rawrachel

Cooked Food Man is Kicking my Ass!

2009-01-05T01:07:47Z

Okay, so a few days in I realized how insanely hard it would be to write down everything I ate, considering how badly I've been eating lately. Since 2009 is supposed to be a year of honesty and self-improvement, and not even a week in I'm still starting and ending my days with junk food, I've decided to document EVERYTHING I eat every day in a small journal, and I'll post it here weekly. I'm only three days in, so I'll get back to you when I've got more to write.

I'm going to have to start praying to Our Lady of Perpetual Health...

rawrachel @ 2008-08-05T15:25:00

2008-08-05T20:29:06Z

Made a make-shift bubble tea by pouring coconut water into a tall glass, and then pouring in frozen blueberries. Krysta called last week to say that 7-11 has giant metal straws for a dollah so I bought a couple and felt like a genius drinking a lovely summer beverage.

Checked my carrots this morning, they're growing slow but steady. I'm grabbing a bag of organic fertilizer later on....

I almost forgot this journal was here.

I've been thinking of watermelon all week, I need my fix...

rawrachel @ 2008-05-15T17:46:00

2008-05-15T22:57:49Z

Steven is still carrying on with the juice feast,
planning on breaking it on Friday night with a raw thai curry. I am happy to forage the internets for a good recipe so wish me luck.

I am not hungry for some reason.

And my cravings do not seem real.

I craved something sweet and bought coconut date rolls,
but after one bite I wasn't interested.

I'm not sure what my deal is. But I feel comfortable and that's what's important.
I ate a few violets today on a walk,
and was reminded of eating them as a child,
your entire face feels like perfume.

It's beautiful!

rawrachel @ 2008-05-14T12:07:00

2008-05-14T17:39:06Z

Last night I decided that I had jumped into my juice feasting too quickly, without enough preparation time. (Especially considering this is the week before my scheduled period) The first day was so wonderful however, that I'm taking it apon myself to do a weekly juice feast, for a higher amount of detoxification and internal stress-release! I noticed when I stopped the feast and had a very small slice of raw sprouted Manna Bread with half an avocado, I felt some cramping in my belly. I will continue to eat light meals to avoid any further cramping, for the best digestion. I have been drinking the lemonade from the Master Cleanse, because I really enjoy the taste, and I value the way that it makes me feel.

I've also decided from this valuable experience that I would like to drink a green smoothie every day. The energy I get from just one glass is amazing.

Juice Feastin'

2008-05-13T19:18:13Z

So today is day 2 of my week long juice-cleanse. Steven and I both are eating nothing but blended fruits and vegetables this week, excluding bananas, coconuts and avocados (I know, the good ones) for maximum detoxification. We've been playing around with flavors, but mostly are trying to get every color in every day. I've read that if you try to get a fruit or vegetable of every color in your diet every day, that you'll be reaping the benefits of the phytochemicals that each of those fruits and veggies have (and I believe it's the phytochemicals that give fruits and veggies their individual pigments?).

Anyway, I've been having an issue with yellow, since organic bell peppers have been a bit expensive lately, but I drink a lot of lemon water so that counts I think :)

I feel really insanely good, refreshed, and light.
I hope I feel this way in a few days.
If I do, I might stick to juice/blends for another week.

I've been reading a lot of books including my two favorites 12 Steps to Raw Foods by Victoria Boutenko, as well as the aforementioned Raw Food Factor by Susan Schenk. It's really an excellent read, and quite a huge book, which is what I've been wanting. I love reading almost as much as I love fruit.

Hurrah for juice!

Cross-posted from welikeitraw.com

2008-05-08T15:18:46Z

this is hilarious.

rawrachel @ 2008-05-07T14:22:00

2008-05-07T19:27:11Z

I have been really hard on myself lately, especially concerning what I eat.
A friend of mine called me yesterday, just to say, [life is a journey, and our journey to self-betterment is a process of slowly becoming who we want to be. It doesn't happen overnight.]

It's true you know.

rawrachel @ 2008-05-01T12:53:00

2008-05-01T17:54:25Z

Mmmmmm. Carryin' a jar full of raw goodness.

Coconut water, a splash of almond milk, strawberries, blueberies, two figs, cacao, gojis.

YUM.

Um...

2008-04-30T16:47:40Z

I sooo want these:

http://oneluckyduck.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=367

rawrachel @ 2008-04-29T14:18:00

2008-04-29T19:54:31Z

Last night I made Romaine Thai Spring Wraps. Three each and we were golden, in no need of more food. Comfortably full.

All you need is whatever it takes to open your coconut and remove the meat (I usually just use a kitchen knife and a spoon), an every-day peeler, a large bowl for marinating, a grater, and I think that's it.

Ingredients
6-10 romaine leaves (you should definitely use organic, as the flavor is very much affected by conventionally grown greens)
*the meat from 1 young thai coconut
*one indian mango
*one red bell pepper
*one half an average sized jicama
*one average sized zuchinni
*a handful of mung bean sprouts
*an average sized carrot
*a small bunch of cilantro
*tamari or nama shoyu (or braggs if you prefer) to taste
*a small amount of olive oil (maybe 2 Tbs.
*a dash of dried dill, or a tsp of fresh dill.
*a shmear of almond butter for every romaine leaf you use

Directions
Peel the zuchinni, mango and carrot, disguard the peels. Continue peeling into strips into a bowl.* For the red pepper, cut off the top of the pepper, then the bottom. Make a single cut from top to bottom of pepper to "open" it. Remove seeds and white flesh. With a peeler, peel strips from top to bottom along the edges. In essence, you're creating "noodles" with all the vegetables with the peeler. Do the same thing with the coconut once you've scooped it out of it's shell.
*You can use the center of the carrot and zucchini in a "stir fry" later.

Add the oil, tamari, dill, chopped cilantro and whatever seasonings you like (I used the Spice House's Argyle Street Asian Blend) and stir the veggies around so that they're all evenly coated.

Grate the jicama into a seperate container.

Spread almond butter just onto the spine of the romaine leaf, add a small amount of the noodley filling, then top with shredded jicama and mung beans.

It's really pretty simple.
It just takes a while to peel everything.
Many hands make for easy work!

You might feel adventurous and think to add an avacado to this recipe, but believe me it DOESN'T need it, the coconut gives the same fatty yummy effect.

Enjoy!

(and if you have left-overs, have a cold pasta salad for lunch the next day! that's what i did!)

Kale vs. Cupcakes

2008-04-27T22:13:09Z

It's true. I talk about food incessantly. And usually I'm thinking about food too. Sometimes I have to stop myself from talking with people about "having a bad day" with food, because I usually wind up looking like some sort of militant and obsessive person. Which... I probably am sometimes, but not all the time (insert picture of my guts here, filled with this morning's afterchurch goodies including lemon cake, a cranberry nut cookie and a bite of a red velvet cake).

If you're interested, I found a fantastic raw-vegan survey on WLIR's website...

Occupation: Doula, Chef, Photographer. I like odd jobs and keeping busy.

Why you went raw: Mostly to challenge myself, because I didn't believe I could do it. Also, it MAKES SENSE!

Favorite UN cook book: I have quite a few, and aside from David Wolfe's "Eating For Beauty" I am waiting for Susan Schenk's book The Live Food Factor to make it's way to me, it's great.

Favorite raw vegan site(s): So far www.welikeitraw.com And also Jinjee and Storm's www.thegardendiet.com

Biggest obstacle with being raw: Having such a strong belief in freeganism before rawing. When someone makes something with me in mind, or hands me a plate of food that they've specially prepared, I do not like to insult them. That's definitely my biggest obstacle. Plus, I just like tasting things.

What percentage raw vegan are you?: Between 75 and 100%. Sometimes my husband and I will eat a meal that has some beans, cooked quinoa or other whole grains in it, we're still transitioning!

Favorite smoothie: I make a cucumber lemon base with two whole cucumbers and the juice of two lemons. I use two cups of that mixture with a cup of strawberries and two tablespoons of agave nectar. It reminds me of a lemon-shakeup from a carnival!

Biggest benefit of going raw?: I feel a connectedness to the earth and all things good, and a healthy sense of objectivity towards the "stuff" other people are eating.

Favorite fruit: Watermelon, Figs, Durien, Avacado, BLUEBERRIES. Let's not forget passionfruit.

Favorite veggie: Does kale count? I LOVE kale. Mostly greens. I guess as far as being raw goes I would prefer to eat mostly fruits and greens.

Is your spouse raw? My husband is about 50% raw but wouldn't say that. He's a very steady vegan and eats whole-foods.

Do you think being raw is expensive?: I think if you plan it out properly you don't have to spend a million, but it can be easy to fall into the trap of buying prepackaged goods. What's the point? Support local organic agriculture!

How much do you spend on groceries a week? Right now we spend $140 a week for just the two of us. We hope to cut that down by joining a CSA this summer!

Have you ever had a raw pregnancy? I have no babies m'self but I have read Jinjee and Storm's e-book "Ecstatic Birth" which was great. That is my plan if I ever spawn any wee ones! Being a doula (birthing assistant) I just try my best not to cringe at preggers-mama's drinkin' Diet Pepsi!

Easiest thing to feed a toddler that's raw?: When I use to nanny, I would walk in the door and the first thing the young'n would say was NANAAAAAA! Which wasn't saying nanny or grandma but BANANA. He's such a fiend for those things. you can't go wrong with fruit, and disguising some choppy vegetables with marinades is really helpful (and messy, which of course = fun!)

Will Eat For Food

2008-04-25T16:37:41Z

Spring buds are suprising me every day. It has been winter for so long I cannot quite grasp the fact that there are puffy white flowers on the trees on my street, and that this week I spent three and a half hours putting my blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention my back muscles) into planting my vegetable garden.

I cleared an area of grass and spent all day pulling weeds and apologizing to worms for splitting them in two. All I have left to do is protect my seeds from squirrels with gratuitous amounts of chicken wire and continue watering my baby plants. I feel a motherly urge to take those crazy squirrels over my knee and spank their bottoms for already digging up a bunch of my beet crop. *shakes fists*

Anyway, back to normal. I'm in serious need of a juicer because it is my strongest desire to get myself on a juice feast. I would not be so keen to begin juicing and eating closer to a total raw diet if it weren't for the support of my dear friend Emily and my discovery of www.welikeitraw.com which only sounds dirty.

When you find something that makes total sense to you, and you try it out, and something *clicks* but you still find yourself making poor dietary choices against your own desires and will, you start to think that maybe you're crazy, or the rest of the world is.

I'm pretty sure that it's everybody else, because after being 100% raw for one month, I know that this is exactly what my body needs and wants. I am experiencing a lull in energy, increase in brain fog and general fattiness (that's not a medical term but you get it)... I just have to get over the concept of "freeganism" which is probably what's been holding me back the most. If someone hands you a beautiful meal that they cooked with you in mind, and it has whole foods like jasmine rice, fresh organic peppers and sauteed tempeh, you feel such a sense of gratitude, it seems so rude to turn this down.

But I'm tired of being nice to other people,
but mean to my own body!

And on a similar note, I love cupcakes, but that gluten puts me in pain for days, what's the point of being in pain???

I'll let you know how it's goin...

rawrachel @ 2008-03-02T10:06:00

2008-03-02T16:12:09Z

I am typically gung-ho about things for a few months, and then wondering why I made such a big deal out of them afterwards. For instance, my stint with knitting. It lasted all but two weeks. I talked it up like I was going to knit the universe a sweater.

But with RAW food I really feel like this is something I've wanted for years, and I've made a lot of steps to get here, and at the same time, under moments of stress or emotional upheaval I find that I am more prone to using what I now label as "forbidden" foods to comfort myself. I. AM AN EMOTIONAL. EATER.

So to combat this I am giving myself until I plant my garden (after the last frost) to steady on with 100% raw. This makes me feel somewhat of a failure, but at the same time I know it's more feasible to eat organic produce when it's not freeze-my-face-of cold outside.

I am looking forward to opening all my windows, turning my furnace completely off, and spring cleaning my colon!

OH!

2008-02-20T17:44:08Z

I failed to mention that I am officially a certified Raw Foods Chef!

BAM!

rawrachel @ 2008-02-19T19:10:00

2008-02-20T01:34:29Z

So, as you may or may not know, I am an avid dumpster-diver.
I eat many throw-aways that a lot of people wont.
And my vice is the bakery near our house that dumps HUGE bags of cookies out most nights.
So last night when my thoughtful and wonderful husband walked in the door with a giant handful of yummies,
I didn't even think twice.

But last night, and then again this morning, ugggghhh, the pain!

I think I have some persistant food alergies that refused to even be cured with raw foods, and to tell you the truth I'm okay with that.

I hung up my RAW FOOD PYRAMID in my kitchen this evening, (thanks to Bob McCauley of Watershed Wellness)

I would eventually like to create one of my own, a really wacky water-color painted one that I can make prints of.

His of course, has Ionized water at the bottom, where the SAD (standard american diet) puts 6-11 servings of whole grains.

(and we wonder why our country is the fattest!!!)

I am not guilting myself for screwing up here and there, no need to transpose my religious guilt to my break-fast table!

So anyway, I guess I just wanted to keep on updating this journal, as I plan on staying RAW for life, and I know I'll definitely need to work some things out in writing!

One thing that has been on my mind; every day I hear people asking one another, so... are you 100% raw? It's so strange! It can totally make people feel bad if they eat all raw except for eggs with mum on Sundays or something along those lines. I tend to ask people, "are you a vegetarian?" Or "are you a veggie eater?" Because that way they could respond with something like PSHAW, DUH. I have been RAW for five years now. Or if it suits them, I eat a lot of everything, but I'm interested in learning more about this lifestyle. Granted, I work at a raw restaurant, so I'm going to have this conversation a lot more than most people are, but... I guess, it's such an oddity to me!

I am wondering when my husband and I finally get on our bikes and ride westward, will we be able to find food to eat in between the hippie-havens? (IE IOWA, NEBRASKA.. . . .ETC) I wonder. I can't wait for the summer, I want to forage for as much of our food as I can, and I'm not talking Dumpster Cookies!

Anywho, thanks for reading,
if you're interested in learning more about the powerful effects of raw foods, Google "raw vegan before and after."
IMPRESSIVE!

(My results have been much more subtle!)

rawrachel @ 2008-02-13T19:46:00

2008-02-14T01:48:24Z

Today I ate a kumquat for the very first time.
I try to eat as many weird fruits as I can, so when I meet a new one I'm always really excited.
I had no idea that you could just pop those little suckers right in your mouth!
I always thought that the peeling process would be really frustrating,
so this makes a lot more sense to me.

They taste kind of peely but not so much as to make them icky.
They taste like tiny tart little oranges,
and I think I am in love with them.

rawrachel @ 2008-02-06T14:36:00

2008-02-06T20:36:29Z

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce.
Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and arguments.

That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding.

Thich Nhat Hahn

rawrachel @ 2008-02-04T15:17:00

2008-02-04T21:23:36Z

They say that you need to get past the first month, then the first three months whenever you're making a huge change in your lifestyle. Well, tomorrow marks the 1 month RAW mark for me, and let's just say I'm easily worn down by birthday parties... This weekend my husband and I went to three birthday parties, all of which featured the normal party fair, which I grumpily denied, dutifully munching my baby greens salad, cursing the day God created the fruit-bearing trees.

It was a rough weekend.
I told Steven that just as I have 1 alcoholic beverage every year on my birthday, I think it's fair as I'm transitioning into raw that I have 1 cooked meal every... month. Until I've got it out of my system.

So just as I choose the finest lambic ale every September, I chose my one cooked meal to consist of 4.5 Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Oh. It was worth it. That's all I have to say. I shamelessly polished off the free doughnut they give you in the store, and the two that I had chosen for myself, and the one my brother gave up, and the half of my mom's that she didn't want. Oh. Hell yeah. That's all I have to say.

Of course today I did a mini detox this morning with fresh juices and I feel like it's out of my system. Especially since one of the cooks at work made a raw banana pudding, just like the one my mom use to make with the nabisco cookies and sliced bananas. Damn.

But back to salad I go, happily, as most likely the dreams of Krispy Kremes are over!

rawrachel @ 2008-01-30T23:43:00

2008-01-31T05:44:20Z

Here are some old pictures of raw food from the summer, see how magical your plate could look!

[disclaimer; beans aint raw]

But my raw borcht... ALL RAW BABY!

Raw Ladies POT LUCK!

2008-01-30T17:43:35Z

(Cross-Posted from our Chicago Raw Meetup)

When
Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Where
Cousin's Incredible Vitality
3038 West Irving Park Road
Chicago , IL 60618
773.478.6868

Who should come
A lot of people have been talking about having potlucks, it would be AWESOME to have one every month!!
For the LADIES, 18-40!
Why
Because.....Girls just want to have fun? (And eat RAW!)

Organized by
Rachel Scienski

Details
If you're new to Raw Foods, or just interested in meeting new people, let's get together and share food!
A ladies-only event, bring a dish to share (100% raw vegan, hopefully organic!) and a girlfriend or two!

Chef Mehmet offered the space for us to use for free, so let's take advantage of the opportunity to not have to clean our own homes/wash our own dishes!!

It would be helpful if you could comment publicly if you'll be bringing a snack, salad, or dessert, that way if someone's torn between making a crazy vegetable creation or a sweet raw treat, they'll have a better idea of what will balance out our massive table of food!

email me: the.rachel.raw@gmail.com if you're stumped and need suggestions!

I think it's a great idea to promote regular raw community,
let's help eachother stick to our guns!

See you then!!!!!!!

xo
Rachel

If you're interested in finding a RAW restaurant near you...

2008-01-30T16:42:43Z

http://www.soystache.com/rawrestaurants.htm#Illinois

^follow this link!

they didn't list Cousin's IV! But we all know where it's at...

www.cousinsiv.com

It's Not the Greatest Photography but....

2008-01-30T16:00:32Z

My raw PAD THAI was AMAZING!

rawrachel @ 2008-01-29T15:11:00

2008-01-29T21:11:30Z

Would anyone be interested if I hosted ladies RAW potlucks at Cousin's?

Lemme know!!!

I am detoxing something awful.

2008-01-29T04:18:59Z

Everyone I know who is using the EJUVA herbs and on the official EJUVA-28-day SUPER CLEANSE is in it worse than I am. I'm just on the 100%-raw-vegan-cleanse-anyway cleanse, which is definitely way easier on my system.

Most of the people I know doing the Ejuva cleanse have been looking haggard, like they want to chase down a giant sandwich and unhinge their jaw around it like a massive snake.

I feel awful, but at least it's awful with a purpose.
I went to the library to get some amazing raw books that I want,
and none of them are in the system. The CHICAGO LIBRARY system. It's huge! I was shocked.

Oh well, to the internet I go!

Even though I feel like hell I am really happy to be staying strong, and even more inspired by the people I hear/read about who have toughed it out until it was just second nature to them.

I suppose it would be a lot easier under more ideal weather conditions, but, hey, what can I say, I'm doing alright.

rawrachel @ 2008-01-26T16:50:00

2008-01-26T22:57:32Z

I have been 100% raw vegan (and about 95% organic) for almost 3 whole weeks and I finally feel like I'm past the stage where I want to sneak out of work early and steal doughnuts and eat whole buttercream-frosted cakes!

While at Whole Foods today with my husband and mother-in-law, I was suprised that I was even withdrawn from the idea of eating all of their tasty samples, because instead of seeing pre-superbowl goodies, I see the ingredients lables.

GLUTEN. WHITE SUGAR. NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE.
STOMACH ACHES TO COME. ENZYME DEFICIENCIES.
HEADACHE CENTRAL. 1800-DIABETES.

Maybe it's all in my head, or maybe I'm getting friendly with the way I want to eat for the rest of my life...