Monday, December 13, 2010

Day 2: You Are What You Eat – A Week of Raw Food

In my research, I read that it is important to always lubricate your digestive system with a substantial amount of water each day. I mean, come on, really; that’s a no-brainer. One website suggested to drink a liter of water before consuming your breakfast or your first cup of coffee in the morning. I’m game, let’s give it a go….

Day 2 started off pretty well. I woke to the first alarm I set for myself each day at 5:00am. This alarm is to wake me for my morning exercise, whether it is running or yoga. I have not woken up to this alarm in over four weeks. This morning, I think I figured out why – My cat, Bushi (Japanese name for warrior), always wakes up to this alarm and it’s his cue to cuddle with me till the second alarm goes off. To his dismay, I got up. The yoga warmed my cold body and woke me up. By the time I was finished, I was ready to face the world with plenty of time to spare. So far so good.

Upon arriving at work, I immediately drank my liter of water and heated up some oatmeal. I have oatmeal for breakfast every morning but this time I vamped it up with some banana, craisins, and crushed flax seed. I finished this off with a cup of hot kombucha tea and my multi vitamin. Shortly after I finished my tea, I felt fatigued. My eyes started to get heavy as the warmth of the food sat in my belly. This is not cool….I mean, is this diet even working?  I’m figuring it’s due to the warm food so it’s a huge bowl of fruit tomorrow. We’ll see.

Lunch time rolled around and my body was naturally ready to eat around 1:00. I’m usually counting down the seconds till the clock strikes 12:00 so I can rush to the kitchen for some leftovers. I had made seconds of the pizza dish I referenced to in my last post and decided to add some avocado for some extra nutrients this time. Though it’s a bit difficult to eat, the quality of this meal is superb. 


It really doesn’t seem like much, but man is it good.  It is a filling, tasty meal that leaves you satisfied but not stuffed. 

Chef’s note: Don’t leave out the nori and the basil. Those two ingredients really pulled all the flavors together.

I must admit, it’s only been two days but I can’t get enough of these nori snacks I bought yesterday. They are roasted, so they are not raw, but they are part of the macrobiotic diet which is also used to prevent and cure illnesses. These snacks are just a little over a dollar at my local natural food store and they are just like chips to me. I’m definitely going to stack up on these babies! Not sure how it’s going to make my breath smell but...eh.

2:30 rolls around and I’m wide awake, focused, sitting up straight and cranking my work out. The end of my work day approaches quickly and I notice, for once, I’m not hungry! I packed an apple and a handful of raw almonds and didn’t need to touch either.

I’m finally home and I’m getting hungry. My long trek from work, almost 2 hours, has increased my appetite and I’m ready for something good. My bones are absolutely freezing, I can’t feel my hands and I’m craving something that’s not piping hot. Ugh....promises, promises. I swear if I didn’t have this blog - no one would ever know…

This recipe I found today on We Like It Raw.Com. (I know, I know). It’s actually one of the best raw websites I’ve found online as far as recipes are concerned. They even have video tutorials to show you how to make some of these things. Ahem….ladies, meet the raw model  (You’re welcome.)

Anyway…..dinner…right. So, I decided to make their Zucchini Pasta for dinner tonight. I’m eating it right now and it’s absolutely awesome. I made an over abundance and ate it as my main dish and will have it for my lunch tomorrow, but it would be an excellent side dish.It doesn't have many ingredients, it takes less than five minutes to prepare, packed with huge flavor and I’m completely satisfied.

Secret: I’m no longer cold. Just because I’m eating cold food, doesn’t mean it actually makes me colder. Your body kicks up when you add nutrients to it, especially more than it’s used to. It generates heat because your blood is pumping to your digestive organs to help absorb the food. Something I’ve noticed is that I stay warmer longer since I’ve been eating raw. I usually get very cold after I eat because the majority of my blood is rushing to my stomach, using too much energy to try to digest the food I’ve just consumed. Pretty neat, huh? And….I’m not hungry!
Enough of that, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Zucchini Pasta by Philip McCluskey
Ingredients
  • 1-2 zucchinis, shredded with hand peeler
  • 1 handful organic artichoke hearts
  • 1 handful of olives, pitted
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
  • sea salt to taste
  • pinch of chopped basil


Directions

  1. Shred zucchini with hand peeler
  2. Add rest of ingredients
  3. Toss and serve



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