Craving meat and fish

[barose]

I'm craving meat and fish almost daily now. No matter what I eat, thats what I crave. Is there a way to stop these cravings? I hardly had them when I first went raw, now they are pretty strong.

[Shoshannah]

Well, I would go to you tube and watch the video trilogy called "Earthling". If you have watched it before, go watch it again. If you have never watched it, then be aware that it is graphic.

I have craved everything else except meat and fish, so I can't be of too much assistance...

[barose]

I've watched every distrusting thing there is, and it hasn’t helped. For years I’ve only consumed organic/farm raised meat and of course stopped when I went raw. I didn’t crave it at first until recently.

I'm not sure if it’s the taste, protein or "feeling" (of not being constantly hungry!) I get when I ate meat.

[andypdx]

I've watched every distrusting thing there is, and it hasn’t helped. For years I’ve only consumed organic/farm raised meat and of course stopped when I went raw. I didn’t crave it at first until recently.

I'm not sure if it’s the taste, protein or "feeling" (of not being constantly hungry!) I get when I ate meat.
Perhaps a book is more in order.

Once I read "Diet for a new America", and came to fully understand the incredible LIFE that all animals had, I no longer wanted to eat their bodies.

Remember, you are not eating "meat", you are eating "bodies".

BODIES.

Remember that. :)

[Veganforlife]

Perhaps a book is more in order.

Once I read "Diet for a new America", and came to fully understand the incredible LIFE that all animals had, I no longer wanted to eat their bodies.

Remember, you are not eating "meat", you are eating "bodies".

BODIES.

Remember that. :)

Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sunshine9]

Alright, lets address the craving. I crave something that is in fish/meat too. I'm not sure what it is.

I am a firm believer in eating plenty of protein. Do you eat bee pollen? That has become one of my favorite things. It's best to eat local, so I met the most lovely farmer at the farmers market so I know it's reliable. I throw a teaspoon or so into a smoothie and feel quite a difference. Just have to start small (one grain) on your tongue to make sure it works for your body. (bee allergies are a bummer!)

so now, is it red meat your craving or fish? Fish it is probably either the oils or the protein. Meat it's the fat. Raw fat is pretty easy to get.

it's also possible that your body is detoxing those foods. they say we crave it as its leaving our body. I dunno, i think that addressing the nutritional concerns are important though.

[barose]

I haven’t used bee pollen in a while; but its easy enough to find and incorporate in a smoothie or eat a spoonful (as I did in the past).

I've notice I have unconsciously reduced fat over the past few days. No particular reason; its just easier to eat my meals at home rather than take them to work with me so I forget to bring certain things at times when I bring my lunch to work.

Ill try to be more mindful of protein and fat over the next few days and see what happens.

On the other issue (about eating meat) - trust me I heard, read, watched it all. My brother has been a vegan for 15 or so years so I heard a lot from him. I've never been moved by such material. The only thing that got me was the treatment of conventionally raised animals and what the industry is doing to the environment so I switched to a more ethical source. That’s it. I've never had a love for animals to not want to eat their bodies. That doesn’t move me. It may sound cold to some people, but it’s the truth.

I eat a vegan diet for health reasons primarily.

[Shoney]

that our "protein" cravings are more often than not actually cravings for fat. Perhaps temporarily increasing your fat intake via avocadoes, nuts and seeds will help alleviate the flesh cravings.

Is there anything else you eat or do when you're consuming meat/fish that might be part of the craving? For instance, if you use a lot of salt or condiments, perhaps your body associates getting those things along with the meat.

Interested to know what works . . .

[barose]

Is there anything else you eat or do when you're consuming meat/fish that might be part of the craving? For instance, if you use a lot of salt or condiments, perhaps your body associates getting those things along with the meat.

Interested to know what works . . .

It was probably the salt but also starch such as brown, red or black rice or sweet potatoes. I would normally eat them together (meat and rice for instance). I miss starchy foods too, but not that much.

[Morningstar]

How about a faux meal

Dried Seaweed/Seaveggies seem to help me.

I have pulverized nori that I mix with apples & avos, I then add a dash of grnd ginger & curry ( the smell reminds me of a spice mix we used in MD called OLD BAY)

I also slighlty dry sliced mushrooms & tomatos and drizzle EVOO , sea salt & crack pepper
( eat it just out of the EXCAL & its a hint of meat)

I always thought the meat cravings came from the body detoxing our old SAD diet?

[Beckla]

I don't have much good advice to offer on this... sorry... but I do know that the raw hot dogs that were posted here were so much like meat to me it was a little bit TOO meaty tasting/smelling. May help?? Just don't know.

[RawPaw]

Could be a salt craving. I would cheat and buy a bag of chips...or make something salty. I see enough meat when I make cat food. That will turn you off.

[barose]

Thank you!!

Cat food - the most disgusting substance on earth. My old roommate years ago had a cat that I had to occasionally feed. It was always horrible, vomit smelling WET cat food.

The meat cravings are gone for now. :D

I did make kale chips and eggplant bacon and loved it. I will have some this weekend to see if it helps my meat/salt cravings. I had a bunch of celery this morning too….

[RawPaw]

Beckla, where can I get some raw veggie hot-dogs?

[rawgreenyogini]

I'm not sure I can help you.

I've only been a vegetarian since 2003. And honestly, I have not once craved flesh. I chose to stop eating flesh because I knew my body was not digesting it properly. So, out from the diet it went along with the dairy that was causing problems too.

Maybe it's not really the flesh that you are craving but the other items that you used to eat along with the flesh??? Sauces that went on/with the flesh...things that remind you of eating that particular meal. Try to recreate that experience into Whole Raw Foods.

I do not believe in the "protein" myth that is flying around the SAD community. Raw Foodies are NOT lacking in protein in their diet eating only raw fruits and vegetables. Animal flesh does not give us anymore protein than lovely raw food.

[Guydiane]

I got this from the Garden Diet from Storm:

Say you are craving meat. We replace this with nut loaf. Now you are not eating high cholesterol oils and low grade forms of protein. Grind up nuts to a fine meal using a meat grinder. Add flax and Celtic Sea Salt. Grind or chop up two or three different kinds of seaweed to satisfy your salt and mineral cravings. Mix 3 different oils in: flax, olive, and hemp. Chop in raw onions, green onion, and green peppers. Add spices like basil and thyme. You can even warm it up to 100 degrees. Enzymes are destroyed at 150 degrees. So if you warm it up just enough to take the chill off, it will be closer to the taste of the cooked food you are used to eating. The nutloafs are so rich that they totally satisfy the cooked meat craving. It doesn't taste any different than meat. You can season and spice it to taste like various meat dishes. You can create gravies and sauces out of raw organic foods, like tahini sauces and almond butter sauces. The nutloaf is every bit as satisfying as a meat meal.

[LightLover]

Maybe you don't get enough Vit B12 and Vit D..?


LL

[RawVegan4Health]

A 3-day juice fast really helped me with my cravings, a LOT!

[barose]

Guydiane - Is the loaf like beef? I never liked beef (or any red meat for that matter). I wonder if there is something like chicken or fish...I think Alissa's book as something. Ill check!

Light and Raw Veg - I was planning on doing a Juice fast in July. Wait, it IS July! :D . We dont have a juicer yet - but hopefully soon. I would have to do it over a weekend because of work (and no easy access to juice other than JambaJuice :rolleyes: )

[trinity082482]

Make Nori rolls.. Nori to me has a fishy taste.. but in a good way.. it might help cut that meat cravings back a bit

[GHOST27M]

Well, I would go to you tube and watch the video trilogy called "Earthling". If you have watched it before, go watch it again. If you have never watched it, then be aware that it is graphic.

I have craved everything else except meat and fish, so I can't be of too much assistance...

Um I just watched like 20 min of this (SO HARD TO WATCH)

I will never cook meat for my friends now either.

I am vegan and 99 raw (2 times a month i make vegan susi rolls with rice).

But I am a chef so I would cook for my friends at dinner parties.


NEVER again NEVER NEVER

sorry to go back to this but I think every one should TRY to watch this

[eatyourbroccoli]

i really believe cravings after the initial withdrawal on raw are our bodies letting us know we're missing a certain nutrient..

that nut loaf recipe looked great. id give that a shot, to get the fat & protein.

[Livingsunfoods]

I agree with the others about adding more raw fat. I remember reading one of David Wolfe's books. In it his was saying something like when a person thinks they need protein, what they are really craving is fat (healthy raw fats) which help the body with energy and such.

[rawsurfer]

i havent really seen anyone on this forum that didnt stop craving meat. it took me 5 months, but now the thought of any product of an animal is totally disgusting, and belive me, i was the LAST person ever to think i would say that. i used to eat a pound burger just for kicks. and i went cold turkey from carnivore to rawfoodie literally overnight. this will pass. give those other ideas a go. itll get better. peace.

[dreamrawalwz]

Could be one or both of these reasons in my opinion:

1) you're detoxing the very substances you crave. Try to let it pass.

2) you're missing certain nutrients. I've heard many (non raw) vegans say "I started craving meat so I guess I needed the protein. Vegan didn't work for my body." So now they're no longer vegan. Point is, you can get the protein or fat from other sources, but I know you know this :)

Just because you read disturbing books or articles about meat and it's production or see videos doesn't mean it stops the craving! Come on people lol (in a joking manner!)!! Cravings can very much be biological and are chemical, not just mental. The only way to stop a craving is A- eat what you're craving, have to detox, and crave it ALL OVER AGAIN for a vicious cycle, or B - let the craving pass and it'll finally be GONE.

[SmilingRawDancer]

I can honestly say that I never craved meat during any part of my raw transitioning.
I don't know why, either.
I ate SO CLEAN. I think that's the base.
Barely any fats, just veggies and fruits with the occasional 1/4 avocado in my salad. Like, barely any fat.
At the time I didn't know much about raw, what was allowed etc...I was just looking for ANYTHING to eat that wouldn't make me gain weight, as I was trying to battle an ED.
I felt like I couldn't live on coffee anymore, and I needed an alternative, so I scoured the net for the healthiest diet possible. So I just started eating apples, peaches, baby spinach, grape tomatoes, apricots and mangos. Those were my staples.
....I still drank coffee, but I ate simply for a very long time.

[dreamrawalwz]

Oh yea, I am one that never craved meat either. I'm not sure why not either. Just one day I said "no more!" and havn't looked back. Then again, in my transition I hate a lot of avocados and denser veggies.

[barose]

Just because you read disturbing books or articles about meat and it's production or see videos doesn't mean it stops the craving! Come on people lol (in a joking manner!)!! Cravings can very much be biological and are chemical, not just mental. The only way to stop a craving is A- eat what you're craving, have to detox, and crave it ALL OVER AGAIN for a vicious cycle, or B - let the craving pass and it'll finally be GONE.

Very well said!! :D

[barose]

I took a good look at my diet over the past [work] week and realized that I have not been eating enough protein and fat (for me). I pigged out on fruit mostly. The day I was craving meat the most, I ate the least amount of food. I was having other signs of nutrition deficiency.

Starting Friday night, I ordered a smoothie with almond butter and had a young coconut. Today I was more aware of my food intake and just ate more, and deliberately added more fat in my diet and I feel so much better for having done so. I haven't had any raging cravings yet. I will incorporate more sea veggies in my diet particular Wakame (since I like it so much) and see how I feel too. I have the greens down already--- I just need other food. :D

Thank you for your advice!

[kyrie]

Hi I've not been raw vegan, but I have been vegan previously, and I found that I craved meat like crazy. Not actually the meat itself, but the taste.

At the same time, I was detoxing a lot of junk out of system, and doing lymph cleanses, and fasting, and enemas and eating lots of fruit and nuts and greens and sprouts etc, fresh, sometimes picked by myself from the tree.

Another thing I've noticed is that when you are getting enough vitamins and minerals you don't crave sweets, chocolate, and fats. When those needs for minerals and other nutrients are met, those cravings completely disappear, and you don't even find the sight or smell of these items appealing.

I'd suggest eating sea veggies, making nut loaves, having nuts and seeds and avocadoes, and olives and coconut meat and water. Drink lots of pure water, eat fruits and greens, juices and green smoothies, and sprouts. Also make sure you use something like a green powder to supplement and Living Harvest protein powder for smoothies, so you cover all your bases.

Also you can use herbs and spices in your food to make it more tasty. And fresh homegrown herbs always taste better than store bought.

Also you can use nutritional yeast.

That should cover you nutritionally for all your requirements. And make sure you are eating regularly, as much as you want.

Some people try to make raw all about fat and carb percentages, and make it so much more stressful than it needs to be.

And make sure you excercise as well. The body is meant to move, raw is not an excuse to be a slacker and not get excercise that your body is designed for.

Most of all enjoy the taste of your food, and bless it in a spirit of gratitude. Try to put love into the food you are preparing. Eat in the moment.

IT might sound like new age bs. but I've tried this, and it worked for me, it could work for you.

Remember it's a choice most times that you have as to what you put in your mouth. It's day by day, and I'm sure you can do this.

Carla.

[Shoshannah]

Just because you read disturbing books or articles about meat and it's production or see videos doesn't mean it stops the craving! Come on people lol (in a joking manner!)!! Cravings can very much be biological and are chemical, not just mental. The only way to stop a craving is A- eat what you're craving, have to detox, and crave it ALL OVER AGAIN for a vicious cycle, or B - let the craving pass and it'll finally be GONE.

Well, that is true... it won't stop the craving and I never said it would. However, I suggested Earthling because I thought it would give ammunition to help fight the craving in and of itself, that's all. I know it has helped others with their cravings so that is why I suggested it.

We can all offer suggestions to help each other.... take some advice and leave the rest.

[dreamrawalwz]

Well, that is true... it won't stop the craving and I never said it would. However, I suggested Earthling because I thought it would give ammunition to help fight the craving in and of itself, that's all. I know it has helped others with their cravings so that is why I suggested it.

We can all offer suggestions to help each other.... take some advice and leave the rest.

Yes, definitely. I wasn't pointing a finger to anyone in particular. Sorry if I offended. I'm actually going to watch Earthling because I never have. I guess I was speaking more in general because I've heard many vegans in person say it as well, that's all.