Is there an easy way to transition from 100% to 85%-95% raw?

[faith4u]

Please don't throw any tomatoes at me butI have been wanting to try to transition back to eating some cooked food. I still want to eat 85%-95% raw.I wanted to do it now so that if I decide that YES I want to stay raw no matter what it will fall during the summer. The problem I have is that it is making me feel so bad.

Over the last 3 days I have had a cooked food with my dinner. Two nights I had a baked potato and the other night I had lentils over my bed of greens.

I have had terrible headaches, backaches, fatigue, mucous, not sleeping well etc...
I am wondering if my will re- adjust and if so, how long it will take. So I thought some of you might have intentionally or non intentionally gone back to "healthy" cooked food and could tell me how long it takes for your body to adjust.

Victoria Boutenkou talks about the mucous lining in our body from eating cooked food and that once we get rid of it and then eat cooked food that is why we have such a strong reaction to it. So what I want to know is, do you build that back up.

I would love to know from anyone who has experienced this.

Thanks!

[theresaann]

yes-don't do it!! but since it makes you feel bad, why do you WANT to eat cooked? Just curious in a friendly way, promise.

[faith4u]

Because when I first started down this path I was eating high raw and feeling great. It is getting to be too much with my family (four kids and a husband). It has also been too all consuming and is pulling me away from things I need to be doing (with my family also). Plus I really miss some of my favorite foods (that my family are eating in front of me all the time). I am just not sure that I want to live like this (all raw) for the rest of my life. I am not feeling ready to committ just yet. Maybe after trying to eat high raw I will change my mind but we will see.

I just want to try it and see how I feel. I know that all raw has great benefits but I know you can get great benefits from high raw too. I am just wondering how long it would take to transition to where you are no longer feeling the side effects of switching.

[solarliving]

My first thought is the cooked food you ate. Potato and lentils may not be the best choice. Maybe try lightly steamed veggies, then progress to other things if that is what you want. It is kind of like when people fast and they need to gradually introduce solid foods back into their system.

[faith4u]

I never thought of it that way. i think you are right. I will try some lighter foods first. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Alissa]

This board is for people seeking to go raw, not how to transition back to cooked food.
Thank you,
Alissa

[Doe]

faith4u,

If you are missing certain foods it may be that you are detoxing those foods at that moment. Nora over at www.rawschool.com (http://www.rawschool.com/) said that several years after going 100% raw she started tasting foods she had not eaten since childhood (more than 3 decades earlier). It was because that was what she was detoxing. It did not last.

If preparing raw for yourself is taking too much time and energy, maybe it's time to start eating more simple. Just a thought. Hope you can allow your body to heal.

Teri S

[juliebove]

I bought Carol Alt's book on raw foods after reading a short magazine article about her. I wish I hadn't because it's not a very worthwhile book, I think. She claims you only need to eat 70% raw to get the benefits. She also eats raw dairy, meat (barely cooked on the outside, cold inside) and fish. No offense to her, but it seems to me she has just cobbled together stuff that fits what she wants to do and has no scientific background. If I were to use the 70% raw theory, this is the way I was eating before. This may not be the SAD, but it's how I ate.

[faith4u]

Sorry Alissa, I guess I will leave the board. It seems to me that if someone shares that they are 80% raw everyone tells them they are doing a great job and to keep it up. Just because I am stepping down a bit doesn't mean I am turning my back on raw food. I just feel that it is making me have a bad relationship with food again like when I went through an eating disorder years ago.

I may end up 100% in the future again but right now I feel that for my sake and my family's sake I need to pull back a little. I tend to do everything full force even if it isn't the best for me.

I am sorry if I have offended anyone. I know that many people here struggle with raw and thought I could get some honest opinions since I know that many people (yourself included) have gone back to cooked food more than once after going raw. Even you yourself said that you tried many times to prove yourself wrong.

Anyways, I truly am sorry. I am not meaning to bring anyone down or off of raw. I will stop coming here unless I decide that I can committ to eating 100% raw for life.




This board is for people seeking to go raw, not how to transition back to cooked food.
Thank you,
Alissa

[rawfigure]

Sorry Alissa, I guess I will leave the board. It seems to me that if someone shares that they are 80% raw everyone tells them they are doing a great job and to keep it up. Just because I am stepping down a bit doesn't mean I am turning my back on raw food. I just feel that it is making me have a bad relationship with food again like when I went through an eating disorder years ago.

I may end up 100% in the future again but right now I feel that for my sake and my family's sake I need to pull back a little. I tend to do everything full force even if it isn't the best for me.

I am sorry if I have offended anyone. I know that many people here struggle with raw and thought I could get some honest opinions since I know that many people (yourself included) have gone back to cooked food more than once after going raw. Even you yourself said that you tried many times to prove yourself wrong.

Anyways, I truly am sorry. I am not meaning to bring anyone down or off of raw. I will stop coming here unless I decide that I can committ to eating 100% raw for life.


faith, if you are still around I wanted to say that I do not think Alissa was saying to "leave the board". You asked about transitioning to a diet with some cooked food, and she simlply stated that the Board is for those who seek to get to 100% and not to give advice to those who come to the board to go un raw.

I understand fully what you are saying, and no not offended. There are many here who were 100%, Now they are not 100%, many who are high Raw. It is hard for anyone to say they are 100% as there are foods that we eat from time to time that may not be truely raw. I think it comes to attitude, those here seek to be 100 % raw, but at times we fail to be 100%.

I have had some steamed veggies in the 6 months raw because there are a few times were I had such a gut ache that eating raw veggies made it worse. I am finding my body does not digest certain raw veggies well (brocolli is the main culprit, cabbage if I eat too much)...so the few times I have been in pain in the gut I steamed (lightly) my veggies till I felt more normal and resumed the raw diet. So though at times i may have chosen to eat a few non raw foods, my ultimate goal is to be ALL RAW. I am hoping a day will come when I can eat any veggie raw, no gas !

So look inside and if you want to be a Raw foodie, but have struggles, STAY.

If you say "I do not want to be all Raw, it is not my Goal", then that is fine. There are some boards that embrace Raw but are not board dedicated (by the Creator of the Board )to the 100% raw lifestyle.

[ljannise]

I bought Carol Alt's book on raw foods after reading a short magazine article about her. I wish I hadn't because it's not a very worthwhile book, I think. She claims you only need to eat 70% raw to get the benefits. She also eats raw dairy, meat (barely cooked on the outside, cold inside) and fish. No offense to her, but it seems to me she has just cobbled together stuff that fits what she wants to do and has no scientific background. If I were to use the 70% raw theory, this is the way I was eating before. This may not be the SAD, but it's how I ate.

That book was just HER story & she wanted to explain that although 100% is the best, 75% can still get you feeling/looking great. (Personally, I crave the whole molecular transformation only 5+ years @ 100% would give me) That book was an awakening for a lot of obese sedentary ppl that have an "all or nothing" attitude. It broke chains. If it wouldnt have been for her approach, I would have felt defeated before even trying. And for a supermodel, her attitude was quiet pleasant in my opinion. Could have been 10x worse.

ANd I was SHOCKED to learn all the different ways ppl consider themselves raw. I would never tell anyone what NOT to do (everyone is different), but yes some ppl feel that meat prepared that way is ok. I would never do that because I'm raw vegan, but I cannot take that right from others. But it WORKS for them. I like seeing that.

[ljannise]

And please understand that if you REALLY have been eating 100% & are trying to get off that track on purpose... there are a TON of ppl that cant seem to grasp 100& at all & if or when they ever do reach that level, they would appreciate it so much NOTHING would come between them. I consider you a very lucky ducky.

Why cant you just set an example for your children & husband? I know ppl here that have toddlers that actually help prepare their raw meals. It really brings them all together. I consider them to be very blessed individuals.

[MoniDew]

I really hate to see this topic shut down, locked up, etc. for whatever reason. It's obvious that many here are not able - for whatever reason - to make a 100% commitment to raw. In my case, it is the emotional adjustment I am making right now to my son's decision to be a child molester. I just don't have the emotional strength to make a 100% commitment to anything other than my own sanity.

If that means I'm transitioning from 100% raw for the past three years to something less, that is no different from someone transitioning from their present status to something more. We are both looking for the same thing from these boards:

SUPPORT

Kicking us out into the cold and telling us you cannot support us because we are having conflicts in our lives does not lend great credence to your claim to be a place of

SUPPORT

These boards may be someone's last link to sanity in the real world. This may be the thin line between hanging on for dear life and not hanging on at all! I only know one thing for sure. I need grace. I need forgiveness for not being perfect. And I need all of your

SUPPORT



Sorry Alissa, I guess I will leave the board. It seems to me that if someone shares that they are 80% raw everyone tells them they are doing a great job and to keep it up. Just because I am stepping down a bit doesn't mean I am turning my back on raw food. I just feel that it is making me have a bad relationship with food again like when I went through an eating disorder years ago.

I may end up 100% in the future again but right now I feel that for my sake and my family's sake I need to pull back a little. I tend to do everything full force even if it isn't the best for me.

I am sorry if I have offended anyone. I know that many people here struggle with raw and thought I could get some honest opinions since I know that many people (yourself included) have gone back to cooked food more than once after going raw. Even you yourself said that you tried many times to prove yourself wrong.

Anyways, I truly am sorry. I am not meaning to bring anyone down or off of raw. I will stop coming here unless I decide that I can committ to eating 100% raw for life.

[faith4u]

RAWFIGURE,

I have just come to find that at least in myself it is making me have an unhealthy relationship with food again. I have become a nervous wreck since going raw. When I was high raw I didn't have these problems at all and felt great.

I also have a lot of problems with raw foods. I can no longer eat very many raw veggies like broccoli, cabbage, etc... I cannot eat raw nuts/seeds either. I feel like my diet is getting more and more limiting.

Looking back to when I began I feel like I was eating and feeling better in the beginning.

Who knows if I will end up at 100%. Right now it is causing too much stress within my body (which isn't good for me either). I can see myself getting there eventually but I don't think it was good for me to jump right in full force with a new baby and all the other things going on in my life. Most of the people that stay raw do gradually transition over a few years time period and I think that is the key to their success.

Thanks for your kind words and support, I really do appreciate it.





faith, if you are still around I wanted to say that I do not think Alissa was saying to "leave the board". You asked about transitioning to a diet with some cooked food, and she simlply stated that the Board is for those who seek to get to 100% and not to give advice to those who come to the board to go un raw.

I understand fully what you are saying, and no not offended. There are many here who were 100%, Now they are not 100%, many who are high Raw. It is hard for anyone to say they are 100% as there are foods that we eat from time to time that may not be truely raw. I think it comes to attitude, those here seek to be 100 % raw, but at times we fail to be 100%.

I have had some steamed veggies in the 6 months raw because there are a few times were I had such a gut ache that eating raw veggies made it worse. I am finding my body does not digest certain raw veggies well (brocolli is the main culprit, cabbage if I eat too much)...so the few times I have been in pain in the gut I steamed (lightly) my veggies till I felt more normal and resumed the raw diet. So though at times i may have chosen to eat a few non raw foods, my ultimate goal is to be ALL RAW. I am hoping a day will come when I can eat any veggie raw, no gas !

So look inside and if you want to be a Raw foodie, but have struggles, STAY.

If you say "I do not want to be all Raw, it is not my Goal", then that is fine. There are some boards that embrace Raw but are not board dedicated (by the Creator of the Board )to the 100% raw lifestyle.

[faith4u]

I am trying to make changes with my family right now. They are eating way more raw foods than before. In that aspect it was a huge eye opener to see that while I was eating high raw they were eating very little raw.

It's not that I am trying to walk away from raw. I just want to see if I will feel really well on high raw. I may go days all raw but I want the mental freedom to know that I can eat with my family or have company or go to someone's house for dinner and not be totally unsociable.

I am also concerned by how limited my diet has become because of digestive problems. I hope that that changes sometime too.

I would like to be an example to my kids but I am fearful that if I eat totally different than them I could be setting them up for a eating disorder later. I have gone down that road and don't want them too either. Unfortunately, for me, being 100% has brought a lot of those feelings back to me and it really bothers me. I had such a healthy relationship with food and now it is unravelling. I am trying to pull back a little to see how I react.

Thanks for your supportive words.


And please understand that if you REALLY have been eating 100% & are trying to get off that track on purpose... there are a TON of ppl that cant seem to grasp 100& at all & if or when they ever do reach that level, they would appreciate it so much NOTHING would come between them. I consider you a very lucky ducky.

Why cant you just set an example for your children & husband? I know ppl here that have toddlers that actually help prepare their raw meals. It really brings them all together. I consider them to be very blessed individuals.

[faith4u]

MoniDew,

My heart is breaking for you. I am so sorry for what you are going through. I can only imagine the pain that your son's decisions are bringing you.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I agree with you totally. In fact, if it weren't for these boards I probably would not have kept this up for 6 months.

I just feel like I have taken a nose dive emotionally and it is pulling me away from my family. It has been all consuming since I went raw and I am totally fatigued mentally. I need to put my energy back into my family and not into worrying about my food, diet and detoxing.

I am so glad that I am not the only one experiencing this. That is why I originally asked this question. I knew that there were people here that had been 100% and went back to cooked food still wanting to get back where they were. I thought maybe I could get some advice not bring people down.

The sad thing(for me) is that I am not feeling good from eating one cooked meal for 4 dsys in a row now so that may force me to stay at 100%. I don't know, I even wonder if I am trying to go back to quickly and shouldn't do it every day. I just feel like I need to see if I can get back to high raw and see if I can feel great, have lots of energy and clarity and also be more available to my family.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts it meant a lot to me.

[JMD]

faith~~

maybe just maybe take a breather--and see how you feel if you feel fantastic at 80% then stay there and BE YOU!!!

If you feel totally congested and horrible then go back to 100%...pain is the only way i change and have changed. Take an honest look at how you will feel in the long run--FREE FROM OTHERS opinions--then reevalutate. I cannot imagine one would want to stay in a mucus condition but what do I know???

I had some cooked veggies over my vacation and feel yucky--lesson learned for me back to 100%. Experience is my usualt TEACHER....

Go easy food is not a moral issue...you are a great person regardless...

[Alissa]

Listen monidew, I never said this: “Kicking us out into the cold and telling us you cannot support us because we are having conflicts in our lives does not lend great credence to your claim to be a place of” so don’t put words in my mouth. It sounds like you're going through a hard time as is evident from this post and many others. Many of these posts are not appropriate for this board. It sounds like you need some emotional help before jumping in on these posts again. I urge you to find the help you need as these boards are not for that. Again, I don’t appreciate being quoted when it’s not what I said.

Faith4u, what I posted was that this board is for going and staying raw, and the motivation and support of it like stated in the mission statement. I really am not going to be able to win here because no matter what I post I'm going to have people love or hate it. So I'm going to just be totally blunt and honest. I have absolutely no problem with you eating how ever much percentage raw as you see fit to eat. Its your life, your body and if you feel like you want to eat 80% raw or 50% raw that’s fine with me. But your ORIGANL post was about HOW TO TRASITION BACK TO COOK. Maybe it was that title that is causing the problem, I don’t know. I have no problem with you talking about raw and the difficulties that you may encounter, but your asking, unless I read this wrong, about how to add more cooked food into your diet even though you feel sick when you eat it. Please understand that there have to be some guidelines here, otherwise we would not have a board at all.

There are many sites. Some are about eating a percentage of raw, some are about eating only 100% raw and if you're not 100% you cannot post there. I don’t like to be that strict with people. I want people to choose what they need for themselves and do what feels best. There are many many posts on this board that talk about transitioning to raw food and the people who write them talking about how they are not there yet but eating only 50-60-70 or 80 percent raw. Im not kicking these people off the board! But can you understand that they are talking about eating all the raw they feel comfortable with, striving to do this diet because they believe in it and not that they are actually trying to go back to a cooked food diet? I'm not sure why this would be hard to understand as it is in the mission statement. If you don’t agree with it that’s fine, but it's what the board is about. I have this board so that people can find support and motivation while on a raw food diet. There are many many places outside of this in most people’s everyday lives that will be NOT in support of eating raw so why would I promote that here?
This is a place for people to find support and motivation for the raw food diet according to the living on ive food way – although I have to say that I don’t even uphold that either. There are many people doing raw on here and doing it in different ways than suggested in my book. I have no problem with that since I want to see people succeed in whatever way they need to, but what I do have a problem with is when people come on to talk about how to go OFF raw or transition back. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. Again, I have no problem with you adding cooked food back into your diet but writing about it on a raw food support board isn’t ok. You don’t have to leave but its your choice. Hopefully you will stay and share your experience with the raw food part of your diet.
Best,
Alissa

[ljannise]

Alissa, in my opinion, everytime there is a board such as this one, it NEEDS a modeerator as yourself to come in & set things straight. I see ppl shooting the messenger all the time. I dont hold a single thing against you or anyone else here. Topics need curving sometimes & if they dont get set back on track they go WAY off the deep end.

[Alissa]

ljannise, thanks for understanding that. I appreciate your post!
Best,
Alissa

[julesmoz]

Dear Faith,

If you do decide to go less than 100% raw, I'd actually be really interested to see how your body reacts. I've been wondering how much impact a small cheat here and there has (something like 1/3 cup of ice cream once a month).

Also, how long have you been raw?

Thanks!

[MoniDew]

Dear Alissa,

If you'll cool off just a little and recheck my post, I think you'll find that YOUR words are in the box at the end of my post, unchanged. MY words are ABOVE the box, and are not in any way crediting you with a quote. They are my own words and my own feelings.

Do I need professional help? You betcha. And I'm getting it. Do I expect these boards to be a substitute. In no way. No one here has that kind of expertese. I was just looking to make some friends with likeminded individuals around a topic of great interest to me. If I found one or two among them that went on to become great friends, so much the better.

I see clearly that I have become an offense to you, and so I am going to do you a great big favor. I'm going to leave your board. I'm going to wish you the utmost success in all you do on my way out the door, and I'm going to pray for those who remain to find the loving support they genuinely deserve.

May God richly bless you all, and goodby.