Monday, July 9, 2012

Vegan Pizza Birthday!!



Yesterday was Shannon's Birthday. With all the support she has given me over the last two weeks, also taking on the diet, I wanted to take her out to dinner at a restaurant I found online, Ozona Pizza of Palm Harbor. I initially was going to take her to a raw restaurant but when I stumbled upon this place I had to take her here. They have a very unique pizza that is Vegan and 100% gluten free(Yes, it is cooked). We had it with tomatoes, black olives, onions and eggplant. It was out of this world delicious!! I never thought I could have a pizza that was actually good for me and I would actually like it just as much. After we finished dinner we were introduced to an Ice Cream that is soy based and it rocked! I made friends with the owner. Thank you again Amanda for what you do and the amazing experience we had!!!!

Update: I wanted to share Ozona Pizza's website address. ozonapizza.com

Friday, July 6, 2012

Carrots with Peanut Butter?


Hey All, It's been almost a week since my last update. To say I have been busy would be an understatement between making 1,000 insurance packets for work next week and a lot of other commitments I have been working on. I am going to catch everyone up on what I have been eating on my raw diet.

I have never been big on Breakfast and usually skip it but I find in the world of health and nutrition it is not good for my body as it creates a starving mode every morning and my body begins to store everything as fat when I do eat even if it is healthy food. I usually start the day off with a piece of fruit or a carrot dipped in peanut butter. Yes, I will repeat carrot dipped in peanut butter. :) I make my own peanut butter with my juicer using raw peanuts and a few drops of peanut oil to make sure I can control what is going into my body, you can also purchase it this way, and then I put it in a container that I can use to dip from for a few days. I got tired of the celery and peanut butter after a couple of days and started dipping other vegetable in the peanut butter to see what I can come up with and holy cow I have discovered a new healthy snack. If you are taken back by this I encourage you to try it. I've mentioned Shannon, my girlfriend, doing this challenge with me and I gotta tell you she has requested carrots and peanut butter more than once and she is someone who would never pick up a carrot and eat it. Delicious!!!

For Lunch I usually have a Smoothy or my famous Hummus Wraps I've mentioned in other posts. The Smoothies are awesome and can also replace the dessert cravings for those who are accustomed to a daily dessert at the end of the day, like Shannon and her Milkshakes. For one serving combine a handful of frozen Strawberry's, a Banana, a heaping spoon full of Peanut Butter and half a cup of Almond milk. I also add a tiny tiny bit of raw Honey for flavor and it's amazing health benefits. Once this combination runs through your blender you will never stop making them. I enjoy it just as much as a normal ice cream Milkshake and will probably never make a Milkshake again having this available. The best part is this a complete meal with plenty of healthy protein and a ton of fresh nutrients for your body. Awesome!!!



My Hummus wraps are a staple for me on my Raw Food Challenge. What do you need and what is Hummus? Hummus is one of the most popular Middle Eastern dips with lots of good protein and nutritinal value. It has fat but it is the good fat that your body needs. Hummus can be used to dip raw vegetables and/or as a base for my Wraps. Prior to this Raw Challenge I would use a Pita bread and found my first day on the Challenge that I can substitute the Pita with a Romaine lettuce leaf. First, I put the leaf down and use Hummus to butter the inside. Next I add tomatoes, onions and some spinach. I then top it off with some oil and vinegar although this doesn't have to be used and often isn't.

This will give you an idea of what I have been eating. Next post I will be sharing my raw bread that can be used as a Pita with my Wraps. Stay tuned and thank for reading!!

Edit 7/7/12: Try Avocado slices spread on the Hummus wraps. Adds an additional flavor and provides a huge amount of nutritional value.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Quaker Steak and Lube

Last night I met my mom for dinner at Quaker Steak and Lube in Clearwater. I checked the menu ahead of time to make sure I could find something to eat raw. I was able to eat their 'Biker Chick' salad and it was delicious!! I asked them to hold the chicken and don't tell anyone it's a dude ordering the Biker Chick salad. Eating raw is easy as long as you plan what you are going to eat ahead of time. It doesn't work to get stuck in a situation with nothing raw to eat and a very hungry body. Plan your meal and then work your plan.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Flood and Food



Hi All!! I'm back to Florida and settling back into my routine. I found smoothies at the concert, made with real fruit and ice, and pretty much lived on that during the River's Edge Music Festival as well as a delicious Spinach Fruit salad for Breakfast every morning and was able to honor my commitment to being raw for the most part other than a few beers and an order of fries we split during a crash we were experiencing during the late afternoon on Sunday. I can share that fruit alone is definitely not enough to get you through the day. Everyone asks me where I get protein from without animal's? Well, here's the secret the protein from the dark green leafy vegetables, nuts & seeds, (wheat) grasses, sprouts, grains is plenty and all the body needs. We can also digest this quickly and more efficeintly without any of the negatives of animal meat or milks. Did you know it takes days to digest meat and while it rots inside of you your body starts absorbing toxins and fat from this breakdown?

When I returned home I came home to what looked like a disaster area. My house ended up being ok but my Girlfriend, Shannon, has a house off the Cotee River and so does her grandmother who lives next door to that house. As you can see from the picture the river had taken on a life of it's own and is flowing through and under the houses. Shannon and I made a rescue mission yesterday to evacuate her 82 year old grandmother and her partner Bill. We brought our canoe, loaded them up with some belongings and Shannon and I fought the current to get them out of there. I say all that to share even with all the things coming up, Shannon also is taking on the 30 day challenge, we have managed to stay raw in the face of all these, what appear to be, obstacles. Anyone can take on this lifestyle it is just a matter of making a committment, understanding the health benefits, feeling the difference and really sticking to it.



Stay tuned in for a recipe for some delicious Hummus wraps I have been making. Tons of protein and all the good stuff. I love this stuff and so does everyone else that has tried them!!!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Not Easy at a Music Festival

I'm at a musical festival this weekend in Minnesota and having a blast!! As you can see in the picture, however, this concert doesn't allow outside food. As I read this I came to the realization that this isn't going to be easy and I will need to work with whatever they have available. I am a big believer in honoring my body when it comes to honoring my commitments and although I've been eating healthy I haven't been able to go completely raw. I am ok with this and recommitting to starting strong again on Monday and not beat myself up.

I thought long and hard about weather to admit I am out of integrity with my commitment knowing people are following my blog but I am human and will honor my body at the all day festivals and feel it is also important to share my break downs. You can count on me being straight about my experiences on this blog.

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

First Day Raw

I've officially started my 30 day raw food diet. I started the day off a little unprepared with a Banana and literally a handful of Spinach and Swiss Chard for some protein. It wasn't the greatest breakfast but definitely got me fueled for the day. At lunch I found a salad buffet out in Zephyrhills and was able to put together a nice salad with a side of beans and beets. For dinner I went a little out of my way to a food court that serves a sweet Broccoli salad that consists of young coconut milk, raw broccoli, carrots, nuts and raisins. It was delicious!! The first day was a success but a little intimidated by my long weekend out of town at the Rivers Edge Music Festival. Wish me luck and I will update throughout the weekend.

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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Doctor Day













I sat in the corner of the patients room and could see a piece of paper on the table which I assumed were my lab results. I patiently waited for the Doctor's grand entrance with the incredible news about how great my health is, after all I cut meat out of my diet 6 months ago so of course my health is going to be better than average. I then waited maybe a minute more and had to jump up to start reviewing my results. The first page looked great as everything was well in the normal range. With a confident grin I flipped to the second page and was shocked to see my Cholesterol was through the roof and significantly out of range. As I tried to make since of what I was reading the doctor entered the room.


Dr Kromolicki fliped through the chart with a moan or two as if to fully digest what it was he was reviewing. "For your age" he began, "this does not look good." With a confused look he continued, "I thought you stopped eating meat, are you sure you aren't eating chicken? Chicken is actually higher in Cholesterol than red meat and..." I interrupted with "Jeff, I have only had meat twice since January. It's probably all the cheese I eat. I have recently noticed I have replaced the meats in my diet with cheese." He agreed heavily with my conclusion.

It reminded of me of why I am taking this on in the first place. With all the research I've done that has led me down this path I have learned that it is the animal protein in our diets that contributes to, if not, causes Heart Disease and Cancers. So in other words, it is great that I am a vegetarian for the animals I'm not eating and the fact that I am not contributing, as much, to the largest pollutant in the world, the livestock industry, but unless I am willing to make some more cuts it isn't going to do me much good in the world of my health. If anything this insight on my health has given me new power in completing my commitment, Eat It Raw!!