Raw Food Detox Journal – Day 125
February 25, 2008
Before we get to day 125, let me take a moment to comment on the recent footage of slaughterhouse mistreatment of downed cows and their continued presence in our beef supply. If you did not see it, words cannot suffice to describe how hard it is to watch. But watch it we must if we are to change the way the livestock industry continues to get away with abusive animal treatment and such blatant disregard for human health and our environment.
As a vegetarian, I am glad I do not have to worry about the potential consequences of consuming the flesh of sick “downer” cows, but I am concerned for others, for the cows and for our planet. According to Anna Lappé, “Among the nation’s top 10 worst polluters of our streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, half are beef production facilities.” This is from her recent article from the Huffington Post, “143 Million Pounds of Beef Recalled — Will the Industry Finally Change?” http://www.alternet.org/stories/77659/?page=entire
I still maintain that the most radical thing anyone can do these days is to become a vegetarian and grow your own organic food. For more on that, read Michael Pollan’s, “In Defense of Food,” and “The Omnivore’s Dilema.”
October 5, 2006 – Day 125
There’s good news and bad news. The good news is I’m slim now, about the weight I should be; 122 pounds. Twenty-five pounds in 5 months. Yea, me! The bad news is that I’ve become bored with the foods I’ve eaten during this time, so am basically just … not eating. I’d rather starve than eat the non-food most Americans eat. It disgusts me. How horrible to put things in your body that disgust you! Think about the psycho-spiritual damage than can do to a person.
I know I want to continue eating this way��the benefits are too good. I feel happier than I have in years. Energy’s good. The question is how do I combat the dietary boredom? I just need some inspiration. Something similar to the film I watched that initially got me going on this path, “Go Further.” Funny little documentary I stumbled across at the library about Woody Harrelson and a bike tour he took with some of his hippie pals to promote all things green. He’s a raw foodist, so he brought his raw food chef along to fix their meals–in a bus powered by used fast food oil they got for free (how cool is that?).
What really inspired me was the transformation of one of Woody’s friends–a classic junk food junkie–who adopted a raw food lifestyle all due to coming along on this trip. This kid was a total comedian. Hilarious, actually. He was eating all these pure, raw foods made by the chef on the trip, so his detox experience was caught on film. That in itself was interesting. But man, did he catch the fire for raw! He was holding up signs on street corners, telling people about the USDA accepted pus and blood in cow’s milk. And doing it in a funny way.
Food preparation has always been an on again, off again thing for me. Sometimes I truly love making meals, but not right now. When I’d go through this culinary boredom before I began this raw food journey, I’d have relatively healthy, quick food available; frozen meals and the like (which I now consider non-food). Now, my “fast food” is whole fruit and veggies, and I’m sick of the ones I always get. The variety at grocery stores sucks!!
When I lived in Chicago and Seattle, the vegetarian/raw food choices were everywhere. Restaurants, grocery stores, street vendors – it was so cool. But here, in the greater Oklahoma City area, it isn’t so easy. The few healthy shopping choices are spread out to kingdom come. I pray that a Whole Foods store will finally come here…
So what to do? Woman does not live on sprouted pita bread and raw almond butter alone. That’s the kind of food I’ve been eating, other than juicing, which I am thankfully, pretty religious about. I guess what it boils down to is that I’m bored my food preparation – most definitely not with the food itself. So I’m joining a vegetarian group that meets monthly and checking out recipe books. I’m also going to do some searches for online raw foodie groups. That should be fun. Lastly, I will revive my early raw food habit of buying at least one new produce item I’ve never tried before every time I shop.
I love this way of eating, but it does take regular recommitment. I am willing. It’s worth it—my looks and health have booth improved so much in such a short time. Definitely worth it.
