Rawmazingly Good

So I haven't been posting a lot of raw recipes, but mostly it is because this time around I decided to keep it simple. Last time I tried to improve my health by going raw I ate a lot of nuts and seeds, and although I felt really good afterwards, I felt there was too much dehydrating, sprouting...waiting basically! I  also felt that I didn't really need all that stuff. So this time, I've been following a mostly fruitarian approach. Whoa! I hear you say. Is that safe? Is that sane? How can you possibly be full? How can you possibly get all that you need? 

Well...

I read a LOT about nutrition first. Yes, you can get enough nutrients, and yes you can get enough protein, if you eat enough. At the moment I can't quite eat that much, but I am increasing day by day. Calorie for calorie spinach has more protein than meat. Who knew?!For anyone interested in this approach I highly suggest doing research first and checking with a nutritionist if you can't work it out. If you are very overweight or have lots of health problems definitely check with a professional. That being said, many doctors will not approve of the approach (my doctor doesn't approve of vegans let alone raw vegans).  

The first few days were hard. I cut out sugar, soymilk, and tea as well. I did have some nut based meals such as the raw chilli burritos, becasue I was so hungry, and this filled me up longer. I only ate some nuts a couple of times the following week. All the smells from people heating up their lunches were driving my cravings into overdrive for toast and pasta and such. I also had some pretty bad headaches and felt ridiculously tired. Had a few mood swings too poor husband! I tried to workout a couple of times but in hindsight this was a really bad idea because I was going through detox. I can't imagine what it would feel like for someone who eats a lot of meat and dairy, and processed or fast foods. It would be hell! I was lucky my symptoms weren't too bad and disappeared after two days. 

This week I have been having juices, smoothies, and fruits. I am absolutely craving more and more fruit. Breakfast has typically been fruit salad with all fresh fruits of course. Mango, pineapple, watermelon, rockmelon, mixed berries, passionfruit, and bananas. I might eat another banana mid morning, and lunch is usually a smoothie - three or four fruit varieties, and some greens. I have at least a litre, if not more, and another one or two pieces of fruit. I have more smoothie in the afternoon. My boss bought a juicer for our kitchen at work this week and we've made a couple of juices this week as well. Woot!

Dinner has been salads, lots of fresh tomato, cucumber, carrot, celery, capsicum, and avocado with greens. I did have gluten free cooked meals twice, quinoa and sweet potato soup with heaps of chilli, and corn pasta with a fresh vegetable sauce. I actually didn't feel like I needed to eat cooked meals, so perhaps by next week I won't bother with them at all. 

By the second week I am typically eating on average 16 serves of fruit a day, plus another 6 serves of vegetables. That is triple the recommended minimum, and I am eating more and more all the time as my body is adapting! I feel pretty great, and this week I powered through my workouts. I increased the resistance on the bike and wasn't really huffing like the guy next to me.

Weekends I eat more freely, but with interesting consequences. We had Chinese take away last weekend and I felt really awful through the night and the next day. A kiwi fruit smoothie fixed the problem - apparently they are really great for stomach upsets! I made pizza last night and feel a bit sluggish this morning, all I want is some fruit. My cooked cravings are just about gone, and although I will continue to eat some cooked foods I feel I don't really need to. 

And what about the weight? A weigh in last night and I've lost almost 5kg. I know this will mostly likely from fluid retention but I feel very hydrated as my skin is lots better, so therefore the excess fluid is no longer needed. It has actually been harder eating ENOUGH rather than cutting down. I am so full from all this great fruit and veg, so I have been tracking what I eat with my fitness pal so I make sure I'm getting enough calories. The Beloved noticed I was smaller which was nice because as with a lot of men he often puts his foot in it without intending to e.g. "it's ok sweetie, there are plenty of people fatter than you." LOL

It will be interesting to see what my next blood test shows, as I'm hoping the thyroxin will be absorbing better and maybe the dose can be reduced for once. That would be nice! I do believe this is something I can sustain long term. It isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle, which is so important if you want to stay healthy!