New..beginning raw sorta

[pierces*designs]

Hi there! I am in NC and just turned 40. I have been a fairly strict vegetarian since I was 17. Over the years, despite being active, eating healthy and living a spiritual life my health has been declining.

I now have IBS, I am lactose intolerant and then the kicker on 8/14/07 I became anaphylactic(sp) allergic to all nuts. Since then if I have a day where I don't have shortness of breath and heartburn and swollen lips, I am doing well. Nuts, and processing of nuts is in almost every single thing you buy.

I am a mom to 3. One daughter is in college, and two boys who just turned 13. My DH, while not really understanding about the fact I cannot eat very much at all seems to be willing to let me do my own thing. He can certainly see the swollen lips and hear me trying to breathe.

My biggest concern is how am I going to be able to pull this off with two busy kids, a full-time job, a part-time job and a crazy schedule?

I look forward to learning more.

[Rawlicious]

Hello, pierces*designs!

I am fairly new to this forum but not new to dealing with IBS. The doctors tend to use the IBS diagnosis for intestinal problems when they can't really find a physical reason for them. That was my experience and I finally decided it must be the food! Process of elimination, no pun intended.

It has taken me about 10 years to get to the point that just about all I can eat are raw fruits and vegetables. First thing to go was flour. That was hard. Second thing to go was sugar. Double hard! Then dairy, meat and even cooked vegetables.

Keep it simple at first. Just eat fruits and veggies that you can grab and munch on. Juice a lot. Make smoothies with your favorite fruits. If you can do it long enough I promise you will be able to feel the difference. I don't think I would have gone raw if not for my health and it has helped a lot. My energy level has improved and I no longer feel as if the life is being sucked out of me. Now there is hope! Don't get discouraged.

Best wishes from someone who has been there.

[spicyfull]

I wish you everything you need to Stay RAW......Welcome to MY World.

[Stina]

A warm welcome!

Do you have Alissa's book yet? It's a must-have for learning this new way of eating. What equipment are you working with? You really don't need anything and can keep it as simple as eating fruit and salads. You'd be surprized at how much you can do with just that. I've worked hard to gather some secondhand equipment. I got a Champion juicer, an Excalibur dehydrator, a Cuisinart food processor and will have an old Vitamix blender soon. Because I like to eat in general and really love eating Raw!

[pierces*designs]

I just won a juicer on Ebay so that is on it's way. I have a blender and have been doing GS in that.

I have kindof done this type of eating just by nature of the fact that so many things made me sick before. Like if a group went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant I would order an avacado sliced on a bed of lettuce since I knew anything else would mean days of extreme pain and discomfort.

But getting the nut allergies has really thrown me for a loop. I miss my nut butters.

[luckitri]

I agree with above poster to just fill a cooler with easy to grab and eat items. I had a small cooler that I took to work with me and had water, green smoothie and assorted fruits and vegetables to eat. It was tough because I had to eat more often than others but I did it.

It is tougher to keep the family together and prepare the food that they want in your role as mom and keep yourself raw. I am failing at this but then I remember that I have learned here that many people took close to a decade to transition to 100% so I try to be forgiving on myself.

In the future I hope to get the equipment that I need to create raw desserts (as well as other raw items, entrees etc.) and hopefully entice my family to raw that way.

I am wondering if in the future you will become un-allergic to nuts. I find that my reactions to irritating foods have eased up and disappeared after being raw for a time.

Maybe if you eventually try to order some organic raw nuts . . . just maybe?

For some reason I don't do nuts hardly at all. Just not interested.

[StarFire]

Aloha and Welcome to RFT!! Rawk on! I'm so glad you have joined us! You will find a lot of support and information here on this forum. I think it's wonderful that you have your husband's support... well - sort've anyway! ;) :D


I look forward to following your journey and your healing!

blessings!

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

[EZ rider]

WELCOME. Your boys could be a big help to you. Sit down with them and explain the situation to them and then enlist their help. First thing you might want to show them how to make their beds (if they don't already). Then find other ways for them to help like doing their own laundry etc. It will help you and it will help them.