Hey guys, I'm just looking for some insight and someone that will listen.

I've been lurking here for over 2 years. I've been vegan for one year now and have gotten everything down to only a few cooked foods that still cause me regret and pain after eating it. I find myself out of control and the old compulsive eating habits come back when I get started. I'll tell you what the foods are...

Chips, salsa and tacos.

This has to be the hardest thing for me to quit. Even harder then smoking back in the day (I'm 40). I stopped eating so many bad foods like burgers, pizza, cereal, breads, french fries and lots more. But these chips are really evil and I'm so weak when the craving kicks in. If i have a bad day or get too excited about something i get jn the car and drive to this organic fresh mex place and order 4 tacos with some deep fried chips. This is NOT everyday but about twice a week now.

I hate it and feel so bad afterwards I want this to stop.

The rest of the food I eat is no different then the top raw food people out there. I juice every morning, eat a salad every day for lunch and make fruit smoothies and eat raw snacks.

Maybe someone has a similar issue or can shine some light here.


Thanks
Mark

How do you really know what the top raw people eat in private? They could be like you but won't admit it.

Thanks

What attracts you to these foods? is it really the food, or something else? maybe its the texture? There are some pretty clever dehydrated foods which a nice crunch which come very close to fried chips, but without the heating and all the fat. In one of roxannes books she has some nice wraps which really come very close to familiar foods and cheats.

[www.epicurious.com]

She had a resturant going at one time in California, but I think it closed. I bought a copy of her book, and she really did some amazing work. It would be nice if this type of cuisine was more available. It takes some familiarity with ingredients that I don't have. But I tried a few and they are so good. But one needs a food processor, and a dehyrator for many recipes. Patience and access to an amazing produce stand also helps. I often had difficulty finding all the ingredients. But I hope this gives you some ideas.

BJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How do you really know what the top raw people eat
> in private? They could be like you but won't admit
> it.

Haha. Yes, some people have reported seeing some of the `so called' raw food stars eating meat at restaurants, and one of the raw food heros talked about regularly on this forum was seen eating chocolate biscuits - + when he is asked if he is all raw he is supposed to avoid answering the question (he doesn't look even close to all raw and he is certainly nothing inspirational, but he is greatly admired despite looking quite rough....people wan to believe the fantasy). One fellow's ex-wife even dobbed him in for eating chicken regularly, but at least he eventually came clean about it.

If you have a big ego and have to lie, then it is obvious you don't have real health and the raw diet isn't working for you. Lots of the raw food leaders are not good advertisements for raw - they give a false sence of security and very few look all raw. It's good they promote raw foods, but there is much more to the story than that...they never talk about how hard to raw diet is and the work involved.

I don't mean to be negative. l just want poeople to be realistic and not fall for the nonsense so many raw leaders talk about. Some of these people have hurt other people through their lies. It's not about hating people, it's about exposing the dishonest people in the movement so people can be more careful when doing a raw vegan diet.

Lots of things can be done to stay raw, but l think l have talked about these things before with you.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2013 10:47PM by The Sproutarian Man.

clanks72 says :

<<Hey guys, I'm just looking for some insight and someone that will listen>>

i have no insights
but i did listen
and all i can say is
i hope you enjoyed the tacos
i mean, might as well eat with a happy attitude then a forlorn one
if you are going to eat those things
and also
keep up the good work with the other stuff you are doing

way to GOOOO!!!!!

Clank72,

I think you are doing fantastically well if you are able to have 5 raw healthy days and then treat yourself the other two days. Why gorge yourself and have 4 tacos. Why not just have one or two tacos every few days and enjoy them and give the chips a miss. Believe it or not, a lot of us were like you at one time or another beating ourselves up if we couldn't be 100% raw. Now I'm only interested in being healthy and happy as opposed to being 100% raw, and I'm much healthier and much happier.I eat what works for me, and that's all that matters.

Also, what kind of raw snacks are you having? Don't fool yourself thinking that high sugary snacks of any kind are healthy. Learn from other peoples mistakes. Most of us here offering advice and opinions aren't selling videos, books, seminars or whatever so we don't care what you do or eat as long as you are healthy and happy and don't make the same mistakes we made blindly believing a few people out to make money.

I have created for myself the opportunity to read Alissa Cohen's book : Living on Live Food. I bought it used on Amazon and I paid 1/3 of the price. The book is all dirty but I have so much gratitude for the information and motivation that I got from reading it. And it's also a recipe book and the dishes are extremely attractive and colourful!

Alissa Cohen talks about how to make the transition to the raw way of living without feeling deprived of anything; what usually leads to fail to the raw diet; the addiction to cooked food; the way we sometimes eat to 'not feel'...

But it's so much more than that!
Alissa Cohen's vibrant writing got to me and it became very clear why I am going raw. And there are all of these testimonials and 'Before and after' pictures of people who have been raw for a while.

It's a wonderful source of inspiration!

"Chips, salsa and tacos."

Salsa you can make Raw.

Chips you can buy through raw prepared mail-order food. This place has delicious Corn Chips, and other chips, but they're temporarily closed. They should be opening any time now. I'd PM you when they let me know they're back, but the PM function isn't working.

[www.puremarketexpress.com]

That leaves Tacos. I just looked up the recipe --

Ingredients

Chopped chicken or beef
Grated cheese or melted
Tortillas (also referred as soft shell taco)
Salsa/Pico-de-gallo
Taco seasoning mix
Sour cream
Chopped Lettuce, Tomatoes, etc

Lettuce and Tomatoes are Raw.

For the meat product, PureMarketExpress also has a Raw substitute for that. They call it sausage. Or just crumble up some dehydrated raw crackers as a substitute.

Sour Cream - PME has raw sour cream. Or you can make your own.

For the Cheese, again there are Raw Cheeses that taste just like regular Cheese and PureMarketExpress has fabulous Cheeses.

Salsa/pico-de-gallo you can make Raw.

Seasoning Mix. Whole Foods has a Salt-Free All Purpose Seasoning. They also have a Cajun Seasoning and an Old Bay Seasoning and a Caribbean Jerk Seasoning that are delicious, but those last three contain salt.

Speaking of Salt - that is something I would avoid like the plague because I think Salt Induces Cravings for Cooked Food. Instead of salt, I would use those round sprinkle jars (Maine Foods makes them) of Dulse, Kelp, etc.

In your Taco, just put some moist small pieces of Dulse.

The Wraps - I know there are coconut wraps out there --

[improveat.com]

[www.julianbakery.com]

and I bet there are also packaged raw soft tortilla-like wraps or hard taco-like shells.

Or if you feel like making your own, these look good -

[www.rawfullytempting.com]

**************

Here's another Raw Mail Order Place whose food is real good - they have wraps -

[awesomefoods.com]

The Sour Cream and Onion Chips look yummy.

Their Tempura Vegetable Chips are really good - I got them in Whole Foods - I don't see them on this link though, but any of these should satisfy your craving for tortilla chips.

[awesomefoods.com]

***************

Here's what you do - buy a variety of the Raw Chips, put them in separate bowls. Make a bowl of Raw Salsa. Make the Raw Taco Filling and put it in another bowl. Make Raw Guacamole and put it in another bowl. You'll have a feast and the craving will be satisfied

****************

If you have one delicious Raw Food or Raw Dish to look forward to and enjoy each day, and avoid salt, I think you can do 100% raw.

Let us know what happens either way.

BJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Also, what kind of raw snacks are you having?
> Don't fool yourself thinking that high sugary
> snacks of any kind are healthy.

Right here
[www.rawrev.com]

The Sproutarian Man Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BJ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How do you really know what the top raw people
> eat
> > in private? They could be like you but won't
> admit
> > it.
>
> Haha. Yes, some people have reported seeing some
> of the `so called' raw food stars eating meat at
> restaurants, and one of the raw food heros talked
> about regularly on this forum was seen eating
> chocolate biscuits - + when he is asked if he is
> all raw he is supposed to avoid answering the
> question (he doesn't look even close to all raw
> and he is certainly nothing inspirational, but he
> is greatly admired despite looking quite
> rough....people wan to believe the fantasy). One
> fellow's ex-wife even dobbed him in for eating
> chicken regularly, but at least he eventually came
> clean about it.


Wow, meat? that's terrible. Saying you are "Raw" and eating a baked potato is one thing but eating chicken is really out of line -- if you are promoting a raw vegan lifestyle that is.

Even though there might be a few "sneakers" out there... I'm sure some are still sticking to it 100% without even thinking about. Because I know, once you go without a junk food for a while you don't crave it anymore. Now if I could just do that with the Tacos everything will be fine.

Hey guys, for the record when I said "Tacos" -- these are vegetarian style tacos. I haven't ate any meat for over a year now. I just didn't want to imply that I was running to grab some chicken tacos or something. Most of the time they are tofu tacos or mushroom portobello.

Don't feel bad about not staying raw. Its difficult enough to remain vegan, I am finding out. I don't miss any animal products, but I noticed that my partner is getting frustrated with how limited the choices are for resturants, and the general social aspects of veganism. In my area its not the way of the majority. Raw is even less the way of the majority.

I wouldn't be surprised at that. I tried raw in California but found many social difficulties with that, and CA is probably more accepting than most places. Just some of the criticisms were just unbelievable. Unfortunately, i only have my partner really for support in maintaining a vegan lifestyle. I feel like I would push him over the edge if I were to go raw also. I would like to but, he is way to extroverted for a raw lifestyle. I am not sure why, but his social outlets are almost exclusively based on food and obtaining them.

Mislu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't feel bad about not staying raw. Its
> difficult enough to remain vegan, I am finding
> out. I don't miss any animal products, but I
> noticed that my partner is getting frustrated with
> how limited the choices are for resturants, and
> the general social aspects of veganism. In my area
> its not the way of the majority. Raw is even less
> the way of the majority.
>
> I wouldn't be surprised at that. I tried raw in
> California but found many social difficulties with
> that, and CA is probably more accepting than most
> places. Just some of the criticisms were just
> unbelievable. Unfortunately, i only have my
> partner really for support in maintaining a vegan
> lifestyle. I feel like I would push him over the
> edge if I were to go raw also. I would like to
> but, he is way to extroverted for a raw lifestyle.
> I am not sure why, but his social outlets are
> almost exclusively based on food and obtaining
> them.


Just curious-- do you eat grains or fruit?

I eat both.

hi
i haven't posted in a year however your query...
this is day 435 for me.
on aug 27 my birthday day i had some ice cream.
i was sick as a dog.
it contained ethyl alcohol as well as some carcinogens.
i was very sick from the ice cream $5.98 a ltr.
about end of june 2012 i had really wanted a bottle pop (plastic)
i put it off as long as possibly.
finally i had one, then forgot about the intelligence of drinking
and paying for sugar water erc.
what i do is say to my self "gargage food for a garbage body"
on the first of each mounth i buy a bag of chips.
when i started it was a reward, it now is no longer needed.
hard to say.
it is just that that is what i belived.
i never though of the ethyl alcohol or outher chems in my food.
i was a fool, thinking the gov was to protect our childern.
i cant here rant on about the food supply for our childern as this is about you.
please concreate on your gains, accept the retreat to the past with grace
that is there you came from, that got you here,



you have made great progress.
think of what you have learned.

most people are starving for nutruints, all they are getting are calories.
please dont be too hard on your self.
supply your self with nutruints is as many forms as you can.
be kind to your self.
i think you are doing great.
you are inquiring as well as having a desire to improve.

wow
most people have no desire to learn how to improve if it takes action.
You allready have gone further than most people.
i concatenate on your gains.

i wonder of what you will write once you have overcome the past.
i wish i could find a link to the picture to the things they put in cigarettes
to make them more addictive. i have no reason to belive that processeed foods are the same.


i hope to stop by in a year to see you at the top
good luck
b