Alright here I go. I actually made the decision to start on this raw journey mid day today. I have been thinking about this and reading a lot for the past few weeks and trying to get the nerve to do this. I ended up this afternoon praying to the higher power to give me strength. I have psoriasis and it has been very difficult over the years and the Doctors try but nothing works. Ok, it works for a month or so then it is right back where you start. It is emotionally draining and socially debilitating since everyone asks questions and stares. So I hit rock bottom this afternoon and decided right there and then that from this point on I am going on this raw and living food journey. I just feel I want to jump out of my skin because it hurts and itches so bad. If you ever had an unitchable itch you surely understand this drives you insane. It usually gets worse at night. So here I am. I just hope I find the strength to get me through this. After church yesterday I thought it was my sign to start. I signed up for a raw food class for March 1. I took it as my sign and I am starting my journey.

I had a very good night sleep and ready for this raw journey. This morning I had a very thick banana smoothie or it was more like a mock ice cream. It was soooo good!!! For lunch I will probably have a salad with a raw nut dressing and some fruit. Haven't decided after that. I feel a lot better than yesterday and I hope I can stick to this for my health and my skin. I just can't wait for this class that I am going to take. It will teach me about raw food and ways to prepare it for a variety.

Let me introduce myself a bit. I am new to this raw diet. I am married going on 11 years with three children. My boys are identical twins and they are 9 years and I have a wonderful little girl who is 5 1/2 (that half is very important). She will be going into kindergarten this August. I love to garden and I just can't wait. I grow my own plants from seeds and will be doing my peppers here shortly when I come back from Mexico. I cannot wait because I live in Ohio near Cleveland and it is FREEZING here. We are getting tons of snow as I am writing this. Anyway, I also love boating and swimming. We have a boat and I just love the water. I don't know why I live here because I just love HOT weather and that is why we are going to Mexico this weekend. It will only be a four day trip but something is better nothing when you live in the colder regions. I am not working right now because I am just graduated with a master's degree and currently looking. Hopefully I will find a job this fall, I am a teacher so no one is hiring for this year. I am looking very hard so I hope I get soemthing. I will be substituting soon as soon as my FBI fingerprints come back.

Well that is pretty much it in a nutshell. I hope to hear from some of you soon.

B-banana smoothie with nutmeg (yummy!)
L-Sliced cucumber on sprouted bread with a raw nut dressing and a salad with the nutdressing (very good)
S-fruit
D-? haven't decided yet. Don't know what I have a taste for. Maybe another smoothie. I just love those.

Since it was my birthday yesterday I had a piece of ice cream cake. I felt super guilty, but it was my birthday. My family all sang for me. Today I feeling so so. I have my monthly friend and have super bad cramps. Here is what I ate so far today. This morning I ate EKEZIEL sprouted grain cereal. This was really good. I thought is was better that regular cereal. I had that with fresh raw almond milk (which I made myself). Also I had a banana when I first woke up. Then I just ate sprouted bread with cucumbers and sesame dressing which I made myself from raw sesame seeds. This will be my new lunch. This is so good I can eat it all day. Also with the sandwich I had raw baby carrots. This was really filling and makes me happy For dinner I will end up with a salad with olive oil and carrot juice (freshly made with my juicer). I just love carrot juice. It is sweet and sooooooo refreshing to the taste buds.

I am still struggling with my emotional eating. I just want to go the fridge and eat something. It is when I have nothing else going on during the day. I would like to lose between 20 and 30 pounds. I am at 140 right now. I currently lost 6 pounds within the last month. Now that we are going to Mexico next week I am nervous about eating. I heard that if you are at a place with the only thing to eat is processed foods it is better to fast than to fill your body up with unpleasant foods. Well I just might do that. We are at a resort so I know they'll have fresh fruit at least so I will do the fruit thing mostly. Probably not for dinner though so we'll see what happens. I am just so excited to be somewhere warm! It is so cold and still snowing here, yuck!!!!!!!!! That is all for now.

Today was a bad day Did not do too well on the eating end. My cravings gave in today but tomorrow is another day. I think I am going to do raw juices for a couple days. I heard it helps cleanse away the cravings. Has anyone did a juice fast? I was wondering how it was. Well anyway I think that is what I am going to do.

Well today is going surprisingly well on my juice and smoothie fast. I feel energetic and full. I was not expecting that at all. Only right now I do feel a small headach coming. I have no cravings today at all. I am so happy and do not feel like eating. That I cannot believe it. I always feel like eating, no matter what.

This is what I had so far today:
carrot and cucumber juice (was very yummy!)
fresh almond milk and a large frozen banana with nutmeg(love this)
fresh almond milk and frozen banana with nutmeg again (I can't get enough)
Well that takes me until now. So I will probably go with carrot juice with some greens later on today. I will probably have fruit juice if I get hungry again later on.

Well I just got back from Mexico yesterday and I am not feeling to well. I ended up getting sick but not sick enough to not enjoy myself. It is a GI thing and I think it is just from the food and drinks I had. So I just have to really watch what I put into my body. We just got back and last night is started snowing again. It was snowing when I left and snowing when I come back. YUCK! It was so nice and warm I just didn't want to leave.

Hello, My name is Jacqueline and I just decided to go raw today. Today I was successful and I feel really good. I ate some almonds, cane, grapes, oranges, and an apple. I exercise by walking or jogging. I am 5ft 8inches and I weigh 140lbs, my goal is to be healthy and to wegh 135lbs. I am so glad i find this site where i can meet new friends and other healthy people. Please friends, encourage me so that i dont give up.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Jackie

I am so glad that you are also on this journey. I am not 100% raw yet but I am working on it. I haven't posted in a couple days. I had a super busy weekend with my family and I haven't been feeling so hot since I came home from Mexico. My eating hasn't been great but I have been eating mostly fruit, veg. and rice. My GI tract is out of wack. But today I was craving a dessert, a sweet one. So I went and found this most delicious raw strawberry shortcake. It was soooooo gooooood! If anyone is interested I will post it. It is easy which is why I tried it and it is what I had in the house. All basic ingredients.

Hello Ithierga:

This is my third day on the raw food road. My only promblem so far is that I think I might be taking in too little calorie. I will adress this soon though. I have been eating mostly fruits such as grapefruits, nesberrys, ripe banana, and coconut jelly. These fruits are very sweet and they have a lot in jamaica. I will be going out today to buy all the green leafy vegetables and nuts so that I can move away from having too much fruits. Already I feel good, my body feels excellent, I have a slight headache though but I am not sure if it is related to me eating. Two things that I notice, my belly is getting flatter already (something I struggle with for years) and my skin had some bad blemishes but they are vanishing, only after three days, it is amazing but it is true. I think I will stay on this road for life. going to get some rest, will post tomorrow

Jackie

That is great! I wish I could be like that. Temptations get the best of me. I also have three kids so making them things, well it just smells so darn good. I will try to be more strict with myself because I am still learning about all of this.

Just so everyone knows I posted the strawbery shortcake in the recipe section. So if you are interested go there. I am telling you it is soooo gooood! You need to try it.

Okay, today is my food class and I can't wait. But I got this book and it is so great. It is a book to help you stay raw. This book is me all the way. The name of the book is 12 Steps to RAW FOODS by Victoria Boutenko. This is great because it helps with the cooked food addictions and gives you great recipes to start. The Garden Burgers are excellant. Also give you tips for great soups and green smoothies which I had one this morning and it was to die for. Anyway my journey is finally going the way I want it. Yesterday was my first day all raw and I am so excited for myself. My stomach finally feels better and I feel good. Reading that book really helped (I am almost finished). I recommend it to anyone who is having trouble going raw. I found it at my local book store.

B-green smoothie (1 small handful of baby spinach, 1 cup raw almond milk, 1 banana, and 3 frozen strawberries)

L-salad with spinach and romaine lettuce, cucumbers Dressing-1tsp olive oil, 1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar, and honey. I use salt and pepper also along with some fresh lemon juice and a garden burger (delicious)

S-Probably just fruit or my fruit and nut bar that I made

Not sure what I am having for dinner yet.

I went to my raw food class or demonstration and let me tell you how full I am right now. I learned great recipes and tips of the trade. And I found out there is a support group right in my town once a month. I never thought there were that many people on this type of life style. I probably won't eat a dinner tonight because how full I am. I really never thought eating a raw diet could be so delicious.

Hello Itheirga: Happy belated birthday. I will stay on this road with you. We can do it together. Thanks for the tips you gave me on the green smoothie. I will try it soon. I dont have some of the things you have to make your food but maybe soon I will find them if i search. In jamaica people dont really talk about raw food, everybody eat cooked and if they know how i eat they think it is strange, the funny thing though is that they all agree that I look hot and they want to look like me but they cant bother with the discipline. good for them. Friends like you inspire me to go all raw. Thanks again. One thing I want to remind you of though, remember that eating some fruits will open your apetite and make you want to eat. When you eat green you feel full and your appetite is easier to control. Also remember that you should take time with ripe banana. It is very good but you have to watch the sugar content, especially if you want to loose the weight fast. Im glad you have lost a little weight. Take care. You should also go easy on carrots.

Jackie

* jumps in the bandwagon with lthierga and jackie *

Count me in too!

I've been 100% raw for a week and have had very similiar effects as you lthierga.

I agree with Jackie on the bananas and carrots. Apples make an excellent substitute, are low on the GI scale, and cheap. Though I too have some ripe bananas waiting to be eaten.

I'll check in now and then to see how you're doing.

I know, I just love fruits. I really crave sweets and that has been my problem with food. I think I need to do it for now until I can get used to some recipes. I went to this raw demonstration yesterday and gave me ideas and tips to make more greens and other vegetables. Like this nappa cabbage salad. It was so good. I never knew cabbage could taste like that. Well I do have psoriasis and I heard that carrots would be really good to eat. I could be over doing it I guess but not sure. I don't have the palate yet for the less sweet fruits and vegetables. I like apples to eat whole but do not like them in a smoothie or juiced. Any ideas let me know about craving sweets.

I have this aweful headache today, could it be all the sugar? Probably.

Looking foward to hear from you. It is great to have buddies to bounce ideas off of eachother.

I find the best way to not eat sweets is to not be around them. It's just like being an alcoholic and having alcohol in the house. I got rid of my cravings many years ago by simply refusing to eat sugar. It took me about 2 months, and it was not easy, but I came through. You have a memory for taste and when you don't eat sweets for a long time you lose those cravings.

As for food ideas about cravings, I'm not sure. I make sure to have at least 4 cups of leafy greens for breakfast in my smoothie. It keeps me full for about 6 hours or more, but that's just me..

I have the headache too, and though many raw foodists claim it to be a 'detox headache', I'm going to look further into this. There is so much 'hype' about the raw food diet and yet I hear so many people complaining of symptoms. I think it's up to us to find out for ourselves.

Not having sweets in the house will be tough. I am not the only one here, I have a family so I will have to do my best. But if eating sweet fruits will keep me on the raw diet then it will have to do until my palate gets used less sweet fruits and vegetables. Let me just tell you how good I am feeling. Yesterday I had so much energy I did not know what to do with myself and my nightly schedule is changing since I am not so tired so early. I usually would fall asleep around 9 or 9:30 (have kids to get up at 6) and yesterday I just could not fall asleep. Another thing I have noticed is that I am not so irritable anymore. My mind is clearing and just feel overall good. I know I have a long road ahead of me but feeling this good is going to keep me going.

So far today I had:
B-1 banana before workout then a green smoothie after my workout

L-Garden burger (2) with sprouted bread and my strawberry shortcake that I wanted last night but was too full.

Hello Ithierga--Congratulations on your discovery of rawfood lifestyle and best wishes on your journey. I've been up and down and off and on...and some people just do it without looking back. It is the right way. Isn't it amazing to find out the Reason behind our sweet tooth? We're SUPPOSED to be eating fruit!

Isn't it exciting though and fascinating? I suggest reading a lot of different books and keeping open mind.

I truly sympathize with you --- I once had a terrible baterial infection (didn't know what it was and the Intense Itching just about drove me crazy.

That's great about your class, and that there is a support group there...that will be so helpful for you.

Best wishes!
Elakti

Thank you. I have been reading that eating fruits is truely the one food that has all the nutrients your body needs. It was made to be sweet so we would eat it, back in the day that is. I will not be worried about it and the woman who did the demonstration says too many fruits is not a problem. Just have to have a variety of both fruits and vegetables, specially dark green leafy vegetables. She told me the best way to consume them is through a smoothie with fruit. And that is what I am doing.

I am so grateful to such great support because my husband thinks I am insane. I had this nappa gabbage salad for my dinner and by the look on his face you would of thought I was eating "@#$%&".

That's great to here that you're thinking more clearly. It's amazing how a diet can have such an effect on our bodies.

I heard that an abundance of fruit is not a problem, but combining fruit (carbs/sugar) with excess fat is what causes diabetes and other illnesses. The fat coats the chemicals that break the sugar down causing the body to need to work harder and eventually over the years this can turn into severe problems. That's what Dr. Douglas N. Graham of the 80/10/10 diet says.

I will look into that more, thanks for the info. Even though I am feeling great a new problem has occured and I am not sure if it is a cold, allergies, or just a process from the raw diet that my body has to get rid of. Two days ago I started getting really stuffy with my nose, sneezing a lot. Is this part of the diet and my body has a lot of stuff to clean out? I cannot tell.

Today I am going to an exercise class at my daughter's gymnastics place. She has a make up class and wouldn't you know they also have a class for exercise. So that is this morning. Right now I am enjoying a nice large glass of green smoothie, delicious.

Feeling great this morning and have lots of energy. I had a really good sleep last night. I was really tired. I haven't been sleeping all that much because well I wasn't all that tired. Well, yesterday I was tired and slept good. I feel like I have a new start in life and the feeling is wonderful.

lthierga, I'd like to say that this is your body cleaning itself out, but that would only be a guess. Some advice might be to ask around to see if other people have had the same symptoms and what became of it.

Great to see you're feeling well and had a good sleep. I don't have a headache yet so I'm happy. I've also bought some different fruit as you suggested. Some variety might help.

Another great day. Only yesterday my basement flooded. We had a huge ice storm and then rain. I cleaned it all yesterday and now it is drying with blowers. So that was my night. This morning I am feeling super tired. I really just want to go back to sleep but the kids are home from school because of the weather. I cannot wait until spring. I hate this cold and snow.

I just have a huge appetite today and low of really good food. But I will get over it and will go shopping here in a few days.

Still really congested specially in during the night and morning. I have read that this happens when the body cleans itself but I am not liking it. My psoriasis looks and feels much better but I read that it takes months for the physical symptoms to go away. I really can't wait that long. I hope by the summer months it will look better.

B-banana and strawberry smoothie with almond milk. I didn't put greens in it because I ran out of almond milk. Need to go shopping. I don't like it with water. I have tried it.

L-Garden burgers on nappa cabbage leaf. I love this cabbage. It is great to roll things up in. It tastes great and big.

I also had nuts. I am just hungry today! I don't have a craving for anything in particular, just hungry. Hope it goes away soon. Well I have to get ready to take my daughter to gymnastics again with the boys, how fun!

Alright, I think I know why I was so tired and hungry today. I did not have my greens in the smoothie this morning for the lack of almond milk. It has to be it. Those greens really do help the hunger and tiredness. But I am not hungry anymore. I had a big bowl of finely minced cauliflower, carrots, and flax seed with homemade salad dressing on it and I am full know. I ate this two hours ago and I still feel super full. Well still haven't figured out the stuffiness. At times it feelis like allergies but then at other times it feels like a cold and then it feels like nothing at all; like it never happened in the first place. Can't explain it.

Hello lthierga : Thanks for checking in on me and for encouraging me. I had that problem with stuffiness but now it is gone. It was like i was having a flu. my nose was running water and even my eyes but i did not feel sick otherwise. it was such a strange feeling, i did not like it. My husband told me the same thing, that my body was cleansing itself. Now my nostrils feel so clear i can actually feel the oxygen going in, it is like a joke. I always know that we breath in air but this it the first time i could acutally feel the air as i breath in. Now i am doing fine. I hope all will be well with you on this journey, you are doing well. My frend got sick at work and had to go to the doctor. I have not gone to the doctor in years, only for a little cold. The doctor told her that she should go home and eat plenty vegetables and fruits and to decrease oil and protien. She was afraid to tell me because I am always encouraging her to eat properly. Now she is trying to eat a little fruit and veg. My problem is that i need to eat enough to nourish my body but my stomach is very small because over the years i have not been taking in much food at one sitting. I will have to try to find a way to solve this problem. I will start to drink plenty green vegetables and I will see what happens. Take care.

Hey, forget to sign my name above.

Jacks

I feel real good this morning compared to yesterday. So this morning I am having my green smoothie with coconut water, spinach, frozen banana and a pinch of maple syrup to sweeten it up a bit more. This is all I have in the house. I am going shopping today, Yeah!. The smoothie tastes alright and could taste the spinach so I can't wait until tomorrow so I can have my regular smoothie. But after how tired and hungry I was yesterday I feel it is important to have my greens this morning to compare how I feel today. For lunch I will probably have garden bergers this time with sprouted bread and a salad with homemade dressing. For dinner I will probably have what I had yesterday. A bowl of minced vegetables with dressing on it. This filled me up really well and tasted great. I think I will make a dessert today. Have a taste for dessert so I am going to treat myself. I don't know yet what to make I will have to look.

I haven't looked at the scale lately to see if I lost any weight. I feel like I did but who knows. I like to weigh myself first thing in the mornig so maybe tomorrow. I am just curious to see. I hate to weigh myself all the time because I get frustrated. I just really want to focus on getting healthy for my skin.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2008 12:29PM by lthierga.

ok, I threw the smoothie out because I just couldn't stand to drink it. I had a huge stomach this morning so my eating is to a minimal. So far I had some green smoothie this morning, a parsimmon and a banana. I need to give my digestive system a huge break.

There are lots of foods that help keep the skin supple and moist. I'm not sure if you've looked them up. I can think of flax, hempseeds, coconut, avocados...

Please don't let the number on your scale guide any decisions. Your body knows what's best.