Day 15 Cookies & Cravings

Today in my search for raw tahini (sesame seed paste) I stumbled across the raw section at Rainbow Blossom - an organic and whole foods/health type store. I usually stick to the perimeter of the store, or more pointedly, the produce section but I was looking for raw tahini. Turns out it is also in the produce section! They were just out of it.

So as my quest led me astray I discovered these raw organic almond raisin cookies. The thing was over $2 for one cookie but I really wanted to try it. The ingredients listed were organic almonds, organic raisins, organic raw agave nectar and organic cardamom. But even with a raw food lifestyle there is room for interpretation. I tend to lean towards the hard-core and this doesn't fit my profile exactly but more importantly, I have issues with nuts in America, and the ones on trees as well :)

If you're buying what you think are raw nuts in this country you might want to think again. The USDA or whomever is in charge of nuts (don't get me started...) has mandated that all nuts be heated to destroy - well whatever - fungus, mold, my health, you name it. At that point the nut can no longer be sprouted and it's a dead food. You're eating gravel. Raw vegans typically won't eat these for good reason - they're dead.

What made me buy this, however, was that the package specifically said it was made with soaked and germinated almonds. That means the almonds are very much an alive food. They've not been heated and destroyed. I've not had a real raw nut in so long I just had to try it. I ate half before I swam and the other half well after dinner. I liked it a lot, though 240 calories seems like a lot for one cookie and I feel like I'm cheating. But, it was all raw. Between the price, more fat grams than I want to eat in a day and the lingering guilt-for-no-reason, I'll reserve these for times when I have a craving for something like this.

The truth of the matter, though, is that I really don't crave anything - except more raw fruits and vegetables. What I've read all along is true. If you're raw vegan and you consume enough fruits and vegetables during the course of the day you will not crave anything except more fruits and vegetables. When I say you will not crave anything I have to tell you that this is a level of 'no cravings' that I've never experienced before. I can literally sit down with someone eating (name any number of yummy things) and absolutely not have any desire for it whatsoever. They might as well be eating cement - it holds virtually no interest for me.

Now, on the days where my calories have been lighter, I have thought of other things. Thursday night I had had a long day and was driving home from the other side of the city. Suddenly I wanted a McDonalds hamburger. OMG could I have wanted anything worse? Probably not. So, my first thought was McDonalds (because I obviously needed to eat) and my next thought was had I had a banana next to me in the car I would have eaten that and never thought about McDonalds at all.

The craving wasn't horrible, though I did pass a McDonalds and for a second did think - oh... but I continued on. I was simply hungry. I really needed a piece of fruit in the car with me and usually I have something. I came home, ate a banana right away and then went onto make chow mein. I ate that and it was wonderful. Never thought about McDonalds again and that's unusual. Typically, once I have a craving for something I will continue to crave it regardless of what else I eat and at some point in the next 24 hours would have definitely had a burger at McDonalds. But not now. Once I ate what was legal the craving vanished permanently.

Here's the cookie if you're interested. It comes from Gopal's Health.