Transitioning to raw food

Day 6! It's almost been a whole week. I took the last two days off writing so I feel as if I am overflowing with information. Bear with me.

So many ups and downs. First, a confession. I haven't been 100% raw (as you may have already noticed). We went to breakfast with my kids and I just couldn't resist a few bites of my son's gloriously delicious Belgian waffle overflowing with maple syrup and whipped cream - I mean come on! And then there were the few french fries and oh yes, a small piece of turkey. Hardly raw. But overall I would say this week has been a huge success.

First some things I have learned:

1. Have treats on hand. Making a transition like this is big and although my cravings are almost nil there are times when I am hungry and just want something sweet or easy or doesn't taste like kale. So I highly recommend you stock up with a few raw food treats for just those special moments.

2. Research. Either I am unfamiliar with the ingredients in many raw food recipes or I just don't have them on hand. Raw food cooking can be quite simple because well, you don't cook the food. As soon as all the ingredients are assembled you often just blend, process or juice them and voila - your meal. But the trick is having all of the ingredients. So research a little ahead of time - check out the ingredients, find places to buy them, and shop for them. Then when hunger strikes, you will be ready.

3. You don't have to go all raw all at once. In fact, having attempted it, I don't recommend it. If you eat 51% of your foods raw you will benefit tremendously. And honestly, I think it is a heck of a lot easier.

4. Having said that, I feel great! I have lots of energy, I feel clean, I love eating the foods I eat and I love how comfortable I feel in my body. So it's a trade off. Jump in whole hog and end up eating mushy, hardly palatble flax sunflower seed "burgers" at 10:30 pm because it's all you got or take it slowly and accept that it may take longer to feel many of the positive benefits.

5. Forget intuition. I've been cooking for awhile now and I love it. After years of diligently following recipes by the letter, then little by little stepping out into my own creativity, I realize I am back to square one. I understand cooked food. I know how to make adjustments for certain flavors or the lack thereof. I get why things taste the way they do. But raw food - forget it. Think about it - all our lives we've been eating mostly cooked food. I learned to cook by cooking. Everything is new to me and so I must redevelop a relationship with food. Relearn the art of fine cuisine. It's a bit of a roller coaster with a few extra trips to the compost.

6. Have fun. You get to be a kid in a chem lab all over again. Enjoy the mystery and see what emerges!

That's all for now.