International Raw Food Day!!!!

Union Square Farmers Markets in NYC-
the best apples I have EVER tasted!

This Wednesday 11th July is 'International Raw Food Day'! For those of you who know me, I have a strong passion for the raw vegan movement and all its fresh, vibrant produce brimming with life! A wonderful raw vegan advocate is a woman called Karen Knowler who runs a raw food coaching company in the UK. Last year she launched International Raw Food Day and has put out a whole heap of info for people who are interested. The premise is for anyone and everyone to GO RAW for one day, that day being the 11th of July and to see how easy and awesome it actually is! Many people unknowingly consume vegan and raw foods without realising such as guacamole, salsa, fresh juices etc. and her one day guide proves just how easy and yummy it is to embrace even one day of raw food goodness. I really truly encourage you to check out her site and download the go raw for a day guide. And commit to it! It is one day out of your life and if you don't like it at least you tried but hopefully it encourages you to open a new door and maybe this one day extends to one day every week raw vegan...
Here is the link peeps:
http://www.internationalrawfoodday.com/
If you click on the go raw for a day link it should take you straight to an email link for your FREE guide YAY!


If you are still reading and haven't jumped into your car racing red lights to the nearest McDonalds lets talk raw live vegan food a lil bit =)
It has been a step by step journey for me to go raw, as it was a step by step journey for me to go vegan in the years preceding that, and by no means am I exclusively or dogmatically one way of eating - I merely chose this way because I feel good when I do so! I try to listen to my body and respond to it accordingly and I also believe that if a meal is prepared with love by those who serve it to you that is a precious gift. So if someone serves me a food I may not usually prepare for myself but it is handmade with such care, time, and love then I believe that food will still nourish me as I digest those beautiful thoughts that went into its preparation. As such I am not 100% raw because I know that my mindset, being the way it is, if I went 100% one way or another it would come from a competitive and negatively controlling thoughtform as opposed to an all accepting and loving one. So I instead try to focus on the amazing energy eating raw gives me and use that as a guide to choose the meals I do, rather than a set of rules to live by.


If you strip it right back eating your fruits and vegetables mostly in their raw state really does make sense - we want to absorb the most nutrients and life force from everything we intake right? And the shelves of every chemist are packed with vitamin supplements to help us increase that uptake of nutrients even further. So what about if we just eat these amazing vegetables in their freshest form? Surely that means that the most nutrition is intact in that present state? And we can bypass all the extra pills! So by consuming our leafy greens in their brightest green and crispiest form we are giving our bodies the gift of life. We are squeezing as much goodness out of those vegies as we possibly can.

And once you try this - the energy your body receives is amazing. After eating mainly raw for even a few weeks many people feel a huge difference in their energy levels, digestion, they are more alert, the colours of life are more vibrant, and as a result you start to really notice and appreciate all that goes into bringing those foods to your kitchen and table. And it really can't be boring because look at all the amazing colours at your disposal! When you plate up a meal that is filled with reds, purples, greens, and yellows that bounce right off the plate your senses are totally stimulated on all counts!


You don't have to change your whole life in one day, so how about just taking it slow and maybe just adding some fresh leafy greens to your next meal, using zucchini instead of pasta, adding a handful of greens to your smoothie, or chopping up some raw carrots and celery to have with your hommus?
Green leafy vegies in particular are extremely alkalising and you will find that most vegetables in their natural state are also. In opposition, all animal meats, dairy, sugars, processed foods are extremely acidic. And as acidic overload on our systems in known to be the root of many western diseases, it makes sense to add as many alkalising foods as we can to right this imbalance.


If you research raw food on the internet you will find a plethora of raw food recipes that are full of 'superfoods' and 300 cups of nuts, and actually contain very few veggies in them. They have their place too but are overwhelming. Eating raw simply means eating LIVE, so put those recipes aside and simply focus on eating as many LIVE and WHOLEFOODS as you can! Try to choose unprocessed versions of foods and eat as close as possible to it's natural state. Easy right?

California, Green Juice, Sunshine
Loving life =)

Looking in the mirror, what do you see?

We all have those days where you get up and all you feel like wearing is a tracksuit, and then when you are walking down the street in that said tracksuit your brains keeps sending you pictures of yourself in a hessian sack (even if your tracksuit is pink and sparkly...)
When you just feel BLAH - out of touch with your mental self, and most definitely your physical self. You start to doubt your inner and outer beauty and see yourself on a downward spiral. Now for most people this leads to two paths - comfort eating, or restrictive eating. One is used as a means to soothe, calm, and quell those negative voices by making yourself feel special with 'special' foods. The other one is a used as a means to regain control of your life, to pull yourself out of your down space by taking control of your food and thus metaphorically, your life.
For some it is using alcohol or drugs to escape and create a new reality where life is good. Whatever the poison, it is all our mind trying to trick us into 'fixing' the situation, when it was our mind that got us there in the first place!


Why is it that one day you can wake up, look at yourself in the mirror and see a bright, shining, goddess of a woman, and then the very next day see an out of proportion, jaded, and fuzzy version of that same goddess? Logically, we can't have physically changed that extremely in one day but yet our mind projects the image that we have... That in 24 hours we have gained 5kgs and suddenly need to take count of all our sins in the last 2 weeks. If you step back it really doesn't make any sense. And everyone else around you sees you as the same beautiful person you always are. But as our thoughts and minds created the negative body images in the first place, our own thoughts are the only way out - no matter how many reassurances you seek and hear from outside people, until you rewire your own thoughts you will remain jaded.


Sometimes we let outside influences get to us. We pick up a copy of Cosmo and stare aimlessly at the endless pictures of airbrushed woman posing walking a dog down the street. If it took that much effort to get myself ready to walk the dog I would probably never leave the house! But we see these pictures and unconsciously discriminate against ourselves for not fitting the mould. We may be feeling down about a lack of focus or goals in our career and as a result berate and blame our appearance for our downfall.

But I truly, honestly, and genuinely believe that we do not need a certain physicality to succeed in life. I believe in nourishing, nurturing, and respecting my body by feeding it foods filled with life force and love, as well as giving it fresh air and using my muscles as they were built to be used. But that doesn't mean a specific look or build. It means going inside and making choices based on truly wanting the best for our selves as a whole. In loving ourselves so much that we can't help but treat ourselves with joy and goodness! We need to get out of our own heads (myself included!) and see the bigger picture of beauty. It is truly of our own making. Why is it that one person can be attracted to one and not another? Because our mind tells us what we classify as beautiful and what is not. But when we start to remove those classifications and see beauty as universal - in that it extends across merely physicality to the other states of being and life on this planet- we tap into that place of acceptance with ourselves and everyone around us.


If it is so simple as just making the choice to see myself as worthy of being beautiful why don't I just choose that everyday? I don't know, but I really don't see why I shouldn't at the same time!

Fearlessness

Sometimes we lose contact with ourselves. Sometimes we stand slightly a step outside and behind the light. And when that happens everything gets hazy. I noticed the other day that I have created a pattern for myself unconsciously - a cycle of ups and downs no matter where I am in the world. I am sure that in the beginning these were valid feelings that came about because of an actual event but now they seem to appear even without an actual reason. It is habitual and subconsciously it has become my way of operating or coping.These feelings of inadequacy that pull me down don't feel right, when I am there I don't feel like 'Allyce' and I know they are not really apart of my true self.


Because the real Allyce dives in head first. The real Allyce goes off to explore and finds hidden treasures. The real Allyce acknowledges these lower emotions and thought forms and doesn't judge them or get caught up in them but simply observes them as they move through and past her.
But it takes fearlessness to step back into life. Courage to go past the little 'woe is me' voices and jump into the unknown. Remember when you were a kid and you used to run and throw yourself into the pool without even a second thought? How rollerblading down a big hill was exhilarating even if you skated into a tree on the way?


Fearless.

Once you embrace it and feel it, oh man it is an amazing feeling. You can find freedom in your fearlessness. And I guess as always it has to do with surrendering right? Because you have to let go to have the courage to jump in. You have to bypass all those little no voices and take the leap anyway.

And boy I feel like my last couple of years have been all about jumping in the pool headfirst. Moving to live in countries that are out of our comfort zones, being in a job where it is constantly changing and unpredictable, and living away from your nearest and dearest for long amounts of time forces you to spend time with YOU and as a result every little deep dark corner of you as well =)


But if we choose to be fearless in that darkness, if we choose to step out of our little huts and into the great outdoors - wow, see how much there is to find and discover! We will all step outside at some point, but it is up to us how long we want to spend inside before we take that step. Yes of course it is scary, but if you acknowledge that you are scared and that it is unknown then you have already given yourself permission to move past those feelings and find MORE.
So I make the decision to choose simplicity, ease, peace, and most importantly, joy. And to find that I will step outside, off the ledge, and out into the unknown. Fearlessly. Because life is so much simpler when I don't cloud my head with ifs, ands, or buts and peace is found in the release of fear =)
GO!

Perfection...

Perfection.
Just the word conjures up so many emotions, thoughts, even physical reactions. Note how you react to that word. Do you unconsciously touch a part of your body? Do you feel anxiety in you stomach? Do you put up a defence barrier energetically? In my mind, it is hard to see the word 'perfect' as a positive. It implies we must be complete and whole in every aspect of our life and selves and seeing as that is pretty much impossible it also then implies that we are imperfect right now.

This idea of the constant strive for perfection surely must be wired in our brains and bodies - humanity has always been filled with a hierarchy, good vs bad, and a system by which we are judged by others or even by ourselves. Perfection in the physical body - which lets face it is really hard to avoid with all the magazines and billboards everywhere we turn, perfection in the mental body - being judged by your grades and sales quotas...
And even turning to the alternative and spiritual circles - so many people worship gurus and leaders and mould themselves in their image to attain 'enlightenment'. Perfection exists up in the clouds, at the top of the climb and out of our reach.

And do you know who creates that climb? You. If you really wanted you could keep that climb for perfection in whatever way going your whole life. You might say that your teacher or boss keeps you always on the backburner struggling to achieve your goal, but really it is ourselves who are creating that climb and set of goalposts or limitations. What if you have achieved your goal already? Right now? What if you woke up tomorrow at the top of the summit? Would you feel elated and proud? Probably not. Instead I imagine I would create a whole list of reasons as to how I had 'cheated' or find a way to play down that success.

Sure it is healthy and a part of human nature to have a goal and something to work towards but the issue becomes when we are judging ourselves based on the achievement of that goal. When we deem ourselves worthy by having perfect abs, or perfect A grades, or even making the perfect chocolate cake. We ideally should celebrate ourselves and nurture ourselves towards the beauty we find in our goals and their success but somehow along the way it turns negative and we lose sight of the reasons behind making our goals in the first place. So when we reach a stumbling block and lose control of the situation instead of laughing at the twists and turns and realising we are learning as much in this stumble as we are in the goal itself, we berate ourselves, feel guilt, and judge ourselves unworthy of setting the goal in the first place.

My heart hurts so much to think of all the beautiful family and friends in my life thinking less of themselves and missing out on their true potential and light! If a friend told you they were planning to climb Mt Everest, no matter how insane the goal, you would most likely support their wacky ideas and help them achieve success - so why do we shut ourselves down in the blink of an eye?

And because this 'perfection gene' is so deeply ingrained in society it is a biggie to try and shift in yourself. Be patient, be kind, and start with small moments of acceptance of yourself for who you are today. Ground yourself into your real self, not the perfect far off version (who frankly is not as awesome and eclectic as your now self anyway...) and unleash your awesomeness on the world!

A Must See

Today I watched the documentary "Hungry for Change". You may have heard about it as they have done some REALLY good marketing to promote the film, especially across facebook. It is made by the same team as the doco Food Matters and features interviews from many highly regarded health and nutrition people.

If you are looking to make a change or inspire yourself to become more aware of what you choose in your life I recommend tuning in to watch the film - as always, you will only take out of it what you are ready to hear. Don't force yourself and spend the 90mins fighting with the people on the screen as then you are only creating a negative response in yourself. Remember that everyone has their opinions and you don't always need to agree but recognise that there is truth in all and that the issues they raise in this doco are very real and scientifically valid and supported.

The best part about watching these type of films is that they plant the seed of change within you - maybe that change will take 3 days to take root, maybe 3 years, but subconsciously you are opening up to more possibilities by doing yourself the favour of seeking out this knowledge. As the film finished I found myself immediately going out to savour a fresh green vege juice and galloping through the supermarket with a basket full of fresh vegies to whip up for dinner =) And the best part is - it wasn't a 'chore' to eat the 'good' stuff, my mind and body made that decision for me and I was actually craving all those yummy wholefoods!

One of my favourite parts of the film was when they spoke about diets not working - this is something I feel so strongly about. I strongly dislike the use of the word diet and prefer 'way of living' or 'lifestyle choice'. Because a diet implies starvation, it conjures up failure, short term goals, and worst of all it makes you feel you are depriving yourself. I like to think that if I told myself I was going on a chocolate diet and I was in no way allowed to eat anything but I would feel deprived because of the use of the word CAN'T and even though I was eating a 'naughty' food like chocolate the treat of it would lose all meaning and instead the focus would go onto everything else you are not allowed. You need to discover the reasons behind WHY you make the choices you do, and make those choices holistically so that you involving all parts of your life being mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual and then the changes will stick. Our mind plays a much greater role than we realise - I believe everything starts with a thought and all physical matters manifest from our thoughts and emotions. So if we can shift our awareness and start opening up to new thoughts and positive beliefs about ourselves it becomes so much easier to create and live a life you want to live.

I think it is so important for everyone to ask questions. We take so much for granted as we are spoonfed so much in our culture. Spoonfed what to watch, listen to, look like, eat like... And then when we go to the supermarket shelves we simply take items off the shelves without knowing what we are actually eating! We take medication from the doctor without knowing where it came from or what it is actually doing to us! We try to lose weight not for our own health and wellbeing but because other people and magazines say we should!

It's time for everyone to stop and take stock. Start loving yourself, start asking yourself what you can do to bring the best to this life and how you can educate yourself to help others around you as well.

If you have the time (and if you don't then you might need to reassess your priorities in life hehe) please watch this film. It is available free to watch online until the end of March. Here is the link: http://www.hungryforchange.tv/

Much love to you all and happy discoveries!

It's the way we get there...

For a few weeks now I have been talking to my Ma about how I just didn't feel excited about my yoga practice. It wasn't that I didn't want to be there, I was perfectly inspired to be practicing but it was more like I didn't want to be in that exact room, taking THAT class. I would mentally fight the teacher and every direction they were giving and I felt like a sooky teenager sometimes! I kept saying I missed yoga back in Australia, but I couldn't pinpoint my finger on exactly what it was I missing...

I just knew 'something' was a miss. 

And then as the Universe would have it, a chain of events led me to take a trial class at a new studio... BAM! REALIGNMENT!

From the moment I started that 90mins of one loooooong exhalation for my body I knew this was it, it wasn't that I was fighting yoga, it was that I was fighting myself and the fact that I needed to make a change and seek something new.
After just 2 days at this new studio I realised what it was I was searching for- heart. You see for me yoga is not purely physical and that is why certain styles appeal to me more than others. I will always remember the feeling of walking out of a rocking practice and noticing that the colours of the sky and the trees are actually brighter than they were before! And feeling so much love for everyone and everything around me I might burst! That is a rounded yoga practice and for the last few months although my strength has been building and I have certainly learnt and discovered many new and awesome things in my classes, that was no longer enough. I needed heart.

And of course when I got to this new studio my ego piped in with a seemingly friendly "well if you had just chosen this studio in the first place you could have had this all along" - WRONG!
The fact is that I didn't choose this studio to practice at 3 months ago, I chose another one and as with everything on this Earth, I chose it for a reason. I needed to go through that exploration and that time to understand what is truly important to me and to be able to articulate it.
And if I had gone to the studio with classes I was comfortable with straight away, I would never have tried and embraced all the different and varying styles available to me by being out of my home country and safety zone. I am glad it happened the way it did and I don't think I have lost out anything this way. If anything I appreciate the classes more now and am super amped to make the most out of my last 6 weeks here.


So, I have used yoga as my speaking ground but I truly believe there is an underlying tone that you can all apply to many aspects of your life - find your own 'yoga' and see how it works for you. We often tend to focus on the destination, the arrival point, the peak, but isn't it the things along the way that you remember? The destination may only last a few minutes before it becomes habit and melds into everything else in your life, and when you look back you remember the scenery of your life on the journey. The people, the view, the food you tasted along the way.


And speaking of food - here is a recipe for you to taste along the way! As many of you know, I'm all about fresh, organic, unprocessed food to nourish and nurture our bodies =)


Lately I have been craving Italian flavours and this is my go-to sauce - use it on greens, grains, or my personal favourite - raw zucchini noodles/ribbons mmm....


Marinara Magic
6 sundried tomato halves, drained
1 small red capsicum
6 cherry or mini roma tomatoes
1 tbsp tahini (makes it a bit creamy)
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried italian mixed herbs
1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional, only if you have it)
a big handful of fresh herbs (I use basil, rosemary, oregano, but pretty much anything goes!)


Chop all the ingredients and then chuck everything except the fresh herbs into the blender. Blend til almost smooth, should not take long, and add a tbsp or two of water if you need to  help it mix. 
Put the herbs in and briefly blend only until herbs are incorporated and evenly mixed. No need to cook - keep it fresh and savour the goodness in its natural state!
You can store this in the fridge for a few days in a sealed container.


MUCH LOVE!!!!!

Green!

Today I visited MacRitchie Reservoir here in Singapore, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting this fair city. It's only 15min out of the city but for those few hours walking through its trails you are transported light years away from the chaos and bustle of the city. There are times when you look up and can only see glimpses of the sky and sun peeking through the rainforest canopy, when all you can hear are the cicadas singing to their mates, and all you feel is the physical act of walking. Meditative =)

I've got to give it to Singapore - even though the streets are busy and people are walking around attached to each and every piece of technology available, it is certainly green! The climate is perfect for lush tropical plants and all you need to do is escape to one of the many parks scattered throughout the island to reconnect and ground once more.


And as I was walking along staring at the leaves littered among the ground it occurred to me that the brown "dead" leaves lie right alongside the green grass and plants all around them. In fact, they add compost and help create moist and fertile ground for new plants to shoot through. So all the parts of ourselves we consider "waste" and "old" have such an important function - paving the way for the bright, tender, new shoots to burst through! The leaves are just as living as we are and if their purposes are so cyclical and intrinsically connected, as too are ours. It is so necessary for us to shed the thoughts, mentalities, and habits that no longer serve us well so we have the space to see the sunshine and allow it to shine on our beautiful new parts. It can be a literal or a physical journey of release - writing down all that you wish to release and maybe burning the paper, or going for a swim in the cleansing ocean and letting go of old ways through the water washing them away, or walking through the rainforest and with each step letting go and walking forward into the new. But then we must recognise that those parts we are releasing have served us a wonderful purpose and although we must now let them go, they were created because we needed them at the time. Rather than an ending being sad or angry, it is beautiful as it means we have grown and progressed to a new place and we are ready to continue further on our journey. It is a celebration of self and all you have achieved simply by living on this planet.


You know, before I sat down to write this blog I spoke to one of my friends in the dressing room about how I didn't have an inspiration... And as soon as I sat down at the keyboard the words simply flowed and it appears I do have an inspiration! Maybe we always have inspiration and we just need to give ourselves the opportunity and the space to let it be seen!