I have been some version of vegan or vegetarian since 1989. I got an early start. My first experience with vegetarianism came through my Mom. My first experience with actually trying raw food & fasting came when I went to a retreat in Thailand. I felt amazing! It was a 7 day fast. Now I am thin by most people's standards- about 117-120 lbs and very healthy. I practice Bikram yoga between 5-7 x a week.

The problem is that I am a singer & I tend to get a good amount of congestion & sinus problems. I've also had bloating & fatigue during my monthly cycle. I am also heavier than I feel comfortable being. I LIKE being lean & right now I don't feel comfortable with my body 100%. I see changes in my body that I'm not willing to live with- in health & appearance.My digestion has also been a bit problematic and has led top bloating & discomfort. This never happened while I was eating raw. After Thailand, I've gone all different degrees of raw at different times but I haven't made a commitment & I haven't been consistent.

I've been listening to the Raw Vegan Radio podcast. Yesterday, th episode I listened to featured a very successful musician, Cory Churko, who is about 80% raw. It inspired me to give it a real go and make the transition to making raw my lifestyle. My goal is to be about 80% raw.

I would love to see what this does for my health & body, my sinuses, my singing & my life.

So I started my day w/ 1 banana. Here we go...

welcome Inaia! we are happy u joined us.you seem to have a pretty good background on knowledge and what to do.good for you.good luck.what kind of music do u sing?lucky u!! i sound like a nasaled frog when i sing.hugs and again welcome.taylor

[img10.mytextgraphics.com]

Welcome to the forum Inaia!
When I started raw, i went BANG all in the 100%, no exceptions... Until I lost way too much weight and became over-fatigued. (I didn't eat many nuts, no seeds... just low cal fruits and veg). Needless to say, I returned to cooked for a while, but I soon returned to raw again.

Now, I eat 95% raw. I have a cup of tea every day, and maybe a cooked meal at a family event or restaurant once a month or so. I am sort of shy with my raw eating and I don't want to impose on my husbands family when we eat with them, so I sort of keep it to myself.

This works great for me, because the only cooked thing I have trouble letting go is my tea. Otherwise, any other craving I have, I allow myself to experience that one time a month. But I have gotta say, the longer I am raw, the less I crave the foods from my past.

Just take it at your own pace, and 80% is an excellent start!!

Much love from Sweden,
xxpeisi

Welcome! I love raw vegan radio! Well congrats on starting again.

xoxo,
Starfruit

Hello there...welcome to the site......isn't the raw food journey amazing/?? i am so happy for you that you have decided to make these changes again and go raw once more...you have wonderful goals and you will feel amazing again....Congrats and welcome again....keep us posted....cant wait to see how it goes with your singing.....
take care
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

So great to have such a warm welcome. Well, I did the raw thing all day and had some cooked food for dinner. I had taken this approach before as suggested in 'The Raw Food Detox Diet'. The truth is I didn't really even want it so bad. I just sort of ate it b/c I had decided I would allow myself to. I'm looking fwd to tomorrow. I'll see how it goes but I may do the entire day raw tomorrow. I think it'll feel really good.

Fir those who are asking, I sing jazz in several languages. I don't think I'm allowed to put my website address here but if you want you can Google me or look me up MySpace.

I like that this blog keeps me accountable and I feel your support.

Hello there...well congrats on being mostly raw today...that is awesome......you will feel great if you do all raw too.....hmm i know the feeling yesterday i was eating cooked BIG mistake....and even though i didn't really want it or it didn't taste so wonderful to me i ate it....so i know what you mean....yeah you can put your website on here...most people do....you just ad the link on the bottom but i am not sure how so you have to ask some computer savvy person if you don't know haha...but i am sure you probably do....
take care and keep up the good work
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

So it's a new day. I feel good & motivated. I'm checking e-mails & my mail that I just had forwarded from Miami to Paris. I am listening to a raw vegan radio podcast and to a Law of Attraction audiobook. I cut up 1 1/2 bananas & 1 mandarin orange & I'm munching while I write. I can feel it's going to be a wonderful day.

awesome inaia way to think happy thoughts...congrats on a great little snack...keep it up...
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Inaia, do you eat any grains or dairy? You will find a tremendous difference in your congestion if you give these up completely. The voice takes on a new clarity and penetration and breath control is a whole lot better as well!

xo Megan

Megan, Thx a lot for that. I haven't eaten dairy in many years but I was previously eating lots of grains. I will keep very aware of this from now on. I've been sticking to my plan for the moment of one small cooked meal per day & raw the whoke rest of the time. I've kept a good variety. I went to a Tibetan restaurant last night & had a couple small salads one made of radishes and the other was bean sprouts, carrots & mushrooms. In just these few days my stomach has gotten flatter & the congestion has diminished significantly.

Does anyone know how I can post a pic & a link?

Hi there well if you go to the main forum boad right at the top is formatting your posts...and in there it tells you how to posta pic and a link...good luck and keep up the good work congrats on the flatter tummy!
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Hi Sachelle. Thx for the tip, I'm going to follow your advice.

As for everything else... I've been doing very well on following my goal of one cooked meal per day. Today I began focusing on making that one meal smaller. So far so good with that too.

I travel always and don't spend time in the US anymore therefore I don't always keep up w/ all the news & pop culture etc. When I feel like watching an American TV show, I just download it from iTunes. Today I downloaded TV show from Bravo called 'Workout'. I had seen the first season. It's a reality show about a gym and it's owner and personal trainers etc. Anyway, one of the trainers from the gym in Beverly Hills that the show is filmed about died. I was so shocked. He was by his standards so healthy. he would wake up @ 4 am daily to work out etc and eat a bodybuilder type of diet... and suddenly-he dies mysteriously @44. I don't have very much info about it @ all but it did immediately get me wondering about those bodybuilder's diets. In the first episode of the show one guy is lifting heavy & trying to put on weight. He tells his trainer that he eats all this chicken & eggs (about 4000 calories per day of it) and that when he goes to bed @ night he feels like vomiting. His trainer says that that's exactly right. There's something not right to me about this logic.

I am so happy to be getting into this raw food lifestyle. I really feel that it's going to be amazing for me. I really believe that 'you are what you eat' and I'm hoping this new way of eating is going to in fact transform the person that I am and take me to a whole new level.

This and other raw food online communities really give me the support and information to pursue this and stay on track. I am grateful for all your support and for all of who who know way more about this than I do.

Glad you are doing so well .crazy that guy died. But eating that much! That's insane. Anyways i agree you are what you eat. Take care

xoxo,
Starfruit

hey sounds like youa re doing amazing right now keep it up....yeah a lot of bodybuilders eat that much...most eat around 6-7 thousand such as the people training for the olympics....so it is crazy i think too...but some people on raw eat 3000 a day that is a lot a lot a lot to me.....
anyways crazy i saw an ad for the show at the gym the other day...hmm how is it??? maybe i will try to catch an episode in my busy life...
well take care and keep up the awesome work
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sachelle, I like the show. It gives a lot of attention to gay issues as well. It's always inspiring for me to see women who are in-charge and empowered and also seeing beautiful bodies.

Today I'm finishing my packing and taking care of last details before I move to Tokyo tomorrow for 3-4 months. I think I may go 100% raw for this day. I had some sprouted grain "bread" & I think that will replace the cooked meal for today.

BTW, while I wait to figure out how to post links & pics, here is my website address. I'd love for you guys to be able to check out what I do.

www.inaia.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2007 02:32PM by Inaia.

Ah! Didn't happen. Was running around and when it was time to eat, there were NO raw options. The place that was open refused to make any salad w/o the cheese all over it ( that's France for ya!) so I ended up having a fresh raw juice but also had some vegetable curry w/ basmati rice. I am all stocked up for the trip tomorrow though. i have fresh & dried fruits for the trip and some sprouted grain stuff. I'm ok with it. I am not backing down and will contiue to move fwd & make progress.

hey there..thanks for th info on the show i might check it out..hmm sound interesting....well lets see......you are doing good..you are trying and that is very important...keep up the awesome work and good luck on your day of traveling hun...what arey ou going to tokyo for?? business or pleasure...well anyways have a wonderful day and keep up the good work
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sachelle, I am going to Tokyo to sing @ the Conrad Hotel. It's really beautiful and I'm excited. In the past I always sang @ the Grand Hyatt and this will be a totally new experience for me. I'm also going to be singing @ this event called 'Trash'. It is gearing up to be too fabulous for words with TV and media coverage and all the 'it' people from Tokyo. I think it's going to be a blast. You can see links to the party & to the hotel on the news page of my website that I posted above if you are interested to see.

Thanks for your support. Talk soon...Inaia

That's so cool. Ugh it'shard when you are out and about esp. in france been thre done that. Anyways your doing great. Keep it up.

xoxo,
Starfruit

hi there...well awesome you sound like you are doing great...and that will be an amazing experience for you......you were prepared though for the day that is really good!! well good luck with everything and keep us posted while you are there....take care
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

So My first couple days in Tokyo, I was really good! Yesterday, however, I had one large meal and it was more cooked stuff than raw- plus I drank a Bloody Mary. Back on today. In a while I'm going to this restaurant I love in Roppongi Hills that makes a great Spinach Garlic salad. I may also try to find a Buddhist restaurant I saw listed that is walking distance from my new apartment.

The party I sang @ was a total blast, BTW. I'm feeling totally great & totally @ home here in Tokyo. I am certain this is exactly where I'm want to be right now. that's a good feeling.

Hey girl...well congrats you are back at it today...yay you......and that is an amazing feeling knowing that you are right where you are supposed to be...congrats on that too!!! glad you are doing so well in tokyo!! have fun and take care
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxox

I'm not in my apartment yet but I am getting comfortable as I slip into a routine. I've discovered a vegan organic cafe in my area that has great juices & salads. I had some cooked cabbage soup today, an amazing raw avocado & tomato salad and some bananas & tomato juice & some falafel. I'll be able to get back to a minimum of 80% soon. I think I was pretty close today though as Japanese portions are teeny tiny. Tomorrow-for sure as I won't have rehearsal & will not need to run around on a tight schedule.

I has my first rehearsal today. That was great! I love my new musicians.

Hi ther.e..wow you are doing great...keep up the good work and congrats on finding a vegan place....and glad you love your new musicians...that is always a plus
well keep it up and take care
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxox

I've been mostly doing between 50% -70% raw since I got here, due to the changes & demands of the move & schedule. I had some champagne yesterday too & today I caught a frigging cold!!! I NEVER get sick and this sucks! Especially b/c I start my new gig on Friday & I MUST be in amazing health in order to even be able to do my job. Of COURSE, this morning I woke up, drank 2 liters of water ate 5 little mandarin oranges and now plan to go get a spinach & garlic salad for lunch.

Can someone please help me & suggest a way to get rid of this cold ASAP and completely? Thx.

Hi there....that maybe some symptoms from eating cooked....you were eating a lot more % of raw before you got there...and alcohol can cause some cold symptoms cuz it is toxic and so is the cooked so that is probably the problem....so eat as much raw as you can to beat it....and take lots of vit c it will help rid your body of it...also if you are really in a jam you can buy the product airbourne...they are tablets you take every like hour...and it helps so much get rid of the symptoms fast!!!! you can find it in any drug store there probably!! good luck and remember raw, airbourne and vit c!!!
take care let us know how it goes
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Thx for that! I actually went to the hospital today b/c my throat hurt so much. Turns out I DON'T have a cold. It is just SOOOOOO dry here that it clobbered my sinuses & pharynx. Either way, I was about 95% raw yesterday, and so far today 100%. They gave me some stuff to gargle with and some pills for the inflammation. I ususally don't take any pills but I have to sing in a few days & it will m=be my debut @ this new gig so it is SUPER important. I am keeping the very high raw percentage and humidifying & all that good stuff.

Ugh! They stuck a camera up my nose & down my throat. Ouch! @ least now I know I don't have any polyps or trouble w/ my chords or larynx- or a cold.

Thanks again, Sachelle.

Oh! and, BTW, if you want to see pics & video from my gig here in Tokyo, there are some really cool ones on the news page of my website, but you can access it directly @ [inaiablog.blogspot.com]. I had them make an afro out of my own hair! I had such a blast!

Hey girl glad you went to the dr and got some results....i hope you feel better very soon so you are well on friday!!! good luck with that...i ams ure you will be amazing and be recovere....the humidifier is a great thing too especially if the problem is it is really dry over there....
i wish you all the best and sending good vibes for health and recovery...continue laughing and having fun for health as well
take care
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Thanks a lot. I'm feeling better & better. After the previous post I ate some Japanese rice crackers w/ sesame seeds. That is the only cooked thing I ate or will eat today so that puts me @ about 85%-90% raw for today.

I didn't even want them. I read an e-mail that made me very slightly stressed/upset- but SUPER mild- and I went straight for the crackers. It's hard to eat raw food out of stress or boredom or pretty much anything that is not hunger. This forces me to be very aware & responsible for my choices and particularly for what & why I choose to eat. That's hard for me b/c I OFTEN reach for food when I am stressed or bored. It's a very enlightening realization.

HOW will I fill up my time and handle my stress if I don't do it by eating? What have I been avoiding by using food? Success? Effectiveness of the use of my time? Responsibility? Time to be creative? Yes to all 3! Why? B/c I've been afraid to fail & of getting tired so instead of using my time & my mind to do something in the moment that will actually make a difference in my life & create my life consciously, I eat. Or rather I should say ate.