Popcorn Anonymous?

[linda7276]

I'm one daying at a time....dying for popcorn here :rolleyes: So how bad is it anyway?

I'm also afraid that I'm becoming *addicted to this diet* otherwise I'd have had some popcorn already:p . I told myself no rules, gonna do it my way, but here I am acting like an addict. Raw or nothing. Don't misunderstand me I am loving it, totally, never enjoyed raw foods so much, it's like my taste buds have improved. And I'm reaping the benefits, I guess that's why the addiction. I've lost 3-4 pounds, my skin is glowing, I have more energy, LOADS less fatigue...omg, amazing!! Tomorrow will be 2 full weeks raw for me. I'm 95% I guess because the almonds and walnuts that I have are not raw, though I'm not eating as many. I also made my first flax seed crackers in the dehydrator, that was fun. I am so satisfied with my meals, that some days I worry I'm not eating enough.

I just want a little popcorn, that's all....:p I put coconut oil on it and Himalayan salt so it's not all bad, and I don't use the microwave...does that count? :D

[ConsciousCuisine]

If there's a way to work around the craving, would that help? :)

I find that eating something crunchy, rich and salty works when I have those type of cravings (chips, popcorn). Flax crackers that have been really spiced, raw corn chips and so on usually help a lot.

[cocoanib]

I know the feeling. Try doing some kale chips in the dehydrator with coco oil and salt. That should cure your craving.

[queenfluff]

That is one of my evils too - I give in though. I have a hand-crank oil popper and an air popper. Popcorn gives me too many wonderful memories to let it go entirely and I don't feel guilty when I eat it.

I'll pop mine in the oil popper with coconut oil and I spray olive oil on it with nutritional yeast and sea salt. Yum! (now, I want some!)

I am working on a raw popcorn myself. There are a few recipes out there - moslty with cauliflower (that doesn't work for me). Alissa has one for chips with lots of nutritional yeast on them that might help you sub.

Have you eaten raw corn at all? It might help with the popcorn craving a bit because you have the corn taste. Add some salt and a raw butter. I like this one -keeps me away from Earth balance:

http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/1985-Whipped-Buttery-Spread

How bad is popcorn? Well, there are LOTS of things worse than popcorn that you could eat. It is not like you are eating movie popcorn with tons of aritifical chemical butter on it right?

Coffee and bread are worse than popcorn as is meat and dairy.

I read in one of my juicing books (or it was online some where) that there is guy who will eat popcorn to break his juice fast because he says it helps clean out the leftover junk in his colon and the cleanse didn't get rid of. This is because of the roughage of the popcorn.

I can see how this would make some sense because when I eat popcorn it is alot easier for me to poo. I get constipated easily and get air in my stomach and popcorn definatley helps "move things along".

This is why I don't feel bad when I eat it. :)

Also if you are doing great otherwise on your diet, than don't beat yourself up with the popcorn. There are worse thing you could eat I am sure.

[linda7276]

ConsciousCuisine thanks, yes, it does help to work around it, one day at a time;) . The other day I had some Celery with Salt and that helped and was actually good too. I think it's like queenfluff said, popcorn is associated with a lot of good memories, and it does have a lot of fiber. Appreciate it :)

cocoanib, Ever since I read Veganforlife's post on Kale Chips I've wanted to make them, I live in Puerto Rico, and so far I haven't been able to find Kale, but I'm still looking, I bet that would help, thank you!! :)

queenfluff...yes the memories, good point, I'm sure that is a huge part of it, used to eat a bucket at the movies, but then I got more health conscious and started buying the non-gmo stuff, air popping and using either coconut oil, or olive oil and good salt and thought it was a good thing, but....

It worked for me too in terms of eliminating, which was always a problem. I haven't tried the raw corn, but that's sounds good too...wonder if you cover it in oil and salt and dehydrate it how that would turn out? I just might have to try that. That would probably cure me. Maybe those potato chips in Alissa's book too...have to make alternatives.

That link didn't work. So when you do eat it no bad symptoms? I think incorporating more salt into the flax crackers could work too, I can try that. Maybe my body is asking for salt that just dawned on me, I am not adding it to my smoothies and certainly don't add it to my fruit, maybe that's it....gonna use more salt. I did order lots of seaweeds maybe that will help too...thank you :)

[Veganforlife]

Green smoothies are excellent craving eliminators.

[linda7276]

Yes they do help, in fact, I have no other cravings, this craving could be emotional, as queenfluff said maybe based on memories associated with popcorn, always fun and pleasant, maybe I need to have more fun....I drink two green smoothies a day...and love em!! Send me Kale...:p

[ShantiDass]

I can relate to you and have been fighting that also. I went to a raw class and the teacher said she makes herself popcorn every now and then. She puts Ramesan on it and eats away. When she first mentioned it, I thought there was a raw way and I was excited and got a mental image about it and it's stuck. Just because she talked about it in class, it's been something I've been thinking about. She is able to have some and go right back to raw.

I like popcorn but rarely had it as I've been vegan forever so I didn't get it at the movies, etc. I love kettle korn with the salt and sugar, though. My daughter loves kettle korn and when it's in the house, she gets to eat it outside or in her room!

I haven't had any and am afraid what might happen if I do. The last time I was raw, I was hungry, stopped at Taco Bell for a quick snack and was off raw for over a year. I did eat some raw corn on the cob a couple of days ago and it was delish.

I wish you well and don't have any suggestions for you. Hang in there.

[Zella Juice]

I gave into the popcorn. I would just make a small amount because that's all I needed at the time. And it was my little treat when I just couldn't deal. I kept eating mostly raw and doing the green smoothies. Another treat was a baked potato with lots of raw veggies on it and coconut oil. Then...

The popcorn started not being so enjoyable. I lost interest in the potato too. The raw foods were winning. I was enjoying the energy and the quick digestion of the raw foods. I was craving raw foods and even started having a strong love for certain foods where I would sit and eat and be like..YUMMMM..this is so AMAZING. And I knew since it was raw..I could eat as much as I wanted. And didn't get the uncomfortable full feeling.

It used to be so hard to eat raw foods. I would even get naucious. And cooked foods would comfort and make me happy while eating them (but not after, of course). Now it's the opposite. Raw foods make me feel good and happy when I am eating them (and after too!) and cooked foods make me feel naucious and give me a tummy ache. So while I know some cooked food might still taste good to me now...it's not worth the tummy ache and the slow painful digestion. And that's ok because I am in love with my raw foods. I can't wait to have my avacado, red pepper lunch today!

So, I say..go ahead and indulge a little and see what you feel and keep eating raw foods and drinking fresh juice and green smoothies. The raw foods will win if you do that. If you feel deprived and miserable, I don't think that works. Because it does start to feel like an eating disorder. And it also could mean you will go off the diet completly and be discouraged that this is not for you.

My husband is not raw...YET. But he has switched to a mostly raw diet from a mostly meat and cheese diet without me pushing him to do anything. I just added fresh juice to his diet and he started craving fruits and veggies more than meat. And said one day that he wanted to stop eating the meat. My jaw dropped that day. He made a cake last night and couldn't even eat it because it was too rich. He says he is just used to the sweetness of peaches and cherries now.

Hope this encourages you Linda!

[queenfluff]

ConsciousCuisine thanks, yes, it does help to work around it, one day at a time . The other day I had some Celery with Salt and that helped and was actually good too. I think it's like queenfluff said, popcorn is associated with a lot of good memories, and it does have a lot of fiber. Appreciate it

cocoanib, Ever since I read Veganforlife's post on Kale Chips I've wanted to make them, I live in Puerto Rico, and so far I haven't been able to find Kale, but I'm still looking, I bet that would help, thank you!!

queenfluff...yes the memories, good point, I'm sure that is a huge part of it, used to eat a bucket at the movies, but then I got more health conscious and started buying the non-gmo stuff, air popping and using either coconut oil, or olive oil and good salt and thought it was a good thing, but....

It worked for me too in terms of eliminating, which was always a problem. I haven't tried the raw corn, but that's sounds good too...wonder if you cover it in oil and salt and dehydrate it how that would turn out? I just might have to try that. That would probably cure me. Maybe those potato chips in Alissa's book too...have to make alternatives.

That link didn't work. So when you do eat it no bad symptoms? I think incorporating more salt into the flax crackers could work too, I can try that. Maybe my body is asking for salt that just dawned on me, I am not adding it to my smoothies and certainly don't add it to my fruit, maybe that's it....gonna use more salt. I did order lots of seaweeds maybe that will help too...thank you

Linda - which link didn't work? mine? The one for butter recipe? Sometimes that site is slow so try again.

For the corn in the dehydrator thing, it will get chewy not crunchy like popcorn but you can buy dehydrated corn and try it (that one company sells some - I don't think it is organic though).

My dad was a great popcorn maker - we used to use that Orville Redenbacher stuff in the oil popper. My dad could flip the popcorn with one hand and salt with the other. We always had popcorn on special nights like Disney movie or during Xmas when we would watch those Rankin-Bass thingyies. So yes good memories.

I tried to make a raw popcorn out of jicama and a raw butter corn sauce combo - it didn't work too well. I got something that my bf said reminded him of cheese curds (a Wisconsin thing). I have another idea - I will try it next weeek sometime.

My bf thinks there might be away to make the popcorn kernel pop and keep the temp low - I forget all the details on that - it involves some sort of special contraption.

I'll still keep eating popcorn until I can find a good raw sub. I doesn't make me feel bad.

[linda7276]

ShantiDass, I can only imagine your excitement when that teacher said that she ate popcorn, what was her point, that you can deviate and go back? A shame she got your hopes up like that. I'll be thinking of you everytime I go by a Taco Bell....;) Used to love that stuff, but then it gave me horrible indigestion, and we started calling it Taco Hell...LOL. Sometimes that kind of thing is exactly what we need to help ground us in our convictions. I'll try the raw corn, sounds like a nice change, and thanks for your nice words.

Zella Juice, that's great how that worked out for you, and the idea of giving myself permission to have the popcorn is freeing in a way, sometimes we just want what we can't have. Maybe a bowl of popcorn would make me see that's it's not that great and I know I'll feel awful for breaking my diet. Your words are indeed encouraging, thank you. I love this diet and I know what you mean when you say how good it tastes, it's that way for me too. And i like that I know I'm doing something good for my body. I don't like that it has to be so different and in some ways so restrictive.

It's very hard here to find organic produce, there is a small section in the produce department, 4 granny smith apples are $8. And a lot of the foods are cultural, like various roots, etc, not stuff I would use anyway. I wash everything good but it worries me a little too. Do you use all organic? There is a market here where they sell a lot of produce that's been homegrown, but again, it's the roots, plantains, etc. Avocados are abundant, and that's a good thing, I'll have to get some red peppers...appreciate your encouragement and glad to hear your husband is coming around. :)


queenfluff, I tried the link again and it works...that recipe looks YUMMY. THANKS! I love coconut oil, I'll definitely use that one. How do you make your coconut butter? Some say coconut butter is coconut oil.

Those sound like nice memories, we used to have popcorn around Xmas too because we'd string it to put it on the tree. Enjoyed reading about your dad's popcorn making skills, and I hope you're bf can pull this off, tell him he's helping a lot of people!! That will be great!!! :D Keep me posted!!

[ShantiDass]

Linda,

I'm not sure what she thought but she really didn't tell us until the end that she does have some cooked foods in her diet. She looks great and beat cancer by being raw but somehow still cooks food for her family and eats a few things that are cooked and seems to not have a problem with it. That's great for her but I was confused as her assistant kept saying he falls off the wagon during the holidays but she's 100% raw. Then she used nama shoyu, agave, etc. I just wish she would have told us the whole truth and nothing but the truth because I thought I was going to be eating popcorn!!!

Taco Hell has good vegan bean burritos and they didn't bother my digestive system at all but they sure aren't good for me.

Good luck on your non-popcorn journey and let us know how it goes.

[RawLoveBaby]

make sure you buy organic popcorn so that it's not genetically modified. and air-popped is best!

Mmmm... popcorn with coconut oil, agave nectar, salt, cinnamon, and a tiny dash of cayenne... it's like caramel popcorn...

I had to quit eating it though... it was addicting :-(

[queenfluff]

queenfluff, I tried the link again and it works...that recipe looks YUMMY. THANKS! I love coconut oil, I'll definitely use that one. How do you make your coconut butter? Some say coconut butter is coconut oil.

Those sound like nice memories, we used to have popcorn around Xmas too because we'd string it to put it on the tree. Enjoyed reading about your dad's popcorn making skills, and I hope you're bf can pull this off, tell him he's helping a lot of people!! That will be great!!! :D Keep me posted!!

Coconut butter is the coconut oil and the meat. Coconut oil is just the oil. Not sure what is available around you but you can buy the coconut butter online. There is a difference and you will taste it when you eat the coconut butter and than the oil. Coconut butter is sweeter.

[Zella Juice]

Linda,

we have a nice choice of organics here. Our store even places special bulk orders for us to save some money. Everything is organic. Except we still buy the packaged frozen fruit that is not. It's all too expensive and I started two aero gardens with tomatoes and cukes and bought an earth box. We are in Washington so we need stuff that will grow indoors with grow lights because this summer weather will only last another month or so. I will keep the earth boxes outside until then. I plan on growing leafy greens and moving the tomatoes from the aerogarden to one of those cause it's too big..I didn't realize they were not dwarf tomatoes.

Anyways..the expense is high but there is always a way around it. I find my mind to be more clear to come up with these solutions now that I am more raw than before.

I never limited myself when going raw unless I felt like I could do it without feeling like I was deprived. I just went ahead and ate cooked. At first I would just go all out and order Thai food or Indian food or those Taco bell burritos. And it was a treat. But I kept going on the green smoothies and fresh juice because that's what brought me the healthy lifestyle that was making me feel better and making me lose weight like crazy. And trusted that it would eventually bring me to 100% when my body was ready. Everyone is different. I started raw after being vegan for a year so it helped. I imagine it would be harder for a meat eater.

[Thick]

A good popcorn/chip substitute for me is walnuts with some sort of sauce on them. It is very rich, and almost a guilty pleasure--but still raw. Walnuts are about the same size as popcorn and have a similar crunchy rich texture.

I have tried it so far with caesar dressing and cheese sauce, but I think they would be good with any sauce or dressing you like.

Macadamia nuts are very buttery, crunchy and popcorn like. Soak them in salt water and then dehydrate until crispy, or just eat them as is.

[linda7276]

Shantidass, Thanks again!

RawLoveBaby, thanks for the recipe, I copied it to my recipe folder and will surely try it someday, well maybe, haha. I get my popcorn from an amish place online, and it is non-gmo, but duh, I never thought to check on organic, thanks for the info, will definitely watch for that if I eat popcorn. Appreciate your time.

queenfluff, thanks again, I'll get some coconut butter, because I love anything coconut. Not the processed stuff of course, I even add the flakes that I got on Alissa's site to my green smoothies, makes them a bit chewy. Appreciate all of your help, thanks.

Zella Juice, You're so lucky to have all of those options, for example, this morning I went to the store and there were two green peppers in a package for 9.27, I'm sorry but that's outrageous, what kinds of prices are you paying there for a similar item?

Those gardens sound like a great idea. I live in a condo, but I do have the afternoon sun on my 'small' balcony so maybe I could do some potted stuff. I am going to check into getting some grow lights, maybe I could do something.

I've decided not to limit myself either, digestive enzymes are a necessity when eating anything that isn't raw, and I won't post here when I eat something I shouldn't because I don't want to be a bad influence, but I also know for sure, that I will incorporate as much raw food in my diet as possible for the rest of my life. I love how clean it is and how much better I look and feel. Thanks again!

Thick, thank you for that suggestion with the walnuts, great idea, and the macadamia nuts have been on my to order, great ideas, the salt and the crunch would make good substitutes. :)

[Thick]

Thick[/B], thank you for that suggestion with the walnuts, great idea, and the macadamia nuts have been on my to order, great ideas, the salt and the crunch would make good substitutes. :)


I forgot to mention that you could of course dehydrate the walnuts with the sauce on them, or soak them in salty water, then add salt or spices and dehydrate until crispy.

[linda7276]

Another great idea Thick, thanks, it's really helpful to have such a variety of recipes to keep from getting bored. How long do you soak them in salt? Much appreciated again..:D

[Thick]

I've quick soaked them for like 2 hours before, but usually I soak them overnight. I hope you like them! They have really helped me out.

Lately, I have been eating large salads with creamy, salty, spicy dressings on them to satisfy the munchy popcorn cravings. I even eat them in my old popcorn bowls! Lots of crunchy chewing, lots of flavor--but too hard to sneak into the movies=)