So how am I feeling? my readers ask

Breakfast today was a spinach-acai-mango smoothie with a touch of cilantro.  I have so many people following this blog (lol) - well just the ones that count! I was asked how am I feeling since I started the Raw diet almost 5 weeks ago. Let me list the Pros and Cons of what I have been going thru for you...


PROS:

• Hmm..the biggest PRO - I GO POTY NOW! I swear I was in a new evolutionary phase when I was born as I never, ever go! One month on this diet and I go everyday with no senekot - woo-hoo..those that know me know how huge of an issue this was for me!
• I love fruit - and I eat lots of fruit!
• I eat all I want (lots of volume) - If I am hungry I eat more
• Lots of variety actually especially when you get some raw recipes books
• I have met some really awesome and cool people online
  

CONS:

• Detox symptoms - I was so tired the first few weeks but I think my RA was flaring as I had bad joint pain too
• No sourdough toast (well I dont seem to crave it now though) - should'nt have it anyways right?
  Eating out is HARD to do - You have to plan to bring your raw stuff with you if you go somewhere
• I still have to cook for my family who eats meat and other stuff I wont touch anymore - though I am getting more veggies and fruit in them now ( but this means I make two meals one for me, one for them)

I cannot really say if this diet has helped my RA, as I started back on my enbrel two weeks ago and I think that is helping. I am off prednisone now though. My skin still breaks out a little, so I do not have that glow everyone talks about! My hair seems like it has grown a little faster as I can see roots much faster this time since my last highlight. I am thinking of going natural. I am sick of the cost, and sitting in that darn chair for 2 hours just so I can be blonde.

Back on the PCT - awesome!

Hey Raw peeps! My hubby and I decided to drive down to Palm Springs and check out the farmers market there for some organic produce...well, alot of vendors must have been on a holiday (which is OK) - got some pears, and lemons, and some dates..but the best part is we decided to hook up to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and found where it crosses the 10 frwy thanks to my BFF Leslie via texting. Here is a typical PCT trailmarker with the PCT crest symbol. That is my hubby in the background. More pics to come. I am so excited as I did 3 miles with almost no joint pain (lets talk tomorrow morning and see how I feel then - lol) I keep begging the hubby for a PCT thru-hike! Maybe someday!

That is me with Mt. San Jacinto in the background

ICE CREAM - YUM

Who knew dairy free would be so fun? I made brazil nut vanilla ice cream and raw chocolate sauce with coconut butter and agave - yowza! Even he kept commenting on how good it was! I feel like I am eating too many nuts though lately...way more than I ever have (before I went Raw I hardly ever ate nuts). Well I was thinking on going on a 2 day juice and smoothie fast...just fruits and veggies juiced or in the vitamix...what do you all think?

Have A Merry Christmas! Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Oh and I have to tell you about the best corn tortilla chips I made...from The Raw Food Chef - fresh organic corn, red bell pepper, cumin...and lots of YUM! Dehydrated for hours, then fresh guacamole with yummy fresh garlic and cilantro and anything else I could toss in there...who said Raw was boring!

Can you say Fettucine? yep - that is right! Raw Fettucine sauce!

I am learning to "uncook" - I made this today and it was fantastic... Tomato-Macadamia "mozzarella" Linguine courtesy of the Raw Food Chef - it was sooooo good...This was the first time in my life I have ever eaten a parsnip! They smell like perfume!

Breakfast in a Bowl

Look at my new juicer in the background! The Hurom juicer...so far my hubby and I really like it. My breakfast is in the pink bowl...can you imagine trying to eat all that! Oh and the coffee cup is filled with Teccino (an herbal tea that resembles coffee) - our coffee pot broke the other day and we are not replacing it! We just use our backpacking filter presses to make Teccino (although the hubby sneaks in Pete's coffee sometimes!)

So I juiced everything in the bowl above, strained it, and voila! My green breakfast! Kale, celery, carrots, cilantro, ginger, apple, orange, lemon - Did I miss anything?

GOT MY JUICER!!!!! Im So Excited...and I just cant Hide it!

Got the Hurom juicer tonight!  In a flash we were shoving broccoli and carrots and apples down that thing! Tomorrow I need to buy pounds of celery and carrots and all that good organic stuff...what a great way to get more veggies into my raw lifestyle. Tomorrow for breakfast (before church) I have to use whats in the frig but I will hit our organic market and stock up on the way home! Pictures to follow soon...the hubby cant wait to make fresh juice for fresh fruit martinis! Haha, if only vodka was raw!

Rawlicious!

Raw is Goooood! I made Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw Marinara Sauce with Zucchini Angel Hair Pasta and OH MY GOSH! This stuff ROCKS! If you had a plate of real spaghetti next to it I would turn my back on it! This so exceeded my expectations. I hope zucchini is good for you as I plan on eating ALOT of this!


This was super-duper yummy! Kristen's Chocolate Bread (check out her awesome site here http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/) I have Artisana Cocoa Bliss spread with Raw peanut butter and bananas on this baby! You can see the chocolate bread below this post on the dehydrator tray. It turned out awesome and the chocolate taste is mild. Tomorrow I am going to make Kristen's Rasberry Jam for Raw PB and Js...cannot wait!