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I was going to do a post about my favourite food – tahini, when I stumbled across a man with no shirt, making raw tahini  at his ‘lodge’  and  then my plan went a bit pear shaped…as I rolled around my office  guffawing somewhat inelegantly, tears rolling down my face. I mean why is he doing this video topless? Did someone steal his shirt? Is it a nod to the fact that he into ‘raw food’ so he is not in danger of burning himself  in such a precarious state of undress in the kitchen? Does he want to be taken seriously ? Perhaps not. If he was a woman….well lets not go there. Later I found a video of him asking very nicely (pleading) for votes for the sexiest ‘raw food man’. Good on you mate…I mean, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Life is so wonderful innit!

Anyway, with my t-shirt firmly in place I would like to go back to my love of tahini, which is made from sesame seed and I am quoting from   a world’s healthiest foods website  ‘Sesame seeds may be the oldest condiment known to man dating back to as early as 1600 BC. They are highly valued for their oil which is exceptionally resistant to rancidity. “Open sesame,” the famous phrase from the Arabian Nights, reflects the distinguishing feature of the sesame seed pod, which bursts open when it reaches maturity. The scientific name for sesame seeds is Sesamun indicum. ‘

It is a very healthy alternative to peanut butter and much more tasty – great with marmalade, or miso and spring onion! Particularly helpful for me, to keep up my calorie intake, as I am suddenly  close to being vegan ( apart from a couple of forays into sashimi). Dollop a bit of tahini on your steamed vegetables or salad with some tamari (wheat free soy sauce ) some minced ginger and a bit of lemon and you have a very satisfying bit of nourishing fodder, and you don’t even have to take your shirt off!

SONG OF THE DAY 

George McCrae — Rock Your Baby

It seemed only fitting to have another video of a man who seems to have mislaid his shirt.

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BLOWING OUT THE BIRTHDAY CANDLE last year....

So I am  having a relaxing birthday at home. I have  psychically
invited my nearest,  dearest and closest geographical friends to join me for swift  birthday visits. Mostly they will not have got the message, as my psychic skills are a bit hit and miss, especially when it is sunny. Most of them will be with me in my heart..

I have a lot of relaxing to do, as I have not even started planning for next term’s  vocal extravaganzas, as there is still no space left in my brain from last term.

Among the Prada rucksacks, Fendi walking boots,  i-thisis and the i-thats which will come flooding through my post box this morning (ha ha), as always, I am expecting my biggest gift from the cosmos. Most years it does not let me down. I think most people get a little gift from the cosmos around their birthday when the sun returns to the place it was when you were born, sometimes just a shift, a nudge sometimes a bloody big push. It is just a question of being ready and available.

Beetroot,apple juice, tahini, tamari, ginger and curry dressing!

So on my birthday today, I am intending to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables in gorgeous ways and relax and do very near to nothing. It is amazing that my palate has completely changed. Three days of torturousness,  eating nothing but organic apples, I  am finding eating raw vegetables and fruit  like a new taste explosion…So  loads of different types of veg and fruit as possible  to get goodness from as many different colours and flavours as possible.

colour explosion!

Maybe that is my cosmic birthday present to be reminded  of the beauty of simple things. Way hey! happy birthday to me and happy birthday to everyone else who has a birthday on the same day – Shakespeare, Roy Orbison, Shirley Temple, Prokofiev, the 6 Million Dollar Man, too many old radio 2 Dj’s to mention and the other  18 million people who have the same birthday as me.

SONG OF THE DAY

Bobby Mcferrin- Circle Song 6 

If you don’t know the album Circle Songs -you are in for a treat!

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First I have to say how lucky I am to have choices. Pod is the new London fast healthy place to eat. There are 9 branches, mostly in the EC area and one in high Holborn. First things first, they sell  organic whole milk ( unlike Pret who have lost my custom as I feel they have lost their commitment to healthy food when they stopped selling whole milk).  Tim opened the first Pod in 2006. He couldn’t find anywhere near work that served nutritious, natural food so he decided to give it a go himself. THAT IS HOW TO START A BUSINESS….you see a hole, something you feel passionate about and you fill it!
Pod sell seasonal food, gluten free goodies, hot lunches, free range bacon and lots of superfood….All their foods are marked….GF-gluten Free, WF wheat free, DF, dairy Free Can’t wait to  get back to work so I can go in one for my luncheonette.

Thumbs Up!

SONG OF THE DAY

 REELING IN THE YEARS  Jimmy Page of Zepplin says this guitar solo is his favourite.There is a great live version of this on youtube, from the Midnight Special which is Gold!

 but I am linking to the album track, as it has a place in my heart. Thsi is where I learned my harmony skills .

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I have been a sensible girl for years. I used to do  crazy ( or not, depending on how you feel about  it) detoxes a fairly seasonally. but I have not done one for ages.

Gomasio
Organic Short Grain Rice

The first ever one I did was when I was about 19 and did a 10 day brown rice diet (organic short grain with a seasoning of  gomasio, which is sea salt and lightly roasted sesame seeds ground together…. very tasty addition  but could not touch it for years after). That was pretty intense and I had a CRACKING headache for 3 days, like I had never experienced.

Having said that after that, the diet improved my health immensely as I had been suffering from recurrent tonsillitis and all the homeopaths I have ever met have said have told me that my immune system had been compromised by having all the inoculations for a trip to India when I  was 18..that included yellow fever, which is made from  something to do with eggs which I now seem unable to stomach. My whole body got  a complete,  temporary covering of what looked like nettle stings after the injections.

I ate a strict  macrobiotic diet (with fish) for about 6 months and was the most healthy I have ever been in my entire life….I slept (what’s that?) jumped out of bed at 7 every morning( 7am? I don’t know that time is  at all) but  had no friends…ha ha ha !

So as I have seemed to have some wierd rashes and things that seem to be suggesting my body might be suffering from overload, the time is right and I have eaten nothing but organic apples, water and herbal tea for 48 hours and the headache is gone and I am feeling ok, if not a little tired. CAN I SAY AT THIS POINT I AM NOT RECOMMENDING DE-TOX TO ANYONE. If you suddenly get the urge to do it, make sure you are ready and able, you read enough about the subject, and be aware if you even imbibe small amounts of caffeine, the detox headache is a really stonking pain.

AH Life! THANK YOU.

SONG OF THE DAY  Bob Marley -Waiting in Vain.Have been singing this  lately with my own guitar accompaniment . Lovely song. I think this version has been loaded onto youtube from vinyl as it jumps a couple of times….cool!