Anyone For Dessert?

Exercise: Bodyweights
Food: Green smoothie - mango, spinach, shredded coconut (scrummy), baby leaves (rocket, watercress and spinach), one lara bar (apple pie), some pistachios, later one banana, mango and coconut pudding, some almonds

New green smoothie, lovely bright green and thick, tasted yummy. And then at home tried out just mango and coconut, it was a gorgeous yellow and delicious, better than custard. It was thick, even with water, will try without next time. I added some raw honey because the mangos though juicy, were not the sweetest on the block. Hurrah another one for the collection.

I didn't take any bananas in today. Think the smoothie is enough now to take me through to the salad. Then can have the bananas later at home if I need them. Less load to carry. I'll see how I go.

Be Prepared

Fri: Water fast
Sat: 11 very ripe bananas, salad of cherry tomatoes, celery, lettuce, spring onion and avocado, dates, pistachios, another salad of beetroot, carrot, lettuce and cucumber, and rest of the avocado, balsamic and olive oil dressing
Exercise: 4hrs of dancing non-stop
Sun: Water fast

Went away for the weekend as part of a course. So needed to plan ahead re my eating requirements. I'd been before so I knew there was a Marks and Spencer store nearby with a great range of salads, and a health shop too where I could gets nuts and dates if I wanted. Arrived on Friday evening and no meal provided ie expected to arrive after eating dinner so no problemo plus I was fasting. On Sat I had taken a whole load of bananas down with me, heavy but worth it. They were very ripe and just delicious. I was able to nip out in the coffee break on the Saturday to get a salad for lunch and an avocado. In the afternoon free time slot bought another salad to have with the other half of the avocado. And also bought some raw pistachios and dates from across the health shop on the other side of town. Broke my fast at 12 noon with the bananas. And had more bananas in the evening. The evening entertainment involved a disco so got a great workout too. Plus we were on the seafront. I had a great seaview from my room, and went for a lovely wander to inhale the crisp air.

So getting the food was very easy. Next challenge takingin my own food to the dining room and being 'different'. My strategy was to just to get on with it. Just pull out my salad and cut up my avocado like it was the most normal thing in the world. And that was exactly the response I got. At the first meal one of the other diners simply said, "oh you've got an M&S salad they're great". Next meal I got "you're really healthy, how come?" And I said "oh eating like this helps me be more me, and do what I need to do". He then told me he had become pescatarian because his girlfriend was a vegetarian. Another friend there decided not to have the dinner because she didn't want more 'meat, potato and two veg' fare. So went and bought a sandwhich, some oj and admittedly some brownies. But the point is people all around us are changing as best they can with what they know to make better choices for health. Exciting.

Why Do you Do This?

Exercise: Bodyweight exercises
Food: 7 bananas, orange and apple juice, salad- baby greens, pomodorino tomatoes, avocado with coriander and lime dressing/sesame citrus dressing, 250g dates, some almonds

Got home late could have not eaten the almonds but did. But about six hours from my last meal. And will be up for a couple of hours. Today the digestion and elimination were very good despite the almonds eaten rather late. So eating them on an empty stomach helps plus remember I'm not eating until noon. That is making a difference no doubt and is becoming a habit which is great.

The timetable for eating seems to be falling into a pattern bananas 12noon, smoothie or juice at 2pm, salad 4/5pm. I have a lot of evening commitments so sometimes get some dates, or nibble on almonds when I do finally get in. But if I were to go straight home then potentially I would have maybe fruit pudding, or canteloupe milk, other fruit or smoothie around 7pm and that would be it.

I have fifty reasons why I do this, (actually more than fifty now). Here are a few,

- Mental alertness
-Intuitively drawn to it
- Spiritual clarity
- Investing in my health
- Brings more simplicity into my life
- This is one of God's original blessings to us (Gen 1:29)
- Have loads of energy
- Need less sleep
- I like being different/pioneering/visionary
- I'm a truth seeker
- I like adventure
- It brings me more freedom
- Intellectually it makes a lot of sense
- Emotionally it makes a lot of sense
- I see the benefits
- It helps my fasting
- I can inspire others
- It's an outworking of my purpose
- Enhances the enjoyment of exercise
- It fits with the vision of how I want to live my life
- It 'increases' my time
- It helps to clean my internal environment
- I love looking at my kitchen full of fresh fruit and veg..everywhere
- My body tissue is clean and elastic
- Great use of my food budget
- I'm changing my world/the world
- I can live consciously and passionately
- I radiate health and well-being
- I look and feel great
- It benefits, me, others, the earth
- It shows that I am open to, and can change
- It helps me pursue other worthwhile goals

Enough for you? There are loads more.

Your Body is Magnificent

Exercise: Pushups
Food: Mango and spinach green smoothie, 10 bananas, 500g dates, green salad with avocado, tomatoes and baby greens, no dressing

Am eating really simply and like it, particularly because I've got a number of projects on the go all at once. But when I get a moment I might look at some more salad combos, and am really missing conference pears, while not being into apples at all right now. Strange. Even though it may seem I'm eating pretty much the same things on rote, I am enjoying it. Nutrition is the key not variety. It's just a bonus that we can choose from so much.

I was thinking how wonderfully we are made. Your body is magnificent you know, yes your body whatever, size, colour, shape, length it is. We all tend to celebrate raw and yes it is fun and yummy and exciting and challenging sometimes. But it is not raw food that works the magic, it's our bodies that work the magic every time, utilising raw nutrition and other elements, fresh air, sunshine, elegant thoughts, spiritual truths, physical touch and many more. Isn't that amazing? And the best bit is you can 'switch' this magic on anytime you like. Just start removing what doesn't benefit your body and add what does. And because there is total connect between body, mind and spirit, you will begin to feel results in body, mind and spirit.

If it's worth doing, it's worth doing now.