Happy Sunday! Before I get to last night’s festivities, I want to say a giant thank you to Gena and the community at Choosing Raw. I am so blown away by the responses to the Green Recovery post. It fills my heart with so much love and gratitude, and solidifies the notion that struggle leads to strength. You guys rock!
Paying it Forward
This morning, during church, I felt God speaking to me through our deacon’s sermon. It was about “Paying it Forward.” Our deacon said that overcoming our struggles lead us to a “happy place.” When we reach that “happy place,” we can spread love, light, and happiness to others. Also, because we are no longer weighed down, we have the opportunity to witness love and light in everyday situations.
Following the publishing of the GR post, this obviously hit home. Through my eating disorder, I received an incredible gift: reaching a “happy place” through a new-found fervor for veganism and teaching the benefits of nutrition to others. This is not a unique or “special” story but it is how I found inner peace, self-love, and my reason for living. Our experiences (good and bad) allow us to share with other people – to “pay it forward” – and I’m eternally grateful to my ED for that gift.
Ladies Night
Alright, serious stuff over. Let’s get to some fun stuff! Last night, I went out on the town with the ladies. It began as a love fest when I was reunited with my dear friend, Melissa.
After a glass of merlot, we made our way to the dance floor and broke it down to top 40 hits. Class acts, let me tell you. My dance moves are a treat and Melissa busts out a mean “Superbass.” It is seriously impressive. I left my camera in the car, so we were left to the devices of cell phones.
Hi, my name is Rudolph…nice to meet you…
We had a blast. I love going out with my girlfriends and dancing the night away. Nothing like an estrogen-induced reunion! 
Breakfast
After roughly five hours of sleep, I mosied on downstairs. Besides a giant cup of pumpkin coffee, I had a huge hankering for cereal. Do you ever crave cereal? I love the combination of crunchy cereal and cool almond milk. Something about it is so comforting to me! After downing my morning Meta-D, I fixed a bowl of Nature’s Path Flax PLUS flakes with almond milk and 1 tbsp. of chia seeds, for an extra punch of nutrients. A crunchy Fuji apple was also enjoyed.
My parents and I chatted for a bit until it was time to get ready for church. I sang with our church’s folk group today and it was so peaceful and beautiful! I managed to fit in a snack beforehand because if I didn’t, I knew I would be ravenous afterwards. Enter new LUNA bar!
The verdict? Good but not great. The pros? There were actual peanut butter chips in the bar! The smooth chips were a nice contrast the rest of the bar, which was very crunchy. The cons? The bar was a little too sweet for me. The honey overpowered the taste of the peanut butter chips and while I could feel the crunch of the pretzels, I missed the taste completely. Don’t worry, I still love you, LUNA!
Lunch
After church, I came home to prepare an Asian inspired half-raw, half-cooked lunch.
To start, I sauteed 1/2 cup of tempeh and a handful of mushrooms in olive oil cooking spray. After about five minutes of sauteing on high, I added 1 tbsp. of Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki Sauce, turned the tempeh and mushrooms, and let it simmer for five more minutes on medium heat. I placed the heated goodies on a salad of sliced cabbage, carrots, and broccoli before drizzling it with a touch of Annie’s Gingerly Vinaigrette. Hit the spot!
Clearly, I was on an apple kick today! I’m off to work until later tonight. Have a nice, relaxing Sunday.
Stay lovely,
Heather
Question of the Day: What is your favorite LUNA bar?
I love the Cookies ‘n Cream flavor the most. I prefer to enjoy LUNA bars as an occasional treat because they are still highly processed. That being said, there’s certainly room for them in a balanced lifestyle. Healthy eating doesn’t mean perfect eating!
Congratulations to Gina and the Pilot on the beautiful, new addition to their family! Olivia is beautiful and I’m so happy for the both of you. Sending you loads of love! 
One of the moments that made me get better was when I realized that all of the effort I was expending on weight loss and dietary rigidity and planning could be put toward enriching the world in some way. Great point.
Sigh…………..We can’t get Luna Bars over here in New Zealand. The problem with reading all of these fantastic overseas blogs is you see what you are missing out on food wise!
What a wonderful post about paying it forward – helps me clarify too why I write. thanks
Aww, yeah, that MUST be tough! Have you tried ordering them online?
Good thinking! Will give it a go