6 month anniversary!!!

I realized a few minutes ago that today is my 6 MONTH ANNIVERSARY of my RAW FOOD JOURNEY!!!


Man, it has been an unbelievable 6 months! I am so thankful for raw foods!

Before this journey, I was living on foods that were far from optimal. Not only did I eat cooked (dead) food, but I ate some of the worst kinds. I had a mighty sweet tooth, which attracted me to processed sweets. I ate more icecream than you could ever imagine... icecream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm not making this up, you can ask any of my friends! It's not a good thing when the lady at Dairy Queen knows who you are and what you order!!! I also ate lots of milk chocolate and LOTS of pasta and white rice,,, along with snacks like crackers, roasted nuts, and pretzels. I did not EVER eat greens and I rarely ate fruit. I was not fat, but definitely bloated and I was not very happy.

I have struggled with depression for a few years of my life (I was even diagnosed with it, whatever that means!) and I have honestly hated myself and my life... Thankfully I found rock climbing and it saved me by giving me a reason to live! But even with climbing there were times here and there where the unhappiness would come back, but I could usually snap out of it.

When I found out about raw foods, I was a little sketched out by it... It seemed a little radical to me, but I couldn't stop researching it! I was addicted to the information! I remember spending literally weeks staying up until the wee hours in the morning researching.


Then I would go grocery shopping and start adding more fruit to the basket... I was going to do a 30 day trial starting the next month, but the more i researched, the more I couldn't wait! I started it ASAP and never turned back! My life changed RADICALLY!

I feel like I am on a constant high!!! I used to have to use *other things* to achieve this! I remember after the initial detox of being raw, I was VERY high. I couldn't stop laughing! For weeks... no joke... the smile could not be wiped from my face!!! I felt so ALIVE and so REAL, it was out of this world!

I still feel the buzzing high!!! However, since my body is pretty used to raw foods now, I do get negative feelings sometimes (for a couple minutes out of a day) but its all about the yin and the yang, you know? I feel more good feelings than bad, which is what keeps me high!

I lost around 15 pounds of uneeded weight. Because of this, my strength-to-weight ratio has increased, causing me to totally CRUSH for climbing!!! I feel stronger than I ever have in my LIFE! I feel like I am FLOATING on the rock!!! Many people have come up to me over the last 6 months in shock, asking questions like "You look great, are you doing something different?" or "you are looking really solid when you climb these days!" or "Theres something different about you... its a good thing though!?" and so on...



My attitude towards life is better than it ever has been. I feel a strong connection with Nature, and it has made me a generally happy person. I can FEEL the good vibrations dancing around me!

Life has never been better! I am so proud of myself for finding this lifestyle and STICKING TO IT! It takes some determination at first, but then it just turns into a reality that is irreversible.

Now when I see foods like icecream or pasta, I don't even see them as being edible. My mom bakes hundreds of cookies and dozens of breads over the holiday season, and the sweet aroma fills the house, but not ONCE does my mouth salivate or am I the least bit attracted to the desserts.

Instead, I pick up a bunch of ripe bananas and eat them one by one, enjoying the sugar that Nature INTENDED for us to eat. Uncooked, Unprocessed, Alive, and DELICIOUS.

I love raw foods, and I don't know where I would be without it.

Thanks for supporting me! I went through a period of time where people were attacking me for my diet (there are still some here and there) but overall people are finally starting to realize how I am changing my life. I am laughing and almost crying as I type this... laughing because I'm just so happy to have found this lifestyle, and crying at the fact that I SHOWED ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT I COULD DO IT! People were saying I would be weak... that I couldn't do it... that I would be deficient. NOPE. I am THRIVING, and I look forward to continuing my raw food journey!

I'M A RAW VEGAN FOR LIFE! =) =) =)

THANKSGIVING 2008

I am thankful for so many things! I don't even know where to start!

I have an amazing, fun, loving, caring family who I love being with. They are extremely crazy and out-of-this-world, but I love them for it! My cousins are the absolute best, and I can never wait until we all meet up again! My parents are so loving and trusting! they let me go on these crazy climbing trips every weekend since I was 14! My brother is maturing and I realize how much he means to me!

I have the best friends in the world! They are always watching out for me and they are ALWAYS there for me! We have so much fun!

I am so grateful for finding raw foods (and Steve and Nicole for introducing me to the lifestyle!) Raw foods has dramatically changed my life. Not only do I FEEL better, happier, healthier, and lighter, but I also feel a deeper connection with Mother Nature! I feel like I am on a constant high and I LOVE IT. The raw food high HAS NO COMEDOWN! It's ALL GOOD! I am truly thriving on this lifestyle!!! Life feels so much more MEANINGFUL now - It's hard to explain! I just feel like I vibrate at a higher frequency now!!!

I am also very grateful to have online supporters too! Thank you to all you who read my blog and support my way of life! You know who you are!!! I love all the raw fu folk as well as the give it to me raw crowd. You guys are a constant support system that I can always fall back on. Without you, I would have not been this successful!!!

I am very thankful for the animals on this earth, especially my dogs: Buddy, Lucy, and Hunny... along with my experiences with my deceased dogs, Misty and Annie. They mean the world to me and I do not know what I would do without them!!!

I am thankful for the air I breathe, the water I drink, and the food I eat.

I am thankful for living in a nice home and attending a half-way decent art school.

I am extremly thankful for CLIMBING and the lifestyle and community that goes along with it... I would not be alive without it (literally). It is truly what I live for!!!

I am thankful to be ALIVE in this BEAUTIFUL WORLD!!!

_________________________________________________________

I am mourning the loss of millions of turkeys today. RIP!

Today I helped my dad put out some of the Christmas decorations... our house is crazy when it comes to Christmas decorating. Just wait... i'll post pics later this month!


As far as FOOD goes,

I have been really into my "raw oatmeal" recipe! I ate it for lunch and again for dinner! (I'm low on food) This is what it entails:

- 2 or 3 bananas
- 2 or 3 apples
- raisins
- cinnamon (optional)

blend the bananas with the apples in a food processor... it gives an oatmeal consistency. Add cinnamon if desired and mix in as many raisins as you like. If you want it creamier, add another banana. If you want it saucier, add another apple. It's so simple and delicious!!!


GREENS
So I haven't really been into greens lately. I will make my green smoothie using LOADS of spinach, and I LOVE it, but I haven't been into salads.... until today! I was looking at people's salad pics online (especially Sarah's... and some random people on www.giveittomeraw.com) and my body suddenly craved salad!!! I ate some lettuce while my family ate their meal... and for the FIRST TIME EVER, i really really really liked the taste of romaine! I had always managed to eat it and enjoy it with other salad items, but I've never actually LIKED the taste! It always just tasted slightly bitter and bland - but today it tasted sweet and almost buttery!!! MMmmmmmm!!!!!!

THANKSGIVING BREAK

I've been really lazy when it comes to posting.

I am not sure why, seeing that I waste a lot of time on the internet!? Anyways, I owe you guys a post!

THANKSGIVING BREAK

Friday - My family came into town last Thursday, and we had a bonfire on Friday. It was a lot of fun (as always)

Saturday - We celebrated Thanksgiving last Saturday. It was a really mellow thanksgiving, but I think that was because we are all growing up! We did get to play a Wii, which got pretty intense and hilarious!!! It was a really fun time! For my thanksgiving feast, I ate 6 small papaya... and then a couple hours later I ate 6 or so bananas. It was delicious! Here are some photos:

[eaten] PAPAYA [peals] !!!


FEAST!!!!!!


my cousin joseph with his new pup COOKIE




hanging out!!! Richie, Bridget, Hannah, me...



Sunday - I hung out with my family at my grandpa's house before they left. I LOVE MY FAMILY! There will be more photos when I find my camera cord... but for now, here is a shot of the girl cousins!!!



later on in the evening, the cousins met up at Hannah's house and we hung out and played the wii.... might I add that I completely suck at every game on that console! haha!!! It's fun though!?


Monday - I got my haircut at my aunt's house (she has a salon in her house!) After hanging out for a while, I left for Chattanooga. We got in kind of late, and after talking for a bit we hit the hay.

Tuesday - We slept in, went to a coffee shop for breakfast (I ate many oranges prior to this - no worries all you raw food friends!), and headed to a climbing area in Georgia called Zhand. Tim and I warmed up on this boulder that we have always wanted to get on. Between the two of us, we DESTROYED the boulder... we climbed every problem on it! I did an FA of this cool problem... probably a v4/5 or something... not sure what to name it!? Tim also did an FA - his was much harder and cooler... but thats because Tim is a badass!!! Later on, I worked on a really cool climb called Razor's Edge - I am really close to sending it!!! I have all the moves down - next time I go it will go DOWN! I did this v5 next to it, it was pretty high and really fun! Tim did an FA of a crazy sit start to it!!! He was also working a ridiculous start to Razors Edge... Tim is a beast! Even though I didn't send much this day, I still had a blast.

It is amazing how humbling rock climbing is! Right when you think you are getting strong, you find a boulder with a climb that you have trouble flowing with... you have to work for it and you might not complete it right away. VERY HUMBLING.

After climbing, we went to the health food store and I picked up some grapefruit, a few raw brazil nuts, and a young coconut. Then we headed back to his place and I hung out in the coffee shop under his apartment while he went to do some work. Later on we picked up our buddy Marcus from the bus service. We went out to eat and I just had a cup of tea.

After that we just watched youtube videos and hung out until bed...

Wednesday - Tim, Marcus and I went to the health food store for breakfast... I ate around 6 bananas. Then we headed to Rocktown, where some more of the Nashville crew were climbing. It was a really fun day. I got SUUUUUPER close to sending a really cool climb called Nosecandy. I keep getting to the last move, which is a long throw to a jug. I will definitely get it next time!

Thursday....... wait let me make a new post for this, since its Thanksgiving. =)

Sorry that i typed so much.... most of this is really not important... I just got on a big ramble about my week, haha! Sorry to bore you!

EMPTY YOURSELF

Empty yourself and let the Universe fill you.

I am drinking Yogi Tea and this was a quote that it gave me.

Please share your thoughts on this quote. What will the Universe fill you with?

love? gratitude? joy? peace?

hate? anger? sorrow? pity?

thoughts? imagination?

Molecules, Man?!

Who are you?
and Who am I?

How did we get here?
and Where do we come from?

What are we made of?
Are we all just a bunch of protons, neutrons and electrons?

Is everything around us just an abundance of elements reacting with one another?

Is life just reaction?

How do we know we are real?

Is this all just a dream?
How do you know?

TIME

I have had an epic life for the past couple weeks. I started typing a blog post into a microsoft word doc. on my other computer, so I will have to post that later.

For now, there are more important things to talk about:


TIME.

Who created TIME?

What IS time?

How come we use a clock?

Who decided that we would use numbers to tell time?

Why do we revolve our lives around it?

At [this time] I have to be at school. At [this time] I have to be home.

But why?

Why are we always rushing?

Why can't time stop?

What would the world be without time?

Would people die? Would people get old?

If we didn't have time, would there even be a world?

What would happen?

My dad used to always tell me this... and I memorized it from the numerous times he said it - "TIME: It's the most INEXPLICABLE, RAW MATERIAL of life. With it, ALL is possible. Without it, NOTHING!" I am really starting to understand this quote. TIME IS SO CRAZY, man!

Everyone needs to start questioning everything... because only the ignorant question nothing!!!

Time, man... can you explain it?