I'm not complaining because I really have NOTHING to complain about. What I mean by hitting a plateau is, I'm not really SEEING any further changes in myself. So, I decided to do an experiment...I'm going RAW! Now, I have done this in the past, about two years ago, where 95% of what I eat is raw...vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. However, when I did it back then, it was during the Fall going into Winter. For anyone that knows me, I am always COLD....when other people are comfortable, I am freezing....when people are sweltering, I am comfortable. It doesn't matter how much weight I have on me, when I was 45 pounds heavier than I am now, I was the same way....COLD. So, going raw when we were going into the Winter months, was hard for me because I was really trying to eat no hot foods. I lost a lot of weight in a short period of time doing this, and again, I was extremely healthy....I was never sick, had no aches or pains, etc., but I felt I need hot foods to warm me up.
Since we are now in May, the weather is finally warming up, I decided now was a good time as any to give this another try. I started about two weeks ago.....I have not changed the AMOUNT of food I eat, I just don't eat anything, or hardly anything, cooked. I do need my beans for protein, i.e., chickpeas, red beans, white beans, black beans...and of course they need to be cooked, (I buy the bagged beans and cook them myself....much tastier, no salt, etc.). However, on a daily basis, that's about all I eat that's cooked. In just 2 SHORT WEEKS, the scale has dropped about 8 pounds, and my clothes are obviously smaller.....in two weeks....and I am no where near 20 years old, even though I feel like it!!
I can hear what you all are saying..."What do you eat....lettuce everyday?" Well, yes and no....I LOVE huge salads and I do eat them everyday because I love them so much.....however, that doesn't mean everyone has to do that. But, remember, the HEALTHIEST foods on the planet are green leafy vegetables. And, by not cooking any vegetables, you are retaining all the hundreds of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants...nothing is being "cooked away".
There are so many recipes available that are 'raw recipes'..that is recipes that require NO COOKING! Can you imagine, not having to cook nutritious meals during the hot summer months? As a matter of fact, the raw dishes will have more nutritional value in them because nothing is lost. Now, this way of eating does require planning and prep-work....like any other healthy lifestyle....."convenience" foods usually ARE NOT foods at all. Ingredients coming out of a package or box is not food....it is a man-made, edible concoction formulated in a laboratory....nature is not responsible for this "stuff".
There are so many things that can be made while eating raw. For instance, so many sauces, dressings and all kinds of spreads are made with some kind of raw nuts blended in a blender with ingredients and spices....for instance, I made a raw "alfredo" dish....absolutely delicious, using zucchini for my noodles, (I bought a hand held peeler with a blade that will form noodles while peeling vegetables, Wal Mart, $3), and making the alfredo sauce in my blender...ingredients....pine nuts, a small amount of water, pieces of zucchini, oregano, basil and sage....pour over the zucchini noodles, and DONE....it takes no time at all to make this. The most time-consuming was peeling the zucchini...it really doesn't get much easier than this. Now, like any other way of eating, you can get as "gourmet" as you want to, or as simple as you like.
I try to make some kind of treat for the week....for instance, there is a recipe for raw pie...YUMMMMM...ingredients are--dates for the crust, strawberries and bananas are the filling.....all you need is a blender and a freezer....put it all together, freeze for one hour and it's soooo good! Another sweet treat I have made are raw brownies...again, all that's required is a blender...ingredients were dates, oatmeal (ground in the blender for flour), unsweetened cocoa, blend and roll into bite size balls...you won't believe how good they are! I just freeze these goodies and grab them whenever I want a dessert....it doesn't get better than this. And, there are hundreds of other recipes to try.
Some of my favorite RAW SITES are: FullyRawKristina, OhSheGlows, Rawmazing...just get on-line and type in raw food, raw websites, etc.....you will be inundated with information.
So, if you think you might want to dabble in this, give it a try.....no one says it's written in stone that you have to follow this to the letter, (although the more food you eat raw the better your results will be...you won't want to stop!), just do the best you can. Eat more raw foods than cooked....and, while eating this way, you can't eat too many calories unless you are eating a lot of nuts and seeds....but if the majority of your food is vegetables and fruits, herbs, spices, etc...eat until your hearts' content!
The end result: A Healthier, Thinner, more Vibrant YOU!!
Need help? Please let me know, I would love to get you started....drop me a line.....