Hi everyone, This is my first post although I have been familiar with this site for 4-5 yrs. It is 4AM on est and I cant sleep. Many issues nagging me but mostly I want to start a raw food lifestyle and eliminate the alcohol and the lifestyle that goes with it. I'm not a fall down drunk or anything, I justdrink to much and too often since I am at social funtions all the time. I'm 57 but young for my age. I worked out my whole life and played college sports but lately the pain everywhere (ankle, knee, hip, back ) have slowed me down considerably. I'm finally realizing that the alcohol is depleting my system of the nutrition that used to fuel me. By writing here, I hope to finally motivate myself to change. Sorry to ramble. Any comments are welcome as I will start in the morning.

congratulations terrryR for such a great insight, and for stepping up and taking radical self-responsibility for your health and wellbeing! choosing to eat more raw foods and curtail the alcohol will pay off HUGE for you. i wish you lots of strength, peace, focus, and motivation... and anything else you might need to make this change. but change is definitely possible. you can do it!

TerrryR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ....Any comments are welcome as I
> will start in the morning.
I like your attitude to make your
first Post and start living an Overcoming Life. Your
(our) Willpower is more powerful than any obstacle.
Make a commitment to go "Raw". Take small steps.
Decide what you want to do, then do it.
You'll get a lot of support here......WY

Going raw will really help with those midlife aches and pains, too -- I am amazed at how much of a difference it makes! Last week I did not have a good raw week, and guess what? My hands ache!! As does my back, my legs... you get what I'm saying. When I eat all raw (or 90%) I feel 25 instead of 60 (I'm turning 47). Welcome!

Thanks for the support guys. I'll keep you posted!

Hi Terrry,
I too have come to raw to help me climb out of the alcohol pit.
Trust me,it will pay off big.
Eating raw is such a total opposite of the whole alcohol thing(and all the junk food that can go along with it) that if you keep at it long enough,the body just doesnt want or cant tolerate it.

Brian

To Brian,
How long have you been raw and how long before you started to see results. Did you attempt the Lemonade (maple syrup) cleanse? I would be interested in learning more about your situation. How severely was alcohol impacting your life before you started? How old are you?? Not being personal, just trying to compare situations. I wish you the same success that I hope to attain.

TerrryR

Hey Terry! Congratulations on your healthier decisions. You'll get great support here (including from myself). Since alcohol is not much of a food (compared to the nutritional value of other foods), then one drinks it for other reasons. It is a nervous system depressant. So, one CAN ask one's self why I feel the need to depress my nervous system, or to take in some substance to feel good? The bad part is not the substance....but the NEED.....if you follow my thinking. Power to you man!

-You can take the drink (or whatever) away from the man....but can you take the man away from the drink (or whatever)? Heh..heh. It is identification with what our true....passionate....motivation is.....and the goals that will get us there.....that dictate what we consume. Not the other way around.

-Just some thoughts / opinions...which I hope are a little helpful.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Terry,

Pace yourself, think transition. This is not easy but the health results are real. I am 53 and feel better than ever after almost a couple of years. The pain and stiffness was the first thing to go. I feel like the clock has turned backwards and you will too. Green smoothies are a good staple to start with.
Come back here often for motivation.

Congratulations Terry! I think it is great to give up alcohol because even moderate levels are very taxing on the body. In my experience there has been a correlation between the amount of raw food I ate and the amount of alcohol I drank. I have been progressively eating a higher percentage of raw food for the past 3-4 years now. I consequently drank alcohol less and less. Now I am completely raw and I don't desire it at all. I think raw food gives me a 'high-on-life' that surpasses the feeling of an alcohol buzz any day. Drinking just doesn't seem to make sense for me when already feeling energized with an overall sense of well-being. I feel like climbing a mountain, not sitting in a bar. Some type of detox may be a good way to start. Maybe taking a yoga class will help with your physical pain (just a suggestion). You could also see if their is a raw food community in your area, where you can attend educational events, potlucks, meet other people, etc... Best wishes!

Terry,
I have only been eating raw since about February,but in that time have risen farther above the alcohol thing than any time over the years.I tried a low carb eating thing,with lots of meats and dairy,but no way did that come close to being able to conquer the beer.I tried wheat free,as bread is allergenic to me anyway.
I have never done a cleanse,but use watermelon smoothies almost daily.
The beer was ruining so many things in my life..health,relationships,just being able to keep a clean house,basically everything.
Its so easy to convince yourself that the buzz is better than life....but its no life in the end.
I wish you luck,and keep on posing here!
Brian

Hi, Well, it is premature to make real observations, however I am actually having some spasms of lucidity. It is only two day into this but I woke up today feeling much better than normal. I've probably been about 75-80% raw since Monday morning. Many apples, plums and bananas. It seems easier when I dont have to committ to 100%. Also, my vision seems a little better. It is hard but I'm sticking with it.

Terry

TerrryR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi, Well, it is premature to make real
> observations, however I am actually having some
> spasms of lucidity. It is only two day into this
> but I woke up today feeling much better than
> normal. I've probably been about 75-80% raw since
> Monday morning. Many apples, plums and bananas.
> It seems easier when I dont have to committ to
> 100%. Also, my vision seems a little better. It
> is hard but I'm sticking with it.
>
> Terry

you`re doing fantastic! go at your own pace and listen to your body and your inner wisdom, it`s there it just needs to get uncovered
patty

hi, My fourth day. Not bored with all of the fruit but a bit lethargic today.
My mouth is also very sticky. Toxins I guess. I'll keep going. Drinking plenty of water.Hopefully tomorrow will be better

Terry

TerrryR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully tomorrow will be better
>
> Terry

excellent job terry!! don`t worry about "tomorrow" just live in the present simplifies your life and psyche mucho
patty

Good luck!

Listen to Bryan's raw foods talk on the radio. The link is in this thread:

[www.rawfoodsupport.com]

Good luck.

Hi,
Well, I completed one week with some ups and downs. Went off the diet on friday and part of Saturday and was feeling badly about it but then realized that Rome wasn't built in a day. It's amazing; if you don't stay conscious, you slip right back to your old habits I can't sleep again tonight but instead of a glass of wine I had two plums and a banana. Mt goal for week two is to just do a little better than week one I did lots of fruit the first week but am going to add fresh green vegetable juice this week and maybe some wheatgrass. We shall see.

Terry

Hi again,
Is it a coincidence that on days that I ate the most raw I had less of a desire for alcohol. I would be interested in some responses on this. Thank you to everyone that has offered support so far.

Terry

I don't think it is a coincidence, Terry. I have been mostly raw for a while, but I haven't done very well the last couple of weeks, and I have been drinking more wine. I am going to a big family party today and will try to at least eat mostly raw and only have a glass or two of wine, then tomorrow go back to eating all raw again, because I miss how great I feel when I'm all raw. I think melons are a great breakfast, and smoothies make a lot of sense as your next meal. I grind up flax seeds and add them to my smoothies for a nutritional boost. Do you like avocados? They would be a good fat addition to your salads. Wheatgrass is awesome, but I don't like the flavor much, so I drink it quickly.

This raw foods way has been very much a process for me, but I tell myself that every day is a new day to do better for myself. Even though I don't eat the way I would like to every day, I am reaping a lot of the benefits of what I do eat, like losing almost 20 lbs. this year and feeling a lot better physically. So don't get discouraged if you don't meet your goals 100%, but give yourself credit for the successes you do achieve.

I always drank to elevate my mood, but when my diet improved and I started eating food that brightened my perspective, the urge to drink subsided. I also felt less of an urge to drink on the days that I exercised and slept well. Whatever's going on with you, if your goal is to drink less or to totally stop drinking, you should probably keep doing the things that you correlate with success in meeting that goal.

"I always drank to elevate my mood, but when my diet improved and I started eating food that brightened my perspective, the urge to drink subsided. I also felt less of an urge to drink on the days that I exercised and slept well. Whatever's going on with you, if your goal is to drink less or to totally stop drinking, you should probably keep doing the things that you correlate with success in meeting that goal."

DerekXMcCoy,

Exactly my story too!

Brian

Thanks Guys,
This site has been great so far!!

Terry

DerekXMcCoy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I always drank to elevate my mood, but when my
> diet improved and I started eating food that
> brightened my perspective, the urge to drink
> subsided...

I've found this to be true with me as well. However, I suspect getting out in the sunshine elevates my mood even more than raw food. I know it helps me sleep better. In the past, I have always drunk more in the winter. This winter, I'm going to try some cold weather sun bathing before any alcohol.

flash

Interesting.
So it seems there is a medicating of depression using alcohol that has gone on with some folks here.
I can relate for sure.

Brian

Hi,
A question and an observation for you. Is the darker color of urine especially in the morning indicative of detoxing? Should I be concerned?
Also, I have been perspiring much more and it is more of a foul oder. I never perspired much in the past so this concerns me also. I still am eating a lot of fruit such as nectarines, plums, tomatoes and bananas. I'm interested in your responses.

Terry

I don't know for sure about the urine, but the increased body odor is a standard detox symptom. My pee is usually clear, but when it's not, it means that I'm dehydrated. My guess would be that it's nothing more than years of accumulated toxins. How are you feeling?

Derek,
I'm all over the place. Sometimes I feel great but more times than not I feel exhausted. The company I work for is being sold and our careers are up in the air so the stress might be making me more tired than usual. I feel lighter but havent weighed myself. I dont need exact weight numbers for satisfaction. I know when the weight is coming off and it is, little by little. My sleeping has been erratic for the last week. I'm staying with it. I think I need to eat more volume than I have been.

Thanks
Terry

eat eat eat LOL
the smell is toxin release
my b.o. is pretty much nil since i went mostly raw.
even when i workout and sweat profusely i don`t smell too bad
nice for me cuz it`s hot in vegas and i sweat really easily
patty

Hey Patty,
You are in Las Vegas. I'm there 2-3 times a year. For business that is. I'm not much of a gambler. Send me a private e-mail.

Terry