I’m Giving Up Nothing for Lent

Rising from the ashes – still crazy after all these years?

(with credit to Paul Simon) 

The French House

I found this blog post from 5 years ago – interesting to reflect on how much has changed – writing this in France, in our dream home, for one thing – how much is the same – the actions I was choosing then I choose now, so perhaps they are perennials which keep life moving and us growing.

And, yes, definitely still crazy, and delighted to be so.

Ash Wednesday

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent for those who follow Christian traditions.  I’m not a churchgoer any more, but I still recall the walk up the church aisle to experience the scratchy feel of ash being marked in the form of a cross onto my forehead by the priest.  I guess it must have happened for each of the 14 years of my schooldays, and more.

I was brought up in a devout Roman Catholic family, and my childhood memories of Lent are about loads of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday prior to ‘giving up’ something I liked on Ash Wednesday for the remaining 40 days and 40 nights in preparation for Easter.  It was usually chocolate. It probably still should be chocolate. Or wine. Or cheese.

Anyway, I haven’t given anything up for Lent for more years than I care to recall.
And I’m not about to start again.

Not Giving Up

I’ve decided to follow that hackneyed quote from Winston Churchill: ‘never, ever, ever…give up’.

But I am going to do something.
Not penance, but productivity.  
Not denial, but delight. 

I am going to do more.

No, not more chocolate, wine and cheese. Not more of anything material. But definitely more fun. More stuff that delights, surprises and stretches me. Maybe even more stuff that’s good for me like – walking and water.

Being pragmatic, things and actions I’m in control of:

  • Meeting more people, online and offline
  • Launching my leadership and transformation retreats at my new home in SW France 
  • Creating more crucial, constructive conversations
  • Writing at least one blog every week
  • More exuberance and fun
  • More kindness and love

People Ideas Action

So I’m not giving anything up.

I’m keeping hold of what I have that I love.

But I am expanding my life with fresh people, ideas, and most crucially, actions. It’s going to be a fascinating forty days, for sure.

Spring Talks

And as part of the action –  crucial, constructive conversations – if you would like to share your experiences I’m also doing a series of 5 minute ‘Spring Talks’ interviews for publication so contact me for more information and let me know if you want to join in.

Leave a message here or contact me via christine at christinemiller dot co (and no, the ‘co’ isn’t a typo, it’s correct)

Getting a really raw deal….

….and loving it!

The Raw Food Revolution – My Experience

Last year after a long illness which depleted my immune system and left me tired and lethargic,  I decided to dramatically improve my health and fitness. Knowing I wanted a radical way of doing so I chose to follow a raw eating programme.  Quite a few people I spoke to were worried that I was going to be consuming raw meat, existing on sticks of celery and wondered how I’d manage.

It was finding a book called Spiritual Nutrition by Gabriel Cousens that triggered me into taking action, and from this I devised my own programme which I followed  for three months. During this time I dropped over  two stone (28 pounds, 13 kilos) and within two weeks was feeling full of energy and brimming with life.

Carpe diem…..

They say you shouldn’t suddenly go completely raw, that you should do it in increments, but I’m a bit ‘gung ho’ when it comes to these things and I went from a fully fledged carnivore to raw vegan in one fell swoop – with no side effects or challenges other than a rapid detox that meant I needed to stay close to the bathroom for a few days, as I shed what seemed like gallons of water!

I followed the programme until I went to India, where it was more difficult to stay raw, and then when I came home and it was November and cold and dark, I found it harder to stay with it, and by Christmas had started eating meat again. I still yearned for the supremely energetic  and healthy way I felt on the raw plan, and recently decided to adopt it again, after I had another bout of the chest infection that laid me low for so long  in previous years.

Raw Radar

Because ”Raw’ had been on my radar for a couple of years,  I’d  been following some of the UK and US leading lights in the field. More about them in a later post…..

Someone who cropped up a few times, and who was referred to me by my friend Karin Ridgers, of Veggie Vision fame, was Russell James, aka The Raw Chef.

Recently, I met Russell for the first time, at one of his dinner party experiences.  We spent the day watching and helping Russell (well, a little bit!) prepare a mouthwatering lunch and dinner.

Christine Miller watches Raw Chef Russell James at work

Christine Miller watches Raw Chef Russell James at work

All the while he was explaining the whys and wherefores of creating top class raw food,  and the end results were astonishing. Really fabulous food prepared and served with style that would put many leading restaurants to shame….

Mouthwatering or what?

The pics will give you an idea of the mouthwatering treats we enjoyed, ranging from canapés to caramelised onion and tomato tarts to lasagne and what for me was the pièce de resistance… chocolate torte with ginger cream and strawberry sauce…you’d never know this was raw, non-dairy, non-wheat, gluten-free, no sugar, pure organic food packed with nourishment for the body and soul…..heaven.

Christine Miller from ReSource enjoys Russell James's canapes

Christine Miller from ReSource enjoys Russell James's canapes

ReSource loves Russell's Tomato and Onion Tart

ReSource loves Russell's Tomato and Onion Tart

Heaven on a plate - favourite raw dish so far

Heaven on a plate - favourite raw dish so far

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