Continuation of the
Raw Foods Diet Challenge

Weight: 121.2 (no change from yesterday)

I slept well and woke up feeling good, with some remaining drainage in the back of my throat.

Journal Entry (made at 6:00 AM) – BEWARE, POTENTIAL GROSS-OUT: “I’m disappointed there wasn’t more weight loss this morning. I must be taking in fewer calories than when I was cooking… although yesterday I did eat walnuts and 1/3 of an avocado and three dates. Woo-hoo. And I had a giant BM that looked like it should have been worth one pound. :-)”

I’m sorry if I offended anyone with that paragraph. I’m entering details keeping in mind the person who might be considering the raw foods diet and wants to know what to expect. And besides, it’s all just our bodies at work, doing what comes naturally.

I started the day with BarleyMax in water – one teaspoon.

About an hour later: Breakfast was a Gaia melon – absolutely delicious. I ate the whole melon.

I took a brisk 20-minute walk. It was delightful being in the fresh, cool morning air.

I’m craving some official recipes, some put-together foods. So I took a break from the computer and prepared these dishes. Now I’ll be ready when hunger strikes next on the raw foods diet.

Marinated Mushrooms (from The Raw Gourmet by Nomi Shannon)

• 1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed but left whole
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Whisk together everything but the mushrooms in a bowl. Add the mushrooms. Let sit at room temperature for several hours, stirring occasionally, then cover and refrigerate. These will keep for several days.

My version: I didn’t have 1 pound of mushrooms, so I cut down the ingredients proportionately. I’m not comfortable about leaving them at room temperature too long in the summer warmth, so I’ll probably refrigerate them after an hour or so. The marinade smells delicious. I can’t wait to eat them.

Note: They are delicious and easy to make. I’ll definitely prepare them again.

Tangy Salad Dressing (inspired from a recipe in The Raw Gourmet by Nomi Shannon)

• 6 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 4 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons onion
• 1 lemon, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons dulse
• 1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt (or to taste)
• Pinch of cayenne
• 1 teaspoon raw agave syrup

Blend everything together. I have a high-power blender; the seeds and nuts blended up nice and creamy the first time. However, if you have a regular blender, you may need to grind them first.

Note: This is good, but I felt like it was missing something, or has too much of something. The original recipe didn’t call for the sweetener, but I added it, thinking the dressing was too tart, and I believe it helped the taste.

Afternoon Snack: A bowl of blueberries and chopped peach, with a drizzle of raw agave on the sour berries.

Dinner: One-half cucumber, curried almond pate, 5 grape tomatoes, kim chee, 5 marinated mushrooms.

It was another good day… feeling energetic and productive and in a good mood. I slept well, too.