Spent the day at the Hippocrates Health Institute.
There was a short course with the Chef Ken on raw cuisine. He showed us how to make flax crackers, tacos and red pepper corn salsa. He used a Vita-Mix Blender and dehydrator to make the crackers. He had some already made for us to taste. Now, I've purchased some flax crackers at Whole Foods and at a raw cuisine restaurant but these were much more delicate and tastier than those I've tried before. The girl sitting next to me opened her eyes wide with approval as we devoured our crackers. It was comforting to know that such goodies could be made with not that much work. However, it does take time, lots of time. Dehydrating usually takes 24 hours, sometimes more here in humid Florida.
Chef Ken said that the focus at the Institute is health and secondarily on taste. Hopefully, at the Institute they have both. But the foundation of the diet is sprouts and wheatgrass juice. The stuff made in the dehydrator (pizza, tacos, crackers, cookies) were considered "condiments". He also said that sugar in whatever form is still sugar and he wasn't telling us that we couldn't have it, because it is our choice, I got the feeling that I wouldn't be seeing anything like the chocolate hazelnut tort that I shared with my niece at the raw restaurant, Cafe 118. Since I would want to learn the "right way", it makes me feel more confident about the Hippocrates Institute though a little sad about the chocolate. I gave up coffee quite quickly and easily and yes, I sometimes linger by the roaster at Whole Foods and take a deep whiff, but must everything go?
At the beginning of the lunch buffet all I could see were mounds and mounds of the cleanest, freshest sprouts of all kinds. I have to say that they were ... well... beautiful. Like a beautiful lawn, but I never thought about eating my front yard. I got a little worried til I got to the end of the buffet and found the salad dressings and tacos. Whew! I grabbed some olives too and some what turned out to be very crispy pieces of dulse. Obviously dehydrated. Dulse chips?
At lunch I dined with two ladies. One local and the other, rather elderly, who was dealing with cancer. She was doing the three week program where you detox and learn the skills you need to take home with you. She had just completed her first week so I asked her if she felt better. She very enthusiastically said "yes!" and then picked up her dulse chip and said "I just love these".
She said that she had met people from all over the world that had come to learn at Hippocrates. I confided that I had come today with the purpose of checking out the place. When I mentioned that I was a teacher and on a teacher's salary and that the price was a bit high to be here, the other woman pulled out her card. She is a realtor and knows some people that live close by that could give me a better deal to stay nearby. Hmmmmm.....I'm definitely interested.
We were also shown the greenhouse and how to grow sprouts & wheatgrass by the greenhouse manager, Michael. He is very passionate about what he does and extremely knowledgeable. Before arriving I had thought, couldn't I just get this from books or DVD or youtube? But I learned so much more and the grounds were so beautiful. They have 40 acres. It's in West Palm Beach so it is subtropical and just beautifully maintained.
Michael said that he has seen so many people come through with cancer and seen their tumors shrink from (using both hands to make a big circle) to a pea. Basically, the foundation of the diet is wheatgrass juice and sprouts. Wheatgrass juice is very close to hemoglobin which provides oxygen to the cells. Cancer cannot survive in oxygen. So many diseases go into remission because of the oxygenation. Anyways, really glad that I went.
Long drive and I'm a bit tired now. Exhilirated and pooped.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Cute Little Wheatgrass Juicer
It only takes a few minutes to juice and clean it and it's light and cute. What else do you want in a juicer?
Oh... I almost forgot ... it's very quiet.
Yes, at some point I will have to get a big, loud juicer that can crank out the volume but I'll always remember that I fell in love with this little guy first...♥
8am w/Debora
Tomorrow off.
Day seven in a row. Woo hoo. So I've proved to myself that upping to five days a week is certainly doable. I'm not going to do a 30-day challenge yet because if I only get 27 days .... well you see.. i just wrote "only". So there is a feeling of failure even though I would have made it 90% of the time.
My real challenge is to achieve consistency in the long run. So it's more important to develop the routine now and then still be going strong six months from now. I can get all inspired and go for a while then stop. Like the lion so ferocious on the kill and then sleeps two weeks. Other Leos out there?
In the meantime, it felt like I went deeper into camel. Seems like my backbend is coming along. The standing bow seems to have improved. The standing leg feels solid and now I'm bending forward more and there's more of a curve in the bend.
There is a muscle in my right hip that was pulled a few weeks ago and I can still feel it so I'm taking care not to re-injure it. It basically affects the bending forward/compression postures. Especially standing head to knee and head to knee pose with stretching.
The 90 minutes is going quicker and that feels good although in practice today, I felt a bit weak like I should have eaten a piece of banana before class. Though it does seem incredulous that I need to eat and can't just live off my fat for a week...
Day seven in a row. Woo hoo. So I've proved to myself that upping to five days a week is certainly doable. I'm not going to do a 30-day challenge yet because if I only get 27 days .... well you see.. i just wrote "only". So there is a feeling of failure even though I would have made it 90% of the time.
My real challenge is to achieve consistency in the long run. So it's more important to develop the routine now and then still be going strong six months from now. I can get all inspired and go for a while then stop. Like the lion so ferocious on the kill and then sleeps two weeks. Other Leos out there?
In the meantime, it felt like I went deeper into camel. Seems like my backbend is coming along. The standing bow seems to have improved. The standing leg feels solid and now I'm bending forward more and there's more of a curve in the bend.
There is a muscle in my right hip that was pulled a few weeks ago and I can still feel it so I'm taking care not to re-injure it. It basically affects the bending forward/compression postures. Especially standing head to knee and head to knee pose with stretching.
The 90 minutes is going quicker and that feels good although in practice today, I felt a bit weak like I should have eaten a piece of banana before class. Though it does seem incredulous that I need to eat and can't just live off my fat for a week...
Change!
I teach ninth graders. This was a career change and it's now my fourth year. I'm constantly amazed at how the smallest "tweak" will change the same lesson from a disaster to a success. One "tweak" are my instructions. From "who knows the answer to this question?" to "Now, I'm going to ask a question, if you know the answer raise your hand...don't say anything... just raise your hand..." With that adjustment in my directions, I go from a situation where students are shouting out answers and trying to have conversations to an orderly response....most times...
So in Bikram, as we transition between postures, the instructor will say 'change' and I cannot help but notice that many of us will flop out of the position.
The 'CH' sound itself is a stronger sound so it has more force behind it. So when they want us to move more abruptly the word 'change' is more effective. However, when they want us to transition more slowly out of the position maybe there are other ways of saying that to get the desired effect. How about "now....slowly move out of the posture"? Of course, in a posture like standing bow where I'm just waiting to POP out of that pose, I'd like to hear "Change!" as soon as possible.
So in Bikram, as we transition between postures, the instructor will say 'change' and I cannot help but notice that many of us will flop out of the position.
The 'CH' sound itself is a stronger sound so it has more force behind it. So when they want us to move more abruptly the word 'change' is more effective. However, when they want us to transition more slowly out of the position maybe there are other ways of saying that to get the desired effect. How about "now....slowly move out of the posture"? Of course, in a posture like standing bow where I'm just waiting to POP out of that pose, I'd like to hear "Change!" as soon as possible.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Right after making my green smoothie tonight, I noticed that the base of the Cuisinart had some "black dust" and oil on it. It looks like the base is grinding the black pastic teeth a bit. I think I'm pushing it beyond its capacity. And like my hip muscle, it's gonna blow. So I'm researching online to find a more powerful blender than the poor Cuisinart that can whack those raw beets and collards into a tasty drink. It should have a big enough motor that it could just mow the lawn too. That's not a bad idea, maybe it could come with a special attachment that would juice that lawn grass right into a shot glass for my daily regimen.... hmmmm
8am Class w/Moo
Only three of us. But the other two are dedicated yogis so it was a focused class. Moo has a soft voice so the class takes on a more meditative quality. Not that I mind being barked at by a would-be drill sargeant, just that I respond better to this style. I still push as hard but I'm better able to focus on what I'm doing rather than pushing my body too hard and getting hurt.
Day six in a row. Feels good. So I've accomplished what I had hoped to during this spring break. Simply to go to a class every day for at least six days in a row to see what the stamina would be like. I'm also pleased to find that my stamina has been fine.
The muscle in the right hip is still tender but I am able to do most of the postures. Just have to be careful with the bending forward poses where the lower back gets pulled/stretched.
I'm back in my fat jeans! Yay! We must celebrate the incremental changes which will eventually lead to the ultimate goals. Of course, once I'm skinny and glowing, that goal will replaced by even worthier ones.
Day six in a row. Feels good. So I've accomplished what I had hoped to during this spring break. Simply to go to a class every day for at least six days in a row to see what the stamina would be like. I'm also pleased to find that my stamina has been fine.
The muscle in the right hip is still tender but I am able to do most of the postures. Just have to be careful with the bending forward poses where the lower back gets pulled/stretched.
I'm back in my fat jeans! Yay! We must celebrate the incremental changes which will eventually lead to the ultimate goals. Of course, once I'm skinny and glowing, that goal will replaced by even worthier ones.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Renewed Vows
So I signed up with the new Bikram studio on March 1st with the intention of going at least 4x per week. I'm happy to report that goal was accomplished.
I also decided to change my diet. Right now, I just want to fit back into my FAT jeans.
However...I want to lose the weight while glowing with health.
So, I've spent some time reading raw food blogs and hanging out in the book section at Whole Foods rather than journaling.
So I've decided to begin the transition by drinking wheatgrass and drinking green juices at Whole Foods. Regarding wheatgrass. It smells just like freshly mowed grass. And it tastes like fresh mowed lawn too. As one wheatgrass expert said on his blog... no one likes the taste of wheatgrass and you don't want to hang out with the few that do. So there. I learned a vital lesson about green juices... not only are they high in nutrition... they also kill the taste of the wheatgrass. argh!
After a month of ordering my wheatgrass shots at Whole Foods, I figured that the taste wouldn't kill me so I was prepared to purchase a wheatgrass juicer. Luckily, I found a manual juicer online that only costs $50, including the shipping. It works very well and it's kinda cute. I've saved myself the $399 on an electric version so that's major shopping points right there...
Whole foods conveniently sells bags of wheatgrass which is nice since I'm not at the grow my own phase yet. I learned that my husband is willing to take his green medicine too so I'm really happy that I invested in the little juicer.
In the fourth week of yoga practice, I really began to feel a change. If I could use only one word, I would have to say "calmness". It feels to me that the diet is complementing the yoga practice quite nicely. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there are a lot of yogis eating raw foods.
Now, for April, what am I going to do, as Emeril says, to "kick it up a notch"?
For April I will do Bikram 5x per week. But I need to get organized. So, for that reason, I'm doing a "stay-cation" this spring break week instead of taking an "away" vacation.
That means only one thing..... shopping!
During the "stay-cation" I grind wheatgrass in my new juicer and pour it into the new shot glasses I purchased especially for serving them. These glasses look a little like the communion glasses at church. To deliver the holy green liquid to my Catholic husband. har har. Then I make a green smoothie and pour it into the new travel drink cups and place them into the new little cooler for the car ride. And, of course, with going to the studio every day, I'm not always going to be able to wash/repack the yoga clothes & towels so voila! a couple of new aubergine colored microfiber hot yoga towels. They were so nice it would have been a crime to not get the matching yoga mat....
I also decided to change my diet. Right now, I just want to fit back into my FAT jeans.
However...I want to lose the weight while glowing with health.
So, I've spent some time reading raw food blogs and hanging out in the book section at Whole Foods rather than journaling.
So I've decided to begin the transition by drinking wheatgrass and drinking green juices at Whole Foods. Regarding wheatgrass. It smells just like freshly mowed grass. And it tastes like fresh mowed lawn too. As one wheatgrass expert said on his blog... no one likes the taste of wheatgrass and you don't want to hang out with the few that do. So there. I learned a vital lesson about green juices... not only are they high in nutrition... they also kill the taste of the wheatgrass. argh!
After a month of ordering my wheatgrass shots at Whole Foods, I figured that the taste wouldn't kill me so I was prepared to purchase a wheatgrass juicer. Luckily, I found a manual juicer online that only costs $50, including the shipping. It works very well and it's kinda cute. I've saved myself the $399 on an electric version so that's major shopping points right there...
Whole foods conveniently sells bags of wheatgrass which is nice since I'm not at the grow my own phase yet. I learned that my husband is willing to take his green medicine too so I'm really happy that I invested in the little juicer.
In the fourth week of yoga practice, I really began to feel a change. If I could use only one word, I would have to say "calmness". It feels to me that the diet is complementing the yoga practice quite nicely. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there are a lot of yogis eating raw foods.
Now, for April, what am I going to do, as Emeril says, to "kick it up a notch"?
For April I will do Bikram 5x per week. But I need to get organized. So, for that reason, I'm doing a "stay-cation" this spring break week instead of taking an "away" vacation.
That means only one thing..... shopping!
During the "stay-cation" I grind wheatgrass in my new juicer and pour it into the new shot glasses I purchased especially for serving them. These glasses look a little like the communion glasses at church. To deliver the holy green liquid to my Catholic husband. har har. Then I make a green smoothie and pour it into the new travel drink cups and place them into the new little cooler for the car ride. And, of course, with going to the studio every day, I'm not always going to be able to wash/repack the yoga clothes & towels so voila! a couple of new aubergine colored microfiber hot yoga towels. They were so nice it would have been a crime to not get the matching yoga mat....
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