Power of Now

83.5kg. So I've plateaued, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does probably reflect the fact that I haven't been very diligent with what I've been putting in my mouth. Too many exceptions add up into having a substantial overall effect. I can feel it.. my gut lets me know when I'm messing with it too much.

I can see my Eating Pattern more clearly now. I eat mainly raw (at least 2.5 meals) then I get lazy and bored, start telling myself it's ok to have those few bits of cooked food my family is eating, or that handful of roasted cashews.. I go out and end up eating a fully cooked meal or snack. Then I start feeling guilty about it (which is something I must NOT do) and motivate myself by watching Raw videos on Youtube (Sexy Bitches Like it Raw! Ani Phyo!) or re-reading my Raw books, and also making up my own new dishes in the kitchen. And I eat well for a while before the cycle begins again. Emotional issues also have a big say in how I eat.

So.. how to get out of this habit? Diligence. Self Restraint. If I want to Eat Cooked because I crave it, I Restrict myself to the following:

1) Steamed/ Boiled Vegetables like Cauliflower, Broccoli, Sweetcorn, Carrots, Snow Peas etc
2) Steamed Okra with Raw Thick Soya Sauce (Yes I found some!)
3) Boiled Long Lettuce or other Chinese Vegetable with a bit of olive oil or raw garlic
4) Steamed Tofu (the homemade type)

I think these are all very reasonable things to eat and have good nutritional value. I still crave noodles (a lot!) and rice (very rarely), but not bread. I used to be obsessed with bread so I'm glad that is over!

One of the other problems I have is not having prepared myself enough in the kitchen- i.e. having the staples readily available. It's a bit hard as I'm not living here permanently and don't have all the equipment I'd like.

I'm also wondering what it'll be like in Taiwan. I'll certainly need to buy myself a juicer when I get there. The area I'll be living in, Ilan County, is famous for its fresh green vegetables grown by small farms and usually organic, so I will have no problems getting my greens! Which is fabulous :)

Having said all that, I'm also thinking about Organic vs Local and educating myself a bit more on that topic, to start having real knowledge about what to buy and what not to buy. Raw is fabulous for our bodies but one has to now also consider the environmental impact of our choices at the supermarket/ grocery store/ market... it's not just about ME anymore, it's about US and the planet.

The last week has been relatively good, except for some cooked meals here and there. I've been eating lots of seaweed, sprouts, red cabbage and the usual vegies (cucumber, tomato, beetroot etc) in different combinations. I'm trying to lay off the oils and avocado, and also the nuts because I think I overdo it sometimes.

I made this fabulous Cashew Cheese again (from the Beetroot Ravioli recipe) which I've been using in Nori rolls and as dressing. Last night I used Cos Lettuce (as I can't seem to find collard greens) to make Mediterranean Dolma Wraps with the following filling:

- Sunflower seeds + Pepitas (can use pine nuts instead)
- Dried Cranberries (can use raisins instead)
- Avocado (can exclude)
- Goji Berries
- Sundried Tomatoes
- Pinch of Salt
- Lots of Fresh Dill!
- Olive Oil/ Flaxseed Oil or anything you like really!

Mix together, put on large Cos Lettuce leaf (you need to break the hard stem down the middle so you can roll it) and roll. EAT and enjoy! It's really a great and quick meal.

We also had some local cucumber sliced up to be dipped in Homemade Ginger Sauce with Sesame Seeds/ Ao Nori and fresh red chilis (which we grow on the balcony). The old Pineapple/ Cucumber/ Chili or Capsicum/ White Onion mix with a sweet dressing (very asian) is still a favourite.

In the last 3 weeks I've been forcing myself to get back into Doing Regular Exercise because honestly after New Year it all went downhill and there were two week periods of absolutely zilch physical exercise and weeks where I'd only exercise once. I did start getting into swimming which has been helpful (and man have I become unfit in the water!) and now I'm back to 3 times a week, even 4 sometimes (either swimming, cardio + weights, a Body Combat class or 2 hour yoga classes). I still feel this isn't enough because the rest of the day involves me sitting on my ass at the computer- not much incidental exercise at all (I used to do A LOT of that.. I lost 5 kg immediately on starting as an intern). I still can't run very far!!

So that's where I'm at right now. I need to just keep going and motivating myself, and not being too hard on myself when I give in to the taste buds. I'll get there eventually!

xoxox
M