Lighting up your world

Photograph by Olivia Mann 

At this time in the year, when the light of each day is so short and the skies are frequently grey, it seems doubly, perhaps tripely important to make sure that there is enough light in our lives. By this i don't just mean light from the sun, which is something that we all crave, but taking time to celebrate the good things in life and doing things that are life enhancing and that make us feel good. For me it can be simple things like lighting this beautiful lantern that just makes me smile and feel incredibly happy each time i see it shining out into the dark on our front porch. But it can also be important things like spending time with great friends who lift my spirits and remind me that life can be exceptionally wonderful. I think that is vital.

A beacon of light or an extremist

So i have been wondering, if you really believe strongly in something and try to live what you believe, in every way possible, i.e. walking your talk, are you an uncompromising extremist or just trying to do what you think is right and what is best for you and those around you? I know it can't be easy sometimes for those around me who feel that i don't 'fit in' and am not 'doing what everyone else does' in certain things but i think that is surely all down to perspective and for me is the point. I am talking about complimentary health and healing modalities, an 'unseen' world and a connection to nature and the earth that more and more of us are realising is crucial to health. This includes our food and the idea that we need more organic living, light filled foods to feel healthy and vibrant which in turn will also protect our environment. Am i missing something here or have not many of these ideas become quite mainstream? AND hasn't Quantum physics not started to prove many of the things that ancient cultures have known for a very long time and small pockets of people have been trying to promote and live by since? But back to my point surely if we all did things just because 'everyone else does them', then there would be no diversity, new inventions, discoveries etc and perhaps no healing. Surely you have to follow your heart and try to do what you think is right in each moment.

I can see that it might make life much easier sometimes not to be 'different' or to challenge the status quo (really is that what i am doing? It just seems natural to me and i am certainly not doing half the things that i could be doing) and sometimes in certain situations i would love that too, but what is normal anyway and this feels so important to me that at the moment that i don't feel i have a choice if i want to get 100% better or if i want to live some of the dream that i have for my life and work. It has taken me a long time to come anywhere close to knowing what that is and now that i have had some glimpses i really don't want to let that go. I suddenly feel that i need to do what i think is right and to talk about it. I am not asking everyone else to do it too, i am just saying this is what i am interested in, this is what i do and this is what has worked for me so far and i want to be allowed the space to talk about this and to work with these things without retribution.

We all have our own unique journey, perspective and way of doing things, for right or for wrong, the point is surely that it would be nice sometimes to be acknowledged for the journey. Ok i would like to be acknowledged for my journey. Instead of being rubbished and told that what i believe in and what i do is just 'hippy pointless rubbish',that what i have chosen to do in life is a waste of time but instead that there is some value in what i do even if it is not mainstream enough for some people or accepted. Just ask, you may find that it's not all rubbish that there is something more being offered and that i have learnt something along the way.
The key of course is to believe enough in oneself and what you are doing that it doesn't matter what anyone else says. It is all water off a ducks back...most of the time!

O.k enough of the angry rant. I wrote this a couple of months ago when the first huge emotional shift from eating more raw/living foods (about 80-90% raw) was happening and after i had had my first Life Alignment session- www.life-alignment.com, but more on this later. I know there will be many more emotional layers that will come up to be healed, but for now there have been some essential things that have come up for me, one of them being the fact that i need to believe in myself and value myself enough to do what i think is right. Although i want to do things as sensitively as possible i no longer want to do things just because they are right for other people and because i am worried what other people will think. Fear can be a very limiting emotion and i feel i have lived by it for far too long.

To live as much as possible in a way that makes your heart sing and your soul soar is surely the way that most people want to live and ultimately what life is about. To live life in alignment with your dreams and visions is also a huge part of this.

I have been struggling for a long time with Chronic Fatigue and i have never truly allowed myself to acknowledge it or the role that it has played in my life, until now. Even at my sickest i felt i had to keep struggling to appear together and ok even when that was far from the truth. Partly because at the start i had no idea what it was and all the doctors initially just kept telling me that Prozac was the answer. Well to me that wasn't good enough, it wasn't any where near a solution, why didn't they look any further into things or take into account all of my symptoms.It was not the holistic approach that i felt medicine should have. I had zero energy and i mean zero energy,not just the fatigue from say not sleeping for a couple of nights, this was a mind and body numbing fatigue that went right to my core and into every cell and part of my body and being. I was also in pain, my whole body hurt, my muscles, my bones, my head, my stomach etc etc so that generally i felt like i had been run over by a bus. My skin seemed to be in constant detox which vainly i hated. I was hyper sensitive so i often felt like i had system overload just having someone speaking to me so i often had to retreat to a darkened room, if i was not there already. It was as if my body had no filters and even the smallest thing seemed to stress it into a melt down/oblivion. Nothing was functioning as it should and i was only 19!

I am still not entirely sure what the exact cause of the Chronic Fatigue was but i do know that it is more than likely a combination of things such as the huge amounts of steriods and antibiotics i was given after a bike accident, vaccinations before i went to India and then getting the Epstein Barr virus, a liver virus and various parasites that i picked up when i lived and travelled there as well as emotional and spiritual stuff which i believe also had a deep impact on my body. All of it resulting in a struggling immune and digestive system and all the things i have said above as well as a host of other symptoms.
So i didn't want to take anything like Prozac that i felt would take me more away from myself than i already felt and i knew that i wasn't just depressed. What i needed was for what i was feeling to be acknowledged and the idea that there might be something else going on to be looked at, you don't just feel this way out of choice.

I also didn't ever give it the space it needed or deserved as i was scared that people were right and that if i just put in a little more effort it would all go away or if i pushed a bit harder i could at least lift my head off the pillow, have a coherent conversation,get to the bathroom without collapsing,get up those stairs or get to the shops without needing to get a taxi home just a couple of 100 yards, it all depended on the stage or whether i was having a bad day or a relapse. I never gave myself a break as I worried that if i didn't keep pushing to find answers and to do things then nothing would improve, but i also thought that perhaps if i pretended everything was ok then somehow it would be. I struggled with the lack of understanding all round because it isn't an understood condition or definately wasn't then and i definately did get depressed by it all. There often seemed no rhyme or reason to it, why was i a bit better one day but the next would totally collapse. I also wanted an expert to just tell me what to do. I did gradually learn how to manage things better and began to see which things would always have a big impact and make me need to clear my diary for the next week, day or for hours afterwards. Knowing yourself and allowing yourself to do this is crucial.

Some have described it is an invisible illness because it isn't nescessarily obvious what's going on from the outside and it is hard to explain to others what is going on, even after years of experiencing it, as i find people aren't good with chronic illnesses. The attitude can often be "aren't you over that yet, didn't you have that years ago? etc etc". Perhaps the lack of help and understanding was a gift in disguise as it made me take things into my own hands, i didn't want to feel this way and initially no one could help so it was up to me. I decided that i needed to look at it from all angles or rather that's what happened as one thing led to another, from the physical to the emotional and the spiritual too. I discovered quite a few truths about myself and i started to see that i actually wasn't the awful person or the failure that i felt for a long time but i actually had a place in this world and i had some wonderful things to offer.

I have slowly got myself better in increments over the last 10 years,with the help firstly of the amazing doctor who initially diagnosed me and made me feel that i wasn't going mad,some wonderful complimentary therapies&practitioners,some great friends, my wonderful family and an unendingly understanding boyfriend,who i am so lucky to say is now my husband. I also had to change the way i did many things such as it being imperative to use natural things particulalry in terms of skincare products as i became highly senstive to everything, changing what i ate and looking deeper into the emotional and spiritual stuff that i had not previously addressed or had tried to bury. It is an ongoing process. It has been an amazing journey to discover who i am at my core and what i want to do with my life.

I would say that it still affects me but it is minimal in comparison to how it used to be and i have days when things are so good that it is not an issue at all. I have hardly ever said i can't do this because of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, i have never wanted it to be an exscuse for anything, but perhaps acknowledging it fully is also part of the healing process and giving myself a break for feeling this way is also crucially important to this.
It is a journey and it has been an important part of my journey. I hope that each day that i work on things that it will improve and life will just keep getting better and better.

One person i really admire for taking the initiative to find her own solutions and therefore taking back her power is Bethany Hagensen. Bethany was paralyzed from the waist down for three years due to an adverse reaction to a tetanus shot, complicated by Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Fibromyalgia, Osteoporosis, and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. The medical system eventually failed her and Bethany decided to try the raw vegan diet, with no expectations of anything fantastic coming out of it. What she experienced was beyond her greatest expectations. Restored health, mobility and a spiritual awakening followed within six months of changing her lifestyle. Bethany is now walking with no assistance and has a very different life.
Have a look at Bethany Hagensens story here or here  and see the following website which is a trailer for a film about her healing story: www.bethanysstory.com.

A beacon of light or an extremist? Perhaps it's not just the lens through which you view life, but the fact that in order to be a beacon you also need to be extreme....just a thought.

Sweet treats

Raw Sweet Treats
I make these all the time and my 18 month old son also loves them, perfect straight from the fridge or to take with you when you are out:


1 cup of raisins
1 cup of coconut (desicated)
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
A few drops of vanilla essence
2 tablespoons of honey

Whizz up in a food processor, roll into small balls and place in the fridge to chill, then munch to your hearts content.

The variations you can try are endless

Raw Lemon Tart
I have just discovered this delicous lemon pudding. The topping was so delicious that i almost drank the whole thing like a smoothie, well it could be done. It is fresh and just totally delicious, a great alternative to the raw chocolate cake that i have been munching for the last few weeks.


For the base
3 cups of almonds
1 1/2 cups of dates
1 tsp of vanilla essence

Whizz up in a food processor and press into a cake or flan tin, chill in the fridge for 1 hour

For the filling
1 tin of coconut milk
1 cup of agave syrup(or maple syrup)
6 tbsp of coconut butter (or you can use cashew nuts, roughly half a cup)
2 lemons squeezed and the zest of one

Blend the ingredients and pour onto the base, then freeze until hard.

Carrot Cake Muffins (not raw but delicious)
I have just made these for the christmas party at my sons kindergarten

half a cup (50g) of walnuts or pecans roughly chopped
2 cups (270g)of grated raw carrot ( 2-3 peeled)
1 large apple peeled and grated
2 cups (280g) of flour (gluten free)
1&quarter cups (250g) agave syrup or brown sugar
3/4 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
1& a half tsp of baking powder
pinch of salt
1 and 1/2 tsps of cinnamon
1 cup of coconut (desicated)
3 eggs
3/4 cup (180ml) of sunflower oil
1 and1/2 tsps of vanilla essence

Method: In large bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the nuts and coconut. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla essence. Fold wet ingredients, the carrot and apple into the flour mixture. Divide into muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Heaven!

A stream of consciousness

This is such a great tool to start to unload all the mental chatter that may be holding you back or blocking you from hearing your inner voice/guidance/intuition. It can start to make you aware of where you are and where you might want to be. It can bring new ideas, clarity of thought, creativity, inspiration and focus. The method is so simple. Start by buying yourself a blank book and then all you do each morning (or when you have some time in the day) is to simply pour out onto the page whatever comes as you write, without thinking, judging or changing what flows onto the paper. You may wonder what these 'ramblings' are initially, but undoubtedly there will be some gems hidden within those words and over time the whole entry may be a wonderful insightful message or a huge wake up call. Try it you may be suprised by how effective it is.

It is highly personal and you may never want to share what you write, but i would like to share this entry with you as i loved what came up. It felt like a shamanic journey and was very vivid as i wrote, i just wrote what came as i saw it:

8th October 2009

"Seams of light pierce the dark, branches sway, tunnels with light pouring through where the roots of trees pierce the earth-seeping through the darkness, gently illuminating. The tunnel is earthy, delicious in its natural earthy smell and so gentle in its energy. It is delicious to touch, to feel, warm under my hand. I walk along the tunnel feeling the tree roots below my bare feet and i feel them along the walls of the tunnel with my hands, seeing them above my head. The earth is my base my friend, my nature-giving me security, love, the pulse of the earth. The gradient of the tunnel gets steeper as i start to climb, i can hear running water trickling then pouring past me-light filled, energy filled, healing filled water. It comes from a huge lake, a lake that changes colour from moment to moment. Pink to green, to golden blue, shimmering like jewels it yields gifts each time you visit- a parcel with scissors on a pink cushion. Scissors to cut the ties, psychic ties to all that traps you and holds you back. I see a web around me and these magic golden scissors imbued with love start to cut these ties, gently, softly, with love and ultimate kindness and compassion, releasing you from your past and past life grief, fear, anxiety, negative beliefs about yourself and others and the world. They gently unfurl and disappear and more appear in their place. After each lot have been released a golden cloak is wrapped around me to replace the space with golden healing light, nourishment and food for the soul and the body. I feel and then see people all around the edge of the lake in this underground cave. The water in the lake drains to reveal a huge crystal basin/cup. Shining white, tinged with blue, then every colour of the rainbow. Its like a shiney slide and the people (shamanic ancestors-men, women, children- there are power animals too eagles, bears, wolves,sheep, mice, spiders, horses, goats)start to slide from the top edges down into the bottom/centre and disappear. It seems they become part of me, my centre, they want to give me their knowledge, they have so much knowledge about the earth, healing, personal power, connection, nature, belief, power of intention and attraction. I slide down into the centre and become this magical shining medicine woman, capable of walking her magical talk, capable of speaking the wisdom of the ages/shamanic ancestory. I am on the back of an eagle flying up, up , up and we land on the top of a mountain from which we can see for miles and miles and miles. There is one tree on this rocky outcrop at the top and as we watch there are people/spirits appearing out of the clouds and out of thin air with multicoloured parachutes down into the landscape below. They carry messages of hope,love,joy, success, family, birth, rebirth,light, wonder, wisdom, teaching,-colour, ribbons of colour spread out from each person which then releases and floats out/gets absorbed by the atmosphere. Success, light, energy, health is yours to grab, to hold, to embrace. Work will come, trust, it has to be the absolute right thing for you, your family and your healing and your clients. The eagle flys away leaving me with many blessings of the ancient way-his sparkle and ability to laugh and to fly above the grit and the stuff is invaluable, soaring above, freeing you. Yet ribbons, coloured ribbons of joy, love, success and health hold you- a loose web that you know is there and you can draw in. You choose a multi coloured ribbon to slide down on into the web yet you always remain on top retaining your view and your insight."

Enjoy your morning pages and the messages it may bring.

Our thoughts can literally change our world

The effect of 'PRAYER' on water taken from Masaru Emoto's book 'The Hidden Messages in Water'

If you have any doubt that your thoughts affect everything in, and around you, the information and photographs that are presented in this book might change your mind, infact they may alter your beliefs, profoundly.


From Mr. Emoto's work we are provided with visual evidence, that human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that comprises over seventy percent of the human body and covers the same amount of our planet. Water is vitally important to all forms of life on earth but it is the quality and integrity of this water that is also hugely important.
The body is very much like a sponge and is composed of trillions of chambers called cells that hold liquid. The quality of our life is directly connected to the quality of our water.
Water is a very malleable substance. Its physical shape easily adapts to whatever environment is present. But its physical appearance is not the only thing that changes, the molecular shape also changes. The energy or vibrations of the environment will change the molecular shape of water. In this sense water not only has the ability to visually reflect the environment but it also molecularly reflects the environment.
Therefore what we surround ourselves with and what we think on a daily basis is vitally important to our health and consequently to the way we feel. Our thoughts directly affect the quality of our cells.

Mr. Emoto has been visually documenting these molecular changes in water. He realised that as each snowflake has a unique shape and structure, by freezing water he could take photographs of the waters structure and as a result could get incredible information about the water and the changes that can take place in the structure of each water crystal. Mr. Emoto has discovered many fascinating differences in the crystalline structures of water from many different sources and different conditions around the planet.His work clearly demonstrates the diversity of the molecular structure of water and the effect of the environment upon the structure of the water.

Pictures of water from pristine mountain streams and springs show beautifully formed geometric designs in their crystalline patterns.

Sanbu-ichi Yusui Spring water

Fountain in Lourdes, France

Yodo River, Japan, pours into the Bay of Osaka. The river passes through most of the major cities in Kasai.

Polluted and toxic water from industrial and populated areas and stagnated water from water pipes and storage dams show definitively distorted and randomly formed crystalline structures.

Fujiwara Dam, before offering a prayer

Fujiwara Dam, after offering a prayer

Dr. Masaru Emoto has shown that water changes expression as a result of human actions. But he also demonstrated the affect that our thoughts can have on water that is not so pristine changing it from damaged and fragmented back to whole healthy crystals.

All kinds of experiments were subsequently conducted on water such as letting the water "listen" to a particular piece of music, exposing the water to particular words taped on the jars it was in, praying over water, using samples of water from all over the world. In each case, the water had "something to say" about what it had been exposed to. The results were very moving and in the positive cases, very beautiful.

When water was exposed to the music of Mozart and Beethoven for example, crystals expanded and became more beautiful. These crystals resemble diamonds, with flower buds blossoming on their points as the music plays. It showed that water carries and responds to the vibrations of music.

Water exposed to Beethoven's 6th Symphony

Water exposed to heavy metal music

Our thoughts and words affect water (and therefore our own bodies)
After seeing water react to different environmental conditions, pollution and music, Mr. Emoto and his colleagues decided to see how thoughts and words affected the formation of untreated, distilled, water crystals, using postive and negative words typed onto paper by a word processor and taped on glass bottles overnight. The water crystals increased in beauty when words like "peace," and happiness were placed on them, but became dark and ugly when placed over the words like "war". When water was placed over the word "let's," the crystals expanded and increased in beauty. However, when water was placed over the word "must," the crystals become ugly with a dark green center.

Love and Appreciation

Masaru Emotos photographs show that water is alive and highly responsive to its environment including every one of our thoughts and emotions.
Masaru Emotos extraordinary work shows how our consciousness/our thoughts affects our health, our environment/mother earth. If we can change our perceptions of ourselves and the world we live in we can positively heal and transform ourselves and our planet by the thoughts we choose to think and the ways in which we put those thoughts into action.

“conscious”

"Thank you"

Feed your cells and your cells will feed you

Susan Jane Murray-Food Guru, particularly for those with intolerances

 Diet has played a huge part in helping me to recover from M.E. It was one of the first things that i looked into and changed when i most needed help and the doctors hadn't yet found out what was wrong. I realised pretty quickly that if i was going to get better then i was the only one that was really going to be able to do anything significant to help me do that. I had been exhausted and suffering from stomach problems for years and seemed to react to everything that i ate, feeling aweful after every meal and having a hard time digesting any food and this was only made worse by travelling and living in India when i was 19 years old where i picked up various viruses, parasites and stomach bugs. Things went down hill from there, but the problems with my stomach were now coupled with extreme exhaustion (not just the exhaustion you may feel from not sleeping for a night or two but bone numbing, mind numbing exhaustion that meant that i often did not have the strength to lift my head off the pillow, i often could not form sentences due to a horrendous brain fog that seemed not to go away and i had severe pain in all my muscles and a whole host of other symptoms including a compromised immune system whcih meant that i got every bug going and it took forever to get over each one. Life was definately not fun anymore.

Miracously i discovered a book on Candida called "The practical Guide to Candida and the UK directory of practitioners" by Jane McWhirter 1995.* It was amazing firsly because it described most of my symptoms perfectly but also because it gave me a detailed way to start to help myself as well as providing a comprehensive list of practitioners who specialised in treating it. It was a god send and it began to make a huge difference to my life.

Having Candida meant that the unfriendly bacteria had outnumbered the good in my gut making it a 'leaky gut' and as a result allowing food particles through the gut wall and into the bloodstream creating huge problems including food and chemical sensitivities. Infact Jane McWhirter says "when the whole digestive system and gut wall is out of balance and damaged, the whole hormonal, immune and nervous sytems are also affected. Infact it affects the whole body-mind."

The foods that seemed to be the worst offenders were gluten (infact initially any grains), dairy, sugar and yeast. Initially i had to search hard for alternative products because only a few health food shops sold them, but overtime it became easier and i began to enjoy the process of discovering new and varied ways of eating. Now you can get most things in the main supermarkets in the UK and Norway too is beginning to catch up with Gluten free and dairy free products. Once i had found alternatives i needed to create recipes using them that still tasted good. My early experiments were typically like lead weights and often tasted like sawdust too and i didn't have much stamina/energy to spend much time in the kitchen.

In my search for something better, although much much later on, i discovered the wonderous Susan Jane Murray and her incredible recipes. She herself developed an immune disorder and as a result "began a sort of ‘nutritional pilgrimage’. The ceaseless drugs, combined with poor immunity, paved way for numerous food intolerances. Exhausted, dispirited, and broken in every sense, I took my health into my own hands and consumed every book I could on healing through nutrition. I felt a flood of relief as soon as I avoided foods that troubled my body and compromised my immunity. There was most certainly a direct relationship between my energy levels and what I ate. I was adamant to delve deeper and discover what made my body function sub optimally (wheat, sugar, yeast and dairy) and what made me feel fantabulous (these recipes). Two years on, I was back to bouncy bionic self much to the amazement of the medical community. My advice to you? ...feed your cells and your cells will feed you."

She has created some mouth watering recipes that are healthy, delicious and kind to your body, she is very knowledgeable about food and nutrition and she also writes with great wit and a sense of humour. Do take a look at her website for inspiration and information: www.susanjanemurray.co.uk

From her website: " Beautiful Bowels - the secret to optimum nutrition"-

"This is where the magic is. Between 60-70% of the body's immune system is found in the digestive tract. It carries out a number of critical functions, such as the breakdown of food, absorption of water, and the synthesis of vitamins and minerals to feed your body. Basically it converts food to fuel.

Imagine if this process was hindered? Or even slowed down? What would happen to your body? Your energy? Your skin? Your mood? Your immunity? Think about it.

When our digestion is working sub-optimally, we breakdown physically (and consequently emotionally), leaving our bodies ripe for degenerative ailments and illness. Digestive complications such as food intolerances interrupts the conversion of food to fuel. Common symptoms include constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, mood swings, poor concentration levels, reduced immunity, delay in healing, loss of libido, troubled skin, brittle hair and nails, headaches, mouth ulcers, bloating, flatulence, lethargy, weight gain, chronic colds and flu’s.

Solution? Avoid the foods that trouble you. The biggest offenders are wheat, dairy and sugar.

Why the sudden surge in food sensitivities and intolerances?

The industrialisation and refinement of food products (also known as 'food piracy'), over-consumption of poor quality wheat, nasty increase of food chemical stabilisers, the addition of additives and preservatives to prolong shelf life of foods, routine use of herbicides, pesticides, and hormones in animal rearing all contribute to toxic build-ups within our systems. Our grandparents were never exposed to such culinary dangers or brutalisation of food. Most food was local and organic. Today it would seem that we are slowly poisoning ourselves through mass production, chemically altered and antibiotic-farmed food choices. Food intolerances are the body’s natural way of coping with such foreign “invaders”. Your body is trying to tell you something. " Susan Jane Murray.

(*I'm not sure that this book is available anymore but i also found the following book on Candida very helpful: "Beat Candida through diet" by Joanna Kjaer and Gill Jacobs . You can also take a look at my blog post here about the Natural Recovery plan for M.E/Chronic Fatigue.

To get you zinging

This will help to get you zinging in the mornings, infact at any time of the day, it's fresh delicious and the ginger gives it a kick- yum.

The Juice to make you zing:

Juice:

2 carrots

1 apple

1 chunk of fresh ginger

optional additions: celery and parsley

Easy peasy and soooo good for you

The Last Wild Witch

I feel that at my core i am a green, magical, medicine woman, a wild witch infact and i like the thought of 'dancing' and being completely free out in the forest, outside in all weathers. It is here out in nature that i have always felt most at home and connected, hence my love of surrounding myself with all things green, of camping in the woods, treking throught the hills and of wild swimming in the lakes and in the sea. So what could be better than to live on the edge of a huge forest here in Oslo with wonderful clean fresh water lakes whilst also being close to the sea, it feels like i finally have a little more wildness in my life than i have had since my childhood.

So perhaps that is why i love this wonderful children's book about 'The Last Wild Witch' because it reminds us to connect to the wildness before we no longer have it. This book was recently reviewed by the Green Parent magazine:

"In the very heart of the magic forest lived the last wild witch. This is a story of how the children from the perfect town let a little wildness grow inside them, found their joy and courage and saved the last wild witch and the magic forest from disappearing. It is the first children's book written by earth activist Starhawk and is beautifully illustrated by Lindy Kehoe. An eco fable from three and upwards."

From the authors own website she describes the story further:

"The tale, written in simple language with a rhythm that steadily grows as the story progresses, deals with many issues and questions of deep concern to both children and adults. It touches on the creation of rules, the necessity of some and the arbitrary nature of others, and the eternal difference in world views and perceptions between innocence (kids) and experience (adults). It shows how this affects the ways we choose to live: conformity vs. individualism, engineered town vs. the wilds of nature. How do we let the wildness in—into our lives, to our vision of what community means? How do we recover our sense of being part of the natural world? Can we let nature's own patterns inform the way we meet our human needs, so that we can heal and regenerate the world around us?

By letting our children lead the way, through their imaginations and affinity with pristine nature, there is hope that we have not sat down to tea with our last wild Witch. These thoughts are brought to life through the shamanistic beat of Starhawk's words, and the vibrant, swirling art of Lindy Kehoe's paintings. Readers will see the auras and feel the pulse of their neighborhoods, and discover the beauty of the wildness that waits not too far from their own doorsteps. You might want to read this one aloud, even if you're by yourself."

Here is a fun promotion on You Tube for The Last Wild Witch, just incase you need any more convincing to read this book. We all need reminding about the wildness in our nature both inside and out.

Take a look at Starhawks blog here

Yummy Green Living Breakfast Smoothie

So this is my breakfast smoothie, with variations on a theme:

1 handful of spinach (or other green leafy veg)
1 handful of parsley
1 banana (or mango, orange, raspberries etc)
Ground seeds (flax, sunflower, pumpkin/other)
1 tablespoon Living Green super food powder (See Nature's Living superfood from kiki Health: www.kiki-health.co.uk/Products/Supplements/Natures_Superfood.asp


Blend all ingredients in a blender with water to desired consistancy.
hmm delicious

To start with you may want to have more fruit than greens and then over time build up the level of greens as you feel you want them.

About Nature's living Superfood-A nutrient-dense, mineral rich superfood

Nature's Living Superfood is an extremely potent combination of natures most deeply nourishing, cleansing, building and alkalising 'Superfoods.'

It cleanses and detoxifies through the power of chlorophyll.
Helps maintain intestinal regularity.
Supports liver, kidneys, blood & bones.
Maintains circulation and immune function.
Includes beneficial bacteria (probiotics) & natural soil organisms (NSO's).
100% Wild crafted\organic alkalising superfoods.

What nutrients are in Natures Living Superfood?

It contains a wide spectrum of nutrients in their natural complex state, including antioxidants, chlorophyll and tens of thousands of important phytonutrients.

What are the exact ingredients in Natures Living Superfood?

100% Wildcrafted, 100% Superfoods - No Fillers
Land Vegetables;
Whole leaf barley grass, whole leaf wheat grass, nettle leaf, shave grass(horsetail), alfalfa leaf juice, dandelion leaf juice, kamut grass juice, barley grass juice, oat grass juice, burdock root, broccoli juice, kale juice, spinach juice, parsley juice, carob prod, ginger root, nopal cactus, amla berry

Algaes;
Spirulina, broken cell wall, chlorella

Wild crafted Aquatic Vegetables;
Icelandic kelp, nova scotia dulse

Enzymes;
(Optimum absorption & cleansing)
Amylase, lipase, protease, cellulase, bromelain, papain

Comprehensive probiotic mixture - beneficial organisms. Includes extensive NSO (Natural Soil Organisms):
A.Agilis, L. Acidophiius, R. Arrhizus, DDS-1 Acidophilius, Bifidus, L. Bulgaricus, A Brasilenese, B.Brenis, P. Chrysosporium, A. Citreus, L.Casei, P. Calcis, S. Cellulasae, P. Dentrificans, S. Faecium, S. Fradiae, P. Fluorescens, A. Globiformis, S.Griseoflavus, P.Gelatic, B. Lipolyticum, A. Lutes, A. Lipoferum, A. Lwolfii, B. Laterosporous, P. Maringlutinosa, B.Macerans, P. Nigraclens, P.Putida, L. Plantarum, B. Pumilus, B. Polymyxa, B. Stationis, K. Zopfit, L. Salivarius, B. Subtilus, B. Succingenes, A. Simplex, B. Subtilus, S. Thermopolis, A. Terreus, M. Verrucaria, T. Viride

Why take Cereal Grass?

Cereal grasses have been used as human food supplements since the 1930's.

They contain excellent sources of beta-carotone, vitamin K, folic acid, calcium, iron, protein, fiber, vitamin C and many of the B vitamins. Nutritional value is much higher than those found in other green vegetables.

How do you take Natures Living Superfood?

Nature's Living Superfood can be consumed mixed with juice or pure water. Alternatively it can be sprinkled or mixed with food.
Begin with ½ teaspoon daily and gradually increase to 1 or more heaped teaspoons according to your lifestyle.

Raw food hmm delicious

So i have a bit of a raw food obsession at the moment and i find myself checking raw food websites and trawling through these to find new, yummy and exciting recipes. I think this has been prompted by how incredible i have been feeling eating predominately raw food for the last few months. Who would have thought that you could feel so totally amazing,vibrant,happy and zinging with health and energy from eating green smoothies and the like. Ok it's not that extraordinary if you think about it seeing as these foods are living natural foods with all their enzymes still intact but the great thing is that it's not boring and restrictive it actually feels quite the opposite and the more i do it the more i love this way of eating because of the way it makes me feel AND i find myself craving greens, a great result i think.

Anyway here are a couple of recipes that i have tried out recently and love:

Raw Chocolate Cake - Yum
for the base
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons carob powder
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/3 cup honey or agave syrup
1/4 cup coconut
pinch himalayan sea salt
optional 1 tablespoon tahini

blend until dough like, press into flan tin and chill in the fridge for 1 hour

for the filling

4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons carob powder
1/2 cup honey or agave syrup
1 cup coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
optional 1 tablespoon tahini

blend til smooth, pour on top of base and spread evenly,chill in fridge for 1 hour.

serve with berries, oranges, raw icecream


THAI COLESLAW

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1/2 tablespoon red chilli (or a couple of pinches if you don't like it too hot)
1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
1 cup peanut butter or tahini
1/2 head white cabbage
1/2 head red cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 ripe mango diced
1 handful parsley/spinach
himalayan salt
2 tablespoons honey

blend: honey,lemon juice, chilli,peanut or tahini and water if nescessary to thin.

mix finely chopped cabbage and diced mango with blended dressing, add raw cashews, parsley/spinach and enjoy.

Totally delicious skin care products

A year ago i discovered this amazing company called Raw Gaia -wowee finally a company selling my dream products. I had been searching for products for sensitive skin that were 100% organic and made my skin feel delicious whilst helping to heal it in the process. Hmm a tough one to find but here it is with the adiitional bonus that their products also use raw living ingredients.  A massive thank you to Lisa Lennon and her husband Hector Bolanos, their company is simply fabulous.

In their own words:

"What makes Raw Gaia stand out is that we use only 100% organic, living and vegan ingredients such as cold-pressed butters and oils as well as high-grade essential oils. Moreover, our products are made following a process that avoids temperatures beyond 40°C. In this way, the life force of the ingredients and all their antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc., are retained. All these nutrients are then available to nourish your skin, without leaving any surface residues.

Simply put, the main benefit of a raw, living skin care product is that your body nourishes from the existing life force of the ingredients. In contrast, subjecting to high temperatures destroy most of this living energy.

Raw ingredients provide additional benefits to the skin through their:

Antioxidants: Antioxidants help to keep the skin supple and beautiful by neutralizing free radicals. Free radical exposure eventually leads to hidden inflammation and eventually, wrinkles and ageing skin.

Minerals: These occur naturally in our bodies and are found in our most common foods. Sulphur for example is essential to make the skin soft and elastic since it is an essential component of all connective tissues.

Vitamins: They are beneficial to damaged and distressed skin. Vitamin C for example, is especially useful for the skin under the eyes.

Omega 6 Fatty Acids: Present in oils such as primrose and borage seed oils, they have been shown to gradually improve eczema and moisturise dry, cracking and/or scaling skin.


What purity really means

Raw Gaia's products do not contain any nasty petrochemicals, artificial colourants and parfums, glycols, lauryl sulphates, parabens, preservatives, synthetic additives, bulking agents or hidden ingredients.

Moreover, by following a special process that carefully avoids temperatures above 40°C, we ensure that none of our products contain heated oils and fats. When these are used in skin care products –even in the so-called most natural ones-, they are actually one of the worst offenders to skin beauty. Heated oils and fats contain highly toxic transfatty acids, which may be absorbed into the cell membranes, causing them to become porous and weak. They also lead to the creation of free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules that have lost an electron. Collagen, a protein molecule that constitutes 80% of the dermis, is particularly susceptible to free radical damage, which includes wrinkles, lingering scars and stiff collagen.

In contrast, our cold-pressed fats and oils, kept at low temperatures, help to beautify the skin, strengthen the cell membranes and restore nutrients to the tissues.

Our ethical, environmental and fairtrade principles

All Raw Gaia's products are certified vegan by The Vegan Society and cruelty-free with the British Union Against Vivisection (BUAV). Our products have not been tested on animals. In addition, our suppliers have been carefully screened to ensure they do not carry out tests on animals either. We follow a strict animal welfare policy, which are in line with BUAV's.

We only use organic and/or wildcrafted ingredients. As much as possible, we source our raw materials through fairtrade, to ensure that growers receive a fair price for their work. Our cold-pressed cocoa butter and the living herbal face pack are examples of fairtrade ingredients.

Moreover, we are the first (and as far as we are aware) only skin care company in the world to have adopted an "ethical marketing" approach to beauty and ageing."

Take a look it is a wonderful company don't just take my word for it, take a look at their website: http://www.rawgaia.com/ for more information and products.

All the products i have tried from Raw Gaia have been totally amazing, but i particularly love their living Moisturiser: 'For Her Daughters'

They now also ship overseas yipeeeeeeeeeeeee!