Day 30 - People are noticing

I thought I'd be better at keeping my blog up to date. I thought I would keep a daily food log and have all sorts of insightful things to say. Hmmmm... not the case.

I have eaten cooked food twice since starting this challenge. This last time I was uncomfortable afterwards. I did not like the overly full feeling I had. My husband and I went to one of our favorite restaurants; Ramsi's on the World. I had a wonderful salad of mixed field greens and flower petals with some cooked vegetables on top. I had some paratha bread and I could not resist the falafel. I am a "Falafel Freak" and Ramsi's has some of the best I've ever tasted. I had some brown rice pilaf and a few slices of potato. I had very small portions of everything but it was just way too much heavy, cooked food. Weeks ago I could have eaten so much more. It was tasty but probably not worth it.

A few people have commented that I look thinner. Being 12 pounds lighter feels good. I'm not a size smaller, but my jeans are fitting looser. My sister-in-law gave me a compliment yesterday. She said my skin was glowing. My mom agreed and said maybe there is something to this raw food diet.

(going to make some green juice now)

Test Results

Today is Day 4 of the Challenge. I am feeling tired, but okay.

I got my test results back - seems I am low in vitamin D and Anemic. My iron level is 13 and should be somewhere between 32 and 100, according to the doctor. She wants to take another test and monitor things. After three months on raw food, she will take another blood test to see if there is improvement. I am positive there will be.

Day 3
August 3, 2008

Felt so much lighter I couldn’t resist weighing myself. I can’t believe I lost six pounds already.

-Smoothie made with spinach, peach, banana, coconut and agave
-Eggless egg salad on celery sticks
-Dates (4)
-Salad: spinach, romaine, a piece of apple cut into small chunks, sunflower seeds, dressed with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, braggs, garlic and agave
-crab cakes (raw recipe without crab; from RFC ebook – very good)
-raisins, cashews and walnuts
-sun dried olives, very salty
-water, about 30 oz.

Day 2
Aug. 2, 2008

-Eggless egg salad on celery sticks - made from cashews, and tasty. I believe it’s from Heidi and JS Ohlander’s ebook, but I found the recipe through the Best of Raw Freedom Community ebook.
-Greenjuice (dino kale, celery, 1 lime, 2 apples - tried 1 yellow delicious but it wasn’t sweet enough)
-Banana
-Peach
-dried cantaloupe
-Water - didn’t measure and didn’t seem like enough

Kimba the White Kitten and Day 1 Summary

I have been a little preoccupied with a kitten we found last weekend. He was hit by a car and left in the middle of Nottingham Parkway. Poor guy was stunned, bleeding, and his little eyes were swollen shut. Emergency vet said he broke his chin and stitched him up. Since his nose was stopped up with dried blood, he wasn't able to smell, so he wasn't eating. Whenever possible, I syringed liquefied cat food down his gullet, which he was NOT happy about. Thursday night he began to sniff around and has been eating on his own (almost non stop) ever since. He is named after Kimba, The White Lion (my favorite cartoon when I was little). you tube video of Kimba the White Lion



Yesterday's food log...

Day 1
Aug. 1, 2008

-Small amount of water, squeeze of lemon with 1 scoop MSM powder
-Green juice made with 6 large dinosaur kale leaves, 6 stalks celery, 1 pink lady apple, 1 yellow delicious apple, 1 lemon – made 2.5 cups – it was delicious but a little too sweet. One apple should do it.
-Salad made with romaine, green pepper, mushroom, carrot, sunflower seeds with a little homemade dressing (olive oil, Bragg’s liquid aminos, agave nectar, garlic, and salt – didn't add the vinegar)
-small banana
-A Few Almonds
-32 oz. water
-More Almonds
-20 oz. water
-3 Almonds, 4 chunks of Cantaloupe, a few sips of water

I came in from work very late and was feeling hungry - that's when I grabbed the almonds, cantaloupe, and water, then went to bed. It's probably better to eat more during the day instead of right before bed, but we were so busy.

Today is Day 2. I woke up pretty hungry and with a slight headache. Can't wait to have my juice.

Raw Fu Eve

I went to the doctor yesterday to get some blood work done and get an accurate blood pressure reading and weight. I will share the test results when I get them back. I plan to schedule another visit and blood test soon after the 100 day challenge is over, and I can't wait to compare the two.

My doctor was very encouraging and wished me luck. But she did suggest getting a good supply of Beano - I'm hoping that I don't find that necessary.

Starting tomorrow, I will log what I consume each day, and once a week I will log whether I'm up or down weight-wise. I'll try to keep track of any detox symptoms, moods, or anything else that would seem noteworthy. I think it's important to have a record to look back on and see what is and isn't working as I go along.

Still haven't taken the before shots. I am dreading that.

Excited about tomorrow (Day 1). Stay tuned!

Rawganizing...

I want to make things as easy as possible, getting off on the best "raw foot" possible. I started cleaning out the fridge in order to get rawganized. I gathered all the little seeds and nuts stashed in different parts of the fridge and pantry like a foraging squirrel, and filled mason jars with all the goodness. I am going to have to stock up on a few items; sunflower seeds, almonds, some un-sulfured dried fruit, but I have a good supply to get me started. I will also need a few more jars and lids, and have some containers available for clean produce. I hear it’s good to have everything washed and available, so you don’t succumb junk.

Some other supplies I would like to get are nut milk bags and a few recipe books. I read something about using paint straining bags at Home Depot as they are cheaper than nut milk bags. Check out www.sunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com for more details, some great information, and to download the e-book, “Best of Raw Freedom Community”. Lots and lots of information here.

I am also trying out some new recipes so I have a good foundation of reliables should I need to change things up. Penni Shelton (www.realfoodtulsa.blogspot.com) sent me a wonderful raw lasagna recipe that was incredibly delicious. Check out her blog; she is a creative foodie who is knowledgeable and inspiring. I can’t wait to try the Jalapeno Lime Tortilla Chips (see her blog for recipes and ideas). I’ll share other good resources as I find more.

Pre Challenge Fling

This morning we decided to try out a small, family-run, diner that one of our customers told me about recently. We are from NY, where family-run diners abound. We have lived in Louisville (also know as Land of Chain Restaurants) since 1989 and wondered if the menu was similar to what we remembered of the diners back east. I decided to put aside my raw intentions (while there was still some time before the challenge) and give it a go.

It was disappointing, to say the least.

I feel full yet unsatisfied. It’s strange, feeling full but not feeling nourished. I had a typical SAD (Standard American Diet) breakfast of eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast and coffee. I usually do not eat a breakfast like this, so why I felt the need to have it now could only be attributed to pre-challenge lust. I knew it wasn’t going to be nutritionally sound, but I thought it would at least taste good. Like, an Oreo isn’t good for me, but I still think it would taste good. Hopefully, that sentiment may one day change. My meal just wasn’t tasty and definitely not worth the digression. The more I think of it, the more unappealing it is (better stop thinking about it). And rationally speaking, even if it tasted good, it wouldn’t have been worth it health-wise.

I miss my usual breakfast of freshly juiced kale, celery, apple, and lemon. It sounds strange, but it’s really good and very energizing. I actually crave more greens the more I drink them. My daily juices are getting greener and greener as I progressively add more kale leaves. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, I eat fresh fruit and cut up raw veggies (organic cukes with the skins are my current favorite). Then it usually goes downhill from late afternoon on. I get busy at the restaurant and end up famished. Being around the smells and the food we prepare is difficult. Well, not wanting to focus on that right now, joining the Rawfu challenge will help me stay focused on what I want to do. Letting you all in on what I’m trying to accomplish will help, too.

I feel like one betrothed who has taken part in a series of pre-wedding flings… a morning of promiscuous eating, an afternoon of forbidden snacking…

I guess with food, it’s just as unfulfilling.

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