Raw friends: start 8-14-07 to 8-21-07 [Archive]

JudyMac

08-14-2007, 01:26 PM

Are you starting your 30 days RAW this week?
If so do you want to take part in this RAW friends thread? :rolleyes:

This is a 30 day support group, and hopefully we will all make some new friends, share food tips, whilst supporting each other in our newly raw lifestyle.

Go on say 'yes', you know you want to! :p

Today is day 1 for me and it has been a bit strange, including a craving for pickled vegetables.

So remember the 5 food groups; sweet, salty, sour, bitter and pungent. Balancing them can help you stay on track. Here are some examples;

Sweet: sweet fruit and some vegetables including carrots.
Salty : salt, miso, nama shoyu, sauerkraut etc
Sour : lemons and other citrus fruit, pickles, and fermented vegetables.
Bitter: All those wonderful green leafy veg.
Pungent: Spices and herbs.

Want to join in? Just add to this thread!

All posts are to be added to this thread.

tali

08-14-2007, 02:52 PM

Hi there -

I am not officially on the 30 day plan since I haven't received my book yet but I did start raw last Friday and have been about 90% since then so I'm increasing that amount every day and doing realy well.

I do have a bit of a headache and am tired yet energized which is strange. Overall though, this is much easier than I thought it would be.

rawr

08-14-2007, 03:56 PM

Today is day one for me...and I was headed to join up on the rawgust 30day thread when I saw this one :)

I've really been struggling over the last few weeks especially since I had the flu and craved hot soup and bread w/ butter and soda. In fact, that is all I've been eating for weeks. Last night was the last straw. I couldn't stop comulsively eating bread and made myself soooo bloated and nauseated I could barely move. I've also gained about 10 lbs in the last few weeks as well...ugh. I know I have a problem with wheat...I know that I have a intolerance with an addiction response. I know this, but getting sick from the flu just made me want to run to the comfort food no matter how it made me feel afterwards.

So I'm committing to a 30 day 100% raw challenge! I'm going to try to follow 811 and have fruit during the day and a big salad for dinner. Snacks are nuts and dried fruit. Limeade with agave for a soda replacement. Raw chocolate for dessert. This is totally doable!!!!

Stina

08-14-2007, 04:42 PM

After struggling to be raw for a year now, I'm now gratefully eating 100%. I'm so aware of the fact that if I consume a morsel of cooked food, my appetite spirals out of control. I put a prayer out that you guys can get a few days of clean eating under your belt to gain some momentum. Then every day gets easier. Love, Stina

puffysmom

08-14-2007, 04:53 PM

I've been slipping for quite some time and the last 3 days ate pretty much what i wanted to. I had a birthday and I also went out of town to be treated by my sis and bro in law for two separate meals. I wanted to join the August one but I knew i could not until I got past these last few days. Now I am committed to go strickly raw once again. I feel so much better and have so much more energy when I am 100%. So if u don't ming i would love to join and need support big time. Just knowing I have to post if i mess up keeps me on the straight and narrow. It is what kept me going the last time. When i quit the monthly support forum I started eating somethings that actually did not taste as good as I remember and reacted negatively.
I am glad to see that someone is starting a support group starting now. Count me in.

Stina

08-14-2007, 05:05 PM

Hi Puffysmom- good to see you back at the board. Thanks for not giving up! Okay, no vegans clobber me for this, but I have to remind myself that the wonderful smell of barbequing meat is false advertising; eating it always was disappointing.

DolceBeatrix

08-14-2007, 07:30 PM

Hello all--

I am just starting to eat raw and waiting for my book to get help and more info.! I'm looking at a challenge because my husband is a meat lover, but I guess I will take one day at a time and try to resist the temptations!

I have always been relying on caffeine and SAD comfort foods but have been inspired by the stories about renewed energy through eating raw! I am tired of being tired all of the time!

JudyMac

08-15-2007, 05:10 AM

A Rawking goodmorning to you all! :D

30 dayers so far Tali, rawr, puffysmom, Stina, DolceBeatrix, and JudyMac.
Welcome aboard the express to Rawsville.

Tali, I'm glad you ordered the book, I found it a wonderfully inspiring read. There are lots of RAW recipes here and elsewhere on the internet to keep you going in the meantime.

rawr, I am glad the dreaded flu bug has finally gone. Nothing like being ill to totally screw up your eating habits. You can still do the soup and bread on RAW. I love carrot soup and sprouted bread, yum yum in my tum. :p
You are organised, I love it!

Stina, wow RAW for a year, we'll need your experience to help us all, so glad you are reading the thread. I would never say anything nasty about your bbq smell ;)

puffysmom, we are there for you, Raw friends, everyone needs them. :)

DolceBeatrix, may I say what a great name, are you a fan of Pre-Raphaelite paintings? I ask because Rossetti's wife was called Beatrix, and he named one of his many paintings of her, Dolce Beatrix. My OH is a carnivore too. One day at a time, that is the best way. Caffeine and SAD, you may have some detox trouble with headaches etc, but keep going!

After mentioning the five tastes yesterday, I wondered if there was a connection between Chinese astrology, and food habits, so today amongst other things I shall be researching that idea.

I live in France, so do not worry about strange post times, I'll catch up with you all! Maybe that should be you'll catch up with me...

Day 2
Fuzzy headache, but I am feeling energetic. My hands are warm, and normally they are pastry makers hands, cold as ice.

I got organised this morning and put Morrocan lentil nuggets in the dehydrator for tonight.

Sprouting: The mung beans will be ready tomorrow for Alissa's Pad Thai recipe. Sprouted lentils are ready now. Wheat, and cress were started today.

Breakfast: Fruit salad with nuts.
Juices:
Green smoothies x 2
Apple, pear and lemon x 2

Ok so far, I'll check in again later.

puffysmom

08-15-2007, 05:16 AM

Hi DolceBeatrix. That makes it rough. I live with my son and family and there is always food here that is not good for a raw foodist but tempting anyway. During my slipping time i would take a piece of this or that and after a bite decide it was not all that good and I was not missing a thing but instead of tossing it i would eat it anyway. then in a few hours my psoriasis would itch so bad i could not stand it. Would unconciously scratch until it was bleeding. I dont have that prob eating raw. I started doing raw mostly to clear up my ps and it was getting so good and then i got shingles. By the time i realized what i had my ps was worse and i was eating some bad foods and just could not get back into Raw eating but now I am determined. The itching and the weight gain alone is reason enough to eat healthy.
I do need this one day at a time to get me back into it. I know I will be healthier, happier, more energetic and feel soooooooo much better if i stay away from Sad foods as i did it once and if i did it once for a couple of months i can do it again. I think a lot of people slip off the wagon at first and then after a few months get back on more determined than ever. I sure am one.
Today is the first day for me and I am going to commit to eating Raw and healthy only. I promise to report any slips i make. By doing this i will stay on the right track. This is my promise to myself so i can be healthy again.:)

Gooberdog69

08-15-2007, 05:55 AM

If you don't mind, I would like to join you, starting tomorrow?! I was making excuses in my own mind that I would start on Monday, but really, there is no better time to start than now. I have eaten cooked today however, this is why I am making tomorrow my start date.

I will use my rebounder for 30 mins daily 6 days a week.
I will do toning exercises or yoga 5 times a week.
On a Sunday I will allow myself a small plate of cooked vegetables (Sunday dinner with the family... if i don't, I will incur the wrath of several people in the family and it's more stress than it's worth)

I am not giving myself too many rules because I get frustrated and give up. This time I am going to be more gentle on myself, forgive myself, allow myself to be human.

It will be great to have all your support... I am very excited to see the amazing results of all this!
xxx

JudyMac

08-15-2007, 01:30 PM

Welcome aboard Gooberdog69 !
You have set yourself some achievable goals, good for you. I am sorry that your family isn't supporting you on a sunday, that sucks. How about getting them to meet you halfway, and steam the veggies?

The rest of today has gone very well, I'm going to watch 30 minutes of TV tonight as there is a documentary on chocolatiers.

On the food front, I have been grazing a bit.

Exercise was simple, I stacked the chopped logs in the stable, 200 logs at 8lb+ each, walked the dog, and intend to do yoga before bedtime.

How are you all doing?

Gooberdog69

08-15-2007, 03:58 PM

Thanks for the welcome Judymac! The veggies will be boiled (boo) but I figure one meal a week is copable-with. Everyone thinks I'm mad doing raw so I'm just keeping it to myself. I'm going for lunch tomorrow with a friend so have already prepared a dressing and am taking some nuts to throw on top of a salad. I know that coming here will be such a huge help to me... thanks everyone! I will post daily with what I've eaten and exercise taken on my blog... I know this will keep me motivated. I am very excited. Can't wait for my skin to be clear and to feel light and free! Have fun everyone!
xxx

Shanti

08-15-2007, 05:15 PM

Right on! Just what I'm looking for!! Since last Friday after a drinking splurge and eating whatever I wanted on Saturday, I can't get my crap together to get even a DAY raw. BUT today Alissa's book came in the mail (woo hoo!) and this post...SO count me in for day one, as of...oh wait, you guys are starting today??? But I only got the post now!! :( tomorrow is my Day 1....I'm already behind??!!

rawr

08-16-2007, 02:10 AM

Day 2

Okay, first the good news - I feel really good right now :)

The bad news - last night and most of the day today I felt HORRIBLE. I don't know if it was a healing crisis, tail-end of the flu, or just detox...but I was so so so sick this morning. I woke up with an insanely painful headache which made me think I might be dehydrated. (um, I lost 4 pounds overnight!) So I pushed the water. A half hour later I was violently ill...over and over and over again. I spent the day taking it easy and started feeling better by late afternoon. I had some bananas and a tiny bit of cooked food and headed to the store to go food shopping for the rest of the week and for tonight's dinner. I made the executive decision to include a small amount of raw cheese in my diet...at least for now.

So that was my day! I feel competely back to normal tonight and ready to rawk for the rest of the week.

Thanks, JudyMac for starting this thread and welcome everyone who joined up too!

belle

08-16-2007, 07:56 AM

Hi yall! I am so happy I fell upon this thread. My husband and I just returned from a mini vacation last night, Ive been anticipating going 100% raw starting TODAY!!! :D :D :D

30 days! I cannot wait for my body to detox, I do eat all organic now, lacto-ovo vegan, but admit to overuse of caffiene, artificial sweetners, cooked foods, dairy, eggs... I suffer from IBS-C, have a very sensitive gut which I contribute to years all the 'junk' going in my body(listed above). I know its time for a change, I have fertility and menstrual problems, fatigue, poor circulation, hold soo much water despite keeping sodium low and drinking a ton of water... Im so ready for this!!!

I went to the grocery store last night to restock on veges and fruit.

DAY 1 today 100% raw. no caffiene either! :p

puffysmom

08-16-2007, 12:17 PM

Ok. I did better yesterday. I blanched a whole bunch of corn for the family to put in the freezer and ate some of that but not much. I ate quite a bit of the cron off the cob while it was raw. The peaches and cream corn. It is so sweet. Even my grandaughter ate some as she has never had raw corn before.
I busted my butt yesterday. I took a long bike ride to the garden plot at church. I picked tomatos and helped the grandkids pick corn. We came home which was a chore cause we have one kind of steep hill to get up and i had a lot of weight on my bike so we took a longer way to get home so instead we had several smaller hills to get over. I have one of those 3 wheeled bikes so i can use it for shopping and hauling things. Is a money saver. We unloaded and rode to the grocery store to get some celery. Then back home and had lunch. then i went outdoors and picked beans, tomatos here, cukes, and broccoli. When that was done i picked dried flower seeds so i can plant them next year. Saves a lot of money. I watered the garden and flower beds by hand and then I planted some strawberry plants and winter onions. My grandaughter and I shucked the corn and i came in and made dinner for family as DIL was at work and while they ate i blanched the corn. I never finished up until 8:30 last night.
I wear a pedometer and according to that i put in 8 miles and it was not always recording as i did not have it in the right place. that is my exercise. I thought i would go to sleep early but laid in bed watching tv until midnight. Today we r canning tomato juice and tomorrow i plan on dehydrating corn and tomatos for myself.:D
Today i had a green smoothie and some coconut oil. Slice of tomato. I dont know what else i will have. Maybe some nuts. I wish i could give them up. They dont let me lose weight but I need to get past these first days. My DIL made BTLs which i love but i behaved and did not have any. I think with everyones support here and me having to account for what i eat i will be able to get back into it. I sure hope i dont go off this eating program again as my body does not like it and I feel so much better with so much more energy.
Catch u all later. Keep it going.

Gooberdog.....can u not get one of the steamer things from the store and tell your family u prefer steamed veggies as it is much more healthy? I dont see where that would be a problem. They dont cost a lot. I would give it a try. What have u got to lose. I get the same thing that u do from family and friends while they ache and cough through their life i have more energy than they do and am much more healthy than they r. They fall asleep and i am wide awake and pain free. I do have arthritis but eating Raw keeps me pain free except when i mess up and eat Sad.

JudyMac

08-16-2007, 03:53 PM

Shanti and Belle welcome ladies, you're ok our last start date is the 21st, so it's just a weeks worth of friends. It keeps it small and cosy ;)

Sorry I haven't been about much today, I had to go over to a friends and water the polytunnel, feed the chucks etc. Easy when said friend lives nearby, but a bit of a nightmare when they live 60 miles away.

Gooberdog69, well you could always have an extra juice or smoothie to counterbalance the cooked veggies. Maybe they will come round when they see the new you! :)

rawr, that flu bug is a nasty one, it seems to be going around, I had something similar 4 weeks ago and it took almost that amount of time to clear up. The first week afterwards I was eating soup, soup and more soup. The dehydration is something to keep an eye on, did you drink 4 pints of water the day before? We need more water to flush toxins out, juice does not count...

puffysmum, what willpower! I love fresh corn, but they don't sell it here in France, just the revolting canned stuff, ikkk! How did the tomato canning go? Are you eating enough for your active lifestyle, or was that a part day?

DolceBeatrix, Tali, Stina, where are you hoo!!!!:confused:

On the food front today was mixed, and I must admit to eating one single ready salted crisp (chip) as part of an aperitif, it was difficult to say no, especially as our neighbours had made me a large salad for dinner. Sometimes politeness is necessary.

I read an interview with the Dalai Lama, within it a reporter asked him two questions of great interest to me. It was obvious that the reporter was an extremist, even for a vegan.
He asked what the best diet to follow for finding enlightenment was, the reply a vegetarian one (note many countries do not differentiate between strict vegetarian and vegan).
The reporter feeling justified, told the Dalai Lama, how often people served inappropriate food to him, and how he harangued them for not following his food preferences. Then he asked what would the Dalai Lama do if served meat as a guest in someone elses house. The Dalai Lama replied that he would eat it, because not to do so showed a great lack of compassion for the person who had gone to all of the trouble of preparing the meal.

I thought that you might enjoy that.

Read you all tomorrow :)

tali

08-16-2007, 11:47 PM

I'm here! I went to see Victoria Boutenko last night so that was exciting. I feel very blessed that so early in my journey I was able to hear her speak and feel her passion for the raw lifestyle.

It really confirmed to me that I was making the right choice.

I've been doing really good overall. I am still drinking diet soda but it's not tasting as good to me so when it no longer tastes good I will drop it. I didn't want this to feel like "just another diet" so I'm not stressing about it. Tonight I had some ranch dressing and roasted sunflower seeds on my salad but again, not stressed about it.

On the whole I do feel really good. I've got a lot of energy and my skin is shining gorgeous and my puffy ankles are starting to slim up. I feel so good about this. I don't feel deprived, I don't feel like I'm dieting, I'm satisfied with my meals and enjoying them very much and I just feel in my heart that I'm doing the right thing for my body.

I've experienced a lot of support from my friends and family about this and I think that's helped a lot. My Mom is on her second day of raw and doing well. She'll be a great support to me in this journey.

What else .. tomorrow marks the end of my first full week of raw eating (very high raw but not 100%). I'm down 5 lbs and life is getting better every moment. :)

JudyMac

08-17-2007, 04:31 AM

Way to go Tali ! :D

I spent most of this morning playing in the kitchen. I've been preserving courgettes (zuchini), and making a mega batch of gazpacho soup, salsa, and nut butter.

Ok so far, apart from the headache...:(

Catch you all later!

rawr

08-17-2007, 06:13 AM

Day 3

Well...today was a mixed bag. I did great up until 9pm then I had a mini-binge on cooked food. Blahhhh. Tomorrow is another day.

On the plus side, flu is gone now and my facial skin feels smoother and softer. I know it seems early to see changes, but I've noticed in the past that eliminating wheat and grains really makes a fast difference for me. So yeay!

JudyMac

08-17-2007, 12:44 PM

rawr, you know the saying; pick yourself up, dust yourself down and start all over again. Be gentle with yourself, maybe your body needed something in that cooked food. HUGS

Today has been very good, apart from, you've guessed it, the headache. Still, I suppose detox could be worse! :)

Food today was simple but very satisfying.

Fruit salad with chopped nuts.
Gazpacho soup topped with salsa and cashew nut aioli.
Chocolate mousse with a banana.
Lentil, vegetable and coconut curry served over summer squash.
Green smoothies.

I'm back lifting weights.

How are you all?

tali

08-17-2007, 01:07 PM

So far so good today ...

I had a 16oz green smoothie this morning that I barely finished. I just didn't want any more. I packed the rest into the fridge for after work and then made myself 32oz to take to work. I also cut up half a cantaloupe which I just finished.

I brought an avocado for the 3pm timeframe when I seem to start wanting junk .. those seem to work well for me to stave off the interest in every one else's junk food.

Overall feeling really great today. My headache is gone finally, after 7 days of feeling it. I slept pretty good and woke up feeling as though I wanted to sleep more until I started moving and then I felt really good.

I'm down a total of 7lbs in 7 days which is definately a good thing!

rawr

08-17-2007, 09:58 PM

Day 4

hi everyone...

Not too bad today and pushing lots of water. Big dinner of fresh corn and tomatoes that was totally yummy :)

JudyMac - thanks for your words and hugs, it does make me feel better about not yet 100%. That chocolate mousse sounds great - which recipe do you use???

dalimeindacoconut

08-17-2007, 11:56 PM

Waving hands over here...I'm in, I'm in too! It's been about a week and a half raw. My original goal was 75%. I've been doing about 90%. One thing that is helping me are the 'green smoothie'...eat it for lunch and when I get home instead of eating something bad I drink my leftovers. I learned a long time ago not to beat myself up, just challenge myself to eat the next meal raw. My biggest craving is chocolate, which I have had in bits, but oddly that 'green smoothie' has curbed my cravings and I love the way I feel in the morning. This week didn't have time to shop which affected me, but again, made the effort to go to the nearest market and not put too much pressure on myself about not making it to the Farmers Market. Since January 1st, 2007 I've tried 'body for life' 'L.A. Weightloss' and now this. When I began eating raw I was surprised to find that this way of eating 'fit' into my life. I wasn't trying to force a change. I just have to tweak a couple of habits, purchase the book, etc. This board has helped me tremendously too. Would love to hear what is helping you?

Can't wait to try those Salt & Vinegar chips, yummy and have to figure out how to make the ice cream!

Hate to admit my weight, but here it goes:
5'10
since Jan. 1 weight: 178 (yikes)
sw: 173.4
cw: 170.8
gw: 139

tali

08-18-2007, 10:05 AM

So last night was an experiment .. how well does my body handle sashimi. I am not a vegan/vegetarian, I have no compunction about eating meat but I do know that I've felt better with raw than anything else that had me meat eating. Last night I had some california rolls (rice, nori, avo, cuc, and fresh crab) and salmon sashimi (just plain raw sashimi grade salmon) and I was a bit uncomfortable. I was very full feeling and just sorta blah afterwards -- even though the majority of it was raw, it didn't feel good. I didn't sleep well and I had the worse tummy cramps.

Results of experiment: raw fish is probably a better choice than cooked food but still not something I plan to eat again anytime soon.

I also got Alissa's book last night and watched the DVDs. It was a lot of fun to watch her make the foods and the reactions of the two ladies was even more fun. The one was just in rapture over everything. It gave me great hope that these recipes will taste good.

I looked at the 30 day plan and it's way more complicated than what I've been doing and I'm debating on whether or not to go with it or not. I feel good with what I've been doing so I think I may just pick a couple of recipes to try and just go from there ... I'm not craving the heavier foods or even replacement foods.

I don't know if that's because I was just REALLY ready to do something and my stomach, head, and heart are all in aligment or if some people are just different when it comes to being raw.

That said, this week I will be 100% raw .. I'm eliminating those last couple of diet sodas and cleaning out my cupboards and fridge.

I feel goood .. I'm happy. :)

RawkinRobyn

08-18-2007, 02:06 PM

I don't know how I missed this thread. Amazingly I have already been 100% since the 15th. Prior to, I was about 90% (maybe - over a three week period I had 4 sad meals and used a couple of things I thought were raw but found out later were not - still learning). I feel pretty good. I had the headaches for the first 3 days even while not 100% raw. Now my only struggle is tiredness. I'm really looking forword to the extra energy I'll find soon. I've lost a pound and a half since Wednesday the 15th, so I'm happy with that. I probably have not started off the day as well as I should have. I've been at the computer and let time get away from me so I've eaten two pieces of Chocolate Pie with strawberries and bananas on top for breakfast and have not eaten anything else yet. The pie is so amazingly yummy - I can't believe it's raw and vegan. I got the recipe for the chocolate part from The Raw Table - it's her chocolate pudding recipe. Every recipe I've tried from Anna's site has been delicious. I do tend to try allot of recipes because I enjoy creating new dishes and letting my husband try them (he's still SAD, but is eating better - more of these dishes I've made, and he is really supportive. He even called me last night from Wal-Mart and asked if I minded if he bought a roasted chicken for himself because he was hungry for meat : ). Anyway, I'll have something green when I get hungry again. I'm looking forward to watching everyone's progress.

Blessings,
Robyn

RawkinRobyn

08-18-2007, 02:09 PM

Oh by the way, I have three children - 13, 9, and 6 who I am trying to convert to raw. The 6 year old is totally on board the other two are not so thrilled. However, I think I made progress when I told them they were having chocolate pie for supper last night!:p

JudyMac

08-19-2007, 04:33 AM

Welcome dalimeindacoconut and RawkinRobyn! :D

Tali, you are doing well. I've got the DVD to, it's good fun! I choose recipes I like from the book, the guided plan is written for those who only want to prep food twice a week, and I like fresh daily. Other than deserts of course ;)
I have found that I don't like some recipes but that is just difference in taste, I'm sure I like some that others do not. The chocolate mouse is superb, and you can always freeze a portion for 'ice cream'.

rawr, I used the recipe in Alissa's book, but substituted cashew and macadamia butter and milk. If you make your own milk, try replacing the water with fresh orange juice for chocolate orange mousse, YUM! :)

puffysmom, how are you doing?

I am sorry I didn't post yesterday, I am processing STUFF at the moment, and didn't want to drag you all down with me.

Have a Rawking Sunday, and I'll read you all soon! :D

Courtney

08-19-2007, 05:18 AM

Hi all!

I'm in this with you guys, too. I'm in Siberia (Novosibirsk) and can't get Alissa's book (unless it is available as an e-book?). Dehydrators aren't for sale here.....BUT today I bought a blender made in Austria.

I am having my first green smoothie as we "speak." I threw in parsley, bananas, raspberries, grapes, radish greens, and.....oops!......horseradish greens (those are pungent--watch out). Selection of greens is limited here. Broccoli and spinach don't grow well here.

That said, this tastes fantastic! I have a tingly buzz already! I've been raw for 7 days and running every day. Already I notice that I'm sleeping better.

It really helps to have this forum to keep me committed. Thanks!

Courtney

JudyMac

08-19-2007, 12:00 PM

tali

08-19-2007, 01:01 PM

Howdy all!

I was up a pound from my sushi experiment and have since gone back down. I'm thinking that I won't be doing that all that often ...

Overall, doing good. Yesterday I made the banana papaya pudding and it was pretty tasty.

I really want to make the banan cream pie but fear that I'll have to get a coconut open in order to use the coconut for it. *G* I'm NOT looking forward to that.

What else .. this morning I made the Sunny Spread from the Boutenko books as a filler for my nori and other veggies. I made it flavored as I would for tuna and I'm getting that tuna vibe from it. I'm enjoying it quite a lot.

My brother, the generous person he is, said he'd drink the green smoothies. I can just deliver them to him every morning. Wow. What a sweetheart. *G* He gave me fruit/veg money so I will be making him smoothies in the morning in addition to mine. He really needs to eat better and I think that getting these into him regularly will help him to feel better.

I'm feeling pretty good. My dreams have been particularly vivid and I'm working stuff out in my head as I sleep and I wake up on the edge of a great revelation and I can never remember what it is. I have had similar aspects of this dream the past 4 days and I'm anxious to figure out what is going on.

So what did I eat yesterday ..

Green smoothie with dandelion greens, banana, and kiwi (I think)
one avocado
papaya banana pudding
apple with cashew butter
cabbage salad (from Boutenko book)
guacamole with red bell pepper
2 diet sodas (*sigh*)

I felt like I was eating constantly in the evening but I think it's because I pushed off hunger a lot earlier in the day instead of eating.

It's hard to make up hunger once you've gone past it.

Today's food:

Green smoothie with cabbage, baby romaine, blueberries, banana, and frozen mango.

Rest of the day should be:
nori rolls (sunny spread, avocado cabbage, yellow bell pepper)
apple with almond butter
nectarine

I may have a green smoothie for dinner, depending on how I feel.

Phew, long post ..

Tali

KissyKate

08-19-2007, 08:39 PM

Hi everyone!

Please add me to the group! I am now on Day 9 of this wonderful journey!!

I'm feeling great!! Started out trying to follow all of the recipes and whatnots in the book, but felt overwhelmed, now I'm just eating as simply as I feel like!!

And I'm loving it!!

tali

08-19-2007, 09:02 PM

Welcome! I'm also on Day 9. :)

I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed, I know the idea behind it is sound but it was just too much for me too. I'm doing good with my simple eating.

Authenticme

08-19-2007, 11:04 PM

I have to go all the way. I slipped on friday and I'm still slipping. I can go 100% for at least 30 days! Count me in!

Courtney

08-20-2007, 06:41 AM

Hi Courtney :D
My best friend Tania is a Russian, also from Siberia, small world! I don't think Alissa's book is available as an ebook. Why not email her to find out? Email her at alissa@alissacohen.com, you may be giving her a new idea!

Today has been ok after last night. The headache has virtually disappeared.

Food today:
banana
gazpacho soup with salsa and aioli
avocado salad
pumpkin pie with banana ice cream

Drinks
green smoothies
carrot and beet juice
apple and lemon juice
lots of water

45 minutes weight training
3 mile dog walk

Have a fab evening everyone!

Thanks, Judymac!

I could do a great Russian translation. Thanks for Alissa's address.

Girl, your menu has got me salivating! I don't have the book and all those fancy recipes, so yesterday I just had 2 smoothies and a salad, plus did weight training (30-40 minutes) and running (40 minutes). All that fiber really fills me up! I'm worried, because I bought A LOT of veggies and fruits, and I'm afraid they might go bad if I don't eat them more quickly. I suppose I could do a juice fast for a few days, then freeze the pulp, and then make smoothies from the pulp. (It might get rather boring, though!).

I would loooooove to see your recipe for "gazpacho soup with salsa and aioli." Sounds delish!

Courtney

flipinwild

08-20-2007, 08:28 AM

I am glad I found this thread, I always seem to miss the beginning of the monthers :p so today is the 20th and i have struggled with going RAW but i know today is the day.
I love fruit, especially watermelon, and vegey salads with sweet white corn, tomatoes, zuchiini and spicy peppers. i do seem to have a harder time around dinner so i will welcome any suggestions. i havent gotten Alissas book nor do i have a dehydrator but come the 7th i will be getting my vita-mix :D and start doing green smoothies.
And not that it matters because happiness comes from the inside but i also have about 80 lbs to loose and i look forward to releasing those as weel as gaining extreme energy.
So I look forward to hearing all of your encouraging stories.

puffysmom

08-20-2007, 09:42 AM

It is good to see that I am not the only one who is having a problem with 100% Raw. I did it before but just cannot get into the stream of it. I am not eating bad foods just not all Raw. I know it will happen but i need to get more things in the house so i can make more stuff. I have dehydrated quite a few recipes that r suppose to taste like this or that but they dont. I either remember how some Sad foods taste or i make them wrong. I dont know but one thing i have to admit a weakness for is a Raw yummy. I don't know who posted it but someone posted a recipe for Raw Fudge. It did not come out as it should cause i did not have a blender that could mix it well enough but it was still the best fudge raw or sad i ever ate. I need to make more but putting it off as I am afraid it might put weight on that I am trying to lose. I have 40-50#s to lose yet. I have to order online most of what i need cause the only thing our local health food store carries is dried fruit that is coated and I will not eat that. To me that is not healthy so they should not carry it.

I have to find an old recipe. It is a dip i make. I got it from here originally and dont even remember what was in it aside of ground up nuts but it was so tasty. I put my own spices in and used to dip raw veggies in it. Then i decided that i was eating to much and gave up on it but i think if i make it again it will be easier to stick with Raw. I know it will be.

NOt drinking enough water. It is cool and rainy here and so my liquid intake is cut way back as is my walking. I do a walking program with our church and have been putting on many more miles than originally set out for but so have a lot of others. Well with it being nasty out I dont get any amount of exercise in. Am going to go shopping today and get a lot of walking in that way. Go out of my way and walk and walk even though i dont need that much. I have to do this to keep my blood pressure down and lose weight.

Tali.....it is more important for u to give up those diet sodas than even staying stickly Raw. i have no idea if it is made with aspartame or some other alternative sweetner but I do know that aspartame is so bad. Both my son and I can no longer ingest it without major negative results. The worse thing is they r putting it into regular foods that one does not know about. U have to almost read every label of anything u want to buy and i put more away on the shelves than what i buy. U can do it. Find an alternative. Get some flavored teas and mix them. I know a lot of people cannot drink green tea and i dont like it either but i have several cups a day. I use a large mug and usually it ends up being a total of 2 cups in that one mug. I drink a detox tea a couple of times a day so have a bag of green tea and a bag of detox tea, then i have the green with maybe camomille which is delicious. I use Stevia for sweetening which takes a while to get used to and also to get the right amount right. To much and it is bitter. Give it a try. Even cold tea would be better than the diet soda.

Ok. Enough. Got to finish my green smoothie and get to doing something and then go to the store. Most of u r doing good so now i have to do the same. I prob should not even post here as i dont do strickly raw but do do some steamed veggies. The good thing is I like my veggies half cooked so that is a plus but i dont do this often so am moslty Raw. It is easier to eat them Raw anyway.
Have a Great Day all.

JudyMac

08-20-2007, 03:33 PM

Welcome aboard flipinwild, Authenticme and KissyKate, post when you can, eat as near to 100% Raw as you can, and hey if you slip up, so what, just start again, we're here!

Tali, I agree those soda's are your personal thing for getting rid of now, especially if they are diet / lite! I know too much about aspartame to even go there...ukkk. You are doing great, just keep on going!

Puffysmom, that dip sounds interesting, do share. Everyone struggles at first, if they say 'no' they must be saints! It's just like the change from meat to vegetarian, some are quick others need a cross over. Nothing wrong with that.

Courtney, I'll dig up that recipe for you and post it here. Can you get sauerkraut or kimchee (chinese style sauerkraut), Tanya said it was available, and the Russian one is RAW. Try wrapping it with some bean sprouts in a rice pancake (dried, you hydrate with water) and nama shoyu dipping sauce. Other Chinese / Japanese products include Shoyu, Tamari, and Ume-so look for the unpasteurised ones.

rawr, how's it going lass?

Today was good, but a bit piggy...all small portions though. :)

Food:
Fruit salad and chopped nuts
Mung bean and cashew chow mein with zuchinni noodles
Pumpkin pie
Avocado salad
'cheese', beet and cucumber sandwich

Drinks:
Carrot, apple and lemon juice
Green smoothies

I also have a question for you, I tried to help someone with a question on the boards today. They cited something I knew as a professional to be untrue. I tried to give them the real deal and was told I was flaming them! Are we not allowed to state the truth here? Or am I having a bad red-head day?!? I could be having a foot in mouth day, they do happen, and I feel bad that she took it that way.

I would like everyone on this thread to know that I may be blunt sometimes, but I am there for you. I will give you a hug when you need it and a kick up the jacksy if you want it! I also expect the same from you, mutual support and honesty.

tali

08-20-2007, 03:45 PM

JudyMac - I think your answer was very informative, but since I deal with forums and users all day I read things differently that others. Maybe next time don't say, "that article was good for a laugh" and it would have come across as less inflammatory and more credible.

Overall though, very interesting post ...

Today I've been hungry and I hate when I get that way because I didn't bring enough food with me and am trying to stretch what I've got. I did grab more fruit from the kitchen which is a blessing.

I did give up sodas today and so far am feeling fine. I mostly enjoy them because they are different than water. I get tired of drinking water even though I like drinking water I just want something different. I generally drink mineral water to help that situation as well ..

I think the soda will help with the weight loss too. I'm also looking at stopping taking my Metformin (for PCOS) but don't know if I'll do that yet.

JudyMac

08-20-2007, 04:02 PM

Tali, Definitely a foot in mouth day! :( you are quite right I should have been more diplomatic...I just hate technobabble, but that is no excuse. I have been impolite, I think I'll go and apologise.

Way to go on the diet sodas! YAY! :D

RawkinRobyn

08-20-2007, 05:05 PM

Courtney

08-22-2007, 08:02 AM

JudyMac - I read your garlic post and I did not find it offensive at all. Unfortunately, anthing that is written can be taken in whatever fashion the reader decides to take it. My take was that you were debating the article, not the poster.

I'm still doing well with 100% raw. Yesterday I had a green smoothie with spinach, kale, chard, mango and banana with a sprinkle of cinnamon and clove for breakfast - yum. I had to be at the football field at noon (I'm team photographer for my son's football club which includes 4 different age groups of boys - freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior - all 12 and under), and was there until 8:00PM (4 games). I took a cooler with Nori wraps (cashew/tahini mixture, carrots, avo, cucumber, and romaine) and some coleslaw (Anna's recipe from The Raw Table). I drank a quart of fresh coconut water and lots of water while there in the high 90's heat. I actually survived quite well even with running back and forth from one side of the field to the other. I didn't eat anything when I came home, just took a quick look at my shots, showered and hit the sack by 10:00PM.

Today, I've had banana, blueberry, and blackberries. I also made the Tuna Salad from Carol Alt's Eating in the Raw and wrapped it in romaine leaves for lunch. I'm starting to feel hungry now, so I guess I'll go make a smoothie.

Oh and by the way - I lost another pound - yeah! All though, it's probably just fluid I sweated out yesterday.:p

All the best,
Robyn

Hi y'all.

You're all doing great.

Me? Still going raw here in Siberia, but feeling hungry. Gosh, you guys are mentioning all this exotic Asian stuff....It just ain't available here. There is NO specialized health store here. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but if there is, it would have to consist of very expensive, imported stuff. (So far I've been saving money going raw).

Most Russians are carnivores, smokers, and drinkers. Seriously. There are no "no smoking" buildings that I've seen, and even hospitals bend the rules. I can't even run in the forest-park without inhaling cigarette smoke, because people sauntering along the trails are smoking. Even the little old ladies selling their hone-grown veggies and fruits say "Ya liubliu MIASO" (I love meat!) when I ask them if they're vegetarian.

Today, for some reason, I've been feeling hungry only 1-2 hours after eating. What's up with that? Is it because veggies/fruits digest more quickly than meat? Or is my metabolism speeding up? So far I had a big green smoothie and then a big salad for lunch.

Oh, and - not to get too graphic here - I've been pooping something like 3-5 times a day. I'm totally serious. Is there any danger to pooping so often? Maybe I should be adding more water to these smoothies? Mine have been pretty fibrous....

Courtney

tali

08-22-2007, 09:59 AM

Hi guys -

I'm doing good over here in California.I've gotten my brother on the green smoothies in the morning. He comes to my door this morning calling out, "wakey wakey it's time for my shakey!" *giggles*

Two days ago I decided to give up the soda and I made it two full days, then last night I went out with friends and had two large diet sodas with my salad. I also had ranch dressing on my salad and it was so tasty. I don't find I crave these things once I have them ...

I tried the nori wraps and they just smelled way fishier than I was able to handle and they got soft from the spread (the Boutkeno Sunny Spread) and that made them hard for me to chew comfortably. I consider a loss but I'll just stick with collard or cabbage wraps and I think I'll be just fine. :)

Courtney - I don't think it's a problem. Your body is cleansing itself and eliminating the junk. Make sure though that you keep up on water to keep you hydrated, the fruits and veggies help but water is good too. When I have times like that I add celtic sea salt to my water for the extra minerals.

BTW: I'm down 8lbs in the last 13 days. :)

Tali

Courtney

08-23-2007, 07:39 AM

:)
Hi guys -

I'm doing good over here in California.I've gotten my brother on the green smoothies in the morning. He comes to my door this morning calling out, "wakey wakey it's time for my shakey!" *giggles*

Two days ago I decided to give up the soda and I made it two full days, then last night I went out with friends and had two large diet sodas with my salad. I also had ranch dressing on my salad and it was so tasty. I don't find I crave these things once I have them ...

I tried the nori wraps and they just smelled way fishier than I was able to handle and they got soft from the spread (the Boutkeno Sunny Spread) and that made them hard for me to chew comfortably. I consider a loss but I'll just stick with collard or cabbage wraps and I think I'll be just fine. :)

Courtney - I don't think it's a problem. Your body is cleansing itself and eliminating the junk. Make sure though that you keep up on water to keep you hydrated, the fruits and veggies help but water is good too. When I have times like that I add celtic sea salt to my water for the extra minerals.

BTW: I'm down 8lbs in the last 13 days. :)

Tali

Hey Tali and other fellow 30-dayers!

First, congrats on the weight loss, Tali! Hey, just be thankful you can even get "Nori wraps" and stuff. I lived in Mountain View, Calif. for two years (on a Stanford fellowship) before I came to Russia, by the way. Visited San Jose a few times. California rocks!

I, too, just noticed this morning the scale reads "49 kilograms". Down from 50. I'm not really trying to lose weight, just to get healthier and lose all addictions. By the way, with scales in kilograms it takes for-evah to register any weight loss, 'cuz kilograms are more than pounds. Ugh.

My current green smoothie is more orangie than usual. Try this: 3 peaches, carrot pulp, parsley, red grapes. Mmmm....beta carotene!

For some reason I'm not feeling as hungry today. I had one green smoothie this morning and now this orange smoothie, and it's already early evening.
Is it the case that, eventually, when we replace junk food with totally raw healthy food, our bodies are getting all the vitamins they need and thus need less food to feel satisfied?

Courtney

JudyMac

08-25-2007, 05:25 AM

Morning everyone!
I've been absent due to lack of internet, our telephone line came down in the gale the other night.

Are you all Rawing along?

The last few days have been rough, I can not claim to have eaten 100% RAW, as I had a naughty moment. That's life I'm moving on from that, and starting again. Oh, and yes it did taste aweful!

Tali, you are doing so well! Any tips for the rest of us?

Courtney, it may take a while to show a loss of a kilo, but look on the bright side, your original weight would also look so much less! I too, use metric measurements, but luckily my scales have a flip switch, so I can see my weight as lbs or kg.

Favourite meal this week:
Eggplant and Not Meat stack, runner beans in apple and sesame sauce and zuchinni spaghetti in an arrabiata sauce. Lots of small tastes, yummy!

So far today:
fruit muesli, green smoothies, carrot and avocado soup...

Catch you all later!

tali

08-25-2007, 11:30 AM

Hi all -

Down 11lbs in 16 days! I'm happy about that. I've had days where I've gone up, days where I've stayed the same, and days where I went down a half pound but it's all good to me.

I'm a big fan of the green smoothies. If you aren't drinking them then I recommend that you start. It really helps the body transition and get the nutrition that you need.

If you are having cravings, then run to the nearest fridge and blender and make one. They will seriously help with the cravings and dealing with all the other foods.

I attribute most of my success on being raw to those smoothies.

I eat very simply. I have made a couple things from Alissa's book but only the super easy ones like banana papaya pudding. She uses a lot of nuts which I like but don't want to buy at this point and I also don't have a dehydrator.

I realized that simple was the best way for me to go.

I do live alone so I don't have to deal with the pressures of husbands, children, etc, all wanting "regular" food.

I always have food with me which is another key to success. I make sure I've always got at least a Lara bar or nuts in my purse and I keep a lunchbag with me even if I'm just running a quick errand. The food is security and I know that if I've got the food I won't get hungry and decide that this is an "emergency" and I have to eat something not raw.

Try to eat on time too .. if you get hungry, eat within 5-10 minutes *the sooner the better* -- don't wait and put it off or it'll get worse, you'll feel worse, and you are doing more harm than good with your body. The longer you don't feed yourself the more your body thinks it isn't going to get food and the potential to hold onto fat increases just in case you do start starving it. If you feed it well and feed it on time your body will love you and easily let go of unecessary fat. It will also start requiring food less often but you still need to ensure you feed it right and on time, even if you need less of it else you start the cycle over. :)

Overall though, my body just agreed with my head that this was the way to go and I've had amazing cooperation from my body in this process. To be honest, it's been easy for me ... I hesitate to say that lest I jinx the whole process *G* but honestly, SAD food has no appeal to me at this point.