My Daily Rind Journey of a Mom: Reflections on Health, Unschooling, and Love.

You’ve just GOT to visit her blog. How can you resist such a name?

Click here to go there and check it out. Yummy recipes and pics.

Thanks Zucchini!

So there I was in the grocery store in Bellingham, WA last week minding my own business, picking out a gorgeous head of Russian kale. A woman walked up to me and asked me “What do you do with that kale? I have it coming up in my garden, but don’t know what to do with it.”

I shared that I was buying it to make kale chips in my dehydrator, but that usually I use it in green smoothies. She was intrigued and had more questions. We started talking for a very long time. She revealed that she had actually been to a raw food preparation class (taught by a woman named Shauna!), but hadn’t really started doing it for herself. As the soulful talk continued, spirit took over. She became tearful because she knew that she wasn’t living the life she is meant to live. She is overweight and obviously unhappy. She doesn’t have any health conditions yet, but is setting herself up for them. I embraced her and told her that her inner knowing is calling her home.

You see, when we are ready, spirit guides us to people and experiences that will innocently touch our hearts and propel us forward. Living a heart-centered life means that we are open to this flow. We welcome it.

That beautiful woman gave me a gift that day too. It is always mutual. By sharing my truth with her, I got to reaffirm my commitment to my path. I really give thanks to her and to spirit for always having a guiding hand in all of our simplest actions.

After all, I was only buying kale.

I wrote about how to make them a while back on a blog post at got greens? revolution.

We always have these on hand. They are so versatile. You can flavor them any way you want. Some examples of ones we’ve done are: italian with oregano, basil, sundried tomato; indian with curry spices; mexican with jalapeno and south of the border seasonings. The sky’s the limit.

You can snack on them all day as is or add salsa, sliced avocado, tomato, hummus dip, or even cheese like my stepdad does.

You don’t have to be a raw vegan to love these crackers. You’ll feel good about your kids munching these between meals.

For dinner tonight, we whipped up a cashew-sundried tomato cream and a “cheezy pesto” with slices of yellow bell, tomato and cucumber. We piled all of it high onto the thick crackers and enjoyed a fulfilling meal.

So tell me, what are you crackers for?

In Joy,
Shawna

I’ve been out of touch on here while on vacation, but I’m back home now and full of ideas, experiences, ponderings, insights…

The first thing I want to share is that I have succeeded in staying 100% raw vegan while on my travels. It was easy, actually. I shared with you the triggers and my way of handling them, and it worked for me this week.

I’m feeling icky, actually, despite eating raw and healthy. I’ve got a splitting headache and low energy. My bowels have been raging a revolution for about a week. I passed something that looked like a tapeworm early this week. I wonder…

I’m sticking with this wholeheartedly, however. It’s worth it to clean my Self out and be renewed. Oh, and I’m going to start posting what I eat again so that I can keep track and it may be helpful for you on your journey.

And now for something completely different…

Last night at 3:30 a.m., my sweetie was awoken by a ruckus outside. He got up to find a HUGE black bear rifling through our trash. He got me up and then we got our son to watch the debacle. It was exciting and frightening too. That bear went to our neighbor’s house after we scared it off and tried to get INTO their house. His nose prints were on every single window on the ground floor. And every screen was torn through, including the one into their son’s bedroom. He destroyed their chicken coop.

I feel so sad for this bear. Our neighbor got a nuisance tag to be able to shoot it. He’s going to wait up all night with his shotgun “every night watching movies until he gets it”. I know the bear will be back tonight. My sweetie and I are sending up a prayer that he’ll just head back into the high mountains from whence he came. But trash is yummy, so I think he’ll be dead tonight.

Speaking of trash…As I was cleaning up 4 cans worth of trash at 4:00 a.m., I was paying attention to our trash. Funny how the ego can be stroked by something as silly as garbage. But mine was. I was proud that we recycle and compost. I was proud that you won’t find old meat bones or food packaging of any kind. But then…I felt guilty! We can do better. There were a lot of disposable diapers and pieces of plastic wrap (you know, for leftovers). We used to cloth diaper, but stopped about 2 years ago because of rash problems. Anyway, I think we can do better. Scraping up smelly trash in the wee hours was a consciousness raising activity.

On that note, here’s what I’ve eaten today (dinner is still to come and probably 1 or 2 more snacks):

• peach
• apple
• 1 piece dried pineapple
• 1 medjool date
• large salad with greens, 2 roma toms, 1 1/2 mushroom, 1 T yellow bell, dressing of sesame oil, Braggs, and apple cider vinegar.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bear Hugs,
Shawna

We all have our triggers that spiral us into the demise of emotional eating. Emotional, by the way, doesn’t necessarily connote a negative mood.

I have been really reflecting on what my triggers are since I started to eat only raw foods again. It’s troubled me over the years that I’ve so easily gone back to a SAD diet just because of one event. Only, I wasn’t being aware that there was one event. So, I have been looking back on my history (because it does repeat itself) and trying to find clues to what has blocked my success. What I have identified is there are very concrete triggers for me that I wasn’t prepared for. So, in preparation for my renewed commitment to health and vitality and healing, I identified my triggers (and am still learning about them) and have created a plan as to how to be prepared for these situations. Also, part of the awareness and plan is a commitment to be gentle with myself. I learned about myself that I have an “all or nothing” attitude sometimes. Like “well, I had a piece of bread, so I might as well go eat a whole pizza!” I’m not exaggerating. Not at all.

Let me share what my triggers are, maybe this will get you thinking about yours:

• getting together with friends
• getting together with family
• my period
• holidays
• holidays
• holidays
• not eating enough food; i.e. being really hungry
• not drinking enough water
• going to a restaurant
• traveling

That’s my list as of today, and, yes, I meant to write holidays thrice.

How do I handle these triggers, that sometimes occur daily? First and foremost, I visualize myself making choices that are for my highest good and that support the vision of myself as a vibrant, healthy, joyful, complete woman.

And I pray. I literally say a prayer, sometimes while I’m face to face with pie, that goes something like this “Dear God, please give me strength and courage in this moment to make a good choice for my health!” I literally whisper these words from my mouth. It works for me.

Also, I reflect on history. Yes, I can eat that pie, but I know for a fact that I will feel like crap in the morning. I’m talking physically hungover. Cooked foods make me feel that way. They always have, but when that’s what you’re used to, you begin to fail to notice. Also, reflecting on history, I know that a piece of pie has often led to a lot more than that.

The 4th of July was a big trigger. I was prepared. I decided that my joyful experience would not be dependent on what I ate or didn’t eat, but on the pure experience of being in the moment. Watching my adorable son be awestruck by the fireworks on the beach, holding a sparkler, finding the perfect stick for his cousin to make a smore in the firepit…

How many people were in a food coma and didn’t really feel authentic energy to enjoy the subtleties of the day? No judgment here, just a pondering.

I made a delicious seaweed salad and a festive apple peach cobbler, shared by all. I was so fulfilled and satisfied with my meal. My mom made the comment that she wished we all could just eat like we used to. I shared a nostalgic moment with her in the kitchen where we remembered the giant bowl of homemade potato salad, the hamburgers and hotdogs, the fruit salad (we had that, at least), the pies… So very interesting how memories and tradition are so tied up in food, no matter where you’re from.

We had a fabulous day. I loved the food I ate and the energy I had afterward. I loved waking up feeling great and ready for the day’s activities. I loved that I succeeded with making positive choices for a vibrant, healthy, loving, peaceful me one more day!

Being well,
Shawna

*Standard American Diet

John and I are frequently asked what the differences are between these blenders and which one we prefer. So, my super savvy geek of a spouse put up a Blendtec vs Vitamix page for your perusal. This has already helped quite a few folks figure out which blender will suit their needs. Honestly, we use both of them in our kitchen. When I’m going to be making something that is thick and doesn’t just pour out nicely, then I use the Blendtec because it’s so much easier to access down to the bottom. It’s easier to clean too. I don’t get the blades jammed into my cuticles with this one. But, that being said, if I am going for a smoooooth drink or sauce, then the Vitamix is the one for me. Both of these blenders are great and are always whirring at our house.

Which blender do you use?

I wanted to make sure you have this recipe because it’s da bomb. (hehehe that’s my 4th of July reference).

Watermelon Candy

Tell me how it turns out and if you adapted it. Share share share!!!

Shawna

P.S. Get your dehydrator here.

We did it! For those of you seasoned raw foodies, this may not sound like a big deal, but for me it’s BIG. I drove from Grants Pass, Oregon to Blaine, Washington (about 8.5 hours) eating only raw foods. My son and I left last night at 8:30 and spent the night in a hotel in Woodburn, WA and did the rest of the trek today. I brought with us a cooler filled with lots of fruits, fresh juice, almonds, raw cookies, watermelon candy, and lots of water.

The hardest thing for me was this morning I was really tired and my inclination was to get coffee. Right then there was a sign at a rest stop exit that said “free coffee”. I rationalized it as a sign from God and made all sorts of deals with myself. I told myself it was for the safety of my child.

A little background on why this is such a big deal…

First of all, the only way I can drink coffee is if it doesn’t taste like coffee. I’m talking LOTS of cream and even more sugar. And it makes me a byatch!

But in the name of safety I was going for it.

I poured the coffee and decided I’d have it black. Then I had a nanosecond of reflection and got that stillness where I listen to my body. I got clear that it was definitely not worth it. A man walked up to get coffee and I handed him my cup with a smile as if I had been waiting there to serve him. He was so grateful. Neat moment. I had a small cup of green tea and made my way, slightly more alert, but feeling triumphant for the moment.

And here we are at my mom’s house on the bay. She went shopping for us and bought TONS of fruits and veggies and nuts; all of it ORGANIC! Go mom! They have an excellent raw kitchen set up. My stepdad eats mostly raw, inspired by a decadent Raw  Thanksgiving I provided 3 years ago.

I’m not sure what I’ve eaten today. It doesn’t really matter. It’s been all raw and not a whole lot.

I am noticing that I need to eat hardly anything at all to feel nourished and satisfied. This is such a different experience for me. I have always craved that ultra full-gotta unbutton my pants-feeling. How absurd, really, to eat that much until you’re literally unable to efficiently move for at least 30 minutes. And then when you can move, you really don’t feel like it. Anyway, I have always adored eating and literally stuffing myself. So, I noticed today and commented to my husband that I’ve eaten hardly anything, yet feel so good, energetic and satisfied. He’s been 100% raw right along with me and he’s noticing the exact same thing.

I came home from work tonight feeling pretty hungry, actually. I was craving a big salad with fresh garden greens. I had 3 bites of this amazing watermelon fruit roll-up we made in the dehydrator and a big glass of water, and my hunger dissipated! I went up to the garden to gather the greens and I noticed I really wasn’t wanting them anymore. I was present with that feeling for a moment (something I’m learning to do more easily all the time) and realized that I was nourished and satiated from those 3 bites of watermelon leather! I felt sort of exhilarated to realize this and be okay with it. The usual me would not allow that to be my dinner because it just doesn’t make any sense to be full from that.

As I’m writing this, my stomach is starting to growl. I woke it up with all this talk of living food! So, I am going to go and enjoy gorgeous mustard greens and arugula with cucumber, tomato, and olives with a drizzled fresh tahini dressing. I wish you could join me…

Here’s what else I’ve had today:

• 1 peach
• 1 apple
• 2 large-ish raw jalapeno crackers
• 2 (mostly) raw protein bars (there are peanuts in these, which I feel funny about eating, but I’m even funnier about throwing away something I’ve purchased. So, until I get over that issue, I’ll be eating these mostly raw bars until they’re gone.)
• several olives
• 3 bites of watermelon fruit leather

Joy to you!

Shawna

P.S. my 3 1/2 year old son randomly asks us “What are you grateful for?” How cool is that? I’m so grateful for the technology that allows me to connect with others’ hearts…virtually. The vibration is still there and real. Give thanks!

What blessings are you counting today? I’d love it if you would share this out loud with me.

I’ve been listening to Eckhart Tolle’s, A New Earth, on tape in my car. The ideas put forth in that book are literally transforming my life in many ways. One of the things that he talks about is over-identification with our roles (i.e. mother, father, husband, doctor, caregiver, etc.) and how that leads to more disconnect from who we truly are because we’re stuck in the story of that role. These are my words, by the way, trying to relate the essence of this complex topic. When we identify so strongly with a role, the DOING-ness associated with that identity replaces the BEING-ness of who we really are. Our egos have a lot at stake in defending their position as the role itself.

Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and want to posit this idea: having an illness is a role too and so easily becomes all-consuming; thus resulting in an over-identification with this role as the diseased person. When we own it in that way, it becomes the majority of the sum total of who we are. How often do we “suddenly understand” who a person is when we hear their title as “cancer survivor” or “he has AIDS“. Our human mind, overly identifying with our own story in relation to these example titles, instantly applies a film of false knowing over who that person is. We no longer see that person as the divine I Am presence behind the experience, but we see the experience and mistake it for Who that person Is.

How often do we do this in our own lives? What roles related to our health and wellness are we identified with in such a way that we literally forget the essence of who we are? We become so accustomed to our dis-ease that we will cling to it for dear life, passively defending it’s existence by our lifestyle choices, all the while crying out in agony for help. Because, after all, that’s part of the role, isn’t it?

Dare I say that it can be comfortable and convenient to live in our familiar story year after year after year… I have done this for so long with my weight, for example. I started being unhealthily overweight when I was in my early 30′s. I am 38 now, so for several years, I have been truly suffering and struggling. However, the idea of facing it and dealing with it has been much more daunting, terrifying, and uncomfortable than just being fat and complaining about it. Now, my overweightness, so to speak, manifested around 30, but my eating disorder and food obsession story began decades earlier. I see now, as I’ve been reflecting on Tolle’s ideas, that I learned a story, placed myself in the starring role, believed in every line, and began to shape my life in a way that would support this identity, no matter how dysfunctional or unhealthy. You see, the universe will provide us with everything we set our attention on. What we think about, we bring about.

So, what if the starting point for our healing, regardless of our treatment approach, was the recognition of how the dis-ease we’re dealing with has become the focus of who we think we are? What if we were able to unplug our soul identity from the experience of the problem? Is it possible to honor a “condition” as an experience in our life that ultimately serves to teach us, and maybe others, something that is necessary for our spiritual evolution? I’m not suggesting that all we have to do is shift our thinking and “poof” we’re cured. But, could that be a start? Maybe the dis-ease wouldn’t go right away, but I believe the experience around it might shift. Maybe it would go away.

I work as an occupational therapist with people in their homes, and I have a physically disabled father with multiple sclerosis. I see a lot in my line of work and in my personal life. I deal with people’s stories every single day. These musings that I’ve tried to gingerly share with you are being contemplated daily, as I journey with people through their dis-ease. I see patterns; some are diagnosis-specific. I see commonalities among the people I serve, and I can’t help but to wonder…

In case you still care, here is what I ate today:

• a green smoothie for breakfast
• seaweed salad
• coleslaw
• apple
• more green smoothie
• a couple of Bliss Balls
• a big slice of raw coconut cream pie
• pineapple
• watermelon

Thank you for reading. I welcome your thoughts.

Love,
Shawna