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Today is the final day of the raw food challenge. But the beginning of a new way of life for me!. I recommend everyone give raw food living a try. You can try the 7 day challenge like I did. Its a great way to test the waters. You really don't have much to lose. If you don't like it, you can always go back to the way you were eating before. Although, I'm betting you won't. I want to thank Brad's Raw Chips for the encouragement and support throughout this challenge. And especially their FABULOUS kale chips.
Day 7- Final Day
Weight: 113 lbs (down 3.4 lbs. total)
I lost 3.4 lbs in this 7 day challenge.
Zit Count: 5 (down 14 total)
I have lost a lot of zits during this challenge. I am very excited about that.
How I feel today:
Today, I woke up with lots of energy and I am excited to continue to eat healthy.
Things I've eaten and plan to eat:
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Day 6
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For the last few days, I have been out of snack foods. I've only had fruits/veggies and almonds. It's been so cold in Salt Lake, like 15 degrees That I haven't wanted to go out to replenish my food. My husband tells me I'm like a hibernating bear. He can't get me out of the house when its cold. That's where the trouble started, the hunger snuck up on me last night, hard and fast! I seriously turned into Joe Pesci in that Snickers commercial. My poor family. I hadn't taken my own advice and I let myself get hungry. I was almost ready to throw in the towel. For what, 20 minutes of being hungry. I gave myself a pep talk on how good I had been doing. I told myself that I would be able to make it for 10 more minutes while my husband ran to the store. So I'm sure he drove to the store like a mad man in fear that I might eat my own young while he was gone. He returned with 2 bags full of groceries to make a great salad. After I got done eating, I felt like a whole new woman. Phew! I was so glad that I hadn't given up. So again, I tell you. Don't go hungry. I'm putting my gloves,scarf, and coat on as we speak to go to the store. I will return from Whole Foods with plenty of foods to keep Joe Pesci at bay.
Day 6
Weight: 114 lbs (down 2.4 lbs. total)
I have maintained the same weight for the last 3 days.
Zit Count: 7 (down 12 total)
I'm happy to wake up each morning and see the improvement in my skin. Aside from the zits, I have noticed an overall improvement in the way my skin looks. I've noticed less fine lines around my eyes.
How I feel today:
Today, I woke up with more energy then I have had for the last 2 days. I was excited. That made me feel very positive and hopeful. I feel like I can really keep going with this lifestyle.
Things I've eaten and plan to eat:
For breakfast I had strawberries and almonds. For lunch, I will eat an avocado with salsa, like I have had for the last few days. I really like it and look forward to lunch each day. Last night for dinner I had a really great salad with 4 kinds of lettuce, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli-sprinkled with almonds. Then for a family dessert we had a yummy green smoothie.
I know I'm a crazy person when I'm hungry. Do any of you have funny stories from when you haven't eaten for awhile?
Day 5
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Now that I'm reaching the end of this challenge, I find myself thinking a lot about whether I will change my everyday eating to a raw lifestyle. It would be so easy to go back to unhealthy eating. But, I have seen so many improvements during this raw eating challenge, that it would just be dumb to go back. I think that I could start out on a 75 raw/25 regular diet and try to increase that eventually to 90/10. I do know that the unraw food I eat will be healthy food. I'm not going to go back to eating processed fattening food anymore. I don't like how it makes me feel. It's so east to get use to feeling tired and sluggish. I prefer getting use to feeling energetic and healthy. I know that I will need to do a lot more research to find recipes that will give myself and my family a variety of meals. Luckily, there are a ton out there. It may be a little more challenging trying to sway my daughters from their beloved chicken nuggets. However, if I succeed with that, I deserve a gold medal!
Day 5
Weight: 114 lbs (down 2.4 lbs. total)
I haven't lost any more weight in the last 2 days. I think the coco-roons might be to blame.They have the most fat out of all of the things that I am eating.
Zit Count: 8 (down 11 total)
I'm happy to wake up each more and see the improvement in my skin. Aside from the zits, I have noticed an overall improvement in the way my skin looks. I've noticed less fine lines around my eyes.
How I feel today:
I feel good again today. I have actually been surprised at how I feel good each day. I expected to have a few hard days. I haven't deprived myself of things, so I think that's what has kept my energy level up. I have been eating a fairly rounded raw diet so my body isn't trying to fight me. I also haven't had any bloating for the last 2 days, so I think I am over that bump in the road. Or should I say "bloat" in the road!
Things I've eaten and plan to eat:
For breakfast I had a really delicious fruit salad that had grapes, watermelon, strawberries, clementines, and banana. For lunch, I will eat an avocado with salsa, like I had yesterday. Last night for dinner I had a really great salad with 3 kinds of lettuce, snow peas, cucumbers, and carrots-sprinkled with almonds I might make that again tonight because it was great! For dessert I had a banana with cinnamon sprinkled on top. I really like those.
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If you made the raw lifestyle switch with a family, I would love to hear your advice and get any kid -friendly recipes!
Day 4
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I have noticed since first starting the raw food challenge, that I have been dreaming consistently every night in between toddler wake ups. That leads me to think that I am getting a little bit more quality sleep. Who can complain about that? Now I just have to get the toddler to sleep through the night and I would be a whole new woman! Aside from the great sleep and other benefits of raw eating, I have noticed if you don't keep a variety in your meals, its easy to get bored and harder to stick to the raw diet. So, today I made salsa to spice up the variety in my meals. I just used tomatoes, a green pepper, cilantro, a jalapeno, garlic, and an onion. I chopped it all up and voila! I was done. Raw eating has been a little more simple than cooking meals. You use just as many ingredients, but there is not as much waiting time.
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Day 4
Weight: 114 lbs (down 2.4 lbs. total)
Zit Count: 10 (down 9 total)
My skin is still improving each day. I'm halfway through the challenge and half of zits have disappeared. By my calculations...I might have clear skin by day 7!
How I feel today:
I still feel good today. Not quite as energetic as yesterday but still good. I've started having a few more cravings for non raw food. When that happens, I will make a smoothie or have a few almonds and then the craving goes away.
Things I've eaten and plan to eat:
Today I'm still trying to stick mostly to fruits and vegetables. For breakfast I had a banana and almonds. For lunch I had salsa and an avocado with raw crackers. For dinner I will have a dry salad and a smoothie.
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Last night, I ate a little salad, while my husband ate beef and broccoli from one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. It didn't bother me at all. I surprised myself at how content I was eating the salad. Although, I have been craving my favorite...a Tiffany roll from that same restaurant. I may have to find a raw sushi recipe For those eating raw... What are your most desired cravings?
Day 3
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Yesterday I was busy running errands. I ended up snacking on the kale, raw crackers, and almonds mostly. I had a few smoothies, but I lacked eating the fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm kind of feeling guilty. I feel like I am falling into my naughty ways of eating, even though I am sticking with the raw snack foods. I normally tend to avoid eating fruits and vegetables. I'm not really sure why because I like the taste of them. Maybe I just need to "spice" them up, make them more exciting. I have also been doing a lot of research and finding raw food recipes. I might attempt to make a yummy snack food. Chips and salsa has been sounding good. I've also been surprised, I'm realizing that there actually are a lot of food options for eating raw.
Day 3
Weight: 114 lbs (down 2.4 lbs. total)
Zit Count: 13 (down 6 total)
My skin is improving a little each day
How I feel today:
I feel good today. I definitely have more energy. I woke up today feeling ready to get things done. I normally wake up feeling like I got hit by a train. (I have a 2 year old that doesn't sleep through the night) I even got my hair and makeup done before 2 o'clock!
Things I've eaten and plan to eat:
I will continue to drink a ton of water. I will try to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables today. I will have a smoothie because those are really great at filling me up. I also like to cut up a banana and sprinkle cinnamon on it. Feels like dessert! Kale and almonds are my staple throughout the day.
I'm still happy eating raw. I really do suggest it to everyone. It would be a great lifestyle change or just a great way to jump start a healthy eating lifestyle. If anyone has a great raw chips and salsa recipe, I would love to get it!
Day 2
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Yesterday I did pretty good. I felt great in the morning. I drank a ton of water throughout the day, probably 3-4 liters. I wanted to keep the vegetable bloat away! My problem came in the afternoon, I went too long without eating. For me that's more than 2 hours. I'm hypoglycemic and I get tired and lethargic if I don't eat often. So that was my own fault. I also started craving snacky foods. I hadn't bought my beloved kale chips yet. So I made my trip to Whole Foods and went crazy on the raw food isle. I bought kale chips, raw protein bars, raw crackers, and raw macaroons. I'm the kind of person that LOVES treats and salty snacks. I know I will be successful with this challenge now because I found foods that were raw and able to fulfill my cravings. I have to admit I did pig-out on my new snacks when I got home, due to hunger! So lessons that I learned and my advice to anyone else eating raw. Equip yourself not only with fresh fruits and vegetables. But have raw snacks and treats to help you through your naughty cravings. Also, drink a ton of water and then drink some more. Water will be your friend! I don't recommend pigging-out, that's never good for you even with healthy snacks. Moderation is key, but be consistent. Don't allow yourself to get hungry.
Day 2
Weight: 115 lbs (down 1.4 lbs.)
Zit Count: 15 (down 4)
I takes a few days for my skin to really reflect what I have been eating good or bad. Right now its dealing with all of the junk food I ate on the weekend. I expect my skin to really improve on the 3rd or 4th day.
How I feel today:
I feel really good. I usually feel like I'm carrying a brick around in my stomach. I usually just feel bloated and gross. Today it feels like I'm only carrying a pebble around. I'm much less bloated, even after eating so many greens and vegetables. I account that to the water.
Things I've eaten and plan to eat:
Today I woke up and had a big glass of water. And instead of a banana I tried one of the new Raw Revolution Live Food Bars. That was a perfect breakfast. As a snack I had some kale chips and a handful of sugar plum tomatoes. Clementines are also a really refreshing snack. For lunch I will make a smoothie and have a few raw almonds. Later I will have a dry salad and a few raw crackers. And for dessert!!! I will try to eat only a few Coco-Roons. They are so good!
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Here are some of the snacks that saved the day! I apologize that a few of the packages are missing their tops. Like I said, I was hungry and ripped these suckers open in the car.
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These I have to say, are very delicious. They were perfect for my treat craving.
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As you all know I love the Vampire Killer Kale. I decided to also get the Natural Nacho and give it a try. It is good, but the Vampire Killer is still my #1.
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These bars are great. I felt like I was eating a moist brownie. They are perfect to carry in your bag or purse to have on the go. They will keep you out of trouble if you get hungry and need a fast meal. They also filled me up.
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The Whole Foods that I went to, didn't carry Brad's Raw Crackers. So I got these instead. I have to say, they aren't bad. But, I assume based on how much I like Brad's Raw Kale, that his crackers are better.
All in all, I'm thrilled that I have started this Raw Food Journey. I've been reading a lot of information and learning a lot. In one day my results have been great. So I look forward to my future raw days!
Kick Off -Day 1
Today is the 1st day of Brad's Raw Food Challenge. I am excited to start it. For the last few months I have felt like crap. I'm tired a lot. I feel yucky and bloated all of the time. I don't have much energy. So its definitely time for a change in my lifestyle and this challenge came at the perfect time. I will "blog in" each day and keep you updated on how I am feeling and things that I am learning.
Yesterday I had my last cooked meal. I decided on totally terrible for you greasy Chinese food. And I got a great fortune in my fortune cookie. Perfect timing for this challenge.
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And right now I FEEL more like 50 than the 29 that I am. I'm hoping after the 7 days I feel like a teenager again!
Day 1
Weight: 116.4 lbs
Zit Count: 19
(I do have to say that the zits make me feel like a teenager, but that's not exactly the way I want to feel like a teenager. My zits are definitely hereditary, but I notice a huge improvement in my skin when I am eating healthy. )
How I feel today:
I feel excited and energized. I feel a little bloated from last night's fattening dinner.
Things I've eaten and plan to eat:
I woke up and had a big glass of water and a banana.When I got home from dropping my daughter off at school, I made a smoothie and had a handful of raw almonds. I will continue to drink a lot of water, I know that will help flush the toxins. I plan to have lots of fruits and veggies throughout the day and I'm most excited for dinner which will be Brad's Raw Leafy Kale Chips.
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Check in to see how I feel tomorrow! For those that have done this challenge...Do you have any words of wisdom or recipes to share?
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Brad's Raw 7 Day Challenge
If you saw my blog post yesterday, you saw me raving about the best kale chips ever. Made by Brad's Raw Foods. Well while I was browsing their facebook page, I noticed they are having a 7 Day Raw Food Challenge starting on Jan. 14th. I've heard a lot of great things about raw food diets. I have wanted to try a raw food diet for awhile. I just never got around it. I bought a book 10 years ago and all I did with it was place it nicely on my shelf. Some of the health benefits from the raw food diet include weight loss, energy gain, clearer skin, and overall improvement in health.
I decided that I was going to finally give the raw food diet a try. So, here goes! I have nothing to lose but the fat on my belly and the zits on my face. And Brad's Raw Foods is being incredibly generous and giving 2 bags of raw chips to all of the challengers that complete the 7 day challenge. So at least I will get 2 bags of the best chips in the world! That's motivation enough for me : ) I challenge you to try this with me or you can just point and laugh at me while eating your bacon! To receive your chips you have to follow a few of their rules. You can go to their website or facebook page to find out all of the details and sign up for this challenge. I will put the link below.
I will be "blogging in" each day to let you know how I am doing on the challenge and how I feel. I will be very honest with both the good and the bad. So check my blog each day to see how I'm doing. I will also try to post a few recipes as I go.
For more information on how to do a raw food diet, I suggest using good old google. You can even go to the library or a local bookstore. The Brad's Raw Foods website and facebook page also has really good information about the raw food diet too. You can also read testimonials from other people that have tried it.
January 14th is the kick off day!
www.bradsrawfoods.com
www.bradsrawchips.com
http://www.facebook.com/Brads7DayRawChallenge
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