5 Day Raw Food Cleanse: Day 3

After completing day 3 of the cleanse, I feel truly great. And I have been experiencing some wonderful things.

First, I feel a serious increase in my energy. It isn't that cheap, fleeting energy you get from caffeine, but a more sustained and complete energy. Very cool.

Second, I am noticing the difference between hunger and craving. I feel truly hungry in the morning, hungry for nutrients. I feel my body's need for nutrients being satisfied when I drink a smoothie or eat an apple. It is different from craving a big fat breakfast sandwich and an ice coffee. And because I have noticed this distinction between hunger and craving, I have learned that you should eat whenever you feel hungry! Simple! For instance, yesterday morning I was really hungry, so I ate more then I did the day before at that time. But in the afternoon I was not hungry at all, even though I thought that I should be because it was "lunchtime". Instead of just eating because I was craving something or thought I was supposed to, I waited until I actually felt hungry. Very simple yet supremely awesome in it's simplicity.

Ok, here is what I ate yesterday.

Breakfast

An apple
A Smoothie: So delicious! A blend of:

• Frozen raspberries
• Half an avocado
• Almond milk
• Carrot juice
• Milled flax seed
• lemon

Post-workout smoothie: My new absolute favorite thing in the world - banana, almond milk and peanut butter. 

Lunch

I had a late lunch of a little cottage cheese and some leftover bean salad. 

Dinner

An incredible salad! 

Since I miss the time and art of cooking, I decided to get really creative with the presentation of this salad. Having an attractive plate of food is one of the qualities that enhances your enjoyment of that food! And since raw foods don't have the aroma of cooked foods, which would even further increase it's deliciousness, it is important to craft beautiful plates. 

In this salad:

• CSA salad mix
• CSA tomatoes
• CSA cucumbers
• Red Cabbage 
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Avocado
• Mango
• Pecans 
• Sesame seeds

And the dressing:

• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Grated ginger
• Soy sauce
• Rice vinegar 
• Lime juice 

Here is what it looks like when you cut it all up (as my boyfriend loves to do, very methodically until every component is the same size and shape). Makes it super easy to eat! Yum!