Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Ack! She's back!

After 2 1/2 months since the birth of Santiago, I woke up one day with severe cramps...I went to the washroom and then I noticed....she's baaaack! My period returned! I was hoping for a reprieve of at least 8 months (like the first birth). I was shocked and sad and moody!! The pain has been excruciating. I've been breastfeeding my son but I guess one never knows when menstruation returns. Some women are lucky enough for 8 months to a year or more. I should've known it was coming because I was PMS-ing. I had a craving for heavy foods such as raw cashews and pecans, Larabars, dates. The lemon in the green lemonade was irritating me a bit so I kept eating more heavy raw foods.

I've never had periods this painful and heavy before and I get the feeling it's because my body has so many toxins. I am not a doctor but when I was 100% raw, my periods were light and painless. I really need to have a cleanse and the return of my menstruation has only confirmed that I will try the juice feast. I think it will give me a fresh start.

In the meantime, I'm doubled over on the sofa, barking at everyone and everything. Ugh! Not a pretty sight. I can't wait till it's over.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Juice Feasting

I'm considering doing a juice feast that a lot of my fellow raw foodists have been doing or done. I decided to seriously consider it after my hubs and I celebrated our anniversary. I made a Renee Loux Underkoffler chocolate pie. It was sooo good and I soooo regret having eaten so much of it. My hubs loved it. I realize that the kind of raw diet I prefer is one that is very light and that the food can just pass through me. That delicious pie just sat in my stomach for days. It felt gluttonous on my part. I don't know what to do with the rest of it. A spoonful would have sufficed. I enjoy sweets but the next time I make a pie like that I need to invite friends over.



I am a bit nervous about the juice feast because I don't know what it entails and if I can do the whole 92 days. My life is so hectic and I don't want to lose any energy juggling family, school and personal projects etc... If I do the juice feast, I will start this Sunday. I love my juices and I have been living on Natalia Rose's green lemonade for the last couple of weeks. I will check out the juice feasting website and see how to do it. I need that kind of cleansing.


Green lemonade

3 large leaves of collard greens
2 stalks of celery
1 1/2 - 2 Fuji apples
1 lemon
3/4 inch of gingerroot

Place ingredients in the order I have listed in a juicer (I use the L'Equip 2000. I love it!) and serve immediately. Enjoy.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Healing

I am seeing the results of my labour. My coach has gotten me to run. I'll run for a bit and then walk, run then walk. I really enjoy these times with my trainer. It's my ME time, trying to take care of myself. My face has gotten slimmer and I think I've lost some weight. I am not weighing myself because I don't want to be depressed or disillusioned. My trainer said not to bother and just focus on how your clothes are fitting you. He also said that I can do all the crunches and running I like but if I'm not eating properly and consistently, it'll be all for nought. True true. I want to be able to show him how the raw diet along with his training has helped me. He believes the "grazing" method of eating is the best way and not to starve yourself. I just try to eat when I'm hungry. I just need to make sure I'm putting in the right food in my mouth. Like this salad of shreddred cucumbers, carrots, chopped green onion , dill and lime juice. Very refreshing and light.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Rawlicious

Yesterday Tiago and I went to a new rawfood restaurant called Rawlicious, owned by fellow blogger Robin aka RawketScience. It is a cute, small establishment. I love the various types of seating. I ordered the Nutty Wrap, which was delicious. However, my favourite is Mono Blanco, a vanilla milkshake. It is made of vanilla nutmilk, almond butter, a banana and I think vanilla extract. Fantastic. I'll probably be going there again soon. Robin also has a Choco Monkey shake that I'll try next time.


Mono Blanco and Choco Monkey

Checkout the RawketScience blog under My Favourite Blogs.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Ups and Downs

I've been going through some weird emotional feelings lately. I've been a bit discouraged about my weight gain during pregnancy. I really let it get out of hand. It just makes me feel like a weak person. I know it will take time for me to take it off but I get impatient sometimes. My hubs is very supportive and hasn't said or done anything to make me feel bad. I just seem to be juggling a lot of things and not getting a good grasp on any one of them. I am so fed up with my Masters program and after 4 years and 2 babies, I'm still not done. Ernesto is going through his temper tantrums and I don't know what to do sometimes. A part of me just wants to escape to a tropical island and live on coconuts and pineapple. I feel such a sense of imbalance and I'm trying to find ways to re-establish and to reconnect my life. I would love to take an ashtanga yoga class. I do have DVDs but I prefer the classroom setting with the music and the instructor making sure my body is positioned correctly.

I haven't prayed in days and I also feel a disconnect spiritually. Last night my hubs noticed that and we read a Biblical scripture. It was from the book of Psalms about trusting in the Lord. We prayed afterwards and I led the prayer. It felt wonderful talking to God. That's how I see prayer...like a conversation. I just poured my heart out and I guess I carried on for a long time because my hubs was dozing off. *smile* I really need God's guidance to keep me moving and centered. I need to breathe, pray, move, eat raw and sleep. I need to organize my time to allow myself to enjoy my family and not be frustrated with them when in actuality I'm frustrated with myself.

Peace.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Blessings

Just wanted to share photos of my blessings, my family. I am so privileged to be a mother and a wife. It can be trying at times but it is so worth it. It's a vegetarian household with me being the only vegan/raw foodist....well, my newborn is a raw foodist for now by drinking only mama's milk.

My gorgeous hubby, pre-dreadlocks.


This was during our first date.


Our gorgeous boys: Ernesto and Santiago

Monday, April 14, 2008

Toronto Raw Food Potluck

It's been almost a year since I attended the Toronto Raw Food Potluck. I was so looking forward to it. I made a key lime pie made of avocados, lime juice and a coconut crust. I'm not a big avocado fan. The flavour of avocados make me want to vomit. I didn't taste it, my hubs did and said the pie was fantastic, especially the crust and there was no avocado taste. My hubs has supported my diet. At first, he wanted nothing to do with raw food. When we first met, he was a diehard carnivore, a typical Cuban that loves his pork. Slowly he began to change his diet when he was getting digestive problems. One day he told me that he was abandoning meat (with the exception of fish) and alcohol. He considers himself a vegetarian and he's not turning back. He enjoys the raw desserts I make but doesn't want to fully commit to a raw food diet. His concern is that the raw foodists are too skinny. He still thinks they may be lacking vitamins and other minerals.

We arrived at the potluck late and half the food was gone. I barely put down the pie when the people swarmed like vultures towards me. Hahaha. I managed to enjoy a salad of cabbage, cukes, dill and green onions. I will certainly be making this salad in the future. Another person brought a salad of marinated carrots, broccoli and something else. I wish they had written the ingredients as requested by the organizer. That salad was fantastic.

I enjoy the monthly raw food potlucks.

My key lime pie.


My hubs and Santiago

I am working with a track and field coach at my university 3 times a week and he has given me a diet plan. He is neither raw vegan nor vegan. I've basically thrown out his menu plan and worked around or replaced the dishes with raw vegan alternatives. I know protein is an important thing so I've included hemp seed powder in my smoothies. The results should be fantastic. I haven't started running yet but I am patient. My coach is excellent as he is aware of my post-pregnancy injury and has given me exercises to help strengthen my pelvic area. Once I've completed my training with my coach, I will show him an alternative menu plan for vegans and raw vegans. He'll be quite surprised and perhaps will incorporate it.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Santiago and me

I realize that there are so many pictures of my newborn with other people and not with his mama. So I decided to lie on my bed and take a picture of just the two of us. I couldn't see his face so I was just crossing my fingers for at least one good picture. Tiago is so precious.




Friday, April 04, 2008

Grawnola

My husband, my mother, my son and my babysitter devoured my raw granola. This makes me very happy. I've got orders to make more. See recipe below.

2 cups almonds, soaked
2 cups cashews, soaked
1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked
1 cup goji berries, soaked
Dash of sea salt
Raw honey

Drain all the soaked ingredients well. Blend the nuts first in food processor and place in large bowl. Blend the remaining ingredients except for raw honey and add to large bowl. Stir well and add as much raw honey in order for the mixture to bond well.
Dehydrate for at least 24 hours on Teflex sheets. When the top part of the granola is hard, flip over sheets and remove teflex sheets. Dehydrate for another 8-12 hours. Break apart the granola with your hands and keep in an airtight container. Enjoy with almond milk or alone.