I love dates. I love the taste of them. I love the sweetness they provide me when I’m going raw, because if you were/are a big consumer of sugary products (and most of us were as kids, and perhaps as adults… candies, most morning cereals, specialty drinks from starbucks, “fruit” juices, breads, milk… well, pretty much everything has sugar in it… I could go on for a while), you’ll find yourself craving something sweet every once and a while. And dates, much like apples, pears, watermelon, bananas or any other sweet fruit (even carrots sometimes taste sweet after you’ve gone raw for a good amount of time) can fulfill your desire for something sweet.

Now, here’s the kicker.

I’m allergic to dates… and all other dried fruits…

Well, I WAS, until I went raw for the first time.

Now, I’m not asking you to try this… nor am I promoting this in any way, but I got over my food allergy to dried fruit by going raw the first time around, and now, I can eat dried fruit without a problem. In the past, my allergic reaction to dried fruit was really bad… potentially fatal. My throat would close up, my chest would get tight, I would get nauseous and pretty much just throw up anything in my stomach. When I did a raw food fast the first time around, I wanted to move beyond simply snacking on raw foods and eating salads. I wanted to prepare foods and make meals like raw burgers and breads, breakfast bars, pretty much raw versions of anything I made with cooked recipes. But, I found a lot of the recipes I researched used dates or other dried fruit. The first recipe I tried with dates was a raw ketchup recipe (it was a decent recipe, but I didn’t really care… I really missed processed ketchup… notice I didn’t say REAL ketchup… you know, the red stuff made with sugar, salt and high fructose corn syrup). I was about 2 weeks into my raw food diet when I really felt the need to try some different recipes. I blended up the other ingredients and added the dates, just like the recipe suggested, gave it a taste and waited for my allergic reaction to kick in.

Nothing. Not a sniffle. Not a twitch. Not a dry heave. Nothing. And it didn’t taste that bad either.

So, I picked up a date and gave it a sniff. My allergies in the past were sensitive enough to be triggered even by the smell of dried fruit. No reaction at all. I decided to really tempt fate and nibble off a bit of a date. And to my surprise, I tasted the sweetness of a date for the first time in my life without having an adverse reaction. After finishing off the date, I tried my luck at eating a raisin and later a dried cranberry. I didn’t like the taste of either of them but I didn’t throw up or have any difficulty breathing. I had to ask myself, “what happened? How is it possible that I was suddenly no longer allergic to dried fruit?” That’s when I realize what eating a raw food diet was doing for me. I think my body was no longer busy fighting the chemicals from processed and cooked foods I was putting in my body and it was able to focus on other things like fighting food allergies. Like I said, I’m not telling you to try this, but I’m just letting you know this actually happened to me.

Some raw food enthusiast believe when you’re eating cooked and processed food, it isn’t really food in the truest sense of the word because it’s devoid of nutrients that your body needs, and you are, in a sense, poisoning your body. The human body really only has the capacity to break down actual food, and everything else is simple waste that either gets deposited by your body or retained by your body in the form of fats and other items which are bad for internal and intestinal health… and since you’re potentially poisoning yourself, your body isn’t receiving enough raw nutrients to be able to fight off basic things like allergies or basic sickness (since I was eating fairly healthy before I went raw, I never related my dietary habits to my resistance to disease, but I hadn’t been sick for close to 3 years… I went through flu season last year without a sniffle at all or any medication) And, from what some raw food nutritionists believe, if you eat poorly long enough, your body will stop managing your sugar levels effectively and potentially leave you more susceptible to other diseases like diabetes and cancer (some have reported a raw food diet even helps with autism). This is actually the basis for chronic illness treatment at places like the Gerson Institute.

So, what am I saying? Personally, I do not know if a raw food diet can cure cancer or any other chronic disease. Diabetes, sure, a raw food diet can definitely help, or if you have any other intestinal health issues, consuming food with a high nutritional value can really help. All I know is what was working for me. And that I’m no longer allergic to foods that used to affect me. And my body can endure some pretty highly contagious environments (kids both had strep throat last year during my raw food diet and I didn’t get sick at all…). But, if you’re feeling tired all the time or you’re feeling generally unhealthy or stressed, think about what you’re putting into your body and ask yourself if it really is good for you. And if you know it isn’t, you should figure out a way to stop eating it, because there are most likely long term effects on your body you may have never even considered.

By the way, did I mention I love dates?

P.S. Still raw. Down another 1/2 pound. 160 down to 158 so far.

I’d say I’m 90% raw.  My baby encouraged me to recommit after a long trip off the wagon.  He’s doing the first 14 days with me.  More to come.

Muah!

Mainly…

• The circumference of my midsection is smaller.  I can tell because I’m wearing a form-fitting top today and I can really see a difference.
• Let’s just say…more frequent pooping.  LOL
• More energy – I was not tired at midnight last night.  Very strange for a weekday

Haven’t had much of an issue with gas.  In the past adding psyllium husk to my smoothies every few days kept that at bay, so that’s what I’m doing now.  I’m averaging 40-50 oz of water during the day to try to keep any toxic episode at bay.

Transformation takes time and effort.  My body didn’t get all clogged with toxins and fat overnight.  I’m excited about greater health and wellness and I welcome it into my life as I continue my raw foods journey.

I’m so tired of myself.  That is the best way I can put it.  As I look back over the past 6 months, I must say that I was depressed after getting back up over 200 pound (203 in April) and I was just eating whatever I felt like.  I guess I gave up.   Just 2 years ago at this time I was really dedicated to my health and wellness.  Now, I can’t even get into most of my size 12 clothes.  Back to the dreaded 14.  Booo!  LOL

I was nearing the end of my P90X experience in late April.  I really like p90x, but the benefit for me was strength and muscle gain…not weight loss.  So, I was helped and discouraged at the same time, because the numbers on the scale barely changed in 90 days.  Sure, diet had something to do with the lack of loss too.  For the 2 weeks that I was raw on p90x, I lost 6 pounds.  But that was just the 2 weeks.  LOL.  I need counseling, right?

Now I’m back to what truly, truly works for me.  RAW FOOD!  It’s a struggle.  I had a run in with some teriyaki chicken that I’m not too proud about as I was working to transition back last week.  Hey, but I still lost weight and my mind is clear.  The biggest change: No candy!  No donuts, brownies, etc.  Kicking the sugar habit!!  This week I’ll be 80% raw.  Taking each day as it comes and not beating myself up.

Oh,  I’m also taking a multivitamin and 100mg of 5-HTp each morning with 16 oz of water.  Gotta start the morning off with water y’all.  A whole apple and a huge class of carrot juice follow most mornings.

We shall see…

I Ate

• Fresh Grapefruit Juice and raw peanuts
• Bag of baby carrots
• Large Lunch Salad full of raw veggies, kalamata olives, and fruit.  Had non raw walnuts on it.
• Large Smoothie with 2 Bananas and a cup and 1/2 of strawberries with raw wheat germ

Weight:  200 on Thurs morning

Results:  I’m a good 10 pounds bigger than the last time I could really wear my size 12 jeans…but they fit better now than a year ago.  Wow.  Almost no muffin topping near the waist band.  P90X has really worked.  It’s hard for me to see it because I’m always looking at the scale.  All of my clothes are fitting much better and I can actually do push ups.

Feeling great today.  Starting off my morning the same way.

What I Ate:

• Grapefruit Juice
• Golden Delicious apple
• Baby Carrots
• Large salad from Chop’t
• Sunflower Seeds
• 2 Pickles
• Faux lasagna

One thing I haven’t slacked on has been doing my P90X workouts. I cut my foot in a dressing room yesterday (Long story.  Never get hurt in Macy’s.  Believe me.) and still did Kempo X.  Dedication paid off this morning when I saw the scale was down .5 pounds and the dress I’m wearing looks good.  I guess if you can’t lose pounds, at least lose inches, right?

My goal for today is no office candy or other sweets.  So far so good.  Sugar is a major part of my food addiction.  Raw food is my medication.

Today’s weight 198.5.  Thank goodness.

What I ate

• Grapefruit Juice
• Raw Peanuts
• Sandwich bag full of carrots
• Large salad

Tomorrow is another day.

Day 7 was really busy.  As of the morning I was 197 pounds.  I had a lot to do on Sunday and I had by baby with me (my Peekapoo, Daisy).  Went to Eastern Market in DC to check out the fresh produce and had Fresh Lemonade and some fruit to start the day.  Later I realized that I actually should have bought some fruit to take with me so I ended up eating some dried fruit strips in the afternoon.  Got home and had a nice green smoothie with 2 bananas, mango, and spinach.  Ended the night with raw nuts (peanuts, sunflower seeds, and cashews) with a little sea salt sprinkled on them.  My water intake could have been better but I tried to make up for it before bed.  Did P90X with my baby and went to bed very tired.

I wasn’t really that hungry.  I think I was stressed out by my taxes (That I didn’t start on until Sat).  Ugh…Maryland taxes are HIGH!  Couple that with Aunt Flo at the door with my monthly and you get a recipe for diet hell.  Normally I would have grabbed for chocolate or ice cream, but the cravings weren’t there and I thank goodness!  That is real change for me.  I’m no longer coping with life’s challenges with food.  I’m facing life and living it.

I see wellness manifesting in my life.

I snacked for lunch (2 nut/date balls and a pickle.  I know, weird right).

I ended up eating a couple of bites of my boyfriend’s shrimp/pesto/quinoa/wild rice/sugar peas dish.  It’s a dish I always made for him and it’s one of my favorites.  In keeping with the challenge, I didn’t beat myself up, but I did want to be honest and tell the world.

At the start of day six I was 198 and as of day 7 I’m 197.  Just proves that just by doing 70-80% raw you can still see changes.  Whoo Hoo.

Yesterday as also my rest day on P90X.  Back to exercise today.

What I ate:

• 1 Banana
• Grapefruit juice
• 4 nut/date balls
• Large spinach salad with apples, oranges, walnuts, kalamata olives, and red onion
• 2 apples for dinner

For the past few days I haven’t been hungry much in the evenings.  That’s actually a great thing for me because in the past nighttime cravings have been my downfall.  I continue to work out every night with my boyfriend doing P90X so that’s been great too.