Goals and Objectives

I thought I'd write a little bit about what eating raw is, what it's going to look like for me and what my goals are for the next 99 days.

By definition, Raw foodism is a lifestyle promoting the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed and often organic foods as a large percentage of diet. (from wikipedia). In basic terms, it means eating things only God made and not cooking them over 118*. The theory behind it is that there are enzymes in plant foods that our bodies thrive on but that are destroyed when heated to over 118*. Many raw foodists don't eat any animal products at all and are therefore vegan. Some will include raw animal products - cheese and yogurt made from raw milk, sushi, other raw meats, etc. The more raw food in your diet, the more health benefits you will reap. There are raw vegans, raw vegetarians (those who allow eggs and dairy), raw omnivores (include animal products in their diet).

My goal is to have a diet that consists of 90% raw and living foods. I'm going to need and certainly want some flexibility in my food choices. This morning I made granola - made from all raw and organic ingredients - but I cooked it at 300*. But because my goal is to be 90% raw, this yummilicious recipe will fit in nicely to my new way of eating. I ate my granola with some yogurt, a living food.

What's a living food, you ask? In short, it's a food that would grow if you put it in the ground - sprouts, seeds, etc. Why does yogurt fall into this category? Obviously yogurt doesn't come from a seed. Well, the answer comes with the use of a microscope. Yogurt is teeming with good bacteria and since bacteria is a living organism, yogurt is considered a living food.

One of my challenges is going to be sorting through all the information I take in and find out what fits my life, my goals, my objectives. I have a tendency to take what I read and make it law in my life, find that it doesn't work and struggle with feelings of failure, setbacks, disappointments, etc. Already, I've found that there are many who believe that if you go raw, you should go vegan. That's not going to happen with this woman. I am going to continue to enjoy my cheese and yogurt - made from raw milk, of course! I might even had the occasional omelette made with farm fresh eggs! Who knows?! The possibilities are endless! The point is, I'm going to be 90% raw and enjoy my journey.

What I have found, though, is that there is a substitute for just about anything you can think of: can't stand the thought giving up sour cream? Try Cashew Sour Cream. Want a burger? Try this recipe. Sounds delicious to me! I've also found that I don't exactly have the right tools just yet. I really need to invest in a food processor. I have a little one, but I need one with at least a 6 or 7 cup capacity. I would like to get a better blender, but they are EXPENSIVE! I have a juicer that I lent to a friend and am going to see if she's using it still. If not, I'll get that out, too. The other thing I'm going to need is a dehydrator. Hope to pick that one up today! Found a simple one for $7 on craigslist. The right tools are essential for this journey!

After just a day and a half of purposefully eating raw, I've found myself kind of surprised at the fact that it doesn't take a whole lot to fill me up. Raw and living foods are very filling. I suppose this is a very good thing.

New Adventures

I'm new at this blogging thing. I've thought about blogging for a while. I've even written various blog posts in my head (something I do a lot, actually). Never quite got around to making the leap into the blogosphere myself, though. Perhaps I was afraid no one would be interested in what I had to say. Or maybe I was concerned that it would be just "one more thing" to keep up-to-date in my life. Well, it's a done deal now. I've jumped in - all the way - and I'm not getting out anytime soon.

Raw Loula - today, I've embarked on a new venture - to eat raw for 100 days. I thought I'd share my journey, my thoughts, my struggles, my insights, my failures, my victories, my changes and even my attitudes here. Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I strive to be authentic. I want to be real. Too much fake, manufactured, silly, contrived nonsense in the world as it is. I don't need anymore...especially in my own life. Some of my friends - those closest to me - might say that I'm pretty transparent. Sometimes, I get pretty raw and it's not always easy. But it's good. It's right. I'm not saying that my transparency is always timed correctly. My friend "S" and I often joke about having a blurting problem. I'll say what's on my mind, when it's on my mind, without filtering it. It can be quite unfortunate, really.

That being said, I think that going raw in my eating will really be a extension of what I'm trying to accomplish in my character and life. Many have asked why I'm doing this. The reasons are numerous and plenty...here are a few:

• I'm tired - all the time. Yes, part of it is my thyroid issue, but part of it is the crap I put into my body on a regular basis.
• About a year ago, I started converting most of my family's food to natural, organic, chemical-free products. I completely cut out HFCS and trans fats. Wasn't an easy switch, but I'm so glad I did it. I've come to the conclusion, though, that organic junk food is still junk food.
  
• Having struggled with food issues my whole life (pretty much), I've tried diet after diet after diet. What I really don't want is another diet. I want to learn to eat and enjoy foods that God designed for me to eat and enjoy. I don't want to eat man-made, industrial crap. Fact is, many "diet" or "low-cal" or so-called "healthy" foods in the supermarkets are actually laden with so many chemicals and man-made food-stuffs that I need a PhD to read the ingredients list. I can't really see how that is "healthy" for us.
• I have a friend who started eating this way about a year ago. Her daughter had a ton of medical problems before they started eating (mostly) raw, and since then most of those medical problems have gone away. Plus, my friend lost some 65 pounds...just by changing the way she eats. The girl doesn't even hit the gym! She looks amazing - and not just because of her weight loss. Her skin looks lovely, her countenance has changed...she's become even more beautiful than when I first met her two and a half years ago!
• I truly recognize and believe that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. I want nothing more than to honor and worship my Creator by keeping his temple in tip-top shape. 1 Corinthians 6:19 - "Do you know know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own."
  
• I like a challenge. Eight years ago, I began training for the Honolulu Marathon and in December 2002, I ran it. Those who know me know I'm not the athletic type. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me. I've challenged a dear friend of mine to run a local Half Marathon with me in the fall. I want to run with a strong, lean, well-fueled body.

So that's a partial list of why I've decided to embark on this journey. I've got lots more. I suppose the next question is, "Why blog about it?" So here are some answers to that question:

• Because I can.
• Because I want to.
• Because I love to teach. I'm excited about what lies ahead of me and where this journey will take me. I'm even more excited to share it with you.
• Because this is going to be one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life. I have 34 years of crappy eating habits to re-shift and adjust and that will be no easy task. I'm hoping that be being open and raw about my journey here on the internet will help to keep me accountable to what I'm trying to accomplish.
• Because my friend strongly suggested I should...not that I needed much prodding, mind you. I was strongly considering it myself ;)

I have so much to learn and I'm looking forward to it all! I'm off now to pick up the library books I place on hold. Raw Food for Real People and another Raw Food recipe book. And then off to pick up the dehydrator I found on craigslist.

Let the adventures begin!!!!