Last Place I'd Expect to Have a Problem Being Raw

[Eva]

I didn't know if the coconut they had or rolled oats in an oatmeal mix would be raw, so I asked the owner of the ONLY well-equipped health food store on the island where I live. He said he wasn't sure, but told me it shouldn't matter!

I told him it mattered to me because I'm consciously eating a raw diet.

"Well, I guess it depends. What is your goal of going raw?" And he said it in a really offensive way (yes obnoxiously, but what I mean is he was on the offense, ready to attack)!

I politely told him I didn't need to debate it with him, but I did want to know if the stuff was raw or not.

It could have been more frustrating, but I have to note that he does have an unhealthy complexion and pretty big beer belly, and probably has a lot of built-up frustration or anxiety since he was so ready to let that loose. Whatever diet he's doing is obviously not working.

I guess my whole point is that I was really surprised to feel like I have to defend my natural diet in a natural-food store!

[rawpriestess]

well, I would certainly release that experience and then buy fresh fruits and veggies and eat those. you can always order on line if you really want raw oats and such

[carolg]

I assume if dried, in the mix, it was cooked dead. The oatmeal could be flakes and are flakes raw is what I don't know. I steer away from mixes and avoid these type of conversations.

Yup, just don't buy that product from your health food store, but buy what you know would be raw: fruits/veggies.

OT: Which island are you on? My cousin lives in St. Croix--U.S. part...he's retired teacher and well known there. Maybe you know Cy or Cyril L? Yes the educator fighting for the rights of the mentally ill there. Found his picture in the newspaper online and told him I found him. He can use some health tips, but changed for a short time, but last week he was drinking coffee, milk, etc.

carolg

[luckitri]

ha ha - beer belly - its a self-contained liquid grain storage facility!

Well maybe he is a vegetarian and not getting any good results cause of his grain intake. Hmmm that didn't come out right either.

Well if you are on the island he can act any way he pleases since you are a captive audience type customer - are you going to take the boat to shop on the mainland?

I know at my closest store they told me that raw is super hard - and it is! That is why we have this forum and that is why I am proud of my effort and my results even though not 100%!

[Morningstar]

You're the consumer that = custumer & that = $

The bottom line is that most folks do not understand RAW. Maybe the issues where not about RAW @ all. Women issues, bad day etc. Maybe he got defensive because he thought his knowledge was being questioned.My one Health Food store & I learned together about RAW. I went looking for RAW books & they had none. They also had no clue what I was ref to.{ I currently live in WV where it seems everything must be breaded & deep fried to be consumed :p } Now we educate each other, Per a conversation about Bragg's amino's three months ago they're d/c ing that item. They try to help me out when possible. They had a book sale 40% off and all the RAW books went first!!!!

I agree with going online for raw products Alissa's site & others.

Wish you luck

[lavendarJ]

EvaRB that is a good point about that being the last place you'd expect to find someone. The staff at Whole Foods have no idea what I am talking about when I ask about particular raw products. I asked about 3 different people one day just to see how many different types of responses I would get. One person assumed I meant organic and pointed me in the direction of organic foods, the other young lady took me to the bulk dry spices and pointed out the dried veggies and organic granola. And the other young man thought I was talking about meat (like sushi). I keep working on educating people on the basic practices of raw living. I also had this experience at the nearby Trader Joes.

I guess that's all we can do is pass the knowledge on. I figure if I can bug them enough maybe one day I will walk into my local health food store or Whole Foods and find a selection of raw goods.

[kaybee]

[QUOTE=luckitri;241378]ha ha - beer belly - its a self-contained liquid grain storage facility!

heheheh "self-contained liquid grain storage facility". that was funny.

lavendarj--i can relate to the clueless whole foods people thing-- i went into our whole foods in washington DC and asked for nori sheets, and dude tried to send me to the bakeware aisle.....ahhhhhh....alot of educating to be done ;)

'kaybee

[Veganforlife]

EvaRB - you don't have the problem being raw; it's others that have the problem not understanding it. Just go about your business and if you don't have to deal with beer-belly guy, then so much better for you.

[lavendarJ]

Wow kaybee... the bakeware aisle:D

[Green Life]

Well, he really needs to be in a health food store if he looks that unhealthy! Maybe he needs to learn how to be healthy, so he figures he might as well ask even if he doens't really care, lOL!

I would not listen to the negative, always fill your mind with the positive and then your enthusiam will be the wings underneath you that will keep you flying high above the rest of the naysayers.

Good luck.

[puffysmom]

I checked with our local health food store and she said the steel cut oats is raw. I know they r grains cut in half and really r raw. I loved them when i was cooking my food. So if anyone here knows for sure that steel cut oats is not raw then please let me know. I dont know what i will do with the two bags that i bought before going raw cause u cannot eat them the way they r. I dont have that good of teeth.
What amazed me is the store had wolfberries. I ordered mine online and then saw them there but they had just got the order in. Then the last time i asked if they had buckwheat. They said no but could order for me but i had to take 5# bag. I told them that no i did not want that much. Well they have them on the shelves so i either missed them or this woman did not know what they had.

I also notice that they have lots of dried fruit and nuts and they all have preservatives. Why would a health food store have anything with preservatives? Not right

[JGex]

I guess I would have had to be there, but maybe he was just wanting to know what you were trying to achieve with your foods so he could better understand and he just has a brusque bedside manner so-to-speak. Of course, he could have just been a jerk.

Maybe opening up a dialogue with the shopkeeper would be a good thing seeing as it's the only well equiped hfs on the island. Then if you wanted special items they don't normally carry, he could probably order them for you.

Attacking him for his appearance and guessing at his diet is tantamount to you having the perception he was attacking you for your diet.

Like RP said, there is always mail order.

:shrug:

[JGex]

I also notice that they have lots of dried fruit and nuts and they all have preservatives. Why would a health food store have anything with preservatives? Not right

Lots of reasons. More expensive products tend to sell slower. Productas without preservatives go bad quicker - especially if they aren't selling. Maybe there has been no demand for unsulphured dried fruits. Maybe the shop owner is not that educated on the differences. Maybe no one has ever asked for them. Maybe the shop owner is trying to carry as many products as possible, but the cash won't stretch to buy more expensive products they are not sure will sell.

Running a HFS or co-op is expensive. It has been my experience, though, that if you ask for products you would like that most store owners will order them for you depending on the product.