I learned about the living and raw food diet eight days ago now. I spent the first five days studying, studying, studying. Then, on March 1st, I began eating raw. I'm armed with enough information and resources to find a comfortable balance to begin at. I came into it wanting to start 1000% raw and even considered 50% raw. Now that I found the balance to begin at, I'm just going to listen to my body. Right now I'm at 99% raw without any problems. This may go to 90% raw until I learn how to prepare and pack meals for work.

I'd like your opinions on how to do that. What do you bring to work with you? Do you juice/blend any meals and bring them in a thermos or do you feel that those lose too many nutrients during the few hours before you consume them?

Are you preparing cut veggies, fruit and salads for work?

All in all, I think I'm doing rather well, especially since I cut out the extremism. Going 99% raw wasn't a challenge at all because my body has been craving eating this way for months. I love how light, crisp and clean my meals feel. Heck, I'm even making sure I chew my food very well! No cravings for the salt and sugar that I was hooked on yet, either. I just hope that continues.

The funny thing is, I haven't been eating that much. I just haven't been very hungry, which is odd. I've been consuming between 1200 - 1400 calories only.

The only part that was not good was February 29th, the day before I started going raw. I did an all day liquid fast of mostly water. I prepared four bottles of the Master Cleanse Lemonade to have, too. But the lemonade gave me horrible headaches within 30 minutes of drinking them. I only downed two of them and threw the other two away. The taste makes me gag anyway and I promised myself I'd never drink another glass of it.

Wherever this road leads, I just know that I'm going to listen to my body instead of follow a book. Even in the two days (today's the third) I've been doing this, I've learned how to listen to my body. This is pretty cool.

good on you, SL, you are doing so great! i'm glad you are having an easy time of it... that is what i experienced too, just a feeling of naturalness and being in the flow with what my body was wanting. a great feeling, to be sure!

here's what i pack for work on a typical day...

1 large green smoothie in an insulated cup -- yes, blending it on the spot would be optimal, but not an option, and i like drinking them in the morning, but i don't like digesting anything except maybe some orange juice until about 9:30/10am. plus, i also like grossing out my co-workers, and this really seems to do the trick.

1 green salad with a homemade dressing on the side or a blended soup -- i try to stick with the salad, but somedays i'm wanting soup instead, so i go for it. again its blended. again i don't care. as DZM says, "light years ahead of the competition", i reckon.

some vegetables for snacking (cherry tomatoes, carrot/celery sticks, thin sliced sweet potatoes, cucumber, etc.) - sometimes i make a dip

3-4 whole fruits for snacking (apples, tangerines, bananas, asian pear, papaya, grapes, longan, etc)

i always bring more food than i think i will need... sucks to have a hungry day and be stuck at 1:00 with 5-6 more hours of work and no options. i carry a "break open in case of emergency" lara bar in my purse. i think i've had the same one in there for 3 weeks, but you never know... i know some people think its silly to just be "raw at any cost", and that its better to choose a healthy cooked option rather then something as processsed as a lara bar, but for me cooked foods are a slippery slope (one bean burrito can turn into a lost weekend...), and it helps me remain psychologically in the zone to stay raw. so yes, i'd much rather eat a lara bar then a steamed sweet potato. doing so helps me eat more fresh raw fruits and vegetables, and isn't that the goal?

I take...

Some fruit for a late breakfast (have a green juice before I leave home but often need something by 9ish), some fruit for mid-morning, a huge salad for lunch and some fruit for mid-afternoon. Then I have another big veggie meal for dinner. I also take lots more food than I need because going hungry will make me want chocolate! Also because I am diabetic and if I have a hypo I end up needing more food.

Claire

I absolutely love your posts, maui_butterfly! I've gleaned so much information from you. I think you and I are on the same path. (Except you carry a purse and I, well, don't!) Those are my feelings exactly.

By the way, I stepped on the scale this morning for the heck of it. (I'm not obsessed by the scale.) I lost four pounds on Fri, Sat, and Sun. Interesting.

I'm a drinker. (Non-alcoholic, of course.) I drink all day long. I drink more than I eat, so blended and juiced meals are great.

I think it's a great idea to have a stash of emergency snacks/food in case you find yourself in need. I'm not going to be a "raw at any cost" person, but however I can avoid a cooked meal, I will do that. Unfortunatly (but still okay), I was unprepared for my morning at work and ordered a veggie omlet from the cafeteria. My body even cringed a little, so I'll make sure I don't have to do that again. I only had a moment to pack a lunch so I have carrots, a zucchine, yellow squash and some red and orange pepper. Fruit-wise, I only have a banana (ate that on the bus to work) and a very tiny tangerine. (I can always get some fruit in the cafeteria.)

I think preparedness is going to be key for me. Planning ahead. I will have to find a good thermos to bring my blended/juiced meals to work in. The only problem here, for me, is that I live in an apartment complex and get up at 5am! NOT a polite time to be running a blender! I'm going to take a chance and do it tomorrow morning at 7am though. (I leave for work at 7:20am.)

Hi Claire,

Thanks for replying! The more responses we get, the more ideas we'll have to work with. How long have you been raw? Has your diabetes improved in that time? I've just read so much about raw being the "miracle diet" for diabetes. I hope that turns out to be the case for you.

And I'm with you. I hate being caught hungry. Feeling peckish can be good, but being hungry isn't. Thanks again!

Hi simple living

you're welcome! I love this forum, it is SO useful and motivating. Glad you have joined us.

I was only diagnosed with diabetes (type 1) in August. Raw is certainly helping me to keep my blood sugar well controlled with a smaller amount of insulin than I would have needed on SAD...but I have only been tinkering with raw since December so who knows what the long-term effects might be???

Good luck on your raw journey! I am not 100% and I have some unwanted slip ups, but I certainly love raw already

Claire

I stay home with the kids but my husband works long hours. I am surprised that he stays happy just taking fresh fruit and vegetables to work. Mostly bananas and citrus. Sometimes if there is leftover soup or salad he will take it but he usually says he would rather take the fruit.

My jobs outside of the home aren't usually very long, so I either take a snack or dont and come home and eat. I usually have brazil nuts on me. I don't like to take food because it doesn't stay as fresh, like salads get soggy and tossed around (I have a LOT of equipment to carry already, prob. like 50 pounds, so I don't want to carry much more).

I don't know if you're asking this question for 100% raw people or just raw foodists in general, but sometimes I get a decaf soylatte while out or a fresh-squeezed juice. Those add up and are expensive, but if Im in a pinch and want calories, it helps.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

A lot of mornings I make a large green smoothie ( 1½ or 2 quarts ) which I take to work in one quart canning jars. The canning jars are great because they're big, don't leak, and cost a lot less than the fancier food storage things. I sip on the smoothie throughout the day. I also bring a few pieces of fruit in case I get hungry in the afternoon, but these frequently come home with me in the afternoon. I find that smoothies oxidize and become less appetizing so that by the end of the work day, I need to toss it out if I have any left. With this in mind, you're probably better off making yours right before you leave for work than making it earlier and keeping it around longer. (Even if annoying your neighbors at 5am were not a concern.)

Other mornings I bring a green salad. If I'm bringing tomato or avocado I don't cut up until I'm ready to eat. Tomato is too wet and would wilt the lettuce, the avocado would get all brown and oxidized. On these days I bring a few pieces of fruit to eat throughout the day.

When I'm in a big hurry in the morning (this is pretty frequent for me), I sometimes just throw a wide variety of fruit and veggies in a bag. Today I brought three apples, three kiwis, one banana, three large white mushrooms and a couple of oversize roma tomatoes. I'll keep nibbling on all of this throughout the day. If I have a hungry day and this isn't enough, there's a cafe where I can buy apples and bananas.

So far it sounds like I'm doing alright then. It should be easier to start planning for. Every response has been really helpful, thank you!

Although I'll be living as raw as possible (an idea that completely excites me), I'm not going to be religous about it. There will be instances where it's either not possible or even rude to not accept something offered to me.

Personally, for me, in my opinion, I think there's a disadvantage to eating 100% raw. If something happened to the food supply in the future, like bioterrorism, then we may have to be able to eat cooked or processed foods. I don't want to be so adapted to raw that eating something that's not raw makes me sick. I know the bioterrorism thing sounds like an extreme right now, but the truth is, we're getting closer to living in this type of world. It would be very easy to do and terrorism is evolving. Now, with this said, I'm not running my life based on such events, either. I'm just keeping in mind the possibility while being as raw as I can possibly be.

Anyway, if I can make my juice/blended meals at 7am, they'll be consumed within three hours anyway, so I think that's very little oxidizing going on. Now, to go shopping for a good thermos!

Hey Simple Living! I love your posts. Great questions.

My thoughts/opinion: Set YOUR raw goals. Don't let circumstances....or other people....or guru's...dictate what YOUR actions are going to be. And don't wait until the 'point of impact' to decide what your goals are (especially when it comes to the most personal decisions like food, sex, religion & politics. DECIDE what YOU think is bad (and good)....and don't just let some one hand it to you and eat it! LOL. You certainly won't be doing THEM any favors. There are very easy ways to eat all raw when everyone around is eating crap and offering it to you. I do it every day....and 100's of time per year at family, friend, and professional gatherings. I often (well..not OFTEN..heh..heh) will be in bars....or hotels....or business presentations.

-I think eating well opens up a world of freedom - not restriction. I know that the world could come to a screeching halt tomorrow (so to speak) and I would be quietly walking around munching on fruits...or other fresh raw stuff in the community/wild - you know? Either people grow it and I trade for it.....or nature provides it and I pick it. No biggie! LOL.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Yeah, I find social situations are a breeze. Well, maybe because I already have the experience of a vegan and being firm, that, ethically, no, I do not and will not ever consider X, Y, Z food, so please respect me. If I say I don't want cooked food or I'm getting a salad, people respect it and/or they want to make something raw, too.

I bring a smoothie with me to work and that's about it. I make it with several bananas and generally fill it up until I have about a thousand calories. It tends to keep me full through breakfast and lunch. Some days I will bring and orange or banana or maybe half a cantaloupe if I think I will be extra hungry.

David and Utopian Life, I see where you're coming from, and I agree that that's case as much as 99% of the time. In my experience, having lived all over the world, there are times when refusing an offer of food really is rude to the host. Not everyone finds themselves in those situations, but I do, given my life the way it is.

This has just been the most interesting adventure I've had in a long time. I studied for five days and have been eating raw for only three. Already I feel a lot better. My system is really taking to this way of life right off the bat. After my first blended salad, I felt like a million and two bucks!

Remember that omlet I had this morning? My body just rejected it after a weekend of 100% raw. I'm not exaggerating. I lost four pounds over the weekend, which is no big deal to me, but my jeans fit better already. This is too weird.

Is it possible, in the beginning of this lifestyle, that a person's body just immediately welcomes, accepts and begs for 100% raw? And that my cravings for sweet and salty snacks is gone so quickly? Even my skin has improved already. I'm not lying and will prove it with photographs as soon as my website is ready.

That's been the only snaffu in this whole thing - getting my website ready.

huh? i thought you were 99.9% raw....you had a raw omelet?

LOL No. I went 100% raw this weekend but, this morning, I didn't plan very well for breakfast. I intended to use my blender but I forgot that I get up at 5am and, in an apartment complex, the blender would have woken up some neighbors.

Since I'm not being a perfectionist about it, I just came to work and ordered an omlet from the cafeteria. It felt so heavy and ooky to me. Later, my body reacted to it and well, let's just say I won't be doing that again! My body is requiring 100% raw. I just think that's odd for only three days into this.

I know refusing food can be rude in some cultures... but forcing food on people can also be rude in some cultures. I am very comfortable saying no--after all, when two cultures mix, there has to be compromise, and it is much easier for someone to not do/give something, than to put something in one's body that will make them sick. You do not have to be 100% raw to feel sick after eating unhealthy food--just in touch with your body. I will politely decline if I feel it's necessary. People generally do seem understanding.

Simple Living Wrote:
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> LOL No. I went 100% raw this weekend but, this
> morning, I didn't plan very well for breakfast. I
> intended to use my blender but I forgot that I get
> up at 5am and, in an apartment complex, the
> blender would have woken up some neighbors.
>
> Since I'm not being a perfectionist about it, I
> just came to work and ordered an omlet from the
> cafeteria. It felt so heavy and ooky to me.
> Later, my body reacted to it and well, let's just
> say I won't be doing that again! My body is
> requiring 100% raw. I just think that's odd for
> only three days into this.


Well, you pay rent, don't you? If you can't be comfortable enough in your own home to run a blender, well, that's pretty sad. I hope you enjoy other activities regardless of a little noise. Are the walls that thin?

2, it might not be the cooked food that your body rejected - it might be the eggs (and possibly cheese). If you had gotten oatmeal or something healthy, with fruit, you might have fared better. Try that next time.

when i had houseguests i set my vitamix on a flat pillow and wrapped a beach towel around it. it was a pain in the butt, but gosh you could barely hear the thing!

Maybe I'm strange (and this is off-topic), but I would want my neighbors to enjoy life and do what they have to do regardless of how cheap the house/apartment was built, within reason, and that means making a healthy breakfast. So maybe you could talk to your neighbors about it and see what they can hear and see how *they* would like you to live (and be comfortable and do what you have to do).

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

My current apartment building (I'm moving at the end of April), has concrete walls, floors and ceilings. At 5am, it's really quiet and you can hear a dog barking two blocks away. Under normal conditions using my blender would be fine. It's just that, at 5am, when all is quiet, blender noise can rouse the dead! I know I'd hate to hear one next door to me if I were trying to sleep!

My new apartment is bigger. It's a two bedroom that includes a washer/dryer AND A JUICER, and is beautifully furnished! It's one block to Whole Foods and two blocks away from a lake that is a three mile walk around it! Rent in this area, especially for a two bedroom, is $1,200 or more easily. For some reason, I got a great deal and only have to pay $600!

It's unusual to find a furnished apartment today. I wasn't looking for one, but at this price (and having seen the pictures), I'll take it! Unfortunately, there's a massive plasma screen tv hanging on the wall, and I'm the only person I know who hates television. Oh well.

Simple Living Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My new apartment is bigger. It's a two bedroom
> that includes a washer/dryer AND A JUICER, and is
> beautifully furnished! It's one block to Whole
> Foods and two blocks away from a lake that is a
> three mile walk around it! Rent in this area,
> especially for a two bedroom, is $1,200 or more
> easily. For some reason, I got a great deal and
> only have to pay $600!

SCORE... that sounds AMAZING. and custom-made for someone embarking on a new lifestyle! you really are in the flow...

> Unfortunately, there's a massive plasma screen tv
> hanging on the wall, and I'm the only person I
> know who hates television. Oh well.

now you know one other person. you could cover it with a tapestry, or get one of those virtual fishtank DVDs [www.amazon.com] or, for chilly days, a virtual fireplace dvd [www.amazon.com]

Quote

now you know one other person. you could cover it with a tapestry, or get one of those virtual fishtank DVDs [www.amazon.com] or, for chilly days, a virtual fireplace dvd

I KNEW we were on the same wavelength! LOL Actually, I do have a really wonderful fireplace DVD, but I love the idea of the fishtank one! Seriously, this tv is hugeous!

I find that when refusing food it's easiest to blame a food allergy if you're not comfortable with just saying no I don't eat that. Lactose intolerance is my favorite excuse for not eating cooked food. Nobody in my family can seem to make anything without butter, milk, or cheese.
Personally I'd have to say that after being raw for a while I could safely say I'm allergic to all kinds of things...my body doesn't like it, hahaha.

The food allergy thing is kinda true... before I went vegan, one reason I did (aside from factory farms, ethical reasons) is that I was eating dairy very seldomly and whenever I did, it made me sick.

Fruit plain, outside of a smoothie is also wonderful for breakfast

A couple of thoughts:

+) When you pack liquids (juice or smoothie) to take to work with you make enough so that you can fill your container all the way to the top with no space for air as this cuts down on oxidation. Any extra that won't fit in the container you can drink on the spot.

+) If you can't afford to throw food away then you might want to "transition" out of the cooked food in your cupboards by deciding to use it occasionally. Decide not to buy anymore cooked food and then try to see how long you can keep it around without eating it rather then eating it to get rid of it. Later if you have some cooked foods around and you don't want to eat it you can toss it. Just don't buy anymore.

Sounds like your doing great and were all pulling for ya.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2008 10:26PM by EZ rider.

good for you for being so considerate of your neighbours! paying rent doesn't entitle us to be jerks IMHO . my neighbour and i both have kids in the house so we are generally very forgiving of the noise that entails but both of us try to be quiet during sleeping hours, that rest is precious to small growing bodies and the grown ups caring for them!

with the tv, i would leave it off personally. disliking those brain sucking monsters includes not wanted them beaming their radiation at me either! a beautiful silk scarf and some creative draping makes for a lovely modern art piece that's sure to please your eyes

as far as refusing food, i really do think that if it's a matter of health your host will be understanding. allergies or a sensitive stomach are very valid reasons for not eating something, i mean you wouldn't eat peanuts if you were allergic to them and no one would expect you to right? i don't like the energy of lying to people about the reasons why but there must be a way to gently and honestly decline.
i think if i feel guilty when i am saying no instead of loving towards myself and the person offering, that energy has an affect on them too. then we both feel uncomfortable about it. i'm working on this myself, saying what i mean, asking for what i want with love in my heart instead of guilt in my mind. it's a process.

Thanks EZ rider, I have no cookable foods at home at all. Zilch. Thanks for the tip about filling the container to the top. I knew that in the past but had forgotten that fact. A blended salad at work would just make my day! I felt like Popeye after he ate a can of spinach!

I'm finding myself really craving fruit. Can't wait to get home to give my blender some heartfelt attention! <3

coco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> good for you for being so considerate of your
> neighbours! paying rent doesn't entitle us to be
> jerks IMHO .

well, if running a blender is "being a jerk" consider me the biggest bitch ever.

running it at 5AM when you KNOW it's going to wake up everyone around you is pretty inconsiderate. sorry. disturbing all those people so i can have a smoothie? i could put my blender on a pillow as suggested above or i could just take some whole fruit.

whatever, to each their own. if it's not important to you, it's not. just don't expect any consideration from your neighbours in return!

for me, living in harmony with the people who live close to me is just as important as anything else. i don't need the aggravation of a pissy neighbour. not much is worth that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2008 02:10PM by coco.