My non-raw weekend and how it affected me

[Mrs. Papaya]

So I went raw for 6 weeks and loved it. Then, this weekend, I went out of town to visit a friend. Yes, I knew that I could find a way to stay raw, but I chose not to for various reasons. Partly because I wanted to see how I'd feel being back on some cooked food.

While I did eat salads for meals a few times, I increasingly ate cooked food throughout the three-day weekend. I also had coffee with soy milk, alcohol (mostly wine) and some snack foods like chips on most days. We went out to eat several times. (I always ate vegan, though.) Here's what happened:

In the beginning, I was quite frankly irritated to not be at home with all my raw foods and my juicer, blender, etc. I just wanted the weekend to be over so I could go back to raw eating. But as time passed, I slowly got more used to eating a "regular" diet. But it still wasn't pretty.

Almost every time I had some coffee, it tasted good, but I'd get a bad stomachache. If you're wondering why I continued drinking coffee, that makes two of us...

My first big cooked meal was a breakfast of two large waffles with real maple syrup. It tasted good but not as good as I'd imagined it would. Afterward, my stomach felt very heavy and it hurt. Not a good feeling. Even so, I decided not to feel guilty about what I did. I made the conscious decision to eat this way this weekend, so I wasn't going to make it all worse by feeling guilty and stressed over the food.

As far as "eliminations" go, for the most part it was fine, probably because I was still eating fruit and salad every day. Yesterday, however, I did spend a good amount of time in the bathroom with some pain. Things were blocked up and this was definitely something that never happened when I was all raw.

Today I am back at home and am planning to eat all raw for at least the next week. If/when I eat more cooked foods, it will be in very limited quantities only now and then and not a big weekend-long cooked party like this weekend was. This experience taught me that I don't LIKE eating non-raw or junk food anymore! That's a fantastic discovery.

I really don't regret my cooked food experience and feel that it only confirmed that I feel better and healthier (and happier) on raw foods!

[blizzardfrisbee]

That is what I've found too--I am healthier and happier on raw foods.

[somelikeitraw]

Mrs. Papaya ~ Thank you so much for sharing this! I sometimes think about having a cooked something or other, and am afraid to experiment because I don't want to get addicted again. I was very strongly addicted to simple carbs and sugars, and with the diabetes family history I have (generations have been brought down by this) that is a frightening addiction. It was great to read how you gave yourself permission and didn't brow beat yourself about eating cooked. Reading that the cooked food didn't taste as good as you thought it would and the bit about your stomach and eliminations really helped. Reading and hearing about others ventures into cooked foods helps me immensely to stay raw and stay strong in my conviction that this is the best way for me to eat.
Thank you again! :hug

[Mrs. Papaya]

I was (am?) a huge, huge sugar/bread addict. It was really bad. I had a piece of cake this weekend. It tasted good but it didn't blow me away. I didn't crave more more more like I usually would.

I think if I continued eating these cooked foods that I loved from my past, I'd end up addicted again. But I'm stopping now, which isn't so hard since I have little to no desire for them.

I still want sugar, but now I want fruit smoothies. A nut butter smoothie with banana is sweet enough for me. (Oh man I wish I could make one RIGHT NOW.) That is what I want now for "bad" food instead of eating an entire package of cookies followed by three bowls of sugary cereal. I think this is so awesome!

[bananaberrie]

Mrs Papaya, thanks so much for posting this thread. It is good to know others lapse too. I can relate to what you said about the sad food not being as good as you either remember or image it being. I think I can so quickly get use to how good I feel and then when I eat sad food and feel moody and terrible I think...wow raw really does make me feel great.

I really appreciated this thread. It was very timely for me, but you probably already knew that, you posted on my thread about sad food.

[Mrs. Papaya]

I don't even consider it a lapse since I made the conscious decision in advance to eat cooked food. Also, while I would like to eat 100% raw most of the time, I don't feel the need to eat 100% raw all of the time. A lot of people here do, which is fine and great for them. But I think some of us would do better without the added pressure of feeling that any bit of cooked food constitutes a lapse and we should feel guilty and horrible about it. I don't subscribe to that.

I know the purpose of this board is to support each other in our raw food eating and that we are not meant to discuss cooked foods or "falling off the wagon." But really, my experience of eating cooked foods is another step in actually helping me continue on a healthier, raw path and then hopefully being able to sustain it. I wouldn't want to ignore this step on my journey, and I don't think it would do me any good to do so.

[bananaberrie]

I don't even consider it a lapse since I made the conscious decision in advance to eat cooked food. Also, while I would like to eat 100% raw most of the time, I don't feel the need to eat 100% raw all of the time. A lot of people here do, which is fine and great for them. But I think some of us would do better without the added pressure of feeling that any bit of cooked food constitutes a lapse and we should feel guilty and horrible about it. I don't subscribe to that.

I know the purpose of this board is to support each other in our raw food eating and that we are not meant to discuss cooked foods or "falling off the wagon." But really, my experience of eating cooked foods is another step in actually helping me continue on a healthier, raw path and then hopefully being able to sustain it. I wouldn't want to ignore this step on my journey, and I don't think it would do me any good to do so.

Sorry, I meant to offense by using the word "lapse" it was just used for lack of a better word. I too am not 100% raw, I'm just as raw as I can be and I'm happy with that :)

[Mrs. Papaya]

Oh, no offense taken at all. I think this was just a good opportunity for me to clarify my position on the whole thing and thought it might help some other new raw foodies trying to navigate all this. Happy raw to all!

[jazzygirl]

Reading this is so exciting!!!!!

I am currently going through major sugar addictions and withdrawals. I could sit and eat an entire batch of cookie dough, doesn't matter if it's cooked. Donuts, ice cream, brownies.... you name it. And it's never just a piece.

I started juicing only two days ago and I love it! But I know nothing of eating raw. I am not big on just eating veggies so juicing has been a great experience.
I juice kale, broccoli, celery, apples, parsley, ginger.... I need to experiment with others.

I am very curious what one eats on a raw diet. Is cereal allowed? I only drink almond milk in my cereal and it's Nature's Path cereal. How about oatmeal? Pasta?

[BlackKat]

I get the stomach aches with coffee too. Along with headaches. It's funny because when I was eating only SAD coffee actually got rid of headaches.. kind of ironic and made me chuckle.

[klomasius]

Reading similar stories throughout the years on forums like this, your story is very normal.

For some reason, many who have eaten raw for an extended period of time find that the cooked foods they have lusted after taste very anticlimactic if they do taste them. I've not done it, but I imagine that after 2 and a bit years of 100% raw foods I'd feel the same.

Isn't it wonderful that those addicted to carbs/sugar and whatnot can overcome these addictions with raw foods!

[mcster]

Firstly, thanks for sharing this. I have no desire to eat cooked foods. Nevertheless, its reassuring to learn just how toxic some foods can be once you're running clean.

Secondly, congratulations on such a great experience. I had a similar experience with cigarettes many years ago and it was possibly the best thing I could've done to ensure I never smoked again. That was almost 20 years ago.

As an aside (and this is not directed at the OP specifically), I would just like to comment that in my very personal and humble opinion, people do themselves such a massive disservice by calling themselves "addicts" or refer to themselves as "having an addiction". Labeling yourself that way only reinforces helplessness and victim mentality. Guess what would happen if that belief was replaced with something like "I'm in control and I have the freedom to chose"?

[Aleesha Sattva]

i totally agree mc. totally.

it's okay to just say "i really like chocolate" you don't have to be "addicted" to it. addiction is such a huge word with so many negative vibes that go with it.

[green goddess]

I agree with the 'addiction' thing. I hear many people talking about being addicted to things such as chocolate, coffee, cheese, even their cell phones, but this isn't really the right word. It takes control away from the person and helps give them an excuse to not discontinue the behaviour of eating/texting.

I really loved cheese, and a couple of years ago, someone pointed out this 'addiction' to me and to prove to myself that it wasn't actually an addiction, I voluntarily went a month without it. I missed it, but at the end of the month, no big deal. No real cravings. No withdrawals. Now, cigarettes and coffee, on the other hand, contain more addiction-encouraging substances, so there's more withdrawal, BUT, people are capable of doing anything, as long as they want to. If people want to stop drinking coffee, if they want to do it badly enough, they will. Otherwise, the 'addiction' will hold them.

[proteus]

my junk food experience was like this: i started eating and didn't stop for about 4 hours during which time i consumed about a pound of nutella, about half a pound of chocolate bars, about three dozens of ferrero and lindt truffles, about 5 cups of coffee ( with about 5 spoons of sugar in each ) and about a gallon of milk, along with about half a pound of ghirardelli fudge brownies. i stopped eating when i physically couldn't eat any more and started vomiting it back out about half an hour later. continued vomiting for about 3 or 4 hours which made me so sore i was barely able to continue breathing. the whole time my head was spinning violently and i couldn't walk because of it. i also had diarrhea. when i was finally able to stop vomiting i was completely exhausted mentally and physically. i felt as if i was wrung out and vacuumed from the inside out - i thought i was 10 pounds lighter than just a few hours ago but couldn't weigh myself because i couldn't stand up. i also couldn't go to sleep because my head continued to spin. i just laid in bed focusing on my breathing and trying to stop my head from spinning for more than half a second at a time. after probably about 2 hours of that the spinning finally started to let go and i was able to sleep. i haven't experienced any pain except the muscle soreness from constant vomiting.

that's unlikely to happen to you though because i was on a severely calorie restricted low-carb diet at the time ( protein supplement and water for the most part ). so i basically went from having about 5 grams of sugars per day to having about 500 grams of sugars in one meal. i realistically could have ended up killing myself, but it felt so good i couldn't stop. i guess thats how heroin junkies end up killing themselves.

i wonder, if i cut out fruits and go low carb again will the history repeat itself?

at the time i was pushing the limits of how strict i can make my diet. i had all sorts of calculations in excel and trying to see if i can push my daily sugar intake even lower than it already was at around 5 grams. this backfired pretty bad. now my daily sugar intake is approximately 100 grams ( from fruits ) and i am afraid to start tightening it again ...

switching from raw to cooked wasn't as dramatic for me - cooked food simply made me feel heavy in the stomach and lethargic, made me feel just kinda beaten up and 10 years older but no acute reactions. of course i was never 100% raw to begin with.

[nadien alexandra]

I really loved cheese, and a couple of years ago, someone pointed out this 'addiction' to me and to prove to myself that it wasn't actually an addiction, I voluntarily went a month without it. I missed it, but at the end of the month, no big deal. No real cravings. No withdrawals. Now, cigarettes and coffee, on the other hand, contain more addiction-encouraging substances, so there's more withdrawal, BUT, people are capable of doing anything, as long as they want to. If people want to stop drinking coffee, if they want to do it badly enough, they will. Otherwise, the 'addiction' will hold them.

in fact, cheese is very "addicting" in the way that a lot of other "drugs" are addicting.
the concentrated casa-morphines in cheese causes serious craving for the stuff, withdrawl symptoms when you're not getting it, and calming soothing feelings when you're stuffed with it.

[mcster]

in fact, cheese is very "addicting" in the way that a lot of other "drugs" are addicting.
the concentrated casa-morphines in cheese causes serious craving for the stuff, withdrawl symptoms when you're not getting it, and calming soothing feelings when you're stuffed with it.

That explains my love old affair with the stuff...

[green goddess]

Funny, one of my friends has been reading a book called, I think, 'White Wash', about dairy, and mentioned to me (tonight!) about cheese actually having addicting properties. I know I enjoy the flavour and texture, but I always figured I simply liked it, not that it had a hold over me. I now don't have any cheese, raw or otherwise. I find I miss the flavour, but maybe it's actually something more sinister than flavour lurking in the cheese to keep one coming back for more!

Funny how things seem to happen at once sometimes. I was talking about vitamin B-12 in another thread, and then I went to a seminar where B-12 happened to be talked about. I bring up this cheese thing, and my friend happens to mention about actual addictiveness to cheese and then I read here someone else says the same thing!

Gotta love how things happen sometimes! :woot:

[klomasius]

Yep, completely addictive substances in the good ole cheese!

I remember when I was just veggie and my housemate ate a lot of cheese. I'd never really liked the stuff, but started to have the occasional taste of it anyways. I found that I'd start to eat more and more until it got to the point I couldn't open the fridge without having a huge chunk!

I thought to myself, "I don't even like the taste of this stuff, what's going on?" It was only years later I find out about casein and the other addictive substances that it all made sense!

[proteus]

in fact, cheese is very "addicting" in the way that a lot of other "drugs" are addicting.
the concentrated casa-morphines in cheese causes serious craving for the stuff, withdrawl symptoms when you're not getting it, and calming soothing feelings when you're stuffed with it.

yes. have you considered taking your cheese abusing boyfriend to rehab? lol.

cheese is concentrated milk. imagine what would happen if babies didn't like milk ? cheese is a concentrated drug ( and i have some experience with drugs wink wink ). when i binge it is always the usual suspects - sugar, salt, caffeine ... and dairy. my favorite dairy product to binge on is magnolia sweetened condensed milk, then triple chocolate ice cream and then cheese. i will take a solid block of cheese - microwave it until it melts partially and pour honey over it. i will then have a pound of cheese this way with 2 or 3 cups of coffee ( and of course put more magnolia in the coffee itself ).

there is a reason why americans eat pizza and CHEESEburgers with coca cola all the time - the "food" companies that prevailed are the ones who stuffed their "food" with the most addiction agents. since they can't put cocaine into coca cola any more now just put sugar, salt and caffeine. then you have this coke with something with cheese in it.

another odd thing about cheese is two or three hours after i eat cheese ( i don't mean like a single slice here now ) my nose gets oily and if i swipe it with my finger it smells like cheese.

can you people recommend any reads on addiction causing substances in food ?

[green goddess]

another odd thing about cheese is two or three hours after i eat cheese ( i don't mean like a single slice here now ) my nose gets oily and if i swipe it with my finger it smells like cheese.

Blech! I've been there with the oily thing, but I've never noticed it smelling like cheese! Ew! I know cheese gets me 'greasy' and mucousy, though.

Off on a little tangent here, but another reaction to food I'd noticed: I used to :heart: Lindt chocolate balls, but I suddenly noticed that everytime I had one, I'd sneeze. It was eat a ball, and..... sneeze. Sometimes twice. I realized this probably wasn't a good thing, and stopped eating them. I joke now how I'm 'allergic' to chocolate because it makes me sneeze! :sick:

[terry brown]

I just attended a lecture by the wonderful Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren, MD, DC. He spoke of Chocolate and Cacao and how addicting it is. He said our bodys develop allergic reactions to it. I had just learned how to make cacao bars and had a fresh 5 lb unopened bag at home!!
Now that I am giving it up, I can see just how addicting it is.
I miss it, but after hearing what he said about it I can see how it is a drug and probably not the best thing to be ingesting.

[bananaberrie]

I just attended a lecture by the wonderful Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren, MD, DC. He spoke of Chocolate and Cacao and how addicting it is. He said our bodys develop allergic reactions to it. I had just learned how to make cacao bars and had a fresh 5 lb unopened bag at home!!
Now that I am giving it up, I can see just how addicting it is.
I miss it, but after hearing what he said about it I can see how it is a drug and probably not the best thing to be ingesting.

I would be happy to take your 5 lb of cacao off you hands :dance:

[terry brown]

Funny! I was going to share here, but then since it was unopend I was able to send it back!

[bananaberrie]

Funny! I was going to share here, but then since it was unopend I was able to send it back!

Oh well, good for you, bad for me.

[sar-RAW]

I am in the same boat.

I had an food event monday and when I got home I felt terrible; headache, stomachache - not a very nice evening.