Smoothie # 1

This is my favorite smoothie.  Not a pink beer the one may have thought. It replaces me the taste and the texture of creamy yogurt. And it has such a nice light pink color like a strawberry shake.

Ingredients:

• Bananas
• Cranberries
• a bit of water

Blend everything. Enjoy!

The Salad #1

The are billions of variations how you can make your fruit salad. My only guideline is taste. Thou there is a view that combining sweet and sour fruits is not so good idea, I like it. So ingredients for your inspiration are:

• Mango
• Persimmon
• Banana
• Kiwi

Feel free to add another fruits!

What I eat

My diet varies depending on what are the seasonal fruits. Here is my FitDay record of January 22.

Total: 2300 calories

Breakfast:

Most popular thing in my morning menu is Cassaba/ Honeydew melon. It is not so calorie dense, but tasty and quite cheap now. I can eat approximately 3.7 lbs of it in one mono meal.

Lunch:

Bananas are there every day, 2.6 lbs in average. Eaten sepparately, in fruit salad or in smoothie. Then there are some citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines and pummelos which are juicy and help to get rid of super sweet banana taste. I eat them in tangerine mono meals or fruit salad.

Dinner:

Firstly, I always have some sweet fruits, like persimmons or make “porridge” from sprauted wheat and blended bananas + cranberries.

Then the vegetable bowl comes. Tomatoe, cucumber, pepper, sometimes avocado, some pumkin seeds or nuts. Always followed by leafy greens – spinach (almost every day) and different types of lettuce.

Sometimes I drink fresh orange and carrot juices. For snacking – dried dates and figs.

Drinks: water it is! 1,5 l every day.

Ten days on Low Fat Raw Vegan diet. Review

I have no overweight. Was eating more or less healty before. Doing some running and other sports. I wasn't waiting for any great results from this diet. Still it happened.

Lets start with good news

1. I lost 6.6 lbs (my bad news, since now I'm considered underweight by most BMI (body mass index) calculators)

2. No more stomach aches (I had this painfull feeling of too full stomach especially at night)

3. Dandruff disappeared (I had dry scalp skin)

4. Better face skin (yet not completely clear)

5. No constipation (You have one, if had no bowel movements for 1 day)

6. Necessity for more fresh air

7. Stronger nails

8. More energy (feeling of pure happiness)

Not very good news

1. I lost 6.6 lbs (now I'm considered underweight by most BMI (body mass index) calculators)

Working on this to get muscle mass, not the fat. Sports.

2. My calorie intake is lower then I need (2000 a day, while I need 2500 +)

Stretching my stomach. 2.2 lbs of melon are only around 300 cals. So the amounts of fruits are a bit larger then those of cooked food with the same caloric value.

3. Social aspect. When you go raw, you shoud be mentaly prepared to withstand all discussions about how extreme, bad and unhealthy this diet is. They will happen in your family, at work, at meetings with your friends. Even in the shop, when buying 37.4 lbs of bananas. No more pizza parties or dining out (ok, you can have your raw smoothy). Tough but yet worth it.

Nuts. Myths and Legends

1. Nuts are rich in protein

The common vegetarian and vegan mistake is considering nuts to be the best source of protein. Nuts contain 70-87% of fats and only 5-10% of protein. The best are almonds with 13 % of protein. It means, whenever you eat them in order to increase your protein intake, you increase fat intake dramatically. Even though these fats are considered healthy, fat is fat, and too much of it will lead to health problems related with excess fat. Alternatively:

• Mung Beans (mature seeds, raw) contain 3% of fat, 24% of protein and 73% of carbs
• Raw spinach contains 12% of fat, 32% of protein and 56% of carbs
• Raw broccoli contains 9% of fat, 25% of protein and 66% of carbs

2. Nuts should be avoided if you want to lose weight

Because they are high in fat, nuts are high in calories. However, if you can restrain yourself from overeating, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts have a low glycaemic index which means, they keep blood sugar levels steady and leave you fuller for longer after eating them. Studies have shown that they do not cause weight gain as long as the calories are controlled. Consequently, eating a handful of nuts will help to curb appetite and serve as healthy snacks.

3. Nuts contain fats, which are not good for health

Although the major nutrients in nuts are fats, these are special fats. Unlike animal products, nuts have no cholesterol and contain only tiny amounts of saturated fat. Instead, nuts have lots of mono- and polyunsaturated fats that may help protect the heart. Nuts are also good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant. They are also rich in B vitamins, and minerals; Brazil nuts are particularly high in selenium, the mineral that’s been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. And nuts are an excellent source of fiber, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

4. Peanut alergy = alergy to any nut

Botanical classification - “Nuts are one-seeded fruits that have a dry, tough outer layer — and they grow on trees”. ¹

While peanuts have a tough outer shell like true nuts, they are actually legumes (members of the bean and pea family of plants, which grow in the ground). However, the technical distinction does have one important practical aspect: Most people who are allergic to peanuts can safely eat tree nuts.

Source:

1http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Nuts_and_your_health_Cracking_old_myths.htm

Turn Your Cancer Off

After reading Dr. Douglas Graham's book The 80/10/10 DietI was amazed and shocked. It is obvious, raw fruits and vegetables have all vitamins we need, and eating them a lot will improve our health. However, before that, I was (as the most people) thinking, that meat also is good for you. Why? Because it contains protein! Which is “very” important for our health. However, if asked, how much protein do we need, I would be confused as the most meat eaters.

So, The 80/10/10 Dietopened my eyes on the proportions of macronutritients (fats, carbohydrates, proteins), but the The China Studyby T. Colin Campbell is a sensation in cancer treatment. Briefly, it describes experiments on how protein infuences development of cancer.

It was discovered, that 20% of animal protein made cancer grow, while 5% of animal protein made it decrease. Whereas plant protein didn't couse such an effect and was not developing cancer even with 20% of use. The conclusion Dr. Campbell made was that cancer can be turned on and off depending on how much animal protein you consume.

Melon belly

I'm pregnant... with a MELON :) For lunch I ate 1 kilo and I'm so full. If you want to be Raw, you should train your stomach i.e. stretch it. Only then you will be able to reach your daily calories. Great for those who love to eat a lot!