New-"Hi everyone"

[Summerloco]

Hi everybody, I'm Stephanie, I'm 13 and live in NC. First off let me saw I am not raw and do not really plan on becoming raw. Though I am not raw I do not eat the SAD american diet, I am a vegan, a celiac so I eat no procced foods (The close I get to "Processed" is a Larabar or raw flax crackers), I eat tons and tons of fruit and vegtables (My diet is mostly all fruits and vegtables with some nuts and beans and stuff), and I try to eat an uncooked meal at least once a day, normal a huge green salad, or for breakfast I'll throw an apple in the blender and blend with some nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and maybe a little maple syrup or somthing. I have looked at this website many times before, because I was fasinated that you guys still eat brownies and ice cream and pizzas and stuff, but their raw. And I see that all of you are Vegan basicly and like the things I like that "normal" people I know wouldn't understand, like Green Smoothies and Almond Butter and Flax Crackers and stuff.

Though I am not raw, and am not going to become raw, am I still welcome? I really like this website, and want to try some of the recipes you guys post so that I eat more raw food. Also I am a recovering anorexic and I've seen there is a lot of people with eating disorders on here, and in my dark times of hating myself the support from those like myself would really help, my mom tries to help me, but she just doesn't understand.

[sport]

I am sure that you are more than welcome here.
Not everyone here is fully raw and I am willing to bet that you are as raw as a lot of us.
The main rule is that this is a board is to encourage people in their raw vegan journey so you should not post anything that will promote any idea that may discourage us.
Other than that discuss what ever you need to talk about. There are a number of teens here as well as old fogies like me. I hope that we can all be of help to you.

[dreamrawalwz]

May I ask why you say you probably won't ever be raw? Is it that you're against it or you don't think you can do it or ?? I'm just curious. I wouln't keep your mindset as you'll never go raw, but keep it openthat mabe later in your future you'd like to persue raw? Sounds like you're on a great start...why not continue the journey? You're young and it's great that you have the diet you do now (compared to a lot of kids these days).

[Summerloco]

I am not against being raw, but I say I never will be is because 1. My life is hectic enough, and being raw/celiac/anorexic/vegan at my age, I would get teased and beat-up in school like crazy (That's how it is here that's why I'm now homeschooled). 2. I like cooked food, guilty as charged. When I'm an adult I want to move to Italy and own a resturant and it'll be called Summerloco, and I write vegan/celiac recipes everyday that I could use in my resturant maybe, which Summerloco is half the reason I joined, if I could open a resurt, I would also like to have a raw food section on the menu too. I may change my mind, but it's just not in the cards at this point in my life. I just eat as healthy as I can.

[Dimond]

You're young still. You might change your mind when you get older. The fact that you already eat healthier is a good thing & you'll probably learn a lot from this board.

[Brianna]

Hi!!! I'm celiac too! I found out when I was sixteen. Now I'm 19. How long have you been off gluten? I would just say to take one thing at a time and incorporate more raw as you can. When I first started changing my diet, I never would have thought that I'd end up being raw. The thought would have been too overwhelming. But it sounds like you are really trying to eat healthy and a lot of raw and that's great!!!

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Summerloco,

It sounds like you are a very bright and health-oriented young lady. I have a 13-year old daughter too! She eats raw, but not ALL raw..probably much like yourself. You are VERY welcome here to learn more about how we eat and get some of these fab recipes and who knows...perhaps you will open a restaurant that will cater to both cooked vegans AND raw vegans! :D

But I think you're doing exceptional by eating vegan cooked and incorporating some raw stuff in there too...you're probaby more raw than you know/think and just have some cooked favorites you're not quite ready to give up on yet and even with that, you are eating WAAAAY better than the typical 13-year old! So, it's nice to meet you and have you here learning about how fun it can be to eat raw goodies and maybe you'll even create some recipes to share like some of our other "resident youth raw chefs".

[Summerloco]

Thanks for all the nice replies everyone, I was kinda scared you would all say I wasn't welcome because I'm not raw, and Brianna I found out I had celiac when I was 8, so almost 6 years (I had just turned 8, and I'm 13 & 1/2 now)

[exurb]

WELCOME!!!

I think you will find this site chock full of great things that are safe and delicious for you to eat, and make you not feel limited or deprived of things you're "missing." Eating all these wonderful raw things created from delicious ingredients instead of just plain bland stuff like flour, have made me realize that that stuff with the flour in it ain't that special anyway. Raw "baking" and all this delicious food can be really amazing! It is expanding not limiting IMO, so I'm glad you found us and hope we are of help.

[tinystrawberry]

Welcome! Nice to meet you :)

[Lay-Lay]

welcome, look forward to seeing you on the forum.