I crave the blood of plants

So I've been eating mostly vegan for...a while now. However long it's been since my mother returned home from her visit with us. I think about a month or so. I must say, I'm feeling good. But apparently vegan isn't good enough for me anymore. For the past week or so I've been eating about 75-80% raw, with a high emphasis on vegetables (rather than fruit and raw desserts, which seem to be a pitfall for a lot of raw foodists.) I've also been juicing every day. It's a wonderful way to start the day, it's like getting a shot of energy right in the arm without the needles and pain. Here's a picture of a juice I make the other day that is primarily greens with one beet:

Very red :) I was reading a lady's blog the other day and she referred to her morning juice as "plant blood." With a beet in there, I can totally see it. So this is what I have found after one week:

I have more energy: Nothing to write home about, but then, I'm exercising very little. Even so, I have less of the mid afternoon lag, and generally feel alert until I go to bed.

Better elimination: I'm a fiber nut and get totally obsessed with proper elimination, so this is very exciting for me. Good colon health is the start of good health in general. Incidentally, my sweat smells a bit milder also. I think this is related, as sweat is another form of eliminating toxins.

Mental clarity: A big reason I have been messing with my diet lately is that I find that my mental state is often scattered and foggy. This past week I have found a significant increase in mental clarity. I am far less forgetful and much more task oriented. I even paid my rent on time!

Confidence: This one is strange and unexpected, but I have been experiencing feelings of confidence that anyone who knows me well will say is unusual. I was actually able to calmly stand up for myself in a situation during clinicals recently that I would never have felt comfortable doing before. I find that I walk tall and worry less of what people think of me. I'm not sure why, or if it's even related to my dietary changes, but it coincides with the timeline.

Weight/size: I don't have a scale, so I don't know if I've lost any weight. I've also been lifting a lot of elderly people lately, so I don't know if a scale would even register fat loss if there has been any. But my clothes have been fitting less tightly, and that's always a good thing.

Tastebuds: BIG change. Whenever I go off sugar and then try it again later, it's always just as delicious as ever. But yesterday I took a sip of soda and found that it was mortifyingly disgusting. I'm not even off sugar, either. I eat fresh and dried fruit, and even coconut sap, raw honey, and agave nectar. Not a lot, but they are present in my diet. The food I eat is also very....complex to me now. I think my palate is becoming less muddled (although I did quit smoking-again-a few weeks ago and I'm sure that has contributed as well.)

Blood sugar: I have never had any blood sugar tests done, but have always experienced the symptoms of hypoglycemia. This past week I have found that when I get hungry (which is often!) I don't go through the mental fog, energy drain, and hysteria that I often feel during times of hunger.

Skin: While not clear, I've definitely noticed a bit of a glow. My skin looks a bit more alive and less dull.


So while I am not sure if I will be vegan or even vegetarian in the long run, I do know two things for sure: I will continue juicing, and I will continue to eat my veggies :)