Hello.....8 days raw and getting down

[Sitani]

Hi everyone.....I hear this is a good forum....I hope so, could use some encouragment about now. My name is Debra, I am from Northern Ontario, and I think I am the only raw person in the area....well according to the health food stores, no one is asking for the products I have been.
My trouble now is I am getting tired of the foods.....and some I just don't like.
For the first 5 days I was doing great, insane energy levels, loved all the food. Have been copying down lots of recipes. I had been eating lots of the zucchini noodles with varying sauces.....getting sick of that.
Anyway.....feeling a bit tired too. Do not want to quit this......but my passion seems to be waning.
Well this was not a great introduction eh?
Hoping to find what I need :)

Debra

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi and welcome!

Well, I'd say what you're experiencing is quite common. But at the same time, it may be a good idea to start a journal and IN that journal, write down the reasons you want to eat this way. Remember, this is a lifestyle change.

Perhaps you need to try new and different things OR...perhaps your body needs you to just eat more simply for a little while. Find your favorite fruits and veggies and endulge in those.

I also tend to want to ask whenever someone says they're getting tired of or bored with the raw foods they eat - What was your cooked diet like? Did you eat a wide variety of foods on a regular basis or did you find yourself eating/preparing the same things over and over in a cycle? If it's the latter, what makes this much different?

I know for ME, personally, our eating was VERY routine and there were the same basics we'd always buy, cook and eat. So, now, I don't complain about being bored because if I want to venture out, there are SO many wonderful recipes I could try to add some variety to my diet. But for the most part, I've become pretty content with my main staples.

Give it time, don't give up, and again, jot down your reasons for being raw, the benefits you've achieved and the ones you haven't but WISH to achieve and if you're eating basically the zucchini pasta and getting tired of that, try other things. Do you happen to have Alissa's book and/or DVD? If not, I strongly suggest you invest in one of both of them.

Best wishes to you!

[Sitani]

thanks for your suggestions......I went raw after reading up on it for about two years, was receiving Jinjee's news letter.
As for my diet previously, it was a healthy one, but with a ton of variety. I have always love gourmet cooking and trying out new recipes.
I grew up eating the same thing pretty much day after day, and have never liked that since (was not a good childhood for many reasons)
Your suggestion of just eating simply is pretty much what has come back to me. Yesterday I tried making an avocado dressing for my salad and I hated it. I love the salads with just olive oil, Bragg (which I now read is not raw :( and sometimes I squeeze some nice lemon juice on it....usually on the avocado)
So I will go back to that, and eating more basically. The sweet treats I got from one posting with the 1/2 c each of ....almond butter, raw honey, ground sun seeds and raisins (I also added coconut to the last batch) has been a life saver for me this week.
I do have severe physical problems, was in a car accident 6 yrs ago that has left me much pain, and for that I must take pain killers. Did try everything natural for 5 years until I was in such a depression I could'nt take it anymore, nor my family :( .....
The latest treatment I am trying however, called mesotherapy, for pain has been amazing and I have cut down on the pills significantly.
For the first time in years I feel like my brain has come out of a fog....
I guess I have a lot on my plate, but I am committed to doing this, I had given up on my body and thought well this is me for the rest of my life....45 next month and 192lbs.....well that was my weight a week ago...I know it is down.....my energy is up, I would like to be raw for the rest of my life....hoping that is possible up here in the boon docks.
Anyway.....guess I went on a little eh? :D
Thanks again.....
I'm still raw
Debra

[lodestar]

Rawkinlocs...great suggestions and insight as well.

Deb...hang in there. This way of eating is soooo worth it. Sometimes the idea of "the rest of my life" feels uncomfortable and undoable. Just take baby steps and continue to up the intake of fresh produce. I too would recommend Alissa's DVD's and book. They will give you a boost when this seems too overwhelming and you get a little discouraged. Also this forum is filled with caring people that love to share their personal journey's on this raw path.
Warmest blessings to you dear girl. Hang on...once you get into the hang of this you will automatically reach for good food. :--)

[angelandarose]

Hi Debra, I feel I'm in the boon docks too. HA! I am 60 miles from the closest health food store, I have a hard time finding orgainc anything but that doesn't stop me. I do the best I can with what I can find in the local market.

The bordem/depression you are feeling might just be a detox symptom too. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Step out from the norm now and then and try new things, exotic things, or just plain and simple things.

This is a great place, you will find lots of love and encouragment here.

Love,
Angie

[Sitani]

Wow thanks everyone.....you are definitely encouraging to me. Good to know you are there. My husband told me this morning.....when I was telling him this was getting a bit hard....that this is the time I should be posting on your site. So glad I listened to him. Wow Angie 60 miles.....do you order online then? I am trying to a good Canadian site to order from, as I can't afford to lose so much on our dollar.
My printer is broken so I have been writing all my recipes out by hand.......my wrist is hurting....lol
But anyway, I know in my heart that raw seems to be the only thing that makes sense. Why do we cook and mess up the food....I am enjoying a nice big chunk of fresh organic pineapple and trying to eat my terrible potato chips that I just dehydrated.....can't seem to get that recipe right.....anyone know of any chip dip recipes :-)
Again, my deepest gratitude for your quick response....amazing how the encouragement gives you such a lift.
Bless you all
Debra

[PixieGreen]

Hang in there, Debra. Rawkinlocs is correct that if you want to be comfortable going raw to acknowledge that the "patterns" you've established prior to raw. My routine prior to raw was to eat maybe five favorite foods, and I do the same raw. The first few months were uncomfortable for me because I seemed to try four recipes for every one that I liked. It does take time, but you can start to enjoy the benefits of raw while you acclimate yourself to this new lifestyle.

You mentioned writing recipes out by hand... I use a program called Home Cookin. It's free to use for the first 100 recipes you enter. Some people are recipe collectors and might need to purchase it at that point. I've been raw for over four months and have 10 recipes that are *real* keepers, the rest I'm storing until I want to try something new. http://www.mountain-software.com/homecook.htm

Christa

[rawpriestess]

I've gone 100% raw a couple of times, the first time I was soooooo strict and had only one book, and made the 5 or six recipes in that book, that is all I had, and I got bored. The book said if you get bored with the food, then you are eating too much, as if you are truly hungry you will be happy with anything.

I didn't like this answer, because I love to have a lot of choices every day.

So, I only stayed raw about 3 weeks.

This time I bought Alissa's DVD and book, and man oh man, there are soooo many fantastic recipes in there, I had no idea, so I was able to go raw and stay raw, with a couple of slips, but I am raw now 4 months, and soooo happy, but I never get bored, not because I'm eating only a little, but because there are litterally thousands of recipes to choose from.

You can find some really great recipes here by going to the raw recipe forum and going back several pages and seeing (and printing out if you like) many great recipes, you can also go to the top of the page, click on the banana, (search) and type in what you are looking for, things like banana bread, oyster stew (that is one of my own recipes I put up), gumbo, butter pecan ice cream these are all on this sight, and totally free to try.

These recipes really make the raw lifestyle super fun and exciting to do. And then of course, there are the health and energy issues, like having cures of all kinds of diseases, and energy that rivals a teenagers.

So, keep posting, and ask lots of questions, search for fun things, try out all the recipes, get Alissa's book or get it at the library, and read others journals, to see what they are eating and doing.

But know that you are not alone, we are all here with you, and where you are, we've been, or are ourselves.

[Sitani]

Thanks for that advice raw priestess, I very much would like to buy Alicia's book. I will check the local book stores as (like I mentioned) the exchange rate is horrendus...especially if I use a visa card.
I am one who likes the variety, and it sure sounds like that is the book to get.....I have been on the puter all morning writing out recipes....and as I find one I think I will like.....I run to the kitchen and put something to soak....lol
I really really want to stay on this diet......I worry my determination will give way to exhaustion....not that I am tired......but my family is not for this....and my daughter brought home chicken cordon bleu from my favorite german restaurant (she works there) ......so I went straight to bed! That was a tough one....
I do see that food as dead, useless, and pointless to put in my body.....just the taste....ok enough of that! ...lol
I'm going to try the Rawvioli.....and pesto stuffed mushrooms.....that should keep me going for another week or so.
Thanks again.....I am in awe.....
Debra

[sailaway]

Hello
I am pretty new to raw. I started March 28th and then at my daughters graduation I ate cooked food and now I am raw again for 15 days. I am also trying gently to get other members of my family dh and children to join me. When I first went raw it was because I saw a recipe on TV for raw and thought it sounded good, so I bought the book. I really liked what I read so I checked out all the library had on raw and read them. I found hope for my weight and health issue and decided to give raw a "try". The results were SO BIG that I bought the books I liked choosen from the ones I had already read and more books off the net (some good some only ok), then I found this website. This site has been a real inspiration. The thing I liked about the books is the variety of reciepes for raw foods that are out there and the personal stories that go with them as well as the fact that all the books seemed to support one another. I found this site and it helps to cut threw the "which recipes are the good ones" and I am "bad" because I didn't stay raw". It seems like a large percent of the people here are new and they post what is good and working for them, also the "roots" out there are full of advice and support. Alissa has a book (and DVD) that I just picked up this past week and the menu plan has been a real help in finding my direction. My family has loved or at least liked most of the things I have made althought they are only about 70% raw. If money is tight and your library doesn't have a selection I would recommend buying these 3 books which helped with my family 1) Alissa's book- great advice, lots of recipes and a 30 day plan to jump start you, inspirational journels 2)The complete book of Raw Food- Great recipes, lots of resources a meet the chefs section that tells about the people who brought the recipes to the book and 3) The NAKED chocolate book-lots of recipes for "comfort" chocolate. These 3 books and this website's recipes have been more than I needed to get past the down and out's! Good Luck

[maraw]

Hi Debra. I have only been 100% raw for about 2 weeks now, and I went through exactly what you described. I had great energy for the first few days (I was overwhelmed, really) and then I sunk for about a week - mostly in the afternoons. But those tired spells are going away. And I find if I keep my most exotic meals to the evening, I am not as tired also. So for lunch, I might have a banana and an avocado. Simple, not too filling, and doesn't make me tired.

It also helped me to read other people's journals to see what they were eating. It gave me some ideas on some new things to try. Although Alissa's book is by far the best recipe reference (I could not have gotten this far without it, believe me), there is a web site I have been using also. It is http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/

I hope this helps. BTW, you have found a great resource for support and encouragement. This is a wonderful group of people here.

Best wishes -

P.S. I am also in the middle of nowhere. We live in the country about 45 minutes from Houston, Texas. I do some mail-order and the rest I get from a local farmer's market. Maybe you could find one in your area?

[Secret Heart]

You guys are fantastic...I love this forum...even though I lurk mostly :o
You totally inspire me and encourage me to do the 100% raw jump...I just need to perfect a few things with the dehydrator that I'm getting soon (the excalibur 5 tray is calling my name)....I think I'll have to spring for it even though there's less expensive options (Thanks again Bellamausi for the suggestions)..Anyway, I just wanted to say you are a great resource and source of support. Thanks! :D

[Sitani]

Hey maraw.....thanks for the link......you know I've been to that site and never seen all those recipes....hhmmmm....well as for farmer's markets....they don't even start till August and go for a month or two .....not a long growing season, I am going to plant a lot this year.....I used to have a garden, but since we moved here we haven't had the chance to do it....but I am bound and determined to get that garden this year...
I sure do know I have found a wonderful resource in this group...wow, I love this.
I do keep my exotic meals for supper.....and always find that they really pick me up. But I have been waking up tired for the last few days.....one morning I woke up at 5:45am....I stayed up and made fruit salad.....squeezed some grapefruit, and went all day like a maniac....it was really nice .....but since then, I have been going back to sleep and waking up tired. Wonder if maybe I should just get up at five with my husband and stay up......I worry I will be too tired....what to do....
I sure find this raw diet makes more sense the more you think about it......eat the same foods alive or dead......hmmmm how can that be a tough choice....lol
Well anyway......thank you for your advice, good to know I'm not alone.
God Bless

Debra