Day 162

Thoughts: It takes courage to take action. Are you living courageously? Courage, also known as bravery, fortitude, will, and intrepidity, is the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Jiveny Blair-West is an Aussie chick who is committed to living a life she loves and with that she faces her fears with courage. She posted a blog that moved me so much that I wanted to share with you. Enjoy. 
"Love thyself" 
I want to start of by saying, eating whatever I want, when ever I want, sweet or savory, guilt free, used to be an inconceivable, far-off fantasy for me.
I’ve experienced a form of anorexia, which then evolved into a binge eating disorder followed by the urge to purge (particularly once my parents became concerned and started watching my weight). Over the course of 5 years, I was stuck in my head, unhappy with my body, playing a game of tug-of-war with thoughts like: “You’re too fat, time to fast, your’e too skinny – eat!” It was a vicious cycle where I trashed my body in the confusion of it all. Food ruled my life – fucked up. I felt alone, depressed and got anxious at meal times, feeling a need to “prove myself” by eating in public and then mentally abusing myself afterwards.
In the beginning I only found peace when fasting. In the end, I couldn’t go 2 hours without food.
And I know this is not uncommon. It’s sad, but true – most of us have a dysfunctional relationship to food, especially females. I only found out recently that yet another friend of mine is battling with such a disorder…
You’ve heard it a million times as the media point the finger back at themselves – “slim is sexy” in our western culture so show yo’ bones.
While I see the ideals of ‘heroine chick thin’ glamorized by models, I wouldn’t put them to blame solely, rather they are victims just like us. I think the real issue is the lack of uncorrupted info on healthy eating and mixed media messages – this idea that eating processed foods is cool – reinforced by skinny beautiful people, chowing down on junk food.
I’m not going to go into too much detail. You’re either interested or your not. But my point in sharing this with you right now, is this:
I battled with food for years. I’ve only recently found peace and I am astounded by the results. I started eating Raw Foods 2 Days a week about two and a half months ago now. Now I’m at the stage where I’d rather eat raw food than anything. When my diet is 75% raw I’m not bloated and I feel free, knowing that I can eat whatever I want (because I’ve realigned my taste-buds what I want is natural raw foods, which – holy shit - gives me so much satisfaction and pleasure!). I feel more alive and clear minded and in touch with my body again. And it’s not rocket science – raw food is natural and logical. For years indigenous cultures have lived off the earth – without processed foods like breads, cereals, cheese, sausages, chocolate bars and candy – which western society has now normalized.
When I eat raw foods I feel good. And one thing I don’t feel is deprived! I love cooking raw, especially sweet things. I even make raw chocolate – and it’s satisfyingly awesome and guilt free!!!
Anyway, I’m not here to preach. I am a strong believer in each to their own. But I just want to let you know, if you are battling with your own relationship to food, you might want to do a bit of research into Raw Foodism. Give it ago – eat raw one or two days a week for a month and just see how you feel – because that’s what really matters.
I know a lot of you think it’s unrealistic. But it makes sense to me – after all, raw food is real food and the moment you cook your food you are obviously changing it from its original composition.
The bottom line is this: our bodies process raw foods most easily and efficiently. Cooking food (above 46 degrees C) kills many of the delicate enzymes, decreasing it’s nutritious value. Your food becomes “dead organic matter”.
Some of my favorite foods at the moment include ladyfinger bananas, raw honey, organic gala apples, dried figs, dried apricots, dates, raw nuts (almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts – whatever you dig!), raw carrots, raw cauliflower (have you tried it raw?), fresh squeezed carrot/ginger/apple/orange juice, herbal teas, watermelon, nectarines, fresh innovative salads, fennel, avocado…and the list goes on.
But okay, that’s 75% of the time. When I am not eating raw, I’m keeping things simple – eating unprocessed “earth foods” with an emphasis on legumes (like lentils and chickpeas) and roast veggies. You can read more about this kind of living on Liana’s Earth Diet Blog.
I will admit I do eat Organic Yoghurt and Rice Milk a couple of days a week. But that’s okay. This is my creation and it’s working for me.
FYI: Some celebrity raw foodists include…
Donna Karen(Fashion Designer), Alicia Silverstone (Actress-cum-author of ‘The Kind Diet’), Demi More (Actress), Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Rós (Musician), Carol Alt (Supermodel and raw-food author), Devon Aoki (Model), Ginnifer Goddwin (Actress – Walk The Line & He’s Just Not That Into You), Daryl Hanah (Actress/Model), Anthony Robbins (Life Coach, Author and Speaker). 
Links:
Raw Food Explained
Wikipedia – Raw Foodism
We Like It Raw
The Best of Raw Food – Starting a Raw Food Diet
Living Foods – FAQ
Gone Raw – Recipes
The Raw Chef – Recipes
The Raw Chef Blog
The Earth Diet
Good to Know: (in Australia)
Wray Organic’s Cafe (At Indooroopilly, New Market and Palm Beach) sell a selection of freshly made raw cakes by the slice – MMMmmmm!
There is a Raw Food stall at the Byron markets (every Sunday) which sell the most delicious raw food – including pizza, bread and a range of sweet things (including my favourites: raw choc fudge and raw choc pie!).
Fundies in Byron also sell the raw bread which is so SO good!
Woolworths has started to sell Macro wholefoods – and they do an awesome raw nibble mix with sunflower seeds, pepitas, almonds and dried table grapes.
The sushi stall right up the back of the James St Markets (in Brisbane) do a mean sashimi salad (raw fish).
I’m also a fan of the Green Grocer (Boundary St, West End) which sell everything you need to kick-start your raw food adventures, and at a reasonable price – especially when you buy in bulk.
The Saturday morning markets in West end also sell raw honey – so delicious – and organic produce for a good price Anyway, that’s my rant.
Talk to me if you are curious, I’d be glad to explore things more with you"
http://jiveny.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/love-thyself/ 


Challenges: Today was challening! I am cleansing my body from the past 6 weeks of eating cooked foods every single day including eating more meat in 2 weeks than I did in 3 months. I am feeling the effects! I feel low, sluggish, my skin is itchy and dry, I am more tired, I have wanted to exercise less, I have put on weight and I smell. Yep my under arms and poops smell of death. The first few days of cleansing are always the most challenging more me, as I can feel my body clinging on to the pain, to the addiction and the 'need' to have food fufil me, instead of generating fufilment and love from within. I feel like when I eat cooked foods, and especially meats that I expect foods to make me feel good. When I eat raw foods I thank them and bless them and give them a happy home inside my body! And I have never experienced this before, but in the last 2 weeks I have eaten fish, chicken and wild boar and it feels strange now to eat meat. I feel like I am eating something with a personality, a heart beat, a brain, and now it is dead and I am eating it. It is a weird feeling. It doesn't seem so natural for me anymore. 
Triumphs: Today I ate full raw vegan! I got through the day wooo wooo:) 
What I ate today:
Breakfast: A beet, carrot, celery, ginger juice. Strawberries and bluberries. 
Lunch: Raw green snow peas. Avocado with walnuts. 
Dinner: Raw cauliflower. A mango. 
Dessert: Chocolate balls with peanut. 
Snacks: Wanuts. 
Recipe: Recipe for chocolate balls blog Day 115. 
Exercise: A walk around my neighbourhood here in Florida, and 20 minutes of dancing to classic 60's music, moving and shaking my body.