30/90 day challenge
MY
JOURNAL:
Motivation
I decided to enter this challenge for two reasons. The first, I have been eating cooked food (occasionally). which usually was giving me pimples, and would like to go 100%. The second, Alissa's book of course!!!
Some more details: I live in Adelaide, Australia. I have been raw for about a year now, since July 2003 (a fortnight before my 40th birthday). I decided to go raw, because I felt awful - old and tired. I feel much better today. In recent months I allowed myself for some occasional cooked foods, which I want to stop doing completely. I could say that I am in the second part of my transition to raw foods and I need to start moving forward. I lost nearly all excess weight and there is not much left there. I am a fairly small-bones person, so I may appear slim, when in fact there are some fat bulges on me. At the present, I have some bulges in the waist, arms and legs area, which makes them look a bit flubby. I would like my body to be lean and firm. I hope to replace fat with muscles. I go to work on my bike nearly every day. My other goal, which is the most challenging for me is to do a much better job of feeding my husband and two children. The eating patterns of my family have improved a lot since I went raw. For example, I no longer buy sweets for my children (but make my own raw goodies) and they eat far more fruit and vegies (although they still eat cooked foods). I would like to offer them a wider range of delicious raw foods and this takes some time for me to learn. Anyway, I hope that me participating in this "30/90 days raw challenge" will motivate me further. Let it be a gentle push in the right direction.
Day 1: Monday, 16th August 2004.
Morning (grazing): dark sweet juicy grapes, bananas.
Midday: no food, a visit to the dentist (just regular cleaning)!
Afternoon: meat and potatoes ... kidding! Bananas again. Am I turning into a monkey yet? Later, apples.
Evening: Raw flat wheat bread with avocaodo and vegies on top.
Today I ate less than ususal, as my gums are a bit sensitive after the visit to the dentist. Note that when I say bananas, I do not mean 1-2. It can easily be 5 or more! I think that I will start writing some numbers, or people may think that I do not eat a lot. Hey, a bowlfull of grapes for breakfast is a good amount, isn't it!
Day 2: Tuesday, 17th August 2004.
Morning: pears (6)
Midday: bananas (7 ... I think, I lost count!!!)
Afternoon: 1/2 mignonette lettuce, a handful of mung bean sprouts and 5 carrots (I am being a rabbit for a change).
I am going to a lecture tonight. I decided I will take a bottle of water and some nuts with me to attend the "drinks and refreshments" before the lecture. I do not expect anything raw there.
I was wrong. They actually had some cut vegies (for the dips), but I was not hungry. Carrots and some nuts filled me up.
Day 3: Wednesday, 18th August 2004.
Morning: sweet dark grapes, bananas (6). Gee, I am so predictable.
Afternoon: apples (6 seems to be the capacity of my stomach).
Evening: flat wheat bread with avocado and tomato, my red soup (tomatoes, capsicum, carrots, beetroot, blended with water, a touch of celtic salt, 1 clove of garlic and 1/2 t cumin).
Day 4: Thursday, 19th August 2004.
Morning: orange juice; bananas (7).
I have been a bit preocupied these last four days, so I have time only fo easy munching of whatever I bring in my bag to work.
Afternoon: almonds; apples (5), bananas (2).
Evening: my favourite banana-berry pudding (bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blended) shared with my family; a salad with my favourite herbs: dill and coriander, yum!
Day 5: Friday, 20th August 2004.
Morning: dark grapes; guess what? (6).
Afternoon: a salad wins the race to my tummy. Later almonds and 2 bananas.
Evening: flat bread with avo and leftover salad.
Day 6: Saturday, 21st August 2004.
My nearly 4 year old daughter says as I type this: "Apples are good for you" and she studies the pictures on top of this page.
Shopping today! I bought 23 kg of bananas!!! This is for one week.
Morning: b _ _ _ n _ s (6).
Afternoon: mandarines (lots!), in between - nuts, mushrooms stuffed with pesto (according to Alissa's recipe but un-dehydrated).
Evening: my red soup; bananas.
Day 7: Sunday, 22nd August 2004.
Morning: durian!!! (the third I ever had, I am getting addicted to it, buying it once a week has become a sacred ritual)
I am going out to a birthday party this afternoon. I am taking a salad and some bananas to munch on.
Day 8: Monday, 23rd August 2004.
I am really glad that I am in this challenge. It really does help me to avoid sticky situations and I am observing the benefits of it already. My skin looks slightly better than a week ago and I feel better too.
Morning: bananas (lost count), almonds.
Afternoon: red delicious apples (just keep on munching without counting).
Evening: bananas, a salad with a novel dressing - celery blended with garlic and blueberries!
Day 9: Tuesday, 24th August 2004.
Morning: I am being a monkey! (you know what that means).
Afternoon: almonds, apples.
Evening: bananas, flat bread with avo and leftover salad.
Busy evening, we had a musical rehersal in our home for Friday meditation. Our friends were asking about the amount of bananas on our table. They expressed an interest in having a sample of my raw bread and said that my raw cookies were very tasty!
Day 10: Wednesday, 25th August 2004.
Morning: orange juice; mandarines; bananas in pyjamas, no, without!
I am back on my bike! (commuting to work between orange juice and mandarines)
Afternoon: red grapes; where is my salad?! here it is!
Evening: banana-strawberry-raspberry pudding (just blend the fruit); soup.
Night: I woke up and couldn't sleep. I ate mandarines.
Day 11: Thursday, 26th August 2004.
Morning: bananas.
Afternoon: a salad (bok choy and other stuff).
During my lunch-break walk (I am very hungry, this is before I eat my salad) I can smell some food being prepared in a small restaurant. Why does cooked food smell so good? Is it because all goodness evaporated into the air? I could nearly buy some of that stuff, but I know that it will make me feel crappy, so temptation perishes before it even materialized. Gee, I am enjoying my salad so much.
Last night Luke noticed that I look radiant. 10 days on only raw (so far) must be working!
Evening: flat bread with avo and radish; mandarines.
I am observing (again) that if I have a salad for lunch, I am not very hungry in the evening.
Day 12: Friday, 27th August 2004.
Morning: pears, bananas.
Afternoon: a salad.
Evening: flat bread with avo and leftover salad.
Day 13: Saturday, 28th August 2004.
Morning: sharing a smoothie with my family (almonds, dates, bananas, raspberries, water, all blended) DELICIOUS!!!
I am converting my children from cornflakes-and-soya-milk to banana smoothie breakfast. Julia said "I love watermelon, walkmelon and bananas".
Afternoon: sweet ripe strawberries, d _ _ _ _ n (playing the guessing game again).
Evening: salad and a bite of raw cake.
Day 14: Sunday, 29th August 2004.
Morning: strawberries, rockmelon.
Afternoon: banana smoothie; durian!
Evening: mandarines; flat bread with avo, radish and leftover salad; bananas.
Day 15: Monday, 30th August 2004.
Morning: pears, bananas.
Afternoon: apple, a salad.
I signed up at fitday.com and calculated the calories I ate today so far: approximately 1030 (this proves that I am not starving!), with a ratio carb:fat:protein being approximately 85:8:8 (does not add up to 100% because it is all rounded up). Welcome to the 80:10:10 club! Must have been it for a while, without knowing about it!
Evening: a salad; bananas.
Day 16: Tuesday, 31th August 2004.
Morning: pears (grapes season seems to have nearly ended, they are expensive and not yummy at all); something that starts with `b' and ends with `s' (no, not the bees!)
Afternoon: a salad and that's that!; and an apple; and not-the-bees; and almonds, I am stuffed.
Evening: mandarines; a small bite of flat bread with avo.
Day 17: Wednesday, 1st September 2004.
Morning: leftover banana smoothie from my children's breakfast (my son had three glasses of it!); a salad.
Afternoon: apples; bananas.
Evening: pizza (no, not ham and cheese, raw one, inspired by a pizza picture in one of Alissa's posts).
Day 18: Thursday, 2nd September 2004.
Morning: a sip of leftover smoothie from my children's breakfast; pears (after a bike ride to work); bananas.
After having almonds on Tuesday, I still feel like staying away from them.
Afternoon: I am starving and want some greens, have to get off my office chair and go and get them! got them!; time for ....
....bananananas !!!
Evening: pizza (on a flax-seed crust); bananas.
Day 19: Friday, 3rd September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; a salad.
I am praying for the release of children held up in Russia. I am hoping that the cloud of consciousness will enter the hearts of the captors.
Afternoon: strawberries, macademias, apples.
Evening: strawberries, bananas, flat bread with some topping.
Shopping at the central market was a little challenging. Once I bought bananas and some other stuff, I unloaded the trolley into the car and forgot to take some food with me! Then, I went to meet up with my family who were having a meal at the vegan restaurant, which is situated in a big hall with dozens of other restaurants. All those smells around me were making things worse. But I resisted. I feel really determined to stay raw. I really want to do it for 90 days and I hope that this experience will help me get to another level in my journey.
Day 20: Saturday, 4th September 2004.
Morning: banana-raspberry smoothie.
Afternoon: flat bread with avo, okra, tomato and bok-choy; mandarines.
Evening: bananas (very yummy, got some really nice ones yesterday at the central market, 25 kgs of them!); a salad with yummy dressing (cucumber, dill, garlic, celtic salt, raisins, all blended), a few raw cookies.
I won't be pretending that I feel cheerful today. I feel very very sad. The pictures and thoughts of children who were denied water for three days and shot at, makes me astonished. I am acutely aware that there is far more than that going on in the world, nevertheless I feel sad about this particular event, because I was hoping so much for a better outcome. I really wish that the human race will come to its senses. What is happening is outrageous.
Day 21: Sunday, 5th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana-raspberry smoothie;
Afternoon: durian; bananas.
Evening: a salad with my recent favourite dressing (cucumber, dill, garlic, celtic salt, olive oil, all blended); bananas; cookies (raw ones, nauturally).
Day 22: Monday, 6th September 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie (made too much again, so I am having the leftovers); mandarines; bananas.
Afternoon: a salad.
Evening: banana-strawberry pudding (simply the two fruit blended); a salad.
Day 23: Tuesday, 7th September 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie; flat bread.
Afternoon: mandarines; bananas; flat bread.
I am relaxing by looking at J.C.Sprott's images.
Evening: lots of smoothies!
Day 24: Wednesday, 8th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; a smoothie; pears.
Afternoon: a salad; apples.
Evening: a smoothie; a salad.
Day 25: Thursday, 9th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; a smoothie; mandarines.
Afternoon: bananas; a salad.
Evening: flat bread with stuff (mostly green); a bite of my easy-peasy two-layer carob cake (layer 1: 2 c walnuts, 4 dates, 1/4 c raisins, 4 T carob, blended till sticky but still crumbly; layer 2: 2 c walnuts, 8 dried figs, 4 T carob, 1 and 1/2 c water, blended till smooth; decorate with strawberries; see picture below)
Day 26: Friday, 10th September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie; red-delicious (and juicy) apples;
Afternoon: yes, bananas again! Let's celebrate:
Evening: strawberries; mandarines.
Day 27: Saturday, 11th September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie; apples.
Afternoon: durian; a smoothie.
Evening: a salad; strawberries; cookies.
Day 28: Sunday, 12th September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie; orange juice.
Afternoon: bananas; flat bread with topping.
Evening: a smoothie; a salad; mandarines.
Just a quick note: Yes, I do observe the difference between before this challenge and now. I do feel better staying all raw, even though it is challenging (what an appropriate word) at times! I feel that my body is transforming towards the healthier state slightly faster than before. I feel that I have some way to go yet. I am looking forward to the 85th day of the challenge.
Day 29: Monday, 13th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; a smoothie; pears; bananas.
Afternoon: macademias; apples.
Evening: red soup; mandarines.
Day 30: Tuesday, 14th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; strawberries; bananas.
Afternoon: carrots; strawberries; almonds.
Evening: flat bread with topping; mandarines.
Day 31: Wednesday, 15th September 2004.
Morning: smoothie; pears; bananas.
Afternoon: almonds; apples.
Evening: Totally haotic. I had a very bad today at work, felt angry, and burned some (vegan) stuff I was warming up for my son. As I was putting it in a kitchen compost-bin, I had a few bites of that (some mushrooms). OK, put me in prison for that and I won't do that again!!!
Day 32: Thursday, 16th September 2004.
Morning: staying at home today (have to rest emotionally and physically), smoothies time!!!
Afternoon: flat bread with avo and tomato; apples; a few bites of cookies (I make them for my children using almonds, walnuts, dates, raisins and carob)
Reflection time: My body is definitely changing (for example my flubby bits become leaner) and I feel better. I am planning to post some after-pictures after 90 days though, not just yet.
Evening: a salad.
Day 33: Friday, 17th September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie; orange juice; strawberries; pears; bananas (aren't I hungry?)
Last time I went shopping, at my friend's request I counted all the bananas that I bought: 184 (This is for a weekly supply of smoothies for my 2+2 family). She said I am raising monkeys and I liked that!
Afternoon: almonds; bananas.
Evening: flat bread with avo and a salad (I basically ate Luke's leftover lunch, it was a bit soggy from seating too long and very very yummy!)
Shopping in the evening, I bought 26kgs of bananas (and lots of apples, pears, mandarines, strawberries, kiwis and two large durians)!
Day 34: Saturday, 18th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice, mandarines.
I can smell the durians, it is so tempting, but I have to wait for Luke to come back from the fundrasing car-wash (for charities in India) till I get to eat them!
Afternoon: durian.
Evening: a salad; raw cake.
Day 35: Sunday, 19th September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie.
Afternoon: durian; flat bread with avo.
Evening: my delicious dip (4 tomatoes, 1 capsicum, 1/2 avocado, a piece of onion, celtic salt, fresh parsley, thyme and basil - all blended) with cut up vegies (snow peas, celery, carrots); mandarines.
Day 36: Monday, 20th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; pears.
Afternoon: almonds; a salad.
Evening: another variation of my red soup; a whole avocado!
Day 37: Tuesday, 21st September 2004.
Today is The Internation Day of Peace. My chant for today: Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu.
Morning: orange juice; mandarines; bananas.
Afternoon: a handful of pickled olives (I am craving something salty); apples.
Evening: a smoothie; flat bread with avo.
Day 38: Wednesday, 22nd September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; a sip of a leftover smoothie; a few strawberries; a pear; bananas.
Afternoon: a salad; cookies (I don't mean oeros!).
Evening: sushi; mandarines.
Day 39: Thursday, 23rd September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie; orange juice; bananas.
I feel a little bit sick. Both my daughter and son seem to be afflicted with something. I have been caughing a lot (Just remembered a joke: "ghoti" means fish, beacuse "gh" in caugh is "f", "o" in women is "i" and "ti" in nation is "sh"). Another thing, after reading someone's advice to eat plenty of nuts, I did an experiment and increased the amount of nuts in my diet. Well, I DO NOT LIKE IT!!! I do not know whether my dislike is permanent or temporary (and relating to the fact that I am still in transition and need to get rid of some stuff from my body). Anyway, I really prefer my fruit, greens and vegies with only small amounts of nuts/avoes.
Evening: sushi.
Day 40: Friday, 24th September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie; semi-dried tomatoes; strawberries.
Afternoon: flat bread with topping.
Evening: mandarines; bananas.
I went to a meditation, where some Indian food was offered. I had a bite of it and felt sooooo tempted to get stuffed with it! I still love the taste of that type of food ....
Day 41: Saturday, 25th September 2004.
Morning/afternoon: Eating party food today (Julia's 4th birthday party). (Raw) dips, vegies, sushi.
Evening: apples; bananas.
Day 42: Sunday, 26th September 2004.
rock melon; smoothie; durian; a salad; flat bread with avo; mandarines.
(Went to a birthday party. Pavlova, home-made strawberry icecream, chocolates - naa, didn't have them! Hoorray!!!)
Day 43: Monday, 27th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; a smoothie; pears; a salad.
Afternoon: almonds; bananas.
Crime: coffee. Did not have it for months. Why today? Was feeling lethargic. Too many nuts? Sweet fruit after nuts? How do I feel now? Drained ... Buzzing ... Eeeee ... Don't you try to copy me!
Evening: sushi.
Day 44: Tuesday, 28th September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie; watermelon; kiwi fruit.
Afternoon: ba-na-nas!
Evening: sushi (with carrot, cucumber, capsicum, avocado and bok-choy filling); cut up vegies (carrots, celery, snow peas) and dips (dip1: blended tomatoes, capsicum, a few slices of onion, avocado, celtic salt, olive oil; dip2: blended zuccini, garlic, tahini, celtic salt).
Day 45: Wednesday, 29th September 2004.
Morning: a smoothie (bananas, almonds, dates, water).
Afternoon: flat bread with topping; apples.
Evening: a smoothie again!
Day 46: Thursday, 30th September 2004.
Morning: orange juice; a smoothie; pears.
Afternoon: a salad; apples.
Evening: flat bread with avo.
Day 47: Friday, 1st October 2004.
Hey, I just passed half the "90 day challenge" goal (I must extend it later on to a 100, because it sounds nicer)!!! OK, reflection time. So far, the improvement in my diet has been, thanks to being in this challenge, keeping away from cooked foods. This has helped a lot, as I avoided those moments of feeling tired/constipated, which I ususally do when I eat something cooked. At the same time, I feel that I need to make a few more changes, to help me feel my best. Firstly, I feel a growing need for more exercise. So far, I commute to work on my bike (most days), which takes me about 35 minutes each way. I find that this is not enough, which is fair enoug, considering that most of the day I sit on my bum and think about mathematical problems (this is my job).
I really do need to be more active. So, starting next week (when I take some days off), I am going to start some new routines. Secondly, as far as nutrition, I find that having too much nuts/avoes is definitely no good on my skin. I find that indeed more than 1/2 avo and a small handful of nuts per day results in my skin becoming less clear. Finally, I find that I need to increase the amount of greens on my menu. So, I am going to change that, say starting next week. I shall report later on how these two changes (more exercise, less fat and more greens) affect how I feel.
Morning: a smoothie.
Afternoon: a salad; apples.
Evening: sun-dried tomatoes.
Day 48: Saturday, 2nd October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; rock-melon; durian; a smoothie.
Evening: a salad; a few strawberries; a couple of (raw) cookies.
Day 49: Sunday, 3rd October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; a smoothie.
Afternoon: flat bread with avo; apples; pears.
Evening: cut up vegies with dips; bananas.
Day 50: Monday, 4th October 2004.
Morning: rock-melon; smoothie.
Afternoon: flat bread with dips on top.
Evening: flax-seed base pizza with greens and other vegies on top; juicy mandarines.
Day 51: Tuesday, 5th October 2004.
Morning: smoothie.
Afternoon: Yuck yuck yuck!!! I blended a bunch of spinach from my garden with some bananas. I think I had too much of it. When I tasted one leaf, it was OK, but when I had it all, I felt really awful. I wanted to vomit it, but couldn't. Waaaaa!!!
What to do with all that spinach in my garden? I feel like rip it off and plant some soft greens instead. But I feel hesitant as well. Maybe I should keep some, just in case I feel like having some bitter greens...
Evening: mandarines (no will to eat anything else after my bitter experience with spinach).
Night: bananas.
Day 52: Wednesday, 6th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; smoothie; bananas.
Afternoon: carrots.
Evening: flat bread with avo and salad; apples; mandarines.
Day 53: Thursday, 7th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; smoothie; pears.
Hey. my skin has been clearing since I reduced the amount of fat on my menu!
Afternoon: flat bread with avo and salad; bananas.
Evening: sushi. Somehow, I did not really enjoy it, I wanted some fruit instead.
Day 54: Friday, 8th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; rock-melon; smoothie; strawberries.
Afternoon: smoothie again! ; flat bread with avo and tomatoes.
Evening: rock-melon; apples;
I rebelled and stuffed myself with bread.
Day 55: Saturday, 9th October 2004.
I have to re-define some rules for myself. I got sick and tired of me doing things "becasue I am in the competition", or "because I want to win the book". I am a very independent person, OK, I am a rebel. I rebel against authority, rules and anything that could limit my freedom. Yes, I love my freedom. I want to do things, because this is my choice, not because I have to do it for some reason. Ohh, it is a bit complicated, because on one hand, it has been great, I have stayed away from cooked foods in the hardest moments. For example, at a party, where there was pavlova, home-made ice cream and unbelievably-tempting baked potatoes. Or, several other times when I wanted to reach for something (my kids are not all raw, which makes it harder for me) or buy something (old habbits begging for being resurrected). So, yes, it's been great. On the other hand, I really have enough of being restricted and I want my freedom back. Who took away this freedom from me? Me!!! OK, so what do I want? I want to be free! Does this mean that I want to eat cooked food again? No, not exactly, I am finding out that I am so used to raw foods now that I really love having fruit for breakfast, I love durians, banana smoothies, strawberries and all other delicious raw foods. Did eating bread last night give me something special? No, not really, it wasn't that tasty (actually my flat bread with avo and tomatoes is far more tempting). But, I did it, because I "was not allowed to"! So, to summarise, I restricted myself too much, imposed on myself wrong reasons to stay raw, and rebelled that in the end. What's next? Hey, do not start some silly planning again!!! Let me be free, you - me!
Today I ate: watermelon, strawberries, mandarines, durian, salad, a couple of cookies, because I felt like it!
Day 56: Sunday, 10th October 2004.
Morning: smoothie; rock-melon.
Afternoon: flat bread with marmite (oops!), avo, tomato dip and semi-dried tomatoes (can I be sure that they are dried in the sun?); apples.
Funny, I did not really enjoy my flat bread this time. Too salty? I felt like having some fruit afterwards. I find that often, after having vegies (especially when not in a simple form), I want some fruit, as if I did not have enough of something. On the other hand, if I have fruit only all day, I feel I am lacking something. I wonder what's going on? Also, I have been feeling a bit lethargic today. I tasted some of my children's cooked soup. I liked the taste, but as ususual with cooked stuff these days, I do not really like it a minute later. And, I start thinking about bananas, instead. Ohh, I am looking forward to being home alone tomorrow. I want to slow down a bit. I am feeling really tired.
I wonder whether I feel crappy, because of some celtic salt and garlic I've had in my salad, plus that marmite (salt again), semi-dried tomatos (salt and fat) plus that bread that is probably still sitting inside me, and the fact that I got a few pimples suggests that I've had too much fat again. I was supposed to change this pattern, but obviously I did not. YET. I will get there.
Day 57: Monday, 11th October 2004.
I feel a sense of relief. I allowed myself to be naughty. I relaxed. I might even start having fun.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; rock-melon.
Afternoon: flax-seed bread sandwich with avo, tomato and bok-choy; apples.
Evening: bananas without pyjamas.
Day 58: Tuesday, 12th October 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie; pears.
Afternoon: bananas.
Evening: flax-seed bread with avo, tomato and bok-choy.
Day 59: Wednesday, 13th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; bok-choy salad.
Afternoon: bananas! and pears!
Evening: flax-seed bread with avo and leftover salad.
Day 60: Thursday, 14th October 2004.
For a few days now I/ve been making a conscious effort to eat only when I am really hungry. I must say I do feel better. Overeating was making me feel a bit tired.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; rock-melon.
Afternoon: bananas.
I went to a cake-eating event at my work. I took a cup of coffee with me (needed to hold on to something), had one sip of it and that's that. Then I thought I should have taken my apples. Oh well, next time. I wasn't interested in any of the three cakes offered there, just wanted to fulfil my socializing duty. :)
Evening: strawberries; flax-seed bread with avo and tomato.
Day 61: Friday, 15th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; spinach salad.
Afternoon: bananas.
Evening: apples; lettuce; rock-melon; cookies; bananas;
Day 62: Saturday, 16th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie;
Afternoon: flax-seed bread sandwich.
Evening: mandarines.
Day 63: Sunday, 17th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; rock-melon; banana smoothie.
Afternoon: apples; salad; raw cookies.
Evening: flax-seed bread sandwich.
Day 64: Monday, 18th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie.
Afternoon: spinach salad; bananas; apples.
Evening: flax-bread sandwich.
I had some bad experiences recently. If you read the forum, you know what I mean. I had a disturbed night. Luckily, it is not all bad. People from the forum were so supportive and nice to me. Also, we had some really good friends come over to practise devotional singing for the Friday meditation. It was great to see some nice, peaceful people for a change. Also, our new pet Peter rabbit was so cute to hold, pat and watch him eat and jump around. Our next-door neighbour found him in her backyard and children asked me to keep him. He is a nice addition to our family. And, he is a raw vegan! :)
Day 65: Tuesday, 19th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie.
Afternoon: flax-seed bread sandwich; apples.
Evening: beetroot soup (blend 2 beetroots, 3 tomaotes, 2 carrots, 1/2 t celtic salt, 1 t cumin, add water and blend, serve sprinkled with chopped parsley, serves 2).
Day 66: Wednesday, 20th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; spinach salad.
Afternoon: apples; bananas.
Evening: celery sticks with hummus; mandarines.
Day 67: Thursday, 21st October 2004.
This morning Peter rabbit was hopping around our backyard. Such a joy to watch! Can you believe that he is responding to me calling him already? I feel deeply honoured. Did you ever have a pet? I had a hedgehog, guinea pigs, rats and a cat. This rabbit is so cute ...
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie (Again? Well, it is so delicious that it seems like the best choice in the morning!); pears.
Afternoon: bananas; lettuce salad (What is that? A lettuce with a dressing!); apples.
Evening: flax-bread sandwich; mandarines.
Day 68: Friday, 22nd October 2004.
Can you believe it, we ran out of food! Pears, bananas, apples, mandarines, oranges and vegies are virtually gone. Our family had got a great appetite. Luke had to go and buy some more bananas two days ago. He bought 5 kgs and they are already gone. A week ago on Thursday we bought 30 kgs of bananas, which obviously was not enough. I am looking forward to do some shopping tomorrow. I will buy 40 kgs of bananas and I hope this will last a week, this time .... In the meantime, we need to buy some more bananas for tonight's and tomorrow morning's smoothies!
Morning: banana smoothie; kiwi fruit; apples; bananas.
Afternoon: lettuce salad.
Evening: banana smoothie.
At the meditation, I met another rawfoodist!!! Abbey, a young woman, high-raw for 3 years. I heard that there is quite a group in Adelaide. I am looking forward to meeting them. I feel like an alien meeting another one of its own kind. Wow ...
Day 69: Saturday, 23rd October 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie; sun-dried tomaotes; strawberries; apples.
Afternoon: beetroot soup; salad; carrot cake; strawberries.
Evening: bananas.
Day 70: Sunday, 24th October 2004.
Morning: water-melon; rock-melon; banana-strawberry smoothie (3 glasses).
Afternoon: lasagne.
I made RawGuru's lasagne, for the first time. Luke simply adored it. It is very tasty. I had one piece, couldn't have anymore, it is so filling. I think I am one of those raw foodists who favour simpler meals (fruit and greens). Anyway, I am so glad I was able to make something different and delicious for my husband.
Evening: banana smoothie yummm!
Day 71: Monday, 25th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; spinach salad; apples.
Afternoon: bananas; mixed-berry juice (I bought it in the "Boost" shop, I must say that there was something in it I did not like, I think that they added vitC. It tasted a bit artificial. I won't do that again, or I might ask them not to put that stuff in it next time).
Evening: lasagne again (it felt soooo good on my stomach this time hmmm, I think I will do it once a week from now on).
Day 72: Tuesday, 26th October 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; rock-melon; bananas.
Afternoon: spinach salad.
Evening: flax-bread sanwich; mandarines.
Day 73: Wednesday, 27th October 2004.
In case you were wondering, my morning begins at 6 am. Also, I do not eat all the foods listed at once, and ";" means that there is some time between them. For example, this morning I had orange juice after I got up, banana smoothie about 7.15 am, rock-melon about 9.30 am and a salad before noon.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; rock-melon; spinach salad.
Afternoon: bananas; apples.
Evening: beetroot soup; banana ice-cream (simply frozen bananas, blended, I think that I am not a fan of this and prefer bananas, but my children love it.).
Day 74: Thursday, 28th October 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie; pears; spinach salad.
Afternoon: apples.
Evening: lasagne and ice-cream (not at an Italian restaurant, but at home, all raw!)
Day 75: Friday, 29th October 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie; pears; kiwi fruits; a few bites of a water-melon (at a social event at work)
Afternoon: spinach salad.
Evening: lasagne and icecream, again.
Day 76: Saturday, 30th October 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie; strawberries.
Afternoon: flax-bread sandwich; coconut (mmm ... yummy, munch munch munch).
Evening: whole-lota-mandarines.
Day 77: Sunday, 31st October 2004.
Morning: water-melon; due for durian! (This one was exceptionally sweet and just right mmm mmm mmm...)
Afternoon: bananas; flax-bread sandwich; banana-raspberry icecream.
Evening: mandarines.
Day 78: Monday, 1st November 2004.
Morning: banana-strawberry smoothie; rock-melon; kiwi fruit.
Afternoon: spinach salad; bananas.
Evening: mandarines; flax-bread sandwich.
Day 79: Tuesday, 2nd November 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; spinach salad.
Afternoon: bananas.
Evening: banana smoothie; flax-bread sandwich; banana-raspberry icecream.
Day 80: Wednesday, 3rd November 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie; apples; spinach salad.
Afternoon: bananas (I am a monkey, after all)
Evening: flax-bread sandwich; mandarines.
Day 81: Thursday, 4th November 2004.
Morning: banana smoothie; pears; spinach salad.
Afternoon: bananas.
Evening: lasagne and ice-cream yay!
Day 82: Firday, 5th November 2004.
Life has been totally hectic. I have been negotiating things with my husband (I never call it arguing), which took some of my energy. And, today, another twist in our life. We might be moving to Tasmania!!! That would be a big change in our life. I finally decided that I will apply for a position at the univerisity in Hobart, my heart is pumping really hard. I did not have time to think about food much. Finally, got hungry and started eating. That explains why the order of some foods is somewhat reversed today.
Morning: banana smoothie; lasagne (I already explained why :) )
I wish I had more time for posting at the discussion forum and offer more support to others ...
Afternoon: bananas.
Evening: lasagne (I am having a lasagne bonanza. I am going to make more of it tomorrow, cause we have a visitor!).
Day 83: Saturday, 6th November 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie.
Afternoon: durian yum! banana smoothie.
Evening: lasagne and I-scream!
Night: bananas.
Day 84: Sunday, 7th November 2004.
Could not sleep last night until 3 am. Getting excited about the possibility of moving.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie.
I am really getting used to raw foods. They are my daily reality. Today, in the morning, my son asked "Where is my smoothie?" (I was just a little bit late with it) This makes me smile:)))
It has certainly been worth doing Alissa's challenge (Thank you Alissa for this wonderful initiative!:))). At the beginning it was a bit hard, because I did not like the constraint of not being able to have cooked stuff if I wished. But, since I allowed myself to have some (and did not really like it), my freedom returned to me, and this gave me back my wings to fly where I want to. And, the direction I am interested in, is definitely RAW!!! Besides, how could I resist, fruits are SOOOO YUMMY!!!
Afternoon: a salad at a fair (not sure whether 100% raw).
Evening: lasagne; mandarines.
Day 85: Monday, 8th November 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; pears.
Afternoon: spinach salad mmm mmm mmm! b--a-a- (playing guessing game again).
Evening: mandarines; flax-bread sandwich.
Day 86: Tuesday, 9th November 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; pears.
Afternoon: apples.
Evening: flax-bread sandwich.
Cooked food time. I had two long working days (stayed over time) during which I did not eat enough. I felt so hungry that I had some bread and vegie-sausages. Gee, this made me so thirsty for several hours. And, I could feel some heavy goo in my tummy. I do not regret the experience. In a way, I was curious how eating this would make me feel, would I like it, would it send me onto a spiraling cooked foods binge? It did not. But I know now that in the future, even when I am really busy, I should EAT.
Day 87: Wednesday, 10th November 2004.
Mangoes season has started!!! I am so looking forward to eating the mangoes that I took to work today. Yum yum yum!!! :)
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie
Afternoon: spinach salad.
Evening: mango-banana smoothie with fresh dates (Absolutely delicious!!! And, my family welcomed some variety.); mandarines (Sweet and juicy. I still feel so dehydrated after eating that bread and sausages. Now I understand that I used to be like this in my cooked days. Mmm mmm mmm, juicy fruit.)
Day 88: Thursday, 11th November 2004.
Morning: orange juice; mango-banana smoothie.
Afternoon: spinach salad; apples.
Evening: flax-bread sandwich; banana-raspberry icecream.
Day 89: Friday, 12th November 2004.
Morning: mango-banana smoothie; apples.
Afternoon: spinach salad; bananas; strawberries.
Evening: apricots; flax-bread sandwich.
Day 90: Saturday, 13th November 2004.
Well, they were not exactly 100% raw 90 days, as I had a few cooked moments. which I mentioned. However, they were definitely vey close to 100% days, and most importantly, it feels so much easier and more fun to stay raw now. I am really enjoying the foods! My children not only got used to smoothies, but they ask for them. My daughter often rejects cooked stuff and asks for a smoothie. My son is happy to have a smoothie any time (even when he will not be tempted by a banana). It seems that "smoothie-trick" works amazingly. And, I am getting better and more adventurous in my creations. As far as my presonal goals, yes, I do notice my body being slightly leaner than before the challenge. But, the most important change for me is that I experience more joy from raw foods than before the challenge. "Yum yum yum" or "mmm mmm mmm" is something that I repeat a lot these days!
:)
I do not want to stop journalling here as yet. So, I will keep going!
Morning: strawberry-mango-banana smoothie; apricots.
Afternoon: durian; strawberry-raspberry-banana smoothie; apricots.
Evening: lasagne; raspberry-banana icecream.
Day 91: Sunday, 14th November 2004.
Morning: mango-banana smoothie; apricots.
Afternoon: more smoothie; lasagne.
Evening: mandarines; bananas.
Day 92: Sunday, 15th November 2004.
Morning: orange juice; banana smoothie; peaches; bananas.
Afternoon: spinach salad (chopped spinach with a simple lemon-tahini dressing); apples.
Evening: bananas; flax-seed bread sandwich.
Day 93: Monday, 16th November 2004.
Morning: strawberry-raspberry-banana smoothie!!! kiwi; spinach salad.
Afternoon: bananas; apples.
Evening: flax-bread sandwich.
Day 94: Tuesday, 17th November 2004.
I made banana pancakes, mainly for Julia (my son Odys does not like them much). Basically, blend bananas to make 4 cups of mush, add 1 cup of flax-seeds, ground, and blend. Form small pancakes and dehydrate on a teflex overnight. They will be firm on one side and nice and soft on the other. Julia absolutely loves them! In the morning I flip the leftovers and let them stay in the dehydrator, so that they are nice and warm in the afternoon, for Julia.
Morning: mango-banana smoothie; apricots; kiwi.
Afternoon: spinach salad; apples.
Evening: mandarines; flax-seed bread sandwich.
Day 95: Wednesday, 18th November 2004.
Cheese and butter bread roll has been stalking me. That is, the thought of eating one came to my mind several times. I even thought of stopping posting here, so that I can have one. But my "higher self" said, OK baby, you better stay here, you are not ready to go yet. I wonder, is my body cleansing of some past stuff?
Morning: orange juice; strawberry-banana smoothie; pears.
Afternoon: spinach salad; apples.
Evening: mango-banana smoothie; flax-seed bread sandwich.
Day 96: Thursday, 19th November 2004.
Morning: mango-banana smoothie; mango.
I know what happened. I was not eating enough, too much busy studying. Today, I was reading and reading and reading, unitl I could read no more. But, I forgot to give my body nutrition, during all that time. And, I did not take with me to work the ingredients for my spinach salad. :( I ended up so hungry, that I went to the uni bar and got myself some cooked stuff. I devoured it, but it did not satisfy me :( :( It made me feel a bit sleepy instead. I really wish I was better prepared. But, I am not going to dwell on it (or hide this event from you, my dear Reader). Since I applied for a new job, about a week ago, I've been working hard. Working full-time plus studying on top of that, 8am till 7pm daily. During this time, I was not always eating well. I think that this explains why cheese-and-butter bread roll started stalking me. I was simply being hungry!!! I really need to take some breaks during my studies, when I feel hungry. I was not doing this, naughty naughty me. BAD girl!
Evening: mandarines; flax-seed bread sandwich.
Day 97: Friday, 20th November 2004.
Below is the proof that cooked food IS toxic. I got a cluster of pimples on my face after my cooked meal (note that pink patch). There is no doubt in my mind that these two events are closely related.
One of the tips, for a newbie, that I have on my website is "Eat when you hungry". Even though I've been raw for about 15 months, I still have a lot to learn. I am not immune to making mistakes. This time, I will remember well to eat when I am hungry!!!
Luke told me that I became a bit smelly after eating that meal. It's interesting how he could pick it up. I don't really sense that. Only when I was pregnant, my sense of smell was very strong, and more sensitive than his. I suppose that there is a good biological explanation behind that.
Morning: apricots; mango-banana smoothie.
Afternoon: durian.
Evening: banana smoothie; nut-mix (I mixed it myself :) ).
Day 98: Saturday, 21st November 2004.
The spots on my face are slowly dissapearing.
Today I am going to a birthday party, where expected foods are meat, potatoes, cakes etc. I am making raw lasagne and taking it with me. :)
Morning: strawberry-banana smoothie.
Afternoon: lasagne.
Evening: apricots.
Day 99: Sunday, 22nd November 2004.
Morning: strawberry-banana smoothie; mangoes.
Afternoon: flax-seed bread sandwich; nut-mix.
Evening: lasagne.
Night: banana.
Day 100: Monday, 23rd November 2004.
Morning: raspberry-banana smoothie; mangoes.
Afternoon: spinach salad; apples.
Wow wow wow!!! I just learned that Alissa is going to send me her book!!! I feel so lucky!!! I will be able to make some yummy things for my family!!! I am soooo happy!!!
Evening: various kinds of fruit.
Day 101: Wednesday, 24th November 2004.
Morning: raspberry-banana smoothie; peaches; mangoes.
Afternoon: kiwi fruits; bananas; spinach salad.
Evening: mandarines; flax-seed bread sandwich; assorted :) cookies.
Day 102: Thursday, 25th November 2004.
Morning: raspberry-banana smoothie; mangoes.
Afternoon: a salad; apples.
Evening: this and that (raw sandwich, some fruit, some cookies).
Day 103: Friday, 26th November 2004.
Morning: raspberry-banana smoothie; pears.
Afternoon: kiwi fruits.
I made up my mind. I want to start again. I had a few slips, including a (vegan) bread roll which got me today, and I really want to try to be 100%. I managed to get to 30 days, but I would like to get up to more. I will take some time off. Not too long, just enough to get some fresh motivation going. I think that it will be good for me to think about what I want to do, without any pressure.
In the future, I would like to try some more gourmet recipes. Thank goodness Alissa's book is coming. I've been quite happy to simply eat fruit and greens most of the time, but it seems that I am not ready yet for it 100%. Besides, I really want to have some fun with food preparation. I want to make various delicious meals for my family, pizzas, pies, cakes etc. I want to try it all.
I decided to order spiral slicer. I want to make raw noodles! I got inspired by the photos of "pad thai" in the VegieGirl's gallery.
I wanna have some fun!!!
Thinking time .....
While I am at that (thinking), I decided to post some recent photos of me. What comes to my mind is what happens to many raw foodists. They lose their fat, and suddenly they realize that they do not have much muscles there. This is because on a cooked diet coupled with sedentary lifestyle, every year we lose muscles while gaining fat at the same time. So, what I experienced is exactly that. I look slim (and do not weigh a lot), but the truth is that I still have got quite a bit of fat on my body, and my muscles are not that aparent. On the bright side, my body is still changing, and I believe that as I go, things will get better.
I am being brave here, posting a photo of me in bikini. Oh well, let it be. I treat it as a document of my journey. I will take another picture in a year to see how much I changed.
I do notice some muscle development in my body. For example, I am proud of my arm muscle. Hmm, you may think there is nothing there, but to me it is something. My body IS changing. You should have seen me over a year ago ...
1st December 2004
I have not gone on a cooked food binge. I've been pretty much eating my fruit and vegies (I just love them). I had two cooked food moments, the first, becasue I was not prepared and the second, because I wanted to (chocolate, after which I had problems with sleep). I have not been tempted really. Somehow ;) , juicy fruit is still my favourite choice!
Yesterday, I got Alissa's book! I am glad that I ordered a DVD as well. We watched it together, about 1 hour of it. We both absolutely love it. It's full of useful information and Alissa is totally inspiring. My motivation sky-rocketed! I am going to do the challenge again, and I want to stay 100% this time, no slips. I look forward to trying the recipes!
One day in 2005
I am still rawking! Yay!
Another
day in 2005
Greetings to everyone!
End of
2005
I challenged myself again. This time, in a different way. I finally accepted (after knowing it for quite a long time) that all my cooked food temptations originate in my mind. I have enough of going in circles. It is not easy, but I am sooo determined for this year (2006) to be different. It is not easy to get over the old addictions, but it is much harder to feel sick and tired after eating cooked foods.
All the best to you, dear reader, in the New Year!
Love,
Gosia.
Gosia.
