30 day challenge and Thanksgiving delimma.

[Beanie]

Well, even though this Thanksgiving, I have already been cut from the family due to my veganism/food allergy "issues," and I am spending it with a raw vegan potluck that I am helping to prepare the feast for, I have a delimma.

I've been dating this wonderful, vegetarian guy. He even invited me to Ohio to meet his parents, yet I couldn't afford to take off from work and pay for someone to take care of my furry children. So I didn't think it would be an issue to be raw. However, I am friends with and was active with the vegetarian group before going raw. They invited me to a preThanksgiving party. Well, I invited my boyfriend to it and he said YES, so theres a delimma here. I will bring a raw salad, but I want to enjoy myself and try some vegan dishes that I have never had beforehand. I really enjoy this! I know, I should say no, but I went from SAD to raw vegan in one year and never had the chance to even experience the middle road.

Would it be OK to taste some cooked foods? If I have to I'll start the challenge all over again. For one day a year, for me personally, I don't see it as being a "problem." I do have issues with animal products, so I wouldn't touch those, but I do raw for health. And tasting vegan cooked foods I don't see as being that harmful. Of course, I'm not sure if I will eat cooked food yet. But I don't want to feel overly restricted.

I work for some raw foodists, and they said if for one meal, you eat half cooked, its not that big of a deal. Just don't eat all cooked because then I'll feel it.

[RawTruth]

You know it's totally your decision to make, of course. Whatever you decide, just do it without guilt. If it ends up not working out, then you'll know.

My experience -- When I had ONE item (a decaf soy latte) after being all raw for a month or so, I felt it big time. The next day I felt really lousy, thick-headed, and physically bad. Also, I had a handful or two of popcorn another time and my stomach started hurting really bad.

My reality -- For me, aside from not liking the reactions I've described already, it's not worth it to me to start dirtying up my body again just for a fleeting taste sensation. There are tons of dishes I've never tried in the cooked world and never will -- and a number of favorite cuisines that I just try to replicate the flavors of. My body has been cleansing and ridding itself down to a cellular level of the toxins from cooked food and other things that have built up. It's counter-intuitive to me to do something that will reverse the process. When I made the decision to go all raw, that's exactly what I did. The incredible benefits I've gained have shown me that raw and living foods are the only path for me. I have no desire to wander off -- and I make sure that I'm surrounded by people who don't try to pull me away, and I make sure I'm in situations that are, at best, supportive and, at worst, neutral.

You seem to be very aware of your motivations and analyze things to an extent that you'll do what's right for you -- at least at that moment! :D

Sorry that your mother is being punitive with you. I've found it helpful at times in my life to create my own "family" which isn't based on blood but, rather, is based on love, common interests, compassion, and support. I hope you can do the same -- it's very freeing.

Also -- how great that you're dating another vegetarian; I've found they're much more likely to think the raw and living lifestyle is great. And ... he's skinny, too, huh? Unlikely to get any nasty comments there!

[NoGMO!]

My body has been cleansing and ridding itself down to a cellular level of the toxins from cooked food and other things that have built up. It's counter-intuitive to me to do something that will reverse the process.

that reminds me of this quote>

"Every part of the body, from brain cells and body tissue to teeth and toe nails is in a process of continuous renewal, of disposal and regeneration. Traditional Buddhist teaching has long held that the physical body renews itself totally and completely every seven years, which means that the physical You of today has absolutely nothing physically in common with the You of seven years ago!" - from the Raw and Living Foods website


and Beanie, I agree with Raw Truth, it's a personal decision. :)

[Amberly]

I DO NOT recommend it at all. I struggled for a whole month after planning to have one piece of Ezekiel bread (that I didn't even want). I wish I could go back on that decision.

[theresaann]

I felt this way for 15 years, which is when I first heard about raw. I would compromise a little here and a little there until I would compromise myself completely out of raw for long, long periods of time (years). It took me this long to FINALLY be ready to make the commitment to 100% raw. That's a long time!!

What I know from my experience is until you are really, really ready to commit, you just can't-and that's ok. Eventually something will happen, maybe a health problem, or something else, and you WILL be ready to commit 100%. And when that commitment comes, look out, because NOTHING will ever get in your way again, and NOTHING cooked will be tempting. I know cause it's finally happened to me!! And can I tell you, this is the most FREEDOM I've ever felt in my life. Isn't that ironic? Commitment=freedom. Lack of commitment=feeling enslaved. I think there's a spiritual message in there somewhere!

Be at peace, enjoy yourself-your higher self will eventually lead you whereever you are meant to be!!

[rawpriestess]

Oh Beanie,

Rationalization, is the FIRST STEP to disaster.

But that is me.

When I rationalize, that it is only one bite, one piece, one dish, one meal, one day, one week, one month, one lifetime.

That is exactly what it is for me. It never stops.

So, I can't eat one of anything and expect to stay raw. I hope you are different.

So, I will not tell the heroin addict to have one fix, you see, because there is no "one" there is only the beginning of the rest of your life.

But, again, I am a cooked food aholic, and I own that. I know it, I can prove it, let me just have one bite, and you'll see MY demon.

[Sharon in Colorado]

I agree with Raw Truth. You have to know your body. When I succumb to cooked food, it's trouble for me. But there are some out there who can be raw and have a cooked meal once a month or once a year and go right back to raw.

So you have to decide what works for you.

[tracyinfo]

Beanie, you will have to pay attention to your body and find out for yourself. Some people are 100% or nothing. I can eat about one cooked meal a month and have no problem getting right back to raw food. However, the one cooked meal a month is actually pretty high raw all in itself. The main dish is a huge salad. The other cooked parts of the meal are very small servings.

I myself would bring the salad you were talking about, and have that as your main meal. Then I would nibble on small sampling of the cooked food.

I also find that after a year of raw food, that most of the cooked food does not taste as good as they did before switching to a raw foods diet. You may find that to be true, also.

Blessings.

[Beanie]

Thanks everyone for all your responses! Its really helped me out a lot. I think the big issues going on now is 1) cravings and 2) adjusting socially. For some reason, after the fast, I've had an increase in certain cooked seasonings, and also cooked veggies and lentils. And just an overall desire for hot food. Especially since I gave up my tea and veggie broth for the challenge which were my only hot foods left.

So I don't feel confident yet to avoid "free" foods which I'm craving without some dilemma. I'm not sure how long it takes for these cravings to subside nor do I know how to make them go away. Honestly, I don't have extreme willpower here.

The other issue was my discomfort socially. Especially after being pegged as anorexic, so I've been avoiding social situation around cooked foodists. Since today I was inudated with a lot of work due this next Monday, I decided I wasn't going to go. But I just got a wonderful email from one of my vegetarian friends saying they know I am now raw but would love for me to come. That my pickings may be slim but please come anyway. YEAH! :D How WONDERFUL it is to be accepted for me!!!! And to focus that its the company, not the food that this is about.

Like I said, I just went through a big fight with my family over my being vegan, and that alone was not acceptable, how I was ruining the holidays, etc. etc. And here my TRUE friends just told me, ok, thats fine, come anyway, we would love to have ya!

So whether I go, and whether I eat ANY cooked food, not sure yet. But if I do, I'll bring myself a salad, enjoy the party, the people, and if I do touch cooked food, it will be just a taste. And NOT any gluten!! Thats a trigger food for me for even more intense cravings and since I'm allergic to it, its 3 weeks of congestion.

Yep, the further along I go raw, the less tolerant my body is to cooked food. But sometimes a taste, will disrail some of these cooked food fantascies I've been having. Since eating Ethiopian, those cravings stopped. But now its Indian and Thai, LOL! I can't win.... :mad: