Thriving in the new year

I'm sitting here eating my reinvented version of the original Thrive recovery pudding, a recipe I fall back on whenever I want to feel like a healthy athletic vegan chick.

Since it is the start to a new year, I felt the pressure to clean up my diet (at least for the first week or two), just like almost everyone else with a pulse. You can't turn on the television without seeing a Weight Watchers commercial (okay, I won't knock that one, since it did work for my mom), an infomercial for the newest fitness gadget (why buy an ab machine, when you can do crunches and other abdominal exercises for free?) or an ad for Alli, the latest in a line of unnatural weight loss pills (I don't even know what to say about that one).

But, you don't need any of that when you fill your diet with unprocessed raw foods. Your body slims down naturally, and you have more energy to keep you in shape. Due to my raw lifestyle, I didn't have to resolve to lose weight or join a gym.

Now, I have been making a lot of decadent raw treats during the holidays. All those nuts, seeds and sweeteners can get a little heavy, so it is nice to go back to some more simplified meals. I'm still on my green smoothie kick, as always, eating more warming soups (to counteract the effects of those cold beverages), snacking on more than my share of raw fruits and veggies, and making basic blended concoctions, like this pudding.

The original recipe in Brendan Brazier's Thrive book calls for 1/4 lb. medium firm tofu for protein and calcium (I substituted 1/2 large or 1 small avocado), 1 banana for electrolytes (I kept that the same), 1/2 pear for natural sugars and fiber (I used a whole small one), 1/2 Tbsp. hemp oil for EFAs (I've experiemented with different oils; today I used coconut butter for richness), 1/2 cup cocoa powder for natural flavor (like I would eliminate that one) and sea salt.

Since I almost never follow a recipe exactly (as seen in my substitutions so far), I also added some vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon (enhances the chocolate flavor) and maca (it almost makes the pudding taste malty, and it has a wealth of health benefits).

Now I am ready to face the rest of my day. I've already worked out, showered, taken my son to preschool, went shopping (I needed some more of my facial mask, but picked up a few extra things. Oops!) and picked Jacob up (don't worry, I fed him, too). Should I tackle the housework? It will have to wait until after we go to my mom's house. I want to surprise my sister with her new shirt.

For those of you still cleaning up after your holiday, check out this article from Plenty magazine (one of my favorites) that will help you reduce, reuse and recycle the evidence.

P.S. Although I have lightened up my menu a bit, I will still find room for those "rawified" childhood favorites and dense raw desserts. Due to popular demand, I might even post the recipe for those "million dollar" mint chocolate brownies (Rawbin said she'd pay that much for the recipe, but I gave it to her free of charge).