At the New Year I started on raw food. Going 100% has seemed impossible just yet but I'm a pretty good 60%. Before this it would be generous to say I was even 2%. Once in awhile I ate a banana. My diet had lots of butterfat and sweets etc..

One reason for trying raw was that I was fatigued 24/7. I do work full time (plus) and it's a phyical job. But even so I hoped for a little more energy by now. I'm not AS wiped out but I'm still tired every day. Perhaps most aggravating is that, while tired, I still don't sleep well.

I can see the raw food diet is a good direction. I'm just feeling impatient. I've been working hard at this w/o as much magical progress as I have read about regarding raw diet.

Kit

I went high raw from a total omni diet overnight. I've stayed without any cooked for 35 days now and previously had chronic fatigue and a HOST of other issues, so I understand you totally.

I believe that if you go at least 80 percent you can reap the most benefits, but that is just my opinion. I was bedridden, literally, for months on end...with depression and all that.

This diet was like getting out of prison for me.

You honestly have to leash the beast and GO FOR IT.

Mia

I hear you, the less you expect the 'magical' things to happen, the more you will figure out ways to enjoy the process, or at least the parts you can. Some people find their acute symptoms go away rather quickly, and are of course - thrilled. Don't take this as an indication that they are through any hoops yet! If you look at most 'sucess stories' carefully of long term folks..often they admit to years of extended periods of (at times painful) transitioning, physically, emotionally etc...even if they were meeting their DIETARY goals 100% from the get go. If someone claims they had a 'short detox period' or 'no detox symptoms' personally I wouldn't put that on any pedestal...quite the reverse. Theres always another layer of motivation to unturn.

doing physical work while transitioning is sure another whole level of difficulty...In a sense..you'd want a less intense detox, that wouldn't require as much energy toward healing/resting that would be unmanageable. In a sense this would also translate as 'extended' in terms of getting over the really irritating stuff like fatigue etc... but it doesn't have to be a 'test' or a procedure if you don't see it that way. it can be, for instance, a tool for understanding patience, embracing it.

as for moving foward with the diet...40% is as good as 60%, as 80% as long as you are progressively moving away from certain foods (cleansing of them). thats what is important..leaving the stuff out, the processed starches, meats, dairy etc..not flooding your body with 'magic' rawfoods. if the 40% remains pizza and cake..you are sorta spinning wheels in that regards, wheres if you are eating 40% raw fruit, 15% greens and 45% cooked rice...that would be a cleansing diet...there is no cooked food OFF switch to detox in my opinion, just slow (dense raw foods, rice, tubers) and fast (simple fruit meals, salads with no fat, condiments etc..)

Matt Monarch has an opinion I find interesting. "Some people tell me they're 75% or 85% raw and that doesn't mean much to me . . . ." Basically he states what good is it to go a percentage raw if the other percent is sweets, animal products, chemically processed foods, etc.

I realize some people on here use only healthy vegan alternatives for their non-raw percentages but how many are using, knowingly or in ignorance, chemically processed foods that are just as bad if not worse than animal products?

I'd have to venture a guess that a percentage raw is only good if the non-raw percentage is as healthy an alternative as possible.

I apologize to those who I'll have offended. This is just an observation. Not an accusation or anything.

[rawfoodtrip.blogspot.com]
[jugglingforjoy.com]

sure, he's exactly right. but there deffinetly are 'healthy' cooked vegan alternatives. He mentions this as well, of course they are very simple and exclude things like soy, gluten, chemicals, sugar, which, you are right, make up a large part of vegan alternative foods.

His major point, which i agree, is that even if you are including one of these 'cheat' foods he calls it, in moderation...your body will never get the opportunity to cleanse of that thing...which is why the emphasis is on progression without 'cheating', and why its important to always be comfortable with where you are at, not to ascribe to an ideal only to binge or 'cheat'

of course there are also 'raw alternative foods' as well, people need to judge for themselves how healthful these are as well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2007 04:17AM by anaken.

It isn't about a percentage, it is about overall healthiness (if that 5 or 10 or 30% is complete junk that is just as bad as just straight vegan). I can eat 90% raw and be as unhealthy as if I was eating 50% raw. Or be very healthy eating 50% raw... Try to listen to your body, give it the food it needs (not what tastebuds want) and don't deprive it... make the journey fun without feeling like you are punishing yourself.

Steamed veggies, big salads (with non-raw vegan dressings) are the LEAST bad of everything not raw+vegan for me. Also, hummus from a mediterranean restaurant is so excellent, although not raw. This with veggies rocks Other than this very very rarely I am pretty much raw all the time. There is only one restaurant where I eat the dressing knowing it is not raw, I haven't eaten there this year yet though.

Thank You very much for your responses, they are helpful. I take note of it all because along w/ getting healthier I want to be a better person.
When first on raw I'd go about four days completely raw. I'd be at work and my body would say "For heaven's sake, sit down!!!NOW." Also I was starting to have spells of very uncomfortable warmth and then sometimes little chills.
Resting would be OK and even different quirks working through me might be interesting if I could be home. I work ten hour shifts. The longest break I have is half an hour. There is almost zero sitting down. I work all out side and I cringe to think of internal hot spells when the weather is hot. I'm not complaining for outdoors is where I belong and physical is what I need.
I went off some of the raw to be able to function at work. My non raw food is not all pizza and cake. But I certainly have had things I know are no good including pizza.
In response to your posts I'm becoming more mindful of my non raw intake, switching to some rice and steamed vegies. I think that is a really good thing for now.My goal will be to add more raw gradualy so Thank You, Thank You.
It still just ticks me off that I have to go in the slow lane with this but oh well, that's life. I am ever impressed with successful raw foodists.

Kit

cool man,

sounds like you are making really sound/honest decisions. There is no 'slow lane'. being able to regulate your own detox is quite a feat!

I too work physical jobs, but I had an opportunity (well, chose being broke) to take a signifigant time off, so no need to compare to others man, one can only use the tools they have (unless they are given - or seek out - others). lots of physical activity and sunshine certainly should work wonders..you might even find yourself managing the heat better in the comming months...if not, certainly next year makes a fine goal.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2007 03:15AM by anaken.

Kit,

Its great that you recognize that you are impatient, as this gives you an opportunity to practice patience. One of the things I've discovered on my healing journey is that is take courage, commitment, and patience to heal. Recognizing that you may be short on patience gives you a place to play with improving this patience, thus improving your opportunity to heal.

I've had the chronic fatigue that you mentioned. The best way to deal with chronic fatigue is to go on a total physiological rest retreat. By total physiological rest I mean find a few weeks (or a few months) to eat very little or even nothing (a water fast), and rest and sleep as much as you need until the desire for getting more than 8 hours of sleep a night disappears. I did this without fasting, just eating a high fruit diet without spices and condiments, and slept like crazy (though I did take 4 months off from work to do this), and my fatigue was gone forever. When I first started this, I slept for 16 hours a day for an entire month!

The reason I mention fasting when I didn't fast is that when I do water fast, the desire for sleep and rest grows exponentially, and it is during this rest and sleep that healing occurs in the body.

ohhhh i understand so well what you are saying...... and what the others have said about that percentage that is not raw is SO true...

i have pretty mcuh been 80 percent raw my whole life... yet here i am... 40 pounds overweight.... and when i tighten down and do 100 or imporve my 20 non raw... i drop that weight and have those "magical" raw effects hehe

All i can say is that you do not need to be 100 percent for anything/or anyone besdies you.... what you do with that is all up to you....

you could be like me and have a junky 20 non-raw and have virtually NO benefits of raw.... (making changes as we speak)

or you can be smart like most here and make every bite you take count!

"it's your life, do as you please" hankdogs

love and light
tiffntwins

Thank You again for all your comments. It helps.

Sometimes I am away from my computer for a few days. I'm not ignoring your posts.

Courage, commitment, patience... I dont have any of these so perhaps I must develope some.

What a lot of sleep you went into Bryan. I'm glad your fatigue is gone. And what a lot of friendly support from all of you. W/O this forum I would have far less clue what was going on and might just say "Oh forget it" and run back to my SAD diet.

Success to you all.

Kit