what made you successful at eating raw?

[teb]

I have tried several times and never make it to 100%. I think my problem is that I get hungry and just go for whatever I can get my hands on and other times it is my family who is still on SAD. What has made your transition from SAD to RAW a success?

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

Consuming green sprouted juices, algaes and sea vegetables as the core foods. Emphasise those three food groups and it is smooth sailing. But it is best to start blending most of the sprouts (except grass) when you first start so the detox isn't so bad. When you've been cleaned out by having blended greens for at least 6 months, l suggest giving away the blending and just sticking with green juices and fermented sprouted seed/nut based foods made from a cold press mill. Why make the job hard when it doesn't have to be. lt's the easiest way (l think) to overcome the addictions of the mind (keeping it really simple) and the physical addiction as well.

All this stuff will fill you up and stop any cravings over time, and eventually you'll find that you won't require much food at all, even a simple juice will be enough to get by on many occasions. But when you start, blend heaps of sprouted foods to fill you until your body and mind adjusts.

l love this way of eating because life is too short to be thinking about food. Keep it simple, eat it, and then get on with your life. lt brings complete freedom.

The key to remember is:
* foods very high in sunlight and amino acids, ie lots of FRESH greens
* FRESH foods grown yourself (you should see the lengths John Kohler goes to with his vegetables...almost as good as sproutarism...John understands the reality very well)
* the most powerful nutritious foods you can find as your main foods...FRESH greens

A common theme here: greens, greens and more greens.

[walnutty]

Honestly? Money!

[PansyLo]

^ Money? Do you mean it saves you money? Or do you mean that having enough money to splash out on helpful equipment helped you be successful?

So far I've found a raw diet difficult because it is more expensive and I can't afford to buy anything such as a vitamix/dehydrator etc that might make the process easier.

[teb]

Thank you for your responses. I am going to join a community garden asap. I find going to the store for fresh veggies very time consuming, I'm going shopping for all the veggies/greens/sprouts you suggested Mr. Raw.

[walnutty]

^ Money? Do you mean it saves you money? Or do you mean that having enough money to splash out on helpful equipment helped you be successful?


What made you successful at eating raw?

Money!

I state that because I am 100% successful at being raw when I have the money to do so!

Money, or lack of it, is the only reason I am not 100% raw 100% of the time!

[walnutty]

So far I've found a raw diet difficult because it is more expensive and I can't afford to buy anything such as a vitamix/dehydrator etc that might make the process easier.


The only kitchen equipment I use ALL OF THE TIME is a blender. It was like $30 at Target.

[qwerty988]

What's made me successful at sticking to this lifestyle so far is finding recipes I really, really LOVE to eat.

Not gourmet dehydrator nut-heavy recipes...... I like simple stuff, soups and smoothies and salads. I love throwing together amazing salad dressings in the blender, or making cheezy or creamy cashew sauces for zucchini noodles.

When the food I'm eating is both simple AND delish, I'm a happy camper and I just can't fathom returning to SAD now that I know how good raw feels and tastes... for me, it's a no-brainer.

But yeah -- if I ever did stray, it would be because of money..... or the occasional social event, that's tricky sometimes.

[Ravenna]

I'm struggling. If I eat raw in the morning and lunch I am so hungry in the evening that I just start eating and eating (and not even "healthy" cooked food but some processed food like breaded fish or I just fry eggs). Eventually I eat so much it is not funny. I would like to eat simple raw, like fruits and maybe salads with some nuts mainly but I'm really hungry if I do that. My fridge is full of fruits and veggies but nothing looks good at all if I'm hungry. And I know also that I will not be satisfied if I eat raw at that moment, I checked. Because of the frustration (and probably detox) I get bad headache every time I'm hungry after eating raw all day.
The schedule is like this: green smoothie in the morning (bananas, frozen blueberries, dates, frozen fruit mixes or frozen mangoes, bunch of kale, chard or spinach, sometimes I add buckweat or mung beens sprouts and sea weeds), fruits like oranges, bananas and mangoes at lunch time, and in the evening I'm starving, will eat a lot of cooked foods, feeling frustrated and guilty.
I made couple times veggie salad that was not too bad but I did not feel full after eating that even if I ate a lot of it.
I started juicing too but not too long yet. I juice usually carrots and beets with some celery sticks and apple.
I do not know what to do.

I think that maybe I need to find very delicious recipes and that can help me but how to be about hunger? I'm so disappointed... Now I feel like I cannot eat raw because I'm hungry most of the time and also I cannot eat cooked foods because my system reacts on it badly: bloating and stomach pains are normal now and pimples come out really badly. It seems that I'm stressing my body really bad going back and forth, every day. I want to be raw so bad...

[Raw Angel Mom]

Accepting my limit and not having a higher standard that i can't handle. Meaning, i don't try to be perfect and focus on my accomplishment always. I do the best with what i have. That way, my feet stays grounded solid with raw food regardless of my choices.

In the beginning, planing was key BECAUSE i needed gourmet food and many recipe required soaking nuts. I made sure then, that i had soaked seed ready or a nut so i could make a raw gourmet dish in not time.

Having an emergency food in case of deep craving.

Today, i don't need planning or emergency food. I only plan this when i travel only. I am contempt with simple raw food, such an apple or sweet pepper and now i can chew on sprout alone as a snack.

Have also good kitchen tool that will ease your life. Everyone has different needs, so figure out your own needs and grant yourself the kitchen equipment that will support your life style.

EDUCATION: Read and educate yourself so you can be prepare when others ask you question or share their concern.

I don't share what i eat, unless i am asked.

Either give yourself permission to make exception with certain food such steam vegetables or Remember that you are the type of person that cannot make an exception ever. Know your limit and forgive yourself AND focus on your accomplishment ALWAYS.

Be proud of you!

[Living Food]

The schedule is like this: green smoothie in the morning (bananas, frozen blueberries, dates, frozen fruit mixes or frozen mangoes, bunch of kale, chard or spinach, sometimes I add buckweat or mung beens sprouts and sea weeds), fruits like oranges, bananas and mangoes at lunch time, and in the evening I'm starving, will eat a lot of cooked foods, feeling frustrated and guilty.
I made couple times veggie salad that was not too bad but I did not feel full after eating that even if I ate a lot of it.


Sounds like you need more fat in your diet. Try sprouting sesame seeds and sunflower seeds for a few days and eating as many as you need to to curb your hunger. Some people don't do well focusing mostly on fruits, it just doesn't fill them up for long.

[Ravenna]

Living Food and Raw Angel Mom, thank you for your suggestions! I will do as you say. I have Vitamix and Champion juicer (that I think I will change to Green Star, soft veggies do not juice well in Champion), I do not have dehydrator and I'm not sure to get it or not. I read about raw foods constantly, it helps me stay focused.
I have a question. After reading some books about raw foods I understood that we have to eat veggies for mostly vitamins and minerals and fruits for calories. How much of each is enough? Can I eat fruits and seeds/nuts and just drink veggie juices and receive all nutrients I need?

[Living Food]

I do not have dehydrator and I'm not sure to get it or not. I read about raw foods constantly, it helps me stay focused.

If you think it will aide you in staying raw/make your life easier, then get it. Otherwise I would skip it, dehydrated foods aren't quite as nutritious as their hydrated counterparts.


I have a question. After reading some books about raw foods I understood that we have to eat veggies for mostly vitamins and minerals and fruits for calories. How much of each is enough? Can I eat fruits and seeds/nuts and just drink veggie juices and receive all nutrients I need?

1. You don't strictly need fruit for calories, sprouted beans/grains and sprouted nuts can provide plenty of those are tend to be far more nutritious then fruits - sprouting increases enzyme, vitamin and other phytonutrient content many times over (b vitamins can increase up to 3000% in some sprouts and vitamin E can increase 600% - that's insane!). You also might not want to rely only on fruit for your calories as we've already seen that it doesn't do a very good job of filling you up.

2. Green sprouts and microgreens are far superior to veggies when it comes to nutrition, a glass of, say, fresh sunflower greens juice will give you more nutrition then you could get with pounds of veggies. The problem with store-bought vegetables is that they are already weeks old by the time you buy them...most of the nutrients have already disappeared. Consuming lots of FRESH sprouts that are growing up until you juice them will give you the maximum level of nutrition possible. Even grow your own wheatgrass and juice it, no mere vegetable comes close to matching the nutritional profile of wheatgrass (although sunflower greens do).

[Ravenna]

Thank you for all your help. I better adjust my lifestyle to grow greens and sprouts. I need to learn how to do that. Would you recommend where to go for information? Thank you so much! This helps me so much as I do not have anybody near me whom even to talk to about raw food lifestyle.

[Living Food]

There's loads of threads on sprouting here, this one covers just about everything:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?64973-Sprouting!&highlight=sprouting%21

[damaru]

For me it has been doing it for the right reasons. I want to do it because it makes me feel the best. I know that if I start indulging in cooked food, I will regret it. I've learned my lesson enough times to know that I'm tired of regretting my choices, so I just make the choices I know that are best for me now. The cycle is over and I am free!