I really need advice

[h00pychic]

i am trying to get into the raw thing, but i find it hard to avoid cheating. I am tempted, especially at night. I can go the day eating veggies, nuts, smoothies and fruits, but at night is another story.

How do or did you curb the cravings? I find that i get really hungry at night also. I really need some advice and motivation. I am convinced that the raw diet is something i want, i just need to get out of the habit of eating toxic food. Everyone in my house eats horribly, they are so unhealthy so its tough. please help. :confused:

[pink]

It can be hard switching your lifestyle. I personaly think you are doing great you are raw most of the day.
Can it be you are not eating enough raw food, you may be hungry and it is so easy to eat something proccessed when you are hungry.
I dont know if it will help but I have the mindset that I will not pay money for food that will do me no good. I am not going to help the food maufacturers get rich by poisoning me .
My body only deserves good real food. Imagine all those hands that have been on your food is it really hygienic?.
Also the manufacturers put additives in the food to make it addictive so dont feel too bad they are poisoning you and when you go through withdraw you will crave cooked food. If you feel like you need to eat proccessed food give yourself a smoothie then think after half an hour whether you want to eat raw or something cooked. if it is cooked dont beat yourself up. remember the good things you are doing not just the bad. your body will be greatful for whatever good food you give it.
I ate bread the other day after a week of eating raw I felt terrible. tired, hungover, dry mouth uck not nice.
I live with my fella who lives on coffee, beer and take away and uses veg as a garnish. i have my own cupboard and shelf in the fridge. he is not to put any of his food in my good food space. so no temptation. Yes he does offer me a slice of pizza or the odd bite of toast but a firm "no thankyou" does the trick. if he persists I give him a "paddington bear hard stare" and say "stop tormenting me". he is too busy defending himself that he forgets he was asking me to eat cooked.
so take it easy on yourself think of raw as nutricious and cooked food as cardboard or plastic, you can eat it but where`s the vitamins?.
Don`t beat yourself up be your own best mate. you will get there in the end. all my love Pink xxxxxxx
Ohh mango and banana is my favourite fill you up smoothie xxxx

[Kitty]

Smoothies at night helped me with cravings. And I put coconut oil and raw cocoa in it because I heard they help keep away hunger. The sweetness also helps.

[sweetgoddess]

What I found very important h00pychic, is to stop thinking of it as cheating. Too many emotions caught up in that word! No judging yourself. When I started realizing i wasnt "cheating" and I wasn't "failing", I then realized it was all a choice. One that I made with full power. And that slowly changed things.
Keep persisting and you will get to where you want to be, though it may not be instant. That is ok.

I found it helpful to have something raw I viewed as an indulgent treat around for the evening resolve faltering. LIke torte or ice cream etc. Learning to indulge those moments with delectable raw treats made a tremendous difference.
Also, eventually I realized that changing my evening routine was a huge benefit. Doing something not in harmony with eating will help replace that evening struggle with something of greater benefit to you and your goals.

I hope something in there will help you. My very best wishes~
Carmel

[andromedastrain]

I've tried to go 100% raw in the past. I always had intense cravings and always ended up giving in to them.:(

Since my fiance and I started drinking green smoothies over a month ago, ALL our cravings for cooked food have completely vanished. I will occasionally crave salt sometimes, but I am never even the least bit tempted by cooked food anymore. :)

A fascinating book I think you and actually everyone should read is "Green for Life" by Victoria boutenko. It explains why green smoothies are such a nutrional breakthrough. Even volunteers that ate a cooked S.A.D. (standard american diet) and began to drink green smoothies everyday, lost their taste for things like coffee, chocolate, candy, potatoes, and meat.

My favorite green smoothie is
2 mangos
2-4 bananas
1/4-1/2 a lemon, seeded
a little fresh ginger or a hot chili pepper
a few generous handfuls of lambquaters, an edible weed
I also use kale, collards, celery, parsley, mint and cilantro
this smoothie is great with any greens plus some cilantro too.

You want a ratio of 60% fruit to 40% greens.

The only thing is, you assimilate far more nutrients from the greens by using a Vita-mix blender. The blades spin at 240 mph, regular blenders' blades spin between 12-24 mph. The greens are liquefied into such minute particles you practically begin to digest them in your mouth! Besides, we killed (overloaded) two blenders before we got a Vita-mix.

they're pretty pricy, but you might find one on ebay :confused:

Check out victoria's website rawfamily.com

Her whole family has been 100% raw for over 12 years!

hope this helps
keep up the good work
don't give up!!!!!

Andromeda

[mbf]

Hi,

I have a family of 5, a veru supportive Raw husband but 3 vegatarian/cooked food eating children ages 5- 15 so this wasn't easy. But it sounds like you need change everyone else's eating habits as well ?

First: I cleaned out my cabinets,pantry, freezer and fridge of anything that might tempt me. I gave some unopened things to friends or neighbor but mostly threw things away in the garbage.

Second: I created a list of simple Raw grab foods for me and my family like fruits and veggies. If my kids want icecream I buy flavors I don't like.I only shop at health food stores/markets like whole foods where I can buy my children organic snacks and meal ingredients. It was and still is hard to say no to things they were used to but they are adjusting.

Third: I try not to eat out or put myself in a position where I am hungry and will be tempted by cooked food. I am addicted and still not strong enough to be I those situations.

Now: I always have snacks with me ! I always keep ready to eat bags of organic salads in the fridge and dressing prepared. I make fruit leathers in the dehydrator and lot's of almond date ball treats around. My little ones are tough, if you have a house full of adults this should be easier.

I also try at least 1 new recipe every week ! unfortunatley I only like and would continue to make 4 out 5 I try :rolleyes: i'm picky, but I have expanded my menu and don't feel so limited. Today I am getting ingredients for the mock salmon pate and nut nog ( my kids love eggnog ) and am going to give those try !

This is what I needed to do stay raw and temptation free, it is especially hard for me this time of year, but I am setting myself up for a temptation free holiday season. I don't like Thanksgiving food so I think i'll be ok ;) .

Best of luck ! Bright blessings through the holday season.

MBF

[RawFoodieMom]

I have the same issues, my problem is in the evening. What I have started to do is to replace my temptations with RAW substitutes. If it's chips you crave, start trying out raw chips you can make if you have a dehydrator, or other crunchy/salting things that will satisfy those cravings. If you crave chocolate, I have found for me making a raw chocolate shake helps me tremendously and totally satisfies me. If it's candy bars you crave try raw chocolate truffle recipes or energy/protein bars. You get the idea. :) You will find that RAW recipes can be really awesome and though you might not feel now that they can replace the SAD things they really can! They taste great! :) And the difference is you'll also feel AWESOME afterward instead of tired, cranky, and guilty, like after eating SAD. :)

Debra

[jaurequi]

I think green smoothies are the best choice.

I also like to eat before bed, from time to time, which every health or food guru will tell you NOT to do. I don't listen to too many "rules" because they are not written for me, but are general guidelines; if I feel they don't fit for me, I ignore them or I try them and, when they don't work, discard.

If you're hungry, eat. If you're worried about fat or calories late at night, then don't eat fat: it's that simple. If you want crunchy, chop up some cauliflower, sprinkle with nutritional yeast (if you eat that), some nama shoyu and pepper and munch; or maybe add some mushrooms too, etc.
My hunger at night varies and I really don't care why; I just eat when I'm hungry. sometimes, I can eat very little all day and fill so full that I can't even think of eating anything for dinner; other days, I'm ravenous every hour.

Don't stress over this :)
Best,