Yum.

So being that I am living in a COLD, grey environment and was craving a hot, yummy, gooey, chocolatey, HEALTHY something this morning, I came up with what is now my favorite breakfast (or lunch, dinner, snack for that matter) treat and thought I'd share....

I took a packet of Nature's Path Organic Instant Hot Oatmeal (I bought the Flax Plus flavor) but obviously you can use any instant oatmeal, 1 Cocoa Vitashake and I poured HOT cinnamon Calli over it as the liquid...in a mug...didn't need Sunnydew because the oatmeal had a bit of organic, evaporated cane juice (yeah, yeah...i'm not perfect) but if you use the unsweetened oatmeal, you can use Sunnydew. You can add bananas or not...but I assure you, it tastes like dessert ala cocoa rice pudding-ish. Fiber-rich and I got my Omega-3s (sprinkle flax seeds if you don't use the flax oatmeal).

Yum.

Let me know if you have any recipes you want to share!

On a funny note, I was at the Nashville Whole Foods yesterday and there was a woman with a frosted mullet. True story. Was going to snap a photo but didn't want to be obnoxious.

Miss y'all madly,

Sheri xo

Vegan Vampires Drink Plant Blood...CHLOROPHYLL Benefits

I recently returned from one of the happiest places on earth.. Optimum Health Institute (OHI) in beautiful San Diego. For me, it is not only a retreat and cleanse from the stress of daily life, it is a necessity to keep my body healthy and free of "health opportunities" that plague many of us on various levels.

After losing my mother to lung cancer and watching so many people I love (of ALL ages) suffer from debilitating dis-eases in their bodies (arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, mental illness, obesity, eating disorders...the list goes on), it became apparent that I should treat my body with respect and do the things that so many people turn to out of desperation when they become ill. The good news, is I have never felt better in my life! I am one bouncy girl with boundless energy (no caffeine) and CLARITY! It's sadly profound what sugar, preservatives and chemically altered foods do to every part of your being! When you change to a whole food lifestyle, it's like waking up one day with no pain but never realizing you were actually in pain because you were so used to it...

Anyway, back to Optimum Health Institute (OHI) - truth is, we drink A LOT of wheatgrass. As a matter of fact, we do lots of things with wheatgrass of which I will spare you at the moment...

It is the chlorophyll in wheatgrass that is perhaps its most valuable asset. Chlorophyll, the plant’s green pigment that is often referred to as the “blood of plant (isn't that sexy?),” has been shown in studies to have a cleansing, detoxifying & healing effect on the body. I am not a doctor (nor are the folks at OHI) but I have seen miracles occur every time I am there! Wheatgrass makes me high, happy and I BUZZ like neon...things come out of my skin (rashes, etc) that I have no idea what they are but am quite happy to see them depart the temple...HOWEVER...by the end of my week there, I cannot stomach the thought of wheatgrass even with the cinnamon chaser that makes it bearable.

To get the full of effect of wheatgrass, you MUST drink it on an empty stomach and wait a full 60-90 minutes before ingesting another thing, including water. In the real world, this just does not work for me. Not to mention that I personally would not drink wheatgrass unless I grew it myself (or lived near OHI where I could buy flats from them) as it has been told that your friendly Jamba Juice, health food store, etc. acquire their wheatgrass from commercial growers who are now required to soak the seeds in pesticides before sprouting the grass!! Don't get me started...

So what's a vampire to do? Sunrider, International makes an AWESOME product called Evergreen. I can't say enough about it...here is the description:

Evergreen^®

The highly concentrated chlorophyll in Evergreen^® addresses the body's circulatory and digestive systems.* Evergreen^® is exclusively formulated herbal concentrated with owner expertise and based on the Philosophy of Regeneration^™: to maintain optimum health through proper nutrition and keeping the body in balance.

If you were to consume green, leafy vegetables in order to achieve the effect of one bottle of Evergreen^®, you would need to eat a tremendous amount, hardly possible in a regular meal. All natural, Evergreen^® does not contain artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives.

Evergreen is infused with Peppermint Oil which makes it ever so tasty and promotes digestion...let's put it this way, I NEVER leave home without it...if I eat something questionable and my body goes into acid distress mode, I quickly take a swig of Evergreen and problem is quickly solved, body is brought back to alkalinity! Not to mention that if you continue to ingest this you will find that any body odors, bad breath, etc are eliminated! My Naturopath friend informed me that drinking coconut water mixed with Evergreen is like giving yourself a blood transfusion!

So that's my story...please DRINK YOUR VEGGIES and if you can, go to OHI to give your body, mind and spirit some LOVE. xoxo

Proper Food Combining by Dr. Herbert M. Shelton

Nine Rules for Proper Food Combining

By Dr. Herbert M. Shelton
Reprinted from Dr. Shelton's Hygienic Review

There are sound physiological reasons for eating foods in compatible combinations. In other words, some foods, if mixed in the digestive system, will cause distress!

The principles of food combining are dictated by digestive chemistry. Different foods are digested differently...

• Starchy foods require an alkaline digestive medium which is supplied initially in the mouth by the enzyme ptyalin;
  
  
• Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion- hydrochloric acid.

As any student of chemistry will assure you, acids and bases (alkalis) neutralize each other. If you eat a starch with a protein, digestion is impaired or completely arrested!

The undigested food mass can cause various kinds of digestive disorders. Undigested food becomes soil for bacteria which ferment and decompose it. Its by products are poisonous, one of which, alcohol, is a narcotic that destroys or inhibits nerve function.

It plays havoc with nerves of the digestive tract, suspending their vital action such that constipation may well be a result! As set forth in Dr. Herbert Shelton's FOOD COMBINING MADE EASY these are the salient rules for proper food combining.

The Nine Basic Rules of Proper Food Combining:

1. Eat acids and starches at separate meals. Acids neutralize the alkaline medium required for starch digestion and the result is fermentation and indigestion.

2. Eat protein foods and carbohydrate foods at separate meals. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion.

3. Eat but one kind of protein food at a meal.

4. Eat proteins and acid foods at separate meals. The acids of acid foods inhibit the secretion of the digestive acids required for protein digestion. Undigested protein putrefies in bacterial decomposition and produces some potent poisons.

5. Eat fats and proteins at separate meals. Some foods, especially nuts, are over 50% fat and require hours for digestion.

6. Eat sugars (fruits) and proteins at separate meals.

7. Eat sugars (fruits) and starchy foods at separate meals. Fruits undergo no digestion in the stomach and are held up if eaten with foods that require digestion in the stomach.

8. Eat melons alone. They combine with almost no other food.

9. Desert the desserts. Eaten on top of meals they lie heavy on the stomach, requiring no digestion there, and ferment. Bacteria turn them into alcohols and vinegars and acetic acids.

Healthy Foods to Eat

Sweet Fruit
Banana, Carob, Date, Fig, Prune, Raisins, Dried fruit, Persimmon, Mango, Papaya, Sapote

Sub-Acid Fruit
Apple, Apricot, Blackberry, Cherimoya, Cherry, Elderberry, Gooseberry, Grape, Huckleberry, Nectarine, Peach, Pear, Plum, Quince, Raspberry, Sapodilla

Acid Fruit
Currant, Grapefruit, Guava, Kumquat, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Loganberry, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Strawberry, Tamarind, Tangerine, Tomato

Melons
Banana melon, Cantaloupe, Casaba, Christmas melon, Persian melon, Crenshaw melon, Watermelon, Honeydew melon, Muskmelon, Nutmeg melon

Proteins
Almonds, Cashew nuts, Hazel nuts, Hickory nuts, Lentils, Peanuts, Gooseberry, Avocados, Pecans, Pine nuts, Pistachio nuts, Soy beans, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds, Coconuts

Starches
Artichoke, Bean (lima)*, Beets, Chestnut, Carrots, Corn, Hubbard squash, Jerusalem artichoke, Peanuts*, Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Yam

* Peanuts, lentils, beans, and all cereals are considered as protein and starch combinations

Non-Starchy Vegetables
Bamboo shoots, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Romaine, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce: Boston, Bibb, Leaf, Romaine, etc., Okra, Parsnip, Pepper (sweet), Rutabaga, Sorrel, Sprouts: Mung bean, alfalfa, wheat, barley, etc., Squash (ex. starchy), Turnip.

Note from Chet: Try food combining if you're suffering from digestive problems. This natural technique has helped tens of thousands of health seekers over the years!

Proper Nutrition with WHOLE FOOD..

SUNRIDER WHOLE FOODS
The body is a river constantly flowing and interchanging.
Any stagnation causes pollution with causes illness and dis-ease.
You are what you eat. If you eat a diet of whole foods you will renew or regenerate at a higher and healthier level.

Mental - we have to decide that we want to look and feel better to give ourselves the desire to start the physical aspect of our lifestyle change.

Movement - we need to incorporate movement to increase our metabolic rate, which demands a higher level of nutrition (not a higher caloric intake).

Nutrition - we need to maintain a high level of nutrition to be able to mentally focus on our physical needs.

Have you ever wondered if many of the diseases raging through our society have a common cause? Many doctors, herbalists and nutritionists believe that the explanation may come down to three words: Acid Alkaline Imbalance.

Over acidity, which can become a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems, is very common today. It gives rise to an internal environment conducive to disease, as opposed to a pH-balanced environment which allows normal body function necessary for the body to resist disease. A healthy body maintains adequate alkaline reserves to meet emergency demands. When excess acids must be neutralized our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body in a weakened condition. An Acid Alkaline Balanced diet, according to many experts, is a vital key to health maintenance.

Most people who suffer from unbalanced pH are acidic. This condition forces the body to borrow minerals—including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium—from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body. Because of this strain, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage due to high acidity—a condition that may go undetected for years.

Mild acidosis can cause such problems as:

• Cardiovascular damage, including the constriction of blood vessels and the reduction of oxygen.
• Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
• Bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones.
• Immune deficiency.
• Acceleration of free radical damage, possibly contributing to cancerous mutations.
• Hormone concerns.
• Premature aging.
• Osteoporosis; weak, brittle bones, hip fractures and bone spurs.
• Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
• Low energy and chronic fatigue.
• Slow digestion and elimination.
• Yeast/fungal overgrowth.


The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical American diet, which is far too high in acid-producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline-producing foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many drugs, which are acid-forming; and we use artificial chemical sweetners like NutraSweet, Equal, or aspartame, which are extremely acid-forming. One of the best things we can do to correct an overly-acid body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle.


ALKALINE ASH FOODS

It is recommended that our diets should consist of 80% alkaline ash foods. These foods leave an alkaline ash when the body burns them for fuel.

Almonds Celery Oranges
Apples Cherries Peaches
Apricots Coconut Pears
Avocados Dates Peas
Bananas Figs Pineapple
Beans, all Grapefruit Potatoes
Beets Grapes Radishes
Blackberries Green Beans Raisins
Brazil Nuts Lemons Raspberries
Broccoli Lettuce Rutabagas
Brussel Sprouts Lima Beans Sauerkraut
Buckwheat Limes Soybeans
Cabbage Millet Spinach
Cantaloupe Molasses Strawberries
Carrots Mushrooms Tangerine
Cauliflower Onions Tomatoes
Watermelon

Most alkaline sweetener is STEVIA (Sunnydew!!)
It is recommended that our diets should consist of 20% acid ash foods. These
foods leave an acid-ash when the bod burns them for fuel.

Better acid ash foods consist of:
Barley, Blueberries, Corn, Honey, Lentils, Oatmeal, Pasta, Rice, Natural butter

Acid Ash Foods:
Flour (ALL except buckwheat and millet), Carob, Cranberries, Dairy (all), Fish (all), Meat (all), Nuts (most), Peanut Butter, Plums, Poultry (all), Prunes, Squash

Other Items to Avoid: Alcohol, Coffee, Soda, overcooked food of ANY type.

The body requires PROPER NUTRITION from WHOLE FOOD

CELL (Vitashake/NuPlus):
Every healthy cell in the body generates an electrical field. It is an actual electrical generator. To keep this “electrical generator” going, the cells MUST have oxygen to convert glucose into energy and a high potassium to low sodium ratio inside the cells. To function properly, this ratio needs to be at least FOUR parts potassium to ONE part sodium. This ratio, in turn, should be reflected in the diet. The average American diet has reversed that ratio!! All natural foods, fruits and veggies have a very high potassium to sodium balance. The body requires whole food. A whole food diet consists of 5 elements:

Vitamins
Mineral
Protein
Carbohydrate
Fat

TISSUE (Calli/Fortune):
Because our cells are constantly producing waste products, internal cleansing or detoxification is a CRITICAL body function. If this cleansing process becomes weakened, impurities accumulate in our bodies. As these impurities continue to build, chronic conditions develop. In time, these can become DEGENERATIVE problems. It is essential to maintain a healthy elimination system.

Three things that promote a healthy body are:
Proper Nutrition - whole foods
Exercise - movement
Good Thoughts - loving, kindness

FIVE SYSTEMS (Quinary):
Endocrine, Immune, Digestive, Respiratory, Circulatory

Alpha 20 (Immune - Liver/Gallbladder): This food nourishes the immune system through the thymus, bone marrow, liver and adrenals.

Lifestream (Circulatory - Kidney/Bladder): Poor circulation causes de-oxygenation in the body which results in health problems.

Prime Again (Endocrine - Heart/Small Intestine): This food nourishes the entire glandular system. Helping with longevity, youthfulness and reproductive ability.

Assimilaid (Digestive - Stomach/Spleen/Pancreas): The ability to absorb nutrients is vital to good health. Improved assimilation of food requires the body to need LESS food.

Conco (Respiratory - Lungs/Large Intestine/Skin): Benefits of a healthy respiratory system include protection against invading bacteria.

NBC (Nourish Balance Cleanse)
VITASHAKE/NUPLUS - Nourishes
QUINARY - Balances
CALLI/FORTUNE - Cleanses

NEW YEARS DAY 2010

Do something that scares you. Be outside with nature. Take a risk. Know you can do it. Be vulnerable. Say no. Say YES. Have faith. Say "thank you" often. Chant. Do something for someone without being found out. Twirl on a pole. Call that person you've been meaning to call. Be patient. Surrender. Let go. Apologize if you need to. Laugh so hard your face hurts. Treat yourself the same way you would your best friend. Walk in the rain. Choose to live life fully NOW. Be honest. Be trustworthy. Give a stranger a compliment. Eat real WHOLE food. DRINK your veggies. Do your happy dance. Give up something or someone that no longer serves your highest good, stop trying to make it work. Fall in love. Stay in love. Be sexy. Become that person that you so deeply want in your life. Read a book. Sit still. Enjoy solitary moments. Breathe. Cry. Communicate. LISTEN. Share. Try yoga. Hike. Hold a baby. Call to say HI. Crank up your favorite song and sing on the top of your lungs! Tell your best friend how much they mean to you. Tell everyone you care about how much they mean to you. Start over. Do it now!! LoveLoveLove.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine...

When the body is in balance it has the ability to HEAL itself. It really is that simple.

After years of struggling with a short list of "health opportunities" (some life threatening) I have managed to bring my body into balance and actually regenerate itself!! I feel comfortable in my body (this is HUGE for me and so many women I know), I have endless energy and I rarely get sick. I'd say never but I'm a wee bit superstitious...

I am often approached about this path I have chosen, so being a firm believer that it is our responsibility to SHARE with others the things that bring us health, wealth, joy and love...I have started this blog. If I help even one person, I will be extra bouncy-HAPPY...

It is my hope to help change the way people approach health and nutrition. As a group we can heal ourselves, help others and this beautiful planet we inhabit for a limited time...why not make it heavenly?!

I will never make medical claims...I am not a doctor. I will only share from my own personal experience or I will provide scientific/medical evidence when called for. I will not judge what you put in your body as I have been there...I understand food addiction and dis-ease in the body. It's a vicious cycle that is only perpetuated by the news, advertising and a lack of education...

I was appalled when I learned how little nutritional education MDs receive in the many years of schooling they attend! Medical doctors are perfectly necessary and welcomed when you need pharmaceutical drugs or a heart transplant, etc... I totally respect the need for the medical community, however, I believe in prevention as a first option. I have not had a vaccine since I was a small child and have not had to take a prescription drug in many years. I would if I had to, but thankfully, that has not been the case.

If you want to join me, I am thrilled to have you as part of my tribe...if not, that's okay too - in the end, we are all from the same place anyway and we get to decide what works best for us in this thing called LIFE.

Getting back to simple: Nourish, Balance and Cleanse every day. Eat Whole Food Live as much as you can. This is what has worked for me and I am here to share with you if you want.

LoveLoveLove,
Sheri xo

The Beginning...

I apologize beforehand if I seem like one of those multi-level marketing annoying people...HOWEVER...I am so passionate about the plant-based, whole food, live enzyme foods I have been consuming that I need to offer up the opportunity for the people I love to learn about what has radically changed my body, mind and spirt in such a profound way that I would only be selfish to not share!!

BTW, to the beautiful women in my life, I am equally passionate about S Factor, but that's another blog...

I have been consuming Sunrider foods since 2003. I generally only tell people about it who are curious as to what my "brown" or "green" water contains. Many of my friends have been "on" Sunrider for a long time yet we all seem to keep it to ourselves for whatever reason...I will get to that...

I was introduced to Sunrider by a friend who was put on the food program by a Naturopath, Dr. Sharyn Wynters. She has been consuming Sunrider for over 2 decades and believe me when I tell you, she looks AMAZING!!

Following is what has changed for me since I have been on Sunrider (consistently for just over 2 years but sporadically for 8 years):

My weight is stablilized, my skin and hair always have moisture, my complexion is clear (I used to have adult cystic acne), I stopped drinking coffee without trying, I am rarely bloated AND I eat whatever I want but I truly crave healthy foods...i have become a raw food/vegan over the last year and a half...I have more energy and more peace (well...most of the time in spite of my newfound nomadic existence). That is the truth.

Those of you who know me for more than 2 years know that I used to work out like an animal, eat A LOT of sugar, my blood sugar would crash and I'd do it again!! Knowingly. It was a vicious cycle. I WAS A SUGAR ADDICT. The kind of sugar addict that preached to you that my food came from Whole Foods and was "healthy", but the only difference is that I was consuming organic sugar items...and lots of them!!

I still eat whatever I want, but moderately...my need to binge/obsess is gone. That is a miracle. Today, I know that when we give our bodies what it really needs to function, our food addictions go away naturally..I struggled with an eating disorder much of my earlier life and today I want nothing more then to feed and love my body...I abused it for so long to look good on the outside that I almost died.

I will also tell you that Sunrider is a business. You need a sponsor to order the food at a discount. That is the part that had been difficult for me yet the opportunity to earn money exists. I am getting over the fear of turning people off as a result of the business side because this world is in big trouble as a result of our eating habits and the economy. Cancer, diabetes, mental illness, obesity and other dis-ease...all a result of our environment and malnutrition. Sunrider has made it possible for me to earn money doing what I love...my passion "forced" me to explore this as a business and it has paid off in more ways than I would have ever imagined!

I have lost and know so many people with cancer lately that I can't be quiet about this anymore. WE NEED TO HONOR AND PROTECT OUR BODIES!! No surgery, pill or fad diet is going to make you healthy or permanently thin. There is not one cure-all product on the market...we need a variety of foods and we need to NOURISH, BALANCE and CLEANSE every day so that our body can REGENERATE. Sunrider has made it easy to do that...the products I use daily are plant-based, pharmaceutical-grade herbal WHOLE foods. Keep in mind - it is FOOD (not medicinal herbs which can be dangerous), food-grade herbs...safe for EVERYBODY! Full of live enzymes and nutrients that feed the body on a cellular level...do you know what you fed your spleen today? I do.

The truth is, most people treat their pets better than themselves when it comes to nutrition!!

If you give your body what it needs, it will come into balance in a relatively short amount of time.

The mission is to heal this world, one person at a time, let me know if I can help you... xo