Is it OK to go 100% or best gradually?

[willow]

I have tried the gradual - eating raw until dinner, but it is hard to do both. I want to go cold turkey - raw or nothing, but not sure if this is safest to do? I am a vegetarian, who rarely eats dairy and includes raw with my cooked now, so I am hoping it would be better than a complete SAD eater. Any tips for this newbie on this would be helpful - thanks

[SparklePlenty]

Willow, you would be interested to read the thread below called "anyone make this kind of transition?" where we are kicking around just exactly what you are asking about. <smile>

Jan

[DavidZaneMason]

Ha! ha! Here's my take:

-If you establish a slow process......a definite time frame....and it's going TOO easy after a couple of weeks....then you CAN always speed up a little bit. This will give you a feeling of optimism and control.

-If, on the other hand, a person does things too fast - and later 'falls off the wagon' .....then they are usually very hard on themselves.

-I am FOR the first choice - which allows for greater success.

-David Mason

[Rawkinlocs]

You can definitely go for the gusto if you want to..some people do and do it very successfully and others have to take a more gradual approach.

Alissa advises going 100% because oftentimes, the slightest bit of cooked food either:

1. slows down your healing process if the person needs to be healed of something

2. causes you to leave the door open, even if just a crack, to the desires for cooked food

But everyone is different. I think that people do get hard on themselves when they begin eating 100% and then have something cooked but it happens whether you transition slowly into it or not. I mean, I didn't jump both feet into all raw but if I have something cooked, I feel badly (not get down-in-the-dumps-wanna-cut-my-tongue-out badly...just like, "Arrrgg why did I DO that knowing what the effects would be!?") Not because I feel I've "sinned" against an ideal, but moreso because of how cooked food makes "me" feel. And that's the case with many here. I don't see anyone eat something cooked, still feel great in their bodies YET beat themselves up; no, the feeling badly about having done it is because when they eat the cooked food, they express how they feel like utter crap (excuse my expression), or something that was getting better ailment-wise is now acting up again, or they got a really bad stomach ache or headache...stuff like that.

But those who eat lightly steamed veggies or brown rice or whatever and develop no ill effects, you won't hear them talking of feeling badly about having eaten it, etc.

So...having said all that, it boils down to you. Whether you go all the way in the begining or not, the important thing to remember is that this IS a process and even if you're eating all raw, you're STILL transitioning as in making a change from one thing to another and that you really should not develop feelings of guilt or shame if you "slip up" and eat something cooked later on because we have ALL done it at some point in our rawness or another.

Just try to pick right back up. I know that for me, if I do give into a craving for something cooked, afterwards I will usually just eat a piece of fruit or a salad or have a green smoothie just to get something healthy and living back into my body and try not to dwell on what I just ate.

So, if YOU want to go for it, then go for it! We stand behind you and are here to support you with your raw lifestyle whether it's 100% or 70%.

How about taking the 30-day challenge? Then you can decide from there, as many have, whether you want to continue at being all raw or if you want to slow it down a little. Get Alissa's book if you don't already own it!

[Sharon in Colorado]

If you want to take it slow & gradual I recommend the book "The Raw Detox Diet" by Natalia Rose. There are a lot of great ideas in this book, and 5 different levels, starting at 5 for SADer's to 1 for those already raw. There's even a section on social eating and eating within a family situation. This is the best bet if you don't feel able to give up everything at once, or don't want to go into too fast of a detox.

Another book I've heard of but haven't yet seen is an e-book by Tonya Zovasta called "100 days to raw" something like that - heard it's a great book, something you may want to check out.

Just found the link: http://www.beautifulonraw.com/html/100steps.html

If you want to switch to raw overnight, I highly recommend Alissa Cohen's "Living on Live Food" along with her DVD's which have tons of recipes and suggestions to keep the cravings at bay. The recipes are perfect for folks who want to stop eating all cooked animal and grain products, but still want the "taste" of their cooked food. All recipes use raw or living foods, some of the recipes can be amended if you don't want to use some items like cashews, nama shoyu, honey, seasonings, oils or vinegars.

If you are serious about being as pure as possible with the speediest kind of healing short of fasting, I would recommend following mono-dieting or natural hygiene principles. Dr. Doug Graham has a message board on vegsource (raw & sports) and his website www.doctorgraham.cc has several resources. I think he has a book coming out soon which contains my endorsement.

[willow]

Thankyou all - It is true for me that the cooked food that I allowed myself each day seemed to make it a little harder. It would start with just dinner having some cooked, then the line would creep a little closer to a snack before dinner, then all of a sudden it was earlier and earlier that I would start having some cooked.
My plan right now is to start the 30 day challenge on December 27, as that is after all family Christmas stuff and the temptations won't be as bad. I am going to Kripalu, a yoga retreat, for a long weekend towards the end of January, as the 30 days gets closer - should be a nice relaxing weekend to see how I really feel at the end of the 30 days.

[willow]

I forgot to mention, that I do have Alyssa's book that I picked up when I went to see her in NH a while back. It is a great book - I just need to try out some more recipes. I think I will get that book by Rose - it seems like alot of people like it.

[levamssg]

Willow ... do what feels right to YOU. I went 100% raw overnight - and it worked for me, but that is my nature -- all or nothing. I know without the slightest doubt if I take just a bit of cooked food, it would throw me off. So I don't.

Go at a pace you can deal with. There are so many recipes out there -- I discover new stuff all the time. There ae some great recipes in Alissa's book for sure -- in other books and sources on the web as well. Make it fun - enjoy the process.

Good luck on your thirty day challenge!!

[TimmyC]

Hi Willow,

In my humble opinion you are the only one that can decide this answer for yourself. For me, I went 100% overnight from a 38 year old SAD diet. It was the best thing that's ever happened to me. Whatever the decision is on how to get to 100% raw here's what I did and it became a lot easier:

1. I loved the decision on how I became 100% raw (overnight)
2. I commited to my decision
3. I went with my decision (still going strong) with 100% of my being.

Hope this helps.

Tim

[sweetgoddess]

Hi willow and welcome to the forum!
When you read through Alissa's book and see where she strongly advises 100 percent raw, you will see how she based this on 20 years of experience helping people, and seeing that the majority of people who try to transition slowly to 100 percent raw never get there.

100 percent works the best-if that is what you desire!
As was already stated, leaving that crack open is an interesting thing. If the door is never closed, then the pull and possibility are always there.

Going 100 percent raw is not only safe, it is ideal. You will quickly experience a level of vibrancy that you have never experienced before.
I also went to all raw overnight from a very very poor diet. It has changed my world.

Going for something with your whole being, makes a tremendous difference.

What do you think?

Warmly~
Carmel

[Rawmommie]

Yes, you can certainly go 100% and be safe. It's exactly what your body has been asking for all these years!

I went 100% over a year ago and then after 2 months decided I was going to try and transition slower and eat a few cooked foods. It was a slipperly slope for me and most of 2005 was spent going back and forth and struggling to stay raw and not binge. When I finally made the commitment to go 100% it was much easier and the struggling was over. :)

Good luck to you whatever path you choose!