hi everyone....i'm wondering if others have/had the same difficulties i am in going 100%. where i run into trouble is cravings for complex carbohydrate, like popcorn or bread.

some alternatives i've thought of, like nuts/seeds..i've not been able to make this work yet. what happens is i overdo it on them trying to compensate for the complex carbs, and then it's worse than just having a potatoe already. too many nuts i really don't feel well on. yet a small amount i'm not able to make the transition...

and dehydrated foods, like crackers or breads, sort of the same, they don't feel right for me and then i feel worse than on a raw/cooked diet.

but i want to be 100%, i once was there and i feel best on just fruit, veg and small amounts of nuts. but i run into problems keeping it that way! what do you all do? do these cravings go with time. i find i'm not good at having a 'little' cooked food in transition either, what eventually happens is it becomes more and more and then i'm pretty far from a raw diet. aghh...i can't seem to get there...

I can really sympathize with your struggle.Especially with the carbs and the bread.I mean,I could live on bread.
I too want to be 100%.
This might not be the answer you wanted to hear,but I have accepted for myself to be in the 80- 90 % range.The only thing I have that isnt raw is an occasional steamed veggie.
When I did this,the struggle was over,and I figure 90% is way ahead of where I would be other wise.I believe its all a matter of degree and every little bit helps.
Hope that helps.

Vinny

...i'm glad it's not just me. bread is my weakness. often i go months without it, but slip back again. i guess some every 5 months isn't that bad. then i get back to whole foods diet, just too much cooked food. you're at 80-90% raw, that's good! if i'd stay at that consistant, i'd be pretty happy. i slip, and then it's a climb back to that and almost 100%, then back again. maybe i should try for cooked veggies as my only cooked food...that i've not tried yet...

thanks vinny...

adrian,
Despite your struggle,it sounds like you are doing pretty good.

Yes,a steamed veggie smothered in some soy butter and loaded with spices really hits the spot.
Another one that I love is Quinoa,which is a great satiate food and can take the place of bread.
Enjoying those kinds of things is whats keeping my in the 80-90 % range.

Vinny



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2010 05:26PM by eaglefly.

thanks...yea, better than what my diet used to be definitely. i'm going to try what you do, i think it will help...

The desire for complex carbohydrates may just be a lack of carbohydrates in your diet. Try eats lots of sweet fruit and see if you desire for starches diminish. It was very difficult for me to leave bread behind, especially because there are some addicting aspects of wheat, the opioids.

Carbohydrates will stimulate a release of tryptophan in the brain, which converts to serotonin, but the presence of protein blocks this effect.

which is generally why alot crave carbs for there fix.

hi prana and powerlifter....it does feel like the desire for bread (or any complex carb) is like an addiction craving. i was very addicted to processed sugar years ago and remember that feeling. this is similar. it's like bread or grains are the last hurdle...i once got past this years ago, and now it's where i've been stuck for a long time.

i love fruit, sometimes i wonder if i'm having too much...but it is the one food that completely agrees with me.

if i could keep the cooked food at just a small amount, i'd be happy. but i'm like an alcoholic with a little glass of wine, it starts it all again. this is where i have trouble, it's easier for me give it all up, yet going 100% at once then i have trouble doing that and turn to too much fat or dehydrator foods and then feel worse. ha..i've been caught in this for a while now...

maybe having the least addictive (to me) of cooked food in small amounts can work...if not, next thing is to keep trying with just letting all of it go.. eventually i should get there? i hope!

that is interesting about the release of tryptophan in the brain, i've never craved protein all my life. interesting.

Hi adrian,

What really helped me was to add some raw wheat germ to my salads. This took care of my cooked grain cravings, and didn't lead to overeating.

These days, I usually eat sprouted kamut instead of the wheat germ. (Kamut is like wheat berries, but bigger). I soak it overnight, then rinse and drain for another day or two, and eat it while it still has just the little root sprouts. It's very good rolled up with lots of greens and some avo in a nori roll. Good in salads too. You don't need much. The kamut is better than wheat germ because it's a whole food.

thanks suncloud....i wouldn't have thought of sprouted kamut, that's a great idea. i'll try it.

okay, i feel i can do this again....

I eat soaked and sprouted grains: wheat, spelt, rye,...

I do not share the opinion that raw grains are bad for you. If you look at nutrition tables, Nutrition tables reveal that they also have a lot of vitamins and minerals, like iron, magnesium, zink, vitamins B1, B2, C, E, and a lot of others especially when they are sprouted.

Basically it's a savory cravings versus sweet. There are tons of raw savory foods you can use to substitute. You can have salads, wraps, pasta, etc. You can make your own breads, chips, crackers, etc. or buy them pre-made. I found pre-made snacks were ideal to have at the beginning of raw. There are so many great companies out there. If you can make your own, even better.

Simple Raw Recipes & Health Tips

thanks for more suggestions. i'm feeling less frustrated with myself today. heh. i really love raw foods, i feel totally different on them than any other diet i've tried...yet keep having trouble getting to the place i want to be. i will do it though...all the input helped, thanks everyone.

Opioids in wheat? I understand that wheat grass juice has this effect but cooked bread?

Just so you know, Adrian, a very minute percentage of raw fooders are 100% raw all the time(if they're telling the truth). Probably about 0.5%.
The vast majority are 100% raw only for a period of time, then they fall back to some cooked food or non raw things, then they pick themselves up and go back to raw and so on and so on. It's practically impossible to be 100% raw all the time.

I'm 100% raw. It took a while though (understatement).

"Just so you know, Adrian, a very minute percentage of raw fooders are 100% raw all the time(if they're telling the truth). Probably about 0.5%.
The vast majority are 100% raw only for a period of time, then they fall back to some cooked food or non raw things, then they pick themselves up and go back to raw and so on and so on. It's practically impossible to be 100% raw all the time."

reaaaally?..okay, i'm normal. heh. but i need to greatly extend the time i'm in high raw or 100%.

suncloud...i'm interested in your experiences being 100%, is it a lot different for you than high raw? you've been raw for many years, is that right? i aspire to this!

8 years ago i discovered raw and felt an immediate difference when i changed to it. i kept to it for 2 years. my whole complexion changed, i lost weight, it was the best i'd felt all my life. but then the challenges came, i guess different stages of raw? emotional and spiritual, i was feeling so out of place in the world, very disconnected. i didn't deal with it well or go through it, and cravings came back so bad that weren't even there for months. i fell away from raw and ever since then it's been up and down...although i didn't go back to junk food at least...

anyway, today i'm all raw. heh. getting through the hard times, that's my challenge..

Adrian, 100% raw is a lot different for me, but another person might be perfectly happy and healthy with some cooked food in their diet. Especially the steamed veggies, like Eaglefly says, can be very helpful.

I started out with huge ideals and the ambition to become a fruitarian. It turned into a roller coaster of ups and downs that lasted for over a decade (from about 1973 - 1986), so I'm definitely and sadly familiar with what you may sometimes be going through now.

Cooked food is very hard on me, and ultimately I gave it up in favor of a raw food diet that I could consistently handle. For me that included all different raw food groups. I try to be moderate most of the time with raw foods that should be eaten in moderation, but when I'm not, it's OK.

It seems that exercise is very important.

Best wishes to you, Adrian. For me, the road was somewhat rough, but smooth sailing now, and well worth it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2010 12:55AM by suncloud.

thank you suncloud.

i'm glad to know it's smooth now, and that gives me hope too..

I know that Mona Dresbach is 100% raw too.

Wish I was too, but I live in the northeast, and I'm a wimp. Sometimes I'm 100% raw, but I never make it through the whole winter without adding some cooked food into my diet in the evenings. I think I'd probably be correct in observing that most of the people who stay 100% raw live in relatively warm climates. (Another reason for me to move to Costa Rica!!!) I don't get cold; my energy is just different in the winter. I've been at this for over 25 years, and maybe by the time I'm 80 I'll finally have figured it out. ;-p

Sharrhan:


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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2010 02:47AM by kwan.

Here's to 80!

I think you're right Kwan, that warm climate helps.

nice to have good company in the journey. i'm in a cold climate too and winters are my difficult time. and i work outside which doesn't help. i have more cooked food then. with time, hopefully it will be less and less.