Hello all,

I've been trying to go raw and I'm about to give up.

I bought ani phyo's cookbook and the recipes looked really great. I have so far made 4 of them and hate them all.

Everytime I make something and end up hating it, I become more and more discouraged and upset with thinking I could actually do this. I end up throwing the food out and microwaving a frozen meal.

It's just so discouraging. I really need help before I just give up.

I think one of the main things is I don't understand the purpose of processing foods so much. Smoothies - sure. Raw oatmeal? Eh.

Please help me!

Angie

Sounds like you need to simplify and go easy as you learn all these new recipes. I find that it's almost a new language, this raw food stuff. So I give myself the space to learn.

Smoothies I think are wonderful and can sustain me for much of the day when you get em right (or close to it)

Some theory on it is that smoothies are liquid food, easily digestible.

Green smoothies are spectacular and a great way to get your leaves in. They say the nutrients in the leaves (chlorophyll and such) are much more accessable than if you had just chewed them.

Try banana berry and greens (baby spinach or something you enjoy)

It's a place to start.

Be easy, I think most of us sort of go back and forth as we learn HOW to do this raw thang.

peace,

Chris

Angie,

There really isn't any need to make the complicated, highly processed foods, but they can be comforting on occasion. I don't have Ani Phyo's cookbook, but I have a few others. Most days I don't use them, but making an occasional raw lasagna or raw tacos for weekend dinner keeps me from feeling like I'm missing something. Don't worry about them if they don't appeal to you.

It's hard to tell what to suggest since you didn't say exactly what you didn't like, but if you're trying to make a transition you might want to start with recipes that are very sweet, fairly fatty or both. Use berries, citrus fruits, agave nectar, nuts, seeds, avocados, cold-pressed olive oil. If you make a successful transition, your tastes will probably start to tell you over time that you don't need as much sugar and fat, but don't deprive yourself if you want it.

Make a sauce that appeals to you, cut up all or half an avocado over an interesting green salad and use the sauce as a dressing. Salads can be a decadent and diverse treat that will make you feel less frustrated. Dehydrated foods often have a calorie-dense and chewy nature that feels more normal if you're used to cooked foods. If you feel like a splurge, order a box of prepared foods from rawvolution.com. All the foods in the box are from the RawVolution cookbook and it could be a good way to try a wide variety of interesting raw foods without investing the time or buying any equipment you aren't yet sure you need.

Yes, I agree with the above posts. Go slowly and allow your body and your taste buds time to adjust. One of the keys for me has been only eating things I like. I don't especially like vegetables or even salads so I stick more to fruits and nuts. I'll have a banana with some almond butter on it. When I first started on raw, I would have a fruit smoothie in the morning with all fruits that I really like, and fresh fruit with nuts in the afternoons and for snacks, then didn't worry about dinner. That worked well for me in transition. I have had to experiment with the gourmet / processed raw food recipes. I have thrown out my fair share, but there are a few that I have liked. It really is a learning process and what someone else thinks is good, might not be so good to me. I learned to never try a new recipe when I was hungry! Most of the recipes I make are raw desserts...I haven't had much luck with other things yet, although I did make a raw pizza that was pretty good. Check and see if your local library has any other raw cookbooks or look for recipes on the internet. They can be very time consuming and I find I only do them about 1-2x a week. The rest of the week its fruit and smoothies with an occasional salad. Give yourself time...set small goals...every small step to take toward eating better and putting better food into your body is progress.

Thanks guys!

I definitely want to do more smoothies - I think those will be my savior. I love pretty much all fruits; bananas, kiwi, all the berries, anything really. Veggies too. I tried collard greens yesterday though, and meh - a bit too 'sour' for my taste. I like sweeter-tasting things. I need to learn to make green smoothies - anyone have a good recipe?

I don't like avocados, but I do love nuts - so I guess I'll have to get most of my calories/fat that way? That's the thing I worry about too - how on Earth do you get 2000cals a day on nuts and fruits/veggies? On a vegan diet, I already only eat about 1200 per day. Maybe I'm just not hungry because the cooked foods make me so sluggish. I guess we'll see.

Anyways, I'm rambling on now. Thanks again for the advice. The encouragement means a lot. I really want to do this.

I have been eating raw and live foods for about 10 years now. The improved health I have experienced has been incredible however I am very thin and cannot seem to
gain any, no matter how much nuts and nut butter and olive oil and avocadoes I eat. Does anyone have any ideas on how to gain weight?

gsalerno...have you read Doug Graham's book 80/10/10? I know it has been helpful to some in gaining weight the right way.

angie one thing when i started this 5 years ago .. i pretty much hated fruit and veggies ... so anything fancy i tried to make came out horrible because i hadnt aquired any tastebuds for the stuff i was trying to make

there are things i eat now with great lust and love that 5 yeras ago repulsed me

like avo's and zuchini even apples and bananas lol

maybe just keep things simple for a bit .. learn what fruits and veggies you like.. learn what they really taste like perfectly ripe

close your eyes and learn to appreciate their tastes .. textures ..smells

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Good advice Jodi and I wholeheartedly agree. I have been a picky eater for most of my life...and only enjoyed pure junk. Just like people in different countries eat differently because that is what they're palates have been trained to like, you can re-train your tastebuds, but it does take a little time. Like Jodi said...start small.

hey there..how are things going?? i hope all is well with you and you are doing great!! hang in there it is tough at first but it gets better..never give up this is a journy you just gotta continue down the path!!
love earhtangel
xoxoxoxo

Much peace and love!!!
EarthAngel
Xoxo