I sit here tonight with a cup of warm raw cacao, in frigid Maine, with a sense of accomplishment looking back at the last 14 days. It’s been a journey with this raw food challenge through mind, body, and soul. I’m sure it will take a couple months to really come to a good conclusion and decide how this will affect my life. I’ve been interested in living a raw food lifestyle for sometime now, but wasn’t sure how or where to begin. I chose this particular challenge for cleansing purposes, as an elimination diet to check for food sensitivities and also for the goal setting desire to accomplish a difficult task. It does feel quite amazing to complete it without caving in or giving up. I’m not a very competitive person with others, but maybe so with my self. The question is what have I learned from this?
Top Ten things I learned from the 14 Day Raw Food Challenge:
1. I now understand what it is like to be on a “diet”.
2. I appreciate that I do not promote diets and instead Read the rest of this entry »

I’m still here, and haven’t fallen off the band wagon, yet! There wasn’t much to report for days 9 and 10. Still continued to have energy, no issues whatsoever. My desire towards a raw food lifestyle continuing to increase. Then came day 11. The morning started out fine with yet another delicious smoothie. I had leftover raw chili for lunch and another smoothie mid-day. I had 6 massages to give and by the afternoon felt I needed some more fat and protein. I forgot to bring any kind of snack mix, nuts, and my coconut butter too. I felt lost without those. The cravings began! In particular for something sweet. Typically with sugar cravings it is usually a nutrient deficiency.
The 5 most common causes for sugar cravings:
1. Dehydration
2. Protein imbalance
3. Complex carbohydrate imbalance
4. Exhaustion
5. Lack of Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Day 8 of my Raw Food Challenge and just wanted to give you a quick update. Today was the first of many raw meals to come, ones that I can actually chew! I feel very satiated just from chewing alone. I’m still drinking my smoothies for breakfast and lunch, but because this is the rebuilding phase, I’m also allowing myself to have more raw crunch than just at dinner time. Today I had a yummy green smoothie for breakfast and added some superfoods to give an extra boost of nutrients and energy. I think this was the first time I wasn’t hungry two hours later. For lunch I had leftover Gazpacho soup from last night’s dinner. PLUS a small salad with pea shoots, spring mix, dulse, sunflower seeds and diced tomatoes. I sprinkled some olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. It was sooo delicious. I have quite the appetite and can usually eat more than my husband. I couldn’t believe after a very small salad and bowl of soup how full I was. I had another raw salad for dinner with a yummy pesto sauce. Life is good now. Though the temptation is still their for cooked foods, every day of this challenge I have a little more belief and desire for raw foods. I have lots of energy, a clear mind and feel very productive today! 6 more days to go…

“Yay smoovee, yay smoovee!” That’s what my two year old says every time he sees the blender come out. People always ask how my son eats and are amazed when I tell them he loves spinach, mushrooms, onions, avocados and even salad! Yet he thinks potatoes are poison! He eats what my husband and I eat, and his meals have always been focused on veggies and fruits from the very beginning. And he loves his smoothies. Smoothies are a great way to get your children to eat all sorts of fruits and veggies. Especially the healthiest of dark leafy greens. It’s also a fantastic way to improve your diet as well and get the nutrients your body needs. Make every smoothie an experiment. Try different fruits and greens to find one you love.
I believe that if you start baby’s palate off with fresh healthy food then you can ensure a much easier ride through the picky times. Of course children are always changing, keeping us on our toes. The day will come when something they used to love they won’t even touch. It could be a mixture of taste buds changing, defiance and becoming more independent, or instinctively they know Read the rest of this entry »