I craved coffee, cheese and eggs this morning. But mostly because the smell of it was wafting toward by me while I was at work. The cravings passed as I feel like they have been more easily lately. I’m focused more on what I can eat than the feelings of disappointment and focusing on what I can’t have.

After listing gently to Mando through his cravings the first three days, I  began to understand how difficult it really can be on an emotional level for people. I learned even more about it on my BART ride home when I decided to give away a precious banana and strawberry smoothie to a hungry man. I was slightly irritated on the ride home already as I’d left a smoothie of mine at work, liquid gold on this cleanse as you can imagine, when a  man addressed riders with his age, 28, and the fact that he was homeless. Something, he said, he was embarrassed to admit. We went through a tunnel and he silenced until we came out. My heart was heavy for him as his voice rose again.

The train was screeching up to my stop so I stood to leave even though I wanted to stay to hear what he had to say. I didn’t have any money to give him but I wanted to help somehow. As I was leaving the man told us that he wasn’t there today asking for money but for food because he was hungry. I immediately turned around when I heard the words ‘food’ and ‘hungry’ handing him one of my strawberry-banana smoothies. He stretched his hand out and looked up at me with wide eyes and said, “You’re the third person since 6 a.m. to give me something, thank you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, “That’s a long, hard day, please don’t stop trying.”

As I left I saw more people handing him food from the corner of my eye. It felt good to so more people giving him food and having helped in some way myself but I knew that he might still have a rough road ahead of him in the search for food.  When I got home, I put my food away and took out Life-Changing Foods to pray to the Angel of Provision to help get more food to the young man and I gave thanks for all I had.

What we ate….

Celery juice (AM)

Aloe juice (A)

dandelion juice shot (A)

blue/green algae shot (A)

Lemon Cayenne Water (A)

Wild berry, papaya, banana, cilantro, date, filtered water (A)

Banana & Strawberry smoothie (A)

Dates (AM)

Tomatoes & celery (A)

Avocado w/ red onion, tomatoes & lemon juice (AM)

Steamed artichoke with lemon honey sage sauce (AM)

Pomegranate bark (AM)

Bell pepper ‘sandwich’ with avocado, mango, red onion, cilantro, lemon juice, cherry tomatoes and raw cacao nibs on the side

Jalapeño, pineapple, orange, cilantro juice (M)

Bell pepper sandwich (M)

Steamed artichoke with lemon honey sage sauce (AM)

Steam Artichokes for 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, mix lemon juice, raw honey, evoo & sage together in small saucepan on low heat until heated. Recipe from Life-Changing Foods 

Leftover Pomegranate bark  *recipe in my last post (AM)

Let’s talk about this FOOD!

First, artichokes. Growing up, they were my favorite vegetable. Only one problem-I loved dipping the leaves and heart in mayonnaise and melted butter. While I wouldn’t mind doing this on rare occasion now, with different ingredients, I’m so glad that there was this tasty recipe, *see photo for recipe, in Life-Changing Foods so that I can enjoy my favorite vegetable.

I’m also so thrilled that now I know what artichokes are really doing for me. Here’s what they’re good for…

• Diabetes
• Hypoglycemia
• Kidney stones
• Gallstones
• Shingles
• Carpal tunnel syndrom
• fatty liver
• blood cell cancers
• Blood sugar imbalances,
• Food allergies
• urinary urgency
• abnormal pap smear results
• brittle nails
• stomach pain
• mineral deficiencies

and more!

Tips-Eat artichokes four times per week for the best results in helping your symptoms. Steaming them is the most nutritious way to eat them and eating them at 7 or 8 pm is best for your liver to purge and cleanse itself in the early hours of the morning.

Now to Papaya. Truthfully, it’s not a fruit that I have ever tried except outside my home in the form of the occasional ‘papaya flavored’ something or a little tossed in a salad. To be even more honest, I still couldn’t really tell you what one tasted like, the flavor is so subtle and I’ve mostly been putting them in smoothies. I can tell you one this, it has been a life-savor for me throughout this cleanse because of the first thing it’s listed as being helpful for in Life-Changing Foods-CONSTIPATION!

But more on that in a later post. For now, here are some reasons to add papaya to your life….

• Helps with IBS
• migraines
• blood disorders
• stomachaches
• stomach pain
• bloating
• gas
• skin discolorations
• brittle nails
• Bell’s palsy
• burning skin sensations
• acid reflux
• flatulence
• diarrhea
• bladder spasms
• weak digestion
• anal itching

Make sure to get Organic papayas from Mexico and the variety Maradol from central America. Papayas from Hawaii have suffered GMO contamination.

*All info from Life-Changing Foods by Anthony William