Juicing It - Day 4

Today is a better day. Still very tired from lack of sleeping (darn cold) but my mood is good!
I made potato and broccoli soup last night. It was so yummy! The kids even ate it.
Other then the organic vegetable broth and organic olive oil, every ingredient was organic whole vegetables.

Potato & Broccoli Soup
2 cups chopped onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 lbs peeled and cubed potatoes
5 cups vegetable broth
3 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot sauté onion in oil. Add potatoes, broccoli and broth. Cover, bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
In a blender or with an immersion blender, puree half of the soup and return to stock pot. Season with salt and pepper.

When I'm not detoxing I enjoy this with fresh baked bread!!!

Juicing It - Day 3 - Our Juicer!

Today is a better day. I still have a cold. But last night I had some honey before going to bed and that coated my throat well enough to let me get some sleep.
I woke up without a headache. My mode is much more positive overall. I have a happier outlook on life. I know the detox is working too. After my green juice this morning, everything cleaned right out of me. Too Much Information? Well, that's a big part of detoxing!

Green juice this morning was awesome:
1 green apple
handful spinach
handful parsley
2 celery stalks
1/2 cucumber
handful of kale
slice of papaya

Some one asked me about my juicer yesterday. So I decided to blog about why we have the Champion Juicer rather then the basic juicer you find in the stores.
We spent hours online investigating juicers and realized that the cheap ones wouldn't last. Making the decision to invest a few hundred dollars in our health was worth it. Also, we knew the Champion would last. There are reviews from people who have had their Champion juicer since the 70's! We have not regretted buying it since our purchase 8 years ago. We can't count the number of juicings our Champion has had. It has never overheated, never jammed, never plugged up. The motor has never required service or maintenance. Besides being efficient and relatively quiet, it blasts through any type of veggie or fruit, with ease.
This is no lightweight juicer! Unlike the department store juicers, it has a very large motor, a GE, with tons of torque. This is because this is a masticating juicer with a slow-turning cutting cone. Without the cone assembly on the front it is actually not large at all. We keep it on the counter for 2 reasons. It's heavy and hard to store and if we keep it out, we are more likely to use it.
We also like the fact that the attachments are made of nylon for durability rather than hard plastic which we worried might split or chip- the nylon is easy to clean.
Clean up is very simple: rinse, soak and wipe. Takes less then a minute!
The juice always turns out great! The Champion is able to extract all the liquid from the fruits and vegetables. It runs the left-over pulp out the front cone. We collect it in a bowl and toss into the compost. The size of the receptacle for juice is somewhat limited but we've been using this machine for so long, it's not an issue for us.
We love our Champion juicer! We use it every day and plan to continue for years to come.

Juicing It - Day 2

Did not wake up feeling refreshed today. Of course coughing all night can have that effect on a person. But despite my cold and hunger pains, I went out and exercised last night. I am so proud of myself!
If you missed my comment on yesterday's blog, I have a cold and cheated with some tomato and basil soup last night. It was freshly made with no dairy and tasted really good!
Until this cold is past, I think we will be having soups for dinner. It's soothing on my throat.
It is hard to distinguish whether my body is reacting to my cold or detoxing. But I am hungry, have pain on my side, a headache, a sore throat and feel very tired!
I do know that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. I just have to push through the detoxing to get there.
In the words of Dory from Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

Juicing It!

Okay, okay. So I took the summer off. And boy my waist line shows it. WAY to much ice cream!!
Time to detox and start eating healthy again!!
I recently watched the movie "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". It is about a man named Joe who is overweight, and on a number of medications. He starts to drink only fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days, in order to detox and rebuild his body. It is a very inspirational story!
So inspirational, that I am starting today to drink only fruit and vegetable juice for the next 10 days and then follow it up with only raw food for two weeks.
I will also be including a healthy exercise routine. I signed up for Yoga classes, I bought a hula hoop (don't laugh, it actually a great non-impact, fat-burning workout that strengthens your core)and I'm doing strength training with my husband 2 nights a week.
The key to being successful is to have a plan. For the past few days I have been making a menu, buying the fruits and vegetables I'll be using in my juices and creating an exercise schedule.
But the most important key to success is to have a fantastic support system. Without it, it's too easy to give up and start eating crap again.
I know from experience that the first 3 to 4 days are the hardest. It's when your body is detoxing. All the crap in your body is fighting for survival. But once it is out, it feels SO much better. Alert and Alive.

Check out the link on the right to learn more about "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" ->

Day 4 - Much Better Today

Day 4. I didn't wake up feeling refreshed, but I did wake up with a happier attitude today.
I am excited about dinner tonight. I'm trying out a new recipe I found in my new "cook" book: Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney for portobello steaks and rosemary-garlic mashed potatoes. And after finding the image for this blog, adding asparagus sounds good!

Portobello Steaks
2 portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients except mushrooms. Gently toss mushrooms with mixtures. Dehydrate for 1 to 2 hours, until soft.

* Portobello mushrooms are rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals, and eating them regularly has been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer and also may prevent prostate cancer. They supply hard-to-get nutrients. One medium portobello mushroom supplies 21 percent of the recommended daily intake of selenium and one third your need of copper; it also has as much potassium as a medium-size banana.


Rosemary-Garlic Mashed Potatoes
4 cups peeled and chopped jicama
2 cups soaked cashews
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp nutritional yeast
black pepper to taste

Process jicama in food processor until grain-like consistency is achieved. Press out excess liquid with a cheesecloth.
Place in VitaMix with remaining ingredients and blend until well combined.
Warm in dehydrator until ready to serve.

* Jicama belongs to the legume family and is also known as the Mexican potato. It's extremely high in vitamin C and low in sodium.


Asparagus
I'm going to prep the asparagus by breaking the rough ends off and drizzle them with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.
Then dehydrate them along with the rest of the meal.

* Asparagus is a "Hero" food! It contains folic acid a powerful heart-healthy nutrient. Asparagus also contains vitamins A, B6, C, K, and thiamine. This tasty veggie also has some beta carotene, potassium, zinc and fiber. Here are other reasons to fall in love with asparagus: It has no fat, contains no cholesterol and is low in sodium. It could improve your mood because it provides vitamin C and folic acid, which spark production of the “happy” brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine.

This too shall pass....

The normal, day 3, depression and irritability has hit.
"Why am I doing this??"
"I just want some chocolate!!"
"These kids are driving me crazy!!"
"I can't do this stupid diet anymore, I need some cooked food!!"

But in the back of my mind I remember that this is a transition. The toxins and bad bacterias can't survive without refined sugars and flours. I'm starving them by eating raw, natural, organic foods. They are fighting for survival.
I also remember that on day 4, I usually wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face the world. I will feel better. The cravings will lessen.

I can do this. I am a strong woman and know that I can do anything I set my mind to.

And a chocolate brownie sounds soo good right now :P

Starting Day 2

I was mostly successful with Day 1 of my RAW detox. (fresh banana bread was too hard to resist!)
Last night I made RAW ice cream. It turned out pretty good. Not as good a real ice cream. But it settled my craving.
Today the taco shells are warming up in the dehydrator, making this house smell yummy!
Started with Green juice, I'll be having the fresh fruit juice this afternoon as well as some other fruits. Then snack on some trail mix I made yesterday. Tonight, RAW tacos!

Recipes:
RAW Ice Cream -
2 cups soaked almonds
3 cups water
1 cup coconut oil (can get anywhere)
1 cup soaked Irish Moss (ordered through http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/store2/product.asp?id=132&catid=38) Make sure you follow the directions on the package or it will taste sandy
1 cup agave nectar (I used honey)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt
Blend almonds and water to make milk, strain and dry pulp for flour. Blend 1 cup almond milk with Irish moss until completely smooth. All all other ingredients, last add coconut oil slowly. Pour into a freezable container and freeze overnight (or until you can't resist waiting any longer. Serve with fresh fruits.

Tacos - See Blog: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 and add your favorite raw taco toppings. I soak quinoa with Taco seasonings for the "meat"

Green Juice - See Blog: Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Trail Mix - take all your favorite RAW trail mix ingredients (cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, cranberries, gogi berries) and mix with raw honey and sea salt. Dehydrate for 2 to 4 hours. So yummy!

Detoxing

Time to detox again. We went camping last weekend and my body has felt the effects of unhealthy foods like S'mores, and my personal favorite road food: In-N-Out cheeseburger, animal style, with french fries! I have acne, headaches and feeling depressed. All related to what is in my body right now.
My favorite method to detox is to eat all RAW foods for two weeks. That was the plan, but since next weekend is the 4th of July and we are going to my parent's house for the weekend, I will only be able do a 5 day RAW week.
Today I started with fresh fruit juice: oranges, strawberries, grapes, and since it's in season, peaches. Blended up in the VitaMix and strained to get the pulp out. (I juice the oranges before I add them to the VitaMix)
This afternoon I'll be having a big salad with all my favorite raw veggies.
And tonight it's RAW Lasagna. I've made it many times before, so if you want the recipe, go back through the blog. It's on the second blog I wrote and somewhere in the middle too.
I will also be prepping raw corn tortillas tonight since they need to dehydrate overnight, so we can have raw tacos tomorrow!

Crazy, Sexy Diet

A few weeks ago I picked up a book called "Crazy, Sexy Diet" by Kris Carr. This books takes all the techniques and choices we've made for our health and gives them purpose. "We aren't crazy! Someone else has made the same choices we have!"
Crazy Sexy Diet is a guide to transitioning to a vegetarian, mostly raw diet that is low-fat, alkaline, low-glycemic, and healthly. The book makes scientifically based arguments for adopting this lifestyle, backed up by essays written by experts in the fields of medicine and nutrition. You'll also learn about the benefits of cleansing, juicing, meditation, yoga, and more, to put you on the path to physical, mental, and spiritual health. The book concludes with a complete plan for a 21-day cleanse to get you started, with recipes and a resources section.
Yesterday, we started the 21-day detox and I can already tell it's working. I woke up happy today. My husband, Travis, even took notice. After my morning shower, I came out to make sure the kids have had breakfast. He looked up and said, "Wow, you look really good today!"
So, if you are looking for a good guide book on your journey to eat RAW. Or looking for some information to give to those that are concerned about your new, crazy eating habits. I recommend this book.

Yummy Chocolate Pudding

Nothing better then Chocolate!
My wonderful husband found coconuts at our local Whole Foods. They already had the husks (?) cut off, so it was just the inner shell. Making it much easier to get into.
So I dug around in my raw "cook" books for a recipe to use these in. I found RAW Chocolate Pudding.
Let me tell you... This is sooo yummy! You would think it was the real thing!

Enjoy...

2 cups coconut meat (from 2 young coconuts - make sure you buy the ‘young’ Thai ones their meat is soft)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup agave nectar (I used 1/4 cup honey instead)
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup coconut water
1 tsp vanilla (not raw, but I don't have freshly ground vanilla beans)
1/4 tsp sea salt

To open the coconut cleave with a big knife, pour the water out. With the back of the spoon scrape of the coconut meat and place it in a high speed blender. Add coconut water, and blend. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until completely smooth. If it needs to be thinned add a bit more coconut water and blend.

Try this with raspberries or chopped nuts.

Green Juice

Now, I know what you are thinking: Green Veggie juice in the morning. Yuck! But hey, it's better for you then coffee, which to me is Yuck!
About two weeks ago we decided to start drinking Green Juice for our morning pick-me-up after reading "Crazy, Sexy, Diet" by Kris Carr. We were just going to give it a try and see how it goes.
Wowie Kazoie! I feel so alert and energetic first thing in the morning. This must be why everyone is addicted to coffee.
We are incorporating this juice into our morning routine. The kids even drink it. Blake (7) even notices a difference when he drinks it.

Give it a try and see what you think.

Green Juice
This recipe makes almost 32 oz.
-2 large cucumbers (peeled if not organic)
-Big fist full of kale or romaine
-Big fist full of sweet pea sprouts (we use mung bean sprouts)
-4-5 stalks celery
-1-2 big broccoli stems
-1-2 pears or green apples (optional, but oh, so helpful in sweetening it up)
*Other optional greens we love: spinach, parsley

Our Dehydrator

Dehydrating foods provides us with a connection between the worlds of cooked and raw foods. It is a method of preservation that helps retain food enzymes and nutrients. You can cook your food and keep it below 118degrees in a dehydrator.
Personally, we use the Excalibur dehydrator. I love it! It is quiet and takes less time to dehydrate. The fan is in the back of the unit rather then the bottom, like conventional dehydrators, so there is no need to rotate the food. Easier is always welcome!
We have dehydrated many different foods. We've made kale chips, tortillas, cookies, almond flour, pizza crust, and breads. There are sooo many more recipes for RAW foods you can dehydrate.
If you look at the side of this blog, I have listed some of my favorite, go-to websites for recipes.
I also use recipes from the following books:
*Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow by Kenney and Melngailis
*Raw Food: A Complete Guide for Every Meal of the Day by Irmela Lilja
*Kristen Suzanne's EASY Raw Vegan Dehydrating
*Kristen's Raw: The Easy Way to Get Started & Succeed at the Raw Food Vegan Diet & Lifestyle - this book was more of a jump starter for me then a "cookbook"

Here are two of the recipes I use most:

Corn Tortillas
3 Cups Fresh Corn Kernels
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Yellow Bell Pepper
3/4 Cup Golden Flaxseed, Finely Ground
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt

1 In a food processor, chop the corn and bell pepper. Add the remaining ingredients and process until almost smooth.
2 Divide the dough onto two Teflex-lined dehydrator trays and spread to the edges using an offset spatula. Dehydrate at 115 F for 3 to 4 hours. Flip the Teflex sheets over onto the tray and carefully peel away the Teflex. Place back in the dehydrator for about 2 hours.
3 When the tortilla is completely dry on both sides but still pliable, remove it from the dehydrator and place on a flat surface. Use a round cutter or small plate about 4 inches in diameter and trace around it with a knife to cut round tortillas. Keep the scraps to add to a salad or just eat them plain as a snack.

Apple Raisin Cookies
2 C hazelnuts, soaked 6 - 8 hours and rinsed
2 Fuji apples
2 large bananas
1/2 C honey dates
1 t honey
1 t cinnamon
1 C raisins

Process hazelnuts, apples, bananas, and dates through a Champion Juicer using the solid plate. (If you don't have a juicer you can use your VitaMix, but make sure to have the apples mixed throughout the container so that the hazelnuts don't overwork the engine)
In a large bowl, mix dough with honey, cinnamon, and raisins
Spoon dough on a dehydrator tray with a teflex sheet, and form into small, round cookies.
Dehydrate at 105° for 4 - 6 hours, turn cookies over and remove teflex sheet.
Continue dehydrating for 4 - 6 hours, or until desired moisture is obtained.
- The bonus to this cookie recipe: the kids can eat as many as they want. They are actually good for them! What a treat!!!

75% RAW

We have been keeping up our RAW foods diet really well. We've decided to have RAW food for breakfast and lunch. The typical: a smoothie in the morning and then a salad in the afternoon. I'm still losing weight and feeling good.
Then for dinner we eat a vegan meal. Lots and lots of veggies and grains. We are 100% dairy free and about 80% gluten free as well.
So our diet is now about 75% RAW!
We snack on nuts and fruit throughout the day and continue to drink a ton of water!
I am very proud of the commitment we have had with our new way of life.
Yoga and Reiki (a hands-on energy healing)have also been incorporated into our lives.
Life is good!

Part II : Day 14

Last night was the end of our two week 100% RAW excursion. I lost 7lbs! I feel great. And we owe our ability to avoiding the latest illness spreading through our friends to our healthy diet.
We began eating cooked food again tonight for dinner. However we plan to continue having RAW for breakfast and lunch.
Why stop all together if the benefits are so great?
I love the direction our life is going!
Onward.....

Part II : Day 13

Last night I made vegan mini-chocolate chip cookies. Not completely raw. The mini-chocolate chips are vegan, but everything else is raw.
I used almond flour that I made with the almond pulp when I made milk.


2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 applesauce (we make homemade-use right away or it will spoil)
1 tbsp raw vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
1 cup vegan chocolate chips 73% cacao

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
Mix wet ingredients into dry
Form 1" balls and press onto a telflex sheet
Dehydrate 8 to 10 hours or until desired consistency.
Best straight from dehydrator, still warm.

1 day to go!!!

Part II : Day 11& 12

For the past few months we've been making our own RAW almond milk.
Milk made from almonds is rich, sweet, and packed with valuable vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and protein. It is literally almonds and water, blended together to form a milky liquid. While you can purchase almond milk at the store, commercial products tend to consist of more water and sweetener and less of the actual nut.
Other then having lactose intolerant family members, we drink homemade almond milk because it has many benefits. Almond milk is high in vitamin E, which acts as a fat-soluble antioxidant in the body, preventing cell damage. Almonds are also rich in vitamin B2, which is important for healthy metabolism.
Drinking almond milk is also a great way to get half of your daily requirement for magnesium, which helps with the uptake of calcium and potassium, prevents tissue calcification, and is beneficial for preventing irritability, depression, and PMS.
If you make this dairy substitute with fresh almonds, you will be consuming six carbohydrates and almost four grams of dietary fiber per serving.
So now that you've had your nutritional lesson on why we drink almond milk. Here is how you make it:

Homemade Almond Milk
2 cups of raw almonds (soaked overnight)
6 cups of healthy water
Blend in VitaMix for 2 minutes.
Pour through a nut milk bag (can be found on Amazon)- or you can use a cheese cloth

Keep the almond milk refrigerated. It should last you 5 to 6 days.

Almond milk is delicious in hot beverages like tea and makes an exceptionally rich cup of hot chocolate. It is wonderful over cold cereals. Using almond milk in pudding and baked goods recipes results in really superior dishes and it adds a subtle, but certainly not overpowering, taste of nuttiness to any recipe in which it’s included. And, of course, almond milk is quite tasty plain.

Finally, we dehydrate the leftover almond pulp and the grind it up. You now have fresh, RAW almond flour which you can use for a variety of recipes.

Part II : Day 9 & 10

Yeah, Yeah, I've been getting lazy with writing the daily posts. But I have good reason. I have been spending my energy playing with my kids, my husband and exercising.
Yes, that's right, me, the lady who won't even take her dog for a walk if it's below 60 degrees outside! I've been doing sit-ups every other night, chasing the kids around the house and playing music while I make dinner, so that I move my body. The kids and I have been having a blast dancing around the kitchen for the past few days.
I was talking to a friend of mine Monday night about eating RAW. She wondered how I get through the day. It dawned on me that I've only written about the three main meals and left out the grazing that goes on the rest of the day. The foods I eat are very simple. Mostly snacks that I feed the kids as well: bananas, oranges, apples, raw nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews), dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cherries), and sprouted grains like mung beans. And of course, tons of "living" water.
For those of you that know me and my husband, we are big advocates of healthy water. I won't go into all the details; but briefly: Water from nature, the kind you find in natural springs and creeks is living with healthy bacteria and enzymes that our bodies need. The water that comes into our homes is dead water, being processed and sent through series of pipes that are underground, receiving no sunlight.
We did a ton of research and found a method that can bring the "life" back to water. We take the tap water and filter it through a Brita (my sister uses reverse osmosis, but we can't afford the machine, yet) then we put it in a clear glass container and set it outside in direct sunlight for at least 3 hours, and shade for another 3. Bring it back in and pour it through a strainer (clean out leaves and bugs that may get trapped in the water) and that is our "Living" drinking water. I have had friends tell me it tastes like water from a natural spring. Soo yummy! No chemicals!!
Give it a try and see what you think....

Part II : Day 8

Holy Moly, We made it over a week, and have less then a week to go.I am feeling great! I am having fun playing with the kids and my husband ;-) I am down 5lbs!! Only 15 to go!!!
Not an exciting day as far as food goes: juice and banana, kale salad, and quinoa with veggies. woo hoo.
That's all for today!

Part II : Day 6 & 7

I am combining this weekend's blog.
Yesterday I went to a gluten-free cooking class. I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know about gluten-free cooking. I guess I was hoping it would be more about baking and mixing flours. Oh well, it gave me a morning out. The instructor made gluten-free spaghetti, and I HAD to try it :-P Not RAW, but it sure did taste good!
So I came home and had a huge salad. Then I made RAW pizza for dinner. The kids ate real pizza and it was very tempting! But we were able to resist!!
To top off the evening, I made some very delicious Apple Raisin Cookies! The kids even enjoyed them. The photo above is all that was left after the 2 dozen cookies I made with Brianna (my 5 year old daughter).

Today, started as all days have started: juice and a banana. Travis has been adding this algae mixture. Not to delicious, but I can feel the difference in my energy and mood. I am much happier and less grumpy then normal.
I went to visit a friend of mine this morning and she said that she noticed a difference in my face. It looks thinner and my skin was radiant! (No! I'm not pregnant!)Woo Hoo! The RAW food is kicking in!!
Tonight we'll have zucchini and carrot spaghetti. I bought a spiral slicer last year that cuts the vegetables like angel hair pasta. I'll make some fresh marinara sauce in the Vita Mix to top it off. And we'll finish off those cookies tonight!!

Apple Raisin Cookies
2 C hazelnuts, soaked 6 - 8 hours and rinsed
2 Fuji apples
2 large bananas
1/2 C honey dates
1 t cinnamon
1 C raisins

Process hazelnut, apples, bananas, and dates through a Champion Juicer using the solid plate. (or you can use the Vita Mix)
In a large bowl, mix dough with cinnamon and raisins
Spoon dough on a dehydrator tray with a teflex sheet, and form into small, round cookies. ( I used a melon baller)
Dehydrate at 105° for 4 - 6 hours, turn cookies over and remove teflex sheet.
Continue dehydrating for 4 - 6 hours, or until desired moisture is obtained.

Part II : Day 5

Wow, I can't believe I've made it 5 days! It's been raining all week and all I want is to snuggle up and eat some warm, comforting food. If it wasn't for the dehydrator and Vita Mix to slightly warm of our foods, I don't think I would have lasted this long.
Today for lunch I heated up the curry carrot soup in the Vita Mix. And tonight I heated up the quinoa in the dehydrator and then added kale, tomatoes and mushrooms.
Tonight...I made some raw chocolate pudding! It tastes so good too! I am so excited. Chocolate is what I have missed the most these past few days.

Raw Chocolate “Pudding”
1 really ripe banana
1 avocado
1/8 cup cocoa
2-3 tsp raw honey
1/4 cup almond milk

Put all ingredients except the milk, into a food processor or blender and blend until well mixed. Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time to ease blending and to get the right texture. You can serve immediately, but I like mine well chilled.

Part II : Day 4

Today was a much better day. The vitamins did not give me a stomach ache! And made some curried carrot soup! It was so yummy! And very nice to have something semi-warm for dinner. I've posted the recipe below. The Vita Mix is the best for RAW food!

Curried Carrot Recipe
6 medium carrots, cut in large pieces
2 cups water
1 small onion, peeled
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon curry powder

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Part II : Day 3

Okay, so I am a day late writing this post. There is no excuse really. I was just lazy yesterday. we had a rainstorm, so the kids and I hung out all day watching the rain and playing board games. It was a great day!
As for our RAW experienced, yesterday was a good day.
As usual, fruit juice and a banana for breakfast. A big salad for lunch and then I made a quinao "stir fry". I cut up some marinated zucchini (olive oil, garlic and basil) some calard greens, and tomatoes. Then I put them in the dehydrator to warm it up. Soo good!
Still feeling tired and hungry, but it should be getting better soon! My body is detoxing and I know that this is normal.

Part II : Day 2

Last night's RAW tacos were fantastic! I soaked quinoa in taco seasoning and had that be the "meat" in the tacos; then topped with lettuce, tomatoes and guacamole.
Today started the same as yesterday, fruit juice and a banana.
For lunch, I had a quinoa taco salad with the leftovers from last night.
Tonight we are having my famous zucchini lasagna.
Physically, I'm out of energy and feeling hungry. I also remembered that last time, day 2 was the hardest too.
On a positive note, I have already lost 1.5 lbs!! Only 18 to go :-)

Part II : Day 1

Happy Valentine's Day. Today we started our two week RAW food diet.
Had a giant glass of fresh fruit juice and a banana. I'm still hungry!
We'll have a big salad for lunch and RAW tacos for dinner. The shells for the tacos take about 8 hours to dehydrate, and they are "cooking" right now. Smells yummy!
Other than feeling hungry right now, which I will fix with an apple after I'm done writing this post, I feel good.
This evening we'll take a walk (if it stops raining) and I'll be doing 100 crunches every other night.
I think that's about all for now.
Off to get that apple!

2 Week RAW Excursion

It has been a long while since I've posted. Mostly because the holidays and it's yummy baked goods makes living RAW not appealing at all.
But now, as I take a long hard look at how I physically feel and look, I realize it is time to kick my butt back into eating healthy again.
I want and crave the alert, energetic and sexy body that I once had.
So as a gift of LOVE to ourselves, Travis and I are committing to two weeks, starting on Valentine's Day.
Now, I have to motivate myself to make a menu plan so I know what to get at the farmer's market tomorrow.
Here we go, again.....