The 80/10/10 attempt

Being on a predominantly raw diet for the past month it made perfect sense that the next step to take was to transition to the 80/10/10 diet (i.e. Dr. Graham's 80% carb, 10% protein, 10% fat diet). I have been feeling great since going raw and would stick to the regime strictly, with only the odd cooked meal when I'm out with friends. After reading about the 80/10/10, I found out that I was consuming far too much fat in my raw diet (how can I live without my avocados and nut-based everythng?). I was heartbroken. Still, the idea of a predominantly fruit-based diet didn't seem so bad. So I thought. This blog basically is for me to document my attempt at the 80/10/10 and share my experiences. I've only read success stories of 80/10/10, but never the trials and tribulations of the transition process. Currently, the road to perfect health seems elusive, but hopefully I (and you too) will get there, one day at a time.

[the801010attempt]

Day 2

Today I followed (or tried to) the Summer Day 1 menu plan from Dr. Graham's 80/10/10 book. Rode to work again. Did not eat watermelon first up as my nectarines were over ripe and had to be eaten before they went off any further! Could only manage 2 before getting full and satisfied. That was about 40 mins ago. Now I'm starting to get hungry again, lightheaded and don't feel satisfied. I feel I need something warm and savoury to eat. Maybe I'll make myself a hot tea. Got two more nectarines here waiting for me, maybe I should have the 1/4 watermelon instead. That's one thing I miss… savoury. 10.30am, tried to eat another nectarine but just could not get past two bites. It is far far too sweet, and cold. I'm hungry, but can't eat anymore of this. I feel I'm getting brainfreeze or too much sugar going to my head. I need my savoury. Made a hot tea. Didn't really work. 11.10am buckled and ate the second half of my vegan shepherds pie from yesterday. Feel better now. 20 mins later… mad dash to toilet again. Not the veggie pie, surely? This is the second time that has happened. Yesterday I thought it was the papaya. Never had an issue with it before. Maybe I got a dodgy piece. What's going on?   Yoga at lunch, felt nice and light. I realise I don't ever have the feeling of 'heaviness' nor sluggishness on this diet so far. Just savoury cravings and never staying full for long enough. Was pretty hungry after yoga and ate a plum and 3 bananas at about 1.20pm - slowly ate my way through it. Bananas are very satisfying when eaten as is (and not in smoothie) and gives that starchy texture I miss. Felt full and satisfied for the first time ever (did not crave savoury) and stayed full until about 3.30pm when I got hungry again; like stomach empty kind of hungry. Fruit is digested so quickly!! Now eating an apple to tide me over til dinner. Not a huge fan of eating apples cos it reminds me of my gastritis, or whatever it is.   5.06pm still at work. Dying of hunger and simply cannot eat any more fruit without dry reaching. This is ridiculous. Maybe I could handle some rockmelon. But tonight's menu is mango and lime, and more mango and lettuce and tomato and bell peppers. I'm going to cheat a little and buy some corn wraps on the way home, and some cottage cheese, and eat the rest as is. I need to phase this in, I can't go cold turkey! Got my wraps (flat corn mountain bread) and made myself a wrap with raw black olives, tiny bit of cottage cheese, tiny smearing of corn relish, avo, loads of tomato and spinach leaves. Ate two wraps it was sooo satisfying. Ate another later in the evening for supper with a bit of teriyaki chicken.

[the801010attempt]

Day 1

Today I decided to follow the Spring Day 1 menu plan from Dr. Graham's 80/10/10 book because I just so happened to have all the required ingredients (it is currently summer). I have based the meal plan on a 1400 calorie intake, which is suitable for my height and weight. Here's my first day. Rode bike to work. At my desk, I ate a whole ripe papaya (large) with 2 kiwis (as a blended sauce) for breakfast (9.15am). Took me about an hour to finish because there was just so much to eat. The papaya was very ripe, felt like I was drinking chunky soup with the kiwi sauce. Felt very full after, but was hungry by 11.30am. Cheated and ate 4 very thin slices of avocado, a teaspoon of hummus and 1 small veggie cracker (dehydrated spinach, silverbeet, tomatoes, flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds). Had a small glass of banana/celery smoothie before going for a run at lunch for extra sustenance.   Lunch was the rest of the banana/celery smoothie (3 bananas, 1 celery stick incl. leaves). It made me feel relatively full but was not satisfied at all -- it wasn't really hunger, but some serious craving for solid, savoury food, which is what I'm used to at lunch time. At 3pm I buckled and went to buy a vegan shepherds pie from The Organic Food and Wine Deli on Degraves St and ate half of it. It was sooo good and made me feel much, much better. Less than 15 mins later though I had to go to the toilet really badly. Couldn't have been the veggie pie? I was told earlier that papaya has a strong laxative effect if eaten in large amounts. If so, I can vouch for that. Was able to last until home time with no more cravings. Rode home.   Dinner. Was hungry by 6.45pm and made myself the three course dinner according to menu plan: Pineapple/kiwi smoothie, Pineapple/fennel fronds/celery soup with cucumber slices, Spinach/lettuce/tomato salad with pineapple and macadamia dressing. Could not get through it all -- there was too much food. Just almost finished the soup, hardly touched the salad and had only two sips of the smoothie. The large amounts of pineapple (almost a whole large pineapple) made my tongue feel acidic and prickly and it hurt to keep eating so much pineapple!! Felt really full, but knew that was from all the liquid and will be hungry again soon. The soup was nice and 'savoury' as savoury could get on this diet but still mega craving of proper savoury and warm food. Was dreaming of the worst possible kind of food, KFC. Tried looking in the pantry for Kettle Salt and Vinegar chips. None to my dismay. Ate some kale chips (simply dehydrated kale leaves, no salt, no oil), which satisfied some of the crunch savoury craving I had. Went to parents place at 8pm to visit brother who came off his bike and had minor injuries. Whilst there my cravings for savoury food had maxed out so I cheated and ate a very small handful of pistachios, a very small piece of Chinese New Year butter cookie and half a prawn cracker. That was just enough to satisfy my craving. Back at home I ate more of the leftover salad, and went for a walk with the dogs at 10.40pm. I felt full from the salad. Got back at 11.30pm but was absolultely ravenous by then. I needed to just satisfy myself seriously once and for all today, so I ate a wrap with a small piece of teriyaki chicken with generous spinach leaves and a thin spread of hummus (yep, not raw!). It was the most satisfying thing I ate all day. Savoured every mouthful, swallowed slowly. Felt so freaking good. Then bed, feeling so satisfied. Day 1, kind of a failure.