Thai Red Curry Yam Noodles

I got this recipe from The Daily Raw Cafe

Thai Red Curry with Sweet Potato Noodles (serves 4)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Thai chili pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon sea salt (or more if you like)
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
Juice of one lime
½ tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 cup coconut milk (blend young coconut meat with coconut juice, to make milk)
½ red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled
Basil, cut into thin strips

In a bowl mix garlic, chili pepper, curry powder, ground red pepper, and sea salt. Add lime juice, coconut oil and agave nectar. Gradually add coconut milk until curry powder breaks down. The sauce should be a saucy, soup-like consistency. Add onions and bell pepper.
Spiralize the sweet potato to make thin spaghetti noodles.

Pour curry on the sweet potato noodles, gently toss to coat. Garnish with basil.

Oh, Raw Food...how I miss thee!

It had to swing, didn't it? I suppose it was too good to be true.

With our strange economic situation and my propensity to stay upstairs, my raw food consumption has definitely dwindled. I'm no longer trying out recipes or wowing friends and family. I'm lucky to get some fruit in me before noon. Boo. It had to happen. I was encouraged initially by all things fanatic: newness, weight loss, higher energy, community, etc. But life has taken some turns and when the going got tough, the tough wanted cooked food. BOO. I knew I was fallible, but I am sad that cooked food is my drug of choice.

Not sure where I will go from here. Several other stressors in my life don't help. Money for raw food (other than veggies) is not as available. Other stuff comes first, y'know? Anyway, I miss raw food. I think I have a cavity, my allergies are haywire (haha), and I'm feeling sluggish in the am.

I'm not done with Raw Food, I'm just finding my way back...

I'm "in it" right now

Garden State (the movie) has this one line about being "in it." There isn't a lot of explanation, but I took that to mean, "in your stuff." A friend of mine uses the phrase, "my stuff is up" to mean something similar.

When I go to cooked food as a relief/release/protector/etc. I think to myself that I'm "in it." Deep in my cooked food-edness. I have no problem admitting my problem. Step 1 of 12, down. Everything after that gets blurry with the 'cooked food haze'. No further "steps" are taken.

I'm really good about eating a lot of raw food. That's never been an issue. I love raw food. I also seem to "love" (like an abused person loves an abuser) cooked food. Even in the heat, when I should have put more water-heavy food in my body, I wanted sugar. Something to numb me out while I endured the heat.

I'm reading about several things related to addiction...and I've learned several similar things in the past about my addiction, specifically. They are now coming together!

1) I eat when I am nervous...not just about failure, but also about success. I eat to calm my nerves, good and bad.

2) Related to #1, I eat to control. It's weird to know that I do that, but sometimes eating is the ONLY thing I feel I CAN control...so I eat what I want, when I want, how much I want. Oddly enough, the control part is an illusion, and I easily become out of control.

3) The empty hole I try to fill is lack of connection (that I'm responsible for fostering) with Spirit. When I forget or just don't make time for that connection, I seem to eat more cooked food.

4) Eating cooked food makes me feel crappy, so I use that to blame my ills on, if I have nothing else. Convenient, huh?

5) I eat under pressure. I hate abstaining from food in social settings, so I don't. This aids in my martyr complex when I'm alone. "Whoa is me with the clogged sinuses, bulging belly, and tired body. Damn that cooked food I put into my mouth just to be social!"

6) I eat when I'm bored. I'm usually not really bored, just trying to keep myself at bay through food. If I'm eating, then I can't be doing other things, right? Like pursuing my dreams.

7) I eat to keep myself from pursuing my dreams. That sounds crazy, I know. I see it all the time in my habits. Something lurks in the pursuit of dreams...I'm still looking into that...

For now, that's a lot of reasons/excuses why I eat. I'm reading Napoleon Hill, who mainly talks about Science of Success, but it applies to food, too. Food just covers up the stuff I don't want to see.

As I get closer to my definiteness of purpose (N. Hill), I see the food thing gripping me tightly. I get it. I'm not angry or even that frustrated. Just observant. It's showing me how close I am. That's a good thing.

Success!

I completed 8 days of the Master Cleanse, which was less than I started out wanting to do, but it was enough for me to gain some clarity, feel some yearning, and see what I do to myself to sabotage my success...

I had mostly orange juice yesterday (easing out) with some bites of raw food for dinner and this morning I had a banana orange smoothie...feeling full. I made hubby some kale avo salad (with olive topping) and then I just made some flax crackers for later, when I eat more solid and dehydrated food.

I have a new housemate who is really into raw food and it'll be fun to have more people in the house who enjoy raw food. Always more fun to make food for/with others.

The belly is feeling a bit rough with food in it, but I feel just fine. In fact, I feel mentally great. I'm able to eliminate perfectly fine, which is always good. Stuff is coming out even with juice (I've left the fiber in the oranges so hopefully it's pushing out some older things).

I prolly won't do MC again, but I will do some other cleanse again in several months, as we transition again. Seasonal cleansing is good for me. Is it good for you too?

I lost about 8 pounds, which is great. I hope to lose the extra weight that isn't necessary or at least if I don't lose more weight (I love my smaller clothes!), I feel good in my body at its desired weight.

I think I will go back to my original idea of fasting one day a week because it's nice to give my body a break. I used to think that a weekend day was a good time to fast, but I realize that since I work at home, and some days have minimal interaction with others, I am free to choose a better weekday. Being conscious of that choice is good. I don't have to eat with everyone to interact.

All in all, a good cleanse. Next time I will also do a colonic or enema.

I'm hosting a class at my house for folks who are raw-curious, and want to know how to make some of the food I make for potlucks, quick meals, picnics, etc. Raw food can be really easy AND delicious. I have yet to be relegated to eating carrot sticks and lettuce leaves (which seems to be this mythical fear for non-raw eaters) in my 2+ years of being raw.

Be Fruitful!

Day 4-Master Cleanse

Today, I feel like a rockstar!

If you plan well, eat/drink properly beforehand, then it's much easier. And don't drink anything that will turn your insides...that was the only snafu I've had so far. First day was challenging and I do smell all the fried food that's being cooked around me, but for the most part, it's nice to have a break from food and eating.

Kind of like vacation, where you want to check email or get voicemails, but really, three days into it, you realize you don't really want to be that connected and you'd rather hang out on the beach or enjoy the sunset.

Cleansing is like a body vacation. Funny thing though, on actual vacation it seems that our society, on a whole, eats worse ("I'm on vacation! I can have a little ice cream, cake, double mocha, 5 servings of pasta, etc!"), even though we're supposed to be taking a break from our lives or normal go, go, go. Hmm.

I slept really well and have been having weird, hard to verbalize dreams. I love to dream, even if I don't remember or can't quite grasp with my conscious mind. I seem to work things out really well in dreamland.

One thing that I love about cleansing is that my confidence restores to its natural high levels. With raw food, it's easy to feel good about myself because I don't have any yucky food pulling me down. I have more energy to complete tasks (adding to my confidence), I'm more inspired, creative, etc.

What I'm finding is that I eat to prevent the aforementioned good times, as well. I'm afraid of the failure aspect so I eat to make myself right ahead of time (if I believe I never follow through, then of course I have to make sure I don't and eating is the fastest way to do that!).

Raw food and a larger liquid portion of my food will keep me humming along. I'm excited to get back to raw food. I miss all the yummy things I used to make.

I remember when I did the liver and gall bladder cleanse at Annapurna Inn. It was an intense experience, but I really enjoyed it. Luckily, you get to drink blended stuff the whole time so I wasn't very hungry anyway, but cleanse we did! I'd like to do it myself, at home, but the only thing I'm not able to do is the colon therapy over here. And Port Townsend is really a destination spot. Maybe in the off-season I can go again. It was a great experience.

It's good to work on my business plans while I am cleansing. The confidence mixed with the good feelings can actually propel me forward. I'm thinking of offering a class on nutrition and performance in the workplace...maybe I should write an article first to see if there is interest. aha!

Onward!

Day 3 of Master Cleanse

Master Cleanse is a good name for this thing. Already many things are coming to light. I am up minutes before the alarms goes off everyday, I am listening to my intuition, I am able to meditate better, weight is sloughing off, I remember to breathe more, I feel stuff that normally I would stuff down...I'm sure more stuff has been happening, but those are the ones off the top of my head.

Co-hort #1 told me yesterday that eating had been a way to deal and now that there is no eating and no "stuffing" works with liquid, things are starting to boil up.

I eat for many reasons: boredom, fear, excitement and celebration, peer pressure, anger, sadness...I think those cover it. Where I would want to yell or confront or cry, I eat instead. Where I would want to pace, run, laugh, I eat instead. Where I would want to lead, question, or just sit in silence, I eat instead.

When the act of eating goes away, I am left with myself, all the parts that I have tried to avoid for so long. Not in their entirety, mind you, I DO have a therapist for goodness sakes. But I avoid the little things and boy, do they add up at the end.

It's interesting being on this cleanse with other folks, who are reacting in very different ways. We can share our love/hate for the drink, our physical sensations, or other superficial things, but when it comes to the journey into the shadows, it may look like the same darkness, but I assure it's uniquely different.

I remember when I used to write...much harder when I eat instead.

At Findhorn there were mealtimes. There were break times. But I could not, like I do now, eat whenever, whatever, wherever. I kinda miss that structure. I like structure if it serves me, and special eating times definitely serves me.

I also liked the structured day in general at Findhorn. Granted, there were times when I was always into it, but mostly, it was nice to have 3-4 different things to do, but I knew that Wednesdays was attunement (group check-in), Monday and Tuesday were workshifts, class was from 9am-12pm everyday, and tea time was at 3pm. Those types of structures allowed me to feel contained without restrained. Nice distinction.

I'm working at the law firm, which provides me distraction and structure as well. It's good not to be at home. I wish I could do stuff at work that I normally slough off at home. Nitty gritty things, y'know?

I realized that I have been drinking the minimum amount of MC lemonade, which explains the dry mouth a little. I think I need to be drink at least 80-90 oz. of liquid (not including teas and water). Gotta clean it out, man!

Stay tuned for more details!

Day 2 Master Cleanse

I'm feeling good this morning. Looking forward to the salt water flush, although it just makes me pee a lot and doesn't bring the massive elimination. I don't want to drink a laxative tea, as I'll be moving around a lot today and don't need any emergent pit stops.

Seems co-hort #1 is about to eliminate and co-hort #2 did last night. Whew. No need for toxic build-up, right?

My stomach feels lean today. I love that feeling. The extra blubber that I carry around feels so crappy and I am happy to fast/cleanse just to get it back to feeling good.

I know I have a food problem. But I also know that I have a hard time in OA. I wish there was a Raw OA group that met face to face.

Raw food recovery is a hard thing to grapple with in that the whole world (practically) eats cooked food, so when the First Step comes around, Admitting I Have a Problem, I look at other people and think, can I really be "addicted" to cooked food?

But I spose I can admit it, regardless of what everyone else is doing. My body reacts poorly with any cooked food. I feel worse, I look worse, brain is foggy, emotions are up and down, and I just don't feel connected.
On the flip side, when I am 100% raw, I feel SOLID. I am happy, healthy, energetic, connected and all that good stuff. Well, except for social. Social life changes. BUT, I haven't been as raw as I was in the beginning and therefore, I have been unable to retain maturity AND good eating habits.

I miss all the pies, cookies, dehydrated food, etc. I always need to have raw ice cream available.

Yes, I am thinking of food during a fasting cleanse. In fact, I am planning how to get off the cleanse and into a routine of raw eating. I'm thinking of older recipes. It's good to have some time to plan because then I can start right in with the raw food and not have to worry about what to eat.

Last time I did end up eating some cooked food because of some massive cravings, but I don't think I planned my ease out steps well enough.

This time I have two other folks I can prepare food with and for and we can stay mostly raw together. I think I want more nuts back in my life (just not cashews or almonds) because I think between the avos and nuts, I had it goin' on with regard to fat loss (I know, it seems really weird that those fats reduce fat, but I'm proof!).

Okay, gotta go drink my second drink of the day!

Day 1 MC Continued

I just weighed myself (before drinking my Fasting Tea from Yogi Tea) and I'm up to 144. Wow. Amazing how fast it all comes back after loaves of bread and potatoes!

I feel a bit lethargic and slow, but I've been able to eliminate. My two other co-horts have not and are not tolerating the salt flushing. I rather like it. Maybe my body likes to detox.

Day 1 of Master Cleanse 2009

I've been putting up my updates, sentence by sentence on Facebook but I thought since I have some time to reflect, that I'd write a blog post.

Several folks and I are doing the Master Cleanse from June 1st-June 10th. Many raw food advocates say just eat better raw food and don't do the cleanse (maple syrup isn't raw). However, until I design a better cleanse for myself (hey, that's not a bad idea!), I'll stick to the 68 year old method of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne.

Today is the first day and I mixed a big batch for three people in our house. It's quite hot. Maybe a bit too much. I'm at the law firm for several days this week so it's good to be away from the house and the lure of food-type stuffs. When I'm home, I tend to hang out in the kitchen, which isn't really good for me when I'm restricting my consumption.

I haven't written down my intentions yet for this cleanse so I'll do it here.

1) Ultimately, I want to lose the extra pounds I've been carrying since I stopped eating mostly raw (darn Europe!). I am learning that travel+winter=poor eating (especially in places that have limited raw products and barely know what a vegetarian is).

2) I have some beliefs about abundance, success, self-worth and self-value that need shifting/updating. When I'm on, I'm really on, but when I hit a pocket of turbulence, I practically crash the plane with my downward spiral.

3) I want to get back to my garden. I'm not sure I was ever IN my garden, really. I went there to get food, but I didn't care enough for it and I didn't feel peaceful about being there (bummer!)

4) I am full of mucus (physical manifestion of #2) and it's kinda of annoying to always have to drain my sinuses. I know that phlegm, mucus, runny noses, allergies, and all that jazz have to do with inflammation and when the body doesn't like a substance, it inflames to protect itself. Unfortunately, I do a lot of damage and I don't offer a lot of rest or breaks in between.

5) I need more mental clarity. I'm in career transition, house transition, and life path transition and I need to clear out the rubbish.

6) I miss being 100% raw and feeling good.

7) I won't be able to fast when I get pregnant and this seems like a good time to start cleaning out again in order to get back on the horse.

That's enough I think. My "hunger" in life is not satisfied by the food I am eating, which is a problem for me. I'm eating just to eat, pass time, prevent headaches, and socialize and none of those things are fulfilling right now.

I'll post if things come up like revelations, challenges, emotions, etc. Right now though, my stomach just gargles. I know it's looking for food, but not today, pal!

Way back when I went off sugar (never did it before) in Scotland it was an intense experience. I had more energy, it was emotionally challenging, and apparently I didn't write much. :S

This can be similar to that at times. Irritability, headaches, stomach pangs (which are detox symptoms), clearer vision, inability to lie (I love this one), and mental focus are all usually a part of the process. We'll see what unfolds!

Ah, The Master Cleanse Returns!

It's been a while since I properly cleansed and after my allergy attack (my body knows exactly how I listen!), I've decided it's time to cleanse again. Normally, cleansing earlier in the Spring makes a nice transition, but sometimes I'm a late bloomer (no pun intended!).

So there are many links out there that discuss the Master Cleanse. Here's one that I posted on twitter/facebook: Master Cleanse Secrets

Hit up Google for other links, opinions, criticisms, etc.

I won't talk about why the cleanse is good or bad, you need to come to that on your own. But I've done it successfully before, and it felt great, so I'm doing it again.

I've invited folks to participate if they feel so inclined, because it's nice to share in the progress together.

I'm cleansing to reduce mucus, shed some wintertime chub, and start new. I'm attracting more clients to my Reiki business, studying more about energetic healing, and working with small businesses to facilitate progress through process. A cleaner system makes all of the above much easier, in my experience.

Why are you doing the Master Cleanse?

If you don't know, then take a few minutes to really explore your motivation. I find that my goals are easier to reach when I know why they are goals.

I'm not starting the cleanse until June 1st (Monday!) and will be posting how I prepare to release weight, toxins, negative emotions, etc., so the transition is easier and more enjoyable.

Stay tuned, tell your friends, and let's do this thing!

What's My Motivation?

This is a great question to ask yourself throughout your raw journey. Motivations change, just like dreams and goals. We start out with one or two ideas about what we want, and then, sometimes without us knowing, our desires change.

I started out on raw food with a goal of detox (and then it sort of morphed into weight loss) but now that I know how to do those things and it's just a week of green smoothies away, I'm not as committed to raw as I used to be. It seems my motivations have changed.

I loved feeling good and cleansed, but that doesn't seem to do it anymore. What else do I want now? The summer has returned and I am outside more so I'm seeing a shift toward earth connection. Our fruit will be coming in soon, the strawberries need to be weeded, and I need some spiritual help from my earth food.

My motivation is to feel connected to my nourishment again. I miss that feeling of reaping what I sow, of the life energy that comes from plants, of the natural and organic relationship I have with my food.

I also want to be nourished again. I don't just want to stave off hunger. I want to feel satiated by The Source through plant food. While Vitamineral Green is nice, it can't beat a homegrown berry, y'know?

What is your CURRENT motivation for being raw?

Completing the Picture

When I first went raw, lots of physical things happened. It was easy to notice the weight dropping, the skin changing, and the energy increasing. As I become a "veteran" and notice that eating raw food is a journey (not a destination), I see that other things are starting to show up in my life. I'm figuring out what is fulfilling, satisfying, challenging, and inspiring.

When I went on vacation, I noticed that I missed my community more than ever. Not in a homesick way, but in a "wish I could share this moment with you right now" way. And Josh and I were scheming to find a way to get our family and/or friends to take a group trip abroad. I regularly daydream of ways to encourage people to get together. Coming home was nice and I was happy to gather with family and friends, almost immediately, despite the jet lag.

In addition to that realization, that I love my family and community more than I realize sometimes, I found an awesome spiritual group. There was a little lag-time in deciding that I wanted to be a member, but once I was called out to engage, engage I did. I instantly found some awesome women who are supportive, challenging (not in a bad way, but they push me to be better), entertaining, and ultimately loving. We don't know each other well yet, but that's just about time. The intentions are deep.

If that weren't enough, I am also involved in my local SCALLOPS group, Sustainable Burien. I have had my reservations about full engaging, but I feel like in that group I can be powerful, helpful, and committed. It's a nice feeling. I've been in probably hundreds of community groups and this one is always well-attended and moving along nicely. Plus, I feel that I am valued and that I can contribute a lot, as well as gain insights.

When I first went raw, I had a heavy emphasis on being with other raw people, which I still enjoy (I'm hosting a southend meetup so I can strengthen the community down here). But I wasn't meeting my other social/spiritual needs, which is quite important for me. Raw food is only a part of my lifestyle and it was important to complete the picture.

New Year's Resolutions

No, I'm not going to tell you what mine are. Truth is, I don't have any. I have stopped doing that because it seems like a recipe for disappointment:

1) add expectations 2) create a buzz about it by telling lots of people 3) get too busy/distracted/bored 4) stop doing resolved thing 5) feel disappointed, increase low self-esteem 6) repeat next year.

Not me!

But I am here to talk to you about resolutions that you might have chosen (if you still like doing that). Two of the top resolutions are 1) lose weight and 2) exercise more. Those are great, no question there. But these can be challenging. Here's why:

In the winter, we are less active. That's part of our physiological makeup. We're not lazy or idle or depressed...we're actually just letting our bodies rest. They need it! We work them so hard, honestly. All that time management, parenting, juggling, and studying takes time and energy. When we navigate family interactions over the holidays or pay taxes or drive kids to school, we are using energy. We need to know how we are using and creating that energy so we can get better at creating a good balance. I'm getting off track...
My point is that during the winter we are DESIGNED to put on weight because it's usually colder (for those living in AZ or CA, you get colder too and still need some downtime). We want more fat, nuts, chocolate, and avocados because we need that stuff to get through the minimal activity and slower movement. I'm not saying don't try to lose weight, I'm saying pay attention to what you are eating/needing. I keep thinking I should be eating less nuts because I gained some weight, but then I remember that I am SUPPOSED to gain weight to keep warmer. So I relax and eat my nuts.

Which brings me to my next point: exercise.

Again, we are supposed to slow it down a bit, give our bodies time to rest, and when we ignore this and try to exercise 6 days a week for an hour a day, we are ignoring our seasonal cycles. Some of you might be really athletic and resist this deeper look. Fine by me. But maybe you can work on yogic postures, strength activities, or other slower exercises. Running in the winter may be an ideal thing, but wouldn't you rather run when it's a bit warmer?

If you simply MUST have resolutions to lose weight and exercise more, maybe you can change your new year to the vernal equinox or summer solstice, which seem more aligned with those kinds of changes...just think about it!

I intend to increase my community activity, since I spend a lot of time indoors and I want to share that time with others...

I'm back!

Okay, it's been a long time (2 months, really? How can that be?) and I'm sorry. I'm not cutting and running, honestly. I am in it to win it.

I will start the new year with this:
I've taken the challenge to connect more of my peeps to other cool peeps. We can become a nice online web of peeps!
I got this meme from Chessa at Maybe Local Vegan and thought it was a relevant link since I am vegan and trying to be more local.
So after my 7 facts, I'm implore you to pass it on!

1. Link the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 "Random" Facts About Me

1) I really LOVE kale, collards, and spinach. The thought of fresh, raw greens actually excites me.

2) I discovered that the fact that I read a lot is not just a weird thing, it has to do with my birthday, according to numerology. Go here to validate your weird things.

3) I am currently reading about 7 books simultaneously and always looking for more.

4) I workout 4-5 days a week on a trampoline and it's a LOT of fun.

5) My regular body temp is between 97.3 and 97.7.

6) I watch something like 8-10 movies a month (but still feel like a contributing member of society).

7) I am picky about the kind of pen I use.

Tag, you're it:

Aaron
Stan
Josh
Yardsnacker (Sam)

Have a great day! More coming soon!