Yesterday we took at trip across the water to the island Country of Bahrain for some shopping sans abaya and to stock up on some new wardrobe items (I’m still not back to pre baby weight, but was deserving of some new duds).

Here’s the view we have on the drive to Bahrain (and no I am not driving – women are not permitted to drive in Saudi Arabia remember?)

We even had a beautiful lunch in a non raw nor vegan restaurant where I ordered the Asian Salad

2 of them infact! See you can order raw/healthy foods in normal restaurants and still enjoy the food! This had bean shoots, chinese cabbage, mixed leaves, shittake mushrooms and a sesame/soy dressing garnished with nori. Totally recreating this in my future.

I know I’ve promised you a juicing review post, but I know, my video needs a bit of work before going public bear with me and my technical skills!

I’ve still been around on facebook and twitter though so if you are not already liking me WHY NOT???, as I’m quite often posting food/recipes and ideas on there throughout the day

Funny that my Soul Sister Kristen kinda posted a similar post this week saying she’s been scaling back her work a little too (that is why she is my Soul Sister – we are always so in sync) and we HAVE been playing Words With Friends whilst we are oceans away from each other – it’s a great way to have fun whilst the days get a little longer with nursing. I’m not really that good though.

Another thing Kristen’s been doing is a really informative series every second Friday on raw food  weight loss. You can read about it all here. As part of her series, she mentions food journalling as a way to see how different foods make you feel, so as of tomorrow I am starting a food journal (which is what this blog was supposed to be in the beginning). I’m interested to be accountable and to see what foods make me feel great and what don’t! Plus get closer to fitting into those jeans

How that will work with the blog is I am going to post my food journals here on the blog  and share any new recipes that I use along the way, hopefully giving you inspiration on how to incorporate RAW into your world.

Also I am too, going to start a new blog series, every Monday: How To Go Raw – The Easy Way. It’s a question I get asked most (other than am I 100% Raw) by clients and friends and I love sharing with others how to get the ball rolling with a healthier way of life. It really isn’t as hard as you think! I promise!!! I’ll be including proven ways on how to still be social, how to eat raw with minimal equipment, and how to do it when your partner doesn’t even eat the same way! And I’d love you guys to get involved to and share your experiences in the comments too.

I even went to a friends house for dinner tonight and saw THIS!

So excited to see it somehow hitting the mainstream

Just not happy with the use of raw fish in one of the recipes – BIG THUMBS DOWN.

Anyway it’s time for me to hit the sack but not before I share a really yummy easy dessert with y’all.

Easy Raw Mango Softserve w Fresh Strawberries and Chocolate Cream

Frozen Mango

Sliced fresh strawberries

2 avocados

2/3 cup of agave nectar

1/2 cup of cacao powder

squeeze of lemon juice

pinch of Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt

Blend 1 frozen mango in food processor, blender or champion juicer with the blank plate  to homogenise (awesome for making ice cream from frozen fruit!).

Blend remainder of ingredients together in high speed blender or food processor until smooth.

Place frozen mango soft serve in the bottom of dessert dish and layer with fresh strawberries then top with chocolate cream.

DIVE IN!

Last Chance to VOTE for me to be HOT RAW CHEF  please!!! Voting ends today! Please help my dream come true and I have one more ebook left to giveaway when it is complete in September – email me at events@girlonraw.com once you have voted. Don’t forget, my video is #19 VOTE HERE

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1. I am now back in Saudi with my man and we’ve been getting to know one another again and getting ready for the new arrival which is soonish.
2. My bloggy has been a little ill, so I’ve been working with a fantastic web guy who has been moved me to a new host
3. It’s been holiday time!!!!!
4. And you have probably been pretty busy too, rightly so! Hope you all had a lovely holiday with family and friends wherever you were!

Tomorrow I’ll be back with that Lime Tart recipe I promised you before Christmas

Before I catch up all up on what’s been happening, I’d thought I’d repost one of my most popular posts on Where To Get Started, as yes it is that time of year again where resolutions are made (and broken), vision boards and goals revisited and general health an well being is more of  a focus.

Enjoy!

How To Get Started

This is for those of you  who have been writing to me asking me how is the best way for you to start on RAW food or even just get a little healthier, so here goes.

For me, starting to eat more RAW in my diet was a real gradual thing and something that I had to take a step at a time (you can read more about it here), ie I didn’t do anything overnight, as I upped the plant based products (fruit, vegetables, seeds & nuts) in the my diet over a year, then I ramped it up by going Vegan. I’m not suggesting that this is something you all would wish to do, as there are healthier ways to eat and NOT go Vegan however this was the natural progression for me and as with anything I do health related, I remain flexible as new research comes in.

For those of you just starting out, my first points would be to:

• Start adding more wholefoods to your diet (before you take anything away). This will reduce the feeling of deprivation and in turn enable you to stick to it and in no time you will begin to naturally reduce the processed foods as your tastebuds and your body start craving more life giving foods.

• Increase your greens! If you were like me in the beginning and had a love/hate relationship with salad, then get into green smoothies/monsters and DRINK your greens. I find my green smoothies take away cravings for fried and processed foods and are so filling they usually keep me going from breakfast to dinner. AND for those of you a little hesitant to try it, spinach and romaine (cos) lettuce don’t really have a taste and if you mix them them with fruits the only evidence you will see that they are in your drink are in the colour! Want to know more about it, check out my post on green smoothies here or this fabbo website on the Green Smoothie Challenge.

• Learn how to make some delicious salad dressings! This could be make or break for how many veggies you consume, but I find if I make a tasty dressing then I actually go back for seconds and thirds just so I can sample more of my dressing. Here is one I never tire of mixed with greens, sundried tomatoes and some toasted pine nuts, and marinated mushrooms. Also a great standby dressing is 2T olive oil 2T balsamic vinegar, 2T Nama Shoyu/Tamari/Soy Sauce with cracked black pepper and mixed herbs. You can also use salad dressings on steamed veggies. More recipes can be found here

• Try and eat raw til dinner. This sounds harder than it actually is, but if you don’t like the idea of eating fruits then blend them. Also you can have blended fruits and veggies for breakfast, a massive salad for lunch and then dinner can be your cooked meal. Nuts and seeds are a great snack to have on hand in your handbag or backpack to stave off the munchies in the meantime or if you are away from home.

• Be prepared! Being healthy doesn’t have to mean being boring and take yourself out of the social scene. If you are going out for a meal with friends to a restaurant, try and get a copy of the menu before hand so you can know exactly what you wish to order ahead of time and it will take the pressure off you to try and find a suitable meal whilst enjoying time with your friends. And don’t be afraid to ask for things that are not on the menu or add things in. Even if you tell the waiter what you can and cannot eat, they may be able to get the chef to make something special. Things I like to order in Indian restaurants are vegetable curry with Roti (usually it’s made with whole wheat flour rather than white). At Italian restaurants I usually alter a salad by adding avocados and nuts and usually ask for dressing on the side or use a squeeze of lemon. I don’t have rice, or I have been known to order two appetisers if there doesn’t appear to be any other suitable main meal choices. Don’t be afraid to ask your waiter questions and even them them you are allergic to certain things if need be. Worst case scenario you just get a plate of veggies with some cracked pepper. You can also take an avocado or salad dressing in your handbag to add to a salad or meal if you are really hardcore!

• Party time.If you are going to party where you just know you are going to be tempted by the food, FILL UP on good stuff before you go. I have been known to make a really hearty and heavy veggie soup and eat it up before heading out, and I also like to take my own drinks with me (blended frozen pineapple with coconut milk makes for a refreshing drink to have in your hand if you don’t want to drink and also keeps you from snacking on the not so healthy snacks. Also don’t be afraid to take some of your own snacks if you feel you will be tempted. Vegetable crudités and some delicious healthy dips are a great idea. People kinda expect me to BYO my own food and drinks. Oh and I do still indulge in some cocktails now and then, but my preference is red wine, a great quality vodka or champagne for special occasions. Also love what my buddy and raw food mentor and trainer, Russell James has to say about raw food fits into his social life here.

• Surround yourself with inspirational people. Even if you cannot do this in person, seek out books or websites or blogs of people that are living the life you want to live (this can extend to other areas of your life also). I started my blog mainly as a way to keep myself inspired and accountable, but I also love reading others blogs daily to keep my motivation at a high level.

• Read labels - and only eat things with ingredients you recognize. The closest to nature is the way mother earth intended. Look at our animal relatives. They don’t have to count calories or weigh their food, but they also don’t eat food out of packets. They have not junked up their bodies with processed foods and can intuitively eat which brings me to my next point:

• Listen to you body. Once you start making more conscious choices in your diet, and begin eating lesss processed and refined food, your body will tell you what it wants to eat. Sometimes after a hard workout I feel like a piece of toast, so I allow myself a decent, wholegrain or wholemeal slice then a plate of yummy salad. Or sometimes I just want a plate of oranges. This is my body telling me what I need not what I want.

• Have a treat day once a week! Still allow yourself some leeway to indulge in some of your favourite foods! Don’t go crazy, but if you stick to a healthier way of eating for the rest of the week, chances are you actually won’t feel like eating that burger and fries, but hey if you do, you probably won’t feel like eating it for a while after your body has been feeling so much better and efficient with your healthier way of eating. I find anytime I fall off the wagon, it makes me feel that terrible that I am craving the green smoothie in NO TIME. And a treat day doesn’t have to mean something decadent, it can still be vegan or at least a healthier version of a less desirable meal (ie like homemade pizzas). Get creative.

• Give yourself a break. Don’t go all out crazy if you fall off your plan, just get back on it as soon as you can, and be kind to yourself. It is a process as starting out can be tough, so give yourself some time to get used to it and within no time it will be less hard work and more gut instinct.

If you want more information on how to get more details on where to begin, drop me a line at contact@girlonraw.com

For the past couple of years Kristen (of Kristensraw.blogspot.com & Green Mommy Blog)  has been my biggest support with my transition to a raw diet firstly through her sassy and delicious recipe books, then secondly through her online friendship. We got to know each other personally through regular emails and facebook chatter (I’m even pals with her very funny and popular mother) then I kept threatening to come and visit her in Arizona.

Finally I did it!

And as expected we got on like a house on fire! (a saying both Kristen and her mum now know hehe among other Australianisms I unwittingly shared.)

Firstly Kristen and her ma picked me up from the airport then took me straight to lunch at Chakra 4 Herb & Tea House and demolished a lentil soup and veggie wrap and iced chai latte with almond milk. No photo as we were nattering away.

As most of you already know, I’m a big fan of Wholefoods so by special request, I got to stop by their local store to pick up supplies including some of this chocolate I’d been dying to sample since Kristen’s review. We don’t have a Wholefoods in Oklahoma city

Um yep, it pretty much rocked! When I could keep it away from Kristen!

Don’t you just love their number plates?

Then it was on to meet the furry family including the very popular Miso who Kristen rescued a few weeks back.

(Courtesy of Kristen’s Blog here as I was too busy playing with the puppies to get any photos)

Then I had the BEST vegan pizza in the world!! Homemade with love by Kristen’s mum herself! I’m going to be dreaming of this pizza all week! The vegan cheese was daiya. Kristen tells me apparently this stuff has revolutionized the vegan diet. I wish we could get it in Saudi.

Add a side of Food Inc watching and some of Kristen’s food made by her especially for my visit.

Her Ginger spice carrot cake. Are you jealous? Mmmmmmm. Pictured in the middle with small pieces of Earth Cafe’s cheesecake’s Coconut Carob & Cali Lemon Style.

This was the hit of the night. My Raw Food guru preparing food for me! This recipe will be upcoming in one of Kristen’s books. Keep an eye out for it!

Before I left for my flight home today, Kristen made me a beautiful salad with her famous Sweet Capri Dressing from her Easy Raw Salads & Dressings Book. Did I mention I felt spoilt?

It was such a lovely time (including Miso stealing my dirty knickers haha) and despite this I am counting on a return vist very soon (I’ve got to meet the bubby of course)

I’ve said it already but I’ll say it again, thank you so much for having me Kristen and co. It’s see ya later, not goodbye xx

Who’s your hero?

Here’s a beautiful shot I got just after take off out of Salt Lake City, homeward bound to Oklahoma City ready to embark on week 3 at 105degrees culinary school.