Thank-you aquadecco for the encourageing words. I have still been compromising my raw food diet. I don't feel real good about it in fact my stomach hurts and I am not regular. I am feeling tired and weak in comparison to when I was raw just last week. eating raw foods is better and I have to get myself back on track. I weigh in on monday and lost 1.6 pounds even though I ate cooked foods. I feel real fat and I feel like my skin is sticky and dirty in comparison to just last week when I ate only raw, I even have some minor breakouts on my face. I am not sure just how to get myself back on track I have to conjur up something to get back on track with eating raw. I know now what it feels like to be raw and I don't want to miss it. Life is better raw in so many ways. I even feel brain foggy. I have forgotten just how I felt when I ate cooked foods and now it is all comeing back to me. The brain fog the lack of energy aches and pains all over. I want to get back to what I had just last week.
I need all the encouragement I can get right now. I just got to do it I know I can. I still have so much weight to lose and I felt so good when I was raw. Why is it so hard right now? Life is so good raw.

Would you consider doing some simple cleanses at home?

Enema kit, less than $15, organic olive oil and lemons, about $20, epsom salts about $5-10, apple juice, up to $3 a quart, plus some time and filtered water.

Sometimes it's not only will-power, it's also the old toxins making things very difficult for us.


[www.curezone.com]

You may be right with this one. I have a book about the liver cleanse and wanted to do it. I think this might be the time to git r done. I am still learning about this thing. I think being raw for these last six monthes has cleansed me to the point that I freaked? I read the cure zone thing, thank's. I am not ready to flop over and let this get the best of me but I feel so bad for caving in and eating this food. I really miss the raw way of eating and hope to get back on track tomorrow. it is late and I am going to bed soon. Thanks again aqua, for the advise. I invite any help right now. I read something ann wigmore wrote about ridding ones self of habits and cycles we have to sometimes punch our selves out of a cycle or habit. I think I am going to have to fight my way through this one.

One step at a time.

I am going to win this one

I am getting to old for this...............

I want to eat raw foods and feel free /

Sorry Pam that you are having a rough time right now. It's stressful when you have to work, and the particular job is not what you really want, plus it's the holidays and many of us can get stressed over some things, like money, holiday foods that are tempting, family, etc.

Even if you eat some cooked or junk foods, don't stress about it. Find a compromise maybe, like when you do eat cooked, right afterwards have something that will help with digestion, such as papaya tablets, or fresh pineapple, or some good probiotic.

Get a new book to help with new motivation, or visit some other websites on raw foods, look for those cool pics of transformations..you could even add you own profile of before and after pics..100 lbs. is an awesome change and it's ok you aren't down to where you eventually want to be..it's such a huge change, that other people will be inspired, and when you can inspire others, that gives you a lift in spirit that you may then be even more determined than ever! Try shazzie.com and look under her thread of 'transformations' of before and after pics.

I've been looking thru the pics people here are posting on the main forum and they are very beautiful indeed..their eyes shine bright, their hair glistens and their skin is translucent and healthy! I'm sure you do too!

Give yourself a big hug for all your hard work!

Love,
Prism

Thanks prisim. I need all the good words and positive thoughts.

Well this is what I did today.

I get up at 2 am and go to work ( I have to be there at 3 am) Before I left I did a quick oil pull not a full 20 min though. I worked hard baking and frying the bread. I work alone so my thoughts are free to just think about things. I have been very fearfull due to eating the cooked foods. I have been afraid I will spiral out and just lose what I have worked so hard for these past 6 months. My thoughts have been full of fear of not being able to get it together and start eating right. So this is what I did...... I started saying to myself words like " one little step at a time" or " I want to eat raw foods" just simple words instead of "I am afraid" or "I can't do it" What ever happened I feel stronger and have found some sort of streangth to start up again. Today I got some oranges and had some juice before going to bed and had some more juice when I woke up. It really tasted good. later I made a large salad with avacado and lettuse and my favorite arugula and dandilion greens. I had some olives and cut them up in the salad but they are so salty. I had this past craving for the olives but now I really don't desire them, I just put them in there because they were in the fridgerator. I use the braggs dressing but I have not enjoyed that any longer like I use to. I have to take my 14 yr old daughter out to dinner tonight, its her birthday, I am hoping the restarant has some fresh fruit. I hate to go and just sit there watching others eat. Thats not so fun. I am feeling stronger today. Thanks for the positive thoughts I really think that helped me more than anything else. I think I am back on track. I have drank some coffee in the morning and this evening. I will deal with that later but I am so happy to have eated raw today I am full right now so when we go out tomight I will be less tempted.

It is so surprising how eating the cooked foods made me feel so tired and weak so quickly. I also felt very fat. I still am fat but I don't feel that way. I also felt so old. I hope to keep loseing this weight and celebrate my 50th birthday much thinner. I don't expect to have it all lost but I think 90 pounds is a fantastic start. I have until the end of march. We will see just how much I lose.

Life is good raw

I also have some persimions hanging from my light in the dineingroom. They have to get real soft and I heard hanging them is the best. My kids are calling me a hippy. They think I am getting weirder by the minute. I have never eaten a persimmion and I am anxious to taste them.

I also am going to prepare for a liver cleanse I will have to get some apple juice and other stuff for prepareing it. I have a book somewhere about it. That should help me through the christmass holliday.

I actually enjoyed doing a 10 day cleanse right through the Christmas holidays last year and might do it again.

I felt pro-active about my health and didn't really feel deprived except for a minute here and there.......till I remembered how bad I felt after eating cooked.

I think you'll find renewed strength from cleansing, Pam, so have fun with it all. Btw, there are a few cleanses on the web too and lots of testimonials to help.

That's wonderful Pam, that you are once again renewed to continue. Renewed motivation many times for me has come from something I read, a book, or website, or someone's post. I especially loved the before and after pictures of people, that alone would get me going!

Each step of the last 5 years has brought something new which I never could have though of until I'd arrived there. I just never know what's next now, but I know they are just there waiting for me to discover them.

The cleanses are very interesting, and because you have to usually follow some kind of schedule, or protocol, they get you involved with your body's responses, and if you end up with a healing event like I did on the 30 day parasite cleanse, (I had to take pictures of that!)it makes one really take heed about our bodies and what they harbor, or what we are putting into them, or what is getting into them.

In fact I'm due to start another 30 day cleanse and I was going to do it in December, but due to the money situation I may have to put it off until next month. I loved the one I did so much, I'm going to repeat it.

I still feel like I've got so much to heal, and really have been doing very good recently with that. I'm on to massage my abdomen, lower, upper, and both sides and it is quite a work out, especially now that I'm using the exercise ball everyday.

Next, I'm going to have my son get the treadmill out and I'm going to work on doing some walking before I eat in the mornings. They say it's the best time to burn body fat.

Take care, keep searching for that better job, one without the deep frying

Love,
Prism

Pam..come back..don't lose what you found while on raw foods..we miss you..and I know how hard it can be with winter blues, an icky job situation, stressful finances, etc. Hang in there..you get thru the winter the best you can, and you'll see that when spring comes you'll feel so much better.

Oh, and if you get a chance..try reading The China Study book..if you haven't already.

Love,
Prism

awwww prisim, I will never lose what I have found in eating raw foods. I have opened a door and entered a new world of good health and green vegies.
My tooth has been giveing me the most grief right now. I had to go to the hospetal to get some antibiotics to help fight the infection. I really don't think puss in the head is a good thing.
just because I lhave discovered the most wonderful way of liveing does not mean I have become invincable from all things. I still suffer the consequenses from my past and one of them is this rotten tooth. I will have to have surgery to have it removed. I am not eating a raw diet at this time. I really miss the raw foods.
I will look into the china study book prisim. thankyou for your concern.

Oh, sorry to hear that. I hate tooth pain. I lost a cap on a molar this week-end..so expensive and yet they only last for short while anymore. I bought some temp dental cement to see about putting in back on myself.

You might try some Iodine for that infection Pam..just mix a couple drops in water and swish around in your mouth and you can swallow it too.

Love,
Prism

Prisim, if you have been oil pulling that will loosen your caps and sometimes take out fillings.

No, I haven't tried oil pulling yet..I just don't see adding a new protocol to my already busy day yet and I did worry about my bridge work and caps. Oh, but I did use some bleach and water to really clean one day and I have a feeling it was that combo that loosened that cap.

So, Pam..how you doing at that job? I hope you are having some really nice holiday time with family and friends.

Love,
Prism

The job is history now. I will be applying at a place that takes care of elderly in their homes. I really think the hours were killing me and the baking. I am hopeing to get myself on track with the raw diet. I feel so old now since I have been eating the forbidden cooked foods lol.
While I was eating the raw diet I felt invincible and young. Now I feel old and tired. while raw I smiled at the world and the world smiled back. Now I look down and am really back to my old negative self. I do believe there is something to eating mostly raw foods. Our body seems to really like it. I really cant wait until I get back on the raw diet. One thing I am concerned about is my tooth and I will need surgury to get the thing out. I was reading the matt monarch book and hementioned how raw foodists dont deal with medicines like the standard cooked people. I understand that while on a raw diet our bodies may deal with medicines adversly and we should be carefull about what medicines we do take.
I think when the holidays are behind me I will be able to concetraite on the diet again.

I hope you are able to get into the private home care field. I did that off and on over the years, and in Ca. there's a huge need for good private caregivers, but in Oregon it's so sad, but so many of the people are in nursing homes, and retirement homes early on. I always liked doing the home health care.

The holidays can certainly throw us off our raw food routines that's for certain. But once as you say the New Year is here, people get motivated again.

I just got the book called Sunfood Diet by David Wolfe from the library and am going thru that this week. It looks really good, and has lots of juicing recipes that look really good.

Love,
Prism

well I might as well updadte on my diary. I have fallen into the old ways of eating and have not been raw and feel real bad. it seems as if the great feelings that eating raw alive foods gave me have gone away as well. I now have pain starting in my feet as I did before I started eating raw. I don't jump up from a sitting position because my feet hurt. I have noticed my gums are not looking so well even though I have tooth problems my gums really looked good while on the raw food diet. I am experianceing some brain fog also. I have not been loosing weight. My posture has been poor my attitude on life depressed It seems the longer I eat the cooked foods the more I lose what I have gained in the six monthes of eating raw. I do miss the crunch of fresh foods. the aliveness of it all.
I am trying to gain the internal strength to start up again. this is long enough and I have learned that being raw is the optimal way of life. I also miss my internet friends.
In some ways the holidays are depressing and stressfull. I have spent the last week moving my mother in law and trying to get things together with the family. I don't like the stress of the holidays and winter. I hope this new year will be a new beginning for me. I will turn 50 this year. I still have so many pounds to lose I hope to get my garden up and growing. To be honest I am not the greatest gardener, I tend to kill plants. I have to work on that and grow the best garden for this summer. I got a digital camera ant will start taking pictures of the progress. I hope to grow lots of arugula.

Why do I have to learn everything the hard way anyway??
I miss the raw way of life.
Pam

Hi Pam! Welcome back I would say ok..stop and just take a deep breath and think that you don't have to regain what you've lost or lose what you've regained thru the raw foods!!

Just figure that it's 2008 now, it's a new year, and a fresh start and you are better off then when you started 2007! Take a pair of pants that fit, and don't grow out of them..where them and the same size as those everyday. It really helps to know when to stop eating..when they get tight at meals that's when!

I didn't find raw foods until I was 50 and now for 5+ years have been on it and I also have been a bit up and down, but not too badly..just 2 sizes up from when I lost the first 71 lbs..and I'm not going anywhere in this size except the same or down from here. That's all there is too it

I know how tough stress can be on you, I still get stressed at times, but I try so much to stay in a more peaceful state..I used to think it was due to my nature, but mostly I think it's a learned habit and we can unlearn our bad habits and create new healthier habits for ourselves.

Love,
Prism

thanks prisim, your words are so helpful. I got the book you mentioned called china study. I am finding it very helpful I also have been reading a book called enzyme nutrition by Dr Edward Howell. I googled Howell's name and he has a my space place as far as I know the guy is still alive. He is about 100 yrs old.

I do what I don't want to do right now like a robot programmed from all the ways I ate in the past. I am different now because of the taste I have found in eating raw foods I cannot deny what I have learned these past months and how wonderful I felt.

Years ago I read a book titled "flowers for algernon" it was a fictional story about a developmentally desabled adult who was subject to an experiment which made him above average in intellegance then the experiment failed and he became his old self again. He still remembered what it was like to live without his mental dissability. I feel somewhat like that character, I now know what life is ment to be like. I just have to take that step and start once again eating a simple raw diet.

I am going to turn 50 yrs old this year and I want to celebrate it with fresh raw food not mushey cooked cake lol. I still have mass weight to lose and I do intend to lose it this year also. I am not going to throw in the towel just yet the fight has only begun for good health for me.

Great attitude! I am going to check on Dr. Edward Howell..see if I can read anything about him and his diet, maybe I can find his book at the library.

You want to be fit and healthy to work for the next 10 or 15 years right? I do, and that means being as healthy as I can get with raw foods..it's the only way for me.

You take care,
Love,
Prism

here I go again............... This morning I juiced some oranges and that was so good I had some more fresh orange juice. yum..............I am looking foreward to gaining some internal strength to eat all raw. I really don't know why I allowed myself to side stem so badly. I feel so dead inside from eating the cooked diet. Will I ever learn?
I am anxious to get to work on my garden. The ground is so muddy and wet. I have a lot of work because I will have to make a fence and build my green house. I am glad The green house was not set up I am sure the wind would have tattered it. I got some seeds and intend to plant some things indoors to give them a jump start. I am not a gardener and am learning as I go.
I have upgraded my internet service so I can watch videos online and have been enjoying the information about raw food.
got to get outside right now the sun is shining and its not raining right not. catch ya all later
pam

Well..you know with the holidays, the job you had, and just the overall exhaustion is enough to push anyone off their routine with regard to diet and raw is easily gone off due to those things.

I also need to get back to mostly my high raw diet..I've been allowing myself to eat some things I wouldn't normally.

Pam, my son got a job at Whole Foods, I think that's great..I asked him..does this mean you are going holistic? He said "no"..but I think the few months he stayed with me did give him some time to get reintroduced to a healthier life-style..I'm hoping anyway.

I've got some issues to work thru for the new year that I didn't anticipate having and they are somewhat stressful..so what I'm trying to do is just do what I want, do what I can without stressing and let the rest go. It's hard, and it may get harder later, but there's nothing I can do except to reflect on what my choices are or could be.

Love,
Prism

sounds good about your son, prisim. I am concerned about your issues you mentioned I hope it is not serious My thoughts go out to you and I hope the best.
Today I bombed in the afternoon with my diet. I will keep pursueing the dream to be more healthy. I will not mention what I ate. I went outside for a while and surveyed my garden area. I have a ton of work ahead of me. I will take some pictures of the progress. I fed the horses and it started raining so I scurried inside. I am hoping to plant some seeds to have a jump start.
I hope to make a plan for tomorrow maybe I will fill up on some green smoothies. With a will there is a way. I still have a will.

That's great..you are going to do better and just wait for spring which is nice for renewals and new starts.

You have horses? Cool..I love horses.

I have some work to do in the garage..it's cold out there though..even if it an attached garage But that's where the coolest exercise equip. is and I plan on utilizing my sons equipment soon. He's got barbells on a large rack, free weight set for every muscle known, and a nice treadmill, and a kickbox/punch bag. I would love to have a rebounder next.

Onward and upward..and hopefully an even keel soon!

Love,
Prism

I have a rebounder, I got it for myself this christmass it cost about 19 dollers. Today I shoveled mud. About ten wheelbarrels of it. I still have to shovel out more mud. We are having so much rain and the back had some bulldozer work before the rain so it is a silty mud hole. My daughter had three poneys her father gave her to sell so they are in the back. I feel badly for them because it is so wet out side. I was not prepared for the poneys. I am hoping to get started on the garden work this sunday and just keep on it till its time to plant. In the past I never had the garden ready for planting and something elst seemed to get in the way of my plans. This year I intend to not let anything get in the way. I am going to have a garden. After so much shoveling I began to feel sort of tired out.
Today I did not do well on the diet though. Still working on it ..............
Thanks for the support prisim.
Hey I use to use a punch bag. I don't think I could do that right now though. That is a real work out.
pam

I had to take a class yesterday for childcare and I climbed 3 flights of stairs..not hard but I found myself somewhat out of shape and not near as strong as I'd like to be. I really need to add in that 30 minutes of exercise a few times a week.

I may be gardening/landscaping this spring and summer too. I love the planning and planting stages..seeing it all come together. As for veggies, and growing useful stuff..I don't know yet. I might try a small area if I'm still here.

Love,
Prism

Today..... I went to my weight loss group. I really did not want to go because of the weight gain I am having but I bit the bullet and went any way. Of course I had a weight gain I have been eating some real bad stuff. My weight loss friends were so encourageing that when I got home I blended some kale, spinach and dandilion greens and am drinking it as I type. Even though may or may not eat cooked foods I better be getting my greens and fruit. Lets see if that will work. I felt real good when I was having green smoothies in the past I think when it goes through my digestive system it draws the toxins out in my intestines having all that green roughage. It really was not that great of a smoothie but I rejoice that it is a new beginning and no matter if I eat cooked foods or not I am going to make myself eat the good stuff anyway.
In your face chips and sweets...................... I will win
I was given a sprouter thing and am anxious to start some fresh sprouts. yeha.


Prisim, what do you mean If you are still there????? You are not moving again are you??? You can plant some things in planters and take them with.

I don't plan on moving anytime soon.

For your green smoothies, try adding a banana or mango or some frozen fruits like berries..they taste great and go so well with tender greens like baby spinach, leafy green veggies, cucumbers, parsely, celery, and carrots. I also put a base of fresh fruit juice in to blend it sometimes..ok..most of the time

Love,
Prism

well, today I woke in the morning and warmed some water and juiced a lemon. I did put some honey in it and drank it down yum. I had a cup of tea and drank water the rest of the day. I am starting a fast in hopes to bring a balance to my body. I feel real good and strong to day. Lots of learning going on but I did gain over 13 pounds from my back sliding ways.
Thank-you prisim. YOU may not knnow it but somehow you have a majic touch. One thing is for sure though change has to come from within and we have to gain our streangth from within our selves. I have experianced the freedom of being raw and I can not live without it now. life is good raw

It morning time and I managed to fast yesterday by just drinking water and three cups of tea. I did eat a couple of sprouted beans I just wanted to taste them. I intend to fast today as well. My gums are looking better already and I am feeling more centered. I am surprised that by just eating nothing would make me feel better so quickly. Its so cold outside its 18 degrees and the ground is real frozen so I don't want to go out to work on the garden. I sprouted some kamut seeds and they are ready to plant for some wheat grass juice. I am not sure if I will continue this water fast or start juicing. I am going to just play it by ear and how I feel. I can take the grass to my dads if I am not going to use it. It just feels good to grow something. I managed to grow some green sprouts. A friend gave me this little sprouter, its got stacking trays and you just ut a tablespoon of seeds in it and water it has ridges in the trays that hold a little water for the seeds. It seems to work better than the jar method. I hope my kids will eat them since I am fasting right now. They look real yummey though.
My tooth problem is still there however from just one day of fasting I feel a difference. I already have noticed my body is not as puffey. I am starting to think a bit more positive as well.

Oh..18 degrees Well..it's cold here too, but the sun is out and the sky is blue, it's just very windy and coooold. I went out yesterday to shovel some of the sod I had dug up in the front yard, and it was so frozen it felt like cement..so I only managed to pick up 3 pieces of sod and then I said..I'm waiting for the spring thaw!

I have felt like doing a little less eating lately also..I don't know why, but it just seems like my body wants to rest and not have to digest a lot of food the last few days.

I am feeling the need to get to the store and pack in a bunch of lovely juicy fruits though..so maybe I will venture out today for some of those. Pineapple, cranberries, grapes, oranges, grapefruits, lemons..lots of lemons..hmmm..my mouth is watering..I'm going to go now and make some hot lemonade with raw honey!

Love,
Prism

I know what you mean about the juicy fruits. I just want to eat them up, I was at the grocery store today and my mouth wat watering over the grapes I saw there.
Today I had two cups of tea and some water and a lemon juiced in some warmed water and I am fine actually I am beginning to feel more positive My teeth don't hurt like they usually do and my gums are looking better. The brain fog is lifting and my thinking is getting better. I feel just fine without food. My head hurts a but because of the detox thing. I am having some vivid dreams though. I am going to continue with this for a while. I am also sprouting some wheat for wheat grass and I purchased some seeds for the garden. I intend to plant them indoors and give them a good start.
The ground is way to frozen right now for digging so I am just doing other things. Its so cold but the sun is out and the sky is blue over here also. I do love that.
It is good to be raw