day 16/17.

-- green shake
-- zucchini "pasta" with raw pesto
-- mrs may bar
-- tofu sandwich, other assorted, non-raw dinner items


-- green shake
-- fruit salad
-- more zucchini with pesto; some carrots and mushrooms


The pesto was actually pretty good: basil, spinach, cashews, lemon juice, olive oil and plenty of salt.

day 15.

-- green shake
-- dried fruit, 12 almonds
-- 3 raw spring rolls (delicious!)
-- mrs. may bar
-- another green shake
-- a banana with almond butter
-- olives
-- a glass of wine (!) Actually, the wine really wrecked me. I didn't have all that much, but it had me falling asleep in my chair. I wasn't drunk but I was completely non-functional. Weird.
-- a little piece of bread (I really needed it.)


Can you see my will breaking?

day 14. Sophie says: Fuck Dominick's.

I don't know what got into me, but I pigged out. all. day.

-- green smoothie
-- small handful of dried fruit, 10 almonds
-- delicous "raw enough" salad from chipotle (raw: lettuce, a fuck-ton of guacamole, tomato salsa; non-raw: lightly cooked peppers, corn salsa and a small dollop of black beans)
-- apple
-- banana with almond butter
-- a raw spring roll (cucumber, red pepper, mango, mint and sprouts (which make a surprisingly good sub for rice noodles), all wrapped up in a lettuce leaf). I made these for lunch tomorrow but sampled one to make sure they were coming out okay.
-- the other half of my NOT RAW calzone. I wasn't even hungry, but I couldn't leave it to languish in the fridge. Fuck, it was good. Really good.
-- 2 coconut date rolls. G-d bless Trader Joe's! I actually found a doppleganger of this raw delight at Dominick's over the weekend, but I couldn't bear to pay $8 (!) for this shit when I knew I could get my fix at TJ's for < $3. We're talking about dates rolled in coconut here. Are these people on crack? Sophie also approved of this pilgrimage because it meant that she got her absolute favorite super stinky fishy TJ's brand cat food. Treats all around.
-- 2 small squares of raw chocolate from Karyn's


Why the incessant scarfing? Well, I did do a double header at the gym: first a short but intense ab class, immediately followed by cardio kickboxing. Also, as I look back at the weekend, i only ate one meal on both Saturday and Sunday with only a couple of small snacks otherwise. I think my body was protesting.


Cravings? Yes, please. Sushi. And an iced vanilla latte, but my craving comes with the caveat that I only want this when it gets warmer and I can sip it while walking around in flip flops. It's so weird that I am pre-craving this since I don't actually drink coffee. I think it's more of a craving for springtime and the end of this crappy weather than anything else. I reserve the right to sub an iced chai for this request, when the time comes. Also, for the record, though I drink soy about 80% of the time, I think I am going to switch to organic milk on the occasions that I do require dairy. Thinking about what's in that shit has been really grossing me out lately.


PS: Did you read this? I ate about a bazillion calories today!

Weekend....all I ever wanted.

It's the weekend, so I'm taking a break from raw. It makes getting through the week a heck of a lot easier.

Day 12:

-- a bunch of random (delicious) homestyle thai food from thai grocery. They are closing shop, so I recommend that you sample some of this stuff asap before you're forever too late.
-- some rice (white, egads!)
-- some tea (It was rainy and cold, so this is totally justified. Plus, everyone knows that tea is not food.)
-- a smoothie: 2 bananas, peanut butter, apple juice*

*This smoothie made me incredibly ill. Ill enough to go promptly to my bed and remain unwilling to move for the next 2 hours. Why? I don't know. I'd like to blame the peanut butter, but the coffee shop by my office makes a very similar concoction that has been nothing but pleasing to me in the past.


Day 13:
-- a banana
-- mrs.may bar
-- half of a ridiculously rich spinach and alfredo calzone; some misc fried veggies (mushroom, zucchini), marinara sauce
-- small salad: spinach, radishes, cucumber, tomato, red pepper, carrots

Again, eating cooked food means = feeling STUFFED!

day 10 & 11.

I've been eating a weird hodge podge of foods, since nothing sounds terribly appetizing.


Thursday:
-- green smoothie
-- 2/3 piece of raw carrot cake (this was actually really good!)
-- strawberries
-- some sprouted lentil salad on top of spinach
-- a clementine
-- mrs. may bar (blueberry, which I've decided are my favorite)
-- banana

I was really not in the mood for anything for dinner so I had one or two bites of a bunch of random things including: 2 baby carrots with peanut sauce/dressing; a small tomato; 2 prunes; one bite of date-coconut cake; one stale triscuit (not raw, but I was desperate for something salty. It was stale and gross, so I threw out the rest of the bag).


Friday:
-- mango and raspberry smoothie (out of bananas, so I thought I'd mix it up)
-- the remaining 1/3 of that carrot cake
-- 4 strawberries + 10 almonds
-- a red bell pepper with spicy miso dressing
-- some sprouted lentil salad (not much)
-- 2 small tomatoes
-- handful of baby carrots with spicy miso dressing


Raw is starting to take a toll on my appetite. I'm tired of the monotony though it's my own fault for not mixing it up. I just have so much spinach and I sprouted so many lentils, I feel compelled to finish them instead of letting them go bad.

I'm also tired of sweet tasting foods (fruit and even so many of the vegetables I'm eating are sweet). I don't crave actual treats anymore, sugar sounds vile. For those of you who know me, you know how big of a deal this is. What does sound good is salty and savory. Carbs, which I usually miss the most, aren't at the front of my mind. What I'm really pining for is protein.

day 9.

-- green smoothie (a bigger one than usual)
-- 2 clementines
-- salad: lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper, carrots
-- new strange raw bar (don't know the brand) made with "whole lemons" which I believe is a true claim. It was really delicious.
-- strawberries
-- sprouted lentil salad (lentils, mint, cucumber, tomato and lemon juice) on top of a bed of spinach. I have to say, this was really delicious. I am so proud of my sprouting skills!
-- a half of a piece of raw coconut/carob/date cake from karyn's

Some days I really don't know if I'm eating enough fat, enough calories or enough greens. Today I was concerned about all 3 until I had that cake. Then I knew that I had at least the first two covered. Seriously though, it's really easy for me to gorge on fruit and forget about everything else. There are plenty of veggies that I love raw, but I haven't been eating many of them. I'm also just not sure if I'm varying my diet enough. I've eaten a fair amount of spinach and a whole lot of tomatoes. I hope this is ok!

day 8. a bit too tired for witty titles.

I'm at this weird point of raw: On one hand, I'm sort of sick of it. I could use some real food, some more pizza, some wine... On the other hand, I'm definitely at the point where I no longer really care about food or eating. Nothing sounds terribly good or terribly bad to me. I'm glad I managed to pick up some produce over the weekend because I think that will be the inspiration to do some prep and get me through the rest of the week.

-- green shake
-- banana with almond butter (lots!)
-- raw tabouli with an avocado
-- apple
-- mrs. may bar (quickly becoming a staple)


I burned my flax crackers last night. They somehow managed to get very crispy (they're supposed to be chewy) and completely melded on to the wax paper I lined my pans with. I tried peeling off the wax paper, but it's just not happening. Oh well. Anyone have any suggestions?


I'm sure I have more to report on what's happening with my bowel movements, but I'm feeling a little skittish about it. I just don't know if we have that kind of relationship.

day 7. not a lot happening.

-- green shake (I finally got some lecithin!)
-- fruit salad with some almonds
-- cucumber and tomato salad with lemon juice
-- mrs. may bar
-- salad: spinach, sunflower sprouts, tomato, radishes, carrots, avocado
-- handful of dried fruit


I made some flax crackers tonight, so I also sampled a spoonful or two of flax seeds in the process. One batch is spicy with cumin, coriander, chili powder and garlic; the other is sweet with honey, raisins, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. I don't have a dehydrator, but I do have a thermometer in my oven, so I can monitor the temperature pretty easily. I'm keeping them at about 105 degrees, which seems to be standard for doing this sort of thing.

saturday + sunday = not the rawest weekend.

ok, I needed a mini-break from raw, but I don't feel too bad about it. Here's the damage:

Saturday:
-- banana + peanut butter
-- mango smoothie
-- semi-raw spring roll (pretty raw, minus the tofu and rice paper)
-- raw tabouli
-- cucumber and tomato salad
-- fruit salad
-- a few almonds
-- a glass of wine (!)
-- a little bit of bread and cheese at a party
-- grapes

Sunday:
-- omelet and potatoes
-- pizza (delicious potato and rosemary pizza!)

Not even close to raw on Sunday, but like I said, I needed a day off. I'm ready to get back on the wagon!

After eating all that cooked food, I felt so very full!

day 4. another day, another salad.

Feeling pretty good!

-- green shake: the best I've made so far!
-- leftover nori roll with nut pate and veggies; a couple of pieces of bell pepper stuffed with nut pate
-- orange
-- banana
-- salad: spinach, radishes, carrots, sunflower sprouts, sprouted lentils, avocado and tomatoes with lemon juice and olive oil.
-- a couple of dates with shredded coconut

I had the most pleasant psyllium experience of my life this morning: I mixed a full tablespoon with apple juice and skipped the bentonite. It was so easy!

Also, I think my hunger is finally in check. I've been feeling pretty satisfied today.

My quinoa is already sprouting! I'm totally pro.

What you've all been secretly wondering about...

I'm sure you're curious but unfortunately, I have nothing to report on the bowel movement front. So far, things have been normal, or even possibly a tiny bit slower than usual. This is pretty normal: it's a common side effect when you first start taking psyllium. It kind of hangs around and bloats you for the first couple of days. It's only a matter of time. Though it might take a few days, the psyllium will triumph!

Are you really still reading this? If you're into it, I'll keep posting about my poo developments as they arise.

day 3. feeling better.

I don't feel so terrible today and I even managed to make it into work! My hunger also seems to be a bit more under control.

-- green shake (no lecithin + mango)
-- 14 almonds + 1/3 cup mixed dried fruit
-- handful of baby carrots, 4 radishes, some sliced mushrooms and a whole bunch of zucchini hummus
-- couple of almonds, couple of more pieces of dried fruit
-- nut pate (sunflower seeds, almonds, celery, parsley) rolled with nori, red bell pepper, cucumbers, avocados and spicy miso paste. I also stuffed some of the pate into red bell pepper halves. Yum!
-- prickly pear lemonade
-- banana with almond butter

I still haven't taken any fenugreek. Honestly, I have nothing against it, but my sugar cravings have been nil and I feel like I can live without it for the time being. Luckily, the raw garlic in my hummus has only grown stronger by the minute, so I've got plenty of stink happening despite my best efforts.


This morning, I woke up to a wonderful surprise: my lentils sprouted! Yes, I decided to try my hand at sprouting with only the internet as my guide. No sprouter, no real guidance, and certainly without the greenest thumb and I still managed to succeed! It was ridiculously satisfying to see all of those lentils with little tails sticking out of them. I'm going to let them grow a little longer before I thrown them into a salad. Watch out: I think quinoa is next!


I also convinced myself to go to the gym during my lunch break. I managed a pretty pumpin' 20 minutes of interval training on the elliptical and then about 10 minutes of abs. I can live with that. Feeling guilty about missing spin class though.

day 2.

-- green shake: still no lecithin, so I used some frozen mango chunks to thicken up my soupy smoothie. It was pretty good.
-- 1 nectarine
-- salad with lettuce, spinach, tempeh (4 oz), mushrooms and radishes
-- 3 T. zucchini hummus (zucchini, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil) with 3 or 4 baby carrots
-- raw trail mix (1/4 c)
-- mrs. may's trio bar - blueberry flavor!
-- handful of soaked almonds and a handful of dried fruit (~1/4 c. of each)

I was really hungry during the day (or maybe a better word is unsatisfied) so most of my intake was before 5pm. By late afternoon I felt incredibly nauseous. Not sure if it was a holdover from last night or a fun wave of detox symptoms. I hope I feel better tomorrow!

Oh yeah -- I also had an unpleasant wretching episode with psyllium this morning. I guess I spoke too soon about it not being so bad. I tried mixing it with apple juice (thanks sgw!) which helped a lot, but I must not have stirred it enough because I managed to get a big dry lumpy explosion of psyllium in the back of my throat. Gross! I still love raw, but I do not wish this for any of you.

In other news, the FedEx man brought me a fancy new bike today! It's a very beautiful Terry Isis. Just taking it out of the box made me so happy I forgot how terrible I was feeling for at least an hour! I can't wait to ride her!

food. day 1.

-- green shake, modified (as described above)
-- glass of green kamut (wheatgrass juice)
-- handful of raw trail mix (< 1/4 c); goji berries, almonds, mulberries, apricots
-- salad with lettuce, spinach, green beans, sunflower sprouts (yum!) and tempeh (1/4 package)
-- 1 clementine and another small handful of raw trail mix (1/8 c)
-- 1/4 package of tempeh (2 oz)
-- mrs. may's trio bar, cranberry variety. Costco was out of larabars and this bar seemed raw enough to me. According to the label: cashews, almonds, pistachios, cranberries, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dates, raisins, rice malt, cane juice and sea salt. Rice malt may be questionable, but if I plan to keep up with my gym routine I really need some portable calories.
-- 1 banana with almond butter (2T), couple pieces of dried fruit
-- couple of bites of the raw hummus I prepared for tomorrow

I went to the gym for about an hour and I was completely nauseous for the rest of the evening. I'm not sure if it was the result of working out really hard or just not eating a whole lot, or a combination of the two. In any event, I stocked up on raw supplies tonight, so I am all set for tomorrow!

It has begun.

I'm back on the raw again. I know my half-hearted attempt in the fall failed miserably, but it's spring (sort of) and I'm mentally prepared to do some seasonal cleaning of my internal nether-regions. My last real raw extravaganza was almost exactly a year ago, so I think the time is right. Sadly, I won't have PQ to join me this time around, but I should have a pretty good raw caravan going just the same. Honk if you love your colon!

Let's get reacquainted with some old friends:

-- psyllium + bentonite
After much debate, I decided to do the part of raw that I find most awful. I feel like the ritualized aspect of this really helps me through and the amazing bowel movements are totally worth it. I managed to start strong (no dry heaving!) and it was relatively painless, until I made the mistake of licking my lips and feeling the smooth snot on my tongue. I'm sure my tolerance for this will fade before too long. I took it light on the psyllium (1 tsp) and most of the bentonite seemed to remain in the bottom of my glass when I was done. Baby steps.

-- green shake
I didn't make it quite up to standard this morning because I was out of apple juice, but it came out pretty close: orange juice, banana, flax oil, and green powder. I threw in some raspberries because it was a little thin. I'll pick up proper juice and lecithin tonight and I'll be in business by tomorrow morning. It's funny though, no matter how I vary this drink, it always tastes the same.

-- green kamut
It's sitting on my desk. I love the spinach-water taste of this! It's like drinking freshly-cut grass, in a good way.

-- fenugreek
Didn't take any this morning, but you bet I'll be on this by tonight. A whiff of me will be sure to curb any Indian food cravings you may have.


Why?
This is no news to anyone reading this right now, but I do love a clean colon. I love the ritual of raw food. I love completely cutting out all of those unhealthy foods that I should enjoy in moderation but just can't seem to eat without making myself sick. And of course, I love pooping within 20 minutes of every meal.


Goals:
Honestly, I don't have any specific goals this time around. I seemed to have kicked my chronically runny nose the very first time I went raw and it hasn't been back since. I haven't really been sick all winter, or actually in more than a year. All of my bones are currently intact and I've been exercising regularly, so I'm starting from a fairly healthy place. I do look forward to better skin, less sleep, more energy and the shedding of a few excess winter pounds. And it's always nice to break my sugar dependency for at least a little while.


Also: I think it's worth mentioning that I though I went to bed early (midnight!) I had rather fitful sleep and terrible dreams. The one that sticks with me this morning was apocalyptic -- something big was going down, though I'm not sure what. Most of my dream involved me preparing Sophie for what was to come: changing her litter box, putting up a baby gate, leaving lots of fresh water and preparing her kitty carrier in case we needed to make a quick getaway. If the world was really ending, I'm not sure what good these things would have done, but as is often the case in dreams, these things seemed imperative at the time.


As always, I would love your raw support. Let's grab a smoothie, hit a salad bar or walk around Whole Foods for a few hours. I also enjoy non-eating activities like bike rides, movies and going to the park.