The Skinny On January

Wow. OK, where am I at? I ate all raw for 4 days. I was loving it. I had made a decision and had no problem sticking to it this time. I have bigger goals in mind to worry about not eating cooked food. So, what happened?

I love being a mom. I adore my children. They are a blessing from God and I am grateful every day that they chose me to be their mother. With motherhood comes many responsibilities as you know. Right now one of my responsibilities is feeding my newborn baby girl. Before going raw, Annabelle (she is 3 months old now!) slept really well through the night. She usually wakes up once or twice to nurse and then drifts back to sleep. The four days I was raw, she was up ALL night snacking and not able to get satisfied and back into a deep sleep. Also, I pump extra breast milk for a friend’s baby. As she says, it’s usually like cream. I make super power milk! While I was eating all raw, though, my pumped milk was very light in color and more of a water consistency. I also was making less milk. My baby was not getting what she was used to.

I spoke to another friend about it. He is very knowledgeable about nutrition and eating a raw diet itself. We talked about what I was eating. He pointed out how I was not eating grains, oats or lentils. These foods, in his opinion, are necessary for sustainability and health. I was not prepared to sprout and eat these foods raw. I was just going to not eat them for now and work my way up to that. So, I either had to find a way to get them now or eat them cooked. I decided that I would introduce some cooked food that day and see what happened. After having Ezekiel bread with lunch and a falafel pita at dinner (along with the other raw food I ate that day), my supply went up. Also, my pumped milk was creamy again and Annabelle slept normal that night (thank goodness). Coincidence, you ask yourself? Maybe. I don’t think so. Everything changed with me changing what I ate when I started all raw and when I ate some cooked foods. I do want to say that this does not happen to all breast feeding moms. This was my experience and mine alone. It was based on what I was eating and may be different if eating other raw foods.

So, back to the responsibilities of motherhood. I am not privileged at this time to make selfish decisions. Decisions just for me that don’t effect others. What I eat right now has a direct effect on my baby. This is actually one of the reasons I wanted to eat all raw. So Annabelle could be getting the best breast milk possible. I can not be in a state of detox ( I was) and not making enough milk. It just won’t work. I was totally bummed. For once I was really doing this. I was not looking for any excuses to stop. Something out of my control came up.

I would like to look into sprouting beans, grains and lentils. Also, Alissa Cohen sells raw oats. If I can be more prepared and have these foods on hand, then maybe it would work. My breast milk supply and make up may not be negatively effected. I wonder if part of the reason there was a change was also because not enough calories. I was eating as much as I could though being on all raw. Obviously, I would have to go about an all raw diet differently than I did.

So, this morning I decided that doesn’t mean I have to eat a SAD (Standard American Diet). I (and my baby) can still benefit from a high raw diet with some cooked grains, beans, lentils and oats. I do have to admit though, this morning I had to consciously tell myself, "January eat a raw breakfast. This is not an excuse to eat crap". So, with it on my mind, I ate raw and cooked today. I am still going to pay attention to how I feel eating both.

I still feel a vegan all raw diet, is the superior way to eat. I am looking forward to getting myself there again. In the meantime I am going to enjoy the health benefits of eating a lot of raw food and the pleasure benefit of eating the cooked foods I love.

So What Did I Eat Today?

Fresh orange and carrot juice and a banana for breakfast made in Jack La Lanne juicer

An apple and raw cheese for snack

Jasmine rice (probably 2 cups cooked) with soy sauce for lunch (the rice cooker is great)

Cut up slices of cucumber and raw cheese for snack

Jasmine rice with soy sauce and Bragg’s dressing

Pasta with organic sauce and roasted tomatoes (olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, sea salt)

I had raw fruits, veggies and cheese today along with rice, pasta and cooked tomatoes. I don’t know what the percentages are of raw and cooked. I did feel good today. I love jasmine rice. I know it’s not brown rice, but I just love it. I think the biggest challenge for me is to make sure to still get in high raw even though I’m eating cooked as well.

I want to take this blog in a new direction. I am going to bring information about all types of health related topics. I am going to finish my birth stories and get support and information for VBAC moms! I am going to have an international cuisine category. I love culture, traditions and food. I want to bring some of that here! We will continue to write articles about food, thoughts and personal development. Let’s not forget that I will continue to get healthy and in shape in the process!

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I am happy to tell you that today I am feeling much better! No headache! My congestion has turned into sneezing and draining. It feels good to know my body is releasing all the crap! Last night I had the headache, bad breath, gas and I was terribly bloated! Today I feel lighter, and have more energy, even with my lack of sleep! This is why raw is awesome! I also had a rash on my left arm that started about a week ago. This morning it is almost all gone. Just like that …overnight!

I also need to bring you some bad news. My husband can’t hack it! That’s right, the food machine can not eat all raw. It’s too hard for him. You have no idea the joy this brings me. That’s right…joy. For the first time in 10 years I am the better example and have the superior diet. I made him say it. "January, yes you have a superior diet". Oh ya baby! I don’t think him eating high raw is bad, it’s great, but I am better. LOL.

I think most people can benefit from a high raw diet, that’s obvious. To eat all raw, you have to want it. It’s not something to take lightly. We don’t live in a raw world. I have a fault (one of many). I can not make decisions and stick to them…usually. In the rare cases that I do make a decision, I become hard core about it. When I decided to have children instead of going to school and have a career (want to be a Dr.), I decided to put my all into being a SAHM (stay at home mom) . It may be hard when 3 kids are screaming at me, but I know it’s right. When I decided to never have another c-section (or surgery of any kind) again, that was it. I fought damn hard for my VBA2C (vaginal birth after 2 c-sections). I have finally made the decision to eat raw. Since I have made the decision, I have not been tempted to eat anything else. I feel strong and powerful in my choice.

These are pictures of my 4 and 2 year old helping me make fruit salad. We actually had a lot of fun. They ate some, then I snacked on it the rest of the day! It was very good. I don’t normally like blueberries, but with bananas and raw agave they taste better to me.

What I Ate:

-Fruit Salad: blueberries, blackberries, banana, raisins, and raw agave nectar

-2 kiwi

-Chopped up celery, radish, tomatoes and baby cucumbers mixed w/Bragg’s

-G.T. Synergy Kombucha

-Dried organic mango

-Small handful raw almonds, grape tomatoes, sprouted raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, sea salt (I usually eat this with avocados and not almonds. Unfortunately when I went to prepare it, my avocados were not ripe. I was so bummed.)

-Few bites of peanut butter, raw cocoa, and raw agave nectar

-Banana

-3 organic dates

I drank more water today, but I think I still need more. I can just feel it in my body. I don’t feel hydrated enough. I think the dried mangoes are causing too much gas (I know, too much information, but that’s what this blog is all about!). I did feel much better today, like I expected (maybe that’s why I felt better, b/c of my expectation!). Towards the end of the night, the headache came back. I think this is from lack of sleep though. I almost feel like I have allergies. I am welcoming all of it though.

Moving on to day 4!

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Today sucked. Yes, that is how I am starting this post! I woke up feeling congested, tired and had a headache. After breakfast and getting ready, I realized I was also very impatient. My poor kids! After getting frustrated with my daughter, I had to stop, breathe and get control. I put my head in my hands and said, "January, you are detoxing. It is causing you to be impatient. Don’t let it. You have control, be nice to your kids. Welcome the detox, let it do it’s job and ask it to leave when it’s finished." I felt much better after this. Becoming aware of and admitting what was happening gave me peace. I had a few close calls, but handled myself well.

I did have to eat a lot though. In the middle of the day I was feeling kind of sick and that headache would not go away! I got adjusted and grabbed the almonds! I figure I need to eat more calories, fat or whatever I can to make me feel like I can function right now! So that’s what I did. I think it took me 2 hours to eat lunch! I am not kidding. My jaw hurt.

I had a headache until 11 pm. It finally started to subside. Thank goodness. I just keep telling myself that "Tomorrow is going to be an awesome day! I will feel great!"

What I Ate:

Everything! Honestly, today I ate a lot of each thing I had.

-1.5 apples

-2 baby cucumbers, 2-3 handfuls of almonds, a banana, berries, 2 dates

-dried mangoes…I wouldn’t normally eat so many, but I needed it today

-Kombucha

-Home made guacamole: onion, garlic, grape tomatoes, avocados mixed in the Vitamix

-Raw Crackers

-Kombucha

Hmmm. After writing it out, it doesn’t seem like as much as I thought. I guess you can eat a lot of fruit and veggies, but it’s still not a lot! I do think that I need to be drinking more water. I am going to make sure I up my intake tomorrow.

I went shopping at Costco and Whole Foods today. Here is what I bought. Remind you, this is for a family of 4. Although I am the only one who is all raw right now, my husband and children eat high raw. We go through produce like it’s going out of style (well, it kind of has, but we are bringing it back!).

Costco:

3 blackberries (2 lbs. each)
3 blueberries (18 oz. each)
1 package/3 long seedless cucumbers
1 organic mixed greens
2 grape tomatoes (2 lbs. each)
1 Roma Tomatoes (2 lbs.)
1 bag minneolas/tangerines (8 lbs.)
1 bag Cara Cara oranges (8 lbs.)
1 box clementines (5 lbs.)
1 container large kiwi (4 lbs.)
1 bag avocados (5)

Total Cost: $91.12

By the way I went to Costco 3 days ago and still have some of that produce. Mainly oranges and apples. It goes fast around here!

Whole Foods:

4.98 lbs. organic red apples
.22 lbs. organic garlic
.18 lbs organic dates
.60 lbs onion (1 onion)
6 count G.T.’s Strawberry Kombucha
2 pirates booty (for kids to snack on while riding in the cart)
.83 lb organic dried mango (which I ate most of yesterday afternoon)
.95 lb. organic peanut butter
.29 lbs salad bar
cheese pizza (also a treat for the kids)
1 organic Ezekiel bread

Total Cost: $56.63

Total Cost of Costco and Whole Foods: $147.75

Now, I will have to report back to you how long this actually lasts! 3 days maybe? I would like to work up to all organic, but for now having all this fresh produce is amazing and such a blessing!

I am looking forward to Day 3!

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I mainly focused on just eating nothing cooked. There are different ways to eat raw. I was recently reading where people eat "mono" meals. Meaning they eat only one food at a time. So they will have a mono meal of bananas. After that’ s digested they may drink water and later have a mono meal of clementines. I think everyone feels different about how to eat their raw food, because everyone reacts differently to the foods they eat. Some combinations of food may make Suzy feel great, but give Harry really bad gas. Poor Harry. So Harry eats mono meals or only fruits together and fats separately.

Right now I just eat what sounds good at the moment. If I get really hungry, I eat a meal with avocados and/or nuts. It is higher in fat and more filling. If I just want a pick me up snack and apple will do. If I want to make a meal with a lot of nutrients, I blend up the green smoothie in my Vitamix. I am a "go with the flow" kind of person. (Just ask my friend Staci, she’ll tell ya!) I just have as much produce available and some raw snack for those cravings. You can check out what a typical grocery list is for me (Totally Raw Grocery List) and even see pictures of what I eat in my kitchen (A Raw Kitchen).

What I Ate:

-A glass of juiced oranges and carrots

-About 1.5 apples cut up

-A bowl of raspberries and blackberries with a little raw agave nectar drizzled on top

-A bowl of sliced in half grape tomatoes and about 1/3 cup sprouted raw pumpkin/sunflower seed mix

-Home made raw guacamole: onion, garlic and tomatoes in Vitamix, then stirred in avocado, lemon juice and sea salt

-Raw Crackers (dipped in guacamole)

-An apple dipped in raw peanut butter

-A green smoothie at the request of my 2 year old: large handful of spinach, banana, orange, lemon, frozen strawberries and distilled water

-G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha

-I drank large glasses of distilled water throughout the day.

I’m not going to lie. I was hungry. I have to find the right balance and combination for me. That’s what the first few days are for. Each time I felt hunger, I just grabbed another snack/small meal. I have read people eating 10 clementines or 10 bananas in one sitting. I have never imagined that possible. I need variety and smaller portions. I can not see myself sitting down to eat 10 of anything! Maybe 2 apples. That’s why smoothies are good for me. I can get a lot of fruit and veggies down at once. Easy, fast and nutritious!

My sweet husband has decided that he is going to eat all raw with me. This was a hard decision for him, just like anyone else. Actually, it’s kind of surprising he found himself in a position where he didn’t want to give up certain foods (cooked). He is usually a damn machine when it comes to eating. He sees food as energy…something we need to survive. He thinks food is like air and water. Do you crave air, do you say, "Man I am craving some sweet air!?" No, you just need it to survive. Same with food. We just need it to survive. Now, me on the other hand, I LOVE food! I don’t care what the man says. Food is pleasurable, enjoyable and lovely. However, it can treat you badly, so you must have your boundaries! I guess eating all raw foods is quite a boundary!

I am looking forward to day 2. So far I have eaten apples! I have a wonderful day ahead of me and it’s filled with delicious live foods. I need it too. The baby had me up ALL night, so I need all the help I can get!

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Last night, my husband and I sat down and had a talk. This is not what you think. It was actually wonderful. These moments are few and far between with three small children and we cherish them (the moments…OK, the children too). We talked about a few things, but I’m going to discuss what is relevant here.

At dinner last night, we were eating home made fried rice. My husband and children love a good cooked meal. Well heck, so do I. We started talking a little bit about how I feel when I eat raw vs. cooked. He said if it’s what I feel like I should be doing, then do it! That’s as far as we got, because our four year old daughter was sitting in a box acting like a dog and wanting us to watch her eat her eggs. My son was standing on the table in his superman underwear asking us for another egg and the baby was sitting there watching it all unfold. We laughed and rolled our eyes. What could we do?

After the kids were in bed, we actually got into a conversation. My wonderful "self development guru" of a husband is very into visualization. As he should be. If you can see it, then it can be true. He wanted to know if I can visualize myself a hot sexy mama! I told him when I think about eating raw vegan, then yes I can. We discussed other reasons I wanted to do this as well. There are things in my life and goals that I have that are dependent on my mental, physical and spiritual growth. I’ll have to indulge you with the details later as they are personal and need their own time to reveal themselves.

Even in the raw world, raw foodists all eat different. The lifestyle itself is as original as each individual. Why some will consider raw nuts raw, other don’t think they are truly raw because of how they are processed. Some people think eating Bragg’s dressing or the like is OK, while others shy away from anything that is not in its true raw form. There are many raw foodists who own a dehydrator. With this, they can make meals that remind them of their SAD days (Standard American Diet…isn’t that interesting how that acronym works out?). If you "cook" something below 118 degrees (some say 116, 108, 105…just depends on the person again) that it will hold onto all of it’s nutrient and enzyme properties. I do not own a dehydrator yet, so will remain simple right now. I think making these meals helps people with their cravings from their SAD days.

I do own a Vitamix and a Jack La Lanne juicer. With these I can make fresh juices, smoothies and even warm soups. Also, nut milks, raw guacamole, raw nut butters, etc. There’s nothing like fruit and greens blended up in a Vitamix. Green smoothies are refreshing, energizing and nutritious.

What I Will Eat:

-I plan on eating mostly fruits, especially in the morning. As I am coming off a fast from the previous nights sleep, I want to eat simple nutritious fruit. This way my body can digest and heal.

-Salads and cut up fresh vegetables with Bragg’s dressing will be another staple. I plan on making my own dressing, but for now Bragg’s will suffice.

-I am going to go easy on nuts and seeds. When I lost 60 lbs eating a high raw diet, I hit a plateau. I realized it was the huge bowl of nuts I was eating every day. I calculated it and realized it was about a 1000 calorie snack. I cut that out and started losing again. I think with a raw diet, your caloric intake is low, so having some nuts and seeds for calories and good fats is fine. I’m just not going to eat a huge bowl of them. I have a bag of organic sprouted raw sunflower seed and pumpkin seeds. Right now almonds are pasteurized and not available raw.

-When I have a craving I will probably eat some raw crackers or make a treat with raw nut butter and raw cocoa. For me, this is necessary right now. I have too many cravings and need to kick my sugar addiction. These "treats" will help. You can buy raw crackers at your local Whole Foods. I also will eat sprouts when I am in the mood. I have been looking into sprouting my own. I think this would be fun for the kids.

As far as my husband and children are concerned, that will unfold on it’s own. Just a few minutes ago, my husband said, "Wait, I don’t want you to be healthier than me!" With all joking aside, he is very supportive of all my adventures, this one included. He is deciding if he wants to eat all raw or just high raw. My children will be high raw, but they will have raw cheese and Ezekiel bread products, etc. At least for now.

I am very excited about this journey. I am looking forward to 2008 being a RAW year and all the health and clarity I will receive. I have many goals and am finally going to take charge of my life. No more blame, no more excuses. It is time to live and love living!

I will be posting pictures from today and my health goals in posts to come. I can not wait to see how my body changes. I also am looking forward to the changes I will have in other areas of my life from this change. Eating an all raw diet is not just about the food you put into your mouth, but also the thoughts you put in your head, the words that come out of your mouth and the actions you take in life!

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