What's the hardest thing...And the best thing...And a couple more questions!!

[Bex]

Hey everyone young!!! I'm Bex, I'm 21 and looking at going raw next year. I'm the kinda person that jumps into things without thinking through it, and I don't want to do that with my diet. I want to think through it properly and make a decision that I can stick to.
Soo....
What I wanna know from all you experts is..
1. What's the hardest thing about living raw? Especially as a young person?
2. What's the best thing about it?
3. Do you find it hard to afford to eat like this? Especially as students/low income people?!
4. Did you change from eating non-raw to raw all in one go, or did you do it gradually, and how did you find the transition??

I hope you don't mind answering my questions! I'm currently living in the UK, but emigrating to NZ in Feb and am hoping to change to raw once I get my own place, just getting educated beforehand so I don't have to think through it all whilst in the middle of moving stress!!!!
Love Bex

[rawviveyourself]

Hey Bex!
W-E-L-C-O-M-E!:)

1. What's the hardest thing about living raw?
The first year --- so many changes, physically, emotionally --- learning all new things about how to prep, when I was eating out of hunger vs. emotions.

2. What's the best thing about it?
The ridiculous amounts of energy, gorgeous skin, and weight loss! I feel so light and happy pretty much all the time.

3. Do you find it hard to afford to eat like this? Especially as students/low income people?!
Nope - I'm a frugal person (with some things!) I do love my vitamix, which I got years before going raw. I think it is the best raw tool I have, but it is expensive. I buy in bulk and at the farmers markets and through a co-op.

4. Did you change from eating non-raw to raw all in one go, or did you do it gradually, and how did you find the transition??
Jumped in, both feet, deep end. Was great until I fell off 5 months later and fell off HARD, but got back on the wagon five months after that. This is my second time around and it is a breeze compared to last time. This time actually feels sustainable.

Tip: get Alissa's book/DVD. Read as much as you can about raw and raw recipes.

Good luck and post as often as you have questions - this is a great group of super supportive people!

[rawstrength]

1. What's the hardest thing about living raw? Especially as a young person?
Maintaining a social life can be a bit more challenging on raw, this is the hardest aspect for me. To keep from being isolated because I don't drink, do drugs, or eat cooked food, I make sure to stay involved in a huge variety of activities with people that revolve around common interests, for me this is usually sports, nature, art, and music.
2. What's the best thing about it?
There are two best things about being raw as a young person. One is that you have your whole life ahead of you to live in RAWsome health and to create the best diet for yourself. The other best thing is that young people tend to be more open to and accepting of alternative diets/lifestyles than older people, so it is not as hard to be accepted among one's peers as a young raw foodist (as opposed to being a more mature raw foodist).
3. Do you find it hard to afford to eat like this? Especially as students/low income people?!
There are things that I would like to spend money on, such as going all organic, buying lots of seaweeds, superfoods and green powders that I can't afford right now. But affording raw foods is no problem, because I feel so good on raw foods that I can't imagine spending my money on any other kind of food! Cooked food just can't compare; I see cooked food as a waste of money because it is dead/nutritionless/tasteless. Gardening and foraging for food cuts back on food bills a lot, while enhancing my health, happiness and connection to nature.
4. Did you change from eating non-raw to raw all in one go, or did you do it gradually, and how did you find the transition??
I went from healthy cooked-food eating vegan to 100% raw all in one go. I have been 100% raw for just over a year, though I eat a cooked vegan meal occassionally, about once a month, out of social reasons, for example on Thanksgiving I ate mostly raw food, but had a baked sweet potato and some steamed green beans with my family. So I guess I'm not really 100% raw, more like 99%. I find that it is good to be flexible, and certain cooked foods do not make me feel sick. I never consume wheat, soy, coffee, cooked oils, or very processed cooked foods, because just a tiny amount of these foods make me feel ill.

[fuggles]

You can still do drugs, in fact, I started doing more clubbing and more drugs since going raw, probably because of all the energy it gave me.

When I mean drugs, I only mean something basic, like I always wanted to try magic mushrooms, and I did. I would never smoke anything, because I like running and obviously smoking will affect it. And David Wolfe reccomends them, so they must be okay.

And since going raw, Ive also become more open minded to eating cooked food, since it wouldnt really matter if Im 80 per cent or 100 per cent, because I will still feel good. Beginners should go 100 per cent if they want, but after a while, your body will easily handle cooked food, just stay 80 per cent raw if you want.

The greatest thing is the open mindedness it gave me, eespecailly since eating lots of cacao beans, Im a lot more open minded and not a strict raw foodist, even though I do eat raw food and am 100 per cent, I wouldnt really care if I started eating cooked food again.

[rawstrength]

lol I never said you can't do drugs, just that I choose not to. And just because David Wolfe says something, doesn't make it 100% true for you! (I have a lot of respect for Avocado and value his research and opinions, but I also like to think for myself :) )

I agree about being more open-minded because of eating raw food. I am open to ideas that I never would have considered while eating cooked food. I think that once I realized I'd been lied to about what is the best food to eat all my life, then I started to consider alternative possibilites to everything more seriously. I don't think that I quite worded that sentence just right, but hopefully you can get what I mean.

[fuggles]

ALso, when i said do drugs, i mean legal ones. Seriously, in the Uk, you can get legal alternatives which are just as good as the real thing. I dont do illegal drugs.

[Bex]

Thank-you for all your answers, that's really helpful. I can't afford Alissa's book until after Christmas, although hopefully will get it to read on the plane! But today I went to the library and got 3 books out of there about raw and whole foods, so will spend time over Christmas reading them and getting ideas!
It's good to hear 'real life' opinions though- no book can quite replace them I don't think! (Oh, and I don't drink much alcohol or do drugs at all either, so no problems there anyway!!)
I'm going to go raw slowly I think, just because of emigrating too I don't want too many changes all in one go if you see what I mean. I think taking it slowly will be better for me as a person in the long run, although I can see how doing it straight away has its benefits. I currently eat a lot of potatoes and lots of meat, so going to start by cutting down those and upping the fruit and vegetables, then move onto green smoothies. That's the plan!!!

[rawstrength]

Hi Bex,
That sounds like a good plan. You don't want to overwhelm yourself with too many changes at once. I'm glad we could be of help, and I hope our rambling about drugs and other topics didn't bother you too much.

[Coolexplosion]

Thank-you for all your answers, that's really helpful. I can't afford Alissa's book until after Christmas, although hopefully will get it to read on the plane! But today I went to the library and got 3 books out of there about raw and whole foods, so will spend time over Christmas reading them and getting ideas!
It's good to hear 'real life' opinions though- no book can quite replace them I don't think! (Oh, and I don't drink much alcohol or do drugs at all either, so no problems there anyway!!)
I'm going to go raw slowly I think, just because of emigrating too I don't want too many changes all in one go if you see what I mean. I think taking it slowly will be better for me as a person in the long run, although I can see how doing it straight away has its benefits. I currently eat a lot of potatoes and lots of meat, so going to start by cutting down those and upping the fruit and vegetables, then move onto green smoothies. That's the plan!!!

Since the other issues have mostly been answered, I will answer the one that has been somewhat avoided, the cost issue:

In the long term, virtually all health advocates will tell you the reason to go raw or go all-organic or just be healthy in general is that years down the road, other people will be hampered with medical bills and you won't be. Being sick is expensive and being healthy is cheap. Realistically though, that reasoning only works for some people since humans in general want instant gratification (ESPECIALLY Americans).

I have worked a lot with budgets in my 18 years. What I have found is that most people spend money on just plainly worthless things. Either that or, they spend too much money on things when a cheaper alternative could be used. For instance, NEVER buy something just out of the blue if it is over $25.00 is a good rule. Instead, use the tools available to you, specifically the internet to find the best possible price for the best possible product that meets your needs. With all of the saved up money, food will be easier to purchase.

Next, buy in bulk. Check prices and unit pricing. Bulk items are almost always cheaper than their smaller counter parts. Even if $0.50 per item is saved by buying in bulk, even if that's just five items, that's $2.50 per week (or two weeks). That adds up in a hurry.

In addition, gardening is your friend. I know this is common sense for most people so, I won't dwell on it but, buying seeds and caring for them (organically of course) is MUCH cheaper than buying the food that is being grown. The more land that is available, the better it is.

Also, raw foods themselves don't typically cost very much. When you look at what non-rawfoodists use, microwaves, ovens, toasters, takeout, prepared foods, etc it is pretty expensive. All of those things can be exchanged for cheaper "raw" appliances and you'll still have some money on the side for food. On the whole, most people spend their money on prepared TV dinners or other pre-packaged food that contain no nutritional value and cost a fortune! Compare the prices of a bunch of fruit and vegetables to a freezer full of TV dinners, it's a lot.

Finally, farmer's markets are amazing gold mines of produce. Usually they sell their food at amazingly low prices and the food is of excellent quality. Best of all, you get to actually meet the people that grow your food. These are the farmers that put their souls into the food they grow and are happy to just take a step back and chat it up a bit.

[graham]

1. What's the hardest thing about living raw? Especially as a young person?
i dont think age has anything to do with it, unless parents are doing the food shopping. i would be doing the same things as a raw eater when i am older as i am doing now, and living with SAD eaters is not that big of a problem as long as you keep to yourself. the key is independence and an attitude of empowerment. you've got to make your own food and do your own planning and shopping. im homeschooled so most of my time is spent in my room or volunteering or making food. going to school would be much more to juggle along with classes and all.

2. What's the best thing about it? it's basically the same thing as my old diet, except it's raw. i always made awesome cooked food, so now i am just making awesome raw food lol
3. Do you find it hard to afford to eat like this? Especially as students/low income people?! i spend $40-50 per week. my parents are paying for it now, but as i get older i am sure they will get tough on my expenses. i am looking at jobs unfortunately so the income from that will be spent paying for food. health is my priority, so i do look for good deals and only get what is necessary. KEEP IT SIMPLE!
4. Did you change from eating non-raw to raw all in one go, or did you do it gradually, and how did you find the transition??
i was on the new west diet which is raw or lightly steamed f/v, brown rice, grilled fish, nuts/seeds, and eggs.
then i just decided one day to go raw. so i looked up a menu plan for the week and bought everything i needed in one grocery trip. always get everything you need and have plenty of raw food around. changing "all in one go" is really easy if you have the will to follow through and plan everything out.