That is very exciting about Misty! I hope your cats were able to settle down and get used to her.

Hi Jgunn & elaa :-) I am excited to bring Misty home again, probably this Wednesday or Thursday night, but I need to take her for a run first beforehand so she doesn't have tons of energy! I don't know whether or not I'll end up being the one to adopt her, but either way her time with me will hopefully help her adjust and feel more comfortable and safe in whatever home she does end up in!

Quick post b/c I want to watch the press conference!

-green smoothie w/ the usual bananas, frzn fruit & kale, 2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder
-2 bananas, 2 clementines, cashew cookie lara bar
-1.5 bananas w/ raw cacao
*3 mile run w/ sprint intervals...all I had time for, realtor came to appraise our house today so my parents can finally move out of this frigid state!*
-huge salad w/ romaine, mesclun greens, carrots, tomatoes, red pepper, red onions, tons of mushrooms, vinegar. 2 small bananas w/ raw cacao. Might have an apple later too.

I got attacked by a cat today! My face is STILL bleeding! Craziness...

I am very depressed today. What happens is that sad stuff will happen at work, and to save myself from emotional pain I will totally block it out and become robot girl and not deal with it, then 2 weeks later it will all hit me and I'll cry all day long and end up getting sick and feeling awful. That is where I am today. I still haven't figured out how to deal with the unhappy things that inevitably happen when you work in an animal shelter. I don't know if my coworkers have a better way of dealing with it, though. There have been plenty of times when someone is hysterical crying or comes to work with red puffy eyes.

Anyway I'm not that hungry today and my bananas weren't ripe (no green smoothie, boo). Here's the day:

-4 iffy bananas, a little raw cacao, 2 clementines, some fresh strawberries (from Florida, my mom bought them and they were soooo good!)
-lara bar, salad w/ mixed greens, spinach, MUSHROOMS, carrots, beets, red onion, green peppers (blech), peas and vinegar, apple, small gross banana
-apple, small banana w/ raw cacao, and I'll probably have carrots in a bit...not hungry yet though...maybe more clementines later, too, or maybe not

No workout today, I don't have the energy or motivation. I am so exhausted, but I think it's mostly emotional stuff and I'll feel better in a day or two.

Sorry about your day meow. I've wondered how it would be to work in an animal shelter. Must be very difficult sometimes. But I'm sure the animals are better off because you are there.

Hope you're feeling better tomorrow.

Aww, thanks suncloud. It is really happy and fun 80% of the time b/c we are finding great homes for deserving animals. The other 20% of the time is very, very difficult.

That said, today was another miserable day. A cat had to be euthanized this morning b/c we found out she had liver failure. She'd been one of the very vicious and terrified cats when she came in, and had become the absolute sweetest cat in the past month or 2. She did get to live in the office area for the past half a month so she got lots of attention and love. I just really wanted her to have a home of her own and thought she would, and then her test results came back this morning and they were not good. Then we had a meeting about some of our dogs who are on the fence due to history of biting or severe behavioral issues. I am really worried about one of them who I'm very attached to. All of us are. I get so frustrated when the people who work in admin. and have never even met some of the dogs adamantly fight for them to be put down. WTF? What gives them the right- they don't even know the animals! I felt really dizzy and out of it all day so I left at around 1:30. We had plenty of staff and I couldn't be there anymore. I have 2 days off and I'm going to take Misty home tomorrow night and then by Saturday I will have had time to think things through.

OK enough ranting. Food today:

-green smoothie (yay! bananas were finally ripe enough) w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, kale. 3 bananas w/ a little raw cacao. Cup of fresh strawberries.
-lara bar, apple
-2 bananas, one w/ cacao and one plain. Fruit salad w/ a mango and some strawberries- yum.
*upper body weight, squats, lunges, 15 mins. abs, 3 mile tempo run*
-salad w/ the usual greens, veggies, mushrooms & vinegar. Lightly steamed broccoli/cauliflower that the 'rents are making.
-hmmm probably clementines

Sorry to hear about the kitty at work. :/

To answer your question about my fav. Lara bars, I really like the fruit pie ones. Key Lime Pie is my current favorite. I saw that you recommended the cashew cookie flavor and bought that today. I'll let you know what I think!

Ooh, I've never tried the key lime pie flavor! I'll have to add that to my grocery list! I hope you like the cashew cookie flavor.

I was really sick yesterday, my stomach was feeling awful and I was so tired. I actually tried to run, made it just over a mile, ran off the treadmill & into the bathroom & ended up puking! Yuck. I got back on the treadmill b/c I felt ok after that, but only walked- no running for sure. I had to go to a work meeting at night and by the time I got back I felt fine, so I ate my usual salad w/ lots of portabellas and veggies and some bananas. Today my stomach feels kind of full, but I'm also wanting to eat fruits so that's good.

I just worked out (just weights & abs, no running...yet) and watched a show on the Travel Channel that ended up being about sandwich shoppes in the US. I used to love the actual travel shows they had on...now it's nothing but food shows! But I watched this b/c they had one restaurant on the show that makes nothing but peanut butter sandwiches! It's called PB & Co. in Greenwich Village, and I've had quite a few of their gourmet pb's and they rock! I do miss the dark chocolate pb a little! Anyway, all of the other restaurants featured sold sandwiches with like a pound of meat. It was depressing to watch people devour piles of dead animals between 2 slices of bread...and most of it went to waste b/c the portions were way too big. Also sad to see parents feeding their young children sandwiches that could feed 3 adult men, full of bacon and pastrami and grease, especially when the kids were already very overweight. I am not really a kid person, but if I do have kids they will most definitely be vegan and no fake baby foods will enter their mouths- mashed fruits/veggies are the way to go!

Food/food plans for the day:

-4 bananas w/ a little raw almond butter & raw cacao, 2 clementines
-another banana
*upper body weights & hard ab work*
-about to have a green smoothie w/ the usual- 2 bananas, frozen strawberries, mangoes & blueberries, and kale, plus a fruit salad w/ fresh strawberries & a mango
*maybe a short, easy run of 2-3 miles?*
-umm...another banana?
-big salad w/ the usual
-2 clementines, apple

I got raw almond butter as my "fat" for the week, along with some raw energy bites, so I won't have as many Lara Bars this week as usual.

I have a real itch to travel. I need a change of pace. I've got no plans to be anywhere besides VT until April when I'm going to NYC for a few days. But I grew up there so that's not really the kind of travel I'm craving...

"...Also sad to see parents feeding their young children sandwiches that could feed 3 adult men, full of bacon and pastrami and grease, especially when the kids were already very overweight. I am not really a kid person, but if I do have kids they will most definitely be vegan and no fake baby foods will enter their mouths- mashed fruits/veggies are the way to go!"

Yeah, Meow -- You should see my three year old pack away a salad -- blows people's minds all the time!!!

You weren't lying, the cashew cookie flavor is yummy.

Meow! It is so good to "see" you here again! I am so impressed with your animal shelter work - good for you!

I got back from Thailand about six months ago, and am living in New Mexico now. It's funny, I have continued eating raw foods but not really at the percentages I would like, until a few weeks ago (about the same time as you).

I started coming back to the forums because I love reading thoughts from like-minded people, and it's really motivated me to continue with my raw food path (plus I feel pretty amazing). Anyway, I'm not putting any pressure on myself to eat 100%, because I think that is one of the things I did wrong last time. For now, I do better eating as much raw as I crave, and supplementing with low fat cooked vegan if that is what my body is asking for.

I have green smoothies every morning! I used to shy away from them in the winter b/c I would use frozen fruit and they would make me shiver (even in NM), but now I just use fresh fruit and it's all good. This morning was 1.5 bananas, 4 small dates, 2 large handfuls of spinach, and a sprinkle of ground flaxseed. Yum!

Anyway, enough rambling, glad to see you again and maybe I'll start posting from time to time!

Mona thats sad about the dogs .. cuz really even any most dogs will bite out of fear and just because they have a history of biting who knows what the history is BEHIND the biting

our lhasa came to me after biting some kids not once or twice but several times .. well i found out a year later that those kids were grabbign the dog by the ears and all in his face trying to make him growl so ya know .. i woulda bit them too !!! these are not young kids either .. their 16 and 21

wilson turned out to be the lovingest dog ever and he has never ever bitten me .. even tho i came close once in the first few weeks and got my face too close to his but now i trust him completely .. he has learned that kisses are much better then bites ! and he has responded well to huge amounts of positive attention, training and making boundries

as far as your admin co workers go .. they probably stay away JUST for the very reason that to see is to become attached

anyhoo sorry to ramble but it really frys my feathers when it comes to our poor pound pooches not getting a fair shake

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

apple430,

if you have any insights to share with us related to living in thailand (you were living there, right) and the differences in food quality and other aspects of lifestyle, please tell us a little about your experiences.

I'm thinking mostly about how your body and mind felt in times when you were eating more raw, or when you put less pressure on yourself, or things like how a different climate and things like air quality affect how you feel and also how it affects eating raw.

Thanks.

If you post a reply to this message and would like my feedback, it would be best to send me a private message to that effect. Otherwise, I may not check this thread for a while.

***Info from the advisors at HealthNVitality***

Hi! I am still alive and kickin' and still eating high raw. I am just so busy! But I've still been eating mainly raw...however I feel I am ready to dedicate myself to raw foodism again and take it to the next level and aim to eat at least 90% raw every day with less fat than I've been eating. The weather is nicer, there's more fresh produce and I just don't really want any cooked processed anything anymore. So...here we go.

I'm still working at the animal shelter but I also need to get a second job b/c I'm moving back to Los Angeles ASAP. I miss it so much, it's ridiculous. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment! I want to actually stay in the next place I move for at least 4-5 years though, and LA is really the only place in the USA I think I want to live in right now. I needed to leave it to really appreciate and miss it.

I've been running more lately b/c of the nice weather, but this weekend I plan on eating minimally and only fruits/veggies so if I can't run as much that's ok. I just feel weighted down emotionally and also physically a little bit, and I need to sort of cleanse my body & mind. My sister's college graduation is tomorrow so that's what I'll be doing all day from 7:30 AM til who knows when! I plan on just taking a couple apples with me- they are very easy to eat on the go and also very light- and then having a green smoothie later, which I've been doing every day, and a salad for dinner, which I also have every day. I've been all about the greens lately! I'm still a fruit addict but I eat probably 6-8 cups of greens most days and can't get enough of them!

Ah, I'm glad to be back here. Just being around so many like-minded raw foodists really motivates and inspires me to eat as purely as I can.

Hey, welcome back! Glad you're doing well.

Thanks Sundancer!

Yesterday my internet was down by the time I finally got home, so here's a re-cap. It was my sister's graduation day and I was also almost completely out of food, so it was a little non-conventional in terms of eating:

-half a cup of grapes, an apple
-3 bananas- 2 were dipped in raw cacao powder
*took the dogs for a walk*
-salad w/ spring mix greens, half a red pepper & a little roasted red pepper dressing; orange
*ran 3 miles & lifted upper body weights*
-STARVING- Had a handful of pretzel sticks (oops) and a large carrot w/ hummus that I found in my parents' fridge, then another apple a little while later
-another salad w/ romaine & spring mix, tomato, carrots & red pepper w/ vinegar; about 2 cups of lightly steamed broccoli & cauliflower
-a banana w/ peanut butter

So it may not have been a GREAT day but I'll take it. Unfortunately I did have some cooked stuff b/c I had no raw foods left and I was hungry! Same thing happened this morning, too. But I'm headed to the grocery in a few minutes so I hope to stick to 90% raw or more the rest of the week.

Yesterday's calories were about 1700 which is a bit light for a normal day, but I barely did anything yesterday (didn't work) so that's fine.

Today's plan is:

-2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder & a little peanut butter...then I had a slice of whole wheat bread w/ pb&j. Oops.
-Green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, strawberries, a little hemp milk & lots of kale. A fresh mango if they have them at the store.
*4 mile run*
-baby carrots
-large salad w/ spring mix, baby romaine, carrots, tomato, yellow peppers & apple cider vinegar
-pear/apple/both

Yay I finally went to the store and got some FOOD! My real day is pretty similar to what I posted except I didn't get home til around 1 PM and had to clean before lunch so I had 3 raw energy bites & a banana as a snack before I ate the green smoothie. I'm saving the mango for later. I ran 5 miles instead of 4 and just had some carrots w/ 2 T roasted red pepper dressing and an apple. Planning to eat the salad and then the mango around 7 PM.

Today was not great by any means b/c of what I ate earlier, but it is a step in the right direction. Now that I actually have food in the apartment I think it'll be a lot easier to stay very high raw. I feel pretty motivated and I'm already feeling a lot more energetic and my runs have been faster and easier. I'm chalking the energy up to the green smoothies and just eating enough greens in general. I used to crave fruits over anything else, but for the past couple months greens have been the primary food in my diet. I do still eat plenty of fruit but I find the greens to be more satisfying and energy-giving to me right now.

I did not buy hummus or any nut butters for the week, so I think it'll be easier to eat lower-fat and also not overeat (I tend to eat too much of both those things, and they're usually not the raw variety). For fat I have lara bars/raw energy bites and I'll probably pick up an avocado or two when I get paid later in the week to put on a couple salads. I've usually been eating a green smoothie for breakfast with a banana and raw cacao powder and/or raw energy bites; a big salad w/ lots of veggies and vinegar, a lara bar, and a pear/apple/orange for lunch; a banana or 2 for a pre-workout snack; and then dinner is usually up in the air. Another salad, a sweet potato (cooked), or a green smoothie and some fruit on the side...I'll see what I feel like having each night. When I'm eating high raw for a while I'm usually not that hungry at night and eat pretty light.

Quick post with today's eats- I have to get in the shower before 8:00 or I won't get hot water!

I was starving all. day. long. So annoying!

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, strawberries, kale, a little unsweetened vanilla hemp milk & water. Another banana w/ raw cacao powder. 2 raw energy bites.
-Lara Bar
-large salad w/ baby romaine, yellow pepper, sprouts & grape tomatoes w/ 3 T roasted red pepper dressing. Apple.
-banana (so hungry I was about to pass out at work...evidently I burn a lot of calories at my job)
-I went to the grocery to get more kale b/c mine was infested with little bugs, and I allowed myself to buy hummus. It was what I really wanted. So carrots & orange cauliflower w/ hummus, and a banana w/ raw cacao powder
-I'll have a pear later I'm sure

I feel pretty good about this. Yeah, it's not all raw. But I have done the "I have to eat 100% raw every day no matter what" thing in the past and it never lasted. I am being forgiving of myself this time around. I'd rather eat high raw for the rest of my life than 100% raw for the next couple months and then fall off the wagon. I am going to try to stay away from wheat though- my body does not like wheat!

I didn't run today, but I did walk nonstop from 1 PM til 6 PM at work. I was basically letting dogs in/out, cleaning a bit, and feeding dogs & cats all afternoon. So since I'm feeling hungry/weak today I decided running would be pushing it.

Today was pretty good:

-Green smoothie (2.5 bananas, strawberries, lots of kale, maybe 1/4 c. unsweetened vanilla hemp milk and 1/2 c. water); other half banana w/ raw cacao powder; lara bar
-one raw energy bite...was starving by 10:45 AM despite eating a larger breakfast
-salad w/ mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, carrots, red onion & just a litle balsamic dressing; half a large sweet potato w/ a tablespoon of amy's organic ketchup; dark chocolate square
-banana, another raw energy bite
*ran 2.5 miles w/ intervals. Felt really dizzy/nauseous- my body is still adjusting to eating this way I guess.
-had another banana w/ raw cacao powder before I fed the cats b/c I felt faint354
-other half of sweet potato; half a head of cauliflower w/ hummus; apple & pear

It's crazy how that looks like SO MUCH FOOD but it doesn't add up to much. I'm also still getting used to not feeling full often, and instead remembering that it's better just to feel "not hungry" and that feeling full means you've eaten too much.

From what I remember, it takes about a month of eating very high raw before my body starts to want to exercise, and then my runs feel awesome. Just gotta stick it out for a little while! Eating lower fat also makes me feel amazing but it's hard when I have a physical job and need food with a lot of staying power.

Well one of my cats wants to sleep on the keyboad now so that's my cue to go ;-)

Ah, finally the end of my work week! It was a busy one! I've still kept to high raw, yesterday I had a bit of a cooked splurge when I ate the mini round tortilla that came with my salad at lunch...but it's all good. Today was really good, the only non-raw food was a little hummus-

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen strawberries & mango, kale, water. 2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder. Half a lara bar.
-2 bananas, apple, lara bar
-about 10 baby carrots w/ hummus and another banana
*walked on the treadmill on an incline for 45 mins...don't feel like running b/c work has been enough of a workout this week!*
-really good salad w/ baby romaine, sprouts, a red pepper, 2/3 of an avo and apple cider vinegar. Yummmm.
-a piece of fruit- not sure what yet

I ate a lot of fat today, more so than I like to eat, but I needed staying power to get me through til lunch, and then til the end of the day. I run into this problem all the time on work days! I have a physical job and get really dizzy and out of it if my blood sugar gets too low, and it's hard to find time to snack between meals (sometimes I'm not allowed to eat either). I hope that when I've been eating raw for a bit longer, my body will chill and I'll be able to get through the work day on mainly fruits/veggies, but for now the lara bars are getting me through.

tomorrow & monday should be a bit lighter and less fatty :-)

It's a lovely spring day here and it's perfect weather for running! I'm feeling a little dizzy/weak today so I'm going to keep it short- just an easy 4-5 miler- and then I'm going to go sunbathe for a little while. I went grocery shopping today an found CHERRIES!!! I think these are my second favorite fruit, right behind mangoes. They were ridiculously expensive as most fruit is here in VT, but I splurged and got a big bag. Sadly I bet it'll be gone by Tuesday...or earlier if I can't control myself! I have been craving fresh cherries for months!

So far today I've had:

-2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder
-an apple
-green smoothie w/ 3 bananas, frozen strawberries & mango, kale & water. I always feel so much more alert and awake after a green smoothie.
-2.5 raw energy bites, maybe 5 cherries, and a banana

After I run I'll munch on some carrots and a bowl of cherries throughout the afternoon, then have a salad w/ the rest of last night's avo for dinner and another piece of fruit (probably an apple) later.

Tomorrow I'm going to Lake Placid for the day to see the sights & do some window shopping. We forgot it's Memorial Day, I hope places are open there! I will be taking lots of fruit and a couple raw energy bites. My appetite is much lower on non-work days though so I find I have no problem if I'm stuck somewhere w/o much raw food...but I'll probably get a salad if we have lunch somewhere.

I have decided to eat 99% organic fruits & veggies from now on. I spent the last hour or so researching pesticides, herbicides, and the US company Monsanto that produces so many of them and even makes genetically altered seeds that sprout plants that are resistant to their herbicides so farmers can spray away without killing their crops. And there is a lot of concern, not just in the health food community but in the government, that these herbicides cause the first stages of cancer. HOW SICK IS THAT. I already knew most of this stuff but just reading some of the things the leaders of Monsanto have said makes me angry and terrified. For example, in defending his possibly carcinogenic herbicide "Roundup," Monsanto's director of corporate communications said, "Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is FDA's job." Well we all know what a damn good job the FDA does of protecting US citizens from chemicals and toxins and promoting awareness of health! *note the sarcasm*

I buy mainly organic already but sometimes will purchase conventional tomatoes or apples or something like that if they're local and/or I can't afford the organic ones. But just b/c it's local doesn't mean the farmers haven't sprayed the crops heavily or bought genetically-altered seeds. It's disgusting and I don't want to poison my body while trying to do something good. So I will be buying organic in every possible situation- or at the very least the pesticide/herbicide free fruits & veggies from farms that are working towards their organic certification but haven't yet done the full 3 years or whatever it takes to become certified.

I am really so angry that we live in a world where the people in power blatantly lie to us and watch us poison ourselves with the very foods that are supposed to be healing and nourishing. I hope to one day be able to grow much of my own food- but who knows when that will happen, since right now I'm in the freezing state of VT and soon I will be back in the middle of Los Angeles. Until then, organic will at least keep me somewhat safe and I won't be supporting "the system."

Anyway, the rest of my day was another banana, then I ran 5 miles, came home starving and had a bunch of baby carrots and a bowl of cherries, took a nice hour-long nap, and just had my big salad w/ veggies and 1/3 of an avo. Will have another piece of fruit later probably, yummm.

I feel really good today. This is becoming a habit once again, and I couldn't be happier! I was gone for most of the day today but here's the food:

-woke up @ 5 AM w/ tons of energy, had 2 bananas w/ raw cacao
-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango, strawberries & blueberries (yay blueberries were on sale this week!), kale
-apple & banana
-at a restaurant- they had a really decent, if small, spinach salad w/ button mushrooms, red pepper & red onions that I had w/ a little balsamic vinaigrette that was most likely not raw
-handful of dried cranberries/raisins out of a trail mix bag, they were gross though but I was super hungry. I tried a couple of the cashews/almonds but they were salted & roasted and tasted really gross to me.
-banana w/ raw cacao powder when I got home, then made another salad w/ baby romaine, yellow pepper, carrots, 1/3 an avo and vinegar, and another banana w/ raw cacao powder, and a raw energy bite. Wow, I am a horrible food combiner, but I never really paid attention to that...
-probably cherries in a bit

My plan for the week is to have green smoothies & fruit for breakfast, salad w/ 1/3-1/2 avo and fruit for lunch, banana for a snack, and whatever I feel like eating for dinner. Maybe another smoothie or a salad...or just something light if I'm not hungry.

I really like reading your diary, about your work and diet. I'm glad your having cherries; around this time I used to be harvesting fresh, free sweet cherries off the tree (see below) back in Oregon. I hope you can get some local organic produce as it gets warmer in Vermont - pesticides don't benefit anyone.

Hi wild-aloe! Wow, I would love to live in a place where cherry trees grew! Those look delicious. Here in VT the growing season is short and not much can grow anyway. At least in Cali I will once again have the year-round farmer's market, but that won't be for a couple of months.

I feel really, really good today. My attitude has really been more positive since I started eating very high raw, and I also enjoy being active all day and hope that I get assigned to the more strenuous cleaning jobs like cleaning the dogs' kennels. Luckily I had that 3 days last week, and this morning as well. It's such a great workout, much better than cleaning the cat cages!

Today was all raw until just a few minutes ago when my mom asked me to help her finish a container of hummus that was about to go bad. I said no initially, and tried to fill myself up with fruit, but man I really wanted that hummus, so I allowed a small amount after I waited to see if I was still hungry. I am getting closer to 100% raw but every day I eat something non-raw and I get a little discouraged. At least I'm not eating grains, but I do feel like I just need to suck it up and get a couple days of 100% raw under my belt to get back into the groove. Tomorrow is another day!

Anyway, today's food was:

-green smoothie w/ 2 banans, frozen strawberries, blueberries & mango, and kale. Sooooo good. Also another banana w/ raw cacao powder and 2-3 raw energy bites (don't remember, I think probably 3)
*cleaned dog kennels for 3 hours*
-big salad w/ baby romaine, half a red pepper, a tomato, 1/3 of an avo and vinegar; bowl of cherries; apple
-most of a banana
-3 bananas w/ raw cacao powder; a couple baby carrots & pieces of cauliflower w/ cooked hummus

I decided to try not to eat past 7:30 PM and have a good 11.5 hours for my body to digest/empty out before eating in the morning.

I think I'll get or make some guacamole, too, as a substitute for the hummus. I can't find raw tahini here, so I can't make my own. I tried using raw sesame seeds but my food processor doesn't grind them up!

I'm definitely losing some weight, which is great! I'm going to the beach in 2 months so I want to feel really comfortable in my body by then- probably 10 pounds or so, maybe 15. Usually when I eat 100% raw 90% of the time (haha) the weight flies off, so I should just buckle down and do it!

I can't believe today was only Wednesday! I feel like it should be Saturday already! Today was a very long day. I came home feeling as exhausted as I feel after running a marathon. I was also craving cooked food & cooked grains all day long, probably b/c my body just wanted fast energy and "comfort" food, but I was able to stay completely raw. My coworkers even got burritos for lunch, which I had been craving so badly, and I resisted! My raw lunch was much easier to digest- I would have been in serious pain if I ate a burrito and then ran around all afternoon with the animals! Eeek. Anyway I'm feeling good, a little exhausted but good..food today:

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, kale; 2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder
*cleaned dog kennels for 3 hours*
-lara bar, 2 bananas, apple
*ran around like a madwoman for 5 hours, lol*
-3 bananas throughout the afternoon/early evening
-big salad w/ romaine, half a yellow pepper, a tomato, 1/3 avo and vinegar; banana w/ raw cacao powder; another lara bar

No "real" workout today, I like the very active days at work b/c I don't have to work out afterwards!

That's where I'm at...calories are at about 1825 but I burned close to 3000 today so I may have some cherries or an apple in a minute. I would normally feel bad about having two lara bars in a day, but I think I needed the food and I just didn't want more fruit. I tried to satisfy my hunger w/ the banana & cacao but it didn't work. Oh well!

I am going to try to find some apricot kernels to supplement with and force my whole family to eat them as well. I've read lots of really cool and inspiring info about them.

Another raw day for me. I didn't eat much- I was up all night due to stomach pains, and they went away by around 3 AM but I had to get up at 6 AM for work so I didn't get more than 3 hours of sleep. I wasn't very hungry today and then found out that one of our dogs who has been at the shelter for a long time was being euthanized today due to mental deterioration. We were trying to get her into a breed rescue b/c she's a breed that typically kennels poorly and is hard to adopt out, plus she had some other behavioral concerns and we weren't able to find the right adopter for her. But all the breed rescues we contacted are full Then I took in a very sick kitten, maybe 4 weeks old, who also ended up being euthanized b/c of her medical condition It was a horrible day and that took my appetite away. I came home and slept for an hour. I just got up and was hungry and ate, and now my stomach is acting up again! Argh.

I am planning to water fast for 24 hours on Sunday (a day off from work) so whatever is going on w/ my stomach will hopefully sort itself out then.

Today:
-green smoothie, 2 bananas w/ cacao powder
*cleaning dog kennels for a couple hours*
-lara bar, banana
-banana on way home from work
-handful of baby carrots
-2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder, apple, cherries, half lara bar...way too much food and bad food combining. Ouch. That's what I get for barely eating all day.

I am going back to bed! Tomorrow is a new, hopefully happier, day.

Today was eh...I allowed myself to eat some peanut butter on bananas, just b/c I was feeling down and felt like I "deserved" to eat what I was craving. I was completely aware of what I was doing and I did it anyway...I guess I don't really care, live and learn. I am planning to challenge myself to stick to 100% raw for 30 days starting June 1st...well, I'm starting right now but it officially begins on Raw Food Talk on June 1st. Anyway, I am not sure if I'm going to fast tomorrow but I'm definitely going to do all green smoothies for the next couple of days. I think it'd be so easy to whip up a smoothie for breakfast & lunch and then come home and have another for dinner. The biggest challenge will be snacking, b/c I do usually get hungry for a snack around 5 PM and another later at night after dinner. I guess if I'm at work and feel faint or something I'll have an apple or banana, but I'll try not to snack at other times during the day. Of course if I'm super hungry I'll just have another green smoothie if I'm home! Not sure how long I'll go for. I LOVE green smoothies though and feel so great after I drink them! Hopefully it'll also help me cut down on food costs b/c I am pretty broke at the moment...

So if I feel like water fasting tomorrow, I will. If not, I'll start my green smoothie fast/feast tomorrow.

One good thing about today is that I worked out after work- a 3 mile run at about 8:30 mins/mile and then upper body weights for about 20 mins. I haven't run since last Sunday! Eeek! But my legs were super fresh today which was awesome! I'm hoping the green smoothies will give me even more energy to work out, although typically when I'm eating raw I don't feel the need to push myself with running and am fine with getting my exercise at work most days.

Woohoo, today starts my 31-day 100% raw food diet challenge! I hope to gain mental clarity, more energy for work & running, a more positive mood, weight loss, perfect skin and requiring less food/calories to feel satisfied. I definitely achieved all of this when I was eating raw, I can't believe I gave it up! But it is all a learning process and I know that many people take years to transition to raw and stay there. I hope this is the first of many completely raw months!

Today I bought lots of good raw foods to start off on the right foot. Here's the menu:

-2 bananas w/ cacao powder
-handful of raw trail mix (had goji berries, mulberries, sunberries I think they're called?, raw cashews and raw cacao nibs. I had maybe 100 cals worth)
-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen strawberries/mangoes/blueberries, tons of kale. 2 bananas w/ 2 Tbs. raw almond butter & raw cacao powder.
*ran miles, and I'm about to go for an hour+ hike w/ the dogs!*
-planning on kale wraps for dinner w/ guacamole, sprouts, spring mix salad, red pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms & carrots, YUM
-apple or 2 with the seeds- I want to get some apricot kernels for myself & my family for their cancer-fighting properties but until I can afford them I'm going to just eat the seeds of all the apples I eat

I have to go for that walk, it's gorgeous out! I can't help but notice how great my mood is today- I feel amazing and very certain that this is the right decision for me

Yay day 2 of 100% raw!

-3 bananas w/ raw cacao powder & 2 T raw almond butter; apple
-banana
*4 mile run in mountains*
-green smoothie w/ the usual fruits & kale; banana w/ cacao/almond butter again
-handful of baby carrots; salad w/ mixed greens, red pepper, tomato, carrots, mushrooms & vinegar

I'm SO full now! I feel nauseous. Need to take a shower & lie down! I may have some cherries later if I get hungry, but I can't imagine being hungry right now lol.

Obviously I decided against doing a green smoothie fast/feast. I don't want to be limiting myself this early on- I need this to be as easy as possible right now so I just stick to all raw, and eating only one thing probably isn't the best idea.

I'm not feeling so great today. The past week or so at work have been heart-wrenching and today was even worse I think it really takes a toll on your body when you're surrounded by so much negativity and hopelessness. I love my job, but when it rains, it pours.

My food reflects how crappy I felt today. It was a total junk food day, albeit 100% raw.

-5 bananas- some plain, some with raw cacao powder and a total of 2 T raw almond butter
-salad w/ spring mix & baby romaine, a red pepper, 3 T guac and some vinegar; apple; banana; lara bar (WOW that's a lot of food!)
-3 more bananas w/ raw cacao and 1 T raw almond butter
*lifted upper body weights*
-wanted more greens but left them all at work- had a handful of baby carrots and a tomato followed by a pear. May have another banana...I should really stop eating though!

I'm watching NBC's special on the Obama White House- very interesting! Talk about a high-stress life!