April 2011 - 30 Day Challenge Thread - Join anytime in April

[Steven]

I have a questions about raw nuts. I saw somewhere that California nuts have to be flash pastuerized. But, they are still labeled raw. Do they have live enzymes or not?

All I can answer is that the raw almonds I get from my local health food store are processed with a low heat steam to kill bacteria, but they are still sprout-able and alive(they are from CA). If it sprouts, it is raw in my book and I see no problem! The best way to know(if you dont feel like asking the store manager/owner) if the nuts are raw, is to see if they sprout.

[Clara Verde]

Hi everyone! Busy working weekend but all raw. Made a delicious sauce with a base of Brazil nuts & waters, then added tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, miso, a little fruit juice, fresh parsley & garlic. So good with sprouted quinoa!

@Jhodi - hope you've found some recipes by now. Alissa's book is great. Are you looking for dinnertype recipes specifically?

[Steven]

Yesterday:
2 pear
GT's Cranberry Kombucha
2 banana
Handful of cashews
Raw Revolution Spirulina bar
2 date
2 kiwi
Apple

Today:
Handful cashews
4 bananas
GS- chia seed, avocado, spinach, lemon, date, pear
Handful almonds
4 small green apples
2 tsp spirulina w/ water

Ive REALLY been craving cashews the past few days, so Ive been making sure to eat them. Its sort of weird, its the first time Ive ever actually craved a raw food and I can tell its a different sort of craving then those for cooked foods.

[seachangeau]

Need one more clarification: Red Wine? Yay or Nay?

Its yay! I was told wines are raw. I'm soaking some Pricots in Shiraz for dinner garnish.

Perfect Autumn day here - had a nice snack of wild blackberries on my morning beach walk and collected pink violets to trim a pretty afternoon tea of rockmelon and cashew cream. The 'sand' was golden flax meal. Is anyone else into foraging?

[seRAWnity]

Good Morning! Didn't get a chance to post yesterday so I'll start there and post todays later when I figure it out!!

Yesterday: I got an invite out to breakfast, I was hesitant, the only places to eat out here are far from fresh, chain places or greasy spoons, but figured some place must have fruit. ... not so much, I looked the menu over and over and found nothing that had ANY fruit in it or on it, then I spied an item called "fresh fruit smoothies" yah ok, since they were made with mucho dairy, but it did say fresh fruit, so I asked the waitress if I could have a fruit cup/bowl of fruit, she said they didn't have those, so I asked if they had fruit at all... they had oranges and apples, so I said "can I get a bowl of those then" and when I asked about these fresh fruit smoothies and why they didn't have the strawberries, peaches, and bananas advertised I got no answer.. but I did get an apple cut up and a small bowl of canned mandarine oranges... not ideal, but still better than the alternatives on the menu I guess.

I didn't have any lunch, just munched on some nuts and olives.

Dinner was an amazing strawberry salad in baby greens and pea shoots with raspberry balsamic and corn on the cob :)

[jhodi]

Thank you for the info on the wine; SO now I love you people.

[MysticMal]

I'd like to join! I started the 21st of March and just figured I'd wait until April to join a challenge. I'm excited

So Breakfast-Banana, apple
Lunch- Squash
Dinner- Kale, banana, and grapefruit smoothy Yum!

[bayoubreeze]

You know I am doing so so on this and need to step it up a notch. One thing I have found is that there are some things that a recipe says to dehydrate that I would much rather eat without dehydrating. Like Alissa's Slider recipe I would much rather have on a leaf or stuffed in mushroom caps. I really like sweet potato slices raw rather than dried. I cut them thick and they are crunchy good. Hope you all are having a great day.

[BlackKat]

I am joining now on this 4th day of April!! So far so good today. I've been able to get in a great workout, breakfast and lunch before work today.

-kale/spinach smoothie w/ maca and goji berries (I have more energy than I know what to do with!)

-big salad of romaine, kale, spinach and some beautiful swiss chard, a drizzle of sesame oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle of hemp seeds. A table spoon of almond butter.

-dinner will be something like another salad, and maybe a raw bar if I'm super busy at work.

And I have a gorgeous mango sitting on my counter just waiting to be dessert tonight when I get off work.

Pretty light day, but I'm not in the mood of eating a lot today.

[Cookie Monster Gone Raw]

Hello Everyone from Brazil! I am new to this just as many of you are as well.

So I just completed my first week of raw! Yay!

I started the 30 day challenge on Sunday March 27th. My starting weight was 153 lbs and my weigh-in today was 149. So I lost 4 pounds, not too bad for my first week of raw. I am crossing my fingers that this trend will continue…

Also I have already started to notice some changes within my body. My digestion is sooo much better and I am much less bloated these days…even my boyfriend noticed that I am slimming down Also, I am tickled to announce that my skin seems to be much softer too!

I have a rather amazing story to share…and it is all thanks to THIS website…so through the introduction thread I found out that I am not the only person in Brazil doing raw…that is right I found a companion, actually more then that I found 3 companions! Within a day of my introduction post I had a lunch date with these ladies. Is that amazing or what!? I had an instant support group! I am so grateful to the universe and this website.

So onto my diet…I have been enjoying some splendid simple foods and no I have not been going hungry. Here are just a few things that I have been eating:

• Fresh Nut Milks: Brazil nut makes a wonderful and tasty milk!
• Fresh Mellon Juices: Just stick the melon of your choice in the blender with a little water and voila you have a tasty juice. This juice worked wonders on my sore throat.
• Sugar Cane Juice: Yup fresh from the sugar cane, a delicious drink you really should try this sometime
• Acai Berry Smoothies: very tasty and healthy, though full of carbs so be careful
• Raw Spirulina Smoothies: Spirulina is one of the most digestible forms of protein and an excellent source of vitamins and minerals
• Shredded Coconut and Fresh Coconut Water: The possibilities are endless
• Sprouts: A nice way to add a little crunch to the salad
• Salads Galore: Yes I have been creating some wonderful salads!
• An Assortment of Fresh Fruit: Bananas, Papayas, Persimmons, Avocado, Apples, just to name a few.

Unfortunately I do not have a dehydrator, so I can not do any dehydrating but there are so many varieties of fresh fruits and veggies here that I am using this as an excuse to try them all.

Well…Now I am onto my second week, wish me luck! It is a pleasure to be part of this Raw Food Journey with all of you!

-Namaste

[seRAWnity]

Started my day off with an hour of kundalini yoga & a classic strawberry kale smoothie from the Boutenko's iphone green smoothie app, I was hesitant at first since the last time I tried kale in a smoothie is was not a good thing but this one was FANTASTIC!!! and what a great app!

Lunch was my favorite olive and tomato salad sprinkled with cracked pepper, dulse, and pink sea salt, dizzle with olive oil... yum!

Dinner was mexican marinated veggies (carrots, tomato, red onion, olives, celery, cukes, summer squash, zucchini, broc, onions, and garlic) on top of romaine with salsa for "dressing"

[Leiloshka]

Had green smoothie for breakfast with banana, chard, a couple strawberries and blueberries and a tsp. of raw almond butter.

Lunch had an almond butter and strawberry "jelly" on a sprouted tortilla.

Dinner...broccoli soup from Alyssa's book. And an orange.

[Lady Green Jeans]

Hi all.

A busy day and super glad to be home.

B-2 bananas
S-carrots with raw hummus
L-nice salad with 1/2 avo, tomato, red cabbage, radishes and carrots
D-cucumber with the last of the hummus and 1/2 of an avo

Some housework and off to bed early to put this difficult day behind me.

[speltrong]

Hi all! My husband and I are new to this forum.. have been vegan for a long time, and just decided to go raw at the beginning of this month. We'd love to participate in this month's challenge. Starting tomorrow, I'll post what we're eating and maybe put up a pic or two. Looking forward to seeing everyone else's posts too!

[changeisgood]

SeRAWnity - that strawberry salad looks great ! Is there anything else that needs to be added - this is a keeper ! And congrats on weight loss - stick with it and you'll see amazing results !

Welcome Cookie Monster !

B-juiced grapefruits, oranges, lemons and ginger - 32 oz thru the morning
L - fruit salad - kiwi, oranges, grapefruit and 2 blueberry flax pancakes with a little agave drizzled on it.
D-blueberries with shredded coconut, 2 tangerines

"see' you tomorrow !