Originally hearing about the importance of enzyme from a recorded radio interview from watercure2.com, I eventually found my way here.

In the past I've tryed fasting and adjusting my diet to combat my acne, with good results, but not really great results. Not having the money to visit a doctor regularly (visted once, not much help), I chose the diet route via a booklet called the "About Face Skincare Program" or something like that. Along with abstaining from various "mucous forming" foods I regularly fasted one full day out of the week. I baked my own bread from spelt whole grain flour, avoided dairy and white flower, sodas and drank only water among other things.

I haven't intentionally fasted for many, many months, now. Yet, I do remember that it had a sizable impact on my skin. The author of the guide didn't go into great detail, but spoke about the body being able to more readily address repairing the body when on a fast.

Since I could remember, I had suffered from seasonal allergies. Scratch that. Since a young age, I had suffered from allergies. These seemed to intensify as I grew older. About three or four years ago, I heard of a website called watercure.com . I ordered to book "ABC of Athsma Allergies and Lupus" and this had a profound affect! I grew to understand and be able to control my allergies. It is now a rare instance that I suffer from a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, etc. Previously, I had avoided salt due to pop medical advice. Now, with sea salt (not celtic, though I tried celtic, later) and it's content of additional minerals all the water I was dringking had much more impact on my body's cleansing.

Thus I hold the teaching regarding the watercure high, but the raw food looks like a BIG piece of the puzzle of optimum health. While on the diet for my acne, I ate lots of salads; something I broke away from. Even so, these salads were always with some kind of dressing, often mustard based.

Now with my greater understanding of enzymes' role in one's well being and the destructive nature of cooking I'm eager to apply what I've learned so I can experience greater health.

This afternoon, I had my last cooked meal at a Chinese buffet style restaurant with some co-workers. After getting off work, I stopped by a local market to buy some organic fruits/vegetables and nuts/seeds.

I don't have a lot more money to devote to my food budget, but I'll do my best. I must say pricing of the organic items is my most pressing concern. For one who has always gotten conventionally raised produce and regularly eaten meat, will this way of eating truly prove to be less expensive? I don't really visit any doctor's so medical bills don't apply.

But I do want to make this work! I KNOW organic is best and I KNOW raw is best!

I've read as much as I can, but in starting here and now, I find myself needing a bit more guidance before being self-sufficient. I'm in the deep end of the pool but can't swim!

My groceries procured today are bananas, pineapple, apples, blackberries, blueberries, rasberries, strawberries, pears, oranges, avocado, celery, carrots, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raw cashews. All nuts/seeds are already shelled. I read something about soaking the nuts/seeds in water. What is the preferred method?

I had a dinner consisting of an apple, a banana, two strawberries, some rasberries/blueberries/blackberries and snacked on a celery stalk later then a carrot later after that.

I'm going to bed hungry right now just because I feel more sleepy than hungry and I'm worried about finishing my food so quickly and thereby burning through my funds for food. :/ Well, I'm used to the feeling as I've faster before. I just don't want it to be a common issue.

In addition, I know I probably won't get much support from peers so I seek some comrades here on this forum.

I look forward to being among the ranks of raw dieters and make entreaty for help!

It sounds like you have already made some great strides toward a healthy diet. It might help you to know that there some conventional fruits that are generally safe. Bananas and Avocados are safe. Many of the citrus fruits and Melons are safe to varying degrees. You can save some money on the raw cashews also--not worth it. I would definitely buy organic Greens, Apples, raisins, and Strawberries. Do you have any literature on the Rawfoods Diet? There are a lot of good books available. I think the next books I am going to get will be "Raw in Ten" and "Green Forever." I already have books by Victoras Kulvinskas, Gabriel Cousens, Rhio, Nomi Shannon, and others.

I have no literture and am only going on what I've learned from this website's articles, thus far. I haven't read all of them, yet. I don't need convincing, I need daily planning. What books are recommended for this purpose?

Thanks for the tip on cashews. Why are they not so desirable and why is some produce "safe"?

Organic greens? Do you mean collard greens and such?

Thank you! Thank you!

Expanding on what Alwaystriving said about safe nonorganic foods to eat I found the following list of least contaminated and most contaminated crops useful:

Least Contaminated:

Asparagus
Avocado
Banana
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn (sweet)
Kiwi
Mango
Onion
Papaya
Pineapple
Peas (sweet)

Most Contaminated:

Apple
Bell Pepper
Celery
Cherries (damn, my favorite and super expensive to buy organic)
Imported Grapes (apparently U.S. grown isn't as contaminated as Chilean grown)
Nectarine
Peaches
Pears
Potato
Red Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries

I also always buy my leafy greens organic. I try to support organic much as possible and if the price of the organic kiwi, for example, is comparatively priced with conventional, I always choose organic.

Using some hemp oil on my salads helps me feel more satisfied. Apparently such things combine well.

I soak my sunflower and pumpkin seeds for about six hours or so before I eat them. And almonds - yum. Soaked and peeled almonds taste incredible. I soak these a little longer.

It can get expensive at times but I find that over the long run I save money not buying all the other crap that I used to eat.

The effort is turning out to be well worth it.

Hi,
I have found since introducing green smoothies to my diet a few days ago that my overall consumption if other foods has gone down due to the intense nutritional shots you get when you drink them. Check out V Boutenko's 'Green for life' or just type in green smoothie into search engine for more details. I was getting to the point that unless I ate loads of fat I was always hungry. The smoothies leave me with more energy and less cravings.
Regards Anna

Thanks Alwaysstriving, klandestine and Anna67!

I'll have to get used to using the "conventional/organic" terminology. The list will be most helpful in stretching my $$!

Your experience is exactly what I'm going through, Anna67! I'll try a it out, even if I have to just eat the greens straight instead of blending a smootie.

It takes a while to get back into your "comfort zone" with such major changes going on. I felt like I was in shock for the first couple of weeks. Although it was exciting at the same time. Do organic when you can, but don't beat yourself up if you can't. Raw is the thing. Stick with the raw stuff, even when you can't afford the organic. I had the same problem. As time has passed, I have gravitated toward more and more organic - especially greens. I think that things just naturally shift and I found that my priorities shifted and also the finances shifted - less spent here and there on other things and more for the food budget.

The green smoothie advice is accurate.

Also, keep the faith. I didn't spend much at the doctor's office before, either. However, I look at it this way: If I had kept on in the direction I was going - I eventually would have managed to create one of those nasty so called diseases that would have necessitated many many $ in medical costs. With the raw, vegan organic lifestyle I have a great chance of avoiding the whole nasty business = a wise $ investment.

It's great to have you "onboard" ! I have only been raw for a year and 4 months. I'm lovin' it! I feel like I've gotten younger. This web site has been a huge part of my ability to stay raw. I simply would have not been able to do it, otherwise. So, welcome and hang with us! We're all "for you"!!!

Life Is Good!

alive!

Hi elliotm,
I would urge you to beg steal or borrow a smoothie maker, liquidizer, blender to blend the greens. Or get someone with one to blend them for you. I am about to start my sister on green smoothies and will supply her every other day. You just won't physically be able eat enough greens to get the full benefit.
I agree with you alive! This website is fantastic for the support and inspiration given to keep new/struggling rawers going.
Regards
Anna

I'll be sure to look into blending!

I'm unsure how much of my diet I'm going to maintain raw due to budjet, circumstaince and lack of planning.

Today I was at a restaurant with friends and with nothing to really choose from the menu I ordered a hamburger. From what I read even a mostly raw meal isn't beneficial if some cooked food is mixed in, right? Since I was good, yesterday, I went all in with a hamburger. How heavy that felt! Oh well, I don't have any immediately pressing health issues so I don't feel to bad about it.

I play for the rest of myy meals today to be raw.

I'll do what I can, keep learning and adjust wehre I may. I don't think I'll be able to be 100% raw every day, but I don't care. XD

eating raw vegetation is ALWAYS beneficial

no matter if you eat a bit of cooked too

No real interference from the cooked food and leukocytosis?
Ah, well.

They wouldn't cook my meat rare, either.

Again, at least I'll do raw for the rest of the day.

If you do eat junk, don't beat yourself up, Rome wasn't built in a day! At least by staying raw the rest of the day you are taking in fibre to push the toxins out quicker. Don't forget extra water when you eat cooked foods, also an amino acid or enzymes may help, or just plain old fashioned pineapple or papaya to aid digestion.
Good luck
Re the blender: blending helps to break down the cellulose that will absorb toxins and carry them out.
Anna