IMPORTANT WARNING: The information in this e-book and on our websites is offered as opinion only. Please consult your physician and use your own judgment before trying any exercise or diet program. Also be advised that recipes in this e-book may contain nuts, dairy, and other ingredients that may trigger allergic reactions.  

All content © Rebekah Borucki & Marlena Torres, C.N. 2009-2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUNDAY WORKOUT – page 03 MEAL PLAN – page 04 MONDAY WORKOUT – page 05 MEAL PLAN – page 06 TUESDAY WORKOUT – page 07 MEAL PLAN – page 08 WEDNESDAY WORKOUT – page 09 MEAL PLAN – page 10 THURSDAY WORKOUT – page 11 MEAL PLAN – page 12 FRIDAY WORKOUT – page 13 MEAL PLAN – page 14 SATURDAY WORKOUT – page 15 MEAL PLAN – page 16

BONUS PAGES: ✔ Complete Meal-Plan Shopping List - page 17 ✔ Recipes & Bonus Snack List - pages 18-30 ✔ Snapshot of My Fridge, by Rebekah Borucki – page 31 ✔ Food Combining and Digestion, by Marlena Torres – page 35 ✔ Don’t Overdo the Fruit, by Marlena Torres - page 41

SUGGESTED WORKOUT EQUIPMENT:

• Gymboss Interval Timer: http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=11452&AID=39803

 

LINK TO BEX: ♥ WEBSITE: http://bexlife.com ♥ TWITTER: http://twitter.com/GirlRucki ♥ FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/BexLife ♥ YOUTUBE: http://youtube.com/genghisgirl  

                                                       

LINK TO MARLENA: ♥ WEBSITE: http://www.sunshinecenterpa.com ♥ TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MarlenaTorres ♥ FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/thesunnylife ♥ BLOG: http://www.sunshinecenterblog.com  

SUNDAY / DAY 1 - CORE FOR BEGINNERS  

GET YOUR OWN GYMBOSS TIMER FOR ALL MY INTERVAL ROUTINES: http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=11452&AID=39803 WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE IN REAL TIME ▶

ROUTINE DETAILS 6 INTERVALS – 40 SECONDS ON – MINIMAL REST BETWEEN EXERCISES. PERFORM THE ENTIRE ROUTINE 3X WITH ONE FULL MINUTE OF REST BETWEEN ROUNDS. ▶ ALTERNATING LEG RAISES ON THE FLOOR Lying flat on the floor, l ift your feet to the ceil ing – feet flexed back toward your body. Lower & raise one leg at a time, then both together. Repeat. ▶ STATIC BOAT POSE Move into boat pose with your body in a V position - calves parallel to the floor, feet flexed, back straight, head and neck in neutral position in l ine with your spine. ▶ DONKEY KICK On your hands and knees with your back straight, tuck your toes on one foot and push your foot up and to the rear, l ift ing the back of your leg toward the ceil ing. Bring it back in toward your chest and back out again in a fluid motion. ▶ DONKEY KICK Repeat the same exercise as before on the opposite leg. ▶ ELBOW PLANK Place your elbows on the floor directly under your shoulders. Your fingers should be spread and your hands should be directly in front of your elbows on the floor. Hold your body in a straight plank position with a neutral head and neck in l ine with your spine. ▶ MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS Place yourself in a pushup plank position with your wrists directly under your shoulders. Bring each knee up to your chest, alternating from side to side.

page 03  

                     

SUNDAY / DAY 1 - MEAL PLAN  

BREAKFAST

Sunshine Lemonade A bowl of fresh pineapple, and some strawberries, or both! You could also blend these together to make a yummy smoothie.

LUNCH

Guacamole Salad with raw veggies of choice, 1-2 bananas and 3-4 dates

SNACK

Larabar with crudités or leftover fresh fruit from breakfast

DINNER

Raw vegetable salad with Asian Carrot Dressing or favorite organic dressing of choice - such as Annie’s Naturals (or simply drizzle cold-pressed oil and lemon juice with sea salt and garlic over your favorite raw vegetables) Add avocado if you’d like. 1 or 2 baked yams topped with some cinnamon, and coconut oil if you’d like

DESSERT

1-2 ounces of your favorite dark chocolate (70% cocoa content or more)

page 04  

 

FRESH FRUIT WITH BREAKFAST OR AS A SNACK ▶

 

MONDAY / DAY 2 - LOWERBODY FOR BEGINNERS  

GET YOUR OWN GYMBOSS TIMER FOR ALL MY INTERVAL ROUTINES: http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=11452&AID=39803 WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE IN REAL TIME ▶

ROUTINE DETAILS 6 INTERVALS – 40 SECONDS ON – MINIMAL REST BETWEEN EXERCISES. PERFORM THE ENTIRE ROUTINE 3X WITH ONE FULL MINUTE OF REST BETWEEN ROUNDS. ▶ SLOW SQUATS Perform a traditional squat with your feet about shoulder width apart. Count to 3 while lowering your body, and come up for a one count. Maintain this pace. ▶ ALTERNATING FORWARD LUNGES Keeping your shoulders over your hips, lunge forward with each leg, alternating from side to side. ▶ SLOW SPLIT SQUAT With feet placed wide one in front of the other, lower your body while bending only your front knee. Keep your back leg straight, l ift ing the back of your leg toward the ceil ing. Inhale your body up, l ift ing your arms to the ceil ing. Exhale into the bend while lowering your arms. ▶ SLOW SPLIT SQUAT Repeat the same exercise as before on the opposite leg. ▶ MODIFIED DYNAMIC SQUAT Place your feet shoulder width apart. Lower into a squat dropping your fingertips in between your feet. Now raise your hands to the ceil ing while l ift ing out of the squat. You may hop at the top of the movement if you feel comfortable. ▶ SQUAT WITH SIDE KICKS Take a wider stance that a traditional squat. Lower into a squat and as you rise out of it, pick up one leg and kick to the side. Lower into another squat and come back up, kicking out with the opposite leg.

page 05  

                     

MONDAY / DAY 2 - MEAL PLAN  

BREAKFAST

Carrot Comfort (or more Sunshine Lemonade, if you loved that… this is often a hit) Chocolate Shake

LUNCH

Baby spinach salad topped with baby tomatoes, 1 or 2 avocados, and either leftover baked yams or raw yams sliced thin with a mandoline or spiralized into vegetable pasta topped with more Asian Carrot Dressing

SNACK

IF LUNCH WAS RAW - 1-2 bananas, 2-4 dates or figs IF LUNCH WAS COOKED - crudités with favorite salad dressing, or Raw Hummus

DINNER

Kale Salad with steamed broccoli topped with a touch of organic butter or olive oil and sea salt

DESSERT

Lemon Ice

page 06  

A GREENS & LEMON JUICE ▶

TUESDAY / DAY 3 - UPPERBODY FOR BEGINNERS  

GET YOUR OWN GYMBOSS TIMER FOR ALL MY INTERVAL ROUTINES: http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=11452&AID=39803 WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE IN REAL TIME ▶

ROUTINE DETAILS 6 EXERCISES – COUNTED REPETITIONS – MINIMAL REST BETWEEN EXERCISES. PERFORM THE ENTIRE ROUTINE 3X WITH ONE FULL MINUTE OF REST BETWEEN ROUNDS. ▶ ALTERNATING BICEP CURL (10 REPS) Standing tall with knees sl ightly bent and feet shoulder width apart, perform a bicep curl with each arm and then with both arms together. That’s 1 rep. ▶ BENT OVER ROW WITH FLY (10 REPS) Bent over with knees sl ightly bent and arms lowered, palms facing each other. Raise your hands to your chest keeping your elbows close to your body. Lower your arms & raise them straight out to your sides even with your torso. ▶ ALTERNATING FRONT RAISE (20 REPS) Standing tall with knees sl ightly bent and feet shoulder width apart, raise each arm straight up to shoulder height in front of you, alternating from arm to arm. Each raise is 1 rep. ▶ ALTERNATING SHOULDER PRESS (10 REPS) Standing tall with knees sl ightly bent and feet shoulder width apart, bring your hands to your shoulders and press overhead with each hand, then both together. That’s 1 rep. ▶ WEIGHTED UPPERCUT (20 REPS) Squat down, keeping your shoulders directly above your hips. Bend your arms at your elbows, palms facing upward. Perform an uppercut with each arm, alternating back and forth. ▶ DEADLIFT CROSS WITH SHOULDER PRESS (10 REPS EACH SIDE) Stand with hands at your hips. Reach one hand to the opposite foot, squatting sl ightly. Stand up and press above your head in one smooth motion. That’s 1 rep.

page 07  

                     

TUESDAY / DAY 3 - MEAL PLAN  

BREAKFAST

Molly’s Mojito Banana Mint Whip

LUNCH

Winter Rainbow Salad with a Larabar

SNACK

Chia Pudding

DINNER

Guacamole Soup and Avo-Rosemary Salad

DESSERT

Hot Chocolate

page 08  

BANANA MINT WHIP ▶  

WEDNESDAY / DAY 4 - STRETCH & RELAX  

GET YOUR OWN GYMBOSS TIMER FOR ALL MY INTERVAL ROUTINES: http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=11452&AID=39803 WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE IN REAL TIME ▶

ROUTINE DETAILS WE’RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE 7-DAY JUMPSTART, SO I’D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER DAY 4 A REST DAY. THIS DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD AVOID MOVEMENT ALTOGETHER. I PUT TOGETHER A YOGA-INSPIRED STRETCHING ROUTINE FOR YOU TO FOLLOW IN REAL TIME. CLICK ON THE VIDEO STILLS ABOVE TO WATCH… THERE ARE NO DETAILS FOR THIS WORKOUT, BUT SOME POSES COVERED ARE: ▶ LOTUS ▶ UPWARD DOG ▶ DOWNWARD DOG ▶ PLANK ▶ CHILD’S POSE ▶ CAT POSE ▶ COW POSE ▶ FORWARD FOLD ▶ ONE-LEG PUSHUPS ▶ SEATED SIDE BEND ▶ SEATED FORWARD BEND

page 09  

                     

WEDNESDAY / DAY 4 - MEAL PLAN  

BREAKFAST

Sunshine Lemonade Apples & “Peanut Butter”

LUNCH

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Walnuts

SNACK

Romaine leaves topped with raw almond butter and raw honey spread

DINNER

Guacamole Salad with steamed zucchini sticks topped with a little organic butter or extra virgin olive oil, fresh dill, and garlic

DESSERT

Chia Pudding

page 10  

APPLES & PEANUT BUTTER ▶  

THURSDAY / DAY 5 - CORE  

GET YOUR OWN GYMBOSS TIMER FOR ALL MY INTERVAL ROUTINES: http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=11452&AID=39803 WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE IN REAL TIME ▶

ROUTINE DETAILS 6 INTERVALS – 6 EXERCISES – COUNTED REPETITIONS WITH 2 TIMED INTERVALS – MINIMAL REST BETWEEN EXERCISES. PERFORM THE ENTIRE ROUTINE 3X WITH ONE FULL MINUTE OF REST BETWEEN ROUNDS. ▶ SIDE PLANK RAISES (10 REPS ON EACH SIDE) Place yourself in a side plank position on your elbow, reaching your other arm to the ceil ing. Raise & lower your hips for 1 rep. ▶ PUSHUP PLANK (40 SECONDS TO ONE MINUTE) Place yourself in the top of a pushup with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your body straight as a board. ▶ V SIT SIDE-TO-SIDES (15 REPS) Sit in a V with your feet elevated off the floor and your back straight. Tap the floor on each side of your body and reach your hands toward the ceil ing for 1 rep. ▶ EXTENDED ARM CRUNCHES (15 REPS) Reaching your arms all the way above your head and bending your legs at the knee, perform a full sit-up and lower again. ▶ BICYCLE CRUNCHES (25-30 REPS) Holding one leg straight off the ground and bending one leg at the knee, bring your elbow opposite your bent knee up to touch it. Switch from side to side, twisting your body with each repetition. ▶ SINGLE-LEG HIP LIFTS (10 REPS ON EACH SIDE) Lie on your back with one foot next to your butt and one leg stretched toward the ceil ing, hands interlaced under your body. Lift & lower your hips for 1 rep. ▶ WIDE ABDOMINAL HOLD (40 SECONDS TO ONE MINUTE) Perform a static hold with your legs and shoulders elevated off the floor while pumping your outstretched arms up & down.

page 11  

                     

THURSDAY / DAY 5 - MEAL PLAN  

BREAKFAST

Carrot Comfort Strawberry-Lime Water Ice A bowl of sliced peaches, plums, or nectarines (or a combination of all 3) if you desire more in the morning

LUNCH

Leftover Guacamole Salad (I like to top my leftover salads with more avocado, lime juice, and salsa) with a Banana Mint Whip, or simply 1-2 bananas if you do not have access to a blender at lunchtime.

SNACK

3-4 dates with some leftover bananas

DINNER

Mexican Salad

DESSERT

Chocolate Ice Cream

page 12  

MEXICAN SALAD ▶  

FRIDAY / DAY 6 - LOWERBODY  

GET YOUR OWN GYMBOSS TIMER FOR ALL MY INTERVAL ROUTINES: http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=11452&AID=39803 WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE IN REAL TIME ▶

ROUTINE DETAILS 6 INTERVALS – 40 SECONDS ON – MINIMAL REST BETWEEN EXERCISES. PERFORM THE ENTIRE ROUTINE 3X WITH ONE FULL MINUTE OF REST BETWEEN ROUNDS. ▶ ALTERNATING FORWARD LUNGES Keeping your shoulders over your hips, lunge forward with each leg, alternating from side to side. ▶ KNEE TO ELBOW TWISTS Standing tall with both hands behind your head or ears and your elbows extended outward, twist your body and lower your elbow to meet the opposite raised knee. Alternate from side to side. ▶ STANDING TOE TOUCHES – FRONT KICKS Hold both hands above your head, arms outstretched. At the same time, lower your hands and kick up one foot so that they meet each other. Keep your leg straight and your foot flexed back toward you. Alternate from leg to leg. ▶ SQUAT JACKS Perform a jumping jack, bending your arms at your elbows and dropping into a half-squat with each jump. ▶ SLOW SQUATS Perform a traditional squat with your feet about shoulder width apart. Count to 3 while lowering your body, and come up for a one count. Maintain this pace. You may also try a STATIC SQUAT. ▶ SIDE LUNGES Start with feet together, standing tall. Extend one leg out to the side and bend that leg at the knee. Keep the other leg straight. Keep your back straight and your shoulders upright, looking forward.

page 13  

 

FRIDAY / DAY 6 - MEAL PLAN  

BREAKFAST

Molly’s Mojito 2-3 bananas and a Larabar

LUNCH

Baby lettuces with leftover Mexican Salad ingredients, lime juice with stevia or agave nectar to sweeten, or sea salt if you prefer that over sweet

SNACK

Fresh fruit of choice

DINNER

Gazpacho with Sweet Baked Beets Salad (Due to the raw goat’s cheese, this recipe is not vegan. If you do not want the raw goat’s cheese, simply replace the cheese with a baked yam cut into cubes, or avocado slices, or both, to add some density to the salad).

DESSERT

1-2 ounces of your favorite dark chocolate (70% cocoa content or higher)

page 14  

GAZPACHO ▶  

SATURDAY / DAY 7 - UPPERBODY  

GET YOUR OWN GYMBOSS TIMER FOR ALL MY INTERVAL ROUTINES: http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=11452&AID=39803 WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE IN REAL TIME ▶

ROUTINE DETAILS 6 EXERCISES – COUNTED REPETITIONS – MINIMAL REST BETWEEN EXERCISES. PERFORM THE ENTIRE ROUTINE 3X WITH ONE FULL MINUTE OF REST BETWEEN ROUNDS. ▶ TRICEP DIPS (10-12 REPS) Using a sturdy raised surface for your base (ex. coffee table, kitchen chair, etc.), place your hands on the surface about shoulder width apart with your legs stretched out in front of you on the floor. Lower your body straight down to the floor making a 90-degree angle with your elbows. Push back up. ▶ MODIFIED PUSHUPS (10 REPS WITH 2 HOLDS) Place your hands & knees on the floor with your hands sl ightly wider than shoulder width apart. Perform 10 pushups holding at the bottom of the 5th and 10th pushups for 3-5 seconds. ▶ ONE-ARM ROW KICKBACKS IN A LUNGE (10 REPS EACH ARM) Stand in a lunge position and lean over your front leg. Lower the arm opposite your front leg and raise it up to your chest. Kick your arm back behind you keeping your elbow static. After 10 reps, switch leg position and repeat on the other arm. ▶ HAMMER CURLS (15 REPS) Hang your arms to your sides with your palms facing your body. Raise both arms toward your shoulders, keeping elbows static. ▶ WEIGHTED PUNCHES (20 REPS – PUNCHES) Extend each arm out in front of you (punching), alternating between arms. ▶ FRONT-TO-T RAISE (10 REPS) With your palms facing your legs in the front of you, l ift both arms to shoulder height and lower. Turn your palms to face your sides and l ift out to shoulder level to form a T and lower. That’s 1 rep.

page 15  

                     

SATURDAY / DAY 7 - MEAL PLAN  

BREAKFAST

Sunshine Lemonade Avo-Berry Shake

LUNCH

Guacamole Soup Mexican Salad

SNACK

Raw nuts or seeds

DINNER

Gri l led Veggie Salad

DESSERT

Sweet Baked Yams along with 1-2 ounces of your favorite dark chocolate

page 16  

GRILLED VEGGIE SALAD ▶  

SHOPPING LIST – ALL YOU NEED FOR YOUR WEEK

• Plenty of fresh, organic vegetables, especially greens, for your salads and juices (cucumber, celery, romaine, kale, spinach, carrots, lemons, limes)

• Your favorite fresh organic fruits (I personally always prefer seasonal fruits - they just taste better - along with bananas. But try to make a promise to yourself that you’ll try at least 3 or 4 new types of fruit within the seven days. Think outside of apples and oranges!)

• Plenty of lemons for your salad (lemon juice and stevia is the best option to dress salads)

• Goat Cheese, preferably raw (Alta Dena and Shiloh Farms make a great cheddar style raw goat cheese. Whole Foods also carries both raw goat and sheep cheeses)

• NuNaturals Stevia (I like to have both the packets and the liquid vials) • Paesana, Muir Glen, or Seeds of Change Pasta Sauces (Paesana is my

personal favorite in Marinara, or Roasted Garlic variations) • Millet and Quinoa • Starchy vegetables for baking (yams, winter squash, parsnips, and all

root vegetables) • Fresh fish (wild) • Plenty of raw baby carrots and other crudités for munching as desired. • High quality Dijon mustard such as Annie’s Naturals or Westbrae • Fresh herbs for salads • Baby lettuces for quick and easy salad • Avocados (I put ripe ones in the fridge and leave the ones that are not

ripe enough out on my counter) • Larabars • Dark Chocolate • Chia seeds • Coconut (unsweetened and without sulfur, preferably) • Dates or figs • Your favorite all natural nut or seed butter • Your favorite high quality jarred salsa • Herbal Teas (I love Tazo Passionberry and Yogi Teas Tahitian Vanilla

Hazelnut) • Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt

page 17  

RECIPES – FOR ALL MENU ITEMS IN BOLD TYPE JUICES, SMOOTHIES & SHAKES Sunshine Lemonade 4 ounces cucumber or celery juice 4 ounces romaine juice 2 ounces kale juice 4 ounces apple juice (I like Fuji or gala) 2 ounces lemon juice Run each vegetable one at a time through your vegetable juicer. Carrot Comfort 9 ounces carrot juice (about 10 -12 carrots. I like to peel mine for best taste, but it’s not necessary if you’re rushed) 3 ounces spinach juice 4 ounces romaine juice Run each vegetable one at a time through your vegetable juicer. Molly’s Mojito 10 ounces cucumber juice 3 ounces romaine juice 2 ounces lime juice 1 handful of fresh mint, juiced (less than an ounce) to taste Stevia to taste Run each vegetable one at a time through your vegetable juicer.

page 18  

Chocolate Shake 3 frozen bananas 3 tbsp cocoa powder 2-3 packets of stevia 1 tsp vanilla extract Water to facilitate blending Place all ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth. This makes an incredibly creamy beverage that looks, tastes, and has a texture exactly like a milkshake. Banana Mint Whip 1-2 medium sized frozen bananas 1 cup of baby spinach leaves 1 small handful of fresh mint A couple small drops of peppermint oil Stevia to taste (optional for extra sweetness) Water to facilitate blending Blend all ingredients until smooth! Mmmm, this is a good one! Strawberry-Lime Water Ice 1 cup of frozen strawberries 1/2 of a peeled lime 6 -7 packets of stevia 1 tray of ice Water to facilitate blending Blend away! Depending on how much water you add, this can end up with a very similar consistency to Rita's Water Ice!

Lemon Ice 1 whole lemon, outer peel cut away 1 tray of ice 6 packets of stevia Water to facilitate blending Blend and enjoy! Avocado-Berry Shake ½ avocado 2 cup of your favorite berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or a mix of all of these) The water of one young coconut, or plain water 5 packets of stevia 1 cup of alfalfa sprouts Blend and enjoy! Coconut Shake The meat of 1 organic young coconut (these are the white, Thai coconuts you can find at Asian grocery stores. Young coconut meat is very soft and light, not heavy and dense like the dark brown mature coconuts) The water of 1 young coconut 4 packets of stevia The seeds of half a vanilla bean or a dash of pure vanilla extract A sprinkling of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg 1 tray of ice See my blog post on how to open young coconuts: http://www.sunshinecenterblog.com/2009/06/green-juice-and-young-coconuts.html Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth! Yummers!

DRESSINGS, SALADS & SOUPS

Guacamole 2 very ripe avocados The juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon 1-2 packets of stevia ½ tsp sea salt The kernels of 1 ear of raw corn, or 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1 cup of grape tomatoes, sliced in half 1 clove of garlic, minced 2-3 tbsp red onion, diced 2 or 3 big handfuls of fresh cilantro, chopped Mash the avocado and lemon or lime juice with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Enjoy on top of ½ pound of baby lettuces (as per the Guacamole Salad), use as a dip for Baked Vegetable Chips, spread onto romaine leaves, or use as a carrot dip for a delicious snack. Asian Carrot Dressing 1 cup of carrot juice 1 whole carrot, peeled and chopped into smaller pieces 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (always adjust according to taste) 2 garlic cloves (again, always adjust according to taste) 1/2 tbsp shoyu or other high quality soy sauce The juice of half a lime The juice of half a lemon 1/2 of an avocado 1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil Stevia to taste (optional) Blend all ingredients until smooth. Use this on your favorite salads, as a dip for nori wraps or crudités, or add more avocados for a soup.

Raw Hummus 1 zucchini, peeled and cut into chunks 1/4 raw tahini (I like Artisana) The juice of 1 lemon 1 clove garlic Sea salt and cumin to taste (You can add extra virgin olive oil if you’d like, but it isn’t necessary) Blend until smooth. I like to sprinkle my humus with more cumin, paprika, or garnish with sesame seeds. Kale Salad 1 big bunch of any type of kale (I really like dino kale but have an easier time finding the curly kale leaves) 1 ripe avocado The juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved 1 raw beet, spiralized or julienned 1 red bell pepper (optional, but all of the red and green would make this salad particularly festive!) 1 clove garlic, minced (optional) 3 tbsp fresh basil (optional) 3 tbsp fresh parsley (optional) Stevia to taste (optional) *This salad can be as simple or as “gourmet” as you’d like!) Rip the leafy part off of the kale stem and put in a BIG bowl. Sprinkle the kale with some salt (not too much, you don’t want the salad to be too salty), and massage the kale with your hands until it wilts. Now you have two options: You can add the avocado and lemon juice by processing these two ingredients in the food processor (you could even add the garlic, lemon zest, and herbs), and then scoop the mixture over the kale and toss it with the other salad ingredients. Or you can mash the avocado in there with your hands. This is entirely up to you. Most people that I know opt for mashing the avocado with their hands, but I don’t

really like doing this because it is messy and a lot of the avocado gets wasted because it sticks to your hands. My preferred method is scooping half of the avocado and blending it, then cutting the other half of the avocado into cubes and spooning it into the salad since I like both the creamy texture of avocado as a dressing and I like the “meatiness” (gross!) that bigger pieces of avocado add to salads. Mix ingredients and enjoy! Winter Rainbow Salad ¼ pound baby spinach 1 small beet, julienned 1 carrot, julienned 1 tomato or 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 small clove of garlic 1 handful of parsley Juice and zest of half a lemon 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and pepper to taste I like to layer the spinach, beet, carrot, tomato, and then sprinkle with chopped parsley. You can add all of the extra ingredients (garlic, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, salt and pepper) right on top of the salad, or you could mix it all together as a dressing and drizzle it on top. You decide! Guacamole Salad 1 recipe Guacamole ½ pound of baby lettuces (romaine, spinach, spring mix) Mix and devour! Add more citrus juice, stevia, and sea salt to taste.

Avo-Rosemary Salad 1 avocado (I like to cube half of it, and mash the other half to give the salad a creamy consistency) 4 sun dried tomatoes, soaked until soft, and then diced 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 small clove of garlic, minced (optional) 1 handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, or 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped into small pieces The juice of 1 lemon 3-4 packets of stevia (or to taste) Mix it all together! I love the way the rosemary, avocado, lemon juice, stevia, and sun dried tomato flavors all merge together in this salad. It's refreshing and delicious! Gri l led Veggie and Goat Cheese Salad 5 ounces baby salad greens (I used baby spinach) 1 bell pepper, sliced thin 1/4 cup diced onion 1 Portobello cap sliced thin, or 1 ½ cups of baby bellas, sliced thin 1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (or whole, if you wish) 4 oz raw goat's cheese, grated Heat your oven to about 350 degrees. Evenly layer all of your vegetables, besides the greens, on the baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes. You don't need to oil or otherwise "grease" your baking sheet. You can pour a little tiny bit of water on the sheet, if you'd like, but the veggies shouldn't stick. Don’t worry if they seem a bit dry, the dressing will re-hydrate them. Once the veggies are finished, remove them from the oven and place them into a bowl and toss them with the goat's cheese. Have your salad greens in a separate bowl. Top the greens with your grilled veggies and cheese. Top this salad with the juice of 1 lemon, stevia to taste, and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

Sweet Baked Beets Salad 1 beet, rinsed, peeled, and sliced thinly - Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until crispy or just warm and soft. I like to put some butter and sea salt on them, too. 1 cup grape tomatoes 3 ounces of raw goat cheese, shredded 3 tbsp fresh basil 1 clove minced garlic 1/8 cup lemon juice 3 or 4 packets of stevia ½ pound of baby romaine, spring mix, or spinach Arrange the raw ingredients except for goat cheese and basil. Top with the warm baked beets, and THEN top with the goat cheese (so it melts a bit…yummy). Dress with lemon, stevia, and basil. Devour! Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette & Walnuts About 5 ounces baby spinach 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced Chopped walnuts 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar Stevia, agave, or maple syrup to taste (You can always blend together the sweetener, vinegar, and some olive oil for a creamier dressing, but I prefer this salad without the oil). Toss all ingredients together! Mexican Salad 5 ounces baby greens 1 avocado, cubed 1 cup of your favorite jarred salsa ½ cup of your favorite olives

The juice of 1 or 2 limes Stevia or sea salt A handful of freshly chopped cilantro Mix all ingredients together and enjoy! Guacamole Soup 5 fresh tomatoes, or 2 ½ cups of grape tomatoes 1 avocado, pitted and scooped out Sea salt to taste 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped up 1 tbsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp cayenne (go lighter on this if you don’t like it too spicy) ½ red bell pepper, chopped 1 small carrot, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 3 sun dried tomatoes, soaked and chopped Process first 7 ingredients in a food processor. This is your soup. You can either lightly cook the bell pepper, carrot, sun dried tomato and onion just until warm and fragrant with a little bit of organic butter or just add to your soup base raw. Delicious! Gazpacho 4 small tomatoes, or 2 large tomatoes 1 small zucchini (or ½ regular sized zucchini) 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper 2 tbsp red onion 2 garlic cloves 1 small handful basil 3 tbsp fresh mint ½ tsp cayenne pepper (to taste, very spicy!) 2 packets stevia

Juice of ½ lemon Juice of ½ lime 1 tbsp combined lemon/lime zest Blend all ingredients together and enjoy! It's important to note here that gazpacho is traditionally served pretty chunky, so unlike most raw soups, you don't need a fancy and very expensive blender to make this soup perfectly. You could even use a food processor to make this.

Cooked Vegetables Sweet Baked Yams 1 -2 yams Wash the yams and poke holes in them with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove when finished and let cool. Slice the yams into discs, sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and stevia, or drizzle with pure maple syrup if you do not care for the stevia. Sometimes I put a little bit of coconut oil or organic butter on my yams, too. Sweet Potato and Veggie Chips My suggestions are as follows, you can use any veggies you’d like: 1 sweet potato 2 zucchini 2 carrots 2 beets Wash all veggies, and peel some if you’d like (I like to keep peels on personally, but this is up to you). Slice the vegetables very thin (ideally with a mandoline… the thinner the veggies, the more crunchy the chips will be). Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with

either organic butter or coconut oil, and place the veggies on the sheet and let bake for about 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them. The time it takes for them to bake to perfection depends how thin you sliced them. I like to dip my veggies into salsa, guacamole, or Dijon mustard mixed with stevia for a “honey mustard” effect. Desserts Chia Pudding 1 cup of water or 1 cup of your favorite almond milk 1/3 cup equal parts each shredded coconut and chia seeds 2-3 packets of stevia 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tsp vanilla Whisk together water (or almond milk), cocoa powder, vanilla, and stevia. Add the coconut and chia seeds and mix together. Let it sit for a minute, and then mix it again. Do this one more time (This is to avoid the seeds/coconut from clumping together). Place in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes until it has a tapioca-like consistency. Enjoy! Hot Chocolate 2 tablespoons nut butter (I prefer Artisana brand cashew butter. I love their almond butter as well but the price is through the roof since it is so difficult to get almonds that are really raw) 2 cups water 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I love Green and Black) A pinch of Himalayan sea salt (I like this kind because it's highest quality and it's pink!) Vanilla stevia to taste, or two or three packets of regular stevia (I go crazy with the vanilla stevia) Heat ingredients to room temp on the stove. Pour into your favorite mug and sip!

Chocolate Ice Cream 3-4 diced frozen bananas 3 tbsp cocoa powder 2-3 tbsp maple syrup If your bananas have been frozen for a while, let them sit out for 30 minutes or so to thaw a bit. Throw them in a food processor along with cocoa powder and maple syrup, and process until smooth. You can literally make any kind of raw “ice cream” with frozen bananas. They make incredibly creamy ice cream. Chocolate Pudding 1 ripe avocado ¼ cup cocoa powder ¼ cup carob powder PURE maple syrup or agave nectar to taste 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup water Place avocado and water in food processor and process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients. It’s important to note here that the amounts of everything in this recipe may differ depending on the size of your avocado and your taste buds. Sometimes I sweeten this with only stevia, and sometimes I use a little bit of maple syrup and stevia. My husband really likes this sweetened with just maple syrup… it’s really up to you!

MORE SNACKS FOR YOU TO ENJOY

Your favorite vegetable juice Larabars or Rawvolution Bars Romaine leaves with almond butter and raw honey Bananas or other fresh fruit (ideally if you’ve only eaten raw throughout the day) Raw nuts and seeds Crudités with your favorite dip or salad dressing Chia Pudding Chocolate Pudding Sweet Potato and Veggie Chips Coconut Shake Your Favorite Water Ice (See Lemon Ice or Strawberry Water Ice Recipes… but you can do this with any fruit) Dark Chocolate Chocolate Ice cream Avocado slices sprinkled with sea salt Your favorite un-sulfured, unsweetened dried fruit

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MY FITNESS DIARY: 12.08.09 "THE FRIDGE”

(note: This blog entry is from December of 2009. It’s amazing how radically my diet

has changed since then. Though my dietary choices have changed, a lot of these ideas

still apply to my current lifestyle.)

I was having a discussion with a couple women at my son’s school the other day about healthy diets and finding the time to exercise. The common message that I was hearing from them was that (a) eating right is difficult because they have kids, and (b) finding the time to exercise is impossible. These comments confused me for two reasons. First, I believe that eating right when you have kids is so much easier because your focus is not just about your own health, but about the health of your children as well. I’m less inclined to bring junk in the house because I know that’s what the kids will grab first. Sugary drinks and fatty snacks are a no-go in my house. Second, finding the time to exercise needs to be a priority. The conversation wasn’t just about fitness. It soon turned to reality television, our favorite Real Housewife, and if Drew Carey is doing a good job on the Price Is Right. Now, if we all have time to catch up on what the ladies in Orange County are up to, why can’t we set aside 30 minutes of our day to make sure our children have healthy moms?

We all have busy lives and getting them organized is a job in itself, but the best way to manage and navigate our busy schedules is to do so with a clear mind and a strong body.

I get asked a lot about my diet and what people should feed their kids. I’m not a nutritionist. I just know what has worked for me. Kids can be picky, so I have a “15 Times” rule in my house. You have to eat something 15 times before you can officially say you don’t like it. The end result? Jack won’t eat sweet potatoes, Winona hates toast, and Calvin eats everything.

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So today I took a Cribs-inspired snapshot of my refrigerator. I just walked in from the gym, so it wasn’t cleaned up or organized, and healthy foods haven’t been unfairly planted. You’ll see some junk… we like treats every now and again. And you’ll see meat… we’re not veggies, though Winona is making the transition slowly.

We don’t eat a lot of dry goods, so our cabinets are mostly filled with whole-wheat pastas, rice, jarred organic pasta sauces, instant oatmeal, spices, cooking oils, and LOTS of hot sauce. We also keep lots of bananas, grapes, onions, and yams on hand for snacking and cooking. I don't do vitamins or protein supplements, but I should probably think about a calcium supplement... I'm just bad at remembering to take something every day.

ON TOP OF THE FRIDGE • Special K • Honey Nut Cheerios • Cabernet Sauvignon • the kids’ chocolate advent calendars • kettle chips {Winona’s favorite treat} • tortilla chips • Trio Fruit & Nut Bars {organic, kosher, and vegan} • dried plums INSIDE • potato rolls • eggs • shelled walnuts • Swiss cheese • leftover steamed veggies • organic peanut butter • guacamole • whole-wheat tortilla wraps • organic yogurt • organic mango-peach salsa • organic chicken broth • roasted red pepper humus • silk vanilla soy milk • organic 2% milk • organic lemonade • whole-wheat bread • tuna fish • baby carrots • baby spinach leaves • baby snap peas • Portobello mushrooms • bell peppers • tomatoes • Coke Zero • mayonnaise • organic ketchup • all-fruit jellies

• apple juice • white wine • unsalted butter • assorted condiments • frozen veggies • boneless chicken breasts • grass-fed angus ground beef • edamame {soybeans in pods} • home-brewed Borucki beer!!

When we eat out, its all about pizza and Chinese. Dunkin Donuts is the devil, and the devil makes awesome cinnamon rolls. Oh yeah, and if I need waffle fries or the best chicken nuggets in the universe, I’m heading to Chik-Fil-A.

READ MORE @ MY BLOG: http://rebekahandjustin.blogspot.com

FOOD COMBINING & DIGESTION

“To the doubter I say only: Give it trial and convince yourself. It has truly been said that condemnation without investigation is a bar to all knowledge. Do not cut yourself off from further knowledge and from better health by condemning, without a fair test.”

– Herbert Shelton, from Food Combining Made Easy

When I wrote about intelligent cleansing, I showed you that you don’t need to do a “cleanse” or a “fast” to begin cleansing your body. You simply need to gradually transition to a healthier, lighter, diet with more raw juices and salads. The transition should be done slowly, so that you feel your best throughout the whole process without any typical “detox” symptoms (such as joint pain, fatigue, headaches, nausea, break outs, moodiness, etc.) that will only frustrate you and hinder your journey toward better health and emotional balance. The easiest and most enjoyable way to begin your transition is to replace what you are currently eating with higher quality foods and eating them in good food combinations in addition to consuming fresh, raw vegetable juices and salads. When I say high quality foods, I mean the highest quality possible for any particular type of food. The higher quality the food is, the easier it is for the body to recognize and digest. When the body can easily identify a food, it takes the nourishment that it needs from the food and quickly eliminates the fibrous roughage that does not supply the body with nutrition. When a food is not of high quality, it is much harder to digest. Since it's so difficult to digest, the food will sit in the stomach causing fermentation and leaving glue-like, acidic waste residue in your cells. This is what we want to avoid! I will give you specific examples of how you can change from low quality to high quality foods.

HIGH QUALITY FOODS Grain and Grain Products While I would never recommend eating white bread, you can certainly enjoy sprouted-grain breads such as the breads by Ezekiel, Manna, or Alvarado Street Bakery, which taste particularly similar to regular breads.

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They are delicious! My husband loves their sprouted-wheat bagels toasted with a bit of raw honey. If you are suffering from severe digestive distress (such IBS or colitis), then even the most high quality grains may not be ideal for you. But for most, sprouted grain bread products are an excellent transition food. If you love pasta or have family members who love pasta, spelt, kamut, or quinoa pastas are the best choices to replace your white pastas. These grains are the most primitive grains, and therefore the easiest for the body to break down. Eden Foods makes spelt and kamut pasta, and also a kamut-quinoa mix. These are very good and it is difficult to taste the difference between these and regular pastas. If you find that the increased cost is too much (typically these range between $3 and $4 for a pound of pasta), whole wheat pasta - while it is not optimal - is OK for most people, especially in the early stages of transition. Make sure you read the labels to see if your pasta is 100% whole wheat. Animal Foods In the case of animal foods such as fish, chicken, eggs and the like, it is important to get organic and wild in the case of fish, and organic and free-range in the case of the eggs and chicken. The reason why this is so important is because animals today are injected with tons of hormones and antibiotics (especially chickens and their eggs). These hormones and antibiotics directly contribute to a yeast overgrowth that is especially common in women. Sticking with the most organic animal foods is optimal, but do the best you can in consideration of your situation. For example, if you are at a restaurant and there is no wild organic fish offered, having regular fish is fine as long as you are not doing this every day. Little slip-ups here and there are fine, but eating hormone-laden animal foods everyday will not serve you in any way! I cannot emphasize this enough. Many people, even after learning about the concept of alkaline foods versus acidic foods, and the nature of digestive health, still have the calories in versus calories out concept ingrained in their heads. Please remember that just because a piece of chicken breast may be “lean” and “carb-free”, it does NOT mean that it is meant to be in the human body, and that the toxic hormones and antibiotics that have been injected into these animals (and therefore become a part of the biomass,

which means part of the chicken, which eventually becomes part of you) will have a negative impact on your body, especially if consumed regularly. As far as dairy goes, the best type of dairy is sheep or goat cheese because it doesn’t have casein in it, as cow milk cheeses do. Casein is very hard for the human body to digest because it is so incredibly dense. Since goat and sheep dairy do not have casein, it is much easier on the system. I use raw goat cheese regularly in my salads and with steamed vegetables. If you can get raw goat cheese, this is your best option. Since it is unpasteurized, this particular type of cheese also will provide enzymes to help facilitate digestion, leaving behind less acidic residue in your cells, leaving you feeling lighter. Shiloh Farms and Alta Dena are two brands of raw goat cheese that are a cheddar-style and can be grated. If you don’t want to do the dairy thing because you are lactose intolerant (I know of a few who were lactose intolerant but raw goat cheese sits well with them) or are vegan, you can make delicious cheeses with nuts, lemon juice, and some nutritional yeast. These nut variations are really delicious, and if you use nutritional yeast they will have a shockingly similar flavor to real cheese. My personal preference is raw goat or sheep cheese. I don’t eat cheese every day, but it is a nice treat to have some marinara sauce over steamed veggies with some cheese sprinkled on top. I especially love raw goat cheese in my salads with sun-dried tomatoes and basil or shredded beet. The raw cheeses, avocados, and even organic butter are all fats, but they are less dense fats than oils, nuts and seeds, and therefore easier on the digestive system. Some people eat nuts and seeds on a regular basis with no drawbacks, but I personally find that they are very heavy and difficult to digest. You will find what works best for you. Now we shall move onto food combining!

FOOD COMBINING BASICS Here are the four groups that you never want to combine in the same meal with only a few small exceptions:

1. Starches - Breads, Pasta, Rice, Yams, Acorn Squash, Avocados, Potatoes

2. Animal Foods - Fish, Meat, Dairy, Eggs

3. Dried Fruits/Nuts/Seeds - Dates, Figs, Raisins, Currants, Dried Apricots, etc/Almonds, Pecans, Macadamias, Cashews, Walnuts/Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Chia Seeds

4. Fresh Fruits - Melons, Apples, Pears, Oranges, Tangerines, Berries,

Bananas, etc

• Fresh fruit should always be eaten on an empty stomach. This makes it an ideal breakfast. The only exception to this is bananas. They combine perfectly with avocados and with dried fruits, along with nuts and seeds due to their denser consistency. Certain fruits combine best with other fruits (such as apples and pears which are sub-acid fruits and combine well, but do not combine well with citrus fruits such as grapefruit and orange), but beginners do not typically have to worry about this type of combining. The only exception to this is melons, which move through the body faster than any other fruit.

• If you have a fruit salad, eat any type of melon first (cantaloupe,

watermelon, honeydew). Wait at least thirty minutes after eating fruit to move onto another food group if you are still hungry, but up to an hour if you eat a large quantity.

• Although Avocados are technically a fruit, they combine as a

starch. They also combine with bananas. Raw vegetables combine with all groups, except for the fruits.

• Cooked non-starchy vegetables combine with all starches and animal foods. (Starchy vegetables are yams, potatoes and squashes- fantastic comfort foods)

Eating animal protein with starches is the most offensive combination. Wait three to four hours before changing food groups (if your last meal had cooked starches or protein, try to wait four or five hours). This will ensure that your last meal has left your stomach before bringing new food into the stomach.

Condiments such as maple syrup, agave, Dijon mustard, olive oil, vinegar, lemon and lime juice, stevia, nut milks, and dark chocolate are neutral, which means that they combine with anything! Ideally, you want to eat the highest quality of all of these foods in ideal combinations. This will result in optimal digestive health. You will feel the difference immediately! Since your body will not be putting as much work into digestion, you will have more energy throughout the day. You always will experience less gas and bloating, which will make you feel lighter and happier. You will feel immediate results when you eat foods in these ideal combinations (especially when these are high-quality foods such as raw goat cheese instead of processed cheeses, and sprouted grain breads as opposed to refined white bread). They leave your stomach quickly and cause very little digestive distress. When you combine starch and protein, it sits in your stomach for up to twelve hours depending on what type of protein you had (fish leaves the body a bit quicker, while red meat takes much longer). The reason this happens is because when there is both protein and starch in the stomach. There is an acid enzyme (for the protein) and an alkaline medium (for the starch) that your body uses to facilitate digestion. When these two types of food are present in the stomach at the same time, the acid enzyme and alkaline medium neutralize each other, and digestion slows down dramatically. Enzymes are critical for good digestion because they are the catalyst for digestion. Without them, food will take much longer to digest. When food takes that long to digest, a lot of gas and fermentation occurs in the gut. Gas and fermentation cause constipation which causes weight gain, bloat, headaches, break outs, and backaches, and a myriad of other ailments. With that being said, if you want to miscombine a meal, try to do it at dinner after a big raw vegetable salad so that you have all night to allow the food to move through your system before you eat again. Right now you may be thinking something like, "I eat fruit in my cereal with milk every morning. Why don’t I feel any digestive discomfort?" The reason why you may not experience discomfort is because your body has

grown used to it. What feels perfectly fine for someone on a Standard American Diet can be debilitating to someone who eats according to the laws of nature. With all that being said, I hope that now you feel comfortable with the basics of food combining. Remember that these are tools, not rules. Some things may not bother you if you are starting out, and that’s the beauty of the transition. As your body shifts and you become emotionally ready to let go of certain things to embrace better health, you will feel your readiness for change. This will feel great. When you really embrace food combining and a whole foods diet, it becomes more about feeling balanced, happy, light, and free in your body as opposed to worrying about the number on the scale (although that will lessen as will all of your ailments). It is important to never push yourself and always approach your diet and lifestyle changes gently - and with enthusiasm and optimism! READ MORE @ MY BLOG: http://www.sunshinecenterblog.com

DON’T OVERDO THE FRUIT

It’s summertime now, and everyone loves to eat lighter when the weather heats up. This often means eating more fruit than usual. And let’s be honest… summertime fruits are so freakin’ delicious! They are always a welcome treat for my palette. My favorite summer fruits are berries. I’ve been eating raspberries several times a week and now local blueberries are at the farmer’s market, too. Berries = happiness.

Fruit is an incredible, healthy food for humans. Fruit is also the most cleansing food on the planet. This sounds great, right? When we switch over to a diet high in raw foods, this is a drastic shift for the body. Instead of spending loads of time digesting processed non-human foods, the body spends minimal time on digestion (when you’re doing the raw diet the right way) and more time on spitting toxins out of the cells. This is wonderful. The body contracts as it releases toxicity (it becomes smaller… usually very quickly at first and then the weight loss will either slow up or sometimes people will gain a little bit of weight back once the body comes back into more balance), and the toxins are

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released into the bloodstream and then released via elimination organs (colon and skin being the two main organs through which waste is eliminated). A drawback of this diet is a phenomenon called “autointoxication”. By following a diet too well, or by eating too many cleansing foods, you can overwhelm your system. Instead of releasing the awakened waste matter via colon or skin, the toxicity gets reabsorbed back into the blood stream and results in yucky symptoms such as breakouts, rashes, bloating, constipation, headaches, nausea, aches, pains, and extreme fatigue. Fruit is a very big contributor to autointoxication because it is incredibly cleansing. I always tell my clients to think of raw vegetables as neutral alkalizers, and fruits as powerful cleansers. Think of what happens when you put hydrogen peroxide on a dirty cut. Now, can you imagine what happens when you take something as clean and oxygenating as watermelon or grapes and put them in a digestive tract that has years of impacted waste matter? Remember: if you grew up eating hot dogs, pop tarts, white bread, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and bologna, that stuff didn’t leave the body completely. The fruit will hit this and kick up a lot of gas. This is the simple reason why fruit can prove irritating to many people.

When you eat fruit, how do you feel? Are you becoming bloated? Are you becoming constipated? In the beginning, some people will not experience drawbacks from fruit. This is usually because the body is so thrilled to be eating foods that are easier to digest that it just starts throwing down dormant waste that‘s not quite as deep and dehydrated as the waste from many years gone by. It’s once you get beyond those initial layers of dormant waste in the digestive tract, when we get into deeper layers of accumulation, that fruit often can prove to be troublesome and may result in a lot of negative symptoms. When you add the fact that as we eat better, our system will become more sensitive, the idea of eating an entire watermelon and then sitting with the effects of that can be very undesirable. Remember, you are only cleansing or detoxing if a lot of waste is leaving the body via colon or skin (a concept we have really been discussing at great length with "The Juicy Life". If you are eating loads of fruit and not releasing loads of waste matter, this is not a detox. If you’re doing a “cleanse” and not eliminating tons of waste matter on your own or with colonics/enemas, I promise you that you’re not cleansing. You may contract (lose weight or drop a pants size or two) if you are eating significantly less food, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a cleanse. If you are eating a lot of fruit because you think it is good for you and it is energizing, and you are finding that you are becoming bloated, headache-y, tired, constipated, and cranky, stop eating the fruit. These symptoms mean that the fruit is not good for you and that it is awakening too much waste matter for the body to keep up with. Always use your body as a compass - just because you have heard and read that fruit is healthy doesn’t mean it is going to work best for your body right now. This can be frustrating for many because with a raw food diet, fresh fruit is the ideal breakfast. Remember that the idea of raw foods isn’t to eat as much raw foods as possible, but to eat simply and to allow the body time for digestive rest so Nature can do the healing (yes, I said Nature, not gojimacacocoasuperfuits). By eating raw foods, we are allowing digestive rest… that’s what it’s all about. It’s not about super foods, micro or macronutrients, protein, calcium, folate, riboflavin, etc. It’s about digestive rest and giving the body time to heal.

If fruit consumption is leaving you feeling less than your best, here are some other fantastic breakfast suggestions:

• 32 + ounces of fresh vegetable juice (this is always your best bet!) • Avocado and tomato salad with sea salt or stevia and lime juice, or

sprouted grain toast topped with avocado and tomato (yes I know - not raw - but still extremely high quality)

• Low sugar fruits (these are not as cleansing and are relatively benign for almost everyone): all berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), green apples, and grapefruit

• Nut or seed milks, shakes with avocado (for added creaminess), cocoa powder, and stevia

• Coconut Shakes • Raw soups and salads (of course!) • Organic, free range eggs over your favorite baby greens with lemon and

stevia (yeah I know, not raw, but remember, this isn't about being raw, it's about tuning into what your body needs so it can heal)

Remember to use your brain and intuition. Just because it is raw does not mean it is best for your body at this particular point in time. READ MORE @ MY BLOG: http://www.sunshinecenterblog.com