Go Raw -- Receive Negativity from non-raw

[Raine]

I'm now on Day 13 of what I hope will be a 30 day juice fast. Though I have been eating predominately raw for several months, the most dramatic changes have ocurred since the fast began.

Two people that are close to me have noticed the difference and they are both anxious to take control of their lives. I have sent them several links to read and told them to decide for themselves if this makes sense because I have no intention of pushing anyone in this direction. I did mention that I personally don't tell people what I'm doing because there are so many nay-sayers.

So both of these people have felt that the time has come for them to attempt to go raw and wish to detox and get that out of the way.

Person 1 began 4 days ago and in spite of her household claiming she needed to eat better, now that she is, she is surrounded by negativity such as "You'll never get off all those medications", "I wonder if you'll walk again" (she is recovering from a broken leg but is quite heavy) and then going so far is to sit down in front of her with a huge piece of cheesecake and ignored her request to not eat in front of her.

Person 2 plans to begin a juice fast tomorrow or Tuesday. He made his announcement and was immediately bombarded with "That's sick! You can't eat just raw food", "It's just a fad.", on and on. He's been juicing and only having salads while out -- he just wants to get back to his normal weight and detox in a big way.

SO -- I would like to hear from others any negativity or challenges they have encountered from others when they began their raw journey and how did you deal with it.....thanks!

[greeninloanageles1]

I used to say, that I want to see for myself, if this type of nutrition works for me - I am experimenting myself. That ussually shuts people up. Some people actually told me, that I will look awful after a month of this diet. Thank goodness, I was over 3 months raw then and told them that - after this they had nothing to say...
The most important thing as you said - not to push your way on the other people. We have no right to control other people life - even if they are very sick and close to death. We need to respect their choice and also require, that our choices be respected.
Maybe your friend could ask for support from her family members and ask them to eat her favorite cooked foods outside the house. My husband did that at firs that for me, even though he did not joined me in raw food diet.

[Revvell]

When I first became vegetarian over 20 years ago, someone told me that I would be dead w/in a year. Well, ahm still here!

Each person has to deal with the fear of others as it comes up. I don't expect it and don't receive it. That's pretty much the gist of it. People fear what they don't know and the will put up barriers.

It's also like lobsters-in-a-barrel. One lobster climbs out, the others pull it back. Maybe your friends need to read about Jonathan Livingston Seagull or other books where people live free.

Revvell

[Coriander74]

I would tell them that I was just going to do the 30-Day challenge, and see how it works for me, then decide afterwards. I got a LOT of flack from people, especially my parents, who worried that I wasn't going to get enough nutrition, enough protein, enough calcium, etc.

However, now that they've seen me through 3 1/2 months of this, and how it has positively affected my life, they're all for it. They're cheering me on, and when I express interest in something cooked, they gently say "Look how Raw has helped you."

I wish both of your friends lots of luck, please direct them to this board if they need it :)

You're a wonderful friend to try and help them, and I wish you the best on your juice fast!

[papayaya]

When i first started really looking at nutrition and spending a lot of my time researching different things, i became a complete extremist. i resented people who ate unhealthily and just couldn't believe how stupid they were being, on top of it, they were telling me i was being UNHEALTHY by not eating meat, and eating raw, etc. THEN i realized something important, you can't condemn people for their choices because they aren't the same as yours (which is what i used to do to SAD eaters and what they reciprocated with), as long as people are doing that there will be a vicious cycle. all attitudes towards nutrition are based soley on encultured thoughts and beliefs which are mostly (as we know) wrong. unfortunately people are deathly afraid of the unknown, so as long as you're doing something different, it will be met with conflict
didn't mean to babble there, but yah, that's how i overcame people's negativities and sort of put everything in perspective, hope it helps!

[unbitten]

well i've been eating vegetarian for over a year now, and i work at a restaurant where we eat "family meal" (a big pot of meat-filled food served to all of us) every day. so i have to make my own food, and a lot of the guys i work with object to the way i eat. certain people dont care, and certain people bug me everytime we eat and sometimes in between meals. it's really obnoxious when i take a bite of my salad and i hear from behind me, "mooooooo......." i also get a lot of flack for being the only female wok cook, and some guys give me shit and say i'm not as good because of it, even though i'm the only one in the kitchen with a culinary degree.
once i have some more money, i plan on quitting and starting my own personal chef business, but for right now there's not much i can do but put up with it (about the food thing anyway; about being a girl, i talk **** right back because i cannot tolerate that kind of bs harassment). because arguing about food doesn't get me anywhere usually, so i just ignore them now, and try not to make a big deal out of it at mealtime. sometimes i even get comments that my food looks better than what they're eating!

so i guess tell your friends that people will be ignorant and criticize them for their alternative lifestyles, and it will be a difficult path and they will be challenged to change their habits, but they know in their hearts that they are doing whats best for them, and so they just have to not make a big deal about it in situations where they know they dont have much support, and keep on truckin'. :)

[Revvell]

.... i talk shit right back because i cannot tolerate that kind of bullshit harassment).

I personally don't have issues with your language yet, others may. You may want to consider this.

Revvell

[unbitten]

sorry....but i think we're all adults here, though and we can handle an ugly word or two about some people who are acting in a very ugly way.....

you might say it was bullshit too if you had to put up with that sort of thing every day.

[spicyfull]

I wish you everything to Stay RAW...........

[pdx kris]

I've found that people in my life very rarely judge the way I eat. I would venture to guess that this is primarily because I don't make a big deal about the way I eat. :D Unless someone asks, I don't bring up that I'm raw. If they do ask about how I eat, I explain nonchalantly that I am a vegetarian who only eats raw fruits, vegetables, seeds, etc. If they want to know more, I tell them more.

If they react with the "that's so extreme, etc etc," I recognize that they are judging themselves and their perceptions of who they can be and how much they can accomplish, I just happen to be the sounding board because they're not ready to look at themselves yet. I know, because I was that person before I was ready to make the huge dietary transition to raw. :) To echo a previous response, we can't control the choices other people make, and furthermore, we often forget what it was like before we became raw!

As far as fasting goes, I've read the advice in many respected works about fasting that when you're on a fast, you keep it to yourself. This advice is given for a variety of reasons, the main one being that you don't need to be bombarded with negative responses that come from people who are usually genuinely concerned about your health. The population that recognizes fasting as therapeutic in our society is still a subculture. Obviously this is more difficult if you live in a household of multiple people. :rolleyes:

[misslinda]

It's alot more frustrating and disappointing when the words come from people that are closest to us yet if we want to move forward and take charge, sometimes we have to be like WALL (focused on ourselves )and just do it.

I wish you and them ALL the best in healing endeavors, NEVER let words keep you from doing what is best for you. What you DO is the most effective---not what they say,that can be forgotten ;) .

:)

[Sharon in Colorado]

Yup after a while you have to just let it slide, cause in one form or another, people will always try to give you grief about your choices, whatever those choices might be.

Also the way you handle the nay sayers says a lot about you. People give up bothering happy people, but may continue to yank the chains of those that appear bothered or defensive.

Just human nature I guess. :)

[Revvell]

sorry....but i think we're all adults here, though and we can handle an ugly word or two about some people who are acting in a very ugly way.....

you might say it was bullshit too if you had to put up with that sort of thing every day.

Actually, I might not. I don't "put up" with "that sort of thing" because I don't draw it. :D

Revvell

[exurb]

my favorite way to deal with it is to glow. :D

I also think it is important to find credible information about proper nutrition and eat balanced and getting all your nutrients. IMO there is unfortunately a little too much BS flying around, and also some people get on a very unbalanced track with certain types of raw diets and end up with deficiencies and health problems that don't support the case. Eating healthily and looking and feeling great, getting great nutrition and avoiding deficiencies are the best ways to deal with it.