The Joy of Real Food

By Rowena Jayne the Real Food Yogi

Rowena will inspire you to truly get naked with the magic of food by squeezing the juice out of every possibility! A brilliant book written by an extraordinary human being! Carren Smith - Author, Presenter, TV Host and Raw Food Lover

In The Joy of Real Food, Rowena shares her journey from anorexic and binge eater to health and wellness ambassador.

Hospitalised with a bleeding colon at twenty-eight from years of self sabotage and struggle with an eating disorder, Rowena knew this was her wake up call to transform her life or self destruct. Twelve years on, Rowena is now a leader in the fields of Yoga, Raw Food, and Healthy Living.

Combining everything she has learnt about health and wellness through professional and personal platforms, Rowena now shares her philosophies, insights, and passion for bringing back the joy of real food and using it to tap into your human potential.

A Story of Courage, Determination and Inspiration!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Feb 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781452598826

Rowena Jayne the Real Food Yogi

ROWENA JAYNE, “Real Food Yogi” is a Leading International Yoga Instructor, Raw Food Chef and Wellness Presenter. She is a qualified Naturopath and Nutritionist and has studied Ayurvedic Medicine. Rowena has contributed to the transformation of thousands of lives across the globe through her classes, workshops, retreats and published articles.

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Copyright © 2015 Rowena Jayne.

DISCLAIMER: The author of this book does not dispense medical advice nor prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, or medical problems without the advice of a licensed physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to inspire and motivate you in your quest for physical health and wellbeing. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your action.

Design by Celina Cooper

Cover Photo & Back Cover Portrait by Hannah Millerick

Food Photos by Rowena Jayne, Celina Cooper and Hannah Millerick

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4525-9881-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-9882-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014920233

Balboa Press rev. date: 02/04/2015

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Change is the essence of life. Be willing to sacrifice what you are for what you could become.

Charles Dubois

Contents

Preface

Introduction

PART 1   THE REAL FOOD YOGI STORY

Life is a Stage

Reap What Is Sown

The Birthing of the New

A Seed of Hope

The Sea of Mirrors

Journey Back Home

Crossroads of Old and New

PART 2   REAL POWER

The Real Food Revolution

In the Raw

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life – Yogic Inspiration

Food, Mood and The Body is the Barometer of the Soul

But I Don’t Have Time

Kitchen Ingredients that Nurture and Heal

Kitchen Equipment to Create A Better Life

PART 3   RECIPES WITH JOY

How To Use This Section

Juices, Smoothies & Nut Milks

Breakfast

Soups

Salads

Entrées & Mains

Ice Cream & Desserts

Breads, Cakes Biscuits & Slices

Wraps, Crackers,Dips & Cheese

Chocolates, Truffles & Special Occasions

A Little Bit Cooked

Condiments, Ferments & Extras

Staples- Sprouts Flour & Nut Butter

Afterword

Appendices

Resources

References

About the Author

Giving Back

Preface

The first time I picked up Dr Doreen Virtue’s book Healing with the Fairies in 2003 I had a brief insight into what would be my future. In a flash, I felt a deep truth that one day I too would be writing a book. Only seconds after the fleeting moment presented itself, the feeling was gone and I returned to my daily life, as I knew it. A few months later, a catastrophic series of events took place, which changed the course of my life.

While teaching yoga in Minneapolis, USA five years later, I did a ten day cleansing fast. On the fifth day I experienced a profoundly clear vision that I had struggled with an eating disorder and arthritis for a greater universal purpose and I envisioned I would write a cookbook and my story of recovery. I also intuited that I would be required to finish my studies in Nutrition, Naturopathy and Ayurvedic Medicine as well as undertake Raw Chef trainings in order to gain credibility and further knowledge within the field of natural health and wellbeing.

Years later, true to my first vision, my very own published book appears before me, now being shared with the big wide world.

This book has been years in the making, yet I truly believe that it has now manifested in the printed material you see before you, in divine timing. Had I finished the book earlier, I would not have gained the deeper insights, lessons and formal educations I have since that day of premonition, nor would I be the woman I can proudly say I am today, strong, confident and unafraid of my power and abilities to share and bring forth this knowledge and personal experience.

Throughout the book’s development there were many moments of procrastination and doubt that I could live up to my visions to produce it and play such a pivotal role in helping people transform their lives. When something is right in our lives we feel a joy, a river moving inside us, we feel inspired; and envisioning this book on the shelves and people using it in their homely kitchens pushed me to move beyond the doubts, fears and insecurities which at times plague us all.

I now proudly present this book to you. It is my utmost hope that it inspires you and offers you a way forward on your personal journey. I invite you to read with an open heart and see my healing journey as a mirror of yourself, also expanding, transforming and discovering new meaning to your lives. I hope you embrace the recipes I have created with love, joy and passion and integrate them into your daily lives. May they enhance your wellbeing and relationship with food and yourself, the way they have me.

I look forward to reading your stories and witnessing your creations and adaptations of my recipes posted on social media. Mostly, I look forward to contributing in some shape or form to the enhancement of your life and as a result watching health replace illness, joy replace sadness, courage replace fear and an inner glow surrounding all aspects of the lives of each and every one of you.

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74868.png With Gratitude and Love

Having travelled the world my entire life, I have just too many people to thank and therefore I extend my gratitude to every single person who has crossed my path, for you are all my teachers, some through tough lessons and some through support, encouragement and unconditional love. All of you have contributed to the journey of my life, which culminated into the physical form of this book. Thank you!

I would like to make special thanks to my beautiful, heartfelt family, The Schuberts – Peter (my wonderful step father whom I consider my real dad) and Judy, Jodie, Rebecca and Ben (and this extends to Peach, Dave O’Brien and Reto Federi) who are always there no matter what, supporting me and loving me. I love you.

Thanks to my dear friends, Grace Gowers, Muskaan Jain, Keong Yap, Dave Kent-Hughes, Steph White, Jo Heath, Smriti Joshi and Sharon Barbour for your never ending support in my life and in bringing this creation together.

Shamita Mukerji, my Indian mother, I can’t thank you enough for your nurturing Mumma love that fills me with so much strength.

Thank you:

Jason Winn, for being one of the most inspiring, heart-felt friends and teachers who has ever graced my life - you live in my heart and I know you have been with me all the way; Rachelle Charman for always inspiring me through your own journey and being such a beacon of light; Yvette Doudle for inspiring me to care about the people who can’t eat nuts and for connecting me with my publisher; Akanksha Bilani, for standing by me when I needed someone to hold my hand most in life; Siddharth Mukerji and TD Michel, for being the courageous guardian angels who showed up in my life and who always have my back. Gratitude to perhaps one of the greatest teachers in my life, Samrat Mukerji, for lovingly pushing me to reach my pinnacle; and to Chris Ooi for knowing I had to fly and pushing me off the cliff.

To all the wonderful teachers of yoga with whom I work, especially Renae Marsh, Cristine Michel, Brad Goodchild, Jacqueline Logeman-Jansen, Melissa Winn, Lyndsay Chollak, Rea Alwan and Kylie Watson, thank you for always believing in me and what we do together in union.

Thank you to Peter Bablis for being such a profound mirror of who I was and of what I was capable all those years ago when I began my journey of healing. I understand now that in order to see the wonderment in others, it must also exist in us too! James Caldwell for not only opening the door of your yoga studio to me 12 years ago, but also your open, kind heart. You saw something in me I hadn’t yet discovered and I am eternally grateful you were one of the people at the forefront of the healing of my life.

To Matthew Kenney and all the staff at MK Culinary, especially my mentors Sheena Turcotte and Kaia Harper for inspiring me to no end through your outstanding, innovative plant-based cuisine and food photography training programs - thank you for teaching me the foundational skills to continue creating recipes (and photos of them) for years to come. To Melanie Schecker - my first raw culinary teacher and Kristie Ord, thank you for opening my eyes to so much more.

My incredible educational and spiritual teachers in this lifetime: Kumud Badhwar, Nichiren Daishonin, Leonie McDonald, Carren Smith, Natalie Mclvor, Sarina Vecchio, Kayla McDonnell, Dale Deanshaw, Dr Ajit, Zika Nester, Jane Beckett, Emmy Cleaves, Craig Villani, Bikram and Rajashree Choudhury - thank you for sharing your knowledge with the passion and love you all do. Thank you for inspiring me and giving me the skills to become the best person I can be, in order to step up and play my part in this amazing world.

Thank you to all my #realfood #cookie #monsters who sampled and tried my creations to confirm others would too! Thank you to the dearest, most treasured students of my yoga and cooking classes for providing me with a platform on which to hone my message and evolve the way I have. Unbeknown to you, you have been some of my greatest teachers.

Thank you to my talented photographers, Celina Cooper and Hannah Millerick, for shooting some of the pictures in this book and bringing my food (and me) to life and to Celina for the book design.

Bridgette Gabites, Andy, Tommy and the team at Raw Blend Australia, thank you for gifting me a new Vitamix jug and tamper in the nick of time so I could finish the recipes in this book to share with the world.Thank you to my editors and wonderful parents Judy and Peter Schubert, my publisher Balboa and the entire team for supporting me through the process of turning a vision into a reality.

Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life. - Rumi

Thank you!

Introduction

Each one of us is born with unlimited potential. We are all unique and special and it is our birthright to be happy, healthy and fulfilled. It is also our right to eat pure, unadulterated food and to enjoy eating foods we love without guilt or fear of putting on weight or getting sick.

Great News! Being healthy and looking and feeling phenomenal doesn’t mean you have to forgo all enjoyment, live a boring life, starve yourself, eat carrot and celery sticks, deny yourself delicious food and run 20 km a day. No, not at all - quite the contrary.

I am confident that if you are reading this book then you are looking to improve your life, health and wellbeing. Some of you are already on the path, looking for more. Some of you feel fed up with the extra kilos that have crept on and won’t budge. Some of you may have been completely guided to pick up this book without an inkling why, except that you are unhappy, unfulfilled, constipated, bloated, exhausted, riddled with disease, frustrated with your body, and/or perhaps every area of your life.

Imagine this scenario instead.

Imagine waking up everyday with a hop, skip and jump, so excited to start your day, feeling abundant in every area of your life, looking the best you have ever looked no matter what your biological age!

Imagine smiling and laughing every day, feeling so full of energy that you LOVE your life. Imagine having great relationships with everyone, most importantly yourself, following your dreams and increasing your abundant wealth.

Imagine being able to eat delicious food that gives you more energy than you have ever experienced, that halts the calorie counting train and gives you the glow that motivates you to really show up for your life!

Guess what? It is possible! I am living proof of it. Yes, it takes a bit of work initially, but it will be the most rewarding time of your life and the most incredible opportunity to transform in front of your very own eyes, in all ways possible. Throughout the following chapters of this book I will discuss how pure, unadulterated, plant-based, raw and real foods nourish and support, rather than destruct and create havoc. I will delve into the importance of tapping into your innate ability to listen to the needs of your authentic self and the inner guidance that is always there coaxing you forward with a positive directional force. I will also discuss the mind’s biggest excuse why not to change - time - and how to overcome it. I will guide you in creating a kitchen with love that supports your growth and, lastly, present to you numerous recipes I have created with joy and passion (whilst omitting mood altering, genetically modified, addictive chemicals) that boost your energy levels and metabolism, reverse ageing, improve your life and bring back the JOY OF REAL FOOD.

Whenever there is contrast in our lives there is always a gift being offered to learn from, in order to develop a more well rounded, compassionate and amazing us. If there are aspects of information I impart in this book that challenge you and bring forth unwanted emotion, I ask that you make all attempts to keep an open mind, as perhaps this is one such gift for you too. When our belief systems are challenged, it is a normal reaction to stand our ground and defend. We get angry or laugh when we know something to be true and we often cry when we understand that truth from the deepest level of our being. You may or may not agree with everything I express in the book, and that is your 100% prerogative. I thank you for allowing me to share my understanding as it stands at this stage of my journey.

I am not here to claim I have all the answers, rather to share my story, my insights and all I have gained through formal education and life experience, in the hope that it inspires you and instills a desire to reach deeper inside and discover there is more happiness, more health, more life than perhaps you are living now. One of my mentors, Craig Villani, told me to always listen carefully to what I speak about in yoga class because we as humans teach best what we are learning ourselves. I too am on the journey day to day making all attempt to walk my talk as best as I know how. Thank you for joining me on the walk - we are always stronger when we join hands in union.

PART ONE

THE

REAL FOOD YOGI

STORY

ONE

Life is a Stage

In 1994, I followed my passion for acting, dancing and singing and moved from my home town of Brisbane to the big smoke (Sydney) after auditioning and being accepted to study performing arts with one of the top producers in our country, David Atkins, along with a team of absolutely incredible dancers, choreographers, musicians and actors including Sheree De Costa, Jane Beckett, Jonathon Welch, Jason Coleman and many more. It was like being in FAME School. Every day was spent dancing, singing, acting, and learning music and more. Weekends were spent rehearsing for shows and performances we were involved with and I had the time of my life! It was the most incredible, scary, exhilarating time in my life up to that point. I didn’t want the course to end.

Upon graduation I was lucky to have performed on the Midday Show, at the Sydney Opera House and be featured on Channel 7’s Home and Away. I went on to perform in various other shows in both Australia and Asia. Early in my career I was offered a job singing in an international hotel overseas. I jumped at the chance to travel and spent the greater part of my career in overseas gigs. In hindsight, in many ways I was running from myself. As Marcel Proust eloquently expressed, The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

A challenging experience presented itself whilst overseas and I began binge eating to cope (although I wasn’t conscious of what was actually transpiring). I returned to Australia and was soon diagnosed with glomerulonephritis, a kidney disorder which caused my kidneys to inflame and bleed. I had been given Shakti Gawain’s book Creative Visualisation and I began to meditate. During a meditation I was strongly guided to get on a bus towards the city. When the bus reached a certain destination I was again strongly urged to get off the bus and walk into a bookstore. I blindly walked through the store feeling half silly and began to second guess myself when a book jumped out at me, as though it was the only book on the shelves - Fit for Life by Marilyn and Harvey Diamond. I laughed - this was the very book that was recommended reading during my performing arts course, and I had totally rejected its principles when it challenged my belief systems of how we should eat. After purchasing the book, I followed the recommended eating regime, and poured over the incredible controversial information discussed in its early chapters. To the surprise of my kidney specialist my condition healed, I lost a ton of weight and felt fantastic.

I plodded along again, in and out of gigs, going to auditions, castings and the like and then landed a job in an eight piece show travelling to Singapore. Not long after the initial excitement and buzz of opening night I began to secretly struggle with food, emotionally eating, binging and starving myself. At the time, I didn’t know what was happening. I could not understand or consciously acknowledge that it was an eating disorder with which thousands of women worldwide struggle, and had no real support system or skills from school to know how to cope with life when it got hard. I crashed and burned and this was my life for the next ten years or so.

I was empty inside, devoid of true happiness and I could feel myself slipping deeper and deeper into depressive type symptoms. I used food as a means to comfort myself. The self-abuse became worse when I would starve myself out of guilt and momentarily feel incredible living on carrot juice because I would lose all the weight I had gained. Much to my detriment, along came a bout of emotion and I would be back on the roller coaster of hell - starving, binging, over-eating, under-eating, each day promising that this was the last day, that today I would just eat what I wanted because tomorrow I would detox as I used to call it. Tomorrow would come and I would starve myself the whole day until about 8pm at night, when, like an addict, I would raid the fridge and cupboards then rush to the shop and buy chocolate bars, packets of chips, ice cream or you name it. Some days I wouldn’t even know what I wanted to eat because in reality my mind was clearly looking for a way to escape and suppress the emotions I actually needed to address rather than needing food. On these days I would sometimes be in the supermarket for an hour going up and down the isles until my crazy, deluded mind would opt for practically everything. There were nights when I would throw food in the bin in disgust at myself, only moments later in a frenzy dig it back out again and shove it in my mouth to numb the pain inside me.

I hated

Reviews for The Joy of Real Food

[Rowena Jayne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As the Author of this book I want to state this is more than just diet and nutrition but a way of changing your life . I have written So much on mindset , healing , yoga and transformation alongside my journey of recovery from an eating disorder. I hope you enjoy it and it helps you move forward in your life
Rowena X