Getting Out There

I'm with my General Practioner about a week ago and it turns out that I need to lose a little weight.  I remember thinking to myself, hmm, I'm raw, mostly.  I wonder why I still have this paunch around my middle?

She recommended an hour of exercise a day.  Now, I have been a fitness junkie on and off, but, lately, as in the last two years, mostly off.  I'll be good for a week or two and exercise 3 or 4 times a week, then I'll forget about it and not do anything for a week or two.  And the cycle continues.

That's not going to cut it anymore.

An hour a day, I thought.  How can I make that happen?  I said I'd try.  Well, it has happened for 8 days straight now.  All right!   And even though I've walked the local reservoir with Lisa, spent time on the Nordic Track, and even gone body boarding, the number one activity has been - mountain biking.

So, since I truly love to mountain bike, I decided to go ahead and spring for a new trail shredder on Sunday.  And on Monday I was oh so glad I did.  Did about 20 miles all over Wildcat Canyon and Tilden Parks over the course of 3 hours.  Up some massively steep hills.  And down some massively steep hills, too.  Beautiful country, the Berkeley Hills.  Highly recommend it.

Three things I love about riding the trails:
1)  I'm in nature.  To be in nature is very, very healing.  The trees, the clouds, the blue sky, the sunshine, the fresh air.  It's great for the soul.
2)  You cover a lot of ground on a bike.  I love to hike, for all the same reasons.  But I cover so much more territory on a bike.  There are more vistas, more people to meet, more sights to see.  You get around on a trail bike.
3)  It's awesome training.  A lot of fitness experts have touted the benefits of interval training as of late.
Interval training intersperses high cardio activity with lighter cardio activity, back and forth.  In keeping your heart rate varied, up and down, your heart lung rate is constantly changing, with no preset schedule - thereby providing bursts of intense activity with periods of rest.  These are ideal training conditions.

So, incredibly, after 8 days of at least 45 minutes of cardio a day I'm feeling much stronger, and am actually shedding a few pounds.  It's working.

The other thing the doctor mentioned was to stay away from sugars, including that found in high glycemic index fruit.

Now I love fruit, and usually eat a ton of it, being high % raw.

So what I'm doing is eliminating or reducing my intake of some of the fruits with the highest glycemic index.  So, no more snacking on lots of dates, big slices of watermelon, or big bunches of grapes.

That's ok, though.  I still love apples and oranges, and I'll continue to make fruit a big part of my diet.
And I'll still have dates, watermelon and grapes, just not as much.  I'm going to become an expert on all kinds of apples, though.  Maybe I'll become an apple connoisseur!

Anyway, I can always use some encouragement in keeping inspired and motivated to work out every day.  If you have tips and tricks that keep you motivated, I'd love to hear them.  Post your comments below and let's all inspire each other.

I'm sure that I'll be ok with taking a rest day once or twice a week, but for now, I'm trying to stick to finding time every single day for a minimum of 45 minutes, preferably an hour, and 2 - 3 on at least one weekend day.

I have to say it feels really good to get out there.  I come back energized, with a healthy appetite for healthy food, and my mood has definitely brightened.

So get out there, everybody.  Use it or lose it!

Flow

First, today's smoothie:
IN a blender, pour 3 cups of organic Rice Dream
Add: 1 ripe asian pear, cored, but not peeled
5 organic strawberries
handful of frozen mixed berries: rasberries, blackberries, bluberries, avail. from Trader Joes)
large handful of frozen dark sweet cherries
1 Tsp of sprouted flax powder
1 Tsp of organic hemp powder
2 Tsp of raw organic coconut flesh
2 Tsp of raw organic almond butter
1 Tsp of raw honey
Blend well. Thrive.

I want to say something about flow today. You are an energy field, much like a ray of sunshine.
As you are born, grow through childhood, and enter adolescence, the process of metabolism and growth is hard at work, and the internal energy: emotional, physical, hormonal, mental, is strong, very strong. High rates of energy there.

Flash forward to your forties or fifties. You have now been on the planet for several decades. You are no longer necessarily producing as much energy as you were when you were a youth.
You may not be sleeping as deeply (remember those teenage years?). Maybe you don't feel naturally motivated to go outside and move your body as much. You are going through the process of aging.

But the human being is a miraculous instrument. Evolution of millions of years has created a pretty resilient, very adaptable, extremely curious and resourceful mammal. You have incredible potential to recapture the energy of your youth, to feel surges of energy, and the accompanying feelings of excitement, passion, virility, sensuousness, creativity, aspirations, and more.

If you are not quite feeling that way these days, let me start by pointing something out. Your bod and mind may be lacking energy because you are putting low quality fuel into the Mazerati that you are.

In order to feel natural, vital, passionate, you need good fuel. You need enzymes.

Enzymes, some research has shown, are responsible for every cellular function in every organ of your body. Your heart pumping blood is due to enzymatic response. The same for digestion, for respiration, for perspiration, for brain activity.

When you are born, your body has vast storehouse of enzymes at the ready to navigate the challenges of childhood metabolism. As you age, you deplete your storehouse of enzymes, and in order to replenish them, you need to take them in in the form of enzyme rich nutrition. The problem with cooking food, is that enzymes die in your food at temperatures that exceed approximately 110 degrees. Cooked food is deceased food. Eating fresh, uncooked food as the staple of your diet replenishes the enzyme storehouse, which in turn allows your bodily functions the fuel they so desperately need for high performance function.

Going raw gives you the tools to use the amazingly evolved anatomy that you own, your own flesh and blood, to the highest, purest, most noble, most exciting ways possible.

You will feel a surge of energy and passion that you may not have experienced since your 20s.
Your digestive tract will easily process your meals and indigestion often becomes a thing of the past. Your brain is now functioning much better, you can think more clearly, remember details more easily, and use creative problems solving techniques with ease.

Stress begins to melt. Raw cacao has the chemical, Phenylethylamine, a natural stress reducer and mood enhancer. The little pesky things people around you say and do cease to bother you as much, and you simply laugh things off more.

Your perspective becomes enlarged. You start thinking about exercise more. Your start actually exercising regularly. Success builds on itself. Your outlook broadens, you become hopeful, your relationships improve, your more fun to be around, and sleep becomes deeper. I am speaking from experience here.

I am almost 50, and I had not been doing well for a very very long time. Since going mostly raw about 4 months ago, I've noticed all these changes and more. I'm down about 12 lbs. I think there is a lot to be said for this lifestyle and each person must find their own way. Begin with a morning smoothie. It is the best way to start, in my opinion. If you begin to notice changes add more salads, veggies, raw nuts, etc into your diet. Go at your own pace. Find your own flow, listen deeply to how you feel, your mood, your energy, your inner intuition. Make the time, and you can thrive and be in the flow.