Last half of June 30 day Challenge... 2012

[Aleesha Sattva]

Sorry for the lateness of this thread. I forgot to start one and no one nudged me via email until now to let me know I forgot to begin one.

So... the earlier part of this month is in the May 2012 thread beginning on page 8 (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?68220-May-2012-30-Day-Challenge-Join-at-any-time-of-the-month!/page8). And here's where we will carry on...

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:

[robh]

New thread woohoo! :)

Thanks Aleesha. I see the "Send Email" thing. I will give that a shot next time.

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks :)

[PansyLo]

I didn't actually know how to send an e-mail! It's not the end of the world though, we all still got the support we needed from each other through the May thread!

robh! It's great to see you. :dance: If you ever slip up again you'll know next time just to come on here. Everyone does it from time to time, it's just being human. No point in being hard on yourself just jump back in.


Honestly I've really been struggling to even keep high raw. Everything raw I've made lately had just tasted really lousy. I made loads of effort by spending a whole evening "cooking" things up to have in the fridge then struggled to eat even half of them because of how everything turned out. That's only disheartened me to try anything else.

I've been experimenting trying to sprout different things so even though I'm not raw I'm learning something and still going in the right direction.

Not sure how to get back on the wagon though. I'm not eating a sad diet, it's vegan with no overly processed foods. Things like [Trigger warning - cooked foods! Highlight space to read.] porridge with 100% rolled oats and nut milk, vegan casserole with fresh herbs from my garden, rice, soup, occationally gluten free vegan bread. I just cook a lot of things.

I've gained weight through not working anymore and the contraception I'm on. I feel tired all the time, I sleep most of the day. I feel kinda lousy but whenever I try and eat raw I just can't eat any of the crap I make and then I'm super hungry and I'll eat whatever's to hand!

Any tips to resolve this? I want to get back into this 100%.

I want to detox and get fit and feel motivated.

I guess I've had a rough few days with my personal life too.

[MysticTree]

Raw is going well here. Bf is into his second week and is almost certain I am slipping feel good drugs into his food. Lol.

[Purple Fern]

Hi I have just found this site and have been raw for 3 days, I am working on a boat so its not as easy as doing everything at home, juicing and sprouting, dehydrating isn't possible... But I'm sure I still want to get th benefits if 30 days raw... Here are some photos of the meals if been preparing :)

Looking forward to feeling lighter, more energised and getting some support from other people doing the same challenge! x

[LexieW]

Pansy, any idea what's off about the raw food you're making? Is it turning out bad, or are you just not in the mood for it? That happens to me, sometimes. Like "oooh, I have all this stuff in the fridge... and I don't want to eat any of it. In fact, nothing raw sounds good." And when that happens, I fall off the wagon. It might not be much, but I'll eat something I shouldn't and then immediately regret it.

Can you go for a little walk every day? Just going for a walk around the block will energize me. Dry-brushing does this for me too - great way to start the day.

Be kind to yourself (sounds like you already are :heart:).

[PansyLo]

^ I don't know if it's just been some really bad luck with the food I've been trying to make or if it's me! I think it's a bit of both, I've had some definite disasters but some things have worked out fine and still haven't tasted great. Even a really nice dressing that I LOVED before tasted bad.

I'm probably a little unmotivated since I just moved home and don't have a job here yet and I have no money to do anything.

I had a major fall out with my ex flatmate, while it had been coming for a while and I no longer wanted to stay friends with her I still hate confrontation.
My boyfriend confessed that he cheated me while away at the weekend but the way it's actually coming out when I pressed asking about it, it sounds more like he was pretty much sexually assaulted by the girl. It was so minor that even if it was consensual I'd have given him another chance, it's not like he even had to tell me and he did immediately but even though he's acting like it's his fault and I should hate him it really doesn't sound like it is.
Everything I own right now seems to be breaking and I just generally feel like crap!

The food thing started before this personal stuff but the personal stuff sure ain't helping my mood.

[MysticTree]

sounds more like he was pretty much sexually assaulted by the girl
I'm sure her side of the story would be different. Be careful how much you take as truth when you are hearing only one side. What is your zinc intake like? That can affect taste and have you eaten pine nuts lately?

[robh]

Purple Fern, best of luck being raw while working on a boat. That sounds difficult.

MysticTree, your boyfriend is going raw? That's awesome. "Slipping him feel good drugs" - that's funny. When I try to tell people how awesome it feels to be raw, they just look a me funny. That is cool that your boyfriend is experiencing the benefits.

PansyLo, to be honest, I have stopped preparing food (for the most part). I haven't used my dehydrator in a long time. I only use my blender when I'm making salad dressing. Eating something tasty is as simple as picking up a piece of fruit and eating it. If you don't mind me making the observation, it sounds like you are a little frustrated in general. It sounds like circumstances have you down a little bit. Remember things always turn up. If you want to get back into raw in a simple way, think about foods you can eat without preparing them. Grab a carrot, a stalk of celery, an apple, a handful of almonds, etc. Once you get back on raw, your outlook will become more positive and life, in general, will be easier to deal with (at least that's how it works for me).

Things are going well for me, outside of being sick. This is the first time I've been sick after going raw. This particular bug has been diagnosed as strep throat twice and as a double ear infection (three different people each with an excuse for the doctor to give them antibiotics). I think it's just a nasty virus. I haven't taken any drugs, but this bug is bad. I no longer show symptoms when most colds and flus that go around. My body just crushes them now. This one, however, had me up last night with a raging fever. The fever finally broke and I can tell them I'm on the mend now. It seems like I will be over this in 3 days or so (without the aid of medicine). My wife is showing symptoms now. I'm curious how long it's going to take a non-raw person to get over it. The baby was on two different antibiotics for two weeks before he got better.

Other than that I'm good. I dropped down to 255 lbs this morning. Yesterday, I drank 4 liters of water (couldn't get enough). So I was able to drop 5 lbs of water and 3 lbs of weight overnight. Not sure how that works. I'm thinking the fever and the sickness had something to do with it. It's pretty cool though. To think that I may see 240-something in the next month or so is encouraging.

Anyway, my eating patterns are pretty basic. For breakfast, I eat 3-4 pieces of fruit and some chia pudding stuff with agave, raisins and craisins. For Lunch, I eat 3-4 more pieces of fruit and more chia seeds with almonds and nutritional yest. I typically snack on another piece of fruit or two before dinner. Dinner is a salad with whatever wacking dressing I make that day.

I soak cashews and macadamia nuts and then blend them into a creamy liquid. I call this my "dressing base". I just toss it in the fridge. When it comes time to make my salad, I take this creamy base and make a new dressing every night. Monday night was an onion and cilantro dressing. Tuesday was a creamy sun-dried tomato dressing. Tonight, I'm thinking south of the border: base + tomato, onion powder, raw garlic, cumin, jalapeños, cayenne pepper - stuff along those lines. I really like being able to make something new every night. Variety is nice.

Good luck everyone

[MysticTree]

Robh
Yeah he said he would try it for a week and now he's in week 2.
His plan was to finish at the end of week 2 cos he was missing bread but he's now saying that he hasn't any plans at the moment to go back to "other food"

Your dressing base sounds good. A variety of good dressings is such a boon to raw food eating.

[robh]

MysticTree, Sounds like he is hooked to me.

[MysticTree]

MysticTree, Sounds like he is hooked to me.

for the time being. The winter will be the pivot point.

[LexieW]

Pansy, sorry to hear about all the drama going on - stuff like that can easily trigger cravings for old, SAD comfort foods.

Hang in there, it will get better. And as far as the boyfriend - I believe in forgiveness, and I believe that no one knows the dynamics of your relationship better than you. Keep your eyes open, do what you feel is right, whatever that is. Everything else will sort itself out.

robh, that dressing base idea sounds awesome! I'm so trying that.

[PansyLo]

As far as my relationship I don't need advice. :)
I'm not daft, I'll be fine. I'm a pretty good judge of character and I always know in my heart when something is fishy even if I don't want to believe it. Here I just don't get that feeling at all. I just wanted to kind of explain that that's one of the reasons I'm feeling down and all over the place right now.

I think I will try just eating very very simply. Not preparing meals just eating fresh fruit and veg a hand full of nuts, some simply prepared fresh juice. There's lots of great stuff in season just now. I had the worlds most delicious strawberries today!

I haven't eaten any pine nuts lately but I have eaten them loads of times and never noticed anything with things tasting odd. I've just had an epiphany that it's maybe related to the new birth control pills I'm using. Things tasting odd can definitely be a hormonal thing and my eating habits in general have been totally thrown off by it.

[LexieW]

Ahh, yes! Hormonal changes is a likely culprit. Hopefully everything settles down and you normalize soon :heart:


I just went to the market - have been having a rough week, emotionally, and have been tempted to do some emotional eating. I'm really pleased to say that I resisted the temptation. Came home and had couple medjool dates instead! Woo!

[Juicerguy]

Hello,

I just found this thread and didn't realize that this is what these threads were until now. I just started a %100 raw diet for the first time in my life ever on the first of this month. I have had my ups and downs. Sometimes when I get hungry with this diet I definitely feel more agitated than when I get hungry on the diet I ate before. I think a whole lot about what I am putting inside of me and am hoping I am eating at least a decent combination of foods. I have had really awesome highs where I felt very good, including feeling a whole lot more grounded than before. I have also had some lows which have been frustrating. These have included feeling really hungry sometimes and then it takes some time to prepare the food I am eating. Arg... Funny before you start you think..Oh no problem I will just eat lots of fruits and vegetables all day with some soaked nuts, beans and other stuff. When it comes to the actual day I find that I need to be way more prepared because I get these "panics"..get all fidgety and irritated...wierd never had these so extreme before...I have been drinking at least one green juice a day and have been doing some smoothies... snack on almonds throughout the day sometimes. It hit me today....It is so different from the way i ate before as I can eat a bunch now and it might have the nutrient density in it, but it wont have the caloric density and I can feel it. I believe I need to be eating more.

I haven't had a lot of time to do my normal researching and reading lately. Just been busy. I just want to make sure I am doing this right. Thanks for the forum and to everyone here. Right now it is feeling really good to be able to get on here and talk... I don't want to give up on this. I am trying to ride through the wave here and get to the other side. Just want to be sure I am doing this in a healthy way as that is extremely important to me. It's wild when i think about what I ate before...its not like it was a whole lot more...It was just that I ate some meat and snacks here and there more...So I must just be adjusting to this new diet. Anywhooo thanks for listening if you read this post and any advise would be greatly appreciated. Good luck to everyone else doing this also!

[MysticTree]

Pansylo, can you use different birth control method? The pill is not good for us. At least if you feel there is nothing to worry about ref. your boyfriend you can strike it off the list of things to feel down about.

[PansyLo]

^ I'm thinking of switching it.

I can't afford to be taking any risks though and all the ones that are almost 100% effective are hormonal.

The next option would be cups and diaphragm's but they're not as effective and I predict them being problematic too.

I've only been on it three months. I think I need to give it a while longer to see if the side effects subside. I was on the injection before and I had no side effects at all and it worked brilliantly... I'm terrified of needles though, it was such a stress trying to get it done, it would make me feel sick and anxious all day knowing I had to go get it.

I think something is starting to give.

I've totally lost my appetite all together for the first time since starting it. I was once on medication to make me gain weight and this has actually made me even more hungry than that did!

[robh]

Juicerguy, stay the course! If you are agitated, hungry (and feeling tired?), then you are on the right track with your eating. Why? I had these same symptoms when I started. It is temporary. Those high points you are talking about will become your reality (the raw high is why I am here). These symptoms will not come back unless you cheat and consume cooked foods, wheat, coffee, alcohol, etc.

Also, Juicerguy, I read that when your body is not digesting food (meaning that you are hungry), it has more time and energy to cleans itself. The symptoms you are experiencing (agitation is a giveaway) arise during this cleansing process. If you want it over with faster, tough it out. If you want the feeling to go away, you can distract your body and slow down the process by eating something. I personally eat stuff when it happens to me. (It still happens to me because I live in a house of cooked food and I have moments of weakness. After my moments of weakness I pay with a repeat of this cleansing process.)

Raw foodist call this cleansing process "detox". I hate the use of this word because when you say it to others, you are overtly accusing most Americans of consuming toxins and poisons. Technically, it is true, but the connotation is negative and will not win over any converts. "Hey, you eat poison and I'm a fruit-eating nut-job, want to join me?"

Pansylo, I am not a girl so I don't really know what happens when a raw foodist takes birth control. I know the effects of all drugs are amplified for us. If we drink coffee, we will be bouncing off the walls. One shot of hard liquor will have us passed out on the floor. I am not sure the side effects of birth control, but you will probably experience them vibrantly. I agree with MysticTree. A non-medicine based form of birth control would probably be better.

Pansylo, I love my fruits and veggies, but if I don’t consume some fat with my meals, I tend to feel unsatisfied. I read a book where they did studies on raw foodist. It’s not uncommon for us to consume 30% of our calories in the form of fats found in nuts, seeds and avocados. It may sound like a lot, but these are all good fats and we are eating the entire food (not just the extracted oil). It actually very healthy for us. fyi

LexieW, congrats on avoiding the emotional eating. Eating this way is hard enough without other stuff contributing.

Things are going well for me. I’m still getting over this cold. I’ve been taking advil because my throat is killing me. Part of me wonders if I won’t detox when that stuff works it’s way out of my system.

My fiesta salad came out good last night. It had a nice healthy kick to it. It was clearing my sinuses. :)

Today is going to be the same. I’ll have banans for energy, raw almonds for vitamin E, oranges for vitamin C, carrots for vitamin A, romaine for vitamin K, crushed sesame seeds for omega-6, iron and calcium, soaked chia seeds for omega-3, iron and calcium and nutritional yeast for B12. I will also drink 3 liters of water throughout the day.

Good luck everyone!

[albettis1978]

Hello! My name is Al and I just found your site this morning. I am your typical guy, eating junk food and fast food everyday! My wife and I just had our first child and things really went down hill. My cholesterol was 268 just 3 months ago. I finally got tired of feeling sick and fatigued all day. I started eating only raw whole foods just last Saturday and so far I feel great! Looking forward to making a complete lifestyle change! I get my cholesterol checked again in 4 weeks!

[phak-i-tu]

Greetings from the wilds of Catron County, NM. I found this site for the first time about the middle of last month right after I decided to go raw. As I live @ an hour's drive from a grocery store and a good 2 hour's from a natural foods store, this is a bit of a challenge. But at least it's not a challenge to stick to it! I'm a widow, living alone in a rural area on a very limited income and get maybe two trips a month to a store if I'm lucky so I can't get tempted with what isn't there. Some days I haven't eaten anything because I didn't have enough food (for me) in the house and have to make it stretch till the next trip. I have cats and dogs and still have to cook for them sometimes, as I really don't think all supermarket meats are completely safe raw and because the feed store can only get one organic brand for them. Until last month, all I'd been eating was just a portion of whatever I cooked for them and living on coffee and the milk and sugar I put into it. Needless to say, I was not thriving on that. I was tired of brain fog, at a time when I need my brains more than ever, so I hung around youtube watching some vids and made my commitment for life.

I am interested in any advice I can get here concerning which foods are an absolute must. I'm not worried about going off 'a diet' because going raw isn't a diet to me; it's a way of life, one I've been interested in for at least 30 years, and I'm going to stick with it no matter what. That said, because I am alone and a bit of a recluse anyway, I don't want to get into trouble because I've overlooked some nutritional requirement for a lady in her 50's and can't tell the difference between malnutrition and detox. If I need 'superfoods' occasionally, I shall only be able to buy one every 2 months at most, so which should I aim for first? Also, I keep hearing different stories about which spouts are and are not safe to eat raw and if there's something I shouldn't be sprouting without some special treatment, I'd like to know what it is before I put in my order at 'sprout people.'

I love this forum! I've visited many, of course, but this is the first one I had the nerve to try to join.

[PansyLo]

^ Welcome both of you :)

Al, congrats on making a change. It's a big step! :)

phak-i-tu, I can see how that would work to your advantage and disadvantage!

I don't think any food are a must. It's good to just get a variety. Sprouts are incredibly nutritious and water vegetables so you should look into sourcing them. You can get things like Chlorella online (I noticed a big difference with my energy and sugar levels once I started taking Chlorella on the advice of a forum member).

We're getting a kitten soon and plan to feed him raw, the breeder is quite particular and well read in the area so he recommended us certain things to get for him. I think he buys a couple of things from the supermarket, he was telling us what things are okay and what aren't. They were eating raw chicken last time I visited them but I'm not sure if it was supermarket or not. My mum hates the smell of tinned cat food and I can't see how that would be good for the wee guy. I want to feed him as close to his natural diet as possible.


As for me I'm still not feeling 100%. I've totally lost my appetite now for anything not just raw. As for switching birth control to natural solutions. No natural solutions are nearly as effective and it's just something I can't afford to compromise on. I'm hoping that it'll even out and any side effects that it has caused will stop. Apart from my clear skin... I'd like to keep that side effect haha.

I think my rice is starting to sprout! It's hard to say but I think I can see little bits on the end of some grains.

My sunflower seeds don't seem to though, I sat and picked out whole undamaged seeds but now half of them are slitting or broken which doesn't look like a good sign.

I have poppy seed and hemp seed in the cupboard. Do they sprout?

[phak-i-tu]

Thanks, PansyLo! Chlorella it is, then. I hope the 'vitacost' site is OK - or maybe 'iherb' has it too. I've been scared off of some all-raw sites because of the prices but I learned a lot here yesterday on the 'where do you order your food' thread. Most of our poppy seeds in the U.S. are imported from overseas and irradiated. I think that's partly because they're usually of the 'somniferum' variety and our nanny-states are afraid somebody's going to have some fun with them:) I made lovely poppy-seed pastries all through my youth and the cook (traditionally, at least) grinds the seeds in a mortar or blender before making a filling because the elders say it'll send you running to the out-house if you don't. I learned a lot from the 'sprouts' thread here last night so if anybody would know if you can get sprouters in the poppy family, they would. Same case with the hemp - and I did see those seeds on many sites, looking for sprouting seeds, so apparently that can be done.

I'm going to try a bag of bird-seed-variety sunflower seeds from the supermarket, since the manager there assured me those seeds were raw. The sprout thread last night did mention that those are tricky. They may just need longer soaking time. My cats have been eating plenty of raw but not because I gave it to them: they're bringing in birds, mice, ground squirrels and 'kangaroo mice,' the ones with the long hairy tail with a tuft on the end. It's a waste of time trying to stop them bringing their 'supper' in to finish off in the middle of the night and I know I shouldn't interfere with them keeping their survival skills sharp.

[snowshoe]

Vitacost is a great site!

[PansyLo]

If they're catching it themselves fresh that's probably best for their health.

Our's can't do that as he's a Bengal so he wouldn't cope with being let outside. That and somebody would probably steal him.

I think it's the seeds! I soaked them for long enough! It's a nightmare trying to get raw nuts and seeds.

[MysticTree]

An expensive but rewarding morning shopping. Went to a health food shop I haven't been to for decades and I found raw crackers, raw tahini, raw pecan butter, raw granola and some good quality chorella. Also bought some radish sprouts as I don't have any sprouting at home. Oh and kale chips. The crackers are to die for and satisfy bf's bread craving. The kale chips are yummy though a ridiculous price which means we won't have them often. The granola isn't my thing but bf keeps wanting muesli so until we sort out a raw muesli mix this will do. Can't get over the crackers though. Much nicer than any cooked cracker . . . By millions of miles.

[PansyLo]

^ I'm super jealous. You just can't get that stuff here! It sounds delicious. Going raw would be easy as pie if you could get these things in the supermarket.

Health shops where I live are pretty much things like Holland and Barrett's where they mostly focus on supplements but have a few useful raw goodies (they have good quality chlorella and spirulina as well as a selection of nuts and seeds). I haven't been to any of the odd ones around fife yet, they tend to be mostly local farms produce, so it's organic meat etc then they stock health foods on the side. They used to have good vegan stuff but I don't know about raw.

It's super difficult sourcing anything really. When I lived next to Waitrose it was a little easier as they had raw honey, nice dates and some more unusual ingredients as well as an odd selection of fresh fruit and veg. :(

[MysticTree]

Have a look on the inspiral raw food site. Bf is trying to build a dehydrator as I type - one that will run on the power of the sun. I pointed out the power source flaw in this but he is convinced that July onwards will be good.

[phak-i-tu]

If they're catching it themselves fresh that's probably best for their health.

Our's can't do that as he's a Bengal so he wouldn't cope with being let outside. That and somebody would probably steal him.

I think it's the seeds! I soaked them for long enough! It's a nightmare trying to get raw nuts and seeds.
How nice to have a Bengal! I do happen to live in a county where nobody'd blink an eye at that, so long as he wasn't bringing down their livestock, since this is ranch country, after all. Mr. Raw has done a thorough explanation on the 'Sprouting' thread about those sunflower seeds and how to treat them in all kinds of weather - with pictures.
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?64973-Sprouting!&p=696012#post696012
You might want to just order your seeds online. Try these people in Wisconsin. They're at least likely to be able to provide you a referral for a closer source to you:
http://sproutpeople.org/

[MysticTree]

Do sprout people ship to the UK?

[PansyLo]

^ Surprisingly they do. But for almost $50 in postage alone, that was just for one item to see how much it would be.

I don't think there is anywhere in Fife that will sell much of use to me. As I said there's health food stores but they tend to concentrate on other areas and just have one or two raw supplies by chance. There wasn't even anywhere in Glasgow when I lived there. I think the nearest place that's I'd be able to get weirder ingredients etc would be London.

There is a website for raw foodists in Scotland but weirdly they don't share where they actually get anything! I don't get it.

[MysticTree]

Did you look at nicky's nursery?

[PansyLo]

I've found a bunch of online stores through the scottish website but seeing as I don't have any money it's not really solving anything.
It's kind of got to be somewhere my mum will go for her to buy anything and it can't be too expensive. She's not going to buy me a bunch of stuff online.

[MysticTree]

some of the bigger sites might have catalogue. She might be happy to order the old fashioned way. Some of the big seeds companies have organic sites and sell sprouting seeds.

[PansyLo]

I have found that Grassroots in Glasgow (a shop I knew was good but was too far to walk and not really on the subway route) actually have quite a good raw selection. Maybe I can convince my mum to go sometime...

I doubt she'll want to spend money on it though and I haven't found a job here yet.

[Shogan]

Hubby and I just finished day two. Feeling great!

[robh]

It's Monday and a start of a new week. I'm still a little sniffly but almost done with this virus. I bought a fresh batch of fruits and veggies over the weekend. I stocked up on romaine, bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, bananas, apples and oranges. I also got some mangos - yum.

Here comes another week of being raw. :)

[MysticTree]

We are into week 3 of bf and I being raw. He had a little wobble with a bagel on Friday but we got some raw crackers and bits and bobs and he is still going with it. He loves how he feels on it and I think giving up coffee might be the next step he takes.

[LexieW]

Good morning, all!

I managed to keep it raw this weekend, even with family visiting and graduation (my brother's) parties. That's the great thing about summer - every party has fruit salad at least, and usually some cold vegetable salads.

As a result, while everyone else felt bloated and hungover the next day, I was clear and happy and feeling great :) May not have had much sleep, but I'm ready for the week.

[robh]

MysticTree, bagels are always wobbly. :) Giving up coffee is hard. After I went raw, I kept drinking coffee, thinking it was no big deal. After a while, started getting these heart-pounding, anxiety episodes in the afternoons. At the time, I had no idea what it was. In hindsight, I can see the anxiety stopped when I stopped the coffee. Anyway, let your boyfriend know that he has friends via proxy routing him on.

LexieW, congrats on staying raw midst the temptation. This summer, I have already been to a couple of cook outs where I ate the veggies 'n' dip (without the dip) and the fruit salad. I always bring my backup bag of fruit in the car, just in case, though. :)

[phak-i-tu]

I have found that Grassroots in Glasgow (a shop I knew was good but was too far to walk and not really on the subway route) actually have quite a good raw selection. Maybe I can convince my mum to go sometime...

I doubt she'll want to spend money on it though and I haven't found a job here yet.
So they are natural food inclined at that shop? Try this; you never know, it might work: ring them up and ask them if they have any regular patrons who live in your area. Ask them if they'll give your contact info to that patron so you can ride in with him or her. Ask about any other raw fooders they may know. As a small, and often struggling, minority, raw fooders are likely to stick together and help one another stay on the path. From what I've seen of your posts here, I think you're a friendly and very likeable person and that if you ask for help, you'll surely get it.

[MysticTree]

We discovered raw choc raisins. So good. Not cheap but the nicest sweet raw treat I ever tasted!

[robh]

phak-i-tu, I read about your situation the other night. Has anyone suggested foraging? There is a forum member, LivingFood (might be his username). I have seen him suggest to other members to visit the local library for a foraging guide to find out what local plants are eatable. LivingFood and MrRaw also go on and on about how great spouts are. Sprouts are a pretty affordable raw food. I personally just can't get into eating sprouts. It's hard enough being raw, but being raw in the middle of nowhere and with limited funds sounds near impossible. Good luck to you.

Edit:

MysticTree, do they contain carob? They sound yummy.

[MysticTree]

I'm not sure. Need to read the label again.

[PansyLo]

Mystic Tree: Raw chocolate raisins do sound awesome :) Glad your boyfriend is doing well too! :D

Phak-i-tu: That's a lovely idea! I don't actually live there anymore though, I recently move halfway across the country. I will be back fairly often though to visit friends etc, I'll convince them to brave the walk with me perhaps in the name of health and exercise! :P Just stock up on some raw unusual non perishables!

I'm really keen to meet up with other raw foodists in Scotland, I'm trying to keep an eye out for the next meeting organised though the scottish raw website (which I love!). It would be good to meet people with the experience and knowledge of where to go in Scotland. :)

Robh: Glad you're almost through with your virus!


I've had some great days out in the country, been sussing out where to get fresh local veggies while collecting a lot of things for new art studies and been taking tonnes of photos which will hopefully get me started with a lot of my projects! :D I'm not trying to pressure myself into being 100% raw right now, I think I need to learn more and be more settled here before I can get back in the swing of things. As long as I'm working towards learning more about it and trying new things, even if I only do one proper raw recipe a week (as well as having salads/fruit/sprouts etc) and trying to sprout something new at least I'm heading in the right direction.
I'm busy making lots of outdoorsy plans! I've accepted a challenge to complete this list (http://galadarling.com/article/100-things-to-do-instead-of-procrastinating-on-the-internet) by the end of the Summer.

So I'll be keeping busy and having loads of new experiences. I can keep learning about raw food on the way without being 100% or having a timescale of when I will be. I think I'll just feel ready after a while of researching and practicing.

[phak-i-tu]

phak-i-tu, I read about your situation the other night. Has anyone suggested foraging? There is a forum member, LivingFood (might be his username). I have seen him suggest to other members to visit the local library for a foraging guide to find out what local plants are eatable. LivingFood and MrRaw also go on and on about how great spouts are. Sprouts are a pretty affordable raw food. I personally just can't get into eating sprouts. It's hard enough being raw, but being raw in the middle of nowhere and with limited funds sounds near impossible. Good luck to you.

Thanks for your good wishes; I know wishes find their mark, always. I'm used to believing 'six impossible things before breakfast,' so I'm not worried over being able to stay raw. I'll do it or perish trying because it's the right thing to do. Once one has one's mind made up and there is no compromise to be made, a way tends to open - though perhaps only us 'older people' can tell you that with a straight face. I think that is also called 'faith,' if I may use the politically-incorrect term, and it's never let me down - in fact, I'm certain I've been taken care of far better than I deserve.

I am already acquainted with the knowledgeable Mr. Raw and am learning much from him. Now I shall look for Living Food, for I hadn't seen that one before. Fortunately for me, I was putting back seed storage on the reservation before I lost my husband and brought most of it with me to NM so I'm still getting sprouts from them now - and shall for at least 2 years. I always have been a bit of a 'survivalist' ( :) that's an understatement...) and now I'm glad of it, for all my relatives got a laugh out of it when they wanted to know why I was willing to take up most of my storage space, not in 'things,' but in bags of grain and seed. I didn't even get into my SHTF storage since I moved here, and took a long time getting my head together. Now, I am ready, and thanking God I followed the 'little voice' back when there was no apparent reason to do so.

The neighbors are watching me! It's really hilarious. People are asking me how I dropped all that weight but look stronger instead of weaker - and some of them are handing me a bag of extra carrots, onions, whatever they have around when they come to talk. Raw vegan is catching on here in ranch country! That's how it happens, each one individual who walks this path and gets to tell somebody why they're doing it and I just love it! Raw converts itself; all we need to be is living examples. A few neighbors doing this, living within a few miles of each other, and then none of us has to worry about managing it out in this rural area: we can do it together.

I have a big, fat prickly pear about 100 yards from where I sit. It's not the kind of thing you want to stumble into by accident because of those very long, thick spines that'll dig in just like a fish hook but they have lovely fruit, deep red and sweet on your senses like an old love song on a dusty cracked vinyl from some tropical coast. I'm waiting..

[phak-i-tu]

PansyLo,
I tried to 'edit' and add this, after seeing your post, and then my browser just stood there like a porkchop and I couldn't. If it can be done, a fine Scottish girl is going to get it done. All historical precedent can attest to this beyond dispute. The Scots would brave hell itself, argue with the devil - and win. (they could probably just out-talk him to death...)

[robh]

phak-i-tu, congratulations on your health improvements and being able to share raw-veganism with others. It sounds like you have have things together.

PansyLo, That is cool that there is a community of raw foodists in Scotland. Saw a couple of groups in my area (via meetup.com, I think). The awkwardness of physically joining a group of people that know each other, but you have never meet does not sound enjoyable. It might be a little more natural to meet folks through a raw food class or something. I keep meaning to look for such a thing around here. The internet is great but talking to someone, in person, that has "been there and done that" would be great.

I didn't admit it yesterday, but I had a slip-up on the weekend. Friday night, I ate a lot of wheat, animal proteins and fats and alcohol. Saturday, I was raw but feeling the symptoms of my body cleansing itself of my transgressions. These days, I become uncontrollably mean spirited and grumpy as the bad stuff is working it's way out. I actually said some stuff to my mother-in-law that upset her really badly. I felt horrible about the whole thing and ended up calling her to apologize last night. I have seen this pattern play out 3-4 times now where cooked food turns me into a jerk the day after. It is not pleasant. I really need to buckle down and resist the temptation. It is hard when I am surrounded by the sights and smells daily. :(

I was really good yesterday. I drank 4 liters of water. The scale, however, didn't budge - kind sucks. I feel like I should just be happy with the emotional benefits from eating raw and not worry about things like my "obese" BMI.

Anyway, more of the same today for me: fruit, salad, nuts, seeds, water

[PansyLo]

PansyLo,
I tried to 'edit' and add this, after seeing your post, and then my browser just stood there like a porkchop and I couldn't. If it can be done, a fine Scottish girl is going to get it done. All historical precedent can attest to this beyond dispute. The Scots would brave hell itself, argue with devil - and win. (they could probably just out-talk him to death...)

I couldn't agree with this enough! :D As for being talkative, I can talk for Scotland... which is some feat considering most up us are fairly that way inclined.

Robh: It's not a fixed group. It's just different meet ups that different people go to. There will probably be "regulars" but there's a few different things on and people just attend. :)
I'm pretty social, I was a barmaid for two years so I could pretty much talk to anyone. If it's horrible I can just leave or not go back but I reckon with something as unusual as raw foodism people will knit together quite easily to help each other out. It seems to be a bigger movement in America. It's not a very Scottish thing to want to be healthy!

[LexieW]

So nice to see conversation going on in this thread :)

While I managed to stay raw during the weekend festivities for my brother's graduation, I slipped up yesterday morning. That'll teach me to put off buying more food, even for half a day. I'm paying for it now - feel like I have a brick in my stomach.

Oh well, onward and upward! At least my slipups are becoming much less frequent - and I'm past my physical cravings. Still having some psychological ones, but I'm mentally stronger and can beat those now, as well.

All in all, I consider that a win :throwhearts:

[phak-i-tu]

I couldn't agree with this enough! :D As for being talkative, I can talk for Scotland... which is some feat considering most up us are fairly that way inclined.

Robh: It's not a fixed group. It's just different meet ups that different people go to. There will probably be "regulars" but there's a few different things on and people just attend. :)
I'm pretty social, I was a barmaid for two years so I could pretty much talk to anyone. If it's horrible I can just leave or not go back but I reckon with something as unusual as raw foodism people will knit together quite easily to help each other out. It seems to be a bigger movement in America. It's not a very Scottish thing to want to be healthy!
There's a reason I know something of Scottish history and character: my formidable mother! A real highland beauty too and one of the most well-liked, charming, and deadly of political lobbyists. She's 21 years older than I and I have yet to be able to keep up with her energy. I've been after her to go raw, and I think she'd have done so on her own, but my step-father is a 'meat and potatoes' kind of guy and she has to keep a lot of stuff in the house she'd likely not bother with otherwise. She's also nearly 200 miles from me so I can't just 'take over' in the kitchen.

I read an old post of yours and thought I'd answer it here because it is relevant to our thread when it comes to staying on the raw path, getting through those tricky early stages with confidence. Sitting up here on a mountaintop, if I were to allow myself to become depressed about not being able to afford a good kind of juicer or blender (did have once, but they got stolen) not only wouldn't I stay raw, I'd have jumped off a cliff!

Are you really under the impression that being flat broke is mainly an affliction of the young? No way! You're far too intelligent. I happen to know that pensioners in the UK are doing no better than they are here in America, with our ever down-sliding economy and ever-rising inflation, all deliberately induced by fat-cat bankers, of course, but that's for another topic. Many older people are now supporting their adult children, who have moved back home because they could not get or lost their jobs, along with grandchildren - from an alarming number of different spouses. American medical expenses are the top reason for millions of home foreclosures at the same time that government is sending the FDA out with guns and SWAT teams to put natural food producers out of business - that is not an exaggeration. Finally, an idea being circulated in schools and public media around both our countries is that 'the elderly' are a drain on the system and should simply be done away with! Now, you know all this as well as I do, when you see with your own clear eye and not what the media tell you. You can believe me when I tell you that only a privileged few of the older generation can go out and buy expensive appliances just willy-nilly in today's economic and political climate.

So, how do we do it? There is something far more valuable to you than a lot of money, something that no one can take away from you: knowledge! Without it, you're lost, no matter who you are or what you have. You can always lose your possessions (particularly with today's property crime rate) but not your skills. How many young people do you meet in towns today who can do either a man's or a woman's work out on the land? Of what practical use will they be in a post-industrial collapse? Do they even have the intellectual muscle to re-invent civilization on their own as earlier generations did? Not a chance! It's people like Mr. Raw who are going to be worth their literal weight in gold, don't you think? It's those who can make something out of practically nothing who are going to survive to teach the next generations a better way to live. Learn those skills, girl, and you'll be far ahead in the game of life today. Trust in the wisdom of your body and spirit and you shall always find a way to get what you need in this world. And take care of yourself because the world is in dire need of people like you.

[lynch]

Interesting thread! Thank you. :)

[PansyLo]

phak-i-tu: I wish you could have referenced which post you're referring to so I could understand more where you're coming from.

I have never said that the youth are the only one's affected by low income. Many are and it is an affliction that does tend to go with being this age as you get on your feet but I never said nor had the small mindedness to think that it was limited to us.
Also of course my poverty is relative. I'm a caucasian, middle class born, Scottish girl. I am in no way really poor. On my own I struggle in a relative sense as I do like to try and stay independent as much as my health will allow it but my parents would step in if I needed them to and have done as they are right now.

I was referring (I think, I don't know what I said so it's hard to say) strictly to my funds as a young unqualified person in relation to my diet and lifestyle.

I completely agree about Mr. Raw, his knowledge is invaluable! I doubt I'll ever know as much as he does on the subject though as it's not something I'm going to dedicate my life to in the same way. I do think learning about raw food, nutrition and different ways of nourishing your body is very important but it's not something that's going to consume my life. I have other things that I am much more passionate about.

We can't predict the future in such a drastic way or know what skills we'll need, if there's some sort of industrial collapse my brother is like a Bear Grylls protégé, I'll stick by him. :P I am learning to grow things but it's not something that interests me in the slightest. I'm only doing it because I consider it important for my health.

[robh]

Pansy, if you attend one of these raw gatherings, let us know what it is like.

LexieW, that is great that you feel more empowered against cooked foods. I am slowly growing strength in that area. These threads, I find, really gives me strength. I know someday I will be able to go an entire 30 days on 100% raw. For me, it's a process getting there.

That odd-ball weight of 255 hasn't shown up recently. Two days ago, I was 259 and today I'm 258. I was even a little heavy-handed with the salt last night (it always shows up on the scale when I do that). The 255 was a real tease, but I haven't been over 260 in a couple of week (which is great). I'm curious if I go easy on the salt today and keep my water intake high what the scale might say tomorrow. There are a lot of factors at play and I really shouldn't get on the scale everyday, but, I think, I'm hooked. To be honest, I do not look too bad at 255. It sounds bad, but I carry my weight well. I don't have a huge belly or anything. I'm just a tall, stocky guy. I really could stop obsessing over the weight loss and be fine. Anyway, sorry for rambling.

My cold is still hanging around. I am congested still. I am not getting much sleep because it keeps waking me up. This morning, I was so tired on the way to work that I got a coffee (bad, bad, I know). Without it, I don't think I could have made it through the hour drive without falling asleep at the wheel. The cold annoying already, but it's almost done and over with.

I am thinking about doing a little exercise to tone up the areas where I have lost weight. My only concern is that I currently have a hard time "getting full", how bad will that problem be when I'm burning more calories? Currently, in the evenings, I find myself hungry, but, at the same time, bored with fruits and veggies. I frequently think about the crap food that I know will fill me up and it's only feet away (I hate it in my house). I am strong enough to say no and just eat some nuts and go to bed or something. I'm afraid, however, if I add exercise to the mix that I'll slip up more. So, I guess, I'm still debating that topic.

Anyway, good luck everyone.

[MysticTree]

Poverty is a condition of the poor. Sounds flippant but it's true and it costs so much more to be poor. Raw is rampantly successful here right now. Bf is still raw and so am I. I have been eating raw crackers and kale chips but I don't think they suit me on a regular basis. They are ideal for bf though.

[Juicerguy]

Hello again everyone,

Robh thank you for your words and support. This is the first time I had ever gone completely raw for more than a few days other than a juice cleanse. I made it 15 and a half days(from June 1st to June 16th halfway through the day). I know I will be doing this again and hopefully for longer next time. Maybe some day it will catch on enough to be permanent. For now my body was telling me that this is not the time for me. I felt amazing though and I still feel the benefits today. Before I started %100 raw I had been doing mostly raw through the day to prepare myself for it. I have gone back to that diet for now which feels really good and is resonating with my body. That was a first for me in my entire life and I am 36 years old.

My diet has been steadily evolving over the last few years, getting healthier and healthier as I learn more. For now I feel really good eating more raw than not and learning more about how to do it right along the way. Thanks for your words again Robh and I send the best to everyone else continuing their %100 raw diet! Good to have this little community here and I look forward to continuing to participate and learn more as I continue my life journey towards better and better health.

[Shogan]

Hi all. Day 8 for hubby and me. Feeling great. We have more energy than we know what to do with and I have last 10.2 lbs, hubby 9. When my 30 is up we will be maintaining approx 70% raw and absolutely NO wheat! Made raw brownies last Sunday to die for - even prompted a non-raw co-worker to go buy a food processor after she tried one and I calculated the calories...Well off to enjoy my "green lemonade". Keep up the healthy work all!

[MysticTree]

We juiced some sunflower greens today. Bf liked it but said maybe add some chilli next time. I liked it ok but I think I need to strain mine more. I think I prefer them in salad tbh.

[Littlerain]

Hi everyone :) Im so glad to be a part of this, i have been on and of raw food for a long time,,for 5 years or so.. I just cant manage to stay raw all the time,, because of cravings and social happenings.. But know I think I am ready.. I just wanted to ask you guys somethings that I have experienced on a raw food diet.. Im not sure why this happens, but sometimes I feel like really flying like spaced out, and hard to focus, and really big cravings,.. This are two things that have kinda messed up the diet, because I was scared that somerthing not right was going on...but maybe its just cleansing or something...huge hugs from Laila Helen

[MysticTree]

Cherries for breakfast . . . and strawberries and tomatoes and bananas. I have the biggest lunchbox of anyone at work. My desk is a fruit bowl! In the fridge I have some soaked almonds for later. I wonder if it is any coincidence that all my favourite fruits are red? I don't care for bananas much but they are cheap and filling and so they do have a place in my raw world.

This is beginning week four for me and bf. I am much stricter than he is and he has had a bagel and a bread roll in the last three weeks but he has no weight to lose and he has made the biggest dietary switch because I have done this raw thing before. How is it that when we slip, we allow ourselves to slip so far? Getting back on is much easier than ever it was before though. This please me.

BF has lost 3 lbs and I have lost 16lbs. I think his weight will resettle. He is a beanpole so doesn't need to lose anything really. I am not a beanpole!

I've been making a fab coleslaw with red cabbage, courgette, carrot onion, chinese leaves, sunflower seeds and sultanas. I could eat it forever. Watercress. What a delish leaf. I can't get enough of that either.

The veg garden is slowly getting going and I have upped my sprouted foods production - even juicing sunflower greens and soon there will be wheatgrass too. I definitely prefer the sunflower greens in salads to juiced but I also think the juicer screen is too open.

All in all June has been great and July is looking even better. We just need some weather that is even vaguely summery and we'll be set.

[robh]

MysticTree, sounds like things are going well for both of you. :) Congratulations.

Keep up the good work everyone.

The wife and I went away on the weekend. It was hard to be raw while eating away from home. I brought plenty of fruit, nuts and seeds. I had those in the hotel and then ate salads when we went out. Lots of salad! I did good though. I did have some cooked rice when we had Japanese. All in all I managed to stay raw, which, I'm proud of.

The week has started again. I came to work this morning with lots of fruit to get me through the day. I'll end up with a salad tonight, I'm sure.

Good Luck everyone!

[MysticTree]

Robh,

We don't go away much but we went to a cricket match yesterday and took fruits and nuts and it was very pleasant. Well done on managing so well while you were away.

[robh]

I hope you guys (and gals) do not mind me posting a second time in one day. I get these times at work where I finish a task and just don't want to start a new one for a while. I hop on the forum here and take a break.

Anyway, my two older sons are trying raw. Today is their first day.

My oldest is 14 and very husky. He takes after his Dad in his ability to hide his weight. I knew he was growing and putting on some weight. The other day, however, he told me he weighs 235 lbs! (106 kilograms). I didn't weigh that much until I was out of high school and in college. That has me a little worried.

My second oldest is 12. He's not nearly as bulky as his older brother, but he has a heart condition (corrected shortly after birth). His cardiologist is not happy with his weight.

I am not forcing either of them to try this. They see me doing it and have been wanting to try raw for a while (they have been waiting for summer vacation). I get my boys every other week during the summer. The other week their mom has them. Therefore, this will be a 1 week trial for them. Their mom has no intention of feeding them this way. It'll be back to wheat-laden, boxed, factory food either way.

My oldest son was just complaining that he is hungry. So far today, he has had 5 bananas, an apple, an orange and a *bowl* full of almonds. The kid is probably used to consuming 3000 - 4000 calories a day. I told him to try some soaked chia seeds, sesame seeds, bragg's liquid aminos and garlic power (Asian Chia Porridge).

We will see how long this lasts. I think I need to get more fruit though. :)

Anyway, back to work.

[triciaRAW]

summer in montana is here. loads of fruits and veg. I've been slowly easing back to 100% and loving it. I guess I'll have to bleed this into the July challenge. Better late than never.

I've really noticed when i make a not raw choice that I feel like crap. Or even when I feel like I'm eating super healthy and watching my calories I still don't see any weight loss. So I'm heading back to 100% today. It's also hot here and light til 11 at night so it's important to stay energized and feeling light otherwise it's easy to just hide indoors.

I've begun training for my half marathon and hoping RAW and running will go well together. I've never done long 15 mile runs while on RAW. I'm excited to make my own RAW energy gels out of dates and coconut oil.

I love this forum as a food journal. I feel responsible to you all and it always works for me. I get inspired by the things your eating and making. I keep it pretty simple in the RAW because I'm busy but love to take a chance and try something new.

So today I've had.

1/2 banana, peach, pecans and pumpkin seeds, green smoothie with grapefruit, apple, ginger, spinach.

I'm going to try to eat fruit in the AM and not go crazy with it in general unless I can tell I'm really low on energy. I'll have big yummy chard and arugula salads the rest of the day.

BEST!
TriciaRAW

[MysticTree]

Gosh but I've eaten a lot today. All raw though. The strawberries and tomatoes were particularly good. Had half a shot of wheatgrass juice. I'm easing into it - not overly keen but I think I like it better than juiced sunflower greens. Bf like sunflower greens better lol

[robh]

TriciaRAW, welcome back.

MysticTree, everyone is down on wheat (causes me problems personally), but wheat grass is OK? I've always been curious why that is.

Same ol' same ol' for me, here. Staying raw and loving it. Good luck everyone.

[PansyLo]

^ I assume as unlike wheat itself it has multiple health benefits and does not contain gluten.

I'd like to start trying it. I'd probably only manage a shot at a time, I've never tasted it but I assume that if I can take shots of whiskey, rum, vodka, etc. then I can stomach a shot of wheat grass.


I've kinda fallen behind with my experimenting! I've had a rough couple of weeks with my personal life, it just seems to be one thing after another! So I've not been putting much time into exploring food.
I was thinking these months would be a lot more relaxing for some reason, I had planned on doing heavy detoxing over May and June which now just seems insane because they've been so busy and stressful!

My mum will be away for the week so I think I'll try out a couple of recipes and try and up my raw intake, hopefully that alone will make me feel better.

[Living Food]

MysticTree, everyone is down on wheat (causes me problems personally), but wheat grass is OK? I've always been curious why that is.

Wheat as a seed has a variety of problems, including gluten and many anti-nutrients. Virtually everyone is allergic to wheat now; it may be virtually unnoticeable compared to celiac disease, but the long-term effects of chronic inflammation caused by it are devastating.

Wheatgrass, on the other hand, has none of those harmful substances* and an almost unbelievable list of nutrients and beneficial compounds. It contains loads of chlorophyll, virtually every known element, and a huge variety of vitamins, enzymes and other phytonutrients - including many as yet undiscovered. If you're really curious, look into Ann Wigmore. Before she set up the Hippocrate sHealth Institute, she cured numerous people of "incurable" chronic conditions just with wheatgrass juice.

Grass juices are nearly perfect and probably the best food you could possibly consume.




*They're all catabolized during the growing process.

[lynch]

New thread! Thank you for sharing this to us. And thank you for some information.

[Crystal2870]

Hi everyone,

this is Day one of my 30 day raw challenge ! , looking forward to starting it and having support from you all, I have four children and partner so may find it tough at times as I will still be preparing meals for them !...

Carol

[robh]

Thanks for the info Living Food. I did not mean to derail our thread here, though. I will have to give wheatgrass juice (and the other grass juices you mentioned on another thread) a try. See what it does for me.

Crystal2870, congrats on starting the challenge. I too cook for my family. It is very difficult to be so close to food you have resolved not to eat. Good luck to you. Let us know how it goes for you. (Even if it's negative - that's what "support" is about).

PansyLo, it sounds like you're having a rough time getting going again. Is your mum supportive of raw food?

I have been having some issues getting enough calories to keep me full. I have been having the issue for a while. To be honest, lately I've been eating cooked rice and oatmeal to fill the gaps. I had rice the last two nights. I think I put on a pound or two because of it. I am going to try some raw starches to see if that works to keep me full instead of rice. Also, July is coming up. Maybe I can use that as a motivation tool. I have yet to go 30 days at 100% raw. Maybe July will be the 30 days that I actually finish. :)

Today, I am having: a lot of fruit (7 bananas, 2 oranges, 1 nectarine, 2 plumbs), almonds, chia seeds and a salad (romaine, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber with an avocado-lemon juice dressing).

I'm also going to shred some Jicama (Mexican Yam/Turnip thing). For flavor, I may stick with the Mexican theme: cilantro, lime, cumin, cyan, chili powder, chipotle peppers and a dash of sea salt. It'll be a raw, spicy Mexican slaw of sorts.

Hopefully that will keep me full.

[MysticTree]

robh,
I have been having "wild rice" soaked. It's really very good and I think filling. It's actually a grass seed not rice at all but I soak it for maybe 2 days and they it's good to add to meals. It is quite a chewy texture. Nutty and delicious.

[Crystal2870]

Thanks for your reply Robh, its great to read about other peoples experiences !, one of my twin boys also had cardiac surgery at 16 weeks, hes been getting a little chubby lately (he started to eat some cheese and eggs, always said it would be his decision but would like it if the kids would eat more more, they love smoothies, one thing thats just hit me is the cost of this !... I've eaten so much so far ...

Squeezed lemon and lime with two tablespoons of chia seed (frogspawn lol)..
Almond milk with couple of dates, two frozen bananas and regular banana, vanilla pod (shared that with my 2 year old, hes a really fussy eater ie just doesnt want to eat at the moment except fruit !)..
some tomatoes
handful of olives
large salad for lunch, leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, advocado (was a bit hard, have about eight sat in the fruit bowl hard as nails !), coriander, spring onions, cucumber wiht olive oil/cider vinegar/mustard dressing is mustard raw??!)
An apple !
Bag of brought raw crisps with a bit of almond butter, was ok but not really crunchy like a bag of "normal" ones lol ..

Also took some omega 3 capsules, and msm capsules

Peppermint tea..


I would be grateful if anyone could recommend any receipes to me from Alissa;s book, or just generally, I think I will try the fettucine one tonight !

Mystic Tree = I need to try those choc raisens ! I have tried the choc covered mulberries they are lush !..

Nearly the end of my first day, quite proud of myself for sticking to it, although only day one and I am having conversations in my head batteling saying oh put you can never eat this or that and its so anti social blah blah, so I keep reminding myself why I am doing this and looked at few before and after pictures, people look so vibrant!
And no one is forcing me to do this its my choice and I may or may not choose to introduce a bit of cooked again
but hopefully I will feel so good I wont want to !

I made the courgette pasta (with new spiral machine great gadget ! - going to try making some sweet potatoe crisps tomorrow in the dehydrator) with the alfedo sauce, it looked really lumpy in the vitamix, Im sure it was supposed to be like that so added a bit more water, the blender seemed to be struggling ! I didnt really fancy it but eat it anyway and was pleasantly suprised at how nice it was, now Im not sure how cheesy it was, nothing like how I remember cheese to taste lol but it was very edible , I had it with some tomatoes as it was very rich, gave rest to my bf when he got home, he said it was really nice (although he eats almost anything like a dustbin!!)

Couldnt stop thinking about food this evening, had chocolate on the brain, Im not really a sweet craving person usually, so made a choc milkshake with the rest of the almond milk, cocoa powder, date, coconut oil, and two bananas, it came out a bit funny like it had curdeled but tasted ok..ish..it wasnt as nice as the one I made last week, which was cashews, water, cocoa powder , dates was so thick and creamy ! the bf and boys loved that one ..

Feel quite satisfied today, not suprising the amount I have eaten.. I think I polished of the rest of the olives and a few marinated nuts that I made last week.

Had mild headache earlier today, drank some water and it seemed to go, felt very very tired this afternoon, the baby was clingy today, teething, and wanted to feed all the time (Im breastfeeding her, so concious of eating plenty)
x

[robh]

MysticTree, thanks for the wild rice tip. I had no idea it was grass seeds. I am going to get some and start soaking.

Crystal2870, I don’t think mustard is raw but I personally don’t have any problems using it (most herbs and spices are not raw, but I use them too). That’s great that your kids like smoothies. However you can up their raw intake, more power to you. It is unfortunate the cost of raw fruits and veggies is so high.

[PansyLo]

Crystal2870: Frogspawn!! That made me laugh! I think even if your kids don't want to go 100% raw at least they have a great example in front of them and are getting to opportunity to learn more about different foods while they're young and slowly incorporate them into their diet. I think just the influence of you being there and doing something like this yourself but still allowing them to make their own decision is a great thing for them to have in their lives. If they do want to go raw it will be much easier for them, if they don't then they will at least have a generally much healthier diet and they'll have some of the knowledge to apply to their own diets.
I think it's very easy to make raw mustard yourself! It's something I googled at one point, I've never done it but you should have a look.

Robh: my mum is semi-supportive. She doesn't approve but is used to my diet changes. I went vegetarian at 14, vegan at 18, gluten free at 19, back to pescetarian+gluten free+dairy free at 19 while in recovery from an eating disorder, it has healthily varied since.
I don't think she minds what I'm eating as long as I am eating well but she doesn't actively support it as it seems extreme and strange to her. She's better at growing things than I am and sometimes helps with sprouts but then can be purposefully awkward at other times when she isn't in the mood for it.

I'm not sure what's holding me back. I'm unsettled and a lot has being going on in my personal life. I feel I don't have to be 100% as long as I am always working towards that aim but even then I haven't been giving it much of my time or attention.
I met up with some creative friends in my old city today, while through for hospital appointments, and their enthusiasm for their own goals has rubbed off on me a little!!

My mum is away on holiday so I have the space to experiment without judgement and hopefully get a bit more settled and move some of my belongings in. Maybe have some big steps forward this week.

[lynch]

That's good for both you. Good luck

[MysticTree]

MysticTree, thanks for the wild rice tip. I had no idea it was grass seeds. I am going to get some and start soaking.


Let me know how/if you like it :)

[MysticTree]

Yesterday bf forewent his usual 2x double espresso at a vegan cafe he goes to twice a week. Instead he chose a pear, ginger and hemp smoothie. I'm so proud of him!

We've been raw together for almost 4 weeks and I am starting to notice that our raw food tastes are diverging a little. Last night I ate way more than I wanted because we were eating raw together. In the past when he was eating sad and I was eating raw I would eat what I wanted and needed. I mentioned to him that I would probably be eating slightly different meals from him from now on.

I find it very interesting though. SAD eating is very much about eating what is put in front of you and is about everyone eating the exact same thing as each other. How silly is that and how odd that I should only really notice how silly it is whilst eating raw!

[robh]

Pansy, I know what you mean about being a healthy influence. I am the only raw foodist in my house, but I notice everyone is eating better: less fast food; less eating out, in general; everyone has a bit of salad at dinner time. Sometimes, I get a little too focused on that fact that my kids are eating wheat and animal proteins; I think so much so that do not notice that they are NOT eating (no fried foods, no processed foods, no take out, etc). Even if I am the only one doing it, at least I am impacting everyone's eating habits in a positive way. Best of luck getting on track with raw again.

MysticTree, I notice this too. There is a feeling of "community" and "togetherness" when everyone sits down and eats the same thing. Doing things together (not just eating) says "I like you and I want to share life's experiences with you." Sadly, I have noticed, when you start eating differently, it seems to sends a negative, anti-social message. In my case, I feel like I'm telling everyone: "I do not agree with what you are eating". In your case, maybe your nutritional needs are just different. The fact that you have adjusted your eating habits to match your BF sounds pretty natural to me. We all want to share life's experiences with those close to us. I find that sitting down to a television show together, playing a board game together or just doing anything together expresses the same community/togetherness vibe. That's so cool that you guys are raw together. Even if your raw is slightly different than his - just having someone close to you that's doing the same sort of thing you are provides a lot of support.

I liked the raw jicama last night. I have never had it before. It had a sweetness. It reminded me of a white, hearty carrot. The mexican flavors I added to it really didn't jive with the sweetness. I ended up adding guacamole to it. It turned out pretty good. I have more. I need to figure out some tasty flavor combos. I was thinking of a carrot salad thing. I could add raisins and agave to the shredded jicama.

I wish I could say the jicama made me full last night, but sadly I was left with the same hungry, unsatisfied feeling after dinner. For some reason, a little rice takes care of that. I don't get that. I did not have any rice last night. I ended up with more guacamole and a couple of bananas (not at the same time, lol).

I need to grab some wild rice from the store. I may also give raw corn a shot. My hopes for raw starches filling me up are low, but I'll give the corn a shot. I am really curious about the wild rice, though.

Today, I brought a combo of chia seeds and sesame seeds. I add water raisins, craisins and agave for a sweet 'cereal' of sorts. I haven't tried sesame seeds in it yet. I am curious how that's gonna work out. Together chia seeds and sesame seeds bring loads of omega 6 and omega 3 fats, zinc, iron and calcium.

I am honestly just looking for a way to eat more sesame seeds. I need to grind them up and make Tahini. I don't have a grinder and I hate to think what they add to the Tahini that's on supermarket shelves.

Anyway, today is the chia/sesame porridge thing, more fruit, more almonds, a salad for dinner and a jicama creation of some sort and probably guacamole as I have one more ripe avocado.

[MysticTree]

I need to grab some wild rice from the store. I may also give raw corn a shot. My hopes for raw starches filling me up are low, but I'll give the corn a shot. I am really curious about the wild rice, though.
Corn is a good idea ... anything that has you really munching and chewing should help a lot.

We got rid of our tv a couple of years ago and anyway we have no electricity at the moment but we do things like fetching water and washing the sprouts and fetching wood and doing crosswords and going shopping together. I love the doing together thing. BF is taking longer to realise that just because something doesn't need two people to do it is no reason not to have two people doing it!

[Crystal2870]

Day Two

Well another day almost complete !

Today I wasnt hungry when I woke up so just had peppermint tea, later I had some strawberries, then a pint of green juice, cucumber, celery, apple, watercress, parsley, really enjoyed that.

Later made some crudites and some really yummy tomatoe pesto, with sun dried toms, fresh toms, basil, garlic, olive oil. Lush ! Ate some olives (not sure if raw but I can go with that !)

Tea was the courgette pasta with mariana sauce, big salad, guacomole, fennel salad, was nice but always think sometimes that the raw subsitutes are never going to taste like the originals, so kind of a bit disappointed although it was nice ...

Chucked some sweet potatoes with paprika on in the dehydrator , some with nutritional yeast, and some onions in braggs.

Been looking at raw on the internet , to be honest the more I look into it the more confusing it becomes, dont eat this dont eat that, dont nuts, nor advocados' , some are hybrids, eat lots of fruit !! arghhhh.

The kids didnt touch thier dinner ! Im just going to concentrate on myself I think and if they want any of my meals then fine ! I wish I only had myself to think about and not worrying about if the kids are getting enough nutrition/calories in them !

Still struggling in my head, constantly making myself miserable about depriving myself of delicious foods ! perhaps when I start to feel great I will feel a bit different !

Pansylo - yeah i couldnt face my frogspawn today ! lol ! i didnt let it soak yesterday and was gagging gulping it down ! i know what its like living at home and having to explain yourself to someone whos not really on the same wavelength ! x I shouldnt worry about the kids really as like you say they will see me eating more healthily and probably want more, they are pretty good at eating healthily really which is good compared to thier friends ! x

[PansyLo]

^ When I have kids I'll get them from a young age! :D Kids will be a long while off so hopefully by that point in my life I will be a raw guru!

That pesto sounds yum!

Today was good!

I had a raw smoothy at lunch and had a mostly raw dinner. I've gotten LOADS done too, got my treatment sorted and switched over to where I live now, so no more trips to Glasgow! Got more than half my studio painted, just got to do the wee nook and a bit by the door.

I need to do some shopping tomorrow. I'm undecided about what to get, I feel like I should be trying some new things (that pesto sounds super good) but my boyfriend is coming round, I said he could stay for a couple of days but not sure how long he will stay for. I don't think he'll be wanting to eat my experiments! Especially if they go badly! I hadn't really considered that I'm going to have to feed him to until now... I don't even know what food he likes! He can just live off biscuits.
Maybe I'll buy raw groceries and we can just get take-away while he's here. There's a good goan restaurant that do freshly cooked food, it's not raw obviously but it's fairly healthy and freshly prepared which is good on the take-out scale.

[robh]

Pansy, sounds like your BF is going to drag your diet down.

Crystal2870, I felt the same confusion not so long ago. I got some good advice the other day about eating raw: don't listen to other people, listen to your body. If your body likes the food, eat it. :)

MysticTree, do you wash your clothes by hand? and dry them on a clothes line? What about water? do you have a hand pump? Life without electricity sounds challenging!

The scale showed some favorable numbers today: 256. I saw 255 a while back when I was sick. I think I was 258 yesterday and 259 the day before (damn cooked rice and oatmeal).

Speaking of rice, I have some wild rice soaking now. If I like it, I will need to find an affordable source. This is Minnesota wild rice (very long, very dark grains). It was a tiny box and it cost a lot!

Yesterday, I slowly ate that chia seed and sesame seed porridge thing that I posted. I calculated that it had about 500 calories. On a hunch, I did 100 calories of it an hour in the morning. I was full an satisfied all morning. I got a little hungry after eating some fruit. Dinner time was a salad and an avocado.

Fats may be the key to keeping me full. I just hate eat so much fat. Even now, my skin feels greasy.

I guess we'll see how today goes. Good luck all.

[MysticTree]

The mods cons we have are

a mains water tap - far end of plot where we live - yes we mostly wash by hand unless there is just so much bad weather that we can't get it dry and then we use the launderette
very small caravan
Mobile phones - charged at work or in cafes


Plus contents of the house we moved from so we have plates, knives and forks, table and chairs etc
Lots of fruit so far today.
Scales are just so unimportant to me. I got on them this morning but couldn't remember what they said last time so I only know the over all trend is down. I need to lose quite a bit more but it's going ok.

[Crystal2870]

Day Three

End of day three ! ,

I woke up today feeling a bit groucy and snapped at my other half, doesnt help with him putting on toast wafting up and making endless cups of tea.
Felt a bit negative and random words keep popping into my head saying "custard!" or really odd things that I dont even eat !!
Whats that all about !

I made a lovely smoothie with chia seed, (two tablespoons), two bananas, couple handful of frozen berries, some acai powder.. really like the chia keeps me going for ages without getting hungry. Met a friend and took kids out, I had an apple and banana, then two flax crackers (brought ones hmmm a bit chewy , want really crispy !), handful of marinated nuts.
Got home and had remaining pesto (well dropped it on the floor so only a bit left !) and two sticks of celery. few soaked almonds an orange.
for tea had salad, cabbage, tomatoes, celery, red onion, bit lettuce, cider vinegar, olive oil was very chewy !!!

Going to have a go at making some raw chocolates, they look amazing, Ive been craving chocolate for some reason, and Im not a chocolate person, Im not fond of dark choc since being vegan so rarely have it..again reading about the cocoa some people dis approve but I need things that will make me feel like im not depriving myself so Im ok with that !

Robh- its true I need to start listening to my body, if I am craving chocolate maybe its iron or something I need, Im trying to get out of that mentality its breakfast dinner and tea and eating when Im hungry. How has your weight loss been Robh?..since going raw, I got on the scales this morning and was not amused , I managed to PUT on a pound am I the only person who puts on weight going raw lol, I shouldnt really weigh myself especially at this early stage but its hard not to. I spoke to my sister whos been a good support shes lost 7 stone already and has 6 more too loose, shes on this diet where its bars/shakes ect, nicknamed the "dust" diet, I'd like this raw to work so she can see how healthy it is to loose weight and to eat as well, but I guess shes on her own journey and maybe alot of people think raw food is very extreme because they dont understand it, I do beleive in the diet and have seen miricles of people curing themselves but I suppose I've always thought well I would do that if I was really sick ect ! and Im vegan so pretty healthy !, do you think you are not eating enough fats ?..I wonder just by reading some of the testimonials in Alissa's book where people think they are overeating but apparantly not ? , I guess you hit the nail on the head though, everyone is not the same and people's metabolism are different, what works for some , may not for others ...

Pansylo - yes best to start raw from scratch I think easier ! Easy to get mine to eat fruit (little ones) but greens different matter ! , Its been bad enough bringing up mine vegan and non vaccinated let alone raw lol x I know some people had great success !

Wondering when this great jump of bed, lots of energy will kick in, I certainly havent experienced any of that so far ! LOL I have heaps of ironing/cleaning/washing to do and cant be arsed !! x

[MysticTree]

I haven't felt very hungry today. We took a nice walk into town to the health food shop and got a few sproutables and raw nut butters and raw honey and bits and bobs. Bought an enormous watermelon this afternoon and it is "gert lush" as we say in the West Country! I'm taking 10 chlorella a day at the moment and I think that may have a subduing effect on my appetite. Lovely local strawberries from a local market as well. I made a huge coleslaw come kimchee type dish which should last well til early next week. The garden is coming on well but we need fencing to keep the dogs out. A good day all in all.

[Crystal2870]

Day Four

Had peppermint tea, big smoothie, bananas, frozen berries, fresh strawberries, acai, maca (forgot to put chia seeds in!), 2 year old loved this, made a cashew nut ,water ,cocoa and dates for my elder boy which he also really liked.
Several handfuls of soaked almonds, some olives, two fresh apricots,
Was really hungry today had banana and raw fruit and nut bar then a big advocado salad.
Felt really miserable this afternoon, started crying and felt really down, been snappy again and impatient, not feeling good , keep sending my other half to the shops and he comes back with the wrong thigns or doesnt get what I asked !
Made lemon pudding with advocado, lemons and dates was quite nice but couldnt get it really silky smooth as wasnt enough for the vitamix to process, I put it with my hand blender but still didnt work..
Not feeling good really , the maca is supposed to help with hormones ect lol I'd better have a triple dose tomorrow !!! Although probably some form of detox too..
Think I will get a bath and early night ! x

[Aleesha Sattva]

Time to move over to the July thread!

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?68556