I want this health powder

There are so many different health drinks, systems, retreats, books, etc.,etc. that I would like to try/read/attend/experience/ I would need a couple of lifetimes (it seems - and a bigger bank account) to do it all.

Here's my newest 'healthy thing' I'm wanting to get.

Antioxidant Defense System® Purple
Take a look at this info sheet that I copied from Good Cause Wellness's website:

One Simple Sentence
GoodCause Wellness Antioxidant Defense System Purple is a great tasting, superior blend of nutrients from 19 fruit and vegetable to boost your body's anti-aging defense system.

Why should I use GCW ADS Purple? GCW ADS Purple is a blend 19 powerful antioxidant nutrients. By simply adding one scoop per day to a glass of water, juice or a smoothie, you support your body in attaining optimal health. It's also a convenient way to boost your energy. GCW ADS Purple is comprised on many of the fruits and vegetables you wish you would eat every day, but rarely get the chance to consume.	How does GCW ADS Purple taste? It might just be the best tasting nutrition drink mix available. The berry flavor is enhanced with stevia and purple carrots. It's delicious mixed with water or juice and adds nice flavor to a smoothie. If you like the idea of nutrient-rich drink mixes, but don't like the taste, this is the one for you.
How does GCW ADS Purple taste? It might just be the best tasting nutrition drink mix available. The berry flavor is enhanced with stevia and purple carrots. It's delicious mixed with water or juice and adds nice flavor to a smoothie. If you like the idea of nutrient-rich drink mixes, but don't like the taste, this is the one for you.	What's in GCW ADS Purple? Many of nature's most nutrient-rich foods are darkly colored fruits and vegetables. GCW ADS Purple is a blend of 19 nutrient rich and pesticide-free whole fruits and vegetables.
Key Ingredients Include Pomegranate Extract has a higher phenolic content than most pomegranate juices without the sugar and calories. Acai is a small dark purple fruit and has one of the highest ORAC values of any edible berry. It has 10 times the antioxidants of grapes and twice the antioxidants of blueberries. Goji berries have a wide range of anti-aging benefits from energy enhancement to cardiovascular protection. Goji is considered one of the most nutritionally dense food	Camu Camu is a small purple fruit that strengthens the immune system especially when the body is stressed. It has more Vitamin C than any other known plant in the world. Mangosteen supports joint, intestinal and immune system health. It helps neutralize cell damage caused by free radicals and supports optimal cell functions.
What are the benefits of GCW ADS Purple? Rich in Antioxidants. Contains potent antioxidants such as such as phenols, anthocyanins, ellagic acid, proanthocyanidins, bioflavonoids and Vitamin C. Infused with Anti-Aging Nutrients. Anti-aging nutrients in GCW ADS Purple include Alpha GPC, L-Carnosine, and Folic Acid to support mental energy, focus and clarity Promotes Optimal Health. GCW ADS Purple offers nutrients that support healthy aging, optimal nerve and brain functions, strong cellular health, good circulation, strong immune system functions and smooth, healthy skin.	Suggested Use As a dietary supplement, mix one level (10.95g) scoop in six to eight oz. of cold water or juice, one time daily. Supplement Facts Serving size: 10.95g (one level scoop) Servings Per Container: 30 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 34 Total Fat: <.5g Saturated Fat: 0g Total Carbohydrates: 10g Sugars: 0g Fiber: 3g Protein: 0g Vitamin C: 17mg Folic Acid: 400mcg

IngredientsProprietary Fruit Powder Blend, 4900 mg
(Containing blueberry, blackberry, black cherries, black raspberries, black currants, plums, elderberries, bilberries, figs and raisins)
Soluable Fiber (Fibersol-2), 200mg
Proprietary Vegetable Powder Blend, 1250 mg
(Containing eggplant, purple carrots, purple cabbage, and beets)
Acai Fruit Powder, 400 mg
Camu Camu Powder, 300 mg
Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) Fruit Extract, 300 mg
yields Mangostin, 30 mg
Gogi (Wolfberry/Lycium barbarum) Berry Powder, 200 mg
Proprietary “Brain” Blend, 100 mg containing L-Carnosine and Alpha GPC
P40p™ Pomegranate Extract, 40 mg yielding Punicosides, 16 mg
Stevia, 35 mg
Other Ingredients: natural raspberry, strawberry, cherry, vanilla and spearmint flavors, banana powder, cinnamon, citric acid.

Thoughts on Raw

Still not back to 100% raw.

Maybe I will start again on Monday (today is Saturday). The weekends can be so tempting with everyone home and wanting to go and eat and get special snacks.

Even though I am not raw, it has been at least 12 days of no meat. Vegetarinism may be my best bet for easing into the raw lifestyle. I feel really tired; even more so than when I was eating just raw. I'm assuming the heavy foods I've recently begun ingesting (rice, pasta, beans, corn chip, flour tortillas, etc) are the culprit.

I'm not raw today

This would have been day 10 of being raw. So what happened? I guess I could sum it up to not feeling I could 'mentally' handle being raw.

Physically I was o.k. Well, I won't say 'completely' o.k. My bowels feel congested. I don't even think I had a bowel movement yesterday. I've always been a bit 'slow' in that department and I thought being raw would help things out. I did have very loose bowels for the 1st couple of days into being raw but then things began to feel like they were stopping up. I had the feeling of having a full colon but incomplete movements.

So anyway today I had a huge bowl of elbow noodles mixed in with a can of green beans and a can of mixed greens with several tablespoons of salsa and a few dashes of teriakyi sauce. It tasted great and I felt much better mentally.

Once I left the house, I stopped and had 2 bean burritos from Taco Bell with no cheese and then I ate what was left of my 4yr olds chicken rice bowl that he got from Taco Bell. That consisted of lettuce, refried beans, and rice with a few little strips of chips.

I'm not sure where this is leading to. I'm not sure if I can see my life consisting of just fruit and raw vegetables. Maybe I do need to practice making some more 'gourmet' type raw dishes that mimic cooked foods. I don't particularly relish that idea.

I feel like I can go without meat for quite a while but as far as rice (brown preferably which I enjoy), beans, pasta occasionally, and vegetable soups I don't know if I am willing to make that sacrifice.

Feeling "ho-hum" with fruits/vegs

Today was just a 'blah' day in general. I wonder if this is a part of the 'emotional detox' everyone talks about when you go raw?
I had between 5-6lbs of grapes today; both the crimson/red and the dark purple. The dark purple are really good and sweet and really satisfying to my sweet tooth but even those weren't that appealing today.
I also had one whole mango but it wasn't quite ripe enough.
I finished the day at about 8pm with a green smoothie made of 2 bananas and about 5 leaves of lettuce.
My middle child, the 4 yr old, has been suffering with a bad case of poison oak for the past few days. I can't stop him from scratching. I have given him Benadryl off and on per the doctor's recommendation but I hate to keep drugging him up. Him and the other kids are on fruit only for their breakfasts so I am hoping the enhanced nutrition is helping him heal from the inside. Oh, he also has been taking a liquid steroid medicine.
A rice and bean burrito sure would be good right about now. With chips and salsa.
I guess I should go to bed now.

Part 4 of 4 Health Bar Reviews - "Think! Organic"

All parts of this installment can be found in it's entirety at News Target

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Think! Organic
Organic? Yes
Raw? Yes
Sweeteners? Dates, evaporated cane juice
Flavors: Cherry nut, chocolate coconut, apricot coconut, cashew pecan, cranberry apple, tropical nut
Highlights: Nice variety of flavors, wholesome organic ingredients, fair pricing. Slightly higher on the glycemic index than other bars mentioned here. Offers unique nuts like macadamias.

The Think! Organic line of bars is also based on whole foods goodness. I tasted these bars at a trade show, and they were rich with fruit and nuts, much like the other bars here. They're vegan, 100 percent organic, and have no dairy, soy or refined sugars. The only drawback is the use of evaporated cane juice in some bars. That's a sweetener I don't recommend due to its high glycemic index, but it's far healthier than refined sugar (and it's only used in very small amounts in these bars).

We have an interview with Think! Organic that will be posted on Google Video shortly. You can watch the interview to learn even more about the product.

Information at:www.ThinkProducts.com
Purchase at: Health food stores or www.ThinkProducts.com


Why buy?
It's not just your health that matters when purchasing food bars. It's also the fact that you vote with your dollars. When you buy refined, sugar-laden candy bars (also called "energy bars"), you're actually supporting the continued production of those products. Food companies will produce whatever consumers buy, so when consumer demand shifts to healthier, raw food bars, that's what companies will gravitate towards! (Even the big food companies, too.)
By buying these raw food bars, you are supporting small, passionate companies that are offering genuine food. You're creating a marketplace that can have a positive impact on others due to the success of these raw food bars in the retail channel.

Plus, you're supporting companies who support organic farming. That has a huge impact on protecting the environment. By simply choosing organic food products rather than conventional, you're effectively reducing pesticide runoff by a specific measurable amount. Remember: Every food item you purchase is like an outward expanding ripple in a pond. Your actions impact the whole world, and something as simple as buying a food bar speaks volumes about who you are and what you believe (as well as the kind of future you wish to co-create for your children).

Enjoy!
- Mike Adams

Part 3 of 4 Raw Food Health Bar Reviews - "Smart Monkey Bars"

3rd of 4 installments of Health Bar Review from "Health Ranger" Mike Adams from
News Target

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Smart Monkey Bars
Organic? Yes
Raw? Yes
Sweeteners? Dates
Flavors: Trail mix, ginger snap, carob brownie, sesame snap, cacao cookie, pecan pie
Highlights: All bars are made entirely with fruit, nuts and seeds. Great variety of flavors available, wrapped in Eco-Logic packaging.

These pioneering raw food bars are really good for monkeys. As luck would have it, they're also great for people, too. Smart Monkey Foods has come up with some really creative raw foods recipes and managed to launch a whole series of enticing flavors like Ginger Snap and Cacao Cookie. Who can resist?

The company, its bars and logo are also memorable. Who can forget the words, "Smart Monkey?" Plus, it's accurate: The healthy oils from the nuts and seeds in these bars really do help build healthy brain function and nervous systems. Some of the flavors from Smart Monkey simply can't be found anywhere else. The Sesame Snap and Ginger Snap flavors, for example, are truly unique. Stock up at Amazon or another retailer. The price is mid-range for raw food bars, but the taste experience is truly a cut above the rest. Five stars.

The only drawback I've found to these bars is that if you don't eat them quickly, they can mold. I lost a whole case of Sesame Snap bars to mold (inside the individual wrappers). I don't necessarily blame the company, though: It's very difficult to keep raw food from going bad, especially if you don't use chemical additives. So just remember that this is real food, and it doesn't have the shelf life of a Snickers bar or other dead, processed foods. When you buy live foods, remember to eat them before you lose 'em!

Information at: SmartMonkeyFoods.com
Purchase at: Amazon.com

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Installment 4 is a review of the health food bar called "Think Organic"

Part 2 of 4 Raw Health Bar Reviews - "Pure Bar"

excerpted from "Health Ranger" Mike Adams website at: News Target

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Pure BarOrganic? YesRaw? YesSweeteners? Dates, agave nectarFlavors: Chocolate brownie (Yum!), apple cinnamon (Oooh!), cherry cashew (Wow!)
Highlights: Simply pure, healthful ingredients. Tastes sinfully good. Slightly pricey but well justified due to quality ingredients.
I'm really impressed with the Pure Bar. Its slogan is, "Way too good to be this good," and I enthusiastically agree. This is a truly delightful raw food bar that's not just organic and raw, it's also vegan and certified Kosher. I took one bite of the Cherry Cashew flavor and immediately had a taste flashback to grandma's super-sweet cherry cobbler. Except in this case, there's no sugar, no refined grains, and none of the junk found in cherry pie recipes. Just pure ingredients in the Pure Bar.
The Apple Cinnamon bar tastes like apple pie. I'm not kidding. I think it's the addition of the brown rice protein (my top recommended plant-based protein source) that creates a pie crust taste. It's out of this world.
Pure Bar gets an enthusiastic five-star rating from me. Everything is right about this bar, and if I had the cash, I'd buy one for every person on the planet. Nobody should miss out on the pure goodness of this food bar marvel!
Information at: ThePureBar.com
Purchase at: Amazon.com or other health food retailer.
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Next review is on the "Smart Monkey Bars"

Article from "Health Ranger" Mike Adams. Review of "Raw Revolution Bars"

I recently read an article on the top 4 raw food health bars that I'd like to share.
For ease of reading, and to make it easier when people are searching for info on specific health bars, I am going to separate each health bar review into it's own post. Here is the first installment.

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With the public awakening to the health benefits of live foods (raw foods), a number of impressive new companies have emerged, sporting delicious new raw food bars that make the health food bars of just two years ago seem outdated.
Today, you can find food bars made with absolutely none of the "bad" stuff (refined sugars, etc.), but loaded with all the "good" stuff (raw nuts, agave nectar, berries, raw cacao, sesame, ginger, and so on). They're truly healthy food bars, and not just gimmicky "energy" bars loaded with high-fructose corn syrup or low-grade soy protein, for example.

When it comes to real food, these bars are the real McCoy. They're so good that I'm buying them by the box from Amazon.com and other online retailers. And in my opinion, they make most of the food bars found at retail (even at most health food stores) look like candy bars. Of course, it won't be long before these bars also appear in retail, so watch for them there! None of these bars have any of the following unhealthful ingredients:

Refined sugars
Trans fats / hydrogenated oils
Artificial additives, colors or preservatives
Dairy or soy products
Here's the list: (Oh, by the way, in case you didn't already know, none of these companies paid me to be listed here. These are all independent, unsolicited reviews.)

Raw Revolution Bars
Organic? Yes
Raw? Yes
Sweeteners? Agave nectar
Flavors: Chocolate, coconut, cashew, raisin, hazelnut, raspberry and various combinations
Highlights: Great choice of sweetener, premium ingredients, rich taste, generous bar size and fair price

This is among my top recommendations for new food bars on the market. This bar really gets it right with organic ingredients, raw food goodness and the perfect choice for sweeteners: Agave nectar. The taste is perfectly balanced (unless you're expecting it to taste like a sugary candy bar, which it doesn't), and they're surprisingly affordable given the expensive ingredients found inside. The portions are also generous: The bars are 2.2 oz. of raw foods goodness vs. the 1.75 oz. that's typical of other raw food bars. So you simply get more health-enhancing food for your dollar.

This company is a great find! It was founded by a registered nurse (R.N.) / Natural Foods Chef named Alice Benedetto. Check their website (below) to read her full story.

I sure love these food bars. The brain-enhancing oils found in the raw nuts are good for everyone, but especially children who almost never get enough healthy oils. I'm ordering several boxes of these bars in various flavors so I can hand 'em out to friends. Five stars.

Learn more at: RawIndulgence.com
Buy at: www.Amazon.com or other health food retailers.

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end of part 1 of 5 installments on Raw Health Bar. See http://www.newstarget.com/020396.html to view the original article in its entirety.

Day 8 of all raw but still tired

In looking back over my posts, I notice that on my June 30th posting, I wondered what I would feel like if I ever could make it through a 24-48hr period with only fruits and veggies in my body. Well I am finally here. If someone would have told me at the beginning of this year of 2006 that I would be persuing, and persuing fairly successfully, a raw,vegan diet, I would have been hard pressed to believe it!

How do I feel? I feel good. Not AMAZING, but good.
"O.K." you ask, "so what would make you feel amazing?"
Not feeling tired.
I am not sure if I am completely suprised by this feeling of tiredness. I think it may be a symptom of detox. My thinking is that my body is healing, mending, changing stuff on the inside and this has me feeling tired.
When I say I feel 'tired' I mean that when I wake up in the morning, I feel like I could still lay there and sleep - a lot - and very soundly.
I wish I could do that very thing.

I also feel I could take naps in the afternoon. It's not the same type of 'urgency' though that I used to feel on the SAD diet. If I take a nap great; if I don't I still feel pretty good.

Looking forward to seeing what my whole 30 days raw will do about this tiredness issue.

Am I getting enough food?

My insides are kinda "bubbly". I don't have gas but I can "feel" stuff moving around inside. It seems like I should have a bowel movement but I don't have the urge to go. This makes me think I haven't consumed enough food to really push things along.
Here's what I've had today.
At about 11:00am I approximately 4 cups of red seedless grapes.
At about 12:00pm I had a green smoothie made of 3 bananas, 4 or so leaves of dark green lettuce, a 6inch or so long piece of celery and about a cup and a half of water, all blended together in my Vitamix.
At about 4:30pm I had about 4 cups of red seedelss grapes.
I have to leave the house in a bit but when I come back I am going to have a couple of whole mangos that I'll cut into cubes and maybe another green smoothie.

Farmers Market

I just love our local farmers market! I just purchased a HUGE bag of red seedless grapes for $4.00. There's got to be at least 8lbs of grapes in my bag. The cheapest grapes at the commercial stores are $1.29 a pound this week. This same purchase would have cost me OVER $10.00 in the retail store! I also bought 4 mangoes for $1.00. The cheapest I have seen them in the store this week is $1.00 a piece.

Raw for September

Well, I am now on day 5 of 100% raw. I started on Tuesday of this month which was September 5th, the day after Labor Day.

So far I feel really good. No major detox symptoms although I do have 2 small cold sores inside my bottom lip.

My plans are to stay raw for the entire month of September.

I have experienced cravings but have been able to resist by eating large quantities of grapes and also cherries which, thankfully, I found at the City Market at the great price of $1 per pound! I think cherry season is over so I was quite glad to find them and for such a good price.