Be ready to pay for your indiscretions against your raw food diet! But also learn a little more about yourself and your ideal dietary needs

Well I made it to my destination without a hiccup and even blended my week’s worth of green drinks when I arrived, but there are just those weak moments that catch you off guard.

To top it off there were many of my old favorite restaurants and foods that were just whispering in my ears, telling me one meal wont hurt, eat me, eat me …EAT ME!!!

So I caved a few times, although during the day I was able to stick to my raw green drinks. Part of me also had a curiosity about what would happen if I ate some of these foods again after 3wks plus of my raw food lifestyle.

Well, I am happy to say that I have proven to myself that Raw Food as a lifestyle is definitely what I am going to strive to maintain. I realized that every time I ate something that was not living I paid for it dearly. I can honestly say I have never felt things like I experienced in my body like I did that week. I have never been so utterly aware of my digestion. That is a good thing, but it felt like something was in my belly playing twister! I could picture every moment of the digestion and how hard it had to work to get through my little meals that were off plan.

This was very different than eating off plan on a fad diet. This was an awareness to my body, what it needs, what it wants and what it has to do when I am not taking care of it properly.

I was able to distinguish between specific foods which gave me some more insight into my own personal optimum diet. Dairy, to my surprise, did not bother me as much as other things. Gluten in any teeny tiny amount was killer!!! I could feel it start within minutes of eating anything with gluten.

So currently as I am scrambling to unpack, and get back on my rhythm I am trying to regain my happy go lucky digestion too! As soon as we arrived home my sweet daughter picked me the most amazing raw salad and we had a wonderful Summer Solstice Celebration.

You better believe when we wrote out the things we are releasing from the first half of the year I added any non raw food habits and cravings. I am letting them go and letting my self be free of them for good! Once you experience a pure and clean digestion and you feel the awesome benefits, you can’t help but start craving that instead!

Until next time…
Blessings
LunaMamaP

How to take a Raw Vegan road trip!

Taking a road trip on a raw vegan diet may seem impossible!
Accept for a few extra minutes of planning it really wasn’t much of a challenge. I found myself into week 3 of my raw diet and planning how I would make things easy. I bought extra fresh greens and veggies at the farmers market the weekend before. Even though normally I would be buying less fresh stuff in days leading up to a vacation, this time I knew whatever I didn’t eat during the week, I would blend and juice down into jars and pack in a cooler for my road trip.

Basically with a few canning jars with lids, all the fixings for your favorite green drink, and some fresh fruit for snacking and your set! It really was that easy. I had considered making a salad and keeping it in the cooler but lets face it, trying to make a salad and pack it, you end up with a wilty mess that is far from appetizing. I needed something that was going to sound yummy and be yummy when it was time to eat. I made enough green drinks to last well into my week here as well. It has made sticking to my raw lifestyle very easy while being out of my element.


So I am happy to say two days on the road and I had no hiccups to report. I had my green drinks in pint jars in the cooler, some fresh oranges, apples and strawberries for snacking. I also brought along some nuts and avocados. I believe if you really want to make something work for you it’s possible. I was really proud of myself for sticking to this. This is the perfect situation we find ourselves in; we can tell ourselves its too hard and then feel guilty and yucky when we eat out of our normal lifestyle, or take a few minutes and make a plan.

Now lets be realistic, I am not saying that there aren’t those times to just let yourself eat something you WANT. I really believe that when it comes to food there is such an emotional attachment. Yes, there are those of us who are lucky and don’t have that. I find it hard to believe sometimes since I am so utterly aware of my emotional attachment to food but I know these "super humans" exist. They really don’t like to eat. It’s not an event that feeds them on more levels than the physical act of eating; they do not get that emotional “Oh yummy”, or the “I just want to vegg and eat Oreos, ice cream and buttery popcorn”, while watching a marathon of movies. It seems impossible to me to think that I could never want to do that. However, finding a balance and having a grip on the emotional desire and needs we have to eat certain foods is really important. Being aware of it is step one and then finding the way that you can attain balance and be happy in your everyday life is next.

Well I am off to spend time with my family and friends. Until next time…
Blessings
LunaMamaP

Well I am approaching the end of week 2 now and this raw lifestyle… I am doing pretty darn good considering. My will power has astounded me. I haven’t even needed will power like I would have thought. I brought strawberries and a green drink to the movies and didn’t even think about the yucky movie goodies that taste so yummy!

I found myself at the end of the first week starting to get a scratchy throat and allergy / hay fever symptoms. As it is the time of the year when this is common it didn’t surprise me much. However, I haven’t experienced allergies here in our new climate before. I am certain I was doing some pretty heavy detoxification even though I eat a really clean diet normally. They got pretty bad into the first weekend and all the way into the beginning of the second week. I was at the point where the headache was so bad it was making me nauseous and absolutely sick! I was down for a few days.

I stuck out the green drinks and as much raw food as possible. At dinner time I still had salads but ended up eating a few pieces of whole grain breads, manna bread, grilled chicken and shrimp during that time. One morning I just broke down and had an egg with cheese on toast because…. Well, I wanted to, but more importantly I was craving it so badly that I thought I am going to see how this makes me feel. I want it so let’s just see how I feel after.

It wasn’t a big deal. My stomach was definitely processing and working harder than it had too in a few weeks. There is a distinct difference in the way you feel when you are eating raw food exclusively for sure. I really don’t know how to describe it. I have never felt my digestion feel so pure & rested.

I am actually almost to the beginning of the third week now. I have been eating nothing but raw green drinks, salads and fresh organic fruit and vegetables for the past 5 days with no slips and I finally weighed myself and found that I also have lost 8 lbs in the past few weeks.

This is a bonus for me. I have been working out harder than I have in my life and getting into great shape but have still struggled to loose the extra pounds even with strict calorie monitoring and balanced % eating. My thyroid has not been working at the optimum level either. It has actually been hypo- but I have avoided treatment from any external prescriptions and have been working on it holistically.

Overall my diet for the past 10 years has been steadily improving. In the past 4 yrs it has become a completely free of processed foods, artificial anything, zero HFCS (High fructose corn syrup), Trans fats and full of whole grains and organic produce meats and fish.

Still finding the right combo for how my bodies needs to be fueled properly and work as efficiently as possible has been tough. At this point a 100% raw diet is the first thing that has felt right for my body.
We leave to go back home to visit end of the coming week and I will be tempted by all the old restaurants I haven’t eaten at in over a year!!! PF Changs alone is taunting me and its 1300 miles away! : )
We’ll see how that goes. Luckily I am bringing a vitamix for my dad so I will be able to continue making my green drinks and smoothies. Phew! My next post should be one full of how to take a road trip on a raw diet! Ha!
Have no fear I have a plan…. Until then… have a blessed day!
LunaMamaP

... a first bump in the road!

Day4&5

Well I found myself in my first dilemma on this weeks start to the raw food diet. My energy was soaring all day Thursday but then at 6pm it took a steep dive into the dumpster! It was like one of those sugar highs you fall like a bag of bricks to the very bottom! Ahhhh! I didn’t do as bad as I could have but I have some Annies Mac n cheese! Oops! I have to say even after 5 days of eating 100% raw, the Mac tasted good that’s for sure but about 20mins later my tummy was gurgling and rumbling! I woke up today with a really nauseous stomach too!
I have learned that when I get too tired, worn down, or where I am not eating enough. In a day filled with normal running around and intense workouts it is soooo important to eat enough and enough of the RIGHT things!!! I have been doing great everyday and having huge energy but Thursday was the first day I didn’t have enough time to do it all. I found myself running a little more than usual, not eating quite as much as I had in previous days and also I skipped my half of avocado that I have been eating which has been one of my only sources of fat intake right now!
All in all I learned that on those days more than any I have to keep up my eating, prepare ahead of time some fast things to grab, even a handful of nuts may have helped curve my exhausted desire to eat something fatty and comforting!

I did make the most amazing, beautiful pad Thai with zucchini noodles and it was so yummy! The kids and D scarffed it down and actually left me with a small bowl which also didn’t help y cause in trying to stay on track!
Ani Phyo told me when I posted on her fb page. Be patient, loving and kind with yourself and listen to what you need! I am back on track today! Patience is so necessary! Have a great weekend everyone!
We have raw fettuccini alfredo, red pepper hummus and some a dish with marinated veggies and pineapple nut cream sauce for the weekend menu! Should make for some yummy meals and awesome pictures!

Day 2 Food Log... Day 2&3 notes

Day 2 :
8am- fresh blueberries, spinach, green vibrance, 3 dates and a few almonds, water. Blended up it was yummy! Different with the dates and almonds.

Lots of water

10am- some raw chips, spirulina ones again. These are scrumptious! Really!

1230pm-Awesome raw green Drink! Parsley, kale, spinach, banana, green vibrance, dash of raw honey and mango, pineapple puree (I made fresh)
Water, water, water

4pm-2 pieces of carrot raisin Manna bread

6pm- Big salad from my garden! Yum! Red pepper & homemade cilantro vinaigrette! This is super scrumptious dressing! I added a spoonful of tahini to it as well to make it a little creamier. I also added a heaping scoop of the Quinoa, basil & orange salad from Living on Live Food. I sub’d in broccoli because I didn’t have a fennel bulb.



Day 2: Left me feeling great! I get such serious energy from the green drinks it is just crazy! I did wait about 2hours after my green drink to do my workout, which is an intense one right now, and I lost my umpf about half way through. The Manna bread right after helped a lot and carried me through until dinner. I did have a rough sleep though. I woke up like, a 100times it felt like! I was getting super buzzes of energy! It was very strange!

Day 3 : Today we hiked 4 miles with 40, 4th graders, so my energy was tried more than normal that’s for sure. My am Green drink took me all the way through though with tons of energy to spare. I made it a bit differently this morning and it was again delicious! I LOVE the green drinks! I feel amazing when I drink them, sort of like my hair is standing on end. I definitely started feeling like I wanted to eat some cookies or something on the bus ride home when I was sitting and starting to feel a bit tired. I munched a few spirulina raw chips and that got me through until today when I got home and made a pina colada smoothie with fresh coconut meat & water, a banana and an orange!

Day 2 , a few thoughts...

Nothing is the cure all fix all. There is a balance that has to be achieved and discovered for each individual person.

For me I have been researching raw diets for a long time but it is only now that I even feel I have enough knowledge to actually tackle it. Plus, I am just learning as I go, but I am in a place where I can give it a really good shot!

I have been emailing a friend who lives this lifestyle everyday, a few times a day, with random questions that arise.

Today after sprouting my Quinoa for the orange basil quinoa salad I am making for dinner I thought?
“Is this right? Do I just eat these lil sprouted things now?”
I am used to cooking quinoa and fluffing it with a fork, so now what?
It seemed strange. I followed the directions so I guess that’s what mattered! Ha! I can follow directions; Sometimes.

Anyhow, I wanted to bring up the topic of doing things the right way.
Do some research. Really try to have an understanding for what you are doing and why; Journal it.
Write down what you want to change, to achieve in your life and through doing a lifestyle /diet change. Evaluate if your reasons are in line with what you are going for.

I love learning about new nutritional news and information. I love new recipes and new food combos.
We are so blessed with this amazing planet that provides us with everything we need to live, thrive & to truly be healthy & dis-ease free.

Finding the balance as I said before is different for everyone and takes time to discover.

I can’t say that 100% without a doubt I am going to be living a 100% raw diet. I think it is more in line with my goals and desired wellness, but I still don’t know. This 4weeks will help me figure that out.

If raw food is something you are curious about here are some great resources I have found so far…

http://www.alissacohen.com/

http://www.davidwolfe.com/

http://therawfoodworld.com/

http://www.rawfoodplanet.com/

http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/

The photo above is the most amazing raw green drink I made today! It was Fantastic!

Here is the recipe too!
Awesome Raw Green Drink!

Bunch of parsley
Bunch of green kale
Bunch of spinach
1 frozen banana
½ cup of fresh pineapple and mango juice. (I had made this fresh in my vita mix and have been using it here and there)
Dash of raw honey
1scoop green vibrance
About a cup of water


Blended in the vita mix until smooth. I think you could achieve this in the bullet too or just your blender. Just make sure it blends up well.
Smells marvelous and taste delicious plus I am zingin with energy.

Blessings
Lunamamap

Day 1: Raw Food Journey

Day 1: 100% Raw Food 4wk kick start!

Well the reasons why I am doing this raw food cleanse/ kick off are many. I have had raw food diets presented to me in many ways and many times in the past year. I decided this last time while doing my nutritional counselor certification this would be a perfect time!

When I have heard of people eating raw food diets in the past I always picture this mundane diet with carrot & celery sticks and maybe some salads!

It’s funny now after diving head first into Living on live Food by Alissa Cohen and some other books that I have had on my shelf for awhile now I really see how I could have done this years ago!
However, having my handy dandy vita mix is making all the difference as well.

I will write more later around why and how and everything else I can think of : ) for now I am just going to jog down what I ate today and how I felt… It’s a good starting point for this lil journey I think.

Day1: Monday May 24, 2010
8am- fruit smoothie blend- 1banana, fresh blueberries, mango & pineapple. 1 scoop green vibrance, chia seeds, water & ice. Yum!

10am- after my crazy day1 month2 max interval circuit which surprisingly I had tons of energy for I made a green drink. Munched a few go raw spirulina chips while it was blending. I made a green drink with fresh dandelion greens, spinach, green kale & a Fuji apple. Water and Ice. It smelled marvelous! It didn’t taste quite as marvelous as it smelled though. It wasn’t as sweet, of course, a little bitter maybe is a good word but really it was much better than I thought it might be. I am in search of a great green drink right now. I am waiting on my girl Kathryn to come thru with her magic recipe!

12noon- half an avocado with fresh chopped tomato and a little black pepper. This was yummy and ½ a banana.

230pm-rest of my green drink re-blended up with a little more water to make it go down easier.

6pm- Big salad of fresh greens from my organic garden! ½ avocado, a few raw almonds and fresh tomato and grated zucchini and gold beet. I made the ACohen cilantro vinagrette from her book! Wow it is yummy and it made my salad! I also decided to make the date nut torte tonight and it is really good. I couldn't get the frosting part to whip up fluffy and pretty like her picture but it still tastes fantastic!

Lots of water thru the day though, those of you who know me know what a H2O guzzler I am!
Today is only day 1, I was super excited to star this lifestyle change today and felt awesome. After the green drink I was buzzing! I had so much energy it was a great boost after a tough workout. I am going to drink my green drink first tomorrow and see how different my energy during my workout is. I could use the push! My allergies didn’t bother me today...Hmmm….
Well until tomorrow…
Lunamamap

The sun is peaking out finally from behind the fog and you can smell the sweet scents’ of spring fast approaching. It is so amazing how our human senses, if allowed, will pick up on the simplest changes in the air we breathe. You can smell and sense the winter leaving and the spring knocking at the door ready to come out and play!
My sites and time has been turned towards researching the food industry and working on my garden.
Along with this I have come across some of the best books, articles and resources. I am compiling a list in a more concise order that will help anyone looking for this information to find it easily.
What I would like to know ,if anyone is even reading my blog yet, is what would you like to know? What is one of the things that you keep meaning to research and find out more about? Anything that may revolve around food, cooking, health, fitness, birth, parenting, knitting, gardening, living, chickens, parenting, herbs and herbal medicine, Veganism anything at all. I would love to know and if it is something I have learned about up to this point I will gladly share with you what I have learned and any great resources on the subject. So post a comment or email me directly. I would love to know or hear from all of you.
Until next time…
Blessing
LunaMamaP

Links with great information and resources

Wow! Have I had my eyes opened this past week?


Watching Food Inc, reading eating animals and doing some research. I thought I knew a lot when it came to food, health & nutrition and in a few minutes of research I was proven very wrong.
Yes, I know, this is a subject most of us wish to ignore.

We say “I think I'll skip that", or “I’d rather not know". But this is a matter that affects our children and their children and the earth that we are trampling on by not paying attention.

It is vital to look at this!

Even if somehow the care and treatment of the animals means nothing to you, you cannot avoid that fact that it all ties together. Factory farming is causing more global warming effects than all the transportation combined in the world.

This is pretty amazing and it deserves a closer look.

I have done a lot of research in a little time and found reliable sources that have loads of information for consumers.

I urge you to read some of these reports, look at the scorecards of the milk you are buying and the soy products. The ones that opt not to participate should obviously be avoided. Many of the major organic players in the market make you think you are buying one thing when in actuality you are not getting what you are paying for.

Pay attention! Read labels and research the brands you are buying you will be surprised if not appalled by there unconscious behavior towards the environment as well as the inhumane and cruel treatment they evoke on the animals.

I will post sites that can help you find local farmers that grow grass fed and finished beef, free range clean fed poultry, pigs, turkeys and on and on. Find a local dairy that grass feeds the cows and treats them humanely.

There are so many sources with the internet now and you can find them and in most cases set up easy delivery or pickups for these products that are well worth there price.

I know I can go on forever on this soap box but really this is a new passion for me.

I have always been conscious about what I buy, what we eat and how I cook. Now, I am sickened with the research in finding that I have been buying products that I believed in and backed up to many of you when asked. Only to find out they are no better then the next guy.

On a POSITIVE note there are a few that I was relieved and ecstatic to discover hold up to there name. Organic Valley and Eden soy and Wildwood products to name a few.

The change that is needed in the world around our food system will only change if every consumer takes a stand. You have to buy the products that you can consciously back and rely on.

~Eat seasonally whenever possible according to your area. or grow your own garden and food with heirloom organic seeds like the ones you can buy from Peaceful Valley Farm (link below) and many others.

~By from your local farmers and local dairies. Go visit them first and ask questions. If they don’t let you visit then DON'T buy their products.

We can change this and take back our food system one consumer at a time.

LunaMamaP

http://www.vitacost.com/Referee?wlsrc=rsReferral&ReferralActionId=702000075723

http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html

http://www.localharvest.org/

http://www.nongmoproject.org/

http://www.cornucopia.org/

http://www.groworganic.com/default.html

http://www.polyfacefarms.com/

Here are just a few of the helpful, informative sites. The Polypace farm is the farm in Food Inc. many local farmers are following his footsteps and running there farms this way. Reading his site is helpful in giving you a guideline for what to look for in a sustainable, humane, conscious farmer!

Sunchokes - yummy little things

I stumbled across this peculiar little vegetable and I just had to share. It also happens to be related to the Sunflower.

Sunchokes ( Jerusalem artichokes), I know I have heard of them briefly. So briefly, that they slipped my mind like many things.

I was in the market the other day buying what I thought was the tiniest piece of ginger root I had ever come across. To my surprise when I got home it was far from a ginger root. It was however this marvelous little white crunchy thing. Of course, I googled it and found that it has many health benefits and can be prepared and eaten many ways. I found sources stating benefits from diabetes to intestinal health.

Sunchokes are very rich in inulin, a carbohydrate linked with good intestinal health due to its prebiotic (bacteria promoting) properties. These health benefits come at a price; the food can have a potent wind-producing effect.
Sunchokes also contain vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium and are a very good source of iron.(Eating the seasons, 2008)

http://www.eattheseasons.com/Archive/sunchoke.htm.

We tried it tonight ,raw and on salad. My little 10yr old made the most beautiful salad with fresh herbs, mixed greens, cucumbers, apples and raw chopped sunchoke. It was magnificent!

Here's to trying new things!

Blessings,

LunaMamaP

Welcome to my blog!
Here I am trying to think of how to compose my first post. I have been thinking about doing this for sometime now.
My hope is that I can use this blog as a vessel for posting wonderful recipes I stumble upon or make up ! The ones that turn out anyway :) and all the ones I get asked for as well.
I also hope to share some of the wonderful festivals and daily life rhythms that we have in our life in hopes that some of them will inspire you to make them your own with your family.
Right now it is a work in progress and a place for all the chatter that runs through my head !
Who knows what else will come up. I seem to always have my hand in something new and something old , while dipping each of my toes into 10 other things.
Usually if I hear or read about something that sounds interesting or fun to me I am going to dive head first and try it. So I will post my successes and my failures.
For now I am off to meditate on the wonderful first class I had at Cakes for the Queen of Heaven. The amazing imagery and visualizations that arise out of the myth of Demeter and Persephone and the bond that exists between mothers and daughters.
Blessings
LunaMama P