calling all Raw OAers

[Purl]

I need help educating my sponsor. I gave her Boutenko's 12 Steps to Raw Foods. Any other resources that deal specifically with raw OA? Can I consider sesame milk my "dairy"? how about cashew "cheese"? How do you do it? How do you plan it out and meet all the req. to be considered abstinent? I'm learning about food combining but that seems to be complicating it-since fruit should be eaten alone, etc.

If you don't feel comfortable replying here, could you email me?
TIA
Purl- my3fireflies@yahoo.com

[rawpriestess]

wow, Purl, I used to do OA before I was raw, I thought they didn't care what food plan you were on, as long as you ate sensibly, but they could have changed, or I could be remembering it incorrectly.


Well, I would say any of the Boutenko's books or Alissa's book would be good.

also, tell her about this forum, so she can see we aren't all nuts, LOL

[Purl]

yeah-I gave her boutenko's book to start since it's smaller and faster to read and I gave her this website. Don't know if she's been here or not. :cool:

[rawpriestess]

Well, that's great, it is now up to her to educate herself if she wants to truly help you.


YOu see a true helping person, will help you do what you want to do whether it is something they beleive in or not.

[pamojamo]

Purl,
It's my understanding that those of us who are working a 12-step program and are raw or transitioning to raw have let go of the "dairy" and "protein" issues that are associated with many OA members' food plans. At least that has been my experience. I've been in OA for years and in the region where I attend meetings, food plans are VERY individualized. I mentioned in another thread that sponsorship is one tool OAers use to help us live and work the 12 steps, and nothing more than that. My sponsor doesn't have to understand or accept my food plan. The only part of that that is her concern is that I am honest with her when I am abstinant and when I am not. Abstinance as defined by OA is "refraining from cumpulsive overeating." Just as sponsorship is a "tool of recovery," a "plan of eating" is another one of the 8 tools of recovery. The 8 tools of recovery are: meetings, writing (journaling), telephone (reaching out to others), 12-step literature, anonymity, sponsorship, a plan of eating, and service. I know all of this can be very confusing to an OA newcomer. When I was new to the program, I just "kept coming back." I was a sponge and absorbed all I could at meetings and when talking with other OAers.
I applaud you and your efforts to educate your sponsor on raw foodism. Keep reaching out to other OAs on this message board. Feel free to e-mail me any time. Take care.

[pdx kris]

Purl -

OA does not specifiy that you need to meet any dietary requirements like dairy and protein. Your food plan is YOUR food plan and it doesn't endorse any one specifically. Abstinence is equally undefined. If your sponser is not supportive of your raw diet, then it's time to find a new sponser.

[Nini]

Help! What is OA?

[Spectatrix]

Help! What is OA?
Overeaters Anonymous

[Purl]

I have to submit my food plan to her everyday. That's standard, right? Til I get really good at it, like in a couple of years, no?

She has a food plan for me that gives protein, grain, dairy, fruit, and fats. There is a set "formula" and I pick my foods from a list of appropriate foods and submit it to her in the morning. Everyone that isn't from our area seems surprised by this. Also, at least around here, abstenence is defined by "no flour, no sugar, 3 balanced meals, weighed and measured, with no snacking in between and only black coffee, black tea, and diet soda between meals". Do the rest of you have something like that?

[pamojamo]

Purl,
It seems OA in your area is a quite a bit different than what I experience. No one has ever given me a food plan. I have created my own and it evolves as I evolve. It took a long time before I was willing to give up white flour. Again, abstinance is simply refraining from compulsive over eating. That's all. It's fine if an individual wants to further define his or her own abstinance as "3 meals a day, no sugar/white flour/only black coffee, etc", but no one has a right to tell me that's what my abstinance needs to be.
I have a suggestion. You may wish to search the OA world service website, or contact the OA world service office and ask some questions. If you are ever in Nashville, I would be thrilled to accompany you to a meeting. I think you would find it quite different from what you are experiencing now. I am not trying to put down the OA meetings in your area. They are just different, and from what I'm reading from your posts, they would not be my cup of tea.
Question: does everyone subscribe to the same food plan? Is the food plan on paper and distributed to members? One of the introductory readings we read at each newcomers meeting includes the phrase "we are not a diet and calories club. Our only requirement for membership is a desire to stop compulsively overeating one day at a time."
I hope this helps.

[Purl]

No they do not all have the same food plan. There's a basic plan that then is changed to meet individual needs. I guess I should say that the 90 day meeting have that definition of abstinece and you must have it in order to share at those meetings. I'm feeling a little frustrated since it's so rigid, but then again that's probably my stubborn/rebellious/defiant character flaw.

[pdx kris]

That's screwy. You should find a new meeting or a new sponsor, seriously. Either your meeting is following something that is not part of OA or your sponsor has control issues.

The point of telling her your food plan is for support and to help hold you accountable, she doesn't get to judge it.

[rawpriestess]

Purl, I wish to support you 100% on your path, and I think that your sponsor is doing it differently than OA intends.

When I was in OA, for 13 years, we never had to submit anything, there was no judgement, or anything like that.

all we did was do the steps and talk about our food issues. basically over eating, and how to stop doing it.

they strongly suggested specific meal times, with snack times, and on special occasions like birthday parties, we talked about way to keep from over eating.

But never did we have anyone look at our food plan. In fact, I don't remember a food plan. I only remember that they did have lots of information about nutrition, and we saw lots of movies and had many things available to us.

the ONLY thing we didn't have that other 12 step programs had was coffee and cookies at the meetings, I always thought that should be changed, we could have had water or coffee and fresh fruit, but they wouldn't listen.

part of our OA support was to realize, that food was NOT part of any social interaction, I felt that was ignoring a problem, instead of dealing with it.

I am rebellious too, that is why diets didn't work for me, although I could always lose about 20 pounds, then I'd cheat.

But raw works for me.

I'm hoping that you will find a good balance with your OA sponsor.