New kid on the block!

[Bessie the Cow]

Hey everyone. :) :heart

I'm Bessie. It's lovely to be here amongst friends.

I am a longtime vegetarian, I have been vegan for the last couple of years and have decided to take the giant leap and go raw just recently.

I am trying to transition at the moment, but I am having a hard time staying on track (cooked food is just so tempting). I thought it would be worthwhile to plunge myself amongst like-minded people to help me to stay focused. The addiction to cooked foods is strong in this one. http://www.forumup.com/images/smiles/mistick_yoda.gif

Like many people who turns to the raw diet, I am trying to overcome some health challenge and nourish my body so that it can heal itself. I have been suffering from major depression for the last couple of years, which has really affected by ability to enjoy life to the fullest. I feel that the first step to nourishing my my mind is to first nourish my body.

Thanks everyone for reading and I look forward to chatting with you all.

[Racist_Foods]

Hey, Bessie
Glad you're on here and trying out raw.

I have done raw before, but unfortunately didn't stick with it 100% (however, even when I strayed from raw, I had much MUCH more raw food in my diet, which has been good for me).

I have no doubt that everyone either is or has been in the same boat as you regarding the temptation. Not eating cooked food is difficult, but it's much MUCH worse when it is the weekend and you're about to go out with friends, which means delicious cooked food will be near and odds are, they'll be eating it.

I'm new to this myself, and besides my wife and a co-worker, this place is the only other place I'll be going to for support on raw foods.

Regarding the depression part, I understand--depression is deep in my family (I'm one of six kids and only one of us is not/has not been on any anti-depressants. 2009 was a heavy year for me with depression, but thankfully I'm doing great now. :)

I know some people are highly against anti-depressants whether it be because they think it's bogus or because they believe nutrition can treat it better than prozac. Whether it is or not, you're certainly doing yourself well by treating your body better. Keep it up :)

I imagine once someone has been raw for awhile, it becomes second nature, but for people transitioning, it takes a lot of mental strength. My suggestion is watch a lot of youtube clips or documentaries regarding health and possibly eating raw--its good motivation.

Keep us updated.

[Bessie the Cow]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I know a couple of raw food vegans, but one has moved back to the states and one is in India at the moment. The one who is in India is coming back soon, but she is a low fat raw vegan, and she pretty much only eats fruit. :) I'm not sure if that lifestyle is for me or whether it's healthy. I would be happy to read Dr Graham Douglas's books on the subject matter, but at the moment, just "raw" is difficult enough. It's nice to be able to come on here and talk to people who are also following this lifestyle.

One of the problems that I'm finding is that I feel constantly hungry. I'm not exactly sure how much I should be eating and at what times of the day. I suppose it might be useful to keep a food diary and then seek some feedback from other raw foodists to find out what their experiences are and what they think. It looks as though there are some really knowledgeable people on here and I'm very much looking forward to picking their brains :p Formerly I have eaten a lot of bread and a lot of cereal to keep myself feeling full. Typically I would eat some kind of starchy food (potatoes, bread, cereal, rice etc) with every meal and now that I don't have that, I feel a bit deprived.

[StarFire]

Welcome Welcome Bessie http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/zwaaien.gif !!! I love your Avatar pic!! sooo cute!
There are some great recipes for 'raw breads' ... onion bread is my favorite. I'm not actually not much of an onion eater ... but this bread is fantastic. I also use a lot of 'raw wraps'. There are so many awesome recipes you can try! It's quite an adventure and a whole lot of fun experimenting and finding which things you enjoy the most!
Glad to have you on board ~ it's a great place for support, get feedback and to find answers to questions...
RAWk on! Looking forward to seeing you around the forum!

[sport]

You should join the 30 day challange. It will help to keep you on track and when you have finished you will never look back.

[Bessie the Cow]

Thanks guys and gals :) Starfire, it appears that the raw food blogging with is abuzz with this onion bread. I am definitely keen to try it out. My excalibur arrived in the mail the other day, so I have been experimenting with all kinds of dehydrated treats. It is such an amazing kitchen appliance and I'm stoked that I got it. I'm tried making flax crackers, but I found that I didn't really have that same satiated feeling that I do with normal bread.

[k8sl8]

One of the problems that I'm finding is that I feel constantly hungry. I'm not exactly sure how much I should be eating and at what times of the day. I suppose it might be useful to keep a food diary and then seek some feedback from other raw foodists to find out what their experiences are and what they think.

The lovely part of eating raw is that you can eat whenever you are hungry!!!! The next problem is deciding if you are really hungry or just craving something... Have a glass of water when you think you are hungry and wait a while. If you still feel hungry - have some fruit, a few almonds, a raw snack of your choice, veggies... whatever. Eat. If you are always hungry you will not stay raw.

It's better to eat what you might consider too much - than not enough when starting on raw. As you get into it, your body will level off and tell you how much it needs, the cravings will pass, for the most part - and you will be satisfied with less. Give your body a chance.


As for keeping a food journal, that's always a good idea!

[Bessie the Cow]

Thanks, k8sl8. Really helpful advice.

I put the raw project on hold for a bit as I have been in a different city and it is difficult to make the transition when you are away from home. I am back home now though and I am definitely keen on the idea of trying again!

One of the issues I was having is that I would try and eat heaps of vegetables, but I would find that I would get a really upset stomach. It was like there was only so much plant material that my stomach could digest! I know this sounds almost counter intuitive, as I know from all my research that plant foods are packed full of beneficial enzymes, but at the moment I actually find things like bread and cooked foods easier on my stomach.

Does anyone have any insight into this issue?