new from Seattle/Tacoma area

[flyinion]

Hi, well I don't really know what to say so I'll just give a little background. I'll say up front that I'm not currently Vegan or Raw. I've been doing a lot of research into Raw this last week or so. Prior to that a few years ago someone I worked with who is Vegan had monthly dinner parties that I attended a few times. Since then I'd thought about going Vegan a few times.......so it's not like I'm just all of a sudden looking for something new. I'm really not sure when I even thought about Raw for the first time but my first exposure to it I guess would be David Wolfe when he was on Sci-Fi channel's Mad Mad House, however they never "marketed" him as being a Raw Foodist if I remember correctly so I had no idea about it. My first exposure to Raw that I can really say I am aware of was on another reality show.......no I do NOT regularly watch these only a very select couple of shows have caught my interest.......called Amish in the City in which one of the city people was a Raw Foodist. That was probably the first time I'd heard about it. So about a week ago I'm doing research on vegan because I'd been thinking about changing my diet from SAD to that and thought about the raw food thing so I slapped "raw food" into Google and a week later I end up here after being recommended Alissa's book on another forum.

Well, I currently have her book/DVD combo on order and to be honest I'd start out with Raw tomorrow morning if I had any idea of how to do it and be eating properly so I guess I'll wait for the book to get here (on 3-day shipping) unless someone can offer enough basics to get me going. Originally I'd thought about doing something like 70% raw to start but the more I've been reading about cooked food, the more I want to just go 100% from day 1. I've seen some of the recipes from Alissa's book and I can't wait to play with them.........yes I'm a guy that can cook and can't wait to start "cooking" raw. Anyway, now that I've given the longest introduction in history I'll see you all around the forum.

[KimO]

Flyinion,
Glad you found you way to this site. I think most members would agree with me in saying until you get Alissa's book (you'll love it by the way), go to the journaling area of this forum and read what other people are eating etc.
It really helped me in the beginning. Basically, get rid of all your processed food and load up on fresh fruits, vegs, raw nuts, raw almond butter and have a blender and food processor handy. You can make it as easy or as hard as you want. I truly believe you'll love the way you feel and look after getting started.
Welcome and have fun. Looking forward to more of your posts.
Kim :)

[sweetgoddess]

Hey flyinion, a warm welcome to you neighbour. I am over in Port Orchard ( by Bremerton). Glad you found us! This is a great forum to find support and have questions answered as you discover and explore raw food. Alissa's book is definitely the way to begin!

Going 100% seems to truly be the easiest way to start out-I know that even the teensiest bit of cooked food seems to keep me attached to old habits and patterns. As someone else suggested, reading others journals to see what they eat and are experiencing is highly beneficial to help you begin.
www.fromsadtoraw.com has journals also and a ton of online recipes.
www.shazzie.com has a great journal that is highly inspiring and detailed.

Last week I was over in Seattle and went to a raw and vegan cafe. Check it out when your there, it was lovely.
http://www.chacocanyoncafe.com/

Also, this spring in Seattle, they are opening an AWESOME place called "Living Paradise"
http://www.livingparadise.org/home.html

There is also a raw seattle site:
www.rawseattle.org

Raw In Gig Harbor Team (The R.I.G.H.T. Way)
Gig Harbor, Washington
Meets once a month for a pot luck and/or educational meeting. close to Tacoma, Wa. which is just south from Seattle.
Breezi Peterson bobandbreezi@harbornet.com or 253-884-1954

In Tacoma, here's a great organic market and juice bar, they also sell raw books.
Natural Food Store
Marlene's Market & Deli
2951 S. 38th St.
Tacoma Washington
98409

Best wishes to you as you embrace raw food living~I hope to hear of your experiences!
Many blessings~
Carmel

[flyinion]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Oh and many thanks for that local info Carmel I'm sure it will be put to good use. You also answered a question I was going to ask as far as if there were any Raw restaurants in the Seattle area. I'd heard about Cilantro Live down in CA but that's a little far away and had been hoping there would be something similar up here.

[sweetgoddess]

You are welcome for the info! I really liked chaco canyon over in Seattle. It has a cooked vegan menu, a raw menu and a coffee/expresso stand and a juice bar`so you could go there with anyone and all eat. The people working were sweethearts. I just ordered the raw carrot cake 'cause I was on my way to a raw dinner and lecture..oooooo it was sooo yummy.
I am sure you will like it!
Best wishes~
Carmel

[SouthpawShelly]

Hello Flyinon! I am just getting acquainted with this forum and found your thread. I live in Sequim, Washington and am glad to see more of us in the area. My husband & I were 100% raw for a while and then slipped back to the vegan diet. I want to get back to 100% raw but right now I'm at about 60%-75%. I'm finding it harder this time because I can't find good, quality fresh fruit & vegetables. Anyway, I just wanted to saw welcome! Thanks for starting this thread - I was so happy to see Sweetgoddess' reply with lots of good "local" information.
Blessed be.

[flyinion]

Yep SG posted some good info, I'm actually planning on hitting Chaco Canyon this weekend sometime with some friends of mine. Sounds like we have a lot of people from the general Puget Sound area here, so lots of resources for finding things.

Charles

[sweetgoddess]

SouthpawShelly~ Here's a link for you.

http://www.nashsproduce.com/

It is an organic farm in Sequim...you can join their CSA, pick up stuff at their farm etc. :)

[Mieke Benton]

Sweetgoddess, you are a source of information! You must research a lot!
Can I ask what you astrology sign is?
Actualy I would love it if people mention that. Maybe I post a message with this question.

If I see what is out there in Seattle! I would love to be in a place where raw is more out in the open. Maybe I have to creat something here.

I started raw also after waiting for the books to arrive, the books "raw family" and 12 step program to raw. I recommend reading "raw family" as a motivator. That did it for me!

[sweetgoddess]

Well gracious can't you tell? I am Leo ! ;)

[Mieke Benton]

well,

I can tell on the reply you just gave me!

I am virgo, cancer rising, libra moon en mars in leo

Fun to know!

[SouthpawShelly]

I'm a virgo!
Thanks, SG. I used to live next door to Nash's Produce Store! I buy my juicing carrots there every week and we buy most of our greens there. Right now the greens are limp and not lasting very long at all. But I know this is just temporary! In the summer and fall, he has the best variety of greens and brings stuff over from the Seattle markets.
I just miss having fresh fruit and a nice variety of choices. Perhaps I'm just too picky or my expectations are too high!???
Nonetheless, thank you for thinking of me! You're the best :)

[rawpriestess]

Welcome

I too am in Washington, Yelm just south of Tacoma

There are marvelous places here, also the Olympia raw group has pot lucks once a month, and meetings.

I have to wait until they send me something to get the info though.

I've never gone, except for classes 4 years ago.

blessings,
rawpriestess