Hello everyone and thanks for paying attention to my thread.

I am currently a cooked eater not only am I a cooked eater, I eat pizza at least a few times a weak as it fills me up. I am 19 and living on my own now for a bit but still have never grasped taking care of my nutrition. Luckily I met a few new friends who turned me on to the raw food lifestyle and after eating a few raw meals and feeling that awesome vitality it gave me is a feeling I would love to have consistently in my life.

My situation is that I am right now collecting government assistance and after rent and a bus pass for the month eating bad seems to be my only option as im used to "feeling full" but not vital. I kind of feel like an old man in a young guys body and its beginning to dawn on me that this is simply not normal at all!

I happened to get my hands on a Vita Mix blender and a power juicer in a weird synchronicity but thats another story, so I do have that and im making my very first attempt to growing sprouts in a jar.

Please Raw Food Group what do I do!!

Be patient.

I went thru a phase after being mostly raw for awhile that I was eating pizza and junk food almost daily.

Don't stress yourself & incorporate raw food (and maybe juicing that has always helped me) back into your diet.

It helps to have a reason to want to feel alive.

Congratulations! Welcome! It's all about the SMALL changes that you are WILLING, MOTIVATED, and PREPARED to do. To focus on anything else is to waste your time. Do all the research you can...but then set small goals (with timetables) to achieve your goals. Write down the 10 fresh fruits and vegetables that you LOVE the most.....and start purchasing them, foraging them....or growing them yourself. Sprouts are a great way to have fun...and get some nutrition....and they are inexpensive. Try raw sunflower seeds for starters!

-In my experience, utilizing conventional produce will work fine. Later, you can always 'refine' your diet if money permits buying organic....but health and organic produce are not synonymous (in my opinion). As many grocers if you can purchase 'scratch & dent' produce at a discount. A part-time job loading/unloading at a produce stand is a great way to get free stuff and extra cash. They usually do that stuff earl-i in the morning! Ha! ha!

-Have fun. You're new awareness will lead you to great things!

-Don't EVER let some one talk you out of YOUR deepest dreams. You won't be doing THEM or YOURSELF any favors! Heh..heh.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

The advice above is great sanik.
Dont expect it to happen overnight and DON'T beat yourself up about eating the "wrong" way . I think that the main thing that allows you to reach a healthy lifestyle is in the focus on why you are doing it. If you always focus on what healthy is, and why you want it, it will direct you to the knowledge you need and give you the motivation to do it. Let it happen in its own time as the above posters suggest.

I've found juicing great, and sprouts sometimes with a bit of avocado can fill me up when I am feeling that missing feeling.

the vitamix and juicer didn't just fall into your hands by accident. the universe knows you're up to something big, and is right there supporting you. just trust that the way will make itself clear little by little, or in great leaps and bounds! and keep learning about raw, experimenting when you can. you'll get there!

Thank guys I know what ill do, ill just stick around these forums to keep myself thinking in this direction all the while experimenting and trying to grow my sprouts etc!

Sanik,

You have a Vitamix??? Let that be your bridge to the raw food diet. If you can at least have a green smoothie (favourite tender greens blended with oranges and or pears, mangos or other favourite fruit) every day your are making progress. Or throw a few ripe bananas in with a cup of frozen strawberries for when you're hungry mid day. Be patient with yourself.

I read Victoria Boutenko's book, 12 Steps to Raw, and she described how she managed to keep her family of 4 raw even when they were struggling financially. She says they went to a lot of U-pick's (pick your own), and they would go to farmers markets (especially at the end of the day when, according to her, prices were lowest as farmers were trying to get rid of everything). They also grew tons of sprouts. Buying in bulk is always cheaper, too. For example, I buy organic oranges by the bag. Good luck!
-Lisa

Hi sanik and everyone! (hope you don't mind long comment...)

Oh my! I like helping distressed people. I'm 16, raised & still am:
omnivorous, eat cooked food, BUT, also - love vegetables, "healthy" food and take supplements<--(why father?!:[ )
Perfect huh? No. Like you, sanik, I'm doing a great disservice to my body by feeding it improperly. You say: "eating bad seems to be my only option as I'm used to "feeling full"," - But there ARE options!

Firstly, I suggest you do research on the Raw Living foods Lifestyle: Your raw friends, Books, & Internet. This site is a good starting point! The Book that got me started on this was "Be Your Own Doctor", by Ann Wigmore. A free autobiographical ebook by Dr. Ann is on www.chidiet.com/blog called "Why Suffer". At that website, & www.chidiet.com, there are great video testimonies of the Lifestyle. www.therawdiet.com ; www.therawdiet.com/evolve.html ; [www.fredericpatenaude.com] ; [www.youtube.com]
There are lots of resources! Draw your own conclusions about it. Research more if stuff are contradictory. Remove all doubts in your research.

After doing my research, I now plan to transform my life to my own customised MIXTURE of the Raw Living foods Lifestyle (Ann Wigmore! ), and the Symbiotic Raw Vegan Lifestyle. Find what works best for YOU. I like this synergy for me, because:

I've been reading around this site, and I notice that SAD CRAVINGS are a major issue with the Raw Living food lifestyle. I know you all have GREAT intentions, by feeding your body with the right food, but willpower shouldn't be used as a crutch. Don't you want it to be NATURAL, INSTINCTUAL, AUTOMATIC? Instead of struggling to maintain it, falling off it, feeling down and guilty, then jumping back on again, fearfully awaiting the next fall?

There is a group of raw foodists who never have to worry about cravings, because they have "re-programmed" their bodies (by cleansing the colon, gradually over about a 12 month period, and having 3 to 5 lb. of healthy aerobic bacteria in the intestines...), and now SAD junk actually is REPULSIVE to them! SAD food tastes salty, bitter or rancid to them, so - NO slipping back to SAD!

They are SYMBIOTIC Raw Vegan Foodists. They're not vegan though; they still eat animal...! They're quite different. Check out their following websites:

www.blindguru.com and www.rawfoodadvantage.com

I don't accept all their information though; some things on the sites are wrong, like them saying that The Raw Living Foods lifestyle is a SCAM...(LIES!) Among other things, but the truth that is there is edifying and good! I've sifted the truth from them and I'm in the process of contacting the webmaster or some authority figure to set the facts straight - and have only TRUTH there.

Lastly, about "feeling full", Excellent raw food is so satisfying! Once you've learned about it (through research!), you'll be as excited as I am to start! Remember to detox first! Gotta clean out the bad stuff, then put good stuff in, and gradually transition.

Thank you for reading all of this & I hope it is helpful!

Love, Good Health, and God bless you!
~Greensatva, Kingston, Jamaica, W.I.

I wish that a vitamix and a power juicer would just fall into my hands. Among other things, like a job that pays decently without violating my morals.

Yes, I agree with Maui, the universe is trying to tell you something.

I wish I could hear what it was trying to tell me. I know it's something, but I just don't know what it is.

The biggest step is already done....you have realized that there is something wrong with your old eating habits...take it easy and don't put too much pressure on yourself, drastic change usually doesn't happen overnight!

I can really relate!
I struggled with pizza in particular while eating raw the other times.
All I can say is when you stay away from it long enough,and have filling foods like avocados and nuts,you wont miss it.
I am on assistance for food too,and I use every bit of it in the produce section
Brian