One Day of Juice Feasting

I Juice Feasted Friday, which felt fantastic after so much food on Thanksgiving. Yesterday I planned my day poorly and was caught at about 1pm having not had anything and spacing out while needing to be productive, so I did about 1/2 eating and 1/2 juicing yesterday. Today, I am going out and about with a friend, a previous engagement I had forgotten about, so will be eating as well. Juice to commence tomorrow. These days my juicing doesn't seem to always go according to intention... and, I'm fine with that :)

Friday's Intake:

32 oz. cucumber/celery/garden greens/apple juice
22 oz. apple/cucumber/celery juice
34 oz. cucumber/celery/garden greens/apple juice

Other supports:

• P90X - Yes
  
• Water - 16 oz.
  
• E3 Live - yes

Thanksgiving Celebrations

Yesterday was my 5th vegan Thanksgiving and was it DELISH. The Tree of Life hosted their annual day of activities, such as group meditation and music, and Thanksgiving potluck. I estimate about 75 people showed up, plus employees, seva and local community. I didn't intend to end up with mostly food pictures, but I did... Here are some of my favorites from the potluck:

Below: cacao superfood balls

Below: Fresh Honeycomb!!! I had never had fresh honeycomb before and it was fantastic! It made me desire even more to keep bees someday... And - funny - a bee came and landed on my honeycomb while I was at my table eating :)

Below: nut pate 'sushi' rolls

Below: Creamy kelp noodle dish. P.S. I am falling in love with kelp noodles

Below: the platter the TOL Cafe made - mock mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, cranberries and stuffing flavored 'bread'

Below: A Pie. A Delicious Pie. A gorgeous Pie. Obviously.

Below: homemade kale chips

YUM

As if one Thanksgiving feast wasn't epic enough, I later went to a 20 person gathering at my friend's home, where we ate... more... Below are the macaroon/'donut holes' I made:

Below: A Pumpkin Cheesecake made by Erika of Vivapura.

Answer me this: How would anyone miss traditional Thanksgiving food when you can eat this deliciousness?

The local photographer James Palka has a great facebook album of the TOL feast here.

Thankful,
Courtney

My 2nd Liver Flush

Ok, now I really am actually doing my 2nd liver flush :) I've committed to Chris Whitcoe and Elaina Love's protocol, which you can learn more about by visiting www.mylivercleanse.com. I will begin a week from today, on Tuesday, for 1 week, and do the actual flush the next Tuesday after that. I am considering posting pictures of the stones I release, but then I question, dear Readers... Are we really so close that I will show you internal organ storage items of mine? We shall see...

I will be Juice Feasting prior to the flush, to further give my liver and gallbladder a rest and thereby potentially increase the benefit of the flush. This Friday, after Thanksgiving, I will start!

Starting Friday, I'll blog every other day, reporting how I am feeling, what I've consumed, and what other practices I have incorporated into that day - saunas, P90X, rebounding, skin brushing, etc.

Juicy Liver Love,
Court

Tree of Life Cafe - Food Pics 21

Pics by Koali P

A Day of Bliss

My Koali was the winner of Arizona's 'A Night of Bliss' contest by the company Coconut Bliss, maker of epic delicious vegan ice cream based on coconut!


We had one of every flavor, and attendees brought toppings, including hemp seeds, chocolate ganache made by Dr. Dan Engle, and even local super juicy fresh dates (hello, Sugar, how are you today?). I don't normally eat so much sugar so I felt it surging through me and it made me feel ungrounded and jittery... but was it delicious? Oui.


Dr. Dan also brought along a bunch of his homemade tea blends for us to sample - quite the alchemist he is! Myself, Dr. Dan and Chris hanging out talking with the teas :)

Until the next glorious gathering,
Courtney

Emotional Eating: An Update

It's been a few months since I wrote about this process of mine. I'm in an interesting place. I'm eating more out of hunger than I have ever before, but I am still using food compulsively and emotionally pretty often.

I'm finding myself becoming tiresome of using food and finding it doesn't play the roles it used to as adequately. The thought and attraction to eat generally gives way to a bit of a melancholy realization that just having eaten really didn't do much for me. I find myself wondering, 'Well, what was the point of that?' This is odd for me because historically food has had major power in my life to change how I'm feeling.

This more consistent, less dramatic relationship with food has made me aware of a certain space, a certain open, objective awareness that simply doesn't get caught up in the tunnel vision of emotional eating. Most spiritual traditions and teachers will say the space of objective, peaceful awareness is our natural state of being, but I am not yet used to it, even this amount of it. It sometimes feels very odd to me; I have been used to a certain mental and emotional drama about the times when I eat emotionally.

It is a time of acclamation for me as I feel this shift, which feels like something that has naturally happened, not something I have made happen. There are days where I eat quite compulsively and food is very interesting to me, and other days where food seems so unimportant to me I don't even bother even when I am hungry and end up barely eating. When I am quite busy I often forget to eat, but that's not really dealing with the issue.

I also have a growing sense of responsibility and protection for my body. I am feeling a lowering tolerance for what I currently feel like is dishonoring to my body - overburdening it with more food than it is asking for. At the same time, feelings are valid and for many of us, sometimes food is simply the best way we know to take care of ourselves. The lessons in balance and equilibrium abound :)

To the always-present space,
Courtney

Raw Recipes by TOL Cafe - Eggplant Canneloni

Eggplant Canneloni

This is a gourmet recipe, a compliment from the Tree of Life Café. Enjoy!

Cannelloni:
1 large globe eggplant
½ C olive oil
Thyme or Italian seasoning
Himalayan or Celtic salt

Peel eggplants and slice very thin in a length-wise direction creating large sheets you will use for rolling. Salt eggplants and let sit for an hour. Press liquid out of eggplants. They will release a lot of water. Marinate eggplants overnight in olive oil and herbs.

Filling for cannelloni:

Lay fresh spinach or basil leaves over the eggplant. Use the following seed cheese recipe. Place a little cheeze over the fresh leaves on the bottom half of the marinated eggplant. Lay 4 julienne bell pepper strips red clover and sunflower sprouts on the top of the cheeze sticking out of the ends. Roll and serve or dehydrate for a few hours and serve.

Brazil Nut, Olive and Herb Cheeze:
2 C sunflower
2 C brazil
½ C olive oil
½ C lemon juice
1 T black pepper
¼ t hing
½ C oregano, fresh or dill fresh
¼ C thyme, dry or Italian seasoning
1 t Himalayan salt
2 C olives, kalamatta

Process nuts and seeds to a butter or as much as possible. Add olive oil, lemon, blessed water, hing, black pepper, salt and dried herbs. Process to a creamy consistency. Put into a bowl and mix in olives and herbs by hand.

Recipe, photo and plating by Timothy Casey

Another Type 1 Diabetes Reversal

Michele, a woman with Type 1 Diabetes, whom I booked for the Reversing Diabetes Naturally program this spring. Michele completely reversed her Type 1 Diabetes in 21 days.



Please note that Gabriel Cousens, M.D. does NOT recommend anyone come of insulin, oral hypoglycemics or any other medications without the supervision of a qualified physician.

My Hair Care Protocol

When I was in middle school, my biggest body insecurity was my hair. It was dry, brittle, poofy, and had a very weak color. When I went raw, it changed drastically. I took a lot of MSM at that time, a habit I've gotten out of for no good reason, and that was a great help in the beginning along with my dietary change.

The hair, like the skin, is definitely a direct reflection of what we eat. My diet consists of a lot of leafy greens, and I feel that contributes to it's health. I also feel the proteins in the spirulina I eat help too, although that's more of a hypothesis. I drink a decent amount of water as well, likely about 2 quarts per day or 3 if I exercise that day, plus all the water rich food. My body tends to retain water, so this amount is good for me.

I'm currently washing my hair with Soignee Botanical Shampoo, and it seems to be doing the job. I actually haven't even tried any other truly natural shampoos (the majority of Whole Foods shampoos really aren't all that natural), but this works fine. I wash my hair about twice a week if I'm not exercising and about every other day if I am. The days I don't wash, I still shower, and just massage my scalp as if I were washing it, which seems to keep it clean in between washes. I only wash the hair right on my scalp and never my hair because mine tends towards being dry, particularly in the desert. The suds sort of wash down the hair from the scalp anyways so they get clean, I just never scrub it. I sometimes use conditioner, but I usually don't.

Most days I use one of 2 things to sort of make it look and feel a bit sleeker - either coconut oil, or Isun Hair Oil, which is a blend of several oils and herbs. I like the Isun Hair Oil better because it seems like I have to get the exact amount of coconut oil or it looks greasy and uneven. The Isun Hair Oil is much lighter.

MSM is sooooooo important for hair health (among so much else), and I really do desire to be taking more of it, regularly because I know my hair can be healthier than it is. A couple tablespoons a day is great!!

Take care of that mane :D

Courtney

Nominate for Best of Raw 2009!

Hello everyone,

Nominations are now up for the 'Best of Raw 2009', orchestrated by Laura Fox of the Visionary Culture + Raw Inspirations radio show. I will just be so appreciative if you would nominate my blog, http://www.radicalradiance.com/, in the blog category. Only if you feel it deserving, of course ;) Click HERE to nominate!

With appreciation,
Courtney

Tree of Life Cafe - Food Pics 20

H1N1 Swine Flu Updates

The insanity the governments and pharmaceutical industry are attempting to pull off with the swine flu vaccine is SERIOUS. Please stay informed. The site www.vaccineactionletter.blogspot.com has an incredibly professional letter/writeup on the vaccine.

Here are some recent updates:

H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Miscarriage Stories from Pregnant Women - one of our TOL employees just learned this morning that their good friend lost her baby the day "right away" when she received the vaccine.

Nurses Got Sick from the Swine Flu Vaccine in Sweden - 190 Adverse Reactions 1 Suspected Death

Quebec woman dies after contracting H1N1 virus 2 days after receiving the 'live virus' swine flu vaccine - 3rd death in the province since September.

If I were making a video on the truth of the vaccine I'd be a lot more passionate than they are presenting themselves in this video, but their information is right on:

My Oral Health Protocol

As a child my parents made me floss every single night, no exception, and brush every single night. They actually set a timer for 2 minutes and my brothers and I would have to brush continuously until the timer finished. From so many years of doing it, I felt icky on the rare occasions that I didn't floss and brush before bed and so always brought my floss and toothbrush everywhere. No matter how late it was or how tired I was, I just always had to brush and floss my teeth.

I honestly only go maybe one night every couple months where I don't, and still continue to brush AND floss every night (ok now I'm starting to feel like a dentist). About 4.5 years ago, I started using natural toothpastes. Now, I'm actually experimenting with brushing with neem oil and xylitol, both natural substances that support teeth and gum health.

Neem is a tree, and its oil has been widely used in India for a long time and is an amazing antiseptic. It can also be taken internally and I often put it in teas. Xylitol, despite its odd name that makes it sound like a very highly processed and fake substance, is actually from birch tree bark. Not all xylitol on the market is actually from birch trees, some is from corn. Gabriel has done a fair amount of testing and research on this particular brand of xylitol and has found it to be quite good. Xylitol is often used in european toothpastes and gum. There's an interesting little article on xylitol and dental health here. I often use xylitol in my sweet treats, smoothies and in tea, too. I get wacked out on too much sugar so it works well for me.

Usually I put about 2 drops neem oil on my toothbrush and then just dip it in the xylitol container and brush. It's nice because neem is super strong and bitter and the sweet xylitol evens it out. The coolest thing? If you swallow some of the mix, it's good for you internally, too!

Brush.. AND floss.. every day, kiddos!

Here's to sparkly white grins,
Courtney

Plant Based Diets in Mainstream

Bonjour mes amies!

Yesterday I did a P90X workout and am sore today! I haven't forgotten about P90X and it's a long story about why it's been a while, including my DVD drive on my computer biting the dust. I actually plan to simply start over again soon. I also saw Michael Jackson's 'This is It' and I loved it - definitely recommend seeing it!

While we're here, a funny comment someone posted on my youtube video with Tim Van Orden:

"Her teeth are whiter than a polar bear!"

Hehehe...

In other epic news:

Jonathan Safran Foer Interview on Ellen Degeneres show - hugely awesome for spreading the message of eating a plant based diet! He's totally wrong about the swine flu, but everything else - lovely! I also adore how he brought the global warming/diet link into it. If you haven't seen Gabriel Cousens' spiel on that relationship, you can view part 1 by clicking here.

Natalie Portman goes vegan because of Jonathan's book - Always knew I liked her ;)

Tree of Life Garden Pictures 2

Raw Recipes by TOL Cafe - Southwestern Veggie Burger

Southwestern Veggie Burger with Guacamole and Salsa by Tree of Life Cafe

1 C pumpkin seed, soaked, s-bladed
1 C walnut, soaked, s-bladed
1 C sprouted buckwheat, s-bladed
1 C minced veggies (peppers, zucchini, celery, carrots and or greens), s-bladed or sliced with the 2mm slice disk

¾ C miso, whole
½ C flax, ground
2 T olive oil
2 T lemon
½ bunch fresh herbs, basil, cilantro or dill, s-bladed
1 T fresh ginger, s-bladed
¼ t jalapeno, fresh, s-bladed
¼ t Himalayan salt to taste
dash hing

Optional: Chipotle, thyme, curry, Italian seasoning and marjoram

Directions: Process all vegetables nuts and seed and toss them into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix by hand. Portion using an ice cream scoop making a ball and flattening to form.

Recipe and Photo by Timothy Casey created and plated by Anthony Rojas

Sun, Tea and Parties

It's Nifty November, lovely ones! I am flabbergasted that this year is almost over, WOW! Can you believe it's been nearly 10 years since the millennium?!

I am happy to say I am back to my vibrant health after Los Angeles. Last week I did mostly juices and a few salads with immune supplements. I've also been really magnetized to chanca piedra aka break-stone tea. I've been making it nearly every day, putting a little stevia in it and loving it up. Although it has amazing health benefits, I'm actually just drinking it because a) I'm drawn to it and b) it tastes delicious to me! From JuiceFeasting.com:

Chanca Piedra, or Break-Stone Tea is an Amazon rain forest plant. Traditionally it is used for breaking up kidney stones, liver stones, and gall stones. It has been indicated in the treatment of urinary tract calculi (“kidney stones”) which are located in the kidney, bladder, or ureter. Can also serve as prophylactic therapy to prevent or diminish the tendency to form new stones.

This weekend's Halloween party was quite the endeavor too. Koali and I began prepping at 11am on Saturday and busted out clear till the party started at 7pm, danced until 1am, and then cleaned/put up pictures on facebook until 4:30am. Wow.. Did you see the treat pictures below? That's what raw vegan looks like, baby!!

I'd like to brag that this week it's in the lower 80's with a little breeze.. perfect sunbathing weather. What's that I hear? There is snow where you live? You have to bundle up in bulky winter wear? Bummer for you...

Love love love,
Courtney

Halloween Bash

Last night, Koali and I hosted our annual Tree of Life/Patagonia community Halloween Bash and it was yet another smashing success! Here are a few pictures, and the rest are on Koali's facebook album.

Below: Myself and my co-hostess Koali (a bird, note feather eyelashes)

Below: I had no idea what I was going to be until an hour before the party.. and whipped out a lacey cowgirl.

Below: Tim and Michela, TOL cafe chefs, with their HOMEMADE pants and homemade kombucha (not beer - ew)!!


Below: raw chocolate brownies

Below: Brandi Miller, community member, musician, and apparently, mermaid!

Below: Michela (raver), Sebastian (Rock Star - note the necklace..), and Philip ("The Love Doctor") -all TOL staff

Below: Shalva, TOL staff member



Below: Shalva's raw vegan chocolate brownie cake pudding thing.. delish

Below: Seth and Ivri

Below: Joanna (cafe chef) and I experiencing the Joy of Wigs.. Think I can pull off blonde hair?

Below: Cale, TOL staff member

Below: raw vegan donuts that tasted exactly like pumpkin flavored Krispy Kremes

Below: Brandi, myself and Philip having a good time

Below: Just some raw goddesses, that's all..

Let me know about that blonde thing ;)

Love and blondeness,

Courtney