new blog

In case you're reading this I've started a new (and possibly more random) blog. It's at http://raw-reality.blogspot.com.

See you there.

I haven't bloggered off!

Just a quick post to apologise to the few followers of my blog that are out there for the lack of any activity for the last few weeks. It's precisely because there hasn't been a lack of activity in my life that I haven't found time to update for a while.

I fully intend to get back on the blogging track soon. Rest assured that my almost totally raw regime has continued; where it hasn't been totally raw there have been some interesting observations. More of that once I have more time... (I'm such a tease!)

Day 20 - Wednesday's Child is Full of (W)Eau

Have drunk loads of water today as I've been feeling really thirsty, which is odd as I have had my usual litre-and-a-half. I wonder if I've used more than my usual consumption to flush out the nasties of the last few days? Very glad I have access to a water ioniser so that I can have lovely alkaline water to drink!

A lovely, 100% raw day today, the only indulgence being some raw sheeps' cheese on raw (dehydrated) bread.

Also managed to squeeze in a trip to the gym, which I should have done at the weekend. Felt really energetic, which was unexpected, and did more than usual on the upper body exercises, though worse than usual on the running. Although my heart rate and breathing were fine, I was really wheezy after about a mile. As an ex-smoker this may be a bit of detoxing. If it is, I hope this phase is over soon, not only for me but for the benefit of the others on the adjacent treadmills who were wondering why the bloke they were running next to sounded like an accordion when he got off the machine.

Been home from the gym for an hour now. Just a short while ago I had a sudden urge to cough and out came a small lump of phlegm. Isn't detox lovely?

Day 19 - Back to the Future

I am knocking my cooked food experiment on the head. To be honest, I think my brief dalliance with the dark side has sufficiently served to confirm what I knew already - my body no longer enjoys cooked foods, especially meat.

Had I continued I would have had a curry today, if only to title today's blog entry 'Ruby Tuesday', even if that would only make sense to someone with a basic knowledge of rhyming slang (for the uninitiated, Ruby Murray = curry). The future is raw, and I'm going back to the future!

A green smoothie and berries for breakfast, my usual fruity munchies through the morning, a lovely salad lunch, seeds and nuts in the afternoon, more salad in the evening.

Whilst I still feel a little low on energy reserves I'm aware of how my emotional mood has changed. I feel alive in that respect again. There's been more rain today, but my feelings about that couldn't be more different to yesterday. Yesterday I hated the rain; it was making for a miserable summer, and getting me down. Today the rain is a vibrant energy force from the heavens and I feel like running outside naked and absorbing its freshness and power through my skin as it washes over me, not that I have any intention of actually doing so; it's not the sort of thing you could get away with in London. I have these odd 'get in touch with nature' ideas every now and then - perhaps I should see someone about that...

I certainly feel more positive, and my bowel seems to have found its watch and is kicking into action at its previous time.

At the time of writing I really don't feel that I want to have anything cooked again, except perhaps a bean stew which is nice and fibrous. Hopefully this means that in both a physical and mental sense, I've well and truly got traditional cooked food out of my system.

Day 18 - Blue Monday

A short post today. I felt awful this morning; totally worn out, like I'd been engaged in some physical activity all weekend. I supposed my insides were, and far more than usual having been subjected to foods it thought were consigned to memory.

My mood has been foul today. I've felt really edgy emotionally, and I don't think it would have take nmuch for me to end up having a vociferous argument with someone. Thankfully that circumstance hasn't arisen today, though I've found myself being unusually sarcastic and snappy with some people in my less tolerant moments; it's probably down to their own patience that I haven't been rude.

Rain. Lots of it today. I've always been fascinated by water, and despite the consequent inconvenience, found something wonderful about rainstorms. Today I have no time for them. This is a definite mood change.

Back on the raw food all day today, and now that the day is drawing to a close I feel a little less of a curmudgeon than I have all day. I shall be having an early night tonight because I feel more tired than usual. I hope that will help me to build up a few more reserves of energy.

Day 17 - Turkish Delight? Er, no....

The experiment continues....

Well, I had my kebab last night. I deliberately picked a good Turkish restaurant fairly nearby from which I have had some delicious kebabs in the past; kebabs so good that no alcohol was required before eating them. Their doner kebabs are made of individual cuts of lamb as opposed to that manufactured reclaimed meat version that you see in so many takeaways, that looks like an elephant's leg on a spit.

In my carnivorous days lamb was probably my favourite meat, and since becoming almost wholly veggie it's been lamb dishes that have made my mouth water with anticipation more than any other. I fully expected that unlike the far more junky pizza I had, this kebab made on the premises would at least be flavoursome. I was wrong. It tasted okay, but nothing special. Now this may be because there's something changed in their recipe, but the place hasn't changed hands so that seems unlikely. I'm more and more convinced that my taste buds have just begun to relish different foodstuffs these days, that is to say, fresh, raw fruit and veg. They are no longer turned on by cooked meat.

I took some digestive enzymes afterwards (I'm happy to experiment but I don't want to give my body a nervous breakdown whilst doing so) and that left me feeling less stodgy than I did yesterday morning after the pizza. I'm also pleased to say that I had reason to use the loo this morning, although nature obviously overslept because she didn't call until two hours later than usual.

The more unpleasant after effect was the greasiness I felt in my mouth. I'd cleaned my teeth thoroughly and rinsed with (slightly) acid water, as is the norm, but I woke up feeling like I'd eaten another kebab during my sleep.

The other noticeable difference I have felt today compared to last week is a lack of energy. I had planned to visit the gym this weekend but that hasn't happened. I've been feeling a little grumpy and cantankerous, which isn't like me at all.

A late lunch at Planet Organic, and this time (apart from some very lightly steamed broccoli) a raw meal. I couldn't face anything more hot food today, so for my 'cooked' element I had a piece of carrot cake. It was a welcome relief from pizza and kebab, though I could envisage the stodge that it would become once it hit my stomach. More digestive enzymes on arriving home.

As I write this daily round up I'm feeling very listless. I've had plenty of sleep but I don't feel rested. I've not been exerting myself but I feel exhausted. I actually feel pretty irritable. I don't feel as in touch with my emotions as normal, and a little detached. This is after two cooked meals, and whilst I'm the first to concede that they weren't exactly healthy choices they were not atypical meals for people to have in this day and age. After only two days I really don't feel very good at all.

Day 16 - The Domino('s) Effect

Well, I have to say that I was disappointed. In the bad old days I used to quite like a Domino's pizza. I ordered what used to be my usual, a large 'Full House'. I have to confess that there was a little part of me that was looking forward to this.

I've always been a fairly slim person but I used to be able to polish one of these off no problem. Last night, despite being hungry, I managed 10 of the 12 slices, and couldn't take any more. Previously unheard of, but I wasn't getting any real satisfaction from eating it. The consistency of the pizza was reassuringly familiar, but it seemed that my taste buds weren't getting their kicks from the artificial flavourings that they did in days of old. It's almost as if those taste receptors had switched themselves off. I don't know if that's actually the case, but it certainly seems that way.

I don't feel that I slept well at all; I woke feeling a bit washed out. Now that may also be because I went to bed in the early hours rather than the 10pm to 11pm timeslot that I normally hit the sack. Note to self: if you're going to conduct an experiment try and make sure it's a controlled environment. However, I've had a few similarly late nights/early mornings since going raw and I've not experienced the same degree of lethargy that hit me this morning.

At a more basic level - and I apologies for mixing food and toilet talk - I can normally almost set my watch by bowel movements. It's become a regular 6:30 am and 6:30 pm routine. This morning all I could feel was that someone was trying to make a plastercast of my intestine, it felt so clogged up. So, no morning visit to the loo at all.

Desperate for some goodness again I had melon for breakfast, and a dark green smoothie a little later in the morning. This helped restore my energy levels but I found myself still feeling a little listless. I didn't really feel like doing anything at all, and spent most of the day watching TV or sitting at my computer. I did have a small salad but to be honest I didn't really feel like eating.

This is all very fascinating. I've had fish and chips before now after a long time raw, and despite feeling a little worse the following morning it didn't make me feel like this. It's a little like a food hangover. Is this coincidental, or a direct result of the error of my ways?

A little more worryingly is the fact that I haven't needed to go to the loo for a 'number two' at all today. I don't want to try and force it - I expect my body to let me know when it's ready (and I hope that this isn't in the middle of the night). If I don't go tomorrow morning I shall have to find something to eat that has a more laxative effect.

Is this a valid experiment or am I just being a bloody idiot? Probably the latter. Especially as tonight I am going to have something I haven't had in an awfully long time. Something that I normally would only eat after a drink or three. From a proper restaurant, not one of those places that serves rubbish to late-night revellers. Tonight, I'm going to have a doner kebab.

With salad, obviously.

Day 15 - Cooked Guinea Pig

Don't worry. No need to call the RSPCA. I am not planning to start barbecuing cuddly little pets. There's not enough meat on them anyway.

It occurred to me that although there are loads of people doing the 100 day challenge, many are doing it for their own personal reasons and to differing levels. I signed up for the Mostly Raw group, because I've never set out to be 100% raw anyway. My own reason for getting involved was to put myself to the test, not so much to see how raw I could be but to focus on my overall health and how it is affected by diet.

I consider myself very fortunate in that I don't have any particular health issues. I'm aware of how changes in my diet have affected my overall health in recent years, because looking back, I can't say that I didn't have health issues 10 years ago. Nothing had been diagnosed, but the foods I was consuming were typical of those that lead to so many of the illnesses commonly associated with diet - diabetes, heart disease, etc. That all seems so long ago, and going raw appears to have been the final piece of the jigsaw for me.

I have been mostly raw for quite some time - well over 90% for the past year. I have a natural curiosity and I'm beginning to wonder, what would it be like if I wasn't eating this way? Would it make a noticeable difference? What would be the most immediate signs? I already know that I don't feel great after a cooked meal anymore, but is that just because it''s so rare?

So, I'm going to do an experiment and be the guinea pig I referred to earlier. For the next few days I shall still be eating raw stuff and having my juices and smoothies, but I am going to intersperse these with some of the old comforting, convenient and frankly crap stuff that passes for food for so many people, and keep track of the effects, if any, on yours truly. I'm aware of the fact that this may appear to be some kind of cop-out from the challenge and that I'm trying to justify not sticking to raw foods. Well, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, whilst I may not share your opinion I shall defend to the death your right to hold it, even if it's obvious that you're just a cynical old bugger.

This challenge is about me, after all, as it is for everyone doing their own challenge; where we are a collective is in that we want to share our experiences and support for each other. I've been spouting what some brand as nonsense about raw food for a while to everyone that will listen, and quite a few who don't want to but who don't have the option. This is about proving to myself how I am what I eat; it's not that I'm not convinced, but it would be unscientific not to experiment just a little.

I hope that what I recount will be enlightening, and may even be of use to those for whom this raw way of life is new and for whom the temptations of the dark side are still strong.

I have had a fabulously good day food-wise today; berries and a green juice for breakfast, physalis and tomatoes mid-morning, a delicious salad for lunch, hemp seed and goji berries mid afternoon. Tonight will be phase one of my experiment of mixing good and evil. Tonight I am going to Dominos Pizza for the first time in about two years. Assuming my body doesn't die of toxic shock I shall report back tomorrow.

Day 14 - The Truth Is Out There

An odd day today, due to the fact that for the past week I have been expecting to have the day off. Then earlier this week I found that I had to attend a meeting up in London. This meant going into work in the morning, but having to leave at 12 in order to get to the meeting for the 1.30 start time. Accordingly, I started eating my lunch at 11am. This seems to be becoming a regular event, and whilst I don't find it hard to do it does mean that by late afternoon I'm famished.

On the plus side, being in London meant that it was easy for me to pop along to the raw food event at Planet Organic in Fulham. I knew there'd be a few people there from my two regular raw sites (GI2MR and RawFu), and sure enough it was nice to meet a couple of my virtual friends in person. I only wish I'd had more time to spend there meeting more.

It was also nice to bump into someone who I had previously met during the week I spent at the Hippocrates Health Institute at Christmas last year, which was quite unexpected.

Internet communities are strange things. Seven or eight years ago I had a very dim view of them, and when I heard tales of people becoming friends (or even getting married) after meeting on the internet I thought that they were, to be frank, nutters. I was content using the internet and chatting on a forum of a music magazine. Then, one day, someone suggested that seeing as so many of us were in the London area (or at least, able to get there), why not all meet up for a drink. I was surprised to find that I was game, and a dozen or so people put their names down.

Come the day, however, I was more unsure. As I walked into the pub we'd chosen as our venue I was thinking, what the hell am I doing? What if everyone else is really nerdy? What if they're all geeks? Will I be the only normal one, or if they're all geeks, does that mean that I'm a geek?

After a few moments self-analysis I was fairly sure that I wasn't a geek, so I decided to reconnoitre the pub and try and identify the others (I had already decided not to arrive bang on the due time so as not to be the first). After a few minutes I couldn't spot anyone that I'd be determined to give a wide berth to, and identified a potential group at a large table. I was pleased to find they were almost all fairly normal, and my opinion of meeting up with people changed instantaneously. I still wouldn't marry any of them, mind you, not least because they were all blokes and I'm not that way inclined.

Consequently, I was quite looking forward to meeting a few fellow raw fooders, and was able to have (albeit brief) chats with Anastasia and Valine, already friends courtesy of the Web 2.0 phenomenon that is social networking, and hopefully to become moreso in real life. Whatever real life is. It's also reassuring that real people exist who are committed to the ideal of a raw way of life. It's nice to be able to discuss what you're going to eat without people looking at you like you've escaped from Roswell.

I can't wait now until the 30th when there'll be more time to meet more people and have a good old chinwag about our experiences. The truth is out there. We are not alone. An any other sci-fi movie tagline you think is appropriate.

Day 13 - Unlucky for some, maybe, but not me!

Day 13 - Unlucky for Some
Not the best of days. Lots of pressure and tight deadlines to meet at work. Luckily I prepared my lunch and snacks before I left home.

A couple of years ago at the place where I used to work I would buy lunch out, even though most times it wouldn't be organic which was an ideal I tried to maintain. I would also buy a bar of chocolate and probably a pack of potato crisps every day, so I was doing a pretty good job of countering all the benefits of eating organic with my habits during office hours.

I've been working at my current place for almost a year now, and I only recently found out that there's a snack machine downstairs, full of all the goodies I used to enjoy. I was really pleased to find that I didn't even feel a twinge of curiosity to find out what was in it. I'm quite proud of myself for that.

Anyway, back to work. There was so much to do that I ended up working late. After my 8 o'clock cut-off-for-eating point, in fact. Thankfully I'd had quite a bit of food over the course of the day - my habit is to graze all day with a large lunch plonked in the middle - and so I wasn't that hungry. That's not to say the temptation to stop off for a pizza on the way home wasn't there, but I resisted.

The further I get into this challenge the less inclined I am to find solace in non-raw foods even, it appears, when I'm a bit stressed. i hope that this is the way things stay.