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!
A good friend of mine told me I need to join “KA” or “Kombucha Anonymous”! I love this stuff. I drink G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha because I am too lazy to grow it myself. I like their brand because it is organic, raw and they mix them with a little juice. Some people say it tastes too much like vinegar or wine to them, but I enjoy it very much.
Personally, I have seen some positive effects from drinking it. Before I became pregnant with my daughter, I would have very heavy and crampy menstrual cycles. I would drink 1-2 Synergy Kombuchas and it would lighten them and the pain would subside. It helps me with appetite control and cravings. Also, it has a relaxing effect, which with a 4 and 2 year old and a baby is a miracle. I also drank it during my pregnancy. This was to ensure I was getting enough probiotics and vitamins. (If you are not already drinking it, it can cause detoxing effects, so be cautious when starting while pregnant or nursing). This is also my most mellow baby. Hey, you never know.
Kombucha itself is a microorganism. People mistake it for a mushroom, but it is actually a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast, also referred to as a SCOBY. It looks like a big pancake. It is usually always prepared with sugar and tea, then fermented. You can get cultures and starter kits to make your own. Then you can continue making it with the mother and baby cultures. There are a ton of sites containing information about where to get starters and how it’s made. As with anything, research it out for yourself and decide what is best for you!
I just want to add some health benefits that people claim they have received from adding Kombucha into their diets. I am not quoting research, but personal experiences.
-relaxation
-clearer mind and sense of wellness
-help heal their cancer
-aids in weight loss
-help with many infections and disease!
Looking on the back of my G.T.’s Synergy Strawberry Komucha, it says it contains 95% organic raw kombucha, 5% strawberry puree, and 100% pure love! It may contain less than 0.5% alcohol due to fermentation. For 1-8 oz serving (2 servings per bottle), it has 25% Folic Acid, 20% Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12. It also has a probiotic content of 1 billion organisms of Lactobatcillus Bacterium and S. Boulardil. Let’s not forget the amino acids and organic acids. 100 mg. L-Theanine, 10 mg. Glucuronic Acid, 25 mg. L(+) Lactic Acid and 30 mg. Usnic Acid.
Here is a great site I found that has more information on the health benefits of Kombucha. OK, all this talk about Kombucha makes me wanna go grab one.
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!
