Raw Food makes you happy!

I read somewhere or heard someone say that after 6 months on a raw diet they were suddenly aware that they'd been HAPPY for the majority of the previous 6 months. It was such a subtle, yet major, change in their life. I've now been vegan for nearly 3 1/2 yrs and have been raw the past 16 months and I, too, agree with this observation. For the most part, I'm nearly always content now, which is a huge, yet subtle change to how I was before. SAD foods (it's an acronym for Standard American Diet) make you, well, sad. Literally. You won't know what I'm talking about unless you try raw foods for even 30 days and see if you don't notice a difference for yourself.

Today I've had so much energy. I've been feeling really positive and upbeat and just generally peaceful and calm within. It's wonderful. I feel so blessed. And whenever cooked food tempts me, I just remember how much better I feel after eating something raw. Think about how delicious a fresh apricot is, instead of a bowl of starchy, white-flour-y noodles or something equally cooked. Blech. No appeal when you compare it to a piece of fresh fruit, or fresh vegetable.

We were driving the other day and all I had were fresh vegetables in the car and the children were hungry. My son ate an entire (huge) organic tomato... as a snack. And loved it. We have very few food issues with the children because they eat what is available in the home and also what they see me eating as a healthy role model. No soda pop, no store-bought juices, no chips, no packaged convenience foods like fruit roll-ups or granola bars, no candy, no store-bought ice cream, no yogurt (too much sugar in the store-bought stuff)... But we DO have lots of fresh organic fruit and veggies, lots of homemade yogurt, bread, fresh eggs, air-popped organic popcorn, nuts, seeds, dried foods and generally lots of yummy raw goodness to go around, and they're not hurtin' - they're not deprived at all. ;) And for the record, I'm not anal about not allowing these things I've just mentioned into the house. It's just that we don't routinely have them in the house, which makes eating them a non-issue, generally.

Today I've had:

• about 1/2 L of soaking water, as well as about 10 or 15 soaked organic prunes. yummy
• a total of 2L of green smoothie (a bunch of kale, 3 bananas, some frozen blackberries, huckleberries, & blueberries, about 15 or so chlorella tablets, some maca powder and about 1/4 tsp camu camu berry powder and some water) - I had 1L in the morning and another L around lunchtime. I must remember not to put so many chlorella tablets in. A bit too chlorophyll-y with the first couple sips. You get used to it as you drink it, though. LOL
• some fresh red pepper slices, a white Japanese turnip sliced, a few sticks of celery, with some raw ceasar dressing
• a key lime Larabar (i'm not certain they're 100% raw; the packages no longer say "uncooked") - a snack while out driving
• 1 oz clarity chocolate with gojiis and blue-green algae. Don't often get these; an extra-special treat - a snack while I was out running errands
• 14 oz mega veggie juice from Jugo Juice (beets, carrot, celery, cucumber, spinach, ginger, I think)
• a cup or so of raw carob-avocado pudding. Had to lick the bowl, right? ;)

Lots of fresh pure water, and that's about it. Tonight I made raw pesto and put it in the freezer - I had fresh basil and zucchini. :) And I made the children (and dh) a zucchini cake as well, which smells yummy. Our freshest of fresh eggs that we get from our hennies now make baking EXTRA fluffy!! And I've got some fresh cabbage sliced and it's "soaking" in a little salt right now. I'll make some raw coleslaw tomorrow with it.

I'm looking for a juicer. A GreenStar, preferably; either that, or a Champion. If you know where I can find one, please contact me. I'm preparing to begin juicing Sept 1st. We'll just take it day by day, but I'm hoping to juice for 92 days - up to and including December 1st. We'll see. Like I say, day by day. :) I might be able to borrow a juicer, but if that doesn't pan out, I'd like to have a backup plan in place.