Rawchel

I am only one week into my raw foods transition, and already it has proved to be a very interesting experience. I have learned a lot, but I have also learned that there is so much more I don’t know/understand. To me, that is part of the excitement! But for those who are interested in seeing how I’m progressing, or who would like to learn along with me, I have decided to post a weekly “lessons” sections. Here’s the first!

1. Be flexible. This is by far the biggest lesson, and I’d venture to say it holds true for any big lifestyle change. Don’t get upset if you have to learn things the hard way. In fact, this is part of the experience, isn’t it? For me, this lesson holds most true when it comes to cooking and food prep. From what I remember, I essentially taught myself how to cook (although I’m sure I had plenty of help from my mom!) when I was in high school. I’m sure I struggled at first; after all, no one is born knowing the difference between “minced,” “julienned,” “diced,” and “chopped,” nor the difference between sautéing and stir-frying, roasting and broiling, etc., etc., etc. But after plenty of trial and error (not to mention lots of cookbooks and issues of Cooking Light magazine), I caught on pretty well. Learning to uncook raw foods is like starting all over. This can be frustrating for me, since I am used to knowing what I am doing in the kitchen. I know, however, that I will eventually catch on, and that it will make me even more skilled in the long run. In the meantime, I just need to remember to stay flexible.
2. Don’t start out with a bunch of fancy equipment. I’m sure there are plenty of raw foodists who will disagree with me, and they have a right to do so. At first, I was concerned by my lack of fancy equipment (don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of regular cooking equipment, but raw cooking it like a totally different animal). Most raw cookbooks talk about Vita-Mixes, mastication juicers, Excalibur dehydrators, Saladaccos, mandolines, and ice cream makers – none of which I have, and most of which I will not be able to afford for quite a while. Luckily, I was already equipped with a decent food processor and a basic blender. Your options as far as raw gourmet food will be limited without the fancy equipment, but I think that, in the beginning, that is a good thing. It will force you to simplify and focus on the basics, which I believe will help the detox and transition process in the long run. Which brings me to my next point…
3. Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. This may seem obvious; after all, most people think that raw foodists live off salads alone (I did, up until about a month ago). Not so! There are many beautiful raw gourmet cookbooks out there, and I fully intend to purchase and experiment with most of them…eventually. This past week, though, I have felt better and enjoyed my food most when I ate fresh fruit and vegetables, plain and simple (although I also love my smoothies!). It is visually and texturally appealing, and you will undoubtedly feel lighter, cleaner, and more energized. Add in nuts and seeds when you need additional calories or protein - but don’t eat mindlessly, or it can easily get out of hand!
4. Eat as much as you want, whenever you want… but listen to your body. This is especially true if you follow lesson #3, since fruit and vegetables are pretty low in calories. I have read over and over again that you will be extra hungry – ravenous, even – in the early stages of transitioning. Boy, has this proven to be true for me! I have found that I eat once every hour or two in the morning and early afternoon, but then I have almost no appetite for dinner. This is highly unusual for me, since dinner has always been my biggest meal. I’m still working on making the shift mentally, but I am a big proponent of following your body’s advice, so listen to it. If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re not, then don’t, even if it is “meal time” (meal times, after all, are pretty arbitrary). And don’t worry too much about calories; I have heard many times that the appetite drops off after a while, and most people lose weight even though they are eating more.

SUMMARY OF WEEK 1:

As you can see, there have been some ups and downs during this week, but all told, I’d say it has been a very positive experience. I don’t think I have entered the “detox” phase yet, probably because I’m still eating too many cooked foods. I have noticed that I have had no cravings on days that I ate mostly raw, though – not even for dessert! Usually, I have strong cravings for something sweet at the end of the day, but not so this week. I hope that keeps up, because I really do feel like I need to cut down on unnecessary sugar. I’m also going to replace some of my cooked dinners with simple, raw dinners, because cooked foods just haven’t appealed to me the same way they used to. I’ve essentially decided that I’m going to eat mostly raw (except for ingredients that I am still finishing off), but if I want something cooked, I will go ahead and have it - no guilt. Each week I’ll explain a little about what I’ve been eating and how many meals have been raw. I will also take a “sample day” from that week and do a nutritional breakdown, so we can make sure I am getting all my necessary nutrients. I’m excited to kick it up a notch!

And to end today’s post, here is..

RACHEL’S RECIPE OF THE WEEK:

Okay, so maybe calling it a recipe is a bit of a stretch, but cut me some slack, I’m just getting started! In the raw world, there is this near-fanaticism about “green smoothies.” What is a green smoothie, you ask? It is a loose term for any smoothie that somehow incorporates vegetables, most commonly of the green leafy variety. Some people like thick, intense ones (such as Sarma’s Giant Thick Green Shake), while others simply add powdered superfoods supplements. I am somewhere in the middle. I tried Sarma’s, and it was quite tasty, but I determined that you really need a Vita-Mix because otherwise it is just too chunky (which goes against the entire concept of a “smoothie”). Nor can I afford supplements (and I prefer to get my nutrients from the veggies themselves, if possible), so I add a moderate amount of leafy greens to my fruity smoothies. Yes, they turn green. No, it does not taste like liquid salad. I am perfecting my Tropical Citrus Green Smoothie, which will likely be the next recipe. Enjoy!

Banana Berry Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or a mix) or fresh berries plus ice cubes
1 banana
1 Tbsp. protein powder*
1 Tbsp. flax meal
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, whole
Stevia (or sweetener of your choice), to taste
water or juice, as needed
1 bunch greens, washed and torn (spinach is my favorite, but it’s a good idea to mix it up!)

Instructions:

Add banana through Stevia to blender. Blend. Add water as needed to keep it moving. When it is smooth, add half the greens. Blend. Add the remaining greens. Blend until it is completely smooth. Taste, and add additional water, vanilla, or Stevia if desired. Pour into a large glass, and revel in the fact that you are about to drink more fruits and vegetables in one sitting than most people eat in a day.

Yields: ~40 ounces

*I am still using up my non-raw foods, so I used vanilla rice protein. Once it is out, I’ll be using hemp powder. If you don’t want to use any type of protein powder, I would suggest adding ground nuts or seeds. The protein helps you stay full longer, so the smoothie can be a full meal.

Today I embarked on a new journey: I’m transitioning to a raw food diet. This is more of an experiment than anything else. I love veganism (one of the best choices I’ve ever made), but recently I feel like my health hasn’t optimal: I’ve gained 10 pounds over the past year, I don’t sleep well, I’m low on energy, I get headaches daily, and I’m lacking mental acuity.

I realized that I needed to push my diet to the “next level,” but I didn’t know what that meant until my trip to San Francisco last week. Although I’d always been wary of raw food, we visited a restaurant called Cafe Gratitude in Berkeley. It is an (almost) all raw restaurant, and it totally changed my perspective on the diet. I had a “pizza” and the most amazing chocolate/banana/walnut cake. The food was delicious, but more importantly, I felt energized, light, and “sharper” than I had in a long time (which is saying a lot, because we were worn out from walking everywhere). I realized that a raw food diet doesn’t have to mean eating salad all the time, and that it had the potential to help me achieve a healthier, happier life.

I spent this past weekend acquainting myself with the basics by reading Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo and “The Easy Way to Get Started and Succeed with Raw Food” from www.kristensraw.com. I’m also lucky to have some supportive friends who have experience with raw foods (thanks Chels!). I have determined that, to start, I am aiming to eat 2 raw meals a day (as well as any snacks) with one cooked. If that goes well, then I will slowly increase the amount of raw food I eat. However, I have no intention of being strict, extreme, or even 100% raw (unless I end up loving it so much that I really want to) - I just want to find a healthy balance.

I have decided to start this blog about my journey into raw foods to maintain motivation and be a “progress report” of sorts. I also hope it will help anyone else who is interested in going raw. I’ll try to post daily to track what I eat, how it makes me feel, etc. Comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcome!