My Raw Adventure!
[ 21 January 2008 ]
Okay, I have received a lot of comments & emails asking me more about my adventures into the world of raw veganism! I wish I had started a “raw journal” like Steve Pavlina did — I decided not to because I’m not eating 100% raw, so it didn’t seem worthwhile. But the changes in my body & attitude have been really pronounced, so I’m kind of kicking myself over that!
Here is an average day of food:
Breakfast: Smoothie — typically chocolate protein powder, soy milk, frozen mixed berries, dark chocolate, ground linseeds & spinach. The best thing is that you can’t taste the spinach, it just makes it green & gives you a major energy boost! But I change my smoothies around a bit, sometimes I will squirt some honey in there or use soy ice-cream or something too.
Lunch: Guacamole (avocado, lime, onion, garlic, tomato, salt, pepper, chilli powder) & corn chips, or avocado & hummus on toast, or a whole lot of dark chocolate. Eeee!
Dinner: Salad. My salads aren’t very adventurous yet, mostly lettuce, tomato, cucumber, celery, croutons & balsamic vinegar, but I’ll get there!
After-dinner snack: Um… dark chocolate? Or cupcakes?!
I know that sounds kind of boring, but actually, I’m really enjoying it. Everything I eat tastes so good, it’s so fresh & makes me feel amazing. I would like a little bit more variety in terms of getting a bit of different crunch, etc., but I kind of need to get my hands on a raw (un)cookbook, & some crazy ingredients which are proving hard to find…
I have been detoxing since I started, & I’ve had lots of weird symptoms. Headaches at night (not drinking enough water during the day, naughty — when they occur I slug back about a litre of water & they disappear), tiredness (more naps during the day than usual, though that seems to have subsided now), constant hunger (which I am now learning is either not actual hunger or just because I need more fibre/fat in my diet), restlessness (I think from getting so much energy from my food). I’ve also noticed that when I go to bed, I fall asleep in seconds — this is wonderful because it usually takes at least five minutes for my mind to settle down & allow me to sleep. I also feel that the sleep I’m getting is very deep & very serene, & I wake up feeling pretty good. I have heard a lot about people eating raw who require a couple less hours of sleep than they used to, which I am totally looking forward to!
In general, things have been very mercurial. Moods are up & down, so is energy, though I have had some amazing moments (funnily enough, mostly on the days where I eat all raw) where I am TOTALLY blissed out, for hours at a time. It is absolutely incredible, indescribable. I have had times where I am basically a bundle of energy — in fact, I had so much energy the other day that I went & did a second work-out, just to burn it off. That has never ever happened before. Also, the more raw food I eat, the clearer my skin gets. I’m noticing that the things that seem like they might turn into spots have just been disappearing. Très cool!
My boyfriend & I have both noticed that our bodies are looking more toned & defined, & we’re not doing any extra exercise. We seem to be dropping that extra fat that covers up our muscles, which is SO AWESOME! It is more pronounced on him than it is on me, because he is eating way more raw food than I am. I am not doing this to lose weight, but I am all for looking toned-up!
Really, when you look at it logically, it makes sense. How could it possibly be bad for your body to subsist on lots of fresh, healthy produce from the earth?
At the moment we need to go food shopping. We usually go to Queen Victoria Market for fruit & vegetables, it’s the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere & really close to our house! Because we haven’t had a lot here, we’ve been going out & getting food elsewhere. I have also been having insane carb cravings recently. Yesterday & the day before I ate almost all cooked stuff (pasta, pizza, baked beans on toast, porridge) & it made me feel BAD. It was really unusual — usually I am one of those people who is cold all the time, but I think eating raw has warmed me up. All the cooked meals made me sweat; I actually had to stop eating to take a breath, as if I was eating a curry. It was really hard work to eat something that was so warm, & it also made me grouchy & sleepy. It also made my stomach hurt, & it made weird gurgling noises which are absent when I’ve been eating all raw.
This morning my boyfriend said I looked like I had been sweating all through the night, which I never usually do. On top of this, I had terrible dreams & woke up with a sore throat & aching body. Weird!
I am getting really sick of soy. I am actually starting to loathe the flavour of it, which is why I have stopped using soy ice-cream in my smoothies. It just tastes nasty. It’s crazy, I don’t know why that’s happening, but I guess I am going to have to start using rice milk (or something?) in my smoothies instead.
When I first went vegan (years ago) & told my parents, they laughed at me! They said, between hilarious gasps, “But you… (guffaw) don’t like… (wheeze) vegetables! (titter)” They thought they were so funny. HA! Anyway, they were right — when I first went vegan, I didn’t like vegetables. But I learned to appreciate them, & now I enjoy them. My aims with raw are to start liking fruit & working more nuts into my diet. I think the main reason I don’t like fruit is because it’s so messy, all those juices, argh! I am too much of a princess for my own good! I want to up my rawness too — the more raw I eat, the better I feel, so it makes sense to do it as much as I can.
I also found some sprouted bread in the supermarket, which states on the package that is “slowly & gently” baked, so I think we’ll buy that if ever we feel we need some bread yumminess.
I had a girl write to me recently & ask what I was doing when I went out to eat at restaurants. We haven’t done a lot of that yet, since we are doing our best to prepare everything here ourselves, but I think basically if I was picking off a menu, raw food would be my first choice, then vegan food, then vegetarian food, & if not that, then I’d just eat whatever was on offer. I don’t think being militant about it is particularly useful, & the last time I was vegan, there were about 2 places in Auckland that I could go to eat — quelle drag.
Most of the raw foodists that I’ve spoken to seem to believe that going raw isn’t about being hardcore & mental about it, but just doing the best you can every day. If you slip up & eat a hot dog or feel like you’re craving a steak, then it’s no big deal. Every day is a new day, & there’s no sense in beating yourself up over it. I love this approach. It removes that whole “being set up to fail” thing. I tend to think that the reality of this society is that it’s almost impossible to eat raw 100% of the time, unless you just stay in your house or are super-organised. I am not really interested in structuring my life around what I eat, so I choose to be more lenient & forgiving of myself.
So, I guess that’s where I’m at right now. I hope you found it interesting. Do you have any questions for me? Also, do you want me to start giving weekly updates on my rawness? I could start keeping a food journal if you’re interested… ?
Extra For Experts:
Give It To Me Raw is an awesome community which I’m finding super-helpful
“I’m Still Hungry” on the Give It To Me Raw forums.
Getting Raw: Ten Steps To The Raw Food Lifestyle
Authors@Google: Matt Amsden & David Wolfe — I find David Wolfe mad creepy but he is kind of an interesting speaker.
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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another amazing articlee.
you almost inspired me to go raw.
and im a big fan of cooked. :D
val — Hee, me too! I guess the thing I’m learning is that our connection to cooked food is emotional, & doesn’t serve to help us. The idea of warm food in winter is marvellous, but not necessary. Yesterday it was cold in Melbourne, & I was sweating while I ate porridge — I mean, that’s crazy!
That is very interesting!
I’ve just started a 30 day vegetarian plan, and I already feel better. I used to be vegetarian for a few years, but gave up due to the hassle (and my fussiness).
I think your point about every day being a new one is a great outlook. Once my 30 vegetarian days are up I want to keep being mostly vegetarian, but don’t want to be too strict.
And maybe I’ll incorporate more raw foods too :)
I think I might need to do this as well.
I find it hard to get to sleep at night (it can actually take me over an hour!), and I’ve been feeling like I lack energy lately, which isn’t good.
Heee, whenever my family offer me meat or fish and I remind them that I’m a vegetarian, they always laugh and say that vegetarians eat vegetables, and I eat mostly junk food :
It’s a funny thing to realize that I eat at least 50% raw…without realizing or caring about. Is just what I like and what is in my house!
I guess your culture is different than mine :p My country produces infinite amounts of amazing fruit and vegetables so my family eats loooots of it, and I love salads too. But I don’t see anything wrong on cooking stuff either…
Well, whatever, congratulations on all the good stuff this diet has given to you :)
thanks for this!
how do you make your smoothies? i have never had one before and im thinking about moving onto my next stage of my goal for this year, eating healthy. i thought i would start with healthy breakfasts.
sarah — We bought a blender, & I just chuck everything in there & turn it on! My boyfriend has much more interesting smoothies, he puts silverbeet & apples & limes & stuff in his. Crazy ;D
I was just about to compose an email to you inquiring about the status of your raw diet, but this post answers a good deal. Thanks! I’m glad you are finding it rewarding. Agreed, I don’t see how opting for the best fruits and veggies could be detrimental to anyone.
I’m so pleased this is working out for you, and I am totally jealous of your proximity to The Market (wish I had one so handy . . )
Dark chocolate for lunch, eh? ;-)
To up your salads to the next level try adding sliced almonds or pecans. Sliced avocado is nice too. So are berries or orange wedges (from those cute little seedless ones). Pick up a kitchen mandolin to thinly slice apples or pears and toss those in too. Mix flavors you never thought of as matching, you’ll be surprised. Currently I love having apple slices and hummus on crackers for lunch.
a fantastic dish to make is with rice vermicelli and veggies.
you need to cook the noodles and then get the veggies (I usually use broccoli, tomato and capsicum)and cook them in a saucepan with a little olive oil, some lemon juice, salt and pepper and fresh herbs. The juices from the tomato flavour everything and almost make a kind of sauce.
then pour over the noodles and eat :)
Hey Gala, this isn’t really a question as such, but I find it interesting to see what you’re eating & feeling as I would like to learn more about what my body needs/wants/thrives on!
I find that I really need iron (tablets don’t work) as I was vegetarian a few years back and no matter how much iron-filled veges I ate, I got REALLY sick & lost too much weight & had no energy etc. I still don’t eat a hell of a lot of red meat.
I have also noticed that I seem to have a mild intolerance to dairy, I get a sore tummy whenever I have coffee/milk/chocolate etc.
I guess I just need to work on my willpower & shopping skills!!! hehe.
x
Nadine — Oh, I forgot to mention that we’ve cut coffee & alcohol out of our diets, too. So the dark chocolate is basically my caffeine hit ;>
Natasja — Hmm, interesting. I’ve never been big on iron but I know that some women don’t seem to function without huge amounts of it. I take a multi-vitamin every day as well as omega 3 pills, otherwise I feel like my brain isn’t functioning, though admittedly it’s not as pronounced eating this way. You know, you could probably tap out that belief that your body needs iron :D That’s what I’d do, haha!
your approach is really inspiring
i tried getting started with raw over winter vacation, but i got these insane cravings and plus, holiday dinners are pretty mcuh unavoidable :/
and i pretty much forgot about it till now, but i think i’ll try to use the mindset of just doing the best i can right now :)
I don’t plan to go raw, or even vegan, (I love cheese way too much), but I know I need to start eating healthier. It’s just hard to figure out where to start.
I could do smoothies though. And I could learn to make sushi. Eat more fish. (Hard to do when your boyfriend hates seafood) I don’t even eat a lot of meat, really…hmmm…maybe this could be easier than I thought.
Much respect to you—you definitely have more discipline than I do.
when u said that u went raw… i thought u were going to eat raw meat and stuff (i guess i ignorantly thought that way, because uncooked produce and nuts and things are pretty common in my family, and i remember watching a documentary on a guy who “rot” his meat, and this cured ppl of all sorts of things)
well, the article was still interesting… congratulations on your new diet! and if u are ever going to eat uncooked/ “rotten” meat, i’d love to hear about it, as it seems very interesting yet frightening
good luck on your journey!
Jen — Hmm, I don’t know if it’s about discipline. You just have to have enough food to get you through the week, otherwise it would be really easy to go & buy a pie or something. Plus, it tastes good, so I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself or anything…
sandr+ — Hell no! No no no. I’m eating raw vegan, so (ideally) no meat or dairy products :> The idea of eating raw meat churns my stomach. Ugh!
Well done Gala – this is all very interesting. So no cooked vegetables either?
I really like the idea of going raw I pretty much eat raw all day until dinner anyways.
I would be very interested to see a food diary. I would love to have a steaky beak at your measurements too as you go along but I know you aren’t doing it to lose weight so you probably aren’t paying too much attention to stuff like that.
I also have to say I am very impressed that you aren’t going all stupid about it. It pisses me off when people are so precious about their diets that they won’t eat a damn slice of pizza.
Oh and do you think the ballet work outs are helping you lose the face from your muscles? Have you made it through a full one yet?
I really admire everything you’re doing in this diet, but goodness me gala-cake, I want to feed you some more lunch!!!
That said, overall this is just fantastic and I love keeping up with these changes you’re making!
When I first went vegan (years ago) & told my parents, they laughed at me! They said, between hilarious gasps, “But you… (guffaw) don’t like… (wheeze) vegetables! (titter)” They thought they were so funny. HA! Anyway, they were right — when I first went vegan, I didn’t like vegetables. But I learned to appreciate them, & now I enjoy them.
I can totally identify! I’ve been vegetarian for just over a month and a gay friend warned me that it’s akin to ‘coming out’ – telling your parents who raised you on the Sunday roast, chicken and chips, t-bone steaks and the like that you’re now batting for the vege team! It’s very true. My parents laughed at first, my mother fretted about family dinners and what to cook for two vegetarians, but they’ve embraced it. I was exactly like you, Gala. Hated vegetables and just ate the bare minimum to keep me going but I eat almost everything (tomato will take me a while, I think…) now and wouldn’t dream of going back!
Now all I need is to shrug off this dead weight I’m carrying and get back into exercise. It’s so hard to maintain a routine when the weather is so horrendously hot!
P
x
one of my favorite princess worthy fruits is the clementine orange…you can peel the whole rind in one easy piece, and the slices are baby sized for one-bite consumption. and vitamin C is the BLT for your skin— it brightens, lightens, and tightens!
For an alternative to soy milk, I find that almond milk is the best tasting compared to rice and hemp milk.
I’m considering going raw, I know for a fact that I need to get more veggies in my diet and it sounds like just what I need :D
hey Gala. i’m sure you’ve thought of this but make sure you go and get a blood test to ensure that you’re getting everything you need – iron, B vitamins, folate etc. i’m sure a vegan/raw diet is great in so many ways but you have to consider your long term health too!
Aww Gala you know what? This is just what I need to get my sluggish, yucky body into a kick-start back into health and energy.
I’m interested to see you do not classify honey as one of the things you avoid, being a vegan… Any reason why?
Much love and thanks, gorgeous long haired girl!
I agree with lcmo above me about checking your blood with a healthcare provider, just as a precaution.
I could never give up carbs, I love love love them too much. But if it makes you and your body happy than yay for you! :-) I wouldn’t mind hearing weekly/regular updates, but not so much a day-to-day diary.
I am a tad alarmed about the low amount of calories that are in this diet.. No wonder you and your man are losing weight and feeling more fit, you’re barely consuming 300calories a day…! As we are both recovered from eating disorders I suppose I noticed this and am concerned =(
i know that in the past you’ve suffered from an eating disorder and as a someone who has a eating disorder i’m somewhat concerned about your raw diet. it’s not that i have an issue with raw diets (i’ve been a vegetarian for more than 5 years & am a huge advocate of eating healthier, more organic, and less meat). i worry that you are not eating enough nor are you getting enough calories. according to your average day here’s how a guesstimate of how many calories you are eating (i went with the highest caloric amount to give you the benefit of the doubt):
breakfast: 250
lunch: 200-350
dinner: 250
snack: 200
total: 900-1050
while it differs for everyone the recommend daily amount of calories ranges between 1500 & 2000 (& since you are tall you’re probably closer to 2000 than 1500). so the reason you are hungry is not because you are lacking fiber but because you are in fact starving yourself. i would recommend reevaluating why you have chosen this raw food diet…
iris — I guess because I’m eating this way for my body’s good, & not primarily because of animal rights etc. Dairy & meat make me feel bad, ergo, I’m not eating them. Honey doesn’t seem to affect me, so I don’t mind!
erin lynne — I’m eating this way for health, not because I want to lose weight or starve myself. I eat until I’m full & then stop, but I’m also trying to break the habit of eating because I’m bored & not actually hungry. I probably need to incorporate more nuts into what I’m eating, but I’m feeling fine. I have been ice-skating & walking miles every day & I have energy to burn, so. It’s a learning process, I’m sure I’m not eating a perfectly balanced diet yet, but I’m getting there!
I was about to say what Iris said! I’d ask a nutritionist for advice if I were you. You’re not getting nearly enough calories, no wonder you are moody and hungry. There is no protein or fat in your dinner, and only a tiny amount of carbs (croutons) which makes it not really a meal at all.
I’m glad you are relaxed about not eating all-raw, all the time, but imposing any restrictions or rules on eating raises alarm bells for me, esp when you’re not that long out of a long-term eating disorder. Make sure you take care of yourself, love!
Oh! Also, make sure you take a B12 supplement every day, it’s a really important vitamin that you don’t get with a vegan diet. And being permanently deficient sucks :-(
erin lynne — & your calculation of my lunch is totally wrong… I’m actually getting about 800 calories from that meal alone (HALF a bag of Doritos !! + avocado).
Another fabulous article & im glad that your Raw
diet is doing wonders for your body/energy!!!
On thursday i made a huge life change and became
a vegetarian :-D im rather proud of myself and
have been feeling so much more happy & energised
tho have been feeling rather hungry
_In a couple weeks i will be making the jump to
Vegan, im just trying to “wean” my tastebuds on
to soy because honestly, i think it tastes like
dirt…
I think a Raw Diary is a fab idea.. you could
perhaps.. make 1 day a week Raw Day and give
us a recap of your week.. what you ate, what you
did etc..
x o x Emma x o x
Okay… kittens.
My boyfriend would like me to mention that he is super-fit (never sick & runs half-marathons regularly etc.), & he is eating enough to be full every day & he is also getting moody. He knows the difference between being hungry-moody & being regular moody, & this isn’t hunger, or even regular, it’s irrational. Totally different — because we’re detoxing. We are researching this stuff a lot & everything we’re experiencing is consistent with other people’s experiences of the detoxing period.
Also, we are not moody ALL the time… jeez! Look at my website for proof! :P It’s just that we have had the occasional bout, which is unusual for us, since we are usually peace love & mung-beans most of the time :D It has happened a couple of days out of 3 weeks, not too bad.
Thank you everyone for your concern but I swear, we are okay! We don’t have eating disorders! I have dealt with all that stuff thoroughly, it is never going to come back, I am a totally different person now. I know that on a deep level.
That being said, I would love to pick the brain of a raw specific nutritionist sometime. If anyone has any recommendations, please flick ‘em my way!
Oh and I read erin lynne’s comment and I think it’s so lovely that everyone is concerned for your health Gala but I would like to make the point that erin lynne doesn’t know the quantities of what you are eating and also doesn’t seem to be taking into account the fat content. Things like soy milk and avacado have heaps good fats in them and it sounds like you are getting plenty of those. I agree that you should be careful with restricting your diet but as long as you feel great, eat enough and mix it up a little I think you are doing fine…
Also if you used to have an eating disorder you are probably no stranger to calorie counting and if you were starving yourself there are plenty of foods on your daily menu that you certainly wouldn’t eat…
:-)
Ha ha! We commented the same at the same time!
Good luck to both of you I think it sounds healthy and great! :-)
go for it babe!! i would love to do it, but i think i need to find some more alternative salads first because i HATE lettuce and rocket, and one can only each so much baby spinach!! i have a great carrot salad which i shall send your way, full of yummy veggies and topped with nuts and currants. ooh i get hungry just thinking about it!!
Also, i have a huge appetite, i’m only 14 and i eat more than my dad(eek). Don’t ask me why i’m not the size of a house(my mum reckons i’m so tall it just goes staight into my legs. haha.
have fun and bonne chance!!
I’m thinking of doing that but keeping toast.
I need toast lol
Also be careful with the dark chocolate. I used to love it then I did a detox and I ate alot of it and totally overdosed and now I ca’t eat it without feeling ill which is very sad cos it was one of my favourite things. (i did the same with nuts)
Sorry for flooding the comments but one question I do have about this is how are you finding the cost difference?
I imagine it’s alot more expensive to eat so much fresh food.
Wow! You know, I started off reading this article assuming that it would be near impossible for me to go raw but by the time I reached the end, I decided that I am definitely going to give it a shot. I mean, like you said I don’t have to be hardcore about it, I am just going to try my best. I will just incorporate a more raw food into my diet. Very inspiring Gala. Thank you.
Gosh! I am so excited that you are so into this! This is amazing! It’s great that you’re spreading the positive message!
As for soy, yeah, that stuff isn’t so good for you. Try almond milk instead. You might also be able to find hemp seed milk, or hazlenut milk. I make my own almond milk—yum!!
I know what you mean about the soy taste; I’m lactose intolerant and I went berserk when I found out I’d be drinking that stuff for the rest of my life.
But there is hope; Freedom foods Australia’s Own Malt-Free soy milk.
fanfare
It has a very mild, fresh flavour, has a light consistency, and leaves no aftertaste.
It is my saviour.
If you want good soy icecream, check out Yumbo’s juice bar near Barkly Square on Sydney Rd, Brunswick. Their dark chocolate soy icecream is heavenly and hasn’t got the icky soy aftertaste, though it’s pretty expensive (around $10 for 1/2 L)
Your new diet sounds delicious and exciting! I really hope you keep getting benefits from it. Some of the effects, such as more energy and clearer skin, sound very worthwhile, and I’d try this myself if I lived on my own!
By the way, I checked your Twitter yesterday and saw what you’d written about having cinnamon porridge for breakfast; it sounded so delicious that I went straight off and made some for myself!
This is so very interesting. I’ve been thinking for a while now about going organic or raw, but I always think it takes a lot of discipline. I definitely want to start eating healthier though, and this is just the inspiration I need to start incorporating healthy eating habits! And having so much more energy and better skin is a bonus!
I hate vegetables yet you made breakfast, lunch and dinner sound so YUMMY!
I once went on a no processed sugar kick and I even noticed amazing things simply out of that. So hearing about raw food is making me want to start eating healthy again.
On a side note check out www.fooch.com.au I’ve been getting their headbands etc… for the past two years as presents from my family and thought you might be interested. Especially with the gorgeous new hair, I’m so happy they have a second place in Perth!
Bec — Hard to say because we’re not really keeping track, but it is much cheaper than eating out every night, which is what we used to do ;D I think for most people though, meat is a major expense, so eating more vegetables is far more cost effective.
Purple Proze — I used to like soy, I had no problem with it! But I guess now I am eating so much of it that it is really driving me nuts. I think I will look into almond milk, or that malt-free stuff. Do you buy it from a healthfood store or just a regular supermarket?
Alice — Hee! It was really tasty but it made me sweat like mad & I felt really awful afterwards. Boo!
Jess — Haha! Well, thank you ;D It all tastes really good to me! I think the idea isn’t that it’s all flavourless beans & soggy brussel sprouts, really it should be about crisp fresh juicy abundant flavour & super-energy!
Gala, do you have a recipe for the smoothies or something? I’d love to try it, but am afraid I’d make it too spinachy or linseedy!!! But this is an inspiring article. =)
sora — Here’s how I do it.
* Two scoops of protein powder * A handful (ish) of frozen mixed berries * About a row & a half of chocolate (from king-sized block), aka maybe 7 pieces * Enough soy milk to fill a big glass * A tablespoon or two of ground linseed powder * Then fill to the top of the blender with spinach :D !!!!!!
It’s a maaaajor spinach hit but it will keep you going for a LONG time!
Oh, & remember to wash your spinach! I just buy a bag of baby spinach leaves from the supermarket, & that lasts for many smoothies!
Oh, if you like baby spinach leaves Gala you should absolutely try them as a salad base instead of lettuce! I used to have mesculin lettuce salads all the time but I switched to baby spinach leaves yonks ago because I find they taste even better! Just another way to get more of the super-food that is spinach into your diet. :) x
Many people don’t realize this, but honey is a lot worse for your body than balanced, natural sugars. Since you are obviously excited about the healthy results that you’re getting from eating raw, I thought I would bring it up, since it’s a pretty easy product to cut out of your diet.
Honey is a food that has literally already been digested and regurgitated by another living being. Bees produce it by consuming and vomiting the nectar and chewing it down over and over again. Aside from any vegan arguments (I’m not vegan, and I’m not attempting to preach on that side of the topic), honey is just a poor substance to put in your body. Due to its nature, it’s not very well received by the digestive system, and many other problems can arise from it being an unbalanced sugar.
Just as with alcohol, honey, being predigested, enters the blood directly, raising the sugar content very rapidly above normal. To correct this, the pancreas must produce insulin immediately, and often more insulin than necessary is produced, dropping your blood sugar level to below normal. When blood sugar is below normal, a person will feel depressed, and regular use of honey can create constant imbalances, which in turn may adversely affect the normal function of the liver, pancreas, and spleen.
Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are the results of the use of unbalanced sugars. All natural fruits and vegetables have balanced sugars in them, which aren’t dangerous to your health. Natural maple syrup and sugar cane juice is also perfectly fine :)
At the least, I figured you would find this information interesting!
Gala, while I admire your honesty and enthusiasm, I have my concerns about the raw food fad (yes, I do consider it a fad, although for some people it’s more like a cult).
I just finished culinary school and part of the requirements are nutrition & food safety, so trust me when I say I know something about this.
Part of “cooking” raw foods is not heating anything over about 110 degrees Farenheit. Well, bacteria thrive in the “danger zone”, 40- 140 degrees F. So the raw crackers & stuff are festering in the range where food is most likely to make you sick. Grains & sprouts have protein; anything with high protein is especially attractive to bacteria.
The reason the raw foodists don’t “cook” anything over that temperature is because cooking supposedly kills the enzymes. Well, the human body is pretty amazing; it uses the food to make the enzymes we need during digestion. The plant enzymes that are only in raw food are killed by your stomach acid and do nothing. They are there for the plant’s benefit.
For me, on a gut level, there are three reasons I dislike the raw fad: #1: I just do not trust the raw foodists I’ve met and seen. When they start on about it, they get that fervent gleam in their eyes that I associate with religious nuts. No offense to YOU, Gala. You don’t sound that way- but many of them do. #2: Being a cook, I balk at any type of spuper restrictive diet. Did you know that the French consider any self- imposed dietary restrictions to be super rude? I know I for one get ambarassed if I am out to dinner and someone I’m dining with has 100 special requests for their food. I mean, come on- there are other people in the world. The chef has put some thought into the food and is probably insulted by any requests to change their vision. When I worked at a Chinese restaurant, anyone who oredered a dish “no soy” was ridiculed by the entire kitchen staff. I mean- it’s CHINESE food; it all has soy! (a slight generalization, but you get my drift.) #3: I have known sooo many people who used veganism, etc. as a way to cover up an eating disorder. I know you are over it, but it’s just in the back of my mind any time someone tells me they are vegan.
Anyway, I know this comment went on waaay too long- sorry! But I hope you understand I am not attacking you, I just want you to know there are 2 sides to this raw thing. It’s no miracle cure- all.
P.S. Since you are eating mostly vegan, I hope you are eating quinoa; it’s got iron and is a complete protein. (I would say I hope you are eating spirulina, but I wouldn’t wish that crap on my worst enemy!)
Felicity — I do sometimes use spinach as a salad base, it’s delicious! It does leave a kind of weird residue on my teeth though, so it’s nicer for me to have in a smoothie :>
LP — Hmm, that’s interesting! I use so little honey that I don’t think it is going to be a problem for me — I have had maybe two smoothies with honey in them & don’t find it affects the taste that much. AFAIK honey is a “super food”, I found this on Wikipedia:
“Honey is the richest source of healing enzymes that increases reflexes, increases mental alertness and even increases IQ! Some types … have been shown to have anti fungal, antibiotic and antiviral effects.”
But it’s good to have the information, so, thank you!
Ruth — Hmm, well, I do agree that fanatics of any kind are pretty scary! I try not to be too freaked out by it though, because I realise that most of those people are just excited because whatever they’re pushing is something that’s changed their life in a fairly major way. I understand that but don’t let it colour my experiences :> & I also agree that people who are picky in restaurants are a drag! I am not into going into restaurants & rearranging the menu to suit my purposes — that’s why I eat at home! When we went out for breakfast, for example, Simon had eggs florentine & I had porridge — straight off the menu. Though I don’t think food fussiness is restricted only to raw foodists, I know lots of people who will go nuts if their steak isn’t cooked “correctly” or whatever… I can understand how that can be infuriating for those of you in the kitchen! & finally, yes, some people do use veganism to hide eating disorders, but really I think that in that case, what they’re eating (or not eating) is the least of their worries. The problem is the eating disorder, not the stuff they’re eating. So, in summary, I agree with you, but in a wider sense :>
You can get all sorts of goodness from honey and it has good anti bacterial properties (hospital in the u.k were actually testing it out against infected wounds and it cleared post op patients quicker than conventional medicine). Manuka honey is the best you can buy.
Also i agree with you on soya, i am allergic to dairy so we drink on rotation:
Vanilla flavoured Rice Dream & Oat milk. Oat milk is gorgeous and creamy, and well, vanilla rice dream makes the perfect hot chocolate with pure cocoa that you don’t even need to add sugar.
Reading this has made me think about eating only raw too…it’s something i have thought about a bit before but it just seems so scary!
I would love if you kept a food diary…would be so interesting.
Stupid question maybe…...canned tuna is okay to eat?Although i guess thats actually cooked and then left to go cold…....Just wondered how a person who didn’t like sushi would get there omega 3/protein from?
wow.. people are quite moved by your new diet. while i could probably never be persuaded to try a raw food / vegan diet.. you have inspired me to make a smoothie for breakfast.. a step in the right direction for an avid breakfast skipper like myself.
Wow what a response! I love all the discussion, so very thrilling!
-I’m so glad you’ve posted this Gala and the links..
Had some questions:
-With being vegan, eating organic and going raw..it seemd a little overwhelming, how do you know where to start? I read the 10 tips and will be taking them into account definetly, but wanted to know how you attacked it in a do-able way: I can imagine eating so much raw food organic would be quite important but do you know if there are some vegies its better to eat organic than others?
- with de-toxing what do you mean exactly? Im assuming cutting out the caffeine plus the raw food diet, as mentioned above? or is it more in-depth? is this part of the raw diet necessarily or just part of your whole eating healthy goal?
- also i have nooo idea about calories/nutritional fats and stuff like that..how do you keep track of that? Do you really feel you have to? I mean I remember theres lots of people out there who never count calories/nutritional information & have quite unhealthy lifestyles but use to point the finger at me about nutrition when I was vegetarian…
- I think a food journal is a good idea, maybe with your daily outfits or something? like: today I wore these amazing christian louboutin shoes etc and I ate a matching blueberry smoothie…lol :)
Sorry for so many questions I just find it so fascinating.. am considering vegan/vegetarian/more raw lifestyle..so very interested to hear progress from someone I trust and can relate to
raw powah!!
superlove &raw cupcakes to galadarling.hehe
xxoo
hey gala!
there is a woman named elissa cohen who is all about the raw food diet. i have seen her on a few tv shows preparing different foods using raw ingredients and have to say, they look pretty amazing. i have been wanting her book for a long time but have not yet got around to buying a copy, so i can’t personally recommend it. however, she does have a few recipes on her website! (http://www.alissacohen.com) i think the mock salmon pate sound amazing! as does almond milk (i love almonds!), which would probably be really nice in your smoothies!
i am already a vegetarian and have been for a very long time, i was vegan a few years ago and have been considering going back to it & also trying to eat mostly raw, so i am excited to see how it turns out for you, but i really like you approach to it and not 100% restricting yourself and taking it one day at a time. i think that was my problem last time i went vegan, i restricted myself so much that eventually i just caved and ate a bowl of ice cream!
if it werent for bacon and cheese i would probably make a fairly decent vegetarian… instead i just try to pay attention to what i’m eating and reduce the bad foods as much as possible. lately though i’ve been eating a rediculous amount of raw foods! i think it has more to do with the very cheap price of blueberries and baby tomatoes than anything else but it does make me feel better and i’m feeling less hungry at night which is great!
a raw journal or some raw entries would be interesting as i struggle with salads and smoothies too and just tend to eat raw foods on their own straight from the bag :)
For really interesting, SUPER YUMMY salads, use either spinach leaves or mesculun lettuce, and put things like cucumber, capsicum, tomato, onion (spring or red), avocado, rew carrots and celery. Sprinkle some nuts through for protein, I like walnuts, cashews or pinenuts best.
And for your smoothies, try making juices instead, just using a standard blender. Even if you only do it for a while, it will give you a break from all that soy!
“I think for most people though, meat is a major expense, so eating more vegetables is far more cost effective.”
My own experience (living in Sweden, so your experience may very well differ) is quite the opposite. Fruits, vegetables and nuts are very expensive. Meat, if you require high quality, fresh, and the finest cuts, is also expensive, but few people eat biodynamically raised and ecologically fed free range speciality bred fillet mignon seven days per week. Even the ‘ok’ quality vegetables, however, are as expensive or more expensive than the ‘ok’ quality meat products. Since we started eating a lot less meat, and a lot less junk, our food expenses have gone up. We manage to keep them somewhat the same only because we stock large quantities of vegetables that keep fresh long (e.g. root vegetables), because we have weekly meal plans and thus work around what’s cheap, and we keep a price book for optimum shopping. I’m looking forward to finishing my vegetable garden this spring so there’ll be at least some relief from the draining expense that is fresh vegetables.
I agree with Ruth’s commentary on the “other side” of raw foodism…I don’t believe at all that eating cooked meals “intoxicates” you, is insane! There’s a reason why humans have been eating cooked stuff since forever…is not like I’m saying that you should eat cooked stuff only, 50-50 raw-cooked is a good ratio I think, since raw things natural and healthy, specially fruits.
Well, I hope you don’t get fanatical; like this statement (which is incredibly ridiculous):“Some advocates of raw foodism claim that amenorrhea may be a normal condition of fertile women, and that indeed menstruation as most women experience is neither natural nor healthy, but a consequence of intoxication due to unnatu[ral cooked diets.” (for god’s sake, dogs have menstruation too, not amenorrhea! I have a dog so I know xD)
If you want to eat out, try eating at Lentil as Anything – vegan and vegie food, and delicious! Their system is karma based, where you pay whatever you “feel” like for you meal. They have 3 restuarants – one in St Kilda off Acland St, one in Brunswick on Syndey Rd and one in Collingwood at the Abbortsford Convent.
http://www.lentilasanything.com/
I HIGHLY recommend this place if you’re in Melbourne and wanting something wholy vegan/vegitarian that also is for a good cause.
The protein powder you’re using—is it soy-based? I’m trying to find good non-soy sources of protein for smoothies. Soy has been too challenging for me to digest well. Nuts, too—they have to be fresh-roasted before I can eat them. I had found a whey protein powder, but then I had to watch out for sources of D and found I needed to stop using it. Just about everything in the U.S. is supplemented with D—even our Rice & Almond milk, and I’m currently toxic for it. I did try a couple of different rice protein powders, but they were gritty and yucky tasting. Suggestions would be really appreciated.
I don’t know if I’m cut out for the raw-food experience, but I’m impressed by your spirit. Sharing your dietary adventures is good incentive for me to really find out what works for my body. (Now, the dark chocolate…that I have NO PROBLEM with!)
On the fruit front:
You should start with a banana. Bananas are friendly, lovable fruit and they aren’t juicy at all. Have maybe one, wait a day, have another, so on, until you like the taste. Try pure yellow bananas, spotted, etc. If you don’t like the taste, move on to berries (these are usually fairly unpresuming) like strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, lingonberry (if you can find it, it’s great) etc. Also you might enjoy cantaloupe.
Why so much dark chocolate? I love it too, but if I had it 3 times a day I’d get sick of it.
Lately I’ve been considering a raw food diet (or a dramatic increase in the amount of raw food in my diet) as the claims made by raw foodists make the diet seem incredible. However, as a scientist, many of the claims just didn’t seem to add up (ie. the body needs enzymes present in food to aid digestion is not true – enzymes present in foods are present for the sake of the plant, and even if they could aid human digestion they are broken down once they reach the stomach. The human body is perfectly capable of producing and using its own enzymes for the digestion of food). I recently discovered the website www.beyondveg.com and have found it to be a great resource for learning more about the diet. I would definitely recommend that anyone considering a raw diet poke around the website and read some of the articles.
I don’t mean to be terribly nit-picky, but honey is not vegan.
However, very interesting read.
Hey I this is my first comment on ur site and I love your site! I was reading you’re post there about Raw Food/Healthy Eating and thought you might like to check out this site:http://www.drgillianmckeith.com/
Shes quite famous here in the UK shes has shows on Channel 4 about her eating plan and has published many books,of which I have one. I just thought you might find her website interesting shes not total raw food but she does stress a superhealthy website and excericse regime.I personally only go walking as I am actually underweight for my age;I just follow her recipes which are yum!
The whole raw thing is really interesting. I’ve been giving it a try myself for the last 3 or 4 days eating 2 out of 3 meals raw or mostly raw.. didn’t realise how many things are cooked or toasted, from nori to cocoa powder. Before I was eating a vegetarian diet which didn’t involve ANY raw foods pretty much apart from the occasional avocado and tomato salad, since I never cared for fruit or salads much.
I’m feeling really good now. Lots of energy- though that might be down to my getting a regular fructose hit, so I might try to focus on greens a bit more- but the best thing is that even after such a short time I’ve noticed a big lift in my moods (which haven’t been so great lately due to the cold dark winter weather here) and an improvement in my concentration. Pretty decent for 3 or 4 days if you ask me! I’ll probably stick at it a while longer, since it’s dead easy. I even made raw strawberry pie! It was amazin.
Hi Gala! Pardon me for being naive…but isn’t toast cooked? I’m very confused!
i try to eat mostly vegan and incorporate a lot of raw foods into my diet. however, i work in a coffee shop and am totally addicted to my morning quad-shot soy latte.
& alcohol…i’m turning 21 in 15 days…haha.
it’s hard for me to envision myself going completely raw because of my addiction to things like thai food & sake once a week and dim sum every first sunday of the month; little traditions with me and my friends. food is a social activity and eating 100% raw makes it nearly impossible to eat out or enjoy food with others.
also, i think a 100% raw diet is only sustainable for people with more money than me (student/barista/gogo dancer: always scrounging for quarters to eat). fruit is mad expensive!!! especially when it is a huge component of your diet. when i went raw for a week i spent so much of smoothie ingredients. machines like juicers, food processors, dehydrators, and good blenders are essential for getting all your nutrients and being psychologically satisfied in the long run. one cannot live off smoothies and salads forever.
I know what you mean. I feel SO good after I’ve eaten a really nice salad. It’s what I have when I want an energy boost.
To be honest I find the idea of a 100% raw food diet a bit too much but it’s good to eat lots of fresh stuff alongside.
thank you for the update on your raw diet. i’ve never haerd of this type of diet and it has encouraged me to try it. thank you.
I don’t want to be a raw foodist, but I wish I had the money to even consider eating healthier!
I love fruit ($$$$!), but it’s not very filling for me. In fact, I find that apples make me ravenous after only an hour or two! I stay away from them… but I guess I could be a bottomless pit for something as delicious as pineapple, hehe.
I think I want to try your smoothie recipe though, Gala. Frozen berries are quite affordable :D .. Well, at least I’m making an effort, thanks to some inspiration from iCiNG ~
Hey Gala, this website for the Vegan society looks like it has some really good information on your daily nutritional requirements (www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/) and foods you can get them from, lots of which you could eat raw. Since you are eating a quite different diet to what you ate before it would probably be a good idea to weigh your food portions for a while (just however much you are already eating) and check if you are getting enough of all the essentials. Wouldn’t want you to get any deficiencies and get sick!
For all the folks thinking about expense: it’s pretty much universal that pound for pound (or whatever your measurement system is!) that fresh produce is cheaper than meat. And you have to ask yourself, how much is your health worth?
I’m definitely considering more raw foods (I am a huge fan or my juicer already, nom nom!)... and I am moving in with a nutritionist in a few weeks – exciting food adventures ahead!
I’ve found that when I take in so much soy milk/other soy products that I get sick of it, a piece of raw ginger thrown into the blender (sometimes my dad and I make our own soy milk and tofu, haha) works really well to make it more refreshing and less nauseating to the taste.
As for the almond milk recommendations, all I have to say is that it’s quite yummy!
Oh, and about honey: I find it actually helps my blood sugar issues when I have a teaspoon or two in my tea every morning, so I guess the unbalanced sugar thing varies from person to person…
Hi Gala,
I just want to add to the girl earlier who mentioned iron. For me, it was something I (a non-meat-eater) never thought about, and figured was fine because I eat tons of leafy greens.
WRONG!!
A year ago—after eating more and more healthily—I started to feel randomly tired, listless or just “blah” for no apparent reason. I was sleeping fine and had no major stressors…of course, it turned out that I needed more iron in my system! My doctor recommended time-released iron (it’s called ferrous sulphate; I take the Slow-Fe brand) and it truly worked like a charm. I’d thought it was all in my head…thank goodness it wasn’t!
Also, if you’re looking for more fiber without having to eat raw beans—uck—try and see if your farmer’s market has any sprouted grains. I bought a baggie of sprouted grains & legumes from an adorable little Asian lady and they are FABULOUS and chewy-but-not-bothersome in salads, etc.
Love and luck! -rr
funny you should mention raw foods, Gala!
i used to do food prep/manage a raw food cafe for about a year. In doing so, i became fairly knowledgeable & read a whole bunch about raw foods. I really dig green for life – its a book by victoria boutenko about green smoothies. check it out!
if you have any questions, let me know – i’ve got a good chunk of knowledge stored.
xoxoox
I love eating raw for breakfast. A fresh fruit salad containing strawberries, pineapple, and bananas is my all time favorite. I also LOVE blueberries when they are in season, I was raised on them. I would really like to hear more about your experiences with this diet, because it has been a bit of an inspiration with mine. I am currently vegetarian with a love of trying new foods.. raw doesn’t fit with my lifestyle at the moment, but it may someday. I hope you post some of your favorite recipes, I love to cook and prepare food.
and the david wolfe video (I watched the whole thing) made me want to eat chocolate.
Raw food may be cheaper than meat but it isn’t cheaper than packaged foods. I.e beans, pasta etc
Man oh man!! First off, I don’t get why people are giving you crap over this… what could be healthier than eating fruits and veggies!? XD And its not like you’re preaching about animal rights or something such as that… you’re just talking about whats been working for you!
Secondly, thank you!! I was considering going vegan for a year or so (I’m already a vegetarian) and this article is very helpful… most the articles I’ve read that talk about veganism don’t make it seem realistic… this one shows how conventional and actually easy it is.. not to mention fun! :D
Aussi, I was wondering:
a. What kind of “chocolate protein powder” do you use… is a milk chocolate based or cocoa based? I’m just trying to find something other than those slim fast smoothie mixes
cookie — I am going to do a piece on changing your diet soon so hopefully that will help you if you want to learn more! But basically, detoxing is just the process of going from one thing to another, & often there are side effects. Like if you do a juice fast or something, your body reacts to it while it purges all the nasty stuff. & at the moment I am not counting calories or anything, I never have & I’m not very interested in doing so. I am just trying to get as many dark green vegetables into my diet as possible, trying to get decent fats (avocado, nuts etc.) & eating when I’m hungry & then stopping when I’m full!
Noel — Yup, toast is cooked, just like honey isn’t vegan. I am not perfectly 100% raw vegan yet! I’m still transitioning.
Chick — Thank you for that link, totally helpful! Mwah!
dayna — Thanks for your support, cutie! I’m actually just using a generic protein powder which is whey based, ew. I bought it before I considered going back to vegan land! Someone on a raw forum told me that they use cacao powder & hemp powder to make their own version of a protein powder :> Though I am going to write an article soon on how to change your diet, because it can be tricky!
miss gala, might i suggest annies goddes dressing with some very tasty spinach?
Morning Gala!
I’m severely lactose intolerant and I drink Rice milk. It’s pretty good when you first open the carton, but if you don’t consume the carton in like four days it starts to get a funky after-taste and after seven days the milk has definitely gone sour.
I’ve been thinking about going on a raw food diet for awhile. I’ve brought it up to some of my close friends and I don’t know. They haven’t been entirely supportative, neither have my parents. In Canada, we ate alot of meat and comfort foods ( like potatoes and peas) in the winter time, and fresh fruits are pretty much reserved for spring and summer because of our climate. But I’m going to try it anyways, it’s my body not theirs. lol
ps – If you haven’t yet, I would suggest a book called ‘The 100 Mile Diet’ it’s about these two Canadian authors who ate food grown only within a 100 miles of their studio apartment in British Columbia. It’s a really interesting read all about over coming food obstacles, and the importance of trying to eat as many locally grown foods as possible. :3
Yum, wonderful post! I’ve tried to encorperate more raw food since the first time you mentioned it (not nearly as much as you, though). I’ve found out that I suck at making smoothies… but I think it may be the blenders fault…
As far as raw food goes, I love avocado! I could live on the stuff! I found that guacamole is the perfect raw dip, I use it as a dip for veggies and a salad dressing. I eat a lot of seeds and nuts too, I bought some raw peanut butter (almost raw, I added honey) and it’s great with fruits dipped in it. I’ve been eating dehydrated fruit as a snack, as well. They sell dehydraters in the store, but I’m not going all raw so I don’t want to fork up the cash, but I hear there are a lot of raw recipes that uses them.
My problem with giving up raw food is I find that not eating bread is too much of a stretch. Plus I’m having a tea party next weekend and theres no way I’m going to serve my guests only raw food! But I have felt very… diffrent since I’ve worked more raw into my diet. I feel like I can taste my food better now, as strange as that sounds…
Gala, Darling, that sounds wonderful and intriguing, especially the bits about your blissed-out periods and better sleep, but I was horrified at your dinner having just salad vegetables and no complex carbs except croutons! (Also on the days you just have dark chocolate for lunch.) No wonder you feel hungry! I’m one of those people who has to eat lunch, hungry or not, or I get weird and dizzy in the afternoon, and if I have a bowl of soup, or some fruit, without any bread, it still happens. I know fruit and veg is marvellously nutritious and everything, but energy is not what it does best. It’s even in the Home Ec book :)
(And. Um. I’m not saying you have an eating disorder. I’m just saying maybe you could do with a bit more food, from a not-being-hungry perspective.)
Gala, i reallyreally enjoy reading this entry. Food and nutrition are of very high interest to me, and i can’t help buy wanted to eat more raw/vegan after reading your entries. There’s a bar that i found at a local supermarket, I’m not sure if it’s sold outside the US but its called a Larabar and its absolutely delicious. I think I might start eating them for breakfast! They’re vegan, soy free, raw and high in fiber. I had one today that was made with cherries, dates and almonds (and those are the only ingredients!). Here’s the website if you’d like to check them out (I’d be happy to send you a few, if you can’t get them) larabar.com .
Also, I would like to read some “food diaries” of your raw/vegan/yummy food adventures if you’re interested in including them into the icing bowl.
& about honey — consuming local bought honey can help reduce allergies, which i find very interesting!
♥ ivory
Also I can’t wait to read your article about “how to change your diet” I’m currently struggling to completely overhaul and revamp mine at the moment, but I just can’t get the motivation to actually do it.
Hi gala,
Just a quick note – I dont usually like to post comments but i absolutely love your blog. :)
My mother has a copy of a raw foods book she is always raving about
http://www.amazon.com/Rawsome-Maximizing-Health-Culinary-Delight/dp/1591200601
I hope this can help you with your raw food menu. I have another book about organic skincare by the same author and she seems fairly good.
Good luck
Abbey
Dear Gala,
In light of your new raw adventuring, you really must come to New York City!
Although I no longer adhere to a vegan or raw food diet (I recently found I was terribly allergic to soy), I still frequent Caravan of Dreams in St. Mark’s Place. Their Classic Nachos (chips, black bean chili, guacamole, salsa, and vegan sour cream), is to die for!
Also, Babycakes in the L.E.S. is quite delicious. Although it’s not raw, it is vegan and gluten free. My favorite is the red velvet, though I’m not sure it’s worth the $3+ per cupcake.
Best wishes,
Rachel
P.S. There’s also a wonderful vegan bakery in St. Mark’s that’s been around since the 70s. I’d grab a cookie and head over to the anarchist bookshop if I were you. I am far too in love with my city…
Gala Gala Gala!
Have you gone to goneraw.com? I was inspired by your post and started looking up raw foodstuff and this site is great! Everyone shares their recipes – and what I discovered from looking at the site and that you can basically throw almost anything together, and it will taste good. That’s not necessarily so with cooked/meat foods! Crazy awesomeness.
Hey gala… how is the Raw diet going? Are you gonna be kind enough/unbusy enough to give us a few more updates on what you’re eating & feeling?
I just read the comment about how you sweated while eating porridge… it’s so weird, cos when I was in Sydney this random guy came up & started talking to me on the beach about my Chinese horoscope.
He told me all this (weirdly accurate)stuff about my personality, family etc… then mentioned that I should focus on gentle exercise that doesn’t make me sweat as much for example Yoga, Swimming, etc.
Because apparently (?!) they believe sweating too much makes your skin lose essential moisture that can’t be replaced fully even if you drink lots of water, use products etc… which leads to premature ageing.
Anyway I thought that might be interesting but now I realise I have rambled. Hahah!
Hey! First of all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the site, I discovered it a few days ago through Google when I was looking for Edie Sedgwick fashion tips, great work on that article by the way! I find your experiments like this so interesting, you’ve just inspired me to try eating raw for a few days, it will be one of my weekly resolutions, haha. I think you should continue to update us on your raw adventure! Thanks! By the way, I just love the way you write, not boring, funny, and you totally relate to all your topics! : )