Thoughts on prepared food

[Cerellia]

I have relaxed my principles only to eat unprepared foods in some ways:
I have started including extra-virgin olive oil although I would prefere the olives as whole foods. But the only time I came across raw, unrefined, ripe-harvested, organic olives without anything added to them (like salt), was in an online store were were 20 Euros per jar :( So I rather have olice oil than no olives at all or refined olives from the supermarket.

Here in Dublin, there is an organic market with a raw food stall. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to eat out from time to time just like anyone else. The food there is very delicious but I always feel it is not the perfect way of eating:
- It's terrible food combining with approximately up to 10 different incrediences in one dish.
- They are unecessarily dehydrating things (There are foods like granberries and goji berries which I can't get fresh but if possible, I prefere the ).
- Combining food is kind of cheating on the sense of taste and on the "eating instinct" if there is something like that.
- They are laxer about the definition of raw than I am: I know that they are using some salt in their recipes, for example.
- Eating juiced and blended things, we do not have to pay as much attention to chewing it properly and get lazy, ect.

I know it won't kill me to eat there once in a while but it always makes me think. The worst thing is that I came to love the prepared food so much that even at home I sometimes can't resist :eek: (I know this is terrible emotional eating).

[RawLibrarian]

Wow.

Can you just enjoy the raw prepared food you're eating without the judgment and the rules?

Seriously. It sounds like you have some sort of inner critic or inner perfectionist who is on your shoulder pick pick picking at you for every bite of food you put into your mouth that doesn't meet some standard of purity or righteousness. What joy is there in that?

This is raw prepared food we are talking about, not cheeseburgers.

It sounds like I am taking you to task, and maybe I am--please, please, just relax and enjoy what you're eating and appreciate the skill that goes into preparing the food.

[Veronica01]

Cerellia, I don't think that you are off in the way you are feeling. The only thing I would look at is do you want to look at the positive side and see the good simple foods you are eating and be proud, while you work through your love of prepared raw foods. It's all about perception and choices. You can set the bar low at letting yourself have free reign on anything raw, but it doesn't sound like you will be happiest living that way. There is NOTHING wrong with that, but you might want to encourage yourself when you eat things you like that you are proud of and not look down on yourself. You have every right to grow into this lifestyle, transition and fine tune what works for your body. You set your expectations and limits. You can do 100% raw all or nothing, you can do 100% simple raw all or nothing. It's up to you. I want to aim for less prepared food as well and you will find what works for you. Do you want to transition, create better habits and phase out foods that don't make you feel optimum while not feeling deprived, or are you ok going head first without looking back? You have the rest of your life to live this way. I know for me I have to get sick of doing a bad habit and the ill effects before I can choose to never do it again. So i'm finding that is working for me, so i don't desire foods like that or crave them.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to excel at this lifestyle just take care of yourself and be aware of your perspective.

[katchmoleen]

I wish we had a place like that where I live, so that I could go out and enjoy someone else's cooking and still stay raw for once! I would enjoy the food with gratitude and be thankful, and remember that it is a TREAT, not the way you are going to eat every day.

[somelikeitraw]

Cerellia - I agree with you on finding prepared raw food that meets your standards, although I have yet to go to a raw restaurant, some of the HFS I go to sell prepared raw foods in packages. Yesterday I had a wonderful raw salad, at a stand at the fair no less, but they couldn't resist putting the raw sunflower seeds on with the avocado. I find that for my own sanity I just can't let those things get to me. I make a mental note so that the next time I am there and ordering, I ask them to leave off the ingredients that don't combine well with the ingredients I favor. Some people don't think that food combining is important. I do and I ate the seeds with the avo and next time I'll ask them to hold the seeds. I did take off most of the seeds but some were too difficult to find. I was very grateful to be able to purchase something at the fair that I could eat. You deserve a lot of credit for listening to your body and doing your best to give it what it asks for.

I also think that Veronica01 is right on here. Enjoy your life and give yourself credit for all of the good choices that you make.

[PeachyLove]

What do you mean by prepared food?

I thought prepared food was like buying kale chips, raw cookies etc in a package?

Two of my favorite dishes are

#1
Cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, Serrano pepper, onions, garlic, olive oil, acv and a dash of salt

#2
Kale, oranges, onions, olive oil, dash of salt

Do you consider the dishes above , prepared.

What’s wrong with using olive oil, salt etc?

I only use these items as accents a dash here, a splash here. Raw veggies and fruit are the star food in my diet and I have great digestion.

I would love to understand your point of view, please explain.:D

[PeachyLove]

Cerellia -
Yesterday I had a wonderful raw salad, at a stand at the fair no less, but they couldn't resist putting the raw sunflower seeds on with the avocado. I find that for my own sanity I just can't let those things get to me.

Was the salad organic?

Whats more important food combining or eating organic?


Cerellia -

Some people don't think that food combining is important.



Why is food combining important, when your eating raw food?

I have eaten salads with avocado and pumkin seeds or nuts and have not had any problems.

I really thought a veggie and/or fruit base diet, gave freedom, not more restrictions.

My questions are from the heart and are not meant to offend. I seriously want to understand your views.:D

[T-Bird]

The things that worry me about the prepared foods are like braggs and agave, which are prevalent in the raw foods world, but not healthful, IMHO.

I generally eat loads of fruits and salads, but love the opportunity to sample more gourmet foods. I have a business trip coming up to San Francisco and I super hope to be able to get to cafe gratitude. I'll be taking a weekend trip to NY sometime this summer with DD to see wicked on broadway as we missed it in chicago - really looking forward to sampling a few raw food places there.....

We did climb out of the trees 10 or more thousand years ago.

And seriously - how spartan do you really want to be?

And is it healthy - MENTALLY - to be that spartan? All the time, on every channel?

If you are currently fighting a serious disease or something - that would change my opinion, but if you're just trying to be spartan for the sake of it - I'd be concerned about an eating disorder.