Art's Raw Journey

Wow.. where do I begin? Well, I've known about a raw diet for a few years. In fact, I have MANY books on the subject.. and I've been raw for a few days, or a week or two, before falling back to cooked. What's really hard is when you know the TRUTH, but embrace the lies anyway.

A little background info on me: I used to live in Boston, but moved to NJ at the beginning of November of last year, following a split with my wife, to be closer to my mom. I moved in with mom. It was to be a temporary situation.. I intended to move out in the spring. Well, it's more temporary than I thought, as I acquired an apartment on Saturday. It's very difficult to be on one's own for years, and then to move back in with a parent. We clashed, to say the least. I believe our relationship will be stronger and easier when we're living apart. My new apartment is less than 2 miles from my mom's townhouse. It's fully furnished, and all utilities are included. I will be very comfortable there. There's enough room to run my business, store my stuff, and have people over. The kitchen is large, clean, and bright. I wish I could move the stove out (well, I'll use the oven for storage!).. but I'll just put a large cutting board on top, for more counter space. :)

So, the start of my raw journey is today, January 10. I weighed in this morning at 201 lbs. I decided to start my journey with a fast. I am water fasting, but for only one day. However, I intend to fast one day per week (Monday's a good day as any). I believe this will help me physically, as well as spiritually.

I have some flab to lose, but I'm not too worried about it. I believe that once I start earnestly eating raw, the fat will just melt off. I also intend to exercise on a daily basis, and I'll post details of that as well, along with the details of what I consume each day. I will be honest about what I consume. I do know I'll be traveling at the end of next week to Boston, and I'm planning to have dinner with some friends, eating my favorite food: sushi (well, it's raw fish, anyway). Who knows, maybe I'll surprise everyone, including myself, and eat salad. That's still 12 days away..nearly two weeks.

Thank you, Michelle, for providing this journal, and this site, to allow me to document my journey, so that I can stay true to myself, and possibly be an inspiration to others. I am going to take this one day at a time.

Exercise today: Briskly walked to the post office and back (1/2 mile), took about 10 loads of stuff up the stairs to my new apartment (13 stairs).

I told my mom today that I was going raw, for one month. Of course I intend to go longer than that, God willing, but I think one month is a good goal, considering the longest I've gone previously has been about 10 days.

Woke up this morning.. oh wait, actually it was after noon.. guess I was tired! felt good.. I had done a 36 hour fast.. and I felt like I could do more (the first day is always the hardest), but my mom doesn't take to my fasting very well, and presented me with a bowl of fresh pineapple and orange segments, flavored with a little (non-raw) honey. And a couple of pieces of maraschino cherries on top, which I didn't eat.

My mom doesn't get the raw thing. She keeps mentioning things for me to eat, to which I reply, "Thanks mom, but that's not raw." She says she could never "limit herself that way." Actually, I hear a lot of people say that. People think we just eat salads all day.

Tonight mom ran in and told me a "raw woman" was on TV. It was Carol Alt, the model, who wrote a book called "Eating in the Raw". She cured herself of cancer by eating a raw food diet. But, not the raw food diet that you and I know about. She said "I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, but I eat a raw food diet". In other words, she eats raw milk cheeses, raw meat, raw fish. Not sure how I feel about this. Sounds very similar to "We Want to Live" by Aajonus Vanderplanitz. It's basically a Paleolithic Diet. For now, though, I think I'm going to stick with raw vegetables and fruits. :)

There are certain other things I don't feel comfortable eating, like garlic and onions, for example. I feel they are toxic to the body, so I try to avoid them. They are in MANY prepared raw foods, so it's something to watch out for. I also avoid sprouts and sprouting. Just too much work, and I want to keep this as simple as possible. Isn't that one of the reasons I want to be raw? For the sheer simplicity of it?

I do realize, though, I'm going to have to either purchase or make some interesting meals, or my interest is going to wane. And next weekend I'm traveling. That ought to be a challenge. I'll have to bring plenty of fruit, and some prepared foods. There is a raw restaurant in Beverly, Massachusetts, so I'd like to go there at least once.

Consumed:
Orange, pineapple salad with honey
1 banana
Kale salad with evoo (extra virgin olive oil), lemon juice, guacamole, 4 green olives (ok, olives weren't raw)
1 apple, at midnight (I shouldn't be eating late, but I was hungry!)
Distilled water

Experienced some detox today. At least, my stomach hurt a bit. Perhaps some gas. My digestive system must not be used to all this rawness! :)

Checked out a local grocery store, and was disappointed. Very little organic produce. I will be going to a local co-op in New Brunswick, NJ soon. I've heard it's excellent, and they're raw-friendly. You can check them out at www.georgestreetcoop.com

Had my first temptation/craving today. Really desired something salty and crunchy. Happened to have a bag of potato chips in my car. Had a tiny piece.. maybe a quarter of a regular chip. Tasted nasty. I actually spit it out. Maybe because it was stale.. but I'm not going to try any fresh ones! (I'll have to make "raw potato chips" with the dehydrator!)

Did some real exercise today! Worked out with a sledgehammer. Unusual and unorthodox, yes. But also very effective! You can check it out at www.shovelglove.com. I also plan on using a rebounder as well - I
think it will greatly aid detox, as the lymphatic system is stimulated and individual cells are exercised.

Weight: 196.5 lbs. (My scale measures in .5 lb. increments) Wow!
That's a 4.5 lb loss since Monday!

Exercise: Shovelgloving (SG) for 14 minutes. I could really feel it in my arms afterwards! Also, walked to the post office at a brisk pace, and jogged/walked back. I usually jog on my return trip from the post office.. (because I'm not carrying a bunch of packages!) I go a little bit farther every time. I am not much of a long distance runner, but I am working on it. Todd makes it sound so wonderful, so I am looking forward to enjoying it!

Consumed: 3 Clementines, for breakfast
Distilled water
Smoothie (banana, orange, pineapple, other raw fruits) about 8 oz.
1 apple
Organic spinach salad with leftover kale, guacamole, cole slaw
(shredded cabbage and carrots, a bit of honey and lemon juice), 1 plum
tomato
Dressing: Juice of one orange, maple syrup, Gulden's mustard, dash soy sauce, dash hot sauce, sesame oil, lime juice

I realize some of the above ingredients are not raw, but since they're in negligible amounts, I'm not going to fret over it. The above dressing is my favorite for spinach salad. I don't measure the ingredients.. just mix together appropriate amounts.

I was kind of gassy today. But, my energy levels are good. I remember the days when I used to have to take naps just to get through the day!

I definitely have to start preparing delectable things to eat. I need to dig out my plethora of raw food "cookbooks" and start "cooking". (Or is that "uncooking"?) I am not eating enough, because I often find myself hungry.

Exercise: Post office walk down, jog back. Jog cut a little short because someone was throwing out a bunch of boxes and I stopped to take some (I sell things on eBay, so boxes of all sizes come in handy!)

Also did another Shovelglove workout. I can really feel it in my arms, abdomen, sides.

Consumed:
Breakfast (at 12:30 pm.. gotta start getting up earlier!) 3 Clementines
Midday: 1 banana
Dinner: Spinach, 1 plum tomato, snow peas salad with dressing: half orange, juiced, sesame oil, lime juice, mustard, honey
3 green olives
Snack: banana with hot sauce (OK, I have weird tastes)
Plum wine, maybe a few ounces.

Woke up late today. Maybe because I was up late. :) Didn't eat anything until 7 pm, by which time I was famished. (I wasn't hungry during the afternoon, so I didn't eat).

I know one thing for sure.. I'm sick of salads. Going to try a few recipes tomorrow, going to check out raw foods and buy some stuff.

Exercise: SG workout, 10 minutes of rebounding. I am sore, but it's a good soreness.

Salad: Organic spinach, kale, cole slaw, frisee, cherry tomatoes, baby snow peas.
Added green olives, oyster mushrooms, bamboo shoots. These weren't raw. I know I'm getting bored with the salads because I'm adding non-raw things to them to make them interesting. On the other hand, at least I'm eating vegetable matter. (I really try to avoid things like bread, pasta, cake, dairy products, fried foods, processed foods, etc).

Dressing: Juice of half an orange, and one clementine, honey, mustard, sesame oil, olive oil.

I didn't eat alot.. but I had a lot of different things. Actually, I am getting used to eating less.

1. 1 month without a cigarette! Yeah, I used to smoke. It was a casual habit, but still an addiction. I quit before I went raw this year (Dec. 15).

3. I was going through some stuff in my new apartment, and found $44.00 cash in a shirt pocket!

I went to Whole Foods today. Excellent produce section, but nothing in the way of raw prepared foods.. I kind of expected something! I did lots of sampling, though.. raw mango spears, mineola sections, apple slices, and guacamole. They make the best guacamole, in-house. Yeah, it had garlic and onions in it.. oh well.. so good, though! I bought a large container of it.

My mom asked me this morning if I was still going to be on "this grass diet". She's supportive in some ways, but not in others. She does offer to make me raw salads; she was using her Saladacco spiralizer (that I gave her for Christmas one year) to cut up carrots and daikon. She also made pancakes for herself. They looked and smelled sooooo good, but I didn't give in. NO WAY. It's good to have my own place. I put a large wooden cutting board on top of the stove. It fits very well.. more counter space! :)

Weight: 194.5 lbs. No change from yesterday. I always weigh myself in the morning, upon rising.

Exercise: Not much today. Brisk walk and jog back from the post office. Okay, and perhaps 5 or 6 trips up the stairs to my apartment carrying heavy loads.

- Glass of bottled apple juice with Herbal Fiberblend. Despite my raw diet, I'm .. um... sluggish. This really helped, though.
- Navel orange
- About 8-10 tortilla chips, with guacamole, from the store. I was there for about 2 hours, checking everything out, so I kept going back. Tortilla chips were good, but, to be honest, they were just a vehicle to get the guacamole to my mouth. :)
- 4 or 5 mango spears, orange slice, gala apple slices

- at home, around 8 pm: organic red leaf and romaine lettuce leaves wrapped around guacamole, a raw nori sheet, an organic red delicious apple, couple of spoonfuls of raw almond butter, a few pine nuts.

Tomorrow I'll be making a raw macaroni n' cheese recipe. It's made with yams, pine nuts, and other stuff. At least I have a good variety of raw stuff to eat now. This will make things easier!

Today I learned about choices.. the ones I choose to make.. and the ones I choose to not take.

Had a really great day! Went to a new church (well, new to me!) and really felt at home there. Even better.. they had fellowship after the service.. in addition to bagels, cream cheese, and coffee, there was a large bowl of fresh, raw fruit! I had a delicious ripe pear, followed by a Granny Smith apple! Then I went out to lunch with a guy I met at the church.. we went to the local mall, to the food court. So many choices! I had been there before, though, so I knew what was there. I headed to Sbarro's.. they have a pay by the pound salad and hot food bar. I had mostly salads, but ate some cooked foods, too. However, I was comfortable with my choices. My new friend, Tom, had Chinese food.. teriyaki chicken of some sort with fried rice. While it did look good, I wasn't tempted. I thoroughly enjoyed my plate of salad and veggies, and did not feel slighted. I must admit, the Cinnabons smelled fantastic.. but the thought of eating one.. bleah. I feel the same way about coffee.. LOVE the smell.. don't like drinking it that much!

Later in the day, we headed over to my friend's house to watch football. My friend Dave ordered a pizza to be delivered.. half pepperoni, half onion and pepper. I have to admit.. it smelled really good.. and it was there for the offering. And, I was really hungry. But I didn't cave. I thought.. I have come this far.. TOO far to turn back now. Plus, I knew how I would feel if I ate it.. probably worse than usual because I had been eating raw for a week! So, I just drank some ice water instead. And I didn't have any of the birthday cake he had baked for his son's birthday the day before, too (my "favorite", too - yellow cake with chocolate frosting).

Didn't get home until 10 pm.. and not going to eat this late.. so I think I will fast until tomorrow afternoon.. that will have been 24 hours, and that will be my fast for the week. Tomorrow's a holiday, and it's supposed to snow.

I'm not going to fixate on being 100% raw for right now. Perhaps someday, but right now I'm aiming for 90-95% or more. And, later this week, I'm traveling to Boston, and I'll be having dinner with friends. So, again, I will make choices based on what's available, and what I feel is allowable, acceptable, and comfortable to me. If that means having a salad with a plain baked potato or some steamed veggies, then so shall it be.

Consumed:
1 ripe pear
1 Granny Smith apple
Lettuce, raw tomatoes, few bits of black olive, cooked carrots, zucchini, string beans. About 6 small half chunks of red bliss roasted potatoes. (I have to admit, these were really tasty!)
Cup of ice water

I ended my Sunday to Monday fast yesterday at 4 pm, just over 24 hours. I felt really energetic yesterday. I got a lot done, and felt good about it.

My friend came over last night and helped me move my bed (well, actually, it's just a full-size futon) and some other stuff. Yep, I finally moved into my new apartment!

Yesterday, my mom was going out to the store.. I asked her to pick me up some bananas. She came bag with bags of fruit and vegetables for me! Juice oranges, ruby red grapefruit, navel oranges, apples, a
coconut, 2 avocados, watercress, celery, kumquats, and more! You should see my kitchen now.. the fridge and countertops are full of brightly colored fruits and vegetables. It's very inviting. This was really nice of my mom. She really doesn't understand why I'm eating raw, she thinks I should go see a doctor if other foods (cooked) give me digestive problems. She thinks I will get tired of eating raw. She doesn't understand the endless possibilities.. but at least she's being more supportive.

Consumed:
1 ruby red grapefruit
about 16 oz. orange-banana-strawberry smoothie
1 almond date organic pure food bar*

* These were delivered yesterday. I won them on eBay. They are suitable for raw and vegan diets. I looked them up online.. normally, they sell for over $2.00 apiece.. I got 96 of them for less than $40 with shipping! I am happy to report that they are delicious and satisfying (which is a good thing, because I have 95 left!) All
ingredients are organic. They are: Dates, Raw Almonds, Figs, Quinoa, Flax, Quinoa Sprouts, Blueberries, Cinnamon. They are made by allGoode Organics.

It's funny.. I'm getting situated in my apartment.. and I'm looking forward to seeing my friends in Boston later this week.. but I'm not looking forward to traveling, to being tempted by cooked food, etc.

Another thing I've noticed.. I don't like winter. I don't like the cold. And it's been REALLY cold lately, like today it was between 5 and 12 degrees. And I'm finding that despite what people say about raw foodists being cold.. I am not. I mean, I feel the cold on the outside.. but not on the inside. It's very strange, but a good side effect. Although I am still really looking forward to spring! :)

Exercise: Walked to pick up my truck at the mechanic's, walked to post office and back (too cold to jog!), walked around my complex to find a large box.. found it!

am: juice from 2 oranges
lunch: guacamole and 4 large romaine leaves
snack: date almond bar
dinner: organic gala apple + date almond bar (apple was mushy, but I didn't want to waste it, so I had another date almond bar with it, it wasn't bad that way)
after-dinner snack: rest of guacamole + a cut up tomato

Today was stressful for a number of reasons.. but I got through it. Still have more to do in the morning before I can leave for Massachusetts. At least it snowed today, and got it over with. :)

Didn't eat breakfast. Was too busy while the cable guy was here. I got a really good deal on a cable modem; they also installed a digital package with about 400 channels. 400 channels of crap. Well, I didn't
ask for the digital TV package. I get it free for 2 months. There are 2 Christian audio channels, though, so I guess it's 398 channels of crap. :) I haven't had time to surf through the other 398 to see if there's anything of redeeming value (like maybe a raw food show.. ha ha!.. actually, to sign a petition for that, see:
http://www.petitiononline.com/rfn/petition.html ) I am number 1060.

Lunch, about 1:30 pm. Salad with frisee, organic baby spinach, raw shitake mushrooms, half an avocado, one tomato and dressing: organic olive oil, tahini, juice of one orange, some chipotle lime mustard (not raw). Dressing turned out excellent!

Some "super snack mix" (that I won on eBay.. from Hawaii.. arrived today) a mix of raw cacao, bee pollen, hemp, sunflower seeds, buckwheat groats, cinnamon. This stuff is like rocket fuel. Like legal speed! :)

Dinner, 8 pm More salad (frisee, mixed organic baby greens, organic baby spinach) with rest of dressing plus some oyster mushrooms, green olives (not raw).

Went away to Massachusetts on Thursday. Ate raw on Thursday, didn't on Friday. Let's just said I made bad choices. Actually, at the time, I thought they were good choices, but they didn't agree with me. I'd been feeling well for the previous 10 days, so eating cooked food had a profoundly negative effect.

Can't quite remember what I ate on Thursday. I weighed in at 192.5, I remember that much. I know I ate all raw, and I stopped eating at 9 pm. Let's see.. some untoasted nori, a banana, an apple, and a raw "vegan food bar" come to mind. Also some pineapple chunks.

Friday was a different story. Didn't eat breakfast, so I was pretty hungry by lunchtime. I was at The Cheesecake Factory, and I didn't feel like eating a salad. Big mistake, but in hindsight, I'm glad I made it. It makes the difference between cooked and raw that much more clear. I ordered a cooked vegetable coconut curry pot pie thing. It was huge (like everything at the Cheesecake Factory). I ate maybe half of it, took the rest with me. It was pretty good, but not great. I ate too much, something that just doesn't happen when I eat raw. As a result, I ended up taking a 2 hour nap in the afternoon (again, something that doesn't happen when I eat raw). I ate the rest of the pot pie thing later in the afternoon and finished it up. Later that
night, I went out to dinner with friends, and I ordered a hummus plate. It came with pita chips, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and roasted eggplant. This did not agree with me at all. I had gas and heartburn. Saturday morning was just as bad, as I woke up with a sour stomach. It was like a food hangover.

Today I got right back in the saddle and started eating raw again. I was supposed to stay until Monday, but a huge snowstorm was heading in, so I decided to cut my trip short and head home. It took me 6 hours to get home. Not bad, considering the trip usually takes 4-1/2 to 5 hours. I had complete confidence that The Lord was going to get me home safely. I saw a few accidents on the way home. Fortunately they were just fender benders. It turned out to be a good thing that I left, because Boston got something like 3 feet of snow, and we got maybe a foot here in NJ.

Pineapple chunks
10 raw macadamia nuts
1 date almond bar
About 20 grapes
water
1 banana
2 celery sticks w/almond butter

I got up this morning and made it to church. There weren't many people on the roads. The plows didn't touch the on-ramp to the highway, so there was a lady stuck in the snow in front of me. She had an all-wheel-drive Honda, and she was still stuck! Well, after we got her free (another guy pulled up with a van.. he had a couple of shovels), I got stuck! I had taken a running start, but I didn't make it. Fortunately, someone was behind me, and they helped push me out. But, I still made it to church. Not too many people there. Maybe a third of the amount of people that were there last Sunday.

I was mostly raw today. Spent some time with my mom, then went to my friend's house to watch football. I stopped at the store on the way over to check out the produce section. They had a really nice salad bar, so I got a big salad. It weighed nearly 2 pounds! I ate the whole thing, too. My friend couldn't believe it. It had a few cooked veggies on it, but it was mostly raw. It hit the spot.

2 ripe pears (at church)
1 banana
grapes/apple chunks
Orange juice, fresh squeezed, about 8 oz.
Nearly 2 lbs. of salad.

I fasted today, as I've decided to do every Monday. About halfway through, I really wanted to eat something, but I didn't. I just drank more water. I also had 3 eliminations today. I usually only have one.

Today I went sledding with my friend Dave and his 3 kids. It was really fun. Unfortunately, on my last run, my glasses fell off, and I ran them over with my sled. So, tomorrow I'm getting new glasses. I found a Pearle Vision center very close to my house, so I'm getting the exam, too. Well, I needed new glasses anyway.. I just wasn't counting on getting them quite this soon. :)

Weighed: 193.5 lbs. - Not sure how I gained 1-1/2 pounds.. but not going to worry about it.

Exercise: About 45 minutes of sledding, climbing a steep hill. It was in the mid 20's and snowing, but I wasn't cold.

I broke my fast today at 2 pm with some fresh squeezed orange juice. I got my new glasses, and also some sample contacts. They're disposable.. the idea is to wear them one day and then toss them. I like this idea.

We're supposed to get another 5 inches of snow tomorrow. This is on top of the 12 inches or so we got over the weekend. Think Spring!

About 8 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
5 Macadamia nuts (I bought these to make sauces with.. but they are so good by themselves in small quantities!)
1 banana
1 date almond food bar
Tried making almond milk. I really need a "nut bag". A small strainer just doesn't cut it. Soaked almonds, water, and 3 dates. About 6 oz. I used an older Vitamix, but I think my Osterizer blender does a better job.
Salad for dinner. Bought some stuff at the salad bar, made my own salad at home. Had some cooked stuff like stuffed grape leaves, sliced beets, and those miniature corn cobs, and some black and green olives.
At home, I added spring mix, and baby spinach.
A small peach

Well, we didn't get that snow that was predicted. Not that I'm complaining. But, I was pretty surprised when I woke up this morning to no additional snow. Meanwhile, I found out my ex-wife got 28 inches of snow near Boston. That happened after I left there on Saturday. Today they got another 11 inches. I'm so glad I don't live up there anymore!

I went to the gym today. I primarily went to use the sauna, but when I got there, I thought, perhaps I should exercise first, since I'm here. So I went on the treadmill for 15 minutes, jogged a mile, which is a first for me. I felt good afterwards.. kind of "high". Then I did some weight machines, at low weights, because I haven't done anything like that in a while. Then I headed for the sauna, which was CLOSED. Sheesh.. after all that! Well, I went in the steam room instead, for about 15 minutes. I kind of looked like a steamed lobster when I came out. :)

I stopped at a Mexican restaurant on the way home, and got some guacamole to go, as well as some Gazpacho. I clearly told them "no chips" and of course there was a small bag of fresh tortilla chips in my bag when I left. Sigh... yes, I tried a small piece. I'm glad I didn't like it, though.

The gazpacho was good, but not great. Lots of onions. And I think it was too salty, but I'm not entirely sure. The guacamole was good and definitely homemade. A very generous portion for $6.50 (I could have done without the sour cream on the side, though).

Carrot & apple juice (made with juicer) w/ 1 TBS Pure Synergy (green supplement powder)
Raw soup: 3 tomatoes, half avocado, spinach, spring mix greens, 1 jalapeno, teaspoon miso, olive oil, 1 pickle cuke in blender
1 banana
Date almond bar
Gazpacho soup
Guacamole, green leaf lettuce, 2 tomato slices, 2 black olives
Tiny piece of tortilla chip

Exercise: 15 minutes on the treadmill. Started off walking, ended up jogging at 5 mph. Did 1.05 miles.
Various weight machines, focusing on arms, chest, and legs, for about 20-30 minutes
Steam room, 15 minutes

Today I made mac and cheese. Yes, a raw version. :) Basically, sliced up yams with "Nacho Cheese" pine nut sauce. I was amazed, because the sauce actually tasted like cheese to me! The sauce was basically pine nuts, olive oil, water, turmeric, and white miso. The only ingredient I did not have was sea salt, but it didn't really make a difference.

I went to church tonight. We learned about the character of God, the Father. It was an excellent message. Afterwards, I was driving home, and someone was following me. Turned out to be the police, and they pulled me over. Usually when that happens, it really freaks me out. I get really nervous and start shaking, my pulse speeds way up, etc. This time I was calm. I think some of that has to do with raw foods.. but most of it has to do with having Jesus in my heart (Love casts out fear). Anyway, I still have Massachusetts plates on my car, and my license plate light was out. The officer was really nice, my license checked out, and I was on my way (no tickets).

Next, I went to a store I had heard about, called Wegman's. I had never been to one, but I heard it was really amazing, for a grocery store. Well, I have to agree.. it was really amazing. It was like the Wal-mart of grocery stores, in terms of size. All kinds of prepared foods; they had a pizza station, and a sub shop, a Chinese food
buffet, sushi, bakery, butcher, fishmonger, and much more! And, most importantly, they had a really amazing HUGE produce section, with vegetables I had never seen before. Much of the produce was organic. They even had fresh cut organic wheatgrass! I bought two packages, as well as fresh squeezed (not pasteurized) tangerine juice, baby vegetables (corn cobs, zucchini, peas), organic pears, tomatoes, and some other stuff. Two of the items didn't scan properly, and I got $5.00 back in cash!

1 kumquat
2 juiced oranges + 1 TBS Pure Synergy
Leftover guacamole + green leaf lettuce + tomato slices
Mac and "Cheeze"
1 apple (from church - they have huge boxes of fruit in the fridge!)
1 banana
Sip of tangerine juice
1 tamari almond (roasted, sampled in the store. Delicious, wanted to buy some, but will try a "raw" version first. (Soak almonds, then marinate in tamari, and dehydrate until crispy).

Exercise: None, sore from yesterday's workout, even though I took it easy (or so I thought!)

Man, I am really sore from Wednesday's workout. Good thing I took it easy.. imagine if I had went all out! I really wanted to go to the gym tonight, but too sore, and I want to do a complete workout. I'd probably have gone anyway, but the gym is 10 miles away.

Ate "Mac & Cheeze" all day
Then had homemade guacamole and romaine lettuce leaves (whole avocado, 1 tomato, squeeze of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, bit of olive paste)

My friend Dave called me up to go sledding with him and his 3 boys, so that was my workout for today.. slogging through deep snow and walking up steep hills. Man, am I tired. Must have been all that fresh air. :)
I wiped out a couple of times, but I felt like a kid again. :)

While we were out, Dave stopped at a deli/convenience store and bought a couple of ham and cheese subs. I bought an apple and an orange. I also had a vegan raw food bar with me. These three things helped sustain me while "on the slopes." I was really hungry when I arrived home, though.

One thing that bothered me, somewhat.. the subs looked REALLY good. I really wanted a bite, and I wasn't sure why. The thought of eating ham and cheese didn't appeal to me.. I think maybe it was the memory of biting into a fresh sub roll. It's going to take a while to get over cooked food. The important thing is that I didn't cave in. (Knowing I would feel ill afterwards was a pretty good deterrent!) By the way, I almost bought potato chips the other night, too. They were a new kind, by Lays, I think. They were fried in sunflower oil (most potato chips are fried in corn or cottonseed oil), and sprinkled with sea salt! If they were organic, I probably would have bought a bag! The thing about something like that.. I could have one or two chips (per day, but not necessarily every day) and be satisfied. When I analyze these"cravings", I think it is textures I am longing for, and not necessarily specific tastes.

Consumed: Smoothie (tangerine juice, 2 kumquats, 1 banana, Pure Synergy, 1 kiwi, almond pulp in the blender) - This came out really well... I usually "wing" my smoothies rather than following a recipe.
1 vegan food bar
1 apple
1 orange
Dinner: Lettuce wraps - romaine lettuce with various fillings, such as"Mac n' Cheeze", olives, avocado slices, chopped jalapenos, a little mayonnaise.
2 small glasses of tangerine juice

Exercise: Lots of hill climbing, walking through deep snow. My arms still really hurt from Wednesday, especially my left one, in the tricep area (and I remember I was concerned because I thought I hadn't done any tricep exercises!)

Have been really busy the past week and not keeping up with my journal as I should be.

My arms were still really sore on Sunday (and Monday too.. finally clearing up on Tuesday), so I didn't get any exercise in on either day.

On Sunday I ate two apples (from church), a small salad bar salad, and then I just had a little raw buffet at home, eating bites of raw vegetables and fruits, dipping them in raw salsa, raw almond butter, etc.

On Monday I had a breakfast smoothie, and I really can't remember what else, except it was raw. :)

On Sunday at the store I flirted with the idea of buying potato chips again. I finally decided not to.. because I felt the reason I wanted to buy them was because I was really hungry.

On Sunday I weighed 191.5 lbs. and on Monday I weighed 191.0 lbs.
(That's 10 pounds from when I started at 201 lbs!)

My stomach is noticeably flatter, and there's a little cleft in my chin that wasn't there before.

On Tuesday, I made a smoothie for breakfast, and for lunch I tried to make a soup, but it ended up more like guacamole, so I ate it like that. :)

Around 5 pm I walked to my mom's house (a little less than 2 miles) so that I could get my truck. It was late afternoon, and it was a nice day, I just decided to go. On the way over there, someone was throwing out some nice stereo equipment.. I got 2 turntables, a Harman Kardon receiver, a VCR, a flatbed scanner in the box, a portable electric typewriter, and a HUGE fishtank. Most of this stuff I can sell on eBay, so that was truly a blessing. The right time and the right place!

I didn't do my usual Monday fast yesterday. I am planning on doing a 5 day juice fast soon, though.

Breakfast smoothie - banana, tangerine juice, kiwi, coconut flakes, Pure Synergy, mango.

Lunch: Pea guacamole - Raw peas, whole avocado, a few baby zucchini, miso, bunch of organic grape tomatoes. Ate this in Romaine lettuce leaves with some olives.

Dinner: 3 bananas with almond butter and raw honey.

Exercise: SG (Shovelglove) workout, 15 minutes. Walked 2 miles at a brisk pace to mom's house.

I went to the gym today. Had a good workout. Was looking forward to the steam room (the sauna's still closed.. they've ordered some parts). But I couldn't get in because I wasn't wearing the "proper attire" - a swimsuit. I had on "yoga pants" or beach pants or whatever they're called. I was bummed.. but I'll be better prepared for next time.

I stopped at "Big Lots" on the way home, because I had never been in one. Bought some plastic wrap, ziploc baggies, and a can of "stuffed grape leaves". These are similar to the ones I put on my salads at the
salad bar (in fact, they tasted the same), but MUCH cheaper. At the salad bar, I pay $3.99 a pound. These cost $1.99 for a 14 oz. can. I also bought a small, 3 oz. can of mackeral.

At my mom's, I opened the can to sample the grape leaves, and I had some spring mix salad greens.. well, I ended up eating the whole can! Geez.. and then later at home, I ate the small can of mackeral. But the rest of my day was raw.

Breakfast Smoothie - 2 bananas, tangerine juice, mango strips, almond meal, Pure Synergy, juice of 1 ruby red grapefruit + 1 orange, coconut snowflakes. (I used an electric juicer that I bought new at a rummage sale a few years ago and finally tried out.. I really like it! It worked very well!) Here's the same one that I have:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4354950287

Blended Salsa salad soup - raw salsa, spinach, half avocado, 1 tomato, 2 small Kirby cukes, water (this came out sooooo good!)
Can of stuffed grape leaves (stuffed with rice and herbs) + salad greens, a few olives, grape tomatoes
Small can of mackeral (fish)

Exercise: 1.11 miles in 15 minutes on treadmill (slight improvement from 1.06 miles in the same time from a week ago), weight machine circuit - worked legs, arms, chest. Not doing any abdominal work at the gym.. going to see how that develops using the sledgehammer workouts.

I went away over the weekend. I did not make the most prudent choices food-wise, and my body let me know it wasn't pleased, in a big way. For which I'm thankful. However, I'm still struggling with cooked food desires. It's amazing how powerful something like that can be, even when I know how bad it will make me feel afterwards.

On Tuesday morning, I weighed in at 195.0 lbs. Ouch. A gain of 5 lbs. from Wednesday. Not how I wanted to end my first month.

Last night was really hard. I wanted to go to Burger King and eat bad food. It was really overwhelming. I ended up not going. I told myself if I still felt that way today, I would go and indulge.

Well, I still felt that way today, but I still didn't go. :) However, I still ate cooked food. Not as bad as anything Burger Death has to offer, though.

Consumed:
1 banana date shake (bottled apple juice, 3 bananas, 4 pitted dates, some tahini)
1 banana honey shake (apple juice, 2 bananas, honey, tahini)

For some reason I was craving these shakes. Later I went to my mom's house, where I had:

About 6 small pieces of eggplant in tomato sauce, wrapped in romaine leaves.
2 stuffed artichokes and cubed potatoes.

Mom is much more supportive. She gave me a bag of really nice oranges, and a quart of strawberries.

What happened to me? Well, to put it bluntly, I fell off the raw food wagon a few months back. Not only did I fall off, I think I fell under the wheels, too. :)

I was doing well, feeling good.. and then I started compromising here and there.. and before you could say "quinoa" I was off on a cooked food rollercoaster. You name it, I ate it. I gave into every cooked food craving I had. Raw vegetables and fruits did not appeal to me in the least. I ate at numerous buffets. I had heartburn. I gained weight. I still ate cooked food.

Then about 2 weeks ago, I decided I had to get back to raw food.. even though the urge wasn't there. So I went out and bought what looked good. I munched on celery and apples. I ate watermelon. I'd eat fruit and veggies for breakfast and lunch, then have a cooked meal for dinner.

So, I decided to go raw again. I decided to start on Monday (April 25), but I actually started on Saturday, April 23. It's funny, because I remember thinking to myself "You're starting on Monday.. eat everything you want to this weekend!" Then I realized how silly that was... if I was honestly going to do that, then I really wasn't ready to go raw again!

So, I've been raw since Saturday morning.. I'd say 99%. My weight on Saturday was 203 lbs. That's particularly sad, because when I originally started my journal, my weight was 201 lbs. So, I gained all the weight back plus more. On Sunday morning, I weighed 201 lbs.

On Sunday night, I started getting a sore throat. How odd! I abuse my body for months with cooked food, and then when I decide to get healthy again, I get a sore throat!

The sore throat lasted through Monday (200 lbs). On Monday night, I had chills. On Tuesday, the sore throat had subsided somewhat, but I felt like I had been hit by a truck! (Tuesday morning: 196.5 lbs.)

I did not think the weight would come off this fast, but then again, I have not felt like eating much. I didn't eat all day Monday, then made some pine nut cheese and had it with some celery. On Tuesday, I made"deep dish pizza" from Bryan Au's book "Raw in Ten Minutes". It actually did take about 10 minutes to make the whole thing. It turned out pretty good, but I need more "toppings" like olives, etc. It's funny.. when I cook something in the kitchen, it's like "so what".. but if I prepare a raw creation, I get really excited about it. :)

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Not much to write for today. Had a fever all day, so I fasted on water. Must've drank at least 2 quarts, maybe 3.

I was hungry towards the end of the day but I thought maybe the fasting would do me some good.

Exercise: Went for a walk in the woods. Probably not the best thing to do; exert myself when I had a fever, but it felt good to be outside in the fresh air, even if I was feeling lousy. There are woods right behind my house, they border on the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and there were signs in there stating that fact. Rather strange to see a metal sign in the middle of the forest. I saw a few other strange things, too, that didn't belong in the woods. Heard a lot of birds. Saw a butterfly. Thought I saw a fox, but it turned out to be a cat (unless the local foxes have bells around their necks!)

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Still felt lousy today. My mom came over with a bunch of fresh fruit, vegetables, water, and juice. I broke my fast today with some fresh squeezed orange juice. I juiced an orange at a time. Had about 4 oranges worth.. each one tasted a little different. Was feeling really weak so I thought eating might help.. and it did. Later I had several pieces of raw cucumber, and a few hunks of raw tomato that my mom brought from the local salad bar. Good stuff. It hit the spot. I think the fasting probably helped, though.

Still have the fever, but the food made me feel much better. I hope this is over soon. Noticing I'm getting more chest congestion.. maybe this thing will break up soon. Just hope I don't get pneumonia.

Not sure what I have.. definitely more than a "cleansing reaction". Maybe I have the flu? Anyway, this experience will make me think twice the next time I want to reach for something cooked! If I had stayed raw this whole time, this probably wouldn't have happened!

When I went raw in January, I cleaned out my kitchen.. pretty much. There were still some cooked things left, so I just put them in another cupboard.. out of sight, but not out of mind. This time, I was much more thorough. I had a load of candy, I gave it to a friend (I probably should have just thrown in out, but I hate wasting stuff).

I've made other changes, too. I've given up television. Completely. No longer will I be persuaded by commercials for Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and Burger King. I think that aided in leading to my downfall last time. Most of the programming is trash, or just a waste of time. I realized it really doesn't matter whether I watch "American Idol" or not, so I stopped. Along with my other "can't-miss" shows. (Terri, if you're reading this.. thanks.)

Oh, I still have a TV.. but it's in the closet. I may take it out when a certain show comes on the air.. Bryan Au is supposed to have his own raw foods show nationally aired on PBS, so I'd like to watch that. And, I have another TV.. it doesn't receive channels, but the DVD player works just fine on it, so I can still watch movies (a hidden blessing!)

I'm making other changes, too. Lifestyle changes. Career changes. My whole way of thinking is changing. For the better. I'm really looking forward to simplifying my life.. streamlining, etc.

Consumed: About a quart of water, quart of organic tangerine juice (not raw but "flash pasteurized", something my mom brought over.. it was delicious, though), juice of 4 oranges, about 4 thick cucumber slices, 3 halves of "roma" tomatoes, 1 piece of cooked artichoke
heart.

Friday night I could not get to sleep because I kept choking and coughing. Every time I'd be almost asleep, I'd gasp, cough, choke and sputter. Finally I fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning.

For most of Saturday, my throat felt like it contained a tennis ball. At least I wasn't coughing anymore. Which is a good thing, because I think if I coughed, my throat would have ruptured. OK, probably not, but it felt that way. I did sneeze a lot, though.

It hurt to swallow. It hurt a LOT. I started wondering if I had strep throat (which I had had once when I was a kid, although I think that hurt worse). I prayed a lot. I read in a book I have called "Tonics" about garlic, and how raw garlic has antibiotic properties, so I started swallowing whole cloves of garlic. I drank a lot of water. I made juice, once. I spent the day in bed, sleeping as much as I could.

I felt like a poster child, with sign underneath me that read "This is your body on cooked foods. Any questions?"

Sunday, May 1, 2005

I woke up feeling a lot better today. The tennis ball in my throat felt more like a golf ball. I think the garlic had a lot to do with it.

Still coughing, but my coughs are "productive" rather than dry and irritating. I'm glad to say I feel the worst is truly over. It's been exactly one week now since I first started feeling ill. I'm ready to start feeling good again.

As I write this, I have some congestion in my head and nose, but my throat feels soooo much better. The sneezing has stopped. So has the faucet nose.

This is not the glorious re-introduction into the world of raw foods I had hoped for.. but it stands to serve as a reminder as to what can happen when you let your immune system get run down. I didn't eat much this week, but at least I stayed raw. And I'm glad I got sick when I did, because I'm going on a retreat next weekend, and I absolutely can't miss it (and had it been this week, I would have).

Didn't eat much today. Forgot to mention.. I had some watermelon last night. Today I made a raw tomato garlic salsa.. but I put too much garlic in it. Ate most of it, though. Drank a lot of water.

Lots of water.
2 tomatoes/sun dried tomatoes, clove and a half of garlic, diced up celery in mini food processor.

May 4, 2005

Not much to report for Monday and Tuesday. Still slowly getting better from the cold I had. On Monday I weighed 189.5 and on Tuesday I weighed 189.0. On Monday night I was really craving hot soup, so I made some. Sauteed some sliced thin onions and lots of garlic in coconut oil, added in water that had been boiled with some kombu
(seaweed) and a few sun-dried tomatoes.. stirred in some miso. It was really delicious and comforting, I must admit. I thought it would help clear out my stuffy head, but it didn't. I tried to recreate the soup on Tuesday night, but it didn't come out nearly as good. Which is fine.. I don't need to be cooking soup, anyway. Though if I'm going to eat it, I'd rather make it at home, where at least I have control over what goes in it.

I made the most delicious raw salad dish tonight! I diced up 4 small zucchinis, and about 10 fresh shitake mushrooms. Then I made a marinade of olive oil, a sun dried tomato + soak water, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 knot of crushed ginger, fresh lemon juice, and "jerk" paste. I love this stuff. It's not raw, but it's VERY hot, so used
very sparingly. Also, it never spoils. Mine is made by Grace Foods, and it's made in Jamaica. It made the marinade "kickass!"

Well, tomorrow night I'm going away for the weekend, a spiritual retreat of sorts. I'm packing lots of food for the two plus days I'll be away. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, plus dates, nuts, etc., anything that travels well. We'll be going to restaurants along the way, but I want to make sure I have enough to eat because I'm sure the choices are going to be lacking. Last time I went away for a weekend (when I was raw), I decided to just "wing it", and that led to my downfall. This time I'll be prepared. I went to the store and bought celery, finger bananas, yellow peppers, raspberries, pineapple chunks, and cucumbers.

Can't seem to kick this cold. Still have a hacking cough and my left ear is nearly constantly plugged up. I guess it just takes time. Also, there is a bad knot in my back. I could really use a good massage. Can't wait til I can start exercising again!

1 banana
half a dozen small chunks of pineapple
half a cup of jerked zucchini/shitake mushroom salad
Picked some dandelion leaves out of my yard and washed them well, but they were rather coarse.

Thought I'd send a quick update before leaving for the retreat. I felt a LOT better today.. I can feel my energy coming back. Still coughing today, but not nearly as much, and my head is a lot clearer/lighter.

Got all my laundry done today. It's been a really good day, all around. The weather was really nice, too. :)

about 8 oz. of organic tangerine juice
about 10 raw pineapple chunks
The rest of the zucchini/mushroom salad about 2 cups worth.. man, is that good. Definitely making that again! Shitake mushrooms have a lot of character!

All packed for my trip. I've got a small cooler and a bag of stuff. Probably won't have another entry til Sunday. I weighed 189.5 lbs. this morning.

Well, I had a great weekend, and started off strong, eating pineapple, bananas, raspberries, etc.

But.. I wanted to hang out with my friends.. so I was forced to contend with restaurants.. I tried to make good choices... but I ended up eating cooked. Why is it every salad at a restaurant has to have chicken on it? Well, I ended up eating cooked vegetarian.. things like veggie burgers, portabella mushroom sandwiches, etc.

Now that I'm back on "home turf", it's much easier to be raw.. and so I am back on track.

Woke up this morning.. I definitely gained some weight.. 197 lbs.! I will lose it soon enough, though.

2 wraps (I won these things on eBay.. they arrived today.. basically nori wrapped around "fillings".. all raw and delicious)

No exercise today.. I wanted to walk, but didn't have time.. soon I will do something, though.. the weather is too nice not to.

Spinach and crimini mushroom salad with half a cucumber and dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, 1 clove crushed garlic, bit of crushed ginger, 1 sun dried tomato, bit of jerk paste)

I ate: Crimini mushroom salad, that I made the night before. Man, was this good. I really love mushrooms! It's like.. they are my "meat". (Well, they are "meaty", but they don't remind me of meat). Basically, sliced crimini mushrooms in my standard "jerk dressing" (I don't know what else to call it). :)

Spinach, Belgian endive, tomato, half yellow pepper, cucumber salad with olive oil, lemon juice, sun dried tomato, jerk paste, crushed garlic clove, some tomato/cucumber salsa, 3 tablespoons ground flax seeds.

Didn't eat that much today, but I wasn't starving, either. Made a huge salad the night before.. basically, the same kind of salad I had yesterday.

Something I've discovered: I definitely don't like my food cold. I don't like eating stuff right out of the fridge.. I have to let it warm to room temperature before I can really enjoy it.

That being said, I took my salad out of the fridge and let it warm for a while.. then I picked at it. Really tore into it when I got home.

Went grocery shopping. Funny how my grocery shopping is confined solely to the produce section.

I bought lots of stuff.. organic raisins, organic dried plums, organic bananas, about 4 different kinds of mushrooms, 7 Hass avocados (on sale for $1.00 each.. usually sell for anywhere between $1.50 to $2.99
each!), pears, tomatoes, etc. And a "personal watermelon".. about the size of a small basketball. It was incorrectly priced at $3.99, and I was charged $4.99, so I got it for free!

Other than the salad, I had a taste of honey (got some new honey in the mail from eBay.. sourwood honey.. really good!), and a small handful of walnuts.

I introduced a new friend to raw foods today. She eats a non-processed food diet, but she's interested in raw. She told me of the foods she definitely didn't like (like zucchini), and of certain foods she's never had (like mushrooms and avocado). So, I made:

No-bean hummus (made with zucchini! Ha! I'm so devious!)
Mixed mushroom salad - shitake, oyster, baby portabellas, and enoki mushrooms
Guacamole
A dessert I named "goop" (soaked cashews, cupful of fresh squeezed orange juice, spoon of coconut oil, and liberal sprinkling of "coconut snowflakes")

She loved, adored the hummus. Even after I told her what was in it.. she was amazed! Said it was better than any store-bought hummus she's ever had.

Jury's still out on the guacamole.. that's okay.. she doesn't like tomatoes or peppers, so my ingredients were kind of limited.

Said she really likes raw foods, and could definitely move into eating this way!

I shared some of my books with her, including Alissa's book, and Bryan Au's book, just to give her an idea of the many different raw recipes there are.

About 20 grapes
2 walnut pieces
banana with tahini
Few bites of zucchini hummus with cucumber slices, endive leaves
Few bites of mushroom salad
Small glass of Rhine wine

Exercise: Not officially, but cleaned my apartment for a few hours, so I'm sure that burned some calories. I felt energized, anyway.

Lounged around today, went out in the afternoon. Hit a few yard sales. Bought a really nice camera for $10 that my friend told me was worth $200. Got some other cool stuff, too.

Went to Trader Joe's, because I've been wanting to go there. Got all sorts of raw nuts and fruit, like dried cherries, macadamias, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, etc., at really good prices. Got a few produce items, too, plus some almond butter. And some Lara Bars. :) ($1.49 each!)

Didn't eat much today, and still felt satisfied. Basically, had leftover hummus, mushroom salad, some pineapple chunks, some apple slices, and a glass of orange juice.

Weight this morning was somewhat of a shocker: 188.5 lbs. (I'm not complaining!)

Wow. What a day. Let's just say it was wonderful and call that a stupefying understatement. And God is really amazing, too.

Went to a car show today with my friend, Dave (whom I've known since I was 4!) and my friend Ann. On the way there, Dave was talking about the big steak he had the night before, and how delicious it was. (He was teasing, because he knows I'm raw.) I didn't mind.. it really didn't sound appealing.

When we were walking around the car show, the local first aid squad was there, giving free blood pressure checks. Dave kept telling me to get mine checked, but I wasn't that interested. Finally, we both agreed to do it. Mine was 120/80, pronounced "very good" by the EMT. Dave's was 140/100, which was considered high, and the EMT told him he should get that checked out.

Dave eats the SAD. I let him try some of my "goop" tonight. He really liked it alot, and asked for some, so I sent him home with a container full (what a compliment, especially for something I just kind of made up as I went along!)

I added 2 overripe bananas to the rest of the goop.. this made it even better! Will have the rest of it tomorrow with some fresh oranges and perhaps an apple.

We brought food with us to the car show. I'm glad we did.. it came in handy. Today I also ate:

2 bananas (in addition to the "goop" ones)
Half a Cherry Pie LaraBar - very good
Half a Ginger Snap Larabar - really good! My favorite so far!
Zucchini Hummus with rest of mushroom salad and some "lamb's lettuce" & spinach mixed in.
Small handful cashews
About 20 oz. water

I had to help out a friend with his incapacitated vehicle today, so I was on the road most of the day. I brought some stuff with me in case I got hungry.. which I did.

By dinner we were both hungry. We went to a restaurant with a salad bar, which we both had. It was okay.. not too many actual raw selections. I had a few cooked items, and found much to my surprise that I didn't like them (roasted red peppers, roasted sunflower seeds, etc). In addition, I tried 3 different dressings, and didn't like any of those, either! I also looked at the menu (this was a steakhouse!) and the only items that really tempted me were cooked vegetable dishes. I looked at the desserts, and the gooey chocolate cake dessert they had didn't appeal to me in the least. My friend had key lime pie for dessert. This used to be one of my favorites, but I didn't want a taste (though he asked several times). I felt satisfied with my two plates of salad. Drank water with it. Later on that evening, I had some indigestion, though (from the few cooked items and the dressings, I'll bet).

2 bananas
Few raisins
Dried organic plum
About 20 oz. of lemon water
2 plates of salad
Rest of "goop"

Exercise: Jogging about half a mile from a convenience store to a tow yard because the AAA guy had arrived.

Made a lot of stuff today. Tried a raw mayonnaise recipe made with cashew nuts. Needs a little fine tuning, but I have to admit it DOES taste a lot like real mayonnaise! (Better, actually!) I also made another batch of zucchini hummus and some shitake/oyster mushroom salad. For dessert I threw one avocado, 2 organic bananas, 3 dates,
and a splash of orange juice in the food processor. Came out yummy!

Went to the local health food store today and bought organic raw tahini and some raw buckwheat groats. They had a few other raw items as well. Good to know. They also had organic agave nectar, but it wasn't raw.

Boston lettuce & lamb's lettuce with hummus, raw mayo, mushroom salad
2 glasses organic tangerine juice (organic, but flash pasteurized..
not going to buy this anymore.. I can juice my own oranges)
Avocado/banana/date pudding
1 cooked green bean (at mom's house)

Weight: 188.5 lbs. My weight seems to have plateaued for the time being. That's okay, I know my body is just catching up with itself, and there's more to lose.

First of all, the best news.. I found out today that my mom doesn't have cancer (she had some tests run so there had been a possibility). My prayers have been answered!

On Tuesday night, I was praying that God would help me find a job. On Wednesday morning, I got not one but two phone calls from interested employers. One was from a job I had applied to months before. After a brief talk on the phone, I went in for an interview - same day! The interview went well. I sent a thank-you note immediately following the interview. I have high hopes, but it's in the Lord's Hands. One of the things that really excites me is the proximity to my house.. I'd be able to ride my bike to work most days! (about 3 miles each way)

Lots of running around today. I didn't eat much, but I didn't feel deprived, either.

Decided to take off for a 4 day weekend. Going to an amusement park on Friday. I checked out the raw options.. there's a "side salad" in one of the restaurants. That's about it! But you should see all the other crap they have! I'll get in for free since I'll be a chaperone. Going to the shore for the weekend, probably Atlantic City.

2 pears
Made a huge salad of organic romaine hearts, lamb's lettuce, baby spinach, beefsteak tomato, raw hummus, raw mayo, and basil. Ate maybe a third of it. Will have the rest for lunch Thursday.

This has been one of the most amazing weeks of my life, and I give God all the glory!

I mentioned I had an unexpected job interview yesterday.. well, today I received a job offer! I was chosen over 3 other interviewees for this position! Praise God! Yes, I accepted. I train this coming Wednesday and possibly Thursday.. then I'm off for a week, and start full-time on June 1! (I'll be an editorial assistant at a local newspaper, responsible for pagination, copy editing, and other duties). This is right in line with my education and experience.

Met my girlfriend's parents tonight. It went really well. Her father's a vegetarian.. he loved my raw hummus and raw mayo. We brought our own food for dinner (they had already eaten).

Tomorrow should be really interesting. I am going to Dorney Park in PA. It's a large amusement park. They have strict rules against bringing outside food into the park, so it will be a real challenge to find something raw (I did locate a "side salad" in one of the restaurants.. "Three side salads, please!"). I will be a chaperone to a bunch of 7th graders, so I'm sure I'll get a lot of exercise walking around! (Yes, I get to go on rides, too!) I'll be sure to drink plenty of water! I might smuggle in a few dates in my underwear - ha ha!

Went out to try to find a post office.. didn't find it, but found a health food store. Bought some raw almonds, raw organic redskin peanuts, a couple of HempPower live food bars, and I bought a jar of organic virgin coconut oil for my girlfriend.

Had a four hour nap today.. it was luxurious, I must admit. I hadn't had too much sleep the night before, but I woke up from the nap feeling refreshed, and not strung out like when I took a nap when I was eating cooked. Perhaps, though, that explains why I went to sleep at 11 pm and woke up at 3 am. :) It's nearly 5:30 am Friday morning as I type this. I feel good, though. Hungry, too!

Dinner: Good serving of raw salad (same as last night), with a handful of raw pistachios. Slice of watermelon for dessert. Small glass of sangria wine.

Weight: There isn't a scale here where I'm staying, so there won't be a weight report until Monday.

Didn't go to Dorney Park as planned. My girlfriend heard God tell her not to go.. this was confirmed, so we didn't go. I think I know at least one reason why.. it rained all day.

So, we went to Atlantic City instead. I managed to get a free room, on a Friday night. That's pretty amazing! We got there around 3 in the afternoon, checked into our room (which had a gorgeous view of the city and the bay!) We ended up in this deli restaurant, where we found a few raw things to eat. Ann said people were looking at us funny because of what we were eating. Whatever!

We hung out in the casino at night. We had a few free drinks, but the next day we felt fine. (Not usual behavior for either of us!) I called a friend of mine in Florida, but when he answered his cell phone, he was in San Francisco's Chinatown!

Green grapes
Raw celery, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, piece of raw broccoli (yack! Nasty!)
Seaweed salad (from the sushi case)
About 16 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
"Free" drinks - various mixed drink cocktails

Woke up late and checked out around 1 pm. Put the luggage in the car and walked around looking at menus. Finally decided on an Irish pub, where we split two salads, and had some cooked veggies. The waitress was very accommodating, steering us away from certain dressings because they had dairy in them. So at least we had a vegan meal.. had our vegetables prepared with olive oil instead of butter, etc.

Saturday was such a gorgeous day! Warm, nice breeze, etc. We walked on the boardwalk for several hours. We walked on the beach, barefoot, and walked into the ocean a bit. Later in the day, we saw a gorgeous, bright rainbow. We saw Ripley's Believe it or Not museum.. most of which was fairly interesting, but some of which was really creepy.

Oh yes.. I must admit. We were VERY tempted by all the sights and smells of cooked food while out on the boardwalk. I really wanted a hot dog, and some Chinese food, and a slice of pizza. So did Ann. But, we both held out. Ann bought me a fairly raw smoothie. We drank water. We looked, but we didn't touch. Now, of course, I'm glad I didn't. We talked about this. We both know if we had succumbed, we would've wanted more cooked today, and then more tomorrow. I know these longings for cooked food will eventually fade away more and more.

Tried to get another room for the night.. nothing doing! We stopped in the same deli we ate in Friday night and got some food to go. We left around 9:30 pm, got home before midnight, and promptly fell asleep. I slept for 13 hours! All that exercise done me good!

Lunch:
House salad with mesclun, carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc, with lemon vinaigrette on side.
Apple-pecan salad - mixed greens with sliced raw apples, spiced pecans (cooked, but there were maybe 6 of these in the whole salad), raspberry vinaigrette on the side.
Sauteed herb asparagus - still very crunchy!
Sauteed garlic spinach - Good, but a little too oily.

On the way home:
Mixed fruit - mango, melon, red grapes, green grapes
Baby carrots and celery sticks
Another seaweed salad
Evian water

Today my girlfriend made me a mixed plate for lunch.. I snacked on it throughout the afternoon. It had pistachios, dates, mango, melon chunks, cucumber, hummus, Ginger lara bar chunks.

For dinner, we went to Down to Earth in Red Bank, NJ, to celebrate my new job. This is an organic vegan restaurant, with a raw food section of the menu. We had pizza crackers (raw cheese and marinara sauce on
flax seed crackers), leaf wraps (guacamole and raw tomato salsa on lettuce leaves), sushi maki (nori wrapped around slivered vegetables and pate, served with a spicy wasabi dipping sauce). I had some peanut
sauce on the side (not raw), and my girlfriend had ginger lemonade. We split a slice of strawberry mango pie for dessert. Everything was heavenly, and the prices were very reasonable, I thought. We want to spend an entire summer day in Red Bank.. it's a lovely town and there's so much to do there!

While everything was delicious, I don't think all the combinations of foods agreed with me.. I had some gastric upset later that night.. not nearly as bad as when I eat cooked, though!

Today, I ate leftovers from Down to Earth for lunch. For dinner, I had a mixed plate similar to Sunday's lunch.. just a bunch of different things on a plate.. more of a snacking dinner than an "eating" dinner.

Didn't eat much today. Arrived back home, as I was supposed to start my new job the next day (which didn't happen.. just got delayed a week.. but I enjoyed the time off!)

A few olives
Water
Raw carrots and raw mayonnaise
Raw almond butter with hot sauce, honey, celery (this has become one of my favorite snacks.. the almond butter from Trader Joe's is fantastic!)

Today I broke my garlic press. Dang! The metal handle just snapped right off in my hand! The thing looked really sturdy.. I guess it wasn't. I found a new Tupperware one on eBay. Still waiting for it. I had thought it would have been cheaper to buy one at the store, but that isn't so! I've been kinda lost without my garlic press.. though I do have a nice handheld garlic slicer.. kind of like a mandoline just for garlic.

I made a nice Portabella mushroom salad for lunch. Fortunately sorta got the garlic pressed before the press broke.

Had a really strong urge/craving for sushi today. Was going to go for lunch, ended up not going. Went to the store later, got some sashimi (no rice). It was good.. it just wasn't great. Also, the texture of flesh felt really alien in my mouth. I might try sashimi again sometime.. but I'll have it in a sushi bar, not from the grocery
store.

Portabella mushroom salad
Salmon and tuna sashimi
Seaweed salad (won't buy this again.. the stuff I had in Atlantic City was delicious.. this was kind of nasty and Wayyyy too green.. must be artificial coloring!)
olives
a sundried tomato
3 strawberries
Pudding: 2 strawberries, 2 bananas, almond butter, bit of honey
Few tablespoons almond butter, hot sauce, honey
Cup of orange juice

15 pushups (OK, the pushups I've been doing are "bent knee" pushups.. but still, it's a start)
30 situps
15 min shovelglove

Well, I realized today I'm not going to be able to do my journal entries for the past 3 weeks, so I'll probably be a "sporadic journaler". A lot has happened in the past 3 weeks.

My new job is going well. I started June 1. I like the work. Not so crazy about the hours. Not sure if this is what God wants me to do, either. But for now I'm going to stick with it until I know otherwise.

My girlfriend was in the hospital. She had these really intense, sharp pains under her right breast, plus intense pain when she swallowed food or even plain water. She went to the emergency room THREE times before we finally got a non-idiot doctor who knew what he was doing. The first time she was told "You're having an anxiety attack, it's all in your head, go home." Plus, if you haven't already guessed, the doctor was a mean bastard.

The second time I was with her, it was on a Saturday, Memorial Day weekend. We were in there for 8 hours. She had a CAT scan. She was finally told it was "some kind of gastritis" by the rather aloof doctor, and sent home with a prescription for Percocet, and nothing else (which she went through in about 3 days because the pain was
unbearable).

The third time was Monday, Memorial Day. We went back to the same hospital, were there only about an hour, she had a chest X-ray. She was correctly diagnosed with pleuritis and bronchitis. She was given more Percocets, a strong antibiotic, and a cough elixir. After about a week of medication and prayer, she was feeling better. It makes me wonder how many people are incorrectly diagnosed every day in this country? (As a side note.. my girlfriend has celiac disease. She had it for 12 years and was diagnosed for just about everything else before someone finally figured out what it was!)

I don't like doctors as it is, but this whole experience really set me on edge. (I have to give props to the "third" doctor, though. He listened to my girlfriend, was very caring, and knew what he was doing).

More news... the girlfriend above is not my girlfriend anymore.. because.. I proposed! Yes, I asked her to marry me last Saturday night. She was totally surprised. I asked her after dinner, at her parent's house, in front of her parents, her sister-in-law, and a family friend.

Her mom is pushing for a big wedding. Truthfully, we just want to elope... and we still might do that if we feel pressured. Or, we might just do it anyway. :) It's not all about "the wedding" for us. It's about love, commitment, and most importantly, being together, on a daily basis.

Me? I'm off raw again. I went off a couple of weeks ago when we were at the hospital and I was stressed. I'm still getting some raw in, like fruit salads and stuff, but I haven't been dedicated like I need/want to be. It seems that raw comes and goes in cycles in my life. However, both Annie and I want to be raw. So.. she's "good" for me in this way (and many others).

I need to get back to raw. This morning I feel lousy. And I'm gaining the weight back that I lost. My pants are feeling tighter. I did get my bike fixed, so I should be riding to work, but I haven't actually started yet. I should do it while I have the chance (I may be moving in the future.. and I'll have a 28 mile commute to work instead of a 2 mile one.)

Well, what better time to update my journal than exactly a month since my last post? Ha ha.

Well.. I am getting ready for the wedding.. in case I didn't mention it.. I met the most wonderful woman in the world.. and we are getting married in August. We both want to go raw, together. Right now she's
reading Natalia Rose's book "The Raw Food Detox Diet" so we both want to do that. Neither of us has been making the best food choices lately.

I just bought a new car today.. so I am really pooped.. going to bed soon, but did want to catch up and say hello to everyone.

Well, time for my monthly update (ha ha!). Well, let's see.. I'm typing this on my new computer.. I finally got a new one.. it's pretty nice, with a huge 19" flat panel screen that I don't have to squint to see what I'm typing. My only complaint is that the optical mouse jumps all over the place.

I got a new desk to go with the new computer. I quit my job about a month ago, in fact, 2 days after my last entry (I ended up not taking delivery on the car.. it was an impulse purchase, and I felt I was overpaying for it, among other concerns). I am going back to doing what I love to do.. eBay.. with my fiancee's undivided encouragement, support, and blessings.

This will be my last entry... as a single person. Yes, I am getting married on Sunday and will be gone for a week in the Bahamas, on a cruise. I am really looking forward to it in so many ways!

As much as I am looking forward to getting married and spending time with my wife on our honeymoon, I must admit I am really looking forward to returning even more.. the reason being.. my fiancee and I decided we're going to go raw when we return. We both had the privilege of seeing and meeting Rev. Malkmus and his wife this past week (and I got one of my books signed by both of them!) This was the first time I had ever seen Dr. Malkmus speak (he started Hallelujah Acres in 1992.. see www.hacres.com for more information). What a bundle of energy this man is! At nearly 72 years old, he was running all over the stage, speaking non-stop, standing the whole time for at least 2 hours! It was a fantastic and inspiring talk. Annie and I are going to start the Hallelujah Diet first thing when we return the following week. For those of you not familiar with it, it calls for 85% raw food and 15% cooked.

So.. this will hopefully also be my last entry.. as a CCFE (crap cooked food eater). I've been doing better though.. At least I've been having fruit in the mornings, even if I've been eating crap the rest of the day. Today I had the rest of a durian, plus the juice of a young coconut. The rest of the day was a disaster.. leftover Chinese food for lunch and ribs and chicken for dinner. I must admit, I'm really looking forward to eating better. I want more energy.. I want to feel better. We'll also be starting a regular exercise program when we return.

I also hope to journal on a more regular basis. Thanks, Michelle, for your understanding and patience.

Sunday, August 28, 2005

We returned today from our cruise. We just missed Hurricane Katrina. We were in Miami on Wednesday (with beautiful weather), and the storm hit there on Thursday. We were able to spend extra time in Nassau in the Bahamas. We still hit some rough seas. Some people got sick. My wife didn't, neither did I, fortunately.

The cruise was great. Lots of fun and food. I gained about 5 pounds. So.. my new "starting weight" is 217 lbs. Ouch. Yes, I say "ouch" because I was down to 186 lbs. earlier this year (middle of May), so that's a gain of over 30 pounds! Not only that, but when I originally started in January of this year, I was at 201 lbs. starting weight. So.. I really have my work cut out for me.

Tonight we went out for a "last meal". We had pizza. It was good, I guess.. but nothing I would miss. Very greasy. After that we went food shopping and stocked up on fresh fruits, vegetables, and some other stuff. Tomorrow we're starting the Hallelujah Diet/Lifestyle. Well, a cross between that and Natalia Rose's Raw Detox Diet (even though my birthday is this week, and my wife has special surprise reservations on Saturday for dinner somewhere). I'm looking forward to doing this.. shedding some pounds, feeling lighter and better.

We'll be praying every morning, because we both know the only way we're going to be able to make this work is with God's help, grace, and blessings. Food is a weak point for both of us.

So, you'll be hearing from me on a more regular basis now...

Monday and Tuesday, August 29 & 30, 2005

September 16, 2005

Well, I turned 41 on September 1st. I behaved myself (food-wise!) on my birthday, but things went downhill after that.

On my birthday, my wife and I ate at a favorite vegetarian/vegan restaurant, Down to Earth in Red Bank, NJ. I had the most delicious tempeh reuben sandwich and a slice of vegan chocolate cake. Even my wife liked this cake (she's not a chocolate fan).. it wasn't sickeningly sweet, but had good chocolate flavor. That night, we ate at a fondue restaurant, The Melting Pot. I had the vegetarian platter. Everything was cooked in broth. We skipped dessert - we were both full.

The next night, we took her parents back to the Melting Pot for her mom's birthday. We had the cheese course, main course, and chocolate fondue. The next day, Saturday, my wife blindfolded me and took me to a local Japanese restaurant. She took off my blindfold, and I was greeted by six of my friends from the Boston area. She had arranged for them to be here. I was gleefully shocked. Blown away. Wow. It was also the first time any of them had met Annie. So for dinner that night, I had teppanyaki and sushi. It got worse after that.

Fast forward to today. It's about 7 am right now. I'm getting used to getting up early.. and going to bed early.. a teacher's hours. Both of us have started over with our "diets" or lifestyles or whatever you want to call them. Yesterday I had two smoothies, a Larabar, some vegetarian "jerky" made from shiitake mushrooms, a salad, and some leftover Chinese food. Right now I'm having a smoothie made from a banana, a peach, an apple, a scoop of Green Vibrance, some rice milk, a teaspoon of coconut oil, and some agave syrup.

I weighed in at 220 lbs. this morning, and I'm not happy about it. I don't like the way I look, or feel. I don't think I've EVER weighed this much. Well, I'm doing something about it. I'm making healthier choices. Smoothies, fruit, and Larabars through the day. A salad for dinner, followed by some healthy cooked food (like my wife made a millet and vegetable dish the other night.. very plain, but satisfying). Later I may skip the cooked food and make raw dishes. Also, both of us joined local gyms. My wife belonged to a gym, and was financially committed, but didn't like going there because she felt awkward.. so.. we transferred her membership to me, and she joined a local ladies only fitness center. She goes after school.. I go whenever I like.. usually in the mornings or afternoons. My gym is only 2 miles away and across the street from a health food store that sells organic produce!

I'm trying to do some sort of exercise every day. Yesterday, I got on the rebounder for about 7 minutes (it's a start). On Wednesday, I did a Shovelglove workout.

Thanks to everyone who sent me congratulatory wishes for my marriage.. much appreciated!

So here's to beginning.. again. :)

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2005

Since my last post, I've been trying to eat healthier. Over the weekend, I decided to be more raw.. I was inspired once again by Alissa's book and DVD's. Instead of shooting for 100%, I decided to aim for 95-99%, as I feel this is more realistic.

So, since Monday, I've been making lots of smoothies, raw blended soups, salads, etc. Eating fruit in-between. I made in til tonight.. when I was just tired of smoothies, and wanted something more substantial. So, I had 2 veggie burgers (1 Boca, 1 "chikn" Gardenburger) on Ezekiel Sprouted bread with romaine lettuce, sliced tomato and vegenaise. And a small handful of potato chips. Good, and still vegan/vegetarian with some raw. I could have done a lot worse. That's the way I look at it. Tomorrow, it's back to smoothies. I need to make more entrees, like the summer squash angel hair with raw marinara sauce I made on Tuesday. Man, that was good!

I've also been really getting into Todd's banana/date/oj smoothies, made with fresh squeezed oj. I love these!

I've been hitting the gym at least twice a week, but shooting for more. My weight is not peeling off as I had hoped.. but I have to consider that I am probably adding muscle as I lose fat, since I have been hitting the weight machines with vigor.

Also, I ordered some new books from Amazon. As it is, I have WAYYYY too many raw food books.. but.. I really wanted these three.. I got:

Instant Raw Sensations - by Frederic Patenaude - properly combined, EASY recipes, most of which just require a cutting board, knife, and a blender (my favorite appliance!). Many of the recipes feature only 2 ingredients. This is great for me, because I LIKE simple... I HATE sprouting, and I'm one of those people that think sprouts aren't all that great for us. In fact, I recently read that buckwheat sprouts are toxic. Aside from that.. I don't like recipes that require 24 hours of advance planning and 36 hours of dehydrating. In fact, the last time I used my dehydrator was at least 4 years ago, if not longer than that. I like simplicity.. that's probably why I like my blender so much!

Vice Creams - recipes for vegan ice cream, many of which are raw!

You Are What You Eat - Gillian McKeith - I saw this one in Barnes & Noble.. takes a different approach.. not so much about recipes as about what your tongue, eyes, skin, etc. say about your health.

This morning, I weighed 216 pounds. I am going to weigh myself twice a week instead of every day - Mondays and Thursdays.

Dinner at my in-law's this Saturday. Mom's making flounder, oven fries, and a salad. I'll eat a small piece of fish and load up on salad. And skip dessert, which is usually ice cream.

I'd like to do a fast soon, before the weather gets too cold. I have a kit from blessedherbs.com; I'd like to use this within the next month.

Sunday, October 9, 2005

Wow.. where is everyone? Hope all of you are doing well.

Things are going well here. I did a juice fast for about a day and a half - Thursday and Friday.. didn't really PLAN to do it.. it just sort of happened. On Thursday I just drank a little celery, lettuce and carrot juice and some water.. didn't have anything else and wasn't that hungry.. so made it to dinner on the next day. Every little bit helps.

My wife and I joined a new gym. Well, we both belong to other gyms.. but we found one close by.. with a pool, and my wife really loves to swim (Maybe she can teach me.. I had traumatic swimming lessons when I was a kid). They have rebounding classes.. I'm very excited about that. The locker rooms were immaculately clean and very nice. Tons of equipment.. it's more like a "wellness center" than a gym. We are both very much looking forward to our first workout on Monday evening!

I'm really inspired by Alessandra's colon cleanse. I have the same kit, and intend to start mine after next weekend, since we're going away to Boston later this week.

Tonight we're going to see Paul Nison speak in Lansdale, PA. He'll be talking about his new book, Health According to the Scriptures. We made reservations and plan to eat an early dinner there as well, since it's being held an at organic raw food restaurant ( www.arnoldsway.com). This is about 90 minutes from our home. I'll be sure to post about it later this week.

Oh - before I started the fast, I was 220 lbs.. afterwards, I was 215. I feel a lot better. I am really looking forward to doing the colon cleanse next week.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Monday, November 21, 2005

My wife and I celebrated our 3 month wedding anniversary today. It was a fairly ordinary celebration.. we went to the gym together, came home, and she made a delicious vegan dinner.. after dinner we read Christian books and then prayed.

I guess some people are wondering what happened to me over on Alissa's board. Well, I was gung ho.. but it was MY decision, and not God's.. I just assumed He'd go along with it. Well, on the evening of my first 100% raw day, God let me know He didn't want me to be 100% raw right now. Being a stubborn sinful human, I resisted. On November 3rd, He spoke His will again, this time more clearly. So, that night, I broke my 100% rawness with some cooked vegan food. I told two people over on Alissa's board.. but decided it was easier to just remove my journal from there. I still didn't understand why God was doing this, but He clearly told me "You don't have to understand, you just have to obey."

So, right now both Annie and I are mostly vegan. We both try to eat the majority of our breakfasts and lunches raw, but we don't obsess about it. Our weekly "treat" is pancakes after church (most likely not vegan). Additionally, we've both committed to go to the gym at least 3 times a week. We're both noticing positive changes in how we look and feel. I still weigh about 213-214.. that hasn't changed, but I believe I'm gaining muscle and losing fat.

Starting this week, I'm making some lifestyle changes, too. No more work of any kind past 5 pm. Obviously, this frees up a lot of time to catch up on reading, journaling, etc. Trying to limit my time on the computer, as well as watching TV. I hardly watch any commercial television.. trying to give it up completely. Usually I just watch DVD or VHS movies. Going to bed no later than 11 pm, and getting up no later than 8:30 am.

Art's Raw Journey: 2005 Email: gastrawnome at gmail dot com (not a clickable link to avoid spammers)

Art's Raw Journey:
2005

Email: gastrawnome at gmail dot com
(not a clickable link to avoid spammers)