Hi Mati,

You are welcome to stay on my couch if you are in Melbourne.

Your caravan idea sounds fantastic as well.  Might just have to pull up my roots and join you.  Of course I have a lovely man in the picture which complicates things, but we'll see.

Just had to share the most fantastic news.  Went back to Adelaide to visit for the weekend and my partner announced to me that he wants to go raw when he comes to Melbourne next month.  I'm so pleased!  Perhaps a couple of months with me not around to feed him healthy meals (and getting stuffed with his mom's heavy cooked meals every night) has shown him how much better he feels eating raw. 

Major turnaround in the past week or so.  Moving in a really positive direction!

First off, Freelea, I have been hitting the bananas!  Since I'm working at an organic shop, it is really easy for me to grab a banana whenever I feel a bit hungry (and I like the almost black ones that nobody will buy, so it works out well).  They not only take the edge off the hunger, but they also really calm my emotions.  I think it is tryptophan in bananas that do that?  Anyway, they are amazing little things.  I'm really into the ladyfingers at the moment.  So sweet and delicious.

Second, i went to see a naturopath last Friday.  Don't know why I've never done that before, but I was talking to a girl at work who is studying naturopathy and she encouraged me to look into it.  Anyway I was impressed.  She spent almost 2 hours chatting with me, getting a full picture of my lifestyle and considering the best way to approach my health complaints, which were acne and anxiety.  And it wasn't just "take these supplements" (although that's part of it), she also gave me a book to read ("You can heal your life" by Louise Hays, which is all about how your thoughts at the present moment determine your future, physical health included) and told me to try skin brushing.  I'm loving the skin brushing and the remedies, but most of all I'm loving the book.  Louise Hays believes that our health ailments are caused by negative thought patterns, and at the root of all these problems is a lack of self-love.  Apparently acne is all about not loving the self!  I tend to agree that in my case, my acne has more of an emotional cause, because acne often indicates a need for detox but I live an extremely healthy lifestyle so I think for me it's more connected to stress and emotional distress.

I'm feeling quite excited about my healing process at the moment, so I just wanted to share my positive energy.  Have really been riding this wave and gotten back into running and yoga.  I've been sleeping like a baby and waking up bursting with energy, so all is well in my world.

My new mantra, which I repeat in my head all throughout the day, and which helps to quiet my mind and focus me on positive thoughts, is "I love and accept you exactly the way you are right now."  So simple, but so profound!

I found this website via a link from the New York Times website...an advertisement for Singapore tourism.  Interesting to see that they are luring New Yorkers with durians!

http://pulse.visitsingapore-usa.com/category/local-cuisine/page-02.php

You gotta watch the video "My first durian."  Watch the whole thing - he does an experiment to see why you shouldn't drink alcohol with durian.  Very disturbing to imagine that happening in your stomach!

I've been on a huge novel streak lately!  I love novels.  Recently finished the following, which were all spectacular:

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Not sure which novel to read next.  I'm thinking sticking with Margaret Atwood for a while; her writing is stunning and she weaves a story so skillfully.

Also reading Victoria Boutenko's 12 Steps to Raw Foods (thanks Vita and Tina) and some essays by Terrence McKenna.  I'm thinking about getting The Sunfood Diet Success System next, though also interested in Doug Graham's 80-10-10 book. 

Thank you darling!  I was pretty darn proud of that cake, I must say.  I can't wait to try one of your scrumptious looking creations.  Hopefully one of my visits back to Adelaide will coincide with a raw get together.

I lasted 2 meals on the all-green-smoothie plan!  So that was a little over-ambitious for now.  Too many other changes going on in my life to try to change my diet so drastically as well.  So I'm giving myself some leeway.  Trying to constantly think of the best way to be supportive and generous towards myself, in terms of my physical, mental and emotional well-being.  I've had a really good week with this approach so far, and am feeling positive.

In terms of diet, I am having at least one green smoothie a day, starting the day with warm water with lemon, and drinking more water throughout the day.  Other than that I'm being flexible and trying to really tune into my body, listening to what it is asking me for.  I've also exercised more this week - I've gone jogging 3 times (I take the dog, which is really motivating, cause he weighs about 1/10 my body weight but he can run for ages - then again he has twice as many legs) for about 5k, which I'm really proud of!  The other day it started raining big fat drops while I was running, but I just let them splash on my face and it felt really good, and then I was rewarded by seeing a perfect rainbow arching across the sky!  Just think, only those of us brave enough to venture out in the weather were able to see this amazing sight.

I was a bit of a recluse last weekend, so I'm going to try to be more social this time around.  I think it makes me happier.  I'm always thinking I want to stay home and "get things done" but in reality I don't usually accomplish much and it just exacerbates the lonely feelings. 

I have one of the last pears of the season today.  It was sweet and juicy and yummy!  Now I'm just going to start looking forward to persimmons, peaches, figs, nectarines, cherries, apricots, mangoes, paw paw, pineapple, berries...

Thank you thank you thank you for your supportive words ladies.  Especially for reminding me that there is no such thing as perfection!  My goal is to stop being hard on myself and learn to be loving instead.  Why is it that it is so easy to be loving and nurturing towards others, but so critical of myself?  I think once I can really make that change, I'll be on my way.  Well I guess I'm already on my way just in desiring to be the best version of me that I can be!

I haven't posted on here in a while, but feel the need for some support, so here I am. 

Have been really withdrawn lately, and have been struggling a lot with food.  I have a tendency to be really hard on myself, to expect perfection.  But then again, it's my health we're talking about, so what is it so hard to stay on track?

I'll back up a bit.  I've just moved to Melbourne, just about a month ago.  I adore this city, and am enjoying exploring it.  But I'll be honest: I'm lonely.  Transitions are beautiful and wonderful, but they are also trying in many ways.  While I'm trying my best to stay positive and active, I obviously can't expect every moment to be full of sunshine (this is Melbourne, after all!).  Since I moved here, it has been hard for me to stay raw.  The first few weeks especially, when I was staying in a hostel and wasn't able to prepare all of my own meals.  Now I'm living in a house with a really great couple, and it is easier, definitely.  But there are other challenges which are pulling me away from my raw ideal.  Working at a job that I'm not totally crazy about, for instance, takes a lot out of me (but I have to work, I need income, and I'm being proactive about searching for other opportunities, applying for promising jobs and registering my interest with recruitment agencies).  And while I have met many interesting people since I've arrived here, it does take a while for these acquaintances to blossom into friendships.  I understand that, and I don't expect it to be any different.  I am acutely feeling the loneliness - which is okay.  It's natural, and all I can do is experience it, accept it.  I'm trying to find constructive ways to use my time, such as reading (I'm reading Victoria Boutenko's 12 Steps to Raw Food at the moment, which is really eye-opening for me, as well as Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, and Terence McKenna's True Halluinations - I always have several books going), making wire sculpture, writing, learning to spin poi, walking my housemates' dog, going to the CERES market.  So I'm not sitting on my bum all the time, being miserable.  But I am feeling a tendency toward emotional eating, for sure.  Sometimes I just want to be out among people, to sit in a cafe with a book and eat something comforting.  I also feel a tendency to binge...yesterday I made a raw cake and ate the entire thing!  I felt really awful afterwards - it was like I was displacing my emotional distress with physical distress.  At least the physical discomfort is easier to define.

Okay, I just needed to pour all of that out there.  I've decided to try an experiment - a green smoothie challenge of my own.  I don't want to say "cleanse" or "detox" because that's not really my intention.  My intention is just to simplify my food, so that I am not relying on it as an emotional crutch and I can focus on feeling and addressing my emotions.  So I've decided to just have green smoothies and soups for the next week.  As many as I want to feel satisfied, I'm thinking 3-4 litres a day will probably be enough but if I need more that's okay.  I have a 1-litre plastic jug but I'm going to buy another one so I can bring 2 litres with me when I go out so I don't get caught green-smoothie-less.  I've started today with a banana-mint-gogi-spirulina smoothie, and might go savory for lunch.  Now I'm off to the farmer's market to buy a shopping bag full of greens and fruit!

I think that this will help me get back on track, and allow me to focus on a) what I'm feeling and b) what my goals are. 

thanks for all of your wonderful support!

Hi tora chan,

I think the answer to this question is completely dependant upon where you live!  Are you in Japan now, or in Australia, and what part?

In places that have cold winters, strawberries and most berries are definitely summer fruit.  I remember having a wild blueberry bush in my backyard as a kid in New England, and also going to pick strawberries at a nearby farm.  Stone fruit is definitely summer fruit as well.  I'm in Melbourne at the moment, and I'm getting so sick of apples, pears and oranges.  If I only ate seasonally I wouldn't be able to eat Queensland bananas and I'd probably starve.

It's so hard to be raw in a place with a cold winter if you only eat what's in the season.  It's a lot easier if you eat cooked cause you can eat lots of root vegetables, stewed fruit, etc.

I think the Queen Victoria Market is the closest to Melbourne Central.  As Niqi said, there are a few really great organic stalls there that sell produce and also all sorts of organic products.  The markets are open Tuesday and Thursday 6am-2pm, Friday 6am-5pm, Saturday 6am-3pm, and Sunday 6am-4pm.

I've just moved to Brunswick and I have been shopping at Organic Wholefoods on Lygon Street, near Albion (there's another outpost on Smith Street in Fitzroy), or at the CERES market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.  If you have a chance to get the CERES center, you definitely should.  It's a really special place.  Have a look at the website: http://www.ceres.org.au/

Have fun in Melbourne; it's a fantastic city!

RoarOnRaw, while I do agree with you that there is obviously no one-pill "solution" for depression, there are certainly many natural and synthesized substances out there than can really improve our quality of life.  My personal belief is, if there are plants out there that can make us feel calmer, happier, and more in tune with the planet, then by all means we should be exploring them.

In terms of your specific question, whether or not 5-htp helps has a lot to do with the cause of your anxiety/depression.  If your seratonin levels are low, then perhaps 5-htp will be effective, or you might even prefer straight tryptophan.  However sometimes people with high seratonin still get anxiety and often find GABA more useful (like me), but you don't want to play around with GABA unless you have pretty stable seratonin levels. 

The only way to really know what works best for you is to experiment, but cautiously.  I suggest having an in-depth read on this topic at the forums at shaman australis: http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/index.php? and do a search for 5-htp.

Let us know how you go.

Hi there, just wanted to share some recent thoughts and experiences.

I've just gone through the grueling process of moving out of my house while working full time, and it was really hard on my lifestyle.  With all the farewells and stress, I ended up eating more cooked food that I feel comfortable with, and I also overate a lot for emotional comfort.  I try to avoid the scales but I hopped on today and I've put on 5 lbs.  Then again, my skin actually looks clearer and I think the weight gain actually suits me - I got a bit skinny on holiday in Hawaii because I pretty much only ate fruit and veggies.  So this has been an interesting learning experience - once my life is a bit more under control, I want to try tweaking my diet so that I'm actually eating more calories, and more from fat and protein, to see what effect that has on my skin and body shape.

Anyway I'm feeling pretty good today, chilling at my partner's parents' house in the lovely Barossa.  I went for a nice sunny walk today and just drank a yummy super green smoothie which has me bursting with energy (banana, almond butter, hempseed meal, spirulina, cacao, maca, spinach, gogis, lovely local honey, filtered rainwater - bliss).  And tomorrow I'm off to Melbourne!  Woohoo!  I'm so excited to establish myself there.  Haven't had any luck tracking down these mysterious folk who are rumoured to be starting up a raw restaurant in Melbourne, but I have done my research on veggie places and I have some interviews set up.  So job prospects are okay.  Will also be looking for a place to live, preferably on the north side of the city (fitzroy, carlton, northcote, etc.).  So should be challenging, but so much fun exploring a new city and meeting new people. 

Dont worry Adelaide, I'll be back to visit and I'll bring you all a nice raw cake

Hey Streamline, it sounds like you're doing really well!  Just remember not to be too hard on yourself when you fall off the wagon.  It happens.  One thing that I've noticed is that my body has a really hard time going back and forth between raw and cooked.  So ultimately you have to do what works for you, and what feels good most of the time.

I totally know what you mean about being obsessed with reading this forum!  One little word of advice that I've found - take everything with a grain of himalayan salt, so to speak.  There are so many interesting ideas on here, but it can be really hard to take everything on board at once.  I try to read the information, and then file a lot of it away for the future.  Otherwise I start to feel like "oh my goodness I'm not doing enough!" and become pretty hard on myself.  I need to remember that what I'm doing right now is actually perfect for where I'm at.

Also I wanted to say, don't rush yourself too much.  It feels really good to go 100% raw - I did it for a month and I felt great - but realistically, I think this change takes at least a few years to really embody all the time.  I still have a weakness for eating out in restaurants, which I do about once a week.  I think the hardest part about going raw is that it is still really pretty far outside the mainstream, so it can be hard to eat out and be social and whatnot.  If only everyone could wake up to this amazing way of living and we could buy raw crackers and breads at our local shops, have raw pastas at restaurants, and meet up with friends for warm herbal tea and raw carrot cake!

Anyway, I just wanted to send some positive support and encouragement your way

I got back from Hawaii last Tuesday and I miss it so much!  I fell in love with Kauai, and particularly with the little surfing town of Hanalei where my family rented a house for a week.  Everything there was just perfect - the weather, the fruits and vegetables, the laid-back people in the town, the yoga studio, the endless beach, the raw-friendliness.  I really just vibed with the place.  It was like coming home - I just really felt that I belonged there.  People would just come up to me and start chatting.  It was amazing.  I really didn't want to leave, but it was a holiday after all and I had to come home because of various responsibilities, mainly to my partner.  But I am toying with the idea of going back there for a longer period of time, to do an internship in a raw/vegan restaurant.  My sister is interested in moving there for a while as well.  My partner is hesitant, which is the biggest obstacle, because I love him very much.  So, right now that's just something to think about for the future.

I'll be posting writings and photos of my raw-related experiences in Hawaii on my blog over the next few weeks.  I've already written about the farmers market, and there's some great photos of tropical produce.  I'll be writing about my tour of a cacao farm and visit to Blossoming Lotus, a vegan and raw restaurant, soon.  The url is in my signature.

In the meantime, I'm working on packing up my life in Adelaide, where I've been for the past 2 1/2 years, and planning a move to Melbourne at the end of August.  I'm feeling really overwhelmed and a bit anxious about this, but excited as well.  I hope to find a job in Melbourne at a raw, vegetarian or organic restaurant, or an organic shop.  The most important thing is to work with people who have similar values and lifestyles to mine, in order to surround myself with creative inspiration and positive energy.  And of course, to further my "career" or lifepath or whatever you want to call it.  Funny how I used to think I had that all figured out, but the twists and turns that life provides for me can be surprising and delightful.  I've learned to focus on my goals, but at the same time to be totally open.

Just giving this a bump.  I'm moving to Melbourne really soon and really want to be involved with developing raw restaurants over there, so if anyone knows anything, please contact me!  If not, I'm looking for suggestions from Melbournites for non-raw restaurants that approach food with integrity where I might look for work in the meantime.

Thanks!