Hello there, My name is Vanessa I am from Sacramento, CA. I am very new to the raw scene, and have become interested in it due to some research I've been doing and a book I read recently about Yoga and healthy living. I am currently overweight and have always focused my dieting practices around trying to lose weight, with little to no concern about being healthy. I have failed in both areas.
Recently I've become frustrated with my lack of energy and shifting moods which I believe I can alter through changing my diet. My goal is to transition to a 60-70% raw diet and to focus on making the healthiest choices available to me. I know these kinds of changes can often end up being short lived or "just a phase" but I feel extremely motivated this time, and in the past few weeks the subtle healthy changes I have made and the yoga/exercise I've been doing has already shown me that only great rewards are ahead.
My diet right now consists of fruits, oatmeal, frozen lean cuisine/smart one meals (for lunch at work), coffee with soy milk, and steamed vegetables with pasta/chicken or something similar for dinner. I am far from raw, even far from vegan. I've committed as of today to give up dairy completely (which I pretty much already avoid) as well as any kind of meat. Giving up warm food is going to be that much more of a challenge and I don't suspect that I'll ever make it all the way, but you never know. Im mostly concerned with seeing my physical responses and monitoring how I feel as a gauge of what works and also I of course want to be being able to control my own hunger and cravings etc etc. I am enticed by a lot of vegan/organic products on the market but alas a lot of them involve cooking.
From reading through the various posts on these forums I've noticed that many of you are like me, without a local support system of people with like minded goals/diets/etc. The closest thing I've got is a vegetarian sister, who doesn't even eat vegetables! (not the best influence). My boyfriend is extremely unhealthy (smokes, drinks only soda, lives primarily on fast food/processed foods) but seems to be relatively supportive and willing to try new dishes.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to trying out some of the delicious recipes I've found on this site and continuing to experiment along my journey to a healthier way of living.
I do have a broad question, but it's kind of hard to phrase. I'm going to keep reading through the forums for more information addressing my questions, but I'll put on here in case someone wants to respond directly. I'm really curious regarding the physiological/emotional changes that occur as you shift from cooked/meat to vegan/raw. I was wondering how long people took to make the change, what a good timeframe would be, or how they incorporated these changes into their lifestyle, if they had any type of negative physical responses, etc etc.
Also I was wondering how long it takes before you stop craving these kinds of foods. Some of the literature I've read says that eventually some people get to the point where they don't see meat or processed food as food anymore, and therefore they don't desire it. Has this happened for anyone?
Comments
I would recommend you read a book called Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman. It is not a "Raw" book, but the ideas expressed are *very* well backed up, and it's easy to take those ideas into a raw lifestyle if you choose. The reason I suggest it is because the information provided is so well backed up that it makes it much easier to commit to long term change. It also has explanations of why people have such a hard time making dietary changes stick. This information may help you if you have a history of "dieting" and are worried that this may just be another phase.
Also, my own personal experience is complex. I originally thought a raw lifestyle was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard, but I was led back to the concept over and over and over until I found out about some of the changes that occur when you eat more and more raw. I had been sick for about 10 months and had unintentionally been losing weight (not a good thing b/c it was mostly muscle). I found that I had several major food allergies and was in the process of removing them from my diet, but I couldn't seem to really recover any of my health. I had only stopped getting worse. Despite my health problems, what really drew me to raw food was the hope for more spiritual connectedness. It's hard to describe, but as my health declined I was less connected with the world and people around me.
After only a few days of high raw, mostly fruits and a little veg, I noticed significant changes in my ability to connect with others. I was a bit "brighter" and was able to give happiness, not just suck it away from others. This success motivated me to continue for the health benefits I was seeking, and they came as well. My energy is back and I can actually go up and down my stairs without pausing halfway.
Where I'm at now is really only about half raw. I tinkered with it quite a bit, and the place I'm most comfortable at now is about half of my calories from raw fruits and veggies. The rest comes from home ground whole wheat, cooked veggies, and a very small amount of meat. I'm not in a position to be able to deal with a major detox crisis right now, so I deliberately slow it down.
I hope this helps, and I hope you can find your own path with what you need.
Wow thanks for the lengthy and friendly responses filled with great advice!!
Waterbaby12347: Wow I am really amazed at how energized you are. That is certainly one of the main things I am looking forward to/working towards. I hate feeling sluggish and weighed down at barely 22!!
tabbycats_tofu: I agree with you completely about not mentally constructing these behaviors into a
oh and rainylanie thanks for the tip on the book! I'll definitely check it out.