This Year and That

It would be interesting to compare what I ate on December 31, 2008, to what I ate today. I am so very thankful for the variety of foodstuffs and for the Federal Reserve Debt Notes to purchase said foodstuffs. I am also thankful that my family has chosen to take this trip with me.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 101

• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 2 slices of Carrot Raisin Manna Bread and 1 slice of Fruit and Nut Manna Bread with coconut oil
• some of Jim's Coffee Elixir (coffee, Reishi Brew, hazelnuts, mulberries, honey, irish moss, maca, cacao powder, sea salt)
  
• Superfood IceScream (ice, water, almonds, mulberries, irish moss, colostrum, honey, maca, mesquite, lucuma, sea salt)
  
• assorted veggies with French dressing
• dinner from LuLu's Noodles: 2 vegetarian spring rolls; veggie Pad Thai with tofu; 2 big glasses of water
• few bites of conventional cheesecake
  
  

Today's Observations
As always, I ate too much Pad Thai. Love that Pad Thai, dammit. Jim's Coffee Elixirs are more and more astounding. I can't usually drink coffee because it makes my head whir, but in the elixirs it's good... in small doses, that is. We're just superfooding OUT over here!

Be Beautiful

"Beautiful" by Marillion (off their "Afraid of Sunlight" album)

Everybody knows we live in a world
Where they give bad names to beautiful things
Everybody knows we live in a world
Where we don't give beautiful things a second glance

Heaven only knows we live in a world
Where what we call beautiful is just something on sale
People laughing behind their hands
As the fragile and the sensitive are given no chance

And the leaves turn from red to brown
To be trodden down
To be trodden down
And the leaves turn from red to brown
Fall to the ground
Fall to the ground

We don't have to live in a world
Where we give bad names to beautiful things
We should live in a beautiful world
We should give beautiful a second chance

And the leaves fall from red to brown
To be trodden down
Trodden down
And the leaves turn green to red to brown
Fall to the ground
And get kicked around

You strong enough to be
Have you the courage to be
Have you the faith to be
Honest enough to stay
Don't have to be the same
Don't have to be this way
C'mon and sign your name
You wild enough to remain beautiful?
Beautiful

And the leaves turn from red to brown
To be trodden down
Trodden down
And we fall green to red to brown
Fall to the ground
But we can turn it around

You strong enough to be
Why don't you stand up and say
Give yourself a break
They'll laugh at you anyway
So why don't you stand up and be
Beautiful

Black, white, red, gold, and brown
We're stuck in this world
Nowhere to go
Turnin' around
What are you so afraid of?
Show us what you're made of
Be yourself and be beautiful
Beautiful

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 100

• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• Superfood IceScream (ice, honey, almonds, water, cacao nibs, goji berries, colostrum, maca, lucuma, mesquite, sea salt)
  
• lunch out at Whole Foods: vegetable sushi; Synergy Trilogy kombucha
• 3 slices of Carrot Raisin Manna Bread with coconut oil
• a few sips of fruit juice and vodka (ugh!)
• Hoppin' John (brown rice, black-eyed peas, onions, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, celery, garlic, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, sea salt) with guacamole, salsa, and hot sauce; green salad (butter lettuce, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, grape tomatoes, cucumbers with store-bought French dressing); water
• Yumpot (cacao powder, coconut oil, cashew butter, coconut flakes, honey, maca, sea salt)
  
• cup of Reishi Brew (reishi, cat's claw, Pau d'Arco, elderberries, vanilla bean)
  
• few bites of conventional cheesecake
  
  

Today's Observations
I tried the cheesecake just to see what it would taste like and, nope, still don't like it. I make a great raw vegan cheesecake that ROCKS. Miss that. I'm going to have to make that soon. Also tried that fruit juice and vodka drink to see how it would affect me. I haven't had hard liquor in ages. Within about 10 minutes of drinking those sips, I got a headache. I'll stick to Jim's home brews, thank you very much.

Joy in Variety

I have to keep variety in my food choices. I have a friend who eats the same type thing almost every day of his life. And though what he's eating really seems to work for him nutritionally, it would bore the pants off me. I've got to have a lot of textures, colours, flavours, and (visual artistic) movement on my plate throughout the day. But this is where I choose to put my creativity. I know this won't work for everyone. One thing I've noticed though: the people who put more effort into preparing their food are the people who feel more joy while consuming it. What about you?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 99

• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 2 slices of Fruit and Nut Manna Bread with coconut oil
• Superfood IceScream (ice, almonds, cacao nibs, honey, mesquite, maca, lucuma, colostrum, irish moss, sea salt)
• cup of Reishi Brew (reishi, astragalus, cat's claw, Pau d'Arco, elderberries, vanilla bean)
• bowl of Savory Rice leftover from last night
• an apple
• baked potato topped with Bean Stew (kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, onions, red bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, sea salt), guacamole (avocado, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, sea salt), and Walnut Sauce from last night
• glass of water
• Choco Banana Frosty Thang (frozen bananas, ice, water, coconut oil, cashew butter, honey, cacao powder, sea salt)
  
  

Today's Observations
I've really been having fun with trying to find dinners that work for my omnivorous 'rents and my family. I've been coming up with some interesting combinations, but everyone seems happy! The potatoes and the Frosty Thang were a big hit!

KISSING Your Food

I'm sure you've heard the KISS theory: Keep It Simple, Stupid (though I prefer "Sweetheart" ; ). Keep this in mind with food prep as well. I used to go way out and create this elaborate meals every day. I found myself getting stressed to out-do the last creation. Too much work and not enough joy. When I sat down at the table, it was more of an opportunity for me to just relax instead of enjoying what I'd just prepared. So, now I focus on less. I try to keep my salads under 4 or 5 ingredients, have just a piece of fruit as a snack, or eat just a baked sweet potato as a small meal. Making too much out of food takes away from the food and puts the emphasis on the process. That's out of balance for me.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 98

• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 3 slices of Fruit and Nut Manna Bread with coconut oil
• an apple
• lunch out at Bangkok Bistro: Drunken Noodles with extra veggies and tofu; vegetable spring roll; hot tea; water
  
• Superfood IceScream (ice, almonds, cacao nibs, honey, mesquite, maca, lucuma, colostrum, irish moss, sea salt)
• glass of water
• bowl of green salad (Butter lettuce, grape tomatoes, cauliflower with a homemade honey mustard vinaigrette); Savory Rice (brown basmati, celery, onions, garlic, parsley, black pepper, sea salt); Spaghetti Squash with Walnut Cheese Sauce (walnuts, roasted garlic, fresh garlic, red bell pepper, olive oil, water, black pepper, sea salt)
• glass of water
  
• Yumpot (cacao powder, coconut oil, cashew butter, honey, maca, sea salt)
  
  

Today's Observations
Lovely dinner tonight! I made a wonderful dinner for the 'rents. Ironically, I was trying to keep it simple, but still impressive. I think it worked. The rice and cheese sauce seemed to be the big hits!

Did I mention food?

People tell me I think about food too much. I don't think I do. I call it staying in the moment, being aware of each breath, each movement, each bite.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 97

• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• cup of hot jasmine green tea (using previous cup's leaves) with honey
• bowl of oatmeal with mulberries, goji berries, coconut oil, and stevia
• lunch out at Whole Foods: veggie combo sushi; cup of hot yerba spice tea with honey
• Yumpot (cashew butter, coconut oil, honey, cacao powder, coconut flakes, maca, stevia, water, sea salt)
  
• bowl of Banana Mango Ice Cream (frozen bananas, frozen mangos, honey, water)
• dinner out at Taj Mahal: couple of veggie pakoras; couple of paneer pakoras; a samosa; Nav Rattan Korma over basmati rice; water
• couple of handfuls of peanut M&Ms
  
  

Today's Observations
Dude! LOL! My first dairy and sugar crap in a while! Too funny. I really think that all the sweet I had today was a bit much - refined or no. But I didn't feel like I overate, which was good. At the Indian restaurant, Jim got some naan - a huuuuge personal favourite - and I didn't even want it. I was really happy with what I got. I never thought I'd see the day...

Out With The Old, In With The New

I heard somewhere that it takes 14 days to create a new habit. I think that's crap. I think it takes a lot longer than that. Not only are you having to make the new habit a reality, but you have to mourn the old habit, honour that old habit. Those lovely old habits helped you hobble through some tough times. They're like the favourite mixing bowl that finally broke after 20 years. You know it can be replaced, but there's still sentimentality attached to it. And this new upstart wants to replace it?! My new habits can sometimes take months and months to stick. And that's o.k. because I want to usher the old ones out in a way that is grateful... no matter how odd or unhealthy that old habit may be.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 96

• glass of water
  
• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
  
• 3 slices of Carrot Raisin Manna Bread with coconut oil
• 20 chlorella nuts
• big bowl of bok choy salad (bok choy, portabello mushrooms, Spiced Seeds, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, sea salt); Apple Pie a la Mode (serving of yesterday's Flat-Bottom Apple Pie topped with Banana-Peach Ice Cream made from frozen bananas, frozen peaches, cashew butter, water)
• dinner at a party: carrots and celery with my Walnut Pate (walnuts, onions, scallions, carrots, celery, dried cranberries, garlic, balsamic vinegar, sea salt); green salad (romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, Spiced Seeds, balsamic vinaigrette); 2 cups of hot herbal tea with honey
• some leftover veggie fried rice
  

Today's Observations
I am just ROCKIN' this party scene! OK, admittedly, today I had some help. The big family gathering today did have the usual fare of cheese-ridden appetizers (there was actually some kind of cheese dip there that was neon orange! yeesh! LOL!), but the cool thing was that the dinner was a salad bar! I was in heaven! Also, I must say that I've been SOOOO missing my homemade chocolates! They don't carry cacao powder and/or cacao butter in my favourite store here, so Mo and I are going to try to find some at Whole Foods tomorrow.

The Honorable Path

How invested in not thinking are you? Are our actions rooted in cognizant free will or are they coming from a place of denial? Are your actions all about uplifting and supporting or are they about suppression and fear? Understanding where your actions come from is the first step to honoring yourself.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 95

• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
  
• small bowl of Strawberry Pudding (frozen strawberries, banana, avocado)
  
• 2 slices of Cinnamon Date Manna Bread with coconut oil
• bowl of brown rice with avocados, red bell pepper, scallions, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, sea salt
• dinner at party: assorted sliced veggies with guacamole; a taste of this lovely black bean and corn salsa; small pie of my Flat-Bottom Apple Pie (crust was walnuts, almonds, raisins, sea salt; filling was apples and cinnamon coated with a syrup made from dates, orange, vanilla bean, water); cup of hot decaf tea
• small bowl of Banana Ice Cream (frozen bananas, cashew butter, water) with walnuts on top
• glass of water
  

Today's Observations
During the 24th, 25th, and 26th we are visiting several family and friends. There are snacks and drinks galore. I'm feeling inclined to reach for food just because it's there. It doesn't matter what it is: candy, meat, dairy, eggs, breads... whatever. And it has absolutely nothing to do with hunger; it has everything, however, to do with habit. Ironically, there is NO thinking involved in this habit. Now that I am thinking about my food and drink intake, I enforce the lapse between reaching and grabbing. Now it's become an observation... instead of an action. Go, me. ; )

Love Thy Self

Jim once told me that he heard that the reason that we don't make changes we need to is because we don't love ourselves enough, that we don't think we're worth it. If this is true, this sucks. How can I love myself more? Is it just a matter of getting more massages? Eating the right foods? Hanging out with cool people? Or is it something deeper?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 94

• 1 slice of Carrot Raisin Manna Bread with coconut oil and cinnamon
• big mug of Nut Nog (hazelnuts, water, dates, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sea salt)
• 2 honkin' bowls of kale salad (kale, red bell pepper, Spiced Seeds, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt); 2 slices of Cinnamon Date Manna Bread with coconut oil
• cup of Reishi Brew (reishi, cat's claw, astragalus, elderberries, cinnamon)
• Superfood IceScream (ice, water, Brazil nuts, almonds, goji berries, cacao nibs, honey, maca, mesquite, colostrum, sea salt)
• cup of Reishi Brew
  
• bowl of vegan chili
• carrots and celery with peanut butter
  

Today's Observations
I am SO proud of myself for not eating ANY of the holiday foods that make me feel like crap. This is fucking HUGE. Seriously.

Spiritual Eatin'

What does health have to do with spirituality? Is there a relationship between what you eat and drink with how you practice/activate your spiritual life?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 93

• 3.5 slices of Carrot Raisin Manna Bread with coconut oil and cinnamon (NICE!)
• glass of water
• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• big mug of miso soup (miso, portabello mushrooms, carrots, garlic, water); 3 olives
• baked sweet potato with Walnut Dressing (from last night's bok choy salad)
• cup of Reishi Brew (reishi, cat's claw, astragalus, elderberries, cinnamon)
• Superfood IceScream (ice, water, Brazil nuts, cacao nibs, goji berries, irish moss, colostrum, lucuma, maca, mesquite, stevia, sea salt)
• few pieces of cauliflower dipped in Walnut Dressing
• dinner out at Taj Mahal: bite of a veggie pakora; bite of some potato thingy; some of the vegetarian samosa special; cup of lentil and spinach soup; Bhindi Masala with basmati; hot tea
• another cup of Reishi Brew
  

Today's Observations
I have been in the weirdest body space today. I've unbelievably hungry and kind of headachey. I think it's because we aren't on spring water here. (We're on vacation... far, far away from home.) I've been drinking the Reishi Brew to see if that would help. Also took a bath with epsom salts to pull out the toxins. Had some insight today to ramp up the chlorella while I'm here, too. My task: increase defenses, but don't lose sight of enjoying myself while on vacation.

Standing in Judgement

How invested are you in other people's eating habits? I find it's much easier to focus on other people's than my own. Besides... who likes judging themselves? That's boring. ; )

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 92

• cup of hot Throat Coat tea
• a few tastes of some raw organic Tuscan-flavoured goat's milk chevre
• a few of Duane's homemade sweet and sour pickles (MMM!)
• handful of my Candied Spicy Pecans (pecans, honey, spices)
• Superfood IceScream (ice, water, hazelnuts, cacao nibs, goji berries, mulberries, honey, lucuma, maca, mesquite, sea salt)
• carrots with guacamole; 2 figs; an apple; 3 olives
  
• mug of Squash Soup (butternut, acorn, sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, miso, black pepper, sea salt, water); bok choy and red pepper salad with Walnut Dressing (walnuts, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, water, honey, black pepper, sea salt); 2 slices of Manna Bread; glass of water
• small bowl of Raspberry Strawberry Sorbet (frozen raspberries, frozen strawberries, honey, water)

Today's Observations
Today is the first day at Mom and Dad's house. We're here for 2 weeks. I've brought my Vitamix, my food processor, and 2 huge boxes of foods (superfoods, superherbs, nuts, etc.). I feel really confident about my ability to stay on a good path, but I am concerned about my judging Jim and Mo around their choices. I'm really trying to just focus on me and trust that all that I've taught Mo will have made an impression. I'm also struggling with not making snarky comments to either of them. Bad habit of mine. This blog is keeping me honest though. I'm really happy I have it during times like these.

Traveling Light

When traveling it's a great idea to look up natural foods stores or bigger chain grocery stores along the way. Use these as your "fast food" restaurants.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 91

• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• a piece of my Mulled Berry Chocolate
• Smoothie (frozen bananas, frozen mangos, frozen strawberries, spring water, honey)
  
• Elixir (walnuts, spring water, lucuma, maca, cinnamon, cayenne, sea salt)
• dinner out at Whole Foods salad bar: green salad, tomato soup, vegetable korma
• cup of hot Throat Coat tea

Today's Observations
Running around like crazy today. Getting ready to travel and then hitting the road!

If You Build It...

Whatever food you have available will be the food eaten.

I hear people say all the time that they could never get their kids to eat [veggies, fresh fruit, raw, vegan, vegetarian]. And yet they never consider that the kids are eating what you are offering. For example, at our Yule celebration, we had tons of fresh fruit and veggies available and they were scarfed up by every single kid there. As I looked around the room at what each kid had chosen, I saw vegan soups, chunks of cheese, veggies, fruit, and... well, lots of Yule candies. Not too bad!

If you offer kids - and adults! - healthy options, that's what's going to be consumed. My family isn't eating Little Debbies and Ben and Jerry's because I provide raw vegan dessert options for them to have instead. This isn't about denial; this is about better choices.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 90

• cup of Holiday Not/Nut Nog (coca tea, spring water, hazelnuts, dates, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg)
• cup of spring water
• bowl of Smashed Taters (red potatoes, raw goat's milk feta, black pepper, nutritional yeast, sea salt)
  
• piece of some raw vegan crazy coconut chocolate pie I brought home from last night's party
  
• couple cups of Reishi Brew (reishi, astragalus, cat's claw, elderberries, carob pod pieces)
• dinner at the Yule celebration: Ancestor Peanut Soup, brown rice salad, clementine, veggies with hummus, hot chamomile lemon tea with honey
• an apple
  

Today's Observations
So, I'm sitting here trying to remember all I ate at the Yule celebration and as I'm typing it, I'm mentally making my way around the potluck table. It was so nice to see the huge veggie tray, the equally huge fruit tray, and the big stack of clementines, apples, and bananas. There were also beautiful vegan soups, chilis, and rice dishes. There were hardly any desserts; the only things I remember seeing were Peg's brownies and some homemade chocolates. I've been going to this particular Yule celebration for years and have noticed the food options slowly change. Mo also said on the car ride home last night that she noticed that the quantity of food had changed - which I found intriguing. Are people truly eating less? Really great night for me food-wise.

Me Masks

No matter where I am, I try really, really hard to be who I am, authentically. I was encouraged at a younger age to change with the company I was keeping. This is a mask-making process and, I've found, incredibly unhealthy. I've been in company recently where I watched this schism in action and it was a real eye-opener.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own - except when they're the restaurant's.

Day 89

• one of my homemade raw vegan Mulled Berry Chocolates
• cup of spring water
• celery and veggie chips (those types of chip things that are slices of root veggies that are flash-fried) with red pepper hummus
• celery and peanut butter (ugh... haven't had PB in ages... yeesh)
• cup of hot decaf chai tea with honey
• cup of hot decaf chai tea (reused bag) with honey
• lots of sampling at a lovely potluck: celery and jalepenos dipped in raw organic goat's milk chevre, local Brie and Camembert, some bulghur salad, some mixed veggie and tempeh (I think salad), a couple of my Mulled Berry Chocolates, local blueberry wine and mead... ugh... that's all I can remember!
  

Today's Observations
Lisa has learned that drinking is no longer in her repetoire.

Daring

and god help you if you are a phoenix
and you dare to rise up from the ash
a thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy
while you are just flying past

- excerpt from "32 Flavors" by ani difranco

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own - except when they're the restaurant's.

Day 88

• cup of hot coca tea with honey
• Elixir (spring water, ice, sesame seeds, psyllium husks, irish moss, lucuma, maca, mesquite, colostrum, cacao nibs, sea salt)
  
• lunch out at Whole Foods salad bar: green salad with lots of veggies and a falafel patty, small bowl of vegan carrot ginger soup
  
• cup of Reishi Brew (reishi, astragalus, cat's claw, elderberries, carob pod pieces)
• couple of big handfuls of Lil Lad's Herbal Popcorn
  
• bowl of green salad (romaine, golden beet, red pepper) with Jim's vinaigrette
• baked spaghetti squash with raw organic goat's milk feta and black pepper
• tastes of my homemade chocolate candy
  

Today's Observations
That spaghetti squash with the feta was unbelievable. Period. Nuff said.

Zoning Out

How far outside your comfort zone are you willing to go to achieve health?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own - except when they're the restaurant's.

Day 87

• one of Jimmy's Warming Elixirs (Reishi brew, spring water, coconut flakes, hazelnuts, irish moss, lucuma, maca powder, mesquite powder, cacao powder, colostrum, dates, goji berries, vanilla, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt)
  
• bowl of 3 Squash Soup (acorn squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash, celery, carrots, onions, turnips, water, sea salt) with homemade raw goat's milk kefir cheese with Frank's Finest Southern Cajun spices, all served over brown rice
• 1/2 of one of my raw vegan Chocolate Orange Mousse Cup (crust was hazelnuts, dates, sea salt; mousse was avocados, cacao butter, coconut oil, cacao powder, honey, lucuma powder, sea salt; topping was cacao nibs and dried powdered orange rind)
• cup of hot coca chamomile tea
• cup of Reishi Brew (reishi, astragalus, cat's claw, elderberries, carob pod pieces)
• some chocolate-covered ginger (not raw, not vegan, so don't get excited)
  
• dinner out at Thai Dish: 2 vegetarian spring rolls; vegetarian Pad Thai with tofu
  

Today's Observations
OK. The coca tea is rocking the free world. Ate too much at dinner tonight. Ugh. Old habit. Jim's elixirs continue to impress me. He's really got those down, man.

Mercy/Merci

"Mercy and Merci are very CLOSELY related. " - Livingstone

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 86

• one banana
• Strawberry Pudding (bananas, frozen strawberries, avocados) with homemade Seed and Goji Granola and hunza raisins
• one cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• bowl of oatmeal with walnuts, raisins, honey, cinnamon, sea salt
• 2 carrots with Olive Sesame Dressing (olives, sesame seeds, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spring water)
• big bowl of 3 Squash Soup (acorn squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash, celery, carrots, onions, turnips, water, sea salt) with homemade raw goat's milk kefir cheese with Frank's Finest Southern Cajun spices, all served over brown rice
• one of my raw vegan Chocolate Orange Mousse Cup (crust was hazelnuts, dates, sea salt; mousse was avocados, cacao butter, coconut oil, cacao powder, honey, lucuma powder, sea salt; topping was cacao nibs and dried powdered orange rind)
  
• one cup of Reishi Brew (reishi, astragalus, cat's claw, pau d'arco, elderberries, carob pod pieces)
  

Today's Observations
Niiiiice food day - especially that soup with the cheese. MMMMMMMMM....

Reclaiming the Happy Meal

Getting out of the meal concept may take some time. My family's been working on it for over a year now. I noticed when we began this journey, there was still a lot of emotion tied into whether we did or did not eat together. Not eating together was taken as a personal affront. Now, I just focus on making food when I'm hungry and, if others want to partake, making enough for them, too. This has not only freed up my time, but my energy flows better. I have more time to be creative and am less pressured to put on a show at meal time. I also notice when I'm not making a family meal that I am eating less. I need to unpack this one. Lots of interesting insights here....

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 85

• Green Smoothie (sprouts, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas, spring water, maca powder, yacon syrup, sea salt)
• cup of hot Gingerbread Spice herbal tea
• cup of hot Blackberry Sage herbal tea with honey
  
• bowl of Smashed Taters (Yukon Gold potatoes, raw goat's milk kefir, raw butter, garlic nutritional yeast, red pepper chili flakes, black pepper, sea salt)
• cup of cold rooibos tea
• cup of hot Blackberry Sage herbal tea with honey
• big bowl of Superfood IceScream (ice, mulberries, goji berries, mesquite powder, lucuma powder, cacao nibs, yacon powder, cold rooibos tea, sea salt)
• 2 bowls of green salad (romaine, red pepper, broccoli, Buckwheat Crispies, black pepper) with Olive Sesame Dressing (olives, sesame seeds, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spring water)
• cup of hot decaf chai tea with honey
• spoonful of some honey and cacao mixture Mo made
  

Today's Observations
What wonderfully powerful food! I loved eating today! Kefir is still giving me gas. Alas...

Timely Occurences

Synchronicity only happens in conjunction with other events.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own - except when they're the restaurant's.

Day 84

• a cup of hot Reishi Brew (reishi, astragalus, cat's claw, horsetail)
• bowl of Fruit 'n' Kefir (homemade raw goat's milk kefir, hunza raisins, walnuts, apple, honey, cinnamon)
• lunch out at Genji: bowl of veggie and udon miso soup
• cup of spring water
• handful of M&Ms from the mechanic's waiting room (gee, wonder why THOSE were there?)
  
• piece of my homemade raw vegan chocolate
• dinner out at Chia Sen: vegetarian Chop Suey with brown rice, steamed vegetarian dumplings, hot tea
• sweetie from Starbuck's: Peppermint Brownie, cup of hot African Redbush Spice herbal tea
  

Today's Observations
Not a good day, but I must say I made some pretty damned decent choices in spite of it.

Watery Selves

Are you a glacier, a river, a hurricane, a snowflake, or a teardrop?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 83

• cup of hot Aztec Fire herbal tea with stevia
• warm Elixir (hazelnut mylk, goat's milk kefir, irish moss, dried ground orange peel, cacao powder, honey, sea salt)
• a cup of hot Reishi Brew (reishi, astragalus, cat's claw, horsetail)
  
• raw vegan samples from Aimee's Open House: assorted veggies with zucchini hummus, date roll thingies, seasoned nuts
• lunch out at the mall: steamed rice and veggies, maki roll, water
• Hunza raisin samples
• cup of cold rooibos tea
• bowl of Creamy Winter Soup (delicata squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnip, onion, pepper, sea salt, water) with a couple of my Seed Crackers with raw butter
  
• bowl of Banana Ice Cream (frozen bananas, hazelnut mylk, carob pod bits, yacon syrup)

Creamy Winter Soup... so thick!

Today's Observations
OK. Hunza raisins are my new food. YUM! We ended up putting some of the soup on top of the buttered crackers... WOW! So good!

The Food Continuum

My food choices are always on a continuum - as well they should be when moving from a SAD diet to a more conscientious one, one that involves a rewilding of the self. But there is comfort for me in the boxes of "vegan" or "raw foodist": I don't have as much explaining to do. I can just go to a restuaurant and say I'm vegan and know that I'll get a certain meal. I can put myself in the raw foodist box and ask an old co-worker to meet me at the local salad bar. There are also times when I bring my own food and don't explain anything at all. Sometimes it's more important for me to get sustenance or visit with my friend than to try tell my whole story. Maybe all these maneuvers are just steps on the continuum as well. Maybe in my future the restaurants I choose will serve foods that are prepared the way I prepare them at home. Maybe in my future all my friends will eat similarly and we won't have to discuss food at all. Maybe in my future there will be no boxes.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 82

• cup of hot Aztec Fire herbal tea with stevia
• Green Smoothie (raw goat's milk kefir, raw goat's milk, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas, cacao nibs, cold horsetail and nettle tea)
• cup of hot green jasmine tea with honey
• couple pieces of candy leftover from last night
• big bowl of kale salad (kale, carrots, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, pepper, sea salt)
• avocado with sea salt
• 1/2 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream (2 trays of ice, 3/4 c. cold horsetail and nettle tea, 1/2 c. walnuts, 1/4 c. yacon syrup, 1/4 c. lucuma powder, 3 T. cacao nibs, 3 T. mulberries, 1.5 tsp. maca powder, 1/2 tsp. sea salt)
• 4 teeny baked Yukon potatoes with olive oil, nutritional yeast, pepper, and sea salt
• more chocolate candies
  
• cup of cold horsetail and nettle tea
• small cup of hot rooibos tea
  

Today's Observations
Oh, my! That's goat's milk gave me GAS! Was it the kefir or just the goat's milk? I want to continue having a bit of kefir everyday though and see how it sits with me. Also, what is it with me and sweet foods?

Faith

Can you have faith that you will make the best decisions you can around food? If not, what's stopping you?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 81

• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• cup of hot Aztec Fire herbal tea with stevia
• cup of hot rooibos spice tea
  
• lunch out at Whole Foods: bowl of vegetable and udon miso soup, few French fries, water
• chocolate chip cookie (yeee!)
• cup of water
• cup of hot Reishi Brew (reishi, pau d'arco, cat's claw, astragalus, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, spring water)
• cup of spring water
• raw vegan potluck feast: kale salad, "meatballs" with zucchini pasta and red sauce, another kind of salad with all kinds of veggies, walnut pate-stuffed mushrooms, Susanne's Figgy Fingers, chocolate truffles. my Sesame Orange Secret Recipe Chocolates, some peppermint tea with yacon syrup
• 10 chlorella nuts
  
• another cup of Reishi Brew
  

Today's Observations
Nice day. Loved all the different kinds of teas I had today! Yummo!

The Yes, Man

Put your hand on your stomach and say "YES!" 12 times. Put your hands on your hips and say "YES!" 32 times. Put your hands on your heart and say "YES!" 27 times. What happens when you do this? What happens when we allow our body to take up as much space as it needs? What happens when we allow our body to function at its highest potential? Who would we be if we allowed ourselves to stop the separation between body and spirit?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 80

• 1 big mug of Super Hot Cacao (hazelnut mylk, coconut oil, cacao powder, honey, vanilla bean, sea salt)
• handful of sunflower seeds
• bowl of kale salad (kale, carrots, red bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, sea salt, black pepper)
• cup of spring water
• 2 vegan, gluten-free shortbread cookies
• dinner out at Thai Dish: 2 fresh vegetarian spring rolls, veggie Pad Thai with tofu
• cup of spring water
• cup of hot Reishi Brew (reishi, pau d'arco, cat's claw, astragalus, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, spring water)
  
• cup of spring water
  

Today's Observations
Still focusing on quantities. I really love starting out the day with some type of elixir (today was hot cacao!). I satisfied. These and Mo's Garbage Cereals are good for me in the morning. Maybe it's the nut mylk?

What Goes In... Comes Out

If you are what you eat, then what's going on when we poop?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 79

• a piece of my raw vegan Secret Recipe Chocolate Candy
• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• cup of Jim's Green Smoothie (oats, walnuts, dates, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas, colostrum, goji berries, cacao powder, cacao nibs, maca powder, lucuma, sea salt, spinach, sprouts, spring water)
• 10 chlorella nuts
• one Cara Cara orange
• more chocolate candy! : p
  
• cup of Reishi brew (reishi, fo-ti, cat's claw, cinnamon sticks, spring water)
• cup of spring water
• bowl of Holiday Spaghetti Squash (baked spaghetti squash, raw butter, nutritional yeast, garlic, sea salt, pepper, basil, chili pepper flakes)
  
• one raw olive
• some of my seed and flax crackers with guacamole and tomatoes on top
• one cup of hot rooibos tea with stevia
• 3 dates
  

Today's Observations
Weird food today, but really tried to just follow what I wanted. Hmm....

It's All OK.

Yes, sea salt is OK. Fats (as in nuts, seeds, coconut oil, and raw butter) are OK. Now... will you freakin' relax?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 78

• a piece of my raw vegan Secret Recipe Chocolate Candy
  
• cup of Reishi brew (reishi, fo-ti, cat's claw, cinnamon sticks, spring water)
• cup of hot jasmine green tea with honey
• a couple piece of my raw vegan Secret Recipe Chocolate Candy
• bowl of Surf and Turf Soup (spring water, carrots, wakame, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, green beans, sesame oil, miso, Chinese Five Spice)
• Elixir (cold nettle and horsetail tea, irish moss, cinnamon, cardamom, ground coriander, frozen banana, honey, bee pollen)
• 10 chlorella nuts
  
• sampled a bit of colostrum and honey mixed together
  
• couple of handfuls of spiced punkin seeds, pistachios, sesame seeds, and figs
• spring water
• Cara Cara orange
• cup of hot yerba mate tea
• dinner out at Silly's: cup of hot herbal tea, 1/2 an order of sweet potato fries, falafel wrap with lots of lovely veggies
  

Today's Observations
Wooo! Too many bee products! I am BUZZING!

A Food Awakening

I think I'm going to have to rename this blog. I started out calling it "What This Raw Vegan Eats" because I wanted to give people some idea of what a higher-percentage raw vegan eats. But here's the thing: the more raw you eat, the more clean you become from the inside out. The cleaner you become, the more aware you become of your spiritual life, the more focused you become on your True Calling. (I'm saying "you," but maybe this is only my journey...?) The world starts to look a little different... what you thought was important just isn't... and things begin to shift.

It's exciting, too, to be on this journey with Jim because we are both waking up together. And we are really riding this for all it's worth. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings... or, hell, the next five minutes!

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 77

• cup of decaf chai tea with honey
• a couple pieces of my raw vegan Secret Recipe Chocolate Candy
  
• bowl of Black Bean Stew (black beans, tomatoes, onions, celery, dates, garam masala, sea salt)
• 1 grapefruit with honey
• cup of Reishi brew (reishi, fo-ti, cat's claw, cinnamon sticks, spring water)
• Sprout 'n' Seed Salad (sprouts, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar)
• 1 Butternut Bar (recipe in November somewhere)
• bowl of Surf and Turf Soup (spring water, carrots, wakame, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, green beans, sesame oil, miso, Chinese Five Spice); kale salad (kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, basil)
• cup of Reishi brew
• several pieces of my raw vegan Secret Recipe Chocolate Candy
• samples of Jim's medicinal brews, colostrum, and butter-honey-salt yumpot
  

My beautiful raw vegan Secret Recipe Chocolate Candy!

Today's Observations
We were just rippin' it UP today with Daniel! Whew! Man, talking about stepping outside the raw vegan box I've built for myself. Yikes.

Happiness is the Road

You're a slave to your mind
But you are not your mind
You are not your pain
Say it again
You are not your pain
Say it again
You are not your pain

Happiness ain't at the end of the road
Happiness ain't at the end of the road
Happiness IS the road
The road

HAPPINESS IS THE ROAD

- from "Happiness is the Road" by Marillion

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 76

• spoon o' Chocolate Sauce (cacao powder, honey, coconut oil, maca powder, sea salt)
• hot Blueberry Yerba (yerba mate, cacao nibs, dried blueberries, stevia)
• Jimmy's Sproutin' Green Smoothie (spring water, sprouts, Brazil nuts, walnuts, dates, honey, oats, cacao nibs, cacao powder, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas, mulberries, maca powder, mesquite powder, colostrum, sea salt)
• Mo's Garbage Cereal (oats, chia seeds, sesame seeds, goji berries, raisins, mulberries, Forelle pear, cinnamon) with hazelnut and Brazil nut mylk
• potato chips
• Black Bean Stew (black beans, tomatoes, onions, celery, dates, garam masala, sea salt) over brown rice
• spring water
• cold horsetail tea
• spoon o' Chocolate Sauce (cacao powder, honey, coconut oil, maca powder, sea salt)
• hot horsetail and nettle tea
  

Today's Observations
I've decided to not include measurements anymore. Too much of a pain.

Optimal Health

"I'm searching for optimal health. 100% optimal health is what I'm looking for, not 100% raw food." - Kevin Gianni

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 75

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea (with previous tea's leaves)
• Mo's Garbage Cereal (oats, walnuts, coconut flakes, chia seeds, sesame seeds, mulberries, goji berries, raisins, banana) with Brazil nut mylk
• 1 raw vegan Aphrodite chocolate
• lunch out at Silly's: 1/2 an order of sweet potato fries, falafel wrap with all the veggies, hot herbal tea
• 2 c. spring water
• 10 chlorella nuts
  
• 2 c. of Banana Ice Cream (frozen bananas, hazelnut mylk) with Chocolate Sauce (cacao powder, honey, coconut oil, maca powder, sea salt)

Mo's Garbage Cereal... and cards... our morning ritual...

Today's Observations
Today was all about the comfort. Periods do that to a woman. And that is... OK.

Elemental Eating

Take the time to appreciate the 4 Elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water) in each bite. Once you've found them, you may find the Divine.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 74

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• Mo's Garbage Cereal (oats, chia seeds, sesame seeds, goji berries, raisins, Forelle pear) with Brazil nut mylk
  
• 1 c. hot yerba mate with stevia
• 1 Odwalla bar
• 4 c. kale salad (kale, Swiss chard, zucchini, carrot, sunflower seeds, olives, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, nutrional yeast, black pepper, sea salt)
• 2 c. hot Reishi Brew (reishi, fo-ti, vanilla bean, astragalus root, schizandra berries, goji berries)
• 1 c. spring water
• 1/2 c. Sunspire chocolate-covered peanuts
• 2 c. Split Pea Soup (water, split peas, parsnips, carrots, onions, thyme, liquid smoke, sea salt, black pepper) with nutritional yeast sprinkled on top
  

Today's Observations
Welcome, period.

A Quotable

"In general, mankind, since the improvement in cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires." - Benjamin Franklin

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 73

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 16 oz. Jim's Sproutin' Green Smoothie (spring water, oats, sprouts, kale, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas, Brazil nuts, maca powder, mesquite powder, cacao powder, cacao nibs, colostrum, goji berries, soaked goji berries, goji juice, bee pollen, dates, honey, sea salt)
• 2 c. Surf and Turf Soup (water, miso, wakame, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, onion, green beans, Chinese 5 Spice, sesame oil)
• 1/2 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream (2 trays of ice, 1/4 c. cacao powder, 3 T. cacao nibs, 3 T. honey, 2 T. lucuma, 1 T. mesquite powder, 1 tsp. maca powder, 1/2 tsp. stevia, 1/2 tsp. sea salt)
• 1 c. spring water
• 2 c. cold horsetail tea
• 1 oz. corn and flax seed chips
  
• dinner out at Thai Dish: 2 fresh vegetarian spring rolls, one order of veggie Pad Thai with tofu
• 1 c. hot Aztec Fire herbal tea with honey
  
• 2 c. spring water

Today's Observations
I feel so much better eating more superfoods and superherbs. What a difference they make!

Lite Brite

If you shine your light, be prepared for others to flock... including the bugs. ; )

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 72

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea (using previous tea's leaves) with honey
• Mo's Garbage Cereal (oats, goji berries, raisins, chia seeds, sesame seeds, banana, coconut flakes) with hazelnut mylk
  
• 1 c. hot Reishi Brew (reishi, fo-ti, vanilla bean, astragalus root, schizandra berries, goji berries)
• 1 apple
• 1 c. spring water
• lunch out at mall: white rice with steamed veggies (damned good choice, if I say so myself!); handful of dark chocolate-covered almonds; water
  
• Mexi-Mass (in layers: kale, brown rice, nutritional yeast, Jim's Salsa, guacamole)
  

Today's Observations
Pretty good day overall. I had an emotional moment in the car today where I found myself talking to Mo about how I'm making good choices around my eating (quantities, food types, etc.) and started to well up. I looked at her (for just a second, of course... I was driving, after all) and said, "You know, I never take time to celebrate my accomplishments. I work so hard to be the best person I can that I never just stop and celebrate." This is hard for me to do. I need to focus on that more often.

Steps on the Journey

Mo and I are always talking about good-better-best in terms of choices. It's wild to me how much these lines of demarcation move as our food preferences and options change. 10 years ago, a pint of Ben and Jerry's frozen yoghurt for dinner was a good choice. 5 years ago, a veggie burger with homemade fries was a good choice. 2 years ago, homemade vegan burritos (complete with homemade tortillas, salsa, and guac) was a good choice. Now it's Surf and Turf Soup (see below), homemade sorbet (see below), and Reishi Tea. Wow. I'm really excited to see where this journey will take us next.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 71

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea (using previous tea's leaves) with Stop Yer Swinin' and Bee Well electuary
  
• 1.5 c. Not Nog (hazelnut mylk, Medjool dates, coconut oil, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper)
• 4 c. kale salad (kale, red bell pepper, carrots, cucumbers, olives, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, sea salt, black pepper); 1/2 c. brown rice with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, garlic, and sea salt
  
• 1 medium Yerba Mate with honey and an Odwalla bar
  
• 2 c. Surf and Turf Soup (water, miso, wakame, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, onion, green beans, Chinese 5 Spice, sesame oil) served over sweet potato noodles
  
• 1.5 c. of Strawberry-Raspberry Sorbet (frozen strawberries, frozen raspberries, frozen bananas, water) with Chocolate Sauce (cacao powder, coconut oil, honey)
  

Not Nog... mmm... so perfect for today! It's freezing!

Today's Observations
Tonight's dinner was ROCKIN'!!! Mo and I found these sweet potato noodles at the Asian grocer. They look like greenish rice vermicelli and taste like vermicelli, too. Very wild. They only had sweet potato, water, and salt as the ingredients. Interesting. I was looking for a wheat-free alternative and the Asian grocer is chocked with them! And those wood ear mushrooms?!? They SO look like human ears floating around in your soup. Had to get used to that one... The other thing I wanted to mention was that Mo and I were out shopping today and both of us got hungry. I really need to stay away from wheat, so I found a good alternative: Odwalla bars. I know they aren't the most healthy choice, but better than the Cappucino Mousse I was eyeing. ; ) Seriously though... I was proud of myself.

Eating in Half-sies

Have you tried only eating half of what you'd normally portion out for yourself? I recently made a half-sized bowl of cereal to see how much it'd fill me up. While I was making it, I reassured my panicking self by saying, Hey, if it's not enough, you can always make another bowl. After eating what seemed like the world's tiniest portion (it was actually quite normal-sized), I was... fine. I felt like I'd gotten enough to eat. Which really made me wonder: how often am I doing this? I thought I put the quantities in this blog to see what it takes to fuel my current body. But I don't think this is accurate. I think these amounts fuel my current mindset.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 70

• 1 c. hot Reishi Brew (reishi, fo-ti, vanilla bean, astragalus root, schizandra berries, goji berries)
• 1 serving of Apple Crisp (crust was hazelnuts, dates, sea salt; second layer was a sauce made from apples, dates, chia powder, cinnamon, and ginger powder; third layer was apple slices; topping was hazelnuts, dates, oats, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger powder, sea salt)
• Banana Mash-Up (2 bananas, 1 T. sesame seeds, 1 T. chia seeds, 1 tsp. bee pollen)
  
• 1 c. spring water
• lunch out at Bruce's Burritos: spinach and sweet potato burrito, chips with guacamole and salsa, water
• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 3 c. kale salad (kale, sunflower sprouts, red peppers, carrots, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dried basil, sea salt, pepper)
• 1 c. cold Pau d'Arco tea
  
• 1.5 c. of Banana Chip Ice Cream (frozen bananas, hazelnut mylk, cacao chips)
• 1/3 c. baked acorn squash with cardamom
  

Today's Observations
Have really been paying attention to quantities lately. I've also tried to be in Observer Mode (tm) when I eat smaller portions. Panic seems to creep to the fore, like I'm worried about not getting enough. Where's that coming from? Did I starve in a past life? Hmm....

Halfway Authenticity

Is it authentic for you to meet someone halfway? What do you feel like as you approach them and step further from your own side?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 69

• 1 c. spring water
• Superfood IceScream (1 tray ice, 1/3 c. Brazil nuts, 1/4 c. goji berry juice, 2 T. lucuma, 2 T. honey, 1.5 T. soaked goji berries, 1.5 T. cacao nibs, 1 T. mesquite, 1 tsp. maca powder, 1 tsp. colostrum, 1/2 tsp. fo-ti powder, 1/2 tsp. stevia, 1/4 tsp. sea salt)
• 1 c. hot decaf chai tea with stevia
• 2 c. brown rice with nutritional yeast, garlic, sea salt, and hot sauce
• 1 c. spring water
  
• World's Smallest Yumpot (1 T. cacao powder, 1 T. coconut oil, 1 T. honey, 1 tsp. maca powder, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, a splootch of water)
• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
• 1 c. hot Reishi brew (reishi, fo-ti, vanilla bean, astragalus root, schizandra berries, goji berries)
  
• 10 chlorella nuts and 1 tsp. bee pollen
• dinner at a friend's house: vegan lentil and vegetable stew, green salad with oil and vinegar, variety of nuts and seeds, my (second and better attempt at) Apple Crisp (crust was hazelnuts, dates, sea salt; second layer was a sauce made from apples, dates, chia powder, cinnamon, and ginger powder; third layer was apple slices; topping was hazelnuts, dates, oats, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger powder, sea salt), water

Apple Crisp (second attempt ; )

Today's Observations
Our friends had a big beautiful loaf of wheat bread, a couple different kinds of cheese, and a local mustard on the table to go with dinner. I looked at the bread and thought, OK, Lees. You know that you'll have a massive headache if you eat wheat... and that was easy enough to pass on. The cheese, for some odd reason, wasn't really an issue at all. I didn't really want any. I was so thrilled that they were thoughtful in their offerings though! We don't see these friends often and you could tell they put a lot of thought into the meal. My Apple Crisp seemed well-received, too. ; )

Hydration

What does hydration mean to you? How much water can you drink in a day. I never really pay attention the "supposed-tos" of eight 8 oz. glasses or whatever it is currently. There's so much debate around what's the appropriate amount. There's also a lot of debate as to what counts as a hydrating item. Some say the waters found in your fruit and vegetable intake count; others say it's only water; some say it's water and herbal teas; some say only spring water counts. How do you feel when you aren't hydrated? I never knew I was dehydrated until I started drinking spring water... and then I couldn't get enough! Once I was hydrated consistently, my daily headaches disappeared, my skin was less dry and more vibrant-looking, and my urine was more clear. It was such an easy fix! The alarming thing is that our culture doesn't teach us about proper hydration. We're taught that when you're thirsty you should reach for Kool-Aid or a Lipton Iced Tea or a Coke. There's a lot of baggage associated with those choices: chemicals, refined sugars, caffeine... not to mention the emotional baggage! What changes can you make right now to address hydration? Can you stay present enough to make more conscientious choices about what drinks you choose to ingest?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 68

• 1 c. hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea
• 1 serving of my Apple Crisp (Thanksgiving leftover)
• 1 c. hot Aztec Fire herbal tea with honey
• 1 oz. corn and flax chips
• 2 apples
• 1.5 c. Berber Vegetable Soup (tomatoes, zucchini, onions, sweet potatoes, red pepper, chick peas, dates, water, Berber seasoning, oregano, sea salt) topped with nutritional yeast
  
• 1 c. hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea
• dinner out at Genshi: 1 avocado and cucumber roll, 1 bowl of vegetable noodle miso soup, green tea
• 1 small piece of chocolate
• 2 c. spring water
  

Today's Observations
I was really proud of myself today. I got the chocolate bar for Mo and I to split. I took a small piece and thought, you know, all I really wanted was a little taste. I felt how it felt in my body and knew that eating more than that would give me a headache. I told her she could have the rest of it (which, of course, pleased her to no end... LOL). Now, I'm saying this like it was nothing... It wasn't. This was hard as shit because my head wanted the rest... the same head that would get a headache if I ate more. I kept thinking, I could just ask her for one more piece! A great internal battle ensued. And the cool thing was that I tried to just Be The One Who Watches and not play into it. I let the battle go on without getting emotionally tied to it. Nice.

I've also been really craving soups, hot teas, smoothies, elixirs... another liquid-based. And I originally thought it was just the colder weather coming on, but I'm not sure that's all of it. I've been noticing that my body appreciates less to process at time. For example, the Berber Vegetable Soup did not sit as well on my stomach as the vegetable noodle miso soup. I think this was because of the chick peas. I ended up lapping up the broth and veggies in that Berber soup and loving it, but the chick peas weren't working for me. Foods that are easy (like veggies, fresh fruits, nut or seed butters) work well and blended foods work well. When I ate the Apple Crisp this morning, I had a small piece - and that was good. I knew that if I had a bigger piece then my stomach would start hurting. And that was because of the nuts in the crust. Hmmm... I'm really loving the simplicity though!

The Shocking Truth

It's funny to me that several of the raw food movement movers and shakers are coming out as not 100% raw or not 100% vegan. There is such a great misunderstanding about the raw food movement. Yes, there are some people that are 100% raw and 100% vegan, but I am finding those few and far between. Most people I've encountered are simply on a high raw (at least over 50%) diet. BUT this diet could also include raw dairy and raw meats.

The key here is to not get hooked on one way of eating. It's not about finding a box and stepping into it. We need to, firstly, start listening to our bodies. Secondly, figure out if we're enjoying what we're prepping and ingesting. And, lastly, develop a way of eating that works best for us, that increases our health, vitality, and happiness. I would argue that eating French fries and hot fudge sundaes every day won't do this.

Can you be honest with yourself? Are you willing to break the habits enough to listen? What's in your food? What is it sourced from? What type of life do you want to live? Do you believe that the quality of your life is directly affected by your diet?

Some things to ponder...

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 67

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with stevia
• 1 c. Pear-Cranberry Pudding (Forelle pears, dried cranberries, banana, chia seeds, Irish moss)
  
• 1 c. hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea
• 1 serving of my Apple Crisp (Thanksgiving leftover)
• 4 c. Green Fennel Salad (green leaf lettuce, fennel, avocado, dried cranberries, pecans, sesame seeds) with Apple Cider Vinaigrette (apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic, sea salt, black pepper)
• a piece of Lisa Marie's World-Famous Chocolate Candy (cacao butter, coconut oil, honey, my Third Eye Blaster cordial, carob powder, cacao powder, maca powder, goji berries, hazelnuts, sea salt)
• dinner out at Saeng Thai: 1/2 an order of Fried Sweet Potatoes (appetizer), 1/2 of an order of Fresh Vegetarian Spring Rolls (appetizer), an order of Vegetable Noodle Soup Bowl, Thai tea, water
• 1/2 of a medium Starbucks soy hot cocoa
  

Today's Observations
So, Mo and I were out window-shopping tonight and we thought a hot cocoa sounded good. Both of us got a medium soy hot cocoa. We realized about halfway through that we couldn't really drink the whole thing. It was odd because it was soooo sweet. It's been an incredibly long time since we've had refined sugar. Weird. Also, I am so glad that Hope turned me onto the soup bowls at the Thai restaurant! What a fantastic alternative to the usual rice or noodle dish! I've been so into soups lately. I want to eat them daily! I'm addicted!

Thanksgiving Revelation

I had a startling revelation today with my Thanksgiving feast. Thanksgiving is usually my favourite holiday. I look forward to it every year, brainstorming about different recipes I can make starting in September. And I thought this year would be no different. The build-up was the same, but when the day came... it was nothing like I thought it would be.

Driving home I realized that the reason it was always my favourite holiday was because it was a license for gluttony. And that's just not where I'm at now. My relationship with food is changing radically, so it would make sense that this holiday would be the one where I'd see that the most.

Admittedly, it was a little sad to see this change, kind of like growing up in a way. But it was also very freeing: it validated all the work I've been doing on myself and my relationship to food.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 66

• 1 c. hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea
• 10 chlorella nuts
• 1 Rye Pumpkin Cracker (sprouted rye, sprouted pumpkin seeds, ground flax, sea salt, chili pepper flakes, Bell's seasoning, parsley, sea salt) with some of my Mushroom Pate on top (mushrooms, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, carrots, celery, jalepeno pepper, balsamic vinegar, parsley, Bell's seasoning, sea salt)
  
• a couple pieces of Lisa Marie's World-Famous Chocolate Candy (cacao butter, coconut oil, honey, my Third Eye Blaster cordial, carob powder, cacao powder, maca powder, goji berries, hazelnuts, sea salt)
• 1 c. Smoothie (frozen bananas, frozen blackberries, frozen strawberries, frozen mangos, Brazil nut mylk, honey)
• Thanksgiving feast (small samples of...): seitan, smashed potatoes with gravy, squash, monkey bread roll, steamed broccoli, fresh carrots, fresh grape tomatoes, mushroom and rice dressing, beet salad, olives, cranberry-orange sauce, my Apple Crisp (this was surprisingly good... my first attempt!), vegan punkin pie, my Miso Mushroom soup, my Pear-Cranberry Pudding (another first attempt surprise!), water
• 1 c. hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea
• couple more pieces of above chocolate
• serving of my Apple Crisp
  

Today's Observations
Oh, my land. So, we have our Thanksgiving over at a friend's and within 20 minutes of eating dinner, I got a raging headache. The seitan is straight wheat gluten and then, of course, the rolls. Wheat always gives me a headache.

True Celebrations

We had a special ritual today for a friend to celebrate a cool life transition. Very beautiful foods, lovingly crafted. The dinner was so simple. It totally reminded me of how celebrations should be: conversations full of laughter interspersed with tears... with some food to nibble throughout. So magickal. Really a good reminder for me - especially with Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 65

• 1 c. hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea
• 2 c. Chia Banana Pudding (chia seeds, Brazil nut mylk, banana, bee pollen, honey)
• 1 Rye Pumpkin Cracker (sprouted rye, sprouted pumpkin seeds, ground flax, sea salt, chili pepper flakes, Bell's seasoning, parsley, sea salt)
  
• a couple pieces of Lisa Marie's World-Famous Chocolate Candy (cacao butter, coconut oil, honey, my Third Eye Blaster cordial, carob powder, cacao powder, maca powder, goji berries, hazelnuts, sea salt)
• 2 c. Miso Mushroom Soup (spring water, miso, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger powder)
• ritual feast (some of each): Nik's Beet-Carrot-Kholrabi Salad, Hope's Apple-Pomegranate-Sesame Seed Salad, my (cooked) Spaghetti Squash with (raw) Olive Tomato Sauce, my Ritual Chocolates, hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea

Today's Observations
OK. 2 cups of chia pudding is... erm... a bit much. Let's just take that down a bit, shall we? I've been tootin' all day!

Exercise

I know this blog is supposed to be about food, but I think it's important to mention exercise in conjunction. Sometimes my food choices are related to my exercise. For example, I have a daily yoga routine that I do that includes some exercises my chiropractor recommends for my lower back and shoulders. If I don't do my exercises, I'm more prone to eat when I'm not hungry. I think this is because I'm out of balance. When I do my exercises, I am motivated to do more of them and am also more aware of my body, of how I move within my body, and am listening better to my body.

This can't be all about food. My relationship to food is contextual.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 64

• 1 c. hot decaf Earl Grey tea with stevia
  
• 1 c. hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea
• 10 chlorella nuts, 1 T. bee pollen
• 2c. Sweet 'n' Spicy Cabbage Slaw (cabbage, olives, scallions, sunflower seeds, goji berries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, dill weed, parsley, chili pepper flakes)
• 1 c. hot Reishi-Fo-ti-Vanilla tea
• 2 c. Smashed Potatoes (white potatoes, sweet potatoes, olive oil, hot sauce, nutritional yeast, garlic, sea salt)
• 1 c. spring water
• 1.5 c. Banana Ice Cream (frozen bananas, Brazil nut mylk) with Chocolate Sauce (cacao powder, coconut oil, honey)
• 3.5 slices of conventional veggie pizza with 2 c. kale salad (kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, nutritional yeast, sea salt)
• 2 c. cold Pau d'Arco tea
• 1 c. spring water
  

Today's Observations
Had a moment tonight where I realized that I'd been making a lot of emotional food choices recently. Very intense moment.

Gentle Permissions

I recently had a friend of mine tell me that she's not ready to give up comfort eating. I really had to respect her for that. She's working through so many issues right now and that's just not one of them. I think this is a huge sticking point for people - especially women. We berate ourselves because we're not doing enough. There are some that truly aren't, but what if you're one of the ones that is busting your ass to take care of your family, working, participating in social events, AND trying to work on yourself. Maybe just one issue at a time is all you can do. Maybe just one piece of the puzzle is all you can work on.

If you can't be gentle with yourself on your own journey, you'll never be able to heal. Healing only happens through an admission of gentleness.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 63

• Chocolate-Banana-Hazelnut Smoothie (frozen bananas, hazelnuts, spring water, honey, cacao powder, mesquite powder, maca powder, sea salt)
  
• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
  
• 1 slice of White Chocolate Pear Pie (crust was walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, dates, sea salt; filling was cacao butter, coconut oil, honey, pear, cacao nibs, water, sea salt)
• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
  
• 2c. Sweet 'n' Spicy Cabbage Slaw (cabbage, olives, scallions, sunflower seeds, goji berries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, dill weed, parsley, chili pepper flakes)
• 1/2 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream (2 trays of ice, 3/4 c. goji berry juice, 1/2 c. Brazil nuts, 2 T. soaked goji berries, 3 T. lucuma, 3 T. honey, 1 T. soaked goji berries, 1 T. mulberries, 1/2 tsp. fo-ti powder, 1/2 tsp. sea salt)
• dinner out at Saeng Thai: some fried sweet potato thingies for an appetizer and vegetable and tofu Pad Thai, hot Thai tea

Today's Observations
Today's lesson? Smoothies on my stomach first thing in the morning don't work. Let's just go back to the tea, shall we? And the fried sweet potato thingies... not too bad, but definitely am glad that I hardly ever eat fried food. Man, I remember eating fried food daily while I was in college. I lived on Diet Coke, pizza, and fries. Guess that begs the question of the quality of that living, doesn't it?

Medicinal Foods

There are many foods that I incorporate into my diet because of their medicinal properties. (I suppose all food is medicinal one way or another... ) All the teas I drink are to serve medicinal purposes - horsetail, nettle, Pau d'Arco, ginger, yerba mate, green teas... to name a few. I've also recently begun to take chlorella - something I've been wanting to buy for a while. (They're just so damned expensive, but I decided to take the plunge and just get 'em.) They taste marvellous! I also take Reishi tincture (my own creation) to restore my Yin energies and help heal my back. Take the time to research and experiment with herbs/superherbs and teas. Teas especially are a great way to get maximum benefit for a small amount of money!

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 62

• 10 chlorella nuts
• 2 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 c. hot green jasmine tea with stevia
• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
• 1 slice of White Chocolate Pear Pie (crust was walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, dates, sea salt; filling was cacao butter, coconut oil, honey, pear, cacao nibs, water, sea salt)
• 1 c. Mushroom Miso Soup (miso, spring water, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, garlic, ginger powder, black pepper)
• 2 c. spring water
• 1.5 c. Barley Vegetable Soup (barley, onions, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, honey, Herbs de Provence, Bell's, poultry seasoning, black pepper, water) with nutritional yeast, cheese breadsticks

Mushroom Miso Soup

Today's Observations
The breadsticks were a compromise. What all of us wanted was 56 huge veggie pizzas, but we decided to do just the breadsticks and eat the soup I'd already made. Go, Lisa, for making the soup this afternoon. LOL! Admittedly, I had some nausea and headache after the breadsticks.
: \

A New Education

What is your food teaching you?

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 61

• 1 c. hot green jasmine tea with stevia
• 1 c. (using previous tea's leaves) hot green jasmine tea with stevia
• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
• Mo's Garbage Cereal (oats, walnuts, goji berries, mulberries, pear, sesame seeds, chia seeds with hazelnut mylk)
• 1 slice of White Chocolate Pear Pie (crust was walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, dates, sea salt; filling was cacao butter, coconut oil, honey, pear, cacao nibs, water, sea salt)
• 2 c. spring water
• LOTS of nummy goodies at Aimee's potluck tonight: scads of Aimee's Happy Tea (reishi, chaga, vanilla! Oh, my!); some taco thingies in romaine; piece of homemade chocolate candy, beautiful kale and sprout salad; some of my Pineapple-Concord Grape-Pomegranate Salad; Aimee's Holiday Croquets with Ravy Gravy; carrot sticks with onion dip
  

Today's Observations
All that crazy-ass food combining at the potluck gave me gas! But the food was outrageous today! Yes! : )

When To Change

"We don't make the changes we need to because we are not yet good enough at loving ourselves." - something Jim said once that really affected me

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 60

• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
• 2 c. Hot Cacao (hazelnut mylk, cacao powder, coconut oil, dates, vanilla bean, sea salt)
• 2 c. kale salad (kale, tomato, sprouts, sunflower seeds, olive oil, sea salt) with Olive Sesame Dressing
• Superfood IceScream (1 tray ice, 1/3 c. goji berry juice, 1/4 c. Brazil nuts, 3 T. lucuma, 1 T. honey, 1 T. cacao nibs, 1 T. soaked goji berries, 1/4 tsp. fo-ti powder, 1/4 tsp. stevia, 1/4 tsp. sea salt)
  
• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
• couple bites of my Pineapple-Goji Salad
• 1 avocado with balsamic vinegar
• dinner out at Thai Dish: hot Thai tea, water, 2 fresh vegetarian spring rolls, order of veggie Pad Thai with tofu
• 1 slice of White Chocolate Pear Pie (crust was walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, dates, sea salt; filling was cacao butter, coconut oil, honey, pear, cacao nibs, water, sea salt)
• 1 c. spring water

White Chocolate Pear Pie

Today's Observations
Pie was odd, but dang tasty. It tasted like a candy bar with pear slices... which isn't bad, just unexpected!

Challenging the Habits

I've been challenging myself recently to stop eating when I'm not hungry. The other day I was standing at the kitchen counter thinking, I want to eat something. I was going through the food options when I thought, Dude! You're not even hungry! So, I made a hot tea instead and found something else to occupy my time. That day it was obvious; not all days are obvious. Though it feels tedious right now, I'm forcing myself to ask the question at every reach of food: why are you eating? what are you eating? what are you feeling? what are you trying to stifle? what do you want to feel? Powerful questions, man. Powerful questions.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 59

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with stevia
• 2 c. of green salad (kale, romaine, carrots, red peppers, cucumbers, olive oil, sea salt) with an avocado and Olive Sesame Dressing
• 1 c. of Hot Cacao (hazelnut mylk, cacao powder, coconut oil, dates, vanilla bean, stevia, sea salt)
• 2 stalks of celery stuffed with Jalapeno Apple Dip (walnuts, pecans, apple, carrots, celery, jalapeno, spring water, garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, sea salt)
• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
• small package of chocolate-covered pretzels (read: comfort food for stress)
• Beans and Rice (brown rice under bean concoction of kidney beans, onions, red bell peppers, celery, Golden Delicious apple, tomatoes, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder)
• 2 c. spring water
• 1 c. hot rooibos tea with stevia
  

Today's Observations
Dealing with car shit. Had the pretzels. Did the trick.

Purpose-filled Travel

I used to be intimidated by vacations, but I decided to change my attitude. I realized that no matter where I am, the challenge will always be the same: how can I find food in this new locale that is healthy, fun, and satisfying? With all the grocery stores and restaurants around, you're bound to find something. Be creative! Be daring! Ask for something not on the menu! Ask the chef to come up with his/her own cool dish! And most importantly, remember the purpose of your vacation: relaxation... visiting with friends and family... having new experiences.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 58

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea (made from the previous tea's leaves) with stevia
• 2 c. green salad (romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds) with some dressing I found that I think Jim made
  
• 1 slice of White Chocolate Chip Pie (crust was walnuts, dates, sea salt; filling was cacao butter, coconut oil, cashews, honey, cacao nibs, water, sea salt)
• 1 c. cold Pau d'Arco tea
• Green Smoothie (spring water, 2 bananas, 1 honkin' stalk of rainbow chard, 3/4 c. frozen blueberries, 1/2 c. frozen blackberries, 1/4 c. frozen mangos, 1/4 c. goji berries, 1 tsp. maca, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, 1 T. honey)
• 1 c. hot Candy Cane Lane (some pepperminty thang... whodathunkit?) herbal tea
• 3 nuts (I was cracking them for Mo and got to nibbling.)
• potluck dinner: 3 c. green salad (kale, romaine, carrots, red peppers, cucumbers, olive oil, sea salt) with Olive Sesame Dressing, 1/2 c. Jalapeno Apple Dip (walnuts, pecans, apple, carrots, celery, jalapeno, spring water, garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, sea salt), Pineapple-Goji Salad (pineapple, goji berries, coconut flakes)
• 1/2 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream (2 trays of ice, 3/4 c. goji berry juice, 3 T. soaked goji berries, 3 T. lucuma, 3 T. carob powder, 3 T. honey, 1/2 tsp. fo-ti powder, 1/2 tsp. sea salt)
  

Today's Observations
CRACKIN' day today! Superfoods, raw delights! Too many nuts though. Already got the gas going on. LOL! Fantastically fun day with food! Yay!

The Nice Test

So, I wanted to be bitchy this morning and very consciously decided not to be. This was so unbelievably hard. ... ... Afterwards, I wanted to chew on a bagel. Interesting to notice what emotions trigger what food desires.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 57

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with stevia
• 16 oz. kombucha
  
• 2 c. green salad (romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds) with some dressing I found that I think Jim made
  
• 1 slice of White Chocolate Chip Pie (crust was walnuts, dates, sea salt; filling was cacao butter, coconut oil, cashews, honey, cacao nibs, water, sea salt)
• 1/2 c. of hot Wysteria's Warming Woo-Woo Tea
  
• 1 bag of potato chips
• 2 medium baked potatoes with guacamole and olives
• 1 c. spring water

White Chocolate Chip Pie! Loverly!

Today's Observations
OK. I got the chips because I think something's going on with my blood pressure. I didn't even think of salted nuts or seeds until much later or I would have gotten those. I've been getting really lightheaded and dizzy and for some weird reason... salt helps. That and water. Low blood pressure? Dehydration? Who the hell knows. I'm been feeling like this for days now. Very odd. The pie I totally made up on the spot... and it was a total hit! So proud!

The Paramount Issue: Edgrrr

Saw "2012" tonight. All I kept thinking was, OK, could Edgrrr (our 13-pound poodle) fit into the big red backpack? Cuz I'd need my hands a lot til we got on that ship.

(Not that this has anything to do with food, mind you. But I did think about how we'd feed him his raw diet. Does that count?)

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 56

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 2 c. Warm Nutty Nana Elixir (water, coconut, banana, chia seeds, vanilla bean, stevia, ginger powder, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg)
• about 10 dehydrated Golden Delicious apple slices (homemade! YUM!)
  
• 2.5 c. kale salad (kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt)
• 1 c. of Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Soup (water, black-eyed peas, canned tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, raisins, dried Golden Delicious apple bits, smoked paprika,garlic powder, oregano, nama shoyu, sea salt)
• 2 c. spring water
• 1 c. apple cider
• 1/2 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream: 2 trays of ice, 1/2 c. mulberry juice, 1/2 c. Brazil nuts, 1/4 c. honey, 3 T. cacao nibs, 3 T. goji berries, 1 T. soaked mulberries, 2 T. mesquite powder, 1 tsp. maca powder, 1/2 tsp. stevia, 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• dinner out from Federal Spice: Tofu Burrito with a few of their chips (BLECH!)
• snickies from movie theatre: 1/2 c. hot green tea, handful of Milk Duds, handful of Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites
  

Today's Observations
It has been SO LONG since I've had conventional candy. I must say: I really haven't been missing anything. The taste that was oddly predominant was salt - not sugar. Very weird. Only got a little buzz from the candy - which was less than I expected. Also, Jim and I got an order of Federal Spice's homemade chips and salsa to split to accompany our lovely burritos. The first couple were OK... and then I bit into the next one and, I shit you not, got about a teaspoon of grease. UGH! It totally tripped my gag reflex. I am just not getting the fried food thing anymore. Sheesh.

Go Easy

Take it easy on yourself. You can either realize the mistakes, fix 'em, and move on or you can realize the mistakes and chastise yourself and feel like shit. Be gentle.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 55

• 1/2 of this recipe, Strawberry Pudding (2 avocados, 1.5 frozen bananas, 1.5 c. frozen strawberries, 4 dates) with coconut and granola topping
• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 1.5 falafel patties from the Whole Foods salad bar
• 1 c. hot green fruity tea
• 1 c. spring water
• 1/2 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream: 2 trays of ice, 1/2 c. mulberry juice, 1/2 c. hazelnuts, 1/4 c. honey, 3 T. lucuma, 3 T. cacao nibs, 2 T. goji berries, 2 T. soaked mulberries, 2 T. mesquite powder, 1 tsp. maca powder, 1/2 tsp. fo-ti powder, 1/2 tsp. stevia, 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1.5 c. of Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Soup (water, black-eyed peas, canned tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, raisins, dried Golden Delicious apple bits, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, nama shoyu, sea salt)
• 1/2 c. Marinated Mushies (portabello mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, nama shoyu... marinated and then dehydrated... MMMM!)
• sips of Jim's Breathe the Ale medicinal homebrew
• A Little Summin: 2 T. almond flour, 1 T. coconut oil, 1 T. honey, 1 T. cacao powder, 1 tsp. maca powder, scant 1/2 tsp. stevia, 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  

Today's Observations
The past couple of days I've been getting light-headed. I feel better after water and greens. Dehydration? Iron deficiency? Keeping my eye on this.

"Transitional" Foods

There is this category of foods in the raw food world that people call "transitional foods." This category subsumes that people are wanting to move from a SAD (Standard American Diet) to a 100% raw food diet... without the shock of doing it overnight. This category usually contains cooked vegan foods like whole grains (i.e., amaranth, quinoa, oats), beans, and seasonings (i.e., nutritional yeast, Bragg's). I've even seen some lists that include raw cheeses and raw milk yoghurts.

I think this category should be broadened and taken in context. For example, I have a friend who is an omnivore. She was starting from a SAD diet and now wants to start making healthier choices. She's begun buying local produce, grain-fed local meats, and owns chickens for producing her eggs. This is an excellent choice for her. I'm starting from a high raw diet and my goal is (most days) to better listen to my body's fuel needs. So, if I'm grocery shopping at Whole Foods and want some nuts, then I'm going to have to buy them pasteurized because that's all they have there. Pasteurized nuts would fall into that "transitional foods" category.

My family eats a high raw diet. The non-raw things that are included in our diet are the occasional going out (where we eat either vegan or vegetarian), quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, cooked vegan soups, air-popped popcorn, and baked potatoes (trying to stick to non-white). Also, we use balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, and hot sauce quite often. But does this mean we are "in transition"? I think our diet has always been in transition. As we have done research and increased our abilities to listen to our bodies, we've added or subtracted foodstuffs as necessary - and tried to do all of that without guilt or shame... something that I'm finding is lacking in the raw food community.

I've seen self-proclaimed raw foodists eating "transitional foods" while making excuses about how they are "still in transition." Their faces are filled with shame and regret. What is that? Is the label "raw foodist" putting unnecessary pressure on us? If we can't eat your food with joy and abandon, why are we eating it? Transitioning to a healthier diet also means transitioning to a healthier attitude, to healthier habits. While we're working on what goes in, we also have to work on how we process, and what comes out. And this isn't just about transitioning to a raw foods diet; this is about transitioning to that better version of yourself... whatever that may be.

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 54

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
• 2 T. mulberries and 1/4 c. homemade dried Golden Delicious apple bits
  
• 1 c. hot Wysteria's Warming Woo-Woo herbal tea
• 1/2 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream: 2 trays of ice, 1/2 c. cold horsetail tea, 1/2 c. pecans, 1/4 c. goji berry juice, 1/4 c. honey, 3 T. mulberries, 2 T. lucuma, 2 T. mesquite powder, 1 T. soaked goji berries, 1 tsp. maca powder, 1/2 tsp. fo-ti powder, 1/2 tsp. stevia, 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 c. of Carrot and Beet Quinoa (2 c. quinoa cooked, 2 carrots, 1 beet, 3 garlic cloves, hemp seed oil, apple cider vinegar, dill weed, sea salt)
  
• 4 c. plain, air-popped popcorn
• 1 c. spring water
• 2 c. spring water
• 2 c. bok choy salad (bok choy, sprouts, carrots, olives, hemp seeds) with Hemp Balsamic Dressing (hemp seed oil, balsamic vinegar, spring water, honey, garlic, basil)
• 1/3 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream: 2 trays of ice, 3/4 c. cold horsetail tea, 1/2 c. hazelnuts, 1/4 c. honey, 2 T. mulberries, 2 T. goji berries, 2 T. lucuma, 2 T. mesquite powder, 2 T. carob powder, 2 T. cacao powder, 2 tsp. maca powder, 3/4 tsp. stevia, 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Carrot and Beet Quinoa... Beautiful!

Today's Observations
The quinoa was amazing. That and the bok choy salad totally worked for me today. Interesting, too, how the weather is getting colder and how I've been oscillating between hot teas and ice cream. LOL!

The Difference A Year Makes

Me and Mo, Atlanta, GA, July 2008

Me, New Gloucester, ME, September 2009

Note: Capitalized recipes are my own.

Day 53

• 1 c. hot jasmine green tea with honey
  
• 1/2 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream: 1.5 trays of ice, 3/4 c. goji berry juice, 1/2 c. hazelnuts, 1/4 c. soaked goji berries, 1/4 c. honey, 3 T. carob powder, 3 T. mulberries, 2 T. lucuma, 2 T. mesquite powder, 1 tsp. maca powder, 1/2 tsp. fo-ti powder, 1/2 tsp. stevia, 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 T. hazelnuts
• 1 carrot with Olive Sesame Dressing
  
• 1 c. hot herbal ginger tea
• 1 Butternut Bar
• 3/4 c. sushi rice with 2 c. chickpea stew over it (chickpeas, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, chat masala, garam masala, Bragg's, nutritional yeast, hot sauce)
  
• 1/3 of this recipe, Superfood IceScream: 2 trays of ice, 3/4 c. goji berry juice, 1/2 c. hazelnuts, 1/4 c. soaked goji berries, 1/4 c. honey, 6 T. lucuma, 4 T. mesquite powder, 3 T. cacao nibs, 4 T. mulberries, 2 tsp. maca powder, 1/2 tsp. fo-ti powder, 1 tsp. stevia, 3/4 tsp. sea salt
  

Today's Observations
Need more greens!