My testimony.

Seeds, kale, maca, and raw foods are the true church. Well at least the "Fix Me" salads and Vinca's recommended smoothies seem to be. Without them this morning I was tired and I even got a little ill eating a steamed artichoke. For breakfast. With iced coffee. Gross.

I didn't go to sleep until 3 am. I woke up at 9 and rolled around in bed until 10. I didn't feel terrible, just a little sleepy. Then I planned on doing power yoga right away. (a new promise to my bishop, I will get down on my knees every morning and do cat-cow pose into down dog) I poured a glass of cold-pressed iced coffee and started...what did I do? I found an artichoke starting to dry out in the fridge so I took out my trusty Oster steamer and started to trim the leaves. Oh then I called my mom and we talked for an hour. Then I played with the cats on the balcony. Then 11:45 rolls around so I put the artichoke in the steamer and I squeezed 1/2 a lemon in the water. Set the timer for 45. Did yoga. And saw a cauliflower in the fridge that has been sitting there for weeks. It was a little spotted but I trimmed them off...hold on let me see if that's bad...oh yeah. Me smart. I only found that it's a sign of going bad and avoid it, but not like it's a poisonous mold or anything, well I didn't SEE anything that said that. Maybe it's like any veg going bad but if you cut out the brown it won't kill you. I hope. So I made Matt Amsden's raw mashed potatoes with it and put a little truffle oil on top. Delicious but I hope I don't die. I was about to make his Asian slaw when I had 5 artichoke leaves dipped in the vegan ranch (that's getting a bit old now too) and my stomach started churning. What am I thinking? Iced coffee, artichokes, and bad ranch and cauliflower for breakfast?? WTF??? And after 2 1/2 weeks of eating power shakes instead? Major difference. On top of that, I saw later that the artichoke water was black from bits of metal chipping off of the heating core underneath. Great. No more steamer, it's done, off to the garbage room. So I tossed the choke and the ranch and made the most incredible 'noodles' out of a kohlabri ( my new farmer's market discovery) and a beet that I put in my handy dandy spiral slicer. Now I feel better. I put in some shake ingredients (kale, chia seeds, lemon, and hemp seeds) and the dressing, besides the lemon juice, was Bragg's Aminos (kind of like a soy sauce) and apple cider vinegar. I added mint, basil, and cherry tomatoes. Then I sprinkled it with sesame seeds. Then for 'dessert' I had a handful of my shake ingredients: goji berries and dried Incan berries. I am starting to go a lot more hippie with my food since I started drinking those shakes. But it makes me FEEL good. I don't get pits in my stomach, I feel 'normal', and I think Vinca's right: my hormones could very well be balanced. Because remember? Wine + Depo Provera + cigarettes= major hormone imbalance! Not to mention nutrition deprivation and dehydration. And after a month quit I started having major anxiety remember? And at that time I was eating chocolate mousse cakes, cheese, O.D.ing on iced coffee, and salty food for breakfast, even though I thought I was being somewhat healthy making some things at home. But I did eat out a lot, and I didn't know exactly what was put into my food then.

Fruits and veggies are good for you. We all know that. But it's like exercise, most of us don't get into it until we actually try it for a few minutes, or a few weeks. It's like...starting a new habit?

~Smobergirl