I was so incredibly sleepy today after classes ended. This was likely due to the weather, or perhaps it is related to my less-than-pure diet. In any case, I had to take a one-hour nap before my private lesson student arrived this evening. It is one of those days where time has flown by. It’s already almost midnight and there is still so much to do before I hit the hay! Projects will be left incomplete for now, as I really do need some shut eye.

Today I ate:

green smoothie
Asian slaw
avocado with ruccula leaves and apple cider vinegar
tomato sauce with veggie pasta
avocado cacao pudding with coconut (was so good last night too!)
coffee (needed a boost at train station. Not the best method, I do know…)

I spent the better part of today doing things I would rather not be doing, such as house cleaning, grocery shopping, preparing a job application, and correct papers. It’s ridiculous how far I am behind!

Today I had:

HUGE green smoothie
mango
olives
broccoli, cucumber and humus
white wine
wheatgrass drink
cacao pudding (avocado, agave, coconut flakes, vanilla)

Well, what happened yesterday boiled down to a lack of preparation and a general degradation in judgment. I had intended to return home from Yokohama to shower and eat before heading back out to Shinjuku to meet for a Hilton Hotel shindig, but my to-do list in Kanagawa took longer than I thought, and my friend called to alert me of a change in meeting time - earlier. Rather than waste at least 90min. going home, I thought I’d head straight out to the Big Mikan.

Everything went well until departure and I had a wonderful time. Yes, drank way too much, and yes, stayed raw, but I do believe I needed more sustenance before imbibing all that liquid and losing control…. By the time I was back at my station, and I saw those golden arches, that was it. Doomed. Incidentally, my roommate was in line to by ice cream (he’d recently sworn off dairy), so I guess we all have our moments.

I guess I really craved the fat and carbs to absorb all the lovely wine I had gulped back. I say that because physically I didn’t feel so bad today. Sure, extremely hung over and guilt-stricken, but no tummy gurgling or the like. McDonald’s is not famous for high fibre content in its foods, but I went about 5 times. Umm, or maybe I am just getting good at toxin elimination?

Today I ate well:

HUGE fruit smoothie
green salad (after I went out and got some greens)
a bit of brown rice and spinach
avocado and banana
mangos
dried fruit

Today I had:

huge green smoothie
banana
raisins
raw veggies with simple dressings
beer
about a gallon of wine
MacDonald’s French Fries and fish burger!!!!!!!

More on mishap in tomorrow’s entry.

I had a makeup class in addition to my regular classes. Not an exciting day, but rather busy. The day flew by!

Today I had:

green smoothie
green salad with avocado
mango
raisins
warm curried soup (with cooked lentils)
warm miso soup with spinach and a little brown rice
banana ice cream with nuts
red wine

I didn’t have to work today so I stayed indoors in my sanctuary of multiple air conditioners and worked on some preparation I have to complete for this Saturday’s job interview. Of course, now I am really far behind in correcting blogs, papers, and the like, but I probably would have found some way to procrastinate otherwise.

I am amazed at how much faster things go off in the warmth and humidity. I had to chuck out some fruit and waited too long (got hungry too fast) to go for a trip to the grocery store, and ended up having a bowl of my roommate’s delicious, sprouted brown rice. There are most definitely worse cooked foods I could consume, and the rice made me full nourished, but I also felt very lethargic afterward. It’s obviously dangerous for me to be hungry with no fresh raw foods around. I guess I will have to start shopping daily, and buy smaller amounts. Ugh, not looking forward to that in this heat.

By the way, despite the post rice consumption lethargy, I feel pretty good today. I notice that I’ve had a lot less fat than usual and wonder if there’s a connection.

Today I had:

green smoothie (triple dose)
brown rice with nori flakes (seaweed)
carrots and broccoli with guacamole
MonaVie
pineapple
mango
red wine

Finished reading a great podcasting book on public transportation to and from work today called “Promoting your podcast” by Jason Van Orden. I usually find books in this genre full of unnecessary  padding, but this one was concise and full stuff that was new to me. Would love to start doing some sort of show related to raw food in the future… So many ideas, so little time.

Rainy season hit full blast today, but I made the mistake of taking my roommate’s umbrella on my way out, and while at the skin doctor’s, someone took it. Now I have to buy him a new one. Drat! Definitely not worth investing in umbrellas in this country.

The doctor gave me some meds for my hands and feet (I’m fungi-prone this time of year) but actually, I haven’t really been displaying any symptoms - it’s more precautionary. The humidity rate gets so high here in summer that your skin is wet and pasty all the time. I absolutely hate it, and if I had more money I’d leave the country the moment classes ended!

With all he worry about the stupid umbrella, I forgot to go to physio for my shoulder, which is almost functional now, but still painful.

Today I had:

green smoothie
mangoes
greens with avocado
coffee (ahhhhh, I know!)
Asian slaw
spinach with humus
wheatgrass juice
dried apples
cacao banana nut ice cream

My classes will be winding down in a few weeks, so I’m thinking it may be time to plan a more intense detox. Since I’ve been eating raw for almost 3 months now, I’m hoping that I won’t experience healing crises or just simple detox effects as I have had in the past when fasting. When you do get these crises, it’s not a bad thing though, it just means your body is releasing toxins faster than you can get rid of them, hence the suggestion to have colonic irrigation sessions to help get rid of the extra crap floating around in your system that is making you feel like… well, crap!

I don’t have access to colonic equipment though, although enemas are doable (but only clean out the end part of your colon). This means I might have to do a juice fast instead of a water fast, as it’s less severe. I also find it harder, believe it or not. This is because first, juicing is such a royal time-consuming, fruit pulp-wasting pain in the ass. Second, because it tempts me to eat. I’m an all or nothing type of personality, which I realize it not a good trait when in the pursuit of life balance.

Anyway, getting back to detoxing side effects, I’ve fasted several times now, 3 times for over 3 weeks (yes, 3 weeks of no food- the human body is amazing, no?) and every time I have experienced different levels of discomfort at different stages. Most nasty stuff happens within the first few days. The most common is hunger, of course, and then headaches, which I also experienced when I turned raw. One time on a Thai massage course in Chang Mai, I did a 2 week fast, and on day 5 I was bedridden the whole day with a nasty fever. The next day I jumped out of bed with more energy than I’d felt in years! Another time on day three I got cold sores… all over my LEGS (how bizarre). Sometimes old injuries or ailments resurface: On yet another fast I felt acute pain in a place where I had broken my leg many years before- it felt as if it were still broken!

I’ve witnessed the strangest effects in fellow fasters too. One poor soul got enormous, pussy, angry boils all over areas near his glands (his armpits and derriere, primarily). He was in a lot of pain, but must have be pleased to get all that poison out! Another woman I knew continued to throw up for a few days. In all cases everyone got through it and felt all the better afterward. Fortunately most people don’t suffer that intensely, especially if they prepare well for their detox by eating light and raw in the days preceding, and if they are fairly healthy to start.

Young raw food experts from the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, Arizona discuss common detoxification symptoms and how to make the transition to a raw food diet more comfortable:

Today I had:

green smoothie
baby carrots with the dregs of remaining humus
green salad
mango
dried figs and raisins
piece of baked sweet potato
white wine

I ran out of the wild organic ruccula I picked up a few days ago at Costco. The pack I bought was huge, but the better something tastes, the faster it goes! I’m out of spinach too. Back to Costco, then. I’m so very pleased that their organic produce seems to be increasing in quantity. Thank God too that I live so close to it; shopping for raw produce can cost a fortune in the land of the rising sun otherwise. Here carrots can easily run a dollar a stick, one mango between $5 and $10 dollars, and about $2-$3 for one apple. The new season’s square watermelons are out, so if you don’t mind splashing out about $100 for a melon, hats off to ya! Mind, these versions are limited editions intended as brown-nosing gifts, but if you’d like to buy me a gift, I can make alternate suggestions!

My arm is much better today. I can lift it to the side, but cannot yet put my hand in my back pocket. I stayed up late yesterday, so it’s a good thing that the vegan/ raw vegan potluck in Yoyogi Park was canceled too, so I could sleep in. I had made a big container of cacao nut balls for the event, but they’ll unlikely last until Monday, let alone until the next potluck date.

Today I ate:

green smoothie (amazing how I am not getting sick of these- can’t imagine life without them! Maybe mine are sweeter and not as green as they should be….)
cacao nut balls (told you!)
mangos
cherries
carrots and humus
green salad

Felt very refreshed waking up on this lovely Saturday…. afternoon- yes, I really slept in. Must have been the “drugs.” I can lift my arm a little now, and the pain is only 30% of that of yesterday. Other good news: have an interview for a full-time job starting 2010. It’s in Kanagawa though, so I may end up having to completely relocate if I get it, something I have gotten all too used to I guess! That, or I break down and, gasp, buy a car! I miss having one, actually, though it’s not the most eco-responsible of choices…  I am still waiting for results from a part-time gig starting next fall…

Today I ate:

green smoothie
papaya
carrots and leftover humus
tomato, avocado and ruccola salad with balsamic
fruit smoothie
banana nut ice cream
peanuts

I’m writing this post a day late, as yesterday I was in no state to blog. I had been feeling the pain of a very old injury in my shoulder that was starting to get severe. I would notice it when raising my arm to write on the blackboard. Typical moi - I just ignored it. The evening before last I went for a shop to Costco, and I snapped something. Yesterday morning I woke up and could barely move my arm, and all day experienced a constant dull pain that kept me feeling slightly nauseous. After enduring classes, off I went to a gakka (clinic/hospital specializing in outer ailments). After clearing Xrays, the doc was quick to diagnose me with a pulled, inflamed tendon, and sent me promptly off to collect some shippu (giant stick-on poultices with ointment built in), and start sessions with the seikotsuin (physical, chiropractic, a rehabilitative therapy in one place).

It cost a few yen, but the good news is I can get some treatment for another old injury (my lateral meniscus tore several years ago when over-training for a long distance run. I no longer run…)

At the end of the day, I sucked back 2 ibuprofen, and 2 G&Ts. Slept like a baby.

Today I ate:

green smoothie
cherries
banana
raisins
green salad
home-made larabar balls
Gin and Tonics

I got my 2nd volume of RawFu Magazine today, albeit in online format. I was expecting the availability of a downloadable PDF format when I signed up, but alas, subscribers can only read it online.  I might have to write in about this, as I would much rather read off paper than a screen. (RawFu doesn’t ship internationally, unlikely Purely Delicious Magazine, to which I am also subscribed.) Regardless, I enjoy the articles and recipes contained therein, such as this tasty-looking juice at left.

Today I had:

passion fruit (wow, forgot how yummy these are!)
banana cacao shake
natto, spinach, and a small portion of hatsu genmai (sprouted brown rice)
hazelnut, cacao date balls
green salad with avocado
avocado banana mix

I think I am allergic to kumquats, although when I ate them a couple of days ago, I suffered no adverse affects. Today, my mouth got itchy, then my throat, and then I felt an uncomfortable sort of heartburn for several hours after. I am not surprised, as I seem to have random negative experiences with fuzzy-skinned fruit. It seems to be hit or miss, though. It could very well have been just one of the few I ate that didn’t like me! The worst experience I ever had with a furry fruit was in Switzerland when I was on a cycling trip. I ate some sort of nectarine-like thing, and then my bronchioles closed up on me and I couldn’t breathe. I spent the next hour (or less? hard to quantify time when ill) lying on the floor of a ferry (we were crossing a lake of sorts) trying not to panic. Sure enough, the reaction passed. VERY scary, though. I remember that occasion quite clearly. Luckily I was with someone who helped me stay calm!

I grew up in apple country before spraying with all sorts of nasty chemicals was controlled, and I think somehow that might explain why apples also very often give me that itchy feeling in my mouth. Again, it’s very much a hit or miss deal. I thought it was something to do with the pesticides that didn’t agree with me, but have had a negative reaction after an organic apple too…. I really don’t know.

When it comes to furry-skinned fruit, it’s such a shame that I have issues with them, especially with regard to peaches, which I adore! Fortunately(?), peaches are too expensive here, so I rarely eat them.

In any case, I am quite keen to quit quaffing kumquats.

Today I had:

green smoothie (with fresh pineapple)
green salad with lemon and olive oil
kumquats
guacamole in green leaf wraps
homemade cacao nut balls
white wine

A very busy Tuesday is almost complete, and like on most Tuesdays I end up eating heavy at the end of the day - this time I dug into a bag of peanuts. Hint for you nut lovers out there on how to eat raw nuts: Extract correct portion (=handful) from bag and place in bowl. Munch on nuts from bowl. Avoid refills. What NOT to do: Bring whole bag of nuts with you to couch in front of TV, accompanied with glass of white wine. Avoid checking how many nuts remain in bag until there are no nuts left.

Today I consumed:

green smoothie
kumquats
string beans, cauliflower, and sliced zucchini with humus (lunch and dinner!)
giant green salad with different leaves, onions, carrot slices, diakon with lemon, balsamic, and olive oil
peanuts (please don’t ask how many…)
larabar (cherry nut)
white wine