Hello!

I just found this site today and its the first time ive ever posted anything on any site so here goes!

Im really interested in going raw. As yet though i dont feel quite mentally prepared enough to do it! I have been dieting my whole life, my wieght yo-yos a lot and my energy levels are like a rollercoaster- sometimes i have loads and sometimes none at all! I also suffer from IBS so my bowels often dont function for days... causing a lot of bloatedness and pain.

Up until a year ago my eating habits were terrible - often i would comfort eat and i have a terrible sweet tooth so it often led to chocolate and sugar. I decided to change, joined a gym and changed my eating style. Today i am almost two stone (im british so not sure what that is in lbs?) lighter. The problem is that the only thing that has stayed constant is my exercise-which i am addicted to! my diet however is something to be admired. I often start the day well and halfway through get bored and eat... badly...

I am currently living with my boyfriend in Belgium for the summer. He is not at all interested in going raw which is fine, however I am! I plan on starting when I return to london in October. This way I am in a different environment and there is only me to feed (we have a long distance relationship).It is my last year of study and is very stressful, especially as i travel a lot. The main reasons for going raw primarily are to improbe my bowels(!) energy levels, health and finally weight loss.

So I have a month to read up and work out how to do this. I am a regular meat eating person with an average to unhealthy diet. I have never done vegan and so this is a big step. Im not really worried about missing meat but i am a little worried about missing milk...i do like the stuff. another issue is that i am allergic to nuts, so nuts are out - which seems to be a key part of the diet...

So, to get to the point, can anyone recommend any good books, or start off points? i have no idea how to approach this diet, and im doing it alone so theres not a lot of support! maybe there are some recipes somewhere?
i just need a little direction - ive been engine searching and reading blogs but i need someone to explain the basics to me, and whether im allowed to break the rules now and again!

id appreciate any advice!
thankyou
afw42

HI! Hello, I'm transitioning too, started all cooked vegan to Raw vegan immediately when I went to Hippocrates Health Institute. I believe looking over information is helpful, especially experienced knowledge and facts. I believe if anyone changes it's because they get the knowledge they need one way or another somehow they just know what is right (raw knowledge). So here is some good sources, www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com , www.rawfoodlife.com , and for anyone interested in the Hippocrates lifestyle hipplife.com
Have the best day ever, Wayne

I am also just starting out. Looks like a lot of people are at this point.

One thing you should look into is candida... Google it, it is very common if you eat a lot of sweets.

What has helped me go raw:

1) believe it or not, there are tons of people going raw on youtube, i watched a bunch of videos by the well known people, they continue to inspire me... especially since I don't have anyone close to me who is on a raw diet ( where I live temporarily, there are lots of raw fooders in Ashland Oregon, where I visit a lot)

2) great books by Victoria boutenko, who lives in Ashland, so I heard her do a few lectures, saw her videos, and went to a retreat she put on in July "12 steps to raw food" "raw family" "greens can save your life" Her whole family went raw about 14 years ago, they were all deathly ill on the SAD (standard american diet)

3) started with the green smoothie a year ago, that made wonderful improvements in my nutrition uptake and health - the best way to start the whole process.

3.5) barley grass or wheat grass juice are how I start the day, and that shot of green juice is such a boost!

4) a lot of trial and error. last year i went raw for 40 days, and got bored out of my skull eating fruit, smoothies, and salad. this time around, i got some raw food prep books, a dehydrator, and a kitchen aid food processor. ( I already had the champion juicer and the vita mix blender) I started making a few tasty dishes, nut pate, and got a 50 pack of raw nori sheets, whereby I could roll up just about anything and it tasted good. It is true, that after going raw for a while (happened fast for me) your tastes become very simple, and plain whole fruits & veg's taste great without any fuss. I make tabouli, parsley, lemon juice, tomato, garlic, and hemp seeds. a little olive oil optional. I'm so satisfied!

5) and a real turning point for me was changing my thinking. (sigh!) I had tried to lose weight tons of times in the last 15 years since I put on a lot of weight, and well, had given up and thought there was no hope, that i'll just fail again, and if I do succeed, I'll just put the weight back on. So at the retreat put on by Victoria, half of the time we were "doing the work of Byron Katie" which is a really simple process of questioning our thinking that makes us miserable. www.thework.com wow! I suddenly realized it was only my believing the lies that was between me and my success. this was completely mindblowing! Search "Byron Katie" on youtube, for starters.

Hoping this is helpful,

Leslie

Leslie,
Wow.
I have just gone raw and have been doing a lot of reading, A LOT. I am also in the process of looking for a job and possible relocation. So I am very interested in raw culture. Everything you have said has inspired me!
First of all I live in Oregon and when you mentioned a raw foods community in Ashland Including Victoria Boutenko I was really excited.
The thing that really touched me though was your mention of Byron Katie!! I have not personally attended one of her workshops but I am very familiar with her and "the Work". It's true her work is amazing!! You are the first raw foodist I have heard mention her. Thank you for inspiring me and help me connect these two wonderful truths.
Peace,
Joanna