Sorry I've left this blog for so long but I have had a few health problems.  I've maintained a high element of raw in my diet but have experimented with umpteen combinations for the non raw element.

I have been diagnosed with heart failure (which sounds a lot more terminal than it is) so have been trying to take on board all the advice given to me by the nutrition nurse in my local practice.

She is very good but seems concerned at the level of fruit in my diet and also has been pushing me to incorporate more bread and potatoes in my meals.

I have concluded that both bread and potatoes have a detrimental effect on my digestion.  These are supposed to give me energy throughout the day but I find that I want to sleep after eating them.  Also I tend to overeat as both seem to have some addictive properties.

So, I've given conventional medicine a fair crack of the whip and it has fell short of achieving the desired effect.

By observing my body, both inside and outside of meditation, I have decided that raw food is the way to go.  I'm aiming for 100% but psychologically that is still a step too far.  Over the last two months I have settled on a routine that works for me.  And that is the most important message of the raw food journey.  You need to find what suits your own body.  Do not blindly follow any "guru", be it a conventional doctor or a raw food specialist.  Experiment on your own body and observe the results.  You will instinctively know what is right.

I will post again shortly about how I'm controlling the non-raw element of my food and include a review of a wonderful local restaurant.

Tomato soup

Sorry I've no picture of this. I was in a hurry and this is a quick recipe. Very simple to make.

I used three large tomatoes, a stalk of celery, half a red pepper (bell pepper) the juice of half a lemon, a dash of cayenne and a sprinkling of cumin.

This was all put straight into the blender, mixed to a nice consistency and poured into a soup bowl. I'd eaten it before I thought of getting my camera.

This is the first raw soup I've tried. I've always thought of soup as a hot meal and did wonder what this would be like. I knew I could heat it if I didn't like it but there was no need. The fresh ingredients made this very tasty.

Next I will probably try a sort of lasagna with courgettes. If I remember to get the remaining ingredients, that is.

Knowledge and wisdom

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” Or so the saying goes.

At the risk of ruining any reputation for sagacity I’d like to question this. I wonder if the originator of the saying had actually tried it. Have you?

A while ago the Times had a pullout section containing a selection of salad suggestions. I liked the idea of peach and tomato. It sounded an intriguing combination. So I gave it a go. And this is the result.

First make a ring , alternating segments of peach and tomato. I had some blueberries left over so filled the central hole with these. For garnish (and to make it more filling) I used Lamb’s lettuce.

I used it as a first course. I hesitate to use the word starter as that implies a small course and, where I have more than one, they tend to be more equal in size.

Why not surprise your next guests with this. Even if you are not raw it makes a healthy start to a meal.

Red faced but raw

Oh, how embarrassing. Over a year since I last posted.

But I'm back with a vengeance. I have had some health problems and, to my shame, used these as an excuse to reduce the amount of raw food in my diet. Just the opposite of what I should have done. As I result I have put on weight to a dangerous extent, which has to be addressed now or I will suffer the consequences.

I did keep some element of raw food in my diet. Possibly around 50%. But my failing was the meals out when I was under stress.

So, with the doctor's instruction to lose weight or else I have upped the level of raw food once again. The effects were pretty well instantaneous. I feel more alive and, of course the weight has started to drop off. One and a half stone over the last two months and I was still having some cooked potatoes and veg with some meals.

I'll try and sort out some interesting recipes and let you in on how they turn out.

Be back soon.

Munkazina salad

While our “leaders” try to sort out a government my thoughts turn, as always, to food. And decluttering.

Sorting a shelf the other day I came across an old card index with some recipes from pre-raw days. One of these cards contained the details of Munkazina salad. It sounded interesting so I gave it a go. As usual I didn’t have all the specified ingredients so modified it as I went along.This is what I ended up with.

I started well with a base of thinly sliced oranges followed by sliced red onion. The recipe then called for paprika which, having none, I ignored. Instead I sprinkled some golden linseed over the oranges to provide interest. The garnish was supposed to be horseradish but I used lambs’ ear lettuce.

The dressing was more interesting. I had no details written down so decided to follow the general principle that the dish should contain the colour orange. So I put a generous handful of pinenuts into the blender with the juice of half a lemon. Then some grated carrot for the colour and some water and olive oil to get the required consistency.

The result was a satisfying starter. Definitely something I will repeat in the future.

The raw message is spreading

This week I thought I would review a restaurant – The Green House in Tring.

I went with friends for a celebratory meal. For two of them this was their first visit and neither was a vegetarian. Their impressions of the venue was favourable. The building is 17th century and is laid out to give an feeling of spaciousness. The tables could perhaps do with being a few inches larger but they are not crowded together.

Their mission – to be eco-friendly – is very evident and pervades the whole dining experience. Read what they have done already on their home page. I’ve put a link at the end.

But on to the food. Very imaginative and immaculately presented. The menus are online but are constantly being developed. Everyone on my table was completely satisfied. You will experience a wide range of tastes and as the quantities satiated this glutton you will have no complaints.

And that’s not all, which brings me to the real point of this post. It was possible to have a completely raw meal! I never thought the concept would invade this sleepy old market town. Chatting to the staff revealed that the owner, David, is keen on the idea of raw and this side may develop if the demand materialises.

So, what did I eat? For a starter I went for the Chef’s special salad. The contents vary throughout the year but always contains a good variety of choice items. This was almost a meal in itself it was so filling.

The main course was a recent special and is not included in the menus online. It was a mixed vegetable curry with parsnip rice, served with cucumber raita and mango chutney. There is a picture on the site’s blog. (I have not put it here for copyright reasons.)

If you have the stamina there is still the dessert menu. The apple pie is wonderful but as I had this on two previous occasions I settled for raw ice cream.

I suppose I should comment on the price. Well, ethics do not come cheap, but in view of the preponderance of organic produce, the presentation and quality service I consider it very good value.

http://thegreenhousetring.net/

How do you eat yours?

One week on from my inauguration post and I'm feeling good. I reckon I've kept about 90% raw and I'm enjoying the effects.

I have eaten rather a lot of nuts and they were not strictly raw but it helped me keep off processed food so as an interim measure it was successful.

My weight has dropped (and by heck it needs to) and I'm feeling much more optimistic.

The big change this week is that I have switched to decaffeinated tea. Eventually I will move to herbal infusions and then just water but there is the psychological aspect to overcome so I will do this in gentle stages.

My optimistic mood is partly due to the weather and partly the Icelandic volcano. I have spent most of the day in the garden. It has been unusually quiet as I am near the flight path into Luton airport. I have missed this connection with nature over the past few months.

The garden keeps me in touch with the seasons and with how we should live our lives.

But on to the subject of this post. I include a good proportion of fruit in my diet. One item I buy regularly is the grapefruit. I eat one on most of my lunches on working days. It is a source of amusement to my secretary and work colleague. Apparently the norm is to to eat half of the fruit using a spoon. I treat it just the same as an orange and peel it and eat it whole.

So, how do you eat your grapefruit?