Wishful Wednesday

A clone for the day

It would be pretty weird, but very helpful to have a clone for the day. Especially when I'm at work. I would want my clone to carry on tidying, sorting out my stuff and arranging everything into neat piles: sell, keep, donate.

Clone Jennifer would not need food or water. Actually, I'd rather send my clone to work because tidying is more fun!

I think cloning is perhaps a bad idea, but the thought made me chuckle.

Jennifer x

Try it Tuesday

Juice feast

I received a suggestion about weight loss, which is to try out a juice feast (still consume high calories but without the fibre of a high fruit diet.) I'm considering it for two weeks before I leave.

What are your views and experiences? I am 60kg, which is the most I've weighed in my life, but I've been stuck on this for over a year and a half now. 

It was inevitable considering the amount of fat I ate in cakes, biscuits and pasta sauces, but it's about time the fat started shifting itself. 

I know people talk about being healthy, but at the end of the day I've only ever had one goal - to be a skinny bitch!

I'd like to hear from you if you've successfully lost weight doing a juice feast, especially if you're female and had a similar build to me (5`6", 60kg, belly and thigh fat!).

Yes I want to be healthy, but I also want to be sleek.

Jennifer x

Make it Monday

Durian "pasta" sauce

Steven and I went to Wing Yip in Manchester today for some frozen durian. We buy it in a packet, but today they had whole frozen durian (5.55/kg) and fresh durian (10.89/kg). 

Steven had the idea to make a pasta sauce as he said durian tastes cheesy anyway. The result was amazing!

Recipe is here

I recommend this recipe. Although we used lemon instead of lime, I think perhaps it would have been better without lemon, but it was still an amazing taste sensation.

I hope you all get to try this one day!

Jennifer x

Shoptastic Saturday

I have been to the wholesale markets in Manchester more recently so I've not been keeping a record of my shop due to storing it at Steven's.

This week we got some really red and ripe tomatoes for £3 for 5kg, the tastiest I've had. Bananas are also really hard to get cheap due to a crop disease so they're £17 a box. I've been going to Aldi and buying two boxes from there instead at 69p/kg (16kg boxes).

Courgettes have been around £3.50-£4 for 5kg and I bought the most gorgeous round lettuces for £3.

I'll be going to the Liverpool market next weekend, I shall report on that next week so stay tuned.

Jennifer x

Favourite Friday

Bank holidays

I love bank holidays! The extra time off at the weekend is such a good feeling, knowing that I can spend as much time in bed or watching films or snuggling up to my loved one.

4 days off :-)

Jennifer x

Think Thursday

Can vegans do more?

Most people I've met on a raw/mostly raw vegan diet say they came to this lifestyle to be more healthy, there are few people who change because of the cruelty to animals, but we all become compassionate some point on our vegan journey.

I (briefly) read an article that says just being vegan isn't enough. The animals will die no matter whether we eat them or not, if they're not used for human consumption they will be used as animal feed.

It did make me stop and think, but we cannot change something overnight that took years to build momentum. 

I do wonder what it will take for all the unnecessary death to stop. Do you think we need to do more than just stop eating and wearing animals?

Jennifer x

Wishful Wednesday

Party

Today I wish for a party.

Before I depart I'd love to get together with my friends and family and have a good party. I want it to involve games, dancing, raw food goodies, laughter, chatter, hugs, memories and love.

I really hope my new raw friends will attend along with my family, so they can see how us fruity people eat (or in most cases devour) our raw fruits and veggies.

I imagine it to be a sunny day so we can chill outside and relax in the sun. I'd love to make it a tropical theme and decorate accordingly.

I hope you can join my party. RSVP now on Facebook or comment on this post.

Jennifer x

Try it Tuesday

One for the girls

Epilators are the most painful DIY way of removing unwanted hair (leg waxing is by far the worst pain I've had, it put me off ever going for a bikini wax!!) but it is the best in my opinion.

I have always been lazy in terms of removing unwanted hair on my legs and armpits, but I find it embarrassing when I'm caught out, so that's why I invested in an epilator. You endure pain for a few minutes but remain hair free for a couple of weeks with an odd top up here and there.

The hairs grow back much differently to shaving and most of the time you hardly notice it has grown back because it is so soft.

It will be my grooming product of choice from now on. Firstly I don't want to contribute to so much waste with disposable razors and secondly because the results last a long time.

My advice is buy a good brand and get it on sale. I bought a Braun silk epil 7 at over half price from Boots, it was RRP £120 but I paid £50, plus I got Boots points. (Prices are from 2012)

They are excellent devices to have, so invest and try it out for yourself!

Jennifer x

Make it Monday

Frickin' sweet lookin' raw pizza

This recipe is super easy, but it's not very quick. When I watched the video on the weekend I was salivating. This is one of the reasons why I would invest in a dehydrator, but right now it's something that I am going to have to dream about...

The only downside to the video is the amount of plugging he does for retreats and other people's pages. If you know how to make courgette noodles you can skip about 3 minutes!

It is worth the watch even if you don't intend to make it because it shows how simple it is to be creative in the kitchen with raw food recipes (even if you have to spend money on a dehydrator!)

This is the result...

...I am drooling all over the keyboard! If you have a dehydrator then please let me borrow it! Alternatively I'll come to your house and make a few to share :)

Jennifer x

Soulful Sunday

Update

I took some time off blogging to try to get my final project for TEFL completed, I'm about 60% done, so I'll aim to finish it early this week. Then it'll be study every night to revise all of the units. 

I purchased a hotel and train ticket to Gatwick Airport yesterday, so all I have left is to buy travel insurance and sort out a bed for when I get to Bangkok. I arrive at 6.30am so I have plenty of time to get lost in the city. I preferably want to be close to a fruit market so if you know of a place close to one let me know soon!

I also purchased a tablet yesterday. I ended up choosing the Asus MeMO HD 7 pad in pink, so far it's good. I'm writing this post on it right now. I think I am going to purchase a case with a keyboard as I cannot read the screen as I'm typing this in landscape mode!

Had a chat with an Australian raw foodist this morning, It taught me to be more prepared for other/future discussions. Every new experience is a tool for us to learn and develop personally. I am grateful for that.

I'm am also organising a bon voyage for 31st May, so if you want to come be sure to let me know. I'm thinking mid afternoon gathering with raw food, music, dancing and party games! It's how I roll :)

Love Jennifer x

Soulful Sunday

For the future, I want to get into meditation and back into yoga, so it's a good job I'm heading to Thailand as I will probably find what I want there in terms of learning.

In the present, I need to practice breathing properly. Apparently I am not breathing correctly.

The past has taught many things and I am grateful for it.

Jennifer x

Facebook 

YouTube  

Spontaneous Saturday

It's official, my flight is booked and I am going to Thailand! 

I logged onto Skyscanner this morning to check the prices for flights to Thailand in June and I got the lowest price I've seen for months, so I booked it. I leave on 3rd June.

I have made a decision to pack light. I will take a regular sized back pack and keep clothes to a minimum. It will be hard but I can always buy stuff when I arrive in Thailand. After all I have no idea how I will react to the weather there. 

The most important item I need to check is food. I will probably fill my bag with dates to keep me going on the plane. I have 1 change and it is in a European country, so when I change flights I shouldn't have a problem taking fruit onto the plane going to Bangkok. 

I will arrive in Bangkok at 6.30am so I shouldn't have a problem getting fruit. 

I just need to complete TEFL, check visas, buy insurance and get some money for when I arrive. I will take GBP to exchange in Thailand.

Woooooooo!

Jennifer x

Facebook 

YouTube  

Favourite Friday

Comedy TV show

One of my favourite comedies ended this month and I think it is one of the best long running shows that has ever been on TV. How I Met Your Mother ran for 9 seasons and kept me entertained over the last couple of years. 

With a fantastic cast and brilliant scripts (often silly, but definitely funny) this show will leave you wanting more. 

If you want a new show to watch then you should definitely check this out. 

Jennifer x

Facebook 

YouTube  

Think Thursday

Should we eat for pleasure of for fuel?

My background is fast food and dining out. I was a sucker for it because I enjoyed the taste in my mouth, even when it was greasy and dripping off my lips... I do not think there has ever been a time where I've had a high fat, oily and calorific meal in a restaurant or fast food chain and felt good after it (I'm talking after 30 minutes+). 

In fact, I suffered from IBS a lot and I'd be shitting my meal out as soon as it had gone in...sometimes I'd be on the toilet during my meal but I didn't want to change my diet because it tasted good to me, and even when it made me feel so ill, I still ate it until I was either full to the point of vomiting or having abdominal pain from bloating.

I have ALWAYS over indulged in food. I used to say to people all the time that inside me is an obese girl waiting to come out, I must have a good metabolism to still be a UK size 10 though, considering all of the shit I've eaten in the past. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of fat on my belly, thighs, arms, chin, breasts, arse, but I am still reasonably slim!

Prepare yourself for my terrible food choices (and for a giggle at past me)... 

  

It may be a vegetable, but when it's dripping in butter it's only place is in the bin!

The best korma I ever had in my life, but the only thing it was good for was easing my constipation hahaha

Wherever there were donuts there was me...

Oh curly fries, I thought you loved me...but you didn't. I should have asked for more green stuff

This was my signature move, ketchup and mayo mixed together to dip the burger and fries into...shame on me, I didn't know any better!

I ate for pleasure. I never even considered that we should eat for fuel. I believe that many people can relate to my ignorance and even agree that they thought the same. Education is so important and we are not being educated well enough as far as food is concerned. Children are taught about farm animals, but when do they stop thinking animals are cute and start thinking they should be eaten?

Why is it so acceptable to eat burgers and fries that are so processed that they can be left for years with little change in appearance? Why do people think that this source of food is acceptable for the body to keep it running, keep the blood pumping, heart beating, brain functioning?

Should we enjoy what we eat, or should we eat for optimal body functioning?

Let me know your thoughts.

Jennifer x

Facebook 

YouTube  

Wishful Wednesday

I have had a pretty decent work day and then I came home and had one of the most relaxing baths I've ever experienced. I was in the tub for 40 minutes and I was listening to a relaxation song on youtube. I zoned out for about 10 minutes, I just got lost in my thoughts and what I was feeling around me, the steam rising into the cold air was mesmerising. 

I felt something I've never experienced before and it was amazing.

I wish you could all experience what I did today. I've never felt so much peace within myself.

Jennifer x

Facebook 

YouTube  

Try it Tuesday

Breathe

That might sound crazy, but recently I have been more aware of myself and how I react to life. I am actually more conscious of how overwhelmed my thoughts make me, so I've started to stop and breathe for a few seconds.

My mind is always on go, if I'm doing one thing I am thinking about the next. Sometimes I think about my travels and wonder where to start (actually I started by renewing my passport so at least that's out of the way!) and then I drown myself in a list of mental tasks and become overwhelmed.

I have managed to conquer this by acknowledging what is happening (the flood of thoughts), I stop whatever I am doing (stood up or sat down with my body still), mentally tell myself that I am overwhelmed and that I need to relax, and then I take in a few deep breaths. I take note of my surroundings and try to feel everything in that moment (by feeling I mean sense wise: smells, hearing, touch, etc)

It's amazing how quickly I relax by doing this. 

Most people, particularly those who are stressed, need to stop and breathe. The world is so fast paced and business orientated that our health is often over looked. Simple techniques like this could really help in those situations.

So when you feel like your head will explode, stop and breathe!

Jennifer x

Facebook 

YouTube