rawktober: day nine

I've got herpes.

- insert awkward pause -

     Sheesh, guys, chill out! I can see you freaking out over there, desperately dragging your mouse towards the close button on this open tab before you catch the virus via computer screen!!! Eeeek!!! What I mean is that I've got the gene for mouth herpes- in other words, I get cold sores. Yes, they're ugly. Yes, they hurt. And Yes, it sucks. But no, they're not contagious unless you also have the gene. For me, there's a few things that trigger my cold sores: stress, sleep deprivation, weather, and, of course, contact with someone who's got one. Since I'm obviously oh so painfully single at the moment, the first three factors must've set off these babies I've been sporting since yesterday! Wheee! ...not. Any of you that get cold sores know how big of a pain in the ass they are. I'm not even gonna start my rant. What I am going to do, however, is share a recipe for the scrumptious meal I prepared for myself this evening in honour of the offensive sprouting going on on my labium and of my sovereignty at the dinner table (aka life). 

Read on for the recipe as well as some tips on dealing with labial herpes (bro, I feel ya)

rawktober: day eight

The past week, I've been feeling super dehydrated even though I've been consistent with my water intake. Still speculating whether this may be a sodium deficiency or simply detox?
     Anyway, look how pretty amaranth is! I had no idea it was such a beautiful plant until today, courtesy of UBC Farm. Hope y'all enjoyed the beautiful day; bottoms up on your green smoothie to that!

Continue for smoothie recipe...

rawktober: day seven

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YOU KNOW IT'S A BAD DAY WHEN YOU PUT YOUR BRA ON BACKWARDS AND IT FITS BETTER.

unknown

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I don't wear bras. Firstly (and perhaps sadly?), because I don't need one. Secondly, because they're uncomfortable. Thirdly, because they're are hassle to remember to put on and take off. And lastly, because I just don't want to. A MindBodyGreen article I stumbled across today confirmed my decisions- bras aren't that great for you, anyway, apparently. My mum has been preaching to me for YEARS about how saggy my breasts (what breasts, mum?) are going to get in the future if I continue not to wear bras, but hey, according to numerous sources that include MindBodyGreen and LiveScience, wearing a bra should by no means be a necessity. If anything, it could even be more detrimental to our body than advantageous. Have a read, and unclip that shit gurl!

     Since you're probably busy burning your bra collection, here's a quick and easy salad recipe you can throw together for dinner.

rawktober: day six

I guess I haven't really been talking about how I've been feeling since starting this rawktober cleanse, have I? Of course, I can't be sure if the two are related, but I definitely think I've been having some detox symptoms including headaches and fatigue. But maybe I could just be having a slight hangover today... Hmm. On the flip side, my poops have been RAWSOME and frequent. I know we all feel uncomfortable talking about these things but hey, it's an essential part of our lives! Why so awk?

     In a nutshell, I've been eating, pooping, and sleeping a whole lot. How about you? Do you feel the detox?

     ANYWAY, today I'd like to share a recipe for bbq cauliflower bites.

rawktober: day five

I know my posts have been a day or two behind schedule but hey, it's hard to post every day! With school work and the raw food prep (and getting offered free, good-quality beer?) I've been doing, I hope you can understand.

     I feel like I need to tackle the issue of going out whilst on a raw food diet. Yesterday was my childhood best friend's birthday, to be celebrated at the infamous Cactus Club restaurant, and I was faced with the unavoidable scenario of having to go out for dinner with him and his friends. Although I felt uneasy at first, I decided that I couldn't simply chicken out - he would appreciate my coming even if I didn't participate in the eating (which saved me some $$$ too!). So, I ate a big raw dinner before he picked me up, and simply conversed sat at the table with his friends without ordering anything. I sensed out the crowd and, feeling like they wouldn't be the most open to my lifestyle, decided not to talk about my "weird" vegan diet, not to mention my month of raw foods. Conversely, my best friend, who told me is awfully impressed with my rawktober challenge, chose to flaunt it for me. "Olivia's vegan, and she's only eating raw food," he gloated for me. The girl sitting across looked up at me from her burger - wiping a drip of mayo off her chin, - uttered "ew," and continued eating. 

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NEVER WASTE YOUR TIME TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHO YOU ARE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO MISUNDERSTANDING YOU.

dream hampton

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Now, I'm not saying that we should hide behind the safety of our blenders at home and avoid any potential such situation! Don't let the fact that you choose not to eat certain foods restrict you from going out with friends to restaurants. If appropriate, use it as a tool to inspire others and share your knowledge and experiences. On the other hand, there are simply (and this is the sad truth) some people who chose not to open up to novelties in terms of eating. I could rant about this for hours, referring to more traditional folks like [my] relatives or some a**holes whose life goal seems to be to put every vegetarian down, but I just ran out of carrots to snack on and I'm getting antsy.

rawktober: day four

    Today, animal rights advocates in China, Spain, and India portrayed the farming and animal slaughterhouse industries with their bodies in recognition of #WorldAnimalDay. Too graphic, or a good wake up call? What are your thoughts? For more pictures, see here.

rawktober: day three

By the time I get around to blogging, my energy has wound down a couple hundred notches for the day and I want to do is send you all zen vibrations. Although I swear, this morning, I was thinking up some pretty passionate topics to share with you! Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, who knows), I'm drawing a blank. Nevertheless, I've got some fun facts on H
2O. Did you know that 40% of water bottling companies that claim to sell mineralized spring water are actually just purifying tap water? (here's the trick: a gallon of tap water is valued at about $0.02, whereas bottled can be up to $8.26) Who knew, even companies like - gasp - Dasani have been ripping us off for our water! In 2004, Coca Cola confessed that Dasani had been selling tap water in disguise for 3000% more than its worth. Luckily for us, tap water is actually required to be continuously monitored by the EPA, whereas the FDA only regulates about 30-40% of bottled water! (Sage)

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IF THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU CAN BET THE WATER BILL IS HIGHER.

unknown

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I loooove my water. I'm ALWAYS carrying around my bottle, and I'm more inclined to forget my cellphone somewhere than my Nalgene (true story)! If I don't get at least 3-4 litres in per day (excluding all water intake through various foods, eg. fresh produce) I feel incredibly dehydrated. And since thirst lags behind the body's actual need for water replenishment, it means business. How about you? How much do you drink in a day?

rawktober: day two

     I woke up this morning at my usual early hour with my head still pounding from yesterday's overload. My house freezing, all I wanted was a big hearty bowl of piping hot chili. Instead, I grabbed 3 bananas and a jar of almond butter, set the kettle, curled up on the couch with a blanket and watched as the rain ceremoniously pissed on my lawn.

     It was decided. I wasn't going to leave my blankets today. I filled my trusty hot water bottle, made an extra litre of tea, and proceeded to do absolutely nothing for the next few hours. Except make raw sushi. And go for massage therapy. And get a [de]coffee. And read intermittently. It's been a soul-healing kind of day. Maybe I'll even have a bath, and maybe a sneaky glass of wine... or is that pushing today's self-care levels off the charts?

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I’VE LEARNED THAT YOU CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT A PERSON BY THE WAY (S)HE HANDLES THESE THREE THINGS: A RAINY DAY, LOST LUGGAGE, AND TANGLED CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS.

maya angelou

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rawktober: day one

     Today went more smoothly than I thought. A 13 hour day at school, with one midterm in the morning and the other late at night? I didn't think I'd have the energy to resist non-raw campus food and carry around my own 3 meals all day. Alas, I pulled through. Now, a warm cup of tea and off to bed to soothe my pounding brain.

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A COMFORT ZONE IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, BUT NOTHING EVER GROWS THERE. 

unknown

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prepping for rawktober

Hey guys! Just so you know, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth- I've just been out travelling for 4 months, and spent the last month getting back into the routine groove. But I'm back! 

While I was drifting off to sleep the other night, I decided I needed a change. Something to help me jump back on the health-conscious bandwagon (which I've been unceremoniously slipping off of during my adventuring). I thought, rawktober. Now that sounds cool. No, it sounds cheesy and ridiculous and so very me. So here we go, I'm commiting to a month of eating live foods. Join me, and let's make it fun times for all of us! (Oh, yeah, I've even gotten around to the whole #rawtkober on Tweeter. psh, I'm no noob anymore! By the by, here's a link to my account, follow me, I'm new!)

The most important thing whilst embarking on a raw food diet is planning. You don't want to be stuck with a burning hunger or low blood sugar with nothing but processed food around you! Sounds like a recipe for disaster, in my case at least. It's essential to remember to EAT, and to eat everything you need to be eating. Don't restrict yourself to munching on raw fruits and veggies. Keep your fat intake at a healthy level with avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters and oils. You CAN eat grains and legumes, you just have to sprout them! Raw food doesn't have to be skimpy. It is rich, energizing, and satisfying. You just have to know how to go about it.

I've put together a list of basic food staples that are going to come in super handy in the kitchen for the next 4 weeks. Make sure your home is stocked with [some of] these essentials so you don't experience a "there's no food!" crisis mid-week. Alter according to season and preference:

FRESH FOODS:

apples; bananas; plums; pears; grapefruit; oranges; grapes; lemons; tomatoes; cucumbers; celery; cabbage (savoy, green, purple); avocados; leafy greens (kale, swiss chard, mustard greens); eggplant; mushrooms; cauliflower; broccoli; cayenne, bell, poblano & jalapeno peppers; fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, mint); root veggies (ginger, turmeric, carrots, beets, yams, garlic, onions - red, yellow, green), squash (zucchini, spaghetti, acorn); frozen spinach; frozen berries; wheatgrass shots.

PANTRY::

almonds; cashews; pecans; sunflower & pumpkin seeds; sesame seeds; nori sheets; quinoa; wild rice; buckwheat groats; oats; tahini; apple cider vinegar; dates; dried fruit; raw chocolate; kelp noodles; maple syrup; honey; coconut oil; COCONUT & CACAO BUTTER (nom!).
ADD-INS:
nutritional yeast; maca powder; cacao powder; bee pollen; spirulina; chlorella; acai powder; dulse flakes; spices.