Race Recap: A Most Excellent Race

Just kidding!

This post should be a race recap, but I didn't end up running it because I was violently sick the night before. That was the best post title I could think of though. Other top contenders were:

Why I Only Lasted 6 Days On Raw Foods
6 out of 10 ain't bad
How Raw Foods Dominated My Toilet


Yeah, that last one was a little too graphic, even for me. I think you get the gist though, we're cutting our raw foods cleanse short by 4 days.

This weekend was going really well until I came down with a fever on Saturday evening and proceeded to get sick every hour, on the hour, beginning at 8 p.m. Needless to say, we didn't run in the 10k the next morning (bummer deal) and I woke up with zero appetite for raw food.

I don't want to give you the impression that I was "defeated" by this challenge. I am simply listening to what my body is asking of me. It was beginning to be more of a burden than fun for us...so that's why we decided to end it early. Every time we do a raw food cleanse, we learn a little bit more about it and about ourselves. Some key takeaways this time around:

• We are going to incorporate more raw food in our lives by doing one raw meal every week
• I've been able to learn my body's limits, especially when I am only putting raw food into it. At least for the first few days, I generally don't have enough energy to exercise.
• Raw food prep can take a long time. If we weren't prepping a meal, we were thinking about what we needed to soak or dehydrate for our next meal. That, in itself, is exhausting. 

So, last week was really tough for me. I wanted to run, ride or practice yoga but basically didn't have the energy (or time - we needed to make ourselves food!) Then, by the time Sunday rolled around and I had lost just about everything that I ate on Saturday, I just had no appetite for raw foods anymore. There was no sense forcing my body to do something that it didn't want to...and with that, enter cheese and crackers back into my life. 

I love cheese.

Day 4: More Energy!

Today I think I'm finally getting back into the groove here! I took yesterday off, as far as physical activity goes, but also because it's becoming a desperate situation...we need to get our upstairs painted!!! So we did that instead of running or biking.

We also got in bed at 10ish, so I am catching up on sleep. I feel a lot better today than I did yesterday! Minus having the energy or motivation to run at lunch. Well, at least tomorrow is the weekend and I can rest, practice yoga, paint, go to the farmer's market....ah, the list goes on.

What I ate today:

BREAKFAST smoothie: mango, avocado, blueberries, banana and kale, served in a bowl and sprinkled with homemade raw granola

LUNCH leftover stuffed pepper, and a whole tupperware-full of homemade trail mix (almonds, cashews, raisins, pepitas, sunflower seeds and apricots)

DINNER zucchini noodles with pesto, sprinkled with some salsa (sorry I didn't take a picture of this one!)

SNACKS banana with almond butter, almond hummus and salsa and peppers, lots of dried berries

Day 3: Homemade {Raw} Granola

Day 3 of this raw cleanse has been tough for me. I'm exhausted.

Days 1 and 2 were late nights, with Brandon's gig and the Tribe game...pretty sure it was well after midnight on both nights before we got in bed. So the lack of sleep is weighing me down, not to mention I'm asking my body to do all of the same things on a very different diet. 

So, right now it's tough to tell if my exhaustion is coming from eating differently or because the lack of sleep has caught up with me. It's probably a little bit of both.

Here's what I'm eating today:

BREAKFAST smoothie, something with kale, almonds and lots of berries. I put it in a bowl, topped it with some nuts and ate it with a spoon. Again, please don't mind my messy desk...there is just no way around it right now. This kept me satiated until lunch...nice job, Smoothie!

LUNCH leftover tomato, avo and corn salad with some lettuce from our garden and some more homebrewed kombucha

DINNER red pepper stuffed with a sprouted buckwheat/sprouted sunflower seed/miso mixture with a few apricots

SNACKS ants on a log with bananas instead of celery (banana topped with almond butter and raisins), apple + almond butter, trail mix, homemade almond hummus and green peppers (wow, I snacked a LOT today!)

This raw granola recipe is a PL&B original, based on some raw granola that we got at the farmer's market (from Good n' Raw). The process is a little involved because you have to soak the grains and then dehydrate, but it's oh so worth it!

raw buckwheat granola

4-6 servings

prep time: overnight

dehydrate time: overnight

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups raw buckwheat groats
• 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkins seeds)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup flaxseeds
• 10 apricots, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dried blueberries
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 3 tbsp cacao nibs
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup agave nectar

directions:

1. soak the buckwheat overnight
2. mix the rest of the seeds together and soak for 15 minutes to an hour
3. after everything has been soaked, drain and rinse
4. in a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients
5. spread plastic wrap across dehydrator sheets (if you have an old dehydrator like me, the newer ones come with teflex sheets so nothing can fall through)
6. dehydrate overnight or just until the granola is still sticky enough to clump together, but not too dry that it all falls apart

I was actually surprised that the granola came out so well. I am going to play around with some different flavors and maybe add some fresh juice next time for a different flavor bolt. Maybe even some other grains to add as the base. I'll keep you all updated on the tweaks until we find my favorite!

Do you have any suggestions for additions/substitutes for this granola? 

Raw Corn Chowder

...or maybe the chowder would be more aptly named "Avocado Chowder" as Alex noted last night.

Brandon had an awesome gig last night! He helped out with percussion for The Luckey Ones, a band made up of some friends he knows from high school. They are a an incredibly talented bluegrass band. Absolutely check them out:

The gig was on the rooftop of a warehouse that overlooked downtown CLE. Talk about a view!

Soooo...raw food cleanse day two! Today has been tougher for me, I had a good breakfast but I have been hungry just about every hour! Thankfully I have a bunch of nuts, sprouts and other snacks.

What I ate today:

BREAKFAST homemade raw granola (that's another recipe I'll post soon) with strawberries and almond milk. Oh yeah, and HOMEBREWED KOMBUCHA!

LUNCH leftover raw corn chowder

(don't mind my messy engineer desk!)

DINNER tomato, avocado and corn salad with cashew cheese dressing

(yes, that's the jake in the background)

SNACKS sprouts, a peach, walnuts, cashews, dried apricots, almonds

We went to the tribe game tonight and had a glass (glasses?) of wine. I have found that I am the least hungry when I drink wine. Probably because wine has no fiber in it and isn't rushing right through me. I haven't had any good poops yet though, which I'm highly disappointed about...

...but don't worry, you'll hear about it when a good one happens!

On that note: recipe!

raw corn chowder

serves 2 (or 4 as a side dish) | prep time: 10 minutes | cook time: 0 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups fresh corn kernels (approximately 4 large ears)
• 2 cups almond milk
• 1 avocado, cut in chunks
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons finely minced onion
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Corn kernels
• Sunflower sprouts

DIRECTIONS

In a blender, combine the corn, almond milk, avocado, cumin, minced onion and salt. Blend well. Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with a handful of corn kernels and some sunflower sprouts. Serves 4.

Have you ever eaten raw corn before? I didn't even know you could eat it raw...but it's delicious!

How To Sprout Mung Beans

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

Today is the first day of our raw foods cleanse. So far I'm actually surprised that I've stayed satiated from breakfast all the way through lunchtime. I am also loving taking pics of my food in my office...the lighting is much better than my kitchen!

I am feeling great about this cleanse, granted I'm only a day in. Brandon, I'm afraid, has not been so lucky. If you read about eating raw, you'll find that many people go through a period of serious cleaning out, to put it nicely. I'm talking poop, vomit, acne...the works. I was spared all that in our last cleanse, but Brandon felt some of those effects. Unfortunately, this is a case of same smell, different day.

Here's what I'm eating today:

BREAKFAST green smoothie: frozen mixed berries and bananas, 1 piece of kale and a few spinach leaves, almonds and almond milk. all blended together in my magic bullet.

LUNCH salad: mixed greens courtesy of Woolf Farms with strawberries (also Woolf Farms), peaches, avocadoes and almonds. dressing: balsamic, olive oil and dijon mustard with oregano and basil, all mixed together. cherries on the side

DINNER raw creamy corn chowder topped with corn kernels and sprouted sunflower seeds <-- recipe later, I promise!

SNACKS/DESSERT apple with raw almond butter (thank you Trader Joe's!), mung bean sprouts, dried apricots and a spoonful of honey (because my throat is feeling itchy)

I have a little how-to for you today: SPROUTS! Sprouts are a raw food essential for me for so many reasons

1. you can eat them, just as they are, they make an awesome snack
2. you can dry/dehydrate and grind them (specifically wheat berry sprouts) and make a nutritionally packed flour
3. you can add them to just about any meal to add flavor, texture and a nutritional BANG

Sprout People is probably the best sprouting resource ever, and it's where I learned to sprout on my own. For the most part, sprouting is similar for all grains, seeds, beans, etc. But there are a few that require different soaking or rinsing times. So I usually check Sprout People before I sprout anything new. I am going to talk about sprouting mung beans, but if you want to try something else, check out their directions first.

what you'll need...

• a jar
• a rubber band
• cheese cloth

or

• a sprouter

and don't forget your

• mung beans (you can get them at almost any grocery store)

method...

1. put 1/4 cup of mung beans into the jar or sprouter
2. cover the beans with anywhere from 3/4 to 1 cup of water
3. let soak for 8 hours or over night
4. IF SPROUTING IN A JAR: cover jar with cheese cloth and secure it with a rubber band. Flip the jar over and let all the water drain out. Then, rinse the beans and place the jar (with the cheese cloth cover ON) upside down so any excess water can drain out
5. IF USING A SPROUTER: just rinse the beans
6. rinse 1-2 times a day (I usually do it before and after work) until your beans have sprouted to your liking (i.e. sprout length or flavor). Tasting a few every time you rinse will help you decide when you want them to stop so you can eat them up
7. store in a jar in the fridge, they will keep for about a week

What is your favorite type of sprout? What dishes do you use them in?

Raw Food Cleanse

Starting tomorrow, Brandon and I are going to celebrate the transition into summer by eating only raw foods for ten days! This is the second time we are going to embark on this type of "cleanse" (hopefully with a bit more ease this time) and personally, I'm thrilled to use this as a way to usher in the summer!

Lets talk a little about what eating only raw foods entails, because I know some of you are thinking "you're going to eat raw meat?!?!"


According to wikipedia, a raw food diet consists of raw plant foods that have not been heated above 105 degrees (F). According to your source, that number can fluctuate between 105 and 120 degrees. The idea is that below that "transition temperature" (for lack of a better word), the heat does not break down essential enzymes, antioxidants, etc. Essentially, it is food as nature intended it.

We struggled the first few days last time we attempted a raw food cleanse for a couple of reasons

1. We were unprepared. Most raw foods recipes require overnight soaking of nuts or grains and a little advanced planning
2. We were unprepared...for the change to our bodies. Mostly in Brandon's case, there was a lot moving through him, to be euphemistic.
3. We didn't really know exactly what was considered "raw". In the case of "to eat or not to eat" when we didn't know the answer, we just wouldn't eat...and that left us HUNGRY. 
4. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out how food is prepared. Example: oats. Are they raw? You can buy raw oat groats, but rolled oats are heated when they are rolled. Not raw. Also, Bulgar is generally parboiled before it is packaged. 

Alright, so I'm (hopefully) not going to run into those issues this time around. There are a lot of resources out there for raw food recipes, tips, etc. Here are a few:

• Choosing Raw: Gena's wonderful blog has a lot of raw food recipes, as well some that are not-so-raw and posts about a plethora of other things
• Rawmazing: a really awesome resource for lots of raw recipes! 
• The Raw Chef: Some of these recipes are seriously gourmet raw food
• The Raw Food Coach: Not just recipes, but advice, tips and tricks, stories, coaching and classes.

I am going to be using my blender and my magic bullet and my dehydrator a lot in the coming days. You guys can look forward to a few new and interesting recipes and "cooking" techniques. Oh, and I'm sure you'll hear a lot about one of my favorite foods: 

(sorry, I really enjoy this picture...is that weird?)

Avocados are a staple in the raw world. Thank god.

There are a few exceptions to the completely raw rule that we are going to employ in the coming week and a half:

• iced tea - sometimes the ingredients are roasted, but I'm only going to make it with already cold water
• almond milk - last time we made our own, but this time I bought a few half gallons, because it was on sale. Honestly, I don't know if they cook it for any reason...but it's entirely possible they do.

Personally, I think the most important point you should take out of this post: I consider wine to be raw. Beer going through a boiling process before it is fermented, but wine does not. Hence, raw.

Good thing I bought that Groupon for $75 worth of wine!

Do you eat any high raw meals? What is your favorite raw food?