Days 2 and 3

We got home so late yeaterday that I collapsed without writing my blog post, so today I'm blogging both days' experiences at once.

I had a lovely day yesterday! Full of beautful food, but I didn't stick to the menu on the program. I'm getting really comfortable now with swapping and changing meals as it suits me. The program stipulated 'carob silk' for breakfast, which sounds divine and I'm super keen to try it. But it wasn't until mid-morning, after dropping my son at preschool and running around chasing errands at the shops, that I realised I'd forgotten to have breakfast! I was hungry by then so I got a freshly squeezed juice from a juice bar at the shopping centre. Juice bars are my new 'cafe'! For lunch I ate the leftover Gazpacho from the night before - delicious. Dinner was a tricky one. It was my mother-in-law's birthday and we had dinner at a local bistro. I've had salads there before and they are wonderful, so that's what I ordered. It was great, although it had some non-raw ingredients in the dressing I think. I had meant to ask for just some olive oil and lemon juice dressing, but between feeding the baby and chatting with the family I forgot. Still, a pretty good effort for a raw vegan restaurant meal. Then came cake time. I'd had a good think about what to do about the cake and decided that in the spirit of conviviality I would eat a tiny bit of cake at every birthday celebration as my only departure from the raw vegan diet. Well, it flattened me. 45 minutes later I was already feeling awul - I had a headache and felt depressed. Maybe it was the chocolate in the cake. I haven't had chocolate at all this year (!!!YAY!!!) until that sliver of cake, and I know that chocolate can give some people headaches, so maybe my new diet has made me extra sensitive to it. Anyway, it was a good lesson because it made me realise I need a new plan for celebrations. The new plan is to bring along a raw cake for everyone to share, in addition to the traditional birthday cake that is always featured! Problem solved! (An extra bonus: I get to make and try heaps of raw cake recipes to find the best ones to share!)

Exercise-wise yesterday I didn't do any at all. I had planned to do another bike session on the home trainer after the party, followed by yoga. Realistically that's the time when I can exercise during the week - either in the morning before the kids are up or at night when they are asleep. But as it was I got to bed at 1am. I wasn't going to exercise at that time of night!

Yesterday's happiness exercise was to make a committment to happiness. It resonated with me in that I have believed for a long time that we manifest into our lives that which we hold in our thoughts. I believe that when we focus on something we are alert to ways to bring that something into our lives, whatever it is, good or bad. After reading 'Illlusions' by Richard Bach over 10 years ago I realised that happiness is a choice. I can choose to be happy and then, boom, I am happy. And doing this diet has been such a positive thing for me, after a year of 'beating myself up' about losing my fitness and eating things that didn't help me, that in general happiness is coming pretty easily for me these days!

Today has been super positive. Breakfast was grapefruit juice - a favourite of mine - but I now know I only have to juice 4 instead of 8 (as the program sugggests) to have more than enough. Lunch was kelp noodles with a cashew-based 'cheezy' sauce. I couldn't find anywhere to buy kelp noodles, so I substituted cucumber sticks instead, which I dipped into the cheeze. It worked well. Dinner was raw apple pie. Yum! I snacked a lot today, more than usual. Maybe I should have had all 8 grapefruits at breakfast time after all!

I had time today for exercise but I'm not completely well. I've had some dizzy spells which I think are a symptom of a virus. My neighbour has had something similar and I suspect I've caught it from him. It's nothing serious but it's left me quite tired and I'm resting today as a result. I'll still do yoga tonight - my body is craving it.

Today's happiness exercise is to list life's pleasures. I think that one featured in the 21-day program too?? I'll be interested when I've written this to complare my list to my previous one. Pleasures I'm focusing on today include: The sound of my baby's giggle and the look on her face when she smiles at me in delight. The beautiful things my son says (Mum, don't sing, because people might get scared!). The taste of fresh rock melon. The smell  of the rain and the sight of my veige garden, lush after several days of gentle rain. The lounge room when it's tidy and calm. Music, espeically, today, Norah Jones. My husband's muscular cyclist legs. Fresh carrots. Cups of (sun) tea with friends!