Cherry tomatoes are yummy!!  but I got them mixed up..they were Roma! Thought it was too early for cherry tomatoes too!

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Ok so update. Well it's been a shocking ten days. I fell off the wagon very badly because things are very scattered lately. Don't get me wrong, I've been eating raw EXCEPT I also started eating quite a bit of bread (and a couple of times some dry organic corn flakes). Anyway, the breads the only cooked food I've been having but UGH...the good thing is, once you've been raw for a month you basically can't fall off long term because let me tell you, the stomach problems and the loss of a general sense of wellbeing have been altered by a more purified eating regime. Therefore, you learn that you are punishing yourself when you eat something cooked because your tummy cannot handle it any longer. So, lucky for me, the bread eating is on the way out again. I had some wheatgrass and greens and felt so much better last night. Even eating RAW during the day and then combining it with eating bread at night (and with peanut butter or vegemite spread on the bread..eek...no vegan butter or anything) just undoes everything. I've been eating fruit salads lately...YUM YUM. It's hideous fruit combining but it tastes so good with the few bananas in the household right now. Still loving the avocado, but I got into the habit of adding salt to it...as I was craving salt or something of the sort. Will have to cut that out but boy does it add to it. Hmm that's about it. A bit down with things but not yet out. I'm not too fussed because obviously there are setbacks and trying too hard to be perfect makes it impossible...point is to keep going until you can sustain yourself long term.

What a great story, I loved hearing about all the food eaten!

Thankyou for sharing that with us

It's so interesting to see what people eat. I'm on a huge fruit salad kick right now also.
I wish I could find out more details about this cereal that is made, sounds really good.

Thanks again for sharing the letter!

oh my god. what a week.

RAW is fine, had lots of fruit today.

-Wheatgrass, Pineapple, Mint, Orange juice.
-Watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, banana juice.
- Some leftover blueberry, apple, banana juice.

Had quite a few apples and such...wish we had some avocados, I shall go check!

Going to make a banana, blueberry smoothie soon as I have two bananas in my posession, HAA!!!!

My sleeping WILL be back on track as of tonight...why? In three days I've had five hours sleep. Couldn't sleep on Sunday night so I stayed up until 7am Monday, working on my essay and then slept until midday. Woke up and felt like death, decided to write my entire essay that night and subsequently haven't been to bed yet. It's now Tuesday night.

YIKES! Essay is done, two week essay writing break is coming up...sun, gumtrees and wheathgrass time!!
Somehow went to a lecture today and took nothing in, I have no idea how I stayed awake...my eyes were rolling around.

Things are reforming for the better:)

Wishing everyone best wishes and kisses and lovely lovely warm happy days! 

We have yummy cherry tomatoes.........mmmmmmm, want to eat them all!!!

Thankyou so much for the reinforcement Neet!

Okay after my mini food breakdown (spaghetti, 3 pieces of bread and organic corn flakes with soy milk- NO KIDDING!!) I woke up and resumed my RAW lifestyle, feel nourished and better today. I think it was a period related thing. Had some pineapple, oranges, cherry tomatos plus a lovely salad with avocado today. Oh and two apples and a banana as a treat. MY GOD, bananas will own me once they are cheap again.

Feeling happier, stimulated today. Noticed that when I went on my carbs binge in the space of a few hours that my mood felt down and I didn't feel satisfied. It all felt as though it was redundant. Realised being RAW is better than this and I'm too used to it to swap back to old habits. Have to admit I enjoyed the spaghetti though, the bread and corn flakes I did not. Tummy held up well after the cooked food incident, thank goodness. It still loves me!!

Anyway, that's about it. Starting my 6th week or so RAW (besides the cooked food incident) this week. I don't think one bad night will ruin all the good patterns. Ohhh AND I heard World Vegan Day in Melbourne may be catering for Raw foodists this year...October 29th? I will be there!!

Your picture is just adorable Neet, very cute. 
The essay writing sucks! And I wish I could afford some stuff to make chocolate, yum yum.

BUT OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just logged on quickly to tell everyone I DID SOMETHING NAUGHTY.
I'm close to getting my period after being raw since the last one (this is the end of week 5 or so) and I've been craving food, I was SO CLOSE to eating bread yesterday...but I held on. Anyway I've been feeling hungry today and there was what looked and smelt like delicious spaghetti....and I had a craving. I didn't have any earlier this evening but I was feeling so hungry right now and wanted something filling (after having a salad not that long ago)...that I binged on it, really quickly and I don't even feel guilty yet, hmm. 

I am disapointed and I'm VERY worried all the work I have done in 5 weeks has been undone in ONE NIGHT. AUGH!! I have to admit, i feel like I needed it, but I assume that must be because I'm not eating as much salad as I should (time constriction bleh), anyway back on the horse tomorrow but OH NO!! I have to say the spaghetti tasted so sweet...strange, it's amazing how sweet constructed man made food tastes when you don't have it for so long. Must be the artifical crap that it is.

Anyway, signing off *sobs*

Thanks for the info and replies Perilla and 21Carrotgurl!

I wish I could write more to you both but I'm really busy this week with essay writing. I shall try to get back here by next week.

Just a brief note, I've been RAW for over a month now. Can't believe it!!! Still tired as hell BUT I had my first 'cooked' dream last night, that is I ate chocolate in my dream and felt guilty about it. It's replacing my non vegan dreams where you eat meat in them and wake up feeling guilty even though you did nothing wrong.
Have been wanting cooked food a bit lately but nevermind that. Anyways, write more next week!

It's a result from a build up of Beta Carotene. I have the same problem. I used to drink lots a carrot juice and I turned so yellow people thought I had some kind of liver disease.

Too much Vitamin A can be toxic, but my doctor told me having alot of Vitamin A from natural sources can't harm you...you just turn really yellow/orange. However, if you are taking supplements or something then it can be lethal.

That sounds divine, I wish I could come. Have a fabulous time!

Journal 6-

Phew, okay I haven’t written for a while but I’m happy to say that I am still RAW.
I’m coming up to the end of week three, which means I will have soon been RAW for a month. Time flies- sort of.

Tummy update- still up and down, and a lot of the time this depends on how I am eating. I need to reform my eating patterns; I will make it a goal to be more balanced this coming week.

Sleep- I’m still going to bed late (1-2am) and while I set my alarm but can only manage to get up after 8 or 9 hours sleep. Even then I feel so EXHAUSTED for the first half of the day. On Thursday I pulled myself up and I wanted to die, honestly, I felt so wrecked and I’d had the required amount of sleep. I’ve been sleeping on the train into uni and I don’t seem to start waking up until 5pm, and even then I am still in a lull. I don’t know whether it has to do with my bed time cycle or that I am just that tired.

Skin- My skin has been very good, because the city is so polluted my skin can sometimes break out a little after four days of being in there. So this is an improvement I am favouring. The excessive dryness and peeling of my skin on my hands, knuckles and other little areas (near my ankles) I am not. This started when I went vegan, it seems to have intensified under RAW. I really hate it and I don’t know why my skin has become like this. It can’t be related to water (I drink enough) or fats in the body (I’m ploughing through those) and my doctor didn’t seem concerned by it.

Cravings- I only get cravings when I don’t eat properly or I haven’t eaten for a while, which happens a lot of the time. Again, I need to do some serious food reforming. I just seem to lack effort when it comes to doing anything these days, even making a basic meal. I used to be vigilant with beautiful green salads back in the day. How I miss thee. If I crave bread, I eat nuts.

I’m just thinking of this as a time when my body is sorting itself out, detoxing and healing up all the scars. As long as I’m eating RAW (even if I’m not eating balanced as of yet) I am still doing more good than harm. I’ll also be proud if I can stick to this until summer, because you eat lighter in summer and there are more varieties of fruit available. It will be my reward for beginning this on the last month of winter.

Neet- Thank goodness it all pans out, thanks for that insight!! Makes me feel better about what is to come My bedroom isn’t fun loving unfortunately, I do all the things the experts say not to do and I seemed to have developed a fear of it because I’ve had so many sleepless nights that have not helped the next days activities. Have to try and reform this too, thanks for the ideas.

Perilla- That’s really fascinating, good on you for doing what you want and not what society tends to push (school-work-retirement ugh). We only live once so why are we so constricted when it comes to seizing the moment? It’s great to see you have the courage to set your own path. Thanks for the advice!!
BTW, What were you doing honours in?

Thanks Mae!!

Journal 5-

Well, I ran out of vegies and fruit on the weekend, and henceforth out of hunger I ate something in the fridge called 'Organic Apple Butter', which was 'kettle simmered' (yes, that's a new one) apples and apple juice concentrate. Healthiest thing I could find (comprising two fruit ingredients only), but cooked and as a result I felt pretty crap. It's the only cooked thing so far,but there was zero food available. I think I was able to manage the last of the salad ingredients that day too. With the 'Apple Butter'-Interestingly enough it wasn't a craving issue. So anyway, come Monday there is abundance of fruit and veg in the house again....which made me giddy and pig out. YUM YUM. Been heaping on the parsley in my salads because it's that time of the month, although I'm taking an Iron supplement as a extra boost right now. I'm going to cut out my supplements once I finish the bottles and then see how I hold up without them.

Still sleeping like HELL...I have some kind of fear of bed. I hate getting in it and I can't sleep for ages, so instead of lying there attempting to relax I get up and do something stimulating, which is the wrong thing to do. I love sleeping but I just can't get to sleep...I've always been a night person but going to bed at 1am is getting draining. Plus I'm too on edge to do my readings for uni so I'm falling behind. No idea what is going on. I'm so passionless, I wonder if I should go see someone. Hmmm.

I'm thinking about taking up Yoga if my stomach settles down, I do hope it does because I'd like to test out Ashtanga in the Spring...I'm ready for some warmer weather.

Two changes on RAW:
- My skin seems to be looking better, I don't know whether it's because I'm not in the city (the pollution and tiredness don't agree with me) OR it's the beginnings of RAW...stay tuned I suppose.

- My weight has gone up. AUGH!!! When I went vegan I put on weight and a week and a half into RAW I'm putting on weight again- I'm now around 65 kilos. Why do I go in the opposite direction to other people? This is a pain in the bum. It's probably coupled with the fact I am shoving alot of fats into my mouth and not doing any exercise. How I do miss running. I'd love enough time to go running and swimming and all kinds of outdoor activities.

Anyway that's it.

Oh, PS. This is probably common logic but don't drink three shots of wheatgrass in one day if you are not used to it. I thought to myself- what could it hurt for one day? My god, I was wrong. At least I got a huge veggie hit for that day.

Oh thankyou so much all! 

Your positive comments and encorougment really make me more determined. Plus knowing you have all gone through the same thing and understand where I am at is very comforting. It's like having a safety net.

It's great to be around likeminded people who have been so successful when it comes to RAW

Oh goodness, I am so sorry to hear that your husband passed away.

My thoughts are with you.

Journal Entry 4-

I'm very close to having completed a week RAW, which isn't much of an achievement, however, usually around the next week or so I have tended to fizzle out in the past. Yet, this time I feel very strong and secure with my current position. It will be interesting to see if RAW becomes testing for me.

I'm actually not very hungry but I continue to overeat...methinks this might be due to being used to eating large servings or the fact that I like feeling full. I'm not too sure. I've just been eating lots of oranges/apples and pears today, plus some walnuts and almonds...mainly because I'm being lazy again. I've been very good with my salads though, usually having two a day..and salads always make me feel very cleansed, and pretty much the best I can feel. Fats make me feel icky and too much fruit makes me feel sickly sweet and pumped full of sugar.

Tummy update- Well, I will spare making this entry TMI and only allude to the fact that I am 'going' alot...I usually feel great although there are many times in between where everythings not quite so peachy. It really depends on a few things, but I am used to the rythym of my IBS now so I have a understanding of what it all means.

Thinking of buying a manual wheatgrass juice because I'm sick of wasting money buying wheatgrass/citrus juices from the shops. I'd love to buy a electric juicer to make all kinds of goodies but I can't afford to do that right now. Maybe later on. Uni is not too bad, I'm so behind though, because I do not want to sit down and do work...at this rate I will fail. I need a kick up the backside and must get to it. That's all for now.

Neet- it's so good that you bounce back quickly...makes things less stressful! I shall continue to learn..haha

Durian- It's good to know that you feel much better these days, and I like the fact many people here have cured digestion problems through RAW.

You're right about water- apparently it's very common to mistake hunger for dehydration. I try to drink at least 2 Litres a day. Water is good at filling you up and making you refreshed.

Thanks for the ideas regarding replacement snacks, if I begin to have a large craving I will make sure to use your suggestions. I have yet to have cacao...when I get some cash I must try it! The banana idea does make sense, sometimes we want to eat but we are not hungry, yet we keep on eating to fill some kind of void.