I think I have a pretty good balance on the value of caring for mind,body spirt as we walk through life.
I am a reader and as you know the more one reads especially in this field the more things you will hear that potentially contradict each other.

We r always growing I believe so --I dont -right now enjoy raw greens or most raw vegtables.I actually resent spending 30 min chopping a salad knowing it s not pleasuable.

Can I simply eat sweet fruits right now and the one or two non sweet fruits I like and still gain great benefits.I like avacados. I am not asking 4 permission but in your experiennce am I really limiting the progress I will make.

I do eat other non raw foods currently and just about everything is gaged on how it makes me feel.Still NO GREENS am I doing my self a disservice?

Quickly,now heard even if I made salad for the wholw week GREENS or any frui t then I lose valuable vitamins,enzyimes,amino acids and other phytonutriets.'that would mean chopping all that stuff up everytime I want a meal.YES,I do it with my carrot juice in my champion in the moring but EVERY meal or I dont get the real benefits.
ur thoughts appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am ready to take a big step back-ask myself what I LIKE AND WORKS FOR ME and stick with that.Even if it means NO GREENS

I'm sorry to hear your confusion and difficulties with your raw living foods lifestyle! I am not raw yet. Actually, I'm still an omnivore, but I plan to switch soon! I'm excited, but I'll only begin when I have all the resources for proper nutrition in place. I believe my raw living foods lifestyle must be healthy, nutritious AND delicious!

Tell me more about yourself and how you started the lifestyle. Did you have a home study course, and the right tools/equipment for you and your needs to help you start on the right foot, AND maintain it? Or did you just decide to "tough it out" alone? Gradual Transition at a manageable customised pace is a major part of maintaining this lifestyle. This lifestyle is wonderful if it is practised properly.

I suggest research, (even though you're a reader! excellent! But discover truths to eliminate your doubts!):
Google "Dr. Ann Wigmore"
Go to www.chidiet.com/blog, download a free ebook, autobiography of Ann Wigmore: "Why suffer?" www.chidiet.com,
www.therawdiet.com, www.therawdiet.com/evolve.html
www.fredericpatenaude.com (there are free ebooks here!)
and www.rawfoodadvantage.com (this might help with your Greens problem. It's the 100% symbiotic, raw, living foods lifestyle)<-[i'm going to slowly add a bit of this to my lifestyle; fast transition is extreme!]
www.livingfoodsinstitute.com (this is a centre in Georgia that offers many great services...)

Hope you find the sources helpful and find the right way for you to live the raw living foods lifestyle.

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

Quote

Posted by: greensatva (IP Logged)
Date: May 11, 2008 01:18AM

fast transition is extreme!

There were a couple of reasons why I went ALL RAW - ALL AT ONCE.

First, when I "discovered raw I really got excited because it resonated with me in a way that I knew was right and I couldn't wait to get started. I started making lifestyle changes immediately - I got moving and started eating raw foods with my very next meal and that start got me easily past the initial adjustment period.

Second, straddling the fence with one foot in cooked and the other in raw was not the stand I felt right with. I put my shoulder to the wheel (so to speak) and pushed to make the changes happen. Looking back I think its that kind of a "commitment move" that made my switch (no transition) to all raw work. I think sometimes when you know its the right thing to do you just do it.

30 minutes for each salad?

Mine take about 5 to prepare. I used to do that week's worth in one day and huge tupperware containers thing but it was a pain and there are more losses of nutrients that way. I am resigned to getting lettuce at least 2x/week and chopping at least 3x/day. I can do it very fast now.

Are you certain you are not looking for excuses to drop your raw greens? Maybe you don't really like them all that much.

Why no greens?

I love greens. Ditto arugula's comments above.

If you want to be healthy or rich, ya gotta like green stuff.


Lee

[www.dhamma.org]

Thank You all for your thoughts I appraciate all of them.

Thank you GreenS. Your thoughts were really compasionate and REALLY helpful. Almost everyone on these boards from my experience thus far is very nice,but it seems like there are certain people who just have that empathic ability to put themselves in your shoes and you r 1 of them.

God Bless you also

To Arugula,

You have responded to a couple of my post and while it is challenging to gage someone's spirit online I respectfully am requesting that you do not answer anymore of my post or respond to my post in general.
I found you to have a degree of "Superiroity and a "My way or the High Way Mentality." and certainly not one of "Here is what I experieced" I am proud of you being able to cut a weeks worth of vegies in 30 minutes.

I found in my life people with that mentality to be JUST FOR ME unhealthy to be around on any level,hence, it would be appreciated if you simply ignore my post l for there are many post for you to critique.

I learned along time ago,no one @#$%& icecream.

Best wishes

Lee 123,

Please,respectfully speaking do not answer or respond to any of my post. You spirit is not helpful and that is the purpose of this website to help one another.
Thank you

I have found that to have a good discussion it is necessary to have an open forum where all opinions can be expressed. Sometimes that means letting go of some things without comment kinda like water sheds off a duck. I Try to keep an open mind and not take anyone's comments personal. Its a healthy choice I make.

Keepitsimple3344,

Greens at every meal are not necessary. Myself, I eating greens at most 1 time a day, and sometimes I don't eat any greens the entire day. But when I first started raw, my body was malnourished from the SAD diet, and I ate considerably more greens, like 1 pound of greens a day. But over time, I lost my taste for eating them all the time, and now I just eat them when I feel like it.

So for you, if you are feeling saturated with greens, then don't eat them until the desire for them returns. Also, if you don't like spending all that time preparing your vegetables, then just monoeat your lettuce. I will take a head of romaine lettuce, and roll each leaf into a cigar (or stick) and eat it just like that - no preparation whatsoever.

I think if you have been eating at YOUR chosen level of raw.....for some time...at least a couple of months.....then you'll be in a good position to determine if you need to shift....towards more fruit....or less greens.....etc.

-People wonder about the....sort of....'perfect balance' LONG before they have reached THEIR raw food goals (overall lifetime %) and I think that is premature. With experience, one will find the tools that works for them.

-Of course, no one is FORCING you to eat greens. And no one is FORCING you to change long-standing habits overnight. TRY the type of eating you feel is right.....for 30 days and see how you are doing! Walk the walk...then talk the talk about what works for YOU!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Wow, if there was something "wrong" with those posts, I am missing it! People are attempting to help you....they took their own time to respond....I'd be thankful!

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

At 01:54PM we got: "Thank You all for your thoughts I appraciate all of them." Then at 4:15 we got something completely different. Can we have the person who posted at 1:54 back again?

"No good deed goes unpunished."

I'm not responsible for your feelings.

I generally don't pay much attention to WHO posts, but rather to WHAT is posted.

Try and calm down and see the good in every one. It makes life easier.

You cannot control the evolution of a thread. (Use private email if you have control issues about what is posted!) I've had people whose opinions or style is contrary to my own or to my taste. But, this is a public forum. Try and assume that most people mean well and those who seemingly -- to you -- don't mean well, just might also mean well.

I have found that trying to see the good in everyone helps me tremendously. I'm not always successful, but I'm much happier this way.

Just because YOU can't see the goodness in someone doesn't mean there isn't any... Look again... or look in the mirror.

Wishing you well, regardless of your wishes --


Lee

[www.dhamma.org]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2008 11:24PM by Lee_123.

Quote

Posted by: Lee_123 (IP Logged)
Date: May 11, 2008 04:20PM

I have found that trying to see the good in everyone helps me tremendously. I'm not always successful, but I'm much happier this way.

Good thought, I agree.

Hi everyone!

EZ rider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Posted by: greensatva (IP Logged)
> Date: May 11, 2008 01:18AM
>
> fast transition is extreme!
>
> There were a couple of reasons why I went ALL RAW
> - ALL AT ONCE.
>
> First, when I "discovered raw I really got excited
> because it resonated with me in a way that I knew
> was right and I couldn't wait to get started. I
> started making lifestyle changes immediately - I
> got moving and started eating raw foods with my
> very next meal.

Wow EZ Rider! that's commendable! *applaud!* However, such a fast transition, wouldn't work with me! We all have different circumstances, and right now, all I can do is limit my animal foods intake. Things just aren't suitable at the moment. I'd love to have switched immediately, but the lack of resources, and TIME prevent me.

> Second, straddling the fence with one foot in
> cooked and the other in raw was not the stand I
> felt right with. I put my shoulder to the wheel
> (so to speak) and pushed to make the changes
> happen. Looking back I think its that kind of a
> "commitment move" that made my switch (no
> transition) to all raw work. I think sometimes
> when you know its the right thing to do you just
> do it.

I totally understand what you mean by "left foot in, right foot out..." But gradually doing it is better in my case. I'll take it at my own pace and raise the boundary as I get stronger.

You're welcome Keepitsimple3344!

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

If you honestly aren't craving greens, if you feel sick when you are about to eat them--don't eat them! I had almost four months of ZERO desire for greens, ate mostly fruit and some sprouts (a WIDE variety of both).

But when the time was ripe, my body just let me know, "Hey, have a salad." I hungered for it, and it was amazing! It still feels amazing, so I will continue to eat greens, as long as they satisfy and fulfill me. =) If they start making me feel nauseous again, I'll back off.

I was INCREDIBLY paranoid as the months ticked by and salads made me want to puke. But the fact that suddenly, again, I'm delighting in them, it gave a huge boost of faith to the "your body will tell you what it wants when it wants" idea. Even if it took several months before it wanted the greens again.

My energy levels and everything else were also fine--I wasn't displaying signs of other or serious problems, probably a little note to keep in mind (if you start feeling other than well).

Awwww. Don't be hating on the greens. Watch this video. Maybe it will change your mind about greens: hehehe

[uk.youtube.com]

i actually thought lee and arugula were just being helpful and if I asked that question and received those answers, i would thank them for their enthusiasm and honesty

i thought you were looking for a perspective different than your own

it actually takes me five minutes to make a salad too and that is just because i'm not a patient person, not cuz i'm a "superior" person

i loved lee's enthusiasm and didn't think it was being pontific but rather playful

i've seen slander, criticism and plain rudeness

those comments were anything BUT that

in my opinion

then again, people are all VERY different so the way I perceive something could be perceived a TOTALLY different way by someone else

i just honestly felt that their opinion was respectful, ... they spent the time and energy to

1. read your post
2. think about it
3. answer it

If there was any disrespect in those posts, I sure didn't see it and I tend to pay attention to the written word fairly closely

Quote

Posted by: la_veronique (IP Logged)
Date: May 12, 2008 05:44AM

then again, people are all VERY different so the way I perceive something could be perceived a TOTALLY different way by someone else

The way I see it thats got to be the hardest part of forum posting. Everyone is looking at a post with a different perspective and can take away a totally different idea then the author was projecting. I have seen reactions to some of my posts that surprised me so much that I had to study the post and the reaction to see if I could figure it out so it wouldn't happen again. I finally decided that perception differences are a part of posting and there's nothing that can be done about that except to stop posting or accept that perception problems are going to occur occasionally.

I have thought about this perception problem before and concluded that a large part of the problem is that the print dosn't transmit things like body language, speaking volume increases and decreases, laid back feel or uptight, etc. None of those things come through in the print like they do in person. And of course one person can't control how another person behaves so I have no control over your reaction and you have no control over my reaction. This form of communication does have its limitations but I have learned so much in both the sharing and receiving of information that I have learned to just shed the negatives off like a duck sheds water off of its oil covered feathers and not take perception reactions personally. This is the best forum I have seen to date.

Lee,

Your 100% right your Not responsible for my feelings and I am not responsible for yours.That is the cornerstone of healthy boundaries. I was stating my boundaries of what am comfortable with in regardes to a response and your responsible for how you feel about that.It sounds like you also had some strong feelings & thoughts.
I am simply the type that lets people know where my boundaries are in a respectful way. Boundaries are never about controlling another but letting someone know:"Here is where my boundaries are can you honor that? If you chose not to then you may do as you wish but I wont be around when it happens.

If you have a deep NEED to respond to my post that is your choice. My personal boundary is when I see your name I have the right to by pass it.I would never try to control another person,although I am wondering about you) but I do have the responsiblity to set my own boundaries.
As far as the others who agreed w/ her. Thats great.As I am, you are all entitled to your own thoughts,opinions and belief system.I hope it was helped you all.
It takes a really empathic,compassionate person to know they offended someone and respond w/ love and not sarcasim.Hang in there you'll pick that up.

Keepitsimple3344 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It takes a really empathic,compassionate person to
> know they offended someone and respond w/ love and
> not sarcasim.Hang in there you'll pick that up.


Oh jeez louise. Your last comment is not sarcasm? We all have mirrors. :-)

I love greens, fruit, vegetables, sprouts some gourmet raw delicacies I've learned to prepare...I love being 100% Raw. I jumped in at 100% a year ago because I did and it felt right for my body. My intentions were clear to achieve exceptional health. I had a ton of enthusiasm and specifically a few physical ailments that have since dissappeared entirely, as my primary motivation. I didn't view any part of my personal raw journey as being a sacrifice or a pain or difficult. If I did, I would simply have chosen to only include those foods that I liked or do it differently. No judgement, no lack of compassion...just my opinion and my experience...sharing what has worked for me. 100% raw from the git go. If you don't like the greens, don't do them. Do something else that brings you joy and makes your spirt, body and mind feel great.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2008 05:29PM by rawangel.

Sounds as if you have a monoploy on critqing indivuduals.I would go out on a limb and say your right but then it doesnt take an Einstein to realize there was sarcasism leaking out all over your post.So where does that leave you? Humm, Unless you are judje and jury on what constitutes sarcasim.
Let me guess you have a problem with people who set boundaries that dont match your particular value system.

Here's another boundary,I set my boundaries,therefore,feel no resentment and I am finding this tread-if that is what it is called- TOXIC.Part of my boundaiies are to move away from toxic things,therefore,I CHOSE not to view any more of these post on this thread.If your writing to me,I hope it helps YOU cuz I wont be around.That's a promise!!!!!!!!!!!!
Iroinc,this thread received so many responses and it full of............
and there are people looking for solid advice and those post are receiving little attention.Raw food or not--people can be funny!

I'm responding to content, not personalities. Relax. I don't know you well enough to dislike you!

No one is shoving their food choices or opinions down your throat. If you want to have a private conversation, use private email. You don't need to be so angry.

I suspect you are the architect of your own unhappiness.

That's usually the case.

I think most people mean well. It's easier to think that. Maybe I am wrong and you are right and people are out to get you. I'm not one of them... though you can continue to think that I am. Maybe there are people out to get me and I am completely missing that. Oh well. Life is too short to spend time being angry. I try and focus on joy and love. Successfully everyday? No. But focusing on those things brings me more joy and love.

I don't like ALL of the advice I get. Sometimes someone's tone seems unkind or off, but if they are taking the time to respond, I think they must, on some level, mean well.

Warm regards, regardless of your issues with that,


Lee



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2008 06:15PM by Lee_123.

While you're reevaluating diet and food intake, it might be a good idea to take a look at your open-mindedness and acceptance of others?! It couldn't hurt.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

Sheesh... I thought eating raw was what made people touchy
In my experience everyone on this board are helpfull.. or at least trying to be. Some have strong opinions but hey thats life, this is a public board after all.

I personaly feel that greens are vital for transitioning as Brian suggests. Most people in the world today are toxic due to the level of of exposure from all areas in our living environments, regardless of diet. I believe that once the nutrient imbalances and toxins within our bodies have been corrected, that we would then only need greens and herbs to correct later compromise resulting from individual choices, or the ever present toxic exposures such as what we inhale from the air or drink from our water etc.