|
Jan. 12, day 12 18 y
Today's menu and nutrients
TODAY’S FOOD
NEW FOOD: SPROUTED BREAD
I was at Wild Oats today. I really like that place and am glad I discovered one near me! I found more raw nuts there than at Whole Foods, and more printed material (I love reading). I’m low on money so I only got one new thing: 7 grain sprouted bread made by Food 4 Life. I got it because of it’s high protein-to-fat content (only .5 grams of fat but 4 grams of protein). I am worried that eating bread will lead me back to processed-food cravings, but I don’t want to assume this without trying it. I’ve had two sandwiches today and m ... read more Jan 11, day 11 18 y
Today I examine labels like "raw foodist"
I’ve still got the munchies! I even briefly thought about how great it would be to have some Pepsi. But I’m not feeling any desire to eat or drink anything that’s not part of my eating plan right now. However, I have made other decisions: I have decided not to look for raw hummus as long as the hummus I’m eating now is working for me. Same with the taboule; if I have problems finding quinoa to sprout, it won’t bother me to stay with bulgar. The more I read about raw food, the more I realize that I have to do what works for me and to not get caught up in labels. Calling myself a raw f ... read more jan. 10 day 10 18 y
Ate almost 2000 calories today!
I ate a lot more calories today. I guess I had the munchies! The fact that I ate my first meal before 10 means I had more hours to eat, though. It’ll be interesting to see how my week turns out weight-wise this week. I’m happy that I am bringing my protein up; I noticed that goji berries have a lot of protein, and I had nuts today, which also helped. I just need to start drinking more water. I find that it takes me hours to drink 16 oz sometimes. Maybe I’ll add lime wedges or something to make it more inviting. Other than the higher calories, today was an uneventful, decent day.
... read more Jan 9, day 9 18 y
I'm looking for good sources of raw protein!
I spent much of my day researching facts about protein. My goal is to increase my protein without severely increasng my fat intake. I also thought I should try not to increase my carbs any more than the level they are currently at. At Whole Foods I looked at various nut mixes, but found it hard to find nuts that don’t have almost 3 times as much fat as protein. I did find a nut mix that had 11 grams of fat for every 5 grams of protein, but it wasn’t raw. I looked at some online sources which tout vegetables as great sources of protein for raw foodists. Did you know you could get 131 gms ... read more Jan. 8, day 8 18 y
Week two begins. Today I altered my taboule recipe a bit.
Today was a good day, but I ate taboule and hummus for every meal! That’s a bit extreme. On the good side, though, I brought up my level of protein and lowered the fat (no avocados today). The black sesame tahini and the hummus help a lot with giving me protein without goo gobs of fat grams.
Today I made more taboule. It’s amazing how much cheaper it is to make your own, and how great it tastes. This time I mixed cilantro and parsley for a different flavor and it got rave reviews. I soaked the bulgar but it’s still a bit crunchy. Tomorrow it’ll be great. I know bulgar isn’t ra ... read more January 8th WEEKLY SUMMARY FOR WEEK ONE 18 y
A summary of week one!
WEEKLY SUMMARY
NUTRIENTS
Calories .........................ranged from 1500 to 1800
Water .............................average= 6 glasses a day.
An average of 42% of my calories came from fat
An average of 46% came from carbs
An average of 12% came from protein
WEIGHT LOSS
STARTED WEEK AT: 341
ENDED WEEK AT: 325
TOTAL POUNDS LOST: 16
SUMMARY OF CHANGES NOTICED THIS WEEK
1) Tongue was coated with some sort of brownish/greenish layer I had to brush off. This lessened dur ... read more Jan 7 day 7 HELP! My skin is changing! 18 y
Today I list major nutrients for the day, and note a new physical change.
I thought I would provide more specific information about a typical eating day for me, this first week of raw food. Today was typical insofar as what I ate; it differs only in that I didn’t eat breakfast until noon, so it was more like a brunch. My ”lunch” was small enough to qualify as a snack. After dinner I had another snack. Snacks are typical for me.
A NEW CHANGE
I have noticed another change since starting the raw life: today I noticed that my face has two patches of lighter pigmentation, one on either side of my mouth. What the heck is that about?? I have medi ... read more calling all african american raw foodists!! 18 y
Calling all African American raw foodists
Are you out there? It would be nice to exchange information and experiences. Although many of our issues are no different from those of non-African Americans, some issues are specific to culture, or to health issues such as changes in skin and hair. It would be nice to exchange information and support. And if such an active place already exists, hook us in!!
:-D visit the page Jan. 6, day 6 More Whole Foods!! 18 y
A good day thus far. I visited Whole Foods Market and really enjoyed it- I bought a few things I hadn't tried before.
I slept soundly- about 7 hours. My back hurt terribly upon waking up, though, making it difficult to enjoy lying in bed. I deal with this excruciating pain daily and am so used to it that I don’t even take pills. Alleve is the only thing that helps, but I don’t want to rely on it or continually cover up the pain. I’ll reach over and grab some only if the pain is so bad I cannot sleep or cannot get out of bed.
I had breakfast around 11:30: taboule blah blah blah. I was quite hungry. I added some sprouted fenugreek to it. Yikes- that stuff is bitter!! I only used a little. Since I’v ... read more Raw Food and the Compulsive Overeater 18 y
Insights as to how a raw food lifestyle might help this depressed, compulsive overeater
Someone posted on rawfoodtalk.com that the cleanup after fixing raw foods is frustrating. I had to laugh because one of the benefits rawfoodists often speak of when comparing cooked to raw is easier cleanup. I, too, beg to differ. Sure, if you grab produce and eat it as-is, there is little to worry about except the stems, seeds, pits, skin/peels or cores you toss out at the end. But for those of us who make juice or salsas and even more involved recipes, cleaning up juice, seeds and wet leaves can be time-consuming. And cleaning juicers and blenders is not fun! I don’t even own a ju ... read more What can $36 buy a raw foodist at Whole Foods Market? 18 y
Here's the cost of some items from Whole Foods Market- a great store for raw foodists.
People wonder what it costs to eat a raw food diet. As a beginner, I’m learning this myself. I try to get my foods as cheaply as possible, but someone bought some items as a surprise for me from the Whole Foods Market. They’re a bit expensive compared to the grocery store, and since I’m on a student’s budget I won’t be buying the more expensive stuff too often. However, it’s nice to see how much they cost:
Mango 2/3.00
Papaya 1.85
Organic Wild Rice 5.99 8 oz.
Raw Trail Mix 3.69 4 oz.
Se ... read more January 5, day 5 - New foods from Whole Foods Market! 18 y
Got some foods from Whole Foods
BREAKFAST:
The usual taboule salad. I think having a breakfast with fat and protein is helpful for me in abating hunger. I had pomegranate juice + orange juice along with the breakfast. Around 2 I had a banana. I’ve had 16 oz of water and am about to drink 16 more oz.
Someone asked me what I weighed this morning. Well, I found that I’ve now lost 13 lbs.
I had some eyewatering and sneezing this morning, but less than usual. I’ve maintained the better mood or better outlook on life that I noticed I’d developed after starting raw foods. I would love to feel more alert and hav ... read more January 4, Day 4 - Finding acceptable and tasty foods to eat 18 y
Tried a new meal- wasn't too tasty!!
I became so engrossed in a video project last night that I didn’t go to bed at all! Oops. I slept a few hours later during the day, however. I had breakfast around 8 a.m. - same stuff as usual, but 1/2 cup of hummus and taboule each rather than one cup.
Around 3 pm I had a snack of watermelon, but it was kinda old so I hardly ate any of it. About an hour later I had lunch - a banana, some cherries and some baby carrots. I’m soooooo tired of taboule and hummus! This meal seemed very discombobulated- nothing is related. The SAD (Standard American Diet) has gotten me used to “building a ... read more January 3, day 3 - Taboule is already becoming a staple 18 y
The trials, tribulations and accomplishments of day three of my raw diet odyssey
Although I see this more as day two because on January 1st I had fried cornbread and blackeyed peas that had been simmered in pork, this is day three of my healthier way of eating. I woke up with the usual sneezing, the back, shoulder and neck pains, slight headache, blah blah blah. I got up at 8:30 because SOMEONE (you know who you are!!) wanted to go shopping early today to try on clothes. This someone had a gastric bypass last October and has lost about 150 lbs. To re-motivate herself, she wants to try on clothes and have me take pictures of the styles she looks good in. This will be mo ... read more January 2nd- my first “real” step 18 y
What I ate the first day of my raw food plan
This morning I woke up with my usual aches and pains- headache, stiff neck and shoulders, terrible pain in my lower back. I got up at 9:30 - about 1/2 hour earlier than usual (I’m on winter break).
Around 11:30 I had my first meal: about 3/4 cup of hummus, a cup or so of my taboule, and some lettuce - the mesclun mix. To drink, I squeezed two oranges and mortar-and-pestled about 1/4 of my pomegranate. I combined the juices with a little bit of cold water. DELICIOUS!! I only got about 1/3 of a cup out of the deal, though. I am now drinking my first 2 cups of water of the day. I’m very ... read more January First Shopping Expedition DAY ONE 18 y
My first shopping event for raw food groceries
Today I bought the foods I planned to eat on my first week going raw. I spent $48, but $8.50 of that was a splurge for extra virgin olive oil “first cold press”. I am not going to be too strict about the raw thing at first, but I’ll be mostly raw this week (except for today because I had my annual good-luck blackeyed peas and cornbread for the new year!):
-alfalfa sprouts
-5 small avocados
-1 small head of cabbage
- 1 bunch of cilantro
-2 medium sizedcucumbers
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 jicama
-4 limes
-extra virgin, first cold pressed olive oil
- 1 bag pine nuts ... read more What I Started With 18 y
Health issues that followed me into 2006 and which will, I hope, be eradicated as I embark on my odyssey to health and fitness.
WHAT I STARTED WITH
These are the symptoms with which I’m starting the year
-Eyes water for a couple of hours each morning
-Stuffy nose/post-nasal drip
-Sneezing in the morning
-Sides of tongue hurt for days at a time
-Bad gums (probably gum disease)
-Stiff neck and back
-Blotchy complexion, some acne
-Low grade headache in morning, sometimes throughout day
-Severe lower back pain all the time
-Pain in knees
-Depression
-Low energy, low stamina
-Uneven sleeping patterns
-Often feel hot
-Very noisy digestiv ... read more |