I hope that you have had an awesome weekend! It was refreshing and hot, all the better to quench intense thirst with melons of all sorts! Everyone has been admiring my melon belly, and I will stand firm in the fact that I am proud of my melon belly no matter how big it is! It is beautiful!   We have been blessed with the best local figs, pickles, SQUASH, blueberries, and watermelons and more this week.

I want to thank everyone for your patience, as we seem to be nomads lately. For the next few weeks, we are in the parking lot next door to Grace Presbyterian Church. It is in the parking lot of the shopping center next door at the corner of Seagler and Westheimer. We will be set up by the Brookewood Community Center. Please see the contact us page on our website for further directions.

This past week, I had SO many volunteers come to help us in the sopping rain! It was steaming hot one minute, and then it was pouring the next! Although it was hilarious to see us have to move the entire operation from one end of the parking lot to the other end, we had an awesome time! We were laughing and enjoying the amazing workout! It was nice to even have a shower! Talk about a mult-itask filled day! The most memorable part of this last week for me was the amazing workout that we got while sorting the veggies. Where else can you be a part of a community sorting unbelievable food and get a great workout at the same time?!

Getting exercise is just as good for your health as is eating healthy. Eating well and exercising play hand in hand to help us feel and think our best. While we may all have the food component down pat, what we may not realize is that we are stocking our houses with the best workout tools ever…our food! Our produce has more than one use! That’s right, they can also be used to help you get a great workout! Have you ever used a watermelon as a weight and done curl-ups with it?! Try that for an awesome sweat!

I have been known to make myself busy working out with my food. I like to “earn” my food meals. The more I workout, the more hungry I become, and the bigger appetite I will have to eat my food! Lifting and loading 40 lb boxes of produce is a way better workout than going to the gym! I already run 6-7 miles daily, but co-op days are especially athletic to me as I have to be prepared to do all types of physical labor. On Thursday, as the volunteers and I were lifting and moving crates of squash, I realized that my legs were truly building muscle squatting for squash! I looked around and realized that we were all getting workout squats! As I looked over, someone else was doing the banana squat, another a pickle squat, and another laying some “egg”plant! You cannot get this type of workout anywhere else! Co-op is literally different every week. The changing weather, food, and locations keep us on our feet haha! Since we are always getting in new seasonal yummies…you could be squatting for all reasons possible!

As we were all getting awesome workouts and happily playing with our food, I started to come up with all types of hilarious workouts in my head that we can do with our co-op boxes! Here is the uproarious list:

Lunging for Lemons

Spinach Sit-ups

Plum Pull-ups

Broccoli Butt Squeezes

Calve Raises with Beefsteak Tomatoes

Cantaloupe Crunches

Orange Juggling

Melon Medicine Balls

Box Counting Brain Activities

Apple Aerobics

Pineapple Pilates

Hot Pepper Yoga

Carrot Back Cracks

Swiss Chard Stretching

Falling for Figs

Honeydew Hopscotch

D’Anjou Dance

Celery Curls

Potato Push-Ups

Kiwi Kicks

Watermelon Weights

Blueberry Boxing

Granny Smith Sprints

Squash Squats!

Romaine Running

Kale Jumps

Shake It Sweet Basil Shimmy!

This past week has truly made me realize how much fun that we have every Thursday and Saturday. Even when I find myself discouraged that we do not yet have a permanent home, I love that I can enjoy myself and let go with others. We create our own home no matter where we are. We are a family, and we co-operate together through good times and unfavorable times. Co-op time is sacred time. It is a time to get away from anything else going on, and to enjoy yourself with others who share this passion. Thank you all for sharing in this amazing experience and journey with me. It is truly unforgettable.

Hugs*

I hope that you had the most refreshing weekend! This has been the perfect weekend for getting hot and cooling off! I enjoyed an awesome run in the steaming sun at Terry Hershey, only to get showered on by summer rains. My favorite part is when the asphalt began to smoke as it cooled down from the rain showers.  I cannot think of a better day: co-oping in the morning, sunshine, running in afternoon, cooling rain, abundant food, and amazing company! Did I mention that we had abundant blueberries, HUGE watermelons, honeydews, nectarines, greens, plums, and figs this week?! We all have so much for which to be grateful! Sometimes, it the simplest things in life that keep us happy and that keep us satisfied.

When things are easy, they are convenient. Sometimes, we don’t realize how convenient some things are because we do them so often; they come naturally to us. For many, being healthy is a struggle. Many ask me often if living a raw food lifestyle or if being healthy is convenient. All I can respond to ask is the following: “What is not convenient about having perfect health?” “Isn’t life hugely inconvenient when you are unhealthy???” The truth is all that it takes is a bit of passion and determination. The struggle lasts only in your mind; it ends when you say that it ends. If we truly want to accomplish something, we must make it a priority in our lives, and we must make it easier to achieve this goal. Many take different approaches to this. Whether it is making a goal, proper planning, scheduling meals, setting work-out times, or finding continuous support, all of our strategies assist us in the end. Let’s face it: if it’s not convenient, most likely, we may not stick with it. We must create our own convenience.

I never think twice about being raw. Eating a 100% raw diet has become so intertwined into my life that living in the “real world” while doing this is just as easy as living my life. I know now how my body functions, when I must east meals, how I must plan meals, how I can travel, how to ripen fruit, how I can exercise on the go, how I can help others, and how I can live as an example. With each passing day, I still become more graceful in this process. The learning process never ends, and we must always be shifting and adjusting to adapt to our surroundings. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Here are ten easy ways to make living RAWFULLY and HEALTHFULLY easier in your life:

1. Always have fruits and veggies available to you. Surround yourself with them! The minute that you run out, you are more inclined to eat something that is not healthy. You will increase your cravings as well.
2. Do not limit yourself to any amount of fruits or vegetables. Eating more fruits and veggies will decrease your cravings for other foods. Please remember that you must eat almost twice as many fruits/veggies to get the necessary amount of calories from cooked foods, so don’t be afraid to stuff your face!
3. Keep track of your intake. It helps you to truly figure out how much you are eating, if you are eating enough, and what amounts you are eating. Visit www.cronometer.com for a desktop download.
4. Mono-mealing fruit (www.rawfullyorganic.com/faq) during the day makes life quick and easy. Sometimes bringing a bag of fruit like grapes or bananas to work creates efficiency and is much less complicated than waking up and pre-preparing a salad. Eat a large salad when you get home from dinner, and you will see how much more that you enjoy it!
5. Schedule your eating times during the day. Make time to eat! Sometimes, life gets so busy that we forget and end up binging later. Make the time and create balance.
6. Make sure that you buy enough food for both you and your family. I have learned that if I only buy enough for myself and if my family ends up wanting some of my stash, I am left either hungry or having to go and purchase more. This creates a feeling of hopelessness, and we must avoid it! This can lead to other “bad” choices in the grocery store. Spend the money to have more fruit and veggies around the house. This will decrease your budget everywhere else, including your dotor bill!!!
7. Communicate and share your new eating passion with others. The more that you share this gift with others, the more that it becomes a part of you. You will come to love and accept it more, and others will see and accept this change within you. This makes it less socially akward for you. If you are excited about it, they will be too!
8. If you need to go out for a meal, you can do one of four things. Firstly, you can call beforehand to let them know that you eat only raw foods, and ask them if you can be accommodated. Secondly, many individuals carry a card that states a list of the raw items that they can eat. Have the waiter pass this on to the chef. Thirdly, you can bring your own food and ask them to prepare them for you. Fourth, you can eat before you come, and simply enjoy the company of your friends.
9. Try to find time to exercise each week. This time can even be taking a walk around your office building during lunch break. I always tell people that they must “earn” their meals. Exercise is good for you. Period. It also helps to increase your appetite, and it makes you happier!
10. Find friends and family that support you! This is one of the most essential components. When we feel supported, it brings us confidence to succeed until we can lift off on our own. Just do it!

Hindering Questions that I have received:

Is your health convenient?

YES! ABSOLULTEY!! Is living convenient???

When is it convenient to go raw?

What are you waiting for?!

What will others think?

You cannot live your life based on what others think.

Can I do this?

Do you want to do this?

What if I need more variety?

You get more WAY more variety in a year eating raw than the SAD diet.

How do you make it convenient?

Just do it!

Convenience applies to all areas of our lives and not just the health aspect. As I have tried to find us the best new co-op spot, convenience has been one of the most important decision factors. I truly want the pick-up to be as easy as possible for everyone, which is why I have been looking for a centrally located lot where everyone can easily come in and out, load up, visit a bit, and even enjoy some sunshine. I have had to rule out some places for the mere fact that it may drive our members away. While some places may be considered “super-cool” and may gain us popularity, I believe that we will lose our numbers if the location is too inconvenient. In the end, I know that we will keep the spirit of the co-op alive by keeping it real and by keeping our original co-op values alive.

I want to thank everyone for your patience in this move as it feels like we are playing hopscotch quite a bit. Until our perfect spot comes, there are greater visions in place that I hope we can create. In the meantime, more good food, amazing company, and great sunshine is on the way!!! Thank you all for being a part of my family. I hold so much love in my heart for each and every one of you, and I cannot wait to see you this week!

*Hugs*

This weekend has been so wonderful and relaxing! I hope that everyone has been able to catch up on resting, eating, laughing, and spending time in the sun! Last week we had lots of rain, but this week is looking out to be very sunny!

This past week we were surprised with FIGS, CHERRIES, blueberries, cantaloupes, nectarines, cucumbers, basil, tomatoes, and more! I believe that we are in for the same abundance as last week, and I am already ready for my new stash! The fruit always seems to go much more quickly in our home!

I want to thank all of my Thursday families in particular for being so co-operative in coming to pick up their shares from Grace Presbyterian! The church was very convenient for pick-up last week, and we will have it at Grace Presbyterian for one more week until we can get a more permanent spot settled. Regardless of where the co-op is located, we still need to eat, so I thank everyone for their patience as we establish our new home! I will most definitely keep everyone updated on our new spot, and I will love to hear any feedback that you may have.

At the current moment, our two potential spots are in Town and Country City Centre in the vacant warehouse below Studio Movie Grill or in the parking lot of the shopping center on Memorial and the Beltway in front of TJ Maxx. One is indoors and in a more popular area. The other is outdoors, and in a more homely area. There are pros and cons to each place, but I am open to hearing feedback from everyone. My only concern about moving is that I truly want our co-op to remain a community and to keep the energy that it has built. We have the most amazing group of individuals who contribute in so many different ways. Everyone volunteers in a different form or fashion, and everyone understands that our community is about giving back. We are completely non-profit, and we share food for the betterment of our health. We are not a retail store, and we are not a service or a sale. We are a co-operative that aims to share in the best seasonal, local, and organic produce in order to live the best way that we know possible. My true desire is not only to allow us to grow abundantly, but also to keep us a family. We have power in greater numbers, and we can change this city one organic vegetable at a time! Therefore, I want to hear where you feel the co-op will be best for you. Where will it be easier to pick-up your box? Where do you feel like the co-op will have the best energy or feeling? Where will your family enjoy it more? Where will be the most fun for you?

Where will co-op be more convenient for you?

In the meantime, I am dreaming up our perfect pavilion for our operation. I can already see us with our own pavilion one day in a park-type setting with easy, drive around parking. We may even have a storage barn! I am putting it out there so that this can one day become a possibility.

The past few weeks I have truly been learning to trust my heart and to allow the way to be shown. I know that everything will turn out perfectly, just as it is meant to be. I can only pray that everyone enjoys this journey with me, and that everyone continues to love this co-op as we all do! Thank you for being a part of the family.

Hugs*