What comes first, loss of energy or weight gain? Twenty years ago when I was 52 I had energy to spare and my weight was manageable.
Gradually over the years my energy dwindled and I eventually gained 60 excess pounds.
Fifteen years ago I remember going to my favorite health food store and looking through dozens of health books searching for the answer to getting back my energy. I knew I needed motivation to exercise and the key to eating less less calories. I remember thinking, “What Did I Have That I Don’t Have Now?” It was the name of a song and it stuck in my thoughts for months.
The first book I bought was about food combining (interestingly, I’m using food combining now with great success, but that wasn’t the answer to my energy and weight problems).
Another book was “Dr. Kelley’s Self Test For Metabolic Types.” That book helped Dale to understand my food choices (my type is a meat eater and can digest protein better than grains) and me to help understand his (his type cannot digest meat very well and does best eating small meals often), but, again, it didn’t help with my energy and weight problems.
It took 15 years and an article in July 2009’s Reader’s Digest about prunes, but I finally found the answer (a little late, but I’m an optimist and never gave up hope).
Here’s is the answer: Vita-Mix Vegetable Soup.
It seems incredible to me that I had to discover the answer the way I did.
First, for almost 15 years I’ve been listening to Dale counsel Dr. Kelley’s cancer patients to use a Vita-Mix and make their meals easy to digest while they take Dr. Kelley’s enzymes to rid their bodies of cancer.
Second, I’ve watched Dale use his Vita-Mix daily and continue to have steady energy for the twenty years we have been together (Oh, I’ve tried to eat what he mixes up, but I didn’t digest it well and it tasted awful to me).
And third, I’ve been making vegetable broth (and throwing away the vegetables) and drinking a quart every morning for eight years with wonderful results — I have good bone density for my age and never have leg cramps at night as I use to.
I tried eating the vegetables with the broth several times, but saw no reason to continue as I didn’t feel any different and I really don’t like vegetable soup — the reason I make the broth is because I want the minerals in it as I can’t take mineral supplements because they cause white spots on my skin.
So, because soaking prunes in hot distilled water and then blending the water and prunes in Dale’s Vita-Mix for two minutes and drinking a cup (one cup has three prunes) every morning has given me so much energy I feel like I did 20 years ago, I decided to experiment with my vegetables and broth.
Dale was my inspiration as he recently began making a big pot of his vegetables and spices, another pot of brown rice, and, after everything is cooked, blending it all in his Vita-Mix a pint or so at a time and mixing it all together again, heating it to boiling and pouring it into quart Mason jars.
He opens a new quart jar every day and has several small bowls of it along with two corn tortillas and 1 oz cream cheese. He says he got the idea from me, because I pour my hot broth into Mason jars and that way I don’t have to make broth more than every 10 days or so (Mason jars are terrific for preserving vegetables and broth). Dale makes about eight quarts at a time.
My idea was to take the vegetables and broth that I normally cook up for my broth and blend it in the Vita-Mix, one pint or so at a time, pour it into another big pot and stir it all together and heat it to boiling and pour it into quart Mason jars and eat it like Gourmet Vegetable soup once or twice a day.
Oh, my God, it is the best tasting soup I’ve ever tasted in my life. I’d say it beats a steak dinner, but I’d be lying . . . but it is very, very tasty! And the energy it gives me!!! I love it! And I can make it up once a week and have it every day.
My combination of vegetables is different than Dale’s and I’m sure you will want to use different vegetables, too. But, mixing vegetables (and prunes — just drink the prunes an hour or so before drinking the vegetables) in a Vita-Mix is the answer to high energy and reducing your daily caloric intake.
Bonnie’s Gourmet Vegetable Soup
In a large stainless steel pot combine the following vegetables (organic when available) cut up:
Two large Jewel potatoes, 1/2 large head of red cabbage, two large stalks of celery (celery makes the cabbage not smell bad), one large bunch of parsley, one pound of carrots, one pound of green beans, three large leeks, two bunches of green onions, one pound of frozen unsalted peas,
Six quarts of distilled water
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour with lid on.
Ladle about one pint at a time into Vita-Mix container and mix for two minutes
Pour each mixed pint into another large stainless steel pot and, after all the vegetables and broth have been blended stir it all together in the pot
Ladle mixture into seven or eight quart Mason jars, seal tightly, allow to cool, place in refrigerator
Drink soup after heating it up again (or cold) and drink separately from prunes and/or meals by at least an hour.
This is terrific for guests and for tiding you over until you prepare your meals.
Love,
Bonnie O’Sullivan
Resources: http://www.road-to-health.com/vitamix
