Why return to SAD?

[mikeshafer]

Hey folks, something doesn't make sense to me. If the benefits of the raw diet are so amazing (lots of energy, little sleep required, perfect skin, etc.), why would anyone ever want to return to a SAD lifestyle? I've read several posts here where people say they were raw for 8 months, 2 years, etc., and then started to eat SAD again.

Given that cooked food tasted pretty nasty the first day I was off of my 30-day challenge, I can't imagine how horrible it would taste after a few months. (not to mention optimal body fat/weight, perfectly cleared sinuses, etc.)

So why do raw foodists go BACK to SAD?

[luckitri]

Its easier when you are in a rush. SAD restaurants. Also socially raw can be difficult.

[dreamrawalwz]

Addiction. I have fallen off raw every winter so far. Not into SAD, but cooked "healthy" vegan meals.

[puffysmom]

If u make cooked vegan foods does your tummy accept that better than say fried foods? I would expect so but am wondering bout steamed veggies. I would think that the flavor would not be so intense but a reaction would not be as bad.
In other words once u start this way of eating any other way is nasty and so I am a Raw foodist from now on. :D

[dreamrawalwz]

If u make cooked vegan foods does your tummy accept that better than say fried foods? I would expect so but am wondering bout steamed veggies. I would think that the flavor would not be so intense but a reaction would not be as bad.
In other words once u start this way of eating any other way is nasty and so I am a Raw foodist from now on. :D


are you asking me? I can't compare because I never ate fried foods in my life. For me steamed veggies and brown rice etc. still got my stomach extremely bloated.

[nzgirl]

For me, when I fell off my challenge at 3 weeks, cooked food (not SAD, I'm vegan) tasted pretty good to me. Maybe because it was healthy vegan stuff like oatmeal. I think I went back to cooked because I was bored and basically having smoothies and salads all day everyday. I didn't have my dehydrator yet and was sick of nut based pates.

[Kitty]

Storm had a blog about this. I believe he said that long time raw foodist tend to go back to cooked foods, from 100% to high raw, because of how uncomfortable there bodies become from all the excess energy and no way to release it. He says its very important to make sure that he stays active and his kids stay active to get out all the energy that is being created from eating so well, otherwise they just feel crappy. The cooked foods brings that energy down a little. I didn't say that as eloquently as he did, but that is his thoughts on the subject.

And I think for the raw foodists that haven't been doing it as long, its just addiction that we are over coming. At least it is for me that is what it is. I know its bad and would make me feel bad. But its a very strong craving that I some times get and I can equal it to a drug addiction almost. Withdraw (detox) can be hard.

[Ariannah]

Hey folks, something doesn't make sense to me. If the benefits of the raw diet are so amazing (lots of energy, little sleep required, perfect skin, etc.), why would anyone ever want to return to a SAD lifestyle? I've read several posts here where people say they were raw for 8 months, 2 years, etc., and then started to eat SAD again.

Given that cooked food tasted pretty nasty the first day I was off of my 30-day challenge, I can't imagine how horrible it would taste after a few months. (not to mention optimal body fat/weight, perfectly cleared sinuses, etc.)

So why do raw foodists go BACK to SAD?
A few years ago I made the same post. I was coasting on raw and enjoying it and thought nothing on earth could make me ever touch a cooked item ever again. We all know where such pride goeth...

First of all, I don't consider a food SAD just because of it's cooked status. There are many vegans who are healthy and even though they are not optimal (which raw is) they are a vast improvement over standard american diet.

Sometimes a person will find themselves in situations, be it financial, social, or otherwise, and will adjust according to what they are willing to live with.

I'm a human being. I make choices, and I live with them.
So why did YOU return to cooked after 30 days of feeling fabulous? ;)

[Ariannah]

are you asking me? I can't compare because I never ate fried foods in my life. For me steamed veggies and brown rice etc. still got my stomach extremely bloated.
never in your life? Wow, that is great. I wish I had never had exposure to fried foods in my entire life. I don't eat fried or greasy foods any more, and I don't miss them.

I love how raw changes a person's taste buds and cravings.

[Ariannah]

Addiction. I have fallen off raw every winter so far. Not into SAD, but cooked "healthy" vegan meals.
Likewise, I find winters hard due to climate, finances, etc. I make the best of the choices in those situations. I still refuse to eat veggies or fruits in their cooked form, though, and I don't eat baked foods. I like it raw best. In the summer though, when fruit is practically free and I can get cantaloupes for a buck a piece, look out world!

p.s. I am in no way advocating or encouraging going off raw! 100% raw is the best diet out there, and it's changed my life! :) Sometimes people have things happen in their lives, and it's best to be encouraging that people can still live a healthy lifestyle and get back on raw.

[monkeyboy]

Hi Everyone,

It's time for the Monkeyboy to chime in.



I've talked about this in the past.

I've searched for the next "HIGH"

Early on raw, your energy level increases.....without any doubt.

After that energy boost levels off, I would try and try to feel that way again.

For some, I guess, you knock yourself off raw and eat cooked ,then in turn when you go back to raw you can feel that HIGH' again.

It makes sense.

Peace,

M.B.

[Conscious Midwife]

Addiction to a particular ingredient that may or may no tbe noticeable harmful.

For instance I'm on the 30day challenge and got hit with 3 stressors yesterday, not major but stressors non the less.

My fix was a piece of chocolate bar with toffee bits.
Under SAD conditions I would have eaten 1 or 2 whole bars plus 32oz. water in one sitting. Instead I ate @1/3 of the bar , no water for the chaser, and it tasted way to sweet and I got sleepy afterwards. I wasn't doing it for taste , though i do love choolate, I was doing it fr the serotonin uptake/ mood stabalizing affect that chocolate (not carob) has on ME.

Hopefully I'll never do it again, if the scale goes up it wasn't worth it, it I have to battle cravings later today because of last nights indulgence it wasn't worth it. If I get by without feeling any additional ill affects other than last night fatigue, then i will have to do a lot of self talk and maybe even soem meditation to not go there again.

JuSt my very real and recent experience.

[Revvell]

So why do raw foodists go BACK to SAD?


Upper limits. They can't allow themselves to feel so good ~ don't deserve it, can't continure to have it.

Revvell

[chilove]

I think obviously that there are many reasons, alot of have been mentioned here. Changing one's diet significantly is a MAJOR lifestyle change and those can be difficult to maintain without a lot of commitment, especially for the first year or so. After that it gets a lot easier. Emotional eating and food addiction are huge issues for many people. Many people never realize how much they rely on food until they make a big change like this. New skills need to be developed and that can take time.

Wishing you all the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[kaybee]

raw can be socially isolating and difficult. just eating salads when you go out with your friends, go to any party, or go to people's houses for dinner (or having to make extensive effort and arrangements and/or preparation all the time in order to eat somethign other than salad) can get boring and frustrating.....

[mikeshafer]

Monkeyboy makes an interesting point, something I was trying to discover earlier. Does the raw energy high level off after a while? Does it actually DROP off too, i.e. not only level off but decline? I have never experienced this high yet (on my 30 days I was always exhausted), but everyone claims it does come.

Ariannah: I stopped after my 30 days because I wasn't seeing any major benefits from raw other than rapid weight loss, and I felt I was depriving myself of good food in some situations because I was on my raw kick. I'm about 60% raw right now, preparing to go back to high raw again in the next week or two. High-raw is still a huge improvement over the SAD.

So it sounds like the group consensus is people fall off raw because of financial or social conditions. I know if I quit my job and start out on my own, I'll probably need a lot of ramen for food as it's super cheap and lasts for a long time. (yuck) Also when hanging out with friends and they cook something really nice, it's almost rude to say "sorry, I can't."

[greenfeline]

Hi Mike,

When I am in social situations I don't think in terms of "I can't" I think in terms of "I choose not to". I have even stated this to people. One of my colleagues ordered a shrimp appetizer and said "Oh you can't have that can you?" I said "Sure I can, but I choose not to". This opened his eyes a bit and he said, "well I guess that is true, I never thought about it that way".

[LovingLife]

I've never been a long-time 100%er myself (but am working towards it!) -- but what usually gets me off of raw is questioning raw or doubting myself -- being drawn to the memories of eating yummy cooked foods (they never end up tasting the same, but I still yearn for that feeling I once had eating something).

[Pailani]

I've never been a long-time 100%er myself (but am working towards it!) -- but what usually gets me off of raw is questioning raw or doubting myself -- being drawn to the memories of eating yummy cooked foods

Yes, I'd say that's the case for me. Doubting, questioning, and missing certain foods.

[Morn]

I think it has a lot to do with the smell of cooked food and the memory of what we think the food used to taste like to us. Eating raw can certainly cost a lot if you are making a lot of gourmet recipes, but I think if you eat more simply, it can be more cost effective than buying a bunch of meat.

[Rawmommie]

I don't think the *raw energy* drops after you have been raw a long time, it's just that you get used to it. I know that I forget occasionally how great I feel and how healed my body is now...and if I slip, I feel like CRAP immediately, and that reminds me how great I feel on raw.

It's a process. As you stay raw longer and longer, you slip less and think about cooked less and less also. :)

[lafsalot]

Here is an interesting article you might want to check out -
www.spiritouch.com/en/pdfs/FastFoodNation.pdf

It explains how "flavor" is primarily the smell of gases being released by the chemicals (of processed foods) that you put in your mouth, "that aroma of food can be responsible for 90% of its flavor" - something the flavor industry has been taking advantage of. For instance, ever wonder what is in that BK burger or in barbeque sauces and other processed meats? "Red Arrow manufactures natural smoke flavor by charring sawdust and capturing the aroma chemicals relased into the air and bottling it with water, then selling it to companies who want their foods to taste as though it has been cooked over an open fire".:eek:

It also goes on to discuss how food preferences are formed during the early years, and that the flavors of childhood seem to leave an indeliable mark, and as adults, we often return to them without knowing why. "Old habits die hard, and I imagine it is hard for some people to walk away from the unhealthy comfort foods that they once depended on.

[andypdx]

A few months ago I started a new job. I was replacing a person who was retiring. The very first week, my entire department had a special "say goodbye to the old guy, say hello to the new guy" lunch at one of these dimly lighted, leatherbound, ultra-meatatarian places. The reservations were made before I even knew about this event. I scrutinized the menu beforehand, and found that the options consisted of fried appetizers, meat, meat topped with meat, and meat stuffed meat, with a side of meat. Even the "salads" had more meat than vegetable matter. Great.

Anyway, I finally settled on the "chef's salad" minus the dressing, and minus the ham, and minus the cheese, and minus the shrimp, and minus the crutons, and minus the french bread that came on the side. I asked the waitress if they had avocados. "NOPE!". I couldn't ask for any nuts or seeds, because they certainly wouldn't be raw. In the end, I was served a watery wedge of disgusting, non-organic iceberg lettuce with a few slices of tomato thrown in for for good measure. I even had to send it back because the ditsy waitress brought it covered with cheese!

So there I was, doing my best to choke down a tasteless clump of near-white "lettuce" while everyone else at the table was throwing down fried foods, greasy, meaty, animal bodies, and tall glasses of beer while forming their first impressions of the new guy who staring apprehensively at the lamest excuse for a salad that you could possibly imagine.

I guess my point is that SOCIAL SITUATIONS can have an enormous effect on one's ability to stay on the raw bandwagon. Of course, I'm a long time vegan, and a tough old dog, so it didn't really faze me one bit, but I could imagine that someone just starting out might have a harder time staying true under the same situations.

[Pennypower]

I hope I never return to SAD!:eek:

[Sunshine9]

I think it's a lot of things...

Personally I think that jumping into raw unprepared, without weaning some sad items out of your diet first, causes people to go back to SAD. If you ate a hamburger the day before your 30 day challenge, it wouldn't be unnatural to have one a month later. But if it's a transition, letting go of meat, cheese, flour, and THEN cooked food, one is much less likely to ever eat SAD again. If they return to cooked food for comfort, it would more likely be whole grains or cooked vegetables.

Also emotional reasons, not being ready for the clarity. Not being ready to deal with issues cooked food was masking.

On raw everything comes to the surface. Underlying health issues, in addition to the emotional ones.. people can get freaked out if they aren't informed enought to know how to proceed.

It isn't right for everyone. If they don't eat a balanced and healthful raw diet, a lot of people will still feel sick and crappy.

They quit when they realize it isn't the panacea it was cracked up to be.