Smoothies, Qigong, The China Study, and How They All Affect Me
Friday, June 12, 2009 at 1:00PM As Time Goes By…you think you have something to say and you write it down and it is just junk. I don’t want to deliver crap to my precious few readers and hopefully I succeed today;sorry for the delay.
I want to start out by saying that I never thought I would be eating vegan and raw with the rare occasional raw piece of cheese. I was so high on animal and whey proteins I couldn't understand why such a great thing was destroying my body one cell at a time, not letting me lose the fat around my body and downright pissing me off!
Now I cannot imagine eating anything but. I feel so good and my energy level has shot up through the roof. Remember a few weeks ago I told you I bought a size 42 pair of Polo Shorts that were too small. Not anymore! Come on size 36!
My body is shrinking back to what is supposed to be normal. My blood sugar levels are becoming normal. The cloud of fat that was beneath my skin is disappearing and letting the blood vessels and veins be seen; thanks Dr. Robert Cassar for that bit of insight.
I remember not being able to walk up a flight of stairs without having to stop and wheeze. Now this doesn’t happen and my sprint length, chasing Frisbee's with my kids, has gotten longer. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to eat to live.
Thankfully I have a great wife who takes the time to seek out the very best tasting raw and vegan recipes and serve them up for me.
So what has been delaying my writing?
Reading the book, “The China Study”. Could this be the best work of epidemiology ever conducted?
The New York Times thinks so.
You will read this and be very pissed off as an American. But before you blow your top and try to sue everyone in sight, I think it is important you realize something I told you when I started, you are responsible for your health. You need to take responsibility for what is causing your problems and not just looking for treatments for your sore knees for having to carry around a 1/4 ton of weight.
Get this book and read it. I am only halfway through and it completely agrees with my personal results. That is the benefit of healing yourself. And as it says in the book, this stuff is not absolute proof but it is so close to it you cannot ignore the results. Keep an open mind and learn how your body reacts to changes, and start writing about your new found personal power and achievements.
Qigong and Yoga
My practice of Qigong one day and Yoga the next is just amazing. I want to stress that I have moved onto Chakra Yoga but I am still learning Wuji Qigong. Both could take years to master and that is fine by me.
I will stress as always that breath control is the key to success in both. Conquer your breathing, then the movements, and then duration.
You will have to keep an open mind if you have trouble with the whole connecting to the infinite stuff. You are really allowing the energy surrounding us all to clear your body of any blockages that are causing disease and obesity. Everyone has been given equal faith and personal power. Bibles from all religions speak clearly on this subject but too many preachers want to fill seats with fear. Know your religion, know yourself and stop being preached to. Enough on that subject. What you believe is your business but stop doing nothing. Do you really want to be hooked into dialysis at 60 years old or the hot young thing you are able to keep up with on a morning run? (neither female or male was stated to be fair)
If that is crude, I am sorry but do you want to dream about the sex you used to have or be able to perform well into your 70’s?
This isn’t about immortality but the ability to live your life to the fullest while you have it.
Get up America please.
Manchester’s Only Real Smoothie Bar
Get around to a lot of different restaurants, fast food, chains, and sit downs and you will see the words smoothie on their menu but if you look behind the veil of the kitchen wall you would find out they are nothing more than powdered or ice cream concoctions with syrups.
This may be convenient for the restaurant but it is just deadly for the consumer.
Taking your life into your hand just to eat sounds absurd but we have an epidemic of obesity and diabetes and I want to know why?
You know my mission is to heal myself of my obesity and my diabetes and if you saw my last post you saw a reading, a normal reading in the 90’s. This is a major milestone for me and I want to thank Melissa Minuti of All Juiced Up for helping kick starting my exploration into raw foods.
And in case you don’t know where this great all natural smoothie bar is then just go to where the old Merrimack Restaurant stood at the corner of Elm St and Merrimack St in downtown Manchester, NH.
(Thursday, June 11, 2009) I had the privilege of Melissa’s time to talk about her new business.
The first thing I wanted to know was the reason(s) behind the juice/smoothie bar.
Melissa explained that her father and his side of the family has a history of heart disease and to prevent it from affecting her as well, she and her dad, who are the co-owners, decided to open the only real fresh fruit and vegetable bar in Manchester and the surrounding area.
Next I wanted to know if she was strict about her menu or could people put together a combination of fresh fruits and vegetables as they saw fit and could raw foodies and vegans feel comfortable coming here.
“Please feel free to ask any questions. I have a interest in your health so ask me if there is a special smoothie or juice combination you would like to try.”
Melissa explained that her smoothie bases are reduced-fat yogurt, soy milk, soy vanilla milk, and fresh juices.
“The fresh fruit and vegetable juices are created each day.”
This led me to ask where she buys her fruit and vegetables and. how she handles them.
“All the produce is purchased locally from Queen City Farms and Granite State fruit. I am trying to get the best local produce possible.”
I then asked about the handling of her fruits and veggies.
“Once they are here, they are washed in a natural vegetable and fruit wash then some are portioned and frozen while others are in the baskets around you for sale.”
Please note that All Juiced Up does not state their produce is organic. Many of New Hampshire’s local farm stands use organic methods but don’t spend the money to get certified. If this stops you from coming in, oh well, I have been drinking their smoothies and juices for close to two months and losing weight and feeling much better.
Ok let’s go beyond the smoothies and juices and tell you what you can get in your favorite juice to energize your day. For those who love live wheat grass you can add a shot to any drink, there are all vegetable protein powders like pea, hemp, soy. There is the regular isolate whey protein as well as a variety of sweeteners. There is raw sugar, agave, and bee pollen. Finally for those into ultra pure powdered supplements there are the Purples, Greens and Berries for a low additional cost.
I will also mention that All Juiced Up has a full line of coffees and teas and frozen concoctions of both. There are nutritional sandwiches for breakfast and lunch with gluten-free choices for breads and salads like chickpea and quinoa.
I really like the feel of this store. Melissa, her dad Tom, and her staff are very open to your questions and suggestions. This is the quickest way to find out how raw foods can come together and taste so good.
Here is another look at the inside of All Juiced Up:
Thanks for reading!
Reader Comments (4)
I am so proud of my sister! Melissa, you are an amazing human being capable of so many things.
Thanks for commenting and yes Melissa is so strong and determined.
Hi Bill,
Your entry just reminded me how important the breathing is in Yoga and CMA. There is the tendency to get caught up with getting the movement right that focus on the breathing is lost (for me at least :)).
Like your description on fruit and vegetables. Glad that you are doing so well....
Cheers
Kim
Bill,
Just stumbled upon your blog from the All Juiced Up website. Congratulations for being so courageous and really "taking your health into your own hands". I have read most of The China Study, too, and I wish everyone I know would read it and take it to heart. I am vegan, but not a raw food vegan...I try to incorporate as many raw foods into my diet as possible, though.
Anyway, keep up the good work. Your story is proof of the power of diet, exercise and will-power.
Nicole