This Sunday, March 1, was a double whammie of awesome. Not only was it the 1-month birthday of this little baby blog (aw!), but more importantly, it was the kickoff of my marvelous 30-day RAWxtravaganza. Yay!
Saturday was all about preparation and, I must admit, nervous anticipation. I consider myself exceptionally healthful, but I’m still a devoted foodie, a shameless sweet-tooth, a hot sauce-aholic, a bit of a boozer, and a connoisseur of caffeine. So suffice to say, this is going to be a big change for me. And, it’s important to me to do it right.
Saturday morning I set off with a friend to attend an ‘Uncooking’ Class hosted by Laurie from the Healthy Kitchen. What an amazing experience! We learned how to make the most delicious creations, from ‘refried beans’ to a chocolate ganache torte, many of which I’ll be posting here over the next month. It was very inspiring and certainly informative, and I left the class excited to get this experiment underway.
Buuuuut, not before my last cooked meal!
After an evening of shopping for fun and fancy raw delicacies (to be reviewed), it was time to enjoy my final hot meal. I chose a Thai feast from our favorite vegan Thai joint. We got an appetizer plate, pineapple curry, and spicy yakisoba noodles. It was divine, mmmmm oh yes, simply divine.
And then, suddenly, it was Sunday morning, and time to commit. I skipped my usual delicious Earl Grey and agave, and instead set about fixing my first ‘Green Smoothie’. A Green Smoothie is simply a blend of fresh fruits or vegetables + some dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale, or chard. People add all manner of extras, from soy/nut milks to sweeteners to nut butters to supplements, but all you really need are greens and fruit (for flavor). And yes!, I had never made a Green Smoothie before, which is sort of unbelievable. It was pretty fun to prepare, and definitely fun to drink. My husband grimaced at the sight of my concoction, but was kind enough to take pictures.
My First Green Smoothie:
- 1 banana
- 1 orange
- 2 giant collard green leaves, de-ribbed
- a few ice cubes
Okay, it wasn’t the most exciting tasting beverage on the planet, but it was my first attempt! I’m easing in to the process, and I want to be able to correctly taste my alterations as I make them. This recipe isn’t stellar on it’s own, but I think it’s an ideal base. Today I added a tomato and some lemon juice, which was also okay, but still not great. It’s okay – I’m willing to work on it, and willing to drink my ‘mistakes’ in the process. I’ll give up the good recipes once I uncover them!
This is what I ate on my first day RAW:
- Green Smoothie
- a banana
- 2 large carrots
- a date
- 1/2 a bottle of Kombucha
- a cacao truffle
- a handful of walnuts
- bean-free hummus (made w/ zucchini). I made little ‘hummus tacos’ with romaine leaves and sprinkled vinegar, salt, and pepper over them. I also just scooped the stuff up with carrots and celery.
I wish I could say that I felt great and light and fresh and clean and all that happy jazz, but it just isn’t so. No caffeine means a hardcore headache, and I am in full-on detox now. It’s not fun, but it is important. Before I did my Master Cleanse I was drinking a lot of coffee, so I wasn’t surprised by the painful detox I experienced. But these days, I have almost entirely omitted coffee from my diet, and rely on tea instead. Color me naive, but I did not expect this kind of a caffeine headache coming off of tea. It’s surprising to know my body is so reliant on it.
And now? I have a crisper packed to the brim with fresh fruits and veggies, plus a plethora of strange and exciting raw products to sample during this journey. I’m looking forward to posting plenty of recipes and product reviews along the way! Here’s an idea of what I’m working with:
From Left: Kombucha, vinegar, romaine, sun dried raisins, jalepeño, flax seeds (whole), bananas, sunflower seeds, coconut oil, sea vegetable salad, fresh-crushed almond butter (ooh fancy!), tomato, 2 Larabars, kelp noodles, miso, raw agave, pineapple, raw tahini, extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, orange, zucchini, lemon, garlic, sauerkraut, collard greens, carrots, kimchi, and walnuts. Whew!
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