Monthly Archives: November 2012

Friendly Friday – Mum

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Today I want to start a weekly tradition – Friendly Friday.
There are so many amazing people in my life. My friends and family are so supportive, loving, caring and keep me grounded. In this society, we like to buy ‘stuff’ to show we care or to say thankyou – however if I did that as often as I’d like…I would have to be a millionaire!
SO! Instead I thought that I would dedicate one blog a week to each person in my life that I’m inspired by, that I love & appreciate and that I couldn’t picture my life without.

I want to kick this tradition off by introducing you to my Mum – Sally.

Mum and I have always been really close – more like friends than Mother  & Daughter.
We have spent so much time together over the course of my life, and know each other inside out.
Mum tells a funny story of when my brother was a baby and she would be breastfeeding him, she would look over to see me reefing up my shirt in attempt to breastfeed my dolly, just so we could be doing it together.
During school I went through a rough patch and always had Mum to lean on. When I was really upset and rapidly losing confidence in a school environment, I would look forward to spending time because I knew that we would always find ourselves cracking up with laughter over the silliest things.

Mum is the kind of person who lights up a room whenever she walks in. She has the most amazing, positive, down to earth, humble nature that draws people into her space.
Her laugh is infectious and she is always the first one to put her hand up when someone needs help.

LESSONS:
Mum has taught me to stand strong in who I am, to be grateful for everything I have, to be kind to people and to have faith.

INSPIRATION:
Mum is always inspiring me – she sets an example that it’s never too late to change your life completely and better yourself. For years mum was overweight and hated what she saw in the mirror. I remember her eating tubs of Ice Cream as I was growing up and wearing oversized clothing to cover up her body. When she turned 37, I remember having a conversation with her – she vowed that she would NOT be 40 and frumpy. So it began – her quest to love, nourish and believe in herself. We started going for runs together and incorporating healthier options into our daily diets. Mum literally worked her butt off and not only has she transformed physically, but her outlook on life, faith in the universe and love for herself is so strong and beautiful to look at J
Mum has always said that she will be a fit, healthy old granny that goes in running races and jogs down the beach – I believe that she will. I am constantly reminded when I look at Mum that getting old, decrepit, grumpy and sick is a choice, and that it’s never too late to change J

GRATITUDE:
I have had an amazing life with so much love and support – and Mum has always been my biggest fan with anything I have done. I never feel alone or unloved, and I know that if times get really tough either financially, emotionally or physically – I will always have a place to call home and feel loved, and that will be wherever in the world my Mum is – I am so grateful for that J

 

A NOTE TO MUM:
Thankyou so so much for your love, support, inspiration, laughter, kindness and cuddles. We have a bond that will always exist – no matter how far apart we are from each other, and it will exist even when the times comes that one of us is no longer needed on this Earth.
I love you and always will. Love Sarah xxxx

A dose of I N S P I R A T I O N !

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Today I want to share with you how you can inspire big life changes in other people’s lives, just by being you!
When I started working at my current job – the first person I was introduced to was Michelle – the Receptionist.
Michelle is a fit, lean, hilarious, softly spoken woman who is quiet and polite – she also was drinking 2 – 3 coffees a day!
I sit on Reception from 8am-8:30am & from 1pm-2pm while Michelle has her lunch. I always have a glass jar with a juice or smoothie, fresh or dehydrated fruit and my purple 1Litre water bottle. At first, I would catch her looking at them in confusion, only to quickly look away when I would notice.
Last month she finally plucked up the courage to ask me “what on earth is in that jar?”
So I started sharing my story with her, and each day would list each ingredient in my food, what they’re good for and where to get them.

When I told Michelle about Rawvember, she was sooo interested and said she would LOVE to be able to do something like that – however didn’t think she had the strength or the will power…so I suggested that she start small and work her way up to it (aka TRANSITION!)

It’s been 3 weeks today and Michelle has not had ONE SINGLE COFFEE! Instead she has been drinking Green Tea. ALSO! She used to eat lollies at her desk to give her a sugar hit. I introduced her to medjool dates which she LOVEs – she has now replaced lollies with dates.

I have noticed Michelle’s skin has dramatically improved from looking a tad dry, to completely hydrated!

I am so incredibly proud of her! I am also reminded to love and appreciate myself for being me. I used to lose self-confidence and get too shy to drink my juice or smoothie out of a jar in front of people – however if I had of done that in this case, Michelle would still be drinking multiple cups of coffee a day and not even think twice about the impact that has on her health.

Always be true to yourself, good to yourself & have a beautiful day xxxx

P.S: If you have any positive words I can pass onto Michelle to keep her inspired, I would be so grateful - please share below :)

Fat, Lazy & Ungrateful (with raw hommus recipe!)

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When I started Rawvember – I knew I would have to get my creativity back when it came to preparing food – after all, you can’t have bored tastebuds!
I have been eating a lot of salads and veggie sticks which are so filling; however there are only so many salads you can eat before you start to crave variety.

We have been making everything from scratch; dressings, mylks, dips, etc – which is really empowering. (There are only 2 things we sometimes buy pre-made: Raw Vegan Probiotic Salad Dressing we buy at the Organic Farmers Market and Raw Vegan Probiotic Kombucha from the same company – AMAZING! Stay tuned for a feature post on them soon!) You get to be in control of exactly what ingredients go into things, you can adjust the taste to how you like it, you can make however much or little you like and the most important thing is the appreciation you get for food.
When you look at a typical ‘SAD’ diet (Standard American Diet or Standard Australian Diet) you see just how little appreciation there is for food – and a big reason that our society is impatient, overweight and lazy.

Let’s take a look at a ‘SAD’ day of food (what I used to eat daily)

BREAKFAST: 2 pieces of toast with butter and vegemite with a cup of earl grey tea (2 sugars and milk)

LUNCH: Either 2 Nutella Sandwiches or A burger or Lasagne

SNACK: Chocolate Biscuits or chips or lollies or ALL!

DINNER: Meat and 3 veg, Stir Fry (using a packet of frozen peeled veggies & a jar of sauce)

DESSERT: Ice Cream or chips or chocolate or all mixed together!

Whoa – that is really confronting and disturbing seeing that written down in front of me. I can’t believe that a typical day of food for me used to look like that!

When you consider that 90% of the western population lives this way (in a lot of cases – much more junk food/take out!) it is no wonder that we are getting lazy, fat, cranky and ungrateful! Imagine if everyone had to make every single thing that they ate from scratch! This world would be a much healthier place where everyone was in touch with their food and their bodies.

Looking back at what I used to eat in a day – I was so unaware of how much work went on behind the scenes to make all of that food!
Not once did I ask myself -
Who sourced the ingredients for this Nutella?
How many people worked all day in field and mills getting this sugar?
How many people were involved in the process of taking the life of this cow, to cut it up, package it, deliver it to the supermarket and pack it on the shelves?
When you start to ask questions about every packaged ingredient used in a typical day it starts to really put it into perspective.

Not only has preparing everything from scratch made me appreciative – it has also helped me to identify the difference between whether I really want something or not.

For example – I used to binge on chocolate. I would get a craving, go to the cupboard (if there I had chocolate there) or drive to the closest store, buy either a block of chocolate or multiple chocolate bars (if they were on special I would splurge and buy it all!) then I would go home, set up my little ‘binge environment – aka the couch and mindless TV – and go for gold!

However now if I crave chocolate, the process of getting it is much more time consuming.

For example – I get a chocolate craving. I look for a recipe that appeals to my craving. I make sure that I have all of the ingredients. I get out my blender/food processor/mixing bowl. I measure out each ingredient. Combine it all. Set it in the fridge if it needs setting. Wash up and rinse each utensil used. THEN, I can indulge.

A bit of a different process, and one that helps identify if you actually want it or not.
Most of the time now when I get a craving, I think of the effort it takes to make it and decide that I don’t really feel like it – so opt for fresh sweet fruit instead :)
And if I do decide that I want it, I am so grateful for every single mouthful! :)

With that said – here is something to make you feel empowered!
Last night I made some Raw Vegan Sprouted Hommus. Ben and I shared this with Carrot and Broccoli sticks for a light dinner.
Here is the rough recipe as I didn’t/don’t measure out quantites :)

INGREDIENTS:
Chickpeas (soaked for nearly 24 hours)
Raw Unhulled Tahini
Himalayan Salt
Lemon Juice
Lemon Rind
Water
Garlic Flowers
Cumin

ACTION:
Blend all ingredients together on a high speed until smooth and creamy.
Add more water to make it creamy.
Enjoy with the company of a loved one by candlelight, on a hill in the sun with the breeze flowing through your hair…or in a quiet dark room where you don’t have to share.
THAT’S IT! :)

To starve or not to starve?

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So if you have read my blog, you will be aware that I used to binge eat – BIG TIME!
I also use to starve myself – BIGGER TIME!
When I first changed my lifestyle to a healthier, happier more active one – I found a new appreciation for being ‘thin’ or ‘fit’.
I was so used to dressing in clothes that would cover my arms, legs, tummy and ba-donk-a-donk, so it took some adjsting to finally being happy with my body in a teeny tiny dress!
For a while – I became obsessed with being thin, and ‘normal’ thin just wasn’t cutting it anymore…I wanted to be SKINNY!!!
I started to drink coffee (which I never had done before, I didn’t even like the taste!) and watch alot of Fashion TV,  buy smaller clothes and try them on daily, read gossip magazines for the pictures and spend more and more time doing my hair and makeup in the morning.
I started to view food as the ‘enemy’ and to be honest – found eating a waste of time! I could fit so much more into my day when I replaced Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with Coffee, Coffee, Coffee and the occasional handful of Almonds.
Sometimes I would only sleep for an hour or two of a night because I had that much caffine pumping through my system!
I also started to up my exercise to one 6km run a day (sometimes even twice a day) and would push myself until I would start to get dizzy and feel faint.
When I was living like this, I felt like I was in control and formed an addiction to Coffee. I would get cranky at my boyfriend at the time for trying to make me eat and for expressing his worry/concern for my health.Obivously I could only keep that going for so long until I started to burn out – and by that time I was so deprived of nutrients and hydration, that I turned to old faithful binge eating once again.

I haven’t starved myself like this in a while now – however in the last week or so, for whatever reason – I have been craving coffee again which has been worrying me. I know it’s not because I’m tired – because I feel amazing!
When I sat down and really thought about it, it occured to me that it’s not the coffee I am craving, but the control and body confidence that comes with starving myself…which is really scary to admit, espcially on a public blog!
HOWEVER! I feel it is just as important to talk about this side of my relationship with food as it is to talk about binge eating and my previous addiction to junk food.

I used to think that being ‘skinny’ is what life was all about – but just because someone isn’t obease and may look like slim on the outside – it is important to remember that it’s what’s going on inside that is what really matters. It’s because I now realise how important my insides are, that I will not be starving myself again any time soon – however I find it interesting that old habits are re-surfacing.

It seems that because we can’t physically see our internal organs and functions, we aren’t constantly reminded that we’re not just a chunk of flesh with some bones, feelings & emotions that gets up, goes to work, hangs out with friends, visits our parents and cries watching Bridget Jones’s Diaries because it reminds us that we’re single & lonely (not implying that I have ever done that)…beneath this surface stuff, we are an intricate piece of machinery that like a car, requires the right fuel to keep us functioning properly. If one thing starts to struggle or lose it’s ability to function, another starts to pick up the slack and work double time – inevitably causing a break down and leaving the car in desperate need of a good service. Our bodies are the same and need the right fuel or they too will break down; this is where disease starts.

So, I guess I have answered my own question…it seems that deciding not to starve is the way to go :)
Im off to make some Raw Vegan Sprouted Hommus with carrot and broccoli sticks – YUM! (Recipe next blog!)

I hope you have a beautiful day.
Be good to yourself.
Love Sarah xxxxxx

18 Days of Raw Vegan Living

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Today marks the 18th day in a row that I have been 100% Raw Vegan.
NOTHING cooked, processed, artificial or refined! Wooh!
I am feeling soooo much better than I did on November 1st!
Over the last couple of months my eating habits started to go back to binge eating on CRAP and then starving with coffee – so unhealthy, unnatural and confusing for my poor body!
As you may have seen on my youtube channel – I attempted to go Raw this Winter and failed. I then got really down on myself and started with the negative self talk. This combined with the return of cysts on my ovaries, moving out of home, my parents separating, adjusting to a new highly stressful full time job and the return of my acne seemed to spiral into one big negative, stressy, binge eating fest! 
I attempted to pull myself out of it a couple of times by saying ‘I am committing to blogging every day’ or I will eat ‘Raw for this month’ – however I seemed to keep failing – and then the negative cycle would of course repeat itself!
SO! I decided to start slow and make small lifestyle transitions that would help to get me to where I inevitably want to be – Fit, Happy, 100% Raw Vegan & INSPIRING!
The first thing that had to go was the alcohol. I have never really been a big drinker anyway – however when I found out my parents were splitting – I decided that I would get drunk to escape the reality. This lasted only 5 days before my body and mind became sick of alcohol – which inspired Sober-tober – which if you didn’t see, was the whole month of October without Alcohol (this included my 21st birthday!)
It was a success and made me feel like I had accomplished something. 
Alcohol was an easy one for me to give up as I don’t normally drink – however the thought of giving up cooked food for the month of November scared me!
I made sure that I ate as much cooked, processed vegan food as I could in the last couple of days of October (which only made me feel worse and crave November to come quicker!)
It took until about November 4th to get into the zone of being prepared with my meals for work etc, and since then – I have not craved cooked foods ONCE!
Here is a little preview of what my weekly shop has been looking like.
I am lucky to be doing this with my boyfriend – the support and company has kept it fun – however I have done this before in a relationship that was completely unsupportive of me even being vegan – let alone raw! So it can be done if you’re committed :)
Ben and I buy together which makes it a bit cheaper when you’re buying all organic. 
If your partner isn’t on the same health journey as you, maybe you can find a friend or neighbour who would be happy to buy in bulk with you. 
Anyway – here is what a weekly shop looks like minus the greens that we purchased the next day:
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In our fridge, we have only fruits and veggies. 
We threw out all condiments, don’t buy milks as we make all milks and dressings from scratch and storing is really simple!
If you haven’t already seen my video on how to store your greens so that they stay fresh for over a week click here. It is THAT easy!
As for everything else – its all whole, fresh and tasty – fast food :)

Here is an example of making Milk from scratch.
This one is Coconut Milk made from 1 Young Coconut and some vanilla straight from the bean. 
Put the coconut water, flesh and vanilla into a blender and blend until smooth – it is so easy!
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I will film a blog introducing you to Ben when we next get a chance – this may be a good way to introduce your partners to giving veganism a chance :)

Until then, have a beautiful day and be good to yourself.
Love Sarah xxxx