DAY 20... Observations

Today is a happy and a sad day. Not sad exactly, but rather wistful - full of vague longing.

It's a happy day because not only have I hit the half way mark of my 40 day raw food challenge, but it's Sunday. And, you know how I love Sundays because it means another week has passed and I have survived, excelled and completed some obstacles. Did you hear I said HALF WAY? I can't believe it.

It's wistful because it's Easter Sunday and we will not, I repeat NOT be having an Easter egg hunt. Actually I am not a big chocolate fan, so it's not a huge deal and is surprisingly one of the easier things for me to give up. But, the reality is that I didn't prepare in time so I don't have any raw chocolate goodies waiting to be hidden - fortunately this happens again next year, so at least I have enough notice to get it together for then!

The other reason I'm a little sad is because you know how I like as many celebrations a week as I can fit in right? Well my end of week and my half way mark landed on the same day today - how sad, so I will just have to have one giant celebration and it will be tonight with another buckwheat pizza. I've already halved the recipe so I don't overeat like last time! (See my post from Day 30 http://pinkpassionflower.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-30-yes-you-can.html)

But, enough about that. Let's look at my observations after week three. And, let me tell you, it's been a bit of a challenging week. I thought after I had survived week one it would all be plain sailing. Yup, you thought so too. Well no, apparently it doesn't actually work that way.

I've been, dare I say, a littler ornery this week. Not much mind you, but just enough to be slightly irritating to myself. Hmm, perhaps that is why hubby's walks have been slightly longer, I'm not sure.

My skin which had started to shine a little, took a giant leap backwards and I've had breakouts the whole week.

Daily yoga seems to be getting harder not easier. Trust me, my legs are crying right now, you just can't hear them.

I'm enjoying walking more than ever though.

The sun is shining and I'm loving the feeling of those rays massaging my skin and running its fingers through my hair.

The weight slowly and steadily keeps going down - now who wouldn't be happy about that? Little by little, step by step.

I am more able to live in each moment. Not worrying about the next meal, or the next challenge, but instead I am taking each few hours of the day as a little victory. If I drink more water, it's a victory. If I get through breakfast, it's a victory. If I get to 4pm and I've only snacked on fruit, it's a victory. This way instead of berating myself about what I could have done better, I'm praising myself for what I know I did well. I think this is a good life lesson I will have to return to and explore in detail.

I'm experiencing some awesome sleep together with some turbulent sleep. However, even on the turbulent nights, the first 3 or so hours I'm dead to the world. Again, I see this as a victory not a defeat. It can only get better from here right?

I am more energised. Not bouncing off the walls, but every day it seems a little easier to get through the afternoon without wanting to fall over.

I realise that one of the keys to maintaining a raw food diet is preparation. You really do have to think ahead, make sure your fridge and pantry are stocked and plan, plan, plan. Especially if you are going out. Always have water and snacks with you. It will stop you racing off to find something you shouldn't eat.

So, all in all, I think it's a successful half way. Now go off and find some Easter eggs with my name on them and gobble them up.

DAY 22... Fats

Yup, fats. These guys have been getting a bad rap for a while now and I'm here to set the record straight. Well, actually, I'm not going to set any record straight, because it's not like I've been doing millions of dollars worth of research, but I'm going to give you my opinion anyway.

You realise I said MY opinion. That means, there is no science here, just a humble opinion from my experience.

For years we've been hearing that if you want to keep your weight down you have to eliminate all fats from your diet. At the very best eliminate most fats from your diet. And where has that left us? It's left us with a bunch of obese, highly strung people who are so hungry, they'll eat anything that's lying still in front of them.

You see, fats serve some good purposes:

1) They make you feel full.

2) Our skin, hair, nails and joints need them to work properly and shine (okay, I know our joints don't shine, although maybe they should, but the other stuff shines.)

3) Did I mention they make you feel full?

That's a really important part. Because, when you feel full after a meal you are less likely to run out and grab something you shouldn't. If that feeling carries you through to your next meal, or your next snack, then it's not all bad. Instead, if you are hungry all the time, you are bound to make some bad choices - normally choices that involve the sugar department, or the bad used-deep-fried-oil department.

But let me give you another example. In my first week of going raw I ate an avocado pear almost every day. Some days I must admit, I snuck in two. Now you ask any doctor and they will tell you avocado pears are so high in fat, they should be avoided at all costs - go on, ask a doctor.

I also ate enough nuts to be the envy of every squirrel in my neighbourhood. In fact, I ate so many nuts I thought I might just become a squirrel. All types of nuts, including the high fat ones - Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds and every nut and seed in between. And what happened? Well, I'm pleased to report, I lost 6 pounds. Yup, I said SIX in a week.

What I didn't do however, was eat natural fats along with processed sugar. I also didn't eat natural fats along with unnatural fats (now I'm not sure that unnatural fats is actually a term), so I mean the fat from your doughnut, or the fat from your fast food fries, or the hidden fat from your ranch dressing, or bagel, or hot dog or bacon and cheese burger and I'd go on, but I'm in fast food withdrawal agony right now so I better stop.

Oh and one last one... or the fat from any animal products.

So, my theory is that you can have fruit and nut fats even in fairly high quantities, as long as you don't mix them with a processed food diet. Therein lies the catch.

And while we're on what I believe. I also think that while you are transitioning from a SAD diet to a raw diet, there is a tendency to eat more natural fats than perhaps necessary, because you are not used to that clean feeling after eating a meal, you are used to that stuffed full feeling. I have not doubt that further down the road, I'll be able to cut back on those avocado pears and nuts and lose even more weight from cutting down the good fats.

So go on, give it a shot, you might be surprised at the result.

Oh, and just in case you are wondering, avocado pear on a bagel with some cream cheese does NOT count!

DAY 27...Observations

I have come to love Sundays. Sundays represent another hurdle overcome, another goal reached, another road walked, another step in the right direction - small victories. Yes, I love Sundays because they mean I have survived another whole week on my raw food journey.

So I have decided that Sundays will be my day of observation. A time to take stock. A time to tell you what I have noticed about myself during the week. I have no doubt some of it won't be pretty, but hold your nose, tighten your seat belt and come along for the ride anyway.

I'm still full. Not busting, I overate burgers full, just comfortably, I'm not searching for food, full. Which means I actually have to use a clock to tell me when I should eat again rather than wondering about the protein content of my toenails immediately after a meal.

I am starting to feel more energetic. Okay,so I'm not bouncing off the walls just yet, but I can get more done in a day than I could 1 month ago.

My skin just keeps getting better - softer, smoother, fewer blemishes. Not that I ever had any imperfections, but if I did, they would be disappearing.

I am sleeping like the dead. Seriously, I have suffered from insomnia for years, so a good nights sleep for me is a little like winning the lottery (well, maybe that's a stretch, if I won the lottery I'd pay someone to sleep for me...)

I have been in a pretty stable, good mood for the whole week which in itself is a miracle. Except for last night and the night before when dinner didn't turn out quite like expected and I had a minor melt down, but besides that...

Oh, and I've lost 7.5 pounds in two week. Yup, you heard correctly. I did not make a typo - 7.5.... In the past two years I couldn't lose 1 pound a year, so this is big news.

Here's an exciting one:

I walk every morning. For weeks I have been forcing myself along a beautiful path through the trees and across a meadow and through some more trees, knowing that it's good for me and it's what I need to do, but silently begrudging almost every step.

This week I got to the end of the walk and thought 'That's it? So quick? But I'm having so much fun!!!!'

I know, I used the F word. For FUN in conjunction with walking. So do you know what I did? I did the whole route again and I loved every minute of it. Now that is progress.

I'm finding each day easier. Okay, so I still haven't sat in a coffee shop, or gone out much, or walked past a bakery, but it's early days and I don't see the need to stare into the eyes of the devil if I don't absolutely have to.

And now for some yukky stuff, that I think you should still know. If you are a sensitive flower you might want to skip this part.

You know how they say men sweat, women glow? Well, I've never even been much of a glower. I'm just not a sweaty person, or a person with much body odour at all, I'm more of a dry person. (I realise this is bordering on too much information, but I warned you).

HOWEVER, this week in hot yoga, I have sweated enough to change the water table in several drought ridden countries. Seriously, I could water our whole garden.

And, here's the thing, I stink when I sweat. I mean really stinky, yukky, smelly sweat. So this tells me three things:

1) Sometimes there is a real benefit to having a blocked nose all the time.

2) It sucks being the person next to me in a yoga class.

3) There is some really nasty stuff inside my body desperately making a run for it while I'm giving them the chance.

That is good, good, good. So I will live with the stinky sweat and let you know when it all changes.

And the last uncomfortable observation. My stomach has become super sensitive. Now, I do not have a sensitive stomach. I am the person who visited India and drank water straight out the taps on the street (okay, I was not being magnanimous, I was hoping to get dysentery so I could lose some weight! I know, I have issues) and didn't once get sick. While travellers were dropping like flies around me, I just ploughed through with my iron stomach.

Anyway, I digress. Since I have been raw, I am simply unable to do any yoga postures on my stomach. The whole spine strengthening series, I either want to throw up or pass out and let me tell you, nausea and dizziness are not great companions. Especially when the person on the mat next to you already hates you for your smelly sweat. Quite frankly, throwing up near them would not cement the friendship.

But my stomach is incredibly uncomfortable if I lie on it. I have no idea what it's all about, but I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Well, that's it folks. Observations after week two, and I'm still alive. You see, if I can do it, you can do it too.

(photo - mine)