Hi! Things have been a little strange in my world. I have been re-visiting all of my plans and ideas. I still come up with the same conclusion. I love eating raw.
Here are 5 things to ponder...
1. Eating raw can be expensive. Since you have to buy food fresh, it can't be stored up for the winter, so to speak. If pay day is a few days away, you may have to eat other stuff until that day gets here. grrr.
2. Only the lonely... If you are the only one in your household eating raw, it is like a constant conflict that you have to uphold, even if the conflict is only with yourself. "Don't worry about me, I will find myself something else." "Aw, you are having that? No... I will have a salad." (shoulders slumped)
3. Eating out can be tricky. Have you ever noticed that some restaurants don't have raw food? I never noticed this until it was all I was eating. The love of making a glorious meal at home really takes center stage when you are eating raw. If restaurants do have a salad, most likely, it has meat and cheese all over it. If you ask for that stuff to be removed or put on the side if another family member wants it, all you have left is a bowl of iceberg lettuce and a half of a tomato, if you are lucky.
4. Smoothies for survival. Smoothies are a great way to eat some of your meals raw. My key word in that sentence is "some". Fruit for smoothies can be frozen and stored for later use. Yeah! Even coconut water can be bought and stored. Yeah. Peanut butter, frozen bananas, and chocolate greens from a canister. Yum!
5. Juicing! Juicing is so full of vitamins and nutrients that you can't pass it up! As long as you have fresh vegetables in the house, they can be juiced! My whole entire body feels alive when I am regularly drinking fresh juice. I also juice for my clients, so sometimes, I buy a little extra to throw in a juice or two for myself. Yum! If you live in the Atlanta Area, on the southside - near McDonough - Stockbridge - Eagle's Landing area, please contact me if you are interested in getting fresh juice at sloansworld@yahoo.com. Please put "Juice" somewhere in your heading, so that I can respond more promptly. Thank you.
So, all in all, eating raw has been a blessing from God. I feel better, look better, and poop better. lol. TMI, I know, but even with the good aspects there are a few bumps along the way. I am not keeping up with my 95% raw goal for myself, but I am still eating mostly raw. So, this is why it's my rawality, and hopefully, I will learn how to improve upon this.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
September 3, 2009
Hi! Things are going well on the raw eating! I am down another pound, which means that I am down 27 lbs from when I started with eating raw. I feel great!
So far, I haven't added much information about myself. I work at a health food store, and I am also a personal chef with 3 clients. I have been gaining so much information since I started working at the herbal/health food store and reading in preparation for my clients. I am eager to share that with you! So, in addition to my updates about the weight loss and eating healthy, I am going to add a "What I Learned Today" section. In this section, I will tell you what I have been learning, but take this information with a little grain of salt. I am, by no means, an expert, but I do come across some really neat stuff along the way.
What I Learned Today: Your body loses 50% of it's own ability to create enzymes. For every 10 years after the age of 30, you lose another 10%. So, it's a great idea to take enzymes each time you eat, or eat raw! All raw food still has it's enzymes in tact, and that is one of the great benefits of eating this way. The enzymes that are in the raw food are the perfect amount to digest that particular food. This is great information to know since a lot of people live with a bloated and protruding gut due to all of the undigested food that is hanging out in their systems. Ew.
Cleansing is also a great way to alleviate some of these problems. It's a great idea to do a full body cleanse 3-4 times a year. An interesting way to know that you need to cleanse is that antsy feeling you get at the change of seasons. It's a little natural way for your body to tell you that it needs a little seasonal cleaning. Regular cleansing makes you feel so much lighter, cleaner, and just better. It also helps you to "Go" on a regular basis as well. Did you know that you should "Go" three times a day? Some people I know "Go" about that much in a week. These people aren't just eating 3 times a week. So, where's the extra food going? Well, it's not going anywhere. It's sitting in their gut, and fermenting. Augh... gross...
So far, I haven't added much information about myself. I work at a health food store, and I am also a personal chef with 3 clients. I have been gaining so much information since I started working at the herbal/health food store and reading in preparation for my clients. I am eager to share that with you! So, in addition to my updates about the weight loss and eating healthy, I am going to add a "What I Learned Today" section. In this section, I will tell you what I have been learning, but take this information with a little grain of salt. I am, by no means, an expert, but I do come across some really neat stuff along the way.
What I Learned Today: Your body loses 50% of it's own ability to create enzymes. For every 10 years after the age of 30, you lose another 10%. So, it's a great idea to take enzymes each time you eat, or eat raw! All raw food still has it's enzymes in tact, and that is one of the great benefits of eating this way. The enzymes that are in the raw food are the perfect amount to digest that particular food. This is great information to know since a lot of people live with a bloated and protruding gut due to all of the undigested food that is hanging out in their systems. Ew.
Cleansing is also a great way to alleviate some of these problems. It's a great idea to do a full body cleanse 3-4 times a year. An interesting way to know that you need to cleanse is that antsy feeling you get at the change of seasons. It's a little natural way for your body to tell you that it needs a little seasonal cleaning. Regular cleansing makes you feel so much lighter, cleaner, and just better. It also helps you to "Go" on a regular basis as well. Did you know that you should "Go" three times a day? Some people I know "Go" about that much in a week. These people aren't just eating 3 times a week. So, where's the extra food going? Well, it's not going anywhere. It's sitting in their gut, and fermenting. Augh... gross...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
September 1, 2009
Hi! It's the 1st of September already, and I am still eating mostly raw. I am shooting for 95% raw, but there have been a couple of days that I ran out of raw food. Instead of going to the store, I just ate what we had in the house. Days like that make me feel icky. I have noticed that when I eat raw, I feel more alive and fresh. It's a good feeling! I guess my rawality is showing me that, so far, even with the best intentions, I am not getting this raw thing down perfectly yet.
I have noticed that my clothes are fitting looser. Yeah!! I had already lost 32 lbs eating raw before, but I gained about 10 of that back when I went on a month long hiatus. My miserable feelings during that month proved to me that I didn't want to return to eating junk food and meat. This is coming from a girl who's previous favorite food was a ribeye! So, that's what spurred me to do a year raw and document my ups and downs. We are only 15 days in, and I have already had a few downs... oops... lol. Hey, I have had some ups too! I think that I have lost 4 more pounds. So, I am down 26 lbs... Can't complain when the numbers are getting lower!! ;-)
It's funny, because I am absolutely not trying to re-invent the wheel or anything. So, that being said, if I tell you something that I am doing is so cool and cutting edge, well, it's probably been done for centuries, and it's just me that's being re-invented. So, bear with me while I tell you about the yummy smoothies that I have been drinking lately!
My favorite smoothie of the week: Coconut water, strawberries, 1 banana, Amazing Grass's Fruity Greens (they may have another name, I just call them fruity greens), and maybe a couple of pieces of ice. Ahhh, refreshing! Sometimes, instead of the fruity greens, I'll add a packet of Acai EmergenC. Someone gave us a box of this EmergenC because it didn't taste very good. Thanks... Well, I have found that if you smell it, it smells like dirty feet. Ick! On the other hand, if you blend it with a smoothie and put a top on it, it actually tastes great!! Scary, huh?
Well, I am off to work, but I will try to update more often. I am sure something crazy is happening in my rawality! Have a great day, and eating something raw today!
I have noticed that my clothes are fitting looser. Yeah!! I had already lost 32 lbs eating raw before, but I gained about 10 of that back when I went on a month long hiatus. My miserable feelings during that month proved to me that I didn't want to return to eating junk food and meat. This is coming from a girl who's previous favorite food was a ribeye! So, that's what spurred me to do a year raw and document my ups and downs. We are only 15 days in, and I have already had a few downs... oops... lol. Hey, I have had some ups too! I think that I have lost 4 more pounds. So, I am down 26 lbs... Can't complain when the numbers are getting lower!! ;-)
It's funny, because I am absolutely not trying to re-invent the wheel or anything. So, that being said, if I tell you something that I am doing is so cool and cutting edge, well, it's probably been done for centuries, and it's just me that's being re-invented. So, bear with me while I tell you about the yummy smoothies that I have been drinking lately!
My favorite smoothie of the week: Coconut water, strawberries, 1 banana, Amazing Grass's Fruity Greens (they may have another name, I just call them fruity greens), and maybe a couple of pieces of ice. Ahhh, refreshing! Sometimes, instead of the fruity greens, I'll add a packet of Acai EmergenC. Someone gave us a box of this EmergenC because it didn't taste very good. Thanks... Well, I have found that if you smell it, it smells like dirty feet. Ick! On the other hand, if you blend it with a smoothie and put a top on it, it actually tastes great!! Scary, huh?
Well, I am off to work, but I will try to update more often. I am sure something crazy is happening in my rawality! Have a great day, and eating something raw today!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Preview into My Rawality!
Everyone deserves happiness, health, and to live the life of their dreams. It doesn’t matter if you have 200 lbs to lose or if you have none to lose, but you want to feel healthy and full of energy. Life moves too fast to miss anymore of it! Whether you are suffering from a debilitating disease or just don’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning, because you are in so much pain that you can’t imagine another day of work. This is just how I felt. Here’s how I got started eating a mostly raw diet.
March 30, 2009 – I get a text message from my manager at work asking me if I wanted to cook and prepare raw food for a 74 year young gentleman that is a customer in our store. He does the Hallelujah Diet from Dr. George Malkmus, and has followed this plan for over 2 years. As soon as he said that he ate a Vegan diet that was 85% raw food and 15% cooked food. I thought, “Well, that is nice for you! You won’t see me doing it!” He went on to explain that he cut out meat, cheese, processed foods, dairy, sweets and caffeine, as if the word Vegan didn’t quite catch my ear the first time. I looked at him in amazement and all the while thought that this poor little man must be suffering and miserable all the time. What I was soon to find out was that this was further from the truth!
April 1, 2009 – I start preparing food for my new client, and start with a simple dish of 15 bean soup. I had to make the soup twice, because as I read, I realized that I didn’t do it right the first time! LOL. I began reading the Hallelujah Diet book that he gave me so that I could get his diet right. I just wanted to skim the pages, and get the jest so that I could do my job properly. I kept saying to myself that I was not going to fall for this, and I am not doing it! I have tried every diet known to man, and this is just some other diet that won’t work for me. In the past 7 years, I have gained over 80 lbs. Most of this weight came on quickly after the birth of my child. I was miserable, depressed, achy, and just overall felt ick!
April 2, 2009 – My sister was reading some of the Hallelujah Diet book to help me with food ideas for my client. She was telling me about the book, but thought that it was a little extreme. She told me to read it, and tell her what I thought.
April 6, 2009 – I was done reading the book, and was almost convinced that I needed to do the Hallelujah Diet myself to see what would happen. In the book, it says, “Just try it for 21 days”. Well, I figured that I could live through anything for 21 days. No big deal. Well, Easter was right around the corner, and I couldn’t miss out on our big Easter dinner with my family. There was going to be fried chicken, potato salad, ham, corn salad, broccoli salad with bacon, and you know all those salads were filled with good old mayonnaise. Yum! What would a Southern meal be without that? Green beans would definitely be cooked with bacon grease, and did I mention the deserts? Oooh. We were having coconut cake, chocolate cupcakes with white icing, peanut butter cake, and another chocolate cake with extra gooey stuff. Did I mention the homemade key lime pies that my mother always makes with Eagle brand milk and butter? They are so delicious they make you want to whimper a little while you eat them. I bet you are still wondering how in the world I ever gained that weight. Yes, well, you guessed it. I came from a Southern family that cooks better than anything you can eat at a restaurant. Although, we go out to restaurants to try them out every chance we get. So, from the big dinners that we have at every occasion, and the eating out at buffet restaurants, I had become someone that I didn’t recognize.
April 13, 2009 – Day one on the Hallelujah diet. It’s not so bad. I forgo my 2 eggs and little smokies for breakfast for fruit. I had no coffee! I usually drink at least 2 large cups (3 cup mug) of coffee with a good amount of cream and sugar. I took my first dose of Barley Max. That was an ordeal all by itself. I put this green powder into a cup and pour in some apple juice. The green powder didn’t dissolve the way Cool Aide or Tang does when you add it to water. It just clumps and spins around. I am wondering how to get it down, so I just turn the cup up and gulp some. Well, I didn’t actually gulp. I just held it in my mouth. I was trying to gulp, and it didn’t want to go down. Finally, I got it down, but I wasn’t at all happy about it. I read in the book that I would have to do this several times a day. Eck! Lord, help me! For lunch, I had a salad. Then, for dinner, I ate some bean soup. Well, I made it through day one, and I didn’t eat any ice cream after dinner or eat anything that I wasn’t supposed to.
April 20, 2009 – Guess what? I have been eating mostly raw for 7 days and I have lost 10 lbs!! I feel good, and I am so happy about the weight loss. I hope that I continue with this success.
May 4, 2009 – I have lost 20 lbs, and my birthday is right around the corner. I am definitely doing this for the rest of the month! Eating raw is easier than you think, and I have a lot of energy! Thank God!
May 8 – 10, 2009 – I went to birthday parties and dinners, and for the first time in almost a month ate meat and sweets. I was shocked that it didn’t make me sick. I was ok.
May 23 – 29, 2009 – I ate meat sporadically throughout this week. A meal here or a meal there. By Friday of this week, I had a low grade fever and went to bed to sleep it off for a day or so. I decided after this that I really should stick to my eating healthy plan, and work for more weight loss.
June 25, 2009 – I have been continuing my healthy eating with random moments of eating meat. Not just an organic grass fed chicken, but a Sonic foot long chili cheese Coney with fries and a cherry limeade. My friends would laugh, because they were so impressed with my results, and by now, had lost 30 lbs, but when I decided to eat off the plan, I really went off. Crazy fast food or who knows what? I felt horrible every time I ate off the plan, and swore that I wouldn’t do it again.
Today, I had a blood cell analysis done. It was really interesting! I have parasites! Woohoo! It’s all I ever wanted! Well, not really, how do I get rid of them? More on that to come! Also, the blood cell analysis let me know that my blood doesn’t work well when I am eating off of the raw, vegan diet. Grr… I really did love just eating whatever I chose. Oh well. I guess this is my new Rawality!!
March 30, 2009 – I get a text message from my manager at work asking me if I wanted to cook and prepare raw food for a 74 year young gentleman that is a customer in our store. He does the Hallelujah Diet from Dr. George Malkmus, and has followed this plan for over 2 years. As soon as he said that he ate a Vegan diet that was 85% raw food and 15% cooked food. I thought, “Well, that is nice for you! You won’t see me doing it!” He went on to explain that he cut out meat, cheese, processed foods, dairy, sweets and caffeine, as if the word Vegan didn’t quite catch my ear the first time. I looked at him in amazement and all the while thought that this poor little man must be suffering and miserable all the time. What I was soon to find out was that this was further from the truth!
April 1, 2009 – I start preparing food for my new client, and start with a simple dish of 15 bean soup. I had to make the soup twice, because as I read, I realized that I didn’t do it right the first time! LOL. I began reading the Hallelujah Diet book that he gave me so that I could get his diet right. I just wanted to skim the pages, and get the jest so that I could do my job properly. I kept saying to myself that I was not going to fall for this, and I am not doing it! I have tried every diet known to man, and this is just some other diet that won’t work for me. In the past 7 years, I have gained over 80 lbs. Most of this weight came on quickly after the birth of my child. I was miserable, depressed, achy, and just overall felt ick!
April 2, 2009 – My sister was reading some of the Hallelujah Diet book to help me with food ideas for my client. She was telling me about the book, but thought that it was a little extreme. She told me to read it, and tell her what I thought.
April 6, 2009 – I was done reading the book, and was almost convinced that I needed to do the Hallelujah Diet myself to see what would happen. In the book, it says, “Just try it for 21 days”. Well, I figured that I could live through anything for 21 days. No big deal. Well, Easter was right around the corner, and I couldn’t miss out on our big Easter dinner with my family. There was going to be fried chicken, potato salad, ham, corn salad, broccoli salad with bacon, and you know all those salads were filled with good old mayonnaise. Yum! What would a Southern meal be without that? Green beans would definitely be cooked with bacon grease, and did I mention the deserts? Oooh. We were having coconut cake, chocolate cupcakes with white icing, peanut butter cake, and another chocolate cake with extra gooey stuff. Did I mention the homemade key lime pies that my mother always makes with Eagle brand milk and butter? They are so delicious they make you want to whimper a little while you eat them. I bet you are still wondering how in the world I ever gained that weight. Yes, well, you guessed it. I came from a Southern family that cooks better than anything you can eat at a restaurant. Although, we go out to restaurants to try them out every chance we get. So, from the big dinners that we have at every occasion, and the eating out at buffet restaurants, I had become someone that I didn’t recognize.
April 13, 2009 – Day one on the Hallelujah diet. It’s not so bad. I forgo my 2 eggs and little smokies for breakfast for fruit. I had no coffee! I usually drink at least 2 large cups (3 cup mug) of coffee with a good amount of cream and sugar. I took my first dose of Barley Max. That was an ordeal all by itself. I put this green powder into a cup and pour in some apple juice. The green powder didn’t dissolve the way Cool Aide or Tang does when you add it to water. It just clumps and spins around. I am wondering how to get it down, so I just turn the cup up and gulp some. Well, I didn’t actually gulp. I just held it in my mouth. I was trying to gulp, and it didn’t want to go down. Finally, I got it down, but I wasn’t at all happy about it. I read in the book that I would have to do this several times a day. Eck! Lord, help me! For lunch, I had a salad. Then, for dinner, I ate some bean soup. Well, I made it through day one, and I didn’t eat any ice cream after dinner or eat anything that I wasn’t supposed to.
April 20, 2009 – Guess what? I have been eating mostly raw for 7 days and I have lost 10 lbs!! I feel good, and I am so happy about the weight loss. I hope that I continue with this success.
May 4, 2009 – I have lost 20 lbs, and my birthday is right around the corner. I am definitely doing this for the rest of the month! Eating raw is easier than you think, and I have a lot of energy! Thank God!
May 8 – 10, 2009 – I went to birthday parties and dinners, and for the first time in almost a month ate meat and sweets. I was shocked that it didn’t make me sick. I was ok.
May 23 – 29, 2009 – I ate meat sporadically throughout this week. A meal here or a meal there. By Friday of this week, I had a low grade fever and went to bed to sleep it off for a day or so. I decided after this that I really should stick to my eating healthy plan, and work for more weight loss.
June 25, 2009 – I have been continuing my healthy eating with random moments of eating meat. Not just an organic grass fed chicken, but a Sonic foot long chili cheese Coney with fries and a cherry limeade. My friends would laugh, because they were so impressed with my results, and by now, had lost 30 lbs, but when I decided to eat off the plan, I really went off. Crazy fast food or who knows what? I felt horrible every time I ate off the plan, and swore that I wouldn’t do it again.
Today, I had a blood cell analysis done. It was really interesting! I have parasites! Woohoo! It’s all I ever wanted! Well, not really, how do I get rid of them? More on that to come! Also, the blood cell analysis let me know that my blood doesn’t work well when I am eating off of the raw, vegan diet. Grr… I really did love just eating whatever I chose. Oh well. I guess this is my new Rawality!!
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