I'd appreciate some feedback....(a little long)

[twinyoga]

Ok, we're all here for basically the same reason, to explore Raw Foods and see how we can benefit from it. We might come here from different places in our lives, but we want to try to improve something. Correct?!

Well, I just want to share some thoughts as I am going on almost one year of raw foods. I decided last July (or maybe it was late June) that it was raw or nothing. And I've had a few eggsalad sandwiches, and a bite of chicken (yikes), and a couple scoops of icecream. But I can probably count the number of times that I ate non raw food and show how I did not benefit from it.

When I am all raw, I am so "high" on energy it's a little disturbing. My yoga teacher is trying to help me channel all the energy through meditation now. Which I love.

So, I'm having days where I have a bit of my kids pasta (rice pasta, organic of course) or a nibble of steamed brown rice, or maybe a bite of a cupcake. Nothing tragic and still probably 90% raw even on a day where I have cooked food. For example, at lunch today I nibbled on my twin's blueberry spelt muffin, and then when I made their pasta this evening, I had about 1/2 a cups worth. I take a couple enzymes and get on with my day.

At this point, knowing how I thrive on raw foods, I realize that when I eat non raw food it's usually because that's the only option and I'm simply hungry. I can't always prepare for this hunger and it's not easy with twins! I don't beat myself up, I just keep going. Well, I'm thinking maybe it's time to switch the family over. (well, not the hubby yet!) My question is this...am I being selfish and considering this because I "can't control not nibbling on the cooked food when I'm around it"? (which I don't think is the case since I can easily be 100% more often than not) Am I making this decision to see my children thrive? Am I ready for them to be raw foodies?! My husband is ok with this, at least in previous conversations.

So, tonight though I did make my rice pasta with organic tomato sauce and chickpeas, I also made a salad and fresh fruit prepared for them. And I'm going to see which they choose.

What do you all think? I trust your opinions and I want you to be honest!

Thanks!

[Brianna]

The younger they are the easier it is to transition them. I know Stephen Arlin and his wife have two active and extremely healthy children who have been 100% raw from birth. I think this is great and your children are so young that I doubt they will have trouble transitioning. You may want to transition them though rather than going 100% overnight. I know they are already high raw, so that's great!

[faith4u]

Debbie,

I just wanted to say that I think you are doing great.

The best thing is your attitude. You aren't tweaking and throwing in the towel if you DO eat a little bit of cooked food. I think that is much healthier than being all raw and stressing over it so much.

It is hard to be all raw with a family. If they are open to making the change I say go for it.

Honestly, I am afraid to have my kids all raw. I am not ready to have that kind of pressure on my shoulders. I am so afraid to do something wrong. I still feel like I am finding my way in the raw world though. There are so many ways to do it that I want to be absolutely sure that I have it right before I get my kids there. BUT I want to see them keep moving towards that.

In fact, my kids are starting to notice a difference in how they feel if they eat less cooked foods and more raw. That is a good thing.

Good luck and keep up the great work!

[cassidy]

I think it is Fantastic that you would want your kids to be raw as well. As you know it has great health benefits and makes you feel so good. It is only natural you would want this for the ones you love. I am transitioning my 15 mos old as we speak - and by the way, it is going really well. She has never eaten so much! She eats constantly and everything I give her. On sad - chicken, cheese, yogurt, milk, bread and bananas (and cheerios) were the ONLY things she would eat. Basically anything white. Now she eats all kinds of yummy stuff. I just have to be creative. I don't think there is any harm in it. The only thing I worry about is B12 so I give my daughter organic chicken - which I soon want to switch to fish. Chicken grosses me out. Good luck - YOUR A GREAT MOM for wanting your children to be as healthy as possible! Have fun.

[rawpriestess]

I have always wondered how so many people on this board, (and others) could be on a raw food life program and yet still feel they should feed their children cooked.


it baffles me, I agree, we are all here to gain something from raw, maybe lose weight, maybe cure an illness, or help to prevent one, and yet I hear so many times how moms eat raw and feed there beautiful children cooked, as if the child had some cooked hold over them.

This is what I say, YOU are the parent, YOU buy the food, YOU prepare the food, YOU know what is REAL food and what isn't, YOU know how you wish to raise your child, and YOU are their care giver on this planet.

I so wish I could have been brought into this world and into a raw family, for some reason, I didn't chose that, but next life I will.

I say GO FOR IT, 100%, and KNOW that you are giving your children the most loving gift of all, LIFE!!!

[Rawkinlocs]

LOL! Debbie, you and I are alike in so many ways!

I went through a similar thing where I kinda "made" my children and family go all raw because I didn't want to be tempted with their food!

But as you said, was I being fair to them? It was an ongoing inward battle I had for a while and then I finally broke down and started back giving them soy meat analogues and allowing things like wheat bread and popcorn. None of them really cares for rice or baked potatoes, so that wasn't something I needed to incorporate...just kept the veggies fresh and perhaps would marinate/dehydrate to warm/soften them or just give salads.

But recently, I've been no longer wanting to give them soy ANYthing so I stopped buying it and I'm now transitioning them back to raw by using certain things (sprouted grain tortillas or wheat tortillas or pita bread) and making raw nut cheeze and sauces or making nut milk and letting them eat it in crisped brown rice cereal and just overall trying to come up with creative ways to get them to eat more raw. It's going well for some of them but my oldest is and always has been my most challenging child to feed as he is SO darned picky!

NOW my motive is different. I am leading my family more and more away from cooked food and more and more into eating raw, even if they don't like/eat the prepared raw meals...they can eat the "simple raw diet".

But during this transition, like you, if I take a nibble of something I prepare for them or (GULP! ) eat a whole serving myself, I don't beat myself up over it because I know it's all heading to where I want it to. They/we eat mostly raw most of the day...but like many, it's evening hours that are sometimes when cooked food slips into the equation. But I don't feel badly at all with what I have chosen for them because it's SUCH a far cry from the way they used to eat.

And it's beginning to sink in with them and I foresee that raw is going to be at the forefront of their minds. For example, my eldest (15) had cold symptoms. One day he came home from his friend's house and he said, "Mama I'm being bad" and I said what do you mean? He said, "Well, I'm trying to stay away from dairy so I can get all this congestion out of me and I had a Gogurt at (friend's) house."

I kinda smiled inside because FINALLY he is acknowledging the connection between what he eats and what goes on in his body.

Gee, sorry for the ramble. But I guess it all boils down to...only YOU know if you are taking the twins raw for their benefit, yours or both. But I WILL say this to you...you are at SUCH an advantage because your children are so YOUNG! I've said it before and I'll always say it when someone has little ones and they are debating whether to have them eat raw...I WISH I had gotten into this when my oldest two were babies. It's so much easier with my 3-year old than with anyone else in the house. I'm not sure what your reservations are with having them go raw, but if you provide a variety they will do fine. The younger you start them, the better, IMHO!

[lissomllama]

I don't have children, I have animals (they're on natural raw diets as well though, does that count? :) )so take this with a grain of salt but I think that it's a great idea and not selfish at all to teach them to be raw foodists. As they get older they can make their own choice but if you start them out on 100% raw foods they will grow up with those teachings ingrained in them and will always gravitate toward that. They will also be healthier than most children by far. The only way you could be called selfish is in the fact that you love your babies and want to enjoy them being happy and healthy because it makes you happy and healthy and anyone who loves someone is guilty of that selfishness. I hope you take the leap and help get them raw. It will be the best jump start in life that you can give them and make sure you teach them all about why this lifestyle is so good for them. Good luck.

[juliebove]

My daughter is not quite 8. Because of her food allergies she is on a very limited diet. Luckily she is good to try things. But much of the raw foods she does not like. She will eat a green salad only if she is really hungry and the rest of the food has not arrived yet. She loves melons and apples. She will eat strawberries from the garden. She will occasionally eat a raw pear but mostly likes them cooked. Carrots are one vegetable she will eat raw but never cooked. We are working on tomatoes. She knows they are good for her but will only eat them if they are chopped fine and mixed into something. There are plenty of vegetables she will eat in the raw form. But generally only as whole pieces. Not mixed into stuff.

There is just no way I could put her on a totally raw diet. If she doesn't like something, she simply won't eat it. Then we get in a big fight and it just isn't worth it! If the fight escalates, she'll get her dad involved or call grandma. And I'm always the bad guy.

So... I do the best I can to make sure she is not eating junk food and is not eating food she is allergic to. We do have a garden and she loves picking the fruit and vegetables. She eats a better diet than most kids I know. I can't complain.