| >> Followers of living food diet claim raw energy |
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The aroma greeting visitors to this Gulf Gate home is somewhat ... different. Instead of conjuring up memories of Mom's home cooking, the smell is, well, organic. There are no flowers on display, just grass. Wheatgrass to be exact. Welcome to the home of Patty Foley. Her lifestyle is somewhat rare in a society that is flooded by savvy marketing ploys promising a quick fix to instant health. She subscribes to a vegetarian diet, called the "living foods diet." Only raw, living foods are consumed. "When people do it, they have to make up their minds that they are changing for good, that they're changing their old ways." The Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute is based in Puerto Rico and offers educational retreats for people, like Foley, who are interested in the living foods lifestyle. According to the institute, consuming raw foods and drinking wheatgrass leaves all vital nutrients in the food, which can sometimes be lost when cooked. These nutrients act as detoxifying agents in the blood. Foley says that she now has more energy, is less stressed and doesn't get cravings for food. Despite the diet's apparent benefits, it limits one's food options, which means no carbs, no preservatives and no comfort food. "People are so attached to food," said Foley, 50. "There's so much more to life than food." That
isn't just her opinion, it's her mantra. For Foley, this is no
fad. The wheatgrass and raw food regimen has been the cornerstone
of her lifestyle since 1988. What may seem as a drastic diet to some is the result of a promise Foley made to herself long ago, that she would not surrender to sickness and old age. "When I was little, I would listen to people say that when you get older, you get sick. It's just a part of aging," Foley said. "I didn't want to get like that." And because of that promise to herself, she has chosen a life of health and simplicity. When she rises, usually at 4 or 5 a.m., she swims for an hour. That is her caffeine. Her breakfast consists of a tall glass of wheatgrass. One ounce of the juice is believed to contain the same amount of nutrients as more than 2 pounds of vegetables, said es, said Foley. She usually drinks a 6-ounce glass, every day. The juice tastes like grass, but sweeter than one would expect. Some people add lemon or lime juice. Others mix in orange juice, but Foley drinks it straight up. To make the juice, she cuts the grass from a tray that looks much like a piece of overgrown sod. The grass is ready to consume when it grows to be 6 to 8 inches tall, which takes about a week. Foley puts the grass through a special juicer, specifically made for wheatgrass. The machine costs more than $200. While she spent money on the equipment to make wheatgrass juice, Foley leads a simple life. When her license expired, he never renewed it, and promptly gave up her car in 1994. Now, she pedals to her desired destinations. Last January, her travels took her to Fort Myers. It took Foley 10 hours to complete the 75-mile trek on her bicycle. She drank a glass of wheatgrass before she left, and consumed bananas and water on her way down. "I wasn't tired. I wasn't even sore," said Foley. So, she did it again in July. She recently purchased a travel-sized juicer, so she can have wheatgrass juice no matter where she goes. Despite her dedication to this lifestyle, she admits that before she started the wheatgrass regimen, she was fearful of caving in to cravings for her favorite foods: bread and vanilla ice cream. "I used to love ice cream, but it doesn't take long to get rid of the urges," she said. Instead, she freezes a banana, puts it through the juicer, and swears that it tastes and feels just like ice cream. Now, she said, she's not eating to fill up her stomach, but rather to sustain her energy level. "I love my life. I wouldn't go back for anything." Source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060124/FEATURES/601240623
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