i just started eating a raw food diet and i have been doing research trying to get more educated. i know that its best to eat organic fruits and veggies rather than ones bought at a grocery store. if i have a hard time finding organic is it ok to eat grocery store bought fruit for the time being? this may be a stupid question but im fairly new to this and could use all the help i can get.

Of course! The aim is to transition to raw and that's a pretty huge endeavor so it's fine to just focus on one part at a time as a start. As you learn more and also see how your body responds to things you can refine your diet and habits accordingly. Of course it's a great idea to eat the best quality food you can find and afford as you go along but don't panic, one small step at a time .
Here's a list of the fruits and veggies that are sprayed the heaviest and the least so you can finesse your shopping a bit at least.
[www.organic.org]

oh thank you so much for the list. its going to help me out alot. its good to know . i started 3 days ago and have cut out all processed sugars and foods. i dont know if i have started the detox yet but i felt pretty crappy when i decided it was time to change. i seriously think the junk i was dumping in my body was turning on me( headaches, nosebleeds, fatigue). thank you for the help

Good luck! The forum members here are great people with so much info and personal experience, ask anything .

Great to see you here. Do the best you can each day but never feel like you've failed if you eat something which you had put off limits. It's very easy to feel a bit dismayed by reading some of the posts on here.
Some of the folk here have been raw for years and really discuss minute details which are interesting but sometimes a way down the track from where one might be oneself!!!
Like Coco said transitioning to raw is a huge step - some people like to jump in and go 100% raw overnight - for most people that just isn't possible or wise. As you are a fellow runner I suggest you ease yourself in slowly - cutting out what you perceive to be the worst aspects of your diet and introducing lots of lovely fresh fruit and veg (yeah - don't over worry about non organic veg etc - you will find better stuff as you go along). Make sure that what you eat everyday feels right for YOU, it should be a pleasure but if it becomes a penance then you need to ease up a bit and adjust the diet until it feels good for you.

The detox thing can be massively over emphasized. It makes sense that if you have been drinking 5 shots of esspresso every day and you stop outright you will get nasty headaches but more drastic 'symptoms of so called detox' should be checked out by the health practitioner of your choice

Anyway Welcome here - i look forward to hearing about your progress

Welcome, andy! Agree that it's rather more important to replace bad food with good food than to worry about degrees of good--conventional vs organic; organic vs biodynamic--for the time being. Likewise agree that it's important to find your own pace and to go easy on yourself.

Exercise as you are able, rest plenty, stay hydrated, stay positive, and you should do well

thank you flipperjan and Tamukha! i hva ebeen feeling good and reading lots of info to keep me motivated because im not doing this to lose weight im doing this to feel better and whole. i appreciate all the advice and positivity! im excited to share my progress as well

I want to get started, and I already eat a lot of fruit and nuts, juices (not raw), brown rice etc. I have a hard time getting going on salad stuff or other raw foods. I am a snacker and dont find that I have time or make the time for prepping foods (although I need to get better at that). How can I easily get started and introduce more raw foods into my diet, slowly but surely- while not breaking the bank? and while trying just a few new recipes? its seems overwhelming to get started...

Hey Meeshi, just do one thing different, and when that's comfortable, then add to it. There's not a lot more I can say, as it's already been said, and you couldn't have come to a better forum IMO. Great advice, and the main point is to go at your own pace.

Take your time and try and enjoy the whole experience. Personally I almost never buy commercial and every time I do I regret it, but that is just me and I have been doing this for a long time. Also as I just stated on another post, buying organic is the one thing that I can do to make this a better enviroment. Every time you buy commercial you are just part of the problem, sad but true. Keep reading past posts to learn more and you will be good to go.

In time, your tastes will sharpen, and I think it will be easy to tell the difference between organic and conventional. In the beginning, though, just focusing on inundating yourself with FRESH and LIVING food is all that matters.

Also, steaming and boiling are the least destructive methods of food preparation, with baking, frying, and microwaving being the worst. Even if you're not 100% raw in transition, having something like a steamed sweet potato vs. whatever else you may have wanted to binge on to have a "dense" feeling is much better. My point being, there are lots of safer ways to still weed the SAD stuff out of the diet while transitioning to what level of raw is comfortable for you.

One insanely cheap and nutritionally powerful way to get more raw into your diet is to start sprouting. You can buy sprouts for literally cents at any bulk section in a grocery store. Sproutpeople.com has lots of info (and neat accessories) for the beginning of a lifelong sprouting journey.

thanks for all the great advice. i need all the info and knowledge i can get. you all have been very helpful

What's really nice when you're transitioning or whether you're a full-on raw fooder, every now and then steam some pieces of sweet potato, pumkin or carrot to put with your raw veg salad. It's still mostly raw, but in the winter, some hot food is a welcome addition.

Cheers,
geo x

Geo - I really agree with your above post. That has made all the difference for me.

I think it's about sorting out what works for YOU and not thinking there are a strict set of rules. We are all different after all

Cheers flipperjan