Will start 100% raw on Sunday, help!

[maddbovine]

OK, I have reserved tons of books at the library but I don't have any yet. I have been doing online research too. I am committed to a 30 day 100% raw diet for the month of March.

Here are my questions

What should I expect to feel like? I have been eating 90% vegan for over a year now.

Will I be able to participate in the activities I am used to? running, swimming, and most importantly my long runs (10-20 miles). I am starting on a Sunday so it is the day after my long run so I figure I will have the most time to recover by Saturday.

When will I start to feel good?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[mel_s12]

Expect to feel amazing!!!

.... You may experience detox symptoms for a while. It's really different with everybody. But you will love it!

And yes, you can do everything you normally do. Raw is actually the best for athletic performance.

[Rawling]

online recipes will help. . I make my salad dressings out of cashews garlic and other things. personally this is the best ive had. its called caesar i believe but doesnt tast like it. now ill use a light italian dressing and some bites of salad ill just throw a cashew or 2 in my mouth at the same time.

I really doubt any detox symptoms will hinder any physical activities you are already maintaing. you may get a headache or someting that wont last long. just drink enough water so it will flush out the bad stuff. the faster you flush it out the less detox symptoms you may have.

[spicyfull]

You will Feel and L@@k like a NEW Person. So sit back and leave the Driving to RAW.

[Colorawdo girl]

You go !!! Full speed ahead.Hooooray we are cheering for you.You might feel great most of the time.Everyone has their own experience however.Living food is amazing.

[cz213]

Good luck and we are here to support you!

[Veganforlife]

Good luck getting started. You will feel how your body is gonna feel. Hate to be so vague, but every BODY is so different. That's why when docs issues conventional meds? It amazes me how one dose is okay for this 250 pound mand and the same dose for this 150 woman! ::shakes head::

Anyway, getting back to you...sorry...since you have been almost 100% Vegan for a year, you should do fairly well. I would say try your exercises. If you feel you cannot do it, then don't. Tune in and listen to your body. It will let you know.

Keep it simple. Don't go gourmet right off the bat. Smoothies, green ones and fruit ones - incorporate these. Water - lots of it, if you don't already drink it. Rest when you need to. Move when you need to. Be positive.

I too was (sort of) freaking wondering what I would feel like, you know headaches and all since I had them my entire life? But surprisingly the next day after going 100% raw I felt amazing. First my skin, then my sleep, then my mental clarity. It's a process. Like Revvell says, "Trust the process"...

[nellie]

Good luck! I've been vegan for a little over a year and I tried doing raw days a few times in the past but just failed and thought I just couldn't follow a raw diet but I've being doing high raw (some 100% raw days) for the past couple weeks and I haven't had too many issues. I have some unexplained muscle pain but thats pretty much it. I fall asleep very quickly now and sleep more peacefully. Its pretty amazing.

[freshlight]

Welcome to raw :D You might start feeling SO good that you wouldn't want to go back anymore.

[gritsnla]

Maybe visit the Exercise Forum here. I believe that there may be something on running and raw. Good luck!

[maddbovine]

I appreciate all the encouragement. I got a book last night at the book store (Alissa's book wasn't there) and I have some others at the library that my DH is picking up tonight. I don't think Alissa's is in yet. I am a little overwhelmed by all the recipes. I don't want things to be complicated and I know they don't have to be but I also want to enjoy my food.

I don't have a dehydrator (acutally sold it on CL about a year ago after never using it! OOPS) I don't have a vitamix (but i frequently drool over them in magazines) I just have a blender and food processor. We are on a very limited budget. If I have $50 to spend on something, what should it be? I was looking at a spiral slicer so I could make pasta out of zucchini but there are mixed reviews about the ones available and I don't know if I will get my money's worth. I am a stay at home mom so I have plenty of time to prepare food at home during the day.

Are there any simple (not requiring fancy equipment) recipes that will get me through the first month? I love salads and plan on eating mixed greens, avocado, veggies and nuts on salads for breakfast and dinner and making a smoothie for breakfast.

Any additional tips are much appreciated. Sorry so needy!

[Thick]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/hsh/1045551324.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/hsh/1046140985.html

When I first went raw I had some really strange emotional detox from 15 year old heartbreaks that I buried.

My advice? Don't get too hungry. Prepare things you like ahead of time. There are a lot of recipes I dont care for--but I can now read a recipe and tell if I'm going to like it. There's a learning curve. In the beginning you'll try any old chocolate cake recipe...

My current favorites--
sweet--almonds pulsed in fp stirred into chocolate dip to make a nutty candy. The dip is coconut oil/cacao/honey/salt/vanilla. Honey stirred into cocoa makes a very milk chocolately texture--i just add the other stuff now too. Its good with cherries and strawberries too.

salty-walnuts and raisins with salt, avacado with salt, salty salad

creamy-- snowdrop's ranch dressing on cucumbers or salad, spinach banana smoothie

spicy- avacado/cilantro/jalapeno/garlic/salt/lime smoothie, marinated portobello fajitas

hearty- http://www.rawfreedomcommunity.info/forum/showthread.php?t=2824 snowdrop's cheezy corn chowder it is so filling and great-- i love this and improvise with it often

frozen- frozen grapes are so good, like little ice creams--also banana pieces in aforementioned chocolate sauce and rolled in ground almonds then frozen


My favorite things come and go--I write them down in a notebook so I dont forget them after Im tired of them.

Have a good time going raw=) Don't forget to be loving towards yourself=)

[maddbovine]

Those recipes were exactly what I was looking for!! I got The Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw and they have a meal plan for 4 weeks 100% raw but most of the recipes require a juicer and dehydrator. I am looking for simple satisfying things to eat to keep me going. That chocolate sauce sounds like a lifesaver!

I just got back from the natural food store and got raw cocoa, raw nuts, raw honey and raw coconut. Hopefully that will keep me satisfied.

I checked out the CL listings but Ocean Shores is way too far to drive for the dehyrator and I am a little concerned about buying such an old blender. Also after my stocking up trip to the market and health food store, I spent $100 so I better hold back!

Thanks

[maddbovine]

OK, that almond cocoa and honey mix sounds good, what are the ratios? I am sure it is simple but I just don't want to mess it up or waste any of my precious raw food.
Thanks

[Bananna]

If you're hooked on caffiene, grains or other processed junk, except to get some headaches and mood swings as your body deals with the necessary biochemical adjustments.

Otherwise, largely what you expect is what you're going to create. Emotionally, psychologically, how easy it is, how much weight you will lose, etc.

Also, I recommend a focus on the fruit and veggies and sidelining the nuts, fats, dehydrated and gourmet to times when you just need to feel special.

[daisygrrrl]

I have been checking out books from the library for weeks now, mentally visualizing if I could do this at all. All after reading the Jason Mraz interview in Vegetarian times. I am tryin to work up the guts to commit to 30 days 100% raw for March. I am pretty sure I can do it. I just got a Blendtec blender which is a lot like a vitamix, off of ebay. It was a demo model, but shipped it was $289. Works great and I am super addicted to the Chocolate Banana shakes in Real Food, Real World. It's replaced my coffee and I love, love love it.

i wish you all the luck in the world to reach your goal.

[Thick]

OK, that almond cocoa and honey mix sounds good, what are the ratios? I am sure it is simple but I just don't want to mess it up or waste any of my precious raw food.
Thanks

I haven't measured but I'll tell you what I do. Make sure your cocoa/cacao is powdery. Stir in honey with a whisk or fork. At first, it will seem like the honey cannot absorb all the cacao, but keep stirring until it does. I'll go make some and measure real quick (anything for you haha)..ok I'm back and equal amounts is the answer and heres the picture--

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo106/rawfoodpic/DSC_5673.jpg

Just keep stirring=) This picture is only cocoa and honey, but you can add coconut oil, salt and vanilla, too.

[Thick]

Oh and to make it almond candy..I just pulse a cup or two of almonds and stir it in. You cant mess it up--it will either be gooey and chocolatey and wet--or drier and crunchier. You can roll it into balls or form it into squares or cookies, but I usually eat it with a spoon like really rich ice cream.

Bananna is right of course that you should focus on eating mostly fresh fruits and vegetables and greens=) It's nice to have this just in case, too=) It's also good for convincing sad people that your food is not all gross, you are not anorexic an that you are not depriving yourself=)

[maddbovine]

Thick -Thanks for the ratios and photo. I did some experimenting too. I ate it last night with raw cashews. It was good to have a treat since I didn't really like my garden vegetable soup last night.

I think I will get the hang of this. I am trying to eat mostly whole fruits and veggies, although I got a juicer off craigslist last night and I can't wait to get to the market to buy some granny smith apples so i can make apple lemonade!

I also snacked on almonds and sesame seeds mixed with some honey. it was really yummy! Wow it sounds like all I am eating is nuts and honey (not the case)

thanks for the tips. I am on day 2 100% raw!!
Lindy