Day 19...YEEHAW

It's Day 19...I made it this whole raw food challenge so far without eating dairy or processed foods. I slipped up once by eating roasted veggies but I still feel good about that. It is part of the journey of one meal at a time and one day at a time. It's more about health food diet than raw food...because I could have eaten an entire jar of almond butter I was so hungry and emotional so instead I decided to have some roasted veggies...I think that's a better choice.

Today's Challenge was to get some sunshine so I sat outside while having my lunch and did some gardening!!

I've been doing the 5 Tibetan Rites every morning and some leg exercises and ab exercises as well!

How are you all feeling?!

I also finished moving out of my apartment yesterday which is a huge accomplishment now the fun part of unpacking begins!

I'm off to make my brother some food and get ready for some food shopping~

Rawkn Yogini~~

Day 15....BIG TRANSITION

Today I started to move out of my apartment. I did a lot of packing on an 85 degree day! I got so much done though which is very exciting. Tomorrow I'm going back to do more...putting the stuff into my bedroom after packing it up will be the hard part! Today is day 15 of the raw food challenge and it's easy peasy! Can't wait to see more changes from this journey...I definitely have seen some changes already. My complexion is smooth and bright and my energy is much better. I still need to get back into shape because doing all this work is making me realize that I need to build some endurance and weight lifting abilities! I just started doing weight lifting, ab exercises and the 5 Tibetan Rites!

I just wanted to check and see how the rest of you are all doing...I hope you are all doing really well!

Come visit me on facebook @ The 21 Day Raw Food Challenge!

Rawkn Yogini~

Day 13 and tomorrow marks 2 weeks RAW!

2 Weeks ago...I was tired, sick, depressed, and anxious...I felt like something was wrong...
It was...I wasn't eating enough raw foods but more importantly I WAS eating cooked and processed foods like sugar and dairy which were very addicting.
I was telling my challengers today that raw food is not a fad because once you start eating raw your whole life changes. So if you aren't willing to experience a huge shift then you should start out slow. Slowly adding in more and more raw at a comfortable pace.

If you go raw overnight you take the chance of backsliding because of extreme emotional and physical detoxification of all the cells of your body. Stored emotions that had been suppressed with heavy toxic foods are suddenly looking you square in the face and you must now deal with them. A wise guy named Philip McCluskey said that it's best not to try to overanalyze these emotions but to just release them and let them go. That is not any easy thing for most people. When we are fearful we often retreat...and in this case into a bar of chocolate or a cup full of greek yogurt. This time going raw I did not think...I can't have ____. I said I choose not to have it and I am doing this for my health and myself and not anyone else. I also allowed myself to eat when I was hungry even if that meant eating 3 bananas and almond butter! With my dad saying "why are you eating all those bananas?" as he's eating a backed potato loaded with cooked veggies and 2 cups of shredded cheese melted on top with a piece of fish and a box of raisinets for a snack afterward and an hour later looking for more.

I'm really enjoying this journey and I'm thankful for the support I have from my friends @ 21 Day Raw Food Challenge on facebook!!!

With all my heart,
Rawkn Yogini~

The End of Day 11!

Hey there friends!

Well I didn't get done what I had planned on getting accomplished but that's ok! I helped my mom do some cleaning around the house, sorted some mail and bought a cute dress and shoes for my honors convocation tomorrow which is a ceremony where I will receive an award for academic acheivments throughout college :-)

These past 11 days have been easy at times and hard at others. It seems that when I'm around love and I am kept busy it is easier for me. It's when I'm sitting at home and thinking...gee I wish I could eat_____ or i'm tired of eating____, I start to feel sorry for myself and there is like a downward spiral of negativity...eeekk! I'm learning a lot about myself. I feel better inside when I look good on the outside. Hmmm. I feel better when I've done my hair or painted my nails or put on some cute makeup or earrings. This might all sound superficial but I believe we all deserve to feel beautiful on the outside just as much as the inside. I really feel that raw food does just that. You are healing from the inside out. Your body is clean and so you look more alive and vibrant and beautiful on the outside. Thank goodness for that...because I would love a good makeover ;-)

Thanks for sticking with me everyone! I won't let you down. RAW all the way baby! With you all to support me of course.

Tomorrow I have created a challenge for my group and I to

#1 Conciously drink more water

#2 Wait at least an hour after waking before eating breakfast

#3 Don't eat anything after 8pm at night

You can do it!!!

Rawkn Yogini~

Day 10!

Hey there foodies!

Today was a busy day! My last final exam of my undergraduate education! WowWw....so cool!
I did some packing at my apartment then went to the health food store and got some kale, bananas, dates, and mangos...haha I know interesting combo but you know what!? That would make a pretty awesome green smoothie! I love sharing with all of you and also learning about your lives too! I feel so much calmer and clearer mentally and physically and emotionally.
Lots more packing tomorrow all day! Perfect thing to do on a gloomy, rainy day! Play some great music, light some incense and do some cleaning! Getting rid of physical clutter really does de-clutter your mind!

Well I'm off to bed for another busy day tomorrow!

My challengers are doing a fun little challenge tomorrow...giving 5 compliments...pour some love on someone and it will come right back to you...dripping like honey!

Good Luck~
Rawkn Yogini~ <3

Day 9 of the 21 Day Raw Food Challenge!

It's day 9 of the challenge!

I cannot believe how many people are joining each day! I am so proud to be the leader of this amazing group! Making fabulous changes in their lives.
Is there any such thing as a mistake? I don't think so. I really believe that everything happens for a reason and even when a member of my group said that she "slipped up and made a mistake" eating a snickers bar...I think that is all part of the journey. It taught her to always be prepared with raw goodies and the guilt is worse than anything!

You are all making excellent changes for yourselves and should be very proud!

I have a super busy day! Walk with the dogs, more packing and hopefully some yoga and bike ride in there somewhere. Join us in the challenge...we are still waiting for YOU!

Have an inspiring day!
Rawkn Yogini~

Day 8....WOW!

Determined to make a change :-)
Amazed by all the love and support!
You can do it too!

8 days into this awesome journey

Wonderful foods and recipes
Owning up to my weaknesses and accepting them
Welcome to the challenge!

Yes I'm feeling a bit cheezey this morning! And I don't mean smothered with gooey, stick to the roof of your mouth velveta either!! I just want to let you all know that the light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter each day! It is definitely getting easier and I think I'm in love with the 21 Day Challenge members. The numbers grow each day! I really want to start videos to share my knowledge and ideas with others...what do you think?!

Today I don't feel any serious emotional anxiety or stress despite the fact that I have my last final on Wednesday, I've lost my cell phone, I'm moving out of my apartment on Saturday and graduating from college! Ha...piece of cake!

There are so many wonderful, talented people out there. Artists, poets, musicians, engineers, doctors, lawyers, carpenters, painters, mothers, fathers, botanists, farmers! The list goes on but it just goes to show how different we all are but many of us share a common tie that joins us together. We all want long, healthy, vibrant, and fulfilling lives!

Why are our supermarkets filled with cardboard boxes, cans, bags, and containers that sit on the shelves for months without any signs of spoilage? How fresh do you think you will smell and feel if you neglected to get up, move around, and take a shower for months? That's right....FUNKY!
Now imagine what they are putting in the food you are eating...chemicals and poison to preserve them and keep them "fresh". In fact your food might be made entirely out of chemicals! Try looking at a mountain dew can! So even if raw foods seem too extreme to you...make sure you are looking at the labels. If the ingredient list is a mile long with a ton of words you can't pronounce then put down the yodels and funnybones...because they most likely are making you sick! Whole foods such as fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and even organic fresh meats are better than anything in a box...even if it says the words "healthy", "fat free", "natural", "excellent source of..." and shocker "ORGANIC" or "GLUTEN FREE". Just because something is organic doesn't mean that it's not filled with stabilizers, sugar, flour and saturated and trans fat! Organic just means that when they were growing the food that they didn't use pesticides. Keep reading the labels. My friend was a big fan of Newman O's (like oreos) and they recently started putting corn syrup in the cookies instead of natural cane sugar (to me however sugar is sugar) and she wrote them a letter and decided to stop buying them! Gluten free is another thing to watch out for. Many of the products have gels and gums to hold the product together and often disguise the terrible mouthfeel and taste with sugar and saturated fat!

With awareness comes empowerment. You dictate what you will and won't eat so tell your local supermarkets and health food stores what you'd like them to carry! They care! Give brands and ideas! They want your business...they want your money...make them work for it!

Haha...that's my rampage for the day!
Rawkn Yogini~

Day 6 :-)

Hello Everyone,
Today is day 6 of the 21 Day Raw Food Challenge! My group on facebook is doing so well. We have come across a lot of detox symptoms..physical and emotional. But we have eachother and that makes ALL the difference. I don't know what I would do without them...and yet they say that they are so thankful for me :-)
Simultaneoulsy I have been having physical detox such as skin itching, body odor, nose running, and gas
As well as emotion detox such as anger, anxiety, frustration, sadness and fear!

One of my friends on the challenge has experienced a lot of the same symptoms as me. Doing something for yourself is often looked at as selfish but don't we deserve to treat ourselves well? I have always fallen victim to putting myself last on the list. Make my brother lunch when he gets home from school, come home to take care of my family when I should be focusing on school, coming home to spend time with my family instead of spending time with my friends..etc. I made those choices and I definitely don't regret them! I made them because I love my family but I need to learn how to love myself.
Last night I woke up from a nightmare because I was crying in my sleep. I woke up in fear and with anxiety. My dream was about not being satisfied with myself and my decisions!
That just shows me that this challenge is very good for me! No one else in my family is following it and yet...I will not give up because I know this is for me and only me! People have been bulleying me my whole life telling me that something that I've done is not cool, normal or right. It started with 3rd grade, when I was bulleyed for being too quiet and being a geek, it continued in high school when my ex-boyfriend put cinnabon frosting all over my car on New Year's Day and now it is myself, telling myself that I'm not worthy of vibrant life and health!

That is CHANGING!

I have always been different. I have always wished in some ways to be different. Well I have accomplished that. While the rest of the people that I became friendly with are having college celebration parties with drinking and drugs...I am sitting here reflecting on my life, hoping to make a change that will better my physical and emotional health!

Thank you for supporting me
Rawkn Yogini~

Day 5...Really Ready to Thrive

Hi all,
I am so glad that I got over the..."Raw food is so hard...hump"
It's almost too easy. Yummy! Love it!

Busy day today! Scary and emotional day I should say. I am ending my college career after 4 years and now it's time to move back home and figure out what i'm doing with my life!
Today I have exactly one week to clear out my old room (furniture from when I was 5 years old and papers and books from around that time too) and make room for new furniture, my awesome queen sized bed and new decor!! Not to mention I have to pack up all my college stuff from my apartment. The closet will be a killer. I'm trying not to use food as emotional support today. I'm going to honest and real and cry if I need to! I don't always have to be strong, showing weakness can be good right?

I hope you all are having great success today! I will keep in touch!
PS...bowel movements are awesome with raw foods...if you suffer from constipation then eat some!!!

With love,
Rawkn Yogini~~

Day 4 of the 21 Day Raw Food Challenge...Have you picked your own edible wild grasses and weeds? I have!!

Hey there,
I'm sitting here after the most productive morning in a while. Getting dressed, taking a walk with the dogs, taking a bike ride, watering all my plants, picking wild edibles (YES I did), cleaning up the house and making a GREEEN juice!

Oh yeah I said it. I picked weeds (Dandelion) from my lawn and grasses from my backyard and ATE them. I learned how to pick wild edibles by a video on the the raw food world tv show. google it, it is awesome! My energy is soaring from just a couple sips! It just shows me that humans are meant to forage for wild foods to sustain them not buy foods at a grocery store!!! The juice is very strong but I will be getting used to it because i'm looking forward to many more days of picking my own food..so cool!

The challenge is going VERY well! I've had some emotion detox so far. Yesterday I could see as plain as day that I use food as a crutch! It hit me while sitting in the family room. I had eaten hours before and yet I was Not hungry and I felt completely satisfied and yet something felt empty almost as if I wish I were hungry so that I could eat and supress feelings that I was having. Instead of eating I looked within. I asked myself why I was feeling vulnerable.
What I discovered was a little scary but enlightening...
I think I like when things are easy, calm and stagnant though for so many years I fooled myself into thinking I was one that loved adventures and change!
I like being in a rut...doing the same things every day because I feel SAFE. Even the friends I have are the same friends I've had for at least 4 years. I don't put myself out there because I'm afraid of rejection. I need to love myself more and not say...well i'll love myself when ____(fill in the blank). Each day I will not self loath myself or make comments in my head to put myself down. When these thoughts pop up I will replace them with positive ones! I know that I have had many years of abuse. Some say that abuse must be physical but I have grown up with a lot of emotional abuse.
My dad always would try to shield me from the world and from anything new, different or difficult. He would say things like, "It's too dark to drive now", "You can't handle taking that many classes", "That is too extreme, don't try that", "I'll bring you there, you'll get lost", "Don't apply for that job, it's too hard". I formed a lot of anxieties as a child and into adulthood. Fear seemed to paralyze me and guilt would bulley me.
My mom would always encourage me to try strange and wacky things. Even things I felt very uncomfortable doing. I'm sure now you can see the pull of war in my mind and soul. She also was always looking for something better, because to her the present was never good enough. She went on so many quests to find her perfect diet or her perfect body. Determined that by hating the current she would be rewarded with a fantastic future.
I guess you could say I now have a little of both of these views. It isn't always easy to tell myself that it's ok to try new things and not to be afraid of change but also that I am beautiful the way I am and that I don't need to change myself to please myself or others!

I am a success! I am wonderful! I am strong! And....SO are YOU!

Have a great day!
Rawkn yogini~

Day 3 of the 21 Day Raw Food Challenge!

Hi Everyone it's day 3!!!

I can hardly believe it..the days are flying by. Just made a list this morning of how I feel and in just 3 days so many things have improved. Mental clarity, energy, my skin, sleeping really well, I had swelling in my joints that is going down, and I feel...Happy! Such a great feeling!

I invite you all to join the challenge...do yourself a favor and join the group on facebook that way you'll have support and inspiration from people going through the same things as you and offering you suggestions!!! You don't have to pay anything...it's totally 100% free. I am not trying to sell anything or committ you to a cult! I'm trying to be healthy and take you with me so that we can share vibrant health together! Click here to join...

I think i'm in love with Banana Ice Cream...how do I make it?

**I take super ripe (ones with lots of brown spots on them) bananas, you can usually even get them on clearance at the grocery store (cha-ching!)

**Then I peel all of them and cut them into chunks

**I put them into a plastic freezer bag or glass container and put into my freezer!

**Once frozen, usually over night, I put them into the food processor or blender and blend until creamy and smooth!!! I don't add any water, sugar or anything!

The best thing about this ice cream is that you can eat it every single day and feel good about it! Even children and babies can have this and love it!...heck you could give it to your dog!!!

It is that simple....enjoy!!!!

You could top it with sliced strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and even soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds but I like mine plain...it's that good!

Come join the fun...click here

Rawkn Yogini~~

Day 1 of the 21 Day Raw Food Challenge

Dear Challengers!
Don't forget to join the group on facebook so that you can add to discussions and get awesome recipes and tips! Today is day 1 and meal 1!!

I don't feel deprived...I feel relieved.

Raw foods are what my body wants and needs when I truly listen to it! I'm sure you and your body will feel the same.
Take it one meal at a time...and eat as much raw food as you like! Stop dwelling on calories, protein, carbs, and fat. Focus on filling your tummy till you feel satisfied and happy! Raw foods are high in nutrients, water, fiber and energy...which are all the keys to making you feel satisfied! Enjoy each juicy crunchy creamy bite and share your experience with others!

You deserve to look and feel your best.
No one ever said making a change was easy. But with the support of new friends, old friends and family we can all revolutionize food, emotions, love, passion, and our energy levels not just as individuals BUT as a nation!

Thank you for all of your support, loyalty and love...not just today but always.

Rawkn Yogini~
Don't hesitate to e-mail me if you need support...we all do! afk6@unh.edu

21 Day Raw Food Challenge

21 Day Raw Food Challenge begins tomorrow Monday, May 10th 2010!It takes 21 Days to make and break a habit. Why not make some new habits that are healthy and exciting enough to tell your friends about? Especially when you see how amazing, energetic and pain free you will be in less than a month! Who knows maybe you will want to keep this up for a while longer than the challenge!
Let's take this one meal at a time, one day at a time together...Find The Group on Facebook called 21 Day Raw Food challenge!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120537161304895&ref=mf

Myself and other raw foodies share some of our recipes, shopping lists, tips for getting started, as well as some of the challenges, cravings, trials and tribulations!

Join today!
Any Questions or need a nutrition mentor...e-mail me at afk6@unh.edu
I believe in the best in you!
Rawkn yogini~~

May 3rd....A new day...goal setting

Hello all,
I'm still here for you. These past couple months have been very challenging mostly emotionally. Coming off a juice feast was one of the hardest things that I have ever endured. Sure you think to yourself, "This chick hasn't been exposed to much!". But the truth is that I guess I never really allowed myself to feel the fear, pain and anxiety of those hard times until the finale of a month of bliss *juice feasting*. During this time...my mind was completely clear and calm, my relationship with food and health was renewed and I felt Very in control. Upon ending my juicing I felt the complete opposite of every euphoric feeling previously mentioned. I felt sad, depressed, an unimaginable appetite, out of control emotionally. I no longer had a motivation to help others on their health striving journeys because I had strayed so far from mine. I struggled to eat raw foods when all I could think about was eating the "wrong thing". Who can live like that.

Well I got sick...really sick. My stomach was bloated, gassy and filled with the indigestion I had prior to eating raw. Cravings for unhealthy foods were coming on me that I didn't even like before at all! I got a cold. Sneezing and coughing and my eyes were watering. I laid in bed thinking about what had led me to this point. It was very clear...you are what you eat...or what you don't eat. You also are your emotional and physical health as well. And even walking or admitting that I had no energy was a chore. I was embarassed. Just a couple months ago I was the beacon of health, love, peace and I looked great.

I'm sick and tired of feeling sorry for myself so I'm starting from square one. I have learned a lot from this humbling experience. You can not take anything for granted.

Here is my plan:
Week one:

Goal 1: Drink 2 glasses of water when I rise in the morning-have next to bed
Goal 2: Take a walk in the morning around the block and back-have socks and shorts laid out near my bed in the morning
Goal 3: Drink 2 glasses of green juice everyday-make sure I have all my veggies cut up the night before
Goal 4: Talk to someone I love on the phone once a day when I get home-have my cell phone charged and ready to go
Goal 5: Make an effort to look my best everyday- shower and put on makeup


I hope you won't give up on me because I won't give up on me or you!!
Rawkn Yogini~

What are your goals?? Make them acheivable. And remember it's easier to add something in then take it away. Notice I didn't say..."stop eating almond butter"