Salt, what's in it and where does it come from?

So I get a lot of grief about my refusal to eat basic salt. The salt sold in most grocery stores and supplied in most restaurants is iodized salt. So you might think it's no big deal, salt is salt right? Nope not exactly. Iodized salt is not only salt and iodide. Iodized salt is full of dextrose which is a "flavor enhancer" made from corn. What's in dextrose you may ask? High fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin. Two ingredients that are not included in most lifestyles based on eating whole, natural, foods. 

Another thing I get a lot of grief about is the amount of these ingredients that are in iodized salt. Here's some food for thought. 1 (1/4tsp) serving of salt isn't a lot, right? Well 1 tbsp of peanut butter isn't a lot either, but who eats just one tbsp of peanut butter. Most people I know eat well over a tablespoon of salt per day. That's a ton of salt and most salt isn't real salt. Anything in moderation right? Sure, but we don't consider salt something we should be eating less of. It is calorie free, right? Yeah, but so is MSG and we all know that's no good, correct? So limiting/cutting out iodized salt is an important move if your striving to live a whole food lifestyle. 

Now I should probably talk about what kinds of salt are part of a whole food lifestyle. 

•Himalayan pink salt (yes, it's pink naturally)

•Sea salt (make sure the ingredients are just sea salt) 

•Hawaiian black salt 

•Celtic sea salt 

• Ok this one may surprise you. Salt! Yes if you can find just pure, natural salt, go for it. It's usually used in products like peanut butter and crackers but rarely available to purchase in large quantities. So if you find salt with just salt in the ingredients, that's perfectly fine. 

Much love, 

Riley. 

"Positive Self Talk" and My Story

Positive self talk is something I've always struggled with. It's something most people struggle with in fact, some more than others. Whether you struggle with body image or self esteem/ self worth issues, it's draining. I spent too many years of my life hating my body, as well as myself. It hurts now, knowing that I wasted so much time hating myself that forgot to enjoy life. I still struggle some days with my body image and the way it see myself in general, however, since devoting myself to a compassionate lifestyle, my self worth has significantly increased. Here's my story. 

In 2012 I entered middle school (I'm going into highschool now). I entered middle school kinda chubby, eating a SAD (standard American diet). However I was healthy for the most part, and I was active. In September-October 2012 an event happened that turned my whole world upside down. I won't go into detail but it through me into a downward spiral. I ate minuscule amouts (rarely healthy) and I would workout for up to 4 hours a day. There were days I would only eat popcorn with spray butter. However my body could only take so much abuse. In January 2013 I became vegan after watching the documentary vegucated. Soon after this my starvation and over exercising caught up with me. I started over eating and I couldn't stop. It was scary, I gained back all 25 lbs I had lost and I hated myself for it. (I was 100% vegan this whole time).  I now realize why this happened to me, I deprived my body for so long and eventually my body couldn't take any more abuse. I stopped binging in November of 2013 when I began a raw till four lifestyle. I am now 8 months binge free. I honestly never thought I'd make it out of the disorder I was pulled into. Here's my tips on how to love yourself. 

•Realize that your body is your home and your body carrys you and keeps you on your feet and to abuse yourself by depriving your body, also deprives you of living. 

•Eat a balance of foods that nourish your body and foods that nourish your soul (yes, I mean foods that are usually considered unhealthy)

•Don't be afraid to get up and move. Something as simple as a walk can increase your mood and make you feel better about yourself.

•Avoid body checking. It's hard I know, especially for me, but you'll find stepping away from the mirror and just appreciating how much your body does for you is a big step in the fight against negative self talk. 

And last but not least,

•Take a moment everyday and realize that you're not alone in this fight. People all over are fighting this battle right alongside you. Reach out and talk to people, that's including me. My email is riley.in.the.raw@gmail.com and my kik is riley_loves_21 if you ever needs to talk. 

Never forget that at the end of the day, you can't love anything else, if you can't love yourself. 

Much love,

Riley. 

Recipe: Thai peanut sauce- single serving size

Ok so I'd first like to apologize for my absence, life just got busy the past month but I'm back now. So without further ado, I have created the perfect single serving size Thai peanut sauce. Here's the recipe 

Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp organic peanut butter

1 tbsp maple syrup

1-2 tbsp rice vinegar

Water to desired consistency 

Himalayan salt (optional)

Directions: 

Just mix together and enjoy. 

I love to eat this sauce over rice noodles or even as salad dressing. I personally prefer it thinner so I add more water (it just makes it go farther) this peanut sauce is easy, simple, and delicious. It's perfect for any Thai dish. Enjoy!!

Much love,

Riley.