Where am I?

So how the heck have I been doing? It's been awhile since I've done a personal update. Lets recap. This past year I've gone fully vegan and I don't ever see myself going back. The previous year I've gone vegan for about 8 months but to be honest I wasn't fully educated enough to be successful. What I mean by that is I had the best intentions but 

a) I had no idea how to eat vegan. I knew becoming vegan was the best thing I could do for the animals and for our planet as I had researched enough in that sense, but I hadn't researched what foods I should eat, and how to maintain a healthy vegan lifestyle. I honestly ate nothing but veggie burgers 24/7 and felt such an attraction to cheese. ( i have no attraction to dairy now at all and actually find it repulsive.)

b) I didn't realize that everything vegan isn't automatically healthy. Many vegan foods are very high in fat. Eating vegan doesn't mean having meat and cheese substitutes in every meal. In fact, I don't often have veggie meat and cheese any more.

Now that i'm completely comfortable in a vegan lifestyle i'm not worries about that. I know that no one is going to walk by with a piece of cheese and have it affect me. It doesn't mean anything to me anymore. As far as alcohol goes I'm slowly starting to feel that way about it. As many of you know on my birthday I broke my sobriety and drank. It was a mistake which I learned from all of the terrible feelings I had afterwords and If I could take it back I would.  Shortly after I decided that maybe I was able to be in control. For a week following I experimented with drinking only 1 or 2 drinks an evening. I actually was pretty successful in limiting myself. However... after that one week my depression came back in full swing. I remember laying down in bed crying about how I would never be the person I wanted to be. I said I would never be a healthy body weight, I'd never make enough money, I'd never be a good enough artist, I'd never be a good enough girlfriend. My motivation for healthy eating was going out the window. Then I asked myself if it was all worth it. Was me having those 2 drinks  night worth the depression and self loathing, the money, and instant 6 pound weight gain it caused me? Of course not.

 After that week I swore off alcohol again and have remained sober since. It's simply not something that fits in with my life anymore. If this is something you struggle with and you want to quit, please don't be afraid to ask for support. If you don't want to quit, than that is your choice, but for me this is mine.

I've been living raw till 4, but If I'm being honest this past little while I have not been 100% as healthy as I could have been. During the day I've been 100% healthful, but at night time I've been eating too many high fat foods! This tells me I haven't been eating enough fruits and veg during the day to stay satiated.  I know I'm so close to achieving optimal health my dear readers. I'm almost there. And so starting tomorrow you will see a lot more updates on my personal progress. I was also considering doing "what I eat in a day" blogs to show you how I eat and live.

This is my journey. If I could be perfect in a day we'd all do it wouldn't we? I'm remaining positive because I know I've come from a place of eating disorders, alcohol abuse and depression. Just knowing I've tackled those demons tells me the rest should be a breeze!

Don't forget to leave any questions or comments below. Let me know you're reading friends!

Until next time

Stay vibrant,

xoxo

Raw Mermaid

Market shopping for success

Good morning fruit munching friends! Today I want to talk a little bit about market shopping for success. As you know I love my local market and usually get the largest amounts on Saturdays. I get a lot of people asking me how expensive it is to shop at a market, and so I though I'd share with you a few tips and tricks I follow to get the best bang for my buck.

My first tip is bring a strong pair of arms, and a car ( or if you're like me and don't have one a shopping cart) I have a medium sized shopping cart/bag ( you know those delightful ones that old ladies cart around their groceries in ) and I always bring Nick as an extra set of muscly arms. The reason is that you can get QUALITY and QUANTITY and it's way more affordable. Buying fruits and veggies by the case is always more economical than buying individually. You may notice this if you go to a grocery store and you pick up a few potatoes and then pass by a 10lb bag which is significantly less expensive than buying a few. Buying in larger quantities is always more affordable and if you are living a lifestyle like mine, or looking to add a lot more fruits and veggies into your diet they will not spoil and go to waste (also market produce tends to last longer as it is fresh as can be!). Secondly many farmers will offer you a deal on larger quantities which brings me to my second tip :

Get to know your local farmers! When you go to the grocery store and you pick up an orange from the stand, it means virtually nothing. The store could really care less that you purchased that orange. When you become a familiar face to farmers at your local market you can almost always expect a friendly face, a smile, and gratitude. My family owns a small business and what i've learned from them is they always encourage customer loyalty. When you build rapport with your local farmers they are often more than happy to offer you a deal. Usually when I purchase a case of fruit I am offered some sort of discount, even if at times it's only 2 dollars of here or there it really adds up! Especially when the markets are tax free! That's right, the local weekend markets are tax free in my neighbourhood, and probably in yours as well.

My third tip is to shop in season. If you are unsure of which fruits and veggies are in season currently do a little google search before heading to the market, or don't be afraid to ask the local farmers there, they are more than happy to tell you what's in season and usually you can tell by having a look around. When foods are in season they are usually very accessible and because farmer's have an abundance they usually will have great deals on them.

Those are my top three market tips. Don't forget to leave a comment if you have any topics you'd like to see covered in my blog, or if you have questions. I'm here for you!

My next post will be a personal progress post. How i'm doing with my lifestyle change, what has worked and what hasn't.

Stay healthy, stay positive, eat fruit!

xoxo

Why am I binging?!?

We've all been there...
You're having a great week, You've gone to the gym 3 times since Monday, you've been very careful to strictly follow your diet all week and you were feeling light and proud of yourself and then *BOOM*! After your salad you feel like you need just a little something more...you head to the fridge with good intentions... start with just a little nibble and then a full fledged binge ensues.
The next few days you'll blame yourself... feel like a piece of garbage and constantly ask yourself why you have no self control, and why you can't just let yourself lose 10 pounds and be happy...
What went wrong?
What always goes wrong?
Are you a pathetic idiot with no self control?

No.
Diets Don't Work.

Every time this happens remember D.D.W

What really happened is your body isn't getting enough fruit.
The reason I live this lifestyle, and why so many people do is that our bodies need the fructose from fruit. It's not the sugar from fruit that makes you fat.
When we starve our bodies or restrict calories it can only last so long. Eventually we binge and our bodies send us immediately to those dense sugary carbs... only when we binge it's typically not fruit.. the immediate sources and easiest sources are the breads, the pizzas, the animal products... the quick fatty solution.

This is why we need to eat enough fruit during the day to be satiated and content.

In the Raw till 4/ banana girl lifestyle this is the typical food pyramid.

You're probably wondering why I'm saying "diets don't work!" and then posting a food pyramid of the banana girl diet.

This is not a temporary diet. This is not a diet in which you will participate for a week and drop weight. This is a lifelong commitment. Of course you don't have to be perfect you're entire life, but this is the guideline to being the healthiest you can be. There's no set time on weight loss, everyone is different, and you may even gain a few pounds in the very beginning but there are NO long term raw till 4, or fully raw, or fruitarians that are overweight or unhealthy.

(Tonight's dinner was amazing by the way! CTFU (Carb the fuck up!) )

This is my journey.  I'm no Freelee yet, I'm still overweight, I'm still learning and tweaking things and becoming accustomed to this lifestyle, but I'm in it for the long haul.

So I ask you friends to join me if you like, and if you don't wish to join me then I ask you to follow my adventure. Watch me find optimal health, watch me learn how to be the best person I can be and consider making changes in your own life style no matter how small to feel a little bit better each day.

Be kind, love yourself, love the planet, love all beings.

xoxo

Raw Mermaid

Great vegan dish I made for a BBQ

Need a vegan friendly BBQ recipe? I decided to think outside of the veggie burger box and followed this recipe ;

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/02/pineapple-fried-quinoa-in-boat.html?m=1

It came out delicious! The only thing I changed was I added a cup of corn  to the Sautee 

Eating fresh

There's a beautiful world out there.

A lot of people seem to have the idea that eating healthy means nothing but shelling out tons of cash at the grocery stores and eating nothing but expensive salads.

There is an entire world out there of healthy foods and places to get them.

Sure if you compare a pack of Mr.Noodles to a four star vegan meal you'll find a price difference suggesting the junk food wins. However the reality is that yes you CAN eat entirely healthy for the same, if not less amount of money. Let me give you an example :

I was living the life of an overgrown college student. I would munch on bread and cheese whenever I was hungry, loved my nights consisting of pizzas, burritos and diet coke with a bottle of whiskey to wash it all down. The party girl life left with me quite a few things I never knew I had....

I ate FAR more than I needed or even realized ( get drunk, eat horrible shit, get hungover, eat horrible shit repeat.)

Yet I was still starving nutritionally.

I spent more money then I could Imagine. ( the drunken splurges, nights at the bar that always added up to a lot more than planned, the morning " I just need tons of food covered in grease and bread and coffees and I don't care how much it costs" " spending.

Changing that alone saved me a ridiculous amount of money. Way more than I even thought was possible. 

This is the part where people may be wondering "Is she completely against drinking?!? Does this mean I can't drink if I want to be healthy?!"

Here's what it means.

The facts suck sometimes. The BEST way to get results, happiness, health and an ideal weight and life is to not drink at all. That just is a fact. However it's also a fact that much of our society is based around socially drinking. So if living a completely sober life isn't ideal for you and you feel like you can casually drink, it isn't controlling you or your life and it's at a safe and controlled level then that's fine. Just realize that every time you're doing it ( especially overdoing it ) it will effect your results. It's a fact. It's not a fun fact, but it is a fact that alcohol just messes with your weight, your hydration levels and the way your body functions. I think that's both fair and safe to say.

Do not eat 10 bananas, chug a bottle of whiskey, eat a pizza and then say that rawtill4 doesn't work because things don't work that way!

You're smarter than that.

So how does one live Raw till 4? And how is this affordable? Simple.

Eating raw till 4 consists of eating nothing but a raw vegan diet every morning until 4pm. Ideally fruit. I'm not talking about eating and apple and being hangry (hungry+angry = hangry) until 4pm. I'm talking stuffing your gullet with all of the delicious sweet tropical goodness you like. Want 20 bananas? Go for it. Want to eat a case of figs? Count me in. Here's where everyone says " BUT WAIT BIANCA!?!?! THE CARBS, THE SUGAR, THE HORROR!!" Here's the truth. It's not the carbs, it's not the sugar, its the fat that makes you... well fat!  There are many many many rawtill4 vegans (look at those who have lived this way for 1+ years) and they are all healthy, fit, and tiny. Carbs do not make you fat. The fructose from the fruit makes you happy, that combined with sufficient carbs from fruit make you satiated, full and happy.

After 4pm you can have a delicious cooked vegan dinner. The idea is to keep low on sodium, very low on fat ( a.k.a go easy on the oils and salt!!)

You still want to smash in the carbs and NO RESTRICTING. What this means is you can make a beautiful vegan soup ( I'll post some soup recipes soon for you darlings ) and you can steam or bake as many potato wedgies as you care to chow down on and that's okay! I know in your mind eating a ton of potatoes isn't considered healthy. Trust me, it is, just again no oil, no salt. Open your mind to a world of flavouring food with herbs and spices. They'll never fail you. Also lets not forget about our dear friends garlic and pepper.

Now. That would be a typical day of being Rawtill 4. I'll also make a step by step post of that but in the morning a banana smoothie with 10-15 bananas is totally normal, and and entire tray of baked potatoes with soup in the evening? That's a perfect day. Which brings us to our non perfect days. If you are vegan, or you become vegan you will soon learn that it isn't torturous and super restricting as it seems and that there are plenty of vegan baked goods, veggie meat, even vegan macaroni and "cheese". Here's the thing. These things should really be saved for a night out with friends or for treats as they are. try to stick to healthier options, but every know and then these things are okay.

Are you with me so far? Unlimited calories, energy like crazy, and eventually a rocking body?

Remember not to be weighing yourself like crazy in the beginning. You may even gain a few pounds initially. Give it a chance. If you're coming from having a drinking problem and you suddenly are hydrating like crazy, sure you may get some water weight. Just give it time.

Anyways, Back to my original point of money. Bananas = cheap. (organic bananas are still under a dollar a pound.) Potatoes = cheap.

These fruits and veggies I purchased yesterday from the market. Finding a local market near you makes such a difference. I paid no tax on any of these items and that case of bananas was less than 15 dollars. That enormous quantity of kale costed 4 dollars flat. All of those peppers were 2 dollars flat. See what I'm getting at here? If that's expensive try pricing one of your food court meals. It's probably the price of  most of these veggies! 

And once you get started, you never want to stop.

This juice was like drinking liquid sunshine and I felt like I could fly out the door and the world was my oyster. Much different then how I used to feel when I would wake up hungover and crying.

Okay maybe there was a little Vegan muffin from the market... as I said.. treats in moderation. Sweet potato, orange and date!

Anyways folks I'll leave it at that for now. Any questions about living affordably on this lifestyle please leave me a comment, but the basic staples are very cheap ( bananas, potatoes) and finding  a local market will save you a TON of money. 

Keep happy, Keep healthy, be Kind.

xoxo

Raw Mermaid

p.s. Need some long term raw vegan advice from people who have been at it for years? Check out these you tube channels to start : 

https://www.youtube.com/user/Freelea/videos

https://www.youtube.com/user/TANNYRAW/videos

Amazing Kale Chips recipe

Girls and boys this is an incredible recipe for Kale chips. You're probably going to want to make these immediately and stuff them all into your gullet because they are fantastic. Give em' a try!


2 bunches kale, broken into large pieces by hand 

Dressing:
¾ cups sesame tahini

If you've never made sesame tahini it's easy. Roast a cup of sesame seeds in the oven for 10 minutes, and blend in a blender with 1/4 cup of olive oil

¼ cup Breggs ( you can find Breggs in the organic section of your grocery store)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water ~ more if needed
2 scallion (or one onion if you dont have scallions)
1 clove garlic
1 lemon, juiced
¼ t. sea salt
¼ cup fresh parsley

Place kale in a large mixing bowl. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth to get a thick consistency. You may have to add more water. Pour over kale and mix thoroughly with your hands to coat the kale. You want this mixture to be really glued onto the kale.

Place kale into degydrator and dehydrate for minimum 4 hours @ 110 degrees. ( I like 12 hours personally)  Rotate kale occasionally to dry uniformly.


enjoy these are delicious!

How long will it take me to lose 10 pounds?

One thing I want to talk about is lifestyle changes and weight loss.
There seems to be no greater motivator than weight loss when people consider a lifestyle change, and it's as if the second you replace one bad meal with a salad you should automatically drop 10 pounds.
The best advice I can give is :
forget about the weight loss!
The best thing you can do is focus on healing your body. Push the focus of weight out of your mind and give your body a fighting chance to be the strongest, healthiest and yes leanest body it can be by healing one day at a time.

You've probably all heard before that you didn't get where you are overnight. That is 100% true. You did not get to your current state of health overnight, and realistically depending on where you are it can take years to reach the goal you have in mind. Do not let this stop you from making today the first day of your healthy life. A few years of waiting is 100% worth loving every second of the rest of your life.

Once you start living a clean and healthy life you will feel amazing. you will wake up in the morning without screeching for coffee and have more energy than you've ever had.

Living a raw till 4 vegan lifestyle does not feel like a diet, because it isn't. Granted it will be an adjustment if you are currently a big meat and dairy consumer, but the way your body will respond is incredible.  Never counting calories again is an amazing feeling.

If this is something you're interested in doing please feel free to reach out to me.

Anyways what I really want to get across is there is no magic timeline to losing weight, each and every body is different. Also, when we step on the scale we're not measuring our hydration levels, muscle, and every other factor than can make your weight fluctuate.

Give yourself a fighting chance, quit hopping on and off the scale and get healthy one day at a time. You're better than the way you're treating yourself and your body.

An honest introduction

A lot of people have suggested to me here and there that I make a blog based on my lifestyle and it's something I've considered for awhile. Recipes, tips, etc.
What I'd really like to do is share more than recipes and tips.
I'd like for this to be my tell all journey in hopes that maybe even just one of you is inspired enough to want to change the way you live.

Here are the cold hard facts.

This past year I've finally found health. The road to being a healthy and happy human being is one of the most challenging things in the world, and I'm not 100% there yet, but the change has been incredible.
Folks I've been on every end of the spectrum.  I'm 5'3 and I've weighed everywhere from 220lbs ( being completely unhealthy) to 115lbs ( also being completely unhealthy) and i'm currently today 145lbs. I never thought I'd openly share that on this blog, but here I am. I'm ready to be an open book in hopes of helping myself and helping others.

I wont get into my personal history in depth in this first post. What I'd like to get across in this first post is this is my JOURNEY. I do not have all of the answers, I still struggle, I'm not perfect, but goodness I've come a long way.

I encourage all of you who have or currently struggle with weight, health, addiction and/or depression to follow along with my blog, ask questions, and consider this lifestyle...which brings me to my next point.. for those of you who don't know me, what is this lifestyle? What changes have I made?

For years I tried every diet in the world. I'd spent about 10 years purchasing every gym membership, herbal magic, weight watchers,low carb, calorie counting, developing eating disorders, getting frustrated and binge eating until I made myself sick.. I've done it all folks. I came to one conclusion.
DIETS DO NOT WORK.
They never have, they never will. A diet is a temporary bandaid solution to a problem that never goes away.
Secondly I was trapped in a party girl cycle. Whatever I did, wherever I went there was always one thing I made sure to have : alcohol. I was proud of how much I could drink and spent years thinking drinking was the greatest thing in the world. I convinced myself there was never a connection between my drinking, my weight and my depression. Drinking was so much fun! Or so I told myself despite the horrible choices I made, and the fact that I cried every single day.

So what finally turned my life around? I spent about 8 months to a years researching health... and not convenient health. I researched things I didn't want to know the answer to because it would mean I had to change. The more I learned the more my problems made sense. I learned a lot about meat and dairy from both the cruelty side and the health side ( the links between meat and dairy and human health and cancer is horrifying.) I learned about getting back to basics. I learned how to start over and heal my body from nature and the earth.
Some documentaries if anyone is interested that I recommend are :

-Forks over knives
-Fat, Sick, and nearly dead
-Vegucated
-Food matters
-Earthlings

I also followed the lives of a lot of YouTubers and Instagram accounts of people who followed a Rawtill4 Vegan lifestyle and I noticed one common thing. These people all had long term results, happiness, pure health, lived cruelty free lives, and had everything I wanted in life.

Raw till 4 is a lifestyle. It's not some fad diet to drop 10 pounds. It consists of living a pure, vegan lifestyle, while eating raw foods only until 4pm every day in abundance. It's not eating one apple and calling it a day, it's not worrying about calories, it's eating as many high carb fruits during the day as you like and eating vegan cooked dinner after 4.

This lifestyle changed my life. After about a month I'd stopped suffering from depression, my urges for alcohol were fading away and my ENERGY was out of this world. I felt like I had the energy of a 5 year old and my body never felt so pure and happy.

I receive a lot of negativity living this lifestyle, mainly about being vegan, or about how the sugar from fruit will make me fat. ( I've had someone lecture me on how i'll get fat on the sugar from fruit and then comment on how much weight i've lost a week later.) Anyways i'll leave that for another blog.

This is my introduction and my journey to maintain this lifestyle and encourage others to do the same. Ask questions, voice concerns you are having in your own lifestyle. I am here for you.

Have topics you want me to cover? Shout it out.

Until the next,
Love yourself, Heal yourself, and Love the planet

xoxo