Pre and Post workout recovery food

[hillcountry]

If anyone could give me raw food ideas on great pre workout foods and post workout recovery foods that would be great. I tend to work out first thing in the morning. I am still cleansing, but want to collect ideas. Thanks in advance:p

[Res]

I searched for an answer for this...I hope you found what you're looking for. Most of what I saw referred to "protein" shakes, or protein bars for pre and post workout. I really don't know what would work in the "raw" department.

Let me know if you find anything that you like. :)

Love,
~Res

[peanutterb]

i searched on this a few months ago - not raw, just general pre and post workout meals and i also asked my trainer too and he said to have protien at least an hour after working out so i'd usually have something with tofu or beans. but the research i did online was kind of mixed. it said carbs and proteins. or carbs alone. so i didn't really know, i just did what felt right.

before working out i'd usually have a banana and some nuts if i was weight lifting and nothing if i was doing cardio.

two things to check out for post workouts are raw energy bars. i've had 3 before that are good but i forget the name of one. the other two are larabar and gen soy.

i did a google search for raw energy bars and a bunch of stuff came up.

[kiropa]

what type of working out do you do?

i run & do lots of cardio and don't really require anything special pre-/post and sometimes i run distance 7+ miles.

i, personally, never eat before working out.

after, i am usually hungry & generally drink a lot of water and eat some fruit.

i don't know, i guess i'd recommend whatever your body craves. mine usually wants bananas, raisins, nuts. Maybe try some nutbutter & an apple or celery.

i love celery, peanut butter & raisins.

last weekend i had banana, raisins & slivered almonds.

how about a smoothie? that's what my gym serves.

tell us more!

[hillcountry]

Each day is different. I do weights 3 times a week. I do cardio 5-6 times a week. It varies from a walk/run program, I ride my bike, or I get on the treadclimber at home. I also squeeze in Pilates 3 times a week. I put all I have into each exercise I do.
I guess my main concern would be to fuel my body with the best nutrients possible post workout. I very rarely eat prior unless I am just starving.
Thanks so far for all the feed back. :o

[sopheetsa]

Well, I'm impressed w the workouts you're all doing. I'm a long time runner, and starting last summer I tried running and swimming EVERY DAY. Like you hillcountry I like to do it first thing (or it doesn't get done!) but I've had to accomodate the days where getting to work early was all important-- or days like today-- where I had to get up at 4 and drive back, or days where I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE IT! More recently, I have to admit, I've been slacking, and the flab's been building ... and well I just got myself a hoola hoop... (not to impress anybody too much with my heavy duty workouts!)

Like you kiropa I don't eat before hand-- although-- I can never say I do ANYTHING like clockwork-- and -- I'm sure there have been times I have. It's worst before doing something like YOGA-- where you're there-- doing some pose on your tummy http://www.hothouseyoga.com/images/poses/bowpose150.jpg thinking: "what on EARTH was I thinking when I decided to eat before doing this!"

It sounds like you're already well on your road with with this, hillcountry, -- but part of what folks do say, is that it is important to replace your body fluids and "electrolytes" if you're sweating alot (which is why, fruit, like kiropa mentioned is a good idea), and it is also a good idea to provide your body with enough protein not only for muscle building but for hair, neurotransmitters, your immune system and many other aspects of healthy body function. Probably this is why there's a lot of talk of protein shakes and bars, like Res mentioned--but that is also because people wanna sell those shakes and bars!;) That being said (and I'm no muscle bound paragon of perfection) most people get more than enough protein in this country, but if you do embark on being raw, it can be a challenge. Victoria Boutenko gets into some of the challenges she and her family faced on a completely raw diet, in her latest book: "Green For Life" (http://www.rgarden.com/products/greenforlife.html) which you can get through the webstore (https://therawfoodsite.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=82) on this site. Her solution: green smoothies-- and I offer this up to you as a suggestion for your "post workout". All the best! Soph.

[Res]

What to do AFTER a Workout to Get Maximum Benefit From Your Exercise
by www.SixWise.com (http://www.sixwise.com/)

It's somewhat instinctive to warm-up before a workout. You may jog in place a little, shake out your arms, do a few stretches, and some other movements to get your heart pumping and your body feeling loose before you exercise. After you're done exercising, however, you may be tired, and taking the time to cool down and support your body post-workout may be the last thing on your mind.
http://www.sixwise.com/images/articles/2006/09/06/27352413[1]EX.thb.jpg
What you do AFTER your workout can mean the difference between sore muscles and fatigue, or stronger muscles and increased energy.
But as you may suspect, establishing a proper after-workout routine is incredibly important. Taking care of your body after exercise will impact your muscles (their strength and soreness), how well your exercise is received and even how much strain you put on your heart. So if you're taking the healthy step of exercising, be sure to extend it to include these simple, yet essential, after-workout tips.
Stretch Right After Your Workout
According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching is beneficial (http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/09/28/the_004.htm) both after your warm up and before your cool down session, but if you only have time to do it once, you should do it after your workout, before you cool down. At this time, your muscles are warm and more elastic, and stretching increases your flexibility and maximizes the range of motion around your joints. You should stretch all the major muscles groups that you used during your workout.
If it feels more comfortable to you, you can also cool down and then stretch. Some experts recommend cooling down (to slow your heart rate) first, and stretching after.
Cool Down
After you stretch, it's time to cool down (stretching is not all it takes to cool down). During the cool down, your heart, lungs and blood flow slowly return to their normal states, which is essential to reduce strain on your heart and help prevent muscle strain and soreness. It also keeps you from feeling dizzy, faint or sick after your workout.
http://www.sixwise.com/images/articles/2006/09/06/30351240[1]TCE.thb.jpg
How High do You Prioritize Your Health, Really?
We all know how important it is to stay healthy by eating properly, exercising, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and more. But knowing something intellectually and actually living it out in your day-to-day life are two very different things.
Take this 20-question quiz now and find out how high you really prioritize your health! (http://www.sixwise.com/Survey/HowHighAPriorityIsYourHealth/HowHighAPriorityIsYourHealth.aspx)
To cool down, you should slow your aerobic activity down to a level that allows your heart rate to gradually decrease. A five-minute walk on a treadmill, for instance, works well.
Stay Hydrated
You know it's important to drink water during your workout, but it's just as important to stay hydrated (http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/08/02/are_you_dehydrated_many_people_are_and_dont_even_know_it.htm) afterward as well. Experts typically recommend drinking an additional two to three cups of water within two hours of finishing your workout. You should then keep drinking water regularly, as even if you don't feel thirsty it's still quite possible to be dehydrated.
Eat a Mix of Protein and Carbs
Though exercise is extremely beneficial, it does take a lot of effort on your body's part. After your workout, it's important to repair your muscles and replenish your glycogen stores for energy.
Most experts recommend eating something within 90 minutes of finishing your workout, but sooner is better. What should you eat? Ideally, a mixture of high-protein and complex carbohydrate foods. The protein helps repair muscles while the carbs will help give you energy. Some examples of healthy, post-workout foods include a tuna sandwich on whole-wheat bread, nuts and fruit, yogurt or cheese and whole-grain crackers or raw veggies.
Eating a combination of protein and carbs after exercise may also help to reduce muscle soreness, according to a study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Thirty minutes after finishing a workout, exercisers were given either a drink containing 6 percent carbs, 10 percent carbs or 8 percent carbs plus 2 percent protein. Those who drank the carb/protein beverage reported feeling only half as sore as those who had the carbs-only drinks.
So next time you exercise, remember that your workout isn't complete until you've done these simple post-workout tips. They'll ensure that you get the maximum benefits from your exercise, with a minimum of strain to your body.

Stretch
Cool down
Stay hydrated
Eat a mix of protein and complex carbs

[sopheetsa]

[CENTER] Eat a mix of protein and complex carbs
[/LIST]

Dear Res

Wonderful to see you here-- and thinking about YOU especially today! Now-- I hate to pick bones witcha-- but there's something in particular that's bugged me for a while that's part of the whole "raw" philosophy and it has to do with proper "food combining". The gist of it-- in a nutshell, is that different kinds of foods require different kinds of digestion, and if you mix 'em-- like meat and potatoes (everybody knows how they go together right?).. then YOU'RE IN FOR TROUBLE according to this way of thinking.

For more on this you can click on the link or just read below: http://www.hps-online.com/images/pyramid.gif

TROPHOLOGY - THE SCIENCE OF FOOD COMBINING (http://www.hps-online.com/food/index.htm):

"It is an established scientific fact in Western medicine that in order to initiate efficient digestion of any concentrated {animal} protein, the stomach must secrete pepsin. But it is also a well-known fact that pepsin can function only in a highly acidic medium, which must be maintained for several hours for complete digestion of proteins.

It is an equally well established fact of science that when we chew a piece of bread or potato or any other carbohydrate/starch, ptyalin and other alkaline juices are immediately secreted into the food by the saliva in the mouth. When swallowed, the alkalized starches require an alkaline medium in the stomach in order to complete digestion.

Anyone should be able to figure out what therefore happens when you ingest protein and starch together.

Acid and alkaline juices are secreted simultaneously in response to the incoming protein and starch, promptly neutralizing one another and leaving a weak, watery solution in the stomach that digests neither protein or starch properly. Instead proteins putrefy and starches ferment owing to the constant presence of bacteria in the digestive tract.

This putrefaction and fermentation are the primary cause of all sorts of digestive stress, including gas, heartburn, cramps, bloating, constipation, foul stools, bleeding piles, colitis, and so forth.

Many so called 'allergies' are also the direct result of improper food combinations; the bloodstream picks up toxins from the putrefied, fermented mess as it passes slowly through the intestines, and these toxins in turn cause rashes, hives, headaches, nausea and other symptoms commonly branded as allergies. The same foods that cause allergic reactions when improperly combines often have no ill side-effects whatsoever when consumed according to the rules of trophology.

The final fact of the matter is this: when you immobilize your stomach and impair digestive functions by consuming foods in indiscriminate combination, the bacteria in your alimentary canal have a field day. They get all the nutrients and thrive, while you get all the wastes and suffer.

What do you make of this?http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/images/icons/icon5.gif I'm not sure and I"m not saying I necessarily live by it! But some of it sounds right to me!http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/images/icons/icon4.gif

By the way-- I was a long term vegetarian-- and so the "animal protein" part wasn't an issue for me-- but I'm quoting directly from that website here. Even if we're not talking about "animal protein" it IS true that it requires a fairly acidic medium to be able to digest protein, and part of what Boutenko gets into in her book, "Green For Life" (http://www.rgarden.com/products/greenforlife.html), is that MANY people have a problem with low stomach acid. Do you want to guess what her solution is??? You guessed: green smoothies! And she does a study TO SHOW that they work! I don't know what to believe... :) But it is good to believe in something! Have a great day and I'd love to hear what you think. Hope you don't take this the wrong way-- it is something I've scratched my noggin on... It also is an answer to some other peoples' posts on gas and bloating... Sorry if I chimed in here, but my brain has been chewing the cud so to speak (while I haven't been doing anything but lemonade--day 8http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

love ya to pieces!http://www.websmileys.com/sm/crazy/071.gif

[peanutterb]

interesting...
what are some examples of bad food combos?

[sopheetsa]

peanut butter and jelly on bread (anything that mixes PROTEIN and CARBS) --MOST Power candy bars!

[peanutterb]

PB&J sammiches??
that was a wicked wicked thing to say soph!
now what am i supposed to eat? how am i going to live? what am i going to do with myself :confused:

[sopheetsa]

oh Gawd P-b it is a LUCKY thing I'm not downing a doughnut and coffee with cream (another protein/carb violation btw--cream has at least a MODICUM of protein), because your post would make me choke out loud laughing right now in this meeting-- where I'm sneaking a post. Back to looking serious.http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/images/icons/icon8.gif

[peanutterb]

sorry, but i'm still slightly depressed. next you'll say i can't eat at all soph. seriously. where do we draw the line??

[peanutterb]

back to you hillcountry. maybe helping you will ease my depression after hearing I can't have any of my favs - guac, hummus and miso soup. Soph hasn't actually said it yet but i know she has it on her list of wicked things to do today.

i googled "protein carb combinations" and these two looks interesting

http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/7764.0.html

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_1999_Oct/ai_55905583

i didn't actually read them or anything, but maybe they'll contain something helpful. and maybe they'll distrack soph aka messenger of doom.

[sopheetsa]

all I'm saying is: either dont' do BOTH at once-- (focus on protein OR carb) OR-- do GREEN smoothies--- which-- at least according to Boutenko, don't cause a food combining problem, and are the perfect food-- perfect for post workout nutrition hillcountry!

but let me tell you-- green smoothies are an acquired taste, ie it takes work to love 'em. ;)

JOKING ASIDE: I wouldn't "push" anything I haven't tried, and I've been working hard to love them because I think they make SENSE and I'm trying to work them into my "life plan" and "way of life". But they take a bit more work than just going to the store.

I'm a somewhat "search" challenged, but there's at least one thread--for you to look at:

http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107&highlight=green+smoothies

better to find a post of Peter's that I can't find right now, with a summary of recipes....

or try this for the endorsement:

http://www.rawfamily.com/articles/odetogreen.pdf

and the recipes:

Delicious combinations.

Mango-parsley
2 large mangos
1 bunch parsley
Water

Peach-spinach
6 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
Water

Mango-weeds
2 mangos
1 handful of lambs quarters, stinging nettles, purslane, etc
Water

Strawberry-banana-romaine
1-cup strawberries
2 bananas
1⁄2 bunch romaine
Water

Apple-kale-lemon
4 apples
1⁄2 lemon juice
4-5 leaves of kale
Water

Kiwi-banana-celery
4 very ripe kiwis
1 ripe banana
3 stalks of celery
Water
.

Pear-kale-mint
4 ripe pears
4-5 leaves of kale
1⁄2 bunch of mint
Water

Finger banana-spinach
10 finger-bananas
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
Water

Bosc pear-raspberry-kale
3 bosc pears
1 handful of raspberries
4-5 leaves of kale
Water


Also, you'll need a "vitamix (http://www.vitamix.com/)" if you're going all the way, and I hate to tell you, but that takes $$$, although investing in your health may well be the best investment you'll ever make! :)

[Res]

Hi Soph:

I don't put a lot of stock in food combining rules any longer. Everyone has a gimmick. If paleolithic man was hungry and there was food there, he didn't really care if he was "properly" combining foods or not. He was hungry, it's what he had, he ate. Know what I mean?

The Food Combining Guru's also state that fruit HAS to be eaten on an empty stomach 30 minutes BEFORE you ingest anything else. So - where does that leave Green Smoothies? Last time I looked a peach was a fruit and spinach and kale weren't. :p

So just like with every other "I KNOW BEST" dietetic plan I take what I think is good and flush the rest. ;)

Love,
~Res

[hillcountry]

Thanks for all the research and input.

[sopheetsa]

hey hillcountry I love your name! makes me think of...hills and country.

um, i thank u for generating all this interesting conversation-- but i wonder if you'll use any of it?

I myself wonder if I will. right now i'm cold, just got home-- ... wanna tell Res just so HAPPY to hear from you! I'm pretty tired, been a long day...

look I NEVER put any stock in food combining! it all sounded like a load of hogwash to me-- i mean I always just ate food and it got digested, know what i mean? and i could never for the life of me get what the heck they were gnawing their jaws about, couldn't memorize the minutia of rules. there was some bathroom in a raw food joint-- little dive-- that had a poster on the inside door so that if you ever sat there long enough (in the semi-dark) you could try to "contemplate the rules"-- and well-- none of 'em ever made sense to me!

but i hate to say it-- this time it makes SENSE gosh darn it! and i know at least one person's been complaining about gas and bloating-- and well...

i have that problem and it could be anything, lot's of things-- but this does make sense: acid meets base, they neutralize each other. you need acid to digest protein, base to finish the job w starch and carbs-- and if ever the twain shall meet-- the job doesn't get done! you know what i mean? this makes sense! the stuff putrefies in your stomach-- and well-- then the bacteria get to it-- next thing you know you have gas and bloating and the whole thing is wretched. what's not to understand? it makes perfect sense.

as for your paleolithic man-- well-- he didn't have the patience to boil up his potatoes when the leg of lamb- (oh sorry- lamb wasn't domesticated yet)-- pork chop-- no not that either-- no-- it had to be something that was RAW kill was ready for eating-- and when it was -- the job got done-- then and there-- forget the vegetables man!

no kill-- then the foraging came in-- the roots and the leaves and the whatnot.

but if Victoria Boutenko (http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/catalog/books_rawfamily.html) is right- and look-- maybe I was wrong in not pushing this book {Green for Life (http://www.rawfamily.com/products1.htm)} so much--

http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/images/book_GreenBoutenkofamily.jpg http://www.breathing.com/images/greenforlife%2076%20pix.jpg

you wanna talk paleolithic-- well they're not here any more-- although there probably are people around with diets more closely aligned-- but why stop there-- why not go back further? and ... she says-- let's look at our "close cousins" (the quotes are mine i'm just doing this from memory) "wild chimpanzees" share 99.4% of their genes with ours. well, what that means, is that they make pretty much the same stuff as we do, in their bodies-- hence-- well maybe their diet in the wild, is close kin to what ours would be-- and what's that? fruits and GREENS.

the best part of her logic? "greens are another category"-- they don't count as "vegetable" and you CAN combine them with fruit.

look. i don't know what to say, that's what SHE SAYS. what do i suggest: make 'em and see if you fart or not.

myself, i'm rethinking the whole thing, i was making them and adding nuts and nut butters-- and they were delicious-- but i was farting. admittedly i also added soy milk-- and we had a whole discussion and a half about that.

i would go on some more, but this is no longer amusing- and-- hillcountry won't even thank me! ;)

in any case hill I guess i speak for myself here-- it's hard to know what to eat! so it goes back to what kiropa says-- eat what you want! :) that's simplifying matters-- but gotto go to bed sometime. :)

PS: I should add-- now that I dramatized the whole thing, that part of the reason Boutenko went for the green smoothies (besides the chimpanzees) was that she realized what a perfect food source they are, including PROTEIN which was largely missing from her RAW family diet. now i don't know quite how you get around the part about needing ACID to digest protein, and base for carbs-- and that you shouldn't MIX 'em, but she does the EXPERIMENT and finds that peopel who start on these smoothies get to build stronger and stronger stomach acid-- which by the way-- was probably NOT A PROBLEM for Paleolithic "man"-- no pepto bismol necessary there.

and for all you liberated men and women-- both Res and I know that there were Paleolithic women out there, not only doing the "gathering" and the "raising" but all of the rest of the tough jobs around the cave.

love you all-- and i really should get some sleep!

tell me what you think about this business of green smoothies hillcountry does it make you wanna start trying 'em out?

myself i still have to figure out how to eat *after the cleanse* as I am about to end Day 8 :)

[Res]

Yeah Soph, I read that info about digesting years ago in Fit for Life. Some of it's stayed with me, most of it hasn't. I don't know how many people pass up fried chicken with mashed potatoes with gravy (I don't). I certainly have my foodie issues and don't do it right all the time. ;)

I did a study on my paleolithic man years ago as well and fortunately the ground, air, water, fish & animals was a lot cleaner and had a heck of alot more nutrients - wasn't depleted as it is now in a lot of areas. They ate meat, chicken, fish, fruit, veggies (especially root vegetables but excluding potatoes & sweet potatoes because raw, those were considered toxic) nuts & berries. I guess someone ended up with a stomach ache.

Then a breakthrough was made (someone probably caught the barn on fire and they had to eat what "cooked") and actually changed the course of history and our diet. They found that cooking these foods actually made them edible because the heat destroyed most of the toxins (Neolithic era). I can't remember the reason for this next bit, but they found that cooking the food also caused them to be able to absorb more calories from the food and it could be stored for long periods of time. I don't pretend to know it all - I know very little - but I do know they ate what they had, similar to what I do. :)

Also eons ago when I started fit for life (food combining) I checked out the other side of it because all my life I hadn't heard of food combining and if it was so "logical" why weren't we all eating that way. Oh, by the way I never lost any weight on Fit for Life, but the food was good and I felt pretty good while I was on it. I still use some of their recipes.

So the criticism for food combining (again, I'm not a scientist) is that almost all foods are combinations of protein, carbs and fat and it's not easy to classify them strictly into 3 categories. Also I've read that "the human digestive system is adapted to mixed nutrition and can easily cope with different types of food at the same time".

It's back to the learning curve. There are so many people telling us all how to eat, what to eat, when to eat. And since even the food Guru's disagree - we have to do what we think is best. :)

One thing I would love to learn to do is eat seasonally. When it's apple season (as it is now where I live) then eat apples. But not eat them in the spring - and down through the seasons....know what I mean? We're spoiled. :)

So onward in the cleanse and then high hopes for *After the Cleanse*. ;)

Love,
~Res

[sopheetsa]

yea-- eating "seasonally" is probably a good idea Res, and they say it is good to get your food locally too but I like getting mangos and lemons and avocados the year round...

this exchange of ours got me wondering about the "ZONE"-- you know the diet? they make such a big deal about how you're SUPPOSED to eat a certain proportion carb, protein, fat at every meal-- and that's like the total opposite of these food combining rules, and by the way, they talk about palealithic man too!

i don't want to have to find that "whine" thread to go whine-- so I'll do it here=== hope you don't mind-- i've done my fair share already and at this point-- i'm into extra innings: but it is Day 9 and I'm having terrible terrible terrible cramps on my period-- and i haven't drunk not even half of the min of lemonade, nor done the tea-- and all i want to do is SLEEP!

loveya Res==

it means a lot to me that you're out there-- and i wish i knew when and what to do for the "after" part....

[Res]

Oooh, you said "mango"... Somehow that wasn't fair considering that when I grow up I want to marry a mango. ;)

Whine all you want Soph - it's ok. http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/love070.gif It's one of those days. Rest is probably your best friend right now. We'll get all that other stuff figured out when the time comes, and we'll make it fun (or, we'll make fun of it! ;)).


"I love you Buddy".

Sweet Dreams,
~Res

[sopheetsa]

Aw Res==

you're the BEST!

hard part-- is--we've got our work cut out for us-- and i know u say we will-- but this gal's gone down the wrong pike mor'n once already.

YOU KNOW THE DEFINITION OF INSANITYhttp://therawfoodsite.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

there's nobody i'd rather be stuck in the boat with...

here's hopin there's a paddle & somewhere to take it.

[Res]

Hahaha, you're tired, crampy and basically not feeling well yet you still retain your sense of humor!! :D I love that. *Smooch*


Uh, yeah, that boat isn't going to take us to that particular creek anymore cuz you know where that gets us....and eww, think of what the paddle would be covered with anyway! :o


Yes, we have our work cut out for us BUTT ;) I've maintained my weight on this cleanse (before) and I know it can be done. We just need to find you some cute - young - stable guy to keep your mind off of food. http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/love035.gif

Love you!
~Res

[kiropa]

I've maintained my weight on this cleanse (before) and I know it can be done.

hi res,

can you elaborate on how you maintained?

i am doing a close study of myself & desperately trying to figure out what will work for me long-term.

i like the raw food concept -- but cannot commit 100%.

my *biggest* challenges involve social eating -- mandatory lunches out for work, date night with my husband and entertaining friends/relatives.

let's hear some tried & true tips for how to maintain. also anything that speaks to social eating would help me *a lot*.

fwiw, the answer that seems like it *could* work for me is something like: raw & disciplined during the week with some planned, throw-caution-to-the-wind, eat-whatever-i-want meals on the weekends.

fortunately for me, i am lactose intolerant and don't like meat -- so dairy & meat are rarely in my diet anyway. i also enjoy working out when i can squeeze it into my crazy schedule of working FT and taking care of 3-kids without my husband from M-F...

i think i also need some help with the throw-caution days b/c i tend to be "perfect" or "horrible". so those two days turn into two-day binges that are hard to recover from...

thoughts everyone?

THANKS!!!!!!!!

Kim

[christinem]

I'm not planning on giving up my miso soup, and I usually like to have it for breakfast. I will stop using salmon in it, will use tofu instead. Lotus root is great in morning miso. It's complete, satisfying, and digestible. The biggest difference I see with raw & cooked is that mechanical processors like blenders, juicers, or food processors, are used to render the raw foods, usu veggies, pre-chewed for easier assimilation. I have had trouble digesting raw in the past, so some percentage of raw vs cooked vegan is what I'll aim for.
Using my pressure cooker renders beans/grains gas-less, esp if cooked with a little seaweed. Vegan/macro/raw in some form is my goal.....after the housecleaning is complete. I swim for an hour. Now that a hectic Labor day weekend & post-holiday week is up, necessitating my working more days close together than I'm used to, I'm working on upping the # of days/week I swim. Regards, Christine M from Livingston, Mt. A little congested from wildfires & smoke.

[Res]

Hi Kim,

I'd be happy to elaborate.

In the morning I'd eat grapes, berries, a banana, or a small bowl of Quaker Old Fashioned Oats with frozen, then thawed berries, instead of; pancakes, bacon & sausage, rolls, cake, donuts, bagels & cream cheese.

Lunch is usually a salad chocked full of color and varying the ingredients on a daily basis; like one day I'll have romaine, bell pepper, olives, beets, garbonzo beans, pepperocini etc.

The next day, butter lettuce with chopped green onions, artichoke hearts, shredded carrots, shredded purple cabbage, cherry tomatoes etc...you get the picture. The only salad dressing I use (I love this) is either Lemon Juice or Balsamic vinegar, Real Olive oil and a sprinke of sea salt (sometimes if my oregano, basil or thyme has dried I'll sprinkle a bit of that on it for a blast of flavor).

Sometimes with the salad I'll have a can of sockeye salmon that I get through www.mercola.com (http://www.mercola.com) because the mercury scare is so real, I don't eat any other canned fish. I'll also use hard boiled eggs and small bits of the best cheese ever. KerryGold Irish cheese (http://www.kerrygold.com/uk/dublin1.htm)...it's amazing and tastes nothing like the generic cheeses in stores.

Dinner would be a small salad (maybe just cucumbers, tomatoes, basil etc) stir fried veggies and chicken. Or just homemade soup.

I really have to steer clear of breads, pasta because it packs on the pounds (I love this stuff too unfortunately) but will have a slice or two of Ezekiel bread or make homemade pita with whole wheat or spelt flour.

I also have to steer clear of dairy for the most part; milk, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese because it goes right to my sinuses. I do eat the KerryGold cheese periodically and I'll indulge "once in a while" in "clotted cream and scones".....oh my! - drooling and palpatations. ;)

*I eat smaller portions - I don't eat until I'm sick
*I don't eat at fast food places (not true, once in a while and always hate it afterwards)
*I walk for exercise (started back at the gym but not consistent - Yet ;))
*Still drink a lot of water
*Never drink soda <--it's quite evil actually
*Steer clear of processed sugar

All the above is when I'm in my right mind (which I haven't been for a few stressful months). But I'm pretty solid in my decisions when I make up my mind and stick to it.

For those of us who are "emotional eaters" we have to keep in the forefront of our minds that feeding ourselves junk is doing ourselves harm. It's not a reward to eat an entire Entemanns. It's suicide. The reward would be a nice walk and then home for a Fruit Salad with yogurt and walnuts sprinkled on the top. It's all about "MIND-SET". Many of us were raised with the WRONG mindset and it's up to us to change it. That's what we're doing here.

Eating right is very realistic. Over and over people come here to this BB because it's their last hope. The complaints are varied in range. People feel Crappy and want to feel good and the only way to do that is to MAKE A CHANGE to the routine. But if we go back to that same routine we're going back to feeling CRAPPY.

It takes time to learn this. I succeeded for a year. Then was blind-sided by an event and now I'm just about back to where I was before the nastiness hit me. But I'm on Day 7 because I put on weight. It's not even much weight, but my body got used to feeling GREAT and functioning really well and not carrying around the extra pounds. I want that again so I'm doing something about it and now I'm a bit wiser in a lot of ways. :) However, "I have not arrived" and don't know if I ever will but I'm heading towards it.

I want to see everyone else achieve this as well because I KNOW WE CAN. When members post how fantastic they feel as they're nearing the end of the cleanse Man O Man I could do flips! That's what this place is all about! But the tough part comes *AFTER THE CLEANSE*. It's what we do Inbetween cleanses that counts as well. We need to have a plan before going off the cleanse. It's like sending a kid to college without preparing them one iota.

So, each person needs to pick a plan whether it's buying Raw Recipe books or commiting to 2/3 of their plate being raw, or the hallelujah diet, fit for life, anything that floats yer boat, but that's healthy and something you can REALISTICALLY do. I'll never go all raw so I won't say I will. A bowl of mashed potatoes with kerrygold butter, sea salt and pepper would definitely seduce me away from the raw. ;) So, I'll eat the potatoes, but just "less" and make sure that I've eaten a healthy salad either prior to, or with the potatoes.

It takes discipline but we can do this if we're prepared.

There are LOADS of recipes in the Lemonhead recipe box. Unfortunately we can't format it to something that makes sense. It's like looking in a real recipe box without any labels to tell you what's where. But it can be fun to go through it and copy and paste anything that catches your eye and save it in Word, or whatever. I've done that in part.

Sorry I'm so long winded here, but I'm PASSIONATE about people reaching their goals and maintaining what they've worked so hard for. It's not easy - but besides encouragement and a wealth of information you'll find compassion as well.

I hope this helps.

Love,
~Res

[sopheetsa]

Res: I love what you're saying-- reminds me of my best self. I've copied it to keep. hope to heaven I can do this post cleanse. love, soph

[kiropa]

Hi Kim,

I'd be happy to elaborate.

I hope this helps.

Love,
~Res

yes helps so much. i've saved for future reference as well.

what i love about your successful plan is that you tended toward raw & clean with no absolute FORBIDDENs. smart girl, you are!

i think that's where i get myself in trouble -- i make a stringent plan and if i veer ever so slightly i think i've blown it and feel mad & angry. then, i binge, and really give myself something to be disappointed about...

i'm aware of my downfall, now if only i could successfully change.

thanks!

kim

[chandlersr]

Hi, I have just read the book and am new to this site. I am an active and sporty 37 year old from England, UK, although I am about 7 KG over weight.

I am keen to try the Master Cleanse, but am worried that I would collapse! At the moment, I need to eat regularly otherwise I feel weak and irritable. I don't eat bread, drink alcohol, but eat a pretty healthy diet, lots of chicken, fish, fruit and vegetables. (Also, my chlorestoral is fine, I do not have diabetes etc etc)

I play tennis three times a week and also go to the gym three times a week.

Surely this master cleanse 'diet' will not be safe for me? Can I really continue to do all these things, consuming nothing but water, lemon juice, salt and maple syrup??

This cleanse looks okay on paper, but it seems wholly impracticle, when considering the energy one needs for the frinetic lives we now lead.

Coudl someone please offer me some advice on whether I could still play sport whilst embarking on this cleanse? My gut feeling is, no way!

Thank you,

Chandler

[Res]

Hi Chandler:

You should do a search on the board for "Triathalon". :) We've had triathalons doing the cleanse "while training and competing". It can't get any more strenuous than that.

Sim just completed a 12 mile hike and also runs 5 miles. She's on Day 19. ;)

The thing is, you won't know if you can do it unless you try it. You mentioned that you've been reading the board. How can you not see that it's doable? The experiences are wide and varied and the success rate is probably about 90% with 10% not following the book. Give it a shot - we'll be here to help you. :)

The cool thing is, you're doing your homework ahead of time and that's half the battle. Read the board. Read Peter's book. Then decide. :)

Love,
~Res

[mplawssix]

Can you recommend some courses for building 6 pack abs (http://www.squidoo.com/get6packabs)?

I'm a novice muscle builder and want to compile as much info as I can.