Day 98 - 100

And so it ends...ironically with a cooking class, yes we began out ten with course at Jamie's Ministry of Food on day 100. We learnt to cook eggs in all manner of ways - boiled, poached, scrambled and omellete. After downing the first two rounds of both our eggs, my master chef man was done with eggs and the more sophisticated versions were taken home for breakfast. At the beginning of our class we were asked to share why we had signed up and as I pondered this question the answer that formed on my lips was to simply learn more about food, real & wholesome food that nourishes the body and soothes the mind. In the past I would often feel incongruent which left me uneasy, what I ate was not always what I believed instinctively that I should be eating. I have not felt that way during this past three and a bit months and have been at peace as a result. From time to time if I had too many figs for example, I knew I was eating too much sugar and needed to fill up more on greens, my body would tell me. On the whole though I feel fantastic and healthier than I have been in years. Listen to your body, if you feel pain in your stomach after eating something - don't eat it anymore! I cannot say for sure that raw is the definative answer to better health and there probably isn't scientific data to back it up - all we have is anecdotal evidence and what works for you is what you need to do. I think general keys are ones we all know already: eat food in it's natural state, serve portion sizes that your grandma served up (visit some vintage haunts and pick up some old crockery sets), half of your plate with fresh green vegies, a quarter with a good wholesome grain and the last quarter with clean protein - limit refined sugars and fructose (fruit sugars) to minimal and take plenty of water. Here here are some of the photos I have taken along the way to inspire you of what is possible in the raw and I am so encouraged by everyone who has followed my journey and is indeed on their own journey, we are all headed in the same direction friends - let's continue to inspire one another. About two weeks ago I reviewed the documentary Hungry for Change which exposes the food industry and the mass production of imitation food products that are calorie dense but leave consumers starving at a cellular level. For me the decision to go raw protected me from consuming any of these products or ingredients. Committing myself to this challenge has changed my life. People have asked me what lies ahead and whilst I am still unsure of the answers, I know that I cannot go back to my previous food practices and continue to explore what works for Shaun and I as sharing fellowship together over food is a big part of our family and community life. Christopher Columbus said: “You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” And courage it does take to make changes in your life, to grow, to stretch to reach out for what was not formerly possible. My ship has sailed and ahead lies my brave new world which I continue to embrace, one day at a time.

Day 97

And so the long weekend we have a national love affair with continues, we began ours with a relaxing breakfast picnic with friends at Kholo Gardens. We've been reflecting again today on those things in life that bring us joy and happiness. It always seems that the answers are unassuming and lie in the simplest of places: the beauty of a sunset, a homecooked meal shared with friends or the delight of fresh flowers from the one you love. I spent some time in the kitchen this afternoon preparing a big pot of soup for evening meals and a raw easter treat (raw cacao & beetroot mini-mud). It was very enjoyable and as I tinkered away I reflected further on the morning's thoughts and of some of the conversations I've had this past week with friends and loved ones that, for one reason or another, are hurting at the moment. In a world that is driven by an unquenchable notion that we need more to be happy, it's important to take time out and reconnect with the perpetual student within us, content with a simple life of learning, love and....lentils. I think of those truths that bring me peace and of the hands with the scars, a lasting image of the wounds we sometimes inflict on one another as from time to time we collide in our struggle to find our way, but also that remind me of compassion and love that would still embrace.       

Day 91 - 96

Why hello there! It's been awhile I know, my last post being Sunday evening now I find myself needing to catch you up on a week of raw food loving and what a week it has been! We have just returned home from a few days in the gorgeous Granite Belt visiting with family. Ever since we escaped the world in the rugged wilderness of Sundown National Park, the region has remained one of my favourite places in the world. We had a relaxing couple of days, canoeing on the Severn river at Ballandean, watching the sunset over the great dividing range. Lyn and I had green smoothies for dinner whilst the boys downed enough steak for all of us. The little steer Bob (RIP) recently relocated from the paddock to the deep freeze and as such there is a surplus of beef circulating in the family. I also made my first batch of raw ice cream. It was quite a hit, even with the boys and I was inspired with ideas of new flavours and variations to try! This morning we took a drive to visit to a little old Church for sale that I was imagining might be cool to renovate and live in, unfortunately the location wasn't quite what I envisaged - well it was fun to dream a little and this afternoon we donned a couple of Hermes scarves (ala Grace Kelly) and went for a spin in the new family toy - a 1968 Datsun roadster. Other highlights this week have been sharing the raw love with friends, hearing the joy in their new discoveries and enjoying the journey of learning to bring my gift to the world.

Day 89 & 90

A lovely weekend, some gardening, harvesting, lots of naps and a Naked Treaties 'raw chocolate beetroot mudcake' from Wray Organics on Saturday afternoon! Life is good! This evening a friend left a post on my Healthy Hint’s page asking how I was feeling and whether I had noticed any obvious changes. So I thought I’d share my reply with everyone here as well: I don't think I can go back - it's changed my life ... so many wonderful things have happened also - obvious changes: increased energy, great skin tone, increased mental clarity, increased ideas & productivity, excellent health, no digestion pains or feeling zonked after eating, reduced sleep requirements - sleep is high quality due to reduced digestive load, fat loss - all of my clothes are looser, I've learned how to use different ingredients that I've never tried before, I've met fascinating new people that are also raw and have learned so much about food through my research and am still learning - i always felt like my food practices were compromising my instincts about how I should be eating and now I am completely congruent and that I am truly treating my body like a temple - it's so energising - I am so glad I took that step of faith and am love love loving the journey!!

Day 87 & 88

It’s Friday evening and I’m thinking of how much I am looking forward to a weekend of gardening, new raw food adventures and a few good naps. I haven’t been spending as much time in the garden as I would like and will be dedicating some tlc to our little patch this weekend. I can’t wait to see how our sweet spuds are going, let the chooks have a good run through and then get the beds ready for our winter crops. We had our kitchen gardening meet-up again on Thursday evening and it was lovely to spend some time together learning from one another and sharing a nice supper. My lovely Fijian Indian aunty was most disappointed that I could not try her traditional dishes yet again (though the aroma was most inviting) so I promised that I would come for dinner very soon and am most looking forward to our date. Scott and Kitty generously shared their abundance of knowledge and seeds and we've got a nice little collection to plant this weekend. The group meets on the last Thursday of every month (email us if you want to be added to the mailout) at the Leichhardt Community Centre and all are welcome!  I have found a great recipe for raw pumpkin pie so I’m going to give that a crack and I have some buckwheat sprouted ready for raw waffles on Sunday morning. 

Day 86

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Well I think I’ve lost count somewhere along the line – oops – I started on 3 January so what day am I up to now? Anyway the journey has been simply amazing and as autumn begins to wrap it's arms around us, I am reminded that there is a time for everything and that we should not be afraid of change but embrace and delight in it. I feel so thankful for the opportunity to grow, to change, to make decisions that can lead to adventures into whole new worlds. If you're reading my blog it means you are committed to building sound health practices and want to keep learning so I want to share with you this clip Hungry for Change. I haven't yet watched the whole film but I intend to and would love to hear your comments.     

Day 85

I had the most wonderful surprise today. Over the weekend I was thinking of my friend, Svetlana, whom I haven't seen in some time. Lana and I met in about 2005 when she first migrated to Australia. She is a quiet observer who will out of the blue give you the clearest insight about yourself and you wonder how she knows. We trade psychoanalysis for English lessons and both partial to drinking exotic and interesting teas, our catch up's used to be at a quiet teahouse (which has now sadly closed it's doors) for a pot of Russian Caravan or Lapsang Souchang. I was in Cultiver today when I heard spoken Russian and looked up to see both Lana and Yulia standing there smiling at me coyly. Yulia, whom I met when I was tutoring English literacy at a community class, had remembered that I am at the shop on Tuesday's and they decided to come and find me. I was promptly escorted next door to fourthchild for a cuppa and catch up. I do love the gentle ceremony of taking tea, where for a few moments one can stop and just enjoi the moment either by yourself or with good friends. I often just sit in a café and take time out from the mad rush all around. Stress can undermine your health and lead to all kinds of disease so be sure to take time out regularly to relax, unwind and recharge those batteries which is just as important as eating well. Speaking of food.... today's menu was green tea, green smoothie and raw bircher before 9am - during the day: licorice tea and chai, a healthy handful of almonds, one banana and two squares of conscious chocolate (yes raw! thank you Katrina Lee for special sample delivery - you can now get raw, dairy free chocolate from Lee BonBons) - green vegetable salad & dandelion tea (3pm) and raw pad thai followed by a pear (8pm). Don't forget to eat lots of greens & schedule some me time out for yourself this week!