Happy Raw Year

In preparation for this new lifestyle blog, I've researched a few other blogs and noticed some constants. To help ring in the new year, many of us make resolutions that we generally don't keep (obvi). We start blogging about said resolutions as a means of accountability -- but really the blogs just turn into a couple days of meaningless ramble about the things we'd like to do, but have no intention of following through on. I warn you, this might turn into that. But for now, the challenge I've put before myself in 2011 remains an exciting idea at the least...



In coming up with the name of this blog, Raw Year 2k11, I had to reword and rephrase my thoughts so as not to copy any of the existing Raw Food blogs that are out there (and there are a lot)...many of which had only 3 blog posts in the last 5-7 years. That doesn't say much for my odds of achieving a raw year!

The Plan
Eat a majority raw food diet beginning January 9, 2011 and ending January 9, 2012. Or thereabout...

What is a Raw Food Diet?
A raw food diet consists primarily of 50% vegetables, 25% nuts/seeds, 25% fruit -- all of which are kept at temperatures below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The purpose is to preserve the enzymes and nutrients within the foods we eat, which contribute to a host of benefits and digestive harmony for our bodies.

How I'm Gonna Do It
On January 9, I'll be starting a 28-day raw food cleanse through a local raw food restaurant in Chicago. On this program, I'll eat ONLY raw foods and detoxifying herbs for 4 weeks, slowly weening off of solid food entirely. The fourth week is a strict 7-day juice fast. Since it will only be early February by the end of said cleanse, it'll be up to my own willpower to keep it CLEAN for the remaining 11 months of the year. This is where it gets difficult...

I've done the cleanse before (April 2010) and bounced back almost entirely to eating cooked food and other junk. I like to blame it on the fact that I got married in July 2010 and had full access to the all-inclusive buffets on the honeymoon. It's probably just lack of discipline on my part -- but we like to blame others for our problems, don't we?

What You Can Expect from Me
I'll update this blog at least weekly, with my progress, at first, with the 28-day Detox Program, and then my progress with life in general -- living raw. I'll share recipes as well as tips and notes from lectures I hear, or tidbits I gather. I'll share my experiences with colon therapy, infrared saunas, lymphatic drainage, bikram yoga...and anything else I get into.

What's Allowed - What's Not
Okay, so I'm trying to be as realistic as possible. Eating solely 50% veg, 25% seeds, and 25% fruit for an entire year would make me a superfab, unstoppable raw guru...but it may not be fully realistic all of the time.
So here are my cheat foods that I'm allowed from time to time (all organic):

• Quinoa
• Gluten-free, sprouted tortillas
• Cooked vegetables
• Oatmeal w/ fruit
• Red wine*
• Raw organic cheese*
  * = after 3 full months raw, holidays

Here are the foods that are not allowed, not even a little bit:

• Dairy
• Meat
• Wheat/refined carbs
• Refined Sugar
• Beer/liquor
  

If All Else Fails...
I'm allowing myself this one scapegoat...if all else fails, BE VEGAN. If something should arise that is out of my control, instead of cowering in a corner and crying, I'm giving myself the liberty to EAT, but eat vegan.

Prospective Benefits
This year, I'm trying to get a few things under control. Weight. Skin. Energy.
Doing the 28-day cleanse last April, I lost about 16 pounds. Felt great, looked great. I've since gained about 11 of those pounds back, not horrible (still lighter than I've been in a while), but still not great. I've also had a serious bout with acne in the last couple of months -- something I've battled most of my adolescent/adult life. The idea here is to drop to my natural body weight, and stay there. Meanwhile, clearing the acne-causing candida (bacteria) out of my digestive system that has been growing there for the better part of the decade. And also, regaining all that fabulous energy we get when we're not bogging down our bodies with sugar and junkfood.

OH! One More Thing...
I'm trying to run more this year, so this blog will serve as a progress tracker for that as well. Hoping to do a half marathon by the Fall. Or April or May, if my friends have their way. Joining a gym this week and getting a move-on in the exercise category, asap! FYI, running may take a backseat if I feel very tired from the initial phases of detoxification.

Cheers,

K