Day 27- Fake food vs Real Food

For the past 27 days I am constantly amazed when I think about the foods I used to eat. Particularly when I think about how often I would eat McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, Whitespot, KFC etc. I am amazed at how often people eat this food without even thinking about a) what it actually is and b) what it is doing to our bodies.

Before I stumbled across The Earth Diet... to be honest.. I never thought much about the effects that processed foods and chemically driven foods can do to our body. I never thought much about how food is actually to nourish our bodies. How does fake food such as Mcdonalds nourish us? It doesn't.

I want to share this video with you... Please watch it! Be amazed!

When I watched this I honestly didn't know what to say. I've heard before about how poeple have kept cheeseburgers and it has never moulded. But what really stuck out to me was when she compared a french fry from mcdonalds to a potato fry that she cut from real fresh food.

Honestly... What is it that they are putting in these foods????? How could people watch this.. or even movies like Supersize Me... and not question what it is the food industy is encouraging us to put into our bodies!?

When I was a regular Mcdonald's customer... I loved it! Don't get me wrong. They put some sort of chemical in their food which causes our taste buds to go wild. The sad thing is, it dampens our taste buds to how great healthy and real foods taste! I never enjoyed vegetables, it tasted bland. But now, everything feels so alive in my mouth and I love it.

I feel like I could rant about this for days... and I will probably talk about this again... But for now I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Much love x

My day:

Breakfast- Banana/mango/carrot/celery/berries/apple/flaxseed smoothy

Lunch- Mandarins, berries, almonds

Dinner- Lime salad and sesame chicken (third night in a row! It's that good!)

Snacks- frozen mango, frozen berries

Day 26- Choices

"Choosing to live your life by your own choice is the greatest freedom you will ever have."

- Dr. Shad Helmstetter -

Today I made a choice. It was a small choice. But in the choice I felt empowered and I felt a freedom. I have discovered that when you make a choice for yourself out of the heat of the moment, when you are not fighting your will, you feel free and you don't feel guilty for that choice.

Tonight Dustin and I went to the movies to see New Years Eve. It wasn't the greatest of all movies, so if you want to save your money maybe wait until it comes out on TV. So, normally when I go to the cinemas I purchase fountain diet-coke and a big bag of maltesers. It has pretty much been a tradition of mine since I was a little girl. The tradition started when my dad picked me up from my after-school activity and he told me that instead of going home he was taking me to the movies! We went to see Beethoven and I remember that we were the only ones in the cinema! I was so excited that my dad surprised me with this movie, and it was just him and I! My brother and sister weren't invited! I felt so special. But the best part of it was when he brought me a big bag of Maltesers. I was so amazed because it was before dinner haha. Pretty much since that moment, I always buy Maltesers when I go to the movies.

As I was saying... it was in the afternoon when we thought we'd go to the movies that night. I didn't feel like chocolate. I felt strong in my will. There were no particular cravings for sugar. I would have been semi-happy with mandarins. But I made a decision that that evening I would treat myself to Maltesers. I decided that once in a while it's okay to treat myself like this. I definitly do not want to make it a habit. But I feel like because I made this choice without any pressure, without cravings... I was able to enjoy that bag of Maltesers, and I was able to stop at that and have no more. I think if I had decided that when I was grumpy, negative and craving sugar I would have felt guilty... defeated... a failure.

Instead, I feel empowered in my choices. I feel strong. I have no regrets. And I'm happy.

My Day:

Breakfast- Pineapple, apple, mango, berries, banana, flaxseed smoothy

Lunch- Mandarins, Yam fries

Dinner- Lime Salad and Sesame chicken! (again! It is so delicious!!!)

Snacks- Berries, mandarins, maltesers

Day 25- Discovery

"But I'm an adventurer. I like invention, I like discovery."

- Karlheinz Stockhausen-

Tonight Dustin and I discovered a new recipe. What I love about the Earth Diet is that there are so many food combinations that I had never even thought possible. I feel like because I have cut out processed foods, my taste buds are able to discover new flavours and combinations that come from fresh food.

I'm discovering that on the Earth Diet I am enjoying foods that I once did not like. I used to not like mushrooms, celery, brocolli, beans- and now I enjoy it all !

I want to share this incredible meal that Dustin and I had tonight! We found the recipe on The Earth Diet website. The photo I am providing is also from the website. So full credit to them! And I strongly encourage you try some of their other recipes too! So far each thing we have cooked from this page has been amazing!!!!

Lime Salad with Sesame Chicken

Serves 2

Ingredients:
-Baby spinach
-Lime
-Free range organic chicken
-Garlic
-Fresh or dried rosemary
-Honey
-Olive oil
-Sesame seeds

Action:
1. Put baby spinach in two bowls and squeeze lime juice all over it!
2. Cut garlic into small chunks, cut chicken into cubes
3. Heat pan with olive oil, add garlic, fry for one minute
4. Add chicken and cook until it has just turned white then add a couple tablespoons of honey and fresh rosemary. Use as much or little as you like depending on taste.
5. Cook chicken until ready then serve over baby spinach
6. While the juices of that are drizzling over the salad, toss sesame seeds for a couple minutes in the pan and then serve on top!

If you have any great meal ideas, please share! I'd love to try some of your favourite recipes!

Love to you all. x

My day:

Breakfast- Ginger/Carrot/Celery/Apple/Banana smoothy

Lunch- Poached eggs, avocado

Dinner- Lime Salad with Sesame Chicken

Snacks- mandarins, frozen mango, frozen berries

Day 24- Sick

Today I had a sick day and didn't go to work. I spent most of my time either sleeping, talking on skype or eating. 

This will be a short one, but I just want to share my experience after having a carrot, celery, ginger and orange juice. Pretty much immediately after drinking it I felt like I had a big power punch to my immune system. No joke. I stumbled into the kitchen, made my juice, and as I was drinking it I felt the juice literally fight off any sickness that was in my body. I felt 75% better than I did before I drank the juice. 

I still opted to spend my day in bed though! haha. But anyone who knows me know that I love sleeping. 

So keep in mind, when you are feeling sick, remember that foods have the ability to heal your body! 

My Day:

Breakfast- Carrot/Celery/Ginger/Orange juice

Lunch- Poached eggs, sauteed veggies, potatoes

Dinner- Carrot/Celery/Orange/Ginger juice, green beans

Snacks- Carrot/Celery/Apple juice ! 

Day 23- Creativity

"Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experience."

-Masaru Ibuka-

As I continue on the Earth Diet I am learning that it does not have to be boring or bland. I think a lot of people have perceptions of what eating from the earth would look like. That it is tasteless, that you're limited and that you cannot have fun in the kitchen.


I hope that this post will inspire people to try The Earth Diet and to know that it's more than just eating raw carrots and having extra fruit in your diet. That there are so many recipes and food combinations for you to try. Before I started this I had no idea that I could make chocolate mousse using ingredients such as avocado and cacao powder! 


I've been doing a lot of research on the internet, particularly about eating raw foods. There is so much variety!!! We just have to take the time to learn how to make it all. 


I often mention a cafe that I go to regularly. Gorilla Food. I love it! The vibe in the cafe is amazing, the people are friendly, and they have so much variety of food and drinks to eat. It inspires me to know that I could make this myself! That our food does not have to ever get boring! That we do not need to eat processed foods to be able to have a good time. That there is more flavour and taste and texture in Earth Foods! 


I'm only new to all of this, there is so much for me to learn. But I have to not be afraid to try. As soon as I am home in Australia I plan to buy a dehydrator. There are so many amazing recipes using a dehydrator! And the best thing is, when you use the dehydrator you keep all your nutrients! So everything that you eat will provide and nourish your body. I love it!


At Gorilla Food there is something that I love to eat there. It's called a Pesto Pizza. I desperately want to learn how to make this! I want to point out this food and to share with you what ingredients are in it. To maybe inspire you to also be creative and to want to learn how to make all these wonderful food combinations! Pesto Pizza tastes amazing. 


Ok here is the description for the base/crust of the pizza:
Dehydrated, wheat-free and gluten-free sprouted sunflower seed, buckwheat and carrot, flax seeds crust. 


And the topping:
Topped with a savoury sun-dried tomato sauce and a smothering of aromatic hempseed basil pesto, generously sprinkled with a walnut "cheez" crumble and fresh tomato slices.




Yum !!!!!!!!! It is SO good!!! I just wish they would give me the recipe !!! haha! 


So enjoy being creative and learning! Don't ever think that this lifestyle will be boring! 






My day:


Breakfast- Carrot/Celery/Apple/Ginger juice


Lunch- chicken and asparagus


Dinner- Pesto Pizza and Chocolate Hempseed pie (guess where from!?)


Snacks- Bananas, apples

Day 22- Deadly donuts!

Stomach cramps

Pimple break out

Sluggish

Puffy face

Tired looking face

No glow to my face

Gassy

Itchy

Fatigued

All because I caved in and ate one donut.

I'm actually quite excited by how I'm feeling. I'm kinda thankful that I had a donut this evening. Because now it makes me realise just how bad processed foods are for my body! I feel terrible! Next time I look at a donut it isn't going to look appetising anymore. I'm going to remind myself of how I felt immediately after I ate it. It didn't even taste that good! 

Here are some videos that Liana and Sarah Mae posted when they also had a day of eating processed foods. It is amazing to see that it is the same sort of effects!!! 

And, if like me, you crave the occasional donut maybe you should check out The Earth Diet donut! It's found on The Earth Diet website. Perhaps I should listen to my own advice and learn how to make it!

My day:

Breakfast- Poached eggs, tomato, avocado

Lunch- Celery, carrot, banana, strawberry, pineapple, apple, flaxseed smoothy

Dinner- Chicken, asparagus

Snacks- bananas, mandarins.. and a Tim Hortons donut!!! ugh!

Day 21- Weakness

"Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness."

- Jean Vanier - 

I really don't want to have to write this post. I have been stalling for it all evening. For the past 21 days I have been doing so well. I have felt so strong within myself, I have felt energetic and great. I have felt like I would never want to not eat foods from The Earth. 

Today has been the most difficult day. It was excruciating. Painful. I felt so weak and so human (ha! I am human). All I wanted was a cheeseburger and an ice cold Diet coke. 

At work we had a Team Day. Which meant we were locked (okay not literally locked), we MET in a booked room in the community centre. We spent the whole day together, planning and doing team building exercises. And on the table in the room, our manager provided us with snacks and drinks! There were cases of soft drink... including Diet Coke... chocolate muffins, pastries and other sugary snacks. Oh, and tiny minuscule apples. I brought with me almonds and mandarins, but it was SO painful being able to stare at Diet Coke ALL DAY. And to have people offer me one! And to watch people drink it! If you are new to reading this blog, you can read about my Diet coke addiction here.  

Finally lunch time arrived. It was catered. The food choices were sandwiches, veggies with ranch dip and fruit. Longingly I looked at those sandwiches! And watching everybody devour them. I opted for the veggie with no dip. But it was one of those pre-packaged party veggie/dip mixes. The carrots aren't the best, the broccoli was limp. But I forced it down. And I had a big bowl of fruit. The fruit was definitely not organic and definitely filled with pesticides. By the end of the day my lips were stinging and itchy and cracking!!! UNBELIEVABLE! This makes me want to do some research on the effects that pesticide ridden fruit can have on your body (or lips in my case). 

By the end of the day I was starving and headachey. All my co-workers were going out for beers and I decided to join them. I wasn't in the mood to drink so I stuck with water (all the while desiring Diet Coke!), I was having fun until everybody decided they were hungry. That's when the plates full of burgers arrived! My goodness! No joke, with the way I was feeling I almost burst into tears. 

I then left and caught the bus home. On my way home I begin to text message Dustin telling him that tonight we were having cheeseburgers. I also mentioned in the text message "F%#@ The Earth Diet" (very ashamed to admit this). He wrote back "WTF". And then he said "I'm not letting that happen". When I was walking home from the bus stop we spoke on the phone, I was almost in tears.. I felt so weak (physically and emotionally), headachey, and complacent. He told me under no circumstances we were going to have McDonald's. I wanted to punch him in the bloody face. 

Eventually, I make it home and ran myself a hot bath. Dustin arrives home and cooks me dinner (Earth Diet friendly, awww), he then hands me a Kit Kat (oh-oh). He told me that he loves me so much, that I had gone 21 days without processed foods, that I was doing fantastic, that he was proud of me for getting through the day and that he felt that I deserved a Kit Kat. As he handed it to me he said that this does not mean I'm allowed to go out and buy more, and that my next Kit Kat I will have to wait for another month! He is so sweet! There was a part of me that didn't want to take the Kit Kat because I survived the day... but it was just so sweet with everything that he said to me. I ate the Kit Kat and entered heavenly goodness. I broke the Earth Diet!!! 

Guys, I promise you, no more Kit Kats for awhile. I'm going to try not to feel bad about this. Tomorrow is a new day. 

If anyone has any encouragement or advice for me I would love to hear from you.

Love you all and good night x

PS.. I should probably mention that a big lesson I learnt is to be more prepared when I know I'll be in situation like this. But how do I fight the temptation!? The last thing I wanted was more fruit (granted, it was pesticide ridden and resulted in sore lips) and raw veg. 

My Day:

Breakfast- Celery/Carrot/Orange/Apple juice

Lunch- Raw mixed veg, pineapples, melon, kiwi fruit, mandarin

Dinner- Chicken, asparagus, potato

Snacks- Kit Kat, almonds, mandarins