Living in the Raw

On August 17th I started a little raw food experiment, upping my raw food intake from high raw to very high raw. Very very very high.

For those who don't know, the "raw food diet" is defined as a diet that contains eighty percent or more raw food. Not necessarily exclusively raw, just 80%. This will come as a relief to many people who are drawn to raw food nutrition but hesitate to give up all cooked food, the option of going out to dinner with friends, etc.

There's a significant degree of confusion or, in some cases, competition in some circles around the whole issue of "how raw" a person is. For many people, there are times or situations when one wants or needs to commit to being strictly 100% raw. Karen Knowler, the UK's exuberant Raw Food Coach, calls this "going through the eye of the needle." I respect people who choose this path, for however long. I've walked on it myself and there's a lot to be said for adhering to that kind of discipline while remaining soft in one's heart.

The current experiment going on here is a step down from 100% rigidity, although exceptions are pretty much limited to things like miso and other condiments (prepared mustard, curry paste, organic soup broth powder) plus some restaurant-friendly items like goat cheese* or olives that make it possible for me to be relaxed when going out to eat with "normal" people. (This happened today.)

Speaking of normal people, many do wonder what on earth a raw fooder actually eats, anyway? Is it just a lot of salad and fruit? Isn't that boring?! I thought I'd answer that question by sharing a few days of my raw food diet-lifestyle, just to show how varied it is, and how delicious!

Let's start with today, Tuesday. FYI, the tostada shells at dinner are a version of a Wild Rice Flatbread from Living Cuisine, Renée Loux-Underkoffler's magnificent un-cookbook. I made these with red rice instead of wild rice and they are fantastic. The soup was gently warmed to 100 degrees, just steaming, to preserve life force & enzymes intact.


BREAKFAST
water. herb tea. Green Juice (celery, kale, carrot, apple, lemon, ginger)

LUNCH
Greek Salad (From Panera restaurant. Feta cheese and olives not raw.)
Apple

SNACK
Sacred Chocolate (69% dark chocolate; 1/3 bar)
2 Seckle pears (from my tree - delicious!)
tea with raw honey

DINNER
big slice of Manchego raw sheep cheese (appetizer)
Raw Blended Soup (Cream of Sweet Corn and Zucchini Dill)
Guacamole Tostadas (Cilantro-Lime Guacamole, Purple Cherokee Tomatoes, Butter Lettuce, Manitok Wild Rice Flatbread)

EXERCISE
AM - 20 minutes rebounding, yoga
PM - 20 minute dog and cat walk (Bonnie, the one-year old kitten accompanied Stella and I. Her brother Clyde stayed home this time.)

* Note: raw fooders are often vegan, but not always. I admire and aspire to an animal-free diet but as a Protein Type O, do well at this point with some goat cheese and even sushi in my raw diet.

Cabin Fever Bounce

If winter’s got you feeling snowed in, cooped up or [insert your favorite cabin fever metaphor here], join the club. Uninviting winter weather provides a great reason to stay inside and do nothing (besides eat and surf the net). In fact, unless you are a winter sports enthusiast or a dog, winter provides one of the best excuses ever NOT to exercise. Unfortunately, all that not-exercising and lazing around for months on end can mean looking and feeling pretty much like SLUDGE (as one of my clients put it recently) come Spring.

I love to exercise, especially when it involves being outside with Stella, the Amazing Australian Shepherd (pictured above in Autumn). Sadly for her, my love of outdoor exercise is decidedly less when even just taking a walk means donning multiple layers of itchy outer- and underwear and freezing my face off under a blank, steel gray sky. (Sorry, Stella.) Not to mention the fact that the sole two perambulatory methods available each winter in the Town of Montague resemble unlikely dance crazes from the ‘60’s. First there’s the potentially bone breaking Sidewalk Hobble (a slow, flat-footed slide motion repeated gingerly while picking your way along near-glacial ice formations). Then, there's the perpetually thrilling Street Chicken (a short-gaited trudge performed exclusively along narrow, heavily sanded shoulders as pedestrian-blind drivers speed by in salt-encrusted vehicles, narrowly missing your person). Either way: YUCK!

Thank goodness I have a REBOUNDER! Yes friends, this handy little device (also known as a mini trampoline) is how I manage to stave off the sludge factor during these long New England winters. It’s also a sure way to put a smile on my face, as few serious adult activities appear sillier than bouncing up and down to music for twenty minutes in the privacy of your own home.

A few of my favorite things about rebounding include: fun, convenience, cardiovascular boosting and lymphatic stimulation. (In case you’ve forgotten, healthy lymph function is essential for organ and cellular detoxification, clear glowing skin and a strong immune system. Large muscle movement and anti-gravity postures, both addressed by jumping, are the primary methods of enhancing lymphatic flow. Lymphatic drainage massage and dry skin brushing are others.)

If you’ve never tried rebounding, consider starting with a kit like the Urban Rebounder, available at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $99 inclusive. (No kickback here, I just like the thing and use it myself.) The Urban Rebounder comes with everything you need to begin: a sturdy folding rebounder, an optional removable stability bar and a DVD featuring two complete (very silly looking) workouts – beginner and intermediate – plus a helpful introduction to the moves and safety tips.

Once you master the moves, you can do them in any order while listening to your favorite tunes instead of watching the instructional DVD again. (It's great for the first hundred times, though.) I’ve been bouncing to CCR lately, customizing a personal soundtrack by fast forwarding through the slow songs and using hand-held 1-pound weights to include arm work. A quick twenty or so minutes is all it takes to put a spring in my step that lasts all day, despite the treachery outside. Now, if only I could teach Stella the Snow-Roller to bounce, we'd both be happy...