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Any Raw School Teachers?

I am a teacher and I find it very hard to be raw this year. My school hours suck. It is after 5pm by the time I get home and have to fix a non-raw meal for my family. I don't have time to make preparations for my own meals. I have been vegan these past few months but I miss my **raw** feeling, like clear sinuses when I wake up in the morning! Many of the raw food dishes I enjoy need some preparation time, like soaking nuts or dehydrating. I just wondered if there were any school teachers out there and how do you stay raw?????

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  • blueyzblueyz Raw Newbie

    I am a teacher, and I was doing very well this summer (had only been high raw a few months but getting into it) then school hit and UGG...didn't do well. Plus thyroid went off(still think it's response to adrenal issues but working it out with Dr) so my will power was worse than usual. I finally was able to pull it together but around Thanksgiving, then the last few weeks improved some more(think I might be OK going back in January) but it isn't easy!!

    Things I found helped...keep a drawer full of snacks. Raw almonds or other nuts, small bag of sunflower seeds, LaraBar(not best on raw but just knowing it is there has helped many times avoid other things) herbal teas and large mug, tiny jar of honey (worse case scenario I get a banana from the cafeteria and slice it up with drizzle of honey), a small bag of hemp seeds, and I used to have a bag of goggi berries and trail mix but I have ended up going through that. I try to leave a small coconut water in the back fridge for the afternoon(really helps in that -5om crash since for me it ends up many times being dehyrdation and not hunger). Having the snack drawer helped when it would come lunch time or end of the day and I'd be struggling and craving things that mentally I knew I didn't really want but couldn't seen to avoid. Salads are great for lunch at school, a big bowl will fill me up and if I add avocado or oil in dressing then the fat will keep me for a few hours. KEY is to have a filling breakfast, I am not vegan so lately for me it's been a big glass of raw milk and sometimes handful of bee pollen. It will keep me until lunch and it one food I know I have no GI issues with. Nut milks I need to be very careful with and I don't often drink, juices are great but I find smoothies are much easier.

    I am using the week off to get back on track myself, need to make up a gameplan for the new year !!

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    I teach in an alternative school -- leave for school about 7:30 -- lunch at 1 PM -- home about 5 PM (sometimes later). Here's a typical day for me:

    MORNING -- two big glasses of water. 20 to 30 ounce fresh fruit smoothie with contents of 2 psyllium husk capsules (usually includes one or more of the following: local raw honey, baby spinach, fresh sprouts, nuts, nut butter). This usually "lasts" me through the morning. Any snacking is minimal. We eat lunch at 1 PM, so that's about 6 hours.

    LUNCH -- one or more of the following: fresh fruit -- banana with nut butter (peel banana, spoon nut butter on top before each bite) -- sliced avocado and tomato with sea salt, lime juice, and dulse sprinkled on top (frequently cut and assembled just before eating) -- fruit or green smoothie (20 ounces made the evening before or that morning and stored in an Arizona green tea bottle) -- guacamole salad (sometimes cut and assembled just before eating -- alone, on crackers, wrapped in greens, with sprouts added, what ever) -- green salad -- leftover veggie dish from the previous evening.

    Using an Arizona green tea bottle reduces the number of questions and negative comments from staff. The bottles have a plastic sleeve / label on the outside which hides the color of the contents. I rinse the bottle thoroughly as soon as I finish the smoothie.

    I find my students (especially the girls) are intrigued when they see me put something raw together. They ask a lot of questions, and sometimes want a taste. Staff is not always so accepting. They usually think I'm not getting enough of something (calcium, protein, etc). It's always easier to educate the teenagers than the PhDs.

    SNACKS -- Fresh fruit juice, lots of water, fruit (fresh, dehydrated), lots of water, nuts and seeds, lots of water, veggies, lots of water, sip of smoothie, lots of water. When I drink sufficient water I am less likely to "need" a snack.

    SUPPER -- salad (with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in) -- vegetable plate -- soup. Supper is really pretty flexible. I live alone, so only have to consider what I want / need. I don't always feel the need to eat a meal in the evening. A snack is frequently sufficient.

    On rare occasions I do a little "uncooking" but not on a school night. My outlook toward eating raw is KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetie), and it's working well for me. For those who must prepare food for a non-raw family, I would think keeping it simple would be even more important -- perhaps the only way to go and stay sane.

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    I'm a teacher! Teachers rock! YOu are doing a hard job but hopefully raw will give you more energy to do even better!

    YOu have some good advice from the folks above. I sometimes make my lunch the night before but most often throw together a salad in the morning. we use the weekends to make flax crackers and nut balls. I do fall back on lara bars if I am desperate and hungry.

    I drink a smoothie every morning and lately have been making a huge one to save some as a snack for mid-morning. I put coconut oil in it and flaxseeds to keep my full for awhile.

    I do devote quite a bit of time on the weekends to making food. Also if you do big batches of soaking nuts then dehydrate them they will last longer. Walnuts don't need to be soaked, a quick snack can be walnuts and raisins.

    Oh the last thing is that I have told my students that I have to eat in front of them sometimes. I eat fruit in front of them if I have to. if they are starved they can too if that is ok with their parents.

  • I see most of you stay raw by eating simply. I think my biggest issue is I LOVE FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL! I love the taste and the texture and my favorite raw foods require preparation and work! It was so easy during the summer. Also last school year when I taught part time at night. I had the whole day to "uncook" my food! My poor Excalibur is now collecting dust!

    It is so difficult. I have my non-raw husband and 2 kids. I also have a class on Monday and Wednesday nights and a class on Saturdays. I don't know where I can find the time but I do miss my clear sinuses!!!!

    Once I get in the groove I can stay there for a while but it is hard to get back on the wagon and even harder to stay!!!!

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    I also eat in front of my students, usually nuts or seeds, sometimes fruit or a smoothie. Classes are small (10 to 12 students) so I normally offer to share nuts or seeds with them. I always warn new students that the nuts are raw and unsalted. Some like them, some don't. Because I drink so much water in front of them, they don't usually notice if I switch to sipping on a smoothie.

    If an explanation for my frequent eating is needed, I tell them I am hypogloxemic (which is true). I've never really had anyone complain about my nibbling.

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    wanna B raw, what are the chances that your husband and children would help out with the preparation? Maybe you can make food prep time a family affair. Also, are you blending the two eating styles so they eat some raw? With your current schedule I can definitely understand why it's difficult to do much uncooking. Seems like for the moment keeping it simple but interesting will be important. Maybe look for some of the simpler recipes you haven't tried yet. Keep dehydrating to a minimum, but when you do find the time, make nonperishable recipes and double or triple them. Here's hoping you have a more manageable schedule in the near future. In the mean time, hang in there. YOU CAN DO IT!

  • Eating raw and then having schedule changes has led me to a more vegan lifestyle. I have tried blending the two eating styles. I incorporate more salads with their dinners. My family members are all such picky eaters so it is hard t blend. My husband only likes "certain" vegetables. My daughter is a teenager and rolls her eyes at raw. My son hates fruit, unless it's a smoothie! I need to buy more Vitamineral Green because I miss my smoothie!!! But I have to drive an hour away to get it! Will do while I am still on Christmas break! I guess baby steps is key. I will try to have my smoothie for breakfast again and start packing salad for lunch. Dinner will probably be vegan though. But that's okay...

  • Hey Wanna B Raw

    I teach 2nd grade and have been on the raw journey for 11 months!

    I understand what you mean-My family is not raw (hubby and 2 teens)

    I have a system for myself-on sunday I prep my raw foods for the week:

    I usually make a nut pate (this last for 3 days)

    I also get those bagged organic greens and mixed varieties of salads and keep them in the fridge at work.

    I have at least 2-3 fruits with me at work all the time.

    I try to make some sort of raw treat like cinnamon rolls or something (recipe on this site)

    I invested in some nice lunch accessories (little containers for my pates and veggies) I also found a salad container that has a ice pack that you freeze and it keeps the salad cold in the container, there is even a small attached container in it that keeps the dressing separate from the salad. 1 bag of salad fits in the container and there is even a fork and knife that is help on the top! It's called fit & fresh, I bought it at the grocery store.

    I use gift bags as my lunch bags (my way of recycling and it is always festive)

    I guess I try to make my work meals special and fun! This is something I decided to do for myself-when I follow it I am happy and never hungry-there have been times when I got lazy and then I felt like crap and reached for the wrong thing like the sweets tray in the office-not good!

    As far as my family I do cook for them-I plan out the 'menu' for the week and try to use the crockpot as much as possible-but I don't buy meat often-I usually cook vegetarian meals for them as much as possilbe and they like it. I have teenagers so they help out with the cooked meals alot.

    This is what a typical food day is for me:

    Breakfast:: bowl of fresh fruit with nuts and agave or honey (can add flax for texture OR just a fruit smoothie (depends on how much time I have)

    snack: apple or banana

    Lunch: salad with nut pate on the side

    snack: Goji Berries or fruit or handful of nuts

    Dinner: some raw dish like raw tacos or soup.

    Another thing that helped was to join a raw meetup in my area-they give raw prep classes (often free or a small fee of $5 to $10 dollars).

    Just a note about the classroom-this year I don't allow sweet treats-when there is a birthday parents can bring veggie and fruit trays. The students love it and the parents appreciate it!

    Hang in there!! It gets easier!!

  • I am a social worker, but I think most people that work 9-5 with a non-raw family can relate! Personally I now only work part time and it has really helped in eating raw. But when I was doing 9-5 m-f over the summer I basically ate raw-till-dinner. That is just where I am at personally, but as far as eating raw when I was at work I found keeping it really simple was the best. I would generally fast until noon, then I would bring a green smoothie with me and about 4-5 bananas and 3-4 apples and oranges and just munch food all day. If i went to lunch with co-workers there was an excelllant salad option where we would go.

    What I struggle with mostly now is the issue you said with the non-raw family. Getting my husband to eat anything raw is a big endeavor. i will need to do more gormet treats and mostly the des`ert t`ype `ones to 1get him to eat. 1Sorry my daughterisat the keys

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    I like complicated recipes too. I mean I can eat simply but it just gets dull after awhile. I devote a day a week to making things. Once you get some basics you like they get a lot easier to make. And you can make a big batch to last awhile.

  • Well, I am happy to say I had time this last weekend of Christmas break to make raw granola cereal and raw fudge (yum!). I also made it to the store to restock my goji berries and buy some Vitamineral Green!

    Like you chicagomama, I have found that being raw until dinner is the easiest for me. If I lived in a big city I could probably be more raw because I would buy prepared raw meals! But I don't, and there are no raw groups in a close vicinity of me.

    For now, I think I am happy with having my raw cereal for breakfast with a Vitamineral Green smoothie, banana for mid-morning snack, and big salad for lunch with a cocktail grapefruit. Dinner is simply vegan. But that feels a lot better than not raw at all....

  • How about keeping a cooler of green smoothies for the day and some seaweed like dulse for snacks or something? Just a thought. It has been said that green smoothies contain everything (besides maybe D and B12) your body needs.

    That can keep you healthy/raw throughout the school day if that's your objective. You can spend 1/2 hour in the kitchen each night and prepare a few liters of smoothies and put them in mason jars. Keep an apple and raw almond butter and some dulse in your bag and you will stay hydrated, full and hopefully sinus free :) Best of luck!

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