I just decided about two weeks ago that I was going to eat raw. I was having problems with my skin (hives, eczema, athlete’s foot…) and my hay fever was driving me nuts, not to mention feeling bloated and overall yuck. I was hoping to boost my energy, shed the yuck feeling, and fix my allergy/skin issues. I have been vegan about 10 years and always a veggie lover, admittedly I don’t always eat as well as I should as working odd hours lets me sometimes resort to “box foods”. I never made any commitment to staying on raw food I just said I would do it as long as I wanted to… I have some practice with preparing fancy raw stuff but not much day to day. It has been pretty intense so far, I lost like 7 lbs in the first 9 days (which is pretty significant when you are 127lbs), had the D (you know what I mean), got constipated, gained 4 back (still weird bowel stuff going on)... Obsessed over every meal I’ve eaten, immersed myself in raw cookbooks, paniced about protein, and so on. My eczema and athlete’s foot went away after two days, my hay fever SEEMS to be getting better although it will take more time to be sure. Still the occasional hive. This whole time I’ve noticed I’ve been a little emotional, tearing up during sentimental commercials, 2 days ago I started feeling really depressed. I was thinking about how well the raw food was making me feel (energy and skin problems leaving) and how I should stay with it… The whole time, even though I never committed per se, I think in the back of my head I was planning on it being a permanent change. I started thinking about all the foods I was going to miss, like hot soup and rich spaghetti sauce and bread and vegan donuts… Not so much that I wanted them right then, as I haven’t been having any problems with cravings, just that I would feel sad that I never was going to have them again. I realize I have a crazy emotional attachment to food. I caved and decided to eat some popcorn, almost like to symbolicly break my raw food streak/commitment. I got acid reflux and felt guilty. I don’t know what to do. I went straight back to raw after that but my feelings of depression about my comfort foods has not gone away. I know I should just chill out and take it one day at a time and stop thinking so much about it but I’m having a hard time. Anyone relate? Any advise? Sorry this is long but I felt like I needed to let that go. Thanks for reading.
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i was planning on posting something very similar to what you posted. about the attachments I can’t seem to get over. I totally know what you mean. When I think that I can never have a piece of pizza or rich, gooey, warm, chocolate cake..I FLIP. and I go straight to it and eat it for about 5 days straight! things get a little unhealthy for me in my head sometimes, i guess. i dont really know what to do. will plan on making this msg board my family and will have ya’ll help me through it. cause all in all, i know that 100% raw is really what i want. i was 100% for a month and a half and it was the best I had ever felt in my life!
Thank you all so much for your perspectives. It really helps a lot. I’m going on vacation next month to southern ca, and while it certainly wouldn’t be hard to stay raw down there with all the delicious fresh produce (stone fruit, avocados, oh my!) we will be staying with my bf’s family a few days and I feel like I am not ready for the ackward conversation about my diet… as it is they have to deal with us being vegan. I definitely am not going to eat whatever they make (it’s a big mexican family, so some combination of rice an beans every night) because I think rich beans and rice may kill my stomache but I way have a little rice or something here and there if I feel like it. Luckily produce is ample and I LOVE salad.
Yesterday was our aniversary and I was craving spaghetti sauce (the red stuff I used to make) so I comprimised, he had corn pasta (GF) and I had raw zucchini noodles with my home made sauce on top. It was cooked sauce but I think I really did my body a favor by not having the starchy noodles. I think I still have some easing in to do and what pianissima said about the lightly cooked dinners may be just what I need to do to be gentle with myself and not let stress over rule the benifits of my lifestyle change.
I think the hardest thing for me is that food is really my life. I am a vegan baker by profession (let me tell you the guilt I’ve been having about handing people sugar, wheat, and oil, topped with more sugar), my number one hobby is cooking, I love preparing food for people. Since I’ve been raw I’ve been cooking solo. My bf has been cooking for himself (which means he isn’t eating as well since he’s a very impatient cook (hot dogs with a tortilla and vegan cheese, eww). I miss preparing food for him. I miss making the foods I love, like my spaghetti sauce, vegan chilli, mac and cheese, ultimate nachos. All the vegan specialties that have taken me ten years to perfect and I take so much enjoyment and pride in.
So yeah, I’m a nut job. I am going to transition. I think I can’t do it the way I normally make changes in my life, cold turkey. It is going to happen though. Again, thanks so much for your thoughts and understanding. Your advise along my journey really helps.
I went off the wagon bad for a few weeks. I was eating cooked foods, processed foods, even some dairy. I was just compulsively eating – and then going through the guilt cycles right after I ate.Then I just realized how gross I felt. My skin even felt gross – and I normally have great skin. So, I am cleansing right now to get those nasty toxins out of my body I just put in, and ready to start fresh and clean again.
I to use to cook a lot – no for a living or anything, but I cooked for a lot of people. I really enjoyed it. My friends would always have me come over to cook for them, and I would cook for parties and such, and it is kind of sad to let go of some of that. But it is just a transition, and I know that it will get easier. I enjoy coming up with new raw recipes, but no one calls me up to cook for them, or their parties anymore. No one wants to come to my house for dinner. I really miss that. I keep telling them that they ‘ll like it, but….
Oh AlyssaDyane I am so with you on feeling sad about cooking. I am dealing with feelings about giving up cooking and eating cooked Indian food and so on…
I fell of the raw wagon for two weeks recently but you know, it just made me feel happier about going back to raw eating. My skin broke out badly (I’m talkin’ BADDDDD), I put on 5lbs, my stomach got bloated and I stopped being ‘regular’. Plus, I no longer had as much taste satisfaction when I ate cooked food as I do when I eat living food.
Just do what feels right and listen to your body. I know that one thing that helps me on my journey is this site. I love that everyone here is so non-judgemental and accepting. It really is nice…
Be gentle with yourself and hang in there:))))))