The One Month RAW Challenge

[mershwista]

I usually only have that problem if I eat large quantities of something different than what I usually eat. For example, I started eating a lot of sprouted chick peas, and it was a problem, but after a few days I was back to normal but still eating the chick peas.

[mtmouse]

Been gone all day, Res!

I've been having the gas problem, too. It's not smelly at all, but it's certainly present. My stomach is a little poochy but not too different from usual.

But I haven't had any raw broccoli or cauliflower for several weeks now, so it isn't that. During the weeks that I was eating mostly but not all raw, I had a smoothie every morning, usually with broccoli in it. It seems I might have more gas now, but I can't really remember. Since it doesn't smell, I tend to forget about it.

It would be nice if it abated, though, Kiropa, so I hope I have your experience!

[Res]

Natalyawoo: Most likely it really is the body adjusting but I'm so ready to be done with the bloating and protruding stomach business. I like digging deep into whatever is going on so that I can "know" what my body is doing.

I'm not taking the same amount of credits as you, YIKES! (I'm only taking 4) but I work full time too and know how precious time can be. I like the idea of preparing on the weekends and then just picking up fresh salad fixins or fruit during the week. Hang in there with the Term papers - I remember those days!

Mmm, pico de gallo. Well, since I had to cook tonight for something at work tomorrow I threw together quacamole w/pico de gallo and ate it with raw carrots and Rosemary crackers so that I wouldn't be hungry while cooking.

So my quickie version of pico de gallo:

2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 inch jalapeno (seeds removed)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbls chopped cilantro
1 tbls lemon juice
garlic powder
sea salt

Just mix together and let sit for at least 10 minutes so the flavors can marry. Boy o Boy Yum.

mershwista: I "wish" I knew what it was and I'd stop eating it immediately!

Kathy: Out all day? Ok, what new gadget did you buy?

I'd like to say all the same things you just said but I can't.
I'll just have to wait it out. Oh no, I have class tomorrow night!

[TeePee]

Wow! It was a lot easier to keep up with everyone's posts when I was home sick!!! You guys are doing awesome!!!

I took the Sarma's chocolate pudding to a work function today. It was a beach theme get together. They had virgin pina coladas, crackers and cheese, homemade salsa (i wanted to drink it) and fruit. so the chocolate pudding went over very well and people could not believe it was coconut and not dairy!! and yay! they had fruit!!

I'm so glad you all are flying thru this challenge and more importantly, HAVING FUN!!

Love yas!

[TeePee]

FYI!!

I may have missed if someone already posted this in the last few days, but it is important enought to repeat anyway.

Check out on oneluckyduck.com on the link for "eat" You will see that the government wants to make pasturization of almonds madatory in the US. There is a link to click to take you to a petition to sign against this!! Everyone on this board needs to do this!!!

[Sim]

Hi kids~
Oooh, we're having fun with gas!
Res, you found good articles on gas production but it made me wonder if the problem can also be resolved by taking a daily probiotic even now, way after a cleanse? I'm still taking one every day and I can't really say I've had a gas problem, which is unusual for someone who, pre-cleanse, pre-raw, could go TWO to THREE WEEKS without going to the bathroom. No, I'm not kidding. Ouch. When I say I was looking for a better way to eat, live, and feel, I wasn't kidding. Along with that little constipation problem came tons of bloat and gas...all gone with the MC and Raw. Definitely stay away from the cabbage family, which includes broccoli and cauliflower, until your body can rev up to digest all the raw stuff better. Also, as I found out, collards are hard to digest and are actually part of the cabbage family too. Maybe kale is too. I love those things but I have to be careful, not eat them every single day, and chew them really well. Maybe all this will help. For my part, it's hysterically funny that every morning's elimination (and the ones I have after almost every meal!) are joyous occasions for me because it's a totally new existence for me. Now, when someone tell me, "Sim, you know what? You're full of sh*t," I can honestly laugh and say, "Oh no I'm not!!" (Just a little scatalogical humor there...you all know I just can't resist )

And another funny thing....well, not funny. Those congestion symptoms? I HAD THEM TOO!! Anyone else experience this? I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on since I am dairy-free, but I'd wake up with a post-nasal drip that was nasty and it would continue all day. I thought maybe it was an adult-onset allergy or hay fever but it's almost disappeared, even as the trees have just started to blossom (the worst time for allergy sufferers)...so I think it's the adjustment to Raw. Hang in there. And it could also be a reaction to something, some fruit or veggie you're eating that you didn't even know affected you. Trial and error, Res. Frustrating but interesting.

I think you are all right about finding your stride and achieving balance in Raw. Look at it this way: you ate SAD your whole life and NEVER found balance, otherwise, you wouldn't be looking for some better, healthier way to eat! But it was fun to try and Raw is fun to try, too. As most of you know, I've been Raw since January 19 and I'm just beginning to slow down on the recipes and dehydrating. This is fascinating to me: in the beginning, I used my juicer/homogenizer (Omega 8005, not Champion--and I love it) and my Cuisinart (11 Cup) the most. I thought I wouldn't really need a high-speed blender (VitaMix) because I hardly used the blender. Well, now I'm really saving for that VitaMix because almost everything I make now requires the blender and the Cuisinart, plus the citrus juicer. The juicer gets used for "special" things, like ice cream and nut butters, but I don't make those often. It's also interesting that for some of us, our staples will be some things, while for others, they will be other things. For me, I always now have on hand raw nori sheets for sushi roll ups, which I often don't even cut but eat as a "cigar" roll, collard greens for making wraps, cashews and pine nuts because they don't have to be soaked (in case I forgot to soak almonds or walnuts), medjool dates and turkish apricots, salad greens, of course, and avocados. When I have no fixin's for guac, I just eat an avo with a spoon or rolled up in nori. I love eggless egg salad and it's so easy to make...and no, you don't have to have expensive macadamias to make it. And tomatoes...if you have tomatoes, there's always soup in your very near future. See? I didn't know these would be my staples, they just grew. In the beginning, I was dehydrating like a maniac...then I discovered that I could not control myself around Onion Bread or Crackers and those things DEFINITELY caused bloat and gas for me! And salt retention...that onion bread! No matter how little Bragg's or nama shoyu or tamari or even salt that I used, it was still a source of water retention. But I had to find that out for myself because my body, like your bodies, is like no one else's. I love onion bread, but I save making it for special occasions now. Dehydrated anything is delicious to me and makes me "overeat" if you can do such a thing on Raw. I think the only time I really think I've overeaten is when nuts, nut butters, and patés are involved. Not Tuna (Cornbleet's) is awesome, but when you eat a whole container in one day, ooooh, ouch. So I've learned: half the recipe if it's just for me for one meal. She already has done us the favor of presenting recipes for one or two. And even though she says it's hard to halve her recipes sometimes because you need a certain amount of liquid for a blender or processor, it can be done. Trust me. Trial and error.

On to the next thing: I am having "company" on Monday and I decided to make pizza. Everyone loves pizza, right? So I made Cohen's recipe but I used buckwheat groats, which I have not used before, and the batter came out too thin and the pizza rounds too thin and crispy. I'll use them for crackers, no problem. But I had soaked more flax and buckwheat than I needed, so I used Juliano's recipe for pizza crust. Beautiful! On paper, it looks almost the same as Cohen's, but it isn't. Here it is:
1½ cups sprouted buckwheat groats
1/4 cup Olive oil
garlic, spices, herbs; up to you whichever you like
2/3 cup carrot pulp (a good excuse to drink the juice!)
2/3 cup soaked flax seeds
You can also add: lots of fresh garlic, scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, whatever)

Okay, so his directions are really complicated, needlessly in my opinon. I just put everything ( I didn't even have carrots! I ran out earlier in the week) in the food processor and pushed the button. Spread it rather thickly on a Teflex (½ inch thick, made a 10 x 10 inch square) and dehydrated 8 hours at 100º, turned in onto the mesh screen and then dehydrated again for 8 hours at the same temp. Easy.

Make it easy, friends. The gourmet stuff is great once in awhile, but if you begin to think you always have to soak, rinse, sprout, and dehydrate, you will get impatient and frustrated and will think you have nothing to eat if you didn't plan ahead. And out comes the steak from the freezer or the bag of cookies. Don't do it...just think about which fresh things you like the best. I never thought I'd be satisfied with salad, but my salads are now gorgeous...all it takes is some red and green and white and sprouts on top. And avos! With a delicious salad dressing, you can't beat it!

Wow. I'm so rah-rah my arms are getting tired. Thanks for putting up with me. But if I help anyone at all, I guess it's a good thing, right?
Love to you...stay warm and dry...is it only the Northeast that's under water these days?

[mtmouse]

Great post, Sim!

I didn't like my pizza crusts (or my calzone pouches) when I used buckwheat either. They broke up too easily and tasted too starchy.

My solution: sprout wheat berries instead of buckwheat groats. Buckwheat has no gluten (which of course is important for some people), but it's the gluten that gives dough strength and flexibility. So now I use wheat for anything like that and it works out fine! (Well, actually, I haven't tried calzone again, because it makes too much and then I eat too much, but I suspect it would be the same.)

For me, rosemary crackers are still a staple. I haven't liked my onion bread the last two batches, so it's currently on the back burner. I used to eat a lot of dried fruit, but I've noticed that I hardly ever do any more. Still do eat quite a few nuts. It seems that as long as I have some marinara sauce and spreadable cheese available, I'm good to go. (Of course, that's in addition to a slew of fresh fruits and veggies.) And I love the macadamia nut "cream cheese". Not only is it tasty, but it comes out pure white and looks just beautiful.

Starting week 3, the second half of this experiment!

[mershwista]

I'm thinking about taking the challenge. Probably not till the end of April though. I've been looking at the vitamix blender on line and thinking hard about spending the money. And doncha know I went into Costco today. Lo and behold there was a booth set up selling the 5000. They wer closing up shop, so I didn't get to see the demonstration. I'm going back Saturday and may buy it. Geez, I really can't afford it right now, but I want it and they're asking $359. for it. Anyone know if that's the best price. They swore you can't get 'em cheaper.

I have a blender that I bought for $20 and use daily. Especially with my limited financial resources, I find it totally unnecessary to purchase a blender that costs hundreds of dollars! And I can make soups and smoothies like anyone else.

[Res]

Kathy I can't believe we're going into week 3.

Funny thing - the last batch of my onion bread turned out so-so SO it's pretty much on the back burner as well. One thing that will always be in my fridge is the Fudge Recipe posted here somewhere. If you're looking at the fudge - something says, "No NO NO!" until I realize "Hey it's not fudge already!!" It looks the same and has a different taste but it's pure decadence and a nice treat.

I still haven't tried the pizza crust yet. I might do that this weekend and I'm anxious to make "cheese".


Sim I love the way you simplify things AND I've copied that pizza crust recipe to add to my collection.

Ok, so you went through congestion too. Interesting. Yesterday the bloating and gas was so painful I thought I was in labor. It was SO NOT FUNNY and I was so perplexed about it happening again tonight (I have 4 hours of school). I'm not sure what to "stop eating" because it's nothing that I would think would cause gas. OH! I have been taking the probiotics once a day but last night I took 2 and I do believe it was a short time after that that I began to feel better.

I think I have to simplify things even more but going to just salads, juices, fruits until this dies down. I'm so thankful no one is staying with me right now because it would be horrible for them. lol


TeePee: nice to see you again and I'm so glad they liked your pudding! Coconuts rule!

Lunch is just about over and I have to get back to work.

Love to all,
~Res

[mtmouse]

Okay, sorry Res, but I have to share this.

After all this talk about gas and all, I discovered a cauliflower head in the fridge that needed to be eaten, so I thought WTH and made up some cauliflower tabouli last night.

And wouldn't you know it, I've had LESS gas today than the past several days!

Today I had an interesting dinner, though. I had a jicama in the fridge so I looked in Amsden's book (since he does index by ingredient) and found jicama cheese pierogies. They sounded interesting, and I had some cheese already made up, so I went for it. But my jicama was huge, and there was no way to spiralize it into thin strips. So I tried cutting it REALLY thin, and it was about 25 times too thick, LOL.

So then I cut it down to a spiralizer size and shape and ran it through. What a disaster! The pieces were thin enough, but they were way too tiny to make into any little "pockets".

I eventually just mixed the pile of jicama pieces with the cheese, poured on some marinara sauce, and let it warm in the dehydrator. Delicious! Not as impressive as little pockets of cheese-stuffed pierogies, but definitely tasty. So that was a good save.

I think it was Sim or TeePee who talked about the failures tasting fine? Well, they do!



I made that fudge, but I eat five pieces at a time! Sometimes several times a day! But Res, if you haven't made that chocolate sauce, you haven't lived!