Why do you eat raw?

[Wild-Kat]

I'm curious...what are the main reasons that you eat raw and what percentage of your diet do you eat raw?

[Andre]

Good question Kat,

I starting eating raw foods because I heard someone mention it and I thought I'd see if I would like it. I liked it so here I am still eating raw.

I eat 100% raw, and only fruits and a little veggies. I simply drink smoothies or eat fruit, no gourmet stuff - I like the simplicity.

I also just eat according to what my body tells me. I don't look at charts that tell me nutritional information. My body knows what's best for me. Just to make sure I was doing okay my doctor gave me a thorough blood profile. Everything was fine.

I think raw is one of those things were you don't know until you try. And I don't think raw is for everyone, so I'm not going to say you'll like it.

It's for you to decide.

[cocoanib]

Great Question! :)
I eat raw because it feels natural and tastes great to me. I also love the health benefits of it. Another thing is, I enjoy experimenting with raw food recipes.

[FloridaPatty]

it. Taste buds are still having a problem, but everything can't be perfect all the time.

[Sugar Snap Pea]

I eat raw because I think it's wildly healthy, and also for weight loss reasons! I started eating this way spur of the moment the day after Valentine's Day. I was really sick of how overweight and unhealthy I had become. 2 of my 3 kids had been vegan for years as teenagers, and I thought they were crazy at the time. I would tell my friends that having to deal w that as a parent was one of my most difficult parenting experiences!! I hated it! My kids and everyone else were shocked! My (now meat eating) son said "That's no way to live, Mom!"
By day 3, I realized how chronically swollen my feet and ankles had been for years, because now they weren't! I couldn't get over the change in my feet so soon! I also was able to stop taking the Motrin 600 mg 3x/day I had taken for years and have not had to take it again since starting raw!! I lost 22 lbs in around 4-5 wks. These are enough reasons to keep me eating this way, I would say I'm 90% raw and loving it!!

[DavidZaneMason]

Because my goals of demonstrating freedom and abundance DEMAND freedom from man-made tidbits. Been raw for perhaps 8 years.

-David Z. Mason

[shashibala]

I eat raw because for me, it has been transformative:

It has ended my compulsive/disordered eating
It has healed my asthma
I feel good, alive, and energetic
It is helping with depression
I am losing weight (40 pounds so far)
It is helping to heal me emotionally and get in touch with myself
It has taught me how to nourish and care for myself

There will be more as the journey continues!!:D

(I eat pretty much all raw with the following exceptions: I eat cashews that are not really raw sometimes. I use a condiment like hot sauce once in a while, I use miso occasionally, and once in a while, I have a cup of herbal tea.)

[avanderland]

I was at a point where I was so unhealthy, so sick... Illness after illness, mono, sinus infections, allergies, chronic fatigue, possibly thyroid problems... My doctor is amazingly awesome and was doing everything he could to help me, but he could not.

I decided I had nothing left to lose, so I tried it. And in 3 months have made almost a 100% turnaround. Even my friends that I only talk to online hear the difference. I'm able to make it through the day without naps, I'm more positive, I'm more bright, optimistic. I'm myself again.

I strive for 100% every day but there are some days that I don't make it. I never drop below 80%.

[Blazin'Jane]

My granddaughter Leah, then 15 was RAW and I was curious so read her 2 books. It just made so much sense to me -- healthy! And it sounded like I might lose soem weight, chich I could well afford, but the main reason I began RAW and stay faw, now 16 mos. later, is that it is just so darned healthy. I feel fabulous, have more energy, by bp is down, I lost 37 lbs. and they've stayed lost, My skin is cealrer, my mind is clearer, my mind and body are clearer. :D

[northernstars]

I had studied nutrition for many years and was eating a very good, high quality diet of regular unprocessed foods, but still had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and excess weight which I now realize was due primarily to stress. But with the meats and dairy I was unable to lose any weight even though I ate about 300-400 fewer calories a day than I was supposed to eat. Unfortunately, I had been under almost constant stress for many years and it may take quite a while for my body to come to terms with my life and what I am doing to get really healthy!

I bought Green for Life and made the decision to not eat any more meat, and then within a couple weeks, had a massive stroke! When I got out of the hospital 2 1/2 months later I started reading again and got started on the raw vegan lifestyle again. Now, although I am still under the same types of stresses, I don't feel as stressed. But sure hope that someday soon I will be able to get my blood pressure under control! I want to be far away from all medications and stay away from them. I firmly believe that eating raw is by far the best thing I can do for me!

It still amazes me how much less anxiety I feel being away from meats! Now, if only my body will respond and get the blood pressure and cholesterol in the normal range again!

[Anastasia Alston]

Even though I still have no clue why I decided to eat raw to begin with, I continue to eat raw BECAUSE IT JUST FEELS SO DARNED GOOD!!! I have been a raw fooder for nearly a year & I really can't imagine eating any other way, nor do I really want to try. This is the easiest lifestyle I've ever lived, the easiest way to eat I've ever tried & unlike when I ate cooked food I never get bored with my food & I'm always game to try something new (so long as you don't ask me to try black-eyed pea sprouts or okra). Sorry to be so gushy, but you did ask! <lol> ;)

- Stasi, Pea Pod (Morab), Rosie Cotton & Binnabik (The Pibble Posse)

[Green_Woman]

... because it is the easiest way to eat healthy and stay slender that I have found.

AND - because when I'm raw, I feel AMAZING about life and my body!!!

I've battled headaches, fibromyalgia pain, hypoglycemia, and other issues for years, and RAW FOOD has helped me heal all of these illnesses EVERTIME I've tried it.

Right now, I'm a newbie, technically (though I was raw a couple years ago) and hanging on STRONG at almost two weeks raw.

I love this diet... I love this lifestyle... and I love feeling close to the earth and the natural ways of living!!

[1bigfamily]

I eat at least 95% raw most of the time. I have had to eat a few things thatweren"t due to money issues but I strive to be all raw. I started it to be healthier, weight loss has been a wonderful bonus. :p

[EZ rider]

I eat an all raw diet of fresh, whole foods for the obvious health and wellness benefits I get by eating foods in their natural state with all their nutrients intact. I also like the convenience of eating a simple raw diet.

[Avacado7]

I started eating raw about two weeks ago. I would say that I eat about 75-80% raw. I started because I couldn't seem to lose that post-menopausal 30 pounds that is around my middle. I don't know if I have lost anything yet, and am not stressed about it...cause my focus has changed. I am sooo impressed that you can make ice cream with REAL FOOD!....not the twenty ingredients that you cannot pronounce. You can make actual recipes similar to dishes that you have eaten for years....that have no junk in them!!! It was recently in the news that certain plastics, tins etc have an ingredient in them that is carcinogenic. If noone checked for that, what about the 12 letter ingredients that they put in our food??!! Has anyone checked them, or the reactions they produce with the other ingredients??.........no...I prefer to get my food as REAL FOOD!!
I like how I feel after I have eaten raw. I don't feel weighted down. Also, I think my digestion is improving!! YAHOO!!!
Thank you Alissa!!!!

[raven]

The food has such life force and vibrancy for me. I feel so alive and energized when I eat raw food. I don't feel weighted down and depleted.

Suzy

[MrsJohnnyG]

For me, it started because my husband and I have been trying to have a baby for several years. We can conceive, but I always miscarry at 10-12 weeks. My fertility specialist has run dozens of blood tests and other tests and my husband and I are both deemed "normal" in every way. He is pushing for us to do IVF... a drastic and expensive measure that wreaks havoc on a woman's body.

I refuse to do IVF (at least not at this point in my journey). Although I've eaten healthfully most of my life, the depression after each miscarriage has caused me to "comfort eat" way too much... and we all know that the SAD way of comfort eating usually involved refined flour and sugar, too few veggies and fruits, and often caffeine and alcohol as well.

So, I've resolved to make a huge change. It started with simply eliminating processed foods/refined flour/sugar from my diet. It quickly evolved to an effort to include many more leafy greens and veggies in my diet. I can't even remember what brought me to the raw leap... other than I know that the more natural, less processed, less "fooled with," the healthier.

Last week I did my first "high raw" week. I was about 90% raw. I decided to let myself eat whatever I felt like (and yes, I ate way too many nuts and coconut oil!). Each day I've had at least 1-2 green smoothies with a variety of greens. In spite of eating a LOT, I dropped 3 pounds with no effort at all.

I've been a lot more alert and energetic, my ADD has been so much better, I've been sleeping well (usually I have insomnia), I've been more productive (I earned over $5k last week! definitely not typical), my skin has looked clear and vibrant, and

Unlike some, my goal is not 100% raw for 100% of the rest of my life. Instead, I can see myself doing 70-80% raw (I haven't been able to give up my herbal tea yet!), interspersed with certain periods of time of being 100%.

My main goal is to have a healthy, live baby. If I lose some of my excess 30 pounds, then great, but that's not my primary goal. I consider the wonderful other advantages of raw (increased energy, freedom from sickness, better sleep, etc.) a brilliant bonus.

[MOTH]

I've been 100% for awhile...and this is my reason:

RAW just FEELS BETTER! :)

[Jenifae]

Well, for me it's just the natural process of a health minded person ;) . I have always been into health and fitness. Along with Spirituality. So, it just feels right to my spirit to be more concious about not only how but, what I eat.

I was Depressed and suffer/ed from anxiety and that has subsided incredibly. My Hypoglycemia seems more under control. Along with the fact that I've always been weight minded too so, raw helps with that. :cool:

[Rawmommie]

Because if I don't eat raw, I'm sick! If I eat cooked food, I break out, gain weight rapidly, swell up, chronic fatigue and fibro come back...the list goes on. I eat 95% raw (spices, nutritional yeast, cashews, etc.) and the times I have eaten cooked, I have suffered. Being raw makes me feel clean, healthy, fresh, spiritual, & keeps my weight under control (although even after being raw this long I'm still overweight, the alternative is to gain!).

[rawmonger]

When I eat 100% raw, my chronic health problems go away: asthma, sinusitis, insomnia.

[jacsam]

I eat raw because I think it's wildly healthy, and also for weight loss reasons! I started eating this way spur of the moment the day after Valentine's Day. I was really sick of how overweight and unhealthy I had become. 2 of my 3 kids had been vegan for years as teenagers, and I thought they were crazy at the time. I would tell my friends that having to deal w that as a parent was one of my most difficult parenting experiences!! I hated it! My kids and everyone else were shocked! My (now meat eating) son said "That's no way to live, Mom!"
By day 3, I realized how chronically swollen my feet and ankles had been for years, because now they weren't! I couldn't get over the change in my feet so soon! I also was able to stop taking the Motrin 600 mg 3x/day I had taken for years and have not had to take it again since starting raw!! I lost 22 lbs in around 4-5 wks. These are enough reasons to keep me eating this way, I would say I'm 90% raw and loving it!!
I loved reading about your journey into raw and your family. I've had different but similar experiences. Thanks for this post I love reading about what brings people to the raw lifestyle. INTERESTING!

[catscharm74]

I am working on eating raw because as I approach my mid thirties, health is no longer a dress size or certain look. It is about longevity and being able to live a spriteful life. I no longer let food dictate my life. It does take some changes, both physically, emotionally, societally, etc. but I believe it to be a very valid lifestyle choice.


I have seen so many people even as young as their 20's who put their faith in regimen's of crazy unhealthy diets and popping pills. I look at raw as everything a body needs. It does take some research and education to understand the in's and outs but what is easier that grabbing an apple or bowl of grapes for your health.

I am also fascinated with the possibilities that lay unlocked as far as medical potential of a raw food diet. I think with the rising costs of healthcare, we can may not be able to prevent but could possible slow or change the process of many, many diseases. I like thinking and hoping about that for my son's future as well as mine.

[iamacranberry]

Right...when I get back to the States, avoiding the doctor for financial reasons will become a focus of mine again...not that I really have trouble avoiding the doctor at the moment. I'm registered with one, but I'm not sure they know I exist other than that.

[ckm]

We've been moving in this direction for years, growing as much of our own food as possible in the 30 some homes life has required of us. I've wanted to be as free of supermkts as possible. We even had bees on our garage roof in Ann Arbor. Tried Raw years ago, but did not persevere.

Providentially, we sat by a Raw Enthusiast at a conference and watched her graciously sit for hours with NOTHING on her plate since the banquet folks messed up her request. While she waited she regaled us with the Raw advantages. When I saw that my husband was really enthused and eager to try it, I dived in. We've been 100% raw for a month now (except for herbal teas, a few cashews)and LOVE the new energy, fewer aches and pains, better skin, better digestion and weight loss. It is fun to work and learn together in the kitchen.

We love the simpler life style, clearing out all those cooking utensils and appliances. Most recent travel we handled with a bag of fruit and nuts. And while visiting our son, whose wife is very fragile of health, he became enthused and in just 5 days noticed improved digestion, weight loss, more energy and, interestingly, increased self confidence! (I had never noticed a lack of that in him but...)

Many thanks to you all who are great in the mutual encouragement arena. The budget is a factor but that won't stop us. But we're always looking for better sources and told our coop about where to get raw almond butter for 1/3 the price they were charging!

On we go!

[RawSinger]

I eat raw because I know that it is the healthiest possible way to eat. I eat raw because I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!! I'm also trying to recover from binge-eating disorder and lose a lot of weight.

I'm trying to eat 100% raw-as of today I'm 100% raw.

[RawPaw]

1. For health reasons. I'm a scrawny young adult with horrible skin and graying hair.

2. I like animals.

3. I dislike science. I'm no Luddite. I use a computer every day. I just hate the morality of science, as in let's see what we can do instead of is this what we should be doing.

4. I like people. I like scientists. I even like politicians. And I hope they will be healthy someday.

[iamacranberry]

There is no morality to science. Science is based on rational thinking, and what you should probably redirect your hatred to is corporate interests that are the pharmaceutical companies.

[Cinammon]

Well put, RawPaw. I hate the idea that scientists are somehow 'above' morality; that whatever they do is somehow justified. And then we all have to live with the results.

I'm not against science, and of course I know the vast benefits that have come from it.

iamacranberry - I'd say that 'science' is made up of scientists, and scientists are human, and all humans need some sort of common sense, let alone morality, when it comes to tinkering with the world around us. (Anyway - rational thinking and scientists don't always go together. Would a truly rational person have decided to go ahead with the atomic bomb?)

If some scientist hadn't come up with the idea of GM crops, we wouldn't be looking at a truly horrendous future.

It's not as if the greedy, multi-national drug cartels, govts, etc, could have come up with the tools of destruction without the scientists.

With great power, comes great responsibility. Something few scientists will admit to. Possibly because it would spoil a lot of their fun/god complexes/research grants ...

Anyway - a lot of scientists are actually working FOR 'the corporate interests that are the pharmaceutical companies.'

Sorry to rant - that hit a sore spot.

All the best

Cinammon x

[chilove]

I went raw to heal from several severe health problems. I've healed from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, obesity, depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome and a few other minor conditions.

I have been 1005 raw for 5 years and I am still LOVING it!! I know that I will never be tempted to return to how I used to it.

Blessings,

Audrey

[Bananna]

I wouldn't worry too much about iamacranberry's post at all. There is a big difference between scientific principles and laws and scientISTs' morality.

There is absolutely No need to hate science. How raw food helps are bodies is very scientific. Science is Awesome!

I don't think she's condoning unethical or money and time wasting experiments!

[ltcartwright]

I tested it for 1 week prior, making 70:30% Raw:cooked, just to see what would happen. I felt more energized even though I wasn't 100% and the food somehow tasted better than I ever remember food tasting. My moods were lighter and I had a sense of well-being. Plus I lost 1.5lbs. So my top reasons for trying for 100% (I started today) is:

lose weight
more energy
change my perception on food & eating (getting back to basics)


I've been plagued by my obsession with dieting and food for 21 years, in 1 week the RAW diet changed my whole outlook on food and what it was meant to do to my body. I wasn't exercising, I wasn't counting calories, I wasn't obsessing about what I could and couldn't eat. I just ate mostly raw. I didn't have cravings, I felt fuller longer and I didn't feel deprived. It's my journey for life, but I'll get there!

[RawPaw]

I wouldn't worry too much about iamacranberry's post at all. There is a big difference between scientific principles and laws and scientISTs' morality.

There is absolutely No need to hate science. How raw food helps are bodies is very scientific. Science is Awesome!

I don't think she's condoning unethical or money and time wasting experiments!

I've argued with some genetic scientists online who consider me a Luddite, saying that I don't like cheap food and I have a problem with getting rid of insects that harm vegetables. They love the technology of genetic modification and see no consequences.

[NoGMO!]

I have never been overweight in the slightest or seriously ill, but raw vegan still seems an obvious choice for me.

Here are some reasons off the top of my head in no particular order:

premium taste and quality

simplicity and wholeness of food

asthetics... color, shape, texture, aroma and natural beauty of fresh vegetation

mental clarity and the chance for enhanced creativity and productivity

physical freedom such as increased agility, quickness, energy, endurance

prevention/reduction/or elimination of disease (physical, mental or spiritual)

the process of spiritual evolution/growth

definitely for many political reasons

creating the possibility of avioding the pharmaceutical trap

voting with my dollars for the cease of harm to animal beings, the environment and for the harm done to humans by conventional pesticides, GMO's and highly adulterated "foods" and in turn the drugs invented to fix the holes created by those poisons and depletion of nutriments in first place

the dream of replenishing the fading beauty of the natural environment

supporting the forward movement/or evolution of humanity

following teachings of great minds in and outside of the raw vegan (organic) movement

supporting independent, organic (human) farmers as opposed to farms ruled by corporations who buy patents on seeds and cruelly shut down mom and pop farms

again, voting w/cash against the disgraceful abuse and misuse of plants - especially for cease of genetically modifying my nature provided foods belonging to everyone, owned by no one

meat and dairy are disgusting to me personally - fruits and vegetables are my choice and raw is the best of the best in my view.

[Cinammon]

iamacranberry - we're never going to agree on this one. No worries.

I kind of agree with Banana - the ideal of science is different to what scientISTS do. Every one of us can be 'scientific'. Actually, some of the least objective people may be qualified scientists - I read that one of the early vivisectionists actually thought the noises dogs made during vivisection weren't made through pain; just the sort of noise a machine might make. There are far too many examples like that to put down here.

And is there really such a thing as pure objectivity? Aren't we seeing now that the observer actually affects that which is being observed? So many scientific 'truths' have been exploded over the centuries.

At no point did I say that 'intellect' was a bad thing. 'Intellect' and 'scientist' are not synonymous .... (I also specifically said that I am NOT against science per se. Just because most science may be beneficial, it doesn't mean we should allow all science to go ahead, however horrendous, under the blanket of 'rational objectivity'.)

I'd also argue the obvious - that of course without scientists, we'd still see the benefits of a raw food diet. It's only those who won't believe what's in front of their eyes who need 'scientific' proof.

You don't need to 'dissect' a post piece by piece to get the overall sense from it ...

The 'nature' of my reply to your post probably comes from exasperation with the mindset - not necessarily yours - that scientists have some sort of 'moral' freedom from the responsibilities of common humanity. As I said before.

I don't feel it's enough to say 'hate big pharma not the fact that scientists exist'. Apart from the fact that my post at no point either said or implied that I hate the fact that 'scientists exist ...' - it's a bigger issue than that.

Best

Cinammon

[RawPaw]

I kind of regret posting my thoughts on the subject. :( :D

[Cinammon]

Hey iamacranberry

Thanks for your response. I absolutely agree with you re what most scientists do never making it to the press: and I can totally accept that a LOT of science doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

I'm also extremely grateful to science/inventors - every time I turn on the electricity after a power cut, for example. And I will probably forever be grateful to whoever invented the antibiotic(!!)

I'm also grateful to science for rescuing us from the old superstitions, and stranglehold of the medieval church (no offence to anyone who is a member of any organised religion.)

So, no, I'm not saying that all science is bad, or should be banned, etc etc. I have a great deal of respect for science at its best, and know/imagine how much it's benefitted humanity. And it is easy to take it for granted, and to concentrate only on the bad bits.

So yes, I do have a lot of respect for a lot of what scientists have achieved, and am absolutely behind the search for knowledge.

The problem I have is kind of twofold: first, I hate the fact that a lot of scientists still use animal experimentation, despite a lot of hard evidence that it isn't the best way to go. Leaving aside the inescapable moral issues of using and torturing a living, intelligent, sentient being ...

And second: the thing that triggered this off: I dislike the idea that nobody should criticise some of the really dreadful things scientists come up with. Or that somehow it's 'wrong' to say that scientists should exercise some sort of moral restraint sometimes. And to say that it's never the scientists' fault for inventing the things, and always the fault of those who later exploit it.

Scientists, at the end of the day, are just human beings; and while I respect the genuine efforts of the true scientist to remain objective and impartial in order to obtain the purest possible result (which can and does achieve real, unmeasurable benefits for humanity) I don't know if it's actually humanly possible to achieve complete impartiality, simply because we don't know everything about the way our minds work, and may always be influenced by subconscious/psychological factors we don't consciously know about, and cannot therefore take into the equation at the time .... (takes deep breath) so therefore, is it possible to argue that science is somehow 'above' petty human irrationalities and subjectivity, and therefore has nothing to do with morality?

(Of course, the same thing could be said about any kind of argument: like this one. Do we really KNOW why we're arguing? Is it really about science, or is it about all kinds of subconscious fears which have little to do with the subject at hand? Does that sound unbearably pompous???)

Maybe in most cases you're right. But when it comes to GM foods - I feel (and hope this is just the panicky response of a conspiracy theorist) that we could be looking at a pretty hungry future, with Monsanto and co as the new sort of feudal overlords, with their obscene 'patenting' of seeds.

I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to expect scientists to exercise some sort of - call it streetwise - realisation of the future effects of experimenting with the very food supply that sustains us all. After all, they, like the rest of us, will have to live with the results.

I actually think that the only reasonable explanation for life here is that it IS all a weird kind of dream. (Fascinating point re relying only on that which is repeatable. Opens up all kinds of avenues for conversation...)

Anyhoo.

I'd kind of guessed you either were a scientist or came from a family of scientists. It's always good to hear the other side - as it were - of the story.

Soo ... sorry to go on for so long; sorry to have kind of hijacked the thread. It's difficult - as we all know - to have this kind of conversation on a forum, rather than face to face. Much better over a long lunch, or something ...

Cinammon x

[iamacranberry]

I kind of regret posting my thoughts on the subject. :( :D

Why? I think this has sparked a highly interesting discussion.

[1bigfamily]

eat 95-100% raw all the time and I do it so I can be healthier. The weight loss is just an added motivator. I eat mostly whole fruits and veggies.

[Bananna]

Why? I think this has sparked a highly interesting discussion.

I agree...better to resolve misconceptions, said or unsaid.

[RawPaw]

Why? I think this has sparked a highly interesting discussion.

Because arguing is something that I used to do ad nauseum. I stand by what I wrote, but I don't want to change minds. :confused: :o :p :D !!!

[iamacranberry]

Because arguing is something that I used to do ad nauseum. I stand by what I wrote, but I don't want to change minds. :confused: :o :p :D !!!

If people never discuss opposing ideas, how will they ever learn the reasons they believe in that which they do? Debate does not have to be negative thing, and I don't believe that the one that's been going on here has been negative. Debate is a wonderful way to challenge our current opinions and more closely examine why we think the things we think. In my opinion, many of the problems of humanity are caused by ignorance and failure to consider the reasons for our opinions. More debate, then, would certainly help to solve this problem!

[RawPaw]

If people never discuss opposing ideas, how will they ever learn the reasons they believe in that which they do? Debate does not have to be negative thing, and I don't believe that the one that's been going on here has been negative. Debate is a wonderful way to challenge our current opinions and more closely examine why we think the things we think. In my opinion, many of the problems of humanity are caused by ignorance and failure to consider the reasons for our opinions. More debate, then, would certainly help to solve this problem!

You are right.

Well not the kinds of debates on Fox News or Hardball. A friendly conversation with a meal couldn't hurt, after all, I'm very political and very apolitical. :D

[Cinammon]

Hey

I'm glad this has ended pleasantly - I was worried there for a while(!)

iamacranberry - we agree on some things, and disagree on others (eg I'll never accept that experimentation on any sentient being is right, or somehow beyond morality, instead of being one of the cornerstones of it) but it has been an interesting discussion, and it has (gosh, such humility from me) made me think again about some of the benefits science has brought us: and about the theory/need of 'pure' science.

I'll probably never accept that anyone 'should' be given completely unlimited free rein in the name of science - and I do take your point re the difference between scientific experimentation and the greedy, unscientific, after-exploitation of it, but still ...hasn't quantuum physics come up with the latest development that all things are connected?

I don't know what the answer is(!) Better laws on corporate greed? Insist that some things - like the food supply - remain sacrosanct from experimentation until the corporate world evolves a bit? (quite a big bit ...)

Ah well ... we really are going to have to agree to disagree here, but yeah, I'm all for debate, and I DO see where you're coming from.
(Actually, I keep trying NOT to have arguments, but sometimes ...! Guess the trick is not to get too heated, or too attached to the outcome? I'm trying to remember the poet Hafiz's words - 'Is not all talking the crazed defence of a crumbling fort?' and to remember the important thing is to respect the other person, rather than win the argument.)

RawPaw - good for you, if you're not interested in changing minds. I'm trying to get over the need to get everybody else to agree with me(!!) Because of course I'm always right : o /

Hmm ...

Love

Cinammon x

[iamacranberry]

I do indeed think that there need to be laws against greed.

A lot of the problems that capitalism creates could be easily solved by a national income cap. The people who don't ever go out and vote would vote for it, and they'd support it, because most of your non-voters are poor people who aren't concerned with the bulk of political issues. People are against high taxes, but since an income cap would only affect the minority of people, if it truly were determined by popular vote, I do believe most people would support it. The cap could even be pretty high, and then it could be adjusted on a regular basis (perhaps every few years) by popular vote, and the cap would go up as people's general standard of living went up. There's less stimulus to exploit workers at the minimum-wage level if the extra profits made from doing so go either to charity or social programs. And it would successfully make greed a crime punishable by law. Greed is really the the thing that makes capitalism NOT work...so why does it remain legal? I support the income cap...I should start a campaign. But I don't have time for that right now.

[Cinammon]

Hey

I've been saying for years there should be an upper limit on people's personal fortunes!

If only it could somehow become part of the mindset of humans: that it's ridiculously greedy and unnecessary and obscene to amass fortunes of millions/billions of pounds, in a world where so many people are starving.

I'd put the upper limit at about ten million pounds, and let them invest the rest in fighting poverty; in education, etc. Hopefully, once they felt the buzz of doing something useful, they'd be hooked. Although then they'd probably just get into a macho/PR campaign of: who can give the most away ...

How to change the mindset successfully enough, into: who can help the most, instead of: who can amass the most ... and it'd have to be environmentally friendly, too - so: who can help the most, in a truly environmentally friendly way ...?

Cinammon x

[RawPaw]

RawPaw - good for you, if you're not interested in changing minds. I'm trying to get over the need to get everybody else to agree with me(!!) Because of course I'm always right : o /

:D

The sheeple are waking up. I did. You did.

[Betsy]

I've chosen to eat raw because there isn't any lifestyle on this planet that is better then eating raw, organic, unprocessed food. There is really no choice in the matter, is what it has boiled down to for me. It was one or the other: Eat raw and live, or eat SAD/cooked and die early.

Since being raw, I've cleared up:
Migraines
Candida
depression/anxiety
and have also released 60 pounds of fat:eek: :eek:

[iamacranberry]

Cinnamon,

I'm with you there as well. It's hard to change public opinion, though, especially where we have a system that's inherently resistant to major public opinion changes....being as to initiate such changes it generally requires....well, a large amount of people who agree that a change should be made, which doesn't happen when only a small number of people realize it.

My idea would be to incorporate it into the school systems and make it a mandatory part of public school education...but I haven't thought up any brilliant ways to:

-ensure it is taught properly
-keep it funded, especially in schools in poor areas supported by property taxes

etc.

I suppose advocacy groups could play a part...like I said, there needs to be an income cap advocacy group, among others. But being as even advocacy groups (with limited funds) can only do so much...I don't really have an ideal solution!

[EZ rider]

For me its all about living healthy. In addition to that I also appreciate the way eating simple raw uncomplicates my life. I get up and follow my nose through the day keeping everything as simple as possible and not one bit simpler. The more I just follow my nose and listen to my body signals the better the simple, fresh, vegan, raw food lifestyle works for me.

[Bananna]

i love how you articulate my ideas so well ;)
lol...
wouldn't it also be difficult to implement in the first place in that, nevermind whether people would vote for it, how would we even get the idea on the table to vote for in the first place? Aren't politicians who represent the ideas, supported by those very rich people we want to cut down?

....oh, and in keeping with the thread...I eat raw because it makes me feel SHOCKINGLY amazing...but then it actually freaks me out a little and I fall off the wagon. Soon I hope it will feel comfortable. I am all over the map with percentages as a result. I always keep getting drawn back though, just need to remember and it sucks me back in again.