In June 2009 I embarked on a journey for 30 days-my mission was to eat no processed foods.  I was to live on fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and organic green tea.  I blogged about what I was eating and posted nutritional information for each day.  During these 30 days I felt amazing, I lost some weight, and had oodles of energy.  During this time I also began a journey to create a business which is now called

Color Wheel Meals

Last summer was amazing in terms of how I felt, but once September rolled around I fell out of my workout routine, started eating more processed foods, and I started drinking coffee like it was the only beverage out there!  This was all before the holidays even rolled around!!  LOL  Well, needless to say I started feeling lousy again, gained back the weight I had lost (boo), and had zero energy.

When January 2010 rolled around I decided to embark on a green smoothie challenge for 30 days.  I was drinking a green smoothie every day through the month of January.  This was an amazing experience as well.

Now here we are almost February 2010 and a good friend of mine asked if I would eat ALL raw foods during the month of February with her.  So another challenge is in store for me!  As of Monday I will be blogging about this new challenge!!  Here is the link if you would like to follow along and see what in the heck I am gonna be eating!

UnProcessMe

So, in order to get ready for these next few weeks I have been stocking up on lots of yummy, healthy food!!  Let me show you what I have so far!

This is what is on my kitchen table……yes, my produce has overtaken our kitchen table!  I was able to pick up 2 cases of mangos for $8 at Randazzo’s Fruit Market so most of these will be cut and frozen for smoothies.  I also have 2 pineapples, 1 cantaloupe, grapefruits for juice, lots of oranges for juice, 4 bunches of bananas but these won’t last long in my house,  a couple bags of organic apples that I scored at Trader Joe’s for $2.49 each, 2 pomegranates (probably the last of the season),  lemons, limes, some grapes and cherries.  WHEW!  I also have 2 aloe plants…..I use these in my smoothies sometimes, well pieces of them anyways.

Now let’s take a look into my fridge!

So in my fridge I have:

Bottom shelf: 2 packages of strawberries, 1 large container of baby spinach, the other container is a spinach container but contains organic kale that I got from Kroger for $1.51!!!!  I packed it all into last weeks spinach container to keep it fresher longer!  Next to the spinach are coconut waters…I use these in my smoothies sometimes.

Top shelf: 1 bag of organic baby carrots, container of organic romaine leaves,  6 seedless cucumbers, 2 avocados (plus 1/2 way in the back),  a large container of organic hempseeds, behind the hempseeds is a container of spring water, 2 containers of coconut milk (which is the milk my son drinks), a jar of chia seeds, some green powder to add into my smoothies, behind that is a container of almond milk (which my daughter drinks).

In one of my produce drawers I store nuts and seeds, and in the other one I have onions and garlic.

So, I am pretty well stocked for at least a week-maybe more-LOL!

We will see!!!  I hope you follow me on UnProcessMe to see how things are going!

Wish me luck!

Visit my website:

Color Wheel Meals

WELL???

Side one is filled with donuts, cake, cheeseburgers, popcorn, soda, chips, cookies, candy bars, pies, french fries…….oh wait, should I say side one is filled with CHEMICALS, TRANS FATS, FOOD DYES, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP and MSG! In other words-FAKE, PROCESSED NON FOOD! I say non food because this isn’t food.  Yes, you can eat it but it will destroy you-slowly.  There are no health benefits to any of these foods-no vitamins, no minerals and no antioxidants.  Unfortunately, too many of us have gotten caught up in eating these foods on a daily basis which is causing our waistlines to become bigger but even worse is our insides are suffering all the way down to the cellular level.

Side two is filled with nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables-this is what real food looks like.  Side two contains antioxidants, phytonutrients, and tons of vitamins and minerals.  These foods are not processed and are whole foods, meaning they have not been altered to become something else.  Eating from this side is the way to ultimate health and longevity-so, again I pose the question:

WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON?

Check out my website: ColorWhellMeals.com

It is almost 2010-can you believe it?

I am really excited to start this new year and all of the adventures it may bring!

Every year around this time people start to look at their lives and decide to make some resolutions in hopes of bettering themselves or their life situations-one of the top resolutions ever is one to

eat healthier and/or lose weight

The best way to do this is by adding in healthy options into your daily diet.  Green smoothies are a great way to include plenty of fresh fruits/ veggies into your daily routine.  A green smoothie is blended up fruit mixed with different greens to make a super yummy smoothie that provides superior nutrition.

I have decided that I will be embarking on a 30 day Green Smoothie Challenge along with my husband and anyone else who would like to join!  I will be hosting this challenge on a private social networking site, so only members will be able to view the contents of the site.  I will be providing all of the information needed to join in on the green smoothie challenge-including recipes, motivational support, shopping lists, nutritional info, etc.

Consuming fresh fruits/greens will be one of the best things you can do for your body.  The results will be amazing!  Get more energy, lose weight,  help mood swings, clear the brain fog, reduce junk food cravings, and look and feel your best by joining this challenge and starting the New Year off right!!

The cost for joining is just $10!  This is less than a book, CD, or DVD!  You will make new friends, have support, and receive motivation daily to keep you on track!  What do you have to lose?  Sign up today!!!

email me at RawkinMom@Gmail.com for more information

Happy 2010!!!!

It has been quite busy around here with the holidays fast approaching, but I wanted to try to squeeze at least one more post in before Christmas.

We had several parties that we attended over the weekend and have been slacking in filling our bodies with yummy,  nutritious foods….here we are at an ugly Christmas sweater party…..lots of fun!

Today I woke up and  I decided that we would get lots of vitamins and minerals into our bodies to make up for all the partying we did!

First up were green smoothies for all!

My husband takes his to work in a mason jar- but for myself and the two kiddos we have these nifty glass mugs!  The two little ones I scored at a thrift store for pennies!!!  My kiddos were very excited to have mini versions of mommies and daddies smoothie mugs!!

My kids LOVE green smoothies and they don’t even mind that they are green….I think because they just taste so good!!!

CHEERS!!!!

After they were done chugging these awesome liquid vitamins they had lots of energy!

Of course, I wanted to get lots of good healthy stuff into those little bodies so next up was some green juice!!!

Even though it is green it tastes just like limeade….it is lip puckering good!!!  I served this up with their lunches….

Which included lots of sliced cucumbers drizzled with flax oil and Bragg’s apple cider vinegar plus a good helping of dulse (which is a dried seaweed that is a great source of iodide) and a sprinkling of Pink Himalayan sea salt.  It also consisted of pineapple, cantaloupe, and a few organic corn chips that they dipped into a concoction that I made out of red pepper, hemp seeds, lemon juice and a few other delicious ingredients….I did make this a little spicy on accident so their little mouths couldn’t handle much!!  Oops, guess I will be eating most of that batch!!  For dessert, they each had 2 protein balls which contain yummy ingredients like sunflower seeds, raisins, and raw honey…..these are little balls of heaven!!!

They also got a special treat later in the day……chocolate banana ice cream!!!

My little guy kept saying “This is so yummy!!”  They gobbled this “mock” ice cream up as it had no dairy in it whatsoever…..my little guy is so allergic to anything dairy!

DELICIOUS!

Also, check out my website….www.ColorWheelMeals.com

I am pretty excited about a new little project that is in the works!   It is called NOURISH.

NOURISH is a 45 minute class that meets once a week for 3 weeks.  It is

designed for mommies and their children ages 2-5.  The mommies will

be learning creative and delicious ways to “NOURISH”  their families by

watching food demonstrations using only fresh ripe fruits and

vegetables.  While the mommies are learning some wonderful new

ideas their children will be learning as well.  They will be “NOURISHED”

by being introduced to a wide world of music with a piano focus.  Early

introduction to music has many benefits to a child.  The last 10-15

minutes of each session mommies and children will come together and

enjoy tasting the freshly prepared recipes.    This is a unique

opportunity and class sizes are limited.  The first sessions will be held

the last 3 weeks in January (15th, 22nd, 29th) from 10:00-10:45.

Classes will be held in Wixom and geared for children ages 2-5.  Cost

will be $45 for the 3 week session.  Check out our facebook page here!

If you are interested in more info or to sign up email RawkinMom@gmail.com or ColorWheelMeals@gmail.com

Also, make sure to check out my website!!!  www.ColorWheelMeals.com

I decided to let you peek into my mornings around here and see what we like to rummage up for our breakfast-which is the most important part of the day!

So here my husband had the daunting task of juicing lots of oranges.  Actually it goes really fast and is actually quite fun to do!  On mornings that we have big glasses of O.J. we can easily go through a bag of oranges but I can usually get a bag for around $1.50 or so.   Sometimes I buy oranges by the case and get 100 oranges for around $15.00.  We can usually go through a case in a week if we are drinking O.J. everyday.  Oranges are so good for you can read my post about them here.

After the oranges are juiced we divide it up into cups…..2 little ones for my sweeties

and two big ones for my husband and myself.

We never just drink O.J. plain though…….I like to add some of my favorite super foods.

First, our O.J. always gets a good heaping spoonful of this:

These are chia seeds….they are little black seeds that are a great source of omega 3’s, fiber, protein, plus lots and lots more….these little things are warrior food!  They offer no taste but kind of look funny suspended in the glass!  We love it!

I also sneak a little ingredient into the juice without anyone knowing:

This is organic kelp and it is a great source of iodine.  Iodine is needed for a healthy thyroid function.  I only put a pinch in everyone’s juice and they have never even known!

Once the chia seeds and kelp have been added we add ice and slurp it down super fast.

Occasionally, I use my juice to make a super smoothie.

I will pour my juice in the blender and add bananas, chia seeds, kelp and then some of this

Based on its research, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has stated that bee pollen is the most nutritious food we can eat. It contains every nutrient required to sustain and support life in a pure, raw and unaltered form.  I try to take at least a tablespoon everyday!

I add some ice and blend it up!

Voila!  My super delicious breakfast of champions!  It is so yummy!  I hope you enjoyed the peek into my families mornings…..ENJOY!!!

Visit my website:  www.ColorWheelmeals.com

My children somehow acquired a bagful of candy over the Halloween week despite my best efforts to not have this happen.  Even though we opted out of the Trick or Treat thing, both my kids were given candy at various places.  Well, what to do with all this unwanted candy???  We used it in science experimentation!  I was disgusted to see the results though!

We took several different pieces of candy :

Skittles, Laffy Taffy, Dots, Now and Later, and Super Bubble Gum.

We placed each in a glass of water to see what would become of these nuisances…….I thought they would disintegrate and leave a colored water in the glass.  I did not expect this:

This was the Laffy Taffy water – that is not foam on the top although that is what it looks like.  It is actually the fat from the candy…..partially hydrogenated fat.

I dipped my finger in and when I pulled it out all that fat stuck to my finger!  It felt greasy and actually took soap to wash it off of my finger.  It felt like lard or shortening if you have ever had that on your hand.  GROSS!!

This was the worst offender for fat out of the experiment….the layer on top was maybe 1 centimeter thick.

This was what was left of the Skittles….at first the dyes did not mix…they just sat there at the bottom of the glass completely separate.    Also, the little S’s had floated to the top and sat just underneath a layer of oily gunk.

The Dots never did completely disintegrate…they formed a coating over them that resembled something you would pull out of the sea after several years.  These were originally black in color but are orange flavored….again-GROSS!!

I just have to wonder if this candy looks like this sitting in water for a day, what does it really do in our bodies????

I don’t want that slimy fat finding a home on my thighs, and I for sure don’t want it in my children’s bodies either.

Please don’t get me wrong- I am not a scrooge…..I just don’t want my kids scavenging a bunch of sugar and chemically dyed junk.  It’s bad for their teeth, it’s bad for their tummies, and it’s bad for their immune systems.  I want the best for them in life, and to me this junky, colored, processed stuff can stay the heck away!!!

So gather up the leftover candy and see if you can gross yourself out with a little science experimentation!

Visit my website -ColorWheelMeals.com

Everyone talks about going green and I am all for helping out our planet but there is another way to go green -eating green!!  No food dyes here….this green color is all natural!!

Spinach is usually one of the foods listed on “super food lists” and it ranks on these lists for good reason.  It is loaded with calcium, folic acid, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron,  fiber and so much more.

It has properties to aid in the following:

*combats prostate and ovarian cancer

*helps maintain bone health

*promotes gastrointestinal health

*has anti inflammatory properties

*may reduce the effects of age-related  declines in brain function

*promotes healthy eyesight

I guess Popeye had the right idea!  Except I wouldn’t eat it out of a can, I like to buy mine fresh and always organic!!   There really is not much price difference between conventionally grown and the organic spinach- so I will always buy organic when it comes to my leafy greens!

How to eat your fresh spinach:

Divine Spinach Salad

1-2 cups baby spinach

1/2 Granny Smith apple -diced

2 tbsp. dried cranberries

2 tbsp. pecans

dressing of choice

Mix all ingredients together for an incredible salad!

Green Smoothie

check out my green smoothie recipe here

Enjoy!

Check out my website ColorWheelMeals.com

Okay-it is time!!!  With flu season in full swing and holidays right around the corner-it is time to take charge of our health!  We need to take care of our bodies, and also make  sure the little people in our lives are taken care of as well!   I don’t want my children to suffer through having an illness, and  I personally don’t want to be ill either.    I want my entire household to be  healthy, happy and vibrant!  This is my goal!  So, I have made a top ten list of things I believe will benefit you and your family as well as mine -check it out!

#10 - Drink lots of fresh water

Our bodies need at least one ounce of water for every two pounds of weight.  So to figure this out you only need to divide your weight by 2.  For example,  if you weigh 120 pounds you should be drinking 60 ounces of water per day.  For a child who weighs 40 pounds they would need 20 ounces of water per day.  Remember this is the minimum required to keep your body properly hydrated.

#9 – Exercise/ walk/ or do some type of movement everyday

Our bodies need movement everyday.  If you have no time or desire to do an actual workout then add extra movement throughout your day.  For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Park farther away from the store entrance.  While standing do calf raises.  While you sit at a red light tighten your ab muscles or your buttock muscles and hold for the duration of the light.  Even small efforts accumulate to keep our bodies healthy.  Remember this is the minimum that your body would need, more is always better.

#8 -  Eliminate consumption of “DIET” products or anything containing aspartame, saccharin, Equal, or Splenda.

Artificial sweeteners are chemicals-there is not one benefit from consuming them.  The lists of negatives though are overwhelming.  At all costs stay away from these chemicals!

#7 – Replace 3 meals or more per week with a non meat alternative.

Instead of consuming meat based meals, try to make several of them vegetable based.  Have a big salad with lots of fresh veggies, make a smoothie with spinach and fruit, or make zucchini pasta with a marinara sauce.

#6 – Eliminate Trans Fat  (Partially Hydrogenated Oils)

Partially Hydrogenated Oils are poisons to our bodies. Our systems cannot break down these trans fats and they end up getting stored in our cells.   Look through your pantry and see how many items contain this poison-you may be surprised! Even if a product states “Trans Fat Free” be cautious….read the ingredient list to make sure that partially hydrogenated oils are not listed.  Companies are able to state “Trans Fat Free” if it contains  a certain amount per serving.

#5 – Eliminate food dyes

Most food dyes are banned from products in other countries but still remain legal in our food supply here in the states.  Food dyes are dangerous and can cause our bodies to become ill with disease.  Please read the ingredient lists when buying food, if it contains Red, Yellow, Blue or Green dyes, put it back on the shelf!!  Especially ban brightly colored foods like neon colored yogurt or exotically bright colored juices.

#4 – Eliminate processed white sugar and white flour

Processed white sugar and flour are in thousands of products that we consume daily.  These are silent poisons.  These ingredients are all man-made or artificially processed ingredients that are not normally found in nature.  They are being linked to cancer and a host of other diseases.

#3 – Replace processed foods with fresh, minimally processed counterparts.

Instead of eating potatoes out of a box, make your own.  Learn how to prepare your favorite foods by using fresh ingredients instead of boxed and/or processed ones.  Fresh salsa is very easy and so much better than the ones you can buy in a jar, fresh juices still contain essential vitamins that our bodies need, and spaghetti sauce minus the preservatives and chemicals is by far a better option.

#2 – Eat The Rainbow

I am not talking about Skittles!  Make sure to include colorful fruits and vegetables in every meal.  Aim high every day.  Fresh fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that our bodies use to stay healthy.

#1 – Fresh Is Best

Cooking fruits and vegetables can leech the nutrition right out of them.  Steamed would be better than cooking but fresh is always best when it comes to getting the most nutrients.

Well, there it is folks….my top ten list to a healthier life!  If this seems overwhelming just take one step at a time.  Try to work on one step a week or one step a month.  I promise your body will thank you!!

Check out my website!  ColorWheelMeals.com

I love summer and everything that it has to bring- but when fall time rolls around I do get giddy because it means that it is pomegranate season!!!

Pomegranates are large, round red fruit that are filled with crimson red seeds called arils….these little jewels are filled with juice…..delicious, tart wonderful juice!

The pomegranate is loaded with antioxidants, polyphenols, essential amino acids and plenty of vitamins and minerals.  They have been studied extensively and shown to do miraculous things for our bodies.  They are great for heart health-it has been proven that drinking the juice from a fresh pomegranate can stop and reverse the hardening of the artery walls.  It has also been shown to fight cancer.  These are just a few of the many benefits of adding these to your diet.

Eating 1/2 cup of these little red jewels will offer your body 80 calories, 0 fat, 18 carbs, 5 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

To remove the seeds cut the pomegranate in half and place in a bowl of cool water.  Start to pull apart the pieces and the seeds will sink to the bottom.  Work out all of the seeds and then skim the white rind out and discard.  Pour the water containing seeds into a strainer -this will separate the seeds from the water.  Now you may have to pick through and discard any white rind or brown seeds.  Place them into a plastic or glass container and store in the fridge.  These will keep for several days.

****CAUTION**** Pomegranate juice will stain!!  Make sure to handle underwater to avoid red squirts of juice on your clothes, walls, and anything else that may be lingering close by!

What to do with these lovely little gems:

Eat with a spoon right out of the bowl.  There is a seed/kernel  inside each aril but it is edible.  So just scoop up a spoonful and enjoy!

Add to salads or to fruit salads-they are a great addition to both!

Use a citrus juicer and juice-fresh dark red pom juice!!!

Freeze!  Eat these frozen for a really crunchy treat!!!

ENJOY!

Visit my website at COLOR WHEEL MEALS