Running On Raw

Training for a Half Marathon

2011-03-23T04:53:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I started my training for a half marathon. I did 3.1 miles on the treadmill. 2mi at 5.5mph, 1.1mi at 6mph. So average pace was 5.7mph or 10:30 min/mi. Today I will be doing 2 miles at a faster pace and possibly another mile or 2 at an easy pace. I have designed my new Nike shoes and just need to purchase them. I really need to get new shoes soon otherwise I am going to have knee problems!

I am running the CHaD Heros Half Marathon. (http://www.chadhalf.org)

If you would like to donate to CHaD as part of this event please go to my website:
Nicole's CHaD Half Donation Page

The Mysterious Allure of Cheese

2009-09-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

While my goal is to be a 100% raw vegan and I am finding myself to be quite successful on that endeavor so far (today is day 28!) that isn't to say that there aren't roadblocks along the way.
Cravings are the biggest culprit in tempting me off of my path. With all of the fantastic delicious food that I'm eating I have to wonder, are my cravings for the flavors and textures of foods or is there something more? Am I possibly chemically addicted to foods?
Take cheese for example...one blogger describes the aroma as "perilously close to old socks." Sure it's creamy and gooey (and loaded with fat) and it's got a nice salty taste. But it's not really that special is it? So why do so many people find it difficult to give up, even with the best intentions and knowing full well that it is not particularly healthy?

The rumor is that casein, a protein in cheese that gives it it's melty and gooey properties, is addictive. It's addictive properties come from the fact that it breaks down into an opioid during digestion. Casomorphin to be exact. According to the great and powerful Wikipedia: "Casein has been documented to break down to produce the peptide casomorphin, an opioid that appears to act primarily as a histamine releaser. One theory is that this casomorphine aggravates the symptoms of autism." But aside from releasing histamines, which do have aggravating effects on the body, no mention is made of these opiates being particularly addicting.

Scientists seem to have yet to be able to discern whether or not casomorphin acts in the same way as other peptides, such as endorphins, which bind to receptors in the brain and contribute to pleasant feelings. General experience with cheese seems to indicate that these casomorphins may do just that which is why we feel addicted.

Some articles on the web claim that cheese has morphine in it. They claim that morphine comes from the cow's liver and that morphine is created from the digestion of casein. I think this may be an over simplification and that casein breaks down into casomorphin. Which begs the question....does casomorphin behave the same way morphine does in our system?

I'm certainly not trying to defend cheese here. I truly believe that I am addicted to cheese, whether that addiction is chemical or not. And I definitely think cheese, especially commercially produced, over processed cheese is not a healthy food choice by any means. I would just like to see some concrete evidence about the addictive nature of casomorphin so that there can be no question as to the chemically addictive properties of dairy products and cheese in particular.

Nic in the Kitch: Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2009-09-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

1 frozen banana, sliced
1c frozen cherries
1/4c cacoa powder
1/4c cacao nibs
water to thin (1/2 to 1 cup)
sweetner to taste (optional)

blend all ingredients except cacao nibs in blender until smoothe. Add cacao nibs and blend briefly to incorporate. Amount of water used will depend on desired thickness and blender quality. If neccessary add more water and refreeze to get desired consistency. For a stronger cherry flavor blend additional fresh or frozen cherries in along with cacao nibs.

Knee Pain Recovery

2009-09-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

After several months of casual running with a knee brace I am finally able to leave the brace in the closet when I head out the door in the morning. Having a consistent training program and proper pre and post run stretching has allowed me to run without a brace! It's a really wonderful feeling to be able to run and not worry about knee pain or feel constricted in my movement by an awkward brace.

I think raw food helped with my recovery as well because it allows my body to focus on other things aside from just food digestion. What a wonderful diet!!

When it comes to exercises to recover from knee pain, gentle and easy is the key! Don't over do it or you'll just make your problem worse!
Lunges and squats are great for strengthening the muscles that support the knee but if you have knee pain doing half lunges and half squats is best. Keep your repetitions to a minimum so you don't over do it. I do both forward and side lunges as part of my pre run stretching routine. Always remember to keep your knee behind your toes for any exercise that involves bending the knee.

I'm glad my knee pain is now a worry of the past. I hope I can continue to strengthen my knees and keep my legs in top condition as it gets closer to race day!

Two Weeks In The Raw

2009-08-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

Today is officially the 15th day that I have eaten a 100% raw food diet. This is the longest I have ever maintained a 100% raw diet and I'm feeling really good about it. I feel really confident that my diet will continue to be 100% raw for 100 days and beyond. Lately I've been really focused on getting more greens into my diet. Leafy green vegetables are rich in antioxidants making them a great asset to runners; they keep the immune system strong, even under stress from hard workouts. Minerals in leafy greens also contribute to eye and brain health. The most unique and significant aspect of leafy greens is their chlorophyll which helps rebuild red blood cells, and also reduces risk for heart disease, cancer, and degenerative diseases. Chlorophyll also contributes to digestive health. The high fiber content in greens also contributes to digestive health. So eat your greens!!

I start my official 10k training program tomorrow. I am currently averaging 8:10 per mile on longer runs (still at 3 miles) and I have my single mile time down to 7:35. My goal is to be right around 8 per mile for a 10k by the day of the race. My best friend has decided to join me in training for and running in this race. Too bad he's in NH and I'm in GA!! But it's nice to know that he is with me in spirit and that we can support each other during our training.

I'm contemplating running the Susan G. Komen race in my area in late September. I'm struggling with this though because I know that the Komen foundation supports "cancer research" that promotes big pharma companies and medical institutions that don't have the best interests of their patients in mind. There IS a cure of cancer!! So I might still run the race and just pay the registration fee and not donate and then wear a shirt that says "raw food heals all" or "let food be your medicine - Hippocrates" or "Gerson Therapy NOT Chemo ~~Therapy~~".

I watched a really amazing movie on Netflix yesterday called The Beautiful Truth which has me all fired up about the whole issue of big pharma and our sick care system of poisoning people in the name of medicine.

Take a stand against this medical paradigm and don't leave your health in the hands of people who don't really care about you. Eat raw food!!

Day 10 on 100% Raw

2009-08-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

The last 10 days have both flown by and felt like a month. So much has taken place in the last 10 days, so much has changed. But I haven't struggled or questioned what I'm doing at all. I feel like I've already accomplished a lot on this journey and the exciting part is that I'm only beginning!!
I weighed myself when I woke up this morning and have lost 5.2lbs in the past 9 days. That is really something! I am already starting to see a difference in myself physically. My abs are regaining their definition!

My running is quickly improving which makes me very happy. For the past week I've been running 1 to 2 miles daily with an average pace of about 8:30. Yesterday I ran a mile at 7:43 and today I ran 3 miles with an average pace of 8:17. My speed is steadily increasing and I've been able to increase my mileage without causing myself too much agony. Those races I'd like to do are really starting to feel manageable!

With my diet I've really been focusing on getting a decent amount of variety without spending a lot of money and it seems to be working well so far. I'm getting a variety of greens, fats, fruits, proteins, and vegetables without spending a fortune. I haven't been eating 100% organic but I've been eating as cleanly as possible and drinking lots of (filtered) water.

I'm really pleased with the past 10 days and look forward to seeing what the next 10 have in store for me!

Back In The Raw

2009-08-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

Life has been a bit crazy the last few months and needless to say I have fallen off the wagon...HARD!
But it's been about a week now and I am back on that wagon and working really hard at getting back into the swing of things and feeling rejuvenated and excited about all that raw food, running, and a positive outlook have to offer.

Today is 100% raw day #8 for me. I have been enjoying a lot of delicious raw foods including soups, salads, and a few gourmet meals and treats.
I recently discovered fantastic raw desserts by Earth Cafe. You can order their fantastic desserts directly from the website or find them in a local health food store (GreenLife Grocery carries them and that's where I found them!)

I've also gotten back into running though I must admit that I am horribly out of shape. I'm currently doing about 8-12 miles per week. I've got a few race interests in mind so those are really great goals for me to set in order to help myself stay motivated with running even though I currently feel like a snail!

I am interested in running the Susan G Komen Race (5k) for the Cure in Chattanooga, TN on September 27th.
I am also interested in running the Nike+ Human Race (10k) in Brooklyn, NY on October 24th.

I would really like to be able to find some fellow raw foodies to run these races with as I think it would be a good opportunity to meet someone with similar interests.

I splurged today and made a few raw related purchases. I ordered a Spirooli spiralizer off of NaturalZing.com I just ordered it today and it's already been shipped out!
I also got two new recipe books. I got Ani's Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo and Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis. I waver between loving raw gourmet food and preferring a more simple way of eating but both of these gals seem to offer a lot of recipes for both a simple and gourmet way of preparing food. That brings my raw food book total up to just shy of a dozen! What can I say...I'm a foodie!
I plan to go through my books today and start picking out a few new recipes to try. I'm going to mix it up between simple and gourmet to give myself plenty of variety. Because VARIETY is key!!

And this post wouldn't be complete without mentioning Raw Fu. That site is what has kept me going and continuing to come back to raw food no matter how many times I fall off of the wagon. If you're not already a part of this amazing community you should click the link above and do something wonderful for yourself today!

Nic in the Kitch: Pumpkin Pie Filling

2009-04-01T07:39:00.001-07:00

Though spring isn't exactly the traditional time of year for pumpkin pie I say it's never the wrong time of year for a great raw dessert.
Any pie crust will do for this yummy pie but here is the recipe I used:

2C pecans, ground fine
1/4C maple syrup
1T coconut oil

mix all together and press into a pie plate. Let freeze for 1-2 hours before filling.

Now for the good part, the filling!!

3/4C cashews soaked 5 hours
1/2C maple syrup
1/2C date sauce (see recipe below)
1/2C coconut oil
3/4C carrot juice
1t vanilla extract
1t cinnamon
1t nutmeg
1T fresh thyme, finely chopped

Blend all together and pour into pie crust. Freeze for about 5 hours or until firm all the way through. Serve with a small sprig of fresh thyme and a dusting of cinnamon.

Date sauce:
1C dates soaked for 30 minutes
1/2C water

Blend together until smooth, add more water until the mixture is slightly runnier than apple sauce.

New Shoes

2009-04-01T07:29:00.001-07:00

It is important when running regularly to get new shoes on a regular basis as well. Depending on the miles you log you may need to change your shoes once every three months or more. I tend to get new running shoes every 3 to 6 months depending on my mileage.
It is best to trade out your shoes during a point in your training that you are not logging a lot of miles. Changing shoes can affect your gait which can cause you to use the muscles in your legs slightly differently. This can lead to faster muscle fatigue and joint pain if you don't give yourself time to adjust.
Your first runs in your new kicks should be shorter than average and you may need more recovery time in between runs than you normally would. Many people are often tempted to swap between their new shoes and their old ones during the transition but this may actually lead to a longer adjustment period. Signals from your feet tell your brain how to make your legs run. If your brain keeps getting different signals it will keep making your legs run in different ways and the adjustment to the new gait pattern will take longer. Once you make the switch to a new pair of shoes, stick with it!
If you continue to experience increased muscle fatigue and joint pain after about 2 weeks with your new shoes then you may have picked improper footwear for your foot size and shape and natural running gait. If you are unsure what the best shoe is for you seek help from an expert at a local running store or a physical therapist specializing in sports medicine.

Back In The Kitchen: Cool and Spicy Guacamole Soup

2009-03-18T15:24:00.001-07:00

I love raw soups. I'm not sure if I love creating them or eating them more. But there is no easier way to eat a delicious and creative meal than with raw soup.

I came up with this raw "guacamole" soup because I wanted guacamole but I also wanted tomato soup. This recipe is what would happen if guacamole and raw tomato soup made sweet sweet love and had a raw food baby. Enjoy it!

1 avocado
2 medium sized tomatoes
1 hot pepper (variety is up to you and your hotness level preference, I used a jalapeno for a mildly hot, not over powering level of hotness)
1/2 C fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic (or 1t garlic powder for a more mild flavor)
1t chili powder
coconut water as needed for consistency

Blend all but water together until smooth. Add coconut water for desired consistency and blend again.

For sweet and spicy guacamole soup add 1/2 mango.

Running Without Hip Pain

2009-02-04T18:30:00.001-08:00

Running is hard on your joints. Many runners, even the experienced ones, don't run correctly or strength train correctly for joint pain prevention. I've had my share of joint pain: the occasional pinched feeling in my ankles, weak knees, and ancient feeling hips. As a result of my own pain I've done some research into the causes of this pain and ways to prevent it. Here are some quick tips on improving hip strength and reducing hip pain.

The number 1 way to prevent ANY running injury is to add miles slowly. I cannot stress this enough. If you have a particular distance goal in mind find a training rhythm for that distance as recommended by a professional and stick with it. Keep in mind that most training rhythms include at least 1 day of full rest a week, and stagger miles (don't run the same number of miles everyday, run more or less miles in order to push then recover and allow for different focus points such as speed versus endurance).

Running stance is important for preventing hip injuries. The abs and lower back are important in keeping a good stance. Standing up tall and keeping the abs engaged will help keep the pelvis forward and allow the hips to move freely without added stress.

Pay attention to the way you run. Does one leg dominate over the other? Is your pelvis aligned straight in front of your body or is it tilted to one side? Focus on making each step feel the same as the one before it and on making both sides of your body feel the same. This may require you to run in a way that feels slightly awkward compared to what you're used to but you may have trained yourself to run in poor form and retraining yourself may feel awkward at first.

Doing exercises to strengthen and stretch the hip flexors and pelvis will greatly reduce your risk of hip injury and pain.

Forward and side lunges are both good stretches for the hips, as is sitting in butterfly position.

Side leg lifts are a gentle way to improve hip strength. Lay on your side with legs straight, hips, knees, and feet stacked. Support your head with your hand. Keep your abs engaged as you raise your top leg as high as is comfortable. Do 12-15 reps on each side.
Variate this with bended knees. Keeping your feet touching at all times, raise the knee of your upper leg as high as is comfortable.

A good abdominal exercise for stabilizing the pelvis is to lay on your back, abdominals engaged. Bend your knees at a 45 degree angle. Lift one leg off the ground and bend your knee at a 90 degree angle. Raise your leg until your calf is parallel with the ground. If this is easy for you then you are not fully engaging your abdominals! Lower your foot to the ground and do the same with your other leg. Repeat for 12-15 reps per leg, being sure to engage your abdominals and keep your pelvis centered.

KEEP YOUR HIPS HEALTHY!!

An Idea About Overcoming Food Addiction

2009-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

Jeff Schwartz is a neuropsychiatrist. I've been rereading his book The Mind & The Brain* at the gym. I read it for the first time about a year ago, before I was interested in raw food.
Rereading it with a new perspective has caused a light bulb to go off related to the issue of food addiction. Dr. Schwartz created an approach to treating OCD that had the highest success rate of any treatment ever studied. He also was one of the first people to prove that the human brain can change merely due to focused effort by the individual.
His approach has 4 steps:
- Relabel (recognize that certain thoughts and urges are merely the result of OCD)
- Re-Attribute (realize that OCD symptoms are the result of a faulty circuit in the brain and are not one's true thoughts or feelings)
- Refocus (turn one's attention to other pursuits in the face of difficult to control urges brought on by OCD)
- Revalue (be truly aware that one's OCD urges are not worth succumbing to)

By following this approach OCD patients are able to weaken the previously strong "OCD Circuit" in the brain to the point where OCD becomes increasingly manageable.

Addiction takes on a very similar form to OCD in a different part of the brain. One could even go so far as to say that OCD patients are addicted to succumbing to their urges because that behavior has become so ingrained in their brains. But they are able to change that. And that's why I think food addicts can change their behavior as well.

Applying Dr. Schwartz's OCD Treatment plan to Food Addiction:
- Relabel: Recognize your desire for unhealthy foods (or foods in excess) as merely the result of long time food addiction.

- Re-Attribute: Realize that wanting unhealthy foods is the result of a confused pleasure center in the brain that continues to believe that food will make you happy. It's wrong and you know it!!

- Refocus: When you're craving an unhealthy food or have a sudden desire to eat everything in sight STOP what you're doing. Relabel, Re-Attribute, and most importantly, find something else to do. Go for a walk, play video games, garden, dance, knit, call a friend, go for a drive. Anything that will be engaging enough to help take your mind off of your craving and keep you occupied enough not to give in to the craving.

- Revalue: Realize that you are stronger than your cravings. That your brain is sending you incorrect signals based on short lived pleasure derived from food in the past. That continuing to fight your cravings will only make them weaker as you build a healthier brain.

This was not an easy journey for Dr. Schwart's OCD patients and it's not likely to be an easy one for a recovering food addict either. The refocusing step of this process is the most vital and also the most challenging. Ignoring your cravings, especially when they are at their most intense, can be very difficult. Focusing your attention on something else will not only help distract you from your craving but will also help you build healthier brain connections.

* Schwartz, Jeffrey M. The Mind & The Brain. New York: 2003.

Check out Jeffrey Schwartz's books on Amazon

"Vegan" Does Not Always Equal "Healthy"

2009-01-19T20:06:00.001-08:00

Things that are vegan but are not healthy:
- Wheat flour (bleached, unbleached, "whole wheat", white, or otherwise)
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Agave nectar
- Cacao
- Tofu
- Soy sauce
- Peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter
- Hydrogenated oils
- Crisco
- Cashews
- White rice
- Wheat based breads
- Wheat based pastas
- Turbinado sugar
- "raw" sugar
- table salt
- potatoes
- chips, crackers, "puffs", and other wheat, potato, and corn based snacks
- Margarine
- pasteurized juices
- Soy based fake meat products
- Anything in a can
- Frozen meals
- Meals in a box or cup
- Anything processed

There's more but hopefully you get the point. Cutting out animal products can greatly increase your chances of eating a healthier diet but if you're turning to other unhealthy foods you're just moving from one unhealthy eating pattern to another.

Running: An Update

2009-01-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks I have been incredibly lazy and sluggish and unmotivated. I have gone to the gym maybe about 10 times in the past 3 weeks and have run a total of maybe 5 miles. Most of my gym trips have been on the bike and when I have run it's only been a few miles at a time. I just can't get myself motivated to put in some serious work.
Don't go blaming raw foods for this one either because I've been in this funk for awhile now and my diet isn't correlating with my exercise at all. I actually have done most of my running since being more focused on high raw than I did around Christmas time when I was eating loads of garbage.
I am going to have to blame winter for the funk. This cold weather really gets me down. Well, that's what seasonal affective disorder is all about so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'd much rather sit around eating and playing video games all day than working out and being accomplished. I know that I feel better when I'm actually doing things but it's still difficult to motivate myself.

Personally I find that taking baby steps toward a goal and making consistent small changes is the easiest way for me to accomplish something. When deciding to go high raw and focus on eating 100% raw I started with baby steps. More greens. A salad for lunch. Menu planning. Avoiding sweets for breakfast. Eventually it's easy to be 100% raw because it's not a drastic change.
If I'm going to increase my activity level I need to take baby steps. That's what I was working on before but I've fallen off of this and need to start over yet again. Which brings up another good point. Be consistent!! There's no need to rush into running 5 miles a day but consistently going to the gym everyday, even if just to do 20 minutes on the bike, will bring me closer to my goal than if I decide to skip going to the gym on any given day.
My goal is to do at least 1 half marathon this upcoming summer. I would like to be able to do all of my training at 100% raw though a more practical goal would be do do my training at 80% raw. Not because of calorie or nutritional issues but because food addiction is very difficult to overcome and rushing it will only set me back.

Recipe Time!! Eggplant With Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

2009-01-08T18:16:00.001-08:00

Craving Italian food? This delicious pesto makes a hearty meal over eggplant.

Sauce (makes enough for left overs):

1C pine nuts
1/2C sun-dried tomatoes, soaked
1/4C olive oil
1 clove garlic
1C water

1C basil

Blend all but basil until smooth. Add basil and pulse a few times to break up and combine basil.

Peel one eggplant and dice into bite size pieces. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Place in dehydrator at 115F for 30 minutes to soften.

Dice one tomato. Combine eggplant and tomato in a bowl and top with a generous amount of pesto. Top with roughly chopped basil for presentation.

Yum!!

Low-Glycemic Raw Treats & Trials

2009-01-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

Well, as of the end of today I will have been eating a 100% raw and low-glycemic diet. I'm not going to lie...it hasn't been easy for me so far. I'm not really enticed by many of my food current food choices and it's making the sugar and cooked food cravings especially severe.

Last night I had such a strong craving for a Ben & Jerry's ice cream sundae that I practically had what can only equate to a raw food "crisis of faith". It only lasted about 10 minutes but it was intense and it is nothing short of a miracle that I didn't cave. "10 minutes?!" you may be thinking, "get the hell over it you big wimp!" but that sugar monkey is far from stupid and a lot more than just a nag. She started out saying things like:
"I want an ice cream sundae, I want and ice cream sundae, ben and jerry's, ben and jerry's, ben and jerry's!!!" like a 2 year old throwing a temper tantrum.
But she caught on quick that I wasn't going to give into that sort of banter and started using logic on me.
"You're skinny, you're healthy. Why are you torturing yourself like this? What's so bad about ONE ice cream sundae? Isn't this kind of messed up? Do you have an eating disorder or something? Why can't you just let yourself indulge every once in awhile and eat healthy most of the time when you actually want to? You clearly WANT a ben and jerry's ice cream sundae why not just HAVE one?" This continued for about 10 minutes.
A friend of mine, who eats an incredibly odd diet and has been primarily living off of Swedish Fish for the past 2 days, was with me during this craving and he only added fuel to the sugar monkey's fire. Of course afterward he informed me that he was only playing devil's advocate and wouldn't have allowed me to get a sundae even if I'd let myself cave to my cravings.
I made it through that one and I'm sure I'll be able to make it through other cravings but it can be challenging at times!

On another rather negative note I am still breaking out like a teenage boy hitting puberty. Acne is probably the number 1 eminent health reason for my being raw. I am incredibly self conscious about my acne and haven't been without at least one zit on my face since I hit puberty. I really want this to clear up and I am convinced by all the testimonials that raw food is the way to make this happen. I realize it's only day 7 of my most recent adventure in raw but I've made so many healthy changes in my diet and still nothing!! What the hell?! I'm starting to contemplate a colonic or enema as everyone who has ever had one seems to be singing their praises. It just seems so...fringe. But I imagine it would do wonders on the detox front and that's what I need! So for now I'm a pimply faced raw foodist...not exactly the picture of health.

Good news: (Cuz we all know I need it!) I am back below 130lb for the first time in quite a while!! Woohoo!! This is really exciting for me. This low-glycemic diet is just making the weight melt off.
I do want to be careful not to get too skinny though. A huge problem I have...that I'm sure many many many women have is what can be referred to as "body dysmorphia". Even when I was a size 1 last spring I looked at my thighs and thought they looked big and fat. Other people tell me I looked a little too thin. I was still well with in a healthy BMI range and certainly don't want to get excessively thin.
On the other hand, I know that when eating the proper foods our bodies naturally tend toward our ideal weight. So what if I'm eating a really super healthy, satisfying diet and I end up weighing 110lbs? I'll look like a twig! But I'd be perfectly healthy. And I'd probably be accused of being anorexic or something.
I know of quite a few raw food women who no longer get their periods due to a very low body fat percentage. Are they unhealthy? I don't really know. There's so much conflicting information around that subject.

Anyway...this 100 day raw challenge is sure to be an adventure with lots of ups and downs. If you don't already know about Raw Fu and are interested in learning all about it and seeing Bunny Berry's hilarious raw food vlog I encourage you to check it out!!

Addictive Substance Alert!!

2008-12-30T20:20:00.001-08:00

I just made my first ever Kale chips and let me tell you...WOW!! Even if you're not a raw foodist you will not be able to stop eating these delicious little bites of heaven. I know I already did a recipe this week but you should pull out your dehydrator (or turn your oven to 100 degrees) and give these babies a test run. You'll be hooked. Betcha can't eat just one!

Kale Chips
2 bunches kale (whatever variety you want)
3/4C tahini
1-3T Bragg's
1T apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1/4-3/4C water

Rinse kale well, remove leaves from center stem and break into chip sized pieces (about 1.5 square inches). Blend together all remaining ingredients. Add enough water to make it slightly more runny than ranch dressing but not so runny that it won't stick to the kale. Drizzle dressing over kale and mix together (preferably with your hands) until all kale is well coated.
Lay kale evenly on dehydrator trays or cookie sheets (if using the oven) and dehydrate for 2 hours at 115. Flip kale and rotate tray and dehydrate for an additional 2 or 3 hours. Enjoy! (And try to share...if possible)

Recipe Of The Week! Tomato Soup

2008-12-29T08:12:00.000-08:00

I love tomato soup! This one is low fat and low glycemic. A perfect meal!!

3 large tomatoes, quartered
1C sprouts (clover, alfalfa, or sunflower work best. Use radish or other "zesty" sprout for an extra kick)
1/2 cucumber, roughly chopped
1C fresh basil

Blend all and enjoy. You may want to add a bit of water for your preferred consistency. Add water slowly, about a quarter cup at a time, so as to prevent making it too watery.

Stevia Gets Air Time!!

2008-12-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

This is pretty cool! I saw a commercial for Truvia, a newly FDA approved sweetener made from Stevia. The cool part is that it seems to be an all natural Stevia sweetener and it's hitting the mainstream! Stevia is a naturally low glycemic, low calorie sweet plant used as a sweetener. Natural health foodies have been using this stuff for awhile but there was a lot of pressure on the FDA not to approve it. Why would there be resistance to Stevia? You'll never guess who was resisting...the chemical companies responsible for pumping our "food" full of aspartame and other fake sweeteners that are responsible for all sorts of health problems. Stevia hasn't been linked with any health problems in case anyone was wondering.
Why the hell haven't we been using this natural sweetener for decades now instead of using aspartame? I don't know, capitalism and ignorance and greed make people do stupid things.
I will not be using stevia products during my phase I journey as I think sweeteners in general contribute to sugar addiction, even if they are low glycemic.
I was excited to see this commercial. So...in the future...if you have to have processed gunk, look for processed gunk that uses "Truvia" or another Stevia based sweetener instead of one full of chemicals. Your body will thank you!!

Phase 1 starts January 1st!

2008-12-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

My sugar addiction has got to stop. It is getting way out of control. I believe the only way to put a stop to any addiction (especially a physiological addiction) is to remove the addictive substance for a period of time until the body relinquishes the chemical dependency. Once the addiction has been beat it is okay to slowly and carefully reintroduce the substance in a way that is highly monitored so that the addiction does not return.
How to do this with sugar? Phase I of course!! Phase I of Dr. Gabriel Cousen's diet for optimal health is a very low-glycemic diet which doesn't allow for any fruits or high glycemic vegetables. This diet is primarily designed to kill off all harmful microbes in the system as well as return the internal flora levels to their healthy and natural state. Sugar feeds mircobes, without sugar, they can't thrive. Breaking the sugar addiction cycle is really only a fringe benefit to this diet. But I'm looking forward to any and all benefits that may come my way once I fully embark on this journey.
I have been slowly preparing myself for this the last few days and will be making further changes in the next few days so that by January first I am fully ready to take on a minimum of 30 days of the phase I diet. After the end of the 30 days I will have to take stock of my health and decide whether to continue with phase I or move on to phase 1.5 which allows for certain foods with a medium glycemic level.

I have joined the Raw Fu 100 Day Challenge that begins on January first as well so I will be attempting to eat 100% raw for that length of time. The phase I diet requires 100% raw so that should be strong motivation to stay on track.

Take A Raw Fu Challenge!

2008-12-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

I just joined Raw Fu and one of the things Bunny strongly recommends is doing "before" and "after" photos as part of your challenge experience to have a more tangible example of the changes you've made. So here is mine:

I strongly encourage anyone else looking for a little extra motivation to take a Raw Fu challenge too!

Off the Wagon (Then Back On)

2008-12-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

So I fell off the wagon on Tuesday. But jumped right back on. That's the thing with slip ups, you can't let them bring you down. As the yogis say, you are not your past or your future, the only moment you have is this one. So I'm not going to let something that happened in the past change what I want to do now.
After 10 days of raw food I ate 2 cooked meals and even though they were tasty my body did not feel good after eating them. I feel better on raw. So I'm sticking with raw!
I have started/joined a 30 day raw food challenge with an online friend of mine so hopefully I will be able to stick with that despite the holidays approaching. Good times and joy are better on raw food too. Nothing says "party" like kale salad. YUM!

Tuesday (before eating a huge cooked meal) I went to the gym and could have gone on running forever. Wednesday (the day after the huge cooked meal) I had to force myself to make it through my run. Now it's likely that there were other contributing factors in this but I would not be surprised if my diet had a lot to do with my performance.

So Raw Challenge #2, the 30 day endurance test, is upon us!

Recipe Of the Week! Kale Salad

2008-12-08T17:21:00.001-08:00

Kale salad is a delicious and excellent way to incorporate more greens in your diet and really allows you to express your own personal flare in the kitchen. This is a recipe I used for a salad I brought to a party.

Basic Kale Salad Base:
No matter what you add, you have to start with the basics!
3T olive oil
1/4C lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 inch piece ginger
2 bunches of kale

Blend together all but kale. Clean kale and cut steams out of center of leaves. Rip or chop leaves into bite size pieces. Put kale in a large bowl and drizzle with blended dressing. Incorporate dressing with kale. Let sit in a cool place for a few hours or massage dressing into kale.

Nicole's Kale Salad:
1 kale salad base
2C sunflower sprouts, coarsely chopped
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, diced
2C basil, coarsely chopped

Toss together all ingredients. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!

7 Day Raw Challenge Day 7

2008-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

It's day number 7 and it was SO easy calling it a challenge is almost a little bit ridiculous. SOOO what plans do I have for the future after my 7 day raw "challenge"? I know you're on the edge of your seat just dying to find out.

I'm going to a holiday party tomorrow and that was going to be my big day for breaking the rules. Go to a party, eat the yummy cooked food, live it up. BUT I have decided to scrap that idea. I'm bring apple cookies (Matt Amsden Rawvolution, AMAZING!) and a big kale salad to share/eat so that I can continue to be 100% raw.

My running has been aided by my raw diet I think. Less muscle soarness, more flexibility, faster recovery and less need for whole recovery days. YES, already. Not even a week after starting 100% raw foods. It's ridiculous but true. The main contributing factor here is likely to be that I am more hydrated that usual because raw food is high in water. And I'm drinking more water as well. Once you start focusing on taking yourself with small changes, all the other small changes come more easily!

So...what are my plans now that I've nearly completed my 7 day raw challenge?

THIRTY DAY RAW CHALLENGE!! Can I make it 30 days? Better yet, can I make it into the new year staying 100% raw? You'll just have to wait and see!

7 Day Raw Challenge (Update)

2008-12-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

Today is day 3 and my first two days were SO easy and wonderful! I have been eating 2 big salads a day as well as a big green smoothie and then some extra fruit for snacks.

Yesterday I had a lara bar (a raw treat made with dates and nuts and dehydrated fruits) and an odwalla, only because I needed extra calories and didn't really have time to sit down and gorge on fruit.

I need to be drinking more water, as I know I am not getting nearly enough. Other than that I think I am making excellent improvements in my health and well being.

Aside from eating 100% raw I am also helping to improve the efficency of the elimination of toxins in a number of ways.

I am dry brushing, which involves using a coarse bristled brush all over the body, focusing on the areas of the lymph nodes (behind the knees, under the arm pits, and on the sides of the groin).

I am exposing my body to cold water (first half of shower is warm, not hot, second half of shower is cool, followed by a final rinse in cold water).

I am taking an herbal laxative tea every couple of days in the evening before bed.

I am drinking a salt water cleanse every morning (1 quart water with 2 teaspoons sea salt ingested upon rising, before consuming anything else. Wait at least 1 hour before consuming anything else. This works much like a colonic except it passes through in the natural direction so it is much safer and can be done much more frequently as it will not disturb the natural intestinal flora).

I will be discontinuing, or at least reducing the frequency of the laxative tea and salt water cleanse after the first 7 days of raw.

I'm glad that I am doing so well so far and that I have been able to resist temptation. Of course things are likely to get harder before they get easier as detox symptoms begin to manifest but I am hoping that by helping my body in the elimination process I can mitigate what symptoms may come.

7 Day Raw Challenge!

2008-11-29T04:46:00.000-08:00

As a result of the past several days and my disproportionate consumption of cooked foods I have decided to spend the next week eating nothing but raw foods. I need this gentle detox to feel good again, I am in a poor state of health at the moment.

Symptoms of cooked food:

- dry, itchy lips (linked to wheat consumption)

- sentative lymph nodes

- constipation

- swollen face

- general aches and pains

- dehydration

- muscle stiffness

- dry skin

- acne

- lack of energy

My raw diet will mainly consist of green smoothies, salads, and fresh fruits. I am going to try very hard to eliminate all cacao based foods as well as I think they are having an ill effect for me.

I am also going to be encorporating the master cleanse lemonade, likely as a meal replacement for dinner, in order to help my body detox since the last few days have definitely been hardon my elimination systems.

My running has been negatively effected by my lack of energy so I have only been doing between 2 and 4 miles daily. I'm hoping to see an improvement there as my body detoxifies and healthy foods provide a greater sense of health and well being and more energy.

Agave News

2008-11-25T18:04:00.000-08:00

Recent web buzz about agave has me needing to ammend yesterday's recipe post. My ammendment is simple: DON'T USE AGAVE NECTAR!! The truth has been brought to my attention and it's not looking good for agave. Turns out it's just as highly processed as high fructose corn syrup and you don't have to be a raw foodie or even that interested in health to know just how bad that stuff is.

Interested in learning more? (You should be!) Check out this great information:

http://www.naturalnews.com/024892.html

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/is-there-corn-syrup-in-agave-nectar/

Frozen Chocolate Mylke Shake

2008-11-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

I am a known coffee lover and on the 19th joined a few online raw enthusiast friends in a 30 No Coffee Challenge. My favorite coffee drink of all is a frozen mocha, (soy milk, chocolate sauce, cold brewed coffee, and ice), but this is a BAD food powerhouse (soy is mucus producing, that chocolate sauce is full of chemicals I can't pronounce, and coffee....well you don't even want to get me started on how bad coffee is!)

So since I'm giving up coffee I decided I need to create some kind of healthy delicious substitute. This one was easy and OMG is it delicious. This is better than any frozen mocha I have ever had and it's SO much better for you too!!

Frozen Chocolate Mylke Shake

9 ice cubes (I don't have a high speed blender so I put them in a bag and whack them a bit to break them up before putting them in the blender)

1C almond mylke (homemade is best but there are good organic ones on the market, they're just not raw)

1/4C cacao powder (or substitute carob powder for an even healthier alternative)

1/4C agave nectar (raw honey or maple syrup will work well too)

1tsp spirulina powder (optional)

Throw it all in a blender and blend until smooth! I like to drink this with a straw in true cafe style :D

You can also add half of a banana to make a creamier version!

Running On Cooked

2008-11-22T06:55:00.000-08:00

I am severely financially limited this week. College loans are apt to do that to a person every once in a while. So my ability to purchase fresh produce has been put on hold. I am forced to eat cooked foods in the mean time. I am sticking with whole vegan foods but have already felt a difference in my health.

My diet is primarily 2 meals a day, organic raw oats with organic raisins, agave, and cinnamon soaked in warm water and organic brown rice with organic kidney beans for dinner.

My first symptom was severely chapped lips. There are 2 kinds of chapped lips, one resulting from dehydration and the other resulting from an allergic reaction. This is the kind resulting from an allergic reaction. They just feel different and if you've ever had dry lips as a result of something you've eaten you know what it's like.

My second symptom is a runny nose and increased mucus. This is a BAD symptom for a runner because all the mucus comes up during a workout.

Another symptom I'm suffering from is heartburn and acid reflux. Burping up stomach acid is not a pleasant occurance for anyone!

My last symptom is probably an obvious one. Things aren't running as smoothly as they should along my digestive tract. I'm feeling a bit blocked up.

I'm thinking about reducing the amount of food I eat while I'm forced to live off of cooked food and substitute a spoon full of molasses and master cleanse lemonade for my first meal.

An Introduction (Sorry, it's a long one!)

2008-11-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

In college I was overweight, out of shape, stressed, addicted to caffeine, dependant on alcohol, and depressed. I'd been a "lazy" vegetarian since I was 12, started eating chicken in college because it was easier and everyone else was doing it.

I had started running casually around my senior year of high school and continued to do so in college. By "casually" I mean I had no set schedule and probably averaged about 5 miles a week.

I started seeing a psychologist in college as well, my depression was pretty severe. As soon as I started to see progress with my sessions I stopped going and primarily depended on college party life to keep my spirits raised.

My senior year of college I moved into an apartment off campus and my eating improved and I started to lose weight and get a little healthier. I was in my first ever serious relationship and thought I was doing much better.

After college my boyfriend and I moved into a house together and away from the few friends I had left from college. Depression crept up on me and before I knew it I was severely depressed again. I started to see a psychologist again but things weren't really improving. My depression was greatly compounded by my father committing suicide and my boyfriend kicking me out of the house shortly thereafter.

At 22 I moved back in with my mother and sister and felt like my life was going nowhere. My depression was getting the better of me. My physician prescribed anti-depressants but before they had a chance to start helping me I got a lot worse and my mother dragged me to the emergancy room. She'd just lost my father to depression, she was terrified of losing me too.

My anti-depressant dosage was increased exponentially and I was assigned to a psychiatrist.

Things started to improve but I could tell my lack of depression was only due to the pills and wasn't a real feeling of happiness and contentment.

During this time I was working at a bookstore. I started reading a lot about neuropsychology, a subject I had become interested in during college. I also started reading about health.

I started running every day and became a strict vegan.

My health improved drastically and I started to realize that I didn't need the pills. I weened myself slowly and carefully off of my anti-depressants and was filling my time with positive activities outside of my two jobs. I stopped going to my psychiatrist.

I was doing really well until I started a new job and started spending time with a new crowd. My healthy eating was increasing infultrated by junk food and running was put off for hanging out and playing video games.

It took me 4 months to pull myself out of that downward spiral and realize that I need to surround myself with more positive and like minded people in order to be able to more easily stick to the things that are important to me.

I am currently running everyday and eating a primarily raw vegan diet. I've realized that a sense of balance is key. I have stopped denying myself "bad" foods when I want them but encourage myself to make healthier choices whenever I can.

This blog will be documenting my journey with running and raw food as well as how both of these aspects lead to greater mental and physical health.