first "going raw" experience, March 9-15, 2015

Note: this post was written in parts on different days :) 

So, this past Monday the 9th, I decided to go raw.

In health nut language, that means that I will be consuming all, or at minimum 95% raw (fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and legumes). This is something I've been wanting to do for spiritual and health reasons for quite some time now, I finally decided to do it as a gift to my self this Monday, March 9. I would like to see if I can achieve perfect health by giving myself maximum-nutrient food. I'd also like to reflect on my attachment to comfort foods; all of which are cooked, and at best,  much safer then common junk food, and at worst, just pastries and salty snacks without the dairy and eggs.

Instead, I'd like to think of what I'm doing as and investment in my long term comfort, as opposed to the  momentary satiation that comfort food provides.

So, I'll be journaling my experience, so has to add a personal touch to what is normally a finger wagging diet-tribe (hehe diatribe) as to why this diet is the best as compared to that diet. We all have personal reasons for why we do what we do, so there is no point in judging. I can only advocate for and share what I know.

I thought I was going to be journaling each day, but, you know, life happens. So, instead I'll just take time to reflect on the past week.

Day One, Monday:

My raw breakfast/lunch/snack

I started the day with one liter of water mixed with the juice of two lemons, as suggested by a good friend of mine. While this lemon juice was very cleansing and hydrating, it also too my appetite away. I would satiated after very small amounts of food. I was at work, so I would eat a piece of fruit or some berries every couple of hours. I had an Asian flavor cabbage slaw wrapped in collard greens on the first night. I barely finished everything I set out to eat, but I was feeling good. I think the lack of appetite really threw me off. But in hindsight, I think I wasn't hungry at the time because I was allowing my body to finish some digesting and healing that eating a lot of food sometimes inhibits.

Day Two, Tuesday:

Still on my 2 lemon water with plenty of fruit. I had a smoothie in the morning as well, but I just was not hungry. Day two was very interesting, as I had five eliminations; I don't care if this is TMI, but yes, I did the number 2 five times! This surprised me for two reasons: 1) who knew that much could fit in my body and was still there, and 2) I hadn't even eaten that much! I really think it was the lemon water that it was that was "cleaning" me out so to speak. I had a busy day, so I was finally hungry--SUPER hungry, around like 11 pm. I had an avocado and like 32 ounces of green juice.

Day Three, Wednesday:

Kale Salad with peppers, tomatoes and onions

The hunger continued into Wednesday, so I had more fruit, another 32 ounce juice (these were Bolthouse Farms drinks...  I had no time to make my own) and I had a smoothie too. There was a method to this madness by the way. I would have my smoothies in the morning, then fruit later on in the day. I would eat whenever I felt hungry. Day three was when I started to feel somewhat lightheaded. I really didn't enjoy that. I would eat, then feel dizzy.  For dinner I ate a large kale salad with a avocado, carrot, coconut milk & curry dressing

Day Four, Thursday:

I had a smoothie, brought plenty of food from Trader Joe's, and made sure to eat. I felt good after I ate, but didn't like the weakness that came with feeling hungry. I still drank my lemon water. I decided to do some shopping at at Trader Joe's. I bought veggies to snack on and a container of Tahini. I made sure to eat until I was filled (...stuffed lol). I felt a little better, but I will say I was physically tired as well, so that could have contributed to my feelings.

Day Five. Friday:

I had a huge banana berry smoothie, and I brought nuts and seeds to work to snack on and keep me energized. For dinner, I had a huge kale salad with another thick veggie dressing. Later on in the evening, I had another plate of chopped veggies with tahini and salsa.

Day Six, Saturday:

I had a busy day, and I begin taking in cooked foods again. I lost 2 lbs at this point (I'm already quite small) and I was feeling cold all the time. Furthermore, the weak feeling was pretty consistent. I had granola with coconut (vegan) yogurt for breakfast, and I brought a banana and some raw nuts to snack on while I was on the move. Later that day, I had a large kale salad from Whole Foods that contained quinoa and chick peas (both of which were cooked). The salad was filling and yummy. I had a delicious collard green salad later on in the evening.

Day Seven, Sunday:

I felt weak again. I had steel cut oatmeal in the morning, which helped quite a bit. Later in the day I had a tangerine. Again, I was preoccupied, so eating wasn't the first thing I was considering, although I was feeling my blood sugar dropping. Later in the day, I had a raw foods bar, which, by the way, is so SO delicious. At night I had fresh falafel with a middle eastern style salad. I super cheated and had baked cookies with my tea.

So, why did I cheat after only five days?

I was feeling very sick and depleted. No matter how much I ate, as soon as I was hungry, I also felt very faint and dizzy. I don't think that hunger should be associated with such I decline in my energy levels. The way I was feeling is understandable after a whole day without food, not 3 or 4 hours. However, part of me was wondering if I was experiencing detox symptoms. At the same time, the body is always detoxing; therefore, something was not exactly in equilibrium. I should also add that my emotional state could have contributed to my feelings of exhaustion

I learned a lot from this experience. More on this coming very soon!


XOXO


P.S. Wednesday, March 18th Update! 

Yesterday, I didn't eat any cooked foods until later on in the evening (veggie sushi... YUM). However, during the day, I felt very energized. I had 2 bananas with a 1/4 cup of Brazil nuts for breakfast. For lunch, I had 2 apples with maybe 2 or 3 tbsps of peanut butter. Later, I snacked on maybe a 1/3 cups of raisins and raw pumpkin seeds.

So... What changed? I drank less water through out the day. I normally drink a liter of water in the morning, plus more throughout the day, in addition to high water content fruits. My guess is that this made me quite over-watered and lethargic. Now, I pay more attention to the color of my pee and drink only when it begins to get too yellow, or if I feel thirsty.


Point of this story: Listen to your body! Not heresay, or research, or anything else!




Eat to Live!

what happened to my body after transitioning to a plant-based diet

Everything takes time.

I've been living a vegan lifestyle for a while now, and while the weight loss was pretty much immediate, the other changes took a while to kick in. For example:

• While many purport that a plant-based diet leads to glowing skin, my acne and acne scars didn't like poof! ...just vanish
• My bronchitis symptoms (coughing, phlegm in chest, etc.) actually returned, but that was so that it could finally be healed
• And I still need to exercise to strengthen my muscles and rev up my system

So, now that quite a bit of time has passed, by body has begun to shift and change the way it behaves:

These are unexpected changes, too. Most recently, my senses have heightened. My nose is more sensitive than its ever been. I don't use strong chemicals to clean my place or wash clothing, so they really impact me when I smell them being used in public facilities or in someone else's home.

My sense of taste has become more sensitive as well. I admit, I do like salt, which isn't a bad thing (for me), because my blood pressure is moderately low; however, fruits, and veggies in particular, that used to be bland to me, are now quite tasty. I ate an avocado, pretty much by itself as if it were an apple or orange, and it was so flavorful to me. Even a couple months ago, I would have needed to add salt or tomatoes.

If you want to talk about a sweet tooth, I got your sweet tooth... I nothing was sweet enough for me; double chocolate, triple chocolate with fudge, double, and if they existed, triple stuffed Oreos.... I could savor it all. NOW though? No way. Becoming vegetarian and then vegan was more about weening myself off of pastries and desserts and candy bars than about avoiding meat and cheese. While the sweet tooth in me has yet to fully die, most common sugary snacks are too much for me. Even many vegan treats have too much sugar for my palate.

What's more, I can feel everything that is going on in my body. I know when I am low on protein, or iron, or sugar. I know when I need to stop eating, or when its time eat particular foods. My body has become way, way more picky now that it knows I'm providing it with nutrient dense foods.

The other day, I tried to have a vegan chocolate cupcake from Wholefoods, thinking that it was gonna be a yummy evening treat...not so at all. I had a pounding headache until 4AM! I had to stand under a hot shower & then soak until my body decided to stop chastising me.

In general, there are times when my stomach will give a lurch--even to healthy things, like bananas--when its not the right time for me to eat them. I have to listen to my body too, because when I don't I pay for it. My liver and pancreas will be pained, I'll have a distended, swollen abdomen for days... ugh, It's terrible!

Trust me, its very frustrating when you're hungry or craving certain foods--psychologically at least--and can't eat them. However, I trust my body now. it knows what it's doing. In the midst of that trust, I've had to learn and let go of some things:

1. There is no set amount of calories we have to take in per day. While on a plant based diet, you don't need to be concerned as to whether you ate too much, or too little, in terms of calories. What matters most is that when you eat, you feel satisfied and comfortable. 
2. When in doubt, drink (detox) water. If your head hurts, drink water. When your back hurts, drink water, When your tummy hurts, drink water. Water is the first solution. Detox water simply means adding lemon, lime, oranges, ginger or apple cider vinegar to your water.
3. If you stick with a plant based diet, there are some foods you won't be able to eat anymore. This is not a bad thing, unless you feel limited by it. at the moment, my body only reacts to high sugar foods. I don't have problems with soy, wheat, corn, or any other common allergens. I prefer to be one with nature, so I dabble with these foods (in their organic forms) to continue to be one with them. I want to be healthy, but I don't want to build up so much resistance that I can't partake in a social situation in which there is some yummy wheat bread, for example. Perhaps this will change, but I am a social creature, and for now I want to still participate in life experiences with people that include eating cooked foods, etc. every once in a while

There might be more, but those are the big three for me at the moment. 

As this blog allows you to assume, I like to communicate and share ideas. If you want to talk more about your food experiences, comment below or reach out at awakenedkitchen@gmail.com!

Eat to live and to thrive!

why I'm "going raw" (vegan)

Hello Everyone!

I decided to "go raw," this past Monday, March 9th.  I have been vegan for more than a year now, and I have noticed amazing changes in my health; however, I want more.

Let me back track a little. When you switch to a fruit and vegetable based diet, your body becomes less dense; you're no longer consuming heavy meats and dairy products. Also, because veggies and fruit have more vitamins and minerals than high fat, high calorie foods, you need less food to get the same amount--or more--nutrition. Digestion happens faster and more efficiently, and your digestive system is less overworked, giving your body more time to heal itself and protect it self; hence, I haven't had a cold in a very, very long time.

There are unexpected changes too; my senses are heightened. My nose is more sensitive than its ever been, as is my sense of taste. What's more, I can feel everything that is going on in my body. I know when I am low on protein, or iron, or sugar. I know when I need to stop eating, or when its time eat particular foods. My body has become way, way more picky now that it knows I'm providing it with nutrient dense foods. I'll physically get sick on seemingly okay foods if my body didn't want them, or my digestive system needs a break. (More on this later)

Pretty cool, right?

Then of course, there are the aesthetic changes. I lost more weight than I every would have while I was working out for an hour everyday... yet still eating a standard (but mostly health conscious) American diet. My acne breakouts have come to almost a complete halt. (I'll be talking more about this soon as well)

But... I know I can do more. I still love my comfort foods. Vegan cookies, cupcakes, non-gmo potato chips, tortilla chips w/salsa & guacamole, sweet potato fries... the list goes on and on. There's not at all anything wrong with these foods. Actually, every so often I will be eating cooked foods while on this diet. However, if you're like me, and have seen the changes in you body and general lifestyle.,.. you begin to wonder what else is possible.

I have vision issues, and some scarring around my eyes from when I had a long stint of sinus related swelling... and I had bronchitis. I also have many acne scars. Also, I have all of the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I want to give my body time to heal itself by giving it pure medicine--plants.

The body is always trying to regenerate itself, it just needs us to give it the perfect fuel.

I love food; the culture it creates, the history of it, the personal attachment it creates for us... food is the source of life! However, I want not only to eat to live, but to eat to thrive.

There is also a spiritual explanation as to why I am incorporating this new lifestyle into my life, and if you would like to learn more about that aspect of going raw, please feel free to contact us (Rey and myself, Melissa) at awakenedkitchen@gmail.com!



Enjoy life, and eat to thrive!