End of Week 1

It's officially behind me -- my first week raw, that is. I'm sure there are places along the way where I wasn't 100% but I can say that I am fairly confident in that I was 98% or better for the duration of the week.

To that end, I saw a weight loss of nearly 8 pounds this first week! I'm extremely pleased and quite motivated to continue. I feel better than I have in months. I have more energy and have accomplished quite a bit around the house. I've even dealt with a very sick little one in the midst of it all and feel more refreshed than fatigued.

From this point forward, I will take it one day at a time. I reached my goal of one week and feel like I can make it through the entire 30 day experiment, but I'm not so arrogant as to say that for 100% certain. :o)

In fact, I am so proud of myself I just might have to get a Larabar as a special treat!

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Days 4-5

OK, my friends, I'm at the end of Day 5 and feel human again! I've been busy with mommy things lately and haven't had the time to write long posts. (I've actually been getting more done thanks, in part, to some newfound energy!)

Anyway, things are going well here. I feel really good and am taking it one day at a time. I just wanted to check in with you all and let you know I was still going strong over here.

A couple of Raw Food Cookbooks you might be interested in. I've seen each of them and like each for various reasons:

Alissa Cohen's "Living on Live Food"
I own the DVDs and a friend loaned me the book. Both are informative and the book is HUGE. Part info and part recipes.

RAWvolution - Matt Amsden
Melissa loaned this to me tonight and I've already picked out a few I want to make. I love it because it has photos of each recipe!

Ani's Raw Food Kitchen - Ani Phyo
Melodie has this book and let me peruse it for a few days. I really like some of the recipes in there and she seems to have good variety too. I haven't made many yet but liked the book.

Well, have a good night!

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Guacamole never tasted so Good (aka Day 3)

I totally backed off the nut based "meats" and "sauces." It was just too much for me right now. So, today was much better. Very little headache and I'm already 3.5 pounds down (can't complain about that, right?)

As the title suggests I had guacamole on portobello mushrooms tonight ~ yummy! It's amazing how the simplest things can make one so happy! :o)

On another note: it's been unusually warm (high 60s low 70s) here lately and tomorrow it supposed to be finally heading back toward January temps. Yesterday, I overhead my hubby tell our daughter that he couldn't wait to get back to the garden this year. She typically helps him plant the garden. So, that comment brought about squeals of delight and incessant questions as to when it would be warm enough to start the garden again. I'm glad she enjoys the garden as much as she does.

Anyway ... day three is complete and I'm looking forward to see how I feel tomorrow.

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Day 2

Day two is over and I'd say I was about 99% today (factoring in the juice in my smoothie and the mints I consumed before realizing it).

I do need to say -- anything made with nuts is out for me right now. I can't stand the sight, smell, or taste of them --- any kind of them!! I'm really looking forward to guacamole tomorrow. So, that is a plus.

I do feel a little better tonight. My headache is finally easing off and I seem to be able to concentrate again.

My goal is to make it to Thursday morning as close to 100% as possible and see how things are going. I really want to make it to Monday -- and will make a valiant effort, but will be happy with one day at a time right now.

On the bright side, except for his coffee (yes, I know) my meat and taters hubby has been raw since Monday too. And isn't complaining at all. He likes the stuff and is surprisingly full on the food as well.

If you're out there and have embarked on this with me, let me know how things are going for you. Leave a comment or send an email.

Ciao ~

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Day 1

Today was 100% - except for a little orange juice in my smoothie this AM.

My hubby and I had Alissa Cohen's "Mock Salmon Pate" for dinner in lettuce wraps. It was amazing. Even my hubby liked it and said he was full afterward. Score 1 for raw!

I felt lightheaded around lunch and kept a headache for most of the afternoon, but I'm sure that's just my body revolting against me. After all, it isn't used to so much good stuff. ;o)

Anyway, it's late ... I'm tired ... I'll keep you posted.

While you're waiting here are some websites to peruse:

Going Raw with Ronnie and Minh
Raw Food Art
Live Live and Organic
Voss Water

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On the Brink

As I ventured out tonight purchasing all the items I think I will need/want for the next few days, it struck me how odd it is to be so conscious of meals and strategies behind planning them. The modern 'conveniences' that we have at our disposal have made well thought out meals a thing of the past. Instinctively, most folks raised in America know that they can just swing by a restaurant or fast food joint if they forget to plan ahead for a meal or if they are out in the middle of the day and get hungry.

I was reminded of a time in my past (some 20 years ago) when my family was transferred to Italy for three years. Although we still had the Air Force Base Commissary to rely on, we chose to become more Italian in how we experienced life. We had small kitchen appliances (teenie fridge and teenie stove) and few cabinets. We purchased nearly all of our fresh fruits and veggies at the local open-air markets each week, and we typically only had enough on hand for the next few days of meals. Although it took some planning, we ate better and felt better than I ever had before or have since.

As my mind continued to wander on what food preparation must have been like for past generations (I won't bore you with the details) I realized that I was done shopping after visiting the produce section and the nuts/seeds area. That was a strange sensation!

I must admit panic set in as I wondered if I would be able to do this ... this new way of eating that was so contrary to all I've ever known. Mercifully, my hubby has agreed to go raw as well, but then I began to panic about his lunches and such (he works in a physically demanding job and is also away from home each day). We talked about it when I returned from the store and we are just going to do the best we can -- after all no one is "making" us do this and we don't "fail" if we aren't 100% raw immediately. (Can you tell the perfectionist in me is rearing her head??)

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day -- the day we chose to give raw a shot. I'm aiming for 100% for this month but we'll see how it goes. Each day, each meal rather, will be a victory in and of itself, I think. I'd like to see what 100% feels like, and what I feel like afterward. I'd like to see what will change with me and what I will lose. I'll wait till a little later on to divulge the dreaded "Before" shot and stats. Suffice it to say that while I'm not the biggest girl on the planet, I sure am bigger than I used to be ;o) -- and that's reason enough to be embarrassed. So, I'll wait until I have good news to report.

I'm headed to bed now to dream about not cooking anything for a month -- LOL
I'll check back in tomorrow night and let anyone who cares know how I did on my first day. Don't expect a blow-by-blow description of what I ate -- that's kinda creepy -- but I will post some about my daily adventures and will post tons more stuff on the raw and vegan finds around the web that I've turned up in preparation for this month long experiment.

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Year for New Beginnings

Numbers are important and associated with symbols, and no one knows that better than our Jewish friends. For them, "numbers have word meaning, which have picture meaning, which have sounds. The Hebraic Year 5768, which will encompass the Gregorian calendar’s Year of the Lord 2008 A.D., is “The Year of Samekh Chet!” That means we are coming into “The Year of the Full Circle of Life.”" Therefore, it is a year of New Beginnings! I've been told that the symbol for this year is an open gate.

That excites me and I fully intend to walk through that gate expectant for what 2008 will bring!

It is a year filled with potential and new beginnings! I'm taking that literally for both my spiritual life and my physical one. Starting the new year with 30 days Raw will be a challenge and, if I make it through, a new beginning with my health.

I want to "up the ante" this year - spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally ...

How about you? Whether you make resolutions, list goals, or simply evaluate your life, the fading embers of the old year and the fresh beginnning of the new one make for an excellent time to re-evaluate, re-prioritize, and re-focus.

Have a Happy New Year!
I'm checking out of the blogosphere for a bit but will be back after the New Year. Posts around here have been few and far between lately. My plan is to post more regularly after the new year -- partly to chronicle my 30 days and partly to sort through the pile of raw/vegan info yearning to be added to this blog.

All the best!

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Nashville Raw Event

For those of you who don't get the Nashville Farmer's Market newsletter, here's a tidbit of information you might want.

Sandor Katz on Wild Fermentation
January 6, 3 p.m.
at the studio of photographer Thomas Petillo, 1015 West Kirkland
Avenue, Suite 203, Nashville
(Click for map)

Meet raw food expert Sandor Katz on the ultimate slow food technique: wild fermentation. Sandor is a national speaker and the author of two books, one has the wonderful title of "The Future Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements."
Slow Food is requesting a $25 per person donation. For more details you can visit Slow Food Nashville.

I don't know anything about Sandor or the technique, but figured I would pass along the information in case anyone else was interested.

That's all for now -- sorry it's so short.

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Getting Ready for Raw in the New Year

We're edging closer to 2008 and I, for one, am ready for the new year. It can't come soon enough. 2007 seems like a blur and I'm elated that a fresh chapter is about to start.

For those of you participating in the Raw 'Experiment' here's a little update:

We'll be officially kickin' it into high gear on January 7th (that's a Monday). You're more than welcome to start earlier or later. You're also more than welcome to define what RAW will mean to you and those in your household participating.

I've got some folks who have mentioned they will be 80% raw, some raw only on the weekdays and still others raw until the evening meal. Some are even considering 30 days of green smoothies.

The OCD in me is wanting to go 100% but with this being my first venture into RAW, I'm going to aim for 80% and keep track of my 100% days as a bonus.

Also, you might consider checking out Alissa Cohen or The Raw Divas for pointers on going raw. Some folks are able to do this cold turkey from what I have read, but the majority seem to do better by transitioning. Both Alissa Cohen and The Raw Divas have quite a bit of experience in helping folks transition. In fact, I'm pretty sure I will be doing the detox program suggested by The Raw Divas to kick my raw month off.

What day will work for us to get together for our tasting night? I know we're all on hyper-drive right now with the holidays, but think of a evening or afternoon in your schedule that might work for you.

We'll take Before Photos of anyone interested in doing that. They will be your personal photo and you can choose to share or not share the Before/After shot once we complete the 30 days. I'm definitely going to take one so that I can see the difference. I don't know if I would truly notice it otherwise. Plus, photos of me are scarce ... so this is as good a time as any to get a mugshot.

A few Websites:
Let me leave you tonight with a few sites you might want to bookmark and peruse.

• Jenny Cornbleet -- Learn Raw Food
  You might want to check out the recipe section. And, if you ever find yourself in Chicago, check out the class listings.
• Juice Feasting - information about a program and more
• Love Raw Life -- some good articles and links page
• David Wolfe's Sunfood Nutrition - supplier of raw foods, site also has good articles and an online community.
• High Vibe - another store, plus articles, recipes, and more

Buon Natale! Merry Christmas!
and Happy New Year!!!

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Cinnamon-y Roasted Veggies

Here's a recipe from Amanda R.

She says, "I have a recipe I got out of my Vegan Recipe book that James and I absolutely love, so I wanted to share. It sounds a little weird, but it is totally scrumptious!"

Give it a whirl -- credits for the recipe appear below

Cinnamon Roasted Veggies

1 small butternut squash- bite size cubes
1 sweet potato - bite size cubes
1 small red bell pepper or half of a bigger one - bite size pieces
2-3 shallots chopped (Purple Onion works if you can't find Shallots)
Olive Oil
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander

Chop up Veggies and spread in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Drizzle Olive oil over veggies and stir to coat. Add Spices and stir again to make sure the veggies are evenly coated. Bake for about 45 min. at 375 degrees or until veggies can be pierced with fork.

Recipe credits:
"La Dolce Vegan! Vegan Livin' Made Easy" by Sarah Kramer

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