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A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine ISSN# 1708-3265
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Life in the RawMindful Eating with Melissa Gilbert To be mindful is to be aware of ones thoughts, actions or motivations. Mindfulness is living in the present moment. When we think about the past or worry about the future we are indeed not being mindful; in fact we are prisoners of our own thoughts. Live in the present moment, just for today. I take mindfulness and apply it to all aspects of our lives, this includes mindful eating. Humanity is suffering, people are eating it all and not giving any thought to what they consume. This causes various illnesses and disease. When we grow in mindfulness we take back our lives. When we apply this to eating and consume edible food in a non-violent manner we are being mindful about that which we feed our bodies. As raw-vegans we do not kill to feed our bodies, we take only what is given to us by Mother Earth, that which is grown in orchards, on organic farms, and even in our own back yards. Being mindful about what we eat is a very simple lifestyle, not at all stressful or taxing. Keep in mind that the food we get from the food industry is not prepared for us in a mindful manner. These people are there to make money. Many of these foods are full of chemicals, insecticides and pesticides, and this has an effect on the planet as a whole because this food harms you as well as other animal species, often damaging and even destroying the circle of life.
My family practices mindful eating by foraging for food in the wild and by growing our own greens and root vegetables. We water and talk lovingly to our seedlings each day, and in the end they take care of us by nourishing our bodies. We are compassionate about that which we eat. We visit the local farmer's market weekly to get fruits and vegetables which are grown organically and are from a local source. What we consume is always changing, there is always something new in season for us to eat; nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits. This becomes a perfect opportunity to teach our children about nature, compassion, and how all the wonderful things on Earth take care of us. This is how we grow mentally and physically from the foods of the Earth. Please take time to teach mindfulness by not only your words, but also by your actions. Get your hands into the dirt and grow a few things for your family to eat, shop in the produce section of the market. Invest in yourself and your family in a healthy mindful manner. The Buddha advised us to be mindful and avoid things which bring toxins into our lives and consciousness. We listen mindfully, we talk mindfully, we walk mindfully, we live mindfully. I even do my dishes mindfully, being grateful each moment that I have food to feed my family - which dirtied the dishes I am now washing. Why not eat mindfully? Our bodies and DNA have been handed down to us for many generations. I personally do not feel that any of us has a right to destroy what has been so carefully given to us by our ancestors, all because of eating processed poisonous foods which are called fast and easy in today's society. Here are few of my favourite recipes to get you started eating mindfully. Even if you are not raw or vegan you will enjoy these simple and very yummy recipes. Cantaloupe Smoothie
Cut the cantaloupe into manageable pieces and place into your Vita-Mix or blender along with the peppermint leaves, water and ice. Blend on high until it has reached your desired consistency. Pour into a large glass, sit back and enjoy. If you prefer, you can juice the cantaloupe and peppermint leaves instead! (Note: Spearmint can be substituted in place of the peppermint - as it has a milder taste.) Blueberry Pudding
Place both into your Vita-Mix and blend until smooth and creamy. Chill and serve. This is Alex's favourite recipe this week! Fancy Pineapple Juice
Place both the pineapple and strawberries through your juicer. Add the spirulina and stir to incorporate (or if you have a blender, put the spirulina into your blender first, then add the juice and blend). Pour over crushed ice and enjoy! Green Smoothie
Place all ingredients into your Vita-Mix and blend on high until smooth and creamy. (Note: If you are new to green smoothies you may want to use less greens and gradually increase the amount of greens you use as the days go by. Your body will automatically begin to crave more greens.) You can add ice to your smoothie - especially in the hot summer months. You can read Melissa's interview in March 2008's issue of Timeless Spirit Magazine.
Melissa Gilbert is a Raw food Chef, a Certified Raw Food Nutritional
Consultant, and a Raw Food Coach. She is also a Certified Personal
Trainer and works with her client's nutritional goals as well as getting them
established in an exercise regime.
Currently getting her Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nutrition
and taking classes to become a Hygienic Doctor, she is mother
to toddler Alex, and wife to David as well as mother to 2 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
In her spare time Melissa enjoys the great outdoors, mountain hiking,
biking, snow shoeing, camping in the backwoods and sailing. A Shaman in training and Tarot card enthusiast, Melissa (and her family) practices Buddhism with Pagan influences. If you would
like to learn more about Raw Foods you can reach Melissa via
email or visit one of her websites: www.LoveRawLife.com,
www.rawtoddleralex.blogspot.com, and www.rawmom.blogspot.com.
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Copyright (c) 2008 by Timeless Spirit Magazine. All articles are the copyright of the particular writers and cannot be reprinted without their expressed permission. All rights reserved. International copyright laws prohibit reproduction of or distribution of this page by any means whatsoever, electronic or otherwise, without first obtaining the written permission of the copyright holder. We retain legal counsel to protect our copyrights.
Any advice given is for informational purposes only.
