30 Days Raw – Dec 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2010

I’ve created this post of my Black Women Losing Weight sistas who are interested in joining me as I begin my personal journey back to being a raw food vegan.  This challenge will not be about exercise, but about eating only raw food from 30 days.  We’re going to challenge ourselves to eat a diet that is at least 80% raw.  We will also be drinking only water and tea. Ladies, Let me know in the comment box below, if you’re interested in being part of the Google Group list for this challenge. I’ve made the dates Dec 1 – Dec 31  since Christmas may pose a serious challenge to many of us (31 days total).

Be it regular exercise or a reduction in calories, there is always some risk involved when changing diet and lifestyles.  If you have health issues (high blood pressure, diabetes, etc) you may need to talk to a doctor before drasticly changing your diet  Please note the disclaimer below**.

Most people can not get through a challenge like this without real commitment.  We live in a society that is totally oriented around cooked food. There are so many foods out there that are so delicious. The first thing your body does when you quit eating them is your body and your mind goes into shock and it realizes “I can’t eat that anymore. I can’t go to my favorite restaurants anymore”.  However, there comes a time when you have to take control of what you put in your mouth and change for the sake of your health and wellness.

The Basics of the Challenge:

For 30 days you will challenge yourself not to eat anything that has been cooked over 120 degrees of heat.  You will drink water or tea.

There are thousands of raw foods to choose from but most fall into one of three categories:

Veggies: tomatoes, cucumber, avocados, corn, peppers, jicama, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, chard, kale, carrots, beans, peas, celery, beets, sprouts…

Fruits: mangos, papayas, bananas, pears, grapes, apples, oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, peaches, apricots, berries, pineapple, coconut, guavas, grapefruit…

Raw, un-roasted Nuts/Seeds/Sprouts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, soaked nuts, soaked or sprouted seeds, soaked or sprouted wheatberries…

You can eat AS MUCH AS you want WHENEVER YOU WANT!   All of the water, fiber, and nutrients will fill you up.

• Frozen fruit and dried fruit without sulfur and sugar is ok too.
• Beans and legumes that can be soaked and eaten are fine too.
• Fresh and dried herbs and spices – these add the flavoring variety to your food.
• Salts – these can bring mineral nutrients to your diet if you use sea salt, miso or nama shoyu, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or Himalayan salt
• Oils – be sure to source your oil from a reputable place, and choose virgin cold-pressed olive oil, refrigerated flax oil, and refrigerated hemp oil.
• Vinegar – apple cider vinegar is considered to be the best because it is high in malic acid, aiding the digestion of proteins.
• Raw  Cacao, Cocoa and carob, and raw honey – choose both from quality sources, organic, and store in airtight containers for freshness.
• No traditional bread: There is some raw bread out there and some Whole Foods stores sell it.

No seafood, no milk, no processed sugar, no red meat, no pasta…just raw fruit, veggies, and uncooked nuts, seeds, and grains.  You can blend them, chop them, and marinate them.  Make smoothies with bananas, mango, and spinach.  There are lots of options.

You may find in the beginning that you want to use traditional salad dressings, traditional honey and other condiments to help add flavor to your food.  That’s ok.  Just try to stay as raw as possible and don’t over use these non-raw helps.  Eventually you want to replace them with raw substitutes.

Challenges: Boredom, Food Prep,  and Cravings

Many people are faced with boredom when considering a raw food diet.  They feel like there is nothing to satisfy their sense of play and enjoyment because the options are so limited.  To that I say the health benefits and weight loss are worth more than having the option to go to 50 different restaurants or fast food establishments.  When you are free from the constant thoughts of what to eat and what not to eat that dieters face, life is so vibrant that you won’t miss the food.

One of the keys to success with raw food is planning for your meals in terms of buying groceries and carrying food with you to work and when you go out so that your won’t be tempted.  You’ll want to get an insulated lunch bag so that you can have raw food on hand at all times.

You’re going to go through cravings and withdrawals, because no matter what you eat, if you’ve been eating it for years, that is the food your body is used to eating. And the moment you change that diet your body is going to crave the food its been eating because that is the foot that your body is literally made up of.  You are strong, and you can commit to making this healthy change for just 30 days.  If you eat something cooked, dust yourself off and commit to eating raw from then on.  It’s a challenge…so it’s going to be hard.  It’s about TRYING not being perfect.

Diet Coke, Sugar, and Coffee Detox: You may experience detox symptoms if you are using these “foods” regularly.  You may have headaches and the feeling that you are coming down with a cold.  That is my experience and it passes in a few days.

Recipes

There are a lot of websites dedicated to raw foods that have free recipes.  Most raw food books provide them or you can get an actual raw foods cookbook.  You can find raw food books in most major book stores and online.

• goneraw.com my favorite recipe site
• www.living-foods.com/recipes/
• www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/raw-food-recipes.html
• www.fromsadtoraw.com

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** PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER CAREFULLY COMMITTING TO THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE. The information presented through this World Wide Web site is presented for educational purposes only.

Because there is always some risk involved when changing diet and lifestyles, the author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences that might result. Please do not apply the information on this website if you are not willing to assume the risk.

If you do use the information contained on this website without the approval of a health professional, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but the author and webmaster assume no responsibility. The information presented through this World Wide Web site is not medical advice, and is not given as medical advice. Nor is it intended to propose or offer to propose a cure for any disease or condition. Before starting any medical treatment, please consult your physician.