Mmmm...raw

So it's been awhile since I've posted. I've been swamped at work and at home - freelance gigs have eaten up a lot of my free time. I also got sick just before the workload piled up. It was a rough couple of weeks! Since I've moved to Colorado I've gotten sick about every other month. I couldn't quite understand why and I'm still not sure about it. In January, I began taking vitamins & mineral supplements from a company called Melaleuca. I like them a lot and they have definitely helped. Last week was the first time I had been sick since December... a vast improvement over last year. My eating habits are the same but I'll admit my stress level is a bit higher and the pollution of this city is amazing. We have smog just like LA, Dallas, etc. I'm sure that plays a factor in my health - how could it not?! Before getting sick last week, I had joined an online group for a raw food challenge for the month of March. Everything you eat is raw - 100%. No you don't eat raw chicken or eggs or beef. You eat lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, sprouted grains and add Bragg's Aminos (and the like) to your meals for fortifiers. I lasted 2.5 days for a couple of reasons. 1.) My first grocery bill was $50...and that was enough for smoothies for the week and a couple of salads. When I bought 65% of the list we were given, my total came to $100. $150 for a week of groceries is more than I can afford. I spend $50-$60 and that's when I buy all organic (which I do about 90% of the time). 2.) The $$ wasn't the only issue - the prep time involved is extensive. I've spent 4-6 hrs in the kitchen between Sunday night, Monday night & Tuesday night. I don't have 2 hrs to spend in the kitchen every damn day - ain't happenin'. I'm not that patient and I don't like to cook quite that much. 3.) Not the most practical of all options. It's not easy to stay home and decline a friend's request to go to dinner. I'm happy to eat a salad with all the veggies & fruits I can get but to bring my own dressing? I can't do it. I'm not that much of a diva and I won't become one now. 4.) Have you ever tried to deny a PMS'ing woman's cravings? Don't do it. I'm telling you, she'll eat you for a snack and then get her hands on whatever she's craving. That's where I'm at - get out of my way and let me eat folks. So my decision was to go organic & raw as much as possible with only two cheats per week: one pop and one brownie/cookie/etc. I already eat a lot of fruits & veggies and this experience has given me so many new recipes and ideas that it will absolutely carry into my everyday living. Despite the sticker shock at the checkout line, it was well worth it. Oh and I really dig Kombucha drinks - they're yummy in an odd way and really good for you. Give 'em a try!