Food Changes: Keeping it Real

I got an email from someone who said. "Are you serious? That's not even enough food for me! (She's petite and weighs a buck fifty.) Are you really doing this?"

Yes and Yes.

Keeping it all the way real.....What's been the hardest part?

Cutting calories. Yikes. I had increased my calories originally because I was still hungry. My challenge was, well, challenging. I wanted to eat in a way that:
- doesn't leave me hungry
- doesn't leave me tired
- is not expensive
- doesn't have me in the kitchen three hours a day
- doesn't have me running to the grocery store every other day
- doesn't leave me bloated or constipated
- is vegetarian
- encourages weight loss
- is high in fiber
- doesn't trigger food sensitivities (like grains)
- has little, if any, processed food

Those are real challenges for a lot of people.

That sounds like raw food. The challenge with raw food is eating enough food to meet your caloric requirements. It also left me bloated and uncomfortable. Only two of my meals have cooked food in them. The rest of my day, including snacks are all raw vegan.

Rainbow Eating is as close as I've ever come to eating in a way that works for me. Although I've had:

Insane SALT cravings. I've spent my adult life battling chocolate cravings. Once I started the food plan I also started taking calcium supplements three times a day. Years ago, on a vegan mailing list, I read a suggestion from Elaine Rice-Fells to take calcium for chocolate cravings. I began eating calcium rich foods like sesame seeds. The cravings went away, but I didn't stick to the plan. Fast forward to now, I remembered what Elaine said. It's easier to take Calcium Magnesium Citrate supplements. Damn if it didn't work. Chocolate is a non-issue now.

Chocolate got replaced by salt. All I crave is chips and actual sea salt. I took it as a sign of mineral deficiency which is why I ordered Ancient Minerals from Body Ecology. And that's not an advertisement. I haven't taken them yet, so I don't know if they work. I'm just a fan of the philosophy of Body Ecology, which is a healthy and balanced inner ecology, especially the large intestine. (https://bodyecology.com/body-ecology-overview)

The Upside

- ZERO PMS. I mean 000000. Nothing. Nada. No chocolate cravings. No mood swings. No nothing. And that is a ginormous big deal.
- No cramping during my menstrual cycle. Again, huge plus.
- Evenness in my mood.

Next time: My long answer to the question: "How come I can't just eat whatever I want?"
My short answer: "You grown. You can eat whatever you want. You do you."
My long answer: "Well............."

Love,
Althea
  ◦

Food Changes: Keeping it Real