Wow- I'm really eating less than I thought I would!  I'm feeling satisfied these past couple of days at a calorie range closer to 1200, which is the magic number I always kept in mind when trying to lose weight in the past.   As I write this it is 9:15 pm and I'm having a snack of a 1/4 cantaloupe. It is SOOO good- this  must be what food tastes like when you're really, truly hungry.  I'm used to eating whenever I feel like it, but I never really tasted my food.  In fact, I often didn't want to taste it after a while because it would simply be acknowledgement that I was overeating. It's very different when you eat without guilt. I really taste the food now, and I don't have to hurry through it.

Today I read a really interesting article by Chet Day, who has seemingly valid and sensible concerns about raw vegan diets.  He talks about proven deficiencies in 100% raw vegan diets and advocates adding animal-based foods in order to make up for deficiencies in zinc, B12 and other minerals.  I hadn't thought about zinc, so I added that nutrient to Sparkpeople.com and sure enough, I'm WAY low on zinc on the days I don't take my multivitamin.  But what to do? I don't do well on cheese, and yogurt will have the same binge-inducing effect, I fear.   Eggs might be a good alternative. I could hard boil one and put it in my salad, or just eat it as a snack by itself. I agree with Chet Day when he downplays the importance of sticking to a 100% raw diet just to be able to say you are raw.  Quality of health is much more important to me.  You can read Chet Day's articles at http://chetday.com/vegandietdangers.htm. 

Before I list my meals for the day, I wanted to thank people for their kind comments and helpful suggestions.  If anyone has particular topics they are interested in seeing in the blog, drop me a line.  I'm all about knowledge (can't help it- I love learning!) so I'm happy to look into topics and I'm not afraid to hear all sides of an issue.  I believe in straight talk, honesty and practical advice that people can put to use, I don't agree with a lot of stuff I've been reading about raw foodism, but I'm  happy to look at where the information comes from and what the many controversies are all about. 

On to today's menu:

Banana, fresh, 1 extra large (9" or longer)

Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread, 2 serving

Hummus, 1/4 cup

Romaine Lettuce (salad), 1 inner leaf

Avocados, California (Haas), 2 oz

Romaine Lettuce (salad), 1 inner leaf

Avocados, California (Haas), 56 grams

Romaine Lettuce (salad), 4 inner leaf

Flax Seed Crisps, RAW, Mauk Family Farms, 1 oz

Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average, 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Baby Carrots, raw, 2 medium

Garlic, 1 clove

Salt, 1 tsp

Taboule Salad, 4 tbsp

Onions, raw, 1 slice, large (1/4" thick)

Pine Nuts, 1 tbsp

Goji Berries, dried (Himalania), 1 oz

Cantaloupe, 0.25 melon, medium

Centrum with Lycopene,

Nature Made Calcium Citrate, 2

Calroies 1,186    carbs 188    fat 43    protein 34

My friend mentioned to me today that I eat hardly any greens at all. I didn't really notice that, but she's right. I definitely will be adding greens (spinach, especially) to my diet!  That will help with my nutritional deficiencies.