Lovely Raw

My posting spree just dried up, but I wanted to put in a last word. The 6 week Raw Vegan Challenge is officially over, but I have decided that I want to stay mostly raw.  I have no desire to go back to dairy and even eating bread gives me pause these days. I feel healthier, more alive, and dropped a pant size. It doesn’t get any better than that! So, am I glad I did this? Absolutely. I’m thankful to my team and all the support from friends, family, and co-workers. I couldn’t have done it without you guys!!!

I’m looking forward to a more vibrant, lovely raw life.

Miss K

Ok, I’m super behind. I blame it on the sweltering Texas heat, my office’s move to a swank new domicile, and my crazy AWESOME birthday week. Suffice it to say that I’m still raw, still vegan, still happy… and pondering what I’ll do once this challenge is over.

Let’s get a couple things out in the open. While my family and friends catered a raw vegan buffet for my surprise party, I did go out for sushi on my birthday night with a few friends. I relaxed the diet, intentionally, so that we could all enjoy ourselves. I will say that with one or two non-raw meals, I didn’t really feel a difference (I mean, I didn’t have a severe food allergy). I just knew that I couldn’t wait to get back to the raw diet.

Week 5 is closing out. I can’t believe that I’ve made it so far. I’ve had wonderful support from friends, family, teammates, and complete strangers. God is amazing and I’m so glad that I tried this. I’m thinking that after the RVC is over, I may stay 75%-80% raw and be 100% vegan. It’s been awesome living without bread (which I LOVE) and cheese (DOUBLE LOVE!) and I’d like to see if I can exist without them for the long term.

- Miss K.

Last week was a blur. One in which I ground along in a steady pace. The raw vegan diet is going well. I’ve found that it’s not as complicated as it was at the start and that I crave more time to prepare more yummy food! I can’t believe week 4 has started already. For some reason, I’ve been yearning for dark chocolate, but other than that, I’m enjoying the fluidity.

My wonderful family and friends threw me a surprise birthday party this Saturday night. Miss T and Mr. R catered the event and served up delicious raw lettuce wraps, cabbage salad, and tons of fruit. Mr. C even brought in raw sprouted rice!!!! To top it off, my mom brought me a raw cheesecake from Whole Foods. I have the best friends and family. :)

As I begin week 4, I am reminded of the benefits of good health. God gave us everything we need to live well and I am encouraged to embrace the bounty!

http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2010/05/can-we-eat-to-starve-cancer-william-li-on-treating-cancer-early-with-diet.html

Week 2 is almost done. I must say, that besides feeling hungrier from time to time, I feel pretty great. I’m still able to perform in work and other things and I don’t feel completely drained. Although I haven’t lost a ton of weight, my body feels firmer and more in sync with itself. Overall, I think I’m pretty happy. :) God is good and I’m just thankful for all the yummy things that He made for us to eat.

Tonight’s dinner party will consist of:

• Salad
• Lasange
• Blackberry cheesecake with clementine gelato
• Watermelon juice

One thing I’m having trouble coming to grips with is the time it takes to prepare everything. I feel like I’m always in the kitchen slicing, cutting, blending, juicing, dehydrating, washing… This diet certainly takes more effort, that’s for sure!

-Miss K

So, a bunch of other people on the RVC have been shouting their weight loss stories from the rooftop. I only weighed in at the start of the diet, so I was tentatively hoping that I, too, would have miraculously shed a few pounds over the past week. Today is weigh day, so I faced the scale…and was disappointed to see that I had only dropped a fraction of one pound. Huh? I’m eating nothing but fruits, vegetables, and nuts!!

True, my sleeping schedule is out of whack. Yes, I’m not exercising nearly as much as I would like. BUT, I’m not eating extra carbs and I refrain from eating anything but a little fruit in the evening. What gives?!?!

Maybe you’re eating too many nuts.

There’s that little voice in me head again. And now, I’m inclined to take it more seriously. I’ve noticed that I went from a zero-nut intake diet to one where I eat nuts for breakfast (almond milk in my smoothies), lunch (almond snacks or almonds on my salad), and dinner (almonds!). I know nuts are good for me, but I realize that they’re taking the place of tofu for me (I used to eat a lot of tofu. A lot.).

I’m not going to do anything extreme like just eat kale (mmm, kale…),  but I think for next week, week 3, I would like to tune a few things:

• More sleep each night (get to bed by 10 pm)
• More water during the day
• More cardio each day (I’m going to aim for 5 days next week)
• Fewer nuts (almond milk and a snack will be it)

Lots of raw recipes call for nuts (like cashews, almonds, and macadamias) for a lot of bases and cheeses. That said…

Today I made a blackberry cheesecake and clementine gelato for a little dinner gathering I’m having tomorrow night. The recipe is from The Raw Chef. I had to modify it since pomegranates are not in season (I used blackberries instead). I also ran out of cashews so I subbed in some macadamias as well. These delectable desserts probably have just as much fat as the real deal, but I was amazed at how great they turned out, seeing that they are completely raw. Photos tomorrow, I promise.

- Miss K

Today was a blur. Smoothie for breakfast, massive salad for lunch, carrot sticks that I didn’t finish… I seriously don’t have a problem getting enough food. Sometimes I can’t finish it all. I was a little bummed at the prospect of yet more salad tomorrow, but then I found a great and simple recipe for dressing (vinegar, nama shoyu, ginger, lemon, olive oil) and my spirits have been lifted. I did find raw vegan falafel at Whole Paycheck today so I saved that for tomorrow’s lunch to go along with the kale salad I also picked up. I’ve managed to visit Whole Foods only twice this week (as opposed to every single day last week). My fridge is steadily emptying out and so far, nothing has completely rotted on me. Prepping all the food in the morning is a lot of work, and I look fondly back on the days of packaged foods and the convenience of it all. But then, I look at the rainbow that’s on my plate and smile.

Tomorrow morning, I plan to prep two desserts for Friday. Hopefully, Mr M is coming over tomorrow night so that we can attempt a lasange.

Stay tuned…

Miss K

After work yesterday, I strapped on my running shoes and hit Little Stacy Park in South Austin. The trail wasn’t very long (probably about a mile) but it wound through a very pretty neighborhood (Travis Heights). I did some exercises from boot camp and got my heart rate up to burn some serious calories. On the way home, I was craving something cold and sweet…yes, like ice cream. But, the gears started turning and I knew that I could make myself a sorbet out of frozen mangoes. So…that’s what I did! (A Vita-Mix would have made this experience much better, but I’m making due with my faithful Osterizer).

Spicy Mango Sorbet

• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1/4 cup (or less) almond milk
• 1 inch ginger, chopped small
• 1 tbsp agave nectar

1. Whiz everything up in the blender until smooth. The consistency should be that of soft serve yogurt.
2. Inhale.

I was in bed before 11 (not quiet 10:30 - going to try again tonight) but still managed to oversleep a little bit. I could have gotten up but I kept stalling. This cost me, as I was barely able to whiz up a smoothie and bag some fruit and almonds before racing out the door to catch the train. I *just* made it. Really - I’ve got to slow down!

Lunch today will be the modified “noodle” salad with the creamy dressing from a couple days ago and a bunch of fruits and almonds. I finished off a pear, a Larabar, and a bag of raw kale chips already this morning, so it’s a good thing that I’m going running during lunch!

My goal this week is to be in bed by 10:30 at the latest. I certainly need more sleep and I feel that now that the rough period with the diet is over, I can turn my attention to my rest. Adequate rest is SO important! While eating raw and staying hydrated and exercising can help keep the body young and fit, plenty of rest will help the immune system and a ton of other things. Oddly, I’m both a night owl and an early bird, so I’m going to try and get to bed earlier so that I can have even more productive mornings.

Food for today:

Almonds:

• Made another batch of milk last night and saved the almond pulp for a cheesecake that I’m going to attempt later this week.
• I seasoned the rest of the soaked almonds and tossed them into the dehydrator (top shelf so as not to get too hot) in hopes of a tasty snack.

Veggies:

• The rest of the Whole Foods salad for lunch (with the raw basil pesto)
• Noodle salad for dinner - bean sprouts, carrot strips, red bell pepper, spring mix (with raw basil pesto)

Fruits:

• Fresh pineapple
• Fresh strawberries
• Breakfast smoothie - chia seeds, almond milk, banana, strawberries, Vega powder
• Fresh pear

Snacks:

• Kale chips from the Daily Juice raw bar (they’re super pricey, so I can’t wait until I have access to a bigger dehydrator so that I can make my own)
• Larabar

I’m on day 9 of the RVC and, truth be told, I’m feeling fine. While I did  start to doze off this afternoon during a work session, I’ve been doing well in general. I’m not craving all the foods that I love (good and bad) and I feel like I’m getting enough nutrients. It’s exciting to try out so many new recipes! I can say that now that I’ve been raw vegan for a few days, things are much more flavorful to me. Colors are more vibrant (because it’s all I see when I open my fridge!) and my sense of smell has been heightened a bit. Who knew being raw vegan could turn one into a superhero?

This past weekend was a blur. Day 7 was Miss T’s baptism and a subsequent raw vegan lunch to celebrate. We had tons of fruit, a yummy chocolate fruit dip, two kinds of salad, sweet potato + beet noodles with raw basil pesto, an “Asian noodle” dish with dressing, and my first attempt at raw falafel and dip. We barely had enough food, but it was really yummy. My parents and my friend Simone were visiting over the weekend, but it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it could have been (translation: the temptations were not overwhelming). The RVC’s Team 1 (Miss P and Miss S) hosted dinner Saturday night and had two kinds of soup, two kinds of salad, “popcorn” (yummy cauliflower seasoned with brewer’s yeast and cayenne pepper), and “donut holes”. On Day 8, my mom and I kicked off Mother’s day by working out in the morning with two other ladies from the RVC (Miss S and Miss I). We took it nice and slow and had a great time. Brunch for me was a fruit smoothie with Vega powder. I kind of wanted the cereal my mom and Simone were having, but that craving quickly passed as I dove into the fresh mango and sweet watermelon. I’m so thankful for my supportive family and friends! This lifestyle exploration has been such a wonderful testimony to my parents. They’re already vegetarian, but they both are starting to see some of the benefits of going raw (or mostly raw).

My mom helped me stock up on more nuts for the week (almonds for almond milk, macadamias and cashews for a cheesecake I want to attempt) and a tasty salad that I had for dinner yesterday (and lunch today). It’s funny - although I snack on fruits and veggies and nuts throughout the day, I don’t feel satiated…until I sit down to a meal. I easily set aside half of a salad that I would have normally destroyed. I just didn’t feel hungry anymore. HMMM.

So, week one has passed and there are 5 more to go. Everyone on the teams seems to be excited and supportive. This week, my team is hosting dinner Friday night, so I know that we’ll have to get a jump on preparation so that we have everything ready in plenty of time. Onward!

I ripped open the big Amazon box last night and stopped to breathe in the cardboard scent. My dehydrator was here! I couldn’t believe how intent I was on getting that thing set up. In my mind, chorus lines of seed crackers, “breads” made with the leftover vegetable pulp from the juicer, and dried mangoes and persimmons danced with wild abandon. I was going to start with two recipes - some “cheezy” crackers made of vegetable pulp, almond pulp, and nutritional yeast (vitamin B12!) and falafel (made out of almost the same stuff). I washed everything, assembled it, and plugged it in. That’s when, on a quick inspection through the manual, I realized that this thing heats up to 150F. Uh oh. Isn’t the limit for raw heating 115F? My heart sank a little but I had already fixed everything up, so as not to waste anything, I put the food mixes into the machine and set it spinning. As I lay in bed a couple hours later, I prayed that my house wouldn’t burn down.

Well, it’s day 6 and I’m feeling fine. Great, actually. I’m lighter on my feet and the DIVINE CINNAMON ROLLS from Upper Crust Bakery that are sitting on the break room table in my office do not tempt me. For breakfast, I had my chia-almond milk-banana-strawberry smoothie and for lunch, I made another canister of veggie juice to wash down the last of the Ruby Red salad. I also packed fruits (strawberries, kiwi, orange), so I think I’m set to go today. I’ve been drinking more and more water (although I forgot my slices of lemon today) and I think my system is cleaning out pretty well. The only thing needling me is that dehydrator. I’m going to try to return it and spring for the pricier (but proper temperature) Excalibur. I should have done more research in the first place, but live and learn…

I think about this first week and realize that I couldn’t have done it without the RVC team. The constant encouragement, plus the drive to do better and not to be the weakest link is really encouraging. It’s wonderful to hear of people feeling the effects of better nutrition. God is very good. I must say that one area I know I should put more effort into is my bedtime. I got fabulous sleep earlier this week when my body was crying for it, but over the past two nights, I’ve stayed up later and later prepping food and washing kitchen utensils. I anticipate a weekend of late nights (there are a number of things going on), but I’m going to make it my goal to be in bed no later than 10 pm. I know that will help with more than my outlook the next day.

Here’s a quick rundown of my raw vegan arsenal. I’ve had to purchase a few things for this endeavor that are making it a little easier to make more interesting foods:

• Breville juicer
• Aroma Dehydrator (returning)
• Mandoline slicer
• Cheese cloth
• Still need: spirooli (spiral cutter to make sweet potato “pasta”)

Cheezy Crackers

(modified from WeLikeItRaw.com)

• carrot or other vegetable pulp (I had kale, carrot, spinach, parsley, and celery pulp on hand)
• almond pulp (1/2 cup?)
• nutritional yeast (maybe 1/2 a cup?)
• 2 tbsp red miso
• a few spoons of tahini
• 3 tsp tomato paste
• a few splashes of nama shoyu (soy sauce will work too)

1. Mix everything up in a bowl with your hands.
2. You should be able to make a ball. If not, add some combination of ingredients until it sticks.
3. Roll out bits of “dough” at a time and cut up cracker shapes. Place on dehydrator plates (on plastic wrap or the fruit leather sheet that comes with some dehydrators).
4. I let the dehydrator run over night. They were crispy and delicious and “cheese” tasting in the morning.

The falafel was a similar idea. I just left out the miso, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, and nama shoyu and instead added black pepper, cilantro, onions, and a blend of tumeric, curry powder, and garam masala.

This weekend will be a bit of a challenge because my parents and a friend are coming into town and will spend it with me. My fridge is packed with raw goodness, but for their sakes, I hope they bring food. I think I’ll be ok with the cooking going on, but I’m a little worried that my mom will make my favorite dish and I’ll have to run out of the apartment screaming. :)

- Miss K