Well guys long time no see.... it has been well over a year now and lets just say life has been extremely busy with my daughter packing up and moving over the other side of the world to be a nanny and the purchase of not one but two horses. With these changes I am very sad to say that I have done the dreaded no-no and put my health to one side and well just plain completely ignored it :(
Now I have just turned 36 years old and where once I did not feel my age at all, now I really do feel every year of it. Over the past 6 months especially, I have visibly aged with weight gain and increase in wrinkles.... not happy Jan!!
So I am back and feeling more motivated than ever to once again, feel vibrate and healthy. It is always just that initial starting over again that is the hard part. It always seems to be that way, you start out on a new diet feeling so motivated and then you are there and you have lost your weight. But then a holiday comes up or any celebration really and you are still on your I look great high so you think 'blow it, you deserve this'..... well, those last words can than usually be followed with 'oh well, you have blown it now, you may as well have the rest of the day/week/month or in my case YEAR off and it everything you weren't allowed to it on your diet and then you start fresh and motivated again on MONDAY!!!!'.
Well that has been my problem really, I have been waiting for that motivation or hunger (parden the pun ;)) to hit me and ignite my fire. But, 52 or more weeks later I am still waiting. Where is it, where did it go?
So, I am sick of spending my hours looking out onto the horizan and waiting for my lost love motivation to return. I am creating my own by writing this blog and looking at my health as a whole, rather than just what I eat or maybe if I can muster up the energy, how much I exercise. This time I am going to look at my inner happiness and contentment, my healthy food choices I make and movement, as in just moving more..... with less pressure, less rules and more love and acceptance :)
So please join me on my journey to cleaner insides, stronger outsides and a sprinkling of happiness all over!! :)
Monday, 19 August 2013
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Raw Chocolate Ganache Cake
Hi Guys,
I have been really busy in the kitchen lately, being creative and messy. :) One recipe I am really excited to share is Raw Chocolate Ganache Cake, this is a recipe that I have adapted from quite a few different ones I have come across on the internet. I have a great love of 'Rawganics', Jaffa Ganache Cake, and hopefully one day will be able to make it myself. Well this recipe is not Jaffa, but it is definitely just as rich and decadent. :)
Warning this recipe is high fat and calorie....not for the faint hearted....;)
The Base
2 cups walnuts
2 cups dates - soak in water for about 1/2hr
3/4 cup cacao powder
Pinch of Himalayan salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a food processer. The mixture should be sticky and a dough like consistency. Add some of the date water if it is too dry. Press the mixture into a pie tin or a springform tin. The mixture is very sticky, so use some of the date water to make it easier to spread. Put the tin in the freezer until hard, around 20 minutes.
The filling
2 cups cacao powder
2 cups agave syrup - or you could use maple syrup
1 cup extra virgin raw coconut oil - do not use the cheap coconut oil as it will change the taste of the cake and have that heavy coconut oil flavour.
1 tsp vanilla extract - or you could use peppermint essence for a minty flavour.
Blend the ingrediants together until smooth, and pour onto chilled base and put back in the freezer for a further 1/2 hr.
Coconut Cream
Meat of 1 young coconut
3/4 cup cashew nuts - soaked for 2 hours
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup agave syrup - or maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of Himalayan salt - or sea salt
Use the coconut water from the coconut and add till right consistency is achieved.
Mix all the ingrediants together (expect the coconut oil) in a blender on it's highest speed. You may need to keep scraping down the sides, to facilitate the blending. Once you have a smooth consistency add the coconut oil. Put the cream into the freezer for 1/2 hr or just enough time to let the mixture harden enough so your cream stays in shape for your piping.
Enjoy :)
I have been really busy in the kitchen lately, being creative and messy. :) One recipe I am really excited to share is Raw Chocolate Ganache Cake, this is a recipe that I have adapted from quite a few different ones I have come across on the internet. I have a great love of 'Rawganics', Jaffa Ganache Cake, and hopefully one day will be able to make it myself. Well this recipe is not Jaffa, but it is definitely just as rich and decadent. :)
Warning this recipe is high fat and calorie....not for the faint hearted....;)
 |
| Raw Chocolate Ganache Cake |
The Base
2 cups walnuts
2 cups dates - soak in water for about 1/2hr
3/4 cup cacao powder
Pinch of Himalayan salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a food processer. The mixture should be sticky and a dough like consistency. Add some of the date water if it is too dry. Press the mixture into a pie tin or a springform tin. The mixture is very sticky, so use some of the date water to make it easier to spread. Put the tin in the freezer until hard, around 20 minutes.
The filling
2 cups cacao powder
2 cups agave syrup - or you could use maple syrup
1 cup extra virgin raw coconut oil - do not use the cheap coconut oil as it will change the taste of the cake and have that heavy coconut oil flavour.
1 tsp vanilla extract - or you could use peppermint essence for a minty flavour.
Blend the ingrediants together until smooth, and pour onto chilled base and put back in the freezer for a further 1/2 hr.
Coconut Cream
Meat of 1 young coconut
3/4 cup cashew nuts - soaked for 2 hours
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup agave syrup - or maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of Himalayan salt - or sea salt
Use the coconut water from the coconut and add till right consistency is achieved.
Mix all the ingrediants together (expect the coconut oil) in a blender on it's highest speed. You may need to keep scraping down the sides, to facilitate the blending. Once you have a smooth consistency add the coconut oil. Put the cream into the freezer for 1/2 hr or just enough time to let the mixture harden enough so your cream stays in shape for your piping.
Enjoy :)
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Non-diet challenge update
Hi guys,
Well it has been a couple of days and on a general whole I am feeling pretty good. Not perfect, but that is not something to strive for anyway, hey?? ;) Every morning I start off the day with a fruit smoothie, full of greens, or on the weekend where I have a bit more time I will whiz myself up a green juice. I really enjoy these, especially with lemon, as it gives you so much clarity and a real energy buzz!! For morning snack it is generally fruit, with either a soup or salad or more fruit for lunch. Afternoon tea is fruit again, and my dinners have pretty much been all cooked. This seems to work well for me at the moment, though my goal is to eat all raw, I have been so busy of late and the thought of preparing 2 separate meals (sometimes 3, as my husband is not the healthiest eater, so I have to prepare something healthy for them) is not very appealing. But these cooked dinners (with a couple of exceptions) are healthy meals and leave me feeling satisfied with no guilt. :)
I hope this helps anyone out there wishing to incorporate more raw into their daily diet, as it is quite easy to eat this way, which is about 75% raw.
Lets not forget my love of raw desserts, which has diminished at all, and I can safely say love just as much if not more. This was truly realised when I went to one of my local health cafe's and accidently bought a cooked cheesecake, instead of raw. Well guys, it was not as good as I remember, as it used to be my favourite. It was so sweet, sickly sweet. I think now I am used to the fresh tastes of raw desserts. <3
I think if you concentrate on the healthy foods you love, instead of your old unhealthy favourites, eating healthy is easy, not a chore or some sort of punishment for 'enjoying the good life too much'.
There is a saying 'Love what you do and you will never have to work a day in your life'. What about, 'Love what you eat, and you will never have to diet a day in your life'. :)
Well it has been a couple of days and on a general whole I am feeling pretty good. Not perfect, but that is not something to strive for anyway, hey?? ;) Every morning I start off the day with a fruit smoothie, full of greens, or on the weekend where I have a bit more time I will whiz myself up a green juice. I really enjoy these, especially with lemon, as it gives you so much clarity and a real energy buzz!! For morning snack it is generally fruit, with either a soup or salad or more fruit for lunch. Afternoon tea is fruit again, and my dinners have pretty much been all cooked. This seems to work well for me at the moment, though my goal is to eat all raw, I have been so busy of late and the thought of preparing 2 separate meals (sometimes 3, as my husband is not the healthiest eater, so I have to prepare something healthy for them) is not very appealing. But these cooked dinners (with a couple of exceptions) are healthy meals and leave me feeling satisfied with no guilt. :)
I hope this helps anyone out there wishing to incorporate more raw into their daily diet, as it is quite easy to eat this way, which is about 75% raw.
Lets not forget my love of raw desserts, which has diminished at all, and I can safely say love just as much if not more. This was truly realised when I went to one of my local health cafe's and accidently bought a cooked cheesecake, instead of raw. Well guys, it was not as good as I remember, as it used to be my favourite. It was so sweet, sickly sweet. I think now I am used to the fresh tastes of raw desserts. <3
I think if you concentrate on the healthy foods you love, instead of your old unhealthy favourites, eating healthy is easy, not a chore or some sort of punishment for 'enjoying the good life too much'.
There is a saying 'Love what you do and you will never have to work a day in your life'. What about, 'Love what you eat, and you will never have to diet a day in your life'. :)
Friday, 4 May 2012
How I combat the case of the guilts!!!
Hi Guys,
Well I have to say that I am really enjoying my freedom....my food freedom! I am loving eating what I want when I want it, and not feeling guilty about it. Well not too guilty anyway,,, the guilt is not something you can just turn off...but I am definitely turning it down. :)
Aside from my inner voice, the other annoying voice I do get is from my friends and co-workers, (in a whiney tone) 'I thought you were doing that raw thing', if I happen to have something for lunch that is not totally raw, or especially if I am eating all raw. I do not know why people get all high and mighty about what I eat....I MEAN WHO CARES PEOPLE, I DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU EAT, DO I???? Sorry, just had to get that one off my chest :-/
Many of times I have sat their quietly eating my lunch and suddenly someone will ask me what I am eating (lets say it is raw carrot soup) and they will start saying stuff like, 'you know it is not that good for you to eat all raw, like where are you getting your protein from?', while they are sitting their having a packet of chips or a coke!!!! How can they talk about what I am eating, while they are stuffing their faces with nutritional devoid food!!! grrrrr......
But time does heal wounds in this case,,,or at least makes voices less annoying. People do start to lose interest in what you are eating, especially when you respond with a smile, respond nicely with 'well, I feel amazing' :P,, and the inner voice, well I think you have to try and find ways to block that one out, preferably not through mindless eating though...lol. Some tricks can be through exercise (who can think when you are trying to breath, and of course there is that wonderful release of endorphines to give you those happy feelings at the end), music (especially loud music), shopping (only if you can afford it, otherwise you will bring in the more bad voices ;)) and really just anything that makes you happy (which for me at the moment is downloading a raw cookbook and maybe even making a scrumptious creation ). Because happiness brings positivity, which kicks out any annoying voices and guilty feelings :)....
So today I had :-
A smoothie for breaky (in case you are wondering the little black dots are chia seeds, which are full of omega-3's and dietary fibre) frozen bananas, frozen raspberries, spinach & a couple of dates
A ceaser salad for lunch (it was the best I could do:))
Chocolate Moose for afternoon tea - 2 bananas, 1 med avocado, 1 tbsp coconut butter, 1 large tbsp cacao powder & 1 tbsp agave syrup. Yummy =)
Noodle stir-fry for dinner - This is where the guilt and negativity started to rear it's head!! So I jumped online and downloaded Natalia KW's cupcake heaven raw recipe book :) And it worked, back to feeling excited and happy. I know I know, this could be an expensive venture, and I can't afford this everytime! Maybe I need to start practising yoga....I'm sure I can download that somewhere..lol
I hope everyone has an amazing weekend. :o)
Well I have to say that I am really enjoying my freedom....my food freedom! I am loving eating what I want when I want it, and not feeling guilty about it. Well not too guilty anyway,,, the guilt is not something you can just turn off...but I am definitely turning it down. :)
Aside from my inner voice, the other annoying voice I do get is from my friends and co-workers, (in a whiney tone) 'I thought you were doing that raw thing', if I happen to have something for lunch that is not totally raw, or especially if I am eating all raw. I do not know why people get all high and mighty about what I eat....I MEAN WHO CARES PEOPLE, I DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU EAT, DO I???? Sorry, just had to get that one off my chest :-/
Many of times I have sat their quietly eating my lunch and suddenly someone will ask me what I am eating (lets say it is raw carrot soup) and they will start saying stuff like, 'you know it is not that good for you to eat all raw, like where are you getting your protein from?', while they are sitting their having a packet of chips or a coke!!!! How can they talk about what I am eating, while they are stuffing their faces with nutritional devoid food!!! grrrrr......
But time does heal wounds in this case,,,or at least makes voices less annoying. People do start to lose interest in what you are eating, especially when you respond with a smile, respond nicely with 'well, I feel amazing' :P,, and the inner voice, well I think you have to try and find ways to block that one out, preferably not through mindless eating though...lol. Some tricks can be through exercise (who can think when you are trying to breath, and of course there is that wonderful release of endorphines to give you those happy feelings at the end), music (especially loud music), shopping (only if you can afford it, otherwise you will bring in the more bad voices ;)) and really just anything that makes you happy (which for me at the moment is downloading a raw cookbook and maybe even making a scrumptious creation ). Because happiness brings positivity, which kicks out any annoying voices and guilty feelings :)....
So today I had :-
A ceaser salad for lunch (it was the best I could do:))
Chocolate Moose for afternoon tea - 2 bananas, 1 med avocado, 1 tbsp coconut butter, 1 large tbsp cacao powder & 1 tbsp agave syrup. Yummy =)
Noodle stir-fry for dinner - This is where the guilt and negativity started to rear it's head!! So I jumped online and downloaded Natalia KW's cupcake heaven raw recipe book :) And it worked, back to feeling excited and happy. I know I know, this could be an expensive venture, and I can't afford this everytime! Maybe I need to start practising yoga....I'm sure I can download that somewhere..lol
I hope everyone has an amazing weekend. :o)
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
My non-diet challenge!
Hi Guys,
I know I said I was going to follow Natalia Rose's 21 day detox, but after some re-evaluation I have decided that it is not the right time right now and instead of doing another challenge for a certain period of time I should be focusing on long-term healthy eating habits. So that is what I am going to do...I am going to blog about my daily eating habits on a high raw diet. Just healthy eating, not following any strict guidelines. :)
This is really a true challenge for me, as all my life I have either been on a diet or off a diet, which in my case was on a binge. This has caused my weight and emotions to go up and down like a rollercoaster. I know if I did the detox, I would stick with it for the required time. But what about after that, it is the everyday long-term eating that is the true struggle. When you must decide for yourself, and there is no guildelines or no menu plan to follow. All my
I hope those who have the same problem, will find this helpful. :)
So today I had:
Green juice for breakfast
1/2 a pineapple for morning tea
Carrot Soup for lunch - 8 skinny carrots juiced, 1 small avocado, 4 mushrooms, some basil, cinnamon & cardamon.
A bunch of grapes, a banana for afternoon tea
Salad with olive oil dressing & some brussell sprouts cooked in olive oil, salt & lemon juice for dinner.
Along with a glass of wine, as I needed a little something extra to relax from a hard day of work :)
I know I said I was going to follow Natalia Rose's 21 day detox, but after some re-evaluation I have decided that it is not the right time right now and instead of doing another challenge for a certain period of time I should be focusing on long-term healthy eating habits. So that is what I am going to do...I am going to blog about my daily eating habits on a high raw diet. Just healthy eating, not following any strict guidelines. :)
This is really a true challenge for me, as all my life I have either been on a diet or off a diet, which in my case was on a binge. This has caused my weight and emotions to go up and down like a rollercoaster. I know if I did the detox, I would stick with it for the required time. But what about after that, it is the everyday long-term eating that is the true struggle. When you must decide for yourself, and there is no guildelines or no menu plan to follow. All my
I hope those who have the same problem, will find this helpful. :)
So today I had:
Green juice for breakfast
1/2 a pineapple for morning tea
Carrot Soup for lunch - 8 skinny carrots juiced, 1 small avocado, 4 mushrooms, some basil, cinnamon & cardamon.
A bunch of grapes, a banana for afternoon tea
Salad with olive oil dressing & some brussell sprouts cooked in olive oil, salt & lemon juice for dinner.
Along with a glass of wine, as I needed a little something extra to relax from a hard day of work :)
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
New Challenge
Hi Guys,
Long time no blog...sorry for my absence, I have just been extremely busy at the moment, more so than the usual working full time with a family :). With organising my eldest daughter's formal (or as you call it in America 'Prom'), to my youngest daughter's high school interviews, which I cannot believe I am doing already!!! I have also been helping train my brother-in-law's horse for endurance events that are coming up and also training myself for a 96km bush walking challenge in July. This is a team event and it must be completed in 39hrs, this is to symbolize the 39th battalion that took that amazing trek through Kokoda (Papa New Guinea) by our brave soldiers in World War 2.
So as you can see I already have a challenge on the go, but as I enjoyed the last challenge so much I feel it is time to try another. Well, it is probably not a challenge per say, it really easy just following an eating plan for 21 days, but challenge sounds more exciting. :) So what I have decided to do is follow Natalia Rose's '21 Day Raw Food Life Force Energy Program'. She is the author of one of my fav Raw books 'The Raw Food Detox', definitely recommended. I have started the progam a couple of times and never stuck with the whole 21 days, so I never got to feel the full benefits (If there are any!!). I bought this book in 2008, so it is definitely high time I make use of it.
I am starting tomorrow, and I will blog everyday telling you what I ate, along with any extras including her suggestion of a colonic...arghhh. Yes I am finally going to give it a go and see if it is worth the pain and embarrasment I am sure will accompany me there.:/
I am quite excited to see how this compares to my raw food challenge!
Till tomorrow :)
Long time no blog...sorry for my absence, I have just been extremely busy at the moment, more so than the usual working full time with a family :). With organising my eldest daughter's formal (or as you call it in America 'Prom'), to my youngest daughter's high school interviews, which I cannot believe I am doing already!!! I have also been helping train my brother-in-law's horse for endurance events that are coming up and also training myself for a 96km bush walking challenge in July. This is a team event and it must be completed in 39hrs, this is to symbolize the 39th battalion that took that amazing trek through Kokoda (Papa New Guinea) by our brave soldiers in World War 2.
So as you can see I already have a challenge on the go, but as I enjoyed the last challenge so much I feel it is time to try another. Well, it is probably not a challenge per say, it really easy just following an eating plan for 21 days, but challenge sounds more exciting. :) So what I have decided to do is follow Natalia Rose's '21 Day Raw Food Life Force Energy Program'. She is the author of one of my fav Raw books 'The Raw Food Detox', definitely recommended. I have started the progam a couple of times and never stuck with the whole 21 days, so I never got to feel the full benefits (If there are any!!). I bought this book in 2008, so it is definitely high time I make use of it.
I am starting tomorrow, and I will blog everyday telling you what I ate, along with any extras including her suggestion of a colonic...arghhh. Yes I am finally going to give it a go and see if it is worth the pain and embarrasment I am sure will accompany me there.:/
I am quite excited to see how this compares to my raw food challenge!
Till tomorrow :)
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Day 7 Raw Food Challenge
Hi Guys,
Well I have made it, one week along and still going strong? I was a bit intimidated to jump on the scales this morning, cause of all the raw cake I had been eating :) But thought it would be something people might be interested in, though I am not telling you what I started out at, a womans perogitive!!! I will tell you that I have lost 1.2kg..yeh :D That is pretty good for me as I do not lose it easily. But that could just be all the cleansing aka loss of water. I am not doing this for weight loss though, but if it happens ;) But the most important thing is, is that I am feeling amazing! I have got over my tiredness and ready to take on the world. Even though I am eating lots of fat, I feel really clean and light. Which is great!
So breakfast today was the last piece of cake....note to self, next time make half the amount as I am the only person that eats it in the house, and if it is there I will eat it.... Though I did manage to take a couple of pieces to my lovely friends at work who said they really liked it (best $50 bucks I spent..lol) .
Lunch was a bunch of grapes with 5 dates...love those things, if you like sweet you will love these.
For dinner I made a raw pesto with zucchini pasta, I know I keep making the pasta but it is so quick and easy and yummy. Beautifuly combines with any sauce, I don't like it cooked but raw 'bella'!
Really amazing sauce, best dinner I have made yet!!!
See you all tomorrow :)
Well I have made it, one week along and still going strong? I was a bit intimidated to jump on the scales this morning, cause of all the raw cake I had been eating :) But thought it would be something people might be interested in, though I am not telling you what I started out at, a womans perogitive!!! I will tell you that I have lost 1.2kg..yeh :D That is pretty good for me as I do not lose it easily. But that could just be all the cleansing aka loss of water. I am not doing this for weight loss though, but if it happens ;) But the most important thing is, is that I am feeling amazing! I have got over my tiredness and ready to take on the world. Even though I am eating lots of fat, I feel really clean and light. Which is great!
So breakfast today was the last piece of cake....note to self, next time make half the amount as I am the only person that eats it in the house, and if it is there I will eat it.... Though I did manage to take a couple of pieces to my lovely friends at work who said they really liked it (best $50 bucks I spent..lol) .
Lunch was a bunch of grapes with 5 dates...love those things, if you like sweet you will love these.
For dinner I made a raw pesto with zucchini pasta, I know I keep making the pasta but it is so quick and easy and yummy. Beautifuly combines with any sauce, I don't like it cooked but raw 'bella'!
 |
| Raw Pesto 1/2 cup pine nuts 1 bunch of parsley 1tsp dried basil 1/2 cup olive oil Blend together and you have it. |
See you all tomorrow :)
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