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Category Archives: Optimal Health


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Breakthrough Fast, Day 8

Just as each race is different, each fast is different.*  This fast has been nothing like the Juice Reboot that I did last summer.  This one has been an emotional rollercoaster and the food cravings have not gone away after two days like before.  I blame Christmas feasting, the sugar intake was very high this year.  As for the emotions,  I’m spending at least an hour per day in prayer and bible study.  God is teaching me about Joy and craving Him instead of food. Forgetting what is behind and reaching toward the goal, I’m expecting this coming week will be  easier, I’ll  keep you posted.

*See Fasting is Like Running, Dec.2011


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21 Day Breakthrough – Day 1 A Little Shakey

The first few days of a fast are the hardest for me.  My body reacts to juicing with a weak, shaky feeling plus getting rid of lots of fluid.  So, I’ve learned to add some whole vegetables the first few days.

For example, today I enjoyed a protein powder shake with nonfat milk, and a banana.  Then while shopping I chose a Bolthouse Farms Amazing Mango Fruit Smoothie.  At dinner time I  retreated to my room where I prayed and read the bible for a while and took a nap.   Fasting after all the rich Christmas fare has left me feeling not so good, so I celebrated the end of the day with a bowl of salad greens, purple cabbage and vinegar for the dressing.  Now I’m feeling fine and ready for whatever tomorrow will bring.  I’ve learned to listen to my body and feed it whole foods when the shakes strike.


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Fasting is like Running

Lately i’ve been discussing dietary fasting with my niece who is a marathoner and we realized that participating in the various fasts is like running in marathons. For a runner each established race is a notch in their belt with bragging rights. There’s the Marine Corps Marathon, Boston Marathon, The Mud Run. For the health conscious participating in the various fasts is also grounds for bragging.  There is the 15 Day Juice Reboot, The 7-day cleanse and the 40 days of Lent.  The endurance and mental focus needed to successfully finish both disciplines are the same.

My next fast will be the 21 Days to Breakthrough with our church family. It begins on January 2. The details are on church-redeemer.org (keyword: breakthrough).  Anyone who wants to join me please send me a comment.  Maybe I’ll get a plaque for my office  or a bumper sticker for the back windshield of my car or maybe a pin ….


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Christmas Baking Resolutions

Every year the search is on for the perfect sugar cookie recipe.  The well-used metal cookie cutters are selected and washed. Of course the antique ones are the best because they have an aura of perfect cookie baking about them. The freshest ingredients are assembled and the dough is in the refrigerator. This year the cookie frosting is pre-dyed and in aerosol cans with various tips. The cookies will be a wondrous variety of beautifully decorated creations!
NOT . . . the dough had large lumps of butter in it which would not blend in, and it waited in the refrigerator 3 whole days before a time was found for rolling, cutting, baking and decorating. The aerosol can was uncontrollable making huge gloppy bows and rocking horses with large pink eyes. The sugar frosting was too thin and the holes in the colored sugar bottle were too big. Halfway through I just gave up and allowed my artistic daughter to take over. For her, all the decorations behaved faultlessly making her cookies perfect and mine look like the work of a first grader.
Therefore, next Christmas I resolve to bake only drop cookies or squares.  There will be no frosting, colored sugar or aerosol cans anywhere near my kitchen and I am tossing out all sugar cookie recipes! Until next November when I see those cunning little cut out cookies at Starbucks and think, I can do that!
Better not throw away my cookie cutters just yet.


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It’s Christmas Darn it! How to have joy in the midst of pain.

This has been one of the most trying Holiday seasons of my life.  Depression and despair have dogged my steps.  Everyday I expect the Christmas spirit to arrive with the shopping, decorating and planning.  Every night I go to bed exhausted and in tears just wanting to get the whole thing over with so I can really be depressed in January.

Each day I read my Bible and talk with God.  I’ve been asking Him to show me how to have joy on the inside when the life is painful on the outside.  He has shown me Romans 12:12 where Paul talks about being joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer in addition to the verses in Philippians about keeping my mind on what’s good and not worrying.   After praying and asking Him once again to show me joy, I received His answer.  Basically, joy in the midst of pain comes from;  living in the moment;  keeping my mind on what is true for today;  not worrying about anything, but making my requests to God with thanksgiving;  and living in the hope of God’s plans for eternity.

The resulting joy has welled up from within along with anticipation of Christ’s Birthday Celebration.   For all of you who are feeling pain this Christmas, read those passages and talk with your Creator.  His joy is the best gift of all.


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A Healthy Spirit

This is a spiritual time of year.  Many of us are celebrating two major religious holidays, Hanukkah and Christmas.  Our family celebrates both holidays because we have a Jewish heritage and Christian beliefs.

It is my personal view that optimal physical health must include spiritual health as well.  For instance, when I am overwhelmed with stress I put into practice verses found in the Bible, Philippians 4: ” Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.  My experience is that the peace of God descends and the stress is lifted.

Acknowledging the need for spiritual health and seeking the Creator who gives it to you will send you on an amazing journey.  Let this season be the beginning of Optimal Health in your body and your spirit.


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Immune Health – How to Starve a Cold

Echinacea! Hard to spell and pronounce but it sure works to starve a cold.  Sunday evening I had a scratchy feeling in my throat and felt drained of energy, a sure sign that a common variety cold was beginning.  I began taking an Echinacea supplement before bed and  continued to take the recommended dosage thru Tuesday.  Today the cold is gone.  The worst symptoms were the dry, scratchy throat and a runny nose.

There are two rules to successfully starving a cold with Echinacea. Take it when  you first start to feel the cold symptoms and continue to take the recommended dosage until your symptoms are gone.  The second rule is to make sure that when you purchase Echinacea that it has active ingredient from the whole plant.  Many of the teas and other formulas on the market have only one part of the plant in them and are not as effective.


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Eating with Stress

When I encounter extreme stress I lose my appetite and it is difficult to eat enough even to take with supplements. The soy shakes have gotten me through, brown rice, applesauce. Chik Fil A’s carrot salad and lemonade helped yesterday. The stress is likely to continue for awhile. Any suggestions?


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The 90 Day Vegetarian Adventure Comes to a Close.

It was an adventure and an educational journey that revealed much about myself and how I relate to food.  The most surprising revelation is that I am not a true Vegan.  Rather, I’m a vegetarian who limits fat to 10 gms per day and I eat nonfat dairy products which eliminates eggs.  Adding dairy takes me out of the strict Vegan diet.

There are two main reasons why I don’t eat meat.   I truly dislike the way animals are raised and slaughtered by the large producers and after eating nothing but vegetables, grains and fruit, even the smell of meat bothers me.  I’ve never noticed before that each animal tastes like it smells.  Beef has a bloody, manure taste, chicken tastes like the henhouse and goat, well I’ve not had goat meat, but I can’t get some of the cheese past my nose nor the milk.

The physical results of the Vegetarian adventure have been encouraging.  I’ve lost 15 pounds and one dress size; my total cholesterol is lower ( I’m also taking a statin) and I have more energy.  My knee pain is gone but I have to credit that to a Kenalog shot and also I know exactly what foods cause me to develop a migraine.  When I began the adventure I didn’t have a clue as to what triggered the headaches.

So the adventure was well worth the time and effort.  I will continue with the low-fat vegetarian diet.  Low fat because genetic testing recommended it and it works for me.  I’ve also learned not to worry about what other people think or say.  My family is accepting and they are enjoying the new recipes, one of which will end this article.  The excitement of doing something new is over but I have confidence that this is a diet that I will be able to maintain over the rest of my life.  To all of you who have followed my blog you have my heart-felt thanks.  Reader response made a huge difference for me.  I will close this chapter with a new recipe, and keep checking the blog, I’m on to bigger and better things!

Stir Fried Green Beans

Five handfuls of whole Green Beans, frozen are fine

1 tblsp of Olive Oil

1 tblsp of Tamari 

1/2 tsp of Garlic powder

Wok for frying

Heat the Wok and add the oil.  When the oil is fragrant but not smoking add the green beans and sprinkle the garlic powder over them.  Stir fry the beans for 5 to 7 minutes then add the Tamari  and continue to stir until the liquid is absorbed.  Serve immediately, beans should be slightly crunchy.  Serves 4


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90 Day Vegetarian Adventure – Day 90 Return to the Beginning

The last day of the adventure and I find myself returning to the Juice Reboot.  Halloween with its mini-candy bars just about did me in.  I am now craving sugar and chocolate again.  So, the remedy is to Reboot.  At the end of the 90 day adventure I’m dusting off the juicer and enjoying at least one day of fasting to break the addictions and get back on track to healthy eating.

Fall fruit and vegetables make delicious juices.  The fresh kale is still growing in the garden and apples are available from the orchard.  Plus carrots have been recently harvested.  The two recipes using these seasonal ingredients are as follows:

Breakfast:  1 stick celery, 1 organic carrot, 2 Golden Delicious apples.

Lunch:  1 stick celery, 1 organic carrot, 1 Golden Delicious apple, handful fresh kale.

Enjoy!  Send me some of your favorite juices.  I welcome your comments.