Reflection and appreciation

As the old year draws to a close I find myself reflecting back on the year that has been. I became raw in 2008; a significant and unexpected development that has had major repercussions in many areas of my life. I'd like to give thanks for the positive aspects :

• How becoming raw is part of my spiritual evolution and has enabled me to surrender to my higher self.
• How I am facing personal, familial, societal conditioning or karma around food and lovingly dissolving it.
• How I find myself part of a raw tribe within my local community and for the friendship, support, social life and great meals that we share.
• That I had a relatively short and smooth transition and was able to become fully raw and now begin to support others.
  
• That I am supported by the wisdom of others, expecially the elders of the raw community: Viktor Kulvinskas, Gabriel Cousens, Doug Graham.
• That I receive the support of the online community, in forums, personal blogs, YouTube videos.
• That I am benefitting from the work of Rawntrepreneurs who are making living foods and superfoods available.
  

So much to be thankful for... Om shanti x

Abundance and restraint

I surf a few raw food forums online and a regular theme is how rawees out there may be finding themselves socially isolated within their geographical community. I know myself to be blessed to be living amidst loving, creative raw fooders; particularly that one of us has been raw for over 10 years and is greatly accomplished in the raw kitchen, or raw temple as he calls it! This guy is talented and abundant; making and sharing wonderfully delicious creations such as curry, pizza, cake, burgers once or maybe twice a week.
The question is, can one have too much of a good thing? When faced with unlimited amounts fabulous food, beautifully presented, it is easy to just keep going and plough through platefuls of the stuff.
I have been consciously practising restraint, which is an aspect of abundance: it is a scarcity mentality that keeps me returning to put more on my plate. In the knowledge that there is always enough, that there will be another delicious meal in a matter of days, I choose justenough to satisfy my physical appetite, the stomach. It is a way of honouring the body and also honouring food itself. I treat this as spiritual practice, I am overriding my personal and familial conditioning, the binge mentality: Get it while you can, it won't last forever! There is much at stake here!
I find it helpful to verbalise, as I am declining say, that second slice of cake, I say aloud, 'I am practising restraint around eating.' Not so much to inform others, as much as a means of affirming my intention to myself. I intend for this behaviour to become self-reinforcing; that it becomes effortless, I will have re-patterned and re-programmed this aspect of my relationshipto food. Conscious eating indeed.

Raw resistance? Let it be

Hanging out in the living room in the company of two friends, I'm seeing quite a bit of them lately. They are loving, creative, spiritual, intelligent beings. We hang out in a group, most of us are fully Raw. The Rawee's were in the kitchen preparing the meal. The subject turned to the raw diet, as it so often does, one of these guys a student naturopath with a keen and sincere interest in healing himself through diet, he has pursed the Gersen therapy and eats high raw.
As we chatted away it became quite clear to me that both friends were presenting classic arguments against following a totally raw diet: I am attached to cooked starches, the raw diet is unsuitable during winter, I could not digest a purely raw diet.
Naturally I had the counter arguments on the tip of my tongue: Cooked starch is addictive and acidifying, the raw food diet is infinitely adaptable and is easily modified to be heating during the winter. Your digestion will adapt, there is a transition stage that all raw fooders pass through.
Then it occurred to me how glad I was to have transitioned to a 100% raw diet. What a blessing to have their reflection back to me of my own progress, surety and commitment to the raw lifestyle. How lovely to have like minded friends who were open enough to engage the very personal and controversial area of nutrition and show genuine interest in my experience. How I needed to honour them and not try to press my point of view upon them. Be self-contained in my own experience and respectful of the view point of others. Let it be.

Christmas day: vibrant health & wellbeing

A day spent in the pursuit of health, love and happiness, beginning with a sauna in a friend's garden; a mellow heat, seasonal aromatherapy blend (sweet orange, juniper, cedar wood, pine). Massage bars, green hemp juice, native american wood flute, mantra, green clay face masks. Being dowsed in cold water in the morning air then surrendering to the wet grass.
Headed off to the beach at lunchtime, a delightful excursion along the b roads of Somerset, snatching glimpses of other peoples Christmas' as we passed through villages and hamlets. The bay was broad and expansive, the sea itself far away with a low tide. Snacking on seaweed, linking arms, laughing and singing. Enjoying sweet herbal tea and clementines, then a long walk up onto the downs finally absorbing the mellow sunset. Tired and sleepy back to town, then the Christmas banquet was revealed, gladly devoured, gifts exchanged and music played.
A full day, of simple delights, vibrant health & well being. Wonderful.

I'm having the best Christmas ever....

Last night, a group of raw friends gathered for a Christmas meal. The meal was gourmet, yet simple and light. Susannah had taken the time to emulate the elements of a traditional meal: crunchy strips of parsnip, a raw turkee burger, veloute cranberry and date sauce, heck she had even dehydrated the humble brussel sprout, which tasted like a delicacy. We fell silent during the feast, which is a sign that the food was really good. I had brought along plump medjool dates enclosing a freshly hand shelled walnut pieces. We also shared a Carob Gold bar, supplied by its creator, between seven of us it was just the right amount. Throw in some gentle humour supplied by christmas crackers and some merry singing of carols and you have a group of happy Rawees. Merry Christmas everyone.

Raw friendly people everywhere!

In the run-up to Christmas it seems that every place I go there are mincepies or gingerbread or similar seasonal treats on offer. So I find myself politely declining, if pressed I tell ppl I am eating a raw fruit & veg diet and I am so pleased at how supportive and raw friendly their responses have been.
Ok, so I'm living in Glastonbury and it's an open-minded, alternative, creative, spiritual community. Most commonly I am asked what I will eat on Christmas day, so I talk about a Christmas spiced orange and cran juice, dried figs and dates, and how good it feels to eat lightly and frugally.
Yesterday evening I visited a friend who offered me dinner, as a spur of the moment thing. Her daughter put together a delicous salad in a few minutes and they were pleasantly surprised at how satisfying and straightforward a salad could be on a winter's evening. No stress socialising!

Coffee at dawn?

I had a funny moment this morning. Today is midwinter solstice, the shortest day, the point at which the sun being furthest from us begins its' return. In Glastonbury this is a big deal, with so many within the community wishing to honour the day and the seasonal rythm. With a dawn ceremony scheduled, I dropped into the main house to collect housemates. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee met me as I stepped through the door. In a reguar household, this would be a sign to continue in and perhaps share a breakfast beverage. In a raw household however, it can mean only one thing - coffee enema. I tiptoed quietly back to my annex and had a quiet giggle.

Rawkin' around the Christmas tree?

An unexpected benefit of the RawFood lifestyle: my experience of Christmas is being transformed. Last year, as a cooked fooder I had a very merry time with fun-loving girlfriends in a rented seaside cottage, close to Totnes. We lolled around in our pyjamas, experimented with eye make-up, watched entire series of the Mighty Boosch and of course ate utterly unfeasible amounts of food, most of it rich, fatty and sweet. For us then as it is for many now, Christmas is a binge.

What a difference a year makes; 6 months into my transition, 2 months fully raw; this Christmas will be simple and stripped back. Maybe a spicy cran-orange-cinnnamon juice to get the day going, probably some dried fruit nibbles, a world away from the traditional meal. I marvel at how adaptable we are: to be able to shed years of personal conditioning and move awayf from heaviness and excess. How unappetising the traditional meal seems to me now. Raw food = light relief .

Raw seed porridge

It is mid-winter and this year the weather is truly... wintry. This morning there is a cold mist and the temperature shows zero degrees. I've started to make raw seed porridge. I don't eat this every day, it is oily and rich. When I feel the need for a hearty breakfast I take this with a grapefruit, orange and ginger juice.
All quantities are to taste, other ingredients are easily substituted for personal preference.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sunflower seeds soaked in pure water overnight, rinsed, drained
8 - 9 almonds soaked in pure water overnight, rinsed, drained
tbsp golden flax dry ground in blender
tbsp sesame seeds dry ground in blender
1/2 tbsp maca powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
tsp raw honey
1 banana sliced
cup whole mixed fresh berries

Method:
Blend the wet almonds and sunflower seeds until roughly chopped.
Place in bowl.
Add dry ingredients.
Heat some water to preferred temperature, pour over mixture.
Add fruit, honey to taste.

Enjoy!

Addicted to sugar?

On his blog today, Keving Gianni set the question ' Are you addicted to sugar?' Wow what a hot topic, certainly amongst raw vegans and all those who are developing a conscious relationship with food. Sugar pacifies and dopes me. I love sweet foods. Hmm maybe they don't love me back. However, I don't find it helpful to think of myself in terms of being I addicted, the law of attraction operates in such a way as to create reality to reflect our thoughts. Addiction. What a loaded term. There's a really heavy mind set that goes with addiction, to do with loss of control, destructive behaviour, self blame and wanting to be something other than one is in the present moment. I prefer to take a more self-empowered standpoint; such as 'in the past I have chosen to eat sugar rich food'. I can no longer stand divided against myself, wherein I have a choice of attitudes, good behaviours = good me, bad behaviours = bad me. Self love, that's where it's at. Love is all there is.

Unexplained rash - raw cacao related?

EEK! Awaken this morning and notice a sore, angry rash just below my collarbone. I am tentatively linking this to raw cacao consumption on the basis that; I am not prone to skin rashes, that this is a topic of some discussion, controversy even, within the raw food community. To be frank, I been eating an increased amount of raw cacao products recently; in the last couple of days have sampled Booja Boojay truffles and eaten a 40g bar of Conscious Chocolate both days, in addition to heaping a tablespoon of nibs into my breakfast smoothie. For several months I have been using raw nibs and beans with no apparent adverse effects. So, I don't want to be in denial about this issue, however I am moved to wonder whether or not there might be another ingredient causing the aggravation: agave maybe? Or is it down to the quantity of cacao consumed? Maybe there is a culmulative effect taking place? Hmm. Many questions. I am ok sitting with the questions and the not knowing. The obvious next step is to refrain from purchasing raw choc products, which is kind of a relief as they are pretty pricey and I was getting quite into it, lol. I've added a link to Kevin Gianni's blog. Kevin is a prominent raw foods promoter and natural health journalist, he has addressed the issue, his experience is recent, personal and pertinent.

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/my-personal-cacao-incident/

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/more-on-the-cacao-incident/

Adventures in juicing

I have found out from my blog stats that I am getting a lot of hits to a post that mentions juicing. As I have been getting more experimental lately, I'll share my experiences now. It's because in British mid-winter I lack the motivation to trek into town, up and down a hill to shop for food. It's so warm and cosy in my place. So I am making do with what I already have in the fridge, so some colourful and unexpected combinations are arising. Firstly pineapple, passionfruit, goji. Man, this one is full on. Even diluted. I am still deciding whether or not I like pineapple juiced, I found it so satisfying devouring fresh chunks of the fruit which is extreme juicy in its own right and most enjoyable too. Today I sent some fairly ripe conference pears down the shute, followed by Cox's apples, so an orchard blend. Together with ginger root which accompanies everything at this time of year. The juice was extremely sweet, almost syrupy, I conclude this one to be a success as I find pears uninteresting to eat whole. Finally, fresh coriander. I buy the stuff in bunches and chop into salads. It also makes for good juicing material, lending a subtle taste to carrot juice. Reputed benefits include its antibiotic properties and potential to reduce heavy metal toxicity, for more information see below.

http://www.kitchendoctor.com/articles/cilantro.html

Raw chocolate heaven: Booja Booja time

OMG am having the most ecstatic raw chocolate experience EVER. It's not my style to be enthusiastic for the sake of it. Trust me when I say that Booja Booja raw choc truffles are truly wonderful. I encountered them in my local health food store, Earthfare on Glastonbury High St, in the refridgerator. The display was about 1/3 full, in other words the discerning citizens of Glasto are getting stuck in. As did I, the product comes in a teeny two truffle pack, or a compact 8 truffle box (pictured). Rasperry & dark chocolate are the flavours available, Ingredients: cacao solids, agave, coconut oil, water from reverse osmosis, cacao powder. Fresh Network is selling them, describing them as 'Rawgasmic,' lol you can also get them from Funky Raw. Well they are cube shaped, enough for one man bite or two lady sized mouthfuls. They are dusted with cacao powder, so you go straight to chocolate. Inside, there is a thick and unctuous ganache, it is just unbelievable how good they taste. Everyone I know will be getting these for Xmas, the only problem will be how to avoid noshing the lot myself, lol.

BBC radio archive: the food programme on the raw diet

I found this article on the BBC radio archive. I applaud the presenter's attempt to experience the raw lifestyle, albeit for 6 days. She didn't endure! She encountered some common pitfalls, here are some suggestions for those new to raw.
- Not knowing how to approach eating,what to eat, not eating enough. Get information rich, written, audio and video articles are available free on the web.
- Social isolation. Get connected: Join an online support group, check out the noticeboard in your local health store or organic co-op for raw events.
- Obstacles when eating out: Be pragmatic: At the start of your raw journey it may be easier to avoid this scanario, make alternate plans with friends that don't centre on food eg take a trip to the cinema. When you are more comfortable and familiar with the lifestyle, choose restaurants that offer decent salads. Have a light, breezy answer prepared for when people ask you why you are raw, such as , "I enjoy it."
- Attempting to go 100% raw overnight. Take your time, be easy on yourself . Over time you will accrue the skills, information, techonology and support to transition fully.
-Expecting to maintain other lifestyle choices Remain open to the possibility of change in other areas. Your shopping and socialising patterns will almost certainly change.

Sunday evening social

Sunday evenings are turning into a regular raw event, there are about 8 or 9 of us who gather weekly in one or another of our homes to share food and music. We are all friends and have existing social connections with each other, which is a strong aspect of Glastonbury living; it is a spiritual community, more of a village than a town really. So we have hemp activist and entrepreneur, re-birthers, permaculturists, a naturopath and myself, a yoga teacher & holistic bodyworker. Between us we usually end up with 4 guitars on the go, silver flutes, drums, assorted recorders and percussion. It's a mixture of bhajan, jamming, personal compositions. A perfect complement to the high vibration of the food.

Berry banana breakfast superfood smoothie

I'm getting into smoothies for breakfast; here is my current fave.

Ingredients:

2 small bananas

1 cup blueberry

1 cup blackberry

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight, rinsed, drained.

Tbsp cacao nibs

Tsp maca powder

Tsp bee pollen

Tsp raw honey

Cinnamon to taste

Method:

Place all ingredients in blender, blend on low speed for 30 secs or so

Serve: In tall glass. For a thicker texture, ccan be chilled in refridgerator for up to half hour..

Remember to wipe away moustache after consumption! Enjoy x

Cosmic carrots

I just scored some beautiful carrots at our local healthfood store on Glastonbury High St. They are robust looking specimens, longer than your average carrot and decidly less sweet. I have done a little research, they are an heirloom variety, cosmic carrot, very appropriate for Glasto! It has been suggested that they would make a good coleslaw; I'm gonna juice 'em.

http://www.seedfest.co.uk/seeds/carrots/carrots.html

David Wolfe audio interview online

There's a lot of interesting content out there on the web these days. David Wolfe is truly passionate about ... being passionate and creating optimum health and wellbeing. Love him or loathe him he is well worth a listen. I always glean a few nuggets from him or a fresh perspective. In this case I found his section on healing our relationship with our parents thougth provoking.

http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2008/12/interview-with.html

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

The full version of theis independent documentary featuring Gabriel Cousens is available to view online. Here's the info:

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent documentary film that chronicles six Americans with 'incurable' diabetes switching their diet and getting off insulin.The film follows each participant's remarkable journey and captures the medical, physical, and emotional transformations brought on by this radical diet and lifestyle change. We witness moments of struggle, support, and hope as what is revealed, with startling clarity, is that diet can reverse disease and change lives.

Additional wisdom is provided by Morgan Spurlock, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Robbins, Rev. Michael Beckwith, and Doctors Fred Bisci, Joel Furman, and Gabriel Cousens.

http://www.onlinedocumentaries4u.com/2008/12/simply-raw-reversing-diabetes-in-30.html

Food, emotions

It's a huge and important topic, worthy of a blog in its own right. I have been thinking about the relationship with food and emotions. This is not new for me however since I became fully raw it is easily apparent when I am using food for non-nutritional purposes; mechnically eating an unreasonable amount of dried fruit, or meandering over to the fridge late in the evening when I am alone. I much prefer to allow true hunger to develop rather than continuously pacifying myself or numbing out with food. There is a kind of beauty in the feeling of emptiness that enables me to feel highly emotionally alive, even though the feelings that present my be uncomfortable, or what we would deem negative; sadness, fear, loneliness. And food is a great panacea for subduing feelings of stress - anything to do with overwhelment and panic is easily soothed through eating; distracting oneself and taking the physical sensations away. I came across the following article: How Food Affects Your Mind Body Spirit by Janice Polansky, MS, MBA which I recommend as a sincere and straightforward perspective on this issue. The author is not a raw vegan, nonetheless she highlights the link between availablility of key nutrients in raw versus processed foods.
Peace to all.

Eat your greens, drink your greens

I feel as though I have crossed an important threshold on my raw journey: I am really getting into greens. Maybe its the wintry climate, salad leaves now are flimsy and greens deliver on all levels; being broad, robust and pungent and dark. Also, one is buying British seasonal veg, which creates a feel good factor. So as I type on my left I have my soon to be supper. Green juice of kale, cucumber, lime and ginger. Wraps of beansprouts, carrot, salad onion and avocado on greens, smeared with umeboshi paste. Yum!

Raw food event in Glastonbury this week

Going within by going without A talk and discussion about cleansing and purification of the body and soul, with Free Love Cannabis.
Thursday 27th November, the Miracles Room – Glastonbury Experience. 6.30 – 9.30 pm – donations welcome.
Subjects to be covered: cleansing, fasting, urine therapy, benefits of raw/live foods, hemp nutrition and a very personal account of Free’s recent 40 day spiritual fast in the mountains of southern Spain. Contact : 01458 835769 freecannabis23@hotmail.com

Winter abundance

A glance up at the skyline reveals that the trees have shed their leaves, which I take to mean that autumn is over and we are turning to face winter. My first raw winter and conventional dietary advice tells us that this is when we need to heat ourselves with warm food; soups, casseroles and slow roasts. I am pleased to say that I do not feel this to be so. Moreover there is an abundance of delicious produce available during the season; the shiny fragrant satsuma, dark green winter greens. It is at this time of year that supermarkets have for sale raw nuts in shells; I have found walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds. This is a real boost as the nut is at its most fresh; they look beautiful displayed in a bowl, forming a connection to the cycle of the seasons. Moreover the fact of having to crack the nuts open, manually, one at a time is an exercise in pure mindfulness and it slows one’s nut consumption considerably, I have found!

Micro meals

I frequently pop into the main house and find the guys standing at the counter nibbling on various raw items. Today, Joe having been to Wells market was offering plump dried figs, harissa paste and a choice of greek olives with flat leaf parsley. A little of each combines in a delicious mouthful. Micro meals.

Supporting the body through seasonal change: bodycare recommendations

I work as a holistic therapist, having studied ayurveda, massage and natural skincare. I am also a veteran spa goer, having spent many blissful hours receiving treatments in salons such as Aveda, Clarins, Elemis and Champneys. I love bodycare products and adjust my routine seasonally to effect maximum personal wellbeing. It occurs to me that we can support our raw food lifestyle through judicious choices and creating a seasonal routine to boost metabolism and immunity, for optimum wellbeing.

Morning: energising, enlivening. Begin with dry skin brushing, which stimulates the lymph and circulatory systems. You can pick up a brush in most chemists & health food stores. It should be a little larger than your palm, in natural bristle. Use light, fluid strokes from the extremities to the centre of the body.
Take a short, hot shower; I use Dr Bronners Hemp Citrus Orange pure liquid soap.

On a weekly basis you might create an exfoliating treatment using dry sea salt crystals mixed with a little olive oil. Apply all over the body with light vigorous movements, scrubbing is not advised.

Evening: Bathing twice a day is important energetically. Here the emphasis is on warming and gently detoxifying. Right now I am using Rosemary bath & shower gel from Avalon organics. Avoid heavy oils and creams before bed as the skin should be clean to optimize metabolic processes whilst we are sleeping.

I am taking a weekly oil massage. Aromatherapy makes sense at this time of year, again the emphasis is on warming and gently detoxifying. For a personal blend I favour clove and orange, or juniper and ginger. Neals Yard Remedies have some great organic blends. It is more appropriate to go for a vigorous massage with percussive movements, rather than a soothing and relaxing technique. The emphasis here is on maintaining a faster metabolism, keeping heat in the body.

When cravings come up…

I have been experiencing strong food cravings. I have a strong sense that this is not linked to nutritional deficiency, as within my raw diet I am developing preferences for certain foods at certain times which do seem to be nutrient linked. For example, right now I am eating raw garlic on salads, daily. I take this to be a healthy, appropriate choice, responding to my body’s genuine requirements. At the same time, I have urges for foods that have limited nutritional value, such as cheese, sausage rolls (?) and chocolate biscuits. I feel certain that this is emotional as these foods are inert and fatty. The effect of eating such foods is to create heaviness in the body and dullness in the mind. If we are to become light, loving joyful beings; channels of spirit and source energy, then we need to support ourselves and facilitate this through food choices. This the fundamental rationale of the raw food diet as it relates to me and my life’s journey. Gabriel Cousens explores this perspective thoroughly in Spiritual Nutrition. I am also waiting for Angela Stokes to publish Raw Emotions in hard copy.

Andrew & Angela Davis at the Glastonbury Positive Living Group

It was a great evening last Weds at the Town Hall. I arrived early to find Samadho juicing away on a Greenstar (celery & apple). Chocolate truffles were laid out in neat piles in anticipation of the audience. Free turned up with yet more truffles and juice and the Anastasia books. I enjoyed the talk; Andrew related his journey into raw, offering personal insight, supported by Angela. The audience were engaged and asked a range of pertinent questions. What struck me most was how this lovely and talented couple have a genuine wish to reach out into community, connecting with others and sharing their skills. A real heart warmer. Angela is holding a beautiful vision of a gardening school for children; she is looking for suitable land in the Glastonbury area.

Glastonbury Positive Living Group: "Raw Food for the Future".

I am very excited about this one...This Wednesday 12th November the Glastonbury Positive Living Group will be welcoming Andrew and Angela Davis who will be giving a talk entitled "Raw Food for the Future".Andrew & Angela are behind The Raw Food School Taking place at the the Town Hall. No need to book. . Lovely relaxed friendly atmosphere. Everyone welcome.Doors open 7.00pmT opic of the evening 7.30pm Social and refreshments 9.00pm Doors close 10.00pm Admission £5/£4 concs (includes refreshments). Peace out x

Radical permaculture: the Cuban response to Peak Oil

Last Wednesday, I watched the short film 'The Power of Community' It was screened as part of the Glastonbury Transition Town initiative. In essence, the locals begun to grow their own food…. everywhere! Reclaiming city space & making ingenious use of domestic gardens. How powerful and inspiring to see how community was strengthened as the Cubans found creative solutions to externally imposed financial restraints, becoming self-resourcing, happier and healthier.

From my perspective as a RawFoodist, I was mesmerised by the variety and volume of fresh produce that had been grown and was being sold in local markets. It was interesting to note that for maximum sustainability the crops favoured were fruits & veggies, perfect for a raw diet!

Watch the film now: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-66172489666918336

Get ready to choc!

Are we on the cusp of a raw chocolate revolution? This would seem to be the entrepreneurial path of choice here in Glastonbury: in the last few days I have had conversations with two guys, both of whom are chocolatiers in waiting.

I am intrigued by this phenomenon; a ferret around local stores yields a wide choice of raw chocolate, from established brands such Pure Chocolate and Conscious Chocolate (surprisingly the ubiquitous Shazzie is nowhere to be seen). There is already a steady presence of offerings from local talent.

I wonder whether raw chocolate has the potential to fuel us on all levels: nutritionally, spiritually, emotionally and also financially?A true superfood indeed.

Dining out with non-rawfoodists

Saturday evening I was invited to dinner as a ‘thank you’ for assisting at a green event in Glastonbury town hall. I was intrigued to find out how I would react to this classic challenge that many rawfooders encounter at some point ie eating socially with non-rawfoodists and being in a predominately cooked food environment.

I had read enough blogs and threads on raw forums to feel sufficiently prepared. I was in safe territory; Glastonbury High St, my home town and whole food eateries whichever direction one turns. And then my companion suggested a pub. Gulp. I knew this was potentially dodgy, having visions of hunks of iceberg lettuce and watery tomatoes and so in a bold move I outed myself, announcing that I didn’t eat cooked food.

We headed to the Hundred Monkeys café, I was mightily relieved. Not only is it a lovely space with great atmosphere and laidback friendly service, they offer a designated raw salad. It came with sprouts, olives & cashews. Yum! I encountered some friendly, genuine questions about the raw food lifestyle, which didn’t feel intrusive.

I did have to deal with a spiky comment from one of the party, I just had to let it go. I also had a wonderful drink that I am going to attempt to recreate: hot apple juice with ginger and cinnamon. Delicious and cider-like. Not strictly raw, so in my version I will juice apple and ginger together and warm slightly with added cinnamon. Oh, I just remembered I no longer have pans in my kitchen, doh!

Cold weather, warm food?

It may seem counter-intuitive to pursue a raw diet during the winter. Here in the UK, the weather has turned sharply cold. I had been expecting to hanker for warmer foods, soups, stews, stodge, yet this has not been the case. Following a forage on Exmoor with friends in seemingly freezing temperatures we piled into a pub for warmth and roaring fires. I was perfectly content with spring water and am still very satisfied with salads, fruit and juices. Which is pleasing to me.

David Wolfe event in Glastonbury Tuesday 28th October

Perhaps the ultimate Raw entrepreneur, David Wolfe, will be speaking in Glastonbury tomorrow evening, Tuesday 28th October between 6.30pm - 8.30pm. It looks to be a low key event and I am looking forward to being in David's presence and feeling the full force of his aura/life force lol.

I hope I will get to hear David's perspective Glastonbury and Avalon, in terms of energies, healing and community.

To book for this event call : 01458 830763

Glastonbury Raw Potluck @ Bridie's Yard

Last Sat (25th Oct) I went along to a Raw Potluck evening at Bridies' Yard. If you have not heard of Bridies, it is an organic food co-operative and community centre. So an ideal venue.

The event was organised and hosted by Andrew Davis and Angela Miller of the Raw Food School . It was great to meet them, although I have met Angela before briefly in Glastonbury. Andrew is energetic, passionate and full of vision and I respect and admire the couple for the work they are doing and the high standard of professionalism of their business. Andrew was speaking with great enthusiasm about the future of Raw Foodism in Glastonbury, and the possibility of other Raw entrepreneurs doing business in town. How wonderful!

There was plenty of delicious food, ( which I will photograph next time!). Moreover it was very satisfying to connect up with local Raw Fooders, some of whom had travelled from Bristol to attend.

Rawkathon 2008

Have just listened to Gabriel Cousens interview as part of Kevin Gianni's Rawkathon. I felt humbled by his perspective on the raw diet, he sees it as a spiritual tool to enable a closer connection to the divine and ultimately a means of healing the planet. I was pleased to have my perspective refreshed, as so much of the commentary on raw foods focusses on the nutritional and health benefits. How wonderful to be able to share in the wisdom of a raw food pioneer and elder, a true guru. Having viewed the schedule I am looking forward to hearing Douglas Graham speak tomorrow and Viktoras Kulvinskas later in the week.

Getting juicy

Following my recent foray in to the land of choc truffles, with subsequent cacao comedown I have been juicing with increased vigour & motivation today, I prepared double my usual amount, thus reserving a portion for when I return from yoga class later, indeed I shall look forward to it, hmmm, juice meditation anyone?

Chocc'd out, feel a little queeezy...

Have been enjoying my raw choc creations, a bit too much. Have been combining some very rich ingredients, quite fatty and now... I wish I hadn't.

Of course the RawFood way is an especially healthful way of approaching diet & nutrition. I seem to have imported some old habits with me, such as over-indulgence of treats. Hmmm. Still a girl can allow herself a little slack where chocolate is concerned, it is preferable to experiencing the symptoms of raging PMS.

Also this is an opportunity for emotional healing. We can intervene on cycles of self-blame and criticism, right now before those voices can make themselves heard, by pre-empting negative thoughts with loving kindness, self-acceptance, forgiveness. After all tomorrow is another day and I feel like the need for a clean out, plenty of green juice and having prepared fruit on hand in case of snack attacks.
Peace out.

Raw apple cake, nettle tea, choco-banana-bliss truffles

The guys next door have an apple based diet at the moment as they are harvesting an orchard. Sally has an ingenious use for the pulp which remains from juicing, she adds cinnamon, avocado and sultanas to create a raw apple cake, which is totally delish, very much like apple strudel.
It seems to work as breakfast and a raw pudding. I am inspired by their natural frugality and use of ingredients, whatever is available, so nettle tea becomes the drink of choice.

So our new relationship as co-tenants has a strong food theme, lol. My contribution was some choco-banana-bliss truffles, so a contrast there in term of the sourcing of the ingredients. However, they were much appreciated and went down well.

I find that with raw puddings, desserts and treats it's so easy, you can't get it wrong it seems. Unlike conventional baking where there is the baking time and temperature which is a critical factor, with raw it's all in the prep. So a matter of taking one's ingredients and combining to achieve one's preferred taste and texture, then there is the fun, the play of presentation, in this case rolling gooey balls into powdered chocolate, wonderful.

Here's the recipe & method:
Pulverise cacao nibs into powder using blender.
Same with goji berries and mixed seeds.
Melt raw honey in a small plastic bowl by letting it sit in a larger bowl of hot water.
Mash bananas with a fork, the riper the better.
Combine to your taste and texture preference, I like to add a little cinnamon powder.
Chill mixture in fridge for 30 mins.
Roll in cacao powder, keep chilled and consume quickly!

Luvverly new housemates, apple, ginger, hemp juice

Have a luvverly couple of housemates just moved in. They have been harvesting the apple crop locally for the last couple of months and have an abundance of apples, as you might well imagine. I was presented with a cup of foamy sweet juice a little while ago. It tasted blissful, just the right amount of ginger, balanced by the sweetiness of the apple with hempiness coming through. They are using a hand cranked machine so there was a nice texture. Yum yum and very moreish...

Juicing broccoli?

I've really got into juicing, its so much fun and satisying not to mention totally delicious. I am pleased with my juicer, I went for a Compact juicer. I have a teeny tiny kitchen and it does indeed have a small footprint. I like the colour, tres important! I had read some favourable reviews and it seemed like a good price, (£139 including delivery).

It runs quietly and confidently and can handle hard veg such as carrots quite easily, the pulp produced is reasonably dry, It dissembles easily and is quickly cleaned and re-assembled.

My favourite juices thus far are: watercress & orange, orange and beetroot. I tried to be a bit more hardcore ie produce a greener, more serious juice. So I forced some broccoli in there with some spinach and lemon, yes, hardcore. It's not really me, seems that I am all about the juice and sweetness tee hee!

The time to blog is now

I felt strongly that I wanted to blog now, because a couple of days ago I had a major turning point with the Raw diet, I gave up cooked food. Prior to that I was eating soup with steamed veggies in the evenings and I was happy with that. So I had my regular meal and and it just felt wrong, sitting in my stomach. I felt physically very uncomfortable and the feeling persisted almost to the point of nausea. I knew that this was it, the end of cooked. So my transition from cooked to raw lasted 4 months.

Playing with our food!

One of the fun elements of this lifestyle is that possibility of playing with our food. Anything that keeps the inner child happy is fine by me. Every salad is a composition, to be arranged thoughtfully, perhaps as a mandala or a free form colour explosion. So how could this diet ever be boring?