Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking

if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.

~Voltaire

Hi gang! Sorry about my extended absence...I felt a little homesick so made the long trip to northern california for the long weekend :-) The leaves were beautiful, the crisp air and fresh scent of fall was just what I was longing for.

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Amazingly enough, this picture represents those wonderful times when you cook together, enjoy great stories, memories and incredible food together. A time of nourishment in many ways. Thank you for those who I was able to spend time with!! Yum!

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Eating should not be a chore, it shouldn't be something that you rush through and dread. So, if this is true for you...give yourself a break and think of your next meal as something that sustains your life, enjoy taking a bite and take at least 30 seconds to chew it! You would be suprised how long 30 seconds is in this context!!

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With thankfulness being the nationwide theme for the month....don't pay attention to all of that Christmas stuff YET!!! Really reflect on those things that you are thankful for. Maybe it is family, maybe it is some time alone, maybe it is the opportunity to contemplate change or the choice to stay on your current course.

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All of this is surrounded by food! Making the choice eat healthy can happen all at once or just one step at a time. Set yourself up for a life change, for success, for abundance and vitality. As you look back over those choices, you'll be amazed at your progress. Especially over the holidays, I mean really, do you think that next year there won't be ten tons of fudge, cookies, pies and confections??

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On that note...Get your blenders out! I am going to propose a challenge here. I hope that you are going to be thankful that this week we are going to be talking extensively about the benefits and simplicity of including raw foods into your daily routine!

Until tomorrow...~j