When I slipped last summer and it took me 6 weeks to get back to all fresh raw I clawed my way back because the benefits I had received as a raw food eater were slipping away fast. As soon as I was able to get back to all fresh raw I resumed making progress toward better health & wellness. I was just wondering what experiences other raw food eaters have had eating compromised raw, that is eating a raw diet that is not made up of all truly raw foods. At what point does a compromised diet compromise the results for you ?

I compromised 80/10/10 a couple of months ago when I went on a vacation. I'm struggling to get back on, but the last few days have gone really well.

I've gained most of the weight I lost when going 80/10/10. But, I have mixed feelings about it. At times, I've felt pretty good just being raw.,,

david

I don't understand the question? I have never felt compromised, nor thought that my raw items weren't really raw.

I started eating raw two years ago and made a overnight change which lasted about six months. I comprimised eating raw during my familys thanks giveig dinner and went of the deep end binging on everything. I eventually lost everything I worked so hard to gain from eating raw foods, I even gained back much of the weight I lost. I started to fast and bing for a while till that brought some health problems. I struggled to get back to raw, I would go raw for a month and then eat something cooked and boom it was all over I ended up binging. These last two weeks I have been able to maintain eating raw except for eating occasional popcorn and the popcorn thing is starting to go as well. I had to step back and take a serious look at things for sure because the fasting and binging eating raw then eating cooked was causing health problems. I had to decide if I was going to eat cooked foods or all raw and I had to realize the way I was going about things was not working for me. One thing I did was to not push myself into eating raw but I decided to take a different approach. For example I really had a craving for coffee so I decided to just not force myself to quit coffee but to drink the coffee makeing myself aware of just how I felt when drinking it, like how it smelled and how it made my stomach feel and how it made me stay up at night ect ect. Eventually I could smell the coffee on my skin and when I did a b.m. and it was not pleasant. I began to associate the coffee with the awful smell it made when it came out of my pores. I no longer drink coffee and don't anticipate drinking it in the future.
I usually have to cook for the family and am around cooked foods all the time. One thing I really have a hard time with is pizza so after being raw for a couple of weeks I ate some pizza with my family and instantly began to feel a painful bloat, the pain was so great I almost wanted to go to the e.r. I don't crave pizza anymore and I don't have any desire to mix my raw eating by eating cooked foods. I feel happily raw now and hope to not comprimise my eating in the future

even though i haven't been raw for very long now, just about a month, i do notice a big difference in the effects of different types of food when i slip. wheat has a severe effect on me, and the slip with the bagel the other day made me really feel bad physically, it turned my mind to mush for 2 days and then i craved more of it- which i had to use much willpower to not eat. over this nearly 100% raw month, other small slips here and there of a few tortilla chips, or tidbits of other cooked, i just went right back to raw without a struggle. so for me, the allergy foods create the biggest challenge if i indulge in those.

interesting question!
I find when I include non-raw food in my diet that, while sometimes making life/social situations 'easier' I do feel it physically/emotionally. more mucus,I get the odd cold once in a while, plus my whole body feels kind of stiff, like I feel the need to do more yoga, kind of 'stretch it out'. I definately experience a lot more PMS, again, physically and emotionally (when 100% raw I get literally zero symptoms).

for me it's a case of balance - I know I compromise my health by not being 100%, but sometimes it just makes life easier to be a bit freer in my diet and not beat myself up about it. Plus, it depends how much you 'slip' - there's a big difference between bingeing on junk food and having a little cooked 'healthy' food every once in a while...

ps - dvdai, be careful, I'm scared you're gonna fall off that mountain! :-D

Looking back on it, I wasn't being very smart standing at that edge.

I was on the Appalachian Trail in northern Georgia. Good Times!

david

Eating raw is slowly showing benefits that I don't want to lose. that is the biggest motivator to keep on track. I don't think I would have an easy time getting back to raw if I ate something cooked. I still cook for my husband although he is capable of cooking for himself. The food doesn't tempt me. What does is dreaming about diner food. I do live in NJ. Thankfully, that is starting to diminish.

Does eating something like vegan almond cheese have a bad effect on you? I have to admit that I still will sneak a cup of coffee. It doesn't seem to bother me. If I really want a buzz, I'll eat a Lara Chocolate coffee bar. Oh my gosh, talk about a burst of energy.....

The key for me is to always have things available. If I am craving something bad, there is nothing better, (I think) than a homemade veggie burger with soaked walnuts and sunflower seeds, onion, carrot and Braggs. I don't even have my dehydrator yet, I just smash the mix together with tomato and avocado. Also, even though I should avoid nuts because of my weight issues, almonds and sun tea really hit the spot.

Here's a question that keeps coming up; I see some recipes that include tofu. In a raw cookbook I was looking at there were several. Can this be?

Suzie

hi suzie-

tofu is not raw.

Thanks, I didn't think so.