Today started with a glass of water and banana. I woke up and wasn’t really that hungry, even though it was pretty late. I walked for about 2 miles in the early afternoon, then went to a late brunch of scrambled eggs and french toast at Cracker Barrel. I ordered the baked apples also, but they really kicked rocks. Why? Well first off, the apples weren’t peeled. They still had the skin on them. Second, they weren’t baked but just sort of heated up, maybe even microwaved? Third, they were swimming in some kind of apple fakefood-highfructosecornsyrup-gelatin-mess! It was so gross, like the inside of a McDonalds apple pie or something, which for the record I have never liked. I had one bite and was done. The $2 that they cost wasn’t worth sending them back, but those will definitely not be a staple on my vegan journey.

For a snack I had a half of Freshens strawberry banana “carribean craze” smoothie with an added scoop of protein powder. It really didn’t taste that good to me, it tasted “processed” if that makes sense….like there was just too much added sugar. I’ve had it before and it didn’t taste that way to me, however it has always tasted sweet. I think I’m becoming really sensitive to HFCS since my body is getting so much natural sugars. The whole foods are changing my taste buds for the better! I had dinner at a friends house, baked beans, potato salad, greens and roasted corn. I do have some of the best friends in all the world, and they do cook for me when I visit their cities. In all, today was the first day I did not come in at 50% raw and 99% vegan. I’m going to focus tomorrow on making sure I get the raw and green stuff In and keep the cooked foods to a minimum….I need my body to start feeling the effects of the enzymes, I’m hoping to feel an increase in energy and focus. I’ll need it, next week at work is going to be a busy one!

Here are my “Raw On The Road” tips for the day:

• Nutrition – Stay away from high fructose corn syrup if you can. Your body isn’t quite sure how to process it and it generally is just a bad idea.
• Weight Loss – Try to kick your soda habit. The scale was nice to me today. Maybe it’s due to all that green tea I was drinking, so I’m going to keep that up. Now if I can get rid of the soda life will be grand!
• Workout – Get out in nature when you can. You may not notice it immediately, but trees, lakes, rivers, grass, ducks and all the things you see while being outdoors, it all does good things for your spirit.

Today was a busy day full of errands and catching up, but pretty uneventful in terms of my eating. I was over 50% raw and 99% vegan, so things are still moving forward with positive momentum. I had a Power C naked brand smoothie and a few cashews to start the day. The middle of my day was spent at a relaxing salon. There I had an apple, a few more cashews, and a plate of watermelon. After leaving the salon I ordered a take-out dinner of tofu pad thai from a local restaurant. I snacked throughout the late evening with some potato chips and a Red Machine naked brand smoothie. I think I am falling into a pattern and getting the hang of choosing fresh foods and making vegan selections. I’m excited about that because it doesn’t feel like a huge effort to make good choices. Instead it is coming rather effortlessly, and I’m appreciative of that fact.

Here are my “Raw On The Road” tips for the day:

• Nutrition – Don’t be afraid to let others know of your dietary plans. Some people are very supportive and may offer you a snack that falls within your plans….that’s how I got a plate of watermelon at the salon…score!
• Weight Loss – Reward yourself with things other than food for sticking to your plans. My reward for making it through my first week was a deluxe manicure and pedicure by one of the best in the Midwest….and it was oh so luxurious!
• Workout – Even when you are busy with errands, still try to get your activity level up by parking far away and pushing carts. Small changes in your daily habits add up to a big difference.

Today was a great day! I realized that an average place for me to eat regularly is a wonderful place to eat for vegans: BD’s Mongolian Barbeque. I ate there for dinner with a friend and it was delicious! If you have never been to BD’s, it is a chain restaurant with a “create your own stir fry” menu. Guests are supplied with a bowl where they select from a variety of raw meat and seafood (uh, not me!), vegetables (yes!), sauces (yes!) and spices (yes!)…then guests give their bowl to a master griller who cooks the food on a 7 foot and 600 degree grill. The grill is entertaining I guess, but I was more impressed with the selection of fresh vegetables that I could choose from. They even had tofu available, but I decided to stick with the veggies. Along with the bowl of stir fry our server brought us brown rice and fajitas. White rice is also available and all three are included in the price. I really liked that I was able to control what I ate, and had a fully vegan meal….except for the ice cream in the cookie we had for dessert (shakes fist at friend). Luckily I only had three bites of it, so I think that still counts as 99% vegan….please don’t challenge my math…lol! Here is the rundown for what I ate today: breakfast of a naked brand strawberry banana smoothie; lunch of a green salad with tomato, snow peas, ginger dressing and cashews; snack of apple; dinner of veggie stir fry, brown rice and fajitas; snack of sliced strawberries with chocolate syrup.

Here are my “Raw On The Road” tips for the day:

• Nutrition – Strawberries are delicious! I went too many years of my life thinking otherwise…I was wrong! Eat lots of them as often as you can!
• Weight Loss – Try not to obsess over the scale. Instead take your measurements and weigh in twice per month, four times at maximum.
• Workout – While cardio is great for you, be sure to pick up a weight or two at the gym. It strengthens your bones and makes you strong. And lets face it, it takes muscle to lift that carry-on bag into the airplane overhead compartment.

Today was another exactly 50% day. I started off recognizing that it is a travel day – fellow road warriors generally agree that the travel days are usually the longest and pose the most healthy choice challenges. I was hoping to see some added energy from the raw and vegan diet to keep me motivated and moving fast through the day. Sure enough, I did get that energy boost to help me make the approximately 4 hour drive after work….but now, whew…I’m tiiiiired! The morning started with green tea, honeydew and watermelon from the hotel. I asked for a to-go container and started eating it around 9am. For lunch at noon I had a green salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing. I also added some apple sauce, which strangely enough tasted good with the salad. Unfortunately I got really busy at work and accidentally skipped the afternoon snack. Before I realized it, 5pm was closing in on me and I needed to eat something. I grabbed more fruit, left over from my morning container, and got on the road. For dinner I did not want to stop, so I drove through a Burger King. I know what you are thinking….but Burger King has veggie burgers. I got a veggie burger, fries and a soda. Any other time a meal of burgers and fries would make me happy, but since I’m eating all of this real and living food, the BK was disgusting. It really tasted bad! I guess my tastebuds are starting to adjust. I wish I would have stopped at a grocery store before hitting the road, I would have found a much better option for dinner. As I’m typing this I’m having an evening snack, half a strawberry banana smoothie. It’s really nice compared to the BK.

Here are my “Raw On The Road” tips for the day:

• Nutrition – Sometimes the fast food places might have something suitable. The words to remember here are “sometimes” and “might”.
• Weight Loss – Try not to skip meals and snacks, for the sake of your metabolism. You may need to set reminders if your days are very busy.
• Workout – It’s okay to take a day off from the gym, you need to give your body time to rebuild. Travel days are the best time to take off since you are putting more wear and tear on your body and will need the rest.

So day 1 for me went very well, I ate exactly at 50% raw and 99% vegan! I started the morning with a green tea, then mid morning I had fresh fruit. The first question I hear you asking is “how in the world did she get fresh fruit when she doesn’t have a kitchen?!” Great question…here’s a tip for you. Usually the hotel will have a breakfast buffet with fruit sliced that morning. They also will provide you with a to-go container if you request it. The hotel I am currently staying at has a wonderful breakfast buffet, and every morning they have fresh cut pineapple and melon. This morning before heading to the office I filled a to-go container with half watermelon and half pineapple. When I got to the office I put it in the refrigerator for later, grabbed a green tea, and headed to my meetings. By mid morning I was ready to eat, and my metabolism revved by the tea.

For lunch I headed to Panera Bread, a good place for vegetarians but I wasn’t so sure about vegans or raw foodies. This place actually did well for my new raw food and vegan lifestyle. I ordered the simple classic salad and baguette. I also got the Jones soda, the Black Cherry flavor is irresistible. Maybe one day I’ll kick that Jones habit, but today was not that day. By the end of lunch I was so full, it was very surprising. I even got the post-lunch tired feeling by mid afternoon. During my afternoon meetings I sipped on another green tea, and right before leaving the office for the gym I grabbed a fuji apple. After my workout I decided on a cooked vegan dinner. I decided on Indian takeout, but don’t ask me the name of what I got….the man at the takeout place remembers me and what I get there….I’ll try to ask him for the name next time I go there.  I’ll try to describe the dish for you: cauliflower, green beans, beans, spices, potato, and some other veggies in a orangey-reddy sauce. I had whatever this dish is called with some rice and roti….very starch heavy but very good also.

Here are my “Raw On The Road” tips for the day:

• Nutrition – Use the hotel buffet. It might be healthier than you think.
• Weight Loss – Try to drink green tea if you must have a warm beverage in the mornings. It has wonderful antioxidants and can replace your coffee and cream cravings if you are having them.
• Workout – Ask the hotel staff for a list of gyms in the area if the one at your hotel is not adequate for a go-hard-or-go-home type of workout. Your time is precious on the road, don’t waste it diddling at a sub-par facility.

Technically today is my day 0. I am challenging myself to be 50% raw for April, but somehow I started today being raw. I started eating today a bit late, and the only thing I had at 10am for breakfast was an 8oz cup of green tea.  I thought that would be okay, but by 11am I was hungry….really hungry!  I went for the snap peas I purchased the night before at a grocery store, a Naked brand mango drink and a handful of Organic Roasted Salted cashews. One serving of cashews is about 9 kernels, so I try to stick to that as my guideline. By 1pm I was hungry again, so I ate about 3/4ths of a fuji apple and another handful of cashews. About an hour later I noticed that I felt very focused, energetic, and did not have my usual mid afternoon tired feeling. Around 4pm I was waiting for that energetic feeling to go away, but it never did. I started thinking “hey, this raw and vegan thing is fabulous!” In celebration of that fabulous feeling I decided to slice some of the strawberries that I purchased at the grocery. I added a packet of hot cocoa and water for good measure. I mean, what person doesn’t like strawberries and chocolate? So good, so good, so good!

Around 6pm I decided it was time for another half of a mango smoothie so I started sipping. After work I went to the gym, and afterwards ordered my trusty tofu pad thai with added veggies. The local thai place knows me by name…I really spend a lot of time there, at least once a week. I usually don’t eat anything after dinner, as I’m usually eating at 9pm or later. I know that’s really bad, but it’s definitely a reality for us road warriors. Don’t judge me please! LOL!

Here are my tips for the day:

• Nutrition – Keep eating when you are hungry. Don’t deprive your body of food, just make sure it is good quality food.
• Weight Loss – Be aware of your portion sizes. Even vegans and raw food eaters can overdo it sometimes.
• Workout – Prioritize your workouts by putting it on your calendar like you do everything else in your workday.

Welcome to Day 1 of my journey into 50% raw and 99% vegan eating all while being “on the road”.  My job requires 100% travel, so I spend most of my time in a hotel, restaurant, airport, rental car or office. Lately in my quest to become more healthy, I have been spending more time in a gym also. I have been getting good results from the added gym time, but feel that I want to step it up a notch. I want to be at optimal health and running on premium fuel – with a little investigation I found that the ultimate premium fuel is raw foods.  I decided that beginning on April 1st I would try out being 50% raw and 100% vegan. I cut this down to 99% since I really enjoy tofu pad thai with the eggs, and am not quite willing to give that delicious dinner up yet. But I am definitely on my way!

I know a lot of people feel it’s difficult to be healthy while on the road, and I used to be one of those people. I used to say “It’s too hard to eat healthy, I’m on the road all the time” or “Restaurants always cook things in an unhealthy way, so you might as well eat whatever you want.” However I simply decided not to allow my job constraints to help me make excuses for not eating well.  I hope to help others from this blog by providing meal tips, ideas for how to eat raw/vegan in restaurants, and maybe even some inspiration for you to be raw also!