New from Ohio

[RawFoodRawks]

Hi, I'm Kelly and I've found the raw food diet. I'm 34, single (boyfriend), from Ohio and I've spent most of those years overweight. I grew up on a farm with raw milk and lots of meat and some vegetables. I loved eating veggies straight from the garden and fresh fruits. As a teen, I ate for emotional reasons and topped out at 196. In my early 20s I starved and walked my way down to 115, eating refined foods, not a lot of veggies or fruits. Late 20s, I worked my way back up to 190 where I am today. I eat for many reasons, but I have been unable to break my food addictions because my body has grown more and more sick. I've tried so many diets, my head is spinning. I found the raw food diet through learning about colon cleansing (first the master cleanse, then colonix) and now, I'm going to go for it. It makes sense, stay healthy with live and raw foods from our own earth. I tried vegetarianism back in the day for a year but ate a lot of refined foods and soy products. This time, it's raw fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, juices, smoothies and not a whole lot else. I'm detoxing today, day 3, and I feel terrible, but I know I have to go through this to see the light.

It's a scary step for me, but as I go along, and keep visiting this board, I know everything will work itself out. What scares me is the years I've ruined my body with foods and bingeing on sugar and flour junk. I don't want it to be too late for my teeth to remain healthy and my hair to stay in my head and my body to be cleansed out and properly function. How can we damage ourselves so much? I think it's out of ignorance, but more, we need to love ourselves more. I know I kept stuffing my face with junk food out of a lack of self worth and love. This isn't going to be easy, but somehow, I feel like it's my last hope. It's either nurture myself starting now, or die slowly from disease. No thanks.

Thanks for any encouragement now and in the future!

Kelly

[rawjojo]

Hi Kelly,

Welcome to the most fantatic and informational board ever. I wanted to mention to you that I, too, am from Ohio. The Northeast! Let me know where abouts you are located and I might be able to point you in some helpful directions. We have a raw potluck once a month and have some great tips on cheap organic produce, etc.

Nice to meet you!
rawjojo

[twinyoga]

I'm also from Northeast Ohio. And welcome.

Rawjojo...I'm well into the raw routine...can you share the information regarding the potlucks? You can PM me.

Thanks!

[rawjojo]

Oh Twinyoga,

I thought you had decided to take a break and explore your eating preferences for a while. The last pm I had from you said that you weren't 100% sure about raw. Anyhow, glad to see that your back on track. Hope that all is going well for you! I will pm you about the potlucks and such!
rawjojo

[sweetgoddess]

Kelly, welcome to the forum. I am so glad you found raw food living. It sounds like this could be a real blessing in your life. Great job on getting through the detox syptoms! We will support you here all that we can as youmake this change for your health and happiness. Thank you for introducing yourself and many blessings on the path ahead.

Warmly~

[nikola]

hello there,
i am in cincinnati and it seems to be raw foodistless.....i am interested in any potlucks etc..i see it as support and making new friends..nikola

[Aasyah]

RawFoodRawks,

Welcome to the forum, I also live in Ohio (Toledo area), it is nice to see that i have a few raw fooders in my area. I would like to have a potluck, and get together where we can share recepies, and give each other support. Let me know when you ladies would like to start a raw potluck/gathering.

Aasyah

[RawResolution]

Hi There~

Reading your post, I could have been reading my own story. I too have been in the 190s as well as in the 115 area and am now back up there...for me, at about 175-180. I, too, have been vegetarian before and have also eaten other types of diets, Atkins, I've tried Weight Watchers, Marilu Henner's diet, Suzanne Somers diet, the list goes on. And finding raw is absolutely a dream come true! I wish you the best of luck in your raw journey and hope we cross paths in the future. I also eat for emotional reasons. I, too, wonder how we can abuse our bodies for so long and still rebound and heal. It is a true miracle. Our bodies are an amazing machine. And like you said, we do it out of ignorance and I have come to think of it like this...centuries ago, when we had to fish or hunt or pick our foods, we ate to fuel our body's furnace, period. Caveman didn't sit around with their gallon of 8th continent chocolate soy milk and package of Oreos. They didn't eat salt and vinegar kettle chips and lite beer. They also didn't have a problem with obesity, tooth decay, heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, or hypertension. And over time, we, as a culture and as a society, have changed our eating from eating to fuel our furnce to eating just to eat or into eating as a social thing adn that is a HUGE mistake. Whenever I ahve tried diets in teh past the first thing that I think about is...is there a holiday coming up, a family party, anything where food is involved? But it is just time to do this for myself.

I hope you find everything you are looking for in raw as well as in this board.

Peace & Love~Vanessa :D

[Raspberry4]

Hello everyone! I too am in Ohio (Brunswick, Hinckley, Strongsville area).
Does anyone know of a good place nearby to shop for organic foods, especially nuts and seeds? Thank you!
:)