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Support For Those Stuggling To Be/Stay Raw

BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

Many struggle with going raw or staying raw. What words of wisdom and support do you have for them?

I figured this would be a great thread to read whenever anyone is having one of those “moments” and reconnect with an awesome community.

Know you are not alone!

Comments

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    I would say to go raw gradually until you feel comfortable with the diet and the skeptical comments that you might hear from friends and family. Look at this diet as an adventure with new and exciting foods along the way and good health as an ongoing reward.

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Do you best, that is better than not trying at all. If you slip up, look at what else you’ve had to eat that day and let yourself find comfort that at least you did great the rest of the day, then move on and have something healthy to eat afterwards.
    1. Find a green smoothie that you LOVE
    2. Make a quick (and that is the trick) dish you can make that will stop your cravings, like a brazil nut in a date for the sweet tooth, and keep those on hand.
    3. Make some dehydrated crackers so you always have crunch available in a healthy form :)
    4. Try a new recipe from here at least twice a week, make a big enough batch so you have more to eat on the run later in the day or day after. It’s exciting to find a recipe that tastes so good and you know is good for you!

  • I agree with 123 and rawmama, also, get into a routine. Make it part of everyday and it just falls into place. I have fresh juice in the morning so I make sure I have veggies and fruits on hand (very inexpensive to do), then a green smoothie (also not costly) and I go with what I like. IF you fall off, don’t beat yourself up, just get back on and keep moving forward. Every step towards better eating is a step in the right direction. Just like one day of exercise is still better than none whatsoever.

    Be firm in your eating decision, you have chosen to eat healthier, it’s not like you’ve joined a cult! When people question my eating habits I try to joke around. It gets difficult when the people you love aren’t as supportive, but once you prove it’s not a “Phase” or just some kind of fad wagon you are on, they usually begin to accept it. My husband at first was concerned with my decision to go raw, saying it wasn’t healthy (how in god’s name tons of fresh vegetables, fruits and grains aren’t healthy I will never know lol), then he felt like it would just pass, now he makes light of it, accepts it and moves on.

  • can you please post some of your favorite green smoothie recipes for us new folks?
    ;)
    thanks
    what about books… which ones helped you start out, easy to follow and most helpful?

  • juicyjuicy Raw Newbie

    I take a somewhat different approach to staying raw- although this conscious effort to stay raw is rarely needed.
    If there is something that I see someone else eating, lets say pizza or Kraft Dinner (gross I know, but I am a student) I try to picture the ingredients that make up that food individually. Thinking of those gross chemicals sitting in little containers on their own make me realize that if I wouldn’t just eat the components of the food individually, then why would I eat them all together? This seems to help me for the really unhealthy food, and as for something moderately healthy (such as cooked hummus or salsa), if I realllly want it, then I will have a little! Slowly I find that my cravings and “wanting” of these foods has diminished incredibly!

  • i’m new and these are my struggles…..

    1.there are foods I still crave such as

    sushi
    french fries
    chocolate
    mac and chz
    burritos
    coffee
    chz all chzes :)

    so I am trying to find alternatives to these. I think that will be a key step to keeping me on track.

    2. when i am out and about and starving…..it is hard for me not to stop somewhere and just get a burrito (cuz there are mexi stands everywhere in LA)

    - i know some people will suggest bringing food along…but I am talking about those days when you didn’t expect to need to bring food and you are just out of luck….what to do then?

  • Hi Vitamixer1! My favorite green smoothie is the Green Giant http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/2067-Green-Giant, the ingredients can be interchanged, water in place of coconut milk, different greens etc…

    Stylestacey, I have wicked cravings for all your favorites too!!! Especially cheese, god I love cheese. If you are up for being raw but not vegan, then you may enjoy sashimi, raw cheeses etc…and still fall under that category. As for burritos, there are a few wonderful recipes on this site to help with that. Coffee is harder, I miss that soooo much. It takes planning I’m sorry to say, but any life change outside SAD will require planning ahead. I give myself a cheat when I really want it. Then the way I feel after reminds me of why I eat raw to begin with.

  • Stylestacey -

    There are some good nut cheese recipes on this site… I mix the “Rich cheddar sauce” with cut up pieces of yellow squash warmed in the dehydrator or warm oven (or car dashboard in the summer!) for mac & cheese.

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/281-Rich-Cheddar…

    There are raw sushi recipes (enter sushi in search for more)

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/17-Vegetable-Nor…

    Good raw chocolate recipes (look under dessert or chocolate… there are too many to list!)

    and there are even raw french fries recipes...

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/1534-Daikon-Fries
    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/156-Jicama-Fries

    This site also has pages of taco, enchilada, nachos….

    When you are out and about instead of stopping at a burrito stand, stop at a grocery or fruit stand and grab a banana or an apple.

  • Oh and my favorite green smoothie is banana, mango, pineapple, mixed southern greens and a little fresh squeezed oj to get it moving. yum.

  • I was a vegan for 15 years before going raw and I found the same strategies to work for both. First, don’t try to do it all at once. I had a head start as I had already cut out all animal products. If you are a big time carnivore, start by cutting out beef, then pork etc. One or two things at a time. Also, if you have any other habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, coffee or sodas, I suggest cutting those out first. At least work on the alcohol, coffee and sodas to get the caffeine which is a stimulant out of your system. Smoking is probably the most difficult habits to break because of the way it effects our brain chemistry. I have watched time and time again however, that the cleaner people get, the easier it is for them to quit smoking. We have and english professor who is raw and mentors students who wish to embrace the raw lifestyle. Because of this, there is a network of students of all ages who support each other. I think that this is also a key component. Not all of use are able to purchase all of the dehydrators etc. right away, so we make a little extra to share with the group, bringing things to class and swapping. I found detoxing to be important especially for those craving sugar and/or simple (processed) carbs. Most of the time this is due to a Candida (yeast) overgrowth. This will make you crave sugar and simple (processed) carbohydrates as they break down to sugar and this is what the yeast feeds on. If you have taken antibiotics at any time and did not consume yogurt with live culture (or a live probiotic supplement), you have yeast in your intestines. Antibiotics destroy the natural flora in the digestive tract and without the probiotics, yeast will grow. Also, this is probably the biggest thing, don’t set yourself up for failure. Eat before you leave the house, have raw snacks with you and eat a little every couple of hours. Nuts are great. Because they are a combination of protein and fat, they are satisfying in small amounts. If you don’t allow yourself to get hungry, you won’t be so likely to crave whatever you see, smell of think of. I noticed that since going raw, food is no longer the enemy. Food is now something I see as a way to nourish, even cherish my body. It has become almost a worship of the goodness of the food and ofthe earth and the gratitude of my health. Because I’m no longer worried about what I CAN’T eat, unhealthy food is not constantly on my mind.

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    STYLESTACY , i like lewis labs brand brewers yeast because it taste near cheese to me . i eat it straight but im sure theres some good recipes that attempt to taste like cheeese that use brewers yeast that this brand would enhance . for chocolate i like carob powder .
    for carrying with me i make homemade trail mix , i buy everything in bulk to save . i use the plastic jars peanuts are usually sold in to carry my trail mix in what ever vehichle im traveling in , for a women itd be easy to find a container that fits in purse so could always have with you . or if im out and about without mix i look for places to buy bananas and or nuts , theyre quick energy hand foods .
    and about burritos , i get my mexi kick from salsa on my salad .
    also quitting salt helped me to get over cooked food cravings , when i would cheat on cooked without salt ide realize the salt was making it taste good . without the salt my taste buds were informing me of there being no nutritional value present . quitting salt and doing fast , plus green tea to supress appetite , helped me get a handle on raw . then as a reward to self after 18 months of raw i statred to add a little sea salt to my salad dressings in order to fend of my cooked food cravings , its working great for me . when thinking of cooked i now have a salad with really garlicy dressing with some added salt and it quenches . and using salt this way helps me keep it to a minimum because i know from running that excess salt usage stopped me from getting deep of breaths as i do without salt , so even though im gonna soon quit salt , here at 2 years raw im still using a little to fend off cooked cravings .

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