If you already follow Better Raw on Facebook, it's no news to you that each weekday is a groovy topic for inspirational nuggets. Here is what you'll be used to seeing me post: Monday Mantra Try This Tuesday Wednesday Wisdom Caption This Thursday Friday Funnies On the first Monday of the brand new half to 2013 and to celebrate the Mid Year, here's your full Monday Mantra round up...

You may not like someone's attitude or tone when they speak to you, but just look at them right in the eyes & repeat in your mind 'you are good and we are one'.

I can't change the world but I can change the world in me.

Laughter is inner jogging.

Unstoppable.

Life's Instructions 1. Have a firm handshake 2. Look people in the eye 3. Keep secrets 4. Never give up on anybody 5. Be the most positive person you know 6. Marry only for love 7. Once in a while take the scenic route 8. Be modest.

Peace begins on your plate.

When the student is ready, the Teacher will appear.

Did you smile today.

When the student is ready, the Teacher will appear.

I am two of the most powerful words. For what you put after them shapes your reality.

People eat meat and think they will become strong as an ox, forgetting that the ox eats grass.

Thought about stopping… then I noticed who was watching.

You are what you eat. So don't be fast, cheap, easy or fake.

Do more of what makes you awesome.

I may look like I'm doing nothing but on a cellular level I'm very busy.

Everyone says love hurts, but that is not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts.  Losing someone hurts. Envy hurts. Everyone gets these things confused with love.  But in reality love is the only thing in this world that covers up  all the pain and makes someone feel wonderful again.

I really need a day in between Saturday and Sunday.

Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it's inspiring.

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

If you're waiting for a sign - this is it.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't  do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.

The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.

For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.

One day, someone will walk into your life and make you see why it never worked out with anyone else.

Happy girls are the prettiest.

Dream more, complain less.  Listen more, talk less.  Love more, argue less.  Hope more, fear less.  Relax more, worry less.  Believe more, doubt less.  Play more, work less.

12 Qualities of Success 1. The value of time 2. The success of perseverance 3. The pleasure of working 4. The dignity of simplicity 5. The worth of character 6. The power of kindness 7. The influence of example 8. The obligation of duty 9. The wisdom of economy 10. The virtue of patience 11. The improvement of talent 12. The joy of originating.

Don't' ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. Not even me.  You got a dream, you gotta protect it.  When people can't do something themselves, they're gonna tell you that you can't do it.  You want something, go get it.  Period.

Everybody is a genus.  But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,  it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

If your definition of success has little or no measure of…  LOVE… in it, get another definition.

How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.

Happy Summer Solstice!

On this longest day of the year- the lemon juice is on tap, the tomatoes are flavoursome, the shallots are sweet, and the lettuces are crisp. That spells SALSA to me!

What goes with salsa? What doesn't go with salsa?

Tacos seemed like a swell idea to me, but since at this time of the year I try to spend as much time outdoors and as little in the kitchen, I went on a quest to make the quickest lazy taco, which requires the least prep time, no dehydrating time and maximum tastebud satisfaction...

The result are these mini lazy taco bites. The 'lazy' bit sounded like the best description, because I just popped all the salsa ingredients in the blender and whizzed them into a sauce instead. Hee hee.




For the raw vegan taco meat
marinated mushrooms (see below)
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked
1 cup walnut, soaked
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp mild chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp coriander
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

For the marinated mushrooms
2 large portabello mushrooms, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced

For the lazy salsa sauce
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked (keep the water)
2 shallots
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced

For the taco shells
small gem lettuce heads
optional: avocado

- First and preferably at least 4 hours before, put all the sliced mushrooms into a bowl and stir in tamari and lemon juice, then set aside to marinate. At the same time put the pumpkin seeds, walnuts and sundried tomatoes (note there that both the taco meat and the salsa require sundried tomatoes) into separate bowls, cover with pure water and leave them soaking.

- After 4-8 hours you can transfer all the taco meat ingredients into a food processor and process until desired consistency.

- Transfer the salsa ingredients into a blender along with some of the water which the sundried tomatoes have been soaking in, and blend to a sauce.

- Peel the leaves off of the gem lettuce, load them with taco meat and spoon some salsa sauce over the top. It's ready to eat! The tacos are never quite complete with a little guacamole however, so for the lazy version- just pop a slice of avocado on top of the taco and dig in!

  1. Natural multivitamin - super loaded with vitamin C, calcium, potassium, thiamin and vitamin B6. That all means that you'll benefit from increased energy and metabolism (hooray), a reinforced immune system (bye, bye bad guys) and a reduction in tiredness and fatigue (now you're talking).

Friends,

I've teased you with promises of a destination retreat for long enough, now I have a sneaky feeling that you'll agree: what I'm about to announce has been worth the wait...

You might have been expecting to retreat with me to Bali, and right until just last week, I was too. But expectations are toxic and I found that all the pressure I was putting on myself to fulfil this promise has been majorly taxing on my energy, creativity and productivity to make it an epic trip away.

I knew that this was not the right head space to be in during planning stages, especially since I'm well aware that my energy could contribute to your spiritual experience on a raw food healing escape. Still I just couldn't figure out what was standing in my way and why I was having obstacle after obstacle in regards to locking in Bali. So I put everything aside, lit up an incense stick, rolled out my mat, dimmed the lights and began breathing my consciousness into a deep sea of calm, until there was just you and me and the vision of the most unforgettable retreat for you.

When I opened my eyes, the clock said 1:11.

I have no idea how long my meditation went on for, but I do know two things for certain: 1). The incense stick has burned out long ago, so I would've been in deep for at least 15 minutes and 2). We are going to Vilcabamba, Ecuador!!!!




As I experienced this amazing realisation, I couldn't understand why something so obvious didn't come to me earlier. Well now that it has, it is not about to go anywhere. I've even set the date...

Mark your diary for six nights/ seven days over 19-25 November 2013.


What you may or may not know about Vilcabamba...

• It is home to my beautiful parents and their raw food restaurant Sungate 11:11.
• It is my own personal retreat destination, where I go annually to detox, reconnect and recharge.
• It is a tiny village entirely surrounded by majestic mountains.
• It is best known as the Sacred Valley of Longevity.
• It is a magnet for the most gifted, spiritual and loving people. If you don't consider yourself as such a person yet- Vilcabamba is the place where you'll discover otherwise.
• It has the purest air of any place I've ever been to on earth.
• It has uncontaminated mineral-rich earth which bears the most delicious, healing and organic produce for everyone and the majority of its inhabitants have direct access to natural spring water.
• It is the raw food capital of the world.

Now that you know our destination and the date -and before I send you an application for taking part- I want to make sure that this is a retreat which ticks off all the boxes for you.

If you can make it to Ecuador for a week starting 19th November, please tell me what your most ideal getaway will entail...

Images by Tristan Glinski

Images by Tristan Glinski