The Green Queen

Learning to fulfil myself

The past six weeks has been a period of transition.

Since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to have my own business. Nobody I knew worked in an office or had a professional career, so my vision of my own business was to work at a type-writer and a wear business suit with shoulder pads (this was the 80s you must understand!).

I've tried a few different careers - some successful and some not. Corporate environments depressed me, office politics baffled me and I never seemed to rise above mid level positions. I would easily get more and demotivated. I always had extra projects though that excited me - little businesses or writing projects.

In January, I decided to take the plunge. Work for myself, be open to possibilities and take some time to decide what I want to do in this world.

A lot of things have opened up, but also have confronted me. Will I make money? Will I end up a penniless, homeless tramp? 

I'm determined to be in flow, doing things I'm passionate about and figure out the money thing later.

Here are some fab things I've done recently.

• Gone back to ballet class for the first time in two years. It's like meditation for me.
• Visited the Earth Ship in Brighton which gave me a vision for how I want to live.
• Volunteered at an eco park, and built a bird house from scratch, with my hands and using power tools!
• Connected with some fabulous people - old and new friends
• Started a 30 days to Raw programme with Karen Knowler.
• Signed on to Karen's online business training programme!
• Started a regular weekly yoga and juice date with the lovely Blanka of Gracefully Raw
• Been to inspiring seminars such as Awakening the Dreamer Changing the Dream Symposium.
• Met fellows bloggers, people who are quitting their jobs and changing their lives for the better

Photos of the Earth Ship, visiting vegan cafes in Brighton, and of my bird house!

Brighton Stave Hill Volunteering Day Here are some videos that are making me smile, laugh and cry today:

30 day raw food challenge

Raw Food Diet Update

I recently signed up to a 30 days to raw programme with the lovely Karen Knowler.

I felt like it was time to move to the next level with my green diet.

I discovered raw food about a year ago, and was amazed that I hadn't heard of it before. It made so much sense!

The last year has been an interesting journey with raw food. First my friend Claire drip fed me information and let me taste her weird concoctions. Then I bought David Wolfe's book, The Sunfood Diet

I took my first "Before" photo in New York after visitng Pure Food and Wine, and started my 100 Day Challenge with the lovely Bunny Berry and the gang over at Raw Fu. 

The physical changes gave me courage to quit my job I was no longer passionate about, and to make other changes, such as really scrutinising what I put on my skin as well as into my body. I made the bold decision to stop using facial cleaning products altogether, and in particular shampoo, although don't panic - I make my own, so I'm not a smelly tramp - I promise.

Giving up meat was easy. I rarely drink alcohol anymore, and I'm trying to limit the amount of cheese, bread, sweets and crisps I put in my body. Some days I have a big crisp binge but I can move on now. Rather than I'm a terrible person with no self control, I can see "well, I let myself get hungry, what did I expect?". Eating out is something I'm trying to tackle with this programme. I see the menu and without even thinking of my commitment, I'll order something that's not great for me.

I decided to do the 30 day programme, because I really wanted to up my game. I don't eat 100% raw every day, and that isn't my goal. My goal is to give myself the best possible nutrition I can and learn every day about what suits my body.

Results wise, I have lost 5kgs over the past year. Weight loss is slow for me, and goes up and down over the month. I'm getting married this summer but trying not to put pressure on myself. I'm in this for the long haul, not just to look pretty in a white dress!

I also made some radical changes to how I work now and how I want to live but that's for another post!!!!!

I also did a 30 day that turned into an 80 Day Raw Food Challenge, over at my Raw Brides website as preparation for my wedding. Read that here.

 

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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First Lady of Change

I was so inspired to read about the vegetable garden being planted at the White House, overseen by the inspiring Michelle Obama.

The last vegetable plot was there over 60 years ago as part of the WWII Victory Garden campaign.

The garden will use a 1100 square foot plot to grow vegetables, berries, herbs and salad for use in the White House kitchen. Two bee hives will supply honey. Some of the fertiliser will come from their own garden compost.

This rings my bell for several reasons:

Health: This is what Michelle is championing here, using the garden to educate children on healthy eating. Particularly important as childhood obesity rates are sky-rocketing. Getting people to eat more fruit and veg and less meat and dairy would make a profound difference to the health record of the developing world.

Hard work: Once again the Obamas are talking about seeing the fruits of your labour, reward for hard work and the joy of seeing something growing, not instant gratification.

Grow locally: Wouldn't it be awesome if this sparked off personal and community gardens? Vertical gardening so everyone could grow their own salad.

Sustainability: I suspect it's easier to go for the obesity angle at first, rather than talking too much about global food supplies, food miles, carbon footprints, whatever, but it's an ease into the discussion later down the track.

I imagine the only people who would be annoyed at this would be suppliers of fruit and veg to the White House. Not that it will be self sufficient overnight, but what a great start!

So, now all the White House need to do is put on a green and living roof, solar panels on the White House (again), a wind turbine, maybe some ground heat pumps and they'll be good to go!

Maybe after the Obamas screen The Age of Stupid (as they are rumoured to soon), they'll be inspired to go even further.

Ok, I'm off to have a lunch of salad and foraged dandelion leaves from my neighbourhood weed patch!

Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Is smoking being glorified again....? (Twilight cast smoking it up)

I haven't written for a week, and it took photos of the Twilight cast smoking up a storm on the set of their new movie to bring me FURIOUS to the computer.

Why is this a green issue?

First of all, it's a health issue. Maybe these young stars are too young to remember the horrific anti-smoking ads of the 80s. 

There is no doubt that smoking is incredibly addictive, horrendously bad for your skin, lungs, tongue, hair, throat. Yuck - kissing a smoker would be disgusting!

I'm also supremely pissed because millions of kids around the world WORSHIP these actors, and seeing them smoking all cool and moody, makes it look extremely seductive. 

Sorry to be a grandma, but SMOKING SUCKS, and these cool kids would be a lot cooler if they bucked the trend and avoided the peer pressure.