*After The Cleanse*

[mtmouse]

Glad things are going better, TeePee! Hope you're back to your old self really soon!

[sweetnadine]

Just following my "gut" instinct on the food I was needing...

I am also still losing weight post fast, down to 210 from 212 last day of fast.

Sticking to 1500 calories a day for now.....

While eating more raw food I have no fantasies about living on raw food totally, its just not possible for me.

GeneK

You don't have to commit to a total raw food diet. In fact, this is a REALLY drastic step for us because we've lived our lives on cooked food. Just start with a committment to getting more live foods into your diet. Check out info on the Halleujah Diet, http://www.hacres.com. Started by a man who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1974 and changed his diet to live food rather than using conventional treatment (chemo, radiation). Today. he is a healthy, cancer-free, 72(?) year-old who maintains a 80% raw and 20% cooked diet.

I'm going to try to eat raw in the day and have cooked food in the evening.

I know a raw foodist who HAD to add cooked food to her diet because she found that she was losing TOO much weight on 100% raw. What an enviable position to be in!!

Cheers,
Nadine

[skinnyminnie]

Heh all! Skinnyminnie here ~ and believe me I'm LOVIN that name now! Glad I picked it!

I have question that I need a QUICK answer to. Finished my cleanse on April 2nd, then three days of breaking fast and still haven't had a chance to get the Probiotics! Is it absolutely necessary and if so, is it too late to start now, almost a month later? I'm having no problems, feel great and am eating very well - alot of raw and Salmon, sweet potatoes, veggies, etc. Have kept the weight off and am still looking to lose more. Weighed in at 146 BEFORE the cleanse and now weigh 134 ~ however have been eating some bread and need to stop or the weight will be back. Also having cravings for sweets. Don't have a dehydrator and can't spend that kind of money now ~ any ideas for quick sweets readily available?

Thanks MTMOUSE for all your encouragement and answers! You ALL have been great and I'm learning so much!

Love to all
skinnyminnie

[mtmouse]

Hey skinnieminnie!

I don't think it's ever too late to do the probiotics. On the other hand, I didn't take any probiotics after my first cleanse at all, though I did eat some yogurt. So basically, I think you'll be fine without, and it's not a bad idea to get some and take them for a couple of weeks just to be sure. Can't hurt to get those good guys in there!

Here's a site with lots of raw recipes, including many desserts. Some call for dehydrating, but really you could just eat them with a spoon if you wanted!

http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/

[Sim]

Hi Skinnyminnie!

As a confirmed sweets eater, I know what it's like to crave them and not know what to do...the sweetest thing I've found that really satisfies the need is medjool dates! They're really sweet, somewhat mushy, and after two, you just don't want any more sweets! Try it and see if it works for you.
And congratulations on losing weight....way to go!

[Sim]

Hi Everyone!
I'm back, after a little vacation in DC, which was inundated with water, just like the rest of the East Coast. I've missed you all and after reading all the posts, I'm so impressed by how smart you all are! Going raw takes a little bit of nerve and a lot of desire, although not willpower. That's because once you start doing it, it just seems to work and you feel so good. The only time it's really a challenge is when you're out with non-raw friends. Mmmm...the pizzas and the roasted whatevers sure look good, but think really hard about what you're putting into your body and what others are putting in. I prefer to stay away from diabetes and heart disease. I wonder if there are any studies about those diseases in raw folks? Anyway, I'm glad everyone is well or recovering.

TeePee Omigosh! You sound like you've been through the wringer! Poor kid....recovery may be slow but maybe you can make yourself feel better by thinking about how much more weight you've lost in the last week! I'm so sorry you've been sick...I hate throwing up more than anything in the world and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially you

Res and MtMouse You two are a stitch with your challenge...you're right! After doing the MC, raw is a breeze, you'll see. But you already know that I'm a little crazy about this stuff. I knew that if I even had a little cooked food, I'd never do all raw, so I'm 100% right from the start. I wouldn't recommend that for everyone because I think most people would say "the heck with it" after just a few meals. Lately, I'm not dehydrating anything except fruit...I've found that I go nuts with onion bread and crackers around and I'm just as good if I make a really hefty Not Tuna (Cornbleet's is my current favorite, not skinny Matt's) roll, on untoasted nori, with a little sweet white miso spread first, then the Not Tuna, then avocado and sprouts. One chubby roll and I'm done for a few hours. I'm not kidding. Lately, it's salads and whole fruit and the new berries. I guess I'm tired of all the chopping and dicing for awhile, but I'm not tired of feeling great. My husband and I were in DC and I swear, I ate almonds, dried apricots, strawberries, apples, bananas and mangos while I was there. Not much else. AND IT DIDN'T BOTHER ME. I find this amazingly weird but it's almost as if when I was eating SAD, one thing, one taste led to another. Sweet/salty/spicy...crunchy/smoothe/hard/soft....you all know what I mean. And there was no end to it, just wanted to keep eating and finding new taste "sensations." Now, it's like the foods are just nourishing me and they're so fresh and clean-feeling that I don't want to go backwards. I won't say "never"...who knows what might happen...I'm going to Ireland for two weeks on a hiking trip and I have no idea what I'll find in the way of raw...maybe I'll have to eat some cooked to keep from starving....I don't know. I won't beat myself up if that happens because as I read right here: we don't have to be perfect. Just know that whatever percent raw you're doing, it's better than no percent!

Okey doke...just wanted to check in with you all and tell you I love you and miss you. Keep the dehydrators on and keep up the friendships we've all seemed to form. What a beautiful group of people you all are.

[skinnyminnie]

Thank you MTMOUSE and SIM for your advice! I'll maybe order them today or tomorrow. I'm heading home next week (the Big Apple) to visit family. Hope it warms up up there! I'm so used to this beautiful Florida weather!
So, I'll talk to you all later ~ probably wont' be writing till I get back on the 30th of April! YIKES! Where are the months going? Talk to ya later!

[Ginger]

Sim - you're very inspiring. I'm traveling to Phlly next week for a few days. Now, I'll see if I can stay mostly raw. In June I'm going to Grand Turks and August is Curacao. I expect I'll eat some cooked food ther, but hope to at least stay vegan.

[TeePee]

Ginger,

I'm jealous!!!

[Res]

Sim: Welcome Back!! Oooh, Ireland now I'm envious.

Yeah funny thing about what you said regarding eating: since the start of the challenge, I've noticed that I'm not "so hungry" anymore. I'm certain it's because I'm feeding myself the right things so it's not craving the wrong things. That doesn't stop me from eating though! It's been fun to do something so different and find that I really enjoy it. I can't say I'm feeling better than ever but that's not the RAW foods fault it's the food poisoning's fault. Most likely in another week I'll feel great.

The cool thing is I don't feel stressed or anxious about food like I normally do. I can go out with my family and eat a salad with a few of my own things to take along. It's just SO NICE to be doing this Challenge and Kathy is a hoot to do this with.

"on untoasted nori, with a little sweet white miso spread first, then the Not Tuna, then avocado and sprouts."

YUM! That sounds so good! So, Nori? The sheets that you can pick up at the grocery store? What is white miso spread?!?!?!? I do LOVE Cornbleets Toona and maybe a bit more than the one posted here. Here's looks and tastes more like Tuna to me.

I'm so glad you're back for a while and that you checked in with us. We missed you.

Love,
~Res