I’m not sure why, but I seriously fell off the raw wagon. It’s been gradual over the past five months, but then I seriously fell off right after teaching a successful raw food workshop series in which I was so inspired by my students and their stories of going raw. Weird how that happens. But it has made for an interesting experiment and a new found commitment.


My Confession
Although ‘flesh foods’ never reentered my diet, the less healthy foods I gravitated to were sweets and carbs – so in addition to having a Wahoos veggie burrito for lunch, and an occasional pizza, I was eating chips, cookies, brownies, pastries, and kettle corn. I even had a few dates with Ben & Jerry. The other thing I got hooked on was caffeinated tea… up to several servings of iced and hot tea, with raw sugar each day. I don’t think it’s helpful to think of foods as good or bad, or to think of myself as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depending on the foods I eat, but what is important to me is how I feel. What I found is that I had a general lack of energy and a fogginess that makes it challenging to live with the kind of outrageous joy, energy and vitality that I want to live with every day. Besides the sluggishness, I was amazed at how quickly my body put on weight – about 10 lbs in 4 months, but most of it in the last 6 weeks. When I stepped on the scale this past Sunday, I saw a number that I never thought I would see again since discovering raw. Right then and there, I made a commitment… 30 days raw.

My Commitment
So my commitment is to eat 100% raw (fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts) for the next 30 days. I’ve never actually made that commitment. When I first went raw on January 1, 2008, I allowed myself three non-raw meals a week. That means I was about 85% raw. I’ve also cut the caffeine. I think caffeine plays more of a role in weight gain and sluggishness than I knew. As part of my 30 day raw commitment, and in the spirit of Julie and Julia, I am challenging myself to try a new raw recipe each day. I have a feeling that Everyday Raw, by Matthew Kenney, is going to become my new best friend. As part of this blog, I plan to share with you the recipes I try and offer my own unsolicited reviews. I also plan to share my observations of energy level, mental clarity, weight, and overall wellbeing.

My Progress
This is the start of day 5 and I am already feeling a significant difference in energy level. The kind that makes me want to break out in a run while on my morning walk – and I am NOT a runner at all. I have lost 3 lbs. And I have tried 2 new recipes, both from Everyday Raw – Raw Potato Salad (made with jicama) YUM! and an Olive and sun-dried tomato pesto, with basil, parsley and pistachios over cucumber noodles – double YUM. I’ll provide recipes later, as well as an update on how day 5 ends up.

My Affirmation
When I first went raw in January 2008, I wrote an affirmation for myself that continues to inspire and guide me today, and I wanted to share it with you.

I honor the Divine within me
By making extraordinary decisions every single day
That support the exquisite care of my body, mind, and soul
In such a way that it’s contagious.