Help!!! I was craving meat ....

[Princess Elaine]

Thank you everyone for all the help I'v gotten...I'm fairly new at this way of life...a few days short of 3 months raw...

In the past 15 years...been off and on again vegetarian...when I did eat meat it was chicken or fish...wellllllllllllllllll, yesterday I started craving red meat...I was visualizing a huge hamburger or a slab of prime rib...now I hadn't eaten red meat in 15 years ....this craving lasted a couple of hours...........ahhhh, thank goodness it passed cuz I was actually into the thought of oh, just go get one...

I shared this with a friend who is also eating raw....she said, oh, your body was telling you it needed those nutrients and you should of eaten it...I feel confused though cuz I'm quite happy with live food and don't wanna do the wrong thing...

Why was I having those cravings???? and what should I have done about it...is there something I'm missing? I seem to be eating a variety of foods...

Thank you for any help you can offer...

Elaine

[VibinOnLife!]

Hello,

I'm definitely no expert. But the same thing happened to me, although with a different food. It could be that your body is craving a certain nutrient. In that case I would just add a little more variety to the diet.

It could also be an emotional attachment, recalling red meat was another way of subconsciously attaching yourself to a memory from your past. For instance, when I crave SAD ice cream, it's always when I'm warm, cozy, about to watch a great movie, or after I've had something really great and spicy to eat. So it's more emotional, and knowing that I can deal with it by having a huge smoothie and sending that dairy though far away.

It could have been that your system is detoxing something that had to do with that red meat that you ate years ago. It could be 15 year old impacted fecal matter moving through your system. It could be some of the pesticides, antibiotics, or steroids from that meat being eliminated, causing you to recall the memory of that meat.

Or maybe it's just that we have to remember that toxins, yeast, and parasites call to themselves what they need to survive and flourish. It's a nasty thought, but many times when we crave unhealthy foods it's because of exactly that. We have to remember that the disease is stronger than the cure and fights harder to survive. That's why unhealthy foods cause an immediate negative effect on the body and healthy foods slowly balance and heal the body. It's why we have to do twice as much to heal our bodies as we did to destroy them.

And lastly, maybe you just saw a SAD commercial that latched onto you and ya just couldn't get it out of your mind! :)

[VibinOnLife!]

Oh, and I almost forgot (as if I haven't written a book already ), it might also be a texture thing and maybe a few raw burgers might help you forget about red meat. I made some raw burgers with carrot pulp a couple of weeks ago and they were great! Even the texture was perfect. My SAD family loved them.

[Sharon in Colorado]

I do not agree with your friend. Cravings don't mean you need a nutrient. After all, if an alcoholic craves a drink, does that mean the craving should be given in to because there's a need for alcohol in the system? Of course not.

It is just another form of detox. Something could have triggered a memory which reminded you of meat, or something could have been detoxing out of you from when you used to eat meat.

[James Smith]

It could just be that you are bored with your food. Maybe you have been eating the same thing day in and day out. And you remember how cooked burgers from a restaurant have a variety of flavors and textures. In that case, you should probably try more / different flavors / textures.

I think it is possible that it could be a nutrient. I remember reading a long time ago that alcoholics crave alcohol because of sugar dependance. In other words, they do have a nutrient imbalance, just not the one they think.

[pdx kris]

I used to love cheeseburgers. And bacon. Ohhhh, did I love bacon. Especially bacon on a cheeseburger!

Very occasionally I crave one of those foods. Truly, what I tell myself is that if I still want it tomorrow, I can have it. And I mean it too. By the next day, I have firmly remembered why I don't eat meat. This technique works really well for me, for all cravings. Sometimes I DO end up eating the food tomorrow, but I have never in my experience doing this technique ended up eating an animal product the next day.

Maybe give it a try? Can't hurt!

[Princess Elaine]

Ahhhhhhhh, I just got back from the gym and am so thrilled with all your help...and it all makes sense...

...I am a recovering alcoholic so I TOTALLY know about that, in fact, yesterday when friend said that, it was the first thing that came to mind...gee, I'm craving a drink, must need to get drunk...ha! ha!....

I have noticed that on occasion I'm missing something REAL hot ...though in my life I'm one that has always liked food room temperature it usually isn't a problem...but that vision yesterday....and thank you for the suggestion of saying I can have it tomorrow...I do use 'just for today' in every walk of life...

I'm thinking I'm eating a variety of foods but definitely have the willigness to pay more attention . I'm so loving green smoothies...nearly every day I have one ...

I'm a massage therapist who works for a chiropractor in Newport Beach, CA and I have my green smoothie in the cupboard and nurse it most of the morning .

Thank you all for your attention to my question...this is such an awesome forum.

Elaine

[dreamrawalwz]

I think it's called "retracing" and is a form of detox. When I was raw I craved donuts and cakes and stuff. I had one donut hole in my LIFE when I was 7. Jus that little bit was stored in me for 12 years! EW!

[Princess Elaine]

Wow!!!! it is unbelieveable how long those toxins stay in our body...I did my first major detox about 12 years ago at Optimum Health Institute in San Diego...I'm glad they explained what would happen cuz I went through some major emotiional changes as well as physical, I remember tasting a drug I had taken many years before...I could feel it dripping down my throat within days it was a huge spiritual awakening where the sky opened up...this was day 4 of wheatgrass and juicing that newbiew do there. I guess I didn't think I was still so toxic that I'd be having those feelings....\

I'm glad I have you all to share what's going on ...as you know not all people in our life have the knowledge that only experienced raw foodies have...in fact, I'm afriad to mention anything cuz I'm sure the responsse will be "SEE"...I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO IT!...Ha! ha!....

Elaine

[Raw Magwene]

Maybe it's not meat, but fat you're craving. I was burger-jonesing the other night, but instead ate a 1/2 cup or so of macadamias. Craving handled.

[Princess Elaine]

....ahhhhhhhhhhh, thanks RawMagwene....that makes sense...especially since I'm usually repulsed by eating red meat so to crave it like I was...YIKES!!!...that feeling only lasted a couple of hours ...I went over to Good Mood Food and treated myself to a wonderful meal of raw lasagna...Yummy!!!

Thank you for your response...so many ideas and I'm grateful for my new friends who want to help me.

Today is 3 months of raw and I've only had a couple of tiny slip-ups which I'm glad cuz it showed me how I didn't feel good after eating cooked stuffing...tasted like wallpaper paste...didn't stop me from going back for more though...so I also saw the addiction kick in immediately for negative food.

Elaine