Raw Apple Pie!

This recipe is from www.rawglow.com

OH MY GAWD this is SO GOOD!

Yesterday, I decided to try a recipe for
Raw Apple Pie,

and well, OH BABY is about all I can say.

There was enough of this filling for two pies, so I whipped up another crust. After it chilled for a couple hours, we shared some with our upstairs neighbours and they thought it was AWESOME! Later, we had company and nobody could believe it was raw, good for you, and had no sugar in it. It was so delicious, both pies are gone now as I type this! But it's so easy, it's nothing to whip up more :)

Equipment needed: food processor, dehydrator

Ingredients:

7 fuji apples

juice from 1/2 lemon

*1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup dates

1/8 teaspoon lemon zest

Roughly chop 5 apples and pulse them in the food processor until they are in tiny pieces. Pour the lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon over them and dehydrate them on low for a few hours. (Rawkin' note: I did it for 4.) In a blender (or fp) blend 2 finely chopped apples (add to the blender first), 1 cup dates, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest to make an apple sauce. Mix the applesauce and the dehydrated apples in a bowl. Pour the mixture into a pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Pie Crust:

1 and 1/2 cups raw *almonds

1 cup pitted dates

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil (optional)

1 vanilla bean, seeds scooped out (optional)

Process almonds in a food processor with the S blade until a coarse almond flour. Add dates, coconut oil, and cinnamon to the food processor and process with the S blade until the mixture forms dough. Press the dough into a pie pan.

(Rawkin' note: I added spiralized apple 'laces' soaked in lemon juice for the top of the pie, and this added just the right 'tang'...)

*1/4 needed for dehydrated apples, 1/2 needed for apple 'sauce' mixture

*For a crispier crust you can soak the nuts then dehydrate before using.

Way. Too. Good.

Raw Apple Pie!

This recipe is from www.rawglow.com

OH MY GAWD this is SO GOOD!

Yesterday, I decided to try a recipe for
Raw Apple Pie,

and well, OH BABY is about all I can say.

There was enough of this filling for two pies, so I whipped up another crust. After it chilled for a couple hours, we shared some with our upstairs neighbours and they thought it was AWESOME! Later, we had company and nobody could believe it was raw, good for you, and had no sugar in it. It was so delicious, both pies are gone now as I type this! But it's so easy, it's nothing to whip up more :)

Equipment needed: food processor, dehydrator

Ingredients:

7 fuji apples

juice from 1/2 lemon

*1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup dates

1/8 teaspoon lemon zest

Roughly chop 5 apples and pulse them in the food processor until they are in tiny pieces. Pour the lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon over them and dehydrate them on low for a few hours. (Rawkin' note: I did it for 4.) In a blender (or fp) blend 2 finely chopped apples (add to the blender first), 1 cup dates, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest to make an apple sauce. Mix the applesauce and the dehydrated apples in a bowl. Pour the mixture into a pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Pie Crust:

1 and 1/2 cups raw *almonds

1 cup pitted dates

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil (optional)

1 vanilla bean, seeds scooped out (optional)

Process almonds in a food processor with the S blade until a coarse almond flour. Add dates, coconut oil, and cinnamon to the food processor and process with the S blade until the mixture forms dough. Press the dough into a pie pan.

(Rawkin' note: I added spiralized apple 'laces' soaked in lemon juice for the top of the pie, and this added just the right 'tang'...)

*1/4 needed for dehydrated apples, 1/2 needed for apple 'sauce' mixture

*For a crispier crust you can soak the nuts then dehydrate before using.

Way. Too. Good.

Man, did I ever want cooked food last night!! I don't know what the hell hit me, oh wait, I do know. I was watching Restaurant Makeover and they had this wonderful Greek chef whose signature dish was roast lamb. Get away from me. I used to go to this one place in town just FOR the roast lamb.

So just like remembering really good sex with an old lover, I set about romanticising lamb.

I told Steve, "I want everything that's bad for me tonight!" He wiggled his eyebrows and I punched him in the arm. "Not thaaaat...!"

I said, "I want cooked food, I want laaaaamb"

He was silent for a minute then said, "Well I want everything good for me."

I was both peeved and relieved. Mostly relieved. It made me think of what's great about us. We never seem to fall out of love at the same time in our 14 years, and whenever one is weak, the other's strength kicks in. I love us.

He said, "You want the taste of lamb, but you don't want the feeling that goes with it afterwards...you don't want to upset your stomach, which it will, you don't want a resurgence of zits, which you'll get, you don't want to wake up with a salty, pasty mouth, which you would, you don't want the bloat and constipation, which you'll get... and you don't want the spiral into cooked foods. You will feel so much better about everything if you stick to how we're eating."

He was right! All those things, check.

Mostly we just groove along eating mostly raw, but the odd time, one of us whines for the old days and what he told me is pretty much what I tell him when he's the one in that situation.

There have been a few times we were 'there' at the same time, and learned much. "Oh, gawd, let's not do that again..." but of course, we do. But it's getting less and less.

For the most part, as he pointed out to me, we just don't want to undo the good or worse, go back to how we were living.

I'm really grateful today :)

When one of us is feeling the way I felt last night, the other says, "I'll take care of dinner, and fix you something great"...running with the fact that if we're feeling like roast lamb, suddenly looking into a fridge predominantly comprised of vegetables will seem overwhelming and like 'there's nothing to eeeeeeeaaaat'.

So he whipped me up a gorgeous salad with some flax crackers, and broke a special one into a heart.

I'm a blessed woman.

And I'm sooooo glad I didn't have roasted lamb. Just like remembering an old lover, my momentary craving had made it larger than life. But when the feeling passed...and it always does, I also remembered the reasons why the lover was an old lover.

Man, did I ever want cooked food last night!! I don't know what the hell hit me, oh wait, I do know. I was watching Restaurant Makeover and they had this wonderful Greek chef whose signature dish was roast lamb. Get away from me. I used to go to this one place in town just FOR the roast lamb.

So just like remembering really good sex with an old lover, I set about romanticising lamb.

I told Steve, "I want everything that's bad for me tonight!" He wiggled his eyebrows and I punched him in the arm. "Not thaaaat...!"

I said, "I want cooked food, I want laaaaamb"

He was silent for a minute then said, "Well I want everything good for me."

I was both peeved and relieved. Mostly relieved. It made me think of what's great about us. We never seem to fall out of love at the same time in our 14 years, and whenever one is weak, the other's strength kicks in. I love us.

He said, "You want the taste of lamb, but you don't want the feeling that goes with it afterwards...you don't want to upset your stomach, which it will, you don't want a resurgence of zits, which you'll get, you don't want to wake up with a salty, pasty mouth, which you would, you don't want the bloat and constipation, which you'll get... and you don't want the spiral into cooked foods. You will feel so much better about everything if you stick to how we're eating."

He was right! All those things, check.

Mostly we just groove along eating mostly raw, but the odd time, one of us whines for the old days and what he told me is pretty much what I tell him when he's the one in that situation.

There have been a few times we were 'there' at the same time, and learned much. "Oh, gawd, let's not do that again..." but of course, we do. But it's getting less and less.

For the most part, as he pointed out to me, we just don't want to undo the good or worse, go back to how we were living.

I'm really grateful today :)

When one of us is feeling the way I felt last night, the other says, "I'll take care of dinner, and fix you something great"...running with the fact that if we're feeling like roast lamb, suddenly looking into a fridge predominantly comprised of vegetables will seem overwhelming and like 'there's nothing to eeeeeeeaaaat'.

So he whipped me up a gorgeous salad with some flax crackers, and broke a special one into a heart.

I'm a blessed woman.

And I'm sooooo glad I didn't have roasted lamb. Just like remembering an old lover, my momentary craving had made it larger than life. But when the feeling passed...and it always does, I also remembered the reasons why the lover was an old lover.

Fresh, Raw Abundance

So I've been having fun eating raw... last week, we had a backyard party and our neighbours gifted us with the most thoughtful, amazing, straw bag filled to capacity with fresh, local, farmer's market produce. It was divine!!

We felt so blessed and abundant and ate like raw royalty all week!! ;) It's all gone because we fixed everything into glorious salads and sides every day. (The packages you see are guitar strings for Steve! They really put thought into who we are and we so appreciate it!)

The timing of this bounty just couldn't have been better, as both Steve and I have sworn off sweets for the time being (sweets meaning raw treats using organic sweet cane or agave nectar or any cheats like Green & Black's chocolate bars...r.i.p.) We were both feeling the need to treat our bodies gently, since he has been going through a round of detox and I made my discovery about taking sugar out of the healing equation from seeing first hand the resurgence of the dreaded spider bite itch. So we've been eatin' clean as we call it, sticking to fruit, green smoothies, salads, hemp seeds, homemade flax crackers, avocados on sprouted grain bread, to name a few. (I understand that fruit is sweet, but one thing at a time!)

A surprising off-shoot of burning this kind of fuel is that it has made my morning coffee (I know, I know) make me feel nauseous! I think this is such great news because I would like to remove it from my life. I make the strongest coffee anyone's ever had, and I'm sure it is not doing me any good. Like all things in my way of vibrant, glowing health, it must go. This is a process, not an event, and all things in their time. This week has been the beginning of wrapping my head around it...but it doesn't feel like it's going to be today. (she said, sipping her morning coffee as she writes.)

In other news, my weight loss is steady and sure, and shopping for clothes is fun again! I am finding that my style is changing...not that I had one...I was more into hiding, strategic enhancing, and camouflaging before; giant sweaters that didn't cling to rolls, etc. Now, though, I'm looking at dresses and skirts and tee-shirts and blouses I can tuck in if I want to... And under-things! Look out, Baby!! :D Good times, good times... ;)

Rawk on!!

Fresh, Raw Abundance

So I've been having fun eating raw... last week, we had a backyard party and our neighbours gifted us with the most thoughtful, amazing, straw bag filled to capacity with fresh, local, farmer's market produce. It was divine!!

We felt so blessed and abundant and ate like raw royalty all week!! ;) It's all gone because we fixed everything into glorious salads and sides every day. (The packages you see are guitar strings for Steve! They really put thought into who we are and we so appreciate it!)

The timing of this bounty just couldn't have been better, as both Steve and I have sworn off sweets for the time being (sweets meaning raw treats using organic sweet cane or agave nectar or any cheats like Green & Black's chocolate bars...r.i.p.) We were both feeling the need to treat our bodies gently, since he has been going through a round of detox and I made my discovery about taking sugar out of the healing equation from seeing first hand the resurgence of the dreaded spider bite itch. So we've been eatin' clean as we call it, sticking to fruit, green smoothies, salads, hemp seeds, homemade flax crackers, avocados on sprouted grain bread, to name a few. (I understand that fruit is sweet, but one thing at a time!)

A surprising off-shoot of burning this kind of fuel is that it has made my morning coffee (I know, I know) make me feel nauseous! I think this is such great news because I would like to remove it from my life. I make the strongest coffee anyone's ever had, and I'm sure it is not doing me any good. Like all things in my way of vibrant, glowing health, it must go. This is a process, not an event, and all things in their time. This week has been the beginning of wrapping my head around it...but it doesn't feel like it's going to be today. (she said, sipping her morning coffee as she writes.)

In other news, my weight loss is steady and sure, and shopping for clothes is fun again! I am finding that my style is changing...not that I had one...I was more into hiding, strategic enhancing, and camouflaging before; giant sweaters that didn't cling to rolls, etc. Now, though, I'm looking at dresses and skirts and tee-shirts and blouses I can tuck in if I want to... And under-things! Look out, Baby!! :D Good times, good times... ;)

Rawk on!!

Hemp milk offers new alternative to dairy, soy products

(NewsTarget) A Canadian hemp growing and products company called Manitoba Harvest is introducing a new "hemp milk" non-dairy beverage in an attempt to compete with other milk substitutes such as soy, rice and almond milk.

The product, called Hemp Bliss, is sweetened and flavored only with natural and organic ingredients. It is beige in color and, like all Manitoba Harvest products, certified kosher and USDA organic.

The market for dairy alternatives in North America is approximately $1 billion, and Manitoba Harvest hopes that the health benefits of hempcan help its new product become a major player in this field.

"We see hemp growing as big as or bigger than the flax or soy categories in terms of functional food ingredients," said Mike Fata, company co-founder.

Hemp seeds are high in protein, ranking second only to soybeans among oil seeds in terms of complete protein content. The seeds are approximately 25 percent protein; Hemp Bliss contains 5 grams per serving.Unlike soy, hemp is high in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.

According to Manitoba Harvest, hemp is also a superior choice for those who are allergic or sensitive to soy or nuts. In addition, the company says, hemp agriculture is much less ecologically destructive than that used for other dairy-alternative plants such as soy. Hemp requires little water and no herbicides to grow, and has even been said to enrich the soil.

Although the sale of hemp products is legal in the United States, its cultivation is still banned, because U.S. politicians and law enforcement leaders feel it's better to control the U.S. population through police state fear campaigns than to set farmers free to grow lucrative, sustainably-harvested crops like hemp. Commercial hemp does not contain appreciable levels of the active psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Agriculture and Agri-food Canada estimates that 90 percent of Canadian hemp is sold in the U.S. market.

Manitoba Harvest calls itself "the largest vertically integrated hemp food manufacturer" in the world. Its other products include hemp butter, oil, protein powder and seed. http://newstarget.com/

UPDATE: THIS STUFF ROCKS VERY HARD!! EL-YUMMO!

Hemp milk offers new alternative to dairy, soy products

(NewsTarget) A Canadian hemp growing and products company called Manitoba Harvest is introducing a new "hemp milk" non-dairy beverage in an attempt to compete with other milk substitutes such as soy, rice and almond milk.

The product, called Hemp Bliss, is sweetened and flavored only with natural and organic ingredients. It is beige in color and, like all Manitoba Harvest products, certified kosher and USDA organic.

The market for dairy alternatives in North America is approximately $1 billion, and Manitoba Harvest hopes that the health benefits of hempcan help its new product become a major player in this field.

"We see hemp growing as big as or bigger than the flax or soy categories in terms of functional food ingredients," said Mike Fata, company co-founder.

Hemp seeds are high in protein, ranking second only to soybeans among oil seeds in terms of complete protein content. The seeds are approximately 25 percent protein; Hemp Bliss contains 5 grams per serving.Unlike soy, hemp is high in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.

According to Manitoba Harvest, hemp is also a superior choice for those who are allergic or sensitive to soy or nuts. In addition, the company says, hemp agriculture is much less ecologically destructive than that used for other dairy-alternative plants such as soy. Hemp requires little water and no herbicides to grow, and has even been said to enrich the soil.

Although the sale of hemp products is legal in the United States, its cultivation is still banned, because U.S. politicians and law enforcement leaders feel it's better to control the U.S. population through police state fear campaigns than to set farmers free to grow lucrative, sustainably-harvested crops like hemp. Commercial hemp does not contain appreciable levels of the active psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Agriculture and Agri-food Canada estimates that 90 percent of Canadian hemp is sold in the U.S. market.

Manitoba Harvest calls itself "the largest vertically integrated hemp food manufacturer" in the world. Its other products include hemp butter, oil, protein powder and seed. http://newstarget.com/

UPDATE: THIS STUFF ROCKS VERY HARD!! EL-YUMMO!

Photo Update - October 16th

Me in my size 16 Calvin Kleins that used to be a tight squeeze!

Photo Update - October 16th

Me in my size 16 Calvin Kleins that used to be a tight squeeze!

Itchy Bitchy Spider

I feel amazing today!!

I feel full of vibrant life energy and I feel like I could conquer the world. I'm excited on a cellular level!

Why the nutty talk?

Well... my last post, about detox, was a personal one. I didn't just pull the topic out of the air. I was going through it myself. I found that the biggest challenge I faced was TRUST.



See...



I was bitten by a mystery bug, and judging by the way the bite manifested, my best guess is a spider. That alone is scary stuff. But the worst part is, it was on my breast. A very sensitive, tender area.

I didn't see the culprit, and I didn't feel it happening. Just one night after my birthday, I noticed I was scratching while I was sitting at my computer. Just idle scratching; hardly paying attention.

It wasn't until bedtime that I looked and saw a raised, red welt on the side of my breast. Well. What a shitty thing to pull on a hypochondriac; my thoughts took me to hell.

I managed to get to sleep, only to be awakened by the most intense itching I've ever experienced in all my life. Ever try to satisfy a scratch there? Nothing to really push against. I told Steve it would be like you trying to scratch your dangly bits. Not easy, and not satisfying.

It wasn't just at the site, either. It was the entire boob. Feck!

I usually know better than to diagnose myself via computer, but this was welting in a bullseye pattern, and I pretty much confirmed the spider theory. Then I went hunting for natural cures.

Enter the banana. Turns out, the inside of a banana peel is a great itch relief for insect bites.

So I peeled a banana and held it to the bite. It did help, but it didn't take it away. Some relief, but still, suckin' in my breath through clenched teeth.

So I also added aloe vera gel, which I keep in the fridge for my morning smoothies (I add 2 oz.) You can take this internally or topically. Sounds gross but works like a hot damn. It healed my sunburn so quickly in the summer and I know it heals all skin 'things' like no other, so I applied it.

The relief was so very welcome. Within a 1/2 hour, I was soothed. So I went to bed holding a banana peel full of aloe to myself, and fell asleep. No, I don't have a photo.

That night, and next day, I woke up to the intense itching again, and re-applied the treatment as needed.

I also got some tea tree oil and applied it directly to the bite, which was still pretty angry looking. This also helped immensly, so I added it to the aresenal, morning and again at night.

My body went into day 3 of this with only temporary relief brought on by these measures. I would check on the bite and see that it was morphing, and while that was scary, I did notice that while it was different, it didn't appear worse. So I kept going.

Meanwhile, my thoughts alternated between darkness and light. Darkness because like all women, I've been taught to fear my breasts, to live in terror of breast cancer. (THE BASTARDS. I have MUCH to spew on this subject but, well.... DOWN, Girl.) Anyway, I was thinking stuff like, "What if it wasn't a spider? I never saw it, after all... What if it is the beginning of something horrible?"

I am not joking about being a hypochondriac. Up until this experience, I've never been known to do well with the idea of illness. Any body symptom = fear.

It was a whole new challenge to take care of this on my own, without suppressing it beyond relieving the itch naturally, an itch like no other, an itch that drove me to distraction. An itch I couldn't, and didn't, scratch, even though it was insanely itchy.

Oh, and it was itchy.

Meanwhile, my body was acting like it was fighting off an attack. It was!

I went through low-grade feelings all week... extremely low energy, fatigue, blahs. I begged out of my every day life and I took to my bed for the most part. I slept for hours on the 4th day. I drank tons of water. I ate only the most nutritious raw foods...no brownies, no sweets...only dark green leafies and red peppers, garlic, red cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc, all known to promote healing with their rich vitamin and mineral content, including Vitamin C, a great infection fighter. I didn't dehydrate any foods and I kept nuts to a minimum, but added hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds to my salads.

By day 5, the site was decidely fading, much less itchy and angry. It had been hours since I remembered itching! This was working! I was fighting and winning, without medical intervention. I know that folks usually take a round of antibiotics for spider bites. And while I believe the body can heal itself, this isn't all heroics; had it taken a drastic turn for the worse, I'd have run like a little girl to Emergency.

But, since I wasn't walking around with banana peels in my bra , and I didn't have to cup my boob in my hand, I decided I felt well enough to go on a grocery shopping trip with Steve.

I loaded up on more healing foods, but at the check-out, decided to 'reward' myself with a Green & Black's chocolate bar. Normally I would eat a 70% bar but they were out and I grabbed an almond one, another old favorite.

I scarfed it down during the drive home.

Within the hour, the intense itching, like, day 1 all over again.

The sugar!

I had *just* written in my latest post, about taking sugar out of the equation when trying to heal from something! DOH!

I spent that evening with a deeper understanding and a direct line to just how true this all is.

And, with a very itchy tit.

Big lesson!

I took it to heart, and I haven't had sugar since, and I am completely on the mend, in that the itching is totally gone, and the whole thing is fading to nothing. I am so proud of my body's level of health and ability to clean house!

Itchy Bitchy Spider

I feel amazing today!!

I feel full of vibrant life energy and I feel like I could conquer the world. I'm excited on a cellular level!

Why the nutty talk?

Well... my last post, about detox, was a personal one. I didn't just pull the topic out of the air. I was going through it myself. I found that the biggest challenge I faced was TRUST.



See...



I was bitten by a mystery bug, and judging by the way the bite manifested, my best guess is a spider. That alone is scary stuff. But the worst part is, it was on my breast. A very sensitive, tender area.

I didn't see the culprit, and I didn't feel it happening. Just one night after my birthday, I noticed I was scratching while I was sitting at my computer. Just idle scratching; hardly paying attention.

It wasn't until bedtime that I looked and saw a raised, red welt on the side of my breast. Well. What a shitty thing to pull on a hypochondriac; my thoughts took me to hell.

I managed to get to sleep, only to be awakened by the most intense itching I've ever experienced in all my life. Ever try to satisfy a scratch there? Nothing to really push against. I told Steve it would be like you trying to scratch your dangly bits. Not easy, and not satisfying.

It wasn't just at the site, either. It was the entire boob. Feck!

I usually know better than to diagnose myself via computer, but this was welting in a bullseye pattern, and I pretty much confirmed the spider theory. Then I went hunting for natural cures.

Enter the banana. Turns out, the inside of a banana peel is a great itch relief for insect bites.

So I peeled a banana and held it to the bite. It did help, but it didn't take it away. Some relief, but still, suckin' in my breath through clenched teeth.

So I also added aloe vera gel, which I keep in the fridge for my morning smoothies (I add 2 oz.) You can take this internally or topically. Sounds gross but works like a hot damn. It healed my sunburn so quickly in the summer and I know it heals all skin 'things' like no other, so I applied it.

The relief was so very welcome. Within a 1/2 hour, I was soothed. So I went to bed holding a banana peel full of aloe to myself, and fell asleep. No, I don't have a photo.

That night, and next day, I woke up to the intense itching again, and re-applied the treatment as needed.

I also got some tea tree oil and applied it directly to the bite, which was still pretty angry looking. This also helped immensly, so I added it to the aresenal, morning and again at night.

My body went into day 3 of this with only temporary relief brought on by these measures. I would check on the bite and see that it was morphing, and while that was scary, I did notice that while it was different, it didn't appear worse. So I kept going.

Meanwhile, my thoughts alternated between darkness and light. Darkness because like all women, I've been taught to fear my breasts, to live in terror of breast cancer. (THE BASTARDS. I have MUCH to spew on this subject but, well.... DOWN, Girl.) Anyway, I was thinking stuff like, "What if it wasn't a spider? I never saw it, after all... What if it is the beginning of something horrible?"

I am not joking about being a hypochondriac. Up until this experience, I've never been known to do well with the idea of illness. Any body symptom = fear.

It was a whole new challenge to take care of this on my own, without suppressing it beyond relieving the itch naturally, an itch like no other, an itch that drove me to distraction. An itch I couldn't, and didn't, scratch, even though it was insanely itchy.

Oh, and it was itchy.

Meanwhile, my body was acting like it was fighting off an attack. It was!

I went through low-grade feelings all week... extremely low energy, fatigue, blahs. I begged out of my every day life and I took to my bed for the most part. I slept for hours on the 4th day. I drank tons of water. I ate only the most nutritious raw foods...no brownies, no sweets...only dark green leafies and red peppers, garlic, red cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc, all known to promote healing with their rich vitamin and mineral content, including Vitamin C, a great infection fighter. I didn't dehydrate any foods and I kept nuts to a minimum, but added hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds to my salads.

By day 5, the site was decidely fading, much less itchy and angry. It had been hours since I remembered itching! This was working! I was fighting and winning, without medical intervention. I know that folks usually take a round of antibiotics for spider bites. And while I believe the body can heal itself, this isn't all heroics; had it taken a drastic turn for the worse, I'd have run like a little girl to Emergency.

But, since I wasn't walking around with banana peels in my bra , and I didn't have to cup my boob in my hand, I decided I felt well enough to go on a grocery shopping trip with Steve.

I loaded up on more healing foods, but at the check-out, decided to 'reward' myself with a Green & Black's chocolate bar. Normally I would eat a 70% bar but they were out and I grabbed an almond one, another old favorite.

I scarfed it down during the drive home.

Within the hour, the intense itching, like, day 1 all over again.

The sugar!

I had *just* written in my latest post, about taking sugar out of the equation when trying to heal from something! DOH!

I spent that evening with a deeper understanding and a direct line to just how true this all is.

And, with a very itchy tit.

Big lesson!

I took it to heart, and I haven't had sugar since, and I am completely on the mend, in that the itching is totally gone, and the whole thing is fading to nothing. I am so proud of my body's level of health and ability to clean house!

Articles on Healing

These articles say it better than I ever could:

In Sickness and in Health

What it Takes to Get Well by Dave Klein

Articles on Healing

These articles say it better than I ever could:

In Sickness and in Health

What it Takes to Get Well by Dave Klein

Detox

You know what's been on my mind lately? Detox.

Not the booze kind, the raw food lifestyle kind.

Do you know about that?

Ever since I started researching this way of eating, I read all the promises of glowing health (all true) and I read all the promises that detox would soon follow. Not just as a big, one-time deal, but at different points along the way.

Each time brings a new level of healing, and is the body's way of going further into glowing health. Detox manifests differently for all people, but means the same thing: You're getting healthier as your body cleans itself out.

So what are we detoxing from?

A lifetime of eating a cooked food diet, drinking alcohol, doing recreational drugs, eating junk foods, etc.

It can sneak up on you, occuring when you've been feeling really well. It can be surprising to feel unwell after you've been 'rawkin' along'.

So there you are, groovin' on raw foods, feeling better than ever, when suddenly you get a day or two or more, or low-grade, low-energy blahs, or a rash, or blemishes, or headache, etc.

Sometimes, detox symptoms hit you harder, because, after all, they are your body purging whatever has ailed you in the past. You may not remember everything that ever gotten you down, physically, but your body does...and there's nothin' like detox to remind you.

You may start to think, "What's this, then? Why now? I was doing so well! What's going on?"

Then maybe your thoughts turn darker as you think, "Hm. Maybe this way of eating is screwing me up. Doing me more harm than good. Maybe my *S.A.D. friends are right."

No! No! Stop that!

You are on the right track! This is your body purging!

See, we've got it all wrong! We think that when we get a cold, for instance, that we're sick and need a cure. I read a great thing about why there's no cure for the common cold...it's because the cold IS the cure. The cold is your body's way of detoxing, of getting rid of what's trying to get you down.

The best thing to do when you feel you've veered off the tracks with your health is to say YAY!

Yay?! Are you nuts? Why yes, yes I am. But that is besides the point. Focus. ;)

Yay because your body is getting rid of the stuff that has held you back from being your 100% vibrant, healthy self, i.e. your birthright! It's cleaning house! Once you let your detox pass, you will undoubtedly feel better than you did before it occured.

I say let it pass, because the last thing you want to do is suppress these symptoms, as this will only slow the whole process down. As a society, we're used to band-aid-ing everything from headaches to indigestion, which is like telling a crying baby to hush without finding out the cause. It's hissing in response to your body trying to talk to you, when it's actually a time when you need to pause and listen.

The best way to let it pass is to rest. I know we've heard this so long, we don't think it applies to us. Rest means a good night's sleep, staying in, reading, napping, meditating, bathing. All gentle ways of re-juvinating.

Beyond rest, drink water. I know. I know. There's another 'newsflash', right? But it's more important than ever, considering that the water is what will transport and eliminate the toxins. Juicing is also a wonderful way to support your system during this time.

Allow the detox to take its course, continue to eat nutritiously, and use the detox as a time to step back from sugar, as it will slow things down.

Above all, know that you're on the right track, and relax into it.
I've read that eating a raw diet doesn't improve you, it replaces you. I couldn't agree more.



*Standard Amercian Diet

More about detox here

Detox

You know what's been on my mind lately? Detox.

Not the booze kind, the raw food lifestyle kind.

Do you know about that?

Ever since I started researching this way of eating, I read all the promises of glowing health (all true) and I read all the promises that detox would soon follow. Not just as a big, one-time deal, but at different points along the way.

Each time brings a new level of healing, and is the body's way of going further into glowing health. Detox manifests differently for all people, but means the same thing: You're getting healthier as your body cleans itself out.

So what are we detoxing from?

A lifetime of eating a cooked food diet, drinking alcohol, doing recreational drugs, eating junk foods, etc.

It can sneak up on you, occuring when you've been feeling really well. It can be surprising to feel unwell after you've been 'rawkin' along'.

So there you are, groovin' on raw foods, feeling better than ever, when suddenly you get a day or two or more, or low-grade, low-energy blahs, or a rash, or blemishes, or headache, etc.

Sometimes, detox symptoms hit you harder, because, after all, they are your body purging whatever has ailed you in the past. You may not remember everything that ever gotten you down, physically, but your body does...and there's nothin' like detox to remind you.

You may start to think, "What's this, then? Why now? I was doing so well! What's going on?"

Then maybe your thoughts turn darker as you think, "Hm. Maybe this way of eating is screwing me up. Doing me more harm than good. Maybe my *S.A.D. friends are right."

No! No! Stop that!

You are on the right track! This is your body purging!

See, we've got it all wrong! We think that when we get a cold, for instance, that we're sick and need a cure. I read a great thing about why there's no cure for the common cold...it's because the cold IS the cure. The cold is your body's way of detoxing, of getting rid of what's trying to get you down.

The best thing to do when you feel you've veered off the tracks with your health is to say YAY!

Yay?! Are you nuts? Why yes, yes I am. But that is besides the point. Focus. ;)

Yay because your body is getting rid of the stuff that has held you back from being your 100% vibrant, healthy self, i.e. your birthright! It's cleaning house! Once you let your detox pass, you will undoubtedly feel better than you did before it occured.

I say let it pass, because the last thing you want to do is suppress these symptoms, as this will only slow the whole process down. As a society, we're used to band-aid-ing everything from headaches to indigestion, which is like telling a crying baby to hush without finding out the cause. It's hissing in response to your body trying to talk to you, when it's actually a time when you need to pause and listen.

The best way to let it pass is to rest. I know we've heard this so long, we don't think it applies to us. Rest means a good night's sleep, staying in, reading, napping, meditating, bathing. All gentle ways of re-juvinating.

Beyond rest, drink water. I know. I know. There's another 'newsflash', right? But it's more important than ever, considering that the water is what will transport and eliminate the toxins. Juicing is also a wonderful way to support your system during this time.

Allow the detox to take its course, continue to eat nutritiously, and use the detox as a time to step back from sugar, as it will slow things down.

Above all, know that you're on the right track, and relax into it.
I've read that eating a raw diet doesn't improve you, it replaces you. I couldn't agree more.



*Standard Amercian Diet

More about detox here

FEATURE: The Raw Food Coach

In her breezy, down-to-earth style, the UK's Karen Knowler sure is helpful in pointing aspiring raw foodists in the right direction!

She offers coaching and workshops, and her website is a great resource of articles to get you started and keep you going.

Here are some of my favourite articles of Karen's that have helped me along the way:

• New to Raw Foods? Start Here
• Going Raw - What's it All About?
• The 7 Steps to Going and Staying Raw
• Living in the Raw Articles

Stay inspired by receiving Karen's e-zine newsletter every Friday, delivered straight to your inbox: Sign Up, it's FREE!


Happy Raw Day!

FEATURE: The Raw Food Coach

In her breezy, down-to-earth style, the UK's Karen Knowler sure is helpful in pointing aspiring raw foodists in the right direction!

She offers coaching and workshops, and her website is a great resource of articles to get you started and keep you going.

Here are some of my favourite articles of Karen's that have helped me along the way:

• New to Raw Foods? Start Here
• Going Raw - What's it All About?
• The 7 Steps to Going and Staying Raw
• Living in the Raw Articles

Stay inspired by receiving Karen's e-zine newsletter every Friday, delivered straight to your inbox: Sign Up, it's FREE!


Happy Raw Day!

Great Raw Recipe Site

Whether or not you own a dehydrator or any of the fancy raw kitchen stuff, or are all raw or somewhat raw, this site will have something for you!

You just can't go wrong with GONE RAW!

Great Raw Recipe Site

Whether or not you own a dehydrator or any of the fancy raw kitchen stuff, or are all raw or somewhat raw, this site will have something for you!

You just can't go wrong with GONE RAW!

Un-cooking Day

Yesterday, I spent the day in the kitchen! Yeehaaa!

I made:

• two pans of those amazing raw brownies
• fajitas
• sour cream
• raw vegan bbq 'beef'
• eggless egg salad
• tortillas

All the recipes are here, except for the tortillas, which I'll post below. These require the use of a dehydrator, and they are from Gabriel Cousin's Rainbow Green Raw Food Cuisine book.
It was my first time making them, and I was happy to discover they are easy-peasy.

• 1 cup ground golden flax seeds
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• celtic salt to taste
• water for consistency

Blend the ingredients in a food processor or blender, adding water to create a smooth batter. Spread 1/2 cup batter evenly on paraflex (teflex) sheets, to a thickness of about 1/4 inch and 6" in diameter. Dehydrate at 95 degrees for 2-3 hours, flip the tortillas over and remove the paraflex sheets and continue dehydrating 2-3 hours more until the tortillas are soft and flexible.
These are wonderful!! What I did was combine the bbq beef with the fajita mix and added some sour cream and rolled it up into a tortilla and well, this should say it all......

Un-cooking Day

Yesterday, I spent the day in the kitchen! Yeehaaa!

I made:

• two pans of those amazing raw brownies
• fajitas
• sour cream
• raw vegan bbq 'beef'
• eggless egg salad
• tortillas

All the recipes are here, except for the tortillas, which I'll post below. These require the use of a dehydrator, and they are from Gabriel Cousin's Rainbow Green Raw Food Cuisine book.
It was my first time making them, and I was happy to discover they are easy-peasy.

• 1 cup ground golden flax seeds
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• celtic salt to taste
• water for consistency

Blend the ingredients in a food processor or blender, adding water to create a smooth batter. Spread 1/2 cup batter evenly on paraflex (teflex) sheets, to a thickness of about 1/4 inch and 6" in diameter. Dehydrate at 95 degrees for 2-3 hours, flip the tortillas over and remove the paraflex sheets and continue dehydrating 2-3 hours more until the tortillas are soft and flexible.
These are wonderful!! What I did was combine the bbq beef with the fajita mix and added some sour cream and rolled it up into a tortilla and well, this should say it all......

Birthday

SOMEbody needs to invest in a good camera...but you get the picture...very happy birthday dinner :)

Goooooood Morning! It's my 44th birthday! I have never felt younger or better in my life! (cue birds twittering)

Back in May, I entered into this at a point where I never felt older or worse in my life.

What an exciting turnaround it's been!

I have come from a party lifestyle, didn't wait for guests, just cracked a beer, smoked some pot and either put off eating until I was famished then hoovered in some take-out, or ate like a broken machine all day.

My head was filled with thoughts of gloom and constant inner admonishment, whereas now, my head is filled with life and future plans.

I once read that the only sensible thing to do with all this extra raw energy is to open a business! That sticks in my head. I think often about having a shop with all my art: my original paintings for sale, and also products with my paintings on them, from journals to shower curtains, coffee cups to pillows.

Or maybe once we move out of the city, I'll have one of those 'Artisan' signs along the highway, and have my studio open to the public... ah it's good to dream and plan again. Such a contrast from this time last year. Focusing on live foods cleared room in my head to focus on living life!

Tonight, my boyfriend is taking me out for dinner to a beautiful, very zen, vegan organic restaurant called Dharma. We reserved the couches and coffee table in the back, with its red walls and candle light. Ah, just typing that gave me a deeper breath. I'm so looking forward to it.

Did I buy a new dress? No, I was only too happy to fit in my old favorite again, something that hasn't happened in a couple years. :) I did buy new shoes, shoes so sexy that I've only worn them to bed, haha...another benefit of this lifestyle is discovering feeling sexy again, something that definitely was on the back burner. Of someone else's stove, in another town.

Something to note is that with both my boyfriend and I taking good care of ourselves, we have a renewed energy towards each other. It's remarkable, after 14 years, to see him looking fitter and younger than ever, and to look into his eyes and see that they are clear and sparkling.

When we were hanging on so tightly to the party lifestyle, I don't even remember taking much time to look into his eyes. We were so edgy and pissy and unhappy. There has been a rebirth around here and with my birthday today, and his next Saturday, it feels so great to sit a moment today and take stock.


Part of taking stock is recognizing that this feeling of gratitude extends to you guys, for reading this blog and taking time to comment and really be with me on this trip! I so appreciate it! xoxo

Well, this is a mushy post, and that is how I'm feeling, mushy. And so blessed!

Oh maybe you're wondering what a raw foodist does for cake... I'm not sure, but what I'm going to do is unbake those amazing off the charts brownies! They are beyond delish! ;)
UPDATE: Dinner was divine! I ordered the avocado salad, as I did last time we went, as it's the only truly raw thing I could find...and it's stacked high on a platter so huge, that I couldn't finish this delicious creation and called for backup, aka Steve :)

Birthday

SOMEbody needs to invest in a good camera...but you get the picture...very happy birthday dinner :)

Goooooood Morning! It's my 44th birthday! I have never felt younger or better in my life! (cue birds twittering)

Back in May, I entered into this at a point where I never felt older or worse in my life.

What an exciting turnaround it's been!

I have come from a party lifestyle, didn't wait for guests, just cracked a beer, smoked some pot and either put off eating until I was famished then hoovered in some take-out, or ate like a broken machine all day.

My head was filled with thoughts of gloom and constant inner admonishment, whereas now, my head is filled with life and future plans.

I once read that the only sensible thing to do with all this extra raw energy is to open a business! That sticks in my head. I think often about having a shop with all my art: my original paintings for sale, and also products with my paintings on them, from journals to shower curtains, coffee cups to pillows.

Or maybe once we move out of the city, I'll have one of those 'Artisan' signs along the highway, and have my studio open to the public... ah it's good to dream and plan again. Such a contrast from this time last year. Focusing on live foods cleared room in my head to focus on living life!

Tonight, my boyfriend is taking me out for dinner to a beautiful, very zen, vegan organic restaurant called Dharma. We reserved the couches and coffee table in the back, with its red walls and candle light. Ah, just typing that gave me a deeper breath. I'm so looking forward to it.

Did I buy a new dress? No, I was only too happy to fit in my old favorite again, something that hasn't happened in a couple years. :) I did buy new shoes, shoes so sexy that I've only worn them to bed, haha...another benefit of this lifestyle is discovering feeling sexy again, something that definitely was on the back burner. Of someone else's stove, in another town.

Something to note is that with both my boyfriend and I taking good care of ourselves, we have a renewed energy towards each other. It's remarkable, after 14 years, to see him looking fitter and younger than ever, and to look into his eyes and see that they are clear and sparkling.

When we were hanging on so tightly to the party lifestyle, I don't even remember taking much time to look into his eyes. We were so edgy and pissy and unhappy. There has been a rebirth around here and with my birthday today, and his next Saturday, it feels so great to sit a moment today and take stock.


Part of taking stock is recognizing that this feeling of gratitude extends to you guys, for reading this blog and taking time to comment and really be with me on this trip! I so appreciate it! xoxo

Well, this is a mushy post, and that is how I'm feeling, mushy. And so blessed!

Oh maybe you're wondering what a raw foodist does for cake... I'm not sure, but what I'm going to do is unbake those amazing off the charts brownies! They are beyond delish! ;)
UPDATE: Dinner was divine! I ordered the avocado salad, as I did last time we went, as it's the only truly raw thing I could find...and it's stacked high on a platter so huge, that I couldn't finish this delicious creation and called for backup, aka Steve :)

Oh, Nurse...

I went with my 15 year old son to the doctor because his ear infection hadn't clear up over the weekend. He hates dealing with that kind of stuff on his own, gets really shy describing symptoms, etc. Won't be long before he doesn't ask for my help, so I don't mind.

I asked the nurse if there was anything he could be doing nutritionally to help himself.



She looked confused, and said, "No...."



I said, "Well, besides laying off milk..."



She looked even more confused and said, "Milk is fine!"



Gone are the days that I sit with a mouthful and say nothing. "Milk is so phlegm producing! It's not fine at all!"



As you can imagine, this was followed by an uncomfortable silence on my son's part, and probably a firm holding of her own tongue because she didn't say anything, just turned away and started clicking at her computer keyboard. Probably typed 'insolent mother'...

Oh, Nurse...

I went with my 15 year old son to the doctor because his ear infection hadn't clear up over the weekend. He hates dealing with that kind of stuff on his own, gets really shy describing symptoms, etc. Won't be long before he doesn't ask for my help, so I don't mind.

I asked the nurse if there was anything he could be doing nutritionally to help himself.



She looked confused, and said, "No...."



I said, "Well, besides laying off milk..."



She looked even more confused and said, "Milk is fine!"



Gone are the days that I sit with a mouthful and say nothing. "Milk is so phlegm producing! It's not fine at all!"



As you can imagine, this was followed by an uncomfortable silence on my son's part, and probably a firm holding of her own tongue because she didn't say anything, just turned away and started clicking at her computer keyboard. Probably typed 'insolent mother'...

Rawkin' Rawktober!

Well yeeehaaaa, here we are, another spanky new month!

I'm giving myself a little exercise challenge this month...
I am committing to doing something physically active every day of the month.

walk
jump on my rebounder
sit ups
dance
jog

I'm going to draw from this little list of light activity and get myself moving. 5 minutes or more, that's all... going to start small and manageable. It's 5 minutes or more that I'm not doing now...so it's going to be an improvement.

I'm either all the way in, like jog to the gym, then have squash dates, or all the way out, my fingers getting a workout from typing. So I thought if I gave myself a challenge to do a little something every single day of ...wait for it... here it is again... RAWKtober, lol... then I'm ahead of the game.

...wanta join me?


***************************************************************************

UPDATE:

Wow, I almost let the first day get away on me! I thought of it a couple times today, 'Geez, I'd better do something...' but each time, I put it off.

At 9:45 tonight, I thought about it again, and this time, I went and did something about it. I'd just been grocery shopping and had something to eat, so sit-ups were out of the question. It was pouring rain, so my rebounder out in the yard wasn't going to happen.

But I couldn't blow off Day One! Who would I be?

So I decided I walked the dog and the cat. (They both love it!)

Came back soaked, but happy.

I'll try to get busy earlier in the day but it was good to know I walked when I normally would have waved it off, you know, finally back home on a rainy night, who the hell wants to go back out...

Anyway...yay!

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 2: (Oct.2)

Well at 9 a.m. I went out for a walk/jog in my neighbourhood! Yeehaaa! I'm all sweaty as I type this, sorry bad visual. ;)

I took my cell phone with me and rigged up the 'countdown timer' for 1 minute and I walked fast. It beeped, I re-set it for another minute, and ran for that one. I kept doing that until I walked 5 minutes and ran 5 minutes.

I feel so good that I did this, and I know it will get easier again in no time, as it always does.

Onward!

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 3: (Oct.3)

So I set out to do a 20 minute powerwalk in the morning. Set my cell phone countdown timer for 10 minutes with the intention of walking away for that time period, then having no choice but to walk back 10 minutes. I ended up surprising myself by getting back near home and deciding to add yet another 10, just because I was out there goin' for it, so I ended up doing 30 minutes! GO ME! Once again, I learn that it's all about starting.

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 4: (Oct.4)

Well they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.....alas, I did nothing even slightly athletically inclined today....back on the horse tomorrow, so to speak....

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 5: (Oct.5)

I had a couple ten minute walks today when I could fit them in, and feel back on track!

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 6: (Oct.6)
I had another day of just walking. But! It's better than nuttin'. Rainy Vancouver day and I got soaked (aaa-gain) but I'm glad I went.

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 7: (Oct.11)
Well, that went to hell! I ran, alright... I ran it right into the ditch!
Well in all fairness to myself, I have been under the weather. And my dog ate my homework.
Today is a new day, though, and I'm takin' myself out for a walk!
So...how YOU doin'? :)

Rawkin' Rawktober!

Well yeeehaaaa, here we are, another spanky new month!

I'm giving myself a little exercise challenge this month...
I am committing to doing something physically active every day of the month.

walk
jump on my rebounder
sit ups
dance
jog

I'm going to draw from this little list of light activity and get myself moving. 5 minutes or more, that's all... going to start small and manageable. It's 5 minutes or more that I'm not doing now...so it's going to be an improvement.

I'm either all the way in, like jog to the gym, then have squash dates, or all the way out, my fingers getting a workout from typing. So I thought if I gave myself a challenge to do a little something every single day of ...wait for it... here it is again... RAWKtober, lol... then I'm ahead of the game.

...wanta join me?


***************************************************************************

UPDATE:

Wow, I almost let the first day get away on me! I thought of it a couple times today, 'Geez, I'd better do something...' but each time, I put it off.

At 9:45 tonight, I thought about it again, and this time, I went and did something about it. I'd just been grocery shopping and had something to eat, so sit-ups were out of the question. It was pouring rain, so my rebounder out in the yard wasn't going to happen.

But I couldn't blow off Day One! Who would I be?

So I decided I walked the dog and the cat. (They both love it!)

Came back soaked, but happy.

I'll try to get busy earlier in the day but it was good to know I walked when I normally would have waved it off, you know, finally back home on a rainy night, who the hell wants to go back out...

Anyway...yay!

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 2: (Oct.2)

Well at 9 a.m. I went out for a walk/jog in my neighbourhood! Yeehaaa! I'm all sweaty as I type this, sorry bad visual. ;)

I took my cell phone with me and rigged up the 'countdown timer' for 1 minute and I walked fast. It beeped, I re-set it for another minute, and ran for that one. I kept doing that until I walked 5 minutes and ran 5 minutes.

I feel so good that I did this, and I know it will get easier again in no time, as it always does.

Onward!

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 3: (Oct.3)

So I set out to do a 20 minute powerwalk in the morning. Set my cell phone countdown timer for 10 minutes with the intention of walking away for that time period, then having no choice but to walk back 10 minutes. I ended up surprising myself by getting back near home and deciding to add yet another 10, just because I was out there goin' for it, so I ended up doing 30 minutes! GO ME! Once again, I learn that it's all about starting.

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 4: (Oct.4)

Well they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.....alas, I did nothing even slightly athletically inclined today....back on the horse tomorrow, so to speak....

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 5: (Oct.5)

I had a couple ten minute walks today when I could fit them in, and feel back on track!

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 6: (Oct.6)
I had another day of just walking. But! It's better than nuttin'. Rainy Vancouver day and I got soaked (aaa-gain) but I'm glad I went.

***************************************************************************
UPDATE 7: (Oct.11)
Well, that went to hell! I ran, alright... I ran it right into the ditch!
Well in all fairness to myself, I have been under the weather. And my dog ate my homework.
Today is a new day, though, and I'm takin' myself out for a walk!
So...how YOU doin'? :)