May 2012 - 30 Day Challenge - Join at any time of the month!

[Aleesha Sattva]

Welcome welcome welcome!!! :excited:

Welcome to the 30 day challenge and welcome to our new monthly format.

This is our monthly challenge thread. We are choosing to do one (or perhaps split into two) continual threads so we can create a community of support within this challenge. You can join this thread at any time during the month. Don't be shy... we love new posters!!! So if you want to join us... please do!

I welcome people who are already 100% raw to join in the conversation - supporting our challengers in their quest! :cheer:

This thread is specifically for those of you who are eager to commit to 30 consecutive days of eating 100% raw foods and seeing miraculous results!

I will start a new challenge thread on the first of every month. If I forget... send me a quick email and remind me... I'll get the challenge thread online for you quickly.

The focus of the monthly challenge is on staying raw and accountability. Therefore, if you have eaten all raw and then slip up and have something cooked, don't 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! This thread is about celebrating what you are eating that IS raw!

I welcome you all to share pics of your dishes, ask questions, share what you are consuming (as long as it's raw). We are here to listen to your emotional and physical challenges. So share share share!!! :hug

OH and the best part of this (not only the support but...) you can subscribe to this thread and get notified every time someone posts to it. This way you will be connected!

So let's get this party started!!!:throwhearts:

[Aleesha Sattva]

Please do not post in this thread until the 1st of May

[simplydebra]

Well....today is May 1st. I plan on starting the challenge today.

[zippygonzallez]

I'm in!!
This is my first time going raw, I have been vegan for several months with great success so the idea of going raw is both daunting and extremely exciting!! Here goes nothing!!


CW: 230
GW1:170
GW2:140
FGW:110

[Kcoishmeh]

I second simplydebra! I've been making a slow effort to eat about 70% raw the past week and I'm excited to try going all in for a long period of time. Lets see what happens shall we?

[Mayaya]

I already got my supplies and tomorrow I'm starting the 30 raw challenge.
The only problem is that raw brings out my bad self: I'm going to steal your tried out recipe ideas and daily menus ;)
This will help me keep going without getting bored. See you tomorrowwww! http://www.pic4ever.com/images/rainbowf.gif

[simplydebra]

I went to a place in Houston called My Fit Foods and got some already prepared raw foods to help me start out on the right track. I'm waiting on my VitaMix to come in the mail to help me prep and prepare my own foods at home.

I've never been able to go more than a few days completely raw, so this will certainly be a challenge!

[TheRawPilgrim]

Simplydebra you will LOVE your vitamix! I've had mine for less than a week and already I don't know how I lived without it!!

Started the day off with a mango spinach pudding (with another bowl if it in the fridge for a snack later) and I think my pineapple is just about ripe so for lunch I'm going to have a pineapple/kiwi/pomegranate soup. I'll want more greens today so I'll either make a big green juice or two or I'll have a nice salad for supper.

My eggplant bacon turned out FABULOUS! I put it all in a jar in the fridge (how long can it keep for in there? Does it freeze ok?) and I have some buckwheat flax bread in the D right now, I can't wait to have me a eBLnoT (I don't like raw tomatoes, sacrilege I know :p ) sandwich! Om nom nom!

[Shel]

I don't like tomatoes at all esp. on a sandwhich (of course tomato sauce and all that proc'd stuff is fine) Raw Pilgrim, lol.

Hello everybody! It's day 2 for me and I'm feeling great. I got some good eats today....a nice salad (chopped up snow peas rock in a salad), dill dressing, I made Ani Phyo's pickled cucs recipe and I made a mock tuna to go with my buckwheat "bread." I had a small green smoothie that was leftover from yesterday, a qt of lemon water this morning and kale chips for a snack. I made sure I did a nut type recipe to help get me over the hump the first few days. It's helping tremendously.

Anyway, here's to May! Have a great day everybody! :)

[ncadotte]

I got all prepped last night. Soaked and dehydrated some almonds, made some peppercorn ranch dressing to go with my salad for lunch, and basically just stocked up with fruits and veggies. It's funny, I went to open the dehydrator to put my almonds in, and there was a whole sheet of dehydrated crackers from who knows when?! What a waste. :( They still smelled good, but didn't wanna chance it so they went in the trash. I will be making some new ones shortly.

[RawOlympia]

Hi all! I started my 30 day Raw Challenge at 195 on 4/24 so it's been 1 week. I lost 3.5 lbs last week which doesn't sound like a lot but I had PMS to contend with (period was early by a half week for some reason). Also, I had been dieting for over a month when I started the raw challenge. I was at 208 on 3/20 when I started on food combining (works well to get rid of psoriasis, but so does raw it seems), so I had already lost 13lbs before I rolled straight into the raw challenge.

Sweet corn was on sale today so I'm going to work with that raw corn chowder recipe that I wasn't happy with last week and see if I can't get something worthy of posting tonight. The huge portabello mushroom tops were calling my name so I'm going to work something out with those tomorrow for dinner.

Breakfast: 3 apples spread out over the morning
Lunch: The last of the Kale and Apple salad (recipe was posted in the last week of the April Challenge)
Snack: Chocolate Balls (Recipe was posted in the last week of the April Challenge) and more fruit
Dinner: Corn Chowder and salad

My goal this week is to get more food in. Specifically, cut down on the nuts and up the fruit and greens. I don't know if it was a mental thing with starting the challenge, or that I was sick and PMS'ing last week but I was eating waaaaay too many nuts and not enough fruits and greens so that's the goal for this week.

I also scaled back my weight goal from 130 (which I reached in HS by starving myself) to a much more realistic 145 which wasn't hard to maintain back in the day and allowed me to eat normally.

[tsorenson]

I'm going to start my 100% raw food challenge tomorrow, since I did not start off the day well :-)!! I already have some food prepared. Question, do most of you make your own salads or go ahead and buy the packaged spring mixes or other types of greens? When I attempted raw before, I found making salads was bothersome so I switched to already made up greens and just threw in some cut up veggies. I don't know if I'm being lazy or just prefer to have it already set up for me. do most of yo plan to eat mostly salads or do you take time to make raw meals? I have several raw food uncook books, so maybe I should venture to make something!

Also, one last question! Does anyone know about how much weight can be expected to be lost during this month if someone has a goal to lose 20 - 25 pounds total? Thanks!

[Ashiana]

Starting fresh tomorrow!!

[Kcoishmeh]

Day one is over for me! And wooooow, I'm amazing at how hungry I was. I pretty much snacked all through out the day.

Breakfast was Carrot apple juice, an orange, and a hand-full of raw hazel nuts.
Snacked on some fruit leather and goji berries.
Lunch, a Spinach-banana green smoothie, cauliflower, and some almonds.
Snack, cheezy flax crackers fresh from the dehydrator!
Dinner, a salad with mango dressing, Flax crackers, and more nuts!!

Hm, I'd like to cut back on the nuts ( And get more fruit in there!) in the future but for now I'm going to eat as much as I desire during the transition period. I'm not shooting to lose any weight but rather just feel better- I want that amazing energy rawbies always talk about! (: Ohh, and I'm hoping that the switch to Raw will help clear up some minor acne. I'm a bit afraid of the detox breakout but I'm sure I'll be able to handle it with patience....

Good job everybody, Can't wait for tomorrow!

[robh]

Kcoishmeh, can you give me a link to the cheezy flax cracker recipe?

RawOlympia, I am having issues with raw corn. I've been trying to make dehydrated tortilla chips. The first batch, I put lime juice and a little slat in with the raw corn mix. Then, I thought I added too much acid so I added baking powder until it tasted better. The first batch came out ok (not too bad) but I figured I messed it up so for the second batch I dehydrated just corn (nothing else)... I cannot explain how horrid the second batch was. I went in the trash. Traditionally tortilla dough is soaked with lime (limestone lime, not lemon lime, as I foolishly thought) and then it's cooked. Something in that process does the trick. Anyway, I'm about ready to give up on raw corn. At first it's sweet but it has a weird yuckiness to it. I'm am curious if you can make it work and how. :)

Anyway, back on track, I made it raw through the weekend! My drinking buddy is pretty pissed but I think he'll get over it. I did not cheat at all. Zero cooked food in over a week. This is a pretty big accomplishment for me. I have been "trying" to be raw for a few months now (this is my 3rd 30-day raw challenge thread). I've been hovering around 95%, but that 5% kept causing me to detox every week. Last week, I got tired of it and decided I was done with all the bad stuff.

More good news, I got my wife to try being raw for a week. She started Friday. I am hoping by this coming Friday she gets that euphoric, raw feeling that motivated me to adopt this lifestyle. We shall see. I think she'd just doing it to shut me up. It's worth a shot, though. Having all the cooked food and junk food in the house is hard. If I can get her on my side we can get rid of all that junk and work on getting the kids raw.

As far as my current eating habits, I'm doing a lot of fruit in the mornings. To work, I brought 3 bananas, 3 apples, 3 pears and 1 orange (about 1000 calories). I did the same yesterday and increased my water intake. Last night, I had a salad with Alissa's dressing (good stuff) and bell peppers stuffed with bean sprouts and leftover "cheese" that I spiced up with salsa and red pepper. I also had another banana or two. I only had like 1400 calories but I was full and I think only 10% or so was from fat (the nut cheese). I'm not sure if it was all the water or the high carb / low fat combination but the scale actually moved today. I've been stuck at 270 for weeks and it read 266 this morning (I had to weigh myself multiple times because I didn't believe it). It was probably a fluke, but I'm curious what the scale does tomorrow if I eat the same way today.

Anyway, congrats everyone and keep up the good work.

[TheRawPilgrim]

Started the day with a whole quart of green juice; lemon, apple, cucumber, celery, carrots and romaine lettuce. Yummy

[Shel]

Hey Good People! :excited:

Another start to a grrreeeeeat day thus far. Glad to read your posts. I have a green smoothie too of romaine, banana, baby bok choy, spinach, pineapple, Brazil nut milk and water. It's delish and oh so smoooooth! I have pretty much similar eats that I had yesterday. I'm looking forward to creating something new, especially a few raw sweet treats like cheesecake and brownies. Yummo! Today I have a salad and mock tuna with my buckwheat "bread." That's really hitting the spot! Have an awesome day everybody. :)

[LexieW]

I'm so happy I joined this forum - just having virtual support helps me think better thoughts and be more positive. And I definitely need it - i'm starting minor detox right about now, as I've been 100% for a few days. Just a headache and a little tiredness, and chocolate cravings. I've had far worse detox symptoms in the past, so this isn't too bad.

Yesterday, I had a banana smoothie for breakfast (banana, almond mylk), a salad of mixed greens, orange bell pepper and raw honey-mustard dressing, a large pear for a snack, another large salad (this time with mixed greens, tomatoes, celery and carrots), and raw brownies for dessert.

I brought some of the brownies to work, too :)

Hope everyone's having a good week!

[RawOlympia]

robh, try doing raw while having to make cooked dinners for your spouse and kidlets, that's pure torture some days lol. I don't have a dehydrater yet but here is the recipe I worked up for corn chowder last night. It was better than the original, but still not something I'd be clamoring to have again..

Corn Chowder
2 cups corn off the cob
1 clove garlic
1/2 t adobo seasoning
1 t olive oil
1 t braggs aminos (could have left it out and used more sea salt)
1 1/2 c water (may need more, my blendtec kept shutting down in the soup setting)
3/4 c walnuts
1/2 t sea salt
ground pepper

Topping:
1 1/4 c corn off cob
chopped cilantro
Makes 2 normal sized soup bowls

Blend soup ingredients, pour in bowl and top with corn and cilantro. I could have easily left out the braggs aminos and upped the sea salt to 1 teaspoon. the flavor was still a bit wishy washy so maybe more adobo seasoning is in order. I wanted this a bit warm but I don't think I added enough water wish may be what was causing my Blendtech to say "overload" and shut down before it heated it on soup setting. MUCH better than the recipe I got out of an Ani Phyo book which has WAY too much olive oil to the point that it was all I could taste. Her chocolate pudding recipe was what I based mine off of, but I find that I like it better with 2 bananas, 2 avacados, 1/3 cup raw cacao and 1/3 cup agave.

I've been watching freelee's video blogs for a few weeks now and am trying out a more high fruit diet for the past few days to see how I like that. I suspect that I will take to it really well because as a kid I ate a ton of fruit, a ridiculous amount by normal standards, to the point where my mom still jokes that the guy at the produce mart thought she had a crush on him because she was there every other day. Breakfast was a whole cantalope. It was really good. Some kind called "Mag" by Dole that they had on sale at Jewel which is supposed to be super sweet and it was a lot sweeter than the cantalopes I've had in the past and I'm going to get a few more. I was expecting it to be difficult, but it wasn't at all. So gobs of fruit throughout the day and a big salad for dinner seems to be the plan for the next few days. :)

[Shel]

Lexie, how did you make your raw honey mustard dressing? I need a new dressing soon. :) Good luck with the detox symptoms. Enjoy those brownies! :) All that fruit sounds delish RawO!

[robh]

RawOlympia, thanks for the recipe. That sounds good. I've got some braggs aminos. I have a cheap-o blender that doesn't warm anything. I use warm water for soups (104 degrees). Also, I frequently cook for the family. It is torture. I've actually been trying not to cook. I'll ask my wife to take a turn or maybe I'll cook up like 2-3 days worth of meals at a time. I don't crave the food, I crave the idea.

A friend pointed me to freelee's site (that's where I got the idea to try cut back the fat). They want you to do 3000 calories a day (for a guy). I can't do that. Most fruit is about 100 calories per piece - that's a lot of fruit! I still kinda thinking about doing it, but I guess I should pipe down. (We can't discuss that stuff on this forum per the rules).

Shel, in alissa's book, there are several great dressings.

[LexieW]

Lexie, how did you make your raw honey mustard dressing? I need a new dressing soon. :) Good luck with the detox symptoms. Enjoy those brownies! :) All that fruit sounds delish RawO!

Hi Shel, I love this dressing - I rarely get tired of it.

Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (with the 'mother')
mustard seeds
raw honey

2 Tbs ACV
1 Tbs honey
1 tsp ground up mustard seeds (soaked for 6 hours, then rushed with the back of a spoon)

Mix it all up, and voila!

Sometimes if I don't have the seeds, I just omit them and dilute the mixture with a little water to lessen the bite of the vinegar.

Have fun!

[RawOlympia]

Ok, I ate a ridiculous amount of fruit today but I feel fine. My allergies dragged me down all day with a mild headache but once I figured out that was what it was and took a Claritin, I feel much better. So far I had a whole cantalope (went back and bought 3 more they were that good and I'm not a cantalope person normally), 2 pears, a banana and a pound of strawberries. I did have some raw granola this afternoon (I love that stuff!), about 10 almonds and another 10 pecans on my romaine salad. I'm still working on eating the salad. I find that I'm just not that hungry by the end of the day but I do want to get my greens in.

robh, sorry, I don't want to cause trouble lol I'll try to stick to raw challenge talk only from here on out.

[Kcoishmeh]

Kcoishmeh, can you give me a link to the cheezy flax cracker recipe?

I'd be more than happy to!

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup flax seeds ( Soak them for 2 hours)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds ( I soaked them for the same amount of time as the flax)
2 cloves garlic
About 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt (opt)

And a smallhand full of fresh cherry tomatoes for the heck of it!

Throw it all in the blender until the flax seeds are broken up to your liking and then dehydrate until crisp.
Note* You can try and drain the flaxseeds but I found it difficult and gave up. I blended with the water and I think it helped process everything better than it would have otherwise. Haven't tried it- but I'm pretty sure draining the water would speed up the drying time. (:


ALSO


KALE CHIPS! These things are my pride and joy. Some folks don't like them ( Mostly men, I'm not sure why.) but most every female I've met adores these things. :heart:

Sauce- All of this is pretty flexible I usually never measure and just eye it.
About 1/4-1/3 a zucchini
1/2 a very large carrot
1/2 a red bell pepper
3/4 Cup raw soaked Cashews*
1 tsp. Lemon juice
1 large clove of garlic
2 tsp. Apple cider vinegar
1/2 Cup nutritional yeast
1/3 an onion
1/4 a Jalapeno pepper
Pinch of salt and pepper (opt)


And one big bunch of kale.

Throw all of the sauce ingredients into the blender and blend until creamy. Wash and tear kale into bite sized pieces. Coat the sauce with kale and leave it in the Dehydrator overnight.

* If your wary of Cashews, I've also tried with a combo of soaked Almonds and Sun flower seeds. It worked quite well.


I've also been experimenting with different sauces for this. Today I tried a chili/lime thing. I was pretty good but I'm gonna tweak it before sharing- I want to try and come up with a recipe that doesn't include nutritional yeast!

[robh]

Kcoishmeh, thank you. I seem to go for the salty snacks more than the sweet ones. I will give these a try.

RawOlympia, sounds like you're trying to cut some fat out too. :) I had an avocado last night (300 calories) and some raw ranch on my salad so I probably had %20 of my calories from fat. I love avocados and I use the fact they go bad quickly as an excuse to not put half in the fridge. I've got another ripe avocado (that'll go bad if I don't do something with it) so maybe I'll see if I can put half away tonight. :) Sadly, I was in such a rush this morning, I didn't get on the scale. I think part of me was worried that 4 pounds was going to come back. Heh. I need to jump on there, though, and see if this is helping any. Alissa’s whole concept is to not worry about counting calories and fat content. I get it. But, when I do that, my weight loss seems to plateau and I’ve got a lot of weight to lose.

Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I ate like 1300 calories in fruit yesterday and a salad for dinner. I made a stuffed red pepper with guacamole and sprouts. Total for the day was 1600-1700 calories with about 350 of them being from fats. Today will be similar, but less fat.

I also started a batch of onion bread in the dehydrator. I see people posting about it, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

I need to get busy making portable food because we are going camping at the end of the month. I’m gonna try things like onion bread, egg plant jerky, Kcoishmeh’s recipes and I’ll make more granola. Also, I’m gonna buy extra fruit and dehydrate it (dehydrated bananas are like candy – so freaking good). The idea is to bring a lot of snack foods, as well as a lot of fresh fruit. I figure I can put my salad stuff in the cooler and it should be ok for the two days we’re going. I need to be prepared. Everyone is going to be eating all sort of junk I can’t list here and I need to be armed with yummy raw food.

Good luck everyone!

[LexieW]

Good morning, folks!

It seems that starting this challenge has coincided with crazy days at work - its really putting me to the test mentally and physically, haha.

Yesterday I ate:

Breakfast: chia seed oatmeal (raw chia seeds, almond mylk, banana and cinnamon)

lunch: large salad of mixed greens, celery, tomato and my honey mustard dressing.

snack: raw brownies (soaked nuts, dates, cacao powder)

snack 2: anjou pear

dinner: I needed a treat, so I went to a local raw restaurant (I know..lucky me! Its good to be raw in southern California) and had raw nachos.

My lower-belly is already showing better tone - that's where I always lose or gain fat first.

[robh]

Good morning everyone.

LexieW, I've noticed I'm losing around my belly, as well. It's a long time coming though. I've 40 lbs total and most of that seemed to be in my legs and arms. Just recently noticed my stomach is finally shrinking. You're lucky to loose it there first. I am also jealous of your raw restaurants. We have none here. :(

How is everyone hanging in? I've lost a pound in two days. More water, less fat seems to be assisting my weight loss.

I made onion bread. When my son tried it he said, "It tastes like a hamburger." It did! The thickness (1/4in), the color, the texture, the smell, and the taste all fit. I think the onions and the braggs give it the color, taste and smell while the flax, sunflower seeds and olive oil give it the texture. Pretty cool. I just need to cut out circles. :) The link: http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/entry.php?5893-THE-famous-Onion-bread (I used bragg's liquid aminos instead of Nama Shoyu)

I bought too many bananas (gasp, how is it possible?) and they are super ripe and I'm afraid they might start going bad. I'm gonna try banana bread. I can't find any raw recipes, which is weird or I don't know how to search for it, maybe. I'm tempted to use the oinon bread recipe and just trade the onions and the braggs for banana, vanilla, pinch of salt and some chopped walnuts/pecans. I am just afraid it will come out "flaxy" (a taste I am getting tired of). I'm afraid the onions are covering the flaxy taste in the bread. Maybe I'll grind some rolled oats and use that instead of flax.

Anyway, sorry. I'm still here and I'm still 100% raw. I think I'm actually going to finish this month!

edit: if you didn't already guess, I'm eating all fruit this morning and this afternoon. This evening I will be having a salad with half an avacado and Alissa's dressing. I'm also going to try to squeeze a spinach smoothie in there. I've been avoiding the smoothies because fruit and greens in the same meal give me gas (not oranges, though? - weird). So it may have to be a spinach-orange smoothie which may not be yummy.

[LexieW]

All right, time to get real - I feel off the wagon yesterday. It started when I was in a meeting at work, and the client brought in samples of a new product - a fluffy, southern style biscuit. You should have seen the things - I could feel the grease through the wrapper. But it was the client, and I'm pretty junior on that account, so I had to try it. I had half of it.

And oh man, did that have me craving more junk for the rest of the day. I had my salad for lunch, and snacked on a pear and strawberries in the afternoon, but it was bad. I ended up eating a bit of chocolate that evening. Of course as I went to bed, I could feel my sinuses getting stuffed, and this morning my eyes are dull.

It's a day at a time, but I've decided that I can't let work interfere with my health. Not in terms of working too many hours, and not in terms of eating fast food samples that our clients bring in for us.

So while I'm not thrilled about falling off the wagon yesterday, it did pave the way for some serious thought and recommittment to my goals.

I'm back to raw today - breakfast was a green smoothie (banana, orange juice, greens and wheatgrass juice).

Hope you're all doing better than I am!


Robh, why not take those over-ripe bananas and freeze them? they make great frozen snacks when they're over-ripe - perfect for raw ice cream!

[TheRawPilgrim]

It's been a bit of a struggle for me the past couple of days too, doing better today. Sipping on a quart of ginger cinnamon "zapple juice". Filled my vitamix with chopped apples and a piece of ginger and blended it. Strained it and put the juice back into the (rinsed) blender. Threw in a zucchini and a pinch of cinnamon and blended up, yummmmm.

To me there's no such thing as too many bananas! I hardly ever eat them fresh anymore, I buy several bunches and when they are nice and ripe I freeze them for ice creams and sorbets. I have about 10 bunches worth in my freezer right now and they wont last more that 2 weeks!

[Shel]

Hey Good People!

Whew! I'm still raw. YES! I buy extra 'nanas and freeze them too. When I'm really raw, I eat 'em like candy but mostly in smoothies and stuff. I don't add other sweeteners. I love 'nanas! I feel pretty good, but am gettin bored with my food pickings, so this weekend I'll have to take time to create some new dishes and snacks.

I really need to work some OT tomorrow (8 hrs), which would to me, take away from new raw food creations, so I'm on the fence about going in. I like to be in the kitchen off and on for a day to gel with raw and re-up my passion with it. When Sunday comes it's a bummer to not have dehydrated some kale chips and have something such as crackers going in there along with a few other recipes completed, at least, lol.

Anyway, all that matters is I'm raw and I feel greeeat! Hmmm, maybe I'll make a "cheesecake." Anybody made one with those small pie dishes? A big pie dish would be too much for me.

Have a wonderuful weekend everybody and thanks for that honey mustard recipe!

[RawOlympia]

Kcoishmeh, Thanks for the recipes. I don't have a dehydrator yet, but will hang on to them for when I do get one. I LOVE Kale Chips!

LexieW don't feel bad, I fell off the wagon last night. Just get right back on it! I think in my case I wasn't getting enough B12 and have been feeling really run down. I make sure to get a B12 supplement in now.

robh, fruit never killed anyone and it's really high water content. Yesterday I ate a lot of fruit again. Today not so much, 2 green juices though they did have grape in them and some strawberries. Tonight will be a salad and some more fruit. The severe nuts craving seems to have gone away since I added the extra B12 in addition to remembering to take my multivitamin. I also take fish oil and D3 because those are really good for clearing up psoriasis and mine is almost gone. I spend a lot of time rubbing my arms and marveling that they aren't a mass of scabs like they were in the beginning of March. I feel a lot better with the B12. I was starting to really feel run down and couldn't figure out why.

I made a raw chocolate cake with strawberry sauce and will have that when kidlet #1 gets home from school.

Raw Chocolate Cake (From Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 people)
1 1/2 c walnuts, unsoaked
dash salt
8 pitted medjool dates (I used regular and added a few extra)
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa or carob powder ( I used raw cacao)
1/2 t vanilla (optional)
2 t water
1/2 c fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)

process walnuts and salt until finely ground. add the dates, cocoa, and vanilla and process until the mixture sticks together. add the water and process briefly.
transfer to serving plate and form into 5" round cake (I lined a bowl that is about 5" across and flat on the bottom with saran wrap and pressed it into that. To serve, I will invert onto a plate. Keeps 3 days in the fridge or 2 weeks in the freezer.
Serves 4

Since it didn't seem sweet enough to pass muster with the kids (must be the regular dates instead of the medjool), I made a strawberry sauce to top it with.

Strawberry sauce (can use pretty much any other fruit too)

1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed strawberries
1/4 c pitted medjool dates, soaked

Process until smooth. Again, I used regular dates and just went a bit heavier with the amount than the recipe called for.

[RawOlympia]

Ok, I just had a piece of that cake. REALLY yummy. The kids didn't want theirs (what do they know, they're 2 and 5 years old!) so I guess I have a treat for the next 3 days lol. If that's all the nuts I eat over the next few days, i've cut down my cunsumption by at least half what I was eating.

[LexieW]

RawOlympia, I've had that cake... so good! I'm doing all right today - I made sure I brought plenty of food to work, so there would be no excuse for eating something bad. All my colleagues just went down to Starbucks for half-price frappucinos. NO THANKS!

My poor boyfriend was planning to make pasta for me tonight - poor dear, he tries so hard but he doesn't really understand raw means RAW :wuv

[magglepie]

Jumping in "Late" again this month, but here! April was challenging. I've been doing better so far this month (but not perfect.) So, I'll hopefully make it through the rest of this month raw. I feel like going raw has been such a huge struggle for me. It's challenging too that I feel like there aren't that many local people who are into raw foods around me, and many people around here even think that being vegan is this huge stretch... BUT, I'm gonna keep at it and give it my best shot this month.

[Traceyraw]

Im in too. If you fall down just get back up. You wouldn't stay lying on the floor all day would you.

That cake reciped looks great. I just made some really good cookies.

1 batch with coconut 1 without.
Soaked seasame seeds with dates, almond butter, agave, and raw chocolate. They are in my dehydrator right now. Yummy.

Made Kale chips, sunflower seed milk and green juice. I am trying to get prepared for my busy week. I bought 10 mangos. Made a salad for tomorrow. I am sprouting lentils for my salads this week. I love them with carrots. yummy.

Hope everybody is enjoying there weekend.

[yoru]

RawOlympia, I've had that cake... so good! I'm doing all right today - I made sure I brought plenty of food to work, so there would be no excuse for eating something bad. All my colleagues just went down to Starbucks for half-price frappucinos. NO THANKS!

My poor boyfriend was planning to make pasta for me tonight - poor dear, he tries so hard but he doesn't really understand raw means RAW :wuv


Jumping in "Late" again this month, but here! April was challenging. I've been doing better so far this month (but not perfect.) So, I'll hopefully make it through the rest of this month raw. I feel like going raw has been such a huge struggle for me. It's challenging too that I feel like there aren't that many local people who are into raw foods around me, and many people around here even think that being vegan is this huge stretch... BUT, I'm gonna keep at it and give it my best shot this month.

good job to both of you!!

meanwhile, i made THE MOST AMAZING SMOOTHIE LAST NIGHT!!

frozen coconuts

frozen pineapples

pineapple juice

dash of cinnamon

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (yes this is an ingredient, after you take your first sip that is)

but i'm all out of frozen coconuts, and i don't even know how to cut those things. someone else put those in the freezer. and i don't really like those young coconuts. so i guess i'll go to the store and try it out

[Shel]

Hello all!

Your smoothie sounds lovely Yoru. :)

I'm feeling good, feeling great! I had a GREAT weekend cleaning and uncooking. I made a raw cheesecake, which came out very very well. I'm proud of myself. It'll come in handy when I'm having a craving, because it's so rich, after having one small piece last night I was good and full. Cashews pack a mighty punch for creams, dips and such. Dates are great too, even though nus and dates are expensive it's well worth it to me. I made a strawberry topping to go on it.

I also made kale chips, sesame crackers, raw cookies (they didn't turn out too great...gotta pretty them up somehow...maybe with a fruit topping, I don't know but I don't want to waste them), no bake brownies and Brazil nut milk (no, I've never ODed from selenium, lol). I did things a bit backwards (laughing) and found when it was time to make foods for lunch this week, I was pooped, lol. So, today I'll follow up with making cole slaw, cauliflower salad and some other green type salad....not sure yet.

Have a GREAT day and here's to Rawsome Bliss!

[LexieW]

Hello all!

... Dates are great too, even though nus and dates are expensive it's well worth it to me.

Absolutely. When people ask me about the expense, I just tell them I'd rather pay for food now than medication/surgery later!

I was doing really well this weekend - brought a lot of food to my bf's place and stayed raw while he had his cooked food.

...And then he sprung an impromptu family celebration on me. Had to go to his parent's house and look! All this cooked food everywhere. And I didn't want to be rude, so I did have some rice noodles. At least I managed to keep it vegan!

I'm feeling great - my body feels lighter, my head is clearer. My eyes are brighter. I swear this forum and the online community is making a big difference for me :throwhearts:

[robh]

LexieW, don't beat yourself up. That's a hard situation to be in. I probably would have done the same thing (it was a client, after all). Maybe next time, you can fake an allergy?

TheRawPilgrim, sorry to hear you were struggling.

It does get easier, everyone. :) Not too long ago, I was falling off the wagon weekly, or more. Hang in there!

Shel, it sounds like you really enjoy creating raw goodies. I enjoy it too, but all the setup and clean up sure takes time.

I made an awesome banana bread over the weekend. The taste was really good, but I dehydrated them too long. It came out more like crispy cookies - very very good, though.

Banana Bread:

3-5 RIPE small bananas (depending on the size)
1/2 cup soaked sunflower seeds (makes them softer)
1/2 cup quick oats (or chop rolled outs in food processor, same thing)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Put everything except the chopped nuts in the food processor. Process until you have a batter. Mix in the nuts by hand with a spoon. Spread the batter out thick on your dehydrator teflex sheets (1/2 inch). Dehydrate until the top is dry (3-4 hours). Flip it onto a dehydrator try and peal off the teflex sheet. Dehydrate another 3-4 hours for a soft bread. If you want it to keep for a long period of time, you'll probably want to dehydrate it until it's crispy. They doin't last long, though!

[jenolioyalio]

Hi there! My new juicer just arrived in today's mail, which means I can start the Raw Challenge tomorrow! I am super excited about starting. I have been preparing and planning this for several weeks.

I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts and I'm looking forward to joining in the fun. I'm a little worried about the first few days, and the detox period, especially without coffee.

[robh]

jenolioyalio, congrats and welcome. Be strong through the detox; life is good on the other side. :)

I made raw zucchini bread. I looked around and all I saw were recipes with ground flax (I'm getting tired of it). Instead, I found the cooked zucchini bread recipe and removed/substituted the sad ingredients. This is what I ended up with:

Raw Zucchini Bread

2 cups rolled oats food processed into flour (measure after you process)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raw agave
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Sift oat flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Beat oil, vanilla, and agave together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the wet mixture, and mix well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined.

Your zucchini may be wetter than mine or your oat flour may be fluffier than mine. Therefore, you may have to add more oat flour and or more zucchini. Remember you want a batter that's dry as possible so it doesn't take forever to dehydrate. Give it a taste too. It it's not sweat enough add more agave.

From here dehydrate like you would any other bread. Or, you can use a small ice cream scoop to make nice balls that you can place right on the trays and you don't have to flip. (Worked nicely for me.)

Anyway, it came out great. It tasted just like the cooked stuff. Even the SAD food eaters in my house liked it.

Today, I'm eating lots of fruit in the morning and for lunch. When I get home, I'll be having a large salad with raw ranch and raw pumpkin seeds (that was good last night). I will also have some raw zucchini bread, I'm sure.

The scale hasn't moved much. Over the weekend, I had an issue where I ran out of ripe fruit. Looking at green fruit that you can't eat and simultaneously being really hungry sucks. I ended up eating mostly nuts, raw granola, egg plant jerky, oranges (those were ripe) and a salad in the evenings. I also tend to eat a lot more when I'm at home. I graze. At work, I only have what I bring. As a result of the extra fat, salty jerky and all the grazing, I went up two pounds. Today, after a day of being back to normal, I'm back down to 264. It was probably water form the salt, but I hate seeing it go up. :(

[Traceyraw]

Wow I love all of your recipes. It inspired me last night. I wanted something I could just grab for my son in the morning.

Oatmeal Cookies uncooked.

1/2 cup whole grain oats
1/2 cup sprouted seasame seeds
1 cup sprouted sunflower seeds.
Pulsed them in the blender put aside.
soaked dates
1 apples
maple syrup
lemon
cinnamin.
pulse blended then combined
dehydrated over night.

They are so good. The oats are not raw. I did buy raw oats. Its for the kids anyway.

Last night I had my sunflower seed milk..Boy is it energizing.

If you really want a good cleanse blend watermelon with a squeeze of lemon. First its soo good you can't stop. 2nd it really goes to town doing some house cleaning. Then you definitely will feel lighter.

ROBH. get off the scale. Maybe do a weekly weigh in. I know its hard to stop. Try to go by the way you feel. Try adding some more greens they seem to help me. Try blended spinach/ water. Add about 2 fresh squeezed oranges. This is a good tasting green drink. Hope this helps.

[robh]

Yeah much like most of the nuts on the store shelves, rolled oats are not raw. Nuts are pasteurized or roasted. Oats are steamed. If you want raw oats, you can get steel cut oat groats and soak them overnight before you use them. You can also sprout oat groats.

That being said, my body tells me when I eat something toxic. I detox a couple days after. I eat nuts off the store shelves and I eat rolls oats. I have never had an issue.

[ShantiDass]

Hi All,

I'm jumping in like I did in April. Today is 51 days raw and I'm loving it. I'm down 25 pounds and feeling so much better. My challenge has been finding things I like that are raw besides the fruit that I already like. For some reason, every time I go raw, I start getting all crazy with textures. I'll make something, like it, and then have it later or the next day and can't stand the texture. I'm just going with the flow.

My main food is salads with tahini lemon dressing. I also am eating whatever fruit I'm craving. Today I put watermelon chunks, lime juice and a touch of agave in my BlendTec and made a drink. Last night I dehydrated kale and made some cheese dip and cut up broccoli and bell pepper for dipping. All of that is with me at work so I have food to choose from. I put a fridge in my office and it's so much easier being able to keep food in there for the week that I can grab when I want something. I also made jalapeno poppers over the weekend that are my new favorite and brought them to work.

I am going to try the onion bread that robh posted. I've had some at one of our many raw restaurants here but never liked it as it's always way too tart. Maybe this will be different. I want to also try a few other bread recipes I have and make a BLT. I have some eggplant bacon I've made and just need to find bread and mayo that I like and then it's on!!

[LexieW]

Good for you, ShantiDass! 51 days is awesome!

I'm doing all right, have been either very hungry or not hungry at all the last day or so. No big deal, going with the flow. I find that I want to eat simpler foods - salads with various types of greens, fruit, some avocado and chia seeds.

I have a dehydrator and food processor, all that stuff (except a Vitamix), but I don't use it because I can barely stand to be in the kitchen -my roommates are the WORST sad eaters. Just terrible. I can't stand the smell of what they make, so I make my meals really quickly and head back to my room!

Maybe when I get my own place again (soon!) I'll go back to trying some of the fancier stuff. I've never tried to make bread before, and I'd like to.

In the meantime...ugh, today is rough. It's freezing in teh office, and all I want is something HOT. Tea/ hot water isn't cutting it.

[LexieW]

Good morning, all

Looks like my detox isn't quite complete - that's what I get for my weekend non-raw meal. My glands feel a little swollen and my ears ache a bit - bleh. I'll do some dry-brushing tonight, along with my oil-pulling and we'll see if that helps.

Also, I bought some Magnesium oil yesterday! Super excited to add that to my regimen.

Hope you all are doing well! Stay strong!

[Traceyraw]

Hello all. Hope everybody is having a great day. I had chocolate smoothie for dinner last night. Sunflower milk, sunflower sprouts, and raw chocolate powder. A little stevia for sweetness. It was like a chocolate milkshake.

Breakfast : pineapple juice
Lunch 2 mangoes and more pineapple juice.
Snack : carrots.
Dinner: nori wraps with sprouts.

Lexi, If I fill up on fruits early in the day I usually don't have cravings. You can make warmed soups...

Way to go 25 lbs you ROCK.

[Lucy76]

Hello all. Hope everybody is having a great day. I had chocolate smoothie for dinner last night. Sunflower milk, sunflower sprouts, and raw chocolate powder. A little stevia for sweetness. It was like a chocolate milkshake.
:drool:


Hi everyone!

I haven't been posting for a while, but I 'm still here :cheer:

I haven't had salt in three days, this is the fourth, and I plan on doing it for a week. I can't have salads without salt though, so I'm having mostly fruit, some nuts, and green juices and smoothies.

So today so far, i've had:
Breakfast: 1 L carrot juice
Lunch: 1L green smoothie (spinach juice, bananas, ice) I didn't, know, this, but ice makes a big difference. Without it was kind of ok, and then I added some ice and it awesome!)
And a big bowl of strawberries
Dinner will be bananas and strawberries, and maybe a handfull of sunflower seeds and some goji berries


:heart

[robh]

ShantiDass, 51 days and 25 lbs - congrats. Good luck finding variety. I have the same problem; I eat fruit and salads - not much variety. That's why I've been playing with the breads. The onion bread isn't my favorite. It's stinky, to be honest.

LexieW, sorry to hear about your detoxing. I think what you're going through with the cooked food is very normal. I did the same thing. Anyway, you were saying about wanting something hot. Yesterday, I wanted the same thing so I invented this:

Citrus Spice Tea

1 lemon
1 orange
whole nutmeg
cinnamon stick
agave

Lay out a paper towel. Onto the paper towel, take a microplane and zest the orange and the lemon. Next, add some shaved nutmeg and the cinnamon using, again, the microplane (you don't need the entire nutmeg or the entire cinnamon stick just eyeball it). Either empty the contents of the paper towel into a tea ball or do like I did and fold the paper towel into a tea bag. I had to use a rubber band to keep it from unwrapping. You don't want the zest and stuff in your tea. Place the tea bag / tea ball into some hot water for 10 minutes or so. I personally don't care about the temp, in this case, but 104 would keep it raw. Pour your tea into a cup and sweeten with agave until you like it. The zest of a whole lemon and a whole lime can make 2-3 cups of tea.

Did any one try the zucchini bread yet? I made it using my own directions last night. The batter came out really dry. I added an additional 1/4 cup of agave. Then, it was too wet so I added a cup of quick oats and two more cups of zucchini. Then, it was exactly the same as the first time I made it. LOL This is by far my favorite raw treat. I'm going to be making loads. I also was to play with oat groats and see if I can't make it more raw. Anyway, sorry for my messed up directions if you tried it. I'll post it in the recipe forum once I have it nailed.

My raw journey is going well. I am starting my third week of being 100% raw. I still have to deal with SAD food. I cooked dinner for the wife and kids 3 times in a row now. The smell of the meatloaf last night was killing me. I really wanted something salty and meaty. I ended up with handful of sun dried tomatoes and cashews.

Today, I'm eating lot of fruit before diner (bananas, oranges, apples, nectarines). For dinner is a salad. I stop the fruit before dinner. I found if I eat fruit with my salad, I become a very gassy person.

I have a mediterranean bread recipe that I've been waiting forever to try. The place I get my sun dried tomatoes has been out. I was so happy to see them yesterday. I really need to find something savory that I can have a dinner time. Maybe this will be it.

[LexieW]

robh, that Citrus Spice Tea sounds delicious! I'll have to give is a shot. Mostly when I crave something warm (usually at work, where sit right beneath an A/C vent and usually freeze all day) I just drink hot water. I try to limit my tea intake to one cup/day, and I try to keep it green tea at that.

This makes things boring. I'll definitely be trying your concotion.

The good news is, I seem to be past the worst of the detox! I was craving pizza last night and the night before, but I kept 100% raw. I've been having a lot of various fruits, various dark greens, chia seeds and a few raw cashews and almonds. Occasionally an avocado. I'm feeling good, sleeping well...my belly is getting so taught and toned I don't think my BF will recognize me this weekend :dance:

Today is my birthday, so I plan to celebrate by taking myself out to a local raw food restaurant. And my friend is taking me to a Korean spa this weekend! Very excited to try the mugwort tea bath!

Keep up the good work, everyone! We're doing great, and we're a third of the way through the challenge!

[Shel]

Hey everybody!

Happy Birthday Lexie! OH boy, a Korean spa! I've heard things about them. You're going to be like a bowl of jello when you're done....oh man and blissed out from being raw too. Sounds divine to me! Let us know what you got to eat at the restaurant. Here in MD, we have one and it's alright, but it sure would be nice to have a bit more to choose from. Def' great if you're in a pinch and need a fresh juice or to grab something raw out of the 'fridge.

I'm still raw, hanging..feeling great. I need to have a smoothie if not every day ever other day. They make me feel good and I love 'em! I made this raw salad...man, is it good...with kale, cauliflower, peas, carrots, onion, parsley, ses seeds ses oil, sea salt, herb seasoning. I think that's all. I've eaten it the past two days with a diced avo and the texture of it is just out of this world.

Next, I'm looking to make coleslaw but with a truly authentic dressing that mimics the SAD version. I do love regular coleslaw...that mayo creamy taste, oh yes, lol. Have a great day all! :)

[Smallu]

I've been a vegan for almost four years, and was a pescatarian for seven years prior to that. I'm looking to take the next step in my dietary journey: going raw! Previously, my attempts to go raw would last about a day. But I recently came across "The Sunfood Diet Success System" at Half Price Books and it makes the most compelling case, that I've found anyway, for a raw food diet. I started a raw diet today, not knowing about the 30-day challenge here (just found this site from a Google search). So, consider me in! I'm loosely following the diet in the Sunfood book, so I had a pound (about 4 cups) of watermelon for breakfast and an ounce of walnuts. I'm now noshing on my lunch of 3 celery stalks and a mango. Nothing fancy this time around, just plain, raw, whole foods. I spent the last week upping my raw food intake to about 60+% and I think that transition was helpful. So far, I have no detox symptoms and no cravings...unheard of for me, I am cravings girl! I suffer from general anxiety disorder, acne, hair loss (from the medications I'm on), dull skin, fibromyalgia and I need to lose about 10 pounds. I feel very confident that a completely raw diet will cure everything!!! My goal is to get off all of my meds by the end of the year. I'm excited to be on this journey with the rest of you :) Good luck everyone!!

[LexieW]

Welcome Smallu!

[robh]

Happy Birthday LexieW!:wow: I am sorry I didn't get back on the forum yesterday. Now, I'm a day late. :( How did it go? did you have a good time? I too would like to know the details of what kind of offerings you had at the raw restaurant.

Shel, that salad sounds great (very different from what I'm currently eating). Thanks for the inspiration to try something new. Good luck with your coleslaw experiment.

Smallu, welcome. I am kind of a newbie (4 months ago, I was eating a standard american diet). From my experience, the cravings are the worst in the first few days. In no time at all, they will be gone. I am not tempted unless I see the food (or smell it). Even then, in the past, when I have given in and had just a little bit, I found myself let down. The food I eat now is so full of flavor and personality that the stuff I used to eat is bland and empty. Furthermore, I get sick a day or so after eating the old food. Currently, I am exposed to a lot of cooked and processed food. I have no problem resisting the urge to cheat when I see or smell it. Anyway, sorry to go on and on about me, but my personal experience is the only knowledge I have on the subject. I thought you might want to know that it gets better. You just need to tough out the initial transition. Good luck.

Edit: oh, yeah. I dropped another pound today: 263. Maybe next month, I'll be in the high 250s. I haven't been there in like 15 years. Anyway, keep up the great work everyone!

[FaithfullyRaw]

Hi, everyone!

I guess I am joining late. But it has been years since I've attempted a raw food lifestyle (the first time I successfully did it for a month before going back to my old ways :-/). Now 60 pounds later and some new health issues :-(, I am ready to return to what I know is truly the best thing for my body. I am excited to be back and look forward to getting and receiving support and encouragement as well as getting to know some of you!!! :-) :-D

[LexieW]

Thanks for the birthday wishes, robh! I plan to celebrate throughout the weekend ;-). The restaurant I like to frequent is called leaf organics. Their prices are great (especially since many of the raw restaurants I've seen are really pricey), and I like their wraps. The raw nachos are a favorite, and they make the BEST cheesecake and soft serve. :drool:

I like to pop in maybe once a week and pick up staples, like cashew cheese and mango bread, since I don't use a dehydrator at the moment. You can check out their offers here (http://www.leaforganics.com). There is also a recipe book for sale.

FaithfullyRaw, hello! You're in the right place - I've been in varying states of raw for the last 2 years, and it's only with the support and community I've found here that I'm succeeding on this challenge.

Let's get healthy!

[Traceyraw]

Hello Lexie, Please tell me more about the Mango bread. It sounds so good. Mangos are cheap right now.

[Smallu]

As some of you know, I went raw yesterday. Wow! I feel awesome today after just one day AND I lost three pounds, literally, overnight. Only 7 pounds to go :) My jeans fit a bit better this morning. I'm really interested to see when/if this starts resolving some of my other issues. Really feeling great. Loading up on fruit in the a.m. seems to really deter cravings/hunger.

[robh]

Lexie, I popped over onto their website. Thanks for the link. They have a lot of awesome stuff. There is a place like that in Philly, but I haven't had a chance to make the trip yet.

Mango bread does sound awesome. I never buy mango because I hate pealing and slicing those slippery buggers. Maybe I'll get some and play around. Tracey, let me know if you find a receipe.

Smallu, congrats on the weight loss.

FaithfullyRaw, welcome and best of luck sticking to it. Post here when you're feeling discourage; that's what we're all here for. :)

[LexieW]

Traceyraw, all I know is they make it, and I can buy it from them in a little pack of 10 squares. I don't know how it's made or the recipe, but it certainly helps me out when I have bread cravings (which, awesomely enough, I've stopped having! Now I just have it around for the dietary variety :woot:.)

Congrats to all, and happy Friday!

[Alby]

hi everyone, yalls posts are so inspiring. my plan is to go raw for at least hte next two weeks, but i do not hvae a lot of confidence in myself to stay strong enough. i hope that by reading all yalls posts daily, that it will help me to keep it going bc going raw makes me feel 1000% better. wish me luck. and congrats on everyones current success!

[rawemily]

Hello all! Hope you're having a nice Saturday wherever you are.
I started the raw food diet just yesterday. I have tried and failed this diet in the past, but I am determined to
make it to 30 days and beyond this time around! I should mention that I am hoping to get rid of the psoriasis on my scalp, and also
the acid reflux I frequently experience.
As I sit here eating my watermelon breakfast, I couldn't be more excited to embark on my raw foods journey :)
-E

[Alby]

I desperately want/need to do this raw food challenge, but im on a horrible sugar cycle where I have to have cookies or some source of that 'processed sugar' every day. help! ive tried cold turkey but i drive myself mad. any suggestions? im desperate.

[Traceyraw]

I desperately want/need to do this raw food challenge, but im on a horrible sugar cycle where I have to have cookies or some source of that 'processed sugar' every day. help! ive tried cold turkey but i drive myself mad. any suggestions? im desperate.

I was in your boat. Try some natural sugars. Fruits, Honey, agave nector. You can make raw cookies that are just as satisfying. If I were you I would get some dates. They are so sweet and delicous. You will think your cheating but your not. If you are thinking about eating that junk grab a handful of date. Preferably ones that are organic and no sulfur added. I order mine from the Date People.

Start your day with fruits eat as much as you can. Watermelon in the blender with a splash of lemon is soo good. and you can take it with you if your in a hurry. Mangos are available now they are also sweet and yummy.

When I first started I would just have a spoon of honey to satisfy my sweettooth. Experiment and see what works for you . I wish you the best.

P.S. Greens help give you a balance each day. Try to get in your greens and you will feel better and not want that junk.

[Alby]

thanks traceyraw, i will definitely try this. i never grew up eating many fruits and veges so thats also one of my problems. but i need to do this so desperately, im just gonna force myself to eat only fruits/veges until i start liking them. hopefully thatll work.

[Smallu]

thanks traceyraw, i will definitely try this. i never grew up eating many fruits and veges so thats also one of my problems. but i need to do this so desperately, im just gonna force myself to eat only fruits/veges until i start liking them. hopefully thatll work.

Hi, Alby-

I failed the raw food diet several times too, but this time I feel something different. One thing that has really helped to curb my hunger and cravings is to eat a LOT of fruit in the morning - a pound of watermelon, 3 apples or 2 grapefruits do the trick for me. I'm usually not hungry again until lunch and then I eat a huge salad. So far (I've been doing this since Thursday) I have had no cravings for cooked/processed foods since I started. Cravings can be powerful things; if you fall off the wagon, just get right back in and keep trying! Good luck :)

[Smallu]

I'm on day four, now, I think. No more weight loss after the overnight 3 pounds (water weight??) that I lost between days 1 and 2. I have had no cravings AT ALL for any of the old foods!! This is the first time ever that I have tried to go raw where I haven't had cravings. I am not eating as much as I thought I would be. Today I had a grapefruit for breakfast and wasn't hungry again until 1pm and I was hungry for a huge salad!! I haven't noticed any other health improvements, but I am sleeping better and have more energy.

I have a couple of questions: Do you guys consider Bragg's Liquid Aminos a raw food? Mrs. Dash? Agave nectar?

[LexieW]

Traceyraw has a lot of good suggestions. I too have a major sweet-tooth. When I'm craving something, it's been really helpful this time around to think of this board! I imagine everyone on here cheering for me and encouraging me to eat something raw. And then I list all the benefits of being raw, and all the negatives of processed sugar and other crap.

Also, I like to remind myself that I have a choice - if I choose to eat something processed, well, I'm going to have to pay for it in terms of disappointment, detox and just knowing what it's going to do to my system. Sometimes I still make the choice, but it's getting easier and easier to pick up a piece of raw fruit :)

Good luck, Alby!

[Alby]

thanks everyone! im going to try to implement all of these sugggestions. i really want to be successful with the raw food lifestyle. wish me luck for tomorrow and of course even more positive thoughts for all yall!

[FaithfullyRaw]

Thanks LexieW and robh! :-) I haven't been on in several days and after reading just a few of your posts the last few minutes I already feel so much more motivated and encouraged. The last few days have been a little hard, but I am not giving up!!!!!! ;-)

[LexieW]

*Sigh*

I fell off the wagon last night guys. I'm not sure what's worse - feeling disappointed in myself or feeling like I swallowed a brick. I'm back on track today, and hopefully will remember how bad I felt the next time I get a craving.

Hope you're all being stronger than me!

[TheHealthyAdvocate]

Simplydebra, I'm in Houston, too! I had no idea My Fit Foods had raw foods, that's awesome! :) I have to echo TheRawPilgrim, because you WILL love your Vitamix. ;)

[TheHealthyAdvocate]

Food should NOT make you feel guilty. It's just a road block, and it looks like you're refocusing your goals. That's awesome!

[TheHealthyAdvocate]

I will be starting the 30-day challenge for may NOW. I am already 85% raw, with some days being 100%, so hopefully it will go smoothly. Glad I found this thread! Seems like an awesome challenge for me right now.

[LexieW]

Good to see you, TheHealthyAdvocate! Hope you have a good challenge :cheer:

[robh]

TheHealthyAdvocate, welcome.

Smallu, Braggs yes, agave yes, mrs. dash, not sure. Alissa's book has a lot of uses for Braggs Liquid Aminos. I bought the stuff because of her book. I'm glad I did. It makes a great soy sauce. Add Brags, sesame oil and gralic to anything and it's instantly Asian. :) I use the heck out of agave too. I also use raw honey, but I have no problems with it from a vegan perspective.

LexieW, sorry to hear about your slip up. Were other people involved? That's my hardest part. I eat with my friends, wife and kids who all the eat the stuff I cannot. Going out to eat is also hard. These days, I pack a fruit lunch and bring my own salad dressing.

Sorry I have not been on lately. The baby had strep throat. It messed up my free time to post.

Anyway, I'm still here and still 100% raw. Lately, I've been wanting cooked food (not sure why). I went to far as to make almond butter, make jelly, sprout wheat berries and turn them into "bread" just so I could have a PB&J (AB&J?) sandwich. I wish I could say it was good. The bread flopped and the other stuff was just really really flavorful. I didn't get the SAD PB&J experience, but it killed the craving.

I've also been jones-ing for pizza. I made Alissa's pizza a while ago, but it's just not the same as the cooked stuff I made by hand back in the day. I was thinking about adapting the SAD sauce and crust recipes I use to raw ingredients. After the epic bread failure, I'm kinda second guessing that choice. The sprouted wheat berries have a very strong flavor that doesn't jive with what I'm trying to accomplish. I saw sprouted wheat flour in the health food stuff. That has me very curious (mostly curious if it's raw).

Anyway, I'm not sure why I'm having cooked food cravings now after being free of them for so long. 811's would say I need more fruit. I think maybe it's just an indication that I'm not getting something my body is looking for.

Sorry for the rambling. It feels good to get it off my chest.

How's everyone else doing?

[LexieW]

I hear you, robh. And congratulations on your success! You're very inspiring.

To answer your question: yes, most of the time when I slip it's because I'm with other people - specifically, my bf's family. I have no problem fielding questions and potentially insulting my own family, but when it comes to his, I'm still in the phase of doing everything I can to ingratiate myself. :heart

They're lovely people and accepting of vegatarianism, at least... but food is always a big part of gatherings (isn't it in every family?) and sometimes they just get thrown together really quickly, and I don't have time to eat beforehand or bring something with me.

I'm trying to be gentler with myself - this is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm going raw for life, not just to drop a few pounds before bikini season.

I've also accepted that I have some emotional food dependency issues - I crave my comfort foods when I'm sad, or when I'm really happy and want to celebrate. I need to work on changing my mindset, for sure.

[robh]

LexieW, what you said there echos a lot of what I feel. Food is a big part of my social life. I frequently feel left out of the celebration when everyone else is letting their hair down a little and splurging on fatty, high calorie foods that they normally do not eat. Also, I feel like a bummer. My salad and I sit there reminding everyone else that they mistreating their bodies. On top of that, I no longer drink so instead of the red-faced, happy, joking person I would be, I'm the normal, sober (non-fun) version of myself.

Anyway, that's enough negativity from me. :)

I wish you the best of luck with your boyfriend's family. I totally understand the situation. No one want to be labeled as the "raw food weirdo" when you're juts getting to know a group of people. I am sure, in time, they will get to know you and accept you. Then, you'll feel more comfortable expressing your rawfood-ness. :)

I am feeling great today. We were kinda rushed yesterday. We had to go to the store and there was no time to have dinner. I ended up picking up some veggie-based sushi in the store. The rice wasn't raw, but I don't think it's really THAT bad for me (especially if don't eat it all the time). It turned out to be a high-carb (fruit), low fat, low salt day (I didn't have any of the soy sauce). The scale rewarded me this morning with my lowest weight to date: 263 - woohoo! My body seems to go through weight loss spurts. I got up to like 266 just a couple of days ago. I think it was salt, though. That was the day I was playing with nut butters and stuff. The past two days, I've been surprised I'm losing weight so I must be in one of those spurts. I can't wait to see 25X :)

The plan today it fruit and more fruit for breakfast and lunch. Dinner will be a salad with raw ranch.

Good luck everyone!

[LexieW]

Looks like low fat agrees with you, robh. That's great, keep it up!

I cannot wait for this week to be over - stressful, and the stress has been keeping me up at night. What I need is a nice, quiet weekend with plenty of time to enjoy my delicious salads and smoothies.

I'm trying to branch out a little - bought mangoes, kiwi, some red grapes, and sugar snap peas, and clove sprouts. Fall is my favorite season, but I love the food variety of summer!

[Smallu]

Congrats, Rob!!!

I fell off the wagon two days ago. I got a pinched nerve in my back this week and something about being in massive pain plus being on pain meds plus having a bunch of food in the house that I shouldn't eat (my husband is far from raw) and running out of produce made me crave lots of salty snacky things and particularly protein (hummus, baked beans, etc.) and crackers. As a punishment, my body put back on the 3 pounds that I had lost :( I'm going to get back on the bandwagon tomorrow - it's payday, so I'll be able to stock up on more raw food. Also, I'm finding that being on exclusively raw, organic foods is really expensive! Do you guys have any tips for cutting costs?

[LexieW]

It's okay, Smallu - like you said, just get back on the wagon. You can do it!

As far as expense... I actually found that going raw or mostly raw was about the same in price, for me. Maybe because I shop almost exclusively at Trader Joes...

Do you shop at a big commercial market? They are frightfully expensive. Try finding foods that are in season (much easier as we transition to summer!). If fruit starts to go bad, freeze it and use it later for smoothies. Try to find a local farmers market and shop there, if you can.

[robh]

Smallu, it's a personal preference, but I don't mind eating non-organic fruits and veggies. That helps lower costs too. Do you have any farmer's markets near you? or road side stands? you'll find good deals there. Here's another idea:

http://www.careersingrocery.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/showResourcesLinks/CatID/43

Search by zip code to find a wholesaler near you. The site is for career opportunities but it's still handy for those of us in the US looking for places to shop for fruit in giant quantities.

These places supply grocery stores. Grocery stores all want under ripe produce so it can sit around for a while. Go to one of these places and ask them if they any ripe fruit you can buy (the stuff the grocery stores won't buy). They will want to sell it so you'll get a deal. You'll end up buying more than you can eat (you buy by the case), but you can always freeze it.

I've never done the wholesale thing. I have this funky produce chain near me that trucks stuff in from Latin America. My bananas are about 1/2 the size of the Dole bananas and they have a sticker that says "product of Columbia". They sell huge bags of fruits and veggies for a buck or two tops. I'm pretty lucky in this respect. If anyone is in the Eastern PA region, "Produce Junction" has 5-6 locations in this area.

LexieW, sorry to hear about your stressful week. Friday is just around the corner. :) I'm pretty stoked about the weekend. We are going to see Battleship with some friends. It's a sort of birthday celebration. I'll be 35 on the 22nd of May.

[LexieW]

Another May birthday! Let us know how the movie is, robh. I actually work in the film biz and know the writer of that movie, so I'm really hoping it's a fun summer flick :dance:

And yes, I'm stoked for the weekend. I actually might try to go back to the Korean spa... so relaxing on so many levels.

[robh]

That movie looks really good. I've been waiting for a while.

I made a nice salad last night and figured I'd share:

9094

It's got romaine, spinach, spring mix, yellow gooseneck squash, zucchini, baby carrots, tomatoes, craisins, raw ranch, raw pumpkin seeds, guacamole and salsa. It was yummy!

Yesterday, I had a lot bananas, a few oranges, a couple pears, lots of water, this salad and some dehydrated banana chips (yum) for dessert. The guacamole and the raw ranch where the only forms of fat I ate (include a tiny bit of salt too).

I'm starting to wonder if it's unrelated, but I got on the scale this morning and it said 260. I had to weight myself 2 more times because I just didn't believe I'd lost 3 lbs over night. I must have been holding water or something. To say the least, I'm pretty excited about it. This is no surprise as I have a lot of weight to loose, but I went through a 2-3 week period where the scale didn't move at all.

My food plan today is going to be a repeat of yesterday. I have a watermelon and a pineapple that I NEED to cut up. They are getting really ripe. That'll probably be the only change.

That 30-day mark is coming up for me. It's pretty sweet that I've been raw for the entire month of May. Well, there are things like that little bit of rice I had with the sushi and the oatmeal in my zucchini bread, but I don't count that stuff. I have not said: "OK, I taking a meal off and eating with you guys." this month. I used to do that on a weekly basis up until like just a few week ago when I committed to 100% raw.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Good luck everyone. :)

edit: one last thing. I have been feeling REALLY good the last few days. I've been feeling awesome ever since I went raw, but there is a noticeable spring in my step and a huge smile on my face the past couple of days. Maybe as you stick to this thing for longer, your body continues to improve and you start to feel more alive than ever before. It's great. This "raw high" is why I do this. Getting down to a healthy weight is important, but honestly it's secondary to feeling like a million bucks all the time.

[LexieW]

This "raw high" is why I do this. Getting down to a healthy weight is important, but honestly it's secondary to feeling like a million bucks all the time.

Thanks for the reminder! I've experienced it too, though in the past my habits would always lead me back to eating a bit of cooked food and the raw high would leave.

I've been doing really well the last two days - green smoothies (I'd never thought of using fresh OJ with the greens - so much better!), salads with differing greens, tomatos, avocados, beets, spring peas, and lots of various fruit.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

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[magglepie]

Today's been just sort of blah. I woke up with stomach pains (gone now, probably due to indigestion or something) and haven't really been hungry. I ate a ton of food yesterday, and had a banana earlier, but I couldn't finish it. It looks like today might just be a fasting day for me.... That's ok.

[Smallu]

Happy Monday, everyone! Thanks for all the support and suggestions! You guys are so awesome. Yes, I have to buy organic because it's important for me to "vote with my dollar" and I don't agree with putting pesticides and fertilizers into the environment :/ So, yes, I do most of my shopping at Whole Foods, PCC, or Central Market -- all of which are expensive. I also have a weekly produce bin delivered from Full Circle Farm - I like to buy local, straight off of the farm when I can to support the local organic farmers and to get the freshest food, but it's expsensive, too. I also grow my own, but have a very teeny tiny backyard and am not very far along in developing it. I do have some lettuce/chard/collards coming up and about 40 strawberry plants that are just starting to flower. I feel like I'm having to eat 2 bunches of greens per day to get my protein and TONS of fruit throughout the morning to stay full; I think that's what's driving my produce bill up. I definitely like the idea of contacting the wholesalers! I'm going to check that out for sure!

So, I'm back in the game today; I'm all restocked and re-grouped. I have felt so awful and unhealthy since I fell off the wagon. It was less a choice of getting my butt back in gear but a necessity. I suffer from fibromyalgia and got a lot of relief when I was eating only raw foods, but the last several days that I slipped have really taken a huge physical toll on my body. I'm excited to be back on board and hope to be feeling better in just a matter of days. This morning I made a green juice for breakfast (broccoli, lettuce, carrots, celery, orange, appler, ginger, garlic). I'm going to have a grapefruit and a peach and some walnuts soon for my mid-morning snack. Then I made a huge bowl of Ani Phyo's Vietnamese Cabbage Salad that I will devour for lunch. I can't WAIT!

My cats have been really unhealthy, so I started them on a raw food diet last week (Darwin's Natural Pet Foods). The turn-around in my 6-pound, 12-year-old Himalayan in just a few days has been amazing. He had to have all of his teeth pulled 6 years ago due to severe dental disease, a common problem in the breed. He has suffered from chronic colitis all of his life and was recently diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (another problem associated with Persians) and my holistic vet said that the processed kibble was taking a toll on his kidneys now that they are starting to age/worsen. He has dropped two pounds in the last 18 months :( He's starting to fill out a little bit (I can't see it on the scale, yet, but I can feel it), has stopped the excessive drinking/urination, is no longer constipated/bloated and has his appetite back. Now that I'm offering him raw food he won't touch the kibble he's been eating for the last 10 years!! My tabbies coats are getting shinier and I'm hoping to get them down to 9 pounds from 12. Turns out a raw food diet is as healthy for our pets, potentially, as it is for us...which I guess makes perfect sense :)

[LexieW]

Happy Monday, everybody! I stayed raw this weekend - woohoo! I got that raw high that robh mentioned, and I love it. My body is showing the benefits, too: my skin is glowing, my eyes are bright and the whites are very white, my body is ready for swimsuit season :throwhearts:

One tricky thing, though - how does one eat kiwis neatly? I brought one to work...and I had to put it back in my lunch box. I have no idea how to eat it!

[Smallu]

Congrats, Lexie! The neatest way to eat a kiwi that I've found is to cut it in half (not lengthwise, but crosswise like you would a grapefruit), then take a spoon and scoop out the fruit. The shell forms its own bowl which is really handy. Here are some photos: http://hambaba.com/notes/best-way-to-eat-a-kiwi.html

I'm feeling much better today after just one day back on the raw diet. My chronic pain is better and I lost a pound overnight and my skin is clearing up. It's amazing what happens when you give your body a day off from toxins and processed/cooked foods.

Have a great week, everyone!

[Smallu]

BTW, I made the YUMMIEST broccoli salad today and I thought I'd share.

1 small head of broccoli cut into small florets
1/8 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Dressing:
juice of one tangarine
1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil (optional)
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 green onion, chopped

I would let the dressing sit for a couple of hours to let the flavors blend, before adding it to the salad. This reminds me of stir fry...all the same flavors but healthier :)

[LexieW]

that sounds DE-LISH!

[magglepie]

I am feeling really tired today, partly because I've been extra busy at work the past few weeks. But I wonder if part of that could be some detox. The good news, and I am proud of myself for this, is that I haven't had any cooked food yesterday or today. I am really determined to stay on the wagon. I've had three apples, a bunch of raisins and some broccoli to eat so far today. And I got a few bananas, some strawberries and melon and blueberries at the store for later. I need to go grocery shopping and get some more lettuce. I've been craving green things for weeks, and just can't get enough of them even when I eat a ton of salad. I'm sure I'll get sick of them eventually or move onto a different craving, but for now I'll just keep plowing through those greens.

The hardest part has been that for the past 24 hours or so, I've had this lowgrade headache that just won't quit. I want to take some tylenol or something, but I just can't bring myself to do it... So, lots more water instead.

[LexieW]

Good for you, Magglepie! Keep it up, and when your head pounds just remember - you're ridding yourself of your cooked food addictions! You're going over the hump, and the other side is so close. You can do it, congrats on all your determination and hard work so far!

[Smallu]

Sorry you're so tired, Maggiepie. I feel your pain. I'm detoxing from falling off the wagon last week. Try fresh ginger for detox symptoms. I grate some into some of my salad dressings. I hope your headache goes away soon and that you get your energy back.

I have been craving greens like crazy, too. I think it happens when your body wants protein, as they are high in protein. I try to eat one bunch of dark leafy greens (kale, collards, spinach, chard) per day. It's usually a combo between my green juice in the morning, a kale salad at lunch, and marinated collards or a green salad for dinner. I'm really hungry today. So far I've had my green juice (3 huge chard leaves, 3 stalks of celery, 6 carrots, 1 apple, 1" piece of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, and a whole lemon), a mango, a grapefruit, and a kale salad with tahini/Bragg's/lemon dressing. I made more of the yummy broccoli salad that I posted yesterday, so I'm about to dive into that. I'm not having any cravings for non-raw foods, which is great. My body is craving lots and lots of water. I'm still really tired and really, really spaced out. Hoping for that raw food high everyone keeps talking about in another few days :)

[LexieW]

Aww, sorry to hear you're so tired Smallu. Funny you mention craving lots of water - I've noticed that in myself, as well. Looks like we really need to hydrate, keep those toxins moving out of our bodies. Keep it up!

As far as the raw high... it's one of those things I occasionally notice. Like, "oh, I'm at work and there's a lot going on and I should be stressed... but I'm kinda blissed out. Nice!" Not a big, bang-over-the-head "WOW" for me. At least... not yet.

Keep it up everyone, we're doing great and the month is almost over!

[Smallu]

Thanks, Lexie. Ok, regarding that high, I think I have it today! I should be really stressed out at work but I have this giant grin on my face and not a care in the world. It's so cool how our bodies give us immediate feedback based upon what foods we're eating. I can't wait for the June challenge!

[LexieW]

YAY! And how nice that's happening right before the long weekend :)

I'm traveling for the holiday, but I'm determined to stay raw - I feel much too good to let anything yucky into my system.

And yes, the June challenge is going to be great. I haven't been 100% this month, but it's the closest I've been. My willpower is stronger, thanks to this awesome forum :cheer:

I'm so excited for all of us!

[PansyLo]

Haaallo!

Will be back in the game for June! :dance:

Almost totally moved out my flat. Going to miss Waitrose!! But I guess there are lots of little vegan shops in Fife and there is a Waitrose in Edinburgh where I can stock up.

My borderline alcoholic boyfriend announced that after the music festival he's going to next month he's wanting to quit drinking. I was pretty surprised but it'll be really good timing for me to stop with him and we can go do things together that don't revolve around cider and rum for once. Go on lots of adventures in the countryside instead, get outside more (in a way that isn't Pimm's in the garden) and get more walking done. It's much easier doing something like quitting drink if you have another person you're close to doing the same.

I'm doing shopping tomorrow so I'll be spending the day in the sun reading and looking up some good raw recipes for the week!! :excited:

[Princessabk]

OK, I am early for June, starting 100% Raw Tuesday 5/29. Heading to the store today to ensure I have everything I need next week. I have my workout regiment, and I know I need to drink more water. This is not my first time being Raw, but it will be my first time writing about it. I will reply to the June Challenge. It think it will be great to have 32 days on a 30 day challenge!!!!:cheer:

[PansyLo]

While I'm not totally moved in yet and a lot of my kitchen stuff is still at my old flat I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. :)

Today I had some non-raw left overs for lunch in the garden, with a jug of homemade iced tea.
A big raw salad.
A glass of banana and cherry raw frozen milkshake.
Now for dinner I'm having collard wraps with mock salmon pate, radish, veggies etc.

[Mindylane]

Hi everyone!! I have some raw bread in the oven right now, as I don't have a dehydrator, but I am making sure that it doesn't get too hot in there... My husband and I started our raw diets on Saturday, so this will be day three. It has been tough so far, since we didn't really have any of the necessary tools nor did we have much food other than fruits/veggies, but I think it may have been better that way since it's only going to get better once we learn the great recipes that we can make! This community is a wonderful resource, and I have really enjoyed scouring through the posts here so far! Glad to meet everyone.

[LexieW]

Managed to stay raw over the weekend! While everyone else was bloated and uncomfortably joking about their bodies in swimsuits, I quietly felt good and looked it, too.

I got a lot of people asking about the raw food lifestyle, as well. I was fielding questions all weekend long!

I'm excited to go 100% for the June challenge - I know I can do it, this last month has been the closest I've ever been. Bring it on!

[snowshoe]

Hi everyone - been raw for the past two weeks and will be in for June. I was raw for 5 months and loved it but slipped during the cold weather. I remained pretty much vegan but gained weight which I had to put a stop to. So the jury is back in and I need to remain raw to keep my weight down. I have an Excalibur now so that should help when the cold returns. I've been making awesome flax crackers - my new fascination. Right now have some curry and some habanero crackers which are rocking my world.

[PansyLo]

Weirdly I didn't find it difficult with the cold.

I drank a lot of tea and lots of hot water and lemon etc when I needed something hot.

I've gained weight too since stopping, more than I weighed before I started! So that's something I need to nip in the bud.

I'm not starting back 100% yet. I'm easing myself into it a little. Once I'm settled and all my kitchen stuff is here at my new house and most importantly my recipe books I'll jump into it.

[LexieW]

*sigh*

It's one of those days where I wish I lived on a farm. I was so excited to see apricots at my local market - it's been days since I bought them and they're still very hard and sour. They're organic too - guess I better put them in a paper bag and let them ripen up for a few days.

[teamrose]

Today is June 1. Where is the June challenge?

[sjpersonal]

I was wondering the same thing, can anyone start it or do we have to wait?

[PansyLo]

People get busy! Just wait and see if Aleesha starts it. :)

We can continue on in here, it's not life or death to talk about June challenge in a May thread :P If she hasn't been able to come on in the next couple of days someone else start one.

It's no biggy. :heart

[GlimR]

Hello~ *s* I'm in for June

Doing simple raw...juicing, fruits, salads...........

[snowshoe]

This month I'll be a juicing rebounding dehydrating maniac! In a good way... :)

[Princessabk]

Completed almost a week of Raw Foods, Tuesday will be 1 full week.
Heading to the store to pick up ingredients for this weeks meals.
One thing I have noticed is some days I do not eat alot, but I do listen to my body.
One day I was craving greens, so I ate greens for breakfast, lunch & dinner! - That was interesting for me to have a salad for breakfast.

Can't wait to see all that will be doing this challenge in June!

[november]

Felt pretty balanced today, not much in the way of cravings. Cherries on sale at the supermarket, yay! I'd say that fresh cherries are probably my all-time favorite fruit, with mangoes a close second. Kind of wish my local supermarket had some organic produce, but I can't wait to check out the farmer's market in town next week. Had grapes and some brazil nuts for breakfast, a huge bowl of cherries and some flax-banana pudding for lunch (I don't think I'll be making that again...a bit too squishy for my tastes. IMO flax is best if dehydrated or else with minimal liquid...gets too slimy otherwise). Just had a baby cucumber and 16oz of pear/celery/kale juice for dinner. Interesting how the juice didn't seem to spike my blood sugar even though it contained 3 very ripe pears, which is actually a lot of sugar. It needed it though, because the kale was quite bitter. Definitely not something to over-do if you're juicing.

[PansyLo]

My kitchen stuff is officially moved out of my old flat! But into the garage at the new house. :(

I think getting my raw recipe books and a few key ingredients out might help get me motivated. I just don't seem to have the enthusiasm to get started properly. I do want to be healthy, get my energy back and lose weight but at the same time I'm like "Oh, a little quick non raw meal wont do any harm..."

Maybe if I get Alissa's book out and give it a good read again I'll remember why I was a lot more dedicated to this before.

I did buy some alfalfa to sprout yesterday. Love me some alfalfa.

[PansyLo]

Today:

Salad with lemon dressing. Mix of stuff needing used up: kale and collard sliced thin, baby leaves, tomatos, shallots, avocado.
Cherry milkshake, frozen cherrys blended with nut milk.
Salad with new potato salad made with raw parsley pesto and spring onions. The potato's aren't raw.

Had lots of herbal tea and some home made fruit juice.

I'm going to go 100% after the weekend.

[LexieW]

Phew, it's been a few days but I'm back :) Though I've been raw - continuing to feel great! I have become a little dependent on highly caffeinated tea though - especially in the mornings, when I need something to get me going. I'm finding that I'm really not hungry in the mornings. Like, if I even have a small green smoothie, I just feel uncomfortably full.

Anyhoo, I'm also super excited about cherries, like november :throwhearts: I probably had nothing but cherries and watermelon on Sunday.

[GlimR]

Pansy...that "a little non-raw food won't hurt" has always been my undoing.

I'm doing well...going thru greens like made...really hungry today...had my first nuts as a snack today....needing something heavier that salad, smoothies or juice.

I made a great dressing out of a red pepper, an orange, some blood orange vinegar, sea salt & pepper....not bad at all...over greens w/kiwi & strawberries.
Making a vat of green juice tomorrow....been having mostly watermelon w/lime & ice...so refreshing.

Change of plans--
When I made the juice this morning the kale was so crisp and green, so fresh I wanted to use it all...used half in my juice and made a salad w/the rest...
Kale, olive oil, sea salt, vinegar, lemon juice, avocado, red onions & scallions, yellow & red grape tomatoes, cracked pepper & fresh julienned basil leaves....wow...supper tonight!!

I also have two pineapples that will be way overripe if I don't use them...so.juice, kale salad & lots of pineapple today!!

[LexieW]

Pansy...that "a little non-raw food won't hurt" has always been my undoing.



Oy, me too.

[PansyLo]

^ I just haven't been feeling it this time.

I think maybe after I use up the raw food I've just bought I should try a different approach.

It's maybe time to hit it hard with a juice fast to start me off and kick me back into it. That'll hopefully give my system a good clean out and make me feel lots better and much more enthusiastic about going raw. A bit of weight loss that may come with juice fasting would be a bit of a incentive to keep going too.

[GlimR]

Pansy~
Only you can decide what's best for you. I juice fasted for about 5 weeks last summer and felt amazing.
I am juicing now but mixed with raw and have just gotten back into it after too long away. I have played so many games with myself over the years, made improvements, tossed them out the window but to me it is all a progression....a learning experience.

Today I will eat raw and juice. Going thru greens like mad. I need my raw glow...my raw energy...my raw balance!!

Food today..

Green Juice w/kale, celery, cucumber, zucchini, apple, lemon & ginger....will drink 1 qt over the morning.

Tomato & cucumber salad w/avocado

Watermelon juice w/lime

banana

Salad w/spring mix, strawberries & kiwi

At least that's what the plan is...if the rain hold off a nine mile bike ride tonight~

Hope everyone is having a great day~

[LexieW]

I'm really glad to see it's not just me who's yo-yo'ed back and forth with varying degrees of raw. In the last two years I've never been less than 50%, but until May I hadn't managed 100% for more than a day or two at a time. In May, I got up to six days.

It IS a progression for a lot of people. It's like quitting any other bad habit or addiction - cold turkey works for some people, others need programs and small changes over time. The point is, we KNOW that raw is the way to go. And we're working on it.

I'll say this - I struggle with beating myself up a little when I make bad choices. But I tried something different in May - I started thinking "you know, I could have [insert cooked food here]. It's totally up to you, you can have it if you want it. But, you know what it will do to you, even if you don't feel it at first. Do you really want it?"

It worked... until I got slammed at work and caved under stress, haha. But I'm back at it!

[MysticTree]

Is there a June thread?

[PansyLo]

^ Nope. Is Aleesha away?

Regular members can't start new threads in this section.

@LexieW: Everyone is totally different. I do find it easier to go in very heavy, then ease down. I think I'd find it easiest to take on a challenge like a detox fast. I think if I keep trying to ease into something I'll just never get there. When I first went raw in February I went 100% almost right away, within a matter of days as I gathered information and it worked really well for me until I ran out of money and took on an internship as well as my job (all while preparing to move home) so I became super busy and just couldn't keep up with being raw.

I think I really am a cold turkey person. I like to just into the extreme then get the relief of loosening up after I've gotten used to the extreme lifestyle.

I don't know much about fasting though. What juices are best for detoxing? I've honestly not even been all that good at juicing so far, I ended up going off it a little because the last few things I've made haven't tasted great. :(

[MysticTree]

Bf is missing bread but until we get some sunny weather or a generator and a dehydrator there is nothing I can do. This morning I made him buck wheat and almond porridge with banana, strawberry and honey. It was quite a success. I processed the almonds through my juicer which minced them up well and added some water so it was not quite almond milk but sort of! I think I love my juicer; it's so versatile. When we ever have electricity again I really want a masticating juicer that I don't have to hand crank :)

[snowshoe]

Yesterday I made 9 trays of crackers/bread. Ground sesame, chia & flax, whole flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, carrot pulp, curry powder, coconut, raisins, some tiny apple and pear pieces. My best batch yet!

[Տara]

Hello all, a newbie here! :)

Since there's no June thread yet, I figured it was okay to write in this one.

Eating raw has been something that has been popping up in my reality over and over again during the past few years - I've always eaten better than average, and really well during the past five years, but even though I've often felt like I've already found the diet that suits me best, I've never been able to forget about raw foodism and have kept reading about it over the years despite not following a raw food diet.

I've eaten 100% raw two times before - for 35 and 45 days. I had some problems with how I felt during those trials, which is why I went back to my usual (healthy) diet, but I've kept feeling that I should give raw another try, so here I am. :) My plan this time is to keep it simple, eat mostly green smoothies because my digestion is quite terrible at the moment and smoothies seem to agree with my body the best. I feel like I need to do some kind of a cleanse and leafy greens should do the job, detoxing, alkalizing, nourishing and energizing my body. :)

My main motivation for doing this is health and well-being in general, and I'm also interested in the amazing energy, mental clarity and raw food "high" people often talk about - I'd love to experience all of those - but I wouldn't mind losing a few kilograms as well. I don't really have much weight to lose but I feel like the extra fat I do have has been there to store toxins, if that makes any sense, so I feel like I'd be healthier without it. :)

I'm so glad I found this forum - the atmosphere seems so encouraging and warm!

[LexieW]

Welcome, Sara! :throwhearts:

[robh]

Hello raw friends. I am back. :)

I have been away because around my birthday I fell off the wagon and was really mad at myself and ashamed, honestly.

In hindsight, I this is the first place I should have come. Not only could I have used the support (I was weak and hovering around 80% in the days that followed), but I also skipped out on you guys. I know how nice it is to login and see messages from people that care about what you are doing.

Getting on a positive note, I am back at 100% and committed.

Breakfast:
Chia “oatmeal”- 3 tablespoons of chia seeds, raisins, Crazins, agave and a little water
3 bananas,
1 orange
1 peach

Lunch:
2 bananas
1 apple
1 peach
Almond Chia Porridge - 3 tablespoons of chia seeds, 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds, 3 tablespoons almonds, 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, water and a pinch of salt

Dinner (salad):
Romaine Lettuce
Carrots
Creamy sundried tomato dressing
Crazins
raisins
Sesame seeds

LexieW, nice to see that you are still around. :) how are things? I remember you had some challenges with eating raw around your bf's family?

PansyLo, welcome back to raw. Making a tasty juice is hard. When I was doing it, I treated it like medicine. Slam it down and chase it with some water.

MysticTree, greetings. I always see you in the other threads on the forums. Mind if I ask how you are using a computer if you do not have electricity? I sure hope your bf isn't sitting next to you cranking it while you type. :) All jokes aside, that's pretty cool that you guys are off the grid (literally).

Տara and other new folks, welcome.

I only read a couple posts back. I wanted to comment on the "raw high."

I identify my raw high as feeling uncharacteristically happy. If I am honest, I am typically more serious than happy. Therefore, when I feel gitty for no reason, I know the cause (my rawsome lifestyle). I too noticed that my stress levels are low. Over the weekend, I had to drive in downtown Philly (something I hate). I found it very odd to feel calm, collected and even relaxed in that situation. It was nice.

Also, I broke my record lowest weight. I hit 258 this morning. woohoo

I am no longer doing low fat raw vegan. I google why I had a decreased sense of smell. It turns out Zinc helps you smell. I found one of those diet tracker things (cronometer). I put in my low-fat fruits and salad diet and found that I wasn't getting any zinc, very little calcium and very little vitamin E. I added almonds, sesame seeds and chia seeds and nutritional yeast (B12).

I can smell again. Also... you are all a bunch of ladies so this may sound lewd (but I'm going to type it anyway). My sex drive has increased. My wife actually turned me down the other night (a first). I read someplace that a raw food diet can have that effect, but never experienced it until now.

Anyway, as a result of the added almonds, sesame seeds and chia seeds, I get about 28% of my calories from fat. I also notice if I eat the fat with the fruit throughout the day, I stay full and don't feel hungry. On top of all that, I'm still losing weight.

Sorry for being away so long. Hope you all can forgive my pride.

[MysticTree]

mobile phone for surfing. Good to see you back.

[LexieW]

Great to see you, robh!

I haven't had to deal with any family visit challenges lately, but I'm doing really well. However, I've discovered that I'm not eating enough - I just get pretty wiped in early evening, which I think means I need to snack more during the work day. Soaked almonds and some extra fruit has been correcting that.

And don't worry about sounding lewd - you weren't. Increased sex drive is wonderful and healthy!

I'm really curious why there isn't a June thread by now... we're pretty much halfway through the month.

Oh, robh - what do you make with the nutritional yeast? I just bought some for the first time this weekend and tried a bit by itself... not exactly tasty.

[nancy talor]

keep your daily diet is very important to keep healthy.

[snowshoe]

I sent our moderator an email. I find this to be unusual...





I'm really curious why there isn't a June thread by now... we're pretty much halfway through the month.

[robh]

LexieW, yeah, nutritional yeast is kinda funky. It's yellow, smells a little like a health food store and the taste has a sort of cheesy quality to it. I am not sure why, but I have grown to enjoy it. The cheesy, creaminess is a welcome change. I like it with savory, non-sweet stuff like mixed in my salad or mixed into the asian sauce I make. The flavor plays nicely with a tiny bit of salt. I have also put it in smoothies, too. Basically, a tablespoon or two is my vitamin B12 for the day. I just squeeze it in wherever I can. There are loads of recipes for it (raw cheese-its, I think?). I have yet to try any of them, though.

Also, LexieW, on feeling wiped in early evening. That used to happen to me as well. I would feel great and energized early in the morning but in the afternoon and early evening I would feel like I was running out of steam. I later figured out that it was one of my detox symptoms. When this happens do you feel irritable and grumpy too? If this is happening, you can eating something to ease the detox symptoms (works for me anyway). It sounds like you're doing that.

snowshoe, yeah posting in the may thread mid-june is a bit odd. :)

Yesterday went well for me. Today is going to be the same. Have a good day everyone!

[Aleesha Sattva]

Is there a June thread?


^ Nope. Is Aleesha away?

Regular members can't start new threads in this section.



Hello all, a newbie here! :)

Since there's no June thread yet, I figured it was okay to write in this one.



Sorry folks... no one let me know I forgot to start a new one until this morning. Please feel free to shoot Cathy or I a note if it's forgotten in the future. I'll get it started now.

in light,
Aleesha
Admin

[Aleesha Sattva]

I sent our moderator an email. I find this to be unusual...

And thanks for the note... ;)