Time flies...huh?
Okay, so I finished my 30 days of Raw. I was not 100% compliant after I got sick on day 17. I did manage to eat breakfast, lunch, and all snacks as raw, but I did have some occasional non-raw items in my dinners.
Now I am evaluating what I liked about a raw diet. I really LOVED all of the ways to use nuts, and I enjoyed learning to use my dehydrator. My favorite treat to make is to process macadamia nuts, pecans, raw cacoa nibs, vanilla, and some agave nectar. I flatten that "dough" into little cookie sheets and dehydrate for about 10 hours. They are a great little sweet munchie.
I also learned to make my own fruit leather. My daughter thought the strawberry-mango fruit leather I made was just the greatest thing in the world.
I found that I still am not a great fan of greens, but I do like a simple kale salad (marinated with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and agave) and by far the easiest way to consume a bunch of greens is by doing green smoothies.
What I am continuing to do these days is-
We always start the day with a green smoothie. I am so happy that my daughter starts her day with a serving of spinach, fruits, and either chia, hemp, or flax seeds.
I make sure that we snack on several fruits and veggies thoroughout the day, and both lunch and dinner must include produce.
I find that the best way for me to keep away those evening after-dinner munchies is to make my favorite cherry-spinach-chocolate smoothie (spinach, water, frozen cherries, half of a banana, raw cacoa powder, and sometimes coconut).
I continue to fluctuate, as we all do, on how healthy my meals are each day. Some days I eat a ton of produce, and have no dairy, sugar, or wheat and I feel fantastic. Other days I do eat sugar, and have way too much wheat and non-raw cheese. But the key is to always try and get myself back in balance...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Raw Milk
Someone asked me about raw milk and raw cheese.
Raw milk refers to milk that is unpasteurized and unhomogenized. All of the milk that you see in the grocery store has been pasteurized, or heated, to a very intense temperature in order to kill any bacteria living in it. Homogenization refers to the process of shooting the milk at a very high pressure through a sieve with microscopic holes in order to break up the globules of milk and make it all uniform. The benefit of these two processes is that all bad bacteria is killed, the milk does not separate, and it has a longer shelf life. What most people are not aware of is the downside. Along with killing the bad bacteria, all of the good bacteria and enzymes are killed. The chemical nature of the milk is reorganized and the calcium (and other nutrients) are not absorbed properly by our body. We are told by the Dairy Council to drink milk in order to prevent osteoporosis. Ask yourself this: If our country has the highest consumption of cow's milk...why do we also have the highest rate of osteoporosis?
When you choose to drink raw milk, you are choosing milk that still has all of its enzymes intact. Many people who cannot tolerate dairy products are actually fine on raw milk because raw milk provides the necessary enzymes to help break it down in our digestive systems.
So if raw milk is so great, why do we pasteurize at all? Well, for thousands and thousands of years people have been drinking raw milk. It was not until the industrial age, when cows were brought off of the pastureland and were confined and crammed together in small pens that pasteurization became necessary. Sanitation practices were minimal and the milk began to poison multitudes of people. The invention of pasteurization was a saviour to the dairy association. They were able to heat this germ-laden milk and make it safe to drink. The practice continues today, and it allows dairy farms to pump the cows full of antibiotics, hormones, pesticide-laden grain (cows should eat grass, not grain!), and force them to live in small confined areas.
If you choose to purchase raw milk (which can only be purchased directly from the farmer in Texas--other states have varying rules), make sure that you get it from a reputable farm. The cows should be able to roam freely, be on an organic grass-fed diet, and have no antibiotic or hormone injections. I get my milk from Stryk Jersey Farm where they have the health department test their milk every other day.
Raw cheese is simply made from raw milk. You can purchase raw cheese in the grocery store.
So...Got Milk?
Raw milk refers to milk that is unpasteurized and unhomogenized. All of the milk that you see in the grocery store has been pasteurized, or heated, to a very intense temperature in order to kill any bacteria living in it. Homogenization refers to the process of shooting the milk at a very high pressure through a sieve with microscopic holes in order to break up the globules of milk and make it all uniform. The benefit of these two processes is that all bad bacteria is killed, the milk does not separate, and it has a longer shelf life. What most people are not aware of is the downside. Along with killing the bad bacteria, all of the good bacteria and enzymes are killed. The chemical nature of the milk is reorganized and the calcium (and other nutrients) are not absorbed properly by our body. We are told by the Dairy Council to drink milk in order to prevent osteoporosis. Ask yourself this: If our country has the highest consumption of cow's milk...why do we also have the highest rate of osteoporosis?
When you choose to drink raw milk, you are choosing milk that still has all of its enzymes intact. Many people who cannot tolerate dairy products are actually fine on raw milk because raw milk provides the necessary enzymes to help break it down in our digestive systems.
So if raw milk is so great, why do we pasteurize at all? Well, for thousands and thousands of years people have been drinking raw milk. It was not until the industrial age, when cows were brought off of the pastureland and were confined and crammed together in small pens that pasteurization became necessary. Sanitation practices were minimal and the milk began to poison multitudes of people. The invention of pasteurization was a saviour to the dairy association. They were able to heat this germ-laden milk and make it safe to drink. The practice continues today, and it allows dairy farms to pump the cows full of antibiotics, hormones, pesticide-laden grain (cows should eat grass, not grain!), and force them to live in small confined areas.
If you choose to purchase raw milk (which can only be purchased directly from the farmer in Texas--other states have varying rules), make sure that you get it from a reputable farm. The cows should be able to roam freely, be on an organic grass-fed diet, and have no antibiotic or hormone injections. I get my milk from Stryk Jersey Farm where they have the health department test their milk every other day.
Raw cheese is simply made from raw milk. You can purchase raw cheese in the grocery store.
So...Got Milk?
Wrong choice!
I've been sticking to the raw diet now for 17 days. I caught a cold about 3 days ago and have not yet regained all of my energy. To be honest, I was quite peeved that I caught a cold. I figured that eating 10-12 servings of fruits and veggies each day would boost my immune system something fierce.
Anyway, today I just have not been myself. I'm still dragging and being cooped up for several days while trying to beat this cold has affected my mindset. So tonight I decided that I would "treat" myself to some cooked food. At first I made some brown rice pasta with parmesan and tomatoes. I took about 3 bites of that--it just did not taste good at all. Then I decided that two pieces of toast would be good. I ate both pieces. Within 10 minutes of eating it my stomach bloated out. My stomach just reacted so fiercely to the wheat, it is amazing. I am just dumbfounded. I guess I will stick to the raw food (and no wheat, for sure!!) for the remaining 13 days of this "experiment." Then I will really have to decide if I want to add wheat back to my diet at all.
Anyway, today I just have not been myself. I'm still dragging and being cooped up for several days while trying to beat this cold has affected my mindset. So tonight I decided that I would "treat" myself to some cooked food. At first I made some brown rice pasta with parmesan and tomatoes. I took about 3 bites of that--it just did not taste good at all. Then I decided that two pieces of toast would be good. I ate both pieces. Within 10 minutes of eating it my stomach bloated out. My stomach just reacted so fiercely to the wheat, it is amazing. I am just dumbfounded. I guess I will stick to the raw food (and no wheat, for sure!!) for the remaining 13 days of this "experiment." Then I will really have to decide if I want to add wheat back to my diet at all.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Day 12
I'm not going to keep as detailed of a food diary from this point on, and instead I will write about any interesting recipes I try and how I am feeling as I continue on this "raw" path.
I bought a dehydrator over the weekend (thank you, Craigslist!!) and had so much fun making some raw chocolate chip cookies, flax crackers, and dehydrated bananas.
This morning for a mid-morning snack, I crumbled some of the cookies, some bananas, raspberries, and blackberries and I topped all of that with some macadamia nut cream. Heavenly!
I loved the flax crackers I made (flax seeds, red pepper, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, cayenne, lemon juice, and sea salt).
My energy level has really risen over the past few days. When I wake up in the morning (between 5:30-6:00 thanks to my baby!) I find that I am not groggy at all. I am also pleased that my skin is really starting to clear up.
My biggest food challenge occured this weekend. My husband, father, and daughter all had Dominoes Pizza on Saturday night. I was worried that I might take one look at it and scarf a piece down in rebellion. But realizing how great I feel and thinking about how I would feel after eating greasy pizza, I was able to sit with them and eat my kale/mango salad, flax crackers, and veggie pate. I didn't feel deprived. And I made myself a giant chocolate cashew smoothie afterward.
I really hope that at some point I can help other people find their way to health and energy because it sure feels good!
I bought a dehydrator over the weekend (thank you, Craigslist!!) and had so much fun making some raw chocolate chip cookies, flax crackers, and dehydrated bananas.
This morning for a mid-morning snack, I crumbled some of the cookies, some bananas, raspberries, and blackberries and I topped all of that with some macadamia nut cream. Heavenly!
I loved the flax crackers I made (flax seeds, red pepper, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, cayenne, lemon juice, and sea salt).
My energy level has really risen over the past few days. When I wake up in the morning (between 5:30-6:00 thanks to my baby!) I find that I am not groggy at all. I am also pleased that my skin is really starting to clear up.
My biggest food challenge occured this weekend. My husband, father, and daughter all had Dominoes Pizza on Saturday night. I was worried that I might take one look at it and scarf a piece down in rebellion. But realizing how great I feel and thinking about how I would feel after eating greasy pizza, I was able to sit with them and eat my kale/mango salad, flax crackers, and veggie pate. I didn't feel deprived. And I made myself a giant chocolate cashew smoothie afterward.
I really hope that at some point I can help other people find their way to health and energy because it sure feels good!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Day 9
Wow, I just realized that I've been eating raw (with only a few slip-ups) for 8 solid days. I have noticed a small improvement in my skin. My energy is not as high as I would like. I remember it being much higher on the green smoothie cleanse than it is now, which probably means I need to incorporate more greens than I am right now. My mood has been pretty even, I haven't been too irritable and definitely have not been depressed at all.
So here's what I'm eating on Day 9:
Green Smoothie (spinach, cherries, oranges, banana)
Herbal Tea
Raspberries, Blackberries, Banana, and Raw Granola topped with Macadamia nut cream
Raw cheese
Green Smoothie
Lara bar
Huge salad with romaine, tomatoes, peppers, sunflower seeds, cucumbers
Cherry Chocolate Smoothie (spinach, cherries, cacoa, agave)
So here's what I'm eating on Day 9:
Green Smoothie (spinach, cherries, oranges, banana)
Herbal Tea
Raspberries, Blackberries, Banana, and Raw Granola topped with Macadamia nut cream
Raw cheese
Green Smoothie
Lara bar
Huge salad with romaine, tomatoes, peppers, sunflower seeds, cucumbers
Cherry Chocolate Smoothie (spinach, cherries, cacoa, agave)
Green Cleanse
In October I did a week-long Green Smoothie Cleanse. I really loved how I felt as a result of it. The coach who puts the program together is about to start her next Green Smoothie Cleanse (she does them every few months). I highly recommend the program. If you are interested, go to:
http://www.GreenSmoothieCleanse.com?user_id=901198
and sign up. She is offering several bonuses for signing up, including a free one-month membership in a coaching club, which is a very affordable alternative to private coaching.
http://www.GreenSmoothieCleanse.com?user_id=901198
and sign up. She is offering several bonuses for signing up, including a free one-month membership in a coaching club, which is a very affordable alternative to private coaching.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Day 8
Day 8
Raw granola with raw milk
Herbal tea
Huge fruit salad (bananas, raspberries, apples, oranges) topped with a macadamia nut cream (macadamia nuts, fresh squeezed orange juice, dates, vanilla)--YUM
Lara Bar
Veggie pate with flax crackers
"Green Water" (greens, water, lime)
2 oranges
Slice of raw cheese
Kale salad with mangoes and chia seeds
Chai nut milk
I love making this kale salad. Several years ago, if you would have told me that I would enjoy eating kale, I would not have believed you. If you've tried kale without anything on it, you know it is horribly bitter. The key is to rub salt and lemon juice on it. The recipe I use for this salad has salt, lemon juice, olive oil, agave nectar, cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.
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