Day Three of my spring cleanse.
It’s been a good few days to be honest, I felt like I was overdue for a cleanse, my body is enjoying the feeling of lightness!
This cleanse is one of my own programme’s I’ve devised. This particular one ive used a few times before now and it works well. This time my eldest Daughter whom is 22 and my Partner Jamie have joined me.
I will give a quick rundown of the format of this cleanse.
This is a raw vegan cleanse, I will not eat cooked foods during this time. This cleanse is gentle yet very effective at cleansing the digestive tract and rejuvenating your cells with living foods containing live enzymes.
It’s a gentle start on Day One ease in with two smoothies, raw lunch, herbal tea, lemon water and various Qi gong exercises to stimulate the lymph system.
Day two Two juices, raw lunch, herbal tea (my own blend), minimum of 20 mins exercise enough to raise core temperature.
Day Three liquid only day, warm nut milk with carob, juices, smoothies, water. No tea, no solid food.
Day four 24 hour water fast
Day five ease out of water fast with juices, smoothie and a few herbal teas and two pieces of fruit.
This is a five day cleanse, however I may carry on for longer see how I feel Friday.
Enjoy π
Edesias Spring Cleanse! Day One!
Today is Day One of my spring cleanse. This is my own programme I’ve created that I’ve used many times and it works a treat. I will be offering this programme and a few others once my website is up and running π
It was my Vegan/Began/Vulcan or whatever label it is Birthday on the 1st April! Two years! It’s been a journey, a great journey, a tough journey, an enlightening one for sure!
Will be writing in more detail tomorrow. Wanted to let you know I’ve completed day one of my cleanse.
Feeling ok so far π
Here is a some pics from today.
The broccoli was grown at our allotment.
Night night x
Benefits of Kale
I love Kale, cooked, raw, in juices, smoothies etc etc
I love it and it loves me <3
Here is a great link about the benefits.
Perfect Kale smoothie
1 bunch Kale
1 bunch Spinach
1 mango
Whizz up bag enjoy <3
benefits of Kale Mind Body Green
Warm spinach and pine nut salad!
I love raw foods, I love how they make me feel! living in the UK in winter does not always inspire me to eat every meal raw. I like to have mostly raw foods which are mostly YIn and some cooked warming foods containing Yang to balance my Spirit, Mind and Body. This recipe is delicious and balancing.
Ingedients:
Spinach 4 cups
red pepper
creamed coconut (I used tinned)
2 bulbs garlic
3 small chillis
1/2 cup pine nuts
half punnet mushrooms
sea salt to taste
baby tomatoes 1 cup
3 tbsp walnuts
chopped chive 3 tbsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
half a can of coconut milk
pepper to taste
tbsp coconut oil
How to:
Wash spinach
chop mushrooms and peppers
chop garlic, chillies and walnuts
warm coconut oil in pan
place mushrooms, pine nuts and tomatoes in pan with oil
in a separate pan place garlic, chillies and coconut milk
season both pans to taste
warm both pans through
add chives to coconut milk
place spinach in a bowl
place mushroom mix on top of spinach
pour garlic coconut cream onto spinach and mushroom mix
top off with red pepper and chopped walnuts
leave for 5 minutes
Eat and enjoy the warm creamy salad
x
Raw Nut free Chocolate Spread
Raw nut free chocolate spread
30 grams cacao butter
40 grams coconut oil
40 grams cacao
20 grams sugar
30 grams lucuma
10 grams sun warrior powder (optional)
Sprinkling of Himalayan Rock salt
Melt cacao butter & coconut oil in a double bowl method.
Add dry ingredients once melted
Stir
Allow to set
Enjoy on raw oat cookies or out of the jar π
Feeling bloated! Christmas aftermath of too much cooked food! Miss Farty Pants!
Happy New Year π I hope 2014 brings you all you wish for and more!
Christmas was fantastic, spent lots of time with my family. We had lots of laughter, too much food and not enough salad!
I’m feeling rather yucky!
It has been a great experience….. Why ? Because without the Yin we do not appreciate the Yang. Check out this video explanation http://youtu.be/0BgThtHsakU
We have to have the opposite to appreciate things.
Without darkness, how would we appreciate the light ?
Without sadness, how would we appreciate happiness ?
Without feeling unwell how would we appreciate feeling well ?
You get the idea π
Its approaching nine years now since I gradually integrated more raw foods, juices and fermented drinks/foods. I have been eating predominantly Raw food living foods for near on two years now! My 2nd Vegan Birthday is coming up on 1st April π
I do not see this bloated, aching body as a negative, I’m not beating myself up! I realise its all part of my journey.
It’s come to show me the polarity of cooked versus raw food diet!
How do I feel ?
I feel bloated, heavy, lethargic, my knees hurt, my ankles ache, I smell different! Yes I smell musty again! When you consume mostly living raw foods you smell fresher! The worst side effect has been constant wind, yes I’ve turned into farty pants. Not attractive really π I’ve not been sleeping as well and my connection to Spirit is not as strong.
I will not do this again next Christmas, why did I do it this Christmas ? To fit in, laziness, greed, self sabotage to name a few.
Next Christmas I will plan at least a month in advance like I did last year, last Christmas I lost weight.
During Christmas I have remained on a Vulcan, dairy free, egg free, vegetarian diet, I’ve eaten far too many Yin foods(acid forming) such as roast potatoes, nuts and some crisps.
What I’ve realised though is its not what I’ve eaten! Its what I’ve not eaten! I’ve not had enough Yang foods (alkaline forming) such as juices, salads, sprouts or fermented foods/drink.
I didn’t practice my Tai Chi and Qi Qong enough either, Tai Chi oxygenates the blood and is a Yang (alkalising) activity.
I am getting back on track now and feeling better already. I am looking forward to the aching in my knees and ankles to disappear.
I felt 10 years older and that’s not where I want to be.
I will continue to keep you posted on how I’m feeling, will be interesting to see how long it takes for my body to recuperate.
I have some great new Healthy Raw recipes to share, watch this space!
Be In Spirit
Stella x
Raw Chocolate no need to say more!
3/4 cup coconut oil/cacao butter or mix of both
3/4 cup honey or coconut sugar
1 cup raw cacao powder
*Optional: 1/3 tsp. vanilla extract
Warm coconut oil/cacao butter until melted
Add other ingredients
Stir well
Add bee pollen/dried fruit/nuts or flavourings of your choice
Pour into mould
Put in fridge or freezer if your in a rush π
Serve with a glass of almond milk
Enjoy x
Vegan Bacon
Raw vegan Bacon recipe
Ingredients:
2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp chilli powder
1tsp paprika
1clove garlic crushed or 1tsp garlic powder
Mix all of above together in blender.
Slice 1 large aubergine, sliced with mandoline or potato peeler
Marinate strips for 20 mins in sauce
Dehydrate overnight at 115 degrees
Enjoy π
My Dairy free/ Vegan. One year Birthday!
Happy birthday to me π today is my Dairy Free Birthday!
1 year today since I made the best decision of my life!
The best decision for my Mental, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual Self.
Never underestimate the power you have within, you can surprise yourself! believe me I have!
It all started with a post it note, yep that’s right a post it note π its amazing the power a post it note holds! An affirmation, a statement to your subconscious mind.
In this last year of becoming vegan I have experienced massive shifts and changes in my self and my life!
I have more energy than ever before, I have discovered you do not need to eat no where as much as we fool ourselves we need to.
I find the lighter more nutritious I eat the better I feel. The old Stella wouldn’t leave the house without a veggie snack, for fear of going hungry π
The old Stella wouldn’t be able to have no solid food for a few days. I have been vegetarian for a large part of my life. This last phase which is here to stay has been 7 years. I struggled to eat meat as a youngster and to be honest it gave me some OCD type behaviours. I would struggle to swallow whilst eating which was really awful and embarrassing especially when at a friends house etc I used to start to think of the little lamb or the cow I had in my mouth and I couldn’t swallow, I also didn’t like the texture of meat. If I see a vein or bone I would make excuses not to eat the meal, I didn’t like the smell of meat either. Unfortunately for me and all children who are natural vegetarians I didn’t have a choice. My Parents didn’t have much money for food. My Dad grew his own vegetables in the garden which was a blessing. I learnt to enjoy homegrown vegetables and through helping my Mum and Dad in the garden I’ve grown up loving gardening and growing vegetables. I have and allotment, a poly tunnel and raised beds in the garden. I Love producing my own food from quality heritage seeds. I love nothing more than getting my hands in the soil and working with the seeds, witnessing new life emerging. It always brings me back to my roots of being human, it also symbolises changes in my own life. Growing your own food experiencing the cycles of nature, the cycle of birth and death.
I started experimenting with Raw Food 7 years ago after going on a Raw Food Tai Chi retreat in Assissi. I had never experienced eating purely fruit for a whole day then exercising and walking up mountains. It was pure bliss! I felt amazing π I underestimated the power of myself!
I have discovered how powerful our subconscious mind is! The little demon that sits on our shoulder nagging in our ear, the scared demon acting from fear. Whispering that your a failure, you cannot achieve, you should go back to your old ways. The key is manifesting a little Angel who sits in pure joy and comes from a place of love. She whispers to your subconscious mind how wonderful you are, she whispers to you, yes you can! she brings you back to a place of love <3
A year ago today I made the decision to go 100% Dairy free/ egg free/ vegan (whatever label you want to stick on it) alongside my Vegetarian diet.
I wrote a post it note with 1st April no dairy or eggs. That was it simple, I had slowly been transitioning over a couple of years to less and less dairy. I had become more and more uncomfortable about the way the animals are treated and the quality of what I was consuming. Realising that some animals never see daylight, that baby male chicks are thrown in bin bags live! Just so I can feed my desire for cheese, eggs, milk etc. I started to become more and more conscious of this, I researched information to clarify how animals were treated. I was quite angry at myself at one stage for not becoming Vegan years ago. I do appreciate some dairy farmers treat the animals with care and respect. Even so I now would not eat or drink dairy produce as I know it’s not good for my health.
Since becoming dairy/egg free and introducing a high raw diet my health and vitality has improved immensely. I have been healthy for 15 years since I moved away from the pharmecutical drugs but that’s another story for another day. Its amazing how you think your healthy, then you make changes and you realise you was not as healthy as you thought.
I have lost two stone in weight with no effort at all, it was a great side effect.
Below is a before and after picture.
Men you can switch off for the next bit if you like π
My periods are now not a problem at all π after suffering for 28 years and I mean suffering! Sometimes having days off school/work, dreading my period arriving each month. Sleepless nights in agony, days spent with hot water bottles, taking pills from the doctor (when I was younger) oh I’ve tried it all. I actually hated my period it was not unusual to hear me say ” I wish I was a Man”
Since going dairy/egg free and high raw foods they have been virtually pain free. This happened within a month, I now occasionally get a small griping pain and that’s it! I now embrace my periods, I no longer dread them arriving each month. I forget I’m on my period. I am thankful for having them and being a woman. For those of you that suffer every month I know you will understand exactly where I’m coming from and I’m sure that includes men who suffer π
I have since had emails from people sharing that their periods became pain free after going vegan so I know I’m not alone.
I have so much more energy now than ever before, my skin is clearer, my eyes brighter and my waist 4inches smaller which is a bonus.
My girls who are 21 and 18 have been a great support to me especially now I no longer buy or have any meat foods in the house. My Grandson who is 2 particularly love fruits dried in the dehydrator. Everyone supported me at christmas joining in on a nut roast Christmas Day which everyone loved. My sister Heidi made me a lovely vegan pizza recently. My friends are all very supportive meeting me in coffee shops or at the Railway Hotel Pub that serve vegetarian/vegan options I feel blessed to have the backing and support of my family and friends.
Bring on the next year
Stella xx
Carrot and Walnut Cake with Orange Cashew Nut Cream
Recipe:
Carrot and walnut cake
3 carrots use juicing pulp or grate
1 apple grated
4 apricots
8 dates
Juice of half lemon
Half cup walnuts made into flour with coffee mill or crush with rolling pin
1/4 cup flax meal
3 desert spoons psyllium husks
1 tbsp ginger powder
1tsp cinnamon
2 desert spoons coconut oil
2 desert spoons coconut sugar
1 cup pure water
Put all ingredients into food processor until resembles cake mix
Leave for 10 mins to absorb water
Spread on dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for 10 hours.
Enjoy on there own or with cashew nut cream.
Enjoy π
Orange Cashew Cream
1 & 1/2 cup cashews ground into a flour with coffee mill then soaked in 1/4 cup water until soft
Juice and Zest of one Orange
Agave nectar syrup or Honey to taste
Drain excess water from cashews then blend until smooth
Add Orange Juice and half of Zest
Then add agave or honey
To really make pretty add cream to piping bag then pipe on.
Use rest of zest to decorate
Enjoy π