The Winner of Green for Life....

Denise

of California!

(And I posted a comment asking everyone to leave a working email address, so there were 15 entrants, not sixteen.)

Congratulations Denise!

And the book is coming out in October. Everyone get this book to heal yourselves and your loved ones.
I cannot stress the importance of Victoria's monumental work. I'll be blogging about it here and on my children's blog soon.

Love,
Althea ◦

The Winner of Green for Life....

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #7

Konju Oruwari

Konju Oruwari (née Konju Briggs Jr.) was born in 1983 in northern New Jersey to Nigerian immigrant parents and will turn 27 around Halloween 2010. He is a novelist, blogger, martial artist (Kung Fu Wu Su), licensed massage therapist (NY and NJ), former graduate student (MA, Africana Studies, NYU, 2008), and currently the research assistant (and scribe) at the Africana Institute at Essex County College in Newark, NJ.

His vegan life began in the summer of 1999 when he was fifteen. Much of his overnight transition was due to exposure to new and meaningful modes of thinking (transcendentalist literature in high school, pro-vegan radio shows by the likes of Kamau Kokayi and Gary Null on WBAI, conscious adoption and espousal of leftist politics, and especially hardcore immersion in Eastern philosophy, particularly Zen Buddhism, at the time) that all converged to make using animal products seem cruel, repulsive and unhealthy.

That summer, he also worked at a local fast food restaurant for only one day before immediately quitting and going 100% vegan in the following couple of weeks. Earlier memories, such as a disturbing childhood visit to a slaughterhouse in southern New Jersey to accompany his father selecting the goat to be slaughtered for his goat-meat stew, also informed his 1999 epiphany. Since then, he has never looked back and is approaching the point where half his life, and already all his adult-hood, have been enjoyed in healthy veganism, thanks to the permissions of a forward-looking and tolerant mother during his teenage years.

He now blogs about vegan theory as pertains to human rights and human liberation, ecology, sustainable development in the third world, food security, food sovereignty, and food justice in his primary blog, Green Chimurenga. His time spent in West Africa as a graduate exchange student of University of Ghana in 2007, studying third-world agronomy and gender issues, reinforced his commitment to seeing community lifestyles and material economies in their relationship to sustainability and development. Another of his blogs, Afrikan Satori, primarily addresses some of the broader political issues of the day while also housing some of his literary samples. He is currently seeking publication for an Afrofuturist dark comedy entitled An Android Reads the News while working on another novel which, from a magical realist perspective, explores the intercultural absurdities and political nausea facing people of color and immigrants in America today.

Konju Oruwari has also trained for several years in Kung Fu Wu Su in New York, hopefully to achieve first degree in 2011. After graduate school he studied massage therapy and personal fitness training at the Swedish Institute in Manhattan as well. His experiences have demonstrated thoroughly that carnivorism has no special relationship with athleticism that veganism cannot meet or exceed. He trains daily in kettlebells or other exercises, and has not been physically ill in years.

Konju has been a raw vegan since the fall of 2007 and a low-fat raw vegan/ fruitarian since January 2009, taking no supplements and subsisting only on fresh fruits and greens. His physical vitality has been the most vigorous and energetic during this current phase of his plant-based lifestyle.

He is currently contemplating and applying for graduate school again (for Ph. D. positions related to neo-colonial and Africana studies, for MS occupational therapy programs in possible combination with an M.PH, and perhaps even MFA programs if he is really crazy). That is unless writing novels pays off enough to fund the lifestyle and provides its own outlets for research and teaching. In either case, he will remain a healthy vegan.


E-mail: precisionafrikan@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/konju.oruwari
Blogs: Green Chimurenga is at www.africanvegans.com and its supplemental facebook site is facebook.com/GreenChimurenga
Afrikan Satori is at konju.wordpresss.com.



◦

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #7

Green for Life: Review + Giveaway!

During intuitive readings for clients, when I tell them their most probable future, the most common question is, "How is THAT supposed to happen?"

Good question. But it's not one I can usually answer. I can see the destination, but not always the path that leads people to that future. And I don't need to, and neither do they. I tell people two things: 1) You have the power to create whatever future you choose, and 2) tragedy/problems/obstacles can lead you to your Divine life purpose, if you allow them to do so.

Victoria Boutenko frustration with family's health problems lead her to live out her Divine life purpose.

When she, her husband, and their two youngest children were left with no hope from the medical establishment, Victoria turned them all into raw vegans overnight. Their compelling story is told in the book Raw Family: A True Story of Awakening.

But when they hit a plateau in their healing, Victoria searched high and low for the missing link in their raw food plan. Green smoothies were her discovery. The original text of Green For Life was published in 2005. This latest, expanded edition, to be released in October 2010, is even better.

Green for Life is the scientific cousin to its follow-up Green Smoothie Revolution (another must have, and prior giveaway here on this blog). Green for Life is the book that makes the case, the proof, if you will, that green smoothies are the missing link in human nutrition. If you want the science behind the drink, this is the book for you.

It's really the book for everyone. Health care in this country is a political and personal issue. Boutenko writes, "mainstream medicine seems to have be focusing on the secondary causes of disease. To me that's like pushing a car that has run of gas with your bare hands instead of putting gas in it, or comforting a hungry person instead of feeding him." No one should give this book away after reading it, unless you are passing it on to a sick friend or relative.

Green smoothies make the healing power of chlorophyll tasty. Chlorophyll's healing ability cannot be understated. As written in the book, chlorophyll:

-reduces pain caused by inflammation

-helps sores heal faster

-improves vision

-builds a high red blood cell count

-makes the body more alkaline

-improves milk production

-resists bacteria in wounds

-cleans and deodorizes bowel tissues

-eliminates bad breath

-provides iron to organs

-helps purify the lives

and way more.

Green smoothies make ingesting chlorophyll FUN!

After you read the science and the amazing testimonials, you'll be itching to make your first smoothie. There's 39 recipes in this book. If that's not enough for you, go get Green Smoothie Revolution, which has over 200 recipes.

I created four of them! I haven't named them yet. If anyone wants to bless them with cool names, go ahead

:-).

-8 prunes

-2 sweet apples

-2 handfuls of swiss chard

-water

-8 prunes

-1/2 pineapple

-handful cilantro sprigs

-handful kale

-water

-1 mango

-1 orange

-2 handfuls kale

-water

-2 handfuls grapes

-1 apple

-2 handfuls swiss chard

-water

BLEND!

Few books are as "must-have" as this one. Either you or a loved one is suffering from a major health problem. Take a chance. Buy a blender and make your own smoothies for a month. You don't have anything to lose. All you have to gain is your health, and that is worth more than money.

Victoria Boutenko is a Warrior Mom. She broke from conventional thinking to heal herself and her family. As she wrote: she had to find the true answer or die.

Writing this brings tears to my eyes because I lie awake at night sometimes thinking of every way I can to heal my children. I took her book to heart, understanding how she felt back in 1994 when doctors told her nothing could be done for her family short of medications and surgery. I've also heard the words, "There's nothing else we can do for you." Now, both myself and my oldest son each drink a quart of green smoothies everyday.

10+ out of 10 Mocha Angels. 

To you Victoria Boutenko, I raise my glass of green smoothie to you and say, "Thank you." When you live out your Divine life purpose, you give others permission to do the same.

Love,

Althea

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

One lucky person wins a copy of Green For Life! (available in October)

- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your favorite green smoothie?"
- Leave a working email address too.
-The winner must live in the United States.
- If you have won a giveaway here in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to enter (sorry!)
- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Monday, September 27, 2010.
- I will pick the winner at random. The winner will receive an email from me on Tuesday, September 28, 2010. I will announce the winner on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day.

Good luck! ◦

Green for Life: Review + Giveaway!

Blow up at the Library

In my Technical Writing days, we were taught that when writing a professional document, to always start with good news and end with not-so-good news. I'll start with the not-so-good news.

I took the kids to our local library on Wednesday. They know us because we practically live there. I told the kids to get one DVD each. Raymond got one. Jona got four. While Jona was getting his four DVD, Raymond was getting agitated. His agitation is nothing new. He does not like change (as he told me today!). This is very Asperger's-like behavior. The neuropsychologist at Kennedy Krieger did list that as a diagnosis for him. But usually, Raymond is very mild-mannered.

I kept telling him I would handle it. My fear was that Jona would blow up inside the library and have a screaming fit.

Instead, it was the opposite. I let Jona get his four to keep him from screaming, but he is the one who has the behavioral issues. This time, Raymond let it RIP! Once we got to the check-out counter, Raymond was FIGHTING to keep Jona from taking home all those DVD's. I literally dragged Raymond out of there as he SCREAMED AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS.  He screamed like someone was trying to kill him and he was fighting for his life.

I sat them both down on the bench, right outside the front door. It took a while, maybe five minutes for Raymond to calm down. He kept saying, "Jona, can you take those DVDs back? You can only keep one!" After I calmed him down, I talked to Jona. I said, "Raymond is upset. He has one DVD and you can only have one."

I'm convinced Jona is going to join the ScreamFest, but he never did. The most I saw was a whimper. I coaxed three DVDs out of him, slowly. I put them in the outside bin. I gave Raymond lots of hugs and thanked Jona for cooperating.

Then I told Raymond I understood how he felt, but he can't go screaming like that again (I said it nicely). I took him back inside and he apologized to the librarians. He said, "I'm sorry I screamed in the library," without coaching.

Jona, on the other hand, was cool as a cucumber.

I must say I don't EVER want to experience that again. Raymond has shown signs of rigidity before. But he's never exploded like that. The experience was haunting for me. No one wants to see her child in such an emotionally charged state.

I took one major thing away: I have to be consistent in enforcing my rules. That's true for all parents. But the stakes are higher with Autistic children. You give them an inch, they'll take the whole town, not just a country mile.

The other take-away: stick with the healing plan. Jona is a different kid. I started him gluten-free on August 30th. There have been NO blow-ups, NO behavioral problems (outside of the DC VegFest in which there were simply too many people around him), and NO digestive issues. He's calm and cool. About an hour ago, I told him he couldn't watch his movie. Raymond was going to watch his. Jona said, "Okay, let's watch Raymond's movie."

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? No tears? No tantrum? Is this Jona?

And he's picking up books on his on without prompting from me. This is WONDERFUL news!

So let the healing continue!

Love,
Althea ◦

Blow up at the Library

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #6

I'm so excited! (It doesn't take much. LOL!) I've been wanting to feature Martha and her beautiful family on my blog for over a year. This is the perfect vehicle. Today you all get not one, but four, georgeous healthy vegans. Read their stories and be inspired!

Martha Theus

Martha has been a vegetarian since 1985. She was raised in Detroit, Michigan, and introduced to a vegetarian way of life when she moved to Los Angeles and met her (now) husband, Londale Theus, who has been a vegetarian since 1982.

Together, they raised their children, Kamaal and Londale Jr. as vegetarians since birth. Kamaal has graduated college and Londale Jr. is in his senior year. They are active, athletic, healthy young adults who have never eaten meat, poultry, fish or eggs. Martha was fully vegetarian throughout both pregnancies and her children were both of normal size and weight.

As a young wife and mother, Martha's goal was to create healthy and delicious food that does not involve pain and suffering for animals, yet tasted good and had a southern flair which reflects her roots. Over twenty plus years of trial and error, she, along with the help of her daughter Kamaal, have achieved this and share their approach in their cookbook “Throwin’ Down” Vegetarian Style! which is a collection of their favorite quick, easy, high protein vegetarian soul food and ethnic recipes. You can find more information about the Theus Family and how they live and eat at www.21stCenturyVegetarians.com.

Martha and Kamaal have “cracked the code” and taken the mystery and confusion out of vegetarian living by providing tips and recipes that are not only healthy but also very hearty and tasty and reminiscent of the foods we all grew up with. Their family is committed to a vegetarian lifestyle as a spiritual choice. They feel this lifestyle is a great blessing, evidenced by the fact that they enjoy good health and do not have any of the diet related diseases that many African Americans suffer from. They don’t believe that you have to choose between eating “good” and eating “right.” You can do both!

Londale Theus (Sr.)

Londale is a native of Los Angeles and grew up on the mean streets of South Central L.A. As a youth, he excelled in basketball and eventually earned an athletic scholarship to Santa Clara University where he played with former NBA star Kurt Rambis. Upon graduation, Londale was drafted by the NBA but suffered a career-ending knee injury right before training camp. He then pursued a career in law enforcement which spanned over 20 years, and included serving on the Santa Monica S.W.A.T. team, teaching defensive tactics to law enforcement officer across the country, and serving as the Director of Force Training for Krav Maga Worldwide, an Israeli self-defense system.

Early in his law enforcement career, he was introduced to a spiritual philosophy that changed his life profoundly. The foundation of this philosophy involved a vegetarian diet, to support the precept of living with compassion for all creatures.

In 1985, he met and married Martha Theus, who embraced the vegetarian diet and the spiritual philosophy behind it. Over the years, Londale has been able to keep fit and healthy throughout his grueling law enforcement and self-defense training regime due to Martha’s convenient, healthy, and delicious vegetarian cooking.

Londale is now an actor and currently lives in Los Angeles with Martha and their two children, Londale Jr. and Kamaal. Visit his website, www.LondaleTheus.com for more information.

Londale Theus, Jr.

Londale Theus, Jr. (23) was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles and has also been a vegetarian since birth. He was an outstanding athlete and excelled at the sport of basketball. He attended high school in Blue Ridge, Virginia where he graduated valedictorian of his class. After high school, he attended New Mexico State University where he played basketball for his cousin, former NBA player and coach Reggie Theus.

During his time at New Mexico, he was one of the best conditioned athletes on the team, and stood 6’6” tall, weighing 200 pounds. His teammates and his coaches were shocked that this level of physicality was possible from a life-long vegetarian. Following his example, his roommates embraced the diet and found that they felt better while eating vegetarian. Since that time, Londale has attended school in Idaho, and now is back in Los Angeles, where he attends California State University Long Beach majoring in theatre. He is also a stand-up comedian and has performed in various clubs throughout Los Angeles, including the famed Comedy Store. Like Londale, Sr. he is pursing a career in acting.

Kamaal Theus

Kamaal (24) was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, and has been vegetarian since birth. She is an animal lover and has a passion for Japanese animation (anime) and foreign cultures. She is a recent graduate of California State University, Long Beach with a degree in Spanish Translation and Interpretation. She spent her freshman year in Costa Rica where she lived with a family, studied in the local university, and gained fluency in the language. Since that time, she has played college rugby, studied French and Japanese, and has shared her vegetarian lifestyle with friends and co-workers from across the globe. Kamaal is the co-author of “Throwin’ Down Vegetarian Style” and is an integral part of the 21st Century Vegetarians business.

Are they not beautiful? Go head over to http://www.21stcenturyvegetarians.com/ to watch Martha's welcome video and go get her book! I love these folks! Positive, healthy, and inspiring. You can't get better than that!
 
Love,
Althea ◦

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #6

Stoking Digestive Fire

(Long Post)

So it's been a while since I posted because I've been insecure. I was not sure I could do this. Heal my sons, I mean. During the last half of August and the beginning of September, I was really sick. I wrote about this, somewhat on my other blog, but who wants to hear of someone continually griping about her illness? Especially when she doesn't know what she had?

Right after Raymond's birthday, I was felled, for the third time, with an upper respiratory infection followed by diarrhea. The irony is that I know so many people with diarrhea. One of my yoga students apologized to me today for not being in class last Thursday. Why? Because diarrhea had weakened her for a solid week. I have no idea what is going around, but it's rough. Many people have suggested allergies, but I don't know.

When I get sick, I am not a happy person. My mother-in-law is disabled and my husband works full-time. Who is left with her young children to care for while she's stuck on a toilet? That would be me.

During that time, I felt sorry for myself. I'll be honest. I even cried about everything. I was like, "How am I supposed to do this if I'm sick all the time?"

To add to it, I'd started my kids on a gluten-free diet on August 30th. Jona has responded beautifully. His bowels move twice a day. Raymond responded, then stopped. He went SIX DAYS without a bowel movement. I was beside myself. He was drinking 40 oz of water (half his body weight), eating veggies, drinking fresh juices...I couldn't understand it.

In my personal faith, I believe that thoughts create physical reality. I kept reminding myself that the Universe and my Angels love me, and that life supports me.

Support came in the form of an email from Talia Shapiro of North Atlantic Books. "Out of the blue" she sent me an email asking if I'd like to review the updated classic Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko. Of course! Green for Life is about the science of green smoothies. Thinking about myself, and Raymond, who has suffered from constipation since he was a toddler, I gobbled up the book.

Both of us are now drinking a quart of green smoothies a day. I have responded too. My digestion is slow, which is why I'm high raw. But these bad boys? Whooooo! A green smoothie will set you right! They are indeed amazing. I feel so much better. I have clarity of thought and more energy.

But back to Raymond. His bowel movements were still not consistent like me and Jona. I'd gotten him probiotics (should have gotten digestive enzymes, those are coming up.) I'm writing down everything he eats and drinks. He was moving every other day. I read a book called Ultramind in which I learned that lots of kids with Autism have low hydrochloric acid (HCL) in their tummies. That was another reason for the green smoothies. Victoria Boutenko recorded a study she and an M.D. did with people with low HCL. Two-thirds of them got better. So the green smoothies will stay.

I added meridian work. Meridians are energy channels in the body. If you've ever gotten or heard of Acupuncture, that is a form of Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture relieved my menstrual cramps after my tubal ligation, and healed my concussion after my car accident in February. I know it works. I have a wonderful book called Energy Medicine by Donna Eden. It's textbook, for sure. But get it because it's good for all people, of all ages.

I check Raymond's meridian alarm points. His large intestine was not working. I did the work Eden suggested and Raymond had four bowel movements the next day. That was on September 14. No bowel movements on 9/15. I did the meridian work again that evening. He's had two bowel movements today. I'm seeing that I need to keep doing the meridian work until he is consistent.

Next time, I'll tell you what happened in the library yesterday.

Love,
Althea ◦

Stoking Digestive Fire

Mocha Angels is on Facebook!

Hi, ya'll. Mocha Angels is my growing empire! It's now on Facebook. It's a public page dedicated to The Daily Mocha Angel messages, and holistic tips about yoga, raw food, vegan food, energy healing and more. Please "Like" it, as I want to get my book published within the next 18-24 months and would like the word of mouth fan base to grow!

All you have to do is search "Mocha Angels" and it will come right up. Click the "Like" button on top and my posts will show up in your timeline.

I have a personal "Althea Hughes Wills" page too. My privacy settings are set to that only "Friends of Friends" can find me. If we do not have mutual friends, my name doesn't even come up. Send me an email if we don't have mutual friends. I can "Friend" you. mochaangels@aol.com

Thanks for joining the Mocha Angels Facebook page. And share it with your likeminded friends too!

Coming up: Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan features a FAMILY tomorrow! And a review of Victoria Boutenko's updated classic Green for Life! (and because I love you all, someone will win a copy!)

Love,
Althea ◦

Mocha Angels is on Facebook!

DC VegFest...

...was totally worth the trip. Held on the campus of George Washington University in the heart of Washington, DC, DC VegFest was the bomb. Me and my family all attended. In retrospect, I should have just gone with my oldest son, Raymond, seen below with Mr. Carrot. He was feeling it. He had a great time and he didn't want to leave. Since he wants to be a chef, that made sense.

Raymond and Mr. Carrot. Raymond had just finished a cupcake which is why frosting is all over his mouth!

Rom wanted a new Facebook profile picture, and he got one.

 

There had to be at least a thousand people there. Jona definitely had some sensory overload issues, which I have to keep in mind. He was fine during the drive down; could never settle down while we were there, unless he was eating (away from the crowd); he was ready to go pretty early in the game. We all went because the four of us don't get out much together all at the same time. Family time is important, but we have to keep it simple, with less people around. And on the drive home, Jona was fine. He even took a few pictures of me in the car, and a self-portrait of himself, which I accidentally deleted!

I ran into Ms. Wanda Peace and Mrs. Marcy Clark, and her lovely family, both Raw Mocha Angel readers. I didn't get photos because I had to constantly keep one eye on Jona. Wanda will tell you Jona was tugging on me the whole time I was talking to her and her friend Denise!

Food Porn for you all, because I love you.

From Vegan Treats in Pennsylvania. I had the Carrot Cake (because Jona stuck his finger in it) and the Caramel Cheesecake. That's the one in the center between the Carrot Cake and the Oreo Cake. It was one of the best, ,most original cakes I've ever tasted. 

Khepra Anu from Mojo Juice Club was there workin' his raw food mojo. I caught him chopping coconuts open with a machete. Fierce!

Khepra makes the best raw food in DC. I got a raw burger, kale salad, and some kind of rice that was amazing. That platter was the last thing I bought and I ate it in the car (didn't think to photograph it!) It was awesome. Rom said, "I guess you're not going to wait to get home to eat that, huh?" Uh, no. Too good to wait. Amazing.

 

Tal Ronnen, author of The Conscious Cook was there too. I have no idea what he made, but I'm glad I caught a photo. I intend to meet him in person one day.

Jill Eckhart, assistant to Neal Barnard, M.D., who is the founder of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, was there. I have this book (just made my first recipe from it today) and will review it soon. I had to get a picture of her.

Teach your children well.

Thanks DC VegFest!

Love,

Althea

◦

DC VegFest...

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #5

A. Breeze Harper

Breeze Harper was born and raised in Connecticut, in the rural town of Lebanon with her twin, Tal. She wasn't always health conscious when it comes to what she puts in and on her body. She attended Dartmouth College in the early nineties and remembers eating Hershey bars and drinking Dr. Pepper soda for breakfast. She used these foods to comfort herself in a highly classist and racist environment. Simultaneously, she was plagued with insomnia and painful menstrual cycles that she would later learn was directly connected to the junk food that she put into her body. When she was in her mid twenties, she was diagnosed with a fibroid tumor. Her mother had been only a few years older when she was diagnosed with fibroids and had a hysterectomy.

Realizing that she didn't want to go the route of surgery or prescription drugs, Breeze consulted with her father, who is very well read in herbal healing. He asked her, "Well, what did our people do before African slavery in the USA? What foods and herbs were we using to heal our bodies?" So, the adventure into the healing world of African Diasporic people began. Breeze's friend Diane introduced her to the work of Queen Afua's book Sacred Woman, which teaches women how to eat a plant-based living foods diet to decolonize their bodies and to cure their womb health ailments. Breeze stuck to the diet and was able to shrink her fibroids over 75%. She was so impressed by Afua that she asked herself, "What else have I been told by the medical world is 'incurable' when it can in fact been cured through a whole foods vegan diet?" Ever since then, she's been researching how black female vegans in the USA are developing their own epistemologies around plant-based diets.

Breeze is currently a PhD candidate in Critical Food Geographies at University of California, Davis. She explores how and why mainstream vegan rhetoric takes a 'race-neutral' (defaults to "everyone has a white middle class relationship with food" mentality) approach to vegan and animal rights activism and how the collectivity of black women practicing plant-based diets take a 'race-conscious' approach. Lantern Books published Harper's book project Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health and Society in March of 2010. It is the first book that addressed how race and gender construct one's consciousness around, and practice of, veganism.

Research Website: www.breezeharper.com and www.sistahveganproject.com
Research Group: Critical Race and Food Studies Intersect :
http://groups.google.com/group/critical-race-theory-and-food-studies-research?lnk=gcimh
Research Group: Critical Race and Veg*n Studies Intersect http://sistahveganproject.ning.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sistahvegan ◦

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #5

And The Winner is....

The winner of 30-Minute Vegan is........

entry Number Nine, so that means:

Addie Bliss-Wagner,

come on down!

You've won!

Congratulations!

◦

And The Winner is....

Indentifying Wild Weeds

Since everyone got that last weed growing in my yard correct (the unanimous verdict was Wild Dandelion), I decided to photograph other plants growing in my backyard. If you know what any of these are, and if they are or are not edible, please let me know.

Number One

Number Two

Number Three

Number Four

Number Five

Number Six

Thank you!

Love,

Althea

◦

Indentifying Wild Weeds

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #4

Miranda Martinez

Miranda Martinez is a raw food chef, coach & speaker, actress, producer and entrepreneur. She obtained a Bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and worked in corporate America for a couple of years, but soon discovered that the business world wasn't for her. Miranda has been involved in the film & commercial industry for over 10 years accumulating numerous credits in commercials, voiceovers, print, industrial and independent films. Her commercial credits include Walmart, JC Penney, Taco Bueno, Chevy Tahoe, Avon, Radio Shack, Doritos, and Tostidos.

She is co-founder of Martice Enterprises, a critically-acclaimed award-winning theatre production company and the founder of Baru Films, an independent film production company set to produce their first full-length feature film project in 2010. For more information on her acting/producing career, visit www.mirandamartinez.com, www.barufilms.com and www.martice.com.

Miranda has been experimenting with raw, living foods, super foods and live supplements, starting with The Master Cleanse in July 2007. She has lost a total of over 60 lbs and experienced health benefits such as increased energy, reduced hereditary LDL cholesterol and spider veins. In addition, she no longer have cysts (caused by a low-carb diet), knee pain, constipation issues, or food addictions.

She is a self-taught raw vegan chef and assisted in developing the menu at a Dallas raw food restaurant. Miranda's specializes in raw vegan desserts. She has been featured in First Magazine for Women (nationally), The Dallas Observer, The Dallas Voice, The Houston Press News, DallasVegan.com, GreenMaids.com, PegasusNews.com, LatinoLA.com, The Mexico Report, We Like it Raw, WB 33 News, NBC 5, The Holistic Radio Show, Paul Nison's Raw Life Health Show, Raw Epicurean Blog, Chocolate Orchid Blog and as a Celebrity Chef at The Texas State Fair (the nation’s biggest fair). This was the first time the fair featured a raw vegan chef at their annual Celebrity Kitchen event.

Most recently she was a featured guest chef in a "cooking segment" in Good Morning Texas. Her name appeared in the Dallas Observer's "Crave" special insert in the article called "Dallas Famous Chefs" and a 2-page article written by her titled "My Story of Raw" is appearing in the Spring 2010 issue of Purely Delicious magazine.

Miranda's website is http://www.vivaraw.com/! ◦

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #4

28-Day Detox Days 1-10

So I didn't win in my Black Weblog Awards categories. Was I highly disappointed? Yes. But I am grateful for you all taking the time to nominate me and to vote for me. And thank you to all the new subscribers I got as a result of the contest. I know I have a great blog, and I appreciate all of you reading my posts.

Now on to detoxing! This post is not about what I made out of Penni Shelton's book Raw Food Cleanse, but how I feel. I drank freshly made juices days 1-7, and smoothies, soups, and juices days 8-10. Despite being sick, not once, but twice, in that short time, I still feel good. (Four days after "it-who-has-no-name" was gone, I got a cold, or what I thought was a simple detox healing crisis. Oh, no. It couldn't have been that simple. Last night I spent six hours in and out of the bathroom with, guess what, diarrhea. It was big fun. Not! Rom just brought me some Oscilloccinum and Echinacea.)

Despite the bathroom fun, fasting brings a remarkable physical and mental clarity. The physical changes are:
1) I need less sleep
2) I have more energy
3) I've dropped 7.8 pounds
4) My skin is brighter

Mental changes are:
1) I wake up in a better mood.
2) I can think clearer

I have much, much more energy for my sons. And I can tell I'm not easily frazzled. I am a very busy woman with waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much to do daily. But I can handle the stressors better.


I truly believe everyone should fast at least some point in their lives. You will not regret it. Start slow. A one day fast, on a day you can stay home is a good start. I plan to do a five-day juice/smoothie/soups fast once per season. Maybe three days, maybe five days.

Days 11-28 of the cleanse is all raw food. I'll let you all know how it's going along the way :-).

Love,
Althea ◦

28-Day Detox Days 1-10