Cleanse and Rejuvenate: Day 17 (something positive)

I don't mean to be a grouch about it. I feel great. I just don't feel like totally amazing and uber clear and like super man.

So what have I learned that you might find useful?

1. Yams. Sweet Potatoes man. Super good for you. In fact, they contain protein, vitamins, minerals, tons of good stuff-- they contain enough to live on alone. Not that you would, but if you are not into yams, get into em. AND they are tasty.
   
2. Olive oil is AMAZING for you-- but I knew that-- BUT DON'T ALWAYS HEAT OLIVE OIL. Heating oils makes oils bad-- artery clogging bad, free radical bad. And the solution is easy, heat your veggies in a pan with water or bake them and then pour the olive oil onto it. Olive oil is the only oil that actually reduces the bad fat in your body.
   
3. Soak your nuts. (insert Beavis and Butthead chuckle here). When you soak almonds in water overnight they turn out pretty good. And they have turned slightly into a sprout. Sprouts are good for you. This one I have heard over and over and it resonates with my intuition-- sprouting food is like eating a little spark of life energy. In the morning, just drain them and add them to cereal, snack em...
   
4. Best Sweetener: Maple Syrup. It's got lots of minerals and stuff. Just don't use processed sugar. Processed sugar strips the goods out of you.
   
5. Salt and sodium do not cause heart disease. OK, this one, I bet is well contested by the medical community. According to my raw food class, table salt is responsible for high blood pressure. Sea Salt and Himalayan salt are healthy alternatives. Clearly there is something right here-- we need salt to live.
   
6. Recipe for Healthy Tasty Salsa: throw into a food processor-- 4 tomatoes, small onion, garlic clove, small jalepeno, dash of apple cider vinegar, bunch of cilantro... blend for a couple of seconds. Add some avocado up in that mix. Mmmmmm. Yum.
   
7. Wheat is kind of bad, sprouted wheat is WAY better. Sprouted grain breads are available at any food store. Ezekial 4:9 is my favorite and they make a good cereal too that is sprouted.

I've tried to convince my roommate Jessica, who is the Teacher Assistant, that Malik needs to have a blog. I'm sure his info would be much better.

Cleanse and Rejuvenate: Day 17

No alcohol, no coffee, no heated oils, no dairy, no meat, no wheat, no smoke.

The gist of the cleanse our house is on through Chinese herbalist Malik of the Dragon's Den in Makawao, HI is a lot of "no's".

The first week focused on cleansing the liver, followed by the kidneys and we have just entered the lungs. We've also had a number of days of just raw-- nothing cooked.

The benefit of a raw diet is explained as such: raw foods generally contain enzymes in their natural state that aid in their digestion.

I've been cheating on the no tobacco, but otherwise have been hardcore. At this point, I am completing the cleanse for the same reason I climbed to the top of Mt. Whitney-- The satisfaction of completion, to get to the finish line. To say I did it, I did it fully, so I don't have to do it again.

Do you sense a little edge? Perhaps I'm edgy.

Day 23 is all water. The last day is integration-- fruits, veggies.

I'm appreciating that I like balance, I like meat, I like a drink...