Ever since I left Minnesota in early July, I have been eating 80% raw, 100% vegan. That means on my days off I was dehydrating for our backpacking trips, spending lots of money on food and doing lots of research through blogs, documentaries and books. I found myself constantly thinking about food. What my next meal would be, what my patients were eating and what my boyfriend was eating.
I even gave my boyfriend a hard time for not eating enough greens during the week, but the way I approached it was way too defensive and he obviously didn't respond to my request, or demand rather. We got in a fight because I felt like he wasn't supporting me enough, and he thought I was being too extreme. I told him I would mellow out soon, I just needed to be extreme to figure out a balance, if that makes any sense!
My sister's quote:
It's about progress, not perfection.
How I felt physically: I looked and felt great. People that I didn't see everyday were telling me how great I looked, and one even asked me if I was losing too much weight. My running was improving, my back pain was significantly better, and was sleeping great.
How I felt mentally: My anger outbursts were to a minimum, I was happy with who I was, but I struggled with the balance between my beliefs in what goes in your mouth to your health and lifestyle. This extended to how I looked at my patients, and the people important in my life. The only support I had was my mom, and the blogs I read.
Two weeks ago, I went on a road trip to visit some friends in Montana. I let go a little bit. I knew I wouldn't have the same control that I had in my own kitchen. Overall, I ate healthy, but I did eat white noodles, minimal cheese and beans. I hadn't eaten cooked beans in a while, unless they were sprouted.
How I felt physically: My stomach hurt so bad one morning because I had fruit with sugary cereal and soy milk. I never eat soy, rarely eat cereal, and never combine fruit with anything but my green smoothies! I felt bloated some days, which just makes you feel fat even if you don't look it! I don't obsess about my weight (never have) but when you know how great it is to feel your natural weight, you don't want ever to go back.
How I felt mentally: I let go and was okay with it. But since I let go, I also indulged a little too much, and I wasn't happy with that. (Nachos one day for dinner left me satisfied for 2 minutes until I craved ice cream! Totally not me, and proof that I fall into the addictive food pattern as well.) There needed to be a balance.
Then I went back home to Minnesota for a week, and while I was with my mother (co-creator of this blog), I ate 80% raw again. My sister hadn't seen me in 8 months, and thought I looked great. (Which its always nice to get your sister's approval.)
The extreme..... My mom had this book on the 80/10/10 diet. 80% carbs 10% protein 10% fat
We started reading the book, some of it making sense but none of it "clicking" in our brains. I read blogs to see how athletes do it.... but it all seemed to undoable.
My sister and I got a huge laugh out of this diet, starting with the blogs that said, "Some days, I eat 30 bananas a day!" We just laughed and laughed. Every blog would up the amount of bananas they ate. Ha!
So my mom and I wanted to try it for a day, to see if it was possible for our lifestyle and bodies.
We went to the store after our morning run and got our insane amount of fruits and veggies for the day.
Breakfast:
1.5 cantaloupes each
HAHAHA! Not only did it take forever to cut these up, it took for ever to eat. We were running errands, so while driving we were eating cantaloupe.
How I felt: Felt great... wasn't hungry until like 20 min after finishing the cantaloupe. Cantaloupe should be eaten alone, so the digestion wasn't a problem, didn't feel any bloating. I did get really thirsty at one point...
Lunch:
7 bananas
15 strawberries blended together
HA!!!! The bananas just kept going in. It was hilarious. We were getting an ab workout just from laughing.
How I felt: Satisfied for about 3 hours.... it was really sweet though so I was getting sick of having only sweet things. The 7 bananas (haha) made it really creamy, which was yummy. I had so much energy at about 5 P.M. I had to go on another run... mainly because my family was getting annoyed with my laugh attacks!
Dinner:
1st course: 2 oranges, 3 kiwis
2nd course: blended together into a soup: 2 red bell peppers, 1.5 oranges, 6 stalks celery
3rd course: 1 lb romaine lettuce dressing: 1/2 orange, 1/2 red bell pepper, 10 brazil nuts
My mom gave up at this point, haha! She couldn't imagine putting in MORE sweet fruit. She still ate a healthy salad for dinner.
How I felt: Holy crap. More fruit going into my mouth?! It was soo sweet! I really wanted to see how I felt though! I literally had to shove the food down. I didn't want anything that was in front of me. The salad was soooo much. Who eats a pound of lettuce in addition to soup!?
The dressing was terrible. But I wanted that fat from the brazil nuts... so I kept eating. I wasn't even hungry and I was eating way beyond everyone else... for like an hour and a half.
How I felt overall: The next day, my stomach thanked me for the simple foods in digested the day before. But I was also tired the next day. Who knows if it was because of additional stresses, or the extra run I went on, but I had to take a nap.
In conclusion:
This diet is not sustainable for my lifestyle or my palate, and I am sure the humor would eventually die out.
But I did realize some things:
1) Eating should be simple (80/10/10 was so simple and when school starts, I know I won't have time for my raw extravaganzas)
2) I am eating a very high fat diet (which over time is not sustainable)
3) I have found a balance now that I have done the extremes!
My outlook from now on:
1) I want to eat a plant-based diet (minimal processed foods* + vegan + minimal gluten) and fuel my high energy, busy and active life that I live!
2)I am not going to worry about eating mainly raw, so that I can spend less time in the kitchen and more time in the books during nursing school. AND so my boyfriend and I can share more meals together.
3) I am going to be more relaxed in social settings where food is out of my control. For example, we are going to a dinner party tonight and they are making homemade pasta. I will eat the gluten-rich, egg containing pasta because it is one night that won't kill me, and it was made with love, and I am sure it will be delicious.
4) Revisit the "high raw" diet next summer when I have more time, and when produce is more abundant.
* A good rule of thumb for processed foods is if the ingredients list on the back of the package has more than 5 foods, find an alternative.
:) Bananas.... hahahhaha
