Raw Food

[Mnemosyne]

Can anyone give me any advice/resources/help for transitioning to raw food?

Currently I'm an omnivore.

MEAT. I don't really like meat. Usually the only way I'll eat meat is if I can't tell it was from an animal, which means most of the meat I eat is processed in some way (ground beef, sandwich meat, etc). You won't ever find me eating a chicken leg or steak. Steaks don't taste good to me and chicken grosses me out (I raised them as a kid). Anyway, I suppose in the grand scheme of things, if you're going to eat meat it would probably be healthier to eat things that AREN'T processed.

FRUIT & VEGGIES. I don't really eat a lot of fruit and veggies. They don't particularly appeal to me. (I can hear it now: "Well, if she doesn't like meat, fruit or veggies what DOES she like?!" Answer: processed food, sugary/high carb food, starches. If I have a fondness for a particular kind of food, there's a 90% probability that it's not healthy for me). I actually WILL eat fruit and veggies but they never seem to fill me up. I think I could easily drop meat from my diet and consider myself a "vegetarian", but that doesn't really mean much to me. A person could live on ice cream (and I would be quite happy to do so) and technically call themself a vegetarian.

HEALTH. I could stand to drop a lot of weight. I really enjoy eating good tasting food, most of which isn't healthy. But I'm not afraid to sweat - I DO regularly go to a gym. Usually about 3 or 4 times a week, and I work out pretty hard. (Nevertheless, I don't really lose much weight and over time I've actually GAINED weight, and can't keep it off). I also really like (LOVE) to mountain bike, kayak, hike, etc. The only problem is that I'm getting older (close to 30) and I feel like my body is breaking down. I have lower back problems and recently my knee cap has been bothering me whenever I put a lot of pressue on it. Walking is becomming difficult. (And I'm not even 30 yet!) I think if I could significantly lower my weight and alter my diet it wouldn't be so bad.

CHALLENGE. As mentioned above, I face a lot of challenges - I don't eat healthy as it is and I REALLY enjoy eating tasty food. But I know that I need to make a change. My husband is willing to support me, tho he warns me about fad diets. Nevertheless, I think going to a raw diet would be very helpful. And probably the most difficult.

HELP. Can anyone give suggestions or advice that may help me out? What can I expect? Am I in over my head?

[kthdsn]

I am currently beginning to transition towards a raw diet, the steps I have taken so far are to read about raw online, talk to people who are raw, and think about my relationship with food. I have increased the fruit and veg in my diet, which has led to a decrease in junk food. I have stopped eating meat and cut out caffeine and fizzy drinks.

Going raw is not an easy change to make, but if you make the small changes you are comfortable with and keep researching, it feels a lot easier. Good luck

[Jaben]

Mnemosyne,

I'm so glad to hear you are considering going raw.
There is another thread on raw food.

I would say raw is the extreme opposite of where you are at now. I've been raw for 5 weeks, but I've been transitioning from the Standard American Diet gradually for 8 years.

If you are brave and willing and able to invest in the proper equipment you may want to consider starting with a liquid cleanse. But be prepared for detox symptoms. I don't really have much experience in this area.

If you want to transition more slowly, I would suggest introducing healthy foods that you like one by one into your diet. When you do that pay close attention to how what you eat makes you feel as long as 4 hours after you eat it. You will begin to see how many variables there are that effect how you feel. Hang in there.

The important thing is to become more in tune with your body. One thing you can try that may seem kind of gross but I think it's a great excercise is to try chewing your food 30 to 50 times before swallowing it. Pay attention to how it tastes. Foods that are bad for you will start to taste bad quickly. Foods that are good for may still taste good after 50 chews.

I think raw food is actually the tastiest food there is. The beauty of raw food is very subtle but much deeper than the attraction of junk food.

Do you like smoothies? That might be a good place to start...

[Jaben]

Here are some very good guidelines on how to get started from an excellent raw food restaurant in Minneapolis, MN How to Eat Raw Organic Plant Food? | Ecopolitan.com

[HolisticWellness.com]

Dear M,

May I respectfully posit that you don't like fruits and veggies and only like processed food because that's just the way corporate America likes it!

Billions of dollars went into creating foods that are addictive, and more billions went into marketing them to you from very young age, while painting healthy foods as "hippie" and "freaky." Your mind and body now love processed food, even as your cells scream for better nutrition.

Please be patient with yourself and try to slowly come off the processed food. You'll go through withdrawal and it will be difficult-but a day will come when natural foods taste delicious. This is your heritage and your birthright. Begin your journey into health now. . . .

Kristin
CEO, Holistic Wellness - Your Virtual Wellness Center