I woke up on Day 1 feeling terrible. Through the progression of the day I had bouts of feeling worse and feeling better. I know this is normal for a first day back to LFRV (low-fat, raw vegan), but it’s never enjoyable. I was really thirsty, so I drank water at will.

I’m really glad it was a vacation day for me. The kids were content to do their own things much of the day, and we didn’t need to go anywhere. I took a hot bath and then napped for three hours (much needed).

The Husband and I watched some episodes of Freaky Eaters on Netflix while I ate my giant salad dinner. I think I’m cured from my french fry addiction after seeing that nasty vat of fat – gag. I’m thankful that my parents didn’t indulge my little idiosyncrasies when I was a kid. Had they, I would probably still put “Ketchup on Everything” like the guy in one Freaky Eaters episode who drowned his food in maple syrup. Yes, I went through a ketchup phase in elementary school… I also went through a chocolate phase in high school. I would starve and then binge on chocolate anything.

I think the show was rather eye-opening for several reasons. One, it was clear that some of the foods we eat in America are highly addictive (Fries, Burgers, Cola, Pizza). Two, it was also clear that parents are often times enablers of their children’s food issues. I mean, there was one guy who had never eaten lettuce – say what?! And Three, it was clear that people can be addicted to anything if it appears to fill some kind of void… I mean, if you can get addicted to cornstarch, you can become addicted to anything under the right circumstances.

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What I read: Genesis 1-3

What I ate:

• Breakfast – HUGE glass of fresh squeezed OJ (Ten oranges juiced with electric citrus juicer)
• Lunch – 10 Bananas
• Dinner – 1/2 large watermelon, 1 pound romaine lettuce, 1/2 tomato, 2 cups grape tomatoes (blended and poured over salad)
• PM Snack – 4 cuties

I’ve never eaten a pound of lettuce in one sitting before. It took me over an hour to get it down. I had to use one of my mixing bowls because it wouldn’t fit in my serving bowls. I’m hoping to get a larger bowl soon so I don’t have to use a metal one.

I’m trying to do my meals a bit differently than the last time I did a raw challenge. I’m going for mostly mono-fruit meals. Eating one kind of fruit at a time seems to be working well, and I love the simplicity of it.

In case you’re wondering, no, I will not step on the scale for this challenge. I won’t be tracking calories or my body fat percentages. I do plan to monitor “symptoms” though. I’ll start with the list I made earlier:

• slowed digestion (gas, abdominal pain, bloating) – all three of these have improved already
• headaches – had one all day, ended up taking advil
• puffy hands, feet, and face (thank you, salt) – feeling less puffy, still look puffy though
• sinus congestion
• dry/itchy eyes, skin, and scalp
• acne
• aching muscles and muscle spasms – worse
• foggy brain
• irritability
• mood swings
• blood sugar fluctuations
• fatigue, but unable to sleep well
  
• unquenchable thirst (again, thank you, salt)
• cravings – horrible on day 1