Hard Coreness....the legend of the veggie shake.

Hard Core is what Amy, Mitch and I say we are when we are on something i like to call, "should be on diets, but love food too much to be on a diet for reals". This usually happens in the summer time....when our little chubbers spill over the sides of our last chance swim suits. We will sit at the pool.... drinking bevrages and decide where we want to go for lunch and then later dinner. Usually the restaraunt we choose, would not ever lead one to believe that we were necessarily hard core. I used to use the word "hardcore" to describe myself to my ex boyfriend. I would say, "Baby, I am so hard core... ", as I was eating some chicken wings and philly cheese steak with yummy ranch and french fries and honey mustard, and onion rings....oh it is all so damn good. Needless to say, my hard core ness isn't exactly a way of life, maybe just a state of mind, or something i think sounds good to say.

When I was in El Salvador, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She did all the things the doctors told her to do, and completed all their treatments. However, my dad wasn't satisfied with that. He researched and found a lot of information about the power of wheat grass and the veggie shake. A whole new way of eating, took hold. My family, at least my parents had gone green. Out in the garden, my Dad would grow grasses, all sorts of leafy goodnessess and even a weird hybrid of a melon and squash came into fruitation. Through Mom's new healthy lifestyle, and faith, she luckily achieved a full recovery. Yet, Dad was convinced the battle was not over, now prevention was the key.

After getting home, I was in awe of my parents new way of living (My Dad had been a farmer,so I grew up on whole milk straight from the cow and the remains of my pet pigs) i adopted their way of eating. How could I not, I had come home sickly skinny from parasite infections, and needed some nutrients to help get me healthy again. I adopted the "green" way of life, not with out it's quirks. Many a wheat grass shot has been vomited along the banks of the canal where I run. Many a man has questioned why one would drink veggies from a blender, when they could just make a salad. Many a student has asked, "what is wrong with you miss goodman, why do you drink the baby poop looking drink?" I just answer, I am THAT hardcore".

The great battle between good and evil is fought on many fronts, and I feel like it is fought in my stomache. This morning, I drank a carrot, spinach, aloe vera leaf, flax seed, apple, celery drink. For lunch i had raw cashews, 2 oranges and 5 mini candy bars (I told the kids they could eat candy today, only if they gave me treats, IT WORKED)...Then for dinner, I rocked greesy crab puffs from Kwans and 3 mini bags of M&M's and 2 mini TWIX.... I don't know why every day I start out on the righteous side of hardcoreness and then am seduced by the rich worldly treasures of the dark (chocolate) side? Who will win the battle? All I am sure of is it wages on in all of us......