VEGAN now, but curious about going raw

[SamuelWilson]

I am vegan now, but I am curious about switching to raw. I have had periods where I try it, but cravings eventually grow to the point that I can not concentrate unless I eat something cooked. Like today for example, I had papaya for breakfast and then some peaches for lunch and then within a few hours, I had some chips and salsa. On other days, I will stop at subway and have a veggie delite sub with chips and a soda.

Being vegan is easy, I do not struggle at all to be vegan. I believe going raw is more healthier, but have a hard time constantly craving bread, chips, processed salad dressing, sweet tea or soda, etc.. As a vegan I can have those things freely. I know I can buy Agave nectar and make my own sweet drinks and that I can make raw salsa, etc.. However, I don't seem satisfied unless I have that certain cooked/processed vegan food that I am craving at any one moment.

I am vegan because I against animal suffering and also because it is more healthy. Is having a salad that is raw with processed salad dressing even worth the effort? I mean, am I doing the right thing just being vegan and not going all raw?

I can not even begin to stress how import it is for me to eat out at high end vegan restaurants when I am in NYC, LA or Miami. It is just such an important part of my lifestyle. I want to be all raw but I just don't know. I need guidance.

[Ginger]

Maybe you can focus on things you can add to your diet that are more raw instead of giving things up? The more raw you eat the better you will start to feel & the more recipes you learn the easier it is to eat more raw! Eventually the old habits will fall away.

[sport]

Having taken the same path as you and going Meat to vegetarian then vegetarian to vegan and vegan to raw I have to tell you that the change that I found most difficult was vegetarian to vegan. The change to raw was easy. It all depends on what you want from the rest of your life. Maybe you are not ready for it and need your life to be more settled before making the change and at least being vegan is not as bad as most people. I think that a lot of the problem is that you are not eating enough when you are eating raw and then the hunger drives you to other things. Try eating more or why not try a partial raw. Why not start by staying ray untill 6PM every day. That would be a start and you could aim higher from there.

[ebonysea7]

I agree with Sport. During my transition period I am eating raw for breakfast with something cooked at either lunch or dinner. I find I am comfortable with that for now. Also, it does sound like you should eat more to keep from being hungry. I eat fruit all morning, with veggies for lunch and snacks. Nuts are great snacks too if you can eat them. Since you like bread so much try Ezekiel or Manna bread. These are not sprouted but not raw. Or purchase some raw crackers online (which I intend to do). I totally feel you on the chips. I'm still struggling with that one. But like, Bill Murray said in What About Bob? - baby steps.

/gfj

[SamuelWilson]

Eating chips and salsa while I am reading your replies :(

[sport]

and stay in touch because I, for one, am curious as to how you progress

[SamuelWilson]

Revvell, you seem umm...

thanks for your reply.

[rawpriestess]

Hi,

You are in the perfect and right place for you right this minute.

Choosing to eat more raw foods in your life, is exactly that a choice.

Although, I am an "all or nothing" person, maybe you aren't.

Maybe giving up one thing at a time will work better for you, than trying to do it all at once.

I know many people who are now 100% raw, but gave up something different each week, or even each month.

You are already far on your way, you've given up meat, and dairy.

Now, you can make the choice to give up wheat if you want, by eating more spelt bread, or corn noodles, quinoa for breakfast, etc.

Just try that, give up one thing, make the transition, I gave up my morning wheat buscuits for rice cereal, and gave up breads for spelt breads, once I did that, I didn't much want breads, but man it was a challenge for me, took me a few months, to actually give that up and that was years ago, and I've gone back to eating wheat since then, then off, then on then off.

But NO wheat for me, is a major challenge, and one I have accomplished again. (fingers are crossed here)

I've also given up other things in a small way, by giving up one thing, or replacing milk and cream with almond cream, cheeses with cashew cheese, of course you are vegan, so this isnt' a problem.

But, if chips and salsa are something you like, try first to make your own salsa, And mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with the cooked one you like, it is really easy to make raw, and you can change it any way you wish.

tomatoes
onion
jalepeno
garlic
cilantro
I add cabbage
and anything else you may like, such as pepper, cayenne, salt etc.

Just blap that all up then once you have changed to that, then try making some flax seed crackers to go with it, or just add some fresh veggie chips to your chip dish, add in say one carrot to eat with your salsa, and then go back to the rest of your cooked chips, then the next time add some cucumber and carrot and each time you eat the chips, eat a little less chips and a little more veggies.

If this sounds like it might work for you, there are many wonderful recipes in Alissa's book to help you with it.

But, If you truly wish to go raw all at once, as far as I am concerned, the ONLY way, is to not allow any cooked foods in the house at all.

Toss them all out.

So, you decide what works for you, but know that we are all here to help you with your transition, that is what this board is all about.

Good luck, remember, we were where you are now, and some of us, only a few days or weeks ago. (like me)

YOU CAN DO THIS. I KNOW YOU CAN.

And Yes, eating a totally raw salad with bottled salad dressing is worth it, I know many raw foodist who do this, and still consider themselves raw.

Just do what works for you.

We are all here to help. However that works for you.

[SamuelWilson]

rawpriestess, thanks for that reply. That was very helpful. I feel better knowing that even if I only reduce the amount of cooked food or processed food I consume, I am doing the right thing and it is beneficial.

One benefit I have noticed already is that it makes me appreciate being a vegan. Believe it or not, being vegan was a struggle at one time. I don't have any cravings for meat at all now though. It is as though I don't even consider animal flesh a food anymore.

Oh, I have question now though. Is it ok to put sea salt on raw foods, I mean is sea salt considered a raw food?

[sweetgoddess]

Hi Samuel and welcome to the forum. RawPriestess gave some wonderful advice. I remember when I first discovered raw, the truth of it really drew me. Yet I wasnt ready mentally/emotionally to change so many aspects of myself and my life. However, I could not forget that truth. And so I too changed a few things at a time. While doing that, I read more and more information on the body, food and raw, and suddenly, one day I was ready to jump in fully.

It is definitely a process and a transition. We are each all so unique, our lifes are, our thoughts are. And so all our transitions are going to be different.
Going raw 100 percent is definitely the best way to see fully the benefits it can bring you . That being said, you will receive benefits from any raw food you eat.

Change can be very difficult. What if perhaps you tried the next time you had to eat at a vegan restaurant, to see what you could come up with raw? Knowing you dont have to....you just want to see.

The cravings will pass! It helps to know this fully, that as your system cleans out, those cravings will diminish.
Also keep in mind, transitioning to raw has no time limit.

We look forward to sharing your experiences with you and supporting you along the way.
Blessings to you on your path forward!

Warmly~

[VeggieGirl]

You sound a lot like me: vegan for 4 years before daring to go raw :) I have to agree with much of what's been said - and bear in mind you will have access to the BEST RAW restaurants if you travel to those areas! It may change your mind! :)

Whatever you do, we will still love you ;)

VeggieGirl

[rawpriestess]

Hi,

You certainly can eat sea salt if you like, or Celtic sea salt, which has tons of minerals or Himalyan pink salt which I have never tried, but there are lots of salts, out there, so feel free to enjoy them

[SamuelWilson]

Thanks for all the replies. Can I get some additional confirmation on the sea salt just so I feel a little bit better about it. Seasoning is going to be a key factor in keeping me satisfied.

Also, how do we know like for example when we buy a little bottle of ground red pepper that the pepper was not heated above 110 degrees in the drying process?

I mean I am gung ho on seasoning, I have cabinets slam full of every seasoning known to man kind. I just want to make sure all these dried seasoning don't fall into the "cooked food" category.

[sweetgoddess]

Hi Samuel. Celtic Sea Salt is loaded with minerals and in moderate amounts is great!
I have never figured out the dried herb and spice world. The only way to know for sure, is to call the company and ask what method and temperature they use. I buy Simply Organic spices and use them so infrequently that I personally dont worry about it.
You can also make your own in a dehydrator if that is a big concern.
I do know that the essence and oil in herbs and spices is very fragile ( most of them) and that high temperatures would destroy their aromatic oils, so I am guessing they wouldnt use high temperatures. But you never know unless you ask I suppose. :)

I do use Herbamere and also a Kelp with cayenne seasoning on occasion and dont worry about them at all.

Best wishes~

[SamuelWilson]

sweetgoddess, thanks for you reply. I would like your opinion now on something though.

Honestly in the past, when I was a fruitarian, eating strictly fresh fruit in its natural state (as in raw fruit unprepared, no meals, just straight fruit) and not trying to create so called "raw meals", I was at my best.

Would I be too extreme to be just a fruitarian with no prepared meals. Just single fruit types for each meal.

I mean the stuff I have seen you prepare looks so good, but honestly, it leads me back into just "wanting to be vegan". When I saw that divided tray with those veggie nuggets you made, it just broke me down. When I keep it simple and eat just whole raw fruits it keeps my mind from wondering.

[sweetgoddess]

Hey Samuel. Well, I prepare food like that picture because I am trying to increase my familys raw food. I make the meals for my husband and daughter. Sometimes I find this difficult because it is so in my face, so I then make myself something raw I can view as a treat for myself and a temptation to them. But I dont eat that all the time. I mostly eat salads, smoothies, fruits and raw sweet things.

When you ask if being a fruitarian is too extreme, I wondered, "too extreme for who?"
If it makes you happy, then it is great! No prepared meals and whole fresh foods are optimal and if that is what calls to you go for it.
You do not have to eat raw gourmet. Just know though, that if you want to-you can!
Do you include any greens or fats in your fruitarian diet?

Have a lovely day Samuel. :)

[SamuelWilson]

sweetgoddess,

As a fruitarian, I can only eat fruits or fruit like veggies. This would include avocadoes as my veggie (good source of fat and protein). Truthfully, if you eat too many avocadoes, you can easily gain weight. But when I say too many, I am talking eating 7 or 8 a day.

I can enjoy bell peppers, etc..

I can not eat veggies in which the plant dies in order for me to consume them. So I could not eat a carrot or broccoli. If I eat an apple, the apple falls from the tree anyway, the apple tree still remains and continues to live.

[Rawkinlocs]

Samuel,

I ran across a website about fruitarianism that I REALLY like. http://fruitbreath.com/

If I were ever to evolve into that lifestyle, I think this guy's site would be my starting point for information.

If I may ask, why did you stop living the fruititarian life? Did you face any of the "challenges" that many say are inevitiable with being a fruititarian?

I'd love to hear your experiences.

==
Also wanted to say that I totally feel you on the chip addiction! That is my main battle that I am overcoming too! WE can do it, though!!

[SamuelWilson]

Rawkinlocs,

My number one problem is social eating. I like to go out and dine. Being a fruitarian makes that almost impossible. Sure I can go to a raw food restaurant and order a plate of sliced pineapple, but it just seems I don't know.

I have a need for haute cuisine and high end vegan restaurants can allow me to have so many interesting things.

I feel that I just need to learn to get an ice water and socialize and just not eat out. Just eat my meals at home or in my hotel room, but not in public.

I am just glad I don't have to give up Neiman Marcus.

I feel being a raw foodist and eating everything that is raw instead of limiting myself strictly to fruits, I don't know, it just tempts me to go back into cooked vegan food.

If I remain a fruitarian, I can do this, but I have to give up eating in public. I can not believe that I finally became vegan years ago only be struggling to be a fruitarian now. I thought the raw food was the right direction and it is. But when I start eating dried veggie chips, then sure enough, I start thinking about cooked chips.

Today I have been strictly raw whole fruits and I am doing fine. But if I even try to eat some raw peanuts or dried figs, then I break down.

You can tell by my method of typing and my bouncing thought patterns that I do struggle. I feel fruitarianism is the only solution for me. If I can not be a fruitarian, then I choose veganism.

I would like to add that I do not use any drugs or drink or smoke or anything. However, I never really had a problem with those things anyways.

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Samuel,

Thanks for sharing your experience. So it's mainly social eating.

Is it because of what others may think of you eating that plate of pineapple or is it temptation-related where you felt tempted by other foods around you in restaurant settings? I currently have social eating issues as well, but mine are moreso because I don't feel I could take being around other food and not endulging in it. I'm hoping that will change overtime, though.

[SamuelWilson]

I am not going to lie about the reason I do not like to eat in public. I don't like to really share with people how I eat. I do not want to be viewed as an extremist. I prefer to make up excuses for why I don't eat. Stuff like "Oh, I just ate" or "That is ok, I am going out later tonight to eat" or "I already pre-ordered some stuff back at my hotel room".