Why Have You Gone Raw?

[dakinimind]

The other night, my husband and I decided to take advantage of a clear night and drive out into the desert. We were sitting in our camping chairs, watching the stars, when my husband asks, "Why have you gone raw?" We talk all of the time. I couldn't imagine I hadn't said something about it. I started to explain when he stopped me. He said, "What are the real reasons why you went raw?"

Excellent question: what are your real reasons for going raw?

[smoothiegirl]

Health reasons. I had too. My body couldn't function on cooked foods.:)

[Veganforlife]

My testimony says it all. If I hadn't? I'd not be here. I wanted to live I guess. And I am! Living and loving life!

[srsarri]

My initial real reason for going raw, was to help battle an addiction. I was addicted to monitering my diet so I wouldn't gain weight. It consumed me, ENTIRELY, every day from start to finish. I am 22 now, when I was 16 I lost 60lbs. Started at 215lbs ended at 155. I did it through exercise and eating well. By 19 I had gained it all back! YUP, short time. I lost all of it again this past 8 months. I am 144lbs now which is a VERY healthy weight for me. I wasnt raw yet for a bulk of the weight loss. I Have no problem losing, I just have an issue keeping it off without being bsessive. I didnt want to live that way so I decided to go raw after many years of being a vegan.

Raw has halped me not think about food. I dont think about it, I just eat when I want to/need to and I dont worry about it. I have not gained weight at all, and I have stopped losing. My body is where it needs to be! and I like it here.:D

My other reason was for digestive health! and im very healthy in that department now too!;)

[Bananna]

Health.
And cooked food tastes like crap without the condiments anyway.

That being said I am still on the journey to sticking with raw in the first place...

[linda7276]

I found out after years of being exhausted all the time among other things, that I was "gluten sensitive"...5 weeks after not eating gluten I had energy that I hadn't had in years, it was amazing and wonderful, but I had to be committed to a lifetime of reading labels, worrying about cross contamination, gluten is even in the glue on envelopes, it's in a lot of lipsticks, it's everywhere disguised under other names, etc...even though I was on a SAD diet I considered my diet healthy compared to a regular SAD diet, I didn't eat a lot of processed foods, but I liked breads, pasta, chocolate cake, haha...ok bad SAD.

I didn't want to read labels for the rest of my life, and I wanted to be healthy, and enjoy what I ate too, and one day while researching gluten free foods, recipes, etc, I came across Alissa's site, and spent the whole day reading and just knew this raw diet and I were meant to be. I love it, no labels to read, I feel great, mostly, I know I'm detoxing because the last few days I've lost my color and feel a bit tired, so that's a good thing.

I do it because I don't want to be old and sickly, we can't control our age, but we can control how we age, we can control what we eat, and I want to feel good for all of my days here on this earth. I feel like it's the cleanest way to eat, and my body likes it. Salads and fruits are on most menu's so going out occasionally allows me to be with my SAD family and friends. :D

[dakinimind]

Thank you everyone for answering so honestly! It's a fun question to ponder, I thought :)

[RawKnitster]

That is a fun question, and it deserves an honest answer. I was frustrated, depressed, and disgusted with myself for having no self-control. I just knew the food I was so proud of cooking was killing me.

Went to the bookstore and happened to pick up "Nature's First Law:The Raw-Food Diet", by Arlin, Dini, and Wolfe. Every chapter ends with the words: Cooked food is poison. I read the entire book in one sitting. Went raw that same day. Been raw off and on, maybe a total of two out of the past four years. But that is another story, unrelated to your question.

Finally, being honest now: RAW appeals to my free spirit and rebellious nature.

Thanks for asking!

[annavon]

I went raw due to numerous health problems. (Colitis, arthritis, migranes, ovarian cyst, fibroids, to name a few). I had constant fatique. The doctors (both alternative and conventional) didn't seem to have any solutions that were acceptable to me. (I refused to take steroids!!!). I had tried raw in the past and noticed I felt good, but I didn't commit to it then. This time, my body has forced me to commit.

[JennaBoBenna]

I've been doing raw so long that I just plain CAN'T eat "normal" food anymore...so I HAVE to stick to raw...awful really ;) ;)

As for REAL reason...weight loss. It's really the only diet that helps me maintain and release my weight. Anything else causes me to gain. It was the reason I first explored raw foods, and the reason I still do raw foods. It works :)

[ncadotte]

I started out when looking for health answers for my family members. My dad was having heart problems and my son has had allergies since birth. What I discovered is that you can't make someone else believe what you believe. My dad had heart surgery, takes a lot of medication, and still eats like crap! :( But that's his choice... I did buy him a total body cleansing kit (liver, kidney, colon, etc.) from an herbalist, and he followed the month long program (probably just for me :)).

As for my son, I just feed him good stuff at home and when he's with me. His allergies have improved, not totally gone, but improved. Its just so hard dealing with grandparents, school, daycare. I had him off wheat and dairy for about a year and that was such a struggle for everyone... including me. One good thing that came out of it is that does eat a lot of fruits and veggies. At daycare they told me that they gave the kids broccoli with ranch dressing for a snack, and all the kids were a little disappointed. My son Chase then says "Cool, we get to eat trees!" And then they all giggled and went ahead and ate their "trees".

Anyway, I got off the subject a little. The reason I started eating raw/living foods myself was because after reading all the health benefits (while researching for others), I couldn't understand why everyone wasn't doing it! I wanted to be healthy too! So, my long answer is: for both weight loss and health.

[Eva]

Digestive issues, general pain in the belly.

Ok, ok. Gas.

[shashibala]

I went raw as an alternative to giving up on life completely. I was overweight, had an eating disorder that was no longer working to keep me thin, depressed all the time (since childhood), exhausted, had fibromyalgia symptoms, daily headaches, and terrible asthma. I was a slave to food, but food made me feel sicker. I didn't want to go on. I ,in fact, couldn't go on. I had no more mental, emotional , or physical energy left. I learned about raw one day on line, bought a book the next day and went all raw. I feel that the raw lifestyle has given me a second chance at really Living my life at the age of 42. I love being raw!

What were your reasons Dakinimind??

[northernstars]

I wanted to improve my already excellent SAD diet and had just finished reading Green for Life. I knew I needed to eat more raw foods, unfortunately it was a bit too late as I had a massive stroke due to stress that had me hospitalized for 2 1/2 months! After getting out of the hospital last June, it still took me a while to get my bearings and get back to eating the raw foods.

I had wound up gaining about 100 excess pounds even though I watched everything I ate, kept the calories down to about 1800 a day, and exercised 2-3 times a week (walking). Now, I have lost 46 pounds that would not budge before! The stressors are still there but I am working on not letting things bother me as I am trying to use meditations and other types of things to get my stress level down and keep things under control.

I am doing quite well! My skin looks amazing and the weight loss has helped too. My immediate goal is to regain my balance enough that I will be able to walk again without the walker and/or cane.

[DST_DIVA33]

I was so tired of being addicted to food. Being a food addict is not fun, it consumes you all the time. I would spend numerous amounts of money on gas and food. Bingeing and feeling terrible. Being over weight my entire life, I was looking for another answer. I think I saw a segment on Oprah about these people who ate raw fruits and vegetables for a month. It sounded interesting. I had heard about the raw diet some where before, and I researched bought a book and decided this would help me to stop my addiction. I also desperetly wanted to release weight. So I am on my journey and I want to eat like this for life.

BTW, Im 22!

[Morn]

To lose weight and get healthy again. I was seriously addicted to SAD food and overeating and I needed to get control again.

Now I stay raw to maintain my weightloss and to help me stay young looking. I want to go into my 40's looking HOT for my hubby! :D

[Ilse W.]

In 2002, I had Hodgkins Lymphoma, and in 2005 a CT scan showed spots on the liver. A biopsy was inconclusive, but I decided I had enough of the fear of cancer. Then I started reading a lot of books about people who beat their cancer, about the Gerson Therapy, etc. and bought a juicer and drank lost of juice and ate big salads. I started feeling really good and lost some weight. I have ADD, so eventually life happened, and I forgot about juicing and salads and went back to steaks and my favorite wine. After the cancer, I used to think of death before I went to sleep every night and first thing after waking up. I ran across a book "The China Study". The next morning after reading it, I woke up and did NOT think of death. It basically says, based on many years of extensive studies that will not be published by our government, that the less animal protein people consume, the lower the insidence of cancer. I ordered a copy of the book for my youngest sister in Germany, who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She broke off her chemo treatments after just two and became a vegan. She is happy and healthy and cancer free today, 4 years after her initial diagnosis.
So again, I have ADD and tend to forget that I'm supposed to pay attention to what I put into my mouth. I finally decided that I will eat the way nature intended, raw fruits and salads. It's so simple to do, nothing really to fix other than throwing things in the cuisinard for a smoothie, and chopping veggies for a salad. Basically, I put a heavy piece of butcherblock on top of my stove, which gives me a great work area to prepare my salads. I cannot forget that I'm not supposed to eat cooked food, because it would require removing that heavy piece of wood and finding a place to deposit it. I also got rid of everything in the house that does not grow on a tree, a bush, or in soil. Well, Max, my golden retriever, and Kodie, my siamese PITB are also on their natural diets...raw meat, so I do have meat in the house. I wouldn't touch that stuff for anything in the world. I quit drinking coffee a month ago (not a problem, except for some back and hip pains initially), and will not touch alcohol. I'm an all or nothing person, so I'm doing great. Weight loss is an added bonus!

[TaupeRawMan]

Out of curiousity....of the people that came to raw to improve health (and had a pretty health diet to begin with), not to lose weight (and who did not have weight to lose to begin with), how many of you are 100% raw and how long have you been doing it?

[Vaclare79]

I went raw after finding out about green smoothies from a cousin's grandmother.. I'm not sure if you'd say I'm 100% raw but I haven't had any cooked foods in a LONG time ever since June.. BUT, I haven't been eating ENOUGH is my problem..

I was suffering from severe acid reflux and I knew that there was another way to get around it besides continue to eat cooked crap and take pills so I found raw foods after doing some research on green smoothies... The more I read about raw foods/green smoothies the more I became convinced there is no going back to cooked/processed foods ever again.
Which of course I haven't had any throat or chest pains or problems since been eating just fruits/vegetables & greens.. The only problems I have now I just cravings for cooked foods and have to remind myself that it's CRAP and have mental pictures of stuff like the pictures of hardened arteries and microscopic pictures of the meats and stuff... I was always a slave to food, spending so much money eating out and gas going there with friends/family.. Tired of that. I want to be satisfied and eat food that is good for my body...
Hoping in a year I can celebrate being raw and healthier.

[commoncents]

To Lose Weight and keep it off. I've gained so much more.

[yogashmoga]

overall health, depression and probelmatic skin. 80% raw since jan, 100% raw for nearly two months. just coming through some emotional detox, skin has gotten worse, but i am LOVING the flavors and colors of raw foods! i have no problem being patient for my desired results. great thread. reading these responses has been fantastic :).

[RawPaw]

To gain weight. To end depression. To give me self esteem and psychological clarity. To respect animals and nature. To support things that are organic and good. To be independent.

What you eat is one thing. Eliminating the fear that my parents ingrained in me—that's another thing.

[dakinimind]

Finally, being honest now: RAW appeals to my free spirit and rebellious nature.

I was going to add the question, "Why are you raw now?". but changed my mind. I stay raw for the same reasons plus the added benefit of helping clear the path for my Buddhist practice :)

I wonder if most people's reason for staying raw has evolved from their initial reason for going raw?

Maybe ask that question in another thread next month.

Shashibala:

The reason I went raw initially was out of curiosity. My personality has a chaotic element to it and the rigid structure of the raw diet appealed to the need I have to establish some type of order within. I'd also read about the spiritual end of being raw...how people felt a deeper connection to life without all of the usual neurosis. The real reason for this last time going raw was to address food addictions. They've been at an all time low this past year.

[Pilgrim]

Health reasons and fitness.

After menopause I could not lose any weight. I started having all sorts of health issues, including arthritis. I saw myself getting faded and gray and old before my time.

It's a diet that makes sense. I have read books on nutrition for years, and nothing makes sense like eating raw fruits and vegetables for complete nutrition.

I want to be young and vibrant and healthy for as long as possible.

I want my thyroid to start working again and I want to be a healthy weight. I want to look great with shining eyes and hair.

Okay, it's all about me. Selfish reasons I suppose. But there it is. I believe that eating raw is the key to outstanding health and well-being, and I want to prove it.

I'm having a rough time doing it, though... The addiction is so strong.

[Eva]

I was going to add the question, "Why are you raw now?". but changed my mind. I stay raw for the same reasons plus the added benefit of helping clear the path for my Buddhist practice :)

I wonder if most people's reason for staying raw has evolved from their initial reason for going raw?


I answered the first part -- I had horrible stomach pains and finally it was the gas ALL the time that tipped me over the edge... But I didn't expect the acne to disappear, my spirits to soar, or to be able to stop taking ADD meds and to feel awake and alive EVEN without coffee. I love waking up happy and alive every day, without meds.

I have gone off 100%, and I become worthless in the classroom and "at work" (I work at home)... I really don't want to have to go to another doctor to say, "hey, I need the meds again"... I've never been overweight or struggled with that, even though I DID binge eat frequently. I've been very happy with how my figure has still improved in lovely ways. I can't/won't lose the benefits I've had of being raw. It's a lovely life I'm living now. I couldn't say that before.

[debilana]

At first I was curious about weight loss. I had been playing around with different ideas about health for about 6 months and I had lost 20 pounds, but I still had alot to go and I was still exhausted. I read an article in a womans mag about eating more raw foods to lose weight- this much, lose 2 pounds a week, this much more, lose 5, 10- it was all about weight loss. I glanced at it and said well, thanks to the book Ultrametabolism, I am already eating lots of raw nuts, almond butter instead of PB, salads everyday- lets step it up- 3 days later I was sold.

Going raw was the first idea I ever tried that had such dramatic, instant results I never wavered from the idea that THIS was my new life. SUre, I eat non raw items time to time, from cravings or just seeing gee what will this do to me now- and getting over cheese took awhile- but I am a raw person, I eat raw everyday, and anytime I ate a cooked item I was anxious to get back to raw. SO my reason for going raw- curious about weight loss. My reason for staying? it is the only way to remain vibrant, healthy, to keep the weight off, and to increase the quality of my life. I cannot imagine going back to my old way of eating- yech!

[petaltothemetal]

Everyone was dying all around me. And those that didn't die were having serious health issues, having chemo or heart operations. And my fiance, daughter and mother are all quite overweight and I have 20lbs packed right where they say it is the worst, in the belly. (I could almost advertise for Unicef!:rolleyes: ) My ex-husband's family had 9 kids, all overweight. Only THREE of them are still alive; my ex died last year. My father also died last year, making both my daughter and me fatherless. My mother had colon cancer that went into her liver, went through the hell of chemo and is a 100% better but now afraid of everything (even raw sprouts, poor thing!). I'm hypothyroid and hypoglycemic and always feel like I'm struggling to a. not be fat and b. stay awake without consuming a pot of coffee. I've also worried about my digestion... when I was in a bad marriage and always stressed, I couldn't have a bm for 3 weeks at a time and used to lie awake thinking I was next to have colon cancer... then I got rid of him and had diarrhea. Then I passed one enormous worm :eek: (about a year ago) and have worried ever since that there might be a gazillion more of them and that's why I look like a poster child for Unicef. And I worried about where I got them. Was if walking around the farm barefoot? Eating pork? Have they been there for years and I didn't know? I'd get obsessed thinking about all the instances where I may have eaten something questionable. I swiped some roast beef from a freezer one time while I was a hotel night audit clerk and was the only employee on premises in the middle of the night. It didn't taste so good. Was that it? :confused: I mean, trying to figure out how I got that worm got to be STOOOOPID. I bought a bunch of herbal wormers and thought about injecting myself with the super-strong farm wormer (I tried some, but it stung!) and then thought I'd better not because I could end up in the hospital, and then I'd have to explain about my crazy thoughts. I always ate way better than most people, local foods, 50% raw, etc. but too much bread and coffee by far. I saw a couple of AMAZING before and after pictures that made me wish I could have such an amazing transformation. No miracles yet, but a lot of subtle changes that I'm happy about.

[Moretta]

To start a healthy way of living and maintaining my weight.