LONG TIME...

Still raw :)

So, i've come to the conclusion that there's no one in Syracuse who is a fellow raw foodist - how very disappointing! I was at the messeuse tonight and i was talking about being raw and she told me that i should open my own raw restaurant or juice bar. How i would love to do just that! About 2 weeks ago, i was on vacation and attended a raw class. I sat in the class thinking "I can do this, but better!" So, i'm now on my quest to become certified to teach raw classes. I anyone is interested, please let me know! The more, the merrier! I'm hoping to be certified by the fall and will start classes immediately following certification. Who knows, maybe i will open my own raw restaurant... lets see how the classes go :)

GREEN JUICE

Not much to mention right now.... i've been drinking my green juice every morning and afternoon (breakfast and lunch) for about 2 weeks now and i've been feeling fabulous - except for the one morning that i must've left something out of the juice and it tasted horrible and almost made me gag! Yeah, i won't leave the house again without tasting it first! I even made 2 servings of it that day! I played around this week and used spinach but i'm not a big fan of it. It tastes fishy to me... odd, since it's a leafy green plant! I have to do some research on greens and where you get the most nutrients. I like the Kale the best so far. Any suggestions would be great! Well, i'm off to bed now. Have a great night!

GREENS

So, in an attempt to actually lose the weight that i desperately want and need to lose (about 20 pounds will help!), i've started drinking a green drink for breakfast and lunch. I've been doing this for almost a week now - i started last Friday. Now, i'm not sure what i'm doing wrong, but these drinks taste nasty! It was recommended that i start to take Wheat Grass, Spirulina and any sea veggies... so, i bought myself a greens powder and some Wheat Grass that is Fresh Frozen into cubes... I've been drinking that mixed with about 5 stalks of kale, one apple, 1/2 a head of celery and a lemon. It doesn't taste that great, so any suggestions would be really, really helpful! I'm trying to keep an optimistic outlook on this... we'll see how it goes :)

I created this Thai dish tonight that was really good - and really simple. I took matchstick carrots, beansprouts, tomatoes (diced), mint leaves (chopped), basil (chopped), green onions... i put that all in a bowl. In another bowl, i blended some Red Curry Paste (again, not sure if this is raw, but i cannot find the ingredients that go into this!), sesame oil, cilantro, Almond Butter, 1 lime, salt & some Adzuki Bean Miso (not necessary, but it gives it a good flavor)... i just blended that until it was smooth and blended together. I poured over the veggies and topped with some pumpkin seeds. It was very good.

I also made my first batch of Ice Cream this past week. I also made my 2nd batch since i ate all of the first batch in less than 2 days ;) The first was Vanilla. I made some almond milk and then added agave and vanilla extract. I put it in the ice cream maker until it was cold and smooth (about 45 minutes). Yummy! Then, i made Strawberry Ice Cream... same way but without the vanilla extract and i threw a full tub of strawberries into the blender. It took a little while longer in the ice cream maker, but it was well worth it.

I also made my first Chocolate pudding! I was actually quite surprised because it used Avacado's - I love them so much that i find it hard to use them for anything other than Guacamole or just diced up in Salads or by themselves... I had 1/2 an avacado left over so i decided to brave it and attempt a pudding. I blended up the 1/2 of avacado with some Agave and some Carob powder. HOLY COW! It actually tasted like real chocolate pudding! I was thoroughly surprised!

So, that's about it for my week. I'll post pictures of my Thai concoction as soon as I upload my photo's...

I DON'T KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS

Sorry i haven't posted in a while - life has been crazy! Since my "one pinch full" of cheese on one of my last blogs, i've been 100% raw and i'm feeling great. I haven't weighed myself yet - i'm too afraid too! I've been feeling great and I don't want the scale to ruin that for me! Oh, you know what? I am not 100% raw because i began taking my Goji Juice again. I remembered how great i felt while taking this so i figured i'd give it a try while i'm raw. So, that's the only non-raw item i've drank/eaten. Again, i feel great! I feel healthier and my brain is clearer! I also feel like i've lost weight, but again, i don't want to disappoint myself if I haven't. I haven't really been hungry the past 2 days, so i'm taking advantage of that - that's my "side effect" from taking the Goji. Most people notice an improvement with their allergies or whatever might ail them... me? I don't want anything sweet and i eat very small quantities. I'm not sure why it has this effect on me, but i'm not arguing :)

So, I've been thinking about a lot of things in life... for instance, i'm changing my family over to Sigg Swiss bottles instead of drinking out of plastic water bottles. I know this is an important change for us - we don't buy many bottles, but we do re-use them all the time! I just never really knew how bad they are for you! I've also been thinking... it's okay for us as humans to kill animals and eat them but if a human is attacked by an animal, that animal is shot and killed! It's just kinda funny to think about. It's always bothered me that we eat meat (of any kind), but as a child, i was forced to eat it and i grew up thinking that's what i had to do! Once i moved out on my own, i changed my eating habits and was pretty much a vegetarian (with the exception of fish and sometimes an Egg & Cheese Sandwhich). I just preferred to eat fruits and veggies! It bothers me that i see packaged meats go bad in the grocery store - those animals died for no reason at all... These are just some thoughts that I've been having lately. Once i started eating this way, i've realized that i don't actually like the taste of meats or fish or pasta, but the sauce that goes on those things. Those sauces i can generally imitate with raw foods. I don't miss cooked foods at all. This Saturday my husband and I are going to a comedy show for his birthday and we're going out to dinner before hand. We're going to a Thai Restaurant because Thai food seems to be the only cooked food that doesn't bother my stomach. So, i'll probably have cooked veggies in a curry sauce - that's always what i have when i have Thai. So, it will be cooked, but it will still be vegetarian - possibly even vegan.

Anyway, i won't bore you with what i ate anymore ;) Unless i make something truly wonderful and I happen to take a photo of it! I have a million recipes that i need/want to try out but i haven't had time to write out my weekly food/meal plan/list. I decided that this would help me to stay more on track with my weight loss efforts. Hopefully i'll be 10 pounds thinner in a month :) I'm optimistic!

Have a great day!!!!

DAY 5

Well, i think I forgot to post something for the past 2 days and I cannot remember everything i've eaten... I pretty much cleaned out the fridge today so my lunch consisted of everything left in there :) For breakfast i had a grapefruit - this is my normal breakfast. So, i went shopping this afternoon for some good veggies! I had a nice Taco Salad for dinner - I made this with mixed greens, chopped onion, diced cucumbers, halved grape tomatoes and then i made a taco meat that consisted of ground up sunflower seeds and a kalamata olive tepenade. If you mix them together with some olive oil, it comes out looking like ground beef! Then, i drizzed the salad with my favorite dressing - it's just a blended up red pepper with some sesame oil and a little cayenne. I love this salad - thank you Bryan Au! I would normally make a guacamole to go with this salad, but i'm trying to stick with only one fat per meal (if any), so it's either the guacamole/avacado or the taco meat and tonight i wanted that taco meat - my family had taco's tonight. I was fixing my son's taco - which consists of the meat and cheese - and without even realizing it, i ate a pinch of cheese. I wasn't even craving it or wanting it, it was just out of habit. So, i felt really bad after that :( I've been feeling great these past few days of eating 100% raw... I haven't even wanted anything that wasn't raw! So, it was just really disappointing for me to have eaten that cheese tonight. I mean, if i were to choose something non-raw to eat, it wouldn't have been cheese! However, after eaten that bite of cheese, now i want chocolate... but, i'm resisting that! I'll make myself some more Almond Joy's tomorrow w/ some chocolate sauce. I wish there were some inexpensive and tasty choices for "bad" snacks to keep on hand. I wasn't a huge fan of the raweo, so that's not an option. If anyone knows of any good pre-made snacks to keep on hand, please let me know!!! I'm in the process of making something like a "chip" right now. I ground up flax seed and then added some sesame seeds and then i made a mixture of Red Curry Paste, Miso, Sesame Oil, Water, Onion powder... i think that's it. Then, i mixed it and spread it onto the teflex sheet. It's almost dry and should be done tomorrow when i get home from church... I'm also in the process of making some fresh salsa for it. I plan on that pretty much being my lunch :) I know it's not the healthiest, but i really want to have some! Anyway, i've got to get to bed now. I'll try to be better about posting on here everyday...

DAY 3

Okay, this is going to be short because i'm overly exhausted. Today was a bad, bad day for me (work situations). I'm a realtor and I just have a very difficult client right now. So, i was very upset today and very emotional but i'm proud of myself for not resorting to eating bad foods. I noticed recently that that's what i do! So, i'm glad i didn't do that today.

Here's what i had...

Breakfast: Grapes, Blackberries
Snack: Snack Bar - Lydia's Organics Raw Spirulina Bar - it tastes just like Banana Bread! I love it!
Lunch: Red Pepper "boats" with leftover Italian Dill Cheeze and a spritze of Bragg's with some sprouts on top. Oh, i just realized i posted the wrong lunch for yesterday - my brain is fried after today! I had an Avacado w/ raw red sauerkraut and Kalamata Olives. I know it sounds gross, but it was sooooooooooooooooooo good. I wish i had thrown some sprouts on there!
Snack: nothing
Dinner: Ani Phyo's Thai Wraps: The dipping sauce was altered a little, so this is what i did: Miso Paste, Almond butter, olive oil, a little sesame oil and some Red Curry Paste... I'm not sure if the paste is raw, but it only had veggies and herbs as the ingredients. I will make pretend it is raw :) I couldn't find Thai Chili Peppers or Keffir Lime Leaves, so this was my alternative. I really wanted Thai food!
Snack: Some of the leftover dipping sauce - via my finger... and some cashews. I'm still craving chips and i thought this would help, but it didn't. Plus, i want to get them out of the house. I won't be buying cashews again after this. Cashews contain Micotoxins (I think that's how you spell it, but my brain is so tired right now!). Micotoxins are linked to cancer and i just don't want to increase my chances for it. That's why i generally don't eat corn, cashews, nama shoyu, braggs (a few exceptions, but i'm working on this!!!).

Oh, I also had a pear w/ dinner. I actually ate a tiny bit before church (we go to church wednesday nights and sunday mornings) and then ate the rest when i came home... but, i had a pear on the way out tonight.

I got on the scale for the first time in 2 weeks and i was very disappointed. Since my last master cleanse, i've gained a few pounds. So, i'm really cracking down... no more nuts and I have to regulate my fat intake. If i have an Avacado, then i can't have seeds... things like that. I need to lose weight and I just don't know what else to do to help my body along. I was on some medicine a while back that was very bad for me and my body and it caused me to gain about 20 pounds in about 8 months! Then, i gained another 20 over the next 3 years or so. I've lost 10 of those, but i still need to to lose about 25 pounds or so. If anyone has any suggestions, please, please, please let me know :)

I really wish there was a raw foods restaurant in or near Syracuse! Someone should seriously open one - i'm sure the students at the university would go there! Great investment if anyone is looking for one! Even a vegan restaurant would be a great alternative.

Okay, i really have to get to bed now.

DAY 2

Okay, so i missed writing yesterday... I had a pretty good day - uneventful.

Here's what i had:

Breakfast: Asian Pear
Snack: Grapes
Lunch: Leftover Italian Wraps from the night before
Snack: I can't remember, but i had something :)
Dinner: Hawaiian BBQ Kebabs: Sauce made from tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, agave nectar, olive oil, Onions, salt, pepper, paprika... The veggies i used are cherry tomatoes, onion, zucchini, red pepper & I put Pineapple on my husbands Kebabs. I got the recipe from www.goneraw.com Just search under Hawaiian and it will come up.
Desert/Snack: Snacking apple w/ Salt - I was craving chips big time, but i didn't have anything to make them with and I wanted them NOW! So, i settled for a salty apple :)

I had a great workout at the gym and I did a 20 minute lower body yoga tape in the afternoon.

Uneventful day :)

Today was my first day (in about six months) of being completely raw. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be... i just have to think a little bit more and use just a little bit more will power! Because i have a 3 1/2 year old son, things get a little crazy at times and I am finding that i need to keep more "prepared" foods on hand in the refridgerator. And, i'm trying to listen more to my body - If I think i should be eating a salad and i'm craving fruit, i'm going to have fruit! I want to make my body happy and maybe it will make me happy :) So, here is a rundown of what I actually ate today - the only thing i drank is water.

Breakfast: Grapefruit and the leftovers of my son's slice of watermelon.
Snack: 3 dried figs
Lunch: From Ani Phyo's book, I had the Italian Herb Collard Wrap: Large Collard Green leaves stuffed with sun dried tomatoes, red peppers, avacado, scallions, rosemary, oregano and a dill cheeze spread which consisted of Sunflower Seeds, Water, Lemon Juice, Dill and Garlic. These were so good! They would definitely be good when you are craving Italian Food or when everyone around you eats Italian
Snack: Strawberries with Cashew Cream (I know, i don't normally eat cashews, but i had this a few weeks ago and I've been craving it ever since... I'll try it with Mac's and Brazil's next time!)
Dinner: Salad of mixed greens, red peppers, sweet white onions, the rest of the avacado (the other half i used for the wraps), Sprouts and then i made a dressing from Ume Plum Vinegar, Bragg's Amino Acid Spray and Sesame Oil. I'm trying to get off the Bragg's completely, but It's in so many recipes!
And, as I type this, I'm eating a new concoction taken from a recipe in Raw Food Real World (i just borrowed this book from the library and it is a very nice book that would be great for when i entertain). It is Raw, Dried coconut flakes, vanilla, agave nectar, sprinkle of salt and some Coconut Oil. It reminded me of rice crispy treats, but just not as gooey. They were pretty good!

So, that was my first 100% raw day. I'm going to be making the Hawaiian BBQ Skewers tomorrow for dinner - these were awesome last time i made them. I'll start posting pictures of my meals as soon as I get the time to actually download some! I'm hoping to get some time this coming weekend.

Please feel free to post your raw food experiences, recipes, ideas, menu's, etc... it's always fun to share!

100% Raw Challenge

Okay, so i came to the realization that i need to do something more for myself if i want to lose the last 20 pounds... so, i'm going to start by going 100% raw all the time! I have to really test myself and my will power. I did this for about a month and i felt great and i lost about 10 pounds and almost 2 dress sizes. So, as i write this, it's 10:47 pm and when i wake up in the morning, i'll start my new transformation! I have to make a conscious effort to eat this way and to work out as much as i should/need to for what i want to accomplish. So, Tuesday and Thursday mornings when my son is in pre-school, i'll be in the gym (this is my normal routine anyway) and then I'll be doing Yoga and/or Pilates every day during his nap - INCLUDING the days when i go to the gym. I need to find some good Yoga DVD's. I like yoga where the moves just flow into each other. Any suggestions would be awesome! So, i'll keep everyone updated on my 100% raw diet and my weight loss accomplishments.... keep me posted on yours as well!

100% RAW??

Well, I finished my 3rd master cleanse about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I've been eating mostly raw foods since then, but i just haven't felt the same - i felt wonderful on the cleanse - the best i've felt in years! Unfortunately, we (my husband and I) had some obligations that we couldn't get out of... so, i had to end my cleanse. I'd really like to do this again towards the middle of April. If anyone would like to do it with me, please let me know! I'm thinking that i need to just change over to 100% raw! I want to feel and look great! I really need to lose my last 20 pounds before the summer! I'm just getting so frustrated that I'm not losing the weight - I'm eating mostly raw, working out at the gym 2 or 3 times a week, doing Yoga or Pilates at home everyday... My body must be confused!!!!! Any suggestions? I'd like to stay away from nuts and avacado's for awhile - I'm pretty sure that's how i gained back 5 pounds! Anyway, any help/suggestions/comments would be greatly appreciated on this topic.

RAW FOODISTS?

Hello there. I'm new to this blogging thing, so please bear with me :) I live in the Syracuse, NY area and, if anyone else does then you know, it's hard to be a raw foodist in this area! There is 1 Natural Foods Store and there isn't a large selection of organic groceries. We do have a farmers market, but it's not so great in the winter. Winter in this area just stinks! So, I'm looking for any fellow raw foodists in this area or surrounding areas or just looking for some raw friends to share recipes with . I love raw foods and how they make me feel - energized, clean, clear, healthy, etc... I grew up wanting to only eat fruits and veggies but meats were literally forced down my throat. I didn't even care for bread until college... the bread at both Outback and Red Lobster got me hooked! So, now i'm experimenting with raw food recipes trying to find some good staples. My husband is not a raw foodist, but he is 100% behind me and very supportive and does try everything i make - he's not a huge fan of nuts, so that is a difficulty when i try to make deserts. I don't care for the consistency of Young Coconut Flesh and Young Coconut Water mixed/blended... that's a basis for a lot of raw treats and smoothies. So, if anyone would like to contact me, please feel free. If your in the Syracuse area, please let me know! Good luck on your raw food journey - I know i'm enjoying it!