Day 4 of Going Raw Phase 2

Day 4 of Going Raw, and we had a pretty cool gloomy as it is going to snow type of day....What I didn't mention is that I love when the temperatures is not scorching hot, and cool enough to enjoy outdoor outside activities for hours. LOL!!! Well today I did pretty good, but I wasn't prepared for lunch. We were at the mall and my inner hunger bitch was quickly approaching, and she only appears when I need food. So, the only place that's has raw food that I normally enjoy is Hovans, but today I wanted something warm and cooked so I went to iSpice which is a Indian restaurant in the food court that sell a variety of vegan food. Yayyyyyy!!!!!!! I purchased the Curried mixed vegetables, and it was delicious.

Curried mixed vegetables from iSpice in Altamonte Springs Mall

Yes, I cheated on Raw foods with cooked foods, but this is not the end of my 20 days of Going Raw. I strongly believe that when you cheat on your food challenge you MUST get back on track with the next meal. I made the choice to eat cooked today, and I did not beat myself over the head about it because I had already said in my mind that this is what I want right now, this is the last time I will have cooked food during this phase of going Raw, and the next meal and thereafter will be RAW. So your probably thinking if I cheated on my challenge I would keep it to myself and not tell anyone. I felt the need to share this on my blog because anyone that follows a diet/food choice challenge need to understand that when you get off track of your plan don't waste time beating yourself up. Instead hop back on your plan and finish it STRONG!!!!!

Today's focus at the mall was strictly for the children because when it comes to clothes they were not prepared for this cooler weather, but they were prepared for any possible flooding. While there we also stopped in Borders and of course I went straight to the Vegetarian section before taking the kids to the kids section.  I know Lindsay Nixon only via FB and she is always posting some tasty sounding recipes so naturally I picked up her book  The Happy Herbivore. I must say that there was not one page that I viewed that I did not say "Wow!!! I have to try that!". I also love that many of her recipes are for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores (meat eaters) as well without containing any meat. I did not purchase the book from the store, but have decided to order it from Amazon instead. So if your new to the vegetarian lifestyle, looking to try something to new, or searching for healthier recipes for the brownies and other baked goods I highly recommend purchasing her book The Happy Herbivore.

"Don't let the low times get you down. Learn from them and reach for the high times."~D. Wiemers


Wishing you all peace, love, and much success!!!!
Dolicia M.

Homemade Veggie burgers w/ roasted sweet potato and zucchini

Looks like I have been slacking a bit on blogging, so my apologizes if you look forward to what's next on my mind. Especially since you never know what crazy things may free itself from that place.......Before going raw and making the final decision to become a vegetarian one thing I did enjoy was a good veggie burger, but I rather make my own vs. the store brought that has preservatives and excess sodium. So for the first time that is exactly what I did today. I must admit that I added more ingredients than intended, but the burger came out pretty good. Now with that said the next time I will leave out an ingredient because I am not exactly sure about the texture. Next time I would like to play with using oatmeal or lentils in the recipe vs. whole wheat flour. Ok, enough with the long wind, and here is the recipe for today's burger. 

Oh, but first you may want to chop the sweet potato and zucchini, sprinkle with a tablespoon of coconut oil, toss, and roast on 350 degrees for approx 40-45 mins.

Veggie Burger Ingredients:

 Black beans

Onion

Green peppers

Orange pepper

Corn (cut from the cob)

Cilantro

Spinach

Carrot pulp (chopped up carrots will also work)

Rice

Fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Paprika 

Whole wheat flour

Olive oil

Directions:

• Blend or mash the black beans
• Blend or chop to your liking the following: Onions, green & orange peppers, cilantro, and spinach
• Place ingredients into a bowl, add rice,carrot pulp, (or chopped blended carrot), sprinkle approx 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour, and mix together with a fork
• Season with fresh ground pepper, and paprika to taste
• Drizzle with 1/2 spoon of olive oil
• Mix all ingredients together , and make burger patties.
• **If they are not sticking together well you can add more mash black beans, rice or sprinkle a little more flour into the mix. 
• Heat olive oil in pan or oil of your choice, and cook on medium for approx 5 mins on each side. When I cooked the other side I covered the pan with a lid. 

***I also baked the other two burgers, and I did not like the texture. I think it was because of the flour which is why earlier I stated that next time I will try something other than the flour. Plus, the flavors were not pulled from burgers baked like it did in the pan. Just being honest!!!!

Want to lose weight? Don't diet, and never use the word....

     If your reading this chances are based on the title you think I am nuts, or maybe you were just curious. Like many of you I myself have attempted many diets, and like many of you well.......you know what happened next. Especially, if you are carrying some, all, or more of the weight that was lost while on your diet. Normally when a person says that they are going on a diet they are referring to a temporary change of eating to lose the weight. In many cases, when the weight is gone then the diet goes out the window along with it. Notice I said most people vs. all.... There are many people that continue the diet which for them it becomes a lifestyle change. I don't know many people that diet to lose weight, and are excited about gaining it back. Ask any yo-yo dieter if they enough regaining any of the pounds that they lost, and I am pretty sure the answer would be no. If you want to lose weight and keep it off DO NOT DIET!!!!  Instead make lifestyle changes, and if you know that you can't give up all the trash that you are eating now then don't attempt too. Take it slow because every small change that you make now will have big results in your life later. The S.A.D (Standard American Diet) is comprised of a lot of not so healthy choices. The serving sizes are hug, greasy, and loaded with refined sugars. My personal decision was to become a Vegetarian, and I am not trying to convince you to do the same. However, I would suggest rethinking about how you load your plate. How hard would it be to make your veggies the main item, grains next, and meat into a 2-4 oz serving size. If you get hungry for a snack while out of the home don't grab the candy bare or chips instead grab a piece of fruit, dried fruit or nuts. Now, while you are taking steps to a new you just remember not to use the word diet, but scream and shout LIFESTYLE CHANGES!!!!