Lifestyle changes and spouse support

[naturesgarden]

Hello. I was diagnosed with severe allergies in May and I am considering a severe lifestyle change.

I want to start off with the master cleanse and flush the toxins from my body before I start adding pure/raw foods. I did attempt the cleanse in the spring but failed due to unforeseen circumstances (fiance and dinners out). I am looking at going the raw food route, unfortunately my fiance is a hardcore fast food, meat & potatoes kind of guy and thinks that a lemon cleanse or raw food eating is absolutely absurd. How do you have your spouse support you when you decide on this lifestyle change when they are so set in their ways?

Also, being that we are well into fall, this is when I like to have hearty soups, stews, chili, cabbage rolls etc. How do you adapt from a lifetime of eating this way to a raw food lifestyle? Are there recipes for hearty, warm soup type meals without killing off the nutrients?

[luckitri]

Just eating raw will help you detox alot of old stuff. Personally I haven't tried a cleanse or a fast yet although I have done weekend juice fasts. As you read through the threads - especially the recipe one - you will learn how to cope with the cold and the desire for warm foods. You can slightly warm them but not enough to kill them and you can learn that here.

Family support - well I don't have that but when I get my equipment I will be able to create the dishes to entice them. I have no problem with eating raw mono foods (one at a time) but they will need me to make their comfort foods in raw form (spaghetti - pizza).

[JEN]

The easiest way to go raw is with Alissa's book and this site full of support and information. If you want warm foods, get a dehydrator for warming and making transitional dishes. Get a good blender for soups. You can make all of the things you listed above in the dehydrator if you want them warm. Alissa has simple easy to make recipes that are delicious and keep you from straying to cooked. The only thing about fasting is having the focus to stick to your fast and not getting so hungry that you eat cooked. I would start with eating raw and then fast only when your body tells you intuitively to fast. By eating raw you will eventually get to the point of your body telling what you should be eating and not eating. I have been raw since April this year and my body is now telling me to start fasting. I am starting with 1 and 2 day juice fasts for now. Dont want to get tempted to eat cooked. I will see where it takes me from here. It has been a wonderful journey so far.

Enjoy the journey
Jeannie

[swingbolder]

Even if your partner doesn't eat the way you do, s/he can still support you.

My husband does not eat raw food, it is rare for a piece of raw fruit or vegetable to pass through his lips, but he supports me 100%. I too had terrible allergies, including asthma, and once he saw how much eating raw truly improved my health he decided to do whatever he could to help me. Mostly that includes preparing delicious raw meals for me so that I will not be tempted to eat cooked food. He makes me soups, breads, sauces and other dishes when I am too busy to make food for myself. He also makes sure the cupboard/fridge is fully stocked, and will make a special trip to the health food store if I run out of something.

[ljcoolj]

My hubby is also a meat and potatoes guy. He supports me though, which I'm thankful for but he always USE to say 'I'm not eating that stuff". Well, everytime I make something new I ask him to taste it. He has been surprised by how much he loves some of the raw concoctions. He also enjoys a fruit smoothie for dinner every now and then. Once I get further along in my journey and he see's all the positive changes, I have no doubt that he'll want to join me. Be patient, take care of yourself thru raw food and he may surprise you down the line!!

[Sharon in Colorado]

My family supports the raw food diet, and although they are not 100% raw, they do eat quite a bit of it. It is not hard to work around - no matter what you aren't going to like/eat the same things even if you are all cooked.

[StudentforLife]

My new husband is amazing. I think when I first started talking to him a couple of months about doing raw, he didn't buy it. But when I exposed him to it long enough and told him about the benefits he thought it was ok.

I've been 100% (with one little slip up that made me want to stay raw even more), for three weeks now and he has been the best. For a guy who thinks hamburger helper is delicious he's eating a lot more fruit because that is mostly what we have in the house now. Any time I would start to crave cooked food he would say, "Don't do it. You'll be so disappointed after you eat it. You've worked so hard on this."

I think it's really important for a spouse to take your beliefs seriously. He himself is straitedge,(has never taken any alcohol, smokes or other drugs and never will), so I think that helps.

[naturesgarden]

Thank you everyone for your info, it is really helping. I still have a lot to learn, but I think that I can pursue a raw lifestyle.

With the holiday season approaching do you have any suggestions as to a meal that I can have and enjoy while everyone else in my family devours turkey dinner?


thanks
Sharron

[Nenyath]

Hi Sharron!

I really hope you will enjoy raw! I've been on the journey with up's and down's since february but I feel great! My mate went raw with me in the beginning but felt it wasn't the time for him. He eats meat, burgers, pizza etc. but he does intend to go raw eventually and he supports me fully. I found that those who have been most skeptic have come to accept that I eat raw because of the way I look now and the dishes I can serve them.. As for hearty winterfood, I can only second the soups. My fav at the moment is tomatosoup, just a generous amount of both sundried and fresh tomatoes, a little oliveoil if you like and a small bunch of parsley. It is good lightly heated on the stove too though I often just enjoy it cold.

Have fun, play around with recipes and new fruits!

Fly forever free..

[exurb]

Are there recipes for hearty, warm soup type meals without killing off the nutrients?

spicy curries, chili, spicy asian "stir frys", etc., etc., etc., in addition to the soups. "mexican" food is also awesome for that, hearty, satisfying, etc. A good "pizza" with hearty toppings. there's lots.