30 Days of Raw Food

Thank you and goodnight

Today is the last day of our 30-day raw-food diet.

First, to all my colleagues who predicted I'd quit halfway through, thbbbbbbbt!

Seriously, though, I've learned a lot over the past month. Raw food is more than just twigs and berries, for one thing. In fact, it can be delicious, and was especially so Sunday night when we three went to Pure Food and Wine in New York.

But it wasn't cheap. The diet as a whole isn't cheap. Raw foodists say the food bills normalize once you get a better sense of what, and how much, you'll be eating. But the diet just really isn't for me.

As I said at the outset, I like cooked food. Giving up meat and dairy (and bread and so on) for 30 days was definitely an interesting experiment in getting by. But I did it. Eventually, I even gave up coffee, though that was mostly because I ran out of beans before I had a chance to buy more. (And no, I don't feel more energetic or alert.)

I'll be incorporating all those things back into my diet, though I'll be much more watchful about how I do it. Making most of my meals at home, from natural ingredients, let me know exactly what I was eating, and I like that enough to not forswear it just for the sake of a cheeseburger. Well, not every day, at least.

Wining and Dining

One of my main sticking points with raw has been this air of rigidity that swirls in certain circles. Even if you think you're doing a heckuva job eating 100 % raw, there's someone eager to point out that well, actually, those almonds you're eating aren't really raw, and you should be careful about how much fruit you're eating, and you shouldn't be drinking water with your meals, or eating fruit with your salad, and it sounds like you're getting too much salt -- no, not enough - no, too much salt in your diet.

It can be paralyzing, this constant correcting. My first two weeks I had this sense that no matter how thoughtfully I went about my food choices, I somehow was still doing raw wrong. When you get these bits of discouragement coming at you from different directions, you just want to throw your hands up at the impossibility of it all. I can understand the enthusiasm people might have to share what's worked for them, but it can be counterproductive in what should be the real goal : to encourage people on the path to making healthier choices and give them reason to keep going. Otherwise, it just becomes about being able to wear the "100% raw" label. And who exactly is keeping score?

Which is why our celebration dinner at Pure Food and Wine in New York on Sunday was so refreshing. Forget the fact that the meal, from appetizer to dessert, was absolutely delicious, with each innovative dish presented like a little piece of artwork. But there was no sense of raw vs. cooked judgment around the dinner tables. About 14 or so people, all at their own levels of commitment to raw foods, came along with our raw coach, Glen.

I particularly liked something that Frank Giglio said. A local raw food chef with an inspiring story, he just came back from a 10-month apprenticeship at The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona and is training for a 100-mile endurance run this summer. (That's not a typo. 100 miles. Non-stop. Fueled by raw foods. Really).

There are so many raw food gurus out there, he said, each with a different take. He suggested people not get so caught up in all their various "rules", but to take in all the information and try things on for size. What fits, keep. What doesn't, toss. Trust your intuition. He told a great story that bordered on parable about his friend, a vegan-raw foodist who lives out in the wild somewhere. She had been weak and underweight, and started having recurrent dreams about eggs -- not part of a vegan diet. When she woke one morning to find a chicken had laid an egg on her bed, she figured it was as clear a sign as any. Veganism aside, she started adding raw eggs to her smoothies. Sure enough, her strength and energy came back.

My intuition tells me pretty strongly that I can skip that raw egg idea entirely. But now I'm wondering what to make of the weird dream that I had last night. I'll tell you if anything strange shows up on my bed tomorrow morning.

******

If you can't stand the heat...

...sneaking a peek in the kitchen at Pure Food and Wine.

I had these asparagus and avocado nori rolls for an appetizer. (No, not sushi!) The rice, I'm told, is made from a jicama base.

My main dish, a flavorful saag paneer with "rice."

The flourless chocolate cake that Cindy and I had. She declared it "the best dessert I've ever had."

Charmed, I'm Sure

This started out as the hardest weekend of all.  So close to the finish line, yet still too far to go.

I'm ready to be finished.  So ready.  During my trip to the market this weekend, I found myself stuffing my cart with goodies for my family. A horseradish cheddar.  Marinated olives.  Steaming, creamy lentil and coconut Thai soup. Then it hit me. These weren't foods my family wanted. These were foods I wanted.

I bought it all anyway. I made them eat it. 

That was Saturday. Sunday was better.

Great actually. First I got to meet Joann's delightful sister, Donna, our guest blogger, who was kind enough to walk me around the city with Joann for several hours before our dinner at Pure Food and Wine in New York   -- 14 "raw foodies" hooking up for a gourmet meal.  Everyone was charming and the food was fabulous.  We had three courses, and I had my first glass of wine in more than six weeks. I had a mushroom and white asparagus appetizer; white corn tamales with raw cacao mole, marinated mushrooms, salsa verde and avocado as my entree; and the flourless chocolate cake for dessert. The first two courses were tasty, but the dessert was outrageous. In my limited experience, raw desserts are by far the best of the magic that raw food chefs are able to create.  (I even caught one member of our party, who shall remain nameless, licking his dish.)

I can't possibly remember everyone's name, but Joann, Eric and I sat with Glen Colello, Lisa Storch and  Frank Giglio, a really nice guy aptly named because of his honest and direct answers to my questions (although the mother in me is a little freaked out by his goal to run 100 miles in under 30 hours.)

It was refreshing to hear from him that each person has to to search for what works for her, that trying to live someone else's rigid dogma is a sure way to fail.  He's been eating raw for a while now, and I gathered that he's eating really high on the scale, very few nuts and fats. But he's not grossed out by the smells of grilling food, and it did my mother's heart good to hear him say how fondly he remembers the food from his childhood. His understanding of the world's temptations was comforting and went a long way toward easing some the of the guilt I'm feeling about certain things I plan to eat after Tuesday. (Hey, that's tomorrow!)

We didn't get home until 1:30 in the morning, so I'm running on about 4 hours of sleep today.  In my pre-raw life, I would have dragged myself out of bed and been dragging myself around the rest of the day, counting the hours until bedtime. But I feel good. Good enough, in fact, that I'm going to the gym tonight.  Not bad for the old gal in the group.

28 Days and Celebrating

Four weeks ago today, the three of us were getting set to dive into this uncooked lifestyle, not at all knowing what to expect. Would we be cranky and hungry? Would we take to it with raw abandon? Would Cindy and Eric still be my friends at the end of week one?

We know the answers to some of those questions. But it ain't over yet. We still have a few days left. Still, our trio is celebrating the end of this monthlong experiment tonight, dining with our raw coach Glen Colello at Pure Food and Wine, considered one of the top raw gourmet restaurants in New York. It should be a great time. The menu is so enticing, with such creative-sounding dishes. I can't wait to check it all out, and raise a glass (of young coconut water) to toast my raw compadres.

More raw treats...

...because who doesn't love pictures of (unusual) foodstuffs?

As I mentioned, I brought back raw snacks that I picked up in New York last weekend to sample with Eric and Cindy. Some were bigger hits than others.

Raweos cookies? An obvious crowd pleaser. Soft and chewy, sweet and chocolatey? You can't go wrong. (Er, except for that $8 price tag. And that just gets you nine teensy morsels).

The essene bread ($6 for a small box) and cashew cheese ($7.50 for a tiny knob) were tougher sells. Made from dehydrated sprouted grains and vegetables, the "bread" is really more of a crispy cracker. I liked it okay, though it definitely goes better with a dip or spread. The others weren't so impressed, rendering it about as dry and flavorless as cardboard.

I had high hopes for the cheese. But the truth is, cheese is cheese. There's no recreating it. This one was made from cashews and a probiotic called acidophilus. It left a sour aftertaste, and, sadly, the remainder ended up in the trash can.

Early on, the three of us bemoaned the lack of a cereal crunch in our diets. There are plenty of raw granola recipes around, but my issue with them is they tend to be heavy on the nuts.

The folks over at Living Intentions got wind and sent us some samples of their soon-to-be-released granolas, made from sprouted buckwheat, sunflower and flax seeds and coconut, dried fruits and protein powders. We sampled two kinds -- hemp & greens and cacao & agave. I had to shoo my (non-raw) colleagues' paws away from the cacao flavor, in particular. But I'll be snacking on both once they hit the stores.

One last morsel for you to chew on. Our trio finally made it out for lunch together this week at Alchemy, an organic raw and vegan restaurant just a few minutes from the office. We noshed on great salads and smoothies (I had a tasty almond milk and chai concoction, and a hummus dip that was as close to the real thing that I've tasted).

Once we were happily stuffed, co-owner John Zito brought out a plate of raw confections and melt-in-your-mouth chocolates. So rich and delicious, all you needed was a bite (or two) to satiate your sweet tooth.

Eating and nutrients: Donna's perspective

It started as a response to my post yesterday, and quickly spiraled out of control. But because she's been keeping raw with us over the past few weeks, and because I've learned over the years I've known her that she often has an interesting perspective, here are some thoughts from Joann's sister, Donna Klimkiewicz, on the role food plays in our lives:

I think you have a good point, and I think you are right, on balance, in terms of how some Raw Foodists sometimes portray eating as about nutrients and perfection moreso than about pleasure.

And I think those who get caught up in that way of thinking are missing the point.

Having gone through my own repeated cycles of interest-excitement-disillusionment- rejection of a Raw Food lifestyle over the last handful of years, and having taken the 30-day plunge alongside you guys during this month, I think I’ve evolved to a new perspective on the whole thing.

I don't think that eating can or should be a utilitarian venture. It SHOULD be pleasurable. I think that the real point to eating this way, and one that isn't discussed as much, is that eating optimally can escalate energy and clear-headedness, and actually starts to make one a little more alive in their own life, less weighed down by energy-depleting foods, and more available and energized to be all of what you are and can be. I know that when I eat better, I feel better, and when I feel better I work better, I play better, I interact better, and I show up in my life better. And THAT makes life richer. And that is the only reason to do it.

A disconnect happens when it becomes about perfection or neurosis about what to eat and not to eat, and labeling some foods as bad or toxic. That kind of thinking becomes really counterproductive really quickly. Eating should never be about perfection or dogma and eating solely for nutrients will inevitably, I think, take people to that place where it's no longer pleasant, but is instead wrapped up in unconscious fear or anxiety.

I know that the first week and half I was kinda unhappy with the food I was eating, and now that I've found some favorite meals and go-to snacks, I'm in the flow, and definitely it's pleasurable. I am decidedly NOT obsessing over perfection or about utilitarian fueling.

This sort of stuff is personal and I really do think everyone needs to find their own way, separate of any dogma. Eating should be inextricably tied to following your own body's needs, and your own life's larger goals. And you can never find that by following someone else's rules. Inspired by ideas, yes, but following someone else's rules to the letter, no.

Well said, Donna K.

Eating is more than just the intake of nutrients

I'm a bit of a contrarian anyway -- just ask Joann -- but there's a big piece of raw dogma that's been bothering me.

Over the past few weeks, I've heard more than one raw-food enthusiast posit that the only reason for eating is to fuel the body by taking in nutrients.

That's true, from a strict-constructionist perspective. But by that token, human beings have only three biological imperatives: Eating, defecating and reproducing. Still, I kind of like vinyl records.

Point is, there's more to our lives, or should be, than the mechanics of living them. Regardless of my personal values (ahem), countless years of human evolution have turned eating into one of the chief ways we socialize. Reproduction has taken on the trappings of romance and love. I'd argue that life is richer as a result.

Raw in the City

Having Eric and Cindy along on this raw adventure has made the experience a whole lot easier. Diving in solo might have felt way too isolating and overwhelming. There's something to be said for having people to commiserate and compare notes with, in person and on a daily basis. 

I've also had the benefit of a third raw compatriot. My sister. She's dabbled in raw, but never went the distance and figured this was as good a time as any to take the plunge. The two of us are total health food dorks to begin with. We visit health food stores like fashion mavens do couture boutiques. We once snuck out of a family wedding reception to visit the tiny natural foods store next door, strolling the aisles with glee, palming bags of flax seeds like they were precious jewels. (Our family was none the wiser, too preoccupied with the Chicken Dance to notice).

So during this month of raw, she and I have had a good support system in each other. And I totally recommend recruiting a raw buddy if you're seriously going to try this. We've chattered on the phone and by e-mail daily, analyzing issues that come up, trading  status reports and recipes. (This literally just in from her, by e-mail: can i also just say? i LOVE my new breakfast concoction of chopped watermelon, sprinkled with coconut and cacao nibs.)

So when I visited her in New York last weekend, it was a given we'd go on a raw food excursion. If you're living raw, hers is probably one of the best neighborhoods in the country to do it in. From shops, gourmet restaurants and juice joints, there are easily a dozen live foods resources within an 8-block radius of her. Here in Connecticut we've got places like Alchemy in Hartford and Catch a Healthy Habit Cafe in West Haven. But it's far from the hub my sister enjoys. If she doesn't feel like messing around in the kitchen, she can easily stop into the takeaway cafe at one of the top raw food resturants in the country, Pure Food and Wine, or head down to Quintessence or Caravan of Dreams.  She's totally a little raw spoiled brat.

We started with a great dinner Saturday night a Candle 79, a gourmet organic vegan restaurant. It was such a relief not to have "the raw talk" with a waitress, or surrender to a puny house salad. Candle isn't fully raw, but they've got enough items on menu to make it a breeze. So, we sipped on young coconut water and shared our plates of avocado-tomato tartare, seaweed salad and and live zucchini enchiladas, made with cashew cheese and chipotle tomato sauce.

For dessert, we split an amazing live pineapple-cherry parfait with nut granola and raw coconut ice cream. It was all totally satisfying. But watching the staff trot out hot, savory dishes to nearby diners -- well, it was the first time I really craved a hot bite of comfort food.

We spent the next day whipping up our own breakfast smoothies, and later headed up to Bonobo's for a live foods lunch. We had actually only intended on peeking inside since we were passing through the neighborhood. But the sight of the colorful salad bar selections convinced us to pull up a chair and order a combination platter of various marinaded, seasoned vegetable salads.

We capped off the raw adventure by heading back down to two East Village shops: High Vibe and Live Live. I stocked up on snacks of essene bread (made from dehydrated sprouted grains and vegetable), cashew cheese and a raw version of Oreo cookies to share with Cindy and Eric. And my sister shelled out $14 for a package of raw tortillas. Cha-ching, indeed.

Guilty, as charged

Someone recognized me at Whole Foods the other day. Not someone I know. A stranger.

"Aren't you one of those raw food people?"

I don't know, am I?

For now, of course, the answer is yes. But what about on April 30, when we are technically finished with our experiment? How much raw will I have to eat to be considered "one of those raw food people?"

I get the feeling that it has to be a lot. Most of my diet, in fact. What I plan to do is to eat enough raw food to maintain the health and energy benefits I have received this month. Only I will be able to determine that level as I go along.

But a heavy sense of disapproval of cooked foods, dairy, meat, caffeine, etc., from the people we have encountered has made me feel guilty about certain foods I want back in my diet.

Like bread. Eggs. Cheese. And maybe coffee. These are all foods I love. I have no intention of giving them up forever, but I'm wondering if they have been a bit spoiled for me.

Nah.

Shift Happens

I have to say, I feel good.

Not bouncing off the walls, radiating raw energy kinda good. But clear-headed, even-keeled, alert kinda good. I've noticed I'm waking more easily in the mornings, and don't feel like I've been hit by a train when I roll out of bed. And whereas Eric and Cindy are growing bored with their menus, I'm finally hitting a groove with mine. I'm experimenting with blended soups, protein-rich blue-green algaes like spirulina, and fruit salads sprinkled with coconut shavings and raw granola. I've found as I've slipped into a simplified routine, the preparation time isn't as long -- or maybe I've just grown used to it.

I started to feel this subtle shift somewhere around the middle of last week. I'm thinking  it has a lot to do with boosting my intake of water and greens, and easing off the dried fruits and nuts. So that's what I've come to figure out works best for me. And that's what's key in an endeavor like this, or in trying to improve your health in any way -- being able to get a little intuitive, listen to your body and figure out instinctively what agrees with you and what doesn't. There's so much advice out there, so much information on what to eat, how to eat it, when and with what. It can be more than a little crazy-making.

But I figure, we're the ones walking around in these bodies of ours. We're probably the ones to know best what's working for us, and against us -- if we really listen to what our bodies are telling us.

I also realized something about expectation. I had put a lot  of it onto this raw challenge, hearing so many testimonials of people who reported feeling brand spanking new just days into going raw. I wanted a taste of that, and was getting testy that I hadn't been getting the same results. I've since realized the absurdity of expecting such staggering results so quickly, and of comparing my experience.  (Especially to people who were making extreme shifts from fast food and fries to spinach and kale. Of course they'd feel fantastic in a whole other way than I would).

That's all to say, I feel good. And good is better than what I've been feeling the past few months. So, I'll take that. And I'll be open to wherever this final week takes me.