I need a little help...struggling a little.

[Jodi]

For the past few days I have really been struggling. I had managed to eat all my meals and snacks, except the evening meal...all raw. Sometimes I even managed to make my evening meal raw.

I was very excited when my food dehydrator arrived...all ready to try new and interesting recipes.

Unfortunetly, the few things I have made I have just totaly not liked. I am even having some struggles with liking flax crackers. I am just not liking the taste of the flax.,,tho, I do eat them. I make the butternut squash patties and the almond/raisen cookies. Both, I just did not like at all. Didn't even like the way they smelled.

Maybe I'm trying to hard. I think part of me was expecting some of the things I made to taste like my old SAD food. But, I don't think I can eat just straight fruits, veggies and nuts all the time. I need some variety.

I am going to try and make the caramel/coconut cookies and the onioin bread.

Is what I'm going thru common when trying to achieve a raw diet? Maybe it is better to go 100% from day one. I just don't think I can do it. It does not help that I do not have any stores close to home for a source of things I need....like raw nuts, seeds, etc. I etiher have to drive 45 minutes or do mail order. And forget finding organic produce near by. A lot of recipes call for either Braggs or the Namu Shoyu (sp?)...neither of which I have.

Ok....enough of my little rant and pity party.....sorry for the whining!

Jodi

[Rawkinlocs]

Jodi...first of all a big (((HUG))) to you! You're doing great and you WILL succeed at this if you really desire to do so! It's a process and it takes time. Yes, what you're going through is common.

Case and point: When I first went raw, I tried to eat the zucchini pasta and sauce. I didn't like it and wondered why so many raved so much about it. But guess what? I have had it two nights in a row! One thing was, I had to tweak it a bit to MY tastes. I never liked just plain pasta and plain sauce. When I ate spaghetti, it had meat, onions, bell peppers, etc. in it.

SO...I added chopped onions, bell peppers, oregano and basil to the sauce. Even my kids are woofin' this stuff down!

I didn't care for flax crackers either, nor sprouted breads. I've tried numerous times to make them in various varieties and never found any I truly liked until the onion bread/crackers and even with those, sometimes I'm just not in the mood for them.

But the thing is, you may not mentally be able to concieve eating a diet of just fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds without all the fancy concoctions, but if you don't THINK about it and just do it...just eat the things you enjoy and eat them as often as you please. Allow your body to get used to eating less and eating lighter. One day you're gonna try a recipe just to add some variety to your diet and your tastebuds are gonna FLIP over whatever you try!

Perhaps you are trying too hard with the recipes...I know *I* did in the beginning and yes, it is possible to have too many expectations on raw dishes tasting EXACTLY like their cooked counterparts. Some do and some aren't even close. What I had to do was mentally tell myself that this isn't spaghetti, it's just a new dish. Now, I call it spaghetti because it's been so LONG since I've had cooked spaghetti, this now tastes just like it to me, especially after having spruced it up a bit and even my kids say it looks and tastes like "real" spaghetti!

So, take it a day at a time, do what you can, eat what you love/enjoy and give yourself time to warm up to the recipes. Start out with desserts...most desserts are big hits right off the bat...try those CREPES! They're divine!

Yeah, the almond/raisin cookies DO have a unique taste due to the buckwheat, but I really enjoyed them the last time I made them. Do a search for the oatmeal cookie recipe by Juliano in the recipe section - THOSE are to LIVE for!! Try the butter pecan ice cream - don't know too many people if any at all who don't love or at least like this recipe; the onion bread though popular, didn't win everyone's heart..but they are good and I especially enjoy them when they're dried to the cracker stage...almost OVER-dehydrated.

The longer you're raw, your tastebuds will make adjustments and things you try that you don't like now, you may find yourself liking later. But you very well could end up doing a more simple raw diet and there is nothing wrong with that. The recipes will always be there for you to try later when/if you have gotten tired of eating the more simple diet.

Hang in there girl! You can DO it!! :D

P.S. Have you considered buying your nuts, seeds and stuff in bulk - even IF online (someone just started a thread and got some replies with links to places that sell bulk nuts, etc.) that way, you can freeze them and use as you need them. Alissa sells Nama Shoyu on her website, but you don't HAVE to use those condiments...many do not. You can substitute with celtic sea salt. When you shop, try to stock up on the things that you know might last a while to get at least a month to two months supply so you won't have to go as often.

Don't worry about organic this stage of the game...do what you can!

[levamssg]

Jodi,
I'm almost a year 100% raw now, and reading what you wrote brought back a lot of memories. I went 100% from day one, so I don't know what it is like doing a slower transition.

yep - what you are going through is very common, so don't despair. I distinctly remember expecting raw food creations to TASTE like sad food. They don't. I didn't like veggie burgers, flax crackers, or a lot of things at first. Now I love them. I have a veggie burger recipe that I make every week now and scarf them down as fast as I can make them. But it takes time for your taste buds to change. Have you tried jicama? Kinda like water chestnuts, only sweet. Do you eat mangos? Try some different fruits/veges and see what your taste buds think about it. If you don't like something ... try something else. But after a few months, go back and try some of the original things again.

Some of the first things I dehydrated were banana chips, sweet potato chips, several tries at potato chips. I dehdryate onion 'petals' (onion pieces with a few drops of olive oil sprinkled w/chili powder and garlic salt. good!). I tried several cracker recipes, but my taste buds weren't ready for them early on, so my compost pile was being fed quite regular.

sooooo anyway... find a few recipes you really like. Do you have Alissa's book? The date nut torte is yummy if you like sweet things. The marinara sauce is wonderful over shredded zucchini. I don't do recipes that have a lot of nuts in them ... but you may love them. You need to find what suits YOU.

If you have a few fav fruits/veges, then eat them a lot. Whatever you crave that is raw - eat it. Don't worry that much about organic at this point. Sure it is nice to have it, but buy what is available.

I food binged a lot when starting out. Found something I liked and ate heaps and heaps of it ... until one day I didn't want it anymore, then I went on to something else. As long as you are liking what you are eating, it doesn't matter.

Hope you enjoyed the onion bread - the first batch I made was wonderful. I even made a almond nut butter and smashed grape sandwich using it. (I missed PBJ's). lol

I have a few easy favorite recipes. If you want, I can send them to you. Let me know.

Good luck!! You'll do fine!

[Texicalian]

Jodi - life's too short to put pressure on yourself. If for some reason, you do feel called to go 100% raw, then try it, but if you don't then allow the intellegence of your body/mind to determiine your pace. I started out with the idea of transitioning slowly and very shortly was "high raw". For me what has worked is to say to myself that if I really want the sad food, I'll eat it. Strangely, I haven't had the desire for most of it, but when I have had the rare occassion of eating something "cooked" I'm not hard on myself - so I've found one area at least where I'm treating myself with gentleness and kindness. :) But, this is just what has worked for me...Enjoy the process whatever you do! If you're missing tastes of sad foods, I recommend soups - I make a bunch that taste like their sad counterparts. I also make a "pie" every once in a while - nut crust with some sort of fruit filling - so far, I've tried strawberry, blueberry and apricot - whatever I can pick up at the farmer's market. As far as Braggs or Nama shoyu, alot of people seem to just leave those out and/or add a little more salt. Recipes are just ideas of where to start! And then the sky's the limit...

[RawTruth]

Jodi,

I absolutely agree with Cherie and Terry.

I found that, at first, I was expecting the raw gourmet recipes to taste like what they were named for ... and they definitely don't. True, some come closer, but others aren't even in the same universe (I'm thinking of the mashed potatoes and gravy recipe - yikes).

I also went 100% immediately, so I don't know what it's like going partially raw. For me, that wouldn't have worked; I'm all or nothing, and Alissa's logic really appealed to me, so I did the 30 Day Challenge in January and never looked back.

That's not to say, though, that there haven't been challenges. For me, it was that, at first, I didn't like very many of the recipes for Weeks 1 and 2 (I dont' know if you have Alissa's book -- ), so I just substituted ... and started getting other uncook books. But, what was crucial for me was clearing out my kitchen and restocking it according to her directions. Then, since I had soooo many things, I could make whatever struck my fancy. One of my staples was avocado "sandwich" with tomato, sprouts or lettuce on onion bread or crackers. (I do like flax crackers, even the plain ones with just lemon, ginger, and garlic seasonings, but I know other people who make Italian crackers, Indian crackers, etc. And ... there are other cracker recipes that don't predominantly use flax!) And then I tried Alissa's pizza bread. Oh yummy. But ... again ... you have to change your idea of what "bread" is.

I'm so sorry you're struggling. I know when I was at that place, it always helped me to browse through people's journals. Not only did I feel less alone in my challenges, but I got ideas from what other people were eating. Plus, the feeling of community is so important when, as for many of us, we're the only one we know who's gong raw.

My thoughts are with you. This, too, shall pass. Just make it through each day ... each meal ... each moment. And, you might consider going 100% ... maybe take the 30 Day Challenge. There's plenty of people here who'll support you 1,000%!!

[Jodi]

Thanks so much, everyone, for the encouragment and kind words. Transitioning to raw is something I definitely want to do. I don't know why, but for some reason it just seems like the right thing for me. For one thing, when I am eating mostly raw I feel great and sleep well. Including falling asleep quickly...something I don't usually do.

I have been buying some seeds and nuts bulk on-line. I am going to keep trying new recipes and things using what I have. I'm hoping if I just stick with it...I will lose my desire for cooked foods. My biggest downfall...sweets.

Today is another day! I'm not giving up!


Jodi

[Carlene]

Jodi,

In macrobiotics they talk a lot about staying in the center. I found when I stayed away from sweets and salt and lived more in the center, that within a couple of weeks all cravings diminished. Salt and oil have always been my downfall. I remember the day I realized I hadn't thought about making popcorn for over a week. I truely believed them that if you stayed center your appetite would change also.

When I started raw (granted only a week and a half ago), I told myself that if I wanted popcorn, I would have it, and I would continue to cook my yam each day. The first day I did have popcorn and a yam, with the promise that as I did this I would make this my one cheat (popcorn is my favorite food). The next day I forgot all about them. It's like the center found me.

I guess what I'm saying is move away from the extremes while trying to transition. Leave the candy and meat and salts out of your diet and head toward the center of fruits and veggies. In Macrobiotics they really preach that if you eat a lot of sugar or salt you will crave the opposite. Use ripe fruit to ease your sugar cravings, and don't use the Noya. Get your sodium from celery.

As for recipies, you really need to not look for things to substitute favorite foods. Instead look for new ideas, fresh tastes that support the lifestyle you want. Why pretend you're eating a hamburger when you don't want to eat meat anyway. Instead enjoy the flavors of what you've made for what they are. And only eat what you like.