Vegan Strong Month 8

Hey folks sorry I have been lazy with the blog.  Just thought I would let you know things are going great feel awesome and still losing weight.  I have taken this transformation to the vegan lifestyle by the horns as some would say and seem to making a pretty good go of it.  I have not really had too many cravings for meat or any animal products for that matter.  I would have to say when the wife cooks something up since she is not on the lifestyle change as I am the food she makes many times makes me want to vomit the smell of cooked animal flesh and eggs is nasty to my sense these days.
I think after awhile when you remove animal products from your lifestyle you no longer desire them; the smells that you once loved growing up and consuming them all the time seem to vanish.   The desire for healthy fruits, vegetables, greens and other healthy whole food plant based products seem to overwhelm our senses both visually, by smell, and of course by the exotic taste that some foods have to offer mango, dates, and pineapple come to mind. 

So I do not see myself anytime in the near future or if ever again consuming the products from animals that are being linked to increase in cancer, diabetes, heart disease and increase risk of other illnesses as well as obesity.  We now live in a world with products that allow to us to thrive without harming animals or exploiting them in anyway, and we see better health and life because of it so why not embrace some change for your own health.  The reality that we have the ability to live this way and have better health, and reduction in serious health concerns and even reversal of illnesses like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure is shocking that more and more people are not flocking towards living the whole food plant based lifestyle or veganism.  Having this opportunity to radically change your life and possibly removing toxic and expensive medications and the spare tire from your life is huge in my opinion.

On a side note watched an incredible documentary on Netflix called Forks over Knives which chronicles the life and research done by a slew of  Dr`s  around the world and the benefits of a plant based whole food lifestyle and the people they have saved in their studies and programs. Also the research they had compiled listing the health issues from consuming dairy and animal flesh, which are diabetes stage 2, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and bone density issues like osteoporosis just to name a few.

The changes that have been made to allow people to transition into living without the consumption of animal products is vast and ever evolving that companies big and small and making waves into plant based nutrition and food products for us.  Than you have more and more Dr's that are researching the health benefits from proper plant based nutrition more physicians helping people through nutrition and lifestyle change.  If you do your research you will find most of the Dr's that promote consuming dairy and meat products are important to sustaining life have connections to the dairy, and meat industry and other agricultural sectors and are probably getting some kind of cash incentive to say such things.  That Dr's that have done the research and have no connection to big corporation or the dairy and meat industry; or even those that grew up around it now realizing that the consumption of animal products is what is killing humans and the raising of animals for slaughter is killing the planet.   I hope more and more people view documentaries like this and send the message out there how toxic the fast food industry is and how animal agriculture is killing the planet and killing thousands of people everyday. 

All I can say is for the sake of your health put down the greasy beef burger and grab a salad or a delicious green smoothie.

God Bless.

Vegan Cleanse Day 8

Vegan cleanse day 7 brought home my new bike.

Take a Look at Yourself.

The title of this blog is well to really start to take a real close look at yourself not just on the outside but also how you are feeling on the inside.  Maybe life over the last few years or maybe most of your life has been an uphill battle with emotions and well the weight elevator as I'm also well aware of as are so many of us in this world.   All I'm saying is maybe consider this option if your really ready to hunker down and change yourself for the better and healthier side of yourself take a picture of yourself and then put it on the fridge and possibly other cabinets and the pantry and any other hiding places that there may be some temptations.   Especially if your the only one wanting to change if you have a family you may have those sugary and fatty junk foods still kicking around calling out to you.  Then in say about six months take another picture of yourself and put them side by side and then continue your journey until your at the size you want to be.  The best motivation you can give yourself isthe chance to see the positive changes in yourself but mentally and physically.  Changing your lifestyle can literally change who you are make a better you today just by choosing to make healthier choices for your life and your family.  The more you show your kids how important it is to take care of yourself the more they will embrace the change.  Eating healthier is one step but you also have to start moving be it walking, pushing yourself around in a wheelchair whatever gets your blood pumping and heart going.  God Bless and Peace. 

How Long it will take to convert to completely RAW Lifestyle.

This to answer one of my comments I received.  This is a tough one since the time period will fluctuate per individual and the willpower and motivation one person has also differs from each person to the next.  I still battle this myself and I know many people who have now been Raw for many years dealt with there own non-raw temptations for years before they were fully Raw and Vegan.  I also have heard many people on this planet of ours that thrive on a high raw diet with a percentage of cooked foods actually there is another diet or lifestyle plan called the Hallulah Diet that does just that 85% raw uncooked foods and 15% cooked foods. 
Many people also have been debating lately that a totally Raw diet may not be the best for everyone as we all have different body mechanics as in metabolisms differ, fat percentages are different so many people are not super active as eating Raw Living Foods does give you loads of energy.  As well as some people may just not be able to handle the conversion. 

I would say if this is something you need to do for your health and well being and possibly to lose a considerable amount of weight you may just find the extra bit of will power to overcome those temptations you may have.   For instance if you are a big meat eater say 3-5 times per week try going away from meats from 2 of those days make them veggie days, truly many companies do make substitute meat but I would not recommend this processed junk.  Many books have come out on raw foods and how to prepare some amazing creations I  however like just eating the fruits and veggies in there true unchanged form like God intended.  Like I have said in many of my other blogs truly the root to better health, a removal or reversal of illness, anti-aging qualities, and an almost never ending supply of energy is fruits, veggies and juices in the RAW!.

#1 All I can tell you is to get through the hard temptations is remove them from your home 
#2 Have plenty of fruits and veggies available to you,
#3 If you feel hungry but just ate have some water this will fill you up and curb the appetite or some nice herbal or green tea also works well for this. 
#4 Take the time to take care of yourself!!
 If your a person who is always doing everything for your family and nothing for yourself it is time to take some of that time and use it to pamper yourself or even go to the gym for a good workout, time to tell the hubby to take over for awhile or tell the oldest child if capable to watch over the younger ones.

Truly the culprit to your obesity could be that you never took the time to take care of YOU!.  Maybe it is time for that spa day, and to hit the gym with some of your friends or your mate and finally find the fit person you may have been in the past or have always wanted to be. 

REMEMBER IT IS NEVER TO LATE TO TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME AND MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR YOURSELF-JUST LIKE THE NEW SEASON OF THE BIGGEST LOSER IS "NO EXCUSES" TIME TO STOP MAKING MORE REASONS ON YOUR LIST OF EXCUSES AND TO START CROSSING THEM OUT.  Simply changing your eating habits and watching what you eat can be the biggest change in what the scale has to show.

I remember watching a Dr. Oz episode many months ago and he made a very true statement if we all would only shop the edges of a grocery store and stayed away from the middle we would be making a very smart and healthy choice.  Simply put he was saying that all the foods that we should stay away like all the processed, refined, junk foods, and other chemically laden foods are usually pushed into all of the aisles found in the middle.  Where the fruits and veggies and other healthy alternatives are found on the edges.  That hit home to me since it is so true most every store you walk into the junk is in the aisles.

So I would say on average give yourself a 6 months maybe two years to fully convert to Raw. However if this is for someone that is dying of extreme obesity this can be done FAST and should be considered check out Youtube Videos on my site for Dave the Raw Food Truck Driver and also Bill at Rawfoodformylife. 

Remember one last thing you do not need to spending momney on all of these gadgets when you first start out yes a juicer is a good idea and a blender but stuff like a food dehydrator if your looking for simple and tasty just eat the fruits and veggies how they were created.   Some you'll love some you'll be like interesting remember just because you have never eaten it before doesn't mean you shouldn't atleast try it out.  Truly I keep learning new fruit and veggie trivia everyday just like supposedly there are over 300 types of kiwi in china in all actuality Dragonfruit could be one of those kiwi varieties that we see all over now, try these if you like kiwi and pear you'll be in heaven.

So to end this Blog every person converting to a new lifestyle or even trying a new diet plan will differ from one person to the next and what one person may get out of it the next may not.  However this does not mean that you should not try something that may make your life everything you have been missing who knows maybe there is a hot skinny healthy woman, or strong healthy fit man hiding beneath the layers of fat start chisling away with more fruit and veggies and just take it one day at a time also if you ever come to a point were you feel like your body is a standstill on the scale do not fret it is just your body getting used to the new you and once this passes more weight will come off.

God Bless and Best Wishes.

Lose Weight Fast Without The Battle.

Have you been wondering how to lose some weight without surgery or some insane exercise routine.  Have you been battling the bulge for many years of your life if not all of your life.  Do you finally want to take control of your life so you can start living like all the fit and slim friends that seem to laugh at your obesity.  Well what if I could tell you that your transformation into the world of slim is as easy as dropping the cooked junk you have been eating all your life, and to start increasing your fruit and veggie intake especially the greens and citrus.  Yes no insane exercise routine, no surgery, and you will start shedding off the fat in record time.  The only thing is losing all the junk from your life.  For instance " No Fast Food, Junk Food, Processed Crap, Dairy Products, Meats, and especially any baked goods.  This may sound insane but truly why do you think you may be over weight or even in the realm of morbid obesity simply put all your life you have been eating this junk. 


First of all the biggest issue before starting any lifestyle change is to come to the reality of why you have let yourself go.   Be it emotional eating, depression, or abuse of some kind, or even self hatred.  Truly before battling the bulge one of the most serious aspects of your life is battling some inner demons that have gotten you to this point in your life and this weight!.  Now in retrospect this can label any eating disorder be it emotional overeating, bulimia, anorexia, food addiction, or some other undiagnosed eating condition.

We all have issues in our lives no matter how big or small they are throughout our lives many people become experts at bottling these emotions and issues up the only problem is for some people bottling them up includes massive weight gain or weight loss.  Or even dying due to health complications before getting the help they need to battle the issues at hand.  Weight gain or excessive weight loss and the person not doing anything about it is very psychological.  Basically blocking out increasing weight issues is a lot easier then dealing with the emotional issues that got you there in the first place.  No matter if you are huge or starving to death both of these issues can be attributed to psychological blocks.

All I'm saying being someone who has been battling the bulge most of my own life I can understand firsthand why some of us just find comfort in ourselves no matter what the size we become.  I can also come to the realization that many people put on massive amounts of weight just to shield themselves from others or society in general.   We feel that if we are fat and unapprochable we will be safer in life and that no one will hurt us again. 

What I have found in my own journey is that raw food brings happiness, it allows you to look inside yourself to overcome any obstacles that may have stopped you in the past.   It has been shown that raw FRUITS AND VEGGIES simply put reduce depression, mental illness issues, illness in general, and causes joy and almost endless energy. 

Now for those of you that do not know what is allowed in a raw food lifestyle here is a breakdown:

ALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN RAW STATE!!!!
DRIED FRUITS AND VEGGIES as long as they were processed under 119 degrees.
RAW NUTS, PEANUTS NOT INCLUDED- THIS IS RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY THIN AND HEALTHY IF TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT YOU DO NOT CONSUME NUTS AS THEY ARE HIGH IN FAT.  P.S. with nuts remember to soak atleast 1hr or longer to remove the enzyme inhibitors.
FERMENTED VEGGIES LIKE RAW SAUERKRAUT FOR INSTANCE.
SPROUTS
SPROUTED GRAINS AND LEGUMES
DEHYDRATED PRODUCTS SUCH AS KALE CHIPS or fruit leathers no sugar added.
NUTRITIONAL YEAST
RAW CHOCOLATE
WHEATGRASS
CHIA SEEDS
HEMP SEEDS and many others,
and supplements if desired would be some probitic capsules, enzyme capsules, and any other product you so desire.

ALCOHOL IS NOT ALLOWED or atleast only in moderation, CAFFIENE IS ALSO TO BE TAKEN OUT OR ATLEAST REDUCED.  I MYSELF LOOK AT THIS AS COFFEE MORE THEN ONE A DAY, BLACK TEAS THE SAME.  ENERGY DRINKS none at all loaded with sugars as well OR CAFFINE PILLS ETC.  AND YES WEIGHT LOSS PILLS WOULD ALSO BE IN THIS MIX IF THEY HAVE CAFFIENE. 

Of course this is if you were to go full bore into a raw food vegan lifestyle which can end up being catastrophic go slow and convert yourself overtime.  Unless however you are on the verge of death from being morbidly obese like over 400lbs then start on a 100% raw food routine NOW especially the greens.

Even start by doing 50/50 still remove all meats, dairy and COOKED grains AND BREAD PRODUCTS. Your cooked foods can be steamed veggies, and beans fresh/frozen kind nothing canned and some healthy vegan products such as hummus/tofu.

What I have found is the more raw you eat the more it is all you crave. 

P.S. If you live on your own start by removing all temptations like the pantry full of junk food, and the freezer full of ice cream treats and processed garbage.  Run do not walk to the store and grab a ton of produce.

If you have a family and you are all starting to resemble bowling balls maybe its time you remove the junk.  Truly learning how to UNCOOK MAY JUST BE THE LIFE PERSERVER YOU HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!

GOD BLESS AND PEACE.

Combat the Fat Eat RAW

What can I say most every person on the planet has dealt with the issue of a belly be it just a little flab or the morbidly obese.  Even I have and still continue to battle with the belly bulge this is actually one of the reasons I started down the path of living mainly raw.  I have been a heavier set guy since I was 10yrs old and well almost hitting forty starts to make you think it is about time I dealt with this issue.  Now I'm not saying that being fat has not been hard on me I have been called names looked at in disgust people who are heavier know what I'm talking about.  I was lucky enough to find a person who loved me for me and she has also been my motivator in getting in shape for the first time in my life.  Yes I'm talking about my wife she is the lucky one having the high metabolism and has usually been about half my size.  Well all I can say is that with hard work and some dedication on my part I'm starting to tone my body knock off some pounds and be more energetic and full of joy.  I find that this Raw Food Lifestyle has been a life preserver thrown out to me in the high seas of obesity and it truly has set me free to lose the weight I want while enjoying some great fruits and veggies I have loved throughout my life and trying new ones as I continue on my raw journey.  

I have found a lifestyle that works for me and many others in this world that is healthy, full of benefits, aids in weightloss, curbs depression, great for anxiety, increase joy, energy, love, spiritual awareness and many illnesses that you may know you have or not.  It has also been labelled the Fountain of Youth or Anti-Aging Lifestyle.  So truly if you are finally tired of being fat, lazy and sick, get rid of all the junk in your cabinets, fridge, drawers, and any secret hiding spaces, and
start cleaning up your life.

God Bless and Peace

David's Teas Winter and Christmas Blends

Well most of you know I love tea and frequent the local establishment all the time.  Well last week the new winter blends arrived some returning decadent teas like the Chili Chocolate Chai and then some new blends that are quite awesome.  The best one I would have to say has been the best tea I have ever had from the any other seasonal collection is called Alpine Punch it smells a bit like marzipan the nutty almond scent, with some fruity undertones it tastes well incredible.   The flavours emanating out of this blend  is something out of this world really to describe it makes me kind of speechless it is something to just try.  The smell of this tea alone sends you into another world let alone when you drink this heavenly concoction, it is also a Rooibos Tea Blend so you get all the antioxidents and no caffiene let alone all the other properties that rooibos teas have to offer.  The others are a black tea with figs which sounds interesting enough on its own I have yet to try this one but the combination sounds intriguing, another green tea called hottoboggan is quite delicious with a nice apple and spice kind of take this made me think of apple cider.  Then the last time I went in the holiday teas had arrived a returning favorite is Elf Help this tea is great for helping during a cold/flu or just to enjoy on its own.

A new one for the holiday season that has arrived is a puerh tea blend made of the fermented black tea, orange peel, and chocolate I had a latte with soy yesterday of this.  I have to tell you it was amazing the flavours of all the ingredients just exploded with the first sip the chocolate, the orange and the tea being used with this are incredible it was almost like drinking a Terry's Chocolate Orange and we all know how good those are.  Needless to say so many new varieties you need to go check them out because wow the flavours and gift ideas are everywhere. 
I only can hope you all the best in your own journeys and what can I say tea makes the days we spend on this earth a little more special.

God Bless and Peace

HEDGEHOGS: Cute and Spiky

Well most of us have seen a hedgehog what they look like miniature porcupines almost minus the quills being able to shoot out at predators.  If anything these spiky creatures are one of the cutest pets I could ever imagine owning well next to my other animals.  So I guess you have guessed it already yes a new addition to my animal family is a male hedgehog whom I have chosen to name Ziggy.  When I first saw these exotic creatures I was afraid to pick one up let alone buy one.  Once I got past the spiky shell and picked it up the one I bought that is he started to lick my hands and I just felt like we had a bond of sorts that he was saying I want to go home with you.  Anyways I called up the wife told her I had found a new friend while looking around the pet shop, and well she wasn't letting me leave it there because I was going to sleep on it, I came home empty handed and needless to say I had to make the long jaunt back to the pet store to pick him up as the Mrs's was looking forward to meeting him.  I'm so glad she made me go back as I have found a new animal pal in this cute hedgehog.  The first night he started licking himself spreading a foam on himself while eating strawberries well it got kind of messy and smelly I said enough and gave him his first bath which he appeared to love.   Since then he has had a cage upgrade a new big wheel and  I have come to find out that he really enjoys meal worms and eggs.  Hedgehogs are omnivores so they eat veggies and meats there main source of food in the wild is insects, small eggs, lizards, snakes, basically many things that it can just grab and chew.  They have a strong bite no I have not been bitten I have just heard and read that they will usually bite onto something and hold onto it until it stops moving.  These spiky yet gentle animals are nocturnal so during the day they are not all that active yet at night they will travel up to 8miles in the wild or in our case a lot on his wheel.  Since we already have a dwarf hamster we have toned out the wheel noise many months ago.  They love to cuddle, yet some just like to roam, or are always grumpy. They will eat right out of your hand when not nervous and feel comfortable.  I cannot say enough from being scared to handle one to being totally hooked on owing one is like night and day if you have never held a hedgehog get over the fear ask how they should be picked up wear gloves or use a cloth if you scared of the poking spikes and give it a try.  Truly trying something new makes you
want to find more about the world in which we live atleast this is what I have found in my own life.

Here is Ziggy in my hands and yes the bottom photo he is licking my hand now you see why I got him what a cute guy hey!

Hooked on Matcha

Well this past week and some I have been trying a bunch of straight tea varieties at my local David's tea since they have this awesome promotion going on.  Anyways on one of my trips to the store I was contemplating many things and someone mentioned the matcha.  Now for those of you who do not drink a lot of tea Matcha is a green tea powder made from green tea leaves of course, now with this you do not brew the matcha you place some in a bowl add some hot water and whisk with a special matcha whisk to remove the lumps and then add to a cup rinsing the bowl out with more water and adding this to the cup as well.  So in essence you are consuming the tea rather then just steeping it, this I found out gives you a long lasting power kick, yes green tea has caffiene in it but since the caffiene is really nothing compared to the health benefits and the caffiene in green tea works differently then coffees caffiene you do not have a sudden crash or the buzzy feeling.  My first walk down the matcha path I mixed it with another green tea from the selection called Dragonwell which is a fried, and pressed green tea leaf tea this was a great combination.  The next time I went in I was told about another matcha concoction that peaked my interest first off it was given the nickname at my store "The Incredible Hulk" it was a blend of Matcha and Chocolate Rocket needless to say it gave me a nice boost of energy and tasted great.

BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA:  antioxident rich, helps to curb appetite, increase metabolism aiding in weight loss, caffiene to help you kick coffee, powerful anti-cancer fighting properties, great detoxifier, helps fight disease and illness, MAKES A GREAT BEVERAGE!!!

Matcha has become a new staple for some of my tea concoctions, but many others I love will stay true to themselves just on there own.  The next time your in a gourmet tea place and have the opportunity to try Matcha I highly recommend however I will caution you once you try it you may become "HOOKED".

God Bless and Peace.

Missing the Watermelon

Well the main season for watermelon has come too an end and the stores have been cleared out from the summer stock up here atleast.  Hopefully my go too place for watermelon will have some more coming in as well you know watermelon is just awesome in so many ways.  The taste, benefits, sweetness, low calorie appetite filler, great re-hydrator, and of course again the health benefits are almost endless.  Anyways hope your still getting your watermelon fix I know I would be if I could find some and not the little mini ones that are finished in a heartbeat the big monster ones that are good for a couple of meals.

MMMMM I can't wait for next summer I'm gonna buy me some cases of watermelon and just have a watermelon fast.

God Bless and Best Wishes.
May Peace and Joy be with you.

Dehydrated Fruits & Veggies

Well the other day my mother in-law who has become a food dehydrating queen gave me some of the fruit and veggies she had dried. They included some dried strawberries, rhubarb, chard, and some tomatoes.  All I can say is wow the flavours just stayed so true and pure.   I made a smoothie this morning with some of the strawberries and the rhubard she had done with a couple of good handfuls of spinach and a little of the dried chard and some warm water to help rehydrate needless to say it was a little on the tart side less rhubard next time but talk about a refreshing and powerful energy packed delight maybe I could have used a little honey or agave or even just a banana.  So many people need to consider getting a dehydrator these work awesome for seasonal fruits and veggies like mangoes for instance when they are in season dry a bunch and you have mangoes year round or any fruit or veggie really even the greens.  The strawberries were a little crisp but my mother in-law said maybe cut them thicker or just do not dry so long but in truth you want them dry so they do not go moldy.  I have seen many people make dips and such from dried fruits and veggies. I think I will make a hot pepper dip with the dried tomatoes MMM just the thought of that makes me salivate. 

God Bless, Peace, and Joy. 

P.S. There are more informative videos in a series based on the one above just search for them if your interested this is part 1

David's Tea a Taste & Scent Experience

Well as you know I love David's Tea and they always have some great teas to try as each month goes by and also seasonal blends.  Well the one I have fallen in love with lately is yes a black tea
but a little caffeine in moderation is not that bad if it involves other flavors and ingredients that can be considered healthy I'm referring to there fall collection and in particular the Pumpkin Chai
this tea is awesome with bold pumpkin flavor and incredible black tea essence that just makes you wanting more.  Seriously have a cup of this or make some at home add a little almond milk or Soy milk and a little sweetener like agave or organic honey and it is like drinking a piece of pumpkin pie and whipped cream.  Another tea that I have to recommend because it truly lives up to the name that it has been given is an incredible green tea blend MMM antioxidants and it is called Mom's Apple Pie.  The first time I tried this I was literally blown away I thought I was having a piece of apple pie enter my mouth then simply taking a sip of a green tea.  What can I say there are so many great tea blends at this shop you will be hooked on going there all the time.  Personally I would recommend taking an hour out of your day and just find one of these establishments and just have a smelling time.   Seriously the fragrance's coming off of all of these teas, of course some better then others is well intoxicating and it can make choosing one a little easier.  They have every kind imaginable and then some you would not even consider they have your ultra high antioxidant rich White Tea Blends, then a step down to the Green Tea Concoctions which will still give you a decent dose of antioxidants yes white and green teas do have some caffeine but when you consider the health benefits associated with both of these teas like for instance they are both great for immune system boosting during a cold, they help to detox and flush free radicals hence the antioxidants and they are also known to help lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels. One huge fact for green teas in particular they also help in the form of weight loss due to them helping with appetite suppression & metabolism why do you not think many drug and pharmaceutical companies place green tea extracts in weight loss and fat loss pills. Then of course any fine tea place is going to have a huge assortment of your traditional black teas and some bizarre twisted blends to choose from.  Then of course you have your Rooibos blends both Green and Red varieties which are caffeine free and are also super rich in antioxidants,  they end it off with the Herbal blends not only are 98% of these caffeine free they can steep forever and the flavors just get more rich and robust but not bitter.

My favorite in the Herbals is Forever Nuts-Warning once you have one you'll be hooked!  In the Rooibos I love the Green and Fruity, Black Teas right now it is a toss up with the Pumpkin Chai and the Organic Buttered Rum.  Green Teas well they have so many great ones I would say Toasted Walnut or Lime Gelato. 

Oops I almost forgot the Oolong blends which are your hand rolled green tea leaves they are the greatest since many of them you can re-steep up to 5 times and some even up to 20 times, My favorite Oolong I would also give it a toss up between the Long Life Oolong or the Vanilla Oolong. 
and also have all the benefits of green tea.  The other varieties I have tried are the mates and the Puerh's the selection for these is small but they taste great you can also find these at David's Tea.

Not only does this "David's Tea" bring you the best tea blends from around the world they also bring some of the coolest gadgets around for making the best tea every time. 

For the gadgets I would totally recommend the unit they call "The Steeper" this little gadget that works great for making iced tea concoctions also makes an awesome hot tea as it allows the tea leaves more room to expand compared with a tea bag or a simple infuser like a tea ball or even a tall cup size variation,  and NO more bags so your also helping the environment what an awesome win win they will run you around 20.00CA.   Since I own one of these myself I will tell after you make your first cup of tea with this little unit it will have paid for itself.  Really would it not be great to have an awesome cup of tea and know your not cutting down trees to make more tea sacs P.S. these are the same units the company uses to make iced teas/lattes etc.  so you can buy with the trust that they can stand up to some abuse and work time after time.

God Bless and Best Wishes.

Junk Food: The Reason you are Sick & Tired!!

Well if you watch tv you have probably seen the advertisement on the effects of junk food being just as hard on your liver and kidneys as consuming excess alcohol.  Needless to say the reason for this is that when you consume an abundance of junk food that is full of saturated and trans fats this causes a problem in the liver called fatty liver disease amongst also giving you no nutritional benefits making you feel like you have been run over by a freight train after eating it.  This compounds the more you eat these types of food, then also add obesity to this equation and it tips the scale to harmful health problems as more and more time goes by similar to the aspects of getting liver diseases when they consume too much alcohol over their lifespan.  So if you think your not going to get sick because you do not drink alcohol then you would be mistaken.  If instead your consuming the unhealthy fats like cheesecake, ice cream, potato chips, fast food and other processed junk that not only can lead you to liver and kidney problems but these foods that are also packed with cholesterol are also going to cause blockages in your arteries causing an increase in the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and other weight related illnesses including CANCER.  Even if you are not over weight eating processed junk will catch up too you just as much as alcohol catches up to alcoholics.   So the next time your thinking of having a big bowl of ice cream, a piece of cheesecake, or biting into a juicy burger remember this that you are most likely doing more damage then having an alcoholic beverage.  Remember that only you can make the sound decisions of what you will put into your body if you choose not to consume the junk it will not enter your body.  Truly if anything many companies are now coming forward and letting us know that many of the ingredients used in the process of the products are poison for humans for instance Aspartame, Flouride, and many other chemicals which they do not even give the names of only an abbreviation so even the highly refined sugars that are found in everything like high fructose corn syrup or (HFCS).   Truly as explained in the video above it is explained all the health problems that can be associated with eating junkfood and really how easy it is to just stop putting the junk in your mouth.

God Bless.

The New Bird an Escape Artist

Well this one is a longtime coming a few weeks back my wife and I found out our tiny budgie who has talked and sang for over a decade was very sick and the vet suggested to put him down.  Well as you can figure out from the title that we did not go without it for long my wife went and got another budgie shortly after this as our other birds seemed to be sad without the little chirp of the budgie in the room as we also have a two other birds.


Well we placed our new feathery friend in seclusion for a couple of weeks as they recommend this before introducing them to other birds.  Once we placed this new bird whom we named Sampson into the room with the other birds well needless to say everyone was quite vocal and happy about the addition. 
The funniest aspect of this bird though is he is quite an intelligent sucker as my wife and I sat spending time with them we had the Cockatiel out as he is hand tamed and well Sampson did not like this.  He was not too vocal but for the longest time he was climbing around the cage trying to find weak points and the small doors that move up/down.  He was actually trying to escape it was amazing to watch first off this bird is very young just a baby maybe 5 weeks old when we got him and here he is finding ways to escape from his cage.  If a bird at this young age was figuring out how to get out he will most likely make an easy go of it when he gets older which we will be keep a close eye on.



Birds are awesome yes some people have phobias or fears of birds I can sympathize with this if you do not however birds can make a great companion they sing, some talk, and most of them have crazy little antics that are one of kind and can keep you quite entertained.  Yes some will repeat words so at times if you are not careful what you say it may be repeated by the bird reason many birds have potty mouths. 



I was very saddened when we had too put the bird down simply said if you have pets instead of kids these are your kids and for me and the mrs. these are our pride and joy.  It's an honour and privilege to be a caregiver for God's animals and I'm very happy to say I have a large animal family. 



God Bless and Peace.

DTM "The Life Regenerator" Completes Cross Country Cycling Trek LA to NY

Well some of you may know this already if you follow the liferegenerator Dan McDonald.  At the start of the summer Dan made a choice to show everyone that even the most daunting tasks can be done on fruits and veggies.  Like cycling up to 150miles in one day, or simply getting up at early hours to beat the day's heat seriously most of us would not even fathom cycling for 10-20miles let alone over a hundred.  Now Dan has truly shown many of his followers and others who he inspires that living raw doesn't have to be an issue to overcome any challenge that you face in your life.  Only placing yourself in a mind set to do what you want in life will eventually make the changes that your striving towards.  Dan The Man-The Liferegenerator as he is known on Youtube inspires thousands of people throughout the world with his antics on screen and his wisdom of living raw for over a decade and also bringing so many raw foodist's and very wise people to the viewing public space of Youtube.  I can only say that I'm grateful to Youtube and Dan for the inspiration he brings to us all and all the other raw foodists that he has introduced us too over the years.  I wish him well in his life and that he continues to bring his words of wisdom and of course all his awesome recipes and his great friends over the Youtube waves.  Truly his journey that started in Los Angeles and ended in New York is a success worthy of some acknowledgement.  I only wished he would have done this for some type of charity if only to help find a cure for something.  In general though spreading the word of living raw is a huge hand-out to healing and curing illnesses the world over.  I hope others will take the knowledge that Dan McDonald has given us and the other raw foodists of the world and let everyone know that truly this is the best way to reduce weight, become healthy and fit, and of course remove the chances of cancer and other weight and health related illnesses.

Dan spreads the word of living raw and love these are two of the greatest aspects we can all teach other in this world.  If we all started to love one another more and also started to clean out the toxins and filth that is killing ourselves then we will all start to feel better, look better, and even add some more years on too our lives and yes possibly cure some illness you may already have.

I'm not a Dr. or any medical professional I speak these words only because I have personally seen in myself greater health, more energy, better skin, and overall joy and an abundance of love for everyone and everything around me.  I truly feel that when living a mainly raw food lifestyle you become more grounded possibly because of all the living foods.  I'm not exactly sure why but if eating raw foods makes you feel great there must be something about it that are body needs so why not nourish your body.

I guess if you look at all the natural enzymes and properties that are destroyed during the cooking process when you start incorporating the raw foods you get to enjoy all the nutrients your body has been needing so maybe your body make's you feel joy and happiness because you are giving it what it wants just my opinion makes you think doesn't it?.  I hope you all find Dan The Man on YouTube and hear his story as well as those he has touched with his antics and his travels.  He is truly a grounded and positive soul who reaches out to help others and doesn't hold back his years of wisdom and insight truly a very wise raw foodie.

God Bless and Peace.

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Saucony Triumph 7's: Oh Man Do These New Runners Rock!!!

Well my runners had bit the dust and I desperately needed a new pair after researching some sites on running in general and then looking for some of the best shoes recommended for supinators.  If your not aware what this is it is the opposite of overpronation you foot tends to roll outwards rather then inwards and you tend to wear the outside soles of the shoe.  Anyways I had a few to choose from but like any shoe store you go to they will noly  have a couple of the ones they recommend.  I was lucky I had a pair of Asic Cumulus 12's to try out and some Saucony Triumph 7's.  I first tried on the Saucony's as I was already wearing another pair of Saucony's and I liked the fit and finish of these ones, needless to say these shoes did not disappoint nice feel, tons of cushion, and great traction for running on a track on pavement or doing some cross training I guess you could say a great multi sport shoe.  I next tried the Asics with a 40 dollar price increase I was looking towards the Sauconys which were on sale for 109.00 reg. 169.00 these shoes well they were over cushioned it actually felt like I put a pillow on my foot they just felt strange and running in them felt ackward.  So they Sauconys of course were sold I tried them out today at the gym and wow these shoes are simply amazing they help my gait I feel lighter in my footing and I have no pain in the shins when I run they also work all around for everything else be it the treadmill, elliptical trainer or simply walking around to do some weight training.  I would totally recommend these shoes to anyone that has a supination problem it may just be the fix you need rather then shelling out hundreds of dollars on orthotics check these out first.

Again they were Saucony ProGrid Triumph 7's these were in the top 5 shoes recommended for runners that supinate.  However you may only be able to find the Saucony Triumph 8's they have taken over for the sevens.  I have a link in my fitness section for Finishline Sports that have a huge selection of anything you may have been looking for from shoes to apparel.
God Bless and Peace.

WILLPOWER: The Most Important Aspect to any LIFESTYLE CHANGE!!!

I'm writing this blog because I truly believe many people forget this one important factor in any change of lifestyle or setting a goal.  This factor can be a deciding one in many ways without it your doomed to some degree without enough the same occurs in truth it comes and goes in many of us and it is the spice to the fail or success in little changes we make in our lives.  Yes willpower is needed to change many things from quitting smoking,  getting into the gym, winning the battle of the bulge, and resisting temptations in life.  We need to look at our level of devotion to the changes we consider making and amount of commitment we are willing to place in these changes.  Then if we have the will to succeed then the rest is just patience and relying on yourself to stick with it and the goal your fighting for will eventually become a reality.  We  see so many people go apply to be on these reality shows some with a great talent to showcase or others that want to change their outer appearance and lose a great deal of weight.   All of these people had one thing in common they all had the willpower and the courage to fight for a placement on these shows or atleast to put there best foot forward.  Willpower and commitment go hand in hand well to some degree some would say that they had cold feet on there wedding day but the Willpower they had to marry the one they love overcame this feeling.   We have all said I want to do this or that but lack the willpower to succeed truly this is just an excuse many us just do not want to commit to the change like quitting smoking for instance or losing weight.  Simply put it comes down to the individual not wanting to give up somehting in there lives be it the controlling smokes or the decadent piece of cake or piece of pizza.  Really without willpower we would simply give up on everything we do so remember the next time you want to give up on your goal remember all the commitment and devotion you have already given the change and keep going.

God Bless and Best Wishes.    

Eating some cooked foods is not all BAD.

Well to all the people who follow my blog and just to the others that are trying to live a mainly raw lifestyle or have fully converted to raw I'm here to say it ain't easy to just eat raw.  Well in many ways it is very easy and in many ways it isn't having some equipment can make things difficult missing a nice chunk of fish or tasty piece of meat in the beginning can be a little rough and taxing.  I have noticed a few things though when I eat cooked or processed foods I lose some of the energy I feel when I have been just consuming the fruits and veggies.  I know this simply because I have noticed it in my experimentation of eating cooked and eating raw unprocessed foods.  I have found that after I eat cooked foods I feel well weak and lazy compared to the happy joyful and full of energy feeling I have felt after eating some greens and some fruit.   Do not get me wrong the cooked foods still do hold somewhat of a control over myself like I have written in the past I'm a newly converting and at the moment a 70-80% raw foodist.   I'm not even going to say vegan because I'm not a vegan and I do not see myself becoming a full fledge vegan for one I love my honey 2nd I will indulge in some animal bi-products here and there just because life is too short too live without some indulgences.

I love fish always have having it once in awhile I feel is fine and the omega 3's and other aspects fish have is great for us and is also a meat that is quite safe to eat raw sushi anyone. 

Seriously I believe everyone can be healthier if they consume more fruits and veggies and I have witnessed this myself in my own daily lifestyle easpecially over the last few months.

Do I think everyone has too start living this way no that would be incredibly nieve of myself.  All I'm saying is that we need to look at our way of living and consider the reasons that you may be sick or over weight.  Could it simply come down too what you eat or simply not eating enough of the right foods in your daily diet like the fruits and veggies?.

Eat some cooked foods if you must, try to eat more raw fruits and veggies to live stronger and healthier, reducing meats in your diet will reduce heart disease and other health issues and will help with weight loss.

AS ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM THE FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS!!!!
UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY BUT I FIND THAT DOUBTFUL IF YOU GOT FAST FOOD YOU HAVE GROCERY STORES AND PRODUCE.

REMEMBER THIS ONE TRICK WHEN YOU SHOP STAY TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE STORE AND YOU WILL DO FINE.  IT'S WHEN YOU GO INTO THE MIDDLE AISLE'S THAT YOU FIND ALL THE PROCESSED JUNK,  WELL EXCEPT FOR THE TOILETRIES AND OTHER STUFF WE NEED.  THE GREAT THING ABOUT EATING RAW YOU JUST HAVE TO GO TO THE PRODUCE SECTION AND MAYBE THE BULK FOODS FOR SOME ORGANIC NUTS BUT REALLY THAT IS ALL.  THEN HIT YOUR HEALTH FOOD STORE FOR SOME OF THE OTHER PRODUCTS YOU MAY WANT.

God Bless and Peace, Best Wishes.

Quit Smoking with PRAYER

This is going back a few years now though I felt I had to talk about this.  I smoked for almost 15 yrs had stopped here and there but most of the time I smoked for all those years.  I did not chain smoke but would easily go through a pack every three to four days so not even a heavy smoker.  I did however start feeling the health side effects hitting me so I knew stopping was something I needed to do for myself.  I started wheezing when I slept, I was having chest pains, heart palpatations, coughing almost regularly and sometimes would have black-out or a fainting type of feeling, and of course the nausea was apparent. 

I was going to a healing ministries conference with my wife just for the fun of it and while I was there I was talking to the nephew of the conference leader, and an older couple came up behind us since they had known the person I was speaking too being part of the worship/prayer leaders team.  I had just finished a smoke roughly five minutes prior to this and well the older lady mentioned she could smell smoke but not reg. smoke more like cigarettes she said she knew this because she had smoked in the past.  Well of course I mentioned it was probably myself having just finished one.  They asked if I ever wanted to quit.  I mentioned I did and had tried many times in the past but nothing worked.  Then then asked if I would like prayer over the addiction.  Well I know God is powerful and here are some people representing the power of the heavenly father I said sure lets do it.  So standing in a circle just the four of us they started praying over me and asking god to remove this addiction from me and that I would no longer have cravings for cigarettes and the smell would make me sick feeling.  Well all I can say is on that day over 4yrs ago now I was completely smoke free.  Also that to this day the smell of cigarettes makes me want to throw-up.  So all I can say is prayer can work miracles because being smoke free for all of these years now I'm healthier now then I have ever been.   I do attribute my mainly raw food lifestyle and new zest for exercise to most of this.  I would probably not even be living this way though if I was still smoking how can you live a clean life while still puffing away makes no sense to me anyways?.

So if you are a believer and have some faith in prayer and have been battling the ill fated cancer sticks
then look to some healing ministries and maybe consider getting prayer for your addiction.  I'm not going to say it will work for you but if you have tried everything else and it has failed why not try this.


P.S I'm not the only one that has been delivered from this death habit by prayer.

God Bless and Best Wishes.