Day 27- Satisfied with fruit for breakfast

I have been eating a big fruit salad every morning for the past 27 days or so, with about 3 whole fruits (pear, apple, banana, or orange) chopped up, and sometimes hemp seed, sometimes sunflower or pumpkin seeds, sometimes walnuts or almonds. My goal was to eat the fruit first, then eat any type of grain if I was still hungry (oatmeal, toast, cereal with almond milk, etc). At first this felt strange to eat fruit first- I was accustomed to eating cereal to fill me up, and then a little fruit afterwards. But after a big bowl of fruit & nuts, there is not much room for anything else. And since eating this way, I have started to feel amazingly satisfied with simply fruit & nuts for breakfast.

So, I think the key is to eat your fruits & vegetables first! That way you will make sure you get them, and they will fill you up so you won't have much room for the other processed, sugary, chemical-laden food you may be used to eating.

Another thing is that in order to get more nutrients from vegetables without consuming so many (which is hard to do), I plan on juicing. So I will have a cup of juice in the morning (I will include some fruits too, such as apples) and then have my breakfast. Can't wait to get a good juicer soon!


***Update 1/3/13:
Although I loved eating my fruit salad for breakfast, it took awhile to chew it all up. And since I have a toddler and an infant, I don't have the luxury of sitting down to eat for a long time, so I would usually take my bowl into the bathroom and have bites in between showering and getting ready for the day. Sometimes I even had to finish eating it in the car on the way to our playgroup or other errand. So when I read about Fruit Porridge in my my book "Raw Food" by Erica Palmcrantz, I realized I needed to try it out.

Porridge didn't exactly sound exciting and delicious when I first read about it. Sounds like that boring stuff the 3 bears ate in the woods. But it's anything but boring. Basically you take a fruit salad (plus nuts/seeds) and blend it up in the food processor to whatever consistency you like. I like to add ground flax seed & sunflower seeds to mine. The fruits can vary from day to day so you have a good variety for your taste buds. The very first one I made was this:

Winter breakfast porridge

1 orange

1 pear

1 banana

1-3 Tbsp ground flaxseeds

1-3 Tbsp sunflower seeds

a sprinkle of craisins

My latest favorite:

Goji Sunshine

(wow, you can almost feel the light and energy of the goji berries radiating from this picture!)

2 oranges

1 banana

1 apple

1/4 cup goji berries (soaked 20 minutes)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

To sum it up...

Fruit porridge- wow! It's so simple, yet so flavorful & satisfying! Way tastier than plain old oatmeal, and my body feels energized and ready for the day. 

I used to get this feeling in my head after breakfast- when I used to mostly eat cold cereal with milk. My head hurt, not like a headache, it was more of a dull ache and I felt tired and sluggish. I had tried eating different foods to see if it would go away, but I never found anything until I started eating just fruit & nuts/seeds for breakfast. Maybe it was the sugar in the cold cereal, or something in the milk. Whatever it was, it is gone now, and I'm so glad that I can finally start my day feeling great!

Day 21- The simplicity of eating on the go

As I prepared for a short trip over the holidays, I thought "Oh no, how am I going to continue to eat mostly raw & vegan while traveling?" Then I realized that eating this way is actually a lot easier than eating meat & dairy or other cooked foods while traveling! Easier to pack, that is. I guess it would be easy to stop at fast food restaurants, but that cost money, so if you're on a budget, it's easier to pack raw & vegan foods.

All you do is pack a bunch of whole fruits & vegetables! Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocado, spinach, mini bell peppers, carrots, etc.

Then pack some hummus (to dip your veggies in), some trail mix (raw nuts & seeds & dried fruit), some organic granola or other organic dry cereals, some almond milk, sprouted bread and natural bagels, nut butter, and you're set!

Breakfast- a couple pieces of whole fruit and nuts/seeds
Snack- veggies/pita chips & hummus
Lunch- Sandwich with nut butter & jam, and fruit
Snack- almond milk with cereal & a banana
Dinner- big salad- spinach, avocado, bell peppers, carrots, sunflower seeds, crushed pita chips

Another plus is that most of this stuff doesn't go bad if left out, but a cooler with ice packs is good for the veggies, almond milk, and hummus.

Day 14- "How do vegans get enough protein?"

A very common question. Why is it so common? Because we have been taught that the only good sources of protein are meat & dairy. I have discovered that these sources do more harm than good, and our bodies don't actually need as much protein (especially from milk & dairy!) as many people are consuming these days. 

(Why are animal proteins not as good for our bodies as plant-based proteins? Here is just one among many reasons:
http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/animal-protein.html)

If you want to see how much protein you need, you first must figure out your ideal weight.

For men, use this formula: 106 pounds for 60 inches of height (5 feet) and add 6 pounds for every inch over 60.

For women, use this formula: 100 pounds for 60 inches of height and add 5 pounds for every inch over 60. 

To find out how much protein is recommended, the RDA says to multiply your ideal weight by 0.37. (Taken from: http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/raw-food-diet/raw-nutrition/protein-sources-on-a-vegan-raw-food-diet/)
 
As a nursing mom, I need about 20 grams more. So, I need about   
66 grams of protein per day.

Let's take a look at how much I got today eating no meat or dairy:

Breakfast- 

Fruit salad (1 orange, 1 banana, 1 pear) (1+1+0.6=2.6g)
1/4 cup raw almonds (6g)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (7g)

Total= 15.6g

Snack-

A slice sprouted bread  with jam (5g)
Small apple (0.3)
Rest of seeds/nuts from breakfast

Total= 5.3g

Lunch- (usually I have a green smoothie but today I was running low on ingredients so I had leftovers)

Vegan enchilada- whole wheat tortilla (5g) + rice (3g) + beans (4g) + tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers (0.3) 

Total = 12.3g

Snack-

A slice bread with 1 Tbsp raw cashew butter and a drizzle of raw honey (5+3.5)

Total=8.5g

Dinner-

Quinoa lettuce tacos- 1 1/2 cups quinoa (14g)+ 3 romaine leaves (0.9)+ tomatoes, carrots, apples (0.3)

Total= 14.2g

Dessert-

4 dates (0.8)
1/4 cup almonds (6g)  

Total  =6.8g

Late night snack-

1 cup dry cereal- 5g 
(I was out of almond milk)


Grand Total= 67.7g

Not bad! 

(Note: I am hoping to increase my fruit & vegetable intake to get more protein from those sources, as well as start my day with a glass of fresh green juice, in addition to my breakfast) 

(Also, for anyone concerned about whether I'm getting enough of other nutrients while nursing, I am taking a prenatal vitamin and an additional calcium supplement just to be safe.)

With a little googling you can find out the protein value in almost any food. This website is particularly useful for that: http://calorielab.com/index.html

This website has a good article about protein sources for those on a raw vegan diet: 
http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/raw-food-diet/raw-nutrition/protein-sources-on-a-vegan-raw-food-diet/ 

Here are some examples, which I got off some other websites:

Fruits
I have found that most fruits contain about 0.3-1g of protein per cup (or per whole fruit), with the exceptions of:
• 1 Avocado- 4g
• 1/4 cup Goji berries- 4g
Here's a list of all the fruits imaginable with their protein content (and you can see what other nutrients, fiber, and calories they have as well):
http://www.health-alternatives.com/fruit-nutrition-chart.html

Beans
Most beans are 7-10 grams per half cup!

Vegetables
• 1 cup broccoli- 5 grams
• 1 cup spinach- 5 grams
• 1 cup peas- 9 grams
• 1 medium artichoke- 4 grams
• 1 cup asparagus- 5 grams
• 1 cup beet greens- 3 grams
(From: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vegetarian-protein-sources.html#ixzz2F4bVEQ85)

Grains
• 1 cup Quinoa - 9 grams.
• Oatmeal - 1 cup = 6 grams.
• Sprouted grain bread products - buns, tortillas, bread- 5 g
• Pasta- 6g
• Amaranth, bulgur, brown rice, wheat germ, oat bran are other grains with a high protein content.

Nuts/seeds
• 1/4 cup cashews - 5 grams
• 1/4 cup walnuts - 5 grams
• 1/4 cup pistachios - 6 grams
• 1/4 cup almonds - 6 grams
• Nut butters - peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter - 2 tablespoons has about 8 grams of protein
• 1 oz. sesame seeds 6.5 grams, 3 tablespoons of tahini - 8 grams
• 1/4 cup Sunflower seeds- 7 g
• 1/4 cup Pumpkin seeds- 7 g
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds- 3g
(From http://www.naturalnews.com/036270_vegan_protein_legumes.html#ixzz2F4cTbrsq)


But aren't plant sources of protein not as good as meat because they are not "complete proteins"?

This is a good answer to this (from http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/vegan-protein.html )

"A complete protein is a protein source that has a good proportion of those 9 essential amino acids. Simple enough?
In case you're wondering, the human essential amino acids include isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, and histidine.

"Typically, any protein that comes from animals, including meat, dairy, eggs, and fish, is a complete protein. This might seem like a great case against the vegan diet, but the problem is that animal protein is highly acidic and causes illnesses within your body.

"There are also many good plant-based sources of complete vegan proteins, including soybeans, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, hempseed, salvia, and spirulina. Some plant proteins have smaller amounts of one or two of the essential amino acids, and that's why they aren't promoted as often as the animal proteins." 

...That and the fact that there exists a huge business called the Meat Industry....

If you haven't already, go watch "Forks Over Knives"! (Documentary on Netflix) 

Day 13- Vegan Enchiladas

Today I felt like eating enchiladas. Then I realized I could! Enchiladas don't need meat and cheese- you can put in rice & beans and whatever veggies you want!

Vegan Enchiladas

Mix together: 3/4 of a 15 oz can enchilada sauce (or your own), 4 cups rice, 1-2 cans black beans, 1 cup chopped spinach, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 cup chopped bell peppers, anything else you want.

Spread half of the remaining sauce on the bottom of a glass baking dish. Fill whole wheat tortillas with mixture, roll up and put into pan (with the seam face down). Pour remaining sauce and leftover rice & bean mixture on top.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Top with avocado cream (avocado mixed with cilantro, splash of lime, and seasoning salt).

Delicious!

Day 12- "But I can't afford to eat organic"

It's pretty simple actually. You don't have to spend more than you do right now. Use the money that you normally would spend on meat & dairy on organic produce. And find the good deals. You will be able to buy a lot with that money because meat & dairy are expensive. 

Really it's about buying nutrient dense foods instead of foods that are contributing to heart disease & other illnesses. When we fill our house with healthy options, we will have no choice but to eat them. :) 

 I know that it takes effort to change the way we eat because it's easier to do what we've always done instead of change. We're all busy & it may just seem too hard. But we have two choices: we can eat our way to disease & suffering, or we can eat our way to energy & a full life. Some people will get sick anyway, but wouldn't you want to avoid what you can?

Day 11- The "Crowding Out" Principle

When my sister told me she was going to become a vegan last year, my first thoughts were, "How can she never eat cheesecake? Or Cafe Rio? Or....?" You get the idea. 

Now that I am on my 11th day of trying to eat like a vegan, I am finding it pretty easy to do without certain foods I used to love to eat. Ice cream, cheese, cookies, etc. How is this possible? I call it, the Crowding Out Principle.

If you plan your vegan meals (using my easy vegan meal plan model, or not), you will fill your body with good, healthy food at each meal (and for snacks and desserts), and not have any more room for the long lost dairy & meat that you used to eat so frequently. In essence, you "crowd it out" with good food. This is the same concept that helps people who fall into negative behaviors/addictions. When they use their time in pursuit of positive goals, they no longer have any time to feed their addictions.

Another reason why it's easier to avoid those foods, even when they are placed right in front of you, is because 1- you know that your body won't feel good afterwards, so you would rather eat fresh foods that make you feel good, and 2- you don't crave them the way you used to because you are no longer "addicted" to them. I imagine it's like someone who has quit smoking for years. Their bodies are no longer addicted so they don't feel the same urge to smoke as they would if they had just smoked the day before, and they don't want to regress and feel horrible all over again (I may be totally wrong on this, but at least it can illustrate my point).

So just remember, if you eat lots of good food, there will be no more room in your stomach to eat the bad stuff! Crowd it out!

Day 10- Spinach Pesto Pasta & Bell Pepper Salad

Tonight I made a delicious and very easy pesto to add to my pasta. It was inspired by a recipe in my book "Going Raw" by Judita Wignall. 

Spinach Pesto Pasta

1 package cooked Rotini pasta (I used Quinoa pasta)

Pesto:
2 cups fresh spinach, packed
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup walnuts (soaked for 6-8 hours)

To make pesto: blend spinach, garlic, salt, lemon juice & olive oil in food processor until smooth. Add walnuts and blend until as smooth as you like (she suggests you make it chunky, but I liked it more smooth).

(Note: This pesto is all raw ingredients (nothing is cooked), so it won't be hot when you add it to the pasta. If your pasta is warm, it will make the sauce a little warmer, and that is how I ate it. If you want you can heat up the pesto, but just realize that you won't get as much nutrition out of it that way.)

Bell Pepper Salad

The salad was simply romaine lettuce, with chopped bell peppers of every color (red, yellow, orange, and green). It was great with some organic italian dressing, but would have been better with more veggies to add more flavor & texture. (The next day I added avocado & sunflower seeds to the leftover salad & it was 10 times better. More filling too.)

Day 9- Vegan meal plan

I've come up with an easy way to plan my vegan meals.

Every day my meals will follow this model:

Breakfast: Whole fruit & cereal

Lunch: Smoothie & grain

Dinner: Salad & grain & sauerkraut

Breakfast-
The cereal will be either: dry cereal with almond milk, oatmeal, or other hot cereal. I will add nuts & seeds & a little honey (if needed) to my hot cereal, and will add wheat germ & ground flax seeds to my cold cereal. I will try to eat my fruit first (and make it about 50% of my meal)- bananas, berries, pears, oranges, etc. Or add some to my cereal.

Lunch-
I will make slightly different smoothies each day, but will always have a blender full of spinach or kale as the base. See my post about smoothies here.
My grain will be a slice of whole grain bread made from sprouted grains ( i.e. Trader Joes organic Low Fat Sprouted High Fiber bread) with nut butter & jam (Polaner- no sugar added, sweetened with fruit juice), some leftover quinoa from the night before, etc.

Dinner-
The salad possibilities are endless. Mix fruit & veggies, seeds, etc. You can experiment on your own or try out recipes from raw or vegetarian cookbooks. 
The grain might be rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, etc. Season with fresh herbs for the best flavor!
And I will try to include a small side of sauerkraut (or other fermented veggies). Look for my upcoming post on the benefits of this amazing (and surprisingly delicious) food!

Snacks in between meals will consist of: Pita chips & hummus or guacamole, veggies dipped in hummus, fruit & granola, trail mix with nuts & seeds & dried fruit, etc.

Dessert- Whole dates, carrob chia seed pudding, apple crisp, and many more (all made without refined sugar, only honey or agave added when needed, and many of them raw).

Oh the many posts I'm looking forward to writing!!

Day 8- One step at a time...

I just want to point out the importance of taking one step at a time in making the transition to raw food. Even though you may like the idea of eating raw, your body may not cooperate the way you would like, especially if you're accustomed to eating meat and dairy on a regular basis. So, my suggestions for those wanting to make this transition are as follows:

Assess your current way of eating- Do you eat meat & dairy regularly? Are you already a vegetarian? Are you already a vegan? 

Then transition as slow as you feel comfortable from where you are. 

First try to eat like a vegetarian (no meat) for a day. If that's easy, then try a week. You will probably be eating a lot more grain in place of the meat for protein & to fill you up. But don't forget to include good fruits & veggies, especially dark leafy greens for iron. Take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Once you have mastered eating like a vegetarian, try eating like a vegan (no animal products- such as meat & dairy). This will most likely be a bit more of a challenge, since your meals probably revolve around dairy & grains now that you've cut out meat (some of my standard vegetarian meals were pasta, quesadillas, grilled cheese, cheese enchiladas, etc.). Sadly, the fruits & veggies probably aren't  noticed much; they are more of an after thought. (If not, the transition will be a lot easier for you!).

Don't try to go from vegetarian to raw! Trust me, I learned that the hard way. You need to transition to vegan first. Let yourself eat lots of grains to make up for lost calories that you would be getting with the dairy (and meat). And as you are transitioning to vegan, don't take out certain foods until you have a replacement ready to eat. For example, don't stop eating yogurt until you have another good probiotic to replace it with (sauerkraut or fermented veggies, or a supplement like acidophilus). Don't stop drinking milk until you can replace it with a fortified almond milk or a good calcium & vitamin d supplement. Don't just stop eating as much protein- replace it with nuts, seeds, & grains. You get the idea. Take your time so that you don't shock your body and deprive it of vital nutrients just because you aren't prepared with all the vegan & raw food replacements yet. 

Once you have mastered vegan, then start to move on to raw. Of course, if you are still making the transition to vegan, you can include completely raw meals into your week, but don't feel like they all have to be at first. Take it slow.

In short, let yourself take one step at a time. And be ok with that. :)

Day 7- Lettuce Taco Variations

I am a really big fan of this "Lettuce Taco" idea. You take a crunchy organic Romaine heart, fill it with whatever veggies & grains you want and voila! A simple, yet extremely satisfying, meal you can even serve guests.

Today I put in leftover quinoa (& added brown rice since there wasn't much of the quinoa left), guacamole (avocado, tomato, seasoning salt, and splash of lime), and chopped up an orange bell pepper that I got organic at Trader Joes for a pretty good price. :)

Let me know what variations you come up with!

Tips for making the transition...

I'm not writing this blog because I'm an expert at eating raw, or even at eating vegan for that matter. I'm writing it because I want to document my journey into this world of raw & vegan food & hopefully help others in some way along the road.

I don't profess to know the "right way" to eat. It is different for everyone. I'm just trying to eat as healthy as possible for myself, based on what I have discovered in books, research, documentaries, and my own personal experience eating food for the past 31 years (wow...).

That said, I have been thinking of some ways to make this transition easier, because at times it can seem overwhelming, like any change in life. Here are some tips that have helped me. I will be adding to the list as I discover more.

The majority of your groceries should be fruits and vegetables. Find the good deals to buy apples, oranges & pears in bulk. And lots of bananas & greens (i.e. spinach) for smoothies. Trader Joe's has some great prices on produce, I have found. Another great place to buy are farmer's markets, where you can find a lot of local & organic produce for decent prices. When you open up your fridge and see lots of colors, you will be on the right track. :) And with lots of different choices, you will have an easier time having certain ingredients for raw food recipes, or putting your own dishes together. Also, you will never feel like you're going hungry since there will be so much to choose from.

Stock your pantry with raw nuts & seeds. Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistacios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, are all great ones to have- they are high in protein, fiber, good fat, and some have omega 3s & lots of other things. Also gets some dried fruit (without preservatives). Then you can put them together for a great trail mix snack when you're hungry.

Every night take a bunch of veggies and chop them up so you don't have to spend all day long preparing food. I've found that the most time consuming part of food preparation is chopping vegetables, so it really helps to have them already chopped and ready to go.

You don't have to make your own nut milk & nut butters at first- you can buy them. There are almond milks out there that are fortified so that they have the same amount of calcium & vitamin D as cow's milk (Trader Joe's Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk is one of them). That is a great way to take out cow's milk and still get the vitamins you need. Also there are lots of good nut butters out there, even though you can make your own (blend up the soaked nuts & add oil).  I made cashew butter & it was amazing- tasted like the consistency of fudge, and was so rich & creamy. But it took awhile and I put way too much oil in it and had to take it out later.... So buying that stuff at first can save you time. 

When you start to feel overwhelmed (aka- you're hungry and can't think of anything quick to make besides you're old favorites like grilled cheese), just remember: it does not necessarily take more time to prepare raw or vegan meals than it does to cook other meals. It's just that you do different things (instead of cooking, you are chopping and putting them together in salads or smoothies...). But for anyone just starting out, it takes a little bit of getting used to, just like anything new does. After doing it awhile, it will become second nature. So just because it doesn't come naturally, and takes a little more effort at the beginning, doesn't mean it's always going to be that way. Take a deep breath, then grab something easy like apples and nut butter so you're not so hungry and you can think better about what to make next (or you can just look at this blog for some idea). :)

Take a good multivitamin (or at least Vitamin B12, iron, and calcium) to begin. You will be experimenting with different foods and might not get all the vitamins & nutrients you need since you will be focusing on putting together different meals, and not necessarily counting how much of each vitamin you are consuming at each meal. After awhile, I'm guessing that you will start to see your vitamin intake more clearly and know where you might be deficient (Vitamin B12 will be important no matter if you're starting out or an seasoned vegan, no pun intended, since that is found mostly in meat). :)

Make sure you know the vegan sources of protein out there and include them in your meals to get enough protein. (I will make another post with this info.)

Read books, websites, and other resources that give information about "going raw" or a high raw vegan diet. It's great to see so many other people who are trying to eat more healthy & gives me hope and confidence the more I learn. 

These are things that have helped me. Now I need to go fold my laundry. Good night everyone!

Day 6- Butternut Squash Bisque

Disclaimer: This isnt raw, but it is vegan. Perfect for those wanting a good healthy recipe for the winter. :)

And how many of you have actually ever bought a butternut squash and cooked it? It wasn't until my mother in law brought me one from her garden when she came to visit, that I had ever had one in my kitchen. Thanks to her, I have now created a wonderful homemade bisque recipe that (I think) is delicious!

Butternut Squash Bisque

1 Butternut Squash, cooked (see below for instructions)

4 cups vegetable broth (I like Swanson organic)

1 cup chopped carrots

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

a shake pumpkin pie spice

a shake cayenne pepper (you can put more if you like it a little spicier)

salt to taste

Cook the squash. Quarter it with a big sharp knife, then cut into several more pieces. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place pieces face down in glass baking dish and add 1 inch water. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes- until the squash is tender. Keep the water! Peel each piece and discard skin. Save in the water for when you are ready to make the soup.

Heat oil in big pot. Add garlic & saute for a minute or two. Them add carrots and saute to soften a little. Then add vegetable broth, squash & water, salt & spices. Heat to a boil then simmer until everything is nice and soft. Transfer to a food processor (blender would probably work fine too). Blend until smooth. Pour directly into bowls & enjoy! You might like to freeze for later if you have a lot, but I usually eat it too fast.

You can make this as thick or thin as you like, just add more or less vegetable broth.

For a variation add sweet potatoes!

Or you could make pumpkin bisque- use pumpkin (cook the same way) instead of squash, omit carrots, add more pumpkin pie spice & add sugar (or other sweetener) to taste.


P.S. Today was also my birthday. :)

"How can anyone eat only raw foods???"

Admit it. You've asked yourself that question about someone who has decided to "go raw." 

Don't they get sick of eating so plainly?

How can they get full from mostly fruits & vegetables?

All very good questions.

I really like what Judita Wignall says about this in her book "Going Raw":

"When I first went raw I needed familiar foods that reminded me of the cooked foods I used to eat. I also wanted that feeling of fullness that cooked food gave me, but surprisingly, within a few weeks of being 100 percent raw, I started to lose those cravings and wanted to eat simpler. It wasn't something I even thought about. My body was craving less fat, less salt, less concentrated sugar. My taste buds changed. I didn't need a ton of seasoning, and I started to appreciate the natural flavor of naked food. Almost every raw foodist experiences this phenomenon, and it's actually really liberating. I could spend less time in the kitchen because I was satisfied with a bowl of grapes for breakfast and romaine leaves with tomatoes, onions, sprouts, and tahini dressing for dinner. I still love gourmet raw foods, but I don't need them every day for each meal."

Her book has some very tasty looking recipes, such as South of the Border Tacos, Berries & Cream Crepes, and White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake. These are all made with raw ingredients, so the cheesecake is obviously not made with cream cheese. Instead it's cashew cream with an actual vanilla bean. The taco "meat" is ground walnuts & pistachios with taco seasonings. The crepes are made with bananas, lemon juice, and cinnamon (in a dehydrator for several hours) and cashew cream. So as you can see, if you have time to make these dishes (and a high speed blender & dehydrator), you can eat lots of "gourmet" raw foods (not just salads & smoothies every day). But it's interesting to note that after going raw, most people's taste buds change and they are fine eating more simply. It's especially interesting that their bodies feel full and satisfied eating a simple bowl of fruit. To someone not accustomed to that, it can seem crazy.

I find great hope in knowing that our bodies simply need a little time to adjust...but they will adjust. And the increased healthy & energy will definitely be worth it.

As someone said the in the documentary "Forks Over Knives" (paraphrasing): Some people may think that being a vegetarian or vegan is extreme. But getting triple bypass surgery multiple times in a lifetime is what is really extreme.

Folks, it's time we take a look at some scary truths: we're living in a very toxic world, with a health care system & government that is not really helping us avoid getting sick. I am no longer going to believe that everything is going to be ok if I eat whatever I want. These days, there are cancer causing toxins everywhere we go. Let's open our eyes & take control of our health. Even making a small change like taking meat out of one meal a day, will make a difference. And slowly but surely, as we take the bad stuff out & put the good stuff in, we will start to feel a lot better. 

So how can anyone eat only raw foods? 

I think the question is, how can anyone NOT want to eat only raw foods? Or, how can anyone not want to avoid triple bypass surgery when they are in their 40s?

P.S. If you have no idea what I'm talking about (why raw foods are so good for you, etc), watch Forks Over Knives and Food Matters (both on Netflix, you can watch most of Food Matters on their website, click on the link I just made) or click here to read my first post about why I am going raw.

Day 5- New transitional plan

So, I realized that, as much as I want to eat completely raw, my body is being a little stubborn and still wanting to fill up on grains first. So, instead of trying to eat completely raw right now, this is my new plan:

- Eliminate meat and dairy.
- At each meal, at least 50-75% will be fruits and/or vegetables (mostly raw, with lots of dark leafy greens)
- The rest will be grains (cooked) and nuts/seeds (this will give me the protein & fat needed to feel full)

That should make this transition a little easier. And hey, I am still eating "vegan," just not raw. That is still quite a feat!

(Note: Vegans do not eat any animal products (meat, dairy). Since honey is considered an animal product, some vegans do not eat it, and some do. I will be eating honey.)

 With that new plan in mind, I just had this for dinner:

A baked sweet potato with a little rosemary

A modified version of my favorite Super Waldorf Salad
'(with kale instead of spinach & romaine, and no carrots or bell pepper)

A side of Quinoa pilaf
(I briefly sauteed a chopped clove of garlic, added chopped carrots and sauteed for a minute (so they were still crunchy), added a couple shakes of Thyme, Oregano and Rosemary, a little sea salt, and about 2 cups cooked quinoa and mixed well)

Of course, I started eating the grains first. But this meal was extremely filling. And I feel light & energetic, instead of gross & sluggish (such as I feel after eating lots of meat, only carbs, or lots of sugar & artificial ingredients).

I even think my husband might like it. :)

Day 4- A Challenge

Today was a bit of a challenge. I was running out of food & was starting to feel like I needed more than just raw foods to feel full. I have to admit, it does feel different filling up on fruits & vegetables & nuts/seeds with only a small amount of grains. When I'm hungry I usually crave carbs- pancakes, bread, quesadillas- and I used to fill up on that, leaving only a little room for fruits or veggies. So this is a huge adjustment for me.

This is definitely a "transitional" menu:

Breakfast- fruit salad (chopped pear, banana, and blueberries with a little wheat germ* on top, and a little organic granola*
Snack- kale smoothie
Lunch- leftover broccoli salad & 5 dates
Snack- shredded wheat cereal* & milk*
Dinner- pears & bananas mixed with a little organic plain yogurt, sprinkled with 5 grain cereal (raw), walnuts & cinnamon

*= not raw

I definitely ate more non-raw foods today, and even dairy. :( That was mostly because we were running out of food & I didn't want to go hungry since I'm breastfeeding my baby. But I will applaud myself for the good food I did eat today & hopefully go to the store soon. :)

Day 3- Pear Cashew Salad & Broccoli Carrot Salad

Today's menu:

Breakfast- 5 grain hot cereal* with blueberries & walnuts, & a banana
Lunch- Pear Cashew Salad
Snack- Kale Smoothie (kale, water, 2 bananas, an orange, frozen mangoes, flax seed oil, cashews, walnuts, & hemp seeds)
Dinner- Broccoli Carrot Salad

* = not raw

Today the highlight was my completely invented Pear Cashew Salad. I am creating my own dishes because I don't have all the ingredients yet to make the recipes in my new raw food books. So I'm experimenting with what I do have. I liked this Pear salad. The pear gave a sweeter taste to the kale which I really liked. It was fresh, and even a little nutty, with the cashews.

Pear Cashew Salad

Kale

Pears, chopped

Raw cashews

Hemp seed

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

Broccoli Carrot Salad

Ingredients:

Broccoli florets

Carrots, grated

Apple, chopped

Avocado, diced

Hemp seed

Goji berries (soaked for 20 mins)

Lemon juice

Olive oil  

This still needs some tweaking. I will let you know when I come up with a broccoli salad that I like more.  

Day 2- Green Smoothie & Quinoa Lettuce Tacos

This was my menu for the day:

Breakfast: organic waffle*, banana, blueberries
Lunch: Leftover waldorf salad, adding kale & raw goji berries
Snack: Kale smoothie, Trader Joe's Whole Grain Pita Chips*
Dinner: Quinoa* lettuce wraps & pears for dessert
Snack: Apple slices with Sunflower Seed Butter*, and pumpkin seeds

*= not raw, but I'm still transitioning...

I'm pretty impressed with myself that I am eating so much raw food already and I don't even own a lot of ingredients & kitchen tools needed for a lot of the raw food recipes in my new books.

Here is how to make the Kale Smoothie that I had for snack:

Green Smoothie

Fill blender to the top with spinach or kale.

Fill half way with water.

Add a handful of chopped carrots, 2 bananas, any fresh or frozen fruit you want.

Add flax seed oil &/or hemp seeds.

Add a scoop of Raw Organic Protein Powder (I use Garden of Life brand)

Blend and enjoy! The variations & possibilities are endless!

Our dinner was another personal creation of mine, and turned out fantastic! This was also for my husband who is not necessarily gung ho about "going raw" at this point, and he was also finishing an all day fast. So, it includes Quinoa, which is cooked (and he did add some chicken to his). Although a simple, completely raw version would be to substitute quinoa sprouts (home grown), instead of cooked quinoa. I'm looking forward to experimenting with growing my own sprouts, since I have discovered how highly nutritious they are. I had no idea! And I actually really like sprouts

Quinoa Lettuce Tacos

Ingredients: 

Organic Romaine Lettuce Hearts

Quinoa (cooked or sprouted)

Grated Carrots

Chopped Green Bell Pepper

Olive Oil

Rosemary

Other spices (I will have to experiment)   

Here's what you do:

Wash & separate romaine leaves- they will be your "tortillas" to put your taco mixture into.

Cook Quinoa (and season with rosemary & any other spices) OR use raw quinoa sprouts

Grate carrot, chop bell pepper.

Add all ingredients together & spoon into the leaves of romaine. 

Eat like a taco. 

Be sure to make enough because it is tasty!

 

Have pears for dessert. :)   

Day 1- Super Waldorf Salad

Today I created a definite raw food winner! It looked so beautiful with all the colors, & almost radiated positive energy before I even took a bite. Of course, the taste didn't disappoint & I have a feeling this will become a weekly standard.

Super Waldorf Salad

Ingredients: 

Organic spinach

Organic romaine hearts

Organic apple, chopped

Organic carrot, grated

Raw walnuts

Organic, Raw Hemp seeds

Dried Cranberries

Green bell pepper

Lemon juice

A touch of organic Raspberry Viniagrette 

First I placed a handful of spinach on a plate, followed by a handful of chopped romaine hearts. I combined the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl and mixed well. Then I topped the greens with the "waldorf" mixture. Pretty easy!

The superfoods in this salad (hemp seeds & spinach) make this Super Waldorf Salad. :)

From my reading so far, I have found that hemp seeds are a great addition to salads, smoothies, etc, because they have a high amount of protein (10 grams per 3 Tbsp). They are very soft seeds and taste great too! You can find them in a health food store.

This was a very delicious & filling dinner!

My Raw Food Revolution

I have always been pretty healthy.

Growing up my parents instilled in me good eating habits & a desire to take care of my body. In high school I realized that I had very high metabolism- no matter what I ate, I never really gained weight. So I didn't mind frequently eating fast food or vending machine snacks.

When I went off to college, I ate whatever I wanted pretty much. I never felt the need to diet or restrict my intake of any particular type of food because my weight always stayed about the same. I took a weight training class my first semester, and worked out at the gym pretty regularly. I considered myself pretty healthy.

However, like most everyone else, I ate the Standard American Diet (SAD)- centered my meals around meat & grains, with lots of dairy, and I tried to eat at least a side of fruits or vegetables. My meals consisted of foods like: enchiladas, tacos, spaghetti, subway sandwiches, pizza, and sweets like ice cream & cookies. I ate out a lot during college as well (italian, chinese, burgers & milkshakes, etc). I didn't eat a lot of junk food on a regular basis (potato chips, candy, etc), but I didn't really focus on fruits & vegetables either.

When I got married, I cooked pasta a lot (with a salad), and made quick meals such as grilled cheese, quesadillas, pancakes, and omelets. The majority of my food intake was grains & dairy, with some meat, and some fruits & vegetables.

Soon after I got married I got pregnant with my first son, and also happened to stumble upon some information that made me rethink what personal care products I was using. I was shocked to discover that my shampoo, soap, lotion, make up, all contained chemicals...chemicals linked to cancer.

I found Miessence Organic Skin Care & began using all natural, organic & mostly raw (cold pressed to retain vital nutrients) personal care products that contained ingredients that were actually beneficial to my skin, instead of destructive & cancer-causing. I started to notice a big difference in my skin & could never go back to all-chemical products again.

In my research, I also found out that our food supply was laden with chemicals as well...chemicals linked to cancer. I learned about Genetically Modified foods, the dangers of pesticides, high fructose corn syrup, and a host of other ingredients to avoid. 

Unfortunately, organic food was scarce on our little island of Guam, but I nevertheless began making choices at the grocery store to avoid the toxins that I had been reading about.

When we came back to the states, I tried to eat more organically. But it wasn't until very recently that I watched two documentaries that have inspired me to completely change the way I eat: "Food Matters," and "Forks Over Knives." What I learned in these films resonated deep within my being. It was as if I always knew these things subconsciously, but because of the messages I had been given my whole life from the government, & subsequently everyone else, I never knew them consciously.

I learned that the consumption of animal products (meat & dairy) is highly correlated with  diseases such as: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many others. Additionally, a raw food diet based on vegetables & fruits, with nuts/seeds/grains, actually prevents the body from contracting diseases & increases energy & all around health & vitality. Wow!

The research is astounding. The fact that so few people know about this is devastating. So many Americans today are suffering needlessly, many of whom have chronic conditions (probably from eating meat & dairy) which require a daily regiment of pills. They endure nasty side effects & never seem to have energy or feel themselves. Their doctors don't tell them that eating a diet of primarily raw fruits & vegetables, will actually heal their bodies. They don't know that vitamins, not medicine, is what a sick body needs to be healthy again.

I don't want to be a statistic. I want to get rid of the toxins that are already in my body. I want my body to be in top shape to fight against any additional toxins that may enter from outside sources (water, air, radiation, etc). Most of all, I want to give my children the best chance at a healthy life as possible, and have a husband who I can grow old with.

I'm not the kind of person that can ignore something like this. This is life-saving information. It's about time we, the American people, take responsibility for our own health and stop believing what our government & the medical industry is telling us. Let's start thinking for ourselves- are disease rates going down? No. They are increasing. Yet countries that eat raw fruits & vegetables have zero cases of cancer. That should be enough to convince us that we're doing something wrong as a society.

And so I begin my personal Raw Food Revolution! I'm going to do an experiment and see for myself how I feel eating primarily raw fruits & vegetables. I'm in the unique situation of currently breast-feeding an infant, so I'm going to attempt to keep up my calories & protein by replacing dairy & meat with raw sources of protein such as nuts & seeds (fruits & vegetables also have protein in them). I am not going to go completely raw at first, still consuming some cooked foods such as oatmeal & other cereals & grains. That is, until I have a good supply of raw grains (especially sprouts) that I can be eating.

My goal is to increase my intake of nutrient-dense foods, eliminate nutrient-deficient foods, and eat foods that make me feel healthy & energetic.

To begin my "raw food revolution" I went to the store and bought double the fruits and vegetables that I normally do. Then I went to the health food store and bought these raw foods to start: Goji berries, Hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, carob powder, walnuts, and cashews.

Next I started putting raw foods together- in smoothies & salads mostly- using two raw food books as my inspiration ("Going Raw" by Judita Wignall, and "Raw Foods" by Erica Palmcrantz & Irmela Lilja).

What follows is a record of my journey into a new way of looking at food, including recipes & personal discoveries. Feel free to join me!