The One Month RAW Challenge [Archive] - Page 5 - The Master Cleanse / Raw Food Bulletin Board

Res

October 6th, 2007, 08:09 PM

This is such a serious issue and part of me smiled while reading and part of me didn't. My brow was probably furrowed. I would never pretend to know it all - but I did go through a very "money tight" era when my kids were growing up - a long long era. So part of what I said about trying to take a little and make it go a long way was from experience. Children don't want alfalfa sprouts for lunch or dinner - they want something more that takes away the hunger.

A lot of young ( and older) parents don't know much about nutrition the way we're researching now. To them it's a meal with meat/potatoes/salad/veg/dessert. You know, the FDA's basic food groups included. If parents can do all that at one meal they'll go for whatever the cheapest way to do it will be. Oh, I could go on and on but I won't... I just feel so bad for the people who are stuck eating crap because either it's all they know or they can't afford the good stuff. I basically knew the difference but my hands were tied - so you do the best you can with what you have with the kids as the #1 priority. I remember when I used to think it was a "treat" to take my boys to MC'Ds for breakfast. We were only able to go about 4 times a year but it was still a big deal because it meant that we were "eating out". I was going to shut up a minute ago and there I went again... moving out of the really bad memories...

So - aikenjoi congrats on getting your dehydrator! lol :) What recipe books do you have? Those at the top of the list are:

Ani Phyo
Alissa Cohen
Cornbleet (can't remember her first name)
Matt Amsden
Victoria Butenko -
There are a bunch of others too - but any of these are a good start.

Sim: Where are you "hosting" the photo you're trying to post? Try Photobucket.com. Upload your picture to their website and then copy the entire "http" address they provide after you upload it. Use this little icon above http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/images/editor/insertimage.gif to paste the http address into. You can add a whole BUNCH of pictures that way. :)

I haven't tried the crepes yet and would love to. I've been a bit lazy lately and have eaten mostly salads and marinated kale, pizza and onion bread. Buckwheat groats are sprouting to dehydrate for Buckwheat Krispies. I think I might make some Not Tuna from Cornbleets recipe. AND I love my Spirulizer. I used the rest of the beets. So beautiful. :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday. :)

Love you all,
~Res

Res

October 6th, 2007, 08:18 PM

Sim: You're so right about "educating" people about health. I thought about this deeply when Teepee said "how are we going to save the world?" I don't know if I have a touch of melancholy today or what but my heart was so heavy reading that question and feeling like I want to do something but not knowing exactly how. One person at a time?

My 2nd son did the cleanse with me in July and he has been influenced and knows how well he feels when he eats ALL raw. He did so for almost 2 weeks. His birthday is today and we celebrated last night with dinner out. He mentioned how well he feels eating raw and how not well he felt last night. lol He's on a trip over the weekend and stated how badly he wants to get back to raw when he comes home. So - I suppose we do our best to influence who we can. I trust that other opportunities will open. Oh, I did go off on an Organic tirade at work and had a few people standing around listening. I'm the official coffee maker in the morning at work. Now they see me make a pot but I bring my own organic coffee and make it at my desk. I suppose that too is a seed planted in their minds. Funny thing is I'm still figuring it out myself. :)

Love,
~Res

Sim

October 6th, 2007, 11:41 PM

Here's a pic everyone of those crepes...Res, thanks for the Photobucket info...I had forgotten all about that, having never used it before. It's great!http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc268/sstableford/?action=view&current=IMG_1166.jpg

mtmouse

October 6th, 2007, 11:55 PM

Here, I'm going to try to get it onto the forum for you:

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc268/sstableford/IMG_1166.jpg

Next time, wanna make it smaller? :D :D :D :D

Sim

October 7th, 2007, 12:15 AM

Question: how do you lovely people post an actual picture here on the BB instead of just a link? Of course, the link works fine, too.

As for this discussion about making raw accessible: Res, I hear you loud and clear. I remember having ten bucks per week to be used for "spending money" and I had four kids and McD's was the treat once in a very blue moon when I could save enough for each of the four to have something. And there was that summer when I had NOTHING and had four kids at home when everyone they knew was at camp or in Europe. So I made up a scoring sheet and told them that our summer would be used for the Great French Fry Hunt and they would be the official tasters and scorers. Three times per week for 8 weeks they got to pick a place and we'd order one order of fries to be shared, tasted, and tested.(My youngest, who is now 20, was too young to do anything but eat a fry or two, so I made the three older kids feel special by allowing them to choose.) It was fun for them and inexpensive for a woman who had nothing to spare. BUT you know what? If I had to do that today, I would never have a French Fry Hunt ...I'd do an "Exotic Fruit and Vegetable Hunt" instead. Sure, they're only sharing a small bit of something. But everyone knows that sharing food makes the food taste better! My four kids are definite foodies...and proud of their palates and their refusal to eat real junk. Although I have to say, I did recently see a box of Snack Cakes in this house!

This discussion makes me teary, too, because it brings back sad memories along with some good ones and yes, sprouts just don't fill the tummy or raise any excitement with kids. But what about having kids make their own crackers with flax and veggies? Or fruit leather? or teaching them that mono meals can be filling? Or teaching them that eating until stuffed is unhealthy and that eating just until one's tummy is no longer growling is much better? We can teach better habits and then maybe the kids won't grow into adults who have terrible habits, like eating in front of the TV or grabbing a bucket of fried chicken because it's just THERE. And Res, your son had a mild epiphany...I say mild because maybe he's not ready to go all raw, but the experience changed him and he will never go backwards and will never negate the good of the cleanse and raw. After my older son cleansed for ten days, he found raw to be delicious and would rather have, for example, marinated bok choy salad now, accompanying his animal protein (body builder that he is) than have a cooked vegetable and a starch on his plate. Your son and mine have been changed, even subtly. It's a beautiful thing. Res, you said, "Funny thing is I'm still figuring it out myself." Of course you are! There's a piece of Jewish lore that says one is not expected to arrive at perfection or even find a majority of the answers, but it is incumbent upon us to keep questioning, learning, trying, and discovering. I take comfort in that every time I feel frustrated about how little I really know about the world and about myself. I just keep on trying and I'm so glad to see you're doing the same!

TeePee...you are doing an AMAZING thing every time you tell your kids what you're eating...you are influencing them in the best way possible because you're not preaching, you're role modeling. They love you and they will want to emulate their beautiful, smart, kind teacher. That's just the way it works, so thank you thank you thank you for being such a wonderful human being and planting those seeds in such fertile soil. I'm no angel, that's for sure. I'm the one NOT teaching in school anymore, remember? :o

nanay

October 7th, 2007, 01:45 AM

Hi all!

End of day 14--1st MC---going for 20 days (i think).

I am excited to read your posts about raw food because i have been thinking that that is what i feel drawn to when i stop the cleanse. I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but i can't seem to stop reading and studying my raw food books! I said i was going to stop but it's been 5 days and everything I see people eating looks good to me so I figured if i was going to be thinking about food, that maybe thinking raw is better.

anyway i am excited about this thread, because i think it will be very encouraging.

Nanay

p.s. what book did the crepes come out of?

mtmouse

October 7th, 2007, 02:15 AM

Sim,

On the photobucket site over to the right there's a little box with links for sending your photo in e-mail, on a website, and then #3 or #4 is for BBs or forums. All you have to do there is highlight and copy the link and then paste it in a note here.

When I did that the picture came out huge (as you can see). I think there's some way to make the photo smaller when you upload it. But those crepes are pretty enough to be huge anyway! :)

Sim

October 7th, 2007, 09:42 AM

... so I figured if i was going to be thinking about food, that maybe thinking raw is better...anyway i am excited about this thread, because i think it will be very encouraging.
p.s. what book did the crepes come out of?

Hi Nanay~
Good thinking! Come here and kick raw around awhile and see how much fun we have...and check out the Lemonhead Recipe Box and other recipes that have been posted on this thread. Welcome, welcome...we're thrilled to see you here! The crepes came from Alissa Cohen's book, Living on Live Food...it is not in bookstores but can easily be ordered from alissacohen.com. No one is affiliated with her; we just all love the book.

Mtmouse~thanks for the photo info. Yup. I got it. By the way, that plate is HUGE. It's my fave platter...I switched over to white plates because all raw food looks great on white...sharp contrast!Oooh, how I love color!

TeePee

October 7th, 2007, 10:30 AM

Goodmorning Beautiful People,

Sim, your crepes are beautiful. Nice presentation!! I made those last Easter to take to my sister's. If I recall, they were supposed to be made with macadamian nuts for the creme filling?? Whatever is was, I didn't have on hand so I used brazil nuts and it was great that way, too! Those are fun to make, arent' they?? And, YES, you are an angel!! You are going to be imparting all of your raw and life wisdom on the world soon enough. For now, you are such a role model for all of us on this board! You don't need to be in a classroom for that!!

Well, my 7 year old daughter is dipping one little pinky finger into raw!! She is a typical 2nd grade junk-food eater. I rely on my mom for babysitting so much and some of her habits have come from that, but I could be stonger. Anyway, that's a whole other story...

Last week one night I was having flax crackers with almond butter and banana slices. First she asked for a slice of my banana, then her own banana. Then she wanted to try my milk. She drank the whole glass!! She didn't want to finish the whole banana on her own, so we turned it into a banana-almond milk smoothie for dessert. Yesterday morning she "asked" for some of that almond milk to go with her toast! Of course, I have to always keep Sim's freezer fudge on hand for her (and me!!) and she LOVES Sarma's chocolate pudding made with coconut. And apples with peanut butter....So slowy we are making improvements......

I am excited because I am going to visit my college roomate and her two girls today. The baby is my Goddaughter. We will go to lunch at a Mexican restaurant by her home where they will make the gauc right in front of you. I guess I will have a bowl for lunch!! And my friend will just laugh at me and shake her head!! AND WHOLE FOODS is right around the corner:D

Res

October 7th, 2007, 12:37 PM

OH-MY-GOSH! Those crepes!! I haven't eaten yet today. Stacy, you are DEFINITELY on the right path (Chef school)! What a beautiful presentation! :D Yum!

Res

October 7th, 2007, 12:54 PM

Sim: I love you to death! This is priceless; "There's a piece of Jewish lore that says one is not expected to arrive at perfection or even find a majority of the answers, but it is incumbent upon us to keep questioning, learning, trying, and discovering." And I'll tell you that I got goosebumps and a lump in my throat reading it. This is reality, this statement is truth and it took an odd -unknown burden off of me when reading it. We're never going to "arrive" because there IS so much to learn and discover and "THAT'S" the journey. A hunger to keep learning and discovering is good! :)

I hear you about raising 4 children alone. I did it with 3 and I agree with you - if I did it all over again the foodie side would be different. I'm in a much different place than I was all those years ago. Unfortunately even if I would've known different at that time a dehydrator wouldn't have ended up in my home unless it was given to me. :) I understand you about the 1 order of fries. It would be the same feeling if it was 1 melon or 1 apple. *hug*

Yes! My son had an epiphany and I couldn't be happier! :D We indulged a bit for his birthday and just to hear him say (afterwards) that we need to keep each other accountable thrilled me. He gets it! :D

Learning and sharing with all of you is so much fun and beyond. I love it when the newbies wander in here and join in. This is an amazing place. :)

Love,
~Res

Res

October 7th, 2007, 12:59 PM

Sim: There's a free program that you can download called, "Infranview" (http://www.download.com/IrfanView/3000-2192-10021962.html). This application does a bunch of things but it's nifty and easy to use for resizing your photos. :)

Sim

October 7th, 2007, 03:14 PM

Thanks, Res~
Infranview it is...and photobucket also answered some questions for me. And we all thought this BB was just about Raw and the MC!

Ah yes, the life question...and we're here for such a short time, too. We ask sometimes if what we do really matters. A friend of mine who produces art of such beauty is struggling to get noticed. He's my age, not a kid out of school and is becoming despondent over the possibility that his art will never be recognized, will never bring him fortune, forget fame, and he asks, ultimately, does it really matter? I said, in my Pollyanna way, that the artwork of Vermeer didn't get noticed until 300 years after his death and that one never knows what kind of footprints we're leaving. His response: a fat lot of good that did Vermeer...is he able to enjoy his recognized talent now?

So what's important to you all, my friends? Is it about what we accomplish now or what we leave when we're gone? I'd like to think there's a balance but I have a feeling that most people would choose one or the other. I'm not asking for answers; I'm sure we all have our opinions. But maybe you could think about these things in your odd moments. Heavy thoughts on a beautiful afternoon. You'd think I'd be dehydrating something instead of pondering life's mysteries. :rolleyes:

Res

October 7th, 2007, 06:09 PM

Sim: :) Nice last sentence. lol We're stuck with pondering I think.

I was watching the movie Troy yesterday. Achilles was visiting with his mother and was debating on whether or not to go to battle with Agamemnon against Sparta. His mother told him if he stayed, he would marry a wonderful woman and have children. The children would love him and so would the grandchildren, but after they all died he would be forgotten. Then she said that if he did go to Sparta, she would never see him again, but that the world would remember his name forever. We all know which path he opted for.

So is it more important to "live" your fame - or not live it and have it cherished for generations? Van Gogh died in poverty but has become one of the world’s most famous painters. Even though he's most likely happier on the other side, isn't it a bit sad that he didn't get to experience the accolades for his talents? I wonder if he died thinking he wasn't good enough? *sigh*

Love,
~Res

TeePee

October 7th, 2007, 08:24 PM

Whew. Heavy here today!! SIM, LOVE THE PIX!! THE RED HAIR, its' so you!!

Sim

October 8th, 2007, 12:06 AM

[QUOTE=Res] isn't it a bit sad that he didn't get to experience the accolades for his talents? I wonder if he died thinking he wasn't good enough? *sigh*
/QUOTE]

Exactly the point my artist friend was making. What good does it do Vermeer, rolling in his grave, to be recognized today when he died a pauper and unappreciated when he was alive? Hmmm. I see the point therefore I have to believe that I must live to be happy, now, doing anything that seems good and right and fun and beautiful, without hurting anyone else. Ah, there's the rub. If we live to make only ourselves happy, we run the risk of disappointing others. So we must strike that balance, which means we can't always be happy and gratified. At least,that's what I'm thinking now, at my advanced age of 51. Who knows what I'll think if I have the luck(?) to live until I'm 100. Happy Columbus Day, all...even though Columbus was not a very nice person, being personally responsible for wiping out almost the entire 8 million strong Taino population of Hispaniola in a period of three years.

Delicious Raw cookies: 2 pounds of cored and peeled apples
½ cup any kind of nuts
½ cup flax, whole or ground
½ cup maple syrup or agave
handful of raisins
cinnamon, if you wish
Process the apples and the nuts in a food processor. Place in a large bowl and mix in the other ingredients. Dehydrate at 105 for about 12 hours or until solic, maybe crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Sim

October 8th, 2007, 08:05 AM

SIM, LOVE THE PIX!! THE RED HAIR, its' so you!!

Hi TeePee~
I think everyone should create an avatar on Photobucket...it was just too much fun. And I actually do have that exact shirt, shoes, and jeans! Not to mention the dog and the fact that hiking in a forest is my preferred activity when I'm not connecting to raw.

Create an avatar...it lifted my spirits and made me laugh...can't go wrong with that!

Res

October 8th, 2007, 08:40 AM

Sim: I think if you're happy with yourself it will flow over onto others. This requires work. Can't please all of the people all of the time. :)

That's bad news about Columbus - but I'd rather have the truth even if it's bad.

Those cookies sound wonderful! :)

On another note: Cranberries are in!! :D I bought 4 packages and can't wait to make Boutenko's Scones!!! I've used blueberries and cherries but cranberries are my favorite! I have to be careful because I can eat a load of them! This year I'm going to make certain I freeze a LOT. They were even out of Organic cranberries online until recently. What's up with that?! ;)

Sim, today I'm going to make the Polenta receipe you posted. :D I like that nothing is dehydrated and I can just prepare it and eat it.

I hope everyone is doing well today.

Back to work for me.

Love,
~Res

mtmouse

October 8th, 2007, 11:01 AM

And I actually do have that exact shirt, shoes, and jeans! Not to mention the dog and the fact that hiking in a forest is my preferred activity when I'm not connecting to raw.

And I bet you have that skinny neck, too! :D

TeePee

October 8th, 2007, 12:48 PM

hi girls,

I am glad to be off for Columbus, but that really stinks. Kinda like what we did to the rest of the Native Americans.

Thinking about taking a ride down to Cape May for the day....after I finish this yummy green smoothie:D :D

Res

October 8th, 2007, 01:11 PM

After Sims comment I researched Columbus for myself and :eek:

There's not a lot to say. It's just sad.

Sim

October 9th, 2007, 12:21 AM

Res, Res...did you think I was blowin' smoke about Columbus? He really was a nasty guy and when I'd show my 8th graders a great documentary about it, they'd ask why they were never told this until the 8th grade! Such a difficult thing to do: choose between bursting bubbles and truly educating. I vote for real education.
mmmm the polenta. With or without the mushroom gravy, I love it! I just had some in a cabbage leaf roll and the sweet/salty/spicy taste just hits the spot.
And when I saw cranberries today in the supermarket, guess who I thought of??:D

Mtmouse: yes, I do have that skinny neck, but it's a whole lot more wrinkly than the cute little avatar's. Have you heard of Second Life? It's a virtual world application and you can put your avatar in situations online that reflect what you're actually doing in real life. For example, say your'e a musician and you're playing in a certain venue. Your friends want to come see you play but can't because they can't find a babysitter. You can set up a camera at your venue and film yourself singing and set your avatar up online to be at a club. But what your friends actually hear when they look at your avatar online is you, singing in real time at the club at which you're performing! So cool. How can we all keep up with this stuff?

TeePee~ Cape May inspired my purple door and banister in front of my house.
And oh! Next Friday, the 19th, is my son's birthday. I'm thinking of surprising him in Philly. Will you be around that weekend? Maybe we could meet?????

Res

October 9th, 2007, 03:14 PM

Sim, no no not blowing smoke. I was just uninformed. I read about it and didn't celebrate one iota yesterday and never will. I love having free will. ;)

Lunch today was the bomb: Butter lettuce, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, beet (spirulized ;)) sunflower seeds, raisins, buckwheat krispies, tomato and avocado with a olive oil/lemon dressing and sprinkle of sea salt. Mmm, Mmm good. :)

Breakfast was Ani's smart monkey bar cereal with only half a bar and a banana instead of apple. Mmm, mmm good. lol :)

Now if only I could just take a little nap. ;)

How's everyone today??? :)

Love,
~Res

nanay

October 9th, 2007, 04:01 PM

Hi everyone,
I'm really excited to go raw whenever I stop this cleanse (today is day 17). Been raw a couple times before but not much support, which was okay the first time, but the 2nd time was a struggle with a young baby and i was soooo tired....I'm am looking forward to giving it another go now that my baby is 5.5 and I'm trying to get thru some of the detox stuff more directly by doing the MC.
Here's my Question: Got in my car just now and it was so warm from sitting in the sun where it always sits, that I thought, Has anyone ever used their car as a kind of dehydrator? I've read of using the sun, radiators, and uncovered in the fridge, so I thought why not this nice warm car? Where I live it's sunny most of the time.

Thoughts?

Nanay

Res

October 9th, 2007, 04:08 PM

Nanay: Why not? I use my Servers at work. :)

Love,
~Res

TeePee

October 9th, 2007, 06:41 PM

Sim,

Yup! Sign me up!:D

ninab64

October 10th, 2007, 06:46 PM

hi ladies,

i've been away for a bit, partly because i've been going through some emotional things at home; my husband and i are divorcing (i never know the right way to say that; is it "my husband and i ARE, or AM, or what...)

anyway, there's been quite a bit of turmoil for the past month, with more to come, even though things have been rather amicable. then again, it's only been a month.... though he is moving out this weekend

so, that added to my digestive problems with raw and possibly food combining and my physical workings, its been a bit stressful to say the least. i had thought that it was the combination of greens and fruit that was causing me problems, but now i wonder if it's the greens, as i had a nice salad for lunch and almost immediately started percolating LOL. salad was mixed baby greens with lime juice and olive oil, with just a scant T of sunflower seed, and about 10 dried cranberries. breakfast was amaranth flake cereal and grape nuts, with a chocolate soy milk (store bought, all) and coffee. yes, bad example there, but that's my reality. i've been craving things like crackers and things like that, and have been having some of those things periodically, trying to find things that won't make my digestion go all wonky. i didn't have problems such as i am now, when i ate a moderately healthy diet before the cleanse.

so, this brings me to wonder if it would be cleansing in more than a physical way, if i were to go on another cleanse. last time (first time) was beginning of July, so it's been over 3 months now, and i probably wouldnt start until some time in november anyway.

any and all thoughts are welcome :)

jmommy

October 11th, 2007, 08:43 PM

Hi all today was my son's first 100% raw day. Here are some pics of him eating his dinner. He thought it was super yummy.

Before
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g107/jeannette_ernst/yummy.jpg

After
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g107/jeannette_ernst/yummyafter.jpg

This is what my husband and I had for dinner. I kinda just made it up.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g107/jeannette_ernst/DSC03045.jpg

Res

October 12th, 2007, 08:48 AM

Yum, nice creation x 2! ;)

aikenjoi

October 15th, 2007, 09:50 PM

Hmm...just the other day my posts were here and now they're gone. :confused:

Res

October 16th, 2007, 10:14 AM

Yes, we had an issue. Some of the messages were restored which deleted others. :o

aikenjoi

October 16th, 2007, 01:14 PM

Oh, okay. I'll just repost the recipes I found the other day in the recipes box then. :)

nanay

October 16th, 2007, 05:31 PM

Yeah, I got Cornbleet's book today!...stumbled across it at the health food store. So excited to have more "raw reading"!

Now, I'm thinking/dreaming of a dehydrator, spiralizer, and food processor.....mmmmm.

Love, Nanay
Day 24/Tuesday

cee3peeoh

October 16th, 2007, 07:09 PM

Hello Everyone, I started after my second cleanse and maintained a mostly raw food diet (about 70%) since July. It was an amazing experience and I lifestyle that I know I will definitely keep. It was exciting learning how to make so many new any different things. I found my dehydrator and vitamix on CL and got them both at a tremendously great price....check it out and see if anyone is getting rid of theirs in your area.

It's was exciting for me but I found that I still had some difficulties and I still haven't narrowed down what bound me up but someone said it could either be the cashews or the coconut. Everything I like causes me some kind of problems. :( I've already given up dairy, wheat and beans.....arrrrrrgh! :(

Can't wait thought until this cleanse is over for me.....3rd and working toward 40 days.....so I can get back to my RAW! Mmmmmmm, Yum!

Cee

Res

October 17th, 2007, 08:23 PM

Cee: I can only guess that as we rid our bodies of toxins and we simplify our eating that our bodies adjust to that freedom. Then when adding foods back into our diet there are some we're actually not meant to eat or allergic to and this causes reactions. Sadly I've come to this conclusion by my own experience and now I just have to accept that there are certain foods that cause me discomfort so I have to let them pass by. It takes a bit of getting used to but in the meantime there are so many raw recipes to try! :)

Love,
~Res

ninab64

October 18th, 2007, 12:21 PM

i still can't tell what i can eat, and what combinations are not good for me. i don't even have that feel-good feeling from eating raw, i don't notice a difference yet and really wish i had that kind of physical confirmation that this is a good way for me to eat.

do most of you feel great on raw?

i have been much more in touch with how i feel after i eat, and try to take note, and what i've noticed is that i feel pretty much similar after eating raw-only, and eating non-raw. dairy is still on my NO list, and i had a tiny bit the other day. day after, i had to clear my throat a lot, so that kind of physical confirmation of dairy helps me want to keep it out.

hope everyone is doing well, i haven't read much here lately

Res

October 18th, 2007, 12:48 PM

Again, this is per individual: I didn't feel totally well when I did the 30 day raw challenge. Symptons that I was supposed to be over after 30 days lasted 90 days or until I added a bit of cooked veggies. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me other than we're all different and need different things.

I eat meat periodically. I'm not a carnivore but I do have times when my body is propelled toward meat so I eat it. I don't always like the way I feel after eating meat either. Weird huh? So don't feel like you're the lone ranger.

Instead of looking at this as a negative, I'm trying to see all the positive in it. Life and eating is a journey and I can turn it around to where it's actually a fun thing figuring it all out. (Yes it can be frustrating). :)

Hang in there. :)

I need to revise this and wrote it earlier when I was in a hurry (as I am now!). I did feel good eating all raw. There were a few annoying things that never went away. But all in all it was (is) fun and healthy and I think for the most part the way to go. What I'm trying to do now is, eat all raw Monday - Friday and have some cooked meals on the weekend with my family - along with raw foods, salads, fruits etc. Hopefully that's clear. :)

Have to run, work is busy.

Love,
~Res

MindUtopia

October 18th, 2007, 04:32 PM

Hi all, so my MC is ending Monday and I want to do mostly raw for a month. However, in the middle of that month, I have to go away to a conference for 4 days. I know I will be able to find some things to eat there (smoothies, salads, raw fruits and veggies at the store), but know I will need to bring some prepared foods along just to keep me going. Do you guys have any suggestions for food I could prepare ahead of time and bring with me in a cooler? I will have access to a frigde once I get there. I was thinking of making toona and some hummus, but it would be good to have a few options.

Thanks!
Karen

caramello

October 18th, 2007, 07:44 PM

Wow Res,

You eat meat? How does that work out for you? What kind of meat do you stick to? I have been off the cleanse for a while and before I was the biggest meat eater I knew, a meal could not be complete without it. Its hard doing this vegetarian thing because just the other night I had my own father chastising me because he felt that humans could not survive without it! (let me mention though that he was all stuffy and sick on the phone, I wanted to tell him that he should GO CLEANSE :p But I must say I was intrigued by your last comment Res, and I am now going to further explore what kind of raw diet works best for me.

My new obsession is Whole Foods too, meaning I can't stay away. After reading everyone's comments about good food being so expensive, I have to say that I am in limbo....what will cost more, eating organic things that are really good for me or the hospital bills that could incur if I don't take care of myself? And I do think its very sad that larger families have to settle for the processed food, but then again, I don't hear too much about obesity or serious health problems in families of 5 or more. I think its the main issue still is portion control.

Res

October 18th, 2007, 08:44 PM

Caramello: LOL, yes I eat meat. :) I'm a whole foods nut as well. I'll buy free range - grass fed beef periodically and either make a burger (that I wrap in lettuce) or I'll cook a roast if someone is coming over. I also will eat free range chicken. I actually do this about twice a month. I don't plan it it's just when the urge hits. I don't like eating a lot because it digests really slowly but I continue to take probiotics and also a rainforest product that helps move things out.

My take on whole foods (now) is, yes it's a bit more costly but if you pick and choose you can stock up on healthy items. You can find some things cheaper at trader joes or a local health food store. For the meat, I go to whole foods. I don't eat as much so it's worth it to me to pay more for meat I trust. A LOT of Grocery stores are now carrying Organic produce. We have two stores here, Albertsons (that has a minimal Organic section) and a store called Henry's that does a better job of stocking and selling Organics. Either way both of these stores are cheaper than Whole foods in that respect, but I can't get everything I want at these stores so I get the weird stuff at whole foods. Confused? :confused:

lol

Do what works for you. It was hit or miss for me for a while but I'm settled with it now. :)

Love,
~Res

cee3peeoh

October 18th, 2007, 10:46 PM

SADLY is definitely the word for it. I'm so frustrated because everything that I love I've had to give up for the most part. Dairy is the one that doesn't bother me because I'm working on being more conscientious about eating meat and meat by products. But BREAD! Heavenly bread! I've just purchased a gluten free cookbook to learn some things and rice noodles are just fine....well rice bread hasn't been so bad either. Beans, beans.....whimper, whimper....those too have been taken away. Its just so hard to bear the possibilities of now cashews and coconut. I may be self diagnosing here but when it's time I'll try some raw recipes without them to see how things go. Hopefully (fingers crossed), just hopefully, it's something else. I hate to think that too because EVERYTHING IS SO GOOD!!!!

I'll keep my head up cause I'm cleansing now and am looking forward to the wonderful results!

Happy Lemon Day! Puckers! :)

Cee: I can only guess that as we rid our bodies of toxins and we simplify our eating that our bodies adjust to that freedom. Then when adding foods back into our diet there are some we're actually not meant to eat or allergic to and this causes reactions. Sadly I've come to this conclusion by my own experience and now I just have to accept that there are certain foods that cause me discomfort so I have to let them pass by. It takes a bit of getting used to but in the meantime there are so many raw recipes to try! :)

Love,
~Res

MindUtopia

October 18th, 2007, 11:37 PM

Also, are there any raw crackers or breads that can be purchased in a store or online? I don't have a dehydrator and want to see how well I do at sticking to raw before I get one, but I would love to have some carb like treats to go along with my veggies.

Res

October 19th, 2007, 10:41 AM

MindU: Yes, just google "raw crackers" and you'll find a bunch, or go to amazon.com, type in "organic crackers" and you'll be surprised. :)

Cee: Regarding bread - I have a theory (based on Trudeau). If you buy or make your own bread from *all* ORGANIC ingredients you should be fine. I'm testing this. I made a slightly heavy whole wheat french bread with, water, salt, flour, yeast. Those are the only ingredients bread needs. Look at commercial bread ingredients. :eek: If you can't pronounce it, you've never seen it, then don't eat it. Honestly it's a joke what goes into commercial bread. We have to think for ourselves and protect ourselves but the cool thing is, we're not alone. There are people fighting on OUR behalf and we have each other and truly there is strength in numbers. That's why I LOVE this thread. It MOVES and educates me.

Work is busy. I'll be back later. :)

Love,
~Res

nanay

October 19th, 2007, 11:27 AM

"Regarding bread - I have a theory (based on Trudeau). If you buy or make your own bread from *all* ORGANIC ingredients you should be fine. I'm testing this. I made a slightly heavy whole wheat french bread with, water, salt, flour, yeast. Those are the only ingredients bread needs. Look at commercial bread ingredients. :eek: If you can't pronounce it, you've never seen it, then don't eat it."

Res---QUOTE

Hi Res,

I am really interested in hearing about your "bread experiment" based on your's/Trudeau's theory. Please keep us posted about it. What about a bread like Ezekiel bread? Have you tried that? Have your tried any commercial breads that are all organic?

Love, Nanay

Sunnyshine

October 19th, 2007, 11:58 AM

Hi Happy Eaters! :D

I've finished 24 days of my MC now I get to eat raw food! I'm so excited!! I'll take the 30 day Raw Food Challenge. I've been reading all about it during my MC and am really looking forward to continue the cleansing and healing in my body. I love to cook, and I think this will be a wonderful and inspiring challenge for me to prepare loads of good living raw food!

Thanks for all the recipes and support on this thread! I'll add some of my own recipes once I start experimenting. I already have plenty of ideas. For now, it's only Oj and water for me, but in a couple of days...ooooooh, I can hardly wait! I'm craving celery w/raw almond butter like you can't believe!

Res, I've been dreaming about your onion ring recipe! I'll make it next week.

Bon appetit!

Res

October 19th, 2007, 01:22 PM

nanay: Last week I made the bread and put it under the broiler with organic butter and garlic. I 'expected' to blow up like a balloon as I usually do after eating it only once or twice and I haven't. Still scratching my head. And although I've been using my spirulizer and making zucchini noodles (which I think I like a bit better than noodle noodles ;)) I did eat Organic brown rice noodles with raw marinara and also expected to blow up like a balloon and didn't. I honestly believe Trudeau is CORRECT. If you eat non Organic foods the crap they add is interpreted by the body as Toxins SO what's next? The crap gets stored in mucous and fat as the body tries to protect itself! Hence the weight gain. :mad:

It's difficult and frustrating at times to believe anyone who says anything about health, diet and weightloss because they're all in it for the $$$ while we get fatter and more unhealthy. I haven't completely swallowed Trudeaus "theory" but each time I prove to myself something he's said I check one more uncertainty off the list. ;)

I just realized I'm talking about cooked food in the raw challenge thread. :rolleyes: I'll cease and desist and we'll take this up in the After the cleanse thread if you'd like. :o

Love,
~Res

Res

October 19th, 2007, 01:22 PM

Sunny: The onion rings are on my menu for tonight. ;)

nanay

October 19th, 2007, 03:02 PM

Hi Res,

Yeah I'm interested in this topic....it's so true about not knowing what to believe about who says what....arrggh! Maybe we can help each other by sharing our experiments and our discoveries.

Did you say that the bread you made usually makes you bloated or a different kind does but not your homemade kind?

I'll look for your answer on the "after the cleanse" thread.

Nanay

Res

October 20th, 2007, 12:31 PM

SO, the onion rings are in the dehydrator. I doubled the recipe just in case. ;) If they're horrid then I'll just use them in salads. It wasn't as messy or difficult as I thought it might be. However, there were many tears shed! http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/sad010.gif The way the house smells, it was worth playing with all those onion rings. :)

Nuts & seeds are soaking for not tuna with beautful red ripe home grown tomatoes waiting to be stuffed. I still prefer Cornbleets over any other. A nice salad is also waiting and I think I'll find that flax snack recipe here somewhere.

It's Saturday - it's quiet - it's lovely outside. I hope everyone is enjoying their day. :)

Love,
~Res

nanay

October 20th, 2007, 06:31 PM

Oh my word....that sounds so good Res. Food is starting to sound pretty stinkin good!

Nanay
Sat/day 28

Res

October 20th, 2007, 07:11 PM

LOL! Soon. ;)

Res

October 21st, 2007, 04:34 PM

The onion rings did "not" turn out as I thought they would. After 16 hours in the dehydrator they were still quite soggy. Oh, and these were probably not the best onions to use -spanish. They were so hot and pungent on their own it was like eating wasabi which always goes straight up my nose and burns! There's probably a lot I can still do with them without eating them plain.

TeePee

October 21st, 2007, 08:31 PM

SIM, YOU ARE THE BEST, COOLEST, MOST INSPIRING, ADORABLE PERSON!!!

Sim

October 22nd, 2007, 11:29 AM

TeePee~ you are too, too funny! :D

Hi Everyone~ I just have to tell you all: over the weekend, I had an absolutely ASTONISHING experience: TeePee and I met up and we had dinner together!!!!!!!!!! Yes, we did!!! With my husband in tow, we got together, far from our homes, and we had an organic dinner at a very cool restaurant that TeePee shared with me. My honey had an organic burger, as this was not a strictly raw establishment but TeePee and I were raw. Okay, dinner's not the important part!!! There we were, two friends who met online, right here on this site almost one year ago, just sitting and having dinner and hugging and laughing as if we'd known each other our whole lives! And not that this should be a secret, but TeePee is the most gorgeous creature on the face of this planet!! We should use her as the poster girl of Raw because we'd get thousands of converts, especially guys!! Okay, so I remembered how I got my fantasy life in gear awhile back when I said we'd should all meet. Well, this past weekend, that thought became a "why not?" reality. All it takes is desire. JUST LIKE EATING RAW.
TeePee, you are the woman!!!!!

....so the discussion here is quite interesting! Res, all the things you've said here are on the money but there's been a little edge introduced here that makes me a little uncomfortable...not upset, just uncomfortable. I believe that to go totally raw, a person has to have some kind of epiphany otherwise Raw seems reactionary, drastic, temporary...I also believe that raw is the best way to go BUT that perhaps some cooked foods are necessary for those who cannot commit to total raw. I would rather see my honeys eat a lot of raw and a little cooked than no raw and all cooked. Every little bit helps and the more raw fruits, veggies, nuts, sprouted lentils, and seeds we eat, the more investment we have made in our better future health. For those of us who must do "all or nothing", we give up cooked food, if not willingly, then at least with resolution. If I were to eat a little cooked food, it would quickly turn to a LOT of cooked food, therefore I'm staying as near to 100% raw as possible. But I'm also aware that for some people, I have become a sort of role model (HOW WEIRD!) and that helps me stay raw, too. In my family and amongst my friends, I've noticed a shift in their attitudes toward what I teach about being raw because I LIVE BEING RAW. They see now that it is not a fad, not unhealthy, not crazy...that it can be delicious and beautifying...and now they're all trying to incorporate more raw. No, they're not like me and they're not going to give up meat or bread or cake. Okay, I can deal with that. Every time my son asks for Marinated Bok Choy salad instead of cooked potatoes or rice, I smile. Every time they request Raw Apple Pie instead of buttercream cake, I laugh and happily start my walnut/coconut/date crust. And now they've begun to ask if I would buy organic chicken and beef instead of the usual...pledging that they'll eat less of it because it's so expensive. So slowly, they're weaning....it makes me happy and yes, I still cook all their non-raw meals in gourmet fashion, even! But at least I know they've noticed a difference and they're giving it a lot of thought. That makes me happy.

Remember that when we were all little babes and then children, not all foods sat well with our tummies and not all foods tasted good to us. Same with changing over to a raw diet. Not all green smoothies are equal, friends. Nor are nut patés or veggies. If it doesn't sit well with me, I stop eating it and try again, in teeny amounts, later on. Some nuts just won't digest (Brazil and walnuts are tough on my system). Some main staples are not attractive to me (Bragg's tastes like chemicals to me; coconut butter makes me gag) and some are just too expensive for me to utilize in any regular way (macadamias, young coconuts, jarred raw nut butters). So instead, I've taken the last 10 months to find my main staples..and guess what they are! Salads (of regular leafy greens like spinach, romaine. red and green leaf, and arugula,when plentiful and not too expensive. parsley, cilantro...mixed with tiny bits of chopped up kale, collards, chard; tomatoes, Kalamata olives, sweet onions, avocados, red peppers) and fresh fruits of all kinds, not exotic except for Mr. Mango. I only dehydrate when I feel the need for something different and I only make pizza for special occasions. Different patés are for experimental purposes and entertaining; same with those delicious nut cheeses...why? Because when I have them, I'm not happy until I've eaten all of it. Does it make me fat? NO. It's not about weight anymore...it's about how I feel. And I never feel well after eating a 9-tray dehydrator-full of crackers, onion bread, and cookies, all made with flax. So eating behaviors still need to be monitored. The difference is that I always thought it was about my weight control....nope, my weight is fine now, staying between 100-105, down a year ago from 141. It's about how one feels...if the food doesn't make you feel well, it doesn't matter if it's cooked or RAW. So I've found my niche, my healthful, satisfying niche. And a cup or two of lemonade once in awhile makes me happy, even when I'm NOT cleansing!

Oooh, I'm so preachy! But I just wanted to say that although the talk on this thread turned a little bit to talking about eating meats and eating cooked, I just wanted you all to know that I think that's okay, if that's what you need to stay a little more on the raw side. Who knows? One day, you might not need that stuff anymore and all raw will prevail. But if you deny what you want, you surely will throw all thoughts of raw out the window. By the way, one more thing...the wanting is all psychological, you all know that....it takes a good long while to sit in a restaurant with everyone eating garlicky chicken scarpariello or an oozing, runny cheese pizza and not feel deprived or wanting. I never thought I'd EVER sit through a dinner with a salad in front of me, albeit a gorgeous salad, and be satisfied when everyone around me was eating gourmet fare. Guess what? If you let it happen, it will, although not without some painful sensory memories. When that happens, I just look around and I can see, I can really honestly see how unhealthy so many of those people are who are chowing down on those foods. In contrast, I sit there and actually take inventory of myself, how I feel at that moment, what I'm wearing, how my body looks and how I can actually feel my systems thrumming. And in those moments, I know I'm happier without the gooey mozzarella and milky, mucus-causing cream cakes and ice cream. If you can, let go of the psychological satisfaction of old habits and set about creating new habits. I said it before: when you were a kid, you didn't eat everything....you got accustomed to some things very slowly. Now you're trying to re-educate that body, plus you're having to let go of "old friends," those comfort foods that helped you through rough times. Find new friends in your foods, just as we've found ourselves to all be new friends. Just as I found TeePee this past weekend.

Please, please excuse me...I'm not being self-righteous! Going raw has been both hard and easy, just as losing weight is sometimes hard, sometimes easy. The difference is that for me, weight has always been about vanity and raw has been about my health. I want to be around for a long time. Even more important, I'm afraid of fear and there's nothing I fear more than cancer or suffering a long-term illness like diabetes or heart disease. If I can avoid some of that through being raw, then I figure Ive done a good thing for myself. I speak for myself but I know, I know, we all have our health on our minds.

Love you all. Let's keep chattering.:o

TrueLivingKN

October 22nd, 2007, 11:55 AM

Oooh, I'm so preachy! But I just wanted to say that although the talk on this thread turned a little bit to talking about eating meats and eating cooked, I just wanted you all to know that I think that's okay, if that's what you need to stay a little more on the raw side. Who knows? One day, you might not need that stuff anymore and all raw will prevail. But if you deny what you want, you surely will throw all thoughts of raw out the window. By the way, one more thing...the wanting is all psychological, you all know that....it takes a good long while to sit in a restaurant with everyone eating garlicky chicken scarpariello or an oozing, runny cheese pizza and not feel deprived or wanting. I never thought I'd EVER sit through a dinner with a salad in front of me, albeit a gorgeous salad, and be satisfied when everyone around me was eating gourmet fare. Guess what? If you let it happen, it will, although not without some painful sensory memories. When that happens, I just look around and I can see, I can really honestly see how unhealthy so many of those people are who are chowing down on those foods. In contrast, I sit there and actually take inventory of myself, how I feel at that moment, what I'm wearing, how my body looks and how I can actually feel my systems thrumming. And in those moments, I know I'm happier without the gooey mozzarella and milky, mucus-causing cream cakes and ice cream. If you can, let go of the psychological satisfaction of old habits and set about creating new habits. I said it before: when you were a kid, you didn't eat everything....you got accustomed to some things very slowly. Now you're trying to re-educate that body, plus you're having to let go of "old friends," those comfort foods that helped you through rough times. Find new friends in your foods, just as we've found ourselves to all be new friends. Just as I found TeePee this past weekend.

Please, please excuse me...I'm not being self-righteous! Going raw has been both hard and easy, just as losing weight is sometimes hard, sometimes easy. The difference is that for me, weight has always been about vanity and raw has been about my health. I want to be around for a long time. Even more important, I'm afraid of fear and there's nothing I fear more than cancer or suffering a long-term illness like diabetes or heart disease. If I can avoid some of that through being raw, then I figure Ive done a good thing for myself. I speak for myself but I know, I know, we all have our health on our minds.

Love you all. Let's keep chattering.:o

Sim you just made me so happy I almost cried.

First of all, I cannot agree more about the 'denying what you want' and then completely giving up on raw (and healthy at all). Thats why I'm doing the Master Cleanse... because I was raw vegan for about a month or two (with occassional cooked meals) and suddenly I gave in to a silly craving (I can't remember if it was meat or cheese... or maybe candy?) and it all went downhill from there. I ate junk for a week straight, telling myself this was it, my final goodbye to those old foods I would LIVE on. I hate how I felt, and I didn't even enjoy the food... it was just something easy and familiar. It had almost no taste.

I want the cleanse to bring me back to a healthy diet and lifestyle, and I'm almost nervous about eating again because I don't want to fall back onto old habits... but reading your post really made me feel excited about eating again, and I can't wait to recondition myself to healthy comfort foods and maybe even get myself to enjoy flax :eek:

Anyway, if you were here I'd be giving you a really big hug. :D Your words made me feel so much better and more confident. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

And, for the reason I came to this board in the first place..... I have a quetion about flax seeds. Are they an acquired taste? I really used to love chips, tortillas and bread, and although I don't want to depend on them by any means I think that having some will make an easier transition for me (plus its nice to have a taco now and again!). So far I've used them in one chip recipe, but there was very few ingredients and the flax seeds dominated. I couldn't eat them... I ended up putting them in the compost! I enjoyed flax seeds in only one meal that I know of, and they were in a tortilla of a taco I had at Pure Food and Wine in NYC. And I looked at the recipe for it... there's a ton of other stuff besides flax in there (also, I didn't eat the tortilla by itself). Is it possible that I may just need to mask the taste, or do you think I might actually ENJOY flax one day? The same goes for hemp seeds lol. I don't want to depend on either but I would like to at least enjoy them. :(

Sunnyshine

October 22nd, 2007, 12:22 PM

YIKES! Just found out I have to go to lunch w/the boss and some co-workers today! My boss knows I've been cleansing, so he let me pick the place (awfully considerate of him). I chose a sushi restaurant and was thinking I'd order a veggie roll w/o the rice. ???

Any suggestions??? I'm new to raw, so would love some suggestions on how to survive outside of my clean little bubble!

TrueLivingKN

October 22nd, 2007, 05:02 PM

You could try a seaweed salad but I'm not sure thats raw... :-\ Sorry I guess that wasn't helpful lol. Usually though they have great salads, like spring lettuce mix with avocado and cucumber. Just make sure what kind of dressing it is if you get a salad.

But yeah some veggies wrapped in nori would be good, although nori isn't raw. Still, its otherwise close and it is healthy.

Sushi places are tough. Cause you can go raw with the fish and get sashimi but its tougher when you're trying to be vegan too. There are plenty of vegetables but they're usually steamed. I hope I at least gave you some ideas... :(

Sunnyshine

October 22nd, 2007, 05:05 PM

Sim

October 22nd, 2007, 06:32 PM

I have a question about flax seeds. Are they an acquired taste? The same goes for hemp seeds lol. I don't want to depend on either but I would like to at least enjoy them. :(

Hi True! Oh, you are just an angel...I'm glad that something I said made a difference. Thanks for the hug...there's nothing better in the world!:)

Do you mean you don't like the actual taste of flax seeds or the consistency? It's hard to tell from your post. I've never thought of the seeds as having a taste...for me, they add crunch or consistency but I can't really say I taste them. Let us know what you're talking about here, okay?

You have the best attitude! Just take the steps, one at a time...you'll arrive at whatever place you need to be and remember that your place may not be the same place as anybody else's. Keep monitoring here...we need you! Hugs right back atcha :D

TrueLivingKN

October 22nd, 2007, 08:36 PM

:D:D:D

Oh, and I meant the taste of the flax. I've actually never JUST tasted flax seeds by themselves... maybe that should have been the first thing I did! I've had them in crackers and stuff like that. I got flax crackers once that were just salt, water, and flax I think... but I couldn't even swallow a bite, they smelled and tasted horrible. I thought maybe it went bad, but then I tried flax again in a chip recipe (they were ground up this time and mixed with fresh corn, then dehydrated) and it was the same thing except not quite as bad.

cee3peeoh

October 23rd, 2007, 12:15 AM

Thanks Res, I've got some baker friends who own their own store and bake breads using organic and fresh ingredients who've made me whole wheat and spelt breads without all that "stuff" to test and still no go. I've actually found some really decent brown rice bread and have just ordered a bunch of rice bread, pancake and brownie mix (made without wheat and soy flours) at a great price off Amazon.com. BTW, you can get some really great deals on organic and raw food on Amazon. You have to buy in bulk but it's worth it. I've actually started a small buyers club and a few of us get pool our money and we get a bunch of stuff and share it.

Thanks again Res for the suggestions and being so thoughtful. I've read Trudeau's book....love it! :)

Cee: Regarding bread - I have a theory (based on Trudeau). If you buy or make your own bread from *all* ORGANIC ingredients you should be fine. I'm testing this. I made a slightly heavy whole wheat french bread with, water, salt, flour, yeast. Those are the only ingredients bread needs. Look at commercial bread ingredients. :eek: If you can't pronounce it, you've never seen it, then don't eat it. Honestly it's a joke what goes into commercial bread. We have to think for ourselves and protect ourselves but the cool thing is, we're not alone. There are people fighting on OUR behalf and we have each other and truly there is strength in numbers. That's why I LOVE this thread. It MOVES and educates me.

Work is busy. I'll be back later. :)

Love,
~Res[/QUOTE]

Sim

October 23rd, 2007, 10:05 AM

MissMars

October 23rd, 2007, 01:46 PM

TrueLivingKN

October 23rd, 2007, 09:33 PM

sorry if this has been addressed before, I looked and searched but didnt see it...perhaps someone can help...if you are planning to go RAW after the MC (I am on Day 8...), after the 11th day of OJ, what next on the 12th day? Salads, correct? Or a raw soup?

I appreciate any advice, thanks!

I'm also going back to raw. I was planning on doing the OJ for two days (if I can last two lol) and then on the third day have OJ for breakfast, try some fruit for lunch (not too much, and only one kind... not something too heavy either).. and then at night some more fruit or a salad if I think I'm up for it (again, something small just to see if it goes down alright). Then day 4 I'm gonna eat normally.

cee3peeoh

October 23rd, 2007, 10:24 PM

Um...I don't mean to be contentious here so please don't hate me but... organic is definitely the way to go and I think we all agree on that but I'm having a hard time justifying the quiet chatter here about baked breads, no matter how healthy the ingredients are. I just want to remind us all that this thread is about raw and I wouldn't want to confuse any new readers about that. We can start a new thread on the the BB that talks about the benefits of good, wholesome all-organic foods that are cooked and baked, if that's what people want. But I'd hate to see this thread give confusing messages about how good bread could be as long as we leave out the chemicals.

I keep imagining that I, as a new person, may have sought out this thread to hear about the benefits of raw because that's what I'm thinking of doing and then I get here and people are talking about baked breads. Confusing. Let's not let this happen, please kids. I understand the point cee3peeoh and Res are making and they are right in the non-raw way of looking at healthy and healthful vegetarian or even vegan eating, but that conversation belongs elsewhere, methinks. :o

Sim, if you read the series of threads based on what Res and I were commenting on originally, you would know that it was based on raw food and the raw food challenge and food sensitivities relative to raw. Thus bringing about the the topic of bread (oats can be used in the raw diet; gluten intolerance is a food sensitivity). Secondly, we're not KIDS!!!! If a thread happens to travels to the topic of cooked food, which it does sometimes in this raw topic, then that's where it goes. People will have comments that make comparisons or observations between the two (cooked and raw) in this thread. It's not to take away from the challenge and/or the topic of raw.

May I suggest, that before going so far as to comment like you did, that you research the origin of a thread to see how it got to where it did and not assume that anyone is using this forum for anything other than its intended purpose.

I hope that as a new person, looking for information on the raw food diet and the experiences other people are having that you find some really useful and valuable information in this thread that would encourage you to try it. We're all here to share with one another. It's a great experience and fun because you're learning a new way of preparing foods and great to know that you can eat a raw cake for breakfast (chocolate at that) and it be really good for you. In addition, I would suggest that you keep an open mind about the fact that "cooked foods" and even "meat" might be mentioned briefly because some if not most of us are not 100% rawists. We're all here to learn from and grow with each other in this wonderful and new experience and way of life. Lastly, you should be aware that most folks using this forum are adults and not "KIDS"!

Sim

October 23rd, 2007, 11:51 PM

I hope that as a new person, looking for information on the raw food diet and the experiences other people are having that you find some really useful and valuable information in this thread that would encourage you to try it.

Um. cee3peeoh....I'm not a new person, I'm a moderator. Nor am I new to this thread, as you will find me in very early pages, nor am I new to raw, having gone 100% raw almost one year ago. And I'm happy to say that some of that "useful and valuable information in this thread" was supplied by....me :D

When I said, "I keep imagining that I, as a new person..." I meant that if I were a new person and I consulted this thread, I'd be confused by the recent discussion.

If you go back to the many pages of this thread you'll see the wonderful conversations we've all had, all the inspiration, all the information and the recipes, but no real discussion about cooked foods or breads on this particular thread precisely because it is The Raw Food Challenge thread. I was merely suggesting that perhaps the other kind of discussion is best dealt with on another thread.

I'm well aware that no one on this thread is a "kid". I was using the term affectionately for all my friends here, who are all adults, even the youngest of us.

Thanks for weighing in, though. It's always interesting to see various reactions to postings.

MissMars

October 24th, 2007, 09:32 AM

I'm also going back to raw. I was planning on doing the OJ for two days (if I can last two lol) and then on the third day have OJ for breakfast, try some fruit for lunch (not too much, and only one kind... not something too heavy either).. and then at night some more fruit or a salad if I think I'm up for it (again, something small just to see if it goes down alright). Then day 4 I'm gonna eat normally.

Great thanks so much, I will try the same. I was thinking either organic grapes or melon for monofruit on the 3rd day after the fast or 2nd day if I feel ready.

Cheers!

2blessed2Bstressed

October 24th, 2007, 12:34 PM

TeePee

October 24th, 2007, 06:41 PM

Sim, once again, you are the best and all too kind for the words you mentioned about our meeting!!

For everyone, Sim is more amazing in person than you can ever imagine! She is a wealth of information and a truly unique individual! Fabulous!!

More later, work and life are crazy right now!!

Sim

October 24th, 2007, 07:31 PM

More later, work and life are crazy right now!!

Hey TeePee~ Isn't it annoying that work and life keep interfering with our real interests, like raw food and having fun? :D

cee3peeoh

October 24th, 2007, 08:53 PM

[/QUOTE]I was merely suggesting that perhaps the other kind of discussion is best dealt with on another thread.

Thanks for weighing in, though. It's always interesting to see various reactions to postings.[/QUOTE]

suggestion taken.....although it was a brief off-topic comment and not a discussion.

thanks for commenting back.....reactions are most definitely interesting....let's hope that these brief off-topic comments won't throw a new person off.

BACK TO RAW

As I had originally commented and was curious about was anyone else's experience with an intolerance to say cashews or coconut. As I had changed my diet, after my last cleanse, to mostly raw (which has been totally exciting for me and I plan to continue after this one) I felt like some ingredient was causing me some discomfort. It was kind of mentioned to me that one of the two or both (since I used them so often) might have been the culprit for this. Has anyone else heard of this or experienced this?

peanutterb

October 24th, 2007, 09:53 PM

Well, I'm on day 3 of my second cleanse and trying to plan ahead for a healthier lifestyle after I end it.
My question is: would the Vitamix or Dehydrator be a more useful tool to me? Currently, I have a very good quality blender/smoothie maker. Certainly, it's not a Vitamix, but it does a great job. The dehydrator 'draws' me as it seems you could do a LOT with it--dried fruits/veggies, crackers, fruit rolls, dry out sprouted nuts, etc.
So, those of you that have one or both of these, which do you recommend?

Thanks for your input as I plan for healthier eating....

Hmm, it all depends on what you'll be making more of. I'd say get the dehydrator since you already have a blender. but it's up to you. I have a blender and food processor and make alot of meals with just those two pieces of equipment. But sometimes I do want to make crackers or the like, as Res and mtmouse do, but not often enough to warrant me getting an excalibur but maybe i'll get a cheap nesco one from amazon one day.

TrueLivingKN

October 25th, 2007, 05:51 PM

Well, I'm on day 3 of my second cleanse and trying to plan ahead for a healthier lifestyle after I end it.
My question is: would the Vitamix or Dehydrator be a more useful tool to me? Currently, I have a very good quality blender/smoothie maker. Certainly, it's not a Vitamix, but it does a great job. The dehydrator 'draws' me as it seems you could do a LOT with it--dried fruits/veggies, crackers, fruit rolls, dry out sprouted nuts, etc.
So, those of you that have one or both of these, which do you recommend?

Thanks for your input as I plan for healthier eating....

I agree with peanutterb. Since you already have a good blender, there's no real need to get a vitamix. A vitamix is really handy for nut butters but you can also do that in a blender and food processor...

Dehydrators are a lot of fun, and you can get very fancy with them. You may not use it as much as you would a vitamix (or any blender) because it probably won't be making the staple of your food, but it is DEFINITELY useful when wanting to entertain, or make stuff like tacos, breads for raw vegan burgers, etc.

Also its nice to have things to munch on once in a while. :)

nanay

October 25th, 2007, 07:06 PM

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm not vegan, so I invented my own roll with yellowfin, avacado & cucumber wrapped in nori. It was delicious and they were happy to fulfill my request of no rice and no cooked fish or veggies! And I didn't overeat at all :D
Hi Sunnyshine and all,

Thanks for this great suggestion, because my husband and i love sushi and i was wondering what i would do after the cleanse when i go raw for 30 days and i don't think that i will necessarily try to be vegan either. I have some great raw meat recipies that i can't wait to make again and see how my body feels with it after this cleanse. Great ideas!

Love, Nanay
Day 33/Thursday

Sim

October 26th, 2007, 07:48 AM

Nance

October 26th, 2007, 12:50 PM

AHHHHHHH,

I am back on. For a while my user name and password did not get me on, and just got it fixed! For now, I am munching raw cashews . . . getting ready for another MC . . . but since this Raw Food thread is where my heart is, I wanted to check in here FIRST!

Love to all y'all!:D

Res

October 27th, 2007, 11:57 AM

Sunnyshine

October 27th, 2007, 08:26 PM

Sunnyshine

October 27th, 2007, 08:30 PM

Hi All! I just fired up my new dehydrator! :D It's loaded with parsnip chips--thought I'd start w/ something easy. I figured I'd want them salted, but wasn't sure, so I sprinkled half of them w/finely ground unfined red Hawaiian sea salt. Does any know if salting has a negative effect on dehydrating veggies? Does it make them tough perhaps? I really have no clue, so thought I'd experiement. I'll find out in a few hours!

Res

October 27th, 2007, 09:02 PM

Sunny: Google your question about dehyrating with salt. I can't seem to remember at the moment. There's a lot of great and free knowledge out there. :) Keep us posted on how it goes.

Love,
~Res

Sim

October 28th, 2007, 12:01 AM

Does any know if salting has a negative effect on dehydrating veggies? Does it make them tough perhaps?

Hi Sunny~
That's a great question and Res had good advice about googling the answer. I know when you salt any kind of meat, salt does have a toughening effect, which is why they tell you to never salt a steak before it's grilled. But with veggies, I don't know. I've gotten good results with veggie chips by soaking the raw veg in a little Bragg's or nama shoyu or tamari for 10 minutes and then spreading them out in the dehydrator and sprinkling them with nutritional yeast. I've done that instead of salt. Try it and see if it seems any different. It's all one huge experiment anyway and most of the time, any results are still edible. :D

cee3peeoh

October 28th, 2007, 11:52 AM

Morning: Please keep in mind that when I started this thread I had no idea what eating all raw entailed. I began a journey into discovery which has included ups and downs along the way. More clearly, hits and misses and it has been fun.

This thread has definitely "evolved" with all the new knowledge being shared but it's still a place of "freedom" of speech and discovery and belongs to all of us.

Let's all keep that in mind.

Love,
~Res

HALLELUJAH RES....THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.....YAY FOR FREEDOM AND DISCOVERY....

As Res, stated, this is about DISCOVERY! In this journey of being raw, as a new lifestyle, we discover that as we change our diets by including more nutrient dense foods that include "many" things (non cooked, non dairy and non flesh) we discover so many things about ourselves in the process.

I'm happy to be here in the process and discovering more about myself and this lifestyle; I couldn't have been successful without the wonderful input of many folks on this site.

Be Well,

Cee

Res

October 28th, 2007, 03:29 PM

Sim, :)

I just checked my bottle of Nama Shoyu and of course it does contain salt. I'm still curious about dehydrating with salt because I haven't googled it yet. Perhaps with the *amount* of salt being less than just sprinkling it on is what makes it ok to soak veggies in? :)

I've dehydrated zucchini without doing anything to it and well, as chips it tasted really bland. But the fun thing is you can throw it into soup or a green smoothie it so that it doesn't go to waste. I'd rather just spirulize it and make spaghetti. I just love the zucchini noodles :D and you don't have to feel guilty like you do when you eat a whole plate full of pasta! ;)

Love,
~Res

I hope everyone is doing well today. :)

nanay

October 28th, 2007, 05:32 PM

Hi Nanay and all~
At the risk of sounding like a schoolteacher (which I am anyway, LOL), I just want to remind you all that the "Raw Food" movement does not include raw meat or fish, or heaven forbid, chicken. :eek: Being "raw" means veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. Of course, if you wish to include raw meats into your diet, you're free to do so but I just wanted to make sure that anyone tapping into this thread understands that "The Raw Food Lifestyle" definitely does not include meats or even tofu, for that matter. In any case, happy eating!
Hello Res, Sim, and all you Lemonheads!

Just finished my 34 day cleanse on Saturday and feel so happy with this accomplishment! Yeah for me! Thank you to all who support this forum and a special thank you to Res, for your almost day to day encouragement and support!

I dropped off checking in for a few days because we had evacuees staying with us because of the So. Cal fires. I almost quit in the middle because it was so chaotic, but I'm glad i waited because i wanted to be able to pay really good attention to my needs when i transitioned back to food.

So I'll be posting over here now and on the after the cleanse thread. I am soooo looking forward to the food chat....mmmm!

Just to clarify about your post, Sim.......do you mean the raw food lifestyle as defined by this forum or do you mean the raw food lifestyle as defined by some group outside of this forum? I did read the first post in this thread and it said "no rules. just the obvious. eat all raw." So why not raw meat? I have experimented with raw meat in the past and i am looking forward to testing it out and seeing how that feels in my body, since doing this cleanse. As I understand it, it is also a part of the raw food movement, albeit, a controversial part perhaps.

Is there a separate thread for discussing, (heaven forbid!), raw meat? :-o

I want you to know that I appreciate your contributions tremendously. I especially enjoyed your recent post about being in a group of people eating and feeling food memory angst and looking around at the people and their state of wellness and noticing the connection with that and what they are eating. I tried this at Rubio's recently when I was really having a lot of feeling about not eating and it really helped me through that moment. I was able to actually feel at peace with my choices. There was so much wisdom in that post. Thank you for that and taking the time to share.

I also appreciate the thoughts about preserving the spirit of exploration and discovery.

Love, Nanay
MC 1/34 days

cee3peeoh

October 28th, 2007, 07:43 PM

Just to clarify about your post, Sim.......do you mean the raw food lifestyle as defined by this forum or do you mean the raw food lifestyle as defined by some group outside of this forum? I did read the first post in this thread and it said "no rules. just the obvious. eat all raw." So why not raw meat? I have experimented with raw meat in the past and i am looking forward to testing it out and seeing how that feels in my body, since doing this cleanse. As I understand it, it is also a part of the raw food movement, albeit, a controversial part perhaps.

Love, Nanay
MC 1/34 days

Wow Nanay....I didn't know that those discussions existed and that there were folks in the raw movement who eat raw meat. Share some sources if you have any....in the meantime, I'll do some searching to read more about it....really curious now. I guess the most that I've read so far was more about raw and vegetarianism. Thanks for sharing.

Congrats on 34 days. I'm heading there....day 14 and going for 40.

Res, you're the ichiban senior member!

Sim

October 29th, 2007, 12:44 AM

TeePee

October 29th, 2007, 09:25 PM

Hello all!!

Just checking in to say hi. busy, busy, busy. Thinking about a cleanse next week, as there are only 2 days of school!! I for sure need to "clean up" a bit!

Hope everyone is well!:)

MindUtopia

October 30th, 2007, 10:47 AM

Hi all,

Just wanted to check in. I've been doing raw for a week now after my cleanse and just love it. I'm amazed that I just don't think about cooked food anymore. I was planning doing this for a month and then seeing what happened, but now I really can't see going back to a mostly cooked diet. I know I will eat cooked food occasionally when I don't have any other options, but hopefully that will be few and far between. Last night in fact I ended up eating a vegan cooked soup. I've been waiting for a paycheck to come through that's been delayed, so money has been really tight and I'd literally eaten myself out of raw food over the weekend. It's was down to either not eating dinner, or eating soup, so I decided to do the soup. It tasted so rotten! Literally, it tasted dead! I had no idea how spoiled I've been by eating raw. I can't wait to go shopping this afternoon so I can get back to eating good food again. :)

Hope everyone is doing well.

Take care,
Karen

nanay

October 30th, 2007, 12:34 PM

Hi Nanay, Cee3 , Res, and all~
Nanay, I was talking about the Raw movement outside this site. To my knowledge from all that I've read, and of course, I could be wrong, there are no raw foodist gurus who approve of or include raw meats in their diets. If you were to look through all our wonderful raw food recipe books, you will not find meats in the recipes. You may find tofu in some books that are partly raw, partly just vegetarian. Tofu is a staple for vegetarians but not for raw people. Years ago, I used to eat raw kibbe (made with ground lamb or ground beef) and steak tartare (which is also raw ground beef) and loved it...but aside from living this new lifestyle now, I don't think I'd chance it anymore with all the e.coli out there. And it somehow doesn't make sense to me that Raw foodists who put such an emphasis on assuring themselves good health would even think about eating raw meat. So if you or Cee3 or anyone can find info on raw meat in the Raw Movement diet, I'd be fascinated to read about it.

Hey Sim and all,

Sorry this is so long in coming and so short...i'm a little rushed these days and its taking me more time to eat and think about what i will eat and shop for it etc., than doing the fast.

Here's some quick thoughts:

For raw foodists eating raw meat and dairy, check out Carol Alt. I know she has at least 2 books out and a website called rawnutrition.com. She also has a newsletter I've just subscribed to and an email series called "7 Steps to Raw" and specifically mentions that not all raw foodists are vegan.

Also, check out Aajonus Vonderplanitz....he has 2 books out and discusses the health related concerns in eating raw meat and dairy---he is listed in the reading resource section of the book "The Complete Book of Raw Food" which is a large collection of suggestions and recipes from the top names in the raw food movement. Not sure I agree with him entirely, altho' I think he has some valid points....I am still digesting some of his thoughts and contributions....we'll see. Of course, I'll continue experimenting, reading, and listening to my intuition and my body.

My post cleanse is going great! First day I had 2 pears--VERY slowly over the course of the day. Second day, pear, tomato, sunflower sprouts, tiny bit avo....not all at once of course. Had a cucumber, 1/2 an avo, a kiwi, and my first green smoothie yesterday (orange juice, avo, spinach, frozen banana--i liked it and so did my family!) The kiwi made my tongue irritated, kinda like pineapple does sometimes...does anyone know what that's about? This morning is another green smoothie---frozen berries, flax oil, 1/4 avo, 2 handfuls organic baby spinach, juice of one orange. So far so good!

Energy good and seems to be steadily if slowly improving. Digestion i would call adequate, my stomach at first felt a little tense. I'm still working on slowing down. I notice now how much i eat in a rush or on the fly......not so good, me thinks.

Very excited about raw food....talked to my mil all about it and she is going to make breakfast a raw meal this week...gave her smoothie ideas and she was excited to try them too. Then next week she may try adding raw lunches. Anyway it was fun to share. I'm thinking about doing a little raw prep class or something cause sharing really helps me.

Well not so short i guess. LOL! It's like when I go in the store and think i'm only gonna get a few things...Ha! Well, anyway, thanks for all the stimulating conversation! Can't wait to hear more from all of you!

Love, Nanay
post cleanse, day 4
MC 1--34 days

TeePee

October 30th, 2007, 08:02 PM

HI Nanay,

Real quick, I just saw your post mentioned your tongue becoming irritated with the kiwi. And then you mentioned pineapple. Mine does the same thing, usually happens with strawberries too. Sometimes with the cashew cheese and lots of garlic. I've had this problem before going raw, sometimes with provolone and wine.....and tomatoes, which ususally all came together!! My sister experiences the same thing. Dentist calls it "geographic tongue" because it moves around.... You can google it.. but it has gotten significantly less since eating raw.:)

Sunnyshine

October 31st, 2007, 01:38 PM

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Dehydrating experiment #1: the salted parsnip chips tasted better (in my opinion). They weren't tough at all. The unsalted ones were still very good--I was surprised that they took on a mildly spicy flavor that's not obvious in a fresh parsnips. I also epxerimented with thickness and the thinner ones were better, as I suspected. Keep in mind that I used red Hawaiian sea salt, which is milder than regular salt.

Now also keep in mind that I've never used a dehydrator before...I was shocked to see how much they shrunk! I literally gasped when I opened the dehydrator... I gasped and then I started cracking up at all the mini-chips I'd made! I had no idea! They were tiny--about 1/3 the size as when they went in. But they taste great, so who cares :D

Res

October 31st, 2007, 03:37 PM

Hi Everybody:

Busy as usual in here and I'm glad about that. :) Sorry I'm AWOL - busy at work and I hurt my back. I'm going to live though. ;) I'm grabbing a second at lunch to pop in.

Mercola is definitely not raw and he doesn't believe we should eat ANY grains AND he eats steak tartare but honestly I couldn't do it unless I was starving. He takes free range grass fed hamburger, forms a patty with a little hole in the middle and cracks an egg there and eats it. :rolleyes: yesh... he's brave. I love the guy though and agree with a lot of what he says but disagree with some too. I don't think I've found my total guru which is probably good because then I'd stop looking for myself. :)

So much wonderful stuff said here and so many amazing people completing 35 day cleanses!!! ;)

Be back soon. :)

Love,
~Res

joeynicks

November 1st, 2007, 02:20 AM

What do you think about the Green Star?

nanay

November 1st, 2007, 02:39 AM

Hi everyone,

Still here, still raw, day 6 post cleanse. Dinner at the in laws tonight, had salad, took an avo, and tomato and made some dressing.....was good and i noticed later that i hadn't really thought about the lasgna on the table at all.

Been out of the house doing raw and taking it with me quite a bit which has worked, but i am feeling the need to have some at home time to experiment and prepare some things too, so that i feel that my food has variety and is satisfying in other ways than just physical. Anyone else notice this? I think it's something about taking time for myself and self-nurturing skills.

Has anyone on here taught or led any kind of raw prep classes? I'm thinking I'd like to try and I would love to hear your experiences.

Dropped almost 5 more lbs. since stopping the cleanse on sat. That's 25 lbs. total plus 4 more before the cleanse---almost all my clothes are REALLY too big now, but i'm feeling anxious about spending money on smaller clothes too.....doubting my ability to maintain I think. Thoughts, insights? I'm going to explore my thoughts about this a bit more, too.

Thanks for making the effort to post, Res. Sorry to hear about your back....I missed your posts and prescence and was wondering if you were ok. I'll keep you in my raw thoughts.

Love, Nanay

nanay

November 1st, 2007, 02:48 AM

Oh I forgot to tell you my raw cultured veggies story....

Yesterday I had a part of the day where I felt so tired and fuzzy headed. I was in the natural foods store and picked up a raw cultured veggie product by Rejuvenative Foods, they make a few different ones. Anyway, it was so good I could hardly stop eating it and ended up finishing off that jar that day and getting another jar today and doing the same thing. I noticed within 15 min of eating it my energy went up and my fuzzy head went away. I love this stuff! I have to learn how to make it. It helps restore good bacteria too. I'm sure you must of heard of it but if not google it....it's amazing stuff!
Anyone know how to make it? I'm googling that next.

Love, Nanay

lima64

November 1st, 2007, 04:39 PM

what kind of cultured veggie. will you explain?

MindUtopia

November 1st, 2007, 07:48 PM

Hi all,

I'm coming up on day 12 raw and I still really love it. I have to admit, I haven't been 100% raw (probably closer to 90% - I've had a couple glasses of wine and ate a few bites of non-raw snacks here and there). But I'm pleased with what I've been able to accomplish so far and I still much prefer raw to non-raw (and it certainly hasn't hurt to eat some non-raw food to remind me of that). I had a question though. I've read before about people who experience "healing crises" while eating raw. I started to come down with what feels like a cold a few days ago and started to wonder if that's what it is. I think probably it really is a cold since everyone around me is also sick. But I'm just curious if anyone has any info on healing crises as I'd be interested to read about it so I know what to expect if and when this happens in the future.

Thanks,
Karen

cee3peeoh

November 1st, 2007, 10:28 PM

Hi Nanay, Cee3 , Res, and all~
Nanay, I was talking about the Raw movement outside this site. To my knowledge from all that I've read, and of course, I could be wrong, there are no raw foodist gurus who approve of or include raw meats in their diets. If you were to look through all our wonderful raw food recipe books, you will not find meats in the recipes. You may find tofu in some books that are partly raw, partly just vegetarian. Tofu is a staple for vegetarians but not for raw people. Years ago, I used to eat raw kibbe (made with ground lamb or ground beef) and steak tartare (which is also raw ground beef) and loved it...but aside from living this new lifestyle now, I don't think I'd chance it anymore with all the e.coli out there. And it somehow doesn't make sense to me that Raw foodists who put such an emphasis on assuring themselves good health would even think about eating raw meat. So if you or Cee3 or anyone can find info on raw meat in the Raw Movement diet, I'd be fascinated to read about it. And Nanay, CONGRATS on your extended cleanse!!!! FANTASTIC!!! You rock! It is no small thing and you deserve all the smiles we're sending you. Tell us what it felt like and tell us what the best part was for you. And how wonderful of you to help evacuees. Our hearts are with you out there in California.

And cee3, you too! Day 14 and going strong...good for you!

Res, freedom and discovery are what life is all about...yay!
And yes, you are Number One, as cee3peeoh so clearly stated.
I think we'd all agree on that :D
Although there's salt in nama shoyu, the dehydrated veggies seem to come out differently when I soak them in the shoyu than when I just sprinkle them with Celtic. Maybe it's the liquid that keeps them just a bit less dried out. Try both methods for the same amount of time and see how it works for you. I'm curious. My best results came from soaking sweet potato chips in nama and olive oil, then drying them off and sprinkling them heavily with nutritional yeast. They were the best snack! Of course, I ate them all waaaaay too quickly. :D

With what little time that I've had, I've not found any information on raw meat either......although I was very curious about someone's perspective on this....I totally agree with the EColi or any bacteria scare with raw meat. Tried it once in my lifetime and NO THANKS! Thanks Sim for rooting me on and the support....although I had to work all day yesterday and fell short....I'm back on track today.....I won't count yesterday as a "real" cleanse day.

I just purchased some Nama Shoya this week and when the cleanse is over I'm gonna try some of these dehydrated veggies....seems like they can make for some great wraps.

Has anyone tried dehydrating polenta? Found some a while ago and dehydrated them basted with crushed garlic in olive oil and made some raw tortillas.....only the edges crisped and the rest were chewy....they came out great and the flavor of all the ingredients were just out of this world. FRESH AND RAW.....WHAT A GREAT FLAVOR SENSATION!

Oh yeah.....has anyone heard of or know where to buy (I've looked) Maca Powder that is already gelatanized....or has the gelatin properties removed. The sites that I've found don't make a distinction. I spoke and met this guy last week at a vegetarian exposition and he told me that such a thing exists. I've had such a hard time in the past making smoothies and adding MACA because it makes the smoothies too thick.

cee3peeoh

November 1st, 2007, 10:36 PM

nanay

November 2nd, 2007, 12:37 AM

what kind of cultured veggie. will you explain?

Lima: Cultured veggies are foods like saurkraut and kim chi (korean). Which is basically cabbage shredded which put in a jar or crock, covered and left to ferment for a period of time. The good bacteria take over and partially digest it so that the cabbage or other veggies get soft and have kind of a vinegary flavor. Keifer is another cultured food. From what I've read, every culture has them. Google cultured foods, veggies, Donna Gates, and Jordan Rubin for a place to start.

Mindutopia: That's great about loving the raw life...i am really enjoying it too, altho' i'm only on day 7 this time around. There is a good article in the newbies section about healing crises. I think of every "cold" as a healing crises. It's a way for your body to dump any toxins it can.

In the book, "Feeling Buried Alive Never Die", a cold could relate to: "unkind feelings toward someone, confusion in the home, confusion in life, belief in seasonal sickness". I mention that because I notice for myself that there's usually an emotional component that goes with my sickness or healing crises. Hope that helps!

Here's my food love of the day: I made a raw soup that was almost like a green gazpacho...it was soooo good and satisfying! I started with Victoria Boutenko's Green Soup: a handful of red leaf lettuce, juice of 1/2 a large lemon, 1/4 avo, 1/2 a yellow bell pepper....and added 1 celery chopped, garlic, basil, sea salt, stevia-----blended smooth in the vitamixer.......chopped cucumber, tomato and avo in my bowl and poured the blended mix over it and sprinkled cayenne on top.....mmmmm!

Would love to hear what you all are eating these days too!

Love, Nanay

P. S. Hey TeePee, thanks for the info about the geographic tongue....i gotta look that up! Glad to hear it gets better cause i like those foods.

CitrusB

November 3rd, 2007, 01:46 AM

hi to all- although i am not at the pt. where i am willing to do the 30 month challenge i have really made a huge difference in how i am eating each day- the mornings&afternoons i eat mostly raw-ie: green fruit smoothies for brkfst and mainly veg&nut salads for the afternoon- i have also purchased the Lydia raw crackers & Lara bars which i really enjoy - i stop eating completely raw at dinner w/soups & garlic sproutedwheat no flour bread or a rice dish with steamed veg.its all going ok for now but i have one prob+ question about the almond milk- i attempted to make it several times & it comes out with little pieces in it- am i supposed to blanch the almonds & take of the skin? b/c there is always brown floating in it which is a little strange- any suggstions would be helpful again thanks to everyone who contibutes here-so helpful!

Sunnyshine

November 7th, 2007, 05:10 PM

Hello there!
So I haven't been 100% raw, but I have been able to stick to about 90% raw. I was all raw for the frist 8 days after my MC and then I caved. It hurt! :eek: So I pulled myself together and decided that allowing myself a few cooked meals per week would work well for me. So far it has, but I have noticed that when I do eat a cooked meal I really need to do the SWF the next morning. If not, I'm sluggish the next day, but when I do I feel as wonderful as if I'd only eaten raw food.

I've had lots of fun preparing raw food! I've offered samples to my friends and co-workers and everyone thinks the food is delicious! Many of them have asked me for info and I refer them to this site! I know I get tons of inspiration and encouragement from all of you!

Thanks!! :D

tigerrr

November 9th, 2007, 05:10 PM

Hi Raw foodies !

I am just finishing up day 40 - can't quite believe i had it in me to reach 40 days! Tomorrow- i have decided not to drink OJ as i feel it will be too acidic for my sensitive bowels and tummy so replacing it with organic carrot, apple,and celery freshly juiced as it's far more gentle. I think I will stay on that for at least 3 days and then make some veg juices, if all is well i will move on to soups and then maybe by day 5 solid fruit and veg. I am reading 'detox your world' www.shazzie.com she's inspired me so much to go 100% raw i'm just cant wait to taste it and start making delicious yummy raw recipies! Has anyone eaten any raw chocolate?

Peace, Love, and Light

tigerrr xxxxxxxxxxxx

MindUtopia

November 11th, 2007, 01:24 PM

nanay...which product did you get from Rejuvenative Foods? I looked at their website and it seems they have several cultured veggie products. Me, I'm on a kim chi kick this weekend. I've been loving kim chi rolled in nori.

TeePee

November 11th, 2007, 07:48 PM

Hi Girls,

I know it's been a while for me!! I wish they would get a raw food show on the food network!! I have been watching Iron Chef and it inspired me to come up with something new....soooo here it is!!

Cream of Squash Soup!!!

As you all know, I just throw things in w/o measuring, so can't help there, but it was something like this:

2 peeled yellow squash
1/2 gala apple
1/2 cup? almond milk
1/4 maybe of macadamian nuts
sliver of yellow onion
bit of water
cinnamon
nutmeg
ginger
curry powder
sea salt

I blended it to warm and I am sitting enjoying my second cup!! :DVery fall tasting!

MindUtopia

November 12th, 2007, 11:15 AM

Speaking of the food network, does anyone know of any good raw food magazines? I've seen some e-newsletters and some plain paper newsletters, but I'm curious if there are any glossy magazines out there about the raw food lifestyle. I've looked, but can't find one.

DanaSW

November 12th, 2007, 11:41 AM

Wouldn't that be great about the colorful raw food magazines with recipes and vibes of consciousness that you get from the MC and being raw...it would be such an inspirational magazine with an herbal medical section.
I wish that magazine existed.

mtmouse

November 12th, 2007, 03:50 PM

Hi all!

I've been out of town (and the country) for an extended vacation and am thrilled to be getting back to my home-prepared raw foods!

TeePee, your soup sounds yummy! I don't have yellow squash at home but I have zucchini, so I just might make that this evening. Slightly warm sounds good to me, LOL--it's only 62 here in my home office! (We bought a new woodstove this summer and have only recently realized that it's so well insulated at the back (facing my office) that the heat doesn't come back this way! :eek:

But for the record, and especially for Res: I just tried Ani Phyo's sun-dried tomato no-bean hummus, and it's fantastic! I ate a lot of real hummus while on my trip, and this is a very nice substitute. I don't have any crackers made yet so I had it with celery and carrots, but I can tell it would be a great cracker dip. Anyway, my body is thanking me for coming back to raw.

Hope everyone is having a terrific day!

nanay

November 13th, 2007, 01:20 AM

hi mindU

Kim chi....yum! That's the one i bought...love it! Can you eat too much of this? I finished off a jar in a day...could not stop eating it! I've also tried saurkraut and salad delite i think it's called...much milder, but good....but the kim chi is my favorite. i just mixed it with a little saurkraut if it was too spicy.

MindUtopia

November 16th, 2007, 12:48 PM

Yes, kim chi is great! I actually started "kinda" making my own by throwing some veggies back in the jar with the leftover brine when it got low. Since it's constantly fermenting, it should techinically become kim chi eventually...or at least be extra favorful veggies. I don't think there is any harm in eating too much of it so long as it doesn't give you any troublesome gastro symptoms. It sure is addictive, especially if you like spicy food!

Res

November 18th, 2007, 11:05 AM

for Res: I just tried Ani Phyo's sun-dried tomato no-bean hummus, and it's fantastic! Now that I'm coming back to the land of the living (was out sick) this sounds amazing and you are the quintessential TASTE TESTER and I love you for it. :) Time to dump the chicken soup...:o

I need to catch up when I get back - running out the door.

Love to all!
~Res

Res

November 18th, 2007, 11:06 AM

I've been in deep kim chi - does that count? ;)

mtmouse

November 18th, 2007, 12:06 PM

Glad to have you back, Res (though I'm barely back myself, LOL)!

Regarding the hummus recipe, I decided that the next time I make it I'll try using yellow summer squash instead of zucchini, so it would *look* more like hummus. But there aren't going to be any of those around here now for a long time, so then I got the idea of using a yellow winter squash, like butternut--because that should give not only color, but maybe even a more starchy bean-like texture. I have some fresh, but I also have some frozen organic chunks, and they will be my next attempt. I'll keep you posted!

Res

November 18th, 2007, 02:50 PM

Well I wonder if we could use Pumpkin (which is in abundance right about now)?

I have my zucchini and I'm getting ready to make up a batch for the "short work week" YAY! Thank God for Thanksgiving. lol :)

Side note: Does anyone besides me color their hair? I found a non toxic healthy hair color that covers gray (started going gray when I was 27 :o). It's called Naturtint and it's cheapest @ www.iherb.com (http://www.iherb.com). These iherb people get your order out FAST. I've ordered from them for a few years and have "never" had a problem and love their prices. Check out the 54 oz of Virgin Coconut oil. I can't find a better price anywhere. Also - they don't rip you off on shipping and I don't think I pay tax.

I hope everyone is doing well today.

Love,
~Res

mtmouse

November 18th, 2007, 11:13 PM

I think you could certainly use pumpkin. Today I made a new batch with frozen chunked organic butternut squash and it was out of this world! I made it in the Vitamix with half the oil, and the color and texture are incredible! What I made was more garlicky than other hummus I've had, but I suspect every brand tastes a bit different anyway so that would be just personal preference. (And I've been looking for a way to get more raw garlic in, don't like it in smoothies or soups.)

Anyway, I've found me a raw hummus! I can't wait to offer it to someone to see if they can even tell it isn't beans.

I'd love it if you tried using raw fresh pumpkin. I've got a fresh butternut squash and I'll try using it next, to see if I like it as well as using the chunks. But the chunks can be available year-round so that's an advantage. (I presume they're actually raw.)

And yes, I color my hair. I looked at the Naturtint and have a bunch of questions about it. Do the results match the color on the box? (Of course, monitors don't always show true either.) Can it be used on permed hair? Does it fade over time so there isn't a distinct root line? Can you split the ingredients to make it last longer? Pray tell! :)

mtmouse

November 19th, 2007, 03:12 PM

Well, gang, I have fallen in love again! I now have what for me is the definitive red dragon lime-chili cracker! It's my new take on the red pepper dragon chips, the recipe for which is on this website somewhere. Here's what I did (caveat: I like things hot and salty!):

6 red bell peppers, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp Celtic sea salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup lime juice
2 cups sprouted buckwheat
1-1/2 cups flax meal

1. Put the bell peppers in a food processor with the "S" blade and process until smooth. (This may need to be done in two or more batches depending on the size of your processor.)
2. Add the basil leaves, chili powder, cayenne, and salt to the last batch and process again until smooth.
3. Put the water, lime juice, and buckwheat sprouts in the Vita-Mix and process until smooth.
4. Add the flax meal and process until it's all thick.
5. Mix everything together in a large bowl and let stand 30 minutes.
6. Spread the mixture about 3/16" thick onto nonstick dehydrator sheets or parchment. I use 1 cup at a time to make a rectangle approximately 12x8".
7. Dehydrate at 105 for about 6 hours, or until the batter is easily removed from the sheets.
8. Flip the sheets over so the chips are directly on the mesh screens and peel the sheets off. If desired, use a kitchen shears to cut the chips into the bite-size shapes you would like. (This is optional: I dry the whole sheets, then just break them into pieces later.)
9. Continue to dehydrate until the chips are completely dry.
10. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to three months (assuming they aren't gone in the first three minutes, LOL).

Spreading them kind of thick and having the buckwheat in there gives these crackers strength for dipping but also a satisfying crunch. I'm sure they could be made with only a food processor, but I can't vouch for how they'd work without the Vita-Mix.

Dipped into my new butternut squash hummus, these are the best!

the cav

December 24th, 2007, 08:48 AM

check this out before you go shoppinghttp://www.truthinlabeling.org/HowTheGameIsPlayed.html

Marina Mermaid

January 3rd, 2008, 11:46 PM

Mtmouse - your red dragon lime-chili cracker sounds awesome! I'm going to try your recipe soon, thanks for sharing! :)

TeePee

January 5th, 2008, 11:52 AM

Hi everyone,

I've been away from the board so long. Work and home have been sooo hectic. STILL trying to move. I started cleanse today, and reading this board is killing me!!

I miss it though, and I hope to get back here more, once the houses are settled!!

NewDirection

January 5th, 2008, 02:30 PM

Res

January 5th, 2008, 04:54 PM

Well actually - I'm purdy darn interested. :)

Res

January 5th, 2008, 04:55 PM

TeePee: Welcome back Sweetie. :D Now - what are YOU doing in this thread? ;) :p

Love,
~Res

mtmouse

January 5th, 2008, 05:18 PM

NewDirection,

If you can't find any immediate takers, just announce it yourself and use this thread to keep you going. Have you read the whole thing? That'll take you through what we went through, with lots of good ideas and feedback. But we're all still here and happy to chat with you while you're at it! I'm going on a trip from the 20th to the 28th, and after that I will probably be delighted to join you.

Winks

January 5th, 2008, 05:52 PM

Hello Laaaadies!

Quickie question: Is anyone planning a 30 day raw challenge anytime soon?

I'd really like to go from the cleanse directly into 100% raw, but feel it would
be massively easier if there was a active raw challenge going on.

Anyone interested?

Much love -

New D.

Hi there.. I am indeed planning a 30 day 100% raw challenge for February 1, 2008.. if you care to join me. I am in the process of doing a 28 day MC.. day 2 today.

NewDirection

January 6th, 2008, 01:48 PM

Yay!

I am on day 4 of an undetermined length cleanse. I am sure I go until the end of the month but also
planning to quit as soon as I feel ready. The speed in which I am detoxing that might very well be
ten days - sheesh!

I am really excited to possibly have some company on my 30. I *really* need the accountability for
some reason. The biggest hurdle I have to get over is my love of good cheeses. No suprise that has
been my craving EVERY time I've had one this cleanse. :p

Febuary 1st sounds like a good start point goal for me... I might use that.

Thanks for the replies! Hopefully we all get to 30 day together!

Happy Juicing!

New D.

Res

January 6th, 2008, 03:07 PM

ND: Cheese and wine do it for me. I won't elaborate. ;)

I just ordered a gallon of maple from Vermont and will probably start my cleanse next week. After that I'm going to do a gallbladder flush - I've been putting it off for 2 years out of fear of throwing up. I hate throwing up. But I'm at the point where it's do or die so I'm going to do.

Looking forward to going raw again. I'm going to do it a bit differently this time and use less nuts and seeds and more veggies. It was so much fun the first time around. :)

Love,
~Res

NewDirection

January 6th, 2008, 05:18 PM

Res is the gallbladder flush with the olive oil - or is that liver? Either
way... I wish you luck.

Where do you buy your Maple? Amazon, like the agave?

This 25/26 dollars a 32oz bottle is killing me... especially since cutting back
the maple to save money isn't an option as I drop weight way too quickly
without EXTRA maple. :p

New D.

Res

January 6th, 2008, 05:34 PM

ND: I ordered from "Buffum (http://buffummaple.com/)". One Gallon (128 oz) Organic Grade B Maple Syrup for $54 including tax/shipping etc.

The gallbladder flush is with the olive oil - but I found a less intense flush through Timothy Brantley's "The Cure" which sounds a lot more tolerable than the others. :)

Love,
~Res

NewDirection

January 6th, 2008, 07:59 PM

A gallon! 54 dollars?

Gasp... choke... seizure... sputter.... dead :p

Really though I think I just died a little on the inside... I've purchased 54
dollars worth of MS this cleanse alone!

I'm gonna go do some more emotional detoxing and cry about this for awhile...

New D.

NewDirection

January 6th, 2008, 08:02 PM

Oh yeah... thank you for the link Res!

I was so caught up in dying over money wasted I forgot that part... :rolleyes:

New D.

luminousbeing

January 8th, 2008, 05:37 PM

Wow!

i'm just about to do a raw challenge myself and am really looking forward to it. starting tomorrow with the new moon...also im going to have some wonderful support in the group here.

i actually tried some dishes from a cookbook i got as a gift which made me think it wouldn't be so bad not to eat cooked for a while... if you're interested to know, here's the info on cookbook

http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/instantraw.html

i'll keep you posted on how i do.:)

positive affirmations everyday and just do it:) ... here i go

mtmouse

January 8th, 2008, 06:10 PM

That cookbook sounds great! Let us know how you like it. I wish he'd publish a recipe or two so we could see some. Hope you'll share some that you like!

I'm sure if you've read the rest of this thread you've seen the ones we've been loving (Cohen, Cornbleet, Phyo, Amsden). Always room for one more! :)

Sim

January 10th, 2008, 10:42 AM

mtmouse~ Do we have room for one more cookbook? Sim's? It'll be out in the Fall...LOL!!!!!
Yep...raw culinary school awaits....I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!!!

Res~$54 for a GALLON!!! I'm with ND...I'm choking over that...I know, I know...we can always use agave but there's nothing like the taste of maple syrup...thanks for the link, girl!

NewDirection, Winks~ I'm currently cleansing, on Day 12, and I plan to do 40 days--again--but maybe will only reach 30, depending on my weight (can't let it go too low...first time in my life I've ever had to say that!). I'll be totally raw after that and this thread is the best place to be to discuss raw and share recipes and info. Last year at this time exactly, I went raw with the help of this board and I've been 100% ever since...it's a challenge but a delight. Can't wait to share food info with you!

mtmouse

January 10th, 2008, 11:58 AM

Put me on the list, and I want a signed copy! :)

Sim

January 10th, 2008, 12:43 PM

Not only will I sign it, yours will be free!

mtmouse

January 10th, 2008, 01:48 PM

Aw ...

Better watch it though - this is a public forum! :D Soon you'll be giving away the store!

Res

January 10th, 2008, 04:56 PM

Put me on the list, and I want a signed copy! :)

Yeah me too but I want lip marks instead of a sig! ;)

NewDirection

January 11th, 2008, 12:28 AM

[New D. is jealous] SIM! How exciting for you! I'd be excited to be
able to be able to raw up anything better than a salad. :p lol [/jealous]

I am still completely undecided as to the length of my cleanse... I either
have 2 more days or 32 more days :rolleyes:.

Either way - I'll be back here ready to rock the raw soon enough. I've put
in a DVD and planning to spend my evening copying down recipes, tips and
ideas from this thread.

Time to get on that... :)

New D.

(btw... I know I shouldn't be over here right now... but I figured I had a
great detox symptom free day - good time to gather recipes. We'll see how
wrong I am in a few hours... :D)

Res

January 11th, 2008, 11:41 PM

I'm looking forward to this thread firing up again - especially
now that I know what to expect. :) In the meantime I'm going to make Ani Phyo's Stuffed Peppers with Black Pepper cheese. Those were SO good! I think using Poblano chilies will work best this time around. :)

It would be nice to know who all is coming aboard: so if you're up for the challenge, count yourself.

1. Res ;)

Love,
~Res

mtmouse

January 11th, 2008, 11:44 PM

2. mtmouse!

I'll probably transition on Sunday and then go raw for the rest of the week. Then, unfortunately, I'm sure I'll make some exceptions while on my ski trip, but by February I'll be back and ready to commit again!

Res

January 12th, 2008, 12:46 AM

That works for me. :)

alicein1land

January 12th, 2008, 12:59 AM

Hi all! Been catching up w/ everyone's posts and recipes since last Oct. Yum! I will be joining you when I finish the MC.

Sim: I have to say that you write the most inspirational posts! It totally motivates to stick w/ raw; I know I feel so much better when I eat raw, compared to what I used to eat. Seven months ago, I was 35# heavier, w/ high BP barely controlled by my meds. Today, I eat so much better - I eat stuff like chard and KALE, for heaven's sake, which I had NEVER eaten before. I was in Whole Foods yesterday for lunch, and bought their kale and seaweed salad. The woman behind me in line kept looking at me, and then at the salad as the deli person was scooping it up. She asked me what I did with it, and I said, "I eat it." She said, "Like that??" (in a totally horrified tone), and I said, "Oh, yes, that's lunch! It's really good; you should try it!" She just made a face, and then ordered her sandwich. Seven months ago, that would have been ME making the face! :D

At any rate, I start my 3rd MC tomorrow and plan on going back to RAW afterwards (fell off the wagon somewhat during the hols). Although I did bring a huge platter of raw fruits and veggies to the family Christmas gathering. Fresh Persian cukes, cherry tomatoes, red/yellow/orange Bells, baby carrots, Jap. eggplant slices - mmm! I think I ate most of it, as the rest of my family isn't too big on raw veggies. I did introduce them to raw agave syrup, though, as I used it instead of sugar in my cranberry sauce, which isn't raw. I make it every year, and everyone kept exclaiming how good it was this year, and what did I do differently?? I finally told them, but they had no idea what agave syrup was. Oh well, they know they like it! :D

Sim

January 12th, 2008, 10:58 AM

You are all too much! I'll tell you what, but keep this to ourselves, right here on this thread: anyone who's still with us, right here, gets a FREE copy of my book....and Res, yours will have a bigRED pucker on it :D
Who else in this world would I rather share raw success with than y'all?

I'm here for the challenge, Res, although I won't be officially done with my cleanse until February 7, if my body allows me another 40 day cleanse. Even so, I LOVE being here when everyone's talking recipes and asking for info...and I'm at the point where I can cleanse and still peruse books, Internet, videos, foodstands and markets without it adversely affecting my cleanse. (I can't believe that's possible but the MC has been my magic light switch.) And I have about a thousand new recipes to share and experiment with...from lots of different sources, too. Oh, life is good.

Alicein1land, you are FABULOUS! You may not know it, but you created a ripple effect for that lady in Whole Foods...if I were a gambling kind of girl, I'd put a thou on the bet that that lady will be back for a small container of that salad one day when you're not around. And maybe she'll even start to eat better because of it. You're 35# lighter than you were 7 months ago???? I'M SENDING YOU HUGS, KISSES, AND TONS OF MARINATED KALE SALAD!!! (My current favorite salad.) Good grief, woman...YOU ROCK! And the bp? Is that still needing meds to keep it down? You're right on track and now your third cleanse... superb.

By the way, I've decided there's no such thing as "falling off the wagon." We make food choices every day. Sometimes it's hard to decide if I want a green smoothie, a banana shake, some cut fresh Mr. Mango, or soaked oat groats with almond milk, almonds, raisins and banana for breakfast. I never have all, though I'd like to. Food choices. If I really felt like having dairy cheese (camembert, cheddar, Port Salut, feta) and some toasty whole grain bread, I would have it and not look back. It's a food choice, not a moral choice, for me. No wagon involved. BUT my body would not be happy, so I probably won't make that choice. Still, unlike during the lifetime I spent on diets, I won't feel like I've "ruined" something if I have some cooked food or something that isn't totally raw (after all, maple syrup, agave--even supposedly raw agave--nutritional yeast, and even nama shoyu aren't really raw). So what? They're better food choices than other junk that we consumed earlier...bravo to us for improving ourselves. 'Nuff said. Have a beautiful day, my lovelies. Have I told you all lately how much I love you?

alicein1land

January 12th, 2008, 11:21 AM

Thanks, Sim! You're right, that woman might walk in one day and order some kale and seaweed salad. Or maybe just a taste of it... :)

RE my BP, it dropped so low during my first MC that I went off my meds for almost a month (w/ my MD's rec). My BP gradually crept up again so that I started taking them again. However, overall, my BP is down 10-15 points compared to where it was before my first MC! If I miss a day - occasionally I forget to take my meds, usually on a weekend - I don't worry because I know my BP w/out meds now is nowhere near what it was before. When I first started taking BP meds, my uncontrolled BP was 190/100!!! This morning, Day 1 of my 3rd MC, it was 128/80, and I haven't taken my meds yet (have to wait until I drink my first lemonade!). :) Big improvement, and I'm very happy w/ it. Eventually, I would like to get off my meds, and maybe I will, if I continue to eat healthier and exercise regularly. :D

Sim

January 12th, 2008, 11:32 AM

Oh Alice, that's wonderful! I bet you will get off those meds!
It's really something the way our bodies respond. I credit the MC and a raw diet with a miraculous change in me. It's noted by everyone who knows me and photos of me "before" look nothing like me now. I'm not just talking about weight loss, either. Two days ago, I met a young man who produces videos..he was chatting with a friend of mine and I happened upon them. We were introduced and he said--and this is no lie--"What do you do for a living? You have a certain glow about you." I almost fell down!!! I'm telling you, raw is the way to go!!!

Res

January 12th, 2008, 07:24 PM

Back to the Maple info from Buffums. I just received my gallon of Grade B Maple. Shipping (included) actually cost $11.25 for shipping, which brings the actual total of the gallon of maple to $42.75 = $54.00. This is from Vermont, is 1 gallon, is Grade B and is organic. It's a steal. :)

mtmouse

January 12th, 2008, 07:32 PM

So let's see. If I recall when I was buying MS in bulk, a quart weighed about 2.5 pounds. So that would mean a gallon weighs 10 pounds (I think there are four quarts to a gallon? :))

So if that's right, you're still paying $5.40 per pound. Cheaper than I can currently get bulk MS here now ($6.54/lb at last look), but still a lot more expensive than the online agave. If it weighs more than 10 pounds, then your cost would be less per pound.

Luckily, I like the agave better than the MS! :)

Sim

January 12th, 2008, 08:01 PM

Res, I ordered 2 gallons from Buffum's two days ago because I just could not believe the price! Yes, 2...my daughter will be cleansing in the next two weeks and will be leaving home :( to go back on her Road Trip. She's taking one gallon with her. Kath, sure, agave is cheaper but if one LOVES the taste of maple, there's no help for it. And you [I]are[I] using RAW agave, right? In the very beginning, I didn't even realize raw agave exists, thinking it was either the light or the amber (or darker) agave...then I saw "raw" and did a 3 Stooges head slap on myself. Also, can you really buy MS by the pound where you are? Here in the East, it's by the oz. and Res has provided us with a source that is, indeed a steal! Even in CT, I've been paying bout $24 for a 32 oz. jug. That's about twice the price of Buffum's. Even less than buying it from this-here-ol'-Mastercleanse site. Sorry Peter :o

I'm in love with Rhio...sssshhhh...don't tell my husband! Her stuff is awesome...yes, yes, I'm cleansing, but reading recipes is a hobby and her pecan pie looks totally awesome. I can wait. I'm just planning...muwahahah......:D

mtmouse

January 12th, 2008, 08:06 PM

Oh yes, I use Madhava raw organic agave nectar only!

And yes, I can get organic MS in bulk here and pay by the pound. At least I could the last time I looked, which was a while ago. :)

It's funny; I used to really like the taste of the MS. Now, I'm meh on it.

I wish you hadn't mentioned pecan pie, Sim! I almost can't wait, LOL! I'm not familiar with Rhio, either. So lead me in that direction! I'm sure I'd love to have yet another uncookbook!

But I start my transition tomorrow, and food can't be far behind! LOL.

alicein1land

January 12th, 2008, 11:22 PM

I like agave syrup as a sweetener in my "regular" non-MC life, but I LOVE maple syrup in my lemonade! I tried agave several times in my 2nd MC, but I didn't like the lemonade!

OK, I have to "fess up" - I ATE TODAY! :eek: :eek: It was Day 1, and I unintentionally was out all day (had only planned to be out for a couple hours max), and had no lemonade w/ me. I know better than to go out unprepared, esp on my first 2-3 days, but heck! :eek: At any rate, my new Day 1 starts tomorrow! ;) Big bummer!

mtmouse

January 12th, 2008, 11:29 PM

Well, Ann, at least those chips and salsa were all raw, right?

Have a happy Day 1!

:D :p :D :p :D :p

alicein1land

January 12th, 2008, 11:37 PM

Thanks, Kathy! The salsa was, but the chips were baked!

NewDirection

January 13th, 2008, 12:54 AM

Mtmouse where are you going on your ski vacation?

Sim thank you for the encouraging words. There kind of is a wagon
me... once I eat crap I gravitate towards crap... but really I know it's
just an addiction to the baddies inside of it and knowing is half the battle! :rolleyes:

I can't WAIT to start my 30 day. Can. Not. Wait.

New D.

mtmouse

January 13th, 2008, 01:01 AM

Mtmouse where are you going on your ski vacation?

West Yellowstone, MT. Lots of snow there! (And this is XC-skiing, not downhill.) I'm excited!

Res

January 13th, 2008, 09:49 AM

Sim: :) 2 Gallons! haha,

I caught your :( about your daughters road trip. I get it, believe me. *Hug*.

I'm the same about the lemonade and the maple. Mmm mmm mmm good. But I was pretty excited when I found the Raw Agave on Amazon a few years ago. They're onto us though - they raised prices last year and once they were out when I ordered. I'm surprised they don't sell Maple in gallon form. Oh well.

Oooh I love Rhio!! There are quite a few recipes posted from Rhio's site in the Recipe box! :D

Kathy: What is XC-skiing? I could google it but I'd rather hear it from you. :) Yellowstone is AMAZING! You're going to have a great time. :)

Ann: Whatever you do, don't include beating yourself up. You just get up, dust yourself off and start over again. :) Isn't this life? haha :D *Hug*

Love,
~Res

mtmouse

January 13th, 2008, 10:49 AM

Res,

XC = cross-country. :)

alicein1land

January 13th, 2008, 10:55 AM

Thanks, Res! I'm back on Day 1 this morning! I did buy some beautiful Meyer lemons yesterday, so I will be enjoying them! :D

Kathy: I've been XC skiing! It would have been a lot more fun if the guy I was with had actually instructed me on how to ski instead of just taking off! I will try it again some day...

mtmouse

January 13th, 2008, 12:28 PM

Ann,

Yes, try it again! Don't let a jerk put you off, LOL. It's great fun, and it's better exercise than downhill for sure.

alicein1land

January 13th, 2008, 01:55 PM

Hi Kathy,
Yes he was a jerk! But it was a long while ago, so hopefully I've gotten over it. I've thought about going to Yosemite, as they have a XC center there. First things first - gotta get through this cleanse w/o eating! :rolleyes:

Sim

January 14th, 2008, 12:34 PM

Oooh, Cross Country skiing...something I've always wanted to do after I crapped out with downhill...hey, that Bunny Slope was scary! :D So instead, I did some snow tubing, 'cause it's close to the ground :rolleyes: and then I bought some snowshoes and that's fun too. Next is XC. Thanks for reminding me, Kath...now if only I could get over my dislike of the cold! I already wear three layers of clothing in 40 degree weather...what a baby I am :o

Rhio. She's got wonderful combinations. Also, I just bought the simplest of raw cookbooks because it wasn't expensive and I wanted to see how a simple book, even simpler than Jenny Cornbleet's, could be produced with success. It's called Alive in 5, there's an endorsement by David Wolfe, and it's so simple that any of us could have put it together. It's a small, soft-covered book with good photographs. Brand new.

Ann~ no stress! We all have our moments...I false-started this cleanse in mid-December, lasted one day and then decided I just wasn't ready...I still had some things I wanted to eat and that included a non-raw "memory" dinner with my kids and food from their childhood. No guilt. It was a delight and although food isn't the center of my existence anymore (miraculously...thank you EFT and Kathy), it was central to the enjoyment of that reunion day with all my kids. Life didn't end; my good health didn't end and I started my cleanse on the 30th instead. No harm done, only good. And now I'm on Day 16, breezing through but with a fuzzy tongue :rolleyes: Okay, no prob. Take heart..we all think you're terrific. Meyer lemons...mmmm, the best! I'm also glad you "cleansed" yourself of that jerk!

Yay, NewD! It's a-comin', your 30-day....;)

Yellowstone AND Yosemite...my two favorite places on Earth!!! Of course, I haven't been to either in winter, but now that I think about it, I did camp in Yosemite at 9,000 feet and had to sleep dressed in every piece of clothing I own, including my sneakers, because of the cold. No snow though. Gee, I wonder how it would feel to be cleansing, have the coldies, AND camp in Yosemite, all at the same time? Ummm...I'll take that on advisement. ;)

nmadden

January 14th, 2008, 04:24 PM

So here's a question for all of you who are RAW or have completed the Raw Challenge before . . . . How do you manage the time? I spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen cooking for my family anyway, b/c most of it is from scratch (bread, biscuits, raw butter, raw milk, kefir, raw milk ice cream, mayonnaise, any sweets we have are homemade, I don't buy boxed stuff). I can't fathom how long it woud take to prepare yummy raw stuff for myself and keep my family happy, plus I'm afraid it might set me up for failure. But I am positive that my husband and three girls wouldn't do a Raw Challenge with me! I do have a vitamix and a food processor, but I can only eat so many salads and smoothies, which I do love, but get overloaded. Any advice would be great! Every time I've done this cleanse, I have researched lots about raw(while on the cleanse, which isn't always good, makes my stomach growl!:D), but then I can never figure out the time thing, so the Raw doesn't last too long.

mtmouse

January 14th, 2008, 06:31 PM

I find preparing raw food infinitely faster than cooking!

The big thing with raw is that you do need to plan ahead if you don't want just smoothies and salads. So you may need to soak grains or nuts, you may need to get things into the dehydrator for a day or two, you may need to make up some sauces and salad dressings and cheezes and almond mylk. But once that's done, I'm usually good to go for a week or more. I always make more than I'll eat and either refrigerate or freeze it, so when I want something I can just pull it out.

So there's an investment of time every so often, but nothing like cooking up every meal from scratch.

NewDirection

January 14th, 2008, 07:44 PM

I don't think I will need a cookbook to stay diversified during my 30...

So my better half is working 70 + hours a week and eating 3 meals a day
out of the house so my kids have been the only ones eating in this house
for the last couple of weeks.

They are pretty health concious kids @ 6 & 8 so I have let them create
their own menus, again, since they are the only ones eating in the house.

They have been eating mostly raw with no influence from me at all.
Salads and various chopped veggies for dinner, fruits and keifer for breakfast.
Snacking on fruit and nuts...

Tonight they both wanted tuna fish. So I mixed some up with veganaise.

My 8 year old says "Can we have red cabbage and bananas and raisins too?"
"Sure!" I say, and make a plate of triangle cut cabbage, sliced bananas and
a big pile of raisins.

What does he immediately do? Pile a big spoonful of tuna on the cabbage...
"Not a bad idea" I think to myself... but then tops it with a slice of banana
and a raisin and throws it in his mouth.

He chews it slowly, thinking, finally swallows and says "At first everything
tasted like tuna and it wasn't that great, but then the banana, cabbage
and raisin rose to the top and it was like dinner and dessert in one bite!"

Not saying I think tuna fish and bananas sound good (thats kind of a lie, everthing
sounds good day 12 :rolleyes:) but I don't think I will ever get bored raw
with him around. If I feel boredom setting in I will just let HIM make me
dinner! :D

I am glad my boys think fruits and veggies are a huge treat and get all
excited about them. Wish I was like that as a kid... things would be much
easier now!

I'm breaking out my dehydrator tonight! Have a few things I'm planning on
making for them, and things to send to work with my better half. REALLY
excited, just wish I could try the fruits of my first dehydrating experience.

New D.

Sim

January 15th, 2008, 10:10 AM

New D!!!! PERFECT! Your kids are creative, inventive, curious, smart, and think out-of-the-box....congratulations!!!!
So instead of the tuna, make some Not Tuna (millions of recipes for that, I like Cornbleet's the best) and although the taste is reminiscent, it's not overpowering like the real thing...goes much better with cabbage, bananas, and raisins :D (I LOVE your tale, I really do...it's what we all dream of...a family that's open...my kids are considerably older but they like raw too. They also like their beef, chicken, and fish...sigh.)
You started my day by giving me the most wonderful frame of mind...one of my goals in my restaurant is to give classes to kids--and their parents--about the joys of raw. You've proved my point. Granted, your kids are singular in many ways and are obviously accustomed to veggies, but still, allowing the creativity and being open minded about healthy food choices is the best way to begin. Thanks, New D!!

NMadden~Listen to Mtmouse...she knows whereof she speaks! You're already making things from scratch...it's not much more of a stretch to throw some nuts and grains in water for an overnight soak in order to prepare a few days' worth of food the next day. Ah, that Mtmouse...she's a wise woman!

Meedis

January 15th, 2008, 05:45 PM

I spent the last few days poring over the hundreds of pages that you ladies have generated and I must say that I definitely could feel the love and camaraderie between you all. I was glad to read that Sim and Teepee got to meet each other recently. Hopefully some of the rest of you have had a chance to meet as well. It was really great reading about Sim's Ireland vacation and going 100% raw, a bit concerned reading about Res's food poisioning, and I waited with baited breath for Peanut's eventual return post (almost 75 pages later...*LOL*). What especially moved me was the passion over basically the very high cost of staying healthy and the straddling of the line between folks taking some accountability for their health versus the quick convenience of those cheap foods.

Sorry for the ramble. Normally I don't really type long posts.

The point I was going to make is that all your posts including a few other ladies I didn't mention have contributed to this guy wanting to try some raw foods. I know I'm not going to be able to get some of the fancy gadgets like the Vitamix or the 9 level dehydrator, but I am willing to try some different raw foods. In fact I know I will definitely try to make a green smoothie in the next day or so. My attempt at making the Caribbean Wild Rice (with added Long Grain...*LOL*) is still in effect for now. I tasted a Long Grain and it's a bit starchy so I don't know.

I know I won't likely go 100% raw (never say never I know) but I am open to the possibility of trying new things and some of those dishes listed sounds delicious. I want to buy some celery and craisins and almond butter (I assume you can make your own) and see what it tastes like. I'm already wanting to get some young Thai coconuts so I can try the juice and the meat. The latter I want to use for the Chocolate Pudding recipe I saw.

I just want to thank you all (and Peter) for having such a great board. I look forward to reading and contributing more whenever I can.

mtmouse

January 15th, 2008, 05:57 PM

Glad to have you here, Meedis!

You can make your own almond butter in a Vita-Mix or a food processor, with a little added oil (I use walnut). You can also make it in a Champion juicer using the blank. I can't think of any other ways to make it yourself.

I applaud your willingness to try some raw dishes! Every time you make and eat a raw food dish, you're probably not eating something cooked, so you're getting a lot of benefit. No need to go 100% raw (except as some point possibly as a challenge to yourself, just to see what it's like--that's what we did!).

Have fun trying some new stuff!

Meedis

January 15th, 2008, 06:07 PM

Thanks mtmouse. I do believe that I'll see a positive difference doing some raw. I will definitely let you all know how my version of Caribbean "Long" Wild Rice goes...:)

NewDirection

January 15th, 2008, 06:23 PM

Looks like I will be starting my 30 MUCH sooner than expected... (half :( )

I can't help but feel my body is telling, no, screaming at me that 13 days
is enough this go round. Yesterday I had 5 or 6 bouts of some of the worst
pain I have ever experienced. (Two kids totaling almost 4 DAYS of natural
labor... I can do pain.) Two of the instances were almost two hours long.

I am pretty sure - nearly positive it was gall bladder something or other.

It feels really, very stupid to quit the cleanse when I am obviously doing
a fantastic job of detoxing this time, but at the same time, today I feel
completely unhot and every LA I drink it making my insides hurt - a LOT.
Not the same pain as yesterday at all. More severe stomach ache type. :(

I shouldn't feel as sad or guilty as I do for stopping so soon since my 30
was only a couple months ago but I do. Ha - my wallet feels worse about it
because I stocked up on lemons (even bought expensive Meyers) and
pepper and tea AND syrup yesterday. :o

Anyhow - only going to let myself be upset about it today and tomorrow
when I actually break I'm going to put a smile on my face and try and
remember that now I don't have to wait until after Valentines day to try
out all these Raw recipes I've been collecting.

*Giant sigh* Life goes on and I can always do a 30 - 40 in April.

Thanks for listening. I'll be back (who am I kidding I never leave) in a few
days to talk solids!

New D.

P.S. Sim this is totally unrelated but I always forget to ask so here
I am :rolleyes: but, have you ever/do you use your Omega for Wheat Grass? I had convinced myself to keep my juicer, until I read some of your
old posts on your own juicer and I think if it does a decent job with Wheat
Grass I'm going to have to change my mind and return my juicer for an Omega.

T.I.A.!

dannetteboyd

January 15th, 2008, 08:24 PM

I am starting day 1 of the raw food challenge. I completed a 14 day fast for my first MC. The orange juice is wonderful today but I am really craving a big salad with lots of red peppers!!! :) On to tomorrow and one more day of orange juice until I am able to enjoy that salad...

Sim

January 15th, 2008, 10:45 PM

Hi Meedis!!! It's awesome to see you here...go for a challenge! You do not have to do 100% to derive pleasure and benefit from raw...but if you decide to challenge yourself, we're all right here to help! I can't believe you've chosen Caribbean Rice as a first dish...so daring! It's a great recipe, though...if the starch is too much for you right now, start with a more veggie dish or an Almost Tuna nut recipe that's not too heavy on the nuts. Oh, I could go and on...I'm just so happy to see you here!

NewD: my Omega does a nice job with wheatgrass BUT I have to tell you that of all my equipment, it is the piece I use the least! Do you do consume a lot of wheatgrass? I've decided to get my shot of wheatgrass at Whole Foods once or twice per week and not worry about doing it in the juicer. I do use the juicer for many things but to be honest, between my Vita-Mix, Cuisinart and Breville Citrus juicer, I usually have most recipes covered. If your juicer is sufficient, keep it and get your wheatgrass fix already fixed for you. The Omega was expensive and although I'm glad I have it, I don't think it's the most necessary piece in my kitchen.

And New D...don't feel bad about curtailing your cleanse. Remember that it's all about feeling well and if something is really wrong---and it's not just a severe detox symptom--then you must stop. We don't want to do harm to ourselves for any reason. You've done the cleanse and done it well...be happy and proud and satisfied with that if you must stop. There's another cleanse sometime in your future, we're sure!

NewDirection

January 16th, 2008, 11:15 AM

Thanks Sim! I don't, at the moment, consume a lot of Wheat Grass but I would *like* to consume about 2oz
a day. I did that for three years and felt maaarvy during it. (Helped that it was free being the manager of a juice bar :rolleyes:.)

I would also like to get my better half to start taking an ounce a day. He needs all the health help he can get.

If I don't get the Omega I will still be getting a wheat grass juicer, and since
good ones are only a little less then
the cost difference of my juicer to an Omega... oh hell I dunno lol.

I do actually feel better about breaking the fast today than I did yesterday. Sat up fairly late with the BF and
got to really talk it out and make sure it's what I really felt was best. I do, and between being 100% raw
with limited nut intake and keeping up with my regular workouts and sauna visits I know I will keep detoxing
out whatever is making me so sick right now.

I feel good about my decision. :)

OH - and get this everyone - my better half told me last night I was free to
have a 100% raw kitchen. He told
me I was welcome to go through the cupboards today and get rid of anything I didn't feel good about being
there. He said he would eat every raw meal I prepared and do so smiling. This is the love of my life, king of SADland
saying this! I am not going to do it because I want to ease them into raw
more slowly but having him say that,
having that level of support - my goodness I feel like I can conquer the world right now. I really do.

Okay. Done with my morning rambles. Thanks ladies! :o

New D.

Sim

January 16th, 2008, 02:21 PM

New D...your honey sounds like a sparkling gem...fabulous!!!! So here are my two cents: I did not ease into raw...I went cold turkey...looking back on it, it's the only way I could have done it. It's not for everyone, certainly, but once I decided to do it, I didn't want to give myself the chance to backslide until I felt secure in what I was trying to accomplish. Just my two tiny cents' worth of relating one more experience. Have a great day!!!

Res

January 16th, 2008, 05:18 PM

My 8 year old says "Can we have red cabbage and bananas and raisins too?"
"Sure!" I say, and make a plate of triangle cut cabbage, sliced bananas and
a big pile of raisins.

What does he immediately do? Pile a big spoonful of tuna on the cabbage...
"Not a bad idea" I think to myself... but then tops it with a slice of banana
and a raisin and throws it in his mouth.

How cute is that!! :D

Love,
~Res

Res

January 16th, 2008, 05:23 PM

I'm already wanting to get some young Thai coconuts so I can try the juice and the meat.
Meedis: If I was ever asked my drink of choice it would be the water from young thai coconuts. Mmm. :)

I just found a Kefir recipe on Kevin Trudeau's site that's made without dairy and with the water from the Thai Coconut. I was going to post it but got worried because it's a "pay site" and don't want to get sued...it's probably OK because I'm in a "30 day trial period" and intend to subscribe because that place is amazing - I'll post it when I get home from work. It sounds delicious.

I loved what you said about the thread and all of us. *hug* Thank you - we love each other and you too! :)

Love,
~Res

free_from_fat

January 16th, 2008, 07:54 PM

RES!

I'm hearing alot on this board about "dehydrators". What exactly is that and do I need to get one? I've order four recommended books on Amazon and am waiting anxiously for them to arrive so I can start eating healthy!

I am so thankful for this site! What a great idea to have a site like this where we can support and encourage each other! I feel like a brand new person!!

hey there minny wanted to know WHICH books have you ordered ?? im still on my MC third day but looking forward to a well informed re-initiation to solid food

:)

Meedis

January 17th, 2008, 12:07 AM

Sim and Res....thanks very much for the welcome. I know if I ever want to go for the challenge, I'll get a lot of great support here. I already know that of course from all the support given during the MC.

As far as my projects, I tried some of the Raw Apple Pie and I have to say that it was a definite success. The lemon (well lime...*LOL*) combined with the granny smith apples I used provided quite the tartness, which was greatly balanced by the delish crust. I definitely will make the dish in the near future.

The Caribbean "Long" Wild Rice experiment is still going. To tell you the truth, it's not really looking all that appetizing...but it's probably because I used the wrong rice. I'll give it one more day...if I'm still not feeling it, I may scrap it for now.

I bought some raw sunflower seeds and I'm enjoying munching on those. As far as my non-Raw choices, so far I'm happy with the minor changes I made in regards to the sub choice at Subway. I'm getting just as much taste as I did with the tuna but with less calories and fat all around.

Ohhh...and I may attempt to make homemade soy milk from some soy powder I bought a few months back...there's a recipe for it.

So far all's going well post-cleanse.

Sim

January 17th, 2008, 10:14 AM

HI Meedis~ We're all so proud of you for the all the changes you're embracing. Pre-raw, I also made that switch to veggie subs at Subway!!!And you know what? I never regretted it or felt deprived. And you're so smart: if something isn't appetizing or delicious, don't eat it. Life's too short. But those raw apple pies can sure turn someone into a believer! My whole family scarfs it up when I make one. Meedis, have you thought about almond milk in place of soy? It's easy to make with just some almonds, water, maybe (if you need some sweetener) a date or some agave, maybe some vanilla, and a blender. Perfect and no worries about GMO soy. Just a thought for you to mull over :)
It's so good to see you here....!

Meedis

January 17th, 2008, 06:36 PM

Hi Sim, I do buy the blue diamond almond milk and I love that...even though I know it's not the same...:) So I'm sure I would love making the almond milk. I would probably just add a hint of vanilla extract to it to mimic vanilla flavor...that would be about it. I'll have to get some raw almonds (does blanched count...I saw that at the fruit veggie store and wasn't sure) to try it out.

mtmouse

January 17th, 2008, 07:04 PM

Meedis,

I can't say for sure, but I think blanched almonds have been heated to get the skins off. Plus, you'll pay more for blanched. The skins don't hurt the almond milk at all.

Enjoy! You sound like you're really being adventurous and trying all sorts of new things! Kudos to you!

mtmouse

January 17th, 2008, 09:06 PM

Meedis, you're an inspiration!

Because of you I made the Caribbean Wild Rice dish, and it's really tasty!

I'd seen the recipe before but didn't make it because I normally don't eat coconut even though I like it. So I decided to make an exception. I wanted to have something to take on a trip next week.

I also didn't have any whole rice to sprout and knew I wouldn't get any soon enough to get it sprouted, so I sprouted wheat berries instead.

Tonight I made it, using one coconut. Turns out that's probably 1/4 of what it actually calls for, LOL! I think in the future I'll forgo the coconut entirely and perhaps put a little coconut flavor in. I think I'm going to be making it (or at least a reasonable facsimile like I always do with every recipe) quite often from here on out.

But it's a marvelous salad! I had it as my dinner meal tonight and DH had it as a side dish. He loved it too! It's marvelously chewy and spicy.

Next time I'll use long grain brown rice and see how (if) that changes things.

Anyway, thanks for digging that out of the archives and mentioning it! I'm thrilled to have it as part of my repertoire.

:)

Meedis

January 17th, 2008, 11:55 PM

Cool. I'm glad that you were able to enjoy the recipe. I'm giving the rice till Saturday before making it myself.

Sim

January 18th, 2008, 12:32 AM

Meedis, Mtmouse is correct...you ARE an inspiration! Because of you, I printed out that recipe and it's on my queue FIRST place on the list of things to make as soon as I'm done cleansing. Anything made with those Thai coconuts takes a lot of coconut and they're expensive...so Mtmouse is so good at improvising, I'm taking her advice. Thanks, Kath!

And yes, blanched almonds are heated. No need to use them; use raw instead and don't worry about the skins!

Meedis

January 18th, 2008, 12:36 AM

Wow you all are making me blush...:p

I was going to hit my local Japanese store and see if they carry the young coconuts. How much do they usually cost? I'm imagining if they are as good as they sound, they may fetch around $3 (about as much as a pineapple).

Sim

January 19th, 2008, 08:12 AM

HI Meedis~ those coconuts can cost anywhere from 99 cents to $2.89! I've not seen them for more or less, but I live in CT...depends on the local demographic.Those little suckers don't give much coconut OR water...you actually need to buy at least a couple, if not three, to have enough to make much of one recipe. I love 'em, but they're a bit cost prohibitive sometimes. Try it...you'll LOVE the coconut water, maybe even more than the coconut.

Res

January 19th, 2008, 06:16 PM

I usually end up with 16oz of water from the Thai coconuts. It's my favorite drink on the planet. The meat - which can be minimal depending on the coconut - is wonderful, if you like coconut.

My son and I crack through em quickly. In my neck of the woods they're cheaper by the case (9). We decided that we LOVE the water from the coconuts whose nutmeat is thick. There's more flavor to the water than the pudding consistency coconuts. You can't tell which you'll get until you open one - so it's like a little surprise. :)

Love,
~Res

mayablue

January 19th, 2008, 06:58 PM

I was checking out that recipe for the caribbean wild rice - which sounds awesome, by the way... how do I make the coconut cream? Is it just the meat from the young coconut blended up? Or is there anything else added to it? I got totally hooked on young coconuts for awhile. I was drinking the water about 3 times a week - yum! I got a little sick of the meat because it starts to be too sweet for me after awhile, but since I am on day 14 of the mc, I am starting to crave things like that for when I am done:D.

Res

January 19th, 2008, 09:31 PM

You run the coconut through a juicer - that's how I've been making it for years. I did buy a canned version from a market called "Henry's". It's just pure coconut cream and I think it would work in coffee or tea. It's delicious but it may be a bit more decadent fresh (definitely better for you.) :)

Meedis

January 19th, 2008, 10:49 PM

Unfortunately my quest to find Thai coconuts were for naught. I went to the only Japanese store in the area Friday and they were all sold out. I wound up throwing out the rice I had because it just didn't look right. The outside layer was drying up and the middle part had an awful stench. Next time I'll have to do it with actual wild rice.

I did find almond butter at Whole Foods, though. And seeing the $12.99 price tag for organic almost killed me. I settled for the non-orgnaic $6.99 one. I tell you...I was debating to myself about the high cost of being healthy...:) You can definitely taste the nuttiness of it. I tried it with a granny apple.

And I'm going to attempt to make a green smoothie tomorrow morning. I bought spinach as the greens...and will add some frozen banana and a mango to the mix. Hope it turns out good.

Meedis

January 20th, 2008, 11:06 AM

Success!!! 8)

My 1st attempt at making a green smoothie went well. I took mtmouse's approach and blended the hand full of spinach first. Also instead of water I used OJ. So after that blended together, I added two frozen bananas and a mango. It tasted so good and I really didn't taste the spinach.

JK7x

January 20th, 2008, 06:57 PM

I've started one on January 14th and though I have honestly went vegetarian a few days, for the most part I have stuck with bowls of veggies, fruit, and lots of water. I try and think long term benefit vs. short, so it is largely mental focus to keep you on track.

Res

January 20th, 2008, 07:24 PM

Meedis: Congrats on your Green Smoothie success! :)

Today I picked up Organic raw almond butter/1b @ $3.99 (maybe $4.99?) at Trader Joes. Do you have one nearby?

Love,
~Res

Meedis

January 21st, 2008, 10:53 AM

That's a good price. There's a Trader Joe's near my job but I looked everywhere and couldn't find the almond butter. I admit that I was surprised by that...so that's when I went to Whole Foods. The supply I have now should last me for a good month or two so next time I'm at TJ's, I'll try looking for it again.

Niki Thomas

January 21st, 2008, 09:32 PM

i see all of you guys are "senior" members... i havnt done the cleanse as yet; i tried once but the first day i had a major migrane and i got off! i am not too discourage... only the SWF scares me! I cant drink that much water @ once, i feel like throwing up.
But i've done an all fruits and veges cleanse... can i do the 31-day raw challenge or do you suggest that i do the cleanse FIRST?

Sim

January 22nd, 2008, 08:48 AM

Meedis~Great job on the smoothie! Nothing like jumping right in!

A raw food diet can be undertaken at any time, even without cleansing...but oh, what added value to switch to a raw diet right after a cleanse!

Res, you get 16 oz. of coconut water from ONE Thai coconut??? WOW. I guess way over where you are, your coconuts are bigger than mine :D (I just HAD to say that...'scuse me, please...it's my middle school mentality poking through:p)

I'm on Day 24, feeling great, very minor de-tox consisting of skin breakouts, collecting my newest batch of recipes to prepare, focusing on desserts this time. Ahh, that sweet tooth. My problem is that I like my creations to look "perfect" and not homemade, so I'll be experimenting with different kinds of equipment, cake pans, decorating tools, etc. My cleanse is over on February 7, as long as my weight holds out (I just saw a photo of me taken at 97 pounds after that second 41 day cleanse...ewwww)...that'll be 40...then quite a few days to break the cleanse...then the experimenting begins...I can't wait! No, that's not true. I've come to love the lemonade days...so easy, nothing to prepare or think about. On the other hand, walking into a greenmarket is getting to be very challenging.

I'm sure you know that Alissa Cohen's new restaurant, "Grezzo" (which means "raw" in Italian) is opening on February 1. I'm giving it a month to iron out the wrinkles, then I'm headed up there. Anyone want to go with me???

Love to you all. Have a great day ;)

Res

January 22nd, 2008, 07:16 PM

Res, you get 16 oz. of coconut water from ONE Thai coconut??? WOW. I guess way over where you are, your coconuts are bigger than mine :D (I just HAD to say that...'scuse me, please...it's my middle school mentality poking through:p)
Hahaha...ho boy. ;)

Well, to make sure I wasn't on crack - I opened one of those little suckers and sure enough, 15.5 oz of pure heaven. I did read somewhere that although the water is good for you you shouldn't drink it often because it's loaded with sugar. :( Ya know - nothing is sacred anymore. :o :)

Love,
~Res

rain

January 22nd, 2008, 10:43 PM

Yahooooo! On to raw!!! Sign me up for the one month (maybe for the rest of my life, with permission to perhaps occasionally sample something cooked?) raw challenge! I've just finished my 10-day MC (today has been my first grapefruit-and-orange day). I'm at least as excited about going 100% raw as I am about the MC (being food-deprived might have something to do with that! :rolleyes:).

I've been exploring raw since last August. That month, I also tried to do it 100%. But I didn't know enough about the food prep and didn't have a blender and, by the time I'd decided to order a 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator and it had arrived, I'd fallen out of raw and the dehydrator stayed in its box until last month. I did another MC last month and then had so much fun experimenting with the dehydrator (and looking up raw recipes here and other places). I've just realized that, if my OJ days after last month's MC count, I did 30 days of 100% raw between last month's and this month's cleanses. It felt pretty good, but I ate too many nuts.

Last month, as I searched about this forum for recipes and read snippets of this and other threads, I really regretted having missed the raw food challenge party you guys had last year. You guys are so warm and and supportive of one another :). I live in a fairly big city, but haven't yet found much support here for staying raw (and know I can't do it without support). So I'm sooo happy to be here and am looking forward to sharing experiences. :)

I still want to read this whole thread (and the recipe box thread) from start to finish to get caught up...that'll be fun :D. I've already discovered a really good cracker recipe (I like it better than the onion bread because it's crisp, light, and crumbly) that I want to share.

I'm dedicated to doing 100% raw for as long as it's benefiting me because of what I've read in Victoria Boutenko's books, as well as the writings of some other raw foodists (like Jinjee Talifero). I've read a bit about the incredible sense of vitality and connection with life and finding another dimension of aliveness that can happen.

It's been interesting to me to see the reactions of some people (who used to be 100% raw) when I tell them what I'm doing. They express very negative feelings about it, like "I couldn't eat another salad for years!" (I bet that person didn't learn how to uncook!), and seem to want to convince me that I can't continue with it long-term, because they couldn't. It hasn't affected my excitement, but it certaimly hasn't been the support I've needed! It does sound really hard to stay 100% raw for more than several years, from what I've read. People hit a wall. But I want to have my own experience of it, whatever that turns out to be.

Meedis

January 23rd, 2008, 09:06 AM

Hahaha...ho boy. ;)

Well, to make sure I wasn't on crack - I opened one of those little suckers and sure enough, 15.5 oz of pure heaven. I did read somewhere that although the water is good for you you shouldn't drink it often because it's loaded with sugar. :( Ya know - nothing is sacred anymore. :o :)

Love,
~Res I know...it's wild how foods that are supposedly good for you can also be bad. I do believe, though, that moderation of any food is key. With that said, I think I'll attempt to find some coconut tonight. I talked to someone working in the store and they said not too confidently that they may have a batch on Thursday. I'm going a night earlier just to see.

Res

January 23rd, 2008, 09:20 AM

like "I couldn't eat another salad for years!" (I bet that person didn't learn how to uncook!), Haha that was so cute. :)

Meedis: It's difficult to know who to believe and when I'm in doubt I try to go back to nature. But even in nature you have to be careful. For instance, you can eat Swiss Chard leaves, but Rhubarb leaves are poisonous but the stalk isn't. ??? Geez - you know what I mean?

Anyway - we just try to do our best. :)

Love,
~Res

Sim

January 23rd, 2008, 12:40 PM

Ahhh, moderation: the scourge of my life!!! Why can't we all just live "in the superlative"?? :D
Nah, I guess not.
It's proven that too much of anything can throw us out of whack...and that includes salads! No matter how good they are, occasionally ya just gotta have something warmer, crunchier, sweeter, saltier, smoother, creamier, spicier, snappier, soothinger (hah! gotcha!)...

Rain~ So good to see you here!!! I love your attitude...and to those who would tell you they "did raw" and then it was over, I'd say "How well did yo do it? How varied? How much fun did you have experimenting?" I like to think of all the years I've spent--and still do spend--exploring and cooking foods for the SAD diet. I love to cook. My family loves those gourmet things. They do not want to adopt a raw lifestyle even though they love my raw dishes. Fine. I continue to satisfy my SAD creative moods by cooking for them, but I love my new explorations into raw, just for me. No one becomes adept at prepping new raw dishes without trial and error, just as no one knows how to cook SAD dishes without a learning curve. Remember when you first tried to make white rice? Ewwww.
Rain, you're in for a whole new--or almost new--experience. We're so glad you're here!

rain

January 23rd, 2008, 02:35 PM

Res and Sim: Thank you for the welcome!!! :)

...and to those who would tell you they "did raw" and then it was over, I'd say "How well did yo do it? How varied? How much fun did you have experimenting?"

That's a good comeback, Sim. I'll put that in my pocket for next time. I'm not very good at thinking on my feet when I'm surprised by what someone says to me.

Yes, uncooking is a whole new process. It's good to remind myself that my first trials are experiments, and not be hard on myself when they don't turn out. (The unknown part of it is exciting, too!)

I already have a huge pile of pear-fig crackers that have the texture of maybe cardboard (tough!) because I didn't realize the figs I decided to add would never get cracker-like. (After that, I made some more crackers with apples, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg that are great with the figs ON TOP instead!) I've read that raw "failures" can be made into something else, but I don't know about those cardboard crackers! I'll see how they taste to me now, post-cleanse.

Meedis

January 23rd, 2008, 09:34 PM

My persistence paid off. I went back to the Japanese store a day earlier than what I was told and I found some coconuts. I grabbed about 6 of those suckers....there were only 9 on display. I could imagine someone going look at him grabbing all those coconuts. They were $1.59 each so the price was right. Needless to say someone's going to be making some chocolate coconut pudding tonight....yum!!!! :D

And with that comment...so ends my 100th post on here! I'm officially a Senior Member now. 8)

Res

January 24th, 2008, 08:00 AM

I'm officially a Senior Member now. 8) Guess what you're going to have? Senior moments... ;)

Congrats on being a Senior! lol

Hey 1.59 for the coconuts is great! I was paying $1.99 at whole foods. As soon as I started coming back regularly for cases, they upped the price to $2.50 a piece. :mad: So I went somewhere else.

Pudding! Pudding! :)

Love,
~Res

mini

January 24th, 2008, 08:50 AM

I am on my 11th day of my first MC. I am excited about starting a raw diet after the cleanse is over (hoping for a 20 day cleanse!). Just purchased a fabulous juicer (Jack Lalanne Elite). This machine can even make soy milk and almond.....yummi! I have purchased a mixed variety of fruits/vegetables and have been experimenting and feeding it to my family. Its funny how I use to crave ice cream and chocolate (lots of it!), now I'm craving a fresh carrot and orange juice or coconut milk. I love, love, love, coconuts; always did, so its great to read these postings on coconuts. Keep the coconut recipe (and all other recipes for that matter) coming. I will be needing them. Thank you for all your postings; reading these postings makes me feel like I can do this!

Here's to good health.

Sim

January 24th, 2008, 10:51 PM

Pudding! Pudding! :)

I want pudding too....waaaaah. Just kidding about the waaaaah part. But I DO want pudding! I"m off to sleep, ending Day 26 of this fourth cleanse on a happy note. My oh my, I do like these long cleanses...almost as good as standing in a hot shower for FOREVER to get rid of the coldies!

And there's this growing pile of new recipes to try....
and the intended purchase of a new laptop so that I can keep up with you all when I'm studying at the Living Light Culinary Institute...
And Meedis, I'm jealous of your $1.99 purchases! And Mini...you're among buddies here! Can't wait to hear your reactions when YOU get to have some of that great stuff from your juicer. Day 11 already! GOOD FOR YOU!

Res

January 26th, 2008, 01:15 PM

sadsak39

January 26th, 2008, 07:04 PM

I'm only on day 3 of my cleanse (going for 21), but I would like to take the one month raw challenge as soon as I finish and want to be prepared to do it right. I have a Champion jucer that works great, but is heavy and bulky, so I avoid using it and would like to get something easier. Can anyone make recommendations of a model/type that would work well for a raw food lifestyle? My sister has a Vitamix that she loves, so I'm considering that, but because of the hefty price, I want to make sure I'm making the right choice. What else should I be looking for? I think I have a dehydrator somewhere I bought about 15 years ago and never used. Any suggestiions would be much appreciated. I know that the better prepared I am, the better my results will be.

Meedis

January 26th, 2008, 10:59 PM

sadsak39...I don't own a Vitamix myself but trust me from all the raves I read on here about the Vitamix, including someone that's used it almost every day for the last seven years, I'll say you would make a sound investment if that's your tool of choice.

===================================================

Regarding young coconuts, I have to say I was really surprised when I went to a nearby Caputo's fruit/veggie store and saw that they had some young coconuts. They didn't have any last time I was there so I imagine they must go pretty fast like at the japanese store I bought them from. I admit to being more and more impressed by Caputo's....they even have a nice selection of raw nuts. It's where I bought raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds.

Sim

January 27th, 2008, 01:24 AM

There's a recipe in the Recipe box that Kathy (mtmouse) raves about but I've never made it. It's Teepees Chocolate sauce. I may have to delve into that one today. ;)

Sim: It's okay to "waaa". :) *Smooch*

Love,
~Res
Res, I'm gonna Waaaaaa some more: that's MY recipe, not TeePee's :D
Aww, that's okay...I'll share any spotlight with TeePee anytime 'cause she's a honey...besides, it's not really my recipe anyway...got it from...uh-oh,, can't remember which book! I'm REALLY senior, complete with the moments!!! DARN! Still, I'd rather have senior moments than not reach senior age!

Day 28 just finished, I'm heading toward the homestretch to 40...my recipe pile is growing and growing...can y'all come over to my house to eat please???? I can't possibly make and try all these by myself. Open invite. I'm in CT. Who's flying over???? :D

Sim

January 27th, 2008, 01:28 AM

Hi Sadsak~ The Vitamix is the single best piece of equipment, EVER. After that, the Cuisinart food processor, then the dehydrator, then the juicer (I have an Omega 5000 and it's great but I could probably live without it if I had to...not so about the Vitamix...I use it every day, several times a day; in conjunction with the food processor, I can make just about anything...and yes, the dehydrator is an awesome piece of equipment.) Besides these tools, I'd suggest sharp knives, a spiral cutter, and a citrus juicer (I love my Breville citrus press...one-armed bandit, I call it). Anyway, welcome, come visit while you're on your 21 day journey but don't stay here too long...too many yummy suggestions come up here that could wreak havoc with your cleanse!

Winks

January 27th, 2008, 10:33 AM

Sim

January 28th, 2008, 08:37 AM

Is anyone interested in a One Month Raw challenge starting February 1-29th 2008?

I will be finished a 28 day MC by January 29, then February 1, on to Probiotics and orange juice and watermelon for one week...then green smoothies til the end of the month. Any one care to join me?

Winks! Congrats on your 28-Day MC!!! Terrific!!!!
Are you planning on only doing green smoothies for the rest of February? No solid foods? That's interesting...I'll be finished with my cleanse on February 7th, Oj and Grapefruit for 10 days (breaking a 40 day cleanse), but then I'm onto solid raw, not just green smoothies. I'll keep you company though...welcome aboard!

Daniella T

January 29th, 2008, 03:46 AM

Hey Ya'll!

So i'm coming off the MC on friday, and I plan on eating raw after, so just to confirm- Is this the diet i take on for the first 3 days? ;

For those planning to eat a raw or vegetarian diet:
Day 1 and 2 – fresh squeezed orange or grape fruit juice
Day 3 – juice in the morning. Raw fruit for lunch and a fruit or vegetable salad for dinner.
Day 4 – return to normal eating

I just got the Raw books from the MC website and am SO excited to start raw. My only concern is i'll sometimes need a redbull, or sometimes eat a popsicle or something like that. I suppose only time can tell.

OHHHH and, this is SO EXCITING !!!! I found out that the only Raw restaurant in NYC is just about 8 minutes away from me walking!! maybe less !!! It's called " Quintessence", has anyone been??

Would it be ok to eat there a couple of times if i'm not in the mood to make something myself, or am in a rush??

I HOPE SO because I plan on being there ALOT haha!

Please let me know,
- Daniella.

PS- those who have been doing the Raw challenge, how are you doing???

Daniella T

January 29th, 2008, 03:50 AM

Res, I'm gonna Waaaaaa some more: that's MY recipe, not TeePee's :D
Aww, that's okay...I'll share any spotlight with TeePee anytime 'cause she's a honey...besides, it's not really my recipe anyway...got it from...uh-oh,, can't remember which book! I'm REALLY senior, complete with the moments!!! DARN! Still, I'd rather have senior moments than not reach senior age!

Day 28 just finished, I'm heading toward the homestretch to 40...my recipe pile is growing and growing...can y'all come over to my house to eat please???? I can't possibly make and try all these by myself. Open invite. I'm in CT. Who's flying over???? :D

SIM- What is this chocolate sauce?? I am dying to know, I am a huge chocolate freak and would love, love, love, love to get my hands on that.

Anything else you have to offer for a first timer like me, let me know! If you told me a month ago I WOULD be going RAW, hahah, I would probably laugh in that persons face! So, this is all very new to me.

I've been reading peoples recipes and doing research, but anything that can satisfy my sweet tooth would be divine. :p

-Daniella:o

Gypsy Jo

January 29th, 2008, 12:44 PM

Craving Chocolate? Try this instead. I am a chocolate lover and this is what I reach for. If you see my lights on at three in the morning chances are this is what is being concocted in the kitchen!

From the book:"Raw Food Made Easy for one or two people'
(translation two people meaning me and my split personality, haha)
book author: Jennifer Cornbleet
published 2005
ISBN: 1570671753
page 138

ok lets get not-cooking...

* 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts, unsoaked (I used almonds and pecans)
* dash of sea salt
* 12 pitted Madjool dates (I am going to try regular (cheaper) date next time
* 1/3 cup unsweetened carob powder (or cocoa)
* 1/2 teaspoon flavoring extract (your choice, see note below)
* 2 teaspoons water
* other, see note below

-Place nuts and salt in food processor (with S blade)
-process until fine ground
-add dates cocoa powder and extract
-pulse til mixture becomes sticky
-add water, process briefly

ok this is where I deviate (don't you just love that word!) from the authors recipe. She forms it onto a cake/square shape on a plate, refrigerates it and then serves it with fresh raspberries that have been pulsed in the food processor.

However, I roll the mixture into bite sized balls and then roll them in ginger powder. I usually keep them in the freezer or just eat most of them right off the bat.

for flavoring try this depending on the season orange or mint for xmas, baileys is you subscribe to that, cin or nutmeg for more of a comfort food feeling. I have aslo rolled them in fine ground dried mint or anise.
Enjoy!

Sim

January 30th, 2008, 08:26 AM

Hi Daniella T~ Welcome aboard...you're going to love raw! Go the recipe box and also read through this whole thread and you'll find some incredible recipes. The chocolate sauce is great, but it's only a sauce..I use it on raw banana ice cream...sheer heaven. The recipe is on this thread AND in the recipe box. Also, Quintessence isn't the only--nor the beest--raw restaurant in NYC. My favorite, although expensive, is Pure Food and Wine on Irving Place. It also has a take out store around the corner from the restaurant (with great raw chocolate!).And Caravan of Dreams, on 6th between A and First has both vegetarian and raw dishes that are superb. There are other places as well...do a Google on Raw Food New York City. Your plan to break your cleanse sounds perfect, but if you've been cleansing longer than ten days, you need to take more than 3 days to break the cleanse, okay?

Gypsy Jo~ I love Jenny Cornbleet's recipe! Thanks for reminding me...I've been using Raw Priestess' standard one cup of walnuts, one cup of pitted dates, one quarter cup of raw cacao to make brownies or brownie balls (that name alone cracks me up...I'm so juvenile :D) in the interest of time, but I usually don't add flavorings. Thanks for the ginger reminder! Oh, and don't use the cheaper deglet dates...the brownies do not come out as tender, chewy and satisfying, in my humble opinion. I love the gushy, rich texture of medjools...and yes, darn, they're expensive! Thanks, Gypsy Jo...hope to see you here all the time!

mtmouse

January 30th, 2008, 10:32 AM

I second Sim on the Medjool dates! Don't skimp! (And, BTW, Costco sells them for $7.99 for two pounds, which isn't bad. And they're fabulous.)

However, I also second Ani Phyo on the need for variety for nutritional purposes, and not to get stuck in a rut of always getting the same varieties :) of our favorite foods. So I do use deglet noor (and other) dates, but I do so from time to time in things like my almond milk or a recipe that has more other liquid.

You're in for a lot of fun and good eating!

:)

sadsak39

January 30th, 2008, 01:37 PM

Meedis & Sim- Thanks for the advice. I ordered the Vitamix, and I should have it by this weekend. Now, to locate my hydrator. I ordered it from an infomercial ten or fifteen years ago, and it's still in the box somewhere. At least when I find it, it shouldn't be missing anything! I'm very excited about the one month challenge. Although I've eaten organic and and led a fairly healthy lifestyle (Naturopathic healthcare, high quality supplements and herbs free range meat and eggs,etc.) for as long as I can remember, I've never made the leap to vegetarian or raw. I'm anxious to see how much difference it makes. Although I'm extremely healthy and not overweight, I'm still not as thin as I'd like to be, and I'm always dieting. I'm hoping this effort will get and keep me there. (My two biggest drawbacks to losing the weight are a penchant for good wine and chocolate.) A sincere thanks for your support.

Sim

January 31st, 2008, 12:53 AM

HI sadsak39~ Ah, wine and chocolate. I can't be too helpful about the wine (although I hear there are some pretty good raw wines out there; still, if you're accustomed to fine wining, you're not likely to give it up) but there are tons of great raw chocolate recipes out there. Just look in the Lemonhead recipe box! So happy to see you here. By the way, until I turned raw, I dieted my whole life. This past year has been a revelation: no calorie counting, no fretting about what to eat or how much or what did I eat? No remorse. And I"m thinner than I've ever been in my life. You're going to love raw...stay with us and explore, okay? It's great having you here!!!!

mayablue

January 31st, 2008, 01:05 AM

Hi everyone!

I was wondering what you all know about the raw almond situation? Is there a good place online to buy them imported because all the ones around here are going to be pasturized?

sadsak39

January 31st, 2008, 09:56 AM

Sim

February 1st, 2008, 08:23 AM

Hi Daniella and Mayablue~
Right now, we still have raw almonds...I think we're all waiting to see what the buying situation is going to be...I'm currently buying in bulk and freezing them, but that won't last forever. Yikes....I don't know what we're going to do about this, but I keep bombarding my legislators with letters about this, begging them to look into it, sending them information about raw almonds.

Winks

February 1st, 2008, 05:16 PM

Winks! Congrats on your 28-Day MC!!! Terrific!!!!
Are you planning on only doing green smoothies for the rest of February? No solid foods? That's interesting...I'll be finished with my cleanse on February 7th, Oj and Grapefruit for 10 days (breaking a 40 day cleanse), but then I'm onto solid raw, not just green smoothies. I'll keep you company though...welcome aboard!

Thanks Sim.
Well the plan is... break the month down .. 10 days on orange smoothies, watermelon smoothies and maybe... I'll go to town and have orange And watermelon smoothies. With that, I have started the probiotics and B12 sublingual. At work though I ate whole oranges for lunch and snacks... so I guess whole fruits for lunches and snacks at work. The second 10 days ..fruits and green smoothies, the third 10 days.. green smoothies, fruits, soups and salads. In March I will permit my self, to not cook, but prepare, a few raw meals...for my 52nd birthday, ie. raw pizza, Raw sushi, make some kind of crackers/ bread in the dehydrator for tomatoe and avacado .. any great recipies out there would be greatly appreciated.

That's the plan .. I wonder if I am pushing it too far.. is it realistically doable.. one day at a time.... It's one way to control the eating while coming off the M.C....

Thanks for the support

Sim

February 1st, 2008, 06:18 PM

Thanks Sim.
Well the plan is... break the month down .. 10 days on orange smoothies, watermelon smoothies and maybe... I'll go to town and have orange And watermelon smoothies. With that, I have started the probiotics and B12 sublingual. At work though I ate whole oranges for lunch and snacks... so I guess whole fruits for lunches and snacks at work. The second 10 days ..fruits and green smoothies, the third 10 days.. green smoothies, fruits, soups and salads. In March I will permit my self, to not cook, but prepare, a few raw meals...for my 52nd birthday, ie. raw pizza, Raw sushi, make some kind of crackers/ bread in the dehydrator for tomatoe and avacado .. any great recipies out there would be greatly appreciated.

That's the plan .. I wonder if I am pushing it too far.. is it realistically doable.. one day at a time.... It's one way to control the eating while coming off the M.C....

Thanks for the support

Hey Winks! I turn 52 in March also! We should have a Raw March party! Is your plan realistic? For me, it would be a little Spartan...you're planning on going another 20 days with no solid food, only juice and some whole fruits, after a 28 day cleanse...that's a lot of time without some essential nutrients, although green smoothies are great, of course... I'm very conscious of my weight because after my last long cleanse, I sank below 100 pounds and I looked very odd...felt a bit light in the mind, too. For me, your plan wouldn't work BUT we are all different and react differently. Try it and see how you feel...if anything becomes amiss, you can incorporate those pizzas and avocados, dehydrated breads and sprouts sooner than you planned. As for recipes, just read through this thread and the Lemonhead recipe box. You'll be amazed! Keep us posted, Winks. :D

rain

February 2nd, 2008, 09:16 AM

Winks and Sim: I turn 52 this May 1! I love the idea of a Raw March party...I've been hoping there'd be another one this year, after reading through some of last year's! :D What better way to celebrate turning 52 than to do something so positive for one's wellbeing?

Jayasri

February 3rd, 2008, 12:07 AM

Good Tidings Everybody!

Please come and join us for the most inspiring, grandest vegan raw food eco peace celebration in creation on September 12-14th in spectacular Sedona, Arizona! :)
Great website, info and opportunities. Early bird tickets available now!
rawspirit.com (http://www.tinyurl.com/36uqes) :D

sadsak39

February 3rd, 2008, 11:04 AM

Hi Everyone- I received my Vita-Mix, but I haven't taken it out of the box, yet. No sense tempting myself when I still have 10 days to go. (Day 11). I'm excited to start the raw food challenge. I've been looking into it for the past year and this will be a great transition back into eating.

Sim- I keep looking for a recipe box, but I can't find it. Do you mean the few recipes on the home page?

I am so anxious to graduate to this thread! I'm looking forward to the adventure!:):):):)

Sim

February 9th, 2008, 10:33 PM

Hi Everyone-

Sim- I keep looking for a recipe box, but I can't find it. Do you mean the few recipes on the home page?
I am so anxious to graduate to this thread! I'm looking forward to the adventure!:):):):)

Hi sadsak~ Thanks for all your posts...you're doing a wonderful job helping folks!
If you click on "Raw Food Lifestyle" you'll find several headings (like this one: 30 day Raw Challenge) and one heading says Lemonhead Recipe Box. Have fun!

merrill3960

February 9th, 2008, 11:28 PM

Sim

February 10th, 2008, 11:15 AM

Hi all...I attempted the cleanse a few months ago and caved on day three. I am planning to start a cleanse next week for a variety of reasons and am planning the timing well. Does anybody have suggestions on how to prepare myself physically/mentally in the next five days to insure that I have a successful cleanse. I want to go into this cleanse more prepared! Thanks!
-Merrill

Hi Merrill~
Welcome! Yes, we have lots of suggestions! First read the FAQs about the cleanse, then start reading posts on the Bulleting Board under the thread, "What Day Are You On and How Are You Doing?". You will find inspiration, encouragement and support from the marvelous and remarkable people who are all doing what you want to do! Can't wait to see you there, Merrill...we're cheering for you to cleanse happily and with strength! :D

sadsak39

February 12th, 2008, 11:05 AM

Merrill3960- You will find that what will help you the most and make this time different from the last, will be those " number of reasons" for starting the cleanse now. Those of us who complete successful cleanses and meet our goals (no matter what number of days we've chosen), have also had times that we've attempted and "caved".) This is my 4th MC and today is day 20 of 21. In between my 4 successful longer cleanses, were a series of shorter attempts, where -for whatever reason- I could not get myself to continue. Simply said, my body and mind were not convinced I needed the cleanse at that time. When you know it's the right time, it's not a struggle. Sure, there will be times you will feel bad or want food. But you'll also KNOW that you're not going to let it stand in the way of what you're doing. You will be in control, and you will call the shots. Not your cravings, your "well-meaning friends, or even your family. You will be doing it for You. Good Luck and use the board often. It can really make a world of difference to know we're not alone on our journey to better health.:):):):)

ninab64

February 13th, 2008, 03:17 PM

Hi everyone!

I was wondering what you all know about the raw almond situation? Is there a good place online to buy them imported because all the ones around here are going to be pasturized?

Hi maya,

i remember last summer when i first started hearing about this discussion -- this site was recommended as a source for raw almonds

http://www.almonds-from-california.com/cgi-bin/ppcart/ppcart.pl?cat&californiaalmonds

hope this helps

fxyMNgrl

February 16th, 2008, 01:03 AM

Hi everyone! I am on Day 5 of a 25 day Master Cleanse and I am seriously thinking about doing this Raw Challange!

My only concern is that I am a poor college student and I don't have any of the fancy kitchen gadgets you need to make half the stuff! Guess I will be living off salads for a while :)

I'll pop in and out of this thread to see what's happening but I'll become a semi-permanent 30 day fixture at the end of my fast. . . .

Heidi000

February 16th, 2008, 09:56 AM

:confused:Please tell me where to find the one month raw challenge. Thanks, Heidi:o

elizabeth1694

February 16th, 2008, 06:32 PM

Hi everyone. I'm very new to all of this and I actually have not even started the master cleanse yet. I had to wait to recieve my Grade B syrup in the mail because I could not find it in any stores. I'm very excited and nervous because I have my hopes set very high for this cleanse. I have struggled with my weight my whole life and about a year ago lost fifty pounds. Over the Christmas season I have gained about twenty back and feel terrible. I want to do the master cleanse and regain my healthy eating habits. I am very interested in the raw food diets mentioned but am curious as to the best sources for information. Any encouragement and knowledge would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

dmv22

February 16th, 2008, 06:51 PM

Hi there, made it through the 10 days! Today was orange/grapefruit day which was nice. I'm wondering if anyone has good books suggestions on raw eating. It's very new to me and I'm not sure how and where to start. My friend gave me the book "Rawvolution" which looks soooooo appetizing I couldn't look at it too long because it made me hungry. Also it did not contain much for breakfast ideas. I've ordered a dehydrator but till it gets here I need simpler things to get me through. Can you drink rice milk as a base for a smoothie? Hopefully within a couple weeks I will get the hang of this. I'm giving it an initial 2 week trial but hope for 4 weeks at least! Thanks.

ilovelamp

February 17th, 2008, 01:46 AM

hey,
some posts have mentioned raw food recipes on this site,
can anyone tell me where to find em?
thank yous!

Sim

February 17th, 2008, 09:26 AM

Hi ilovelamp~So good to see you here! If you go on the Raw Food Lifestyle thread, you'll see the Lemonhead Recipe Box and there are awesome recipes in there...and if you read through this very thread, you'll see others as well. We sure like to have a good time with our avocados and mangos! :D

dmv22~ it's not rice milk that you want; it's almond milk and it's so easy to make! Rawvolution is a great book full of good recipes but you're right about breakfast solutions..for some of us rawbies, breakfast is often a green smoothie or fruits or fruit juices. Sometimes it's soaked and sprouted oat groats made into a grawnola (get it? :rolleyes: yeah, we're so corny, but only if it's organic corn!) with almonds, dates, sunflower seeds, you name it...and eaten with almond milk. I like to make flaxseed pancakes---not cooked, of course---drizzled with agave syrup or ms. (Ani Phyo's recipe)...a very good book that has lots of info for everyone, beginners and non-beginners, is The Complete Book of Raw. And please see the above: our Lemonhead Recipe Box is great!

Elizabeth 1694~ We're so happy you're here! Don't despair...you lost fifty pounds last year so you know (we all know!) you have determination and strength. That's better than plain old willpower! Please read through the Raw Food Lifestyle thread, little by little, and you'll find a ton of information regarding books, expert opinions, our own non-expert opinions, recipes, etc. But don't do this if you're hungry! Keep joining us if you're strong enough to do so while you cleanse...we'll still be here when you're finished :D Best of luck...can't wait to hear how great you feel when those twenty pounds are gone again...for good! The Mastercleanse and Raw took care of my lifelong battle with my weight...I now eat as much as I care to and my weight is steady and exactly where I want it to be. I'm hoping the same for you!

Hello Heidi000~To get to the One Month Raw Challenge thread, go to the Bulletin Board, click on Raw Food Lifestyle and then click on One Month Raw Challenge.

Hi foxyMNgirl Sure, it's great to have gadgets...but really, to be raw for one month, all you need are some sharp knives and maybe a blender or food processor. Even without those, you'll be fine. After a month, you might want to really have that blender, food processor and dehydrator, but you'll be fine for a good long while without them Best of luck...let us know how you're doing!