O.K. So I had planned to start my juice feast yesterday, then found out at the last minute about a great veggie potluck that was taking place right near the organic farm where I was going to purchase my produce. I picked up my juicing produce & also some fresh, organic cherries and strawberries to bring to the potluck & headed over there.

Those are the feathery tops of fennel bulbs sticking way out of the box. LOVE fennel! I juice the fennel bulb and the greens too. Or use them both in salads. Or blend them both in a soup.

As soon as I arrived at the potluck, I was asked to make a salad from some beautiful, fresh greens my friend Vincent had hydroponically grown on his roof. I used what was around. Apples, red onion, slivered almonds. And a dressing of lime juice, olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh ginger and sea salt. Nice and fresh and light. And I served up the cherries and strawberries on top of two fanned-out kale leaves on a platter. The red against the green backdrop looked quite festive. Should have taken a photo. Raylon Smith took this photo with the salad.

The variety of foods at the potluck was so good, that I ended up sampling several things; all vegan, but several cooked. Lucky me that one of the guests had watched one of my videos on YouTube about how to make a raw collard burrito wrap & she brought a tray of those.

Here’s the entertaining video with BD Freeman from when I had my restaurant, Veggie Magic/Vibe Cuisine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww5TIVgT1YE&feature=PlayList&p=B93C3830CEF5979A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8

They were delicious! I give her a lot of credit because she had to do some improvisation. The exact recipe isn’t revealed in the video.

I did manage to avoid the dessert table, until I found out that our Peruvian hostess had made a traditional corn cake, vegan-style. I’m always interested in authentic, ethic foods, so I just had to try it. And it was yummy! But the fiesta of food had its effects. I woke up this morning feeling groggy and my eyes were puffy.

I dragged myself to my church for our holiday celebration service and was immediately buoyed by the spirit of the people there. It was a packed house! Funny how everyone shows up for the holidays. My church celebrates all faiths. I love the inclusivity of it. We lit candles and it was so beautiful from the balcony.

Afterward, the chorus invited my mom (a musician) and me and friends to brunch with them. I ordered a salad, which tasted like pesticides. Once you’ve eaten the pure thing, you just can’t enjoy pesticide-laden veggies anymore.

Now, I’m REALLY ready for my juice feast. Starting first thing tomorrow. I’m all stocked up and motivated.

It’s Simply Grateful Sunday and I am grateful that tomorrow brings another day and another chance to do what I know is best for my health.

To Your Supercharged Life!

Jenna

P.S. Get your very own copy of my award-winning documentary, “Supercharge Me! 30 Days Raw.” Viewers say its entertaining, educational & inspiring. And film sales fund my life mission of spreading the good word about the power of getting back to nature. http://www.JennaNorwood.com

Am I alone or is there anyone else out there whose good eating habits went out the window beginning around Thanksgiving time? The nearly five weeks of holiday season can be brutal in terms of the naughty food temptations. And it’s tradition, right? Heavier eating is expected during the holiday season. And of course, there are a LOT more sweets. And it doesn’t help that sugar depresses the immune system. It raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system.

More info on sugar here: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm

So, is it any wonder that so many people get sick this time of year. Unhealthy foods, more time indoors with recycled air and the extra energy the body takes to stay warm, at least in some geographic regions. (In Sarasota today, it’s 66 degress with winds gusting up to 18 mph. That feels cold to my acclimatized self. But last week in Boston, I got chilled to the bone).

I’ve been feeling “under the weather” since my Boston trip. So, I’m going to do something about it. Instead of continuing to submit to crazy holiday eating habits, I’m going to start juice feasting today. I juice feasted exclusively for 60 days starting back in March of this year. I felt fantastic & looked the best I had since I started college. And I’m 43 now. Who would have thought that it was possible to turn the hands of time back so far? The best news was that large cysts I’d had in my chest for more than 20 years almost completely disappeared. Here’s a photo of me celebrating Cinco de Mayo with green juice on Sarasota’s beautiful Lido Beach on my 50th day on juice.

Jenna Norwood 50 Days on Juice, Cinco de Mayo

I want to feel that good again. Not sure whether I’ll do 100% juice all the time, or just mostly juice. But the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference kicked this off with their Challenge of a water fast for 24-hours. That’s 5 C’s! I can do this! In honor of the 5 C’s, my first juice will be Cucumber, Cabbage, Collards, Carrots & Celery. Sounds yummy! And I feel so fortunate to have a great resource in the very knowledgeable juice feasting couple, David & Katrina Rainoshek:

http://www.juicefeasting.com/

On my way to the Farmer’s Market to stock up on fresh, organic & locally-grown produce. Hope to find an abundance of greens to juice. So alkalizing.

To your radiant health!

Jenna : )

P.S. Get your very own copy of my award-winning documentary, “Supercharge Me! 30 Days Raw.” It’s entertaining, educational & inspiring. And film sales fund my life mission of spreading the good word about the power of getting back to nature. http://www.JennaNorwood.com

Last night in Sarasota, I attended a presentation by John Mackey, Co-Founder & CEO of Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods started with one small store in Austin, Texas & now has more than 270 stores in North America & the UK. As a shareholder in WFMI, as well as a frequent customer & raw foods instructor there for the past several years, I was very interested in hearing what Mackey had to say. There was a very good crowd for the event, with a few hundred in attendance. They blocked off half of the store’s parking garage & turned it into a theater. Good thing as it was a windy night.

As much as I love Whole Foods as my trusted source for organic produce, I still expected to have to wade through some rhetoric from the man with such fiscal responsibility on his shoulders. And of course I expected it to be all pro-Whole Foods. What I got was a very pleasant shock. Mackey actually spoke out against most of the products in his stores, including meat, dairy, all processed foods and supplements. His talk was a leading-edge nutritional lecture focused on the beneficial effects of eating fresh, raw foods. In his modified food chart, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds & beans were heavily weighted. He used the term “nutritarian” to describe people who seek the most nutrient-dense foods. It all makes perfect sense.

He also discouraged the use of all oils, including olive oil, because of their high fat content and artery-clogging tendencies. He said studies on the Mediterranean diet were flawed because many of the subjects died of heart disease shortly after the four-year study. He recommended salad dressings made with blended nuts or seeds & fresh fruit.

He encouraged buying produce in season for freshness and cost-savings.

He said he himself has been mostly vegan for many years.

Mackey also pledged to offer more health education for his customers and staff. He expects to see an improvement in the health of his staff (team) members. And that will help his bottom line.

After the talk, Mackey took several questions from audience members. Most were about the practical aspects of adopting a vegan lifestyle. And he answered the questions competently.

So, it turns out Mackey & I are singing the same tune. I had no idea he was so pro-raw. That makes me very happy, even as a shareholder, in spite of the fact that he’s discouraging the purchase of most of his products. Because I believe in karma. And if you do the right thing, good things will come back to you.

I’ve been very grateful for the presence of Whole Foods for many years. As much as one might criticize Mackey or his business, he has brought much healthier options to 270 communities. So, it was an honor to meet him and have a little chat after his talk. I gave him a copy of my film, “Supercharge Me!” & he seemed interested in it. I’m aiming to have the film in all Whole Foods stores. Fingers are crossed…

Meanwhile, you can get your copy here now!

http://www.jennanorwood.com/

I know what you’re thinking & I promise I’m not kissing up to Mackey just because I want his stores to carry my film. I was genuinely impressed by the uncommon integrity he exhibited at his presentation last night.

Have you ever seen the film, “The Corporation?” It’s very enlightening and gives some powerful insights about the challenges the heads of corporations face when they’re held legally accountable to be solely motivated by profit for their shareholders. Also details the story about how a study was kept from the public that showed dairy tainted by Monsanto chemicals was causing cancer in laboratory animals.

I jotted down Mackey’s recommended reading list. And here it is:

The China Study by Dr. Colin Cambell

Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn

Eat to Live & Eat for Health by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn

The McDougall Program by Dr. John McDougall

Healthy at 100 & The Food Revolution by John Robbins

Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Preventing & Reversing Dianetes & Food for Life by Dr. Neal Barnard

The Pleasure Trap by Doug Lisle

Healing Cancer from the Inside Out by Mike Anderson

To your radiant health!
Jenna