Hi folks.
I was wondering if anyone here,or anyone you know,has had success with giving up drinking by going 100% raw.
And how long it took.
I have days when I am raw,and feel good progress,but stuff like my car breaking down and being without a car leads me right back into depressive states and the beer.
I am not looking for miracle cures.Or maybe I am.
Just was wondering if anyone has had good results just from the raw diet.
Thanks.
Brian



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2008 01:58AM by Raw1228.

I still do beer. Sometimes zero. But I average 2 light ones per night.

No. I have known people that addressed the emotional issues in their life that gave rise to alcoholism....and what they are 'missing'....and THEN gave up alcohol.

-And once they have the courage to pursue THEIR goals.....the need for alcohol pales in comparison. But that takes GREAT courage to believe that there is something beyond all that you know now.

-I also have/had a family friend that died very young due to alcoholism. His loss diminished my life.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

There are many different kinds of addictions that are harmful for us, for me I am self destructive in other ways and fight it daily. Some times I have strength to not be self destructive and then there are the times I am the hardest on myself. Overall I have found that the positive feelings I have gotten from eating only raw foods have given me some strength. I am finding that life is not all about simply eating healthy foods but we have spiritual needs and physical needs to be filled as well. There are days I don't want to lift a finger to help myself and that is sad, but I keep trying and I still have hope enough to keep fighting my way out of my personal hell. someone said that if there is still life there is still hope. We don't have to be a slave to these addictions and we will find a way or path that will lead us away from them but we need to take the action to make that happen. By the simple fact you are here asking questions you are not willing to just lay down and allow your addiction to take over. Perhaps you are a fighter? Keep seeking for your answer and you will find it and you know I am telling myself this as I write it down.

I am feeling very strongly that some addictions can be alergic reactions and as we clean up our bodies we can gain more strength to fight the addiction. I also feel that when we lack proper nutrition perhaps we make attempts to write ourselves by eating the wrong foods. I think its important to keep striveing to fill our bodies with the raw nutrition and by doing that our weakness for other things will begin to dissapear.

I also think wheat grass is a great tool for our bodies needs and help us fight cravings. I quit smoking cigs with the help of wheat grass.

The best of luck to you, brian and keep striveing towards your goal

I think there's a difference between use and abuse when it comes to alcohol.....?

I haven't tried to "give up" drinking wine. But I don't see what being a raw foodist has to do with it.

I think they are separate issues. If people have abuse issues, they will still have them, no matter the diet. The issues just have to be faced, and some people just can't have alcohol.

be kind to yourself, brian.
I remember a story of a woman who's car was stolen instead of fretting about it she took a positive road and walked she felt much better from the exersize and met some interesting people. She also lived in the city. I am not so sure that would work for me because I live in the country. Cars breaking down are a way of life for me. lol

Thanks for all your answers!
No, I am not a quitter.
There are things and people in my life I absolutely dont want to lose.
Brian

Quote

Posted by: rost0037 (IP Logged)
Date: April 25, 2008 07:56AM

some people just can't have alcohol.

Thats it. Years ago my life was spinning out of control until I finally got it that I couldn't have even a single sip of booze or I was off on another bender. Oh man thats a terrible way to live. All those blackouts and feeling terrible. I conquered booze and feel great now. Good luck.

Raw1228 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are things and people in my life I
> absolutely dont want to lose.
> Brian

Be well, brian. And tell them directly.

I have,but its probably too late

I used to have that sort of problem. I became a Christian and from reading the bible learned that drunkeness was a serious sin, but that God viewed wine as a blessing. There are warnings against abuse of alcohol, but many times where God granted wine to Israel as a part of their blessings. Jesus also drank wine. Some Christians say that the wine then was really grape juice, but the same greek word used for the wine Jesus drank was also used to describe a drink that could make you drunk, and you can't get drunk off of grape juice. For awhile I thought all drinking would be off limits for me, an "alcoholic." I think that mentality made me fall harder whenever I would drink. I'd think "well, I gave in to that one drink, so I may as well have lots more and get drunk." When I realised wine was not evil or wrong to consume (according to the bible, that is) but that drunkeness was, I first took a year off drinking. I had my husband's support and after that first year had very moderate amounts and had no problem. Occasionally (3 times in 2 years) I have dranken more than I intended, but it was not anything like it used to be for me.

I respect anyone's right to not drink and I won't drink in front of someone it would offend or be a stumbling block to. This is just my experience. I felt it helped me to know that drinking would never be fully off limits. I feel my faith and accountability to God helps me and I don't think I would be successful in drinking any alcohol were it not for that. So this is my perspective from a morality and a control aspect. Health wise there is a whole other debate.

I forgot to add that GT's Raw Kombucha helps anytime I have a desire for alcohol (I am pregnant now, so no drinking). I noticed it with the ginger flavor. It may be the fermentation of the beverage (the bottle says it contains less that .5 percent alcohol, but I wonder about that...) OR it may be the sensation due to the ginger. I feel warm all over and a wee bit sleepy after drinking one so have one at night. It is a similar feeling to having one glass of wine, but different. And they are raw! And healthy IMO.

I gave up alchohol years ago, realizing that I was unable to moderate.

Only more recently I gave up an addiction to the sleeping pills I was using as a substitute. Not only did I "need" them to get to sleep, but I would take them just for the buzz.

It took me multiple times to quit on each one. Each time I went back on the habit, I felt an enourmous sense of regret. Lots of pain.

The real way to quit such a bad habit? You really have to take some time to reflect on the massive amount of pain it has caused you in your life. You have to look right at that pain and realize that there is a way out of it.

On the OTHER side, you have to look at the massive amount of joy you will get from being free. You have to make this real for yourself as well.

THIS is the point where you pick up some good habit instead. When you quit something like this it often leaves a feeling of emptiness. So this is where you commit yourself to something like raw food, meditation, exercise, etc. You take the weak link in your life and turn it into your strongest point.


"If by renouncing
a lesser happiness
he may realize a greater happiness,
let the wise man renounce the lesser,
having regard for the greater." - The Buddha (Dhammapada 290)

-DaveK

>> Be well, brian. And tell them directly.
> I have,but its probably too late


Actions speak more than words.... Maybe that's what they have to 'hear'.

Either way, you do this for yourself, first and foremost.....



I think resolving your alcohol addiction thru raw food may be a great strategy for you! I know someone who cured her addiction (food) through cleaning up her house. And another who did it through joining a rowing club. As the Kahunas say, energy goes where attention goes. It may work better to work TOWARDS a positive goal rather than away from a negative (as in working away from a negative, the negative is very much the focus and it's actually quite hard to get away from it that way.)

Best wishes!

hey Brian,

just an idea - not sure if you can take some time away from where you are - but perhaps if you went to some sort of raw retreat center or even hook up with a restaurant where you were surrounded by supportive raw people, and away from temptations of alcohol? You could offer some sort of work exchange for staying there? Obviously, I don't know your health or emotional triggers, but if you could get through a few wks, maybe it would lay a solid foundation for you making better choices for your well being. Also, don't know if there are any raw Meet Up groups in your area?

Great idea rawkitty. A change in environment can do wonders, or even just changing who you hang out with. I know I started eating healthier when I started taking yoga classes and seeing all those damn skinny, healthy, flexible, strong people!

-Davek

Thanks again for all your input everyone.
I am indeed going away for a while.
I think a total change of scenery is a good idea now.
Wont have internet access,so everybody be well till later.....
Brian

Itzdavey -- That was a great post. I can tell you experienced pain as a result of drinking as I did.

Quote

Posted by: Itzdavey (IP Logged)
Date: April 26, 2008 07:40AM

The real way to quit such a bad habit? You really have to take some time to reflect on the massive amount of pain it has caused you in your life. You have to look right at that pain and realize that there is a way out of it.

I agree, making the cause --> effect connection between booze --> pain is the place to focus on to disconnect the habit.

If you are interested in stopping drinking, that's what Alcoholics Anonymous is about. You can Google Alcoholics Anonymous, or just ask the man on the street where to find AA, it is so prevalent today! In Seattle we have 1381 different meetings each week!

Really. . . what does a raw diet have to do with quitting drinking? I would think that drinking would make it harder to stay on a raw diet. I wouldn't want to try it, myself.

If you need any help stopping drinking, you can email me. Best of luck.

Ron

I know that for me dealing with food addiction/eating disorder which is often compared to alcoholism, raw food was/is a savior for me. When I started out it was a struggle as anything is, but eventually, I was/am able to stay 100% raw. I also started going to counseling (and my counselor was not very supportive of a raw food diet, but we agreed to disagree on the food pattern as long as he was convinced I was eating enough, and getting enough calories.) With the two things - counseling and raw food, I have succeeded in either overcoming or at least putting the ED on the back burner (a first for me! Typically, in the past, it consumed my life!) I have a new found love of life, and I never thought I would get here. As I was saying in another thread, I am even going through a divorce and major chaos, and my diet has held strong.

I wish you all the best, finding someone you can trust and really talk to is key. And, while you are dealing with the past pain and hurts, I agree with what someone else said about filling the void with another hobby or activity. Best of luck to you, I hope that you will continue to share your journey - whether you are doing great or struggling. No one does it perfectly the first, fifth or even somtimes the fiftieth time around....eventually, you will get there!

I hate to say it but I am also an alcoholic. My favorite is wine. I use to drink so much beer that I would black out. That was a long time ago though. Now I seem to have a bit more control now. I do feel that my raw diet helps. I feel less of a desire to drink now. I still want to but instead of feeling like I HAVE to, it just feels like I could use a glass of wine instead. Know what I mean? Gone are the days of the binge drinking, thank goodness. I know that drinking makes me want to eat everything so to prepare I make up a bowl of celery sticks and guacamole that way I am still raw if I am drinking. I have also switched to organic wine which I really like quite a bit.

In answer to the original question, yes. I do feel that raw eating has helped and it took a couple of weeks to notice. Even if it doesn't help with the craving, you start to feel so good that you don't want that hangover to ruin your natural "high". This, of course, is just my opinion.


River