sunshel
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Month on Raw Vegan
Well, I made it to 4 weeks without any cooked food and I’m definitely in it for the long-haul!
My Diet
- Fruits and vegetables. Favorites: Grapes, watermelon, peaches, mango, bananas, strawberries, tomatoes, raw organic corn, avocado, sprouts, carrots, GREENS
- NONE of the following: Sugar, salt, animal products, cooked food, grains (exception: corn), legumes, oils, gluten
- Supplements: Probiotic, Vitamin C and B Complex
Documented Changes
- Weight loss. I lost the most weight during the first two weeks. After that, the weight loss has slowed down significantly as I approach my body’s ideal weight.
- Cravings disappeared completely. I’m at the point where I can put my face up to a dish that I previously loved, and feel no temptation whatsoever.
- Detox. In the first week, I had problems sleeping as well as headaches and mild allergies. Because they subsided within a few days, I believe they were symptoms of detoxification.
- Mood. My mood is definitely more stable now that my diet is clean. Prior to raw, I went through ups and downs every day… bouts of depression, etc. But both last summer and this past month, I’ve experienced a noticed improvement in my state of mind. I feel ‘happy’ most of the time, calm, rational, less worried… Which is probably a factor in my being able to sleep better.
- Teeth. During the first couple of days, I had pretty bad tooth sensitivity. But I kept going, making sure to floss and brush (lightly!) with my tooth soap, and the sensitivity disappeared.
I think the best thing about being raw has been the elimination of cravings and a complete transformation of my tastebuds. On cooked vegan, I always felt like I had to practice some serious self-control to avoid unhealthier foods and watch my serving sizes. I was always at war with myself. But on raw, I don’t have this issue at all. The only foods that I truly want to eat are raw fruits and vegetables.
Also, you would think that being raw means that I have to constantly think about what I’m eating in order to avoid the ‘bad stuff’, but I actually think LESS about food. I eat because I need to, plain and simple. There’s no meal planning of any sort, just my favorite salad and a ton of fresh fruit available at all times.
As for social situations, no difficulties whatsoever. I still join friends and family at restaurants all the time. All I need is a small avocado for my salad and I’m good to go.
I say this all the time, so it must be important: People think that being raw, or even vegan, is ‘restrictive’… But food is fuel. I don’t know when it was decided that trying new foods was ‘living’, but it sure as hell sounds like a backwards idea to me. I feed my body what it needs so that I can live a full, healthy life.
Stay tuned, big updates from my life coming soon! -
TIP: Shred your lettuce, using kitchen scissors, a knife or your hands. Makes the salad easier to eat!
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After my last failed attempt at making a banana-mango-peach smoothie, I tried again.. this time with sweet leaf lettuce and some spinach. Perfect!
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Is your green smoothie too bitter?
Try adding lemon juice! This morning I made a smoothie with mango, peach, banana and some random greens that I got at the Farmers Market. It was disgusting, to say the least. My dad recommended adding lemon juice. I tried it and it actually took away some of the bitterness.
Next time, no mystery greens in my smoothie.
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Tip: Add the green tops of strawberries to your smoothies instead of throwing them out. They too are full of nutritional benefits!
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A quick, easy salad dressing: Mash some avocado (I use half of a small one) and add lemon juice and garlic. The lemon juice should give it the perfect consistency.
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Unhealthy Spotlight: Borden Dutch Chocolate Milk
I found this in the fridge today and after reading the back, I HAD to post.
This individual serving contains 440 calories, 16 g fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 360 mg sodium (what?!), and get this… 48 GRAMS OF SUGAR.
Now for the ingredient breakdown: Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Alkalized Cocoa, Nonfat Dry Milk, Corn Starch, Salt, Carrageenan, Artificial Flavor, Vitamin D3
I guess I was a little naive in thinking that chocolate milk was made of milk and chocolate..
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FINALLY! Peaches at the Farmer’s Market today. Had a delicious peach and banana green smoothie when I got home.
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A favorite salad ‘base’ of mine is 4 cups romaine lettuce, 1 cup spinach and 1/2 cup sunflower greens
Nutritional Profile: 65 calories, 4 grams protein (and that’s just greens alone!), 50% of daily vitamin requirement, 15% of daily mineral requirement, and 23% of daily Omega-3 fats requirement (AGAIN, IN GREENS!)
In case you’re wondering, I added 2 medium carrots, 9 small (2.5” diameter) tomatoes and 1/2 small avocado with lemon juice. It all totaled up to about 400 calories and 14 grams of protein!
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“Gluten and similar grain-based proteins work to break down the microvilli in your small intestine, eventually letting particles of your food leech into your blood stream (a lovely term called “leaky gut syndrome”) causing allergies, digestive disturbances or autoimmune problems.”
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Lunch! Very refreshing.
I’m still waiting on tomatoes and peaches, and then my arsenal of summer fruit will be complete.
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Smoothie for lunch at Whole Foods. Mango, banana, peach and kale. Oh, I’ve missed peach. (Still not in season though, the peaches they used were frozen!)
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Lunch today at Wheatsville Co-op: Sandwich (on gluten-free bread) with lettuce, tomato, sprouts, carrots and black olive hummus.
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Tried a new fruit today. It’s called a “minneola” and it was SO GOOD. Juicy, tangerine taste and easy to peel… Perfect to-go snack?
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Mango tastes great in green smoothies! This one had banana, mango, a little pineapple and a huge handful of red leaf lettuce.
