The Skinny On January

OK, so you are probably thinking, "Man, starting a raw challenge right at Christmas time is not too bright. This girl must not think things through!" Well, I have no shame in telling you that you are right! I’m giving myself a big smack on the forehead for you!

The Saturday before Christmas we went to my Dad’s house. I was all prepared to eat raw food, so I thought. The crunching of chips and bright colors of the cookies form the local French bakery would not leave me alone. They followed me all around the house and pestered me until I gave them a nibble. Well, I couldn’t just tease them, so I had to go all they way. After 5 Christmas cookies and a sugar rush that had me racing around and jumping up and down, I thought, ‘Hmmm. Maybe not so good". After they were fulfilled and got what they wanted they left me! They left me tired, unfulfilled and bloated! I was so tired that night, I had to keep my eyelids open with toothpicks. The next morning I could not get out of bed until 10:40 am! This is someone who is up at 6 am with her kids every morning. When I eat all raw, I do not feel anywhere near this. I was cranky all day too. Ask the hubby. It was not a good day. Sunday and Monday I focused on eating high raw, but not 100%.

I had the yummiest vegetarian Lebanese food on Christmas. My grandmother is part Lebanese and she pays a Lebanese woman to make our family recipes every year for Christmas. That’s right, grandma pays someone else to do it. Christmas Scottsdale style! It was so delicious. I’m not going to lie. I’d eat it again! The day after Christmas I started all raw. While everyone else ate the leftovers, I had 2 huge salads and veggies. It was actually really good. Then my evil aunt brought over cookies again. Damnit, it’s like an affair that won’t end!

Something that I am concerned about it my daughter. She is 11 weeks old and I think all these changes are effecting her a bit. When I eat all raw, I wonder if I am releasing toxins in my breast milk. I can not be sure if she wasn’t feeling well on Christmas because of eating raw or eating cooked. I can not tell how long what I eat effects my milk.

I have been thinking of eating a high raw diet and transitioning into all raw. I know that after eating 2 days all raw, I feel like a different person. I feel healthy, happier, more energy and there’s not bloating/gas. I have to find how I can do this while nursing and taking care of a family that doesn’t want to be 100% raw. My husband eats vegetarian and raw to support me, but he doesn’t mind cooked foods and some meat. He wants them sometimes. Which is fine. Also, I have my kids to think about. They look at me in the afternoon, with a look that says, "Woman, how about a real meal here? You are starving us!" I guess this is all part of my journey, right?

So, for now I am putting the raw challenge on hold. I am going to do what worked last time I got healthier and lost weight. I ate a very high raw diet, with healthy vegetarian cooked meals. I ate raw dairy as well. And…..I walked.

So, that is what I am going to do. It may change tomorrow, so stay tuned!

*I didn’t have a picture of me exhausted, so I thought a picture of Brandon and the kids passed out would do. I don’t know how he feels about that though. LOL

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• Day 5 on Weight Watchers
• The Skinny on Fat and Inches Lost
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• Falling Off

I am so happy with how I ate yesterday. I love coming into my kitchen and seeing the abundance of healthy food I get to eat! The deep red bowl of the tomatoes next to the bright yellow box of lemons just makes my taste buds get all excited. Seriously! I can grab a handful of raw nuts or make a green smoothie in my Vita Mix. If I want something sweet I can just grab the raw agave and raw cocoa and whip something up.

I don’t even know what I’m doing people and I still love it! I don’t have a lot of recipes. I know over time I’ll try new things, but I can’t get overwhelmed with that now. I don’t have a dehydrator or food processor or a gadget to make squash spaghetti. That’s okay too. Maybe I’ll want to try those out soon. For now I’ll buy my raw crackers instead of make them. I don’t have a sprouter, which I want one of these so I can do it with the kids, so I buy them organic at the store for now! OK, now I think I’m going to go whip up some nuts/tomatoes/sprout and Bragg’s!

I loved coming home and putting groceries away the other night that I just had to take pictures. This wasn’t professional or set up. I just put the food on the counter and snapped away. It was beautiful!

In the top picture you can see my Vita Mix which I am in love with. There’s also coconuts, raw almond butter, raw tahini, Lara Bars, carrots, grapes, mangoes, lemons, tomatoes, avocados, nuts, apples, oranges, clementines, sprouts, wheat grass, pineapple, goji berries, raw agave nectar, Bragg’s dressing and olive oil. On the shelf is raw cocoa powder and nibs, raw crackers, sprouted raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and coconut oil! Can you say scrumptious? In the picture below is my fridge the same evening. On the top is where I keep my sprouts and wheat grass and then I have fruit and veggies stuffed everywhere!

Day 2~ I Am What I Eat

-Green Smoothie: spinach, banana, orange, frozen strawberries, grapes (I want to work up to more greens here)

-A lot of blackberries and a few bites of a banana

-Almonds and pecans

- grape tomatoes (cut in half), an avocado (cut up), sprouted raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, organic fenugreek sprouts, natural radish and clover sprouts, Bragg’s dressing.

-Nut butter/cocoa treat

-Water, Synergy Kombucha

-Home made guacamole: grape tomatoes, avocado, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt…mixed in my Vita Mix and raw flax crackers

It feels like I ate so much more than that. I was full! Maybe because I do not worry about how much of each thing I am eating. In all reality though, it’s not any more (if not less) than what I usually eat. How awesome is that?!

OK, Did I Exercise Today?

I had to do something! I stretched a lot. I haven’t stretched in a long time and I think this is so important! I did push ups (on knees of course), squats, calf raises and abs. I can do all of these at home. I focused on my arms,chest and back during the push ups by squeezing any muscle I could! The squats I did slowly and the others are self explanatory.

What’s Going on Tomorrow?

We are traveling about 90 minutes to visit my dad, sister, aunt and grandmother for the holidays. I told them some kinds of food they could serve. Who knows what will happen when an 18 year old that doesn’t have a clue about health, much less raw and vegan, is doing the shopping! I love her, but I will be bringing snacks for the kids, home made hummus, crackers, and fruit for me, just in case!

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• Totally Raw Grocery List
• A New Year Raw Lifestyle
• A 30-Day Raw-Diet-Transition Challenge
• First Day Eating All Raw
• First Day All Raw Foods

I have decided to start a 30 day challenge for myself. This can help me finish my transition to a raw food lifestyle. As you know I have gone back and forth, but every time I read about eating raw, I get excited. I feel drawn to it. So, here goes. I’m about to make up for a life time of a diet lacking in fruits and veggies. My healthy diet before probably won’t be able to compare to what I about to embark on!

JOIN ME!!!

Start anytime during the 30 days! If you want you can email me (january@theskinnyonjanuary.com) with your thoughts, ideas and a sample day of what you are eating and I might just post it on our site.

Day One- I Am What I Eat:

-A green smoothie made up of banana, orange, spinach, grapes, frozen strawberries. I call it a green smoothie if I happen to get anything green in it at all. Some people like to make sure to get half and half. I’ll work up to it!

-Nut Butter/Chocolate Balls (recipe filed under Recipe category to the right!) These saved me today.

-A cut up mango

-Raw crackers

-Fruit salad with bananas, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, raisins, raw agave,,,this was so tasty!

-Homemade hummus…I made this w/garbanzo beans, raw tahini, lemon, garlic and cumin. The beans weren’t "raw", but I am ok with that. I can’t go crazy at first b/c then I won’t stick to this change.

-Did a drive by on almonds and pecans every so often

-Small serving of a green smoothie. This one had orange, clementine, banana, frozen strawberries and organ wheat grass!

-Synergy Kombucha

-Drank water all day

-I made the salad in the picture a week or so ago. It has sprouts, radish, carrots, cucumber, pumpkin seeds, spinach and Bragg’s. It was yum!

Thoughts of the Day:

Well, I think that if you are going raw, you should have a raw dessert on hand. When I was like, "hmmm, I need something yummy" I went to the fridge and had the nut butter/cocoa balls. Also, when I got the munchies I had the raw crackers. Other than that I ate fruit and veggies all day. I felt totally satisfied and enjoyed everything I ate.

Tomorrow:

Continue to eat raw and move my freakin’ a**!!!

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