100 Days Raw Food - Summary

This 100 days raw food summary is a short version of the full diary notes, which are available here: Introduction and Diary Notes. Also worth reading are: Raw Food on a Budget Conclusions. This challenge begun on Monday the 3rd October 2011.

Raw, dehydrated sweet potato cakes. Recipe given on day 43.

Topics Discussed in the Introduction

• On my previous 7-day, 22-day and 18-day raw food trials I found out that I spend less money on foods when eating raw.
• The final daily average cost on this diet was £7.80/ day ($12.49, €9.59).
• The immediate savings on raw foods seem to come from: bringing lunch to work, eating out less often, not buying alcohol, not buying ready meals, eating dairy much less often (only when it's raw and unpasteurised), not buying bread and eggs, not buying seafood, ordering in bulk from the internet instead of health food shops, producing food at home (sprouts, kefir, etc.), overcoming cravings and addictions (eating less but more mineralised food).
• It has been said that a 7-day raw food challenge is enough to experience more mental clarity and begin losing weight, whereas a 30-day raw food challenge, when done correctly, is able to set new habits, get people off certain medications (notably insulin), increase energy, and improve looks and concentration in general.
• This diet was to test out how many benefits I could experience from eating raw foods for a quarter of a year. If the benefits wouldn't be good enough, I would decide that the diet is not for me.
• Key to developing a raw food lifestyle - albeit on a budget - is to make it comfortable and enjoyable.
• I had been slowly transitioning to raw foods for two years before this diet experiment.
• Heavy, fatty foods seem to make me crave cooked foods and alcohol.
• To succeed with a raw food diet, it is important to: 1) prepare and drink a large green vegetable & apple juice every morning, 2) prepare plenty of raw food in advance and carry snacks with you, 3) make sure to transition at a comfortable speed.... gradually and slowly.
• Excercise is important for health but not necessary to feel the benefits of raw foods.
• My biggest challenge to sticking raw foods at this point in time is 'laziness': difficulty in planning and preparing food in advance, difficulty in making sure that I eat enough and don't spend too much money, etc.
• Raw food benefits seem to be as much about what you are NOT eating as they are about what you are eating.
• It is surprisingly a lot harder to stick to the raw food diet during the weekend than during weekdays, as my daily rhythm is less orderly.
• As long as I'm not hungry cravings are easy to beat.
• I'm actually starting to enjoy parties and cafes without eating or drinking! I feel like I get more out of conversations and am more conscious of the ways of people around me.
• Some emotional anxieties seem to come up sometimes, which are typically related either to emotional eating or to body detoxifying toxins, emotions and trauma. When such negative vibes or emotional challenges appear (feeling irritable or feeling down, etc.) it is best to go to sleep early and sleep through these, or to take a hot bath, or do something physically straining.
• By now I've learned to concentrate at work without tea or coffee.

Week 1 on the Raw Food Diet

Week 1: Average spent per day: £8.70 ($13.93, €10.69)

During two days of preparation for this challenge, I drank plenty of green juice, ate raw green soups, and ate lots of fruit. I also ate jelly coconuts (young coconuts). I stopped drinking caffeine (green tea) also.

Day 1

Very hungry.
Feeling restless in the afternoon at work, craving green tea and starchy carbohydrates.
It was easy to get through the day since I allowed myself to indulge on fatty foods.
Weight: 57kg (9 stones/ 126 pounds).
Had a fair amount of protein this day, from greens, nuts and seeds.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, green juice, smoothies, fruit, cashew nuts, raw pasta.

Day 2

Felt very good today.
Woke up before the alarm clock.
Good energy levels throughout the day.
Other raw foodists say that large quantities of greens and sprouts can give you brilliant energy. I've been eating plenty of them for four days and am feeling energetic.
Had more greens and less fruit for breakfast which seemed to keep me full for longer.
Struggling with trying to spend less money on food.
Had a fair amount of protein this day, from greens, nuts and seeds.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, smoothies, plantain, fruit, almonds, raw pasta. No hot drinks.

Day 3

Slight headache, sore throat, feeling of a cold coming (in the afternoon).
Felt quite irritable all day.
Later note: I ate carrots and celery for breakfast this morning which I later found out I had a food intolerance to. Rapid heartbeat and irritability were my typical symptoms for carrot intolerance, and the feelings of a cold and weakness my typical symptom of celery intolerance.
Probably had enough protein but not sure.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, green juice and smoothies (with carrots and celery), fruit, berries, raw green soup.

Day 4

Woke up at 4.30am, feeling that I'd slept enough, but went back to sleep.
Felt a bit lazy today (maybe a carrot intolerance symptom from the day before).
I didn't have enough breakfast.
Raw nori rolls with unsoaked pumpkin seed pate felt like a too heavy dinner. It seemed difficult to digest and seemed to just 'sit' in my belly for hours making me feel uncomfortable. Dry and heavy dish with lots of fiber from daikon radish (used as rice-substitute), as well as pumpkin seeds and cashew nuts.
Later note: I found out that eating too much fiber generally caused many problems for me.
Food and drink: green smoothies (with carrots), almonds, fruit, nori rolls.

Day 5

Returned to drinking green tea, it seemed to suppress hunger during the day. But it caused me to have an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, a numb mouth with no taste, and made me generally feel tense (especially in the neck, teeth and head), and have a slight headache.
Later note: It's very dangerous to suppress hunger with caffeine in order to eat less.
Felt like eating 'endless amounts' of food in the evening.
Felt tired in the evening.
Later note: Ate raw broccoli this day which should be avoided because it can suppress thyroid function.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, smoothies, three green teas, nori rolls, raw pasta with nutritional yeast and nuts.

Day 6

Felt very energetic all day but not problem falling asleep at midnight.
Ate raw dairy cheese. The added calories, fat, and protein in easy-to-digest form may have helped me feel stronger.
Had celery in green juice, which I found out later I had a food intolerance to.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, raw processed snack bars, olives, green juices (including celery), smoothie, lemon water.
No caffeine today.

Day 7

Slight diarrhea, could be detox or from eating too much raw vegetable fiber.
Slept a lot the night before, felt groggy upon waking up. A walk outside and green juice perked me up.
Green juice really seems to help with cravings.
Lots of mucus in my throat, probably because of the dairy cheese the day before.
Later note: I maybe wasn't getting enough calories during this diet and the cheese may have helped.
Later note: You cannot know what's in so-called raw snack bars or whether they are really raw since the word 'raw' is not regulated.
I gave up on the idea of eating only fruit for carbs, and will include gluten free sprouted grains/seeds: millet, oat groats and quinoa. These are brilliant for low-budget raw food eating.
Today I got protein from oats, greens, sweet potato, cheese, and cashew nuts.
This week I've been eating quite high fat: lots of olive oil, nuts and cheese.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, raw oat porridge, vegetable juice (with celery), dehydrated sweet potato cakes, raw unpasteurized cheese, one green tea, processed raw food snack bar, green juice.

Raw Foods, Week 2

Week 2: Average spent per day: £6.42 ($10.28, €7.89)

Day 8

My calorie intake this day was close to a fruitarian ideal: 80/10/10, carbs/protein/fat. This may be too little fat and protein, however. Total 2300 kcal.
Raw oat groats and millet for carbs seemed to keep hunger very well, and helped me not rely on fruit alone.
Raw beetroot caused some stomach ache and gas.
Today being raw felt very easy.
Ate carrots, which I later found out I was intolerant of.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, green juice, raw oat porridge, one cup of green tea, vegetable juice, one processed raw snack bar, sprouted millet salad, raw plantain.

Day 9

I got 1700 kcal today, too few calories.
57% carbohydrates, 37% fat, 6% protein. Too much fat, probably too little protein.
No caffeine today.
Feeling of hunger started changing, it felt different from a cooked food hunger. It was easy to go without eating much this day.
Stomach acting up and slight headache.
Food and drink: Green juice, smoothie, dried apricots, mixed nuts, raw soup.

Day 10

Only 1400 kcal eaten all day, too little.
58% carbohydrates, 33% fat, 9% protein - too much fat.
I wasn't hungry and didn't feel like eating at dinner time.
Felt very moody and slightly depressed in the evening - this may have been due to detox but more likely because I ate too few calories and most of the calories I did eat were from fats. For best results, majority of calories should come from carbohydrates, in my experience.
Food and drink: Green juice, smoothie, mixed nuts, plantain, salad.
No caffeine today.

Day 11

1300 kcal - way too little.
52% carbohydrates, 43% fat, 5% protein - too much fat, too little protein.
Went back to drinking green tea, which - combined with too few calories - is a recipe for disaster.
Food and drink: Smoothies, two green teas, raw pasta.

Day 12

Woke up hungry because of the big dinner yesterday, eaten late.
I felt at this point surprised about how easy it was to train myself to eat very little. Although I had a need to snack.
Later note: The brain needs energy, eating too little is not a good idea.
Later note: The many green teas most likely suppressed my hunger this day and I ended up malnourished.
It is easy to overeat 'addictive' foods, especially starchy, refined and processed carbohydrates.
The 'normal' hunger seems to be nothing more than craving of addictive foods. But I still should have eaten more of good foods these days.
I'm still battling an addiction to green tea.
At this point of the diet the initial excitement begins to fade and boredom starts to set in. Dreaming of drinking wine.
Benefits so far are subtle but I feel happy, am losing weight, I feel it's easier to concentrate at work and I don't get as tired.
Only slept five hours the night before but felt fine during the day.
Later note: It would be better to sleep a lot at the beginning of a new cleansing diet, to avoid problems.
My menstrual period started in the evening, almost in sync with the full moon.
Later note: Things that could have been improved on this raw food diet: be caffeine free, eat more easy-to-digest calories, sleep more to allow the body to rebalance and cleanse, eliminate allergy-causing foods (celery and carrots in my case), and drink more green juices.
Food and drink: 3.5 green teas, smoothies, fruit juice, fruit, green juice (with carrot), mixed nuts.

Day 13

I think I got enough calories this day but too many from fat.
Very little menstrual pain, almost none at all. (I usually suffer from severe pain.) Some tiredness and bloatedness only. A major benefit of the raw food diet and a small miracle!
Went to bed a 2am, not tired, but no problem falling asleep.
Later note: Starting a day with nuts and green tea does not prepare you for the day. I generally ate too heavy food this day.
Craving wine badly in the evening. Lack of green juices and lack of regular eating times makes the cravings strong.
Food and drink: Four green teas, nuts, smoothie, raw banoffee pie (bought from Wholefoods), unpasteurised raw dairy cheese.

Day 14

Weight: 54 kg (8.5 stones, 119 lbs).
I'm almost at my ideal weight now and don't want to lose anymore weight.
I didn't have any dinner.
Food and drink: Four green teas, smoothies, cashew nuts, half a grapefruit, berries, raw dairy cheese, lemon water.

Week 3 on Raw Foods

Week 3: Average spent per day: £8.68 ($13.90, €10.67)

Day 15

Weight: 52kg - my ideal weight (8.2 stones, 115 lbs). I lost 5 kg in two weeks.
If I lose anymore weight I will be below my teenage weight (I am 32 years old now).
Food and drink: Green juice, smoothie, nuts, lemon juice, salad, fruit.
No tea or caffeine.

Day 16

Woke up tired.
I had good energy levels today [but drank a lot of caffeine, so fake energy that will result in tiredness later].
Slight diarrhea, some spots on my skin. I usually get spots from eating a lot of dairy.
Workdays do seem to go faster, perhaps a side-effect of being able to concentrate better.
Ate celery, which I later found out I was intolerant of.
Food and drink: Green juice, four green teas, fruit, smoothie, salad, nuts, lemon water.

Day 17

Woke up tired at 6.30am, probably because of green tea yesterday, no iron supplement, and having gone to bed late, at 1am.
Later note: Green tea makes me much more tired in the mornings.
Notes for the rest of the day missing - I remember that I was at points struggling to find time to write this diary while also working and calculating budgets for each meal.
I think that I was under a lot of stress at this point, considering the money worries as well.
Food and drink: Smoothies, salads, nuts, fruit, berries, four green teas, sparkling water.

Day 18

This morning my face looked puffy and wrinkly. I later discovered the puffiness was a symptom of inflammation, which was probably caused by the cheese I ate on Day 17. Some people can tolerate raw cheese better but the fact that I don't seem to tolerate it well points to a pathogen hiding in my body, perhaps aspergillus mold, perhaps candida, ebstein barr virus or another bacteria/virus 'stealth infection'.

I have also been having spots and my skin is in worse shape than usual. This could be due to detox or because of less than ideal diet and lifestyle.
Feel well generally, however.
Drank pasteurized 'Naked' juice.
I'm too lazy to prepare food at times, so this night for example went hungry with no dinner.
Getting used to eating out with people. Today at a Vietnamese restaurant I had a chilli salad, but if there was no raw food on the menu could have just had sparkling water and bananas instead.
I'm starting to get past the 'boredom' phase and into the phase where this way of eating becomes a habit, it's becoming automatic.
I don't feel self-conscious about drinking my smoothies or talking about the raw food diet at work anymore. Some people laugh, some get inspired - but almost no-one has heard about it before or knows what it is.
Smoothies, salad, 'Naked' pasteurized juice, four green teas, fruit, olives, 'Naked' raw cereal bars (processed).

Day 19

Unfortunately I lost the notes for this day, I only know that I stayed raw and had a smoothie for breakfast.

Day 20

My skin has spots and blocked pores from eating too much dairy and fat.
Unfortunately I lost the notes for this day, but I know that I stayed raw, and had a smoothie, 2 green teas and two types of raw cheese during the day. The last part of the day is missing.
Later note: I later found out that quitting dairy cleared my cough and mucus in the throat.

Day 21

Food and drink: raw porridge, raw apple pancakes with raw cashew kream and raw jam, raw pizza.

Week 4 - Beginning of the Juice Fast

Week 4: Average spent per day: £8.07 ($12.92, €9.92)

Day 22

I got a headache and a tired feeling straight after eating a salad.
Food and drink: Smoothie, fruit juice, salad, almonds, three green teas, raw pizza.

Day 23

Flu-like symptoms in the afternoon, as well as diarrhea.
In the evening felt extremely irritable, impatient, and unable to concentrate. I could not focus on having a conversation, I just wanted to relax, be quiet and sleep it off. Like waves of anger and anxiety starting in my stomach and moving up. I think it was emotional detox. It was different from my normal emotions, especially since the feeling was still there the next morning.

Later note: Although this could have been emotional detox with hindsight I think it was caused by gut problems. Gut health is very closely linked with neurotransmitters, emotions and therefore it is called the 'second brain'. By now I had eaten a less-than-ideal diet for a while, with too few calories. I later realized that green teas could cause the flu-like symptoms. I also found out I had histamine intolerance (which is also linked to gut health) and therefore both green tea and lots of spinach eaten could have caused a histamine reaction (which in my case includes flu-like symptoms, feeling cold, achy muscles, fatigue and irritability/anxiety). However, since I had diarrhea as well I think at least part of the problem was too much fiber eaten. I have a problem digesting huge amounts of insoluble fiber (fruit is fine as it's soluble fiber) and even though it took me a while to find out, the symptoms seem to have been there ever since my first raw food trial and possibly even before.

In addition, although less likely, the problem could have been that I was eating too much cold foods. Anxiety can also be a problem of to little energy. All and all on this diet I would probably have benefited from eating more fruit and berries, even if the quality available was not always the best (e.g. a bit unripe).

Food and drink: Iron supplement, smoothie, three green teas, melon, dried figs, raw rice and raw sauce, green juice.

Day 24

Since the day before I started feeling gradually worse. It comes and goes in waves.
Slept 5-6 hours, felt very tired in the morning.
Upon waking up, I felt anxious and angry, whereas I normally never wake up like that, even if I had been arguing the night before.
A very physical feeling of restlessness and anger in my chest.
Blocked nose, sore throat, and a headache from early morning.
I felt tired at work and at 9.30pm, my sinuses felt infected and I had a blocked nose, headache, a stiff neck and loose stools.
Later noter: A salt water enema would have been extremely helpful for me at this point if these were detox symptoms.
Later note: I am of two minds whether these were real detox symptoms or not. They could be linked to blood sugar imbalances or something else.
Later note: I had very little protein on this and the following day and was possibly starting to feel the effect of long-term protein deficiency. Cutting out wheat and dairy cut out a fair bit of protein from the diet which has to be replaced by something else.
Weeks or months on a raw food diet is a long time, believe me, so no amount of will power will be enough to succeed. Instead you must find a way for yourself to enjoy the process and to be excited about it. Only then can you succeed.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, smoothie, 5 green teas, dried figs, fruit, mixed nuts, raisins, lemon juice.

Day 25

Felt much more upbeat this morning, not much sign of illness anymore, although last night I was feeling quite rough.
Tonsil stones in my throat are clearing but not completely gone yet.
Some tiredness and flu-like symptoms during the day.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, lime juice, smoothies, raisin and nut mix, four green teas, lemon juice, olives, fiber-rich pumpkin rice and raw sauce.

Day 26

Minor detox symptoms, flu-like and detox stools.
Felt tired in the morning and little bit through the day.
Payday, can start spending a little more money on food now.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, fruit, smoothies, five green teas, raw buffalo cheese, fiber-rich pumpkin 'rice' with raw sauce, olives.

Day 27 - First Day of Juice Fast

First day of juice fast.
Had a good, deep sleep, woke up at midday feeling well-rested.
Cravings for grapefruit juice, drinking it made me feel more balanced.
Only live, freshly-squeezed juices drunken today.
Unfortunately I juiced a lot of carrots during this juice fast, which I later found out I was intolerant of.
Cravings for all sorts of foods, from chocolate bars to pasta and raw foods, like olives and cake... but no hunger all day.
I worry slightly whether I'm getting enough protein and salts [the only protein source was greens, and I also got no fats].
No bowel movement today.
Feels a bit as if mucus in my throat and nose might be clearing.
No food. Drinks: Iron supplement, green juice (including carrots), fruit juice, lemon water.

Day 28

Weight: 52kg (8.2 stones, 115lb)
I can't believe how easy it is to do a juice fast.
I don't feel hungry! Even quitting caffeine yesterday was extremely easy, although I do let myself sleep a lot since I took a week off work to do this juice fast.
Slight flu-like symptoms, very slight headache, ears and head feel congested.
Slight feelings of discomfort here and there, e.g. some muscle ache, but it disappears quickly.
Midday: Have a headache and feel quite tired. Grapefruit juice helped.
Went to a pub with friends later and drank 2.5 bottles of sparkling water. Towards closing time (11pm) I started feeling a little weak and ill, probably I needed another juice for energy.
Had one bowel movement today.
I drank celery juice today, which I later found out I was intolerant of, and which typically caused flu-like symptoms and muscle-weakness in my body.
No food. Drinks: Iron supplement, green juice, fruit juice, sparkling water.

Week 5 - Live Juice Fast

Week 5: Average spent per day: £8.82 ($14.12, €10.84)

Day 29 - Third Day of Live Juice Fast

Not tired at all. Probably because the caffeine withdrawal is complete.
No food. Drinks: Iron supplement, green juice, fruit juice, lemon water.
Had some celery (juice), an allergy-causing food for me.

Day 30

15-hour dry fast period over night.
Craving food.
My weight is 51kg today, so I weigh officially less than in my teenage years now. I hope I put some weight back on after the juice fast.
I had two bowel movements, drank 'laxatee' (herbal laxative tea).
I don't have explosive energy of feeling of lightness like some fasters say they feel. But I do get some subtle nice feelings of 'energy building up' or internal 'shivers' - not quite sure how to describe the feelings.
No food. Drinks: Green juice (with celery), iron supplement, two 'laxatee' herbal teas with senna, pasteurized coconut water, fruit juice, lemon and ginger tea.

Day 31

I am at 50kg now (7.9 stones or 110lb) - I think I'm pushing the boundaries of what is healthy.
My Body-mass index (BMI) is 19.29, which is meant to be on the skinnier end of a healthy weight spectrum.
Blocked nose, coated tongue.
Coming out of a hot bath I suddenly felt weak. Drank some juices and felt fine again.
My stomach feels like it is being sucked inwards. It is very flat.
No food. Drinks: Lemon juice, strong lemon and ginger tea, senna tea (laxative), iron supplement, fruit juice, water with rock salt, spirulina, vegetable juice (with carrots), green and beetroot juice.

Day 32

Day six of live juice fast.
No food. Drink: Iron supplement, fruit juice, green juice, many herbal (caffeine-free) teas.

Day 33 - Last Day of Juice Fast

Last day of juice fast and 1/3 through the raw food diet!
I wasn't restricting the amounts of juice drunken, and perhaps if I had, I would have gotten more energy and feelings of 'lightness' that others report when fasting.
This morning in the bath I got this feeling of something like 'sparks' inside my upper body, they felt like fresh (slightly cold) energy bursts at a very small scale. Exactly like little energy sparks. It felt very nice and so alive.
My bones keep making small cracking noises and it feels like something is getting loosened, in a good way. It feels quite nice, as if my body is becoming more flexible and clearing some jammed up joints.
No foods. Drinks: Fruit juice, iron supplement, green juice, lemon and ginger tea.

Day 34

Broke the fast with an apple, a tomato, some tea and red grapes. Had lots of energy.
Foods and drink: Fruit, tomato, iron supplement, lemon water, berries with maple syrup, lemon and ginger tea, courgette (zucchini) raw 'pasta' with raw sauce.
Eyes red in the evening > an intolerance to cherry tomatoes or dates? Or a reaction to sugary maple syrup? Dehydration symptom in response to having eaten too much insoluble fiber? Or the salt in olives or raw pasta sauce?

Day 35

Slept quite badly.
Eyes are red and puffy.
Later note: Chinese doctor told me that both red eyes and red face (in my case) are linked to liver weakness. I realized later that liver gets weak from dehydration, among other things. Too much fiber causes dehydration (in my case), whereas sugar, alcohol, tiredness and dehydrating things cause my eyes to go more red. Perhaps I also didn't drink enough water coming off the juice fast.
Weight is back up again a bit, which is good: 52 kg.
Food and drink: Smoothie, iron supplement, nuts, olives, raisins, lemon and ginger tea, raw 'pasta' with raw sauce.

Week 6 on a Raw Food Diet

Week 6: Average spent per day: £8.98 ($14.38, €11.04)

Day 36

Caffeine free day. Not having caffeine makes me have a lot more energy. I highly recommend for everyone to give up caffeine. Links to related articles.
Started doing 'trauma release exercises' and writing a diary on them.
Nature looked very beautiful today, which is definitely a sign of higher vibrating energy. Negative ionizers seem to have this effect also.
I had a little Brandy in my raw chocolate cake today (alcohol).
No allergens (tomato, celery, carrots, preservatives, etc. eaten today).
Food and drink: Iron supplement, smoothie, salad, mixed nuts, caffeine-free herbal teas, raw dairy cheese, dehydrated sweet potato, raw chocolate cake, dates.

Day 37

Worked late and was very tired from sitting in front of the computer so long.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, smoothie, mixed nuts, fruit, caffeine-free tea, salad (had carrot in it), dehydrated sweet potato, raw dairy cheese.

Day 38

Long day at the office again, just took a bath and went to bed when I got home.
Food and drink: raw oat porridge, redbush tea, fruit, green juice (with celery), 'Naked' processed raw snack bar, raw chocolate cake (had Brandy), olives.

Day 39 - One Day Full-Moon Juice Fast

Apparently the full moon puts a great strain on your body so it is good to fast.
Had red eyes and headache, most likely because of food intolerance. I had a juice that had tomato, carrots and celeriac (relative of celery) in it, all of which I am intolerant of.
Juice fasting while at work. All juices I drank this day were pasteurized, not raw.
Drinks: Pasteurized vegetable and fruit juices.

Day 40

I had some organic wine today, the alcohol tasted much stronger than ever before in wine.
The wine had a foul impact on me, I didn't enjoy it and felt like my energy vibrations were low the next day. My skin became worse and my cough worsened.
I think the alcohol I had this day was a major reason for why I fell of the diet the next day and decided to take cheat days.
Wrote: Long-term alcohol detox benefits.
Food and drink: raw chocolate cake, smoothies, salad, organic white wine, sparkling water.

Six Cheat Days

After the juice fast I started feeling increasing cravings for cooked foods, e.g. pasta, potatoes, wine.
Later note: These cravings may have been caused by a deficiency, an imbalance or by food intolerance reactions. Or it could have been that I was stressed out about my lifestyle, not treating my taste buds enough, or in need of some quick-reward brain energy/ feel-good hormones, which both wine and starchy carbohydrates can give.
Is it important to treat yourself to unhealthy foods sometimes to reduce cravings, or do they just serve to cause an addiction reaction and a binge?
When you resist things they gain power.
I thought a little bit of organic wine on a raw food diet would be fine but it gave me a mental hangover the following day (and tiredness) and made me crave heavy foods the next day. It definitely threw me off balance.
Since I ate cooked foods I felt more tired, more irritable, and riding a bicycle felt a lot harder. I began to have nightmares. Skin is in worse condition, I spend more money, my stomach is getting slighly less flat.
I enjoy the smells of the cooked foods more than eating them. I don't enjoy the cooked foods that much, more the social benefits that come with them.
There are subconscious emotional reasons for wanting to eat, there are many foods which act as stimulants and there are the beautiful smells of cooked food. But the taste of cooked food itself is not that enjoyable, just as the taste of cigarettes and alcohol are not, you just think they are while addicted. [And the actual good flavours, such as spices and herbs, are the same (or better) in raw foods as they are in cooked foods.]
Challenges to sticking to a raw food diet: It can be difficult to find exciting raw treats in town, when others are having treats. The diet can be expensive. It can also be challenging to make sure one eats enough and gets all the necessary nutrients in bioavailable form.
The first day I ate cooked food I quickly felt an urge to drink a smoothie! Egg and toast breakfast did not satisfy my hunger! My belly felt full but my body felt hungry for refreshing nutrients.
I began to understand this cooked food 'addiction' more and I understood that my cravings were not so much for 'extremely nice' cooked foods as they were for quick fix junk foods. Later note: Seems like I wasn't eating enough or often enough, I didn't have enough healthy foods and snacks prepared or available. Alternatively, I might have been protein deficient and craved for wheat and cheese for protein reasons, for example.
A little bit of clean alcohol (e.g. spirits) might work with raw foods (although healthier to be without) if heavy (raw) food was eaten while drinking, and other 'hangover remedies' were utilised. The vibration-lowering effect of alcohol cannot be negated, however, at least I don't know how.

Week 7 on Raw Foods

Week 7: Average spent per day: £6.58 ($10.54, €8.09)

Day 41

I believe that I am not getting the maximum benefits out of this diet because I don't stretch or exercise much, don't do enemas/ colonics, don't eat enough greens and sometimes don't eat enough food in general.
I reached my goal expenditure today and stayed below £5.47 ($8.65, €6.39) per day.
List of raw food benefits written, included here as well: raw food benefits.
Wondering if cycling in London is causing me to have asthma-like symptoms.
Later note: Gluten- and dairy-free diet seems to help reduce the cough and sinus congestion.
I had no dinner today, I felt too full from the huge lunch salad (and indigestible fiber).
Food and drink: Iron supplement, smoothie, salad, raw chocolate cake, three green teas, lemon and ginger tea, lemon water.

Day 42

I feel so good today. I woke up relaxed, rested, on holiday and back on raw foods!
Re-starting the 30-day trial on trauma release exercises (TRE).
I got a nice, tingly feeling in my upper body after dry skin brushing and lying in the bath - same as before.
I fell into very deep sleep after the TRE execises and the bath.
Went to a party in the evening, brought a raw cake, and stayed raw. People loved the raw cake and were very curious about the ingredients.
I didn't drink or eat anything at the party, which was quite nice compared to trying to drink water all night. I felt quite happy and relaxed.
I came home at 2am feeling very cold - I think standing in the garden and the second-hand cigarette smoke affected me quite badly.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, caffeine-free tea, raw chocolate cake, cashew nuts, dates, two green teas, raw pasta and sauce (had tomatoes), raw plantain.

Day 43

I was very tired and dehydrated in the morning (almost like a hangover feeling!) even though I didn't drink alcohol last night. It was probably a combination of standing out in the cold at the party and breathing in second-hand cigarette smoke.
Later note: The dehydration may have also been linked to the fiber-rich salad and tomatoes from the day before, which I found out years later I couldn't tolerate.
I came up with a dehydrated raw potato cake recipe that I loved.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, fruit, green juice, 3 green (jasmine) teas, smoothies, raw pasta and sauce (with tomatoes), mint tea, nuts, raw sweet potato cakes.

Day 44

Day off work.
I drank way too much green tea and ate too little food today. I went to bed feeling not very healthy.
I only spent £3.25 on food this day ($5.02, €3.79).
Food and drink: raw sweet potato cakes, camomile tea, 4 green teas, smoothie, salad.

Day 45

Morning weight: 50kg (7.9 stones, 110lbs).
Today was not a very good day altogether. Maybe because I ate very little yesterday my body got weak and caught a cold.
I woke up with a dehydrated (hangover-type) feeling and later started having flu-like symptoms. Probably because of too many green teas the day before. Later note: It may have been made worse because of very fiber-rich food the day before, which can cause me to feel very dehydrated.
I felt badly dehydrated, constipated, diarrhea, sore throat, achy body.
Later note: This was the first time I noticed the combined negative effect of eating too much of raw fibrous vegetables, which tend to cause me to become very dehydrated, and the added dehydrating effect of green teas. These problems kept repeating on my later raw food trials. The diarrhea and feeling of constipation (and indigestion, most probably) could have been linked symptoms, to do with too much fiber.
Went to bed at 8pm.
Food and drink: Smoothies, salad, fruit, nuts and raisins, 2 green teas, herbal teas, raw dairy cheese.

Day 46

Had salad with carrot, celery and tomatoes - all intolerance-causing foods!
Food and drink: Fruit, smoothie, 2 green teas, herbal tea, nut and raisin mix, salad.

Day 47

Woke up at 7am feeling tired. I had some back pain all day.
From here on the diet was gradually becoming more difficult for me.
Food and drink: Fruit, smoothie, 3 green teas, caffeine-free teas, raw cheese, salad, fruit juice, dried mango, processed 'raw' snack bar.

Week 8 on Raw Foods

Week 8: Average spent per day: £6.21 ($9.94, €7.64)

Day 48 - New Moon Juice Fast while at Work

Slept 6 hours, woke up tired and had a diarrhea. I also felt very weak and shaky for a bit but a hot bath helped.
I was sneezing, coughing while cycling, my nose still feeling permanently congested, red eyes in the evening.
Have had a back-ache for the last 2-3 days, similar location to sciatica but not very bad.
Juice fasting at work seemed to help with tiredness. I didn't feel dehydrated despite the many green teas.
Drank juices with both celery and carrots, intolerance-causing foods.
Listing chronic symptoms I had before the raw food diet.
Worried about losing too much weight. Discussing raw foods and unwanted weight loss.
Wondering whether the negative symptoms are detox or something wrong with the diet.
Does under-eating slow down your metabolism?
Discussing whether to eat raw eggs and salmonella.
No food. Drinks: Vegetable juice (with carrots and celery), 6 green teas, pasteurized fruit juices.

Day 49

I feel great today after yesterday's 1-day juice fast! I think juice fasting really suits me, even better than the raw food diet.
Later note: Juices are easier to digest for energy and nutrients than most other raw foods. Also, I don't think I was eating enough carbohydrates on this diet, and the fiber in vegetables made those more difficult to get energy from. Therefore it makes sense that fruit juices made me feel better (and eating more fruit probably would have too).
But generally my energy levels are not yet ideal.
I took a hot bath this morning, followed by sugar scrub and brushing of my whole body, followed by an ice cold shower. What a great way to start your day.
Food and drink: Iron supplement, fruit, 4 green teas, smoothie, lemon water, raw chocolate cake, vinegar water, MSM (sulfur).

Day 50

Being raw and interested in health makes me relate to other people in a different way. Other people seem to become more interesting!
I feel weak when I don't eat enough.
I was on a bad mood most of the morning and early afternoon, when I was just drinking caffeinated drinks and not eating much.
Lots of cravings, especially for mash potato - clearly because I didn't eat proper breakfast.
I'm losing too much weight.
I don't have a penny until Wednesday, having just spent my last 50p on daikon radish from the local Chinese shop.
Food and drink: caffeine-free grain 'coffee' with guarana, nuts, plantain, smoothie, one green tea, dates, nori rolls (with carrot), vinegar water.

Day 51

Another difficult day. I feel tired of eating raw foods. I'm tired of being broke all the time. Venting my frustrations.
Bath, skin brushing, cold shower, pilates, trauma release exercises, and deep breathing made me feel calmer.
No more back ache, but gas in the gut, which is unusual for me.
Food and drink: raw oat porridge, 3 green teas, redbush tea, camomile tea, green smoothie, raw 'sushi' rolls (no fish), raw 'pasta' and sauce (with tomatoes).

Day 52

I felt better this day although I didn't get anywhere near enough calories.
Food and drink: smoothie, vinegar water, 2 green teas, 2 redbush teas, camomile tea, raw pasta and sauce (with tomatoes).

Day 53

Wednesday, payday.
Food and drink: green smoothie, salad, 2 green teas, herbal teas, mixed nuts and raisins, raw dairy cheese, vinegar water.

Day 54

Had to stay at work until midnight tonight, working on a deadline. Went to bed at 2am.
Food and drink: smoothie, 4 green teas, herbal teas, salad (with tomato), fruit, nuts and raisins.

Week 9 on Raw Foods

Week 9: Average spent per day: £8.13 ($13.02, €10.00)

Day 55

Food and drink: smoothie (with sprouted quinoa), salad, raw cheese, 2 green teas, fruit, sparkling water, raw olives.

Day 56

Went to bed at 3am.
Food and drink: juice (with lots of celery), fruit, herbal teas, vinegar water, raw egg with water, smoothie, raw olives, nuts, 3 green teas, raw teas, raisins.

Day 57

Woke up at 11am.
I've been drinking raw eggs, hoping to put on some weight and to get B12 vitamin from them.
Discussing vitamin B12.
Probiotic nut cheese - how to make.
Since day 52 I have felt good again and being raw feels easy. The benefits I've experienced are quite a big deal, even though they are subtle and gradual.
I definitely believe that raw foods help to raise your energy vibrations and also help to increase your awareness.
I feel more happy and in a different way than usual when on raw foods. I get lots of inspiration also.
Food and drink: smoothie, vinegar water, dates, one green tea, one raw egg with water, nuts, raisins, juice (with carrots), raw 'pasta' and sauce (with tomatoes), chaga mushroom tea.

Day 58

Food and drink: smoothie, salads (with carrots), nuts, raisins, fruit, 2 green teas, herbal teas, iron supplement, chaga mushroom tea.

Day 59

Food and drink: fruit, chaga mushroom tea, smoothies, 4 green teas, fresh lemon tea, nuts, raisins, dried figs, raw pasta and sauce (with tomatoes).

Day 60

I had swollen lymph nodes today in my throat and behind my ears. The ones behind the ears felt painful as well when pressing. My throat also felt infected, and all my sinuses, and I had bad taste in my mouth.
Food and drink: fruit juice, smoothie, nuts, raisins, fruit, 5 green teas, herbal teas, salad, raw olives, chaga mushroom tea.

Day 61

Food and drink: smoothie, nuts, dried figs, raw olives, salad (with carrot), raw vegan 'sushi' (with carrot).

Week 10 on Raw Foods

Day 62 - Last day of the diet

Food and drink: Smoothie, chaga mushroom tea, dates, salad.

Day 63 - First day off the diet

Had a smoothie for breakfast but then decided to quit this diet and have soup.

Day 64 - Second day off the diet - reflection

Well, I was hoping to complete the 100-days on a raw food diet and feel amazing energy rushing through my body, have the world look more radiant and enjoy inspired and intuitive thinking. Although I did experience some very good benefits, the changes were not to be as quick and easy as I would have liked.
I don't feel that I was doing the diet right. The main problem is that I end up not eating enough and my energy levels suffer.
I started feeling down more and more often towards the end of this diet.
I was struggling to find time to write this diary. Also the time spent keeping this diary is time away from relaxing and/ or preparing nice raw dishes etc.
I don't think I am disciplined enough yet to stick to the diet for longer right now and to do it in a healthy way.
I was losing too much weight on this kind of raw food diet.
Unfortunately, I was hopelessly 'hooked' on green tea and herbal teas but the best feelings I have experienced so far on raw foods have been when I was hot-drink and caffeine free.
Was drinking 'dead' tap water during this diet.
Moral of the story: transition to raw foods slowly.

This 100 days raw food summary is a short version of the full diary notes, which are available here: Introduction and Diary Notes. Also worth reading are: Raw Food on a Budget Conclusions.

Update in August 2017

I was eating too little fruit on this diet, partly due to not having enough money.

"If you are an athlete - of a mum holding down multiple jobs between home and the office - then eating animal protein, nuts, and vegetables alone won't allow you to perform. You also need foods with sugar in them, and the highest-quality source of sugar is fruit. If you tru to cut out all sugar from your diet, sooner or later your body will force you to 'cheat' - because every muscle in your body functions on glucose - and eat something that provides the sugar you need. [...] You'll be much better off if you make a habit of eating fruit every day. It will help curb sugar cravings - and make a huge difference in your health. [...]

"Not only does fruit fight cancer, it kills all types of viruses and bacteria. Certain fruits, such as bananas, wild blueberries, apples and papayas, are the most powerful natural destroyers of viruses on earth. [...] ... not only does fruit prevent these diseases, it prevents oxidation - which is the process that ages us. [...] Fruit is the true fountain of youth. - Anthony William in the book 'Medical Medium'"

I've just read the above book and it is very interesting. Whether Anthony gets his information from Spirit as he claims, or whether it's just based on his own personal opinions and research, the information in the book seems to either match or fit in with many of my findings and suspicions over the years.

Best Raw Food Diet Books

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More raw food diet books, including summaries of the content, here.

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