July 2012 30 day raw challenge

[ReneeH]

How COOL!!!! I get to be at the top of the page again!!!! ing to Cowboy Troy's "i Play Chicken with the Train!!!!" http://wxerfm.com/blogs/post/jfriede...stern-cowboy-/

.Renee your veggies look so yummy!! We have squash and zucchini coming out our ears from our garden, so maybe I can try these. How did you get them to get soft? I can't use too much oil, I don't digest it.

I forgot how much I love this thread and all the wonderful ideas.

ReneeH - I am inspired by your creativity. I would love to know how you marinate your veggies. They look sooooo good.

Thanks you guys! Effortless, I love this thread too!!! Cathy, definitely try this and take some photos!!!!

I actually use very little marinade because Zucchini is full of water...actually, it's 95% water! Usually I use a Broccoli Melody, but I like the Squash even more! The best way to marinate veggies is to not cut the veggies too thin. Toss them in the marinade and let them sit in the frig overnight. The next day, I warm them in the dehydrator at 115 degrees for 10-15 minutes. They come out just perfect that way! :)

[ReneeH]

My Darling Hubby joined me in my morning Smoothie!!!! Yippeeeee!!!!!



I just gave it to him and said drink this! I didn't ask him if he wanted it! LOL!!!!

I'm craving Alissa's Calzone!!!! I'm gonna try to get him to eat it today for dinner!!! So, my Buckwheat is Sprouting (for 2nd day) and my Flax Seeds are soaking!!! I just need to run to the store for a couple if items. Anyone wanna join me?

[MysticTree]

Sweet tooth go to foods: dates, raw choc, nectarines, apricots, lemon and carrot juice. Not all at once of course!

[Crystal2870]

Day eight

Hurrah another day !

Breakfast was green smoothie, soaked chia seeds, frozen banana, fresh banana, spinich, mango, hemp protein powder, maca, lucuma...yummy !, little man slurped his up too !

Mid morning I had a green juice, watercress, two apples, celery, spinich. yum

Lunch was kale salad, (hmmm i wasnt overly keen on that one but ate it anyway!) plus the remaining stuffed pesto mushrooms from last night, I'd left them overnight til lunchtime in the dehydrator, omg even MORE yummy today, really tasted "cooked", went all juicy, highly recommended !!!

Had handful of walnuts and a raw fruit and nut bar - I must stop buying these Im sure I can easily make them in the vitamix ! ... I plan to make some little energy balls for the kids so if anyone can recommend any receipes I'd be grateful ! .. Im thinking dates, coconut ect...talking of coconut wish we could get those young green coconuts in the uk...boo...

Havent had any tea yet not really hungry, may have a cocoa and banana shake/smoothie in a bit xx

I had my monthly visitor today (the curse ! LOL or should I more positivily say my moon time !), probably explains why I was feeling like I wanted to hit my partner over the head with a frying pan the last few days ! , however usually Im exhausted the few days before, last night at 11pm I was tidying up the house (practically unheard of I can tell you lol).. I have been feeling a bit tired this afternoon though for some reason ...

My mindset seems to have shifted a bit, Im feeling like I want to keep going and could actually do this long term, the things I thought would bother me ie cooking for my family really hasnt been an issue, I just make sure Im always full up, I can honestly say I feel really satisfied, sometimes even after having a huge meal I'd be hungry half an hour later on the cooked food !.... I've had a few sweet cravings (which I dont normally have ..) but finding a few squares of raw choc sorts that out !

Reneeh your food looks fab !!!... My friend has tried the turnip stuffed pasta and said its amazing so thats on my list to try !! and apparantly the strawberry crepes are really lush too, !!... Im the same with my partner I keep shoving a smoothie in his hand and say drink this sometimes he eyes it up suspiciously but has liked all of them so far !!! ....

Has anyone tried making marinated nuts, really good ! great snack, just soak your nuts (lol makes me chuckle every time!!) then mix in braggs, bit onion powder, cayenne powder, garlic powder, cumin to taste stir in nuts (really nice in walnuts as it goes in the nooks and crannies!) then dehydrate til crispy, I ve just run out need to make some more ! my little boy loves the pumpkin seeds x

Effortless vegan - I am quite into the raw cocoa powder seems to be hitting the spot or raw choc..I m going to make some soon I will have to work out how to post pics x

[effortlessvegan]

ReneeH- Thanks for the how to for the marinated veggies. What do you use as a marinade?

Crystal2870- I like using raw choc as well. I try to keep raw brownies in the fridge when I get a sugar craving.

Yesterday I drank my usual green tea mix thru the day.

Breakfast: Green smoothie- bananas, apple, whole tangerine, pineapple, coconut oil, wheatgrass, kale, spinach, chia seeds

Lunch: cherries, cashews

Dinner: Large salad- mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, red grapes, kalamata olives and an Asian Dressing

[SunshineMN]

Started out with 2 huge oranges and a banana today. Sipping on my pineapple orange water. Not looking forward to going out in the kitchen and making salad. It's hot hot hot here and we only have air conditioning in the bedroom, where we spend most of our time. Our mung bean sprouts are looking great, although a bit thin compared to store bought sprouts. Right now just growing them in a glass jar but eventually will switch to something else that I can put weight on them and make them fatter.

Will have a big salad later with some fresh spinach, probably without sprouts because they aren't quite ready yet. Need to start sprouts again as soon as we empty the jars so we have a continual supply I guess. Probably have some cashews and dates. Dates are my go to when I want something sweet. We usually sprinkle a little raw cacao powder on them as well, and just a spritz of sea salt on the cashews. Maybe some cherries and strawberries as well. I love cherry season!

[robh]

SunshineMN, I use a glass jar for sprouting (don't even use a lid) - works fine.

Crystal2870, great idea on the nuts. How are the detox symptoms? feeling better?

ReneeH, Congrats getting your spouse to try some raw food. I always count that as a small victory.

effortlessvegan, I think she said she marinates the veggies in the sauce from the sesame "chicken" recipe that she posted.


Yesterday, being the 4th of July was harder than most days. We hosted a traditional, american cookout with family and friend (all subscribers of the Standard American Diet). All my favorite foods were present: cooked starches covered with animal fat, grilled animal proteins atop nutrient-free wheat products and all manor of junk that even most SAD foodist would consider unhealthy. The only raw item was a fruit salad that my mother-in-law brought because she knows I'm raw (very considerate of her). I added a second raw item - a salad that only I ate.

To be honest, the cookout was not easy, but it was not hard. I think being 100% raw for a few days beforehand, combined with my determination to complete this challenge really helped to take the edge off the temptation. I managed to stay 100% raw. Though, I think, the sights and smells caused me to eat more, in general. The scale, for example, didn't move despite being 100% raw and drinking tons of water.

Yesterday, I had chia seed pudding (which, I found, the baby likes), an orange, zuchinni slices dipped in a honey-mustard-tahini sauce, a salad with raw ranch, fruit salad, a smoothie (banana + fruit salad leftovers), half an avocado and various nuts (almonds mostly).

Today, I am back at work and, therefore, back under some portion control (I can't eat more than I bring). I think the scale may do something tomorrow because I can't graze all day.

Anyway, it's day 4, for me, and I know I am going to complete this challenge this month!

[MysticTree]

My raw olives and raw hazelnuts (in the shell) arrived just now. Luckily it's my lunch break so I am noshing away at some of the olives and after borrowing some pliers from one of the guys I tasted the nuts. Sooooo good :)

[MysticTree]

Robh,

Sometimes the the difference between staying on track and not staying on track is like the gap between two atoms. I found lately that if I start thinking about cooked foods in a sabotage-like way then I just try to imagine myself across the other side of the room or field or supermarket looking back at myself thinking about the cooked food! Just getting that distance is enormously helpful.

[robh]

Thanks for the support MysticTree. I like to think if I lived in a raw food environment that I would not be tempted at all. For me, cooked food reaching my senses is the ringing of Pavlov's bell. Hearing the bell sparks dormant desires. If I can just stop the bell from ringing, I would be alright (or I like to think so). That being said, at home, I can see crap sitting in my kitchen and in my pantry all day long and not even think twice about eating it. Therefore, I am doing good with temptation - on the whole.

Anyway let's change the subject! How is everyone getting their minerals? Fruits and veggies are great for vitamins. For minerals, however, I find that I need to eat raw, fatty foods like chia seeds and sesame seeds to get minerals like zinc and calcium. This results in 40 plus percent of my calories coming from fat. There is nothing wrong with that, but my skin feels a little greasy. Any tips that can help me knock that down to like 30% from fat?

[ReneeH]

Robh, I think you had the right mindset! Being raw beforehand surely helped you to be strong around temptation! I'm proud of you, you did GREAT!!!!

Oh, I'm having Chia Pudding this morning too! My 10 ye old daughter LOVES it!!!

My Calzones weren't ready yesterday, so I just had a Salad for dinner. The Calzone bread is still in the Dehydrator cuz I had to go to work last night, so, I'll probably have Calzone Sandwiches later today.

Note to self: don't start making Calzones on my work night!!!! Just doesn't work!!! LOL!!!!!

[SunshineMN]

Way to go robh! That's awesome. I'm not sure I would have been able to resist grilled stuff, it was always my favorite. I slept most of yesterday since I had been up 31 hours. LOL

I ate another banana after making salad. Gosh it gets hot in the kitchen (we live in a mobile home with no trees around for shade). And I munched on spinach leaves while I was making the salad. Thank goodness for plastic lettuce knives! It made the job much quicker. In a little bit I'm going to have chia seeds with some of my pineapple orange water. I'm not sure I like the pudding, but I really like the chia seeds in juice water. Makes me full too. :)

Mystic, I'm jealous of your raw black olives! I can't find any around here at all. Guess I will have to find a good place online that hopefully isn't too expensive. I'm allergic to hazel nuts though... thankfully it's the only nut I can't eat. I love raw brazil nuts, walnuts and cashews too!

[MysticTree]

Check out therawgreek.co.uk
Not sure if they can ship foods to the US but worth asking. These are thorouba thasso olives. They ripen them fully on the tree before picking - unlike most olives.

[robh]

I feel flipping good today. I guess I forgot how good 100% feels!

[ReneeH]

I'm with you, RobH!!! I feel fantastic today!!! Had bananas this morning and my Chia Pudding with Strawberries. Just finished eating a HUGE piece of Watermelon donated from my lovely Mum! Looking forward to my Calzone Sandwich when I get hungry! The bread turned out FABULOUS!!!! I made it thin, and in pieces so I can have it like a sandwich. I'll post a photo later.

I have a Learn It Live Class today at 3pm CST, if you can join me!!! It's FREE!!! Here's the link:

http://www.learnitlive.com/class/230...nacks-for-KIDS