Today I woke up feeling really excited. This was not due to the diet itself. I was excited about seeing David Wolfe (a major raw food guru) speak LIVE (nice pun here 
) in Orlando. I find it interesting that I decided to start the raw food diet 2 weeks ago, then found out one of biggest gurus in the raw food diet community was coming to speak within miles of me. David has not been to Orlando since 2001, so you have to wonder if there was more than coincidence at play. I mean, would I have known anything about his speech if I had not fully immersed myself in the raw food diet? Probably not.
I will make a separate post on David Wolfe and some of the nuggets of gold he shared with those in attendance. For now I would like to focus on what I had for breakfast because, as always, breakfast was delicious!
Breakfast
Today, I decided to have a big breakfast because I knew I would need the calories to deal with traveling to and around Orlando. I went to visit and have dinner with a friend there.
My breakfast today consisted of all organic fruit. I noticed that even though it may not taste that different, organic food definitely makes you feel better.
- organic bananas (235g)
- organic plums (339g)
- organic blackberries (347g)
- organic mango (335g)
The plums were especially good. I don’t have them that often and when I saw them in the store, I pounced. They have a tangy taste that I like and they’re not available year round, so when I see some I’m inclined to buy them.
Lunch
For lunch I had a salad that was amazing. It was so delicious, I felt as though my stomach was thanking me every time I put a forkful in my mouth. It was just that good. It was literally as if my stomach was sending out good energy to the rest of my body. Very empowering!
- salad: organic romaine and radicchio salad (190g), pineapple (202g), organic cucumber (63g), organic avocado (181g), organic red pepper (182g)
- green smoothie: organic baby spinach (63g), red Swiss chard (80g), organic bananas (297g), 3 cups water
The smoothie complimented the salad nicely and after eating both I felt happy and serene. It was a peaceful state and contemplative. I was trying to think of questions I could ask David Wolfe in person.
After lunch I jumped in my car and drove 2 1/2 hours to Orlando. I went and hung out with an old friend, whom I will call John for the sake of his secret identity. John’s primary concern is health and although he eats 80% raw food (most of it organic), he a different philosophy on nutrition. By different, I mean different than my own.
John does not eat any grains at all. He stated that grains were not readily available hundreds of thousands of years ago. In fact, grains only came into existence as a primary food source around 10,000 years ago due to the discovery of farming. Since we have not had enough time to adapt to these foods, he does not believe that we should be eating them. John has read that these foods cause high acidity in the stomach. While I’m not currently eating grains myself, I don’t fully agree with his theory, so at one point I brought in the big guns, the Food Enzyme Concept.
I enjoyed the debate we had. I am always open to what other people believe and rather than dismiss them, I’ll invite them to tell me more. This does not necessarily mean I’ll agree with them, but it does provide me with an opportunity to learn something new.
Dinner
I had dinner a little earlier today. John and his friends took me to Joe’s Deli. It’s ironic that I had a salad at a place with deli in its name, but I was not the only one. Everyone in the group had a salad. It was great being able to eat with a group of people without having to resist the temptation to look at their plates with longing lustful eyes. It was as though a great iron weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The temptation to stray back to cooked foods was gone and I felt like I had a support group to talk to. I need to establish a raw food posse that I can roll out with on a regular basis. Any volunteers?
I have only visited Joe’s Deli a couple of times in the past and was not even aware that they have such an extensive salad bar. Most of the food at the salad bar is organic. They have lettuce, mixed salad, bell peppers, and spinach leaves. As if that were not enough, they even have avocados!
- salad: organic spring salad mix (89g), organic romaine and radicchio salad mix (68g), yellow bell peppers (65g), red bell peppers (57g), organic grape tomatoes (112g)
This was satisfying and I did not feel hungry until 6 hours later, when I was driving home from David’s lecture.
Post-Dinner Snack
- bananas (331g)
While driving home from the lecture I felt more awake then ever. I sometimes become sleepy when I’m driving long distances at night. I usually have to pull over and rest or do some brief exercises to wake myself up. In this case I had energy to spare.
Vitals
Weight: I’m down another .2 lbs from Day 8. Down to 181.4 lbs.
Body Temperature: My temperature today was 98.1 °F. Don’t see too much of a cool down in the temperature department.
pH levels: The pH level is still an average of 7.25. I’m still hoping it will go up a little more before the end of the experiment.
Blood Pressure: The systolic was at 129 and diastolic at 67. Seems to be lower than the first reading and it looks like we are making progress. We will see.
Endurance: I went to John’s gym, but did not have that extra boost of endurance. My endurance was good but my breaks were not as short as they were on Day 7.
Strength: I felt strong, and my weight felt lighter than it normally does. I did not increase the weight in my exercises even though I probably could have.
Cognitive Capacity: I felt pretty clear throughout the day. I was focused and in a calm state of mind. My mental abilities were tuned in to my surroundings. I did not get lost at all while driving through Orlando and made it to all places with little mental effort.
