Jan 20 - Day 20

[Aleesha Sattva]

Welcome welcome welcome!!!

Welcome to the 30 day challenge.

If you haven't already... please take a moment to read the posting rules/guidelines (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/announcement.php?a=3) of this section. Thanks!


Welcome to the Monthly Raw Challenge!

We're excited about this new area of the forum that is specifically for those of you who are eager to commit to a month of eating 100% raw foods and seeing miraculous results!

WE (one of the moderators) will start a new challenge thread on the first of every month.

We want the focus of these monthly challenge threads to be on staying raw and accountability. Therefore, if you have eaten all raw and then slip up and have something cooked, we don’t want you to beat yourself up over it or dwell on it, but this is not space to discuss it. You are more than welcome to document it in your journal/blog or ask for help in the discussion area, but it is not necessary (and not allowed) to discuss your slip-up here in the challenge threads, just get right back on track and keep going!

In the event that you feel you are not quite ready to fully commit to the challenge and you find yourself having slip-ups often, then please join us again during the following month. Of course you are still more than welcome to participate on other parts of the forum, but we would really like to keep this section dedicated to those who are committed to doing 30 days 100% raw.

Peace, Blessings and Warmest Regards,

Cherie

[EscapeArtist]

Okay, PHEW!
I'm baaaack
Hello! Looking forward to seeing familiar faces/avatars
...
Updates!
I have fallen off of the raw wagon now for.. 21 days! Ahhh! That's long enough to re-inforce the habit fully again. I even began to eat dairy again when I am lactose intolerant, this was like a rock bottom for me because all of the mental problems that raw seemed to solve returned with a vengeance! Even my younger sister has seen the difference in me since going back to cooked food (a very negative difference), which she disclosed with my mother. My counselor today told me that she saw the difference! She said I seemed more out of it, more hesitant, and a lot more unsure.

I have put on weight since going back to cooked (5 pounds is a LOT for 21 days! Thank you return-of-emotional-eating-monster...) and am at the point of being FED UP, so purposely, I have also put myself at a cross-road.

My social anxiety makes me a very isolated and avoidant person. Being raw, I feel this completely reverse and instead I feel a strong yearning to be around people, even GROUPS of people... I have almost no anxiety in public and I always seem to have words to say which is unlike me.

So what I've done to put myself at a cross-road is arranged to go to an eco-village (There is going to be one raw member, and the members have previously been raw so it will be slightly easier than going raw while isolated as I am). The catch is that I need to go raw and exercise, take care of myself, before I go so that I will have the sense of empowerment to not feel miserably anxious and detached in a community of strangers. I want to use this opportunity to re-connect socially with people, and I am ready to go raw so that I can take full advantage of it. I told the eco-village the day I am thinking of going there and am booking a flight out, this experience is of course not just to go raw but to find spiritual, social, and physical empowerment.

Looking back on my last raw-trial, I believe it took me around 3 weeks to begin to see a social difference and a feeling of well being. Because of this, I have planned to give myself 3 weeks before I ship myself out. The fire under my ass to finally start taking charge is knowing that if I don't, I won't feel comfortable in this wonderful opportunity to explore the life I wish to have... That is all the motivation I need, and I'm proud of myself for giving myself this drive to finally get my life back.

:)

[Jeannie]

Escapeartist: You did a very brave thing to open up your heart the way you did, I wish you love, happiness and success in your journey.

Todays raw day went very well! Had an early morning walk, and when I got home I made a banana, papaya and baby pak choi smoothie. The colour was not good...lol.... but it tasted okay
grapes
cucumber and half a pomegranate
macadamia nuts
snacked on a bit of eggplant bacon
dinner was zucchini fettucine with a tomato, onion and parsley sauce

[tvillemom]

I have been doing great on RAW! I know I haven't posted like I should, but I feel great!
For instance:
Last night my family ate at church. They always eat at church on Wednesday night. I was absolutely STARVED by the time I got home. DH had to stop at Walmart to get a money order for work and I ran over and got some cauliflower, walnuts, mushrooms to add to my salad. When I got home, I marinated the mushrooms, chopped the cauli, put some salad greens in a bowl, sprinkled on some hemp seeds, added the mushrooms, cauli. and raw dressing and YUMMMM, YUMMMM, YUMMMMM!!! It was the BEST salad I have ever eaten. Well, probably not, but I was so hungry and I was ABSOLUTELY SO PROUD OF MYSELF NOT TO CAVE IN AND EAT SOMETHING NON-RAW!!!

Today I have had some raw pistachios, almonds, cashews, pumpkins seeds all mixed up. I snacked on them while DD and I went to the grocery store. Pretty soon I am going to eat some...???? not sure, maybe some zuchini noodles with some pesto. I am gonna make some pesto out of evoo, walnuts, basil, spinach, squeeze of lemon....then I'll taste it and see.

I AM REALLY ENJOYING THIS RAW LIFE, THIS MONTH...THIS YEAR!!!! I AM GONNA MAKE IT 365 DAYS....I AM :D

[imaquillen]

Today's menu:

green tea/water
banana, kiwi, apple, orange
cheez-its
eggless "egg" salad in avos and coleslaw

Seems like I ate more, but maybe not, lol. I've been spending hours doing my school work and getting ready for tests.
Everyone keep staying raw, we're over half way done!
Amber

[imaquillen]

This was my dinner, hope it comes through.

[changeisgood]

Imaquillen - I'd love the recipie for the eggless egg salad and coleslaw - sounds like its right up my alley! and the pic looked delich!

B - juiced oranges and grapefruit - I missed having an old tradition in our home!
lunch - sweet potato with soaked dates and raisins. a little agave. It was good but I sure missed the pecans (don't eat nuts) so I added some shredded coconut to satisfy my desire. But it needed something different to chew on with the sweet potato.
D- went out to eat with hubby, so didn't do too well. looking forward to tomorrow and gobbling up fresh greens and fruit.

Next month can't get too soon - I'll be getting a dehydrator and be able to get creative.

[imaquillen]

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=54460&highlight=eggless+salad

Here's the link for the eggless egg salad recipe. I made half a recipe which was just enough for me, I had 3 meals out of that and that's enough for me without getting tired of it. I forgot and added the full amount for the dill and it ended up too salty for me. FYI dill weed can be used as a salt substitute, in case anyone didn't know that. I used this more in a wrap with lettuce, spinach and tomatoes. Today I added a few sunflower seeds to the top, for some crunch, and it was good every time.

[Namaste Mama]

Struggling today.

Larabar
Pear
Energy Soup

And a couple SAD potatoes cut into sticks.......:( UGGH my husband tempts me so. Well ok he dose not really tempt me, but smelling his food dose!

[cattail]

Struggling today.

Larabar
Pear
Energy Soup

And a couple SAD potatoes cut into sticks.......:( UGGH my husband tempts me so. Well ok he dose not really tempt me, but smelling his food dose!

Temptation helpers:

1. Eat more. You can even try to over-eat raw - a nice bit of nut-dip and a stack of carrots will fill you up nicely. (Think 1 - 1.5 cups of nut-dip and about 5 full-size peeled fresh carrots. Cooked stuff tends toward salt or sugar flavored. If you are craving it, make your raw food lean toward one of those too. Give your raw food "strong" flavors - garlic, lemon/lime, cayenne, jalapeno, lots of herb seasoning, dates/agave/honey. Your taste will adjust and you'll need less eventually. Try some raw recipes.

2. Exercise. It does 2 things - improves your mood and makes you realize what eating unhealthy will cost you in calories and energy.

3. Get a calendar. Each day you get to the end and have made raw, write it in. There appear to be several raw-motivational calendars about. I got this one: http://www.rawbeautycalendar.com/ (PG-Rating, excellent art). I'm also tracking weight and exercise on mine, which makes it interesting - I see little/no change day to day, but compared to 2 weeks ago, it's amazing.

[changeisgood]

Did I miss something - I coulda sworn today was the 21st.
Here goes anyway:
delicious humungous fruit & romaine smoothie for breakfast
for lunch a delicous spinach salad with the sweet potato casserole and other salad stuff - Oh, and sprouted sunflower seeds (yep, they came out great for my first try)
and for dinner string beans with lemon and slivers of almond and the last of the sweet potato casserole
dessert 3 hrs later - kiwi, blueberries, dried coconut, squirt of agave