Can't stop eating ice cream - please help!

[synchronicity1]

Hello to all. I'm pretty new to this forum. I have been a raw fooder off and on for about a year now. I have not yet achieved 100% raw for more than a few days or so. I feel it's because I have not reached out enough to others for support, so I'm making an attempt now! :-) Lately, I seriously have been severely craving ice cream, (Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream) EVERY DAY for a week! Sometimes after that, I crave things like mac and cheese or pizza. The cravings are out of control, and yes, I have been giving into them every day this week! I feel so out of control and bummed out because I need to lose about 30 lbs. and this is certainly not going to get me there, obviously! I get so obssessed with these cravings and a mental war takes place in my mind and lately I have been giving in every single day! I certainly do NOT blame raw food because I have not been sticking to raw food very well lately. I have just recently cut way down on my coffee consumption because I want to stop drinking coffee once and for all. Today was my first day COMPLETELY caffeine free. Don't know if that's a contributing factor? I've also been stressed out lately due to my job situation and being back on the dating scene after being in a relationship for several years. I just need some help - I feel so consumed with intense fatty food cravings and feel so out of control and don't know how to stop them! :(:confused:They practically control my life - even when I am out with friends, sometimes I want to cut the night short so I can stop at the store and get some unhealthy, fatty "comfort food". Thank you if you have read all of this - I appreciate it!.

[tanishamarshall]

I totally understand what you are going through. Have sat down and tried to find some raw replacements for your ice cream? Have you make any raw ice creams? Sometimes replacing the food is not enough, we have to do a bit of surgery on our mind we have to find what is causing us to crave things we don't need. I think finding a replacement would be a great start, no need to get frustrated. As long as you never give up you will achieve your goal.

[shashibala]

I understand how you feel! I have a few suggestions that helped me.
First- make an agreement with yourself that you will stick to raw for 30 days. After that you can discuss it with yourself. You don't have to imagine giving up things that you really like forever, just for 30 days. YOu can join this forum's 30 day challenge. I was so excited about felling better and losing 20 pounds in the first 30 days that I kept going.
Second- eat all the raw foods that you want. Don't restrict yourself. If it's raw, eat it when you want it. You might want to splurge on some raw treats that you can buy on the internet until you can get into the habit of making your own. Third- come up with some substitutes for your favorite "junk" foods.
I love "milkshakes" made with almond mylk, frozen bananas, and fresh or frozen strawberries. There are lots of recipes on this forum.
And, drink lots of water!
Best wishes to you!
Give yourself the gift of raw!

[commoncents]

It does not state where you live, but if you happen to be in Northern California, Cafe Gratitude has great Ice "Creame".

I usually just let my cravings run their course and I always return to Raw Foods. I've become sick of fighting them and just give in and indulge and then get back to Raw. It seems to be my pattern thus far.

[T-Bird]

Thanks for that tip Commoncents!!!

I'll be in SF on business the end of next week, and hopefully will be able to check out the cafe gratitude, on the expense report too!:D

[synchronicity1]

Tanisha - thank you for the raw ice cream tip. I have never had it before and I think making that and keeping it on hand would help me immensely. I just need to get myself an awesome Vitamix! Thank you for the support!

shashibala - thank you for your post, what you said is so helpful. I really like the idea of the 30 day commitment to raw. Just like you said how the 20 lb weight loss so motivated you, I feel that is just what would do it for me too - that really inspires me! Thanks for sharing your smoothie recipe as well. Drinking those will really help keep me on track too! Thanks again so much for the much needed advice.

commoncents - unfortunately I live quite far away here in Upstate NY! I would love to check out Cafe Gratitude someday.

[cara4art]

Let me tell you, raw ice-cream rocks! I've been making it, and it totally satisfies the craving, such that you will never miss regular ice-cream again, especially if you experiment around with some raw replacements for certain flavors. There's a ton of recipes out there too. The simplest though, is frozen bananas along with a room temperature one done in a food processor, with a hit of pure vanilla extract, and a teeny bit of Celtic sea salt(brings out the sweet flavors). You can add other fruits too. You can also start with a 1/4 cup of raw cashews ground up with an equal amount of coconut and throw that in to round out your base banana mixture. After you've processed it all up, stick it in the freezer to firm up a little more if you want it firmer than "soft-serve"-style. Give it a go! And if that's not enough, out of curiosity I looked up the calorie count for regular rich vanilla ice-cream and it was 532 per cup, while the banana concoction with one fruit and even the cashew coconut mixture is MUCH less, like at least a third less. It would be even lighter without the cashew-coconut mixture. When I make up a batch for DH and myself, it's enough for 2 one-cup servings. Another tip is to throw this cup of banana, etc. "ice-cream" into the blender with some greens, soaked chia seeds and half an orange, and you've got a smoothie that is divine and rich-tasting, without being rich - how cool is that?
Hope this helps!

[Ilse W.]

Have you ever done a juice fast or feast? I think it's the best way to get all the toxins out and get your body to want only the good stuff. Juices taste great, and especially on the feast where you can drink as much juice as you want, you don't feel deprived or hungry. Mentally, it's easier for me to fast a while than to "change my eating habits", because there is no chewing involved. It's also a great way to jumpstart weightloss.:D

[mary2122]

wow i love ice cream and every night my boyfriend and I crave it. I tried frozen bananas in a magic bullet and it took FOREVER and i didnt like the consistency of it. I think i need to get a food processor even tho the magic bullet claims it is one. yum ice cream

[spicyfull]

EAT........EAT. Thanks, its RAW, it could be Dairy, So EAT.......EAT, apparently you are doing some Work in your Body that requires something in the Ice Creme.

[iluvmangos]

The easiest way to make raw ice cream is to throw a frozen banana or two in your food processor and a handful of other frozen fruit and let it blend until creamy. You can make any flavor you want this way. You can even make chocolate by omitting the "other" frozen fruit and adding a couple tablespoons of raw carob or cacao powder. I find that adding a tablespoon of flax oil makes it seem more the consistency of real ice cream. I eat this stuff on a regular basis. Who says you have to give up ice cream just because you went raw?

[Seedy]

You may want to check out Neal Barnard's 'Breaking the Food Seduction'. Dairy products contain natural opiates which make them very addictive (the opiates help bond (i.e. addict) the baby animal to the mother's milk so it will suck, and helps to keep them calm). Cheese and ice cream, because they contain concentrated milk are particularly addictive. As others have suggested, you can try making your own ice cream with frozen bananas, or make a fruit sorbet with a pack of frozen mixed berries and a little agave or honey. But don't be surprised if you still crave the real thing - you'll need to tough out the withdrawl. Cheese was the worst for me, I was a High Cheese Vegetarian - it took me forever to commit to veganism - and then only when I discover cashew cheese sauce at a Seventh Day Adventist deli! Lucky for me, it happens to be raw! Just Google for lots of variations.
Seedy

[synchronicity1]

cara4art - thank for for those awesome recipe suggestions - I will definitely whip up some ice cream in the food processor. Thank goodness I own a food processor!

EmmaT - I have never tried a juice fast before. I don't own a juicer, but I'd be open to trying a fast at some point in the future.

iluvmangoes - how cool about adding the flax oil to the ice cream to make it more of an ice cream-like consistency. I'll have to try that!

Seedy - thank you for sharing that book recommendation and your recipe tips. In addition to dairy being addictive like you mentioned, another thing that I suspect has addicted me to ice cream is that it does have MSG in it under the disguised ingredient name "carageenan". I believe I read somewhere that that is actually another name (out of many others such as "natural flavors") that MSG is disguised under.

[bsqmurphy]

I can totally relate - I used to be able to go through a pint of ice cream & 1/2 lb of cheese in a day. Needless to say, this did Not help my body at all!

As someone else said, casein is in dairy products & is highly addictive & it in it's highest concentrations in cream & cheese. It's not just you - you are having a physical addiction to it - all the more reason to remove it from your live for good.

What saved me is making my own raw vegan ice cream - I eat it almost every day. I tried the frozen banana version & it works in a pinch, but it just does not have the creaminess factor I wanted & frankly, I just don't like bananas that much - no matter what I added, it still tasted like banana.

Here's what I do now...

I use:
2c young coconut meat
2c cashews (presoaked in water approx 4 hrs)
1c water
1-2T vanilla
10-20 dates or 3/4c - 1 c agave nectar
1/4c coconut butter
1/2t salt

Blend it super well in the vitamix & then process in an ice cream maker (these are relatively inexpensive - manual or electric - you just keep the cylinder in the freezer for when you need it - which is 2-3 times a week in my household). It takes about 20 min in the ice cream maker.

this is basic vanilla - you can add 1/2c raw cacao powder & cacao nibs for chocolate chocolate chip (another of my favorite flavors) or whatever tickles your fancy.

Enjoy!
Bri.

[commoncents]

Thanks for that tip Commoncents!!!

I'll be in SF on business the end of next week, and hopefully will be able to check out the cafe gratitude, on the expense report too!:D

Your welcome T-Bird. Let me know hoe you like it. It is my favorite restaurant!!!

[commoncents]

I can totally relate - I used to be able to go through a pint of ice cream & 1/2 lb of cheese in a day. Needless to say, this did Not help my body at all!

As someone else said, casein is in dairy products & is highly addictive & it in it's highest concentrations in cream & cheese. It's not just you - you are having a physical addiction to it - all the more reason to remove it from your live for good.

What saved me is making my own raw vegan ice cream - I eat it almost every day. I tried the frozen banana version & it works in a pinch, but it just does not have the creaminess factor I wanted & frankly, I just don't like bananas that much - no matter what I added, it still tasted like banana.

Here's what I do now...

I use:
2c young coconut meat
2c cashews (presoaked in water approx 4 hrs)
1c water
1-2T vanilla
10-20 dates or 3/4c - 1 c agave nectar
1/4c coconut butter
1/2t salt

Blend it super well in the vitamix & then process in an ice cream maker (these are relatively inexpensive - manual or electric - you just keep the cylinder in the freezer for when you need it - which is 2-3 times a week in my household). It takes about 20 min in the ice cream maker.

this is basic vanilla - you can add 1/2c raw cacao powder & cacao nibs for chocolate chocolate chip (another of my favorite flavors) or whatever tickles your fancy.

Enjoy!
Bri.

Thank you for the recipe. I can't wait to try it.

[synchronicity1]

bsqmurphy - GREAT recipe and thanks for your moral support about addiction to dairy. It helps me a lot to hear you have been there and understand. Thank you so much :-)

[bsqmurphy]

You are welcome.

It helps me to abstain to share with you - so thank you too. :)

Bri.