going raw?

I've become interested in a raw and living food diet and have started this week. I thought I would never be able to give up the comfort and variety of cooked foods, but I feel so good physically and mentally that I think that could be motivation to stay raw. Anyone have any experience with raw foods?

i haven't, but i've definitly thought about it. What are you eating day to day? (just curious)

Hey there!

I've been a raw foodist for about 4 years.  It was tough to begin with -- I underestimated peer pressure, hidden cravings, and the effects of occupational stress -- but after you experience those things, you emerge with a much clearer view of the (often f*ed up) role food plays in our society.  It's a spiritual journey as much as a physical and mental one.

Lucky thing is, the "comfort and variety of cooked foods" is a total illusion.  The "comfort" usually comes from a culture of pain; as a society we love to physically depress ourselves with alcohol, bread, milk, etc, and then commiserate with and congratulate each other on the "food coma" we put ourselves into.

As for the so-called "variety", take a look at a buffet sometime, and just rattle off the main ingredients in each dish.  Suddenly, what used to be:

"lasagna, sandwiches, breakfast cereal, noodle casserole, pierogies, and chinese dumplings"

becomes:

"wheat and cheese, wheat and cheese, wheat and milk, wheat and cheese, wheat (and possibly cheese), wheat with a tiny lump of unidentifiable matter in the center"

Yeah, real varied!

It's going to be impossible not to focus on cooked foods for the first little while, since you're basically about to live in direct opposition to them.  So don't fight it; feed it by continuing to learn as much as you can about the healthiness of raw foods and the health-destroying aspects of cooked foods.

Check my profile if you want to see how I eat from day to day.  (But be warned, I'm not vegetarian.)  Keep in mind that everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you.  Read a lot of different opinions, but more than that, listen to your own body -- it will guide you better than any one "expert"'s advice.

Be well!
--Naomi

thanks for the tips! I borrowed a book by Alissa Cohen and have been reading that for ideas and motivation. Mostly I eat salads for meals and snack on fruit. Also, I like to mix it up with a green shake--blueberries, banana, ginger, flax seed oil, cinnamon, pomegranate juice and assorted greens, 1-2 cups. This is delicious, satisfying and holds me for a few hours. Plus I'm getting 2-3 servings of fruit and veggies in one shot. I read your profile Venix and agree with most everything you said. This way of eating is a great way to respond to modern food production and its evils! Plus, my secret weapon? My girlfriend is a chef and she's been supporting me by making great dishes. Last night she made a celery root remoulade, marinated/dehydrated portabella mushrooms on a salad with carrots, beets, avocado and greens. It was delicious and in no way did I feel I was missing out. Plus, it was varied and comforting! I have a question, do you drink tea?

I found this website very helpful with information regarding the Raw Food Lifestyle:
http://www.rawfood.com/cgi-bin/forum/ultimate bb.cgi

Wow, you're lucky having a girlfriend to support you like that.  When I went raw, all I had were people calling me crazy.  Well, they basically fueled my fire.  :)

Haha "servings" -- I haven't even thought about, much less worried about, daily servings of fruits and vegetables for, hmm, 4 years.

Wow, well, it sounds like you're well defended against the "raw junk food" trap.  I went through a phase of just eating any damn thing as long as it was raw... with pretty terrible consequences.

Tea, yes.  I have a few cups of tea a day.  I'm with David Wolfe on this one -- you just can't get the benefit out of certain things without subjecting it to hot water.  Most prominent examples would be reishi mushrooms and shisandra root.

I also drink green tea, but not nearly as often as I used to.  As soon as I started consuming more greens, I stopped craving most bitter drinks.