Better late than never. Kudos to those who blog daily as I am finding it a challenge to keep up with daily posts...heck, weekly posts. I have been doing a lot of thinking recently and have many posts that I would like to put up and will try to do a few a week at least to get all my thinking out on the page.
The daily green smoothies are now a part of my life. I say day 29 and 30 but really I could go on as I have continued to have at least one 4 to 5 cup green smoothie a day since the end of these 30 days. I made a list up on day 30 of things that I noticed in the duration of this trial. Here it is:
higher energy levels
less sleep needed
better bowel movements
very clear skin (after the first week)
hair loss lessened and stopped
smoother, softer hair
strong nails
better muscle definition in arms
softer skin
brighter eyes, better vision? (can see the alarm clock from across the bed clearly now)
better able to handle stressful situations
minimal mood swings
PMS - got my period at the end of the trial and didn't know it was coming...NO cramping at all and only lasted 4 and a bit days!!
less sweet cravings
less hunger felt, therefore ate less
no overeating for the wrong reasons
more patience with the kids
kids and hubby ate better and my son loved smoothies (at first and then this dissipated near the end)
clearer head
resting heart rate down about 4 beats per minute
blood pressure down a few points on the top and bottom
I did not change my diet drastically and ate about 90% raw during this time...sometimes it was 100% for many days but I did have some times when cooked food entered the body. I would venture to guess that the results would be even more amazing if I'd been eating 100% raw the whole 30 days. Interestingly enough since the trial I have been eating 100% raw and did a three day juice feast.
There are a lot of people getting on the juice feast wagon! There are people blogging about this everywhere, and there's a list of bloggers who are juicing at the Raw Food Right Now blog. Heidi is also blogging about her 92 day juice feast. It's is an interesting read and I wish I'd blogged about mine when I did the 30 day jucie feast last September (2007). I did journal so maybe in future posts I can put some of my journal stuff in here. Kristen at Kristen's Raw is also into a juice feast...I believe it's for 30 days she's going so I'll be reading her posts to hear more about that as it's the same duration of the one I did last fall. Go Girls! Juicy awesomeness all around.
So now that the 30 day trial of smoothies is over what I find I am eating is 100% raw, and juicing more than I have since September of 2007. Ideally I'd like to be juicing in the morning, then having a smoothie for lunch and the more solid foods would be in the afternoon and early evening. Then finish all eating by 8pm and maybe have another juice if I am hungry later. The only problem I've had so far is when I ingest a green juice later than 8pm I have trouble getting to sleep before 1am. I have so much energy...it's like a jolt of coffee for those who don't drink too much coffee.
I am a firm believer in both juicing and green smoothies, having experienced both for 30 days each. Now it's time to put the both together and take things to another level.
Eat Raw, Live Well.
Off to the mountain today in the glorious (almost spring) sunshine!! Hope it's clear enough to see the red moon tonight!
Powered by green,
Melinda
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Day 22 to 28 - Daily Green Smoothies
Must blog more, must blog more...
Still drinking lots of daily green smoothies. It is such a part of my life now I am beginning to crave green smoothies and all things green. Not sure if I mentioned before but I look at everything green now and wonder what it would taste like in a smoothie...let me clarify: Driving home I come through a beautiful green parkland drive. It is amazing in the summer when we are in full bloom and leaves are all full out. It is also beautiful in the fresh snow with trees heavy laden with the new snowfall. But I look at the greenery and wonder...should I throw something like that into the blender?
I look forward to the spring when new fiddleheads will be peaking out of the ground. The adult plant may be difficult to swallow but even as a kid we used to boil fiddleheads and stinging needle to eat when we camped out with Girl Guides. Coming back to my roots it seems.
I also had a green juice this morning and it felt like coming home. I haven't had a juice in over two to three weeks...and it was SO good! I put in four handfuls of baby spinach, two romaine heart bunches and two apples for a little sweetness and a small lemon to cut the green taste. Wow, my taste buds came alive!
This afternoon I had a spinach and carrot juice. It tasted better than I had imagined. Matt Monarch is always talking about how much he loves spinach and carrot juice so I had to try it. His blog is also great reading, lots of information to look over.
mattmonarch.blogspot.com/
His fiance, Angela Stokes also has a great blog:
rawreform.blogspot.com/
I will blog about a whole bunch of different sites that I go to in order to read about raw foods at a future date.
I am currently working on my slide show for a presentation I am giving to a bunch of teachers on the Pro D day. We'll do a little talking and a little preparing food. I am nervous but looking forward to it and want to do more of this in the future. I would love to do a talk at Planet Organic or at Choices...but for now it's for teachers and for the neighbours.
I drank a lot of juice today and had great sustained energy throughout the day. I am tired now, and feeling a little hungry actually for the first time today. It's not a bad thing to go to bed a little hungry. Goodness knows there are many people who go hungry on a daily basis!
Dream Green!
Still drinking lots of daily green smoothies. It is such a part of my life now I am beginning to crave green smoothies and all things green. Not sure if I mentioned before but I look at everything green now and wonder what it would taste like in a smoothie...let me clarify: Driving home I come through a beautiful green parkland drive. It is amazing in the summer when we are in full bloom and leaves are all full out. It is also beautiful in the fresh snow with trees heavy laden with the new snowfall. But I look at the greenery and wonder...should I throw something like that into the blender?
I look forward to the spring when new fiddleheads will be peaking out of the ground. The adult plant may be difficult to swallow but even as a kid we used to boil fiddleheads and stinging needle to eat when we camped out with Girl Guides. Coming back to my roots it seems.
I also had a green juice this morning and it felt like coming home. I haven't had a juice in over two to three weeks...and it was SO good! I put in four handfuls of baby spinach, two romaine heart bunches and two apples for a little sweetness and a small lemon to cut the green taste. Wow, my taste buds came alive!
This afternoon I had a spinach and carrot juice. It tasted better than I had imagined. Matt Monarch is always talking about how much he loves spinach and carrot juice so I had to try it. His blog is also great reading, lots of information to look over.
mattmonarch.blogspot.com/
His fiance, Angela Stokes also has a great blog:
rawreform.blogspot.com/
I will blog about a whole bunch of different sites that I go to in order to read about raw foods at a future date.
I am currently working on my slide show for a presentation I am giving to a bunch of teachers on the Pro D day. We'll do a little talking and a little preparing food. I am nervous but looking forward to it and want to do more of this in the future. I would love to do a talk at Planet Organic or at Choices...but for now it's for teachers and for the neighbours.
I drank a lot of juice today and had great sustained energy throughout the day. I am tired now, and feeling a little hungry actually for the first time today. It's not a bad thing to go to bed a little hungry. Goodness knows there are many people who go hungry on a daily basis!
Dream Green!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Day Fifteen to Twenty One - Daily Green Smoothies
Life's busy. Still making time for daily green smoothies and sharing most of them with my son and my mom, both enjoy them a lot.
Weight has leveled out and I still haven't lost anything since I last blogged. 138 to 140 on any given day.
Skin is clear, except for the dry hands I have experienced since the weather dried up. It's snowed here pretty much every day since I last wrote and before! I've never seen it snow so much on the West Coast of B.C.
Feel really clear headed on days when I concentrate only green smoothies, not hungry much when I've had about four to five cups of green smoothie for a meal. I am also enjoying avocados and tomatoes lots.
Cravings: I have had huge cravings for cooked food, especially any vegan dish that my husband makes. I have chosen to eat it on some occasions and hope to develop a raw version of some of these great tasting foods. That's my next challenge, coming up with some of my own recipes, some that mimick Indian food, or Thai food or polenta, etc. There are ways to do it, I just have to get the right mix. I used to get down about the days I didn't eat fully raw, but if I still sleep soundly, make proper cooked choices and still eat 90% raw I am easier on myself these days. I still strive for 100% for life and know it will come with time. Maybe when I live in a lush tropical area and fruit falls off the trees in my yard the entire year...
Sun Run Training is going well. I feel strong and have absolutely no cardiovascular difficulty with the 2 min. run and 3 min. walk. My legs feel strong and I don't feel sore the next day.
I also shovelled three driveways this last week and it was over a foot of snow! I felt some tenderness in the shoulders the next day and slightly more the day after that, but really nothing like I may have in earlier years. I could not believe how fast my body got over that kind of exercise. It was easy when I was doing it as well, and I have not been doing a great deal of muscle building exercises this last six months. I will need to improve that as I want to continue to develop my muscle development.
My daughter turned 5 and asked that I make raw ice cream and raw pecan pie for her birthday party. Get outta here! I was thrilled...until I heard that she asked Daddy to make hamburgers...still thrilled that she wanted some raw food there. It's so a part of our lives now.
I used to decorate cakes. This year I am having difficulty knowing all I do about the ingredients in the icing sugar, food colouring, cakes etc. I am torn between wanting to do a great cake for my daughter and wanting to keep that crap out of her system...more on that at a later time.
Spoke at my Grandma's memorial on the weekend to a group of about 80. Usually I'd be so stressed that I could not control my voice and sound like I'm cracking up. This time it went so smoothly and I enjoyed speaking in front of all of those that attended. I really believe that my confidence has soard by eating raw and living foods. It's amazing how much more comfortable I am in my own skin. I recently had someone call and ask me more about how I ate, saying that they had not seen me in so long and how much I had changed, not only physically but in how I presented myself as well. They said that I was calmer, that I glowed, that I seemed so passionate about the way I eat. All of these things are true. I am sure because of my increased self esteem and confidence, I am far more likely to be social, talk about things that interest me and engage the listener in a way I have never been able to do before.
I like that I am doing something different from the mainstream. I have another blog post that I am working on called "It's not easy being green". It is a difficult path to follow in our society, we are SO connected to the food we eat and define our holidays and get togethers by the food that's presented if not how we define ourselves.
Comments like - "How do you unwind if you can't drink a beer?"
"Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and turkey."
"What's Valentine's Day without Chocolate?"
"What's Easter without the Easter Egg Hunt?"
"What's a birthday without the cake?"
"What's a wedding without the amazing food, or buffet?"
I could go on. But what advertising and "tradition" in our society have done is hard wire us to believe that these festivities would be nothing if it were not for the food that's involved in them? We do not have to buy into that. Christmas is Christmas because we come together as a family, an Easter, Valentine's day and so on can be fun without focussing on the food aspects.
This is why I am having difficulty making and decorating a cake for my daughter's birthday. I am buying into this stuff as well. Ever been to a birthday without a cake? Think about it...
For my last birthday they made a cake out of whole berries for me that was a mound about a foot high, it was impressive. BUT! They bought an ice cream cake for the rest of the guests to enjoy because they didn't want anyone to be deprived of a "proper" birthday cake. Argh. I guess I need some raw friends out there who know what I am talking about.
Another thing about how it's not easy being green is the fact that I feel lonely in this plight. Sure the internet is great, but it's not personal contact. I can't tell you how excited I get going out to Aaron's restaurant, Gorilla Foods on Richards Street in Vancouver. He is amazing!!! His food is so delicious. Actually I may go out there tomorrow or next week because it's been too long since I have had any. I also like that I get to talk to someone that's just as passionate about raw and living foods as myself. That's why I am blogging, hoping to make some more connections. I am also wanting to attend the Raw Spirit Festival this year. It's an amazing event bringing together rawbies from all over North America and beyond. I need a driving partner if anyone is interested?!?!
I'm putting together the goodie bags today. Another thing I've bought into and wish to opt out in the future. There's got to be another way than buying cheap items that only become clutter and then fill up our landfill. There's got to be a better way than filling it up with candy and crap that will hurt our poor kids' hearts and bodies! That is my goal for their birthdays next year. Somehow to break out of this mold. I have thought about giving a small two or three dollar gift to each child as they leave, but still this adds to the clutter and heck, they come to a party with a gift as well...options, there have to be other options. Donations to a food bank, donations to a children's charity, donations to an animal shelter...better options. Most of our kids want for nothing but the latest fashion and video game, they have to know that there's more to life than getting the "set" of characters from a certain line of toys. I can learn a lot from that as well, as I am a collector and now see this tendency in my kids.
So, off the soap box I get.
Looking foward to another green smoothie tomorrow morning. I really enjoy them as my first meal and as a snack in the mid afternoon...finally getting into the rhythm now.
Ciao for now. Have an apple or a banana after reading this. Increase the raw food you put in by taking baby steps. Just a little more each day and before you know it you'll be 70 - 80 % raw yourself!
Weight has leveled out and I still haven't lost anything since I last blogged. 138 to 140 on any given day.
Skin is clear, except for the dry hands I have experienced since the weather dried up. It's snowed here pretty much every day since I last wrote and before! I've never seen it snow so much on the West Coast of B.C.
Feel really clear headed on days when I concentrate only green smoothies, not hungry much when I've had about four to five cups of green smoothie for a meal. I am also enjoying avocados and tomatoes lots.
Cravings: I have had huge cravings for cooked food, especially any vegan dish that my husband makes. I have chosen to eat it on some occasions and hope to develop a raw version of some of these great tasting foods. That's my next challenge, coming up with some of my own recipes, some that mimick Indian food, or Thai food or polenta, etc. There are ways to do it, I just have to get the right mix. I used to get down about the days I didn't eat fully raw, but if I still sleep soundly, make proper cooked choices and still eat 90% raw I am easier on myself these days. I still strive for 100% for life and know it will come with time. Maybe when I live in a lush tropical area and fruit falls off the trees in my yard the entire year...
Sun Run Training is going well. I feel strong and have absolutely no cardiovascular difficulty with the 2 min. run and 3 min. walk. My legs feel strong and I don't feel sore the next day.
I also shovelled three driveways this last week and it was over a foot of snow! I felt some tenderness in the shoulders the next day and slightly more the day after that, but really nothing like I may have in earlier years. I could not believe how fast my body got over that kind of exercise. It was easy when I was doing it as well, and I have not been doing a great deal of muscle building exercises this last six months. I will need to improve that as I want to continue to develop my muscle development.
My daughter turned 5 and asked that I make raw ice cream and raw pecan pie for her birthday party. Get outta here! I was thrilled...until I heard that she asked Daddy to make hamburgers...still thrilled that she wanted some raw food there. It's so a part of our lives now.
I used to decorate cakes. This year I am having difficulty knowing all I do about the ingredients in the icing sugar, food colouring, cakes etc. I am torn between wanting to do a great cake for my daughter and wanting to keep that crap out of her system...more on that at a later time.
Spoke at my Grandma's memorial on the weekend to a group of about 80. Usually I'd be so stressed that I could not control my voice and sound like I'm cracking up. This time it went so smoothly and I enjoyed speaking in front of all of those that attended. I really believe that my confidence has soard by eating raw and living foods. It's amazing how much more comfortable I am in my own skin. I recently had someone call and ask me more about how I ate, saying that they had not seen me in so long and how much I had changed, not only physically but in how I presented myself as well. They said that I was calmer, that I glowed, that I seemed so passionate about the way I eat. All of these things are true. I am sure because of my increased self esteem and confidence, I am far more likely to be social, talk about things that interest me and engage the listener in a way I have never been able to do before.
I like that I am doing something different from the mainstream. I have another blog post that I am working on called "It's not easy being green". It is a difficult path to follow in our society, we are SO connected to the food we eat and define our holidays and get togethers by the food that's presented if not how we define ourselves.
Comments like - "How do you unwind if you can't drink a beer?"
"Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and turkey."
"What's Valentine's Day without Chocolate?"
"What's Easter without the Easter Egg Hunt?"
"What's a birthday without the cake?"
"What's a wedding without the amazing food, or buffet?"
I could go on. But what advertising and "tradition" in our society have done is hard wire us to believe that these festivities would be nothing if it were not for the food that's involved in them? We do not have to buy into that. Christmas is Christmas because we come together as a family, an Easter, Valentine's day and so on can be fun without focussing on the food aspects.
This is why I am having difficulty making and decorating a cake for my daughter's birthday. I am buying into this stuff as well. Ever been to a birthday without a cake? Think about it...
For my last birthday they made a cake out of whole berries for me that was a mound about a foot high, it was impressive. BUT! They bought an ice cream cake for the rest of the guests to enjoy because they didn't want anyone to be deprived of a "proper" birthday cake. Argh. I guess I need some raw friends out there who know what I am talking about.
Another thing about how it's not easy being green is the fact that I feel lonely in this plight. Sure the internet is great, but it's not personal contact. I can't tell you how excited I get going out to Aaron's restaurant, Gorilla Foods on Richards Street in Vancouver. He is amazing!!! His food is so delicious. Actually I may go out there tomorrow or next week because it's been too long since I have had any. I also like that I get to talk to someone that's just as passionate about raw and living foods as myself. That's why I am blogging, hoping to make some more connections. I am also wanting to attend the Raw Spirit Festival this year. It's an amazing event bringing together rawbies from all over North America and beyond. I need a driving partner if anyone is interested?!?!
I'm putting together the goodie bags today. Another thing I've bought into and wish to opt out in the future. There's got to be another way than buying cheap items that only become clutter and then fill up our landfill. There's got to be a better way than filling it up with candy and crap that will hurt our poor kids' hearts and bodies! That is my goal for their birthdays next year. Somehow to break out of this mold. I have thought about giving a small two or three dollar gift to each child as they leave, but still this adds to the clutter and heck, they come to a party with a gift as well...options, there have to be other options. Donations to a food bank, donations to a children's charity, donations to an animal shelter...better options. Most of our kids want for nothing but the latest fashion and video game, they have to know that there's more to life than getting the "set" of characters from a certain line of toys. I can learn a lot from that as well, as I am a collector and now see this tendency in my kids.
So, off the soap box I get.
Looking foward to another green smoothie tomorrow morning. I really enjoy them as my first meal and as a snack in the mid afternoon...finally getting into the rhythm now.
Ciao for now. Have an apple or a banana after reading this. Increase the raw food you put in by taking baby steps. Just a little more each day and before you know it you'll be 70 - 80 % raw yourself!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Day Ten through Fourteen - Daily Green Smoothies
Yikes,
As you can see I haven't been here much this last five days. My sweet Grandma passed on last night and the week leading up to this has been an emotional one. We knew that she was leaving us, we just didn't know when. I finally got to see her last night and was with her when she left us. I can't go into detail right now, but I know she could hear what we said to her and I know that there's something else out there. She had a conversation with God and decided that 11pm last night was her curtain call. She's now reunited with my Grandpa and they are playing piano and singing together again.
I've stayed on my smoothies through all of this and I really think they have given me the strength to get through it all. I have still had less hair loss, no more weight loss, that's evened out and I have fluctuated between 138 to 140 all week. Hungry less, that is for sure but is that the smoothies or the stress? I am sure I have dealt with the events of the last week better than I would have, had I been eating a standard Canadian diet.
My father was in the hospital yesterday with a suspected heart attack. He suffered one about 7 years ago and smartened up for a couple of years...but with time so went his efforts. Bootcamp kept him active for a the last couple years, but even that he lost interest in this last ten months. We began Sun Run training together just a week ago. Turns out it wasn't a heart attack but a gentle nudge (more like push) in the right direction. He goes to see a heart specialist soon.
My brother in law is experiencing a fever of 102 to 104 degrees F. There seems to be no real reason and it's been a week. What is causing this I wonder? He isn't into Doctors or meds, so is trying to do things naturally but finally saw a Doctor today but still no explanation was found. Yikes.
What I wonder is if I could convince my father to go raw for 30 days, if he could get off his meds. If my brother in law went raw for a week, I bet he'd see marked improvements and if he was raw for 30 days, he'd feel so great he'd never look back! He's already vegan, so half the work is already done. I have been modelling this type of eating for a year now and still they see how much it's done for me but are unwilling to do something for themselves. I know that they have to find their way here themselves, and I am just a beacon in the distance for them. Hopefully with these health issues they will begin to take notice and start to add more raw foods into their diets. One can only hope.
The knot I have had in my stomach for three weeks - not sure if I have mentioned it here, I thought it was just something that I had acquired over time - finally let go this morning. I was doing my breathing exercises and massaged it and it just left. I was so relieved. It's been there since before Christmas and I didn't know why. Stress works on us in many different ways. Being raw can help to alleviate a lot of the body's stresses, but it can't do it all. Lifestyle and the stresses we are exposed to are such a huge factor in how our body will function and feel.
Feeling peaceful tonight, enjoyed a great bunch of smoothies. The check out lady thinks I am nuts buying so many bananas! Little does she know that is just my two or three day supply and that I get the next bunch somewhere else. I am trying to put in more greens and less bananas as time goes on and I don't need it to be as sweet.
Got Greens?
As you can see I haven't been here much this last five days. My sweet Grandma passed on last night and the week leading up to this has been an emotional one. We knew that she was leaving us, we just didn't know when. I finally got to see her last night and was with her when she left us. I can't go into detail right now, but I know she could hear what we said to her and I know that there's something else out there. She had a conversation with God and decided that 11pm last night was her curtain call. She's now reunited with my Grandpa and they are playing piano and singing together again.
I've stayed on my smoothies through all of this and I really think they have given me the strength to get through it all. I have still had less hair loss, no more weight loss, that's evened out and I have fluctuated between 138 to 140 all week. Hungry less, that is for sure but is that the smoothies or the stress? I am sure I have dealt with the events of the last week better than I would have, had I been eating a standard Canadian diet.
My father was in the hospital yesterday with a suspected heart attack. He suffered one about 7 years ago and smartened up for a couple of years...but with time so went his efforts. Bootcamp kept him active for a the last couple years, but even that he lost interest in this last ten months. We began Sun Run training together just a week ago. Turns out it wasn't a heart attack but a gentle nudge (more like push) in the right direction. He goes to see a heart specialist soon.
My brother in law is experiencing a fever of 102 to 104 degrees F. There seems to be no real reason and it's been a week. What is causing this I wonder? He isn't into Doctors or meds, so is trying to do things naturally but finally saw a Doctor today but still no explanation was found. Yikes.
What I wonder is if I could convince my father to go raw for 30 days, if he could get off his meds. If my brother in law went raw for a week, I bet he'd see marked improvements and if he was raw for 30 days, he'd feel so great he'd never look back! He's already vegan, so half the work is already done. I have been modelling this type of eating for a year now and still they see how much it's done for me but are unwilling to do something for themselves. I know that they have to find their way here themselves, and I am just a beacon in the distance for them. Hopefully with these health issues they will begin to take notice and start to add more raw foods into their diets. One can only hope.
The knot I have had in my stomach for three weeks - not sure if I have mentioned it here, I thought it was just something that I had acquired over time - finally let go this morning. I was doing my breathing exercises and massaged it and it just left. I was so relieved. It's been there since before Christmas and I didn't know why. Stress works on us in many different ways. Being raw can help to alleviate a lot of the body's stresses, but it can't do it all. Lifestyle and the stresses we are exposed to are such a huge factor in how our body will function and feel.
Feeling peaceful tonight, enjoyed a great bunch of smoothies. The check out lady thinks I am nuts buying so many bananas! Little does she know that is just my two or three day supply and that I get the next bunch somewhere else. I am trying to put in more greens and less bananas as time goes on and I don't need it to be as sweet.
Got Greens?
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Day Nine - Daily Green Smoothies
Sunshine in my tummy makes me full....with all these green smoothies going down so well, I am rarely hungry for anything else!
Weight stable at 138lbs. I am 5 foot 7, not sure if I mentioned that before.
Skin - great, noticing it seems almost like I have a slight tan. That's possibly because of the sunshine we've had this week or the sunshine in my tummy!
Feeling - full of energy, not tired at all. Getting up without a problem, even after being up with a sick kid all night.
Speaking of sick kids. Mine seem to be well when they eat the terrible diet of "Christmas time" but are sick when I have them eat raw until noon and then vegan meals after that. Rarely do they have sugar. In fact sugar intake usually causes a runny nose for them and they have started to make this connection. The same goes for any dairy they ingest, be it at a party or when we eat out - we are more lenient at those times and hope the kids make good choices. My daughter even said she likes "rice cheese" better than regular cheese now. Now all I have to do is get her to like the seed cheeses and we've got it made! I am sure that their little bodies are trying to rid themselves of all the yuck they have collected in their young lives but still it is a little disappointing when you think you are doing things right and this is the outcome...
I am always trying to test my immunity to colds etc. I will drink from their water bottles, and eat off their spoon when they are sick to see if I get anything. So far, since being 90-100% raw I have not had a cold or flu. I believe that even if I did get a cold or flu that it would be much less of an issue and be over sooner. I would also think it was detox, and not a cold/flu, especially if no one else in the house experienced the same thing.
Didn't eat much today as I was so full with smoothie there was no need for anything else.
I had one smoothie at 11am
2 bananas
6 leaves of kale
half a pineapple
2 cups of water
Drinking my sunshine, oh ya.
Walked in Kits with a friend of ours who just had a baby. What a sweetie that little one is. The sun was out and although it was cold, it was invigorating to walk outside! The kids thought it was a little cold, but did well.
At home I had raw ice cream. Take frozen bananas and berries and put them through the Champion Juicer. This is one of my kids' favourites. I fed it to them around 4pm and I also had about a cup and a half of it too.
Smoothie number two was at 6pm.
2 bananas
1/3 tub of mixed spring greens tub
1/2 pineapple
2 cups of water.
This made a whopping seven cups of smoothie. My kids weren't interested, they had their dinner and I drank about five cups and gave the other two to my parents when I visited them.
Great day in general. I did feel some frustration with my youngest, who is not at all pleasant when he's sick. My daughter was a gem tonight, but very emotional. It's going to be an interesting night with both of them sick so I am going to get into bed early and read some more of "The China Study". If you haven't checked this book out yet, you must!
Ok. Be well. Goodnight.
If you're up and want to read something about someone doing a raw vegan diet for 30 days, check out Steve Pavlina's blog.
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2008/01/raw-food-diet-day-1
I have enjoyed some of his recipes and reading his daily blurb about his experience going raw.
Weight stable at 138lbs. I am 5 foot 7, not sure if I mentioned that before.
Skin - great, noticing it seems almost like I have a slight tan. That's possibly because of the sunshine we've had this week or the sunshine in my tummy!
Feeling - full of energy, not tired at all. Getting up without a problem, even after being up with a sick kid all night.
Speaking of sick kids. Mine seem to be well when they eat the terrible diet of "Christmas time" but are sick when I have them eat raw until noon and then vegan meals after that. Rarely do they have sugar. In fact sugar intake usually causes a runny nose for them and they have started to make this connection. The same goes for any dairy they ingest, be it at a party or when we eat out - we are more lenient at those times and hope the kids make good choices. My daughter even said she likes "rice cheese" better than regular cheese now. Now all I have to do is get her to like the seed cheeses and we've got it made! I am sure that their little bodies are trying to rid themselves of all the yuck they have collected in their young lives but still it is a little disappointing when you think you are doing things right and this is the outcome...
I am always trying to test my immunity to colds etc. I will drink from their water bottles, and eat off their spoon when they are sick to see if I get anything. So far, since being 90-100% raw I have not had a cold or flu. I believe that even if I did get a cold or flu that it would be much less of an issue and be over sooner. I would also think it was detox, and not a cold/flu, especially if no one else in the house experienced the same thing.
Didn't eat much today as I was so full with smoothie there was no need for anything else.
I had one smoothie at 11am
2 bananas
6 leaves of kale
half a pineapple
2 cups of water
Drinking my sunshine, oh ya.
Walked in Kits with a friend of ours who just had a baby. What a sweetie that little one is. The sun was out and although it was cold, it was invigorating to walk outside! The kids thought it was a little cold, but did well.
At home I had raw ice cream. Take frozen bananas and berries and put them through the Champion Juicer. This is one of my kids' favourites. I fed it to them around 4pm and I also had about a cup and a half of it too.
Smoothie number two was at 6pm.
2 bananas
1/3 tub of mixed spring greens tub
1/2 pineapple
2 cups of water.
This made a whopping seven cups of smoothie. My kids weren't interested, they had their dinner and I drank about five cups and gave the other two to my parents when I visited them.
Great day in general. I did feel some frustration with my youngest, who is not at all pleasant when he's sick. My daughter was a gem tonight, but very emotional. It's going to be an interesting night with both of them sick so I am going to get into bed early and read some more of "The China Study". If you haven't checked this book out yet, you must!
Ok. Be well. Goodnight.
If you're up and want to read something about someone doing a raw vegan diet for 30 days, check out Steve Pavlina's blog.
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2008/01/raw-food-diet-day-1
I have enjoyed some of his recipes and reading his daily blurb about his experience going raw.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Day Seven and Eight - Daily Green Smoothies
Time got away on me last night and I didn't get a chance to update my day seven. So I'll do the two of them together.
Weight stayed the same the two days...138lbs.
Skin is fine but woke up this morning with a painful split in my lip. I am not used to getting this type of thing. Dry weather? Or stuff getting out of the system? Not sure.
Emotions and feelings: Great, full of energy until late last night. I did eat some non raw food! Sometimes I just pop it in my mouth without realizing it. A danger if you family is not fully raw with you. So I had some falafel and crackers. Small amount but it did make a difference in my energy level in the evening. I fell alseep earlier than normal.
My two green smoothies on Day Seven were:
2 bananas
5 cups of baby spinach
1 cup of strawberries
2 cups of water
Blend and drink. I made one in the morning and loved it so much made another one for dinner. It was simple and delicious!
Woke up before the alarm at 6:30am and was wakeful, not tired. Great! Did my breathing exercises for the first time in a week and then did my A.M. Yoga session which is about 20 min. My daughter even joined me for part of it. The breathing I do is to help detox the body. David Wolfe talks about it in his book "The Sunfood Diet Success System". You breathe deeply and exhale toxins through your breath. It is counting six seconds as you breathe in, six as you hold the air in, six seconds breathing out and then six seconds without any air in your lungs. It can make you dizzy to begin with if you aren't used to breathing deeply, but I had no trouble when I started this breathing exercise about six months ago. My yoga is A.M. Yoga by Rodney Yee. I really enjoy this yoga program. It's easy, done in your house and Rodney Yee is really relaxing to listen to. If I do it every day for a week, I notice dramatic improvements in my flexibility. Now it is just about consistency and doing it at least three to five times a week!
Today we spent another day up at the mountains. My daughter had her second ski lesson. I had my first green smoothie around 9am.
2 bananas
5 cups of spinach
1 cup strawberries
2 cups of water
Again, loved it so much yesterday that I finished off the spinach today.
Had a Smart Monkey bar up on the mountain with three dates too.
Wasn't hungry when I got home and was offered some free time by Nana and Papa (they took the kids for an hour) so I went for my training run for the Sun Run. Today was Run 1 min. Walk 3 min. and do that nine times. It was a beautiful, full of sunshine day. The run/walk was energizing. It took about 40 min. to complete.
I am so lucky and blessed to have both my parents and my in laws close. My parents live just a block away and my in laws live across town. They do so much for us and the kids. We get exercise time, date nights, day care, etc. They really help us out so much and if not for them we wouldn't have time to ourselves. Our kids are extremely close to their grandparents on both sides and are the only grandkids, so they get spoiled terribly. In a good way of course.
While preparing dinner for the family I made up one of my favourite fruit treats...papaya banana pudding. After blending it up and tasting a little I wondered if I put in a wack of greens if it would taste any different. I chose to put in seven leaves of kale as kale isn't too strong tasting and really it only tasted a little green, but it was more like pudding than a smoothie. I did add about a cup of water but even then it was a thick consistency.
It was made like this:
1 large papaya - peeled and deseeded
2 bananas
7 medium sized leaves of kale
Blend the papaya until it's mushy, add banana and blend until smooth, add kale and blend until smooth again.
Simple and delicious again! I had some figs with that as well, just chewed them up though, eating the old-fashioned way. :)
I was full of energy all day, it's been great. I had a snack around 7:30pm - avocado mush. That's the avocado mushed up with some celtic sea salt and juice of half a lemon with some grape tomatoes mixed in. Simple and delicious again! No cravings for sugar today, no cravings for cooked food today, even though we were in the cafe up on the mountain. Managed to get through that no problem.
Eat raw, live well.
Weight stayed the same the two days...138lbs.
Skin is fine but woke up this morning with a painful split in my lip. I am not used to getting this type of thing. Dry weather? Or stuff getting out of the system? Not sure.
Emotions and feelings: Great, full of energy until late last night. I did eat some non raw food! Sometimes I just pop it in my mouth without realizing it. A danger if you family is not fully raw with you. So I had some falafel and crackers. Small amount but it did make a difference in my energy level in the evening. I fell alseep earlier than normal.
My two green smoothies on Day Seven were:
2 bananas
5 cups of baby spinach
1 cup of strawberries
2 cups of water
Blend and drink. I made one in the morning and loved it so much made another one for dinner. It was simple and delicious!
Woke up before the alarm at 6:30am and was wakeful, not tired. Great! Did my breathing exercises for the first time in a week and then did my A.M. Yoga session which is about 20 min. My daughter even joined me for part of it. The breathing I do is to help detox the body. David Wolfe talks about it in his book "The Sunfood Diet Success System". You breathe deeply and exhale toxins through your breath. It is counting six seconds as you breathe in, six as you hold the air in, six seconds breathing out and then six seconds without any air in your lungs. It can make you dizzy to begin with if you aren't used to breathing deeply, but I had no trouble when I started this breathing exercise about six months ago. My yoga is A.M. Yoga by Rodney Yee. I really enjoy this yoga program. It's easy, done in your house and Rodney Yee is really relaxing to listen to. If I do it every day for a week, I notice dramatic improvements in my flexibility. Now it is just about consistency and doing it at least three to five times a week!
Today we spent another day up at the mountains. My daughter had her second ski lesson. I had my first green smoothie around 9am.
2 bananas
5 cups of spinach
1 cup strawberries
2 cups of water
Again, loved it so much yesterday that I finished off the spinach today.
Had a Smart Monkey bar up on the mountain with three dates too.
Wasn't hungry when I got home and was offered some free time by Nana and Papa (they took the kids for an hour) so I went for my training run for the Sun Run. Today was Run 1 min. Walk 3 min. and do that nine times. It was a beautiful, full of sunshine day. The run/walk was energizing. It took about 40 min. to complete.
I am so lucky and blessed to have both my parents and my in laws close. My parents live just a block away and my in laws live across town. They do so much for us and the kids. We get exercise time, date nights, day care, etc. They really help us out so much and if not for them we wouldn't have time to ourselves. Our kids are extremely close to their grandparents on both sides and are the only grandkids, so they get spoiled terribly. In a good way of course.
While preparing dinner for the family I made up one of my favourite fruit treats...papaya banana pudding. After blending it up and tasting a little I wondered if I put in a wack of greens if it would taste any different. I chose to put in seven leaves of kale as kale isn't too strong tasting and really it only tasted a little green, but it was more like pudding than a smoothie. I did add about a cup of water but even then it was a thick consistency.
It was made like this:
1 large papaya - peeled and deseeded
2 bananas
7 medium sized leaves of kale
Blend the papaya until it's mushy, add banana and blend until smooth, add kale and blend until smooth again.
Simple and delicious again! I had some figs with that as well, just chewed them up though, eating the old-fashioned way. :)
I was full of energy all day, it's been great. I had a snack around 7:30pm - avocado mush. That's the avocado mushed up with some celtic sea salt and juice of half a lemon with some grape tomatoes mixed in. Simple and delicious again! No cravings for sugar today, no cravings for cooked food today, even though we were in the cafe up on the mountain. Managed to get through that no problem.
Eat raw, live well.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Day Six - Daily Green Smoothies
Began my day with the my daughter waking me early and asking to get up to eat. It was 6am. I put her off until 7am when we finally got up and got going for the day.
Weight 138lbs - so up .5 pound from the last time I weighed in, two days ago
Skin - clear, no problems anywhere that I could see.
Feelings - woke up tired but not groggy and my eye was not as bad as yesterday, less goop, less red but still troubled. I was feeling positive and ready to have a great day.
This morning was my first time out for the Sun Run Training Clinic at Hyde Creek. I signed up with my dad to help get him more active and to get me outside on a more regular basis. We meet Sundays as a whole group and there are many trainers. They have all sorts of sub groups. There's the walking group, the walking group with strollers, the run/walk group (which I am a part) and the running group. I thought it was great that strollers could come along.
There was a good mix of people there and we got warmed up and then ran/walked. Today it was walk three, run one and we did that ten times. I knew it would seem simple, but I really want to get back into running slowly as I have injured myself in the past and want to be sure that doesn't happen this time.
The weather could not have been better for mid January! It was cold, but sunny and refreshing. It felt so good to be breathing in that fresh, cool, forest air. The run/walk went by so quickly and I am looking forward to my next session. We are expected to run twice during the week and once with the group on Sundays. They do have an extra session on Thursdays if we so choose. That means that Tuesdays I will be training on my own. I will have to find someone to run/walk with during that time...not sure I would like to run in the dark on my own.
All I had to eat before I went to the run was 2 dates. I usually have some coconut water before Bootcamp, if I have time as it's a great energy boost. I didn't want to drink that much before the run today so I only had the dates. I had a great amount of energy and wasn't hungry until 10:45am. I had a spoonful of honey and then didn't actually eat my smoothie until 12:30pm.
1 fresh banana
1 frozen banana
1/3 tub of spring greens
1 cup blueberries
2 cups of water
I will have to make the time to actually create some of the great smoothie recipes I found on line. I need to use different greens to get a balanced number of nutrients.
Not sure if it's my imagination or wishful thinking but I mentioned in an earlier blog that I wanted to try and get my hair back to it's natural colour and I had read that it was possible to do so by drinking a smoothie a day for an extended period of time. Something maybe I didn't mention is that I have had a large hair loss since my juice fast in September. Every time I showered or brushed my hair or even ran my fingers through it I would get a huge number of strands of hair coming out of my head. It freaked me out. My doctor said it's associated with rapid weight loss and sometimes low iron. Well my iron was low but I am sure I have built it back up and will continue to do so with the green smoothies. What is great is that I have noticed that my hair loss has reduced significantly this week, especially noticeable today when I ran my fingers through and not one strand came out! I hope I have found the answer to having a great head of thick hair again.
I added honey to my evening smoothie so it was this:
2 frozen bananas (must go shopping for fresh!)
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 tbsp honey
1/3 tub greens
2 cups water
2 tbsp flax seed oil
Went to bed at 9:30pm as I fell asleep beside my son while putting him to bed. So nothing got done around the house but I woke up feeling great.
Eat well!
Weight 138lbs - so up .5 pound from the last time I weighed in, two days ago
Skin - clear, no problems anywhere that I could see.
Feelings - woke up tired but not groggy and my eye was not as bad as yesterday, less goop, less red but still troubled. I was feeling positive and ready to have a great day.
This morning was my first time out for the Sun Run Training Clinic at Hyde Creek. I signed up with my dad to help get him more active and to get me outside on a more regular basis. We meet Sundays as a whole group and there are many trainers. They have all sorts of sub groups. There's the walking group, the walking group with strollers, the run/walk group (which I am a part) and the running group. I thought it was great that strollers could come along.
There was a good mix of people there and we got warmed up and then ran/walked. Today it was walk three, run one and we did that ten times. I knew it would seem simple, but I really want to get back into running slowly as I have injured myself in the past and want to be sure that doesn't happen this time.
The weather could not have been better for mid January! It was cold, but sunny and refreshing. It felt so good to be breathing in that fresh, cool, forest air. The run/walk went by so quickly and I am looking forward to my next session. We are expected to run twice during the week and once with the group on Sundays. They do have an extra session on Thursdays if we so choose. That means that Tuesdays I will be training on my own. I will have to find someone to run/walk with during that time...not sure I would like to run in the dark on my own.
All I had to eat before I went to the run was 2 dates. I usually have some coconut water before Bootcamp, if I have time as it's a great energy boost. I didn't want to drink that much before the run today so I only had the dates. I had a great amount of energy and wasn't hungry until 10:45am. I had a spoonful of honey and then didn't actually eat my smoothie until 12:30pm.
1 fresh banana
1 frozen banana
1/3 tub of spring greens
1 cup blueberries
2 cups of water
I will have to make the time to actually create some of the great smoothie recipes I found on line. I need to use different greens to get a balanced number of nutrients.
Not sure if it's my imagination or wishful thinking but I mentioned in an earlier blog that I wanted to try and get my hair back to it's natural colour and I had read that it was possible to do so by drinking a smoothie a day for an extended period of time. Something maybe I didn't mention is that I have had a large hair loss since my juice fast in September. Every time I showered or brushed my hair or even ran my fingers through it I would get a huge number of strands of hair coming out of my head. It freaked me out. My doctor said it's associated with rapid weight loss and sometimes low iron. Well my iron was low but I am sure I have built it back up and will continue to do so with the green smoothies. What is great is that I have noticed that my hair loss has reduced significantly this week, especially noticeable today when I ran my fingers through and not one strand came out! I hope I have found the answer to having a great head of thick hair again.
I added honey to my evening smoothie so it was this:
2 frozen bananas (must go shopping for fresh!)
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 tbsp honey
1/3 tub greens
2 cups water
2 tbsp flax seed oil
Went to bed at 9:30pm as I fell asleep beside my son while putting him to bed. So nothing got done around the house but I woke up feeling great.
Eat well!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)