While on the raw food diet I had some strong cravings for cooked food (meat in particular) and I wanted to find out why. My research lead me to believe cooked food is addictive. It’s like a drug, but almost no one realizes this because we eat it every day. It’s like drinking coffee every day. Little by little you grow accustomed to it. There aren’t any serious symptoms, so you don’t really see any adverse affects for decades. Thus, you don’t realize you are addicted to it until you try to stop.

Cooked food works similarly to coffee. It is the main reason I had and from time to time still have such strong cravings. I’m addicted to cooked food. I’ve been eating it for 27 years and it’s hard to give it up in one month. I tried doing it cold turkey, but that did not prove to be as easy as I had thought.

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As you know, I made it the entire 30 days on the Raw Food Diet. The last few days were particularly rough. I really had to battle my cravings using everything I had. Today I was relieved that I could give in to the temptations, but had some reservations about eating cooked food again. My primary concern was that I would become sick if I consumed cooked food. I also felt that I might lose some of the mental prowess I had gained while eating all raw. Since I was hesitant to go back to my old diet, I decided I would stay on the raw food diet until I felt a craving for something cooked.

Breakfast

Lacking cravings for cooked food at the time, I ate raw fruit for breakfast, which is what I intend to do going forward. I had some organic bananas, organic golden apples, and organic blueberries. I was really hoping I would not feel any strong urges to eat cooked food. After eating breakfast, I felt pretty stable and did not have any cravings for anything cooked. I was relieved that everything went smoothly.

Lunch

My peace of mind didn’t last long. Near lunch time I had these intense cravings for cooked meat. I tried to suppress the cravings, but my body was uncooperative. I decided to partake of some cooked food to see what would happen. I ate some barbecued chicken. I really liked the taste of the cooked chicken and even though I felt full, I still wanted to eat more. I was addicted, continuing to eat more than I needed. Afterward I felt stuffed, I didn’t want to move around. I just sat on my couch for a while. I had this bloated feeling in my stomach and I could just feel the food sitting there. I didn’t like this feeling at all. After I ate raw food, I could immediately move around and even go work out if I wanted to.

A couple of hours after eating, I felt a light mental fog settling in. It was faint, like someone was playing around with my mental reception. The bouts of mental fog kept coming and going for a few hours. I figured this would happen so I wasn’t too worried. A couple hours after I ate the barbecued chicken, I was hungry again. I made myself a green smoothie and drank it slowly as I watched a DVD program on my computer.

The program I watched was on the Raw Food Diet and it said that if you don’t do a step down approach, if you don’t completely go through the steps one by one, you will be more prone to relapse back to cooked foods. So there is a science to reaching raw foods as your diet of choice. It involves spending time in each of the steps. For example, if you’re goal is a Raw Food Diet, you would first start out as a vegetarian. Then you would move to being a lacto-vegan, then on to being vegan. The theme of the video was that you need to spend time in each area until you feel you have mastered it. I can see this being the case, because I had some strong cravings for cooked foods during my 30 Days and now that I’m done, it’s like the flood gates have opened.

Another realization I had after watching a second DVD program was that I was not eating enough greens. In order to keep your body from having cravings for cooked foods you need to eat plenty of leafy greens. This means anywhere from 2-3 lbs per day. I was no where near that number during my 30 day trial. This was not a big deal for most of the trial because my body did not feel a lack of anything until near the end of the experiment. That’s when I had the cravings. Still if you want to be able to stay on this diet long term, you’ll need to consume a lot of greens to stay healthy, otherwise you’ll end up with deficiencies that could lead to health problems.

Dinner

For dinner I broke down and went to Zaxby’s. You guessed it, I got the Chicken Kickin Sandwich Combo Meal. I ate the meal at a slow pace. I used pepper, ranch, and hot sauce. I noticed that I am especially sensitive to salt now and everything I ate today felt like it had way too much salt added to it. I ate the French fries by dipping them in the ketchup, which kind of dissipated some of the salt taste, but even then I could not eat more than a few. I think a lot of our cooked foods are supersaturated with salt. We only need 200 mgs a day, yet most people are getting around 2000 mgs daily. Because the salt taste was so strong, I drank a 16 oz cherry coke, which is around 1/2 a liter of sugar water. I filled it up and just drank the whole thing, I tried to stop myself, but I just didn’t have the discipline. After keeping myself in check for 30 days, I couldn’t do it.

After eating Zaxby’s, I made my friend bake some chocolate chip cookies. Then we ate those as well. I had five cookies. Right now my stomach feels like a washing machine. It feels like it’s turning in a spin cycle. I don’t feel queasy, at least not yet. The only symptoms are indigestion and the mental fog, which is stronger now. I’m feeling bouts of it here and there. I do not feel sick though and have not had any symptoms of sickness. Even so, I do not like how I am feeling. I don’t feel motivated, clean, or energetic. I just feel like something is festering in my stomach. Like in the Aliens movies – I fell like one of those little guys could pop out at any moment.

Today I ate even worse than I usually do. (normally I eat nearly all my cooked food at home). I wanted to see what would happen if I just broke my Raw Food Diet one day and went beyond my norm into the danger zone.

A few minutes ago, I weighed in at 175.5 pounds. That’s 2.3 lbs that I gained in a period of a day. Most of the food I ate today was not water soluble, like the fruits, vegetable, and shakes that I usually consume so that could be part of the reason for the huge weight gain.

My Thoughts

Although I gave in to all my temptations today, I feel like I’m paying for it right now. I feel bloated, unmotivated, foggy, slow, and sleepy – continually nodding off as I write this entry. The cooked food I ate today tasted really good at the time, but it certainly didn’t make me feel that way for long. A couple of hours after eating the Zaxby’s, all the negative symptoms of the Standard American Diet (SAD) took hold.

I now believe that fast food is like a mirage you see in a desert. It looks delicious from afar and you imagine eating it and feeling amazing, but then reality kicks in and you realize you are just eating sand. Empty calories with no nutritional value. Home cooked food is better than fast food, but cooked food is still a short term strategy of immediate gratification where you get a temporary fix, but are then forced into slavery for life. The more you eat, the bigger the shackles become until you realize you’re slowly going from one meal to the next, like a zombie. Eating 100% cooked food is addictive.

I strongly recommend you eat at least a 50% raw diet. You’ll improve your health and you’ll be 50% closer to being all raw. What I can do, you can do. In some cases, you can even do it better!  There’s no better time to start than now, so do it!

The Future

Having felt the symptoms of the SAD today, I don’t plan on going back to it. I intend to eat 70-80% raw in the future with only some cooked food mixed in. I will not be eating any red meat going forward and aside from eating some ocasional fish and chicken for my upcoming experiment – I won’t be eating any animals once that experiment is done. I just feel raw foods is the way to a healthier, happier, and longer life.

I’ve made it to Day 30! Whew! What a ride. That’s 30 full days of raw food and sticking with it was not easy. It’s probably one of the toughest things I’ve done in my life, mostly due to the discipline I had to exercise in order to keep myself from eating cooked foods. I’m glad I undertook it though. Otherwise I would still be in the dark about the benefits of eating raw.

Since today was the last day, I splurged a little and treated myself to the good stuff. I bought some watermelon, blueberries, and raspberries for breakfast.

Breakfast

On the raw food diet, I’ve relied primarily on fruit as my main source of calories. This happened mostly because I like fruit, but also because fruit makes me feel energetic and peaceful. I noticed that when I eat seeds or fats, I’m not as upbeat. I’m more laid back and a little too relaxed.

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1. watermelon (659g)
2. organic blueberries (177g)
3. organic raspberries (139g)

Even though I don’t think I’ll stay 100% raw, I do intend to keep eating fruit for breakfast. It really gives me the energy I need to really make an impact in the early hours at work.

Lunch

For lunch I decided to make a green smoothie and eat some grapes.

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1. green smoothie: organic baby spinach (89g), organic bananas (283g), organic kale (67g), 3 cups water
2. organic grapes (273g)

It’s hard to believe I’ve made it a full 30 days without anything cooked and it’s nice to know that I can eat cooked foods as of tomorrow. With the cravings I’ve been having these last few days, I’m probably going to exercise the option to do that. I’m kind of curious to see what will happen. I hope I don’t get sick.

Post Lunch Snack

1. organic mango (240g)
2. celery sticks (70g)

I ate the celery sticks with the mango, but the celery didn’t go down too well. I don’t like celery, but I figured I needed to eat some greens, so I ate it.

Dinner

Although I still had cravings for cooked food today, there’s no way I can go back to my old eating habits (a.k.a. SAD). Even after my December ‘08 trial, I only went back to eating 50% cooked foods, the rest was raw. On the other hand, this experiment has taught me that I’m not ready for 100% raw full time. I would still like to have some popcorn or rice once in a while. Eating raw foods is amazing, but I don’t think I can give up some of my favorite cooked foods just yet.

For dinner today, I had a green smoothie,some apples, and some raw almonds. Not a big meal, but I was not too hungry.

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1. green smoothie: organic baby spinach (87g), organic green kale (91g), organic bananas (421g), 3 cups water
2. organic apples (391g)
3. organic raw almonds (65g)

Post Dinner

After I came back from the gym I was hungry so I ate three organic oranges.

1. organic oranges (295g)

Vitals

Weight: I lost .4 lbs, bringing me to 173.2 lbs. This means I lost a total of 15.8 lbs while on the raw food diet. It was more dramatic towards the beginning of the trial, with smaller increments of weight dropping near the end of my trial. I believe I lost less weight near the end, because my body had reached an equilibrium point in regards to calories.

Body Temperature: My temperature was 98.1 °F.

pH levels: The pH level today was 7.50 pH.

Blood Pressure: Systolic blood pressure was at 122. That’s not too bad considering my systolic blood pressure was at start of this experiment was 133. The diastolic today was 68.

Endurance: I ran the mile with ease today.

Strength: Since today was the last day, I decided to increase the weight another 5 lbs for a majority of the major exercises I do (bench press, squats, etc), bringing the total weight increase to 20 lbs since I started. I was able to lift the weight, but it was not easy, I really had to push myself and barely finished the sets. So yes, I increased the weight I can lift by a total of 20 lbs since the start of the trial, but I don’t know if I can continually lift that amount. It certainly didn’t prove easy today.

Cognitive Capacity: The mental clarity has been astounding. I don’t think I’ve ever been as sharp or aware as I have been on this diet and I finished off today feeling the same way.

I woke up to the sound of the alarm today. I felt a little tired and I didn’t have the energy I usually have. After taking my measurements, I went and made breakfast. I kind of wanted to pop open a box of cereal and eat it with some soy milk. I just kept staring at the cereal box. I knew I wasn’t going to eat cereal, there’s no way I would do it after making it 29 days on raw foods. Still, I liked thinking about it.

Breakfast

I had a big breakfast this morning. I was hoping to increase my energy by eating alot of fruit.

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1. organic grapefruit (631g)
2. organic raspberries (162g)
3. organic blueberries (196g)
4. organic plums (630g)

Well, it worked. After eating this meal, I definitely felt the energy picking back up. In fact, after eating this meal, I felt like I normally do on the raw food diet – peaceful, yet energized.

Lunch

I’m almost at the end of the trial and I don’t think I’ll be able to stay 100% raw after the 30 days are over. If it hadn’t been for the cravings over these last couple of days, I would have considered it. However, I don’t think I can do 100% raw at this point in my life. I’ve resisted the cravings through sheer will, but I shouldn’t have to battle myself every time I step into the kitchen. It’s not easy and I feel like I’m putting too much stress on myself.

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1. organic bananas (186g)
2. organic avocado (191g)
3. organic blueberries (173g)
4. organic mango (210g)

Dinner

For dinner, I had a big salad. I decided to make some dressing out of mango, avocados, and garlic. I also drank a green smoothie.

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1. mixed green salad: organic Italian salad (251g), organic tomatoes (209g), organic onions (25g), avocado (162g)
2. salad dressing: organic mango (50g), organic avocado (33g), organic garlic (20g)
3. green smoothie: organic spinach (78g), organic banana (215g), 2 & 1/2 cups water

This salad was great. I also like the salad dressing and felt it had just the right amount of kick. After dinner, I wanted to eat some pizza. For some reason I started to crave the cheese on the pizza and wanted to eat some.

Post Dinner

1. apples (545g)

I had some apples just to keep my mouth clean.

Vitals

Weight: I gained .2 lbs, bringing me to 173.6 lbs.

Body Temperature: My temperature was 97.7 °F.

pH levels: The pH level today was 7.50 pH.

Blood Pressure: Systolic blood pressure was at 123. I know it’s an increase, but I don’t think the machine that’s taking these readings is as accurate as I’d like it to be. The diastolic was at 70.

Endurance: I did not run the mile today.

Strength: I did not go to the gym today.

Cognitive Capacity: Still mentally clear, but feel distracted by cravings for cooked food.

Sleeping a total of 5 & 1/2 hours, I woke up 30 minutes before the alarm clock rang. I felt refreshed and wide awake. I handled the hygiene and took my measurements. I’ve noticed that my weight has stopped dropping so dramatically and even though I’m still losing weight, it’s in very small increments. I think I’ve reached a point where the calories I’m consuming are enough to sustain my current weight.

Breakfast

For breakfast I had some Ataulfo mango, blueberries, and strawberries.

1. organic Ataulfo mango (586g)
2. organic blueberries (176g)
3. organic strawberries (427g)

I noticed that the Ataulfo mango tastes the same as the regular mango that I usually eat. The only differences between them is in their size and skin color.

Lunch

I’ve been feeling pretty tranquil on this diet with a strong quiet energy sitting on stand-by for when I need it. It’s amazing how fast I can switch gears from the quite Zen-like state into the busy multi-tasking professional. I like being able to do it. I feel that I’m more productive now. I don’t “zone out” after I eat my meals anymore. I don’t need to lay down or take power naps. I don’t spend my time worrying or doubting myself as much as before. I feel like I’m a vastly improved me. That’s precisely why I went on the raw food diet. To get these results. Aside from the cravings I’ve been having lately, I don’t see too many drawbacks.

1. organic mango (861g)
2. organic kiwi (265g)
3. green smoothie: organic spinach (40g), organic bananas (357g), arugula (30g), romaine (71g), 2 & 1/2 cups water

I mentioned the cravings because they struck again today. This time I wanted some popcorn. I love eating popcorn and I usually have it at least twice a week when I’m watching movies. I make it myself, in the microwave, and I’ve really missed it while being on this diet. As soon as I felt the craving I started making the green smoothie. After drinking it I felt the cravings for popcorn subside a little. I still thought about the popcorn though, 2 more days to get through first.

Dinner

For dinner, I had a mixed bag of fruits paired with some raw cashews.

1. organic Braeburn apples (296g)
2. organic pear (216g)
3. organic grapefruit (326g)
4. organic bananas (281g)
5. organic raw cashews (113g)

Post Dinner Smoothie

After dinner I felt cravings for fried shrimp, so I made another green smoothie.

1. green smoothie: organic baby spinach (74g), organic bananas (271g), organic Goji berries (28g), 3 cups water

Vitals

Weight: I lost another .3 lbs. That means I weigh 173.4 lbs.

Body Temperature: My temperature was 97.9 °F.

pH levels: The pH level today was 7.50 pH.

Blood Pressure: Systolic blood pressure was at 121, which is really amazing to see. I’m only 1 point away from getting out of the hypertension zone. This is the lowest measurement to date and I can tell eating raw foods has definitely helped to lower my blood pressure. The diastolic was at 68.

Endurance: I went to the gym and ran the mile without any problems.

Strength: I went in and had a great workout. I finished all my sets without problems and even considered increasing the weight another 5 lbs. I did not do it though, but I will before the trial is over.

Cognitive Capacity: Mentality clear and peaceful. Aside from the thoughts about cooked foods I hardly ever feel distracted.