sugar – Urban Raw Food

Raw Coconut Cake: Not Grandma’s but still good

Ajima — Tue, 17 May 2011 20:24:10 +0000

There is a special place in my heart for my grandma’s homemade Coconut Cake. No box cake in her house. Make with love and butter, just like they did in Mississippi. Here is a great raw coconut cake recipe from RAW SOUL that I’m going to try this weekend. I know it won’t be the same, but it will be healthier for me.

Coconut Cake (9”, 12-16 servings)

9 cups oat flour (ground oat groats or rolled oats)
2 cups nuts pecans or walnuts (chopped fine)
3 cups shredded coconut
1½ cups agave nectar
1 level tablespoon ground cloves
Water as needed (about 2 cups)
1/2 pineapple pulsed (in food processor)

In large bowl, combine oat flour, nuts coconut, pineapple, cloves and agave nectar. Mix well. Add water while kneading the mixture. The batter should be moist but not runny. If too much water is added let stand for 15-20 minutes. Form dough into two large balls. Press each dough ball into a spring form pan.

Icing

6 cups shredded coconut (set aside two cups)
1 cup coconut meat (from young Thai coconut)
4 cups water
1 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 vanilla bean or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons psyllium powder

Blend 4 cups shredded coconut, and remaining ingredients in high speed blender until creamy. If too watery add a little more shredded coconut.

Remove 1 cake from spring form pan and place on a plate (this is your bottom layer). Spread Icing on bottom layer of cake. Remove other cake from spring form pan and place on top of bottom layer. Ice the top layer of cake, spreading icing along the sides of cake. Top with shredded coconut.

Day 16 – Back on Track

Ajima — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:55:20 +0000

After about 3-4 days where my commitment was lacking, I was back on track yesterday. I did have a few pieces of Tootsie roll easter candy. Can’t lie about that. However, my mind set was better. I woke up at 201.5 yesterday. Damn. Didn’t get me down though. I know that I ate things that don’t contribute to weight loss for the past few days. It’s called consequences.

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.

My head hurts

Ajima — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:42:34 +0000

All my recovering sugar addicts out there know what I’m going through. My head hurts. Not with a typical, throb. I wouldn’t call it a headache. It feels more like pressure. It happened the last time I was 90% raw for a few days and it will pass. Sugar is not my master. Sugar is not to blame. If I want to change, I have the power to change and I’m claiming that power now.

Since Monday I’ve been 90-100% raw each day and exercised 30 min each day. I’m down 2 pounds over this period. I feel like this is the place, the moment, the feeling, the place in time where my paradigm shifts. I’m changing.

I made nut meat delight last night with soaked walnuts, red onion, and celery all blended in a blender. Then I seasoned it with cilantro, cummin, Lowery’s, and pepper. I put the blend in romaine leaves and ate it lettuce wrap style. YUMMY!

I’ve been going through cravings. I haven’t had much of an appetite in the evenings. All I want after work is some juice or soda and microwaved butter popcorn. Sigh. I’m eating really well during the day so I’m sure that’s part of the issue. I think it’s more so rebellion. You know how little kids act when you tell them they can’t have something. They pout. They resist. I think that somewhere in my subconscious, there is a lil girl pouting because I’m not giving her any sugar. Well, just like a good parent, I’m training my body in the way that it should go. I’m giving myself discipline and direction. It’s an awesome gift to give, too.

I’ll have to make a green smoothie when I get home. Time to take time and visualize this healthy and happy body that will be birthed out of the changes I’m making in the NOW.

Sugar Free

Ajima — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:27:47 +0000

I’m back to posting again.

Back to being sugar free. No processed sugar. Eating only raw. Fell off the wagon…again…at the start of March.

I really had to realize that a lot of my life choices have been very juvenile. Like my inner child was running me. So…I’ve put it in time out. Health is something that you should take very seriously in your adult life. I don’t want to wait till 50 or 60 to try to catch up in terms of my health. I’m making decisions now to keep cancer, diabetes, ect at bay.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsTPxnuLc5E]

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 9: Recovering from sugar

Ajima — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:06 +0000

Day 9/Monday

I think I was recovering from the sugar in the drinks I had Sunday night yesterday. The inflammation in my hip acted up a bit more. I’ve been just walking in the city for exercise and yesterday I part of walk was uphill. I took an Ibuprofen and all was well.

Weight: 180.5

What I ate:

Green smoothie with Kale (no blueberries)
3/4 cup walnuts
banana chips
Large salad (red onions, romaine, walnuts, sunflower seeds)

I really don’t think I ate enough yesterday. I was off of work and didn’t feel well. Just wasn’t hungry. I also don’t think I drank enough water. I’ll do much better today.

Exercise and Dried Mango

Ajima — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:00:31 +0000

2 Notes on my process going to the 100% raw foods world.

1) I ate dried mango from Whole Foods (low sugar, low/no sulfur) on Mon, Tues, and Wed. Forgot to add that in cause it was at night. I know, I know…it’s not raw. However, I bought it to take away my late night sweet cravings. If you’re in need of a remedy for the same…try some dried fruit. You can usually find banana chips with little to no extra sugar on them. That’s what I’m going to buy tonight since I’m out of dried mango.

2) I only exercised Sunday (my first day on) and Monday. I started feeling like the inflammation in my hip that I experienced in June was coming back, and it scared me so outside of some light toning with my 5 pound weights on Tuesday and Thursday I’ve not exercised. I think that’s important to note seeing my rapid weight loss so far.

Dr. Afrika said in his DVD that I own that if you can gain weight sitting on your ass you can very well lose it sitting on your ass too. LOL He just might be right, huh.

Day 4: Feeling good, feeling dry

Ajima — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:06:20 +0000

I need some lotion. I am so dry. My hands and my legs have shown signs of dryness. That would be ASH. You know what I’m talking about sistas and brothers. Amen. I love Nubian Heritage products and I’m about to slather on some of their chocolate smelling cocoa butter lotion after this post. LOL

Yesterday I had a package of fresh raspberries for dinner. Wasn’t that hungry. I was on the phone all night talking to my best friend about a situation with some other of our friends that pissed me off. There was a birthday party and some how we weren’t invited. So high school, right. I know. So, I bitched about it and I’m over it. However, I was proud that I didn’t run out for any nasty goodies out of frustration and hurt. Very proud of myself. Talking it out works much better than eating the pain away. Who knew?

Weight: 184

What I’ve eaten so far:
Green Smoothie: Spinach, frozen mango, 1 banana, frozen blueberries
1/2 cup of walnuts
Large salad with sunflower seeds, olives, mushrooms, carrots and olive oil

I had some stronger hunger pains today right before lunch. They were strongest so far and not terrible, but strong. I’ve noticed my skin is clearing up and looks more healthy. I have an insulin imbalance that causes a dark coating on certian areas of my skin like my neck. That is looking better today as well, although as I was cleansing and decreasing my sugar intake during the month of September, that had been getting lighter and lighter. I feel good. OH and…2 movements of the bowels so far today (I know…TMI…but it’s part of the cleansing process).

Not thinking about and worrying about what I’m going to eat or not eat makes me feel so FREE. That is one of the best things about this life change. I suggest that you not tell an whole lot of people about going raw when you start, because if people were asking and questioning me right now…it would make me think about food and what I was “missing”. I’m sure as my body changes I will get plenty of extra attention directed at how I’m transforming and looking so beautiful. LOL Right now I’m focused and happy.

I fell pray to birthday cake

Ajima — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:42:29 +0000

Yes, I admit it. I just ate the icing off a piece of birthday cake. I wanted it. I know better. I just had that long rant yesterday. But I ate it. AND…there is a Dessert reception at 3:00 (It’s 2:37 now). I have to keep myself in my seat, LOL. Oh, it must be the fact that I’m on my cycle. Yes, that must be. I can’t believe I just at that. Maybe it’s just the social setting thing. When I tried to go raw last time I had a horrible time eating cooked food when I was out with friends. It may have just been a dessert or some fries but I always had something.

Oh well. No need to beat myself up. I feel a heavy feeling in my tummy. I don’t feel the usual sugar high.

So far today I’ve had a banana and and apple for breakfast, and my usual salad for lunch. I’m going to make a faux salmon pate recipe I got from Allyssa Cohen’s book tonight.

Sugar Free on a Tuesday

Ajima — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:07:08 +0000

I got all that shrimp and “friedness” out of me this morning and during the day. I felt good for most of the day. Started the morning with bananas and apple sauce. Midmorning I got really, really hungry…so I had a bag of baby carrots. The hunger was very intense, so I was surprised. It was like my body was yelling at me. Had my usual big salad for lunch (see previous post for what it’s made up of ) and it was great. I also had some of the free Stride gum they were passing out at Union Station this morning. That was helpful.

My cravings are still manageable. The main thing is that I just consider if I’m hungry or not. Just asking myself that question makes it clear that I’m just craving or just emotionally wanting food and it’s not an actual nutritional issue. At this point I’m realizing just how much eating I’ve been doing without being hungry at all. I’m sure I’m cutting so many calories. I haven’t had any candy in days. I used to eat at least 4-7 pieces of chocolate candy a day at work. I’m sure that was about 200-400 or more extra calories a day.

I decided after the last couple of days that one of the things that motivates me to eat is boredom and that I can’t just come home and sit every evening. I don’t want to go to the gym every day either so I’m going to find things to do at least 2 times a week. To day I walked around at the mall for about an hour. It was fun. I looked at fashions that I would love to buy in the sizes I will be wearing in a couple of months. I didn’t buy any food while I was there. I came straight home. YAY

The only non raw moment today was the drinking of Diet Coke (1 bottle) that’s cool. I had it after a dinner of raw nut meat rolled up in a collard leaf. Yummy.