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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI am very very nervous about telling my friends/family/parents about being a raw foodist. They know I am vegetarian, yet some people (ie: my dad)are patronizing and don’t take me seriously. They still offer me meat and dairy products. I am proud of who I am – I know in my heart I am going raw for the right reasons.
I am just scared of what others will think or say.
My mum notices that I prepare all my own meals – I haven’t told her I am raw. She wants to cook things for me. I want her to know I am raw and to understand/accept this. Hence she will be able to ‘cook’ for me anytime!
I don’t know any other raw foodists, this revolution is little known in Australia.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
xx oo
Comments
try http://raw-pleasure.com.au/ they have a forum I have heard is really active and friendly. You might be able to rustle up enough people in your area for a potluck or something.
I guess you live with your parents still. My heart goes out to you, I imagine that can be tough. Although you are doing the most amazing thing for your health ever, you’re anticipating some kind of reisistance from them. Odd isn’t it, it’s not like you are on herion or anything!!
Maybe get a good book on raw food and leave it lying around, or leave the computer on with this website up on it. Make some really tasty recipes and share them. Tell then you are just experimenting to see what it is like.
Let us know what happens.
Hi radish_man,
You feel you are doing the right thing for yourself? Then you are. Follow your heart, your intuition and be strong. You will know when you are ready to tell all [sounds so Zen, doesn
Yeah I agree you dont even need to say “I am a raw foodist now”. Just keep doing your thing and projecting a positive reaction from friends and FAMILY and they will respond to your positivity. Definatley share recipes and look for healthy buddies who can reinforce your decisions and “understand” where you are coming from. I am over 1/2 Native American and my family gave me soooo much crap for being vegetarian for about the first year, now they dont even bat an eye at me being raw, they just smile at me and love me for being “weird”. Congratulations on being true to you at such a yound age, the future will be better for you for making up your own mind and following your heart! Peace, Love and Light!
I started eating raw & vegan after years of being vegetarian. It felt like starting all over with the family as food is a big part of all of our events. Something that helped was just to ask what the family would be eating at a meal and then bring along some raw food that would sort of go along (for instance, at a taco night, we brought walnut taco meat and shells and used the rest of the fresh vegetables the family was using). Slowly, they have gotten used to the routine and now they call up and say, “We’re having taco night tonight…bring your extras”, etc. Best of luck to you with yours!
radish_man—It’s always impressive to me to see a young person who is conscious of health, both your own and that of the world around you. So many people will never get there.
To introduce my kids to more Raw food, I just prepare delicious smoothies, soups, salads and desserts—things they can’t resist. As suggested above, sometimes the subtle approach is best. As your parents see that your food is tasty and your health is good, they may be more receptive to the news of your new lifestyle. Good luck with your family!
The title got me thinking someone was going to confess something a bit different. I agree with everyone else. Do the best you can while living at home. You know what’s best for your health. Your family will either come to accept it or not.
Hi radish_man
Try 12 Steps To Raw Food by Victoria Boutenko. Victoria lays out methods to deal with friends/family.
Good luck.
Are you kidding? Australia has the most positive raw role model I have ever seen. Check out DurianRider’s profile:
http://eat.rawfood.com/rawfood/durianrider
Kudos to you, my friend. I take crap about my raw food diet. People think I’m weird, I’m neurotic, I’m “no fun” and “not normal” and “not free” to eat whatever they’re eating. Or, I’m “too good” for their food. I’m often the butt of gentle little jokes. What sucks is when I get like a minor cold or flu and people poke fun… Like, we thought YOU were so damned HEALTHY by eating all that RAW FOOD… LOL!!! How come you’re SICK?!! Maybe all that stuff isn’t so good for you after all, LOL… Then they eat their pork, or whatever…
My advice is to silently think of yourself as a kind of modern hero. By eating raw veggies and fruits exclusively, you are saving the medical community a lot of money, you are helping reduce your carbon footprint, you are helping save rainforests, you are not contributing to the horrific meat and dairy industries, you are eating a diet that’s closer to what your ancestors probably ate, and oh, the benefit list goes on.
Of course, don’t tell anyone you think this way about yourself, but in reality this is what you are: a strange kind of modern hero.
My family is the same way… my dad constantly offers me meat and tells me how he thinks I would be healther / it would make him happy if I ate meat and cheese. Although that has more to do with being vegan than a raw foodist. He is more okay with the raw foodist part I think because we went to a raw food restaurant as a family and he realized the food actually tastes good.
So maybe thats an idea… take them to a nice raw food restaurant? Or prepare them a good raw food meal / shake / dessert. I even got my REALLY unhealthy uncle (mr meat and potatoes) to tell me how GOOD some raw chocolate chip cookies I made were. He was asking for more, I couldn’t believe it. Usually my family pokes fun at what I eat or asks questions illuding to how unhealthy it must be to not eat meat or dairy… or they’re like: you must have such will power! You don’t get to eat all this wonderful food! Etc… and I just tell them: ACtually, I eat really well and I love all the food I eat. I never feel guilty about it, its always healthy, and it always tastes good.
I remember once when I was doing an no-allergy diet. No eggs, dairy (I also wasn’t eating meat cause I was vegetarian to start with), corn, soy, sugar, peanuts… Anyway I told my family when they asked why I wouldn’t eat certain things and they were like: You can’t eat anything! I responded with: Actually, I eat quite a lot, with a huge variety. Its YOU who hardly eats anything, because ALL your foods contain those very 6 ingredients I won’t eat.
They were eating mostly cheesy, meaty, or processed stuff… which is essentially all allergenic food rolled up into some funky “food” item. I thought it was ironic that they thought I ate “nothing” when really I was discovering all this other exotic food, beautiful fruits and vegetables I never would have noticed otherwise, amazing new nuts and grains… etc. So while I was having a very rich, varied diet, they were eating: meat, cheese, wheat, sugar. And thats about it.
I guess the short of it is, I enjoy pointing out the hypocracy of people who tell you YOUR diet is restricting, when really THEIRS is the most restricting and yours the most liberating!
/end rant.
Hello Radish man! It can be a lonely road to travel raw if there’s no one to share with.!! Raw Pleasure is a forum based in Australia..and not only do you get to communicate with others following the raw food lifestyle, but there are plenty of raw gatherings to attend where you can share food and information on a more personal level.And there are plenty of young teenagers and those in their 20’s to share experiences… What city/state do you live in?? I’m an active participator in the Raw Pleasure forum. I’m based in Perth, but there are hundreds of raw foodists all around Australia!!
Freesia
I think some people are afraid of what they don’t understand. They may see rejection of their cooked food as a negative statement of how they live, or even of themselves. THIS IS THEIR ISSUE, NOT YOURS-try to separate their comments about your new lifestyle from who they are; they love you, they are doing the best they can with what they believe, they just have not caught up with your knowlege. Do not interpret it as a personal attack on you.
This is stressful to live with…keep up your raw rood diet to keep your body strong so you can resist the debilitating effects of stress. If you don’t already, consider regular exercise and relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or whatever hobbies relax you/make you feel good. Keep looking for support…you always have goneraw :)