Today I spent the afternoon at my laptop doing just a wee bit of grading but also spending a great deal of time assembling a new blog, one dedicated to raw food recipes. I have a few up already, but because I ended up using the Fantastico instant installer supplied by my host again (it does make things easy breezy), Japanese does not work. I wasted a couple of hours trying to install in manually, but I couldn’t get it to work. I do have one friend who is familiar with both coding and WordPress, but he’s out of the country at the moment… Drat. I want to make these recipes available in Japanese, too!

I did find a really nice theme for my blog, though. It’s not a food-oriented skin, but it very much matches the image I’m aiming for. I’ll post a link to it on my page bar once it looks presentable and contains a few more recipes.

Today was day 3 of my fast, and I experienced no pain. Hunger pangs have completely gone and I had at least one excellent bowel movement of giant black slimy pellets. (Yes, it is acceptable for fasters to talk shit!) My tongue is heavily coated now and my head feels clear. I did need a long sleep last night, however.

As for my roommate, he’s not so lucky - still hasn’t had that euphoric first major poop, and is experiencing headaches still. Maybe the process is faster for me because I’ve done it several times before (and eat lots of raw foods!)

Today I had:

5 psyllium mixes with about 5 cups of pasteurized apple juice
a few glasses of lemon and water with ice and a touch of raw honey

Today was day 2 of the fast. I woke of with the beginnings of faster’s tongue. In the full throws of a detox, the tongue gets a stinky, vile, white, hairy coating of slime. You can use a tongue scraper to regularly remove it. I often find I attend even more to mouth care when fasting, not just to help remove all the toxins and tend to dental hygiene, but because I can’t stand the detox feeling in my mouth.

I also felt less hunger. In fact, I almost forgot to take my second herbal shake today.

My roommate has a great electric massage devise, so we used it to massage our abdominals (It stimulates elimination in the colon). We are not doing any colonics or enemas (though we should), so hopefully this will help. On the Blessed Herbs program colonic irrigation or at least an enema are recommeded, but not necessary. Usually people manage to remove some rancid, rubbery plaque buildup from their intestines in day 2 or 3 with the herbs alone, and that’s what has happened with me before.I had my first big “release” late this evening. Yes, I feel absolutely fantastic afterwards.

Today I had:

5 psyllium mixtures with a total of about 5 cups of pasteurized apple juice

Today was the first day of the fast, and there were a few things worth noting for me:

1) I was much hungrier than I thought I would be. Of course I expected hunger, but the psyllium drinks have usually filled me up in the past. I felt really deprived a lot of the day.

2) I didn’t have any headaches. Usually the first day feels a bit like a hangover.

3) I had a major cramping experience later in the day. It felt like severe PMS. Actually I think it was an internal muscle spasm I picked up when making perhaps a bit too much effort on the can… Whatever the case, I was debilitated with pain, so I took a nap, and woke up just fine.

4) Normal bowel function ensued.

Today I had:

5 physllium mixtures with a total of about 5 cups of pasteurized apple juice

My roommate and I are starting a 5-day fast tomorrow, using the Blessed Herbs program (I’ve done it a few times before, with successful results.) You take these herbal pills in the evening, to activate and stimulate your liver and kidneys, and 5 times during the day, about every 3 hours, you take a psyllium-based powdered concoction with water and apple juice (should be raw, be we are opting for the more convenient and cheaper mass-produced, pasteurized, store-bought version - sorry, I don’t have to money or volition to juice all those apples. I could just take it with water, but I cannot swallow that disgusting, fast-bulking, jellied psyllium mulch without the salvation of some sweetness! Apparently, apple juice helps in this detox program, but I’m not sure about my personal take on juice…)

Anyway, because of this venture, today is eat-all-remaining-food-in-the-fridge day. Boy did we feast! (Doesn’t look like much when I write it, but trust me.)

Today I had:

watermelon
oranges
broccoli, cucumber and dried tomato humus (yum!)
zucchini pasta and tomato sauce (2 giant helpings)
avocado cacao pudding (lots!)
banana smoothie
papaya

Today I went out with colleagues and at first was delighted that there was a “healthy” vegan option on the menu of the dubious restaurant that was selected, so I decided to eat cooked, as I was indeed famished. Wow, there must have been a lot of unhealthy stuff in that “healthy” vegan meal, because I felt so down afterward, in every way. I just wanted to go home and lie down! I think there was MSG in there, as I felt really bloated, too. I’m sure the beer did not help. I did feel better, and hungry, later on in the evening.

Today I had:

green smoothie
spinach, walnuts, and orange miso dressing
raisins
papaya
vegan set- rice, baked potato in tomato sauce, greens, miso soup, salad (pickled?)
french fries!
beer
banana ice cream

Today was a rather cooked day. I gave into temptation under duress, when I know in retrospect I would have been much better able to cope with the days various stresses were I well-fed. Oh well. After a morning private lesson for which I was ill-prepared, I had to go to immigration today, and ridiculously, went to Chofu instead of Tachikawa (I reckon I got confused by the fact that there is a driver’s licensing center in each city, and I always remember where the Visa office is as it is next to one (of them)). In any case, it took me 2 more hours than it should have to arrive, and I was pressed for time to run around and get the appropriate official “stamps” to prove that I’ve paid for all necessary fees involved in processing my Visa. I have applied for permanent residency, but the office is so backed up that they said I could be waiting until next year. In the meantime, they are renewing my current one. The good news is this one is also for 3 years. That was unexpected, as I am part-time status now and figured because of this fact, I would only get a one-year visa. Great! I also bought a multiple reentry permit in case the urge to escape the country becomes overwhelming, despite my current financial situation (where there’s a will there’s a way.)

So back to food - between all the running around there were stops at the convenience store, noodle shop, and Starbucks. This is DESPITE traveling equipped with fresh fruit in my purse. Just wasn’t up for it today- what can I say? Plus currently, I am enjoying a raw fruit smoothie than has been infused with tequila. So kill me. I am going on a fast next week, so actually I should be eating even more raw, but in thinking about that my desire to eat mainstream food seems to have increased.

OK, tomorrow’s the last day of classes, so I’d better finish writing up the exams! (no, there is not that much tequila in my smoothie.)

Today I had:

fuzzy navel (oranges, water, vanilla, dates, pecans)
seaweed salad and cooked vegetables
veggie onigiri (rice ball)
packaged vegetable juice
soba noodles with wakame
herbed olives
soy latte
fruit smoothie with tequila
more herbed olives

After morning classes, I spent the afternoon grading, writing exams, chasing after potentially failing students, and uploading student videos. Then I went home to pig out and watch a movie. (Harry Potter 6 - rather slow-moving compared to previous films) Pretty average day.

I bought some books at the Kinokunia bookstore in Shinjuku yesterday - Michael Pollen’s “Omnivore’s Dilema” and Ani Phyo’s famous raw cookbook, and a couple of other bits and bobs that I really cannot afford, but managed to squeeze into my budget. I am also reading Pollen’s “In Defense of Food.” All great stuff. I am really looking forward to reading time this summer!

Today I ate:

green smoothie
banana
zucchini pasta and tomato sauce
raisins
soba and wakame
ruccula salad with walnuts and orange miso dressing
fruit smoothie

I spent a lovely afternoon in Shinjuku today catching up with an old Canadian friend I knew from my Miyazaki days that I hadn’t seen in, gasp, 13 years. She hadn’t changed a bit, only now comes equipped with a lovely husband and 2 beautiful boys! It tricky to move around Shinjuku station with a baby stroller; how would I know where the elevators and breast-feeding friendly places are? (Breast feeding is not a public activity in Japan.) We explored the mega Tokyo Hands store, had a huge lunch at a nice Thai place (kids food brought from elsewhere) and I ended up seeing the city through different eyes. My friends like it here, so they may just look into relocating back to Japan (the big Mikan this time).

Today I had:

green smoothie
Thai papaya salad
Thai spring salad
Starbucks soy latte
banana
green tea
zucchini pasta with 1) miso avocado sauce and 2) tomato sauce
fruit smoothie

This is actually day 105, and all I can tell you about day 104 is that I was so busy I forgot the eat for most of the day (aside from fruit) and then in a rush for an errand, suddenly became famished, broke down and ate a couple of store-bought onigiri (rice balls). Oh, and after all the deadlines were met, I cracked open a bottle of red, drank too much, got carried away auctioning on eBay, and woke up the next morning regretting my actions, so of. Another part of me is really looking forward to getting the goods I “won.” It was a lot of fun auctioning. I can see now why people might have gambling addictions. Not that eBay is gambling… really…

Today I ate:

papaya
raisins
banana ice cream and walnuts
rice balls
salad
bananas
??

I was really tempted today when my roomates’s order from Salvatore’s came in. They make, hands down, the best pizza in Tokyo. Not the cheapest, mind, but ooo la la. They even make a savory no-cheese version, but now that bread’s off limits (and it bungs me up more than ever) I will settle for just enjoying the smell. If I think of it like coffee, I’m fine; coffee smells about a million times better than it tastes. (OK, OK, the exception is espresso coffee with foamy soy milk and honey, but who makes that at home, anyway?)

I got a wee bit homesick today for the first time in years. My parents, my bother and his fiancé and daughter, and 2 dogs were heading out the door, and they called me to check in and say hi. That is hard enough as I wished I were there with them all. But then they told me they were headed to Algonquin Provincial Park. This is a park in lower Ontario where I spent at least 2 weeks of every summer as a child. Lots of memories: canoeing, portaging, marshmellow roasting on open fires, board games, exploring hiking trails, bear and raccoon encounters, first kisses… I’d really like to be going with them. Instead I am stuck here grading papers…. I hope my parents remember the bug spray. Not just mosquitoes, but them black flies sure do know how to take a chunk outa ya!

Today I had:

green smoothie
dried apricots
kiwis
green salad
oranges
lemon and water
pecans, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds
red wine

I spent most of the day doing grades for one of my university classes, but only got 1/3 through the amount that has to be done by the end of tomorrow, which will be a busy day no doubt. I did take a break to watch “Wanted,” a 2008 silly but entertaining movie with Angelina Jolie on tvshack.net. Had trouble getting back to work afterward, though. I find that I like to munch on stuff all day rather than have meals when working in front of the computer. Maybe this is because eating breaks up the monotony of all the calculating, etc.

Today I had:

green smoothie
humus, cucumbers, broccoli, and tomatoes
kiwis
chestnuts
aojiru (”blue juice” - powdered greens and water)
lemon water
raisins
red wine

Today turned into a bit of a food fest; I really ate well. This is surprising, as in the past whenever I have not brought enough lunch to work (only fruit until 3pm today), I have ended up buying crap at the nearest convenience store out of hungry desperation. Umm, perhaps the soba held me over today, and that’s why I made it home in time to prepare some healthy treats.

Today I had:

green smoothie
papaya
watermelon
kiwis
(cooked) soba and wakame (left the broth)
green salad with leftover apple curry dressing
humus a broccoli
Fuzzy Navel drink (I think I may be becoming addicted to these…)
white wine

A good laugh here. The “chief” looks a lot like David Wolfe….

Today is my 100th day of living a raw food lifestyle, so it is a good time for me to reflect a bit on what’s been going on in my mind and body. I have often looked upon my blog as a chore in recent weeks, which has still managed to keep me focused on my diet. However, I don’t think I have allowed myself to exploit the therapeutic benefits of keeping a journal as much as I should have.

For instance, there have been a few interesting changes in my body and mind that I have forgotten to document, as I was so busy thinking of what I ate or what I did on a certain day. One thing I have noticed a few times just over the past few weeks is that my body seems really good at healing itself. I cut my finger rather deeply with a knife a few weeks ago, and it seems to have healed overnight, and so smoothly with no infection, as if I had had a skin draft on it. This has also been the case with PMS pimples: They have magically left as fast as they came, along with my hormone imbalance. My monthly cramps seem shorter in duration, if not less intense in pain. I mentioned earlier at the beginning of my transition to raw that the after-sleep numbness in my arms disappeared, but I don’t think I mentioned that my lower back pains have lessened too. The only issue I am dealing with now is a chronic injury in my right shoulder. I am going to physio for it regularly. I think a miniscus might be pulled…

Another thing I really can’t stress enough is that whenever I have been eating particularly high raw - full of greens and fruit, I have felt… well, rapture! I have often found myself walking to the station in the morning on my way to work, being passed by stressed out salarymen who obviously were dying (perhaps literally) to get on the right train, and I would be suddenly overcome with pure joy- just enjoying being in the moment, smelling the flowers, or feeling the rain. There is no reason I could pinpoint in retrospect for this happiness. Nothing special or new had happened in my life. I just felt good. I named by blog “raw rapture” because I thought it was cute and catchy, but in truth I vastly underestimated the degree to which it would be appropriate.

My renewed goal: I have had 100% raw days over the last 100 days, but I estimate that most have been about 80%. I don’t mind not being 100% raw, and although this is a noble goal, it is actually not the priority for me at this stage; what is more important for me is to eat MORE fresh fruits and vegetables, and cut back on foods, raw and cooked, that are calorie dense. There are two reasons for this. 1) I want and still need to lose a great deal of weight. I have lost weight, and it is still coming off, but not at an optimal pace for me. I’d like to be back to a certain former self by the end of the year. 2) As I said, I feel so darned good when I eat mostly fruit and greens! I obviously still crave richer food items that literally and metaphorically weigh me down.

My other goal is to start exercising on a regular basis. Since June I have pretty much done nothing. True, I often walk 90 minutes a day for work (It’s almost 20 minutes just to my stations), but I know I need to get my heart rate up on a regular basis. I was doing really well at the beginning of the year, but that is of course when I was not working. I’m sure getting a simple program in place is going to have a big effect on my health!

Today I ate:

green smoothie (not sweet enough today)
Asian slaw
kiwis
raisins
green salad with raw curry dressing (apples, curry powder, olive oil, garlic and ginger)
Fuzzy Navel (blended oranges, dates, pecans, water, vanilla)

In this video from a few years ago has Tonya Kay (with with Courtney Taylor) revealing how to transition to a healthy raw food diet with ease. Tonya’s approach is/was very similar to mine, and she has a few LOL moments in her talk:

I continued working on the last paper for my editing project as soon as I got home from work today, but my brain fried up pretty quickly. It is obvious that the student whose paper I am now editing does not have a concrete enough grasp of the English language to be writing a master’s thesis in it.  I know it’s my job to check the English, and it’s normal for an editor to have occasions where s/he cannot understand what is written, but this time it’s a little bit off the wall. It seriously has taken me 2 hours to get through just one page on two occasions so far, and there are 24 in all. My employer pays well, but the time I am putting in is beginning to neutralize the carrot. What’s worse, I don’t feel I am being much help to this student as I am making a lot of guess work on the meaning of sentences that could be completely off. I know little about de-dollarization in ZYX country! Oh well, I can only do my best.

I decided to try one of Ani Phyo’s smoothie recipes for a snack this evening, and boy, was it yummy! I would never have thought to blend pecans into a fruit drink.

Today I had:

green smoothie
papaya
green salad with tomatoes, walnutes, blasamic
Asian Slaw (with miso this time)
frozen raisins
fuzzy navel smoothie (oranges, water, dates, pecans, and vanilla right from the pod)