The Art of Intuitive Eating
Our lives,
so seemingly small,
ripple out
to the whole universe
as tiny whispers
like the sounds
of butterfly wings,
and the clear voice
of the living truth.
-J.L.D.
Living Without Excess: Homemade Trail Mix
This yummy mix of nutrient dense, high energy nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, makes an easy snack, great travel food, or a late night treat while watching a movie. The crunchy-chewy, salty-sweet combinations are delicious, and a small handful is surprisingly filling. A teaspoon of oil and honey coats everything so that the salt will stick (so less is needed), which adds to the flavor. Just about any combination of fruits and nuts will make a tasty trail mix, or "gorp" (good old raisins and peanuts).

Trail Mix Ingredients (Fills a 1 quart jar)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup cashews, or peanuts
1/4 cup dates, chopped
1/4 cup Black Mission figs, chopped
1/4 cup Flame raisins (see Little Story)
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon mild tasting oil
1 teaspoon raw honey
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
Optional ingredient: 1-2 shakes of cayenne for a little heat!

Directions
Chop walnuts, almonds, dates, and figs.
Place in bowl with sesame seeds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and raisins. Mix well.
Add oil and honey, mixing to evenly coat.
Add salt, and mix again.
Store in covered container.
Note: All nuts and seeds could be soaked for 6-8 hours, which improves flavor and digestibility. However, the crunchy texture would be lost, unless they are dehydrated before mixing.

The Little Story: Living Without Excess

Living on an island, we often buy in bulk. The photo shows a recent shipment of beautiful, organic food from Raw From The Farm, where we purchased enough raw almonds, hemp seeds, pine nuts, and delicious sun dried dates (they have a slight butterscotch flavor!), Black Mission figs, and large Flame raisins, to last for a few months. The beauty of buying in bulk is that it saves money, the products are almost always fresher, and there's less packaging.

Bulk Food We buy most of our food through the internet, the farmer's markets, the local co-op, or we go to a farm stand for produce. We enjoy the connections we have cultivated with the local growers, and the feeling of community that this fosters.

Buying in bulk, or directly from the source, cuts down our exposure to supermarket excess, and the inevitable impulse buying that often happens, simply because we aren't wandering through the grocery store nearly as often. It also helps us to see food as pure nutrition—eating to live, rather than it being a form of "entertainment"—living to eat!

Ten years ago we decided to try an experiment and cut out TV, news, and newspapers. The result has been positive on all counts. We aren't exposed daily to an endless barrage of advertising, or a list of stress-producing disasters and catastrophes, or the feeling of helplessness or manipulation that the news or commercials can bring.

Without these influences it has been easier to see the world through our own eyes, so that we can make our own decisions about how we choose to live. We still get news from the internet, and this way we stay up to date in a simpler, less intrusive way.

Trimming down excess has been a theme of ours for the last few years, and one that has taken time to grow into. Each year we make more strides in simplifying our home and lifestyle, and we feel energized and empowered with every step we take—movements great and small that bring us closer toward reaching the ideal.












The Healing Feast is about:
healthful practices,
following our intuition,
& eating life-giving foods.

It's about:
transformation, joy,
inspiration, peace, gratitude,
and soulful beauty.

It's about:
living a life filled
with abundance and love,
& giving what is the best
within ourselves to the world.
"A smile from the heart is a gift to receive."
JLD