Food Fog

Not So Cleansed

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

So, I finished "Raw Cleanse" product from the Garden of Life company yesterday. It was week-long regimen of herbal and fiber supplements. Unfortunately, it didn't leaved me feeling very cleansed at all. My original symptoms of bloating and irregularity remain, and were actually a little more pronounced during this program. So, for me, it wasn't a quick fix. I kept a detailed food journal and record of "eliminations" (see below) during the "cleanse week" to maybe give myself a little insight into what I can tweak, if needed.

On that note, I've been feeling drawn to try juice fasting for quite some time. However, I'm aware of the pre-planning and support that would entail, as I still would have to feed my kids daily and be around food. It wouldn't necessarily be a spa-like, retreat type experience. I would need to be organized and have a good support system in place. So, I think I'll be researching some options, and may try a mini-fast (weekend) sometime soon, just to see how it goes. I really feel like it might be the jumpstart my digestive systems needs.

We had a great vegan potluck this past weekend with our MeetUp.com group. We showed the DVD "Eating," which highlights some of the health and environmental benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet. It was well articulated and generated some interesting discussion. For our food contribution, we brought along salad fixings, raw hemp/almond fudge, raw sweet potato pudding and a cooked sprouted mung bean salad. The kids came along with my mom, too, and everyone enjoyed sampling the different foods. Unfortunately, Joe didn't have much of a selection with his nut, soy and wheat allergies, but he did okay, and ate plenty when he got home.

Darren and I are both trying to clear more space in our schedule to prioritize time together and time to exercise, but it's tough. We're not being too hard on ourselves, though... just doing our best. We ordered the DVD's for our Total Gym and the poster of all the different exercises, hoping we can establish a little routine with that. It feels so good to stretch and use my muscles, and if we can sequester ourselves in the basement a few times a week, it's a nice activity to do together, and may prove beneficial from a strength-building perspective.

I'm heading into this week a little tired from not enough sleep last night, but in a place of real gratitude and appreciation for all the opportunities in my life. I managed to get a solid hour of alone time with Flo and Joe today in the basement, working on a project for our Earth Scouts group, and just talking and listening to them. With such a hectic schedule and a busy toddler, those moments are less than I would like, and it just made my day!

I know that continuing to focus on my health and balance in my own life really enables me to give more of myself to my family in a quality way. So, whenever I feel too self-focused taking time to exercise, read health related books, writing this blog or preparing healthy foods, I remember that it's a tool for my own growth, and if done in a balanced way, a good example of self-care, not self absorption.

So, on with the week!

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Seven Day "Raw Cleanse" Food Journal

Raw Cleanse Day 1 (Jan 18/2010)

Breakfast
2 apples & 1 grapefruit chopped
1 herbal tea with almond milk

Snack
6 figs, 2 frozen bananas, 4 soaked brazil nuts... chopped together in a bowl

Lunch
Leftover from raw potluck
Pumpkin seed pate
Celery root salad

Snack
Bowl of leftover chia seed pudding
Spoonful of cashew butter with handful of raisins

Dinner
Salad with lettuce, pea shoots, onion, carrots, celery root, raisins, hemp seeds, olive oil, vinegar, sea salt, garlic & pepper

Evening
1 herbal tea with almond milk

Raw Cleanse Day 2 (Jan 19/2010)

Breakfast
3 apples
1 head of romaine lettuce

Snack
1 herbal tea with almond milk
10 or so pieces of celery
A few pieces of cucumber and Jerusalem artichoke

Dinner
Big salad (romaine, pea shoots, cilantro, parsley, red onion, celery root, raisins, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)

Raw Cleanse Day 3 (Jan 20/2010)
(No BM)

Breakfast
3 apples, 3 tangelos, 1 grapefruit - chopped up into a fruit salad

Snack
Handful of raw gingersnap crackers
Tea with raw sesame milk

Dinner
Big green salad (romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, red onions, carrots, raisins, hemp seeds, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)

Snack
2 bananas
Chamomile tea with raw almond milk

Raw Cleanse Day 4 (Jan 21/2010)

Breakfast
Large mason jar of green juice (chard, dandelion greens, cucumber, celery, Jerusalem artichoke, burdock root, beet, apple, orange, lemon & ginger)

Snack
Tea with hemp milk

Lunch
Fruit salad (3 apples, 2 grapefruits, 2 tangelos... chopped up and mixed together)
Tea with hemp milk

Dinner
Big green salad (romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, red onions, carrots, raisins, hemp seeds, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)

Snack
3 bananas, mashed with pinch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper...
5 pieces of celery to dip in banana mush... it's really tasty!

Raw Cleanse Day 5 (Jan 22/2010)
(No BM)

Breakfast
3 apples, 2 tangelos

Snack
2 Tangelos
Tea with hemp milk

Lunch
Small green salad with apple cider vinegar, fresh lime and orange juice, black pepper

Snack
Tea with hemp milk
Half a frozen banana

Dinner
Kelp Noodle Salad (kelp noodles, romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, red onions, carrots, beets, cauliflower, raisins, hemp seeds, kelp flakes, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, black pepper)

Raw Cleanse Day 6 (Jan 23/2010)

Breakfast
3 apples

Vegan Potluck in afternoon
Big green salad (romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, red onions, carrots, raisins, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)

Small bowl of raw sweet potato chia pudding

Tiny square of raw chocolate hemp/almond fudge

Later in the day
Tea with almond milk
Small bowl of raw sweet potato chia pudding

Raw Cleanse Day 7 (Jan 24/2010)
(No BM)

Breakfast
3 apples, 2 tangelos... chopped

Snack
Chamomile tea with almond milk

Lunch/Dinner (4pm)
Big green salad (romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, celery, red onions, carrots, raisins, olive oil, raw beet slices, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)
5 or 6 raw sesame/flax crackers

Snack (7pm)
1 Asian pear
3 dried figs
1 piece of raw chocolate hemp/almond fudge

Raw Cleanse

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

A busy weekend behind me, and a full calendar for the week ahead, leaves me feeling a little depleted, yet thankful for all the opportunities we have. At least today was fairly sedate. I stayed home to wait for our weekly produce co-op delivery. The delivery window is between 7am and 4pm, though they usually show up by late morning. However, today they didn't come until later in the afternoon, so I had already been up, worked out, tackled a couple dreaded projects, like pooper-scooping the yard and folding four baskets of laundry. By early evening, both Darren and I were sitting around, kind of wondering whether we should be trying to be productive with the rest of our day, or if we should just enjoy the few hours without anything on the schedule to just "be." We opted for our respective activities; him watching a hockey game and me checking my email, reading a bit, and making the kids a quick dinner.

This week, I decided to try a "Raw Cleanse" product. I think years of dietary self-abuse have left my digestion sluggish. I've been tweaking things in my diet for the past couple years, trying to improve symptoms of severe bloating and "irregularity," to no avail. I've been to the doctor countless times, only to have the vague diagnosis of IBS, so I've resolved to just keep trying different things. I'm aware that stress can also play a big factor with these symptoms, so I'm working on that, too. Things on my ideal self-healing protocol would include regular Hatha yoga, meditation, good sleep, juice fasting and maybe even looking into colonics. But, in the meantime, where time and energy are huge deterrents to self-care, I'll experiment this "Raw Cleanse" in a box. I don't have huge expectations with this product, as it contains many of the things I already eat, and my diet is already quite high in fiber. Today is day 2, I'll see how I'm feeling by the beginning of next week.

Thankfully, I don't have any early morning activities tomorrow, so the prospect of a full eight hours sleep is highly probable...

The Reallocation of Stuff

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

It seems the theme of the past week has been decluttering. As we've simplified our dietary lifestyle, it's trickled down into the desire to organize our environment and minimize the excess. So, we've slowly been making our way through the few clutter zones in our home and liberating ourselves from some useless stuff.

Last week Darren suddenly got inspired one evening, and emptied out about half of his side of the closet, getting rid of old work shirts that were either too big or just outdated. I had equal success thinning out some of the kid clutter that accumulated in the playroom, as well as, all the art supplies in the basement. I'm just working my way around the house, delving into those few recesses to which stuff gravitates, trying to be decisive about what we really need and what is just weighing us down. Some exciting upcoming projects include organizing our filing better and discarding useless paperwork, sorting the kids clothes to pass on to friends or charity, and sorting a few remaining boxes in the basement of my dad's old stuff and some old family slides that I'm really not sure what to do with.

Along with pairing down and being more mindful of what we need to keep, we've definitely been more conscious of what we need to bring in. At every juncture where acquiring something is an option, whether it be through purchase or otherwise, we're more thoughtful about what purpose the item will serve and whether or not it will add to our vision for our home, or detract from it. Often times, the whole "less is more" strategy really holds true.

I recently DVRed that show "Hoarders," and have been occasionally watching episodes while on the treadmill. Although, thankfully, that's one problem I do not have, I can empathize with some of the behaviors that lead to such extreme cases of not being able to let go of stuff. It has made me ponder the importance of helping my kids develop the skills to be decisive about what they want to bring into their environment, and the impact that stuff will have on their lives. I make them watch "The Story of Stuff" video from TheStoryofStuff.com at least every few months, despite the eye rolling and sighs when I launch into my monologue on why we need to be conscious of what we acquire. This speech is especially triggered every time we pass one of those stupid "claw machines." Who invented those? There's one at the ice rink, where we spend a lot of time, and despite their constant pleas for a quarter to try the machine, I rarely relent. Grandma, on the other hand, is another story. I've now started making her take home their victorious acquisitions. Let them clutter up her house!

In addition to trying to bring a little more order to our home, I have been trying to do the same with my thoughts. Going on the premise that "thoughts are things," and really have an impact on one's experience, I am continuing to focus on aligning them with my intentions. Looking at my thoughts as the brushstrokes for the painting of my life really gives perspective to things. It makes everyday feel more like an artistic venture with a creative vision in mind, rather than just throwing paint at a canvas, hoping the end result is visually pleasing.

Staying Motivated

Friday, 08 January 2010

Heading into the New Year, I've started thinking about motivation. We all need it. From the smallest tasks, to the more ambitious endeavors, if we don't have a sense of purpose or drive behind our intent, the results are unlikely to be impressive. So, five years into my journey to find balance with food, I find myself pondering how my motivation has changed now that the weight is gone (minus a few stubborn pounds).

Five Years of Dietary Sobriety

Thursday, 31 December 2009

As the year comes to a close, I'm reflecting on a bit of a milestone; five years of dietary sobriety. That's about the only term I can think of that reflects the changes in my relationship with food over the past five years, when I first embarked on this quest to improve my health and bring a better balance to my life with food. I started on January 3, 2005 with some baby steps, and five years later, I'm in a much better place. This new place isn't THE place, though. It's just a stop on a lifelong journey. I've really internalized that now. There is no "arriving" at weight loss or good health. There is only living the behaviors and being in the mindset that support it every day.

So, as a creative venture and indulgence in self-reflection, I'm going to try video blogging (vlogging?) this year. I hope this lends to some personal revelations, as well as, hopefully resonates with a few of the random souls that stumble across it on the Information Super Highway. There's something a little risky about putting yourself out there, both literally and figuratively. But, it's been my experience that when I do, new opportunities unfold. I don't have much "alone" time these days with a toddler, so my video entries are likely to be random and unpredictable, but that's okay.

My only New Year's resolutions this year are to "feed" my creative self more and to be focused on being in the moment, especially with my kids. So, I move forward, taking little steps towards self-awareness by just continuing on the journey I started five years ago.

Happy New Year!

Eating... the Journey Continues...

Thursday, 10 December 2009

The past week or so has been busy, as usual. Days are filled with long to-do lists and action-packed adventures with the kids. And, accordingly, our food adventures continue.

The cold weather has set in, and with it comes that craving for warmth that requires a bit more forethought on a raw food diet. Darren and I actually continue to do mostly raw food, though we've agreed we need to integrate a few healthy cooked vegan meal options back into our routine, just to facilitate a little more mealtime unity with our family, and minimize the stress with regards to meal prep. Simple steamed veggies or cooked beans with spices make a quick meal for the kids, and sometimes it would be nice to not then prepare something separate for myself and Darren. That said, I haven't really felt a draw to any particular cooked food thus far.

However, today I made the kids some mung beans and rice from the TruRoots company. They have sprouted and germinated products, and I got them from our co-op awhile back, thinking I'd try them, and forgot about them in the back of the panty. So, today, while foraging for meal options for the kids I came across them. The directions on the package of mung beans excited me, because it was only a five minute cooking time! Beans... fast! No soaking necessary! Joe is allergic to lentils, so I can't do those when I'm in a pinch for a quick meal. I'd never been excited about cooked mung beans before, but these looked appetizing, and I wanted to try them.... so I did. They had a crunchy, nutty consistency. I just sprinkled a little olive oil, sea salt, garlic powder and pepper on them, and served them with the rice, and the kids gobbled them up. Darren and I had a scoop or two on a chopped salad of raw kale, spinach, romaine, red onions, and carrot, topped with a "honey mustard" dressing I devised from chia seeds, stoneground mustard, coconut amino acids, vinegar, olive oil, agave nectar, garlic and a dash of chili powder. Bravo!

In the last couple weeks, we got a nice supply of yummy organic produce from our buying club. We had two cases of lovely organic Lulu avocados. So, we've been adding them to salads, making raw chocolate pudding by blending them with raw cacao powder and banana, and freezing some with lemon juice for later use. The kids don't like avocado, but have eagerly consumed the pudding and smoothies I've made with them. Undercover avocado. Ha!

We've also had a fair share of citrus available, including oranges, grapefruits and tangerines. We've created some yummy fruit salads, salad dressings and smoothies with them. But, mostly, we've been adding them to our green juices. We've been doing a lot of juicing, giving our GreenStar juicer a good workout. I really like a green juice in the morning, with just enough fruit to take the bitterness off the greens, and I add a good chunk of ginger. A zesty wake-me-up!

My food success of the week was with Joe, who hates raisins. I ordered 5 pounds of Hunza raisins from a company called Blue Mountain Organics. Darren really likes them and told Joe they tasted like nature's little gummy bears. Well, Joe just had to try one then. Now I can slip them into salads and oatmeal, and there's no complaints!

The other night, Darren and I watched the DVD entitled "Eating." Though we knew most of the information, it was very reaffirming. It talks about the major diseases in our country and how we're basically eating ourselves to death with our standard diet. It discusses the "business" of food production, and the societal brainwashing we've all bought into over the years regarding what's healthy and what's not. But, it also touches on the environmental and ethical ramifications of our food choices and, for me, clearly articulates why I've been drawn to vegetarianism and more whole foods, conscious eating in my life.

We have a busy weekend coming up with Joe's birthday tomorrow. He's going to be seven! I just spent an hour trying to concoct a decent gluten-free vegan allergy safe cake for him. We'll see how that goes. On Saturday, Darren's got a coaching clinic down near DC and I'm taking Joe out to Reston, VA for a hockey game, then back home for Flo's skating show in the evening. Then we're up Sunday morning cleaning and preparing a dish for our vegan potluck that afternoon. So, I'm bracing myself to feel a bit overwhelmed, but looking forward to some fun events.

Potluck, Green Juice and Pie... Oh My!

Monday, 30 November 2009

This past weekend we held our first raw food MeetUp.com potluck. It was an intimate gathering with just two friends. But, it was a relaxing afternoon with some great food, of which we're still enjoying the leftovers! These groups often take time to get going, so we'll try again in the New Year. It's a lot of fun to share recipe ideas and a good meal.

Yesterday was International Juice Feasting Day, which was creative by Dave, the Raw Food Truck Driver (http://www.rawexistence.com/Dave-raw-food-truck-driver.html). In honor of his inspiration, Darren and I made a couple nice big glasses of green juice this morning and toasted to good health! We would both love to do a juice fast sometime, but were not feeling organized or informed enough yet to embark on that. I think I could easily do a day or two, but beyond that, I'd need to schedule it in.

My niece asked me for the link to JoAnn Farb's website today, and in doing so, I came across an article on her blog at http://getoffgluten.blogspot.com about recurrent abdominal pain possibly being a pre-cursor to Celiac Disease. We saw her at Vegetarian Summerfest last summer and I remember hearing her story about her daughter's experience with gluten, and thinking how at least Joe wasn't allergic to wheat on top of all his other allergies. However, thinking back, Joe had always been saying his tummy hurt, and the week we were at Summerfest where he was eating tons of vegan pizza, he spent much of the time, especially right after meals, trying to lay down somewhere because his stomach hurt. Little did I known then, that a few months later, allergy testing would reveal he was allergic to wheat and soy. Talk about a challenge when you're already on a nut, legume and mostly seed-free vegan diet, right? Well, it was at first, but we've gotten in a groove and have plenty great food options, so we don't focus too much on the things he can't have.

I made a raw pumpkin pie last night, and we ate some today. I made it with pumpkin seeds and raisins for the crust, rather than almonds, so Joe could have it. It was quite good, but I think it would be perfect with an almond crust. But, pumpkin pie has always been one of my favorites, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a raw version that was so enjoyable. I'll be tweaking it and trying it again over the holidays.

Tomorrow is our produce delivery day, and I have a bunch of citrus and Lulu avocados coming, so I'll be looking for interesting recipe ideas for those. I've actually found that mashing ripe avocados with a little lemon juice, then freezing them, makes a nice addition to a smoothie frozen, or thawed out in a salad. I also have a ton of kale and collards coming, so I'm looking forward to doing a lot of green juicing this week!

Thanksgiving 2009

Thursday, 26 November 2009

We purposefully made no plans for today, to give ourselves a chance to just hang out at home and relax. We didn't make any special dinner, but we did make a point to sit down together for a bit at the table and share what we were thankful for. The kids had spaghetti for dinner, and Darren and I spent the day giving our GreenStar juicer a real work-out.

We started the morning (actually, it was more like 1pm) with juicing. First, it was a bunch of carrots, since we are going to use the pulp to make a raw carrot cake for a potluck on Saturday. Then it was onto apples and oranges, then the greens; dandelion greens, kale and collard greens. We made ourselves nice big glasses of green juice, and had a Thanksgiving toast.

After a brief interlude, we changed the attachment on the juicer, to use it as a food processor, and ran through the ingredients for a raw bread we put in the dehydrator. After that excitement was done, we took another pause to watch the Food, Inc. DVD that arrived from NetFlix this week. It was good; nothing I didn't already know, but I think it's eye-opening for someone who has never thought about where their food comes from.

Next it was onto peeling butternut squash and pumpkin that I've had in the fridge from our produce co-op for a couple weeks. I figured if it's all chopped up in chunks in the fridge, I might actually use it. So, mission completed. I think tomorrow I'll make butternut squash soup, and maybe try out a recipe for raw pumpkin pie I have. I'm curious what that would taste like.

Around 8 o'clock, we all felt a little stir-crazy, and the kids were driving us crazy. It was pouring outside, and we hadn't been out of the house all day. So, we piled in the car to take a short drive around town to see if anything was open... only WalMart... kept driving... chatted for a bit... headed home...

Darren went to bed early, hoping to get an early start on his work in the morning. I folded laundry, emptied the dishwasher, paid bills and refereed the kids until midnight, when they FINALLY succumbed to sleep. Jeesh! Where do they get that energy?

So, all in all, a nice Thanksgiving. No big family gatherings, or abundant feast, but it was actually a treat to have no agenda and no schedule for a day. Cliché as it is, I'm just thankful for being together, our health and home. Now begins the holiday madness!

RawFu Challenge - Day 100!

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

A few months ago, while surfing around on the Internet checking out various raw food sites, I came across RawFu.com. It's a community of raw food enthusiasts and a wealth of information and support for those just testing the raw waters, as well as, those already full immersed and treading with ease. It's here that the idea of a 100 day raw food challenge prompted my sense of adventure and creativity, and I decided to sign up! I had already been eating a fairly healthy vegan, mostly raw diet for awhile, so it wasn't completely out there for me.

RawFu.com

I told Darren about my plan to do the challenge, and he eagerly decided to join in, too! After spending a week at Vegetarian Summerfest 2009 the month prior, Darren was feeling the effects of over-indulging in some great vegan food. Thankfully, they had tons of raw options, too, so I thoroughly enjoyed my own personal challenge of increasing more raw food in my diet. It was great not to have to prepare food for a week!

Nonetheless, at the end of the week, Darren was up four or five pounds, and feeling a bit lethargic and bloated. And,after spending that week in July attending various environmental, health and animal rights lectures, several of which were on the raw food lifestyle, we were both feeling inspired to take on a challenge, and the one at RawFu.com seemed fitting.

We actually started the challenge a couple weeks prior to the start date, just easing into it. Our goal was to be as close to 100 percent raw as possible, without being obsessive or ridiculous about it. I opted to keep my one vice of a cup or two per day of decaf organic coffee with raw hemp or almond milk, but Darren was used to having several cups a day of regular coffee with sweetened soy creamer, so he decided to stop drinking coffee all together. He definitely had worse withdrawal from that. My coffee habit seemed to fall away effortlessly in the past month, though I still love the taste of coffee, and will have one now and then, if I feel so inclined. I guess I just don't feel inclined lately.

As I had been gradually easing into it, I didn't really experience any detox symptoms, other than maybe some minor skin issues. But, Darren did have a week or so episode of what really seemed like detox. He didn't have a fever, but had flu-like symptoms, muscle weakness, fatigue and just overall felt bad. But, once that passed, it has been pretty smooth sailing. We both felt the transition from semi-healthy vegan to raw food wasn't too hard, but feel it would not have been doable eight or ten years ago, when we were overweight junk-food vegetarians.

During the 100 days, Darren shed about 30 pounds. He expected some weight loss, but I think he was surprised how easily it came off without depriving himself at all. I, on the other hand, didn't budge the scale more than a couple pounds during this process. But, I also didn't go into it with weight loss as a goal. I could stand to probably lose another ten to twenty pounds to be in the really fit category, but for me, gradual slow change is where I'm most comfortable. After years of an eating disorder and yo-yo dieting, maintaining my weight and balanced eating habits is my measure of success; not rapid weight loss.

Raw Cauliflower Popcorn

Cravings weren't a huge issue for me. Well, at least for cooked food. I definitely lean towards liking sweet stuff, like fresh and dried fruits and raw chocolate, but I never felt an overwhelming desire for any particular cooked food. Darren, on the other hand, had one thematic craving on and off, which was for these sea salt and pepper baked potato chips that he used to eat once or twice a week. I think we did a good job of coming up with raw alternatives that incorporated those textures and flavors, so he persevered.

This process has been revealing. Over the past five years, with over a hundred pound weight loss behind me, every change in my diet or lifestyle really presents the challenge of finding balance within it. I know I could abuse healthy vegan or raw food, just as I could processed junk food. I definitely feel the quality of food absolutely makes a difference with everything from mood swings to headaches. But, even if you're eating superb quality foods, if you're overeating them or stressing out about them, then you're likely to hinder any real sense of balance in life. So, I've gained a lot of clarity as to the role of food in my life. I'm thankful for these insights, and I will always be a work in progress.

So, overall this has been a great experience. There have been times when we've gotten into a bit of a food rut, or for me, the stress of preparing separate things for the kids and us, as well as, accommodating Joe's allergies, has been overwhelming. But, for the most part, I really enjoy the creative aspect of concocting raw recipes, in addition to seeing the impact it has on me physically. There were only a few social occasions where I felt like kind of a pain in the ass, as I concocted my big salad, or brought along my raw hemp milk for my tea or whatever, but mostly, it was pretty easily sustainable. I do feel I'm at kind of a plateau, and it will require some shift or change to move in a new direction. That might be in the form of exercise. It may be further tweaking my diet. It may mean just changing my perception or behaviors. I don't know yet. I'll be open to whatever it is when it presents itself.

Both Darren and I plan to further explore the raw food lifestyle and enjoy the process of growing and learning together. Neither one of us want to get caught up on numbers or percentages, but just want to do what feels right for us at the moment. I'm a big fan of intuition; looking inside myself for answers, rather than always relying on external sources. As parents, we're both cognizant of the model we portray for our kids. With my previous food history, my ultimate goal is not to have my children religiously follow my dietary path, but to give them the tools to have a balanced relationship with food, and to make the best choices for themselves. Cliché as it sounds, life is a journey... of which, food is just a part.

Off to think up a new challenge....

RawFu Challenge - Day 95

Friday, 13 November 2009

Unfortunately, our attempts to defer purchasing a new computer were thwarted by the sudden demise of our old PC. So, we spent an unpleasant hour or two at Best Buy, trying to pick out the most affordable, yet functional, desktop computer. That accomplished, I spent the next two days trying to salvage stuff from the old computer, transfer it to the new one, and set things back up the way there were. Needless to say, the only time I have to do such things is late at night when the kids are sleeping. Thus, I'm feeling the disagreeable effects of sleep deprivation, and will shortly be heading to bed. At least I have the blissful opportunity of not having to get up TOO early tomorrow, so I have the chance at a decent night sleep.

When I'm chronically tired, I tend to eat more, under the false impression that food will somehow negate the effects of fatigue and give me the energy to forge onward through my day. Thankfully, my only potentially over consumed foods have been an extra cup of tea with almond milk, some frozen bananas or hemp seeds and raisins. Darren and I are quite ensconced in the daily routine of green smoothies and creative salad making, so those tend to be the staple meals. In the past couple days, I made another batch of granola, so we've alternated that once or twice, just to mix things up. We've also made more soups recently in the VitaMix, maybe for a little warmth. In addition, we've been adding kelp noodles to soups and salads, too, which give a little more texture and added minerals. We even tried some fresh yacon (fruit) this week from our produce co-op. So, we're not in a food rut anymore than we were ten years ago, eating the same three Lean Cuisine meals over and over!

One minor revelation I had the other day was that it has been a couple weeks since I had any coffee. I have drank a daily cup or two of decaf organic coffee with non-dairy milk for years. I really love the taste of coffee, and figured it was a minor vice that I wasn't willing to part with quite yet. However, the other day, I was making myself a cup of tulsi tea with fresh almond milk, possibly my newest vice, when it occurred to me that I couldn't remember when I'd last had a cup of coffee. My jar of Mount Hagen instant organic decaf coffee sits idly on the counter waiting for me to revisit, but I've not felt compelled recently. This may be due, in part, to the fact that I'm just drinking tea instead. But, I felt the draw to coffee, even decaf, to be strong, and for it to so casually lose its grip that I hardly noticed was interesting. Of course, I don't think we'll part ways with any finality right now, but the lessened degree of moderate dependency is probably a good thing for our relationship.

Tomorrow, Darren is taking Flo and Joe up to York, PA for a hockey game. Knowing that he would be gone most of the day, I helped him concoct a couple treats to take along. Using the pulp from the apple carrot juice we made today, I made a carrot cake-ish dish by just adding a little of the juice back, a squirt of agave, some raisins and coconut. Mushed that into a small container and topped with a little more coconut. Voila... portable dessert. For his dinner, we made a sauce out of hemp and pumpkin seeds, garlic, a little nutritional yeast, butternut squash, sea salt and spices, and poured that over kelp noodles, adding some chopped kale, red onion and diced carrot. It actually looks rather gourmet. The kids, on the other hand, get the econo-vegan option of black beans and rice. I don't have the energy to be anymore creative right now.

As the 100 day raw food challenge is coming to a close, I feel I've somewhat hit a plateau, both physically and emotionally. I'm aware of the need for change in order to facilitate some further forward movement. I'm open to some further moderate dietary challenges, though I like my changes in lifestyle, especially food, to be gradual and sustainable, so I don't think anything too radical is going to spark my interest right now. I'd love to do a juice fast sometime, and I know I should further tweak my diet if I want to really max out the health benefits of raw foods, but I'm in no rush. Therefore, as I reflect a bit upon the things that this challenge has revealed to me, I'm starting to ponder my next challenge. The possibilities are endless... no frivolous spending for 90 days, writing so many words per day for a story, going to bed by 11 every night, reading a challenging book, an exercise challenge, relationship challenges, creative challenges, social challenges... hmm... much to consider. After all, I like a good challenge!