The Raw Mocha Angel

KISS

2011-11-29T13:38:00.001-05:00

In the new spirit of keeping my raw food simple, here is an easy smoothie:

- 1/2 avocado

- handful of kale and collards

-1/2 peeled lemon

- 2 apples

-water

Blend thoroughly.

This is not a sweet smooothie. I'm inching toward the more savory smoothies and juices. If you want more sweetness, add more apples.

Love,

Althea

Love is all you need. #mochaangels

My First 5K Race

2011-11-28T14:23:00.001-05:00

Jona, me, and Raymond, cold as sin on Thanksgiving

Yes, I'm still alive. Thank you for the supportive emails and Facebook messages. I did indeed fall of the raw food wagon, but as Neale Donald Walsch says, "In life we can recreate ourselves as we just were or we can recreate ourselves anew. We are always remaking ourselves."

And whenever I am not raw, I do regret it. I simply do not feel like myself. Thanksgiving was no exception. I was extremely blessed to have my parents and one of my brothers here with me. My mom brought a lot of food...COMFORT FOOD! Mac n cheese, dressing, and the like. I ate too much because the food tasted like home. All the positive childhood memories came up, and I kept on eating. I felt like a stuffed turkey.

I'm starting all over again, and that is okay. No need to beat myself up. It's a waste of time. I did, however, walk a 5K race on Thanksgiving morning. It also gave me the confidence to attend the Boot Camp class I had signed up for, but had never attended. I was intimidated by the mere words 'boot camp.' But after walking that race on a hilly, wet, slippery tree-lined trail in 37 degree weather, I am going to Boot Camp today.

Me in line about to start

Rom held the camera during my walk. So I don't have photos of the trail. The ground was full of wet leaves and puddles. I didn't run because I'd hurt my left ankle while training. My biggest concern was slipping on leaves. Thankfully that didn't happen. The whole thing was harder than I thought. I'd never been on this trail before....and did I mention it was 37 degrees? I wore 4 layers of shirts to stay warm.

Me at the finish line

But I completed the race! As challenging as it was, I would do it again! I'm already looking for a race that's close to my home. YEA!

Love,

Althea

May your mind learn to love with compassion. #mochaangels

Personal Training!

2011-08-22T12:18:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!

I have great news....I'm officially a YMCA Personal Trainer now! YEA! (Unfortunately, my camera is not working. And I SO wanted to take pictures this weekend.) I just wanted to share. I'm pooped, but excited. This means I can work in the free weight/strength & cardio machine/personal training part of the YMCA now. For those who don't know, I've worked for the Y as yoga teacher for many years. I still need a national personal training certification, and I'm working that too.

There is a method to my madness. As I envision MochaAngels.com, I see it as a holistic wellness site with raw & vegan food being the main focus. It's all coming together....I love it when a plan works!

Love,
Althea

The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Pasta and Salad

2011-08-19T11:57:00.001-04:00

I made my version of Chef Chole's Avocado Pesto Pasta two weeks ago. Chloe won a Food Network Cupcake Wars earlier this year. The judges RAVED about her cupcakes (and her competition was like, "What the hell? Vegan? How good could they be?) I've made vegan cupcakes and cakes, and they are truly better than traditional versions.

Chole's win piqued my curiosity about her food, so I gave her pasta a try.

As I was eating it, I kept saying, "This is good...No, this is really good...Man, this fantastic!" It became clear this was the best pasta I'd ever had. But when I ate it alone, it was good, not "The Best Pasta Ever." I realized it was the salad dressing plus the pasta that made it "The Best Pasta and Salad I Ever Ate." Make both of them together!

The creaminess of the pesto matched with the sharpness of apple cider vinegar in the salad dressing explode on the tongue. They go together like peanut butter and jelly.

You know how Cookie Monster says, "Cookies are a sometimes food!" This pasta and salad combo are a sometimes food. It has avocados, cashews, and oil. All of those are good fats, but they are fats nonetheless.

I got some GF linguine and went to town. Chloe's version (see below) has pine nuts. I am allergic to them (and they are expensive! $10.00 for 8 ounces of nuts??) so I went with cashews.

Althea's Version of Avocado Pesto Pasta
Pesto is (GF) and (RV)
Ingredients

1 pound linguine, get GF if you have allergies (for fully raw vegan, use carrots, zucchini, or butternut squash, or yellow squash)
1 bunch fresh basil, reserve some leaves for garnish
½ cup raw cashews
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5-6 cloves garlic
½ cup olive oil
nutritional yeast, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the pesto by combining basil, cashews, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, and oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add more salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and/or garlic as needed.
Toss pasta with pesto. Divide pasta among serving bowls and garnish each serving with a basil leaf.

Body Ecology Diet Salad Dressing (RV) (GF)

2/3 cup organic unrefined oils(a combo of EVOO, flaxseed, or an flaxseed/evening primose blend)(I use EVOO only)
1/3 cup organic apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 tsp. Celtic sea salt

Place all ingredients in a container and shake vigorously or put in blender. Use on top of your favorite salad. Or, as you see in my photos, fresh tomatoes.

Put the pasta and salad on a plate or bowl together. Throw some fresh cilantro on top of your salad too, or extra basil. Oh, it's so good.

Chef Chole's version

http://www.chefchloe.com/

Avocado Pesto Pasta (V)

Pesto is (GF) and (RV)

Ingredients

1 pound linguine
1 bunch fresh basil, reserve some leaves for garnish
½ cup pine nuts
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
½ cup olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or sliced sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Preparation

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the pesto by combining basil, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Toss pasta with pesto. For an extra touch of color and flavor, top pasta with cherry or sun-dried tomatoes. Divide pasta among serving bowls and garnish each serving with a basil leaf.

Love,
Althea

Chocolate Ganache Pie

2011-08-17T22:03:00.001-04:00

It's been so long since I shared a recipe. I figured it was time :-). I've made this Chocolate Ganache Pie from 30-Minute Vegan before. The pie was better than last time. This is cooked and vegan, and if you make the crust yourself, it can be gluten-free. If you buy a pre-made crust, then it won't be.

I know this can be made raw. A live crust is as simple as blending dates and almonds in a food processor. The filling is something I'm going to play with, and I have a solid idea. Until then, here's the original version.

Chocolate Ganache Pie (V)

INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips (preferably grain-sweetened)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1 (12.3-ounce) package Mori-nu firm silken tofu
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt
1 premade pie shell
PREPARATION
1. Melt the chocolate chips by heating them in a double boiler over medium heat until the consistency is smooth, lump-free, and creamy, stirring only once or twice.

2. Meanwhile puree the maple syrup, tofu, vanilla, and sea salt in a food processor until smooth. When the chocolate is thoroughly melted (about 20 minutes), add it to the food processor and blend well.

3. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and chill until firm all the way through, about 1 hour.

NOTE: This dish will come out sweeter if you use the more common semisweet chocolate chips, which contain cane sugar. Sunspire sells a variety that we prefer, which is grain-sweetened, but either one will work—sweeten to your heart’s content.

Also, when melting chocolate in a double boiler (which can also be any glass or stainless-steel bowl set on top of a pot with 1 to 2 inches of boiling water in it), be absolutely sure that both the bowl and anything you use to stir the chocolate with are completely dry. A good way to make sure the melting pot or bowl is dry is to start heating it before you put the chips in; this will dry out any moisture. The slightest droplet of water will “seize” the chocolate, leaving it lumpy and devastatingly imperfect looking. But surely do not cry over broken chocolate; everyone still loves to lick it up and your lumpy little pie will still taste divine.

This is the tofu, maple syrup, and sea salt in the food processor. Get it smooth.

Put the chocolate chips in bowl over boiling water.

Stir until the chips melt. Raymond did this part for me. Kids love playing in the kitchen!

After pouring the chocolate in the food processor, blend with the other ingredients. This is what it will look like.

Pour into the shell and let sit at least an hour. Overnight is best. You'll have a pie that no one will believe is vegan.

Here's a gluten-free pie crust recipe:

Graham Cracker Crust (GF)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs or crushed cookies of choice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

6 tablespoons vegan margarine

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use margarine to grease bottom and sides of a spring form or pie pan. Set aside.

2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and melted margarine together.

3. Press mixture into prepared pan.

4. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack before adding filling.

Love,

Althea

Leslie Esdaile Banks 1959-2011

2011-08-02T20:30:00.000-04:00

http://leslieesdailebanks.com/

Why? Why in the world is Leslie gone? If you don't know who Leslie Esdaile Banks (aka L.A. Banks) is, please check out her website. She was a talented and prolific novelist, who wrote romance and fantasy novels. Most people know her for the Vampire Huntress Series. Actually, "prolific" is not the word. A "Book Cranking Machine" is more like it. Leslie was seemingly always under a deadline. It was hard to catch up with her because that was a working sister.

Leslie died today from adrenal cancer.

I met her because of Rom. He found her email address somehow simply to say, "I love your work." When I went public as a professional intuitive, Rom took it upon himself to tell Leslie about me. The subject line of his email, as the story was told to me, was something like, "Check Out My Wife."

Okay...so if you see an email from a man you don't know with a subject line like that, would you open it? You're thinking "porno," right?

That's what Leslie thought!

But she opened it anyway, ready to reply back to Rom with a terse "delete my email address from your brain, brother."

But what she saw was a sweet email about my Angel readings. She wrote Rom back and said she would love a reading. She made a point of meeting us the next time she was in town. Leslie treated us like we'd been friends forever. And that's what everyone has said about her. She was friendly, gregarious, honest, and oh-so hilarious. She reminded me of E. Lynn Harris. They had the same joyous energy. You just wanted to be around them.

Leslie and I stayed in touch. I even got a shout-out in The Bitten, the fourth book in the Vampire Huntress Series. The last time I saw her was two years ago on my birthday. The last time we spoke was around Christmas 2010.

And this morning....I just knew. I saw her phone number in my address book and I heard, "It's too late. She's gone." I dismissed it because I didn't want to believe it. How could such a larger-than-life personality be gone? But it was true. Another loss. I'll miss her for the rest of my life.

It was my honor to have known you.

Rest in Power, Leslie.

Mother. Daughter. Spiritual. Lovely. Giving. Talented. Touched by the Divine.

No Coincidences

2011-07-22T09:52:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, before my yoga class began, one of my regular students brought in 12 copies of Yoga Journal. She was giving them away to anyone who wanted them. I kept two of them. One was the May 2011 issue. That night, as I was reading the magazine, I stopped on the"Beneath the Surface" article. I'm into re-building my core strength, so the article was right on time.

I didn't notice who wrote it until the very end: Doug Keller. "Oh my goodness! It's Doug!" Doug Keller and Betsey Downing led my first teacher training in 1999. Betsey was the founder and director of Health Advantage Yoga in Herndon, VA. Doug is an amazing yogi dedicated to the bio mechanics of the body and yoga therapy.

I got down on the floor, that night, and did all of the moves in his article. The lovely by-product was that my recurring right groin pain disappeared. The more I did the moves, the better I felt. I emailed Doug a few days later and told him.

I know there are no coincidences. I'd been intending for the perfect way to strengthen my core muscles (I learned so much from that article. I tracked it down on the Internet. Here it is in .pdf format: Beneath the Surface.) Jenny brings in a stack of magazines. My subscription to Yoga Journal lapsed in April. That's why I took the May issue. And there is Doug, who wrote the one article I wanted to read.

There are NO coincidences.

*******

So if you are wondering where the raw food is, it's still here. I've been eating sushi (cauliflower, carrots, avocados), seaweed soup, salads, and a LOT of vanilla milkshakes (looks like we had triple-digit degree weather this time last year...you really want to make this milkshake. Thank me later!).

My mom has been asking me for years, "Are you exercising?" No, was always my answer. I am now.

So Gratitude Friday will be Gratitude Saturday tomorrow. I'm excited about this weekend. Raymond and I are going on an "Herb Walk" on Saturday to learn about edible and medicinal plants. And on Sunday, Master Raw Chef Aris Latham is in DC. Myself and Amaadi are attending his "Royale Feast." If you're interested in attending, click here: Aris Latham.
I'll take lots of pictures. :-)

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message:
Spirit can never leave you, nor can you ever leave Spirit. But it's easy not to be aware that you are never, ever alone. No matter how bad it gets, say, "Angels, come to me now!" Invoke the loving angels to help you and create opportunities and miracles in your life!

Chi Walking: A Review

2011-07-20T18:39:00.000-04:00

Picture it: Reston, Virgina 1998. An impressionable, but over-worked twenty-something goes to see How Stella Got Her Groove Back. The fictionalized version of Terry MacMillian’s real life love-affair was entertaining. (But seriously Terry, how could you not know? But I digress.) The women in the audience went wild for Taye Diggs, who is a gorgeous man, for certain. I was more impressed with not only Angela Bassett’s body, but her running style. The woman ran like a gazelle. Her form. Her grace. All I could say was “Wow!”

I called my now-husband, and said, “Rom, I’m going to start running!” I put on my white sweatpants, white t-shirt, white shoes, and hit the pavement. It’s running…no problem, right? I lasted all of two blocks before I said, “To hell with this!” I walked home defeated.

In the 13 years since, each time I’ve tried to walk or jog for fitness, I always felt like I was missing something. It didn’t matter if it I was on a treadmill or outside. Time didn’t matter either: 10 minutes or 30 minutes. Each walk ended the same way: I was tired. My legs hurt. I felt depleted. And I cursed. A lot. :-)

I never gave up hope I would learn to run. Watching people run with ease always fascinated me. To have such a high level of cardiovascular fitness was my goal.

Last month, I began working with my friend Shaymali, who is a personal trainer and a fellow yoga teacher. She asked me about my goals. One of them is to run a 5-K race this year. Shaymali said to me, “If your goal is to run a 5-K, then you MUST get this book called Chi Running. I wish someone had put this book in my hand before I started running. I had to re-learn how to run. I want you to start off the right way.” She has completed half-marathons, so I bought Chi Running the next day.

I figured I must learn to walk before I run, so I got Chi Walking from the library and read that first. I practiced all the moves in my own house before I went outside. The first time I Chi Walked, it lasted 4 minutes because I witnessed the tail end of a nasty hit-and-run accident. (No one was visibly hurt. The car that was hit was empty. I was the first person on the scene and had to tell the owner what happened, and of course, the police. That, as they say, is a whole ‘nother story….)

The last 3 times were a REVELATION. I LIKE walking! I’m noticing nature. I come home in a positive mood. Even before I end with the stretches, I feel good. And even more wild, I look forward to walking and I enjoy myself!

Chi Walking: The Five Mindful Steps for Lifelong Health and Energy by Danny Dreyer and Katherine Dreyer is a MUST-HAVE if you want to walk for fitness. Danny is a long-time student of Tai Chi. The Tai Chi principles of working with nature, rather than against it, is the root of Chi Walking. I appreciate the focus on mindful living, not simply good walking form.

Those 5 mindful steps are:

Get aligned
Engaged your core
Create balance
Make a choice
Move forward

Those steps are bigger than walking. They are 5 mindful steps for life.

Shaymali knew I would like the book because we’re both yoga teachers. I like holistic approaches to health. We are mind-body-spirit beings; and all parts of us must be nurtured. Chi Walking is a holistic fitness program that you can use for the rest of your life. I am reading Chi Running now, and review that one soon. I plan on doing both as I train for the Baltimore Running Festival in October!

Rating: 10+ out of 10 Mocha Angels

Love,

Althea

July 1st...The Happiest Day of My Life

2011-07-01T23:10:00.000-04:00

No disrespect to the Ancestors, but I am as happy as a runaway slave! Whoo, child!

Today was my last day at Raw Mom, and I could not possibly be happier. Hallelujah, it's over.

The Raw Mocha Angel is BACK, BABIES!

Gratitude Friday will return in earnest on July 8th.

I am truly grateful for the experience. I really am. I'll go into more detail soon.

I am taking a short break on Saturday. But I'll be back blogging at least on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.

One thing I learned: if I can work as hard as I did to build up someone else's business, I can certainly do the same for myself.

Eat Raw. Live Long....and prosper.

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message for today: Never pass up on an opportunity to experience joy.

Gratitude Friday - June 24 2011

2011-06-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

I am grateful this week that Raymond found a book series that he likes to read. It's the Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. "Various Mutants from Other Planets" series. Not only is it hilarious, but each book includes a "flip-o-rama' animation on several pages. I think that's why he likes it. I really believe he's going to make movies as an adult. I'll share more on Healing My Sons.

I am grateful for Natisha volunteering to transcribe my Queen Afua interview!
I am grateful that I am craving greens! (Who craves leafy greens? Does anyone else out there crave them?)
I am grateful that my 1st time veggie garden is producing! Below is a photo of squash leaves!

And I am grateful for you all, my readers! None of you un-subscribed while I was away at Raw Mom (I'm still there!). I had no idea the job would be so time-consuming (and next week will be ALL consuming...). But you all hung in there with me; kept coming to my blog; sent me emails (SARA!); and said, "where are you?" I sincerely appreciate the love you all send my way. Right back at you ALL!

Love,
Althea

I LOVE Kale!

2011-06-23T19:12:00.000-04:00

How many times have a shared a kale salad with you all? I've lost count....so here's another one :-).

From the Oh She Glows Blog:

Weekend Glow Kale Salad

1/2 large head of kale (about 4-6 cups)
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2-3/4 cup chopped carrot (2 small carrots)
1 English cucumber (2 cups chopped halves)
1 avocado, chopped
1 & 1/4 cup chopped grape tomatoes (or other variety)
1/2 cup mixed raisins and Goji berries
1/4 cup hemp seed
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Dressing: 1 batch of Lightened Up tahini-Lemon Dressing
Your desired fresh or dried herbs

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables and mix in a large mixing bowl. Reserve hemp seed and walnuts for sprinkling on top.

2. Make your Lightened Up tahini-Lemon Dressing in a food processor and process until smooth.

3. Tear the leaves off of the kale and rip into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry kale leaves.

4. Mix the vegetables, kale leaves, and full batch of dressing (3/4-1 cup) in large bowl until thoroughly combined.

5. Place in fridge to ‘marinate’ for 10-15 minutes. Serves 4. Keeps in fridge in a sealed container for 1 day.

Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

· 1/4 cup Tahini

· 3 garlic cloves

· 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

· 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast

· 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

· 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

3 tbsp water, or as needed

I only used raisins, tomatoes, avocados, raisins, and red onion in mine. I could easily eat this everyday.

And to cap it off, I made a green juice: a handful of kale leaves, 2 cucumbers, 1 apple, and a dash of Queen Afua's Green Formula.

And speaking of Queen Afua, a friend of mine is transcribing the interview. (Finally!) I intend to have it live, in different parts, in early July!

Love,

Althea

Gratitude Friday - June 17 2011

2011-06-17T15:12:00.000-04:00

Here's a new series I call Gratitude Friday :-). I "borrowed" this idea from Ms. Joanne Newell, one of the blog contributors at Raw Mom. This week, I am grateful for:

my supportive spouse, Rom.
my CNN.com interview, and for Mia Redrick, who made it happen. I'm Mom #9!
the constant love and support of my family
the ever-present push from Spirit to be on the raw food path
all the people I've met through Raw Mom.

What are you grateful for this week? Take the time to think about it!

love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: Magnificence in life can only be achieved if you love what you do. Passion is the engine of success!

The Raw Mocha Angel....

2011-06-10T09:27:00.000-04:00

....is coming back :-).

My last day at Raw Mom is July 1st. More details to come. When you look up "busy" in the dictionary, you would see my face. I'll share in a few days.

Love,
Althea

Mama is Blog Editor at Raw Mom!

2011-05-11T09:53:00.000-04:00

A quick update: I've been over at Raw Mom for a few weeks now. I'm still getting my feet wet. I am going to post here once-a-week. I miss you all so much. Thanks for all the love and supportive emails!

Love,
Althea

Meet the New Raw Divas Blog Editor....

2011-04-12T14:59:00.000-04:00

That would be ME!

I got a job offer from The Raw Divas in early April. I officially started on April 6th. My first post goes live on Wednesday, April 13. And yes, I am getting paid! It's a legit work-from-home gig and I am happy about that.

So that is where I've been hiding out. Frankly, I am overwhelmed by my new job, and I'm still in training mode. My responsibilities include:

· Develop a content calendar that will drive the goals of the business

· Source valuable content and publish according to the guidelines

· Help to promote the blog

· Implement the commenting strategy

· Participate in the listening strategy

· Feeds all learnings into making the blog a stronger marketing tool

What does this mean for The Raw Mocha Angel? It means that I must put it on the backburner for a while. My blog has always been about my personal raw food journey. It will continue to be that blog. The focus in my personal life is on healing my entire family. I'll be back soon.

Love,
Althea

Time for Know Thyself Seminar

2011-04-08T08:10:00.001-04:00

I left off the time for Leah's teleseminar:

Time: 12am UK, 4pm Pacific, 5pm Mountain, 6pm Central, 7pm Eastern
DURATION: 45 minutes approx.
http://www.davidel.com/4mustknows.html
When you sign up, you'll receive the call-in #.

Love,
Althea

Leah Salmon: Know Thyself Teleseminar

2011-04-07T15:43:00.002-04:00

Althea's Note: My friend Leah is having a free teleseminar on April 12th called: Know Thyself - The 4 Things You Must Know Before Starting Any Diet Or Health Program. I interviewed Leah back in July 2010. You can read it here: Leah's Interview. She is a knowledgable, awesome sister. I am sharing her teleseminar with you all because I believe in the abundance of the Universe.

Everyone in the raw food/wellness community are colleagues, not competitors. So support this sister as she knows what she is talking about. I'll be back soon with big news of my own!

Hi Natural Health Lovers,

GREAT NEWS!!!!

If any of the statements below sound like you, I have something very special (and *FREE*) event planned for you on Tues 12th April.

TIME:
Time: 12am UK, 4pm Pacific, 5pm Mountain, 6pm Central, 7pm Eastern )

DURATION: 45 minutes approx.

Do you find it difficult to maintain a diet, fast or detox for more than few days without feeling like you're struggling?

Do you only get minimal results from diets you've tried?

Are you scared that it will be too hard, restrictive or expensive to go on a healthy diet?

Have you lost all motivation to do anything about the situation you're in, even though you know you NEED to do something before your health declines any further?

Are you ready to take the guesswork out of dieting and healthy eating, so you can finally enjoy any way of eating you choose?

If you answered "Yes!!!" to any of the above, you need to go to http://www.davidel.com/4mustknows.html and register for my FREE Teleseminar happening on Tues 12th April called:

Know Thyself - The 4 Things You Must Know Before Starting Any Diet Or Health Program

Whether you are already excited to venture into a new healthy eating program or are feeling worried about trying to restart an old diet plan that never really worked for you, when you join me on this call I'll share with you EXACTLY how to make sure that you never have to try and fail at a diet again AND I'll share with you my super-easy system of getting everything you need to make the next diet or healthy program you have get off to a flying start.

Join me on this very special teleclass on Tuesday 12th April 2011 and you'll discover:

-The 4 Things you MUST know before starting ANY diet or health program

-Why it's so important to know these vital pieces of information

-What can happen if you don't know these things before starting

-How you can easily discover everything you need to know to make any diet a HUGE success in just 30 days

Details of a special gift I have for you (it's FREE!) plus details of the simply irresistible offers to take you beyond what you currently thought was even possible with your life and health.

So go to http://www.davidel.com/4mustknows.html NOW and register for this FREE Call

Take care, stay healthy and speak to you soon.

Leah Salmon
The Naturally You Coach
http://www.thenaturallyyoucoach.com/

Two of my Healthy Vegans Got Married!

2011-03-29T15:13:00.000-04:00

My favorite superhero raw vegans are married! (Sorry Ladies!) Marcus Patrick and Alisa Angelic are now Mr. and Mrs. Osborne! Whoo Hoo! You all can watch their wedding video on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcKYGy9pGt4

Congratulations! They even got a rainbow as a wedding present!

In case you missed their stories, they were my Healthy Vegans #13 and #14 respectively.

To read Marcus's story click here: Marcus testimony

To read Alisa's testimony, click here: Alisa testimony

Love,

Althea

Update

2011-03-22T11:17:00.001-04:00

Raymond got a second EEG and an MRI at Johns Hopkins. No word back yet, but I've already decided the route I'm going to take to heal my children. It's been an up and down roller coaster of emotions for me.
Today I saw this in my in-box from Angela Stokes-Monarch of the Raw Reform blog:

If you are going through a particularly rough patch emotionally and feeling surrounded by difficulties, try to gently bring yourself into the current moment and realise that right now, in this instant - which is really all you have - you are OK. Practice gratitude for whatever it is that you experience in each moment, the challenges as well as the joys.

Yesterday your partner may have left you and tomorrow you may be facing eviction from your property, but right now, in this very moment, you can be at peace if you choose it. By dwelling on issues of the past or worrying about the future, you are simply giving away your power in the present moment. Breathe deeply, do not try to cope with more than one moment at a time, if necessary and reach out to others and Spirit for help (rather than food). You are not alone and you do not have to turn to food, to get through difficult times.

- Angela Stokes-Monarch

And I won the "Stylish Blogger Award" from Terilynn of The Daily Raw Cafe. I have the ten bloggers I want to pass the award along to. I just have to get my post written.

See you all soon!
love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: Give thanks for what you have right now. Now. While reading this. If you are feeling down, stop and verbalize all the good in your life. You can’t help but feel better.

Hiatus Time

2011-03-09T13:39:00.001-05:00

Me and Marcia

Hi Everyone:

I'm still alive. I am headed on a blogging hiatus. Raymond had another seizure on 2/27/11 and I just need to break for a while.

I was fortunate to teach a class on growing wheatgrass at the Black Vegetarian Network of Baltimore a few weeks ago. Above is a photo of a Raw Mocha Angel reader Marcia! Whoo Hoo!

All of the attendees!

More photos.

Those are my "sexual chocolate" cupcakes on that plate there. That food was great.

My cupcakes won my honorable mention at the meeting. I won a citrus juicer! :-)

I will leave you all with a slideshow I saw on the Raw Food Rehab group. If it doesn't come up as a slideshow, click the "slideshow" icon on the top left corner.

https://picasaweb.google.com/100302471857557809189/ThinkingGoodThoughtsSpeakingGoodWords#slideshow/5571076124608770690

Love,

Althea

Juice Feasting!

2011-02-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

Day 10, continued:
self care:
Queen Afua's Rejuvenating Mask

Day 11:
apple spinach romaine lettuce juice
carrot sweet potato juice
apple cucumber celery juice w/ Queen Afua Green Formula
apple celery juice w/ Queen Afua Green Formula
carrot juice w/ flax meal
fit to a tea
water

self care:
Kundalini Yoga Spinal Energy Series
EFT, for chocolate and sugar cravings

Per yesterdays post, two sheets of paper are on my fridge: my favorite raw foods and drinks and the food I need to have in my home to make the favorites.

My favorites are:
Drinks
Skin Saver Juice (aloe vera, carrots, green pepper juice)
Apple carrot juice
apple celery cucumber any dark green lemon juice
peach spinach smoothie
Blood (beets, apples, lime juice)
Vanilla Milkshake
Orange Banana Smoothies

Salad Dressing
House Dressing
Vinaigrette
Ranch Dressing

Main Courses
Broccoli w. sesame sauce
carrot tuna
Dahl (not raw)
Zucchini Pasta
Mango kale salad
Zakhah Kale salad
Royal Seaweed Salad
Cauliflower salad
Portobello Wraps
Mediterranean Burgers
Sun dried Tomato Sushi
Tacos
Salsa
Sesame Noodles
Spicy Flax Crackers
Hummus

Sprouts
Hard Winter Wheat Berries

I did this so I have "go to" meals all the time. I took the food and drinks I love and compiled them all together. I made copies for both my home and my car. The shopping list helps me know what I need to keep in my home. This also helps me post-feast so I know what to purchase the last few days of the feast. When it's time to eat again, I have what I love around me.

Take the time to do the same. Having your favorite foods on hand will make your raw (or vegan) lifestyle easier.

Morning of Day 12, self care:
EFT
dry skin brushing
fit to a tea
carrot juice w/ flax meal

Realization: Mama needs more fat. When I was driving to see my old Mystickal Voyage buddies last night, I was lightheaded. I'm going to add smoothies/soups back to keep me more grounded.
Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: See good, hear good, speak good. (And EXPECT YOUR GOOD!)

Juice Feasting!

2011-02-15T17:35:00.001-05:00

Day 10:
Carrot sweet potato juice w/ flax meal (x3)
apple spinach romaine lettuce juice (x2)
fit to a tea (x4)
orange juice
water

I've decided to juice feast, with robust enthusiasm, through my birthday on March 7. I will be turning 39 years old. That would make 21 straight days of juicing. Turns out that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Sounds good to me.

Tomorrow I'll photograph what I've put on my fridge. Most people have 7-8 "go-to" meals they make all the time. I came up with those for myself, and taped it to my fridge. I'll still blog through Sarma and Matthew's books, but having a focus of foods, and a regular list of staples is critical to long-term success as a raw vegan. I LOVE to create new dishes, which is why I create new things all the time. But being grounded in raw foods that I love is necessary.

Oh, and I have lost 7 pounds since starting the Raw Food Rehab Resolve to Evolve program.

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message for today:
Ask God not what He can do for you. Ask God what you can do for Him (or Her). :-)

Juicefeasting Transition Week

2011-02-15T10:56:00.000-05:00

Day 7:
water
hot chocolate
apple lemon wheatgrass celery juices (x2)
apple broccoli celery romaine lettuce juice (x2)
(all juices had a tablespoon of flax meal and psyillum for bulk and heft)

Day 8
was Rom's birthday.
I did sample what I had made him, which was vegan mac & cheese, kale salad, Amaadi's gluten-free pasta salad, and black-eyed pea salad.....I bought vegan cupcakes and chicken wings (didn't eat the wings).
I also had carrot juice with flax meal and psyillum (x2)

Day 9
apple wheatgrass romaine lettuce cucumber lemon juice (x2)
carrot sweet potato juice (x2)
fit to a tea (an herbal tea I'm taking for my lungs. I'm neither endorsing nor reviewing the product. It was something my brother recommended and I do feel better already)

I got Matthew Kenney's Everyday Raw Desserts yesterday. I won it back in June from The Daily Raw Cafe. I had to bug the publisher about it, but they were gracious enough to send me the book. Won't be making anything out of if for a while.

On December 18, I wrote a post about SELF-LOVE. With this juice feast, I realized I need to show myself love in small ways. I'm dry skin brushing everyday. I'm doing a foot soak in the evenings. I'm doing EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to break the emotional chains of the past.

Think of small ways you can show yourself love each and every day.

Love,

Althea

Juicefeasting Transition Week

2011-02-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

Days 5 and 6 were total blowout. Between touring Baltimore Lab School, work, getting ready for Rom's birthday, I only had one smoothie. Those were 48 hours of stress. I talked with my friend Amaadi this morning during our weekly "Sanity Saturday" (or as Rom calls it "The Traveling Sisterhood of the Divine Ya-Ya's...LOL!) and we had a deep talk. I realized some things and plan to move on them to heal myself at the cellular level.

More to come....

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: {{Life is}} a fascinating game. As complex and complicated as we choose to make it, or as simple: put your fear behind you, your love in front of you, and run like hell.--- Steve Barnes

Juicefeasting Transition Week

2011-02-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

Day 4, I had:

water
vanilla milkshake with psyillum and flax meal
apple wheatgrass cucumber celery lemon juice
carrot sweet potato juice
green sweet potato soup

I finally mowed down that wheatgrass! I added it an apple juice and it was refreshing.

But one tray yielded 3 ounces of juice, so I see the importance of keeping trays growing constantly. :-)

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel messages: Believing in a God that you cannot see, feel, smell, or touch is the ultimate act of faith. But what is faith? Faith is the evidence of things unseen. But pay attention. God is much, much closer than you think.

Juicefeasting Transition Week

2011-02-09T09:16:00.001-05:00

Day 3 I had:
water
apple banana swiss chard coconut oil smoothie
vanilla milkshake w/ psyillum and flax meal
orange banana smoothie
orange banana swiss chard smoothie
apple carrot ginseng liquid vitamin C ginger bee pollen juice
(at Liquid Earth)

I missed so many camera-ready moments on Day 3. Raymond had a consultation in the neurology dept. at Johns Hopkins. I will bring my camera next time when he has an EEG. I brought 3 mason jars of smoothies and drank them all. We met with a nurse practitioner and a resident. I must say both women were kind and thorough.

JHU is a mammoth place. It's not just one building. We were in the Outpatient Center, which is teeming with humanity. We had to take a number to be seen, and this is in one tiny department! I felt like I was in an assembly line. But I am going to follow through on everything with Raymond. And next time, pictures!

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: Think about how much you love your parents, children, significant other, etc....Now multiply that times one million. That is how much the Universe loves you.

Juicefeasting Transition Week

2011-02-08T08:10:00.000-05:00

Days 1 and 2

Me on Sunday morning, February 6, 2011. I thought I looked cute, but I look so tired. I'm still coughing too.
Day 1 I had:
water
vanilla milkshake
pleasing greens soup
broccoli soup
homemade veggie burger
apple/swiss chard/lemon juice (2x)
apple cider (hot)
apple/kale/lemon/psyllium/flax meal juice

Day 2, I had:
water
vanilla milkshake w/ coconut oil and psyillum
orange banana smoothie
pleasing greens soup (3x)
Broccoli soup
carrot/sweet potato juice
apple/kale/lemon/psyllium/flax meal juice

I made the mistake of not drinking anything until 10:30am. I was tired, cranky, teary, and ready to bite someone's head off. By noon, I said to myself, "If I don't eat something, I'm not going to make it through this day." I had a homemade veggie burger (from Vegan With a Vegeance) the diameter of an apple. I didn't eat anything else that day, and I haven't eaten anything today.

Don't start your fast the way I did. You are supposed to transition into it. Last week, I ate whatever I wanted. I taught a vegan cooking class on Sunday, January 30th (which was supposed to had been on Sunday, January 24th but I had the flu). The class went better than I had intended. Huge hit! But I was eating all this cooked food, good as it was, but that wasn't best for me.

The supporting characters: dry skin brushes for body and face.

Ann Wigmore has taught me how to grow wheatgrass!

Jona helping me juice.

Broccoli soup ingredients.

Four tray of wheatgrass at different stages of growth.

The first tray, now fully matured and ready to cut!

Love,

Althea

Mocha Angel message: God never abandons you. That is impossible. God is part of you, so rejecting God is a rejection of your self. Accept God as you accept yourself.

Juice Feasting

2011-02-07T12:10:00.000-05:00

Last fall, I got a clear message to do an extended juice feast that is to begin today. I'm not revealing how long, but it is not 92 days. David Rainoshek, who created www.juicefeasting.com, suggests 92 days. Both Terilynn Epperson of The Daily Raw Cafe and Angela Stokes-Monarch of Raw Reform have completed that 92-day feast. I have Angela's juice feasters book and I'm using it as my guide.

To back up a moment: I wasn't feeling an extended juice feast at all. Not in the least. That is why I haven't discussed it until now. But after Raymond's seizure, I didn't sleep well for the next four days. Then I got the flu, again. Since 2006, I've had more upper respiratory infections than I can count. The lungs, as I have said before, are the seats of love and compassion. On the shadow side, they are the seat of grief. I have been told, more than once, that I am not allowing joy into my life. I'm stuck in the day-to-day mundane-ness of life. I can see that.

When I was laying in bed for three straight days from the sheer physical exhaustion of influenza, I said, "Okay, I surrender. I'll do it. You all obviously know more than I do."

Then I got a copy of Kris Carr's new book Crazy Sexy Diet. In the introduction, Dean Ornish, MD writes:

In 2009, the Nobel Prize for Medicine went to Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn for discovering telomerase, an enzyme that repairs and lengthens damaged telomeres, which are the ends of our chromosomes that control aging. Dr. Blackburn and her colleague, Dr. Elissa Epel, studied women who were under chronic emotional stress because they were taking care of children with autism or chronic diseases.

They found that the more stressed the women felt, and the longer they felt stressed, the lower their telomerase and the shorter their telomeres. This was the first study providing genetic evidence indicating that chronic emotional stress might shorten a woman's lifespan.

HELLO! Sometimes books speak to you. Dr. Ornish might as well have been sitting in my living room.

Kris Carr writes in her book:
The early signs and symptoms (of her cancer) were obvious, but I couldn't see them for what they were: a toxic lifestyle and environment that was causing physical and emotional stress. I had a bunch of chronic health problems, including zits, colds, chest infections, allergies, depression (prozac and wine helped that), dry skin, eczema, low sex drive (in my twenties!), bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, acid reflux, yeast infections, and fatigue--all distress signals from an imbalanced body.

Then today, I found out a friend of mine died. Dear Elizabeth was a phenomenal older woman. A survivor. But she had a stroke and passed away. Stress was the major cause of this stroke.

Juice feasting it is. I'll be drinking wheatgrass (and putting on my skin and doing implants), tea, vegetable broth, and juices. I may do smoothies and soups in the beginning. I'll be taking supplements to help with candida and parasites. I'll write how I am doing and feeling.

I want to share with my readers, but I'm not linking this to my Facebook page. I always share my posts on Twitter and Facebook. Not this time. People who subscribe want to know what's going on with me. I do not want to open myself up to "why, what for, and how long?" with people who do not understand.

I intend to be a Wellness Warrior. I'm taking the health of myself, and my family, into my own hands. I'm excited, pumped, and ready to heal. Thanks for coming along and supporting this journey.

Love,
Althea

I'm growing my own wheatgrass :-)

2011-02-05T17:49:00.001-05:00

I have to stop saying that I have a brown thumb. Every plant I touch doesn't grow. But I have a strong desire to grow my own wheatgrass, so I'm intending that I am a champion wheatgrass grower and I DO have a green thumb. Above is my very first tray. It grew! I did it!

My stuff: shallow planting trays, hard winter wheatberries, limestone, and soil.

Sprouting the first batch of seeds. Soak a cup of wheatberries for 12 hours. Sprout for 12 hours, then plant.
Water, then cover in complete darkness for 2-3 days. I'm covering them with black garbage bags, or you can cover with another tray.

This is batch #1. I have three other trays sprouting now. Wish me luck with them. My goal is to have wheatgrass growing in my home constantly.

Love,
Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #15

2011-01-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

Linda Howard

Linda Howard, owner of Alturnative Fitness and chief blogger of the Alturnative Fitness blog, is a former practicing attorney and healthcare compliance officer that turned “holistic fitness guru." She is an exercise, nutrition, tonic herb and holistic life enthusiast. She openly shares her journey to wellness and has embarked on a mission to help others find a holistic and natural path to fitness, well-being and vitality. This is her story:

As a teenager I made healthy lifestyle decisions, but still had health issues. I am now 48 and healthy. I feel like I am in my twenties; my energy is off the chain! In fact, I am reversing the aging process with thoughtful living. My vegan diet is a key ingredient in a winning formula for radiant health, optimal physical fitness and vitality.

As a child I got sick a great deal. I never liked taking medication. I would like to think it was some innate wisdom of holistic living, but the reality is I had trouble swallowing pills. My fear of swallowing pills made me challenge doctors whenever the prescription pad came out. My anxiety around swallowing pills and my frequent illness fueled my quest for information on medicinal herbs and nutrition. At 15 I was fasting; when I was 17, I stopped eating meat, poultry and shellfish and started juicing.

My health improved but my menstrual cycle was never normal. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries and was told that there was no cure. At times my cycle was painful and sometimes it lasted so long that it became debilitating. I tried acupuncture and homeopathic remedies. I got some relief, but my problems did not go away. When I was stressed, it got worse. I was a prime candidate for a hysterectomy. The same time that the word hysterectomy was being tossed around I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel. Then I fell and seriously injured my hip and shoulder. I put on excessive weight, was living a very stressful life and I saw myself aging rapidly.

Drugs and operations were totally out of the question for me. My survival instincts kicked into full gear and I believed that I could turn my health condition around. (1) I slowed myself down to listen to my body and follow my instincts. (2) I tapped into what I know about nutrition and herbs. Anti-inflammatory foods were increased and pro-inflammatory foods were eliminated! I also started a regiment of tonic herbs and dusted off my juicer. (3) I tapped into who I knew that had a good understanding of natural healing. I became their student. (4) I put my research skills to work (as a NYC lawyer, I learn how to tirelessly research any issue). I found some research that stated that animal protein contributed to the growth of cysts. That’s when I became a vegan. I immediately stopped eating all animal products and never went back. That was nine years ago.

About five years ago, it dawned on me that I had no more health issues. I had no pains or occasional headaches, my energy was high, and I could not remember the last time I had a cold or the flu. I had been on my job at the time for four years and realized that I had never taken a sick day. My menstrual cycle was normal for the first time in my life; I had no signs of carpal tunnel, no occasional problems from my prior hip and shoulder injury and I managed stress like a pro. I started hitting the gym regularly and outperformed people half my age. For the first time in my life I was feeling athletic. This was major for me, because growing up I was so bad in sports that I was the last one to be picked for teams in gym class.

My creativity and my productivity are higher than it has even been. I am more patient and feel happier. I just have this indescribable feeling of well-being and vitality. I can't say why all of my health problems disappeared and why I feel so good- - - I don’t know if it was one particular thing or all things. All I know is that whatever it is, it is working for me and I am a healthy vegan full of vitality.

Visit the Alturnative Fitness blog at www.alturnative.com.

You can also follow Alturnative Fitness on Twitter and Facebook.
Email: lhoward@alturnative.com

Thanks for your beautiful story!
Love,
Althea

Thought for the Day

2011-01-20T11:38:00.000-05:00

My oldest son Raymond had a Febrile Seizure yesterday morning. We went to the ER via ambulance. It was a trying day for my family. He is home today, still weak and slightly feverish. And today is his brother's birthday. Although we will celebrate Jona's b-day on Saturday, we are all tired. Today is about rest, OWN, and more rest.

In the interim, I'm sharing some wise words from my friend Michael Harris, who leads a Cleanse Group in Baltimore. Cleansing my whole house and cleaning out all of our insides has been heavy on my mind.

The body is always ready to change and become whatever we choose. The problem is that we often choose without awareness and we end up with what feels like the wrong body or the wrong energy or a tendency toward illness. The body reacts to our thoughts, habits, and food choices.

The good news is that the body is a good listener. It is always willing to move with our intention because it is always creating itself. We need only change a few habits and choices in order to experience ourselves as a constant creation aligned with our true needs.

Eating or drinking something you desire just because it tastes good can interfere with our body’s needs. A good example is when feeding a prize animal, say a horse. We want the animal to have a shiny coat and lots of energy and vitality. We feed the animal whole grains and vital foods. We would never feed the animal flour products or processed foods. The animal would love candy if we allowed it to eat sweets, but we know it loves an apple just the same.

Similarly, our body responds to vital living foods, whole grains, leafy greens, whole foods, loving intention, kindness, structure, and lots of care. Treat yourself like a prize animal. Take extra care. Take time to listen to your thoughts without commenting, without judgement. You don't need to fix anything because you are moving in the right direction and it will fix itself. Whatever is out of balance will be brought back into balance again. Listening. Allowing. Choosing for health and tasting the vitality of food. Silently eating and feeling nourished. Feeling strong and confident in your inner intention for yourself.
--
Living in peace & deeply listening.
Serving humanity with compassion and awareness.
Expressing joy through music.
~Michael Joseph Harris
http://www.bossalingo.com/

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: Pandemonium no longer reigns in your sacred space. Clean out your home −one room at a time − because clutter blocks your blessings. Allow your home to reflect the One Most High.

Drinks that make you go "hmmmm"

2011-01-14T17:14:00.000-05:00

...or more like "whooo!" or "ghaaa!" You know, juices and smoothies that make you pucker your lips together, then you say, "Damn, that's tart!" I've been saying that a lot lately. Sarma's "My Favorite Greens Shake" is bitter, sweet, and tart all at the same time. Would I make it again? Yes. Would I have ever thought to put grapefruit, cucumbers, lemons, limes, greens, sprouts, and stevia together in one blender? No.

I only put 1/2 teaspoon of stevia because I'm in savory mode. The reader is free to add as much stevia or agave as she wishes. More of either sweetener would obviously make for a sweeter smoothie. In a few months, I'll add more stevia. I guess what I'm saying is for a non-alcoholic drink, it's got strong flavor.

This smoothie is made for the adventurous palate. Beginners, beware. You may never drink another green smoothie again. Intermediate and Advanced folks, blend away, and take your mouth on an unforgettable ride.

Skin Saver Juice: I'n not sure where I got this recipe from. Parsnip, celery, carrots, and green pepper. Again, I went "gaaah!" SAVORY!

Love,

Althea

Mocha Angel message: Ask for clarity about a troublesome situation in your dreams. In the dream state, you are more receptive to messages than you are in the waking state. Give it a try tonight and see what answers are revealed to you.

Best of Raw 2010

2011-01-12T08:46:00.001-05:00

Hi, Family:

It's official. The Raw Mocha Angel is a finalist in the Best of Raw "Best Raw Vegan Blog" category. If you'd like to vote for me, the direct link to that page is:

https://visionaryculture.wufoo.com/forms/vote-for-mediaabest-of-raw-2010-copy/

Scroll down to the second group of finalists.

The link to the overall finalists is here: http://www.bestofraw.net/2010-nomination-form/

The categories are "People," "Products," "Media," and "Places."

The Raw Mocha Angel is under the "Media" category.

Thank you, and love,

Althea

Mocha Angel message: Juicing clears toxic sludge from your body allowing you to think better. If you are at a crossroads, consider a juice fast for one to three days. Your life and the decisions you need to make will become much clearer.

Adventures in Savory Raw Food

2011-01-11T11:24:00.002-05:00

There's no apples in my house! This is so new to me! Juice with no fruit? But I am doing it family. I've made the plunge into savory raw food in order to heal my Candida. Above is Calcium Rich Cocktail from Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life by Cherie Calbom. It called for 1/2 a lemon as sweetener, but I added the other half in too :-). Cucumber, kale, parsley, celery, lemon, and ginger....it tastes as unsweet as you would think.

This is Peppy Parsley, from the same book. I also made Beautiful Skin Cocktail, and took photos, but somehow, they are missing from my camera. I'm sure my photog children deleted it off the camera. :-)

These are ingredients for Green Delicious from Green For Life by Victoria Boutenko. I didn't have Roma tomatoes, only sun-dried. I soaked them overnight, then made the smoothie the next morning. Again, I'm getting used to this "no sugar". It's weird, but I'll get there.

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: From TUT: Whenever something doesn't work out the way you thought it would, Althea, instead of thinking that something went wrong, see it as something that went unexpectedly well, but for reasons that are not yet apparent.

Everything plays to your favor.

Score! The Universe

Raw Food Real World / Raw Food Rehab

2011-01-08T14:47:00.000-05:00

I've gotten the green light from Sarma and Matthew to blog through Raw Food Real World, as well as Sarma's solo book Living Raw Food. A few things have changed since, but I'll get to that in a moment.

Raw Food Real World is my favorite raw food book, bar none. I've made a few things from it in the past. But it always scared me. This is gourmet food to the hilt. But it also has scrumptious home meals and drinks too. I chose this one because I do want to be a raw chef. Until I make it to 105 Degrees and back to Carolyn's Raw Food Institute, why not go for the gusto?

But here's the shift I've made: I've decided to eat only savory raw food for the rest of the 10 weeks left in the Raw Food Rehab program. (I'm careful with my words these days. "I only eat savory raw food" sounds better than "I'm not eating any sugar for 10 weeks!") I need to heal from Candida. Period. Eating savory raw, and using the food as my medicine is the way to go. I've created my own healing and food plan, which I'll assess every two days. I have a shopping list too. The list includes food from both Raw Food Real World and Living Raw Food. After the 10 weeks is over, I'll completely reassess and see if I want to add fruit and dessert back into my life.

The photos I've taken and food made were created in the midst of this decision:

Blue Grape Juice: I have never liked grapefruit, ever. But this drink adds honey and blue-green algae (I used spirulina). It's quite addictive.

I only made the salad dressing not the Greenmarket Salad. I found it tangy and rich. To keep the flavor, blend it each time you use it.

My new favorite dessert (when I start eating desserts again). Chocolate macaroons. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The recipe calls for leaving them in the dehydrator for 12-24 hours. For me, any longer than 6 hours is too long. (I was eating them right out of the dehydrator.) I prefer the macaroons dry on the outside and moist on the inside, like a warm cookie. I left them in for 18 hours. They were still sweet chocolaty goodness, but too dry for me. But these treat are decadent, rich, not too sweet, and very easy to make. Raymond was my sous chef. It was like making a cake batter. Kid-friendly and awesome.

Time to Go Juice: That is prunes and water blended together I'm about to pour into the juice. The recipe called for juicing the prunes, but that didn't work. I even soaked them in water, then ran through the juicer. Still didn't work. So that's where the idea of blending prunes and water together, then adding to the juice came from. Another winner.

Thai Green Juice: I love cilantro as much as Sarma does, so this juice was right up my alley. Pineapples, cilantro, collards, and limes. Makes you squish your lips together and say, "Wow! That is TART!" But if you like that fruit and veggie combination, you will LOVE this.

Spiced Oatmeal with Dried Fruit: Yes, the oat groats require 5 days of soaking. But it was worth the wait. Although I didn't have golden raisins to mix into the oat groats, the dish was sweet and cinnamony. Raymond loved it, and I would make this again.

I've made this Cinnamon Banana Shake since March. Rom asks me for it all the time, even now in the dead of winter. It tastes like the best vanilla milkshake you'll ever drink. Malty and ice cold. Keep frozen bananas in your fridge so you can make it 365 days a year.

Love,

Althea

Mocha Angel message: Do not allow fear to ruin your life or thwart your destiny. Fear is an illusion that has destroyed many lives. Don’t let your life be one of them. Faith in God, and yourself, is the only way to defeat fear.

Yoga Challenge

2011-01-05T12:47:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Your Raw Mocha Angel is a 11-year veteran yoga teacher, but my practice has fallen off to only pranayama. In the January 2011 issue of Yoga Journal, they are offering to help get yogis back on track. Their 21-day program starts January 10th.

From the website:

Have you ever tried to start a home practice but couldn't stick with it? Well, we have the solution! In our 21-Day Yoga Challenge, which starts on Jan. 10, you'll receive all the help you need to create a home yoga practice that works for your life. No matter how much time you have or how you feel on any given day, it's still possible to practice yoga and reap the benefits.

How does it work? Each day, we'll present original videos of yoga sequences. There are 15-minute videos for morning and night; 30-minute videos to help refine your poses, work your core, and develop strength; and a super fun 45-minute flow sequence that'll have you moving all around your mat and getting a great workout in the process. By the end of the challenge, you'll have an arsenal of practices at your disposal to use whenever and however you want.

http://21daychallenge.yogajournal.com/

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: No matter the weather, it’s all God, so go enjoy it!

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #14

2010-12-31T21:43:00.000-05:00

Alisa Angelic

age 46

As a child I ate mostly anything my mom, aunt, grandmother prepared. My mom was a single parent trying to raise 5 kids so food was scarce in our household. Sunday’s were like Christmas for us because the whole family got together at my aunt’s house for huge Sunday dinners. Some of the foods served at these dinners were:

Macaroni & Cheese

Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy

Fried Chicken

Greens

Candied Yams

Corn Pudding

Cornbread w/Butter

Oyster Casserole w/Cheese

Ambrosia

German Chocolate Cake

Peach Cobbler

Lemonade / Iced Tea (Loaded with Sugar)

I literally ate this way until I was about 30 years old, at which time I began to pay attention to what I put into my body and began to read labels on the products I bought. However, I was still unaware that the toxins in the foods I consumed were slowly killing me.

At the age of 40 I decided I wanted to enter fitness competitions and adapted to the standard “bodybuilding diet” which consisted of…..

Broiled Chicken Breast

Yams

Brown Rice

Salads w/Apple Cider Vinegar

Tuna w/Lemon Juice squeezed on it

Egg Whites (dozens of them)

Steak (once a week)

Lots of Water w/Squeezed Lemon

Protein Shakes / Drinks

Bodybuilding Supplements (lots of them)

I continued to eat this way for the next 3 years, incorporating a routine weight training and cardio regimen. It seemed that no matter how strict my diet was or how hard I worked out I just couldn’t seem to get my body lean, decrease my body fat and didn’t understand why. I began to get bored of it and started eating the junk I grew up on.

It wasn’t until I met Marcus Patrick in February 2008, that my life began to change in a major way. At first my interest in him was purely sexual; I was focused on “having” him for myself no matter what I had to do. Two months after meeting him at a friend’s bachelorette party, I connected with him again. My mind was still focused strictly on the sexual physicality of Marcus. I found him hot, sexy, beautiful, and intelligent. I had to find some way to get close to him; I had to have this man! My wheels started turning.

I found a way….. April 2008 I employed him as my Personal Trainer! I didn’t realize it at the time, but my life was about to change tremendously. I was literally on my way to becoming immortal. Immediately, he began talking to me about Wheat Grass. I thought to myself, “What the heck? I’m not interested in Wheat Grass. I want this man!” He was about to take me into what I considered another dimension.

As my Trainer, Teacher and Life Coach, Marcus was focused 100% on ascending me higher in frequency and vibration through Spirit, Mind, Body, Diet, Physical Endurance, and Training. He began to fill me with his wisdom / knowledge on foods and the effects it has on the body physically, mentally, spiritually. When I gave him the run down on what my eating habits were, he immediately told me I had to go 100% Vegan to get the results I wanted. With no questions asked, I did just that – not even knowing what a Vegan was. He started taking me to various Vegan restaurants and introducing me to a variety of Vegan foods, he assisted me with my grocery shopping, teaching me every aspect on Veganism. Four months later he introduced me to the RAW Vegan Lifestyle which I immediately adapted to 100%.

Today my diet consists of only RAW, Living, Organic Produce, Nuts and Seeds. I’ve never felt better. I have crazy amounts of energy, I don’t fall ill to colds, flu or any other illnesses I used to. My skin is glowing, I’ve even began to reverse age myself! I’ve recently deleted ALL sugar from my diet having only grapefruit as my “sweet treat.” I’ve also been applying crushed papaya seeds all over my face and body as a chemical peel from Mother Nature. Only difference is that it’s not chemical based, it’s all enzymes.

With nurturing my body on RAW, Living, Organic, Pure Foods and Super Foods it was only natural that my awareness and consciousness levels started to take on a curiosity regarding not only the nutritional aspect of this lifestyle, but also the spiritual, emotional, truthful part of it all. With this thirst for truth and knowledge, I began a journey with Marcus with travels to Egypt, Israel, and Greece in search of enlightenment, truth and more consciousness.

During my life transformation coaching and assisting under Marcus, I’ve literally seen and felt my Body, Mind and Spirit transform and upgrade into a much better Being. My Passion and Desire is to pass on these gifts to others so with my Life Coach Certification and knowledge that has been instilled in me, I’m actively looking for other Beings who wish to share these same results by offering Donation Coaching. If there’s anyone out there who has the desire to change their life like I did, contact me (alisa.angelic@yahoo.com) and we’ll make it happen together.

In closing I’d like to share this with your readers…..

We are children and reflections of God. It’s pretty clear that we were created by God and the Universe as magnificent organisms that have short sold ourselves to fast-food and pharmaceutical medicines. We must respect and nurture our temples as our Father in Heaven nurtures us. We’ve been given all the tools / food / nutrients necessary to achieve optimal health and well-being. Why fill our temples with death and disease? Let’s focus on Positivity, Light, and Ascension.

Love and Light, Namaste……

Alisa

-Note: Alisa's daughters are 30, 27, and 15 years old!

-Watch this great video, called We Are The World, in which Marcus shows off Alisa's glowing beauty :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM4A7Y5Ok60

2011 Intentions

2010-12-30T11:30:00.001-05:00

These are my food-related intentions:

- enjoy the raw vegan lifestyle with robust enthusiasm. To feel gratitude toward it for improving my memory, clearing my skin, and increasing my energy.

(not my kids, but cute!)

- get my whole family involved, not just me, in the raw food lifestyle. (Raymond said two things that bugged me. First he said that food comes from factories. Then today he wouldn't finish my homemade salsa because it wasn't real (i.e., the bottled salsa he's used to). I said, I know what your spring field trips are going to be: all the local farms in our county. I'm going to have Raymond and his brother pulling kale out of the ground!)

- complete the 11-week Raw Food Rehab Resolve to Evolve program.

(How to you spell raw food success? S-U-P-P-O-R-T)

- review 2 restaurants in Maryland this year.

- to read Earthmother in the Raw's blog from cover to cover. I discovered her blog two months after she stopped blogging. She is gracious enough to leave her blog up for people to read. The sentence that struck me (and now I can't find it), but it was something to the effect of, "wanting to live in alignment with her deepest values." Sounds like me :-) I'm feeling Earthmother on many levels. Thank you!

- eat at 105 Degrees Restaurant. Even better, to take a class. Even even better: complete the Living Foods Fundamental Cuisine program.

- attend at least 2 raw food meetups in my area. They always look like so much fun.

- blog through my favorite raw food book EVER. I know I've done this before and never stuck with it. The book I'm referring to intimidated the hell out of me forever. I thought I'd "work my way up to it." But that doesn't make a hoot of sense. "Robust enthusiasm" right? One of the co-authors has already said yes.

- complete virtual raw chef training with Carolyn Akens (aka thebomb.com!)

These are different than resolutions. Intention is the guiding force of your life. If you create your life on purpose and with purpose, realizing that your thoughts and actions create your world, you'll live more in alignment with your values.

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Sharon-Salzberg-The-Power-of-Intention

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Setting-and-Achieving-Goals-with-Intention

Love,

Althea

2010 Gratitudes

2010-12-29T20:35:00.003-05:00

The universal symbol of gratitude.

Thank you Rom, for holdin' it down.

Thank you Raymond and Jona, for teaching me everyday how to be a better person and mother.

Thank you to my mom, stepfather, grandmother, and two of my brothers, John and Chad, for being enthusiastically supportive of all my endeavors.

Thank you Amaadi for being a friend (that's her youngest son in the photo).

Thank you Shanna for the ice cream maker. (That's Dr. Renee Parks on the left, and Shanna on the right.)

Thank you Arphelia for being so encouraging.

Thank you Charli for sharing your intentions with me every morning.

Thank you Monica U., Sara C., Marcy C., and Suzanne D. for being my most enthusiastic commenters. They always send me the greatest emails.

Thank you Jennifer E. for being my very first vegan coaching client.

Thank you Tyrah, for telling me two years ago, "I see you doing vegan coaching."

Thank you to people in the following countries who took time to read (I mean really read) my blog: Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Finland, Bosnia, Hungary, Slovenia, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.

And speaking of the USA, thank you lovely California people for reading my blog the most in 2010. Los Angeles and Oakland get a shout out for most visits.

Thank you Lori, Sue, Ellen, Kyle, Eleanor, Amaadi, David, Laura, and Michele for being the crew of my Oprah Winfrey Network audition. That valuable experience set the stage for my intended TV career.

Thank you Mystickal Voyage for four glorious, loving, wonderful, magical, amazing, beautiful years. Lori, you are like a mother to me. Those of us who are in your corner love you forever.

Thank you Tony Pann for being the man with the plan.

Thank you : Bitt of Raw, Green Chimurenga, Chocolate Orchid, Carolyn's Raw Food Institute, Raw and Natural Me, Jack and Jill Politics, and EarthMother in the Raw for linking to my blog.

Thank you Southern DC Mocha Moms, Dr. Daun Sigafoose, D.C., and Eric Smith (acupuncturist) for healing me after my car accident.

Thank you Leah, Nwenna, Terilynn, and Queen Afua for your interviews.

Thank you Marcus and Alisa for your awesome coaching.

Thank you to the fourteen "healthy vegans" who graciously shared their stories (#14 is on Dec. 31st)!

Thank you to Raw Food Rehab for the 11-week Resolve to Evolve program that starts on January 1st.

And thank you ALL for reading each and every post!

What are you all grateful for this year? It might not have been as bad as you think. Take the time...I mean REALLY take the time to sit in silence and think about all the human angels in your life in 2010. You'll be smiling by the time you are done :-).

Love,

Althea

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:16:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, dear readers! Even if you don't celebrate the holiday, I hope it's a peaceful, fun-filled day.

My husband actually got me what I asked for as a gift! He got me Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob.
He actually switched things up a bit and gave me what I wanted. :-) I'm excited to take my food writing skills to higher level.

I have to get back to my children and their gifts.....They are having a blast.

Have fun today!
Love,
Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #13

2010-12-24T14:38:00.000-05:00

Marcus Patrick

I ate a lot of junk growing up. It's a wonder I was an athlete with what amount of candy I ate. I was lucky that my father always placed a bowl of raw vegetables in cold water on the table at every mealtime. This was his idea of us all having health and it clearly worked.. What a blessing he was! :)

My turning point was a prayer. I was very unhappy in the world. I saw all the corruption and insensitivity to others and wanted off the planet. I asked God/The Universe to either wipe me out or use me for His work because I personally felt done here on Earth. After that my body began rejecting the flesh and diary or any poison. My life changed, I began to cleanse the vessel that I live in. Almost like I am now here as a living example of living with the laws of truth/God.

I eat raw, vegan, living foods. 90% green leaves and a few nuts and seeds. My focus is alkaline foods. Water Rich. Cleansing. Mineral Rich.

I feel Super Human. Like the Light of Christ is growing in me. The Light is in the foods, it can be seen with a Kirlian Image. I've eaten only that so the Light has grown inside me like electrical watts.

My life changed tremendously. I left all the entertainment business for a focused, humble life of coaching other Beings to enjoy the same success and I feel extremely loving to humanity. I have witnessed many miracles with all who follow the information that I practice. I have so much excitement to be alive and evolve into a healthier, stronger, happier being.

Wisdom is hand in hand with humility. We all need to be studying everyday, the new findings of Science and Scripture from the Spiritual past. This is what I dedicated my life to and when anyone chooses to do this they break out from a fixed, arrogant, mindset, into a flexible, learning, bright, being that can flow with Gods, evolution and changes. God is truth and truth is God, so eradicate all lies from ones life and God shows up as truth and wisdom daily.

Marcus' website: http://www.organiclifeandfitness.com/
YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Marcus1974
this link is from a interview just completed Dec. 21:
http://www.box.net/shared/static/hdc5piombl.mp3

Vote for my Blogging While Brown panel

2010-12-20T09:53:00.002-05:00

http://www.bloggingwhilebrown.com/vote-the-foodies-workshop/

Hey, ladies & gents. I'd like to ask a favor. Can ya'll vote for my panel at the Blogging While Brown Conference in Los Angeles in July 2011?

It's called "The Foodies Workshop." I was up late on a Friday night, December 3rd to be specific. The evenings are my only quiet time. :-) At 11:15pm, I went to the Blogging While Brown site and saw that the call for ideas ended at midnight DECEMBER 3rd. Oh, it's December 3rd now, I thought. I did a mental tennis match whether I should apply for about five minutes. I decided to enter anyway.

But the judges are the public!

You can vote for me by clicking on the "thumbs up" icon. You can vote once per day per computer/mobile device. http://www.bloggingwhilebrown.com/vote-the-foodies-workshop/

Thanks much!
Love,
Althea

Self-Love

2010-12-18T15:51:00.001-05:00

"There is no substitute for self-love. It is the foundation for all things and the starting point for any change."

Jerome Braggs

December is a natural time to reflect. I love this blog, and I love all of you who read it. I started The Raw Mocha Angel to document my journey to raw vegan. Thank you for all the love along the way. Now, at the end of this year, I've had what I believe is a big breakthrough on this journey.

Love, or love of self, is the starting point for change. I'm listening to Louise Hay's audiobook of You Can Heal Your Life for the 10th time (perhaps 20?). Her bottom line: whenever there is a major problem, it's an act of not loving the self. If that sounds way too simple to you, read the whole book before you judge.

Or as Geneeth Roth writes in Women, Food, and God (and I'm paraphrasing): you can't heal yourself with self-loathing. Loving yourself will heal and free you. (And that sums of my review of her book which I promised months ago. That is the book in a nutshell.)

I subscribe to many blogs. Some of them belong to my readers. I've noticed a theme. Amongst the ones who are struggling with weight loss, I sense their frustration. I've shared the same frustration. I've been "trying" to lose the same 20 pounds for 2 years. So why, knowing I have Candida, was I still eating food that no longer served me? That's a lack of self-respect and love.

That is why people lose weight, then gain it back. It's because they haven't gotten to the core issue: learning to love themselves enough to heal.

When you are changing your diet, examine why you eat food that does not serve you. If you are a vegetarian who eats chicken when she's stressed, ask yourself why. If you know sugar makes you crazy, but you are taking bites of candy bars, what's up with that? A candy bar is not a candy bar when it's used as a Weapon of Emotional Destruction. It's now a poison that alters brain chemistry and sugar levels.

So what do you do? Self-loathing can come from many places: parents, family, partners, teachers, friends. For me, I noticed that I was upset with myself for some decisions I'd made between 2000 and 2010. But I've made some really fantastic choices in 11 years. I wasn't celebrating those choices (like starting this blog, easily in my top 5 best choices of the past decade).

I've worked on Acceptance. I can't change the past. It's over. And mind you, this took a few weeks to grasp. Then I came to Gratitude. I am incredibly grateful for my life, and all the people in it. That led to a Peace inside of me. All is truly well in my world.

I'd also joined an Intenders Circle in December. (And http://www.intenders.com/ and http://www.intenders.org/ are the same people. I am listed as leading a circle, but I'm not right now.) Intenders is all about creating the life that you really want. We'll meet twice a month. My friend Charli, who lives in California and attends an Intenders Circle in her area, and myself now call each other everyday to say our intentions. Having a buddy who helps lift you up daily is a big help.

I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. By March, those have been put to the side of the road. They don't stick because the changes you want to make sound great. You really want to make those changes. But you've got to do a lot of self-work, outer and inner cleansing and purging, and cutting folks from your life. And that takes Courage. Fear, as it loves to do, will stop you before you take Step 1.

Believe that you deserve the life of your dreams. While this post is short, I hope that it hope it helps you begin to love YOU.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/14737-unconditional-self-love-and-self-acceptance/

http://www.kalimunro.com/tips_self-love.html

Love,

Althea

Ellen DeGeneres is a Raw Mocha Angel Healthy Vegan!

2010-12-18T15:13:00.000-05:00

Hey Ellen! Be on my blog!!!

You got on the cover of O magazine. I'm going to get you to write for me!!! You are a healthy vegan and I've chosen you as one of the 52 people who are part of the "Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan?" series on my blog! Talk to you soon!

Russell Simmons: 'Why I'm Vegan' - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2010-12-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

This is an unofficial "have you ever seen healthy vegan?" post. Russell Simmons was on the Ellen DeGeneres show recently, and wrote a post for Ellen's website about why he is vegan. Since he didn't write it just for me, I'll link to Ellen's site: Russell Simmons: 'Why I'm Vegan' - The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Ironically, I found this while I was writing Ellen asking her to write for my "healthy vegan" series :-). No, it hasn't gone away. Just waiting on a folks to send me their testimonies. If you'd like to share your story, this is what I'm looking for:
-how did you eat growing up?
-what was your turning point in consciousness about food, health, and life?
-how do you eat now?
-how do you feel?
-how has your life transformed because of eating differently?
-what wisdom would you share with my readers?
-3-4 really good photographs that show your glow.
Send it to me at mochaangels@aol.com.

Love,
Althea

Tahini-Mustard Dressing

2010-12-13T18:57:00.000-05:00

I made a Tahini-Mustard dressing from 30-Minute Vegan. I didn't like it at all. In fairness, this was made with raw tahini, which is nothing but ground sesame seeds. I don't even like homemade sesame seed milk without adding a sweetner. Since I'd made so much dressing, I couldn't let it go. I had to doctor it up a bit.

I thought to make it like Annie's Goddess Dressing. For the life of me, I could not remember the ingredients, but I knew the taste. It didn't occur to me to look up the ingredients (like I did just now!).

Here's the original Tahini-Mustard recipe:
1/2 cup tahini
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used wheat-free tamari)
1/2 cup water or more depending on consistency of tahini
Blend

To that I added:
honey (1-2 tablespoons, sorry I didn't measure)
more apple cider vinegar
about a teaspoon of salt
Blended again. It could have used more honey, but it definitely reminded me of this:

INGREDIENTS: *EXPELLER PRESSED VEGETABLE OIL (*CANOLA, *SOY, AND/OR *SUNFLOWER), WATER, *TAHINI, *APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, *SOY SAUCE (WATER, *SOYBEAN, SALT, *WHEAT, *ALCOHOL), *LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, SEA SALT, *GARLIC, *TOASTED SESAME SEEDS, *PARSLEY, *CHIVES, XANTHAN GUM.*ORGANIC INGREDIENTS.

Mine is oil-free and gluten-free which works for me. Try it and play around with the seasonings and let me know how turns out!

And here's the dressing on romaine lettuce.

One thing I have noticed with raw is that you must eat enough food. The more you eat raw, the less you naturally want to eat. I believe it's because raw food is so nutrient dense. This was my breakfast this morning.

The other two items are carrot tuna and Asian Spinach Salad.
Carrot tuna is just carrot pulp, leftover from juicing. I added sweet relish and Veganaise.

The salad recipe is from The Joy of Living Live by Zahkah:
1 bunch spinach
1/4 cup cold pressed sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons maple syrup, agave, or honey
2 tablespoons liquid aminos, or tamari
wash the spinach, remove stems, and chop. Mix ingredients and serve.

Enjoy!
Love,
Althea

Honeymoon Healer Juice

2010-12-08T13:39:00.001-05:00

Transforming my kitchen into a healing space! This is what you'd see as you enter my kitchen. :-)

Yesterday I made a lot of green juices. But since I happened to have oranges and cranberries, I made a juice from Raw Food Real World by Sarma Melngailis and Matthew Kenney. (one of my favorite books, btw. I still owe this book a review.)

The finished product!

It couldn't be easier:

Honeymoon Healer
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 peeled lime
2 cups of orange juice
Juice cranberries, lime, and oranges.
Add 1-2 heaping tablespoons of raw honey.
You can add another lime for garnish.

It's called Honeymoon Healer because of the amount of cranberries, which are good for urinary tract infections. I just made it because I had the ingredients on hand! It's very tart, so if you like that type of drink, for it!

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: 12/8/10: You are loved, truly, today, tomorrow, and forever more.

Mocha Angel Chocolate Chip Cookies are HERE!

2010-12-06T12:39:00.005-05:00

Presenting my foray into the food business: The Mocha Angel Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are vegan, and they are SPECTACULAR. This is an original recipe, all mine, and is an ancient Chinese secret. They are not gluten-free (haven't mastered that one yet). But they are vegan, kid-tested, mother-approved, ooey, gooey, chewy, and amazing. Easily the best cookies you ever had. Everywhere I take these, people are like, "Vegan? Are you kidding me? No way something this good could be 'healthy.'"

Yes, they are vegan. For real. But they are not crunchy, cardboardy, bland cookies. If my cookies were a website, the url would be: http://www.thebombcookies.com/. (that's not a real url, don't click on it!!!)

Try them, try them. you will see, how tasty vegan cookies can be! I've started with these cooked vegan cookies because I've been making them for years. They are a "transition dessert" for those moving from SAD to vegan to raw.

In all seriousness, I've thought long and hard about where I want to go with my career. My intention is to be a master raw vegan savory and pastry chef. Mocha Angels is a healing and food business. I want to merge my passions and loves into one business. My blog was the start, even though I didn't know it at the time. Selling my cookies is the next move. Adding a Mocha Angel message at the end of every post is yet another step. Things are evolving organically. And I thank you all for coming along for this ride.

The cookies are $12 per dozen. You can buy them here. A PayPal button is on the right hand side of the blog.

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message for 12/6/10: Rather than impose your truth on to someone else, the question is, "Are you living your Highest Truth?" When you do, you cease to worry about how others are living. Your internal compass becomes peaceful, loving, and compassionate.

Raw Challenge and Your Produce Guy

2010-12-05T22:19:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone:

I hope you are all having a Merry December! There's a couple of things I wanted to share with you all.

On my intuition website, I'm offering 2011 Forecast Readings through January 30th. If you are interested, please go to www.altheahugheswills.com.

After three years, I decided to put a "donate" button on my blog. I make a whopping, are you ready for this?, twelve dollars a year blogging. I don't do it for the money. The Raw Mocha Angel is a labor of love
for me. If you feel like my blog has improved your life, and you feel moved to donate to its upkeep, then share whatever you are moved to donate. The button is here in this post, and on the right-hand side of my blog.

A few days ago, I got a YouTube friend request from Your Produce Guy. I checked him out and thought to share his YouTube Channel with you all. He teaches you how to pick the best produce, and what to do with it once you have it. Your Produce Guy spent 16 years in retail produce sales and management. I don't know his real name, but he knows his stuff!

His YouTube Channel is: http://www.youtube.com/user/YourProduceGuy

And my friend Chef Skai has a 21-day raw challenge that started on December 1. Join her on Facebook to follow everything!
Skai's YouTube Channel is: http://www.youtube.com/user/yabbapot

Enjoy!
Love,
Althea

The Winners of Amy A's Green Smoothies

2010-12-03T14:35:00.000-05:00

...are Jackie and Courtney!!!!!

Thanks everyone for entering :-)

Love,

Althea

My TV debut experience

2010-11-29T10:09:00.000-05:00

Me and Tony Pann, meteorologist and the man with a plan!

Yesterday was WILD! I spent so many days being nervous, but the actual live segment flew by in a flash!

So how did The Raw Mocha Angel find herself on television? First, I intend on having my own raw vegan and gluten-free vegan cooking show on national television. When you intend, think from the END. Not, "How is that going to happen?" Think about what you really want and focus on that end result. I didn't know anyone in the TV business before October 30, 2010. That is the day I met Tony Pann at the late great Mystickal Voyage. It closed on October 31st. :-(

Tony and I got to talking about life, and he asked me, "What do you really want to do with your life?" I said, "I want my own television show where I teach people about the vegan & raw vegan lifestyle." He said, "I'm going to make that happen for you."

Yesterday was the beginning of my dream coming true.

http://www.wbaltv.com/video/25940205/detail.html

Carlotta, the floor manager

So the next question: Why did I cook, instead of doing something raw? Originally, I was to be on at 7:45am and 9:45am. But the producer had double booked. Someone else went on at 7:45. I was live at 9:45am. My plan was to do something raw and cooked. But the producer told me I HAD to cook something. The point of Sunday Brunch is to make a meal. That's where the tofu idea came from. When I come back to WBAL, and other local stations, I'll see how far I can push the raw envelope!

My vantage point

My friend Michele and I spent a lot of time intending that this TV segment go well. And it did. I got there an hour early so I had time to get acclimated. The anchors, Lisa Robinson and Sarah Caldwell, were awesome. They both talked to me and gave me pointers. Getting there early gave me time to settle down.

Once it was time to go live, the whole thing was a blur. Experiencing it, in the moment, it felt like time went into hyper-drive. When I watched myself back on TV, everything moved in normal time. It was surreal. But now that I've done it, I'm glad I rehearsed what I would say and do. Four minutes is not a lot of time to demonstrate how to cook anything, but I got it all done :-).

Thanks for reading and coming along with me on this journey. I told you all in my Third Anniversary post that 2011 was going to be exciting!!!

Love,

Althea

We Go Vegan For Sunday Brunch - Video - WBAL Baltimore

2010-11-28T16:22:00.001-05:00

We Go Vegan For Sunday Brunch - Video - WBAL Baltimore

I was on TVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The link is above. It was live and wild, but I had a lot of fun. Tony Pann, meteorologist extraordinaire, did the segment with me. He kept me at ease. The other anchors and the floor manager were wonderful. They calmed my nerves and helped keep me grounded.

Adapted from 30-Minute Vegan.

Tofu Scramble

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 mushrooms, diced
1 lb. extra firm tofu, water pressed out, and crumbled
3/4 teaspoon tumeric
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons wheat-free tamari
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 cups spinach, washed, drained, and chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro, as garnish

-Slice tofu in half. Place on a plate. Put a skillet, or pot on top of it. Place something heavy, like gallon
of water, on top of skillet. This will press the water out for you. Leave for a few hours. Pour the water off
the plate before using. If you are pressed for time, wrap the tofu in a towel and squeeze the water out by hand.
-Place oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until
the onions are soft, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
-Add crumbled tofu. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
-Add tumeric, paprika, nutritional yeast, tamari, and basil.
-Add tomato, spinach, and cook another 3 minutes more.
-Add salt and pepper to your taste.
-Garnish with cilantro. ( I like it with avocado too.) Enjoy!

Love,
Althea

Amy A's Green Smoothies: Review + Giveaway!

2010-11-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the power of Facebook, Amy Arnold, author of Amy A's Green Smoothies and I reconnected after 10 years. A lifetime ago, in the 1990s, Amy and I worked at America Online (aka, the Yahoo, Google, and Facebook of its day). Over a decade later, we both find ourselves in the wellness business!

Amy is the founder of VitalSelf, a health and wellness company in Virginia. (Make sure you read Amy's story here.) Her smoothie book was inspired by a challenge she made to herself. To celebrate her 44th birthday, she challenged herself to create 44 new green smoothies, one per day. She posted videos of her daily smoothies and inspired people all over the world. Now her smoothies are in a book! She even shares a few juice recipes too!

This slim volume is perfect for beginners. If you're like, "What is all this talk about green smoothies? Why should I be drinking them?" Then Amy's book is for you.

Her book includes:

-What makes green smoothies green?

-Top 11 reasons why green smoothies rock!

-The difference between green smoothies and green juices.

-5 steps to a perfect green smoothie.

All of her smoothies are funky, fruity, and kid-friendly. There's 62 recipes in all. My favorites are Summer Peach-Mango Delight, and Fresh HoneyRo (romaine lettuce and honeydew melon smoothie).

We are also gifted with 11 green juices, my personal favorites. You all know that juices rock my world. Amy's Green Lemonade (lemon, apples, ginger, garlic, kale and romaine) helped knock out my lingering cold.

This book is kid-friendly and colorful. The recipes are easy. There's no intimidation here. In short, Amy A's Green Smoothies is a lot of fun. You want to spend time with this book and experiment. Congratulations, Amy!

10 out of 10 Mocha Angels.

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

TWO lucky people win ebook copies of Amy A's Green Smoothies!

- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your children's favorite green smoothie, or your best smoothie for the "kid at heart?" :-)

- Leave a working email address that you actually check regularly. :-)

- If you have won a giveaway here in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to enter. (sorry!)

- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Thursday, December 2, 2010.

- I will pick the winners at random at Random.org. The winners will receive an email from me on Friday morning, December 3, 2010. I will announce the winners on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day. If I do not hear from the winners within seven days, I will draw another winner.

Good luck!

Are We Hard-Wired for Kindness?

2010-11-25T20:35:00.002-05:00

I caught this on NBC Nightly News. I thought it appropriate for Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. In case the video doesn't come up for email subscribers, the link is here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/40374441#40374441
Love,
Althea

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Super Raw Life and Inspiration

2010-11-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hi Family: I wanted to share this new magazine with you all. I found out about Super Raw Life on Facebook. It's a free online magazine. They only ask for donations. The link is here: http://www.superrawlife.com/

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Angela Stokes Monarch wrote about Car Crash Lessons - One Year Later in her newsletter. I found her life's suggestions inspiring:

Nov 23rd marks a year to the day since Mr. M and I experienced a pretty intense car crash in Pennsylvania, during which both cars involved were totalled...a year on from this perspective-shifting event, we feel extremely blessed to still be here and manifesting the life of our dreams, day by day...coming out of the other side of an event like that relatively unharmed helped us to step deeper and deeper into *gratitude* for what we do get to experience here - it is truly such a blessing and adventure to be alive and play here in "Earth School", if we choose to see it that way of course... ;)

Our lives can seem so fragile, delicate and impermanent in the wake of shocking events like car crashes or other unexpected accidents - it can be a great reminder to truly relish every moment that we do have here, to offer thanks and gratitude, to greet each new day with excitement and anticipation...to do our very best in every moment to honour others, to offer compassion, to connect authentically and with love...for we never really know when our encounters with another may be the last...so, in remembrance of our perspective-shifting crash last year, I'd love to offer five suggestions here, inspired by others who experienced disturbing circumstances and chose lighter, more love-filled perspectives and lives for themselves as a result:

1. Remain Open - Mahatma Gandhi suggested to "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - choosing to embrace all of our experiences here with love, joy and curiosity and continuing to remain open to change, to new learning and experiences, despite whatever 'setbacks' or challenges we may perceive in life, can bring such richness to the tapestries of our lives.

2. We Have A Choice In Every Moment - I recall the words of Viktor Frankl, author and holocaust survivor, who said: "Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." We *always* have a choice, in every moment, how we choose to act, to be, to perceive things, to interact with others...misery is a choice, self-pity is a choice, victim-hood is a choice...and no matter WHAT the circumstances going on around us, we can choose to keep the light burning in our hearts and stay in a space of love, if we are willing to do so...

3. Vulnerability is Our Greatest Defence - in the words of another holocaust writer, Anne Frank: "In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit." and "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." If we are willing to remain in a space of love and gentleness towards others, despite how challenging any circumstances may appear to be...if we're willing to breathe deeper, speak with more compassion, open our hearts and hold the space wider and deeper with others, to honour that core of light in everyone we encounter, then we will surely see huge shifts in our lives and in the flow of everything around us...

4. Don't Take Anything Personally (nod to Don Miguel Ruiz ;) - understanding that anything 'negative' that people might seem to bring towards you is a reflection of their own imbalances can be very liberating, rather than taking things personally and feeling easily battered around by the opinions and actions of others... Shaman wisdom-keeper Little Grandmother, who survived through a very abusive and disturbing upbringing to bring a message of such joy and light to the world, says "It is none of my business what other people think of me"...

5. Always End With Love - I recall hearing a story of another concentration camp survivor, who had lived through so much and on recounting her experiences from those days, shared that one of her deepest regrets was that just before she and her little brother were separated at the entrance to the camp, she was angry with him for losing his shoe and was shouting at him. She never saw him again. The message she shares and that I take to heart here is: aim to always end things lovingly and with compassion in your communication with others, rather than walking away or even going to sleep shrouded in anger and frustrations...

I trust that you may find some extra inspiration in these words for your own journey - we are truly so blessed to be here, may you enjoy your choices and experiences. ;)

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Up next, a review and giveaway!
Love,
Althea

Happy Third Anniversary!!!

2010-11-19T13:28:00.004-05:00

Happy third anniversary to The Raw Mocha Angel blog!!!! Three whole years! Time absolutely flies when you are having fun! Thank you to all of you who read my blog, send me lovely emails, and root for me. My wish for all of you is wonderful health, vibrant energy, and a love of life!

I am feeling lot better. I've been doing a five-minute energy routine, as well as targeted exercises for illness from Donna Eden's book Energy Medicine. Below is the routine. I highly recommend this book, along with Barbara Ann Brennan's Hands of Light, if you are interested in energy healing.

Even MORE good news:

I am going to be on WBAL Channel 11 on Sunday, November 28th! As part of their Sunday Brunch segment, I'll be making scrambled tofu. I'll be live at 9:45am.

For those not in Baltimore, videos of my segments will be on the WBAL website the same afternoon. I'll put up links as soon as they are live. I am so nervous and excited.

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And, a reader wrote me and told me she nominated me in the Best of Raw 2010 awards! Thank you! I went through the categories and nominated other people too. If anyone wants to nominate me, or any other raw foodie, just go to: http://www.bestofraw.net/. Click on the orange "Nominate Now!" button to your right. You do not have to nominate in all the categories. You are free to pick and choose.

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I was interviewed on Wednesday about Intuition by Jerome Braggs as part of his Intuition Expert Series. You can hear the interview here: http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=15973491

Thank you everyone. I plan to achieve great things in 2011. Thank you for coming along for the ride. :-)

Big hugs and love,
Althea

Joy Amongst Sickness

2010-11-16T10:10:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone:

I'm alive! Raymond is alive! And now Rom is sick, but that's okay :-). Thank you all for the positive, loving emails. I am gratified by you all. Please now that I wasn't home moping. Raymond recovered faster than I did. He is doing much better. My friends came by to bring me produce. The above photo is of me and Amaadi. My five-year-old Jona took the photo, which is why it's blurry. But I like that picture. It's kind of endearing :-). Me and Amaadi are holding a green juice of apples, limes, cucumber, and celery.

Amaadi holding the produce she brought me.

This is Ernie, one of my friends from Mystickal Voyage (which is now closed permanently. To say I am devastated by this is an understatement). He came by as well!

Apples from a farm near my house. Fifty apples for eight bucks (love those seconds!)

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Also, I being interviewed by friend Jerome Braggs on Blogtalk Radio on Wednesday, November 17 at 8:00pm EST/5:00pm PST. The event page is here: http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=15973491

"Join Jerome for his new Expert Interview Series: "Intuition: Opening the Gates to Inner Wisdom." This series will address the topic of intuition and spiritual wisdom--what it truly is and how each of us can strengthen this spiritual muscle and begin to live life with proper guidance. This Event is FREE and OPEN to the Public."

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Lastly, if anyone knows what is the significance of Friday, November 19, 2010 in relation to this blog, comment or send me an email. The first person to get it right will win something. What, I don't know, but I'll got some goodies in my house waiting for the right person!

Love,
Althea

I'm still here

2010-11-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

Hi All:

I haven't been around because myself and my oldest son Raymond have been fighting an upper respiratory viral infection. On Saturday morning, Raymond had a mild seizure. I took him to the ER around 5:30am. He is fine now. But we are still recovering. I am juicing and resting. I will be back soon :-).

Love,
Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #12

2010-10-29T08:14:00.001-04:00

Gloria Huerta

In the late 80's, I decided to go vegetarian once a week. I was a young mother, and I wanted my children to eat "healthy". I remember my first health fair, being 25 years old, and my cholesterol level was at 269. I always attributed it to stress, as I worked in the legal field. Twenty years later, my cholesterol levels were still high, and I was still blaming it on stress. However, a health retreat in California really convinced me to completely switch to a vegetarian diet, and not just a once a week vegetarian. I recognized that I was not honoring God with my eating habits. Nonetheless, I was an "uneducated" vegetarian -- and I'd say "uneducated" because of being lazy. In 2008, Lifestyles Matters at Work came to our media center, and it was an incredible journey of accountability. That is what had been lacking -- accountability.

I realized and accepted that I was really a JUNK FOOD vegetarian. A chips vegetarian. A French Fries vegetarian. A pizza vegetarian. That was me. However, I learned how genetics and DNA works with regard to cancer cells, and I realized that I was a carrier of cancer genes.

My mother had died of pancreatic cancer in the most painful, and agonizing manner. Her brother before her had also died of cancer. My father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His brothers after him -- the same. Wake up call. I had to do something about my lifestyle, and it would not only be changing my eating habits, it needed to include following the 8 principles of health.

Right after Lifestyles Matters at Work ended, I participated in The Cancer Project's Food for Life Classes held in Pasadena, and my decision was confirmed as I was introduced to the Vegan lifestyle. I had already participated in the 21-day Vegan Kickstart program, and I did not want to stray off the path. I have been following a vegan lifestyle since January 1, 2010, and my health has been amazing! For the first time ever, my cholesterol levels dropped below 200 !!

My blood chemistry panel and all other laboratory worked confirmed that I was as healthy as I had ever been. I showed no deficiency in any area of my health (iron, calcium, phosphorus, niacin, etc., etc., etc.) The doctor himself was in shock (I had been on cholesterol lowering meds and borderline high blood pressure meds). He asked me: What have you done differently other than the meds? " I replied: "I stopped the meds and went VEGAN!" He could not believe it. His reply was: "Well, keep doing what you're doing". I've learned that everything I need for health as far as nutrition is concerned comes from plants -- the original diet given to the first humans.

I no longer suffer from insomnia. Since following the Vegan lifestyle, I also added a weekly exercise program (2-3 hours a week), I cut back on fats . . . NO MORE FRENCH FRIES! I have included much more grains and legumes to my diet. It has been such a fantastic journey. I am eating vegetables I always would say I didn't like, before I went Vegan. I am learning ways to make them so that I like them.

I began teaching Vegan lifestyle cooking classes in Spanish. I began teaching Vegan cooking to children. It has opened up so many possibilities for me. I decided to create a blog for Spanish speaking people who want to learn more about Vegan health and cooking, and I will now be a Food for Life Cancer demonstrator for The Cancer Project.

I have lost more inches than pounds, and dropped 3 dress sizes and 3 pant sizes. I love the way I feel and the way I look. People don't believe I'm almost 50 years old!

Gloria's blog is: http://veganisthelife.blogspot.com/

Thank you!!!

Portabello Mushroom Fajitas

2010-10-28T13:55:00.002-04:00

Your family will think it took you HOURS to make this. No. I'm still coughing up crap, and I am becoming Miss Speedy in the kitchen. There is prep involved, but these fajitas are easy.

Buy a "fajita pack" from the store. It's in the produce aisle. It's onions, green peppers, and onions. If you want to buy them separately that's fine. It just takes more time. Take the veggies and put them in your dehydrator. Cover them with plastic to keep them soft.

For the mushrooms, slice them, marinate in salt and olive oil (or Bragg's Liquid Aminos and olive oil). I don't measure these. I do it by sight. Add minced garlic. Dehydrate veggies and mushrooms for about 2 hours.

When the mushrooms are ready, put them in lettuce or collards.

Put the veggies on top. Add avocados and cilantro. To bring out the flavor, squeeze lime juice over everything. (The lime is VERY important. Don't add more salt until you've added the lime juice and tasted your fajita. If you want more salt, add it then.)

EAT!

Me and Raymond LOVE these things. Easy pacheesy!

Love,
Althea

Getting Better

2010-10-26T11:01:00.000-04:00

Hey, All:

This is just a quick update to let you all know that I'm still alive and kicking. Thank you for all the lovely emails and suggestions to help heal my lungs :-). I've been juicing a lot. I've got lots of carrots and apples and spinach. Above is my carrot juices.

And this is Onion Tea. This lovely (?) concoction is Rom's idea. He says it's a maternal family recipe. Onions, Jack Daniels, and honey. Yes, it tastes as good as it looks! LOL! I've thrown in vinegar, cayenne pepper, lemon, garlic (thanks Sara!)....anything to get the gunk out.

I'll be back with more juices this week.

Love,
Althea

New Green For Life Winner!

2010-10-23T10:43:00.001-04:00

Three weeks ago, I announced Debbie as the winner of Green For Life. Although she left an email address, I haven't heard back from her. I even sent an email to another one listed in her profile.

Twelve other entrants had contact info. I drew another random number last night. And that winner is:

Mary from Wisconsin!

One of the new rules will be if I don't hear from the winner in seven days, a new winner will be drawn. I want to give away free books!! So only enter if you are certain to check your email or even read this blog! Congratulations, Mary!

Love,
Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #11

2010-10-22T17:48:00.000-04:00

Mary Luciano

I have been inspired by the field of natural health and fitness for as long as I can remember. My path has led me to study natural health, nutrition, fitness and more recently raw and living foods.

In my early 20’s I started to experiment with the vegetarian diet but as I continued with my athletic endeavors I bought into the belief that you really needed meat to help grow your muscles. So although I still had my fruits and vegetables I started to reintroduce lean meats and fish back into my diet. However, I never really enjoyed them, the taste to me was not that appealing, especially as an athlete trying to maintain my weight and eating meat ever couple of hours as suggested by some of my nutritionists.

As an athlete I suffered from chronic injuries, mostly strains and sprains to the point where I needed to stop all physical activity and just focus on rehab exercises. Shortly after, I found out that I was susceptible to strains and sprains because I had a slight autoimmune disorder that caused my connective tissues to easily strain. Well that threw me for a loop as I thought I was always eating healthy and taking care of my body and I could not understand why this was happening to me.

In 2002, after listening to a speaker at a health show in Toronto, I learned about the raw food lifestyle. I heard more and more about eating raw and began to research the healing wonders of raw food. I couldn’t soak enough in and attended food demonstrations, workshops, and lectures from experts in the field who spoke in Toronto.

I was so intrigued about raw food and the vegan lifestyle that I decided to visit the visited the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2004 and for the past 6 years have learned extensively about Raw and Living foods through various raw food programs and current health research on the healing benefits of Raw and Living foods. By changing my diet to one that concentrated in raw fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, I was able overcome my chronic sports injuries and autoimmune disorder and get back to training competitively.

Eager to getting back to training I decided to experiment with raw and living foods against my trainer’s recommendations. My eating regimen was a running joke between my trainer and I — while I persuaded him to drink my wheatgrass he tried to convince me to add a little bit of meat back into my diet. But I was committed to proving that I could do this.

In June 2008, I entered my first fitness bikini competition and placed 3rd in the Masters division. In 2009, I decided to give it one more try and enter the figure category. This required that I put on more muscle. Now, I am always up for a challenge when someone tells me that I can’t build muscle on a vegan, let alone a raw diet, or, as my friend and trainer Andre calls it a “hippie” diet. So I set out to beat that challenge once again. I am proud to say that not only did I gain more muscle, but in November 2009 I placed second at the IDFA’s (International Drug Free Association) show in Toronto, Ontario, in the Novice Figure, short division, one up from my last year’s finish, and as a raw vegan athlete to boot!

This year I entered my third competition with the Ontario Physique Association (OPA) and placed 4th in the Women’s Open Division and 3rd in the Women’s Master Division allowing me to compete at the Provincial level. At the Provincials I placed 5th in the Women’s Master Division which qualified me to compete at the CBBF (Canadian Body Building Federation) National Championships.

My diet is anywhere from 80 to 100% raw with the exception of some steamed vegetables and whole grains. Wheatgrass, E3Live, Sunwarrior and Hemp Protein are my proteins of choice to help with muscle building along with lots of leafy greens and tons of sprouts.

I am promoter of natural health and a Raw and Living Food enthusiast; I enjoy sharing my knowledge and am committed to helping individuals make healthier lifestyle choices. I hold a Master of Science in Education and am both a teacher and Head of the Family Studies department for the York Region District School Board. I am a Certified Personal Trainer and Spinning Instructor, hold a Fitness and Lifestyle Management Certification. I worked at the Sports Clubs of Canada as a Fitness Director and am a Living on Live Food Level 1 Chef. In the past my fitness accomplishments have been: the Toronto Marathon in 1998, the Niagara and Barrie Dualthalon in 2000 and the Subaru Adventure Race in 2001.

My website is currently under construction and coming real soon… http://www.maryluciano.com
You can read more about me on my blog at… http://thehealthylivingeducationcenter.blogspot.com/
You can also connect with me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maryluciano
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MaryLucianoRaw
My Space: http://www.myspace.com/537585158

You go, girl!!!!!!!!

Raw Food: Oh, The (Emotional) Places You'll Go!

2010-10-20T14:33:00.002-04:00

What an emotional roller coaster! I am sick AGAIN with an upper respiratory infection. Since I'm coughing up yellow-green stuff, it's certainly a viral or bacterial infection. It wasn't killed back in August, so it's been dormant for the past month and a half. Repetitive illness is a clear sign that I have some emotional issues to deal with.

The lungs are part of the Heart Chakra. When working, the Heart Chakra is the seat of love and compassion. You can give and receive love freely. When not working, the Heart Chakra has trouble giving and receiving love, for a variety of reasons, usually trauma. The lungs, specifically, are the seat of grief.

(Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Body and You Can Heal Your Life are two good references. We are body, mind, and spirit beings. No illness can be looked at as only a physical issue. You miss a lot if you do not go deeper.)

Between 2006-2009, I had more upper respiratory infections than I can count. That was the height of my caretaking days. This year, I've had four. I'm clear on a few issues: I miss my extended family; I feel a sense of isolation as a stay-at-home mom; I am overextended in my obligations. I'm working on all three of these.

I have turned to food as comfort. If you're wondering what happened to my Raw Food Cleanse back in September, here's the deal: I was doing well. Both myself and my oldest son were consuming a quart of green smoothies a day. Then I got the STRONGEST cravings for my childhood foods. Ham, mac and cheese, mac salad, pizza...I wanted it all. The intensity and longevity of the cravings surprised me. I wrote Victoria Boutenko. My question was, "Can green smoothies, and/or raw food, release cellular memory?" I haven't heard back from her, but I think so.

So I started making cooked vegan versions of those foods. The first couple days, I felt okay. The emotional need of wanting to see my family was being met by the food. I had even told my friend Amaadi that I was thinking of changing my blog's name to The Vegan Mocha Angel.

Then I got sick as hell. Not upper respiratory sick. Whole body sick. My back hurt like sin, and still does (how I need my chiropractor). I didn't injure myself. It's like my back is inflamed. I couldn't think straight. I lacked mental focus. I just wanted to sleep all of the time, but couldn't. Premenstrual cramps flared up. Everything internal went haywire.

I thought, is this cause of our Western illnesses: the food? Could it really be that simple? In my case, yes, it's that simple. I do not carry the mantle of Raw Food Dogma. But what is clear is that cooked food absolutely lowers my immunity, energy, clarity, and connection. A poison if you will. Strong language, I know. But I must call it like I see it.

Me and Raw Food have had a love-hate relationship. This relationship is musically exemplified by Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy's Rumba on Season 5 of Dancing With the Stars.

In seriousness, I've been thinking about this a lot. I realized I have to feel I deserve perfect health. Eating things that make me sick is crazy. Also, as a mom, I put others needs first. But if I'm in a cooked food haze, then how is that helping my children? My health must come first so I can be emotionally present for my family.

I also have come back to my yoga roots. I've been seeking a spiritual foundation. I've had one in yoga all the while. Yoga is not about the poses (asana). Asana is the third rung on an eight limbed path. The eight limbs of yoga are:

Yama : Universal morality

Niyama : Personal observances

Asanas : Body postures

Pranayama : Breathing exercises, and control of prana

Pratyahara : Control of the senses

Dharana : Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness

Dhyana : Devotion, Meditation on the Divine

Samadhi : Union with the Divine

A good, short explanation: http://www.expressionsofspirit.com/yoga/eight-limbs.htm

My focus is on Ahimsa, the first Yama principle. Ahimsa is defined as non-violence. No harming of another living creature. In other words, honoring the life in all things. But as I read on Atma Jyoti, there is no talk anywhere of Ahimsa toward the SELF:

Though the subject is oddly missing from every commentary on the Yoga Sutras I have read, the practice of non-injury in relation to the yogi himself is vital. That is, the yogi must do nothing in thought, word, or deed that harms his body, mind, or spirit. This necessitates a great many abstensions, particularly abstaining from meat (which includes fish and eggs), alcohol, nicotine, and any mind- or mood-altering substances, including caffeine. On the other side, it necessitates the taking up of whatever benefits the body, mind, and spirit, for their omission is also a form of self-injury, as is the non-observance of any of the yama or niyamas. It is no simple thing to be a yogi.

Source - http://www.atmajyoti.org/med_foundations_of_yoga.asp

It is no simple thing to be a yogi (or yogini, for women). No, it's not. But there is more to life than satisfying the five senses. The sixth sense, the intuitive self, longs to feel the connection to the inner self, others, and the Source we call God. I am looking into Ashtanga Yoga as my path. Why? Because the asanas are incredibly difficult, and will take me a lifetime of serious study to master. The Eight Limbs are core to the practice. That is what I want.

So the Raw Mocha Angel will remain The Raw Mocha Angel. I've been all over the place emotionally, but feel that I have found a home in Raw Food and Yoga. To live the 12-Steps to Raw Food, and to be honestly featured on my own blog as a Healthy Vegan are my goals. Thank you for remaining with me on this healing journey.

Love,

Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #10

2010-10-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

Courtney Pool

Courtney Pool is a freelance writer, nutrition and cleansing coach, and blogger (www.CourtneyPool.com). She is a supervisor at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, founded by Gabriel Cousens, M.D., author of live vegan nutrition books, including Conscious Eating and Spiritual Nutrition. At the Tree of Life, Courtney also teaches nutrition and cleansing classes and runs the official Tree of Life blog. She is a blogger for www.GabrielCousens.com.

Courtney has been eating raw, plant-based-only foods for over 5 years and has Juice Feasted and fasted for over 146 days total, including a consecutive 60 day Juice Feast.

Courtney coaches and writes on the topic of healing emotional eating and eating disorders, and how raw food nutrition, supplementation and spiritual inspiration can support healing.

Courtney grew up in a standard American household with a mother who loved baking. As a varsity, state-ranked competitive swimmer and water polo player, Courtney’s high school dietary habits were what she would call ‘abominable’, consisting primarily of pasta, breads and sugar and lots of fast food. After seeing the documentary 'Supersize Me', an interest in health and nutrition was awakened, and a host of books and months of research later, Courtney happened upon the book The Food Revolution by John Robbins and went from eating an organic omnivorous diet to a vegan diet within a month.

Courtney's inspiration to begin eating vegan foods was due to a heart-opening in relation to the treatment of animals, a desire to keep her health optimal and not encounter the many diseases that currently befall much of our society, and as a support for her budding interest in personal growth and spirituality. Later, Courtney discovered the wonders of live, raw vegan food and within a year moved to Patagonia, Arizona to work with Gabriel Cousens, M.D. at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center.

Courtney is passionate about raw food nutrition, healthy lifestyle practices, cleansing and detoxification, youth and raw food, fitness, personal development and spiritual practices. Her favorite vegan foods are cabbage, sprouts, nuts, and the superfood spirulina!

www.CourtneyPool.com

I Interviewed Queen Afua!

2010-10-13T00:27:00.001-04:00

I had the pleasure of interviewing Queen Afua last night, via phone. If you don't know who she is, Queen Afua is a healer extraordinaire. She is the other of the books Heal Thyself, Sacred Woman, The City of Wellness, and Healing The Angry Vagina (compelling...yes?).

I first read the original edition of Heal Thyself in 1999. I've been a fan ever since. Even though we've met twice, in person, it was the first time I'd had an in-depth conversation with her. It was a little out of body for me. I got it all on my digital recorder. It'll take me some time to transcribe the conversation, but I promise to get it live as soon as I can. Queen Afua has been a holistic healer for over 30 years, and has helped transform thousands of lives. I hope you all read the interview. She is an amazing person who has honored her calling. http://queenafua.moonfruit.com/

Love,
Althea

30-Minute Vegan Blogging!

2010-10-12T11:09:00.000-04:00

I'm vegan. I'm busy. I love to make food. I want to go to culinary school. "Cooking" (can I get a better word for "raw vegan food preparation?") is my passion and the way I best express myself.

I've gotten the green light to blog my way through 30-Minute Vegan from co-author Mark Reinfeld. I can only post 5 of the recipes, by publisher request. So my lovely readers will see lots of yummy food, but not many recipes (sorry). The raw vegan dishes will be here. The cooked vegan ones on my sons' blog. I hope you all come along for the ride!

Love,
Althea

Emotional Eating

2010-10-10T21:15:00.000-04:00

I was going to write a long treatise on emotional eating and raw food. The more I thought about it, I said to myself, "No." People need practical help, not just something to think about. I will say that if you are struggling with raw, don't ignore the emotional angle. Food is suppose to simply sustain us. It's where we get our energy.

But for most of us, it's emotional comfort. It's home. It's love. It's safe. It doesn't talk back. It's satiating. A lot of raw vegan food doesn't do that. When we get upset, angry, frustrated, we turn back to what feels good. I've been having my own challenges with that as well. I have turned to my yoga to help.

Below are two meditations that have helped me, and I hope they help you all. Emotional eating affects everyone, not just someone striving for a raw vegan lifestyle. Share these meditations with those you love.

Still Heart Meditation

(From City of Wellness by Queen Afua)

Perform before and after each daily meal.

Sit in a chair with palms facing up on your lap, head erect, neck long, and shoulders relaxed. Your back is straight and knees in alignment with your feet. Gently breathe in and out as you visualize an emerald or green malachite stone over your heart center. Inhale the breath of life into your nostrils until it reaches and fills your heart.

Breathe out anxiety. Breathe in serenity. Breathe out anger. Breathe in joy. Breathe out fear. Breathe in reasurance. Breathe our insufficiency. Breathe in abundance. Breathe deeply until your thoughts stop racing and all worry has left your mind. Finally your emotions will settle into a calm place of a still heart.

When you are rooted in that place of balance, place your palms over your heart, and say, "Thank you."

Perform the Still Heart Meditation before and after your meals and you will eat in a balanced state and make Ma'at (see below) consciousness a firm habit in your life. You will gain control over your desires. You will not overindulge in food. You will support your heart, the gateway to Heaven on Earth.

(Ma'at was the Ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice. Maat was also personified as a goddess regulating the stars, seasons, and the actions of both mortals and the deities, who set the order of the universe from chaos at the moment of creation. - Wikipedia)

Meditation for a Calm Heart

(from Kundalini Yoga by Shakta Kaur Khalsa)

Originally taught by Yogi Bhajan Sept, 1981

Sit in Easy Pose with the spine straight. Either close the eyes or look straight ahead with the eyes 1/10th open.

Place the left hand on the center of the chest at the Heart Center. The palm is flat against the chest, and the fingers are parallel to the ground, pointing to the right. Make Gyan Mudra with the right hand (touch the tip of the index (Jupiter) finger with the tip of the thumb. Raise the right hand up to the right side as if giving a pledge. The palm faces forward, the three fingers not in Gyan Mudra point up. The elbow is relaxed near the side with the forearm perpendicular to the ground.

Concentrate on the flow of the breath. Regulate each bit of the breath consciously. Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils. Then suspend the breath in and raise the chest. Retain it as long as possible. Then exhale smoothly, gradually, and completely. When the breath is totally out, lock the breath out for as long as possible.

Continue 3-31 minutes.

To end: inhale and exhale strongly 3 times. Relax.

This entire posture induces the feeling of calmness. It creates a still point at the heart center.

If you are upset and not sure how to react to a stressful situation, sit in this meditation before deciding how to act. Then act with your full heart.

Physically, this meditation strengthens the lungs and heart.

Try these everyday. Three minutes is all it takes to reset yourelf!

Go easy and love yourself, always.

Love,

Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #9

2010-10-08T18:05:00.000-04:00

Brenda Cobb

Brenda Cobb, Founder and Director of The Living Foods Institute, overcame the early stages of breast and cervical cancer without the use of drugs or surgery by following the simple principles of detoxification and nutrition. She also got rid of allergies, acid reflux, indigestion, arthritis, obesity, age or liver spots, and gray hair. Her eyesight even improved! She looks and feels 10 years younger than she did 10 years ago. Brenda now devotes her life to educating others in this wonderful Truth.

This is not your typical before and after story, this is the testimony of one woman’s all natural total healing from cancer and how she turned her personal health crisis into a gift for the world.

In 1999 Brenda Cobb was diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer. Her doctor said she would be dead in 6 months to a year if she didn’t do surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. She didn’t do anything the doctor recommended and she still healed completely!

How did she do it? Brenda nourished her body with organic raw and living foods, detoxified and cleansed her colon, lymphatic system and blood; cleared out and healed emotional stuff she had buried inside and in six months she was completely healed! Brenda used to be plagued with allergies, arthritis, obesity, depression, chronic fatigue, headaches and skin problems, but now that is all in the past. Today she is vibrantly healthy and radiant!

Her mission is to teach as many people as possible how to restore and maintain the most optimum health by eating organic raw and living foods, detoxification and emotional healing. She is recognized as a foremost leader, healer and teacher in the raw and living foods movement. Many thousands of people have taken her classes, workshops and seminars and their testimonies are awe-inspiring.

Brenda and her son Rich

She has authored many books, made numerous television and radio appearances and has taught hundreds of classes about good health and healing naturally. She is a dynamic and charismatic woman who is certain to inspire you to become educated and enlightened and to take care of your most valuable asset, your health!

Brenda says,

“I know complete healing is possible when a person has real faith and belief. God created the body to be able to heal itself and it will when it is given what it needs to do the job.

Thousands of our students have been told by their doctors that they were hopeless, terminal or incurable, but I believe and have seen with my own eyes that with God's help, prayer, positive thinking, emotional healing, cleansing, and optimum nutrition people can and do heal.

It is imperative people learn how to properly take care of their own health. Many times people don’t do better because they don’t know any better. When a person becomes educated in exactly what to do and then does it, the healing possibilities are limitless. Everyone can have good health, because with God all things are possible.”

http://www.livingfoodsinstitute.com/index.php

Living Foods Institute Scholarships

2010-10-01T16:28:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers:

The Living Foods Institute in Atlanta, GA has scholarships available.

The Living Foods Institute is an educational training center devoted to teaching people how to restore their health through detoxification and good nutrition. Their mission is to "Heal the World, One Person at a Time."

They promote holistic healing of the body, mind, and spirit with enzyme-rich organic Raw and Living Foods. They teach how and why Raw and Living Foods can help a person achieve optimum health, and provide hands-on instruction in our Living Foods kitchen, where students learn how to prepare a multitude of delicious and nutritious Raw and Living Foods recipes with ease.

There are different course levels available: http://www.livingfoodsinstitute.com/program_descriptions.php

The scholarship is for the Bronze Level:

Bronze Package - $1900.00

10 Day Includes training classes, recipes, 100% organic food for 10 days, emotional healing classes, enema bag, catheter, syringe, training manual, Living Foods Lifestyle® book certificate of course completion, 1 Chi Machine treatment, 1 MedLight treatment, 1 Rebounder session.

October Scholarship: Pays for nearly 68%. You would pay only $600. Class runs Oct. 8-17.
December Scholarship: Pays for 50%. You would pay $950. Class runs Dec. 3-12.
Please call 404-524-4488, outside of Atlanta use the toll free number 1-800-844-9876, or email at info@livingfoodsinstitute.com.

Brenda Cobb, Founder and Director, overcame the early stages of breast and cervical cancer without the use of drugs or surgery by following the simple principles of detoxification and nutrition. She also got rid of allergies, acid reflux, indigestion, arthritis, obesity, age or liver spots, and gray hair. Her eyesight even improved! She looks and feels 10 years younger than she did 10 years ago. Brenda now devotes her life to educating others in this wonderful truth.

I've spoken with Brenda on the phone several times. I have also read her book and love it. She is a wonderful spirit. If you can take advantage of these scholarships, or know someone who can, go for it!

And if anyone would like to sponsor me, contact me at mochaangels@aol.com. This isn't only for me, dear readers, it's for my children as well. The more raw food they get inside of them, the better. Especially for Raymond, who I'm sure has leaky gut syndrome. Healing for my whole family is my intention.

Love,
Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #8

2010-10-01T15:44:00.000-04:00

Dana Smith

As the daughter of a chef who specialized in Southern comfort foods and a mother raised in Goose Creek, South Carolina Dana was no stranger to good eating. She started cooking at 8 years of age and enjoyed experimenting with different recipes. Poultry or fish took center stage at every meal and she was often praised for the wonders she could do with chicken.

In 2002 Dana gave birth to her daughter and due to the challenges of being a new mom and working a demanding job she sought a way through manage stress with practicing yoga. Amazed at how wonderful it made her feel she decided to get certified as a teacher just a year later.

As her practice deepened she realized the foods that she was eating wasn’t supporting her journey and knew that a total dietary upheaval was necessary. She wanted to practice Ahimsa (non-violence, non-harming) both on and off the mat. She slowly began to eliminate meat, poultry and fish from her diet and finally became a 100% vegetarian.

After 5 years of eating strictly vegetarian a friend introduced her to the world of veganism. Initially skeptical that she could let go of her fondness of dairy and eggs she fought the natural transition to eating even more compassionately for 6 months.

With research and the support of other vegan friends Dana made the leap and has been enjoying a 100% vegan lifestyle for over 3 years now. Recently she incorporated 30% raw foods into her diet and has experienced a new level of health and mental clarity.

www.spiritualessenceyoga.com

* Click here to see our feature in Black Enterprise

* Click here to see our feature in The Examiner

The Winner of Green for Life....

2010-09-28T08:54:00.000-04:00

Denise

of California!

(And I posted a comment asking everyone to leave a working email address, so there were 15 entrants, not sixteen.)

Congratulations Denise!

And the book is coming out in October. Everyone get this book to heal yourselves and your loved ones.
I cannot stress the importance of Victoria's monumental work. I'll be blogging about it here and on my children's blog soon.

Love,
Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #7

2010-09-24T11:32:00.000-04:00

Konju Oruwari

Konju Oruwari (née Konju Briggs Jr.) was born in 1983 in northern New Jersey to Nigerian immigrant parents and will turn 27 around Halloween 2010. He is a novelist, blogger, martial artist (Kung Fu Wu Su), licensed massage therapist (NY and NJ), former graduate student (MA, Africana Studies, NYU, 2008), and currently the research assistant (and scribe) at the Africana Institute at Essex County College in Newark, NJ.

His vegan life began in the summer of 1999 when he was fifteen. Much of his overnight transition was due to exposure to new and meaningful modes of thinking (transcendentalist literature in high school, pro-vegan radio shows by the likes of Kamau Kokayi and Gary Null on WBAI, conscious adoption and espousal of leftist politics, and especially hardcore immersion in Eastern philosophy, particularly Zen Buddhism, at the time) that all converged to make using animal products seem cruel, repulsive and unhealthy.

That summer, he also worked at a local fast food restaurant for only one day before immediately quitting and going 100% vegan in the following couple of weeks. Earlier memories, such as a disturbing childhood visit to a slaughterhouse in southern New Jersey to accompany his father selecting the goat to be slaughtered for his goat-meat stew, also informed his 1999 epiphany. Since then, he has never looked back and is approaching the point where half his life, and already all his adult-hood, have been enjoyed in healthy veganism, thanks to the permissions of a forward-looking and tolerant mother during his teenage years.

He now blogs about vegan theory as pertains to human rights and human liberation, ecology, sustainable development in the third world, food security, food sovereignty, and food justice in his primary blog, Green Chimurenga. His time spent in West Africa as a graduate exchange student of University of Ghana in 2007, studying third-world agronomy and gender issues, reinforced his commitment to seeing community lifestyles and material economies in their relationship to sustainability and development. Another of his blogs, Afrikan Satori, primarily addresses some of the broader political issues of the day while also housing some of his literary samples. He is currently seeking publication for an Afrofuturist dark comedy entitled An Android Reads the News while working on another novel which, from a magical realist perspective, explores the intercultural absurdities and political nausea facing people of color and immigrants in America today.

Konju Oruwari has also trained for several years in Kung Fu Wu Su in New York, hopefully to achieve first degree in 2011. After graduate school he studied massage therapy and personal fitness training at the Swedish Institute in Manhattan as well. His experiences have demonstrated thoroughly that carnivorism has no special relationship with athleticism that veganism cannot meet or exceed. He trains daily in kettlebells or other exercises, and has not been physically ill in years.

Konju has been a raw vegan since the fall of 2007 and a low-fat raw vegan/ fruitarian since January 2009, taking no supplements and subsisting only on fresh fruits and greens. His physical vitality has been the most vigorous and energetic during this current phase of his plant-based lifestyle.

He is currently contemplating and applying for graduate school again (for Ph. D. positions related to neo-colonial and Africana studies, for MS occupational therapy programs in possible combination with an M.PH, and perhaps even MFA programs if he is really crazy). That is unless writing novels pays off enough to fund the lifestyle and provides its own outlets for research and teaching. In either case, he will remain a healthy vegan.

E-mail: precisionafrikan@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/konju.oruwari
Blogs: Green Chimurenga is at www.africanvegans.com and its supplemental facebook site is facebook.com/GreenChimurenga
Afrikan Satori is at konju.wordpresss.com.

Green for Life: Review + Giveaway!

2010-09-19T16:27:00.002-04:00

During intuitive readings for clients, when I tell them their most probable future, the most common question is, "How is THAT supposed to happen?"

Good question. But it's not one I can usually answer. I can see the destination, but not always the path that leads people to that future. And I don't need to, and neither do they. I tell people two things: 1) You have the power to create whatever future you choose, and 2) tragedy/problems/obstacles can lead you to your Divine life purpose, if you allow them to do so.

Victoria Boutenko frustration with family's health problems lead her to live out her Divine life purpose.

When she, her husband, and their two youngest children were left with no hope from the medical establishment, Victoria turned them all into raw vegans overnight. Their compelling story is told in the book Raw Family: A True Story of Awakening.

But when they hit a plateau in their healing, Victoria searched high and low for the missing link in their raw food plan. Green smoothies were her discovery. The original text of Green For Life was published in 2005. This latest, expanded edition, to be released in October 2010, is even better.

Green for Life is the scientific cousin to its follow-up Green Smoothie Revolution (another must have, and prior giveaway here on this blog). Green for Life is the book that makes the case, the proof, if you will, that green smoothies are the missing link in human nutrition. If you want the science behind the drink, this is the book for you.

It's really the book for everyone. Health care in this country is a political and personal issue. Boutenko writes, "mainstream medicine seems to have be focusing on the secondary causes of disease. To me that's like pushing a car that has run of gas with your bare hands instead of putting gas in it, or comforting a hungry person instead of feeding him." No one should give this book away after reading it, unless you are passing it on to a sick friend or relative.

Green smoothies make the healing power of chlorophyll tasty. Chlorophyll's healing ability cannot be understated. As written in the book, chlorophyll:

-reduces pain caused by inflammation

-helps sores heal faster

-improves vision

-builds a high red blood cell count

-makes the body more alkaline

-improves milk production

-resists bacteria in wounds

-cleans and deodorizes bowel tissues

-eliminates bad breath

-provides iron to organs

-helps purify the lives

and way more.

Green smoothies make ingesting chlorophyll FUN!

After you read the science and the amazing testimonials, you'll be itching to make your first smoothie. There's 39 recipes in this book. If that's not enough for you, go get Green Smoothie Revolution, which has over 200 recipes.

I created four of them! I haven't named them yet. If anyone wants to bless them with cool names, go ahead

:-).

-8 prunes

-2 sweet apples

-2 handfuls of swiss chard

-water

-8 prunes

-1/2 pineapple

-handful cilantro sprigs

-handful kale

-water

-1 mango

-1 orange

-2 handfuls kale

-water

-2 handfuls grapes

-1 apple

-2 handfuls swiss chard

-water

BLEND!

Few books are as "must-have" as this one. Either you or a loved one is suffering from a major health problem. Take a chance. Buy a blender and make your own smoothies for a month. You don't have anything to lose. All you have to gain is your health, and that is worth more than money.

Victoria Boutenko is a Warrior Mom. She broke from conventional thinking to heal herself and her family. As she wrote: she had to find the true answer or die.

Writing this brings tears to my eyes because I lie awake at night sometimes thinking of every way I can to heal my children. I took her book to heart, understanding how she felt back in 1994 when doctors told her nothing could be done for her family short of medications and surgery. I've also heard the words, "There's nothing else we can do for you." Now, both myself and my oldest son each drink a quart of green smoothies everyday.

10+ out of 10 Mocha Angels.

To you Victoria Boutenko, I raise my glass of green smoothie to you and say, "Thank you." When you live out your Divine life purpose, you give others permission to do the same.

Love,

Althea

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

One lucky person wins a copy of Green For Life! (available in October)

- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your favorite green smoothie?"
- Leave a working email address too.
-The winner must live in the United States.
- If you have won a giveaway here in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to enter (sorry!)
- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Monday, September 27, 2010.
- I will pick the winner at random. The winner will receive an email from me on Tuesday, September 28, 2010. I will announce the winner on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day.

Good luck!

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #6

2010-09-17T00:03:00.032-04:00

I'm so excited! (It doesn't take much. LOL!) I've been wanting to feature Martha and her beautiful family on my blog for over a year. This is the perfect vehicle. Today you all get not one, but four, georgeous healthy vegans. Read their stories and be inspired!

Martha Theus

Martha has been a vegetarian since 1985. She was raised in Detroit, Michigan, and introduced to a vegetarian way of life when she moved to Los Angeles and met her (now) husband, Londale Theus, who has been a vegetarian since 1982.

Together, they raised their children, Kamaal and Londale Jr. as vegetarians since birth. Kamaal has graduated college and Londale Jr. is in his senior year. They are active, athletic, healthy young adults who have never eaten meat, poultry, fish or eggs. Martha was fully vegetarian throughout both pregnancies and her children were both of normal size and weight.

As a young wife and mother, Martha's goal was to create healthy and delicious food that does not involve pain and suffering for animals, yet tasted good and had a southern flair which reflects her roots. Over twenty plus years of trial and error, she, along with the help of her daughter Kamaal, have achieved this and share their approach in their cookbook “Throwin’ Down” Vegetarian Style! which is a collection of their favorite quick, easy, high protein vegetarian soul food and ethnic recipes. You can find more information about the Theus Family and how they live and eat at www.21stCenturyVegetarians.com.

Martha and Kamaal have “cracked the code” and taken the mystery and confusion out of vegetarian living by providing tips and recipes that are not only healthy but also very hearty and tasty and reminiscent of the foods we all grew up with. Their family is committed to a vegetarian lifestyle as a spiritual choice. They feel this lifestyle is a great blessing, evidenced by the fact that they enjoy good health and do not have any of the diet related diseases that many African Americans suffer from. They don’t believe that you have to choose between eating “good” and eating “right.” You can do both!

Londale Theus (Sr.)

Londale is a native of Los Angeles and grew up on the mean streets of South Central L.A. As a youth, he excelled in basketball and eventually earned an athletic scholarship to Santa Clara University where he played with former NBA star Kurt Rambis. Upon graduation, Londale was drafted by the NBA but suffered a career-ending knee injury right before training camp. He then pursued a career in law enforcement which spanned over 20 years, and included serving on the Santa Monica S.W.A.T. team, teaching defensive tactics to law enforcement officer across the country, and serving as the Director of Force Training for Krav Maga Worldwide, an Israeli self-defense system.

Early in his law enforcement career, he was introduced to a spiritual philosophy that changed his life profoundly. The foundation of this philosophy involved a vegetarian diet, to support the precept of living with compassion for all creatures.

In 1985, he met and married Martha Theus, who embraced the vegetarian diet and the spiritual philosophy behind it. Over the years, Londale has been able to keep fit and healthy throughout his grueling law enforcement and self-defense training regime due to Martha’s convenient, healthy, and delicious vegetarian cooking.

Londale is now an actor and currently lives in Los Angeles with Martha and their two children, Londale Jr. and Kamaal. Visit his website, www.LondaleTheus.com for more information.

Londale Theus, Jr.

Londale Theus, Jr. (23) was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles and has also been a vegetarian since birth. He was an outstanding athlete and excelled at the sport of basketball. He attended high school in Blue Ridge, Virginia where he graduated valedictorian of his class. After high school, he attended New Mexico State University where he played basketball for his cousin, former NBA player and coach Reggie Theus.

During his time at New Mexico, he was one of the best conditioned athletes on the team, and stood 6’6” tall, weighing 200 pounds. His teammates and his coaches were shocked that this level of physicality was possible from a life-long vegetarian. Following his example, his roommates embraced the diet and found that they felt better while eating vegetarian. Since that time, Londale has attended school in Idaho, and now is back in Los Angeles, where he attends California State University Long Beach majoring in theatre. He is also a stand-up comedian and has performed in various clubs throughout Los Angeles, including the famed Comedy Store. Like Londale, Sr. he is pursing a career in acting.

Kamaal Theus

Kamaal (24) was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, and has been vegetarian since birth. She is an animal lover and has a passion for Japanese animation (anime) and foreign cultures. She is a recent graduate of California State University, Long Beach with a degree in Spanish Translation and Interpretation. She spent her freshman year in Costa Rica where she lived with a family, studied in the local university, and gained fluency in the language. Since that time, she has played college rugby, studied French and Japanese, and has shared her vegetarian lifestyle with friends and co-workers from across the globe. Kamaal is the co-author of “Throwin’ Down Vegetarian Style” and is an integral part of the 21st Century Vegetarians business.

Are they not beautiful? Go head over to http://www.21stcenturyvegetarians.com/ to watch Martha's welcome video and go get her book! I love these folks! Positive, healthy, and inspiring. You can't get better than that!

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angels is on Facebook!

2010-09-16T08:59:00.000-04:00

Hi, ya'll. Mocha Angels is my growing empire! It's now on Facebook. It's a public page dedicated to The Daily Mocha Angel messages, and holistic tips about yoga, raw food, vegan food, energy healing and more. Please "Like" it, as I want to get my book published within the next 18-24 months and would like the word of mouth fan base to grow!

All you have to do is search "Mocha Angels" and it will come right up. Click the "Like" button on top and my posts will show up in your timeline.

I have a personal "Althea Hughes Wills" page too. My privacy settings are set to that only "Friends of Friends" can find me. If we do not have mutual friends, my name doesn't even come up. Send me an email if we don't have mutual friends. I can "Friend" you. mochaangels@aol.com

Thanks for joining the Mocha Angels Facebook page. And share it with your likeminded friends too!

Coming up: Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan features a FAMILY tomorrow! And a review of Victoria Boutenko's updated classic Green for Life! (and because I love you all, someone will win a copy!)

Love,
Althea

DC VegFest...

2010-09-15T18:44:00.000-04:00

...was totally worth the trip. Held on the campus of George Washington University in the heart of Washington, DC, DC VegFest was the bomb. Me and my family all attended. In retrospect, I should have just gone with my oldest son, Raymond, seen below with Mr. Carrot. He was feeling it. He had a great time and he didn't want to leave. Since he wants to be a chef, that made sense.

Raymond and Mr. Carrot. Raymond had just finished a cupcake which is why frosting is all over his mouth!

Rom wanted a new Facebook profile picture, and he got one.

There had to be at least a thousand people there. Jona definitely had some sensory overload issues, which I have to keep in mind. He was fine during the drive down; could never settle down while we were there, unless he was eating (away from the crowd); he was ready to go pretty early in the game. We all went because the four of us don't get out much together all at the same time. Family time is important, but we have to keep it simple, with less people around. And on the drive home, Jona was fine. He even took a few pictures of me in the car, and a self-portrait of himself, which I accidentally deleted!

I ran into Ms. Wanda Peace and Mrs. Marcy Clark, and her lovely family, both Raw Mocha Angel readers. I didn't get photos because I had to constantly keep one eye on Jona. Wanda will tell you Jona was tugging on me the whole time I was talking to her and her friend Denise!

Food Porn for you all, because I love you.

From Vegan Treats in Pennsylvania. I had the Carrot Cake (because Jona stuck his finger in it) and the Caramel Cheesecake. That's the one in the center between the Carrot Cake and the Oreo Cake. It was one of the best, ,most original cakes I've ever tasted.

Khepra Anu from Mojo Juice Club was there workin' his raw food mojo. I caught him chopping coconuts open with a machete. Fierce!

Khepra makes the best raw food in DC. I got a raw burger, kale salad, and some kind of rice that was amazing. That platter was the last thing I bought and I ate it in the car (didn't think to photograph it!) It was awesome. Rom said, "I guess you're not going to wait to get home to eat that, huh?" Uh, no. Too good to wait. Amazing.

Tal Ronnen, author of The Conscious Cook was there too. I have no idea what he made, but I'm glad I caught a photo. I intend to meet him in person one day.

Jill Eckhart, assistant to Neal Barnard, M.D., who is the founder of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, was there. I have this book (just made my first recipe from it today) and will review it soon. I had to get a picture of her.

Teach your children well.

Thanks DC VegFest!

Love,

Althea

Have You Ever Seen a Healthy Vegan? #5

2010-09-10T00:03:00.002-04:00

A. Breeze Harper

Breeze Harper was born and raised in Connecticut, in the rural town of Lebanon with her twin, Tal. She wasn't always health conscious when it comes to what she puts in and on her body. She attended Dartmouth College in the early nineties and remembers eating Hershey bars and drinking Dr. Pepper soda for breakfast. She used these foods to comfort herself in a highly classist and racist environment. Simultaneously, she was plagued with insomnia and painful menstrual cycles that she would later learn was directly connected to the junk food that she put into her body. When she was in her mid twenties, she was diagnosed with a fibroid tumor. Her mother had been only a few years older when she was diagnosed with fibroids and had a hysterectomy.

Realizing that she didn't want to go the route of surgery or prescription drugs, Breeze consulted with her father, who is very well read in herbal healing. He asked her, "Well, what did our people do before African slavery in the USA? What foods and herbs were we using to heal our bodies?" So, the adventure into the healing world of African Diasporic people began. Breeze's friend Diane introduced her to the work of Queen Afua's book Sacred Woman, which teaches women how to eat a plant-based living foods diet to decolonize their bodies and to cure their womb health ailments. Breeze stuck to the diet and was able to shrink her fibroids over 75%. She was so impressed by Afua that she asked herself, "What else have I been told by the medical world is 'incurable' when it can in fact been cured through a whole foods vegan diet?" Ever since then, she's been researching how black female vegans in the USA are developing their own epistemologies around plant-based diets.

Breeze is currently a PhD candidate in Critical Food Geographies at University of California, Davis. She explores how and why mainstream vegan rhetoric takes a 'race-neutral' (defaults to "everyone has a white middle class relationship with food" mentality) approach to vegan and animal rights activism and how the collectivity of black women practicing plant-based diets take a 'race-conscious' approach. Lantern Books published Harper's book project Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health and Society in March of 2010. It is the first book that addressed how race and gender construct one's consciousness around, and practice of, veganism.

Research Website: www.breezeharper.com and www.sistahveganproject.com
Research Group: Critical Race and Food Studies Intersect :
http://groups.google.com/group/critical-race-theory-and-food-studies-research?lnk=gcimh
Research Group: Critical Race and Veg*n Studies Intersect http://sistahveganproject.ning.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sistahvegan

And The Winner is....

2010-09-08T07:06:00.000-04:00

The winner of 30-Minute Vegan is........

entry Number Nine, so that means:

Addie Bliss-Wagner,

come on down!

You've won!

Congratulations!