How Much?

Exercise: Bodyweights
Food: Green Smoothie - spinach, mango and coconut, 5 small bananas, salad of green leaves (watercress, rocket and spinach) tomatoes and cucumber with pesto dressing. Ate at 1pm as I had meeting 11.30-1. Brought the bananas in because I knew I was going out in the evening. Smoothie at restaurant, later at home mango and coconut pudding, and five small bananas, and a little juice from the pineapple I juiced and put in the freezer, as the fruit was getting quite ripe.

Went to see 'Shibboleth' also know as the 'Crack' at the Tate Modern. Bought some pistachios and cashews (sold loose) on the way. Met friend at the Tate and perused the crack. I could right a thesis on the conversations that could be developed around it. One is the fine line between eating what we want and eating what benefits us. What we find (though not necessarily immediately) when eating raw, is that if we cross over the crack, eating what benefits us becomes eating what we want and vice versa.

After that went to the in-house restaurant, I said I wasn't eating as I had my salad at 4pm and had just had some nuts about 6pm. So friend ordered soup and I skimmed the menu and saw seasonal fruit smoothie. Asked if it was fresh no yoghurt etc. And waiter concurred, so I ordered. It was mandarin and guava, it was lovely, fragrant and tasty. But small. Served in a whisky tumbler glass, what's that about?

I have a pretty good idea of how much food to buy to get me through the week. It looks something like this about 8 bunches of bananas, 10 mangos, 1 bag of Spinach, 5 bags of mixed baby leaves, 1.5 boxes of pomodorino tomatoes (my favourite, delicious smell and taste), 2 cucumbers, 3 avocados (if using), a couple of pineapples (if 2for1 and then would reduce mangos), pineapples could be substituted by melons or oranges or berries. I may tweak things, but I know this amount will get me through. I have some nuts in the freezer and sometimes buy some on lunchbreak as snack. It's a great feeling. it's like when you are learning a new language and something kicks in, and you don't have to think about your words, they just come.

Be Prepared

Fri: Water fast
Sat: 11 very ripe bananas, salad of cherry tomatoes, celery, lettuce, spring onion and avocado, dates, pistachios, another salad of beetroot, carrot, lettuce and cucumber, and rest of the avocado, balsamic and olive oil dressing
Exercise: 4hrs of dancing non-stop
Sun: Water fast

Went away for the weekend as part of a course. So needed to plan ahead re my eating requirements. I'd been before so I knew there was a Marks and Spencer store nearby with a great range of salads, and a health shop too where I could gets nuts and dates if I wanted. Arrived on Friday evening and no meal provided ie expected to arrive after eating dinner so no problemo plus I was fasting. On Sat I had taken a whole load of bananas down with me, heavy but worth it. They were very ripe and just delicious. I was able to nip out in the coffee break on the Saturday to get a salad for lunch and an avocado. In the afternoon free time slot bought another salad to have with the other half of the avocado. And also bought some raw pistachios and dates from across the health shop on the other side of town. Broke my fast at 12 noon with the bananas. And had more bananas in the evening. The evening entertainment involved a disco so got a great workout too. Plus we were on the seafront. I had a great seaview from my room, and went for a lovely wander to inhale the crisp air.

So getting the food was very easy. Next challenge takingin my own food to the dining room and being 'different'. My strategy was to just to get on with it. Just pull out my salad and cut up my avocado like it was the most normal thing in the world. And that was exactly the response I got. At the first meal one of the other diners simply said, "oh you've got an M&S salad they're great". Next meal I got "you're really healthy, how come?" And I said "oh eating like this helps me be more me, and do what I need to do". He then told me he had become pescatarian because his girlfriend was a vegetarian. Another friend there decided not to have the dinner because she didn't want more 'meat, potato and two veg' fare. So went and bought a sandwhich, some oj and admittedly some brownies. But the point is people all around us are changing as best they can with what they know to make better choices for health. Exciting.

Like Peas in a Pod

Exercise: Run
Food: None - water fast

My tummy is now perfectly fine. Fasting and eating raw definitely go together. Fasting certainly helped me transition to raw much more easily that maybe I would have done. It help brings focus plus of course the physical cleansing. And eating raw makes fasting much easier and more enjoyable. Because biologically appropriate foods are regularly being consumed the side effects normally associated with fasting are eliminated or reduced greatly (depending on the condition of your health to start with). I don't have any headaches or weakness. I know it's only a day but that would floor many, including myself not that long ago. If you do fast as part of your lifestyle and you eat cooked I would encourage you to break your fast with raw foods and aim to eat only raw for at least a week afterwards. This will allow you to better feel the effects of fasting and help your body adjust to solids. And you never know it may be the start of something new.

And if you eat raw (however much), I would encourage you to try fasting, water or juice(maybe starting off with missing an evening meal if you are a complete newbie) to help you on your raw journey and give your body time to do some healing work. This can all be done with the support of a competent medical or health practitioner. A couple of sites to check out are www.freedomyou.com and www.fasting.com

Fasting and eating raw, like two peas in a pod.

Not Nuts About You

Exercise: pushups

Food: Apple juice, 5 bananas, itsu hip and humble salad with greens, seaweed, carrot, beetroot, avocado and plain tofu, jaynie's salad - spinach, baby greens, cucumber, celery, avocado and vine tomatoes, had a few dates and a few raw cashews. But really have a lower tolerance level for nuts now. Which is great as it means things have been shifted because nuts should really only be eaten in tiny quantities and seasonally. They did taste fresh though but it didn't take long to feel that gubjie (my own made up word) feeling, you know that if you eat beyond this point there will be discomfort and possibly pain!


I set my alarm to go for run at 8am. When it went off, I switched it off and lay down for five minutes. Next minute I look and it's 9.20am! And I had a meeting in town at 10 made it only 5 mins late, and someone came in after me. And I got nearly an extra hour and a half kip. Lovely.

Water-logged

Exercise: Push-ups
Food: Dates around noon when I got up, then banana and mango pudding (2 portions!) I use 2 bananas to one mango. The trick is not to over-blend so that is nice and thick and filling. Some dates. I was out and about today (ate one apple, and a 75g pistachios) and this evening wondered why I was feeling hungry. And realised I hadn't eaten that much. So had five bananas. I don't eat many nuts these days. I tend to prefer avocados on the whole for my fat intake. I eat half an avocado in my salads and occasionally one whole one. But am thinking of ordering some raw cashews for a treat from www.detoxyourworld. And am waiting to see if I can order some fresh raw nuts from the inspirational Nora Lenz of www.rawschool.com

My period arrived today. I don't get cramps or any pains. Never did, only the occasional feeling that something was 'shifting'. But only on the first day if it happened and not uncomfortable. But I did get serious water retention. And today I notice my breasts are quite swollen. Wouldn't be noticeable to the external eye but they are definitely the heaviest they've been this year. I think this due to the salt in the sun-dried tomatoes etc. My emotional poise has been good.

Had a chat today with a friend about my raw journey. She is not raw herself but health aware and a seeker. She is very supportive and asks questions in a non-defensive or insecure manner. And I really appreciate that. Because this is sooo different to mainstream thinking and sometimes even though I know I'm not the only one treading this exciting path, it can feel like I'm an alien! And it's nice to not always have to shore oneself up to deal with the bombardment of opinions, well-meant but misguided advice, insecurities and the rest;) I admire couples and families who are embarking on the journey together or who at least are not a stumbling block to the raw adventurer in their midst.