Fruits, Nuts and Seeds Does Not a Raw Foodist Make

After my first week of raw food,  I am sad to find that I have gained weight. My hope was to drop at least a few lbs of water but, unfortunately, that did not happen. Apparently, weight gain the first week is a part of the process. So, I am sticking it out- dealing with the detox- and hoping for results!

Here are some photos from this week:

Blueberries, Walnuts, and Bananas 

Guacamole Wraps

Broccoli drenched in an avocado-lime dressing with flax seeds to top

Relapse and Renew

The second day after starting the raw diet, I felt like I was going to pass out. Yes, merely the second day and I was having severe withdrawals. Being new to the diet, I was unaware that eating raw fruits and veggies would yield such a strong detox. Yet, weakness was not the only thing I experienced. My skin exploded! My face decided to erupt and return to my pubescent days--heinous to say the least. FYI and TMI (this has never happened to me before), green puss came out of my acne...proof that the diet is both detoxing and deep cleansing.Yesterday, the diet got the best of me. I completely lost control. I had two meetings--both of which kept me on the run in the Tennessee heat. After loads of coffee and albuterol jitters, I decided to settle for cooked food....a beautiful bowl of hummus and veggies with a side of pita. Later that day, I had cooked tofu with veggies and an asian sauce. It was glorious and I was certainly satisfied. Excuses aside, I could have done better. I could have suffered through and made it work. But I gave up. Today, I was back on track.

Check out my raw dinner from Whole Foods- Veggie Salad and Carrot Cake...

What helped me through? Finding raw, vegan, sugar free munchies...

The lifesavers:

With these goodies, I feel like I can take on the world.

Above all, I have a new toy...

My very own bean sprouter....or MDR-bacteria-creator...whichever comes first. It seems that bean sprouting can be a dangerous game. Too long, and you have a deadly non-edible, vine-like mess. Too short, and, well, you have a deadly non-edible rock. Anyone have any ideas? Tips?

Starving: 30 Days of Raw Food

Today marks the beginning of my newest adventure: Raw Foodism. Living in the Southern U.S. is definitely not going to make this task easy; yet, I intend to overcome all obstacles to prove that it can be done successfully. I am going to be completing this task without any kitchen equipment (blenders, food processors, dehydrators) just to see if this diet is feasible for the average joe on a slightly less than avergae budget. For that reason, most of the items will be inorganic; however, some items, will be organic/ Non GMO. Also, and most importantly, I will still be drinking coffee-yes, 'tis a non-raw food item. No cream, no sugar, no worries. I need my caffeine..2-3 cups daily. So, if you want to be uuber-technical, I am commencing a 99.9 percent raw diet. I will consider this new lifestyle a success if I can manage, without equipment or organic ingredients, to both feel great and lose weight. In coming blogs, I will post recipes, raw friendly restaurants in Nashville and, of course, my struggles and suggestions for this lifestyle on a tight budget. The posts will be intermittent (among other topics posted) so keep a close eye and check back for photos!