Saturday 23 February 2013

grated root vegetable salad with a side of gratefulness

Hello again! 

I'd like to start my blog post this week by saying thank you to all of you who are reading my blog and sending me lovely messages in response to the things I write. I'm truly thankful that you take the time to read my musings. Although I am not writing these posts so that I can be a world famous writer, I do feel appreciative that others are finding what I have to say worth reading. And this leads me to my latest thoughts, which for awhile now have been gravitating towards gratefulness. Hmm... Insert a pause here for dramatic effect!

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word grateful as "appreciative of benefits received". The word gratefulness is a noun, and a noun, if I remember correctly from my primary school days, is a naming word. So, in this sense, the word gratefulness is a name for the state of being appreciative, or thankful. I don't know about you, but sometimes, I find it hard to remember to be grateful. Thanks to my parents, I have learnt good manners, and I always say "please" and "thank you" at the appropriate moments. But being conscious of "benefits received" does not necessarily mean that I am appreciative on a heart level.

My mum takes a positive step in the direction of maintaining gratefulness in her heart. Every day at 3pm the alarm on her phone goes off with a reminder that simply says "be thankful". No matter what is happening that day, she is reminded to be thankful for what she has in that moment. Sometimes the moments suck. Often the moments are the day-to-day routine of our lives. But more frequently, it's the moments that change you. For me, it's the moment I open the fridge for a meal and I am struck by how incredibly blessed I am to not only have food in there, but to be able to eat in a way that nourishes my body and improves my quality of life. Grateful. It's the moment I find common ground with someone and realise this person will be my friend. Grateful. It's the moment my sister walks down the aisle to marry the man who loves her more than I do. Grateful. It's in the moments that I am choosing to be grateful

What will it take for us to see the benefits we have received? In the Bible it says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17). I believe that everything good in my life is from God. God is a good Father, and His character is unchanging, which means that He can't give me something that isn't good! Just like a good dad, He gives me everything I need. What then is my excuse to not live in a state of being appreciative? Gratefulness is powerful when I make the choice to practice it. Not only does it change me, it helps me to turn my attention to others who may not receive the benefits in life that I do.

I encourage you to take the time today to open your eyes to the things that you have to be thankful for and to remember to practice gratefulness every day in every moment. 

grated root vegetable salad

This salad is both easy to prepare and easy on your digestive system; a fresh and filling meal!

1 cup carrot, grated
1 cup beetroot, grated
1 cup daikon, grated*
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/3 cup sultanas or currants
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
Handful fresh mint, shredded
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl, toss and serve. 

*A daikon is a white East Asian radish and is a natural diuretic that also cuts through fats. 

Saturday 16 February 2013

saying yes to saying no

In the last few years I have relearnt the importance of saying the word "no". Like a wannabe toddler I've flexed my "no" muscle many times over and strengthened my ability to say, and mean, "NO!".  Often this has been to the disapproval of others, which is pretty much the main reason why I developed the self-destructive habit of always saying "yes" in the first place; I didn't want to let anyone down! But, I have come to understand that if I don't say "no" to some things, I will not be able to say "yes" to anything...

Now this may sound all reverse psychology to you, but to me this is a new way of thinking and living. After my diagnosis with ME/CFS I was forced to make changes in basically every area of my life. In order to aid my recovery process I decided I would make my life choices based on saying "yes" to the things that helped make me better and "no" to the things that made my condition worse. Along the way this has meant that I have had to give things up and turn things down. I've lost friends, quit jobs and moved on from places. But here is the beautiful thing about loss; it makes room in your life for the new. For all the loss I have also gained. And in gaining through loss, I appreciate the gain I have received even more. It has more value to me because of the pain and sacrifice of the loss that I had to endure.

In saying "no" I have found my voice. And I use my voice to set boundaries around who I am. Cloud and Townsend write this:

Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom ... Taking responsibility for my life opens up many different options. However, if I do not "own" my life, my choices and options become very limited.

Boundaries are not walls; boundaries are fences with gates. With boundaries I can keep the good in my life and keep the bad out. In saying "no" to the bad I am being freed up to say "yes" to the good. With boundaries, I am no longer so limited by my circumstances; I am becoming empowered despite them.

I can now make choices without feeling guilty. I may no longer be in a season of saying "no" all the time but then I don't need to be. Through saying "no" I have established boundaries that are strong enough to allow me to say "yes" to the things that help move my life forward. Through a disabling circumstance I have realised that I am more able than I thought. And though I will still be flexing and strengthening my "no" muscle, I'm looking forward to a season of saying "yes". But, as I have come to understand, there will always be value in saying "yes" to saying "no".






Saturday 9 February 2013

raw vegan treats

If you are anything like me and have a bit of a sweet tooth, the thought of no longer enjoying delectable, sweet treats in your diet is almost too much to handle! However, I personally do not want to consume food that not only has no nutritional value but in order to digest the food, my body must take from it's store of precious vitamins and minerals. For example, many people consume dairy products because they are marketed as a good source of calcium. Dairy products are acidic to the body and disease thrives in an acidic environment. So for your body to maintain an acid-alkaline balance calcium is leached from your bones. The very reason you are consuming dairy is probably the very reason why you should limit it in your diet or give it up altogether. But, I digress. If you are looking for some ways to replace the sugar, dairy and fat laden products that are found on supermarket shelves read on for some healthy treat ideas.

fresh fruit

My mother always repeatedly told me two things during my childhood and so much so that now I hear her voice in my head! If I didn't know the meaning of a word or how to spell a word I was told to "look it up in the dictionary", and if I was hungry and asking for a snack in between meals I was told to "have a piece of fruit". Most of the time I wasn't actually hungry, so I would wait for my next meal. So, I say the same thing to you if you feel like snacking: go for the fruit first! Try to eat seasonal fruit, and if you eat fruit by itself, you will digest it easier as it passes through your stomach within 30 minutes. Fruit is low in calories, full of nutrients your body needs to thrive, and great for your digestion and elimination due to the fibre content. If you want something that tastes more like a dessert, freeze the fruit and eat out of the freezer! Fruit that works really well for this are bananas, berries, mangos and also grapes. If you have a juicer, select the blank plate and feed the frozen fruit through for a natural, delicious ice cream!

superfood trail mix

I love to make a good, wholesome trail mix. It's super duper easy to pop in your bag and take with you anywhere you need to go. This is great for people who are very active and have high energy needs. A trail mix usually contains a mixture of dried fruit, nuts and seeds, so you are getting a boost of natural sugars, protein and good fats. I have a standard trail mix which consists of about an equal quantity of dried fruit to nuts and seeds. I always buy organic and my dried fruit is sulphur and preservative free. I also "activate" my nuts and seeds, which releases the enzyme inhibitors so they are easy to digest. This involves soaking them in filtered water for 12 hours and dehydrating them at 40 degrees Celsius for 24 hours. My favourite combo is dried bananas, dried figs, dried apricots, dried goji berries, activated almonds, activated walnuts, activated pepitas/pumpkin seeds (a great source of iron), raw brazil nuts and some dried shredded coconut. Super duper yum!

chia pudding

I have a young friend who is ten years old and when she comes over to my house she always requests this sweet pudding I made for her one day with chia seeds. Chia seeds are a fantastic source of Omega 3 AHA, dietary fibre and other vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium and vitamin C, as well as being a source of complete protein. When liquid is added to chia seeds a gel forms, making these nifty seeds useful as a replacement for eggs, and they can also be added to green smoothies, sprinkled on your breakfast or eaten as my berry chia pudding which consists of 1/4 cup chia seeds, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, juice of 2 oranges and pulp of 1 passionfruit. Mix together well and let the mixture set in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before eating.

do-it-yourself popcorn

Even though I now eat a raw vegan diet I am not against consuming some wholesome popcorn every now and then if the occasion calls for it... namely, the movies! The smell of popcorn fills every movie theatre so instead of missing out I make my own! I use nutritional yeast, which gives the popcorn that cheesy taste, and gives me a good dose of vitamin B12. Again, I use organic popcorn kernels, and pop the kernels in coconut oil (also known as coconut butter). Coconut oil is the only oil I will cook with as it is the healthiest and safest, and will never go rancid. Cover the bottom of the pot with coconut oil and a single layer of popcorn kernels. Pop the kernels at a medium heat with the lid on. Turn off the heat and allow to cool before adding a seasoning of nutritional yeast and Himalayan crystal salt or Celtic sea salt according to taste. For sweetness, add a small amount of coconut sugar instead of the nutritional yeast. 

brooke's bliss balls

Bliss balls are the superstars of the raw food world. You can find many recipes on the internet and all you need is a high quality blender or food processor to make them. Bliss balls are pretty much your go-to when you have a craving for anything that has chocolate or crunch! You can mix up the ingredients and create your own, and they're great for a snack or as a dessert. You can also transport them easily so you will never have to feel left out at a dinner party again. And the bonus is that you won't have a sugar hangover after eating them!

1 cup pitted dates (substitute: dried plums or dried apricots)
1 cup walnuts or cashews (substitute: almonds or pecans)
1/4 cup dried goji berries
1/4 cup cacao or carob powder (carob is caffeine-free)
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/4 cup dried desiccated coconut, for rolling

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender (if using a blender start with the nuts, then add the dried fruit and then mix in all the other ingredients). Take a tablespoon of the mixture to roll into a ball, and if desired, roll in the dried desiccated coconut. Continue making balls until the mixture runs out. Store bliss balls in a covered container in the fridge (for a month) or the freezer (up to 6 months).

These are a few ideas to get you started. Hopefully you will find these sweet treats satisfying; I know I do! Speaking of raw vegan treats, my stomach is starting to rumble, and I hear the bliss balls calling my name...



Friday 1 February 2013

the daniel fast

In the quest for healing I have learned that you must be extreme in order to see radical change in your life. You must go to the places that others dare not go and do the things that others dare not do. I have experienced this on a physical level, particularly in the last year, as I have done detox after detox and fast after fast, all in the name of good health and natural living. But, in the quest for healing I must go beyond the physical, and charter the stormy unchartered waters of my emotional and spiritual wellbeing too. You see, I am not just on a quest for restored physical health but I am on a quest for wholeness.

And so, I dare to do the Daniel Fast. What is the Daniel Fast and why would I dare to do it? The Daniel Fast is a 21-day restrictive plant-based partial fast that many Christians use as a tool to draw near to and encounter God. The fast is based on the experiences of the prophet Daniel from the Old Testament in which there are two accounts of Daniel practicing a partial fast, where he abstains from some food, but not all food. In the first account Daniel and his friends only ate foods that came from seeds (i.e. plant-based foods) and only drank water (Daniel 1: 12). In the second account he consumed "no delicacies, no meat or wine" (Daniel 10:3) for a full three weeks.

Though he was restricting food and drink, there were spiritual purposes behind both accounts. As my Daniel Fast approaches I am not only deciding what food I will restrict (I have to be very specific about what "delicacies" I will abstain from!) but I am setting out my spiritual purposes for fasting before God. And just as God heard Daniel (Daniel 10:12) I believe God will hear me too. Yes, God already hears me; He hears my prayers, my thoughts, and He hears my heart. But when I choose to abstain from certain things like food, for spiritual purposes, I am purposely making room in my life so that I may hear Him.

And it is in this give-and-take of relationship that God works to restore me spiritually. For this is the very reason that God gave His only Son to the world; that through Jesus Christ we may be reconciled to Him. So, even though it is important for me to take care of the physical body He gave me, in my quest for wholeness I must also address my spiritual wellbeing. I believe that spiritual restoration comes from being in a relationship with God. Fasting is just an expression of my commitment to Him, and however extreme it may seem, it is something I am willing to do in order that I may be whole.

You may be reading this and realise that you too need to do a "spiritual detox". For more information on the Daniel Fast I recommend reading The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory or The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola. For now, I'll leave you with a favourite plant-based recipe of mine that you can eat for a Daniel Fast lunch or dinner. This recipe uses the grain-like seed quinoa, which is a source of complete protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids, and is also high in dietary fibre, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and calcium. Sprouting the quinoa will make all these nutrients, vitamins and minerals more easily assimilated into your body.

sprouted quinoa tabbouleh

1 cup quinoa, soaked for 2 hours and sprouted for 24 hours
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup spring onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice of a lemon

Rinse and soak the quinoa in filtered water for 2 hours. Drain quinoa and let sit in a medium bowl for 24 hours at room temperature to sprout. Marinate the sprouted quinoa in the olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and cayenne pepper while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Add and toss until well mixed. Keeps well in the fridge for up to three days.