Raw, Day 8

I'm going to take a break from telling you about what I ate, what I wanted to eat, what my stats are for just another post.  Partly because I didn't really eat anything spectacular or different today (don't get me wrong, I ate wonderful and delicious food, but nothing you haven't read about before).  Also, partly because I wanted to chat about something more important.  Important not only in the raw veganist life, but also in anyone's life.  From reading various books about the raw lifestyle, I've learned that the life of a rawist involves three main categories.  Food, exercise and happiness.  These three all play a very important role in achieving the ideal life.  I've already talked about how important food plays a role in your life.  Recap: Food is fuel; without it, we run out of gas.  To have the best performance, we must eat premium food and fresh food is the gold standard.

Today I will be speaking about an emotion that is so lovely to feel, not only for others but for oneself.  That emotion, happiness.

Happiness/happy.  What does that mean?  Really?  What do those words really mean?  Little things can make you happy, big things the same.  But is the feeling you get the same?  How do you know when you're happy?  Happiness.  How can this be achieved?  Really, I'm asking you.  How do you make yourself happy?  Does someone, something, help with your happiness?  What makes you happy??

In life we strive for good health, great friends and true happiness.  No matter what or who puts the smile on your face, let them continue!  At the end of every day ask yourself, "what made me happy?"  See if there is a pattern.  If so, keep the items/people close. 

Below are some quotes from Blissful Bites by Christy Morgan.  It's mainly a vegan cookbook but it has some raw recipes splashed in.  Some quotes are for the mind, some are for the body, all for the soul...each one with a connection to food, and of course, happiness.

• Happiness is life served up with a scoop of acceptance, a topping of tolerance and sprinkles of hope, although chocolate sprinkles also work - Robert Vrault
• Enchant, stay beautiful and graceful, but do this, eat well.  Bring the same consideration to the preparation of your food as you devote to your appearance.  Let your dinner be a poem, like your dress - Charles Pierre Moneslet
• Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit.  When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open - B.K.S. Lyengar
• Blissful Living: Show Gratitude: When you sit down for lunch or dinner, show gratitude for the meal you are about to eat.  Show appreciation for the many people that took part in getting that food to your plate: the persona who planted the seeds, drove the produce to the store, and the person who stocked the shelf.  Even give thanks to those who crafted the chopsticks or silverware, and the plate you are eating on - Christy Morgan
• If we made our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love, then the world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
• Live each season as it passes; breath the air, drink the drinks, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each - H.D. Thoreau
• The only real stumbling block is fear of failure.  In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude - Julia Child
• and remember, One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not fed well - Virginia Woolf

I wish you all the happiness in the world my friends!!!  You deserve it!

Until tomorrow, be well!

Universal symbol for happiness

Just Like The Barenaked Ladies Sing...

It's been one week...

Apparently I've make it through the hardest time during this transition from vegetarian to raw-veganist.  One week.  Many people begin the journey but are lost before this moment...and I understand why.  It is challenging to cut out cooked foods.  In the world today, it's hard to come by something that hasn't been grilled, toasted, nuked, etc etc.  So it's definitely odd to eat food that is raw or mostly raw all the time. 

Just as a reminder, there are some allowances I have given myself and I'm ok with being 90% raw 100% vegan.  To mark this occasion of having been raw-ish for a week, and just because I was craving something sinfully sweet, I went to Goodness Me to see what types of treats they had.  There I found some glorious kale chips, various nut brittle, and cookies in different flavours.  These items ranged from $5-9 bucks...for let's face it, not a lot of food, but that's what you have to expect right?  The treats looked and sounded delightful, and believe you me, I wanted to purchase all of them!  But my eyes, and heart, fell in deep like with something else.  I don't usually crave this food, but this one just called out to me.  It was like looking at someone so attractive for the first time that you just can't take your eyes off of them.  You must know the feeling; if not for a person, then an item...or if you're like me, then food. 

This delightful creature came in a small red package (all things come in small packages).  It had a word that I always gravitate to, spicy  (all good things have spice).  Its ingredients included "love and gratitude".  For these reasons, I fell. 

The item, was a giddy yoyo raw chocolate cru, spicy, 75% cacoa.  The first bite melted in my mouth, bitter yet sweet at the same time.  Then, a kick at the end.  Mmmmmm.  It's said that you can benefit from eating chocolate that is above 75%, if that's the case, let me have more!

Tempted?

This line of chocolate comes in different flavours: ginger, mint, mocha, original, orange and of course spicy.  All are free of "dairy, gluten, soy, nuts, refined sugar and nasty funk".  This one includes "Love & Gratitude, heirloom Ecudorian Criollo Arriba nacional cocao paste, unrefined fully mineralized cane juice, cacao butter, cinnamon and cayenne".  They're $5 for a 45g bar.  In my opinion, they're worth every penny!

So, one week passed, only  5 weeks and 5 days to go.  But then again, who is counting?

Until tomorrow, be well!

Raw. Day 6

Salads.  They get a bad wrap.  If you order a salad in a restaurant, someone will automatically think you're on a diet.  If you bring it to work, someone may ask "what, are you a rabbit?".  Now don't even get me started with what guys go through if they order salads, I know!  My guy friends often always order these leafy bowls of delight when we go out to eat...wait, why do my guy friends order these when we go out to eat??  Salads.  So good, and so good for you.

Trying something new with
marinated mushrooms, pomelo
and mixed greens

What I ate:  So I guess it's no surprise that today I had salad...not for all my meals, just for dinner.

I did make one for lunch tomorrow and I'm actually excited to have it.  I'm excited because it is so different from the one I had this evening.  I think that if I were to eat the same type, then yes, I would get bored; but because you can change up the leaf, the veges/toppings, and the dressings, there really isn't a reason why I, or anyone for that matter would get bored so easily with greens. 

Easy peasy lettuce and citrus

What I drank:  A lovely smoothie for breakfast at work and water throughout the day of course
What I wanted to eat/drink: All my delicious treats I prepared for work
My thoughts:  Salads are underrated
Energy level: 10 apples still
Stats: Nothing has changed, as far as I can see...although I am hungrier more than I normally am, no complaints here, food is good!

Until tomorrow, be well!

Marinate mushrooms in balsamic vinegar, olive oil,
black pepper and chili flakes

Raw. Day 5

Sunday.  What a glorious day!  The sunshine is out.  My mood is high.  I am loving life! 

Today is the Oscars, and the beau and I have a tradition to watch it together.  I usually have a spread of goodies laid out in front of us as we predict the winners and criticize what people are wearing.  Today will be no different.  I have an idea of what I want to make, and things I have already prepared.  I also have some non-raw treats for him just in case he's not feeling it...God love him!

What I made:

Tropical Fruit Salsa

Fresh salsa

1 cup each of mangoes, papayas, kiwi, apples, pears, tomato (basically any sweet fruit)
1 tablespoon cilantro and mint
Squeeze lime juice
Optional: black pepper, salt (I don't use salt), chili flakes, raw nuts

Chop
Blend mango and lime juice
Add all other treats to the mango mix
Spoon over romaine lettuce leaves to make a green wrap, eat with tortillas or on its own
Enjoy
 
(this is very similar  Thai mango salad, without the fish sauce)


Fresh Salsa
Tomatoes, onions, peppers/chilis
Cilantro, mint
Squeeze lime juice
Optional: same as above

Chop. Blend. Enjoy!

Fruit salsa

Tonight's menu will also include smoothies and fruit platters galore!  Now it's time to find out who the gold man will go home with tonight.

Until tomorrow, be well!

Raw. Day 4

Saturday.  A full day without work.  The first full day where there was nothing to distract me from food really.  Usually at work  I grab what I have and eat it at my desk.  Quickly.  Here, while at home, I am able to actually know what I'm eating.  I have the time to figure out what I really want to eat.  I have time to appreciate the colour, the flavour, the texture of the foods that I intake.  A simple luxury I take for granted while at work. 

Today I had so many options in front of me.  What will I have for breakfast? Lunch? Snacks?  My choices were endless.  What I picked were easy, healthy, delicious!

Green Godess smoothie

What I ate:  For breakfast and for my snacks I choose smoothies.  For lunch a salad.  For dinner...oh my, I went to Fresh on Spadina.  Sooo good!  Although their raw options were limited.  Other than the Italian raw bowul (zucchini noodles tossed with basil pesto garnished with kale chips, grape tomatoes, Fresh Protein Boost and sun-dried tomatoes) there were only some salads to pick from

Summer treat in the winter

What I drank: Smoothies, @ Fresh we got the Immune Elixer (carrot•beet•apple•ginger•vitamin C•echinacea) 
What I wanted to eat/drink: Everything on the Fresh menu

Fresh

 
 

Smoothie Receipes
Basic Green Smoothie (aka Green Godess)

Apple. Spinach. Other dark leafy greens. Celery. Water. Blend. 

(I added a pear with the apple at another time - delish)

Mango Smoothie

Mango. Milk (or coconut water). Blend.  Super simple. Super tastey!

My thoughts: Hamilton needs a raw/vegan joint!  I know there's Affinity on John Street, which is one of my all time fave places to visit, but it's vegetarian/vegan, no raw really there.  One place in a large city to cater the vegetarians is definitely NOT enough.  Come on Hamilton step it up a bit!!
Energy level:  10 apples/10 apples - Today I'm feeling good!
Stats: Fabulously the same

Until tomorrow, be well!