I'm actually still on my fruitarian summer diet as it is getting so hot--into the third day now. I spent about $6 at ACME yesterday and got a cantelope, two avocadoes, six nectarines, and two bananas. Everything was on sale. Yesterday I ate one avocado, tomatoes I already had, plus a handful of walnuts as a meal. I had half of the cantelope for breakfast, and then noshed on three nectarines and the broccoli and mung bean sprouts. I nibbled on the sprouts like I might have nibbled on bad stuff in the past. Also I finished off a big bag of cherries.
Today I made a tomato salad with the juice of one lemon to which I added some sprouts, one avocado, and shredded carrot. That's the dinner I just finished with half leftover to serve as tomorrow's dinner. For tomorrow I'll have the bananas for breakfast, then two apples and some almonds for lunch. I have not given up my morning cuppa' though I stopped having the non-dairy creamer. I did make a fresh pitcher of sun tea for my beverage only because that is what I'm accustomed to doing. It is hard breaking longtime habits. I can eat an entirely all raw, all fruit diet with just a few vegetables tossed in, but I'm not giving up beer, coffee, or teas just yet. I really enjoy them and do not drink any of these things to excess. I still feel quite full and satisfied eating only the fruits. I guess a hot spring/summer day is a good day to transition to an all raw fruitarian diet. Frugivore equals Frugal!
An interesting thing I've already noted is that it does not take a lot of fresh fruit to make me feel satiated and full. I expected that I'd need to nosh continually and eater a larger volume than I'm accustomed to. It seems that there is enough energy in the fruit to satisfy my need for nutrients. I think I'm observing the reaction that is expected. Eating cooked food requires eating a larger volume in order to get sufficient nutrition. Raw fruit is so inherently nutrient and calorie dense that smaller volumes are sufficient. Interesting...
I'm about ready to put more goodies on Ebay. Took all the pictures this morning, adjusted and uploaded them to my Seller Source Book account, and now I just need to plow through and write the descriptions and post them. I think most will be some one cent auctions for a week. That should generate interest in my jewelry for the rest of the week. It's nearly seven now. I'll make more jewelry tonight after I do today's listings. Then I'll spend tomorrow night listing the new stuff. You have to have a plan and then you have to work your plan!
Showing posts with label Fruitarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fruitarian. Show all posts
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Frugal Equals Frugivore
It finally came to me, the answer to a question or rather a dilemma in my life. In a manner of speaking I am in the process of downshifting. I yearn for a more mobile and less wasteful and costly lifestyle where I can avoid spending so much time at work. So I am pursuing a path to simpler living which for me encompasses frugality and at the very least a vegan diet. I've been vegetarian and semi-vegan for nearly thirty years and am renewing my commitment to be totally vegan. As I did a little inspirational research I stumbled upon a frugal diet that is based on our biological heritage as frugivores. Frugal=Frugivore, both from the Latin "frux". Interesting. Normally I thought of food in terms of what was I going to "cook" though a large portion of my diet consists of raw vegetables. I would eat fruit occasionally throughout the day. I knew raw foods are inherently better but like most Americans I am the product of my upbringing and my lifestyle had been busy, if not hectic. So I just did what I knew how to do.
I explored the idea of what a frugivore's diet would be in the natural world. For humans it consists of anything that a primate can get to, harvest, and consume in its raw state. Period. Biologically our bodies are the outcome of millions of years of evolution that culminates in our civilized state of having illness and disease as a "normal" part of life in a world of factory farms, cooked food, and vitamin supplements. Think how freeing it would be, to bring home some melons, avocados, peaches, nectarines, apples, berries, and an assortment of nuts to just graze upon at will. No meal planning, preparation, cooking, or cleanup. I know that psychologically I'm still going to want some hot drinks (not too hot!) and soups, a salad with lettuce and celery and carrots and peppers, and the occasional mushroom. But I think I can try this out for a week and see if it will sustain me both physically and emotionally. If this is successful then this will be the plan for van dwelling. It should save a lot of time and money. The hardest part will be giving up garlic, onions, oils, and hot peppers. Those form the basis of cooking and mostly have to cooked or combined with other foods in order to be palatable. It will be nice to get away from juicing, and most of the slicing and dicing needed to prepare foods to eat. I'll still make salads and cut my fruit into manageable portions, but it should be a lot easier than steaming rice and pressure cooking beans.
As a longtime vegetarian who has always eaten in a non-traditional and healthy way anyway, rest assured that I'm already well-versed in "where will I get my protein from?" as well as my Vitamin B-12. When I was a cooked carrion eater I had pernicious anemia and had to get B-12 shots at least monthly. When as a young adult I suffered from perpetual exhaustion I learned about vegan B-12 methylcobalamine supplements which helped somewhat. When I cut meat, fish, and dairy completely out of my diet and started eating raw vegetables from my garden I never had a problem with exhaustion again, plus I was able to stop the B-12 shots. And I do not believe in "meat substitutes". I'm long past needing or wanting to buy "veggie dogs".
The problem with protein is that Americans have been brainwashed to believe that only meat has protein. Forget food combining, a theory that NEVER had ANY scientific basis, just know this! ALL PLANTS HAVE PROTEIN! Yes, it's true! Carrots have protein, lettuce has protein, even strawberries have protein. The issue is threefold. First, eating animal based protein introduces toxins and waste into your body and you need to consume a lot of protein to get the little bit that you need. Second, eating purely vegetable based protein and excluding grains and legumes, you will be able to easily get the 5-6.5% of protein the human body needs, without having to process toxins and waste products. Third, by eating food that is less complex to digest you need less energy to get the same amount of protein the human body needs from less protein dense food.
My roommate and I are both 50 years old. She smokes, drinks excessively, and eats mostly meat, lots of dairy, and very little vegetable foods. The fridge is full of leftover takeout and defrosting meats that never get cooked because she is too tired all the time. I hike 5-7 miles daily, she hangs out in bars. When we do go out together she looks like a hardened 65 year old biker chick and I look like a fresh-faced 35 year old. She has high blood pressure, super high cholesterol and bad blood serums, varicose veins, heart palpitations, indigestion, migraines, deep wrinkles, puffy eyes with huge dark circles and bags.
She's been to the emergency room for the heart issues and high blood pressure a couple of times in the past six months. I have low blood pressure, no cholesterol, and none of the other problems typical for this age group. When she gets home from work I offer her salad with freshly made dressing, and whatever else I've made. But she has to fry up a slab of dead cow and that is all she will eat with her beer and cigarettes. Interesting...having been there myself I'm very sensitive to this style of eating and know I can't say anything to her. I can only get it off my chest in my blog. I just wish she'd notice that her diet is killing her and is making her look far too old for her age. Oh, Well!
I guess the experience of being laid low in an accident and then battling back physically makes me more aware of the need to be fit and healthy. I can't imagine having to take a pharmacy of medicines everyday in order to exist. It sure won't fit into a frugal, van dwelling lifestyle.
All this typing about food made me peckish, a state between hungry and bored. I polished off a handful of cashews, that is raw whole cashews I had stored in the freezer. So delicious they tasted like butter! Smooth and creamy. Yummo!
I explored the idea of what a frugivore's diet would be in the natural world. For humans it consists of anything that a primate can get to, harvest, and consume in its raw state. Period. Biologically our bodies are the outcome of millions of years of evolution that culminates in our civilized state of having illness and disease as a "normal" part of life in a world of factory farms, cooked food, and vitamin supplements. Think how freeing it would be, to bring home some melons, avocados, peaches, nectarines, apples, berries, and an assortment of nuts to just graze upon at will. No meal planning, preparation, cooking, or cleanup. I know that psychologically I'm still going to want some hot drinks (not too hot!) and soups, a salad with lettuce and celery and carrots and peppers, and the occasional mushroom. But I think I can try this out for a week and see if it will sustain me both physically and emotionally. If this is successful then this will be the plan for van dwelling. It should save a lot of time and money. The hardest part will be giving up garlic, onions, oils, and hot peppers. Those form the basis of cooking and mostly have to cooked or combined with other foods in order to be palatable. It will be nice to get away from juicing, and most of the slicing and dicing needed to prepare foods to eat. I'll still make salads and cut my fruit into manageable portions, but it should be a lot easier than steaming rice and pressure cooking beans.
As a longtime vegetarian who has always eaten in a non-traditional and healthy way anyway, rest assured that I'm already well-versed in "where will I get my protein from?" as well as my Vitamin B-12. When I was a cooked carrion eater I had pernicious anemia and had to get B-12 shots at least monthly. When as a young adult I suffered from perpetual exhaustion I learned about vegan B-12 methylcobalamine supplements which helped somewhat. When I cut meat, fish, and dairy completely out of my diet and started eating raw vegetables from my garden I never had a problem with exhaustion again, plus I was able to stop the B-12 shots. And I do not believe in "meat substitutes". I'm long past needing or wanting to buy "veggie dogs".
The problem with protein is that Americans have been brainwashed to believe that only meat has protein. Forget food combining, a theory that NEVER had ANY scientific basis, just know this! ALL PLANTS HAVE PROTEIN! Yes, it's true! Carrots have protein, lettuce has protein, even strawberries have protein. The issue is threefold. First, eating animal based protein introduces toxins and waste into your body and you need to consume a lot of protein to get the little bit that you need. Second, eating purely vegetable based protein and excluding grains and legumes, you will be able to easily get the 5-6.5% of protein the human body needs, without having to process toxins and waste products. Third, by eating food that is less complex to digest you need less energy to get the same amount of protein the human body needs from less protein dense food.
My roommate and I are both 50 years old. She smokes, drinks excessively, and eats mostly meat, lots of dairy, and very little vegetable foods. The fridge is full of leftover takeout and defrosting meats that never get cooked because she is too tired all the time. I hike 5-7 miles daily, she hangs out in bars. When we do go out together she looks like a hardened 65 year old biker chick and I look like a fresh-faced 35 year old. She has high blood pressure, super high cholesterol and bad blood serums, varicose veins, heart palpitations, indigestion, migraines, deep wrinkles, puffy eyes with huge dark circles and bags.
She's been to the emergency room for the heart issues and high blood pressure a couple of times in the past six months. I have low blood pressure, no cholesterol, and none of the other problems typical for this age group. When she gets home from work I offer her salad with freshly made dressing, and whatever else I've made. But she has to fry up a slab of dead cow and that is all she will eat with her beer and cigarettes. Interesting...having been there myself I'm very sensitive to this style of eating and know I can't say anything to her. I can only get it off my chest in my blog. I just wish she'd notice that her diet is killing her and is making her look far too old for her age. Oh, Well!
I guess the experience of being laid low in an accident and then battling back physically makes me more aware of the need to be fit and healthy. I can't imagine having to take a pharmacy of medicines everyday in order to exist. It sure won't fit into a frugal, van dwelling lifestyle.
All this typing about food made me peckish, a state between hungry and bored. I polished off a handful of cashews, that is raw whole cashews I had stored in the freezer. So delicious they tasted like butter! Smooth and creamy. Yummo!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Thou Shalt Not Lack Anything In It
Yummo! I just had the most delicious lunch. My tastebuds are Happy Happy! As a vegan, the things that most people think of as a side dish would make an actual meal for me, and yes, even vegans watch the Food Network. I had a sprout salsa with hummus, using carrots, celery sticks, and spinach rolls for the dippers. I had made a fresh vidalia onion and tomato salad yesterday, with fresh cilantro, and shredded carrots. I added a huge jar of sprouted mung beans with a handful of sprouted broccoli and let it sit in the fridge while I made the hummus. I had sprouted my garbanzo beans (about 20 cents worth) for several days, rinsing three-four times a day and picking out any that wouldn't sprout. The tails were about an eighth of an inch long so they were ready today. I brought some filtered water to a boil while I made a pesto of lemon, cilantro, fresh garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, and sesame seeds (tahini). I took the water off the burner and plunged the garbanzo bean sprouts into the hot water for one minute using a screened colander. Then I rinsed them quickly in cool water. I put the rinsed sprouts into my Bravetti, added the pesto, and gave it several spins until the consistency was just short of smooth. I like a meatier texture to my hummus. I put the hummus into the fridge to chill and made my spinach rolls by hand-rolling green leaf spinach, and cut my carrots and celery sticks. Threw it all onto a plate, grabbed some fresh-made lemonade sweetened with a smidgeon of brown rice syrup, and plopped down outside on the deck to savor the moment.
Dinner will be served with the same freshly made foods, plus a saute of bright green snap beans, mushrooms, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, in olive oil, over an extremely thin bed of brown rice. The green onions in the window look good. They'll make a great fresh garnish. I think a few pinions (pine nuts) would be good with the saute. I'll post pictures eventually. In the meantime I will reflect over this passage that is meaningful to me. Especially the part of "thou shalt not lack anything in it". Everything on the follwing list is vegan except for the honey.
For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks, of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness; thou shalt not lack anything in it... And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee. (Deuteronomy 8:7-10)
I'm not a Christian but my motto is WWJE? I think it is ok to bring the reality of parts of the bible into the secular world. Read it or overlook my reasoning as you choose. And look for fresh local produce for the lowest cost in your area. It is always less expensive to eat a healthy vegan diet. This is part of my plan for van dwelling in simplicity, health, and abundance.
Dinner will be served with the same freshly made foods, plus a saute of bright green snap beans, mushrooms, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, in olive oil, over an extremely thin bed of brown rice. The green onions in the window look good. They'll make a great fresh garnish. I think a few pinions (pine nuts) would be good with the saute. I'll post pictures eventually. In the meantime I will reflect over this passage that is meaningful to me. Especially the part of "thou shalt not lack anything in it". Everything on the follwing list is vegan except for the honey.
For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks, of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness; thou shalt not lack anything in it... And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee. (Deuteronomy 8:7-10)
I'm not a Christian but my motto is WWJE? I think it is ok to bring the reality of parts of the bible into the secular world. Read it or overlook my reasoning as you choose. And look for fresh local produce for the lowest cost in your area. It is always less expensive to eat a healthy vegan diet. This is part of my plan for van dwelling in simplicity, health, and abundance.
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