Eating Raw is Sexy

Exercise: Lots of walking
Food: 4 bananas, green smoothie (canteloupe, melon, mango, spinach), bought salad (lettuce, baby corn on cob, beetroot, mange tout, green beans, broccoli, 3 Lara bars, a few pistachios and cashews, a fruit pudding (5 small bananas, about half a mango and frozen acai pulp)

Today I was standing on the station platform and was discreetly (or so I thought) eating my bananas. And it was four which is a few as it is usually six or seven at a go. This rather attractive guys maneouvers himself to my side and looks or rather stares at me, I say "hi" and introduce myself and he gave his name too. He then asked me "how many bananas did you just eat?" To which I laughed and replied "four". He said "very sexy"... Well there you go eating raw pulls in the dates.

My Christmas green smoothie of yesterday didn't work out (I know after all the build up). It was clementines, spinach and apple. The little I had at the time tasted great. But yesterday after being in the fridge it tasted very bitter, maybe to do with the pith settling. Probably needed to use fewer clementines, no problem with the satsumas though. I tried sipping it while holding my nose, it didn't work. So unfortunately it went down the plug hole.

Raw London

Exercise: Pushups
Food: 3 tiny bananas, 6 large bananas, a few lara bars, green salad with tomatoes and cucumber, a little pineapple juice

London is great place in case you didn't know. And I love doing raw here. It's so easy to get fresh produce all year round, plus you can easily get mangos, papayas and even guavas and coconuts from the local supermarket.

Bananas are everywhere, as are juice and smoothie bars, chopped salad places, nuts and dried fruit stalls, you can even get freshly squeezed orange juice from the AMT coffee stand in most rail stations. Pre-packaged salads in the supermarkets are creative and plentiful including raw vegan options. And of course Wholefoods and Fresh and Wild (bought by Wholefoods). I picked up frozen acai berries from Wholefoods recently so I get to try out that 'chocolaty' (but not chocolate) smoothie I had in New York. I have at least four juice/smoothie bars within walking distance of where I work, and two chopped salad bars, not to mention good old Marks and Spencer's. You may not have all this, but celebrate what you do have, it'll spur you on. This is a great time to be alive!

Is It The Food That Is The Problem?

Exercise: Bodyweight exercises
Food: 12 noon, Six large bananas, 1pm pineapple and spinach green smoothie, two Lara bars, 4pm big green salad with tomatoes and cucumber (herby dressing), 7.30pm some pistachios, then plate of salad leaves mixed with grated carrot plus a couple of tiny potatoes, fruit salad, later at home porridge (banana and coconut)

Went to an evening event today that included dinner. They were serving mixed leaves as the side salad. I asked if I could just have salad, in an easy confident way, and offering no justifications. And the guy serving happily complied, asked for a couple of potatoes too. The leaves were shot through with carrot, and I popped some dressing on top. The salad was fresh and yummy. The potatoes were okay tasted like potato, a little flat. Think this is because I'm used to eating vibrant foods now. But I honestly preferred the salad and didn't feel I wanted more potato or anything else. And that felt good, and affirming.

I think with raw it is not so much the food that is an issue, because really you can eat all you like, and there is enough to choose from, you can do gourmet etc. And people do tend to see results fairly quickly. But I think it is more the social aspect particularly when you are not quite ready to 'come out', you're still establishing yourself and growing deep roots. So it is a case of avoid social gatherings for a while, or be prepared to ask for what you want, and answer questions that may arise. There are many ways to get round this

- I'm on a health kick right now for 60 days solid
- I'm vegan
- I had a huge lunch
- Or you can focus on the benefits, ie. I need less sleep when I eat this which is great as I really need the extra time
- Or if you want to eat some cooked go with that
- Or put cooked stuff on your plate but just leave it there. This may not work if you are battling cravings. You may end up hoovering the lot which is not great if that was not your intention.
- If possible go along with another 'rawie' or 'veggie' so the spotlight is not completely on you

I had a woo woo moment yesterday thinking is this how I'll eat now for the rest of my life? Wrong question, will I do all it takes to stay on the path to optimum health.... yes.