Hello Everyone,

Please consider this my formal committment. I will follow a mainly raw lifestyle for three months to see how I feel, and based on the results, decide if I want to continue.

I have decided that I will allow myself to drink plain tea, herbal, green or black, without cream or sugar. Besides that, everything that I eat will be raw (to my knowledge). The reason I want to drink tea is because right now, it is one of my pleasures. Maybe I will change my mind, who knows? I will also allow myself to drink wine with the odd meal, because according to some schools of thought, it is permissiable and raw, and again, it is a pleasure

I intend to record everything I eat here. I truly believe that the raw food lifestyle is optimum, and I admire all of you.

I appreciate any advice and help that you can provide during my journey. My friend took a couple of pictures of me this evening - I will post them and "the new me" after the three month trial.

To a new me!

Sunrise

Happy Friday Everyone,

The day started off pretty well with a smoothie - a handul of frozen bananas, mango (half of which I ate while slicing it), water and agave nectar. It was super-refreshing.

At work I like to sip on tea so I have had a couple cups and will likely have one more before the end of the work day.

For lunch I had a green salad from a great veggie restaurant across the street. It had lettuce, sprouts, shredded carrot and cabbage, cucumber and tomato. I ordered an herbal dressing with it (not sure if it is completely raw - I am going to start making my own salads to bring to work with me). I am still a little hungry so I might buy a package of raw almonds...I will see how I feel in about a half an hour.

Tonight I have plans to go to a restaurant with a couple of friends to enjoy the patio weather. It is the beginning of the Canada Day long weekend, so staying raw during the socializing and festivities will be a challenge for me!

I checked out the menu where we are going and it looks like my only option is requesting the Greek Salad without the feta cheese and a vinegerette instead of their house dressing. I will likely indulge in a couple glasses of wine while I am there too

Have a great weekend!

Sunrise

Hey there..welcome to the forum and congrats on going raw!!! it is an awesome choice...i have been raw for about 6 months now and feel soo good....!!!! good for you for choosing this way......
another option if you wanted to do all raw for the dressing is use some lemon juice squeezed on there or carry braggs with you ...or even him sea salt so you have raw salt!!!
good luck and have a wonderful weekend
love earthangel
xoxoxoxo

Much peace and love!!!
EarthAngel
Xoxo

hi sunrise, I have been raw for one week and I feel great. Sounds like you have a good plan. eat more greens and sprouts. Drink the wheat grass juice for life. hope you feel welcome here, it is a good place.
pam

Hi earthangel and pam,

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! So far, I am feeling pretty good. I have been very tempted a few times last night and today but thankfully I didn't give in to my cravings.

Last night we ended up going to a different restaurant then was originally planned. I was so tempted by all of the cooked food, and then I noticed on the Specials that they had chilled melon soup with ginger! So I had that and was satisfied until I got home and then I had several raw crackers (from the health food store).

Today, I relaxed a lot and had:

Banana-mango smoothie, huge green salad with sprouts, cucumbers and raw sunflower seeds (when I was finished I had another tablespoon of sunflower seeds for good measure). I used braggs and seasalt for the dressing...thanks earthangel! While I was watching tv I had huge cravings (popcorn) but I held back and had a banana and about a package worth of raw almonds.

I didn't eat a lot today but I wasn't at all active either so tomorrow I will pack more away. The only problem is the grocery stores are closed for Canada Day so I will have to go without fresh fruit.

Pam - I figure I can buy wheatgrass juice sometimes before I go to work - there is a "booster juice" near my bus stop. How many times per week would you recommend?

Sunrise

hey there..good for you!! keep up the good work and keep at it!!
take care
love earthangel
xoxoxoxo

Much peace and love!!!
EarthAngel
Xoxo

Hey earthangel -

I fell off the wagon a couple of days ago - big time. I guess I just wanted instant gratification! And I admit I started to get a little concerned with protein (that is how I justified my huge fall).

Could you tell me the benefits you have experienced on raw? Are you concerned about protein and other vitamins?

Sunrise

From what I have read, protein is not a concern if you are eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Protein is made up of amino acids and our body has an amino acid pool where it accumulates what you provide through eating and combines and uses them as needed. For example, a banana has all 8 essential amino acids (and maybe tomatoes too, can't remember for sure). In fact fruits and veggies provide more usable protein because the body doesn't have to break it down and then put it back together again like it does with meat (and with meat being cooked it has destroyed a lot of the usable amino acids anyway).

The way someone develops a protein deficiency is if they are vegetarian, for example, but they rely on grains for a lot of their calories. Grains do not provide protein and I believe block the absorption of protein.

The main concern people seem to have with a raw vegan diet is Vitamin B-12. Btw, a lot of meat eaters are deficient in that vitamin also. If we are totally healthy our intestines are able to produce Vitamin B-12 (per Dr. Fred Bisci and Dr. Joel Robbins this is stated in the medical books the U.S. MDs use in school), but our intestines are damaged from the cooked food so to play it safe many raw vegans take Vitamin B-12.

I know you were asking earthangel, so I hope you don't mind me responding.

One of the big benefits for me is a more steady emotional state.

Thank you for responding karennd - you have given me some things to think about. What do you eat in a typical day (if you don't mind me asking)

I eat nothing or a little fruit or a small fruit smoothie for breakfast (depending on if I am hungry or not).

I might eat 1/2 to a whole banana in the mid-morning if I get hungry.

At lunch I usually get a salad at the company salad bar with no dressing. On weekends it might be a green veggie juice.

I might eat a piece of fruit (grapefruit, apple, orange, or peach usually) in the mid-afternoon if I get hungry.

Then usually a green juice right after work and a big salad later at night with a few nuts, seeds, tahini, olives, and/or avocado. Or instead of a salad, just a bowl of cucumbers, celery and some olive dip.

Matt Monarch said he skips breakfast, has 2 8 - 12 oz green juices in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon, eats some fruit, nuts, and seeds at lunch, and then a big salad with nuts and/or avocado for supper.

I'm sure my raw food diet will evolve and change over time, but already my blood sugar numbers are much better (I have Type 1 Diabetes). What I have read is that we should listen to our body for true hunger signals and pay attention to how different foods make us feel afterwards.

Cooked food addiction is the toughest to beat because we start eating it as babies, but we can do this! :-)

Hi Everyone,

I am recommitting today. A friend and I decided to urge one another on with our chosen lifestyles; mine will be raw, and hers will be decreased portions of the SAD with exercise 4x per week. I am not going to be following an exercise program, but will be walking more and I am sure generally more active with all of the energy I will have on raw!

We took pictures of one another and are going to wear the same clothes in three months, (Oct. 7), and retake our pictures. We are not competing with one another, but rather are being one another's "watchdog" so to speak.

I have passes for Bluesfest where I live, so I am going to be there all of this weekend, next week after work, and next weekend! I scouted out the foodstands and there are three things I will allow myself to eat; gazpacho, fruit smoothie (pure fruit, I asked) and fruit cups. And of course, wine...I will allow myself one a night if I choose. I figure after being raw for a while I'll probably ditch the wine...but for now, it is my vice. All in out own time, right?

They check bags at the festival, but they aren't too strict so I will probably also being some nuts and seed crackers.

Well, I've been rambling on enough. Have a great day everyone and I will check in tonight with what I ate!

Sunrise

Hi All,

Well, today was tricky as far as SAD cravings went but I got through it!
I didn't wat too much today, but will be going shopping tomorrow before I head off to the Bluesfest so hopefully will have more to eat!

Morning (before Bluesfest) -

1. smoothie with one banana, a few raspberries, water and agave nectar
2. Mock spinach ceaser salad from "Gone Raw"
3. tea

At Bluesfest -

4. Raw seed crackers (about 7, that I brought with me)
5. Gazpacho (I bought it there...it wasn't the greatest and I think it had roasted peppers so won't be buying that again)
6. A larbar
7. one glass of red wine

Yummy! You had a yummy raw day, it sounds like! :-) Good for you!

Hey there hun..sorry i didn't get back to you..i was absent for a while with a super hectic summer and no internet connection but i am back now and ready for action haha..how are things going with you???? i hope all is well..i know you have not posted in a really long time but i hope things are going welL!! take care and let us know how life is treating you!!
lots of love
earthangel
xoxoxo

Much peace and love!!!
EarthAngel
Xoxo