I can’t believe I am almost halfway done the raw adventure already! The weeks seem to be flying by and I feel amazing! My schedule has been a bit hectic lately, between preparing for my performance tonight, working extra shifts at the BL, keeping up with freelance and running things here at Chic Vegan, I have been one stressed mamma jamma. But that is okay because it is all tons of fun and I feel inspired and invigorated with every step I take. This week I found myself actively looking for things to be grateful for during my day. Some days I found myself struggling to write one happy thing in my notebook and on other days, a dozen happies would easily find their way onto the paper. Such is the ebb and flow of life, I guess.
Things that made me happy this week:
Puppies! Portland is a seriously dog-friendly town. You can’t go anywhere without being bombarded with tons of doggies to pet. Unfortunately I am not able to adopt my own rescue doggy yet, but when I do I can’t wait to bring him to one of the million dog parks to go frolic with his friends!
Flutter – This shop is a mish-mash of all things girlie and a bit bizarre. Stepping into this magical wonderland is like taking a tour through my brain. Every inch of the store is covered in reclaimed vintage gowns, candles, quirky books, baroque lighting and furniture, beautiful vintage jewelry and random other ephemera.
Cuddles – I always love cuddles, but I have been needing extra this week. And as always, Doodlebug is there to provide!
Random acts of kindness – I love seeing strangers do nice things for each other. I saw this a few times on the street this week and it made me smile. I also love seeing strangers smile and laugh together, and even strike up playful conversations. You don’t realize how often interaction with unknown others is avoided until the opposite happens and you realize it’s pretty nice!
Eating Raw – I have been loving eating raw! I feel amazing and the results are pretty damn fantastic. More on that below….
What topped your list of happies this week?
Week 2 of The Raw Adventure
I have been keeping up the habit of eating rather simply this week which not only is nice to my body but also turns meal time into a more natural, relaxing time than one of contrived and complicated meals. My food has been mainly consisting of juices, smoothies, crackers, wraps, salads and then whole fruits and veggies as snacks. This week I made some stuff for raw pizzas and stored it in the fridge. This is all you would need:
- Your favorite raw crackers, store bought or made. If you have a dehydrator, these crackers are super easy to make, and you can make enough to last 2 weeks if you would like. Here are some great recipes. (the kale chips are delicious but wont apply here!)
- Some cashew cheese or other delectable spread. Again, this is easy to prepare and you can make double the recipe and store in the fridge.
- Tons of veggies, diced up. You can use whatever you have on hand here. I also marinate mine in braggs, salt and pepper.
Then just assemble accordingly! It is a nice filling meal that is readily available, just for you. Here is my sexy raw pizza:
I also got a few questions about the “Big Ass Salads” that I make. I actually always make these salads for myself, but since going raw I have omitted the quinoa, hummus and beans I typically add. (Speaking of this, I miss quinoa!) These beautiful, green bowls of goodness are pretty much made up of whatever veggies I have happened to get at the farmers market. The base is always a whole lot of kale. (Kale is magical! It should be abundant in your diet! ) Lately I have been adding a few dandelion greens for extra detox measure. This week I have used zucchini, squash, banana peppers, red peppers, broccoli, and carrots. This all is ALWAYS topped with avocado and pumpkin seeds. I typically use a salad dressing made up of Evoo, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne. However, lately I have been making this amazing tahini dressing with fresh dill, lemon juice, water, salt, pepper and cayenne. I have no exact measurements for these dressings, but they are pretty easy to eye up and mix according to your personal tastes. If you are a busy bee, set some time aside to chop up lots of veggies and make batches of the dressings.
I have also been snacking on whole dates when I need a sugar fix. I love dates! These will probably be a permanent staple in my kitchen. I also splurged on a jar of raw cashew butter -OMG! This stuff descended from heaven and blessed my mouth with its other-worldy goodness. I would most definitely recommend.
So how do I feel?
Wonderful! I have so much energy, it is pretty amazing. I seem to have more strength and stamina in aerial training and more energy during the day. I am also sleeping better and having an easier time waking up in the mornings. My skin looks amazing and I have lost a little bit of the extra weight I gained from “exploring” all the vegan food Portland has to offer. (Keep in mind, I lost weight while eating raw like a proverbial piggy and never being hungry!) Another wonderful thing that is happening is that I have not been getting many migraines at all! They tend to come in clusters, so I’m waiting until the end of the month until I make any assumptions. I am also noticing something else… something HUGE! I’ll leave you in suspense about that until the end of the adventure.
Have a beautiful, magical weekend!
Top photo by Tim Walker