# Starting April 17: 30 Day RAW FOOD Challenge (Vegan & Non-Vegan!)



## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

Hey Mamas!

Starting this Tuesday, April 17, my DH and I are embarking on a 30-Day raw food challenge. We've both been slipping down that dark S.A.D. path and need a boost in our habits & energy levels.

I'm hoping some of you want to join us!

Here's some info I've compiled about our challenge:

*Why go raw for 30 days?*
Lose weight, feel more energy, detox, habituate to fresh, healthy foods as the bulk of your diet.

*How to transition?*
Prevailing wisdom says to first ADD raw foods to your diet before taking the cooked away. We've been adding a smoothie every morning and big salads with lunch and dinner. Other people prefer to go 100% raw "cold turkey".

*How will I feel?*
Some people are immediately energized, others feel lethargic, sleeping, or even get flu-like symptoms as their body rids itself of toxins. Everybody's reaction is unique.

*What happens after the challenge?*
Anything you want! We haven't decided, personally. Either we'll continue eating 100% if it feels sustainable, or try to transition to an 80/20 raw/cooked ratio.

*Is this for vegans only?*
We are not vegans and will be eating raw milk, eggs, and possibly fish. Others may want to try the more popular vegan raw diet during their challenge. All interpretations of "raw" are welcome.

*What's my commitment?*
Check in on this thread at least once a week!

*Why start on Tuesday, April 17th?*
It corresponds with the new phase of the Aries moon. We are not astrological followers, but I want to start raw when MDC starts it's Treasure Map activities.

Inspiration:
Raw Food Family
Raw for 30 Days
From SAD to RAW








Please post here if you can join us!


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## babygrant (Mar 10, 2005)

Think it would be pretty hard to go from the SAD (lots of processed foods, meats, crappy foods) to raw in one big swipe? I can't do things gradual....has to be drastic for me.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

babygrant- I do think you should start much slower. Its likely you would have a big detox reaction to it if you try to jump right in.

I'm conflicted because I do eat animal products though I dont eat dairy. I eat eggs but cant get myself to do it raw. I'm not eating raw chicken, but I can do fish. I havent to think about it!


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## Nikki98 (Sep 9, 2006)

I am going to try this, but gradually is that ok? I am going to incorporate _more_ raw veggies in my diet. I eat meat as well, but I am not at the point of eating it raw. Anyway just a question, for the raw experience how often do you find yourself shopping for produce (weekly)?


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## artisticat (Jul 28, 2004)

I so want to try. But don't know how 100% I will make it. I live with 2 junk food junkies and it is really hard for me to ignore all that in the throes of cravings. I need a much stronger will power.

The other problem I have is financial. I am wondering how much I am going to be spending with all the fruits and veggies. Although I guess I could go to the store more often maybe. What are your thoughts on the financial aspects? I usually eat an NT type diet, but lately had a big backslide into SAD eating. Why can't one get over these crazy cravings for food I really don't prefer now but grew up on and so have such huge emotional issues.

The other aspect is what the heck are you going to eat. Eating raw is pretty new to me. I am a pretty big salad and raw veggie eater. But after a day or two that gets boring. What is everyone going to be eating? Do you lots of books on this diet? Have ate a raw diet before?

This last week I have been adding more and more raw. Mostly in the form of fresh tomato and asparagus salsa (haven't lost the chips though) and green smoothies and salads.


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## cjarvis (Nov 6, 2006)

I won't be participating in this challenge, but I am going to challenge myself to eat at least 50% raw.

I wanted to share another site for some great recipes.

www.goneraw.com

Try the walnut taco meat recipe


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

I am excited about joining this challenge. I am a L/O vegetarian transitioning to vegan. This challenge may help me. I’m not sure I can make it 100% - but I’ll try.


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

I'm so thrilled to see so many mamas interested! And, hey, I'm totally happy with each of you defining the challenge for yourself. It could be a couple things:

1. a raw food percentage - i.e. "I'm going to eat at least 50% raw foods this month"
2. a raw food ramp-up - "I'm going to ramp up for 2 weeks, and then eat raw for 2 more.

RE: cost. I'm really not sure, honestly. I'm on a pretty tight budget so we're a little worried about that. But then again our big weakness is eating out so I'm hopeful to save money overall. Our grocery bill will probably go up, but our burritto/hamburger/frenchfry bill will be nonexistant. I hope it all washes out.

If you have a nearby Farmer's Market that could be a good source of affordable produce, although a lot of fruit is not yet in season. You can also buy frozen pretty cheap - I know my Costco has giant bags of frozen organic strawberries, for instance. Trader Joe's is great if you have one - they have raw nuts, nut butters, and unpasteurized OJ.

We also come from a background of trying to eat NT-style. It honestly has never worked for me - I am still tired, overweight, and like you I still have this crazy cravings all the time - mostly for sweets. And I keep slipping back to S.A.D. all the time. Since incorporating more fresh food into my diet my sweet tooth has diminished significantly, for the first time ever actually. It really dissapeared when I started putting a cup of spinach in my morning smoothie.

We don't have ANY cookbooks, but I just went tonight and ordered one on Amazon for $17. It looks gorgeous, and I love recipe books with tons of preeeety pictures: The Raw Gourmet

I can post our reviews of the recipes as we try them.

Another great place to WATCH recipies is YouTube. There is a raw chef named Ani Phyo who's stuff looks awesome. Our 1st dinner will be her avocado soup. Also if you just search "raw food" on YouTube you get a lot of interesting recipes.

There seems to be enough online that we won't really need a cookbook!

I'm so excited to begin! It's going to be a little bit nuts, but I'm excited to see some results.







:


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

I'm starting on a few raw recipes for this coming week. I have a Excalibur dehydrator so its pretty helpful for things like breads and other things I cant eat in traditional form anyway because of food allergies. I am also learning to sprout grains and its making all the difference in the world in terms of digestion and assimilation.


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

Count me in! I've been at about 70-80% raw on good days these last few months, though I do fall off the bandwagon about 10-20% of days







:

Ok, my goal is 90-95% raw:

I know offhand I'll continue to include some homemade bonestock, in otherwise raw soups.

I'll probably include some cooked meats, but I'm going to try to work up the guts to trust more raw meats







and rely a bit more on raw eggs/dairy instead of the meats.

I'll include some teas, though I know I should cut down on the black tea in favor of green or herbals (I'm currently drinking two cups of strong black tea a day.)

I'm going to pick up a few packs of wild salmon from TJs today or tomorrow and make gravlax. I'd like to try beef carpaccio, but I don't think I can swing the cost of grass-fed filet mignon... wonder how well it would work with other cuts of meat? One thing that's been holding me back on that count is, can I shave the meat frozen? Otherwise, I'll have to thaw a large portion of meat, more than I would want to eat for one or two meals (at least at the price of pastured filet, I would want to portion that out a little more frugally!)


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## Mirzam (Sep 9, 2002)

I'm in. DH and I are actually starting tomorrow on the Primal diet, reducing diet, so for a while we will only being eating raw veggie juices, raw meat (DH just spend over $50 on grass-fed fillet mignon to get us started), raw fish, and raw butter and one glass of raw milk every night. DH may well have the odd raw egg Rocky style also. When we have lost a few pounds we will be going on the full Primal Diet which is still all raw but more fruit, dairy and eggs.

I need to get off the computer and start juicing!


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

I just realized... Mother's Day also falls inside this time frame. I will probably not be doing the raw thang for brunch that day, since I usually do a big brunch at my home.

Just laying out my parameters here









I picked up a small piece of salmon to make gravlax. I was also eyeing up some sashimi grade tuna, but didn't buy that yet. I'm pretty excited to get that next week, though. Woo-hoo!


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

Awesome! Dh & I went to the used bookstore last night and were able to get 2 raw recipe books really cheaply. One is even non-vegan!

How do you make gravalax?

Today I'm in charge of coming up with 7 recipies and going shopping for ingredients. We're only going to "cook" for dinner - bfast and lunch will be fend-for-yourself salads, smoothies, and snacks. So far on my list of snacks:

smoothies
apples & almond butter or raw cheese
veggies with cashew 'cheese' (soak cashews and then mix with EVOO & spices)
piece of fruit
handful of raw nuts
1/2 avocado

Any other ideas?


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

gravlax is salmon preserved with salt, and frequently dill. Basic technique, you sprinkle salt heavily on raw salmon, put a weight on it, and stick it in the fridge for a day or two. If you google it, you'll find recipes for seasonings - dill, sometimes a little sugar, etc.


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## maryeb (Aug 8, 2005)

Hi Darwinphish,
I'm responding here about your question on the vegan forum about daily eating...

Fruit smoothies with almond butter, flax oil, and raw chocolate for breakfast
Any fruit later if I get hungry, maybe some cashews
Dehydrated bread sandwiches like no-bean hummus and veggie or pesto
Raw veggies alone or with a dip
Big salad with veggies and either pine nuts or sunflower seeds
Desserts like raw chocolate and coconut fudge brownies, raw cake, raw ice cream....desserts are my favorite!!!

I also juice a lot...beets/cucumber/kale/parsley/lemon is a yummy combo imo.

I definitely eat more on some days, less on others. It might take a few days to adjust to eating less. I definitely woke up hungry in the beginning, but don't anymore. Good luck and hth.







Mary


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## Jeanne D'Arc (Apr 7, 2007)

Im starting to do this as well, i dont have much experience with
raw meats aside from sushi and egg yolks.

What i DO love about this, is that it includes EVERYONE!
I see so much bickering between traditional foodists and
the vegan/vegetarian group.

It really shouldnt be









I am a traditional foodist but i also believe one
can get plenty of nutrients without having to
eat steak.I really love threads like this that include everyone








its nice to see.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

So far I've been using my raw cookbooks to be a bit more creative with salads (I tend to fall into the same old same old salad rut) and its been great. I made some raw hummus, bread sticks, marinara sauce and a strawberry pie. I've also been soaking more nuts as well.

I'm trying to limit grains and cooked oils - though I'm making an effort to include CLO and CO in my diet.


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

I will have to try gravalax - that sounds delicious!

Mary - thank you for the ideas! Mmm... you're making me want to eat raw desserts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.









So we had our 'last supper' here tonight - chicken burritos from a local taqueria we love. I feel sort of bloated and sick, but it sure did *taste* good! I figure it was good to get it our of our system so we won't crave it as much for our 30 days.

Any tips on an inexpensive juicer? I'd really like to juice veggies during this month but I can't spend $$$ if I'm not sure we're sticking with it.

DH is feeling lots of trepidation about this, even though it was 1st his idea.







: I'm a little frustrated with him, but trying to be understanding while maintaining my own enthusiasm for the challenge. I really hope he sticks it out with me!


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

I have been trying to go raw, but am only about 70% at this point. I would love to join this to try to up my %.
As for daily meals, I have made up some raw granola in the dehydrator, and sometimes eat it with raw milk. My other main breakfasts are a smoothie made of grapes, celery, blueberries and either a touch of cilantro or some other green(ok, sounds weird but tastes good) or a fruit pudding.
Fruit puddingis made in the food processor, with a base of bananas, then I add a cup of another fruit or combo of 2 fruits and thicken it with ground flax seed. It thickens up really nice, can be made in advance and saved in the fridge for a fast snack. We like to add blueberries and then maybe top with a fresh sliced strawberry.
Lunch is usually a salad, heavy on tomatoes, maybe with a dressing based on a mix of quark and flaxseed oil, or tomatoes sliced and topped with a raw alfredo sauce. Dinner is usually one or two big vegetable plates with a side dish of meat for the rest of the family who don't follow raw. The few times a week that I do eat meat, it is cooked though, but that is maybe 3 days a week a small amount.

I also make flax seed crackers and season them to whatever the rest of the family will be eating and that helps with cravings. I have italian spiced, mexican spice, greek spice, and am working on a lemon zest sweet cracker with raw honey.


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

All right, mamas, the day has arrived! Breakfast was easy for me, my breakfast is almost always raw anyway







: I had a raw kefir smoothie for breakfast.


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## artisticat (Jul 28, 2004)

Me too! Had a blackberry peach kefir smoothie with CO and raw egg yolks.

I am really wishing I had a dehydrator right now.


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## artisticat (Jul 28, 2004)

What are all your views on the digestiblity of raw grains and beans?


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

Breakfast, herbal dandelion tea, (warm not hot)
flax seed cracker (mexican flavored -dehydrated with onion, garlic, red pepper, cilantro,)
2 bananas

Lunch will be left over raw asparagus soup from yesterday, after our mommy & me yoga class.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nini2033a* 
I also make flax seed crackers and season them to whatever the rest of the family will be eating and that helps with cravings. I have italian spiced, mexican spice, greek spice, and am working on a lemon zest sweet cracker with raw honey.


I'm going to make some flax seed crackers too but I have a question: I noticed all of the recipes call for whole flax seed. I've always been told that whole flax seeds are not really beneficial to the body; they need to be ground into order for your body to reap the benefits of flax. Do you use whole flax seed or do you grind it first?


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

Yes! This is it!









I'm having a smoothie right now... my mixture is bananas, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, 1/2 avocado, 1 egg yolk, raw milk & a tsp ground flax.

It's creamy like a milkshake!

For myself, I'm not giving any thought to calories, fats, ect. I just have to trust that:

1. its WAY better than what I was doing
2. as my body heals, it will learn to regulate itself

Keep it up, mamas!


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

This morning I had a spriluna smoothie with org blueberries, a little fresh pressed apple juice and ice. For a snack, I will have no bean raw hummus I made, and curry "crackers" (raw crackers I purchased - Lydia's Organics brand or raw food). For lunch, I will go to a raw food restaurant because I didn't make enough to bring with me to work today.







After work, I'll go to the farmers market and at home start making flax crackers.


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

Ther recipe I have calls for 2 cups of flax soaked for 4 hours. I grind about 1/2 of it in the coffe mill then soak it all. After it soaks, I mix up whatever veggies I want in the cracker, usually grated carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic, process it all really fine in a food processor then add the flax until it is all mixed well. Then I spread it on a teflex sheet in the dehydrator and dry at 105 for about 10 hours. I peel it off the sheet and turn it over and dry the otherside until it is crispy.
You are getting flax seed oils from the ground seeds, but you are also getting the roughage from the whole flax which cleans out the intestines of all that dead junk that shouldn't be in there from your SAD diet.


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

I'm going to have to try the flax crackers, thanks! I'm making hummus tomorrow so I'll try and make the crackers at the same time.

I bought some flax crackers at WF but haven't tried them yet - they're onion/garlic which is not my fave flavor but it was all they had. My WF doesn't seem to be big on the Raw-prepared foods. But I did also get a raw coconut-cacao bar that was delicious! But at $2.29 ea I don't think I'll be getting it again.

Lunch was AWESOME! Last night I made this really great cashew sauce -

1 c soaked cashews
1/3 c olive oil
1 clove garlic
sea salt
pepper
dill
water as needed

It's this fantastic sweet-salty-creamy combo. For lunch I put it on top of shredded brocolli, carrots, and sprouts and ate it like slaw!







I also had an apple with almond butter. Honestly, I even feel a bit over-full, much to my suprise!

I also thought ahead and made my first try at desert - raw brownies:

1 cup dates
1 cup walnuts (not soaked)
1 tbs raw cacao
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt

Blend until a smooth paste.

The recipe says to put in a springform pan, but I just spread it on wax paper and put it in the fridge. It's supposed to "gel" in a few hours. I tasted the batter and WOW it's rich. I think I'll be able to eat maybe a 1" square at a time!

I'm also making myself cucumber waters - blending cucumber, mint, lime, and honey and straining it into a cup of ice. very refreshing!

So far I'm feeling very hopeful that this isn't going to be as difficult as I thought it was! We'll see!


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Thanks for the flax cracker info! I cant wait to try it.


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## maryeb (Aug 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *darwinphish* 
I also thought ahead and made my first try at desert - raw brownies:

1 cup dates
1 cup walnuts (not soaked)
1 tbs raw cacao
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt

Blend until a smooth paste.

The recipe says to put in a springform pan, but I just spread it on wax paper and put it in the fridge. It's supposed to "gel" in a few hours. I tasted the batter and WOW it's rich. I think I'll be able to eat maybe a 1" square at a time!


I use almond butter and coconut oil in my brownies in place of walnuts, and freeze them...in case you want some alternative options.







They're soooo rich!


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## Nikki98 (Sep 9, 2006)

Well I've increased my raw portions of veggies, yet I think I'm struggling with staying full and with craving sweets (need to check out the sugar-free thread as well, I guess







). I do eat my salads with nut dressings so I get some fat in there. Also I'm open to suggestions on how to maximize food prep time.


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

Thank you for the flax seed cracker recipe. I'm going to try it tonight.

A pp was wanting something sweet. I found this recipe but haven't tried it yet:

Chocolate Cherry 'Ice Cream'

1 frozen banana, chopped
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1 tablespoon raw almond butter
1/2 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon cocoa or carob powder
dash of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth.


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

I'm a little low-energy today and HUNGRY. It seems I keep eating and can't get full. I'm hoping this will stabalize as my body adjusts!

I know this is lame and silly, but can I just rant here that I've gained a pound?







Yes, I know, normal fluctuation! But I can't but help feel a little... deflated. I guess I was expecting to drop 2 pounds overnight for all my hard work.


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## Mirzam (Sep 9, 2002)

Well I am doing much better today than yesterday. Yesterday was actually my day two as I started a day early. I felt so tired and low on energy, I even missed my beloved Nia class because I just needed to sleep. I have been 100 percent raw though. Green veggie juices, raw meat, I have mixed it with raw mayonaise and raw grated Reggio and for lunch to day I had raw fish. I drink a glass of raw milk at night before going to bed, I so look forward to that.! Oh, I sort of caved from the true reducing diet yesterday and had a milk shake of raw milk, raw cream, a raw egg and some raw, unheated honey. I was getting sick of raw meat and veggie juice.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

I feel the opposite. I get full by eating very little. I do keep my food rich in nuts and oils so that may be the reason. This actually forces me to eat small amounts per meal.

I am having detox reactions already and stayed home for 1/2 day because of it. My diet wasn't even "bad" or close to SAD before but I did need to fine tune it.


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

I just had a most awesome salad, and had to share!

I chopped beet greens, kale and dandelion, and a little burdock root. Sprinkled with celtic sea salt and pepper, and threw on a few crispy (soaked and dehydrated) walnuts.

The dressing was: (I didn't measure anything, I'm guestimating the amounts...)
1-1/2 - 2 T Raw tahini
1/2 T Raw honey
1/2 T Raw apple cider vinegar
1 T Olive oil

Really simple, and amazingly good!


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

For breakfast I had hemp seed smoothie with frozen strawberries and a hard boiled egg (obviously not raw







)

Lunch was a salad of sprouts, avocado, homemade raw honey mustard dressing and raw walnuts.

Last night I made flax crackers (grinding 1/2 of the flax seeds). I added some chopped garlic, Celtic salt and some curry and it came out really good and crispy. I have another batch drying in the dehydrator.

I also made some raw pizza sauce using a fresh tomato, some sun dried tomatoes, lemon, Celtic salt, EVOO and Italian seasoning (all organic) in the blender and it came out really good. I spread it on the crackers.

For dinner, I had the above with the left over raw no bean hummus, I sprouted quinoa and steamed that.


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## artisticat (Jul 28, 2004)

This is harder than I thought. I am going to just stick to aiming for 50% raw or more for now. I really need to have a plan of action to do this 100%. And my dd is in the picky not eating stage.

The raw egg yolks I had in my smoothie the first day did not sit well with my digestive system and I am not sure why. Anyone know why I might not digest raw egg yolk? I don't seem to have a problem with them cooked.


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

Well, if it made you really sick, the yolk could have harbored some bad bacteria! Otherwise, I'm not sure...

Today I am feeling MUCH better than yesterday. That gnawing feeling is much improved, and I don't feel headachey or out-of-sorts anymore. I am still craving junk though!

tboroson - Your salad dressing sounds amazing - I will try that today!

Last night we went out and bought a japanese spiralizer and made angel-hair zucchini with pesto sauce for dinner. It was delicous. My only complaint is that the 'noodles' were a little watery. Any ideas about drying them out? Would a salad spinner do the job, or just pat them with towels?


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

darwinphish - where did you get the sprial thing? Or what brand is it?


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

We got it at Sur la Table, after reading reviews on Amazon. It's this:

http://www.amazon.com/Benriner-Cook-...7009108&sr=8-3

It's more expensive than other brands, but the others all got such bad reviews.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Thanks!


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

I fell off the raw wagon today - way off.

I'll start again tomorrow.


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## Panserbjorne (Sep 17, 2003)

Hey there! I'll jump in for support. Been raw for awhile. Congrats to all the mamas starting out!


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Yesterday I "accidently" had something with gluten and I paid for it all afternoon.







I'm still detoxing from the change in diet though but feeling a bit better and "lighter".

This morning I had a strawberry smoothie with hemp seed powder, for a snack I had a raw cookie.


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

I seem to cycle back and forth each day - today is hard again. I beginning to feel like maybe all this fruit is not so good for me, personally. I dunno.

Last night we made a wonderful dinner - sushi! We made a 'rice' out of jicama, cashews, and pine nuts in the food processor (parsnips are recommended but we couldnt' find any - the jicama was too watery) and then added sprouts, carrots, avocado, and cucumber.

My sis brought over pickled ginger but it had corn syrup, aspartame, and red dye #40 in it.







So instead I grated ginger into some nama shoyu (cold processed soysauce) and added a touch of honey and lemon. It was awesome! (but I would have loved me some pickled ginger







)

We'll definitely be doing sushi again - maybe tonight if we can track down a parsinp!


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

Well, ladies, tonight/tomorrow morning makes one week. How are we all doing?

With the exception of dinner last night, I've been nearly 100% raw. I had one cup of tea on Wednesday (no milk or sweetener), and used 1/2 raw and half regular cocoa in the Chocolate of the Gods Mousse I made (I've eaten maybe 1/2 cup of that over the last few days). I'd guess, 99% raw for all that time









Last night I had a dinner meeting at a sushi place. I ordered a big plate of sashimi, a seaweed salad, some warm sake and green tea. I have no idea if the seaweed salad was raw or not. The sake, well, it started life raw, but I don't know exactly how high they warmed it so again I don't know whether to count it as raw or not. It was a very comfortable temperature for drinking and touching, so I'd guess 115? So I guess if you go by the 118 standard, that would be raw







But I don't know exactly. The sashimi I ordered was all supposed to be raw, but I think one of the things they brought might have been incorrect - it seemed like it was cooked. But that was only one piece out of about a dozen. The only things I knew for certain were cooked were the soy sauce/wasabi and the green tea. So that meal was somewhere between 50-95% raw.

Overall, I'd estimate I'm well within my goal of 90-95% raw for the week!


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

I've still been around 90% raw or so. The 10% unraw foods have been 2 poached prawns and 1-2 oz of baked fish. I drink green tea, and the water has been no higher than 170F. I am still detoxing but that may last a while.









I've been fighting cravings left and right, but glad I've done well so far. I noticed I need much less food now than I did when I started a week ago. I'm starting to realize a diet high in cooked oil is just not good for me (even coconut oil and ghee). I felt so "blocked" and still do, but I am feeling better.

I will be traveling starting late next week. Does anyone have any raw food tips for traveling? I will be traveling by plane so I won't be able to take much with me. The hotel we will be in will not have a refrigerator.


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

Hi all! This is the close of week one!

It's been a lot harder than I thought. Sunday I 'cheated' and had thai coconut milk soup. And, honestly, eating it felt dang good.







:

I've been thinking about what to do when this challenge is done. I've noticed I'm perfectly happy eating 100% raw during the day, and that it's dinner that is the hardest. I think when this is done I'll incorporate cooked food into dinner like soups and small cuts of meat, and keep raw for most of the day.

DD was also eating raw this week! Amazingly, all her constipation problems are gone. She's had at least 2, really non-smelly poops each day. It's a wonderful change. I've added some soft-cooked eggs back into her diet through as she seems really starved for protein - she keeps saying at every meal "wan' eggs? wan' chicken'? wan' turkey? wan'..." You get the picture. The eggs seem to satisfy her without stopping her up so that's a plus.

Amazingly I haven't had any detox symptoms, only caffiene withdrawl. Yesterday I had a coffee so I'll probably go through that all over again.

Anyway, I think it's been a pretty good week!

Oh and my weight has gone from 184 to 181.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Good for you Liz! Who else is still here??

I'm feeling much better and like I mentioned before, need less food.

This morning I had a green smoothie: mostly a head of romaine lettuce, spriluna and blackberries. Yuck! But I feel _really_ good. I need to experiment more.

I'm trying to watch my tendency to eat too many sweets: high GI fruit and agave.


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## Mirzam (Sep 9, 2002)

I have been 100 % raw, except for last night, I caved and made lasgane







. Anyway, while it was nice, it didn't really hit the spot emotionally, so I am back on the wagon again today.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *uccomama* 
I have been 100 % raw, except for last night, I caved and made lasgane







. Anyway, while it was nice, it didn't really hit the spot emotionally, so I am back on the wagon again today.

Oooh, 100%

Care to share a sample of your daily food intake?


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## Mirzam (Sep 9, 2002)

Sure, but my raw diet is probably unlike most on the challenge. I am doing the Primal Diet by Aajonus Vonderplanitz which comprises raw animal foods. I started the challenge by planing to do the reduction diet, which is just raw green veggie juice, raw meat, raw butter, a raw egg if you get really, really hungry and a glass of warm raw milk before bed. I do quite a bit of exercise, so I was finding that I was really low on energy with the reduction diet. Given that I really don't have much weight to lose and was doing the reduction diet to support DH, I have now introduced some smoothies to the diet.

So, on waking (after oil pullling), I drink a raw green veggie juice. After at least 45 minutes I had a raw egg yoke smoothie made with a little raw milk, raw cream, I sometime add some homemade coconut cream, a little raw, unheated honey. After taking the kids to school I come back and have some raw meat, I find it easier to eat with a sauce, so currently I am having it with a little raw mayonaise and a little grated raw milk Reggio. I might also have some raw fish. I haven't bothered yet, but I often make cerviche with either Escolar, some white fish (it depends what I can find that is unfrozen, wild caught) or scallops. In the pm I will often eat a little fruit with raw cream or raw coconut cream. Dinner will be a raw veggie juice, and after 45 minutes some raw meat or fish. I eat a little raw butter throughout the day.


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

actually for me it has been closer to a month all told, and I am not 100% raw. But I am aiming for 75-80% as I have heard over and over that this is the healthiest. So far for the most part it has been easy, but today I completely fell off the wagon. All I csn think is that it has something to do with my time of the month because from the moment I woke up, all I have wanted all day was meat. I ended up making terriyaki beef/broccoli for dinner, and it was soo cooked and salty, even my DH who has been begging for hot meals all month said it was "too much, too cooked and too salty" .
I don't think I will have the problem again.


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## Panserbjorne (Sep 17, 2003)

I was 100% for quite awhile, and now am doing more like 90%. In the summer I may just naturally go back to 100% since there is so much more variety.

Last winter I was fine being raw, but this past one I just wanted roasted veggies, so I figured 90% would be okay. I always eat anything cooked at dinner. Mostly it's just roasted veggies, though I was having soup now and again.

Uccomama-I've read quite a bit about Vonderplanitz. How do you feel getting so little fiber? Do you find that it balances out somehow? I'm curious to hear from someone who is doing it. I know one of the reasons raw feels so great to me is all the fiber I get.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Uccomama - Thanks!


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *darwinphish* 
I've been thinking about what to do when this challenge is done. I've noticed I'm perfectly happy eating 100% raw during the day, and that it's dinner that is the hardest. I think when this is done I'll incorporate cooked food into dinner like soups and small cuts of meat, and keep raw for most of the day.

A woman who works at a local health food store said she has eaten 'partially raw' for years. She eats all raw meals and snacks except her light evening dinner which isn't raw. She used to be completely raw but said she feels better eating a non-raw dinner.

Everyone sounds like they are doing great. I, however, am having a difficult time some days. I've given up on 100% and am just trying to make as many raw choices as possible.


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## Nikki98 (Sep 9, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dbsam* 
A woman who works at a local health food store said she has eaten 'partially raw' for years. She eats all raw meals and snacks except her light evening dinner which isn't raw. She used to be completely raw but said she feels better eating a non-raw dinner.

Everyone sounds like they are doing great. I, however, am having a difficult time some days. I've given up on 100% and am just trying to make as many raw choices as possible.

This is what I'm doing as well. This weekend was a disaster-I wasn't home much and didn't prepare much food, so of course I ate not only some cooked food, but food that wasn't to healthy







: . When I'm home I do so much better. I have kale, carrots, strawberries, cabbage, parsely, tomatoes, cucumbers in the fridge, so usually I eat a salad and then some type of protein. I getting kinda of hung up on the food prep thing. Any tips for simplifying? Thanks.


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

It is hard to cut the food prep time when you want the food as fresh as possible. I have done some things like the flax crackers, and I made up a big batch of raw granola.these help since it makes maybe a weeks worth at once.
And when my dehydrator is doing that stuff, it is easy to put other things in like mushrooms marinated so that they end up tasting like cooked mushrooms...
Other than that, I usually just eat a fruit for breakfast, thats quick, and if I have time at luch I do a smoothie, otherwise I can always just eat a banana and some flax crackers...
That usually just makes dinner the time problem. I use a food processor when possible and sometimes DH helps. But then, my 3 kids are not following the raw, but 2 are old enough to make whatever they want, and we do cook meat a few times a week.
I would love to know what the rest of you do and if you use things that can be made ahead.
My biggest problem is that I keep wanting to make something and discover I need to have been sprouting something for 3 days to make it. I rarely have the sprouts going....
Karen


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nini2033a* 
My biggest problem is that I keep wanting to make something and discover I need to have been sprouting something for 3 days to make it. I rarely have the sprouts going....
Karen

YES! I always have that problem with raw recipies. Most of them have so much lead time.

So we got an ancient Excalibur dehydrator from freecycle. It's large, loud, and scary.







I'm a bit nervous about our power bill! We tried making a recipe for curried crepes but it wasn't a huge success. We put them on wax paper and they just simply would. not. dry. We ate last night at 11pm.

Question: when something is a 'batter' what do you put it on in the dehydrator so it'll actually dry? It seemed like the wax paper kept it from drying at all.

We also made maple pecan cookies and ice cream, both of which were fabulous! The cookies dehydrated overnight and they're still a little chewy.

Do you think maybe the dehydrator is not functioning optimally?


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

You need Telflex sheets for the dehydrator. Wax paper will not work at all. Plus its not really durable.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...sheets&spell=1

Sometimes it does take longer for something to dry if you don't turn it over in the process. Also, what temp are you using? I try to plan ahead so I wont be too disappointed if I cant have cookies NOW as opposed to tomorrow. Ill dry something overnight and during my workday so unless I have a specific "right now" craving, its not a huge problem for me.


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

I do have an excalibur also. Mine came with Teflex sheets which I use when I am making fruit leathers or crackers. But even so, drying at 105 * the live foods setting on the dehydrator, I am finding that things take almost twice the time stated in recipes. But then again, I do live in Western WA and it rains fairly incessantly here so the air is always humid.
I would love to have your cookie recipe, Anything healthy to tempt the kids. Right now I make smoothies and freeze them so that they can (and often do) have a popsicle smoothie instead of a meal.

Karen


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

Interesting. I try to avoid teflon. Is this the only option for the dehydrator?

Both the cookies and the ice cream are delicious - they do use maple syrup which isn't technically raw but is in many raw cookbooks. I figure it's nutritious and tasty, so I don't worry about it. You could sub agave or honey I suppose.

2 cups pecans, soaked for 4-5 hrs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup raw milk (or water or almond milk)
1/4tsp cinnamon
pinch sea salt

Strain pecans, put all ingredients and blend until liquid.

Strain mixture in fine mesh sieve. The liquid is your ice cream and the fibrous stuff left in the mesh is your cookie dough.

Ice cream - place liquid in shallow dish in the freezer. Break apart with a fork every 30-40 mins until it forms a slush. It will be the consistency of ice milk in about 3 hrs.

Cookies - Shape dough into cookie shapes and dehydrate on 105 6-8 hrs or overnight.

The ice cream we got from a book, but they didn't say what to do with the fiber left over. We tasted it and said "hey, this is yummy". We didnt' want to throw it away and there you have it!

What do you know about dehydrating food? Does it really preserve the enzymes perfectly? It seems highly processed to my taste buds and I just wonder if it's really better than old fashioned baking, other than the fact that the recipes are all flour-free?


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

I haven't found an alternative yet--though I will probably ask around at the raw food forums I visit every now and then. That is a good question. I only cook with cast iron or enameled cast iron so the teffalon issue hasn't come up for me yet.

I have tried with wax paper time and again and I've had issues. Has anyone else have success with it?


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

What do you know about dehydrating food? Does it really preserve the enzymes perfectly?

I don't know about perfectly, but all the raw websites and books seem to feel that if you are drying below 115, you are not damaging the enzymes. At 105, lets face it, in many parts of the country/world, the summer temps can get that high anyway.


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## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

Well, I think I'll break down and get teflex dehydrator sheets. I really need some tortillas in my life!

Yesterday was haaard. I had a meeting go til 9pm and hadn't eaten since 4. Trader Joe's was closed so I ended up at Albertsons wandering the isles. I got salad fixings but what I really wanted was frozen pizza. With pepperoni. I had my 3rd salad of the day at 10 and went to bed pretty miserable.

What are fast, easy raw dishes that don't resemble salad? I need some variety without a major production!


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

darwinphish - are you eating enough fats, protein and variety in your salads? I eat 1-2 large salads a day but they are all different, I make different dressings (large batches and refrigerate), use different lettuce: romaine, red romaine, bitter greens, baby spinach, baby mustard lettuce, arugula, add different veggies like red sweet pepper and shitake and "fixings": tamari almonds, crushed raw garlic, "onion strings/rings", hummus, guacamole, salsa, etc and of course, always an avocado. Whatever you want! Make the salad colorful too.

I also fill up on smoothies, both fruity and green.

Once you get your dehydrator together you'll be able to have more variety. Once you'll be able to make bread, you can add anything you want. I make mini mizzas with marinara, raw olives, pine nuts, ground mushrooms, or pesto, etc.

Yesterday I made a cheesecake - that didnt require a dehydrator.

Do you have any raw books?


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## Panserbjorne (Sep 17, 2003)

nut pates are easy as are sushi rolls or handrolls. Fruit salad is easy on the go, as are many nut based desserts. I make several dips that are easily carried and I use veggies to dip. Puddings and cheesecake in individual custard dishes are very transportable too.


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

thank you for the ice cream/cookie recipe. My SAD Junkfood lovin' DH tried the cookies, (which he eats alot of everyday) and said, how many did you make? I can eat these!!!!!
And my picky 4 YO ds tried the ice cream and loved that. Hallelujah!!!!


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

Half way there! Yesterday was day 15!!! How's it going?

I'm meeting my goal of 90-95% handily. This week I was 100%, except for one meal: I went to a lecture by Joel Salatin, and they served lunch afterward. I took a big salad (raw except for the dressing) and several slices of raw apple, plus a tiny bit of turkey breast and a small scoop of quinoa salad with roasted veggies. Before the lecture, I had 1/2 c. of coffee with an equal amount of raw milk; that cooled it down to lukewarm so it didn't cook the milk. So that one meal was about 50%. Oh, and I had a cup of white tea (no milk or sweetener) at Barnes and Noble last night - I never know whether to count teas, since they're little other than water







The actual dissolved solid content is far less than the drop I absentmindedly lick off my fingers after serving my girls yogurt


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

I've been 100% raw/vegan for almost two weeks. I lost a few inches, my face is smaller, my belly is smaller, my skin is clear (glowing). I had a bit of a detox (headaches and fatigue) but I'm feeling pretty good.

I realized I didn't notice much of a difference until I took out all animal products and cooked foods. I slipped and had two tablespoons of rice Saturday and I felt so sick. My stomach got bloated and I had a bad reaction. I guess I cant eat rice.


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## Panserbjorne (Sep 17, 2003)

Wonderful! It's really the most painless way to do an elimination diet. I am of hte belief that if you complete these four weeks you will know at ONCE what foods are beneficial for your body as you reintroduce.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Thats how I found out about my gluten intolerance a year and half ago.

I doubt I will reintroduce though---my body has improved so much over the past couple of week, why go back?


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## Panserbjorne (Sep 17, 2003)

I agree, though many people find they want warmer things over the winter. Plus, you may find that you can do meat or fish in small quantities with no problem (aren't you a TF'er?) and it was the grains or dairy or potatoes or something else that was throwing you off. Either way, youd know pretty darn fast! I'm just glad you are feeling better!


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

I was leaning towards TF but I was gaining weight. I cant eat diary at all. I don't like beef, I and realized that cooked oils are not good for me. I was using virgin coconut oil and though I can eat it raw, heated isnt good. I think also grains (not just gluten) was throwing me off....not sure about potatoes yet. I haven't tried it in weeks. I think the only good thing (to me) about TF is fermented foods.


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## Panserbjorne (Sep 17, 2003)

This sounds like a great fit for you then.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)




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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

Honestly, I'm not feeling any different. Except my hunger is fluctuating vastly - I seem to have several days where I'm not hungry at all and barely eat anything, then I have a day when I'm ravenous. I look back on the last three days of my food journal, and I feel like it's bordering on the diet of someone with an eating disorder. But today I can't seem to eat enough (though I'm spacing it out and making entirely good choices, of course: kefir smoothie, salad, raw yogurt, raw granola with strawberries and cream, an apple).

I had planned on using more cooked meats, maybe a small portion every other day or so. To date, I haven't - I've had the one piece of sashimi last weekend that I thought was supposed to be raw when I ordered it, but was mistaken; one bite of chicken when I was straining some stock for soup for my kids; and the maybe 1 oz. of turkey this past weekend. I have had raw fish several times.

I know off hand I'll make another exception for Mother's Day, since I always do a big brunch here at my house. But I think I'll use the opportunity for some raw foods proselytizing







Perhaps a strawberry soup, which is semi-raw, salad, raw granola on raw yogurt...

Anyway, do you all consider teas in your count? The actual particulate matter in them is *so* negligible, I can't decide if I should count them or not. But I've indulged in them rarely, 4 times in 15 days, compared to 2-3 cups a day before. And all green or white teas at that.


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

I do drink tea, actually it is the detox tea from Yogi teas. It is based on Dandelion. I take a few drops of Stevia in the tea. For me, the main thing is that it is decaf. But I am on a medicine and the side effects of this medicine are cold hands and feet all the time and in general I feel cold about 50% of the time. Before I started this med, (3 months ago) I was the one in the house always hot.
The tea really helps me not feel so chilled all the time. I could basically drink just warm water, but lets face it, I find that boring.

Karen


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

Weeeeell.... this thread has been hopping!









Three weeks, ladies! My goal is well in hand. Again, I had one weekend infraction: we went out with friends after a play. I had a salad with goat cheese and non-raw dressing. In total, maybe 3 or 4 tablespoons of non-raw food this week - I'd have to estimate I was at 98-99% this time 'round! Woo-hoo!


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

My father came to visit this weekend. He refuses to eat Fruits or veggies, says he has always hated them and now at 76, he doesn't want anyone to try and make him healthy. So, this was a bad 3 day weekend for me







: . I had to cook for him, and while I made sure I had mostly raw at each meal, I also had cooked food at each meal.
After he left on Sunday evening, I have been hardcore with the raw, but spent 2 days with a tummy ache as I worked the bad stuff thru my system







.
Last night I made an absolutely scrumptious dinner, Tomato/pine nut Pesto over Zucchini noodles







.
I got the recipe from the hallelujah acres website.... http://www.hacres.com
They have several good recipes there.
Tonight I am going to a dessert potluck at the homeschool groups parent meeting. I am going to bring Raw Sugar Plums with me (also from the same website)

Karen


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## Panserbjorne (Sep 17, 2003)

zucchini noodles and pesto are a staple for me over the summer. Last year I made two variations on the one theme:

one I added sundried tomatoes and mac. nut cheese (so yummy!)
the other I added avacado to make it a creamy pesto

Cilantro and walnut pesto is actually quite good too. I make a gazillion batches of pesto over the summer and freeze them in trays for easy use over the winter (when it's harder for *me* to be raw-I need perks to stick with it!)


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## Elsaraw (Apr 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *darwinphish* 
Interesting. I try to avoid teflon. Is this the only option for the dehydrator?

This are new:

http://www.sunfood.com/cgi-bin/order...ehydrators&tc=

Expensive though


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## Elsaraw (Apr 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *barose* 
I'm going to make some flax seed crackers too but I have a question: I noticed all of the recipes call for whole flax seed. I've always been told that whole flax seeds are not really beneficial to the body; they need to be ground into order for your body to reap the benefits of flax. Do you use whole flax seed or do you grind it first?

Even though most recipes don't call for it, a lot of people feel it's best to take some and grind them so you have a mixture of both. That way you get both benefits and actually crackers come out tasting better!


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

I usually grind about 1/2 of the seeds in a coffee grinder and leave the other 1/2 whole. That way I am getting the benefit of the flax oil for my heart and the benefit of the roughage for my other areas... It also helps the crackers have a "smoother" consistancy.
I also add lots of veggies to mine to flavor them. I ven made a sweet one with Lemon and ginger for an after dinner sweet.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

Yup! I've been grinding 1/2 of the flax seeds for several weeks now.







They actually taste beter than 100% whole flax seeds.


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

Today is day 25 of the challenge. I don't know here, mamas. I'm not struggling. I'm not finding it difficult to eat this way, other than on those special occasions when I'm out and can't find something truly raw on the menu, but then it's a practical difficulty, not an internal struggle. But I'm beginning to doubt this is right for me.

When I went to 70-80% raw at the beginning of the year, I felt *fabulous*. I really did. Food cravings went away. My blood sugar stayed so constant, I found that not only did I not need to snack, sometimes I only ate two meals a day - not that I was trying to restrict food, but I thought it was amazing that I felt so good on that. I rarely had gas.

A lot of people swear that when they went from 75% to 100% raw, they felt a huge surge in energy and their health quality soared. Well, I didn't experience that. Although I felt a huge improvement after the first step, to 70-80%, I didn't feel any further improvement upon going to over 95%. One might argue that it's because I wasn't truly at 100%. But, people swear they felt the difference within a couple of days - all my few transgressions have been on a weekend day, offering about six days in between. By that logic, shouldn't I have been feeling this incredible difference by Wednesday or Thursday each week?

But, since beginning this, I've been having constant foul gas. Not the painful kind... well, not painful unless I remain standing in the cloud I've created. I try to hold it in until I can fart on the run, or in the wind.







I'm back to food cravings, not as bad as I've experienced in the past, but nevertheless. My blood sugar isn't as steady as it was - I'm finding I have to snack in the afternoons, and I'm craving sweet snacks. I've been satisfying that with fruit, raw "bread" with raw honey butter, raw granola occasionally and raw ice cream twice. But, still, it's an indication that my blood sugar is fluctuating more rapidly, which I don't like. While on average I'm mentally satisfied with my diet, I'm finding I can't finish individual meals because I get bored with them really fast, even though I liked it at the outset.

I lost five pounds in the first two weeks, which was cool... I've gained four of them back these past 10 days. At this rate I'll weigh more than I did when I started! I'm not eating any more sugar or grains than I was. I think the biggest carb difference is that I'm using a banana in my smoothie instead of avocados and eating a little more apple. (I switched to banana because I wanted to use avocado elsewhere in my diet, and couldn't afford to be eating two or three of them a day!) I don't think I'm eating more calories, or more fat on average: I'm using the same amount of coconut oil, nuts, avocados, other oils (olive, flax seed). I've subbed a little more dairy for the meat, but not so vastly much that it should make a difference in calories or fat or anything else. Since it's cultured, it's not even so bad in the carbohydrate department.

Now, my original goal was 90-95% raw, with the assumption that I'd be eating a little meat here and there. I haven't been: the only cooked meat I've eaten was at the Joel Salatin lecture, and it was only a few bites. Otherwise, it's been entirely raw fish. If I had to guess, I'd say my total raw percentage has been like 97 or 98%.

So I'm going to revert to my original plan of 90%. I'm going to add back in a bit more meat. I started this morning with a little bacon with my breakfast, maybe 1/2 oz. What I was doing before, the 70-80%, was basically tons of raw food + a little cooked meat + a little bit of whatever I was cooking for the rest of the family once or twice a day (like, a small serving of cooked veggies at dinner, or if I was hard boiling eggs for the girls, I'd have one for lunch). Cutting out that third catagory will bring me up to the 90-95% range, especially since some of the meat I'd be eating would still be raw. Like, 1/2 oz. bacon at breakfast, 1-2 oz. of raw fish at lunch, and 2 oz. of chicken or steak at dinner.


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

you know, I have read over and over again that the optimal percentages were around 80% raw. I am not trying to go to 100% but only to 80%. The main thing is to be high raw for the rest of your life rather than bouncing on again off again, even if you are only 50 % raw for the reat of your life, you are eating much better than the SAD diet.

Karen


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## FamilyGrl (May 10, 2007)

My friend is doing this right now. He is going a little crazy not being able to eat certain foods but he's staying strong. I couldn't do it. I have no will power.


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## nini2033a (Apr 11, 2005)

Its not always a matter of willpower. I came to this sick, prediabetic with high blood pressure. I have 3 kids, 2 almost grown but the youngest is only 4. I want to be around to watch him grow up. After making the decision to give this a try, the hardest part for me was giving up coffee, and after the first 3 days, the craving went away and now only comes back when I am pre-menstral and very tired. Your taste buds change very quickly and things that are cooked in general start to taste dead to you, not fresh. My DH doesn't even want to follow the raw with me, but his tastebuds are also changing whether he likes it or not.


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## Panserbjorne (Sep 17, 2003)

I think everyone feels different at different percentages...I do best at 90-95%, I was great at 100%...until I wasn't. I do think it's important to get a TON of greens, and that that will make a difference.

Have you considered whether or not the excessive gas is a Herxheimer reaction? Maybe the 100% has actually pushed you into a healing crisis? That happened to me, and it took almost a month to get over the gas...my detox where I was miserable was only like a week. BUt then the gas started and I thought I was going to die of embarrassment. It did go away!

Maybe you aren't getting enough meat? WHat did you cut out to go 100% that you were still eating at 80%? There are many reasons you could be experiencing this, but honestly if you were feeling good at 80% and you don't want to be 100% how far are you willing to go to figure it out? I wasn't willing to put in the energy it would have taken to figure out why I tanked when I was 100%, I jsut put some cooked food back. I'm okay with that. Let us know if you want help figuring it out! Either way I think your plan sounds great.


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## barose (Dec 6, 2006)

I've been 100% raw vegan for a few weeks now. I didn't plan it that way, but I was feeling better and better eating this way. I was on the more TF path, but it was too heavy for me and I was starting to gain weight. I cant have cooked oils at all, even virgin coconut oil and roasted nuts. They just turn foul in my gut. I also can't process gluten, processed flours (even gluten-free), refined sugar, soy, unsprouted rice, dairy (raw or pasteurized) or meat heavier than fish so I'm at a disadvantage when it comes to cooked foods, LOL.

I may not be 100% vegan, I still use raw honey, had some raw fish once and may have a raw egg, but I feel and look so much better not having all that other stuff in my system. I no longer feel that lump in my gut, I always felt. No burping, GI pain or excessive horrible, gas I had.

I may have steamed veggies and fish every now and then if I go out and cant order anything else, but I think 100% raw (most of the time) is best for me - at least for now.


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