Frustrated with the "just eat raw food" advice

[rawpriestess]

sounds like you are feeling better, thanks to Rawkinlocs, isn't she great?

We all love you Rawkie, you RAWK!

[sport]

I know that there is a problem with things that you thought were raw and it turned out that they are not and you say to yourself that you may as well be eating cooked.
You must remember that there are different degrees of cooked. I know that it is possible that the dates that I eat may have been subjected to some heat but that is still better than being subjected to a lot of heat over a long period. The enzymes start to break down at 118F but it is a gradual process so flash heated dates are still better than cooked rice.
I buy garanteed raw whare I can and in an ideal world I would not have to make this choice but if I am only going to eat things that carry a cast iron garantee (and I intend that someday I will) then I will find my transition far more difficult.

[BerryGirl]

Rawkinlocs, you have a wonderful way of writing your thoughts. I appreciate your comments so much-- it's exactly what I need right now.

Tombi, I love your phrase about now that we're on the path all we have to do is hop! This isn't a race, or a competition to see who's more raw. It's about being better than we were before coming here. We can't be perfect-- we're human and we'll eventually make a mistake somewhere. All I have to do is hop. Thank you!

[pea]

I understand how you feel Jenna Rose.

I've been trying raw the past month, but yesterday was my actual 7th day of raw food. Then I tried this carrot dip recipe from a "raw" book and it called for tahini and soy sauce (well, tamari anyway), both of which aren't raw (I think). This had a bit of an effect on my tummy, especially the soy sauce which definitely wouldn't be raw. I didn't even like the taste of it. But I understand how you might be worried that these almost raw foods are kinda inhibiting you to be completely raw, or at least tempting you to cooked food. Maybe you should cut those things out completely? At least try it out and see you how you go.

[Rawkinlocs]

Thanks RP and Berrygirl!

[seand11]

Of course, I guess it could be that the herbs/spices and olive oil may be triggering a craving for cooked.

bingo.

if it looks like cooked food, tastes like cooked food, sits and digests like cooked food, then it might as well be cooked food. certainly it will create cravings for cooked food. in my opinion, the addiction is in the strong flavors, excitotoxins, heaviness (comatose during digestion), etc.

[fiddler]

bingo.

if it looks like cooked food, tastes like cooked food, sits and digests like cooked food, then it might as well be cooked food. certainly it will create cravings for cooked food. in my opinion, the addiction is in the strong flavors, excitotoxins, heaviness (comatose during digestion), etc.

I heard Doug Graham say almost verbatim this very thing on his "Making Friends with Food" DVD. Did you quote him?

I agree, btw. Keeping a bit of cooked food in the diet keeps the cravings alive. Also, some of the gourmet dishes will also cause heavier/cooked food cravings. Spices especially. At least that's been my experience so far in my own brief raw journey.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Eat it as long as it's fresh...is another way I look at it. Fresh meaning it came off a tree or found in the produce section. Whole fresh and ripe.

Centering your main meals around fresh foods first is what you may want to try to help your body get to its goal.

Then when you have a craving and/or feel a strong pull toward something more familiar and heavy, then use the recipes, the Lara Bars, the cashews, the nut butters, spices, condiments, oils etc. Fiddler is right about havnig a little of that non-fresh stuff kicking up cooked cravings, it happens with me too. But the important thing is continuing to move forward even if there's a bump in the road.

It is also important to know that difference between fresh and "raw". I find it helps me because I will indulge in something I know is not really fresh, but it's the knowing that is important to me.

When I first went raw years ago I was blindly eating cans of olives like there was no tomorrow. Either I was hopeful that they were truly raw or in complete denial, but those canned olives really got out of hand. Another time I allowed myself a raw dairy item as a crutch to stay on the raw path, but realized it was becoming too much of a crutch, so I stopped that. I tried to reason that because it was 'unpasteurized' it was raw, but my senses caught up with me that it was neither a fresh or whole food.

So the most important thing to me is, knowing what I'm putting in my body, whether it is a fresh or non-fresh food, and working toward a goal of more fresh food.

[heabrook]

Jenna rose,

My best advice for you is to not beat up on yourself. Like everyone else said, this is a journey and a transition. Do the very best you can and be kind to yourself. The worst possible thing is to beat up on yourself because you are only able to be 50-60% raw. Everyone is doing the best they can with what they have, including you.

Your profile says that you live in South Carolina. I met my husband there, he was born and raised in Walhalla, SC. We moved from there several years ago to Arizona and now we live in Colorado. I can understand how you feel because when we lived in SC, the closest large health food store (with produce, etc) was 45 miles away from us, yikes!! It definitely is easier when you live in a place with abundant health food stores. We are so spoiled now, living in Colorado (and Arizona had plenty of Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc...) because we have farmers markets, tons of health food stores etc.... It would be way too hard to go back to a place that did not have all that.

In your situation, you can only do the very best -- which it sounds like you are. Also, you can request raw stuff from the health food stores that you have. They may be happy to oblige, and you would be spreading the word about raw foods.

Best to you... stay positive!
-heather

[Cinnamon]

I also really appreciate the post from Rawkinlocs and have found the real freedom in eating raw by letting go of my concerns if certain foods I eat are truly raw or not. Like almond butter, cashews, oat groats, and spices. When the rest of my diet (99%) is fresh whole fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, then the few items that aren't really raw just don't matter, I'd been so overly concerned that I was driving myself nuts! I'm having more fun with my food, the recipes, and just eating raw. What ever I want, any time of the day or night, dessert for breakfast or breakfast for dinner... it is so much easier for me now.

[jimi]

[QUOTE=Rawkinlocs]Jenna Rose, Sweetie...


The thing is, I don't get cravings for cooked food...I get seduced by it when it's around me.


Bingo!
This is the challenge. Raw foods are very satisfying and sometimes inconvenient. Cooked foods are often convenient/seductive( the smell produces a hunger reaction) and seldom satisfying(beyond immediate gratification).

Pursuing delayed gratification challenges us all. But every day is a new day that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.

[marigold]

brill brill words by rawkins..i never get cravings either but..and how true too about settling for basically raw even if the nut is steamed out its shell..dont recall anyone ever saying this before..so true..it should be in a book!
love marigold