Going Natural Inside and Out

Is eliminating chemicals from your hair related to eliminating them from your diet? Don’t know for sure, but I suspect they are. Three months after I stopped eating sugar and products with added sugar, I decided to stop coloring my hair. Three months ago, I gave up coffee and Splenda. Except for naturally occurring sugar in foods, I have been sugar free since January 2008 – no ice cream, cake or cookies since then. It took my mind and body four months longer before I stopped craving them. Giving up Diet Pepsi and Coke was no hardship.

Going natural inside has had some real benefits. Eliminating almost all caffeine not only brightened my skin, I no longer have a persistent hip muscle pain -- go figure! Switching from Splenda to stevia with the occasional agave syrup has helped balance my sweet tooth and I hope will balance out my metabolism. I drink natural sodas like Izze that are not sweetened with sugar, or make my own from Poland Springs fizzy water and purple carrot and pomegranate juice. I drink decaffeinated breakfast tea with the occasional cup of Harrogate’s Scottish Breakfast tea – the coffee of teas – thrown in. I sweeten my frozen tropical fruit smoothies with stevia.

Tropic of Smoothies - Soursop

Last night I stopped at El Oriental de Cuba in JP to pick up a Tamarindo Smoothie. Across the street is a Hi-Lo Supermarket. I needed harvarti cheese so I walked over there. No sign of havarti, because this is a tropical supermarket. They have Goya products you won't find at your local Hannafords and -- oh joy! -- they have frozen unsweetened tropical fruit puree -- Tamarindo, soursop, parcha (passionfruit) and more. I bought the soursoup, also known as guanabana.

I had my first soursop shake in Cruz Bay while on vacation in St. John, USVI and was immediately hooked. I would amble down to the town every day for a shake and a patty. These days I pay $3.00 for one but now -- I can make them myself!! The puree, which makes 3 shakes is just $1.49. I use a modified recipe to substitute for sugar and milk. This was my breakfast shake:

Soursop Breakfast Smoothie

Makes one large shake:
- 1/3 package of frozen soursop puree
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries (optional)
- 3/4 cup of almond milk (unsweetened)
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- scoop of whey protein powder (optional)
- liquid stevia (I like NuNaturals brand) to taste
- 2 or 3 ice cubes
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 heaping tbs. of Benefiber (optional)

Blend thoroughly and enjoy. Here's a more traditional Jamaican version:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sour sop peeled, seeded & sliced
• 1.5 cups milk
• 5 tablespoon sugar (add more or less to taste)
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1 squeezed lime (optional)

I see no reason why rum and more lime cannot be added for an evening libation.