BRAND new and looking to learn

[sidrah]

I just wanted to stop in and add a comment or two. I have been reading what I can and being a teacher on Spring Break, I happily have plenty of free time this next week to catch up on as much as I can and absorb what I am able to.....unitl I have to start doing more paperwork again. I am a HS special ed teacher so there is an additional overabundance of paperwork that comes with the job. I teach Algebra, so lesson plans galore.

I think the idea is great and if I can find answers to some of my questions, which are many since this is all so new to me, I feel like this is something I can do. I have been watching youtube clips and reading some journals and blogs and see the weight loss and health benefits, both of which I seek. Unfortunately, I know very little about what to buy and in what capacity to use most of the items. I am a great cook, so my fear is that I can't cook anymore! I realize that it is not all salad and nuts, but I really need to research more. What better place than here.

A little bit of info...my mom always told me I shouldn't have dairy becuase it made me sick. It might, who knows. The only dairy I try to eat now is yogurt because of what I read about its curative properties and I can't help cheese consumption...I am trying. I like soy cheese, but if I do this, that is out, too...right? So, while I am no dummy and "get" the concept, I need to be more organized and specific.

I love Medifast, but don't feel like it is something that sustains me during the day. It's easy. I do know it works and have seen it work, but I have a hard time not getting dizzy and sticking with it long enough to see what works for others. I get worried driving an hour to and from work and being dizzy while driving. Also, I am very untrusting and tell no one what I am doing diet wise, so it was hard for me to drink shakes or packets of food around others without illciting questions. I would love to bring fruit salad to work.

I drink about a half gallon of water on a normal day and anywhere up to a gallon when I am trying. I was looking on some sites for a juicer since I see a lot of recipes/conversations with that. I am not rich, so if I am buying fruits adn veg and nuts and seeds, I think I can swing it if I am not adding in any other items.

Honestly, I will miss blue cheese dressing on my cucumbers :( but I can live without everything else. I do think the benefits will outweigh the hardships in the start. History of cancer on mom's side (my mom and her mom both died from it, thier dad, too I think, my mom's brother has it now) and diabetes on mom's side (her, her brother, her sister) and my dad (only him).

A lot of people's bios don't show weights, but obviously that is my main concern now and all the benefits and the hopefully feeling better glow are close seconds. I am finishing up a PhD now and know I am a smart person, but I feel so stupid when it comes to stuff like this. I hope I can learn a lot from others.

I am off to find some more and take notes. I started with Alissa's clips on different youtube links, so I have a good idea to build upon.

Thanks!

[Siovahn]

Welcome!! I am starting fresh although I have been raw in the past. Just start small and simple. Pick up Alissa's book if you don't have it. She has great info on starting out. Your in a great place though, people here are very supportive. I hope your journey is an amazing & fulfilling one!!

[sidrah]

I've been reading a lot and ordered some media info on-line, so I hope to get more info in my hands soon. I figured vegetables and fruits until I know more would work well.

Thanks.

[CathyA.]

Welcome. Glad to have you here with us. There is a great variety in being raw. When I first started I stuck to the basics, fruit, veg, and tons of green salads. I dabble a bit with the crackers and such. A great way to get your food in is green smoothies. Taste great and very filling. Endless variations depending on your taste. Enjoy the journey!!!

[FreedomSeeker]

Welcome! This is a great site. Coming here helps me sustain my fitness goals.

You teach algebra? To special ed kids?

Have you gotten Alissa's book yet? I highly recommend it. You mentioned that you'd miss bleu cheese--Alissa has a bleu cheese dressing recipe in her book. There are lots of recipes that mimic "regular" food: cheese cake, sour cream and onion dip (one of my favorites!), pizza, ...

[Basenjimamma]

Welcome, sounds like you are getting yourself ready for a wonderful raw experience.

This is my 36th day 100% raw and I am loving it.
My biggest hurdle was breads, baked goods in general. I made a few crackers, don't really care for them so I eat lots of fruit to make up for, I guess, the carb craiving I am having.
As far as cheese..oh, honey, there are a bunch of really good nut cheeses to be made, they will blow you away..taste wise, the texture is creamy rather then hard and maybe sliceable, but oh so divine.
Start simple, eat raw until dinner..mainly smoothies or fruits in the AM and then move onto veggies and nuts throughout the rest of the day and dinner, have what you normally would have, maybe not junk food, but somewhat "normal" food. I did this for a year before I went all raw, but once I went raw, I never looked back.

[spicyfull]

I wish you everything you need to Stay RAW..........Welcome to MY World.

[christinajade]

Welcome!! One thing you have a misconseption of is having to miss out on your dressing. There are way better raw dressings that will send your taste buds sky high!! Raw food is awesome so take it slow and don't overwhelm yourself.:)

[Rawcstacy]

Honestly, I will miss blue cheese dressing on my cucumbers :( but I can live without everything else. I do think the benefits will outweigh the hardships in the start.


Always better to focus on what you're gaining here, not what you're losing.


A lot of people's bios don't show weights, but obviously that is my main concern now



Because weight loss/gains shouldn't be the goal of a raw food diet.


I am finishing up a PhD now and know I am a smart person, but I feel so stupid when it comes to stuff like this. I hope I can learn a lot from others.


Why not get a PhD in raw foods? Alissa DOES offer it!

[sidrah]

A PhD in foods!! Good idea.

Yup, I teach Algebra to HS special ed. kids. Hard, but if you are patient and teach to their learning styles, they do get it! Lots of misconceptions about special ed. To me a learning problem means you work harder (or differently) not make excuses and stay behind evryone else...What takes one kid a half hour might take them an hour, but in the end, everyone is getting it. I preach it and by June, kids appreciate it.

So far, so good. I am waiting for another paycheck to order her book, but I am searching for that blue cheese dressing recipe as I write.

I bring baggies of sugar snap peas, carrots, apples, cucumbers and also plums, peaches to work and eat that there. I bring strawberries but never end up getting more than 1!! People and my students end up begging for them. Now, I just bring a big baggie of them knowing I have to share.
Yestrday a girl asked if I kept chocolate in my bag so she could dip the strawberries.

The problem is that I have some stuff still left and being poor, I am eating fruits and vegetables by day and then some of what I already have left once I get home at night. By my calculation, I should be only fruits and vegtables by Monday when everything is gone. Next paycheck is a juicer and Skechers Shape Ups.

So funny, a kid was sitting at my computer and picked up a contianer with carrots and snap peas and asked me, "Why do you eat all this helathy food. I like junk food. Can't do all these good for you things." He is a 6-foot plus skinny basketball player. I am hardly what people would consider a healthy food eater based on visuals, though I eat more vegetables (and now fruits) than anyone I have ever met. Sadly, I also until recently ate other bad junk on top of the vegetables and fruit. Not so much anymore! I have finished off some ice cream I had and some frozen bagels. After today, I am onto just fruits and veg!! WIll add in nuts later on.

My brother and gf have been kind of questioning it saying it is too hard and they can't do it, but that doesn't stop me from bringing over fresh cut strawberries and orange slices and cold grapes...all of which they eat while watching TV with me. For dinner tonight, I told them I would bring over watermelon, strawberries, grapes, sliced cucumbers, canteloupe, carrots..it's pretty nice out, so that and a sandwich is good for dinner. They think they aren't eating dinner unless it is something to go with the fruit. :D


Love all the info I am learning from being here.

[tamaranwk]

I am new to this too and I am a HS English Teacher !

I am glad to see someone else has some of the same questions I do.

Good Luck on your journey :)

[sidrah]

Well, it hasn't been long, but I can already see a difference in my skin...being in school and doing it is actually easier than not. Everyone is eating salads and munching on stuff and if anything, people want to share my stuff, not the other way around! Hope things go well for you and summer gets here quickly.