The Green Queen

Eating Green - Weight Loss Tracking and Photos

December 2008

I have to say that my story is not the most impressive. I've been on the raw food diet now for seven months, and I really thought I'd be further along, considering how much knowledge I have.

However, I'm happy to document all my successes and failures and hope you follow my journey! 

Read about how I lost 8 lbs on my first 100 day raw food challenge

For extreme detox, read about my Ejuva Intestinal Cleanse here

**UPDATE** April 2010

 

Get your free copy of my ebook- The Raw Detox Diet, and learn how I lost almost 10kgs (so far) with raw food, cleansing and detoxing.

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What else can you grow in a city?

Inspired by my previous post on growing lettuce in my cold, did I mention, dark London courtyard, it got me wondering what else you could grow.

I should start growing herbs in my kitchen. Although again, it doesn't get any sun, maybe I could get a light, like this hydroponics light , although I don't know if you can just plug it into anything or you need something special. Sunshine Systems in the states do some great panels.

Surely root vegetables don't need a lot of sun, or maybe mushrooms will work in the back yard? I do have one big brick wall at the back that maybe I could grow something like vertical growing.

I get sun at the front of my property, but since I'm on the first floor (second floor really), then I have no way to access the window sills unless I put a ladder in my neighbours front doorway. That said, maybe I could rig something that I could hang out my window and then access again the same way. I could at least grow something that smells nice (like lavender) but I don't have to get to all the time. Or maybe some hanging tomato plants and just make friends with the neighbours and give them tomatoes!!

Something cool can be done, but all the time, I think - could I be bothered? Why not just wait until we move to California, or Australia and then do it. Why try and do it when you live in a tiny London apartment with a crappy kitchen and no sunlight????

Mark's dad lives in Fresno in California and has become an avid grower of veg in his back yard. These are the books we sent him for Christmas:

Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth

Raw - by Charlie Trotter

The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It

One of my favourite sites, called Path to Freedom initially inspired me to start growing the lettuce. If you can grow your own food, then that's a huge release on your finances. It's better for you and you aren't as reliant on anyone. Their motto is "One step at a time. Living a revolution"

Great motto........

Lettuce grown in my cold London Courtyard

I know it's just a small step towards being self sufficient one day, but until we move to a warmer, sunnier climate, then this is a good start. They are growing so well, despite the fact that I always forget about them. It's all sorts of lettuce - mustard cress and baby spinach

When I got them from Rocket Garden, they were in itsy bitsy pots, and were so fragile. As I unpacked them, I marvelled over how cute and little they were. As I got them out I sent them good vibes. They've grown so well - except for the beetroot and spring onions. Maybe it's because when I got them out, I thought - hmmmm I don't like spring onions, and I had a thing against beets at that time. Do you think it's a coincidence, or the plants didn't think they were wanted??? hahah!

Ok - I'll confess another thing about my plants. As I planted them, I put a bit of spit in with them. Anyone who has read the Ringing Cedars books will know what I'm talking about, but in them Anastasia says that if you do this, then the plants will grow with antibodies particularly suited to the toxins in your body. Makes sense, since they'll know what to fight against from your saliva. 

We have literally no sun in our backyard, so we put the window boxes on the neighbours!

The funny thing is that earlier this year when I started thinking about growing our own food, I noticed that the tree in our courtyard was a cherry tree, and actually grew cherries. It didn't last long, but I was picking them going on about being an earth mother! Loved it. Will start sending love to the cherry tree and I bet it grows even more this year.

Ha - I'm turning into such a hippie.

Setting a new Raw Resolution

The last couple of weeks, I've hardly been raw at all, but I feel like I need a shift. Nothing I've eaten recently has felt right.

I was doing so well in Summer and could really feel a difference in my skin and eyes. This photo from when I got back from a week in France, eating nice fresh food and sun baking all day shows how happy I look. Since the weather has turned colder, it's become harder and harder to eat raw - well that's my excuse.

I feel like a change, and it's great that the new year is starting soon. 2009 will be a great raw year for me!