Once you go raw...

[Juicin' in Houston]

Hello all!

I joined this forum for the fasting support but after reading all these miraculous stories I know raw is the way to go! I know a lot of people were vegetarian before transitioning into raw. I've been vegetarian For six years And the thought of eating meat feels wrong and is something I could never bring myself to do again. Does it feel the same way transitioning into raw from cooked food? Does eating cooked food feel sinful and wrong? How long did it take before the raw diet became the raw lifestyle?

Thanks for your input! :^)

[ReneeH]

Hi Juicin' in Houston!!! I'm here in Houston too...well, Katy actually...

It's different for everyone, I don't view eating cooked food as a "sin" as much as I view it as a choice. To me, it's not a "religion" per say... But it is a lifestyle choice. Many who view themselves as raw Foodists will make certain "exceptions" such as Maple Syrup, Agave, etc. For me, I'm not trying to live up to anyone's version of 100% rawness. I just eat as raw as I can eat for me.I don't feel guilty for allowing myself to eat raw "exceptions". I like Agave...I like Cacao...I like Maple Syrup.

For the "diet" to become a "lifestyle", you have to commit to it and allow human error to make mistakes and learn from them. Guilt has no place in the raw food lifestyle. Nobody's perfect here. When you slip, just pick yourself up and keep going. Accept the slip as part of your journey, if you do. For me, I ate cooked food for 30+ years of my life. It's not something that changed overnight for me...although some have done it. The most important thing to me is not to give up. It will become a lifestyle change if you continue on that road and hop over bumps that come along. :-)

[Frugal Raw]

W-e-e-e-e-l-l-l-l-l-l-l...it really depends upon how you frame it in your own mind. There is a certain amount of disappointment anytime you miss a goal mark. Just don't beat yourself up over it and don't wait until the next day to start over. It's important to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and say, "no more of that."

On the issue of the transitioning mindset, yes, it is similar in the revulsion factor. When you stopped eating meat did it begin to revulse you to smell or be around it? That's how cooked foods will over time begin to affect you. Cooked foods looks like death on a plate to me. When I go to a grocery store, nothing on the shelves looks good even though my memories sometimes initially tell me "that thing used to be so good." I look at it and it registers that I no longer want it. In high stress periods I used to go buy a can of frosting or dairy ice cream and eat a large spoonful of it. Now to even think about it, I realize how much my palate has changed because the thought revulses me. Now when I think ice cream, it's frozen banana ice cream I want, and I can replicate just about any flavor!

[Juicin' in Houston]

@ReneeH hey neighbor! I'm on the opposite side of you, I'm over in the NASA/League City area! Thank you for the response, this looks to be the same as transitioning into vegetarianism. It's a learning process and you learn to weed out and incorporate certain things. What I like about raw is there seems to be more clear cut instruction. When I became vegetarian there was the PETA site, diet for a new america, and the bands that I listened to that advocated animal rights. Guess I could have looked a little harder lol.

@Frugal Raw I'm glad to hear that! That's the way I felt about meat when I became vegetarian and what I hope for becoming raw. Haha and with the ice cream, that's the one food I keep thinking about when I contemplate this change! Now I see I can still have it, the prep and ingredients are just different.

[ReneeH]

Hey there! If you're interested in taking a raw class, just email me and I'll send you some info!!! Raw Classes really make the transition easier and more fun!!!! Check out the links in my signature line. So nice to see you here!!! Keep in touch, ok!!!

[Juicin' in Houston]

Thanks Renee! Im sure I'll be reaching out to you very soon! Nice seeing you as well!

[MysticTree]

Does eating cooked food feel sinful and wrong?
For me it just feels like an unhealthy choice.

[drraw]

The way I see it we need fuel to live. The question is whether you want high-octane fuel or low-octane fuel. You can put low-grade gas in a high end car and it still works, but performance drops, engine lifetime is not as good, and you get pinging. My method is I do the best I can with the resources I have available to me. I don't feel guilty when I slip up -- I just get better and better about incorporating raw into my life.

--drraw