Can anyone be too busy to go raw???

[japonessa]

Hi All,

I've been thinking about making the move to raw for about a year now, and I could come up with a thousand excuses to start "tomorrow" but I want to start now.

I'm interested in this lifestyle because I want to be healthy and I want to be alive to do all the things I want to do. I also dont feel as young and I am and have numerous allergies.

Problem: I'm a full-time student and career girl at the same time. I normally don't get home until about 9 or 10 at night. I spend a lot of money on tuition so I don't want to jump the gun and buy all sorts of equipment before I'm really ready.

Can anyone recommend any resources that will help me ease into it without having to buy ALL raw food equipment? Can I start with a food processor and wait out a dehydrator? Are there any books out there for the busy raw foodists?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!! I'm really psyched to start...
Thanks guys...

JP

[Rawkinlocs]

Alissa's book is full of recipes that range from super simplistic to more complex...some require only a food processor while others may require a dehydrator OR some that require a dehydrator can be converted to dehydrator-less...for example, nut burgers can be eaten stuffed in leaves or tomatoes or mushrooms, etc as a pate' rather than dehydrated to a burger.

Here are a couple of other book title suggestions:

Raw Food for Busy People by Jordan Maerin

Raw Food Made Easy One or Two People by Jennifer Cornbleet

Also, you can always eat a more simple raw diet - basic fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds without all the recipes...but in transitioning, the recipes DO come in handy to help sustain you and make you feel more satiated.

But all in all, you can do this even on a busy schedule and with limited appliances.

[kellibelli]

I still dont have a dehydrator although I really, really want one! I have an old blender that I got in 1994 for my wedding...it outlasted my former husband and I am using that for my smoothies! I did splurge last week and got a small food processor at Target for less than $20. Thats all I have so far. You will do just fine until you save up for the other "extras"...they arent necessities, but they make it easier in the long run I think. I look forward to the dehydrator so that I can make things that somewhat resemble the crappy food I still crave. I only have one book, which I stumbled upon that only explains the reasoning behind eating raw...no recipes really at all to help me out with, though I want to get Alissa's when I have the spare cash. Also, I am a single mom of 3 little girls with very little cash to spare and somehow we are making the raw foods fit into our budget. It is possible...when there is a will, there is a way. Oh ya, if you are busy then this food is even better! Some apples, bananas, carrots, yada, yada, yada will do just perfect in between classes and work.

So there's my shpeel...just know that if you find yourself with a Big Mac in your hand, sipping on a soda, DONT THROW IN THE TOWEL!!! Never give up. Keep coming back to raw. Dont expect perfection immediately. :)

[luckitri]

Just mono eat cleaned produce.

[luckitri]

kelli I have been trying to contact you and I can't get it to work. Will you please e-mail me at luckitri@yahoo.com?

[kellibelli]

kelli I have been trying to contact you and I can't get it to work. Will you please e-mail me at luckitri@yahoo.com?

I just emailed you...I hope everything is alright...dont forget to check your email. :p

[Pierre]

I have been raw for a few months without a blender (which I should have in a couple of weeks). I make a salad with a variety of ingredients (usually including avocado or olive) and eat that and some fruit. Instead of smoothies, I mash frozen fruit pulp with a potato masher. (Some fruit pulps are pasteurized and some aren't. Buy ones that aren't.)

[DavidZaneMason]

-I worked two jobs....but carried a snack bag with me (and put in my desk) wherever I went. I always had water...salad...fruit....fresh nuts....to snack on. PREPARATION and SELF-RELIANCE should be your watch words. Don't expect unhealthy people to understand your lifestyle...appreciate it....endorse it...or accomodate it. A few will...most won't! Your happiness and confidence will determine THAT one!

-David Mason

[dreamrawalwz]

You don't need any extra gadgets. Do simple meals of fruits, salads (that aren't jus tlettuce, tomato, cucumber haha, but add avocado, olive oil, ect.), trail mix bags made by you with raw nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Even if this isn't proper food combining don't worry about that. You're just starting out and do the best you can do for now :)

[Graciebeliever]

-I worked two jobs....but carried a snack bag with me (and put in my desk) wherever I went. I always had water...salad...fruit....fresh nuts....to snack on. PREPARATION and SELF-RELIANCE should be your watch words. Don't expect unhealthy people to understand your lifestyle...appreciate it....endorse it...or accomodate it. A few will...most won't! Your happiness and confidence will determine THAT one!

-David Mason


DZM -- I can sure count on you to be clear headed, to the point, and full of encouraging wisdom. Can I toss you in my pocket?? hehe
You are definitley an integral part of my raw lifestyle on a daily bases and I do carry a printed copy of quotes from here in my purse from you and others:)

Thanks and keep the advice comin!

[japonessa]

Thanks you guys, your replies are really encouraging... I can't wait to start! Do any of you have to take B12 supplements to keep everything in check? I had to watch that when my doctor put me on an elimination diet for my allergies...

[lodestar]

i'd like to second the DZM advice...he's a huge help to me.

[DavidZaneMason]

Thank you Gracie...Lodestar...that warms my heart.

-David Mason

[maryonherway]

Thanks you guys, your replies are really encouraging... I can't wait to start! Do any of you have to take B12 supplements to keep everything in check? I had to watch that when my doctor put me on an elimination diet for my allergies...
I take a B-12 supplement, since my understanding is that B-12 only is available from animal products. I'm not sure if my body (or anyone elses) really needs B-12, but I'd rather be safe than sorry, so I take it. I may get confident enough in my new 'way of life' at some point to not take it, but until then, it's something I add every day.

[Pierre]

B12 is found in dulse, which I eat most days, so I don't worry about it. It's basically heme or chlorophyll with a cobalt atom instead of the iron or magnesium, so if you're getting enough cobalt, you should make enough. It's made by bacteria. I don't think the studies on it were done on raw foodists; we have a different population of bacteria than cooked foodists.

[Gosia]

No-one is too busy to eat! I am a full-time academic, and a career girl too. When I first went raw, in order to save time, I decided to take bags of fruit and vegies to work instead of making recipes. It stayed like this till today. I take bags of fruit with me to work, and eat when hungry. I make recipes in the evening, or during the weekends, when I have a little more time. In my first year, I used to take salad ingredients (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, some dressing) with me to work, making a salad does not take long. (I don't do this anymore, as I prefer to simply have fruit. I leave denser foods for the evenings.)

Gosia

[japonessa]

Hi Pierre, thanks!!

Can dulse really be a sufficient salt substitute as well? I'm trying to cut back on the salt too... I can handle the taste of seaweed, I just want to know how seaweed-y it is as a salt substitute.

[luckitri]

Dulse will help you get your salt fix. Pierre - do you know of an inexpensive source for dulse? Mine costs $5 a mouthful!

[Lay-Lay]

I work fulltime, 60-80 hours a week. I am active with religion and preaching and teaching work. I cook for my hubby. I help care for a disabled member of my family. I have a home, cars, and plenty of bills. I find the time to take care of myself by eating a diet high in raw foods because I deserve it!

[tweety]

Hi Japonessa,
I am new to the raw lifestyle as well!! i work FT and also a student so i totally can empathize what you are going through!!

What DZM said is right on the money... he just put it in words more succinct than myself :)

Preparation and Self-Reliance.

I know that people will be turning their noses up if i talk about raw food so i am just going to have to learn to keep to myself about this.
I hope to impress people with raw food dishes that i plan on bringing to potlucks at work in the future ;)
My boss is a Weight Watchers fanatic... and when i casually mentioned a recipe for a vegan cake.. basically her response was "where's the butter?"

But until the weight starts coming off then maybe i'll tell them what my new secret weapon is :D

as far as preparation is concerned... here are a few pointers as what i just did yesterday to make my meals so much more convenient when im on the go...

1. get a good collection of tupperware. some of the Ziploc resusable bowls at teh supermarket work well.

2. Pick 1-2 days a week to chop up some veggies and put in tupperware. i do this so i can just throw in a baggie the night before when i prepare my lunches

3. bottle up your water, put your raw nuts and seeds in a baggie

4. if you want more variety... get a cheap food processor at Walmart for $10.. mine is a Black and Decker...last night i made 2 dips and put in the tupperware... some really tasty fresh Guacamole and a Red Pepper Pate.
you can put some of these dips in a plastic to-go cup and they taste excellent with carrot sticks, cucumber and other goodies.

5. Apples and Oranges are very convenient when you are on the go. they are clean and very tasty. Get some Almond butter and put in a plastic to-go cup with some raisins..

I am finding that i can whip up fresh Guac or a Red Pepper pate in a matter of 15 minutes!!!
oh and i also got 2 large Gallons of spring water at my desk in the office so i have no excuse now for not getting my water :D

I am still learning what is Raw and what isnt , but i am just doing what works for me.

i was really surprised only after a few days of being Raw 70%, the boxed Risotto i had last night was just bland and tasted like cardboard!! :eek: yuck! Now i have a stinkin' pot i have to scrub out.. gosh i hate that. and that will require more of my time when i could do something else!!

you can definitely do this!!

cheers,
tweety

[japonessa]

Tweety,

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! They really help! I know a lot of people are going to freak out at me for doing this, but what's worse is that I live in Brooklyn and the trendy stigma attached to the raw food diet might actually be worse. Whatever, I'm just tired of food allergies/intolerances and am ready to make a change. I probably won't mention anything to anyone until they notice a change in my appearance or mood.

I'm so glad you mentioned the Tupperware thing. I love preparing food and not having to pay $7-10 for a salad at work or before class starts. I'm also psyched to try out all the raw restaurants in the city and getting into really caring about what I buy. I've been researching all weekend and have made lists of places where I can shop (locally and online). Surprisingly, the specialty stores are way cheaper than Whole Foods and the farmer's markets here are going to be beneficial to this diet. I'm also really excited to explore the city in a whole new light, looking for these health places instead of the usual Sunday stroll of hitting a bar every 2 blocks for a pint.

The Red Pepper Pate sounds yumms! Where did you get the recipe? I'm definitely in the market for a new food processor. My last $!0 one has lasted me 3 good years.

Little confession: the final catalyst for me going raw is that my landlord gave out the wrong info for transferring my energy bill to my apartment and my gas is shut off! It wasn't until my best friend suggested to finally just go raw after thinking about it for so long, that it just made sense and promotes minimal temptation!

So to all who live alone or live with other raw foodists: turn off your gas if you don't need it! (I'll still have tea until I go 100%, but I have an electric kettle for that)

[Rawkinlocs]

bumping up for newbies...