The Anatomy of Personal Change (Blog)

[Savage]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

The Anatomy of Personal Change

[Holistic Star]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for that article. Reading your article I got a real sense of calm from you. You've made the change and are not resisting it. It's a peaceful sensation.

Your journey towards raw is similar to my own. I've been playing around with it for over a year and just recently made that inner commitment as well. I'm around 90% now which is a big change from before.

The times when I drifted back to cooked food, I just felt this indescribable pull back to raw.
I feel so much healthier and happier when I eat cleanly. There is so much support around to stick with it in terms of forums and distributors that it is getting easier and easier. I'm looking forward to the day when there is a raw cafe in every town and and raw option on every menu.

I have an ongoing disease that improves so much on raw, however various doctors insist isn't food related. I agree that tinkering with a standard western diet doesn't make much improvement. Going raw does, it really does make a difference.

[jawillie]

After I read your blog I made a kale/peach smoothie and had an orange. (seriously).

[Angela]

Are Erin and the kids eating raw, too?

[Erin Pavlina]

No, me and the kids are eating a whole foods vegan diet at the moment which is an improvement over the processed vegan diet we were on before. We're incorporating a ton of fresh and raw fruits and veggies though. I'm cooking a lot more than before (boy does THAT take time!) but I'm enjoying the health benefits.

Before we made this switch the kids were eating a lot of highly processed convenience foods, mainly because it was much easier and faster than cooking. I used to love cooking until I had kids and started working too. Then I found I didn't have time to do it properly. I began relying more and more on the packaged convenience foods.

The kids are enjoying their new school lunches. They're getting fresh fruit, veggies with some kind of dip (hummus or vegan ranch dressing), a rice cake with peanut butter, and some nuts. We're holding off on breads for the time being since that's a big trigger food for all three of us.

Steve's raw influence has been great. The kids and I have been having fruit for dessert, sometimes with cashew cream, instead of the cookies and ice cream we used to eat.

[Angela]

The sheer volume of food that Steve eats sounds kind of nauseating -- 18 clementines!?! But you say that it leaves you feeling energized and revitalized. Doesn't your stomach rebel? It sounds really daunting to face a meal of that size. Again for you, Erin, do you think you and the kids would eat raw in the same "big meal" way, if you were to take it on?

Do you think it's different for men as opposed to women, or adults v. kids?

I'm attracted to eating raw, but a little overwhelmed!

[iverevi]

I've recently had to switch to what I consider to be a very restricted diet. No soy, no dairy, no eggs, and no grains of any kind.

Its been difficult (soy in one form or another is in *everything*), but I've had no problem being very strict and sticking with it.

The biggest challenge for me has not been will-power. Its been availability of food while traveling (and I travel alot!). Eating a special diet when you are at home is pretty easy.

How do you do this while you are on the road?! Especially in a place (like a small town) that has limited options? I recently traveled to small-town USA to visit some family and pretty much had nothing to eat!

[Suresh]

I have been reading a lot about Auto urine therapy-particularly recommended is The Complete Guide to Urine therapy by Coen Van Der Kroon. It has a scientific basis and lots of case studies both for general health and well being as well as for specific treatments. It is not the mumbo jumbo I thought it was. The aversion that is felt is just social conditioning- animals do it.

Any thoughts?

[Joeschmoe]

Originally Posted by Angela

The sheer volume of food that Steve eats sounds kind of nauseating -- 18 clementines!?! But you say that it leaves you feeling energized and revitalized. Doesn't your stomach rebel? It sounds really daunting to face a meal of that size. Again for you, Erin, do you think you and the kids would eat raw in the same "big meal" way, if you were to take it on?

Do you think it's different for men as opposed to women, or adults v. kids?

I'm attracted to eating raw, but a little overwhelmed!

Keep looking. When i started raw I thought it was crazy to eat more than 1 Banana. But for some reason it didn't seem crazy to eat two full plates of cooked food at a Buffet. Now I can easily eat 15 Bananas in a sitting. Remember that fruit is mostly water. So a meal of 15 Bananas is not much more in weight than a bowl of cereal and and 2 Glasses of water.

As far as your stomach goes. Stomachs love fruit. You will feel full without feeling stuffed, even if you are really full. I never have upset stomach or weighted feeling with fruit meals. I was so used to the dead weight in my stomach from high fat/dead foods that i assumed i'd feel the same way eating fruit. It's just not the case.

Try eating fruit for breakfast. Eat until you're full and then eat 1 more and see how you feel.

The only difference for women and children is that they have lower caloric needs so would need to eat less, but not too much less. When i was a kid i would have been happy to down 4 or 5 Bananas at a time, no problem. And it would have been better for me than the 4 or 5 hot dogs I was eating at a time.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Joeschmoe

Keep looking. When i started raw I thought it was crazy to eat more than 1 Banana. But for some reason it didn't seem crazy to eat two full plates of cooked food at a Buffet. Now I can easily eat 15 Bananas in a sitting. Remember that fruit is mostly water. So a meal of 15 Bananas is not much more in weight than a bowl of cereal and and 2 Glasses of water.

Ugh. the thought of eating two plates of cooked food at a buffet, or of eating 15 bananas in one sitting (or really, even 2 or 3 bananas) makes me want to ralph.

I feel best when I eat about a cup of food during a meal. I am not inspired by the idea of eating 15 bananas! Yeeechhh.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Maybe just try grazing throughout the day. If I am remembering correctly, Steve ate 3 rather large meals and a couple of quite small snacks.

I wonder if you could get enough calories if you just ate a cup of food whenever you felt a twinge of hunger?

Also, instead of eating a monomeal (like 15 bananas), you could vary it more. I think Steve just loves bananas! I don't think you have to eat a bunch of one thing at one time. But raw people please correct me if I am wrong...I'm just talking out of my ass here.

[Erki]

I'd rather eat one banana and really feel it and immerse myself into the banana... or was it the other way around? I believe that way I eat it more thoroughly, more attentively, and banana (personally) gives me more nutrients.

[Angela]

I'm with you, Erki! One good banana that I can really taste and enjoy sounds wonderful. Two bananas occurs for me like a burden.

Banana-spinach shake sounds interesting, though. Where is the recipe for that one?

[Jonathan Mead]

Steve, your choice to go raw is an inspiration to me. I'm 22 and I've been vegetarian for 6 years now (actually this month is my 6th year anniversary. I'm still not sure how I made such a big decision at the age of 16. I never looked back though.

I too have realized that a raw vegan diet is the most optimal. I guess you could have a raw omnivore diet and that would still be pretty optimal, as long as less than 20% or less of your diet was raw meat. That's not too appealing to most people, but we did eat that way 10,000+ years ago. Raw fish is still a common food in many countries as well.

Anyway, that's beside the point.

I feel the same way you did when you said that when you realized raw was the best way to go, you knew eventually at some point, that's where you'd end up. I feel like I'm on my way there as well, it's just going to take some time for me to build up to that level. Cheers Steve, I'm sure your body is thanking you!

[Joeschmoe]

I was of course giving a banana as an example. You can vary from Mono meals but it actually makes it hard to eat enough. Just imagine even eating 1 cup fruit every meal say 6 meals. You would only get 600 (at the most) or so calories. So triple that and you would probably be good.

In raw foods you are eating more nutrient dense/ less calorie dense food. You simply need to eat more. If that is an idea you can't even entertain, then raw food may not be for you. If you are willing to open your mind to the idea of eating a higher volume (remember again, it's mostly water) then you might be suprised.

It seems we all define our realities, and mine just happens to be compatible with eating a high volume of food.

[Angela]

Well, a cup at a time I can deal with. I'll look into doing a trial that will give me enough nutrients without being a bloated eating machine. (plus the other thing that makes me wary: the food prep! It sounds like Steve put an awful lot of time and effort into planning chopping dicing slicing etc.)

[ian]

Hey Steve, I know it's a pain, but is there any way you can give us a 2-3 week log of your new-and-improved raw diet? Not as detailed as your 30 day trial, just a general outline of your meals over a few weeks with the occasional pic and ingredients for the more complex dishes?

[Erin Pavlina]

I dislike the whole label thing. I don't want to call myself vegan or raw or anything because it implies a set of strict rules where if you violate one you are no longer in the club. I prefer to experiment with different amounts of raw and cooked plant-based foods to arrive at an optimal balance for health, vitality, well-being, and pleasure (yes I said pleasure because that's an important component for me).

So if I'm eating raw fruit until noon, and I have a big salad but with non-raw dressing for lunch, and then for dinner I'm eating steamed veggies with cooked vegan chili than what am I? A rawgan? I say we drop the labels that divide us, and find optimal health for our own bodies, and not adopt the beliefs and stringent rules of any one group.

[Holistic Star]

Hi Angela,

I wondered if it would help if I gave an example of what I've eaten today. Unlike Steve, loads of sweet fruit doesn't work for me. I prefer veg and non-sweet fruit like cucumbers. However I don't need to eat anywhere near the amount of calories Steve does so not a problem


for breakfast: glass of carrot, celery and cucumber juice.

morning snack: 2 gala apples.

lunch: juice pulp mixed with raw almond butter and celery seeds to form a dip, with a salad of kale, red sweet pepper, cucumber, sprouted mung beans, seaweed flakes with a splash of olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

afternoon snack: small avocado.

dinner: jacket potato and hummus (not raw) with salad of spinach, tomatos, pesto, more sprouted mung beans (they need using up) and sesame oil.
pudding: 2 medjool dates.

At the moment I am aiming to be 100% raw until 5pm, then whatever I like afterwards so long as it comes with a green salad. For me going 100% overnight didn't work so I'm taking it slowly, but then I am going from standard western diet to raw, Steve has transitioned slowly by going the veggy, vegan route. I still need to work on my tea addiction too.

The idea of 18 (or even 8) clementines in one go doesn't appeal to me either!

[Angela]

That sounds pretty yummy and do-able, Holistic Star. Do you use a juicer?

[Holistic Star]

Hi Angela,

Yes I've got a Champion which juices fruit and veg really well. It struggles a bit with greens, you have to chop them up small before putting them in. If I was going to buy again I might get something like a Green Star that does greens better. However I got a good deal on ebay so not complaining!

I have to confess to not using it nearly enough. I do sometimes have 2 bananas for breakfast as well if I'm in a hurry.

I insisted for years that I didn't like carrot juice, but then the only stuff I had tried was in a bottle from a shop (so pasteurised - i.e cooked). Real fresh carrot juice made from organic carrots is heavenly!

[beel]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

No, me and the kids are eating a whole foods vegan diet at the moment which is an improvement over the processed vegan diet we were on before. We're incorporating a ton of fresh and raw fruits and veggies though. I'm cooking a lot more than before (boy does THAT take time!) but I'm enjoying the health benefits.

Before we made this switch the kids were eating a lot of highly processed convenience foods, mainly because it was much easier and faster than cooking. I used to love cooking until I had kids and started working too. Then I found I didn't have time to do it properly. I began relying more and more on the packaged convenience foods.

The kids are enjoying their new school lunches. They're getting fresh fruit, veggies with some kind of dip (hummus or vegan ranch dressing), a rice cake with peanut butter, and some nuts. We're holding off on breads for the time being since that's a big trigger food for all three of us.

Steve's raw influence has been great. The kids and I have been having fruit for dessert, sometimes with cashew cream, instead of the cookies and ice cream we used to eat.

Erin,

Congratulations to you and the kids for moving away from processed foods! I am so happy for Steve for going raw and I am so happy for you and your children with these new positive changes! Congratulations! I know you will all benefit immensely!

[supertom]

this was good, we can used it for our own change of habits we're going through. REquest for you to post some more threads this, possibly from you journal so we can learn how you overcame other things

[Dive Bomb]

Great post, and I never saw the social drag article which is an interesting concept. I actually derive much pleasure from shocking people when I make a big change or do something that is out of the ordinary. Does anybody else feel the same?

[Laughing Crow]

I first went all raw in 2006, rather suddenly, and it felt easy. Around six months in, though, I hit a wall where all the cooked foods were amazingly tempting, and I had all these crazy cravings for foods I wouldn't have even considered back when I was eating cooked. I had given up yeasts and preservatives and dairy for years before that, and suddenly, there I was six months raw and craving frozen pizza!

I went back to cooked, then slowly tapered into a transitional, mostly raw diet. I didn't really understand at the time what had happened. It all came clear for me in a talk I went to at a local raw feast. I saw Matt Monarch speak about his experiences, and it resonated with my exact difficulties. Now I'm all raw again, and it's not hard to stay that way.

His theory is about the detoxification process. (I'll summarize, though you can read all this in his books, Raw Spirit and Raw Success.) Our bodies become accustomed to a certain level of toxicity over years of high impact eating, and going raw let's us clean a lot of that old stuff out. But if we don't support the elimination systems, they get overwhelmed and backlogged. Then the body wants to stop the detoxification so the toxins don't go into the bloodstream.

The cravings are a protective mechanism, then, trying to get us to slow down the cleansing by moving backwards on the improvements. It's about homeostasis. In every kind of healing work, the body has a right pace. For me, I feel impatient, and I want to do it all right now! The solution is not to go back to cooked food though, but to help with better elimination. The eliminative organs include the lungs, the skin, and the colon. These three are deeply tied via the lymphatic system. If any one of them has trouble, the others pitch in. That's why dietary changes can improve your skin health, because you're making less work for your colon and it can handle the load without pushing some of it off to the skin.

I've been getting cravings, still, but instead of getting cooked meals, I schedule a colonic. Every time, I release a lot of old stuff, and the cravings go away. And my belly, which was pretty flat to begin with, is even flatter now. Anyway, I wanted to share that because I found it so frustrating when I started out in 2006, then couldn't stay true to my intention. Maybe it'll help someone else out there.

Peace,
Crow

[Laughing Crow]

Originally Posted by iverevi

The biggest challenge for me has not been will-power. Its been availability of food while traveling (and I travel alot!). Eating a special diet when you are at home is pretty easy.

How do you do this while you are on the road?! Especially in a place (like a small town) that has limited options? I recently traveled to small-town USA to visit some family and pretty much had nothing to eat!

I usually plan ahead and bring nuts and nut butters, then buy fruit and veg to go with it. In a tiny town, I might go so far as to bring the produce too, since they might not have organics, which are something I prefer. I find it has changed my perspective a lot, learning what restaurants are putting in their foods, and I am quite content to munch on some celery and almond butter outside.

Best of luck with your journey,
Crow

[MasterD]

I recently read a great blog article titled 'you've gotta fall off... in order to realize you shouldn't fall off'. That's what it is, you try it numerous times till it makes more sense to stick with it than falling of the wagon all the time.

For me is the same, I have been struggling with going raw too; about two weeks ago I had a lot of social encounters so I cheated a lot on my diet. Not good for my energy levels; but very good in order to realize that sticking to a raw diet is well worth it.

I don't know if the change for me is permanent either, but I do know that I am getting closer and closer and my desire to stick with it magnifies every time I fall off.

[HealingMaven]

Hey Steve,

Y'know... I'm not a raw-foodist, nor vegan nor even vegetarian. I'm in the healthcare field and I've seen a lot of people screw themselves up but good after giving up meat, which has just confirmed for me what I'd been taught -- that red meat is a necessary part of the diet (in small quantities).

That said, I still look forward to every single raw food post that you make. You challenge my way of thinking, which is good. And more importantly, every time you post, I find myself eating lots more fruit and vegetables, not because I *should*, but because it seems more appealing. Thanks!!!

[Joeschmoe]

Originally Posted by HealingMaven

Hey Steve,

Y'know... I'm not a raw-foodist, nor vegan nor even vegetarian. I'm in the healthcare field and I've seen a lot of people screw themselves up but good after giving up meat, which has just confirmed for me what I'd been taught -- that red meat is a necessary part of the diet (in small quantities).

That said, I still look forward to every single raw food post that you make. You challenge my way of thinking, which is good. And more importantly, every time you post, I find myself eating lots more fruit and vegetables, not because I *should*, but because it seems more appealing. Thanks!!!

And you haven't seen people screw themselves up eating cheeseburgers?

I'm not trying to be snarky I'm just wondering what you base that on. If you work in the healthcare field wouldn't it follow that the people you see are sick, and that you don't see the large majority of people who go veg who end up feeling better and getting healthier?

How many vegetarians do you see for other reasons, that aren't diet based? Do you even know?

It seems like observational bias to me. Because, I've seen very few people who were vegetatrain, vegan, or raw who "screwed themselves up." Most are healthier and happier than the average person. But that's my observational bias.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by HealingMaven

Y'know... I'm not a raw-foodist, nor vegan nor even vegetarian. I'm in the healthcare field and I've seen a lot of people screw themselves up but good after giving up meat, which has just confirmed for me what I'd been taught -- that red meat is a necessary part of the diet (in small quantities).

Red meat is very healthy -- if you're a cancer cell.

Many veg*ans are hugely disappointed in the current state of the healthcare field (which in the USA is really sickcare) and therefore rarely visit a doctor except in case of emergency. So it makes sense that you wouldn't see many healthy veg*ans walking through your office door. Most tend to avoid a service that profits from disease except as a last resort.

The vegan diet is a financial threat to the medical field (less risk of big moneymakers like cancer, heart disease, etc), while consumption of animal products is a significant long-term profit center. It's unfortunate that profits are increased when people adopt habits that encourage long-term disease.

Another problem is that ongoing education for workers in the medical field is largely controlled by those with a vested interest in prolonging disease, so doctors are incredibly misinformed on basic nutrition. Many doctors and nurses also serve as poor examples of health for their patients.

In a contest between doctors and patients to test basic nutritional knowledge, the patients won. Pretty sad for doctors but really not surprising, since doctors receive little or no nutitrion education in medical school. To rely on a doctor for nutritional information is, generally speaking, worse than deciding for yourself. And if you have a fair amount of nutrition education, then it's no contest. Even so, this doesn't prevent many doctors from pretending they know what they're talking about... much to the detriment of their patients.

I remember when our daughter was having a minor health problem when she was a baby, the doctor said it was definitely the result of a dairy allergy. He was very certain that his diagnosis was correct. Erin and I both looked at each other, thinking, "This guy is a dufus!" Our daughter had never consumed dairy products in her life.