life with booyaa

several weeks down the road. how are we doing?

the juicer

i chose a L'equip compact juicer from a specialist online shop, as i needed to know it would deal with several kilos of carrots a week. lots of juicers struggle with hard vegetables. i'm happy with it, it looks quite cute (it's black and the top looks like darth vader's helmet) and juices very well. it's a bit of a pain to clean - as are all juicers i've come across so far - and on days when you're making three or four glasses of juice it seems like you've spent half the day washing the juicer. i've heard very good stories of the "champion" juicer which, apparently, will last forever and is a dream to clean. the reason i didn't choose that this time round was the price. a champion will set you back £250 while we paid £99.

the juices

i've tried a few recipes from super juice by michael van straten. he certainly knows how to sell you the good-for-you but slightly out there flavours. and he does make some great tasting drinks. they aren't always quite as awful as they might seem. plus, you really get used to some of the odder flavours. my favourite has got to be orange, lemon, carrot, apple and ginger. fab stuff. but i'm trying hard to have more vegetable juices. so, as i type, i'm sipping a beetroot, lettuce, cucumber and apple juice. the earthy flavour of the beetroot is calmed considerably by the watery cucumber and the apple juice helps make it more palatable. tonight i'm going to have one with tomato, radish, red pepper and greens. if i add some garlic it'll be just like gazpacho.

so why have juice if you're not that keen on it. and how weird is that? drinking beetroot juice?! well, it's good for you! i'm choosing fruit and veg with specific quallities to help me get over a prolonged bout of bronchitis and ensuing post-infection fatigue. i'm not just drinking juice, i'm eating 90% raw, too. between the two of them i reckon it'll boost my chances of recovery faster than anything the GP can suggest.

90% raw

why 90%? well, cos i pinch a forkful of saute potatoes off boo's plate or have a biscuit with my tea, or add some cheese to the not-pasta and pesto we're having, toast some sunflower seeds and so on. i find it's easier to aim to be completely raw and then allow some treats, than to go for the 75% raw which seems to be what most raw food advocates, er, advocate. i did try it, but it's like going on a diet where they allow a tiny amount of treats - it sometimes works. but it can have the opposite effect, in other words, it tempts you more. one biscuit is never enough. the taste reminds you what it's like so you sit down and eat the whole packet...it's sometimes just easier not to have any at all. that's how it seems to work for me, so that's why i'm doing this the same way.

treats for the raw fooder in london

woo hoo! number 1: there's a raw food cafe in primrose hill (doh! of course. where else?). the little earth cafe is in the triyoga centre and has a juice bar and small selection of raw snacks. already have it on my 'wants' list to go and visit. check it out

woo hoo! number 2: i'm loathe to share this really... but there's something called the raw food dinners which i'm excited about. but as it's fairly restricted numbers i don't want too many people to find out or i'll never get a ticket for the next one! it's only just started, the first one happend last month. they have a theme for each. last month was italian and the next one is mexican. we won't be able to go to that as it's next weekend and we have things arranged. but i'm trying to get sorted for the following one - which is indian. yum! read all about it

feel the benefit

so far i'm all about getting better. i noticed after only two consecutive days on this almost 100% raw regime that i was feeling considerably better. i have more energy and i don't need as much sleep. these are two things i've particularly been struggling with during my convalescence. a month ago i was struggling just getting through the morning routine (get up, make tea, shower and hairwash, breakfast, tidy up, dry hair, get dressed, do makeup, get packed lunch ready - actually that's sounding like quite a lot) and i'd have to have a rest at least once in that process. now, though, i can get through a day - though only just. it's still a vast improvement. i've also lost weight. i don't know exactly how much as my scales are at best unreliable and at worst useless, but i think it's about half a stone since i started three weeks ago. that's a very positive side-effect.