LOTS N LOTS O' LETTUCE!

Hey, Folks,

I'm into my third week of BANANA ISLAND, a 3 week long banana fast or feast, depending on which way you want to look at it!

In only 2 weeks, I've lost nearly 30 lbs, and in 1 lb, will break 3oo lbs. Yay! 99% of the loss is water weight, but i'm glad to have it off of me, nevertheless. I've been here before, large and fast weight losses on 80-10-10, so the kicker will be when I can keep it off and abstain from binge eating. Getting back on 80-10-10 has been a wonderful opportunity to lose weight quickly, but it did not come without a great deal of sacrifice. Eating bananas almost EXCLUSIVELY for 2 weeks so far has been challenging, to say the least. Yet, I'm grateful to be back on RAW, I've stopped binge eating, I eat again only when i'm hungry, my skin and face look good, my singing voice has never sounded better (no reflux laryngitis), I generally feel well, and I have renewed hope for the future.

I will be coaching with Dr. Graham for 3 months total. So, you'll be on quite a journey with me and Dr. D!

This week, Dr. Doug Graham of http://www.foodnsport.com/, added LETTUCE to my plan of 20-30 bananas a day. Last week, he added in celery, which added some much-missed crunch to my diet, and this week's addition of lettuce, adds some much-missed addition of....well, GREEN!

This morning, I enjoyed a lovely thick green smoothie "porrage" for breakfast (greens, frozen banana, water), and it was a real pleasure. I didn't so much taste the greens mixed with the bananas, but it was just comforting to look down in my breakfast bowl and see GREEN after 2 weeks of YELLOW! (I love to 'eat' a thick smoothie with a spoon. It feels more like a meal that way.)

Lettuce provides dietary fiber, carbohydrates, a little protein, and a trace of fat. It's most important nutrients are vitamin A and potassium. The vitamin A comes from beta carotene, whose yellow-orange is hidden by green chlorophyll pigments. Beta carotene, of course, is converted to vitamin A in the human body. The darker green, the more beta carotene.

According to the American Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, foods rich in vitamin A and C (antioxidants) offer protection against some forms of cancer. Along with other phytochemicals, antioxidants reduce the risk of cancer of the respiratory system and intestinal tract. So, eat your lettuce!

Lettuce is a moderately good source of vitamin C, calcium, iron and copper. The spine and ribs provide dietary fiber, while vitamins and minerals are concentrated in the delicate leaf portion.

Nutrition Facts (One cup raw leaf lettuce, chopped)

Calories 9
Dietary Fiber 1.3
Protein 1 gram
Carbohydrates 1.34 grams
Vitamin A 1456 IU
Vitamin C 13.44
Calcium 20.16
Iron 0.62
Potassium 162.4 mg

xoxo michelle joy

P.S. Come and hear me sing and eat lots of lettuce at the VIBRANT LIVING FESTIVAL in Sellersville, PA on Sat, Aug 21, 2010! Discount tickets are available for $15 with the discount code "gratitude" for PureRawJoy readers. I'll be singing at 10:30a.m., so get there early! The festival starts at 9a.m. and will go until 10p.m. or later! Bring a chair and a drinking vessel! www.VibrantLivingFestival.com