I tried going raw about 20 years ago and felt fantastic - but unfortunately it didn't last as I slipped back into unhealthy ways with a new relationship. Now i'm forty and single again and desperate to get back into a raw way of life. However, I don't know where to start - there seems to be so much new information - and i'm on a small budget, with health issues that have caused me to gain 10 stone (awful I know).

I'm based in West Sussex in the UK and would be grateful if anyone could recommend courses,events or books that might be helpful?

The person at the foot of the mountain, and the master at the top still have the same task: to put one foot in front of the other. Don't psych yourself out with visions and burdens of what you HAVE to do. Focus more the VERY SMALL things you are motivated and prepared to do on a daily basis. Brainstorm and write them down. Set long, medium, and short-term goals.....and write at least 10 things under each column. It is not the quantity of your achievement - but the quality of your application that you should judge yourself by. The quality of your output....and how joyful you are in it. You know?

-Somewhere between 'all-raw' and 'unhealthy ways' is the starting level that you are 100% comfortable with right now. Be HONEST about that - and start from there. Set small goals to increase your fresh, raw plant food intake...by perhaps 1-2% per week. You'll hit your goals in 6-12 months! An amazing accomplishment!

-I like Gabriel Cousens Conscious Eating.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Start wherever you are.

Fall down a thousand times, get up a thousand and one times.

I know, I know... That is easier said than done. But YOU are worth it.


Lee

I agree with all the advice given so far. I love David's advice, as usual.

I worked with a dietitian a few years ago. She had me start by writing down everything I ate for a week without making any changes to my diet at all. At the end of the week, she figured out the nutritional makeup, and also offered suggestions for healthier substitutions.

I find that approach helpful with changing to a raw diet, as well, and something that can be done gradually without a big upheaval to eating habits.

Maybe you should start asking yourself (and also let us know) how bad do you want to try.

You have to find enough motivation to stop doing things YOU ALREADY KNOW that are not good for your health.

Gradually, consistent.

Can u do it?

You got to prove to yourself that you can do more than finding excuses.

Many individuals w. problems of this kind, are not really wiling to change their unhealthy lifestyle.

You can try to go raw without to become a scientist or nutritionist MD, or go how deep you want into your research.

Get rid of the bad influences and look for the good ones.
Sometimes is enough to open your eyes and ears.

You have to see/try yourself what is good for you, it is not so hard IF YOU REALLY WANT.

You did not do it? CONTINUE! (trying)
You did it? CONTINUE!

Good luck.

Pls. excuse my English - foreigner.

=============================================================
Medicine, Food Industry and Commerce are businesses.
Is their goal to make/keep me healthy or to make more profit?
=============================================================

Thanks for your replies. In reply to the last post, I do really want to change - i'm quite desperate now. I ended up this overweight by getting a severe form of depression which led to lots of heavy medication which causes weight gain over a lot of years with hospital admissions. With all the stress of this and circumstances, I comfort ate too. I'm now finally out of the circumstances I was in and in a new home. The trouble is most days I feel dreadful and often its only just after eating that I feel better (don't know why). I'm still on a low dose of medication, which doesn't help, but with a doctor's help i'm being weaned off this.

I wish you health and all your dreams Starflower. Do the VERY SMALL things you CAN do....and are motivated to do....and be content....regardless of the outcome.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

You can do it starflower.

Hi

I am also English...just wanted to let you know that Brighton seems to be a good place for raw food events etc - try the website www.totalrawfood.com. I think you can get coaching there and they have a raw food shop in The Lanes in Brighton.

Just starting out with raw myself, but not had a 100% raw day yet!

Good luck!

Claire

Hi Starflower; you've gotten some great advice, and I'm pulling for you! I went from cooked vegan to very unhealthy lacto-ovo-veg over a period of years, and found going back really mentally difficult. I'd become emotionally addicted (and a bit physically too I think) to the food I was eating, and giving things up completely really made me feel bad. So I started doing two things (this isn't specifically raw advice, but it might help you). First, I made a point to get 7-10 servings of fruit and veg per day, every day, no matter what. And I also started doing one raw day a week.

I found the one raw day a week really helped to 'reset' my food expectations, so I was able to wean my attachment to unhealthy foods. It also helped sensitise me to excessive fat and salt.

Starflower,

I'm not going to try to add to all of the really great dietary advice already offered.

You mentioned that you often feel better after eating badly. If you are eating foods which are difficult for you to digest then your system will divert energy from other systems to aid your digestion. If you are detoxifying this can be slowed, but so can nearly every other activity your body needs energy to accomplish - including thought. Overeating can have a sedative and numbing effect on the entire system, which is one reason so many of us are tempted to overindulge when we are hurting physically or emotionally.

As you are working toward following some of the excellent advice above for gradually improving your diet, be sure not to ignore your emotional needs and troubles. If your improved diet removes the artificial buffer between you and your thoughts and feelings, then you must be prepared to dwell more deeply in those feelings or else you will have a much harder time continuing to pass over the foods that provide you the buffer.

It probably sounds trite and unhelpful, but the more you can love yourself the more smoothly everything will go for you.

-Frances

Thanks Frances for your post. It makes a lot of sense. Also, I just wanted to say thanks for all the helpful advice i've had. I'm sorry i haven't replied to each one - as it happens, i've not been well with tummy trouble, so haven't felt comfortable to sit down and write for long. I don't think it was the raw food or change in diet that did it though,but just something that i have from time to time.

I've enrolled on a one day course with Karen Knowler in Cambridgeshire at beginning of February for some raw food guidance; and i'm really pleased because my mother and my son are coming too. Also, i've been visiting Youtube and watching some of the videos there.

Well, thanks again - you've been really encouraging. My body feels so lousy at the moment it just makes me more determined to stay the course.

Start your own thread, so we can "monitor" your progress.

This way, other ppl. may benefit, observe or consider you as an + or - example.

Start with a full set of (blood) tests - great for future references.

Pls. excuse my English - foreigner.

=============================================================
Medicine, Food Industry and Commerce are businesses.
Is their goal to make/keep me healthy or to make more profit?
=============================================================

Hi New to this Forum .
I've gone raw about maybe 6-7 months now..
Still finding it hard, but i work at it every meal.
I've recently found some Great information on this site..
(www.fredericpatenaude.com) which has been such a help.
you can find recipes ,raw food secrets just a ton of info.
oh and for the raw secrets there is a site too. www.fredericpatenaude.com/rawsecrets.html
Hope you find it as useful as i did.

cheers
LauraP

ON (obese newbie)......Start with Diet first. Learn to make Fruit Smoothies and Green Smoothies that are so Delicious that you don't want cooked food anymore. Once the Food Issue is resolved, then work on the other problems....Pain Killers, Alcohol, Drugs, etc......WY

Natalie Rose's book: The Raw Food Detox Diet is a great, balanced way to look at raw foodism. Good luck!

congratulations on taking control of your health and your life! and please don't beat yourself up for where you've been, all those things were necessary to go through to get to where you are today, so its really perfect, all of it.

and don't worry about having all the information before you begin, just eat fresh fruits and vegetables, watch your health soar, and gather information along the way. the cool thing about eating this way is that the main source of information becomes your own body -- a fascinating process that doesn't require anything from you except the willingness to be tuned in.

rawfoodtalk.com has an active support group of obese raw foodies... lots of inspiring "before and afters" and information that might be helpful to you. [www.rawfoodtalk.com]

welcome to the path!

If you are close enough to London there are regular pot lucks/meetups here. The next is in Walthamstow, East London on Sat Feb 16th:

Doors open 6pm.
6.15 Special Guest! Talk by Dr Gina Shaw, health & nutrition consultant, followed by Pot luck until 10.00pm

At Hornbeam Café, 458 Hoe St, London E17 - near Baker’s Arms, 10 mins walk from Walthamstow Central Station.

Everyone welcome, just turn up. Bring raw food to share. There will be a nutmilk bar there. Free entry, donations welcome.
Email Sallyholloway@boltblue.com for more details.

We have an email list for the London meetups, you can join here: [www.funkyraw.com]

There is a book called "How to go raw for weight loss" by Angela Stokes which might be useful for you. We sell the eBook version on our website: [www.funkyraw.com]

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]