It's enlightened me since going raw, how much of my eating was really only for comfort. And how much of my restricting was really only for comfort. On raw, I feel like I'm nourishing myself. Why do all my friends see it as punishing myself? I feel free on raw foods, and healthy, clear, kind, energetic, open, and loving. Even while eating a SAD diet, I felt those things - this is true - but at the same time, my own eating patterns were full of binges followed by restrictions. I wanted to open a dialogue to see how others feel about raw foods as a way to cure/cope with/conquer an eating disorder....for me it's worked...it's made me feel and know that I'm putting health into my body and soul...nourishing myself and rebuilding. It feels great to me. My friends on SAD diets, disagree, and disapprove. They see it as weird, isolating (because I don't drink with them when we go out now, or binge on nachos and burgers)...I think really they may come around because they are very open and kind people, but it's hard. Thoughts on all this?

Very true!

When I was on cooked food..I was the undisputed king of comfort/emotional eating!

RB

I understand how you feel. My family thinks it's weird and it is a big life change. The hardest challenge for me is accepting that I know that this is right and will benefit me. It's hard being so different from others and not being "accepted". I'm just trying to adjust little by little and hope for the best. I sure feel better for the most part, and just try to keep my thoughts positive. People will never understand unless they embark on the journey themselves.

It used to be hard for me too-- none of my friends are raw. However, as the years have gone by they seem to have gained respect for my dietary choices, and many of them actually think the raw diet is a great thing... just not for them! And they sometimes seek my advice about their health problems, because they see that I'm continuing to be healthy as I get older. So now it doesn't really bother me much; in fact I kind of enjoy being different.

Just thiink of yourself as a forerunner and an example setter, and you'll start to enjoy the fact that you are helping make the world a better, healthier place.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

I think that the two issues are rather separate. The emotional and control issues that give rise to an eating disorder can occur with ANY type of diet. Those that are seeking to deprive, restrict, abuse and/or control themselves....WILL find a way to do it....even with the healthiest lifestyles and tools.

-I think addressing the true causes of an eating disorder BEFORE changing the diet in any major way...is the way to go. Eating healthy, by itself, DOES NOT automatically give rise to EMOTIONAL stability....which is a big key to long-term healthy eating/lifestyles...don't you think?

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Thanks David. Yes, I completely agree with you. I should have added a bit about my history with eating disorders. I struggled through my senior year of college...bingeing, then restricting, bingeing, then restricting...etc. I finally entered into therapy and worked out the issues of control and fear of growing up into an adult...or at least explored them and recognized them. For the past 2 years, I have had neither a binge nor a restrictive phase...because my main goal was to stay healthy emotionally. I did great at it! It was in the past year or so that I began to realize I'm READY to address health issues and weight issues in a positive, healthy manner. Then and only then did I decide to try raw again. So I guess what I meant by cure/cope with/conquer an eating disorder...is that I feel strong emotionally, and ready to embark on this journey of losing weight and regaining physical health...but friends may see it as a return to the eating disorder, though it is far, far different....they are just looking at the restrictive eating part...but to me it feels NOT restrictive, but FREEDOM!

One last thing!! I also feel that even while emotionally stable and happy and healthy on the SAD diet...certain things like sugar really affected my mood, causing slumps in my day, triggering cravings, etc....so I think there is a definite comfort element to the SAD diet

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friends may see it as a return to the eating disorder, though it is far, far different....they are just looking at the restrictive eating part.

For me eating is only restrictive in that I don't eat un-healthy food. I eat as much healthy raw foods that are grown in the earth garden as I want to. My body uses the healthy garden grown raw food in a healthy way as opposed to the SAD food that ruins health and gets stored as fat. To me thats freedom.

honestykindnesslove

<<is that I feel strong emotionally, and ready to embark on this journey of losing weight and regaining physical health...but friends may see it as a return to the eating disorder, though it is far, far different....they are just looking at the restrictive eating part...but to me it feels NOT restrictive, but FREEDOM!>>

let them feel whatever they want
you don't have to do anything about it
they are entitled

and you are entitled to do what YOU want

period

.