cooked food – Urban Raw Food

Day 6 – More Weight Loss and a Little Cooked Food

Ajima — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:55:37 +0000

I think I must have been detoxing yesterday because I slept until 11 am and when I got up I wasn’t hungry. Had some fresh squeezed OJ about an hour later and then did a lot of water the rest of the day.

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.

Days 13-17: “It was all a dream…”

Ajima — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:24:13 +0000

Sweets and comfort food were always a treat for me. Not being able to have them was a punishment. That’s how I felt on Day 13 (last Friday). I felt like I was in punishment and all I wanted to soothe my pain was some ice cream. I almost didn’t get any. I went out on a midnight run (literally) like a crackhead. Away, away…in search of cold sugary goodness. I almost had to go home empty handed. But there…near the metro…like a lighthouse in the night…A 24 hour CVS selling Edy’s. Sad

I ate about 1/3 of the container.

That lead to some Chinese food (crab rangoon and steamed shrimp) on Saturday and burger/fries on Sunday. I got a hold of myself by Monday (just ate some jelly beans and a diet coke…raw the rest of the day). Sigh. I didn’t feel the goodness and freedom I been feeling eating raw food. My mind was all over the place. All I could think of was food and how I could get some more cooked food. I was trying to reason and bargain with myself. Umm…I felt crazy. Why am I talking to myself trying to get myself to see that I’m just doing the very thing that makes me unhappy and gets me further from my goals. This is really addiction and people need to start treating it like that.

After getting myself back on track yesterday I feel much better. I was 180.5 pounds this morning so I didn’t wreck too much havoc. But I did see some of my insulin rash come back and I had inflammation most of the 4 days. I started my morning with a green smoothie and 3 pieces of the raw walnut, raw almond, and agave nectar nut “candy” that I used to make the last time I went raw. This stuff really helped with my sugar cravings and gave me a lot of fiber. I don’t know why I didn’t make it sooner. Duh!!

I took a walk yesterday to try to “walk it off”…walk the cravings away. I realize boredom had a lot to do with my eating. When I got outside in the wonderful weather I felt fantastic. I thought back to walking to the corner store as a teen for relief from my person issues in the form of sugar. I realized later that day that instead of a treat, sugar was now a punishment. That’s how it feels after I eat it. Like it’s wrong…like I’ve betrayed my true intention to be healthy and beautiful. Freedom is not feeling that way. Not eating junk food as well as developing a healthy attitude toward food and eating.

Eating junk doesn’t take the pain away. Not eating junk is not a punishment. Eating healthy is true freedom…mind, body, and soul. I want freedom from cooked food, and junk food addiction. That’s my goal.

Day 8: The challenge of eating out at restaurants

Ajima — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:25:10 +0000

Yesterday…Sunday

Weight: 179.5

I ate:

Green smoothie: banana, spinach, and frozen mango
raw walnuts (about a cup)
bowl of grapes
Large salad with spinach, walnuts, boiled egg, fried crispy onion
4 deviled eggs (I know, I know)

Day 8 was the day of the restaurant challenge. I took a friend of mine to a really great new restaurant in DC, Founding Farmers. For all of you who are serious about living green and going green…this is the spot for you.

Founding Farmers is here to bring you the bounty of true Farm-to-Table choices in an environment dedicated to sustainability…we believe that everyone benefits by knowing more about the source of the food they eat. We understand the journey from seed to harvest, and from Farm-to-Table, and are dedicated to making that connection each and every time. Owned by a collective of American family farmers, Founding Farmers exists to promote the products and services of family farms, ranches, and fisheries. We also want to educate the public about the long-standing connection between farmers – the first to lead the “green” movement – and their historic stewardship of natural resources.

Founding Farmers has been designed to meet LEED Gold Standard design criteria, a first for a restaurant in the District of Columbia. LEED is a term used to describe architecture and interior design that has been constructed and created with very little impact on the environment. Most “green” buildings are usually LEED certified buildings, as designated by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

The Meal was awesome. I suggest the mint limeade…it wasn’t full of sugar and koolaid-ish…and the Late Harvest Salad. The staff was awesome! The place just opened in late September, so it was like finding a lil gem, something new to experience with my friends.

I did not eat 100% raw as you can see above, and I’m fine about that. Unlike my other food quests, I don’t want to play the good food/bad food games with my mind. I ate healthy. I’ve pretty much decided that I’m not going to be %100 in case of special occasions and this was a birthday dinner. However, because I’ve been a sugar addict, I don’t think I’ll ever be real into sweets (cake and ice cream) again. But I know that there will be times when everything on my salad may not be raw AND…I’m sure I may eat seafood from time to time on special occasions. I want to be 100%, sure…but I also want to be sane. I say this with the full knowledge that life is about choices. My advice to anyone starting out as a raw foodist or raw vegan is to do the same, especially if you’ve never been a vegan or vegetarian before you start. Eating with friends can be one of the most challenging things in the beginning. Also, you may not know what choices are on every menu when going out with friends, and you shouldn’t be panicked just because the almonds or walnuts aren’t raw.