Beyond The Body (My Journey of a Plant-Based Diet)
This is a longer article from the archives of my computer files. It touches on some things I have talked about in previous posts and articles, such as the catalyst for my vegan journey and the relationship between creativity and a plant based diet, but also some new things that I haven’t previously written about before but have featured in talks and and interviews I have had with some of the people featured.
I have been plant-based since late 2011 and this story documents so much of that journey, and why for me it’s always been about so much more than the food on my plate.
I wasn’t sure what photo to use to accompany this piece… but as the ‘gateway ‘ was a Nakd bar, I thought I share one of the first recipes I ever made for my blog. My family call these ‘smoosh bars’ although now I more commonly roll the mix into balls and refer to them as bliss balls… if you have been following me on social media for a while you’ll know I still make them regularly (usually weekly!) to this very day.
Read the original post with recipe (note I have since simplified the recipe, scroll down for more bliss ball/bar recipe ideas)
I want to tell you a little story.
A moment in time, that became the gateway to my plant-based vegan journey. A moment that became my gateway to understanding that a vegan diet was not just 'kale and cucumber'
In 2010 my life was incredibly ordinary. Everything was very mediocre. Not bad, but really not great either. Towards the end of that year I met a guy, a vegan guy.
One weekend on our third date, we went for a walk around a park which led into the town centre where the office building of the company he owned was based. We had grabbed some lunch from the supermarket and were debating where to sit and eat it. He asked if I'd like to come up and see his office as it was on the 12th floor of the building and had a great view over the town. It would be empty and we could sit and eat lunch there.
He was right, the view was amazing.
He took a ‘Nakd bar’ (equivalent to Larabar in the US) out of his carrier bag and I looked over curiously, since I had already finished all my food! Breaking it in half he held out his hand, with a bemused and slightly quizzical look on his face.
"It’s just dates, nuts and cocoa all smooshed up together…it tastes exactly like chocolate”, he told me.
"Yeah right" I smiled back.
But I very was curious, and to be honest didn’t want to offend since it was only the third date and all! So I took it.
Mind blown. It DID taste exactly like chocolate!
In that precise moment in time, as I sat on a chair on the 12th floor of an empty office block with a guy I barely knew… my entire life changed. In that precise moment I realised that a vegan diet was indeed about more than just kale and cucumber... I was holding the proof in my hand!
I still vividly remember thinking, 'maybe this guy is not so crazy after all!'
At that time veganism was not at all mainstream (I’d even had to ask him to explain to me exactly what it meant!) Vegan food options were not widely available and Nakd bars were pretty much the only type of vegan treat you could buy, and only typically available in health food shops. Plus they were very expensive!
From that moment forward my curiosity got the better of me.
I made vegan cakes and cookies that he could eat at every given opportunity. I went and bought a £20 food processor on Amazon so I could make my own chocolate ‘smoosh bars’. It wasn’t until about nine months later than my ‘Including Cake’ recipe blog was born, by which time I was now totally immersed, following a 99% healthy, wholefood plant-based diet myself and seeing so many shifts in all areas of my life- physically, mentally and spiritually.
In conversations with others, I often refer to myself as an 'accidental vegan', since it had never even been on my radar. Life simply presented me with a guy, who happened to offer me a piece of chocolate Nakd bar one day and in doing so turned my world around,
Over the last ten years since that moment (as of 2021), I have grown and evolved so deeply and I attribute so much of this to shifting to a plant-based wholefood diet.
I often talk about nutrition being the gateway to our optimal self, because it literally creates the foundation for the journey, it provides us with the building blocks at a cellular level.
Of course I appreciate there are many of interpretations of a ‘healthy diet’ but my focus here is specifically my experience of the benefits of a plant-based diet and not only my experiences, but those of so many clients, colleagues and friends around the world who have shared with me their incredible shifts too.
Let’s first consider some of the fundamental benefits of a plant-based diet in relation to our physical wellbeing.
In removing the animal products we create a more alkaline environment, which is often referred to as the ‘healing diet’. One of the things I personally noticed almost immediately when I’d made the shift was that the speed of muscle recovery after heavy gym training was significantly improved, there was less inflammation in my body and so less muscle soreness.
Reduction in inflammation across the body, enables the muscles to work more efficiently with less energy expenditure- giving us more energy to use elsewhere.
That is also referred to as ‘high net gain nutrition’, where we are spending a small amount of digestive energy for a big nutritional return.
We are in the age of discoveries, yet so many people still suffer an energy crisis - they are constantly fatigued, susceptible to tension and anxiety, disease and depression. People seem to vary between complete disregard for what they eat and a fanatical obsession with proteins, vitamins, minerals and calories. As a society we have disregarded going back to basics. Back to abundant plant-based wholefoods.
We don’t even have to eat a lot of food to be well nourished, in fact it’s the nutritional density that matters, that is the ratio between the amount of calories in a given food to it’s nutritional value- vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Brightly and intensely coloured fruits and veg are highest in antioxidants. We want to consume as much of each nutrient relative to the amount of calories. If we base our diets on the nutrient dense plant-based wholefoods, we’ll be sure of getting the highest level of nutrition in.
Another noticeable sign very early on in my transition, was my increased energy and reduced need for sleep. I’d literally be bouncing out of bed early in the morning, something that had never happened before! When we eat alkaline foods overall nutritional stress goes down which also reduces the levels of cortisol- the stress hormone, enabling higher quality sleep.
It was experiencing positive physical changes like this, that gave me huge motivation to continue the exploration.
Shifting across to a mind-body viewpoint, a wholefood plant-based diet, by its very nature means that we are eating closer to the Source. The more refined and processed the foods we eat, the more we are travelling away from the original source, and so arguably the energy from the ‘life source’ is reduced. This effect is even more dramatically enhanced when we shift to a more ‘raw vegan’ diet also known as a ‘high vibrational’ or ‘living food’ diet.
A high vibrational diet is described as a diet consists of foods that are ‘alive’ and that positively benefit the person, as well as the planet as a whole. High vibration means having more light, and thus less density. Plants exemplify this by photosynthesizing light into energy.
Spiritual nutrition also ties in with the idea of eating closer to source. Originating in Buddhist and Hindu communities is the idea of ’Ahimsa’, where the wellbeing of everything that is related to the food itself is considered. It is though that a more plant-based diet offers access to the higher self. Mahatma Gandhi was a great exponent of ahimsa, saying, “The way to truth lies through ahimsa.”
Recently, I spent some time living with a number of different spiritual communities around the world, all of which followed a plant-based vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. It was fascinating to observe the ways in which their diet and lifestyle was so interconnected.
In speaking with a resident at one of the centres I stayed at, he talked of a deep sense of wellbeing and a knowledge that “Every day I am living and eating with a purpose that extends beyond myself.” I found myself nodding and realising that for me too, there is so much truth in that statement.
Prior to switching to a plant-based wholefood diet, I had not considered myself a particularly spiritual person, yet now these were the people I was drawn to and most resonated with. I also found that the ethical side and ‘wider view’ of a vegan lifestyle was slowly beginning to catch up with me, and link arms with the nutritional standpoint that had first caught my attention and lead me down the road in the beginning.
As my fascination with a plant based-diet grew, I found myself more and more drawn into conversations with others who had found themselves on a similar path, often triggered by very different start points.
I began a series of interviews as a platform for sharing the stories of those who have created powerful transformation in their lives through plant-based nutrition as the gateway to change. Nutrition is a powerful catalyst... but, as I soon discovered, it is just the beginning. It creates a threshold to allow you to step more powerfully into your own story of wellness in ways you would never have thought possible.
The first person I interviewed was a guy I met whilst in Portugal. He’d turned his entire life on it’s head, leaving the UK and his successful building company to set up an off-grid community and retreat centre in the Portuguese mountains.
I was fascinated as to what triggered this. He told me that it was through years of battling debilitating Crohn’s disease that at times almost killed him and according to the medical profession was ‘incurable’, but was then totally cured by switching to a plant-based whole food diet as a last resort. What began as a ‘30-day plant-based challenge’ following advice from a trusted friend turned into his life’s purpose.
What is fascinating is that he also realised that after about six months of being fully plant-based, the asthma that had plagued him his entire life, with attacks often landing him in hospital, had totally disappeared.
He told me; “My whole life has done 180 degree shift, most of my friends back home don’t know me any more. I am a better version of myself. After the initial 30-days I wanted more, what else could I do? The next thing was yoga and meditation, what could I do with my body and mind. I had been a typical gym lad, wanting to build big bulky muscle, and so yoga could not have been a bigger shift for me. I began questioning everything else in my life. I went with what felt right for me in my heart”.
Whilst the stories of those I interviewed could not have been more different, there were some fascinating patterns that quickly began to emerge.
Another lady, now the creator of a healthy food and lifestyle magazine, told me; “You start on the journey with what you’re eating but then your mind opens up and you find your intuition becomes more empowered as your nutrition improves.”
Another interview alludes to this same sense of mind-body shift;
“Two weeks after going vegan the eczema that had plagued me for years just disappeared. The fact that I saw the physical benefit straightaway gave me the motivation to continue. After a few months had past I noticed I had not had a single depressive episode or self harmed. I would say that through a vegan diet I am completely cured of depression. I feel content and grounded in myself.”
In all my conversations, the sense of ‘expansion’ was very apparent and also very much part of my own story.
Once we stop and question something so integral such as diet, something that is so deeply conditioned to be perceived a certain way in our society, and we realise there are other solutions… it creates a cascade of questioning. The better we feel the more we question and the more in tune we become with our inner knowing.
Very soon another question began to rise within me.
Does a plant-based diet increase your innate creativity?
This had been something I had been feeling for some time. When I made the shift to a plant-based wholefood diet, my own creativity skyrocketed. I had always been a creative person in the traditional ‘arty’ sense, but now coupled with the questioning mentality, my creativity and curiosity knew no bounds.
I also had a sense that creativity and a sense of wellbeing were inextricably and powerfully linked. Indeed, a quick search on-line brings up numerous articles and research literature on how being more creative improves our mental and physical health. This deeper approach to well-being is often described as "eudaimonic well-being" and focuses on living life in a full and deeply satisfying way.
Creativity is fundamental to the experience of being human.
The deep connection between creativity and meaning was noted long ago by the creativity researcher Frank X. Barron. Through his pioneering research on some of the most creative people of his generation, Barron came to realize that creative people have the remarkable capacity to become intimate with themselves. According to psychologist Ruth Richards, they “dare to look within, even at one’s irrational and less conscious material, including one’s ‘shadow’ materials”. Richards refers to this capacity as “courageous openness".
As Richards puts it, “A creative style of living, coping with difficulties and weaving possibilities, can not only produce useful accomplishments for self and world but can offer the creator new resilience, perspective, aliveness in the moment, joy, and purpose in life.”
In the words of Brene Brown; "Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world." I see creativity as giving yourself permission to see things differently. Tilting your perspective, maybe mere millimeters, to create the world anew and shine a light into previously undiscovered corners.
For me the shift is primarily two-fold;
Once we go against the norms and think outside the box in terms of what we put on our plates, it opens up space to question the world beyond the confines of society’s expectations and gives us courage to step into our authentic truth in so many other ways.
Alongside this, the nourishment for our body through eating closer to source creates a ‘lightness’, an increased energy at a cellular level and something of a spiritual connection within, although I didn’t realise this initially and still find it hard to put into words today.
I decided to reach out to see if others shared my thoughts and feelings around a plant-based diet and innate creativity. I put this question out to various plant-based communities:
“Do you feel as though your creativity, spirituality or personal development has increased significantly since switching to a plant-based vegan diet?”
I received an overwhelming majority of ‘Yes’s to my poll, approx 70%. Some beautiful comments were shared which strongly reinforced for me this powerful dietary link and mindset catalyst.
Here are some of the words that were shared:
“Yes! absolutely it has! I have been vegan just over a year and it has had a positive impact on all areas of my life. I think on a deeper level, I am more connected to the earth and I am more peaceful. I have had more creative ideas and energy to make them a reality.”
“I went vegetarian the beginning of last year and have gone vegan this month, I have to say my creativity has increased! I am drawing and painting again, something I haven't done in a long time. Also in the way I am being creative in my wardrobe and dressing more how I want too!”
“I am much more creative since going vegan. I'm not sure if it has to do with nutrition as much as living a more authentic and value based lifestyle. It has pushed me out of the dissatisfied way I had been living. I'm also more fearless, I try new things all the time. “
“A vegetarian for 30 years, I then embraced a raw vegan lifestyle about 3 years ago which totally changed me. I suddenly felt connected with the earth, with nature, with life in a way I never had before. Alive, creative, excited.... It was transformative! 3 years down the line I don't eat a wholly raw diet any more, I eat a mostly vegan diet (eggs from my pet ducks when they're laying) but with a high proportion of raw because when you eat raw foods you really feel the life-force, the energy, of those foods going into your body and it's wonderful.”
“I can certainly relate to this. I’ve metamorphosed from a bored meal provider into an enthusiastic, energetic and lovable (well my family believe so) server of wholesome foods. One’s creative energies seem to open up in so many areas of one’s life.”
“Yes, not only in cooking but other ways too. I always have been the type to look outside the box anyway, but this perspective on life has changed the way I look at things even more.”
It’s not just feedback on social media that align with this way of thinking. I dug a little deeper and found various articles also alluding to this sense of creativity and connectedness.
Back in 2008 Steve Pavlina wrote a long article focussed on ‘diet and energy’. It document’s the authors thoughts around his shift to a raw vegan diet. He states, the most significant and biggest change was definitely increased creative output.
“I feel more creatively inspired than ever, so I’ve been doing more creative work than I used to, shifting between blogging, speaking, journaling, business planning, concocting raw food dishes, and other outlets. I now feel very uncomfortable if I go more than a couple days without creating new material. It’s like I’m overly aroused with creative energy and feel compelled to express it.”
I was also fascinated by the question he asked in the article; “Are you resisting a more energetic state of being?
“If you improve your diet and then feel much more energetic (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually), how will you channel all that extra energy? Where will you direct it? How will you use it to fuel greater creative output?
I think those questions need to be addressed before you’re ready to make the shift. Otherwise it’s too easy to fall back into your old comfort zone.”
This is fascinating to me, and something I had never before considered in that light. When I work with coaching clients or speak with friends who are struggling with aspects of their nutritional journey, or indeed any aspect of stepping up and changing their life for the better, the idea that clinging to our comfort zone, or as Steve put’s it ‘resisting a more energetic state of being’ begins to make a lot of sense.
Whilst we all, no doubt, want to achieve a state of optimal well-being, we also need to be ready for it. No more hiding behind the stories we tell ourselves that keep us playing small.
I believe there is a powerful truth in the ‘knowing’. That when you know more; when you have experienced it in the heart of your being, then there is no ‘un-knowing’.
Exploring Veganism and a plant-based diet goes beyond the body and expands the mind in so many dimensions, and a mind expanded cannot return to it’s old dimensions.
NOTE: This story was first published in 2017 in Athena Publishing: Your Well-Being. A book that showcases wellness, nutrition, alternative medicine and natural health therapies that improve the quality of life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Snickers Bliss Balls
You know I am a bliss ball lover right? If you’ve been in my world for more than a millisecond I’m pretty sure you do ;-)
I even wrote a whole recipe book dedicated to them… and it’s only £4!
Just sayin’ ;-)
Anyway, I was feeling in the mood for something munchy and sweet. Ok, basically I was procrastinating. (procrastisnacking- Is that a thing?)
Earlier I had found a bag of unopened red-skinned peanuts in my pantry and evidently they were on my mind since the idea for chocolate peanut bars was the first thing that entered. I have made a similar recipe before and formed them into bars then dipped them in chocolate BUT that was messy and took longer. This time I added cacao nibs (you could use dark choc chunks of you had some) and blitzed those in too.
Easy peasy, chocolatey, peanutty…
If you are a chocolate and peanut lover I highly recommend you give these a go this weekend!
Recipe: Snickers Bliss Balls
Ingredients:
1 cup peanuts
1 1/2 cups dates* (packed)
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tbs peanut butter - optional but good for all-round texture!
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup cacao nibs or chocolate chunks
Optional- a few drops caramel essence if you have it (I use Foodies Flavours buttery caramel!). Or use vanilla extract.
Method:
Bake the peanuts at ~180C for 5-8 mins until just golden and they smell good! - they do burn quick so be warned a d keep a close eye on them!
Meanwhile, add the dates, cocoa, peanut butter, salt and caramel/vanilla flavour to a food processor and blitz until the mix is blended down and a little sticky- you’ll likely need to add 1-3tbs water as you blitz.
*If your dates are very hard you may want to soak them first and drain them well before blitzing (you probably won’t need to extra water this way)
Once the nuts are roasted, add them (skins fine too) along with the cacao nibs and pulse through to chop/mix in well to reach desired texture.
Roll into balls or bars and chill in the fridge.
You could go one step further and drizzle or coat them in dark chocolate for a more snickers-like experience!
Note: if you are using chocolate chunks wait until the nuts are cold before you mix them through otherwise the chocolate will melt everywhere – unless that’s what you want! 😉
You could also make this recipe with other nuts of choice such as almonds or pistachios - ideally match he nut butter to the whole nut.
Christmas Wreath Cheesecake! (with so many options!)
I recently took a trip to Spain to soak up some winter sunshine and do some work without the distractions of my kitchen. I have lots of travel plans for next year and this was something of a trial for a location independent work life.
That meant as soon as I landed back in the UK… I was straight back in the kitchen to unleash all that repressed kitchen creativity, ha ha
This was something of spontaneous unplanned creation, although the idea was triggered by a toffee wreath sponge cake in the Ocado Magazine. I veganized it, healthanized it, changed up the flavour and tuned it into a cheesecake. Nothing like the original really!
I recently took a trip to Spain to soak up some winter sunshine and do some work without the distractions of my kitchen. I have lots of travel plans for next year and this was something of a trial for a location independent work life.
That meant as soon as I landed back in the UK… I was straight back in the kitchen to unleash all that repressed kitchen creativity, ha ha
This was something of spontaneous unplanned creation, although the idea was triggered by a toffee wreath sponge cake in the Ocado Magazine. I veganized it, healthanized it, changed up the flavour and tuned it into a cheesecake. Nothing like the original really!
What I love about this recipe is the pure versatility…
you can make your own plain cheesecake base or if you are pushed for time buy a plain one and focus on making the bliss balls decorations.
you can use any cheesecake recipe you prefer (if you have a tried and tested version you love- just go for that!)
you can make it any flavour you fancy - I went for gingerbread but any festive theme (or non-festive) would be awesome.
You can make the topping ahead of time and then decorate your cheesecake last minute for a super speedy show-stopping dessert.
So have I got your attention yet? :-)
Below, I have provided the cheesecake recipe I used if you want to try it, but as I mention above the main focus of this post is on the decorations, so you could literally use any plain smooth topped cheesecake base you like.
I kept my bliss balls plain for a ‘simple’ understated cake but after I made it I remembered my ‘bliss baubles’ from previous years- they would look absolutely epic on this cake! (Why didn’t I think of that at the time!!)
I developed the ‘baubles’ for a brand so I don’t think I showcase them on my blog at the time - but the concept is simple. Toss desiccated coconut in a little turmeric, greens powder and beetroot powder and roll the balls in it to get a pretty multi-coloured batch!
Recipe: Christmas Wreath Cheesecake!
Makes an 8’ cheesecake
Cheesecake Ingredients:
Base*
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup nuts
1 tbs coconut oil
Cheesecake
1 cup water (separated into 2 x 1/2 cups)
1 tbs agar flakes
1 cup cashews (soaked overnight in cold water or for a couple of hours in hot water, then drained)
1/4 cup syrup of choice (I used coconut)
2 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs lemon juice
1 heaped tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp mixed spice
*NOTE: I found my base to be quite ‘bendy’ so it wasn’t as easy to remove from the pan as I would like. (But maybe that’s just me being clumsy as most of the recipe I have looked at use a similar base type)
Method:
Add the base ingredients to a food processor and blitz together until quite fine and clumpy. Press firmly into the bottom of a spring form pan (lining it may also help- optional). Set aside.
Add 1/2 cup water with the agar flakes to a small sauce pan. bring to a boil and then simmer for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, blitz the remaining ingredients together in a food processor until thick and smooth (you may need to scrape down a couple of times). By this time the agar should be ready. Add this to the food processor and blitz for a further 20-30 seconds until the mixture is as smooth as it can be.
Working quite quickly (because the agar will begin to set) spoon/pour the mix on top of the cheesecake base. Tap the tin gently to smooth the top and get rid of any air bubbles. Once cooler enough place the cheesecake in the fridge to fully set (an hour or so).
Meanwhile, make the bliss ball topping as directed below.
Bliss Ball Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup dates (use medjool dates if you haven’t got a powerful food processor)
1 cup dessicated coconut (or nuts of choice- cashew/almond/pecan or a mix all work well)
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp mixed spice
handful of goji berries and pumpkin seeds for additional decoration.
*Remember you could use any flavour here or a mix of flavours - e.g orange, cherry bakewell, chocolate, vanilla would all work well depending on what base favour you opt for!
Method:
Blitz all ingredients together in a food processor. The mix should be soft and clumpy and easy to roll into balls. Using your hands, roll into balls of various (fairly small) sizes.
If choosing to decorate as multi-coloured ‘baubles’ - dust a little extra desiccated coconut with turmeric, greens power and beetroot power (plus blue spirulina if you can get your hands on it!- any other colours?!) and roll the balls in it.
Allow them to chill and firm up whilst the cheesecake base firms up.
Once ready to decorate, place the balls gently in a mix of sizes around the perimeter of the cake top. Sprinkle goji berries and pumpkin seeds as desired in the gaps as ‘foliage’.
NOTE: you could make these ahead of time as they will store in the fridge for a couple of weeks. They transport well too if you needed to take them elsewhere to a festive party and decorate a cake there!
The entire assembled cheesecake will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Did you try it?
I’d love to see… tag @johodson on Instagram with your creation!! :-)
The Festive Recipe Bundle!
A ‘Bliss’full Christmas?
With the festive season fast approaching… I had a slightly spontaneous idea to create a festive recipe bundle including a new version of my ‘top 5 recipes’ with some new favourites I have created since the first edition.
I coupled the Christmas Recipe Guides with my favourite Bliss Ball Guide (featuring loads of recipes that haven’t appeared on the blog) because, for me, Bliss Balls are the perfect Christmas homemade gift… so many of my customers and friends will likely attest to that, ha ha!
A ‘Bliss’full Christmas?
With the festive season fast approaching… I had a slightly spontaneous idea to create a festive recipe bundle including a new version of my ‘top 5 recipes’ with some new favourites I have created since the first edition.
I coupled the Christmas Recipe Guides with my favourite Bliss Ball Guide (featuring loads of recipes that haven’t appeared on the blog) because, for me, Bliss Balls are the perfect Christmas homemade gift… so many of my customers and friends will likely attest to that, ha ha!
‘Printables’
The fun bonus with these ebooks is that they are designed such that you can print them (ideally on card), cut them along the dotted lines to keep on hand in the kitchen OR even better, use the recipe card as a gift tag when you present your homemade gift… that way your ‘giftee’ can make the recipe again for themselves. Fun, right? ;-)
All the recipes are vegan (of course) gluten free (some use oats so opt for GF versions) and refined-sugar free… so you have an indulgent Christmas without compromise.
*Note… I don’t want to imply that there should be any ‘food guilt’ I aim to inspire your creativity with food NOT make you feel bad about food! So go full out and eat sugar and refined foods if you want to, I just know many of us feel so much better in mind and body when sticking to mostly whole foods and unrefined ingredients if there is the option, and so if that’s you thing… I’ve totally got you covered!
The whole bundle is just £5…
You can buy it HERE (or click the pic below!)
P.s I’d love you to tag me on social media in any recipes you make - Instagram is my favourite hangout- I’m @johodson over there :-)
If you don’t fancy getting the guides right now, you can still get lots of recipe ideas right here on my blog… Here are a few to get you going!
My top #Rawgust meal ideas & raw banana bread recipe!
It's coming up to the end of the month. The end of August.... and therefore the end of #Rawgust
I didn't announce it directly on my blog (kept that to social media) but I made the decision on the last day of their life to give Raugust a go - that's raw vegan for the month of August. My boyfriend was also up for playing along which helped!
It's coming up to the end of the month. The end of August.... and therefore the end of #Rawgust
I didn't announce it directly on my blog (kept that to social media) but I made the decision on the last day of their life to give Raugust a go - that's raw vegan for the month of August. My boyfriend was also up for playing along which helped!
I felt very unprepared and aware that it may not run perfectly or smoothly but that's ok. It was the spontaneity that spoke to me in the moment when I saw a post by the Ethcs crew that I really resonated with.
Having spent time at Raw Fest on the last weekend of July, and more recently exploring the connection between a plant-based diet and our innate sense of creativity for my forthcoming book, I am learning that a raw vegan diet has the potential to bring you even closer to that connection with self, with source, with nature.
My good friend Rhiannon Van Der Griffin recently shared her raw journey with me a part of my book research and I was inspired more than ever to try it for myself.
In moments like this I come back to this quote by Matt Cutts. It's simply about getting curious to explore what becoming the very best version of you could look like. For 30 days.
So how did the month play out for me?
NOTE: more in depth update in this post!
Well, I admit I wasn't perfect. I wasn't 100% raw. Probably about 85% in reality.
One of the biggest reasons for wanting to do it, was to increase my repertoire of raw meal ideas for the future, and that I did for sure. In particular, raw sauces, dips and dressings for salads can REALLY make a salad.... it doesn't often matter what veggies you have in the bowl if you have an incredible sauce to smoother them in, right? ;-) Make enough for the week and you have easy meals lunches you can make in moments.
I am going to put together a separate post sharing a big roundup of raw recipes from a vegan community I am part of, but for now I'd like to share a few of my favourite discoveries and tips.
I'd also love to hear about your own 'raw' adventures...
Whether that might simply be incorporating a green smoothie each day, or a raw lunch Monday to Friday, or more raw snacks. It's not about hitting 100% perfect, what works for you?
Have you felt any benefits going more 'raw'? Or what are you currently struggling with?
My favourite things to make...
Raw sauces etc (as noted above) - make a weeks worth.
Deyhdrated flax crackers which are great as a snack in the go, as cracker as a 'bread substitute' and also as croutons in a salad when sliced into tiny squares- recipe here
Bliss Balls are also an obvious go-to, BUT I did have a tendency to eat a lot of them and then be too full for a massive salad- ooops!
Courgetti- spiralised courrgette and carrot for a fun pretty bowl. Also great with the chunky bolognaise- see pic above - recipe to come.
Smoothies of all kinds - green, berry or banana and raw cacao for a chocolate hit!
Overnight oats - this one is a little contentious as to whether it's actually raw, since rolled porridge oats are technically heated in the rolling process. But this was often nice to wake up to instead of smoothie or fruit bowl in the morning, or as lunch on the go.
Mushroom curry - so easy and so good (see pic above) based on this recipe using cashews.
Lettuce wraps with a peanut satay dipping sauce (technical the peanut butter component wasn't raw) note: gem lettuce leaves work best- those in the picture were from my veggie patch.
Still a few more days of #Rawgust to go, so I will see what creations catch my eye- I will be back with more raw recipes here soon!
For now, I'll leave you with this recipe for a raw banana bread... I totally made this up as I went along, but it worked so well as a spin-off on a bliss ball style creation.
Recipe: Raw Banana Bread Slice
Ingredients:
2 bananas
2 tbs flax seed
1 cup dates
1-2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup nuts- chopped (I used macadamias*)
1/2 cup nuts- ground (I used pecans*)
pinch salt
* I loved the flavour and texture of the chunky macadamia pieces, but I imagine cashews or almond would also work well. Any ground nut could be used.
If you want a more intense 'double banana' flavour, try using dried banana pieces (not banana chips) instead of dates - or half and half.
Method:
Blend the banana with the flax, cinnamon and dates until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well to form a stiff slightly sticky 'dough'. (I pulsed the mix together in a food processor but you could do it by hand).
Form into a log on a liner and chill for at least an hour to firm up. Once firm slice into pieces and serve. Store in the fridge for up to a week. This freezes well too.
NOTE: It makes about three times the amount shown, but I gifted most of it to my boyfriend before I had a chance to shoot it ;-)
Bliss Baubles... fun Christmas gift (and the Ultimate Guide!)
At the beginning of this month you may recall I launched a simple advent gratitude challenge on Facebook. I've been feeling festive now that all the adverts are on TV and the countdown to Christmas is in full flow... I am also feeling very reflective and setting in motion what I want to create in 2017! Maybe this is what triggered the gratitude challenge.
I also ran another 'Bliss Ball' workshop a few weekends ago (we also had one on my last two retreats) and it was so much fun! As I was making up all the mix I had an idea for a simple gift idea...
Mini bliss balls in a bauble! Yay!
Simply, blend up some dates, nut butter and cacoa (or use your favourite bliss ball recipe) roll into small balls then dust in extra cacao.
Below are the rough ratios (I rarely measure bliss ball ingredients these days!)... basically make sure you process the ingredients well and end up with a mix that tatses good and isn't too sticky to handle. Add more dry ingredient or chill for a while if too sticky.
The guide is my go too recipe when it comes to bliss ball making. The perfect beginning 'base'.
Guide recipe:
2 cups medjool dates or soaked deglet noor dates (drain them very well!)
1/2 heaped cup desiccated coconut, ground almonds or nut butter
1/4 cup cocoa or raw cacao (plus extra for dusting)
few drops of flavour extract to taste (optional) - peppermint, orange and rosewater are my favourites!
Pop a handful of balls in a plastic bauble- the type made in two halves (I found a set of 8cm baubles on Ebay) add a ribbon and a gift tag with a little message if giving as a gift... or just hang on the tree!
I didn't take a great photo as I hadn't initially planned to blog it (only Instagram it), but I thought it was such a lovely idea, I wanted to share it here too!
They'd make great stocking fillings, thank you gifts or healthy Christmas tree candy!
Here is a pic from the workshop in Lanzarote.... messy hands!
As I am such a big lover of bliss balls/power balls/energy balls... (whatever name floats your boat). I made a fun guide 'The Ultimate Bliss Ball Guide' and you can buy it here for just £5. You can simply view it digitally or print as cut into a card set as I have designed it be used :-) No excuse for not having healthy, indulgent, energising snacks to hand any more!
Packed full with 20 EASY NO-BAKE RECIPES. Complete with lots of variations for endless fun and exploration!
Enjoy... be sure to tag me if you make any of the recipes!
Baked 'Bakewell' Pie.... New favourite easy festive 'bressert'!
I have found my new Christmas breakfast for this year! Or more accurately 'bressert' - when dish i heathy enough for breakfast but indulgent enough for dessert!
It's a spin on my equally wonderful classic Christmas baked oats from over 4 years ago now (wow time flies!) and it's the new recipe I'll be making for my family on Christmas morning.
This year we are spending Christmas Day at my brother and his girlfriend's house in Winchester, and knowing they both love 'Bakewell Tart' flavours I was inspired to create a breakfast in their honour. The mini bliss balls pressed into the top are added indulgence as I had some mix in my fridge from the recent workshop I ran (more workshops in the New Year if you want to come!) but you could omit these or simply use marzipan and roll into balls if you have that to hand! Or you could use Bakewell Nakd bars chopped up, ha ha (not a sponsored link!) I will say the balls do make an incredible addition to this breakfast so add them if you can.
The three big things I love about baked oatmeals are...
They literally take minutes to mix up in one bowl and you can just as easily make breakfast for two or eight by just changing at the quantities (and the size of the baking dish)
There are almost endless flavour combinations (I have loads on my blog already)
They are healthy enough for breakfast but indulgent enough for dessert!
The bliss ball recipe I used is available here in my newly launched 'The Ultimate Bliss Ball Recipe Guide'. It has 20 recipes AND loads of alternative options for each so the ideas really are limitless... this guide will be a great addition to a January health kick too! I made the book as a 'printable layout' so you can print and cut the cards up to give as gifts with a recipe you've made.
It's the little things that make me happy! :-)
Now, back to the Bakewell Pie recipe...
Recipe: Baked 'Bakewell' Pie
Serves 2 (could just as easily be doubled or tripled....)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup porridge oats
1 1/2 cup non dairy milk
1/2 cup flaked almonds
1 tbs ground flax seed or chia seed
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup roughly crumbled frozen raspberries*
bliss balls or marzipan balls (optional)
approx. 1 tbs maple syrup to taste (or any unrefined sweetener of choice)
*I didn't have cherries to hand (which would have made a more classic bakewell). I use frozen fruits as they are more readily available for me at this time of year. Their colour does not bleed so much as I mix then through, and they do not risk burning in the oven.
Method:
Mix everything together adding the raspberries in the final strokes. Spoon into a medium oven dish, add a few extra almond flakes into the top if you like. Don't addd the bliss balls yet! If you are making your own bliss balls, you have a 10 minute window to make them now.
Bake at 180C for a total of approx. 25 mins until the topping is golden. After 10-15 mins whilst the top is still quite soft (and not golden) add the bliss balls, pressing them lightly into the top. Continue baking until golden on top.
Serve immediately, alone or with non-dairy yoghurt, cream or (ice-cream for dessert!) Also great eaten cold the next day.
Mini pumpkins... speedy last minute halloween treat!
I have so many recipe photos stored up in my computer, ready for editing and blogging... finding dedicated time to do so is somewhat tricky at times! But I promise I will get back on it much more consistently as we gear up to the end of the year since sharing recipes is something I love so much!
I made this pumpkin themed recipe yesterday AND I had to no choice but to get on here and share because otherwise Halloween would be over! ha ha
If you are planning a gathering of some sort over the weekend, or need to take a treat to one, these could be a great bet. I found the flavours a little more sophisticated than regular bliss balls, so adults taste buds may prefer them, but i'll let you decide on that!
These are really quick to make. I used roasted pumpkin for depth of flavour and a less wet mix, but for speed you could use fresh raw chunks or puree from a can BUT in that case you will likely need to add extra oatmeal (or a similar dry ingredient) since the resulting mix will be wetter than when using roasted pumpkin which has a lot less moisture remaining. I used a smaller culinary pumpkin but I don't see why regular larger carving pumpkins would not work just as well.
Don't skimp of dusting lightly in turmeric for the orangey glow, it won't be overpowering to taste and really makes them look the part (though take the clove out before eating!)
Enjoy your mini pumpkins and any festive fun you might be having the weekend!
Recipe: Mini pumpkin bliss balls
Ingredients:
1 cups roasted pumpkin chunks or 1/2 cup puree
1/2 cup ground oats
1 cup dates*
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
2 tsp mixed spice (or to taste) (note- this is pumpkin spice if in the US)
a pinch of salt
a light dusting of turmeric to coat
* Just using dates was sweet enough for me, but taste the mix and add a little coconut sugar or stevia if desired.
Method:
Chop a fresh pumpkin into small approx, 2cm chunks and roast for 15 mins or until golden. I didn't coat my chunks in any oil. Note: you'll need around 1.5 cups of chunks as it will shrink during roasting.
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until fairly smooth. If the mixture is very sticky add extra oatmeal or other dry ingredient.
I allowed my mix to 'set' a little in the freezer for approx 30 mins so it was easy to handle. Roll into balls and toss lightly in turmeric- add a little extra mixed spice to the turmeric if you like.
Press to form a squashed ball (pumpkin shape) and add a clove to the top for extra authenticity ;-)
Keep chilled until ready to eat.
