RawSun wrote:
"Uma, do you eat only solids when mono eating, or do you ever drink juice instead?"

I do really love my morning OJ this winter. I have been having 16-24 oz every morning and it is so yum! But, I don't consider this mono eating because not only do I mix different citrus varieties together (navel, valencia, tangerine cocktail!) but also when I eat food i have a hunch that the satiation signal comes more naturally than when i drink it. Supposedly OJ is far better than other juices which have the fiber refined out of them, OJ is closer to the whole food.

So anyway, when I think about mono I think about whole foods, but still, OJ is so easy to digest and to me it feels great, so it's been my breakfast recently, plus a mono lunch & dinner. BUT, there are finally citrus coming out that I like enough to want to mono eat (like honey tangerines!) so this may take over the OJ one day!!!

"I'm a juice fan, it's easiest to drink while I am at work. I usually drink Orange juice at around 11, then another juice, either veggie, or fruit or fruit followed with veggie at 3. Then I have dinner -- usually salad at 6. I find it hard to eat my veggies if they are not juiced or in salad - with fat in the dressing (oil or nuts).
After dinner I usually loose control."

My god I was such the green juice queen for a while (especially after Hippocrates where you drink like 3 green juices a day). I know what you mean about being hard to eat veggies if they're not in a juice or salad. That's what's so liberating about the low fat/high fruit diet, there's no more "Eat your vegetables!!" guilt trip because everything we need comes from fruit... and greens (like lettuce, celery, baby spinach) when the natural craving comes up for them, not when our mind tells us it's time to eat our vegetables! In the 80/10/10 approach we only have to eat stuff that tastes good to us at the time, that we feel like eating! It is a place to move towards of trusting our bodies. I'm still on the journey but it is getting more and more rewarding. I never thought i'd be at all out of my head, listening to my body, when it came to eating.

When I used to really want to lose control like this after dinner, part of it was that I didn't get enough calories from fruit during the day. I used to eat a LOT of juices and raw soups and smoothies but they were mostly veggie and when I did the calculation I was stunned to realize how little calories I was actually consuming.

Mono eating seems to help calm me down and produce a feeling of satiation that sometimes I don't get from food no matter how many calories I eat. It is bizarre!

Anyway I don't know if this answered your questions but maybe it's a start!

Love,
Uma

i can relate to your situation, i know what its like to sit and eat a whole jar of almond butter along with pumpkin seeds and dried fruit, then thats still not the end of it. ive mostly gotten over that, it only happens occasionaly when i have the munchies from prior activities But the things ive tried when im binging or about to are things like i go straight to sleep if its late at night. Ive actually been full of guilt for eating so much that i threw up, and that was one time honestly when i realised how much i had been eating. there was just so much. like 4-5 times the size of a stomach. it really put things into perspective. Also, something that really helped me out was when i started learning deep breathing methodes and meditation. There were suggestions of mindful eating. so when i have made a really great raw salad or something i sit alone in the quiet and it so slowly, just tasting it, admiring it, even writing poetry about it. it really helps to view food as replenishing as opposed to the enemy. so when im craving or binging i just stop when i realise what im doing (i know you know what is happening your just caught up in not really thinking about it) that was a bad explaination sorry) anyway i just leave the bite in my mouth and taste it, it satisfys me then i can put the food away and when i walk away with defeat it makes it more satisfying knowing i can do it again.
sorry this is so scatterbrained but I didnt feel like thinking out a beautiful essay on it. hope it helps.

also, one thing i read and have never forgotten it since was digestion begins in the mouth.

chew and chew til its nothing to chew and i think that could help a lot if you be patient with the time it takes to chew nuts completely or whatever you may be eating.

oh and another thing, it really helps not to have the foods in the house that you crave (bread cereal etc). if thats not an option and you feel this is seriously something you need to stop doing, lock up the foods and give the combination to the kids. it does work to deny whats not in front of you.

good luck with all.

Peace and Harmony

On the second week of going raw I craved tortilla chips so badly and I realized it is an addiction. The craving was as bad as when I quit cigarettes, which was the only other thing that was hard for me to quit. I wanted anything that was a cooked grain. Cereal was bad one. I know this is an addiction for me and I believe it is for most of the SAD people. I think of it as an addiction so I am not hard on myself about my feelings. My attitude is that I have fallen victim to something that is not widely known about and it is my responsibility to get myself out of it. I allow myself to eat something I am craving once a week. I plan it and it changes day to day. When I do finally eat it it is never even close to being as good to me as I had imagined. I am starting to get sicker and sicker every time I cheat. I don't have to deal with other foods in my house which is extremely helpful. I know my kids were addicted too so I feel it is my duty to keep them from falling into the same unhealthy addictions I did any longer. If I truly believe I am eating the best food on the planet I feel it is my job as a parent to make sure my kids are eating it also.

I so appreciate your responses!!

I do take your time and oppinions to heart!
You are all so kind!!!

THANK YOU!!

I've been feeling good the last 3 days about my food intake! I fear the next binge will be the worst by far, and believe me, I am considering locking up the cereal/cookie cabnet

HIYA!
I so strongly empathize with those here who say they "lose control" and such. Man.

rawrnr, you say you've been transitioning for two years! I've been "transitioning" for 12!! I have been seeing more and more clearly very recently that I really haven't been serious about my health. Still I'm not nearly as serious as I feel I'll need to be to really do it. David Mason mentions motivation. That seems so true to me. Lack of motivation means I don't get as serious as I'll need to be.

Not feeling great on the amount of raw (usually well over 50%) that I've usually eaten these past 12 or so years, and not feeling any better really (nor worse) than when I ate everything in sight seem to be two big reasons I don't really have the motivation.

Of course food is not the only thing that contributes to health. I don't know what's all involved but it's a whole lifestyle thing. Emotions are important.

I once read in a Zen book that our spiritual energy is in our abdomen. I read in a shiatsu book that all our nerves meet up in our abdomens. Over the years, it's been making more and more sense to me that overeating is a way to deaden ourselves to our emotions. Yet, all this intellectual understanding doesn't do sqaut without the motivation.

One thing that helps me is just reading people's posts. And being a part of this forum. But sometimes I spend way too much time reading these posts and don't "live". Reading people's experiences and descriptions of their overeating extravaganzas / escapades / debacles sometimes makes me into a laughing hyena at the computer because the language so resonates within me.

Thanks everyone.



This way is not compatible with Zen practice. This way IS Zen practice. - Dr. Doug Graham

Nothing whatsoever should be attached to. - Buddha

I have just stopped binging. I am trying to eat mono too. I am at a very good point in my life with food. For a long time I struggled, but you all come out of it..it's ok to binge because you are giving yourself what you want and have been thinking about...but after you see how the memory of food is different from the way you are now..and how sick you get..or bloated,you don't crave anything bad anymore. It happens. It will come..and also I didn't feel good on raw at all after a year..I switched to all/high fruit and I feel amazing all the time again. it's weird I know..but it was the difference for me.

Hey rawrnr! Congratualations for reaching out for help! It's not easy to admit that you are out of control and need help from others - but it sure is the smartest thing to do!

I'm a recovering alcoholic, so I know some of your feelings and have been there and done that.

You have been given some great suggestions in terms of strategies and there is an amazing amount of wisdom and understanding being expressed (not to mention compassion and empathy). It does my heart so much good to see us (raw community) rise to the occasion and really "put it out there" for each other Gives me the warm and fuzzies!

I wish you luck in implementing some of the strategies for moving beyond the binges.

If you continue to work with the suggestions (which is what I would try first) and should find that they are not working, then I would seriously try to change my schedule around and give Overeaters Anonamous a try. Not a short term "couple of meetings" try, but the real thing - open minded and at least 6 months of meetings - get a sponsor - work the steps, help others, etc. In other words - the REAL DEAL. There was no strategy that could have helped me with my problem except the spiritual - including the deep, deep understanding and empathy and guidance that I was able to get from my fellow alcoholics. The friendships and support system that I have under me now is a safety net that I wish EVERYONE ON THE PLANET could experience! Not that I would wish alcoholism on anyone - but coming out on the other (spiritual) side has been an amazing light at the end of the tunnel. I feel so blessed and grateful!

We can get really sophisticated about why we do what we do through years and years of psychotherapy, but that doesn't really change anything. My experience has been that when we want to give up something that doesn't serve us - we have to replace it with something else, that does. So, when you're driving home from work and telling yourself that you're not going to binge, you might also focus on what you ARE going to do to take it's place. It might need to be something that feels rewarding - because it seems like you might be rewarding yourself (although not a healthy reward) for the effort that you put in during the day.

That's why I often recommend that we all fall madly in love with the concepts of green, vibrant, colorful, juicy, fresh, organic, local, wild, natural, light, and it slowly but surely becomes what we WANT in our bodies rather than what we SHOULD be putting in our bodies. When I make a beautiful salad or soup, I always go show it to my husband and get him to agree that it looks beautiful. I like to tease him and tell him that I know he's wishing he were me!!!!

Anyhoo - that's just my two cents worth and I wish you the best in finding what will work for you.

Life Is Good!

alive!

pakd4fun, there`are raw tortillas. We have them here is San Diego at the healthy food stores here.They are great with avocado guacomole, tho they are expensive, like 5 bucks for about 10 chips.

Last night I was craving potatoes, so I made potato peel soup, just boiled some organic potato peels, let it cool, then added garlic, seasalt & some raw flaxseed oil. It was just a small bowl & very healthy. I crave only healthy food, it just was taboo cooked.

If you have a craving, and you're going to give in to it, just make the heathiest version of whatever you crave. Use all organic ingredients, and make a small amount, one serving, from scratch. Because it is healthy, and only one serving, you won't feel so bad, yet you will still miss raw foods. Maybe that would help.

Well, out of left field here....not a vegan book, but an interesting one that discusses the problems of sugar sensitive people. Potatoes not Prozac. (yes, I can see all of you cringe) Could be low serotonin, low beta-endorphin, low blood sugar. Just seems I fit in to the category of a sugar sensitive. Then again, most of SAD America probably could which is why many that pick up the book will say "WOW, that's just like me!" Anyway, just a thought. Not sure if there is a raw method to do this program, but what might be worth the read just on the subject of the above three...that could be the cause of your binging uncontrollably.

Stormyone66, I've seen that book, and I felt very good after I had my soup. I don't have a real big sweet tooth, so I may have needed some carbs. Plus potatoes are full of iron & minerals, plus vit. C, but that was probably distroyed when cooked.

I was watching a video on youtube.com called "The 5 minute cure to smoking" (or something like that).. I don't smoke, but I watched while thinking about whether or not something similar would work for other addictions, say, overeating. Interestingly enough I haven't had any binges since I watched that video. (I did consider taking up smoking, though... haha, just kidding!)

This is going to sound strange, but have you thought of putting everything in a locked cabinet and only giving your husband the key? That is to say he is willing to participate. If you can't get to it then you can't binge on it. If it is a habit then that might help break it. Just a thought

Rawrnr,

-See if you can find other raw fooders in your area to get moral support from.

-Eat mono.

-People overeat, because food makes them feel good( at least for the moment),to compensate for other issues in their life that's making them unhappy.Try to find any such issue and address it.

Hang in there. People have done it and so can you.Best of luck.
Brian

cabnet locked - check!!
so sad I have to resort to this...

The 5 minute cure to smoking - saw the video...i don't get it.....

One thing that worries me aobut going MONO - well, one of a few...How do you keep enough fresh, ripe fruit around?

I live in Canada, I buy banana's by the box, the overripe ones I freeze for ice cream, but when I buy another box, they take about 4-6 days to ripen...
And other fruit - mango's - kiwi - sharon fruit - papaya - pineapple - All are not ripe when I buy them, they take awhile to ripen....

So what do you do if yuor fruit is all "hard" - even att he grocery store they are all "green"

I guess you need to time it...that must come with time....

Yeah, up here in the "Great White North" it can be a challenge!

I pick up a fair amount of oranges, as well as organic apples from the local superstore... they seem to be all right.

Here is the website about the smoking cure with an explanation:
[homepage.mac.com]