Rediscovering Raw

I've done the raw food thing before. The longest I lasted was just over a month at about 99% raw. I loved it. The excess weight was dropping off at about a pound a day (working out for an hour each day), my skin glowed, I had a tremendous amount of energy and needed much less sleep. I was fortunate enough to avoid the whole detox period the various books and websites warn about.

So if it was all so wonderful, why'd I go back to an almost completely cooked diet? Simply put, it was easier. My then-husband liked to dine out a lot and wasn't really big on the whole idea of raw food. Social situations were tough, but the biggest obstacle was shopping for food. I found myself going to three different grocery stores to get everything I wanted and liked in the raw food category, while keeping my family happy. I slowly added in brown basmati rice, grilled fish and roasted vegetables. Then it was coffee and the infrequent glass of wine. Before I knew it, I was back to a slightly healthier version of the Standard American Diet.

This time I'm shooting for 90%. I've cut way back on coffee, but not given it up completely. Alcohol is out, at least through September when I'll evaluate everything. If I have bread, it's sprouted grain but not technically raw. I've found lots more recipes, so we shouldn't get bored. I think that'll be important in keeping my boyfriend on this journey with me. The kids are happy as long as the food's yummy. It's been about three days, and of course the grown ups are already dropping the fat.