New to Raw and waiting for Book & DVD

[ckelly]

Hi

I am starting the Raw Food Challenge tomorrow but have yet to get my book which i ordered today.

Do I eat just fruit all day or can I have veggies at lunch and supper........any suggestions, tips, would be appreciated! ;)

Does eating raw cause weight loss? with or without exercise?

Thanks!

[GreenPrince]

ckelly,

Hi and welcome to the Raw Wonderland!

I warmly suggest you to first read the book and watch the dvd before you start your Challenge.
You will get a lot of knowledges, inspiration and I think most of your questions will be answered in more complete way.

I don't doubt you already are enthusiastic.
Of course you can start tomorrow, but then do it for just for fun and as an emotional and mental preparation
for the coming ”challenge”. Play with the food. Have fun.

You don't lose any time. In fact you have plenty of time... your whole life.
All this is a process.

[Nenyath]

Hi Ckelly!

I started raw without the book or dvd because I simply could not afford it and I am still raw here 7 months after but that is mostly thanks to this wonderful forum! As for your question, some eat only fruit, some eat greens as well, some high fat, some low fat.. Basically it is up to you to find out what works the best for you. I started out with fruit for breakfast and until lunch, I snacked on nuts and raisins whenever I wanted. Had salad for lunch or dinner and an avocado sometime during the day. Be prepared to be alot hungry in the beginning and keep plenty of raw food around, nothing better that a big bowl filled with fresh fruits just waiting to be eaten! And weightloss, if you have anything to shed, then it will be shed. I have been releasing weight steadely on my journey and am still reaching my ideal weight. This has been done with no exercise at all (except a period where I walked a great distance every day)

Yay for your enthusiasm! That is what I consider the key to really go raw! So basically, keep your enthusiasm, play with the food, try recipes and stuff, there are a lot of them on the forum and I have heard divine descriptions of the ones in Alissa's book ;) and just have fun!

Fly forever free!

[ShelShel]

I too started without the book and have been raw for 8 and 1/2 months. (Thanks to this forum.)
Stick to raw fruits...veggies...nuts...and seeds. Do some searches by clicking on the banana at the top of the screen. That will hold a wealth of info to answer your questions.
I have never owned a dehydrator...or expensive anything. You can do this simply. Or you can invest in these things and make lavish gourmet raw meals! It's all up to you. ;) What ever works for you...that's what makes raw so freeing.
I've lost tons of weight...and feel wonderful and healthy. Raw Rawks! :D Good luck!

[ckelly]

Thank you so much for your encouragement and tips......very inspiring!

I really like the idea of just taking it as a prep time till I get the book and learn more.

One more silly question: does raw mean you cant cook anything not even lightly steam?

Thanks again! :)

[sport]

Hi and welcome.
There are no raw police so do the best that you possibly can (and then a little more).
Lightly steamed is not raw. I sometimes have a cup of tea and that is not raw but it is what I choose to do.

[sport]

Anything that has been heated to 118 degrees is no longer raw.

[Morn]

You will love the book and it gives helpful tips about what to shop for to have on hand, testimonies, recipes, and a lot of helpful information. I did my first week raw without it and wish I had it before I began. But if you want to start, stick to the basics of fruits, salads, raw nuts, etc. Best Wishes to You!!!

[Celany]

Anything that has been heated to 118 degrees is no longer raw.
what about tea leaves, specifically green tea leaves? (provided they aren't heated above 118 degrees)

[Kerilyn]

Welcome to the group! Raw is very simple if you make it that way. I was raw for a few weeks without alissa's book and did just fine. I just finished it last weekend..and don't get me wrong- it's a great book that helps newbies understand what they are doing and why. It's a book to inspire you along your journey. Over 1/2 the book is full of recipes. I'm not to that point yet- and I don't know if I ever will be. My lifestyle is much simpler. I just eat fruit for snacking/meals, I make about 2 quarts of Green Smoothies to sip on throughout the day and usually have a big salad for dinner with some veggies and nuts on it!! I'm completely satisfied with that. My cravings for cooked food are nonexistent. I have yet to go through a time where I really struggled and had to talk myself out of not eating something cooked. Before I went raw I was 100% SAD.. I had a few slip-ups in the beginning- when I was on vacations..but keep in mind that it wasn't because I was tempted to eat the cooked food- it was because I didn't have the raw food around, and I wasn't educated enough to know how to order at resturants. So be supplied with raw food at all times in the beginning to help yourself through those tough transitioning times. Remember what going "out to eat" is really about- it's about the company, meeting with friends and family, talking..etc. It's never really about the FOOD. Good luck on your journey to become RAW!! I wish you the best of luck- Start today and see how it goes…little steps at a time is better than no steps at all but I do believe you should dedicate at least 30 days too 100% raw and then decide from there – when you look back on life…what’s ONE MONTH?? If you fall into any trouble- put a shout out and we’ll be there for you. That’s the greatest thing about this forum. They say when you first start out you should eat anything/everything raw that you want to, to help with the cravings. People often take that advice and run with it- if you are looking for the weight loss..be careful when it comes to the nuts/seeds and avocadoes! They are very high in fat and often people that turn to raw also turn to high fat because of these 3 things…and become addicted and find it hard to come off of them..so go easy- : ) The Raw Secrets does a great job explaining all that more in depth if you wanna know.. but that’s the basis behind it all. Again- good luck, we all here for you 100%..(sorry about the book long entry!!) hehe

[ckelly]

Many thanks for the information and the caring........it is really appreciated.

I go on a trip in 2 weeks and hope to be able to do raw there too in the restaurants. Is salad dressing not raw? Stick to lemon and oil?

:confused: