day 4 of 30 green smoothie days in a row

this morning's smoothie was a 1/2 head of romaine, 1/2 bunch of dandelion greens with one bosc pear, a frozen banana and some frozen mango. i used just 1 cup of water this time and ended up with the perfect amount of smoothie for paul and i!

i still can't believe my elbow rash/eczema is gone. excited to see what other things start happening! so yeah, i am still super excited about doing this green smoothie thing. it's hard to keep it to myself.

last night, an old man on the bus asked what i was reading ("raw and beyond") and then we got in a big conversation about processed foods and why people don't seem to make the connection between their health and what they eat. i was really excited we were of the same opinion. and i think everyone probably does make this connection as well, if they stop and think about it, but i just think most people don't bother to!

my band/good mates were joking that i was high (i have a good 10 minutes of ramble about green smoothies i want to tell everyone around me now!) but i know they understand too.

green smoothies for life! ^_^

day 3 of 30 green smoothie days in a row

so my good news this morning is that this eczema i have had on the inside of my right elbow since january has almost disappeared! it is barely a bit of a dry ring - it used to be red and sometimes itchy and very confusing. my naturopath said that i have had something i am just trying to get out of my system. perhaps i am jumping the gun a bit but i think my green smoothie habit is working its magic already!

this morning, i blended a whole bunch of kale, one asian pear and one bosc pear, some frozen banana and raspberries and mango (the kale bitterness was a bit strong for me this morning so i ended up adding more fruit than just the pear and raspberries i had planned!)

i know victoria boutenko would be doing the whole bunch of kale herself and i think i will get to that. for now, the bunch turned into something enough for glasses for paul and i and an "emergency smoothie" for later ^_^ i started with 2 cups of filtered water in the vitamix so perhaps i will start with less next time.

day 2 of 30 green smoothie days in a row

so today i did a pear/frozen banana/collard greens/romaine lettuce/dandelion greens for paul to have when he got up and blended the rest with cilantro for me. YUM! (and he loved his too! these green drinks are good!!!)

i don't know if it's just my enthusiasm but i feel brighter and that my eyes are seeing better already. (that's a benefit of body-accessible greens, right?)

i was working on a set all day, armed only with fruit and water, and thankfully i was pretty close to buddha-full which i haven't been to in WAY TOO LONG. it's such a lovely place! i picked up some organic lives lemon macaroons (in mysterious + new boxed packaging - looks nice but why is a box necessary?) and sesame gaufrettes. i also got a "be green" (kale, lettuce, apple juice, lemon and banana) smoothie. YAY!

i felt a bit like an alien when i returned to work with my "seaweed bark" (er, raw gaufrette) and "that looks healthy!" green drink.

the highlight of today was when i ended up finishing reading "green for life". i was bursting with so much excitement over it and was going on about it to anyone looking somewhat willing to listen. the 2nd AD got super into the green smoothie concept as well. i'm sure she is starting tomorrow! we are both so excited to see what happens at the end of 30 days. i already know i'm going to continue this ^_^

day 1 of 30 green smoothie days in a row

so i have a new plan.

i have just changed my blog name from "keep on raw in the real world" to "get real". get real just seems more appropriate. being 100% raw isn't all that realistic and doesn't seem to be as important to me anymore as continuing to eat "real" food in a way that benefits my body the most.

my inspiration is victoria boutenko's green for life. i guess you just can't eat the same thing all the time or get into food ruts and her update on her (already!) classic book makes sense! i am also reading her raw and beyond (ie not being so consumed by consuming only raw foods) book which has been super inspiring.

basically, fresh organic greens are the most important food group that the majority of us are not getting enough of, or at least in an absorbable-by-the-body way. there really should be a food group called "greens" and at the very least, produce should have an extra category for them beyond fruits and veggies. (as an aside - has anyone else noticed in yaletown's choices market, they have been renovating, that the organic section has switched places with the conventional produce? last night i had picked up everything i needed and then noticed that i didn't have any organic things in my basket and had to put everything back to start again! i felt totally tricked. or oblivious. ANYWAYS.)

i don't even know where to begin with the green smoothies and not being so focussed on 100% raw (not that i have been the last year or so but still... it's been on my mind). first of all, i have thought that i ate a fair bit of greens... but... apparently if i am not chewing them to the point of them becoming a creamy swirl in my mouth, they are of no use to me and could even be harmful. (i'm going on memory here so perhaps you are best to take the book out of the library yourself... i'm going to have to commit to buying this one, i figure! 3 weeks is going to come up fast!) anyways... by blending your greens, you get all the goodness you need out of the greens in the first place, including the fibre. ah, and she addressed the proper food combining thing... fruit is fine with the greens (makes it easier to drink them while you are acquiring a taste for them!) because greens are not vegetables and they are not starchy. and oh goodness, i can't wait for the neighbourhood farmers market to start up again in the summer when i can get fresh beets and carrots and all... all of these root veggies whose green TOPS have more goodness in them than the root? i wasn't always excited to use the tops in salads and such. blending them into the freshest of smoothies is way more appealing and exciting!
and... her point about chimpanzees: we share 99.4% the same genes as chimps, why don't we eat like them? super super good point. and they don't eat many root veggies. not to say they avoid them, but they only eat them if there isn't an abundance of greens and fruits. and nuts and oils are to be eaten sparingly.
i totally identified with victoria's recount of her raw diet health "plateau"... reaching a certain level and then seeming to regress in a way. or having small health issues pop up. and i totally related to her saying how she would be eating super heavy stuff at night, like nuts and things, and not feeling satisfied.
and i'm super curious about the results of doing one green smoothie per day for 30 days, at minimum! it looks like doing that and eating your normal way (vegan or not) can reap the same benefits of a raw diet. i would love to have stronger nails and hair and more energy like i did when i first went raw! and to not have the desire to eat late at night!

wow, i feel like i'm at a book club meeting about victoria's books and i'm discussing them with myself. what a ramble! i guess i am just too excited to be practicing some of these ideas that totally make sense to me!

i am excited to see what happens as i do one green smoothie a day! and i'm getting paul to do it too ^_^ he has been wanting to eat more healthy and i think having one green smoothie a day is going to be the perfect thing for him!

i'm going to keep track on here so that i hold myself to this and see what kind of smoothies i like the best!

today's smoothie (and i somehow didn't take a photo! boo!):

dandelion leaves
cilantro
romaine lettuce
pear
frozen mango
frozen banana

yum! some spiciness from the dandelion and overall, so refreshing. even took some leftovers to work to drink 2 hours later and it was still exciting!

i forgot how paul hates cilantro so i didn't leave him any of my smoothie but i had thawed out a drink me "ruby" smoothie that i didn't drink at work so that was his greens smoothie today! kale, orange juice, raspberries and beets. and i learned from my readings yesterday, that if your pee changes colour after consuming beets, you have low stomach acid. interesting huh? (or is that just interesting to me...)

some fun foods... despite an 'elimination' diet plan...

just over 3 weeks in to this elimination diet plan and i'm doing well! eating lots of salads but i guess i always did! i don't feel like i'm doing anything different except having to ask about ingredients when i go out for dinner. (like the other night at panz veggie - the chef was super accommodating and friendly, though probably thought i was crazy coming into a vegan chinese, aka gluten-crazy, restaurant for dinner) i'm also enjoying smoothies as much as usual but maybe appreciating them even more for how lucky i am to get to eat so many wonderful things!

 it's been awhile since i have had food at organic lives so it was fun to have this pad thai a couple weeks back. i forgot that it is served with jungle peanuts so my friend had those (wasn't sure if they counted as peanuts i can't have right now) and the kelp and coconut meat noodles were served on what looked like spinach (i forgot to ask) so i didn't eat that. but it was super awesome to be able to eat relatively easily here! and look at the amazing chopsticks! they must be from thailand ^_^

and just an obligatory raw cracker bread sandwich photo...

(weird maybe, but i LOVE putting lettuce, avocado, fresh basil and sauerkraut together... the combo kind of reminds me of pickles!)

and i've done some awesome smoothie combos lately. this one is frozen banana and blueberries, pear, ginger, camu camu, ground vanilla and 2 sachets of spatone liquid iron:

and an even prettier picture (doesn't mint garnish make this look pro?) is my frozen banana and mango smoothie with ginger and camu camu.

this next one is blatantly inspired by my high school friend menaka's facebook status. she is yogi-ing it up and making smoothies and raw goodies in bali and i hope someday to get out there to see her and see ubud for myself! anyways, this smoothie is frozen banana and mango, some supergreens (spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, wheatgrass, AFA, and brainon), lucuma, ginger, coconut meat and some spatone (liquid iron) and filtered water.

and finally... who would have thought you could have a dessert on a diet plan like this? though not raw by any means, this is definitely vegan. it has chocolate but i'm allowed that "rarely" (it had been over 2 weeks, maybe even 3 since i had chocolate - i think i did well, yes?) and if i remember correctly, this is quinoa and arrow root and fava bean flours, maybe some potato starch, almond milk... i really should have taken a photo of the ingredients. but there was this, chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting, a lemon cookie and chocolate chip cookie, and a banana loaf that were gluten-free, corn-free, buckwheat-free, possibly even soy-free and sugar-free at edible flours! i couldn't believe how many options they had that i could have!

i really can't get over how mellow and relaxed i have felt since adopting this diet. i am excited to see my naturopath at the end of next week to see if she has noticed any of the fire of my pitta decreasing. i totally feel like it has!

so many thinks to think right now!

so don't even get me started about my fears of losing access to real, whole, organic, non-GMO foods. perhaps you heard of the whole foods "not labelling GMO" drama of last year? of course i go through phases where i feel hopeful (and i remind myself about the good things happening when i see stuff like truth in labelling campaigns and i make sure i am as aware as possible and eat as much fresh, organic plant foods as possible as per this how to avoid genetically modified foods article.) but sometimes it's hard not to feel sad for our world's health! i guess i just have to keep hoping that our push for progress and our rapidly changing technology advances will somehow suddenly shift us to using absolutely no electricity or oil or plastic, etc (probably because there will be none!) and back to "the basics" of growing food for your immediate community and moving at a man and sun-powered pace!

just want to put this all out there in ye 'ol interwebs, whoa, what a ramble... as i think about the health of the world, i remember that i can at least do something about my own health!

with this new year, my naturopath had promised an elimination diet to figure out my food sensitivities and allergies.

FYI, i finally used almond flour (remnants from making milk) successfully! i made a cracker bread with soaked ground flax and processed carrot, beet, green onion and sauerkraut and a whole bunch of spices. hurrah! (smeared on top is a store-bought red pepper hummus. oh the shame! but hey, it tasted great and i was able to eat it with other people over at my place!)

so now, i am not only avoiding the regulars which i would NEVER dream of eating such as any animal products, coffee, MSG, or conventional, non-organic things, but i have to completely avoid the following for 3 months:
*corn
*wheat
*baker's yeast
*green pepper
*tomato
*grapes
*honeydew
*strawberry
*cashews
*peanuts
*saccharin, white sugar

so some of those things, i don't buy anyways, but i don't usually ask if they are in the ingredients of something i order at a restaurant. and now i need to. and i guess i don't usually eat ANY of them but tomatoes. even though i have always known i was sensitive to tomatoes, i thought i was ok eating them. and i definitely enjoyed not having to look out for them as an ingredient!

the following things, i need to have RARELY (so for me, i am 'indulging' once a week if necessary):
*dates (gah!)
*figs (thank GOODNESS it isn't september right now!)
*papaya (it's been awhile since i've had my tropical thunder smoothie at organic lives but still)
*peach
*watermelon
*brazil nut (also has been awhile since i've binged on these! hehe but gah, i love brazil nuts!!!)
*hemp seed (can't help but wonder if this is because i was drinking hemp milk and pouring seeds on my salads in the days before my sensitivity test)
*poppy seed
*wine (it's funny since i haven't really enjoyed it for the past year)
*carob, chocolate, cocoa powder (what?! i wondered if this was because i was going CRAZY for chocolate the week before my test. this past friday, i treated myself to 2 halves of zimt bars! i had asked if raw cacao counted and apparently it does. sigh.)
*sugar cane
*brewer's yeast
*buckwheat
*oats
*brown rice
*sprouted bread
*fermented soy (i thought fermented soy was the easiest soy? soy milk was borderline for me)
*cauliflower (was it because of my horrid cauliflower mash the week before?)
*cucumber (at least it's not in season right now and expensive because i LOVE cucumbers!!!)
*eggplant
*pumpkin
*spinach
*squash
*sweet potato, yam
*black eyed/lima/navy beans

so it's been super interesting doing this so far. i have survived just over a week. i have to keep a food diary which is interesting as i'm thinking more about what i eat since i have to record it down. it's helping me become more conscious and eat when i'm hungry rather than eating just because it's so delicious! hehe.

ooh, speaking of delicious... a smoothie inspired by my friend menaka working in bali... frozen banana and banana with thawed coconut meat, supergreens (spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, wheatgrass, AFA, brainon), lucuma, tumeric, and ginger! YUM!

it's also been interesting because i'm realizing that just because i'm not eating something i really love (ie chocolate), it doesn't mean that i am sad or feel i'm missing out. there are so many incredible things to eat and it somehow isn't a big deal?
i'm now also eating with more awareness of proper food combining. i have considered it before, as with balancing acidic and alkaline foods. i'm aiming for 75% alkaline food in my diet. and that, with trying to eat what is local as well. so... it is really perfect for eating raw! i am really limiting my processed food intake, which admittedly isn't very high to begin with, but it's always a challenge when you decrease your options!
the only annoying thing is eating out. vancouver has so many vegan-friendly restaurants and i have LOVED being able to order anything without question. now i have so many questions again. and new questions. it's a whole new way of thinking.

like eating at sejuiced the other day - i would normally get the raw caesar but it's made with cashews! so i ordered a sandwich and i couldn't do gluten-free bread as it was made with buckwheat. so i got lettuce "bread" and skipped the tomato and instead, it was filled with a chickpea hummus (which i acknowledge is not raw!) with yummy avocado and sprouts. the bonus was i was still satisfied and it cost me only $4? yah!

i feel lucky as i can imagine this sort of elimination diet process for an "eat anything" person would be INCREDIBLY challenging, if not impossible. but last year, i wasn't eating ANYTHING off my avoid list except tomatoes and sometimes the other fruit!

the simple pleasures: finding these pears at drive organics. so nice to have a delicious snack! i haven't been able to bring my usual larabar work snack as there are cashews and/or dates in them so i have been on the lookout for easy things to pack along with me and THESE were INCREDIBLE!)

i am grateful for this chance to be more present in another area of my life. the diet actually helps me appreciate my nourishment even more! and a big bonus is it is helping me stick to more of a budget this year which was an important 2012 resolution for me!

so i know i can do this. and i'm super curious as to what i will find out!

mary rydman recipes!

if you don't already, see what your local library has in the way of raw food books! i am constantly trying out new ones before committing to buying any. it's the best! some may have awesome recipes but if they aren't simple enough for me to be inspired to try them (as a starting off point or to follow exactly), then they are pointless to have!

anyways, my most recent book from the library was mary rydman's raw food quick and easy. i had to return it so i ended up taking photos of recipes i was most likely to try and within the last 24 hours, i've tried 2!

first one i tried was her "mashed cauliflower 'potatoes'" last night. i wish i had ingredients for her gravy also (which i conveniently did NOT take a photo of - though i suppose i could've found a recipe idea easily enough somewhere else!). me and paul were overwhelmed by the strong raw cauliflower and garlic tastes. i kinda felt like i was eating pureed horseradish! i liked the texture and the initial taste but wow, this is potent stuff!

 paul was a super good sport and added tons of nutritional yeast. 

i tried a (leftover) spoonful tonight with some corn and it was a lot easier to eat! but i know there's gotta be an even better recipe (for me) out there. (this one and this one are similar but perhaps different enough to warrant a try?)

tonight i made her tomato soup. 

this is probably the first raw soup that i have made and enjoyed. which is pretty exciting. though i couldn't finish my bowl! maybe too many raw tomatoes. (if i eat those whole, somehow, i gag uncontrollably!)

 but i have some to bring with my lunch for work tomorrow. i'm curious how it will hold up the next day. will the italian spices be too strong by then? or will everything be more subtle? i've added nutritional yeast and hemp hearts in hopes that having a bit more texture will help!