raw food Archives - Raw Food & Healthy Eating Scotland

Raw food in Cape Town

I recently found myself far from the chilly Scottish shores, over in the South African sunshine, sampling the raw food delights of Cape Town.

Glasgow to Cape Town

After a 11.5 hour flight connecting at Heathrow (if you go, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to connect – our flight from Glasgow to London was delayed so we had a mad dash and just made it by the skin of our teeth – which is more than can be said for our luggage!) we made it to our cute little Airbnb beach apartment at the beautiful seaside resort of Camps Bay.

Camps Bay – Cape Town beach

Camps Bay was a great base for us as it had plenty of cafes, a supermarket, fabulous sandy beaches, and a great healthy fast food place just around the corner!

Kauai healthy fast food

Kauai has salads, superfood smoothies, juices, and plenty of healthy meals. A lot of their dishes include meat; however you can ask them to veganise it for you, which transforms it into a tasty plant-based salad. It was by far my favourite place to eat (or in my case, drink, as I became addicted to their smoothies) as it was quick, easy, and just a stone’s throw from the beach.

There was also a juice bar out on the street with lovely friendly owners. They weren’t there everyday, but when they were they brightened up the place with their cheerful banter and lovely fresh juices.

Mango Heaven

The Camps Bay supermarket (and indeed the most common one around the Cape Town area it seems) is Pick n Pay. It has all the essentials you might expect, including boxes of 6 mangos for 400 Rand – that’s about £2.50 – WELL HELLO THERE – yep I lived off mangos while I was there.

Vegans take note – you’ll be glad to know that the Pick n Pay also stocks Violife vegan cheese. Another handy thing for vegans to bear in mind is that almond milk is offered as a dairy substitute in most of the coffee shops and restaurants.

Windy weather

In terms of weather – be warned! Camps Bay can get mighty windy (even by Scottish standards!) so if you want a more chilled beach experience head on down to the more sheltered, and very beautiful, Clifton Beaches, just down the road.

Sea Point

Further on down the road is the affluent area of Sea Point. You’re gonna love Sea Point! It has a fantastic big supermarket (The Spar, Regent St) with loads of fresh produce and plenty of other healthy options including gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian. It even has flax crackers and kale chips – hurrah!

Scheckters Raw Cafe

Keep going down Regent St and you’ll come to Scheckters Raw Cafe.

This gorgeous little place is crammed with raw goodies, including fresh cold-pressed juices, smoothies and smoothie bowls.

In the morning it has a varied breakfast menu with raw and vegan options.

After 12 it switches to a fab varied menu of healthy vegan meals such as falafels, wraps, and smashed avo on sprouted toast.

Don’t forget to leave room for desert though – how about raw vegan versions of snickers or twix? #yesplease

I had a snickers bar and a snickers shake. Overkill? Perhaps. But I was on my holidays. The snickers bar was the best one I’ve ever tasted. In fact I’m almost tempted to jump on another 11.5 hour flight just to get another one…

Regent St in Sea Point leads onto Main St, and more juice bars (you’ll never go thirsty at Sea Point), including One Juice and the Daily Press, which has lovely super-friendly staff.

Vegan & Veggies Sea Point

But my favourite raw vegan juice bar in Sea Point has to be Vegan & Veggies, a little juice bar and cafe on Main St run by the lovely Raphael Stone.

Raphael will happily chat to you for hours about natural health; it’s clear that he’s passionate about the healing properties of food, and he has big dreams about creating something really special in Cape Town. He’s on a quest to find the healing elixir of youth! So if you know it – stop by and share it with him 😉

V&A Waterfront

Heading along the coast to the V&A centre at the waterfront, you’ll find Dr Juice in the Food Court, with a wide array of raw juices and smoothies, plus some delicious raw vegan deserts and cheesecake.

There are also plenty of other juice bars around the V&A, and also a great place for Middle Eastern style vegan food and healthy salads (called Cooked, ironically). So grab a takeaway and eat it down at the harbour while you chill with the seals.

Boulder Bay – and Penguins!

You wouldn’t expect penguins to be hanging around the sunny shores of South Africa, but there they are! Loads of them! If you head off on an excursion to visit Cape Point and see the penguins at Boulders Beach you can re-hydrate at a cool little café along the way, in between the car park and the beach. I had a fresh watermelon juice that really hit the spot after a bit of penguin watching.

Cape Town – healthy quality food

I have to say, I was mega-impressed by the general standard of food around Cape Town. Everywhere was really excellent quality, at incredible value for money.

There are so many healthy cafes and restaurants around Cape Town, and I didn’t get to visit them all, sadly. But this website is a great resource for checking out some more raw and vegan-friendly places:

https://insideguide.co.za/cape-town/best-vegetarian-vegan-restaurants-cape-town/

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*Please note – cafes and juice bars open up and close down at a rapid rate, so please check directly with websites or Facebook pages before visiting, in order to avoid disappointment. And please comment below with any updates or additions you’d like to make.

Have you visited Cape Town? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

A weekend in Glencoe and Fort William

By Lisa Murphy Leave a Comment Sep 26 0

We were lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful sunny September weekend up in Glencoe and Fort William recently.

Glencoe was one of the first places my partner took me when I first came to Scotland. It’s his favourite place, and it’s not hard to see why. The majestic beauty of the Three Sisters gives the place a real magic that has to be experienced first-hand – no photo can ever do it justice.

Our weekend was loads of fun from start to finish. We went up with a couple of friends and stayed at a gorgeous cottage on the banks of the River Coe.

Our Friday evening was spent at the Clachaig Inn. The Clachaig is a lot of fun – it’s THE place to go when you’re in Glencoe and the atmosphere in there cannot be beaten, especially when they have live music playing. But I’m afraid the same cannot be said for their menu, when it comes to rawfood options!

There wasn’t a salad option on the menu so I did my usual and asked for a side salad as a main course, without dressing or onions (I have nothing against onions, but many years of having to put up with dull restaurant salads that cost a tenner and are nothing but a load of chopped up onions and a bit of lettuce have led to me harbouring a bit of a grudge against them!).

The salad was the typical boring restaurant attempt; a few chopped up cucumbers, some lettuce, and lots of onions (I didn’t bother complaining as at least it didn’t have dressing!).

But I wasn’t there for the food really – I was there for the craic, and we had a great evening. Then it was back to the cottage to sit outside under the beautiful full moon and attempt (hilariously, yet unsuccessfully) to make a fire. I then had my ‘proper’ dinner of a salad that I’d made earlier: lots of interesting flavours with mixed greens and fresh herbs, seaweed, and sprouted seeds. Filling and tasty – just what I needed!

The next day I got up early and spent a few peaceful hours out on the porch enjoying the morning before everybody else got up. I did some yoga, then made a big pot of yogi tea and sat just chilling, taking in the beautiful scenery around me. These are the tranquil times that I always remember and love the most about holidays – just sitting and immersing myself in the energy of a new place.

A peaceful morning at Glencoe

I knew we’d be out for most of the day so I made some food in preparation. It can be a challenge finding the right food to take on a hike which will provide enough energy for the whole day, without resorting to high-fat or dehydrated foods, or weighing yourself down too much.

I took a litre of green juice in a stainless steel flask, and some chopped-up watermelon in a big container. I also took some dates and celery (I like to chew on celery after eating dates, it feels balancing and also gives my jaws a good workout!). All this gave me plenty of energy for the day.

We were spending the day walking up to the Lost Valley (Coire Gabhail); the hidden valley where the MacDonalds of Glen Coe hid their rustled cattle.

This is a really interesting walk; lots of climbing and clambouring and crossing of streams, plus some stunning scenery and waterfalls. We were so very lucky with the weather; lovely and sunny but not too hot for walking.

We had a smashing day, taking plenty of photos and having lots of interesting chat – the time flew by and before we knew it we were lying in the glorious sunshine of the Lost Valley feeling very pleased with our efforts!

The next day we went over to Fort William and Ben Nevis. I have to admit, we were lazy and opted for the ‘cheaters’ way to climb Ben Nevis – in the gondola – but don’t tell anybody…

Once at the top we sat in the cafe and watched the daredevil cyclists start their descent down the mountain tracks at breakneck speeds. It was enthralling, and very impressive – I don’t know how they have the nerve to do it.

Mountain biker in Ben Nevis

The cafe holds summer ceilidh nights during July and August, with a live band – I bet that is a lot of fun. Scottish dancing at the top of Ben Nevis – now that’s got to be one for the bucket list 😉

Then it was over to Fort William for a visit to Treasures of the Earth, the Crystal museum. This was a really brilliant experience; it was so fascinating to learn about the history of all the different crystals. We visited the shop afterwards and went a bit crazy buying moldavite, crystal balls and all manner of trinkets 😉 I highly recommend visiting this place, it’s a real gem (pardon the pun) in the heart of Scotland.

We’re so lucky to have all these amazing places to visit in Scotland. What are your favourite spots? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

By Lisa Murphy Leave a Comment Apr 22 0

I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness’. But have you ever given it much thought? It doesn’t really make much sense, does it?

I mean, what does being clean have to do with God? I’m sure He doesn’t care if we’re a bit grubby. Surely that must mean that He doesn’t like all those kids playing around in the park? And that doesn’t make sense. Who couldn’t love a grubby kid jumping in a puddle with mud on his face?

Either this phrase is a right load of nonsense, or we’re misinterpreting it.

So what else could they be referring to when it comes to cleanliness? (And who are ‘they’ anyway? The dudes who wrote the Bible? Your gran, who probably said it to you as a kid to try and get you to have a wash?) Whoever ‘they’ are, these old phrases usually have some kind of hidden wisdom, if we dig deep enough.

I think they might mean internal cleanliness. The kind of cleanliness you get when you eliminate unnatural processed foods and toxic products from your lifestyle.

I realise this might be a bit of a leap for some, so let me try to explain.

Since I began eating ‘real’ foods, drinking pure water, and using natural products on my skin, I’ve noticed that I am, in fact, more clean! No BO; no bad breath – my body seems to have the ability to keep itself smelling fine without any need for harsh chemicals.

While most people feel the need for deodorants, body sprays, minty toothpastes and mouthwash, many people following a rawfood diet report that they simply use a few natural products such as lemon juice and essential oils.

Now, if you haven’t ever experienced what it feels like to live a natural lifestyle, none of this might not make any sense to you. What difference does it make to our bodies what food we eat and what products we put on our skin and hair?

Well, here’s another old phrase to consider that might mean a lot more than you give it credit for – ‘you are what you eat’. And we don’t just eat what we put in our mouths. Our bodies absorb whatever we put on our skin too.

So, whatever we eat, or apply to our bodies, is taken in, assimilated, and utilised in the functions of the body. If you’re eating and drinking things like sweets, crisps and soda, then go and have a read of the ingredients and make up your own mind how efficiently you think they are going to make your body work.

So, there’s the cleanliness taken care of – now onto the Godliness bit.

Speaking from a purely experiential perspective, before I changed my lifestyle I often used to be consumed by negativity; feeling angry, pessimistic, and generally just not loving life very much.

I notice that I now, emotionally speaking, I usually feel extremely good in many ways – contented, calm, and just plain happy. Ok, sure, I don’t feel that way 100% of the time, because I’m human after all and Stuff Happens. Sometimes my computer won’t work and I want to throw it out the window. And anyway, floating about all peaceful all the time would be a bit boring.

But speaking in general, emotionally I typically experience a feeling of peace, optimism, gratitude and all-round love for life.

I wonder – could this be described as a feeling of Godliness? (I bet God’s computer never breaks. And even if it does I bet he has a brilliant IT team on hand).

Now, I realise that Godliness is a bit of a hard one to quantify. I’m pretty sure there aren’t any scientific studies out there that found ‘74% of people felt more Godly while following a rawfood diet’.

And of course, science could explain this away in many ways. It could all be written off as ‘placebo effect’. Or perhaps I just have allergies to gluten and msg. However they rationalise it, I don’t really care. Feeling Godly is awesome, whatever the explanation 😉

The Raw of Attraction

By Lisa Murphy Leave a Comment Apr 5 4

You’ve probably heard about The Law of Attraction. Since the film ‘The Secret’, the idea of being able to manifest things into your life using the power of the mind is quite a mainstream concept.

But you may not have come across the phrase ‘The Raw of Attraction’.

That’s because I just made it up 😉

It’s an idea that I’ve been pondering for several years now: it appears to me that the more fresh/raw/simple your diet is, the greater your ability to attract good stuff into your life.

Now, I’m conscious that you, dear reader, may either be shouting ‘YES, OF COURSE, THIS MAKES PERFECT SENSE!’ at your computer right now, or you may be rolling your eyes and preparing to leave this website forever.

If you’re still here, hi there 🙂

According to Law of Attraction principles, ‘like attracts like’. So doesn’t it make sense that vibrant, healthy food would attract a vibrant world around you too?

How it actually works is a mystery to me.

But I have a few theories…

Maybe those lovely beneficial bacteria that thrive in a healthy body become more magical when fed fresh living foods.

Maybe a fresh diet free of any nasty junk food leads to a more positive emotional state of mind, meaning that we are more grateful for what we have and more likely to see the cup as ‘half-full’.

Maybe we just have more physical energy to get into action and make these things actually happen.

I don’t know. All I know is, as my diet becomes cleaner, fresher, and more minimalistic, my life just becomes more sparkly in general.

I have a theory that it might work something along the same lines of Feng Shui.

(Oh no… what was that… more eye rolling..? Bear with me)

Feng Shui principles state that if you de-clutter your living space and arrange things accordingly, then good things can flow into your life more easily.

(By the way, if you’re interested in de-cluttering – and who isn’t, at this time of year – keep an eye on my other site, www.cherrytherapies.com, as soon I will be writing about a cool practice I thought up which will get you de-cluttered in no time)

So de-cluttering takes care of your outside space.

But what about taking this principle a little further and clearing out your INSIDE space? Shouldn’t your lovely little bod get a bit of de-cluttering action too?

A simple, unprocessed, healthy diet allows the body to naturally cleanse and provides space for the digestive system to start working its magic so much more efficiently. When you bear in mind the ‘microcosm/macrocosm’ concept, who knows what other functions that digestive system serves?

New research is currently emerging about the ‘abdominal brain’ and the connection of the gut with the emotions. There must be so much more information that we just don’t know about those mysterious micro-organisms that reside inside us.

Ok, enough for now. Law of Attraction… Feng Shui…better finish this blog quick before I start talking about aliens or something…

If you’re feeling in the mood to Spring clean your life and let in a little more raw goodness, keep an eye out for my next newsletter (and if you’re not signed up, you can do it here), as I am currently putting together a little program to help you upgrade your diet – and it will be completely free!

So watch this (de-cluttered) space 😉

Raw food in Playa del Carmen Mexico

By Lisa Murphy Leave a Comment Mar 5 2

If you’re looking for raw food in Playa del Carmen, then you won’t be disappointed. This friendly, safe, relaxed Mexican city just down the road from party-loving Cancun is a veritable haven for yoga-loving, rawfood-eating, sun-worshipping hippies from all around the world.

Here are a few of the restaurants I visited for smoothies, juices and salads while staying here last month.

La Senda

Avenida 10 N entre calles 10 y 10 bis, Playa del Carmen

Raw chocolate truffles at La Senda

My first mention has to go to the completely gorgeous La Senda. A cool friendly little place in a great central location; they have a huge menu of juices, smoothies, salads, and vegan meals, including 2 raw dishes (zucchini pasta with pesto, and raw pad thai – both amazing).

La Senda is a quirky little place where you can sit in the shade with a smoothie and watch the world pass you by.

They have an awesome range of freshly-made drinks. I loved the ‘ancient mayan’ type ones – try the cacao variety and you’ll be all set to head down the road for a night at Coco Bongos. They also do wheatgrass shots to revive you the next morning 😉

The staff are total sweethearts and a real warm energy pervades the restaurant, and the food. Proper soul food! This place really made my time in Playa del Carmen extra-special.

La Ceiba de la 30

30 Avenida Norte 274, Playa del Carmen

Fresh fruit and veg at the DAC market

This restaurant was a little bit more off the beaten track for us (look for the big MEGA supermarket on 30 Avenida Nte then you’re just a block away), but definitely worth seeking out, as it was located within the excellent DAC organic fruit and vegetable market – very handy for stocking up on supplies.

This is the place to go if you want to get away from the tourist traps and find somewhere a little more authentic. It’s always bustling as it’s really popular with the locals, and the prices are much more reasonable than the ones you’ll find along 5th Avenue.

The menu is full of great freshly-made drinks and salads (fruit salads too), plus all kinds of other foods (Mexican and European) for your non-raw friends to enjoy.

Just across the road from La Ceiba is Nativo, a very cool looking restaurant with a tempting array of fresh juices and smoothies. We never actually got to eat there but I heard very good reports.

Bio-Natural

Calle 10 entre Constituyentes y calle 16, al lado de Scotiabank, Playa del Carmen

Bio Natural organic restaurant and grocery store

An organic vegetarian restaurant (including vegan and gluten-free options) with a healthy grocery store attached; this place was another life-saver for me. I visited literally every day to buy supplies – although unbelievably I didn’t actually get to try a meal there (we were so spoiled for choice with all the great places in PDC!) – bit of a shame really as I would have liked to try their raw tabouleh.

Instore they have a good range of dried foods such as nuts, seeds (lots of chia), energy bars, superfoods (especially spirulina – the Mexicans love their spirulina for some reason!) and natural eco-friendly toiletries – so here’s where to head if you’ve forgotten your suntan lotion.

The chiller is stocked with different goodies each day – bottles of freshly-squeezed organic OJ, ‘alkaline water’ (a mix of apple cider vinegar, honey, ginger and cinnamon), and bottles of mysterious unlabelled dark green liquid (perhaps spirulina water)? With hand-rolled organic tobacco often nestling amongst the alfalfa sprouts, it was always fascinating to see what new stuff the fridge was stocked with.

Fruta Madre

Plaza Paraiso Caribe (Ave 10), Playa del Carmen

Green smoothie at Fruta Madre

We were lucky to have this juice/smoothie bar/healthy café just a few minutes down the road, so it was very convenient to pop in for a quick juice on our way out exploring various Mayan ruins and whatnot!

A funky and colourful place with indoor and outdoor seating, Fruta Madre had a wide range of interesting juice and smoothie combinations.

Kids’ play area at Fruta Madre

They had salads too, and lots of different meals, but they weren’t raw, so I just stuck to the drinks. I’m sure they would accommodate though if you wanted a raw mixed salad.

They also did something interesting called ‘frushi’ which was sushi made from fruit! Again, it wasn’t raw, but it was an interesting concept nonetheless.

If you’re a parent, the real selling point to this café is their extremely cute kids’ zone – an area especially designed to keep children nicely occupied while you chill out with your smoothie.

100% Natural

5 Av. 209 Mza 28, Playa del Carmen

100% Natural looks a bit fancier than most of the other veggie-type restaurants in PDC. It looks especially pretty at night – like a mini jungle all lit-up right there on 5th Avenue.

Pretty surroundings at 100% Natural

Maybe I was getting a little spoilt with all the great places I’d been eating at, but despite appearances I wasn’t majorly impressed with this restaurant. I ordered a juice and got what tasted like a watered-down smoothie, and my salad consisted of some tough spinach leaves drenched in salty soy sauce. I’m not a big fan of salt at the best of times, so this wasn’t ideal for me.

Still, it did have an impressive array of fresh juices and smoothies, and I’m sure if something like that existed in Glasgow then I’d visit all the time. But I’d say there were definitely better (and cheaper) options in Playa del Carmen.

Quintana Raw

5th Avenue, Playa del Carmen

Keep your eyes peeled as you stroll down 5th avenue and you will find Quintana Raw, a little takeaway juice stand at the side of the street, next to the Pez Vela restaurant.

Cheap and cheerful, this no-frills juice bar will keep you well hydrated as you enjoy the Mexican sunshine.

Try the Green Mango juice for a hefty dose of green goodness!

Kaxapa Factory

Av constituyentes entre Avs. 10 y 15, Avenida Constituyentes de Q. Roo, Playa del Carmen

Fresh juices – delicious and hydrating

From Bio-Natural, walk up to the roundabout, turn left onto the main road, and you will see this little place on the right hand side.

To be honest with you, Kaxapa Factory does very little in the way of raw food beyond a few fresh juices and a mixed salad – BUT – I wanted to include it anyway as it was such a cute friendly little restaurant!

(And if you’re still hungry afterwards you can always fill up at one of the 2 excellent smoothie bars over the road – Fruzo or Smoothie Good ).

The owner, a LOVELY Venuzuelan guy came over and gave us samples of juice the moment we arrived, and chatted away about his family to us. We immediately felt at home here, and the rest of the staff were equally helpful and welcoming.

If you’re not strictly raw, or you’re with non-raw pals, you might want to sample their authentic Venuzuelan cuisine – they have vegan and gluten-free versions too. And they had some very tantalising-looking deserts!

It’s a small cosy place, but unsurprisingly they’re always busy. In fact I felt a bit sorry for the restaurant next door, which was completely empty, while people waited patiently outside for a table at Kaxapa!

Green Box

Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen

Green Box cafe – a bird’s eye view

This juice bar / café on 5th avenue is fresh, clean and cheerful, with pop music and videos playing to entertain you while you wait for your order. On offer are juices, smoothies, wheatgrass shots and salads, plus a good selection of vegetarian and vegan foods.

They’re very friendly and accommodating; drinks can be customised to your requirements. They have indoor or outdoor seating, plus an upper level with extra seating. If you’re going to go there often, get a stamp card – that way you get one free juice with every 5 you purchase. They have happy hour too – AND good wifi!

Booster Juice

Calle 28 Nte & 1 Avienida Norte, Playa del Carmen

Booster Juice (part of a Canadian chain of juice and smoothie bars) is at the Marmita’s Beach end of Playa. You will be so glad to see this place; it’s an oasis of freshness amid all the beer ‘n’ burger joints on the road down to the beach. Keep an eye out on their Facebook page for special offers.

La Cuisine

Calle 11 entre 5 y 10 Sur Col. Gonzalo Guerrero, Cozumel

Green goodness in Cozumel

No trip to Playa del Carmen would be complete without a jaunt across the water to visit the beautiful island of Cozumel, with its stunning coral reefs and natural beaches.

If you’re looking for some healthy food while you’re over there, I highly recommend the cute and friendly ‘La Cuisine’. Situated underneath ‘Ego Gym’ (find Quintana Roo park then turn left) it has a great menu of freshly made food and drinks, with vegan and vegetarian options, and daily specials. It has a lovely atmosphere and is patronised by a cool bunch of health-conscious locals. They also sell energy bars and snacks to go.

SO – what are you waiting for – grab your passport and book that ticket NOW! I wish I could go back there, if only to eat the raw pesto zucchini pasta at La Senda again!

Raw deliciousness at La Senda

Oh, and before I go, I must give a shout-out to our super-friendly taxi driver Tino, who picked us up from the airport, showed us some fantastic sights, and even gave me a present of some Mexican mole sauce to take home for my mum – how’s about that for customer service? 🙂

Raw on the road – Applecross

By Lisa Murphy Leave a Comment Oct 25 0

I recently took a trip up to Applecross to stay in the campsite there for a few days. The Applecross campsite has wigwams and huts, as well as the usual space for caravans and tents, so I was keen to go and check it out.

Our little den in Applecross

We stayed in one of the wigwams, and it was a totally unique experience. All the joys of camping with none of the hassle of having to put your tent up – we just turned up and it was all ready to go. There were soft comfy sleeping mats on the floor, and even a heater (which we didn’t need); all we needed to bring were our sleeping bags.

Applecross is a little peninsula on the North-West of Scotland which overlooks the Isle of Skye. With a population of just a couple of hundred people, it is a lovely quiet and peaceful place to visit. If you’re in a reflective mood you can sit on the lovely sandy beach at Applecross Bay and look over the water to the brooding Cuillin mountains.

There are only 2 roads into Applecross, one of which is quite a hair-raising journey that takes you to dizzy heights (it’s the highest mountain pass in Britain, in fact: Bealach Na Ba) around some dramatic hairpin bends. There’s even a sign to warn away any learner drivers! Nevertheless, any brave souls that take on the challenge will be rewarded by some truly spectacular views if it’s a clear day.

As for raw food, well as you might have guessed, there’s not much in the way of raw food restaurants in Applecross, but there are a couple of lovely ‘regular’ restaurants where you can get a salad if you ask. The Applecross Inn, just a short walk from the campsite, is a smashing friendly place located perfectly with stunning views across the bay. There is a wonderful atmosphere about this restaurant; it feels very warm and welcoming. Mainly specialising in seafood, the menu focuses on ‘real food’, with an emphasis on fresh locally sourced produce.

A little further down the road is The Potting Shed, which is well worth a visit as the veggies on the menu are literally grown just outside the restaurant in a very pretty walled garden – talk about locally sourced! So you’re guaranteed a fresh seasonal salad if you eat here.

The walled garden at The Potting Shed

Veggies – fresh from the garden straight onto your plate

If you like walking, then you will love Applecross. We had a great time trekking about, finding various photo opportunities (including a fine stag in the woods) and enjoying the gorgeous warm sunny autumn weather that we had been blessed with – not to mention a few juicy blackberries along the way 😉

Stag watching over his family

Taking a break in the enchanting woods

As we all know, a typical restaurant salad isn’t going to fill you up, so I was glad that I brought my trusty cooler bag with me, filled with plenty of raw supplies to keep me going. The night before the journey I did my typical pre-trip preparation: I made a few flasks of green juice, added some water-kefir, then froze it overnight.

Have cooler will travel

The next morning I stored the juice in my cooler bag with some ice packs. I find this way I can have a ready-made juice or smoothie supply for quite a few days, drinking it as it gradually defrosts.

Sure, it’s not as ideal as making it fresh on the spot, but it’s the most convenient way for me, and the added kefir ensures that it stays nice and fresh (plus, of course, adds some healthy live probiotics).

To my raw food stash I added some homemade hemp-seed milk flavoured with mixed spices and cinnamon, plus a big bag of fruit.

I also made a salad of home-grown freshly picked spinach together with some lovely juicy grapefruit, and added a dressing of sesame oil, ACV, and mixed herbs. I actually didn’t end up eating the salad till about 3 days later, but it was still really fresh and tasty as it had all marinated together nicely by then.

Applecross really is a magical place. I was quite content to sit for hours in front of our little wigwam looking up into the clear night sky at hundreds of stars, and just dreaming away. A truly unforgettable experience, and I’m sure we’ll be back again soon.

View of the Cuillins from Applecross Bay

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Raw Food – practice makes perfect!

By Emma Leave a Comment Jul 30 0

I’ve just made a rubbish smoothie. Yep, doesn’t happen that often but it’s just happened now and I want to share with you something that’s popped in to my mind. It was a simple enough recipe I thought, I’ll blend some apple and spinach with water. So I popped them in the blender and thought “Oh, green powders will make this waaaay more nutritious”, so I poured in some green powders. Then I thought « Continue »

Raw food meetups in Scotland

By Emma Leave a Comment Jan 21 2

Raw Food Potlucks across Scotland

Raw food events in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling are really taking off. Here is the low-down on what’s happening in your local raw food group and area. « Continue »

STOP! Hamper-time…

By Emma Leave a Comment Dec 31 3

My lovely friend Gail Evans makes the best raw food on the planet! She’s very modest though, you’ll never hear her admit she’s a raw goddess from another dimension! She’s been making Gailicious raw goodies for a wee while now, supplying us all with perpetual orgasms of the eating variety with the most delicious, creamy, chocolatey, nutritious goodies known to man…and woman. I don’t know how she makes things taste so amazing, I do fear she may be adding crack to her goodies. That is obviously « Continue »

philip & nonsense

By Emma Leave a Comment Dec 2 4

Ok I’ve decided it’s entirely ridiculous to feel guilty for not blogging. Apparently it’s quite a common condition if you can believe? Oh my, new conditions to do with not living enough of a virtual life. What HAS the world come to? So from here on in I wholeheartedly embrace the facet of me that is ‘not blogging’ and perceive it as my goddess given right to not blog whenever I feel like it.« Continue »