A note on SAD indulgence

[pinkrosebud]

I have been 100% raw for 1 month and very high raw for the last 2 months. But about 2 weeks ago I started craving seafood. I live in Washington State and summer is all about delicous fresh seafood. I was riding the craving, not giving in. Then about 2 days ago I thought this is ridiculous if I am really craving something I should allow myself to have it. So my family and I went out to a wonderful dinner, and I did not deprive myself of anything. I ate bread and butter seafood galore, pasta and cobbler with ice cream. Everything was fabulous and I did and do not feel a bit guilty. I started doing raw for digestive issues and weightloss and have had amazing success with digestive issues vanishing and moderate but not steady weightloss. I was a little worried that my body would freak out but it did not.
I know that I won't eat SAD everyday, I love my raw lifestyle and feel very satisfied and happy, but sometimes I think it is good to let yourself be free from restrictions and enjoy every aspect of food. I am really proud of myself for planning a dinner out where I knew I could have everything I wanted and now today I am totally raw and doing a bit of a cleanse for the next week. Life is short and we need to be easier on ourselves and celebrate our sucesses.

[Riiiya]

Pinkrosebud, i agree! i plan to be raw as much as possible, but i don't want to tell myself that i will NEVER go out and have a meal with family/boyfriend... mental well-being is just as important as physical- if you stress yourself out too much about food, i don't think it'll be all that great for you.

Anywho- raw rawks :) it's just that i also think it's not a suicide to go and have a meal once in a rare while :D

[GHOST27M]

Before I became ethical vegan I would cheat and have no problems but if I cheated 2 times in a row .... It SUCKED.

I plan my cheat days I got one comming up on the 4th umm tomarrow!!!!!

I will have Vegan sushi (steamed rice is the cheat).

It helps me KNOW that I am going to get to cheat when I plan them.

Some times when the day comes I dont cheat. But I must wait till the next cheat day usually 10 days.

[sharilynn8962]

I definitely agree with you, pinkrosebud. I know for me when I tell myself that I can't have something. I want it more PLUS everything else I can get my hands on. I think that if when I view raw as a journey and a process that I am able to continue more diligently without beating myself up for "failing". I also think that sometimes it takes our bodies time to "adjust" to a purer way of eating.

[NYbutterfly]

Pinkrosebud, this was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. I beat myself up relentlessly for eating "bad" foods that are not raw, which causes me to binge even further. My goal each day now is to eat what my body (not my mind) wants and to let myself just be.

thank you so sooo much for that post, it saved my day.

[garden granny]

I think you're doing the right thing.
Life is short, "don't worry - be happy" :)

[the_lab_rat]

sometimes I think it is good to let yourself be free from restrictions and enjoy every aspect of food.

Hmm, I think those lobsters and crabs might disagree with you :p

I guess, being vegan totally for ethical/environmental reasons, I don't understand the desire to "cheat," and don't ever experience that feeling of deprivation you mentioned. As soon as I had educated myself about what goes on behind the scenes with the food I was eating, I went 100% vegan and never looked back. That made it much simpler for me because I feel like my diet is not only healthy but, more importantly, does no harm to other living beings. It allowed me to look beyond just myself and see the greater picture. That thought lets me totally be at peace with everything I'm eating, so it takes away any feelings of guilt or deprivation.

That being said, I will confess I've eaten beans a couple times since going raw. Now if only someone could tell me an ethical reason for not eating beans, I'd be totally set :p :D

[barose]

I think there is a fine line. For me, I know if I nibble at something cooked too often, I will want more. There are certain things that I have zero tolerance for due to allergies or foods that I know are completely harmful: gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar...and meat and so on. On the same token, I did have a spoonful of sprouted, cooked black rice once or twice and I was able to have it w/o the desire to eat the whole bowl. :)

[Stina]

Well, you sure indulged and I am glad you enjoyed yourself. That was some heavy food with the sugar and dairy and all. I've been on this board for a year now and constantly see new people log on all excited about going raw and then we stop hearing from them. I suspect people underestimated the power of cooked food.
Two well-respected experts in this field, Alissa Cohen and Victoria Boutenko, recognize the strong addictive properties of cooked food. I highly recommend 12 Steps to Raw Foods by Boutenko.
For every person I see say they ate some cooked food and it was no big deal, I observe thirty who ate SAD food, spiral out of control, can't stop, and are wracked with cravings.
No body ever said beat yourself up over a slip! I've slipped many times but I'm reaching for an ideal. This board is meant to be supportive of those striving for a raw food diet, at whatever capacity, not to rationalize eating cooked food.

[rawsurfer]

i just tell myself i can have whatever i want but i know what i will feel like. that keeps me raw, and keeps my diet balanced most of the time. my problem is overeating and emotional eating

[SmilingRawDancer]

I just haven't found any reasons to not eat raw...
If there is something cooked that I want, that I think looks REALLY good...somehow I always remember the pictures of the GREAT looking raw foods from the picture thread here, and I just go home and make something decadent. It's never felt hard...

But:
I have "cheated" since going raw. But I don't view it as cheating. Maybe not the best healthful decisions, but in the long run...it's not a sin.
I've had some coffee, a bit of non-fat milk, some splenda....but not tons. Maybe 2-3 times in the past year.

To me, nothing beats the satisfaction of an in-season Navel Orange, or a ripe banana....simple foods that really hit the spot.

[StarFire]

I tell myself I AM a RAW FOODIST. I love it - I love my lifestyle. BUT - I also tell myself - I CAN EAT WHATEVER I WANT - WHENEVER I WANT. (well, except fruit right now ;) )... but taking that attitude - is my freedom. No restrictions.

this lifestyle is about freedom for me. If I want it - I can have it. (but do I have it - no! cuz when I remove the restrictions - it's no longer something I think is 'on the other side of the fence...off limits or whatever' Okay - so it's a head game :D - perhaps - but honestly if I really wanted to eat something sad - I would. and not feel a lick of guilt about it.

I'm headed into 5 months raw - and I loove it!

I look at it this way. I am a woman I have long hair. I wear it down. If I cut my hair or wear it in a bun one day - that does not make me any less of a woman or any less of who I am... (simple analogy I know - but it illustrates my point.) I AM A RAW FOODIST - but there are no raw food police. Im not under some kind of law -- Alissa isn't going to pop out and wack me over the head if I eat a piece of ... whatever...
the choice is all ours!!

so no worries - it's all good! ENJOY LIFE!! ENJOY THE RIDE... EAT RAW!!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/sun.gif

[EZ rider]

I have found it easier to pick one side of the fence or the other. To try to straddle the fence just dosn't work for me. I made a choice to get on the right side of the fence and stay there. For me its raw.

[codajess]

Hmm, I think those lobsters and crabs might disagree with you :p

I guess, being vegan totally for ethical/environmental reasons, I don't understand the desire to "cheat," and don't ever experience that feeling of deprivation you mentioned. As soon as I had educated myself about what goes on behind the scenes with the food I was eating, I went 100% vegan and never looked back. That made it much simpler for me because I feel like my diet is not only healthy but, more importantly, does no harm to other living beings. It allowed me to look beyond just myself and see the greater picture. That thought lets me totally be at peace with everything I'm eating, so it takes away any feelings of guilt or deprivation.

That being said, I will confess I've eaten beans a couple times since going raw. Now if only someone could tell me an ethical reason for not eating beans, I'd be totally set :p :D
I won't get into the whole people-thinking-raw-equals-vegan thing. I've spouted off about it many times in the past.

Vegan = ethics.

If I were raw right now, I could still cheat. It doesn't mean I have to eat meat or dairy or anything I haven't eaten in however long. I do crave nonraw foods. I don't, however, crave meat, eggs, dairy, or honey because those are not part of my normal diet.

I can feel "deprived" while being raw and really craving falafel, or a bean burrito, or anything else.

Being vegan I don't feel deprived. Nobody who is vegan feels deprived. A "diet" may leave you feeling deprived because you WANT to eat it, but "cant" because it's a diet. Being vegan is a lifestyle that people choose out of moral concern for animals. Being raw, I can feel deprived.


I don't understand your relevance to the OP.

[the_lab_rat]

I won't get into the whole people-thinking-raw-equals-vegan thing. I've spouted off about it many times in the past.

...

Being raw, I can feel deprived.

I don't understand your relevance to the OP.

I don't think raw = vegan. Plenty of people on this forum are raw but eat honey, hence aren't vegan.

My relevance to the OP, and my mention of being vegan, was that they were talking about craving/eating things like seafood and butter. So I was offering my personal experience that since becoming vegan I no longer crave animal products. I wasn't suggesting you or anyone else who is raw could never feel deprived; merely saying I personally don't feel deprived. Most of the posts in this thread are people talking about their experiences with "cheating" or cravings; my post is no less relevant.

Peace and :),

the lab rat

[codajess]

I don't think raw = vegan. Plenty of people on this forum are raw but eat honey, hence aren't vegan.

My relevance to the OP, and my mention of being vegan, was that they were talking about craving/eating things like seafood and butter. So I was offering my personal experience that since becoming vegan I no longer crave animal products. I wasn't suggesting you or anyone else who is raw could never feel deprived; merely saying I personally don't feel deprived. Most of the posts in this thread are people talking about their experiences with "cheating" or cravings; my post is no less relevant.

Peace and :),

the lab rat


OHh no, i'm sorry I didn't mean you thought raw=vegan. I was just generally speaking.
Honey isn't the only thing nonvegan. If they're using animal tested products, leather, wool, etc... there's a lot more to it. Of course I don't need to tell you this. :D

The OP is talking about cheating on raw. I just meant that being vegan we can still "cheat" and eat vegan cooked things.

[StarFire]

I don't understand your relevance to the OP.

Aloha ... excuse me... may I interject a thought here... ??

the one thing I have always loved about this forum is that ALL OF OUR OPINIONS are RELEVANT.

Whether they agree with mine or not - whether I see the point or not... all of us are permitted to voice our humble opinions here at RFT. That's the beauty of having this forum as part of our lives....

this lifestyle is one of beauty, vibrant living, reclaiming our health and being raw to the best of our abilities that we can. true many are not 100% raw, because they are working towards that goal or want to be hi raw (or whatever percentage works for them)...

so ... lets spread the love and the acceptance of each other - and all of our differing opinions - cuz that's what makes this forum so rawkin awesome!!

GROUP HUG..... http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_huggrouphuggle.gif ...:D

[Stina]

StarFire- you got some nice computer skills there, my kind friend!

[barose]

GROUP HUG..... http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_huggrouphuggle.gif ...:D

Cute!
.....

[EZ rider]

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_huggrouphuggle.gif
A picture is worth a thousand words :)

[the_lab_rat]

If they're using animal tested products, leather, wool, etc... there's a lot more to it. Of course I don't need to tell you this.

The OP is talking about cheating on raw. I just meant that being vegan we can still "cheat" and eat vegan cooked things.

Yeah, I guess I'm just thinking the things most people crave aren't even vegan, so being vegan to begin with makes it easier to stick to being raw.

Leather, animal testing, etc... Ugh! yeah, so many animal products out there to avoid. Sometimes I think it's harder to be vegan than raw--like I'll think all my products are ok, then end up finding some animal ingredient hidden deep within my shampoo or something :(



GROUP HUG..... http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_huggrouphuggle.gif ...:D

StarFire, I LOVE seeing your posts! They're so colorful and animated and fun! You seriously keep this forum entertaining! :D

[Elle_Murphy]

everyone is entitled to their opinion, but before you hit that "submit reply" button just keep in mind that ALL you're stating. One person's OPINION...

ANyways, just wanted to say that if you are craving seafood, it's your Omegas you need. You need to eat some flax. Happens to me every.single.time.

[GlimR]

StarFire~
I loved what you said in your initial post. Raw is a choice we make among so many others and about the freedom to do so and not about restriction. You have a lovely spirit Lady~

In regard to the original post. For me...yes, I can eat whatever I want...and if I choose to eat a cooked meal, the world does not end nor will I feel guilty..BUT...I do feel like I have gummed up the works...taken a step backwards in the "cleanliness" of my system and in my progress toward wellness, and yes BEAUTY!!

One of the coolest things about eating raw food is that even after I eat, say..a HUGE salad...I'm talking HUGE people...I NEVER feel bloated or overstuffed or hurting...TOO full like I always did on SAD, even when I did NOT overeat. My body knows what to do with the food and does it very efficiently on raw. I just persoanlly feel that yes, I can eat cooked food...but knowing how I feel if and when I do..why the heck would I want to feel that way. I guess I am just at the point where it is not worth it.

Everybody has to walk their own walk....more power to whatever works for you~

[ReneeH]

Starfire...you know you my Girl!!! I just LOVE your posts!! Ditto what you said! Go on Girl...voice yourself and RAWK on!!! And, thanks for including my little "head" in your group hug!!!

[EZ rider]

My body knows what to do with the food and does it very efficiently on raw.
I agree that the body recognizes the food in its natural state and gets down to the job of digesting it. The chelation bonds within the food are intact and easily used by the body for making and maintaining a healthy body. Changes occur in the enzymes when cooked. The fiber in the raw food is in a state the body can use. Just look at a carrot or other vegetable after it has been cooked. Instead of a carrot being firm and crunchie cooking makes it soft and mushie. It has been changed in a way that no longer supports the body's need for fiber. There are many changes that happen to the foods in food processing plants and kitchens that change the food from natural and something the body recognizes and can use to something that dosn't support its needs. Foods in their natural state provide the body with exactly what it needs.