So great to hear from you dewey and Ashcat! When I go to a potluck I always bring a dish I can eat and that does help a lot. BUT, as a new raw foodist (9 1/2 weeks), I am thrilled to have 'access' to old favorites no longer in my house. My biggest weakness are the desserts. Another is going to the movies with friends - popcorn and diet soda. So I have had a chance to observe myself in these social settings over the last several weeks, and I can see that there are some temptations I do not yet have the strength to overcome, which get in the way of my personal goals.

Since my appetite and preferences are changing already, I am confident I will organically grow into being more raw. And right now I feel taking some space away from other people's influence is a good move. Since I don't want to be totally isolated, I will still go on group hikes. And I also find it easier to stay on track when I am spending time with a vegan, or someone into holistic practices.

Thank you for sharing and for your support! I am so glad khale is feeling better and rawdancer went food shopping! I can see a change in your mindset, and that you will be eating more very, very soon.

--lovebird

lovebird wrote: I have been faithfully following this thread, as promised! ;0)

It has made a real difference in my thinking and my understanding (along with other posts I read this week in this forum). I do not know anyone else that eats raw, so it is immensely helpful to see what you eat each day and to hear your thoughts along the way. I am a lot more comfortable with my food choices since I know something similar is sustaining all of you!


That is so gratifying to hear lovebird! That, to my mind, is what this thread is really all about and I am so happy that you are getting some help from it.

Ashcat: I think that I know what you mean about the "hippy" thang. I believe suvine once said something quite similar about some of the people in the raw food movement. It does appear that many of us on this board are just a tad off the mainstream, but I doubt that many of us would consider ourselves out and out hippies. Personally, I'm having just as much trouble getting over my addiction to skin care products and cosmetics as I am some of my favorite ick poo foods. And though I can't claim to have ever been a mere social drinker, I assure you that I could once drink you under the table baby. Obviously the raw food movement has a lifestyle component sort of built in, nevertheless you don't have to be a hippy to eat the best, most nourishing food available to you and its the food that we all really have in common anyway.

And thanks to all of you for your well wishes. I'm feeling progressively better
and am looking forward to returning to my normal activities next week.

talk soon,

khale

What did I just say? No. It's not the food that we have in common, or not only. It's the desire to be our very best; to have radiant health and to see others with radiant health, and to take control of our own health and not leave it in the hands of others. THAT'S really what we all have in common.

right?

khale

khale Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What did I just say? No. It's not the food that we
> have in common, or not only. It's the desire to be
> our very best; to have radiant health and to see
> others with radiant health, and to take control of
> our own health and not leave it in the hands of
> others. THAT'S really what we all have in common.
>
> right?
>
> khale

AMEN!!
patty

thought I'd mention that I'm not a hippy...hahhaaa...nothing wrong with it---just not me : )
I used to be a very heavy drinker...long story....can't really stomach even half a glass of wine now LOL! still not sure how to handle all that changes I've had this past year
Anyhow, today I overate. not sure the reason, if there is one, though feeling tired as a result.

b-fast: lemon water, later celery, sliced cucumber, apple
lunch: hummus and tortilla chips (*too many)
dinner: dates, 2 bananas, more hummus w/ celery

glad your getting better, khale
peace
venusian

I drink a little. I am allergic to just about everything and the only thing I don't get a reaction from is hard, clear liquor. Mostly tequilla and Vodka. I drink a glass of wine every week or two and I will have a dirty martini or a bloody mary every month or two. Maybe once a year I will have tequilla shots. I haven't had more than two drinks in ages. I don't feel the need to stop but I believe at some point I will no longer want it.

Good for you lovebird!

I do most of my socializing that includes cooked food at family and friend functions a couple hours away. Already being vegetarian, it wasn't a huge change to bring fruit instead of veggie burgers. I have been doing it for years and all the jokes have been made LOL. At this point we are mostly taking fruit and trailmix. WE are lucky because as a family we can usually avoid the restaurants. My problem is I want to go out to eat. It is such a luxery to have someone else do all the damn work!!! I found Jason's Deli and we can easily be raw there and the entire family loved it.

You should not feel out of place here. If anything, as society goes, we are all out of place. We are all thinking outside the box. Really, isn't it something to be proud of? I have come so far since I started raw a year ago. I feel like the little train that could.

Khale, you had me laughing! Drink me under the table, huh? And I hear ya on the cosmetics thing - for me, a trip to sephora is much more dangerous than any restaurant could hope to be!! I'm so glad you're feeling better, by the way.

Thanks for all the kind words, guys. It's true, even if we don't all do month-long water fasts and live in tents and the whatnot (though I'm a little in awe of people who do), we're all working outside of the 'accepted' way of living. And trying to better ourselves as we do it.

If nothing else, I do feel lucky living in a place (Los Angeles) that makes a raw lifestyle pretty durn easy, relatively speaking - raw restaurants, raw groceries, farmers' markets everyday - and where eating 'all crazy like' is actually sort of the norm. One more quick question: where are all you from? I don't want to totally sidetrack the food journals, but I'm curious.

"I could once drink you under the table baby" made me laugh out loud!!!!!

The socializing discussion got me thinking and I decided to join the raw food meetup group in my area. They have monthly potlucks and there will not be any food there that is not raw, vegan and organic. Sounds good to me! So I am going to a potluck tomorrow evening. That means 24 hours from now I won't be able to say I don't know any more raw foodists personally!

There aren't any raw restaurants near me, juice bars, or even much raw prepared food in the health food stores, so that means lots and lots of food preparation. It sure would be lovely to have a break once in a while, pakd4fun! I meet a friend at Jason's Deli twice a month, but I have used that opportunity to eat 'forbidden' food. Pakd4fun, do you mainly eat from the salad bar? It is possible, if you are in a more metropolitan area that your Jason's may have more raw choices. Mine is full of sandwiches and giant potatoes.

--lovebird

Here's my Saturday, the 18th, btw:

AM: Smoothie: 1 apple, lotta raspberries, 2 dates, 3 leaves kale, 1 tbsp cashew butter, 1 tsp. vita. green, water, ice

LUNCH: veggie juice: carrot, beet, celery, cuke, kale, parsley, ginger, lemon. Then blended w/ big tomato & handful of yellow pear tomatoes. Little sea salt and several shakes of tabasco to round it all out. Ended up being 2 pint glasses full, couldn't finish all of it. (But came close)

DINNER: 1 avocado made into guac (I think there's a trend in my eating these past few days, no?), with some homemade crackers. I mixed 1/2 c. mixed soaked nuts & seeds, lotta veggie pulp, 2 tbsp flax oil, fresh basil & sea salt and stuck it in the oven on warm with the door open for...forever. I ate about 1/3 of the result with the guac.

Going out to a restaurant tonight, but I'm really full right now (any wonder???) so I don't think temptation should be to much of a problem...

Cheers!
AshCat



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2007 02:55AM by Ashcat.

Dewey and Pakd4fun: Thank you both so much for the warm welcome!

ASHCAT!!!!! Do you live in Echo Park as in Echo Park/SilverLake Los Angeles (you mentioned Echo Park Farmer's Market)?
We're neighbors! I live in Thai Town on the edge of Los Feliz! And in regards to your posting about the social drinking: That is a HUGE part of my life. All of my friends practically live at The Cha Cha Lounge (assuming you are from the Echo Park I think you are) and this whole going raw thing has proven to be difficult in staying connected. I haven't gone out ONCE since last Saturday when I decided I really wanted to go raw again. So unfortunately I don't have any clever ways of getting around it, but I can offer my complete empathy! I have actually enjoyed staying in lately as I think my body is enjoying the detox and really focusing on itself. I think I am doing a champagne brunch with friends tomorrow though and I'm not going to beat myself up about that. A little champagne never hurt anyone right? Or did it?.....

My apologies for instantly slacking on posting my food intake, etc-I have been nonstop busy from the time I wake up each morning until I go to bed (exhausted) at night. I'll just give a general run down since my initial posting. My first day was light eating as I hadn't done my raw shopping yet so I ate what I could find. I believe an orange for breakfast and then raw pumpkin seeds with sea salt for most of the remainder of the day. I then did all of my shopping that night (spent $200) and stayed up till 2am giving my kitchen a raw makeover. Day two was strange. I literally binged all day. I felt like I was eating from the time I woke until I went to bed. Over the course of my work day (9-6) I had about 6 apple stuffed dates(thank you Pakd4fun for the most genius idea EVER!), a small apple, lots of raw trail mix, a small handful of Brazil nuts, and a nectarine. I decided it was all the nuts that made me feel gross. Way too heavy. I decided that I won't bring so much with me to work because if it's there-I'll eat it! I came home and had some grapes and a small bowl of sprouts with tomatoes, hummus, and lemon juice. Whew! Alot of food!

Today: Aug 18
Made raw "taco meat" with walnuts, cumin, sea salt and lemon juice and also raw chocolate pudding-1 avocado, raw choco. powder and dates. Took this to my 2 year old niece and fed her and I a raw lunch (so no breakfast)! She's only 2 and lives on beans and cheese so it was quite a feat to prepare something like this that she actually liked-she and I both looooved all of it. I snacked on some grapes and for dinner I had a salad of romaine, sprouts, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and leftover raw taco meat dressed with flax oil, lemon juice and balsalmic. So yummy. I think I'll have a few slices of frozen banana for dessert before I go to bed!

Whoa! I di not mean to write this much! Hope I didn't bore you.

Khale, you do have a way with words! I like your reference to the "ick poo" foods. Are you feeling any better? Your attitude certainly hasn't dampened!

Well, I'm an out and out hippy, but it's Ok with me if I'm the only one. I'm not prejudiced in the slightest! And anyway, probably a lot of other "out and out hippies" wouldn't consider me a hippy. I just have my own definition I think.

Ashcat, I used to eat salads and guac all the time when I went to restaurants. Now I just don't ever go, because my husband is as weird as I am (or weirder).

Lovebird, going for hikes with other people is my absolute favorite social event. Imo, there's nothing more fun than that!

Today I had

AM: bananas, oranges, dried mango, a handful of soaked peanuts

PM: bananas, some lychee, more dried mango, a cucumber, more soaked peanuts totalling 1/3 cup total peanuts for the day (measured unsoaked), a hibiscus, 2 nori wraps made of nori, red leaf lettuce, sprouted kamut (1/4 total, measured unsprouted), alfalfa sprouts, green onion, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil on each.

I'm noticing lately that I seem able to eat veggies and kamut a little more often.

Exercise: 1 hour of yoga, ran 4 miles, walked 1 mile



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2007 08:01AM by suncloud.

Checking in for today.. had a bit of a drink last night so feeling a bit unwell today, my own fault there!bit of a lightweight..

Today have had a little mashed banana

Still havent tried the smoothie

Berries seem to be fine at the moment, so have got blueberries and raspberries- will keep trying to eat a few of these at a time. Go from there really. Trying to avoid having any meal replacement rubbishy stuff.

Hope everyones having a good weekend

RawDancer

Caseyberaw! We ARE neighbors! Or close enough...I actually live right on the Hollywood/West Hollywood border (turn left at the trannies), but my best friend lives in Echo Park, and I like to venture over there if I run out of supplies before the Sunday farmers' market on Ivar. Have you been to any raw restaurants around here? I tried Cru in Silverlake, and liked it, and a few months ago splurged on Juliano's in Santa Monica and wasn't impressed. I know he's a serious guru, but everything there looked like a clown exploded on my plate. Anyway, I just moved here from NYC in January, so I'm still learning my way around...

And no, champagne brunch never hurt anyone! (In my opinion)... Hey, champagne is technically raw!

Also -- Suncloud -- god bless the weirdos ; )

suncloud wrote: going for hikes with other people is my absolute favorite social event. Imo, there's nothing more fun than that!

ditto! I'm absolutely happier hiking in a natural setting, alone or with others, than doing almost anything else. The only other thing that trips my trigger near as much is study. I spend at least two hours every morning at my desk studying, writing, and reading. This is how I equilibrate myself for the day.

But, you know, the whole hippy classification is hard to call. I've been referred to as an "old hippy" many, many times, especially by the younger generations. My style of dress, my interests, my curly-frizzy hair (which until right before meeting pakd4fun was below my waist...I've since been gradually having it cut shorter and shorter as I was beginning to look a wee bit pentecostal) all tend to speak "hippy" on the surface. I have no problem being referred to in this way, although the "old" that usually accompanies it doesn't thrill me.

caseyberaw: welcome to you. i apologize for taking so long to properly acknowledge your presence here. i haven't been exactly on top of things this past week. i'm very happy that you're here and can with confidence state that any friend (or family) of pakd4fun is a friend of mine.

Had an odd day yesterday. The transitional space between intense discomfort and a dull ache was really more unsettling somehow than the crisis state I was in before. I found it difficult to focus or direct my energies effectively. I ended up laying around alot; watched both Shrek 1 and 2 and then ended the evening with Clive Owen as King Arthur. I never made it to the grocery and so made do with what I had around.

I had a banana smoothie with a few frozen strawberries thrown in for breakfast
then later had a cucumber sliced and dipped into tahini thinned with umeboshi and water, then later a peach, and then for dinner or whatever made a gazpacho style soup with the leftover marinara as base and added diced zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro and garlic. pretty darned good. Today I must go to the store though because I'm hankering for some leafy greens and some fresh juice.

This first week of the seven has been just awesome. Thanks to all of you for making this thread rawk!

khale

I was gone almost all day Saturday so it was fun reading up on everyone's posts this morning. As a child of the 6's and 70's, I grew up with hippies. Although I've never been one, I'd love to burn my bra. It's just a pain to wear one! Does anyone have a definition of exactly what a hippie is? I think I might become one since I've been conservative all of my life. Since I've been raw, my son calls me a hippie...he asks me how my diet of "nuts and twigs" is going. I remind him it's "nuts and berries".

Yesterday was lovely. My husband took me to a raw food restaurant in Santa Monica (Juliano's) and it was fantastic. My hubby isn't raw and he loved it! Then we spent the rest of the afternoon walking Venice Beach...and I got to see LOTS OF HIPPIES!

Here's what I ate yesterday the 18th:
Breakfast: Smoothie ( 1 c kale, 1 c spinach, 2 bananas, 1/2 pineaple)
Snack: 4 dates stuffed with almonds
Lunch: Juliano's Raw Restaurant " Deep dish pizza (OUT OF THIS WORLD), 1/2 of an avocado, onion, tomatoe "sandwhich" on buckwheat raw bread
Snack: trail mix (1/4 c sunflower seeds, 1/4 c pumpkin seeds, 1/4 c raisins, 1/4 shredded coconut)
Dinner: BLEW IT! cheese & onion quesadilla w/ guacamole (I don't know why I ate this... I wan't even hungry, but when the hubby stopped to eat...I ate too. At least it was really small and thin)

I woke up this morning (Sunday) with congestion and a cough. Probably from the cheese. I'm not feeling like eating, but I'm having some Hazlenut Teechino. For some reason it tastes like mushrooms to me.

Here in Louisiana (which is where I, and Pakd4fun too, live btw Ashcat) we watch hurricanes pretty closely; this even before the fatefull Katrina, and so I was taking a look at the weather channel and realized that we have a few friends on this forum who may be affected by the monster that's out there now.

I was thinking of "perbetty" in particular because I believe she said that she was teaching on the Dominican Islands, which has already been pummeled pretty seriously by Hurricane Dean. Let's remember to keep perbetty and others on this forum who may be affected by this hurricane in our thoughts and prayers today.

later guys,

khale

Good one Khale. I was thinking of Perbetty too. Hope she's OK.

So here I am "eating" my dinner, its papaya, apricot, mango smoothie, with some blueberries blitzed in at the end for a little texture. I used 1 litre of water- its very thin but I can drink it, and its gorgeous

Had to post a picture

For some reason it wouldnt let me just post the image.


[picasaweb.google.co.uk]

hmm i cant make it work for ya either lol

looks yummy so glad yer getting some beautiful nutrients

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2007 05:30PM by Jgunn.

Great to see everyones posts.

Good to see you back Caseyberaw (cute name).

Keep on moving forward rawdanceruk.

I decided I was a hippy when I was 4 years old (enlightening age) and I hung out with my 22 year old hippy sister (caseyberaw's mom) and my pot dealin' 20 year old brother in Montrose (the hippy section of Houston) in 1973. My sister kept all her bulk foods in canisters and our cereal was assembled by us with whole organic ingredients. The aroma of pot, fruit and incence in the air. Heaven!!!

Our whole family loves hiking. I guess it is our favorite thing to do. We love all outdoor activities. Games are fun too and swimming. Hiking to a creek or stream and then swimming is the perfect day for us.

Khale- I hope you are right about what is ailing you and your actions relieve these pains. I wish you were closer, I would run my juicer to you, or even better some juice. I bet some juiced greens would help.

Yesterday was a planned cooked day. We usually pick Thursday and Saturday for cooked. I woke up not craving anything cooked so thought I might skip it all together. The family decided they wanted hard boiled eggs. I chopped them up with avocado, celery, onions and added flax oil. I ended up eating a sandwitch with sprouts, tomato and mustard. I felt like crap and woke up feeling crappy and had diarhea. I don't think I will ever want an egg again. YUCK! My 6 year old ate a lot of them. We allowed her eat too many. I told her she was going to make herself sick but she said she didn't care. Oh famous last words!! She is so sick. She has thrown up 4 times. I don't think she will ever eat eggs again either. I told her "remember this is how they make you feel if you think you want them again."

Here is what I ate yesterday:

-tea* (I've neglacted indicating not raw in earlier posts)
-1/2 nectarine (very ripe and yummy and my 11 year talked me out of half)
-a whole bunch of black grapes (so ripe and yummy)
-7 brazil nuts
-four slices toasted ezekial cinamon and raisin bread* with almond butter and honey
-7 grain Ezekial bread* with egg* and avo, celery, onion, sprouts and tomato
-smooth move tea* (LOL)

I forgot to mention that about an hour after eating the egg I got a horrible mucus, sneezing allergy attack. Obviously It was an allergic type reaction. Allergic reactions have been a huge part of my health issues since birth.

Edited again because I see your more recent post rawdanceruk. It made my day. I feel so happy you are having a good, healthy and beautiful drink. Cheers to you with my pink ginger aide (water, ginger, lemon, honey and srawberries) also beautiful and tasty.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2007 05:37PM by pakd4fun.

Pakd4fun wrote: -smooth move tea* (LOL)

hahahaha...way too funny! Just gotta love them cooked days...lolololol

I .... ATE again!!




About 14 blueberries

and..

Some patchoi .. infact..2!

...silly but I am excited!!

Raw_dancer

good girl
patty

good on ya, rawdancer!

kudos to rawdancer!

pakd4fun, I hear you with the cooked food. I had some yesterday and was in bed with what felt like the flu for the rest of the night. I haven't told anyone b/c most just tell me it's psychsomatic which bothers me more than it should.
anyhow-today

b-fast: lemon water, apple
lunch: green smoothie: 2 bananas, cabbage, romaine, coconut oil, cilantro, VMG, daikon, lime. *I really enjoyed this one
snack: large coffee with friends
dinner: veggie wraps with lettuce, cabbage, tomato, celery
snack: apple, cacao

Adding my BRAVO to rawdancer! That's great rawdancer. I think everyone is so happy that you're recovering!

Pakdforfun, I'm loving your posts.

This is really such a great group of people.

Today I had:

AM: bananas, oranges, 1/3 cup soaked peanuts (measured unsoaked), some slices of dried mango

PM: bananas, lychees, one ice cream bean fruit, 2 Brazil nuts, more slices of dried mango, a hibiscus, 1/4 cup soaked sesame seeds (measured unsoaked).

Yesterday I forgot to include my 2 Brazil nuts.

Exercise: 1 hour yoga, ran 4 miles, walked 1 mile, getting ready to go do weights/aerobics while watching "Sea Hawks" with Errol Flynn. (he's in the movie, not my livingroom) haha.

Suncloud - what's an ice cream bean fruit? It sounds, um, FANTASTIC.

Today my roomie & I ventured up to El Matador beach in Malibu. I had never been before, and wow was it gorgeous. I will defend the dirty jerzey shore (where I grew up) til my dying day, but it sure doesn't look like that.

Anyway, we packed a raw picnic (she's not raw - or veg for that matter - but charmed enough/willing enough to humor me that she joined in for the afternoon):

AM: Smoothie -- 1 apple, 1 pear, 1/2 mango, lotta kale, 2 dates, 2 tbsp cashew butter, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp vitagreen, 1 tbsp honey, water, ice -- this made enough for three, so the roomie & my boyfriend both joined in.

LUNCH: 1 raw dolma from Whole Foods (ingredients said sprouted wild rice, brazil nuts, raisins, veggies & spices in collard).
2/3 small container of raw corn/arugala/red onion salad. So good!
Mango
1/2 the water from a young coconut

DINNER: 1 collard leaf w/ smear of guac, mango, yellow bell pepper.

Thoughts go out to those in the hurricane's path.

Best,
AshCat

Enough is enough. Today is Monday and I'm back on the wagon. No more cheating!

Good morning everyone...

I want to start this second week by suggesting another "rule" for the group. Before I do I want to make sure that each of you realize that this is a round table support group and that each one of us may initiate new rules, make suggestions, and otherwise lead the group in positive directions. Just because I have one of the biggest mouths in the group doesn't mean that I'm in charge. Are we clear?

When I initiated this thread last Monday I established a rule that no one should criticize or denigrate anothers process. This morning I would like to add to that the rule that no one should criticize or denigrate their OWN process.

rawdanceruk, you are in violation of this rule. I will not mince words, here; you are dealing with a life or death matter and there is nothing "silly" about your moment to moment choices to choose life. Each one of us here realizes the magnatude of your successes and are impressed with the progress you have demonstrated over the last week. We would appreciate it if you would do the same. So please dearheart, no more referencing your successes with words or phrases like, "silly", "small thing" and etc. I want to hear some resounding self-pats-on-the-ole-back from you. deal?

This is the beginning of a new week guys. Any apparent or so-called failures of the past week should be put firmly behind you. Today is a new day! Everything you experienced last week, for good or ill, had a lesson for you within it. Those things are good to take with you; just remember to leave the rest.

Khale

Thank you suncloud. I know I am long winded but I am with three kids everyday all day with very little adult conversation.

I love your new rule Khale. I hope you get some pain relief today.

Yesterday I had:

-Tea*
-pink lemon ginger zinger aide (water, lemon, ginger,honey and strawberries) this was very good and helped my yucky tummy from the egg.
-leftover raw ravioli
-big bowl of raw cereal with almond milk (fresh apples, bananas and strawberries, dried peaches, dates, cherries and raisins and buckwheat crispies and honey) For cereal lovers like me this is like heaven, The best cereal I have ever eaten.
-tea*

Have a great raw day everyone.

Be raw. Be strong.