Question: meat eater to raw?

[Nutmeg]

I love reading the raw food success stories but it seems that so many successful raw foodists become so after being vegetarian for awhile if not many years. I've been a carnivore most of my life and I resisted going vegetarian in the past because (1) I like meat despite the negatives and (2) I dislike grains, with the exception of rice once in awhile.

So I am curious to hear from successful raw foodists that went from a SAD/meat eating diet to raw. I feel like a minority as I don't hate meat but I truly believe raw vegan is the healthiest diet.

I hope I have not offended anyone here, I just would like a little reassurance that it can be done without going through cooked vegetarianism first. :) I hope that makes sense.

[honeyb1]

My advice to you would be to not rush it. Gradually incorporate more raw foods into your diet and listen to what your body is telling you. Drink a hearty smoothie for breakfast and always add a salad to lunch and dinner, see how you feel. Eventually you should stop craving meats and start craving veggies!

[T-Bird]

There were meat dishes I enjoyed, but haven't had and have no wish to have again - but I didn't go veg*n because I *hated* it. I just choose not to anymore.

My advise to you is to load up on green smoothies and salads with every meal. start trying some of the gourmet raw recipes as you go and sub those in for the entree in increasing amounts.....

It's just whatever you want, you do it....

[rawmiss]

If you want to motivate yourself to give up meat, read these fact sheets about how animals are raised. These fact sheets differ from a lot of info about cruelty to animals because they are rather emotionless - just the facts - it's like a reporter did an inventory about how animals are raised. I remember that reading about the laying hens poor feet motivated me more than the fact that the animal died, since everything dies, the thought of never being about to stand straight your whole life!

http://www.youngveggie.org/being_veggie/why_veggie.html#compassion (scroll down about 1 scroll)

"Damage to their feet and claws can also occur causing foot infections. This results from the hens having to continually stand or crouch on thin wire floors, especially as these are generally sloped. Steep sloping floors lead to high levels of foot deformities as birds are more likely to slip."

[betty boop]

I never was a vegetarian, the thought of a day without meat was unthinkable to me but after a few weeks of adding smoothies and green salads to my diet I never even missed meat or eggs or ice cream, etc. The couple times in the past year I have craved a un-raw food I had some and absoluted hated the taste of it. Your taste buds will change after a few weeks and you will crave raw.

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

You are certainly not alone. In fact, a lot of raw fooders switched directly from a standard meat based diet.
And I honestly don't know why it would matter. Unless the vegetarians were born into it, they gave up meat at some point anyway.
Also, most cooked vegetarians today eat these meat substitutes that are just as hard (or easy) to give up as the real thing. So it's not really an advantage.

As others have said, you most likely loose interest in meat over time. It is my belief that eating meat is simply a learnt behavior and not a natural instinct for humans.

[Green_Woman]

So I am curious to hear from successful raw foodists that went from a SAD/meat eating diet to raw. I feel like a minority as I don't hate meat but I truly believe raw vegan is the healthiest diet.

I went 100% Vegan and Raw for the first time in 2006.

I went from eating steak and hamburgers regularly (thinking more meat would possibly help with my health issues, thanks to the very bad advise of a very normal Doctor) to raw and living foods. Going raw, and going VEGAN, was the BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE.

Within two weeks, many of my prominent health issues cleared up. Within a month (2006), I was 100% Raw and Living Vegan, cutting out the raw dairy permanently after getting severe "food poisoning" from a chunk of raw goats cheese.

I stayed raw/vegan for many months, loved my life, but left it because of pressure from a new boyfriend and my own poor understanding of Nutrition and real Health.

I went from all-SAD, high-meat diet to all-raw from the beginning because I read Alissa Cohen's book and watched her DVD's.


4 years later, here I am - I've been "back" with a primarily raw, vegan diet since 2008, and 100% raw and living VEGAN (third times the charm ;)) since October 10, 2009.

I am quite content, quite satisfied, and healing completely from the inside out (http://dauntlessdiva.com/2010/01/18/curing-the-incurable/). This time, I'm armed not just with Alissa's book (#1 Raw resource out there, PERIOD!!!) but with a library full of books and documentaries, research studies and websites showing the facts versus the feelings.

I am 100% Raw and Living Vegan today, and I am healthier, stronger, happier and MORE WHOLE than I have ever been, in this lifetime, in any of my 24 years of living.

You are not alone. There are many sharing your journey... that is, it will be your journey, too, should you choose to take that first step.

[Nutmeg]

Wow thank you all for the replies. It is hard to imagine a time when some of the my fave cooked foods will be unappetizing - but I look forward to that time. The longest I've gone 100% is 7 days but I've been doing green smoothies and salads (with reg. ranch dressing) for years. Time to bump it up, clear the taste buds and create new favorites!

Thanks again!

[freelive]

If you ask about if it would be healthy to jump right in - probably not as healthy as gradually, but easier for many people. If the meat you ate was mostly unproccessed, then you would have less trouble than a vegan who ate a lot of processed starches like sugar, white flour stuff, etc.

[bikediva]

I'd say I've been about 80% raw (on average) for the past 4 months. 2 months ago, I noticed I was repulsed by meat. My advice is don't rush it, just eat as much raw as you can, and your taste buds will evolve. Better this than white knuckling it and eventually caving to your SAD habits.

Alissa says in her DVD that she was already a vegetarian and health-conscious before going 100% raw. So her body was pretty clean already. It's not a race, it's about sustainability.