Up the Coast

We are so fortunate to live in a little town that is sandwiched between two beautiful state parks. The other day the weather and tides were right for a little jaunt to one of our favorite spots, Hug Point. When the tides are low the beach and cliffs are quite dramatic. Here is a small taste:

Last week, I stopped in Seaside to get a haircut and then headed up to Astoria to shop at the food co-op. I found at least one possible vegan friendly restaurant in Seaside but will need to check it out further. I was happy to get to the co-op and stock up.
I recently purchased Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet and read it with great interest. It is not just a diet but a lifestyle, the best kind. She also had a 21 day cleanse at the back of the book. I decided to do the cleanse and incorporate some of the other aspects of the lifestyle. Meditation is one of those aspects. I used to meditate but fell out of the habit when my life became chaotic. It has been a bit more of a challenge to bring it back. I am working on it. The only dietary things I needed to eliminate in the 21 day cleanse was gluten and sugar. I have been wanting to abstain from gluten to see if that is a factor in my health and this is a good opportunity.
It has been a week so far. The only thing that I really haven't been able to do is the juicing. My body and bloodsugar just can't take such a hit. I have decided to do green smoothies instead of green juice. I also cannot do an all day juice fast as suggested. I am not totally concerned about that. I will be happy just taking out the gluten and sugar. I am eating more veggies than ever and have been adding more raw vegan dishes to my diet. At this point I don't want to go completely raw but I am happy to add more delicious and healthy raw meals to my diet.
I recently purchase Raw for Dessert by Jennifer Cornbleet. I love using dates as a sweetener. The desserts are rich and a little goes a long way. I also checked out from our local library Ani's Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo. I love the pates and cheezes. Again, I eat these things sparingly and include lots of fresh raw veggies and pure water. I also drink jasmine green tea and have for the past 30 years.
Additional changes I would like to make would be to add more sea vegetables. I am not a big fan at this time but have managed to gradually expand my palate so I am thinking to push it a bit with the sea veggies.
I will continue in my quest to find vegan friendly restaurants on the coast. I have used Happy Cow in the past to find places and would like to contribute to the list. By the way, Happy Cow is a wonderful resource to use!
I have a trip planned to go south on the coast. We shall see what I can find. I'll be back soon!
-Renee