100% Raw Challenge

My friend Sherah from http://fitrawpregnancy.blogspot.com/ challenged me to a 100% Raw phase (although I am not sure how long... maybe that's because I didn't commit... heehee). She is pregnant also, 6 weeks further along than me.

I had been thinking about taking the cooked foods out of my diet for a while because pregnancy is just so much easier when you don't have a heavy belly from eating cooked meals. Granted I was only eating 1-2 cooked meals (of 5-6 meals) per day, but it also affects how you feel the rest of the time, primarily because the fruit won't digest as smoothly if there is cooked food still in the gut from the day before. So I'm left "showing" much more than is accurate.

All through first trimester, I felt much better when not eating oils and heavy meals. But after these last 2 pregnancies, I just don't know if I could eat raw in first trimester. It's like you feel so emotional and tired, you just need something to give. You just want to eat foods you're craving. It's your time to party and you don't care! (At least I don't hold that attitude into 2nd and 3rd trimesters but a lot of women do! I guess it's a matter of motivation and luckily for me, I get motivated again after first trimester passes. Also luckily for me I workout, so I only gained 4 lbs in my first trimester this time as opposed to 10 lbs last time! uhh yeah a 1st trimseter uterus does NOT weigh 10 pounds.)

Anyway the other reason I was interested in eating all raw is because I'm headed out of town, back home to my family, for a few weeks; and every time I go home I put on at least 5 pounds!! Thank you, processed food. Not that I'm against gaining weight but obviously it should be done gradually and realistically (reflecting the weight of the pregnancy, not the indulgences of pregnancy). So the best way not to care about it is to remove myself far from it, mentally. I wanted to clear out that crap before going home, so that I wouldn't have withdrawals and cravings while I am there.

Anyway if anybody is concerned about me, I want you to know I eat 3,000 calories a day and that is plenty to cover my workouts, my pregnancy, my household chores, and my minimal milk supply :) I have gained 4 lbs so far and so I would say I am doing well, on target for a 20-25 lb. pregnancy gain.

I was happy with my energy levels and health eating high-fruit, low-fat (with those cooked meals) but it will be interesting to see what difference this makes. When I go off eating raw, the changes come so gradually that sometimes I think I still feel great when actually I don't, and I don't notice the difference until I go raw again and then feel so dramatically more energetic. But other than energy I will say, I just feel a lot cleaner. I wake up feeling much more refreshed, if I went to bed on an empty stomach (and without cooked food in my gut).

So today is day 3 of this 100% Raw Challenge. I definitely felt some detox the past two days but nothing dramatic, I still did my work-outs and household chores. I will say, the detox for me is largely emotional. So I have definitely been feeling it.