raw, or lightly steamed (to get all the nutrients and enzymes). We eat a salad most days and snack on nuts, and fruits. I love home made soups and stews, plus they create a few days of leftovers. Great way for using up the end of the week produce too.

 My morning: Oats with berries, superfoods, and plantbased yogurt or Ezeikiel muffin with avocado, arugula, hempseed, and balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I have Just Egg on Eziekiel muffin or sweet potato. Lunch and dinners: Any combination of vegetable sandwich/veggie dish/soup with a fresh salad. Often also a fresh homemade vegetable juice made in our Juicing machine. My dinner veggies other than salad are usually water sautéed, steamed, or roasted. Snacks: Perhaps a small handful of assorted nuts (non salted, raw if possible), gogi berries, small square of sea snax seaweed, apple slices with cinnamon, any fruit earlier in the day, sliced cucumbers in apple cider vinegar, organic salsa and small bowl organic sprouted blue chips, or veggies and homemade hummus. If I am in a sweet mood, then 2 small squares of 70-80% dark chocolate. Rare occasion some almond butter and organic billberry preserves on Seedlander cracker, or frozen banana ice cream. 

Of course I eat many other veggie dishes raw and cooked, and snack on many other fruits and vegetables as well. We like to eat what is fresh and in season. I am always learning and trying new recipes, and it's been a scrumptious journey to superior health. Here is a post about organizing my refrigerator, where you can actually see what we eat now, along with many tips! Check out my Recipe page for ideas of what to eat during your transition to healthier food options in your awesome life. I do eat on occasion wild Alaskan salmon once or twice a year. I no longer have any interest in eating meats and that happened naturally on it's own. I try to refrain from eating bread and pasta products. I replace them with cauliflower pasta and cauliflower rice. Trying to stay a whole food nutrient dense plant eater and label reader if I try something new.

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There are various methods of eating healthy when not at home. If we plan to be out for just a few hours we will try to eat at home before we leave, as to avoid the unhealthy food at venues. We always travel with water and after a late night gig we do get very hungry. Packing a small snack bag of home made trail mix, various nuts, fruits, sprouted chips, or nut bars helps for the long trips.

 If we know we are going to be in a certain town, we will research beforehand to locate more vegan-like or farm to table style restaurants. At the very least most restaurants do serve salads. You can also order extra vegetable dishes with your meal instead of fatty mystery meats. If staying overnight, locating a food store with organic produce or a local farmers market can be helpful. You always have the option of packing your food and juices in a cooler to bring with you. We rarely do vacations, although we would hope to bring our blender with us and create green smoothies on the road. (The Vita Mix is much easier to clean than the juicer.) We recently purchased a Nutri Bullet that makes smoothies easily. We got a Berkey water filter so we could ensure purified water for drinking and cooking food. You do the best you can and bless the rest!

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You are the shining example of healthy eating choices, and that is the best thing you can do for anyone. They will see your enthusiasm, your glow, and be tempted to taste what the heck you are eating. They will learn these new colorful foods are not scary, but mouthwatering. Eventually they will see that you substitute many new options for just one old sad food choice. You can introduce them to the new foods without making a big deal of telling them it's healthy. Just let them taste it first, then if they find the food enjoyable, you can explain how it benefits their body. Give them their space to change, and choose dishes to prepare that are similar to what they love to eat. Completely eliminating or reducing some familiar products will take more time than others, for example meat and cheese. Limit the amounts, how often you eat them, and definitely buy better organic versions of those products. With each change remember to use 'good/better/best' guideline as you make improvements for your family's food. Transition from old processed food, to good food whole food, to better organic food, then eventually to the best... adding organic green juicing and green smoothies to your lifestyle.

Children can be made part of the decision process at lunch and snack time. I always used the psychology of the "either/or" scenario for my children. "You can have sliced cinnamon apples 'or' you can have almond butter on celery. Which do you want?" That way they feel they are participating and deciding for themselves. Involving your children when you go to the farmers market, CSA, or food store makes 'food' an exciting event for them. Do the same with your adult partner. Become foodies together. It's fun. Try out new restaurants and food stores. Read labels together and become an investigative food team! 

Go to my recipe page where you'll find many different types and levels of dishes to try. Follow other food blogs or the many vegan creators on Youtube now, so you are always getting fresh ideas about your new food choices. When you whip up yummy smoothies that taste like dessert who can refuse? Use the new healthier BPA free non-toxic stainless steel eco bento style lunch boxes with dividers, and fill them with colorful fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, and home made snacks too. Here is a snack article for ideas. I may not agree with all the choices, but you get the idea. Be creative. Get the adults and older children to watch the food documentaries with you. Knowledge is power. Start a vegetable garden with your children. Start small and learn together.

 I try to explain to others that "Yes, food matters!" Food is what runs the body, and it matters big time. Not everyone is ready to hear the truth, and they may believe that eating plants is just "rabbit food" and that "beef is the only source of protein in the world" propaganda. They may blindly look at a green smoothie, and assume it tastes like grass without ever trying or tasting one at all. Little do they realize that a green smoothie is a liquid salad that tastes like dessert! You can tell them to think about the government recommendation about eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Who wouldn't like getting that in one glass and have it taste like dessert?!! Yum!

 Unfortunately for me and many others, it was a sick sad condition that needed to happen, to wake us up to the truth about modern food and its effects. I would prefer if people were pro-active before their body starts shutting down like mine. Addressing a lifetime of bad patterns, and misinformation, can seem like a daunting challenge for many. In the end it is each person who controls their journey in life, and if they choose not to get healthy, it is no one's job to belittle them. Be a good example, and let them see your body make the changes as a result of your efforts. You be the inspiration. Pass it forward.

I do realize it helps if you have a partner, or a friend, to support and share the changes of your food lifestyle. I am fortunate to have a man in my life who has been there for me every step of the way, supporting me during the years of illness, and then jumping into our healthier food lifestyle whole heartedly! If you cannot share this healthier way of eating with your partner, or a friend in life, please share your journey with me in your comments to blog posts. I'd love to hear from you! Writing a blog takes much time and energy, it is nice to know someone has been reading this stuff. Here is a post I did on this subject.

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Radiant health comes from many levels of your being. Clean organic produce, and non-toxic personal care products are a huge starting point towards improved health. You can also benefit from calming the thoughts of your mind, with meditation, exercise, reading, pets, walks in nature, or spiritual endeavors. Expressing your passion for a subject, music, arts, writing, crafts, or giving time to your community are also healing. When we are ill it is very important to eliminate toxic relationships, situations, or a job that is all consuming. Removing these things helps to alleviate stress, which is a killer over time. Time spent with good friends and loved ones makes for a full life. Listen to others, and have compassion for all, for we do not know what their journey has been. When we live with joy and share everyday kindness to those we encounter, we heal ourselves. Having reverence for life as a precious gift will make every moment more meaningful. The other important pillars to our health is a good nights sleep and regular exercise. I am now working on the exercise part. Sleep not so much as hot flashes have been waking me nearly every hour for 15 years. 

 If you visualize what you want to become, and then take steps everyday towards your goal, the Universe will support you in your intention. Know and feel this with all your senses. Hang in there, you can create change, and bring more joy to your life. Where you put your attention is what grows...and we don't want that to be our belly any longer! John Robbins found by studying all the indigenous people of the world who lived over 100 years, that 'compassion for others and happiness' was the main focus of their cultures. After that came fresh fruits and vegetables. These things work for everyone!

If you are extremely ill you may be unable to have the use of a good functioning body in which to express your Spirit fully. It is my hope that the information I share on this food/health blog will expand your opportunity to use your life for the good things you envision, simply because your bodily function has greatly improved. You do the work to change your habits and patterns, and the rest will follow. We all want to be there for our loved ones, and to share a wonderful life together. Let the world experience your amazing Spirit and may you continue to shine in the years to come. Be healthy  Be happy. Be peace. 

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Truthfully I suck at exercise! I had done very little and had lost my weight entirely from changing to organic food, and green juicing. I have taken a Yoga class, and I loved that form of stretching. I also have a rebounder for moving my lymph system as an additional form of detoxing. I would like to do more yoga at home, and walk around the neighborhood on a regular basis. Biking would be fun as well. When you are ill and suffering, regular exercise is a bit difficult. That is why I am so thrilled that just changing the quality of my food worked! Once you start to improve your energy and well being, it is easier to add this vital part of good health to the equation. I am not perfect and this is the area where I have to keep making myself do something. If you are good at adding exercise, it certainly is very important, so go for it! Toned muscles are better than flabby skin! Some people respond well to the gym environment, and others work out at home. You have to find which path works for you in the moderate exercise realm. Burst exercise seems to be getting some good results for some people. Talk with your doctor first about your exercise plan. 

Having broken my leg twice I have to try and walk everyday for 30 minutes and push myself to do many other exercises these days. Definitely get up from the computer every 20 minutes and move around. Go up and down stairs. Movement is important.

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The industrialized food system is rigged to make us fat and sick by the over use of table salt, sugar, fat, and chemicals, in order to create cravings and an addictive response in "consumers." The big food companies know this to be true, and have purposely fed us useless foods for years. Which is why our country suffers from an obesity epidemic. There is much to learn, and we have to be advocates for ourselves in the food paradigm. Do your own research to have an understanding of what the outcome of eating processed foods vs. eating whole organic plants, will have on your personal longevity. Look at the long list at the top on my 'About' page, of how modern processed foods adversely affected most of my bodily functions. It's sad.

It is so important in a corporate controlled world to do the things we can to make a difference, especially since our food system is so broken. We can find local farmers who grow food organically, join a local organic CSA, enjoy the bounty of farmers markets, support farmers that raise free range animals that are not fed hormones, antibiotics, GMO corn, GMO soy feed, and are instead grass and weed finished. We can choose to buy directly from farmers who do not get government subsidies, and help the little guy who is trying to do good by you. Let's spend the extra dollars on nutritious food instead of going cheap, easy, and unhealthy. We can choose to buy USDA organic and non-GMO labeled foods from the supermarket. We can find and support restaurants that use local produce and organic foods. We can compost our own organic vegetable scraps to make beautiful soil, and grow our own organic food. If we take a stand for transparent food labeling laws we will then bring this way of being into the future. We do this for the good health of our children, grandchildren, and ourselves. We have to be the ones who cause the tipping point to go towards 'Health before toxic profit.' Our organic voice is growing and starting to change the marketplace. Let's keep the momentum going. 

 The people must overcome the monopolies stranglehold of food production. Many of these multi-national food and chemical corporations create questionable food products, have disturbing production practices, and massively pollute the Earth. They do not save the poor people of the world as they like us to believe, but instead enslave them. The perpetrators of toxic dead chemicalized foods have put their own corporate people into the sick, sad, sham of regulatory jobs which are suppose to look out for our safety. The USDA and FDA actually work for the multi-national 'Big Ag' corporations, not the people. Predatory capitalism serves no one but the man at the top, and it is killing people, and our world. Did you know that fluoride is a poisonous toxin, causes cancer, endocrine disruption, and has been proven not to help in preventing tooth decay? You have to ask yourself, "Why then are they forcing this on our country, and putting fluoride in our water sources?" We need to detoxify their effect on us and the world. Visualize clean water and healthy organic foods!

 Educating yourself about what is actually going into your body, and your children's bodies from food, personal care products, cleaning products, and the environment is of utmost importance. It is the stuff of life itself. Do what you can for your family, and support local organic food resources. This is what this blog is about... education and changing our patterns. Learn how to take back control of at least one area of of our life. Participate in food awareness as it does affect your life.

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1) Reduce calories - as overeating reduces lifespan.
2) Increase the amount of micro-nutrient dense foods, and fiber. These things come in real whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. The dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables are especially high in nutrients. Make salad the main meal. Juicing and blending is like drinking a liquid salad and an easy way to increase vegetable and fruit intake. Overall eat greens, beans, berries, onions, mushrooms, nuts, and seeds.
3) Make sure with lab tests that you have no deficiencies present. You may need supplements of multi-vitamins, Vitamin D, Zinc, B-12, DHA/EPA, etc.
4) Avoid all TOXIC things - such as household cleaners, chemicals, and pesticides in food.
5) Have positive relationships in your life with friends, family and community. Be creative, and follow passions for activities.
6) Regular exercise, especially resistance type of exercise.

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1) Dairy, cheese, and butter, as these are extremely high in saturated fats.
2) Soft drinks, junk foods, fried foods, and sweets like donuts.
3) Processed meats such as lunch-meats, bacon, and sausage. 
4) Charcoal and Barbecued foods. (Carcinogens)
5) Sugars, artificial sugars, salt, oils, MSG in all forms, and GMO's.

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Five Easy Steps To Clean Up Your Diet 
Dr. Mark Hyman's 'Pegan' diet combines the best of Vegan/Paleo. 
Cooked vs Raw by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
This way of eating is not extreme, it is normal!
Why doctors recommend the vegan diet to patients like Bill Clinton.
What to eat on the road and traveling by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
How about just being more vegan-like. A good compromise!
What The Heck Should I Really Eat by Kevin Gianni  
Video of Kris Carr at Whole Foods - tips about using the produce! 
Watch the excellent Food Shopping Video at the top of her blog post!
Plant based diet for beginners. How To Get Started.
How I eat Vegan An example of what a 10 year Vegans daily menu looks like! Just in case you thought this new food lifestyle might be boring, this WILL make you hungry!
What you need to know about Vegetarian type diets by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
The traits of those who succeed in changing their health.
What blood tests and lab work should you get?
Dr.Fuhrman's daughter talks about growing up with no junk food.

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Kris Carr's typical plant based day in video below is to show you the variety of meals available... not too scary. Although I would omit so much use of tofu and tempe, and use peppers, onions, beans, and mushrooms instead. You don't need to be putting oil on everything, steam and saute with water. Take notice how green juice is used as an important part of her meal planning.



Raw food chef Ani Phyo speaks about the everyday food choices in video below.



Watch the important video below about the leading causes of death, and how a plant based diet kicks the butt of 14 out of 15. What is the one thing that it does not help? That would be choking. So chew your food slowly and carefully! Learn how important your everyday nutritional choices can be for your longevity! Try moving towards a vegan diet which can cure, prevent, or reverse nearly all of these major illnesses. As Dr. Michael Greger exclaims: "One diet to rule them all!"



Raw Chef Jason Wrobel below has been on the healthy food path for many years, and shares my feelings on respecting each person's journey to wellness in this video below. 




Okay! You made it down this far on my page... now you deserve something fun! We need not take ourselves, or the food thing too seriously! Laughter is very healthy for the body, mind, and Spirit! Jason and a friend share their artisan vegan vacation food haul, and you'll see that food shopping can be very enjoyable! Keep in mind these are the rare treat processed snack foods or condiments, so be sure to eat heaps of fruits and veggies first and foremost. Although during the beginning of your transitioning phase it may help to have some of these treats around to be a bit like your old food choices. This couple was in California which apparently abounds with many vegan choices. We have found that if you make food an adventure you will get as giddy as these two when finding something that works for you! We now plan any day trips or vacation time around cool food stores, juice bars, and restaurants! Enjoy the tasting frenzy! 





I hope this page has given you some idea of how to slowly transition from your current processed food patterns into more healthy choices. The tabs across the top of this blog are filled with helpful tips for your new mission, please use them as I want you to succeed and feel great! You CAN do this for yourself and loved ones! Keep any unwanted weight off for good! Enjoy food and live your life fully! 

We are here to enjoy the beauty of life and our relationships, to be compassionate about ourselves and each other, as well as our home...the Earth. Today is your opportunity to start creating a healthy world for yourself, your children, and perhaps like me, your grandchildren. Happy learning, and have a vibrant life! Time to get your personal relationship with greens! Hug a blender! 
Be happy. Be healthy. Be peace!

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