Day 29

Food is such an enjoyable part of life and I am finding my taste buds are becoming more sensitised to distinct tastes and aromas. By eating things separately you can really savour the texture and flavour of each morsel. So today there are juicy portabello mushrooms marinating in lemon, garlic, olive oil and black pepper and they will be sensational. Did you know that lemon is extremely alkalining on the body and goes with just about everything, I have a stockpile now and cannot live without them! Oh finally cracked the packet of raw red olives from Raw Pleasure today - I was hesitant because once it's open you know what happens - they are gone, but I've been good in just having five each day (ok maybe six) and they are safely tucked away in the fridge (well if someone doesn't read this...I think I'm safe)! Putting things in obscure containers also protects immediate disposal by my roving husband who, whenever bored (not necessarily hungry) goes to the fridge, opens door (everything on the front lines cower in fear - except the vegetables) and if he doesn't recognize anything makes a declaration that there's nothing to eat and moves on. His sister tells me this is a family trait. He does burn alot of calories though and always seems to radiate heat (which is great in the winter) but has been the cause of many disagreements over air temperature control in the warmer months. This morning we took us through our paces in a gruelling 300 session which is becoming a Tuesday ritual - we had his colleague Karen join us too! Karen has been posting fitness activities that are happening each week in our circles and is active in encouraging herself and others to get fighting fit and have fun together - if you would like receive the mailout just drop me a comment! The Ipswich Hospital Foundation also has a community fitness program so check out what's available and get moving!! No excuses!

Day 28

We had a ladies day out today visiting the Matisse exhibition at GoMA. It was delightful, I loved the work inspired by his travels to the middle east and orient, rich colours, garments, fruits and the exotic contours of his subjects eyes. We had a break for morning tea before spending some lovely time in the drawing room where a lovely young lady serenaded us with classical pieces on the violin - I was in heaven! I brought along my little love heart tin box with walnuts for a snack and enjoyed them with a nice tart cranberry juice whilst the other ladies had some lovely teas and espresso with Italian style shortbreads. We talked about all sorts - art, fashion, photography, our dreams and goals for this year and beyond. Nadia, my new friend and an amazing artist, shared with me her love of the land she and her husband care for in Laidley where they grow lucerne and where Nadia also has her own space for her art and a garden. It really resonated with what I was reading the other day from the Jewish texts - the concept that we are to be stewards over the land for the time are given and that we are God's 'tenants'. Simply said I cannot wait to visit Nadia and her family and the land for which she cares.

Day 26 & 27

I woke up this morning with an idea in my head for a raw food dish, I think I may have dreamed how to make it - I am not sure but I will try it out this week! Rainy days are fabulous for sleeping in, drinking tea, gardening and catching up on some reading. This year I want to read more so I have set a specific goal:100 books so I am putting together a reading list and plan on spending lots of time at our local library, one of my favourite places! Another project for 2012 is getting a kitchen garden community established where people can come together to share knowledge about growing food. Our first meet-up is on Thursday, February 9 so please come and join us. We had dinner with new friends this evening and they graciously accommodated my raw food requirements with a delicious salad full of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes and snow peas topped with lashings of avocado, almonds and sunflower seeds and delicious frozen raspberries for desert - we felt so welcome (and yes a veggie patch spotted in the backyard!)  

Day 25

This rain is making everything sleepy and I decided today would be a rest day from gym. It is possible to overtrain without allowing rest and recovery time for muscles, cells and tissues to repair. I do find however that eating raw allows my body to recover much more quickly than in did in the past and I was reading an article by a lady training for a marathon who found the same thing. I want to introiduce you to our friends from Livewell Farm. Lisa, Brian, their three girls and numerous furry friends live on a beautiful forty acre parcel with views over Marburg. They raise their own livestock and teach their children to care for the animals and the land. A thriving organic veggie patch provides food for local café FourthChild and delicious homecooked gourmet meals the McKay's prepare for themselves and welcomed guests. We did have a dinner date set in January (which had to be rescheduled due to 'In the Raw') but which I am looking forward to later in the year! Brian makes his own sourdough and Lisa teaches piano, sews gorgeous Australian stuffed toys, sumptuous linen table settings and her bright and friendly sunflowers are now available for purchase at Cutliver. The McKays's approach to life is simple - care for the land and animals, enjoi wholesome home-grown, homemade meals with friends and family and livewell! I think we will take our nephews to visit on our next outing. Come on Brian - time to experiment with some raw cuisine, it's easy!!

Day 24

Happy Australia Day! I bet you're all wondering what I ate today right? BBQ's being the usual on such patriotic occasions! After a leisurely sleep-in I enjoyed a green smoothie and fruit in the morning and made Shaun a veggie omelet with a side of sauteed shrooms, swiss chard and toasted burgen. We hit the gym around 12pm for a workout and then I prepared two huge salads, peppered with pepitas, sunflower seeds, walnuts and avocado for lunch. His salad also got two eggs and some chicken wings on top! Whilst he hasn't taken completely to raw, my man definately feels as though he is eating better at the moment as I have been paying more attention than usual to food preparation which has been a plus for him! Here is a lovely post with some tips on being more raw inclusive. We spent the evening with my sister-in-law and her family - playing in the garden with Uri (2) running around 'in the raw' after the chooks and both squealing when they copped a cheeky spray from the hose whilst watering the veggie patch! Hayley showed us documents from the Brisbane Organic Growers Group (B.O.G.G.) c.1980's that she discovered in her grandmother's archives - we poured over the hand-typed papers with sentiments around the importance of saving seeds and educating people on how to grow vegetables. I found this fascinating as it was at this time when our parent's generation ceased to grow food and inspired me with what is possible through the Ipswich Kitchen Gardening Community that we are launching in February - stay tuned! We enjoyed a delicious salad with courgette, cucumber and rocket from her garden, marinated mushrooms and the others had some snags on the side too. This weekend I want to try raw sushi using quinoa!

Day 23

Wow nearly a quarter through this journey so I thought I'd share with you some more of the results I have been experiencing. Since the beginning, occasional respiratory ailments have disappeared and whilst I cannot be sure, attribute this to the absence of dairy. I have become noticeably leaner (which is often documented by people who go raw), people keep commenting, my clothes are looser and the scales (whilst not always accurate) indicate a reduction of about 2-3kg. I have been eating heaps of seeds and nuts, avocado and olive oil which all contain high proportions of fats but like most of the literature indicates - the good fats don't seem to be any issue. I have not counted calories or worried about portion sizes I have just been eating food in it's natural state that I recognise whenever I am hungry and tend to graze most of the day with a few key meals. Muscle wastage doesn't seem to be present as I have continued with resistance training (and cardio) and have been able to maintain the weights I was previously lifting. My training schedule has not really changed however I have not consumed any alcohol since December 31 (a blanket decision for 2012 pre-dating the raw food project) and all processed foods have been eradicated - so these two variables may also be contributing to the weight loss. Please remember - a warm welcome to our picnic 'In the Raw' on February 5th @ Kholo Gardens!

Day 22

The garden will be loving all of this beautiful rain - time to sow our new seedlings in the rain-softened soil when the sun comes out. We did a great three hundred session this morning and I felt like eating lots of fruit this morning so I did just that and then had some soaked quinoa sweetened with raw honey before heading into town for the morning! I discovered quinoa a few years ago and it is superb - a highly nutritious grain from the Andes - packed with 'complete' protein (ideal for vegos/vegans), vitamins and minerals. The greens in our garden are loving the wet and I had a huge salad for lunch with freshly picked rocket, a little radish I noticed poking out, radish seeds (I sprouted myself), asparagus, tomatoes, avocado and salmon with lemon and olive oil. After lunch it was time to draw forth the domestic goddess within (I knew she was in there somewhere) and I spent two hours hard at it to some tunes - great little cardio session! My reward was a delicious frozen smoothie made from carob,banana,strawberries, chia seeds, coconut juice & pulp - totally yumalicious and doesn't leave you feeling heavy like after a dairy based smoothie - I am hooked! I've completely lost all desire for milk and have loved discovering alternatives. I am so thankful I have taken a departure from the known! I'll leave you this evening with this great little summary I found on alkalining super foods - I am off to get some zzzz's and dream of what else I might discover tomorrow!

Day 21

What a glorious day. Absolutely ready for a good sleep after a double header this evening at the gym - BodyStep followed by Yoga. I started today with a glass of my green superfood vital greens before preparing my green juice. I am now combining freshly juiced apple, lemon, cucumber and celery with blended greens. I found a recipe for another one this evening - the 'happy shake' so I will definately be giving that a try really soon. Today we had a date with our two little nephews so I packed us all a picnic and off we went to beautiful Boonah for the day. As I prepared food for them I began to dream up healthy raw food the boys would love so it was very interesting to find Stacy's blog this evening as she works with families to introduce them to raw cuisine. We dropped into our favourite vintage haunts and then had a picnic where we spotted two frill necked lizards and some very friendly magpies and had a grand time playing on the swings and playset. We then stopped into the Story Tree, a most charming little cafe, well stocked with good books, great espresso, teas & slices and a fabulous play area for little ones. One last minute stop to look for a vase for my orchids was a success before the rain came to escort us home. I love driving in the rain listening to classical music - it's a treat in itself! The boys were out like a light and didn't even wake up when we stopped to pick up a bag of fresh vine ripened roma's! If you haven't been to visit Boonah, do take the time soon - it is only 45 minutes from Ipswich and the drive out through the Scenic Rim is breathtaking - rain, hail or shine!    

Day 19 & 20

Another double post to cover a weekend of fun! We've had a lovely one. Saturday afternoon we took a visit to friends on their 1 acre mini-estate at Deebing Heights where they are building a natural eco-system for local wildlife to take shelter in and developing a fabulous 'food forest' based on permaculture design principles. Their home is also designed to work with our natural environment so there is a lovely air flow through the home and no need for air-conditioning - very sustainable! We really enjoy spending time with this lovely couple, very down to earth and they inspire us in what they are doing with their own patch of earth, time and life - all gifts from God that we are stewards of! This was followed by a light supper when we got home then off to the Drive-In for the Jim Carey film, Mr Popper's Penguins with our sister's family. I loved it, so funny and cute and a really good message about valuing what is important in life - family, friends and special places and traditions that bring people together in community where memories are made! This weekend was my brother's birthday and so three nephews under four and seven big kids all went to visit Thomas and his friends at the Workshops then mosied home for a leisurely lunch, cake and cafe at home on our back deck! The pumpkin pie shall have to wait - this week I think! Shaun and Uriah (almost 2 aka - Uri the Russian Tank) did some gardening together as well! It was a lovely day! My raw gastronomical discovery for this weekend was gazpacho which I loved so much I made it twice! It is a raw, chilled Andulacian soup, so easy and quick to make and absolutely yummy! I topped it with avocado and coriander and had a cob of corn on the side! I've also been enjoying raw almond paste, peaches, blueberries, cherries and green juice/smoothie combos!

Day 18

Friday we do love you! I've put in some big hours at the gym this week and every muscle is feeling 'alive' so it will be grand to have some rest and recovery over the weekend. This morning I tried to make a green smoothie with a small hand held milkshake maker type instrument...hmmm did not work - note to self buy blender tomorrow. What else is on this weekend - we've got an invite to visit our friend's 'food forest' on Saturday afternoon then we're going to the drive-in, that's a very nostalgic evening out! I am planning to make a raw pumpkin pie as well for a family lunch on Sunday (my brother's birthday) he does love my creative cuisine - I made him sukiyaki once and he suffered through it. My brother is an absolute gem, when I was an impoverished student living on mung beans and dahl I remember once he visited me and appalled at my empty fridge - took me to the grocer and filled my trolley to the brim with all sort of vegetarian delights!! So Sunday morning we're taking Cooper (my nephew) on a playdate with my other nephews Jet and Uriah for a Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine (who is visiting the Railway Workshops in Ipswich at the moment). We're all coming home for lunch in the garden afterward! I will let y'all know how the raw family lunch goes!!  

Day 17

I woke up before my 5am alarm today again and I feel as though I am waking up more refreshed than usual - a huge unexpected bonus! I think it is due to having better quality sleep without the digestive load on the body during the night - rather than spending energy on processing food it can work on healing and recovery. So a hint is to make sure your evening meals are very light and preferably uncooked to enhance your sleep quality. Smashed out another cross training session this morning focusing on legs - cling and jerks, deadlifts & abs. I had to travel to Toowoomba today and had a sprouted lentil salad for lunch before we left then a yummy raw cacao bar during the drive up but was looking forward to some fruit later on so I stopped in at a Lockyer Valley green grocer on the way home and picked up fresh supplies. Two peaches hit the spot and I got home just in time to save my dry laundry from the downpour this evening and hit the gym for Body Step at 5:30pm. Chickpea and avocado salad, raw salmon and a few squares of raw chocolate for my evening meal after sitting in the garden until dusk with the chooks rambling about in the rain softened dirt and watching for any other critters that visit. After a double workout and big country drive I am feeling deliciously exhausted, have just read another chapter of my book and it's time to call it a night!   

Day 16

We did a variation of the 300 training session this morning. I haven't done one in a while and really threw myself into it and got my heart pumping, I imagined the oxygen just flooding every cell! Felt so good! It's a great muscle building workout whilst keeping the heart rate up. Strength training is essential to maintain or build muscle mass which assists with weight control and bone density and strength. Tuesday morning we are meeting at Limestone Park for cross training so if you want to join us for some action - come along! Meeting in the car park near Lyons Road at 5:30am. Today I have been working on putting the feelers out for interest in a new project I'll be launching this year under the Transition Ipswich umbrella - Ipswich Kitchen Gardening Community - a community of people growing food locally that connects both online and in person, shares knowledge, seeds, surplus food, friendship & fun. Then this evening I attended an inspiring presentation by Beyond Zero Emissions on sustainable energy solutions for Australia. Europe is really leading the way and we saw many examples of practical and renewable energy sources that we can tap into! I enjoyed a lovely quiet ride home under a sky full of stars, a frozen banana, blueberry, coconut, chia and flaxseed smoothie, wrote my blog and now it's time for bed!

Day 15

I have felt really great all day today. Sprung out of bed just after 5am, vital greens down the hatch and off to the gym for weight training, a 20 min 5 degree incline power walk then a relaxing steam room session. I am definately feeling leaner and am beginning to see the results. Green lemonade after gym, green tea, a cup of percolated dandelion tea and some fruit around 8:30am before heading down to my little mini-shop at Cultiver to do a little work then a long overdue catch up with a gorgeous friend Miss LaLa at FourthChild over green tea and walnuts. Tea obviously isn't raw but I've decided not to be super strict when it comes to hot drinks although I have not had any coffee this whole time and feel fine without it. I had some paperwork to catch up on this afternoon which delayed lunch today but it was not a big deal and I decided to try the organic swiss brown mushrooms that I have been marinating in olive oil, lemon, garlic and pepper since Monday morning. Seriously yummy guys! You must try it! I'm getting excited about experimenting with new tastes and textures on this journey - I may even become a good raw chef! We had the QT out this afternoon for a shoot in the garden (they want to follow the story) and this evening my new friend Miss E (from Sydney currently in Ipswich) came over for dinner, helped me put together the new Spirooli that arrived today and we prepared creamy courgette noodles followed by tea and raw peppermint chocolate & thumbing through the pages of 'In Vogue 50 years of Australian Style' then a little later banana,strawberry & coconut smoothies topped with freshly picked mint. What a lovely evening!

Day 14

I just love lazy sleep-ins when the rain is falling - it is one of life's simple pleasures. When we lived in Far North QLD it rained so hard you couldn't hear each other. We were most fortunate to live in a little piece of secluded paradise (the top photos of our home at the lakehouse) and the third photo is from our favourite swimming spot Josephine Falls - the water so crystal clear and cool on a hot day - it was glorious!  It was so so green up there, an abundance of water and sunshine made everything come alive. Nature really does show us the way - mostly green with some colour and this is a great model to follow for our diet. As you know I have been starting my day with green juices and wanted to share a few reason why greens are so important for us at a cellular level. So chlorophyll is the component in plants that enables photosynthesis to occur. It also closely matches human blood with magnesium at its centre whereas blood's core is iron - it assists our cells to absorb oxygen and releases carbon dioxide so when you eat greens you're giving your cells a massive boost. Greens also alkalise the body and make our cells a very unfriendly place for cancer and other disease which thrive in acidic, anaerobic environments (lacking oxygen). So fill those baskets with dark leafy greens and your bodies will love you!

Day 12 & 13

Catching up on the weekend - time sure flies when you are having fun. I finally bought some lemons so tried the Green Lemonade that Natalia promotes and it was quite good the recipe is kale, swiss chard or other dark leafy greens, cos lettuce, 2 apples, 1 lemon and a little ginger - I also added a cucumber. Alot of people are doing green smoothies at the moment where you blend the greens with some fruit and I think this can work well also but perhaps takes longer for the nutrients to absorb into your blood. I felt sated by the green lemonade for sometime. Later in the day I downed some luscious peaches, a banana and blueberries. Leafy salad with sprouts, shaved pumpkin, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pepitas with olive oil and lemon dressing. Sunday morning four of us visited the delightful Northey Street Organic Farm for the weekly Organic Market.
I just love filling my basket with fresh produce and was fortunate to pick up some kale, dandelion and chicory that had just been picked that morning at the farm for only $2 per bunch! I also found my favourite sprouts - sunflower sprouts (which I will soon be sprouting at home along with heaps of other grains and seeds), swiss brown mushies which I intend to marinate and some fresh almond paste which is a great snack! We enjoyed breakfast at Raw & Peace - sweet potato fritters with zucchini, carrot, red onion, walnut & flaxeed topped with chopped marinated tomatoes and cashew cheez - delicious! Then I popped a few figs I had just bought! I enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon snooze after reading a chapter of the book we are reading at the moment - it's set in Botswana so of course now I want to go to Africa!

Day 11

You know what I had for breakfast this morning, 'fruit of the angels' (according to Columbus!) a delicious chilled papaya from the tree in our garden covered with organic chia seeds. I enjoyed every mouth watering bite! It is a superfood aiding improved digestion, heart and lung health, arthritis and eye disorders. Papaya are packed with anti-oxidants, vitamins C, A, K & E, plus magnesium, folate, beta carotene, lutein and more! We have a surplus of seeds if you would like to try growing one! Here is a link to the recipe for the spicy thai green papaya salad (you must use an unripe ie green papaya). Was great to have a much today, I prepared a big salad with dark greens from the garden, cabbage, beets, basil, pepitas and sunflower seeds with a separate jar of dressing to take to work and a couple of carrots to munch on.We went out later that evening to a friend's place for a polker night. They had prepared unexpected pizzas for dinner, I scrounged an apple from their fruit bowl and happily munched away. I was a little peckish as we left until my hunger pangs were totally undermined by being absolutely frozen all the way home on the moto. Was too tired and cold to think of anything except jumping into a warm bed!

Day 10

Wow today is my last day on juicing. It's been a really amazing process. I started today with a TRX suspension training session at the gym. Carrot, celery, ginger & apple was today's main drink, I made a huge amount before work. So I'm sure many of you have been wondering what I mean by a wardrobe detox - isn't she getting off the topic a little? Kind of but not, you see once you begin a cleansing process, you kind of get the bug and want to make sure your whole environment is clean, tidy and minimalistic. I think we live in a society so driven by consumerism that we sometimes fall under it's spell and end up just accumulating stuff , stuff and more stuff! LouLou and I have been discussing the concept of quality over quantity. When it comes to our wardrobes Pareto wins time and time again. Most women's closets are bursting at the seams with clothes they never wear and statistically wear 20% of their garments 80% of the time. The start of the year is also a great time to get that sorted and I suggest you do it with an honest friend who has a bit of style factor going on - make it a fun Saturday afternoon! Every piece of clothing you own should be tried on and if it doesn't fit right, is stained and cannot be cleaned, you haven't worn it for twelve months or it doesn't make you look like a goddess - it's got to go! You should make two piles - In and Out! Focus on keeping garments which of high quality, natural fibers and that fit you beautifully and hanging them on high quality wooden hangers (except knits that might 'grow'). If there is anything that needs mending, cleaning or ironing separate that out. Now I usually do this at the end of a season but there is still a few warm months left so consider putting all of your autumn/winter clothes in stored boxes (make sure they are clean) - this will make your wardrobe space alot more user friendly. Your shoes should be stored on a shoe rack so you can see them all, I found a baby gate for $1 - I turned it on it's side, put it in my closet on an angle against the back wall and voilà an internal space saving shoe rack! I have a weakness for shoes and know it can be hard to let go but when you have worn them to death, it's time to send them to heel heaven! For the pieces that didn't make the cut and if you're doing this right that should be a huge proportion - take any good quality pieces to a consignment shop, sell them on eBay and donate the rest to charity or throw a big frock swap for you and your besties! Now if you're a bloke reading this you're not off the hook, my husband collects shirts and it's D-Day this weekend in his closet. 

Day 9

Did you know your skin is your biggest organ and is extremely porous? It literally eats what you put on it and  transports about 60% into your bloodstream. About six years ago I began to think alot about the ingredients in products that I was putting on my body everyday. Perhaps I had been living under a rock (or in my Cara zone) but it wasn't until a wonderful lady I know helped me begin to look at the issue. Anyway it began a whole new journey for me and it's one I've enjoyed helping others get started on too, so drop me a line if you need help or advice! I now use earthy goodies like the black african beauty soap I mentioned yesterday, fresh aloe vera from my garden, papaya ointment and carefully selected brands for shampoos, cosmetics etc that are safety conscious but also really work! I'm going to share with you a little secret too - I'll soon be adding The Powder Room to my lines. The sumptuous and safe True Touch cosmetics which I have been using for about five years will soon be available online for all to savour. More on that on facebook - back to food....another green juice to kick today off - I think it even tasted better than yesterday! Still haven't sourced a lemon (does anyone have a little tree), you know I can often go for ages without grocery shopping especially now that our garden is producing! My poor husband often stands at the fridge complaining 'there's nothing to eat!' I think it's the male version to us girls 'I've got nothing to wear!' standing in front of our wardrobe full of clothes, which by the way leaves you with a hint on tomorrow's topic - detoxing your wardrobe, another favourite! Menyana....

Day 8

So I started the day with a green juice, I didn't have any lemon so I couldn't make the Green Lemonade that Natalia suggests but I will try that soon! Into the juicer went lots of silverbeet freshly picked from the garden and bouncing with life, a cute little lebanese cucumber from Hayley's garden and a few stalks of celery. I can't wait to try it with lemon, it is so alkalining and full of beautiful nutrients and chlorophyll! I spent a few hours down at Cultiver and picked up my beautiful raw black African beauty soap from Joey at The Shady Lady on Ellenborough. I started using it about twelve months ago when my friend Rita bought me a bar and was converted from day one! It is absolutely divine and leaves my skin feeling soft and supple without the need for a moisturiser afterward. You can use it all over your body too. The soap is full of yummy ingredients like raw shea butter, cocoa pods, iron, and vitamins A and E that will nourish your skin and leave you glowing. This gives you a little sneak peak for tomorrow's post - detoxing your bathroom - bye for now! 

Day 7

What a scorcher! Did I see 45 degrees on a digital signboard as we were driving back from Bunnings today at around 2pm or was that a mirage? Our garden did surprisingly well under the heatwave. It was a great day for staying indoors though so after a light early morning cycle (16km), some resistance training at the gym and a beautiful pint of freshly juiced piña, apple & orange juice I spent the morning doing a few things off my 'Cara's 9' (my weekly strategy for getting things done). Then I sat back with one of the books I picked up from the library on Sunday and stepped into the world of Sex in the City meets Raw Food! 'The Raw Food Detox Diet' by Natalia Rose is a fabulous little book. Natalia is a beautiful raw foodie and clinical nutritionist practising in Manhattan. Her passion is to detox the world! She has really easy to follow recipes and seven day guides to beginning raw food at different levels depending on your previous diet, health & lifestyle circumstances. We did the new yoga class at Goodlife last night and it was really good to stretch the limbs and joints, give the hips a nice workout - I have been wanting to find a yoga class for awhile so am very excited that we now have one at gym. Goodlife have a seven day intro pass at the moment so come and check out our cool (and air-conditioned) club for free!! The other photo is a pic sent through by cycling friends this morning having a little fun! It gave us a giggle and inspired Shaun to start searching on eBay for vintage jerseys!

Day 6

Summer sure did remind us of it's grandeur today. Friends dropped in for around lunch time and after that I decided to retreat to the library for the afternoon, found some great raw food books and had some me time reading the latest edition of Vogue. We have a wonderful library here in Ipswich - libraries in my view are the cities second most valuable resource after the people that inhabit them. Treasure troves full of knowledge and information and one of my goals this year is to spend more time there! Later in the afternoon I cycled down to pop some new stock on the shelves before the shop re-opens tomorrow. For those of you who don't know I run a little fashion 'outfit' called BoutiqueTrès Chic. I love all things pre-loved, recycled, upcycled and vintage! I started online and now have a space in the amazing Cultiver in the Top of Town. I am there on Tuesday mornings so come and visit if you're around. I wanted to share with you guys about Brisbane based Raw and Peace which was established by the lovely Ames. They provide recipes, classes and breakfast each Sunday morning at the Northey Street Organic Markets. I adore the Northey Street markets so another visit is definately penciled in! Lastly we've started a social walking group Tuesday evenings, 5:15pm - all welcome! It's so important to schedule in time to exercise - combined with wise food choices - it's the best health insurance policy you can invest in! See you all tomorrow!

Day 5

We've just enjoyed an evening stroll down to the River Heart Parklands. It's really lovely there along the river at night. Today got off to another early start with a morning treasure hunting in yards and garages. I have my vital greens before we leave and even after an apple around 7, am usually ravenous and accordingly grumpy by around 8am. Today was quite different as my appetite has really waned since I've been running of raw freshly  juiced fruits and vegetables but I still have abundant energy. I was asked a question today on facebook about whether I was a vegan or vegetarian before beginning the raw journey. Thanks for your question Therese - the answer is not for some time. I was a vegetarian (but mostly vegan) for four years in my former life as a student. We went trekking in 2001 and ended up spending alot of time staying with local families in Asia. I broke my commitment whilst in Darjeeling due to the difficulty in maintaining the diet whilst being catered for by others (it was a week too soon - we had fish from the Bay of Bengal a few days later and let's just say it's a long way from Calcutta to the Himalayas - we were all very sick!). I do however make it a habit to eat a plant based diet previously eating stir friend vegetables with gooey soft boiled eggs for breakfast. I have also been tinkering with raw food over the last twelve months and recently visited From Earth and Water a raw foodie's paradise at Burleigh that I had been meaning to check out for some time. We were both hungry after some beach action at Tallebudgera Creek (one of my favourite spots). We ordered a main each and a drink with a view to both ordering desert later on. The food was absolutely delicious and we were so full we shared desert. I was beaming throughout! What a marvellous husband I am blessed with - carnivore that he is - he's always been very accommodating! 

Day 4

Dusk is tucking in the last of today and flashes of light from this afternoons storm linger in the distance. It's the time when the fruit bats begin their evening pilgrimage and the scent of home cooked meals waft through the air. I love watching dusk fall, I imagine it might feel to God like a mum or dad tucking kids into bed at night. Today my cousin (thanks Suzy!) posted a fabulous link on my wall today about Mimi Kirk a 71 year old raw vegan and I thought I would share it with you. It leads into what I wanted to share from a question I was asked today - what is this raw food thing all about? Now I am still very much a beginner so my understanding of the philosophy behind eating raw is rudimentary. Plants and seeds contain enzymes which aid in their own break down process. When you eat raw food you consume living foods that have not had their inherent enzymes destroyed by cooking which in turn places less strain on the body during digestion. Nothing can be heated over about 48 degrees. For further reading I suggest visiting Raw Pleasure. I'm still juicing at the moment (my skin is feeling fabulous with all this cucumber!) and collecting recipes so if anyone has a fabulous raw recipe they have tried, please shoot it over. One of my favourite raw dishes is Som Tum, it's a spicy Thai salad with the main ingredient being green papaya (which by the way has amazing health benefits even more so than the ripe fruit). The pics I have popped up show you the little tree we have in our garden (even a small tree can produce alot of fruit), the preparation process and the final product. We love it so much that we bought home the utensil the Thai's use to pound it all together. Oh ps Louisa Jane and I are throwing a raw food pot luck picnic at the gorgeous Kholo Gardens so if you'd like to join in the fun, please let us know!