Its a funny thing

*but first a quick flu update* LG started the day with a temp of 100.8 (I think, if I am recalling correctly) buta fter advil it went down AND it has not gone up over 99.8 - all the way to bedtime! Usually it trends back up in the evenings. Not tongiht! YAY! Perhaps the worst is behind us.

So, its a funny thing - I have been asked a lot recently about eating raw and why and how and if I am sure I'm getting enough protein and is my dietary intake 'proper' and healthy. Its funny because no one ever seemed to question or ask about my food choices before. When I was eating a typical American Diet - also known as SAD (standard American diet) - no one seemed to care. Maybe because they were eating the same thing and it didn't ocur to them that we were all eating "substandard". I really do believe that now - that the SAD is 'substandard' - hell, I don't even believe the RDAs are right. I think a lot has been done by the food industry and lobbyists to create a system that benefits them more than it benefits us. There. I've said it. I have never in my life been so sort of revolutionary - I'm not paranoid or given to being 'anti-this' or conspiracy-that. But I'm not even sure a lot of what we call food really IS food. Read the labels. so much of it is unrecognizable. It is so far removed from a plant or animal or any natural substance (or any substance in its natural state might be a better way of saying it). Yet we call it food....and it is supposed to nourish us. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Something so vital to our well being - and we don't have a clue what it is, where it comes from, or how it is made. Seriously. Think about it. In his book - The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
- Michael Pollan points out that we largely buy our food based on price. Not where or how its grown.....not by QUALITY, but in essence by quantity and price.

Ummmmmmm, ewwwwwwww.

The book has been a true eye opener. I went raw prior to reading the book - but now having almost finished it - it has reinforced my choice to eat raw.

I am not a perfect raw foodist though. I should make that clear. I went raw overnight - at about 97% or so - but I do occassionally have a bite of cooked food. And last week at the retreat I ate cooked food in relatively small amounts for dinner each night for the last half of the week. (I even ate CAKE and chocolate mousse....mmmmmmm, thanks Wendy!) And although I went back to my raw food once I got home, tonight I actually had not one, but TWO pieces of cheese pizza. I have no idea why. I feel bloated and slightly sleepy now. Ugh.

Anyway. Prior to eating raw, I'd been placed on two oral meds for diabetes, diagnosed a few years back. I was actually just recommended to start a third med to try to get my sugar level somewhere back to near normal. Well, I went raw a little over two months ago and my sugar is now NORMAL without ANY meds. yippee! Granted, when I came home from the retreat and tested - it was 157 (still a FAR cry from 340 or so) - but 2 days later it was back to a nice range of 87-120. Again - yippee!

I went raw because I read a tiny article in a magazine about eating 50/50 raw for 10 days to correct enzymes in the digestive tract....after going online (yep, if you know me - you know that is no surprise - 'google it' might be on my tombstone one day - or the urn that holds my ashes...or well, whatever) I found that some people actually go raw and never go back. so I jumped in with both feet and felt so great I didn't see a need to go back!

Back to the funny thing - people ask what I eat, is it hard, yadda yadda yadda. Ok, first - no, its not hard. Its really rather easy - fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, a trip to a nature/health food store every other month for a few specialty items...and I'm good to go. I still cook for my family, but i eat pretty much 97ish% raw.

Today I started off with a yummy green smoothie. I don't measure and they vary day to day but this one had the following - more or less:

water - 3-4 cups (??)
4 cups (or so??) of fresh spinach
a fresh banana (small)
about an 1/8 of a leftover orange
a handful of strawberries ( a fe frozen and a few fresh)

that might be it. AND today I began my son on smoothies. In the morning I had him drink about a 1/4 cup. Quick, easy, no problem. Since I had used more fruit than usual I thought he'd do ok. And he did.

<- That was my lunch/dinner. Soooooooooo good. I was a little disappointed that there was no lettuce in the house. HOW COULD THERE BE NO LETTUCE IN THE HOUSE??? Sorry. It was just quite a surprise. So, what was I going to do for my mal? Hmmmmmmm. OK, I had a zuccini and some other veggies and of course the spinach. I don't like to use 'adult' spinach for the base of a salad, its kind of tough...but I thought I could chop other veggies and then just shred a little spinach.



So I did.



Cut up a half a zuccini, a quarter of an onion, a little less than a quarter of green pepper, a 1/4 of an apple, half a large carrott......put them all in a bowl and then I made the most delicious sauce for it.

I combined oil, vinegar, diced fresh garlic, a small knob of fresh ginger, soy, chili oil, sesame oil, a dash of white wine, and a teaspoon of raw almond butter, and a drizzle of raw honey.

Oh. my. gosh.

Was it good. (yes! It was!)

Then I had a bit more smoothie around dinner time (we ate all bassackwards today due to my being home with my little sicko LG)

And yes, for some reason I had two pieces of pizza just a few moments ago - I don't know why.

Well, maybe I do - stress and adult children. I won't say any more.

Here is another funny thing - I read a blurb in the local paper today about the meat people. As in industry, lobbyists - whoever the hell they are. . .a local school has gone to 'meatless Monday' - the meat people are mad. A spokesperson stated: 'our kids aren't getting enough protein' or some such shit. The nutritionist for the school specifically made sure the non-meat meal has the EXACT same amount of protein. So, why so mad? Hmm, maybe not getting all the money you'd like? Afraid more people are going to go to meatless meals?

OK, some other books that are interesting:

Green Smoothies Diet: The Natural Program for Extraordinary Health

Eating in the Raw: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Slimmer, Feeling Healthier, and Looking Younger the Raw-Food Way

Raw Living: Detox Your Life and Eat the High Energy Way


Alright - its late and I feel like I've just 'ranted'.

Maybe its the pizza. Dead food. UGH.


Tasted good, but ugh, I don't feel good.



Later!


~Janice