I have moved to Wordpress

Hello Everyone! I have not been posting here in a while. I have a new and better blog. I hope you will visit and join me there. The address is http://www.sabrinaaird.com

Suck It In

So many men and women, go through life sucking in their gut.  I have seen countless women doing it, sometimes joking about it before photographs are taken. One, two there...suck it in!  Ladies, you know what I mean, admit it please.  I have seen men do it too, though they are often able to make jokes about it.  No joking where women are concerned though.  A huge part of the problem with all this sucking in is the fact that we are not breathing.  It is impossible to breathe deeply and inhale deeply while holding and sucking in you gut!  Trying to anyway.  Out of habit, I still find myself sucking it in!  Terrible, I need to breathe, deeply, often.
I understand, i get it now.  Raw Food has shown me what a flat tummy is really like. So easy to achieve being Raw.  I lost over 30lbs in two months being RAW!   Of course there have been great outfits that I have selected for my wardrobe, that flatter my appearance. But none without the careful consideration of certain body parts that may have needed covering up at times in my life.
The dreaded FLABBY tummy after a baby or the big hard beer belly that men get.  Women get a big flabby beer belly, but get it just the same.    All kinds of fat in the middle right!  What a pleasure it is to just wear anything in your closet, with no consideration to how it will fit around the middle.  Or people tell you that you are tiny...tiny, me????  I have never been tiny!  Size 6!!  When people ask what size I am and I say 6, they don't believe me.  They think I have to be a size 2 or a 4.  I have not been that since I was 13 years old running track with Craig and Debbie at Andrew Jackson HS!  I have been a size 10 & 12 very recently.  Not fat, but fluffy for sure!
With such a loving husband that enjoys fluff, it is easy to become complacent.  Not anymore.  Since being over 80% raw and mostly sick for the other 20%,  there is not much fluff left.  Cheffing has been great for me.  Today alone, I made Raw Sweet Potato Chips, Raw Tortilla Chips, Curry Crackers, Broccoli with Sheeze Sauce and two different Raw Chocolate desserts!  So doable when motivate by the entire new wardrobe that I HAD to buy when we were in Los Angeles recently!  NONE of my clothes fit.  They were all sent to Haiti.  I had 4 outfits altered that I could not part with and I am INTO my new clothes.  Try a flat RAW tummy, you will never want to go back.  get with me on facebook, twitter, or comment to this post with  your best questions!

Raw Food Reviews

Recently I went to Los Angeles.  I love going on vacation.  I packed my best looks.  It is all about the looks  being Raw (the health too!).  It is a sexy feeling especially when I am "dressed"  I did eat at "Follow Your Heart" a cooked vegan spot that has been around since 1970.  Original owner still in place too!  I could not wait to eat in a city that had Raw and Vegan restaurants all over the place.  We even discovered a Raw Ice Cream Store.  Spent $80 in there and bought Ice Cream for days.  Best Raw Ice Cream I ever had.  The variety of flavors and the consistency were great!  The best part about it has to be the consistency after I took it home and put it in the freezer.  The next 2 days, it was still great tastin. , Straight out the freezer,  it was hot!
Planet Raw.  If you never heard of it, it is Juliano's restaurant.  He wrote a book called Raw years ago and it was one of my first.  I loved his flare then and I appreciate it more now.  His food is sexy.  Stylish, not boring. Interesting textures.  Feels good all over.  He knows what people want.  Great skill!  We had the Mac n Cheese with broccoli...my goodness it was goodness.  Also had jalepeno poppers and the best on the menu for me was the Tom Kha Soup. OMG!  Satisfying to my soul.  Coconut Cheesecake and Apple Pie.  I had only one bite of each, but Spencer demolished both easily.
I was surprised at how down to earth the vibe and owner were.  He said he comes to Florida and will visit, cant wait!  Check out the pics of his food below!

Garlic Toast and Jalapeno Poppers

Spencer & Juliano @ Planet Raw

Coconut Cheesecake

Raw Food Chef and Wellness Coach

Please ask the next "Raw Food Chef or Wellness Coach" that you come across...."How did you become a Wellness Coach?"  I would love for you to tell me what kind of answers you get!  I am amazed at how many  Self proclaimed Raw Food Wellness Coaches and Raw Food Chefs, are popping up, literally everywhere.  Lets break it down.  First ask...Are you even a Raw Foodist?   My questions for them could get a lot more complex than just that.  Like food combining and a high fat, low fiber junk food raw diet.  Gourmet garbage I like to call it.

After 6 years and owning 3 restaurants, developing menus, talking to thousands of customers, hosting guest speakers, teaching workshops, coordinating events and cheffing in my kitchens, I am still a little uncomfortable calling myself a Raw Food Chef.  

Not coaching or consulting, but listening and helping.  Explaining and guiding.  Sharing and caring, I have learned much.  My customers have taught me, from their experience.  I hope that I have taught them by my example.  Through my doors have walked many on the path to optimal health. I have seen Stage 4 breast to prostate, melanoma to sarcoma. 17 years old to 87 years old. I have also seen incredible recovery, face to face.  I have been asked and tasked to answer their most heartfelt questions from the soul, about the healing power of the raw food diet and lifestyle.  I have researched and consulted with an incredible array of resources available to me.  Learned what I did not know by talking to Directors of Institutes of healing and learning, Doctors that specialize in natural therapies, my personal natropathic physicians, acupuncture physicians, herbalists and more. Those warriors slash survivors, that have healed themselves and speak to me from their personal experiences.  (they are the best) They have shared their journeys with me.  There have been too many.  I pick the brain of yes, traditional doctors (even they have something to contribute here :))

I am not a wellness coach.  I am not trying to certify anyone to prepare or chef raw foods.  I listen and try to understand where you are coming from and then I just try to help.  What is it they say.  My words are not intended to cure, diagnose, treat or prevent any illness, but I know what I know.  Raw Food heals.  Can I help you integrate raw food into your life....Yes, and I am really good at it!  Email me sometime, if you want to talk more.  

Never having been trained classically as a chef, I humbly accept thanks and praise from the guests of Grass Root that love our food and I know that there is a difference between myself and traditional chefs that trained under master chefs etc.  I do not know all the cuts and cremes, sauces and fancy names.  I will never handle meat and birds while preparing a tasty meal for guests at my restaurants.  Diary is another separation.  I love to cook vegan food and perfect raw food recipes.   I believe in what I do and know that there is healing for all of us.

Enjoy Vegetable YOUR way!

Inflammation Nation

Doing the work of making Grass Root run, encompasses many different experiences. I have been exposed to many different people that have blessed us with their support over the years. But more importantly for this blog is the many different illness I have come across. Talking to folks about their health, diet, nutrition, options, families, babies, parents and the list goes on. Very few times in all those great conversations (that I totally learn from) did I hear the word inflammation. Hardly ever.

During our New Years Eve Party, I had less than a half glass of wine FYI, but for some reason my body went into crisis. I almost passed out from the pain (I am a bit of a weakling) and my husband had to take me to the Emergency. My arms were immobilized, I could not walk and I was in so much pain, I could not stand it. I was crying and my family's heart was breaking. We did not know what was strong. My legs began to give out. I have never even broken a bone, let alone almost pass out.

To make a long painful story short, they told me I had inflammation. Spence and I did crazy research on inflammation and the findings were unbelievable. I found out, SPence already knew, that inflammation is the underlying cause of most diseases. The list is as follows and I list it so you realize that we are truly living in an Inflammation Nation here.

• acid reflux/heartburn
• acne
• allergies and sensitivities
• Alzheimer’s disease
• asthma
• atherosclerosis
• bronchitis
• cancer
• carditis
• celiac disease
• chronic pain
• Crohn’s disease
• cirrhosis
• colitis
• dementia
• dermatitis
• diabetes
• dry eyes
• edema
• emphysema
• eczema
• fibromyalgia
• gastroenteritis
• gingivitis
• heart disease
• hepatitis
• high blood pressure
• insulin resistance
• interstitial cystitis
• joint pain/arthritis/rheumatoid arthritis
• metabolic syndrome (syndrome X)
• myositis
• nephritis
• obesity
• osteopenia
• osteoporosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• periodontal disease
• polyarteritis
• polychondritis
• psoriasis
• scleroderma
• sinusitis
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• spastic colon
• systemic candidiasis
• tendonitis
• UTI’s
• vaginitis

I cut out any and all sugar, soy, dairy, nuts, oils except olive and flax and ate tons of greens. I still had inflammation. i only drink water also. Never coffee, never soda, no fake juice from the grocery store, nothing. Well I finally conceded and went to the doctor and found out that I have a Gluten Allergy. OMG, I could not believe. I have maintained the dietary restrictions that i started on Jan 1, 2010 and am sooo much the wiser knowing all about inflammation. I don't think there is a website that I did not read. I bought two books on inflammation and read them both. I will probably always talk about inflammation now as a result of this helpful, amazing new discovery. It will surly be one of the first things that I mention when someone tells me that they are ailing.

So for all you Gluten and Celiac friends out there, Grass Root will soon be more Celiac and non-Gluten friendly. Our Raw Food Menu has and always will be gluten and wheat free:)

Life in the TIme of H1N1

A while back, I saw the movie life in the time of Cholera. It was a good enough movie and I watched it until the end. I am now raising an infant in the time of H1N1. No it is not the same as Cholera of course, but if someone you love has fallen victim to it, it is plenty serious to you. You may know that our little precious son was born in June. Healthy and happy with a father and mother that are been devoted to making sure that we all thrive. You included!

So the problem that I am getting to is why don't people understand that they can not touch the baby's hands. In this time of adults dying from swine flu etc. don't they know how fatal it can be if a baby get's this or any other virus for that matter? Gross. When I think of the things that people do with their hands like pick their nose, scratch their private parts and that of their partners, wipe their children's nose's, touch door knob's in public places that all kinds of people touch. I could go on forever. Not only do these people endanger the health and well being of babies, but they freak mothers out. We cringe when they approach the baby and hope, please let them have the common sense not to touch the babies hands. But nooooooooooo! Thats right where they touch. Like a magnet, they are drawn in. Babies are alluring aren't they.

So unfair that you put us mothers in the position to have to tell you as politely as possible to please refrain from touching the baby. What's worse is that sometimes some people get offended! How dare I try to protect my baby from their germs. Why they even tell me that they always wash their hands. As a matter of fact, they just washed them a short while ago. It is their regular practice.

So to all of you well meaning folks that love the sweet, cuteness of all the magnificent babies around you, please don't touch. Even if you think you are healthy, clean etc. You may not know what germs you are carrying and a great way to pass germs is through touching others.

We mothers appreciate your well wishing and your love and support of our children. Keep up the love and stop the touching. PS Don't be mad or offended, be smart and pro-active!

Pregnant Over 35

More and more women seem to be having babies over 35 these days.  A lot of us are motivated by our careers.  We don't want to start too early before we get established in corporate America or Hollywood as it would seem.  Unfortunately sometimes having a few children will hold you back in this man's world.  Not having made that decision myself, I survived in corporate America for 13 years before moving to the good life in Florida.  

But I have now joined the ranks of Halle Berry and Gweneth Paltrow to name two.  We have all had babies over 35 and have therefore been warned of the many things that can go wrong. It is procedure.  Down Syndrome, Birth Defects, Spina Bifida, developmental problems and on and on.  Sarah Palin made it obvious that women over 35 can be challenged with Down Syndrome babies and old female eggs will be blamed for the condition.  Warned that you should have an amniocentesis, to make sure that your baby is healthy, or not so healthy.  

When I was confronted with this, I had to ask myself, what is this test for. So that I can have an abortion if I find out the baby has a birth defect?  By the time they perform this test, 16 weeks, we are already in love with our babies, which makes the choice impossible and not feasible for many of us women. Some, many decide to get the abortion, if they test positive for birth defect. the choice is theirs, I am not arguing Roe vs. Wade here.  So much so that the statistics show that most women that have down syndrome babies are under 30. Yes 30, why? because they don't get tested. So 80 percent of birth defect children have mothers that are 30 and under.  While most of us 35 plus year olds abort our birth defected children, with the guidance of our physicians.  they quote odds and numbers and all of this is decided by a computer system, and not even a doctor.  OK so my odds were 1 out of 240 that my baby will be down syndrome challenged.  While the risk of aborting a healthy baby due to amniocentesis risk, is 1 out of 200.  So the odds are worse for having the amnio than the risk of having the down baby.  And so what if I do find out the baby is down, I wont abort it, so what is the point of getting the test....no point, just to freak me out.  So i spent a few frantic hours and days freaked out about the possibility, until I came up with my own rational for the whole thing.  Don't have the amnio unless you are willing to have an abortion.  If not then there is no sense.  

The amnio is a diagnostic test and you will get a definite yes or no. OR you can do what I did.  I took control of the situation and the doctor for that matter and made him do two high definition ultrasounds and take very detailed measurements of everything that they check for as far as birth defects are concerned.  One done by my OB/GYN, the other done by a high risk OB/GYN ultrasound specialist.  The tests both came back normal.  They checked brain, kidney heart etc, all the places that birth defects are found.  So I consoled myself with that and will have one more ultrasound in 4D and seal the deal and ease any fears that I may still have.  Whew, that was simple...NOT!

Grass Root Review

Who is that person that comes in the restaurant and when greeted with a smile, makes the conscious decision not to smile back, but rather grimace?  It is probably a woman.  So I ignore it and true to my form, I turn up my emotional tone and seat them with even more smiles to try to bring them up.  This can be hard since they have obviously made up their minds that they will not smile. No matter what.  What is wrong with you...I wish I could say this.  More like what the hell is your problem.  Then I begin to wonder what their problem could be.  Maybe someone they love had died.  Maybe they lost their dog.  It has to be something tragic to make them behave this way.  

My husband is great at killing people with kindness.  His emotional tone is so high, he turns many of these grumps around.  Me, especially being pregnant, don't have the energy all the time.  With a male customer, I am much more successful.  Men are easy to warm up.  I really feel sorry for the guys when they accompany there grumps and realize they are coming off to those around them as the grumpiest in the land.  They always try to over compensate by being extra nice to make up for their friend, wife etc.  It is so obvious and I feel so sorry for these guys.  Once a nice older man said to me, you have been dealing with her for 1 hour, i have been dealing with this for 20 years.  Poor guy.  I could see it on his face that she was wearing him down.  It takes so much energy to behave this way..grumpy!  It takes all of the beauty away from even a beautiful person.  Conversely, a pleasant attitude can make anyone shine and be beautiful.  I sometimes fantasize behaving like a friend of our that is born French and has a great French restaurant.  Just like the French, will tell you to get out.  He does not care who he offends, he is not spending any of his energy trying to warm anyone up and you better not ask him to change anything on his menu.  He does not alter any recipe for the likes of anyone.  He is a little grumpy too haha.  When grumpy meets grumpy the outcome is a clash.  When grumpy meets pleasant, the outcome will hopefully be pleasant wins you over.  But for all of the grumps out there, cheer up.  Nothing could be that bad.  At least you are still alive.  And if things are that bad, maybe you should consider staying home and preparing your own food.

Ultra Conservative Vegan

Putting your money where your mouth is, has never been so crucial.  It does not matter wether or not you believe in global warming or to what degree you care about Animal rights issues.  Something that most of us do care about is our hard earned money and the causes we support with it. 

 

For example, you probably would not knowingly donate your money to an organization that was poisoning ground water, contributing to large scale deforestation of the Amazon and whose criminal counts included animal cruelty, bribery, destroying records, fraud and distributing contaminated foods to your neighborhood grocery and schools.  Most people would be appaled and would see to it that this organization never receive any of thier valuable income ever again. 

 

Well, these organizations do exist and continue to grow because many of us support them financially.  This is not some wacky conspiracy theory or a bias opinion.  Factory Farming practices are not sustainable and they are a major stress on our planet.  I am not trying to promote "Saving the Planet," because the planet will evolve and survive almost anything!  On the flip side, we the humans should be very concerned about the future of our living space (Earth) and its countless gifts that enable us to thrive, reproduce and play!  

 

Your money makes the world go 'round!  Your purchases dictate our future.  Where ever the demands of the consumers lie, industry follows.  We can see it now, with all the big corporations jumping on the "Eco-Green" bandwagon.  They are following the spending trends of the everyday people. 

 

Every product has a history and a future. Every commodity is manufactured, packaged, shipped and stored. Familiarizing ourselves with the proccesses, the effects of these proccesses, weighing out the pros and cons will create nations of empowered consumers.  Empowered consumers have the strength to create a new world. 

 

I am not suggesting that everyone go vegan, join PETA and begin riding a bicycle to work tommorow.  What I am suggesting is that you take time to educate yourself, think before you $pend, reasess your values and decide what type of world you wish to see.          

 

Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.  ~Albert Einstein

Your Awareness

It is true that I am awakening more every day. (thanks Echart)  If you ask me what that means, I would tell you how it feels first and then try to explain that I am so much more aware of what is going on in my existence.  

Food is a part of my business and it is also a part of my life.  I must eat. (unless I am doing the master cleanse, then I must drink)  I am living the Grass Root Life.  Our menu is indicative of what I eat, it has always been.  But when I ask myself, why a certain food that I have always eaten, suddenly upset my stomach so much that I never want to eat it again.  The answer was not always as obvious to me as it is now.  My awareness has grown.  This deals directly deals with my struggle to give up the cooked food addiction, for good.  I have waves of strength that carry me through, but to do it always, has been "challenging."  

The stomach ache is because I have a heightened awareness of my stomach, my colon, my food intake and it is helping me weed out and sort through the things that I should not be eating.  What should I not be eating you may ask, well I listen to my body mostly.  I try to be present when I am eating and unhealthy slip up, trying to enjoy it and that usually helps me get it out of my system or better yet, off of my mind.  Because it is the awareness in my mind that started this whole thing anyway.  My mental awareness created the climate for the physical awareness to blossom.  Much like the city person that thinks the country is too quite and cant sleep without the city noises, but when the person is smack in the middle of the country setting he realizes that crickets, frogs, grasshoppers, nightingale birds and various other creatures that I cant think of now, they are all making "noise."  It isn't that quiet after all.  Once you pay attention mentally to a situation, it creates the climate for awareness to grow.  

So having said all that, let your awareness grow in your colon.  When you eat something that is not natural food.  That means it didn't grow in the ground, be aware of how you feel when you eat it, and hour after you eat it, and most importantly, how did you feel when if left your body?  The more you create this awareness within you body (especially your digestive system) there is a solid chance that you will eat less of what is not "good" for YOU!

Food awareness is where it's at.  Start there.  It is a very good place to start.

Master Cleanse...the Aftermath

Can I just say that I love this cleanse.  It is by far the best I have ever done.  I have only done three, but still.  It is about a week later and I  still feel empty or should I say that I still empty out everyday until I feel empty.  I really have to get on organizing the "Collective Master Cleanse."  the best way to really feel that sense of community...getting together and cleansing together and talking about how much we purged and how gross was it?  That is important to discuss, because it is an indicator.  If you look at what comes out, then you can gauge what is going on inside.  For a while I guess I have been eating no more than one cooked meal per day and alot of days 100% raw.  It is coming and I am just going with the flow.  Not pressuring myself in any way and I think that is the only way.  I have a little friend. She is a 13 year old raw food snob and I tell her to be easy and dont hate on anyone for eating meat or whatever.  Just shine because you are an example for them to look up to and an inspiration to us all.  Imagine being raw at 13.  At 13 I was eating garbage.  But what are we eating NOW?

Master Cleanse

I am not hungry!  I keep marveling at that fact because that is what I have always had issues with on previous fasts.  But since day one, I have not been hungry, so then there is no problem with this fast.  Everyone should do it right!  Good. It has been so important to me that i had the lemonade all the time.  If i stopped drinking it for even two hours, the hunger creeps up then bashes you in the stomach!  But I only did that twice.  I got desperate and crazy a few times.  thank goodness Spencer was there to help me hold it down.  

That's the pleasant part....stop now if you don't want the gory details.

Well, I thought since I had been eating some cooked food (along with alot more raw food) that I should be packed with crap.  So it would stand to reason that I should be having healthy shits on day one and two, but i didn't.  Every thing was smooth if you know what I mean.  Nothing eventful like a colonic or an enema (Which I am a BIG fan off both) So pretty much baby dodo the whole time.  

MY KIDNEY, Oh My Gosh... I never even felt my kidney before.  I had to ask my mother what is there.  I was pulsating and hurting like a dull labor pain, day two, three, four, five, six was a little better, seven it was almost gone and eight it was gone.  It felt swollen.  It itched and felt numb.  It felt like little microscopic bugs were crawling around on the inside and biting me.  I scrubbed it in the shower with sea salt and lavender and it felt better for a while, but it came back.  Well the kidney cleans out the blood and I had my issues with iron that needed to be dumped into my bloodstream and I guess it deposited itself in my kidneys.  Well, it was cleansed.  That is one of the major benefits of the Master Cleanse, to clean the organs, especially the kidneys.  I woke up on the seventh day feeling like 999,999 bucks.  Not quite a million.

I cheated.  Yes on the eighth day, I ate grapes.  I ate one and I could not stop.  It was the sweetest grape I had ever tasted in my entire life!! No lie.  On day 10, I broke my fast with watermelon and then later on I had vegetable broth and ground food.  It went through me so sweet.  

I will do better next time I fast, by drinking more water.  I will definately fast all the time now.  It was so easy to do.  I know people that fast for a few days every month.  I think I can do that for sure.  I feel awesome and realize now, like I realized when I live in a third world for a few years, food over consumption is over rated and Americans are guilty of consuming too much food.  Just look at us and you can tell that it is true.  I feel for the children whose parents are unaware or unconcerned.

Our Local Health Food Store on BLAST

We have met so many wonderful people since Grass Root first opened its doors and everyday I learn something about people and this world that we live in.  But what do you say about a large natural Health Food Store that refuses to support a little vegan girls diet, when they are told that she is in St Joseph's Hospital getting doses of Chemo and radiation treatment.  Also her protocol has her on schedule for 3 more years of Chemo and Radiation.  They have such a large kitchen and make so much food, and they are so close to St Joseph's Hospital, it would have been very convenient for a friend to pick up enough food for Sophia who is going on three years old.  They have everything and I am sure they waste more food than Sophia could have ever eaten.  

So I am putting this local tampa Health Food Store on BLAST!  Shame on you for not helping her, damn not even a muffin a day.  They have never shown too much love, but we still support because that is the way were are and we respect their store as a family business.  But they are clearly weak, weak weak.  They simply said they are not set up to do something like that.  Whole foods said the same thing. Wack shit!  Anyway we are supporting Sophia in any way we can and if you want to do the same, email us.  info@thegrassrootlife.com

Collective Fasting

We are organizing a Collective Master Cleanse.  The Grass Root Family always fasts collectively and we want to invite our extended family to join in "for the health of it".  Jenyce and I are fasting right now.  If you are interested, we will support you throughout the fast.  Details will be in our newsletter.  Please join our email list or click on the contact page on our website and let me know if you are interested in cleansing you body while doing the Master Cleanse.  Google it and read testimonials.  Seek Knowledge. (One of our favorite albums). Peace

Greasy Street

This is to those that are handed their restaurant and those of us that sacrificed and struggled to get where they are.  Hats off to anyone that is in the restaurant business.  This is hard work for sure.  Anyone that has worked in a restaurant knows what I mean.  But I read an article about a couple that opened a restaurant in California of course, and the interviewer is amazed!  How did they do it?  Tell us your secret etc.  Basically the story goes like this.  I grew up rich as hell, I married a woman that was rich as hell and we became even richer.  Then we got bored and decided to open a vegan restaurant.  We spent about 300K creating the whole shabang!  Hired the best raw food chef's that money could buy and now we hardly go there and things are going great!  Wow, what genius plan.  Give me a break.  Where is the genius plan in being so rich that you can design what you lie and hire who you like,  Try it the way so many small business owners did it, with savings and sacrifice and don't forget blood sweat and tears.  It is a little like Oprah complaining that she does not know what to eat.  Shut up....hire a chef!  I love Oprah by the way.

Hooked on Oxycoden

Early this morning when i spoke to her she was fine, Spence and i were having a good little conversation with her about a fruit named mamey. She went to a chiropractor yesterday and was forced to move her arthritic arm and hip more than she ever would on her own. I began to tell her how good that would be for her to move and i was happy that she would get therapy. She laughed as she said she was in pain as a result. The conversation immediately went to she had to eat something so she could take her pain meds. I grimaced and left the room. About one hour later, i crossed paths with her in the living room and she told me Brighthouse was coming to the house. We had a strange conversation and I stared in her blank eyes, I could see that she was not there. Her hand was nervously twitching on her house dress and she is confused because Brighthouse said someone over 18 had to be there when they arrive. Instantly I realized I was talking to a person I thought I would never encounter. My mother on narcotics. The same woman that wanted me to go to rehab when I got caught smoking pot at 16 years old. She cried, I might as well have been taking heroine. I spoke to her doctor regarding oxycoden, the strongest drug on the market and basically was told the difference between my mother and a person on the street that buys oxycoden on the street everyday is that "my mother is not on the street!"

Our Biodegradables

I was serving a table and the gentleman request his chioces and then asked me about our biodegradables and I proudly stated that they are made from corn fiber by a fair trade supporter and that restaurants can produce alot of garbage, but that we really minimize our drain on Planet Earth as much as we can and so on. Well, he was dining in with a young woman and he said that they liked the biodegradables and could I serve their water in them. I said I know they are nice, but the whole waste thing and that is the whole point of the bio's etc and I would be happy to serve the water in our new blue glasses that we buy espically for water. He went on to say that he basically is the customer, and the customer is always right and he demands his water in a bio to go cup even if he is dining in! What should I do at this point??

The Power of Now

So I just read Skinny Bitch and it was OK. I guess I liked some of it, it was comical a little and informative a little, and I could definitely see why many people loved it so much. It seemed to give a little lift. Better than that, I have read Echart Tolle's book for the second time and it just gets better and better. I am doing the course online with him and all I can say is amazing. It is in my top five right now. Ok my order of favorite books is: Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel. The Witching Hour series by Ann Rice. Dianetics by L Ron Hubbard, don't talk crap if you never read it. Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda Paranahamsa. Freedom, the courage to be yourself by OSHO. That book list is POWERFUL. Read anyone of those books and you will know what i mean.

Something is happening to me on a cellular level I think, with respect to raw foods i mean. This is my day somedays anyway. I always have a raw breakfast to break my fast during the night. After sleeping, i really need to wake my digestive system slowly and I start with a huge glass of reverse osmosis water, room temp always. Then I have another with E3Live, probably 4 tablespoons, i don't even measure anymore. A bottle lasts about a week in our house. With that I have my E3 Enzymes and probiotics and I am good just drinking water until about 3pm or so. Then I have a huge salad and that will last till about 5pm. Sometime I have a cooked meal at this time and lately it is making me feel ill when I eat it. When I cook, I am fine. However, even tofu is a potential trouble source these days. I am just not thrilled with anything cooked. It is getting to the point that cooked food is making me feel sick. It is a trip and I have never tried to make anything happen that is not happening naturally when it comes to food. I don't always feel yucky, but when I do, it brings me closer to a simple salad. Cant go wrong with a salad.

When I first began this journey towards more raw food, smoothies and foods were really complicated in order to satisfy my wacky palate, but now I am happy with a simple salad and Spencer's smoothies at home (which taste nothing like the wonderful creations at Grass Root) home smoothies taste like greens, beets and dirt. really. If I am lucky then there may be a little bit of ginger in there to really jazz it up. I don't know why we don't have any gourmet raw foods at home, but that is just how it works out. I will call the best raw food chef in the world, Jenyce, and cry until she sends something wonderful for me. I really love her food the best.

Since I am limping around and cant play tennis that I love.(i just bought a new racquet when this accident happened) Since there is no tennis in sight, I have to get some exercise so I dont get chubby tubby, I am taking 10 sessions with the Palm Wellness Center in pilates. Natalie Maddox is going to give me some good acupuncture and fix my foot and then do some core training on those pilates machine that I will learn to use and get me in tip top shape. I will let you know how my progress goes!

I just took off a cast and oh my gosh what an unbelievable chore it is to deal with that. I was humbled in a way that I never experienced before. I had never hurt myself that badly before and it was not fun. When I go to the VA hospital, (I am a veteran) since the war, I see many soldiers with limbs missing and spinal cord injury etc. It breaks my heart and lets me now how lucky I am that i had a foot to hurt. Since reading Echart Tolle, I am in the NOW and am always making moves to better myself so that I can be the best me that I can be.

There is an awesome organic little farm that we so to in Plant City and last week we got the most delicious strawberries that we have ever tasted. Spencer picked them with the owner of the farm and a few hours later, they were in the smoothies at Grass Root. Same with the zucchini. From the vine, to the plate at Grass Root. It does not get any better than that!

Shower to Shower

This is certainly not a joke blog, but this had me dying laughing and I could not resist sharing! Please read and take a little time to laugh out loud, right now!

HOW TO SHOWER LIKE A WOMAN:
Take off clothing and place it in sectioned laundry hamper according to lights and darks.
Walk to bathroom wearing long dressing gown. If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas.
Get in the shower.
Use face cloth, arm cloth, leg cloth, long loofah, wide loofah and pumice stone Wash your hair once with cucumber and sage shampoo with 43 added vitamins.
Wash your hair again to make sure it's clean.
Condition your hair with grapefruit mint conditioner.
Wash your face with crushed apricot facial scrub for 10 minutes until red.
Wash entire rest of body with ginger nut and jaffa cake body wash.
Rinse conditioner off hair.
Shave armpits and legs.
Turn off shower.
Squeegee off all wet surfaces in shower.
Spray mold spots with Tilex.
Get out of shower.
Dry with towel the size of a small country.
Wrap hair in super absorbent towel.
Return to bedroom wearing long dressing gown and towel on head.
If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas.

HOW TO SHOWER LIKE A MAN:
Take off clothes while sitting on the edge of the bed and leave them in a pile.
Walk naked to the bathroom. If you see wife along the way, shake wiener at her while making the woo-woo sound.
Look at your manly physique in the mirror. Admire the size of your wiener and scratch your ass.
Get in the shower.
Wash your face.
Wash your armpits.
Blow your nose in your hands and let the water rinse the snot off.
Fart and laugh at how loud it sounds in the shower.
Spend majority of time washing privates and surrounding area.
Wash your butt, leaving those coarse butt hairs stuck on the soap.
Wash your hair. Make a shampoo Mohawk.
Pee.
Rinse off and get out of shower.
Partially dry off.
Fail to notice water on floor because curtain was hanging out of tub the whole time.
Admire wiener size in mirror again.
Leave shower curtain open, wet mat on floor, light and fan on.
Return to bedroom with towel around waist. If you pass wife, pull off towel, shake wiener at her and make the woo-woo sound again.
Throw wet towel on her pillow.


If there is anyone among you who did not laugh at the truth behind this, I dont know why? Have a great day!

Cloned Meat?

This is interesting, I just had to post it. Share this with a friend that loves meat!
Jan 17
FDA Says Cloned Meat is Safe to Eat
January 17, 2008 10 Comments
bovine products, cloning, department of agriculture, fda report, food chain, food safety risks, food supply, goat clones, voluntary moratorium
Here’s a recent article I wrote about the cloning of meat and milk from cows, pigs and goats.
—-
January 17, 2008 - Meat eaters in the US may be in for a shock.
In the most detailed “risk assessment” on the safety of cloned foods to date, The FDA has reported that meat and milk from bovine, swine and goat clones is safe for human consumption.
This conclusion was derived from a comprehensive “risk assessment” study conducted by the FDA and obtained by the Washington Post.
A statement taken from the 968 page FDA report in regard to bovine products states, “we conclude that there is no reason to expect that food from bovine clones would pose additional food safety risks compared with the same products derived from conventionally-bred cattle.”
On January 16th, A day after the report by the Post was released, the US Department of Agriculture called on farmers to voluntarily keep cloned animals out of the food chain until the idea of cloned meat in the marketplace gains wider acceptance and reach. This “voluntary moratorium” has been in effect since close to the beginning of the decade.
Bruce I. Knight, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the USDA, in a MSN news report says “there are only about 600 animal clones in the United States and most of these are breeding animals. ‘So few clones will ever arrive at the marketplace.’”
Though the relatively small number of cloned animals in the US may seem comforting for religious groups, activists and cloning opponents, there is evidence that cloned meat is already in our supermarkets. The Washington Post reported, “Executives from the nation’s major cattle cloning companies conceded yesterday that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA to keep them off the market pending completion of the agency’s safety report.”
The issue of cloned meat in the food supply has been contested much longer than the “years-old” request. A 2003 New York Times article reports, “Donald Coover of Galesburg, Kan., who sells semen for breeding, has been freezing semen from some clones of an Oklahoma bull named Full Flush… He said that this year alone he sold $100,000 worth of semen from Full Flush, enough to inseminate 2,000 cows.”
In 2008, Coover, told the Washington Post that it “is a fairy tale that this technology is not being used and is not already in the food chain.”
This is not the first time the FDA has released a report on the safety of cloned meat for human consumption. In reaction to a report released in December 2006, A poll, reported by ABC news, stated 65 percent said the cloning is morally wrong.
Because of the findings of the report, The FDA is not requiring special labeling on food derived from cloned animals or their offspring.
In Europe, the European Food Safety Authority has released a public consultation on the issue of cloned meat and milk in the food supply. The EFSA states on their website, “the ESFA recognises that the issue of animal cloning raises ethical, moral and other societal issues beyond its remit… At this stage, EFSA has not finalised its scientific opinion on the implications of animal cloning on food safety, animal health and welfare and the environment.”
The draft opinion is a call to scientists to contribute their findings to support or refute the information before February 25th, 2008. The results of their findings will be available at earliest by May 2008.

Tip Your Cup Up

We do not drink tap water. Therefore, we do not serve tap water. For those of you that do not care about what you drink, we still do. When you eat at Grass Root, you will be served purified, reverse osmosis water. If you demand tap water, I will just give you purified water for free. It is the cleanest water you can drink. Your body is 75% water, lets remember how important it is to stay hydrated. If for only one reason, drink it so you will have regular movements and I don't mean dance movements.

We are supposed to drink 8-13 glasses of water daily. If you eat lots of salt, then drink more. If you drink alcohol, then drink even more. Don't think it does not matter, because it does. Do some research about water. I invite you to go to a water filtration company and ask them to test the tap water and tell you what is in it!

Make Friends

Well, I have pretty much had the same friends since high school. My best friend is the same friend I have had since I was 16 yrs old. She knows so much about me and I will always be able to tell her all of my grimy stories.

At Grass Root, and just in life, I meet all kinds of new and interesting people. Sometimes I meet someone that I think could become a good friend, but I don't really encourage the relationship. I limit the exchange is what I do. I am waiting for her to take that first step, i guess. I know that we are vibe-ing, but I remain friendly but not taking the time to become friends. I did socialize when I was a kid growing up in NYC, how could you not socialize in a place where there are way too many people in such a small space! Not anti social is what I am saying.

So having said all this, I recognize that I am being somewhat closed off and what a great connection could be made if I would just take that first step and say " Hey lets go to the museum or the movies, or Broadway (in Tampa?) Hey make friends, and stop thinking that I am too busy for everything, even though I really am.

Clean your gut!

OK so alot of you have been asking about the colonic situation. Oh yeah it is so necessary. If you eat meat, for sure there is undigested residue blocking your path. If you are raw then you need a colonic to remove the toxins that you are ridding your body of. If you are somewhere in between, it is still needed because what happens is food stays in your large intestine and the longer it hangs out, the more the water evaporates and it gets HARDER. Not only does a colonic put water in those dry crevasses, it hydrates the area and flushes the crap out. literally...smile. My colonic therapist is Margaret Shepard. 813 254 8882 Please tell her Grass Root sent you. she has been doing colonics for over 20 years. She is a sweetie.

If your tummy is big and you think that you don't even eat that much ( i hear this all the time) then you probably could benefit from a colonic. Everyone needs it period. That is my take on the situation.
Peace, Sabrina

constipated blogger

I have had blogger constipation. As with the "real" constipation, blogger constipation has ties with the emotions. I dont feel emotional, but I guess that I am. When someone has constipation, they should purge and the "crap" that is in the gut, which is also the emotional core, should feel relief. Well I know how to take care of "real" constipation, but blogger constipation is new to me. I have to figure out how to purge blogger style. When I do, I am sure that I will have alot flowing out! :) Talk to ya soon, Sabrina

The Oncology Clinic

With a strange twist of events, I am right now in the oncology clinic in the hospital. In the distance I can hear, what I know is an old man, talking to a very upbeat hospital employee. The employee is talking very loudly and clearly. I cant control myself, I just have to see what these people look like. Really I want to see what the old man looks like. He is very frail, tall and his emotional tone is high. It seems odd that he is this upbeat because he is talking about starting his chemotherapy today. The hospital employee keeps pace with him and is equally upbeat. I realize how important it is for him to be up tone because of the nature of this clinic alone.

I imagine that I would be terrified if I were in his position. I try to put myself there, kind of. The first thing I think about is naturally raw food. I reflect on the many people that I have met in Grass Root that have rid there bodies of cancer through raw food and alternative health methods. At least 15 people, I am sure. True heroes that I know. I make a mental note that they all have great attitudes. When they come in Grass Root they are cool and calm and they talk about their past experiences and I question them a lot. I do feel that they have a certain inner strength that I guess comes from kicking cancers ass and staying raw to keep it away.

Recently, I have been spending some time in the hospital and my appointment is never in the oncology clinic. It is in the womens clinic, but today the doctor is working out of the oncology clinic. So I am inclined to think about my friend and the 17 year old son that really has to be here.

When I was looking for the registration desk, I walked passed a room that had several chairs. Each chair had it’s own machine next to it. Some of the chairs were occupied. The chemicals were being pumped into their veins. In that moment I promised myself that if I were ever in that situation, I would choose alternative methods to treat myself. But it is such mind twist because one never knows when confronted with their immortality what drives their decisions. My vote is a quote from the late great Dr. Ann Wigmore, “Living foods create living bodies!”

Sabrina

Raw Food and Cancer

I learn new things everyday. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. Recently it was bad. A friend of mine has a son that was diagnosed with cancer. It is a type of sarcoma and the boy is 17 years old. My friend is aware of what food can do and I spent time telling her what I know to be true. To make a long story short, she was told that if she did not consent to the chemotherapy, she would loose custody of the child and they would get a court order against her and administer the chemo anyway. It would be easy to be outraged about something like this, but more on the human side, it is just sad. Because if you believe that chemo is the wrong choice for you and you want to heal with alternative meathods, and you are being forced to do what you believe to be counter-productive, then you feel helpless. Hands tied, and what a terrible position to be in as a parent. How afraid I would be, seemingly unable to think the process through for fear of what the outcome might be. A sure burden on top of the burden of knowing that the situation is out of your control. Anyway, I support.

Sabrina

The Blues About Going Green

I am so excited about going green. There is an association that governs those going green, but they want $700 a year...great organization...cost is way too high for me! So we want to conserve more than we already do. Waste is not something that we do. But our old Styrofoam began to make me feel sick when I just looked at it. It has been a little difficult sourcing biodegradable products, but I have found some pretty good deals. Of course it is more expensive, but so worth it, the price is could not dissuade me. I really wanted to just throw away the Styrofoam and buy new stuff, but throwing away Styrofoam is a large part of what makes me sick. Giving it to someone is the same thing, because eventually it will end up in the landfills anyway. So it gave me a feeling like I just cant get rid of this crap, it is like a nightmare. It will be here long after I am gone. That makes me sad. Especially when I think about how many millions of Styrofoam products are discarded daily. Also the number of new products produced daily that are made of Styrofoam.
It is soooo cheap to buy, but does so much damage it is disheartening to say the least. Well, we gave it to Metropolitan Ministries and bought all new biodegradable to go containers. We have not been able to find a container for hot soup yet. Cleaning products, no problem. Napkins easy. So, let me touch on the City of Tampa for a minute. OK, we own a house in the neighborhood. Just a few blocks from the restaurant. We do not live there anymore, but anyway to recycle glass, aluminum and plastics at our house costs NOTHING! Great! To recycle at Grass Root (same truck) costs $168.00 per month. How unfair. Some may think that is the price of doing business...to them I say, who cares what you think. I think that it is a rip off and is discouraging to a business owner that wants to recycle. Are they trying to encourage recycling or discourage recycling? Where is the justification for charging businesses. With no regard for the amount of recycles or anything, just a flat rate per month.

This has become my little side project. I want to effect a change in this policy and I will let you know how i progress, because I intend to progress.

Sabrina's thoughts today

Creative Loafing on BLAST

This is an official NYC style BLAST on Creative Loafing and their bogus contest. Yes, the best vegetarian restaurant in Tampa is not even a vegetarian restaurant. They do have a salad which is a part of the vegetarian diet. But they also serve lots and lots of meat. Either the voters of Creative Loafing Magazine do not know what a vegetarian restaurant is, or the folks at Creative Loafing are boobs. I don't know which one is true, so I am not really sure who to put on blast, but I know that someone deserves it. FYI, there are a few vegetarian restaurants to choose from, not just us and this contest is a dis to all. I should get Reax magazine in here instead!

P.S. we have vegan Parmesan on our menu and next year for the contest I am considering entering to win best Italian restaurant. At least I know I have a shot.

Speaking of a shot, This week, while supplies last, we are giving FREE SHOTS OF PREMIUM OCEAN GROWN WHEATGRASS TO EVERYONE THATS COMES IN AND SAYS." I FEEL SUPER ABOUT SUPERFOODS!
ongoinggreenplanetsuperfoodnews

Condensed from the mind of Sabrina

Best of the Bay

Ok, the annual Best of the Bay poll was last month for Creative Loafing Magazine. I do "big up" Creative Loafing. Without the circulation of their publication, Tampa would be less informed for sure. But and this is a BIG BUT! Best of the Bay for Vegetarian Restaurant is a crock! Last year we were into it. Our customers filled out forms at Grass Root and we mailed in a lot of them. They also logged on the web and filled in their ballots for us that way as well. Come to find out when the winner was announced, it was Evo's??? What? How is that possible, they serve meat!! Ok, they have a veggie burger or something like that on their menu, but does that make them eligible to win in the vegetarian restaurant category? Apparently, yes it does!

So this year when the poll came up again, I didn't even bother. However, They printed the three finalists in this weeks' paper and guess who they were? Well, Evo's, Grass Root and Sweet Tomato's. Unbelievable again as far as I am concerned. Politics? I don't know. No we don't have the budget to advertise in Creative Loafing like some others may. Anyway, on Sept.24th we will find out who won. I am not holding my breath, but I am thinking that maybe next year we can be in a category with other vegetarian restaurants as the category loosely implies.

This is condensed from the mind of Sabrina

A Local Critic

Today a food critic came to Grass Root. I knew he was a critic, the minute he walked in. He had taken over managing his publication one year ago and brought it into the light. He is very proud of his accomplishments. His name is Mr. Lee. He is a writer for Blake High School. He very politely ordered chili non-carne, a Marrakesh, a Mango Ra and one of our rawsome Cacao desserts. He enjoyed it. His mother enjoyed it as well. She was a retired Art teacher and it was obvious how much she liked children. She was a fine critic as well. I look forward to reading Mr. Lee's review. I will let everyone know what he thinks of his afternoon together at Grass Root!

Coincidentally, someone called us from the St. Petersburg Times today.

Condensed from the mind of Sabrina

Struggling with struggling

Well, I have met alot of raw foodist in the last 2-3 years. Even before Grass Root opened 1 1/2 years ago. It has been an interesting journey to say the least. I am always happy to meet those that are 100% raw, but I think I get more of a thrill meeting the people that are struggling with being raw. I just want to hug them and tell them to love themselves and take one progressive step at a time. Yes, I relate to them because raw food has been a bit of a struggle for me as well.
What is the problem? Since I am surrounded by great raw food daily at Grass Root? Well, I am also surrounded by great tasting cooked food as well. I have a customer that shared her story with me today...she is raw and her family, three teens and a hubby, are not raw. So she cooks food as do I. Temptation, temptation.
When Spence and I thought about opening Grass Root, we seriously wanted to open a 100% raw restaurant. We had just come back from a great stay at the Ann Wigmore Institute in Puerto Rico and we were hyped on raw food. We wanted to "cure" his mother and mine. Shouting from the rooftops abut how great we felt and how much we learned. But ultimately we decided that the people that eat from the Golden Arches and the cornel should have a place to eat more healthy options. The carnivore needs a transition food too! Don't they? I tell these carnivores the same thing I tell those new to the raw food lifestyle, just make the effort to eat more healthy food. If you eat rare steak, try our vegan stayke. If you eat chicken, try our vegan chick-un and if you are vegan already, try this rawsome spaghetti and treatballs. Progressive steps right! That is the take away for today. So please take it.
We are not superstars. Grass Root is not in Hollywood or South Beach. We don't try to impress anyone except each other. I am so impressed by my husbands discipline with raw food. He is humble and sweet about it also. His mom has since gone 100% raw too! I don't know what my percentage is, but today I have eaten raw mostly, except for a bowl of brown rice. Today was a good day.

Condensed from the mind of Sabrina

Rawsome Fun!

Greetings All,
We had a very successful raw food class on August 19th. Everyone learned how to make a green smoothie, basic and fancy. Almond mylk. A Beta Beta smoothie, with the almond mylk of course. They were awesome. The beta beta is my favorite because it is soooo smooth and creamy. Carrot juice is an awesome internal cleanser for me. Combined with the almond mylk, it is my favorite shake on our menu.

Then we all made an iron fortified salad. As a woman, I am concerned with my iron intake. Women require a higher amount of iron than men do. Almost 10mg more daily. So this salad was focus on high iron and iron absorption. It included a wonderful raw citrus dressing and citrus within the salad. Lots of spinach. The citrus plentiful to help the iron be absorbed into our systems. Yummy!

Next we made Raw spaghetti and marinara with raw basil pesto. It was really rawsome. the pesto was out of this world. It was served with a raw onion bread, which left everyone wanting more.

We finished off with a raw strawberry cheesecake with raw whipped cream and cacao nibs atop. The plates were cleaned! I really enjoyed this class. Everyone was so interested in each aspect of preparation and asked so many wonderful questions. Our 3 hour class turned into a 5 hour class. We just ate and socialized and enjoyed ourselves. Finally with happy hearts and content tummies, we all parted; a little more wise and a little more motivated. Great job everyone!

Condensed from the mind of Sabrina

Surrounded by cooked food!

What to do when you are surrounded with great vegan cooked food and you want to eat raw? How challenging is it not to eat the food that I cook everyday at Grass Root? Well I have to taste it to see if it is up to my standard, don't I? What about smelling it? Oh, it does smell good, that is for sure. My strategy, the juice bar. I love juicing and adore my husbands' special shakes that he makes just for me. Green of course. Insoluble fiber to drag the cooked food crap out of my colon. So armed with his awesome green concoction, i brave the kitchen and proceed with my cooking tasks. Better because I am satisfied. So I guess the bottom line is prepare my tummy with something yummy before I start cooking and the craving for cooked food is way less. And even if I do eat something cooked, just a little please, then at least I have the green in me.

Condensed from the mind of Sabrina