A Yummy Breakfast!

I want to share a breakfast that is  highly nutritious and mostly raw.  It is so simple a just takes 5 minutes or less.
Yogurt Banana Splits
1/2 banana split open and laid flat
Spread with your favorite nut butter
Sprinkle with Hemp seeds
Top with Plain Greek Yogurt
Sprinkle with Grape Nuts or Sunflower Seeds
Cover with fresh or frozen Blueberries or any fruit

Enjoy!  It is delicious and filling!

2 notes of encouragement!

     This spring, Melanie's glucose readings were discouraging! With exercise, good eating (not raw) but decent control, her averages were high. On 3/27/14 her Hemoglobin A1C was 8.6! (which relates to an average of 200)  On 6/27/14  it was 8.7. These high levels provide hopelessness when trying to take care of oneself.
    Beginning the first part of May we began taking treatments from a friend who was learning Energy Healing through the Body Code. We met with her initially, and then did over the phone treatments.  For about 1/2 hour one or two times each week we have continued this.  The process is basically discovering issues of the body that would interfere with proper functioning and getting rid of them.  As part of this, our friend recommended a heavy metals cleanse that was interfering with her pancreas function.  Melanie sprayed ACZ-nano Extra Strength in her mouth daily for 3 months.
    At the end of July, her glucose levels were showing improvement with averages in the 150- 160 range. She had a chiropractic adjustment the last of July, (the chiropractor indicated her neck and back were out of line quite a bit). That immediately showed more improvement!
     At her scheduled endocrinology appointment in August, her A1C was 7.3 (indicating an average over the past 3 months of 155).  We were very pleased-so was the doctor!  He congratulated her for her exercising over the summer, but actually her exercise hadn't really increased! I believe the chiropractor helped to line her body system up so it could function properly, and the energy healing had also helped with that over the last 4 months.  We were very encouraged! We plan to have regular chiropractic visits, and keep up on the energy healing too!  I am so thankful to discover this.  Exercise and eating correctly are necessary too.  It all works together!

   I as also encouraged that my A1C was 6.6 this month.  It has been 14 months off of medication, and I'm doing okay.  I want to get it down to under 6. My self -discipline needs some help! I am a home- made cake and cookie lover.I make them for the grand kids or visitors, and guess who eats most of them?  Even if it is a no sugar healthy dessert, it still can raise blood levels!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Oatmeal Cookies - Not raw, but somewhat healthy, and requested.

2 cups flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. soda
1 c. sugar (I use Kleen raw sugar, pure maple syrup or honey)

1 c. mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 c. coconut oil (could use half butter)
1 c. nuts (chopped)
2 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Add the dry ingredients together and  mix or stir.  Add eggs, bananas and coconut oil.  Mix.  Add rolled oats, nuts and chocolate chips. Put  spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 375 for 9 minutes.

This is a recipe that my mother Deola Turner always made, which I didn't like when I was younger.  Now I love them! She used shortening and sugar though back then.

One month later.... how are we doing?

Wow! There is a bit to report.  After a few days, my blood level came to a more normal range-not quite as good as the complete raw diet days. Melanie was the same. I must testify that it is easier to eat 100 % raw than 60 - 70 %!  It is too easy to say," I don't have time to prepare that, or tonight we'll fix something everyone will like, or I'm too tired to put the raw breakfast on the dehydrator tonight, we'll have that tomorrow."  Needless to say, our 70 % was more like 40 % the first couple of weeks. The momentum slowed way down.   We are still eating healthy, but not as much raw as we should, and not receiving the benefits either.  For three weeks, I suffered from a cold, and was really dragging.  I must attribute it to our binge on our trip and letting our hair down to eat what we felt deprived from for a few days. Obviously, I haven't felt as energetic. We will be stepping it up and doing better.  I will check in again in a couple of weeks to tell you about it.

                                           A Real Scare!
We have been concerned about Melanie's BG levels.  The average lately has been over 200 most days!  We have again increased the insulin level.  A night ago, her insulin level read HIGH- which means it is over 500!  That is hospital range.  We worked at it a couple of hours, giving more insulin correction doses, to no avail. We decided to change her  insulin pod, and when she went to do so, she noticed the feeding tube had come out, and she had been receiving no insulin for several hours.  She remembered bumping it against the piano, but didn't think any more of it.  We were thankful for an answer!  By morning, her levels were back to the 150 level!  What a scare!  I felt stupid that we hadn't thought of that being the problem before.  We will know what to check for next time!

The end. And a new Beginning!

On Feb. 12, a week ago, was our 29th day.
Breakfast- Oat Groats w/ Blueberries (a repeat, but really good)
Dinner-Braised Cabbage Rolls and Garden Vegetable Soup I had been looking forward to making the cabbage rolls.  They were relatively easy to make, and very tasty.  I filled them with the Pecan Mince (for a meat) and the left over Sprouted Quinoa and left over Red Pepper and Tomato Basil Marinare Sauce.  They were so good that I had it for breakfast the next day! They were definitely one I will include in the future. We were leaving town the next morning, so I looked for a soup to use up vegetables on hand, and the Garden Vegetable Soup fit the bill.  It was very good, although it is still a little hard to get used to cold soup!

Terri's BG- 112
Melanie's BG- 210??? (her meter is at school)

Final Day 30!
We were torn on what to do about our last day, but with traveling out of town for funeral, and staying with relatives for three days, we made the decision to end after breakfast on Feb. 13th.  I really love eating raw and the great benefits, however, I will not lie, that Melanie and I were very excited to eat normally (our old norm). Needless to say, we sort of pigged out! And it was fun!  But there is always a  price to pay for our decisions.
After the first day, my stomach was hurting, from the shock of the new foods.  After about 3 days, our Blood Glucose levels were  much higher. We returned to good, but not totally raw foods, and  our BG levels were still  crazy high. For me, I had from 150 to 200, and Melanie in the 300 and 400s. (This was without our exercise routines too)  We are so wanted to get back to a better plan!
I began working on my 60-70% raw plan, with other mostly clean and healthy foods (clean meaning unprocessed).  We will not be so rigid, but will make healthy choices.  I will let you know how that goes, and hopefully in a day or two, our BG levels will come back to good ranges.

Raw Benefits
I want to list a few of the things I noticed while eating raw.
1. Great Blood Glucose Levels
2. Energy (no desires for an afternoon power nap)
3. Clarity of thought increased
4. Not as much craving for snacks
5. I usually crash with a sickness in January after the Holidays, and I stayed well this year!
6. Clear skin
 I wish I could do my blood work, to see the comparisons, but that can come in time.
*Melanie didn't report noticing these things, but hers (Type 1 is a different ball game) I do think that she is seeing an appreciation for raw as her blood glucose levels are about 100 points higher this week than when we were strictly eating raw!
We will keep looking for natural health answers for her, and we will keep working on the Raw Journey.  I am thankful that we did it strictly for 29 1/3 days.  I was forced to know how to prepare the foods (if we wanted to eat). And we were exposed to such a variety!  I have confidence that I can make it work!

Thanks for following us on the beginning of our Journey, and we will keep you posted!

28 Days!!!

Breakfast- Cashew Mushroom and Red Pepper Scramble and Carrot, Zucchini Loaf
Dinner- Twice Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with Sprouted Quinoa Croquettes

Wow!  Those titles may make you think you are eating at a top cuisine restaurant!  I felt like I was working at one in the preparation! About the breakfast, if it was to replace scrambled eggs in any way, I think it missed the mark.  However, it wasn't awful.  I think we have just had a lot of dishes with the same ingredients lately.  It resembled another cashew cheese.  It was probably more difficult that I fixed a scrambled egg and cheese potato breakfast for the unhealthy part of our crew! I ended up putting more of the roasted veggies I made yesterday, on top and that put it up a notch. I was not so impressed with the Carrot, Zucchini Loaf. The buckwheat is my favorite toast so far...but I'm still exploring.

Because of the delicious Stuffed Bell Peppers from last week, I had my taste buds all pumped up that the Twice Baked Stuffed Tomatoes would be just as good.  It was a fun idea, but our family all agreed that the  Red Pepper,  Dill and Cashew Ricotta filling wasn't the best choice. It was a flavor clash to us.  We ended up putting some of the Sprouted Quinoa on top to balance it.  With a more meaty, warmer, and chunkier filling they would have been great! The quinoa was good and packed with nutrients and protein though.

Unhealthy Scrambled Egg Dish

Cashew, Mushroom and Red Pepper Scramble w/Carrot, Zucchini Loaf

Twice Baked Stuffed Tomatoes w/ Sprouted Quinoa Croquettes

 Terri's BG- 115
Melanie's BG- 153 (no exercise for her today)

 I'm still feeling great, and loving the nutritious foods! We will keep you posted!!

Day 27 and some Yummy Recipes

Here are some great foods and recipes I promised....

Blueberry Chocolate Hemp Squares

 Blueberry Chocolate Hemp Squares
1 1/2 cups raw shelled hemp seeds, soaked for 30 minutes
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen-and any type of berry)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/3 cup raw agave nectar (could use another sweetener)
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (melt on dehydrator for 15 min. or in a shallow bowl over a larger bowl of hot water)

In a blender, combine soaked hemp seeds, berries, cacao powder and agave nectar.  Blend at high speed until smooth, scraping the sides down as you blend.
Add water and coconut oil and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a baking dish and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until firm enough to cut.  I froze mine to be quicker and actually like them frozen.  They taste like a blueberry chocolate!
** I really like this recipe for it's versatile possibilities, the taste, the protein and low carb value of the hemp seeds.  I have been getting Raw Hemp Hearts from Costco at 14.99 for 28 oz. (which would be hard to beat!) They are also great as an added protein to yogurt, cereal, or salad.  I put it on the Raw Pizza and it seemed to add a cheesier flavor.  I have also used it to replace pine nuts in a recipe, since pine nuts are out of my price range right now. The flavor is similar.

Roasted Basil Vegetables

Roasted Basil Vegetables
About 3 cups of small cut veggies of your choice.(broccoli, onions, red and green peppers, zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms)
Toss them in 3 T. of Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil, 1 T. dried basil and a t. of sea salt.  Lay them on a non stick dehydrator tray for 2-3 hours until they begin to wilt.  Use them as a side dish with anything, or just a snack. (they are good cold)
I made a batch yesterday and they are gone today!  So good and full of nutrition.

Breakfast- Oat Groats and Blueberries (this is a good stand by to have soaked in the fridge)
Dinner- Left over Taco Salad and the Jicama, Mango Salad

Terri's BG-102
Melanie's -190 (We are going to have to increase her insulin a little)

Five days left... (day 25 and 26)

We continue to have some fun meals... I'll share.
Saturday Feb. 8th.
Breakfast- Had planned Cashew, Mushroom And Red Pepper Scramble-but realized I used the mushrooms and red peppers for something else.  Can you believe I would go through 9 red peppers in a week?  So I did a back up plan and had Breakfast Muesli again!  It was great. I just had to put it on the night before.
Dinner- Sun Dried Tomato Basil Tart and Mango, Jicama, Pumpkin Seed Fresh Herb Salad. Wow! This was a fun one!  I have a picture of both below.  The tart is something I would take to a nice dinner.  The Mango Jicama, Pumpkin Seed ...Salad was a fun way to blend foods I would never had thought to blend on my own!  It was really good though.  I also made Jicama Fries while I was cutting up the jicama.

Terri's BG- 123 

Mango, Jicama, Pumpkin Seed Fresh Herb Salad

Melanie's- 211  (mmmm???)

Sun Dried Tomato Basil Tart

Jicama Fries

 Sunday, Feb. 9th
Breakfast- Leftovers! And Good!
Dinner- French Onion Soup  and Taco Salad- It was a little strange having a cold French Onion Soup.I warmed it for the non -raw family members.  It was pretty good though. We realize it is really good with Corn and Carrot Nachos The Taco Salad was delicious.

Dessert-Blueberry Chocolate Hemp Squares I was looking for an easy dessert that had ingredients I had on hand and would fit our raw diet.  In the Eat Raw, Eat Well  book I found these.  The original recipe called for Raspberries, but I had Blueberries.  It was so good!  It tasted like a yogurt to Melanie and I, and is packed with protein from the Hemp Seeds.  Best of all, it was non-dairy!   I will share the recipe  and a picture for this tomorrow.

Terri's BG-105 (exercising Friday made a difference for this weekend)
Melanie's BG- 182 (she has been quite sick today, so this always throws off her numbers)

My Theories- Day #24

Nori Hand Rolls

So for me, the raw diet has been a little frustrating, and that it why I haven't been posting. My blood sugar has been ALL OVER THE PLACE! It has been hard to keep going since there hasn't really been a difference.
          I have figured out why the diabetics in the movie 'Simply Raw' were healed. At the beginning of the 30 days, they were taken off completely,greatly lowered their medication intake. They ate and did everything as normal, but they exercised if their blood sugar levels were high. The food that they ate was able to heal the pancreas, because of the live enzymes and cells that were in it. There was a need for the pancreas to be healed, since the fake insulin was there to do the pancreas's job as usual. Man- maid insulin, I believe, is a horrible drug for the body, so healing food is eaten with non- healing insulin, the counter block each others duties, and no results occur.
            This is my theory why my blood glucose and diabetes has not showed any differences or improvement during the raw diet. In order to cure diabetes, I need to be off all of my medication, I need to be able to exercise at any time when my blood glucose levels go too high, and I need to eat strictly raw. If I do all of these things at the same time, I believe I will be able to overcome my diabetes. But this also comes with a sacrifice. I am pretty sure I would have to be home schooled or just hardly ever go to school, because going to school and being away from the resources that I have at home would ensure that I would not be okay to be off my medication unsupervised and with out stuff to get my blood sugar levels up when they are low. It would be risky, and my doctor would NEVER approve taking me off my medication. (Not that I let him determine what I do:)

          This raw diet has been a good experience for me with what I have learned! I am not sure if I will keep trying to heal my diabetes or not, knowing me, I probably will because honestly I would do just about anything to cure it! I can't even imagine how nice it would be to be medication free, and not on meds every hour of my life. I know it is possible, For "With God, all Things are Possible". But maybe right now is not the time that I am supposed to be healed. Maybe there are more things I need to learn and more experiences I need to experience. But for now, I am going to keep living life to its fullest, for "There'll never be another day like this, so much is coming that we don't want to miss....."
-'Best Days' by: Beyond 5

Beyond  5

------------Melanie

P.S. 
Breakfast-Banana Pecan French Toast This was really good, but it is sweet .  See the picture.
Dinner- Nori hand Rolls with Zucchini Noodles and Sweet and Sour Thai Almond Butter Sauce These were as much fun to make as they were to eat! (kind of a sushi)

Terri's BG-109
Melanie's 185

Banana Pecan French Toast / with Caramel Sauce

The 23rd day of Raw

    Today I had some fun sharing one of my favorite raw dishes with some friends.  I took the Buckwheat Sunflower Seed Pizza Crust with some favorite toppings to a lunch gathering. My friends were anxious to try it.  I had some positive feedback and they shared excitement of their new view of raw foods, seeing that there is a variety-not just salad, fruits and carrot sticks! I was asked to post more of the recipes for them to try.  I will share a few more of my favorites. The book Eat Raw, Eat Well has so many things to try, just the few I post will only be the tip. I really think all of you would love the book. Get it from the library first, if you are not sure about buying it.

     Back to our routine.
Breakfast-Apple, Almond and Ginger Chia Seed Bowl- A repeat, but a good one.
Dinner-Pasta Bolognese- In the picture, you'll see that it is Zucchini Noodles with a Red Pepper Basil Sauce, and Walnut Mince (southwest flavored) It is an easy dish to prepare.  This could be another stand by that doesn't require much soaking or any dehydrating. The recipe called for mixing these all and serving, but I would rather put the components separately so as to keep the zucchini noodles together. The zucchini noodles are just grated zucchini done with a julienne grater (a simple hand held tool) and can be used with any sauce. So Versatile!

Terri's BG- 111
Melanie's BG- 150!   Note this, she didn't exercise today! Crazy?

Pasta Bolognese

Buckwheat and Sunflower Seed Pizza Crust (pictured on Day 11)
2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked (soak in double the amount of cold water for 30 min. Rinse, and drain)
3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked (same as above)
3/4 cup  chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
 1/4 cup cold-pressed (extra virgin) olive oil
2 cloves garlic
 1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. fine sea salt
1/2 cup filtered water
1 cup ground flax seeds
    In a high powered blender, process the carrot, red pepper, olive oil, garlic, oregano and salt until smooth. Add the soaked groats, seeds, and water. Mix until smooth.  Transfer to a work bowl and stir in the ground flax seeds. Let sit for about 10 minutes so the flax seeds can absorb some of the moisture.
     Transfer to  nonstick dehydrator sheets and using your hands (and a bowl of warm water to help smooth and form the crusts) shape into circular small pizza crusts about 1/2 inch thick.  At 105 degrees, dehydrate for 5 to 6 hours, then remove from the nonstick dehydrator sheet and a mesh dehydrator sheet for a couple more hours, or until  dry on the outside and soft in the middle, but done.
    Top with a cashew cream cheese topping, a marinara topping, and any of your favorites.(spinach leaves,  softened broccoli, mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoes, green onions, hemp seeds, and almond Parmesan)
Enjoy!

22 Days and feeling great!

All is well, except we are still puzzled with Melanie's morning highs. We had some great meals, again.

Breakfast- Buckwheat, Hemp, Chocolate Granola-  So good.
Dinner- Stuffed Bell Peppers w/ Red Pepper Mole Sauce, and Sweet Potato, Apple, Raisin Salad
I was so excited for the pepper meal. I softened the peppers all day with an olive oil and salt coating.  The filling was a mixture of Cashew Alfredo Sauce, a seasoned Pecan nut mince, and tomato marinara sauce. I wasn't sure what a Mole sauce was, but thought I would give the recipe recommendation a try.  It was so divine, so the recipe is below. The peppers were the best stuffed peppers I had ever eaten, so flavorful and filling! A favorite for sure!

Terri's BG- 109- I'm pretty sure of my exercise theory!
Melanie's BG- 189- With her high's mostly before 11 a.m. ????

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

Sweet Potato, Apple and Raisin Salad

 Red Pepper Mole Sauce
3 red bell peppers
1 T Olive Oil
1t. sea salt
3 T melted coconut oil
2 T. raw cacao powder
2 t. pure maple syrup
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. ground coriander
pinch of cayenne pepper
Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.  Great topping for many things.(burritos, Taco Salad, rice etc)

Tomorrow's Banana Pecan French Toast

Day 21 and a Favorite Recipe

Breakfast- Blueberry Scones- We were excited for these.  I don't think they were as good as I anticipated though. I imagined them tasting more like a traditional scone, a favorite for us, but these could better be named Blueberry Biscuits. They were still good, but a little on the dry side. We served them with Chia Seed Strawberry Jam, Almond Butter,and Sunflower Seed Miso Butter with blueberries on top.
Dinner-Meatloaf  (which is really a nut, veggie and seed loaf) with Caramelized Onions as a lettuce wrap sandwich.  Another really delicious meal!  My husband really loved the caramelized onions! He wants me to bake them in the oven sometime.(so I can kill all the good nutrients) :)

Terri's BG- 107 (I think the exercise is kicking back in)
Melanie's BG- 177
We are discouraged about Melanie's high blood glucose levels during the early morning and first part of the day. We discussed that perhaps the reason she is not showing more improvement is because we are using insulin, which could prohibit progress.  We will have to do some more studying.  Maybe we jumped into this experiment too soon, and not properly prepared.   I cannot regret it though.  We
are learning so much!

Here is a delicious recipe for a delightful and nutritious breakfast cereal.

Buckwheaty Hemp Chocolate Granola
1 cup of buckwheat groats, soaked for 30 min., rinsed and drained
1/4 c. raw whole almonds, soaked for 30 min.
5 dates blended together with 1/2 cup water
1/4 c. raw cacao powder
3 T. raw shelled hemp seeds
1 T. sesame seeds

In high powered blender, mix well, the dates with water and cacao. Add the soaked almonds and blend briefly so the almonds are a little chunky. Transfer to a bowl. Add the soaked buckwheat, hemp and sesame seeds until they are well incorporated.

Transfer to a nonstick dehydrator sheet or two if you need, using your hands to spread evenly.  Dehydrate for 4 to  5 hours or until completely dry.  Allow to  cool.  You can eat  them immediately or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one month.

Day 20 and a word about EXERCISE.

Our menu was a fun one with some new ideas.
Breakfast- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Bananas . That one wasn't new.  In fact it is about the 3rd time making it lately.  It is a good and filling stand by.  I think anything I can make without a days planning, soaking and dehydrating will be a stand by!
Dinner- Ratatouille w/Parsnip Rice.  I am unfamiliar with that name as a food, just a movie.  As we
began to enjoy our meal, Melanie stated that this might be her "favorite". I liked it too, but my faves are still the Pizza and Taco meals. The fun part about this was preparing it.  It called for a mock version of sauteed veggies (zucchini, onions, red and green peppers, and eggplant) in Olive oil and spices.  The sauteing part was of course done on the dehydrator! They were only on for a couple hours, but they were delicious and the nutrients were still with them!  I realize the veggies could be a wonderful side dish to go with any meal. Then they were added to a delicious red pepper tomato sauce. All this was over the Parsnip Rice, which as such a warm, buttery taste!

That afternoon I began to make Blueberry Scones using Coconut Butter as one ingredient. That was new to me, and tasted like a treat.  I'm really excited about the scones.  I'll let you know tomorrow how they turn out.
 Our Records:
Terri's BG- 123 (a highest day for me for a while.  It could be the not exercising over the weekend?)
Melanie BG- 174 ( she tried the doctor's suggestion about eating before exercising, not sure why hers is still high)

**A word on exercise... I have been diabetic for about 9 years, and had been taking a moderate dose of metphormin for that long.  It seemed to be controlling my diabetes okay. My average A-1C's had been in the 6.5-7 range for the past 5 years. I had always had the goal to get off of medication, through natural means.  I had worked to improve my diet, exercise, use essential oils, etc.  I had not been successful until June of 2013.  I had worked on exercising more intensive with Melanie since January that year along with adding new elements of healthier eating as we discovered.  My doctor had always told me I could keep trying, but that I most likely would take medication all of my life for control, because my condition seemed to be more genetic, and not because of added weight or an unhealthy lifestyle.  At the doctor's visit in June last year, my doctor asked if I needed to renew my prescription.  I told him no, that I think my A-1C will show that I could get off of medication.  He gently reminded me of what he had always said.  I told him teasingly, "I was here to prove him wrong."  He smiled and walked out, waiting on the test results.  A few minutes later, he came in with a big smile, "What did you say you have been doing? Well keep doing it. Your A-1C is 5.9!"  Boy was I so excited! The main difference I could see over the years besides improving the diet,was  training for a 5 K and a Jillian Michaels Ripped In Thirty workout video.  I don't agree with her lifestyle, but I am sure thankful for her work out ethics! Since then, I have committed to continuing a more rigorous exercise routine.  My follow up A-1C in December was 6.5, but the doctor agreed that as long as I kept it under 7 without meds., I could stay off of Metphormin.  I think this improved diet will help!

Over the Hump! - Days 16 - 19

      We made it half way.  It is all down hill now.... well maybe not that easy!  It has been a busy weekend, so I'm doing some catch up here.  We are still at it, and holding true, other than a small taste here and there of something we've cooked for the other family members.

Day 16 

Breakfast- Almond Banana Crepes. These were very worth waiting the extra day for. I was apprehensive at first because they seemed like banana fruit leather in circular shape. However, they were very tasty with peach and banana filling, and also we filled some with the Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding.  The crepes tasted like a Mexican or Italian dessert!  We felt guilty to have such treat for breakfast.

Dinner- Left over Lentil Sloppy Joes and Broccoli Soup  It was yummy again!

Terri's BG-94
Melanie's BG- 145

Day 17
     
Breakfast-Breakfast Muesli. This was delicious!  It was similar to granola.  I don't know the difference between granola and  muesli but it was so good and easy. I don't ever want to buy cereal again.
Dinner- Taco Salad with Nachos. What a great meal! Another favorite!

Terri's BG- 123
Melanie's BG-161

**We visited Melanie's Endocrinologist today and asked about the high's during exercise. He told us that it would be wise to eat something a few minutes before she exercises, because when the liver feels it's body is going to do something that will require a lot of energy, it will dump a store of glucose into the blood to help get through it.  Some exercises such as running or a continuous movement will use it all, but an exercise that has stopping and starting will not use it all, and maybe more will be dumped. It was a good hint. We should have known that already, but we are still learning!

Day 18
 We spent time planning meals and shopping this weekend.  We have some very delightful  meals to look forward to.  We were careful with the flax seeds this time, and had no embarrassing moment!  Although, when we sighted the clerk at Good Earth who cleaned them up for us,we noticed  him turn and go the other direction!

Breakfast - Soaked Oatmeal with Blueberries. That was a late Saturday Night Back Up plan because the Eggplant Bacon did not look like it could be done by morning. It turned out to be a right premonition. I rolled the oatmeal with my roller so it was from fresh oat groats and soaked in almond milk in the refrigerater  all night.
Dinner- Zucchini Bacon as a BLT with Buckwheat Toast.  It was over rated!  Of course, the recipe called for Egg Plant the store was out so I substituted zucchini. The Buckwheat Toast was not a favorite.  I'll have to give it one more try before I throw the recipe out (maybe I did something wrong).

Terri's BG- 113
Melanie's BG- 184

Nineteenth Day!

Breakfast- Fasting
Dinner - Zucchini Manicoti  and Sesame, Hemp and Carrot Slaw  I cooked Chicken Rolls and Orzo for the other family members, so knowing how good their meal would looked, and how hungry we were, I quickly put together some Pumpkin Seed Re-fried Bean Dip on Buckwheat Toast, so we wouldn't feel so deprived.  It helped.  Their food looked and smelled so good, but at least we were filled, and ours was tasty!
Terri's BG- 121
Melanie's BG- 133

* My average has been a little higher the last couple of days.  With the busy weekend, I didn't exercise, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Hopefully, that is why it is higher.  Exercise, is a key! I think Melanie was encouraged by her numbers!

Day 15 - Progress?

    Well, as an update- The Almond Banana Crepes were not dehydrated enough by the time we had to eat breakfast, so we ended up having a left overs morning. It was disappointing, but that's how it goes. We'll look forward to tomorrow's breakfast! The Zucchini Hemp Bread turned out better this time, and was used with last nights Lentil Sloppy Joe Dinner.  It was a very good meal!  I think the title of Lentil Sloppy Joes was misleading, since there were many more nuts than lentils in the recipe!

Terri's BG- 89
Melanie's BG-169

I am surprised that Melanie's BG level has not continued to drop as it did the first week.  It is discouraging to her, because she is doing so well with the raw diet, and working hard to exercise each morning at 5 a.m.! We decided to watch what inspired us in the first place, over again, Simply Raw,  the documentary about reversing Diabetes in 30 Days, to see if we are missing something.  It was again inspiring. There were two Type I diabetics in the study of six people.  One was able to get off of insulin completely after 2 weeks, and the other dropped his insulin level from 70 units each day to 5. The type 2 diabetics were able to drop all medications as well, and lost about 25 lbs. each.  I am encouraging Melanie to hang in there! I pointed out to her that the week  before we began, her Blood Glucose average had been in the 200's for several days.  I think we are doing what we are supposed to with it. The food is getting easier to prepare, is still tasty and it's exciting to try new things.  I still feel lots of energy and enhanced mental clarity.  Before this diet, I would have between 140-160 after dinner regularly. Now lately it has been under 120 even after I had eaten a lot!

Almost 1/2 Way! - 14th Day

   Each day we have a breakfast smoothie with fresh fruit and veggies.  For the past four years, we have incorporated a Green Smoothie with Spinach and Fruit for breakfast which has evolved to what it is now.  I feel it is a great way to get a dose of healthy greens going in the morning!  Very much fruit is a big glucose rush for diabetics though, so I've tried to add more veggies in them lately.  With Melanie's levels being so high before lunch, I've tried a different version.  Here are sample recipe of what I've done, though these are very interchangeable depending on what I have on hand. We call them Green Drinks- but they are sometimes purple or somewhere in between!

Fruit Smoothie
3 cups of spinach, chard or kale
1/2 banana
Strawberries
Frozen Grapes
1/2 carrot
2-3 small pieces of a beet
1/2 stalk of celery

Breakfast Smoothie

3 cups water
2 T. frozen juice concentrate
2 T. Flax seed
Stevia to taste
Blend on high in high powered blender.

Veggie Smoothie
2 cups spinach, chard or kale
2 fresh tomatoes
1/2 -1 carrot
1/2 stalk celery
1/4 red or green pepper
2 cups water
1 T. parsley or cilantro (Fresh is better)
1/2 t. sea salt
pinch of cayenne
(Use your imagination for other ideas)
Blend on high in high powered blender.

Breakfast- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (this is a stand by, it doesn't take much before hand prep.)
Dinner- Creamy Hemp and Broccoli Chowder (this was awesome-but I am a big broccoli fan!)
                w/ Buckwheat and Sunflower Breadsticks
Terri's BG-  108
Melanie's BG- 176 (She had a 280 after exercise and a couple of highs in the evening, which I think could have been a result of the Chili Cumin Almonds, and the raw Chocolate Mint Bites!)

** This morning I put a batch of Zucchini Hemp Bread for the Weds. evening meal on the dehydrator and  before bed, the Almond Banana Crepes for Weds. Breakfast.......let you know how they turned out!

Lucky # 13!

     Thirteen has always been my lucky number. After breakfast, carpool and a 30 minute brisk walk around Walmart for exercise, I came home to spend a couple hours in food prep. and clean up.  I started our Soft Shelled Tortillas on the dehydrator, made Pumpkin Seed Refried Beans to fill the tortillas, and Chili Cumin Almonds for a later snack.  I am thankful to realize that two different items can be on the dehydrator at once if the flavors are similar.  Wow!  I think the dehydrator has been almost running non-stop for several days now. The food preparation is time consuming, but I'm learning short cuts, and preparation for any type of eating is time consuming. It is just a different style. (at least I can put things on the dehydrator and leave it for several hours without worry about burning it, or burning the house down-there are perks!)

Breakfast- Oat Groats with Raisins and a Veggie Green Smoothie
Oat groats is a 'so easy' breakfast. I soak the groats for one day on the counter, then soak another day in the fridge, then they are ready. Raisins are good, but if you want great-put fresh fruit on it! (I rinse the groats every few hours too)
Dinner- Soft-Shelled Tortillas with Pumpkin Refried Beans and other fresh taco fillings. These were great! Almost as good as the pizza!

Snacks-The Chili Cumin Almonds on the dehydrator were delicious! And Minty Chocolate Bites were a keeper too, along with the Almond milk Eggnog called Nog It Up! My husband loves eggnog, and he indicated that he would be willing to give it up for this!

Terri's BG- 96 (best day yet!-must be my Walmart exercise)
Melanie BG- 169 (Still trying to figure out why her BG level goes to 289 or thereabouts after her morning workout)
 ** I will share our smoothie recipes with you on tomorrow's post!

11 Days and Our Favorite Meal!!!

    Today was discouraging for Melanie.  Her blood sugar levels though not bad much of the time, are really bouncing around. That has always happened, but of course, we wanted this 30 days to be a magical remedy from Day One on. I felt really bad that she was so discouraged and wanted to fix things for her.  While she was out, I decided to try to lift her spirits by making some Cauliflower Popcorn.  It looked and sounded good, and we both miss popcorn! It was easy to make, just cauliflower cut into small popcorn size pieces and covered with nutritional yeast, olive and sea salt.(see photo)  I had it on the dehydrator when she walked in.  My efforts were rewarded  with her excitement!  She really liked it.  It is like a cheese flavored popcorn (nutritional yeast has that effect).

Cauliflower Popcorn

    I was really excited for dinner since we were having the Buckwheat Pizza!  It was as delicious as it sounded to us.  It tasted so fresh, and yet a pizza taste.  Basically, we spread cashew  cream cheese and a tomato basil sauce  on the Buckwheat, Sunflower and Almond rounds that I had dehydrated and froze from a few days ago, and put fresh spinach, red peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli spears, Almond Parmesan and sprinkled the top with hemp seeds for extra taste and protein. (a photo below) We both bit into it at the same time and stopping after about 3 bites, agreed that this was the best meal yet!  After a somewhat discouraging afternoon, a delicious meal was a

                                                         welcome boost.
**Just a note about buckwheat- It is known to  prominently lower cholesterol!
                                                                                 

Buckwheat Crust Pizza

Breakfast-Chocolate Fruit and Buckwheat Almond Granola Bowl with Green Smoothie (this was very sweet, due to the dates)
Dinner- Buckwheat Crust Pizza and Spinach Fruit and Almond Salad
                Unfortunately the raw pizza acted as traditional pizza as far as raising the blood sugar level- but
                 we did 'pig out'.
Terri's BG- 115
Melanie's - 154 (range from  90-285)

12 days and it seems much longer!
I almost don't remember when we ate other foods.....but it's only 12 days!
 
Breakfast - Poppy Seed and Flax Bagels with Cashew Cream Cheese,  and Green Smoothie. This is a good stand by.  It took just a few minutes to prepare and they dehydrated through the night.

Softened Broccoli

Dinner- Hawaiian Haystacks Raw Style- We were invited to a dinner, so we took Cauliflower Rice and a couple of our favorite toppings to go with our Host's menu. One topping was one of my favorite raw snacks Softened Broccoli.(see photo and recipe below) For a dessert, I made Raw Peanut Butter Cups. We enjoyed our meal, even though we didn't eat everything the rest did!

Terri's BG-121 (only one reading)
Melanie's BG- 167 ( I think we are still suffering from the Pizza Pig Out and not regular exercise for a couple  of days)


Softened Broccoli
3 cups of broccoli florets (stems removed)
3 T cold pressed olive oil
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
Toss together and set aside 15 minutes to soften.  ( I love this because it tastes better than lightly steamed broccoli, without destroying the enzymes through steaming. This curbs my snacking moods a bit)

Days 9 and 10- Some Hurdles...

   Thursday was our 9th day.  We are still hanging in there. Melanie's BG levels were really good today ranging from 59 to 191. I think that's a great  range, considering the lower dosage. Our Buckywheaty Hemp Granola that we finally got to eat was amazing!  I had to talk myself out of guilt feelings over eating something for breakfast that seemed like a dessert! It was worth waiting for. Our breakfasts  are almost always our highest BG reading, probably because we plug in the most fruit on that meal, especially with our green smoothie.  We'll have to work on that.
    That evening I did something I didn't think I'd ever do.  Delynn and I went out to eat with my siblings, and I brought my own dinner. It wasn't such a bad experience, mine was so delicious, I didn't  feel deprived, I took my own avocado to spread on the Zucchini Hemp bread, along with a delicious salad and bread sticks. (to me an avocado makes everything alright!) I also took a couple of our buckwheat bread sticks and some cashew cream spread, and a clementine for dessert.  I was so filled I didn't get to the dessert. Melanie made her own dinner from left overs and said it was good too!

Terri's BG average-109
Melanies's average- 115

Day 10- Friday January 24
     I think today was our biggest test yet!  We had been planning a special Sibling gathering for us and our children. I had planned to fix a Cafe Rio Meal for dinner, with the works.    Melanie and I had been debating whether we should just take a break for the 30 days, or to hold out. With her encouragement, we decided to just fix eat what was raw of the meal and add some of ours to it. We prepared all afternoon, while the Pork Barbocoa aroma hung around us in the air. Melanie was such a trooper to help me prepare  fresh limeade she wouldn't be drinking, and a few other things. Of course, we made sure the guacamole and fresh salsa were edible for our diet. We made Mexican Parsnip Rice, and Pecan taco meat and cashew sour cream to put on a taco salad along with the guacamole, salsa. Ours really tasted wonderful, but it was difficult to see what everyone else was eating. It was hard for me to not eat the black beans, that I had made from scratch, which would have been very healthy, just not raw!  The freshly grilled tortillas were also tempting, along with the Tortilla Chips.  Although we took sample tastes of some of the food, we held out, and were filled.

    Melanie reported that the worst part for her wasn't the main meal, but the desserts of various cakes and ice cream! With all of the time consuming other preparations, we hadn't prepared a raw dessert for us! We did make it through, and to our benefit, Delynn through away the left over cakes, which were driving me crazy on the counter.

Terri's Average- 99.5
Melanie's Average - 134 (a range of 47 to 197)

Breakfast- Left over Granola and Chia Seed Bowl
Dinner- Raw version of Cafe Rio!

Day #8 January 22- the hard part

 dd

 So yesterday the (22nd) was depressing for me. It seemed like no matter what or how much I ate my blood sugar was in the 150's or higher! My average was 151. I felt like the whole raw thing was pointless! It's not easy to be dairy free, sugar free and raw. Especially your dad eats fresh bread with lots of butter, and when your brother cooks pizza that smells amazing! Any way, that is how I felt yesterday. To some it up, I felt pointless. I kinda knew that I was being stupid because in the video "Simply Raw", no matter what one of the ladies does, her blood sugar is in the 300's and she feels horrible, which is just like how I was feeling except my blood sugar wasn't as high, and the lady gave up the raw diet. But I am not her and I will not give up. I gotta stay strong! I guess I need to listen to some more Beyond 5 music that will cheer me up!

So yesterday's meals were:
Breakfast:

Buckwheaty Hemp Chocolate Granola in prep.

Apple Almond and Ginger Chia Seed Bowl again( We were gonna eat Buckwheaty Hemp Chocolate Granola but we didn't prepare for it enough.

Dinner:
Curried Chickpea Stew



Terri's Average:102
Melanie's Average:151

 Yesterday we prepared Buckwheat Almond Sunflower Bread for the dehydrator, and we are excited! It smell EXACTLY like pizza!

Buckwheat Almond Sunflower bread

                   








                            Melanie

Buckwheat Almond Sunflower Breadsticks

7th Day -Still feeling good and satisfied

Today went well.  Melanie's doctor. gave us the message to lower the insulin level from 1:15 carbs to 1:20 carbs per unit after looking over her past weeks levels.  We hope to keep coming down. It was great to get some questions and comments about what we are doing on the blog. We hope it can help and inspire others.  

 I got thinking about the equipment we use to eat this way, and if any are seriously considering it, I recommend there are a few things that are a must! (at least in the recipes I've found) One is a high-powered blender- I have a Vita-Mix and I love it.  I use it two or three times per meal.  Another is a dehydrator with temperature settings. A food processor is recommended, but I've been able to get by with just the Vita-mix so far.  Also, I'm hoping to get a juicer, at some point, which is also a necessary item, but I did make apple juice in the Vita-mix and strained the juice from the pulp, and it works if you don't have one.  Some of the other items are more common; a cutting board, sharp knives, a mandoline  slicer, sharp-toothed grater, colander, vegetable peeler, a nut bag (for squeezing and straining pulp to make milk, etc.), glass storage containers. Most everyone has a form of these.

Our meals were successful again. Here's a couple of photos.

Breakfast- Apple Almond and Ginger Chia Seed Bowl (I think the fresh ginger made this meal-and of course anything can be made more special with blueberries on top.

Dinner- Pesto coated Carrot and Parsley Fettecine (the noodles are made from carrots and parsnips) It was beautiful to behold, and tasty. There is so much variety to these meals that I'm always excited to prepare and to taste!

Terri's BG average- 101
Melanie's BG average- 140 (Even though it is higher than it has been for a couple of days, it is still good, since she is on a lower dosage of insulin)

**I'm excited for tonight to make Buckwheaty Hemp Chocolate Granola to put on the dehydrator for tomorrow's breakfast!

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding         (From Eat Raw, Eat Well)
4 cups Almond Milk
1 1/2 cups Chia Seeds
2 Tbsp Raw Agave Nectar
1 Tbsp Raw cacao powder
Dash Raw Vanilla Extract

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well, using a wire whisk.
Set aside for 10 minutes so the chia seeds can absorb the liquid and swell.
Serve Immediately, if possible, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

* Cacao powder is powdered raw chocolate. It is similar to cocoa powder but tastes even better. Because it has not been heated, it maintains all of its healthy antioxidants and is much more easily digested. Cacao powder is available in well- stocked supermarkets, natural food stores and online.You can use High Quality Cocoa Powder if Cacao Powder is not available.


This pudding is almost kinda like tapioca pudding consistency. Chia Seeds are very nutritious and are a natural thickener, so they can be used to pretty much thicken up anything. You can make Jam, spreads, and other puddings with chia seeds too!

On the 6th Day of Christmas.... whoops wrong song!

Well on the 6th day, we were encouraged that Melanie's blood glucose levels were still coming down.   She experienced several lows, so we need to keep working on  the insulin adjustments. We seem to have plenty of energy, with all of the wholesome foods.  We  played basketball for an hour, and then Melanie came home to do a work out, while I fixed lunch.

Our recipes continue to be great!  I love the book. (which I covered with contact paper so it will hold up in all the use.)The author wrote an introduction with some things I will share now and then with you. "When I began to consume raw food on a more regular basis, I felt a sense of well-being and improved mental clarity.  I continued to work out and noticed that as my consumption of raw food increased, I was building more muscle mass and my cardiovascular level was improving.  Within three months I had lost the 40 pounds I had gained back while making poor vegan food choices. I was lighter on my feet and felt amazing." Douglas McNish

We are not after losing all that weight, but the mental clarity, and energy and over all health will be awesome!

Our meals were:
Breakfast-Buckwheat Porridge (my first with buckwheat and no disappointment)
Dinner- Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Casserole and a side of Softened Broccoli  ( I had never imagined a raw casserole-but it was delicious and sooooo flavorful!)

Terri's BG average- 101
                                          Melanie's BG average- 126 (which included some lows and highs during the adjustment time.

We had a movie night, I wasn't sure I could survive it without popcorn, but I was so full from dinner, I did.
However, after for a treat, I gave in to my chocolate cravings with our raw Chocolate Mousse with fruit!

Day #4 and #5

Day 4- Flax seed
Saturday was our grocery shopping day. We were so excited to go get all of our wonderful ingredients to take us through the next 15 days.  Forty tomatoes, 15 avocados, 22 cups of buckwheat and flax seed.... well the flax seed may not have 22 cups after all.  As we were finishing up our bulk bin process at Good Earth, Melanie let out a vocal signal of distress and I turned to see a continuous flow of the tiny brown seeds spreading from our cart to the cement floor. She held it up helplessly waiting for me to aid in a solution. We left embarrassed as the young clerk was sweeping our mess.  We were really wondering if it was a sign to not include so much flax seed in our diet, when the same bag was spilled 2 more times before it was safely put away in the kitchen.  Watch out for those little seeds! I think they or we were jinxed!

Breakfast-Delicious Cinnamon Raisin Flax Bagels with Cashew Cream Cheese were the easiest bagel I've ever made.

Lunch- Left Overs

Dinner-Raw Tacos, which are premium taco filling in a lettuce wrap.  It was supposed to be Taco Salad with Corn and Carrot Nachos, but when I started making dinner, I realized I was supposed to do the Nachos 12 hours prior to dehydrate them.  I was so disappointed!  But we found a night to switch and we'll try it again another time! But the tacos were amazing-just like a Cafe Rio meal! The meat is made from ground pecans, a little olive oil and taco seasoning spices. Yum!

Terri's BG- 134 my only reading of the day and after stuffing myself with Mel's wonderful home made granola bars!
Melanies BG-126 for the second day, even with a high of 207 from her basketball game.

blogged by Terri

Day #5 from (Melanie)
Today my blood sugar has been very low! I had to keep eating grapes and dates and juice with out insulin to get my blood sugar up to the 100's. It is a great sign but is also bad. After the 4th time below 100, my blood sugar was 48, and so my Mom and I knew we needed to change the ongoing insulin drip calculation on my diabetic pump. Before we lowered it, my pump delivered 12 units(around there) throughout the day. And then we lowered it to around 9 units a day, so we are hoping to see a change. Tonight for our Sunday Dinner, my Mom fixed the traditional 'Roast and Potatoes and Gravy' dinner for my family members http://www.kristendukephotography.com. (It is not just a photography blog) It looks like it will be a good, challenging workout! So, for our meals today,
who weren't on the raw diet and then she fixed 'Meat Loaf' and Cauliflower 'Mashed Potatoes' for her and I. It was ABSOLUTELY delicious! The ' Meat Loaf' tasted just as or better than the real thing, but it didn't dehydrate to the 'cooked' consistency. Tomorrow, I am going to start an exercising plan for 6 weeks that I got from
Breakfast: I had leftover 'Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding' and Cinnamon Raisin Flax Seed Bagels

Lunch: I had left over 'Raw Tacos' , which I think I like better than normal tacos now:)If you want the recipe,you can ask for it in the comment box) You are probably thinking, "Whats up with leftovers?" But if you go on a raw diet, you will realize eating leftovers is a lot easier than cooking another raw meal. I guess I shouldn't say cooking since its raw though:)

Dinner: 'Meat Loaf'', Cauliflower 'Mashed Potatoes', Marinated Asparagus, and Salad. It sounds impossible to have good, raw 'Meat Loaf ', (and you're probably scared when you see the '  ' surrounding it, but it is great! I'm not one for weird food.

Okay so here are our averages for the day.......

Melanie's Blood Glucose Average- 92 This is a crazy change difference! 6 days ago, before I started the raw diet, my BG average was 255!

Terri's Blood Glucose Average- 101 She is really doing great!

There are so many people who think that the only way to get through life is the easy way, which in my case, would be medication. But I can prove that the easy path isn't always the best. The harder, longer path might be more dangerous and stressful, but it is possible. So many people in the world need to realize that. And I am just one of those who have.

Beyond 5 (I have an obsession:)

" Gotta keep reaching, never stop believing, 
I know the road looks crazy, but you can make it through this storm. 
Gotta keep fighting , don't you dare stop trying. 
You've already come this far, so take a breath and keep your head up and never give up."
- "Never Give up" song by: Beyond 5

Melanie

Day #3 Still at it....

I'm a day late writing this, but this is about Jan. 17th.  We began the day with a yummy filling breakfast of Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding. (which reminded us of Tapioca Pudding)  It was delicious with a mild chocolate flavor from natural cacao powder,  It held me over several hours.  I am really amazed with the book, Eat Raw, Eat Well. by Douglas McNish. I don't think we could do this, unless we had been eating a raw here and there, and experimenting with these new foods and ingredients.  It would be overwhelming to me.
 I felt I was put to a real test of will power today.My husband, Delynn and I were shopping through the lunch hour, and I had brought along some cut up veggies in a baggy along with some zucchini hemp seed bread for lunch. Delynn, who is supporting us with the diet, but eats other things as well, was feeling hungry, and when we passed Arbys, that sounded really good to him.  I told him to go ahead, but I would just eat what I had brought.  It was a little tricky watching and  him with the two very aromatic French Dip Beef Sandwiches and order of curly fries, but because I am writing this blog and everyone is expecting me to be strong, I with stood the temptation, even when Delynn went into the bank and left his fries in front of me.  I felt so good to have held out! I'm surprised that the food is so filling and desirable!

Green Drink

Our diet for the third day consisted of:
Breakfast- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with bananas, grapefruit and green smoothie.
Lunch- Left over raw dinner food w/fruit and veggies (not Arby's)
Dinner- Lentil Chile over Quinoa Pilaf and Cashew Sour Cream (I was anxious for this one, since I had to begin soaking things three days ago)

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

 Terri's BG average was 105
                                                         Melanie's BG average was 126!!!!
(this has come down each day)                        I   think there may be something to the raw diet claims!
       

Day #2

      We made it through another 'raw' day, and without any real cravings of other foods!  The meals are very filling and delicious. I spent a good part of the day planning the meals for the next 16 days so I can go shopping and get everything on hand. Many of the ingredients are things I don't typically have on hand at least in large quantities, such as about 22 cups of Buckwheat groats, and the same for flax seeds, lemons for almost every meal, and about 30 tomatoes to mention a few. I'm not sure where to find Burdoch Root, but I think Good Earth will be my best chance.

Our meals were as such:
Breakfast- Soaked Oat Groats w/ raisins, Green Smoothie and a grapefruit
Lunch- Left over Moroccan Stew over Spinach leaves with an apple and banana
Dinner- Lemon and Cilantro Falafels in Lettuce Leaf Wraps* and Zucchini Hemp Bread and Carrot Hemp Seed Slaw.

*The falafels are a dehydrated chickpea patty with spices.  We smothered them with red peppers, avocados, green onions, and a home made salad dressing. A guest was with us for dinner who commented that "these are insanely good!"  We all had seconds!  So far so good with the foods.  It is not so hard to miss out on some things when there is something so good to take it's place.

Terri's BG average was 111- which includes a reading 2 hours after each meal. It is great to eat as much as I wanted and not raise the blood sugar.
Melanie's BG  was 153 which includes about 7 readings throughout the day.  Her's appears to be dropping. Yes!

Let our Journey Begin!

   The first day has been eye opening.  I realize almost everything we eat has something cooked in it!  Even though it seems healthy, our staples of Home preserved Grape Juice, and Sugar Free Applesauce are not raw.  I have found it so easy for a side dish with dinner to just open a bottle of Home grown green beans, or pull out a bag of frozen corn.  Once I prepared our Main  Dinner Dish, which took several steps, I realize I had no side dishes with it.  So this time, we pulled out the carrot, celery stick container and peeled an apple.  I'm sure I'll get used to better planning in a few days...  However, our Dinner of Moroccan Chickpea Stew over Cauliflower Rice was so savory and delicious, it almost could stand on it's own. Melanie helped by making a raw Snickerdoodle Cookie dough for the apples and celery though.
Terri

We will post our daily blood sugar averages, along with our starting weight, just to mark our progress, along with what meals we fixed for the day.

Breakfast- Flaxseed, Banana, Apple 'Oatmeal'.
Lunch- Spinach  Fruit Salad, an avocado and veggies.
Dinner- Moroccan Chickpea Stew over Cauliflower  'Rice' with the apples and Snickerdoodle 'cookie dough' Dip.

Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Cauliflower Rice

Terri's Blood Sugar Average Today- 101
Terri's beginning weight- 125
Melanie's Blood Sugar Average Today- 192
Melanie's beginning weight- 124     

Snickerdoodle 'Cookie Dough' Dip

This is going to take a while getting used to! Today at school I accidentally ate a pretzel because I completely forgot that I was even on this diet! Weird right? I mean, this diet is my life now!A couple hours after I remembered and felt horrible, because we have been planning this day since about November last year. Hopefully a little pretzel won't make a huge difference, but I really need to get my head in the game! The raw food is wonderful, despite how long the preparation takes (and, it doesn't always look the most appetizing:).

Lately my blood sugar hasn't been the greatest because  I have been literally 'stuffing' myself with the worst foods because I don't know when the next time is that I will eat dairy, bad sugars, hydrogenated oils, processed and cooked foods. I don't think I will want to go back to the average "American Diet" once I am through with these 30 days, if my diabetes has taken a absolute turn. I know that curing type 1 diabetes is possible, I just have to find the right pathway to it. "I don't need easy, I just need possible". -Cassidy Hooper
The Snickerdoodle Dip looks gross, but it is full of nutrients and is super filling and good! When else do you get raw, vegan, cookie dough that tastes good?
Melanie

Raw Snickerdoodle 'Cookie Dough' Dip
1 1/2 cups raw or dehydrated chickpeas
4 Tbsp nut butter of choice
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp baking soda
Heaping 1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or agave
1/4 cup ground flax
2 1/4 tsp or more of cinnamon
*May need water for smoother blending
Directions: Blend all ingredients in a food processor  until very smooth.