At the beginning it was my husband struggling, but now it's me. I was loving the raw food for the first week and a half. Then my husband had to prepare to teach the vegan cooking class he does once a month. He made the most delicious smelling lentil soup and brown rice with herbs that could be smelled all over the house. Then I sat down to my kale and strawberries and it did not look apetizing. I feel like i'm growing bored with the raw foods and I miss the comfort of cooked foods. I even crave stuff I haven't eaten in years. My husband went through the whole cooking school, making the food and demonstrating it, without a struggle. He just wants me to keep feeding him sprouted hummus, but I don't think thats good either. The only thing keeping me going is that I like how I feel otherwise.

Ah, Pandora's box... I sometimes wonder whether it's possible to destroy that box so that you can go back to the way things are supposed to be, instead of how it is with dead foods.

It takes a lot of work to get out of this spot once you have experienced something like cooked foods.

I also believe that we need companionship and examples of what it's like to be 80 and rocking the house on your instrument in a rock gig or rock climbing on a difficult ascent at 85. It sounds like you need family and friends to live as you're trying to do so. I feel like people eating cooked foods are pulling us down, and we must break from them and create the world as it needs to be.

Stephanie

There's always a learning curve and a hurdle to get over whenever we change our habits. We are creatures of habit, comfort and familiarity. No one likes to be thrust out of their comfort zone and the area of taste and smell in the brain is very powerful.

I've struggled with sticking with the raw foods diet too, and still do sometimes. (I just failed at a friend's wedding I was catering this past weekend and indulged in foods I shouldn't have. But I have to stand up, admit the failure and keep moving forward, not letting one mistake or a wavering throw me into a downward spiral.) One thing that helps me when I feel alone or am tempted, is to remember why I am doing this in the first place. It's not just a fad or a crash diet to lose a few extra pounds. There's a bigger picture to remember. My body was created to heal and I'm facilitating that, which takes long-term commitment. I want to be pure in body and clear in mind and strong and healthy. I'm sure you do too!

Try finding a few new recipes, with unusual herbs or sauces. Plate your meals beautifully. Sprinkle on a garnish or two. I try to make what I do special and a pleasure to enjoy. And since I'm still in the beginning stages, I do make raw treats to help with the temptation. I'd rather indulge in a few raw cookies, than let the traditional chocolate chip tempt me. It helps me and I hope it might help you.

Thanks for admitting that you're struggling. We all need encouragement and others can't give it if we don't let them see us as we are.

Enjoy the journey!

Thanks for the encouragement. I was having a hard time at breakfast this morning, and I said "I don't want to eat this" so my husband said "what do you want to eat?" I couldn't answer because I didn't want to eat the raw food but i didn't really want to eat cooked food either because that means I lose the nice light energetic feeling I have and like, so i didn't eat at all and took a walk to the ocean and relaxed. When i got back, raw food sounded good again and I looked up some new fun recipes to get excited about. Thanks.

Annie_pie

since your husband seems so skilled in his vegan cooking and whatnot

don't you think that it would be kind of easy for him to modify whatever he learned to a raw vegan style?

i mean, all he has to do is to just take out the heat

maybe he could do a sprouted veggie soup for you

a lot of great raw chefs used to be cooked chefs until their skulls were hit by a rock and they saw the light of day

Thanks, I'm sure he could if he he had the time. He's so busy and it's left to me to figure out how to feed the family. I bet if I asked, he would sit down with me and come up with some plans. He tells me he likes my cooking better than his but he's wrong. He has started adding more raw into his cooking demonstrations, but they are funded by someone else so we're limited on how much we can change. But yeah, you inspired me to ask for more of his help. It's a housemom thing to think we need to do it all ourselves.

Well said CMiller!

The only different point of view I have to offer Annie-pie is that it's o.k. to occasionally be "off the wagon" so to speak. When I started this lifestyle (I don't like calling it a diet any more because people misunderstand that) I decided that I would not get stressed out about it. It seemed counter productive to a healthy lifestyle. Anyway, I will often plan on "cheating" rather than being overwhelmed by feelings of being deprived. For me, accepting that it's o.k. to eat an occasional thing from the SAD menu makes me feel more empowered. I know that it's theoretically bad for me, but there are many things we do that are bad for us. Some that we aren't even aware of. Based on that, I don't feel like a failure if I eat a few french fries, or drink a glass of wine, or have some unmentionable non-vegan item. I'm doing the right thing most of the time and that's all I can expect from myself. I'm not perfect and I have no intention of thinking I can be. For me, thinking like that always ends in disappointment.

I'd say most days I'm at about 90+%, some days it's 100% (minus herbs and some condiments that I don't know the rawness of) Last Saturday, based on calories, I bet I dipped down to 60% or 70%. I feel it afterward, no doubt about that. Lethargy, congestion, bloating, indigestion, etc. But it was a special event and I planed for it. No guilt

Go ahead and plan on eating a cup of your hubby's soup this week. It's not going to kill you. That's just my humble opinion, I'm sure many would disagree.

Good luck!
Bill

thenewguy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well said CMiller!
>
> The only different point of view I have to offer
> Annie-pie is that it's o.k. to occasionally be
> "off the wagon" so to speak.

I wonder about this... It's very hard to jump right back on, but it has to be based on the right frame of mind, more like the kid who eats liver or kidneys because his parents require him to. He prefers not to eat it, and wouldn't eat it on his own. "Well, hmmm... Friends are coming into town, and they want me to eat out with them. I guess I'll oblige for a couple of nights, and then I go back to my thing." I'm not quite at that point. Sometimes, it takes me weeks to get to the point where I can reach that place in my head where I can get through the evening without thinking about cooked foods.

My feeling (and hope) is that as the years go by, it becomes harder and harder to oblige my friends, and I would be forced to "come out" to my friends as a human - "Look, I have something to share with you. I've been doing this for some months now. This is why I cannot..."

Boy, talk about not breaking bread anymore and instead feeding it into a super-hot fire before they have a chance to eat the bread, and THEY PAID FOR THE BREAD, TOO!

Stephanie

hey Stephanie

i never once had a problem eating raw
in front of friends, strangers, family etc.

i just get salad or fruit
if people ask me if i want bread i just say " no thanks but thanks for offering"


if you are hanging out with friends
it is because they want to see YOU

i'm sure they will still be your friend whether you eat salad and fruit
or whatever

if you think you will be hungry and there will not be any decent food choices there, then just eat before hand

when you arrive

just say " hey ... i've already eaten but i just came here to see you wonderful people!"

or...." i've already eaten a bit and the salad looks good!

if they press you for more information , just say " I'm on a health kick and I'm LOVING it!"

la_veronique Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> when you arrive
>
> just say " hey ... i've already eaten but i just
> came here to see you wonderful people!"
>
> or...." i've already eaten a bit and the salad
> looks good!
>
> if they press you for more information , just say
> " I'm on a health kick and I'm LOVING it!"


I was watching a youtube video the other day that had Tonya Kay (a "raw food spokesperson" as well as an actress, dancer and performer) talking about this scenario. Her recommendation for negative people or people trying to pressure you is to say "Oh.... no thank you... the Doctor says I need to stay away from {whatever}" People think Dr's are Gods, and if a doctor said it, well, then it's o.k.

Hi,
I am new here.I want to know how to start out right with the raw diet.I am tired all the time.i am tired of beinging over weight.I want to be heathly and feel good.I have never done a raw diet before really.I have tired juicing over the years.If anyone has any ideas how for me to get started.I would appreicate it.

Thank you,
Alicia

greenleaf5,

Take some time to look through all the posts on this forum, and to use the SEARCH option for more info on the specifics. You will find tons of answers to your questions here. Welcome, and good luck : )

I am on Day 2, so this is a very helpful post with some great advice. Thanks to all. I wanted to add this from my own personal experience (though not while on a raw diet): it's been my experience that sometimes we crave things that our bodies need, and in general I think we should honor that. It will be interesting to me to see how this works for me as I go forward.

thenewguy says:

<<I was watching a youtube video the other day that had Tonya Kay (a "raw food spokesperson" as well as an actress, dancer and performer) talking about this scenario. Her recommendation for negative people or people trying to pressure you is to say "Oh.... no thank you... the Doctor says I need to stay away from {whatever}" People think Dr's are Gods, and if a doctor said it, well, then it's o.k. >>

HA HA HA!!! I am laughing my head off! I would not say that a Dr. says I should stay away from Doritos, Ding dongs, Twinkies and slabs of lard ridden foods. I have SOME measure of pride and anyone can see that a person has to be an idiot for spending big bucks on a dr. to tell them what is obvious to most people. Most people know they are eating junk. They just act stupid in order to justify what they are doing with their bodies.