Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

Sorry... haven't posted in awhile.

Anyways, my final exams are almost OVER! And I am so excited. Lately (as you could tell from my posts) I've had the case of winter blues; basically I was down-in-the-dumps for no good reason. What can ya do.
Well, this week has helped me get out of that a little. For some reason the universe chose to give me a great mood and a simple, wonderful day! Ironically, it was looking to be a bit of a bad day.

I had to wake up at the unimaginable hour of *gasp* - 7:00 AM. I know, I know. It's insanity. Keep in mind I am just not a morning person, never have been. Night time is my love. As is chocolate, and cats... but back to the point. I had to get up that early for my math exam (yuck). But that's when the day took a turn for the better. The exam went great! I feel awesome about it. Plus since I got up so early, I got to see the moon slowly going back to sleep in the sky until the next night, as the dark winter morning turned lighter. Beautiful.

Then on the way home from my exam, I saw a coyote running through the forest! I saw it as a great sign, a blessing. I wonder what he's doin' now... I literally couldn't stop smiling at that point =D

Then I got home, did some house chores, and listened to some classical music. I started making more christmas presents for the fam (shh don't tell... oh wait, they can read this) and just sat around, watching the trees and birds. Ahhhh. Frankie FINALLY says relax ;)
I've been having so much trouble with that lately. It's crazy... because I think of myself as the calmest, most laid back person I know... and I think all my loved ones would agree.

All I do is meditate, practice yoga, and eat fruit. 

But since university it's been a little hectic =S
POINT BEING: I am back, Chill World (fingers crossed?)

Now onto what you're actually interested in: FOOD. Because - let's be honest - I'm sure my personal level of mental and physical activity and daily chore regime is not that exciting.
Onto the yumminess. (I don't provide the recipes here, but if you email me I can get them for you!)



I admit, I haven't made anything too exciting in a few days, but I did bake an apple pie! =) And the other day my mom made a wonderful vegan feast to say goodbye to a swiss guy who's been living with us for months. It was bountiful. I love life.

Well... that was easy!

I was contemplating going a few more days this morning, but I decided against it for family reasons. My parents worry. I understand why, but I know myself better than anyone else does so I know what's best for me!

I would say yesterday was my best day. I was very uplifted, spiritually speaking; and experienced several personal insights. Physically, I had tons of energy and hardly needed any sleep. When you aren't concentrated on food, it frees up a lot of time and energy that you can focus on other things. For me, I focus it on inner knowledge, personal development, spirituality, and I do this through meditation and dreaming.

Speaking of dreams... during the fast I had pretty unusual dreams (for me) and not in a good way! They were all fairly dark and negative. I don't view this as a bad thing. Balance is always needed and 99% of the time I have great dreams, so as well as with other detox symptoms, strange dreams is one I experienced. I look at it as repressed emotions unveiling themselves and being eliminated.

The only thing I really did not like about the past 3 days was my body temperature. I was cold! I used to always be slightly cold. It got worse when I went raw for the first time. That was a year ago. Now I'm always slightly WARM! It was a great transformation. I was basically never cold, no matter my environment or clothing. Raw vegan super powers? =)
But after beginning my fast, I got cold again! I know it's just my blood going away from my skin towards my internal organs, to do some serious house-cleaning. Now that I'm eating other foods again however, I am back to normal. So nothing lost, a lot gained!
 
As gar as food goes: I began the day slowly with a grapefruit a few hours after waking (after a bunch of water of course), then some more fruit later. I know I should've stayed totally raw and quite light all day buuuuuuut  things don't always go according to plan =S 
I went over to my friends house later and ate some couscous sushi. Delicious and mostly raw so I don't feel bad. But still, my body probably would've preferred nothing. Ah well. No biggie.


I'm not sure when I'll begin my grapefruit fast, but it will most likely be soon.
As much as I'd LOVE to say "I'm gonna stay totally raw through the holidays" - I know I'd just let myself down, ha ha.
I love baking so I'll be making all sorts of delicious wholesome goodies, plus I'm sure my mom will make a bunch of vegan dishes for Christmas. I can't resist! So some serious cleansing before and after will be perfect. And at the end of the day, some whole wheat cookies and steamed veggies aren't bad for me, they allow me to share those moments with my family.

I don't think Christmas would be quite the same if at Christmas morning, my family is all sitting at the table eating our traditional cinnamon buns while I crouch in the corner, sipping my green smoothie...

It's situations like that that keep me eating a percentage of cooked food =) And it's NOT A BAD THING. I need to keep remembering that, because sometimes I get carried away with raw foodism. It's not a religion. I won't die if I eat cooked food! >.<

Hey guys. Today's the third of my apple fast. I feel okay.
I think tomorrow I'll start eating other food again. I'll start with a green smoothie (YAY! I miss you, smoothies!) and then later probably have some raw soup... mmm =)

I've been looking into doing a grapefruit fast as well. Same idea, but instead of apples - grapefruit! I love grapefruit and I've read about some really amazing results as far as detoxing goes. Apparently it's supposed to help get rid of cellulite as well, but this isn't really a concern of mine... I'm 18 and pretty fit if I do say so myself.
I'm sure my parents won't be happy about it, but then... like I said in my previous post: you don't understand the philosophy and effects of fasting/cleansing - until you've tried it!

Anyway for now, my apple fast is almost done, and I feel better in general. I'd like to do it longer but my parents get worried. It's okay, I'll do longer cleanses when I move out!

Speaking of which... I have a great idea for my house when I move out. You'll love it. I'll write about it tomorrow! 

I wrote my final this morning and felt great mentally and physically, not weak at all, as my friends and mother were worried about. The third day of fasting is often my fave =) And this is one of the shortest fasts I've done. Because usually towards the end, it gets kinda hard because you really wanna eat. But since this one was only 3 days, I know I could go several more days.

When you fast, the thing people might think is the hardest part is hunger. Ironically this is the least of the discomforts. After the first night you really don't feel hungry at all. It becomes a feeling of lightness, clarity and cleanliness.

Yes, depending on the day and length of the cleanse/fast, you might feel weak sometimes, or even lightheaded.This doesn't sound good. But no pain, no gain!  

Having said that, there ARE many ways you can do a fast wrong, and it can be VERY dangerous. So please know what you're doing before you begin.

Some other things you might experience are a runny nose, headaches, weird body odor, sweatiness, feeling too hot/cold, unusual and strong emotions, and others.

Basically; these are all signs of detox - so be happy!  Generally speaking, when your system is digesting food, it's eliminating toxins. So when you fast it gives your body the best chance at detoxing as much as possible. It's kind of a dream come true for your system.

Your body is having to stir up all those built up toxins (including repressed/unconscious emotions, as strange as that sounds). When they're stirred up, you feel them! Also, your body is trying to get these toxins out in every way - through your skin, nose, and the main exit, if ya know what I mean. Everyone poops =)
Of course, use your common sense. If any of these symptoms persists or gets really serious, talk to a professional and stop fasting for now. Get informed before  you fast.

Alright, I'm gonna go enjoy my last apple now! Around the dinner table with my family. I think they're having a beef casserole. Ah well, it's local, humane and organic meat. So I don't have a problem =)

Today is going well so far. I slept a looong time (13 hours) because classes are OVER! Yes! One month holiday break, baby =) Having said that... my Philosophy final is tomorrow =S

So after my restful slumber, I drank a ton of water as usual, and studied a little until I was hungry. Then I ate an apple! Later my friend came over and we studied together... then got tired of it and watched TERRIBLE "reality" television. It is amazing how weird people are (we watched My Strange Addiction), you won't believe it.
I had a couple more apples throughout the day and will probably have one more before the day is done, along with some tea. It goes without being said that I'm drinking buttloads of H2O. At least a gallon of water per day, if not more. It's crucial to ANY FAST or CLEANSE.


I feel good. For me, with the previous fasts/cleanses I've done (usually smoothie/juice fasts), the first day is the hardest. It's so easy to think "meh I don't feel like doing this anymore..." and you also feel a little weird and weak: your body's like "hey, what're doing?!". But by the second day I feel good and proud of myself. Unless you've fasted before... you can't really understand the emotional side of it.
You know your body is being given a chance to do some major de-cluttering. Spiritually, you feel freed and lighter. Emotionally, it's also a time of de-cluttering, emotions you don't usually feel come out and are eliminated. Mentally, you have this sense of clarity and pride about what you're accomplishing.

At the end of the day a challenge is always good, if it's not seriously harmful. Even if you don't love it while it's happening, you're so proud when you're done. Moreover, you appreciate your blessings that much more. Do I want to eat the AMAZING smelling lentil-veggie soup my mom is making for dinner?

HECK YES!

(Darn you, mother. She decides to make delicious vegan meals both of my fast nights so far... Yippie.) 

But ya know what, I almost always get to eat whatever and however much I want. This is great, and I'm thankful. But once and awhile you need to fast. Be it from computers, tv, sugar, solid food, ANY food, or whatever! If you're Christian, you should be familiar with Lent. Though I'm not religious, I believe in the idea behind Lent. It calls for people to give up something they love for a period of time, so they can appreciate it more and realize their blessings.
It's the same philosophy here.

On top of that, there's the very important health aspect. You give your system the opportunity to finally get rid of all that build-up and whatever else is stuck in you. It's a total detox.

Bottom line: fasting is healthy for anyone. It doesn't have to be for a month, or even a week; and it doesn't have to be from food.
It gives you a chance to clear your mind, body and soul; as well as learn to appreciate things you take for granted.

Today so far is fine. It was SFU's last day of classes, not including finals. So THAT'S something to rejoice about. I need a break.
I feel okay at the moment, a little tired but that's because I AM tired, and I've only eaten 2 apples today =S Not enough, even for a cleanse. I'm gonna go snarf down another as soon as I'm done writing this. I'm drinking tons of water, as usual. This is really important for pretty much any kind of cleanse/fast I can think of.

I had a lovely walk around our yard and took in the beginning of winter: manifesting itself in the crisp air, curled up brown leaves and flowers, stiff vines, icey pond surface, and the quiet; as nature gets ready to hunker down for another BC winter.
It was sunny today, but I'm really hoping for a storm! They are so fun. On Christmas morning I'm secretly wishing for a crazy blizzard to whip through here. =)

I also had a relaxing, much-needed bath, accompanied by some nice music. You can never go wrong with a hot bath and your favourite calming music. Never.
I am not a shower person =/
OH! And I started watching Modern Family! If you don't watch this show... you SHOULD. It is so funny. My friend and I are gonna get caught up together (it's on it's 3rd season) and I probably won't have to do abdominal workouts anymore because we will be laughing so much. 

Now, I guess I'll eat another apple and (ugh) study more philosophy...  I can't wait til the exam is over. I love what we learn about but it does make your brain kinda tired. So much remembering; something I am not good at.
Thanks for listening to my ramblings. And don't fret! I will be making delicious raw desserts as soon as I'm done with the cleanse. I have thought of lots of great recipe ideas... just you wait ;)
Peace out until tomorrow!

*Sorry this post is a little long... I ramble. 

Hey all you good people. Lately I've been feeling a little down, partially because the term is ending and finals are coming up; and also because life just hasn't been that interesting lately!
Don't get me wrong, because you probably just did. I mean that in a special kind of way. Life is ALWAYS absolutely fascinating, miraculous, exciting, sensational and dynamic - it's amazing!

BUT in another kind of way, you also have your own life, in your house, at work and school, etc. See what I'm saying? Life as a whole is forever incredible. But my own specific life, as Emily von Euw in Burnaby... is a little less exciting than the life of the universe as whole. Although, I could even disagree with that and say everyone's own single life is just as intricate, interesting and important... but for the sake of this post, I'll keep it simple.

I am bored.

And I  don't GET bored! So it makes it that much worse. I feel like nothing exciting or new has happened in awhile.
Mentally:  I haven't had enough time to think about things (philosophize) as much, so I am not as in tune with myself as I normally am. I don't like this. I always need to be thinking, and it messes me up when I can't!
Physically:  I've also been too busy to focus on my food and body. Again, this is unusual for me and I am not okay with it. I've been exercising and eating well, that's not the problem. But my mindset has been pretty apathetic about the whole thing; like I don't really care. 


I suppose you could sum up my attitude and behavior of recent weeks as unmotivated.
It's not that I'm depressed or anything dramatic like that. Quite the contrary: I'm just flat out bored! Bored of my diet, bored of my exercise regime, bored of school, bored of (dare I say it?) my friends...
For that last one, I still love all my friends and family to pieces. Really I do. But I want someone new to come into my life, that's all I'm saying. =)

I think the holidays are definitely going to help with this. That includes the one month break we get as well. YES!!! I'm looking forward to making presents for all my friends and family, decorating, thinking of amazing raw dishes to make for the season, maybe meeting new people?
I also need to remember: this is how I work. I go through waves of mindsets. Usually  I am a very happy girl, sometimes a little dark/sad, and sometimes just unmotivated!


I wrote WAY more than I intended to, sorry =S
But there's something liberating about writing all this down... even if no one reads it. Ha ha.
This brings me to the actual TOPIC of this post: my apple cleanse!

As said, I want something new and refreshing to mix my lack of excitement up. I've decided to go on an apple cleanse for a few days. Why? After I fast or cleanse I feel renewed, lively, and totally motivated in life. So it's actually the perfect thing for me to do in this case.
Plus, we have barrels of local organic apples in our garage, which we pick up via CSA box every two weeks. They are outta-this-world delicious of course, but we can only eat so many!
So we've got a bunch extra right now. I think I'll bake an apple pie as well. But right now we don't have Earth Balance and I don't want to work with dairy butter.
Don't worry, I'll also make a raw apple pie - they are SO GOOD.


All of the above withstanding: an apple cleanse is the perfect solution to my present boredom dilemma. And when I'm finished with it - I'll be on holidays!
I think I'll go for about 3 days or longer, depending on how I feel. I'll probably eat around 10 apples per day (or more, or less!), again it depends on how I feel.
For my workouts, I'll mellow them out a LOT, and just do yoga and some trampolining each day.

So that's that! We'll see how this goes.

I've made raw hot chocolate (I'm just gonna call it hot chocolate, okay) before so I know it's delicious. But I guess tonight the universe just wanted it to taste more out-of-this-world decadent than normal. So it did! I also haven't made it in awhile, so it was extra yummy.

This hot chocolate warmed me up and was the perfect accompaniment to the cold winter's night AND for the lame 90's movie I watched - Clueless. DON'T YOU JUDGE ME. I am not embarrassed to admit: I love this movie and have watched it at least 3 times. Don't worry, I otherwise have very good taste in cinematography.

So indulge in this wonderful winter treat, without the guilt! No sugar, no dairy; just healthy fats, cocoa and spices. You won't believe how yummy this is. And easy to make in big batches for the whole family around the holidays =) Enjoy!