21-Day Wellness Project Challenge - The Raw Story

A few days ago, the challenge was put out there by the Littlest Tumor Foundation to find something about yourself that you would like to change.  The Wellness Project 2014 is to last 21 days, just long enough to create a new habit.

When I first heard about this, I jumped on it.  I love these habit-changing challenges. A similar one last year got me on my hot lemon water kick.  Two years ago, it was core work. I can't say that I have always continued my new habits past the last challenge date, but invariably these challenges get me thinking and I believe bring me one step closer to who I want to be.

With the LTF challenge, I knew I immediately wanted to jump on board. The problem was that the challenge was wide open.  I could choose anything I wanted to.  So, of course, I could think of nothing.

I really wasted the first few days struggling to think of something - anything! - I would want to develop or further or work on.  But, because I am perfect, I drew a blank.  Hahahaha.....okay, not really. The problem is that there are SO MANY things I would like to work on.  How could I choose just one?

I had all but forgotten about this little challenge until today. As I was making a salad for lunch, I finally thought of something. It's a little thing, but if I could make it into a habit I would be quite pleased with myself. So, I have decided to challenge myself to eating at least one raw meal a day for 21 days. I am starting the challenge a bit late, so I will plan on extending it a bit further past the group challenge.  However, I am excited about this.  I eat fairly health-consciously anyway, but I don't eat a lot of raw foods. Even though I know they are good for me, and it would add more variety to my diet, I have struggled with making this into a habit. So, for 21 days, I will persevere.  Since I can't think too far outside the box, my challenge will most likely mean that I will have a smoothie or a salad for lunch. But, with the challenge underway, I think I will go out of my way to make this interesting and varied. We'll see.

So, here we go....DAY 1!

Nice salad of mixed baby greens, sliced sweet peppers, carrots, avocado, Kalamata olives, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and Udo's Oil and balsamic.

Because I thought it looked lonely, though, I added a whole grapefruit. Does anyone else eat grapefruit like an orange, or is it just me?

For my six-year-old lunch date, this is what was served for lunch: mini sweet peppers, baby carrots, hummus, leftover pizza, avocado, small orange, grape tomatoes, and sunflower seeds.

And here is what was leftover when he was done.  I tried to keep track of the order he ate things in, and it turned out to be peppers, orange, carrots, tomatoes, avocado, and sunflower seeds - in that order. He obviously took one bite of pizza and didn't touch the hummus.  The hummus surprised me, because he is usually a hummus fan.  I don't think he likes this olive hummus I bought. So, kids don't eat veggies, eh?

I won't show my plate after eating, because I ate it all, and it wasn't pretty. The lone exception - the two little tomatoes, which didn't taste that flavorful to me.

Want to eat healthier? Consider joining me on this three-week challenge. Should be interesting. 

As for running, not much to report there...or rather, too much to report. Not doing much running. Going on six weeks with this IT band issue. It's still unhappy. We're doing sort of a cha-cha approach to (what I hope in the end will be) healing.  Two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, one step back.  More on it later.

Happy Running...or Eating...or Whatever You Do!