Today is my first day of two weeks 100% raw--

My biggest problem was breakfast. What could replace my daily cooked porriage? I decided to jump in and eat only fruit for breakfast. I am not going to sweat it on getting grains at first.

So far I've had a bowl of strawberries, one kiwi, and one banana. For lunch and dinner I'll have salads. Will edit this post as the day goes on.

If you have to eat grains, I believe raw sprouted grains are the best and breads made from sprouted whole grains are the best - like Ezekial 4:9 or Manna bread. Some people make raw flax crackers with a dehydrator. Personally, I am avoiding all grains because they are bad on my blood sugars.

Congratulations on your healthy decision to eat raw foods! Let us know how it is going.

Lunch was supposed to be a salad but I didn't have enough time after grocery shopping to throw it all in a bowl. I was pleased with myself when I peeled an avocado in the car and ate it (along with broccoli sprouts- yum!, baby spinach, two handfuls of sunflower seeds, and 3 dried dates) on my way back to work. I drank a strawberry banana smoothie on my way to the store because I was starving.

Back to work, so far, so good. I will try sprouting the grains I have at home later, but I'll see how far I can get without them because I don't want to stress over preparation at this stage.

Sounds like you are doing great and eating some very healthy foods! I agree, the simpler the better.

In the car on my way home I had two dates, two figs, and two big slices of cantaloupe. For dinner I had a salad of red leaf, cucumber, fennel, carrot, radish, tomato, and half an avocado with leftover dressing (olive oil, lemon, and a little mustard).
In the evening I snacked on a few more figs, about 1.5 T. of almond butter, two handfuls almonds, a necterine.


Breakfast this morning was two handfuls dry (unsoaked) museli, two carrots, a bowl of strawberries. Tried soaking some sesame seeds but they were way too bitter for me.

I'll have a green smoothie before lunch.

For the record I take the following supplements every day:

120 mg gingko biloba
600 mg horse chestnut extract (with Rutin)
1500 mg vegan glucosamine
1 T. molasses (for calcium, iron, magneseum)

As well I drink 1-3 cups of green tea as the last little bit of my caffiene addiction (12 years strong) drains away.

All of the above (including the green tea, they say) I take for a bad case of cellulite & spider veins. As well as 1/4 cup of almonds per day for the EFAs.

In all fairness, the supplements are a trial (my first time taking any for anything other than a cold) and I really do believe diet and exercise would do me more good, but lately I haven't had any time at all for the kind of exercise necessary to really see improvement in my legs.

I am a distance cyclist and beginning tomorrow should have the time to return to biking to work & back (20 miles each way).

Had 8 oz. green smoothie at 11:00.

Lunch is a spinach salad with two carrots, one tomato, one avocado, two handfuls sunflower seeds, a big handful broccoli sprouts, big handful sliced mushrooms. Plus four dates.

Snack will be one banana.

Ended up eating the above salad, but with only one carrot and half an avocado. Less than I thought I would want. Broccoli sprouts were not as tasty as yesterday but I ate them anyway.

Snack came early since I was so sleepy (not been getting enough sleep lately- like 4-6 hours every night for weeks). One banana, two dates, some of the soaked sesame seeds since I read that the water is supposed to be drained- so I rinsed them and they taste fine, not great but nice and juicy.

I had three big slices cantaloupe in the car on the way home. once home, I had two small slices of watermelon, a little fresh coconut, one plum. All this while I was just dying for "real food", ie. a salad (lucky for me that's what seems like "real food" right now.)

Dinner was a salad of baby romaine with 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 avocado, one carrot, handful broccoli sprouts, 2 small handfuls sunflower seeds, 1/2 tomato, lemon, olive oil (less than a tablespoon).

16 oz grapefruit juice, 1/4 cup almonds in the evening.

Didn't finish my grapefruit juice or almonds- had about 12 oz juice and 2 T almonds. Soaked the rest for the morning.

This morning I tried to eat a hearty breakfast because I am getting back into cycling to work (20 miles each way). 1/2 cup dry museli in 3/4 cup almond milk made with 1/4 cup almonds and 3 dates and 1 cup water (about 1/2 cup milk was left over). Should have eaten a banana as well because I had low-moderate energy while biking. Now for an 8 oz green smoothie.

Also had a yellow plum on my way in to work after changing clothes.

Had the leftover soaked almonds (2T) at my desk to try to get my energy up.

I feel tired/low energy today although I got enough sleep and seem to be not hungry, very satisfied overall in terms of eating. Could be from cycling, but then usually if I am tired from cycling I am also very hungry.

Salad for lunch will be: One head romaine, half a tomato, half an avocado, one carrot, 1/2 cup sliced cucumber, handful sunflower seeds. Also two figs and a yellow plum.

Maybe I will try to eat the whole avocado, though I'm not sure how much it's going to do for me, energy-wise.

Ate the whole avocado, or most of it. Still pretty sleepy.

Didn't have an afternoon snack- no fruit available. Banana and some dried fruit from the 7-11 on my way home on the bike. Would rather have done without but I needed to get home within a reasonable amount of time. Low to moderate energy on the ride, less energy than in the morning. That plus wind and a low tire made me slow. Once home, I made a smoothie of 2T almonds, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 banana and about a cup or so of water. Good but too watery. Very little appetite (weird for me) but I ended up making an asparagus soup for dinner: about 1/2 pound asparagus (1 cup chopped plus five or six thin spears), a little shallot, 1T olive oil, tamari, lemon juice, etc. I remember thinking it had too many ingredients to be simple but it was perfect and delicious.

Tired, went to bed early.

DAY 4
This morning I am light-headed so today I will make an effort to eat as much as possible because I made a promise, I will bike every day, at least part of the way to work. Today I'm driving half way (cycling around 9 miles each way).

Breakfast has been one banana, almond milk as made yesterday (same recipe), 1/2 cup dry museli in the almond milk with 2t of ground flaxseed. Will maybe have some melon before leaving.

No melon, but I had a nectarine and a peach on the way in, and a small amount of fruit salad at a work event.

Small banana for a morning snack. Lunch was a spinach salad with 1/3 c sunflower seeds, 1 small crown broccoli, one carrot, 1/2 large tomato, 3/4 avocado, 1 cup sliced cucumber, 1 fig. I was stuffed, so so full. Now one hour later I feel much more awake/energized than I have for the last 36 hours.

Afternoon snack is a large nectarine and a small banana. I have much more energy than yesterday.

Once home, I had (throughout the evening) three slices cantaloupe, 2 slices watermelon, a small handful almonds, small handful sunflower seeds, and a slimy smoothie: 1/4 cup almonds, 2 bananas, 4 dates, 1/2 cup water, and some dried fruit later.

I ended up not cycling at all due to being late to work (not getting up early enough).

DAY 5
10 days to go! I am impressed with myself for being 100% raw for 4 days straight. I have very little temptation- I feel pure except for the dried fruit having sulfur in it. Normally I have a lot more urges for crap.

Breakfast is the same museli with the same almond milk as yesterday. I'm off to bike to work now.

Bicycled half way to work, 9 miles. Once at work I'm having an 8oz blueberry smoothie.

Not much going on in my salad today: spinach, 1/2 medium tomato, 2 small handfuls sunflower seeds, one large carrot, 2 figs, 1.5 plums. I'll have another 8 oz blueberry smoothie later on.

I feel fine in terms of energy though I biked 9 miles this morning. Seems like things are leveling out, though I had some trouble last night, not knowing what to eat, not feeling up to making something, tired. I have my eye on a raw lasange (spinach, tomatoes, pinenut cheese), though, so maybe I'll make that tonight for dinner when I'll have some time to warm it in the oven (though I don't like the idea of warming- too trying to be something it's not).

May have to eat non-raw (vegan) on Sunday night, dinner with in-laws. We'll see how I can swing it. The reason I've had such an easy time is my husband is out of town, so I can eat whatever I want (because we're not eating together). This one meal on Sunday night I may have to eat non-raw for social reasons, but by then I'll be half way through my seventh day so it shouldn't derail me.

Rode 9 miles home in the rain. Had some pecans on the way home, just a few, and a Lara bar (I was starving because it took me almost 3 hours to get home because I was trying to wait out the rain).

Then once home I made the raw lasange recipe, I didn't heat it at all, and it's fine just the way it is: a bed of spinach with pine nut cheese (1/2 cup pinenuts) and a tomato sauce made from sundried tomatos & fresh tomatoes. I am eating two cloves of garlic in this meal... we will see if it bothers me. (Cooked garlic never does). I'll have some fruit later.

Finished off yesterday with a whole pint of dried "just blueberries" and a chocolate lara bar. I didn't think it was possible to binge on raw foods but I really felt bad (mostly emotional).

DAY 6

Trying a cleansing breakfast of fruit: 4 big slices of watermelon and 3 slices cantaloupe. Probably some almond milk later.

ok, a little out of control. I had the same recipe almond milk (1/4 c.almonds, 3 dates, 1c.water), some amount of coconut, now I'm drinking a smoothie of two small peaches and 2 c. orange juice. I'm not eating again until 2 pm, which will be a salad. I am not holding the same standards for myself as I do at work.

Lunch at 1:30 was the same lasange recipe, which held me for a few hours (very satisfying). Later I had a small handful sunflower seeds, 2 slices cantaloupe. Just now (7:45) I had a small banana. Not sure what I'll have for dinner, but I feel stuffed.

hey birch you are doing amazing way to go ! how are you feeling approaching your day 7

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Honestly as long as I am alone with no social pressures eating raw seems really easy. I've cooked for myself for 5 or 6 years now (I mean more than rice-a-roni, which is what I grew up on), and though many times in my life I've had no trouble cooking, this year I've just hated it. This week has been a breeze in terms of food preparation. On top of that I fight compulsive eating/binge eating on a regular basis (as you can see from a few posts above), and I had not too much trouble with that this week.

My one problem is energy. I have had low energy this week, and I'm not sure what the main reason is, but I've fought it by eating a lot of nuts and seeds. But, my weight went up this morning, so I feel like I'm eating too much fat/dense foods. I was talking to my husband about it today, and the last time I lost a significant amount of weight, I was following a diet very similar to the one I posted earlier as being what is my standard diet, the one I want to follow for the rest of my life. I'll post it again below for reference. It includes a good portion of whole grains and beans as well as one or two salads and fresh fruit every day. If I'm good it's about 50% raw.

So. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to stay 100% raw (outside of the meal I'm having with my in-laws this evening). I definately have no craving for cooked food, much less any processed food like bread. The lara bars I ate were not nice. The more I eat this way the more I only want to eat whole, fresh foods. Personal preference has led me to eat only fruit so far today:

I've had today only fruit salad, consisting of 2 peaches, 1.5 plums, about 2 cups grapes, 2 bananas, 1 starfruit, about 6 strawberries, 1 nectarine, and about 2 cups of orange juice.

Yesterday for dinner I had a small salad of mixed baby greens, romaine, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cucumber, and a T olive oil.

My current/forever/pre-raw diet, at least basically, is this:


AM: cooked 7-grain porriage and one or two pieces of whole raw fruit (plum, apple, banana, pear, peach, etc).
LUNCH: big salad of leaf lettuce or spinach, tomatoes, cuke, carrots, "crunchy" sprouts or cooked chickpeas, avocado, dressing
SNACK: another whole raw fruit such as above or fruit salad, handful of raw almonds
DINNER: brown rice burger (homemade) or cooked quinoa, cooked greens or broccoli, salad with beans in it.


This is my seventh year as an ethical vegan, and my seventh year at under 130 pounds. As a teenager I weighed between 140-160. I am 5'3" and currently weigh 125.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2007 06:45PM by birch.

Dinner with the inlaws was 2 stuffed (with corn) zucchini halfs, and half of a stuffed (with rice & beans) green pepper, and about 1/3 of an avocado.

Hey there..sorry this is late but welcome to the diary section and congrats on going raw!!! you have been doing really great!!! keep up the good work and congrats again!!
take care
love earthangel
xoxoxoxo

Much peace and love!!!
EarthAngel
Xoxo