Today I wanted to share with you that I have been featured on Choosingraw.com

Gena, the amazing author of the blog is one of my personal blog heroes.  In fact, hers was the very first blog I ever followed, and I have read every single one of her posts.  She is smart, funny, honest and just an all around gem.

She is running a series called “Green Recovery” where she features people who have moved past an eating disorder using a plant based diet.  My story is on her page today

http://www.choosingraw.com/
Feel free to leave comments there or here if you have them.

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This week (right now actually) I did something super out of the ordinary.  For me anyway.

Usually, I am a chew your food kinda gal.  I have never really been into drinking my meals.

Lately, as the weather has warmed and as I have gotten a little busier in my life, I have decided I could appreciate the convenience  speed and overall large package of nutrition that a smoothie can offer.

So I made one:

I decided to drink it before I decided to blog it. Sorry guys

Look at that deep dark nutrient providing colour!

Mmmmm. Nutrients

Here is what I jammed in there:

1/2 head spinach (about 3 cups)

1/2 bunch parsley (1 cup-ish)

1/2 bunch cilantro (1 cup-ish)

1/4 cup mint leaves

2 inch slice ginger

2 tsp chlorella

2 tsp spirulina

1 tsp 6 mushroom blend (check out http://www.harmonicarts.ca to find it)

2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)

1 tsp vanilla powder

1/8 tsp stevia

1 cup water

I blended my greens with the water first.  Then added everything else and blended until smooth.

This smoothie tastes like berries, mint and ginger  It is a super great way to hide greens if you do not particularly enjoy their taste.  It also hid the flavour of the chlorella well as well.  I think it taste like what diarrhoea must taste like.

I loved it.

Proof I drank it

This smoothie is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants   It is a heavy metal chelator, is nourishing for the liver and kidneys.  It is balancing for the mood and uplifting for the spirits.  And it is yummy.

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Now, you all know that my love for fruit will most likely never die.  (I accidentally typed “Diet” instead of “Die” there for a second.  Oh how true haha)

But there comes a time in every young fruitbats life when she just needs a little green.

I do enjoy salad more than the average person.  I like mine to be simple, with a good balance of sweet/sour/spicy.   I also am not a huge fan of really fatty dressings or super complicated mixtures.  I am a purist at heart, and I like to be able to taste every element of my salad. Kitchen sink salads are not really my deal.  One of my most adored combos is simply spinach, apple cider vinegar, nutmeg and bean sprouts.  So you get the picture on the simple.

This week I was hankering for a salad party.

Enter this masterpiece.

You want to eat this.

This is a shredded zucchini salad, but you can use shredded cucumber if you like that better.  I used my Spirooli Slicer to create noodles out of my zucchini and then chopped them up into bite size pieces.  You can easily do this by just grating your cuc or zuc on a box grater.

For The Dressing:

2 tbsp Chickpea Miso – Or any unpasteurized miso

3 tsbp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp wakame sea weed – crushed

1 tbsp dulse seaweed – chopped

1 inch piece of ginger -grated fine

3 scallion – chopped

1/8 tsp stevia powder – or sweetener of choice

1 tsp chilli flakes – or less if you are not a huge spicy fan.

Dressing Sauce!

Soak your seaweeds in your vinegar for 30 minutes, just to soften.  Then grate your ginger on the finest side of your box grater or using a microplane.  Slice your scallion.  Combine all of your ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until well combined.

For The Salad

2 zucchini or cucumber

1/2-1 avocado

Greens of choice

Slice your zucchini on a spirooli slicer and then cut into bite size pieces OR grate on your box grater.  Dice your avocado and mix into your zucchini or cucumber.

Make that pasta!

From here – you can either dress it with the dressing and serve it on lettuce leaves as wraps, or you can mix your greens into it, and serve it salad style.

Om

Either way, you will be like “Oh Urban Fruitbat, I love you, you are the best.”

Oh, you are too kind

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Here is my newest video, showing you how to do Sun Saluation A

This is a very traditional set of postures, that are designed to help you link your breath with your movements, warm the body, say hello to the sun and to help you cultivate flow and strength.

Sun Salutations are awesome at the beginning of your practice, to warm you up and move you into a more meditative, breath focused mental state.  You can do anywhere from 1-5, or even more if you like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smqVWKm6Ll8&feature=youtu.be

Now, I have a question for you!  Would it be helpful for you if I were to break down each of the postures in this sequence individually?  If you think that would help you, please leave a comment here or on my Youtube channel and I will get on it!

Remember, I am here for you!  If you have any questions, comments, concerns or anything you want me to go over with regards to yoga, food or life, just let me know!

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I am starting a new series of videos to help you master yoga postures

Yoga is for everyone, and I want to help you feel super confident with your practice.

Let me know if you have any postures you want more help with, or if you have any questions with regards to yoga, fruit, nutrition or life!

Love you guys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfsquZ1MdvM&feature=youtu.be

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Today I thought I would show you some of the things I have been working on in my practise!

If you do not know me, or if you are new to the Urban Fruit Bat world, let me quickly fill you in.  I love yoga. There, now you are caught up

I have been focusing on lots of back bends as of late.  Here are a few:

Head to Butt pose, I believe it is known as

This is called Dhanurasana or Bow Pose.  Which leads me to try:

Feet to face.

Padangustha Dhanurasana or Big Toe Bow Pose.  Soon my feet will touch my face.  Soon.

Then, I was inspired to try to grab my ankles in Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward facing bow posture) by the rock star that is Kino -

And so I tried what she said to do:

A new way to look behind you

First, you lean back as you would if you were just going to do a normal drop back.

My feet are behind me and in front of me at the same time. Yoga is friggin weird.

Then you try to reach for your ankles in the air.

No, that is not a super long eyebrow, that is a strand of hair posing as an eyebrow

Then you try to touch your finger tips to your heels

Yup. Then this is what you are doing.

Then just take one hand at a time back to grab your ankle.  Switch and try on both sides!  Fun!

I also am still addicted to going upside down.  I am still working my Pincha Mayurasana:

Just look at the floor like is the last think you will ever do.

With my toes to head variation:

The trick is to lift your chest. Or so I have been told.

Then I fall, with all the grace I posess

Show your hands who is boss by standing on them

Last but not least, Handy Standy:

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I am still working the split leg version.  Soon to be the real thing, I promise.

What are you working on Bats?

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My week is filled, with all fun things!  I will have many pictures to show you soon, I promise.

I will tell you that I am going to see a Shaman, as well as going for a consultation to get a tattoo!  Fun!

To hold you over, I thought I would show you some of my awesome market finds from last week!

You can never have to many of these.

You can never have to many lemons or limes in my opinion.  These particular lemons were myer lemons, which are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.  They are awesome squeezed into water for a fresh zing, or squeezed over grated cucumber.

They are on their way back in guys! Summer is a commin!

First real (non plastic box) strawberry sighting of the season.  I am so excited.

They are really better than they look. Promise.

I also got two bags of guavas.  The big ones look gross, but when you cup them open, they are perfect and ripe.  They have a very thick shell, with a seed filled custard centre.  Yum.  The little ones will not be ready for a while, as they have to turn yellow before they are ripe.  So yeah, long time from now.

Trio of nom.

No week is complete without melons.  Not around the Urban Fruit Bat residence anyway.  Watermelon are still hit or miss, but worth the risk, because when they are good, they are GOOOD

Skittles? Nah, grapes are better.

I do enjoy grapes every once in a while.  I went through a really big grape phase a few years ago, and I think I kinda graped myself out.  However, I do enjoy them in small quantities every now and again.

3 for a dalla. I like it.

Mangoes are starting to come back like they mean business.

I just want to eat them all right now.

Papayas are my latest and greatest obsession.  I think I have not gone a day without one for weeks now.

Giant!

I am so obsessed, that I even was willing to spend 10 monies on that giant one.

It is the size of a child

No regrets.

Circle of life. Tell me you know what I am referencing?

Not even embarrassed.

Now, get in my

BELLY

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This week was super eventful for me

I finished up my level 2 reiki training, and will commence my master level training next week.

My super awesome boss’ arrived from Mexico, and I get to hang out with them for the next 5 months.

We started spring cleaning, which is awesome.  I encourage you to go through your things today, and let go of 27 items.  You will feel magical.

We started seriously considering what we have to do to make our move to Thailand in September.   Did I tell you guys about that?  If not, we are moving to Thailand.  In September.

I also ate a tonne of awesome fruit:

Winner Winner, simple dinner

I was so hungry I could not wait to take a bite before taking a photo.

I am obsessed with Papaya

Again, I had eaten the other half of that melon already.

Clearly. A Lot obsessed

This made my tummy so happy

I have not had grapes in a long time.  For me sometimes I feel that they are hit or miss.  These were a hit.

These melons were taking over my life

Artistic fruit by My Love

Also, this is our album cover

I think we may not actually be that attractive, but rather we just have a really high quality camera.

How was your week friends?

<3

After our session, my Reiki Master, who is also a beautiful yogini, mama, friend and all around Goddess, invited me to be in her day 36 video, of her 40 day yoga challenge!  So.much.fun.

Here is the video, she is in front, I am in back.  And yes, I start my practice like that.

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I made the best pasta ever.  OK, so that may be a bit of a bold statement, but I figure if you are going to make statements, you may as well make them bold.  Boldly.  People trust people who say things with confidence.

So, we start with our mise en place – having everything in place.  I find that when my life is organized, I am happy.

All the things

We have our cucumber pasta:

If you do not already have one of these, you should change that about yourself

I just slice 3 cucumbers on my Spirooli Slicer.

Then, for the dressing:

I used

1 knob of ginger

1 TBSP Barley Miso (chickpea would be best, but I do not have any right now)

2 scallions

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 dates, or 1 TBSP coconut sugar

2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 TBSP Chilli flakes – *optional*

Grate your ginger on a micro-plane.

Just the ging-o, not your fing-o

Healing!

Chop your onion and cilantro.

Combine all ingredients with a fork until well combined.

It is like, liquid yum

Pour over your noodles, and toss with your hands.

It is dinner

Nom.

Have you ever had cucumber pasta?

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