uncooking101

{80/10/10} {recipe} Not really blood or orange Blood Orange Smoothie (ha!)

eva {uncooking101} — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:00:30 +0000

I’m loooving the blood red oranges right now. If you haven’t had them, they’re a touch more tart than a regular orange but still sweet and flavorful! And the appearance is different, obviously.

One of the things I love about raw, is that it’s so simple to make a meal. I love to just eat and drink what I want, as long as it’s raw and is something that feels right to my body (do I want something heavy, light, sweet, salty, etc.)… and wonderfully enough that generally is super awesome for my taste buds too.

Like this. It’s HEALTHY to have a sweet, fruity smoothie?! That’s seriously awesome. I hope you enjoy this one!

INGREDIENTS
5 bananas, peeled
5 blood red oranges, peeled with seeds removed
1 1/2 cups ice
1/2 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS
Just, you know, blend. Easy peasy!

A SPECIAL NOTE ON GREEN SMOOTHIES
This could easily be one. (Then it wouldn’t be even close to blood or orange or even pink! ha!) If you’re a green smoothie fiend like I am, why not just throw some green leaves of your choosing in? If you’re new to them, here is a {basic green smoothie recipe info page} for you. But literally, all you’d have to do is add as many green leaves as you like to the above. You could even do mint leaves or spinach. Mmmm…

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE EASY BUT SUPER DELICIOUS SMOOTHIE?

{recipe} {80/10/10} No-egg, no-nog, no-nut Egg Nog

eva {uncooking101} — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:55:10 +0000

You could also call it “Pumpkin Pie in a Glass”. Or maybe “Sweet Pumpkin Potion”? Or “I’m on a diet that means breakfast is often dessert. Nanny, nanny, booboo.”?

Really, the options are endless. The time to spend on it, though, not so much. It’s super quick!

INGREDIENTS
Makes 6 8-ounce servings
4 cups water*
2 cups dates, seeds removed and soaked in the water (time permitting)
3 bananas
1 Tbsp {pumpkin pie spice}

*If you want this to be a COLD beverage, switch that out for 3 cups ice and 1 1/2 cups water. I loved this as a warm, soothing dessert, though, so water was perfect for me!

DIRECTIONS
Blend, then top with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

TRY IT OUT, THEN TELL ME: WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NAME SHOULD BE FOR THIS?

{recipe} Pumpkin Pie Spice

eva {uncooking101} — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:45:44 +0000

First off, the eye candy pictured is {not really a pumpkin pie recipe}. (Fooled ya, didn’t I? {Natalia KW} actually made a delicious sweet potato pie, but I digress.

Allow me to offer you my made-easy recipe for pumpkin pie spice.

INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp allspice
2 tsp ground ginger

Voila, you have a jar of pumpkin pie spice, made easy!

{80/10/10} Day 5 has not been my best day ever.

eva {uncooking101} — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:32:49 +0000

Challenges today:

Major blood sugar ups and downs (At least that is my perception, but I did not have a monitor to verify FOR SURE that this was the issue. Before jumping into raw food, I had issues with blood sugar with identical symptoms. Sure wish I had a monitor this time!)
Surges of energy followed by total exhaustion
General fatigue for much of the day
Lack of focus
Stomach pains (gurgling)
Bloating in the afternoon only
Irritability (just ask my husband, poor guy)
Feeling light headed (even with lots of calories)
Feeling famished (even with lots of calories)

The things I’ve been desperate to eat:

avocado (even after eating most of one)
ground flax seed
coconut
buckwheat

Thoughts:

I need to reread some of Dr. Graham’s book.

I do have to remember that I’m nursing a small baby and have responsibility so need to keep that as my highest priority no matter what makes sense to ANYONE else. I ended up eating another avocado because I was craving it big time AND having some serious stomach pains from all the acid in the fruits PLUS feeling light headed even with a lot of calories. After several hours in pain, during which I’m thankful my husband was here!, I felt fine immediately after eating the avocado! If I’d been here alone for those hours, I would have just eaten the darn avocado!

It’s not so simple as just deciding that I’d like to skip overt fats (meaning: avocados, coconuts, oils, etc.). I can’t be light headed and alone with a baby… so if I’m feeling that way no matter how much low-fat fruit I eat, then feel better the moment I have an avocado or a bit of young Thai coconut, that’s what I have to do. I’m going to try for no overts tomorrow to balance it out, but as of right now I’m at 18% for the day with 2700 calories so far and feel like there was no option but to have that extra avo.

I did start the day eating even when I was not hungry as recommended by many, and I’m hoping doing that again tomorrow will help keep me feeling good without the overts.

I also do acknowledge I’m transitioning… BUT it’s very strange to be dealing with blood sugar and pressure issues for the first time in 5 years with the exception of when I had cooked rice (toward the beginning of the journey), maple syrup (before knowing it’s not even raw anyways, since I’d found it in a raw food book!), and when I’ve had a LOT of dates or coconut crystals (but even that was nothing like what I’m experiencing today. This is more like the way I felt before I went raw!).

Re: Fruit. I think this is clear from the MANY fruit-based recipes on the website, but to clarify, I regularly eat bananas and other high-glycemic foods with no issue. I think it’s the sheer quantity of those foods without a sufficient balance that’s causing the issues. I still think fruit is awesome! Don’t fear the banana!

Jennifer (thank you!) on Facebook mentioned that she’s found success eating a TON of greens, and I’m glad she mentioned that. I’m going to figure out a way to have even more greens tomorrow. Greens are always a good thing anyways! Perhaps all of my fruit smoothies will just be green smoothies?

Two more days of this experiment, then I’m curious to see what happens from there!

I know:

I’m SO GLAD to have done this experiment!
Some changes are in order, but I’ll wait to tell you more until I know more.

{80/10/10} {recipe} Simply Sunshine Smoothie

eva {uncooking101} — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:23:28 +0000

I was going to have the {(raw-non-alcoholic!) Sunny Better-Than-Tequila Margarita recipe} for breakfast but didn’t have the lime on hand and am not eating salt for a few more days. THIS packed a lot more energy but was still great on the flavor. A total score. My husband and I both just finished generous helpings and are probably going to make this again… today! (No, really! It was that good!)

INGREDIENTS

5 bananas
1 pineapple
(the juice of) 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups ice
1 cup water
dash of cayenne

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend until smooth and creamy, then top with cayenne. (I promise it’s a nice touch!)

A NOTE ON THE CAYENNE

If you don’t have it on hand, or if your body doesn’t do well with nightshades, no worries, just skip it. It does do something nice for the flavor, but you can easily double up the lemon and enjoy it just the same!

{80/10/10} Day 4 is not looking quite as pretty as my third day did.

eva {uncooking101} — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:42:24 +0000

I have about 5 recipe posts to share with you… and 2 days of recaps… which I will do… tomorrow. I had hoped to get some stuff done today, but I’m going to have to wrap it up and get off the computer for the rest of the day.

Some of you know that when I first went raw, eventually I had an emotional cleansing of sorts where I actually smashed a TV. (I know. Pretty intense!)

Yesterday I was full of energy. Today started out OK, just another day.

But I’ve had some stuff happen today that really really did not sit well with me. And I’m VERY irritable. I feel like the blood sugar ups and downs I had before going raw, but worse. And, I don’t know if I’m cleansing or if this diet is not working for me or what. I’m hoping I have cleansing to do (and am doing it…). Better out than in!

SO, with that, even though it’s not the greatest “PR”, I’m hitting send on the newsletter which was thankfully written before I became so crabby, and signing out for the day. (In case ya’ll didn’t know, I’m not big on playing a game of pretend. What you see, is what you get.)

And don’t worry, baby Lilla will be fine. Somehow when I hold her I’m suddenly full of nothing but love (Seems children and animals are generally pretty amazing for upping the love in life…).

Much love to you. Mostly anyways,
Eva

{80/10/10} Lilla must think I’m crazy, but I’ve GOT to exercise!!

eva {uncooking101} — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:20:41 +0000

One of the things Doug talks about in “The 80/10/10 Diet” is some of the activities in life that are simply NOT optional.

He also says that if they are not made a priority, THIS DIET WILL NOT WORK, and actually that NO diet will work perfectly no matter what!

Hm. Interesting thought. SO, since I’m following his diet and his book this week, I have NO CHOICE but to get Lilla outside with me for outdoor exercise!

HERE ARE SOME OF THE NON-OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

DAILY, VIGOROUS EXERCISE
SUNLIGHT
FRESH AIR

He makes it clear that NO MATTER WHAT YOUR CLIMATE, these activities are not optional.

I’m in New England. It’s winter. And Lilla and I are going for some vigorous exercise. Outside. Because, well, it’s apparently NOT optional!!

I’LL BE THE FIRST TO SAY IT ~ SOMETIMES I’M NOT GETTING EXERCISE AND WONDERING WHERE MY ENERGY WENT. I HAVE EVEN QUESTIONED IF RAW IS RIGHT FOR ME IN THOSE MOMENTS. (LIKE IT’S RAW FOOD’S FAULT!) IS IT POSSIBLE THAT RAW- OR FRUIT-BASED DIETS COULD WORK FOR “EVERYONE” IF THEY FOLLOWED THESE PHILOSOPHIES?

{80/10/10} A note on my energy… and my belly…

eva {uncooking101} — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:19:09 +0000

<< I just posted this photo with my {BIG salad more than double the size of Lilla’s head} and I realized something that came through in the photo… Do you see it?

BIG SMILE!

LOTS OF ENERGY!

What you may not notice is that my belly is getting flatter by the day. When I first gave birth, the nurses commented that my belly was already way flatter than usual for having just had a baby. Then a few days later, I remember thinking “WHY do I still look several months pregnant?!”

Apparently your organs don’t immediately shrink once baby’s born. News flash to me! Yeesh!

But in the coming weeks, I was SO HUNGRY b/c I wasn’t able to get around and make food like usual, that I wasn’t eating enough. Eventually I got that worked out, but because of it I lost a lot of weight quickly. But then I slowly bounced back as I was eating as much food as I could yet not getting out of the house for exercise.

I’d say I really only have a few pounds to lose to get to where my body would be most comfortable, but with a baby around all the time and being in a cold climate, I’ve allowed myself to use those as excuses not to make some magic and exercise. “Well, I can’t go to Bikram because she’s feeding on demand.” Blah blah blah.

In just over two days experimenting with 80/10/10 I’m getting LOTS of calories, BUT my belly is noticeably flatter. AND I feel fabulous.

VERY INTERESTING!

Anyone else out there seeing similar things happen???

{80/10/10} {recipe} BIG Salad more than double the size of Lilla’s head (photo attached)

eva {uncooking101} — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:51:32 +0000

I took the photo because I wanted to show you JUST how big this salad really was!!

SALAD INGREDIENTS
4 cups mixed greens
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 large cucumber, very large dice

DRESSING INGREDIENTS
I made this dressing to not go over my fat for the day but to pump up the calcium (LOTS in sesame seeds!). If you’re not doing the 80/10/10 diet, then feel free to add some oil or even avocado to this if it suits you!
1 tomato
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 cup cilantro
1 lemon, juiced

About the dressing: Yes, it’s a weird glop in the end. It’s the fact that there’s no olive oil, so you could add some water if you want. I was happy with it but am just warning you!!

{80/10/10} {recipe} And… a really green smoothie that’s just as yummy. :-)

eva {uncooking101} — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:07:46 +0000

It’s amazing how our perspectives change in an instant. Here’s another “green smoothie” with less greens than I usually do and more calories.

I’m feeling SO GREAT over here!!!

INGREDIENTS
5 bananas
1/2 pineapple
1 1/2 cups parsley
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1 cup water
1/2 cup ice cubes

And just, blend! I love adding a blueberry or parsley stem to the top for garnish.