Day 12

Breakfast: raw organic apple cider vinegar in water, 2 organic bananas

Lunch: Cherry Pie Larabar, banana/strawberry smoothie

Snack: Cherry Pie Larabar

Dinner: organic banana, organic apple


So, I bought some apple cider vinegar because I read about how healthy it is and plan to add it onto my salads. I found out today that I do not enjoy drinking it first thing in the morning, and eating something right after just makes it worse. I felt SO sick :( And I usually love drinking vinegar... however weird that sounds!

I am having BIG cravings for cooked food... I don't know what to do about it!

Day 11

Breakfast: cashew/fig cereal with almond milk

Lunch: 2 organic bananas and 1 organic zucchini

Snack: 1 organic apple, 1 organic banana

Dinner: organic cauliflower with "salsamole"

Dessert: organic dried figs

I feel like I ate a lot today, but when I woke up from a nap at 7:30pm I wasn't in a very good mood, because I was hungry and had just woken up. I was really grumpy, as usual in that sort of state, haha. But anyway, I also had no food other than bananas and carrots and still had errands to run, so when I got back I quickly made something to eat with some stuff I bought and then had some dried figs afterward. Along with my nut/fruit cereal in the morning, I feel like I ate a LOT. I wasn't even that hungry the whole time, just in that agitated eating mood, which I know is not good. They say, "eat when you are hungry, don't eat when you are not". That is so much easier said than done!

I also tried to donate blood again today, and my hemoglobin level was 11.1, not very good. I probably shouldn't have expected it to go up that much in just a few days. I am also still having some trouble falling asleep. I think maybe I am eating dinner too late. I would like to be done eating by 8pm, but I usually get home late and eat really slowly.

I have been very good about drinking water, and somewhat good about exercising. My skin is doing really well, especially my pores. My black heads are going away and the pores on my nose look smaller. Weight loss is not happening as quickly as I would like, but from what I could remember from my other mini raw food adventures, there is an initial weight loss (most likely water weight), then weight loss slows while your body does other things, like cleaning out waste, and then weight loss picks up again. So I will just keep doing what I'm doing, putting emphasis and on exercise and low-fat.

Day 10

Breakfast: 1 organic banana

Lunch: homemade organic cashew/fig 'cereal' with homemade almond milk,

Dinner: cucumber/celery/carrot/orange juice (all organic except orange), organic banana, smoothie (banana, green apple, aloe, dulse flakes, almond milk)

Today, I made raw granola cereal, and it was SO GOOD. All I did was put my soaked cashews and dried figs (about 50/50) into my food processor, add a pinch of ground cinnamon and sea salt, and then process. The combination of sweet from the figs and the saltiness from the sea salt made it taste like trail mix, and the nutty cashew taste added a great texture and flavor. It actually tasted better on its own than with the almond milk. My almond milk is so full of almond pulp (because I have no cheese bag/nut milk bag to strain it out) it's actually more of an almond yogurt. It goes great in smoothies, but it's not really a good milk substitute. I think I will blend up what I have left of it with some water, and maybe add in some more raw honey or sea salt to make it taste better, although I think the main probablem is the texture. Live and learn!

Anyway, I am thrilled with how my first 'cereal' came out. I have realized that, without even trying, I have made quite a number of raw food recipes that imitate normal recipes. So far I have learned how to make: salads, smoothies, juices, cereal, milk, dips, cookies, ice cream. I can nearly open my own raw restaurant!

Day 9

Breakfast: 2 organic bananas

Lunch: green spirulina smoothie, 1 Raw Revolution spirulina bar (spirulina is so tasty!)

Snack: Cherry Pie Larabar, a few organic dried figs

Dinner: green smoothie (organic banana, organic granny smith apple, organic baby spinach, organic dulse flakes, chia seeds, homemade organic almond milk, organic raw honey)

I picked up some raw, organic almonds yesterday at my local supermarket, soaked them last night, and then blended them into almond milk today. I added only a pinch of sea salt and maybe a table spoon of honey for a lot of almonds/water, so it doesn't have very much flavor to it. I added a little to my smoothie today which gave it a nice smooth, creamy texture. I also have cashews soaked and I am not sure what I am going to do with them yet. I broke down and bought some regular multivitamins because my iron has been low (it's always been low, not just as a vegan/vegetarian) and I took my first one last night and feel really good today. I know the goal is to get to the point at which one does not need any supplements, but I want to donate blood!

I also had my first avocado since I started raw. I got it organic and small, and I don't plan to have very many. My weight this morning was 117.0 lbs. My goal, as I have said before, is to get down to 110 lbs at one point. I have been exercising more, but not enough as I would like.
So: I want to eat more green veggies, eat less fat from nuts/avocados, depend less on "raw bars" for a quick snack, and exercise more!

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Day 8

Breakfast- 2 organic bananas, 1 organic apple

Lunch- kimchi, organic strawberries

Snack- raw honey (I ran out of food and I was hungry!!)

Dinner- half a head of organic cauliflower with avocado dip (1 organic avocado, 1 organic tomato, some red onion, dulse flakes)

Dessert- Cherry Pie Larabar

I went and worked out yesterday. I've been trying to run more outside, but this time I went to the gym. My workout was really easy and I felt strong, but I think running outside is more difficult, so I'll see next time I run outside how much better I feel.

I have been drinking more water lately. I fill up my 32 oz (I think it's 32 oz) canteen/water bottle when I go to bed and drink the whole thing when I wake up. I don't really drink a lot throughout the day, so I feel it's better to just drink a lot in the morning. My goals right now are to take in more probiotics and raise my hemoglobin levels. I will try to donate blood again this upcoming monday and see if my hemoglobin levels have risen at all.

Day 7

Breakfast: 1 organic banana, 1 Raw Revolution spirulina bar

Lunch: raw kimchi, juice of organic celery, organic carrot, organic tomato and orange

Snack: organic blueberries

Dinner: 1 organic zucchini, big green smoothie

I think I will have to do a product review of various raw bars. I have tried Larabar, Raw Revolution and Go Raw. I've seen a few others I'll pick up next time I'm at my health food store (probably tomorrow) and I'll do a video of the different bars, which ones are healthier, taste better, etc.
Also, maybe I'll do a video on making a green smoothie? I think I've finally worked out a really good recipe~

Day 6

Breakfast: 2 organic bananas

Lunch: 2 organic carrots and 1 Raw Revolution spirulina bar

Snack: 2 organic carrots, 1 banana

Dinner: 1 green smoothie (banana, green apple, blueberries, spinach, soaked pumpkin seeds, dulse flakes, chia seeds, raw honey), raw kimchi with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes

Dessert: organic blueberries

I'm feeling pretty good today, but I am sleepy because I haven't been able to sleep at night. Neither has my other roommates, or other people I talk to at school. Everyone is sleepy! Maybe it's something with the stars... haha.

Organic blueberries are SO MUCH better than non-organic blueberries. I actually like these. And there are so many antioxidants. They say to "eat according to the rainbow", and I have had red tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow bananas, green spinach, and blue blueberries. Blueberries are actually purple, not blue. There is no blue food. But yeah, I am pretty happy with my variance.

One problem I am having though is low iron. I've tried to donate blood both today and monday and they turn me away. Today my iron was 11.8; they want 12.5. I'm trying to eat more dark green veggies and seeds and stuff. I don't want to take supplements!

I'm Back! (Day... 5?)

So, as I explained (very long-winded) in my video, I actually did go back to cooked vegan food over spring break and the week that followed it. I started back raw last Friday, which would make today Day 5 for my new Raw Diet. This time I am planning on going to the end of this school's semester before I have to go back home again, which will be 6 weeks exactly. I have had no detox symptoms, so I feel like I just put my diet on pause and I'm starting again. However, I will not be ending on Easter

I was very surprised to get not one, but TWO questions in regard to this blog on formspring.com. So, I figure I might as well keep updating about my raw journey. I am trying to not obsess about calories, though, but I am also trying to be 100% or mainly organic and low fat. If any one has any requests for what they would like to see me post, let me know!

Anyway, here is what I ate today:

Breakfast- 2 bananas, some sunflower seeds

Lunch- green smoothie (banana, green apple, blue berries, spinach, dulse flakes, chia seeds)

Snack- Raw Revolution spirulina bar

Dinner- Raw kimchi

Dessert- dried figs

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Day 18

I'm leaving today! My weight hasn't changed, still 115.2 lbs. I'm hoping that by lessening my fat intake over the next week will change that. I think I am finally over my avocado addiction. My body got what it wanted, and now it doesn't want anymore. My body is like a playboy with foods, haha. I've been upping my kimchi intake to build up good bacteria in my body. Also, without realizing it, I think about half of my diet is organic! And it's not that much more expensive at all. And it's so nice to eat food without worrying about how many chemicals are going into your body too.

Breakfast
- 1.5 organic apples (150 kcal)

Lunch
- raw kimchi (30 kcal)
- leftover avocado/tomato soup (300 kcal)
- organic salad with sprouts (50 kcal)

Snack
- 2 organic carrots (50 kcal)

Dinner

Dessert

(Total caloric intake: 580 kcal)

Day 17

Weight still at 115.2 lbs. No complaints! For some reason I had a big craving for something this morning, and as a result ate 4 bananas. That wasn't what I was craving, but I felt so sick afterward that I didn't have to worry about wanting food anymore. Also, ginger juice is NOT GOOD. It had a burning after taste, but I'm sure it was good for me.

Breakfast
- 2 bananas (200 kcal)

Lunch
- 2 bananas (200 kcal)

Snack
- juice of kale, apple, ginger and cucumber (100 kcal)
- 1 Cherrypie Larabar (190 kcal)

Dinner
- avocado soup (300 kcal)
- raw kimchi (15 kcal)

Dessert
- banana/honey/cinnamon ice cream (200 kcal)

(Total caloric intake: 1,205 kcal)

Day 16

My weight this morning was 115.2 lbs. I started off today in a very mono-fruit way. I actually ended up juicing most of my watermelon so I could get the rinds in too. I was SO FULL after eating/drinking all that, and I am afraid to think that I just blew a lot of kcal on a watermelon. But, I haven't had watermelon in a while, so it's good that I got some variety into my diet!

Breakfast
- 2 bananas (200 kcal)

Lunch
- 1 watermelon (800 kcal)

Dinner
- raw kimchi (30 kcal)
- 1 avocado (300 kcal)
- salad (50 kcal)

Dessert
- 2 Cherry Pie Larabars (380 kcal)

(Total caloric intake: 1,570 kcal)

Workout
- 15-minute run
- 1 hour walk
- ab workout
- arm weights

Day 15

Two weeks down! Scale this morning said 115.8 lbs. Then, after drinking/eating and getting dressed for school, I was 4 lbs heavier. This makes me think that my weight hasn't changed that much since I started. According to my calories, I should be losing about a pound a week (which is an easy, slow pace for the body). I would like to get down to 110 lbs by the end (April 4th!). I have not been working out as often as I would like because it is cold and I am a busy college student.
On a side note, I think I've made a mistake in believing the seaweed/sesame seeds I've been eating is raw. It says vegan/macrobiotic, and I just assumed. I'd better stop eating it to be safe! Also, I've drunken herbal tea a few times. I don't know if I should stop that too. With the exception of those two things, and also the fact that some of the "raw" nuts I've eaten might have been flash pasteurized, I know everything else is 100% raw. Knowing if something is raw is way harder than telling if something is just vegan!
P.S. My average caloric intake for the past two weeks has been about 1,220 kcal!

Breakfast
- 1 organic apple (100 kcal)

Lunch
- 1 banana (100 kcal)
- 2 organic carrots (50 kcal)
- wakame seaweed with sesame seeds (140 kcal)

Dinner
- 1 head of organic cauliflower (150 kcal)
- 1 avocado (300 kcal)
- sun-dried tomatoes (50 kcal)

(Total caloric intake: 890 kcal)

Day 14

I made juice again today, and I used a LOT of celery to make it more green, and I also held back on the fruit to lessen the calories, but still enough to make it sweet. Plus, I think it's good to drink orange juice in the winter time, especially for someone like me who's always cold!
I felt really good running today. I started sweating sooner than usual without feeling tired, which I think is a sign that I am in better shape (i.e. my body is functioning properly). I will also start weighing myself in the mornings now with my scale. I am afraid all these avocados are hindering my weight loss.

Breakfast
- 2 bananas (200 kcal)

Lunch
- organic mixed romaine with sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, living alfalfa sprouts and lemon juice (100 kcal)
- raw kimchi (25 kcal)

Snack
- 1 Raw Revolution bar (280 kcal)

Dinner
- 1 avocado (300 kcal)
- juice of 2 heads of organic celery, 2 organic carrots, and 3 oranges (250 kcal)

(Total caloric intake: 1,155 kcal)

Workout
- 25-minute run/jog

Day 13

So, I have decided that I really want some raw chocolate. I've been having cravings for junk food... I could have sworn I smelled the faint scent of cupcakes in class today. I don't know if I should wait it out or find/make raw alternatives!

Breakfast
- leftover smoothie of mixed berries, dates and banana (300 kcal)

Lunch
- wakame seaweed with sesame seeds (140 kcal)
- fruit bowl (150 kcal)

Snack
- 1 avocado (300 kcal)
- 3 organic carrots (75 kcal)

Dinner
- organic mixed romaine salad with sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, living alfalfa sprouts and lemon juice (50 kcal)
- raw kimchi (20 kcal)

Dessert
- left over cinnamon-banana cookie dough ice cream (200 kcal)
- 1 Go Raw pumpkin bar (275 kcal)

(Total caloric intake: 1,510 kcal)