Thursday, March 15, 2012

Raw Food Challenge Days 9 Monday

Off to work...
When I think about it eating raw is really an easy and quick thing to do. We have so many choices. Check out my choices for today.
My work day

My favorite breakfast- Fresh Oj, pineapple and a shot of wheat grass (not pictured.)

Surprise! My co-work brought me more grapefruits!


Lunch - Asian kale salad
Work afternoon snack - Energy bar and clemintines.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Raw Food Challenge Days 8 Sunday

Like many people, Sundays are my prep days so, I tend to eat light. Smoothies, juices salads are my choice of food on these days.

Blueberry and blackberry smoothie with a couple of kale leaves
As of lately, I've been recieving free organic citrus from co-workers and friends which allows me to have my favorite...Orange/Pineapple smoothie. I have a ton of  organic lemons, oranges and grapefruits in the fridge.


I love my Omega juicer! I blended the orange juice with 2 cups of pineapple.

This is my first time trying vegan kimchi. It was delish! 

At the end of the day, I had a green juice and a my homemade energy bar! Yum!

Enery bar- dried fruits, almond butter and oats



Monday, March 12, 2012

Grocery Haul and Prep for the week

Note* I apologize for not posting much last week. For whatever reason, I had a difficult time with my camera and transferring pictures to my blog. Things should be better this week. *

With all the talk about how expensive it is to eat healthy, I wanted to share my thoughts and tips on how to eat healthy on a budget and share what I bought this weekend.

First, I will acknowledge the fact that produce is increasing in price and can be more than junk food but I it's important to consider the health benefits from the slightly higher priced produce. We know healthy food is beneficial to your health and well being unlike potato chips, ice cream and fast food which are all nutrient deficient food and leaves your body hungry for more [nutrients.]

Tips I Follow:
  • Shop Farmer's markets
    • You may be able to get a deal directly from the farmer.
  • Shop in the middle of the week 
    • Many stores have double sale day or they introduce new sales in the Tuesday and Wednesdays
  • Visit the bulk section or buy in bulk
    • Nuts/Seeds and other unique ingredients can get pricey. Shopping in the bulk section allows you to control how much you spend. 
  • Purchase seasonal produce 
    • Purchasing what's in season increases the likelihood it will be on sale. 
  • Plan meals
    • Planning meals in advance gives you an idea of what ingredients you will need so you can eliminate or reduce mindless shopping. 
  • Compare store ads 
    • Sometimes the store you least expect may have organic produce on sale
  • Don't be an so strict with buying only organic 
    • Of course organic (no pesticides) is the best way to go!
    • But there are times when organic is just too expensive. Either choose a less expensive option or buy conventionally grown product. 
    • I prefer to buy all my leafy greens and apples organic but I purchase fruits that have peels conventionally when I need to. 
    • Check out the chart below to help guide you on which foods have less pesticides on them.
  • Try a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
    • This allows you to purchase shares in a local farm for a certain time period and receive weekly baskets of food. 
    • I have never tried this because there was no farm I could visit in my area, but I have heard overall good things. I'm also a little skeptical because you pay in advance and it's possible for  your food to be substandard. Basically, you take a chance and hope for the best. I definitely will try this once I find a local farm I can visit. 
  • Shop Online for unique ingredients and start sprouting! 
    • Sprouting is easy and an economical way of getting your greens. 
    • It only requires water and a container; no dirt or planting! On average sprouting can be done in as little as 2 days depending on what you sprout. 

On to my grocery haul

This weekend I did not have to buy many leafy greens because I purchased so many last week. Last week, all varieties kale was on sale at Whole Foods 2 for $3.00. I purchased 5 bunch which was more than enough for me last week. I have 2 bunches of curly and red leaf kale left plus a bunch of chard. They store so well in the fridge. Anyway, my grocery bill this week was $28.51! I was shocked at how just how much organic product Sprouts had.
Bananas, Bok choy, celery 1/2 bunch of Dino Kale (I used some this morning,) grapes, 3lb oranges, 3lbs bosc organic pears, 5 cara/navel oranges, wheat grass, dates, parsley, limes, lemons, jalapeno, 3lbs red apples, zucchini, pineapple, spices (cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, chili powder, vanilla powder, Himalayan salt and 2 yellow mango (not pictured)


To prepare for the week I have already sprouted wheat berries (3 days) and lentils (4 days).  My alfalfa seeds are soaking now and should be sprouted in the next few days. I'm also soaking cashews for easy cashew milk.
Wheat berries

Lentils
Stay tuned for tomorrow's meals!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Summary of week 1 of my Raw food Challenge







For breakfast this week I had either a juice or smoothie.

Lunch was either my wild rice or kale salad.



Dinner was zucchini and carrot noodles with Alfredo sauce

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Friday, March 9, 2012

Done with it!

I completed my juice/smoothie fast Feb 29th. While going through it, my intention was to post pictures of my juices and smoothies but, I realized that they all looked the same. My juices were either green and redish/purple unless I drank pure grapefruit juice or coconut water. My smoothies were pink (strawberry,) purple (blueberry or mixed berry.) Take a look!
Spirulina and grapefruit


Beets, grapefruit, orange, beet greens, celery, carrot, ginger 

Basic green- dandelion greens, spinach, celery, lemon, ginger, green apple, cucumber, 
Blueberry shake, almond milk, blueberries, raw honey, vanilla bean

One of my main goals while going through the liquid fast was to get as much concentrated minerals, vitamins and nutrients in my to possibly improve my skin's texture. The only difference I see in my skin is that some of the dark spots aren't as noticeable as they were before. And as always, my eyes are a little brighter!

So, on to my next challenge! 30 days 100% raw. This challenge begins March 4th through April 2nd.  


Saturday, February 18, 2012

12 Day Juice/ Smoothie Fast


Ok, so I haven’t posted here in a long while but I’m back at it now.
I’ve been inspired to do 15 day 100% Raw Food fast to reignite my enthusiasm for the raw food lifestyle. Incorporating more raw foods has made me more creative when preparing my meals, especially for busy days and unexpected events. 

Why I’m doing this?

I failed to eat properly during the holiday season and I began to notice I feel sluggish all day everyday. I used to routinely awake around 4:30 or 5 in the morning to workout, play with my dogs and get ready for work, but now I’m fighting to get out of bed at 6 (an hour before I start work.) This is entirely unacceptable. Then, when I’m at work I can’t seem to stay focused.

Another problem I’m having is constant breakouts. When I was a teen, like many others, I had a problem with breakouts in my T-zone. As soon I turned 20 the problem stopped and my skin was clear up until recently. I’m not sure if it’s age or if it’s been the bad foods I’ve been consuming. Either way, replacing the “bad” food with raw, living food can only help me. 

Starting with a Juice/Smoothie Fast

Before I begin the 100% Raw Food fast I've decided to start by doing a 12 day juice/smoothie fast I started today (2/18/12) and will end February 29.