I thought I’d continue on this week about my eating lifestyle and answer a few questions that you asked.  For those that missed last week’s post, make sure you check it out or none of this will make sense ;)

How often do you go to the grocery store to make sure you have the foods you need on hand?
Inventory management is a challenge when it comes to this lifestyle. I try to buy my fruits at varying ripeness when possible.  I also venture to the grocery store about 2-3 times a week to keep a decent rotation going.  Thankfully I only live 1/2 mile or so from the grocery store so it’s no biggie.

Any idea how much you spend on food a week?
This varies depending on if I’m 100% raw.  When I am 100% I go through about 1.5 forty pound boxes of bananas a week.  Each box costs approximately $20-25.  Since the bulk of my intake comes from bananas, that’s the bulk of my costs.  Add to that the cost of various other fruits and vegetables and my spending ranges somewhere between $70-100 a week. Keep in mind this is breakfast, lunch, and dinner with no eating out.

I do know some people living this lifestyle purchase food through wholesalers. I have yet to go that route but I do buy in bulk, hence the boxes of bananas. Oftentimes buying bananas by the box I’ve found I get a price break. In addition, I keep my eye out for the clearance section, often in the back of the produce section, where they’re trying to move out the overripe fruit.  It’s perfect ripeness for me and an absolute steal.

Do you eat consistently throughout the day or standard “meal times”?
The best thing I’ve found is to try to stick with three 20-30 minute meals a day. When I initially started this lifestyle I found myself eating continuously throughout the day to maintain my caloric intake.  This has gotten much better over time.

My meals are usually considered “mono meals” meaning I stick to only one fruit or veggie. This makes digestion easier on your body.  When combining foods it’s best to stick with foods that compliment each other and do not cause GI upset. I must admit food combining is still a challenge for me so I tend to stick with mono meals.

Do you have to take any extra supplements?
From the results of my blood work I came up with a game plan on how I now supplement with Iron and Vitamin B12.  While living in Ohio I also supplemented with Vitamin D due to my lack of time in the sunshine. I also take Potassium Citrate to inhibit kidney stone formation and vegan Glucosamine Chondroitin when training wears on my body.

Supplementing from the beginning or waiting to supplement after finding where you’re deficient is a hotly debated topic and should be discussed with your doctor. I personally waited until I had blood work performed to see where I was deficient.  If I could do it over again I would have had some baseline blood work performed prior to going vegetarian is 2008 to monitor the changes.

Does your husband follow the same eating habits as you?
Although D’s eating habits have never been heavily meat-based he does not follow a plant-based diet.  A couple years ago he decided to venture into vegetarianism in hopes of receiving some relief from his health issues.  Unfortunately after 2 months living an all vegetarian (mostly vegan) lifestyle he did not see the results he had hoped for and chose to reintroduce meat.  As he respects my lifestyle decision, I respect his.

I hope this answers some of your questions.  Anything I missed?

Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)