HAHA JUST KIDDING

WELL! I have a friend who wants to go raw for a spell.

So I'll be doing that. I'll let you all know how it goes... hopefully I will be strong enough to stick with it and stay away from dried fruits and nuts, something I mentioned I had a problem with before.

Hooray!

But still read the new blog. :)

Peace!!!!
Sam

New blog

Everyone!

I've got a new blog. It's about books and my life.

Please read it.

Should be fun. Haven't decided if I'm going to keep writing here or not. I'm going to be raw again at some point in my life so I'll keep the blog around but my postings might be increasingly sparce.

Love to all,
Sam

Vegan

Just thought I'd give a little update.

I'm not eating 100% raw, nor am I really making any effort to do otherwise. I'm kind of going with the flow. Classes have started consuming a lot of my time, and I'm not working as much as I was during the summer... funds are low, as is free time. I'm still absolutely loving being vegan, but I'm getting anxious as my trip towards the reservation grows near- I'm probably not going to be able to stay vegan since I'm not going to be controlling my food. I'll be living in dorms and eating cafeteria food, and I have no idea what types of food they serve. It's a mystery. I'm grateful that I can be vegan now, and only have four months of Unknown ahead of me. We shall see how it all turns out.

Hope everyone is doing well!
Peace,
Sam

I am ignoring my body...

After my internship at Cousin's IV I thought staying raw would be easy, being so inspired and all. I was wrong...i had no support for my raw lifestyle, but plenty of support for eating cooked food. After trying to defend my love for raw foods a million times, I gave into my former obsession with cake, pasta, and sandwiches; all vegan and cooooked. I felt the effects immediately; I knew i was confusing my body. My skin is not as clear, I have lower energy, more cravings for food, mood swings from the food and being mad at myself, most of all I feel I've betrayed myself. My stomach hurts more, I over-eat, and I'm completely addicted. But I need to start going 100% again. For my future, my strength outside and in. I need support, thats all, a community. I joined the raw "meetup" club online and I'm going to my 1st meeting in the morning at Cousin's! It will be nice to re-connect with the crowd and share my struggle. I know it's okay to eat cooked and I won't die, but my passion for health and the raw way of living needs to happen for me. I love my body too much to betray it too much longer. And i gotta be true to my tattoo! I'm eating more spinach!!! I went to my doctor last month and my iron was very low...I knew it was because I wasn't raw anymore, not because I wasn't eating meat. But I started taking a completely food based, beet root pill by a great company to lift my iron. But I feel dumb taking a supplement no matter how organic and raw it may be. Worst of all, when I don't take it I feel like I'm going to faint...soooo I decided to stop the pill and eat more spinach altogether. I feel good today, and did yesterday. And I forgot I also had my 'cycle' when I went to the doctor....so THERE western medicine!! I DO have iron! haha
On a lighter note, I began classes last monday. I love my professors and the classes are pretty easy. The workload is small and simple; but I don't like busy work, oh well. Since I only have class 2 days a week, I've been looking for volunteer things to do; like EQIL and HRC stuff in Chicago; ya know, resumee stuff pertaining to my major. Also, I found online "the institute for integrative nutrition" in New York. It is EXACTLY where I want to go. http://www.integrativenutrition.com/?_kk=david%20wolfe&_kt=990f1d4c-9648-4fae-82df-f4f491c1ed93&gclid=CImimeOno44CFRcbWAodv3KIYQ Check it out! I am also looking for an intense batting coach and personal training program so I can pursue my other passion: softball. I am going to visit UIC asap to get the application I need, possibly a tour, and to meet the softball coach.

La Musique

Hello all!

Food news: I'm trying a shorter term cleanse starting today. Woot woot. Shooting for five days, all liquids if not just the lemonade mix from the master cleanse. I'll let you know how it goes.... so far so good, but it's just day 1 ;)

Other news! Check out this sweet band. We recorded two new songs this weekend and it's just hilarious.

Peace and love!
Sam

MODERATION

I'm not 100% raw anymore.

I've decided that it's financially and socially unfeasible for me right now, and eating cooked food is fun, too. I'm going to maintain some percentage of raw foods, but I hesitate to designate a specific number for fear of beating myself up over it in the future. My goal is to have two raw meals a day.

Hopefully in the future I can go back to raw, although I don't know if it's the best long-term option for me.

...I'm so happy to be eating tofu again! :)

Peace,
Sam

i gave in!

success/failure

ok. i've been eating bad stuff lately. but i'm not going to go into it... i'm not even going to dwell on it. instead i'm going to re-post what Jinjee posted in today's daily raw inspiration:


- The state of your life is a reflection of your state of mind


- Every thought of frustration is like purchasing a ticket for more frustration. Every thought that agrees that you're stuck is asking the Universe to send you even more of that glue to keep you stuck.


- Anything you want to succeed in, you can do - ANYTHING!


From Everyday Wisdom for Success by Dr. Wayne Dyer

you can sign up for the daily raw inspiration here.

peace and (self)love,
the beautiful and amazing sam!!!!

wrap it up

i looove veggie wraps. yesterday i made one with avocado, snow peas, green onion, delicious local tomato, greens, hemp seeds, sprouts, and mushroom, all wrapped up in a nori sheet. it was so good! wraps are a nice way to feel like you're eating a sandwich. they're also super portable and quick and easy to make. fun!!!

AVOCADOS

go eat one. right now!!!

they're so delicious. i think i was an avocado in my previous life because i feel so much LOVE for these delicious little fruits. they're simply perfect...and so incredibly healthy. protein, healthy fats, vitamin A, B6, C, E, K, riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and even some selenium.* now, i'm not sure what all of these do, but they are certainly GOOD for you!!!! avocados have them all, and not in small quantities. and they taste heavenly.

i suggest wrapping an avocado in nori and adding a little sprinkling of sprouts (which are also insanely healthy!). it's incredible.

peace,
sam, the avocado princess
*info from ND

green smoothies....

i've been reading a lot of inspirational blogs about green smoothies. i need to incorporate more green smoothies into my life!!!

starting tomorrow... i'm going to try and make sure that my first meal is a green smoothie. mmm... sounds delightful!! i've got some kale in the fridge for a banana/kale smoothie tomorrow.... yum!

today i had two bananas, two avocados, six sheets of nori (my absolute favorite green, period), a couple cups each of spinach and alfalfa. i didn't eat much since i was at work most of the day and debating whether to start fasting or not.... the cravings i get for greens when i even think about fasting are incredible. a sign that i should eat greens instead of fasting, at least for now!

i'm off to watch "for a few dollars more" and enjoy one more banana as an evening snack.

peace,
sam

Yes!

i'm still alive!

i've been eating a lot of nori/avo/spinach/alfalfa sprouts wraps lately. and working... and jamming. i wrote a song!

anyways, i'm thinking about doing another cleanse soon... i don't know. i end up eating lots of food and feeling great but feeling so clogged up and just... full, i guess. we'll see. i'm debating.

go outside and enjoy the weather!!!
peace,
sam

raw hummus!

today i made raw hummus!!! the base is zucchini instead of sprouted (or cooked) chickpeas. it was very easy and very inexpensive- my jar of raw tahini was under $5, which i was worried would be much more expensive.

this is one of the best hummuses (?) i've ever had. it was amazing!!! i halved the recipe and it made nearly two cups- way more than one person can eat in a serving, but enough to hopefully last me a couple of glorious hummus-filled days. the only thing i'd change is using a little less salt than the recipe calls for. in this instance i used half the garlic, as well, but that's because the garlic i had was super-pungent since it's more than just a few weeks old.

here's a (blurry) pic!


anyways, as you can see, i had my hummus with carrots and celery (locally grown!!! awesome!). so filling!! i wish i had a better camera... i'm going to be getting one sometime soon, since i want to get one before i head off to arizona. we'll see!

there are lots of great options when making home-made hummus... you can add red pepper, jalapeno, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, basil pesto... anything! yummmm. i can't wait to try more flavors and combinations.

what a relief to have had this delicious dish- i thought i'd never find a hummus recipe that was raw! before i went raw, cooked hummus was my favorite food in the world, so this is good, gooooood news! :) my thanks to GoneRaw.

now go try the recipe!! :)
peace,
sam

oh man... yum!

this is what i made for lunch!


zucchini pasta with sun-dried tomato basil sauce on a bed of lettuce. it was absolutely divine.... i'm definitely in a great place. the best part is: i got the zucchini out of chump at work! aka, free.... and i have two more in the fridge!!!!!!!! yum. yum. yum.

peace!
sam

FOOD

hi all!

today i've had...
8 oz. MC lemonade
32 oz. fresh watermelon juice (mmmm!)
~16 oz. carrot/pear juice
water

i spent the day at my friend mike's and didn't get a chance to eat anything or make juice... i stopped by obo's oriental market to see if they had any durians but they didn't!

i think i'm going to eat tomorrow. maybe even tonight... i have some spinach and an avo in the fridge calling my name. i can't stop thinking about making zucchini pasta with tomato/basil/garlic sauce! it's strange because my cravings increased phenomenally as soon as i started taking anything other than the MC lemonade- aka juice. today has been the hardest day so far, and i think it's because my body is finally realizing the nutritional variation it's been lacking since starting the cleanse. it's so interesting how our bodies work... and even more interesting what i'm starting to understand about how cloudy the connections have been between my mind and body the past 20 years. it's just incredible that i can't understand what my body wants even though i know it's capable of telling me, and me of understanding it... just the fact that i'm thusfar still unable to understand everything reassures me that i've still got a long way to go. i know i've made some progress, which is great!

i think i'm going to have that salad. it's been an amazing 11 days and i'm proud of myself for sticking with it. i recommend the master cleanse highly and anticipate that i'll try it in the future. i'm also glad to have had the opportunity for a small system reboot, and plan on sticking with juices in the morning and trying to incorporate more green smoothies into my diet. it's interesting... i was totally fine with just my watermelon juice for hours this morning, and i didn't even have it until around 12:30.... it's fascinating how little my body needs. i'm going to try and keep it simple!

happy fourth everyone!
peace,
sam

PS i lost 10 lbs. ^_^

day TENNNN!

yes! i made it. pretty astounding... not one morsel of food has passed my lips for 10 days... nothing but lemon juice, water, syrup, cayenne, and tea! wow.

today i had a lot of eliminations, which makes me believe that my body isn't entirely cleansed yet- not surprising after 20+ years of cooked food! at least i wasn't a meat-eater all those years....

i want to continue with the cleanse but i have a bit anxiety.... i'm seriously, seriously craving greens. i can't stop thinking about juicing carrots and carrot greens, kale, dandelion, and celery... i think that i'm going to start juicing tomorrow and continue living on liquids. i can't ignore my body and i'm worried that i'm not getting adequate nutrition, since i'm craving greens so much! i'm really happy about finishing and happy that i'll be able to give my body what it needs.

i'd love to do the cleanse again- perhaps i'll do it once more this summer. it's a very enjoyable experience, overall. thanks to hill, matt, shana, and tabi for reading! a BIG BIG thanks to brandon!!!!! you keep me inspired. :)

all that remains is transitioning into juices... i'll probably do half juice and half lemonade tomorrow, then start thursday full-on juice feasting. who knows how long i'll do that... maybe a few days, a week, who knows. whatever feels right... and right now, GREEN JUICE is what i want!!!

i'm off to watch some pre-4th of july fireworks at the stadium.
peace!
sam

PS cute pic huh? i like him... he's a raw vegan ;)
PPS i'll let you know how much weight i lost after i weigh myself tomorrow!!

day nuevo

well, the pms is better today! overall, today has been one of the best days i've had this summer...the weather was beautiful, i got a lot of exercise, and i'm just happy as a clam.

i spent most of it alone, but it was great. i rode my bike to campus twice, walked to landlocked music and bought 3 lps, read my book in the park for a bit, stopped at sahara mart for syrup, practiced my flute, biked to bfoods and the movie gallery, then watched "orlando" with the lovely tilda swinton. i also contacted a guy about guitar lessons and tentatively have a lesson scheduled tomorrow- i'm just waiting for confirmation from him. good day!!

tomorrow's day 10 and i think i'm going to keep going. i don't want to stop and i'm still detoxing.

peace and loooooove!
sam

8 was supposed to be my lucky number....

pms. ugh. that's all.

peace,
sam

yes, i'm posting chaque jour!

greetings, friends!

today was a day of revelations. not the horsemen-death-decay-antichrist type of revelation, but the pure-awakening-truth-happiness type. the good type, i humbly submit.

it's just amazing how little a body can live on. i'm living on liquids... just 6-10 glasses of water today, with a bit of lemon juice, syrup, and cayenne pepper. no solid foods... it's simply amazing that i feel no hunger, no fatigue, no abnormal malaise, and no depression. i'm astounded at the power of my body and the power of my mind, the latter of which has been my largest pseudo-barrier in the journey towards my nutrition/food goals. i say pseudo because i view weakness of the mind as something more than a negative force; weakness and the recognition of it is a humbling opportunity to strengthen oneself and one's abilities, in all senses. that's positive!

i'm certain that i have made much progress in the realm of mental strength. i've also begun to get back in touch with my spiritual side, which, in the past, while not completely neglected, has been pushed to the bottom of The List of Important Things. it's nice to remember feelings of connectedness to nature and remember why i used to be "into" various religions.

anyways, i'm still going strong with the cleanse. i've got a ton of new music to listen to, and i'm enjoying the books i'm currently reading. as a matter of fact.... i'm going to go have a sit-down out on the porch and read! before i go, here are a few pics i took before i moved out of my old house. enjoy!






peace,
sam

day six

ugh. today has been the worst day so far... not physically, so much, but mentally. i haven't been hungry, but i made a bad choice or two. i had a little more maple syrup than usual, by eating a tablespoon extra a couple times, and by adding an extra tablespoon a couple times. i was worried that my metabolism wasn't high enough, as i've heard can happen. anyways, i ended up with a serious sore stomach, so i did a salt water flush at about 6pm. i wouldn't mind doing another one right now but i don't want to irritate anything else, since they're generally harsh. anyways, i'm going to stick to the regular amount of maple syrup tomorrow, for sure. it's not worth this upset-stomachy-ness, and i'll be biking to work for the first time since i sprained my ankle, so that should boost my metabolism.

on a lighter note! i hung out at TD's cds and lps today for a bit. it was lovely! i bought a couple things... a trip-hop/jazz compliation from the $1 bin, "doolittle" by the pixies, AND.... the new shellac album, "excellent italian greyhound" (album artwork above- that's a lot of raw foods under that puppy!)!!!! they're all splendid. one of my work friends reminded me that mp3s tend to reduce the sound quality of songs, so i'm thinking about getting back into cd buying. back when i was in middle school and high school, that's all i did.... allowances were saved and truckloads of cds were purchased. i've recently been downloading music since i've been expanding my interests so much; i guess from now on i'll stick to buying records/cds for the bands i'm really into.

thanks for reading! i'm off to work on "the fountainhead" by ayn rand. it's pretty good so far...
peace,
sam

Day 5!

Went great!

I'm tired. I worked a LOT today...... g'night!

Peace,
Sam

Healthier!

Skin, hair, eyes, teeth, nails. All radiant and beautiful...more so than before!

La Troisieme Jour

Hello kittens!

Day three is over.... nothing much to report. No hunger, just boredom from lemonade and "hunger" from looking at raw recipes to try. Did some nice chakra meditation and got a book from Athena on healing with crystals and gemstones.

The biggest change today as far as detox is concerned is my disgusting furry tongue. Eck!

Still going strong!
Peace,
Sam

YESSS!!

I just did the salt water flush!! All of it except about 1/4 cup, which I just couldn't finish. I listened to some good music and watched myself in the mirror, and did it. Yes!

My tongue is disgusting this morning.

I definitely feel great about things, though. I have a lovely new raw friend who's keeping me very inspired and positive...he's inspired me to get back into meditation and I'm going to try some yoga today.

Peace and love,
Sam

Day TWO!

Hey all! Today went well. I felt a little light-headed a few times, but on the whole, today has been good. I'm trying to stay strong...

I had trouble with the salt water flush and ended up just drinking about 1 cup and then drinking lax tea instead. I was watching some vids about the MC and heard that watching yourself chug the SWF in the mirror is a good way to keep motivated, so I'm going to try it... first thing in the morning!

I've definitely got a little bit of a fuzzy tongue thing going on. Eck... detox ahoy!

Peace,
Sam

Master Cleanse Day Uno

Hi!

It's on, baby. I made it through the day easy as pie... I haven't felt any terrible hunger pains or experienced anything negative. I had 7 10oz glasses of "lemonade," probably 4 glasses of extra water, and my lax tea this evening.

The nasty bit starts tomorrow... salt water flush! Gag! It must be done. I have to do a whole quart first thing in the morning....

I'm feeling comfortable with the cleanse so far. Hopefully the rest goes just as well!

Peace,
Sam

Chocolate "milk!"

1 Cup almonds, soaked for a bit in water
2 big T cacao powder... mmm
2 T sweetener (I used Wisconsin Grade B Maple syrup... yum)
cinnamon to taste!
2-2.5 C water

BLEND IT!!! I strained mine by cutting the foot off some pantyhose and putting the blended mixture through there. Then, I had chocolate almond milk! I've never made almond milk before. It's great, try it!!

I'm starting the Master Cleanse tonight!!!!! Check in to see how it goes.

Peace,
Sam

The Amazing Adaptable Human Body

Well, things have certainly been interesting in my neck of the woods... and in my stomach!

I guess the most interesting thing is that I've completely lost all interest in dried fruits and nuts. It could be that I've had enough of the nutrients/fats/sugars found in these fruits, but I really have no desire to eat them anymore. It's good, but scary, emotionally. Why's that, you ask? Well, I'll tell you!

I've realized a lot of my bad eating habits over the past month or so. Some of them are very common, like eating when bored. Others, I'm not so sure about, like eating for rewards, or eating when sad. I suppose they're relatively common, but it's certainly hard coming to terms with it.

I've found that I'm unable to eat the same quantities that I used to. This means that I'm going to have to find another way of easing the negative feelings associated with boredom and sadness, and find another way to reward myself. It's good, of course, that I'm not able to consume as much unnecessary nourishment and level my caloric intake. However, it's rough to realize the bad habits that have plagued me over the years. Then again... they're going to stop!

Basically, my body is adapting to the raw food lifestyle. I get stomach aches if I eat too much, and if I know my body wants me to stop and keep going anyways, the stomach aches are often accompanied with other non-so-pleasant consequences.

Another interesting story is my trip to Michigan! I ate non-organic produce the whole weekend, and boy was my body pissed off. Another positive change (my body recognizes and tells me about the bad things on conventional produce) but again, something difficult to handle, especially socially (I'm very limited in what I can eat).

Anyways, all I crave right now is light and watery fruits. All I have in the kitchen are avocados and locally grown organic greens... and half a conventional watermelon. I'm sure I'll be fine, since I've been scarfing down avocados like they're... popcorn? They're fantastic. I'm trying to get variety in my diet but it's hard because I'm trying to eat my remaining stock so I can go on the Master Cleanse and find myself not wanting to buy groceries.

OK! Enough writing today. I'm reading this and want to get back to it! I've also got camping and berry-picking plans to daydream about. Here are a few lovely pictures!

A forest in Michigan, near the dunes and Lake Michigan.


A strawberry field!


The Swiss Alps! I've been there and I miss it.

The International Southern Winds in the Swiss Alps.... oh those were the days!

Peace,
Sam

Heavy stomach!

Wow. Yesterday was not so good!

I had:
1 strawberry smoothie w/ 1/2 carton strawberries, hemp seed, honey, flax oil
3 apples
1 avo/nori/hemp seed wrap
1 raw revolution energy bar
1 small bag of raw trail mix
handful of almonds
1 date
small Asian cabbage salad from bfoods

WOW was my stomach angry. I could tell it was from the highly dense energy bar and the date, and probably the dried trail mix and almonds as well. I've been eating mostly fruits and veg lately (not too much dried/dense food) but yesterday was something else! My stomach was full and churny and just too small to digest all that dense food!!!!! The processed energy bars were the worst....oy.

Today I'm taking it easier. I made a banana smoothie for breakfast and just had a lovely dinner of avo/nori rolls. I'll probably bike back to bfoods for dinner... get in some extra exercise! :)

I'm really excited about organic farming... I've been looking up internships/apprenticeships, and I'm going to become a WWOOFer I think!!

Peace and love,
Sam

Raw day

Today I've had:
1 banana
1/4 fuji apple
1 smoothie with 2 bananas, raw peanut butter, and hemp seeds (water; ice)
1 nori wrap with 1/2 avocado and hemp seeds
1/4 cup raw peanut butter
about 1 liter of water
3 spirulina tablets

Short-term goals:
More IRON!!!
More water, of course :)
More fruit variety

Life is swell! Sorry I haven't been writing.
Peace,
Sam

Hey bitches and hoes.

I'm feeling fat again. I took a vacation off my veganism for a weekend and boy did it make me feel yuck. I went home with Katie to Princeton, IL (her hometown) and they don't have much of a restaurant selection, which is no excuse because I could have driven my ass to a grocery store, but there was a Culver's and I have never had frozen custard.
I had it. It was gooooood.
Now that that's out of my system, well it's probably sitting in my thighs, I feel less tempted to eat it. Vegan ice cream is great, so is frozen custard. Oh, and so is Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate ice cream from Emack & Bolio's in Bloomington, IL. We went there too. It was kind of an ice cream weekend, but we wouldn't have gone there if the Coffee Cup wasn't closed and T.J hadn't suggested it, but I was not one at the time to disagree. I wanted coffee for the ride back, and ice cream right then. So I had it, and it was goooooood.
I'm not mad at myself for eating dairy products this weekend. My body feels gross. That is enough for me to not want to eat them again. I'm letting my body tell me what I should do. The added stress I could be contributing to the situation will just keep me fatter.
Shana surprised me in Bloomington for our 1 and 1/3 year anniversary the evening I came back from Bloomington, IL. While she could only be here for 30 some hours, it was so romantic and we had an amazing time. The minute I got back, I jumped on the vegan train again, and feel much better. In fact, today so much better, I'm going to try to eat all raw/juice today.
I have a really fun day ahead of me; working, going on a bike adventure with friends, then to every bar in Bloomington. Might as well do all these activities while feeling energized, with senses heightened, and full of enzymes. I don't think I'm going to drink tonite.
Till tomorrow,
The Hill-Master
P.S I'm so proud of Shana for getting an INTERNSHIP at Cousin's IV in Chicago. Her raw dream came true. I'll ask her to write about it soon. I think she forgot about the blog.

OJ fast

We're doing it. A 7 to 14 day long OJ fast to jump start our raw lifestyle. This process is c/o Jinjee at The Garden Diet.

So far, on day one, I'm going strong. OJ for breakfast....delicious. Let's see what happens!

ExraVEGANza!

Oh I am overwhelmed by my own cleverness.

I'm moving in with Hillary and Shana this week!

We're having a big vegan cook-out at Lake Monroe on Friday. Then we'll be off to Bedford for some unspecified adventures.

Then.... Shana and I are going 100% RAW. Hillary will be 90% RAW. We are amazing!! We're all looking forward to it with eager anticipation.

Peace and love,
Sam

PS Angela Stokes rules!

Busy bees!

Hi everyone!

This week is dead week (which really means write a shit ton of papers week) and next week is finals. I can't speak for Hill and Shana, but I'll be taking a couple weeks off from blogging, to get my stuff done!! After that.... I'll be RAW for the SUMMER and beyond!!!!!

Can't wait until then.
Peace and love,
Sam

Inspiration

Well, it's been a great week! I've had a successful week and a half eating raw, and I feel ready to keep going! I've only had a couple cravings, but they were mostly out of boredom... which I realized, so I just told myself that the reason I wanted to have something cooked was because I was bored, not because it would help my health in any way. That helped me avoid "cheating" and maintain my raw lifestyle.

I have had an enormous amount of inspiration lately. Inspiration to stay raw, inspiration to read a lot of books this summer, inspiration to go outside and go for walks..... but mainly, due to a couple factors (one of which is definitely my raw foods life!), inspiration to do something with my degree. The past few months, I have felt that perhaps I didn't really want to be a teacher. I thought that I might go to graduate school or find a job editing, or just find some health food store to work in for a few years. I have been feeling lethargic and unoptimistic about my future, mostly because I haven't been inspired to feel anything else.

This weekend was the final preparatory stage in my student teaching process. I am going to be student teaching on the Navajo Reservation in the spring, and I've been preparing for it for two semesters! Our final workshop was great because we found out our placements and our placement partners. I have a great partner, and I found out I'm going to be placed in Piñon, AZ, at the high school of the same name (Go Eagles!). Piñon is known as the city where the pavement ends and the West begins, and is about halfway between the most remote and the most cosmopolitan areas of the Reservation. The experiences I've had in preparing for this adventure, especially the workshop, have really changed my outlook on life (and I suspect that actually student teaching will do the same!).



I've discovered that I do want to teach... I want to teach in developing countries. I might stay on the Rez for a year or two after (hopefully!) getting a job there, then I want to maybe join the Peace Corps or find another non-profit organization that specializes in education... then I can go to India and Africa and teach English... that's my dream!

It's wonderful to move from a place of boredom into a place of serious optimism and excitement. I have no doubt that raw foods have helped me reach this place, even in the short amount of time I've eaten them. I haven't felt this good in a long time... it's nice to feel like myself again.

Beautiful Food

Raw food is just so pretty! This is what I ate today. Click it to see it full-sized!


A salad of romaine, half an avocado, a little red onion, and oil & balsamic. It was delicious, and it made me feel great!!

I had orientation for my new job at Bloomingfoods today. Cooking is going to be so fun! The people there are really nice, too, of course. Hooray!!!

Stayin' strong after a week raw...
Peace and love!
Sam

Wow!

Yet another blog post from me!!! First off, I'd like to announce my newly acquired position as deli cook at Bloomingfoods on 3rd St. in Bloomington, Indiana!!

I'm having a wonderful day. I decided last night that I would eat raw today... it's really phenomenal.

After my first shift at work I had a salad with carrots, cabbage, zucchini, celery, green pepper, raisins, alfalfa, broccoli, and oil & vinegar. I also had a cucumber/tomato/onion salad with oil & vinegar, as well as a banana, a few grapes, and a couple pieces of canteloupe.

I dashed over to Bloomingfoods after calling my mom to wish her happy Easter. I grabbed half a pound of banana chips, some raw trail mix (the gogi/cacao stuff!), some dates, a couple apples, carrots, and kiwi. Hillary called and said that she and Shana were on their way over to Bloomingfoods, too! That was a lovely surprise. I sat and ate with them for a bit and then returned home.... to finally try out my new juicer!!!

I learned how to work the juicer and juiced two carrots, two apples, and about 1/4 cup melon, and half a dozen or so very large purple grapes. I have to say, the juice was absolutely AMAZING. I haven't ever had a better glass of juice in my life, hands down. Here's a pic of me enjoying the lovely concoction! Go make some, if you can!!

Drinking that juice certainly made me believe that I could embark on a long-term juice fast sometime in my lifetime... hopefully later this year, if things go well in the summer! I can undoubtedly try a short-term juice fast sometime soon. Mmmm!

Peace and love,
Sam

PS- "Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself." -Swami Vivekananda

Fabulous Friday

Hi, everyone!

Yesterday was very fun. I fasted on distilled water until late afternoon, even throughout my interview at Bloomingfoods! Bloomingfoods, our local co-op grocery store, is hiring part-time cooks to work on the hot/salad bar and grab-n-go items. I'm fairly certain I'll get the job, which is absolutely fantastic!

After my interview, I headed over to Shana and Hillary's place. Hillary came home from work, we talked for a bit, then headed over to Bloomingfoods. I broke my fast with a piece of absolutely delightful red pear that was being offered as a sample at the store. We then sampled strawberrries, pineapple, and some sort of tangering hybrid. It was delicious! The most exciting part of the trip was the raw trail mix. This trail mix had dried goji berries and cacao nibs in it, both of which I hadn't ever tried before. They were both absolutely delicious!

We had (vegan) Indian cuisine at Bombay House for dinner, then went back to Bloomingfoods for dessert. More trail mix for me!!! That's three trips in one day to my favorite place in town!

Working there over the summer should hopefully help me stay raw and keep motivated. I've been thinking a lot about my motivation lately. I think I'm going to watch a raw video on YouTube each morning after I wake up, which will hopefully keep me positive and excited about eating raw. Matt Monarch's feature on the Raw Food TV Spot is particularly enjoyable and uplifting:



It just makes me smile!
Peace and love,
Sam

Water and Me

Firstly, I'm feeling much better. I won't apologize for that last post, but I will say that I'm a little disappointed in myself for letting my PMS-related emotions get the best of me. We had a lovely Passover Seder two nights ago, and I performed a ritual act to rid my life of my self-judgmental attitudes. Let's do it!

"Now we must consider when to drink. Drink only when really thirsty, and never drink during a meal or directly afterwards. If you must drink near mealtime, it is suggested that you drink at least thirty minutes before eating or two hours after eating. When drinking with meals, we often have the tendency to swallow food that is only partially masticated. In addition, the water will hinder the process of digestion by diluting the digestive juices. Of course undigested or partially digested food is toxic and cannot be assimilated." excerpt from Raw Foods Explained

Raw Foods Explained also discusses what type of water to drink. Specifically, it discusses the dangers of tap water and the benefits of purer forms of water, expecially distilled water. Question: why do we not drink distilled water ourselves, when we are so keen on giving it to pets, particularly fish? We need water as much as a fish does, and the fact that we use water in a different way than fish does not negate its essential role in our lives and bodies. Raw Foods Explained also says:

"Our body is about 60-70% water; fruits are typically 80-90% water! Vegetables are high in water content, too. If we eat an abundance of fresh raw fruits, including melons in the hot seasons, little or no water for drinking will be needed!"

I'm off to eat my bowl full of broccoli, without water. I'll have some this afternoon!

I'd be interested to see how cost-effective buying a water distiller is in the long-run (compared to buying pre-distilled water at a grocery store). For now I'll buy more distilled water, but, hopefully over the summer I can buy a distiller myself.

Much love and peace!
Sam

Depression

Ugh. I've been feeling quite down in the dumps lately. I've been struggling to lose (any) weight and it's getting the best of my emotions. It's really hard for me to cope, especially since summer is coming up and I'm PMSing so I'm holding extra water weight. It's also difficult to see Hillary succeed in losing weight so quickly. She said she loses weight fast, and I feel like every time I see her she looks better and better. I know it's great and I'm really proud of her, but I can't help being jealous and feeling bad about myself. I know she'll read this, and of course I don't want her to feel bad about my feeling bad; I'm trying to be honest about the situation. I get jealous that she's so happy and seems to be so okay with her body whatever the size or shape may be, and I can't feel that way as easily, if at all, even if people give me compliments or whatever. I'm never satisfied... I was getting close to getting satisfied then I freakin' gained 10 lbs over the past couple semesters.

I think about what I eat all the time and I think about losing weight all the time, but I can't seem to get over that hurdle and start losing anything. I worked out a few times last week and I've been trying to walk more places, and I'm trying to eat healthier. I definitely haven't had any peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lately! (That's what I've been eating too much of the past couple weeks.)

It's extremely difficult to cope with the fact that I gained back about 10 lbs. (since August). It's not much, I know, and it happened over a very long period of time, but, for whatever reason, it's really keeping me from doing my best. I try and think about what Shana told me the other day about how trying something doesn't make it happen, only doing it makes it happen, but I still have trouble. I sometimes worry that maybe I'm depressed or I have an eating disorder or something. Maybe it's just bad genes and/or bad metabolism. I think about my weight constantly, but... I still can't succeed in ways that I'd like to, and always find myself returning to unhealthy/destructive practices that I've tried to overcome.

I suppose I'll just have to start going on more and more walks. I was going to the SRSC but lots of times it's either too crowded or takes up too much time. I'd rather do cardio, but walking is better than nothing, really. I know I'll definitely lose some weight this summer, even if I don't lose any this semester...I think that going raw will definitely help me, especially since I tend to eat too many refined carbohydrates.

I'm also worried because I know that thinking negatively and stressing out over stuff doesn't help weight get lost any faster. Hmm...faster...maybe I'll fast for a couple days and see how I feel then. That's somewhat difficult because most weight lost during a short term fast is water weight, so it's easily "gained" back, but I don't know...I wonder how long you have to fast before your body starts burning fat reserves. I don't like saying I'll fast, though, because I feel like I set myself up for disappointment because I am so addicted to food that I just can't stop eating it. I'm definitely a victim of cooked food addiction, and as you can see, it's very detrimental to my physical and emotional life.

I guess I'm off to class. I'll fast for the rest of the day and go for a walk. I hope my sadness is mostly crazy horomones and that I'll be over it in a week or so...but if my PMS is this bad for the rest of my life I don't know what I'll do (my PMS got really bad after I went off the pill last fall- since then it's been awful). This whole situation isn't helped any by the fact that I'm stuffy and sniffly and Grumpy McGee, and dealing with a lot of other personal issues, and freaking homework up the wazoo. Send me good vibes, please. I need them. -Sam

Long time, no write!

Because I love Tonya Harding, I have managed to stay vegan, and feel great!!!!! I have lost 25lbs and I'm still counting because it's melting away.
Shana and I saw Fast Food Nation over spring break (go rent it!), and while I don't support fast food chains, I still found these awesome websites about Vegan fast food options. It would probably be more progressive to not buy from them period, but by not buying animal products from them you are at least making a little difference...?

Check 'em out!!!!!
http://aveganlife.blogspot.com/2006/03/vegan-fast-food-options.html
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/VeganShoppingQS-Snacks.asp?Category=Snacks
http://www.vegcooking.com/shoppingGuide.asp

Love you always and forever,
Hillary

Danger, danger!

A friendly word of warning from Shana and me: don't stop eating dairy for a few weeks and then inadvertently or willingly ingest any sort of dairy product. We all ate a wee bit of dairy over break (Shana and Hillary were the innocent bystanders; I consciously ate some of my mother's delicious sugar cookes....sigh) and Shana and I got terribly, terribly sick.

So don't eat dairy if you've stopped, or else we'll hit you in the head with a cheese mallet.

If there's another way of showing that people aren't supposed to eat dairy, I don't know what it is.
-Sam

Frustration!

I'm so frustrated! I want to go raw right now. I wish I had the money to do it. I think I'm going to try to get as near to 100% raw as I can starting now...I keep reading Angela Stokes's blog and I get so inspired and I feel so happy and enlightened...then I make something with tofu or rice or cooked vegetables and feel guilty and depressed, even though it's vegan. Worst of all, I feel like a traitor to my little enzymes. I'm going to concentrate on getting greens, keeping my refined sugar intake as low as possible (which is really a difficult thing for me to do but hopefully will be easier if I'm eating a greater percentage of raw foods), and learning even more about raw living. I'm going to focus on forgiving myself and not being too hard on myself if I have a slip here and then-- that doesn't mean I won't try my best! I'm going to develop my relationship with my juicer, too! ;)

By the by, does anyone know the status of tea? Is it raw?

Peace and love,
Sam

Smoothie fetish

I am ready to admit: I have a smoothie fetish. There's nothing that I love more than a delicious, fruity, cool, sweet, tangy, healthy, raw smoothie!

I've been making smoothies left and right. I decided to fast for as long as possible starting tomorrow and realized I had some beautiful ripe fruits sitting on my countertop. How could I let them go to waste??! I was hanging out with Mike and Jenny and, to use up my lovely fruits, decided to treat them to a fantastic midnight smoothie.

We call this smoothie The Vagabond. Here's the recipe!

1 mango
1 pear, no skin
1 orange
1 banana
1 plum (with skin)
1/2 cup apple juice
Honey to taste
Ice (approx. 1 cup)

Blend and enjoy! Mike's optional alteration: 2.5 oz. rum (flavored or regular)

That's a pic of the delightful smoothie right before we drank it all up! And no, it's not in a shot glass-- that's just a cute little cup I thought would look nice for the picture. The smoothie itself is a nice yellow color, and the best part is the small bits of deep maroon plum skin speckled throughout like confetti. Beautiful and delicious! I'm still really excited about it.

Definitely try this one, guys and gals! -Sam

Eggplant and Avocado Salad!

This was a fabulous weekend! I'm still struggling with my carbohydrates but am really excited to have completed a successful vegan weekend at home- something that is hard to do, considering the amount of (delicious) non-vegan food my mom keeps in the house. We all managed to stay vegan and ended up making really nice vegan pizzas. We had one with sauce and veggies and one with BBQ sauce, pineapple, and veggies! They were so good. We also made great smoothies with fruit, mostly bananas, strawberries, and kiwi! Shana also ate some delightful plums, and I tried Pom tea for the first time. Interestingly enough, Hillary told me they're cruel to animals I found this article as well as a couple others that topic.

"And now for something completely different!" Here's the link to that delicious recipe-- the raw Eggplant and Avocado Salad!

Living-Foods.com is a wonderful resource. I think white onion is the best choice for this recipe. We used white as opposed to red onion during our vegan dinner and it was a perfect compliment to the sweet honey and the delicate avocado. Hillary and Shana actually tried it with red onion a couple nights ago and found it to be a little less than perfect.

In other news! I'm going to try fasting a couple days this week, probably with juices, since we recently acquired a deluxe "Jack La Lanne" Power Juicer! Once I find some good resources about juicing and gather up a few good recipes I'll post them, for sure.

We're off to watch the L word and have vegan chocolate peanut butter pie! And perhaps to watch Hillary dance around the living room topless. Love and peace, all! -Sam

listen to the tum-tum

all saturday morning and afternoon i was eating raw and i felt energized and hungry in a good way, it was a good hungry. hillary and i brought vegan bread with good stuff in it, and for the ride to see Sam in Columbus I made peanut butter-honey-banana-sesame seed sandwiches. When i ate it i immediately felt sick, just not good. I almost felt like throwing up, it was wierd, but then again it was a good thing it happened. I knew after that that raw was the best for me, and of course for all! I just feel better eating raw, cooked food not only, though vegan, makes me feel gross, but it makes me feel incredibly guilty. Guilting myself has helped me conquer "bad" food situations. But i cannot wait to go 100% raw, i will become so alive :)
-Shana

Vegan is SO good.

Holy guacamole. I feel amazing. My cold has cleared and I can breathe through my nose! I still have a little congestion, but it's coming out!!! My juice fast ended after 22 hours, and I broke it with the best vegan chocolate cake known to anyone whose bought it from Bloomingfoods!!!! Of course I would break a healthy fast with sweets, but it I'm telling ya.......... holy shit it was amazing.
Last night Shana and I made the raw avocado and eggplant salad that Sam made the evening prior. POST THE RECIPE SAM! Everyone reading this should be making it right now. But I suggest using a yellow or white onion as opposed to the purple because I found the purple we used last night to be a bit bitter. Yet it was, still, very tasty.
We hit the C-store later around midnight and I picked up a couple of vegan Amy's meals for the week coming and a roasted garlic Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Soup Bowl. Totally gluten-free and vegan and satisfying for my little sick nose. One thing I'm worried about going completely raw is that I like soup. Warm, not cold soup. A lot. Nothing can be heated over 115 degrees. How warm is that anyways? I'm going to have to thermometer that up, taste it, and if its not warm enough then I'm going 85% raw, and 100% vegan.
I think I have found the solution to my health. Overall my body is transforming back to its beautiful youth. My skin is healthier, the cellulite in my legs is evaporating, and so is my waist. It's delightful. I have more energy, my senses are heightened, and I'm happier with less mood swings.
I think I always knew dairy products weren't great for me. I never was a big milk drinker, in fact I was lactose intolerant as a baby. But they shouldn't call you lactose intolerant, because everyone is, it's just that most bodies adapt to it easier. They should call people who drink milk lactose adaptable. Shana can tell you more about milk. I'm not sure what I'm talking about. But I do know my body feels better without it, and my voice feels better too. The mucus is gone, and I can resonate. Oooo, I'm so happy. Things are great!!!
Till next time,
Hilly

Delicious!

Last evening was our raw/vegan dinner party, and it was delicious. Sam forgot her camera so unfortunately we can't display photographs, but we can give you recipes!!!!!!!! Better to see it in front of your face and actually eat it, right?
Before Shana and I fell asleep last night, I decided to go vegan! Something inside of me said, "it's time!" So now you can call me Vegan and very happy.
Also, I have started a juice fast this morning. I have been sick with a bad cold and I'm listening to my body's intuition and it is screaming juice! Fresh juice. Mango juice, orange juice, carrot juice, apple juice, juice, juice, juice! Juice is a beautiful word.
I feel better already. I feel wonderful and alive!
Love,
Hillary

Rewards

Wednesday evening was host to the highly anticipated S303 educational law final exam. I had dreaded the final and found the class insipid and the professor completely obnoxious. Despite the butterflies in my stomach and my desire to run as fast as I could in the opposite direction of the exam room, I took the test, wrote enough to make my hand ache, and turned it in. I happily left the school of education after conferring with some friends about the collective sense of relief at having finished the class. I turned my music up and thought about how I would celebrate the fact that I'd never have to listen to another dull lecture about legal issues in the classroom. Driving home, I remembered Hillary mentioning she'd eaten dinner at Roots, with Shana, for the past couple nights. I recalled her telling me about the vegan chocolate cake she'd eaten there and though to myself, that would be a great reward for finishing that awful class. I was stopped at 10th and the Bypass and about to change my direction from home to Roots when I realized I was rewarding myself with food. Upon reaching this realization I immediately turned my turn-signal off and continued towards my apartment. I had a humble and unextravagant dinner of a PBJ tortilla and applesauce, and thought of other ways to reward myself. I ended up watching a couple episodes of The L Word while curled up on the couch with a comfy blanket. After the show I quickly did my homework and curled up into bed to get some much-needed rest.

Oftentimes we resort to rewarding ourselves with food and sugary desserts without consciously realizing the damanging effects of our actions. Rewards are great and I truly believe we should treat ourselves, but the question is, to what extent? Will we risk consuming too many calories or too much refined sugar for one evening? And how do we determine what caliber of event warrants food-based rewards? Eventually, we end up treating ourselves when we accomplish menial tasks or overcome minor obstacles. This can lead to increased consumption of unwanted and unneeded foods.

The best way to overcome the conditioned belief that food is the best reward is to come up with a list of enjoyable activities not related to food. When you accomplish something you're proud of or something you think deserves to be rewarded, pull out the list and pick a reward. I like watching shows or movies, or giving myself extra reading time to work on a novel instead of class-related readings.

This may not seem like a huge revelation but it certainly helps to put these thoughts into words. I have struggled with rewarding myself with food too often but I plan to concentrate my future efforts on avoiding falling back into that destructive pattern. I'm sure I can do it if I really try; anyone can do it if they try hard enough. It's also important to remember that we can reward ourselves with food once in a while, but the harm comes in doing this repeatedly and frequently. It's wonderful to have supportive friends who can help!

We're having a delicious vegan/raw dinner tonight at Hillary and Shana's place. I'm excited to find a recipe and even more excited to try the foods we come up with! If I remember to bring my camera I'll make some food porn and show you guys what we ended up having. Until then!

Wonderful Day!

I was eating my vegan lunch at my dorm dining hall this afternoon, and as I was speaking with my friend about my new lifesyle and future plans to become 100% raw, she told me a guy accross the room is a raw-fooder. I got up and talked to him almost imediately. To my surprise he said he is not all raw, he eats milk and meat, and advised me never to give up milk, that it is so good for me and my bones; that it is the best form of calcium and sesame seeds are proven not to digest right in our bodies. I got very puzzled after this conversation which I expected to go the opposite way. I was so perplexed by the comments this guy made I began to question my new raw food beliefs, and that scared me. So I called Mehmet, the chef who inspired me, for the most part, so seriously consider raw. He answered at his restaurant and we had a long conversation about raw, and he confirmed that the phosphates in greens and sesame seeds carry more oxygen in your body, carrying calcium more efficiently in the bloodstream; milk cannot do that because cows get the calcium from the greens THEY eat. Then I told Mehmet about changing my major to Human Nutrition, being back in Chicago, reading the book that got him inspired, aspiring to be raw this summer, becoming vegan, etc. He seemed impressed and maybe touched...because he asked when I was to be returning home (early may), and he said he would set up an internship for me, teach me, and certify me as a chef!!!!!! It was my dream come true, I almost burst into tears on the phone, but I thanked him endlessly and with all my heart, instead. What a wonderful day!!! AND I had a delicious meal of a fresh, ripe avocado mixed with a delicious mango :)
Peace,
Shana

New Recipe!

I made something delightful for dinner! It's called....Italian Tofu Burrito. It's very cosmopolitan!

Ingredients:
1 flour tortilla
1 small roma tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups baby spinach and/or basil
1/4-1/2 cup firm tofu in small chunks
extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed)
1 t. dried oregano
Onion or onion powder/flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Sautee tomatoes and tofu in oil for a bit (approx. 5 min).
Add spinach and continue to sautee until wilted
Add seasonings

Serve on a warm tortilla!!

It's simply fantastic, and absolutely fast. You could definitely go organic on all the ingredients; this meal isn't raw at all, but it's completely vegan! I hope you try it and please feel free to post any recipes you may have or invent along the way! -Sam

First Vegan Day!

Well, everyone! Yesterday was my first day totally vegan. I had been trying the past few days and had decided it would be better for me to transition instead of jump right in again. I feel great! I had a delicious day yesterday and ate only one cooked meal (lunch). I'm trying to eat more raw foods, too, and it's getting to a point where I feel very guilty about putting cooked food into my body. I feel bad for my poor, hard-working little enzymes! I want them to live!! Anyways, I just wanted to share with you how proud I am of myself. I hope to continue in such a great direction but I'm trying to understand, too, that if I 'relapse' it's not because I don't have willpower, but because cooked food and dairy are real addictions. I'm still considering myself in the transition phase but hope to be totally vegan by spring break, no later than the week after. Cheers! -Sam

People call me....

Hill, Hillarious, Hillarity or even Hillary. You can call me whatever you want, including Unhealthy.

I ate a hamburger for the first time about a year ago. I liked it. I became addicted. Wendy's Jr. cheeseburgers and Steak n Shake Frisco melts were a special treat to me. While they tasted good, I was ignoring the fact that they were pissing off my entire system. That little 2 dollar whopper I ate a year ago, was the beginning of a very unhealthy weight gain. I wasn't eating fast food every day, maybe once a week or every other, yet it was enough to make my body hate me, and for me to hate myself. About 3 months ago I reached an all time high in my body weight. I have been able to take off 12 lbs by elminating Starbucks Chai and fast food, but I'm looking for something more. I'm going through a transformation right now, so exciting and so exhilarating. I have become a vegetarian for the first time in my life, soon to be vegan, and then completely raw!

I hope you enjoy reading my journey.
Love, Hillary

First Post!

Hi everyone!

Shana, Hillary, and I have created this blog to keep you folks in Internet-land updated on our dieting adventures. We're all currently living vegetarian/vegan lifestyles and will be living totally raw this summer! We're very excited and look forward to much improved health and happiness, in both the spiritual and physical sense. We encourage you to do some reading on these subjects to understand the process we'll be going through and perhaps to consider embarking on a raw diet yourself!! Please feel free to ask any questions at all and keep in touch with us.

Enjoy!
Love, Sam