I went to this seminar and they said that all people have opinions about everything and the voice in the head is always deciding and judging ..and that no matter what you say noone is really listening, noone cares, everyone wants to speak and sometimes I feel maybe on this board we are all like this.

I have answered the same questions over and over, its fun, but the questions keep repeating and people have opinions and everyone thinks they are right.

Maybe we can all put the intent to learn something and ask the right questions to things we really want to know about raw food.

We can intend to get something out of this place, make some friends and really have a safe place to express ourselves here on this board!!

I want to open up that possibilty with everyone, to really self express here and be ourselves and not judge but listen and learn and feel others.

Sometimes asking questions for no reason is a type of socialization but its hiding what we are hiding, who are the real us-es..are we raw foodists, vgetarians, fruitarians? hOw do we feel? what do we eat? what books have we enjoyed? how are our relationships, how is our relationship to family?

What can we learn from each other? what is one thing we like about reading posts on this board? What fascinates us about posts here





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/2007 06:36PM by coconutcream.

Hi Coco-

I really appreciate your insightful thoughts about why people say/do things either on this board or just in day to day life. Like when someone asks how you are doing, and you say "I'm good, how are you?", but neither person really wants to hear about the other's life details (I hope that made sense). I think people are so conditioned to be politically correct, polite, and non-offensive, we forget to say what is really on our minds for fear of rejection by the group of which we trying to be a part.

I think the same can be said for this board as well as many other boards concerning a specific lifestyle choice. People do not want to offend others' choices, or appear to have family issues/realtionships/problems, depression, and whatnot that are not always relevant to this or other boards. I know there are days when I feel like crap, I eat crap, and when I have posted about that, there can be ( THANKFULLY NOT OFTEN) some seemingly judgemental responses to what I have posted about. Given that, I would not feel comfortable posting details or asking others qustions concerning my battling depression, cravings for "junk" food that often goes along with that, and whatever else I may be feeling or going through. Its because I don't want to bombard others with those kinds of feelings/problems. I feel like people are here to learn from others and take what they need from it and leave what they don't. I would not want to "air my dirty laundry", as the saying goes, because I feel that people don't want to know about those things. It is, or can be depressing to ME, so why share it?

I really like the feedback on this board because it is honest feedback from what I can gather. I like the idea that there are other people out there who share my lifestyle to varying degrees, and I can come here whenever I have a question or just want information. I really like the open-mindedness of most people here, although as I said before, there can be posts that seem quite zealous about raw food, and come across as judging those of us who are not "high" raw, or who still eat cooked foods from time to time. This lifestyle is not always easy, physically or mentally, but it can be extremely rewarding as well. I was reading about Sattva, and what qualifies as a Sattvic life(style), and the idea of raw foods fits into that somewhat, but like Sattva, living a raw foods lifestyle 100% of the time takes alot of discipline and perserverance. I think that is what this journey is for people, though; a constant desire to be better, to be more pure, both physicaly and spiritually, to overcome temptation in all its forms, and to help others on their own journey along the way. I think that is what this board does for alot of people. It does for me.

Alright, I'll bite
My name is Kate and I am 23, 24 in two weeks. I work as an electrician for theatre (as I write this I am running the light board for a show in NYC). I play the drums and am a self-identified nerd (I love to read). I am currently studying for the LSATs because I want to go to school to study international human rights law.
I got interested in raw food because I was looking through a raw food recipe book at my girlfriend's and it looked interesting and tasty. I am trying to be a healthier person and lose weight (around 30 more lbs, I've lost 60). I do not intend on going 100% raw, or vegetarian for that matter, though I would say I have been eating around 80% over the last few weeks, and do feel a lot healthier.
It's kind of strange, in surfing this site I feel like i have gotten to know some of you who post often in some way...maybe it's just because I have never actually been this avid a bulletin board/chat rooms follower before (I have spent 1-3 hours on this site nightly during tech).
A concern/question I have that has been nagging me while I read is how are people maintaining this lifestyle while not only being good to the environment but good to people too. I have been hesitant to post on this subject, because I didn't want anyone to feel like I was attacking them, but would love to hear some opinions. I guess while I was researching this I was also reading a book about women, globalization, and NAFTA, and now, whenveer I go to the supermarket to buy more fruit than I have ever bought before, I think about the people involved in its production. Food justice is a new topic for me; I have been buying sweatshop free clothes for years, but did not think very much about fair trade foods. Is this something that other people on this site think about too? How do other people incorporate this into their lives?

Well there's some information and some ruminations--feel free to contact me directly, keg231@nyu.edu. Have a great day~Kate

Coco, I agree, I am bored to cooked death of these mindless discussions. Let's have some fun instead!

Gosia


RawGosia channel
RawGosia streams

Hey Suvine, btw, I just checked out your website--your Chihuly photos are amazing--where are yo?. he's one of my favorite artists--I even took a glass blowing class, made a few lopsided glasses ;-)~Kate

hi Kategreen,

I rarely buy sweatshop free clothes-but i sure admire and support you in doing so. Instead i generally buy second hand or swap clothes with friends and family which i realise is not a direct vote for cruelty free clothes... This year i'm planning to buy 1 new clothing item; a coat. I'm going to see if i can actually wear out my clothes before i get any more. Of course the problem isn't just about one company or one industry, imo social injustice rests with our economic and political systems, and ultimately power structures at the personal level, at the global level and all the relationships in between. Sometimes when i feel so hopeless and helpless about the state of the world, i remember that my contribution is to make each choice with awareness and in peace. We are confronted daily with choices whose effects reverberate around the world. We have to believe we are doing the best we can with what we know, and so is everyone else, even if they are making choices with which i disagree.

Sorry Coco & Rawgosia, i guess that was more heavy than fun... i think i'll go play Webkinz with my daughter now...=)

We are what we are hiding.

Dafodil it's is ok to be yourself
no matter what that is It's good to know that, we can be as raw or not raw as we want. Sometimes I hate being a fruitarian. I am not always pure and slip up and its a love hate thing sometimes. I seem to have food issues and self image issues also, tied in with all this. I remember as a child eating cooked food and feeling really fat and feeling bad. I also remember my dad used to take walks with me and we used to eat chicken wings and sometimes I miss that feeling of being loved by someone who loves me like he did once a long time ago, and then I want chicken wings, it's faulty wiring.

I want to be someone I am not and the fruitarian high turns me into someone I love, I can't explain.

Kate green I am a nerd too. It's hard because I like hot men who usually are not smart at all in stuff unless its football. I love warcraft and english french literature and history and sewing dresses from ancient times. nerd nerd nerd being different and raw makes me a nerd too sometimes. progressive and stuff

I am in Miami. I love to take photos. I do not know why. I am eager to please people i guess.

anna elle
i feel hopeless all the time too and it is never going away. i want so bad to be out of this box and in a world where everything is my way. I think I had better get used to feeling like this and just accept this as is and figure out why it hurts to see the world like this.

there is a reason for the discomfort with the state of the world. something in our childhoods and pasts , That "happened" , that made us uneasy. and to make up for it we dreamed of a better one

Hi Coconut Cream,

Have you ever read anything by Eknath Easwaran? About 10 years ago i came across his translation of the Bhagavad Gita and was enraptured with the spiritual concepts he explained in the introduction. I haven't actually read the whole book yet. He is one of those authors whose work needs to be chewed and digested slowly. Anyway through him (and others) i've come to beleive that we are all expressions of divine infinite love... but we are hurt and hurting and will be so until we truly understand and manifest our natural state of being. This seems to take a lot of work and perpetual awareness of which i frequently lose sight... however i do find this underlying belief system a candle in the dark. Consciously choosing to live as a fruitarian and forgiving yourself when you sometimes fall short of personal expectations are imo great leaps in expressing your divine love. As my daughter would say, "peace out".

Hey Coco-
Wow...you expressed so clearly what I feel like most of the time. I myself have food/self/body image issues....then again I don't think I know a single woman who doesn't. Thanks for your honesty. Looking at your web page and seeing photos of you, one would think that you haven't a care in the world when it comes to looks or body image ( I mean this in the most positive way). That just shows us that there is something that drives all women to be something they think they have to be in order to be accepted by this society we live in which places so much emphasis on outer beauty. I cannot imagine the pressure living in Miami must put on a person. (If its anything like what I have seen on tv or read about).

I feel better eating raw foods than cooked...I feel fat and gross when I eat what seems like a heavy cooked meal. But then again, I feel fat and gross most of the time. Sometimes even the evening meal (my only cooked one of the day) that is healthy in all aspects, other than the fact that it is cooked, makes me feel slothful. That is my burden to deal with though, and I know that NO ONE can make that better. Yeah, I think my food issues are tied to my childhood, but then I guess most peoples' issues are! LOL! Thanks to Mom and Dad! But I still have days when I want nothing but pizza or asian food..the fried stuff, not the healthier steamed veggies.

As for what you said about men....I am married and sometimes feel like I have to "dumb-down" a bit to have certain conversations with my husband! I have a degree in History and Anthropology, so it can be hard to have those discussions on subjects which I ADORE (French and English history are my obsessions!). Hot guys are just that- hot. Until they open their mouths....then sometimes, its all downhill from there...But not all men are like that...don't give up on finding a good one who is nice to look at and can also discuss literature or art or history!

As for nerds....who cares...its what makes us different.....I accepted the fact that I am and have always been what people have referred to as "bookish" or "book-smart, not street-smart". Whatever...I own that now. I am not boastful about my knowledge or overly confident about my intellectual abilities, but I am proud of one thing; I managed to get my degree. For a girl who never thought she was good enough or smart enough, that, to me, is a major accomplishment. SO for anyone who calls me nerdy, I really don't mind it anymore...I always felt like the "dumb girl" in classes, but it was just because I wasn't the one always raising my hand or vying for first place. Sounds weird, but its just how I am. I prefer to blend in to my surroundings most of the time.

The world is a scary place sometimes, and it scares the hell out of me to think of where things are headed, both environmentally, and politically. Kate said she thinks of where her clothes were made and where her food comes from. I think of it to in terms of the migrant workers who pick the majority of our fruits and veggies, wash the dishes at restaurants, cook most of the foods in them, and build 400,000 dollar homes in neighborhoods where they can only come to clean the houses or do landscaping. They cannot ever afford to live there. I see this alot here in Colorado. Mexican and South American men and women who scratch out a living doing the things we don't want to be faced with doing. I feel a sense of guilt at times. I don't know why. I didn't create this system we are all caught up in, and yet, I feel a sense of guilt when I hire a company to come aerate my lawn, and two Mexican men show up to do the job. I guess I feel that I'm priviledged in some way that they are not. I sound arrogant even saying that. See? Guilt.

coconut cream
your post says " no one listens"

sometimes people do listen
and sometimes people take great delight to hearing a point of view
that is different from their own

like even now
i enjoyed reading the above posts
and felt refreshed afterwards

happy days to all of u

Good post Coconutcream, I gotta run so I'll sum up where I'm at right now.

Books I am reading (and rereading) right now:

-Relax into Wealth by Alan Cohen
-Ask and it's Given by Abraham-Hicks
-Shining in Plain view by John Wheeler
-Green 4 life by Victoria
-Spiritual Nutrition by Gabriel Cousins

Audios I'm listening to:

-True meditation by Adyashanti
-Spontaneous Awakening by Adyashanti
-A bunch of Abraham-Hicks CDs

Music I'm listening to:

-Cafe Del Mar compilations
-Theivery Corporation

Peace!

[www.youtube.com]

coconutcream,i like what you said and i do believe people do listen but i think there is so much talk all the time and i am one of the long winded ones...i think people get it way before we say what we think.i think there is a part of us that gets it and then a part that we can and can not relate to others.we have the shared human experience of being human but sometimes because we are not that person-we can not totally relate...to there experience of being who they are.so it comes to manners and giving them time to say who they are...and i do think we need to listen and try to put ourselfs in their shoes.I am astounded at all of you people...alot so young and so smart and beautiful. i hide under the "i'm just and old granny cause u are all so wonderfully smart and beautiful".but i do read the postings trying to learn and see what there is to see and read. sometimes honestly-there is too much info to learn.the back and forths of everyones views and slants. i can not keep up with it all. so i try but don't always/ i feel there is no nerds.i feel if u have a hobby that makes you a nerd in the veiw of others-that is too sad for them.to be interested in classy things like sewing old world fashions or history-is definately not nerd-ish.to be being a nerd is being afraid to be yourself.i am amazed that u all are worried about where your clothing is made from. i have a hard enough time just going and picking out clothes that will fit my body and my budget. i am simply amazed at everyones youngness and awareness of the world around them.hugs and thanks for the refreshing post.hugs taylor

[img10.mytextgraphics.com]

kategreen,
thank you for bringing this up. in general most of
us try to eat organic (no chemicals for us, the grower
or the earth) and buy from local farmers markets where
we can develop friendships with the people who grow our
food. some of us do not or rarely eat restaurant foods.
some folks here grow a fair share of their own food and
some forage. but this is certainly a topic we could explore
deeper.
fruitgirl


<<how are people maintaining this lifestyle while not only being good to the environment but good to people too. I have been hesitant to post on this subject, because I didn't want anyone to feel like I was attacking them, but would love to hear some opinions. I guess while I was researching this I was also reading a book about women, globalization, and NAFTA, and now, whenveer I go to the supermarket to buy more fruit than I have ever bought before, I think about the people involved in its production. Food justice is a new topic for me; I have been buying sweatshop free clothes for years, but did not think very much about fair trade foods. Is this something that other people on this site think about too? How do other people incorporate this into their lives? >>

taylor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i hide under the "i'm just and old
> granny cause u are all so wonderfully smart and
> beautiful".



Ha-ha thats funny taylor,cuz I have always thought youre smart from reading your posts.


Maybe you need to try harder if you want to hide parts of yourself.......


Best, Annie

I hide my life is a mess and I am ok with it. LOL.

Wow!

For the most part, I've thought that everyone on this board is really helpful and positive, and listens lots and lots. Wayyyyy moreso than I've found people I know (in "real life" to be. I mean, I've seen some petty arguing over which raw diet is better, but I actually think it's kind of funny since I'm mostly surrounded by people on the SAD and they'd all consider everyone here to be EXTREMELY healthy. Yet, somepeople argue over who is healthiest!

Aside from that, everyone is lovely and beautiful.
And Coconutcream, I went to your link for the first time and your pictures and recipes look incredible. As do you!

Anway, that's what I like about this. To me, people seem as thought they understand that everyone here is looking to be involved in the healthiest, happiest life they can. And people want to surround themselves with those with similar ideals.

So, I think you're all lovely. No complaints.:-)

Acording to "A Course in Miracles", the reason that life is so hard for so many of us is that we are awakening from a dream. It's the dream that we were taught.
We see the insanity of dropping bombs on each other for ? reason. We feel the emptiness of persuing material things in search of happiness and wholeness. We have an emptiness inside and we try to fill it with drugs, alcohol, work, food, gambling, sex, exercise,etc. And there is no amount of any of these things that will do the job. We judge others (we were taught to) and close our hearts to many. And then we wonder why we aren't happy, joyous and free.

Giving love is the only thing that makes people happy. The more we give, the more we get. We don't have to judge anyone if we don't want to. Pay close attention the next time you're judging someone (justified or not) - are you happy at that moment? The reason that older people who have pets live longer and healthier lives is not because the pet gives them unconditional love - it's because the person gives the animal unconditional love. Their love is still flowing - it has a place to go. And then more rushes in to replace it - THAT my friends is where happiness comes from. It's the in-rushing and out-pouring of our love. It is possible for us to "live in this world, but not of it". And no, you don't have to become an organized religion fanatic to do it, either. Yup, you can even be a democrat!

"A Return to Love" by Marianne Williamson (and any of her tapes) have made a world of difference in my life. All her books are based on the principles of
"A Course in Miracles". I highly recommend them to everyone - especially those who are searching for meaning in a crazy world.

Ain't it nice to come here?

LOVE TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!

Life Is Good!

alive!

Yeah the Course in Miracles is very cool, very complete.

Glad you mentioned it here, great reminder.

"A Course in Miracles" is the way for me also. To realize that this is a dream and what we perceive as outside of us is really just a projection of us/or our mind. So YOU are really ME and no one is any more special than the other.

If you like ACIM, you'll really like "Disappearance of the Universe" by Gary Renard

Hey- Glad to see there's so many self-defined nerds on this thread; what can I say, books are my kryptonite.
Thanks for everyone who responded to my social justice comment. Is there a coinciding movement w/in the raw food movement to work on social justice for the people involved in producing the food we eat? Does anyone else have any ideas? Should I move this conversation to a seperate thread? (It's soemthing I am really passionate about).anna_elle, thanks for your comments. I am would say that finding peace with my decisions is one of the hardest things for me; it seems like everything I do today has a negative impact on someone else, no matter what my intentions are, but I am trying to find a path that will give me, and hoepfully some others, some peace.

On a lighter, nerd note, I am looking at my bookshelf and thought I might recommend some books:
Stolen Harvest by Vandana Shiva (heck any of her books, she is AMAZING) but this specifically deals with food justice

And on a lighter note:
The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (a mock history of some comic book writers)
The Forever King by Warren Cochran and Molly Murphy (One of the best retellings of King Arthur I have ever read) and, last but not least
Geek Love (I am forgetting the author right now).
I guess my taste in books leans towards the political (esecially gender/queer studies) and a good sci fi/fanatsy. What does everyone here read? What do y'all do when you're not eating ;-)
Hope everyone is having a great day--I am, my dehydrator and roller skates arrived today (only on ebay...)~Kate

"i think people get it way before we say what we think.i think there is a part of us that gets it and then a part that we can and can not relate to others.we have the shared human experience of being human but sometimes because we are not that person-we can not totally relate...to there experience of being who they are.so it comes to manners and giving them time to say who they are...and i do think we need to listen and try to put ourselfs in their shoes"

Taylor this is such a powerful statement. Patience is really an expression of love (for ourselves and others) and highly under rated. Patience is all about giving time and attention, which, as intensely social creatures, we each crave from others. My kids and husband are teaching me this all the time. Getting here and getting there is a whole lot less important then being where ever i am. For instance we walk about a mile to (and from) school everyday. The attitude and the behaviour of motor vehicle drivers has an impact on our walk,naturally, because we have to cross streets and driveways. When a driver is courteous and responsible, it feels safe to walk and we wave and smile and there is a human connection. Unfortunately a majority of the time our safety feels threatenned by impatient(and irresponsible drivers) whose first thought seems to be "get out of the cross walk now so I can go". In these cases drivers will avoid eye contact, essentially avoiding human interaction and valuing "getting there" over "being here". Walking becomes a tense and unhappy experience, and i imagine these drivers couldn't be feeling very peaceful either. I was once such a harried driver and i know i only felt stress when i concentrated on my destination to the exclusion of paying attention to my path.

Acheiving balance in life sometimes feels like an ever receding goal. Practicing patience with ourselves and others is a gift we all have the power to share. I see a lot of it on this bulletin.=)

enjoying the path - enjoying life. Yes, this is the way to do. Although the goal is bright, millions blessings are there for us on the road...

Cynthia

That sounds really nice Cynthia. it SOUNDS nice.

From now on I am going to read everyone's posts if I am going to comment on a thread, and make a difference and really reach out.

After re reading my last post i realise that if i practice (what i preach)patience with impatient drivers then i will experience a whole lot more peace when i'm commuting on foot and a whole lot less angst. I could be enjoying my path instead of wondering why others aren't enjoying theirs... Life is full of insights...sometimes the same ones over and over again!=)