The first of January marked for me the beginning of a new body experiment – to be 100% raw vegan for 30 days.
I’ve always been fascinated with this way of eating and have loved following some of the top raw foodies across the globe. I’ve been adding raw foods into my diet for the last year or two, but have never been brave enough to take the jump into fully embracing the “diet”.
My body also doesn’t respond very well to most forms of detoxing, so to me this is the most gentle and natural way to run a detox through my body. I’ll be combining the raw food diet with regular exercise, yoga sessions, meditation, body massages, skin brushing, drinking a lot of water, swimming in the ocean at least once a week and getting a minimum of ten minutes of direct sunshine every day.
I guess the biggest reason why I wanted to try this experiment for myself was because I wanted to see how it affects my health, my mood and my skin. I also get asked a lot whether or not a raw food diet will help the skin, and I’ve never really been able to give a good enough answer. I strongly feel that the best way for me to get educated on the topic of raw foodism is to actually try it for myself. So that’s exactly what I’m doing!
It’s important to note that I’m technically not vegan because I will be eating honey. I will not however be consuming any other animal products during the my time as a raw foodie.
Day 1
Today I had a slow start because I was up late celebrating the coming of the New Year. In the future I would like to make more of a conscious effort to rise earlier in the morning and go to bed earlier in the evening. My body always feels healthier this way.
First up I made a green smoothie. I blended up bananas, goji berries, spinach leaves, cashews, apple cider vinegar, honey, spirulina and water with a little premade probiotic drink.
Throughout the day I snacked on macadamias, walnuts and raisons.
For lunch I went to the beach with my house mates and my boyfriend, who thankfully is going raw vegan for 30 days too! We took a picnic of fresh salad with olives and dressed in sea salt, flax crackers, walnuts, and a raw taziki dip. For dessert we ate a green apple and a fresh date.
For dinner we experimented with kelp noodles. We wanted to make up a Thai style noodle dish with satay sauce but the peanut butter in my cupboard contained roasted (cooked) peanuts! So instead we made up a spicy tahini dressing which was amazing.
We ended up making two different versions. Mine had a chunky sauce, and Dave added water to his to make it a little soupier, almost like a laksa consistency.
For dessert we made two flavored raw ice-cream smoothies – banana and mango. They were amazing!!!
Physical stuff
The first day came and went without feeling any physical changes in my body or detox symptoms. All I felt was super great and healthy for eating such pure food!
In the evening I found two small pimples on my face. Unfortunately one on the very tip of my nose and the other on my left cheek. Both are very small and only obvious under UV light. My skin is also quite red and blotchy. I think that’s partially from being at the beach for a good chunk of the day.
I put some manuka honey on the spots before I went to bed.
Mind stuff
Today I felt great. I had a beautiful peaceful new years day with friends at the beach. In the evening I fell asleep after a movie feeling happy and satisfied.
Bring on day 2!
10 responses ↓
Good luck! Can’t wait to see the result!
Good luck. I cant wait to see the results at the end of the month! Very random but what is ur favorite fruit? Pleas respond. Thanx :3
I’m looking forward to follow your raw food month. Me my self I have been trying to do raw food many times this parst months, but I find it very hard to do. I allways end up very hungry in the night and yesterday I even got dissy and I had to eat something not raw.
Agin I’m looking farward to see how you will do and maybe I will get some tips from you how not to end up very hungry. People hwo eat raw food always seems to have very clear skin thats why I realy want to try. I dont really have very bad skin but on the other hand I’m dealing with some skin problems wich I hoped the raw food diet could clear. So dear Fran I’m going to follow you and I hope You will come with some good results and tips for others who wants to try raw food to get clear skin and body.
^ You got dizzy
Maybe next time you should try eating more smoothies and maybe make a smoothie with avacdo and freeze it and then eat it like ice cream. Raw food is soooo… good because you get a chance to be creative and try out new fruit or vegetable that you have never tried before like maybe dragonfruit, starfruit, bok choy, asian pears etc. Good luck Fran & remember that we are a supporting you!!!!
Happy New Year and wishes for a successful Resolution!!:3
I’m so excited to see how it goes. Please keep us updated on the progress of your skin! I will be tempted to try it if your results are excellent!
Olivia yes i got dizzy (so that is how it is spelled lol)
thank you for the tips.
I would like to know if it is normal to get a small break out when you change your diet to raw food?
And can nuts give break outs??
Asiya Ansdersen- Yes, nuts might if you have an allergy, are not used to having nuts of if you eat too much because they contain alot of oil i think. (Thats my opinion!!!) Nuts are good for you though. Maybe try cacao beans instead but dont stop eating nuts but checkl with an allergist if you have an allergy if it is very very bad. Do reaserch though.
Try some nut substitutes & good luck.
Hey=) Does a raw food diet mean that u can’t eat any cooked food. Only raw foods. How would u eat raw bread than?????? Tessa =)
Hey Tessa, yep – no cooked foods! You can make breads by blending nuts, seeds and herbs then dehydrating them
Those experimenting with raw foods, make sure you are getting enough calories. Especially in the beginning, you need to eat MORE fruit to satisfy you caloric needs. You are going to need more fruit in quantity to feel full than you would if you had a bowl of brown rice for example. So, if you have a meal of bananas you may think of just eating one or two. However, that is not a meal and you’re going to go hungry! If you had a meal of bananas, you would need to eat 5-10 of them (amount varies for different people). Also, a good way to make sure you’re eating enough calories is to eat caloric dense foods: bananas, dates, persimmons, mangos, etc. If you are new to green smoothies you may not have a palet that is used to the flavor of all those dark leafy greens when blended. Try using more fruit until you get used to the taste of greens. You should enjoy your smoothies and be able to drink them with ease, not disgust, lol. Hope this helps someone! =)
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