Day 13

It's been almost two weeks and I'm still excited about this lifestyle change.  I have lost 3 1/2 lbs. without exercising or changing anything but the types of foods we eat.  I'm eating a lot - the equivalent of about four massive salads each day - but most of the time there are no animal products in the food.  I'm usually full, and if I get hungry between meals it's simple to grab a piece of fruit and go.

My beloved husband reports that his blood pressure is already lower and soon he will speak to his doctor about a timetable for getting off his medications.  I'm finding my anxiety far easier to manage, and I'm sleeping better at night with fewer aches and pains in the morning.  My fatigue is subsiding and I'm feeling more cheerful.  I'm thankful for these improvements and can hardly wait to see how much better we will feel in a few months. 

We still have animal based foods in the freezer and pantry, and according to our agreement we will consume these instead of throwing them away.  However as we adjust to the new diet, animal based foods are less appealing.  If and when we do eat them, it will be in small quantities.

I have some cauliflower marinating to go in the dehydrator, and one jar of sprouts that will be ready in a few days.  A day may come when the dehydrator is always humming and there is a different jar of sprouts for each day of the week, but for now we are still taking things slow.

When we made that huge Mexican-style meal on Monday, it occurred to me that each course was basically a different kind of salad.  Wrap leafy greens around chopped veggies and it's a salad dressed up as a burrito.  Before we starting eating raw vegan, I thought a diet of nothing but salads sounded dull.  These dishes were anything but dull.  It was the creative and appealing cuisine of raw veganism at the Go Raw Cafe that drew me in, but it's the wonderful feeling of well-being in my body that makes me want to stay with it.

I watched a Youtube video of a raw vegan woman who said that she only eats two smoothies and one large salad each day.  As the summer heat increases, I can see the appeal in that.  Smoothies are quick.  They are basically a salad in a blender.  Toss in some spinach, carrots, cucumber, a banana and some berries and the meal is ready.  This morning we finished the last of our Amazing Meal, which I mentioned here.  The pomegranate mango flavor was my favorite.  This product for us was like the "training wheels" of raw veganism.  Until we had time to do more research into the nutritional requirements it was nice to be able to rely on a product to simplify things.  It's a great product and I'm sure we'll use it again in the future, especially when we travel.