Raw for 7 days (day 5: 3/24/10)

Still fighting the good fight, though I am feeling functional and well. My acne has flared a little bit, though I think that's partially due to my usual hormonal fluctuations around this time. Something tells me I might be purging some toxins, too. I wonder how it would be going if I were taking cleansing supplements, too!

Anyhoo, here's what I had:

1/2 grapefruit
1 kiwi
Laughing Giraffe coconut granola
soaked goji berries

Thai cole slaw (see day 4) with alfalfa sprouts and avocado

Raw Revolution chocolate raisin bar

SunPower raw pesto pizza w/ kale salad (see updated Yelp review here: http://melanee.yelp.com/)

1/2 avocado w/ lemon juice

GT's ginger kombucha
kale/spinach/cucumber/apple/lemon juice

Raw for 7 days (day 4: 3/23/10)

Slowly, the sickness is taking over, but I'm holding out as best I can. These foods are helping me stay stronger and more focused.

Here's the day's menu:

Lime in de Coconut tropical date smoothie (variation-- more stuff!):
-dates
-avocado
-fresh coconut
-water
-fresh squeezed orange juice
-organic hemp protein from Trader Joe's
-sprouted brown rice protein
-frozen mango
-frozen papaya
-touch of raw agave
-mesquite powder
-maca powder
-acai powder
-ground cinnamon

GoRaw Spicy Flax Snax
Laughing Giraffe coconut/macadamia/pineapple/cacao/cashew granola

Thai cole slaw (made from RawVolution recipe):

There were a LOT of ingredients in this recipe, so in summary--

-chopped veggies (cabbage, carrots, zucchini, daikon)
-chopped herbs (basil, mint, cilantro)
-curry dressing (lime, ginger, garlic, flax oil, curry powder, etc.)
-raw soaked almonds

It took a long time to make but was well worth it.

leftover kale snacks from SunPower
1/4 avocado

fresh squeezed orange juice
GT's ginger kombucha

Raw for 7 days (day 3: 3/22/10)

Well, I'm definitely fighting not to get sick with something-- every time I'm getting sick, it seems to start in my chest and move outwards. I'm taking extra supplements to help combat it, which should work in addition to the good foods I'm eating.

I have good energy otherwise and feel a bit more serene in general.

Here's what I had:

De Lime in de Coconut tropical date smoothie:
-dates
-avocado
-fresh coconut
-young coconut juice (the only reason I own a meat cleaver)
-organic hemp protein from Trader Joe's
-sprouted brown rice protein
-frozen mango
-frozen papaya
-ground cinnamon

I forgot to add my superfoods powders to the smoothie! It was quite tasty nonetheless.

snack size Caesar salad (see entry for 3/21)

food from SunPower Natural Cafe (http://www.sunpowernatural.com/):
-raw pesto pizza (crunchy sunflower seed crust with creamy pesto sauce, cashew cheese, green onions, olives and marinated mushrooms)
-kale salad w/ pine nuts (kale, tomatoes and pine nuts with basil ranch dressing)
-raw cookies (1 and 1/2-- they were very small, about 1/2" thick and 2" diameter) w/ a few gogi berries
-kale treat (I have no idea how these were made-- I think they're partially dehydrated with some sweet, salty, and spicy additions)

Some of the food was a bit too salty for my taste, though it was overall quite good (thanks Anya!). I wrote a Yelp review here: http://melanee.yelp.com/

Caesar salad

Apparently I really love this Caesar. I made a ton of the dressing anyway, it tastes fantastic, and it's so easy to just throw it together, so what the heck.

Kefira living greens drink

I've been drinking half a bottle of a probiotic drink, though I drank a whole one on the first day. It keeps my insides healthy in may ways!

Raw for 7 days (day 2: 3/21/10)

Went to bed late, so was feeling tired, but this food is refreshing and I just feel so much better eating it instead of some of the processed junk I'm used to. Not that what I eat is all horrible, mind you: I don't eat fast food (save for the occasional French fry or the like), I don't eat bread (save for rice bread or any offered gluten-free alternative), I eat no animal products (*sometimes*, like once a year, I allow onion rings! They have gluten, too, so this is very bad!), and I don't consume much processed sugar. I think I consume enough processed foods, like corn chips, to warrant an overhaul, at least temporarily. For much of the colder months, I was craving more cooked, rich foods, and though I still ate some raw fruits and veg, a lot of what I was consuming was processed, cooked, or both. I could feel the unhealthiness of many of the things I ate. So now I'm focusing on feeling the healthiness!

I think today I'm feeling a little hungrier than normal, but I'm not glutting myself, so I am OK with that for now.

Here's what I had:

1/2 cup combo of frozen pomegranate seeds and wild blueberries
handful raw almonds
1/2 grapefruit

"Cherry Pie" Larabar

organic Fuji apple (small)

2 "Rawcos" (see entry for 3/20)

2 oz. GoRaw "spicy flax snax"

large tossed "Caesar" salad:
-organic Romaine lettuce
-avocado dressing (avocado, water, lemon juice, olive oil, flax oil, pink salt, black pepper, cayenne)
-Brazil nut parmesan (Brazil nuts, garlic, pink salt)
-Lydia's Organics green crackers (as croutons)
-organic mixed tomatoes

(The salad was a slight variation, though it mostly adhered to a recipe. It was absolutely heavenly! I thought about adding avocado slices, though since the dressing has a lot of avocado already, I am actually very glad I didn't. This was a simple, delicious meal to make, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.)

Kefira living greens drink

Raw for 7 days (day 1: 3/20/10)

It's been a very long time since I have posted anything, and a lot in my life has changed, but let's just pick it up here, shall we? Each day, I will be posting what I have been eating and any pertinent thoughts/feelings I wish to share.

So, with the beginning of Spring, I am eating all raw foods for 7 days: basically detoxing my diet. I am not doing a "cleanse," per se, since I am not doing any sort of liquid or supplemental flushing. I'm just re-setting and seeing how it goes. Considering I have been vegan and mostly gluten free for almost two years now, it's probably easier for me to just switch it up than it might be for many people.

Below is what I had the first day, and I felt generally good at the end of it. If you want recipes, let me know!

1/2 pink grapefruit
1/2 cup combo of frozen pomegranate seeds and wild blueberries

2 Rawcos:
-Taco "meat" (coarse ground raw walnuts, finely chopped cilantro,ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne, Bragg's liquid aminos, lime juice)
-sliced avocado
-cashew cream (raw cashews blended into a cream w/ water and lemon juice plus Himalayan pink salt)
-Trader Joe's pico de gallo
-collard green leaves used as "shells"

(These "rawcos" were surprisingly easy to make--they're an adjustment of a specific recipe, with additions of my own things, as well as the cashew cream, which is from a different book and which, by the way, I had already made a few days ago)

Restaurant salad: mixed greens, dried cranberries, walnuts, black pepper, balsamic and olive oil

(This was probably not entirely perfectly fitting into my meal plan, but it was the only thing on the menu I could actually eat, so there you go!)

Handful (very small) of raw almonds

kombucha
margarita (1-- bad idea, but it was tasty!!)
Pellegrino

It's that time again....

So, 2008 was definitely the year of infinite possibilities, as I'd mentioned, well, a year ago. I suppose every year is: I just thought it was cool to flip the 8 over on its side, et voilà, an infinity sign! Many good things happened this year, for myself and for the world. Many not-so-good things happened as well, though if you subscribe to the old Freddy N. quote "That which does not kill us makes us stronger," then let's just say there are a mighty lot of strong people out there right now.

A very dear friend just sent me a little article reminding us to set intentions for the New Year, rather than resolutions. I like that idea: it can keep us pointed in the right direction, while not having to remain attached or in any way adherent to the way anything "ought to be."

I had already written a similar list on a previous blog, which ended up introducing me to an interesting anonymous character from the vast reaches of the internet. If s/he is still paying attention, it'll be interesting to find out what their take on it is.

My intentions (which I may add to later) for 2009 are:

1. To consistently approach things from a purely positive angle first
2. To bring more mindfulness to everything I do, from communication to brushing my teeth to breathing
3. To live in gratitude
4. To cultivate compassion (especially for myself)
5. To allow myself to let go more
6. To be more forgiving (especially of myself)

I wish everyone happiness, love, peace, and true greatness in 2009.

A new dawn, a new day

We still have quite a struggle ahead of us, as our new President Elect said last night.

But what an extraordinary victory for him and for this country!

Now, remember, we still have a civil *rights* war to wage: for the right of same-sex couples to marry. This proposition was to amend the California constitution, but like Prohibition was overturned in the American Constitution, so can this blatant smothering of humans' intrinsic right to LOVE and to benefit from everything that comes from a harmonious union.

With the escalating rates of divorce among straight couples, why is it so important to stop same-sex people from marrying, who TRULY LOVE one another? As one of my friends put it, in her plea against Pop 8, can you imagine being in the hospital and the one you love being forbade to be by your side because they are not "family"? Put aside your straightness and your morals and your preconceived notions of whatever God or Nature or whatever you believe tells you only a man and a woman should marry, just for one second, and imagine the despair of being deathly ill and alone. Walled off from the healing touch of your love's hand...

Biracial couples were once not allowed to marry. Hell, people STILL have a problem with it, but at least it's legal! This is not a moral issue, it is a CIVIL RIGHTS issue.

To all who voted yes on Prop 8, or who would have if they were CA residents: keep your "morals" off of people's civil rights!!!! Your "morality" has no place in dictating the rights of ALL people to marry, and the right of ALL humans to LOVE.

PROTECT LOVE: fight back against Prop 8!!!!!