temporary revulsion to raw foods?

[RawDawn]

Hi. I've been lurking at these boards on and off for a while and have learned so much...thank you! I'd intended to make my first post when things were going *well*, but I'm finding myself really stuck right now so I thought I'd ask for help.

I've been striving towards raw for the last two years. I've done several "raw trials" and have always liked the results, but have had trouble sticking with it for various reasons. Most recently I decided to go raw for the summer, starting on June 1st. Had a bit of a false start when one of my dogs had to have surgery and I convinced myself that cooked carbs would help me feel better (they didn't, of course) but I recommitted on July 1st and have been 100% since then. My depression and anxiety (the main reasons I turn to raw) have gotten much better, I've lost some weight, and just feel much better overall. But suddenly I am once again having a hard time staying raw.

What is happening, and has happened in the past, is that raw foods no longer sound good to me...in fact they sound disgusting :( It's the texture...I just feel like I can't handle any more cold, wet food. This is coming from someone who normally *loves* the food on raw and even prefers it to cooked most of the time, so it's really odd to me.

There are a lot of stressful things going on in my life right now, *and* I have my period, which is always the worst time for food cravings for me. So I'm quite sure this is just my mind seeking comfort from familiar foods but...how do I get through it?

I'd love to hear from anyone who has dealt with this, or who has suggestions for raw foods that might not have the cold, wet texture. Flax crackers are about the only things I can consistently eat right now. When I *can* convince myself to eat something from the "cold and wet" category it's usually something I would have eaten pre-raw, such as guacamole or an apple, which further reinforces my belief that this phase is just an emotional seeking for comfort from familiar foods.

I could go on and on, but this post is long enough! I'd appreciate any help you guys can give me, and I look forward to getting though this challenge so that I can help others!

Thanks :)
Dawn

[Care4raw]

I think this is the beauty of Alissa Cohen's book (and others). Its full of recipes that do not say 'raw' (cold and wet). They can say comfort, gourmet..they can reach on that same emotional comfort level that SAD food does....but you will reap the benefits of the nutrition and not feel worse for eating. Slowly your body and mind will transition.Do you have recipe books to 'drool':) over?
Actually my 1st suggestion is find a raw (good one!) resturaunt. Go there as much as possible while transitioning. Get excited about the raw foods, get comforted by them, leave wanting to make things.
Raw is a very passionate way of eating and is a great comfort. Find what raw dishes make you happy . They're out there,
Lastly raw food does not have to be cold.Room temp is best or dehydrators will warm that 'comfort food right up for you .
Best of luck Dawn~Hope this helps get you through a tough time.

[Dimond]

Hi Dawn. Just eat whatever you're able to for now and hopefully the feeling will pass soon. If you make your own crackers, try adding lots of different ingredients so you get plenty of nutrition. You can also either leave food out to warm up or heat a bit in a dehydrator if you have one. Maybe that'll help with some of the cold issues. You can make something like taco meat, which can come close to a SAD dish and warm it a bit.

[RawDawn]

Thanks for the suggestions! It may just be time to re-read Alissa's book! Care4Raw, your post reminded me that, while I do have a bunch of inspiring raw books, I haven't been looking at them much lately, and instead have been eating more simply and making things from memory. Which was working fine for a while, but doesn't seem to be satisfying my body's demand for "treat" foods right now. So absolutely, getting re-inspired will be a great place to start :)

I only wish I could take your advice to visit a raw restaurant! I live in rural NE Ohio, and raw is virtually unheard of out here. There is one vegan cafe in a health food store about an hour and half from me that has a few raw items, but the smell of the cooked food might be too much right now (I've been vegan for years and my weaknesses are tofu and bread, so a whiff of vegan "philly cheese steak" or something could really do me in!). Maybe I could wait in the car and have my husband run in and get me some raw goodies ;)

Dimond, that's a great point, maybe it's *ok* if I just eat crackers for now. Good time to try some new kinds. And if I get the urge to put something on them, well so much the better.

Thanks guys...your words will really help me ride this out!

Dawn

[Seedy]

There are lots a variation in the raw food diet. If you are tired of fruit, there are low fruit versions of raw. If you are tired of salads, there are gourmet versions of raw. If your tired of cold foods, make things you can warm in the dehydrator or use a double boiler to warm foods till they a warm, but not hot, to the finger. Or add warming spices like ginger or cayenne pepper. If you long for bread, there are many raw varieties out there. Rawvolution's onion bread is very good. A few days of juice fasting might also help. Your body may be asking for a rest. After no solid food for a week, I bet any raw food would look pretty darn tasty.
Seedy

[coco]

Sometimes I am surprised by the feeling that I absolutely can't stand to eat another piece of fruit. I mean, I get up in the morning and it's the last thing I want to put into my mouth, and I love fruit! I just figure it's my body's way of telling me that it needs something else right now and I have to work on figuring out what that is. Learning body speak is just like learning any other new language, it takes time to master it. I'm still in the rudimentary stage with hand gestures and grunting "uh nut eat now uh". It's pretty funny actually.
Good luck figuring it out! And remember, eating something that is less than optimal now and then doesn't mean that you've failed or that you have to start all over again or anything drastic like that. You simply ate something that's not usually on the menu. No biggie, moving along to the next meal...

[D'vorah]

I get the exact same way. My struggle is, I don't have a clear confidence that the dehydrated version of raw really is. . . um . . . .raw. Nuts and seeds make up the bulk of the "dry" versions of raw that appeal. Things like (YUMMY) onion bread. But how can I be sure that my nuts and seeds really are raw? And is the high-fat blast good for me compared to the occasional cooked potatoes, vegetables or white rice, which are not acid-forming foods?

I don't meen to insert controversy or go against Alissa's work here, I love it, I'm just really asking for answers and suggestions that give confidence when I feel exactly as the OP.

Thanks,

Deborah

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

I certainly know how you feel. I decided not to get a dehydrator since I don't want to be tempted to eat a lot of dehydrated food all the time. But sometimes I crave those warm dry salty foods like a good broccoli pie, "meat"-balls or bread, but it's hard to do without a dehydrator. And my oven can't keep a steady temperature, so I have to guard it :)

I do find that warming the food a bit helps a lot. The only downside is that I have to wait for the food to warm up.

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

Nuts and seeds make up the bulk of the "dry" versions of raw that appeal. Things like (YUMMY) onion bread. But how can I be sure that my nuts and seeds really are raw?

If I can sprout them I'd consider them raw.
I know that a lot of the shelled nuts I use aren't really raw. Especially brazil- and cashew nuts. Brazils are usually boiled in oil before they are shelled and cashews are steamed.
But I can live with that since the fats aren't damaged much by the process so they are still healthy for me.
All of the seeds I use are raw though, as well as the hazelnuts.

[juliew]

I have had this same issue a few times. For some reason it comes and goes. I think it might be around my period but I haven't payed that close of attention. For me it lasts a day or two and then I'm back to normal. I find when it does happen I'll walk around the HFS and nothing calls my name. It's like I'm hungry but grossed out by everything. I either try to make really good green smoothies or I splurge for some raw goats milk cheese. The cheese actually works well bc I feel totally satisfied and I didn't eat something crazy like fast food. I know we can't talk about cheese here so I'll stop but my point was that you body might just need a little something different to either slow the cleansing process or because there is something it needs that you aren't eating. Try going through a bunch of foods in your head and see what sparks your appetitie. It's like they said, you are learning the complexities of your body. Hope it gets better soon!!

[andra]

My suggestion would be to up 'self-care' activities and also look at your daily/weekly routine to see if you are in a rut, activities-wise.

Sometimes people get bored with their food when really they are in a semi boring routine--maybe shake things up for yourself and take a class, get involved in something different etc. Or, do some pampering i.e. massages.

Good luck :)

andra

[RawDawn]

Thanks so much to everyone for your support and helpful suggestions! I seem to have made it through the dark night of my raw food soul, at least this time :cool:

Here are a few things that helped me, in case they might help others as well:

*Raw Ritz! I'd been meaning to try them, and this was just the right time to do so.

*Veggies marinated in the dehydrator. I'd never tried that before, but they take on a texture just like cooked veggies (and the flavor is more vibrant, so even better).

*A li'l glass (or two!) of wine. Organic, of course. Still technically raw, but not something I normally indulge in, so it satisfied that whiny little part of me that wanted a treat.

*Reading over my old raw books, and getting a new one. This was especially effective once I was over the worst of the icky feeling. It got me back on track to be excited by raw food.

*Posting here! It made me feel more accountable, and also gave me that feeling of support I lack IRL since I don't know any other raw foodies.

Another thing I want to try in anticipation of this possibly happening again (not that I'm going to expect it, but ya never know) is juice fasting. It definitely makes sense that during these times my body might just not feel like eating. The cravings I was having made me nervous to try my first fast while this was all going on...I felt it was important to try to stay at least somewhat full. But I want to try fasting to see how my body responds to it. Could definitely be a useful tool in these situations.

Thanks again everybuddy! :)
(Still)RawDawn