RawHeaven
05-11-2009, 04:28 PM
This is not addressed to anyone in particular, but it's how I'm feeling and something I've come to terms with in regards to raw foods and my personal journey and challenges adopting the rawfood lifestyle and subsequently changing my life.
My health was at rock bottom when I began researching raw foods in early 2007 and I was in terrible shape physically, mentally and emotionally. I discovered a few raw websites, was inspired and eventually found this site. I ordered the book Living on Live Food and it really resonated with me. And more importantly it worked for me. I completely committed myself 100% to eating raw foods and it was not that difficult. I was excited and super motivated. If I could've bottled my enthusiasm at that time, I would be a billionnaire right now. I reaped all of the benefits that we've heard about from those before us, shed 50 lbs and regained my vitality.
Fast forward 2 years later to January 2009. I ate a veggie wrap and fries for lunch on a date with a hot guy. I'll blame it on the hot guy who distracted me. Lol. I'm just kidding. It wasn't about him, it was all about me. I then started slipping again by telling myself it was okay to have some cooked vegan foods, "I can handle it and my body didn't seem to react negatively to that vegan wrap....so ahhh, this will be okay....". This escalated to a 3 month period of me eating a much higher percentage of cooked veggie foods and a much lower percentage of raw foods. My blender began collecting dust and I eventually began delving into SAD processed snacks, like Hershey bars, Newman's Own treats, going out to eat at regular restaurants with friends and things like this. I even had fried tempura and huge bowl of noodles during this escapade. One evening I had two big bowls of it tempura udon ~ I actually ordered two servings. I began having an insatiable appetite for carbs. :eek: That's what cooked food does to me. On a physical level, the results were obvious. My abdomen began expanding even though "I wasn't eating that much", I experienced reduced and difficult to release BM's, skin eruptions, lackluster looking skin really, the blues/fluctuating emotions, painful periods with cramps (again) and continued cravings for food 24/7. All day long, craving carbs and junk and feeling like CRAP. My weight hasn't changed but it's the equivalent of being in a theatre production, with a packed house, the lights and sound aren't working properly and no one can hear or see you. Well, not eating 100% Raw foods for me personally was like not being able to hear myself and function. Seeing the world through a much different lens.
I know what works for me and it's consuming 100% Raw foods. I have regained my vitality, vibrancy and motivation since getting back on track. I am a believer in what Alissa Cohen talks about in reference to not eating cooked foods. IT DOES AWAKEN CRAVINGS and makes it much more difficult for you to stay on track and in line with your goals. If your goals are to be a raw foodist and you want to do it the easy way, just eat 100% Raw. If you want to experience challenges, frustration and physical backlashes, then go back and forth eating cooked foods. I'm not talking about when we succumb to a craving. This could be part of your journey and it happens sometimes. It simply helps to give yourself a great big hug and make the next meal a raw one without judgement. But if you start out with the mindset that you can have a cooked food treat here and there, I think you're setting yourself up to be on a rollercoaster. This is just my opinion and from my personal experience and I wish to share it for anyone who it may help.
We all approach this path from different places and it is important to stay true to yourself and do what works best for yourself, listen to your body and all of that but let's not forget this forum was created by Alissa Cohen whose beliefs run in the direction of eating a 100% Raw Foods Diet or High Raw or eating only raw foods (however you define it) and that any consumption of cooked foods will lead to cravings. I know it's true, I lived it. I'm all for approaching raw from different standpoints if this is what works for you, but I simply think it's confusing to those who've read her book and are trying to follow the 30 day challenge to offer conflicting viewpoints on this site in particular. Although Alissa is not the only raw food pioneer I have learned from, she has been very influential in me being able to stay Raw and I think we owe it to her not to sway from her program (on this site). I just felt this needed to be communicated and put out there and you do not necessarily need to agree with me. I just needed to say it. Thank you for listening.
Crystal
My health was at rock bottom when I began researching raw foods in early 2007 and I was in terrible shape physically, mentally and emotionally. I discovered a few raw websites, was inspired and eventually found this site. I ordered the book Living on Live Food and it really resonated with me. And more importantly it worked for me. I completely committed myself 100% to eating raw foods and it was not that difficult. I was excited and super motivated. If I could've bottled my enthusiasm at that time, I would be a billionnaire right now. I reaped all of the benefits that we've heard about from those before us, shed 50 lbs and regained my vitality.
Fast forward 2 years later to January 2009. I ate a veggie wrap and fries for lunch on a date with a hot guy. I'll blame it on the hot guy who distracted me. Lol. I'm just kidding. It wasn't about him, it was all about me. I then started slipping again by telling myself it was okay to have some cooked vegan foods, "I can handle it and my body didn't seem to react negatively to that vegan wrap....so ahhh, this will be okay....". This escalated to a 3 month period of me eating a much higher percentage of cooked veggie foods and a much lower percentage of raw foods. My blender began collecting dust and I eventually began delving into SAD processed snacks, like Hershey bars, Newman's Own treats, going out to eat at regular restaurants with friends and things like this. I even had fried tempura and huge bowl of noodles during this escapade. One evening I had two big bowls of it tempura udon ~ I actually ordered two servings. I began having an insatiable appetite for carbs. :eek: That's what cooked food does to me. On a physical level, the results were obvious. My abdomen began expanding even though "I wasn't eating that much", I experienced reduced and difficult to release BM's, skin eruptions, lackluster looking skin really, the blues/fluctuating emotions, painful periods with cramps (again) and continued cravings for food 24/7. All day long, craving carbs and junk and feeling like CRAP. My weight hasn't changed but it's the equivalent of being in a theatre production, with a packed house, the lights and sound aren't working properly and no one can hear or see you. Well, not eating 100% Raw foods for me personally was like not being able to hear myself and function. Seeing the world through a much different lens.
I know what works for me and it's consuming 100% Raw foods. I have regained my vitality, vibrancy and motivation since getting back on track. I am a believer in what Alissa Cohen talks about in reference to not eating cooked foods. IT DOES AWAKEN CRAVINGS and makes it much more difficult for you to stay on track and in line with your goals. If your goals are to be a raw foodist and you want to do it the easy way, just eat 100% Raw. If you want to experience challenges, frustration and physical backlashes, then go back and forth eating cooked foods. I'm not talking about when we succumb to a craving. This could be part of your journey and it happens sometimes. It simply helps to give yourself a great big hug and make the next meal a raw one without judgement. But if you start out with the mindset that you can have a cooked food treat here and there, I think you're setting yourself up to be on a rollercoaster. This is just my opinion and from my personal experience and I wish to share it for anyone who it may help.
We all approach this path from different places and it is important to stay true to yourself and do what works best for yourself, listen to your body and all of that but let's not forget this forum was created by Alissa Cohen whose beliefs run in the direction of eating a 100% Raw Foods Diet or High Raw or eating only raw foods (however you define it) and that any consumption of cooked foods will lead to cravings. I know it's true, I lived it. I'm all for approaching raw from different standpoints if this is what works for you, but I simply think it's confusing to those who've read her book and are trying to follow the 30 day challenge to offer conflicting viewpoints on this site in particular. Although Alissa is not the only raw food pioneer I have learned from, she has been very influential in me being able to stay Raw and I think we owe it to her not to sway from her program (on this site). I just felt this needed to be communicated and put out there and you do not necessarily need to agree with me. I just needed to say it. Thank you for listening.
Crystal