I'm new here :)

[JSD]

Greetings everyone,

I'm new to this forum and everything it stands for, dipping my toes into the water a bit to see if I can "go green," so to speak. In the last decade, I've picked up a good bit of weight. When I started working outside the home, I really started picking up the weight because I have little time to exercise (walking is what I used to do), and when I do, I'm way-too tired. I am a teacher who spends at least 15 hours/day either teaching or preparing. I'll admit that I'm rather OCD about it. But the truth is, with new classes and responsibilities every year, I must spend about this much time. I say all this because if "going green" means I will have to spend extraordinary time doing it, I probably will fall off the wagon. :)

I watched "Sick, Tired, and Nearly Dead" recently. Amazing. He has what I want, I just don't know if I have, or can give, what it takes. I also have a couple of cousins who have juice-fasted over the past year and have lost weight big-time. So that encourages me.

I do not think I can jump into the deep in all at once. After hearing about the headaches, etc., of the first few days of a juice fast, I don't think I can start this all at once while I'm in school. What I do hope to do, though, is ease into it. Plus, I've not invested in a juicer yet. I do have something to make smoothies though. And that's where I want to start. You veteran's please weigh in on this: Is it possible to begin this journey by first doing smoothies for breakfast and mid-morning (if I have time to have one during my busy day), have veggies / hummus for lunch, and a healthy supper? And week by week changing the lunch to juice, then the supper to juice?

Another question: Does anyone still keep a cup of coffee in the morning? I've never been a purist about anything and know I'll not start now. :)

Sorry for this lengthy first post. Since I'm on spring break for the rest of the week, I'm going to look into this more and more as I get some spring cleaning done and get ahead in some book work.

Any advice, given my situation, will be much appreciated!

[k8sl8]

When I first went raw, I did it pretty much cold turkey and stayed raw for several months. Life intervened and I have been intermittant ever since. Now when I start I do it exactly the way you talk about. The breakfast smoothie and healthy lunch are easy - dinners in my world are more difficult. In my opinion, this is WAY better than nothing and is WAY more healthy than the alternative. Is 100% best? FOr sure, but in a perfect world. I don't live in a perfect world and have decided to compromise.

My son does a cleanse/fast that he does well on several times a year. I know for sure that's not for me. Neither is juice fast or any other type of fast. We know ourselves better than anyone else and if you don't want to or think you can do it the way someone else does: DON'T.

As for the coffee... I gave it up completely when I went totally raw. Can't say I really liked it, but my mind and body didn't crave it so I just didn't have any. When I'm not totally raw, I do coffee. It's a trade-off. I do the best coffee I can find (home brewed) and like it strong. I like it. I like the sociability of it. I like everything about it. It's a choice. Maybe not the "right" one, but it's mine. You need to make your choice too. You'll probably find, as I do, that the more raw you are, the less you'll want your coffee.

If you don't have it, get a good book on RAW. Alissa's is obviously the book of choice on this forum and it was my first; now I have a whole library of them, and have learned something from every one.

[CaiHong]

Hi JSD,
I new to both this forum a raw food. I am 9 days into my raw food diet. I am off coffee.

I listened to a raw food guru online and I liked what he said basically just do it, pick up an apple make a salad it is that easy.

I just go down to the market and buy loads of fruit and vegetables and eat.
I plan to start making more complex meals after I have been raw for 28 days , don't know why I picked that number.
I want to keep things simple.
I feel great, headaches at first nothing major felt a bit down but I feel empowered and I will be using this forum for support.
all the best

CaiHong

[CaiHong]

Hi JSD,

I just finished watching Sick Tiredamd Nearly Dead, thankyou for informing me about it.

It was really inspiring and the kind of thing to watch to keep me motivated.

I was so happy for the American guy, sorry forgot his name. It wasn't,t just the weight his whole outlook had changed.

caiHong