Day 67

My new raw foodie friend Mia recently finished a month raw food journey and shared some thoughts about her discoveries so I thought being just over two-thirds of the way through I might also do something similar this evening on my views to date. 

Best copy meal: raw tacos with cos lettuce 'shells'.

Where to eat: From Earth & Water (Burleigh Heads) or Raw & Peace (Northey Street Markets)

Favourite everyday staple: Green Smoothie in the morning [Recipe: juice base (cucumber, celery, apple, ginger, lemon & lime, coconut water, green tea), coconut oil, vital greens, maca & acai powder, chia seeds, flaxseed meal & three big handfuls of baby spinach leaves] 

Usual lunch and dinner fare: big salad of veggies of all colours, with fresh herbs, nuts, seeds and sprouted legumes dowsed with a freshly made dressing of lemon or lime, apple cider vinegar, seedy mustard & garlic.

Easy & quick to make: Gazpacho, raw cheez (like cream cheese but made on nuts)

I was surprised by:  how not tempted I am to eat certain foods when people around me are indulging - I've discovered the power of decision - to cut off  all other options and move forward from there - very exciting! 

I have been complemented about: My glowing complexion  

Recommendation: Go raw for a week and your body will love you

Best Online Raw shop: Loving Earth

New discoveries: Maca & Acai powder

Some surprises:   reduced sleep window, increased mental clarity & productivity, heaps of energy and I don't seem to have any cravings.

What's disappeared: I would occasionally have pain in my stomach after eating and that has completely gone.

Has it been hard: I would have to say at the beginning I was unsure if I could do it, like when we climbed Bartle Frere in 2008. This was the quote I focused on:  "It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." - Sir Edmund Hilary. I climbed that mountain all the way to the top, slipping across a field of massive, wet slippery granite boulders, afraid of falling down the cracks (I'm not the steadiest on my feet) and boots full of leeches by the time we got to the summit but together we made it. The hardest part of anything new is starting, so just go ahead and jump in, push through, build momentum, have fun and you'll get there!

Mistakes: Lack of preparation and eating too much fruit

I still want to try: making my own nut milk - this weekend I'm going to give it a crack ;)

Plans for the remaining time: I have found a great blog from Botanical Cuisine based in Melbourne - they have a menu planner which I might use as a guide for the remaining time.

Funniest comment: "What is raw food?"

How's your social life been: It hasn't really held me back to be honest, most places can accommodate you with a salad. It's more about spending time with those you care about and it can work - you just have to be prepared!

What are my plans from day 101: I have learnt from nature that green is best and will continue with a large percentage of my diet raw based green vegetables with fruit & sugars at a minimum. I think the energy and life in this eating plan comes from the abundance of fresh whole food and the complete absence of processed food.  

Day 65 & 66

"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away" - author unknown. Wasn't yesterday's sunset just glorious? Even without my rose coloured sunglasses it took my breath away. Dusk is settling upon another day and the scent of freshly baked banana cake is wafting from the kitchen down the hall to my study. I decided to make my man a treat tonight, he loves it when I bake which is quite rare even when I'm raw food. After a brisk run this morning my day began with the Zonta International Women's Day breakfast (this time I brought my green smoothie) where I caught up, if only briefly, with many friends, acquaintances, colleagues and even bumped into my lovely neighbour I mentioned in the last post. Our resident District Court Judge Bradley was the keynote speaker for the morning. HH reminded us of the many challenges that still face women both here and abroad and I thought with a smile on my face of two women who will soon have a new opportunity. Today I want to honour a good friend of mine who is one of the most amazing woman I know. Hannah lives in Payak, Thailand and we have been friends for many years now. If you knew how many children she has you would join with me in nominating this woman for mother of the year, she is also an amazing chef, business woman, community leader and always has a new project on the go and a big smile on her face. I am really excited about 'Project Mushroom' which we are launching together very soon. This micro-credit project will empower two women to start their own business in rural Thailand and thus set them up with a reliable and sustainable income - I'll keep you posted! 

Day 64

We hit the ground running this morning - literally! My sleepy eyes were still just opening halfway down Woodend Road - I had a breakfast meeting scheduled for 7am so we did a half hour run from home as the sun was rising, it's golden rays warming the world to life. When we first moved to Ipswich I was enchanted by the gorgeous little pocket of Woodend & Sadliers Crossing which reminded me very much of Paddington and Red Hill in Brisbane where I lived as a student. Long streets with hills and dips lined with colonial cottages oozing the charm of yesteryear. Something extra special here though is the preservation of the natural environment. Parks and reserves are plentiful and as I run or cycle along under majestic, century old trees I think of the generations of playing children these old sages have watched over and the whispers and secrets of strolling friends and lovers still held safely in their confidence. We are blessed in our community also with the wisdom and support of our elders, I think of our beautiful neighbour who caretakes a large native reserve in the parcel directly behind us and often takes a moment to have a little chat across the fence when we're in the garden. She surprised me in a most lovely way recently by dropping a note with a cut out of the articles from the QT about the raw food journey in my letterbox. Early in my raw food journey there was a day I was feeling a little low and overwhelmed at the challenge I had taken on after a little disagreement with my man over a mushroom - yes you read it correctly, a mushroom, aren't I silly? I was beginning to think the dietary differentiation would cause tension in our home and was sitting in the garden, taking a time out and trying to snap out of it when my sweet neighbour perhaps perceiving my distress took some time to chat with me. Our little chat really helped me shift my focus and get some new perspective. I must drop her a card to let her know how much I appreciate her.

Day 63

It's a week for all things new at raw food central! We decided to begin running 5km every morning at 5:30am at local spots including the Park2Park circuit (beginning at Limestone Park) or other routes. The rain did not perturb us today, we just headed to the gym instead. I shaved another ten seconds off last time to make 24:49 which I was pleased with. If I can keep shaving ten seconds off my time, I will reach my goal of 20mins in about six weeks! I've also been getting the impression that I have been consuming too much sugar of late, probably in the form of fruits. In the mornings I'm not feeling hungry so so I am going to tinker with the balance a little this week. After running I drank lots of water and had some tea (green and dandelion) and  waited until I felt hungry to have my smoothie which was around 10am. I added an additional handful of baby spinach but left out the frozen fruit (raspberries and bananas). The smoothie is naturally thick due to the chia seeds and flaxseed meal (fantastic protein source also) and I added some ice which made it nice and cold. It was delicious with warm undertones from the ginger in the base juice. I have also been increasing the cucumber in my diet and immediately see the benefits in my skin tone, I would have to say that cucumber is one of natures beauty foods and there are so many ways to have it - smoothies, juices, soups and salads or with dips - so versatile! I was working from home today and felt hungry again around 2pm so I made up a big salad followed later by an apple, three dried figs and some walnuts. We had yoga this evening, we are both loving this class and it's a nice way to have some couple time whilst getting a great workout and stretch. You generally don't want to eat two hours prior to a class so on Monday's we have a very light meal around 9pm.  Whilst in trikanasana I'd had a flash of inspiration to try raw cauliflower cheez so dinner was a handful of green beans and my new attempt. I chopped up cauliflower into a cereal like consistency then topped it with a raw cashew and sunflower seed cheez I had in the fridge (yes I made it), himalayan crystal salt, freshly cracked black pepper and some organic herbamare seasoning - it was good! My cheese loving man had a taste but he preferred his homemade pumpkin soup with greek yoghurt. I've never been a big cheese eater so I'm not looking for the same taste. I think of when I was a child, I didn't like pumpkin or pawpaw - now I love both! A key to raw food is an open mind, experimentation and allowing yourself time to develop a love of a whole new world of tastes and textures.    

Day 61 & 62

Hasn't this rainy weather been delicious, great for weekend sleep-ins, reading books and cups of tea. A friend posted a great link at the beginning of the weekend, 10 Ways People Choose Happiness which I found really encouraging. Serendipity came knocking this weekend when I had the chance to catch up with my good friend Christelle. We met here in Ipswich in 2005 and hit it off from the start. She lives on the Sunshine Coast now and so we only occasionally catch up. It's not often you find a kindred spirit and it's important to treasure that friendship. It was only a few days before February 29 that I had been meditating on a quote I found from St Catherine of Siena, "If you are what you should be, then you will set the world on fire." It reminded me of Christelle and how much I wanted to see her again, then voila - a few days later she came to Ipswich with her husband to attend to some business. The two of us gals caught up in the high street on Sunday morning - it's amazing how therapeutic it is just to spend time with a friend over a simple cup of tea. Then later in the afternoon they dropped in and Shaun welcomed them to share a raw+ meal with us before the drive home. Shaun threw some marinated lamb on the hot plate, I made a big salad and we toasted up some nice olive & garlic sourdough. Hospitality is one of life's true joys, it doesn't matter so much if everything isn't perfectly tidy or the meal is a simple one, what's important is sharing the best of whatever you have with a generous heart when the opportunity arises.    

Day 60

My green smoothie, apple & almonds set me in good stead this morning. We had a great win today after finding a solid precedent case for a client. We've been working on this particular case for about five months and it's one of those rare times when the client actually engages with the process and creates their own success! The outcome was truly a result of everyone playing their part as a TEAM! (Together Everyone Achieves Miracles!) They were so happy that my colleague and I both received beautiful roses as a thankyou. Time for lunch escaped me today so my body enjoyed the benefits of an impromptu, partial fast - I just went with it and made sure I took in lots of water. I had to travel to Toowoomba this afternoon and the drive home through the Lockyer Valley this evening was just glorious - picturesque  landscape with rolling green hills dotted with cattle and a beautiful sunset to captivate the heart and soul. I find the beauty of nature a truly breathtaking and spiritual experience - a special time when I can feel the love of the master artist flooding every ounce of my being. I was invited to the Ipswich Hospice Art Auction this evening and arriving just before the formalities began, I had a quick look at the pieces before the fun began. Rivals threw cheeky looks across the crowd as the bidding fired up and Mr Quinn did a fabulous job as auctioneer. One particular piece took my fancy but it was part of a two set series and after the winner of the first piece began bidding for it's pair I didn't have the heart to separate the two. FourthChild secured the 'big' star of the show - a collaborative work by Gary Akbin & Andrew Spark and I believe it is now on display in their newly renovated premises which re-opened today. I secured a couple of pieces, now just to find the perfect spots. Thanks to the generous donations of talented local artists and some great bidding sport, the night was hugely successful for an organisation that provides such a caring and important service to the community. Well done to Ros Holloway and her team!  

Day 59

I had a crack at raw hummus (here is a recipe I found afterward) I didn't have any lemon so I used lime - it definately needs some work (I'm thinking I might follow a recipe next time). Anyway I had the hummus with carrot sticks & a handful of grapes for a light supper this evening after work. Looking forward to trying some more recipes over the weekend and a visit to the Organic Shed with friends on Sunday! Jess has her raw food demonstration on again this Sunday from 10am so if you want to book in contact the Shed to let them know!