Time sure does get away... Spirits and Mortals 2019.

It's been just over a year since my last post, aaand I'm a little ashamed about it.

My last post was the first drawing in what was supposed to be a weekly art prompt drawing challenge called Spirits and Mortals, started by JakeMorrisonArt on Instagram.
I started off pretty well, I was keeping up, having a great time doing the challenge, and I think it was really helping me improve in a lot of ways.

And then... and then I moved away with my girlfriend, and we didn't move just anywhere, we went hundreds of kilometers away, to live in a decrepit, off-grid house out in the Otways (a beautiful area in south-west Victoria). Great! What an adventure! and it was, for a while, but there were a few drawbacks, one of which was, I had NO PC!

Of course I couldn't keep up with the drawing challenge, and in the end I only got 9 of the 50 completed. : (

Good news is, I'm doing it again this year! But before I start posting about that, here are the drawings I completed for last year - 

Week 2 'Torch'

Week 3 'A bridge and stream'

Week 4 'Moonlight'

Week 5 'Hidden treasure'

Week 6 'Red cave'

Week 7 'Pond magic'

Week 8 'Geyser'

Week 9 'Dungeon entrance'

That was all for the 2019 challenge, I'm sure I can do better in 2020!

Totally go ahead and Follow me on Insta if you like. : )

Meditation - artwork + app recommendations

Meditation (version one)

As you may guess from the title, I have started meditation practice again after many years of neglecting my poor brain.
My mood can sometimes be unstable, and I have collected anger from lots of different sources, and this was starting to take a toll on my everyday life.
Since starting daily meditation there have been major improvements in my thoughts, mood, and reactions. Even after just a short time of daily sessions, I find I can cope in difficult situations much better, and my anxiety has greatly reduced. c:

Maybe it goes without saying, but I do highly recommend meditation practice for everyone, no matter if you have obvious troubles or not, it will benefit anyone~

The concept of meditation is very simple, however the practice is quite challenging, and requires... practice~ The idea is to relax, stand/sit/lay comfortably, clear your mind, and focus on your breath, when thoughts arise you must gently push them aside and return your focus to your breathing.

There are some useful apps which can help guide you as you learn, here are three I have been using:

1. Oak Meditation - This is my go-to app, it is simple, easy to use, and totally free. I do a breathing exercise and a 20+ minute 'mindful' meditation each day. This app has some good features and a nice design. This would be my first choice regardless of your experience level.

2. Relax Meditation - This app has many features, but most are locked unless you buy a monthly or lifetime subscription. My favorite feature is creating a soundscape which you can meditate to. Relax has a lovely design, and plenty of features, this is a great app if you want to try some different sounds and guided meditation sessions.

3. Head Space - A standout app that has a fresh modern feel, the design is fantastic, complete with some really cool artwork and animations, and plenty of features. This one is at the higher end of the price range, but it may be worth the investment if it works for you. I completed the 10 day introduction to meditation, however the first two apps work great for me, so I opted not to pay for this one.

One other app which I have only tried briefly is 'Insight Timer', it has a huge amount of content, much of which is free. This app is somewhat more complicated, but worth a look if you want more variety.

My personal preference is something simple and straight to the point, which is why I think Oak works so well for me. There are plenty of other meditation apps to try, if you have any recommendations please don't hesitate to leave a comment with your experience.

Meditation (version 2)

Art post: 'Goo unicorn' + 'Staring contest'

Hello everyone!

I'm on break from uni, so I've had lots of time for drawing, I have a few things to submit, starting with a couple I finished earlier this month, they're both personal works that I did for fun and practice.

I drew Goo unicorn using free drawing software Firealpaca. Also referred to as 'noodle leg' she's a suspicious female unicorn, always vigilantly watching for anyone who might be after her horn, or her mane/tail, all of which posses unique magical properties.

Staring contest was drawn using Photoshop, which I haven't used to draw anything from start to finish since I got Firealpaca, so it was great to brush up on some techniques I haven't used for a while. I did not plan this drawing at all, it developed as I was playing around with some different techniques.

I have some more artworks to submit, and even more in progress!
Hope you enjoy, feel free to comment below, and you can follow me on DeviantArt or Tumblr.

It started as a misheard comment...

Last week I was in bed with my girlfriend, we were play-fighting and sassing each other, and she says something that sounded like 'bag of poot'. I'm pretty sure that's not what she'd said, but I decided to quickly sketch a paper bag of poot anyway -

After posting it on DeviantArt a friend there popped the bag, resulting in a second sketch -

I don't have much time for drawing at the moment, it's almost end of semester at uni, so I have several assignments due, assignments that I should probably be working on now...

Enjoy your week everyone.

Updates!

Hey there everyone!

Doesn't time go by too quickly... it's been a while since I was properly active here, so I figure I'll share some recent happenings, as well as plans for upcoming posts.

2017 has been a turbulent one for me health-wise, I recently hit a point that I felt so awful I decided to do a short water fast, and re-evaluate my diet. I'm currently breaking my 6 day fast (thank goodness), and I'm feeling well at the moment.

From here on I must stay in control of what, and where I eat, no more eating out! it's just no good for me. I have also decided to stick to mostly raw food, I don't want to be so restrictive that I fall back into old habits, but I must set some boundaries for myself.
Foods I will avoid are oil, heavily processed products, grains, most canned food, baked or deep-fried foods, overly dry foods. I'll stick to things that are fresh and gently cooked (boiled, steamed or blanched).

Given my dietary refinement I plan to share some new recipes in the coming weeks, I also have plans for a large post about caring for dogs, simply because I feel too many people do not understand how to fully meet all the needs of their canine friends. Of course there will be more art posts coming too, I'm working hard to improve in every aspect of drawing, so I hope it shows.

That's the most of it for now guys, I really hope everyone is feeling happy and healthy, keep an eye out for upcoming posts ; )

Art post #80 *FREE PRINT UP FOR GRABS*

Hello everyone, I'm back to share my most recent digital drawing, 'Name your Trade'.

The inspiration for this drawing was the idea of an inter-dimensional beast who operates as a trader, one can get almost anything from him, but it must be traded for something he does not already posses.

I squished in a bunch of pop culture references, 8 in particular are from a game or TV show that I love, first person to name all 8 (4 games + 4 TV shows) wins a free A3 framed print of this drawing (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ+*:･ﾟ✧.

Simply comment on this post, or over at Deviant art with your guess. I'll leave this open for a week or 2, if no one guesses correctly, the nearest guess will win. Good luck! ; )

If you would like to purchase a print, E-mail sleepyvoodle@gmail.com
A4 Framed print $15 + shipping / A3 Framed Print $20 + shipping

Enjoy~

World Vegan Day 2016

World Vegan Day is one event I  look forward to each year, finding new products and discovering new food ideas is always a fun time, the free samples don't hurt either...

This year there was a huge Orgran stall with new products to try, lots of samples and discount deals.

Probably the highlight for me was the Gluten-Free food truck, everything at WVD is Vegan of course, but there are always things people with a gluten allergy or intolerance miss out on. The hot food section is especially tricky, lots of pies & pizza that I can't touch, so I was crazy excited when we spotted the GF food van.

It was very busy again this year, but there was plenty of space, and plenty to see.
If you can make it next year, I highly recommend getting there.

 

GF cupcake (my sister can't keep her fingers out of things)

 

Super delicious flavored milks.

 

Lovely wallets, etc

 

The adorable GF food van :D

 

Delicious Buddha-bowl from the GF food van; the mashed potatoes was our favorite, but we ate it too quickly...

Let's get back to it - Pokemon drawings 2015-16

There have been some enormous changes in my life over the past few years, & there are lots of things I haven't kept up with, contributing to my blog is one that I want to get back to. I have plenty of content to post, so here I go!

Starting with some digital pokemon drawings from 2015-16...

I'm back + Thoughts about natural living.

Hello!
I've been to Queensland, Thailand, & Malaysia, and now I'm living in a huge house deep in the suburbs (how depressing)... My travels we OK, good experiences I suppose, but traveling really isn't my deal.

My greatest aspiration is to live in a little house that I have built myself, grow my food, harvest rain water, plant trees, wash/sleep outside (if I so wish), collect/chop/store firewood, actively live quietly & simply. I would spend my time doing things that make me feel content; taking photos, drawing, painting, exploring, swimming, gardening, + whatever I feel like! No expectations or demands from other people, or society in general, just simple living.

This is the kind of house I would like to live in...

Something small, simple, natural, functional. I will NEVER understand why people want big, expensive, fake, crappy houses that don't even function properly (cold in winter/hot in summer).

I've been thinking that instead of aiming to build bigger houses, we build more houses, just big enough for 2 people to live comfortably, if those people choose to have a child, then they build another snug 2 person house on the same property, so once their kid needs more space, he/she begins shifting into the new house. Once that child is all grown up, if they choose to have a baby, they do the same, & so-on, & so on. This way the family stays together, but everyone has their own space & privacy.
So instead of those horrible housing estates, why not only build small, natural, north-facing houses that are passive solar, & self sustaining, & they should come with set amounts of land, with strips of greenery separating properties, & good amounts of dedicated natural habitat for wildlife. House sizes should be kept small, just enough for 2, with a maximum size limit, rather than a minimum.

Snug & comfy!

Natural & beautiful!

For some ideas about building small, check out TinyHouseSwoon, a blog dedicated to tiny houses. There are all kinds of incredible builds to check out, like the 'Aurora Cabin'...

Another great site is CabinPorn, you can find some inspiration from the beautiful photos on this blog...

 

Swoon~

Working on working for myself

Today is the last day of March, & I have made a commitment to put all my effort towards becoming self employed (finally).

I will make things, & sell them, this is how I will live.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the beginning, I will add a new post along with a new label 'BUY THESE', then I will advertise ~e v e r y w h e r e~

Hopefully I can make a go of this, no doubt it'll be a working progress, but at least I won't have looming regrets later in life!

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G'night all ;)

Happy End of the Year~

So much has happened since my last post; for starters I've traveled over three and a half thousand kilometers across Australia with my girlfriend to Far North Queensland in search of amazing food (& possibly a place to live). We've tried loads of new fruits & vegetables since coming here, & we've met some of the most wonderful people. The sad news... I killed my phone! :( I went for a swim with it in my pocket, now it won't wake up, & all the photos were on there... I think they are lost forever. :(

Equally sad is that I have accidentally eaten gluten-contaminated food, so that's running a muck with my bod, I'm all chubs, dysfunctional, sleepy, & sulky, CURSE YOU GLUTEN!!! D:

On the subject of food; I did switch to a raw food diet, & I'm still eating raw, although I have had a mouthful or two of some cooked foods, just to try it. I think I'd like to transition to part raw/part cooked, I like the idea of a balance, & still being able to eat some things I love, especially curry, & there's plenty of new things I'd love to try, like this Injera bread. If/how that's going to work remains to be seen.

Candace & I are currently house-sitting, it's crazy beautiful here, & so good to be in a house for a while, rather than our van. We work part-time on a farm harvesting/scrubbing/chopping sugar can,e & then selling the juice at local markets.

Even though I'm working on getting a new phone, & there's nothing I can do about all the pics I've lost, for now at least I can pull some photos I already uploaded to Facebook. There's more I could go on about, but I'm not staying awake till midnight, we have early morning plans.

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 On the road up.

 Our first tropical fruit score <3

 Super scenic beach in lovely Port Douglas.

 Cand & myself hovering over a jackfruit.

 Lots of pineapple tops we planted. Should have fruit in 12 months.

 An organic garden we're working on at one of the farms :)

 One of our frequent swimming spots.

Our toilet frog got a mate!

Stay Happy & Healthy, be blogging at you in the new year.

How life can change - Coming to terms with... myself

I won't go into much detail about this, I'll just say that a few weeks ago I developed strong feelings for a girl.
I've been confused about my sexuality for most of my life, but it never mattered too much because I was in love with a man. In the past 4 years or so my attraction to women escalated, & I became increasingly confused, frustrated, & quite scared, but I didn't really discuss it with anyone, I figured I would ignore it, & nothing would come of it - (famous last words x_x)

I'm not religious, but I became so distressed that I asked for help & guidance from some higher power, & about a week later I met this girl, life is strange. I went out of my way to spend as much time as possible with her, & after a nasty fall while skating (& a broken wrist later) I was able to stay with her all day every day for a week, by which point I realised I had a serious problem. I couldn't stay away from her, & I was becoming physically ill from the stress.

I decided I had to be honest about the whole thing, so I confessed my feelings to her, & told my current partner the situation.

It's been just about a month since I first met this girl, & my life is so completely different I wonder if my brain has even caught up. It's been a turbulent time to say the least, but things are ok, I think everyone is ok. As difficult as things have been, I feel relieved that I'm finally able to start dealing with this, & I am extremely fortunate because this girl also has feelings for me. I feel like I still have a lot to figure out, I don't know what my sexuality is (& I don't particularly care) I'm just super happy to have found her

End.

It was kinda like -

 What the shit is happening! @_@

catch up + todays harvest

December has gone by in a flash, & I was so very busy/stressed with Christmas that I have barely thought about blogging at all.

I think 2014 will be a good year, & now that I know how to control my health issues better, I plan to try to earn some money, my plan is to make & sell art stuff. 

A n y w a y , I'm making this post to share some produce I harvested today -
 

'Costa romaneque zucchini'

'Red shine onions'. These are the first we have ever grown :D

The gardens are doing well here, both the original existing bed, & the 2 new ones we put in since moving here. I also used up my first compost pile today! Distributing it around all the garden beds to add nutrients + help retain water c: The compost pile was a great success, even though I never turned it, & actually didn't do anything, except add material & leave it alone. It was damp, & smelled nice, & I'm sure the compost will be a welcomed addition to the garden beds :) I'll make a post about how I made the compost pile soon, as I'll be starting a new one now that my first one is done & gone.

Happy new year everyone!

Sudden art dump

Boom!!!

Self portrait.

The dragon is my first drawing using traditional mediums for quite some time.

Drawn using pencil, fine liner pens, copic sketch markers, & pencils.

Both digital & traditional techniques have their own challenges, so it's good to do both. c:

I hate that I've been so in-active, but December is quite a challenging month. Don't be thinking I've ditched on this blog, life is just hectic, I haven't even done housework for ages, I have to get on top of that too!

Ok, no more rambles.

Helpful ideas to help manage IBS, ulcerative colitis and other gastrointestinal disorders.

8 years of knowledge = BIGGEST POST EVER 0_0...
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Since my month long fling with a vegan, mostly raw, mostly fruit diet, I concluded that there are several practices that I should work into my routine to (hopefully) lower/remove the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC) flare-ups.
These new habits are varied, so to keep things simple, I'm-a list it up!
Some of these I will have mentioned previously, some are already incorporated into my life, some are new, & some are things I've been meaning to do, etc.
The aim is to compile a comprehensive list based on all the things I've learned over the past 8 years from managing UC naturally, no prescription medication!
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1. No animal products to be consumed! - All animal products including meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, etc are bad for the human digestive system, & will only exacerbate UC! Think carefully about this one, because one day it might be too late, & you'll have an artificial poop bag instead of a colon, which must be frequently emptied, manually!
Living vegan is easier than ever, there are endless alternatives to animal products, & your colon will thank you for it!
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2. Try to be calm. - Excessive stress, or negative emotions of any kind are strongly linked with the digestive system, & should be avoided. Slow deep breaths, & thinking positive thoughts can help relieve a situation short term. For long term management of mental well-being it is highly recommended to include at least one relaxation practice daily; yoga, tai chi, meditation, etc are all good options. Also never eat if in a highly emotional/stressed state, your body is already under pressure, the last thing it needs is food to digest, this is a common, & damaging mistake!
If you have painful internalised issues (as many people with UC do) you need to learn to deal with them, & let them go, in this case outside assistance in the form of a counselor, or someone trustworthy to speak to may help.
Always remember that you are in control of yourself, let go of negative thoughts & feelings, & replace them with positive ones instead. Training yourself to be positive takes time & commitment, but it absolutely can be done!
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3. Minimise FAT, SALT, & SUGAR in your diet. - These foods are terrible for human health, they serve no purpose other than to bombard & confuse our taste buds. Cut down bit by bit if need be, but be very strict about quantities, the less the better! The only fat, sugar, & salt we need in our diet can be obtained from fresh, whole foods such as; fruits, avocados, nuts, celery, etc. All other sources including oil, granulated salt, refined sugars, etc should be kept to a minimum, or avoided all together.
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4. Adequate rest & sleep are essential. - Staying awake until 2am is out! Always get at least 8 hours sleep per night, it's beneficial to have a routine, it helps your body remain regular, & function more smoothly. Always rest if you feel tired, be careful not to mistake fatigue with hunger, eating for any reason other than genuine hunger is a bad mistake, & can easily overburden your body. When you sleep/rest your body is able to dedicate energies toward reparative functions (including healing damage to the colon, etc).
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5. Allow time between meals. - Your body works hard to digest most food, leaving adequate time between meals is extremely important; not only to allow food to digest effectively, but also to avoid overburdening the digestive system. Avoid frequent snacking, there's nothing wrong with being hungry! Giving your digestive system a short break is one of the best things you can do for it! Your digestive tract is part of you! Making it run constantly can wear it out, & may lead to dysfunction, resulting in problems such as UC.
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6. Raw meals. - Incorporate some simple raw meals into your diet. Salads, lettuce wraps, dips + crudites, raw pastas, green smoothies, etc, are all amazing sources of nutrients, don't underestimate fresh, raw food! Raw pastas & other interesting meal ideas can be made using a simple tool known as a spiralizer. (I recently bought a GEFU Spiralfix HERE)
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7. Fresh made juices. - Incorporate a fresh, home-made juice, either vegetable, or fruit into your daily routine. Juices are an invaluable source of nutrients in a form that is easily digested & absorbed by the body.
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8. Fruit for breakfast & Mono meals - Raw fruit for breakfast is undoubtedly the very best way to start the day, having a mono breakfast is even better! A mono meal is simply a meal consisting of one ingredient, eg. Bananas for breakfast. When you first wake up your body starts to flush out toxins etc, it is best to support the body in this task by eating a simple, light meal for breakfast. Mono meals provide the optimum situation for digestion & nutrient absorption because it is easiest for our bodies to digest one thing at a time, the less complicated a meal, the less complicated the digestive task, & vice versa.
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9. Reduce the amount of grain & grain products - Everybody loves grains, whether it's rice, pasta, bread, etc, we're all addicted to it, however, grains are much more difficult to digest than fruits & vegetables, & they should be eaten sparingly. Try to have at least one grain-free day per week.
Due to the increased difficulty in digestion, it is best to allow a longer period of time after eating a meal with grains, to allow your body to cope, & digest properly.
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10. Reduce/remove processed foods. - This is another thing we have become addicted to, anything in a packet that's quick, easy, & satisfying. There are many reasons to avoid processed foods, however, if you are going to have them from time to time, I cannot stress enough; always always always! read the ingredients list! If there are weird ingredients that you cannot identify, then ditch it, & choose a healthier option! In fact, reading labels is a great habit to get into, & an essential skill if you want to avoid nasties, & improve your health, but remember; fresh is always best!
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11. Drink filtered water, between meals. - It's a good idea to invest in a good quality, natural water filter to remove impurities from your drinking/cooking water. There are plenty of options available, & it's a great comfort to know that your not ingesting trace amounts of god-knows-what from old, dirty water pipes. We recently invested in a ceramic water filter, & it's fantastic.
It can be beneficial to avoid drinking when eating, your tummy enzymes need to work, & water can dilute them, making them less effective, potentially causing problems further down the digestive tract. Sipping a small amount of water is usually ok, especially when eating dry foods, such as dried fruit.
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12. Practice food combing. - Food combing is very simple! Eat foods which digest effectively together for optimum, clean digestion. Simply put, foods digest at different rates, in different enzymes, if you eat a combination of foods that require completely different situations for digestion, digestion will be impaired, or completely compromised, resulting in poorly digested, partially rotted food entering the intestines, which is a major cause of gastrointestinal distress, including UC. I have made some simple food combing charts which you can find HERE, for more info check out >>> colitis-crohns.com.
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13. Eat an alkaline diet! - Most food, when metabolised by the body, are either acid, or alkaline forming. The human body is naturally alkaline, & it is healthiest when this state is supported by eating alkaline-forming foods.
Alkaline-forming foods include; All vegetables, except asparagus, which is mildly acid-forming. All fruits, except certain nuts, blueberries, & olives. Some alkaline-forming nuts are almonds, chestnuts, & coconuts. All sprouts are alkaline-forming. Most seeds, especially sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, & pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Certain legumes including, soy beans, lima beans, peas, & snap beans are alkaline-forming.
Overall, at least 80% of the human diet should be alkaline-forming, this means that approximately 17 of the average 21 meals consumed weekly should be 100% alkaline-forming.
Acid-forming foods include; all animal products, except blood, bone, & butter. All grains, except millet are acid-forming, especially rye & wheat. Most legumes, especially lentils, peanuts, & most beans. About half of all nuts are acid-forming.
This is a big one, but simple charts can be found online to help guide you, however be sure they come from a reputable source!
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14. Chew thoroughly, never rush. - It's advice we've all heard, but it is extremely important for good digestion, always chew all food thoroughly. This not only helps to release nutrients from food more effectively, but also makes digestion easier for your stomach, & intestines, very important if you suffer from a condition like UC. Never rush when you eat, likewise, never eat if you are experiencing heightened emotions or stress, your body already has enough to cope with in these situations, adding an extra load (ie. digestion) is no good! Always be calm when eating, & take your time. I now make a habbit of putting my utensils down between mouthfuls to concentrate on chewing properly, & to avoid eating too quickly, & it has made a huge difference for me!
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15. Less is more! - This is true for most things in life, & especially true for food. Most of us eat far too much, far too frequently, putting our digestive tracts under constant stress. The solution is quite simple here, pay extra attention to your eating habits! Cut down your portion sizes a little, only eat when hungry, & avoid binge eating.
Meals need not be complicated either, in fact minimising the number of different ingredients in any one meal makes digestion a simpler, less taxing task. Remember that mono meals (a meal of 1 food, eg. bananas) are the most easily digested.
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16. Give your insides a break. - This is easily achieved by dedicating 2-5 days (in a row) every month or two to do a simple juice cleanse (or, clean out). Juices are packed with nutrients that are easy for you body to absorb, they also have little or no fiber, giving your digestive tract a much deserved rest. A juice cleanse can give you a boost in nutrients, help clean out your body, & rest your digestive organs. It goes without saying that you will need a good juicer, & some basic juice recipes, seek out someone with experience, there is plenty of information available, start small, & do some research before attempting a juice cleanse. I will absolutely be doing this, so expect a related post sometime in future.
Another major benefit after completely a juice cleanse is a renewed appreciation of food, if you complete a 5 day cleanse you may find that your sense of taste is enhanced, allowing you to better appreciate the natural flavors of food, which automatically results in your body wanting less processed foods including oil, sugar, & salt :D
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17. Eat gluten-free. - Whether you suffer from gluten intolerance, or celiac disease is not important, what is important is that gluten is extremely harsh on the human digestive system, many, if not most people do not cope with gluten well, but remain unaware. We become accustomed to functioning below our best, & carry on with life regardless. Removing gluten from your diet can have many benefits, including; reduced bloating, increased energy, smoother digestion, etc. Gluten is not necessary in our diet, & only hinders our health, supermarkets now offer a wide range of gluten-free alternatives (beware, some are quite unhealthy), & most gluten-free foods are clearly labeled. Even without these options it is easy to eat gluten free using fresh, whole foods.
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18. Fruit! - Fruits are perfect for humans! Ripe fruit requires very little digestion because the nutrients are readily available in a usable form, for example, instead of protein, which ordinarily needs to be broken down into amino acids by the body, fruit provides amino acids directly! This is also true for carbohydrates; in ripe fruit they are already broken down into the simple (healthy) sugars our bodies need to function, & so on. Juicy fruits provide the best pure, clean water that is essential for our bodies, & of course all fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, & antioxidants. Forget all the complicated (often expensive) junk you can buy, & turn to fruit instead! It is perfect, & it is a super food, & the banana is king!
It's interesting to note that people on a high fruit diet may require as much as 60% less water, not only because most fruits have a high water content, but also because fruit is so healthy that it contains nothing that the body needs to 'flush', resulting in a reduced need for drinking.
For fruit combining info, check out these simple food combining charts :)

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19. Buy/grow organic. - The term 'organic' seems to have acquired a bit of negative stigma, but there's nothing negative about it! An organic product is simply something which is produced without the use of synthetic, toxic chemicals, that's it! Beware of products throwing this term around, & plastering it all over their labels, read the ingredients, & to be extra sure try to buy 'certified organic', this meas that the producer is checked & regulated.
Sometimes organic products are more expensive, however many times I have found the price to be the same. Good food leads to good health, it's worth the investment!
If you grow food at home, kudos! Remember to always look to nature for inspiration/advice, & avoid using synthetic, toxic products! In a healthy, balanced system, there should be absolutely no need for them anyway, they are a dangerous short cut.
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I am only an average person sharing my own personal experience.
Listed above are the most effective drug free means I have found to help deal with my Ulcerative colitis, & improve my overall health. It's a working progress, but after 8 years living with this condition, I can confidently say that things are improving! I have not used medication in many years, & I refuse to do so, it is counter productive, & more harmful than helpful.
I was at my worst (half dead to be honest) eating a standard western diet & using professionally prescribed medications. Now, after years of research, coupled with lots of trial & error, I feel that I am slowly regaining the health of my digestive system : )
I'm convinced that I can reach a level of great health, & avoid flare-ups all together by supporting my body via diet & lifestyle, it may mean some challenging adjustments, but it is absolutely worth it!
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I wish happiness & good health to everyone, there's nothing better : )
Have a rainbow!
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(image source)

Big broad bean harvest, and a catch up!

It turned out to be a really nice day, I have high hopes for November!
...
I spent last month trialing a new diet, it had some positives affects on me, & I think I learned a thing or two, but it was 90-100% raw, & predominately fruit @_@'
The experience was positive overall, & it's a diet that I think is absolutely plausible, however it was crushing my spirit! Maybe if I had continued for longer I may have adjusted some more, & become completely adapted, but in the end I couldn't turn my back on cooking! Through the experience I absolutely realised that cooking is one of the greatest passions in my life, when it was removed, I felt I had little left, & my motivation for most other things dropped, or disappeared...
Why would I start a diet like that in the first place? It was specifically to improve my digestions & help with my ulcerative colitis, it was not a get skinny quick fad diet or anything like that, health is most important, not being skinny! I was to continue indefinitely, but as mentioned above, I felt as though I was being suffocated, so I took all the knowledge I could, & now have a greater appreciation of food : )
If you feel a raw food diet might help your health, you can find more information here >>> colitis-crohns.com.
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That's the catch up, & hopefully gives you the gist of why I was so very quiet last month...
Now I feel good to truck on, & get busy again, starting with an awesome harvest of broad beans from our garden, which ended as a damn amazing fresh bean stew with oregano (also fresh from the garden)
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 If you ever have too many fresh herbs, dry them!

Place them on a rack in a warm dry place, & store when dry. 

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Harvesting veggies from your own backyard is insanely satisfying, & as always I encourage everyone to have a try of growing some organic fruit & veg for yourself.
Much more to come this month I hope! I'm really keen to get some recipes written up, maybe the broad bean stew if anyone is interested? I feel like I have a lot to catch up on...
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Take it easy everyone, appreciate what you have, & be happy!