Energy Soup

Well I finished my 40 day fast!! And this is the one that I broke well (the most critical part!)

It was last thursday, and I finally sensed that tug at the back of the throat that is true hunger. It's quite strange it has nothing to do with the tummy! I had a couple of spotty bananas before going to an evening engagement. On the way I bought a little tub of cherry tomatoes. How times have changed, never in a million years would I have been snacking on tomatoes, before turning mainly 'fresh and live', not least because I couldn't stand raw tomatoes.

After my meeting felt like some broth, not in a craving way but in a 'this would be good' way. So wondered if there was a Wagamamas around Westminster. Had a wander past the station and off course there was the Southbank which does indeed house a wagamama. I ambled over and ordered the big vegetable ramen soup but without the noodles and oil garnish. Instead they loaded it up with fresh alfalfa sprouts, and had that with a raw salad. It was the right choice. Went home had a BM later that evening a good sign. If you eat the wrong thing (e.g. bread!) when you break a fast it can hold up your 'just waking up' digestive system for days!

I have been eating very light, still home squeezed orange juice in the morning, a few grapes, and mono-meals of bananas at lunch time, and occasionally edamame when I go for some air. I remember thinking while I was fasting that I would eat raw soup when I broke the fast. I think this was intuition because then I kept coming across posts about energy soups. See example below

http://www.gogreen.org/blend/energy.html

So in the evenings I have a big bowl of raw soup made of whatever veggie/greens are around, on the whole lettuce, baby spinach, celery, red pepper, cucumber and tomatoes and mixed with a cup of miso soup to bring up to room temperature. This my concoction! Then I cut up some broccoli, blanch it and drop into the soup for chewiness. It's so filling and nourishing. You can have fun mixing up the ingredients. I'm not adding any fat at the moment because I'm eating really light as it suits me and aids my running. And also advisable to wait a while before adding the fat in after a fast. Plus before my fast I noticed the nuts were causing me to be sluggish. And I won't have that, my morning run is a vital part of my day. Not in an 'I must exercise way' but something that brings me more joy and freedom, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I have ordered a big box of almonds from Nora Lenz of Raw School. But I will be sprouting to use to make raw almond yoghurt, and raw almond houmous at the weekends.

I had some avocado today because I bought two salads from Planet Organic, one a mix of fennel, coleslaw and quinoa and sprouts. Quinoa is the kind of thing I'm happy to eat occasionally in a bought salad as I don't feel the need to keep on eating it like bread! But it did feel heavy compared to what I've been eating. Anyway I'll monitor how I feel tomorrow. I'm open, and not attaching to anything. Then I got a yummy salad of spinach, baby tomatoes and avocado, I ate the first two ingredients and dropped the cubes of avocado into my energy soup, altogether a very delicious meal!!

On Saturday I went for a friend's birthday drinks at the Eagle Gastropub in Farringdon. They didn't have any vegan salads on the menu, so I asked the chef if he wouldn't mind making me something! (you gotta ask). And I tell you I was served up the most beautiful, delicious salad. Even the others at the table who were tucking into Tiramisu by that time were looking impressed. It was a mixture of grated carrot, lettuce, baby spinach, cubes of beetroot, a touch of dressing and garnished with those green olives that haven't been stored in oil. It was scrumlicious. I feel so loved! I am so loved!!

Lovely Synchronicities

Juice: Orange/celery juice
Exercise: Yoga, dry-skin brushing
Results so far: very smooth skin, since I started my fast the shoulder that I strained has gotten better each day. From waking with it feeling very stiff before the fast, on just the first day I woke and it wasn't the first thing that caught my attention. Bowel movements (BMs practically everyday). Some mucous release via throat. Very high mental clarity.

I am 8 days in to my annual summer fast (abstaining from solids, just fresh juice and water) and cleanse! I am full of energy although yesterday felt really drowsy. For me I've found every seven days the cleansing seems to go up a level. As part of my commitment I'm running everyday (I rested today), doing yoga everyday and dry-skin brushing everyday to rev up the lymph drainage system. I'm also doing some reading before I leave for work. When I run I do a running meditation, just focusing on and repeating one phrase the whole way. It probably sounds counterintuitive but I have even more energy than when I'm eating solid foods. Which proves the point that food doesn not give us energy, food provides fuel and material for repair and construction. Our (nerve) energy is replenished through sleep.

It feels great to start each day this way. And good to hit the end of the first week milestone. It's been a very busy week and had a two day awayday so had to plan in advance re what to do at lunchtimes to avoid drawing attention to myself. But when you decide and commit to something, an answer always come through. And everything worked out plus I took my own juice with me.

So many synchronicities have been happening as well. When synchronicities (lots of meaningful connected happenings) it shows you are on your path and not out of 'sync'. I had been thinking about being able to buy all my fruit and veg organic. I buy some things organic at the moment like carrots and smaller items. And I also wanted to find a nice organic delivery company so I don't have to carry too much as well, and begin to see more of my vision manifest. I'd looked at a couple of the well known ones but I didn't feel 'drawn' to them. So left it for a while knowing that it would come.

Then I was thinking about possibly doing a mainly orange juice fast. I came across the cute site through reading one of my raw school emails. http://www.fruitgod.com/index.html and Anne had done an orange juice fast which made me think aha!.

Then I decided to have another search for organic delivery companies and found this!
http://www.organicdelivery.co.uk/shopfront/shopfront.php

Immediately I was drawn to them, before I explored what they had to offer. Then I saw they sold juicing oranges! I stepped out in faith and put my first order in and yesterday (yes, they do Saturday deliveries!) I returned home to a box of fresh, fragrant organic oranges. The customer service over the phone was great (can also order online). I resonated with their 'reason for being' and I hope to buy more organic from them. To top it off in the newsletter that came with the box, their was a short article how I think it's the owners, went to on holiday to Cornwall to stay with friends who ate only raw foods, how cool is that?! And then (yes, there is more) there a mini profile on Saf raw restaurant which I've not only visited but is down the road from where I work! Happy to be connected to a business that gets my lifestyle.

Also Planet Organic has opened in Mossy Well. Do you think I'm being set up!

It's Just an Emotion

Exercise: yoga
Food: fresh juice (apple/spinach/lime)

Hellooo

I have been immersed in books. I'm reading 'Left in the dark', 'The writings of Florence Scovel Shinn', 'Being Here', 'Changes that Heal' and 'Calling in the One'.


I've also been thinking about when you start to eat raw, how important it is that you also learn about emotional poise and dealing with the 'stuff' that is exposed when you stop hiding it and numbing it with cooked food. And boy does it come out! In fact eating raw is the best when you are ready for change on all levels, it's more fun and things complement each other. E.g. eating raw helped my fasting practice, and my fasting practice made me more inclined to eat raw. Eating raw made me more grateful to God for understanding what true health is. And drawing closer to God has made me more courageous to be me, to step out find truth and act on it. And so it goes on..


Here is a video (in five parts) from Professor Rozalind Gruben- Graham who eats an all raw vegan diet, is married to Dr Doug Graham well know author of the 80 10 10 way of eating raw. They have a toddler age daughter who is the cutest. They had a picnic and seminar yesterday here in the UK but unfortunately I couldn't make it. Anyway after that long intro! Here is the video.. really makes you think about the way we do things, and hopefully make changes!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icsFTnltYuY

I've been eating more nuts of late. But I feel the effect the next day while I feel fine during the day I don't want to get up in the morning. I note these effects and what I'm feeling. At this stage this is fine, but I'm open to letting nuts fade out to the right levels, but I'm not forcing the issue. It's like when I first went raw I kept wanting crisps even though I hardly ate crisps when I ate cooked vegan! I just kept immersing myself in quality raw food material, knowing that as long as I was open to letting crisps go, they would go at the right time. Now if I were to look at crisps I do 'feel' my mind running ahead to say no. Basically the message that crisps do not serve me or my health goals is embedded in my subconscious now. This is part of what Prof Roz says but much better than me! Happy watching.

Immerse Yourself

Exercise: Walking
Food: 5 bananas, mango and spinach smoothie, almonds, grapes

I notice when I read my living nutrition magazines I get really inspired by my raw lifestyle. I am inspired on a daily basis, but I get further insights from reading and also get to hear how other people are doing. I have read loads of raw books in a relatively short period of time. My subconscious is now becoming increasingly raw! It's weird but I can look at certain foods now and I can literally feel my mind running ahead to work out the long term consequence not just the short term gratification of my potential decision!

Immersing yourself in information and experience of things that are important to you helps you get to where you want to go faster. Catherine Ponder refers to this in 'The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity'.

So first step decide what subject takes your fancy, and then just learn about it, talk and listen to relevant people, practice it , then it becomes a part of you and before you know it, you're an expert!

It applies to languages, a friend of a friend went to Paris to learn french. He lived with a french family, and the teacher refused to speak a word of English. He said he was compelled to learn in that situation, and that after a while something just clicked and the language was just there.

We all know the principle: What you focus your attention on is what you get.

On a separate but not unrelated topic read this fab email from Matthew Bilt;

Did you know there's a way to ALWAYS get what you want...?Well there is, and I'm going to sharewith you how to ALWAYS win and get whatyou want...In fact - even when YOU lose youWIN.Why?Simply - because you are unattached toany outcome.Here's how this works...Let's say you are wanting to create yourdream house or dream relationship...Instead of physically going to a realtor and picking out the exact house - OR meeting some guy or girl and thinkingto yourself..."THIS IS THE ONE"You step back for a second and think aboutthe ESSENCE of what it is that you want.In a relationship - you can get the VIBEof the type of person you want to be with.Or for a dream house, you get the VIBEof what the dream house does for you.So - map out your desires based on the essence of what you want.This is ESSENCE vs. Form... and it's a verypowerful concept.Begin to align yourself with the essence ofwhat you want and not worry about what formit comes in... For example - your dream relationship could be with that one guy or girl you just met... butthere's 100 other people that would do the job just as well.SO STOP GETTING ATTACHED!The same goes for any job/business/goal/relationshipetc, etc, etc.This applies to EVERYTHING.Figure out what the essence and feeling of whatit is you want to create - demand that essencebut be totally unattached to what form it showsup in.It will come to you VERY Fast.That's all for today.We teach more cool stuff like this in our12-Weeks to Abundance course but the letterisn't up yet...So if you're interested just e-mail me.And I'll hook you up.Talk soon!Matthew Bilt Publishing, Inc.7-1650 St. Mary's RoadWinnipeg, MB R2N 1G2

It's All In The Fruit

Exercise: Brisk walking, some yoga
Food: 6 bananas, some dates, bunch of grapes, punnet of cherries, v large handful of mixed nuts, salad of baby spinach, cucumber and celery

You may have noticed I haven't been putting escalators up in my exercise for the day. Well I've decided to focus on doing more yoga on a daily basis. I still do the escalators but not all the time, but when I do stand it's because I'm reading a book. I refuse to just throw my time away!

At the moment I'm immersed in 'Left in The Dark' by Graham Gynn and Tony Wright. I'm nearly half way through and there's a lot of science involved.

'..cooking therefore represents one further step away from the ancestral diet that nurtured our brain growth. This new change accelerated the degeneration that had been slowly taking place over the preceding 200,000 yrs. A system, which was already on a downward slope, now constructed itself out of materials ever lacking in the biochemistry needed for healthy functioning.

I am convinced more than ever (not that I need convincing mind) that humans are frugivores i.e. fruit eaters and that if we are going to tap into the potential that God has blessed us with in any impactful way (when I say impactful way I mean character-changing, life-changing, world-changing, and generational change) then we won't be able to ignore this. Ghandi is an example of someone who radically changed his lifestyle to fulfil his purpose and the way he ate was a part of this.

I feel very stirred up inside because I know you and I are not here on earth in order to simply meet meet our needs, and get by. We are here to be ourselves fully and out of that being to impact generations through vision and mission.

Gaining Clarity

Exercise: Lots of walking
Food: 5 bananas, pineapple juice, guava and mandarin smoothie, bunch of grapes, a few dates, a large handful of pistachios, carrot, celery and sweetcorn salad

I've signed up for the 48 ways of wisdom from Aish.com. And one of them was explaining the importance of having clear definitions to be able to make correct evaluations of the results you see in your life.

For example many people say they are into healthy eating. But what do they mean by healthy eating? eating organic meat, being vegetarian, eating fruits? You have to research each area to find out the truth of the matter not simply what you believe to be the truth. Truth remember can stand on it's own merit, it is verifiable, it is does not need belief to stand it up. And so you go and do your research and find that actually meat is not a requirement for health in fact it can be a requirement for anti-health. Then of course you have the decision to eat it or not, both options equally valid. But both options giving different results either in the short term or the long term.

When you say you want to be fit what do you mean by fit? Why do you want to be fit? What is the best way to become fit? Are you committed (single-mindedly focussed). Do you know that fit is not the same as healthy? Fit simply means being able to achieve certain feats usually within certain time limits. It doesn't necessarily mean healthy eating and lifestyle habits are present. We've all done things through sheer force of will! Healthy and fit go together, one without the other is none at all.

Clarity brings consciousness which empowers commitment.

We Can Have Health Now

Exercise: yoga
Food: Big bunch of red grapes, salad- leaves, carrot and celery, pistachios, 1 banana, quite a few dates!

I bought a large 300g bag of raw pistachio kernels from Tesco thinking I will use it to top up my 'nut tub' at work for the week. Hmm very moreish might have to rethink that plan. The grapes from Sainsbury's were juicy but tasteless, M&S wins hands down. But the organic green ones from Sainsbury's are crisp and refreshing. Okay that's the supermarket round up.


Here is something I got from my first copy of Vibrance magazine! It's written by Dr Robert Sniadach. His website is below.

http://www.transformationinstitute.org/index.html

"God is not playing some perverse trick on us. It is not as if God made superb health the endpoint of some incredibly tough maze, one which only brilliant scientists and learned doctors could even begin to fathom. He is not standing back and laughing as we grope for all sorts of 'cures'. I suspect that he is very saddened by our suffering, especially when nearly all of it is unecessary. He made provisions for us, as he made provisions for all His creatures on Earth.

God created Man. God created Nature. God makes it all work. Trust that it all works. Trust in Nature. Trust in Man. Most of all, trust in God.

In The Dark?

Exercise: Run, yoga
Food: 6 bananas, fresh oj, pineapple and celery juice, salad of leaves, carrot and celery, smoothie-mango, goji berries and coconut milk

I stumbled upon a new website (like I need another one!) while reading the latest edition of mini passion magazine from www.detoxyourworld.com, it's www.leftinthedark.com

Read the introduction at this link,

http://leftinthedark.org.uk/introduction

I just had to paste this para from the site!

An investigation into the evolution of the human brain.A journey to the edge of the human mind.
The human brain, over a period of perhaps a million years, expanded at an increasingly rapid rate then, some 200,000 years ago, this expansion suddenly stopped. There is, to date, no plausible scientific explanation for either of these linked events.Religious and mythic traditions of paradise inform us that we once lived in a benign state of perpetual wonder and joy but from this we regressed. The reasons for this are obscure. Do these apparently unrelated perspectives have something in common?

How exciting!!! I have to get this book. I'm a great believer that Truth with a capital T can stand on it's own merit i.e. it's not dependent on belief and is verifiable. And for me the test for Truth is that it brings more freedom into my life period. Read the Introduction link and then ask yourself whether your doubts about eating raw, particularly FRUIT might suddenly be emigrating to some far off land!

I've got to do some more reading, (good science is invaluable) and will unpick it here. What I will add for now is that I noticed when I became consciously raw I was recognising truth more easily, was drawn to my purpose, coincidences and synchronicities were happening that I couldn't ignore, my mind became clear, my spiritual awareness heightened, becoming more courageous and adventureous, I was becoming more me. It's not just eating raw food, as I was changing/investing in new life habits and continue to do so as you will know, yoga, prayer, meditation, being in nature, making decisions based on my values. But eating raw biologically appropriate food is one of the most significant factors along with taking away food that weighs the body down and ties up its creative energy.

A very simple book to read that can help bring clarity is Grain Damage by Dr Douglas Graham. I love this book! It's so easy to read and short but packs a punch. You can buy it on Amazon.com

Graham writes: "during the 'Golden Age of Man' almost three thousand years ago, historical records indicate that man thrived brilliantly on a diet composed primarily of fruit, with the addition of some tender vegetables. This time period produced a disproportionately huge number of history's greatest thinkers, given that the world's population was barely twenty million".

WOW!!

Present And Correct

Exercise: Run, Yoga
Food: Dates, 2 bananas, salad of leaves, capers, avocado, tomatoes, olives and tofu, pineapple and orange juice

I am completely surrounded by the message of 'BE PRESENT'. I hear ya God! I'm reading 'Row, row, row your boat: A guide for living in the Divine Flow' by Steven Lane Taylor and it rocks. Just a bit of awareness can bring freedom. One thing he says is we need to be present to recognise the clues and signs right in front of us to live the life we want. And when we're not in the present we are usually stuck in the past or projecting to the future.

Today I went for a run and I decided to do a running meditation. I've made this up for myself I don't know if anyone else does it. As I ran I was repeating the phrase 'I open myself fully to giving and receiving love'. It was such a joy and I felt I'd run it in half the time although I hadn't. It was one of those times when I could have run forever plus I got to expand my heart. At home I'm still developing my meditation practice but I might repeat a verse of scripture like 'Be still and know that I am God' or a phrase like the one above. The possibilities are endless.

On www.aish.com there are 48 ways to wisdom. And one of them is about staying present. It states that killing time is a crime. And I agree time is not for killing it's for purposeful living, purposeful work, purposeful play, purposeful relationships etc. You get the gist. The thing that was so profound was the statement that we find it painful to be in the present, that is why we waste time. Think about it we numb ourselves with TV, food, alcohol, drugs, shopping and the rest, or we focus on the past or daydream about the future but not in any meaningful way. The extent to which we do these things may well be an indicator of how much or how little purpose we have in our lives.

I continue to marvel at all the resources we have access to in our lifetime. I leave you with Oprah's address to the Class of 08 at Stanford Uni.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpd3raj8xww

Now, Now, Now

Food: 6 bananas, 2 small mangos, oj, salad of leaves, carrot and sweetcorn with a pesto dressing, a handful of organic cashews and almonds
Exercise: Escalators, long walk

I have this habit of checking out a book on Amazon and then I get reading the books that have been linked into that book, and then I'm far away from where I started and am reading the 50th rave review of yet another addition to my wishlist! I LOVE reading, learning and applying.

Now I got to reading reviews of a book called Being here:modern tales of enlightenment
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Being-Here-Modern-Tales-Enlightenment/dp/1888043180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214439459&sr=1-1

I actually read the reviews on Amazon.com there were loads and all five stars. You can get a lot out of a well-written review;) I haven't read the book yet (although I will be shortly!) but already gleaned some wisdom, it's all about living life right now wherever you find yourself. It is so tempting and I have been there to be wanting to achieve goals in order to 'start' living. However listen up insight on it's way ;) the past is gone and we hope to see the future, but we definitely have now. Sooooo it makes sense to experience the joy, wisdom, peace, love and fulfilment now. And it's simply a choice. It would be great if this kind of stuff was taught in school it is empowering and liberating all at once.

Am noticing some changes in my eating habits I don't seem very drawn to green smoothies at present. I ate the mango just cut up into slices. Normally even though I really like mango, I would much rather smoothie it. Am also having nice long gaps between eating and stopping eating earlier. I'm enjoying my emotions even when they are not happy ones and catch myself thinking through what it really is I'm feeling etc. Interesting new development. Just realised something else, it's in the present that we change, that we are transformed.

Having a Rest

Food: 2 bananas, orange and pineapple juice, bunch of grapes, some dates, small bag of cashews
Exercise: Escalators, long walk

I fasted yesterday, I'm back to my one day a week fasting . If you fast one day a week for a whole year, you are going without food for 14% of the year, imagine the rest you give your body not to mention the the ripple effect on your finances, the environment, the time you can spend on something else.. If you keep going at one day a week after seven years you would have fasted for the equivalent of one year imagine the rest and rejuvenation for the body.

I read a recommendation somewhere of one day a week, one week a month and one month a year.

This is not the same as starvation, or an eating disorder or being forced to go with out because there is no food. This is voluntary fasting from a place of love with the full understanding of what it means and what to expect. It has spiritual, physical and mental benefits.

Fasting is not something you just jump into, in the same way you don't just jump into running for a marathon, you train for it! First of all you prepare your mind, you read and learn about the discipline, then you start to practise e.g. with fasting start with one meal or snack time and monitor your feelings, your body etc. You can do this with support of a health practitioner.

I always find extended fasts much easier than one day fasts. The first day is the hardest it's that jarring between eating (sometimes continuously) and then not. But once you've relaxed into it it's very liberating, your mind becomes very focused. Initially there may be detox symptoms, depending on how you eat.

My little toes were sore from a pair of sandals I bought and yesterday the pain completely disappeared. I felt very peaceful too. Plus I had a real boost to my self-esteem for seeing it through.

I've been fasting regularly now for two years and a half years (sometimes water and sometimes with fresh juice). I'm really glad I did the training, and I still am training... It's a habit that can easily get lost because it's so contrary to modern lifestyles, but it's one I personally want to keep.

Ebbs and Flows

Food: 10 bananas, some dates, salad of leaves, carrot, sweetcorn and avocado, a large handful of cashews and almonds
Exercise: Escalators and brisk walking

Before last night I hadn't eaten a banana for about five or six days, basically because I had to wait for them to ripen! So I found I was eating less fruit say in a day some grapes, a salad and some nuts. But was feeling tired in the mornings and less inclined to run. Was on period too but doesn't affect my running. Last night had quite a few bananas. And today I felt more energised. I need more fruit than salads/nuts to maintain a good equilibrium. Although sometimes I want lots of salads that I can just chew and chew. I go with it for as long as I need to. The principle is natural biologically appropriate foods, but the detail for each individual will be different and will change over time as our bodies get stronger, our needs change and we improve the rest of our lifestyle.

I like bananas and dates as my staples. Others prefer citrus or apples and pears. I also enjoy eating big bunches of grapes particularly if I'm out and about as they also help quench my thirst. I'm also loving pineapple and orange juice. I don't really eat pineapple cut up, not that I don't but I much prefer it juiced and the same for oranges. If I could have only one thing it would be fresh orange juice.

I've gone off tomatoes for a while. But drawn to a carrot/lettuce mix after Italy. And have had a break from spinach. I also cooled off mangoes but have some organic ones ripening for later in the week. Previously I'd pretty much abandoned carrots.

That's the beauty of eating this way, you can eat very simply and get abundant nutrition. You just eat what you're drawn to within the principle of natural eating.

We don't really have to worry about nutrient content of foods we would just eat what are bodies are designed to eat. Animals don't check they are getting enough protein they just eat within the boundaries of their design and hunger. But we do have the benefit of scientific study which only confirms time and time again the importance of more fruit and veg in the diet.

Hmmmm....think about it.

Healthy Mind

Exercise: Lots of brisk walking
Food: 1 L Freshly squeezed orange juice, cashew nuts and large salad of leaves, carrot and sweetcorn with a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (not altogether!)

I'm devouring more of my Living Nutrition magazines. The content is just so great and I will be subscribing to the rebranded, redesigned version (now called Vibrance). http://www.livingnutrition.com/

I've just reread an article called the Organic Mind by Lee Glickstein (www.speakingcircles.com)
Lee explains how we can develop an organic mind as opposed to a conventional mind to match and express our developing physical vitality as we go more raw. An organic mind is fertile, fluid and flexible among other things while a conventional mind is rigid with assumptions, 'right ways' and judgements.

These are Lee's suggestions for creating an Organic Mind,
1. Appreciate others like you would appreciate a tree, a river or a fruit i.e. with no judgement
2. Listen while you speak, and softly maintain eye contact
3. Notice natural silence and join it every day
4. Let your judgements pass. Laugh at yourself
5. Listen, listen, listen, softly and with your whole body, listen to the essence of others

And his seven traits of the Organic Mind,
1. Appreciates silence and acts from a foundation of listening
2. Listens to the essence of others and speaks only into the essence of others
3. Conversations move quickly through content into the sharing of meaningful ideas
4. Meets every person through soft, available eyes
5. Is down to earth, laughs and cries easily
6. Thinks less and less about more and more
7. Thinks universally

A lot to munch on there! But such great stuff...

Raw in Roma

Exercise: Escalators
Food: 8 bananas, salad with leaves, avocado, sun-dried tomato, carrot, gherkins, and pesto dressing, bread, tortilla chips nibbled in Fresh and Wild, cashew nuts

I have been in Italy these past few days, first to a wedding in Pescara and then to Rome. The wedding was beautiful in a little village outside Pescara. The reception was held in a castle and on the way we passed fig trees, olive trees and apricots trees, how amazing is that! I want to live there!! I had the juiciest plumpest olives at the canape reception pre dinner. Re dietary requirements, I simply said vegan, no wheat or dairy and that am really happy with a salad. But didn't specifically mention raw.

So knew it would be okay, and also as long as my body was happy and I felt alright eating something then I would go with it. It was a classic five course meal, while everyone was complaining that they had overeaten on lots of meat, I felt just fine. My first course was vegetable soup, then a trio of boiled broad beans, courgettes and another vegetable I can't remember, then I had a plate of mushrooms and potato, then a mixed salad of leaves lightly dressed and finally a plate of seasonal fruit. I had about three conversations with people who asked me about my eating choices and it was really great to talk to them. In some ways I was slightly dreading it but then I would remind myself everything was okay, that I could eat what I wanted, and that I could just be me even if different, this wasn't about labels.

And of course when I said that it was easy! To top it off we danced the night away..

The first night before the wedding some of us went for a pizza, I really didn't want pizza or pasta or rice so one of my friends asked for them to prepare a salad for me. It was very simple, leaves, carrot and sweetcorn, lightly dressed. It was one of the best meals I have ever had.They had given me a good sized bowl but I was still hungry (probably helped by the fact that we arrived at the hotel at 7pm after setting off at 10am from London that morning!) So this time I got the italian words needed to ask for another one and they brought me a huge bowl and it was still delicious. I guess I had paid them a compliment by asking for another one and they rewarded me well!! It was in my top 10 of raw meals, hunger met simple nourishing fare.

Rome was wonderful and it was good to be back again. My hotel was perfect with a fruit stall at the end of the road that also served freshly sqeezed oj do you see why I say that I am the most blessed woman in the whole world? It's run by a charming lady called Augusta, check it out if you go on Via Della Vite off Piazza Spagna. It was quite blissful to eat when and what I wanted. To spend the whole day walking outside in the air and sunshine, feasting on the sights and poking my head into various ancient and modern nooks and crannies. I revisited an old favourite Cafe Magnolia who do about 10 different creative salads as well as pizza and pasta so a good place to bring friends. Of course it came with bread and I had some. I know I was sleepy from the dancing of the night before and all the travelling but that night I slept for 12 hours straight and could have slept more but got up at noon because I didn't come to Rome to sleep!! That's the effect on me good to have the reminder...



It's good to be home..

Everyone Needs Compassion

Exercise: Escalators
Food: 8 bananas, fresh Oj, cashew nuts mixed salad with carrot, leaves, avocado, sundried tomato and sweetcorn, a handful of dates a few hours after the salad

Deep down I know that it would have been a good to fast today. I wasn't feeling hungry and felt my body could do with a rest especially as I had quite a few cashew nuts which needed to be fully digested.

Did I then fast, heck no, I carried on business as usual. I soon felt the consequences, my body certainly didn't want the cashews. And I could feel it trying to get equilibrium! A couple of loo visits and everything was fine!

There is a quote that goes something like, "Greatness is being courteous and kind to everyone especially when there is no apparent benefit".

And I was thinking it would be lovely if we could be kind to ourselves as well, not just how we treat our spirit, mind and body i.e. what we eat , how we move around etc but also when we mess up and make the wrong choice. Like me today! Compassion brings hope. So let's be kind to ourselves so we can be kind to others.

We are the revolution..

Come Join The Party!

Exercise: Escalators
Food: 5 bananas, smoothie (celery, papaya, mango and pear), bunch of grapes, big salad - lettuce, sun-dried tomato, carrot, sweetcorn, pine nuts, pesto dressing

Another of my friends is getting intentional with her eating, she's vegetarian four days a week now in order to in her words, save the planet, and a girl at the yoga weekend asked me if I was a raw-fooder, she'd obviously been observing what I was eating! She said I looked great and was glowing, which was lovely to hear. I've gotten used to a certain level of being eating like this plus all the other adventures I'm on, so it's always blows me away when the results are so obvious to someone else. She herself tried raw for six months and thinks it's time to make it more permanent.

And.. okay not one of my girlfriends per se, but Oprah has gone vegan (for 21 days)!
Read more here
http://www2.oprah.com/foodhome/food/cleanse/blog/blog_main.jhtml?promocode=HP42

I love the comment at the end,
Kathy Freston's Comments: External "fillers"—like soda and chips—leave you feeling empty and wanting more. Yearning, dissatisfied. To really feel substantially filled and nurtured and cared for, it has to come from something that is not outside of us. If you are pushed against a wall or challenged, try to remind yourself that you need not do and be everything.

If more people knew that they would be experiencing more freedom. It's these 'moments of truth' that bring awareness. We reach for 'soda and chips' or whatever it is we reach for, it could be any thing to damp down those emotions.. 'healthy food' does not promote health in our body if we don't actually need it, it becomes excess and something else for the body to deal with. I remember being offered some strawberries once and I said 'no thanks!' 'but it's fruit' they said. I'm not hungry and I don't want them but I'm meant to shove them down because they're fruit? It's completely a different matter if I want to shove them down!

Well if you doing the veggie, vegan, journey you know you're only a couple of tube stops from 'more raw' and 'all raw' !!!

Yoga

Exercise: Yoga, escalators and run
Food: Oj, 3 bananas, green salad with avocado, cashews and a few dates

Am doing a yoga and meditation weekend today and tomorrow. It was so lovely the centre is in Oakwood, so tonnes of greenery and what a gorgeous, delicious sunny day today!!

Giovanni (who looks like George Clooney with Mel Gibson's eyes, true! Serious potential for lookalike work there) guided us humorously and sensitively through four sessions of meditation interspersed with yoga stretches and poses.
http://www.rolfing-yoga.com/flash1.html
http://www.wccmretreatcentre.org.uk/

I'm really enjoying getting into meditation, just being present. Felt very detached afterwards but in a good way, just being in the midst of everything. The day ran from 10 to 5 with break for lunch and a wander. Lunch was a mix of vegetarian and vegan fare.

I felt light and floaty at the end so despite being out the whole day, then doing two trips for food shopping, I felt compelled to go for an evening run. And it was just the right conditions, cool and breezy!

Have noticed yesterday (off work) and today that I'm not eating as much but not sure if this is a trend yet, because when I'm not at work ie doing the things that I really, really want to do, food moves down the agenda. I was thinking that lots of people I come across don't like their jobs or are feeling unfulfilled. Which means they must be living off purpose, so is it any wonder we are eating off purpose too?

Anyhoo will see how I go. I may be moving to a new level in my raw journey. Haven't craved anything this past week, seems chips may have fallen off the 'attachments' list completely. Was going to get some edamame on Friday and I felt a check in my body like it didn't want that. It was very subtle but immediately turned round thinking 'no don't want that'. At another time I might get a go ahead signal. In a similar vein I had some nuts this evening and felt like I had enough, then went back and had some more although not a lot. But I felt that check, although I ignored it!

Please Yourself

Exercise: Run, yoga and escalators
Food: Dates, banana ice cream tart, plus extra banana ice cream (ie just bananas), a few grapes

I am now the queen of raw recipes. Well I have been experimenting! I've had a burst of creativity. I made a 'cous cous' recipe yesterday. I processed a head of cauliflower minus the green bits, until it looked like fluffy cous cous. I then mixed in some shelled green peas, some corn from fresh and wild which I'm sure had been heated in some form and vacuum packed, but not bothered, it looked like a corn on the cob should look, I mixed it all up with Seggiano's raw pesto (I will get round to trying out my own recipe, but until then this is delicious and cheeseless!), and some mushrooms which I marinated in a little olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar. It looked like a cous cous dish and tasted yummy too. The funny thing was a colleague said to me 'your lunch looks so lovely, I wish I could eat it'.

I made another banana icecream tart this time with blackcurrants blended in, and then another plain banana one with an almond and date base. Get me! The base is basically how Lara bars are essentially made , but in different quantities of nuts and dates, and most with added spices. But this is the cheaper option and you can the ingredients that work for you.

I'll leave you with this quote that I swiped from Bob Proctors 'insight of the day' email

"That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong."
William J.H. Boetcker

Staying with this, I used to work for a business based in the owner's home. A good few years ago now. My boss was a lovely lady and it was just the three of us working there. She would bring us out biscuits, snacks etc. Then one day I decided I wasn't going to have any biscuits because I was on a health kick. Didn't feel great that I was chomping on biscuits everyday. It wasn't part of my eating style if you discount the occasional ploughing through of a packet of digestives! And even though I said to her 'no biscuits for me', even when it was just me she still wheeled them out. I have to say I felt under a lot of pressure to just eat them to appreciate her hospitality. But I didn't because one, it was important to me to get out of the daily biscuit habit, and two, if I had started eating them again it would have rendered my words meaningless and I would have lost some self-respect, if not her respect. Beacuse even when people try to either consciously or unconsciously sabotage your efforts they are actually grudgingly or maybe wholeheartedly admiring you. It's what inspiration is about. Have a think about someone who truly inspires you, it's usually someone who knows their path and is walking it, and they usually stand out from the crowd in more ways than one.

I think if we are inspired to do something we should especially do it. I believe this is because these are pointers for significant growth and focus in our lives. I also believe it's how we are meant to live, inspiring and inspired. This is the way of much happiness and fulfilment (happiness is a byproduct of fulfilment and not the other way round!). In the absence of that (being out of touch with our lives and the source of our lives) leaves us being 'fixers' doing things we 'ought to' 'should to' etc. This way is often accompanied by discontent, frustration and listlessness. In a nutshell we are more likely to succed at what we want to achieve when we are inspired to do it. I ask myself questions like an I inspired to eat raw, (Yes), am I inspired to give money to this cause, am I inspired to volunteer to help etc. I've found it a useful tool. Hope you do too!

Why Do You Do What You Do?

Exercise: Walking (yesterday running and dancing)
Food: Green smoothie (mango and spinach), box of grapes, 3 bananas, bought salad (leaves, peas, sweetcorn, avocado, sun-dried tomato), a small packet of pistachio nuts, some dates

Yesterday I went to Vita organic restaurant in Soho, I had a selection of salads and orange juice. The oj was delicious, the salads were okay not inspired. They had a raw choc cake for dessert. I'm not keen on raw choc, probably because although I used to eat it, choc was not a mainstay. In the end decided to have it and I definitely didn't like it. It was so bitter and full of nibs and started getting a headache. Some people really do love this stuff but I'm not sure it serves my highest good! I've been looking at some anecdotal evidence and it seems raw choc can never be truly raw plus all the other stuff it contains. So we're eating it for the taste (or not!) like most things then;) But if that's the case is it heresy to say I would prefer a square of the regular, fair-trade kind??

I love the re-development of St Pancras station, (and my pleaure is heightened by the presence of chopp'd, a chic salad bar. The original one is in Leadenhall Market and a new bar opened about a month or so ago in Spitafields) it is so bright and airy with beautiful shopfronts, the glamour of being the start of a journey into Paris via Eurostar, but also a solid departure point for places in the East Midlands amongst others. I love the big wooden doorways that connect it to Kings Cross, it's a bit like stepping into another city even though both stations are side by side.

I made my raw hummous but not sure about it so it's in the freezer! Meanwhile as the temps soar, banana ice cream is hitting the spot!

As you know I am working through 'Life on Purpose' by Brad Swift. I can't really rave about this book enough. I think it is in my top three of all time inspiring books and that is saying something as I've read plenty of fab books, plus I haven't actually finished it yet! I've been on a break ;) but ready to pick it up again. The interlude has been very useful in allowing things to soak in. There was an excellent feature in the 'life on purpose' ezine. Read at the blog here It's one to read over and over. And the principles can be applied to the raw food lifestyle and other ways we choose to eat.
http://www.lifeonpurposeblog.com/

I'm seriously considering signing up to their latest purpose project - purposeful prosperity....

Playing Gourmet

Food: 4 bananas, mango and spinach smoothie, quite a few almonds, salad of celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and mushroom marinated in raw pesto, later on a mixed salad of deli leaves, sundried tomatoes, peas, sweetcorn, pine nut and pesto dressing, edamame and later some dates and super cold banana ice-cream!
Exercise: Escalators

My chickpeas are sprouting! I have no idea whether I will enjoy the raw houmous I'm going to make but I love the fact they are sprouting, something about seeing something grow. I do realise I will be pulversing them in the food processor at some point!

I have a pasta nozzle for my juicer so decided to run a courgette through to see if I could make veggie spaghetti. That didn't work there was courgette juice spraying out all over the place...nice. So just cut it julienne myself marinate in pesto with mushrooms. It tasted yummy and great textures. Felt quite proud of myself. Will be using mushrooms more in my menu now.

I took a friend to Saf restaurant this week and she loved it. She had the Buddha Bowl - jasmine rice and tofu (cooked) and Apple cheesecake made with cashews. The cheesecake is a serious high point! I had some nuts and olives, seaweed salad and the cheesecake! But we both felt light as we were leaving.

Yesterday had some houmous and mushrooms in houmous bar, this morning I noticed my emotional poise had been seriously diminished! The link for me seems to be getting ever stronger. Harmony........