hi

i am pretty new and doing well but i am finding all the confusion over facts on here and on the net in genreal really off putting. i want to do the right thing for my body but the stress of it all is making me ill. i am beginning to worry about everything i put in my muoth cos at some point someone or other has said its bad for me.that its the worng thing. that it wont aid my health. that is causes this or that. i have already given up meats, cheeses, sugars, alcohols, caffeine, wheat...is this not a good start? i feel like i am denying myself everything i love in the name of health and even then its not good enough...you know??? i say this meekly, not in an angry way. i am asking for comfort and help.

does anyone understand that or am i alone in this?
can anyone advise?

love from a really enthusiastic raw fooder who feels totally lost xx

I think confusion is healthier than being stubborn and overly-sure like some raw fooders are.

Best you can do is experiment and learn as much as you can, and decide for yourself what is the best way to eat and live.

I'm still experimenting everyday. For example I just learned that avocados go wonderfully in smoothies, making them really creamy.

Here was a smoothie I had today: 1 avocado, 1/2 cup shelled hempseed, 1 banana, kale, parsley, olive oil, O.J., water, ice, and cinnamon, YUM!

You are not alone by any means. Like anything you consider (be it food, health, golfing, buying a car, or playing guitar) everyone is going to have an opinion and everyone's opinion/expertise is going to conflict. I was very heavy into bodybuilding a few years ago - I was actually rather large and strong compared to now. The point though is that every reference I looked into had a different theory. Sometimes the magazines would have conflicting articles in the same issue.

Here is something I have learned from that and as I go through my own raw journey. Make a change and wait and see how you feel. If it works for you go with it. As someone once referenced on another post, there are no "raw police." If eating 20% organic cooked food with 80% raw works and feels good for you why change it? Maybe in 5 years you will decrease that to 10% and then none. The percentage could be 50-50. The numbers don't matter. "Raw" is not just about what you put into your body but lifestyle too. I think you will find that most folks on this bulletin board try to remove the "toxins" in their lives from all areas not just food.

If you feel you are depriving yourself, odds are you will become frustrated in the future and just give up. Regarding coffee, chocolate, wheat, cheese, etc I found that I do great with these completely eliminated from my diet and have no cravings or desires for them. That is me only. If you feel deprived and very much want those incorporated into your diet, look for high-quality, organic, low-processed versions.

I do believe that most (if not all) folks here would agree that the more processed something is and the more additives there are in something, the worse it is for your body. Spend time reading labels. There is a big difference between a Dagoba (or Green & Blacks) chocolate bar ingredients and that of a Hershey bar.

I hope I have made sense and did not make this worse for you. I feel your angst too. Sometimes it is very difficult to figure out what works for you. It is all trial and error. Also, something to be mindful of are symptoms of detox - they are normal and part of why we go raw which is to help our bodies detox.

An excellent resource for basic theory is
[rawfoodexplained.com]

Good luck.

Patty

smoothie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hi
>
> i am pretty new and doing well but i am finding
> all the confusion over facts on here and on the
> net in genreal really off putting.


there's two ways to look at it. one is to see the things you are giving up and the other is to see the things you are adding in.

what new foods have you added in that you love?

what new exercises are you doing
what new people have you met
how much more good rest are you getting for your amazing body

as far as conflicting opinions, there is a simple way to eliminate that problem. use your taste sense and your appetite and how you feel. then understand that the best things are generally those that are fresh whole ripe and can be eaten by themselves. why fresh? well, it will invariably be better than stale, or frozen, or dried, etc. why whole? because it will usually be better than partial (things removed) or blended (often too many things mixed, plus oxidation, etc) or juiced (fiber removed). why ripe? better than unripe,right? why eaten by themself? that helps us to avoid stimulants and spices and salt.

with that said, there's a continuum of things to eat that nourish us (blending is not BAD, for example, just as a rule not as good as whole, unless there are serious tooth problems), and where we are at any point in time changes. with those things considered, just do the best you can now, and know that it may change, and enjoy the process.


> i feel
> like i am denying myself everything i love in the
> name of health and even then its not good
> enough...you know???

love is a two way street.
we love our addictive food, but it does not love us.
doesn't sound like true love to me !


hugs,

fresh

. great post Fresh.

. the more you actually love the good habits/dietary changes that you implement MORE then the bad ones, the less the 'burden' you will have, long term that is.

. Being selfish enough to give your world happiness, and feeling like you are giving yourself a great GIFT, something BETTER to give yourself, when you quit a bad habit...is really the essence of motivation.

Btw, I want to say that yes, giving up meats, cheeses, sugars, alcohols, caffeine, and wheat is a very good start! And that can definitely be good enough, in fact, great for now.

We can all relate to what you are going through. Everyone here has given you great advice.

I'd like to include some advice from Karen Knowler of www.therawfoodcoach.com:

"Does it have to be all or nothing?
No, not at all. Until very recent times very few people ate an exclusively raw food diet ongoingly. In fact most people today still dabble for weeks, months or even years at a time until they feel inclined to "up the ante"! Also, nowadays people tend to talk in percentage terms - such as "I'm 80% raw" which basically means that they eat most of their food raw but not all of it, and they're guessing that 80% is about right in terms of plate space/ meal make-up etc. - but it's not really that important. What matters more is the quality of the food you choose - if 80% of someone's diet consists of nuts, seeds and raw food snack bars then that's never going to be a good thing (way too much fat!) whereas 80% worth of fresh fruits and vegetables is wonderful! What also matters is not just what you bring into your diet but what you leave out. It's no good eating lots of fresh vibrant food if you "balance" it out with take-aways and aspartame-ridden diet drinks! Much better to do 50/50 and make all of your foods good healthy choices, and then if you want to adjust the proportion of raw foods then you can do so at any time. All that said, the more raw food you eat, for most people at least (those with medical issues need to take professional advice), the better you will look and feel."

such good posts. I was not happy when I was eating cooked foods. I was not happy slurping down the coffee. I forget the times when I felt like crap because of what I ate. I would feel hungry but never satisfied. I don't care what anybody says or thinks when they find out I eat just raw foods. eating raw foods has shaken up my world and changed me. and continurs to change me.
smoothie, keep it up and don't listen to what other people say but listen to your body. Our body will tell us what we need but sometimes our mind will confuse us. You are making chooices for your health and that is good

Exactly as the above posts. Things are only confusing if you haven't made YOUR decisions. Made YOU commitment. In my experience.....having deeply felt.....and committed to the decision YOU are motivated to make....regardless of whether it is 110% correct.....can usually be made to work.....or at least put you on the right road.......as it is the only feedback scenario that squarely puts responsibility 100% in your face......so the knowledge gained is 100% personal and useful.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

so if i was happy eating cooked foods then i should go back?
i am doing this for reasons of alkalizing my system not cos i love it so much!

Hi smoothie,

I think you can try to change your eating habit gradually, as David Z. Mason have said in many of his previous posts. Take one step at a time. I think it's the same when people find it difficult to quit eating meat at once. They can start off by eating vegan for one whole day every 2 to 3 days, and improve on as the time goes. It's just an example and I know it's easy for almost all of you to be vegan, what's difficult is to eat 100% raw.=)

Healthwise it might not be a good idea to eat cooked food. But as a vegan, you are saving many of the animal's lives, and that is already something you can really pround of.

Just my opinion.

All the Best,
Wong



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/08/2007 12:06PM by blue_sky.

Maybe you should have one cooked meal a day for now, but make it unprocessed foods, and see how you do with that. If that makes you happy, less stressed, and you don't any ill health effects then stick with that for now. Then you could eat cooked food on social occasions. You might check out the Hallelujah Diet.

But the decision is yours, not ours, and if you are hating eating 100% raw food then you are not going to stick with it for long. IMHO

But even if you decide to eat only high raw, you are still welcome here. We are not all 100% raw on this board. I have been 100% raw for 3 months but I was high raw for a long time before that. You have to feel ready for that next step.

Yes. If eating cooked foods is what YOU have to do.....to start from a 100% comfortable place....where eating is not an issue....and not uncomfortable.....then that is where you should go back to. Then you write down your small goals.......or refinements....and stretch from there. But having set your goals and made your decisions......make them for a LIFETIME....and never stop those processes that YOU think are right. Never compromise your own dreams. And remember: A good dog always remembers to wag his OWN tail. Heh...heh...

-What's that quote? No one will EVER show as much love and appreciation to you - as you can show yourself.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

I think it's easiest to just start adding in the good stuff and don't worry about the "bad" stuff so much.

Just eat greens and fruit as much as possible and reasonable to you, and try to increase it as time goes on. For me, this crowds out the other foods without feelings of deprivation.........I gradually desire more fresh raw food naturally.
I'm not a fan of forced things - that's only for drastic situations.

Smoothie,

What a wonderful question you pose and such truly fabulous responses from everyone! If you're new to the site take heart that such caring and knowledgeable people are here for you.

I still call myself a raw newbie as I'm about a month in to the lifestyle. As the others have so eloquently stated, go slow and take your time. This is something that you're doing for yourself that will last a lifetime - not a 'fad' diet that you'll adhere to for a few months.

Gently incorporate more raw foods as you go - ones that you truly like. If you can, substitute water for a soda. Don't have traditional dessert but instead enjoy some fresh fruit. Take a walk in your neighborhood basking in the sunlight and fresh air. It sounds so incredibly simple but begin with those easy steps.

One of my most favorite mantras learned from David Zane Mason is what you *don't* eat that makes a difference.

And what Bryan (our moderator) stresses is totally correct. Do without a certain cooked or processed food for a spell and then eat it again to see how your body will react. I never knew that something (again) so simple can be so profound.

We all wish you the best!

David