My fiance intoduced me to this diet...I won't even know about it if it weren't for him. I haven't gone to any diet yet...I still eat like a normal American. But my New Year's resolution this year is to cut out all those bad foods. I want to start out as a vegan first and work my way up to a raw foodist. I have a 5 year old daughter I would like to do the same with, she's not big on meat anyways...is this a healthy diet for young children as well?
Also, when I start, I'm going to start on being a vegan, I'm going to do my shopping at the Whole Foods market...can I still buy my foods there once I become a raw foodist? If not, where do I go. I'm used to shopping at WalMart, where food is cheap...is it a lot more expensive to become a vegan or a raw foodist? Any information you can give me will help. Thank You! )

I buy my food at a regular supermarket. At some point, you might want to consider buying organic. But, especially at first, don't worry about it.

For now, just start eating more fresh fruit and vegetables. You will notice that as you eat more of them, you will have less room for the other stuff.

If you go low fat, yes you may find it to be very expensive. If you eat a lot of greens, also, that will be very expensive (1000 kcal of watercress = $20 or more). But if you eat very high fat and stick with the cheapie fruits (bananas, apples, oranges) it will not be too expensive.

Lots of greens is more nutritious, however. And many of us are wary of high fat diets.

Getting most of your produce from the local farmers market is probably best. I don't go to my local Mother Earth (upscale health food) store very often, but my main grocer is an independent, reasonably priced, and I LOVE supporting it. Also Asian stores will have very cheap produce, if you can stand the sights (animal guts everywhere) and smells.

Whether or not you succeed as a vegan, raw foodist, or any other goal you set for yourself, one thing is very important to remember.

Teach your daughter now, to LOVE fresh cut up fruits and vegetables. My kids ate that all their lives, and to this day, it is something they get excited about when they get home from school and find lots of snacks on the table. You don't have to be a committed vegetarian to love fruits and veggies, mine aren't.

I am always amazed when my kids bring home friends, and they just can't handle fresh food. If it doesn't come out of a french fry container, or isn't covered with melted cheese or chocolate, they just don't want it. I also have a water dispenser in the kitchen - for some reason, if they have to choose tap water, they don't want it, but they drink tons of purified water! (while their friends guzzle sodas)

When I walk through the high school I can hardly believe the number of young people who are carrying around so much extra weight. And they have no clue what to do about it. It is just so sad, but most importantly, it is totally preventable! Being a teenager is so hard already without any of those kinds of added burdens!

Good luck on your journey!

Yes. Good questions. Thank you.

-The above responses are spot on. This doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing deal for you and/or your family. Just steadily increase the amount of fresh, raw fruits...vegetables...and nuts that you have in your diet. Stick to the stuff you LOVE. Try to reduce and then cut out some of the foods that YOU think are the worst things you eat. Set yourself VERY small goals and achieve them. Raw food folks should be lifetime...chronic under-achievers! Ha! ha! The small stream that never stops makes the canyon...and finds its way to the sea.

-David Z. Mason