Day 28/ Last Day Reflections on my 28-day Raw Vegan Cleanse

Before I decided to get on this raw vegan cleanse (Join The Lifeit Detox 28 Days Raw Food Cleanse), I had been consuming a diet that I thought was already pretty good.  Well, I didn't eat any pork or pork by-products at all, and I ate VERY little beef.  I probably ate some Caribbean-style oxtails maybe once per year.  All I ate as far as flesh is concerned was turkey, chicken, and fish.  I also ate dairy products and I loved cheese.   And I made sure to have at least one to two servings of vegetables every day.   But I was a die-hard coffee drinker, consuming about two cups per day on average.

However, I started developing strange health symptoms that the doctors couldn't explain.  I began having heart palpitations at random times.  Sometimes I would experience odd random pains in my chest not necessarily over the heart....it was like a ball was bouncing in my chest in all different directions.  It's kind of hard to explain. 

I also developed very dry skin.  It had become that I couldn't even wash my hands without immediately applying lotion, because my hands would get so dry and cracked.  And my skin began to itch at random times.  It was not in any particular area, and there was no rash.  It could be my legs or my back or my hand or my scalp.  I couldn't figure out the pattern. 

TMI Warning....In addition, I was chronically "backed up".  I thought I wasn't drinking enough water, but when I consumed more water that didn't seem to help.

I also had problems sleeping at night.  I could go to bed at 8 or 9pm and wake up at 2am, staring at the ceiling.   Then when it was time for me to get up to start my day, I was always tired.

So, a friend of mine that has been a vegan for many years, told me that a friend of his, Chef Latrice, was starting a 28-day raw vegan cleanse and did I want to join?  I decided that I had tried everything else and had nothing to lose.  So that's how I got started on the cleanse.

My results:  Before I tell you my results, I need to explain that in addition to the raw vegan cleanse, I also stopped drinking coffee and cut out caffeine.  I know that some of my results are from removing the caffeine from my diet.  Also, there are some improvements that I received that were unexpected results...I didn't realize that I even had a problem in those areas, or it was a problem that I could tolerate and didn't really complain about.

Skin:  My skin doesn't itch as badly anymore.  Also, my occasional adult acne cleared up.

Energy:  My energy level is more consistent throughout the day, instead of feeling tired in the afternoon (as long as I went to bed at a decent time).

Mood:  I'm happier and more patient.

Vision:  I just got new glasses and contact lenses and complained to my Optician that I couldn't see 20/20 out of my left eye.  He told me that the condition was not correctable because nerves don't regenerate.  Now with my glasses or contacts on I can see perfectly out of both eyes.

Sleep:  I sleep solidly through the night and wake up well rested.

Heart: No more chest pains or palpitations.

Immune:  When I started the cleanse I had a chronic cough from a cold I caught three weeks before...that cough has gone away.

Digestive:  I'm no longer "backed up".

Well, it's only been four weeks, but I think I did pretty well.  There are still a few things that I'm working on, and I'm still trying to find my own balance in terms of the raw food diet.

So far I've experimented with incorporating a little cooked food back into my diet....I've had pasta, fish, turkey, and dairy.  So far no good.  The food tasted good but made me nauseous.  So now I find myself craving the raw foods.

Also, I didn't weigh myself but I don't think I lost much weight.  I was losing in the beginning but I stopped exercising, so I stopped losing.  I don't really have a huge amount of weight to lose anyhow...20 pounds would be great.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Day 27/ Started exercising again

I started working out again today. I wanted to wait until the end of this cleanse, but today's Monday and I prefer to start new workout programs on a Monday.

The main workout programs that I use are all from Beach Body. I used to go to the gym but I prefer working out at home because, frankly, I don't like people seeing me all out of shape and sweaty. But that's just me.

I started working out to Turbo Jam videos ever since I became a fan more than two years ago. But tonight I tried something new: I worked out to Shaun T's "Rockin' Abs" from the Dance Party series of Hip Hop Abs.

I was surprised that I got such a good workout because I always thought that Hip Hop Abs was easier than Turbo Jam. But this workout was pretty challenging...I fatigued out on some of the exercises.

Plus I didn't feel the greatest because I ate something that I shouldn't have. I did have my smoothie today and a huge salad with zucchini, sundried tomatoes and avocado, but I also ate more pasta that I prepared at home. Yesterday's dinner had me craving more pasta.

Why do I do this to myself? Now I'm all bloated and so I didn't really want to go all out on the ab exercises. Plus since I haven't worked out in a few weeks, I was a little weaker than usual.

I know that a raw vegan diet is the way to go....I am so inspired by Storm Talifero of http://www.thegardendiet.com. I think he is almost 60 years old and has been a raw vegan for over 30 years. He still rock climbs and is very athletic. He said that a raw vegan diet doesn't work at its best UNLESS you also workout. That it is designed for a physically active person.

I guess that makes sense being that most mammals (besides us) are raw foodists and are very physically active (and not overweight or obese like us). Plus animals that are in the wild don't have all the lifestyle diseases that we get.

I'm pretty sure I want to stay about 85% raw vegan, but dairy makes me nauseous now. And pasta, even brown rice pasta or other gluten-free pastas, are like glue in my system. I have a feeling that I'll continue to make adjustments until I find the right balance for me.

Day 26/ Flax Seeds, Pasta, and Caffeine Side Effects

I've become more and more creative with my smoothies these days. Yesterday I made a smoothie with fresh pineapple, frozen banana, flax seeds, spirulina, rice milk, honey, and an apple (I was out of spinach leaves). This morning I made a smoothie with carrots, fresh mango, rice milk, frozen banana, honey, flax seeds, and spirulina. They were both delicious and filling.

I heard that flax seeds are good for providing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and extra fiber, and they have also been used to lower cholesterol. I don't have high cholesterol, but the benefits sound good enough to justify adding flax seeds to my smoothies. They do make my smoothies a little on the chewy side...it would probably work a little better if I ground the flax seeds instead of blending them whole.

This week I have final exams so I didn't get this post out yesterday. I was over a classmate's house for a study session, and she offered me dinner. She prepared one of my favorite meals...angel hair pasta and turkey meat sauce. Okay, I ate it. It was delicious. It was the first time that I had eaten any form of meat in almost a month. Sigh.

It was wonderful, but right after I ate it I wanted to go to sleep. In fact both of us got sleepy after eating it. Isn't that interesting? I guess the body requires so much energy to digest meat and pasta, that it doesn't have much energy left over to do anything else. I hadn't noticed until yesterday that I don't get sleepy after eating raw vegan meals.

I'm proud of myself that I have been sticking to avoiding caffeine and coffee. The Teeccino really helps. It's not that I don't want any coffee, but the price I have to pay for the side effects of caffeine is not worth it. I did some research online about caffeine and found out that it causes more than just heart palpitations...it can cause anxiety, depression, ulcers, fibrocystic breasts, and insomnia.