Raw Vegan Teen?

[Erulastiel]

Hi!

I was wondering if you guys had and suggestions for a teen wanting to go raw vegan. What should I do to make sure I need everything to grow up healthy (I'm sixteen by the way), while living the raw lifestyle? I'm assuming that I'll be fine as long as I vary what foods I'm eating and make sure I'm eating enough. I've been researching raw for a looooong time and have finally decided to go for it and start right now (well tomorrow I suppose as I had my last meal of the day a few hours ago)!

I originally planned to start June 1, but I see no point in waiting. I've read quite a bit on here about listening to your body- and lately my body hasn't been very happy. I've actually been eating myself sick these last couple days (Not so much a lot of food, just a lot of junk).

Things I plan to accomplish from going raw:

1)Break my food addiction
2)Feel energetic and no longer sick from eating like crap
2)Hopefully be able to focus better
4)Maybe clear up some of my acne
5)Lose some weight, maybe 25-30 pounds (a welcomed benefit, but I'm in no rush to lose it)
6)Be more in sync with my body

Also if anyone is/knows/has a raw teen, do you have some advice? For social situations at school and with friends?

What about advice for transitioning? I'm thinking of going cold turkey, but not beating myself up if I screw up. I know it will take a while probably to transition fully to 100%, but I'm going to do my best. Maybe I should just eat as raw as possible until I'm comfortable with the major change? What helped you?

Also I am going to camp this summer with my youth group, do you have any suggestions for then? I'm sure they will have plenty of raw foods, but I don't really want the adults worrying about me. Honestly, since when does taking all out the processed crap out of your diet suddenly become an eating disorder? (Last summer I did a two week cleanse with just raw fruits and vegetables, which is what lead me to start researching the raw lifestyle because I felt great during that time! But I also was confronted about my supposed eating disorder :P ) I understand their concern since they haven't really heard of a raw diet before, and it just seemed strange. What could I say to help them understand/not be worried? I have about a month and a half until then however.

Thank you so much!

[Shels]

Hey Erulastiel, welcome to the forums.

I'm 19, and have been increasingly raw for a while now - nearly 100% for the past few weeks. :D
You don't need to worry about nutrient deficiencies, as long as you're consuming greens you're perfectly fine. People freak out about protein and vitamins, but there is no better source than natural, raw foods the way they were meant to be consumed. :)

I can tell you for certain that you are going to lose weight and keep it off, and your skin will improve drastically. I was already slim when I started eating raw, and still dropped some pounds after really committing to it, and I have struggled with my acne ever since puberty, but now my skin is almost completely flawless. Your food addictions really depend on how faithfully you stick to eating raw, and your energy - wow, your energy will go through the roof! Sorry to go on, but I can't express how fantastic you're going to feel (and look) when you make this change. It improves the quality of life in every aspect. :D

As far as camp goes, you should have plenty of access to fresh fruits - at least apples and oranges, in my experience - and salad at dinner time, right? If you have to you can compromise a bit while you're there (fruit juices, cooked veggies) but either way make sure you drink loads of water.
Ugh, I know how counselors can be about the eating disorder thing. Your best bet would be to explain to them about raw food, (maybe clarify that it's not a diet) and how your goal is health, not weight loss. Just be frank with them, and if they don't believe you there is really nothing else you can do.

Good luck!