Cecilia's Raw Journal

Lambsquarters

I finally looked up lambsquarters because I kept hearing how wonderfully healthy they are (particularly in Victoria Boutenko's books) and have been anxious to find out if we have them in our yard. I was shocked to learn that (according to this interesting page on weeds) lambsquarters are none other than the "invasive" weed Michael has been pulling out of our garden while remarking on the fact that his grandparents used to call it pigweed. Sounds like it's delicious and very versatile. I'm going to check if we have any outside now but doubt it due to the colder weather. We'll be in great shape next spring when it starts to grow again, along with our red and white currants, gooseberries, blueberries, maybe pears from our young new trees, and whatever other weeds we identify.

Discomfort

For awhile I was starting to wake up early in the morning (about 5:30 or so) and laying awake in bed unable to fall right back to sleep. This week I am tired at around 8 or 9pm, and waking up at about 7 or  7:30am, still tired/not wanting to get out of bed. I'm also feeling unfocused and achy during the day. I suppose this has to do with subtle variations in my diet. The most dramatic difference for me lately has been the addition of the green smoothies, and the fact that I had my first Qi Gong session ever yesterday. Maybe I'm going into a detox.

Raw Food & Chinese Medicine

I've been going to a practitioner of Chinese Medicine who offers colon hydrotherapy and Qi Gong among many other healthcare services. I really like her and the care I've received. What puzzles me is the fact that she doesn't seem to see the merits of a raw food diet. She thinks it's great for a cleanse, and fine in the summer, but suggests that I cut down on or completely eliminate raw foods at this time. She felt my pulse yesterday and was surprised that my blood wasn't as thin, less congested, and my pulse was much slower since the last time (it was actually fast then), approximately two weeks ago. I've upped my juicy fruit and greens intake considerably since then, and I think this, coupled with the fact that I'm simply further on in my raw diet have created the changes in my blood. She suggested that the weather is getting cold here in Vermont, and so I need to lessen or completely eliminate the raw foods in my diet, which she says are cooling to my body. Admittedly, I have done very little research on Chinese Medicine and need to do more, especially since it intrigues me enough to want to partake in it. I am certain of one thing, and that is I don't plan to stop eating raw. Nonetheless, health being a passion of mine, I'm very curious about this cooling/heating foods concept. Do I increase the use of ginger and cayenne, and other "heating" foods in order to counteract the cooling foods? Are the cooling foods actually creating a problem in the first place? Lots of questions to ponder!

I think a little history on my dietary/health background is in order now. I've been a vegetarian for 29 years. I'm now 35 years old. I've read a ton on vegetarianism, veganism, raw-foodism, and feel quite at home experimenting with a raw and living food diet. I've arrived at this point because I was not satisfied with my health on a vegetarian diet, which has fluctuated between lacto-ovo and veganism most of my life.

The biggest problem in my diet was my utter dependence on sugar, wheat, and dairy. Just about every day of my life I was so tired I couldn't perform the simplest tasks such as cleaning my house. I ate sugar on a daily basis, usually in the form of organic chocolate bars (sure they were organic but still saturated with sugar) and fancy pastries. I was a cheese fanatic, and I believe this was mainly because I was craving salt due to deficiencies in my diet. In spite of the fact that I live in an area of Vermont where there is a high concentration of organic vegetable farms, I ate a very small amount of raw and living foods; In fact the bad foods I was eating dulled my desire for vegetables and fruits. The minute I'd eat something processed I couldn't even force myself to eat something from nature.

My diet was just about 100% organic foods, but that didn't make a difference. Supposed health food stores and supermarkets advertising whole foods as their specialty, differ in one basic way from the typical supermarket, and that is the fact that they tend not to carry foods with artificial colors and mainstream preservatives/additives. Problem is the processed foods that dominate these stores--organic or not--are loaded with sugar and all types of fillers/additives. Cane juice, raw sugar, cane sugar, call it what you want, but it's all the same thing!

I grew up in Howard Beach, Queens in NYC, a rather tough place for those who were different, and boy was my family different! There was only one other kid I knew in my neighborhood whose family's diet was even close to ours. They weren't vegetarian, but ate a lot of whole and chemical-free foods. I remember being made fun of in school as a kid because of the different foods my mother packed me for lunch. I was so self conscious of the baggies full of sprouts, apple butter/rice cake sandwiches, raw milk (there was a company who sold and packaged this in black cartons-quite a sight for visiting school friends!) and the like. A number of times I was asked if I was eating grass. What a difference from the ever popular Wonderbread and cold-cut sandwiches, Skippy peanut butter, Ding-Dongs and Twinkies. Now "Organic" is huge, so much so that the government has decided to oversee its certification, and it's become just another product to package up and make pretty for the masses.

Changes

Some of the exciting changes I've experienced in the past two months:
-I've gone down to a size 4 (from an 8). I'd been wanting to lose the "baby weight" from giving birth just over a year ago, and finally did it in just a few short weeks.
-No more fatigue in the afternoon. I'm pretty energetic all day long, whereas before I was exhausted by 2 or 3 pm.
-I feel lighter/like I'm walking on air yet still quite grounded.

Some things that have remained the same which I'd like to keep working on:
-Mood swings/Irritability at times
-Still pretty low energy overall

Start Somewhere

I've experimented with eating raw on and off for the past 5 years or so. For the past 2 months I've eaten mostly raw, and this is the longest period of time I've spent on this diet.

I've tried quite a few different approaches in raw food, and lately I've been making a concerted effort to consume a great deal more high water-content food than previously. Lots and lots of fruit in the morning and afternoon, at least one green smoothie a day (usually consisting of apples, soaked figs, and mixed greens), and a humongous greens/veggie salad for dinner.

I'm feeling such a mix of emotions right now, and am wondering if it's because I've changed my diet so drastically in the past few days (this is the period of time I've been doing mega greens and fruit). I am feeling full of energy and completely exhausted at the same time. How is this possible?

I've also devoured my collection of raw food books, and am listening to Raw Vegan Radio on a daily basis. I feel as though my consciousness is expanding at such a rapid rate, I don't know what to do with myself.

I plan to use this space to record my experiences on the raw diet, and hopefully inspire myself and others who are interested in living life to the fullest.