Greetings

[gexter]

Greets!
I have just been reading through the forum a little bit at a time over the last few days.
Its a rather funny story in a way. For about 6 years I have been a believer of Raw and also a Calorie restricted diet. on the last, I hope that is not a dirty word :).
Anyway I tell people I know that have been having health issues how to eat better. Several months ago my wife became very ill to the point we were not sure if she was going to make it.
At my urging she went 90% raw and 100% organic and while I was not a 100% Organic type person, I believe now. She is now doing well and while not 100% she has conquered issues she has had all her life.
Now its my turn!
You know those annoying people that seem to do fine no matter what they eat, well that was me. While not trim I am not fat, while I could not even run to the end of the block I look like I could jog around the block and beyond, Etc.
The longest I ever went raw was about a month and that was nearly 20 years ago. Before I even knew it was "RAW" I saw it as fresh fruit and veggie diet. Its rather funny that I could always talk about this stuff and really never do it and never really needed to, or so I thought.
Around 44 or so my health had become troublesome and "noticeably" poor.

While I have been preaching to others I felt that I had better genetics and did not have to bother.
Now after 46 years of junk food and high white refined diet its catching me and pulling me under. While I can tell others about proper diet do you think I can do it myself? Nope! I am hopeless and sinking fast.
I have no Idea how my wife can do it. While I join her in green smoothies and raw food I am still eating junk as well as refined foods and way too much cooked food.
How do you people do it? and stay with it?
Monday give or take a day or two I am going to try going mostly Raw and mostly organic and no junk food like packaged salads and refined sugar etc.

Anyone got any strategies? sage advice?
I will be reading responses and If I have the will to do a week moving forward I will repost again. I will average my raw/cooked ratio and each day my percentage will increase towards raw. each week I will average the results.
Junk like candy,coffee and refined snacks etc thats going to be a work in progress.
If I can't I will disappear back into the web never to be heard from again.

[michigan roman]

keep reading up on the negative aspects of salt . think about how humans did not evolve sprinkling salt on our foods , early man ate like chimps . get it in your mind that salt is not a healthy habit . and that its an all or nothing thing because if you use a little bit itll lead to alot . then if your able to end salt use cooked stuff shall then taste no good without it . and youll realize salt was fooling your taste buds into thinking that cooked food taste good . and at the same time youll start noticing that raw taste much better than the cooked without salt . then youll be on course . thats how it went for me anyway .

and welcome to the site .

ps- green tea helped me going raw cuz it supresses appetite helping you to get a full feeling when changing over to raw .

[gexter]

Thank you for your response!
While I have been using the best close to organic sea salt etc and avoiding table salt I still use salt. I use a whole lot of salt as well as a high organic pepper. I grind them in a morter and "pedstle" (SP?)
If avoiding this has helped you it was not even a consideration for me. I will take it as good advice, and add this as a additional goal.

Thanks again

Gex

[Blazin'Jane]

I was hungry alot for the first week, but just kept eating raw things. I got tired of eating, all right, but it passed. It was worth it. Make a couple of good easy things out of alissa's book. Good luck! :)

[spicyfull]

NEVER Stop Posting....don't go back to your hiding place. So what if it takes you a while.....YOU CAN DO THIS....You will find that you are not the only one struggling on this Forum. We are all in this together, though you are struggling now, you will learn much and one day your struggle will be a Testimoney as Roman's was to you.

Keep a Journal of what you are eating and your thoughts as you are eating.

My Friend, this is a Journey and PLEASE keep Travelin' on the Road because on it you will find Much Success. You will find that you will echance your TEACHING by ALSO being able to DO.

YOU WILL RISE........I WISH YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO STAY RAW.....WELCOME TO MY WORLD................

[KatK]

Victoria Boutenko wrote in her 12 Steps to Raw Foods book that cooked food is an addiction. While you still are eating some percentage of your diet cooked, you'll still have cravings for cooked food. After being 100% raw for some time, you can kick the cravings, but always be an addict.

Hope that helps!

[michigan roman]

katk thats a great quote = ' cooked food is an addiction , youll always be an addict ' . now i got it straight !

seeds - nuts - fruit -dry fruit -greens-water-
vegis - sprouts are food .
anything else is strictly for emergency situations .

[gexter]

Thanks
I did read the Green for life book and it made me think.
I like that quote about cooked food being an addiction, puts it on the same lines as suger and coffee etc.

Thanks for the support all, not doing all that great but I have been able to cut my junk down and eat more raw thats better than no improvement.
well my coffee went up a little over the week.
Not exactly raw
later,

Gex

[rawpriestess]

Welcome welcome welcome

[gexter]

hey
I am just wanted to let you all know that I am still going with this Raw stuff.
It was a really slow start and it was the last chapter of a book that mentioned having control of you body and hunger ( or perception of )
While I am still not 100% Raw I average about 90% I have some popcorn and some hot herbal drinks. I was having manna bread with Raw honey and peanut butter but even that has slowed to twice a week tops.
Other than tasting the food that I have to make for my clients and my family thats about it.
I taste a very small amount and sometimes I just go by the smell instead of tasting.
So I will let you know where I am at.
I dropped coffee and Pop ( I was a heavy coffee and pepsi drinker) Severe headaches for more than a week.
I do not take any processed sugar only raw unpastureized honey.
No processed foods of any sort.
No food related chemicals
I dropped meat completely ( have any of you read "chew on this" yuck)
It was my intention to only buy free range and well treated animals but I cannot not eat raw meat because of my faith so meat is out.
Of course I stopped my chocolate and candy habit.
I also loved sugar cereals and that is no more.

last week I decided to have coffee with a friend and I thought I was going to have a heart attack ( it did taste good at first) I love coffee but that stuff is nasty to me now ( blame the good organic produce I am eating)
that same evening ( stupid me) my Son which is a heavy gamer asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with him instead of him playing his PC game. I said sure and he offered me some chips I had a small bowl and before the movie was over I was getting pretty ill. It took me about 24 hours to feel ok again.

That was upsetting that I cannot handle that stuff now. In a way I am being forced into a Raw lifestyle and all I wanted to do was do a cleanse and perk up the health. So far it looks like I will never be able to go back to where I was.
I have dropped about 12 pounds without meaning too, I was already lean enough. I do not bother with exercise because I really never had a weight problem but my Abs are peaking through the little fat I did have.

I am 47 and looked in good shape but now I am in a little better shape.

anyway I just wanted to let people know that without even trying and not taking the whole thing too serious I have come along way. Presently I feel that I am at a long drawn out detox.

ALthough I do not feel that I have gained any real noticable health benefits I can only see a forward movement. I cannot see myself going back at all to the SAD. Fresh organic produce is never boring and always yummy. I can taste and enjoy food more ( I love to eat even more than I did before)

anyway I may not post here again but I wanted to encourage others and let other know that even a confirmed junkfood junkie that could eat anything without ill effects for about45 years can change even when I did not even feel I had to.

Gex " I brake for lettuce wraps"

all the best and thanks for the encouragement