The Youngin's Thread

[Random Violin Guy]

For all you spring chickens out there! Discuss whatever... what do you think is easy/tough/different about being raw and young?

By the way, my name's Eric, I'm 21 years old, and I've been raw since February. I'm a vegan, environmentalist, and animal rights activist, born and raised in Wisconsin. I've gotta admit, some people think I'm kinda nuts for going raw in the middle of the Wisconsin winter. But thinking back on it now, maybe I won't need to eat cooked for warmth this next winter. Maybe I'll be raw from now on...

Who knows what the future will bring?

[barose]

I'm 28.

I think the easy part is not waiting until I'm at a point in my life where I'm really ill to start. Sure I have health issues and was worse off 7 years ago actually, but I'm glad I have a better chance of not dealing with some of the things people I know who are twice my age deal with.

[RawGoddess13]

Almost everyone I know drinks a whole lot. No offense guys, but most of the single guys I know don't even know how to cook, let alone uncook. They eat lots of take out, fast food, & frozen dinners, so I applud all the young guys for being raw & on this forum. I think one of the heardest things about being young & raw are finding like minded people in my area around the same age. I am still hoping to meet one.

[RawChicky]

For me, it's hard being an 18 year old raw vegan girl because people assume that if i won't eat out and i only eat fruits and veggies, I have some sort of eating disorder. My parents think Raw foodism is a cult and I am brainwashed. My friends try to understand, but they clearly don't and we don't talk about it much. The hardest thing for me is getting support I guess. It's also hard because any time I have a possible health issue, the first thing people blame is my "crazy diet." AND, even though I've gained about 7 pounds on raw, I'm "malnourished-looking and too skinny" to some people. I disagree, I'm actually very muscular. I think if I was a boy, people would just leave me alone about the way I eat and look.

Peace :)

[barose]

Right now, its not really that hard....I think I would have had an harder time if I was doing this 10 years ago.

I never had younger friends. I've been in the professional working world since I was 19; married and divorced by 23 and so on. Most of my associates are 35-90 and think I'm nuts with this raw thing! They love to eat fresh baked bakery bread and drink wine but don't understand why I cant live that way. I'm young! I drink wine every now and then (hey, this is California!) , but thats the only thing I really do thats a part of my old habits and not nearly as much as they do.

[Random Violin Guy]

yeah I agree, RawGoddess13... my biggest vice is the occasional beer with friends. I'm switching over to wine, but I'm not quite ready yet to give up all alcohol.

[hypnocmt]

I grew up in Northern Wisonsin, and was a vegan in the late 8's and early 90's when people thought vegetarians were in sme sort of cult up there.

(What???? No DAIRY???? No BEEEEEEFFFF????)

It was challegning back then to get vegetarian food...forget aboout eating out! So, some friends and fellow veggies sarted a coop. We had great bulk buying power, and we went a few steps further. OUr friend Lenny was living on an old farm, so we did what little we could to grow veggies in the summer, and grew herbs and dried them.

We also started a vegan dairy co-op, in which we would each take a turn making TONS of nut or soy milk and then delivering it to fellow co-op members.

Somehw this made being vegan in the land of meat and cheese much easier.

As far as those Wisconsin winters on raw, I wouldn't sweat it. Freeze berries if you grow them (easy if you have the space) and dry some herbs. MAke lots of raw vegan chili and you'l be in fine form!

(One of my fave winter treats is cauliflower mashed not- taters (or tater-nots as I call them) topped with "creamed corn" - corn blended with olive oil and a dab of nut milk, salt and pepper. (very buttery tasting!)

I started raw in the winter and it was no big deal...just makes summer even easier!

As far as the drinking thing goes, who cares what anyone else does or drinks??? If you like wine, enjoy it and learn abut it to pick up ways to savor it more. Learning about wine is really an inroad to learning about other cultures, geography, ecology, etc. Great, educational and enjoyable hobby when partaken of in moderation.

Same could be said of beers, or premium spirits of any sort...scotches whatever. The key is to remember that there is a diff. between a connoiseur and a gluttonous hog.

When I am in California, I find that most models and actors whom I know are veyr health conscious and have early, early call times..like 5am-6am. So...it is very much young, "hipster" behavior to limit one's intake, and drink as much Evian and Peligrino as alcohol, if not more.

[greenfeline]

I am not sure if I am still a spring chicken (everything is subjective), but I am 29. I feel better than I did when I was younger, probably due to working out, eating better and not partying anymore. People think I am a little strange about my eating habits, but they know I am not the type just to follow some fad diet. It is okay, if you look at the all great minds of history, they all go against the grain. Society catches up later.

[aililiu]

im turning twenty in a couple of weeks :) and ive only been raw for about 3-4 weeks... not very long i know but this is the lifestyle for me. i find it makes it harder to go out to dinner with friends.. even when i was a cooked food vegan it was difficult... not because I minded, but people think that you're not going to have a good time because theres not anything on the menu for you.... i dont mind having to ask for a special made salad. i havent had trouble with it so far. but people assume its going to be too much of a hassle and so dont make plans.

im still living at home and my parents are definately concerned, although they're not trying to stop me or anything. they know i feel good about it and that im trying to do it to achieve optimum health, not lose weight or anything, so they're not interfering.. although my mum worries that i feel deprived.. soo not true.

my best friend came home from uni not long ago and when she saw how much my diet had changed she cried and cried and told me she felt like this was forming this great division between us and now so many of the things we liked to do together were no longer possible. i was a bit put out that she thought that so much of our friendship was based on food.

i never drink and really dont want to so i just never go out to the bars. im just really not into that scene.

but its true that the more 'restricted' my diet gets, the lesser my social life gets as well. i am an introvert but it can get a bit lonely. i agree with rawgoddess... it would be fantastic to meet like-minded young people where i live.

[dreamrawalwz]

I'm 20 and going down to college in the fall. I'm sure the atmosphere will be much different. My parents and family are understnading, but I'm not sure how other 20 somethings will view it. Im sure better than older generations. I don't have a social life either and never really went out to eat in the first place, so that's not a problem NOW, but in the fall I don't know what will happen!

[eatyourbroccoli]

hello guysss

im 20.

the hardest part being raw for me is when people either fuss over me ("well what on earth is SHE going to eat!?!?") after i already tell them NOT to worry and that ill be fine.....and when people dont respect my firm decision to be raw and cant understand why i cant have "just a little bit of pie" or "just a scoop of cheesy mashed potatoes"

i really wish we were more of a "live and let live" culture. i KNOW we are in comparison to many places in the world, but i still think we have a ways to go

[Firicia]

Wel I am 21. I am still just starting up, but have been experimenting in this for a couple months.

I think the big thing will be going out for dinner with friends and ordering a salad. I'm not too fond of salads yet, lol, I find if it's not organic (which it like never is at resturants) then I can actually taste the chemicals and don't enjoy it. So I think going out for dinner while people are having my old faves might be tough.

But ya, my lifestyle is just turning out to be very different than my peers. I don't like going out and partying all the time, never much enjoyed drinking, and I have dreams of running my own buisness soon. I would love to meet some more raw foodies, I actually especially worry about dating someone who isn't one hoenstly.

But not getting to eat my old fave foods and feeling a little messed up when I eat out with friends doesn't even compair to what I am hoping to get out of being a raw foodist: i.e: The "Glow", weight control, feeling great and having energy, feeling sexy again and alive, longer life, less health problems, and actually I think feeling unique and like I'm not part of the masses has some appeal;)

Wish me luck, day 2 of the rest of my life is upon me:D

[eatyourbroccoli]

Wel I am 21. I am still just starting up, but have been experimenting in this for a couple months.

I think the big thing will be going out for dinner with friends and ordering a salad. I'm not too fond of salads yet, lol, I find if it's not organic (which it like never is at resturants) then I can actually taste the chemicals and don't enjoy it. So I think going out for dinner while people are having my old faves might be tough.

But ya, my lifestyle is just turning out to be very different than my peers. I don't like going out and partying all the time, never much enjoyed drinking, and I have dreams of running my own buisness soon. I would love to meet some more raw foodies, I actually especially worry about dating someone who isn't one hoenstly.

But not getting to eat my old fave foods and feeling a little messed up when I eat out with friends doesn't even compair to what I am hoping to get out of being a raw foodist: i.e: The "Glow", weight control, feeling great and having energy, feeling sexy again and alive, longer life, less health problems, and actually I think feeling unique and like I'm not part of the masses has some appeal;)

Wish me luck, day 2 of the rest of my life is upon me:D

firicia where in canada are you?

[RawChicky]

hello guysss

the hardest part being raw for me is when people either fuss over me ("well what on earth is SHE going to eat!?!?") after i already tell them NOT to worry and that ill be fine.....and when people dont respect my firm decision to be raw and cant understand why i cant have "just a little bit of pie" or "just a scoop of cheesy mashed potatoes"

i really wish we were more of a "live and let live" culture. i KNOW we are in comparison to many places in the world, but i still think we have a ways to go

I can SO relate to that! My grandpa asks me EVERY time I see him to eat pie or icecream or cookies or whatever. Maybe its his old age lol but its like it doesn't register in his head that I don't eat certain things. Especially with being vegan, people are like, "Just a TINY bit of milk/cheese/egg isn't goping to kill you, just eat it!" like they get some satisfaction from me eating it. They are always like, "why don't you eat dairy, an animal didn't DIE for that food!" I just tell people I don't support animal SLAVERY either.

[lissomllama]

I'm 20 and very happy being all raw. No worries here, just bliss. Only the good stuff matters anyway. I'm glowing, I'm young and I intend to stay this way, no matter what age I am based on some calendar. I think we need to break down age barriers and live the best way we can strive to and stay vibrant and young throughout ALL of our years.

~Om Shanti~

[Pipen17]

I can SO relate to that! My grandpa asks me EVERY time I see him to eat pie or icecream or cookies or whatever. Maybe its his old age lol but its like it doesn't register in his head that I don't eat certain things. Especially with being vegan, people are like, "Just a TINY bit of milk/cheese/egg isn't goping to kill you, just eat it!" like they get some satisfaction from me eating it. They are always like, "why don't you eat dairy, an animal didn't DIE for that food!" I just tell people I don't support animal SLAVERY either.
Geeze! It drives me crazy! When i was younger and didn't really understand why we had become vegetarians my grandma took me out to lunch at a sea food place and told me fish isn't meat and that i should eat up. Nobody gets it... it's like their minds only undersatnd to a certain point and then after that...
My mom and i were talking the other day how my grandma prob. asks herself everyday, "Where did i go wrong?!?!" My mom grew up in a really old fashioned southern town where they had bacon and eggs for breakfast every morning! Now my mom is soooooo different. But i'm glad my grandma has noticed the weight loss on both of us cause otherwise she might excommunicate us from the family.

[Random Violin Guy]

hello guysss

im 20.

the hardest part being raw for me is when people either fuss over me ("well what on earth is SHE going to eat!?!?") after i already tell them NOT to worry and that ill be fine.....and when people dont respect my firm decision to be raw and cant understand why i cant have "just a little bit of pie" or "just a scoop of cheesy mashed potatoes"

i really wish we were more of a "live and let live" culture. i KNOW we are in comparison to many places in the world, but i still think we have a ways to go

I couldn't help but chuckle when I read this. You see, when you use negation, the unconscious mind doesn't process it. My brother and I had fun with this one time when we went to visit my oldest brother. My mom had asked us to call her when we got there. So my brother called her up and said, "Don't worry, we're fine." We couldn't get her to calm down after that. Hehe.

[Firicia]

firicia where in canada are you?


Good old British Columbia:)

[Alissa]

Please scroll down in the forum. There is now a section for raw teens.
Enjoy!

[trinity082482]

Hello! I am 24 years old.
I have a 3 year old son and since being raw his diet is so much healthier as well! He isn't raw but he gets much more fresh fruit and veggies than any other child I know of!
I have been living raw for a while now because of health issues that are now gone but I am sure if I maintain a raw life style I can keep those issues from coming back.
I recently went into our health foods store to purchase some Salba seeds and the lady at the counter told me I was one of the only people of my age group to frequent the store. I explained to her that I am about alternative therapies and that I live the raw way and etc.. and she seemed so happy to hear that. Then she says..

"You are doing a wonderful thing for your son by starting him off right"

I thought awwe!! It made my day! :o

[Rawzula]

I just turned 24 June 1st. I fell off the raw wagon back in April. I'm back on again due to more health issues.

Meat is like a drug to me...very VERY addictive and habit-forming. I'm glad I found Raw Food Talk. Talking with like-minded people really helps.

[blueberrygirl]

Hello to everybody!
I will turn 22 in Aug 19th.... 95-100% raw for three weeks and contuning, glad to meet simliar age people on board!:D

I am doing well but tomorrow will be bit hard... my friend will have party.. I need to think what to bring...:o

I live in Michigan

[laureliz85]

I am 22 and just starting to go 100% raw. The hardest thing for me is that everyone thinks I have an eating disorder or something even though I EAT A TON! I am a runner and naturally thin anyway, but when they see me only eating veggies, etc everyone jumps to conclusions. Just because I choose to fill up on salads and fresh fruits and veggies does not mean I am depriving myself! I work at a summer camp and bring my own food to eat at the cookouts and campfires, and I definately get some strange looks. I don't let what other's think bother me too much though, because I know I am getting so many benefits from a raw diet.

[laureliz85]

Hey blueberrygirl..where in MI? We are close to the same age and both starting out with raw food. It would be cool to keep tabs on how the other is doing- motivation, encouragement etc :)

[MelonManiac]

I'm 19 and just getting into this raw food lifestyle, and when I told my mom she immediately thought it was crazy and told me I had to eat some cooked food, and then proceeded to make my favorite cooked meal for dinner that night haha ... I go back to college in September and will be living in a beach house with 3 of my guy friends, who also think it's crazy to eat raw but wont try to stop me. So I am anxious for it to be September so my mom stops tempting me with cooked food lol. Friends don't eat out too much so it's not that big of a deal, I just get a plain salad with no dressing if we go out.

[Rossk]

Im 19 live in england, through depression i stop associating with people my age group around 16 when they went to college , they just were too silly for me .
im strongly against the whole going out getting wasted and falling down culture they all think life is about .
People at work dont know im raw they just think im odd and eat only fruit and vegtables but meh no big deal .

[britaniefaith]

I am 22 and for me the hardest part is definitely the social aspect... especially with drinking... it seems like I am the only person my age who doesn't drink and isn't interested in getting wasted everynight in order to have fun and that's hard to explain to people. Alot of people do not understand why I eat the way that I do, they think it's ridiculous and insist that it's "not healthy" because I'm "not getting protein or nutrients"... but I'm sure they know alot, considering most times they are telling me these things about how my lifestyle is NOT healthy, they are in the middle of eating a pizza or donut. Makes alot of sense right? haha. I don't pay attention and I know that the way I eat is the right and healthy way but it does get frustrating and lonely at times... but whenever I need support or inspiration, I just come online and go to this forum or other raw food websites and I remind myself AGAIN why I am doing this and I feel okay again.

I do wish more people my age were open to learning new ways of eating and more interested in their health and helping themselves and others but I think sometimes it just takes one person to spread the word around and slowly but surely more people will come around. :)

[mattm]

Hi britaniefaith, great words and I welcome you to this wonderful little forum for us youngins. Your pics are truely inspiring and a testament to the wonders this lifestyle can work....I don't know how on earth after looking at those anyone could say that raw is bad for you:). I see you share with me the attitude of just getting on with your life, being confident in what your doing and ignoring any negativity which is great. My friends (all SAD) respect me for being determined and confident in what I do and open about it with them. I also make sure I still go out and socialise as much as the next guy...if I go out to eat with friends I will order a large sald which everywhere I've been to eat is fine with knocking up and if we go out and people are drinking I just get water. I frankly couldn't care a less what people think or if I get the 'no-alcohol stares', I'm determined to have a good time and every night I do...at the end of the day a lot of it is pyschology, frame of mind!! Oh and everyday I wake up and take a look in the mirror, I think of all the problems I had all those years ago, what I used to look like etc and I don't need another second of incentive to lead this lifestyle...it is truely a gift.

All the best and again welcome.

[laureliz85]

Hi guys. I have been totally raw for one week yay! and i'm feeling great! I plan to keep this up but one of my friends is getting married on June 30th and I just realized that I will probably have to bring my own food to the wedding. I know weddings are a huge social gathering and are somewhat centered around the food. I was wondering what you guys thought would be appropriate to do in that situation. I don't really want to bring a cooler or anything, so I was goign to maybe bring an avocado and some other things in a bigger purse. Most of my friends who will be there don't know about my going raw yet, and I am sort of dreading having to be there and explain why I am not eating. Any advice?

[Pipen17]

I know weddings are a huge social gathering and are somewhat centered around the food. I was wondering what you guys thought would be appropriate to do in that situation. I don't really want to bring a cooler or anything, so I was goign to maybe bring an avocado and some other things in a bigger purse. Most of my friends who will be there don't know about my going raw yet, and I am sort of dreading having to be there and explain why I am not eating. Any advice?

Hey!
I know you can make a good trail mix with walnuts and raisins... so you could have that in a little baggy and casualy pull out handfulls sometimes... then it's won't look so obvious.
I don't know if in your area they have an place that would sell Larabars... but they are just raw fruit of carob bars (We found some at Krogers...) Then you could take those out of the packages before you go (so you're not pulling them out of bright green or orange packages and smiling at everyone while they're eating cake...) and eat them casually too.
I know it can be awkward at big social things but if you're well prepared you can make it look as if you're eating the little stuff they're eating!
Best of luck and congrats on your first week!! :D
-Pam

:)

[blueberrygirl]

Laureliz85,

I live in small town, St. Johns. where u live in? I will in DC during fall, because i am university student.:)

[treegirl]

I've been raw on and off for exactly a year now.
I'm 17
my family has always known me to be a 'funny' eater - I didn't eat much when I was younger, and I had alot of bad reactions to different foods. I became a vegan when I was 15 and a raw foodist when I was 16.
They just think my raw food is another branch of my strange habits, and they have affectionate nicknames and jokes about me and my food.
I still don't feel very supported, we never talk about it. My mom often offers cooked food to me, even though she understands everything I do and don't eat.
I love raw food, i makes me feel clean and light, and my family doesn't understand that. i think they look at ME as living the deprived life, when I see THEM as missing out.
I can't wait to go to college in the fall. FREEDOM!!:D

[silverundertone]

im 19...vegetarian since 13...vegan since 15...(due to allergy to milk) ....

spent a summer living off of fruit (not intentionally...its all i felt like eating) when i was 16..and found it to be one of the healthiest times of my life.
a few months ago i got a wicked cold and decided to eat nothing but vegetables and fruits until it was gone......3 days later...i felt fine. thus the desire to become completely raw.

i dont give a shit what anyone think of my decisions...so they either have to deal with it or leave me the hell alone.
im a high school dropout...but i love to learn. crazy, huh? the way i see it..id rather learn about everything thats out there and make my own decision as far as what to believe or disbelieve...as opposed to believing whatever the education system told me is true.
fuck 'em.

[Anabbytree]

Hi all! I'm 24, and am the only person I know eating a raw diet. I find that people think that I can't go out with them anymore and are silly about getting together. "What will you EAT?" They say, "Will you be okay?" I am constantly having to explain "yes, you can take me anywhere, you can get SALAD almost anywhere, really it's amazing how much SALAD there is in the world". Or I eat before I go.

I also used to drink quite a lot of beer, so many of my friends are puzzled by this change. Not me, however! This way of life makes more sense to me than anything I've previously experienced. When I go out with my friends who drink I either bring a bottle of kombucha or green juice and I get my own special kind of buzzed.

On a positive note, I love it when my friends are receptive and ask great questions about my lifestyle. I love telling people who want to know all about the diet. I love it when I can bring a huge tub of fresh organic fruit to my friends and say "see? it's really kind of an awesome way to live". I eat beautiful things!

We're all awesome, and have done a spectacularly positive thing for ourselves. Be happy we got around to it early, we have so much life yet to live as amazing raw people.

Sending you all good raw vibes-
Abby

[Stina]

Hi- I'm 35 and spying on you guys;) But young at heart....... I just wanted to share something that took me years to figure out. The people who were my worst critics over issues like me giving up drinking and going Raw, come to find out, were the ones watching me closely and ended up respecting my actions. Victoria Boutenko had a lot of similar stories in her book I just read, "12 Steps to Going Raw" Love Stina

[rawsurfer]

its a trip for sure bein raw and young, cuz the accepted thing to be cool is to not give a shit about anything and everything, and to just get wasted and try to get laid as many times as you can...

while i am eating my fruit and trying to have intelligent conversations with people, while i am caring about the environment and the people around me... raw has changed me so much and people think i am so weird. they have really distanced themselves from me, except for a handful of really openminded friends.

i find that i am not really attracted to girls my age, or younger, as they seem to be for the most part ridiculously immature (so are most of the guys but im not trying to date them lol). its funny that i find myself gettin attracted and being on the same level with grown women in their 30s and 40s just because they are so much wiser and more mature. of course rawvies are a different story, but there are always exceptions, and we are not the onlhy exceptions.

overalll it is quite the journey but i wouldnt give it up for anything. the people that laugh at me and think i am weird are people whose opinions mean little more than flies i have to brush off.

raw is just such a better life

[sproutandthebean]

hello all. i have been raw since june - on and off - and i am 14. i'm not sure if anyone i know understands what being a raw vegan means, so i don't try to explain it. the most difficult part for me is being asked to dinner and discovering the hosts have bought me special food that i still cannot eat [i.e. a massive cheese-filled burrito]. that's very awkward because i end up feeling very ill but i do not want to offend the party who obviously went out of their way to do something special. i can almost never eat around people, the masses at my high school constantly stuff burgers and chinese food and pasta down their throats. it makes me very uncomfortable to be around people eating cooked food, especially meat. the smell can be so overwhelming that i literally become ill. otherwise, i am not an incredibly social person and due to various eating disorders, my old-time friends are used to me with an apple in hand and nothing else. however, there are also times when i become tempted to consume cooked food in an effort to look 'normal', end up having half a bag of cheesy poofs and a chocolate cupcake. yes, there are repercussions. yes, i deal with them. i think as time goes on i will be able to handle this with more grace. at the moment i'm managing just fine.

[subbacultcha]

I'm Hannah, I'm 16. I've been vegetarian since I was 12, and have gradually worked my way up to about 95% raw.

My family and friends don't 'get it' but I couldn't care less ;)

[Riiiya]

i'm 20 and live in Northern Indiana right now..but i am from Ukraine and the interesting is- here the "host" family i live with definitely doesn't GET IT....while my family back at home got interested in my lifestyle and adopted it! they're not 100% (perhaps 90 or 95%) but this is amazing to me! THEY are the ones who are supportive, even though thousands of miles away...

actually my dad said that i should see my brother now (who's 11). he says he had TRANSFORMED with these foods and got more energy to get into sports and lost 8 kg (is that about 16 lbs?) which is amazing because he needed to lose that... Anyway, i'm getting off-topic...if anyone's around Goshen, IN please get in touch with me!

[meow]

hi everyone, i'm 22 and just discovered this forum today! i've been raw for a month now, but was raw & getting into raw for about 4 months this summer as well and i have had SUCH different experiences both times. this summer, i got a lot of negative feedback from family, coworkers, and even a few friends. my mother would literally cry on the phone and tell me that i was ruining her life by eating a raw diet b/c i was going to waste away and i was being so unhealthy! my coworkers teased me constantly and asked, "what's next, living on air?" my friends were much better about it but a few of them still made some hurtful comments. however, this time around, the change in those around me is huge. my family especially has changed completely- i live on the west coast and they're in vermont, and when i went home last week my mom was asking to try my foods and was totally supportive of my raw foodism! my entire family has more or less adopted a vegetarian diet w/ very little dairy in the past 2 months, with no prompting from me at all! i was shocked but i think that this time, i am confident that raw is right for me and i'm putting much more positive energy out there. as for my coworkers, i don't talk about my food and i don't talk about theirs- to each his/her own. if they ask me what i'm eating i'm happy to tell them and offer them some, but if they get sarcastic i just smile and don't let it bother me. my friends are very supportive now b/c they see that this works for me so well. one of my friends also became vegan in the past 2 months and is getting into experimenting with raw foods!

i think this time around, i haven't been talking about raw foodism as much or telling those close to me how great it is. i couldn't help but talk about it the first time i went raw, b/c it was so new and i was so excited about it. but i think that put people off and made them feel threatened, especially my mother. now, i am much more likely to talk about how peaceful and positive i feel, or the things that i've been inspired to learn about since becoming raw, instead of the health benefits of raw foods. a lot of people around me simply don't want to hear that there may be a better way of eating other than their own!

as for alcohol, i can't really drink much anymore (i have NO tolerance since going raw!) but i do have a glass or two of organic red wine once a week. that's all i can drink w/o getting a killer hangover. even if the wine isn't organic i still feel horrible the next day! it was hard at first not to have hard liquor, but now the thought of it turns my stomach. your body will tell you if & when it is done with the booze, you just have to listen!

anyway i look forward to meeting you all & wish you the best of luck and vibrant health in your raw food journeys :)

[MrMike]

been raw since Nov 1, so thats a month today, I'm 21 but people tell me I look 17 all the time. I started raw with a hope of getting a handle or what seems to be arthritis thats been bugging me, as well as psoriasis I've had all my life. Eating raw is empowering to me, because I'm being assertive to my situation, rather then be the victim. I take my condition as a blessing really. It's like my body has subtly guided me to this point. I think it's that way for all of us here in some way or another.

I guess that tough part about all this is that I am spending a lot of my time and money on trying to do this right. I am a sucker for buying the most expensive berry out there. (e.g bilberry at local HFS 65$/lb But delicious!)
In my situation, I beleive that I shouldnt eat sugars much so its been a challange to try and get enough calories in a day to stop losing weight. But it's only been a month and after losing about 15lbs the first couple of weeks, I've been stable at a little over 120lbs. I'm 5'7 and people are definately commenting that I've lost weight. Yet I always thought I was skinny before then! But I have really come to terms with it. I was climbing tree's today and I felt so light on those branches it was a real eye opener for me. Plus the level of energy I've got is ridicolous. I can run without getting side aches, and it actually feels good to go run.

Going raw has been a helluva trip so far with its ups and downs, but there's no turnin this wagon around.

O yea, I live in Palo Alto, CA the birthplace of a whole lot of internet. It's a little ritzy here, but I live with my parents so thats alright. I don't know any1 else who is raw in person, I don't even try to explain it anymore unless specifically asked, b/c it seems like no1 has ever heard of it. So if any of you are ever in the area in or around San Francisco or San Jose, give me a hollar, I'd be down to meet up sometime.

[Christiana]

I'm 15, and personally, I see no problems with eatin' raw. It's healthy, yummy, and better than dead food! Sure, people may give me funny looks when (if) I say I'm a raw vegan, but why should I care about their opinion? It's my choice, my decision, my business. Not theirs. Even after only a day and a half, I already feel comfortable and satisfied with this new lifestyle. Yesterday night I felt entirely at ease at the dinner table with my omnivorous family and chowed on my fare while they chowed on theirs. My mum thinks I've flipped, my dad is supportive of almost everything I do, my older bro doesn't care, and our older half bro probably doesn't either, so what the heck. I guess what made it easy to switch in the first place was A) I've never given a rat's behind what my peers thought of me. B) I was unhappy with the way I looked. C) I was disgusted with what I was eating. Recipe for success, I tell ya. I don't know of any other raw vegans, and in the middle of cow country, why should I be surprised? :rolleyes:

Anyways, Best of luck and God Bless!

[rawstrength]

I'm 15, and personally, I see no problems with eatin' raw. It's healthy, yummy, and better than dead food! Sure, people may give me funny looks when (if) I say I'm a raw vegan, but why should I care about their opinion? It's my choice, my decision, my business. Not theirs. Even after only a day and a half, I already feel comfortable and satisfied with this new lifestyle. Yesterday night I felt entirely at ease at the dinner table with my omnivorous family and chowed on my fare while they chowed on theirs. My mum thinks I've flipped, my dad is supportive of almost everything I do, my older bro doesn't care, and our older half bro probably doesn't either, so what the heck. I guess what made it easy to switch in the first place was A) I've never given a rat's behind what my peers thought of me. B) I was unhappy with the way I looked. C) I was disgusted with what I was eating. Recipe for success, I tell ya. I don't know of any other raw vegans, and in the middle of cow country, why should I be surprised? :rolleyes:

Anyways, Best of luck and God Bless!

Hi Maris! What a delightful and inspiring testimony. I am 18. It is great to have other young raw foodists on this forum. Just think - we have our whole lives ahead of us to live in excellent health and in harmony with nature.
Keep at it! I know you don't care what your peers think, but you should know that I support you in your raw vegan mission 100% :) .

[Christiana]

Thanks, rawstrength! I entirely agree. My mum just made a comment to the effect of; " ...well, someday you'll be my age, and then you'll know how I feel." Well...I guess I will be your age someday, but I'm not so sure I'll know how you felt. It kinda makes me happy whenever I think about it! I mean, I don't enjoy watching my family suffer from their dietary choices, and if I can change their minds before something really traumatic happens, then I'll be happy, but I just cant help imagining myself as an old lady! :D lmbo. Foods are becoming less and less of a temptation as I keep ignoring them and focusing on the natural sweetness of my food. It works. xD Thanks for your support! <333 It comes in handy sometimes! :p

[peace_istheword]

I'm sad to say, I fell off the wagon.
But I'm totally for getting back on again.
Does anyone have anyways of getting cheaper fruits and vegetables?
We're kind of in a financial rut right now.
Also, can someone post a food diary so I can see a typical day raw (with common raw foods, please!)...?

[rawstrength]

Hey there, peace. Don't worry about your slip-up. It is what we do routinely that shapes us, not what we do once in a blue moon. You're still a raw foodist :) .
Sprouting is super cheap and nutritious. You can also learn to grow your own food and it is super rewarding and fun.
I don't keep a food diary and my eating can be kind of erratic.

[bbcc33]

i've been off and for a long time i can't seem to stay raw for more than a week until i give into something usually when i go out or friends come over. The weird thing is that when i'm 100% raw for a week and then give in to a vegan burger or tortilla chips i am 100% sore all over my body the next day. It feels like i've done a full body workout the day before but all i did was eat cooked food and that never fails to happen. So now i'm really afraid to eat cooked food cause i feel absolutely terrible the next day. Has that ever happened to you?

[rawstrength]

i've been off and for a long time i can't seem to stay raw for more than a week until i give into something usually when i go out or friends come over. The weird thing is that when i'm 100% raw for a week and then give in to a vegan burger or tortilla chips i am 100% sore all over my body the next day. It feels like i've done a full body workout the day before but all i did was eat cooked food and that never fails to happen. So now i'm really afraid to eat cooked food cause i feel absolutely terrible the next day. Has that ever happened to you?

Yes, I have experienced that. Cooked food, even of the healthy, vegan variety, is just pure bad news. If you do eat cooked food (and I'm not recommending that you do) a big glass of celery cucumber juice the next morning will fix you right up.

[peace_istheword]

How did everyone get their parents to except the fact that they were raw?
My parents think I'm going to die soon.

[rawstrength]

How did everyone get their parents to except the fact that they were raw?
My parents think I'm going to die soon.

Make them delicious raw foods to eat. Show them the miraculous raw transformations such as the ones at http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/before_after/index.html . Go to a local raw food potluck with your parents and let them talk to people who are living the raw life and thriving.
Don't preach, just peacefully demonstrate the goodness of RAW.

[graham]

Make them delicious raw foods to eat. Show them the miraculous raw transformations such as the ones at http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/before_after/index.html . Go to a local raw food potluck with your parents and let them talk to people who are living the raw life and thriving.
Don't preach, just peacefully demonstrate the goodness of RAW.

my parents dont really care what i do. its not that they dont care, but i call it a sort of apathetic/unconditional love. but i can totally understand why people raised on a SAD diet would be concerned with this totally opposite upside down lifestyle (i dont see it like that at all!). my parents think it's kind of weird and when we go to relatives' houses they mention my diet like it's some rare disease. i cant help but preach it sometimes, though. i go off on tangents about raw food a lot to my friends and family. welikeitraw.com is such a good website :D

[rawfarmgirl]

I'm 16 and have been raw since febuary '09. I live on a farm and have been showing and raising animals in 4-h since I was little. Right now I feel a little contradictory becuse now I'm vegan/vegetarian/raw, and yet my 4-h animals are sold for meat. All the 4-h animals are raised humnanly and have much better lives than if they were on a factory farm, but at the same time if not for meat or animal products, which humans don't need, there is no good reason to breed animals like pigs and cows. However raising and working with animals is an amazing experience and is a huge part of who I am. The world needs animals, they belong on this earth just as much as humans do, that I am sure of, but beyond that I'm not sure. So, I'm not really sure how to incorporate raw foods into this part of me yet, but hopefully I'll figure it out soon. Any thoughts?