Hi Everyone -
It's awesome that there is a raw diary section on here.
I'm in a wellness seminar right now and I declared my objective to become someone who is fearlessly loving - the measure of that is being 80% RAW. So I appreciate all the love and support that is present on this online community.
Here's a little about me --
I live in Upstate New York with my loving partner, a cat and two roommates. I've been vegetarian for over 3 years and vegan for one... I did a stint on raw/frutarian about 15 months ago to cure myself of ulcerative colitis. At the time I didn't have much support around me and was having a major healing crisis (cleansing) and not realizing it -- I ended up in the hospital and then vegan. Since then I have wavered, sometimes high percentage raw, usually not. I have not gotten back into shape as I would like to but the good news is that I am off all medications and my colitis seems to have subsided!
So now I think I am strong enough to try going raw again.

I orginally went veg to reduce violent energies in my body and noticed a big difference - no more mood swings, more peaceful. Since I've been vegan and making use of homeopathy I have never gotten sick for more than two days. So I know there is a lot of healing power and love in being vegan and raw...

The main challenge right now - My fiance is a vegetarian chef (not quite vegan - loves the bleu cheese) and he is warming to the idea of raw food, and excited about learning about preparing it, but I think it will be hard for him to give up cooking so much. He tends to make everything complicated! and since I brought him to Pure Food and Wine a few weeks ago there's some kind of expectation - {I think I'll need to clean that up} .. I think simpler is better!

So here is what I have been doing (going on day three)
I eat only fruit before noon. Usually a smoothie with some supplements, some melon or fruit for snack.
Then for lunch I eat a salad, with nuts or avacado. I'm also hooked on Real Pickles kimchee, so I eat some of that and am craving salty things.
So I am good until 5pm (end of work) and then I go home and am surrounded by lots of tempting foods ... that I don't want to waste!
So that's where I'm at right now.

As for fitness - I walk a short distance to work everyday, and try to walk or bike when I can (the whether is often cold/crappy here) but I'd like to start doing yoga again too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2007 05:18PM by oneSource.

Also I should add that I am not great about posting regularly but am looking to transform that! So hopefully if you respond and we get conversation going it will keep me going on this thread.
I'm having a lot fun to just reading other people's threads right now too though..

Welcome Fearlessly Loving

Your fiancee is a vegetarian chef? Well thats got to be a whole lot better than an "I gotta have my meat and potatoes" partner. A new begginning for you both!

I love reading the posts here too, I never would have made it this far without them. Happy raw eating!

Dulset

Hi there and welcome to the forum.....you are doing really good.....congrats on going raw again...like Dulset said it is better to have a partner that is vegetarian then a meat and potatoe kinda guy when you are trying to go raw......
hmm as for all that tempting stuff that is still in the house...if it is just yours and he doen't eat it>....THROW IT OUT...i went through my whole kitchen and threw out everything that was cooked..... i know you don't want to waste it but do you want to put that waste into your body......so that is something you have to think about...but also if you are transitioning and going slowly from cooked to raw then keep it and slowly get rid of it...anyways good luck with everything and keep up the awesome work..keep us posted
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Dear oneSource...welcome.good job on doing raw. i know my guy is not meat but he is vegan(only cause i won't fix meat).i am sure he would love a roast.but some of the vegan stuff is pretty good.anyway-i fixed the hubby some raw cookies for his lunch and he came back home and said they had a funny taste(sigh).i went thru the ingreidents with him and it was pumpkin seeds and dates and apple(raw) and then a bit of flax seed.i think the flaxseed threw him off. he does not want any of the raw stuff.but he sure gobbled down the raw apple pie.so i get juice in him now and then and some raw stuffs. it is hard. i cook for my grandsons at there home and here and for hubby.it is not easy.but i have influenced alot of people.my heavy brother in-law has goen on a diet.he is 280 and is 5 foot 9.he has lost 7 pounds.my son is working out and taking vitamins.so stand tall with what you want. it may just help someone to eat better and then they will feel better.u do really good.hugs and again welcome!!! taylor

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Welcome welcome. I love you name by the way. COngrats for coming back on raw. This is aa great form of support and we are always here for you.

xoxo,
Starfruit

Thanks for the welcome.
Today I ate a raw dinner also ... the only cooked thing I ate was a piece of toast with peanut butter and didn't feel that I even wanted it.
I was feeling the buzz - tired yet awake and now I feel a bit too awake... so I did eat something else cooked almost to make myself tired... I think I should transition gradually because if I don't I might end up with the deprivation feeling which will lead to backsliding again.
So here's the recipe for one of my favorite dinner 'salads'- includes most of my favorite foods

avacado
kimchee (Real Pickles is good)
crushed nori, dulse flakes
nutritional yeast
raw apple cider vinegar (splash), splash of Braggs
sesame seeds
pinch of cayanne

mix it all up and enjoy! kind of a vitamin B rush here
it's great if you add mango or papaya also. yumm

good night!

hey there you are doing great...your salad sounds really yummy i would make it and add it ona big plate of kale...how yummy would that be??? anyways...hey is yeast raw??? i didn't think it was...but that is great to know if it is !! thanks
love sachelle
xoxoxoxox

Nutritinal yeast is definitley raw. In fact i htink it's alive.That salad sounds good!. Glad you've decided what right for you rbody.

xoxo,
Starfruit

your salad does sound so great. u are doing wonderful and please have a great day.it is almost spring.yay!! taylor

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awesome thanks girl....i wasn't sure so i don't want to get it and find out later haha...i am going to look for it at the store...do you use it for anything????
well thanks again hun....and let us know how you are doing with everythingfearlessly loving!!! keep up the awesome work
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Yeah I put nutitional yeast on anything I can gives a cheezy flavor
So I've noticed that my appetite it less and it's much easier this time around to avoid 'tempting' foods - Mostly I remember missing grains but I've eaten about 1 serving of grains each day (1 slice of whole grain bread) even if I didn't 'want' to.
Starting using psyillium husk again too in my smoothies (helps bulk stool by absorbing water in the colon)...
So I am already near 60-70% and notice that my head is clearer and more awake.
I have a couple questions for you guys feel free to answer -
What is a good green superfood product that you would reccomend?
Where do you get raw nut butters or do you make them?
How do you make sproutbread?
I'm big into sprouting but haven't ever made bread. If I made that it would help with the grain thing.
You can direct me to another discussion if these things have been answered, or another website.
Thanks!
Oh it was fun yesterday to look at all the pictures of people on this site. When I get a digital one I'll put it up. Everyone here is so inspiring and beautiful inside and out!

One more - are Kalamata olives raw? I love them.

So I've been reading people's posts (even though I'm at work - this is going to stop soon) and seeing how honest and confessional people are .. I haven't actually put down my food diary even though I keep one.
So last night my boyfriend wanted to get me Starbucks and I am not a coffee person but I tried a mocha latte w/soy milk - I realized this is in complete contradiction to my committment to my well being, so I decided to treat it more like an experiment:
Result: jittery sugared up, didn't sleep well and felt like I had a dull pressure in my head this morning. [other than that I feel great!]
Plus I am a big herbal tea drinker ..

Here's what I've had today --
Green Smoothie - frozen banana, 1/2 mango, apple/cherry juice (pastuerized!), with 1tsp maca, 1tsp psyllium, 2tsp flaxmeal, 3tsp green superfood
4 figs
1/4 canteloupe
rasberry leaf tea
a few almonds
4 oz kimchee, 6 olives and marinated mushroom

Wow that doesn't really look like much, but my appetite hasn't been much.
I'm not much of a calorie counter, but does anyone know of a good resource for raw food calories?
Thanks

Hi there...do you mean resource like food wise or place to count calories???? nuts and seeds are very high in kcals...they are your best best..most of the dehyrdated things and such are going to be higher in kcals as well....fitday.com is an awesoe nutriental site...you enter in your daily foods and it tells you the calories, protein,fats nutrients you name it it tells you what you took in for the day...and you can enter your weight and goal weight and all your activity and it gives you the activity calories burned even the daily kcals burned to supoort your lifestly and body per day t is is a mazing i reccomend you check it out!!
good luck...oh and btw the olives are raw if you buy the raw kind from health food stores or the container says raw...otherwise no they are cooked...sorry i know i love them too haha...
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sachelle thanks for the advice. I'm going to check out fit day.
So this weekend was kind of like a free for all getting rid of cooked food in the house - but getting rid of, I mean eating --. Then we went to the store and bought lots of fresh fruit and veggies - I ate a prickly pear for the first time!
OK so this week it is really time for me to buckle down. I am getting how maybe doing 80% doesn't really work- like it has to be 100% or near that. Because last night I ate some homemade rye bread (the bf made it) and home-made baba gannoush and I went a bit crazy with it - I mean I ate a lot.
It was like a rollar coaster - I think I needed to let myself experience the 'addiction' aspect of it and get present to the impact of it to be motivated to stop eating that way - I just mean in an addictive way. So now that I've got it 'out of the way' I feel like I can commit myself fully.
Good news is my partner [Nate] is reallllly supportive. He's making me some raw meals and it's almost too much for me [my appetite is small - unless I binge on bread!] and so then he ends up eating it. Which is good. We had a conversation today about raw food and satyaic diets - that advanced yogis eventually go to a raw food kind of diet. He is very spiritual and I think it hit a chord with him in terms of realization.
Also we are planning our wedding for September and looking at a raw/vegan menu! that is exciting.

Hi there...wow such good things happening in your life right now...congrats....that is good you got rid of all the cooked...i did that tooo well i threw it away haha.....but good you experience the addiction aspect and now are ready to fully commit...wonderful nate is eating some rw too...and maybe your wedding will be raw that is terrific.....good luck on your new journey and good luck with the bf eating raw too
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

yeah he just told me he thinks he is moving towards that though not as quickly as I am. He also asked me to record my bodily sensations - like detox symptoms - as I go.
Today was really good. I don't have the salty cravings anymore. I'm feeling simpler with my food. For dinner I had two bananas with some raw almond butter and half an avacado, and half a tomato. I also had a slice of starfruit for the first time [of course I thought of starfruit* here and her crazy fruit salad] - from my room mate. It's good for me to read other people's diaries and diets for ideas, even if its ideas on how to make things simpler! and I think my eating habits are rubbing off of the other people in my house too. I was explaining to my room mate - who is 18 and rather sheltered - about eating raw. She didn't even know what vegan was until she moved in with me! Luckily they are respectful and eat vegetarian in the house yeah I lay down the law in my kingdom .. heheh
Also went to the gym today for a light cardio workout which I haven't done in a few weeks. I need to get into a routine with that and yoga also.
So overall a good day. thanks for listening to my stuff!! I'm on here reading and supporting you all too!

Haha I know I'm pretty silly. Thanks for thinking of me. Sounds like you are doing so well. Hooray.

xoxo,
Starfruit

You are donig amazing congrats on having a good influence on the people in your home that is great....take care
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

My Food I just went grocery shopping and here's some of my stuff [on the stove hehe].

close up of the starfruit and grapes:

the colors are not great, but I just got this [really cheep] camera and I like to document things visually.
can't wait to make some orange juice with those oranges!!
and here I am about to eat it all!!

I was excited about green smoothies and sachelle's kale love so I got some kale ... Nate made me this delicious raw pad thai -- he makes it really easy for me. and I got to the gym again today and then we went out to a club to listen to some friends play live. Didn't drink though [almost never do]
good and sleepy. good night!

hey there girl...you did awesome again today...you are amazing!!!! hmm i had a pretty good day too...i got some bad news though...nutrional yeast isn't raw....i called the company it is pasteurizeed.....you couldn't possibly have a raw type she said it would be soupy and runny...beccause it would be a mess haha.....but she said a lot of people will still eat it even though they eat raw because it is vegan and a source of B-12 ....so that is what i found out about that...i had to talk to the lady forever and asked trillion questions...i was going to buy their product haha...but i didn't cuz it isn't raw
well girl keep it up
take care
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

So much starfruit yummmm

xoxo,
Starfruit

wow thanks for the info sachelle. I will probably continue to use it for the b-12. Probably my favorite "vegan but not raw treat" is popcorn with oil, n. yeast, dried seaweed and cayanne on it. I feel like that isn't a terrible thing to eat as long as its not everyday.
Today I've just been eating lots of fruit.
Yummmm

Hey there hun...no problem for the info.....you are doing amazing your fruit looked so yummy wish i could find starfruit around here...never had it..but looks yummy.....yeah i am up in the air right now...since i havne't tried it haha i guess i should stay away if it's not raw cuz i am not missing it lol...but you make it seem so good haha.....but yeah she said a lot of raw foodies will eat it to get their b-12 so keep it up...hmm that sounds yummy your little snack hey and if it helps to have that once i a while oh well you know that is still better then what you could be doing you knw?
keep up the good work
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sushi nite!!
no fish no rice. My hunny made rice from cauliflower - really yummy combo of flavors the only thing was that it was a bit wet but overall just like veggie sushi.



here's a rough recipe for the 'rice'
1 cup of cauliflower, lightly steamed and processed
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp honey
1 tsp rice vinegar

He adapted it from the Raw Food Real world (Pure F&W) book, which uses jicama and agave nectar. This worked too with more availabel ingredients.

I finally checked out the fitday site, since our seminar homework is to keep a food journal. I'm not sure how accurate the calorie counter is. It says i've eaten 1400 calories today and burned a lot more than that {went for a run today} .. of course I have no idea how much I was eating when I was 'cooked' but I've definitely become more conscious of how much I'm eating and not overeating or eating just because I am bored.
oh yeah. they had popcorn at work today (microwave kind) and the smell was intense - kind of brought back the craving today. ...

Hey there you are doing good...haha i made up a receipe for cauliflower rice but i don't steam mine or put sweeteners in it...it is good though i have got like 4 others turned on it haha...anyways hun your nori rolls looked good...keep up the good work!
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxox

you probably don't even need to steam it. I think cruciferous and starchy veggies are better digested if you steam them lightly - I don't even know if that's 'true' but they taste better to me.
Right now I'm drinking a smoothie of pineapple juice with banana, goji berries, raw maca and flax meal before I get down to doing some work - housekeeping kind of stuff.
little sad today, craving sweets and cooked things. I ate some dark chocolate. I don't feel too bad about it though since it only has like three ingredients and its vegan organic.
weirdness - I have two sore bumps on my lips like cankersores and it feels like one starting inside my nose too. I don't know if that's a 'detox' thing or from the chocolate. ooowwie!

In other exciting news - I have the opportunity to start working at a yoga spa managing their herbal tea bar and developing it into a cafe, including juice, smoothies and some food. it's a really beautiful place with calming energy. right now I feel like my work is too hectic and unbalanced (I work at a non-profit in an open office -- doing layout for a free paper) and I've said I want to switch to something I feel more passionate about - like food etc.
on the other hand my friends are starting a cafe downtown (Utica) with a pretty flexible agreement that def includes a JUICE BAR. My friend just called and told me that they are going ahead with buying a really nice commercial juicer and want me to come 'school' them on making fresh juice. There is actually no place in our area where you can get a really real raw fresh juice so that would be exciting. I'm feeling pulled in two different directions and the main concerns for me are 1) money and 2)atmosphere.
To take on the yoga spa, also, I'd have to transition out of my current job (which I want to do) even though it pays a decent steady wage ...
keep you posted as the situation develops.

Hi there...wow you have amazing oppurtunities coming your way that is soooo great...you are doing fabulous...keep it up...yeah i love my job right now but the wage isn't that great because it is not enough hours really...so i am looking to transfer over jobs as welll...you sound like you have great oppurtunites though...keep us posted for sure on what you decide!!!!
take care hun
love sachelle
xoxoxoxoxox

oh onesource-i love pop corn too. i have an air popper and make it. i love it so. i put yeast on it and some garlic powder. it is so good.i feel it is probably not as bad in cals and fat as some stuff when a person is on a weight loss diet.sometimes i eat carrots instead.your food looks so good.thanks for sharing the pictures. hugs taylor

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I haven't posted for a few days.
Today was good but the past few days were hard as I felt I was going thru every craving for cooked food that I could. One night I ate some popcorn ... my stomach was hurting and I have this fear from the past [when I was sick] of having an empty stomach - or equating empty stomach with pain - so then I want to eat something even though I know it would be better to not eat anything and let my stomach rest.
I've been reading Paul Nisson's "the Raw Life" to keep me on track and that seems supportive.