Challenge no.2

My second biggest challenge with being high raw is the time factor- all that chopping, soaking, sprouting, blending and so on. Then when the meal is prepared I'm hungry again an hour later so it all begins again!!
Fear not, there are simple ways around this

• Equipment- it took me far too long to realise that equipment and gadgets have a massive value in the raw kitchen. I used to have just a juicer, blender and a good set of sharp knives and it took me forever to create my meals. The purchase of a good food processor and a mandolin has been a revelation. I use my processor to chop my leafy greens etc and the mandolin to cut other vegetables. My favourite kale salad now takes minutes to prepare where in the past it could take me half an hour just to chop the kale into tiny pieces. My advice is to buy the best equipment that you can afford for your stage of the raw journey. Which price range to buy into very much depends upon your personality. If you are the type of person who would join a gym then hardly ever go, even though you've paid up, then maybe don't buy the most expensive equipment to start with. However if you're like me and think 'well I've paid for it so I'm jolly well going to use it' then buy the most expensive and let the thought of the money you have spent motivate you to make the most of it!
• Prepare ahead- it wasn't until I attended a raw food prep course that it really sank in that it is actually possible to prepare lots of raw food in advance and just keep it in the fridge. All it takes is a couple of evenings a week and you can make food for the next few days. Allissa Cohen is big on this- her raw for 30 days programme emphasises the fact that you can make your meals for the week in a couple of sessions. All you have to do is turn off the TV ( or lose your addiction to surfing and you tube) a couple of times per week.As long as you can keep your food cool then there is no need to be a slave to the kitchen.
• Simplify your diet- with the proliferation of delicious raw gourmet demos and books these days its easy to forget that some of the healthiest and simplest food can be simple beyond belief. A green smoothie takes seconds to prepare and will satisfy you for hours, how long does it take to peel a banana or orange?
• Keep your kitchen space tidy- committing myself to tidiness and sticking to it has been a revelation for me. Not that it was a grime palace before but keeping every thing tidy makes you far more likely to want to get to it in the kitchen ( steady!!).
• Write a planner- well I had to put this in, I am a coach after all! Making a simple list of what to soak and when will hugely help you organise your living foods kitchen, if its just an idea in your head that you need to soak some seeds to sprout then you may keep putting it off. You can swap and change what you soak but you will soon get into a routine and it will become as ordinary as it was to remember to take tomorrows dinner out of the freezer.

That's it for now, I hope these time saving tips help you. Above all bear in mind that saving or improving your health is worth all the time in the world, and time is free along with fresh air and love