Ok – I’m really late posting about the last week of my September 30 Day Challenge. I’ve been traveling on business, so I’m using that as my excuse. I was also taking some more classes at Living Light. This time it was Knife Skills and Science of Raw Food Nutrition. I’ll blog more about that when I have some more time. Let’s get back to the challenge wrap up.
The last week was ok. I ended up finishing the challenge on day 28 since we had an out-of-town guest who brought yummy bean burritos (how could I resist?). The results of the challenge were subtle, but there. 
- I lost about 6 pounds (since regained by going a bit overboard on the goodies – but I at least know that if I’m consistent about eating the healthy stuff there is a pay-off, however slow)
- all of my chronic joint and tendon pain disappeared! This is huge. I’ve had pain in one form or another since 2002. I’m still feeling pain-free even though I’m not eating as well. It did take a couple of weeks for this
- I had an insane amount of energy. I literally had a hard time getting to sleep at night because I just wasn’t tired. And there was no brain-fog fuzziness in the morning. I jumped out of bed ready to rumble every single day.
- My mood was rock-star happy and consistent – no swings!
- It was easier to exercise – I had the energy, and with the good mood I had the motivation
- I really got into the habit of making better choices. It’s amazing how you can find ways to stick to eating living foods if you make it so you have no other choice. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
- It got easier the longer I did it.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! I’ve been taking a bit of a break (damn you dairy my nemesis!) from eating strictly vegan and living foods. I’ve paid the price by finding my lost 6 lbs, returning to my typically moody emotional state, and I’m feeling really tired and unmotivated.
I think it’s time to do a cleanse and return to the high-raw state. The experience has convinced me that eating this way is the best thing I can do for my health. I know the biochemistry behind it all from the Science of Raw Food Nutrition class I just completed. Knowing it and living it are two different things however.
Knowing it and feeling it don’t make it any easier to do regularly however. It’s still a struggle. I’m starting to believe that it will be easier to just stick to it all the time rather than going on again off again. Everytime I start over it seems harder somehow. The victory is in continuing to begin again. Success can only come when you make the journey. I’m learning this the hard way. Sooner of later the habit will become so ingrained that it’s like taking my daily shower: it’s just something that I do. Period.
