LIQUID FEAST: DAY FOUR & FIVE

Sorry I didn't have time to post yesterday about the liquid cleanse and how it's going. I am feel physically okay, but I think I am emotionally detoxing right now. I've been in a strange mood since I got out of bed, and I slept for a long time. I was taking the bus home in the rain, but decided to get off and walk because I loved the feeling of being soaked with the water falling from the sky. At the skytrain station I bumped into my friend from Vancouver island who is supposed to be staying with me this week... I had completely forgotten. She had tried calling my phone and knocked on my door for awhile but of course I was wandering around getting drenched and trying to figure out why I was feeling so grey, so I didn't notice my phone. Fortunately she had made plans with another friend so she's out right now, but I'll see her later. Once I got home, I realized I was really hungry so I made a mango-banana-date smoothie and it tasted good. Yet even after consuming it, I felt like laying down and crying. I've been feeling that way a lot lately, but I've been too busy to let myself actually give in. I don't have time to be sad.

I think that although I devote much of my time to actively confronting all my emotional demons, I let some become repressed unconsciously, and then convince myself they aren't hidden there. I have let that happen now, with emotions coming from my past relationship. My current partner's roommate is a friend of my ex-boyfriend, and so occasionally my ex will be over at my current partner's house. Inconvenient for us all, to say the least. Well, fate finally wanted to have a laugh so last week I went over there with my friends to see my partner and hang out but ended up walking into a room full of guys laughing together... my ex being one of them. My past relationship was very intense and emotional for me; I tell myself I have healed from it but obviously this is not so, because whenever his name is brought up, I have trouble breathing and speaking; and when I saw him a few days ago by surprise I was basically paralyzed. No one in the room seemed to notice this and they call kept laughing at jokes being told. I didn't know what to do so I just left. A little later I broke down in tears by the road without being able to explain precisely why. By the next morning I felt better... but evidently this was temporary because I think the same clump of suppressed feels has surfaced again and is making me glum as scum today. I suppose I need to allow myself to soak in these emotions and then hopefully they will leave me... I don't know. Sorry for making This Rawsome Vegan Life more like This Rawsome Vegan Depression but I gotta get my thoughts out somewhere.

As far the liquid fasting is concerned: it's going well. Yesterday was probably the toughest for me and partner, I wrote a final exam for archaeology then we went grocery shopping... we ended up getting way too hungry and really wanted to bite our meal instead of drink it, but we are strong willed and it wasn't a serious issue. We drank a bunch of amazing soup - seriously it was one of the best things I've ever tasted - and watched a documentary, then felt much better. And now we come full circle back to today: after having that mango-banana-date smoothie, I wrote the bulk of this post and did other blog/computer tasks. Then I made some soup, wrote in my journal, and still felt hungry. I made a blueberry smoothie with bananas, cacao and almonds. It's pretty good albeit a little grainy because I didn't let the almonds blend fully. If I feel hungry again later, I'll make some vegetable juice.

PARSLEY BEET JUICE

1 bunch parsley
2 beets
5 carrots
1 garlic clove

Juice. Drink. Mmm.

THE BEST CORN & CAULIFLOWER SOUP with TOMATOES & AVOCADO 

1 head cauliflower

2 cups corn 

6 field tomatoes

1 avocado

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons miso paste

Cumin and coriander, to taste

Hot water, as needed

Steam the cauliflower and corn until tender (or leave it raw if that is important to you), then put everything in your blender and blend until smooth. This makes a lot of soup. It should taste amazing. If it doesn't, adjust according to taste until you like what you've got. 

MANGO-BANANA-DATE SMOOTHIE

1 frozen banana
2 mangoes
5 dates
4 ice cubes
Water, as needed

Blend it all up until smooth. 

MEXICO-INSPIRED SOUP 

5 tomatoes
2 cups corn 
1 avocado
Juice from 1/2 lime
Coriander 
Pepper, to taste
Vegetable broth, as needed

Blend everything until smooth. 

BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE with CACAO & ALMONDS

1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
3 dates
1/4 cup almonds
1 tablespoon cacao powder
Water, as needed

Blend until smooth. Enjoy.

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LIQUID FEAST: DAY TWO

Hello, lovelies! I hope you're having a fantastic day; I definitely am. The liquid feast is going swell (but in any case life can't really be bad when you're listening to this). I've had decent energy levels all day. Actually... as I was typing that I remembered I woke up at 7 am today - an hour earlier than normal - because I couldn't lie still anymore! Hmm, so to correct myself: energy levels have been VERY decent. I'll probably stay up until about midnight tonight. My period has decided to align it's timeline exactly with this liquid feast and that is honestly for the best - I need all the instant nutrition I can get. For that reason, I will be adding cacao to some smoothies. Chocolate banana shakes, anyone? *everyone raises their hand as they sit at their computer - cyber unity*

My partner says he feels good and has more energy than normal. He did mention he was really noticing the smells of food when he was out and about and that makes sense because in my experience when you "fast", your senses are heightened. Of course, he likes a challenge and was much more anticipating getting over to my house to drink all the smoothies, juices and soups I made throughout the day. He tells me he is getting almost as excited about food as I am... this is the best news. If you and I ever get to eat a meal together, you will quickly learn I am very passionate about it. I scream, I moan, I fall over. As much as I love some good ole herbal medication, I really don't need recreational drugs when I have stuff like avocadoes, heirloom tomatoes, blueberry cashew smoothies, and super food truffles to enjoy. The experience of eating organic plants is trippy enough and my sensory systems are like "WOAH ARE WE ON SHROOMS OR WHAT?" Basically, yep.

You might be wondering if I have no life and if all I do is hug my blender and trip out on blueberries all day... well, you'd be partially right. These days I am spending most of my time whipping up juice and smoothie recipes, but I have REASON, OKAY? I am writing my second book, and these fab drinks are the main feature. So it's a perfect time to do a liquid cleanse, especially with another person, because my job is literally to make huge amounts of different juices and smoothies all day... every day. For real - my manuscript is due in a few weeks. I gotta hurry up. 

Here's what I made today that I will share with you: a blueberry cashew smoothie sweetened with dates, beet juice with garlic and carrots, and carrot and onion soup with tomatoes and bell peppers. I was awake for several hours before I made and drank a few different smoothies for my book, and the beet juice (saving half of everything for my lover), then I studied for my final exams for awhile and sunbathed in the nude. I got hungry again so I made the blueberry smoothie. Studied some more, went through my emails, etc. then at about 6 pm I made the carrot soup - it hit the spot. I might make super food hot chocolate later but I feel satisfied right now. I hope this feast is going well for you, too! Get my recipes below:

x

BLUEBERRYLICIOUS SMOOTHIE

1 cup frozen blueberries

4 bananas

6 dates

2 cups cashew mylk 

Blend until smooth and creamy. Mmm oh yes. 

RUBY RED JUICE

8 carrots

4 beets

1 garlic clove

Wash, peel and chop as needed. Put it all through your juicer and strain if you wish, then enjoy. 

CREAMY CURRY CARROT SOUP with BELL PEPPERS, TOMATOES & ONIONS 

4 cups carrots
1 onion
2 bell peppers
3 small tomatoes
Cumin and coriander 
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 dates
Vegetable broth or water

Roughly chop all the veggies. Cover the carrots and onions with vegetable broth or water in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let them cook for about 30 minutes or until tender. Throw all the ingredients (including the veggie broth mix) into a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding the spices as you like. Serve with tomato slices and cilantro if you like.

Note: if ya wanna keep this one totally raw, skip the cooking part! Simple. 

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double energy smoothie with pink & green layers

I got the idea for this smoothie from the magnificent Lauren over at Ascension Kitchen. The ingredients are basically the same as my regular smoothie recipe; all you're doing is keep some separate from others and layering them to make it look pretty. I had this after a gorgeous morning run/walk around Burnaby Lake, where I happily picked salmon berries and watched baby geese swim around.

double energy smoothie: serves one or two

Green layer:
2 cups spinach
3/4 cup frozen pineapple
1 banana
Water, as needed (around 3/4 cup) 

Pink layer:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 banana
Water, as needed (around 3/4 cup) 

Blend each layer separately then layer them on top of each other in a glass. Slurp!

simple berry banana smoothie

Mon coupain was thoughtful and wonderful enough to get me a colourful bouquet of flowers a few days ago, just because. They looked so pretty one morning so I HAD to photograph them, and why not with a smoothie? It's a very simple recipe that I have almost everyday after I exercise. Enjoy!

berry banana smoothie: serves one

1 peeled banana

2 cup frozen berries

1 cup water

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

1-2 dates (optional) 

Blend everything until creamy and smooth, adding water as needed for the desired consistency. Sip away. 

peaches and cream smoothie

This smoothie is a weird colour but I promise it's really yummy. Would I lie to you? (I hope you said no...) This was my delicious post-workout snack. Mmm... blended fruit. Ain't nothing better. If you don't want to use protein powder, go ahead and use hemp seeds instead, or leave out the protein altogether and enjoy the simple sweetness of nature's candy.

peaches and cream smoothie: makes about 3 cups

1 cup frozen peaches (or other fruit)
1 banana
1 scoop vega protein powder (or 2 tablespoons hemp seeds)
1-2 cups vegan milk (or water)

Blend. Slurp. Smile. 

banana strawberry milkshake

After my workout today I enjoyed a delicious strawberry milkshake with creamy bananas and Vega protein powder. Usually I add greens like fresh kale or spinach but alas - we had none. So a pink smoothie it was! Pretty refreshing, if I do say so myself. You already know how much I worship smoothies so I won't get into a rant about their holiness. I'll just leave you with the recipe and the promise of a really yummy Peanut Butter Coconut Cup recipe that I will share tomorrow. I think I've eaten like 4 today... 

Banana Strawberry Milkshake: serves one

1 banana

1 cup vegan milk or water

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 scoop protein powder or hemp seeds (optional)

Add more or less of everything depending on your preference. Blend it all up in your high speed blender and sip away. Watch for the brain freeze though... I learned my lesson 3 times over while drinking this - it's so tasty I can't stop. 

chocolate berry protein smoothie

As we all know (or I should hope anyway) part of a healthy lifestyle is incorporating exercise in to every day. It doesn't have to be much, 30 minutes of power walking, weight lifting, running, hard core dancing, etc. all can suffice. Get your blood pumping, your lungs working and your heart beating. I love getting my sweat on.

Exercise is vital for a long, healthy, happy and rich life. It helps you sleep, look good, feel good and does absolute miracles for your bod. Trust me. Try to get in 10-30 minutes of exercise per day - you won't regret it. 

Now why am I talking about getting my sweat on? Who cares? Well, I'd like to think you do. Now if you have just worked out and want some delicious, raw, whole food nourishment - try this recipe. The perfect meal to consume right after exercise is a smoothie. Preferably with fruit, dark leafy greens and some kind of protein. I love hemp seeds and several different vegan protein powders. Why? Because your body needs to replenish the calories it just lost, and also repair the muscle tissue that was damaged when you worked out. I know that sounds scary but it's all good. When you eat protein and carbs after a workout, the protein works to repair and improve your muscle - that's how you get guns! The carbs (in fruit) replenish calories lost. Your body can effortlessly take these in when in smoothie form because there's almost no digestion needed - just absorption. I give you a basic post-workout smoothie recipe below, using Vega protein powder. 

Pretty perfect, huh?

I know some raw foodists strongly believe we should not have to use protein powders because we can get all our required protein (which actually isn't that much, contrary to public belief) from entirely whole foods. I don't like to hold convictions for any case, and this one isn't special. Everyone is different - some people do fine without extra protein powder, some don't. I like to use it because it helps me build muscle faster and more efficiently. Also, I don't want to have to eat bowls and bowls of spinach and broccoli all day. 

I am NOT saying you can't get enough protein on a raw vegan diet unless you have protein powders. Definitely not. But if you work out a lot you need to repair your muscle tissue with protein, and the most efficient and convenient way to do that is with protein powder. Also, it's not like it's this terrible over-processed food. You can find loads of excellent brands out there that gently process whole foods into clean and simple powders. Of course, there are also some sketchy GMO soy isolate proteins which I do not recommend. I love Sun Warrior, an all raw powder, and Vega (also it's creator and pro athlete - Brendan Brazier. Read his book, Thrive).

chocolate berry protein smoothie: makes about 4 cups

2 cups kale

1 cup frozen blueberries or other fruit

1 banana

1 scoop chocolate vegan protein powder 

(or 2 tablespoons hemp seeds + 1 tablespoon cacao)

1-2 cups water, as needed

Blend all of the ingredients in your high speed blender (like a Vitamix) until smooth, then enjoy!

blueberry hemp smoothie

i love my blue blue blueberries. 

ours have, of course, stopped growing for the winter season and i've already eaten all the extra ones we froze. but yesterday my mom bought a giant bag of frozen organic blueberries! organic is always better (i don't want my food having nasty chemicals on it that the military originally used to kill their opponents in the first world war... no way) but for berries, spinach and apples - organic is EXTRA SUPER awesome because otherwise they are some of the most contaminated foods. check it out here, homies. 

and hey, lucky me - i've also got organic spinach. be jealous. so i threw all these magical ingredients together in my vita-mix blender and out came a delicious dark purple concoction that i will call a blueberry hemp smoothie from this day forward. it makes the spinach seem like a secret... shhh.

blueberry hemp smoothie with secret sneaky spinach: serves one

1 banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

2 tablespoons raw hemp seeds

1-2 cups water/vegan milk

2-3 cups organic spinach

1/8 teaspoon stevia (or a few dates)

blend. sip. smile.

green love

i will never get over my infatuation with green smoothies. it simply will not happen. they are about as perfect, beautiful and miraculous as something get. take a gander at that luscious colour... that is LIFE you are seeing (or is gandering a word?)

i had this smoothie for my dinner because well... why not? so that means i had all liquids today! i drank a delicious glass of juice (cucumber, bell pepper, pineapple, apple, orange, tomato) for breakfast after my workout and this smoothie for dinner. i have had a really busy day and my body should probably have more calories but i am just SO TIRED and i don't like eating right before i go to sleep. i will make sure to have a big smoothie with extra protein tomorrow after i exercise. mmm, smoothie... *dopey smile*

I HAVE EXCELLENT NEWS: i have successfully converted my darling boyfriend to the dark, satanic and freaky cult of veganism. all jokes. veganism is the bees knees! or perhaps the more appropriate term would be the corn's ear? potato's eye? artichokes heart? i dunno where this is going. nevermind. point is - being vegan is the best option for you, the planet and our fellow animals! ANYWAY...

the boyfriend is vegan. 

green smoothie love affair: serves one

1 peeled frozen banana

1 cup kale

1 sliced apple

1 peeled orange 
2 tablespoons raw hempseeds

1 cup water or so
1/8 teaspoon stevia, if desired (or use a couple dates)

blend. sip. love. 

blueberry hemp smoothie

yum! here's another smoothie recipe for you, my peeps. this one is sneaky, it's not green but it has kale in it. the colour of the blueberries hides it. oooh, deceptive (yes i DO personify my smoothies). you can personify THIS:

while you're enjoying the unprecedented 90's smoothness of that little diddy ("i like the way you work it, no diggity...") you should also enjoy the raw deliciousness of this smoothie. it's got extra protein from hemp so it's excellent for right after a work out; which was my situation. you like P90X? i do. das my jam.

anyways - smoothie recipe.

blueberry hemp smoothie: serves one

1 cup frozen blueberries
2 dates
1-2 tablespoons raw hemp seeds
1 cup kale
1 banana
1-2 cups water/nut milk, or as needed
stevia, if desired

blend all of it up in your high speed blender. add enough water/nut milk to make it all smooth; but not too much because then it will taste watery (as one might guess.) drink!

okay, oh kale

i love smoothies. i love kale. from that you can deduce: i love kale IN smoothies. or maybe not, because i also love garlic and ice cream... hm.

ANYHOO - we are running dangerously low on fruits and vegetables (meaning we have like seven apples) in my house this morning so instead of using a banana i used dates, and instead of fresh kale, i used frozen. it's still from our garden though! it was especially think and cold because everything i put was frozen: blueberries, strawberries and kale. i added ice cold almond milk and it was like a berry milkshake!

not exactly what is going to warm me up on a chilly vancouver morning but i just don't care - it's too freaking yummy to worry about regulating my body temperature. i made extra, so it will be a snack later too...

nevermind. i just drank it. 

berry kale smoothie: makes 5 cups

1 cup kale
1 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
2 cups almond milk
2 large dates

blend it all up. chug. 
actually don't chug it, you will get a brain freeze.

another juice fast

hello, my sweet, plant-loving comrades.

i have decided to go on another juice-alicious fast. why? let's start at the beginning: i didn't tell you that when i THOUGHT i had strep throat and couldn't swallow without flinching for a week... i actually had MONO. it was total agony for seven days and i hope i never go through it again. would've been nice to know what i actually was suffering from...

thanks a lot, doc.

he tells me AFTER i recover... cool. anyways, that's not really relevant but you must deal with it. tough. the point  is - i didn't eat for a week. the first two days i just drank tea, lemon water and miso soup, the remaining days i basically went on a juice fast. it reminded me how much i love juice, and how much i appreciated my previous juice fast (search "juice fast" on my blog to get my posts about it.) it made me want to complete another one.

so i have the best news ever... for me, anyway. 

we (mom and i) have officially ordered our OMEGA VRT350 JUICER!!! i am way too excited about this, people. but as i said to my girlfriend - at which she promptly laughed - "why can't everyone get this stoked about juicing!?" as you may have noticed, i have gradually fallen head over heels for juice. i used to be a smoothie girl all the way. i will always keep a place in my heart for my green smoothies. but i have warmed up to juicing. i used to dislike the absence of fiber but my mind has been changed. taking out the fiber allows for instant assimilation... it is the fastest way to get the highest quality nutrients in the greatest quantity. simply put: it's excellent nutrition in a glass.

we should get our juicer in about five days (fingers crossed, canadian postal system) and then i'm going to sell our old juicer to my friend. at that point she will join me in a juice fast! i am really excited about this because i've only ever cleansed and/or fasted by myself. i think it's gonna be loads better with a partner. i don't want to set a number of days this juice fast will be, but i'd like it to exceed ten days (the length of my last one). we will see. i plan to listen to my body.

i'm going to be reading up on juice fasting this time too. so far i've gotten juice fasting & detoxification, and juicing, fasting and detoxing for life - sound pretty enthralling, huh?

just wanted to give you all a heads up about this! i will be posting recipes for shampoo and conditioner soon, as well as some salads and other raw concoctions that have come from my twisted mind and dutch-inspired kitchen. love all. drink juice.