Hi, All,
I am still struggling - trying to get a routine that works for me to keep raw. There are several barriers that sabotage me. The rural grocery near me is small and has limited produce. Driving to town takes about 40 minutes one way, so the expense for gas is a consideration and the time it takes is a factor. Another problem is that I'm often out and about getting our business venture started. I don't know if, when, where or what I'll eat! I'm often with people I've just met and initial impresion is important. Pulling out a bag of fruit is a bit odd when you take someone to lunch. Ordering a salad sounds good, but I just need more than lettuce for a meal. ARRRGGGGG!!! Eventually things will settle down, but it sure is frustrating. I try and try to get back to raw, but circumstance interfere. It was so much easier hwere I was in New Zealand. Mostly it was the easy access to a good store and a regular routine where I mostly aye at home. Hmmm.


My favorite raw vegan

Hi Trive, Oh my, I have been where you are. I still am in some ways. I can be 95%-100% raw and then something comes up and it's really hard to get back into the routine of being raw again. I prefer not to go to restaurants, but get invited all the time. I try to eat either before I go or again when I get home.
I hope you'll be able to find a way to get back on track.

Where in the US are you now?

Peace,
Mona

In the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, Mona.


My favorite raw vegan

Did your world get rocked yesterday, Trive?

Yes. I'm used to feeling small earthquakes from having lived in New Zealand, but it was strange feeling one here in Virginia. I was on a scaffold painting a building at the time! We've had a few aftershocks too.

The only "damage" we had was a glass that skittered off to the floor. No one had any real damage that I know, although one person has a photo on her Facebook page showing a turned over patio chair with the caption: We will rebuild!


My favorite raw vegan

Hi Trive,

Earthquakes bring back lots of memories of when I lived in CA. I lived in San Jose when the 1989 quake shook the Bay Area and the freeway collapsed. I wanted to ask, what did you experience with Hurricane Irene? I saw on the map that it went through Virginia.

That must have been a scary experience for you in 1989. I remember seeing photos of that freeway collapse. WOW!

Fortunately, Irene didn't affect me or damage anything in our area that I know of. However, I have had an uncanny knack for "attracting" hurricanes over the years and have been through quite a few. I have experienced several floods, significant roof damage from tornadoes, electricity out for 10 days, etc. It has taught me to be prepared and self-sufficient!


My favorite raw vegan

It was creepy. The whole atmosphere changed.

Sounds like you've experienced quite a bit. Wow! I'm glad to hear that Irene didn't affect you like it did others. The pics look devastating. Take care.

Mona

In daily practice, reflect on the benefits of love, compassion and kindness, then reflect on the disadvantages of anger. Such continuous contemplation, the growing appreciation of love, has the effect of reducing our inclination towards hatred and increasing our respect for love. By this means even anger can be diminished.--The Dalai Lama

Hello, Trive! Have you come up with any solutions to the issues you were facing with going raw? Hope you are well.

Rachel

Hi, Rachel,

It's kind of you to ask how it's going for me. The answer is mixed.

When I first went raw I was desperate for relief from acid reflux and the pain I was experiencing. That gave me the motivation to be almost 100% raw. I not only got relief from severe symptoms, but began feeling great. Fantastic, really. All was good for about a year.

However, after a year of about 100% raw I began losing hair and changed my diet to include some cooked food (and the hair loss stopped).

Since then and now, my main challenge is the percentage of raw vs. cooked thing. I did better at 100% raw because I didn't have to make judgements. It was either on the okay list or not. I didn't have to think about it.

Now, although the distance from town, not having a set daily routine, etc. are challenges for me where I'm currently living, the bigger challenge is deciding which and how much cooked food to have - - and sticking to it. It's a self-contol issue. I have less self-control when I think percentages and end up making poorer choices. So, frankly, although I wish I could report that I have resolved my issues, I haven't. I am frustrated with myself and still struggling. I have gained weight and am not exercising as I was. Wah, wah, wha, right? I am embarrassed to be whining. My excuses sound weak even to me.

However, the good news is that still eat a high percentage of raw food and my acid reflux symptoms are minimal. Now it's just a reaction to eating the wrong thing, instead of non-stop pain.


My favorite raw vegan

There's good news and bad news.

The good news - - I don't have acid reflux problems any more. I don't really know why but when I eat or drink things that definitely triggered it in the past, now they don't. I credit the year I ate almost 100% raw for that.

The bad news - - There are some things about life (now and for the next few years) that are very stressful for me. Consequently, I have buckled and given into temptations of poor eating choices. This has been for a while now. I'm ashamed to be writing here at all because I feel like a fraud. Sure, I still eat a lot of raw food, but I also eat a lot of cooked food and won't pretend that it's just lightly steamed veggies. I don't know what it will take for me to get things turned around. When I experience hair loss and decided to add foods that would stop that from happening, it became a slippery slope to where today I had the worst day in DECADES today as to what I have eaten. In some ways I am a very strong person, but right now my self-control in relation to food is very weak. So, although I'll still check in to read now and then, I won't be posting here for a while. I need to figure things out and find the strength to make changes I need for healthy eating. I certainly appreciate the love and support I have received from so many of you. Thank you all. And I fully intend to "come back" when I have things more balanced and my diet is going better. So, good bye for a while.

Love to you all,

Try...Live...Thrive...

Trive


My favorite raw vegan

Hey trive dont stay away too long, I will miss you terribly your support and love has always been appreciated around here.

You dont have to be 100% or even raw to contribute around here so dont feel like a fraud ! <3

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Trive, I agree with Jodi, most of go through periods of eating more cooked than we want. It's a part of the process for many of us. What I've noticed too, is that many people who post are not 100% raw. Hope you keep us posted.

Hey Mona..how ya doing?

For Trive...I am sending you healing vibes..and as they say above...many of us struggle thru the years with staying on raw foods only..I certainly am one.

Love,
Prism

Hello Dear Friends,
It seems I'm on an unwanted adventure. Recently I noticed a depression in my right breast, so I had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy and it is cancer. Tomorrow I meet with the surgeon to plan my care. It's scary, but I eat well and have the loving support of my husband. The UVA Breast Care Center is excellent. I trust that I will be fine in time, but I'm feeling sad right now and finding it hard to get to sleep tonight. Since I'm still in the US, it has been a long time since I've been able to hug my two donkeys. Gosh, I miss them. Although this post has bad news, actually, I have been dealing with it very well. I'm rambling now, so I'll close with this. Thank you for being such kind, loving and helpful people.
Trive


My favorite raw vegan

My mastectomy surgery is set for Wednesday. Less than a week away. Believe it or not, when I was doing all the preliminary things for being admitted, a nurse took time to talk with me about good nutrition! He gave me readings and youtube videos about plant-based diets, fresh fruits and veggies, eliminating dairy, etc. He even talked about things like the benefits of raw pineapple core! I'm back on track with a good healthy diet (although I was never far from it). No, I'm not 100% raw, but believe that I eat well and have an excellent diet for me.

Exercise is another issue. It was much easier for me to exercise when I was in NZ. Today it's snowing here - not weather for going for a walk. Grrr and brrr.


My favorite raw vegan

I'm not supposed to cook or do housework after surgery tomorrow (right mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy). Fresh fruit will be easy and my husband can chop salads for me. I imagine I won't be hungry for a while as my body focuses on healing.


My favorite raw vegan

This feels like more of a personal diary - that others don't read postings here very often, but in case someone does, I had my surgery yesterday and it went very well. The cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes. Yay! And I'm home already. Not wanting to eat much at all. Body needs to spend its time healing.


My favorite raw vegan

I'm glad to hear that you're surgery went well and that the cancer hadn't spread. Going forward, I hope you can change the conditions in your lifestyle that led to the tumor, as it sounds like you are under some stress and perhaps your diet wasn't what you wanted for yourself. This tumor can be a great wakeup call to see that some of the things you were doing weren't working for you.

Your presence here on this forum is a blessing. Get well soon.

Glad to hear you are home resting and the surgery is past you. You sound very brave. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
I'm sorry you are missing your donkeys. I'm glad you have your husband to help you.
With love,
Ivi rose

Very tired. Not eating much, but enjoyed fresh blueberries and delicous salad made by husband. (He's making his own meals and can do more in kitchen than he has let on! Wonderfully supportive person.)
Thank you Prana and Ivi rose for your kind words.


My favorite raw vegan

Ya know... even when I have had periods of eating "badly" in my adult life, it was only in comparison to myself - not what people would generally think was BAD (i.e., no fried food, no red meat, no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, etc.), so it is hard to believe food was the cause of me getting cancer. Maybe it was some environmental factor? I wish I knew. Oh, well, I trust it is behind me. (The margins were clear and it had not spread to lymph nodes.) I've been at home recuperating and some friends sent me an arrangement of fresh cut fruit! Beautiful!


My favorite raw vegan

So glad to hear that they got all of the cancer. My Mom will be 5 yrs cancer free next month. She, too, had breast cancer and had a single mastectomy. The Dr.'s did not recommend chemo or radiation for which I am so very grateful!

Do you feel much like drinking fresh juice (that is if you have a juicer and someone to do it for you)

Bless you as you continue to heal up. May God give you the insight that you need to go forward in health!!

Mindy

Hi, Mindy,

Thank you for your kind thoughts. Congratulations to your mother. I have a third cousin who had a mastectomy over 20 years ago, so since mine was Stage I, was clear around the margins and hadn't spread to the lymph nodes, I feel confident that I'll do well too.
As to juicing, I just recently bought a blender and am ready to go to it! Although I'm still at home, I'm already going out and may go in to work for a couple of hours tomorrow - my first time going back if I feel up to it. (The surgery was over a week ago and I feel better each day.)
The photo of fruit following your signature looks SO APPEALING! I am a visual person and a fruit fanatic. Those colors look beautiful!

Trive

Hi Trive,

You can make some yummy smoothies with your blender!! Glad to hear that you are feeling better with each passing day.

Have you ever had an actual juicer?? The type that can juice veggies, such as carrots and much more??

Blessings,

Mindy

Yes, Mindy, I have been a big fan of green smoothies. I just hadn't purchased a blender since moving back to the US. It's great to have one now, though. I wish it were a fancy schmancy expensive one, but it'll do for now.

I haven't ever had a juicer, but when I spent a summer in Australia as often as I could I'd have a carrot/ginger/orange juice that was made right in front of me. They are my FAVORITE! I'd love to get a juicer some day. I just assumed that they were pretty costly and haven't even investigated.


My favorite raw vegan

I highly highly recommend juicing daily if you are able. Tons of nutrients. Not sure how much you can afford, but you can get a Champion (Will last forever. The motor is a beast!). You can get the Household model for $240 and the Commercial one for $270 (personally, I'd get the Commercial one).

You can get an Omega 4000 for $169 on discountjuicers.com I believe. I think that includes shipping too. Their website will probably give you more info on juicers than you ever cared to know. ha!

Some juicers are superior because of their ability to extract the most nutrients. Unfortunately, they tend to increase in price accordingly. If I could afford to get any juicer I wanted I'd get a Green Star which is around $600.

Since we can't afford that, we are going to start saving up for an Omega VRT350HD. It's $379. Ouch. We currently have the Champion which is really quite good, just wanting an upgrade.

Here's an article from this site: [www.living-foods.com]

Best,

Mindy

Sweet Sweet Trive,

I just had a chance to read through some of your journey and I must say how amazed I am at your strength and personal integrity. I can't believe you ended up with breast cancer! You mentioned in a post that you typically eat raw and when you don't it's still GREAT. I believe things just happen and we can try to blame it on this or that but it still doesn't change what it is. Thank you so much for sharing so openly to us. Let's hope my biopsy goes well. I started this journey to see if I could "beat" the possibility of cancer after an mammo and MRI showed a lump in my breast. Your testimony is real and very much needed at my time trying to take all of this in while I patiently wait til the 4th to have my biopsy done.

xoxo

My goodness Rayshak. What kind words to me. Thank you.

And then to read that your are going through testing for a lump in your breast.

If you close your eyes for a minute, you'll feel that I'm squeezing your hand gently and smiling with you during the wait and whatever the results.

While waiting for the test and results, remember that it may be negative. If it isn't, know that testing and treatment have become so much more sophisticated these days.

Meanwhile, keep taking good care of yourself.

And whether here or in a private message or your strand "Journey into the Unknown", if you're comfortable sharing the results, I'd very much like to know how it goes for you, but of course it's fine if you prefer to be private. I just feel a kinship with anyone dealing with breast lumps, life's humps and lymph node clumps.
(The fingers on my other hand are crossed for you until your results are in.)


My favorite raw vegan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2013 07:51AM by Trive.

Sweet Trive, thank you again for making my heart feel better. The lumps and humps of life are amazing, huh? You will definitely be on my contact list. I'm trying to stay on a positive note but the thoughts of being bald after chemo have passed through my mind (hopefully it will get rid of some weird chin hairs I have popping up) but again, that's a far fetched idea.

I hope you're continuing to gain strength. Thank you for your well wishes...