The stuff dreams are made of (well mine anyway)!

I'm 10 days into my raw food 21 day transition and have to say (well OK maybe I don't HAVE to say but it's my blog and I'm going to) I feel fantastic!

I decided to go with a slower approach for a few reasons but probably one of the main ones would be that I've some veggie meals from leftovers in my freezer that I'd like to use - and as I have a feeling that I'm moving towards a way of life as opposed to a temporary diet then there's no time like now.

I think also it's probably hard going to tell myself that's it - no more cooked food but now that I'm allowing myself this time for cooked evening meals I'm chomping at the bit to get going on 100% raw (which if I stick to my plan is this Saturday onwards).

So this week which is my week 2, I'm having a green smoothie for breakfast (largely fruit - bananas, peaches, blueberries, strawberries or mangoes - mixed with greens - most days baby leaf spinach) and then a raw meal for lunch. Today's lunch was spaghetti (made with grated courgette) marinara and a tomango soup - both of which were delicious.

Week 1 was merely swapping a breakfast for a green smoothie - all of which I enjoyed. I can tell that my tastes are changing as they seem even more delicious second time around.  They were also filling and I was never hungry - an easy way to start the process.

The last couple of days I've woken at 6 (once from my alarm and once just before 6) and felt really energised and ready to start the day.  It's a feeling I remember well but I've not had for some time (maybe juicing detoxes excepted).  I feel energised - and more motivated to get out and do things. Such as run at lunchtime in the rain.  Liking it. A lot.

It might be raining outside but it's sunny in my kitchen :)

Juicy Lucy?

Juicy Lucy? Not here (although with 24,000 people in 45 countries taking part I imagine there must be a few) here though Juicy Em is loving the World's Biggest Juice Detox.  The great news is it's not too late to join in - or if you wanted to start and go from a Monday to a Sunday just get going on Monday 14th January for an insight into how light - mentally and physically, how nourished and toxin free you can feel.

For some the first couple of days can be tough as you withdraw from caffeine (not lots of fun but when I did it it really showed me what a powerful drug caffeine is), maybe also from drug-like foods such as sugar and overly processed morsels.  However this behind you, the energy boost, clarity and general all round well being is phenomenal.

I've been juicing on and off for a few years now which you'll probably know if you've read my blog before.  The World's Biggest Juice Detox ran for the first time last year and, taking part this year I can really recommend the motivational videos, inspiring messages and support from, not just Jason Vale but other's taking part on the facebook and twitter pages. Stepping away from the 'norm' can be hard and everyone wants to know if you're getting enough food, if it's healthy, where your protein is coming from and a multitude more questions.  Having this reinforcement through these channels goes a long way towards not feeling so isolated.

So if you're sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and looking for a spring board into better health and an amazing 2013 consider joining in.  Having followed the same program before I know I've felt amazing, my eyes have sparkled, I've had lots of energy and felt GOOD!

Simply raw, juicy goodness. Thank you world :-)

Festive Frolics and Seasonal Survival Tips

Just a few ideas for a happy, healthy Christmas.  Although I do keep wondering if tips for a healthy Christmas, and, well Christmas go together for most people? 

I think they can without difficulty though.

I plan to keep on drinking green juices to keep my energy up, get some great nutrients and maybe help neutralise the bits I might pig out on now and again.  Better than the many energy drinks on the market I think you can mainline great live enzymes and vitamins from a 2 minute juice to make.  Fair enough the washing up may take a moment or two longer but there's no can to recycle and the only waste is compostable.  Green in more ways than one.  I've blogged several times about green juices but if you want any recipe ideas or advice on how to get started there's lots out there on the net or do feel free to get in touch.

Keep hydrated.  Often we mistake thirst for hunger and surrounded by salty foods in a centrally heated house we may dehydrate faster - 6-8 glasses of water a day is the ideal although do listen to your body here too. Too much water isn't all that great either.  A glass of water per glass of alcohol is a good tip too - and you'll appreciate it the morning after.

Sleep. A little now and again. Ideally a minimum of 4 hours a night although I think we all know what amount works for us and as near to this as possible is great.  Maybe a cheeky afternoon nap can help balance out those late nights and great parties.

Get moving!  The temptation to stay in on these grey, rainy days is much easier to listen to than on those bright, sunny summer ones but your body will thank you.  Exercise helps the body to digest food more effectively and with an increased intake a bit of moving about will help all round.

Curb the carbs... it'll help you have more energy into the afternoon instead of your body needing to shut down it's functioning ability so that it can take time out to digest your dinner.

And it couldn't be a seasonal survival blog without the mention of homeopathy could it?
Nux Vomica is a great morning after remedy - and some recommend to take it on going to bed after a drinking session too.  Worth having some to hand for those pesky hangovers. Great for over indulgence of both drinks and food and can antidote heartburn, nausea, vomitting.

Also worth remembering is Pulsatilla for when you've indulged in more fats than you're used to - you may see heartburn, heaviness after eating and a coated tongue - and cold drinks appear to help the person.

The tissue salt Nat Phos 6x is a simple remedy for overindulgence and indigestion.  Just take 3-4 tablets when the symptoms strike.  After 15 minutes if the symptoms aren't gone then repeat - up to three times.

Not to eat the 'bad stuff' is a great way to go but sometimes we want to and so to do so without guilt, enjoying your food and savouring it. Appreciating the work behind the meal, both that day and in the past is a great contemplation and way to really enjoy the food on our plate.

Wishing you most merry, fabulous festivities,

Love,

Em

Step into Christmas, Hop into Hanukkah, Walz into Kwanzaa...

Whatever and whenever you celebrate, wishing you wonderful celebrations and happy times.

I have to admit to being a relative novice in terms of my knowledge about other festivals celebrated around the world and producing the Homeopathy for Health in Africa calendar last year was a great start to looking at festivals outside of my own experience.

The ideas behind Kwanzaa appeal to me and I think we may look to incorporate some of these in our seasonal celebrations.... Just in case you would like to find out more - here's a brief overview I've just pulled up from a google search:

Kwanzaa is a nonreligious African-American celebration that was established in 1966. It is based on various African harvest celebrations. Kwanzaa begins on December 26 and continues for 7 days.

During each of the days of Kwanzaa, family members gather to light one of seven candles. As each candle burns, the family discusses one of the seven principles on which Kwanzaa is based:

1. Unity 2. Self-determination 3. Collective responsibility 4. Cooperative economics 5. Purpose 6. Creativity 7. Faith

Some communities collect food and clothing for the homeless during the seven days of Kwanzaa. On the seventh night, there is a feast to which friends and extended family members are invited. There are traditional foods, and cards and gifts are exchanged (although the giving of expensive commercial items is de-emphasized in favor of simple, handmade gifts). There is also singing and dancing. People greet each other with the Swahili expression "Habari gani," which means "What's new?" This is followed by a response that relates to one of the seven principles.   http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/profbooks/decceleb.htm

Going Green

The more I read, the more I listen to and the more I feel I know that green juices are fabulous.  On Monday night I watched my friend's 4 year old downing a gloriously fresh green juice. A most wonderful sight.

I'm really passionate about juicing and about the health benefits of getting fresh food right there and then, live enzymes straight into the body - so much so that recently I've been round to two friends places running through juicing with them.  It feels great to be spreading the word and seeing other people get really excited about this as well.

One of my favourites (the Monday night juice) is pretty much Jason Vale's Turbo Charge Smoothie (or how I make it from memory now anyway so may not be identical) and is as follows:

1/4 pineapple (skin off)
2 apples
handful of spinach
stick of celery
1/4 lime
1/4 cucumber

Push through the juicer (sandwiching the other ingredients between the two apples).

Pour into the blender and add:

1/2 avocado
handful ice cubes

Blend.  Pour into glass.  Clean juicer (so much easier if you do it straight away).  Drink and enjoy the juicy goodness.

I'm unquestionably loving this, my favouritest* soup at the moment...

...vegan, wheat free, great for you, delicious, warming and divine. In my opinion - and if you like the ingredients I suppose. Oh and so simple to make for a quick and easy, nutritious dinner.

I tried to save some for a friend to try and am disappointed to admit I was unable to. There's a great excuse to make it again very soon though!

It's from Jason Vale's 'Juice Yourself Slim' which is jam packed with fabulous recipies - juices, salads, soups as well as lots of making sense stuff around eating, lifestyle and more.  It's great to follow as a week launch of more healthy eating ashould you feel you need it and then to use as part of your daily life to lead to a great, energetic, nutrient rich lifestyle.

So without further ado - the recipe:

Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chilli Soup

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 small red chilli (seeds removed)
2 spring onion stalks
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 can of half fat coconut milk

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into small chunks
Chop the chilli and spring onion stalks into small pieces
In a large saucepan heat the oil, add the vegetables
Gently sweat the veg over a medium heat for 15 minutes then add the coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes
Remove from the heat and using a blender, blend until smooth
Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

*I know it's not a word but it really, really should be.

Red Root Soup (my new second favourite soup)

Tonight made myself a tasty, tasty dinner and in the spirit of sharing I thought I would divulge my recipe.  It's become my new second favourite soup (I'll share my new favourite when I make it later this week but can't take the credit for that one).

Where possible I like to use organic vegetables - I get mine from the brilliant (IMHO) Riverford - and whilst I'm on that topic, I'd say that the best advice re organic I've been given is to buy as good quality veg as you can afford.  I think it's worth the little extra for the quality, taste and lack of nasties - and find Riverford very reasonable and great service too.

So for my Red Root Soup (to serve 2 with a little left for seconds) you'll need:

2 beetroots
2 sweet potatoes
1 butternut squash /small-ish pumpkin
1 medium red onion
2 cloves of garlic
Handful of green leaves eg watercress/spinach/rocket
1 pint of water
1 veg stock cube
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sesame seeds

Chop the onion, squash, sweet potato and beetroots, peel the garlic cloves and add all the vegetables to a large pan with the oil. Sweat over a medium heat stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the green leaves to the pan and continue to sweat for a further 5 minutes.

Dissolve the stock cube in a pint of boiling water and pour over the veg in the pan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Blend in the blender or use a hand blender to mix.

Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy.