Raw Food Diet Diary

Today’s Menu

• Green Smoothie: 6 bananas, 2 peaches, half bunch of collard greens
• Green Smoothie: 6 bananas, bunch of grapes, half bunch of spinach
• Apples: 2

I’m back in the saddle again!

My experiment in mostly raw eating has kept my weight fairly stable at 266 pounds for awhile.  I’ve maintained about half of my weight loss from the beginning of the summer, which is good, but I’m ready to get serious again.

Looking back, the green smoothie seems to have been a huge contributing factor to my earlier success.  I am resolved to follow Victoria Boutenko’s recommendation to consume at least a quart of green smoothie per day to improve my health.

One thing she wrote got my attention; she said that it was important to rotate greens so that I wouldn’t tire of green smoothies.

Today, I tried my first non-spinach or non-lettuce green smoothie.  The collard greens are slightly more bitter than the spinach, and the color is a little lighter.  I liked it very much.  Right now, collards are cheaper than spinach, so that may become the staple green for the time being.

I also tried grapes in a green smoothie for the first time.  I’m still working on that one as I write.  It’s very sweet.  I made it on a lark to get rid of some grapes that were starting to go bad.  Since grapes are coming into season right now, I may do more of them.

I also tried transporting a smoothie for the first time since my trip to San Antonio at the end of July.  Last night, I put my thermos in the freezer, cap off, and poured freshly made smoothie into it this morning.  At lunch, it tasted pretty good after the first big glop that seems to float to the top.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll try shaking before opening.

A friend at work celebrated his birthday today.  I did have a slice of cake . . . and it definitely wasn’t raw.  However, that’s the only non raw food I’ve had all day.

Today was a taxing day.  Students and colleagues both seemed a little fatigued coming back from the weekend.  Moods seemed to be low among everyone.  Had I started my day with coffee and a fritter like I used to, I’m sure I would have been a ready partcipant in the lethargy and the grousing.  Instead, I felt in control of my emotions, and my energy levels were better than they have been for awhile.  I guess that’s more reinforcement for starting the day with a green smoothie!

Best of all, I’m writing again.  It’s good to be past the craziness of the last couple of months.  While I have to work quite a few Saturdays over the next couple of months, I won’t be putting in extremely late hours most days, and that should help me be able to write more.  I’m noticing that I do better on a raw food diet when I take the time to write about my experiences.

And, I’m ready to do better on a raw food diet again! 

Things are starting to settle down in my world.  Although much of SE Texas is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, my world is returning to normal.  I’m thankful for my own blessings, and I pray that relief will come those who need it quickly and completely.

I received a copy of Victoria Boutenko’s book, Green for Life, a couple of days ago.  I finished reading it a few minutes ago.

I can’t say that it gave me any information that was radically different than what I learned in The 80-10-10 Diet, by Douglas Graham, but Boutenko certainly reinforced Graham’s information.

I’ve been neglecting my intake of greens lately.  I know better, I’ve just been a little lazy.  I plan to change that, starting today.

I’ve also let myself down by not chronicling my progress regularly.  I’m not going to dwell on my failure, but move forward.

Speaking of moving forward: The other day, I received the “complant free” bracelets that I had ordered.  I broke one a couple of months ago (while switching wrists) and have been wearing a substitute bracelet given to me by a friend.

I really liked having the purple bracelet again (the other one was grey).  Somehow, the brighter color reminds me of my resolve to acquire the habit of becoming complaint free.

Somebody asked me how I was doing with my complaint free quest the other day.  My record still stands at nine days.  I thought about how to answer the question, and I realized that I’m now averaging about five days between changes.  Consdering that I changed wrists multiple times daily when I first started, that’s incredible progress!  Yes, I know that others have progressed faster, but I’m happy that I’ve stuck with the program now for almost 18 months . . . even if I am a slow learner! 

I also know quite a few people who wore the bracelet for a week, then gave up “temporarily.”  I’m surprised I’m not one of them.  The fact that I’m not reinforces my belief that I can’t fail until I decide to stop trying.

I suspect that holds true for anyone committing to a raw food diet.  Most of us “fail” repeatedly before sticking to that commitment.

The only failure that counts, in my mind, is the very last one that I decide not to recover from.  Everything else is just a valuable learning experience.

Here’s an update on Houston/Galveston post Hurrcane Ike . . .

Schools are out for the week.  Most schools sustained little or no structural damage, but some are still lacking electricity or suffering electrical problems due to power surges.

Half of my neighborhood is still without electricity.  We’re running an extension cord across the street to our neighbors so they can run their refrigerator.

Based on what I’m seeing on the news, lack of refrigeration is the primary concern in these parts.  Grocery stores have rows of freezer cases which are taped off until they can dispose of their contents (which thawed during the power outage).  Lines are forming at distribution centers so people can get badly needed ice to preserve food.

Lack of gasoline runs a close second as a concern.  A reporter on TV just said that gas stations are going through a week’s worth of gas in half a day.  Part of that is due to people running gasoline generators.  Part of it is due to people filling tanks that didn’t get filled before the storm (during hurricane season, residents are always advised to keep gas tanks full . . . obviously, some don’t listen).  Then there are those who are topping off tanks frequently . . . I’m hearing that quite a few of us fall in that category.  Personally, I’m wondering why people are driving so much that they feel the need to top off?  Or, is it just a wee bit of paranoia?

Criticism is beginnng.  People are tired of shortages, and some are getting cranky (and vocal).  I understand their crankiness; I get cranky when I have to do without, too.  It appears to me, though, that local officials are doing their level best to get people what they need as quickly as possible.  Judging from what I can see, relief efforts (while not perfect) are proceeding as they should.  I especially see Mayor White and Judge Emmett focusing on solving problems quickly and efficiently . . . and refusing to point fingers at others when things go wrong.  Kudos especially to Judge Emmett for streamlining shipments to points of distribution.

Mostly, I’m counting my blessings.  My family is safe.  My home was undamaged.  I have power.  I have food and water.  I have enough money to live on.  I have people who care about me.

My only challenge is . . . I need bananas.  Two days ago, there were none at the store.  I’m going to make another banana run now to see if more have turned up.  Wish me luck! 

I just rode out my second major hurricane since moving to Houston.  Rita, 3 years ago, was small potatoes (for this area) compared to Ike.

I’m one of the lucky ones.  We started preparing when Edouard appeared to be heading this way.  We had ample water, food, and protection for ourselves and our property.

We did lose power for about 40 hours and water for about 8 hours.  At this writing, 80% of the Houston area is still without power and/or running water.

Galveston is one of my favorite places.  It breaks my heart to see the pictures of the widespread destruction down there.  I pray that the island will experience a full recovery and that its people are well-cared for.

[Update 9/15/2008: I'm watching a video tour (by helicopter) of Galveston Island.  Buildings along the Seawall appear to have fared well with only occasional roof damage.  The buildings near the Flagship Hotel, over the water, are gone and account for much of the rubble between 25th St. and 21st St.  The East End was flooded; most of the historic homes are on stilts, though, and likely suffered little damage (unless the owners turned them into "first floors").  Bolivar Peninsula, on the other hand, suffered massive losses.  I'm happy that Galveston fared better than I thought (based on first impressions).  Still, the city has a long road to recovery ahead of it.]

Posting may remain sporadic here for the next period of time.  While we sustained no damage to speak of (except a couple of broken tree limbs) there’s a lot of clean up to do.  Today, I’m going to enjoy having luxuries like air conditioning and the internet again.  Tomorrow, I’ll be cleaning up my house and, as necessary, helping neighbors to do the same.

City, state and federal officials appear to be doing a good job of responding.  Kudos to Mayor Bill White and County Judge Ed Emmett for the leadership during this crisis.  Things here seem far less chaotic than they did before and after Rita.  I’m happy to see that Governor Perry and Senators Cornyn and Hutchison are on site overseeing relief efforts.

[Update 9/15/2008: I continue to be impressed by Mayor White and Judge Emmett.  They are keeping cool heads and doing what needs to be done . . . if FEMA isn't quite up to speed in an area, they are handling it instead of complaining about it!  Mayor White, unfortunately, has reached his term limit or he'd have my vote next election; Judge Emmett has my vote for sure!]

A big jeer to Congressman Culberson for his rant about FEMA “dropping the ball” keeping first responders fed.  Your timing, sir, was inappropriate.  I’m happy that you’re helping our first responders; Lord knows they need all the help and advocacy they can get.  However, the public didn’t need to hear about this right now.  Still, I’m sure your performance this afternoon will get you some votes in the upcoming election.  I’m not sure, though, that one of them will be mine.

Until I post again, stay well, eat raw, and love without reservation!

Tom Brownsword is stirring the pot again . . . literally!

I just finished reading a page he added to his site called, The 99% Raw Food Diet? I think it might be his best work so far.

I’ve maintained that setbacks aren’t a huge deal unless you choose to make them so.  My own approach is to model after the program at AComplaintFreeWorld.org.  When I first started the program, I used to fume every time I had to switch my bracelet.  Now, I’m more like Swiper the Fox (”Oh, man!”), switch the bracelet, and move on.  Even though I haven’t reached the goal of 21 days yet, I’m closer than when I started.

Eating raw should be the same way.  I know that I’m better off now, even though I’ve deviated more than I intended, than I was three months ago.  Things have gone so far for me that I know raw fruits and vegetables will be a major part of my eating for the rest of my life.  Frankly, I believe that I’ll make it to 99% raw . . . and that’s good enough for me!

I have to bear in mind, though, that 99% raw means that I eat 1 meal in 100 that’s cooked (or 1 calorie in 100 . . . whatever makes the most sense).  I’m not there yet.  I figure that I’ll be there when I reach the point where I can do 21 - 30 consecutive days raw.  Right now my record is 14 (5 days better than my no-complaining record . . . so this is way easier).

Tom, my hat’s off to you for being above the dogma that seems to accompany this lifestyle.  I appreciate you pointing out that it’s all about choice, and that we should choose consciously.

Today’s Menu

• 24 oz. Grapes
• 6 Bananas
• 1 lb. Strawberries

Happy Labor Day!  Let’s see if I can bring things up to speed quickly.

Today was a low appetite day.  I was tuckered out after a couple of days where I spent several hours in manual labor.  Tomorrow, I’m betting my appetite will be back with a vengeance.

After my last blog post on Tuesday,  I went to work for a few hours.  When I got home, I couldn’t sleep.  So, it was about 3 a.m. before I finally fell asleep, and I had to be awake by 6 a.m.

I paid for that night for the next two days.  Although I got sufficient sleep on Wednesday and Thursday, I was still exhausted until Friday.  I made it through my work days fine, but I collapsed into the recliner once I got home.

Friday, I was back to normal.  I stayed out late with friends, though, and was one tired puppy on Saturday.

Since we were in the “cone of uncertainty” for Hurricane Gustav, and since it was predicted to get up to Category 4, I spent the weekend getting the house hurricane-ready.  Even though it was evident by Sunday that Gustav was not coming to SE Texas, I decided to finish what I started so that we’d be prepared when we need to be.  I swear, I spent more time in Home Depot over the weekend than I do in a year!  Now, I’ve got a lot of plywood and some nifty new power tools.

This week has taught me some interesting things about myself.

1. Adequate rest is an essential element to my success on a raw food diet. I realized that when I’ve had insufficient sleep, I’m more likely to have cravings . . . and to succumb to them.
2. Eating more raw fruits and vegetables has substantally increased my energy levels. I’m not sure that I could have sustained the level of work I’ve done over the last week if I hadn’t been fueled mostly by raw fruits and vegetables.  Even if I were to decide that a raw food diet wasn’t the lifestyle for me, I’m certain that I would maintain eating large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables.

I reread a bit of The China Study yesterday.  Campbell’s information has convinced me that I want to be vegan.  His discussion of genetic expression particularly interests me.  Campbell maintains that while we may be genetically pre-disposed to certain conditions, diet influences whether or not those genes express themselves.  At some point, I plan to do a review of the book if for no other reason than to cement my understanding of his findings.

I’ve rambled a bit today.  I want to get back into the habit of daily writing.  It’s going to be a challenge over the next couple of days because I have to be at school both evenings for parent meetings.  So, I’ll write if I feel like it when I get home; if I don’t, I’ll wait until Thursday.