What Happened?!?

The week before Thanksgiving I caught a cold. This cold was mostly a cough and this cough grew in intensity over the next two weeks. Finally in the third week of hacking, I went to an urgent care clinic. I had/have bronchitis. Good times. So, I'm finishing up a course of antibiotics and will begin a course of probiotics when I'm done. The cough medicine suppressed my cough which allowed me to sleep. The fits of coughing were keeping me up at night and I was exhausted. Thankfully, I am on the mend although I have to take it easy with physical activity.

Confessions of a High Raw Vegan Foodist

My goal with the raw food lifestyle is to increase my fresh produce intake and enjoy foods. . .well, in the raw! It's a continuum and while I'm not 100% raw, I'm certainly eating a lot healthier than I was a month ago.

Also, my husband eats cooked food and he's also great cook. I want to be able to share his creations with him. Likewise, he enjoys the raw food creations I make.

So, what's my confession? Over the course of my sickness, I certainly ate more cooked food which I was fine with but I didn't stay vegan which was a definite goal of mine. I dabbled in cheese - - a lot. As someone who is lactose intolerant, eating cheese brings pleasure to my tastebuds but not my belly. It's my kryptonite.

Not only that, I had a Jack in the Box Grilled Breakfast Sandwich (egg and cheese) and a Reese's yesterday. Talk about an energy zapper and a weight in my stomach! Lesson learned. I didn't chastise myself or dwell on it. Uncharacteristically, I moved forward. For once, I didn't slash all my tires. I returned home and got back on plan with eating.

Moving Forward

One of the reasons I didn't dwell on my poor eating choice is because my raw vegan journey is a lifestyle and not just a one month diet plan. In the grand scheme of things, one Jack in the Box sandwich is not the end of the world nor is it my undoing.  More importantly, my raw foodie card will not be revoked :)

And this brings me to one of the unexpected benefits of moving to high raw. The focus on eating raw is helping me develop a healthier relationship with food. These thoughts are still rumbling in my mind but once I find the words, I'll share.

What I've Been Eating

Here are some pics of what I've been eating lately. It's not complicated but it is delicious! They were taken with my cell phone so please excuse the quality. I post more pics on my FB page so if you haven't yet, friend me!

Avocado Kale Salad

Enjoying a simple raw snack. These granola bars are delish!!

This morning's beautiful and delicious breakfast

I try to incorporate a new-to-me fruit or vegetable weekly (or one that I previously declared 'yucky!') to expand my palate. My favourite so far has been passion fruit. Wow! I can't believe I was hesitant to try this fresh fruit. Super-duper flavourful!

Last but Not Least

In case you haven't noticed, I have been mum on the weight loss front. For now, I'm focusing on cleaning up my diet and incorporating exercise. The weight will follow. I do weigh myself periodically but nothing scheduled. Since starting on the high raw vegan lifestyle one month ago, I have lost 6lbs. I celebrate that!

My teaching gig is over so I plan to blog more frequently on my diet transition and exercise.

Question of the day
What's a fruit or vegetable you've never tried but would like to?
The next one on my list is papaya!

Thanks so much for reading!

- Kareen, RD