How did you find raw??

[Holli]

I know we all have shared parts of story through other threads, I was just interested in how everyone found out about this way of living? Were any of you raised raw? What brought you to where you are today?

I have always been interested in nutrition. I was vegetarian for many years, but did not take the time to make sure I was eating correctly (I pretty much lived on cucumber sandwhiches and sweets for 9 years!) and then got pregnant and was told I needed meat because I was anemic and very malnutritioned (which I was!). I was young and uneducated, so I began to eat meat again in addition to my other processed foods. After 4 years of this, I found myself at the age of 22 waking up every day in pain, exhausted, I would have dizzy spells...I remember thinking I was dying. I went to every specialist I could and no one could find anything wrong. I even had exploratory surgery and was finally told that it was all in my head and was given a prescription for prozac! I left feeling worse, but knowing that something was wrong.

I stumbled upon a wonderful holistic doctor who shared with me some insights about nutrition (especially about candida- after eating bread and candy as my main staples for over a decade, my guts were in serious trouble!), I began to make slow changes. Just cutting out refined sugar, flour, and some dairy I felt SO much better! I had two more kids over the next few years and my son had some so-called "allergies" and severe eczema and I was told that he would have to be on steroid creams and antihistamines for the rest of his life (why I still continued to see these same types of doctors, I don't know!). I ended up going back to my holistic doctor and he shared with me about acid/alkaline balance and I began to change our diets again! It took almost a year, but my son was absolutely fine now...no sign of hay fever, very few outbreaks on his skin-he was SO healthy!

Our diets had improved greatly, but I felt like we needed to change more. We were still eating meat and not eating nearly enough fruits and veggies. Slowly, I moved towards vegetarianism again, but this time, I felt good about it with the knowlege and maturity I had gained. Within the course of about 2 months I ran into information about this "raw diet" from about 4 or 5 different sources, ending in me finding a copy of "12 Steps to Raw Food" which I ended up reading in one night. I couldn't put it down. I just remeber thinking, do people really eat like this?? It sounded very intimidating to me at the time, but SO cool! I began a google search where I found this sight and ordered Alissa's book along with a few others. And now, just 6-7 months later I find myself here, still not completely 100% raw, but very close, I have lost half the pounds I want to lose, have so much more energy, and am eager to learn more!

Okay, so that was a lot longer than I had planned! But there it is- My journey in a nutshell!

How about you guys???

[tanishamarshall]

I found raw when I was researching becoming a Vegan, I saw a link about raw foods and from that point forward I jumped on raw plus the only reason I decided to go vegan was because I was so sick, and didn't know what else to do and when I went raw I found healing and happiness, something I didn't have for a very long time.

[WannaBraw]

1998 issue of vegetarian times Roxanne had 2 recipes in it one for raw carrot cake and the other for a wild rice salad. That was when I began to experiment with the life style and fell in love with the way my body felt from it. But at that time I didn't know what to do. There weren't many books out then and I stayed with my Inlaws so I didn't have much space. But I started searching more and I found a raw magazine, Dr. Ann Wigmore, Viktoras Kulvinskas, and I went from there. It has been an up hill battle but I know, just as I knew back then that this is the only way for me to live.

[northernstars]

I just lost a lengthy post. I sure hate it when that happens!

In mid-March I had a MASSIVE STROKE (probably from sleep apnea) just after getting started on raw! In fact, when I got out of the hospital 2 1/2 months later (June 2), the beans I had started for sprouting were still in the container, all dried up of course! I had watched what I ate for years, having studied nutrition in 1964 (just after our infamous earthquake of 9.2).

So, having eaten hospital foods for that period of time and taking all those meds, my body was/is all messed up. It took a while after being released, but I am finally eating the way I want to eat! Fortunately, my husband has been accomodating as he fixes my meals. I am beginning to get around somewhat with a cane but still mostly use a walker which doesn't accomodate using both hands well!

Maybe it is easier for me to see the advantages of eating raw than for many people. I want to live for a long time yet. I am doing everything that I can to get off the 2 meds that I am still taking. I have found some natural type of supplements that claim to be as effective, so I emailed that info to my doctor and am waiting to hear her reply.

Keep eating raw and doing your body good!
Sharon

[StarFire]

Desperation... pure and simple desperation... I was head first into a vodka bottle - smoking almost two packs of cigarettes a day - my weight had gone up to 178 pounds, my marriage was falling apart, and so was my body and my mind.

I googled weight loss and was overwhelmed with the amount of websites - it was information overload... so many promises... it was all so confusing - I felt so utterly hopless and just sat there crying...

I prayed for the Lord to guide me and SHOW me in a very simple and honest way that I could understand -- what I needed to do.

I googled weight loss testimony - photos... AND Up popped Alissa Cohen Raw Food Talk... it was like it was the only thing I could see on the page... so I clicked on it...

I was amazed - not just with the weight loss - not just the testimonies... it was something more -something in their eyes... it was joy - true - pure joy...
I wanted that peace... that joy in my life...

so I bought Alissas book - followed the 30 day plan in her book...

I've been healed - I'm on my way to releasing all this excess weight -- and finding my deepest true self...

raw rawks baby!! ...http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/happy115.gif

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Tinkerbell_3.gif

[SuBu]

Like so many others here on RFT, I found raw through the Tyra Banks show titled "Diet Wars". I think it runs periodically, but I saw it on the 4th of July this year and decided this was something I wanted to know more about. I researched everything I could find on the internet and started my personal journey on 7/7/07. I jumped right in and haven't looked back. It's been a real roller coaster and not the quick fix to instant health and weight loss that I assumed it would be, but I have received so much from this lifestyle and this site that I would never want to do anything else. I am still learning every day and have so many things I want to try in relation to this way of eating. Can't imagine going back to SAD.

[road2raw]

Like no one else has, I'm sure. Throughout my life this intriguing, weird group called the Essenes kept popping up, and I distinctly remember reading about them eating their food raw. At the time, about 7 years ago, all I could think of was a bunch of monks sitting around eating raw lentils and the thought grossed me out. About four years ago, I was reading through a borrowed issue of a magazine for women called "Above Rubies'. It's a Christian publication to encourage wives and mothers. There was a picture in there of this beautiful, glowing woman with her family and I was stunned by her picture. So I read the article and it was all about how she eats a raw foods diet. So I thought "Hey, isn't that like the Essene diet I read about before?" So I googled it and up came Storm and Jinjee's site. The rest, as they say, is history. Even though I didn't jump into it right away, the raw foods lifestyle has found me and is here to stay and won't go away. And I don't want it to!! I'm loving it!

[Morn]

Like no one else has, I'm sure. Throughout my life this intriguing, weird group called the Essenes kept popping up, and I distinctly remember reading about them eating their food raw. At the time, about 7 years ago, all I could think of was a bunch of monks sitting around eating raw lentils and the thought grossed me out. About four years ago, I was reading through a borrowed issue of a magazine for women called "Above Rubies'. It's a Christian publication to encourage wives and mothers. There was a picture in there of this beautiful, glowing woman with her family and I was stunned by her picture. So I read the article and it was all about how she eats a raw foods diet. So I thought "Hey, isn't that like the Essene diet I read about before?" So I googled it and up came Storm and Jinjee's site. The rest, as they say, is history. Even though I didn't jump into it right away, the raw foods lifestyle has found me and is here to stay and won't go away. And I don't want it to!! I'm loving it!


THat is so cool! I read that publication too!:D

[Carlsbad]

Starfire--wow, I had no idea of your journey. You are such an inspiration! Because if someone asked me to describe all your posts that I've read, I would have to say "joy, pure joy!" Congratulations on truly transforming your life!! I have to say it again, WOW! :D

[Morn]

THe short answer is God led me to this lifestyle. I really believe that. If you want to read a long version of it you can click on the link to my website and it tells the longer version of the story.

[StarFire]

Starfire--wow, I had no idea of your journey. You are such an inspiration! Because if someone asked me to describe all your posts that I've read, I would have to say "joy, pure joy!" Congratulations on truly transforming your life!! I have to say it again, WOW! :D


omg carlsbad... thats one of the sweetest comments I've ever been given... thank you so very much... :o !

I truly love this LIFEstyle... it has been such a blessing to me...

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/za_thanx1.gif

[hunny99]

In April of 2007 I did the Master Cleanse for 17 days. I was preparing to possibly be on TV and in the newspaper and I didn't want to look bloated. I reasoned with myself that overweight is fine but bloated? Gasp! I could never look that way. Anyway, at the end of the book it suggests moving to a raw foods diet. I laughed when I read it, dismissed it and moved on with life. I ended up on TV several times and on the covers of two newspapers. I didn't look bloated but boy did I look fat. Pretty, but fat. I mentioned to a high school friend of mine that I had recently done the Master Cleanse and she bought the book and did it for 10 days. She read the same thing I did at the end about going to raw foods but instead of dismissing it she researched and she has been raw ever since. When she told me recently how well things have been going for her (release of 35 pounds, periods cut in half, sleeping better etc.) I decided I should look into it. Then she said something that set the light bulb off in my head "I DON'T CARE IF I EVER LOSE ANOTHER POUND, AS LONG AS I CONTINUE TO FEEL THIS GOOD". Those of us who have struggled with weight issues know that this is such a profound statement. That night, I ordered Alissa's book and DVD's, a food processor and deydrator from target and another raw "cook book" from Barnes and Noble. I have been raw since 11/12/07. 100% until some stressors the past few days put me over the edge and I had some take out, but I am back on. I've released about 17 pounds and I feel great.

Hunny

[sandybeach]

I found raw completly by accident. I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago after having severe pains they took out what they "thought" was causing me the troubles even though they said there was no stones. After that I was getting very sick and very discouraged, started eliminating everything that made me sick one by one, and eventually just ended up raw. I didn't actually know there was so many people out there doing it, and my intentions back then weren't to lose weight, just stop being sick. After about a year painfree raw I went back to eating like i used to, which was a mistake, didnt get sick at first but a year of that now and i was back getting sick.

Now I want to lose some weight, get into shape, and stop the stomach upset, and RAw was the only thing that really ever worked for me. Trust me ive tried everything. So i came back to raw this week.

[catscharm74]

Well, I believe in what we eat needs to be nutritionally sound. Like I think anyone can tell a carrot is more nutritional that a overprocessed cookie. I tried being vegetarian and that helped for some time, but I still felt tired and cranky. I upped my fruit intake one summer and boy, I started feeling a whole lot better (this was before I had internet)

On a trip to San Diego to visit a friend, she took me to my first Whole Foods type market and I was browsing a book by Juliano's about raw food, it was really interesting to me. Then they did a piece on him on the TV. I thought- hmmm..real food = real health. I put one and one together and it made a whole lot of healthy sense, no counting calories, no restrictions (other than raw), no missing whole food groups or eating weird food. Just natural, healthy food.

Alissa's site has the best forums, which I was looking for, as I need all the help I can get. I also came across Jingee's website at the same time. I find it so fascinating and I believe we need to turn to alternate resources to heal ourselves since healthcare is taking a nose dive in this country.

So, here I am, trying, understanding, loving, living and learning the Raw Life...:D

I truly think we are all onto something here that, in the near future, will be quite important.

Cheers,
Heather

[Cinnamon]

Great thread!

I've been a vegetarian for 20 years (this December 26th!) and vegan for most of that. In the early 1990's I attended a day long seminar with raw foodist Elizabeth Baker near where I live.

The day was life changing, so much fun, GREAT food (we were served a fabulous meal) and I bought all of her books including her Uncook Book, UnDiet Book, and Gourmet Raw Food Book. She had healed herself of many illnesses and cancer (you can google her name for more information if you'd like!).

So I've been dabbling with raw for many years now. It took a long time for me to find information online and once that happened I found out about Alissa and took her Living on Live Foods Chef certification course in Seattle about 1 1/2 years ago and had a blast!!

[Shell]

Tyra Banks, baby!
Like SuBu, and many others, I saw the 'Diet Wars' show as well....I saw it when it originally aired, but didn't really start to research raw until I saw the results show, 3 months later. Something inside me said, "Try this. Learn about it. It makes sense!" So I did. And through all the trials and tribulations I've had so far along this journey, I've always come back to raw. It feels right, and feels like this is what I've been searching for.

[RawWealth]

Holli, great questions!
I found this way of living because I became a victim of life. I must say that now I make life happen and I am no longer a victim. About 3 years (1/20/5) I had an operation to remove a mass on the upper lobe of my right lung. It was diagnosed as cancer AND I was also diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. After the struggles of chemotherapy I went back to work and won an iPod. I found out about podcasts and the only subject that has always interested me was food. I started listening to vegan podcasts and then found one on raw foods. I became vegetarian in April of 2006 and started on my raw journey at the end of August 2007. I found this site bought Alissa’s book and DVD and I was on my way. I had felt a lot better being vegetarian but I made great strides becoming raw. I will be in Alissa’s certification class in January so I will have more stories in the future.

[StarFire]

I will be in Alissa’s certification class in January so I will have more stories in the future.


isn't is absolutley amazing and wonderful to be able to say that??? :D

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/antz.gif omg!!!! I'm so excited!!! I'm so excited!!! http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/thexcited.gif

[sfdreams]

I had been a vegetarian since Sept 1992, but still ate non-healthy--lots of dairy and sweets and junk food, etc. I felt a craving deep within to eat more healthier, but never seemed to manage to do that.

Then, in January of this year, I had a hysterectomy and hernia repair. In the process of healing from that, my surgeon mentioned eating raw as a way to "melt off the pounds." I typed in "raw food diet" in Google, and Alissa's site was one of the ones that popped up. I lurked on the site as a guest for awhile, and went to other sites. The more I researched, the stronger an inner knowing welled up from deep within. It really felt "right"...I felt that this was the way for me. I ordered Alissa's book, read it in a day and a half--and went raw that afternoon, August 2, 2007!

I am very happy that I did! I feel so much better now than I have in years! The weight loss is secondary to me...although I am enjoying it! Plus, I need to have another surgery soon, and the more that I can lose, the faster I will heal.

I love being on this board and have loved meeting all of you!

[Evie]

I was raised a lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Yet, I have always been lactose intolerant. Go figure.. Anyway, I gained alot of weight over the years. I was in the library looking at weight-loss and lifestyle books. Marilou Henners book inspired me to become Vegan. About six months after becoming vegan, I was doing research and found Michelle Reeve's website. It truly inspired me. She had link to Alissa's site and I have been "lurking" here ever since. I actually knew a man who was cured of cancer eating raw organic foods. My research made me remember him. So I did not need much convencing about the benefits of raw. My problem with being and staying raw is my emotional eating issues and money. Both of which I am working on.:o

[Frugal Raw]

When I woke up and realized I was harboring more than the weight of a 2nd person, I started googling "100+ pounds lost." I was looking for photos of people who'd successfully lost that much weight, and kept it off. I found numerous people who had - Angela Stokes being one. That's when I first found the concept of raw foods, back in 2005. I soon also found the Garden Diet site and was blown away by the beauty of this raw family!

I was seeing a chirovedic doc at the time, and he eschewed the raw lifestyle. I still have his email address, so I will be sending him before and after photos when I have reached my goal weight.

I was forced to quit seeing the chirovedic doc and treat myself. I began dabbling in raw foods, but due to time and $$ constraints (I thought raw = raw gourmet), I would go back to my cooked vegan lifestyle after only a couple of weeks.

After we relocated to Tennessee in June of this year and got settled, my hubby began pushing that we should go raw. We agreed upon a date of 8/1/07, and went full on 100%. I have done much better with it than he has. In fact he's still hardly raw at all, but someday...I on the other hand am still 100%, aside from the once a month bump in the road, and LOVING IT!!!!