Mommy Be Well

The Top Ten of the 14 Day Raw Food Challenge

Kate — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:06:02 +0000

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 help my clients work on a gentle approach with long term lifestyle changes to improve their health.
3. I’m connecting more with the emotional and mental attachment to food. This may take some time to really decipher what this means for me. Cleansing with raw foods brings out quite a range of emotions!
4. Going Raw Overnight is NOT for me or my family.
5. I do not like labels when it comes to what foods you eat (vegan, vegetarian, raw!) I believe in intuitive eating and being aware of what your body needs at different times in your life.
6. There are many wonderful benefits to increasing raw foods in your diet. I will continue to add in more raw recipes and smoothies.
7. I am confident in the foods I eat and the health of my body. I need to relax just a little bit, more 90/10! (gulp, that’s hard to admit)
8. Everybody should eat more green smoothies! They are filled with nutrition, super easy to make and make you feel amazing!
9. I have a huge passion for helping people improve their health and want only the best for myself, my loved ones and my clients. I may sometimes come across a little strong when I promote a healthy diet and I’m learning to respect even more that everyone is on their own journey. If you need me I am here.
10. I am SO excited to have some COOKED rolled oats with frozen organic blueberries from my CSA with a drizzle of Maine’s Pure Maple Syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon for breakfast tomorrow.

Thank you for those who’ve supported me through this challenge! Support is key in succeeding life!

Raw Food Challenge and Cravings!

Kate — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:52:36 +0000

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 Primary Food (to be explained further below)

So I went through the list in my head. I’ve been drinking a TON of water, probably 120 oz/day in addition to my smoothies! I have been adding a hemp protein powder as well as Maca and Blue-Green Algae to my smoothies and feel like my protein levels are good. Vegetables and greens are FULL of complex carbohydrates, as well as the maca! Exhaustion and fatigue….I’ve been feeling great, lots of energy until now so what’s up? It could be not sleeping great the night before due to my coughing son. I still got my 7 hours, maybe just not solid. So that’s something. But I can usually handle one night of not so great sleep with out my cravings being all over the place. Now onto Primary Food, one of my favorite topics. Primary food is the “food” that nourishes our soul. Our careers, physical activity, relationships and spirituality all fall under that category. These are often more important than the food we put in our mouth. How can we have optimal health if one of these primary foods is out of balance? Again, I went through the list. Career, I love mine!! Physical activity, pretty darn good. Relationships…overall wonderful, though my husband is traveling and had been home for quite awhile. So I suppose I missed him and was craving a little love, but that shouldn’t tire me out so much. And spiritually I feel very satisfied, especially when I get to help improve my clients’ energy through out the day listening to peaceful music. Okay so what’s left? I came home to have a “just ok” dinner. Raw Sunflower Pate and a cuke, romaine, avocado salad. The dressing wasn’t my favorite, but it filled me up. I was still having cravings all over the place. Crunchy, salty, COOKED, and sweet, sweet, sweet. I couldn’t figure it out, but came to the conclusion that I’m just so ready to be done with this challenge and have some healthy cooked foods! Ding, Ding, Ding!!! I woke up this morning, menstruation began. The ‘other’ most common cause for cravings and exhaustion, PMS!!! It’s amazing how every month I seem to forget what’s coming. My cravings don’t typically take over like that, but I guess with all this cleansing going on in my body, it’s bound to be different this month. So I don’t know if I have any great answers ladies for getting your PMS cravings in check. Other than a healthy, hormonally balanced body. And when giving in to those cravings, try to reach for the healthiest version of what you are cravings. In addition, try to look at the most common causes for sugar cravings before giving in. And don’t put yourself down when you do give in, enjoy it to the fullest, remember the 90/10 balance and love yourself up. That’s all for today!

Raw Food Challenge- Day 8

Kate — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:46:06 +0000

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…

Getting your toddler to eat vegetables!

Kate — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:30:23 +0000

“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 what their body needs and does not! As adults and the chefs of the house we get to decide what’s for lunch every day. I’m not quite so sure I would enjoy someone else deciding what I was going to have every day. So make sure to rotate with a variety of foods. And when they don’t eat something one day, don’t give up. Wait a few weeks and try again. When your child gets to a certain age where they can understand making choices, then let them choose from 2-3 healthy items. Making sure you’d be happy with any of those choices. Of course you can’t cater to your child at every meal, every day. We’re trying to teach independence, but we also don’t want them to become the boss. By giving them choices they may have more desire to eat those veggies. Once your child can cruise around, get them involved in making their own food.

My little helper!

Kids love to help, take advantage of this now, even if it seems more of a hassle and makes a mess, it will pay off in the long run! It’s also important for your children to see you eating healthy foods and enjoying them! If there’s something you don’t like, don’t be afraid to offer it to your child because they may love it!
Here’s a simple smoothie recipe for you and your little one to try:

Blueberry Blast!
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 banana or avocado
4-5 leaves of kale, spinach or Swiss chard *
1-2 Tbsp of Flax Oil
1 cup of coconut water

Blend all ingredients and enjoy.
* I usually food process my greens before I put them in my smoothies to help them blend better. A mini food prep works great and is easy to clean.

Cleansing your body to prepare for pregnancy, or at any time in your life!

Kate — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:06:50 +0000

So rereading my last 5 posts about this Raw Challenge I’ve realized that maybe the content isn’t too exciting to my readers, or that moms or moms to be may not be so interested in my challenges, but more so how I can help you with your’s. So let’s talk a little about what this raw food challenge really means. It’s about cleansing and detoxifying, to rid the body of toxins and chemicals absorbed from food, water, body products and the air you breathe. Cleansing your body is very important for good health. It is also extremely beneficial for someone thinking about becoming pregnant or that has been struggling to conceive. Toxic overload can cause many common ailments. Things like fatigue, headaches, joint pain, abdominal pain, weight gain and difficulty losing weight to name a few.

Detoxify with fresh fruits and veggies!

There are many ways to cleanse. Eating clean foods and fresh water is the ultimate way. Eliminating processed foods, refined flours and sugars, soda, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine is the first step. Also eliminating gluten or wheat can be very helpful. Reducing or eliminating animal products, including dairy, is very helpful in detoxifying your body. When we eat these foods, we are also eating the toxins the animals have taken in too! So what can you eat? Fruits and vegetables, gluten free grains, nuts/seeds,legumes, superfoods and tons of water! This type of cleansing is very beneficial to finding food sensitivities as well.
There are many more ways to detox including, but not limited to: colon hydrotherapy, massage, infrared saunas, yoga and exercise, detox foot baths, etc. And of course there are the marketed supplements and pills that are specified to “cleanse” your body, but I personally don’t encourage those.
This 14 day raw challenge that I am doing is certainly cleansing. It is very intense and I am still on the fence about recommending this to someone who’s never detoxified their body. I also would like to add that cleansing your body is also about cleaning your mind and mental state. We hold memories and emotions in our body, whether it be about food or life events, and at any rate can be more challenging and confusing than the physical aspect. If you would like to detox and need support and a direction to start please contact me and we can set up a personalized plan just for you!
Lastly, I would like to update you briefly on how Day 7 went. It is clear that my brain is functioning better through this post alone (I apologize for the poorly written updates!) I have energy, I’m not starving anymore and I had my favorite recipe to date. A raw gazpacho soup! I am cleansing through a bit of tiny whiteheads on my face, a white coating on my tongue and increased body odor. I am excited to see what the next 7 days will bring!

Raw Challenge Day 6- A More Positive Outlook!

Kate — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:43:39 +0000

Creamy Cucumber Soup

I woke up a new person this morning! I’m excited to say I’m back to feeling like myself. I was hungry when I woke up, but not grumpy or irritable like I’d been the last two days. I made a delicious smoothie that filled me up nicely and gave me a huge boost of energy. I also added some superfoods to give me some more nourishment. I added Blue-Green Algae, Revitaphi and a little hemp protein powder. I had tons of energy afterward and even did my regular exercise. I felt calm and connected. My husband was cooking his delicious homemade spaghetti all day which was mouth watering just with the smell alone. (Oh yeah, he gave in after dinner on Day 4. I can’t blame him, he did lose 15lbs!) But I held strong and truly enjoyed my blended raw soup for dinner. I know that a lot of what I was going through yesterday was detox, physically and emotionally. This is extremely challenging, and I’m learning so much about myself and my inner strength. Though I still won’t commit to 100% Raw, I will certainly be incorporating a lot more meals into my diet. One more full day of blended foods and then I get a full raw meal on Tuesday, Yeah!!!

Raw Challenge Day 5!

Kate — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:38:28 +0000

What a day! I slept well last night which helped, but still woke up irritable and frustrated. My smoothie for breakfast and lunch didn’t make it past 1030am. It was delicious and filled with nutrition, but I was starving and felt like my blood sugar was low all morning. I felt spacey, anxious and have not been the patient person I normally am. For lunch I ate 1 1/2 avocados and a banana and made my soup for dinner a little early to eat a bit of that too. I’ve lost some weight and that was not my goal in the first place, so I’m making sure to increase my fats to not lose any more. I’ve been having more warm water with raw honey through out the day and have started adding raw coconut butter to that. I have two more days until week 2 where I start rebuilding by adding in raw meals. I’m so excited for that and am going to stick this through. This has been so challenging physically and mentally and I’m ready for it to be over. I’ve come to the conclusion that a 100% Raw diet is not for me. At least not during the winter anyway. I believe in intuitive eating, and living in Maine I am really struggling with eating cooling foods from other countries. I promote local and seasonal eating so in many ways this just feels wrong. I believe that’s why I feel so out of touch with my body and just can’t think straight. I’ve been learning about a raw food diet for a long time now and know that it can be very healing, and even more important for people who are already sick with disease. I’m not giving up now, I will continue on this challenge that I have committed to. Tomorrow is a new day and I look forward to seeing what else this challenge will bring my way.

Day 3 and 4 of Raw Challenge

Kate — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:44:36 +0000

This is going to be as quick as possible as I’m just wiped from this challenge and need rest!
Day 3 went fairly well. I loved both the am/lunch smoothie and my favorite soup by far (cukes, avocados, mint, etc!) I was still a little hungry through out the day and nibbled on raw almonds, gojis, and sunflower seeds. My warm cup of water with a little raw honey in the afternoon was nice. I was a little irritable in general, but I think a lot of that was due to my 2 year old being fussy all day from new teeth coming in and a cold. Needless to say didn’t have much time to post last night. Overall no aches/pains, or issues with energy.
Today, Day 4, is a WHOLE new story!! I didn’t sleep well last night. My son was in bed with me coughing in my face all night and tossing and turning. The smoothie this morning didn’t make enough to cover lunch, but thankfully I made enough soup last night to have leftovers. The morning went fairly smooth until I had to start massaging. I noticed during my first massage my quads were sore and starting to cramp. My water intake has increased greatly and it was already good before. I was already tired 15 minutes into my first (out of 6) massage. My muscles feel weak all over. I didn’t seem too hungry until the late afternoon and binged on probably 10 too many raw nuts. I paid for it with gas pains shortly after. I’ve been very forgetful today and feel out of touch with my body. I know a lot of this has to do with me living in Maine and I’m eating a lot of summer foods from other countries. I’m dying for some sweet potatoes and quinoa with some COOKED kale! Mentally I am really struggling with myself. I do not want to give up, and I will not. I am a fighter. I have stuck to the plan and have not even had a lick of cooked food. I’m very proud of myself, but this is NOT easy. I am also very grateful to be doing this and can now relate to the many of my clients who have lived on “diets” their whole lives. I appreciate even more what I do for my clients in supporting them through a gentle lifestyle change. So physically right now I’m feeling muscle tension all over, especially in my jaws (and I haven’t chewed food in 4 days!), a slight headache, a bit of foggy brain, and just plain exhaustion! Mentally I know I will get through this day and understand that I am cleansing and need to think and talk gently to myself. I’m in transition- stage 2 of labor- it’s the point where you want to just give up and and feel the worst, but it’s too late to turn back. Now it’s time for me to meditate.

Raw Food Challenge Day 2!

Kate — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:40:27 +0000

End of Day 2 and still going strong.
Though I can’t say it’s been a breeze. I had to work seeing counseling clients and I also had 4 massages to give. I think that helped quite a bit to get out of the house and stay busy. Though I will say my energy was a little low by my last massage. I could have used an additional smoothie but had a handful of raw nuts and goji berries instead. It helped, but by 7pm when I got home I was pretty ravenous for my blended soup. I had two big helpings of that and was really full. I do have to admit one slip up today. It’s my husband’s birthday and I’m very proud of him for sticking through this with me, especially on his birthday, so I bought a Raw Chocolate bar to sing happy birthday to him. It was very satisfying. Overall today wasn’t so bad. A little hungry and tired by the afternoon, but no headaches or other major issues. Will check in again tomorrow.

14 Day Raw Food Challenge Day 1

Kate — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:44:12 +0000

Let me first start with stating that I do not promote diets. I have never been on a diet and nor do I have the goal to lose weight. With my health counseling I promote eating healthier foods and to find the ones that best work for your body. I very rarely ask my clients to restrict certain foods unless on an elimination diet for allergies or food sensitivity testing. I use a very gentle approach to help people make a lifestyle change. So now with that said…Today I began a 14 day raw food challenge (not a diet)! I am looking at this as a cleansing period and also testing out what it’s like to be “100% Raw”. So for the next 14 days I will not be cooking any of my foods. In fact the first 7 days everything I eat will be blended into smoothies or soups and the last 7 days I will have 2 smoothies and 1 raw food meal (one that I can chew!) I can’t talk about the details of the challenge because I am a test subject, per se. The 14 Day Raw Food Challenge will be coming out this spring by Kevin Gianni of the Renegade Health Show.
So Day 1 and I made it through with only a few difficulties. I was hungry within 2.5 hours of my first smoothie and struggled not diving into my fridge and to start cooking some eggs! I had to get out of the house! I’m told with this challenge that there is no calorie restrictions, if you are hungry, just have another smoothie or if not able to do that try a few raw nuts/seeds. I was out of the house so had about 10 almonds and some sunflower seeds. Another smoothie for lunch (delicious by the way) and was good for a few more hours. I’m making sure to drink plenty of water to help cleanse and also fill me up. It’s winter and I live in Maine, so I must say that I’m freezing and just want something warm! I heated up some water (before boil) and added a small teaspoon of raw honey. It totally satisfied me until dinner. I don’t know if that’s “cheating” or not, but I can’t imagine it’s a bad thing. Dinner was a delicious raw blended soup and I had 2 huge bowls. I was completely satisfied. My biggest challenge thus far is my 2 year old son. I am not about to put him through this and am still feeding him as normal. I don’t know how many times I had to stop myself from licking his spoon or when cooking his dinner to not just eat everything in site. I am very thankful that my husband is going along with me on this and we can struggle through it together. Overall I guess it wasn’t that bad, I still have my normal energy levels and no headaches or discomfort. Just maybe a few extra trips to the bathroom! My goals through this are to clear up a bit of acne that’s been lingering from starting superfoods about 6 months ago (a bit more gentle cleanse) and to enhance the “glow” of health in my eyes, skin, and energy levels!