two ways to prepare veggie noodles

One of my favourite aspects of raw vegan cuisine is using fresh ingredients as a substitute for more processed ones. Personally, I've never been that drawn to conventional wheat pastas or rice noodles, so looking for a replacement or other options for certain recipes is always a fun seeking adventure for me.

Enter veggie noodles, a fun and vibrant way to eat vegetables in place of conventional or gluten-free pastas. Veggie noodles can be made out of certain vegetables, most usually zuchini, carrots, sweet potato, and even cucumber.

To transform these veggies into noodle shapes, you can either use a spiralizer, or my favourite culinary tool (apart from my Vitamix), a handheld veggie slicer. I find the latter also works best for smaller kitchens or when travelling (case in point: I brought my handheld rather than my larger spiralizer when I moved out West).

Here are two recipes to share that use veggie noodles in different ways. The first uses zucchini as the noodle base, which are both affordable and fresh. I topped the noodles with some simple curried lentils for one of my last meals in lovely ol' Victoria. This dish was a perfect compliment to a contemplative moment, looking back at the times past and the times yet to come.

Curried Lentils with Zucchini Noodles
Serves 1

Noodles
1 large zucchini, sliced
2 large carrots,
hemp seeds, to taste

Lentils
1/2 cup red lentils
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp curry paste (I use Pateks Madras Curry Paste)

Cook the lentils for approximately 30 minutes in a shallow frying pan with the water and curry paste. Serve over a bed of the zucchini and carrot noodles, and top with hemp seeds and cilantro. Eat with chopsticks for extra contemplation.

If you want to take veggie noodles to the next level, you may come into contact with kelp noodles. This recipe for Creamy Kelp Noodles is a variation on my all-time favourite recipe for raw vegan pad thai. Instead of using an assortment of veggies, I opted for some sliced chard and cucumber.

The sauce also features tamarind as a subtle sweetener. Tamarind is a pod-like fruit known as the "Indian date." The pulp is edible and has hints of a somewhat sweet and sour tone. It is used mostly in savoury dishes in many cuisine traditions from different cultures.

Creamy Kelp Noodles
Serves 4 

1/2 cup almonds, soaked for at least a few hours
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tamarind pod, peeled and de-seeded
salt to taste
sliced chard

Soak 1 packages of kelp noodles for at least an hour in warm water. Drain. Blend the first nine ingredients in a blender, and add to noodles, making sure to mix the dressing with the noodles until well-integrated. Add chopped vegetables and serve immediately or let the dish 'set' overnight in the fridge.

Veggie noodles are perfect as a meal that combines raw and vegan options. I like to sneak in some cooked legumes every now and then for extra protein. I find kelp noodles have a greater satiety rating, meaning that their density acts more as a meal and makes for a happy tummy. For more on veggie noodles, check out this post for raw pad thai and vibrant lime kelp noodles.

What are your favourite ways to prepare veggie noodles?

we forgot so we could remember by gigi young

So happy that you enjoyed my interview with Gigi Young - I find much wisdom, resonance, and inspiration in her work, and I'm sure you will too.

Gigi has graciously offered the following inspiring words as a guest post. Entitled "We forgot so we could remember," this work discusses themes of self-love and the importance of learning to love ourselves.

Such a post could not come at a better time for me, and I couldn't help but smile at the synchronicity of her guest post.

The universe works in mysterious ways.

We forgot so we could remember

by Gigi Young

All of the things that seem small about you are reflections of spectacular storms of colourful light threads tying and untying, and tying and untying in the dimensions where you were born. Although by the time they make it into your awareness the thunder is a whisper and the lightening a flash in the corner of your eye. They become experiences that were not loud enough to believe.

We forget who we are and what we are made of.

The truth is we agreed to forget so the divine in us wouldn’t be obvious. We wanted the energetic spectrums that were too velvet with love to be bound with heavy fog, as only then could we see what happens when we do not remember who we are. Only then could we stand back, look at our gardens, see what is growing and truly understand what we are. We wanted to see what would form in our consciousness when “God” is not obvious. We wanted to feel it, we wanted the thrill of coming to know ourselves again with new eyes.

We wanted to fall in love with ourselves as falling in love is the most powerful, transformative opportunity we have in this world.

Learning to love yourself is the highest art imaginable and we have come to practice this fine art in the deepest of ways.

As we learn to love ourselves we create a sacred cycle of energy within that moves like soft water inside of you; it aligns all that it touches. Effortlessly knots that formed long ago are untied, memories that span your soul flood your heart and mind, and opportunities come that you could not see unless your cells were turning into love.

Loving yourself gives you new eyes.

The key to unlocking all of your potential, all of your magic, lies within your ability to fall seriously in love with yourself in all your forms, as that creates a softness about you that the highest frequencies can shape.

When that happens you find relief from all that you fear and you are finally ready to remember all that you are.

For more on Gigi's intuitive services, visit her website gigiyoung.com. Her blog, "Gigi's Heart: Musings of a Modern Day Mystic," features almost daily writings from a pure, heart-felt space. You can also connect with her through Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram. 

surrender to the heart space: an interview with gigi young

You may have noticed an influx presence of metaphysics and spirituality here on Barefoot and Frolicking. These have become of increasing interest to me in days of late, and I'm always excited to discover others who share a similar passion for the mystical and magical.

I'm thrilled to introduce you today to Gigi Young, an intuitive consultant and spiritual development coach based in Dundas, Ontario. Gigi works from a claircognitive, empathic, and occasionally clairvoyant level to inspire others and help them make sense of their lives.

Apart from her present intuitive path, she also spent years working in the fashion industry, an experience which provided much clarity from contrast and inspired her to truly follow her heart and passions.

Something to be admired in my books.

Gigi is a girl after my own heart with our shared interests in diet, spirituality, and working from a heart space and place.

The poetic musings found on her beautiful blog, "Gigi's Heart: Musings of a Modern Day Mystic," in addition to her daily social media updates, are to be adored as tiny lemon drops of daily spiritual inspiration, much needed in our current day and age.

I had the pleasure of asking Gigi a few questions about her metaphysical interests and work which I am honoured to share with you here.

When did metaphysics and spirituality first manifest in your life and how did you become more involved with this sort of work?

Spirituality and metaphysics has always been a part of my life. I cannot remember a time when I wasn't the esoteric one in the group that always seemed to make the conversations a little too deep. I never fought it, I loved it too much. I've always been intuitive so working with people and writing seemed like the next step. I was fortunate to work in an artsy, alternative field for most of my adult life so I never felt weird or embarrassed about.

I am grateful that there are so many wise teachers that have paved the way in regards to working as an intuitive and writing spiritually based material, It made it easier for my to understand that I could do it as well.

 
I truly adore your blog. How did you come to start writing about your experiences with metaphysics and spirituality?

Thank you very much. I write because I don’t know what else to do with myself, to be honest. I also have a very curious mind that always wants to know “why.” It takes a spiritual/ mystical form because that is the only language my heart knows and I haven’t tried to make it be anything other than what it is.

Apart from writing, you also share videos on topics ranging from positive thinking to ascension and astral travel. Both forms are available on your website. How important is the writing process to your work, and do you have a preference for working with one medium over the other?

I like both mediums. I go back and forth really. Writing allows me to work in my pyjamas, with unbrushed hair and sleep in my eyes. I get really lost in it, when I am engulfed in my own world of words a few days can go by, my friends start to peer in the window at me.

Videos are great to because there is something about watching an informative video as opposed to reading. We are a t.v culture which means we are used to assimilating information via video, so in that way videos are a great way to express oneself. Emotion, love, and intention are perhaps more obvious as well when you can see someone talking.

In what ways has your experience with modelling and the fashion industry shaped where you are today?

It has shaped me in too many ways to count. I got my PhD in rejection as fashion and modelling is not a kind industry. You develop thick skin and are forced to form an inner sun which has served me well when it comes to putting myself out there and understanding that your worth has nothing to do with the external world. It also allowed me to see the world and experience other cultures which gave me a lot of perspective.

I also had opportunity to work in the arts with some incredible artists which I like to think I absorbed via osmosis. It was really beautiful to be around people who were passionate about their art and it made me feel pretty good about living and "alternative" lifestyle.

I also got really into health and nutrition as you have to be in really good shape, with good skin, good nails, look rested etc. Models have a reputation for being underweight, anorexic weirdos and that does exist, however, many models are actually really into raw food, green juicing, yoga.

We seem to share many interests, including plant-based food and yoga. How important is the link between diet and spirituality for you, and in what ways do nutrition, raw and vegan foods, and yoga help to serve your spiritual practice? 

We do! Diet and spirituality is incredibly important to me. There is a direct link to the foods that I eat and my ability to work as an intuitive. If I eat food that is not clean and whole I lose clarity, focus, and drive.

When I eat raw vegan I become more efficient and my inner voice actually becomes louder. I am not full raw but I am “high raw.” I am drinking a green smoothie as I writie this (I thought you would want to know) [I do!].

My yoga practice is what connects me to this Earth, without it I would be flying around space somewhere. I practice Moksha yoga mainly, which is a hot yoga practice. Doing readings, coaching and writing activates my higher consciousness so I dwell in there most of the day sometimes, getting back into my body allows me to balance the fact that I am not fully on the planet most of the day sometimes.

Do you practice any particular modes of healing and cleansing with foods on a regular basis, such as juicing? 

Yes. I juice daily it is an important part of my routine and I really notice when I’m not getting it. I mainly do green juice and I also do juice feasting as well. Some of my most significant breakthroughs have come from juice fasting as when the body begins to repair itself and digestion becomes easier you get quite a bit of energy rushing through you.

When the body is running efficiently you get better ideas, inspiration, and mental clarity which translates into a better more life. I also really like how you begin to understand hunger when you juice feast, you get to know what real hunger is as opposed to when your candida or parasites are hungry.

On a similar note, what are some of your favourite superfoods?

I like to switch it up but I’d have to say spirulina when I need energy because the buzz I get from it is pretty intense, even a teaspoon. I am also a fan of Chaga and Reishi mushrooms, I harvest my own and dry them in my dehydrator (raw). I make a lovely tea with them. I like to incorporate foods that are made of the Earth around me, I like to have a relationship with them if I can. Reishi mushrooms give you some pretty wild dreams as well because they are the “wizard mushroom.”

Your work focuses on awakening and opening the heart space. What would you recommend to someone who is working with this area in their own healing journey?

I would recommend just surrendering into the sensation of their own heart, it will feel like coming home. It is a process that requires patience so just being able to sit in the heart with no expectations will create the most fertile internal environment for us to begin unwinding any knots that are tied. The heart is the seat of unity consciousness within us. to connect is to surrender and learn its language, which is different than the mind.

The heart speaks in feelings and flashes of insight, not in thought, so we have to get used to this new level of communication. At times it seems like it is leading you to do strange things or into experiences that are outside your comfort zone. Know that you are just building a rapport with your heart and its advice only seems strange because it can see farther than you and is positioning you for an life bigger than you can imagine. Know that is is safe to dwell there, that it is safe to follow it's lead - expect miracles.

What can one expect from your intuitive services and sessions?

Each one is different. It is my goal that when someone comes to me I help them remember who they are. Sometimes we are too close to see our own path or feel our own passion. We can get cut off from our purpose and our intuition sometimes. It is my job to look at your bioenergetic field and one issue at a time, or, one knot at a time untie what is twisted the best we can. I do this through communication with my guides as a conscious channel.

All of my sessions have a heavy coaching feel as I not only want to provide you with clarity in what you are experiencing but also introduce tools and techniques that help you move into your highest potential.

We are always transforming, changing, and in flux. Where will Gigi Young's work take her next?

I have no idea. I would like to think on many fantastic adventures where I get to learn as much as I get to teach.

For more on Gigi's intuitive services, visit her website gigiyoung.com. Her blog "Gigi's Heart" features regularly updated posts dedicated to beautiful writing from a heart-felt space and place. And  those tiny lemon drops of inspiration abound regularly on her Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.

Next up: a special guest post from Gigi entitled "we forgot so we could remember"

endings, beginnings, and dreamy raw carrot cake

There is something to be said for springtime and flowers. The atmosphere becomes alive again with the swirling energies of freshness and newness in each budding blossom. During this time, I like to take walks in the warm rain, smell the earth in the air, and watch the seeds start to push through the ground and up towards the sky.

An act of liberation and journey towards freedom, both for me and the blossoms, I'd say.

I've been really enjoying my last little bit of time in Victoria, embracing new endings and beginnings at the same time. This beautiful city with a beautiful energy has fostered a space of personal growth and transformation for me, for which I will always be grateful.

I'm going to miss this place and all the lovelies I have met along the way, but know I will be back at some point. How could I not be? If you've been to Victoria, you know what I mean.

What better way to celebrate the facets of the prism, many sides of the coin, the ying and the yang, than with a slice of healthy raw vegan cake. I recently came across this delightful carrot cake recipe on This Rawsome Vegan Life, a raw and vegan blog from Vancouver (hey there, West Coast!). 

Emily shares the most mouth-watering-ly (yep, just created a word there) decadent recipes that will inspire and nurture creativity in any kitchen. What I appreciate most about Emily's recipes is that they are fun and playful with a soft execution - no need or a rigidity of form here with anointments and sprinklings of flowers, nuts, and seeds as far as the eye can see. 

Although some of her dessert recipes are a little too luscious for me (see: high in natural fats, of which I have to monitor my intake), they can be easily adjusted to suit any preference or dietary modifications. Gotta love the beauty of raw dessert creations - the skies is truly the limit!  

For my version of a Dreamy Raw Carrot Cake, I've made a few changes from the original recipe: increased the carrots, reduced the amount of dates by 1 cup, buckwheat flour by 1/2 cup, and increased the cinnamon ever so slightly for the carrot cake. The Vanilla Cream features dates for half of the amount of maple syrup and some vanilla for no better reason than I love vanilla. A sprinkling of dried and fresh flowers was also a must and turns this treat into a lovely little hippie cake, perfect for any gathering or moment in time. 

Dreamy Raw Carrot Cake
makes one 6-7 inch cake
lightly inspired by a recipe from This Rawsome Vegan Life

Carrot Cake
4 large carrots, peeled
1 cup buckwheat flour 
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp cinnamon

Vanilla Cream
2 cups cashews, soaked
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 Medjool dates, pitted
2 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish
fresh springtime flowers (daisies and dandelions)
dried rose petals and freesias

To make the Carrot Cake, process the ingredients in a food processor using an 's' blade until well combined. The buckwheat flour has a tendency to 'soak up' the liquid from the carrots, so depending on the quanities, you may need to add in more or less flour. Set aside in a bowl.

To make the Vanilla Cream, blend ingredients together in a high speed blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set in the fridge to chill.

Spread half of the carrot cake mixture in the bottom of a 6-7 inch springform pan. Top with cashew cream and set in the fridge or freezer until cream is set. Top with the remaining mixture of carrot cake and cream. Let the cake set in the freezer or ridge overnight or for at least a few hours.

Remove from the springform pan and decorate the sides with remaining cashew cream. Decorate with flowers (but do not eat flowers, except for maybe the dandelions).

Best if served immediately, but will keep in the fridge for a few days, or a few weeks in the freezer.

Settle into your kitchen of peace, love, and flowers and enjoy - this carrot cake will have you coming back for seconds, most definitely. We had a playful tug-of-war over here as to who got to nibble on the last piece. Make sure to save a piece for a friend (I've got the last piece in the freezer for just that occasion), or that neighbour you don't really know, but would like to say hello to one day.

A perfect conversation starter, right here.

A sunshine afternoon with hippy cake and George Harrison on the turntable. Sun streaking in through the window as the music rolls on. Dig those threads. These are the memories I cherish.

flower chakra points
along the meridian
fruitful breadcrumbs

ushering in the cycle
of endings
and beginnings
on that ol' mandala of time

I want to be the girl with the most cake.

smoothie sunday: jai guru deva om

If I could go back in time and visit any historical event, it would probably have to be when The Beatles took part in the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's meditation program in Rishikesh, India during the first part of 1968.

From the first time I saw the somewhat crumbling archival footage in my early teens, from the black and white films to colour photographs, I just knew that whatever experience they had there was a special one.

In fact, those images were my first introduction to yoga and meditation. I've since learned that I'm not the only one: The Beatles trip to India was one of the defining moments in bringing Eastern philosophies to the West on a large scale (with the images being reproduced in the media) in the twentieth century.

The group first heard of the Maharishi's teachings in 1967 at the recommendation of George Harrison's first wife, the lovely Patti Boyd (whose memoir, Wonderful Tonight, is a delightful read, by the way). They soon traveled to Bangor, Wales to listen to one of the Maharishi's lectures, where they were invited to take part in his three-month meditation course in Rishikesh.

Specifically, the Maharishi advocated TM, or transcendental meditation, which involves the use of a mantra repeated in the mind during meditation. The Beatles time in the ashram was spent meditating, listening to Maharishi's lectures, living communally ( with their partners and other attendees, including Mia Farrow, Donovan, and Mike Love from the Beach Boys), while starting to simply 'be,' releasing the old patterns of their lives to embrace a more spiritual frame of mind.

Although their time with the Maharishi was short-lived, the experience had a lasting impact on the group, providing a clarity of mind and space for a very productive period in their career (the group wrote upwards of forty songs for The White Album).

Said John: "we were there four months though, George and I were. We lost thirteen pounds and we looked a day older. I don't know what level [the Maharishi] is on, but we had a nice holiday and came back well-rested to play businessman."

With no time machine in view, the best any of us can do to revisit this moment in time is through the vibrant and colourful images, such as Paul Saltzman's incredible collection of photographs (he was at the ashram the same time as the group). Recently I perused his book while sipping on a smoothie revisiting the dreams of my youth and realizing how far I have come (and still have a ways to go) on my journey with yoga and meditation.

Jai Guru Deva Om 
Serves 1

1 Granny Smith apple
1/2 cucumber
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp spirulina
1 tsp chlorella
1 inch piece of fresh ginger
1 inch piece of lemon peel
1/2 cup water 
dash of cinnamon
hemp seeds, to taste
goji berries, to taste

Blend the first seven ingredients together in a high-speed blender until a smooth consistency is reached. Top with a dash of cinnamon, hemp hearts, and goji berries. 

For more on The Beatles in India, why not view the very same video excerpt, set to "Across the Universe" and from The Beatles Anthology that I first saw when I was twelve years. Imagine the impact it had on my expanding mind (still does).

Jai Guru Deva. Om. 

raw halvah delight

Victoria was gleaming with sunny skies and warm weather this past weekend - I'm talking shorts and tank tops, folks. Immediately, the city awakened from a long, wintery slumber, with people venturing outdoors, sitting on lawns drinking tea and soaking up some long-awaited Vitamin D (if you live on the West Coast, you know how precious suntime can be).

There was something in the air these past few days that just called for exploration and adventure. So off we set to explore diferent parts of the city that I had never been to before. My time in in the city is slowly coming to an end (for now), and I want to make the most of taking in the sights, especially with the sun in full bloom.

After exploring sights and sounds on the other side of town, we came across a beautiful old home made complete with an exquisite garden and stone cottage with a living roof. After admiring the grounds for quite some time, a woman appeared to tend to the garden. Here we met Margaret, the owner. After chatting, we soon discovered that it was she who was responsible for the incredible work in the gardens.

Margaret is 94 years old, lives alone after the death of two husbands, rehabilitated herself after surviving a stroke last year, and is "too busy" with her life to get tied down with the mundanity of colouring her hair. When she told us her age, I was so surprised - here was a woman who looks about thirty years younger than her chronological age.

Immediately, I was impressed and inspired with Margaret's tenacity and conviction. Her openness to embrace all of life's experiences, either good or bad, was a gentle reminder to be present wherever life takes you. She gave us a tour of her home and we walked through a veritable museum of curious, aging artifacts. Margaret has lived in the same house in the same city since 1939, and has the same bedroom set (in a beautiful Art Deco style, I might add) and accounts ledger from 1940 (documenting all of her purchases from each week).

As we said our goodbyes, Margaret wished us both a happy and healthy long life, "I hope to see you again" she said as she went in to make her evening meal (salad, by the way). What an incredible woman, I thought on the walk home. Meeting her made this beautiful Easter weekend all the more sweeter.

Apart from chance encounters, this past weekend was also made richer with halvah, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert that comes in a variety of shapes, flavours, and colours.

Translating as "sweet"  from Arabic, the term is used to describe two different types of confections: flour-based (usually made with butter, grain flour, sugar) or nut butter based (either made with tahini  from sesame seeds or sunflower seed butter and sweetener).

This version of halvah uses sesame seeds and is raw and beegan - feel free to substitute the raw honey with your favourite sweetener (coconut palm nectar would be nice here). The addition of chocolate on top makes this dessert all the more decadent.

I love sesame seeds, and usually make a nice batch of sesame seed mylk to keep in the fridge. These little seeds contain much nutritional richness; in just two tablespoons of sesame seeds, we can find 30% of our daily recommended intake of calcium.

Rather than purchase store bought tahini (which I find too oily and can sit on the shelf too long), I made my own tahini for this recipe by grinding the sesame seeds into a flour using a coffee grinder. The flour reaches a tahni-like consistency once processed in the food processor.

Raw Halvah Delight

Makes 15-20 small square bars in a 9x9 glass dish

Halvah

2 1/2 cups sesame seeds, ground into a fine powder

1/2 cup chopped dates, soaked for at least one hour

1-2 tbsp date soak water

Chocolate

1/3 cup melted cacao butter

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

2 tbsp raw honey (can substitute with alternative liquid sweetener)

1 tsp vanilla

To make the halvah, process the sesame seeds into a fine powder using a coffee grinder. Set aside in a food processor. With the 's' blade, process the ground sesame flour with the soaked dates until a smooth consistency.

Add in the 1-2 tbsp of reserved soaked date water slowly (I found my halvah was slightly too soft; reducing the amount of liquid will result in a drier mixture).

Transfer the mixture to a glass baking dish (either lining the dish with parchment paper or not - using parchment paper will help the halvah to remove more easily from the dish). Press the mixture into the dish until smooth and level.

For the chocolate, melt the cacao butter until liquid. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted cacao butter, raw caoca powder, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the halvah until equally distributed.

Place the dish in the freezer or fridge for at least thirty minutes to 'set.' Cut into squares and serve (extra yummy with a tall glass of nut mylk or herbal tea.

Better yet, blend some chaga tea with the nut mylk, and you've got yourself an evening.

This batch didn't last too long around here, for they are the perfect combination of rich, raw cacao with the sweet and chewy halvah. Seeing as they don't take too long to make, I'll be preparing another batch soon.

Maybe I will take one to Margaret the next time I visit her.

my healing journey: an update

With Spring on it's way, I thought it was time share update you on where I am at in my healing journey! It's been an interesting journey these past few months, but I'm confident that I've pulled through to see the light on the other side.

If I haven't said it already, I am so thankful and appreciate for all of your kind comments and support - they mean so much to me!

Looking Back

Some of the health issues I was experiencing included:

- irregular sleep patterns: I was waking up after three hours of sleep around 1am and not falling asleep until about 5am for another two hours.

- irregular hormones and a disrupted endrocrine system: irregular cycles varying from 21 day to 41 day cycles. Quite unsettling.

- thinning hair issues: an ongoing issue since puberty. My hair starts to thin especially during times of life stress and when I do not eat enough protein.

- skin issues: breakouts, especially around the bottom of my chin and right cheek.

- caffeine dependency: as a response to stress and a busy lifestyle, my caffeine dependency increased and at one point, I was drinking about 2 matcha green tea lattes a day, plus green tea and the more than occasional kombucha and almond mylk coffee latte's as well.

- adrenal fatigue: as a result of many quick life changes and a busy few months, I was starting to show signs of adrenal fatigue (which is also connected to all of the above issues as well) and was feeling burnt out and exhausted. 

As a response to this health crisis, I started to incorporate some animal protein into my diet, including eggs and goat dairy while still eating a balance of raw and cooked foods.

I also started to make some important lifestyle changes, reducing my work schedule, making more time for a regular yoga and meditation practice, and emphasizing a balanced sleeping schedule. In January, I started to adopt a lower sugar healing cleanse as part of this journey which I shared in these posts. 

Looking Forward

So, what's the verdict? How did this health plan turn out? The good news is that after a period of irregularity and imbalance, I have started to see many positive results and am getting back on track! All of the above issues have improved significantly.

Caffeine Free

Being caffeine free for over two months has been an incredible experience; I never thought I would be able to free myself from caffeine, and I've done it now with great results. Every morning I wake up feeling refreshed and energized, and am not tired in the day as I was previously. Now, I sip on herbal teas as opposed to matcha or black teas, or lemon water first thing in the morning. I've realized that I do well on no stimulants. Reducing the amounts of caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants has also helped to calm my mind, emotions, and the ways in which I manage anxiety and stress.

Bon Nuit

My sleep has improved dramatically - I never wake up in the middle of the night anymore, and I get a solid eight to nine hours of sleep each night. Yay! I am certain this is related to calming my adrenals/endrocine system, and omitting caffeine. I feel so well-rested now, but it took about two and a half months of consistent rest in order to get back to this place of calmness. Beforehand, I was so exhausted I could barely do most things which I used to enjoy (hot yoga, running). Now I feel so well-rested that I can start exploring these activities again. I also took some Adrenal Support supplements in January which I think helped to balance my energy levels. Eating a low-sugar diet has also helped to stabilize my energy levels.

Yoga

My yoga practice has slowly increased back to the level it was at during my teacher training. Only recently have I felt energized enough to head back to the hot yoga studio, a practice I used to absolutely love and enjoy. My regular practice right now include 4-5 Hatha flow yoga classes per week, plus a shorter home practice almost every day. I've also started to run again too, after many months of walking long distances around the city.

Diet

Reflecting on the past few months, I've come to realize that I thrive best on a low-sugar diet (not just abstaining from processed sugar, which I usually do, but also sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and high glycemic fruits like bananas and dates). I've started to increase my fruit consumption slightly, and have lately taken a liking to coconut palm nectar (oh so good in chaga tea!).

I also feel best when I incorporate lots of greens (kale, chard, parsley, cilantro) and an adequate amount of fats (avocadoes, nuts, and seeds). Although I have to monitor my fat intake due to a digestive surgery I had when I was younger.

In addition, spirulina and other greens (such as barley greens and chlorella) are an important source of protein for me and help to keep my blood sugar centered and focused throughout the day. Without spirulina or some other type of sea veggie or algae, I feel off balance.

Wait a Minute

Unfortunately, I have experienced some not so stellar results too:

- weight gain: I know, weight gain is usually inevitable when one changes their diet the way I did. For me, I was in the best shape after completing my yoga training in April and practicing regular hot yoga classes and was very familiar with what it feels like to be lean and thriving, which is what works best for me. To be placed at the opposite end of that spectrum within a matter of months was not a fun experience, although I have learned much about myself in the process. The 5-7 pounds that accumulated around my mid-section has felt like a deadweight; it is fat as opposed to muscle, and even some cellulite (eek) has creeped in as well. It feels like my body has stored stress in the form of fat. Nothing like the springtime to release the old and welcome in the new.

- continued irregular cycles: while I thought I was getting my cycles back on track to a semi-regular 28-32 day cycle, they have continued to be irregular (even changing to a 41 day cycle). This, despite the fact that I have gotten back on track in other areas of my life. What gives, I wonder? 

- adjusting to new climate: Experiencing my first BC winter has also had it's drawbacks: despite no snow, I did spend more time indoors while living in a perpetual gray zone (Victoria tends to have two seasons instead of four - a grey and rainy fall and winter, followed by a sunnier spring and summer). When the weather is cold and grey, you can bet I'd rather be indoors sipping on something warm, rather than trying to get my run on outside. I found that supplementing with Vitamin D (up to 4,000 IU) has worked wonders, though. I can't wait to soak up some serious summer sunshine soon!

- After about two months of incorporating animal protein in my diet, I started to notice that my face and skin looked quite 'puffy' - almost as if I was having a mild allergic reaction. I believe the culprit here are the eggs, and to a lesser extent, the goat dairy. I failed to mention in my earlier post that I was tested for food allergies when I was younger, and eggs were one of the sensitivities. I remember one day this past January, looking in the mirror, and barely recognizing the person who looked back at me. I knew then that I had to revisit the changes I had made; something was not quite right.

- somewhere along the way, I also lost motivation for writing and creating new recipes. With raw vegan foods, I felt like the possibilties were endless. Being at some betwixt-and-between space in the middle of raw, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free made me feel a little lost when it come to recipe preparation. You might have noticed the blog has been a little quiet overall, too.

- I am still experiencing complications with a set of ongoing digestive issues: For the past thirteen years, I have had to deal with ongoing digestive issues related to stomach surgery I had during my teens. Surprisingly, I turned to the raw food diet to help with these issues, which it did initially. Surprisingly again, it was the higher fat side of raw foods that tends to aggravate this condition. I will be dedicating more discussion to this in an upcoming post.

Understanding My Relationship with Food

So, where has all of this led me? Well, it's been an intense period of self-realization and re-evaluation. With heightened awareness, I've been able to recognize different facets of myself, some positive, some negative. Importantly, I've started to further understand my relationship with food more clearly.

Whenever I experience times of transition and change, be it a new job, new relationship or move to a different place, I tend to experience periods of emotional eating. Despite having a very heightened awareness about this, I can become stuck in a mind trap about which foods are better for me, and which ones are not, yet I still feed myself with the ones that are not as high vibrational (i.e. more dense foods). I inevitably start to feel out of control with myself.

This return to emotional eating was 'triggered' again during my three month volunteer experience where I was eating mostly raw and vegetarian foods buffet style for each and every meal. Refraining from eating unlimited and copious amounts of food in this setting was challenging; when one see lots of food, one tends to enjoy lots of food, moreso than if they were preparing the food on their own.

Along with this, a few things that I've realized in the past few months are that:

1. I love food (obviously; this is a bonafide food blog, after all!)

2. I am an emotional eater: I eat not only to fuel my body, but also to feel happy, comfortable, secure, safe.

3. I have a complex relationship with food: I tend to eat more when I am tired or sick as a way to make me feel better or to nourish myself.

One question I've explored are the reasons why I started to develop an insatiable craving for eggs, after not eating them for almost twenty years. Apart from having depleted protein stores and not supplementing properly, I believe I was drawn to eating eggs as a response to an emotional craving.

Say what? Yup, I've since realized that eggs are one of those forgotten comfort foods I used to enjoy in my childhood. In fact, I ate so many eggs as a child that by the time I went vegetarian at age 11, I very easily stopped eating them altogether. I hadn't had the desire to eat eggs for almost twenty years, and was actually quite repulsed by the thought of them. Yet, here I was sitting at the kitchen table dreaming about eggs. Hmm. Comfort, security, childhood. Yeah, I can see a pattern developing here.

Around the end of February, my craving for eggs started to wane, and my perspective shifted back to how I felt about them years ago. They were no longer serving their dietary purpose, so I started to reduce the amount of eggs and goat dairy from my diet and the puffiness has since disappeared.I haven't had these foods in well over a month, but if I nutritionally require them again, I'll revisit it and re-embrace them again.

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, I prefer to eat fresh, wholesome, and mostly raw and vegan foods as one way to nourish myself and my spirit. This is related to many factors, including following a non-violent/ahimsa/pure approach to life.

It may seem somewhat more structured than most people's eating, but for me, I feel the most comfortable, healthy and at my best when I eat this way. I don't view it as controlled per se, it's just a particular system that works the best for me, like following a consistent yoga practice. There is beauty and wisdom in living a life of certain constants.

Emotional eating is a complex issue, and something many people experience on different levels. Rather than reprimand someone for eating a certain way, I feel it is best not to judge as different things work for different people. I've always found it funny to have curious eyes laid upon me when I eat healthy, fresh foods rather than the 'mainstream' approach of eating processed and refined foods. "Oh come on, just live a little!" is usually what I'll hear when I politely decline a piece of white sugar and food colouring laden birthday cake, which is just one example.

Hmm, well I always thought 'living a little' was treating my body with dignity, kindness, and respect by nourishing it to the best of my ability, always, be it with food, exercise, or a positive mindset. I'd rather know myself and what is best for me, than divulge in foods or activities that work against this paradigm. What an interesting world we live in.

For more on emotional eating, I recommend checking out Courtney Pool's extensive work and inspiring writing on the subject. I also enjoy reading about Leanne's experiences at Healthful Pursuit, Gena at Choosing Raw, and Angela's story over at Oh She Glows. Their stories have inspired me to share my own.

And so, the journey continues! I'm excited, how about you? :)

Light and love,
Marlie
xo