Rae wrote:Having been wheelchairbound for two years now (and not at present able to reach the shops) I have to do all my food shopping on the internet usually via Ocado/ Waitrose, and have it delivered once a week. It is important for me to keep healthy and not to put on weight as this means a wider wheelchair eventually! I read the Guardian article and feel inspired to improve my diet and lose some weight. I live alone and try to eat healthy food but the temptation to buy ready-prepared meals is sometimes difficult to resist and of course it's so much easier. Can you recommend a good book to start with - but the recipes must be relatively uncomplicated. I am at present limited to the ingredients I can get from Ocado/ Waitrose. One of the problems of cooking for one is that only small quantities are required which I think might make buying from other internet sources uneconomic and I imagine preparing larger quantities of salads to refrigerate is not advisable. I have a food processor (but not a juicer) but I rarely use it as it's such a palaver to clean up. I'm sure I should try indoor gardening and grow sprouting things (though I used to find them a bit boring) - do you know where beans for this can be bought on the internet? Probably 70% raw would be a realistic goal for me - I really would appreciate any advice you could give me to achieve this within my shopping limitations. Many thanks Rae.
Karen's reply:Hi Rae! First of all, my hat off to you for trying something new, especially in your current circumstances. There are many facets to your question, so, as with Miranda, I'll take them one by one:
Shopping
Obviously you're doing exactly the right thing at the moment, which is ordering online and having it delivered. My suggestion for you now would be to investigate the local (or national) organic box schemes as their quality usually far surpasses supermarkets, and may well be cheaper too. You can find out one the nearest to you by clicking here - follow the reference to the Organic Directory. Good national companies also exist, such as Abel & Cole or the Fresh Food Company.
Weight loss and ready-made food
Pre-prepared food certainly has its attractions, whatever our circumstances. A couple of things here. First of all, before we even get to the issues of D.I.Y. food or factory-pre-prepped, I invite you to rethink your mindset around food both generally and when you go to prepare it. Bottom line is - this food is creating you anew cell-by-cell and day-by-day. Every mouthful counts! Reverence isn't a word used around food too much these days, and in fact it may sound a bit odd to view food this way at first, but food itself and the act of eating certainly should be revered. Food can make the world of difference to how you look and feel, depending on what choices you make. I have found in the past that when my perspective has shifted because of some "deeper" understanding or a new way of looking at food, making positive choices has become incredibly easy. When something a bit more than "that sounds like a good idea" starts permeating your thoughts, and feelings, even, then ready-made meals and the like really don't seem like an option.
Second, don't fall into the trap of thinking that eating more raw food is going to mean hassle (and I don't think you do!). It doesn't have to. Raw food can be as fancy or as simple as you like; you just need one or some good recipe books to give you ideas and a place to start from. You didn't mention whether you have any help, but obviously it would be great if you do. If not, then I think the next best purchase for you would be a blender, which you can buy cheaply online at amazon.co.uk - click here for a starter model I would recommend.
And finally, on this particular subject, losing weight is likely to happen, but it will depend on how much fat and sugar you eat. Of course, when I'm talking "raw" I'm talking about the pure fats (nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, oils etc.) and the natural sugars in fruit, as opposed to the commercial varieties! I have personally been at my heaviest and lightest on raw food (with a 4 stone difference!), which just goes to show you that it's not just about whether it's raw or not. But generally speaking, most people lose weight, you can expect anything up to 4lb per week depending on where you're starting from.
A good book to start with?
I always recommend 2 books and for 2 different reasons. The first, of course ; ), is Feel-Good Food, which I co-authored in 2000 with Susie Miller. It contains some recipes, all of which are easy, but its main content is the introduction to the concepts behind raw eating and intuitive eating (being led by your body as opposed to anyone or anything else) and it also covers a fair amount of the emotional and practical. So overall it's a great book and a very quick read.
The second book without a doubt, is Eat Smart, Eat Raw by Kate Wood. Kate is British and therefore the ingredients she uses are all readily available over here, which is rare for a raw recipe book. The recipes are also diverse and very easy, not to mention being delicious. Most people own a copy of this, me included!
And finally, my forthcoming book, Raw Food for Beginners, will contain masses of information -and I do mean masses! - including over 100 quick and easy recipes.
How to get sprouting
The Fresh Network sells a wide range of sprouting seeds and beans as well as sprouting equipment (and a wide range of other dried raw foods and kitchen equipment) and delivers all over the UK and beyond. On the new web site there will be downloadable sheets on how to sprout, why to sprout and much much more, including lots of great recipes, so bookmark the page and revisit in December!
Going 70% raw
70% is a lofty goal. When I began I was at about 10%! However, if you follow my Top Tips 10 for Going Raw, that should give you all the basics you need to reach your goal.
Good luck and let me know if I can help you further!
Rae wrote:Having been wheelchairbound for two years now (and not at present able to reach the shops) I have to do all my food shopping on the internet usually via Ocado/ Waitrose, and have it delivered once a week. It is important for me to keep healthy and not to put on weight as this means a wider wheelchair eventually! I read the Guardian article and feel inspired to improve my diet and lose some weight. I live alone and try to eat healthy food but the temptation to buy ready-prepared meals is sometimes difficult to resist and of course it's so much easier. Can you recommend a good book to start with - but the recipes must be relatively uncomplicated. I am at present limited to the ingredients I can get from Ocado/ Waitrose. One of the problems of cooking for one is that only small quantities are required which I think might make buying from other internet sources uneconomic and I imagine preparing larger quantities of salads to refrigerate is not advisable. I have a food processor (but not a juicer) but I rarely use it as it's such a palaver to clean up. I'm sure I should try indoor gardening and grow sprouting things (though I used to find them a bit boring) - do you know where beans for this can be bought on the internet? Probably 70% raw would be a realistic goal for me - I really would appreciate any advice you could give me to achieve this within my shopping limitations. Many thanks Rae.
Karen's reply:Hi Rae! First of all, my hat off to you for trying something new, especially in your current circumstances. There are many facets to your question, so, as with Miranda, I'll take them one by one:
Shopping
Weight loss and ready-made food
Second, don't fall into the trap of thinking that eating more raw food is going to mean hassle (and I don't think you do!). It doesn't have to. Raw food can be as fancy or as simple as you like; you just need one or some good recipe books to give you ideas and a place to start from. You didn't mention whether you have any help, but obviously it would be great if you do. If not, then I think the next best purchase for you would be a blender, which you can buy cheaply online at amazon.co.uk - click here for a starter model I would recommend.
And finally, on this particular subject, losing weight is likely to happen, but it will depend on how much fat and sugar you eat. Of course, when I'm talking "raw" I'm talking about the pure fats (nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, oils etc.) and the natural sugars in fruit, as opposed to the commercial varieties! I have personally been at my heaviest and lightest on raw food (with a 4 stone difference!), which just goes to show you that it's not just about whether it's raw or not. But generally speaking, most people lose weight, you can expect anything up to 4lb per week depending on where you're starting from.
A good book to start with?
The second book without a doubt, is Eat Smart, Eat Raw by Kate Wood. Kate is British and therefore the ingredients she uses are all readily available over here, which is rare for a raw recipe book. The recipes are also diverse and very easy, not to mention being delicious. Most people own a copy of this, me included!
And finally, my forthcoming book, Raw Food for Beginners, will contain masses of information -and I do mean masses! - including over 100 quick and easy recipes.
How to get sprouting
Going 70% raw
70% is a lofty goal. When I began I was at about 10%! However, if you follow my Top Tips 10 for Going Raw, that should give you all the basics you need to reach your goal.
Good luck and let me know if I can help you further!