raw chicago...

this weekend i visited one of my fav raw places, Raw twice...

the thing i love the most about Raw is that besides the food being so delicious, it is owned by some fabulous folks.

the raw sampler...

joe and i spent quite a bit of time talking to the co-owner Carole.  she is so interesting and open and interested in others.

check out the story of how Raw came to be and if you are in chicago you MUST go to the Chicago French Market and check them out.

raw meal on the streets...

because i don't have a completely set schedule, i am always ripping and running to and fro and that can be really challenging when you are eating raw.

one solution that i am employing early on, until i can get my routine and food set up, is i am going to use Raw Meal, which is a meal replacement product.

i am going this route mainly because carrying a container of liquid with me is ten times easier than anything else, and things have to be easy right now.

it is definitely an acquired taste... very "earthy" (LOL). i mixed it with coconut water but i am going to play with it and mix it up until i find the right combo for my taste buds satisfaction.

but guzzling it yesterday, i can already vouch for all the claims that it fills ya up and keeps hunger at bay and that is really important, so that i am not reaching for the veggie burgers still in the freezer....

back on the raw tip!

it's been such a long time coming but today marks my return to raw eating.

i don't have a percentage in mind but i am doing a detox that consists of only raw foods, veggies, nuts, etc. to get the ball rolling.

to start me off, i had room temperature lemon water upon rising, which is said to help with liver function and create a beneficial alkaline state in your body.

joe also treated me to lunch at Karyn's Raw to give me a jump start (will post more about that soon).

and lastly to get me going, i ordered this book that i saw while at Karyn's.

flipping thru it, i was really attracted to the simplicity of the recipes because honestly, i do not want to spend a lot of time preparing my meals and i also know that having to do so would set me up for a setback, so i am giving it a go.

i am of course also devouring my girl Susan's Rawmazing site, which is chock full of recipes and raw knowledge.

and so..

it still goes.

currently i am at about a 80/20 split raw/vegetarian.

its just working out that way.

i am happy with it although i do want to try to get creative enough to try some of the great recipes that have come across, especially the ones from Susan at Rawmazing

here is her latest recipe for Raw Spinach Mushroom Tart



..just delicious looking..

i had an exchange with my aunt about eating better and of course i suggested eating raw to her.

i told her that i have gone from a size 20 to a 16 and (i have only been on this raw journey since 7/4/09)

and i totally believe that its been mainly diet because i have slacked off on my workouts majorly and her response was that she "can't eat anything raw"

i didn't go any further with the conversation but i wondered if she thought i meant raw meat or something outlandish..

why else would she respond that way?

i just can not imagine a person not eating ANY fruits, vegetables or nuts..which is at the heart of my raw eating..

last night i arrived home late and tired and hating the fact that i didn't stop off to at least grab a few pieces of fruit because i didn't have a single piece

for one the kid is home and well, she is like a human disposal and i am buying very little because as good as organic is for you, it does not last long and i was wasting a lot of dough because i was throwing so much away

i am hoping that within the next few weeks we will start dehydrating

this will help push the raw quotient up

i am still finding it tremendously challenging in some ways and its simply a matter of creativity

in the beginning we were eating so many salads that i actually started hating them

but now i just try to make them as colorful and varied as possible and its not as much of a pain

i have added tofu back to my diet..

at this point its a matter of having something to eat and i am ok with that.

for now.

lacking...

i have been so lacking in updating this blog..

i am hoping that today will be a new start. i have already had my morning smoothie.

but its one of those times when i have so many things going on and i am trying to get the schedule down.

it does not hurt that the kid is back home and summer's sweet slowness is coming to an end..

anyway, i am still exploring this raw world.

now i add my barleans greens to all of my smoothies, just to get more green nutrition

we went to a great health seminar back in july @ kennedy king college

i wish that i would have taken pictures or made more notes but i did have a couple of brochures but they are not handy at the moment and i want to get this post up

we also went to a fun event with the folks @ cousins incredible vitality



it involved a bunch of eating and food demos, which i really like

i am really hoping to go to nyc to a class at the natural gourmet institute

its called raw food made easy it sounds like it would be a great hands on intro to exploring raw food..not to mention an excuse to get back to new york..

i have totally fallen in love with the raw trio from totally vegan



its obviously not totally raw with the nachos but its a good go to meal when i am downtown and desperate to have something other than a salad.

the plan going forward is to get to dehydrating..i am hoping this happens within the next couple of weeks.

cravings..

as mentioned yesterday..

because this whole raw deal is mainly about health and not deprivation, i know that i will have non raw food at times and well i did and what i meant by not worth it is this..

i had fried fish and Doritos (which have always been a major craving in my world) and a chai tea latte and the thing is..

they tasted good but i didnt get that "ahh" feeling that i thought i would since i thought i was craving them so much..

and the next morning i was starving!

i mean stomach grumble the whole nine and i have not had that feeling once when eating only raw..

its weird..

but a good thing..

its a confirmation of what i have been reading and hearing @ seminars about raw eating..

if your body is getting the right nutrition, and you are consuming "real food" that your body was made to process and use properly, you rarely experience the hunger sensation..

so, i will still acknowledge and indulge in some of my cravings (which really are rare) at times but i much prefer the feeling that i have been experiencing from my raw foods..

just a true fulfillment and the energy, physically and mentally that goes along with it.

today we are going to a natural health awareness expo..

and of course i will blog about it..

Not good..

Yesterday was a day of raw and non raw and lets just put it this way..it was so not worth it..

I will blog more about it later