The Centre Of La Paz

Moving In With The French

Andean Fields on the Journey From Cochabamba to La Paz

Hey!

We´ve moved house! Yesterday we packed up all our belongings into boxes, and transported our stuff in an open truck to our new place just outside the city of Cochabamba. There´s less trafic in this new area, which is great as I think I´ve been suffering a bit with the pollution (sore throat). There is a little garden at the back, and I now have my own bedroom (posh, eh!). This place is also much closer to our allotment and my spanish tutor´s house :)

We are living with a young parisian couple, who speak quite good spanish but nice and slowly, so I can understand MOST of what they´re saying :) They are travelling round South America, they go to a spanish school for half the day and do volunteering work the rest of the day. They are very pleasant :)

I have also been to see two possible, central therapy rooms, one at the Yoga Institute and one at a Hari Krishna temple. They are both great so I may spread myself between the two. Yesterday I ordered my massage couch, which will be delivered next week. It´s ´bespoke´, don´t you know, tailored to my giant height! Hurrah!

I have my first spanish lesson this afternoon, with a tutor who teaches at an institute here, teaching spanish as a foreign language. She doesn´t speak a word of english, so I hope to learn some good techniques from her myself, which I could use if offering english lessons to people here....

Here´s some more piccies of Boli! Enjoy!

J x

A ´trufi´ bus, and the view from the ´flotta´ bus, travelling out of La Paz.

The Altiplano

What a beautiful landscape, eh?

Nearly Two Weeks in Bolivia!

Hi!

I have been in Bolivia for nearly two weeks now. Here are some pics of my journey so far, mostly of the bus trip to La Paz (with absolutely stunning scenery of the Andes), La Paz city and Cocha bamba. These two are of the Altiplano ´high planes´at sunset. Enjoy! xx

Photos of Trip to La Paz

Photos of my first few days in Bolivia :)

I took some pics today! Yesterday´s visit to my ma´s allotment turned out to be really cool. Her friend and her family live in an adobe eco house with compost toilet, beautiful vistas of the mountains, and lots of QUIET! What a lovely place. Sorry I can´t

write much today as I´m leaving for la paz in the next hour. But here´s some pics of my mum´s wormery, me and her, Bolivian streets nearby, etc. Lots of love!

I Have Arrived In Bolivia!

I have arrived in Cochabamba, Bolivia!! What a place! The top photo is La Paz, and the one nearest is Cochabamba. I am currently staying in one of the suburbs of Cochabamba.

There is so much to share, and there will be photos coming soon, too. There are so many opportunities presenting themselves for me here, job and business offers, places to live alongside my mum, and of course many places to visit!

On Tuesday I am travelling to La Paz with mi madre, who is giving a talk to some post-grad students of climate change, on things to consider with the ecological design of buildings.

Since I arrived 2 days ago, I have been settling in, making green smoothies, flax crackers, banana chips and almost sundried tomatoes in the lovely dehydrator I brought with me (thanks Janey!), as well as chocolate-brazil nut milk. The fruit here is absolutely gorgeous, and so we´ve been chomping on papaya and watermelons, and these unusual passion-fruit-type lovelies! My mum has been making kefir every morning, so the next thing to do is find some raw goats milk for her to make it more digestible. I´ll see if I can tempt her to switch, hehe!

Later today me and my mum are going to her organic allotment to plant out her tomatoes and other plugs. I´m taking David Wolfe´s advice and soaking some gojis to grow here. I´ve arrived in spring, what a great coincidence!

I am missing my friends already, especially Suzi & Ruth, and my lovely family, who all gave me a fantastic send off, thank you so much!!

Now I just have to find some raw foodies, or ´crudos´! My mum´s colleague said he knows some, hurray! He said that Cochabamba could really benefit from a ´raw food group´! Yippee

I have posted some videos of a great personal counsellor and spiritual therapist on YouTube & Facebook for you all to sample if you think you or someone you know might benefit from this sort of support. Her name is Ruth Allen, and is one of the best in her field I have ever come across. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVc2E5pVJzM

Love!!!!

Love love love this girl - Hemalayaa

What do I feel like eating today?

Listening to yourself

Interesting concept! Recently I have been much more aware of what I'd like to eat. Not 'what's on the menu', 'what's been made for me' or 'what's in the cupboards' necessarily, but what do you feel like eating? What would you eat right now, if you could eat anything in the world?

This is so interesting! Sometimes met with complete confusion - 'Oh my god, I don't know!' I really feel that it's important for us to listen to our bodies, to just experiment with asking it what it wants, and thinking about the answer. Does it want chips, and why?! Are you craving oils, creamy foods, or maybe fresh fruit, salty foods, spicy foods, or are you actually thirsty?

I believe that we can get so much more from our food in terms of nutrients, energy, satisfaction and health, if we can tuned into our bodies more and give them what they want. My experience is that when you give your body healthier versions of what we crave, we will eventually crave the healthier option. There is so much joy in being closer to your body. Mine shines back at me in appreciation. Love it!

Enjoy! x

Recovering from a Car Crash & Complementary Bodywork - Emily Bray's Story

How To Improve Your Diet Effortlessly: Small Changes, Dramatic Results over TIme

Raw Food Athletes Share Their Eating Habits & Muscles! Does Raw give us Enough Protein to Build Muscle??!!

Raw Food Athletes Share Their Eating Habits & Muscles! Does Raw give us Enough Protein to Build Muscle??!!

Brilliant Quick Chia Pudding Recipe by Kate Magic

Liquid food is something that I'm discovering to be highly advantageous as I'm getting deeper into my raw journey.

I really think we can benefit from including one liquid meal into our day. It gives our digestive system a bit of rest, so the body can carry on with it's essential maintenance. This could mean (from my experience, does mean):

clearer skin

more energy

more detoxification if it's needed

better elimination

a generally clearer, 'cleaner' feeling

better sleep, waking more refreshed

So what is a liquid meal? Juice (fresh, organic), smoothies and soups are great! Here's a couple of useful recipes. Adapt to taste :)

A basic green juice recipe is:

1 head celery

1 cucumber

1/2 bag spinach or kale

juice of 1 lemon (include pith)

1 inch ginger

plus something sweet if you're transitioning, such as 1 or more apples/pears/carrots/beetroot

Enjoy!

Mild Green Energy Soup (With Fat)

1 Cucumber
5 Stalks of Celery
1 Head of Romaine
2 Handfuls of Sunflower Sprouts
2 Handfuls of Buckwheat Sprouts
1 Lemon (peeled)
1 Avocado
1 Cup of Rejuvelac

Apple Orange Greens

4 Oranges
1 Cup of Rejuvelac
2 Green Apples
2 Cucumbers
3 Stalks of Celery
6 Handfuls of Buckwheat Greens

Raw soups,

Book Review - Eat More Raw by Steve Charter

This book feels so different!

I'm really enjoying reading this book at the moment, I wanted to tell you about it. I love reading and have nosed my way through a number of brilliant books on raw food and related issues, written by british and american authors alike. This one, though, felt very different to read.

Honest writing style & readability

Charter writes in a lovely clear way. He has a wonderful, down-to-earth approach and you feel you can practically apply all his ideas easily as you read. He also adds in studies and this little book is super content-rich. Steve tells us a lot about his experiences but also encourages you to do what works best for you.

Great perspective

I love the original but utterly perfect perspective - Steve is now a sustainability consultant and 'occasional permaculture teacher', and he explores the raw food lifestyle from this perspective in the book. This is great for those who've been into raw for a while as well as people exploring the raw food lifestyle for the first time. You learn about permaculture & the environmental aspects of raw, indoor and forest gardening and zoning, spiritual issues & meditation, as well as good little nick nacks for coping with all sorts of questions people might ask you if you're raw.

You can currently buy a copy of Eat More Raw by Steve Charter on Amazon.co.uk for a very reasonable price :£)

Here's Steve's website, too, for more info on his work now, including permaculture courses in Sussex & Kent and his other books : www.sc2.org.uk

Blessings!!

Fascinating talk with Wilcock, Wolfe & Good

This is a long interview, but really worth persevering with!

http://vimeo.com/14301941

Nick Good, who co-authored the book Amazing Grace with David Wolfe and scientist David Wilcock really cover some interesting ground in Noni Land in this interview: how diet relates to spiritual practices, liquid meals, scientific breakthroughs concerning DNA and light, how to cope with our current world, amazing healing through spiritual practices & how this actually works on a physical level, plus looooaaaaddds more. Enjoy x

David Wolfe's Secret to Realising Your Dreams

Remedial Massage Therapy in Truro

For anyone who doesn't know, I'm a Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist as well as a raw foodist! I work in Truro, Cornwall, at Hendra Health Clinic. If you'd like to make an appointment please email me at themuscletherapyco@hotmail.com. My style is deep. My clients tell me that they really feel they've had a massage after they've seen me. People approach me with a range of sports injuries, sciatica, arthritis, back and neck problems, plus many others. I'd love to treat you so get in touch :£)

I also offer advice on how to get more raw food into your life & improve health by ADDING IN. It's easy peasy & you may feel the best you've ever felt. Maybe even better than that. I'm a qualified Non-Medical Nutritional Advisor.

Blessings!

I've been away! I found it really easy to keep my food options optimal while travelling. I have had great mental clarity and focus, and felt some great euphoric energy because of what I've been eating lately too. My top foods of the moment are:

CHIA SEEDS - compact, portable, tasty, omega-rich, absolutely loveable!

CHOCOLATE - two giant cakes later... - I made a phenomenal cake from Kate Magic's book Ecstatic Beings, twice! The first fed a party of 13, the second fed 20. 'What - this is raw cake?' Was the common question. I'm currently reading Shazzie & David Wolfe's creation, 'Naked Chocolate'. I really feel chocolate is nourishing me at the moment. I'm having it every day again. I feel tremendous benefits - stress relief, I"m calm, clear, patient, loving, creative, making better choices, and maybe a little wiser ;£)

CRYSTAL MANNA - it's pricey but you only need the smallest little amount. Similar and equally ecstatic options include the other Klamath Lake products on the market E3 Live, blue manna, and the blue-green algae tablets & capsules.

One other thing I've realised while travelling and after my colon cleanse experience, is just how important superfoods are, and how powerful they are. Especially when you're cleaner. I think it is obviously really key to experiment with your own body and finding out what works best for you, but for me, superfoods are so convenient, quick, compact, and brilliantly suited to those with busy lives. And of course they have also been discovered to be the most helpful, nourishing, nutrient dense options by the people who are really concerned about our health and happiness.

To make a lovely, quick breakfast with the foods above, I have been spooning around 3tbsps of chia seeds in with about 1/2 cup water, and mixed in a heaping tablespoon of xylitol & choc. powder, along with 1/2tsp of crystal manna. Wait 10 or more mins for the chia to make a porridge consistency with the water (a bit like flax), stir and enjoy :) x

The last day of my colon cleanse

Tomorrow I break my fast! I've really enjoyed this detox. Here are some of the benefits I've felt:

-Deeper sleep
-More vivid dreams
-Much softer, clearer and really 'glowing' skin
-More energy - real highs and brilliant happiness for no reason
-Real enjoyment from nature - walking in the fields just felt great and really calming
-Weight loss
-A great 'sense of self', feeling as though I know myself better
-A feeling of release, of past emotions and sadness
-Satisfaction in caring for myself in this way

I have been consuming:

yerba mate, peppermint and chanca piedra teas (available at many wholefood stores)
locally harvested, pure and freeee spring water
chlorella tablets
kyolic aged garlic extract capsules
a little lemon or grapefruit juice added to water once a day
plus the digestive stimulator and toxin absorber

I have also had some quite strong cravings for junk foods. I'm looking forward to absorbing more from my food, more nutrients, more energy, more life :)

Boy George gets into raw food!

This video is with the lovely Kate Magic, a wonderful author and recipe goddess. She talks about teaching Boy George how to make chocolate pudding, cakes, etc. What a lucky babe! Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRawFoodWorld

This is the 5 day of my cleanse - wow, what a challenge and a delight it is! In the last couple of days, I have consumed:

locally harvested spring water, about 4 litres a day or more

green juice, about 4 cups

Toxin absorber & digestive stimulator

Today I loved:

1 litre spring water

1 very small almond yogurt with xylitol, yacon syrup and chia seeds

1/2 a small salad bowl at Archie B's veggie cafe

1 conscious chocolate bar

1 litre of sp. water

small handful of sunflower seeds

1/2 litre of spring water

1 small hemp smoothie with superfoods, including gingko biloba and chocolate nibs

More water! Along with my 'Toxin Absorber'

This is the 3rd and final day of food.... Water fasting from tomorrow.

I was ecstatic to meet with the lovely Aimee today, a another raw beauty in Cornwall. I meet so many these days, it's hard to keep up ;)

Today is the second day of my cleanse. I ate small portions, as I'm following the program where you reduce the amount you eat over 3 days before the 5 day water fast. I enjoyed:

1 litre of spring water

1 small bowl of almond yogurt, with purple corn, crystal manna, xylitol & E3Live, topped with berries

2 cups of green juice - celery, cucumber, lettuce, spinach

2 purple corn flax crackers, with sliced tomatoes & cucumber

5 chlorella tablets (I munch on them like sweets)

1 raw chocolate orange cashew bar

1 litre spring water

1 medium-sized salad - avocado, toms, cucumber, wild greens from garden, dehydrated soaked sunflower seeds

Today I also shared some time with Ruth Shivani, a Spiritual and Natural Therapeutic Counsellor, who offers consultations, yoga therapy, and has a huge amount of wisdom to share.

Her website is http://livinglifealive.com/, read her blog at http://rainbowspace.blogspot.com/ which I absolutely love!

A Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse

I'm doing a 9 day Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse - this is the first day. I'm excited to see the results.... All organic herbs and affordable too :) I purchased mine from Mike Nash's Aggressive Health Shop online, which came in good time with a free CD about systemic enzymes :) You can download the Guideline booklet and Dosage Calendar on his site, which saves you purchasing those, meaning you only need the 'Essentials' product :) Check out the Blessed Herbs website for more info and lots of pictures (if you dare!)

People often ask me what I eat. Today, 7th July 2010, I lovingly munched/glugged:

1 litre local spring water harvested nearby

1 portion almond yogurt with blueberries, raspberries, purple corn and xylitol

1 cup ginger tea

1 litre spring water

1 bowl salad: avocado, spinach, tomato, cucumber

1 litre hemp smoothie, with maca, yacon syrup, xylitol, purple corn, suma, cacao nibs, vanilla extract

I can't wait for the raw food party, 21st July in Newquay. Halva or cake, I wonder....