Hi Meow, I'm alone today (roomie went to Las Vegas) and so I am spending a lot of time on the computer, on these forums, and looking into other websites. I am feeling well. Glad you are doing well, too. You were so cute the other eve on the 7-wk

I am also getting into the 8-1-1 way of raw eating...I'm really excited about it. I do firmly believe Graham is right on about all this. It makes so much sense. Can't wait to really chalk up the time on this and see what happens. I think that so much will be resolved and revealed! His discussion of fat and sugar is super, how undesirable it is to have so much fat (even from raw sources) and sugar in the bloodstream, how we need so much carbohydrate (from fruit, our most natural food), etc and so on and everything! I think eating so many carbohydrates all from fruit is going to cut down the cravings. After all, we as humans seem to have almost a universal 'problem' with carbos and sweets...and if we get them from the real food of fruit, well, voila! Taken care of. Of course, I am also to some extent going to go through some detoxification of my former pizzas and sandwiches and such, but I really believe it will be lessened if I do "Raw Right". I just fasted for 3 days and was having the pizza and bread hauntings again...today I am eating...so far, all fruit...no visions of bread, cheese, etc. I feel full of fruit and have no desire for unhealthy carbs. I will have a simple salad later and no overt fats....or maybe a touch. I am so stoked about all this, I'm thinking I am going to drive everyone crazy.

I hope you got to spend some quality time with your cats. I feel the same as you do about feeding your cats as I do my little Masha. I tried several times to feed her raw chicken and vegetables that comes in a frozen roll that needs to be cut into individual slices. Bleeeech. I stick my hands in paper bags for gloves and can hardly stand it. But she IS a natural carnivore. I've been told about a store closeby that has a more "handeable" raw food that already comes in individual servings. She responded well to the raw meat. That is HER biologically natural diet. Usually I feed her Gerber's toddler meat sticks but I am certain it is too limited nutrition for her. But, I've been a vegetarian since 16 and I am 57 now and carnivores are gross eaters! Sigh.

Sorry to babble on so. Am glad to have so much time to spend on computer and I am LOQUACIOUS!

Take care, keep eating well. Good fruit intake!

Have fun. Elakti

Elakti

hey hun...just stopping in to say hello...hope all is well in your area of cali ....take care...
love sach
xoxoxoxox

Much peace and love!!!
EarthAngel
Xoxo

hey everyone, i am back! i took a couple month hiatus from 100% raw. i'm not really sure why. i think it scared me, feeling that good and being so in tune with things most people don't ever think about. it was kind of strange to just give up for no reason. i've been eating a lot of raw food in the past few months, but it's not the same as 80% + raw as far as health benefits and energy levels. i had the nagging feeling that raw was the right path for me, and it was confirmed when i walked into Barnes & Noble looking for a book on nutrition for runners and Natalia Rose's "The Raw Detox Diet" literally jumped off the shelf and fell at my feet. that happened last weekend and i spent the week getting into raw foods again. today was my first day all raw and it feels really natural. my body has adapted to it very easily and i haven't had any cravings or anything. i did go through some detox on friday and a LOT of detox yesterday, but today i'm feeling great! i am hoping to stay 98% raw all week (i say 98% b/c things like salad dressings, which i use very sparingly and mix with apple cider vinegar, aren't raw, and that kind of thing). i want to start journaling again to just get everything out!

i'm also going home for thanksgiving on Nov. 20th and my entire family has converted to either vegetarian or quasi-vegetarians who have also drastically cut down on dairy products! this came as a shock to me b/c even though i lived w/ them while i was veggie/vegan, i never tried to make them eat my food or convert them. then one day my dad emailed me asking for suggestions for brands of soy milk, totally out of the blue! i am so happy that they are taking their health seriously and also realizing the environmental and political implications of their diets. i'm also happy b/c they will be more accepting of my raw foodism (i got a lot of flack from them over the summer). anyway, a long-term goal is to be more or less 100% raw for the 2ish weeks that i have before i go home. i think i'll have a better energy and that raw radiance and be able to deal with it a lot better. i know there are going to be a lot of hard questions from them and i'll have to explain a lot and put up with a lot (not anything that has to do w/ being raw, but other stuff), so i need to go into it as peaceful and centered as possible.

so here's my food for the day:

morning: 1 c. fresh-squeezed oj, and later, a smoothie made w/ 2 bananas, strawberries, frozen mango & blueberries, and a splash of fresh-squeezed oj
snack: grabbed a handful of raw almonds and a slice of dried mango
afternoon: lara bar, apple..then later a banana and a little raw almond butter
*went for a 3 mile run*
evening: some carrots & cauliflower w/ raw hummus, and some broccoli w/ salsa...dinner will be a big salad w/ arugula, chard, purple romaine, half an avocado, carrots, red peppers, cauliflower, cukes, tomatoes, and some apple cider vinegar with possibly a little balsamic dressing if needed

again i'm finding myself not very hungry at night. i could totally pass up the salad, but i want to get those veggies in.

tomorrow morning i am making my very first green smoothie w/ some of the aforementioned greens, 1.5 bananas, strawberries and mango. i've heard they really help control hunger and ease a person into raw foods, so i'm looking forward to that. it's good to be doing this again

well so much for trying the green smoothie this morning- my stomach does not want ANY food right now! i don't want to make it to bring to work either b/c i like smoothies fresh, not after they've been sitting for a while. it's ok though, i'm going to bring some fresh-squeezed OJ to work along with an apple and a banana for snacks if/when i get hungry, and i'll have the green smoothie for dinner. i have to try not to eat as much towards the late afternoon b/c it makes me not hungry for dinner. i'll try eating a little lighter today, or working out before dinner. we'll see...it's all a learning process.

gotta go start my day...i'll update later

today went really well! here's what i ate:

morning: wasn't hungry until i got to work. then i was really hungry. i had a banana and 1 c. of fresh squeezed oj
snacks: mug of green tea (i am going to continue drinking this b/c i feel that the health benefits outweigh the not-raw-ness of the tea...lol), half a lara bar, apple
lunch: salad w/ baby lettuce & romaine, loads of chopped veggies (squash, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, red pepper, corn, peas), raw citrus herb dressing, and about 2/3 of an avo
snack: didn't get hungry til around 5:30. had a banana, and i just had a spoonful of raw almond butter at home
*about to do 30 mins. pilates - mostly core - and arm strength exercises*
dinner: will be a GREEN SMOOTHIE w/ a handful of purple romaine/chard/arugula, 1.5 bananas, strawberries, frozen mango, and some water

that's all folks! it adds up to just under 1450 which is low for me, but then again i didn't work out today. and right now i am totally not hungry at all. this seems to happen when i eat raw- my hunger is non existent towards the end of the day.

i feel good but i think i may be low on iron b/c i'm not as energetic as usual and i feel a bit foggy. i think this is why, last time i was raw, my running was sucky and really tough. i looked for unhulled sesame seeds at whole foods today but couldn't find them i would rather eat a whole food than take a supplement, so i'll keep looking, and i think the green smoothies will also help.

editing the above food plan- wasn't hungry enough for a smoothie for dinner after pilates, so i just had some baby carrots dipped in fresh salsa (sooo good i could eat it w/ a spoon!) and later a junagold apple. pretty tasty...of course not as good as gala or pink lady oh and i had 3 raw almonds earlier..lol.

i SWEAR i'm having the green smoothie for bfast tomorrow. i hope i'm hungry- i didn't eat past 1300 calories today so i should be. but my body needs less calories on raw foods b/c it's getting higher nutrition. either way i am FORCING myself to have a green smoothie b/c i have a feeling that they are what's missing in my raw food diet.

Hi Meow !!!

You are doing great , I have enjoyed reading some of your journal ....I am new here and I homeschool my children ,so I dont have a lot of time to spend on computer . Have you lost any weight scince becoming raw ??

Hi Paulina! Thanks for stopping by. It sounds like you have your hands full homeschooling your kids! That’s great that you take an active interest in their educations though. It seems like schools are getting worse and less safe every day

I seem to lose weight really easily and effortlessly on a raw vegan diet. It’s only been a week and only 3 days 100% raw, and already my jeans were loose right out of the dryer today when they’re normally a bit snug. It just seems to get rid of all that starchy carb bloat as well as make fat disappear from places you’ve never been able to lose it from before, while keeping it in all the “right” places! When I was 100% raw for a month, and about 75-90% raw for a while beforehand, I lost about 10 pounds and was down to around 105 at 5’3. That’s getting kind of skinny, and I did get a lot of comments from coworkers, friends, etc. now I’m around 110 pounds and I know I’ll lose weight going 100% raw again, but I also know it’s from the toxins being released and my body being able to function properly, which is a good thing! And if people want to think there’s something wrong w/ me, fine, let them- they’re probably just jealous! But seriously, if you have weight to lose, raw will help you! I eat all the fat I want, too, and it doesn’t seem to matter. Just make sure to get those fruits & veggies in and base your diet around fresh produce, and you can’t go wrong! You’ll probably find that you’re not as hungry as you used to be and don’t need as many calories b/c you’re getting such good, whole, nutrient-dense food. Raw is a miracle for anyone who wants to lose weight! I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

Today has been great! I just feel so happy, like I am on the right path, like I can finally see where I want my life to go. I live in Los Angeles (West Hollywood to be exact) and work in Beverly Hills, so everything is very high-class and people are all about having the nicest car, biggest house, most expensive clothes, etc. I’ve been here for over 10 mos. now and I’m so happy that I’m not turning into “one of them”- one of the people who lives according to what others expect of them, and are motivated by what others think of them, rather than by what THEY themselves actually want out of life. To all of these people, I think they truly believe they want these material possessions. They barely have an original thought in their minds, they are so brainwashed by society and our consumeristic culture. But they go home in their Maseratis, pull up to their gated, perfectly landscaped and decorated mansions, turn on their giant plasma TVs and feel empty inside b/c they aren’t living their own life. They are totally controlled by what other people think and do. And to me, that is just the saddest thing ever. I’m really glad that I was able to stay on my own path and not get sucked into this LA thing.

That was long-winded…anyway food’s been good today too! I felt very balanced and had a good energy going all day, maybe thanks to my green smoothie? It tasted horrible though. I think chard is too earthy-tasting, I need to get some romaine for my next one!

Morning: Green Smoothie (2 bananas, splash of fresh squeezed oj, handful of chard, 1 c. strawberries, frozen mango & blueberries)…this really kept me full for a while. Banana at around 11.
Lunch: baby carrots w/ raw hummus; dried mango
*power walked for 45 mins. on lunch break*
Afternoon: lara bar, apple
Dinner: collard green wrap w/ avocado, sprouts, red pepper slices, cuke slices, tomato slices, shredded carrots (may have 2 if super hungry)
Night: maybe some raw almonds or almond butter, or another apple

Don’t you LOVE looking at your menus and thinking, everything I ate today is bursting with life, nutrition, color and energy? I love eating stuff that’s not brown. Reds, greens, purples, oranges…it’s just so good for you!

Oh I also think I’m going to supplement with iron until I can find raw unhulled sesame seeds. I took one this morning w/ the smoothie and feel a little better- not quite as tired. For me though, the raw energy is more mental energy (like I think of all sorts of really deep, cool things) than physical.

Ok…back to work I go.

green smoothie success! i made it w/ romaine (which is my favorite lettuce and has pretty much no taste) and it is so good! i can barely taste the romaine- the smoothie is still really sweet and fruity. yay! i'm going to have one every day.

i have those detox pimples that i always get, too. it's really weird to have pimples actually they're more like these red spots- no real pimple, the skin is smooth...it kinda looks like a little rash! there is one pimple though. i don't really mind though, b/c i know my body needs to get the toxins out. i think jumping back into raw foods so quickly made the detox process speed up, too. but at least i FEEL good, just a bit more tired than usual.

for today i am planning:

morning: green smoothie (romaine lettuce, 2 bananas, strawberries, fresh-squeezed oj, frozen mango, water); 3 raw almonds (was super hungry this AM!); banana for a snack at work & maybe an apple too
lunch: packed a salad w/ chard, arugula, purple romaine, red peppers, cauliflower, cukes, 1/2 an avocado, and some raw apple cider vinegar mixed with a tiiiny bit of ff balsamic - which is not raw - for dressing
snacks: lara bar, apple, dried mango slices
*going to run for about 4 miles and maybe do abs/arms exercises...or maybe not*
dinner: 16 oz. fresh-squeezed oj and some broccoli w/ fresh salsa
snack: maybe an apple if needed

today went more or less as planned, but i just felt really snacky all day. not even hungrier than usual- just felt like eating. i thought it was really weird til i realized i'm about 2 days away from my period...i always feel like this at this time of the month. yuck. but anyway i had an extra banana at work (didn't have 2 apples though- just one) and then had an apple w/ raw almond butter along w/ the broccoli and salsa for dinner. talk about bad food combining! it was good though, i think i had too much almond butter but whatever. i didn't have the OJ, it just didn't appeal to me. i have to finish it off soon though, so i'll drink some tomorrow.

i also only ran 3 miles! i was cold and i have a german film, "the lives of others," that i want to watch tonight

i also feel a little better- my run went really well tonight. i'm supplementing w/ iron and i think it's working. i still need to give it a few days to really see though, but i didn't get that dead legs feeling and i haven't had pins & needles in my arms/legs either. yay!

oh my gosh, i love what you said about the people in LA and their lives. the emptiness and shallowness...it's not just LA, i see this as the growing "american" lifestyle. i'm so happy to have escaped it too! congrats to you!!!

i also love looking at my daily menu...this is why i use fitday...so in the evening i can read down the list and see the amazing, beautiful variety of fruits and veggies i'm eating! it feels awesome!

hey michelle! how are you doing in your raw journey? i agree that materialism has a grip on the nation and is spreading to the rest of the world. it makes me really sad and even replused. we need to keep living our lives the way we want to, and try not to be influenced by everyone elses' desires and expectations.

another thing that's happened lately that makes me less hopeful about the state of our world is the school shooting in finland. america is a toxic nation, and now it seems we're poisoning the rest of the western world. can you believe we tolerate the fact that we live in a country where our CHILDREN are no longer safe in their places of learning b/c their lives are at risk of being taken from them by other CHILDREN? kids killing kids. that is one of the sickest things i've ever heard. i don't know what i would do if i ever wanted to raise a family. i would not feel safe sending my kids to public schools. at the same time i wouldn't want to shut them away from reality. i'm thankful that this is a choice i don't have to make any time soon, if at all.

anyway, enough depressing stuff. raw just brings all these emotions to the forefront of my mind where i'm forced to confront them, rather than ignore them like i seem to be able to do on a cooked diet. i think it's b/c of the life force of the foods and how they connect you with nature and the universe and heighten your senses.

today's going well. i woke up super full from my raw almond butter party last night...lol. it's 1:35 and i've only had 2 bananas and some cukes and baby carrots w/ raw hummus. i'm satisfied now but i'll probably have a lara bar, an apple, a salad w/ avo & other veggies, and some OJ later. fresh-squeezed, of course. other than that i may have some raw almonds...but i haven't had much of an appetite today.

that's all for now...back to work!

well said...america is a toxic nation....yup, in so many ways. i'm in a city in brazil that is supposedly in one of the poorer regions...yet when i look out my window i can see mcdonalds, pizza hut, burger king, wal-mart, and even a sam's club. literally, all down the street in front of my apartment. the people here had such a diverse and interesting diet, and now when i see them sitting in their cars at red lights, shoving big macs and fries down their throats....oh, it makes me sad. soon cancer will be a rapidly growing problem here and they'll wonder why.

the school shootings are awful. it's so strange...this is stuff that starts in the states, yet people overseas seem to think america is this haven safe place. when i tell people here about school shootings at public schools in the states, they are SHOCKED!!! no way, not in the us!!! everything is wonderful there! everyone has health care! everyone has job security! children get a great free education! the streets are paved with gold!

sorry....bit of a tangent. but i definitely understand what you're saying...makes me wonder about having kids too....do i really want to bring an innocent child into this world?

wow....subject change! i'm about to start day 5 of raw and i'm still loving it...how about you? sounds like you're doing great...mmm, i want to have a raw almond butter party! do you make your own?

hey michelle! congrats on day 5 of raw!!! doesn't it feel better every day? i am just brimming with energy and positivity. and to think that EVERYONE could feel like this if they just gave their bodies what they NEED instead of what everyone tells them to eat.

that's really interesting that brazilians have that view of america. have they not heard of the school shootings? we have an unusually high rate of violent crime for a first-world country. people are literally going crazy, and i really believe a lot of it is do to what most people put in their bodies. a healthy body, fueled with living nutrition and beautiful fruits and vegetables, does not go on a killing rampage in a school or a bank or a street corner. a happy body leads to a sound mind, and a sound mind does not decide to stalk and kill its neighbor or ex wife or girlfriend. i read the news and it makes me so scared- not for myself, but for the future. it's getting worse, not better. and it seems like not many people care.

sorry to go off on such a tangent! it's just interesting that everything we're brought up to think about america is a lie. healthcare for everyone? doors open to impoverished, needy immigrants of all kinds? children nurtured in safe places and raised by the entire community? happy people that are taken care of by their altruistic government? umm...not here! of course it could be worse. but the point is that it SHOULD be better.

today went well! i was craving chocolate and bread all day- oh yes, it is pms time for sure. i felt bloated and icky all day, too but i shrugged it off. this week has been good to me! a lot of good things have happened. i've been tempted to eat cooked food, but i think of what it did to me last time- when i fell of the proverbial wagon and ate cooked, i immediately felt negative, angry, fat and helpless. it really isn't worth it!

so today was:

b: fruit smoothie (didn't feel like adding greens! i wanted lots of sweet fruit all day!) - 1.5 bananas, strawberries, fresh-squeezed oj, frozen mango, frozen blueberries. about 1/2 T raw almond butter and 7 raw almonds at home as well. ugh. cravings.
s: lara bar (more cravings..chocolate! eek.)
l: apple...then an hour later a small organic garden salad from trader joe's w/ romaine, cabbage, carrots & cucumbers- but instead of the creamy dressing it came with i had 1/3 of an avocado mixed w/ 3 T salsa. yum. i wanted more veggies though- tomatoes and red peppers and corn. they were out of my usual salad. oh well. oh and then i had 4 slices of dried mango.
s: banana, some more raw almonds (prob about 15 total during the day), some more raw almond butter, and some fresh mango during the afternoon
w/o: 3 mile super fast & cold run. felt great- iron is helping so much!
d: carrots & 2 pieces of broccoli w/ salsa and some carrots plain. brocc didn't taste good to me today though.
s: more fresh mango!!!

ALL THAT FOOD only comes in at 1400 calories. craziness. i need to stop adding up my calories, i just feel like i'm eating so much so i want to see how much it is, but it's always a lot lower than it feels.

goals for this coming week (starting tomorrow):

- less fat - let myself eat too much these past few days b/c of pms, but that is ending now! especially since my raw almond butter is gone, lol. less nuts in general- most fat should come from avocados
- more fruit
- more greens
- keep up w/ my running/workouts even though it's sad and dark and cold out by the time i get home from work
- only drink (organic red wine) once per week. that'll be tomorrow. i haven't drank since halloween though so i feel pretty good about that.

those are enough to keep me occupied!

i thought of one more goal for this week:

- cut down on lara bars! they are expensive and i don't need them. i think i'll see how much dates cost at the farmer's market. dates are great for quick energy and they're not high-fat or wrapped in packaging like lara bars are. i'll have laras occasionally for a treat though- i LOVE LOVE LOVE the chocolate coconut ones! heaven!

i'm really curious about those lara bars...don't think i can get them here.

sounds like you're doing awesome! i love the green smoothies too. and i'm always shocked when i count the calories....i can't imagine eating 2000 calories raw, that would be soooo much food!!!

you're so right....the situation in the states could definitely be worse....but man, it should be sooooo much better than it is. and i agree that the food and just the lifestyle in general has so much to do with it. wake up early, eat in the car, work work work, eat at the desk, work work work, pick up fast food on the way home, park in front of the tv to "relax".....ugh.

the amount of time people spend working has a lot to do with all of these tragedies...high stress levels. what's wrong with taking time off work? here, there are so many holidays, i can't believe it....next week is yet another 4 day weekend where people take off work and go spend time at the beach with their families. laziness, some people would say. personally, i call it "living life." but to each his own, i guess!!


good luck with all of your goals this week!!

michelle

Fresh posted a cute joke about values, here it is:

A fishing boat was docked in a tiny coastal village south of the border. An American tourist complimented the local fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long", answered the fisherman. "Then why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The man said that his small catch was enough for his family. The American asked, "What do you do with the rest of your time?" The fisherman replied, "I sleep late, play with my children, catch a few fish, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar and sing a few songs. I have fun…"

The American interrupted, "Hey, I have an MBA from Duke and I can help you. Start by fishing longer every day and selling the extra fish you catch then you can buy a bigger boat. The larger boat will bring in more money and you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet. Instead of selling to a middleman, you can sell directly to the processing plants. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, LA or New York City! There you can direct your enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the fisherman. "20-25 years", replied the American. "And after that?" asked the fisherman. "That's when it gets really interesting", answered the American, smiling. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fisherman.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny coastal village, sleep late, play with your grandchildren, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and playing the guitar with your friends!"

michelle, lara bars are REALLY good! they're completely raw and made of natural ingredients, very simple- like nuts, dates and fruit. do a google search for them, i'm pretty sure you can order them online from other countries. that's what i plan on doing when i move to europe!

i agree that the stress levels in america are crazy. and everyone looks down on you when you don't want to live in the conventional way. it's frowned upon to take all your vacation days, or leave work early once a week. at my job i feel guilty when i take a lunch break! i'm expected to bring my lunch (which i almost always do anyway b/c of cost) and eat at my desk while i work. that is ridiculous. spending 5 days a week from 8:30 am - 6:00 pm in a stuffy office with flourescent lights is my idea of hell. still i only end up getting out of the office maybe twice a week if i'm lucky. but all of this is teaching me the kind of life i want to live, right?

aguadecoco, that joke is great! kind of sad, too, huh? we work and work and work...and what for? what do people have to show for their lives when they've spent every waking hour locked in an office working for a giant conglomerate that sucks the life out of them in return for a fat paycheck? that is not what i want.

today i didn't have much of an appetite. it was a gorgeous day and i had this weird spacey, buzzing energy all morning. i had 2 apples for breakfast, then 2 bananas- one that was way too small and not ripe, and one that was perfect- later on. i wasn't very hungry for lunch but made myself eat a mango b/c i wanted to go running and i needed fuel. then i was hungry, so i had a lara bar. i am supposed to be cutting down on these but they are so easy and fill me up. if i wasn't planning on running i would have had more fruit (or so i'd like to think, haha). then i went for a nice 4 mile run in the sunshine!!! it's so nice not to be out in the freezing cold & pitch black! the run felt good and since i've been supplementing with iron once a day i haven't had that lack of energy, dead-legs feeling at all- i feel AMAZING.

after my run i finally felt really hungry (for the first time all day- i was only kind of hungry before) so i made banana ice cream out of a frozen banana. this was soooo good and i'm going to make double the amount next time. i could have eaten more but i have a beautiful salad waiting for dinner so i don't want to ruin my appetite!

i decided to treat myself to the whole foods salad bar and was shocked to see they had kale!!! so i made a big salad of romaine, baby greens, kale, spinach, red peppers, onions, shredded carrots, beets & zucchini and a few grape tomatoes. i'll add cucumbers, sprouts and an avocado and have it with some apple cider vinegar. yummmm. then tonight i'm going out w/ some friends. i'm bringing my organic red wine and will have 1-2 glasses depending on how i feel/how it effects me. i have no desire for anything but organic red wine though. when i'm raw, even non-organic wine makes me feel REALLY sick and i get too drunk off of one glass. and hard liquor just seems like poison to me. well, i guess b/c it is!

i'm excited for the farmer's market tomorrow! i want to get some zucchini to make raw hummus with, and zucchinaghetti later in the week. yummmmm. raw food is SO much more exciting than cooked food. can you remember being super excited to eat dead food? raw food has so much more taste.

every day i am feeling better and better about the raw foods life. my body seems to be adapting to it even better this time around- no real hunger pains, detox isn't nearly as bad, and i've had barely any cooked cravings, plus now that i realized i was low in iron last time and have begun supplementing, i no longer need to spend the entire weekend sleeping! i have a lot more energy and feel really great.

the farmer's market worked out perfectly this morning. so many great foods...i love seeing everyone buying loads of fruits and veggies! it makes my day. i got 3 red peppers, 1 orange pepper, 4 lbs. of mixed greens (spinach, mesclun greens and some other mix that i don't know what exactly is in it but it's dark greens & purples), grapes, lots of tomatoes, a flat of strawberries (still soooo good even at this time of year!), some zucchinis, cucumber, and i think there's something else that i'm forgetting...anyway it came to $24 total which is much better than the grocery's prices! and it's fresh, local and grown w/o pesticides.

last night i ended up having 2 glasses of organic red wine and i didn't realize it at first, but i was trashed. bad bad news. we went to a bar that i love and the bartender kept trying to make me free drinks, but i only accepted bottled water. i had no desire to drink. i wish i only had one glass of wine. but what's done is done! i woke up w/ a headache and still feel a little off, but at least i'm not nauseous or anything. one of my friends was really open to and interested in my raw diet and i was telling her about the mental energy it gives me and all the crazy things i'm becoming interested in and tuning into. she recently became vegan and i'm helping her out with that. it's nice to know that at least ONE person doesn't think i'm a complete psycho for not eating cooked food! i just don't bring it up w/ anyone else who isn't receptive to it, it's not worth explaining myself to people who don't want to hear an opinion that goes against their own.

i'm still losing weight... i have to admit that even though i don't have weight to lose by "cooked" standards, i don't mind this little bonus! i haven't been hungry this weekend so i've been eating a little less and it's showing in the way my clothes fit. i'm going to just keep listening to my body though, b/c i can get too wrapped up in weight & how i look and i don't want that to take over.

food today:

b: a mango & a banana
s: 5 raw brazil nuts (omg i am in loooove) and 3 raw almonds
l: smoothie made w/ 2 bananas, a cup or more of strawberries, oj, a chunk of frozen mango (i'm out now!) and some frozen blueberries
s: i'm making raw hummus - yay! - so some carrots & cauliflower dipped in raw hummus
d: i'm planning on a collard green wrap w/ half an avo, raw hummus, shredded carrots, sprouts, and sliced cukes, tomatoes & red pepper. if i'm not hungry enough i'll just have an apple instead
s: apple if needed

not sure if i'll go for a power walk today or just chill. i was lugging around heavy grocery bags and a laundry bag that weighed more than i do this morning! plus i did lots of walking. i'm kind of exhausted! i'm such a weakling, lol. i have loads more cleaning to do, too. maybe i'll take today off!

why can't i edit my posts? i swear i saw an "Edit This Message" option yesterday, but now it's gone! maybe i'm going crazy

anyway no hunger at all...so unfortunately i'm going to skip the collard green wrap. i will have an apple if i get hungry later. i'm not sure why my body isn't asking for much food lately but i'm just going to listen. it's a waste to eat food when you're not hungry for it, and it's hard to eat raw food without being hungry! with cooked you can crave something and not be hungry but eat it anyway, but with raw it's not the same...wonder why that is? i guess b/c raw foods are free of addictives and things that overstimulate the taste buds.


my calories will be pretty low today but that's just what i seem to need right now. i am almost never not hungry so it's just a bit weird!

i am SO FREAKING COLD today! the office is the temperature of the penguin encounter at sea world...omg i am DYING! brrrr. i am drinking lots of tea today! lol.

appetite is a bit more normal so far.

b: smoothie w/ 2 bananas, 1 c. strawberries, fresh-squeezed oj, frozen bberries...then 2 brazil nuts & 3 almonds
s: banana
l: lara bar & apple. bad food combining. oh well.
s: grapes & banana
w/o: 30 mins. abs pilates & strength exercises for arms
d: salad w/ all sorts of greens, red pepper, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, sprouts, cauliflower, 1/2 an avo, apple cider vinegar

i feel kind of guilty about not doing cardio 2 days in a row. hmmm. it's just so dark after work and i'm so cold & unmotivated. i do have 6 whole days off next week so i'll be able to work out when i'm "home" in vermont during the daylight, or inside on the treadmill. maybe that'll get me back on the normal track.

i am also soooo close to fitting into a super cute pair of joe's jeans that i got for $50 even though they were too small. i knew i'd fit into them one day! hopefully soon...

meow....the movie office space!!! total hell, right?? that's what i think too.
there's nothing wrong with vacations...we had a 3 day weekend two weeks ago (went to the beach)...and have a 4 day weekend this week! (back to the beach!) do i feel guilty? NOPE!

sounds like you're doing great! i'm sure you'll fit into those jeans soon.

aquadecoco...OH MY GOSH! it's so weird that you posted that joke about the american businessman and the fisherman....at the school i teach english at, that exact joke is in the textbook! i just did that chapter last week and i LOVE that story! que coincidência!!!

-michelle

hey michelle, thanks for the support! lol i LOVE office space. i'm getting into "the office" a little too, although i don't have cable. sometimes i watch it w/ my kind-of-not-really-boyfriend (dunno what to call him, lol) and it's really funny.

that's great that you have so many days off! i don't feel guilty about vacation, i feel guilty about not working out as much! but i did go for a walk today instead of the pilates b/c i needed to MOVE!

not much else to say...i'm going to lunch w/ a friend tomorrow at urth caffe so that'll be fun! only 5 more days of work til i'm off for 6 days!!!! my best friend is taking my cats so it'll be just me going back...i haven't travelled w/o cats in years. i am going to miss them SO MUCH and i know i'm going to be so worried. but i have to go see my family, and it's best for them to stay here with someone they know and love rather than fly to VT. the flight when i moved out here w/ them was horrible. they lived w/ my best friend for over a year so i am sure they'll be fine and i trust her with my life (and their lives, which is an even bigger deal!).

my skin is looking so fresh & happy today! i am just so excited to be raw again. it feels so right

another good raw day. i am amazed at my mother lately- she was freaking out last time i decided to become a raw foodist, and telling me i was being so unhealthy, i was making her cry, etc. this time she is all for it! in between last time & now, she became vegetarian. it's so clear to me how that opened up her mind to alternative ways of living, eating and thinking! isn't it amazing! i mean, she's no tree-hugging hippie like me, but she's excited about making raw meals when i come home, and today i told her i'd be eating totally raw except for thanksgiving and she said, "ok, that's fine with me as long as you share your raw food with me!" is this the same person? lol.

today's food:

moring: a raw brazil nut & 4 raw almonds...my stomach HATED me, this was a bad choice for first-thing in the morning...then i had about 10 oz. oj, a banana, and a lara bar throughout the morning/early afternoon
lunch: went out w/ a friend- mixed green salad (spinach, purple romaine, butter lettuce, that kind of thing) w/ 3 tomato slices & a very small amount of balsamic dressing
snack: fruit salad- a banana, a cup of grapes and a cup of strawberries
w/o: pilates for 30 mins. and arm exercises
d: carrots, cauliflower, red pepper, a tomato & cuke slices dipped in my raw hummus...mmmm
s: apple if needed

good day today, if i do say so myself. my skin is looking great, my body is slimmer, and i felt so zenned out and on cloud 9 today. i love this more and more every day.

i am still drinking tea- 1-2 cups every weekday at work. i think the health benefits of green tea & certain other teas outweigh the potential consequences of the tea not being raw. plus it's hard to stay warm otherwise! lol.

I am having such strong cravings today and have been so hungry all morning! I am soooo close to caving. The bread and pb in the kitchen at work is calling my name. ugh. I don’t have much more food to eat here, either. I am trying SO HARD to just stay out of the kitchen though! I have a salad w/ tons of veggies and half an avo for lunch, and an apple for later on. I’m leaving at 3:45 to take one of my furbabies to the vet, so that should be fine…I just need to hold out til lunch time. I just had a banana and I think that’s helping my cravings. This is suddenly so hard! I haven’t really had any cravings yet. I know that half or even a whole pb&j wouldn’t kill me, but I am on a roll here and I know I can beat this! Plus things are looking better every day- my skin is getting softer and more radiant, I’m losing the excess bits of bodyfat, I have been staying up later & getting up earlier b/c I don’t need as much sleep, and I feel great. Ok, I think I totally talked myself into staying on track!!!

Today will be nice- a short & easy day at work, then after the vet I get to run in the not-total-pitch-blackness b/c I’ll be able to head out around 5:15 since I’ll be home early. Yay! Then I want to head to whole foods to pick up some more frozen mango for my smoothies & a bunch of bananas. It’s Wednesday already- next week at this time I’ll be “home” in Vermont! I am sooo excited to relax and get out of LA. I know a lot of people on this board are from LA or the SoCal area. It gets pretty claustrophobic after a while. Plus I can’t wait to breathe fresh mountain air and go running through the dirt trails and walking in the woods. I LOVE living in the city but I also need to get away from it to feel renewed and to slow down for a bit.

Well that’s all from me. It’s already 10:35. I can totally do this. I will eat lunch early if necessary. Raw is changing my life, and I have a lot of important decisions and events coming up so I don’t want to backtrack right now.

so after all that, i had half a pbj sandwich. the weird thing is i had it AFTER i'd eaten my nice big salad for lunch! i just felt like i couldn't get full. i know that happens when you're transitioning b/c raw foods don't leave you feeling really full. but i caved. oh well. i don't feel that bad about it anymore. that half a pbj wasn't as good as, say, a fruit smoothie, or some fresh veggies with raw hummus. but it is what it is. i can't take it back, i can only move forward.

i did have some weird pins & needles sensations in my fingers & toes, mostly on the left side of my body, about an hour after eating the cooked food, and my limbs felt lethargic, like they'd fallen asleep. it was really strange. i just felt the energy draining out of my body. clearly my body is responding really well to raw foods and the cooked food is just not what it wants, and not anything that it can put to good use. it's funny, i used to think that i was able to run so much b/c of the wheat and peanut butter and carbs i used to eat, but now i see that i ran so much IN SPITE of that crap. anyway i was raw for a week and now i have to get back on the wagon! i already have, of course. it made me feel crappy eating crap.

so food today was:

b: smoothie w/ 2 bananas, strawberries, blueberries, oj
s: a raw brazil nut & 3 raw almonds; banana
l: salad w/ lots of mixed greens (spinach, purple romaine, mesclun, other stuff i don't know..), carrots, cauliflower, tomato, cukes, red pepper, a whole avo, and raw apple cider vinegar w/ a splash of ff balsamic; half a pbj sandwich on whole wheat bread
w/o: 3 mile really fast run (felt soooo good today) and a walk to whole foods/rite aid, about 20 mins.
d: apple, about 7 baby carrots w/ the last of the raw hummus
s: a mango once it's nice & cold from being in the fridge

so that's that! i am learning more & more about my body and what it needs every day. i think i'm going to start carrying an extra "emergency lara bar" with me at all times b/c that always kills the cooked cravings and it also fills me up enough to trick my mind into thinking i ate something cooked.

goal for the week: nothing cooked til thanksgiving dinner.

ok i'm off to make some more raw hummus

can't write much b/c i have a hairless cat draped around my shoulders- my long haired cat noelle had to be shaved today! it was quite traumatic for both of us and she literally won't leave me alone now! poor baby. she's such a love bug.

food today:

b: smoothie w/ the usual fruit
s: lara bar
l: carrots, cauliflower, red pepper & cuke slices w/ raw hummus
s: banana
d: small salad (lettuce was going bad) w/ a whole avo- totally had a craving & was really hungry so i went w/ it- and also tons of red & yellow pepper, carrots, cukes, a tomato, and raw apple cider vinegar; a raw brazil nut & 4 raw almonds

that's probably it for the day. no workout, my cat needs me to stay here w/ her! i had to drop her off at 8:15 this morning, then she got groomed & tortured, then i left work to pick her up at around 2, and had to go back to work! poor thing thought i was abandoning her! she is SO TINY w/o all that fur, too, it's unbelievable! funny b/c she eats ALL the time! i have another cat who is 14 pounds (huge) and they eat the same things. i don't get it. gracie needs to go on a diet, and noelle needs to gain a little extra padding! lol. the "momma" cat, shima, is right in the middle. so funny.

ok i have got to go, but i'm going to fast for a bit. i am thinking i'll do mostly fruits tomorrow w/ some veggies & hummus cause i need to finish it up, and i also have 2 avos to finish (or give to a friend if i can't). then i want to fast for 3-4 days, starting some time on saturday and going to sometime on monday or tuesday. it would be a good way to get LA out of me and start my vacation time with a clean slate. i need that so badly. so tomorrow i'll be eating light to get my body ready. i've never done a fast before for longer than a day! this will be a new experience. i'm excited. i feel great right now but i do think my body is asking for the kind of rejuvenation a fast can bring.

real quick i'm planning to have this tomorrow:

b: smoothie w/ the usual- 2 bananas, strawberries, blueberries, mango, oj
s: apple if needed, otherwise wait til lunch
l: a mango & a banana
s: apple &/or banana
w/o: probably a walk, maybe a run if i feel up to it...
d: carrots, tomato & pepper w/ raw hummus..oh man i have an avocado too. maybe i'll have an avo, maybe not.

i am gearing up for my fast! i'm excited to start tomorrow (or technically tonight hehe). also, my cat noelle who got shaved yesterday is back to normal! she is being even more affectionate than usual (and i usually call her my little shadow b/c she's the one who follows me around like a puppy and always wants to be held and cuddled- aww). i think she wants to make sure mom still loves her w/o hair!

here's my day:

breakfast: a little fresh-squeezed oj (tasted off)
morning: banana, apple
lunch: veeery good mango, apple
afternoon: apple, banana
workout: walking for a bit
dinner: carrots, a tomat & red pepper strips w/ raw hummus- got to finish it

the avos will go to my best friend. i think doing lower fat today will be beneficial and get my body ready for the fast.

i am excited for my fast! i guess it has officially started. i'm going to take it one day at a time and not psych myself up too much or think about it too much.

i had a lara bar after dinner! oh well. i just wanted something chocolatey!

um that's all i've got.