And it hits me

It's amazing how easily I let go of a high fat and high calorie diet. So much so that I am forgetting to eat! So now detoxing is going faster and some headaches are brewing! I have been smart though adding in some steamed veggies, sweet potatoe and even two eggs cooked last night. I am still eating about 90 percent raw but I feel like I am playing it safe! On Saturday I will decide wether I will continue this another week or not. It feel safe because I am holding off detoxing hard, but I get nurvious that I will just slip back into what was once normal. Normal meaning a diet lacking in veggies, high in gluten and grains and oh yes, misery. 

On the good side I feel like I am loosing weight but the scale tells otherwise. I think my swelling and bloating is just going. I feel like the water retention is going. I feel spacey toward the afternoon but clear in other regards. My shoulder doesn't hurt anymore. It's hard to change but changing I am. 

Day 3 begins

It was much easier to arise this morning. Even staying up till 1 am didn't stop me. I didn't want to wake to my children's play, but once I was up I was present. It's so easy for me today to do one thing at a time instead of the usual whirlwind of 20 things at once and then yelling at my boys when they don't follow along. You mean you can't do things this fast? Funny thing is I trained them so they are easily distracted and having trouble learning. Could it be I contribute to this? For the first time it's clear I can help them change this path by changing myself and modeling wholeness. There is no way to health through multi tasking. My boyfriend has been patiently waiting for me to get this concept. I see a glimpse of that today. Can I change? Eating well and commuting to raw may be one step. Here is me today. I see a difference in my face a little. 

Before and after

The world is still and quite. At night it's always quite but now I feel that quite in me come alive. I feel still. I can think forward complete thoughts. The air is crisper, my head is clearer, there is no longer anything holding me back from my own inner calm. Is this peace? This is! This is peace.

How is it that I feel so good (with detox symptoms of course!) this change has effected my contraction and my energy already. It's so strange to me, because I have done this before. I have been raw at least 3 other times in my life. The last time was the longest. I was raw four years ago for  8 months. Than again for just a month last Summer.

This is me raw one year ago. I was raw for a month. 

This is me now (below)... So what happened? I guess I just forgot! Have you read the book Grain Brain? I can only complete this thought by saying, yes, I have grain brain, and yes, I am re-remembering yet again! But isn't that good?

 All the guru's out there don't seem to have this long term raw up and down roller coaster. Perhaps it's because my living isn't effected by the way I eat. (Well it is somewhat , my performance is effected by what I eat) but I don't have anyone paying me to take care of myself.  In fact the world seems to be ok if I don't. So then I have to do this just for me? This is what I have to face. This isn't a business for me, this is only for me and me alone. This is what needs to be addressed if I am to succeed. 

Day 2 Dreams

Last night I had vivid dreams. It's expected after such a huge diet change overnight. Because I have done this before I know what it's like to go quickly, and yet, if I go slow it seems like I never get there. The dreams have to do with this change in me and it's already effecting my emotions. I had detox dreams! 

Here are some photos of the food I am eating. Johanna's raw food is a huge staple. Johanna is my number one fan and friend! She has supplied me raw cake, cookies, crackers and chocolate! I look forward to her monthly dinners in Saratoga Springs NY at 50 South restaurant! 

Today is the day

Today is day 1 and from my experience going raw overnight in the past I decided to do at least a week with 10 percent cooked. It's not as extreme but it's a massive change. So for this week I am not vegan but I am gluten and grain free. Basically I went into town and picked up my 8 salads from legends cafe. I got two salads a day going.  I also weighed in and took some photos. I also thought of a few other complaints I wanted to add to the list. They are: constipation, frequent urination and pressure, swelling around eyes and swelling in face, smelly urine ( probably ph related)

Today I feel better already! I feel like exercising so Jon ( my boyfriend) and I did squats, kicks, jumps and hugs. 

Even though it's day 1 I already feel a big difference! 

It begins

Welcome to my Year....

I have known about the raw food diet for over 10 years, and as you imagine, I am your typical raw food wanna be. I have been raw 4 times, each time I went raw a little longer than the last time. Four year ago was my last adventure in which I went raw for 8 months. It was amazing, and after a few years I look back and wonder what went wrong. I have been living mostly cooked for 4 years, with a few months in raw (picture above in Maine  1 month raw). 

It's an easy lifestyle to want, but in the modern world, a difficult diet and lifestyle to stay with. It was easy when I lived near NYC, so many raw friends, and a rich community of potlucks and gatherings. Now, in Saratoga Springs NY, upstate, I am on my own. But something has changed in me and I think it's time.  What is different? I don't feel I need a community to support me, or friends who are raw to guide me. I just don't think I need anything at all but the will to feel well, reach my potential as a human being, and the will to heal. So at 200 lb., with a list of complaints a mile long, I have decided to dedicate to 365 days raw. My goal is to reach one year raw and I hope to record my experience daily in hope to have the information to make the right choice in my diet and lifestyle choices after one year. 

Here is my list of difficulties that I know the raw food diet will help with, as they heal I will comment about them and repost the list with new information: I will also post about these issues and what I have tried to help them. Raw seems to be the only thing that has healed all of them. I did however, experiment with other healing remedies and diets, to attempt to avoid going raw. It's a challenging lifestyle when the rest of the world is not raw.

bloating and swelling in my belly  

over weight: 50 lbs.

teeth issues: gum line receding 

upper back/ shoulder pain 

unable to turn my head around due to shoulder pain

carpel tunnel syndrom 

waking up with sleeping hands and feet- poor circulation

poor memory

anemia

energy lose

body odor 

hair grease 

bladder pressure

feet peeling in spots

toe issues pain from feet swelling causing some issues with ingrown nails, mild

Wish me luck !