OK. So I had a huge insight tonight. As you all know, I have been flirting in my mind with this fruit thing for a while. My highest self says yes. A couple things have held me back. Fear of authority figures. Fear of getting sicker based on what they say. But the biggest thing - Fear of feeling. Even though I am not eating junk like ice cream, eating a ton of fat, eggs, and animal protein creates an extreme sense of slugginess and stuffedness in my body - Not that different from bingeing really. When I go to the store and look at fruit, I now see that what I see and can feel in my body is that if I choose this path I am going to feel very light and empty - Something I have ran from my whole life. I am terrified to feel. Maybe this fear is unfounded. Maybe it will be liberating and give me space to love, dance, connect with others. But given how I have lived my life I expect a lot of grieving, anger, and tears. What kind of support have you all built in while going through this emotional change? I know that Bryan has an amazing yoga community in California. What other tools have you found helpful?

Food is just the fuel for your dreams. Choose the foods that YOU think are the healthiest. You'll know you are doing things that are right for you when you can take joy in the process - and not constantly think about it....you know? Practicing 'radical acceptance' and listening totally to some one else's story......with complete attention........and getting involved in some type of service work are the things I would recommend. And you don't even need to leave your community! LOL.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Congratulations on your epiphany. I do agree with David, but I also see (and have experienced) that fruit eating does strip you bare so to speak. Counselling helped, as did having a really terrific hubby and very good friends. And honestly - time heals and after awhile it doesn't seem to be as big of a deal anymore. You can do it, dancer!

Sarah
[goingbananasblog.com]

I'm right where you are. That is exactly what has been holding me back from flipping the fruit switch on. I'm using EFT (emotional freedom technique- emofree.com) and counseling.

Good Luck!

Yes,

once you go into a high fruit based diet and low fat than you better be prepared to getting to know yourself better.

Most people eat fat to numb thier feelings instead of observing them and embracing them.

This is why people have a hard time with a high fruit based diet they have no clue how to deal with the emotions that will come up.

find something you are very passionate about
and do it on a regular basis
u mentioned dancing
that is great
channel all your unwieldy and raw emotions into dancing
talk to your friends about the feelings that crop up
get their feedback and insight

but also do what david says and get out of your own story
and get into going outward in order to equillibriate what is going on within

and also, just take it a day at a time
that is all

u don't have to do more than one single day

and i like david's idea about radical acceptance

just accept everything about yourself
past present

everything

that is the beginning of healing

i wish you the best journey

Any kind of practice that teaches you how to focus on your heart--or just your attention, to changes in any part of your body when your emotions change, can be very enlightening about your unconscious processes. I was recently recommended to go to a 10 day silent Vipassana retreat... and my soul has total ants in the pants for the experience.

Being honest with yourself, expressing yourself when you need to (I used to push everything inside) are great things to do. I've slowly learned to do this with more tact and detachment (as in, "I acknowledge I feel this way, but understand it's not a personal attack", which people respond VERY favorably to... a lot of my lessons were about speaking up.

In the end, it's all about being good to yourself, taking care of yourself, loving yourself... you really have to be there for #1 in every way. It eventually becomes contradictory to go totally out of your way to exercise, eat pure raw food, get sunshine, fast, etc... and totally neglect Spirit on the inside. So, of course, when you find yourself in situations that are mentally/emotionally/psychically deplorable, and that barrier of food is torn down, you *HAVE* to deal with it. Just like physical pain signals serve a purpose--the fire is hot, you will burn if you don't take your hand away. If something causes emotional distress, honor yourself, your ability to feel, and the situation that gave you the signal, and respond accordingly.

I started developing a pain in my right arm that had huge psychological roots. It began to twitch at night, while I was sleeping. Most of it had to do with the fact that I'm right-hand dominant, was totally revolted by my job--and I think my entire arm was starting to feel alien to my body because I kept forcing it to act against my heart/will. There are things like German New Medicine that look at all illnesses as having an emotional cause... so it does stand to reason we should listen to all the signals our whole self gives us, in order to remain wholly functional and wholly happy. =)

I can't say I was entirely prepared for the emotional changes, which hit me very hard. But, after only 7 months of raw (really not that long for a lifetime!), I've gotten a new job, and I'm moving out of my apartment this week. There have been some shakeups in my personal life (boyfriend and I had some rough spots, not really seeing shady friends anymore), made contact with my mother who kicked me out of the house when I was 16... very difficult, very rough when stuck in transition from old patterns you used to sublimate into new patterns of freedom/joy/unfettered expression... very, very rewarding!!

Uh... this board is a great place to rant, too. =)

hey phantom

such a beautiful post.. wow!

but what did you mean by this?

<< "I acknowledge I feel this way, but understand it's not a personal attack">>

u say that people respond very favorably to this but i am not sure what u meant by it. i understand the " not a personal attack" but the first part, i am not sure how it goes with the second part. just sincerely wanting to understand what u said about it because it is always good for me to learn how to improve on human interactions and its good to see what works for others

also i like what u said here:

<<In the end, it's all about being good to yourself, taking care of yourself, loving yourself... you really have to be there for #1 in every way. It eventually becomes contradictory to go totally out of your way to exercise, eat pure raw food, get sunshine, fast, etc... and totally neglect Spirit on the inside. So, of course, when you find yourself in situations that are mentally/emotionally/psychically deplorable, and that barrier of food is torn down, you *HAVE* to deal with it. Just like physical pain signals serve a purpose--the fire is hot, you will burn if you don't take your hand away. If something causes emotional distress, honor yourself, your ability to feel, and the situation that gave you the signal, and respond accordingly. >>


that is a VERY profound and true statement. something that is invisible can burn just as deeply as a hot flame and be extremely deleterious to the delicate spirit itself that is more palpable than the tangible itself and thus is felt that way

<<I started developing a pain in my right arm that had huge psychological roots. It began to twitch at night, while I was sleeping. Most of it had to do with the fact that I'm right-hand dominant, was totally revolted by my job--and I think my entire arm was starting to feel alien to my body because I kept forcing it to act against my heart/will. There are things like German New Medicine that look at all illnesses as having an emotional cause... so it does stand to reason we should listen to all the signals our whole self gives us, in order to remain wholly functional and wholly happy. =)>>

this i believe
though it can seem mysterious
i've experienced such things though not as overt as your arm connection
a lot of times the emotions seem left field and not so obviously related to the pain
but when the root is rooted out
the pain goes away
if i am lucky and persistent about it


<<I can't say I was entirely prepared for the emotional changes, which hit me very hard. But, after only 7 months of raw (really not that long for a lifetime!), I've gotten a new job, and I'm moving out of my apartment this week. There have been some shakeups in my personal life (boyfriend and I had some rough spots, not really seeing shady friends anymore), made contact with my mother who kicked me out of the house when I was 16... very difficult, very rough when stuck in transition from old patterns you used to sublimate into new patterns of freedom/joy/unfettered expression... very, very rewarding!!>>

oh wow congratulations on your new job phantom
i do hope you like it
brave of you to make contact with your mom

i can totally relate to the "freedom joy unfettered expression"

i feel that way right now and have been feeling that way for several weeks

its not just cuz of raw

that is just ONE fraction of it

it is doing things i love
being with people i love

following my heart

sure there are rough spots

but working towards things makes me feel as if i already have them sometimes

sometimes

Fear of feeling.
I know this is what sent me spinning out of control when i lost a loved one five months ago.
I just wanted to numb the pain.
I didnt want to feel it or watch my family feel it either.
It was all too much.

Within a short time i became sick, but even this was easier to deal with than actually feeling the pain of loosing a loved one.
maybe on some level i needed to be there. Who knows?

Once i allowed myself to feel the pain, i started to get things into perspective and returned to raw.

Im so grateful that i have discovered the true bliss and joy that eating a fresh fruit diet brings.

I am also grateful for the emotional cleansing.

When i first tried it i hated it.
I was afraid of feeling.
im still afraid.
I just try to not dwell on the stuff that comes up, i thank it for its part in my cleansing and let it go.
In my experience, if its not finished with it returns!

Flicking the fruit switch stripped me bare, and when i though I had a handle on it then the road just got tougher. Its been difficult.
just my experience, Im deeply grateful for it.
Blessings
Lorretta

Hi Loretta

i am wishing you continual healing

la_veronique

I appreciate your kindness. Thank you

dancer, Congrats on your new discovery.

IMHO, if you're not spiritual, read "Atlas Shrugged". I think a lack of truth, integrity, basic values, including valuing one's self, and nurturing relationships which help us to attain our highest selves, and hopes/dreams are the keys to being grounded. I really love the ideal of suffering only for a little moment just enough to acknowledge the pain and then moving forward towards our highest summit is phenomenal.

Even though the book is not a faith book, it is grounded in truth.

Find your truth and keep going. Good luck. Therese

Thank you all for your support and for sharing your journies with me. Indeed it is a journey. I just can't wait for the breakthrough moment. I am sick of eating dead heavy stuff that makes me feel so run down. Aarghh.

DANCER
Dont wait for the 'breakthrough' moment.
Make the breakthrough moment happen!
Start living, right here, right now!
Just do it!

You Wrote
'But given how I have lived my life I expect a lot of grieving, anger, and tears'

So if you are already suffering and this is the worst you can expect, what have you got to loose?

love huge support and hugs
L

Loretta:

Good point. Feeling could not be worse than this. It would in fact be a release and relief!!!!!!!!! Thank you!

dancerinthenight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Loretta:
>
> Good point. Feeling could not be worse than this.
> It would in fact be a release and relief!!!!!!!!!
> Thank you!


You are most welcome!
I can promise you that feeling isnt worse!
Trust me when i tell you that feeling is the first step you will take to healing!

Let go,it will be ok!
Enjoy your breakthrough moment
L x

Dancer,

That's the exact same reason that I've been holding onto eating heavy fats way beyond the time my body told me they don't feel good anymore. The cleaner my system gets, however, the less I can eat of them. It's like my body is insisting on this final cleanse, to get rid of the emotional baggage that is still there waiting to be purged.

I've joined Bunny Berry's 100 Day Raw Food Challenge (even though I've been 100% for about two years) because I'm thinking I'm going to finally cut back on the nuts/seeds/fats. If you have the time and feel like it, maybe you'd like to join the challenge? It's going on over at www.rawfu.com It's a nice, new community but it's not something to take the place of this forum (it's not the same kind of place, so I don't think it's wrong to metion it here). I'm Wendi Dee over there, if you decide to join the challenge.

If you feel like sharing, I'd love to read about your changes as you cut back on the heavier foods. I'd also like to support you in your decision. I know it's not an easy one, but if you have an inner calling to finally deal with things then it's a great time!

Eating raw foods has helped me deal with all kinds of emotional baggage from a very young age. The raw foods have given me a sense of balance in my body, where my emotions aren't going up and down in extremes. To sort through the mental part of everything, however, I've been seeing a therapist over the past two years, or so. It's interesting to learn how the brain works and why we become stressed, fearful, worried, angry, etc., based on how we process different events throughout our lives. Our brains are really just trying to create patterns for our survival, they just sometimes don't create healthy patterns. :-P

I'm sending you lots and lots of love for when you go through the final emotional cleansing.

Wendi
XOXOXOXO

I wish there was a cleanse in which I could put on a VR helmet with brain electrodes that would allow me to climb into my mind and literally battle The Fat Demon, until he is no more. I feel like I'm still holding on to so much, too... ~.~

phantom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wish there was a cleanse in which I could put on
> a VR helmet with brain electrodes that would allow
> me to climb into my mind and literally battle The
> Fat Demon, until he is no more. I feel like I'm
> still holding on to so much, too... ~.~


Phantom
Why battle?
How about making friends?
Its so much easier and at least you have a chance of succeeding!
And maybe climbing out of your mind and into your body? No helmet necessary!
Love n blessings
lorretta x

loretta is smart
make friends with your shadow
and shadow will take you to places previously unimagined

This is very true... Thanks for the reminder. =D