A quick update:
I'm done. The 30 days trial has officially ended and I did have a lunch with cooked food today. I am so full of feelings: Apprehension, excitement, pride, a little fear...
This trial has been a wonderful experience for me. Of course it had its ups and downs, and I hope to go into all of that later. I want to do an official post-mortem of my 30-days RAW trial soon, but perhaps at the week's end, since this one's a busy one schoolwork-wise.
So lunch today was a Vietnamese-style "street" sandwich. It had meat, and what I think was a dairy-based spread, on a 6-inch piece of bread, with a few greens tossed in. The flavors seem more intense than they did before, and it definitely tasted pretty salty to me. Cooked food really has a lot of salt, and I'm no longer used to the [over]abundance of salt in it. It was somewhat humorous, since my friend with whom I ate lunch was adding salt to his food...I'm happy about my new feelings towards salt, since we get much more in our diets than is healthy, anyway. There were also chili peppers that I assumed were mild, but I think my tolerance for spicy foods has gone down somewhat, since I didn't get too much of that with raw food.
Portion-wise, I think before this trial I would have complemented the sandwich with some chips or a dessert, but today the sandwich was enough. I got used to eating smaller portions on my RAW trial, just because the fiber-rich food would fill me up so quickly. So I ate the sandwich slowly, savoring each bite, and I was satisfied.
I must say, in comparison to raw meals, cooked food is "heavier" in my stoamch. I know it sounds strange, but it seemed like the raw food felt so light. It would just pass right through me, and it never tired me out, if that makes sense. But this cooked food seems more like a weight in my stomach. I'm actually wary about eating too much cooked food, especially on this first day back. I think dinner will just be raw greens and celery tossed with some "live" salsa. I also have plenty of fruits to choose from, and I've been snacking on dates, blueberries and cherries today.
This is about it for now, and I hope that lunch wasn't too much of a shock to my system. I'll put up a more thorough post mortem of the trial soon, and I have many more recipes to put up still, so look forward to it!
Peas out,
Jessica
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
30 Days
Today will be Day 15 out of my 30 days RAW trial. I was familiar with veganism, but when I heard about the benefits of raw foodism I went headfirst into it for the New Year with a plan to eat 100% RAW for a period of 30 days. I didn't officially start until the first day of school at UCSD, January 4th.
Even reaching this halfway point is something of a milestone for me. I've never done an "experiment" like this before. I've never even gone vegetarian for a day. So, halfway through...how do I feel?
Well, let me break down what I'd heard about this lifestyle, and then put forward my personal feelings so far. One of the most attractive things about eating RAW was the obvious health benefit: So long as you're careful in getting all the vitamins and minerals you would from a SAD (Standard American Diet), health is purported to soar. One question I get frequently is, "But where do you get Vitamin 'X' or'_______'?" Well, it is necessary to do your research, because the last thing you want to do is suffer from malnutrition during what would otherwise be superbly healthy for you and the earth. And researching everything you eat requires planning and reading and lots of time (READ: commitment). So I've tried to be careful and I've read up on a number of sources on how to have a relatively balanced diet. And yes, my health is in much better shape (pun intended). I noticed while going to the gym the other day that I seemed to be able to work out for longer than before. When I get proper sleep and eat enough, I do seem to have a little more than the average amount of energy. And of course, eating high-fiber, low-calorie foods has led to weight loss.
The issue of weight loss and hunger have been pretty big for me personally during this trial. A problem I had especially after the first few days of the trial was my sudden lack of hunger. I won't lie; I have always been a hungry person, feeling hunger even when my body certainly didn't need more food. With the sudden increase in fiber and perhaps because I'm eating (and digesting) in a completely different manner than before, my hunger suddenly ceased to occur as often and sometimes I ate far less calorically than I knew was healthy. I've been trying to curb this bad habit, since I have no wish to mess with my metabolism or lose muscle weight out of "starvation".
One nice thing about eating RAW is the fact that because the food is more typically low calorie than cooked food, you can eat in greater quantities and still be eating a healthy amount, so for big eaters such as myself this should be a plus. This seems to counteract what I said before, but I think the lack of hunger was definitely psychological in part. Most of the time I'm more motivated to eat my food than before, because there are many flavors and tastes in raw food that we so seldom appreciate when taking it cooked or as one of hundreds of ingredients in processed foods.
Steve Pavlina, whom I got the 30 days RAW idea from, said during his trial (he so liked the feelings he got from this lifestyle that he eventually ended up going completely raw) that his emotions were intensified. This is a little harder for me to evaluate, since I am by my Romantic nature a very emotional person, and I place high value on the expression thereof. So this may be hindsight bias (in a sense) speaking, but I do think my emotions have been a little stronger lately. I cried whilst watching The Kiterunner, and though it was a heartwrenching film, I almost never cry when reading books or watching movies. I have been a little more sensitive, looking back at my interactions with people over the last few days.
Would I consider going completely RAW? Currently, my answer is no. I think 100% raw is wonderfully sustainable for the earth, but not for my lifestyle in the long term. I will certainly be incorporating much more raw food into my diet, and continue sprouting, making smoothies and juicing when possible. If this blog didn't make it obvious, I am a definite proponent of the RAWvolution! I encourage all people to take as many steps toward it as their lifestyles can sustain. The best you can do is try.
With that said, I do look forward to 15 more days of complete raw-dom. If there's one thing that can't be said about raw foodism, it's that it's tasteless. There is an abundance of tastes, both impressively subtle and suprisingly bold, and my perception of taste has definitely been amplified by this diet. I better appreciate the subtle, natural flavors that our beloved planet puts out for us, hassle-free. And it's about time for some examples...
I have been keeping a log of everything I'm eating for my trial, and will frequently put up accounts of meals I've eaten or shopping or the joy of finding new fruits and the like.
From Day 7, here is a green smoothie that's fairly easy to make and (suprisingly, for the cynic in me) tasty!
The ingredients: Ice, water, 1 box of raspberries, 2 bananas and a handful of spinach leaves. That's right, spinach! You don't even taste it in the finished smoothie as the fruit is so overpowering, but you definitely get the health benefits, and it's so good...
Color is such an integral part of our food that we tend to forget about it. I once discussed this with Jessica, who asked me to imagine how much our enjoyment of our food would lessen if suddenly all the color disappeared. So true--I love looking at all the colors of my food, especially the beautiful crimson of these raspberries, and the fresh, crisp green of the spinach. My desire to eat is increased tenfold.
Could you imagine a raspberry that wasn't so delicously colorful? I don't want to.
Even reaching this halfway point is something of a milestone for me. I've never done an "experiment" like this before. I've never even gone vegetarian for a day. So, halfway through...how do I feel?
Well, let me break down what I'd heard about this lifestyle, and then put forward my personal feelings so far. One of the most attractive things about eating RAW was the obvious health benefit: So long as you're careful in getting all the vitamins and minerals you would from a SAD (Standard American Diet), health is purported to soar. One question I get frequently is, "But where do you get Vitamin 'X' or'_______'?" Well, it is necessary to do your research, because the last thing you want to do is suffer from malnutrition during what would otherwise be superbly healthy for you and the earth. And researching everything you eat requires planning and reading and lots of time (READ: commitment). So I've tried to be careful and I've read up on a number of sources on how to have a relatively balanced diet. And yes, my health is in much better shape (pun intended). I noticed while going to the gym the other day that I seemed to be able to work out for longer than before. When I get proper sleep and eat enough, I do seem to have a little more than the average amount of energy. And of course, eating high-fiber, low-calorie foods has led to weight loss.
The issue of weight loss and hunger have been pretty big for me personally during this trial. A problem I had especially after the first few days of the trial was my sudden lack of hunger. I won't lie; I have always been a hungry person, feeling hunger even when my body certainly didn't need more food. With the sudden increase in fiber and perhaps because I'm eating (and digesting) in a completely different manner than before, my hunger suddenly ceased to occur as often and sometimes I ate far less calorically than I knew was healthy. I've been trying to curb this bad habit, since I have no wish to mess with my metabolism or lose muscle weight out of "starvation".
One nice thing about eating RAW is the fact that because the food is more typically low calorie than cooked food, you can eat in greater quantities and still be eating a healthy amount, so for big eaters such as myself this should be a plus. This seems to counteract what I said before, but I think the lack of hunger was definitely psychological in part. Most of the time I'm more motivated to eat my food than before, because there are many flavors and tastes in raw food that we so seldom appreciate when taking it cooked or as one of hundreds of ingredients in processed foods.
Steve Pavlina, whom I got the 30 days RAW idea from, said during his trial (he so liked the feelings he got from this lifestyle that he eventually ended up going completely raw) that his emotions were intensified. This is a little harder for me to evaluate, since I am by my Romantic nature a very emotional person, and I place high value on the expression thereof. So this may be hindsight bias (in a sense) speaking, but I do think my emotions have been a little stronger lately. I cried whilst watching The Kiterunner, and though it was a heartwrenching film, I almost never cry when reading books or watching movies. I have been a little more sensitive, looking back at my interactions with people over the last few days.
Would I consider going completely RAW? Currently, my answer is no. I think 100% raw is wonderfully sustainable for the earth, but not for my lifestyle in the long term. I will certainly be incorporating much more raw food into my diet, and continue sprouting, making smoothies and juicing when possible. If this blog didn't make it obvious, I am a definite proponent of the RAWvolution! I encourage all people to take as many steps toward it as their lifestyles can sustain. The best you can do is try.
With that said, I do look forward to 15 more days of complete raw-dom. If there's one thing that can't be said about raw foodism, it's that it's tasteless. There is an abundance of tastes, both impressively subtle and suprisingly bold, and my perception of taste has definitely been amplified by this diet. I better appreciate the subtle, natural flavors that our beloved planet puts out for us, hassle-free. And it's about time for some examples...
I have been keeping a log of everything I'm eating for my trial, and will frequently put up accounts of meals I've eaten or shopping or the joy of finding new fruits and the like.
From Day 7, here is a green smoothie that's fairly easy to make and (suprisingly, for the cynic in me) tasty!
The ingredients: Ice, water, 1 box of raspberries, 2 bananas and a handful of spinach leaves. That's right, spinach! You don't even taste it in the finished smoothie as the fruit is so overpowering, but you definitely get the health benefits, and it's so good...
Color is such an integral part of our food that we tend to forget about it. I once discussed this with Jessica, who asked me to imagine how much our enjoyment of our food would lessen if suddenly all the color disappeared. So true--I love looking at all the colors of my food, especially the beautiful crimson of these raspberries, and the fresh, crisp green of the spinach. My desire to eat is increased tenfold.
Could you imagine a raspberry that wasn't so delicously colorful? I don't want to.The smoothie ends up being delicious, though a little textured because of all the seeds. It's quite filling as well, and is a nice complement to a big breakfast, though it's fine on its own.
I'm feeling beet at the moment, so more delicious RAW sharing next time.
-Jessica
Monday, January 11, 2010
Traveling RAW
This past weekend was spent in the company of new friends. We found ourselves in a city far away, our stomachs empty and our energy spent. Time to eat, and we entered an Arabic restaurant. Eating RAW can be a challenge when traveling, since it's hard to predict the availability of raw meals, but with a little searching around it's all possible.
Here is what I was able to find and pick off of a menu that featured mostly cooked foods.
This is a Middle Eastern dish called tabbouleh, created with finely chopped parsely, tomatoes, onions and crushed wheat that has been soaked overnight, topped off with olive oil and lemon juice. The lemon was a nice compliment to the greens, and I personally would have added even more tomatoes and crushed wheat.
Tabbouleh is normally an accompaniment to a main dish, and not an entree by itself, so my friends of Arabic origin were confused at first. I asked one what she thought of my eating tabbouleh for dinner.
This was pretty much all she had to say.
Eating is very much a social activity for humans; sharing a good meal with even better friends is one of life's pleasures. When you have a less common lifestyle in terms of food, it has echoes in your social life, but these can be positive, harmonious echoes if you let them be. I was able to satiate my friends' curiousity about raw food that night, and still enjoy a tasty dinner in their company.
Peas out,
Jessica
Here is what I was able to find and pick off of a menu that featured mostly cooked foods.
This is a Middle Eastern dish called tabbouleh, created with finely chopped parsely, tomatoes, onions and crushed wheat that has been soaked overnight, topped off with olive oil and lemon juice. The lemon was a nice compliment to the greens, and I personally would have added even more tomatoes and crushed wheat.
Tabbouleh is normally an accompaniment to a main dish, and not an entree by itself, so my friends of Arabic origin were confused at first. I asked one what she thought of my eating tabbouleh for dinner.
This was pretty much all she had to say.
Eating is very much a social activity for humans; sharing a good meal with even better friends is one of life's pleasures. When you have a less common lifestyle in terms of food, it has echoes in your social life, but these can be positive, harmonious echoes if you let them be. I was able to satiate my friends' curiousity about raw food that night, and still enjoy a tasty dinner in their company.
Peas out,
Jessica
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Birth
Today is the offical day of the birth of the blog that we have intimately come to know as RAWvolution...
we are earth-lovers who want to eat the earth in its raw forms because we believe that food is most nutritious when it is not heated above a point where enzymes begin to die (aka 118 degrees), because enzymes are the life of the food, so why kill what keeps one alive, we can't answer that, but we eat food that is alive, for it is common sense (at least to us) that one needs that which is living to keep oneself alive...
In the synergistic spirit of things we've created this blog to share our trials, adventures, experiments and our lifestyles concerning the RAWvolution. There's experience, complete novelty, and all-around freshness to our combined approach. In making this public we hope to both raise awareness and invite you all to become rooted in the earth... Lettuce begin the RAWvolution!!!
-J and J
we are earth-lovers who want to eat the earth in its raw forms because we believe that food is most nutritious when it is not heated above a point where enzymes begin to die (aka 118 degrees), because enzymes are the life of the food, so why kill what keeps one alive, we can't answer that, but we eat food that is alive, for it is common sense (at least to us) that one needs that which is living to keep oneself alive...
In the synergistic spirit of things we've created this blog to share our trials, adventures, experiments and our lifestyles concerning the RAWvolution. There's experience, complete novelty, and all-around freshness to our combined approach. In making this public we hope to both raise awareness and invite you all to become rooted in the earth... Lettuce begin the RAWvolution!!!
-J and J
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