The birth of a Raw Blog

This blog represents my journey into a more raw and whole diet.
A group of  Facebook friend have organized to support each other through a ten day raw food cleanse and I jumped on board with very little thought as to exactly how committed I can be to this sort of thing!

So I ask myself:

"Self, can you go ten days without ANY processed foods"
and I answered: 

~"hell yeah."
"Can you go ten days eating only raw foods? Fruits and veggies juicing and blending and chopping your proverbial brains out?"
~"hell YEAH!"
"Can you go ten days without a glass of wine?"
~"hell... shit... yeah ok"
"Can you go ten days without coffee?"
~"hell.... wait, what?"

Ok so the no coffee part has me freaked out. After all, I'm a recovering addict! I spent most of my life polluting my body with cigarettes. Yes, I'm ashamed of the past me. It's been 2 solid years since I've had a smoke though so ... yay to that but, as many people know, quitting one very addictive substance is often made possible by replacing it with another very addictive substance! My replacement addiction is...dark, rich, fresh, aromatic and heavenly coffee... *snifffff* Ahhhhhhh.

So, I've yet to decide exactly how dedicated I'll be to this ten day raw cleanse BUT, this is the only hill I've run aground on AND, the ten days hasn't even started yet.

So I'm still feeling pretty good about how successful I can be. I know for a fact that going off coffee will put me into a deep dark place that I just can't go right now! I have too many responsibilities that need me caffeinated.

I'm considering replacing my Silk brand soy creamer with some fresh, plain almond milk for the duration, that way it's only ONE non raw food going into my body instead of two... I think it's a good plan that has taken careful consideration of my deep rooted dependency on coffee... not just caffeine mind you... coffee.

Yes I realize that I'm pawning my coffee addiction off on my amazing feet of quitting cigarettes and YES I realize the two probably have very little to do with each other and YESSS I realize I'm throwing my success in quitting in my own face just to get what I want , which is kind of twisted because it means I'm rationalizing and making excuses to only myself... no one's actually told me I can't have coffee. In fact this is a pretty laid back group effort here... no rules, just support.

I simply read that someone else will be cutting coffee out of her diet for the cleanse, and it sent a wave of panic through my body that I can only compare to what it must have felt like to be on the Titanic as neither woman nor child. No life raft for you there Mr. Guy who's spent the end of his life helping everyone else on to the too-few life rafts! So much for being a good Samaritan! Bon Voyage buddy!

Ugh, ok there I go again with the dramatics... so I'll say it right out and get it over with:

I, Cheri, am participating in a ten day raw food cleanse to boost my health; body, mind and soul. I choose this to help project me into a future of better choices and more options. I herein wish to learn from this and enjoy each day while appreciating the fact that I have the ability to choose what I want to eat and how I want to eat it.... Including coffee!

So, here it goes... on to preparations