Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Exercise Tip of the Day: Try Getting Some New Clothes!
You know, no one who has ever met me would mistake me for a girly-girl, much to my chagrin, as I’d like to be more feminine…it’s just I never seem to give that body-project the effort it deserves. In other words, although I’d happily spend hours on the infrastructure – working sometimes tirelessly on becoming the healthiest, the strongest, and the thinnest I can possibly be – I tend to forget about the window dressing, so to speak.
Seriously, I’ll spend days (if not weeks) researching new exercise regimes or recipes, but to take the 15 minutes it would take to do my nails, blow out my hair, or slap on some Chapstick? Forget it! And, not surprisingly, I tend to work out in the same old tired mix-matched workout clothes that I’ve had for years, well, mainly because I’ve had them for years and they’re all right. I mean, who cares if they match? They get the job done…don’t they?
As I have mentioned before, this summer I have really been struggling with finding the motivation to work out. Things are getting better in that regard as I am finally perfecting my HIIT routines, and I have discovered belly dance, but I’m still easily distracted.
The other day, when I was having a particularly bad day, I stopped in at an evil empire-like store that shall remain nameless (but has a big W on the sign) and on a whim I dropped by the women’s clothing section – mainly because all of my sleep pants are way too big and half of the time they hang around my hips like I’m some white trash “wrapper” wanna-be. Not a good look when you’re on the wrong side of forty. But I digress….
Instead of finding a pair of cheap cotton pants to shlep around in in the morning, I ended up checking out some Danskin Now exercise clothes. At only $5.00 per piece of clothing (yes, I know, can anyone say sweat shops?) I bought a cute little pair of shorts and a matching top. Once I got them home, I realized that if they had been purple and white, instead of blue and pink, they would have been scarily close to my old junior high gym suit – that is the junior high gym suit that I wear in imaginary land where I didn’t weigh 185 pounds at age 13.
Actually, now that I stop and think about it, this whole post is one big digression….
The point is – the image of children chained to sewing machines aside – I was totally excited to workout this morning in my new cute and girly exercise clothes! I mean, not only was I excited, I was psyched. And not only was I psyched, I brought it! It was literally one of the best workouts I’ve had all summer! Said cute and girly exercise clothes were sopping wet when I was done – the sweat was literally pouring off of my body. It was awesome. And I felt better than I’d felt in weeks.
That said, I think my next move is to buy some more politically correct exercise clothes and ditch the old rags that I’ve been wearing for the last 2, 3 or maybe even five years.
If you’re experiencing some minor resistance in your exercise regime, you might try it – who knows, it might work for you too!
Drop me a note and let know if it works for you! Or anything else you do to overcome your exercise-related bumps in the road.
Response to a Friend: Canary in a Coal Mine
Recently a friend from elementary school (thru high school) emailed me on Facebook. She’d read one of my posts and figured it was time to get back in touch. Like me, she had also undergone a radical shift from a Standard American Diet (SAD) to a much more hypoallergenic, organic, macrobiotics, and some raw lifestyles. She – lucky girl – also dropped 35 pounds without so much as counting a calorie or measuring a morsel!
But she did express her ire – or maybe sadness or regret – that she often feels like a canary in a coal mine, as she just seems much more sensitive to some/most foods than your typical American. And, like me, eating gluten, dairy, etc. often leads her to experience extreme physical discomfort, as well as psychological distress, and – you guessed it – cravings, binge eating, etc.
When I sat down to write her back, I just dove in. I thought it might be worth sharing that response here:
Hello!
I absolutely feel the same (being a canary in the coal mine, that is)!
And congratulations on the weight loss and improved health; that’s great!
Sometimes I just sit around in amazement at what other people put in their bodies and get by it!
That’s the rub. But then I think, I used to eat that way, give or take. And it didn’t kill me. I just didn’t know that you could feel better! And chances are, they don’t either.
The thing that is always shocking to me is to see young women who are super thin eating junk food walking around with their mothers, who are obviously unhealthy, and not to mention morbidly obese.
I just have to wonder, don’t they see the connection at all between what they’re putting in their mouths and what they’re going to feel like 20 years from now? What they’re going to look like? Don’t they realize? Don’t they care? I truly do believe that the effects of the typical SAD are exponential…not to mention inescapable for more people than realize it.
I do, however, think that the cleaner that you get (in terms of your diet), the more these things affect you.
Wine, for instance, doesn’t even taste good to me right now (and 1/2 a glass kills me). But if I continued to drink it, I’m sure I’d be just as inured to it as I was two years ago. And chances are I’d be craving it again on a weekly, if not daily, basis. And even more likely, I’d be depressed and about 15 pounds heavier – because I’ve been there and I’ve watched it over and over with other people who have these types of allergies but can’t seem to stick with it.
Take more for example. I am totally addicted/allergic to sugar. It’s deadly for me and I can feel it the minute it goes into my body. It takes me three days of fighting against serious cravings before I’m over it, so I have to really want it in order to have it. The weirdest thing that sets me off is bananas. Bananas! Can you imagine?
And you’re right about my cabinets being stocked with things people wouldn’t recognize as food. My new favorite things are chia seeds (this is my second go around with them), kale chips, this phenomenal seed bread that I make topped with avocado slices, etc. My cabinets are overflowing with goji berries, mulberries, goldenberries, chia seeds, hemp, hemp seeds, nuts, sesame seeds, maca, green powders, spirulina, raw cacao, cacao nibs, buckwheat grouts… It’s crazy.
We are also members of a local organic farm CSA so we are also overrun with all kinds of fabulous veggies (at least right now – now that it’s still summer).
I wish when I had done Weight Watchers all those years ago that they hadn’t been so profit based – hence their reliance on processed food. I can’t remember what your diet was like in school, but I’m pretty sure that I did a lot of damage to mine since I did the whole WW thing when I was a teen and drank Diet Coke and used artificial sweetners for years. Not to mention all of the processed cakes and cookies and chips and fried food and ice cream that I ate PRIOR to WW!
Dairy is something else that I’ve had to eliminate. It’s funny, I used to say, I could never be vegan. But then when I went raw, someone said, “Wow, you’re vegan too?” And I realized, yeah, I guess I am. I hadn’t even realized it!
So, I am curious, why did you start going to naturopathic doctor? I’d love to hear about your journey into alternative health, as well as what kind of feedback/pushback you’ve gotten from family and friends.
In terms of my weight – last time I was on a scale, I was at 132, which is the smallest I’ve ever been. I’m up from there – but I’m still in my size 4s (most days and my girls’ 16 (which I bought because I could never wear girls sizes when I WAS a girl).
I’m at the point now where I am battling my emotional/identity issues more than my physiology. Believe it or not, the latter is a much more sneaky and talented opponent.
I’ve got a great coach, because I think it’s really important to get these underlying issues under control so that I don’t fall off the healthy path. I can’t imagine it, really, because I feel so crappy and out of control when I’m not eating right, but it does seem like it could happen fast.
I think the biggest thing for me is that two years ago I went on antidepressants for what I thought was situational anxiety and depression. It started off a cascade of other symptoms, some of which were worse (in my mind) than the depression, which led to more meds, which led to more symptoms, which led to the OFFER of even more meds.
Talk about being overly sensitive!
I tried to go off the antidepressants and couldn’t do it.
At that time, I had bought an on-line information product from this women I met in L.A. and she was talking about gluten and dairy allergies. It sounded so familiar that I decided to eliminate them – them and processed sugar and all processed food.
Within ONE month I was off the antidepressants. So it wasn’t situational depression per se, it was food allergies!
For some people – me, apparently – gluten intolerance manifests itself as depression, in addition to cravings, bloating, weight gain, inflammation, etc.
Anyway, I could talk about this forever (and would be happy too).
I’m glad you found your way as well and, seriously, I would love to hear your story!
KJ
If any of YOU are thinking about going raw (or anything else similar) or if you have done so already, I’d love to hear from you as well!
Will Wonders Never Cease?
Someone actually emailed me and asked me specifically about my diet!
How cool is that?
I hope she’s ready to settle in for a good long read!
Taking a Much Needed Reboot: Recommitting to Raw
A couple of months ago, everything was going along swimmingly.
I looked good (always important). I felt thin, strong, and sexy (which was surprising, but fun nonetheless).
I felt healthy and food was my friend.
Then I started being asked out to dinner, to weddings, attending conferences, etc.
I started with some cooked food here and a little meat there. I had a couple of glasses of wine at a friend’s house. Then a couple of sips somewhere else.
I had some gluten-free cake at a wedding, then I had some more at a restaurant a few weeks later.
I started noshing on tabouli with cooked quinoa….heck, I even posted a recipe last week, where the main ingredient (black beans) were, you guessed it, cooked.
And underlying all of this was sugar and fat cravings that would not stop. I mean, constant. Not a day passed that you didn’t find me eating straight out of the peanut butter jar.
When you look at all this stuff, you might be thinking – tabouli and black bean and corn salad? Gluten free cake? Peanut butter? How bad is that?
Well, in my case, it reminded me just how slippery even the slightest slope can be.
Then, night before last, I totally freaked out – binged on tahini, seed bread, homemade chocolate, mulberries, etc. Seriously, if wasn’t nailed down or meowing it was in my mouth!
When it was over, I fell asleep in my partner’s arms, crying. Scared and frustrated because somehow I had fallen off my healthy path and it seemed, in that dark hour, that getting up was going to require heck of a lot more effort, energy, and willpower than I currently had at my disposal.
The next morning (yesterday) I recommitted to raw. 100% for one week (give or take a couple of percents, since I’m too lazy to make my own almond milk)!
And the only allowable snacks: chia seeds (in the form of a pudding or shake), fresh veggies, or raw fermented veggies.
Feeling pretty confident, I got to work with my homemade seed bread, avocado, raw fermented kimchi, and chia pudding, only to find that my office was holding a BBQ for our majors who were taking summer courses: pulled pork, ribs, chicken, cornbread with bacon, coleslaw (which was the only thing on the table that was not at all tempting), cookies, crack brownies, and dark chocolate.
I literally thought I was going to die.
The smell – or rather, the aroma – was overwhelming.
I doubt that I’ve ever written about it here, but I love BBQ. I think it must have something to do with growing up in the south. Importantly, the smell and taste of BBQ is not only tied up with my memories of home, but also of my recently departed grandparents.
I literally had to leave the room, go into the women’s bathroom and call Michael J for a little support on this one. I then went outside and took a much needed deep breath – not only to clear my nostrils, but also my mind.
I decided that if I still wanted it tomorrow (today), after it had been sitting in the fridge and all of the succulent juices had congealed into white blobs of animal fat, I could have it. But I had to eat it cold.
It’s amazing how much that image cooled the appetite.
And, fortunately, just as I was kicking myself for not bringing crunch veggies to munch on during this near reboot fiasco, one of my colleagues showed up with a pint of golden cherry/grape tomatoes. (I think I pretty much at the whole pint, give or take a few).
Focusing on the clean, crisp tanginess of the water based tomatoes and really dialing into the conversations around me, I made it out with my integrity and my waistline in tact.
And, if you’re wondering, I decided to work at home today – just in case the cold white blobs of fat decorating the pulled pork isn’t quite as off-putting in real life as they are in my imagination.
Maybe I should offer to cater the next student event; because after years of attending these things, I’ve noticed that the students, many of whom are athletes, are much less likely to make pigs of themselves – no pun intended – than the much more sedentary faculty and staff who are in charge of ordering the food!
Recipe: Raw Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
This is my new snack option – incredibly filling and incredibly fibrous. In other words, this puppy will fill you up and clean you out!
Raw Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
2 cups almond milk (I used Almond Breeze, Unsweetened Chocolate)
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tbs raw cacao
cinnamon, to taste
liquid Stevia, to taste (I used chocolate)
Mix all ingredients in a mason jar, then put on the lid tightly and shake.
Let sit in the fridge for a couple of hours until nice and thick.
I think I waited about 4-5 hours, though a lot of recipes suggest that you let it sit overnight.
It stays good in the fridge, so I think there’s some wiggle-room.
If you’ve never had chia seeds before, they make a nice tapioca like pudding, and they are incredibly nutritious.
p.s. I’m sure you could make it with Vanilla milk, vanilla stevia, and without the cacao, but why would you want to? 
Peeking Under The Hood: It’s Not Just Calories In, Calories Out
Over the last month or so, I have hired a personal coach. Ostensibly, the goal was to help me break through my unfortunate, not to mention unhealthy, addiction to stress eating. And I don’t just stress eat – I do it at night. And I do it with just about anything with the word butter in the title – peanut butter being my ultimate favorite, followed closely by almond butter, then tahini (which, you guessed it, is sesame butter)! I guess the only good news is that I don’t like, eat, or use real butter, so it could be worse!
Regardless….
I have hired this amazing coach, Steph, and every week we talk on the phone for about an hour – every fourth week it’s an hour and a half. And guess what? Never once have we actually talked about food.
According to Steph, my remaining issues with food – the stress eating, the over reliance on fat and salt as a coping mechanism – are all symptomatic of deeper, underlying issues, many of which have their origins in childhood, but were undoubtedly reinforced in adolescence as well as in adulthood.
Last week, Steph took me on a guided meditation using a lot of Native American symbolism and other shamanistic healing techniques. She asked me to imagine a wooded setting and just to let different animals appear to me and to guide me through to my destination.
Although I was skeptical at first – aren’t I always? – my subconscious mind presented me with different guides with very little prompting. One, I had always suspected was a guide for me – the Deer. The others – an Owl, a Woodchuck, and a Peacock – were a little more surprising.
After the call, I did a little google searching on animal spirit guides and here’s what I found:
The Deer: The deer as a totem serves as a bridge between the wild and the tame. This is because the deer will often be seen on the edges of the wilderness it calls home. Deer will also venture into our roadways and gardens. When deer appears you may want to ask yourself if there is a wild streak in you that desires taming. Or, have you been too cautious lately and desire to take a walk on the wild side? Deers have acute senses, they are always on alert to keep themselves from harms way. Deer totem may appear when danger is lurking, it also serves as a reminder to be watchful and alert to potential harm….”
The Owl: “The owl represents wisdom and higher education. Because of the owl’s keen eyesight it considered to be a great visionary. It also has superb hearing. As a totem it can reveal clairaudient and clairvoyant abilities. This nocturnal bird is called “The Keeper of Dark Secrets.” The owl totem has a connection to the dark side and the dead. The owl is associated with superstition and magical powers. Whenever an owl appears or you hear an owl screech in the night it may be that a secret will soon be revealed to you. Also, if a secret is shared with you in confidence, the owl serves as a reminder to honor that knowledge and keep the secret private.”
The Woodchuck (aka Groundhog): “The groundhog is symbolically known as being a trance dreamer because of its deep slumber while hibernating underground. If the groundhog is your personal animal totem or makes its appearance in your life it may indicate that messages are being given to you through your dreams. Because the groundhog is a territorial animal, you may be in need of setting up boundaries or guarding your personal space.”
The Peacock: “The peacock is a majestic and mystical totem symbolizing inner wisdom. Whenever the peacock visits it is an invitation to view higher aspects of yourself through the eye image displayed on its magnificent display of feather plumes. The eye is your gateway to higher knowledge. Ask yourself if you need to widen your perspective and look deeper regarding a situation. The iridescent hues of blues and greens in the feathers have an exotic look. Are you stuck in drab surroundings? Are you able to reflect light and deflect dark emotions? The peacock teaches us to stand upright and show others our talents with pride.”
This may not be that resonate with you, as my readers, but, trust me, it’s very resonate with what’s going on in my life at the moment as well as in the foreseeable future.
If you haven’t ever looked beneath your own hood – I highly recommend it. It’s interesting. It’s fun. And it’s surprisingly insightful.
If you’re interested in finding your animal guides, here are three steps taken from an article originally posted at ehow.com.
Step 1
Find your power animal pro-actively by asking the animal spirits for a dream. Then rest and let the power animal find you. Don’t dismiss smaller animals such as mice or even insects. Animals have their own unique strengths. You may want to keep a journal beside your bed and make note of recurring dreams in which an animal or some form of an animal appears again.Step 2
Notice the things in nature that you are continually drawn to. Power animals may guide your senses and attention to certain elements, natural sites or geographical phenomena that are reminiscent of or peculiar to a certain animal. If you are repeatedly captivated by nests, burrows or snow, for example, let the animal world communicate itself to you.Step 3
Take time during the day to relax, close your eyes and breathe. Power animals frequently make themselves known to us when we are conscious as well as when we are asleep. Be receptive to visions through meditation. In your calm state, imagine a situation where you move out of your personal space such as your home and enter into an unknown but unthreatening and quiet natural space such as a field or a cave.Read more: How to Find Your Power Animal | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2202396_power-animal.html#ixzz0w1WxcSIj
For those of you who know me, you’re probably thinking: What?! Who are you and what have you done with KJ?!
Don’t worry, the staid, quiet academic you know and love is alive and well (well, when she needs to be), but this year has been a time of deep reflection and exploration for me. I’ve stepped away from strictly rational explanations – not that I am implying that there is anything irrational about spirit guides, mind you! I have also lessened my reliance on strict sociological explanations and have begun to include more psychological insights into my view of the world.
So, does this mean I’m flip-flopping or abandoning my roots? No, not at all. I prefer to think of it as growing. Of letting go of some of the rigidity of my youth and seeing the world and myself in different and multifaceted ways. And, hey, if by opening my mind to new possibilities means I can get rid of these stubborn couple inches of belly fat, all the better. Regardless of what happens with my waistline, I can tell you one thing – since I have been, as Peter Gabriel so eloquently put it – digging in the dirt – life has gotten so, so much easier on so many fronts, the least of which is food!
Revisiting Exercises from Days Long Past
Everyone always tells you that exercise should be fun – because, let’s face it, if it’s not fun you’re less likely to want to do it. And despite the fact that recent research has now pretty much shown that exercise is not going to make you thin, there are a lot of positive benefits of getting your heart rate up – the least of which include helping your body absorb calcium from the blood, detoxifying your skin, and strengthening your heart.
So what does it mean to find an exercise that you love?
As adults, particularly women, we tend to think about exercise as going to a gym or taking a class. Admittedly, men are more likely to have stayed active with sporting activities or games throughout their lives, for example, playing pick up basketball at community gyms or going rock climbing, skiing, or cycling on the weekends with their friends.
But if you watch young kids play, they are constantly in a state of motion. They don’t need any excuse to exercise. They don’t need any additional motivation. You don’t need to convince them to move. In fact, if anything, you usually have to convince them to stop running, to sit down, to take a nap, and to settle down. Unfortunately these messages are usually pretty well internalized by the time they’re teens – which is the time when they need to start running, to get up, to stop sleeping, and pick it up. This is especially true for young women whose bodies (especially if they’ve grown up drinking dairy products enriched with fat storing growth hormones) are naturally designed to start storing fat upon adolescence.
Kids move their bodies.
Adults look for excuses not to.
Well, yesterday, I was doing a round of High Intensity Interval Training and one of the sets was to skip in place.
Remember skipping? 
It took me a minute as I really had to think about what I was requiring my body to do. You throw one arm up as the opposite knee also goes up? What?!
After a couple of false starts, I figured it out. And once I did, my body memory kicked in and I remembered: I love skipping! Or, more accurately, when I was a kid, I loved skipping! I didn’t just like it. I seriously loved it! In fact, I remember my mother telling me repeatedly to slow down, to stop skipping, to not skip in the house, etc. Now, granted, I was a bit of a klutz, so I’m sure that I spent more time on the ground face first than I did moving gracefully above ground and we also lived in a pretty small house, so she was probably just looking out for my best interest – so I don’t mean to be bashing my mom. But the bottom line is that eventually I stopped skipping. I stopped skipping so resolutely that I had completely forgotten about it. I had completely forgotten about how much I loved it.
So, during my H.I.I.T. I was supposed to skip in place 75 times.
Without going into too much detail, let me just say that that’s harder than it sounds! I was gasping by the end of it. I was particularly out of breath given that you did this 12 times, plus a lot of other stuff (the entire routine was based off the of the song The Twelve Days of Christmas with the skipping on day one! Just in case math isn’t your strong suit: 75 times 12 is a 900 skips. That’s a lot of skips. If you don’t believe me, just give it a shot!
Well, after that I started thinking. What would my life had been like if I had never stopped skipping? How many calories a day would I have burned just doing something that I loved instead of doing something that I felt like I had to do? How much better shape would I be in if I skipped from my car to the office and back again? Or if I skipped from one end of the house to the other ten times a day as I went about my daily routine? More importantly, how much more fun would I have?
So, after my 20 minute exercise routine, I drank some water and decided to skip to the end of the driveway and back. Michael J and I live in a house that’s pretty set back from the road; I would guess that it’s less than a quarter mile, but I couldn’t tell you for certain. It is pretty steep though, at least in places. Regardless, I took a deep breath and without so much as even taking a glance around to see if anyone was watching, I took off.
Skipping in the real world is fun. Skipping in motion (that is, not in place in your living room) is fun and exhilarating. There’s enough movement that it creates a nice breeze. I felt ten years younger. I laughed. I had fun!
Heading down hill (away from the house) my heart rate pretty quickly went from 85 (post workout) to 115 and by the time I had made it to the street it was 145. After taking a few seconds rest, I turned around and headed back up the hill, which, granted, was much harder. By the time I crested the last hill, I was totally winded and my heart rate was 162!
But it was fun! In less than 6 minutes, I burned about 70 calories and had a complete physiological and emotional state change. Not only because I was moving my body, but because I was moving it in a way that brought back memories of being happy, easy, free, and comfortable in my body. I was literally transported back to a time where I accepted myself whole heartedly and could enjoy being in my body without any feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment or shame. And trust me, that’s worth something.
If you need to mix up your routine or you just need a quick way to shift your state, try skipping. Or, better yet, reach into your old childhood toy box and find find the thing that you used to love the most. Even if you don’t think you remember how to do it, I bet your body can remind you. And even if you think you’re body can’t do it because you’re too old or you’re too out of shape or that you couldn’t possibly still like X, Y, or Z, I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
H.I.I.T. – 1 Fox – 0
A little while ago, decided to hang up my long distance cardio shoes and have been been experimenting with shorter workouts, which have eventually culminated in a method known as High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T). According to the latest gym logic, H.I.I.T., through a combination of short explosive movements and short rest periods in between cranks up your metabolism, in large part because you’re building muscle and generating heat in your core.
Because you only do it for up to 20 minutes you also trick your body into not releasing cortisol, which is a hormone that the body releases when you’re under stress (unlike what happens when you work out hard for periods longer than 20 minutes). Cortisol, for those of you who don’t know, is a stress hormone that signals to your body that it needs to store fat! And not just any old fat – but belly fat! (No wonder I couldn’t lose those last 10 pounds when I was spinning; my body thought I needed that to survive)!
Regardless, when I first started this, I began with 4 one minute sets of getting up and down out of a chair as fast as I could, with a minute of rest between sets.
(Yes, these are the basic equivalent of squats, but when you sit down each time, you get to experience that extra little gift of gravity – which, after a set or two, begins to feel like the gift that keeps on giving).
I must admit that when this was first suggested to me, I laughed. I thought, there is no way that this is going to get my heart rate up.
Wrong!
By the end of the first set I was huffing and puffing like a steam engine. (And keep in mind, I’m in pretty good shape!)
After a couple of days of this, I was able to keep in adding reps – not time mind you, but reps. So, whereas the first day I did 45-46-49-42, by the end of just a few days, I was well into the 50s, if not the 60s.
One of the big selling points about this form of training (besides only taking 20 minutes a day [or in my case less than 10]) is that it increases your ability to engage in short explosive bursts of intense exercise, because you are training your body to store excess energy in the muscles (as glycogen) instead of in the belly (as fat).
So, you may be asking, what does this have to do with a fox?
Earlier this week, I let Michael J’s cat, Harley, outside. We live in the country and Harley has been an indoor/outdoor cat for several years. Personally, whenever I let him out, I always tell him to have fun, to stick around the house, and not to get eaten on my watch.
(The indoor/outdoor cat policy is one of the few things about which Michael J and I truly disagree!)
As I went around puttering in the kitchen with my very cosseted indoor cat, I heard this God awful cacophony outside. The crows were literally going nuts.
My first thought was that Harley has killed a bird (another reason why Cat is an indoor cat) and is – quite possibly – getting attacked by crows.
Only slightly annoyed, I headed out onto the deck and was immediately struck by three things.
- Those birds are really loud!
- The sun is absolutely gorgeous hitting the trees!
- Why are the horses standing right at the edge of the stone wall (all three of them) staring at the same point like they’ve seen a ghost)?
Though it really did look like something out of a Disney film, I followed their line of their vision and lo and behold: 
‘Where’s Harley?’
And like clockwork, there he was – curious little creature that he is – about 10 feet from our bushy tailed visitor.
The list of blood curdling expletives that exploded in my brain and were torn from my lungs are not fit to print, but it’s fair to say that I pretty much brought the house down! I certainly woke Michael J, who until that moment, had been enjoying a rare Tuesday morning lie-in!
The funny thing was is that I was so panicked that I literally could not figure out how to get off of the deck and down to the stone wall, which is maybe 150 feet from the house. I also was afraid that if I took my eyes off of the scene in front of me that Harley was doomed. (As if me standing on the deck screaming was really making that much of a difference!)
Eventually – it was probably only fifteen seconds, but it felt like an eternity – I figured out how to get off the deck (that is, I remembered that there were stairs!) and took off, literally, like a shot!
I have never moved so fast in my life.
Was it the H.I.I.T. or just the sheer volume of adrenaline?
It’s hard to tell, but I’ll say one thing: I learned in that moment that there are very good reasons other than what you’re going to look like in a bathing suit this summerto be able to engage in short, explosive bursts of concentrated activity!
As I got closer to them (the fox had not given up at this point), I slowed down and took a series of deep calming breaths.
The last thing I wanted to do was to scare Harley, who at this point, was getting a little jittery himself.
Let’s just say that the tension was pretty high on all fronts.
Did did I mention that the birds were still screaming? Seriously, the racket was deafening.
So, here I am, in my pjs, barefoot, standing between a scared house cat (who at least at this point had figured out that something was wrong), three spooked horses, and a predator. And all of this against a soundtrack that sounded suspiciously like something out of a Hitchcock film!
Luckily for me (and for Harley and for Michael J, who by this time was also on the scene), Harley actually came to me and allowed himself to be scooped up and carried back to the waiting arms of his father.
Interestingly enough, three things happened as soon as Harley was off the ground: the fox cut and ran, the horses cut and ran, and the birds – bless them and their ungodly warning system – fell eerily silent.
Well, four things, as my commitment to H.I.I.T. pretty much doubled.
Getting back on the horse
Two days ago, I was in the middle of a binge. It was the first one I’d had in months – a quick look at my electronic food diary revealed that the last one happened earlier this year on Monday, March 29.
For that one, I had an excuse, sort of.
If you recall, I was trapped in an airplane and hadn’t had any vegetables to speak of for several days. I went nuts – figuratively and literally on raw flax bread and almond butter.
It wasn’t pretty. And I felt like crap for at least two days after the fact.
This last Thursday, I had no such excuse. Other than I was completely stressed out and instead of choosing to manage my state, I surrendered to (well, in fact, I pretty much invited them in) all of my old standbys. In other words, I stuffed my face and didn’t think to clearly or consciously about what was really going on.
In the space of two hours, I had my lunch, my snack, and four high energy protein bars. Yes, you read that correctly: four. Not one. Not two. Not three. But FOUR! It was really over the top.
What was even more over the top is that I had another one in my hand. And I was actually thinking, “Well, if I eat these other SIX, this will never happen again.”
Thank goodness something – still not sure what it was (unless maybe it was a gag reflex) – snapped me out of it.
My normal routine following such a feeding frenzy would have been to beat myself both mentally and at the gym and probably skip dinner to boot.
This time, I decided to take a different tack. This time, I decided to forgive myself.
In fact, I ate dinner (albeit a very clean dinner of cauliflower rice [dressed with a touch of sesame seed oil and Braggs amino acid] and raw asparagus) and I went to bed, without exercise. It was a conscious choice not to exercise, because I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it in a way where I wouldn’t be punishing my body for my mind’s bad behavior.
The only thing that I regret about that decision is that I didn’t do yoga – not because of anything to do my body (though one could argue that yoga always does a body good), but because of the potential it would have had for quieting the mind.
The day had been so bad – and there had been so much negative energy thrown at me from so many quarters – when I finally managed to go to sleep, I had nightmares. In fact, they so were bad that I woke Michael J up screaming! (As he pointed out to me the next morning, the reason you do yoga before bed is to calm the negative energy so that you can sleep more restfully.)
Even though I had nightmares – which could have very easily resulted in one or both of us getting a black eye – I did sleep over 10 hours, a sure sign that I needed it.
Yesterday, I decided that I had to get back on the horse.
In other words, no matter how bad the day before had been, there was no excuse for 1) engaging in negative self talk that might lead me back down the previous black hole or 2) continuing to overeat.
In the spirit of nurturing myself (because obviously the binge was my body – if not my mind – crying out for attention), I began to let go of things that were no longer serving me. I canceled all of my appointments that could be canceled without harming someone else, I discharged one of my pressing work obligations, I moved deadlines, I changed the things that I found myself consistently complaining about, and I made sure that I had plenty of fun, healthy food. In fact, in addition to my old favorites, which I may getting a bit bored with actually, I also tried @choosingraw’s Broccoli Hummus recipe, which, I must say, is absolutely divine. (Note: If you’re raw and you’re looking for a hummus recipe that doesn’t have tahini and a ton of olive oil, look no further!)
I also went for a walk and soaked up the sun, choosing to focus on my mental health (I took time out of my walk to watch the neighbors’ horses frolicking in the field) and increasing my Vitamin D than on burning off the calories that I had consumed the day before.
It was a nice gentle day and even though my tummy may be a little bigger than it was three days ago, I (the physical, the mental, and the emotional parts of me) felt loved and nourished.
This morning, I exercised normally and for the first time in a long time it just felt like good, honest exercise. It didn’t feel like I was punishing myself or, worse, like I was mad at my body. It felt good. It felt a lot like what I imagined it must have felt like for those horses who were playing joyously in the sun warmed grass.
Today I feel back to normal.
It took two days to feel physically better after consuming nearly the double of my typical intake of sugar.
It took two days to feel mentally better about the decisions I made (on Thursday) and all of the the ones prior that led up to it.
It took two days to feel emotionally better after coming to terms with the stressors in my life that I had pushed aside up until the point where my body forced me to listen.
Am I glad that I consumed 1,000 calories in less than 20 minutes? Not really.
But I am glad that I realized that the binge was a reflection on the state of my life – as opposed to the state of my body.
And I am glad I realized that there are things that I can do (and, as noted, have already begun to do) to make sure that days like Thursday become fewer and further between.
Now that’s a headline!
Fatty Foods May Cause Cocaine-Like Addiction.
With a lead in like that, do we really even need to read it?
Quote of the Day: Andrea Albright
“When you feel inspiration towards your body, or when you think a positive thought… stop & REWARD yourself. Spend time in that space- the TRUE you shining through. When you are always focused on what you DON’T want, you only create more of it. Focus on what you DO want & AMPLIFY those feelings & thoughts when you have them. This is a REWARD for your body, heart, mind, & whole Self… a gift from your spirit.” Andrea Albright, Yogi, author, and founder of Amazing Body Now.
Pushing my boundaries (shopping for spring clothes)
Shopping for clothes in stores is always an adventure.
For the last two days, I’ve been scouring the Kohl’s sales racks. For those of you who don’t know about Kohl’s – it’s a mid tier department store (somewhere between Macy’s and Target). They are known for their sales. At the “end” of every season, they slash their inventory by anywhere from 60 to 80%
Luckily for those who live up north, spring doesn’t really arrive until about a week before summer. That means that you can wear the heavily discounted stuff for weeks – if not months – before you need to break out the linen and t-shirts!
Regardless, while I was there a couple of interesting things happened.
One, I found myself shopping at the low end of the clothing racks. It wasn’t that long ago that I would start at the 12s or 10s or the innocuous Ms. This time I found myself seeking out the 6s, the occasional 4s and the Ss. (Unfortunately I am not naive enough to think that Kohl’s and other mid-level department stores all across America haven’t gone to what one might call “vanity sizing,” but it was still fun!)
Two, I actually put things back that made me look “too big.” This is noteworthy, not because I’m significantly smaller than I’ve been for the last year or so, but rather because I’ve finally come to terms with what I look like in a mirror. And, perhaps even more importantly, I’m no longer trying to hide it.
There was a time that I would have cringed if anything that even remotely looked like a curve was visible. This time, not so much. Does this mean that I don’t have any love handles or (perish the thought of even using this word) muffin tops? No, unfortunately, they’re there; that’s life.
When I did a little fashion show for Michael J, he congratulated me for trying more form fitting clothes.
I thanked him for the compliment and asked him to promise me one thing – that is, to tell me if I go too far, as its easy to get seduced by the pull of smaller and smaller sizes.
“How far is too far?” he asked.
Good question.
After a moment’s consideration, my personal guidelines for if I’ve taken it too far: I look bad or it looks like I’m trying to dress younger than I am.
He agreed. And I trust him to tell me truth.
If you have a Kohl’s near you (or any other store with decent clothes and ridiculously slashed prices) go spend a couple of hours pawing through the sales racks. You never know what you might find. Who knows, you might – if you’re lucky and you’re willing to take some chances – find a completely new you.
In fact, I’ve found some of my favorite pieces of clothing by trying on what other people have left in the dressing rooms. The benefit of trying on other people’s left behinds is that unless that person has your exact same taste, they’re choices are almost certain to be outside of your comfort zone and something that if you’d seen it on the rack you wouldn’t have given it a second glance – let alone tried it on.
As a wise man once said, all progress comes when you’re outside of your comfort zone. So step out of yours and have some fun. After all, it’s not like you have to actually buy it!
The importance of planning ahead
I am going to be traveling again and the first thing I thought: what am I going to eat?
Instead of stressing about it too much, I just asked for what I need. It worked pretty well last time, so I thought I might try it again.
First things first, I asked the very helpful person who has been coordinating my upcoming visit if she could take me a to a grocery store immediately upon landing. This is imperative, as I typically travel with a blender – a travel blender at that – and love making green smoothies in my hotel rooms. I find that if I start the day off normally – well, as normally as anyone who drinks spinach, broccoli, red pepper, carrots, cayenne pepper and pear for breakfast can – then the rest of the day will go that much smoother. Of course she said yes.
Second, even though I am the keynote speaker at a banquet (hence the invitation to travel), I asked that a special meal be prepared: a large plate of uncooked vegetables or a large salad. No problem, she assured me. Now, who knows what the quality of the veggies will be, but that’s why it’s important to make sure I have snacks and high quality produce in my room for after the event.
Third, there are people who want to take me out to dinner when I get there – presumably after the trip to the grocery store and before the main event (which is the next day). When asked if I had any preferences, I simply said that i was currently on a raw vegan diet and that anywhere where I could get a big salad and perhaps an avocado – or at least someplace that wouldn’t object if I brought my own – then I was golden.
This is what she sent back, saying that it wasn’t raw, but she was sure they would accommodate.
Looking at the menu – particularly the appetizers and the salads – I think I may be the one to accommodate.
Given that the definition of High Raw is 80% raw or more, I think I’ll be okay. Meanwhile, that Cauliflower Miso is calling my name….
The moral of this story: I used to be really concerned about asking for what I need. I used to think that I was being bothersome or troublesome. What I’ve found as I have practiced this – and not been so apologetic about it – is that people are happy to help. But it helps if you’ve done your research. If you’re going to go visit someplace new, find out what the options are ahead of time. I lucked out, because my colleague happened to know about The Vegiterranean.
And for those of you who are traveling to a new place, without the benefit of helpful hosts, the internet is your friend. It’s amazing what you can find – and where you can find it – in just a few minutes on-line.
One down, nine to go
Michael and I just finished the first day of a limeade fast.
There’s a lot to say about this (including how horrifyingly fuzzy my tongue is at the moment); but now is not the time.
Stay tuned.
The Colors of Health: Red, Gold, and Green
Filed under: cooking, nutrition, raw food, recipes, superfood |
Leave a Comment As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, going raw has really opened up the world of vegetables to me – well, that and joining a local organic CSA.
Over the last three weeks, we’ve probably gone through four (if not six!) heads of cabbage – some of them green, some of them red (or, technically, purple).
Anyway, I started off using the larger, outer leafs as wraps for burritos and using the smaller, inner leaves for making small batches of slaw.
That was until I made a batch of raw hummus out of tahini and zucchini that was just begging for some chips – hence the habit of tearing red (or purple) cabbage leaves into chip sized chunks was born. Trust me, no one was more surprised than me about how good raw cabbage leaves taste when combined with a little hummus! Let’s just say that life was good.
But then the CSA cabbage started.
I had one head left over from the week before, had just bought a red one, and got two more!
At this point in my life I am committed to two things when it comes to food: don’t waste it and (obviously) don’t cook it!
So, racking my brain for an answer, I hit on a solution: slaw. And lots of it!
Now, if you’re like me and grew up anywhere remotely resembling the south, your idea of slaw probably involves a lot of mayonnaise and other sundry items – none of which resemble anything close to being raw (let alone good for you). But I was determined, and here’s what I came up with:
1 head of cabbage (green), shredded
3-4 carrots, finely grated
1/2 cup of parsley, finely minced (I’ve also used cilantro)
Braggs Liquid Aminos, to taste (at least 3 tablespoons, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Braggs)
2 limes, juiced
1/2 – 1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or more, to taste)
1 teaspoon of turmeric (or more, to taste)
1 teaspoon of cumin (or more, to taste)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Himalayan sea salt (pink), to taste
This stuff is seriously delicious. I’ve been eating it by the plate – sometimes alone, sometimes mixed with Shirataki noodles, which aren’t technically raw, but aren’t technically food, since they’re all fiber and are, by design, indigestible.
Since I was eating so much cabbage – as wraps, as chips, and as slaw, I found myself wondering what nutrients cabbage actually contained. I mean, it wasn’t like I didn’t know what cabbage was prior to my latest pro-cabbage phase, but I certainly hadn’t ever given it much thought. I mean, it’s cabbage. Not that interesting. Right?
Well, not really.
Cabbage, as it turns out, is a cruciferous vegetable – as are other well known superstar vegetables (a/k/a super food veggies) such as broccoli, kale, brussels, and bok choy. According to the Whole Foods website:
The phytonutrients in cruciferous vegetables initiate an intricate dance inside our cells in which gene response elements direct and balance the steps among dozens of detoxification enzyme partners, each performing its own protective role in perfect balance with the other dancers. The natural synergy that results optimizes our cells’ ability to disarm and clear free radicals and toxins, including potential carcinogens, which may be why cruciferous vegetables appear to lower our risk of cancer more effectively than any other vegetables or fruits.
For more information about cabbage, go here. And to learn more about the health benefits of cruciferous veggies and how to get more of them into your diet, go here.
Now, some of you might be thinking: Well, that’s all well and good, but I thought cabbage gave people gas.
Well, yes and no.
Personally it doesn’t bother me, but I know it does some people. That’s where the turmeric comes in. And besides it’s wonderful flatulance reducing properties, turmeric is a superfood in it’s own right.
Trust me, if your not getting enough cruciferous vegetables or turmeric in your diet, you might want to consider adding more. Men in particular, should seriously consider increasing their intake of turmeric – especially to any recipe including cauliflower (which is, you guessed it, another cruciferous veggie)!
So, if you’re stuck in a rut on your vegetable consumption, branch out. And whatever else you do, eat your turmeric!
Radical (Yet Under the Radar) Shift in Identity
Last fall, I lived to write in my blog. Not only did I post pretty much daily, I was addicted to the stats feature, which I checked multiple times a day.
Lately, however, I haven’t been writing in my blog regularly. If I’m lucky, I might get to it once a week. And even then, it tends to be a recipe or something like that; a post of value, but of little substance.
At first I thought that it was because I was too busy. I’m back on the teaching merry-go-round. I have daily papers to grade. I’m also learning a new way to cook as I’ve made the decision to go raw.
And I’m sure that while all of those are valid reasons (if offered by someone else), I’ve come to realize that those aren’t my reasons.
Last year, from March until December, all I wanted to do was release (forever) that last ten pounds.
This year (including the last week of last year), all I wanted to do (and continue to do) is eat raw food.
I no longer see myself as a busy woman who wants to lose the last ten pounds and keep it off forever. I see myself as a busy raw foods enthusiast.
And since that’s happened, I literally have not thought once about those “last ten pounds.”
Now, it is true that I was back up after Christmas – in fact, I was back up by eight pounds! So, in one sense, I needed to lose eight of those last ten all over again.
But since I’ve started living a raw lifestyle – not only do I feel a thousand times better and have way more energy – five of those eight pounds pretty much just disappeared.
You heard me – without me stressing about it or killing myself at the gym, I lost five pounds – give or take a few ounces – in a little less than three weeks.
And that was with me eating ice cream (granted, raw ice cream) once – sometimes twice – a day!
There is a book called “The Power of Now,” in which the author (whose name I cannot recall) argues that sometimes people get so identified with their struggle that they become their struggle. In other words, being in that struggle becomes part of their identity.
Let me just fess up now: No doubt about it, I was identified with my struggle to lose that last ten pounds and to keep it off. Heck, that’s the tag-line of my blog.
According to this book, if you are identified with your struggle, then there is some part of you that will do anything necessary to keep the conditions in place so that your identity can survive.
As a social psychologist, I know this. Heck, I teach it to dozens of undergraduates each year. Had a applied it myself? Absolutely not.
Somehow, in the process of learning to “cook” meals in a blender, I forgot about the struggle to release the last ten pounds and simply became a raw food enthusiast. And, perhaps far more important and sustaining, for the first time in my life, I’ve felt comfortable in my body. In fact, I feel light. I feel healthy.
Instead of getting hung up on what I’ve done wrong (which used to be the pattern when I was trying to lose weight), I feel thrilled and happy every time I choose something raw over something cooked and not once – not a single day nor even a single meal – have I felt like I was missing out.
So, I think I may be changing the tag-line of my blog, as it no longer reflects my primary focus or my view of myself. I’ll be sure to let you know what I come up with and hope, for those of you following along, that I won’t lose any of you in the transition.
So For How Long?
I ran into a friend at the grocery store today. She was there to pick up wine, cheese, veggies, and a number of other delicacies. I was there to get cat food, raw cashews, raw peanuts, mango, bean sprouts, and, well, cat food.
“Hey,” she called out when she saw me. “It’s the raw girl! How’s it going?”
We chatted a few minutes about life in general and work before turning the conversation back to diet – in particular, my diet.
“So where do you get your protein?” she asked as she handed her kale to the woman behind the register.
“Same place you get yours, ” I quipped as I nodded at the huge bunch of leafy greens. “You’d be surprised. My kale smoothie this morning had 18 grams of protein in it, which is almost half of the daily recommendation for women.”
She nodded in sober agreement: “Kale is an amazing vegetable.”
We talked a little more.
Essentially, I told her some about what MJ and I have been eating and how much better I’ve felt. I told her about the medication that I’d been able to stop taking, and how much more time I had now that I didn’t have to work out three hours a day just to keep the shape that I had bought in exchange for months of calorie counting.
“That’s amazing,” she said, but then added: “So, how long are you doing this for?”
Huh?
“I don’t know,” I responded, somewhat hurriedly and a little more defensively than I wanted to. “I’ve signed up for this eleven week thing. We’ll see how it goes.” (I am pretty sure at this point I also mentioned that my personal standard was 80% raw, though for three out of the last four days I’d managed to hit 100%, just in case she ever wanted to invite us out for dinner!)
“Eleven weeks, huh? That’s a long time.”
What was interesting to me about this whole exchange is that I hadn’t even crossed my mind that going raw (that is incorporating more raw food into my diet) had a stop date.
To me, choosing to eat uncooked food is just like the choice to go gluten-free: If gluten-makes you sick, you don’t eat it.
If eating raw food makes you feel better and helps you maintain your weight without having to spend three hours working out every single day, then you continue to eat it.
I also realized that in that brief exchange, that I have already adopted the identity of “raw foodist.”
It’s not really a label, per se, because I probably wouldn’t describe myself that way to anyone else. But it is how I’ve been thinking about myself. God knows I’ve spent enough time in the last four weeks obsessing over it! And I’ve spent more than enough money on information products and cookbooks to make the thought of exiting anytime soon down right painful.
So, back to the original question – which I thought was a good one – for how long? How long am I planning to do this?
Well, for as long as it takes – whatever that means.
The good news about being 80% raw (as opposed to 100%) is that you can still choose to be 100% most days. And on the days that you’re not? No one – including me – has to feel bad about it.
Year End and Looking Forward
I had a big year last year when it came to my body and, more importantly, to my relationship with it!
I lost that last ten stubborn pounds (some of which have come back as muscle).
I threw my scale away, which was both liberating and scary.
I bought my first pair of size fours in June (and I’m still wearing them)!
I joined an on-line support community for women who want to transform their relationship with their body and their ideas about food. There I learned to love yoga and began thinking seriously about the old adage: “You are what you eat.”
I went gluten-free and convinced my sister to do the same.
I am happy to say that since I stopped eating gluten almost 6 months ago, I was able to get off of two prescription medications that I had been taking for over a year! Note that one of those medications was prescribed to deal with the side effects of the other!
I’ve also had no sign of arthritis in my hands (which routinely reared its ugly head during the winter months).
I am also thrilled to report that my sister no longer has weekly migraines and a number of her digestive problems (which I won’t share with you, here, as they are not my own) have completely disappeared. Congratulations sis!
Although I was eating better and feeling better, I realized that I still had a lot of emotional issues around food that I had been carrying around since I was 16 and weighed a whopping 232.5 pounds.
In other words, I still had no sense of portion control and I still ate my emotions.
When I was bored, I ate. When I was nervous, I ate. When I was stressed, I ate. When I was angry – you guessed it.
And when I ate, I didn’t just eat until I was 80% full, which is what all of the nutritionists tell you. I usually ate until I was at least 120% full, which often turns into 140% full once your brain gets the message from your stomach that you should have stopped at least 15 minutes sooner!
About five weeks ago, I was at a conference where it turns out a number of participants were “raw.” That is, 80% of the food they eat has not been cooked (or heated above 105 degrees).
These women – and they were mostly women – were thin, gorgeous, and literally had this glow about them.
They were confident and charming.
They were totally comfortable in their skin, which was absolutely flawless, by the way.
And, more to the point, they were not obsessed with food. Whereas everyone else were checking their watches and grumbling about what time the presenter was going to let us go to lunch, these beautiful, thin, and centered women were fully present with the material.
They weren’t proselytizing either.
In fact, it wasn’t until the second day of the conference, when I offered the woman next to me something that I was eating, that she even mentioned that she was a raw foodist.
Really?!
Because I love food – all types of food – and I had recently gone gluten-free, I was fascinated and soon she and I would start talking about raw food whenever presenter broke – for lunch or whatever.
Compared to mine (which has improved dramatically over the years), her approach towards eating seemed so sane. So balanced.
And she definitely wasn’t someone who sounded all deprived. She wasn’t saying: I only get to eat raw food (poor pitiful me). She was more like: I only eat raw food (and I frickin’ love it)!
Well, in my search for gluten-free dessert recipes that I could make at Christmas to share with my family, I had actually come across a cookbook online: “28 Desserts You Can Eat Everyday.” It was a raw foods cookbook – again, meaning that most of the recipes used raw nuts, seeds, cacao, fruits, vegetables, natural sweeteners, spices, etc.
Although I didn’t buy it immediately, I did sign up for author’s weekly newsletter.
However, after meeting my new friend, who shall be known as M, the next time one of the cookbook lady’s emails showed up in my in box, I pushed the button.
As it turns out, raw desserts are delicious (and they are way easier and faster to make than cooked desserts). As yet another new raw friend pointed out: I don’t have to wait for them to heat up and I don’t have to wait for them to cool down – they’re perfect!
And then another coincidence occurred: my friend M (the one I met at the conference) just happened to also be going to Tulsa for the holidays! Small world since I live on the East Coast and we originally met in Los Angeles!
M and I (and her mother and my sister) went to the local raw food restaurant that I had blogged about earlier.
Well, as it turns out, M was just as cool as I remembered (as was her mother) and the food was better than I had ever imagined possible.
We had an absolutely fabulous meal and – even better – I didn’t feel at all sick or bloated like I sometimes do after eating out.
In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that I felt clean, vibrant, and alive!
When’s the last time you felt that way after eating pizza and a brownie with “fudge” sauce?
So, the holidays continued. Every day I made raw smoothies and experimented with raw desserts. Eventually, I even managed to recruit my poor sister onto the bandwagon. She now owns not one high speed blender – but two!
Since December 28th, I have been 70-75% raw.
Starting December 29, I went what some refer to as “high raw” – or raw until dinner.
Yesterday I had my first 100% raw day.
I have also signed up on yet another virtual on-line community (Raw Food Rehab) – this one dedicated to helping people get more raw foods into their lifestyle. I even went so far as to apply to join their 11 week initiative. Here, you get additional support (should you need it) to stay at least 80% raw for 11 weeks.
If you’re interested at all in raw food, this website has an insane number of raw food recipes and forums to get you started and to keep you going.
That’s actually where I’ve been the last few days instead of posting here!
So, if you’re still reading this, you might be thinking: but why? Why would you want to cut most – if not all – cooked food out of your diet? Why would you willingly give up pancakes and eggs for breakfast (or even oatmeal and maple syrup) in exchange for a green smoothie?
The whys are complicated, but I’ll try to give it my best shot.
It’s fun.
It’s easy.
It’s delicious.
Raw is naturally gluten-free, so I don’t have to worry about eating something inadvertently that’s going to make me sick.
Raw is also naturally alkaline, something that I’ve been trying to attain for almost three years.
And, more importantly, it’s broken all of my pre-existing addictions to food.
I eat when I want to eat and I stop eating when I’m 80% full.
My emotions are not tied up with raw food the way they are with cooked food.
The only way I can think to say it is that I am finally eating for nutrition instead of comfort.
My calorie intake is so much lower (even though my nutrient intake is about the same [or even higher!]) – trust me, I keep track of everything using LoseIt – that I’m no longer going to have to spend three hours a day doing cardio just to maintain my current weight.
But, all that aside (and I am sure there are others) I think Michael J summed it up best: You’re so much lighter and joyous in the kitchen and around food than you used to be! It’s been a real pleasure to just be around and watch you play.
So, that’s where I am. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. I’ll be sure to keep you posted and share all of my new, fun, and easy recipes!
I hope you have a wonderful new year! I certainly intend to!
The Green Smoothie Girl Nutrition Quiz
As you will be learning, I am beginning to get into the whole/raw food thing. I’ve even been making green smoothies (recipes forthcoming), which are not only disgustingly good for you, but are incredibly tasty!
In my quest for new recipes, I stumbled across Green Smoothie Girl! If you’re at all interested in going green (or even raw), check her out! There’s a lot of good information there about why one might want to consider it – if not as a complete lifestyle choice, then as a healthy add-in.
I also took her nutrition quiz and – food geek that I am – got a 95 (or an A)! Which, according to her rubric suggests the following:
90-100 A If you’ve been living this lifestyle for some time, you should be living a vibrant, energetic life with minimal disease risk, and you look younger than your years and peers! What an achievement, inspiration, and example to others!
Now, I don’t know how seriously I would take this, but I did run into an old acquaintance that I haven’t seen in about five years. He didn’t even recognize me! When I told him who I was, he laughed, obviously embarrassed. “Why, KJ,” he said, taking one of my hands in both of his. “When you came over here, I thought, ‘Now who’s that undergraduate coming over here to talk to me?’”
Although he may have been exaggerating (I turn 40 in two months), that exchange was all the encouragement I needed to hop out of bed the next morning, slice of some romaine lettuce, some spinach, a couple of pieces of fresh fruit and blend it up.
Seriously, try it (assuming you have a blender that can handle it). Although it might take a couple of false starts, it won’t take long for you to be pleasantly surprised!
If you want to know how close you are to being a Green Smoothie Girl (or Guy), take the quiz here!
