JoAnne's Blog

Raw Food Recipes

Today, I thought I would share with you one of my favourite recipe books for eating raw.  It is entitled "How We All Went Raw" by Charles Nungesser and Stephen Malachi.

One of the recipes in the book is a Sweet Kale Salad, involving of course a head of kale, then equal amounts of honey and olive oil.  You can add minced garlic, raisins and pine nuts.  The key to this salad is the massaging of the ingredients to soften the kale and blend the flavours together.  It is my husband's favourite salad and a hit at every family get together. 

Another great book is "Recipes for Life" by Rhonda J. Malkmus.  It's put out by Hallelujah Acres and has all kinds of information about eating raw as well.  One of my favourite recipes in this book, and it was hard to pick one, is a

Marinaded Broccoli, Cauliflower Salad

You need:
    2 cups of broccoli florets,
    2 medium carrots, cut in 1/4" circles
    1 medium tomato, diced
    1 cup cauliflower florets
    1/2 cup red onion or sweet onion, thinly sliced
Place all vegetables in a bowl. 

Make a marinade by placing the following in a blender and blend until smooth.
    3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
    1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
    1/2 tsp. garlic powder
    1/2 tsp. sea salt

Pour over vegetables, and add
    1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

Mix well, cover and set in refrigerator to chill overnight.

Before serving, top with
    1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Enjoy!

"What Did You Do?"

Because I am a cancer survivor, people are always asking me, "What did you do?"  When I was first diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, after the initial shock, I wondered if there was anything that I could do; anything that would help my body to fight off this disease.  The oncologist was firm in that there was nothing; nothing that would make any difference apart from chemotherapy.

Well, I would like to disagree. There is always something that you can do.  I searched and read anything and everything I could about cancer and I found many books that were encouraging.  I found that cancer is not always a death sentence.  It is very hard to pick just one book; but, I will mention the very first one that I came in contact with, that I truly believed I could follow.  It was entitled the "Cancer Battle Plan Sourcebook" by David J. Frahm.  This book was complete in that it addressed every aspect of my life and helped me to believe that I could help my body to rid itself of this disease. 

One of the first things that I looked at was my diet. So much of what we eat is full of toxins and our bodies have become sluggish because of it. The body is just not able to rid itself of these toxins as it was originally designed to do. As a result I did become a vegan and ate mostly raw foods, along with juicing.  I also added some recommended dietary supplements.

Along with this process of detoxification I included such things as dry brushing, bouncing on a trampoline, etc.  There so many things to talk about when it comes to the topic of detoification that I think I shall devote a whole article to it; but for now I would like to mention that Nutronix has a very, safe and gentle overall detox program for the average person.  You can find out about it by clicking on the link to the left.  I have personally used these products and feel comfortable in recommending them to you.

Another very important thing that I learned was to surround myself with positive people.  I imagined myself in a boat and had to decide who I would put in the boat with me.  It certainly was not helpful to have people telling me what to do all the time, either.  I wanted people who believed with me that I would get well, no matter what my doctor said.  Along with this, prayer became increasingly important.

There are many more things I could talk about, but the bottom line is there is something you can do and it may not be what I have done.  I eventually did take chemotherapy.  My advice is for you to become informed; choose what will work for you and who you will work with.  Believe in yourself and trust the wisdom within.  Then, amidst the storm find peace and the strength to enjoy the life that you have been given.
 

Punta Cana

Have you ever been to an all inclusive resort?  If you have, you already know what we experienced on our vacation.  However, this was my first time and I was impressed.  It was a 5 star and we had purchased an upgrade.  We had private check-in service, complete with a welcome drink and snacks, which was most appreciated after a long day of traveling.  Our room was great and situated right near the ocean.  It had a huge bed and was completely stocked with everything we would need, robes, slippers, beach towels, a well stocked fridge and fresh flowers every day.  We even had access to free internet service.  We could have our breakfast, lunch and/or dinner delivered to our room at no charge.  But, who would want to?   There were so many places to eat and such a variety of food available everywhere.  The staff were wonderful and were definitely there to please and entertain you.  The maid service was top notch.  The weather was fantastic.

It was a very large resort and it took us a little while to find our way around.  It was actually quite funny at first.  We didn't understand the map we were given and were actually walking circles around where we needed to go, which was the buffet. 

After several days, we were totally surprised that with the availabity of free alcoholic drinks everywhere, we did not see anyone out of line in their behaviour.  Everyone was there to have a good time and have a good time, we did.  I took advantage of all the dance and aerobic classes, in and out of the water.  I believe I am pretty good at the Salsa, now.  We took advantage of the many water sports and games available.  We walked up and down the beach for many hours and yes, I do have a tan.  I even sported a bikini on this trip.  However, by the end of the week, I had to resort to my one piece bathing suit.  Why?  The food, food and more food and possibly the Bahama Mamas and Pina Coladas did me in.  M-m-m, they were good.   

As it turned out, just my husband and I went to Punta Cana.  My daughter and her family were not able to go at the last minute, due to the children having ear infections and a touch of pneumonia.  Although, we missed spending time with our grandchildren, the trip became a much needed R and R for us.  When I return to B.C., I will post a few pictures for all to see. 

Just as a final note, we are time share holders and have enjoyed traveling to many different places via  this avenue.  But after this experience, I believe I will sell it.  If you are interested, contact me.  For those who understand, it is a ski week in Canada in a red time zone.  It seems as we get older, we like the warm weather and being wined, dined and entertained. 

It's Vacation Time!

Today, I have been so busy running around trying to tie up loose ends before I go to Ontario, tomorrow.  We will be away for 3 weeks, and during one of those weeks we will be at a lovely beach resort in Punta Canta, in the Dominican Republic with my daughter and her family.  We leave very early in the morning; so I should probably be in bed early, tonight; but I can guarantee that isn't going to happen. 

Going away for a vacation should be fun.  Unfortunately, getting ready is such a drag.  It seems there are so many things to do.  Make sure the bills are going to be paid while you are away.  Arrange for your mail to be taken care of.  Be sure that any weekly commitments have been notified.  Decide what clothes need to be taken and if necessary get some new ones.  I for one needed a new bathing suit as I am bigger this year than last year and that's a good thing in my case.  Empty the fridge.  Get my hair cut.  Get someone to watch your house.  Catch up on some business and/or emails.  Then, there is the don't forget list of things.  Don't forget to take the passports, the camera and charger, our sunglasses (prescription, in my case), our sandals and even boots this trip, the out of province health insurance and of course the computer with it's charger.  Is there anything else?  Ahh! Don't forget to turnoff this, unplug that, call "so and so" and figure out what to do with the garbage for 3 weeks. 

In my case, I also have to clean the house.  I don't know about you; but I cannot go on vacation and come home to a house that isn't clean or tidy.  Usually, we pack so much into our vacations that we come home tired.  The last thing we need to do then, is clean the house.  Enough chatting, must keep going. 

Silver Solution

Yesterday, I talked about a Superbug and how Silver Solution is very effective against bacteria and viruses, etc.  I thought today I might talk about my experience with it.  I first learned about the Silver Solution while taking it as part of a detox program from Nutronix to rid my body of chemo. I was very impressed with what I read about it and continued taking it after the detox.  I went back to work 2 months after my last chemo treatment.  It has been a year now and as I work with very young children everyday, I am amazed at how few colds I have developed.  The few colds I have had have been very mild, lasting no more than 5 days.  My immune system seems to have bounced back very nicely. I believe the Silver Solution is the reason why. 

Superbug

Wow!  I was just reading on a website   www.healthyagain.biz  that there is a superbug, Clostridium difficile, which has ben found to have caused many deaths in England and Wales.  The elderly have been especially vulnerable.  Apparently, it is present in the gut of 3% of adults and 2/3 of infants and rarely causes problems.  However, certain antibiotics may disturb the normal balance and allow the bug to thrive and cause severe diarrhoea and in some cases severe inflammation of the bowel with disturbing results. 

What can one do?  Of course, stringent hand-washing and personal cleanliness is paramount.  We can also build up and support our immune systems.  I feel very fortunate that Nutronix offers Silver Solution. Silver products have been available for use medicinally as a disinfectant for decades.  Now, a new and improved type of silver has been developed, Silver Solution.  It is virtually non-toxic and very effective against a wide range of bacteria, viruses, yeasts and other pathogens.  Educate yourself on the simple, safe and effective use of the new patent pending silver solution.  Your immune system will thank you. 

For more info, go to   http://www.automaticbuilder.com/jbenterprises/silver