Hey guys! Know this might seem long, but absolutely loved this post by Talia Furhman.

Blog Post: Have you ever heard someone say, ”I’d rather enjoy my food and die early than eat healthfully and live long”?

”People have exclaimed this phrase countless times to me when I explain to them what my diet is like. “Where is the decadence, the fat, the richness?” they proclaim when I tell them I don’t eat animal foods. “I don’t think I could live without a good steak every now and then,” I’ve heard on one too many social encounters. It seems as if a good chunk of the people I meet simply have no idea how much I love eating healthfully more than conventional food, not only because it keeps me feeling well in the present and will protect me from diseases later in life, but because it is one heck of a tasty diet. They just assume I am sacrificing enjoyment of life for a little better health, and it is not worth it.

I think people who have never given the nutritarian diet style a try might be skeptical about the taste of these foods and recipes and that is understandable. We like the foods we get used to eating. We are creatures of habit after all, and the foods we eat the most often become our comfort foods. It’s weird to me that people often believe that healthy foods are not as tasty as a bag of chips, a can of soda or even an oil heavy foie gras at a five star restaurant, for example. But I guess that is because other people get used to eating these types of foods early in their lives and I have never touched them. I’m sure that’s why people assume my diet of roasted butternut squash soups, lentil and mushroom veggie “meatloafs”, organic mesclun greens salads with pine nuts and roasted veggies, steamed edamame, and chocolate cherry smoothies (these are only a few examples of favorite foods I cook for myself) doesn’t taste very good. That’s the shame of it all- if only conventional eaters and the skeptics would give the nutritarian diet a chance to prove its deliciousness!

I’m not one to believe in sacrifice and I don’t think other people should have to either. I’ve met many people who use to eat the standard American diet (SAD) and now eat a nutritarian diet and love the variety of it, the taste of it, and the satisfaction of eating foods that promote wellness. My mom is actually one of these people. When my mom, whom was raised on a “conventional” diet, first met my dad’s sister in college (my mom and my aunt were actually good friends before she met my dad!), my mom said she felt sorry for my aunt, Gale (my dad’s younger sister) whom was raised on a healthy diet much like the one my dad advocates today. After only a few months of dating my dad when she was in her early twenties, she was converted to the nutritarian lifestyle and could no longer imagine eating the foods she previously ate regularly.

Which brings me back to the title of this blog post and all of the implication it makes. Most people with poor eating habits don’t just “die early” but they will probably contend with illness, chronic pain, decreased brain function and reliance on expensive medications for many years before they say sayonara to this life. Taking care of oneself by making the right foods choices leads to feeling our most optimal in the present as well as protecting ourselves from future health problems. I don’t have to battle a constant cough, runny nose, colds that last for weeks, asthma, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or any other chronic health malady that results from wanting to “enjoy my food and die early”. Some people might get away with eating poorly for decades and then succumb to ill health for only a few years, or maybe even a few months or weeks, before they die, but that is not the norm. Chronic weight problems face more Americans than ever before, as do cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disorders and other diet-related health conditions.

Healthy foods become much more appealing when we understand the relationship between what we eat and how we feel now and into the future. What we have to work on is finding our favorite healthy foods and recipes, making the decision to commit to this way of life with the resolve that you can have it all- tasty food and great health. The misconception that healthy food is bland and tasteless needs to become a thing of the past and you can do it with education, commitment and experimentation with recipes that you enjoy. You really can have it all if you give this lifestyle a shot.”

Recipe Here

From August 10th to 16th, a group of us ladies in New York City are doing a cleanse! We are all doing different versions, some will buy their whole package and some will make their juice at home. I’ll probably mix it up.

What does this entail? Drinking 6 juices a day, 3 of them being green, 2 from fruit, and 1 from a nut milk.

Join us if you like, even it it’s just for 1-3 days… will still do wonders for the body.

1. Strengthen the Immune System. Cleansing impurities and flooding the body with high grade essential nutrients strengthens the immune system. Some studies indicate that a healthy dose of high grade, absorbable protein will strengthen your immune system by as much as 500%.
2. Love Your Liver. A clean, healthy liver supports metabolism and burns fat. A healthy liver promotes normal thyroid function and when the thyroid is healthy, your metabolism and energy levels escalate.
3. Support Healthy Brain Chemistry. When your body can effectively absorb and digest fats and protein, it converts these nutrients into healthy brain chemicals. When your brain chemistry is aligned, you will make healthier food selections.
4. Restore Antioxidants. Toxic compounds create ”free radicals” that have the potential to damage cellular DNA-thus leading to cancer, weakened immune systems and accelerated aging. Antioxidants are substances that block free radical formation and destroy already formed free radicals.
5. Free yourself from stress. In herbal medicine, adaptogens are used to help the body ”adapt” to imbalances that stress the body externally or internally. Replenishing the body’s needed adaptogens assists in the body’s own self-regulatory systems, thus reducing stress.
6. Maximize Absorption of Essential Nutrients. Maximizing absorption of nutrients helps to fuel the internal body to support all major organ systems including the circulatory, musculoskeletal, and neurological systems.
7. Aid Digestion. Herbs such as suma, peppermint, fennel seed, and licorice have been used in many cultures to support and aid in digestion. Peppermint is a nontoxic digestive remedy that can provide relief from gas, bloating, nausea, and gastric upset. Peppermint has a calming effect on the smooth muscle of the intestinal tract and is felt to promote the flow of bile from the gallbladder into the small bowel, thus aiding in the digestion of fats.
8. Rejuvenate Your Cells with Ionic Minerals. Minerals are the key to enzyme activation in our digestive tract. When minerals are present, our intestines allow for ultimate absorption of vitamins and essential nutrients. Modern lifestyle has taken its toll on our digestive/elimination organs. Ionic (charged) minerals are the most easily absorbed by our body.
9. Support Your Vital Organs. If your body is overwhelmed with impurities, gentle cleansing herbs and essential nutrients will allow it to eliminate toxins through the liver (the major detoxifying organ of the body), colon, urinary tract, sweat glands, skin pores, and the lymphatic system much more effectively.
10. Lose Weight and Feel Great. Studies have shown that fat cell provide the perfect environment for holding onto toxins. This is our body’s natural mechanism for protecting itself from dangerous, often deadly toxins. Cleansing aids in the body’s ability to flush fat and increase metabolism.
11. Eliminate Unhealthy Cravings. The healthy body will crave healthy things. The unhealthy body will crave unhealthy things. Cleansing and replenishing allows the internal body to create an environment that craves good, nutritious food.
12. Enhance Cellular Communication. Our cells want two things: good nutrients and a clean environment in which to communicate. Cleansing provides our cells with both.
13. Build Muscle. Cleaning and then replenishing with pharmaceutical grade organic whey protein provides the body with essential amino acids that are the building blocks for the development of lean, dense muscle.
14. Address Diabetes. Type II diabetes is a serious disease that is rampant because of our lifestyles. Effective weight loss and fueling of the body can aid in the body’s ability to restore normal sugar levels.
15. Beautify The Skin. Our skin is the largest organ of our body. Cleansing and replenishing rejuvenates our skin, making us appear younger and more supple.
16. Create Abundant Energy. Better sleep cycles, achieved through cleansing, provide the body with stamina, energy, and mental clarity throughout the waking hours.
17. Balance Your Hormonal System. Cleansing and replenishing balances hormone levels, leading to a feeling of constant well being, increased stamina and increased sexual desire.
18. Slow the Effects of Aging. Toxins and nutritional deficiency can lead to premature aging on an internal and external level. Cleansing and replenishing allows our cells the ability to attach the affects of aging head on. A younger appearance along with incredible energy is often the result!
19. Address Cancer. Researchers suggest that approximately 90,000 cancer deaths may be related to obesity and are therefore, preventable. For almost all cancers, the risk of death increases coincident with body mass increases. Cleansing and replenishing often results in significant weight loss and, thus can reduce the risk of cancer.
20. Enhance Elimination. Refined, processed, low fiber foods, animal fats, lack of exercise, dehydration, and an ever-increasing level of stress all contribute to an irritable bowel and to sluggish elimination from the intestinal tract. Cellular cleansing and replenishing with fiber rich nutrients allows for better colonic elimination of impurities and is essential in the prevention of intestinal disorders.

”Part of my reason for being vegetarian was because it practices respect and love for life all through the day, so three times a day, you make a decision to eat things that have not been killed.” – Natalie Portman

Received these breathtaking roses from Elin at work on Friday. So lovely! Ain’t nothing better than bringing flowers home to lighten up your kitchen, sofa area or even bedroom. Simply completes any room. Studies show that flowers make us happier.

Need anymore reasons?

Ingredients: 1 teaspoon bee pollen, 1 banana, 2 handfuls of spinach

Have you tried nutritionist Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie? Oh you’ve been missing out (hehe).

”In one delicious drink, we get the fuel to not only lose weight, but rejuvenate our skin, fight aging, and increase our energy. It’s so easy; it’s so simple; and it has worked for all my clients, from Hollywood stars to busy moms and schoolteachers. I often work as the nutritionist on different movie sets, and this amazing thing happens when I do: I start making the Glowing Green Smoothie, and the next thing you know, you look around and all the actors and directors and producers are drinking it every day, because they love the way it makes them feel.” – Kimberly Snyder

”I learned about Kimberly and her Glowing Green Smoothie through my husband (Josh Duhamel). It gives me so much energy and makes me feel better about myself, and my skin.” – Fergie

Glowing Green Smoothie Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water 1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped 3-4 stalks organic celery 1/2 head of a large bunch or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach 1 organic apple, cored and chopped 1 organic pear, cored and chopped 1 organic banana Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon Optional: 1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems OK) and 1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems OK)

…and Directions

1. Add water and chopped head of romaine to blender. Blend at a low speed until smooth.
2. Add celery, apple, and pear and blend at high speed.
3. Add cilantro and parsley (which help chelate heavy metals out of your body).
4. Finish with banana and lemon.

Book Recommendation: Everyday Raw Express by Matthew Kenney

Don’t give up on whatever you’re trying to achieve. Believe you can, and you will. We’ll see you at the finish line.