… you can’t remember the last time you visited the “other side” of the grocery store.

… you measure the time since your last illness in decades.

… you spend more time thinking about digestion than sex.

… you consume your own body weight in less than a month.

… you believe that $5 is a fair price for a 3-oz piece of chocolate.

… you feel confident that you could survive on Gilligan’s Island — and you know you can make a better coconut cream pie than Mary Ann.

… your diet is a combination of the diets of bonobos, cows, and plankton.

… you can identify every item in the produce section.

… the grocery checker has to look up the codes for half of your items; the other half she must ask you to identify.

… you gladly offer to “help out” any friends with fertility problems; they decline because they just want one baby, not a litter.

… you fantasize about a raw foods version of Costco.

… you store produce in your oven.

… you’ve turned down lunch invites for logistical reasons.

… your blender costs more than your car (and has a better warranty).

… you own functional kitchen equipment made of bamboo.

… you weight train by grocery shopping.

… your last remaining addiction is a bean.

… you spell juice fasting with an extra e.

… you don’t believe in pre-detox sex.

… you can make a salad from your backyard, even if you don’t have a garden.

… you know how to cure cancer, heart disease, and diabetes… but no one believes you.

… something in your kitchen is currently underwater.

… you know the difference between raw and really raw when it comes to foods like almonds, tahini, and agave nectar.

… it disturbs you when people start talking about really, really raw.

… you want to try solar gazing soon.

… you refer to the Food Network as the Horror Channel.

… your diet helps restore the hearing you lost from using your blender.

… you call yourself a chef and/or coach even though you’ve never been to school for either.

… you know what Cassandra felt like.

… your first name is an emotion, an adjective, or an insect.

… you shop for clothes in the children’s section.

… your bathroom is devoid of reading material.

… vegans ask you, “But where do you get your protein?” (Some things never change.)

… you qualify potential dating partners based on their level of toxicity.

… your job title begins with the words raw, eco, or alternative.

… your health care practitioner’s job title ends in -path or -ist.

… your crackers cost more than $1 per ounce.

… you meet a breatharian and have to ask, “But where you do get your protein?”

… your breakfast smoothies contain items from six continents, four oceans, and a volcano.

Found this gem and I had to share!

Courtesty of Steve Pavlina :)

Along the way I found out about the Raw Kitchen, a Raw and Vegan cafe in Fremantle. Since I didn’t have much experience in the way of raw food, and my attempt at raw spaghetti earlier this week turned out quite bland, when the opportunity to visit Freo arose today it was first in my list of destinations to visit.

The cafe took a while to find, it’s located in the Piazza arcade on South Terrace and tucked away. The first thing my boyfriend and I noticed was that it was thriving, we ended up sharing a table with another couple so that we could sit down.

We each ordered a slice of the raw ‘pizza’. While we were waiting we had a look at the menu and also ordered the raw ‘nachos’, and a slice each of cheesecake. While the food wasn’t cheap, it wasn’t unaffordable either.

Considering the nutritional value of the food, the cost of ingredients and the fresh produce required, it’s good value.

The only thing I can say about the food was that it was absolutely amazing. The pizza was much better than any vegan pizza I’ve tried, and the nachos were unbelievable. I was blown away – I usually know how to replicate dishes when I try them at restaurants but I was baffled. The cheesecake was decadent and rich – I ordered the chocolate and my boyfriend got the lemon and berry (his was better, mine was too rich).
A warning – the food is very filling. While we ended up spending about $50 total between us, we both felt we’d eaten too much. Remember even their desserts are wholesome and nutritious and should be counted as part of the meal. We could have easily gone without the nachos, which would have brought the bill down to around $35.

I will definitely be revisiting this cafe and definitely recommend it to anyone, whether you’re omni, veg or vegan. It will change your perspective on healthy food.

Raw Kitchen Website

The People & Animal Welfare Society’s new HQ is located at 110 Beaufort Street in Northbridge, a mere 5 minute power walk or 10 minute stroll from Perth train station. The PAWS building is home to a Cruelty-Free Shop, MacCafé (Perth’s first Apple-only internet café), library, conference centre and dining hall. The former PAWS building, located at 112-114 Beaufort St is now emergency accommodation for the down-and-out willing to volunteer.

Resuming a couple of months ago and going stronger than before, PAWS’ Monday nights are something of an institution amongst Perth’s vegans & vegetarians and are open to everyone. Starting at around 6PM, dinner is served by donation. It’s usually a number of dishes of different cuisines, always vegan, most often accompanied by friendly conversation and sometimes followed by halva for dessert.

Whether you want to expand your social circle, or see a vegan in real life, this is the best way to do both. The regulars are friendly, welcoming and informative. (NB: Vegan-watchers are given the option of grabbing a plate and joining a table, coming in a group and eating in the corner, or just observing from afar. So it’s really your PAWS visit, to experience it how you will.)

paws.org.au