Brunch: 12 Patterson's Cracked Black Pepper Oatcakes(they were good despite the binge:0) and canned veggie soup(It's my last day for consuming junk:).
18:00 Overly-sweet(Bit too sweet for my palate)Concoction of apples, raw nut butters, cinnamon and tiny bit of stem ginger(Quite nice but too sweet).
MH, Tibetans to do!
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Monday 30 August 2010
Thought of the Day!
One purpose in discovering your own personality is to know how you affect others.
Consciously, or unconsciously, people feel your personality, and their reaction is a clue."
- Paramhansa Yogananda
Consciously, or unconsciously, people feel your personality, and their reaction is a clue."
- Paramhansa Yogananda
Food Diary!
00:30 + 12 Patterson's Oatcakes with cracked black pepper(so close to bedtime too).
Brunch
Bowl of Buckwheat groats, peaches, raw cacao, and raw nut butters!
Brunch
Bowl of Buckwheat groats, peaches, raw cacao, and raw nut butters!
Yesterday's Food Diary!
Little bowl od jumbo Oats and water
Walnuts
Tomatoes and Avocados
Fresh Peaches
Walnuts
Tomatoes and Avocados
Fresh Peaches
Sunday 29 August 2010
Brunch!
Around noon ish!
Jumbo oats with rest of organic skimmed milk and a rather yummy 'Maple & Peanut protein snack bar made by Pulsin' in Gloucester!
Later I will probably appreciating something containing parsley, tomatoes and kale.
Jumbo oats with rest of organic skimmed milk and a rather yummy 'Maple & Peanut protein snack bar made by Pulsin' in Gloucester!
Later I will probably appreciating something containing parsley, tomatoes and kale.
Saturday 28 August 2010
Binge Week(lesson learned:)!
Monday, 23rd August 2010
All-day binge ended with a huge mash potato, olive oil, chili, pink salt and eek! CHEESE(never eat cheese) so close to bedtime too.
Tuesday, 24th August 2010
13:00 Enjoyed, savoured and appreciated a yummy mono meal of the freshest and tastiest vine tomatoes on my way to work(Blissed out:)!
Approx 18:00-19:00 Generous serving of naughty nibbles(corn chips and bread sticks) with chili dip and olive oil(Free:)
21:00 Watermelon chunks(yum:)
Wednesday, 25th August 2010
Pineapple and organic Dlb cream:(
15:00 eek! instant noodles, rice dahl, canned sag veg curry regret eating this as it was far from tasty, really yucky:(
19:50 indulgent concoction of frozen bananas, organic dlb cream, stem ginger, little oats and cardamon seeds(Quite enjoyed this despite consuming dairy:)followed by rest of dahl.
Thursday, 26th August 2010
MH, Tibetans and Asanas:) yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Saturday, 28th August 2010
3 small bananas
1 ripe mango followed by a generous serving of walnuts:)
MH
Naughty nibbles(corn chips and dip) at Wholefoods(again:()
20:00 Watermelon chunks (yum:)
21:00 2 small glasses of organic skimmed milk(needed the cacium)
All-day binge ended with a huge mash potato, olive oil, chili, pink salt and eek! CHEESE(never eat cheese) so close to bedtime too.
Tuesday, 24th August 2010
13:00 Enjoyed, savoured and appreciated a yummy mono meal of the freshest and tastiest vine tomatoes on my way to work(Blissed out:)!
Approx 18:00-19:00 Generous serving of naughty nibbles(corn chips and bread sticks) with chili dip and olive oil(Free:)
21:00 Watermelon chunks(yum:)
Wednesday, 25th August 2010
Pineapple and organic Dlb cream:(
15:00 eek! instant noodles, rice dahl, canned sag veg curry regret eating this as it was far from tasty, really yucky:(
19:50 indulgent concoction of frozen bananas, organic dlb cream, stem ginger, little oats and cardamon seeds(Quite enjoyed this despite consuming dairy:)followed by rest of dahl.
Thursday, 26th August 2010
MH, Tibetans and Asanas:) yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Saturday, 28th August 2010
3 small bananas
1 ripe mango followed by a generous serving of walnuts:)
MH
Naughty nibbles(corn chips and dip) at Wholefoods(again:()
20:00 Watermelon chunks (yum:)
21:00 2 small glasses of organic skimmed milk(needed the cacium)
Friday 27 August 2010
Sound Advice from Rhonda!
just a tiny piece of friendly advice, don't compare what you're doing to what anyone else is doing. You and your family are unique and you'll set your own systems. Don't think that everything we do here in our home is something you should aspire to - we are two people just trying to do our best and make ourselves happy with what we have. You must do the same. We are all different and that difference is just one of the things to be celebrated in living this way. Be kind to yourself and to others. Forget perfection. It's over rated and it will burst your balloon every time. Treat everyone as you want to be treated yourself. Smile. Expect to make mistakes, you will learn more from a gigantic mistake than from anything else. And draw your family and friends close - that little circle of people will be your shelter in bad times and celebrate the good times with you. Honour and respect all of them and try to be a role model, even when no one is looking.
Thursday 26 August 2010
Matcha Tea, Anyone?
Matcha tea is a powdered green tea that is unique to Japan, and which plays a central part in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha is made from the tips of budding tea bushes that have been shaded with bamboo mats for three weeks. This keeps the caffeine content high, increases the production of amino acids which makes the tea sweeter and preserves the chlorophyll, as the sunless leaves cannot undergo photosynthesis. The leaves are then stone-ground to an ultra-fine powder. There are two ways of preparing matcha, koicha (thick) and usucha (thin), which is dependent on the amount of tea and water used to make it.
Matcha tea is high in antioxidants, chlorophyll and fibre. It's also sugar free, which makes it perfect for diabetics and those who want to reduce their sugar intake. Unlike usual teas, the whole leaf is drunk, not just the water, which increases the health benefits further. One glass of Matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content and has nine times the beta carotene of a serving of spinach.
Buy from TeaPigs online!
Matcha tea is high in antioxidants, chlorophyll and fibre. It's also sugar free, which makes it perfect for diabetics and those who want to reduce their sugar intake. Unlike usual teas, the whole leaf is drunk, not just the water, which increases the health benefits further. One glass of Matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content and has nine times the beta carotene of a serving of spinach.
Buy from TeaPigs online!
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Guilty!
Had a binge yesterday and experiencing the not so undesirable repercussions. Maybe I should take a leaf from one lovely blogger who has discovered the beauty and simplicity of a simple mono fruit meal? Three weeks on Banana Island or Tomato Islands sounds like pure bliss to me!
I, ................... have lost control of my life and need to get back on track and pronto!
Come and join me!
I, ................... have lost control of my life and need to get back on track and pronto!
Come and join me!
Sunday 22 August 2010
Healthy, good fuel!
It might seem like a random combination, but papaya, spinach and kale all provide a phytochemical called lutein, which according to experts from the Department of Dermatology at the University of Naples helps to boost the skin's antioxidant capacity thereby protecting against damage from free radicals.
Brazil nuts(source of selenium:) are good too!
By focusing on good fuel / carbs like leafy greens and fresh fruit and avoiding processed carbs(enemy of the big stomach;bread, pasta etc.)you'll be happy, active and healthy as a bunny!
Brazil nuts(source of selenium:) are good too!
By focusing on good fuel / carbs like leafy greens and fresh fruit and avoiding processed carbs(enemy of the big stomach;bread, pasta etc.)you'll be happy, active and healthy as a bunny!
Treating Thy Self Like a Precious Object Will Keep Us Strong!
Or so they say! In reality I'm still ever so so vulnerable. Have you met anyone with a overwhelming profound sense of guilt, contempt and self-hatred?!!! I'm far from living one's heart-felt dreams as the challenges continue to rear their ugly head(And I'm no spring chicken). Been bingeing today and yesterday etc. and feel like garbage. It seems any cooked / processed 'food' is strictly off limits for food addicts for life. Personally, one does tend to thrive on a water-based plant lifestyle and of course the taste of seasonally, fresh produce at it's peak is sublime compared with dead food. Yes, I'm wasting a valuable life away procrastinating and bingeing / compulsive overeating. What a fool!
Forget the Past, the past is History!
Feel so defeated after BINGEING on COOKED / PROCESSED FOOD, a huge PLATTER of BEANS, ROOT CARBS and avocado. Swiftly followed by a vast HUNK OF PROCESSED BREAD:(
Forget the Past, the past is History!
Feel so defeated after BINGEING on COOKED / PROCESSED FOOD, a huge PLATTER of BEANS, ROOT CARBS and avocado. Swiftly followed by a vast HUNK OF PROCESSED BREAD:(
Friday 20 August 2010
August 20th
August 20th Meditation
By meditation we connect the little joy of the soul with the vast joy of the Spirit. Meditation should not be confused with ordinary concentration. Concentration consists in freeing the attention from distractions and in focusing it on any thought in which one may be interested. Meditation is that special form of concentration in which the attention has been liberated from restlessness and is focused on God. Meditation, therefore, is concentration used to know God. --Paramahansa Yogananda, SRF Lessons
© 1968,1982 Self-Realization Fellowship - All Rights Reserved
By meditation we connect the little joy of the soul with the vast joy of the Spirit. Meditation should not be confused with ordinary concentration. Concentration consists in freeing the attention from distractions and in focusing it on any thought in which one may be interested. Meditation is that special form of concentration in which the attention has been liberated from restlessness and is focused on God. Meditation, therefore, is concentration used to know God. --Paramahansa Yogananda, SRF Lessons
© 1968,1982 Self-Realization Fellowship - All Rights Reserved
Thursday 19 August 2010
Small, but not to frequent meals!
If anyone wants to lose the tendency to put on weight, my advice would be don’t snack throughout the day, not even on fruit or things we think of as ‘good’. The body can’t burn fat if you keep providing carbs all day long.
Saturday 14 August 2010
Friday 13 August 2010
Clean Burn
It is not uncommon for me to hear people say, "I do feel better on raw food, but I don't feel quite as amazing as I expected to feel. Where is all this energy I'm supposed to have?"
There can, of course, be a multitude of reasons for not feeling as good as you could, and way more than we can go into in one article, but today I'm going to discuss one of the most common: Over- eating.
Whether we eat cooked foods or raw - or a mixture of both, eating more food than we need quite simply overtaxes the body. Digestion takes more energy than any other activity we do - in fact sometimes it can even exhaust us completely (think Christmas Dinner, and your half-comatose relatives asleep in the chair!). It's incredible that food can make or break our energy in this way, but it really does, and sometimes this can be subtly undermining (which all adds up) and other times blatantly obvious.
When we eat raw foods, generally speaking, our digestive demands lessen. Our foods are more simple, we are eating enzymes rather than needing to find them from our existing stores, and, unless our diet is fat-dense (i.e. eating lots of nuts and seeds) then typically our load is much lighter and much faster to transit through than the average diet.
It is estimated that one in three people in the doctor's waiting room is there for a colon-related issue. A shocking statistic don't you think? But hardly surprising when we consider what passes for "food" today and what extremes some people will go to in terms of diversity, quantity and frequency. Of course, most people in this bracket don't necessarily eat in a way we could consider to be healthy, but there's so much more to it than just what we eat...
So how is it that some people on raw foods don't get the amazing energy that myself or others rave about? Especially if you are eating low-fat?
As far as I can see, a lot of it comes down to making sure that when you eat you are genuinely hungry.
My own research over hundreds of clients shows that at least 95% of people I survey either do not know what true hunger feels like and/or do not wait until they are hungry to eat.
What this means is this:
If you are eating when you're not hungry then you are essentially putting in more food than your body needs. When this is the case, your body will use its precious energy to digest (or "burn" as I like to call it) your food rather than have the energy available to use for something more productive (like feeling good!).
One of my greatest lessons on my own food journey has been to wait until I am truly hungry before I eat. This doesn't, by the way, mean that I wait until I feel "starving", just that I know that even if a plain bowl of lettuce leaves was placed in front of me, then I would eat them and genuinely enjoy them because I am that ready to consume.
Why this example?
Because of all the things that we can eat on this planet, green leaves are the least addictive foods of all, and the among the most nutritious for us... and if we feel drawn to eating them un-dressed and unaccompanied then that's a great sign that we really are hungry - because as you know our taste buds and bodies can appear so fickle and easily persuaded!
It took me many years to get to the point where I only when hungry, but I have to say it really is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the way I eat/ live my life. There is nothing more gratifying than going to eat a meal that you are really and truly ready for. I'm sure I love my food ten times more because of this. It tastes and feels so much better! In fact, I really do find that now if someone places food in front of me or offers me something - even if it's just a single piece of fruit - if I'm not hungry I get very strong signals from my body not to eat it and I find myself actually physically repulsed by it. Now that's incredible!
Considering my extensive junk food background, I really do believe that if I can reach this place then anyone can, although I appreciate we all have different issues to overcome in order to get to here.
I call this place of genuine hunger the place of "The Clean Burn". That's because I know that when I'm in this place I feel as if whatever I eat is really enjoyed from the moment I start preparing it to the moment it starts its journey down my throat and into my stomach. From this moment on I feel as if the food is being digested and utilised immediately. No hanging around waiting for breakfast to pass through or "falling" on top of last night's supper and - wait for it - fermenting and rotting. Eugh! It feels as if it is being welcomed with open arms and that my entire body is ready for it and loving it. Now that's worth waiting for!
It's rather ironic that throughout our entire childhood and typically, adulthood, we are never taught how to eat properly. Whether we use a knife and fork from an early age seems to be of more importance than whether we are actually ready to eat! It's no wonder we have the weight issues that we do - a lean body is often a clean body, and a clean body is one that really knows and experiences the feeling of The Clean Burn on a regular basis.
As I sit here writing this article it is 12:33pm. Today so far all I have consumed is one pint of watermelon juice, which I had as soon as I felt some hunger around about 10:00am. I am just starting to get that Clean Burn feeling now, but I know I'm not quite there yet, so I will wait a little longer before I go downstairs to eat. There is an art in detecting what stage you're at, and after years of practice and awareness I know now that although what I'm feeling right now would be considered "really hungry" by some people, to me it is a sign that, if I were away from home, I should start looking for food in order to secure it, but if I already have it to not yet eat it as the Clean Burn is not yet fully upon me!
Are these the words of a closet anorexic? No, I can assure you they're not! I am most definitely not into deprivation at any price, and least of all when it comes to food! No, what I describe here is a way of feeling and being around food that feels quite the opposite to deprivation - if I were to eat now before I got fully hungry and could fully appreciate every ounce of my meal - now THAT would feel like deprivation.
On that note I'm going to ask that you really pay attention to your hunger signals over the next few days and see how far you can go with this. This means ignoring the clock, getting all the "shoulds" out of your head about what, when and how you "should" be eating, and really paying attention to the different degrees of hunger as they unfurl. And yes, of course, waiting until you are FULLY hungry before you begin.
Yes, I know this may sound or feel like advanced stuff and even a little scary for some people, but if you can start to put even a little of this into practice in your daily life then I'd be very surprised if you didn't start to lose any excess weight you have, gain a lot more energy overall and generally start falling in love with your food - and your body - even more than you ever thought possible.
Oh yes, and did I mention that your food bills may very well go down?!
Enjoy the pursuit of The Clean Burn, a few more minutes wait for your food is a VERY small price to pay for such huge and multifaceted rewards, believe me!
© 2010 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.
This Week's Recipe
Karen's Super-Sexy Olive Cream
This delicious dip is so-called because when a friend first tried this recipe she gasped and went, "Ohhh, that's SO sexy!" - and it kind of stuck. Well, there is a certain something about it...
Ingredients
* 1 avocado
* 1 fresh tomato
* 5-6 pitted black olives
* Garlic to taste
Directions
1) Simply process all ingredients together until a thick creamy consistency is achieved.
2) Taste-test. Adapt as desired.
3) Serve with crudités, as a dip or spread on sprouted bread or crackers. Sex-y!
RAW COACH'S TOP TIPS:
* Feel free to try adding a little juice to this such as lemon, orange or pineapple - you never know what you might create!
If you liked this recipe, how about 49 more?
Where's Karen?
August 31st: Raw Food Coach Training Call More info coming soon...
September 11th - 15th: Business Retreat, Miami Beach, Florida
September 21st - 27th: Business Retreat, Scottsdale, Arizona
October 23rd: "Fall into Raw" Autumn raw food class with Nina Dench. More info >>
November 1st - 5th: SHINE Event with Ali Brown, Las Vegas, Nevada
November 20th - 21st: Raw Food Weekend, London. More info coming soon...
Karen's World
What I've Been Up To This Week
A little detour from the usual format, but I hope you'll enjoy a peek into Karen's World from a different perspective. Over recent weeks I've been making a conscious effort to bring more fun, play and "other things I love" into my life. It's been easy, simple and fun... And needless to day, has made all the difference.
* Spent a great weekend in York with Katie, my office manager - Raw Bombshell workshop, a night of dinner and dancing, hotel stay and Sunday shopping. A very memorable weekend indeed.
* Had a wardrobe weeding session in preparation for Autumn with personal stylist Sue Donnelly - over half my clothes are gone - eek!
* Dinner date in town with "someone nice" ; )
* Watching season two of "The Swan" on DVD - not everyone's cup-of-tea, but I find it incredibly inspiring...
* Preparing my home for my new PA, Sue, to move into. Just one more week to go until I get the home and office help I need. Can't wait!
And this weekend I'm off to a party where everyone has to wear either all pink or all purple posh frocks. I've gone for purple - of course! - (the one pictured), but it wasn't easy to find something I liked. Definitely not a dress I could have happily worn pre-raw!
And on Sunday - my boy Luke (8 next month) returns. He's been away for four weeks visiting with daddy. It's the longest we've ever been apart but we've been speaking every day and have lots of great things to look forward to before he goes back to school in September.
Enjoy your weekend!
What Is Successfully Raw?
Successfully Raw is a weekly eZine for raw food fans who want to look, feel and live their very best.
Delivered at the end of every week for weekend inspiration, it's packed with quality tips, tools, resources, recipes, news and inspiration and is authored and published by Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach.
Successfully Raw means eating raw on your own terms - which means eating the amount of raw food YOU wish to eat, for wherever you are in your life right now and according your own unique wants and needs. The Successfully Raw Philosophy is that more is not better unless you want more! No deprivation, striving or sacrificing here!
Happy comes first, raw (and healthy) comes second, and if you can marry the two together, then that's Successfully Raw!
Successfully Raw: All of the fun, none of the fanaticism : )
About Karen
Karen Knowler is The Raw Food Coach, former Managing Director of The Fresh Network, the UK's Raw and Living Foods organisation, creator and former editor of Get Fresh! magazine and creator of TheRawFoodDirectory.com, the ultimate one-stop international raw food resource centre online.
With over 17 years of personal experience of eating a raw food diet, Karen has been teaching, writing and coaching professionally on raw foods for over a decade. Owing to her groundbreaking work in the field of raw foods and human potential and dubbed "The world's premier raw food coach", Karen has stepped increasingly in to her role of "train the traine" training 84 raw food coaches worldwide to date and hundreds of others how to teach life- changing raw food classes via her trainings and home study program.
Karen lives in Cambridgeshire, England with her son Luke, 7. Her passions include raw food, human potential, metaphysics, high heels, dancing, flowers, creativity, organising, business coaching, helping others achieve their dreams and creating and pursuing her own "squealicious" goals and visions.
Find Karen online at:
Twitter
Facebook Fan Page
YouTube (Raw recipe demos and more)
Would you like to pass this on or reprint elsewhere?
Please do! You can forward this newsletter to your friends, family, partner and colleagues. If you know someone who would benefit from reading this, go ahead and spread the word!
Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach 2010, www.TheRawFoodCoach.com, and let people know that they can join the list at www.therawfoodcoach.com
I appreciated some lovely tiny(yet ULTRA DELICOUS:)fresh peaches followed by some addictive organic green leaves(Cavelo Nero)from Langridge Farm in Crediton(A Mandala Organic Grower's Partner:0)
There can, of course, be a multitude of reasons for not feeling as good as you could, and way more than we can go into in one article, but today I'm going to discuss one of the most common: Over- eating.
Whether we eat cooked foods or raw - or a mixture of both, eating more food than we need quite simply overtaxes the body. Digestion takes more energy than any other activity we do - in fact sometimes it can even exhaust us completely (think Christmas Dinner, and your half-comatose relatives asleep in the chair!). It's incredible that food can make or break our energy in this way, but it really does, and sometimes this can be subtly undermining (which all adds up) and other times blatantly obvious.
When we eat raw foods, generally speaking, our digestive demands lessen. Our foods are more simple, we are eating enzymes rather than needing to find them from our existing stores, and, unless our diet is fat-dense (i.e. eating lots of nuts and seeds) then typically our load is much lighter and much faster to transit through than the average diet.
It is estimated that one in three people in the doctor's waiting room is there for a colon-related issue. A shocking statistic don't you think? But hardly surprising when we consider what passes for "food" today and what extremes some people will go to in terms of diversity, quantity and frequency. Of course, most people in this bracket don't necessarily eat in a way we could consider to be healthy, but there's so much more to it than just what we eat...
So how is it that some people on raw foods don't get the amazing energy that myself or others rave about? Especially if you are eating low-fat?
As far as I can see, a lot of it comes down to making sure that when you eat you are genuinely hungry.
My own research over hundreds of clients shows that at least 95% of people I survey either do not know what true hunger feels like and/or do not wait until they are hungry to eat.
What this means is this:
If you are eating when you're not hungry then you are essentially putting in more food than your body needs. When this is the case, your body will use its precious energy to digest (or "burn" as I like to call it) your food rather than have the energy available to use for something more productive (like feeling good!).
One of my greatest lessons on my own food journey has been to wait until I am truly hungry before I eat. This doesn't, by the way, mean that I wait until I feel "starving", just that I know that even if a plain bowl of lettuce leaves was placed in front of me, then I would eat them and genuinely enjoy them because I am that ready to consume.
Why this example?
Because of all the things that we can eat on this planet, green leaves are the least addictive foods of all, and the among the most nutritious for us... and if we feel drawn to eating them un-dressed and unaccompanied then that's a great sign that we really are hungry - because as you know our taste buds and bodies can appear so fickle and easily persuaded!
It took me many years to get to the point where I only when hungry, but I have to say it really is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the way I eat/ live my life. There is nothing more gratifying than going to eat a meal that you are really and truly ready for. I'm sure I love my food ten times more because of this. It tastes and feels so much better! In fact, I really do find that now if someone places food in front of me or offers me something - even if it's just a single piece of fruit - if I'm not hungry I get very strong signals from my body not to eat it and I find myself actually physically repulsed by it. Now that's incredible!
Considering my extensive junk food background, I really do believe that if I can reach this place then anyone can, although I appreciate we all have different issues to overcome in order to get to here.
I call this place of genuine hunger the place of "The Clean Burn". That's because I know that when I'm in this place I feel as if whatever I eat is really enjoyed from the moment I start preparing it to the moment it starts its journey down my throat and into my stomach. From this moment on I feel as if the food is being digested and utilised immediately. No hanging around waiting for breakfast to pass through or "falling" on top of last night's supper and - wait for it - fermenting and rotting. Eugh! It feels as if it is being welcomed with open arms and that my entire body is ready for it and loving it. Now that's worth waiting for!
It's rather ironic that throughout our entire childhood and typically, adulthood, we are never taught how to eat properly. Whether we use a knife and fork from an early age seems to be of more importance than whether we are actually ready to eat! It's no wonder we have the weight issues that we do - a lean body is often a clean body, and a clean body is one that really knows and experiences the feeling of The Clean Burn on a regular basis.
As I sit here writing this article it is 12:33pm. Today so far all I have consumed is one pint of watermelon juice, which I had as soon as I felt some hunger around about 10:00am. I am just starting to get that Clean Burn feeling now, but I know I'm not quite there yet, so I will wait a little longer before I go downstairs to eat. There is an art in detecting what stage you're at, and after years of practice and awareness I know now that although what I'm feeling right now would be considered "really hungry" by some people, to me it is a sign that, if I were away from home, I should start looking for food in order to secure it, but if I already have it to not yet eat it as the Clean Burn is not yet fully upon me!
Are these the words of a closet anorexic? No, I can assure you they're not! I am most definitely not into deprivation at any price, and least of all when it comes to food! No, what I describe here is a way of feeling and being around food that feels quite the opposite to deprivation - if I were to eat now before I got fully hungry and could fully appreciate every ounce of my meal - now THAT would feel like deprivation.
On that note I'm going to ask that you really pay attention to your hunger signals over the next few days and see how far you can go with this. This means ignoring the clock, getting all the "shoulds" out of your head about what, when and how you "should" be eating, and really paying attention to the different degrees of hunger as they unfurl. And yes, of course, waiting until you are FULLY hungry before you begin.
Yes, I know this may sound or feel like advanced stuff and even a little scary for some people, but if you can start to put even a little of this into practice in your daily life then I'd be very surprised if you didn't start to lose any excess weight you have, gain a lot more energy overall and generally start falling in love with your food - and your body - even more than you ever thought possible.
Oh yes, and did I mention that your food bills may very well go down?!
Enjoy the pursuit of The Clean Burn, a few more minutes wait for your food is a VERY small price to pay for such huge and multifaceted rewards, believe me!
© 2010 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.
This Week's Recipe
Karen's Super-Sexy Olive Cream
This delicious dip is so-called because when a friend first tried this recipe she gasped and went, "Ohhh, that's SO sexy!" - and it kind of stuck. Well, there is a certain something about it...
Ingredients
* 1 avocado
* 1 fresh tomato
* 5-6 pitted black olives
* Garlic to taste
Directions
1) Simply process all ingredients together until a thick creamy consistency is achieved.
2) Taste-test. Adapt as desired.
3) Serve with crudités, as a dip or spread on sprouted bread or crackers. Sex-y!
RAW COACH'S TOP TIPS:
* Feel free to try adding a little juice to this such as lemon, orange or pineapple - you never know what you might create!
If you liked this recipe, how about 49 more?
Where's Karen?
August 31st: Raw Food Coach Training Call More info coming soon...
September 11th - 15th: Business Retreat, Miami Beach, Florida
September 21st - 27th: Business Retreat, Scottsdale, Arizona
October 23rd: "Fall into Raw" Autumn raw food class with Nina Dench. More info >>
November 1st - 5th: SHINE Event with Ali Brown, Las Vegas, Nevada
November 20th - 21st: Raw Food Weekend, London. More info coming soon...
Karen's World
What I've Been Up To This Week
A little detour from the usual format, but I hope you'll enjoy a peek into Karen's World from a different perspective. Over recent weeks I've been making a conscious effort to bring more fun, play and "other things I love" into my life. It's been easy, simple and fun... And needless to day, has made all the difference.
* Spent a great weekend in York with Katie, my office manager - Raw Bombshell workshop, a night of dinner and dancing, hotel stay and Sunday shopping. A very memorable weekend indeed.
* Had a wardrobe weeding session in preparation for Autumn with personal stylist Sue Donnelly - over half my clothes are gone - eek!
* Dinner date in town with "someone nice" ; )
* Watching season two of "The Swan" on DVD - not everyone's cup-of-tea, but I find it incredibly inspiring...
* Preparing my home for my new PA, Sue, to move into. Just one more week to go until I get the home and office help I need. Can't wait!
And this weekend I'm off to a party where everyone has to wear either all pink or all purple posh frocks. I've gone for purple - of course! - (the one pictured), but it wasn't easy to find something I liked. Definitely not a dress I could have happily worn pre-raw!
And on Sunday - my boy Luke (8 next month) returns. He's been away for four weeks visiting with daddy. It's the longest we've ever been apart but we've been speaking every day and have lots of great things to look forward to before he goes back to school in September.
Enjoy your weekend!
What Is Successfully Raw?
Successfully Raw is a weekly eZine for raw food fans who want to look, feel and live their very best.
Delivered at the end of every week for weekend inspiration, it's packed with quality tips, tools, resources, recipes, news and inspiration and is authored and published by Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach.
Successfully Raw means eating raw on your own terms - which means eating the amount of raw food YOU wish to eat, for wherever you are in your life right now and according your own unique wants and needs. The Successfully Raw Philosophy is that more is not better unless you want more! No deprivation, striving or sacrificing here!
Happy comes first, raw (and healthy) comes second, and if you can marry the two together, then that's Successfully Raw!
Successfully Raw: All of the fun, none of the fanaticism : )
About Karen
Karen Knowler is The Raw Food Coach, former Managing Director of The Fresh Network, the UK's Raw and Living Foods organisation, creator and former editor of Get Fresh! magazine and creator of TheRawFoodDirectory.com, the ultimate one-stop international raw food resource centre online.
With over 17 years of personal experience of eating a raw food diet, Karen has been teaching, writing and coaching professionally on raw foods for over a decade. Owing to her groundbreaking work in the field of raw foods and human potential and dubbed "The world's premier raw food coach", Karen has stepped increasingly in to her role of "train the traine" training 84 raw food coaches worldwide to date and hundreds of others how to teach life- changing raw food classes via her trainings and home study program.
Karen lives in Cambridgeshire, England with her son Luke, 7. Her passions include raw food, human potential, metaphysics, high heels, dancing, flowers, creativity, organising, business coaching, helping others achieve their dreams and creating and pursuing her own "squealicious" goals and visions.
Find Karen online at:
Facebook Fan Page
YouTube (Raw recipe demos and more)
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I appreciated some lovely tiny(yet ULTRA DELICOUS:)fresh peaches followed by some addictive organic green leaves(Cavelo Nero)from Langridge Farm in Crediton(A Mandala Organic Grower's Partner:0)
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Motivation to get fit if any!
'I’m also finding it gets harder to stay slim and fit as I get older,' she admits. 'I have to watch what I eat more these days. I keep carbs to a minimum and try not to drink much as there are so many empty calories in wine. You hold back the years if you look after yourself.
'My weight fluctuates between 8st and 9st and I’ve never been any heavier,' says Anthea, who’s 5ft 6in.
'I’m a real chocoholic and I love pasta, but I can’t really eat them any more. I just put on weight too easily..
I know the feeling only too well, love!
Fact: Apple-shaped women(that's us) are statistically prone to die earlier then their pear-shaped counterparts. Got to get over one's 'Obesity issues' and pronto!
Wish me well!
'My weight fluctuates between 8st and 9st and I’ve never been any heavier,' says Anthea, who’s 5ft 6in.
'I’m a real chocoholic and I love pasta, but I can’t really eat them any more. I just put on weight too easily..
I know the feeling only too well, love!
Fact: Apple-shaped women(that's us) are statistically prone to die earlier then their pear-shaped counterparts. Got to get over one's 'Obesity issues' and pronto!
Wish me well!
Monday 9 August 2010
Treating thy Self like a precious object will keep us strong!
Or so they say! In reality I'm still ever so so vulnerable. Have you met anyone with a overwhelming profound sense of guilt, contempt and self-hatred?!!! I'm far from living one's heart-felt dreams as the challenges continue to rear their ugly head(And I'm no spring chicken). Been bingeing today and yesterday etc. and feel like garbage. It seems any cooked / processed 'food' is strictly off limits for food addicts for life. Personally, one does tend to thrive on a water-based plant lifestyle and of course the taste of seasonally, fresh produce at it's peak is sublime compared with dead food. Yes, I'm wasting a valuable life away procrastinating and bingeing / compulsive overeating. What a fool!
Forget the Past, the past is History!
Forget the Past, the past is History!
Saturday 7 August 2010
Raw Choccie Bliss!
As you may be aware I'm not all hemp and Hessian and thus I too love to indulge in the finer things in life! I've been appreciating some yummy raw Cacao confectionery most recently and therefore feel obliged to share these delightful discoveries with y'all.
What am I?
‘Cacao Kapow’ is a sugar free, dairy free, raw cacao bar. Made from the same plant that brings you chocolate, but unlike chocolate, this bar maintains all the nutritional qualities of the most complex plant on earth, the amazing Cacao plant.
What’s in me?
‘Cacao Kapow’ is a raw living food; gentle processing of ingredients never reaches temperatures above 42 degrees to ensure the nutritional qualities are maintained.
All the ingredients we use are either certified organic or are wild-crafted, free from agrochemicals and pesticides. All the ingredients listed below are ethically and sustainably sourced.
• Cold Pressed Virgin Cacao Oil/Butter.
Cacao butter won't raise your cholesterol levels like other fats, is less likely to cause weight gain compared to refined or hydrogenated oils, and also provides essential fatty acids.
• Creative Nature’s Award Winning Organic Cacao Nibs.
Contain more than 300 nutritional compounds, antioxidants, essential minerals and feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin.
• Xylitol (Birch Tree Sugar)
Despite its chemical sounding name, Xylitol is in fact a completely naturally occurring sweetner found in many fruits, particularly strawberries. The name Xylitol is derived from the Latin for ‘from wood’ as in Xylophone (a wooden instrument).
It has approximately half the calories of sugar and is safe for both diabetics and individuals with hyperglycaemia.
• Rice Powder
• Algarroba (South American variety of Carob) renowned for its soothing effect on the digestive system as well as a high mineral content.
• And a pinch of Ground vanilla pod
What can I be used for?
‘Cacao Kapow’ can be used in the same way you would use a chocolate bar, to be enjoyed wherever and whenever the mood takes you!
How much of me should you take?
Unlike synthetic chocolate, where you will often eat a whole bar and still crave more, many people report that 4 or 5 squares of ‘Cacao Kapow’ is normally enough to satisfy ones needs. This is because ‘Cacao Kapow’ doesn’t contain synthetic sugar which unbalances blood sugar levels causing a dip and therefore a craving for more.
It is also likely that the live enzymes contained in raw food which enhance digestion help the body to feel satisfied more quickly.
Having said that, for true ‘Kapowaholics’ one bar is never enough!! There’s nothing bad in ‘Cacao Kapow’ so you can eat it till the Ca-Cows come home!!
Contraindications
None reported. (Not suitable for animals)
This is raw confectionery at it's very best and a pure delight to eat, so decadent, luxurious and the meltingly-smooth mouth feel of a standard(not so virtuous or healthy chocolate bar)chocolate bar. The taste is sublimely-perfect(Not cloyingly-sickly sweet as conventional choccie can be:). Go on treat yourself today!
Other good bars that are worth a mention are:
* Om Bars: Probotic Coconut and Acai and Blueberry(ORAC224/g)- I've yet to try the Probotic Strawberry
* Vanoffie Lovingly-created by the Raw Chocolate Company in Sussex!
Enjoyed a delicious brunch-breakfast of buckwheat, fresh blueberries and OmBar: Acai and Blueberry raw chocolate:0)
Happy Eating!
What am I?
‘Cacao Kapow’ is a sugar free, dairy free, raw cacao bar. Made from the same plant that brings you chocolate, but unlike chocolate, this bar maintains all the nutritional qualities of the most complex plant on earth, the amazing Cacao plant.
What’s in me?
‘Cacao Kapow’ is a raw living food; gentle processing of ingredients never reaches temperatures above 42 degrees to ensure the nutritional qualities are maintained.
All the ingredients we use are either certified organic or are wild-crafted, free from agrochemicals and pesticides. All the ingredients listed below are ethically and sustainably sourced.
• Cold Pressed Virgin Cacao Oil/Butter.
Cacao butter won't raise your cholesterol levels like other fats, is less likely to cause weight gain compared to refined or hydrogenated oils, and also provides essential fatty acids.
• Creative Nature’s Award Winning Organic Cacao Nibs.
Contain more than 300 nutritional compounds, antioxidants, essential minerals and feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin.
• Xylitol (Birch Tree Sugar)
Despite its chemical sounding name, Xylitol is in fact a completely naturally occurring sweetner found in many fruits, particularly strawberries. The name Xylitol is derived from the Latin for ‘from wood’ as in Xylophone (a wooden instrument).
It has approximately half the calories of sugar and is safe for both diabetics and individuals with hyperglycaemia.
• Rice Powder
• Algarroba (South American variety of Carob) renowned for its soothing effect on the digestive system as well as a high mineral content.
• And a pinch of Ground vanilla pod
What can I be used for?
‘Cacao Kapow’ can be used in the same way you would use a chocolate bar, to be enjoyed wherever and whenever the mood takes you!
How much of me should you take?
Unlike synthetic chocolate, where you will often eat a whole bar and still crave more, many people report that 4 or 5 squares of ‘Cacao Kapow’ is normally enough to satisfy ones needs. This is because ‘Cacao Kapow’ doesn’t contain synthetic sugar which unbalances blood sugar levels causing a dip and therefore a craving for more.
It is also likely that the live enzymes contained in raw food which enhance digestion help the body to feel satisfied more quickly.
Having said that, for true ‘Kapowaholics’ one bar is never enough!! There’s nothing bad in ‘Cacao Kapow’ so you can eat it till the Ca-Cows come home!!
Contraindications
None reported. (Not suitable for animals)
This is raw confectionery at it's very best and a pure delight to eat, so decadent, luxurious and the meltingly-smooth mouth feel of a standard(not so virtuous or healthy chocolate bar)chocolate bar. The taste is sublimely-perfect(Not cloyingly-sickly sweet as conventional choccie can be:). Go on treat yourself today!
Other good bars that are worth a mention are:
* Om Bars: Probotic Coconut and Acai and Blueberry(ORAC224/g)- I've yet to try the Probotic Strawberry
* Vanoffie Lovingly-created by the Raw Chocolate Company in Sussex!
Enjoyed a delicious brunch-breakfast of buckwheat, fresh blueberries and OmBar: Acai and Blueberry raw chocolate:0)
Happy Eating!
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