Being raw with non raw in the house

[GreenBee]

For those of you who live with non raw people, how do you make it work?
I have a husband who is a big meat eater. While I dont like meat all that much, I still have to cook 20 percent of the time. I love my husband and want to compromise with him because he has compromised with me in my new raw diet. I dont have a problem cooking for him as he is from Pakistan and I dont like his seasonings anyways, but how do you keep the balance in your home?

[GreenT]

Hi.... My husband is a SAD eater and i do all of the cooking. Sometimes it can be a bit hard if im making one of my old favorites. Once i learned how bad the food actually is for you and how bad it made me feel, made it easier. I also watched the documentary movie "Food Inc" that really changed my view. Another good movie is "The beautiful truth"

Diseases and sicknesses are virtually caused by processed foods and the chemicals that they put into it. It basically destroys our immune system. It loads our body with toxins and makes us deficient in nutrients.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i simply make what they want and most times... they'll prepare the food themselves... but i don't wanna eat that poison... i'm happy fasting and loving my body my own way!

[blizzardfrisbee]

My husband eats what he wants and sometimes I prepare it but most of the time he does. It was hard at first but as I've lost my liking for cooked food and love my loving raw food it is getting easier.

[gritsnla]

I'll fix parallel meals..... Me - taco pate ...Them - tacos. Me - spiralled zuchinni pasta... Them - regular pasta - no meat
Me - all veg fajitas..... Them - SAD fajitas
salad nite we all eat the same. This way seems to help. I know it did early on. Good luck finding what works.

[ReneeH]

I do what Aleesha and Gritsnia do (combined...)

I make what they want AND I make parallel meals...when they don't eat what I'm eating.... In the beginning, it was hard for me not to "nibble" on what they were eating when I had to cook it. But, as time went on, it got easier because I look at it as a "choice" that I'm making NOT to nibble. Thankfully, they do eat what I make Raw most of the time. When they do, I commend them (especially my kids) for making a better choice for their bodies. I don't force it because I want them to choose this way for themselves. And, they HAVE made certain changes--like they've switched to Almond Milk and never looked back. They LOVE Alissa's Granola!!! For November of this year I didn't cook anything because they chose to eat Raw for that month. It was GREAT!!!

So, just take it one day at a time. You'll find what works for you! :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

so renee... how did they feel going back to cooked food after being raw for a month? have any of them gone more raw since then?

[ReneeH]

so renee... how did they feel going back to cooked food after being raw for a month? have any of them gone more raw since then?

My kids are homeschooling right now, so I interrupted them and asked them your question. Here's what they said:

My Son (age 12) says, "I have lost my taste for SAD noodles...I don't like them anymore. I also think Chicken tastes disgusting now! When my Dad buys Pizza, I do eat that, though... I do like when my Mom makes Onion Bread, Macaroons, Smoothies (especially Chocolate and Green Smoothies), Raw Granola (w/o nuts), Almond Milk, and some other things too."

My daughter (age 9) says, "I don't really feel good eating cooked foods anymore. I do like cooked Veggie Soup, though. I don't like those cooked egg noodles anymore or meat. Sometimes I don't eat meat. I just like Cheese Pizza. But, I do like the Raw Pizza that my Mom makes! I love Raw Cookies and the Brownies Mom made last week! And, I like the Granola...it's REALLY good!!! Thanks for asking me! :)"

Actually, both of them do eat what I make Raw...not all of the time, but most of the time, depending on what I make. Slowly, but surely, their tastes are prefering Raw Foods. So, I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing. I offer it to them and if they choose not to eat what I'm offering, I don't force them. They eat more Raw now than they EVER have in the past... I guess that's all I can ask for.

The key for me is making foods that they DO like that is Raw. For next month, I'm planning to fast, but my family still has to eat, so I'm still planning to make the things they like to eat Raw to encourage them to eat Raw.

[Aleesha Sattva]

and that's exactly how to do it IMO. lead by example... no forcing, no lecturing... just allow them the opportunity and let them choose for themselves. (((hugs))) you are such a GREAT mom!!!

please thank them both for taking a moment to share with me. i soooooo appreciate them!

[Green_Woman]

This is going to be my new challenge. I've been on-off with raw since the third month of my pregnancy, and I'm now 31 wks and 80% Raw most days... yet that 20% of non-raw is NOT working for me anymore. My Body wants to run clean again and shuck the nagging allergies. :D

However, I share living space with my baby's father -- a former Raw Vegan who is heavily into Daniel Vitalis-style eating now. BIG on grass-fed meat and dairy. It seems to work for him so I NEVER tell him it's bad. If he was tossing down McDonalds, that would be an issue, but he eats a super healthy diet and is a super healthy guy.

It DOESN'T work for me. Grass-fed or not, my Body can't handle meat and dairy. It just doesn't jive energetically OR physically, and I've been wanting back on VEGAN raw for awhile.

In the past, I lived alone -- raw was easy! No one was around to limit my use of the kitchen and no one was telling me that if I didn't eat a little beef, my Baby would suffer. :D

Now, I live with someone who is not raw, is strongly AGAINST raw vegan for me in this pregnancy (*aggressively against, actually), and yet my Body is saying, "Just let me do what I want, thank you - I know what's best for my Baby and me."

So I'm doing it.

Wish me well. ;)

I may have to get ear plugs to block out the screams of outrage for when I jump into the kitchen fray and start juicing my greens and dehydrating my casseroles again. ;)

[Aleesha Sattva]

be strong... and remember it's YOUR body! (((hugs))) to you and your babe!

[Green_Woman]

So far it's been pretty painless. I just haven't really brought it up. Quietly eating my raw foods in the background and when he offers me anything else, saying I'm not hungry. :D

The Midwives are backing me on going back to Vegan RAW even though they continue to be concerned about my difficulty getting balanced on my minerals and getting adequate protein (this is mostly an absorption issue with me, not dietary content).

They diagnosed me with a severe Yeast Infection (Candida!!!) so low/no-sugar RAW is the best way to go based on my past experiences and working with folks with Candida/Diabetes/Blood Sugar issues. Also, hemorrhoids (Moms, you know this one!!!) which I KNOW will be eliminated with Raw.

Actually all of it will. :) And I like the challenge of doing it low/no-sugar for awhile to see if I can kick this yeast infection that's been plaguing me since August. :D

[Aleesha Sattva]

did you know that hemorrhoids (body wise) represents trying to have control over something that you don't need to control. once you let go of control... they clear up effortlessly.

i always find it interesting how many pregnant woman have this issue. perhaps it's their body's way of saying "ya i've got this... relax"

(((hugs))) so glad your reintroduction to raw is going well (((hugs babe)))

[Stella Green]

Green Woman, I have a great idea for you!!

I was just talking to my pregnant cousin who is feeling super emotional and super confused about what to eat and how to get her baby the proper nutrients. And then I read your post, and I remembered how much I have always liked your writing (I just love those letters you wrote to your baby!) So my idea, Green Woman, is that you write a book about your experiences being raw and pregnant. It doesn't have to be a "how-to," but it could be simply a book sharing your experiences about what works and what doesn't. I bet so many women would be able to connect with you and feel a little less alone when meal planning for two. You could sell it as an e-book like the Frugal Raw book.

[Stella Green]

P.S. ((((hugs))) from me too!!

[Green_Woman]

did you know that hemorrhoids (body wise) represents trying to have control over something that you don't need to control. once you let go of control... they clear up effortlessly.

That makes total sense. It would explain why it's so common with pregnant women. We feel so intensely responsible for every thing that happens with the Baby, that control - the NEED to control the process - is HUGE...

Stella: My Book would be something along the lines of "Raw Merry Go Round". :D I was 100% Raw through the first trimester until the morning sickness overwhelmed me. I lost so much weight I started looking like a little skeleton rather than a pregnant girl. Then I went back and forth on raw, non-raw, vegan, non-vegan for a few months... managed to gain weight and actually did really well overall... but then as I went into the third trimester, my Body started sending me loving little hints that it wanted to eat raw, vegan again... and so I'm back.

I love raw, love vegan - but the only consistent 100% long-term goal in my life anymore is 100% intuitive day-in and out. Sometimes our intuition leads us on pathways that don't make sense on the outside, especially not to others. That's where my favorite bit of Revvellian advise comes in: "I am not responsible for others reactions to me, only for my response to them."

:D

Thank you for reading my blog!!! I have been wanting to write another letter to Baby Greenie... right now, with things being at a challenging stand-still due to the new developments, I feel like I need to tell him just how much I want him to STAY INSIDE ANOTHER 8 WEEKS. :D