Please Convince Me!

[Sunrise]

Hi Everyone,

I have been thinking about the rawfood lifestyle for a long time. I am afraid though. I would like to hear from people who have been eating exclusively raw foods for two or more years whose doctors have found that they are healthy, blood work etc.
I am asking this with the upmost respect for all of you.

Respectfully,

P.M.W.

[Sharon in Colorado]

There's no need to be afraid of fruits and vegetables. They are your friends!

Just imagine there are people all around the world eating nothing but fruits veggies, nuts and seeds and they are not only thriving, but in the best health of their lives!

Take the 30 day challenge and see what fresh, raw food can do for you!

[misslinda]

Hi Everyone,

I have been thinking about the rawfood lifestyle for a long time. I am afraid though. I would like to hear from people who have been eating exclusively raw foods for two or more years whose doctors have found that they are healthy, blood work etc.
I am asking this with the upmost respect for all of you.

Respectfully,

P.M.W.


I was just curious......

First of all, WELCOME and great to have you.

You've been thinking about this for a long time? Is it b/c how you are eating now is [working] or [not] working?

What is your fear about eating freshly,naturally occurring foods?

What do you eat now?

:)

[PATH301]

Ditto with misslinda and Sharon In Colorado,
Also have you picked up Alissa's book or c.d's? their very insightful and you can gain a lot great cooking recipes to help you get started - just to try. Try doing the 4 weeks of different types of foods. Take the foods that she has listed in there and then go and find out what the nutrientional values are and see if you like it or not. As you go through this site, you'll find a lot of help, from all the different threads and post enjoy yourself :D

[Revvell]

I ditto all the above especially wondering how/why one can be afraid of eating whole foods with all the nutrients, the fiber, the life energy in them as opposed to eating foods and non-foods which have had all the above cooked and processed out of them.

If you want to hear from people who've been in the raw food lifestyle for over 2 years, you may wish to listen to the interviews I've done over the last couple of weeks with Jinjee Talifero whose husband has been raw for over 30 years; Melissa Davison and upcoming ~ Nomi Shannon (not 100% anymore) and, if her schedule permits, Alissa Cohen.

The link is in the bottom of my sig ~

Revvell

[Graciebeliever]

Change is scary but there is no need to fear something that will improve your life :)

Ok Detox... you may not like that idea but ya know what? In the long run, the other medical issues that eating wrong bring cause far more medical discomfort and long term ramifications..

FOR ME??


I choose RAW RAW RAW!

[levamssg]

P.M.W. -
I've been 100% raw for a couple of years now. My bloodwork is awesome ... bad cholesterol down, good is up, everything else in the excellent range ... in fact, my doctor (who is a raw food advocate) just waves at my results and says ... "what can I say -- you are totally healthy". (note ... I started raw while doing radiation for breast cancer, so being pronounced totally healthy means a lot to me!)

There is more to being raw than just the food -- there is the whole social thing that goes along with it that can be intimidating and causes some folks to hesitate, but it is completely doable. Give it a try .. usually you will notice a change for the good almost instantly.

But, if you don't want to do a challenge and plunge in , then go a bit slower.
Start by doing one day a week totally raw ... then add a day ... add a day ... add a day ... and presto, you will be doing all raw before you know it and feeling great.

You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Good luck!!!

[jaurequi]

... I started raw while doing radiation for breast cancer, so being pronounced totally healthy means a lot to me!...

Wow...Congratulations, levamsg. That is fantastic! Are you cancer free now? You are a wonderful, live, testament for eating healthfully. Thank you :).

Best,

[Goldsplinter]

Be afraid, be very afraid.

[Sunrise]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your replies, your encouragement is very helpful.
The reason I am nervous about starting this lifestyle is because I am concerned about what may happen in the long-term.
Right now my blood-work is perfect...I have all the levels of nutrients that I need. I do however feel bloated and sluggish much of the time.
I am a pretty healthy weight...though I could stand to lose a few pounds.
I can understand that eating all raw foods might bring wonderful changes to a person over say, six months, but I wonder if it may bring the opposite effect over the long term...
That is why I would like to hear from people who have been living this way for a significant amount of time. I would like to hear from people who have commercial interests in promoting this way of life [I admit I am a skeptic whenever there is money to be made by promoting ANY lifestyle].

Terry,
Congratulations on your health! It is people like you who make me think that raw food really is a great lifestyle! I know that this may be repeated elsewhere on the forum, but could you tell me what you eat in a typical day?

Sorry for the length of this post, and I sincerely hope that I am not offending anyone with my concerns.

[Sharon in Colorado]

The cool thing about being in control of your health is that you can always change things when they aren't working for you.

[Ginger]

Exactly! :D

I'm not going to convince you.. I think you will find a ton of reasons why & also why not to eat your food 'strait up'. For me it just dosn't matter what reasons there are.. if it feels good do it! Try it for yourself for 30 days. 30 days is not very long at all but heck try it for a week even & see how you feel! If you feel great & have energy & feel light & notice any imporovements.. try it longer! If you go to the doctor & s/he says you are deficient in something.. you can always try to find a natural source of it or supplement if you have to. If you feel terrible & it just isn't something you can do.. feel free to stop at any time & return to eating what you feel you need!

[dreamrawalwz]

You never know until you try :p

[maraw]

One of the reasons I enjoy eating raw food, is the freedom associated with it. I went raw not quite two years ago. Within the first couple of days, I felt kind of bad, but I knew enough to know that it would pass - and it did. But what came after was so wonderful. Within about a week or so, I noticed that I didn't crave certain foods anymore - like bread, sugar, and chocolate. And I felt so satisfied after eating such a small amount of food. THAT was, and is, a great feeling. There are many nights when I don't eat dinner. Not because I'm trying to starve myself, but because I'm really not hungry - at all! I felt as though I had lost my unknowing addiction to food. It's kind of hard to explain, but it's a very tangible thing.

I know this has already been said, but it's worth repeating. You are in control of your health and your diet. No one else. Try not to not fear opportunities to improve your health, embrace them. And if you feel uncomfortable, you are free to make other choices. But somehow, I don't think you will...

Best wishes,
Anna

[misslinda]

*Looks up at Maraw *


Was thinking about you yesterday~ Glad to see you...... :)

[berrymarymac]

Welcome!!

Well, in a month my cholersteral lowered by 90 points!!! So yeah...raw is good. My skin clears up a lot on raw, I have energy...my asthma goes away! I can sing better because I don't have dairy to worry about. I sleep better at night! Try it for a month...but going back is hard. I get sick when I go back to SAD!