Oct 2011 - Thirty Day Challenge - Join anytime of the month!

[Aleesha Sattva]

Welcome welcome welcome!!!

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!

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!!!

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!!!

[bonzer]

Wahooooo!! I'm ready for another 30 days!! Just finished my first 30 and I will be blogging about tonight. Thanks so much Aleesha for putting this out there for us. BTW, I'm interested in how I can get a raw-food coach. I'll be looking into it soon.

Finishing up the rest of my local cantelope and watermelon.....*slurps*

Peace, Bonnie

[trillionairemomma]

I have been raw for 18 days. So impressed with myself though I have had some challenges not that tempted of my old food choices and old temptations but feeling vitality probably due to being 5 months pregnant I believe colonics salt flushes and the like will help me get the detox out faster so I can start feeling great all the time like others on raw I have noticed that exercise has helped and Quantum Bee Pollen. Need support on how to safely get the gunk out easily and safely while pregnant. Over half way to doing raw 30 days and beyond 18 days it seemed impossible considering how many days I told myself this is the day and by noon weakness overcame me but journaling everday what I eat and reading the sunfood success diet book and going online and youtube for inspiration has made such a big difference and I was sick of being exhausted all the time due to dietary choices I was motivated by my unborn baby poor thing has gone through a lot in the womb and when I got blood work done it came out thick and slow for what seemed like 10 minutes the proof is in the seeing I could see what my current diet was doing to my blood and the doc even told me to take baby asprin due to the slow circulation to the uteruse. I started taking garlic pills instead and about a month and half later when I did some more blood work it took less than a minute to get 5 viles out and it was nice and thin! So even though I would love to say now my energy problems are over I could see that my blood was cleaner and healthier and this is a journey and Im pregnant so I am celebrating the little things like sometimes when I smile my whole body smiles too and at times being present and seeing my toddler through fresh eyes and the miraculous support I received to help me when I needed it like the time I went to farmers market and some guy was selling raw hibiscus tea with raw honey and it was so divine I could actually have something besides fruit and veggies and the time I was starving at follow your heart and just to the right of the check out counter was a rep from a raw food restaraunt who gave me 5 sample of divine food and a entire kale salad and it saved me when I was totally depleted from being at a car repair place, a smog check and triple and olnly had fruit in the morning. Love to all

[amoux]

I'm on day 13 of my second 30 days raw - so count me in for October :-)

[gogogaileatingraw]

I'm sooo in...I am new to raw and have been 90% raw for 7 days now...I'm ready to jump into 100%! I look forward to getting to know all of you.

[Basenjimamma]

I am soooo in...gosh..if I can just get it together...come on Petra...get it..you NEED this...you WANT this..you WILL DO this...my day consisted of a lot of fruits..namely my favorites this time of year..Honeycrisp apples...plums and oh yeah bananas too...

[Dagelinckx]

Hello All,

I will sign in again for this raw challange this will be my 10 Month raw I enjoying the raw more and more as well the more you read about raw the more you will stay on it all what you read about other food as what they so called heatlhy is mostly posion for your body, stick with raw and you have all you need to get a healthy life.

I wish everybody the best for this month and the longer you stay the easier it gets.

[Veggiefamily]

[Basenjimamma]

Today was ok, lots of plums, apples and bananas, lunch was a huge guacamole salad...yum..
Got a great nights sleep...feeling like a million bucks.

[tiggerbounce]

I think I really NEED to do this to get back on track. Have had a fantastic amount of stress in my life and need to regroup all the way around.

Today I had vanilla icedream for breakfast, an apple for lunch (feeling lazy on lunch break), and mushroom soup for dinner. I blended up the Thai coconut meat for the base and seasoned that and tossed in the shrooms straight from the fridge. Next time will plan ahead and warm/marinate it all a bit before eating. Was good though. Thai coconut water coming up next. Not nearly enough calories. Which, of course, lead to a bit of naughtiness.
I have to have as part of my daily goal ---- getting enough calories in. Have been having some pretty impressive allergic reactions to some mystery item/ingredient. Therefore, trying to keep the seasonings and other marginally raw ingredients at very minimal.

Bananas that are ripe are 18 cents per pound at the store right now. I have been freezing them, peeled, but whole. My Yonanas is getting quite the workout! :) Other frozen fruits are good also. As is adding chocolate to the bananas.

Tomorrow's plan: this amazing mango is calling my name, icedream - of course, thai coconut, apples, watermelon, romaine lettuce wraps. And some highly energetic video games with the kids! woohoo! I have never used a Wii, but we have loved the kinect games for sure. I better make the lettuce wraps tonight or that will likely not be happening. (yes, I know myself, I am sooooo predictable. sigh)

Getting some wild plums tomorrow also. Can not wait. One of my very favorite jams. Wonder how it would taste to make banana crepes and fill with raw plum jam and vanilla icedream? And drizzle some more plum sauce over it.....

Off to find a crepe recipe. I know I saw one here at one time......

[gogogaileatingraw]

I need help. I am two days at 100% raw...my stomach is so messed up I don't know what to do...two days of running to the bathroom, two days of just being miserable...do I ride this out or go back to 90% raw?

[MeredithLee]

Hey! I'm back. I got way off track. I think having 4 jobs and 2 kids can do that to you. But I'm back and ready to push the raw level up a bit. I'm going to go 100% raw. I think. Ha!

So today is my second day at 100%. I'm feeling great about it. I had a horrible sinus infection Sunday and yesterday and because of 14 hours of sleep and jumping back into raw eating, I feel like a new woman today.

This morning was a green smoothie. I'm hitting up the salad bar for lunch. And I tend bar tonight, so I'm going to arm myself with a smoothie on the way there.

The other thing I'm going to get back into is exercise. I made it to the gym once last week (after a 5 month hiatus!) and Thursday night I start both adult dance class and belly dancing. Next week I plan on adding in 3 morning classes. I should be back to my usual amount at that point.

[linparda]

Hi Aleesha! Everyone!

Gee wiz - you guys are so far ahead of me! I am not sure I should be here, and if I shouldn't, then you can just kick me off... I'll understand...lol;D.
Anyway, I am sitting here on my couch...waiting for the email that will tell me that my "Living" Book, CD and Meditation CD will arrive -- oh, also my Excalibur Dehydrator -- Ugh! I can't wait for that to arrive...;D. I already have a Green Star Twin Gear Juicer and a Breville Centrifugal - I've had them for a few years now. The only thing I am missing is a Vitamix, but I need to wait - they are really expensive!

So... I really don't know how raw I am. I downloaded Alissa's book, "Raw Food for Everyone" on my Nook and I'm reading through it just as fast as I can, but I'm only up to page 40. Today I had coffee (I think that's a no, no), organic oatmeal and strawberries with a shake made from banannas, blueberries strawberries and some stuff called Perfect Food Life Raw, an Avocado and tomato sandwich on Gluten Free Bread with Veganaise, and I had a very, very big salad with Organic Apple cider vinegar and olive oil. The salad had organic peppers, spinach, salad mix, broccoli, avocado, tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts...

So, do you guys have any suggestions/help for a real newbie while I wait for my books and stuff to get here? I'm thinking I should probably slowly detox off of the coffee, otherwise it will be really, really painful, right? Any other suggestions?

[bonzer]

Hi and welcome linparda. While waiting for books, check out You Tube videos on 'green smoothies' and 'green juice feasts' and 'rawfood diet'. Also 'Arnolds way'. This will keep you inspired. You are pretty well-armed to do battle it seems. For the coffee....I would taper off until it's one cup a day, then one every other day, and so on. I had a massive withdrawal head-ache, miserable and tired for the first 3 days I stopped cold turkey. I don't even drink coffee, but it was black tea that I drank 6 times a day.

Just bought for my first bushel of golden delicious apples for the season. Only $10 for the bushel!!! Just picked this morning, I might add. I wait all year for these apples as I watch them grow from down the street.
Had a huge salad for dinner, smoothies and fruit for b.fast and lunch.

Peace, Bonnie

[linparda]

Thanks Bonzer, for all the advice!

Ah yes, so you feel my pain;D or, have felt my pain. I'm off to watch some videos! So this is day two of walking toward becoming 100% raw! I guess my real 30 day challenge should start when my stuff arrives and I'm no longer having coffee and organic oatmeal for breakfast... but the rest of my day is pretty good! Weird, but boy, did my skin look better this morning. I love it!