We are currently on day 8 of this Raw Food Challenge. We've lasted a full week without meat, dairy, processed foods, or cooked foods for that matter. We're finding that this diet requires a HUGE commitment, both in will power, and in time. I'm sure that is something that will get easier with time as we figure out how to prepare more foods ahead of time, what we enjoy eating, and learn how to simplify our grocery shopping by buying more key ingredients in bulk.
Geoff has been struggling periodically with the fact that processed junk food and fast food is promoted so heavily on a daily basis. It's been hard to turn on the tv without commercials for Burger King, Taco Bell, or Subway in our face, and driving through town there's an onslaught of billboards and the smell of charbroiled burgers. We never made it a habit to eat that junk prior to this raw food challenge, but maybe it's just knowing that Geoff has made a commitment to not stray from this diet for a month that is making him want a Whopper or a Bacon Double Cheeseburger.
I, on the other hand, am not finding that to be so much of a challenge. I know that after eating this way now for the better part of 3 weeks (including the juice fast), gorging on processed fast food is not going to make my body feel good, and to me it's just not worth it because fast food doesn't even taste that good. I mean, if I'm going to risk not feeling well due to something I ate, it's going to be something worthwhile and sinful like my mom's cherry cheesecake.
Geoff has found that this entire experiment has him more goal oriented and thinking more strategically. His weight and fat percentage have both decreased. He's maintaining an exercise program, and has found that he is now able to run further. His life-long sinus problems and allergy issues have drastically decreased, and his energy levels have increased.
I'm continuing to ride my bike, do crunches and push ups, but I'll admit that I haven't been out walking as often as I should. It's difficult, and it tends to depress me at times. Even just walking on the sloping, gravel driveway up to the road is a frustrating challenge and since I tend to shy away from things that depress me, I'm having difficulty forcing myself to walk more and stay positive about it. I know, I know- it'll get easier the more I do it, just like my increased ability for all the other exercises I'm doing, but apparently, mentally, I'm just not there yet. However, it's amazing for me to realize that my body has *never* gotten the vast array of vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals that it's getting now - all in an easy to digest, unprocessed, raw form.
One thing that has been brought to my awareness is the fact that although I thought prior to this that I ate healthy and knew a lot about health, wellness, and food, I had only scraped the surface. There appears to be a lot of misconception out there about calories and protein, and you can read up on some new medical studies here. We've learned a great deal about how much protein a person actually requires, and you can read more about that here.
I'm now realizing that a 4 tray dehydrator simply isn't large enough, and can see why people recommend the Excalibur 9 Tray Food Dehydrator
I've also recently learned that raw foodies make a lot of 'pasta' type noodles out of zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, or other similar vegetables using a machine like a Saladacco Spiral Slicer
Geoff and I are both excited to see where this raw food journey will take us. It's already opening our minds to a new way of thinking, and we've bonded like never before. We're actually getting more enjoyment out of the food we're eating, we're getting more out of it nutritionally, and we're having a great time trying out new recipes. I look forward to seeing what the next 3 weeks brings.
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