Friday 9 May 2008

Now THAT'S what I call a smoothie

Frozen summer fruits, spinach, and banana.

Yay!

Lunch is left over from yesterday's salad but with chopped walnuts added.

x

Thursday 8 May 2008

You've got to kiss a couple of frogs

My smoothie sucked this morning. Blech.

Spinach and kiwi. Kiwi don;t work in smoothies. Take my word for it.

Lunch was fab tho: Chucked half a fennel bulb, half a red cabbage in the shreddy thing on food processor. Added chopped radish and cucumber. Tossed in olive oil and cider vinegar and slapped a spoon of houmous on top.

Delish.

Then for supper we had chinky veggie soup: Onion, pots, carrot, broccoli, half an old cabbage and stock.

A very ripe pear for supper.

All in all a very good day cos I bought size 14 jeans! Not only that ... they fit!

:-)

x

Monday 28 April 2008

Monday lunch

Breakfast: Fruity smoothie like yesterday - really need to get me some greens.

Lunch: Apple cabbage and walnut salad. This was really nice. Shredded red cabbage, roughly chopped walnuts, chopped apple. The dressing was olive oil and cider vinegar. I've only recently got hold of cider vinegar and it makes the loveliest dressings.

x

Sunday 27 April 2008

Food Diary

My poor blog has been very neglected. I've decided to use it as a food diary for a while so I can share my magnificent foodie creations with you - even when they are spectaclularly shite! (We all have our off days ;-) I'll avoid boring detail.

So, beautiful friends this weekend called for large scale huge vat of veggie soup:

6 carrots
5 leeks
2 courgettes
4 peeled pots
head of very old and knackered brocoli
sprinkle of cumin seeds

Sweat the leeks and add carrots and potatoes and cumin seeds. Let them sautee for 10 mins or so to give a head start. Add everything else and cover with boiling water. I added 2 teaspoons of stock powder.

When cooked, I blended 3/4 of it and with my masher, crushed the remaining veg in the pan before adding the blended stuff back. Makes a gorgeous consistency. You can then add some more stock to taste if you think it needs it. Served with Olive bread.

Smoothie on sat was:

Frozen mango + handful of spinach + banana + cup or so water

Chilli for supper:

Onion, 2 sliced bell peppers, 1 minced red chilli large: Fry over high ish heat
Add Chestnut mushies and brocoli and tin toms and 1 tsp cumin powder. Cook down and put in tortillas with yoghurt, Guacamole, lettuce and cheese if u like.

This was delish.

Then today smoothie was frozen summer fruits and banana - bloody lush.

Lunch was shredded red cabbage, radish, lettuce, carrot with lemon and olive oil dressing with a herb omelette on the side ;-)

Tonight was mashed spuds, broc, carrots and fish. I had a bottle of beer left over from the weekend and now my tummy is a the size of a large watermelon and is feeling very sad.

Otherwise good tho!

Wednesday 26 March 2008

S-L-O-W down

I had an unmistakable feeling yesterday.

I was in the kitchen. Feeling ansty. Wondering what to give Chimps for tea cos we couldn't eat the same and what would I have. It would have to be raw again or else I'd "ruin" a good raw day.

And I was cold. And I became bad tempered. And I quickly moved to a place of resenting this raw journey and knowing in my heart that I am not going to last and I am going to start eating crap again eventually.

So I stopped, listened, and made a vegan cooked meal that Chimps and I both enjoyed.

Today I enjoyed my smoothie and then settled to a cooked vegan lunch and another one for tea, shared with Chimps again.

I feel much better.

I just had to slow myself down and remember who I am.

This is not going to be a diet like any other I have been on.

This is my journey.

Peace.

x

Monday 24 March 2008

Tabouleh heaven

I have discovered my new favourite thing, raw tabouleh. I've seen several recipes for this (SG - you listening?!) and this is what I did today. It was R-awesome:

4 or so cauliflower florets - put in food processor and whizzed up.
Handful each of mint, parsley and coriander - chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, diced

Mixed up with a huge slosh of olive oil and juice of half a lemon.

I served it with a little feta - but again found I am wanting less and less non-raw food.

It was absolutely delicious - the herbs made this so un believably R-awesome.

x

Thursday 20 March 2008

Crossing my legs

Ok - now bear with me on this!

I have always been able to cross my legs :-)

But today, in a meeting, I found myself with my legs crossed really high and tucked right under me!

I do believe, there is less of me to cross.

(P.S. apologies to those of you who thouht this was some sort of icontinence post)

xxx

Waiting to Fail

Whenever I have changed my eating before, it has followed a clear pattern. I start with a bang. I quickly become evangelical about it. And I stay strong - I eliminate completely all foods that I consider "bad". And I am 100% successful for 6-12 months.

But secretly, inside, I am wating to fail. There is part of me that knows this way of eating is just not sustainable.

But this feels different. This is a gentle way of eating. And actually, I think the key is that I am being gentle with myself. My expectations are clear - eat a majority raw diet. But I am not eliminating anything. All I am doing is eating what makes me feel better. Sometimes that's a huge plate of green salad. And sometimes that's a dish of rhubarb crumble that my best friend has made me.

And as I feel my tastes change, I am really enjoying a gentle journey for once, rather than a radical shift which just leaves me waiting to fail.

x

Wednesday 19 March 2008

Changing tatstes and desires

An odd thing happenned this morning.

To date , I've only been happy with my green smoothie providing it is thick and rich and gloopy. I've been adding some hemp oil, ground almonds, and recently some avocado. There's a little voice of anxiety inside me usually which is that the smoothie won't fill me up and so I need to bulk it up.

Also, if I'm honest, I've been trying to hide the taste of the kale or the spinach or whatever greens I'm using. But today, I caught a whiff of the kale as it whizzed up in water and thought "Wow, that's such a fresh and lovely smell - I want to be able to taste it in my smoothie".

So I only added banana, a little chopped pear and water. It was much runnier than usual, I only had one tumbler full, and it tasted delicious.

And I am full.

In fact - I sort of woke up full. That never happens to me!

Interesting changes in tastes and desires.

x

Saturday 15 March 2008

My first uncookbook




At last I found one. I've been looking in all our healthfood shops which stock every detox book under the sun but nothing raw. Waterstones had nothing. But Today, Borders had one! just one mind. But it's big and beautiful and full of the most pictures. It's called RAWvolution by Matt Amsden and I am liking it so far.

I have some dehydrator questions so I need to get me to Rawkin post haste. Mebbe see yous there?

x

Tuesday 11 March 2008

Harvest time

Harvest is my local health food shop. I'd not been in for ages so I paid a visit today. I found some fabulous stuff.

I bought coconut oil - not sure whether to wear it or eat it.

Hemp oil for my smoothies and to hide in Finn's food.

Braised Tofu - not raw but still one of my fave things and not had for ages.

Sprouting things! Made a lovely salad with peanut butter dressing.

The biggest and freshest Bok Choi.

Mmmmmmmmmmm. Harvest time.

x

Kohlrabi

The love affair continues...

Yesterday I was in mad rush for lunch - all I could see was half a kohlrabi lurking in the back of the firdge and half a pot of houmous.

So I chopped me chunks of Kohlrabi and dipped it in my houmous.

It was truly lovely. And really filling.

I lurve kohlrabi.

x

Monday 10 March 2008

One week in...




Compare with one week ago:

http://rawbeginnings.blogspot.com/2008/03/drawing-line.html

I am VERY pleased! (I started taking photos in a different shirt this morning ... noticed the difference and then went and put the same pink shirt back on so I could be absolutely sure it wasn't the clothes!)

This is one week of no booze and eating 95% raw before a sensible evening meal.

Sunday 9 March 2008

Doing good

I'm really proud of myself.

I've been away this weekend - first at my parents, and then my best friend's. These people are the most understanding of my bipolar activity in diet and as soon as they sniff a change in my diet they ask if I'm "de-toxing" again. I am trying to avoid this new way as "just another detox episode".

I managed to stay raw breakfast and lunch without making any sort of big deal and enjoyed the food they had lovingly prepared for me without freaking out about "breaking a diet".

This is a big step for me. And, even if I didn't eat the best food in the world, I did really well. And i ate the food that was packed full of their love.

And i'm thrilled that I stayed of alcohol - even tho both of them had got stocks in!

A good weekend.

Feeling very grounded.

x

Clarity

Amongst the very wierd dreams I'm having (that's a whole other blog ... and one that probably gets stopped by most firewalls..) I have a new feeling.

It's hard to characterise my new feeling because it's very small. But I can feel a bit of freshness - some clarity - blocks beginning to shift - energies beginning to flow - crystal ice streams flowing through my body.

It's not constant, but I get glimpses of it.

I am really liking that the change is gradual. It helps with my balance.

x

Friday 7 March 2008

Tired

I am really looking forward to shifting this tiredness. I mean really.

I sleep for 8 hours each night. When i wake up it pains me to get out of bed. It's a daily battle and I'm mighty bored of it.

Then, once I'm up, I sit downstairs at my computer and all I want to do is go back to bed.

I wait impatiently for the vitality I read about from all the rawkers.

I actually can't really work out what it must be like to have that sort of energy insteaad of wanting to just sit infront of the tv all day.

I read about Storm not knowing what to do with all his energy. I feel very far away form that today.

x

Thursday 6 March 2008

Martha Beck rocks

Persist in compassionately observing any scared, crazy, overeating vestige of yourself, and the miserable feeding frenzies that may have dominated your life, as they did the Lisas, really will give way to peace.

I did this yeaterday.

It worked.

x

Kohlrabi - my new best friend

How delicious! Nutty, fresh, just gorgeous. I grated it and mixed it with grated carrot, ground almonds, shredded brocolli and a bit of shredded radichio (only a bit though because i find it very bitter).

Dressed with oil and balsamic and had boiled egg with it.

Properly enjoyed it .. not just " i know this is good for me therefore I'll enjoy it".

Can't wait to hit the shops this weekend and stock up on nuts and seeds to grind.

x

So far so good...

Today is so far much less vicious than yesterday. Thank god.

My green smoothie today was:

Half a romaine lettuce
Apple
Banana
Water
Juice of a blood orange

The blood orange juice made it go a strange colour but gave it a lovely bite. I also gave myself a break and had the whole lot! Up till now i've been making enough to fill 2 huge tumblers and have been saving one for the next day. Whilst they keep ok, I a prefer the straight from the blender feel! I have the appetite for the whole lot so I've decided to indulge myself.

I have dug out all the grating and slicing attachments for my blender and might tackle a salad at lunch with the Kohl Rabi I got in my veg box yesterday. I've never had it before - Finn is chuffed that it loooks just like an alien. Hope it tastes better than it looks and slightly less wierd.

x

Wednesday 5 March 2008

Vicious

I'm a bit staggered.

Admittedly i have been eating a fair amount of shit recently, but i don't feel that i was stuffed full of toxins.

Until today.

My body is INCREDIBLY efficient and brutal sometimes.

At 2pm today i began to detox ... HARD.

It felt like i was hit by a truck and my head just pounded - paracetamol didn't come close to touching it. I wanted to lie down and sleep on the spot.

I was astonished at how swift and harsh it was.

By the time I'd driven 100 miles home, I was absolutely hanging.

I actually had to have a coffee to just slow my liver down a bit.

And it worked a treat - headache gone within 30 mins. Miraculous. I had to put some shit in my body just to slow myself down a little.

I just needed to put the brakes on a bit. And i don't drink coffee ever - but tonight, it was god's own medicine!

Tuesday 4 March 2008

Lunch!

I have done no shopping to prepare for this day. I only have what I have in my fridge and larder and that's day 7 of my weekly veg box so I'm not hopeful ... and yet!

Grated Carrot
Chopped Broccoli
Chopped tomato
Ground Almonds
Mixed with oil and balsamic
Served with houmous and a boiled egg on a bed of shredded spinach.

Pretty damn good.

x

Martha Beck says:



Getting past rebound dieting means choosing kind perceptiveness when our reflexive responses—and those taught by most diet advisers—are to resist and control. Paradoxically, effective change begins with acceptance of everything that makes up our lives at any present moment. It's really true: Love, in the form of kindness to ourselves, is what never fails. It's working for the Lisas—to the extent that they're allowing it—and it will work for you. Persist in compassionately observing any scared, crazy, overeating vestige of yourself, and the miserable feeding frenzies that may have dominated your life, as they did the Lisas, really will give way to peace.


Singer's words of wisdom

Shamelessly plagiarising http://imsorawkin.blogspot.com

Root work:

When we don't see results on the surface, we tend to dismiss our efforts as not working.

What's happening inside our body is much like what's happening under the soil...tremendously important 'root work' is under way.

There has to be trust that even though it doesn't yet look like the orchid you've taken care to plant, that you've laid the foundation to turn it into exactly that.

If you plant the seeds of health, health is what you will get.

Start to notice the most subtle of changes on the surface, and know that deep, good work is happening as it should.

Drawing a line



This is all about the personal - what's most important to me and my sense of self.

I am eating and feeling rubbish.

And my body is beginning to sink into rubbish too.

Very important to me is that knowledge and understanding of when enough is enough and I call time on my crap living habits - because it's not just about the food.

It starts here and it starts today.

x

Raw bginnings - day one

This is day one. Even though I have been starting my day with green smoothies for over a week now.

A week ago I thought that those green smoothies would bring about a change in my whole diet. I thought that I would be able to sit back, and with the help of these (somwhat anthropomorphised) smoothies, all the other changes I need to make to my diet would blossom.

I envisaged that I would watch in delight and wonder as my cravings disappeared of their own accord; as my beautiful (if bloated, stiff and overweight) body became svelte; scars disappeared; and sanity returned.

To be honest, I think I maybe I was bestowing upon those smoothies all the powers of Jesus Christ himself.

You see, by bestowing powers upon the smoothies, I was free! Free I tell you! Free from having to take responsibility for my eating. Free from having to take responsibility for my own mental health. Free from having to look deep inside my soul.

What a relief.

Not.

As the week progressed - i began to resent the evil green smoothie. Last night, whilst marvelling at actually how tasty spinach, kale, apple and banana can be (seriously), I tucked with relish into my third slice of chocolate cake that day. The thought that actually tripped through my sugar addled brain was "Blimey - those smoothies are rubbish - they aren't working at all"

Which brings me to this morning.

And the gut wrenching soul searching that had to be done. The time had come to confront my resitance; my entrenched pig headedness. So I met it head on.

The pig lost.

Watch this space.