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

[Clara Verde]

Struggling a bit but intent on continuing. Great pics, everyone!

[Moringa]

Spelltrong, your pics look so yummy!

I started raw on April 9, and am finding it difficult. I finally got Alissa's book in the mail yesterday. The recipes should help. I also got a raw book by Dr Cousens that has lots of recipes in it, though it is low-fruit for the first 3 months. Not sure how I feel about that added restriction. For now, I'm just doing basic lowfat raw, since I have the metabolism of a gnat.

Is there somewhere that I could read people's stories about their raw transitions?

Down 15.8 so far.

[Lady Green Jeans]

Apologies for not posting. Get home and eat and just want to relax and retire early. Very early commute so it gets tiring.

B--last of the cocoa coconut hummus with banana. sooo good.
S--avo with salsa.
L--made a batch of pineapple cucumber gazpacho so that will be lunch.
S--will be working in the garden so will prob need snack of fruil later
D--craving pizza so will make a simple cheese and the marinara and top with mushrooms, olives, red bell and whatever else strikes me.

Been craving cucumbers and avos for about 2 weeks now. Can't seem to get enough of either. Switched off the grapefruit in the morning during the week and have been making banana carob smoothies.

Cannot believe the end of Apil is alredy tomorrow. It has been such a great adventure so far. Hope everyone is having an awsome raw day!

[Moringa]

Sorry I haven't been good about posting my food. Still finding my way. I've got everything recorded on fitday and in a journal.

Today was
2 oz wheat grass shot
16 oz green juice
couple of handfuls of sprouted pumpkin seeds
Energy soup made from mesclun, raddicio, a small avocado, and lime juice
20 spirulina tablets

This is getting easier!

[Lady Green Jeans]

Cannot believe this month went to very fast and here it is the last day of the challenge.

B-banana carob smoothie
S-nice large ripe mango
L-lettuce wraps with raw hummus, tomato, carrots, and avo
D-more of the wonderful pineapple cucumber gazpacho

Hope you all had a great raw day. Not sure if I am going to do the May challenge.

[speltrong]

I know! This month flew by! Today we kept things simple.. a green smoothie for breakfast, for lunch we did a hike and picnicked with navel oranges, raw crackers, and some coconut almond hummus.. and for dinner, I played lazy and did a mexican flavored salad.. I threw some farmers greens in a bowl, put some green onions and chopped cilantro on top of that, blended together half a container of fresh pico de gallo with an avocado and used it as dressing (wish I had thought to add lime juice too), and then topped the salad with the rest of the pico. It was actually really good and SO easy! Hope everyone else is having a good last day of the month!

[seachangeau]

Yeah I found it a bit hard going. but glad I tried it ( tried beingvthe operative word) summary:
problems - finding out Buckwheat greens are TOXIC the hard way. Then finding out tomatoes and eggplants are too! Potatoes I didn't miss surprisingly. Was formerly so addicted to chips! By week two they tasted like straw ( had to just try mcfries out of sheer curiousity as I was so surprised I wasn't having cravings) 2. Being occasionally bagged by not overly supportive spouse. 3. eating too much fruit/seeds compared to greens. 4. The lemon cake i made
yesterday what a waste of macadamia nuts

high points - spouse trying raw food while on holiday and loving it ( yay Byron bay!) 2. new friendships - those who eat raw and those who are curious. 3. Discovering new tastes - eating flowers and weeds from my garden, chocolate avocado pie, coconut oil, dragon fruit "cheesecake"

I miss that dragonfruit cake from byron And their lemon cake. Anyone got a good lemoncake récipé to share?



Hope everyone got a lot outvof their month too!

Spelltrong, your pics look so yummy!

I started raw on April 9, and am finding it difficult. I finally got Alissa's book in the mail yesterday. The recipes should help. I also got a raw book by Dr Cousens that has lots of recipes in it, though it is low-fruit for the first 3 months. Not sure how I feel about that added restriction. For now, I'm just doing basic lowfat raw, since I have the metabolism of a gnat.

Is there somewhere that I could read people's stories about their raw transitions?

Down 15.8 so far.

[seachangeau]

Hello RFT, I am in need of some words of experience/encouragement. I am in the process of completing 30 days of Raw Food and I am/have experience some severe detox symptoms. One night last week I was extremely cold and shivering until I had to cover up with two heavy blankets and I constantly went to the bathroom all night. In the morning I woke up to terrible head and body aches. Body aches due to the uncontrollable shivering. In all honesty it was very scary. Today I am very tired. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced severe detox symptoms? Thanks for your help.

@sistaonamission

been reading back through last pages and so sorry to see no one has replied to your post!! Come on guys - encouragement? Edit - I see you got a reply on same question posted on another thread. Mine advice is different - also I'd advise take a b12 supplement wen switching to vegan. Otherwise your system will eventually suffer.

I haven't had any detox symptoms but I got a mild reaction to the toxins in sprouted buckwheat. I did lose a lot of toxins without really noticing it - bye bye cellulite :)

Sounds more like you got a stomach virus or ate something toxic - raw food requires some extra care in preparation and storage. Remember how we are cautioned about fresh food when travelling overseas? Well even organic good is sprayed with organic fertiliser which maybe quite full of bugs that don't belong in our gut. There was a case of recent salmonella poisoning I think from
orange juice which had been sprayed with fishbased fertiliser and used incorrectly - the witholding period after spray was ignored I think. http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf262927.tip.html here's a Fruit and vegie wash. you might need a good probiotic. I eat fermented foods For this - especially kefir but if you want non dairy look for kimchi and sauerkraut which are yummy additions to a raw diet. The library should have some good books on raw food diet. I don't believe putting every bad reaction to changes in diet, new anything , under this umbrella. If something is good for you then I think you should feel better unless you are basically overdosing on a good thing.

[LYNN29]

Okay, down 4.5 lbs since Monday and feeling great. I went to yoga twice yesterday 3 hrs in a 105 degree room I feel like all that extra sweating is helping me detox faster so I don't feel as bad this time. I am still fighting my cravings, mine are emotional food cravings. When ever I get stressed or upset instead of working out (like I used to before I got sick) I eat bad--very bad. Like Outback cheese fries bad-- For me food is an emotional issue so I am ordering yummy meals from a local raw cafe - Bliss Raw Cafe in Dallas each day (it's right down the road) so I am still able to eat rawsagna and things that taste like real food (emotional feel good food) vs plain veggies. Hopefully someday I will start to look at food as nutrition/medicine vs. emotional and it will be easier to eat the simpler raw foods like plain veggies and salads, but for now I know I need to "feel" like I am eating real meals so even if the hamburger is seeds, it looks and actually tastes like one so I feel like I am still getting that emotional fulfillment--messed up I know. It's scary how I will smell a food smell and it will trigger a childhood memory of orange muffins at a bed and breakfast while on vacation with my grandmother when I was 8-- food has been my comfort and I am hoping to learn how to make it become fuel for my body instead. Headed to yoga at noon and will try to go back again tonight.

Everyone have a great day!