Not MIA, just blogging on Raw Fu!

Hey everyone,
I see that my site will be a lot more public than it has ever been, so I better show up more! I've been blogging almost daily on the Raw Fu Challenge site. Go here to read about my 100 days of raw. (I'm really raw all the time, but the challenge is 100 days)

It's been great to be in a community of folks all on different paths to more raw food in their life. I feel minimal pressure and have not spent any time beating myself up for any slips or non-raw indulgences. That has really helped me, actually.

One thing that I can say from experience is that it's nice to eat non-raw food and still call myself raw.

I dated a vegetarian once and when I told him I occasionally ate fish, he was angry at my self-labeled vegetarianism. Now, I understand that culture labels people to create order (however we need that in our lives)and when someone eats a previously-living creature that that label of "vegetarian" can be a misnomer. BUT, what should anyone care what I eat anyway?
If I eat 99% vegan, with a bit of honey in my tea on occasion, I do not feel like I would then have to re-label myself a honey-eating vegan, or freegan, or whatever clever label I come up with so that the rest of the world can classify me in a museum, when my bones are dug up 1,000 years from now.

So I AM a raw foodist AND I sometimes have non-raw food. This prevents me from using my ever-so-popular justification "Well, if I had a bite of a wheat-free cookie, then I might as well give up now on being raw for the rest of the week and stuff my face with every pastry in sight."
I do not continue eating non-raw stuff after a bite and I am finding that this self-care is really good for me and my process. Some people need cold turkey methods. I am enjoying the choice aspect. I feel empowered either way. I say no to people's offer of cooked food sometimes, which is good, but when I am really curious, I will indulge.

The curiosity is waning though. I can feel it. I can see something and wonder if it will make my tastebuds sing, and then immediately answer myself, that it hasn't made my tastebuds sing yet and probably won't again.

Most times, I find that I have a bite of homemade pretzel, feel the heavier food, and then release the further need for that kind of grounding. I am learning that oats and nuts are better for grounding for me.

I've been REALLY good about not eating past 7-8pm...I feel SO much better the next day. Seriously. It's amazing. I am not as concerned with the weight gain (eating late at night encourages weight gain), as much as the lethargic feeling. I love to get up out of bed and greet the day with enthusiasm. And whenever I reach for that late night food, I am happily reminded that it's not worth the sluggishness the next day (for almost the WHOLE day, too!).

Welcome to my blog, and I promise to be more regular (no pun intended!) about updating. Maybe I can figure out how to get my Raw Fu blog to feed here...ah, technology!

Happy Raw Day!