The Intentional Eskimo

Fact - the word Eskimo itself comes from an Indian expression which means, "He who eats it raw."

Raw Food is something that I have been toying with for a while now. I read The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose about three years ago and it really hit home for me. At the time I was in college dancing 8 hours a day on top walking back and forth to campus (uphill!) and trying to go to the gym. Even though the idea of eating raw appealed to me at the time I thought there was no possible way that fruits and veggies alone could fuel my body for that much activity. Part of that thought process was probably just me being lazy and not wanting to give up bread, crackers, and other processed foods that had become my friends (this is before I found out I had Celiac). The other part, most importantly, was the psychological effect that eating “raw” had on me. Even though reading this book cleared up most of my misconceptions about what eating raw really is, I was still hesitant to ake up this life style.

For some reason I often get this idea in my head that if I do not eat now I will be hungry later and not have enough energy to get me through the day. It is not like I don’t have enough fat on my body that I will die if I miss one meal (or even two or three meals to be honest). But I get these crazy idea’s in my head, “I need food now!”, “I can’t wait another minute!” It is difficult to change my way of thinking and my habit’s but recognition is the first step right? I have reflected on why I think this way and have tried to figure out why these obsessive and scared thoughts cross my mind.

I believe it goes back to my days in dance. I have always been an active girl starting back when I was 4 years old. Like my sisters, I was part of a summer swim team that practiced during the summer. This was great fun and I have the fondest of memories when I think back to this time. Back on topic… In high school I attended Scottsdale Community College and auditioned for the two modern dance companies at the school. This was an intense time in my life. I danced like it was a full time job. From 8am to 5pm, and often beyond I would be at school in class or rehearsing for a show. I felt like if I didn’t get enough food then by the end of rehearsal I would be starving and then I would have to pig down my dinner in 10 minutes between the next rehearsal then I would be all stuffed and believe me, it’s hard to dance when you feel full. This life style continued on through my three years at university. 6 months after I graduated I started training for a triathlon and then 3 months after that I started training for a half marathon. It is almost like I don’t know how to eat without feeling like I need to eat enough food to fuel myself for the next big ride, run, swim or whatever.
I have been working on this. I now ask myself, are you satisfied? (not full). Did you enjoy that bite? I tell myself to take time to use all my senses to eat; to see the beautiful colors and presentation, to smell the delicious aromas, to taste and feel the varying textures, enjoy the process of selecting each spoonful with care and intention, and listen, (not to myself chomping) to conversation around me and my thoughts. I am practicing appreciation for my food. How often do we grab a handful of this or that and take it on the go in the car and forget that we even eat breakfast because it was in car while trying to do ten other things and still driving. HAZARD! Bad idea. Enough of that!

Now I am ready to eat raw with full intention. I want to be an intentional Eskimo. Sounds cute doesn’t it?
I finally bought a juicer, the Breville Two Speed, and I love it! I was using my mom's juicer for a year and it was great but it just took too much time to clean. I can barely get up in the morning to make lunch for the day yet alone another 45mins early to juice. With my Breville it only takes about 15mins before I have a nice cup of purple , orange or green drink ready to be consumed. My husband and I call it "life juice". He says that he can instantly feel the energy producing enzymes flowing through his body when he takes a sip. I agree completely.

Eating raw does not mean you can NOT eat cooked foods. Foods can be cooked up to 118 degrees. This way the enzymes found in raw foods are not killed and the enzymes that are released with heat are available to enjoy!

I am really excited about taking on this endeavor and hope I can get through the first two “with drawl” weeks of no sugar! I am confident however that with all the wonderful recipes out there I can fully satisfy my sweet tooth without refined sugars.

I’ll let you know how it goes!