Vegan Pumpkin Bread

"Non-Vegan Approved" 

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Yum!  As many of you know, I am an AVID baker.  Baking makes my heart smile.  Before making the switch over to a raw/cooked vegan diet, I was so worried I was going to have to ditch my love for baking, but that has not been the case.  I knew vegan baking existed, but being the food snob I am/was, I was one of those who turned their noses up at "alternative" baking. 

Now focusing more on my health, instead of my tongue, I put my prejudice aside and tried out this VERY yummy vegan pumpkin recipe I found here.  In non-vegan baking, I can usually look at a recipe and determine if it has potential to be a winner, but in vegan baking I have no intuition what-so-ever.  Honestly, I chose this recipe because it came from the book The Joy of Vegan Baking.  I'm not going to lie, I don't trust just any old wiki-recipe (as I like to call them) I find posted on the internet.  Basically, if it's been published in a real live book or magazine, I consider it more trustworthy.  All in all, this recipe baked up beautifully, was super moist, and all non-vegans who have tried it have LOVED it.  Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs ground flaxseed*
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar "Sugar in the Raw"**
• 2 cups whole wheat flour***
• 1 cup all purpose white flour
  
• 1/2 cup non-sweetened apple sauce
• 1 can pureed pumpkin
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup canola oil
  
• 1 tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (or pumpkin pie spice blend)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (reduce to 1 tsp if using table salt)
  

 * I'm not sure if the measurement was taken before grinding flaxseeds, or after.  I measured out 3 Tbs.of whole flax seed, ground to powder in an electric coffee grinder, and used all of that.

**The original recipe in the book calls for 2 cups refined white sugar (according to the post I received the recipe from).  I went with this particular post's rendition of the original recipe, and used the 1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar.  Personally, I have a sweet tooth, and would have preferred it a tad sweeter, so if you're like me, go with the 2 cups of sugar.

***  I also used white whole wheat flour with the addition of the 1 cup all purpose white flour, as it tends to bake up better than using ALL reg. whole wheat flour.  I believe the original recipe in the book calls for the using ALL all purpose flour; the whole wheat route is simply better for you.  I figure if I'm going vegan on this, I might as well go all the way on the health scale.


Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.


Combine ground flaxseed and water in a bowl.  Stir to incorporate, and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine flax mixture, apple sauce, pumpkin, oil, vanilla, and sugar.

In another bowl, combine the flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Do not over mix!  This is the key to successful quick breads.

Divide into two regular 8in. loaf pans, or four mini loaf pans.  I made one loaf, and I spooned the rest into mini individual bundt cake pans.  Bake the large loaves for about 50 minutes, the smaller loaves for about 35 minutes, and something the size of a muffin for about 15 min - 20min (?).  I'm terrible with timing my baking; I tend to "eye-ball" everything I bake, as I don't blindly trust baking times, or the consistency of oven temps.  The loafs should be slightly browned, and firm to the touch, but do NOT over-bake.  Remove, and cool on wire rack.  

"I'm just doing my job, lady..." -Mr. Apple

Many people complain about fruit giving them gas, or causing diarrhea, upset stomach, and so on...but that's pretty much what fruit is supposed to do!  Any new-to-green-smoothies people out there experiencing "discomfort?"  There's a reason why...fruits are detox foods!

Excess toxins in the body have been linked to causing degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.  These toxins can also cause cellulite, GI problems, premature aging, insomnia, weight gain, fatigue, allergies, and acne.  Our body tries it's best to do it's own detoxing, but due to our switch to more processed, less natural, whole foods, we need to help our bodies out by providing the right "tolls" in aiding the body's natural detox process.

Raw fruits are the best way to aid detoxification, but raw vegetables are also detox foods, as well as other misc. foods.  One doesn't need to spend hundreds of dollars on detox programs, or supplements; all you need is go to the grocery store and load up on fruits and leafy greens!  Green smoothies, and fresh raw juices are the easiest way to incorporate aid to your body's natural detox system.  Yes, if you have not been an avid fruit eater before adding green smoothies into your diet, you will experience some GI discomfort.  Why?  Because those fruits and leafy greens are pulling years of stored wastes from your cells and body at a somewhat rapid rate through your GI track, and out your you know what!  Makes sense, eh?  So, don't stop drinking those juices and smoothies because they give you gas or diarrhea; that's exactly what they're supposed to do!  They're just doing their job, guys.

So now you're thinking I'm telling you your body's going to feel like crap for the rest of your life simply so you can "detox?"  No.  These uncomfortable symptoms will subside as your body gets cleaner.  Here are some common detox symptoms you will notice your body going through:

• Acne
• Hives
• Rashes
• Flatulence
  
• Diarrhea 
• Fever
  
• Headaches
• Night Sweats
  
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Mood Swings
• Food Cravings
  
• Excessive phlegm, mucus, congestion
  
• Mouth Sores

As for my own personal detox period, I can definitely say I experienced some of these symptoms.  I think the first one was swollen sore gums, and swollen lymph nodes.  I haven't come across a lot of other people who have experienced swollen lymph nodes, but my lymph nodes are very sensitive, so I was not surprised.  At this time, I was not even aware my recent diet switch was detoxing my body, so I just thought I had some weird gum irritation.  It didn't occur to me until later that my gum irritation was most likely a detox symptom.  Also, my skin did break out a little, but not too bad.

I was extremely bloated for a good two weeks.  I'm not going to lie, I felt miserable.  I wasn't sure if this would subside, or not, simply because of the longevity...but it did.  Once I "deflated," I felt great!  I finally started feeling light, and like my body was processing normally throughout the day.

*Beware: TMI*  I also produced a LOT of "waste," if ya catch my drift.  My bowel movements were not necessarily more frequent, but definitely plentiful.  I thought they might stay this way, pinning the excessive waste to the high fiber in my new diet, but I now know it was due to toxin purging as my diet has not changed at all, but my present day waste amount has reduced.

I also experienced the fatigue, and tiredness, as well.  It was difficult to keep up my regular running regiment during that time.  I also slept a lot and deep!  For those of you who don't know, I have had trouble sleeping almost my whole life.  Since getting on raw foods, I am sleeping great!  It's amazing.  My sleeping has normalized to regular length now being on the downhill slope of my detox, but has continued to stay deep and sound.  I'm so jazzed about this!

Aside from all the unpleasant detox symptoms, I'm glad I pressed through them as I'm starting to feel great now.  Believe me, I've always been a skeptic about detoxing and internal body cleanses...but I'm not now.  There are suggestions on how to ease detox symptoms.  I think one of the best techniques is to keep up with your daily hygeine.  The skin is one of the biggest exits, like your GI system, for the release of the toxins.  While detoxing, make sure to shower daily, exfoliate, do not douse yourself in oils and creams, and dry brush your whole body before showering with a natural bristle body brush.

If I had to provide one piece of advice for detoxing, it would be to take detoxing slow.  If you're eating a S.A.D. diet, and you immediately go to an all raw juice detox, you're going hurt.  Try going from S.A.D. with the incorporation of raw fruits for breakfast, to Vegetarian, to Vegan, to incorporating more raw foods, and then to something more drastic such as a raw juice detox, or some other kind of full detox program.  Detoxing too much too fast can be quite a shock to the body.  Also, eat all, and only, fruits in the morning on an empty stomach up until 30 minutes before lunch.  Raw fruits are most affective at detoxing at this time, and will not ferment with other food sitting in the stomach which can cause more gas, and bloating.

A lot of Raw Food, and Green Smoothie websites have online forums where "detox" has either it's own page, or is discussed frequently.  You can find much information and support in those forums.  Here are some helpful links regarding detox, and symptoms:

• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/312332/natural_detox_symptoms_during_a_home.html?cat=2

• http://www.radicalradiance.com/2009/06/common-detox-symptoms-commentary-from.html

• http://www.healthrecipes.com/body_detox.htm

• http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/tips-for-understanding-the-difference-between-detox-symptoms-and-sickness-584849.html

•  http://www.fruitarian.com/ao/Detoxification_with_fruit_nutrition.htm

Green Monster sited in Philly!

Nolan Mills...If he only knew what was in there ;-)

Philly, PA 

(child of Justin and Kate Mills)

The Overdosed Pumpkin...and lovin' it!

Happy Halloween, guys!

Love, 

the Green Smoothie Overdosed Pumpkin

Yay for Halloween!  This is by far my favorite time of year!  Steven and I had fun with this guy last night.  Since his "body" was naturally leaning, I figured I'd make him a little "sick."  I know you can't tell, but those drips are a greenish paint...Green Smoothie!  He marked his spot on the front porch last night, lookin' fine, I must say.

Halloween day will be filled to max with activities for me this year.  My mom's birthday is Halloween, I have my first 5 mile race debut that morning, my sister and bro-in-law will be in town from CO, and I'm sure we'll hit up some festivities later that evening!  I'm really excited about the race.  I got a 4 miler in this past weekend with some friends, so that really helped boost my confidence that I'll be all good for the 5 miles.  I've done 5 mile runs a couple times before, but I haven't done one in a while.  I felt great after the 4 miles, and am planning on doing a 5 miler this weekend.

As for raw vegan updates, I have decided I need more iron in my diet.  Yes, I eat the hell out of leafy greens, but I'm not sure that's cutting it for the amount my body's telling me I need.  At whole foods I found a RAW vegan natural iron supplement!  SO excited, as I've heard synthetic iron can cause nausea, and doesn't have the best reputation for absorption.  The raw vegan iron supplements I bought smell exactly like broccoli and other veggies, so I know there's something good going on in that capsule.  I've been taking them for 3 days now, and I feel awesome!  I've also added Spirulina to my green smoothies in the morning, which has a decent iron amount, as well.  I was dragging a bit on my runs the past couple weeks, and I'm pretty sure it was from low iron levels.  Back on my S.A.D. diet, I used to eat Malt-o-Meal before my runs simply because it was fortified with iron.  I don't know why I didn't make this "iron connection" between my two diets sooner?!

The most interesting observation, still, about my raw vegan diet has been this overwhelming sense of satisfaction!"  No.  More.  Cravings.!  It's weird.  I mean, you still have your natural habits of eating;.  For example, I have to end every meal with something sweet, like a bite of dark chocolate, but before I would need a whole 2 scoop sundae, or eat a whole bag of chips, or something extreme like that.  I used to eat massive amounts of food at night until totally disgustion.  I don't have the desire to do that anymore.  I'm still so shocked at this all the time.

I'm not craving any S.A.D. food, either.  All the raw vegan substitutes for the foods I would miss have been completely awesome.  I must say, I do have a slice of whole wheat multi-grain leavened bread with my dinner about every other day, so that's helped with the bread craving.  I've also had cheese pizza with Steven about 3 times since the beginning of all this raw vegan stuff.  I don't have a problem with these little "cheating" episodes whatsoever.  I consider my dinner to be "let loose" on the raw vegan stuff at dinner (this is where I'll cook my veggies, and eat cooked whole grains), but I still never bring animal flesh or dairy into the mix...except for those cheese pizza incidents.  Cheese pizza does make me extremely constipated the next day, so believe me, I pay my price for cheating.  My diet is still primarily 98% raw vegan/cooked vegan, so I'm pleased. 

Man, I can't stop eating these kale chips!  They are definitely a new favorite for me.  Dang, they're good!

The best "Doritos" for your heart and taste buds

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cup raw cashews
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbs. raw sesame seeds
• 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs. Tamari, or soy sauce, or Nama Shoyu
• 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. paprika (smoked paprika if you have it)
• 3/4 - 1 tsp. kosher salt
• dash of onion and garlic powders (optional)
• 1 bunch curly kale

Instructions:
Blend all ingredients (except kale) in the blender.  Blend on high until smooth and creamy.  You can use the raw, or non-raw, versions of all these ingredients according to your food lifestyle.  Also, the spices are "to taste," so measure accordingly.  The nutritional yeast and paprika are imperative for a "cheesy" flavor.  I ran out of paprika on my second batch, and they lacked the cheese flavor, but we're still great.   You can buy nutritional yeast at your local health food store.

You need a LARGE bowl to mix the "cheeze" sauce into the kale.  Make sure you kale has been de-stemmed, washed, and torn into bite size chip-like pieces.  For mixing, I put down a layer of kale, then poured sauce over it, then another layer of kale, then sauce, and etc.  This helps to evenly distribute the sauce.  Thoroughly mix the sauce into the kale pieces, and lay out onto dehydrator sheets.  I have a 4 tray dehydrator, and I had to remove two of the trays due to the fluffy height of the kale.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees for at least 10 hours, or until crispy and dry.  Your house will smell like peanut butter and cheese crackers; oddly neither of those things are in the recipe, nor do the chips taste like peanut butter. 


These kale chips are awesome!  Raw vegan, or not, you will love these!  I can't wait to give some to my father, and Steven liked them, too.  What a great way to eat such a nutritionally dense leafy green!

Thanks Andi for reminding me to make these,
Claire to the Bear

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm 64?"

Heck yes!  But, we'll stick with 56, for now... Happy Birthday, Dad!  As you can see, we started this party off nicely with wine, cards, loved ones, and a non-raw homemade by me German Chocolate Cake (my dad's favorite).  Steven and I had a great time with my folks Saturday evening...

Me and Steven.  One day we'll get a good picture of us together...

"Vavoom," as well call him! (Great action shot, here!)

Happy birthday, Dad.  I love you!

Claire

Coconut Lemon Bars

Yum!  These are great, and so easy to make.  Seriously, raw food can be so simple, it's ridiculous.  I got this recipe from Carmella's blog , which she got from Ani Phyo . 

Raw Coconut Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 1/2 cups pitted dried dates (I used Medjool)
• splash of vanilla extract (or seeds of a vanilla bean if you have one)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• Zest of one lemon (don't use the white pith)
• 2 1/2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup dried shredded coconut

Assembly:

Before hand, trace the bottom of a 9X9 square baking pan onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper.  Cut out, and place in bottom of pan.  You could also line the pan with plastic wrap.

In a food processor, chop almonds into small pieces.  Next, add the remaining ingredients to the almonds in the processor, and pulse until well combined and forms a moist dough.

Evenly press mixture into 9X9 pan, and chill in the refrigerator/freezer 'till firm, but not frozen.  Loosen edges with a knife, and invert onto cutting board.  Cut into bars.  Should make roughly 12 bars, or so.

Whatcha been smokin', Jill?

Hemp!

(Hemp Seed can be bought at Whole Foods, Central Market, and many other natural food stores.  The picture above is the exact brand hemp seed I bought at CentralMarket)

Protein, protein, protein...it's Ms. Jill's favorite word!  Jill is one of my e-friends I met at Runner's World's online community "The Loop."  As you can imagine, runners love their protein, and it's going to be hard to convince one they don't need as much as traditionally believed.  Who knows, maybe I'm wrong, or maybe they're wrong?  All that matters is...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!  Well, you know, take that with a grain of salt in regards to some ideas ;-)  On my run this morning, I noticed my legs muscles were weak.  I started thinking about protein, and if my lack of having as much protein in my diet as of recently was the explanation for this.  Honestly, I don't think it is; I think it's a result of "taking it easiER" the past two weeks by only running flat ground and for short distance due to a hip flexor strain.  My hip flexor is better, so I'm incorporating hills back in my running.  Obviously, my legs muscles atrophied a tad from the lack of hill strength training, so they're feeling a little weak.  Who knows, maybe it's the diet, and maybe it's not.  As of right now, I'm adhering to this perspective on "protein" here .

The point being...lately when I think of the role protein plays in my diet as an active person, I immediately think of Jill since she's been following both my new running and new raw food lives.  Jill hearts protein!  She's been such a sport about about trying out the green smoothies, but noted she's been putting protein powders in them.  So, after my run this morning, I decided to make a post-run "raw" vegan hemp protein shake with Jill in mind.

Hemp seed/nut is an amazing little food.  It is one of the few plant complete proteins, and is dang tasty, too!  What about soy?  Well, soy has a bad reputation for possibly causing thyroid problems, breast cancer, early dementia, and for being a high mucus producer.  As always, you will find a flip side to most every argument, so until they decide hemp's going to kill us, too, I'm gonna to eat it.  Unfortunately, hemp can not be legally grown in the US, but can be imported from certain countries like Cananda.  Now, I'm not sure about this, but I think imported hemp seed must be "treated" before entering the U.S....even though some raw food sites state they have "raw" hemp seed, or "raw" hemp powder, I'm not sure how accurate that affirmation is.  I'll do some more researching on that.  Anyway, here's a tasty post-workout EASY vegan (maybe could be raw?) hemp protein shake just for you, Jill!

 Chocolate Hemp Shake

• 2 Tbs. shelled hemp seed (11g protein, Jill!)
• 1 tsp. dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional, but good)
• 1 cup cold water
• 4 dried dates (you can use Agave, honey, or whatever sweetener you have on hand)
  
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 tsp. cocoa powder (raw cacao powder, if you have it)

Procedure:  Throw it all in the blender, and go for it!  Blend on slow, working your way up to the highest setting, and blend for about a minute until all hemp seed and dates are totally combined, creamy, and like milk (fyi, blending hemp seed with water is how you make hemp milk).  At this point, you could add a banana, if you like.  If choosing to add the coconut, you will need to blend on high for little bit longer so those shreds become no more.  Hemp seeds will blend completely with no need for straining, as they are very small and soft.  If you'd like, you could use a little less water, and throw a few ice cubes in the mix.  You can also soak your dates before hand for easier blending, as well).

Hemp is very nutty tasting.  It's also great sprinkled on salads, cereals, and sauteed veggies.  Enjoy! 

There ya go, Jill!  11 grams of complete protein all in a small 1 cup serving.

New Converts!

Jennifer and Reese Barnhart...Changing their names to Jennifer and Reese "GREENheart!"

Dallas, TX

If baby Reese can be a "big girl," so can YOU!

Keep 'em coming, guys!

CC

Yes, I really put that in there...

Irish moss.  This has been by far the most bizarre ingredient I have bought to date.  When I told my mom about it, she said, "Irish moss?  That's what I planted in along the pathway in the back yard last spring..."  Ha!  At that point, I knew I was obviously on the right track with this raw-vegan ingredient.  Although, what I bought was not the same "Irish Moss" my mom had planted, but one from the sea, instead.  Chondrus Crispus, also called "Irish Moss" or "Carrageen Moss," is a species of red algae which grows along the rocky Atlantic coasts of both Europe and North America.  What you really need to know is that once soaked, Irish Moss is virtually orderless, colorless, tasteless, and used as a raw-vegan substitute to animal gelatin.  Didn't know gelatin was an animal product?  Well, yes, it is.  Gelatin is derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones.  Ever boiled a chicken carcass to make chicken stock, put in the fridge, and then discover it's turned into chicken stock jell-o?  Yep, that's the basis of gelatin.

At any rate, I have been WAY pumped about experimenting with this little jewel of an ingredient.  Fortunately, it's Jim-dawg's big 46th birthday this Saturday, so I finally had a reason to make a pie so I can use the Irish Moss.  I just couldn't wait 'till Saturday, though, so I decided to embrace the "birthday week" theme, and grace him with a raw vegan coconut cream pie.  The cool thing about raw "baking" is that there's not as mush science to the ingredients as there is in regular baking.  In raw "baking" you basically make something taste great, and then choose a way to thicken it.  Lecithin, Irish Moss, Coconut Oil, and avocados are usually used to achieve a pie-like texture.  Irish Moss was my choice this time around.  I know it looks scary, but give it a shot!  I promise it does NOT taste or smell like anything. 

 Preparing Irish Moss

FYI, I simply followed the directions on the bag.  Here I've taken a handful (I should have weighed it, but I didn't), soaked it in water, "massaged" the moss to release the sand/salt/whatever is on it off, dump that water, covered it with clean water again, and repeated this process about three times throughout a 14 hour period.  Once it's soaked that long, the moss will have swollen, become transparent, and pliable.    

 

At this point, the moss is ready to use.  If using it immediately, you can use it as is by blending it THOROUGHLY in the food processor with the wet ingredients of your recipe. 

As for me, I was not ready to use it immediately so I opted for the "storing route."  To do this, simply put the soaked moss in your food processor with a little bit of water, and blend thoroughly until it forms a loose gel.

 

Store the gel in a container, and place in the fridge until ready to use.  Once refrigerated, it will become very stiff and jello-like.  When ready to use, simply scoop out the desired amount and blend with the wet ingredients of your recipe. 

 

There you have it!  Irish Moss!  It was so exciting to prepare (yes, I'm that big of a foodie dork)!  As for how much to use, that depends on your recipe.  I used half this container (which was a small plastic container that sandwich meat comes in), and it was not quite enough, as I would have liked my pie to be stiffer.  It takes more than I thought.

Have fun with Irish Moss!  It can be used to make puddings, cakes, ice creams, pies, etc. 

"How's it going, Claire?"

What have I been seeing through Claire colored lenses?  Well, let me update ya...

As you know, food choices and experimentation had been quite the focus for the past two month, especially the last month.  As of this week, I have been at least a 75% raw vegetarian for a month, 99% vegan for at least two weeks or more (I had cheese pizza with Steven one night), and I feel GREAT.  Here are some observations I made thus far:

• Transitioning to vegetarianism was a cake-walk for me.  Not hard at all.  It was so easy to simply cut animal flesh from my diet. 

• Transitioning to veganisim was a little harder than vegetarianism, but not bad at all.  There were a couple hills I had to climb in making this switch.  One of them was cutting out my beloved Activia yogurt.  This was not a taste concern, but a health concern.  I'm waaaaay in touch with my bowels, and if they don't regularly move once a day, I'm screwed with chronic constipation.  Not fun.  I knew the inclusion of enzyme rich raw foods alone would help my GI issues, but I was still nervous....then the light came.  Stupid Claire, here, didn't realize one could take probiotics in capsule form!  Hell yeah!  After doing a little research, I headed over to the our local natural foods store, For Goodness Sake, and picked up a bottle of acidophilus bacillus probiotics, and am doing fabulous down "south."  Mission accomplished!  My other fear of veganisim was cutting out ice cream....AHHHHHH!  I'm addicted to ice cream!  Since I love to be in the kitchen, and don't mind tackling odd ingredients, I have found many various raw vegan "ice kream" recipes that suffice just fine for me.  Mission accomplished, again.  Milk, you ask?  No sweat; I haven't been drinking cow's milk for quite some time, now.  I was drinking soy milk, but soy's got a bad rap, so I've had to switch to nut mylk which is awesome, too, so I'm fine in that department.  Cheese?  Yeah, I love it, but it makes me miserably constipated, and I had already cut it from my previous diet.  Cutting out things I crave is hard; cutting things I just like is not.  Even though I really like cheese, I never crave it.  I'm sure there are times I have unknowingly cheated on in veganism, but you know, I could give a rat's ass about that. 
  

• Raw foods.  When you take a diet like raw veganism, un-raw veganism seems like a cake-walk.  Honestly, going raw is not really that difficult.  It's actually very easy to be 75% raw vegan, also known as "raw 'till dinner."  I have a green smoothie for breakfast, fresh fruit snacking 'till lunch, then a salad w/ raw vegan dressing for lunch with some dehydrated "baked" crackers, chocolate nut mylk for something sweet afterward (or whatever other kind of yummy raw dessert I have on hand), I'm usually good 'till 5pm, maybe snack on a dried fruit/mixed nut trail mix, Lara Bar, or some homemade raw concoction of mine, then I eat about a 50% raw 100% vegan dinner, and if Steven's there for dinner, I'll include a cooked chicken breast for him.  See?  Not hard.

• How do you feel?  FANTASTIC!  Weirdest thing...food cravings are gone.  I've noticed I don't have these spur-of-the-moment uncontrollable random food cravings anymore.  Raw foodists say that's because I'm finally eating nutritionally loaded food that's satisfying the void my S.A.D. diet wasn't fulfilling.  It's totally weird.  As many of you know, I'm a BIG eater, and was afraid I'd be left hungry on a vegan diet.  Before my detoxing period was over, I was not completely "fulfilled" by my vegan switch.  Once my detox started subsiding, I become totally satisfied by my vegan diet.  I am full, satisfied, but not bloated and disgusted.  It's awesome...but, I can't eat as much as I used to; Steven says he can sense my sadness about losing my previous astronomical eating ability ;-)   My sleep has improved.  In fact, I've had to cut down on my sleeping med dose, or not take it at all, due to falling in to a sleep coma with it!  I've been on OTC sleeping meds for over 10 years and struggled to sleep well even while taking them; last night I didn't take one and slept great.  My skin is almost void of rosacia symptoms.  I can honestly say I've just been all around happier!  I physically feel "lighter," and have yet to have seen a decline in my running ability, or frequency.  I feel aware, energized, clean, and healthy.  The one vitamin supplement I am taking is B12, as this seems to be the only vitamin red meat provides that can't be found in a significant amount in a vegan source.   I have not felt deprived in any way since eating this way.
  

• What do you eat?  Like carrott sticks and nuts?  Hell no!  I eat raw vegan versions of ice cream, cookies, pies, cakes, chocolate, etc.  I have awesome salads with creamy dressings and tons of variety.  Wraps, sandwiches, soups, avocados, marinated veggies, fruits, and the list of endless possibilities goes on.  I'm not counting calories whatsoever, per Natalia Rose's advice; I'm just going with what my body reasonably tells me I want/need.  I will say, once you properly detox and continue to eat this way, the foods your crave definitely change towards the food style you've been eating. 

• Have you lost weight?  The only time I'm weighed on a scale is at a doctor's office.  I don't believe in weighing myself religously; instead, I go by the way my clothes fit, the way I look in photos, and simply changes in my body I notice throughout the day.  I have lost a little weight.  I can tell simply by looking in the mirror, certain tight jeans aren't tight anymore, and the excess weight I do have "sits" differently on me now.  Granted, I don't have a lot of excess weight to lose, in my opinion...maybe 10lbs, or so?  The raw foods diet is suppossed to get your weight to where it naturally should be.  I don't think I'm too far from that, so I'm not expecting drastic changes. 

•  How are your family, friends, and Steven dealing with this?  Well, mixed emotions, actually.  Steven is a total God-send here.  This is why I love this guy.  He is so supportive, accepting, patient, and willing to take part in some aspects of this food experience.  No, I'm not making him what I eat, but he's interested in trying all the different raw vegan creations I make.  He likes greens smoothies, he loves veggies of all kinds, and has liked all my sweet raw vegan creations, thus far.  Remember, I'm a foodie, so I'm not going to ask anyone to try something that doesn't taste good.  If it's not palatable, I'M not going to eat it, much less ask someone else to.  Dinners are my meals to let a little loose, so we meet half way all the time.  My folks are pretty much cool with it, but I am sensing a little animosity from my mom.  In the Cunningham family (myself, included), we all think we've got the right answers; we're stubborn and proud.  This raw veganism thing wasn't her answer, so it'll take her a while to get her pride down. 
  

• "Breaking up is hard to do..."  My two worst food habits I had to break up with were Splenda and CoffeeMate.  Splenda was only mentally hard to break up with.  We've been taught for so long that sugar's terrible for us, and to use artificial non-calorie sweeteners instead.  I just knew I was going to blow up like a pig when I went back to real sugar sources (raw sugar sources in particular)!  But, I haven't.  The best thing about breaking up with Splenda is I no longer have these freak-out sugar cravings.  I believe my body is finally getting the amount of sugar it wants, and is finally satisfied.  CoffeeMate?  CoffeeMate, oh how I miss thee; let me count the ways!  You are so creamy, and make my coffee taste like candy, and even though you are nothing but hydrogenated oils, I still want you.  I must stay strong against your temptation.  I have, and I will!  Break-up woes in regards to the raw aspect?  Yeast risen baked bread...me miss you. 

"You put da lime in da coconut, and drink it all up..."

Ever heard of a young Thai coconut?  Unless you're a vegan, or raw, you probably haven't.  Every time I start researching recipes, I find one that looks amazing...and then discover one of its ingredients is a young Thai coconut.  I immediately feel defeated thinking there's no way I'm ever going to find a young Thai coconut in a grocery store.  I eventually grew a prejudice against this weird beast of an ingredient...that is until I came across two at Central Market the other day (*side note* I also saw a bunch at Whole Foods this week, too)!  Know what's even better?!...the guy couldn't get them to ring up on the register, so he just gave them to me for free!  I was so pumped, I almost pee'd in my pants.

So, now I've got these two free young Thai coconuts, know I want to make ice cream out of them, but thinking about tackling these babies has me scared to death.  I've already prepared myself for the moment when I have to call Jim-Dawg (my dad) to come over with all his wacky gadgets and tools to get these suckers open for me!  I can hear him now..."Ka-larr, what kind of dumb ass buys some stoooopid coconuts shaped like a f'ing space ship they can't even open without havin' a chain saw in their kitchen?!  I'm tellin' ya right now, I am never comin' over to do this again.  You girls (my sister and mom) can be the biggest pain in my ass..."

Oh, Jim-dawg, have no fear...YouTube will save me!  And, it did.  Honestly, I was a little sad to have missed another Jim-dawg moment to add to the books.

The Scary Young Thai Coconut!

Does this look like a coconut to you?!  Apparently, there's a baby coconut in there.  To achieve this, YouTube says I need to slice off some of the top outer layer at an angle so I can access the top of the baby coconut hidden in there.  My chef's knife and I go at it...

Surprisingly, the outer layer is woody, but also sort of soft and spongy.  It was not difficult to shave off...because my knives are bad ass (duh!).

As you can see, there's the bebe.  Now, the actual coconut IS hard and woody, so you don't have to worry about slipping, and cutting into the actual coconut.  Your knife will stop when it hits it.

At this point, take the edge of your knife, and towards the top strike the coconut continuously around the edge.  At this point, I had coconut water splattering all over my face and kitchen.  The next coconut I killed, I made a little hole in the seam I was making with my knife, and poured some of the water out, and then finished the job.

Once you've stabbed the coconut around the top, take your knife tip and try to start prying the top off.  Seriously, it sounds harder than it is.

Voila!  There you have it...a successfully massacred young Thai coconut.  You can see I've poured the water into a container, and have used a spoon to scoop all the coconut meat from the lid and inside walls.  The meat is soft, and jelly-like.  It is used to make some fantastic recipes, including some awesome raw dairy-free ice cream!  Which is exactly what I did...

If you ever get the urge to buy some young Thai coconuts, I stole Heathy's ice cream recipe, and it is a jewel!

What to do with the water, you ask?  I poured mine into ice cube trays, froze 'em, and blend a few in my green smoothies every morning.  Coconut water is awesome for you!  Read more about it here.

Young Thai Coconuts?  They're worth it,

Claire

To all da ladies in da hizzy!

All you men out there, stop reading now as you'll find words coming out of your mouth like "eeew," "ick," "natny" (as Steven would say).  This post is for the ladies!  Well, actually, men can find some useful knowledge here, too ;-)

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(don't say I didn't warn ya)

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(turn back now!)

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Menstrual Cycle!  Periods!  The Crimson Wave!  Tampons!  Midol!

All I have to say here is MACA!

Holy crap, I am so excited about this super food!  Maca, Lepidium meyenii, is an annual plant which produces a radish-like root. The root of maca is typically dried and stored, and will easily keep for seven years. The plant is cultivated in the Junin plateau of Peru's Central Highlands, and was highly revered by the Inca.  Maca has been shown to:

• increase energy, endurance, and stamina
• improve sexual function in both men and women
• enhance fertility in people and animals
• reduce hormonal dysfunction during menopause and andropause
• regulate hormonal imbalances
• aid in alleviating depression
• reduce anxiety and stress
• have beneficial action on the circulatory system; speeds wound healing, and reduces anemia
• enhance memory, learning, and mental ability
• act as an alternative to anabolic steriods; helps to build muscle

In a nutshell, maca helps to regulate hormone producing glands, but maca is not a hormone, itself.  Hormones have a HUGE affect on our bodies and minds!  As many of you know, I'm pretty much obsessed with hormones and how they affect me.  I believe the endocrine system is way too often overlooked.  I have dealt with anxiety/depression my whole life, and believe it to be caused by hormonal imbalances.  With that being said, I was quite interested to see what maca could offer me.  I'm not going to lie, I've had a hard time believing in homeopathic/natural remedies to mental health issues.  Basically, I just think mental health is too fragile to screw around with.  When one comes to the point of recognizing they need help, that usually means they need it now and fast.


On another note, I have stopped taking hormonal birth control.  After years of debating whether hormonal birth control is right for me, I have come to the conclusion it is not.  Basically, my decision came down to the sheer fact that I think it's the most unnatural thing to trick your body into thinking it's pregnant for years on end.  As for me, hormonal birth control made me stale to the world.  Yes, I was not crying due to hormonal waves...but I was never smiling, either.  I remember in high school I used to have a couple friends who could make me laugh to tears!  Now, I can honestly say I haven't laughed to tears, or just simply genuinely laughed, in years.  That's sad, right?  So I asked myself, is it "worth it" to live in a sedentary emotional state just so you can be more sedentary in your sexual contraceptive responsibility?  For me, no.  Why take hormonal birth control when it makes the thought of sex seem appalling?  Isn't that sorta counteractive?  Why take hormonal birth control when there's a chance it may cause irreversible damage to your reproductive system?  Is it worth living in an emotionally "dead" trance for the ease of popping a "no pregnancy here!" pill when there are other effective non-hormonal ways of being sexually responsible?


So now you're asking yourself, "Where the hell is she going with all this?!  Maca's not birth control...."  Here's the deal, the only plus for being on birth control for me was lighter, less painful, periods with no flair-up acne.  Pain?  Cake-walk.  Acne?  Now you got me.  My one true vanity I have no problem admitting to is my facial complexion.  In my opinion, there's nothing more detrimental to your self-esteem than acne.  When I'm off birth control, I do get hormonal acne.  The thought of possible acne flair-ups worries the hell out of me.  Pathetic, I know.


Since starting this raw diet experiment, I have learned about about "super foods."  Maca especially stood out for me because of its properties as a hormonal stabalizer.  Hmmmmm....me and hormonal imbalances don't mix well.  I need some stabilization, fo sho!  Out of all the superfoods out there, I thought I'd start with Maca first since it supposedly addresses my only real "problem area" I was immediately concerned with.  So, I got online, ordered me up some maca, and starting taking it daily.


Last week was to be my first period off birth control.  I was expecting the worst.  I had already been telling Steven how much pain I was going to be in, how ugly my zit pitted face would be, and how I'd probably bleed heavy for 9 days straight (as was the trend pre-birth control years ago).  Well, all I have to say is THANK YOU GOD FOR MACA!  Holy zit-pitless face, cramp-free, short period yawowza!  This first non-birth control period was awesome (that is if a period can be awesome).  I had some first day cramping, but nothing unbearable, no major PMS before hand, no freak-out "I hate myself"'s, no zit break-outs, and the whole thing lasted roughly three days....THREE DAYS!  The whole time I was so confused as to why this period was so easy, not even thinking about the maca addition because I honestly didn't have that much faith in it.  Day three, I stated putting two and two together, and came up with maca.  Granted, I am curious to see how next month's period on maca will be since I will have been off hormonal b.c. for two months at that point.  I'm still not sure my hormones are totally adjusted to pre-b.c. "normalacy" just yet, as I've only been off birth control for a month; but, if I get this same effect from Maca the second time around, I'm claiming myself a total believer.


As for the other attributes of maca, well...I'm not so sure, yet, as I was only focusing on my menstrual cycle (makes me sound more professional when you call it that).  Also, I doubt I'll get into real depth about libido and fertility since my mother can read this (gross!); you can e-mail me for my opinion on maca's affect on those, if you wish.  All I know is I feel the best I have in a long time, both emotionally and physically.  I've had nothing to complain about since this food experiment in regards to how I feel.  If it's the maca, the lack of animal products, the greens, the live foods, the running...I don't know!  


You can buy maca at Matt Monarch's store here , or to be specific, this is the maca I'm using right now.  It seems most maca is sold in the loose powder form, but I went for the vcap version as I heard maca's flavor was one to be acquired.  I knew I could swallow anything down in pill form, so I went for that.  Many people add the loose powder to smoothies, or in their nut mylks.  According to Karen Knowler...

Maca is a food it should be taken in decent sized quantities – in this case less is NOT more! To be consistent with Peruvian use the ideal “dosage” is 3000 – 5000 mg per day – but more is no bad idea. A tablespoon blended into a smoothie is the quickest and easiest way to get a good amount of maca into your daily diet. As it is a food and not a medicine, you cannot overdose. (Toxicity studies have been carried out in the US and have showed absolutely no toxicity and no adverse pharmalogic effects). Maca has a malty taste to it which is fairly strong, for this reason it is best taken in a capsule or taken as part of a drink or mixed into your food rather than taken alone.

'Till next time!
CC Bloom 

Still Trying....

I'm still trying to find good savory raw dishes besides salads, sandwiches/wraps, and marinated veggies...which are all great.  People ask me all the time what I miss from the S.A.D. diet, or what am I craving that I "can't" have.  Honestly, I haven't missed animal protein at all.  What I HAVE missed is yeast risen baked bread.  Granted, I have eaten some leavened bread since this experience; sometimes I have some with dinner, as dinner is my "let loose" meal.

I'm not 100% raw right now, nor know if I ever will be.  My parameters right now are to be 100% Vegan (with the exception of being asked over for a dinner at a friend's, or eating out, which is a rarity), and about 75% Raw.  As of right now, I'm what Raw Foodists call "Raw 'till Dinner."  I'm cool with this stage; it's easy and workable around having a social life, and having compatible dinners with Steven in the evenings.  This way, I can cook a "normal" dinner consisting of an animal protein (for Steven) and two cooked veggie sides for both of us.  I usually incorporate something raw in the mix for me, like a raw cracker or salad.  Anyway, it's been way easy to maintain this structure.

For lunches/dinners, I'm trying to expand my savory raw food repertoire.  Salads, and sandwiches have been great, but I'm exploring more avenues, and especially trying to find a Claire-friendly substitute for baked leavened bread.  I've tried a couple raw bread recipes, but none of them have sufficed.  I'm trying another, more basic flavored, raw bread recipe this afternoon.  I have hope in this one...I think.

Yesterday for lunch I gave raw soup a second attempt, as my first raw soup attempt was NOT good.  I found a recipe for a raw Creamy Tomato Basil Soup that looked promising.  "Creamy," you ask?  Yes, creamy.  Vegans use nuts, especially cashews, as a dairy substitute.  It's a surprisingly very pleasing alternative!  So, the soup turned out not that bad.  Since I've made the non-raw, non-vegan version of this soup many times before, it will be hard for me to find a total winning replacement to its original, but it was definitely edible and good.  Maybe if I warmed it up some, it would be better.  I also had a raw dehydrated onion 'bread" to accompany my soup, which was good, but the onion was too over-powering.  I breathed onion fire breath all afternoon.  Hmph, not a failure, but not a total success, either.  Still trying...

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

And yes, I actually DO drink my green smoothies "green" by not adding blueberries.  Sometimes, I think you guys might think I'm lying to you will all my non-green green smoothies.  Here was this morning's...YUM!  I heart green smoothie time!