Walsingham Farms Shop

Thanks to our new distributor, Rawr chocolate is popping up in shops all over East Anglia. I remember visiting Norfolk Lavender as a child and taking home a sprig of the purple flowers to hang in my bedroom, so it was lovely to go there this weekend to deliver to the site’s new Walsingham Farms Shop. We had great fun handing out free samples of our Rawr Zest, Purity and Passion flavours. One cheeky young girl kept coming back for more, until she’d had about 10 pieces!

You can find the new farm shop at: Norfolk Lavender, Caley Mill, Lynn Road, Heacham, Norfolk PE31 7JE.

Dinner at InSpiral

Last Friday was my lucky day…. Not only did I get to visit Saf for brunch (see review below), but dinner was at InSpiral in Camden – one of the last raw restaurants in London on my ‘to visit’ list!

InSpiral has a fantastic location – right on the bank of the river and just opposite the vibrant Stables area of Camden Market. On the day we visited it was hot and sunny, and Camden was buzzing. We had our raw dinner overlooking the river and some great street drumming!

InSpiral, like Saf, serves a combination of raw and non-raw food, but the comparisons end there. Whereas Saf is gourmet with a very classy atmosphere, InSpiral serves raw food like you’d make at home (in fact, I think I know just which raw recipe books our food came from!), cheaper (£7/8 for each main meal), and with a more cafe-style environment. Saf is for special occasions; InSpiral for a yummy but everyday meal.

Raw Koftas

As there were two of us eating, we chose the two different raw meals on offer: a Sun Burger with ‘ketchup’, and raw koftas with lemon sauce. Each main came with a choice of 3 of 5 salads. We could also have chosen avocado halves with a mixture of salads instead of a main.

Both the burger and koftas were nice, but very strong in flavour, and just like the dehydrated food I make at home. I really enjoyed the accompanying salads though, perhaps more so than my koftas – a great range of ingredients and flavours.

InSpiral’s juicer was broken when we visited, so we had to pass up green juice in favour of one of the pre-made smoothies. Mine was very sweet, with banana, mango, coconut and agave; my Rawr partner’s was a little fresher with berries and banana.

Having skipped dessert at Saf earlier in the day, we made sure to share one at InSpiral! There was a good range of raw desserts to choose from, including key lime pie, chocolate cake, and numerous small chocolates and truffles. Raw chocolate being readily available in our house, we went for the key lime pie, which was delicious. On the side we had a scoop of vegan ice-cream with lavender and purple corn – the cafe has a huge range of homemade, cashew-based ice-creams with superfoods such as cacao and camu-camu.

Saf will always be my favourite raw restaurant, but InSpiral wins at the non-gourmet end of the scale!

Our meal at Saf...yum!

If you’re interested in raw food and you ever get the chance to visit London there are an increasing number of raw restaurants on the menu. You can find a quick guide to them here.

Over the last couple of years we’ve visited several from the list, including Dragonfly Wholefoods, the original Saf and VitaOrganic. Saf was hands down our favourite – so I was thrilled to hear they’ve recently opened a second London branch, in the health foods mecca that is the WholeFoods Market in Kensington High Street. And I was even more delighted to be taken there for my birthday brunch!

We visited early, at 11 a.m., but even though we were the first to arrive we certainly weren’t the only diners by the end of our delicious hour there. Word has obviously got round! Saf also serves hot vegan food and cocktails, catering well to raw and non-raw.

Cheese Platter

As it was still early in the day, we decided to share a large raw cheese platter and a salad rather than going for two mains. Both came beautifully presented – Saf is definitely more on the gourmet end of the scale than the other raw restaurants we’ve tried. The cheese course came on a large slate plate, with several different types of raw vegan cheese, dehydrated crackers and a smattering of dehydrated tomatoes. Amazing. I’ve tried making seed cheese myself but nothing I’ve ever made has tasted as close to ‘real’ cheese as Saf’s did – truly delicious.

Sea Vegetable Salad

To accompany the cheese platter we chose the Sea Vegetable Salad: a really tasty mix of beetroot, carrot, daikon and sesame-ginger vinaigrette with half an avocado on the side.

Although the portions were quite small looking, we felt surprisingly satisfied afterwards. Though had we been hungrier we would have needed to order more, or at least a main course with, for example, dehydrated bread or more nuts and seeds. It was also quite pricey for the amount of food – £16.99 for the cheese platter for two (Saf also serves a smaller, cheaper platter for one as a starter) and £8.50 for the salad. But the price did reflect the amazing presentation and taste of the food – if only the raw food I make could taste as good!

Definitely one to visit, and perfect for a special occasion.

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you already know the importance of using natural products on your skin. Whatever goes on your body goes into your body, so it makes sense that if you’re eating naturally you’ll want to eliminate as many chemicals as possible from the outside in, as well as the inside out. This is a quick guide to some of the natural alternatives I’ve found.

Around the Home

Bicarbonate of Soda

• A great all-round cleaner is bicarbonate of soda: environmentally friendly, cheap and effective. It cleans and deodorises at the same time, making it great for cleaning the bathroom and kitchen. If it’s edible, it’s going to be infinitely better for you than any supermarket cleaner.
• Vinegar is another natural, edible product with numerous cleaning uses. It’s especially good for cleaning windows and glass: just rub it on with some scrunched-up newspaper.
• Choose one of the more natural brands of washing up liquid. We like Earth Friendly Products Dishmate and Bio D.
• Another option is using a cleaning cloth by No More Chemicals. These cloths have small particles of silver imbedded in the fibres (silver has natural antibacterial properties), so you simply moisten them and wipe over surfaces to clean without needing to add any products. They only cost a couple of £, and are a fantastic invention.
• Whether using natural products or not, it’s a good idea to wear rubber gloves when cleaning.

Laundry

Soap Nuts

• There are a number of natural options for washing clothes, but the most genuinely natural, cheapest, easiest method I’ve found is soap nuts. These little brown nuts grow in India and Nepal, and when added to water they produce a natural soap called Saponin.
• Simply place 6-8 nuts in the cotton bag provided. Each batch can be used 3 or 4 times before they need to be composted (they’re 100% natural and biodegradable). They clean clothes well without the need for fabric softener, and leave clothes scent-free. Clothes washed with conventional soap powder smell really strong and artificial to me now!
• Soap nuts can also be bought in liquid form, although it’s cheaper to buy the nuts and make your own. Just place around 20 nuts in a large pan of water and simmer for 30 mins, let the liquid cool, and you have soap nut liquid. Use it for hand-washing clothes, general cleaning, or as a natural hand-wash. Can also be used as a shampoo, although I haven’t tested this out!
• We buy soap nuts in bulk via eBay – much cheaper than the small packets found in the shops.

Personal Hygiene

ToothSoap ToothShreds

• Deodorant - the most mainstream ‘natural’ deodorants you’ll find in the shops are crystal deodorants and stick-style chemical-free brands. But the most effective, cheapest, most natural….? Bicarbonate of soda. Just grab the pot you keep for cleaning the bathroom, dampen your underarm, rub in a fingerful of bicarb, and be odour-free for the whole day. Works even better for me than the supermarket brands I used in the pre-Rawr days.
• Body & hand wash - many companies such as Faith in Nature produce hand and body washes, but I’ve never found one I felt was truly natural. These days I use Oliva Olive Oil Soap or soapnut liquid (see Laundry).
• Shampoo – again, there are many brands of shampoo and conditioner touted as ‘natural’. These are often missing many of the more well-known chemicals, such as parabens, yet still have quite lengthy – and not 100% natural – ingredients. Many can also be quite pricey. If you want to go completely chemical-free, you could try bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar in the No Poo approach, or try making your own shampoo – I recommend Star Khechara’s raw-friendly Holistic Beauty Book for recipes. Raw Gaia also make a natural shampoo called Shikakai Hair Wash, although as I have blond hair I haven’t been able to try it. I admit I’m still searching for the perfect shampoo or alternative – any recommendations appreciated!
• Toothpaste – most people following a natural lifestyle know to avoid fluoride toothpaste, but did you know that the glycerin found in most ‘natural’ toothpastes coats the teeth, preventing remineralisation? After finding this out I’ve started using ToothSoap’s ToothShreds, which are fantastic. AloeDent is glycerin-free and more like conventional toothpaste. For dental floss I use Desert Essence’s tea-tree floss, which can be found in many health shops. I’ve also heard good things about ionic toothbrushes, which break down plaque without the need for any toothpaste. I’d love to know if anyone’s tried one, and what they thought!

Skincare

Raw Gaia

• I used to use every skincare product under the sun – toners, cleansers, moisturisers, anti-spot creams and washes, night creams, day creams, face packs, no-shine solutions, make-up primers, exfoliating scrubs, eye cream, make-up remover, hint-of-tan creams, facial steaming…and I had awful skin.
• These days, I wash my face with just water, use a raw moisturiser once in the morning, use raw coconut butter to remove my mascara, and that’s it. My skin is not perfect, but it’s so much better than it used to be – it seems all those products were actually making my skin look worse. I shudder to think of the chemicals I was absorbing. These days, I imagine that if I wanted to, I could even cut out the moisturiser and allow my skin to readjust itself completely to its natural balance.
• There are a couple of great raw skincare brands within the UK: Raw Gaia and Live Native. I’ve tried Raw Gaia’s MSM Beauty Cream and Live Native’s Essential Woman, and both were fantastic. Raw Gaia sells a larger range of raw and organic products, including soaps, shampoo, and numerous body creams, and in decent sized pots. Live Native has a smoother, prettily scented range and very professional packaging, though you get a little less for your money.
• For a natural suncream, we use Caribbean Blue. A quick internet search will find lots of UK online stockists.

Cosmetics

Can natural cosmetics do this?

• Again, this is an area I’ve cut down a lot on. Nowadays I can live without most make-up except mascara, although I do still regularly wear some extras! Like with most commercial ‘natural’ products, you should check the ingredients carefully before buying – many ‘natural’ products are not so natural at all!
• Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found a natural make-up range that is as colourful, long-lasting or striking as conventional brands. Natural mascara in particular tends to prove rather expensive and give only a subtle look. Lavera is the best I’ve tried so far.
• Nail varnish is one of the only cosmetics that just doesn’t seem to be easily available in a natural form. There are ‘more natural’ brands, such as Zoya, but none that are anywhere near chemical-free. After much searching, I’ve decided to just give up on the idea of wearing it.
• The first make-up range I tried was US based Zosimos Botanicals. Brilliant products and reasonable prices (I expect to pay more if I’m avoiding the traditional make-up counter), although I was caught out on import tax! I’ve been using their blusher, eyeliner and eyeshadows for over a year now though, and no sign of running out.
• Lily Lolo is a UK-based brand I’ve earmarked to try next. I’ve also read good things about Purity Cosmetics, Inika and Miessence.
• Perfumes – there’s an increasing range of natural fragrances on the market, from solid to traditional sprays. I especially like Jo Wood Organics.
• If you want to see just what chemicals are in your make-up, check out the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. It covers mostly US brands, though many of these are also found in the UK, and allows you to search (for free) the risk-factor of specific products. If I want to get a new cosmetic I’ll often look here first, set the search to display from low to high risk, and check out the brands with the lowest risk factors.

Further Reading

• For cosmetics – the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.
• For making your own skincare and toiletries – Star Khechara’s Holistic Beauty Book.
• All of the above, and much more e.g. EMFs and house paint – Shazzie’s book Detox Your World.

Many thanks to the wonderful Charlotte for bringing raw, vegan chocolate to the Lake District last Sunday. Here she is with her fab stall!

Dalton Xmas Market 2009

Lily Mouse

Okay, so animals can’t eat chocolate, even if it is raw. But they can definitely eat raw food. And given that raw food is a wonderful health insurer in this world where pets are now as cancer and disease-ridden as people, the Rawr mice have been going raw!

Houdini, Lily and Daisy made their way to the Rawr fold from Wood Green Animal Shelters back at Easter. For the first couple of months, they ate the traditional mouse diet: pre-packed, additive-filled, heat-treated hamster or gerbil mix, from which they’d pick the tastiest bits (generally the seeds and anything that looked alive). But then I thought – why am I, knowing all about raw food, feeding my cancer-prone mice this most unnatural, dead diet?

Having done my research, the mouse trio now eat nothing but natural food, and nothing but raw. They love it. On a daily basis they get raw oats, buckwheat, quinoa, alfalfa seeds (they like them sprouted too!), rye, pot barley, millet seed, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and green lentils. For an occasional treat they also get hemp seeds, a whole almond, or to lick raw coconut butter from my fingers!  And every other day they get a selection of the organic veggies we have in the fridge – the clever things know to eat their dark greens and especially love spinach, kale and calvolo nero, while not being too bothered by anything sweet like fruit. When it’s not too wet out I’ll pick them a box of fresh grass and dandelions – they love the dandelion flowers.

My trio are flourishing on this diet, and it’s proven to me just how great natural eating is. The mice seem to instinctively know what’s good for them, and I think people would too if their bodies weren’t so thrown out of balance by refined sugar,  over-processed foods, and all the rest. Eating this way and living in a chemical-free environment, hopefully Houdini, Lily and Daisy will live their mouse lives free of the diseases which catch so many of their pet friends.

p.s. Note to Environmental Health and landlords! Much as I loved ‘Ratatouille’, mice and chocolates are kept in quite different houses, so there is no danger of a reenactment.