Optimum Health Institute San Diego, California Hi OHI Grads, It's taken me a couple of weeks to settle in, and I wanted to get off a communication regarding many things, but one being some of the raw food recipes with photos of my recent kitchen activities. This morning I created a fresh guacamole. Here's the photo and recipe: Guacamole 3 avocadoes diced 2 small vine-ripened tomatoes 4 diced garlic cloves pinch of sea salt (found at rawfood.com) Much of the fun with creating this food is creating the eye appeal, so I garnished the guacamole with fresh garden greens, and sprouted green lentils. Sea Cheese I've been using my blender to create this and it works just fine: 1 cup sesame seeds soaked overnight 3/4 cup sunflower seeds soaked overnight 1 Tbsp Dulce 1 Tbsp raw goat yogurt (off the path of raw food, I know, but added a really great creamy texture to the sea cheese) Salad Garnish (I can't remember the name of this...if you do, let me know!): 3/4 cup sesame seeds soaked and dried 1/4 cup grated, fresh ginger 1/4 cup grated fresh garlic Pinch of sea salt Tossed gently in a bowl and fabulously delicious. Remember that sesame seeds is one of our best sources of calcium and so a great food item for any of us. I did go online at rawfood.com and purchased the cacao chips and the wolfberries, and have been enjoying those as an afternoon snack every few days--they are delicious. I have found staying in a healthy range with this program is not easy. the 21 day rule, practicing anything for 21 days and permanent change can happen... well I am having a little trouble there. I am wondering if any of you would be open to having a chat forum to support healthy lifestyle changes? I have pulled together this site, where I intend to place recipes, national holistic events, tips on natural living and lots of my experiences, good and bad on living holistically. I am very open to others contributing their experiences, and beginning to build a community starting with our Optimum Health graduates. I have not been good with drinking all the water--in fact, I could use a review on the Focus Class. My feeling is that in order to implement many of these changes permanently it is close to taking on a part time job, at least in the beginning. Until the changes become a part of your being, like second nature and the need to remind oneself daily has been replaced with an automatic way of being... I am still working on it. I have been drinking a product that I carry on my website, called Carrot Top Tea. It's a great herbal beverage for kidney and urinary tract support. It also is an incredible support for the skin, and one of the reasons I feel my complexion is always bright and clear. Public Broadcasting has introduced a wonderful new program, "The Science Of Emotion/Doctors And Healers." This program looks at extraordinary changes taking place in the field of "integrative" medicine. This program explores how medical researchers, physicians, cost-conscious insurance companies and medical schools are changing the way medicine in practiced in America. [LINK] Here's a look at my garden, I thought it would be fun to do periodic updates on the progress of Organic Gardening in Oregon. I had a garden last year... well, enough said about the past. This year with the soil amending information I learned at Optimum Health and a renewed desire to grow my own, I am planning to grow tomatoes and the like fit for the State Fair. I hope this message finds all of you well and following whatever changes Optimum Health Institute and its experience encouraged you to make. Being a human being means needing community and support to transforms habitual behaviors, inside a community like OHI is fairly easy, it's when we arrive on the doorstep of our daily reality it gets a little sticky. Dash me an e-mail, would love to hear from some of you! In vibrant health, Shay Arave President Subtle Energy Solutions "Life is a conversation about how we speak to ourselves and to the communities around us." HOME > ARTICLES > BLOG > RECOMMENDED SITES AFFILIATES: OraMD - Heal gingivitis and periodontal disease... The amazing TOOTH SOAP!