Discussion of the film “Dogtooth” by Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

On Thursday night, I had the house to myself and decided to stream a movie from Netflix.  I somewhat randomly picked a foreign film called “Dogtooth” knowing very little about it.  In other words, I went in completely blind minus the cover art and the tiny 2 sentence description on Netflix instant streaming.  (I chose it because it was foreign, had a good rating and the cover art looked interesting.)  I believe this is the way everyone should see “Dogtooth”.  (So please don’t read on if you haven’t seen it.)

Wow.  I was in for a surprise.  This movie captivated me.  I love indie films and foreign films, and tend to stay away from big Hollywood because I find most of them boring and predictable.  But I have never seen anything like “Dogtooth”.  It’s one of the those movies you can’t stop thinking about when it’s over.  After stewing on it Thursday night and Friday morning, I realized I had to discuss it with someone.  It’s just so very different from most movies.  It’s weird without being weird just for the sake of being weird.  And I decided I had to watch it again so I watched it again last night.  (I watched it alone both times.)

Let me start by saying I am by no means a movie reviewer, and I don’t really know how to talk about, or analyze movies.  (My comments are usually limited to: “It was really, really good!” or “It was really, really, REALLY good!” but I don’t know how to say WHY it was good.)  And let me also say I am writing this post quickly – without really trying to be a good writer.  I’m not doing an actual blog post here.  I’m wanting a forum to discuss this absolutely stunning movie.  I want to bounce my thoughts and interpretations off someone – ANYONE – who has seen the film.  I want to discuss it.  And I have questions.

I went online last night trying to find discussions about the film and found a couple of online forums but they haven’t been updated in a year or more.  Apparently, all the discussions happened when the film came out in 2009-2010 and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 2011.  So I couldn’t find a recent or active discussion forum.  Also, much of what I want to discuss was not discussed on these forums.  But I did find some interesting comments…which made me want to discuss the film even more.  I asked my husband to watch it so I would have someone to discuss it with (and because he has a minor in film and knows how to analyze film and discuss it) but I don’t think he’s going to watch it anytime soon, and I really don’t want to wait.  I also asked my mom to watch it but I don’t know if that will happen anytime soon, either.  I’ve got a one-track mind and I want to discuss it now.

I have seen this movie described as a “black comedy” and I guess there isn’t a better category for it, but I did not laugh out loud at all.  I personally did not find it funny.  Although there are a few parts that were somewhat amusing (like the “Bruce” scene, and the opening scene of deciding to play the game of endurance with the water tap).  I found the deadpan expressions and the dialogue intriguing and somewhat amusing.  I don’t know how to categorize this movie.  But that doesn’t matter.  It was GENIUS.  I am awe-struck by its brilliance.  I believe it deserves all the accolades it has received.  But I will also say that this movie isn’t for everyone.  And there are plenty of people who hated it or simply didn’t “get it”.  (Insert judgmental comments about these people here.  LOL.)

Let me also note: DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FILM!  Spoiler Alert!

Okay, here goes:

1.  One of the big questions the film raises for me is the whole nature versus nurture controversy.  (And a main reason I found it so compelling.)  Which aspects of our behavior and values are learned and which are instinctive?  I would think incest would be instinctively felt as wrong or unnatural.  It seems to me that “son” doesn’t feel this way.  But maybe elder daughter does, as she is obviously very uncomfortable with having sex with brother, and seems negatively impacted by it.  She seems to know something isn’t right but doesn’t know how to interpret those feelings so she just “acts out” and this seems a major factor in her downward spiral.  What do you think? 

2.  Did the “other” brother ever exist?  What do you think?  At first, I thought he might have existed, and he left/escaped, and that was one reason the parents became so controlling.  And also because the children seemed to actually really believe in him.  But then I realized they believe everything their parents tell them without question, so that really wasn’t a good enough reason to say the brother did exist.  And it would make sense the parents would make up another sibling to indoctrinate and instill fear.  What do you think?  Did he exist?

3.  Just something I noticed: The only child who ever shows any sort of disbelief at anything happening around her is the eldest daughter (who ends up watching the VCR tapes and trying to leave the compound).  There are two incidents were she talks about not believing someone and accuses that person of lying; and this happens before she watches the two movies (which seems to be the trigger to her leaving).  Both times this is with Christina; she doesn’t believe the headband sparkles and she doesn’t believe her about the hair gel.  Neither of the other two children ever show any signs of questioning what they are told.  I just thought this was an interesting observation considering she is the one who ends up trying to escape.  I only noticed this after watching the movie twice, and thinking about it for a couple of days.

4.  This movie brings up questions of our natural human impulses for freedom, and natural state of curiosity.  Why don’t the children seem more curious about the outside world?  Why don’t they seem more driven to the desire for freedom?  Is it because the parents have done such a solid job of indoctrination and fear?  Or is it an error/issue in the filmmaking?  The director seemed to think of everything and leave no holes so I don’t think it was an error in filmmaking.

5.  Why would the parents want the children to think the mom will give birth to the dog?  One thought I had: the reason would be to squelch the children’s curiosity.  If everything was derived from the compound and parents, it would prevent further questions about what is “out there”.  On the other hand, the children know supplies come from outside the compound.  So why not a dog?  What do you think?

6.  What about the fish?  Why did the dad put the fish in the pool?  For the same reason (above) about the dog?  The fish just appear?  And that helps squelch curiosity?  But what about the fact that “meat” is brought in from outside?  (There is a scene at the dinner table where the mother says they are running low on “meat” and asks the father to bring some home.)

7.  I find the scene where the two daughters breathe in the chemical (to pass out) to be very disturbing.  Were you disturbed?  How did you interpret that scene?  I wasn’t sure what to make of it. 

8.  It seems the children were competitive with each other because the parents were instilling that sense of competition, but why?  For their own amusement?  To keep the children always trying harder to listen and be rewarded?  It reminded me a lot of the way primary school teachers use reward and punishment to mold behavior.  The stickers would be an example of this.

9.  I read an interview with the director who stated that Christina is tempted to take advantage of the situation and the children.  I found this aspect of the movie one of the most interesting and brilliant.  I could see this really happening.  But why wouldn’t the parents have been more careful in overseeing Christina’s influence?  They seem to have thought about everything else ahead of time.  I guess the filmmaker needed Christina’s influence to advance the plot.  So maybe that is the only reason why, but if so, it is a weakness in the film because I think the father would have better insured nothing like that would have happened.  But maybe not.  The parents are just human and we make errors and mistakes.

10.  Taking the labels off the water bottles:  Genius!  Loved this little detail.  Then, upon second viewing, I noticed none of the products (foods, hygiene products, cleaning products) had labels; a great little detail!

11.  I read this online somewhere and had to share because I didn’t catch this myself.  When Christina asks the son about whether he dreams, he says he does.  But his dream is very limited (“Mom fell into the pool”) because his experiences are so very limited.  Of course!  I wouldn’t have caught that.  Another reason I say there is a lot in the movie.  It’s smart, and you get more out of it if you pay close attention.  Love that.

12.  One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when the younger daughter is cutting the feet and parts off her Barbie and screaming.  Just loved it.  I can’t tell you why.  I kept re-winding and watching that again and again.  This actress did a phenomenal job.  Although, all the acting was superb.  One of the best strengths of the film.  Loved the deadpan mannerisms and the way they talk.  Amusing.  What did you think?

13.  I read online someone asking why the parents listened to music using headphones while having sex.  Someone suggested it was to show how not-connected, or separated, the parents were from each other and the sexual act — to make it less passionate.  But I don’t agree.  The parents actually seemed quite bonded to one another and that was displayed in many scenes.  They also seemed to have quite an active sex life, and were shown kissing while having sex during the headphone scene.  (Whereas in comparison, sex scenes with Christina and the siblings never showed kissing.)  I think the headphones were simply to keep the children from hearing their music.  If you notice, music never plays in the home for the family to listen to, except the Frank Sinatra record (“grandfather”) and when the children play their own music (guitar/piano), or when the father sings.  So I think the headphones were merely because the parents wanted to listen to music during their lovemaking but didn’t want the children to over hear it.  This interpretation can also be backed by the scene when mother listens to headphones in her room alone during the day – again wanting to enjoy music but not wanting the children to overhear it.  What do you think?  It seems the parents allowed certain outside influences for themselves (music, porn videos) that they didn’t allow for their children.

13.5.  The scene where the father drives a few feet outside the compound to pick up the toy airplane.  Loved that.  Perfect.  The parents thought of everything, it seems, to keep the ruse going.

14.  The family members have no names!  I really didn’t catch that the first time and only really realized it after reading some online discussions.  Yet, Christina has a name.  And the dog (“Rex”) has a name.  Another example of the brilliance of the film.  Which leads me to…

15.  My favorite scene in the entire film: The “Bruce” scene.  The daughter has recently seen the movies “Rocky” and “Jaws” (via’s Christina’s VCR tapes) and this has completely affected/impacted her (and leads to her spiraling out of control and her confusion).  She realizes the power of people having names, having seen the interactions in the movies.  And she tells her sister that she wants to be called “Bruce” (the name of the Shark in “Jaws”) and says “Every time you say ‘Bruce’, I’ll turn”.  And then they spontaneously start practicing. “Bruce” youngest daughter says, and the eldest turns and looks.  “Bruce” she says again.  Then she gets up and they continue this.  I love this scene for some reason.  It is amusing, sad, and sweet.  It is a good example of how tender, close and connected the two sisters are, but it also shows how affected they have been from being raised this way.  Bravo to the director!

16.  What was that game the mother was playing with the children being blindfolded and moving toward the mother as she called out numbers?  Any ideas?  The numbers were translated in the subtitles like degrees and minutes, like: 2′ then 3’15″ then 3′ 45″ then 4’30″.  What was that?  The numbers part of it confused me.

17.  The record scene with the father interpreting the Frank Sinatra song was actually quite sweet albeit disturbing.  I mean what the father was doing was disturbing and wrong (lying).  But the looks on the mother and children’s faces was touching and sweet.  They seemed to be really enjoying it and the words.  And we saw a sense of closeness and family which was probably what the parents were trying to achieve with their entire ruse.  And then the dancing afterwards was endearing.  These children were really infantilized – which is wrong – but their sweet nature was often still intact because of this captivity.

18.  Licking.  The scene toward the end when the younger daughter is licking the dad was disturbing to me.  More disturbing than a lot of the other scenes.  But licking seemed to have become a form of currency in this family after Christina’s influence.  Another example of how these behaviors are learned, and they don’t realize how abnormal they are without context of outside influences.

19.  Why does the mother slap the eldest daughter when she says she is going to get the next plane that falls into the yard, with the comment that “whoever deserves it will get it”?  Is this just another example of the physical violence the parents use to keep the children in line?

20.  The planes that fall out of the sky and are really toy-sized.  Another wonderful detail of how the parents lied to keep up the ruse and squelch curiosity of the outside world.  Brilliant.

21.  Why does a bandage appear on the younger daughter’s arm after the son gets cut by the eldest daughter?  The bandage is in the same place on her arm as it is on her brother’s arm.  Did the younger daughter do this to empathize with her brother?

22.  I read in an online discussion that the porn clip (on the TV, parents watching) was gratuitous sex in the film.  I whole heartedly disagree.  I think it absolutely had to be there.  It showed us these parents are not prudes and gives us some insight into the parents.  What did you think?

23.  Some people online were asking why the parents didn’t use the daughters in the first place to meet the sexual needs of the son.  Someone suggested to avoid pregnancy. I disagree.  I believe the parents knew incest is wrong and were trying to avoid it going there.  I think the very fact they brought Christina shows their wanting to avoid the son’s urges possibly causing problems (like incest).  But in the end, the fear of outside influence was worse to them than incest.  (Shocking.)  I think it shows just how far they were willing to go to avoid outside influence.  But they probably only did this as a last resort.  Something else that is noteworthy regarding this: the parents try to meet the sexual needs of the son but never think to address the sexual needs of their daughters.

24.  The scene with the parents mouthing words to each other (toward the end):  I assumed this was to avoid the children overhearing.  Thought it was a powerful scene.  But did notice something I can’t explain.  Subtitles are showing the mother saying they need to replace Christina yet she isn’t mouthing words – she is licking the father’s ear.  What do you make of this?  She isn’t talking, she is licking, yet the subtitles show these words….maybe the subtitle timing was off?  Or was this purposeful?

25.  BIG QUESTION MARK.  Toward the beginning of the film, we are listening to the father giving lessons to the children on tape recordings (while we are seeing two of the children in a water fight).  The father is giving some Geometry problem, then asks about fish, and then says (and I quote): “If for any reason we are still awake at 11pm, what kind of procedure do we follow?”  What was that?  It seems there is nothing in this film that is meaningless….and I have no clue what that was about….?  What do you think?

26.  The kids wear a lot of white clothing in the film.  This is something I noticed more upon the second viewing (when I wasn’t so closely reading the subtitles).  I haven’t heard anyone mention this but I’m pretty certain it was intentional on the part of the director.  I think it helps the audience see them as innocent.  (Since white is often associated with innocence.)  What do you think?  Did you notice this too?  Also the kids are in their underwear and bathing suits a lot which I think is supposed to help the audience see them as more child-like since little children often run around in their underwear and bathing suits.

27.  Why does the son crawl into bed?  Is this in the film just to show us how child-like the children are?  (Even though they look to be late teens and early 20s.)

28.  MY OTHER BIG QUESTION MARK: After the cat incident, the father is on his cell phone at work talking to the mom who is at home about the incident.  They are plotting what to do.  Then he says (and again, I quote): “The temperature will rise and the wind will drop.  5 or 6 degrees.”  What in the heck does this mean?  And again, I’m feeling it has meaning because everything seems to….yet I don’t know how to interpret this.  What do you think?

29.  The heads of the actors were frequently cut off in the scenes (along with other body parts).  I didn’t notice this during the first viewing.  But read about it later and realized this was a technique the director used to help the audience detach from the characters, and give the film the atmosphere he was going for.  I read later a lot about the mise-en-scene of the film and can appreciate it even more now – because a lot went into giving it the atmosphere it had, and giving the audience the feeling we got watching it.  More to make me feel the film was brilliant, and the director as genius.

30.  The ending was perfect.  I couldn’t think of a better ending for this film.  The long take on the trunk.  The questions you are left to ponder.  The metaphor of her being possibly stuck in the truck – maybe never escaping? – just like she was stuck in the home.  The fact that her lack of knowledge was still inhibiting her even in her escape.  There was a lot of discussion online about the ending, and I’ve come to terms with accepting this ending as it is.  I am okay with not knowing and having it end like this.  I can’t imagine it ending any better way.  What did you think?

Well, that’s it.  I’m anxious for a discussion about this film.  Please comment and let’s discuss! 

And let me also note that the director, Yorgos Lanthimos, was born in 1973.  He’s the same age as both me and my husband – so of course, that makes him a Gen X’er.  Love people from Generation X. 

–Gen X Gemini

Posted in movies | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Arizona Black Bean Salad

Posted on March 23, 2012 by

Inspired by the idea of eating vegan once in a while (and not just raw vegan), I decided to cook up some black beans and wild rice.  Now what to do with them?  When I was a kid, my mom used to make this black bean and couscous salad that I loved…so I decided to use her idea as the inspiration for a new salad recipe.  Only I would add tons of different veggies!  (Her recipe was black beans, couscous, italian dressing, green bell peppers, onion, and red bell peppers; served as a cold salad; YUM.)

I mixed the cooked black beans (cold) and cooked wild rice (cold) with an abundance of fresh, raw, organic produce, and some homemade dressing.  It turned out delicious!  This is a cold salad with a southwest flair.  The only cooked parts are the beans and rice; all the veggies, and non-sweet fruits are raw.  It could be a meal by itself, or could be served as a side dish with tacos or burritos – or just about anything else!  It is super healthy, fiber-rich, vitamin-rich, and satisfying!  It is also a great way to get lots of raw veggies into your body in a delicious dish!

I thought I’d share pictures and the recipe.

Gen X Gemini’s Arizona Black Bean Salad (vegan)

  • 3 cups cooked organic black beans (cold)
  • 3 cups cooked organic wild rice (cold)
  • 1 red bell pepper, organic, chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions, organic, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro, organic, roughly chopped
  • 1 small zucchini, organic, chopped
  • 4 small sweet peppers, organic, chopped (optional)
  • 6 slender asparagus spears, organic (if possible), chopped
  • 2 avocados, organic, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup organic corn (I used frozen corn; thawed)
  • Juice of 2 organic oranges
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Dash or two of white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/8 cup of cold-pressed olive oil, organic, extra virgin
  • Cumin, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste

I mixed the rice and beans with the oil, seasoning, citrus juices and vinegar to start.  Then I added all the chopped produce – except the avocado – and stirred more – adding more seasoning as needed.  Finally, I tossed in the avocado.

If you don’t have asparagus or zucchini around, don’t add it!  Add whatever veggies you have on hand, and I’m sure it will be delicious.  I just made this recipe up based on what I had available right now.

I think next time I make it, I will add a little minced red onion and more lemon juice.

My husband loved it! 

Let me know if you end up trying the recipe, and what you think!

-Gen X Gemini

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Super Excited! My Next Step. The “Get Healthy – Lose Weight” Plan!

Posted on March 11, 2012 by

So if you know me or you’ve been following my blog, you know I’m transitioning to a vegan diet - and my goal is to eventually eat 100% raw vegan.  Some people don’t like the term “vegan” so you could also call what I’m doing a “plant-based diet”.  I’ve made a lot of steps in that transition so far which you can read about here and here.  But now I’m taking the next step…and it’s gonna be HUGE.  It’s a leap.  After all, 2012 is my year of transformation.  (It also marks 20 years since I graduated from high school.  A landmark in time.)  I will be a different person on Dec. 31 than I was on Jan. 1.  And by different, I mean BETTER.

You don’t have to understand veganism nor want to be a vegan to read on…just be open minded!  I truly believe we are on this earth to learn from each other, and to be both students and teachers.  All of us.

Why am I becoming vegan?  Because I believe it is the healthiest way of eating (if done right), and will help me prevent disease and cancer, as well as maintain a healthy weight.  Additionally, I have learned how food animals suffer in factory farms (which produce 99% of the animal protein we consume), and am now very turned off by the idea of eating animals (including fish).  I have also learned how dairy is not good for us, and how dairy animals suffer extensively.  Finally, I have learned that our planet cannot sustain this animal-centric diet we are consuming; the environmental impact is devastating and simply unsustainable.  Did you know rainforests are being cleared to grow soybeans to feed pigs in China?  You can learn a lot more about the environmental impact of eating animals from J. Morris Hicks’ blog which is here.  He also wrote a book called “Healthy Eating, Healthy World” which I highly recommend.  He blogs daily and his posts are a quick and good read.  I promise you’ll learn a lot.  I had to really open my mind and get very honest with myself to realize what we consider “normal” in this country is not healthy.  (Some people simply aren’t willing to open their mind to this information; they get VERY defensive and VERY angry.  They don’t want to change, and they don’t want to hear anything that threatens to criticize the way they eat.)  And trust me, I don’t like being the “weird” one who doesn’t go along with what everyone else in society is doing (eating animals and dairy).  But once you have this information, and allow yourself to realize it is true, it’s impossible to move backwards.  You learn that forward is the only direction to move.  So that’s where I’m headed.  I know that my becoming vegan is very upsetting to some people.  But I have to do what is right for me, and to trust my instincts, and to honor my truth.  I seek respect for my decision; just as I respect those who don’t want to eat a vegan diet…  But let’s get on to the plan!

About a week and a half ago, I started a 7-day experiment where I ate only raw vegan foods.  (You can read about that here.)  And since that experiment ended a few days ago, I’ve been eating cooked vegetarian foods, and thinking about what my next step would be.  It came to me on Thursday night!  I am super excited about it, and excited to share the plan with you…

My Next Step.  The “Get Healthy – Lose Weight” Plan!  I need to lose weight, and I want to use a vegan diet or a raw vegan diet to that…because I’m transitioning to this lifestyle anyway.  But if I just ate cooked vegan foods, I think it would take me a long time to lose the weight; which is fine for some people but I need and want to see results faster than that to really motivate me.  If I just ate 100% raw vegan food, well, I think that would result in faster weight loss but involves a LOT of food preparation, and I think I would miss some cooked foods, which might not make it realistic over the long haul.  I could just juice fast – which would result in very fast weight loss – but also isn’t realistic over a long period of time; I would get pretty tired of making and drinking the juice.  Plus, juicing can be expensive because of the vast amount of organic produce needed.  Also, fasting slows down your metabolism which means as soon as the fast is over, some of the weight comes back on.  So none of these are good options for me. 

And then it hit me!  I could do a combination of all of these things!  So I devised an 8-day pattern/plan that I will repeat over and over, until I reach my goal weight of 105 pounds.  (I’m only 5 feet tall, so trust me, 105 is a good weight for me.)  I have never seen this idea from anyone else or anywhere else, and so I feel the universe provided me with inspiration to answer my needs!  I’m so grateful!

Jicama sticks with guacamole (raw vegan snack!)

Day 1 – Vegan Diet (allow cooked foods); all foods must be whole foods!  (In other words, eating plants in nature’s packaging, and vastly limiting processed foods.)  No fried foods, breads, or desserts.  Limiting salt and oil (or completely eliminating).  No sugar.  I could have things like steel-cut oats with fruit, steamed veggies, soups, beans, and whole grains (like quinoa and buckwheat) along with an abundance of fruits and vegetables.  I was inspired by my sister’s menu for her Spring Detox which she is blogging about here.  As an award-winning chef, her meals look so healthy and delicious!  (Like her soba noodles with peanut sauce and veggies!)  Yet I couldn’t have most of them if I was eating 100% raw.  (She isn’t a vegan at all.  She’s just cutting out animal proteins and dairy for a week-long detox.)  This “vegan” day will be the least restrictive day, and will allow me to eat some comforting foods like beans and rice, and tomato-basil soup, along with heartier meals like pasta dishes.  I probably won’t be losing weight on these days but I will be clearing my system of dairy, and getting ready for the days to come.

Day 2 – 100% Raw Vegan diet – This is more restrictive than the day before but still allows me to eat solid foods.  I can eat whole and raw: fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.  The focus is eating plants in Nature’s packaging.  I will get a chance to experiment with more raw vegan recipes, and will enjoy eating salads, nori rolls, raw soups, and mono-meals.  I will even allow myself the occasional raw dessert on this day.  These meals take planning and food preparation but are very healthy and will allow me to lose weight.  I will severely restrict the use of salt and oil on these days (if not completely eliminating it).  I will also be careful not to overeat natural sugars, dates, and nut butters.  I will practice food combining protocols so as not to overtax my digestive system, and to ensure maximum absorption of nutrients.

Day 3 – Green Smoothie Day – A day of consuming only liquids.  Green smoothies are blended fruits and greens.  (For example, put oranges, bananas and spinach in the VitaMix, blend, and serve.)  This day will give my digestive system a break yet I will still be eating fiber.  I will probably lose weight on these days yet I won’t be hungry because of all the fiber and nutrients.  This will also be a day I don’t have to do much food prep because making these smoothies is quick and easy.  I will probably drink 2 quarts of green smoothies each day.  If I am still hungry, I may drink 2.5 or 3.  It will depend on the day.  I will not be adding dates or any other concentrated sweeteners, nor will I be adding avocados, oils or nuts.  I will not use nut mylks, either.  It will simply be blended fruits and veggies, with water.  I may use coconut water from time to time as it is so unbelievably good for you.  And I may add spirulina or green powder to up the nutritional content.  This day is more restrictive than the day before, as you can see.  I will probably start with a ratio of 2 parts fruit to 1 part greens (or veggies) but will shoot for an even 1:1 ratio as my taste buds change over time.  An example and recipe of a green smoothie can be found here.  I will “chew” these smoothies (instead of just drinking) to ensure I get my digestive enzymes going through my saliva.  This will allow better digestion and nutrient absorption.

Day 4 – Green Juice Day - Another day of consuming only liquids.  And again, more restrictive than the day before it.  The difference between smoothies and juice is, of course, the fiber.  All fiber is removed in green juices.  So instead of using my blender, I will be using my juicer.  And then I will remove fiber a second time by straining the juices through a nut milk bag before consuming.  This is another day to give my digestive system a break.  Since my energy won’t be spent digesting food and fiber, my body will get a chance to go into heal mode, and some natural healing will be going on.  Green juice is SO good for our bodies; my body responds very well to it, and I can actually feel how happy my cells are when I juice fast.  There is a large body of research and information on the benefits of juicing and fasting out there.  One good place to start is here, if you are interested in learning more.  Juicing is one of the best things you can do for your health.  And I know I will be losing weight on my juicing days.  And best of all, it will only be 1 day of it before I move onto something else; so I don’t have to worry about feeling too deprived, or sick of making/drinking juice.  Making juice is time consuming, and drinking it can become boring if you try to do it for weeks on it.  So I believe adding single days of juicing is a good and realistic plan for me.  One day I will be able and willing to do a 92-day juice fast.  (I’ve tried and tried and tried but can’t stick to it.)  Just not right now. 

Also, my juices will be mostly from organic vegetables but I will add some organic fruit to make it more appealing to my taste buds.  My green juices ALWAYS have at least 1 bunch of greens (kale, spinach, lettuce or chard), and 3-6 stalks of celery.  (Celery is a good source of organic sodium.)  I usually add cucumber because it makes so much juice but sometimes it is too expensive to include.  I usually add carrots because they are cheap, make a lot of juice, sweeten it up, and are very healthful.  I always add lemon to cut some of the bitterness of the greens, and usually add apple to sweeten it up.  I will probably drink 2 or 3 quarts of green juice per day, on these juicing days.  And like the green smoothies, I will work to reduce the amount of sweet fruit and increase the amount of vegetables.  (Tomatoes and cucumber are technically fruit –not vegetables– so that’s why I used the words “sweet fruit”.)

Day 5 – Water Fast - Another “liquids-only” day, and another fasting day.  And, again, more restrictive than the day prior.  And another break for my digestive system which allows a deeper detoxification to happen, along with more healing.  This will be the toughest day but it is only one day.  I can do anything for one day.  And I’ve worked down to this by slowing reducing from vegan to raw vegan to smoothie to juice.  Isn’t that a fantastic plan?  My body will thank me for the water fast days.  And again, I will be losing weight.  There is a lot of research about the benefits of calorie restriction and fasting, and its positive effect on aging.  One of the best books I’ve read on the subject is Tonya Zavasta’s “Quantum Eating” (I would highly recommend any of her books).  Since I’ll only be drinking water on this day (and consuming nothing else!), there will be no food preparation time necessary!  And I’ll be saving money on groceries!  Again, it is just one day.  I might feel hunger on this day but that’s okay.  I’ll live.

Day 6 – Green Juice Day – Now I’m working back up to less restrictive than the day before it.  Repeating the green juice day.  So I will have 2 green juice fast days in each 8-day pattern.  Still only having liquids, and my 4th consecutive day of only liquids.

Day 7 – Green Smoothie Day – Again less restrictive than the day before – working back up to solid foods.  Repeating the green smoothie day.  And this makes 2 green smoothie days in each 8-day pattern.  This is my 5th and final consecutive day of only liquids.

Day 8 – 100% Raw Vegan diet – Solid foods again!  And after all those days of only liquids, my big salads will taste amazing!  And I had all those days to plan what I would be making and eating on this day!  There are two of these days in the 8-day pattern.  And really, 7 of the 8 days are 100% raw vegan — because smoothies, and juices ARE raw vegan.

Day 9 – REPEAT pattern: Starting with Day 1 (VEGAN) again.  In addition, I will weigh myself on this morning.  (The morning after the 8-day cycle has ended).  I figure I can and will lose 5 pounds in every 8-day cycle.

Mango Smoothies (water, ice, mangoes). Fabulous-ness!

So the pattern goes like this: vegan, raw vegan, green smoothie, green juice, water fast, green juice, green smoothie, raw vegan, vegan, raw vegan, green smoothie, green juice, water fast, green juice, green smoothie, raw vegan, vegan, raw vegan, green smoothie…..etc.  (Working down to water fasting, and then back up to vegan, and then repeating.)  Like I said, I will repeat this until I have reached my goal weight of 105 pounds.  I haven’t weighed 105 pounds since I was in the Army, and have wanted so much to lose weight since I got out of the Army 11 years ago.

I think this is the PERFECT plan for me because of the variety.  I won’t get tired of fasting nor big salads nor too much food prep nor juicing!  I will get to feel like my vegan days are “treats” because I will be able to eat hearty grains and beans and warm, cooked foods.  Even my raw vegan days are going to feel like a treat!  It is going to be fantastic!  Also, my food bill should be pretty comfortable…

Me, 36 years ago

Weight Loss – I should have pretty quick but healthy weight loss doing this.  Like I said, I estimate I should be losing about 5 pounds every 8 days.  If I find this isn’t happening or starts to slow down, I will restrict or limit certain foods like avocados, nuts and seeds.  I will also start restricting calories more on the solid food days, and getting more exercise.  I will adjust as needed to ensure success!

Exercise - I also plan to start exercising more.  I will probably get serious about incorporating exercise by next weekend.  I need to come up with a good plan for that to start getting my sweat on!  Jogging is my preferred form of exercise since we lack a yoga studio in this little town where I live.  I would join our local gym but it doesn’t open early enough in the morning and I prefer to exercise before work.  As I mentioned, I was in the U.S. Army in my 20s, and was active duty for 7 years.  So I know how to exercise, and I know how it feels to be in shape.  I used to be quite the runner back in the day.  And I felt best when I was running on a regular basis.  My body loves to run.  I also know how to do weight training, and I used to be able to do about 65 push-ups in 2 minutes (NOT “girl” pushups).

What about caffeine and alcohol?  My goal is to cut it out entirely.  But I will allow myself some “wiggle room” here, possibly.  I might have an occasional cup of coffee or tea(though doubtful), and I might allow myself an occasional drink for social reasons.  This would only be for special occasions like a birthday or anniversary, or if invited to someone’s house for a get-together. 

So that’s my inspired plan.  Again, I am very grateful to the universe and God for this idea that just POPPED into my head on Thursday night, and feels so right.  So when am I starting?  Today.  Today is a VEGAN day, and day 1 of the first 8-day cycle.  I will be blogging about my progress, as well as sharing recipes and photos of foods I prepare and eat.  Tonight I am making a fabulous curried lentil and veggie stew, and am serving it over cooked quinoa.  (My hubby LOVES quinoa.)  He also loves asparagus so I might steam or roast some of that to have on the side.

Please note: I eat an almost entirely organic diet.  I try to always buy organic produce, along with everything else.  Sometimes, though, it is impossible.  But most of what we eat is organic.  Also, I soak all my nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains before eating.  (You can learn the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of this here.)

Above is wheatgrass shots.  Yes!  My juicer does wheatgrass!  I will eventually start growing my own wheatgrass…it is AMAZING for our health.  And I love the taste!

If you like my blog, please “like” my Facebook page which can be found here.  Please also subscribe to my blog; you will get an email each time I do a new post.  You can do that in the right hand column of your screen.

What do you think of my plan?  Would you ever try something similar to lose weight and/or get healthy?  Have you ever fasted to get a deeper detox? 

I always enjoy your questions and comments!

Inspired.

-Gen X Gemini

Posted in Detox/Cleanse, Plan, Transformation, Weight Loss | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

This blog now has a Facebook page….”Like” it!

Posted on March 10, 2012 by

I decided to start a Facebook page just for this blog.  I will be posting links to interesting and helpful “healthy eating” and “happiness” articles, pictures, and videos… and other fun stuff!  I will also post links to new blog posts.

“Like” the “Ruminations from a Generation X Gemini” page on Facebook, and you will be in the loop!  You can find it here.

Me LOVING our desert, and paying respect to this majestic Saguaro cactus:

-Gen X Gemini

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Seven Days Eating 100% Raw Vegan. Day 7 Report & Wrap-Up!

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

For the past week I’ve been eating nothing but what some would call “rabbit food” – just raw fruits, raw vegetables, raw nuts and raw seeds.  I’ve been eating a 100% raw vegan diet.  I did this as an experiment because it is my goal in 2012 to transition to a vegan diet, and to a 100% raw one at that.  I wanted to see what eating this way day after day would be like, and to show myself I could do it.  I also wanted to practice making this kind of food because it is still pretty new to me, and to see what impact it would have on how I feel.  You can read about day 6 here, and day 5 here.

Yesterday was Day 7 and Tuesday.  Tuesday is a long day for me because I work my regular day job, and I teach an early evening class at our local community college.

Breakfast – 3 Ataulfo mangoes

I got a flat of these mangoes this past Saturday as part of our Bountiful Baskets program.  You can read about the mangoes and this program here.  The mangoes were amazing!  And the ultimate “fast food”.  I just grabbed three along with a knife and brought them to work with me; talk about an easy breakfast to “prepare”!  I ate them at my desk while working.  Hopefully nobody heard my little pleasure grunts as I enjoyed them….I’m sure I was making “Mmmmm” sounds!

Lunch – Marinated Broccoli/Red Bell Pepper & an Avocado

I had leftover marinated broccoli and red bell pepper from Day 6′s dinner.  (You can get that recipe here.)  So I grabbed that for lunch, along with a whole avocado.  Another quick and easy meal to grab on the go.  It was in the upper 70s so I ate lunch outside so I could get some Vitamin D and fresh air.  My lunch was perfect!  I alternated bites of crunchy broccoli and sweet bell pepper, with bites of creamy avocado.  I think I might start eating lunch outside more often.  After all, I live in Arizona where we have more sunshine than any other state (including Florida – “The Sunshine State”).

I’m sure I’m Vitamin D deficient; almost all Americans are.  And there are links between infertility and cancer with Vitamin D deficiency.  (Yes, my husband and I are struggling with infertility.)  There have also been people who claim some cancers – especially breast cancer – can be cured with Vitamin D.  I do take Vitamin D supplements, in the form of drops, when I remember to, but supplements are sketchy.  Not all work and not all are bio-available to our bodies.  I learned a lot about supplements in the books by Dr. Raymond Francis (“Never Be Fat Again” and “Never Be Sick Again”).  (Both books are excellent and I highly recommend them as well as his supplement line.)  Also, some claim supplements can actually harm us.  So, I try to find the most natural way to get all my vitamins and minerals because our bodies understand it in natural form (e.g., whole foods and fresh, unpasteurized juices).  So sunshine is the natural way for us to get our Vitamin D.  And it isn’t hard to get sunshine here in Arizona.  I need to take advantage of that.

A whole avocado, you might ask?  Yes.  We need fat in our diet – despite what some are led to believe.  But it is best to get our fat from whole foods like avocados, nuts and seeds.  There are a lot of vitamins that are fat soluble.  I’m no scientist but basically, we need fat in our diet for these vitamins to be able to absorb into our bloodstream.  Of course, we should not overeat fat – even if it is in its natural form.  I tried to avoid oils during these past 7 days because oil isn’t a whole food.  And there is a lot of talk out there about oils being a concentrated, processed fat that isn’t so good for us.  (Just like concentrated, processed sugars like agave.)  If I look back to all my meals over these 7 days, I think I only used oil twice.  That’s pretty good.

Dinner - A Big Salad & A Banana

I finished Day 7 up with a big green salad with tomato-avocado dressing (blended: garlic, honey, tomato, cayenne, lemon juice, and avocado).  (You could use a date if you are concerned that honey isn’t vegan.)  Later I had a banana.  It was delicious and a perfect way to end my week.

WRAP UP of the Seven Days Eating 100% Raw Vegan

So I waited until today (Wednesday) to do this blog post so I could include the results of my 7 days.  The following is a list of my results:

  • Lost 7 pounds in 7 days - I wasn’t doing this to lose weight (although that was a nice thing to happen and I certainly need to lose weight) – but what I found to be interesting is that I lost about same amount as when I juice fast – about a pound a day – yet I didn’t deprive myself of food – I ate much as I wanted to eat; that’s pretty amazing weight loss considering I didn’t restrict calories
  • Was never or rarely hungry – I took this as a sign that my body was getting the fiber and nutrients it needed – when we have true physical hunger it is a signal that we need something
  • It took very little food to satisfy me – when I compare the volume of food I ate during these 7 days, in a lot of ways, I was eating less – yet I felt much more satisfied – again I feel this is because of the nutrient density of foods I was eating – no empty calories
  • No desire to overeat – unlike when I eat foods like pizza or burritos, I had no desire to eat more than what I needed to feel satisfied – I never ate until I was “full” or “stuffed” – I just ate until I was satisfied – I’m sure this is because my whole foods didn’t contain any addictive substances like MSG or other chemicals that trigger overeating
  • NO Cravings for meat, poultry, fish, desserts, or alcohol – None – Not an issue – but I’ve given up meat, poultry, and fish already before I started this 7-day experiment – it’s been 7 or 8 weeks now that I haven’t had any of it, and that is a permanent change for me; as far as alcohol, I could easily give this up permanently but haven’t yet for social reasons; as far as desserts, I had no cravings but this could be because I was eating a lot of fruit which is nature’s candy
  • Very Few Cravings for dairy, caffeine, and cooked foods (including grains) – I thought this would be the hardest part of these 7 days but it really wasn’t – I had a few moments during several of the days where I thought of one of these foods – but the moments passed quickly – and it wasn’t a big deal
  • Not Tired – in fact I seemed to need less sleep than usual on some of the nights – (other than feeling a little bit tired on Days 3 and 4 but that could be partial detox symptoms)
  • Woke up more refreshed and awake than usual – I’m not a morning person and I don’t like getting up early for work – but I did feel better in mornings – less groggy – this was a subtle difference but it was there
  • No Spikes/Dips in Energy Level - I felt calm and “even-keel” all day throughout the seven days - it is hard to explain what I mean by “calm” as that word doesn’t carry a lot of weight – but it should – I felt very calm and peaceful almost all the time – I never felt super tired or super amped-up – just very balanced and even-keel – I think this is how we are supposed to feel
  • No Depressive Moods or Emotions and No Feelings of Anxiety - I have struggled with depression and anxiety on and off almost my entire life – it comes and goes – but during these 7 days I had no signs of any of that yucky stuff - no mood swings – no sadness – no anxiety (and by the way, I do NOT take medication for any of that – I believe all medicines are toxic – and there are many natural remedies for these sorts of emotional issues)
  • No itchy skin!  My skin is at times SO DRY that it itches like crazy – I didn’t have that during these 7 days – I know all the fruits and veggies are very hydrating so I’m sure it had something to do with that – also sodium levels affect our hydration and my diet was very low sodium during these 7 days – that’s a big “ah ha!” for me
  • Moments of Bliss - I had two moments during these 7 days where I felt blissful or ecstatic for no reason at all – hard to describe what I felt – but “blissful” or “ecstatic” come close – both times it was after drinking a big green juice – I can truly tell that my body and cells LOVE it when I give them green juice
  • Very Little Gas and NO bloated feelings – Unlike when I eat dairy (OMG), I had no stomach cramps or bloating – and very little gas
  • Face Looks Less Puffy – my face is less puffy! and my eyes look clearer - I’m sure this is because of no caffeine or alcohol, superior hydration, low sodium, and no chemical additives
  • Underarms Not Stinky - I stopped using anti-perspirant over a year ago because it is really bad for us (causes cancer) – and I use an all-natural deodorant – of course, it is less effective than regular/high toxic deodorants so I will often have an odor under my arm pits after a long day – I noticed there seemed to be NO odor starting around day 4 or 5 – maybe this had nothing to do with my diet?  But I don’t know – I’m thinking eating no dairy, grains, etc. might have changed my body chemistry and reduced my underarm odor to nothing
  • Sex – that’s all I’m going to say because that is very personal – but let’s just say I observed big improvements in this area!  (!!!)

These 7 days gave me a sense of control over my eating (which is huge for me).  I also felt I could live my life this way, and how good it feels.  I actually feel very reluctant to go back to eating the way I was eating. 

This experiment really changed how I see food.  And I didn’t expect that outcome.  I’m more aware than ever how I have often used food as entertainment or a reward, and how that doesn’t serve me well.  It’s been interesting, really.  I feel forever changed by this.  I’m so glad I did it.  I didn’t expect to have such significant results – especially in my thinking.  I thought the changes would be more physical but I see that the most important changes were psychological.

So…what’s my next step?  I don’t know.  I’m going to relax today and not think about it or plan.  I know the next step will occur to me in the next day or two.  And I’m sure I’ll be blogging about it.  After all, 2012 is my year of transformation! 

- Gen X Gemini

Posted in Raw Vegan, Transformation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Seven Days Eating 100% Raw Vegan. Day 6!

Posted on March 5, 2012 by

For the past 6 days, I’ve been eating 100% raw vegan.  Yep – no dairy; no meat, poultry or fish; no cooked foods; no grains or breads (obviously, because they are cooked).  I’ve only been eating raw fruits and vegetables, and raw nuts and seeds.  I also cut out all alcohol and caffeine.  And I’ve been blogging daily; recording everything I eat and drink, along with how I’m feeling about the process.  You can read my post about Day 5 here.

Today was Monday.  And I slept in too late, and was rushing to get to work.  And I wasn’t feeling particularly jazzed about eating raw vegan food.  So I didn’t eat much, and I don’t have much to report.

Breakfast – Fresh pineapple chunks

Last night I chopped up a whole pineapple, and ate half of it for dessert.  This morning, I grabbed what was left, and took it to work for breakfast.  Yum!  Juicy!  Fresh fruit for breakfast!  I have to tell you, I never considered myself a “fruit” person.  In fact, I remember telling people in my late 20s and early 30s that I “don’t really like fruit”.  That has really changed for me!  And I’m glad.  Fruit is so good for us.  It makes me sad that there are diets that tell people to restrict carbs, and it gives people the impression that fruit isn’t good for us.  Of course, we need to eat it in moderation.  And of course, there are people with blood sugar issues who should be careful until they get their health conditions under control.  But I think fruit gets a bad rap in this country because of those crazy diet fads.  Fruit is packed full of fiber and essential vitamins and nutrients!  And it’s best to be eaten as a whole, raw food - in its natural state - to really reap its benefits.

I also brought raw vegan dish leftovers for lunch.  I brought some leftover kale salad from Friday night’s dinner.  (You can see that recipe here.)  And I brought some leftover zucchini spaghetti with marinara sauce from last night’s dinner.  (You can see that recipe here.)  But I’m going to be honest.  I didn’t eat lunch.  I didn’t eat even one bite of any of it.  The thought of eating any of that was not appealing to me.  Yes, I felt hunger pangs on and off throughout the day.  But I would have rather had the hunger feelings than eat that food.  I know that doesn’t sound very nice – and like I’m putting down raw foods – when really I want to promote them!  But I’m just being 100% honest.  I can’t say “Yay!  Raw foods!” all the time if that isn’t how I feel.  I WANT to LOVE raw foods, and I WANT to think every single raw food creation I make is DELICIOUS.  But that just isn’t the truth.  And that is part of why I’m doing this 7-day experiment.  To find out which raw food recipes are good, and which aren’t.  And which raw foods I like, and which I don’t.  Because I will never be able to stick to this unless I have yummy foods.  So that’s the honest truth.  I just didn’t feel like eating either of those things today.  The salad was really good on Friday and Saturday when I ate it, but I didn’t want it today (and frankly, I was worried it wouldn’t be good anymore since it wasn’t very fresh).  The spaghetti was so-so last night, but just didn’t sound appealing to me today.  So I skipped lunch.

Dinner: Marinated Broccoli and Red Bell Pepper

Last night, I started preparing this meal.  I chopped up broccoli and red bell pepper.  And then I made this marinade: olive oil, lemon juice, fresh basil, fresh oregano, garlic and black pepper.  And I poured it over the broccoli and bell pepper.  Tonight, when I got home from work, I put the marinated veggies in the dehydrator for about an hour to warm up and soften.  Yum!  The result was better than I imagined.  The broccoli and pepper kept its crispness and color (since it was only heated at 110 degrees) but it got a little bit warm – which was nice.  I ate about a cup and a half of these veggies for dinner.  Pretty satisfying!

I haven’t had dessert yet but I think I will have some fresh fruit for dessert.  I have kiwi, mangoes, banana, apples, and pears right now – so I’ll pick one of those.  Or maybe I won’t have any dessert!  I don’t know yet.

Drinks – Just water

Supplements - 2000 IU of Vitamin D (drops), 1000 mcg of Vitamin B12, 1000 mg of Vitamin C, and 2 tablets of 8 Immortals Formula (chinese herbs)

Tomorrow is my last day on this 7-day experiment.  Then, I’m going to have to figure out what I’m going to do next to move forward in my TRANSFORMATION, and my transition to raw veganism!

- Gen X Gemini

Posted in Raw Vegan, Transformation | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Seven Days Eating 100% Raw Vegan. Day 5!

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

It is Sunday, and day 5 on my experimental seven days of eating 100% raw vegan.  I’ve been blogging daily about my experiences and reporting everything I ate and drank.  You can read my Day 4 post here.

I weighed myself this morning and had lost a pound since yesterday morning, and about 5 pounds since I started this plan.  Even though I’m not doing this to lose weight, I am pleased that I have been taking off some weight.  Five pounds in 4 days is pretty amazing – especially considering I’m eating as much food as I want – as long as it is raw vegan.  But I’m not celebrating too much because I don’t know if the weight will just go right back on when I stop eating this way.

This morning we went to the grocery store.  It’s the first time I’ve been there since starting this plan.  It was challenging.  My husband went, too, and kept trying to get me to stop eating raw vegan.  He kept pointing out different foods I love and telling me that 4 days was enough and I should just quit.  It was really hard being there and seeing all the different foods, and hearing his words.  My resolve was dissolving.  But I stuck to my guns and stuck to my shopping list.  I did buy some extra produce that wasn’t on my list because whenever they have something special and organic, I usually pick it up.  Today I found some organic pears and organic sweet peppers that they don’t usually have …so I got them.  The organic section is very limited in our Safeway and makes life hard.  We usually have to go to Tucson to do our major shopping.

Yesterday, I didn’t mention in my Day 4 report and blog post whether I had any cravings or moments I wanted to cheat.  Yes, I did.  I had a few minutes where I really wanted some crackers or bread.  But I just faced my feelings and they went away.  I didn’t give in (obviously).  This morning, I woke up and thought how nice it would be to go out for breakfast with my husband.  I guess I could have gone but I would have been limited to fresh fruit, and it wouldn’t have been organic, and I didn’t want to put myself through that.  But I thought about how nice it would be to have a crispy waffle with butter, and some coffee.  But again, I just allowed myself to have the thoughts, and moved on –not letting them control me.  They are just thoughts!  I don’t have to give in to them.  It helped to think about all the wonderfully delicious and fattening meals I’ve had in my life.  And how it wasn’t a big deal not to have one now.  I also thought about how that way of eating has got me to where I am now (overweight), and how being not-so-healthy just doesn’t feel good.  I was proud of myself for sticking to this plan.  After all, it’s just 7 days.  And I need to do this to show myself that I can.  I really need some sense of success right now in my life.

Breakfast: Strawberry and Blueberry Smoothie

I didn’t want anything green for breakfast.  I’ve been eating so much green stuff that I thought I needed a break, and to have something that really felt decadent.  My thoughts of waffles with butter earlier in the morning made me feel I didn’t want to feel deprived of something really special.  So I made a non-green smoothie with almond milk, fresh strawberries and fresh blueberries.  That seemed very special to me.

Gen X Gemini’s Creamy Dreamy Berry Smoothie

  • 2 cups of water
  • 1/4 cup of soaked raw almonds (soaked in water overnight)
  • 1 date
  • dash of vanilla extract
  • 8 oz fresh strawberries (you could use frozen)
  • 6 oz fresh blueberries (you could use frozen)

I started by blending the soaked raw almonds with the water and the date.  This made the almond milk.  I didn’t strain it.  Then I added a dash of vanilla, the strawberries, and the blueberries, and blended again.  This recipe made a quart plus about another 4 oz.  I gave the extra 4oz to my husband.  The result was a sweet, creamy, dreamy smoothie.  YUM.  Very satisfying and filling!  This recipe resulted in a pretty thin drink – almost milk-like consistency - which I didn’t mind.  I drank it through a glass straw.  But, you could add ice to make it colder and thicker.  You could also add banana (frozen or fresh) to make it thicker.  Personally, I left out the banana because it seems when I add them to berry smoothies, the banana flavor overpowers the berry flavor.  I don’t like not being able to taste the berries.  And berries are SO good for us!  Didn’t it turn out a beautiful color?

Lunch: Kale Chips and a Banana

I made kale chips yesterday.  You can get the recipe here.  They were ready this morning.  So I had about a cup of those this afternoon. 

The kale chips were super good.  Very light, thin and crispy, with a nice flavor.  About an hour after that I had a banana.

Dinner: Zucchini Spaghetti with Marinara sauce (raw vegan)

I started by spiralizing some zucchini in my spiralizer - into “noodles”. 

spiralizer

Then I added my homemade raw vegan marinara sauce which was basically tomatoes, fresh garlic, soaked cashews, olive oil, fresh basil, fresh oregano, 1 date, onion, apple cider vinegar and celery. 

I blended all of that in my VitaMix into a thick sauce and poured it over the zucchini noodles.  It was good but not great.  It wasn’t that there was anything really wrong with the flavor but I just didn’t want to eat a lot of it since it wasn’t super delicious, and I wasn’t really hungry anyway.  I only ate maybe 3/4 ths of a cup.  (I had made Eric a really delicious non-raw, non-vegan, VEGETARIAN pasta bake with some homemade tomato sauce I made last weekend.  He said it was excellent, and we sat at the dinner table and ate together.  His looked much better!  :)   That might be one of the reasons I didn’t really enjoy mine as much.)

Dessert: Fresh Pineapple chunks

We got a pineapple yesterday in our Bountiful Basket (you can read about that here). 

I chopped it up into delicious, juicy chunks, and ate about half of it for dessert.  Amazing.

Drinks: Just water

Supplements: None

I’ve started thinking about what I’m going to eat on Wednesday when I won’t be on this raw vegan experiment anymore.  I will, for sure, eat something cooked, and with dairy.  But like I blogged about yesterday, I have no desire to eat meat, poultry or fish anymore.  (I cut it out of my diet permanently over a month ago.  And it isn’t hard for me because I don’t really like meat, poultry and fish; and I didn’t eat it much anyway in the past.)  I know I need to eventually cut dairy and eggs out all the way, too.  The hardest thing for me will be the cheese.  I really love cheese – especially goat, blue, feta and cream cheese.  I don’t drink milk and we don’t even keep it in the house.  And I only buy butter during the holidays for my holiday recipes.  We rarely eat yogurt.  Sometimes we eat ice cream or frozen yogurt but I can easily give that up.  It will be the cheese that will be hard to stop eating (and sour cream).  I love cheese enchiladas, and veggie burritos with cheese and sour cream.  I love sandwiches with veggies and cheese.  And I love bagels with cream cheese.  I love homemade (good quality) macaroni and cheese.  And I love grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade tomato basil soup.  And of course, my favorite meal of all time is the WEDGE SALAD – which relies heavily on blue cheese.  But I know I need to give up dairy.  And that is why I am working so hard to transition.  And that is another reason why this 7-day experience is so good for me to complete. 

Even though I haven’t transitioned completely to vegan yet, I do want to pat myself on the back for just making better food choices.  If I look at how I used to eat, I am eating less prepackaged and processed foods than ever before.  I’m making my meals at home more than ever before.  I’m eating no artificial sugars anymore at all.  That’s huge for me.  (I used to be a Diet Coke fanatic.)  I’m drinking less caffeine than ever before.  And best of all, I’m eating WAY more fresh fruits and vegetables than ever before.  (Sorry, but french fries and ketchup don’t count.  And neither do things like pasteurized juices, and other fruit-like snacks.)  I eat my fruits and veggies whole and not DE-NATURED.  I even stopped buying canned fruits and vegetables, and am limiting how much frozen we buy.  So I feel good about the progress I have made.

I WILL be completely VEGAN soon.  And I know that is the best decision for me.  And I also feel good about what it does for our planet, and for animals.  I’ve never really been a big animal lover – to be honest – I’m a terrible pet owner.  But lately I have started to think about the animals, and I have started to have compassion.  I think the “final straw” was when I saw this clip of a cow being killed for beef with one of those air pistol things.  It bothered me so much.  It really affected and impacted me.  In fact, I haven’t eaten beef at all since I saw it (about 6 or 7 weeks ago).

Well, that’s it!  I made it through Day 5!  I haven’t had any detox symptoms or any other problems during these 5 days (no headaches or anything).  I’m feeling lighter, and better eating this way.  No icky “full and bloated” feelings after meals.  That’s for sure.  There are definite pay offs!  I know I’m doing right by my body feeding it all these highly accessible nutrients and natural foods. 

- Gen X Gemini

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