This update is for anyone who may have originally followed my 30 day trial or for anyone else who may stumble upon this blog in the future.
It's been nearly 2 years since this 30 day trial ended. Since then, a lot of things have changed, but my focus on keeping raw foods a main part of my diet has not. After the initial 30 days of raw, I continued for the remainder of the year, completing nearly an entire year of raw food! To be completely honest, I gave in to cooked vegan food about 5 days from it being an entire 365 days.
There were many reasons for opting out of a "100%" raw food diet, but the main idea was that my energy levels just felt lower than they did the first 8 or so months. And now that I can reflect back on it, it absolutely makes sense. When I first transitioned, my body was feeling something it had never been able to before. FREEDOM. It really didn't matter what quality or how much I was giving my body - I think the more important thing was what I was NOT giving it: the crappy food I grew up on.
As the seasons changed, the variety of fruits increased, and I started to consume fresher and riper fruits and vegetables which boosted the cleanliness of my mind to unbelievable levels. Even though my energy wasn't always at it's max (which I will explain why later), I felt cleanlier, my acne disappeared, and my chronic heartburn was no more! As the warmer seasons left, so did the variety, and I was pushed back towards a limited amount of fruits to choose from. These fruits included mostly bananas, mangos, apples, and pineapples. The only one of these fruits that I would eat organic were the apples, and I really wasn't too fond of apples, so not many of my fruit calories were coming from organic sources. I now believe, that because of this decreased variety, as well as the fact that a lot of my fruit choices were NOT organic, it eventually started to effect my body. In addition to the increased amount of non-organic items I was forced to consume (due to affordability), I was relying way to heavily on fats (mostly nuts and seeds, as well as avocados) as a decent portion of my daily calories. I now know how fat affects the blood flow, and can cause you to feel less-energetic.
So not knowing as much as I knew now, I thought that including cooked vegan food choices would increase my energy levels. Well, they did! I didn't understand at the time, but the reason was I was now getting enough calories! The entire year prior, I had only just started to comprehend the amount of food required to get enough calories from fruits and veggies. As I mentioned earlier, even though my body felt more cleanly on raw foods, my energy levels just some times weren't at their peak. Again, the reason: not enough calories! So the whole next year, although I continued to eat roughly 80% raw foods, I did incorporate cooked vegan foods from time to time. Although this helped my energy levels initially, it just didn't last. Can you guess why? STILL NOT ENOUGH CALORIES.
Many people are unaware of how many calories the body really needs to function properly. And the reason is the media and health professionals. The media puts out this image that less calories means skinny. IT DOES NOT. Health professionals teach that "portions" are important. Calories are your energy source. You need calories to function NORMALLY. Once you are properly fueled, you will feel motivated to get out and do things. If you're doing more things, you will in turn use more calories. And where you get those calories from is of utmost importance!
Well, back to the focus. About 2 months ago I stumbled upon some very logical, vegan health advocates on YouTube, of which, I feel durianriders and Freelee the Banana Girl portray the message best. With their advice, and plenty of research on my end to verify what they teach, I've increased my caloric uptake about 25%. Instead of eating 2400-2700 calories each day, depending on activity, I increased my daily intake to 3200 calories each day at MINIMUM. Depending on activity, I have gone up to 4000+ calories on some days. These folks recommend a diet high in carbohydrates and low in fat. In fact, of the 3 macro nutrients: carbs, fats, and protiens, they recommend that daily intact of calories from carbs be a MINIMUM of 5g per pound of body weight. This means, myself, weighing 155lbs., should have, at minimum, 775g of carbs per day. This means I should be getting at least 3100 of my calories per day from solely carbs. Fats and proteins should be kept to a minimum.
While this many calories per day may seem crazy to many, your metabolism
is directly related to your activity levels. Your body reacts to what
you are doing. If the body notices you are taking in lots of calories,
but then using them on a consistent basis, your metabolism will
increase. On the other hand, the body also notices when you are eating
less and doing less, and will conserve any calories you intake, thus
slowing your metabolism.
Are you a person who looks at trash on the ground and walks away instead of picking it up? Find yourself sitting down to watch a movie or play a game in order to relax instead of going outside to have fun? I know I used to be. Not anymore. It's difficult for me to not have energy anymore. In fact, I plan to take advantage of this new found energy to start another diary of sorts. I will be creating my own YouTube channel to record my experiences and spread the high carb, healthy vegan message the best I can. With so many oppressing and limiting factors in our daily lives, I feel it is critical that human beings start taking responsibility for their diet and actions. I hope to gain your support on my journey in spreading the ideas of healthy diet, exercise, and the ideas associated with veganism far and wide. Please check out my YouTube channel, ThisIsHowIVegan, which will hopefully be updated on a regular basis.
Some great books to support the theory of a high carbohydrate, plant based diet are: 80/10/10 by Douglas N. Graham, The Starch Solution by John McDougall, The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Day 30
Waking up this morning, I didn't really think anything special of it being the last day of the trial. I just ate whatever I desired; nothing special or anything.
11:30AM
-Fruit Bowl-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
1 lg. Banana 120 cal
1 Mango 135 cal
1/8 Cup Cashews 93 cal
Total 558 cal
This is basically all that I brought to work and ate throughout the day.
2:15PM
-Fresh Fruit-
4 lg. Orange 344 cal
1 sm. Banana 90 cal
Total 434 cal
Eating this many oranges seems to give me a real good energy boost. I think eating mono in general seems to have that effect. I did eat a small banana after the 4 oranges however.
6:45PM
-Fresh Fruit-
1 md. Apple 95 cal
2 sm. Banana 180 cal
4 md. Banana 420 cal
Total 695 cal
Sticking with the great feeling I got from eating (mostly) mono four hours prior, I did a bit of the same, this time with bananas, having an apple beforehand.
10:30PM
-Big Salad-
1 1/2 Cup Baby Spinach 15 cal
4 lg. Leaves Romaine 20 cal
2 Cucumber 60 cal
2 Carrot 42 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
10 Green Beans 17 cal
1 Avocado 322 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
2 Tbsp. Ranch 50 cal
1/4 Cup Sprouted Lentils 140 cal
Total 696 cal
No day would be complete without the amazing proclaimed "big salad." This one was pretty big, and took one hour to finish.
-Exercise-
I worked my butt off at work today, getting a great amount of exercise in; more than usual.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2383 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
501.3g 52.7g 50g 604g
74.83% 17.70% 7.46% 99.99%
Again, the fat intake is a bit much, but the protein seems to be getting closer to desired when this happens. I know I am definitely getting enough grams of protein in regards to my body weight though, so the percentages really don't make much of a difference.
And that concludes Day 30!
Thanks to everyone who supported me along the way! I enjoyed talking with those who were curious about the whole journey, and even those of you who simply asked how things were going, it really was motivational. I was inspired by everyone's interest and every little bit helped! I will compose a formal summary for the 30 Day Trial which will be posted later this week. I got a bit overwhelmed with getting all of the posts finished up towards the end, but now that the last one is officially finished, my mind has been cleared and I anticipate being able to follow up to everything very soon. Thanks again to everyone who supported me!
11:30AM
-Fruit Bowl-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
1 lg. Banana 120 cal
1 Mango 135 cal
1/8 Cup Cashews 93 cal
Total 558 cal
2:15PM
-Fresh Fruit-
4 lg. Orange 344 cal
1 sm. Banana 90 cal
Total 434 cal
Eating this many oranges seems to give me a real good energy boost. I think eating mono in general seems to have that effect. I did eat a small banana after the 4 oranges however.
6:45PM
-Fresh Fruit-
1 md. Apple 95 cal
2 sm. Banana 180 cal
4 md. Banana 420 cal
Total 695 cal
Sticking with the great feeling I got from eating (mostly) mono four hours prior, I did a bit of the same, this time with bananas, having an apple beforehand.
10:30PM
-Big Salad-
1 1/2 Cup Baby Spinach 15 cal
4 lg. Leaves Romaine 20 cal
2 Cucumber 60 cal
2 Carrot 42 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
10 Green Beans 17 cal
1 Avocado 322 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
2 Tbsp. Ranch 50 cal
1/4 Cup Sprouted Lentils 140 cal
Total 696 cal
No day would be complete without the amazing proclaimed "big salad." This one was pretty big, and took one hour to finish.
-Exercise-
I worked my butt off at work today, getting a great amount of exercise in; more than usual.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2383 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
501.3g 52.7g 50g 604g
74.83% 17.70% 7.46% 99.99%
Again, the fat intake is a bit much, but the protein seems to be getting closer to desired when this happens. I know I am definitely getting enough grams of protein in regards to my body weight though, so the percentages really don't make much of a difference.
And that concludes Day 30!
Thanks to everyone who supported me along the way! I enjoyed talking with those who were curious about the whole journey, and even those of you who simply asked how things were going, it really was motivational. I was inspired by everyone's interest and every little bit helped! I will compose a formal summary for the 30 Day Trial which will be posted later this week. I got a bit overwhelmed with getting all of the posts finished up towards the end, but now that the last one is officially finished, my mind has been cleared and I anticipate being able to follow up to everything very soon. Thanks again to everyone who supported me!
Day 29
Today was my second day of two off from work, and after getting my liter of water down, was ready to enjoy another relaxing day. With the last day just around the corner, I actually realized I am awake every day before noon now. This was something I just could not seem to do before I started the trial. I literally could not get myself out of bed until mid-late afternoon. In my formal conclusion, I will be sure to touch on more things that have changed since the trial started.
11:45AM
-Green Banana Citrus Smoothie-
2 md. Banana (frozen) 210 cal
1 1/2 Grape Fruit 159 cal
1 md. Orange 62 cal
1 Cup Kale 34 cal
1 Cup Mixed Greens 7 cal
1 Cup Ice
Total 472 cal
This smoothie was something I haven't made yet during the trial, consisting of mostly citrus fruits, with two frozen bananas to act as thickeners. The consistency was a bit on the liquidy side, but the cup of ice helped to make it more of drinkable slushie. Was interesting indeed and I enjoyed it.
2:00PM
-Snack-
1 sm. Banana 72 cal
4:30PM
-Green Choco-Banana Flax Smoothie w/veggies-
5 md. Banana (frozen) 525 cal
3 Cups Mixed Greens 22 cal
1/2 Cup Celery Leaves
3 Tbsp. Flax Meal 90 cal
2 Tbsp. Cacao Powder 48 cal
3 Cups Water
3 Carrots 63 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
Total 766 cal
I took the same flax banana smoothie that I've been going for lately, but this time added a bit of cacao powder just to try a new flavor. It was definitely worth the experimentation, as I really enjoyed the nutty-chocolatey flavor combo. I added a half cup of celery leaves I had saved from the celery stalks I've been snacking on this past week in order to add a more earthy, green flavor to the smoothie and I basically ended up with perfection in a glass! This went down in just under 45 minutes along with the extra veggies.
8:35PM
-Big Salad-
1 Cup Baby Spinach 10 cal
4 lg. Leaves Romaine 20 cal
1 Cucumber 30 cal
2 Carrot 42 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
10 Green Beans 17 cal
1 Avocado 322 cal
1 md. Apple 95 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
3 Tbsp. Ranch 75 cal
1/4 Cup Sprouted Lentils 140 cal
Total 764 cal
The only word I can use to describe the salad you keep seeing time and time again is "magical." I've never, in my life, ever thought any combination of vegetables could make me so excited. I literally wait each day for "salad time" since I've started making these. This is definitely something worth making if you're new to the idea of live food. Even without the dressing you'll be impressed. You can try different dressings as well - something I look forward to making after I finish off the rest of the ranch I have.
1:20PM
-"Vanilla" and Cinnamon Ice Cream w/brownie pieces and fruit bar-
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon 6 cal
1/2 Chocolate Brownie (chopped) 150 cal
1/2 Fruit and Nut Bar (chopped) 120 cal
Total 696 cal
I love me some banana ice cream! Again, I got experimental, opting to add cinnamon to a portion of the ice cream. Since I had only half of a chocolate brownie left, as well as a regular fruit and nut bar starring back at me in the refrigerator, I knew that something extra was needed in order for the basic fruit and nut bar to really work well with the rest of the meal. The cinnamon complimented the fruit and nut bar perfectly, and meshed really well alongside the "vanilla" ice cream and chocolate brownie. I will definitely be doing more cinnamon ice cream in the future, as well as more cinnamon flavored things in general.
-Exercise-
Sadly, I wasn't motivated enough to get out of the house and exercise in 8 degree weather. Tomorrow's looking to be warmer, but not by much, so I expect to get a decent amount of activity in at work in order to stay warm while outside.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2770 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
567.5g 64.2g 67.5g 699.2g
72.81% 18.53% 8.66% 100%
The fat numbers are a bit high today, but at little cost, as the protein numbers are just about where I want them. Delicious day overall!
And that concludes Day 29!
11:45AM
-Green Banana Citrus Smoothie-
2 md. Banana (frozen) 210 cal
1 1/2 Grape Fruit 159 cal
1 md. Orange 62 cal
1 Cup Kale 34 cal
1 Cup Mixed Greens 7 cal
1 Cup Ice
Total 472 cal
This smoothie was something I haven't made yet during the trial, consisting of mostly citrus fruits, with two frozen bananas to act as thickeners. The consistency was a bit on the liquidy side, but the cup of ice helped to make it more of drinkable slushie. Was interesting indeed and I enjoyed it.
2:00PM
-Snack-
1 sm. Banana 72 cal
4:30PM
-Green Choco-Banana Flax Smoothie w/veggies-
5 md. Banana (frozen) 525 cal
3 Cups Mixed Greens 22 cal
1/2 Cup Celery Leaves
3 Tbsp. Flax Meal 90 cal
2 Tbsp. Cacao Powder 48 cal
3 Cups Water
3 Carrots 63 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
Total 766 cal
I took the same flax banana smoothie that I've been going for lately, but this time added a bit of cacao powder just to try a new flavor. It was definitely worth the experimentation, as I really enjoyed the nutty-chocolatey flavor combo. I added a half cup of celery leaves I had saved from the celery stalks I've been snacking on this past week in order to add a more earthy, green flavor to the smoothie and I basically ended up with perfection in a glass! This went down in just under 45 minutes along with the extra veggies.
8:35PM
-Big Salad-
1 Cup Baby Spinach 10 cal
4 lg. Leaves Romaine 20 cal
1 Cucumber 30 cal
2 Carrot 42 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
10 Green Beans 17 cal
1 Avocado 322 cal
1 md. Apple 95 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
3 Tbsp. Ranch 75 cal
1/4 Cup Sprouted Lentils 140 cal
Total 764 cal
The only word I can use to describe the salad you keep seeing time and time again is "magical." I've never, in my life, ever thought any combination of vegetables could make me so excited. I literally wait each day for "salad time" since I've started making these. This is definitely something worth making if you're new to the idea of live food. Even without the dressing you'll be impressed. You can try different dressings as well - something I look forward to making after I finish off the rest of the ranch I have.
1:20PM
-"Vanilla" and Cinnamon Ice Cream w/brownie pieces and fruit bar-
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon 6 cal
1/2 Chocolate Brownie (chopped) 150 cal
1/2 Fruit and Nut Bar (chopped) 120 cal
Total 696 cal
I love me some banana ice cream! Again, I got experimental, opting to add cinnamon to a portion of the ice cream. Since I had only half of a chocolate brownie left, as well as a regular fruit and nut bar starring back at me in the refrigerator, I knew that something extra was needed in order for the basic fruit and nut bar to really work well with the rest of the meal. The cinnamon complimented the fruit and nut bar perfectly, and meshed really well alongside the "vanilla" ice cream and chocolate brownie. I will definitely be doing more cinnamon ice cream in the future, as well as more cinnamon flavored things in general.
-Exercise-
Sadly, I wasn't motivated enough to get out of the house and exercise in 8 degree weather. Tomorrow's looking to be warmer, but not by much, so I expect to get a decent amount of activity in at work in order to stay warm while outside.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2770 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
567.5g 64.2g 67.5g 699.2g
72.81% 18.53% 8.66% 100%
The fat numbers are a bit high today, but at little cost, as the protein numbers are just about where I want them. Delicious day overall!
And that concludes Day 29!
Day 28
Getting close to the end of the trial here, and although I can't say that I feel as amazing as I hoped I would at this stage, I feel miles ahead of where I was a couple months back. No longer am I plagued with constant heartburn, congestion, or general laziness. I think being able to measure the drastic difference in my mood and the way I feel is hard to do as it has been nearly a month of transition. Instead of realizing an abrupt change, it's happened concurrently over time, which I am appreciative of. I plan on doing a formal conclusion to the trial a bit after it officially ends, so stay tuned for more of that.
The day started superbly with my liter of water.
12:15PM
-Green Banana Mango Flax Smoothie-
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
1 lg. Banana 120 cal
1 Mango 135 cal
4 Cups Kale 132 cal
1/2 Cup Water
2 1/2 tbsp. Flax Meal 75 cal
Total 882 cal
I decided to try the flax smoothie with mango this morning, and although it offered a unique taste, it was not to my liking so much. I like the fruityness the mango provides on it's own or when included in a smoothie, but combined with the nutty flavor of the flax, it just didn't seem to work as well. Nevertheless, I was able to enjoy this smoothie due to it's uniqueness.
4:20PM
-Fruit Salad-
3 md. Banana 315 cal
1 Mango 135 cal
1 md. Orange 62 cal
1 oz. Blueberries 16 cal
1/2 Fruit and Nut Bar 120 cal
Total 648 cal
Another one of my favorite meals here. This time I added an orange as well as half of a fruit and nut bar chopped up and spread throughout.
5:05PM
-Follow-up Snack-
1/2 Fruit and Nut Bar 120 cal
Just after finishing up the fruit bowl, I was still a wee bit hungry so I finished up the second half of the fruit and nut bar.
6:45PM
-Snack-
1 md. Apple 95 cal
8:30PM
-Biggest Salad-
1 1/2 Cup Baby Spinach 15 cal
4 lg. Leaves Romaine 20 cal
1 Cucumber 30 cal
2 Carrot 42 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
1/2 Avocado 161 cal
1/2 md. Apple 43 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
3 Tbsp. Ranch 75 cal
1/4 Cup Sprouted Lentils 140 cal
1 oz Alfalfa Sprouts 8 cal
Total 464 cal
I'd say, aside from the New Year's Eve salad that I made for my girlfriend and myself, this has to be the biggest salad I've made solely just for my own consumption. Took 1 hour to make, and 1 hour and 15 minutes to finish! But, man was it perfection!
11:30PM
-Chocolate & "Vanilla" Ice Cream-
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
2 tbsp. Cacao Powder 48 cal
1 tbsp. Cacao Nibs 33 cal
Total 501 cal
I really haven't been eating much cacao lately, and decided it had been too long! This ice cream seems to get more tasty every time I have some!
2:00AM
-Late Night Snack-
1/2 Grape Fruit 53 cal
Just before getting tired, I had a half of a grapefruit. I didn't get to sleep for about an hour afterwards, as I waited a bit to brush my teeth. Can't be brushing that acid from the citrus into your precious teeth!
-Exercise-
I was completely lazy today, as it was my first day off in a while. Tsk tsk I know.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2763 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
627.5g 46.1g 52g 725.6g
80.12% 13.24% 6.64% 100%
Numbers were a bit off today, but overall was a good day!
And that concludes Day 28!
The day started superbly with my liter of water.
12:15PM
-Green Banana Mango Flax Smoothie-
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
1 lg. Banana 120 cal
1 Mango 135 cal
4 Cups Kale 132 cal
1/2 Cup Water
2 1/2 tbsp. Flax Meal 75 cal
Total 882 cal
I decided to try the flax smoothie with mango this morning, and although it offered a unique taste, it was not to my liking so much. I like the fruityness the mango provides on it's own or when included in a smoothie, but combined with the nutty flavor of the flax, it just didn't seem to work as well. Nevertheless, I was able to enjoy this smoothie due to it's uniqueness.
4:20PM
-Fruit Salad-
3 md. Banana 315 cal
1 Mango 135 cal
1 md. Orange 62 cal
1 oz. Blueberries 16 cal
1/2 Fruit and Nut Bar 120 cal
Total 648 cal
Another one of my favorite meals here. This time I added an orange as well as half of a fruit and nut bar chopped up and spread throughout.
5:05PM
-Follow-up Snack-
1/2 Fruit and Nut Bar 120 cal
Just after finishing up the fruit bowl, I was still a wee bit hungry so I finished up the second half of the fruit and nut bar.
6:45PM
-Snack-
1 md. Apple 95 cal
8:30PM
-Biggest Salad-
1 1/2 Cup Baby Spinach 15 cal
4 lg. Leaves Romaine 20 cal
1 Cucumber 30 cal
2 Carrot 42 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
1/2 Avocado 161 cal
1/2 md. Apple 43 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
3 Tbsp. Ranch 75 cal
1/4 Cup Sprouted Lentils 140 cal
1 oz Alfalfa Sprouts 8 cal
Total 464 cal
I'd say, aside from the New Year's Eve salad that I made for my girlfriend and myself, this has to be the biggest salad I've made solely just for my own consumption. Took 1 hour to make, and 1 hour and 15 minutes to finish! But, man was it perfection!
11:30PM
-Chocolate & "Vanilla" Ice Cream-
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
2 tbsp. Cacao Powder 48 cal
1 tbsp. Cacao Nibs 33 cal
Total 501 cal
I really haven't been eating much cacao lately, and decided it had been too long! This ice cream seems to get more tasty every time I have some!
2:00AM
-Late Night Snack-
1/2 Grape Fruit 53 cal
Just before getting tired, I had a half of a grapefruit. I didn't get to sleep for about an hour afterwards, as I waited a bit to brush my teeth. Can't be brushing that acid from the citrus into your precious teeth!
-Exercise-
I was completely lazy today, as it was my first day off in a while. Tsk tsk I know.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2763 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
627.5g 46.1g 52g 725.6g
80.12% 13.24% 6.64% 100%
Numbers were a bit off today, but overall was a good day!
And that concludes Day 28!
Day 27
I had to wake up extra early this morning, as I had stayed at Kaiti's, which is over 30 minutes away from my job, where my house is only 10 minutes away. I also was getting new tires put on my vehicle for the winter. After my liter of water, Kaiti and myself were off to the tire joint!
9:45AM
-Snack-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
Didn't think I was hungry until I was in the car. Good thing I brought a few bananas along for the ride!
12:00PM
-Green Banana Orange Flax Smoothie-
4 1/2 md. Banana 467 cal
1 1/3 md. Orange 82 cal
1 1/3 Cup Kale 45 cal
1/4 Cup Water
3 Tbsp. Flax Meal 90 cal
Total 684 cal
After getting back to Kaiti's, I whipped us up one of my go-to flax smoothies very quickly, as I was in a hurry to get home to grab my uniform before work. You can see the beautiful color of this smoothie, as the oranges and kale blended superbly to make an orange-green masterpiece.
1:00PM
-Snack-
1 md. Orange 62 cal
I felt great off the citrus in the previous smoothie, so I grabbed another orange
3:10PM
-Veggies-
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
2 1/2 Carrots 52 cal
Total 60 cal
After doing a bit of research and discovered, I've gained a better understanding of the ideas of proper digestion. Since then, I've learned to consume veggies a bit before fruits in order for the digestion and absorption of the nutrients to flow more smoothly. This almost happens intuitively, as I'm not forcing myself into having them in a particular order or at a particular time. It honestly just seems to happen naturally.
3:40PM
-Snack-
2 md. Orange 124 cal
4:45PM
-Snack-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
6:20PM
-Variety Snacks-
1 Carrot 21 cal
1 md. Orange 62 cal
2 sm. Banana 144 cal
1 Mango 135 cal
1 oz. Blueberries 16 cal
Total 378 cal
Boy that citrus really kept me going today. I kept returning to it time and time again. Here I mananged to include some other foods into the fray though. Listed mostly in the order I ate them in.
11:15PM
-Big Salad & Green Banana Smoothie-
Salad
1 Cup Baby Spinach 10 cal
3 lg. Leaves Romaine 15 cal
1 Cucumber 30 cal
1/2 Avocado 161 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
1/2 md. Apple 43 cal
2 Tbsp. Ranch 50 cal
1/8 Cup Lentils 70 cal
.5 oz Alfalfa Sprouts 4 cal
Total 395 cal
Smoothie
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
1 md. Banana 105 cal
1/2 Cup Baby Spinach 5 cal
1 lg. Leave Romaine 5 cal
1 Cup Kale 34 cal
1/2 Cup Water
Total 569 cal
I bet anyone could have guessed the "big salad" would have made an appearance here. Surely a staple from here on out. I cut the green beans, celery, and carrots here, as I wanted to save a bit of room for a sweeter "dessert" afterwards. Chewing all the extras in this salad can be pretty exhausting.
I managed to drink mostly water throughout the eating of the salad Just taking a few sips from the smoothie while eating, I really got to work on it after the salad was gone. Again, doing my best to follow the natural order of consumption for better digestion. Both the salad and the smoothie together took me about 1 hour to make, and similarly, 1 hour to finish.
-Exercise-
As today was a light work day, I really wanted to come home and do a small routine, but after waking up so early that morning, I was completely beat after the 2 hours it took for me to prepare and consume dinner.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2497 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
620.3g 39.1g 54.7g 714.1g
81.30% 11.53% 7.17% 100%
Excellent numbers. Great day!
And that concludes Day 27!
9:45AM
-Snack-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
Didn't think I was hungry until I was in the car. Good thing I brought a few bananas along for the ride!
12:00PM
-Green Banana Orange Flax Smoothie-
4 1/2 md. Banana 467 cal
1 1/3 md. Orange 82 cal
1 1/3 Cup Kale 45 cal
1/4 Cup Water
3 Tbsp. Flax Meal 90 cal
Total 684 cal
After getting back to Kaiti's, I whipped us up one of my go-to flax smoothies very quickly, as I was in a hurry to get home to grab my uniform before work. You can see the beautiful color of this smoothie, as the oranges and kale blended superbly to make an orange-green masterpiece.
1:00PM
-Snack-
1 md. Orange 62 cal
I felt great off the citrus in the previous smoothie, so I grabbed another orange
3:10PM
-Veggies-
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
2 1/2 Carrots 52 cal
Total 60 cal
After doing a bit of research and discovered, I've gained a better understanding of the ideas of proper digestion. Since then, I've learned to consume veggies a bit before fruits in order for the digestion and absorption of the nutrients to flow more smoothly. This almost happens intuitively, as I'm not forcing myself into having them in a particular order or at a particular time. It honestly just seems to happen naturally.
3:40PM
-Snack-
2 md. Orange 124 cal
4:45PM
-Snack-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
6:20PM
-Variety Snacks-
1 Carrot 21 cal
1 md. Orange 62 cal
2 sm. Banana 144 cal
1 Mango 135 cal
1 oz. Blueberries 16 cal
Total 378 cal
Boy that citrus really kept me going today. I kept returning to it time and time again. Here I mananged to include some other foods into the fray though. Listed mostly in the order I ate them in.
11:15PM
-Big Salad & Green Banana Smoothie-
1 Cup Baby Spinach 10 cal
3 lg. Leaves Romaine 15 cal
1 Cucumber 30 cal
1/2 Avocado 161 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
1/2 md. Apple 43 cal
2 Tbsp. Ranch 50 cal
1/8 Cup Lentils 70 cal
.5 oz Alfalfa Sprouts 4 cal
Total 395 cal
Smoothie
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
1 md. Banana 105 cal
1/2 Cup Baby Spinach 5 cal
1 lg. Leave Romaine 5 cal
1 Cup Kale 34 cal
1/2 Cup Water
Total 569 cal
I bet anyone could have guessed the "big salad" would have made an appearance here. Surely a staple from here on out. I cut the green beans, celery, and carrots here, as I wanted to save a bit of room for a sweeter "dessert" afterwards. Chewing all the extras in this salad can be pretty exhausting.
I managed to drink mostly water throughout the eating of the salad Just taking a few sips from the smoothie while eating, I really got to work on it after the salad was gone. Again, doing my best to follow the natural order of consumption for better digestion. Both the salad and the smoothie together took me about 1 hour to make, and similarly, 1 hour to finish.
-Exercise-
As today was a light work day, I really wanted to come home and do a small routine, but after waking up so early that morning, I was completely beat after the 2 hours it took for me to prepare and consume dinner.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2497 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
620.3g 39.1g 54.7g 714.1g
81.30% 11.53% 7.17% 100%
Excellent numbers. Great day!
And that concludes Day 27!
Day 26
Again, being pretty tired from work the day before, I slept in just a bit today. After my liter of water I felt wonderful though!
12:00PM
-Green Banana Flax Smoothie-
2 lg. Banana 240 cal
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
3 Cups Mixed Greens 22 cal
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tbsp. Flax Meal 90 cal
Total 772 cal
More of the same yet again today. This time, this one made just under 1.25 liters, which was about 3 glasses. Took 45 minutes to finish.
3:50PM
-Snack-
3 md. Banana 315 cal
1 lg. Apple 116 cal
Total 431 cal
6:45PM
-Snack-
3 lg. Orange 258 cal
1 md. Banana 105 cal
1 sm. Banana 90 cal
Total 453 cal
This fruit, along with the previous snack, worked well to fill me up nicely, only eating twice while at work instead of snacking multiple times throughout the day.
10:00PM
-Big Salad-
1 Cup Baby Spinach 10 cal
3 lg. Leaves Romaine 15 cal
3/4 Cucumber 23 cal
1 1/2 Carrot 31 cal
1 1/2 Stalk Celery 15 cal
10 Green Beans 17 cal
1/2 Avocado 161 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
1/2 md. Apple 43 cal
2 Tbsp. Ranch 50 cal
1/8 Cup Lentils 70 cal
3/4 oz Alfalfa Sprouts 6 cal
Total 453 cal
I was able to get out of work a bit early tonight, which allowed me to get over to my girlfriend's house at a reasonable time, make us a nice salad dinner, and enjoy New Year's Eve together. The salad pictured was the biggest one I've made to date, but I shared with Kaiti, so the amounts calculated above were what I actually believe I ate, myself. She loved the salad just as much as I do!
12:00AM
-Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream-
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
1 Chocolate Brownie (chopped) 300 cal
Total 720 cal
Right as the ball was dropping, I was just finishing up this dessert. There was no better way to start off the new year: raw, and healthy ice cream, with my beautiful girlfriend! We sat by a fire outside for a half hour or so before I called it quits for the night as work had really been tiring me out this week.
-Exercise-
The same work routine as usual.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2497 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
620.9g 52.7g 55.5g 729.1g
78.10% 14.92% 6.98% 100%
A bit more fat than the day before, but the numbers are actually starting to approach the desired thresholds. Wonderful day!
And that concludes Day 26!
12:00PM
-Green Banana Flax Smoothie-
2 lg. Banana 240 cal
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
3 Cups Mixed Greens 22 cal
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tbsp. Flax Meal 90 cal
Total 772 cal
More of the same yet again today. This time, this one made just under 1.25 liters, which was about 3 glasses. Took 45 minutes to finish.
3:50PM
-Snack-
3 md. Banana 315 cal
1 lg. Apple 116 cal
Total 431 cal
6:45PM
-Snack-
3 lg. Orange 258 cal
1 md. Banana 105 cal
1 sm. Banana 90 cal
Total 453 cal
This fruit, along with the previous snack, worked well to fill me up nicely, only eating twice while at work instead of snacking multiple times throughout the day.
10:00PM
-Big Salad-
1 Cup Baby Spinach 10 cal
3 lg. Leaves Romaine 15 cal
3/4 Cucumber 23 cal
1 1/2 Carrot 31 cal
1 1/2 Stalk Celery 15 cal
10 Green Beans 17 cal
1/2 Avocado 161 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
1/2 md. Apple 43 cal
2 Tbsp. Ranch 50 cal
1/8 Cup Lentils 70 cal
3/4 oz Alfalfa Sprouts 6 cal
Total 453 cal
I was able to get out of work a bit early tonight, which allowed me to get over to my girlfriend's house at a reasonable time, make us a nice salad dinner, and enjoy New Year's Eve together. The salad pictured was the biggest one I've made to date, but I shared with Kaiti, so the amounts calculated above were what I actually believe I ate, myself. She loved the salad just as much as I do!
12:00AM
-Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream-
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
1 Chocolate Brownie (chopped) 300 cal
Total 720 cal
Right as the ball was dropping, I was just finishing up this dessert. There was no better way to start off the new year: raw, and healthy ice cream, with my beautiful girlfriend! We sat by a fire outside for a half hour or so before I called it quits for the night as work had really been tiring me out this week.
-Exercise-
The same work routine as usual.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2497 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
620.9g 52.7g 55.5g 729.1g
78.10% 14.92% 6.98% 100%
A bit more fat than the day before, but the numbers are actually starting to approach the desired thresholds. Wonderful day!
And that concludes Day 26!
Day 25
I was super tired from work the day prior, so I slept in a bit this morning. After getting my liter of water down, it was straight onto breakfast!
12:15PM
-Green Banana Flax Smoothie-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
3 Cups Mixed Greens 22 cal
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tbsp. Flax Meal 90 cal
Total 742 cal
Similar to yesterday's flax smoothie, just with a bit more banana's and no oranges today, this smoothie was just as good! 1 liter here took 1 hour to finish.
3:25PM
-Snacks-
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
2 1/2 Carrots 52 cal
Total 70 cal
These veggies started a snacking spree for the next hour or so.
3:45PM
-Snack-
1 md. Apple 95 cal
4:10PM
-Snack-
2 1/4 md. Banana 235 cal
6:30PM
-Snack-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
1 Cup Pineapple 83 cal
Total 293 cal
After a few hours of not eating, hunger returned!
7:10PM
-Snack-
1/2 Cucumber 15 cal
I think I was more thirsty than hungry here, as 15 calories really did nothing for me, but I was out of water in my glass bottle, so the water in the cucumber was enough to get me through the night.
11:30PM
-Bigger Salad-
1 1/2 Cup Baby Spinach 15 cal
4 lg. Leaves Romaine 20 cal
1.5 Cucumber 45 cal
2 Carrot 42 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
10 Green Beans 17 cal
1/2 Avocado 161 cal
3/4 md. Apple 71 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
3 Tbsp. Ranch 75 cal
1 oz. Alfalfa Sprouts 8 cal
1/4 Cup Sprouted Lentils 140 cal
Total 624 cal
I didn't think it was possible, but I made an even larger salad than the previous nights, and after experimenting with the ranch the night before, realized that it was an auto-include on my now standard salad. This one took 45 mins to make, and an entire hour to eat. SO GOOD!
1:30AM
-Late Night Snack-
1/2 Fruit and Nut Bar 120 cal
I got hungry right before bed, so I grabbed half a fruit and nut bar I found in the fridge and it was right to sleep.
-Exercise-
Same as the previous two days here. I wish I had more time/energy to get some real exercise in. At the beginning of the trial, I was doing a good job of making sure I got a decent amount of exercise in, but as I have been pretty overwhelmed with work and the amount of time these blogs require, I have started to slack. Maybe after I get into the swing of things with the new job, I can actually work a good routine into my day.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2194 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
471.9g 35.1g 54.1g 561.1g
78.01% 13.05% 8.94% 100%
The numbers are the best they have been the entire trial! Wonderful day!
And that concludes Day 25!
12:15PM
-Green Banana Flax Smoothie-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
4 md. Banana (frozen) 420 cal
3 Cups Mixed Greens 22 cal
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tbsp. Flax Meal 90 cal
Total 742 cal
Similar to yesterday's flax smoothie, just with a bit more banana's and no oranges today, this smoothie was just as good! 1 liter here took 1 hour to finish.
3:25PM
-Snacks-
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
2 1/2 Carrots 52 cal
Total 70 cal
These veggies started a snacking spree for the next hour or so.
3:45PM
-Snack-
1 md. Apple 95 cal
4:10PM
-Snack-
2 1/4 md. Banana 235 cal
6:30PM
-Snack-
2 md. Banana 210 cal
1 Cup Pineapple 83 cal
Total 293 cal
After a few hours of not eating, hunger returned!
7:10PM
-Snack-
1/2 Cucumber 15 cal
I think I was more thirsty than hungry here, as 15 calories really did nothing for me, but I was out of water in my glass bottle, so the water in the cucumber was enough to get me through the night.
11:30PM
-Bigger Salad-
1 1/2 Cup Baby Spinach 15 cal
4 lg. Leaves Romaine 20 cal
1.5 Cucumber 45 cal
2 Carrot 42 cal
2 Stalk Celery 18 cal
10 Green Beans 17 cal
1/2 Avocado 161 cal
3/4 md. Apple 71 cal
1/2 Lemon 12 cal
3 Tbsp. Ranch 75 cal
1 oz. Alfalfa Sprouts 8 cal
1/4 Cup Sprouted Lentils 140 cal
Total 624 cal
I didn't think it was possible, but I made an even larger salad than the previous nights, and after experimenting with the ranch the night before, realized that it was an auto-include on my now standard salad. This one took 45 mins to make, and an entire hour to eat. SO GOOD!
1:30AM
-Late Night Snack-
1/2 Fruit and Nut Bar 120 cal
I got hungry right before bed, so I grabbed half a fruit and nut bar I found in the fridge and it was right to sleep.
-Exercise-
Same as the previous two days here. I wish I had more time/energy to get some real exercise in. At the beginning of the trial, I was doing a good job of making sure I got a decent amount of exercise in, but as I have been pretty overwhelmed with work and the amount of time these blogs require, I have started to slack. Maybe after I get into the swing of things with the new job, I can actually work a good routine into my day.
Approximate Daily Totals
Calories
2194 cal
Carbs Fat Protein Total
471.9g 35.1g 54.1g 561.1g
78.01% 13.05% 8.94% 100%
The numbers are the best they have been the entire trial! Wonderful day!
And that concludes Day 25!
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