today was a much better day. i do feel that my energy is replenishing after weeks of feeling drained. i feel pretty good.

allowing myself to eat all day long is a challenge. all the portion control conditioning has been playing nonstop in my head. had wonderful salads, watermelon, and lots of nuts...did i mention lots of nuts: brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, pecans. well i did have lots of vegetables too.

had my first smoothie mishap. apples + blender = applesauce. i blended apples, blueberries with romaine lettuce and parsley. to my dismay it was very bland. i added a peach, some cashews, and a little avocado to make it more palatable. i can drink it but it's still applesauce. 1/2 quart to go

i did achieve culinary success in making a salad dressing. very simple mixture of tahini (ground sesame seeds), lemon juice, Bragg's, garlic and water. simply wonderful.

someone asked if i was enjoying my raw adventure...not yet. no major transformation in the first two days.. no euphoric moments. i told her that i was excited about the creative element of the journey. i have planned creative kitchen time for sunday.

time for the real stuff. today i craved meat. fried chicken and cheeseburgers...stuff i don't normally eat. i did my best to stay in the house with the tv off so that i would not yield to temptation.

i searched for raw recipes online. i found comfort in the many possibilities...cupcakes, cookies, mock chicken salad, unfried rice and many others. my project is to create a raw meal with desert to celebrate my soon to be eleven year old birthday. as if my chosen challenge was not daunting enough.

it's day 2!!!

"and God said, behold, I have given you every herb...upon the face of all the earth... to you it shall be for food." Genesis 1:29

woke up this morning with a slight headache and an appetite. which is quite unusual as on most days i don't have either.

smoothie made with peaches, kale, coconut water, cashews, and a little avocado and cinnamon. although i would prefer fresh; it has helped to make a smoothie in the evening and have it available for the morning.

i am not feeling the run at the moment. i will see how it feels to get out and move around anyway.

today's plan is to go with what i know i like. not to much experimentation today other than creating a salad dressing mixture that i like (it must be awesome...mediocre just won't do). eat more vegetables.

today's inspiration in print comes from 12 steps to raw food by Victoria Boutenko and the sunfood diet success system by David Wolfe.

here's to having the best today ever.

PS thanks richard for the bag of chips on fb...LOL!

is it friday yet?

almost made it through day one. and yes i am hungry! maybe not really hungry but desiring some food of substance...i want my stomach to feel full.

so the creamy curry dressing i was looking forward to was not worth looking forward to. i was really disappointed with the results and skipped lunch. skipping lunch was not such a big deal as i ate well as i was shopping for greens. ken in produce at the orenco new seasons was the bomb! i told him about what i was doing and he commenced to cutting into random fruits and vegetables (sponge carrots) so that i could try them out. he was a angel! he was wearing a yerba matte t-shirt too.

so now i am hot, bothered, hungry and irritable to say the least. i will make a smoothie when i can stop complaining long enough. did i mention i have a slight headache as well.

i made an apple, blueberry, and macadamia nut fruit salad...which was very good. i sprinkled a little pumpkin spice on top.

i will need to intake more food on tomorrow.

Day 1 RAW

"Never too old, never too sick, never too bad, never too late to start from scratch and begin again. " Bikram

today is the day to hit the reset button. each day...every moment...is an opportunity to start anew with a new thought, a new attitude, a new resolve. today is mine.

red + green = brown... so my green smoothie is not so green. strawberries and raspberries with romaine actually tastes really good. it's not very pretty but delicious none the least.

i got a plan for today... smoothie through out the day. salad with a raw curry dressing for lunch. take fruit, veggies, and water when I go out. green smoothie for dinner.

there are no limits on quantity so i do not expect to be hungry. i am most concerned about the cravings and emotions that come when the toxins are released into the blood stream.

my fasting blood sugar was 101 this morning. i will be using glucose readings as one of my measurable. as i am not getting on the scale and posting my weight, i will take body measurements and post the changes (maybe). i will track how i feel, my emotions, and energy level.

i do not talk about it much...i am being treated for type 2 diabetes. my physician and i disagree sometimes about traditional and alternative treatment. she knows that i do things that she thinks not medically sound for her typical diabetic patients. i keep her up to date on my studies and she supports me by ordering the lab work. i am her "special" patient and even though i often challenge her theories, practices (and her patience) i am her favorite.

i have run a marathon, i have run from mt. hood to the Oregon coast twice (ran one year, walked the next in the hood to coast relay), i do yoga in a room heated to 105 degrees... eating raw food for 30 days ... a piece of cake...better yet a piece of carrot

PS it may not be considered raw but i am keeping my yerba matte... i will make raw nut milk for my matte lattes if need be but my tea stays !

pre-game tropical green smoothie

it is indeed a wonderful morning. up before the sun. what a perfect time to experiment before the big day. my anxiety level is not so bad. my plan is to keep it simple.

tropical green smoothie

water from one coconut
strawberries
small pineapple
raw cashews
gogi berries
kale (i used 3 leaves and removed the stem
i would have added the coconut meat if i could've cracked it open

yields just over a quart

i must say it was very delightful and green. i poured over ice as I forgot to add that in. i consider it a success if my child would drink it. she liked it more than she was willing to admit...yet it was green. if i can make it pink or purple and still add the greens i may be on to something.

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30 Day Raw Challenge

preparation has begun for my 30 raw food challenge. preparing mentally is the most challenging step for me. day 1 will begin thursday. i am working into it slowly starting today. my thought is that it will be a little less challenging if i start on my "off" parenting weekend.

raiding the pantry is the task at hand. i have been pretty successful cleaning out the refrigerator. it will be easier to rid the house of the processed items when my child is away.

i do have a few concerns as i begin this challenge.

1. what will be my metrics...(i'm not getting on the scale)
2. what will i do when i go out
3. what will i do about the detox symptoms

being the scientist that i am...of course this is an opportunity for me to design an experiment (DOE) for this process (what do you expect from a out of work engineer). choose some variables, create some tables, charts, and graphs...

good on food: apples, lemons, pineapple, watermelon, cucumber, peppers (red, orange, yellow), lettuce, kale, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, coconuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews.

good on resources: http://www.sunfood.com/ (books) http://www.aniphyo.com/ (awesome recipes)

support: that's where you come in...send me your thoughts of inspiration via email or leave a message

this blogging is a new adventure for me. im always experimenting and trying something new. a new experience for the right side of my brain..no rules...no agenda...no constraints...no boxes

i had an opportunity today to participate and fellowship with some wonderful people in Vancouver, WA. we gathered to discuss and experience living in the raw. consuming foods that have not been cooked.

as excited as i am about the potential life altering transition into raw foods. i am intimidated about the idea. excited about the health benefits. intimidated by my current limited options of vegetables that i find palatable. excited for the challenge.

i must admit that my first real concern was...if i go raw then what will i do when i go to A&T's homecoming?!?! it is truly my desire to go this year... fo real this time!

i so enjoyed the conversation and the food. the leader was awesome. the food was great. so much better than i had thought considering that everything had avocados. ( avocados did not make the short list of things i like). the green smoothies were my favorite.

the wheels are turining for the potential recipes that i can create. if i can create a raw meal that my child would eat and enjoy...i could have a cookbook on my hands!

as if i have not picked up enough weird habits in Portland already, now i have a new one to add to my list. one more thing to keep the conversations going back home.

enough words for now... see you at bikram in the am