Raw Pregnancy!

I am having a raw pregnancy this time.  I want the absolute best for my body and in all honesty, being this big (dare I say obese) during pregnancy is hell on my joints.  My hips are already hurting, BUT I'm getting plenty of nutrients in what I'm eating.  I have lost 9 lbs this week.  I'm rather excited about that!

I know with the SAD (Standard American Diet) pregnant are expected to gain weight.  I get this, because you want the baby to grow.  Why do you need to gain 30 lbs?  (standard)  You only NEED to gain the weight that baby is, the placenta and the fluids.  How is htis a hard concept?

Well, you shouldn't be dieting while pregnant.
you're right.  you shouldn't.  Raw food isn't a diet.  I am eating nutritionally what is right for me and my baby.  Answer me a question:  which is better, a bag of cheetoes or a bag of salad?  any idiot (and some smart people) will of course say salad.  So why is it a major deal that I'm eating salad more than anything else?

I don't see what the problem is.  I"m getting 100% nutrition and yet people are worried about me getting nutrition.  Sure, makes sense to me.

What about detox?
my thought on that is this- I'm not a medical doctor, I don't work for hte FDA and if you follow what I'm doing it's on you, not me.  Now, with that disclaimer said, even though I might detox into my blood, 1, the placenta is a filter, 2, I am flushing those toxins out.  They're not staying in my body.  3- if I continue to eat a greasy cheeseburger, my cells become made of that.  my cells become nutrient deprived and "greasy".  So do my unborn child's.  I breast feed to give my children the best start.  The most normal, natural, healthy food for my children, (and I'm doing it to this day!) why wouldn't I start that in-utero?

Well, last night I made some date mini donut holes and some cauliflower popcorn (I've posted that earlier).  Zoe helped suck down the popcorn, and they both helped me eat the donut holes.

The donut holes recipe:
I didn't measure anything, so I'm winging this.  PLEASE suit it to your taste!  All measurements are "about".
cup or so of dates, pitted
2T cacao nibs
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 c. walnuts (soaked)
tsp vanilla extract
few pinches of sea salt.

process in a food processor until almost a paste consistency.  scoop out using a mini scoop, and put on dehydrator sheets.  dehydrate 12-14 hours at 115*.  remove to plate (or glass mason jar).  Just try to deny these to your kids.  HA!

Btw, I started this week at 250, and I'm now down to 241!  WHILE pregnant.  rather excited.  (funny thing, I don't look like I weigh that much, but it still is hard on my joints while I'm pregnant).

as I'm writing this, the baby is kicking giving me the "kid tested and approved" recipes! LOL!!

My next endeavour will be an ice cream maker.  There's some nut ice creams that I am wanting to make.  Ani Phyo has an AMAZING coconut one!!  No really, ask Charlie, I've eaten BOWLS of this multiple times before I was pregnant last time and it was hard for me to keep it in stock!  It was so delicious and I craved it.

Well, I'm going to sign off for now, but 9 lbs down.  6 more weeks until Charlie comes home.  I'm hoping to surprise him!  I'll post pics of progress when I get them.

Guess Who's Back!

So it's been quite a while since I posted.  Last you heard I was pregnant and I'm writing a smoothie E-book.  Well, I'm still writing the book, and I had our beautiful son (Nathan) on Janary 14th! 

So much has happened in the past few weeks that for the sake of my health, sanity and thrivation (I'm the author, I can make up words as I go along.)  I'm going back raw... again.  This time is different and here's why:

My amazing, wonderful, sweet, meat-and-potatoes husband was just diagnosed with diabetes.  Everyone's heard of it, but what it means is that his cells arent' absorbing the sugar in his bloodstream anymore.  He's on a pill, not insulin shots and he has to monitor his BSL and we'll find out more as we go along.  Don't know if it's type 1 or 2 yet, but he has ZERO signs that he's type 2, for instance, he's not older (33!), he is in no way obese (185lbs at 5'11"), he's not having any problems, vision, sensory, kidney, liver, etc. 

How we found out was we went to get life insurance.  the bloodwork came back on him and they refused him.  I'm just thankful that we found this out NOW instead of in a few years, when he's driving on the interstate and passes out or something.    It's a scary thing.

So, we've made a pact and I basically told him: "You ARE going raw with me".  He is choosing his health, so now it's my duty to find recipes he'll like.

SMOOOOOOOTHIIIIIIEEEEEEES!

So, a friend of mine who is new to raw keeps begging me for smoothie recipes.  She and I have decided that we're going to write a book- of course, we're "babies" to raw (I've been raw for about 2 years, but that doesn't mean that I know everything... no where near it) and while I have an uncook book in the works, my smoothie book will definitely be different.

I have a sweet tooth like you wouldn't believe.  YUM more than you know, baby.  I prefer sweet smoothies to straight-up green smoothies.  I'm working on it, but it's what my tastes prefer.  Just like I can't stand beets.  dry, fresh, raw, cooked.... gag.  no thanks. 

SO, my decision (though I haven't posted in months- pregnancy kicking my tushie right now!) is that I'm coming up with at minimum 50-75 recipes for smoothies myself, HOWEVER if you want to email me a recipe, you will get FULL credit for it!  You are no less important, and you can become immortal by your original (that's the clause!) smoothie recipe. 

hugs, and super glad you checked it out...

I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!

my husband and I couldn't be more thrilled to be expecting our first child together.  my 3rd, his 2nd.  I just found out today, and I have already made a decision to eat primarily raw while pregnant.  Now, I will possibly give into cravings while preggo, but I want this child to have NONE of the problems I have, i.e. asthma, obesity, etc. 

Wish me luck!!!

11 week challenge and what is living food?

Penni Shelton (I probably spelled her name wrong) from RawFoodRehab.com (come check me out there!) is issuing an 11 week challenge.  it's 77 days and I think I'm going to take her up on it.  she is giving so many awesome tips, like having a core menu, and a support system, and getting our minds right, things like that.

Well, it starts tomorrow.  Most people gorge on crap that's nto good for them teh day before a "diet" starts.  Well, raw food is a lifestyle, not a diet.  It's a way of living, and eating, not just deprive yourself of something.

That is focus on what we CAN have, instead of what I don't want to shove into my body anymore.  The premise of raw foods is taking care of our bodies. 

Living food = living body.  Dead food = dead body.  plain and simple.  Well, okay- what does living food mean?  Living food is food with live cultures and enzymes in it that when broken down in your body, your cells absorb and can begin healing itself if necessary, as well as allows it to funciton properly.  Well ok, so what is "dead" food?  dead food is food that has been heated to a point where the enzymes are destroyed and the food is no longer beneficial.  while there may be some traces of nutrients, they are no where near where you need them to be for your body, or the portion size that you would need to eat.  These dead foods leave us feeling hungry, lethargic, and all around "blah".  Kind of like that overstuffed feeling from thanksgiving.

Our bodies create millions of cells an hour. What we put into our bodies is what makes our bodies.  You've heard that you are what you eat, well, that saying is more real than we realize.  Every molecule of food that you take in becomes part of your cells.  If you're eating crap, that crap will be part of you.  it will become part of the structure that is your bones, skin, blood, lymph- everything!

Imagine if you fed your body pure unadulterated goodness?  100% live energy?  This is what raw food is.  Feeding our cells everything that it absolutely needs to create a sound structure, to live longer, and to be healthier is what this lifestyle is about.  Will you lose weight?  depends on if your body needs to.  Will you gain it?  same answer.  Imagine every time you eat that you are filling every cell you have with much-needed nutrition, live enzymes, and hydration?  Imagine how plump, toned and healthy your skin cells would look?  Move over oil vou frog!  Real solutions are here!

so back to the 11 week challenge- for the next 77 days I will be high raw.  Haven't been so much with the 100% so I'm working DAILY on a high raw over the next 11 weeks.  I will also post a weekly picture of me and my stats.  sigh.  that scares me, but I'm looking forward to it.  the accountability is pretty mixed.

Wish me luck!

plastic surgery.

well, I have been having a few thoughts running through my head lately.  I have even brought this up to my husband. 

I want to get my boobs done.

Well, I'm currently sitting at 38DD's (technically an E but good luck finding that bra at Walmart) and while my hubby loves it (he's a boob man) I know that I don't have the biggest boobs on the planet I definitely don't want them to go away.  After all, breasts are designed not only to feed a child, but to attract a mate.  Well, mine was attracted to several things on me, my boobs being one of them.  I want to KEEP him attracted to me and if that means getting a little work done on my chest, so be it.

Now, as I'm losing weight, I know that my boobs are going to shrink.  just a fact of life.  and I know I'm not doing anything until after I'm done having children.  Nursing them is more important than my vanity.  for my friends that eat raw, and believe in all things natural my question is this:

Would you recommend it?  Would you alter your body to please yourself even though there could be complications and dangers?  Would you do that to your body or would you stay with the body that you had even if you weren't comfortable with it?

10 lb mark!

I'm down to 241.5  This is just under my 10 lb mark.  I'm super excited because in just over a week this happened AND I was no where near 100% raw.  In fact, I was under 50% most of the time.   Now, some of you might be looking at the numbers and going "so what?  241.5 is still fat"  yes, it is, but EVERYONE is at a different journey and this is mine.  I have no shame in where I am as long as I'm on the path I should be.

I started out this week not really eating much.  I guess I fasted for a couple days because I wasn't in the mood to eat.  I took in some water, but I REALLY listened to my body this week.  I didn't bother eating when I wasn't hungry but I did keep myself hydrated.  My body was really thrown off by this, as I was tired for a while, but I did get plenty of sleep.  (my hubby put me in bed by 7:45 last night!)  My body was regenerating and healing itself.  It wasn't putting forth the effort to digest foods and took that energy to heal itself.

tomorrow I go 100% raw.  I'm eating about 85% today.  I forgive myself in advance if I "slip up". 

My ultimate goal:  120 lbs.  I will take pics at every 10 lb mark.  I will document myself through pictures and blogging.  I'm pretty excited!