A HIGHLY informative free resource!

[Arky]

Hi, the following is not a new resource, but it is an excellent source of concise and (by and large) accurate information. I downloaded this over a year ago and recently rediscovered it on my hard drive and took the time to read it. I've read a good many books on health and nutrition and I consider this to be one of the best (although I do not agree with Barron's support of soy products):

http://www.jonbarron.org/ebook.html

It's absolutely free and it's over 170 pages of great information (he does support the eating of a high-raw, organic, wholefoods diet).

I hope you take the time to download and read this, and that you'll enjoy it as much as I have. The chapter on hormones is fascinating (yet another reason to consume nettles - read it and you'll see why!).

J.

[BDraw]

Thank you for this resource. I do have a question. I have been Raw for about a year and a half. My husband is supporting, but sceptical. And it seems like the more refined my diet becomes, the worse his gets. Yes, he'll eat a salad when that is what I make for supper. But I truly do not remember the last time he had a fruit. And the size of his salad is smaller than my 7 year old eats. Needless to say, he continues to fill himself up on SAD, lots of potato chips and beer.

Okay the question. Do you think this book would be a good read for him, providing I can get him to read it, or is there possibilly a better suggestion.

He thinks my diet is unhealthy. And the topic of food has become a major issue in our life.

Thanks for any input.

[Arky]

Well, the first thing I would suggest is that you don't focus excessively on diet (not that I am suggesting that you actually are!;)) as an end in itself - that would not be the healthiest approach and would not be productive in terms of encouraging your partner to tread a healthier path. That being said, the eBook I mentioned is about a good deal more than just food and would therefore be an excellent introduction to healthy practices without focusing exclusively on food (which might put him off reading it).

The book is :)free:) and it gives a very nicely integrated overview of a broad range of bodily health issues (just one of which is a high-raw diet), so that one can see how each aspect of healthy living integrates with, and influences, the other aspects. Psychologically-speaking, a person is far more likely to change their behaviour if they are provided with a nicely-integrated mental framework within which to understand, and apply (recommendations are provided in each chapter), health-supporting principles (studying cognition and health psychology at university did have some benefits for me, after all!).

The only issue here, IMHO, is not whether or not your partner should read the book, but whether you should print it from eBook format, or just buy a published hardcopy for $14. Either way, DO read it or you won't benefit from what it has to offer.

J.

[BDraw]

Thanks Arky. I've decided to buy the book for the $14. I know he won't read off the screen and my printer would yell and scream if I ask it to print that many pages. I did down-load it though.

He tends to want the medical research to prove this type of "diet" works. Me feeling 99% better isn't enough. Though you know, me getting candida after a year on raw didn't help much either. I'm still fighting that!

Blessings!

[leeleelocs]

BDraw-I make Alissa's recipes for myself because they look so good my family tries them and likes most of them although they still eats SAd. The other day my husband asked me to make the Marinara Sauce for him!!! even though he ate it with corn chips but it is a start. I also make green smoothies for him every morning..I started only giving a light green smoothie then slowly increasing the amount of greens. He also like the bananna,mango,strawberry,nutmilk frozen desserts I make and also the other desert in alissa's book. That another way you can get him to eat more fruit. I still cook SAD food for my family but I cook at a lower temp. and less fried, more whole foods served with love. He also loves my fresh juice--carrot/apple
He got very excited when I showed him Storms e-book(Thegardendiet.com) on building strong muscles faster on a raw diet. Hope some of these tips will help you. They are given with love. :)

[Shivananda]

Needless to say, he continues to fill himself up on SAD, lots of potato chips and beer....
and
He thinks my diet is unhealthy. And the topic of food has become a major issue in our life.

OK, since this question comes up a lot, and in many forms, I suggest we all take a look at why this pattern emerges so often. As a man who was once on the opposite side of the seesaw in this kind of situation, I think I have the qualifications at least begin to begin to answer the question. Here's what I see...

1) If he isn't eating your raw food, clearly you're preparing him the wrong raw food. I'd say it's not the "raw" part he's resisting, it's the "food" part. Stop trying to make him eat green salads if he doesn't like them. Give him raw spaghetti marinara instead. Make him a raw burrito, a raw enchilada, a raw calzone, a raw pizza. Give him Alissa's Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy. That's the beauty of Alissa's approach, that she has so many delicious recipes that make this diet accessible to people who haven't yet bought into the theories behind it. Make him tasty food that he likes to eat.

2) Stop making him wrong about his food choices. They are, after all, HIS food choices. Nagging him about them will only increase his resistance to looking at anything else. Eat what you choose to eat and stop making a big deal about what he chooses to eat. Make your own raw choices more inviting, and make yourself more inviting to be with.

3) Actually, just stop talking to him about food for now, except to follow suggestion #4, which follows.

4) Training your man to do what you want him to is actually ridiculously easy, if you follow these simple rules:
- When he does something you don't like, mention it to him once, and then drop it. Seriously.
- When he does something you do like, praise him. When he does something that is something like what you do like, praise him. When he does something that is ever so slightly better than the last time, or is even just moving a tiny bit in the right direction, praise him.
- After you criticize him for something, make sure you praise him 10 times before you criticize him again. Keep up this overall 10:1 ratio of praise to criticism, and eventually your man will do practically anything you want him to.

(p.s., this formula, which I first learned from Wayne Dyer, also works miracles with kids, employees, and, well... everybody)

In other words, stop doing what doesn't work and start doing what does work. That's the key. Trying to get your resistant partner to read a book about raw food seems unlikely, at this point, to do anything except build his resistance even more.

[JMD]

Shivananda!!

HOW TO TRAIN MY MAN...boy as a newleywed i printed that baby realllllllllllll quick ;) although i am doing things like that pretty often too...I am a teacher so i am used to praising.

As for changing another's opinion..to me that is wasted energy...but i can appreciate your needs. As a woman, i seek to have a community around me doing the same things...My hubby is a super strict only SAD meat eater....drank a juice once....all else is full of JUNK. But it works...i dont change for him and i try not to bug him toomuch--only when he has too much sugar.

Good luck and CONGRATS for being raw a yr and a 1/2!! that is HUGELY AWESOME

[BDraw]

Thanks for the tips and cudos!!

Praise!! I know he feeds on it, yet, in my simple female mind, I never think to do it. Not near enough!. 10 times!??! Boy, do I have my work cut out for me! :rolleyes:

[levamssg]

BDraw ... when I went raw (one of those instant 100% folks), I did it for ME for medical reasons. I made it perfectly and abundantly clear that I was eating this way, & he could eat however/whatever he wanted, but I expected (and rec'd) tolerance from him in my food choices.

In return, he made it equally clear that he would continue to eat what he wanted, when he wanted, and if I didn't like to smell things when he cooked food, I'd have to just deal with it.
Agreed.

Now, 1-1/2 years later, we cohabitate nicely in the kitchen. He eats some of my raw on occasion, I no longer am bothered by anything he cooks. He has asked to learn to make a couple of the cookie recipes even.

So my advice .. don't even think you are going to change his thinking about this, or his eating habits. Only he can do that. Just go about your business -- try not to make WHAT you are eating the focus. Instead, make the TIME YOU SPEND TOGETHER eating the focus.

If he makes jabs at your eating or food prep, just be patient and explain you don't make comments about his food (assuming you don't) and you'd appreciate equal treatment. thank you.

I know it is hard not to speak up when you KNOW what they are eating is slowly killing them ...but there is really nothing you can do about it except lead by example and hope they choose to notice.

Best of luck