Exciting News!

I am pregnant! I am in awe! That's right, my first high raw/raw pregnancy. Goodness only knows how I made beautiful children the first two times, with what I was eating! This time it's all about how much nutrition I can get in my belly for this little one. I am also far more relaxed about the whole thing so stress hormones are much less this time around as well! I'd let Penni in on the fact that we were going to try for our third baby but have been pretty quiet about it so far as I didn't know how long it would take to get pregnant.

With our first two kids we got pregnant the first month we tried, with both. This time it was month two we got preggers, not bad for a 38 year old I guess. It is still extremely early on, I'm only 5 weeks along and have not shared this info with anyone but my husband, my naturopath, and this trusted group. We will share it with family at Christmas time. We are so excited, as this is something we've talked about for two years now and it is finally a reality! It may not have been Thanksgiving up here in Canada this past weekend, but there was a lot of thanks being given around here, that's for sure.

So far this is what I've been doing for food:

Lemon Water to start off the a.m.
Fruit in the a.m.
Water throughout the day.
Green smoothie for lunch (fruit and green veg based)
Snacks have been nut smoothies (nuts, flax oil, and superfoods etc.) or some raw grawnola
Salad and steamed/baked veg for dinner. Vegan dinner also a couple of times.

I am taking the following vitamin supplements:
B12
Prenatal vegan (whole food) vitamin
Vit. D
Probiotics

Superfoods I've been adding to my smoothies:
Vitamineral Green
Earth
Sproutein
Coconut butter (not sure if it's considered a superfood, but it's sure super tasting)

These are other superfoods I'm taking as well (just ran out of chlorella, so need to order more):
chlorella
chlorophyll

I'm also following Kristen's Raw, as she is about five or six weeks ahead of me in her raw pregnancy. She has done a lot of research, and is writing a lot about what she's doing in her pregnancy. I have also followed Jinjee Talifero since my earliest days of raw, she has had five kids, either vegan or raw vegan.

I've not had any morning sickness with this pregnancy. I attribute it to my supplementing with a B complex and my diet being far better than when I was pregnant the last two times. Last week I heard the heartbeat for the first time, and I almost cried. I've also been feeling baby's movement for at least three weeks, maybe earlier but I thought it was too early to feel anything. It is especially active right after I eat fruit!

Eat Raw, Live Well!

Melinda

Great Martini Party!

Got your attention, didn't I?!

I attended a martini party last weekend, and took with me the following:

1 HUGE pitcher of green smoothie - frozen peaches, banana, kale, 2 tbsp. agave (to make it sweeter for the others) and water.
1 small pitcher of green smoothie - parsley, Vitamineral Green and apples.

Raw chocolate nut clusters - home made
Raw sweet nuts - home made

Two lovely martini glasses.

Well, after arriving with my huge bin of stuff and taking ALL the ribbing for not drinking the martinis, things actually worked out GREAT! I couldn't believe how much people joked with me about being "hard core" with my diet. Why didn't I bring wine, wine's raw (I may have a glass every now and then, but right now, while losing weight etc. I want to abstain). Why don't I just have "one" martini?

Well, as they got tired, and feeling terribly full, I was feeling great. Then, it happened...one person took the chance and tried some of the green smoothie, then another, then another and before I knew it, at 11pm I looked around the room and all 8 had green smoothies in their martini glass except for one! That's pretty good! I know it was late at night, but WOW! I was so happy to see this. Should have taken a photo!!

Not only were they drinking them, but they were enjoying them. I couldn't believe it. They were going back for seconds as well. It was a great night of conversation and because I was prepared (see previous blog post) I was able to stay true to me and help my friends get some quality food into their bellies! :)

Happy Sunday to you all!

Socializing Raw

So, it's that time of year again when we come out of hibernation for about five weeks in the winter! With socializing on an all time high this next while I've been busy in the kitchen preparing some things to help me remain raw while still being able to socialize with my friends!

For example, las Friday night it was off to a MARTINI party! Of all things! I only work part time teaching and never get to socialize with the ladies so I agreed to attend this party but wanted to go prepared. As well I want them to experience some raw goodness while we're there!

So today I was busy in the kitchen making some raw nut/dried fruit clusters. It is completely raw and delicious! I'll post the recipe in the recipe section! I also made some of my sweet nuts as well. These will be nice to nibble on while we drink. But never fear, I will not be partaking in the martinis...instead I will be sipping on my GREEN smoothies that will be prepared just before I go. I am going to take it in a big Mexican pitcher and share with whoever is willing! I'll also serve them in martini glasses just to stay within the theme.

It is good to remember:

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail."
-- Ben Franklin

It is very true in most cases! I love to feel prepared and a little pre planning is all it takes. In order to succeed, we need to take steps that will help us to feel prepared, especially during this holiday season. Who knows, by living our truth we may help someone else find theirs!

Checking in - Finally!

Alright, it's been many weeks and I've yet to write a blog post. During the original RFR I wrote almost every night - and spent lots of time on the site...being a teacher I had the summer off and the luxury of time. Being back at work it's more about carving the time out to look through the new RFR site and revel in the fact that it is such an amazing place to be!

I have been working on my routines, as they tend to help me stay on track. Here's a look at a typical day so far:

5:15am wake up (make my side of the bed)
5:15 - 5:30 eye massage and palming (Bates Method of natural vision improvement) Conscious breathing technique at this time also.
5:30am - 6am guided meditation
6am -6:30am yoga (video at home)
6:30 - 7am - rebound, dry brushing and shower, get ready for the day.
7am-8am - get family ready for the day, laundry load in washer

First thing in the morning I begin with a lemon water. Usually about a litre of water to a half lemon's worth of juice. If I am hungry then I eat some fruit. If not I wait until I'm hungry to have my fruit. Favourites include apples, pears and bananas at the moment.

On my work days I leave for work at 8:15am I teach at a local middle school. I did a green smoothie demo last Friday and it was a hit. We also have Fruitful Fridays where everyone in the class brings in a piece of fruit and we make a Friendship Fruit Salad to share. They LOVE it!

At work I can sometimes come home for lunch and I will have a green smoothie, or else I bring in some nut butter and some banana or celery to much on at lunch. Usually I'll have more fruit for a snack after school.

On my days off I usually play taxi most the day and do our family's shop for the week on Tuesdays. I also spend a lot of time decluttering - decluttering my body has lead to mass decluttering of my home as well.

Each time I eat a meal I do the palming technique for my eyes again, working on improving my vision without surgery - on my own...but there is a practitioner close by who I may be seeing for her 8 week program as she has great success...just saving up the money for it.

Then evenings consist of tidying the house, dinner is usually a salad, or steamed veg (in the winter months) and possibly a vegan soup...I'd say I'm raw about 95% of the time and if I eat anything cooked it's at dinner but it's not much at all anymore. I just feel better raw!

Something I've done differently this last week and a half is going to bed early so that I can rise early. I used to go to bed at 1am or 2am and get up at 7am. Now I'm going to bed at 10:30pm at the latest and it is amazing the difference it has made for me and how I feel. If you can get yourself to bed early I highly suggest it. I've read that the hours you get before midnight count as double!

I also do conscious breathing before bed, more eye massage and palming my eyes and visualization. I find the breathing techniques especially helpful in falling to sleep quickly!! I've enjoyed reading everyone else's blogs on here and apologize for taking SO long to get in on the action. It's Monday and my work week is over due to the holiday on Wednesday and this Friday being my Friday off so I plan to spend a lot of time in here offering recipes, positive comments and blogging!

Hope you all have an amazing week! I'm getting juicy this week, been missing my juice! How's your week been so far?!

Living Simply

When eating simply begins to shape your habits around food, you start to look around you a little more and realize that living life simply is the answer to less stress, more time for quality in our relationships, and that less is more.

Well, I am currently reading, called "Living Simply With Children". A lot of things they suggest, we already do in our family. Family nights, game nights, movie nights, eating dinner together, making time for each other and many more are talked about in this book.

I highly suggest that if you are looking for some great ideas (and resources - suggested throughout the book) then you pick this one up. I know our local library has one but after reading only a couple of chapters I knew that I wanted to have this one to refer to in my home library (nothing grand, just a bookshelf or six throughout the house!).

Check out a sample of the book here.

What can you do to simplify your life today?

Live Well!

Melinda

Kids and Eating at School

I haven't written here in a long while. I find little time for extra-curricular stuff once the school year (and my part time teacher work) starts up. I have noticed a number of things about kids and their eating habits at school and wanted to talk a little about it here.

Before the bell goes in the morning: I see students in the school, snacking on slurpees, pop, candy and the like that they have purchased at a nearby store. When I comment about it, the usual remark is, "Who Cares, it tastes good." They have also mentioned that they need a sugar kick to be awake enough for class, somewhat like a number of friends and family members who need a caffeine kick first thing.

Recess snack: Gone are the days of a piece of fruit for recess. Now it is packaged goods, in wrappers that are polluting our landfills. I too have fallen prey to this as my daughter gets bugged about carrying around her tupperware during recess time when they are playing outside. So, a couple times a week I will throw in something that may have come in packaging...even though it's against my grain.

Instead of going outside in middle school, the kids sit in the classroom, stand in the hall or talk beside the vending machine. So they are eating junk before school, not so great snacks, and getting little or no exercise. Most are driven to school, and the only exercise they get in a day is their Phys. Ed. class.

At lunch, I have to admit that I'm somewhat impressed with about half of the lunches that the kids come into my classroom with. Most are balanced according to the "Canadian Food Guide", and are mostly "whole foods" but still about half of them are certainly not. Two or three come without lunches because they didn't feel like making one. Another five or six purchase their lunches from the cafeteria on average, and the choices there are not great, but supposedly improved from past years. You'll still see yam fries, slushies, and the like as they make loads of money from these things. Yam fries are better than the other fries they were serving only a few short years ago.

Where my challenge lies, is making lunches for my daughter. Although my family is not totally raw along with me, we do eat fruit for breakfast, and I usually give them vegetarian or vegan options for snack and lunch. It's difficult as in most schools, nut butters are banned. I actually asked her teacher if there were any allergies and if not, could she have nut butter and was told yes. I do use raw almond butter, macadamia nut butter, walnut butter also, as peanut butter is not my favourite to give. I also give her sprouts, avocado, salad, plantain chips, and some other "not so mainstream" items in her lunch. From the first day of school, she has been teased about these items and I'm at a loss as to how to change this without giving in to the "norm" for lunches. I see myself asking if "this item" will cause any ridicule, or if "that item" will cause heads to turn. Even with things I thought would not be a problem she comes home saying that she was teased again today.

I have tried to give her the tools to help, and she's really quite good about it, but I know that it's causing her some distress. I asked her how she thinks we can help the situation, and her ideas are great. First, I come to the class and do a raw food lesson with them and let them try the food. This way they will see that her "weird" food is actually tasty (they are not allowed to share lunches in class time due to allergy concerns, etc.). She also suggested teaching the parents at a parent meeting so they could make these foods for their kids. Another great idea. She also wants to open up the "Lizard Sauerkraut Cafe" in our house. She said that she tries to ignore it, but it doesn't seem to be going away. I spoke to the teacher regarding this, and to keep an eye out, but often the teachers are not in the room when kids are eating. She also said that there is no time for "extra-curricular" stuff like a raw food lesson as there is hardly time for the "core" subjects. So I'm kind of at a stand still with this.

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

Love to hear your take on things like this and if anyone else has experienced the same and what they did.

Thanks!

Busy in the Kitchen

So, it's that time of year...in a few months and some of us over at the Raw Food Rehab unit are putting together a little Holiday e-book. I'll let you know when it's available!

In the meantime you can drool over a couple of my possible recipe submissions! The first is the Raw Nogg, The next is a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie and the third is a Minty Dark Cocoa.

This weekend is Thanksgiving here in Canada and I have so much to be thankful for.

In early September we started "Gratitude and Attitude" journals with our kids. Each evening we ask the kids to tell us three things they are grateful for and one thing that they feel they can do better the next day. Some examples from their books include "Thankful for their family, our house, friends who speak nicely to us, their blankie", etc. I noticed that often they were relating thanks for people and experiences, not so much about material things which I feel is great!

Some things they say they can work on are listening the first time when being asked to do something, sharing better with each other, having a positive attitude when we have to leave an activity, etc.

It really has them thinking, and they are very appreciative children. I've also noticed that they are thankful during the day more as well for things that they would normally take for granted. So, on this Thanksgiving weekend, my suggestion to you is to start a Gratitude and Attitude Journal! It's amazing how much we are blessed with and we need to appreciate what we have NOW, and abundance and happiness will find us!

Three things I'm thankful for:

Normal tests that I had done at the Doctor's Office.

Appreciative friends

Children who make me laugh on a daily basis and make me SO proud with all they accomplish.

One thing I can improve on:

Staying calm, at all times.

How about you? What are you thankful for? What can you improve about your attitude?

Happy Thanksgiving!