Family gone raw! :)

[Rawkinlocs]

I posted this last night, but it was accidentally deleted...so, here goes again and RawTruth, Melissa, Caramba, and Allison, thanks again for your comments and I'll "try" to revisit them at the end of the post:

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A remarkable thing happened today!!

Now, I arose this morning with the best intentions as far as my eating was concerned. But alas, my son wasted his waffle and I finished it off for him. BUT, that was the only cooked thing I had all day, which was great! But that's not the "remarkable" part.

I was sitting down making out my grocery list and there are a few stores we visit: Trader Joe's (mainly for their almond butter), The Natural Food Patch and Food Basics.

Now, Food Basics isn't a natural-type store, it's a regular grocery store BUT, they sell the Morning Star Farms products cheaper than I've ever seen anywhere else. So, I'd get those from there, but I was also getting other things that weren't so healthy.

But today, I sat there kinda disappointed to still be allowing certain things into my home. I mean, if I know they're bad, why feed them to my kids, right? So, I prayed and asked God for direction...for the longest I maintained the position that I didn't want to force raw on my kids.

But after my prayer, I began to finish writing my list and it just hit me...the entire family is to go raw and it WILL work out successfully! I began scratching off all the cooked items from my list and writing down other things that are raw. The more I wrote, the more excited and at peace I became.

I then went to my husband who had been a percentage of raw what he thought about going for the gusto. He said he thinks it's time as his joints were beginning to ache due to poor food choices he had made during the week. I talked to my kids and they took it well. I explained how it would work and they all seemed fine with it.

So, we went shopping and I didn't buy chips, no waffles, no Morning Star Farms, no bread or bagels, nothing but fruit, veggies, nuts and seeds! It felt SO good.

We are now in the process of setting up our kitchen to be a raw kitchen and my husband is just as excited as I am! My girls are kind of excited but my son is just kinda going with the flow, probably a little apprehensive as he'll miss all of his old favorites.

My plan is to have us eat kinda simply this week...smoothies, juices, almond butter, grawnola, zucchini and sweet potato chips, soaked/seasoned/dehydrated nuts, trailmix, fruit, veggies and maybe some crackers. Then perhaps after that, delve into recipes and perhaps the heaviness and density of those recipes will be greater accepted and appreciated. We'll see!

I'm so excited!! My husband also wants to get rid of our stove, so he is really serious about it this time!

Now I'll REALLY have no excuses! ;)

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Now, RawTruth, you pretty much congratulated me and said to keep you posted of how it goes and I said I would surely do that!

Melissa, you also congratulated and also suggested allowing the children to choose their own non-raw snack (from one mom to another). I replied by saying I wasn't sure about doing that...but that I DID offer the kids to be able to have lightly steamed veggies, brown rice, that sort of thing...kinda "Hallelujah Acres-style" if need be...but we'll play it by ear. I also mentioned how my 12-year old daughter, while we were shopping, said to me, "No more gum for you Mama" and I said to her, "Oh, I'm gonna chew my gum" and then she turned around and said, "But that will only make it worse if you keep allowing that". I told her she was very smart and that she was right. She realizes that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump!" ;)

Caramba, you sent congrats...thank you!

Allison, you said how excited you were for us and suggested rather than giving them NON-raw choices for snacks, give them raw snack choices instead and to allow them to eat whenever they're hungry in the beginning with no set "meal times" and as your children did, perhaps later they'll adjust back to their regular schedules. You also stated that overtime, their tastebuds will change and they'll probably appreciate raw gourmet more then as your kids did (but you're not so sure that is such a good thing) ;)

Thank you for your comments and suggestions as well :)

[Sweet lips]

I am excited for you and your family - as I know the struggle it is and can be! I have had some decandent raw snack and know that for my other food eating friends - that gobble them up quick fast and in a hurry.

Here at my home and this is kinda funny, our 17 year old prince (now, he does clean toilets and his room, he got that name because he is only only boy born to my family of all girls), will eat the some raw things. Since I do not buy other stuff - he creates his own version of foods with the ingredients there. So it has not been a stuggle that way.

Best wishes there and in my heart.

[Rawkinlocs]

Thanks Sweetlips! That's cool about Prince Andrew! ;)

[Pailani]

Wow, you're so lucky! To have your family so committed that they're ready to get rid of the stove!!

[sweetgoddess]

WOW~Cherie. I am SOOOOOOOoooo excited for you and for your family. That is AMAZING. What a blessing. And Divine guidance..beautiful.
Yah get rid of the stove now while everyones strong and resolved....lol..sell it! yeehaw. lol
This is great and gives me hope. Cant wait to hear more of your family journey into raw. :)
Warmly
Carmel

[Sharon in Colorado]

Hot dang woman, your family is on fire! And off the fire!

Rootin' for you down here with the omnivores...

[Rawkinlocs]

Thanks Pailani, SweetGoddess and Sharon of CO!

Yeah, the stove will be gone tomorrow ;)

So far so good...the kids seem pretty content, haven't seen any long faces or any signs of "Geez Mom, do we REALLY hafta do this?" LOL! So that's cool.

They've been doing juice, pizza crackers, cashews, and various fruits so far.

[Mieke Benton]

That is very exciting!

Just to let you know, we are here and it will be important that you have a place that supports you in times of doubt.
Just know we are all here!
Life goes in cycles and sometimes we all feel very strong and others times we loose strenght. So, remember when your motivation looses "oompf", keep talking!!!

[Rawkinlocs]

Awww, thank you Mieke! That was very sweet of you and you're right...in fact, the doubt had already began to set in...mainly on behalf of my oldest son.

I am just feeling very...I can't explain it, but he is just very limited in his food choices because he's SO picky! I'm kinda concerned about that with him.

I think he is gonna have to do some steamed stuff and rice for a little bit. I don't know.

[Mieke Benton]

How old are your children?
And your son?

You can also do this...
...set up one or two or three days a week where your family members can choose if they want to eat cooked foods or not.
So they can feel in controle and they feel they have a choice. It can empower them to make on those days the choice to eat raw and if they choose to eat cooked, they will not made wrong for it.
I think it is important that it is a choice and that it is not forced on you, or that it does not feel as a punishment.
Hey and maybe you and your husband give the example and let the children choose.
That is what I am doing. I am 100% raw and do not say anything. I see that they like to try everything and my 13 year old daughter prefers to eat raw but once in a while the cooked stuff does sounds so good for here that I suggest she eats what makes her feel good.
I think that is important.
So stay in the question!!! There is no wrong or right.

[Rawkinlocs]

They're 13 (my son I spoke of), 12, 6 and 2.

Now the thing is, the other kids are fine. There were often times when my girls would opt to eat fruit for dinner instead of the cooked food. My girls will eat salad while my son chooses to eat steamed greens or cabbage as he says he doesn't like salad anymore for some reason.

My 2 year old...oh he's all for raw! I had some of those barley burgers rawpriestess always eats (Alissa's meatloaf recipe made into patties) with her barbeque sauce on top and the cauliflower mashed "potatoes". I enjoyed the meal and my 2 year old, had a plate of it and then wanted seconds! He love most anything I make that's raw.

So, it's my oldest son who probably needs to take it slower? My husband still intends to get rid of that stove because he says it's a crutch. But we do still have a crock pot-type thing and a toaster oven. (more crutches huh? )

My 12-year old daughter told me several times that she really wants to go raw, but it's just hard on her when other stuff is in the house.

But you know what i think MY problem is here? I keep feeling as though he HAS to eat raw gourmet when in fact, he COULD just have a simple raw diet. He likes oranges, bananas, grapes, apples, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, (when juicing he always does a blend of apples, kale and/or spinach and lemon juice for tartness - he's into that sour stuff), nectarines, watermelon when in season, and he likes smoothies (with pretty much the same combo as his juice).

So, does that sound like a doable raw diet for the boy? He'd just have to have enough of those things so he can eat whenever hungry until he's full, right?

[peacelover]

Rawkinlocs......That is soooo awesome. I love that your family is getting into this with you.....

I have a 13 year old son too. He is really involved in football,BBall, track etc.

I am concerned about his protein intake as he is 5 foot 9 already and 160 lbs. His dad is 6 foot 5 so he will be a tall man.

He does not like too many veggies. I mean corn, celery, fresh snow peas and green beans and broccoli with tons of cheese is it....He will eat any fruit I put in front of him.

He wants to do this with me but I am starting him slow.

I am making a lot of smoothies and throwing in the 'green stuff' so he gets it and doesn't notice.

He is drinking some fresh juice with carrots and more green stuff....

I am asking for his help in making my recipe experiments. This makes him more interested in eating things too...he made it and so he wants to try his 'creation'......

I do not know if he will ever give up the burgers..he was vegan until a he turned 10. But I am okay with that. He can make his own choice and I trust that when it is right he will choose better for his body....

Not sure if this helps but I thought I would offer what I am working on with mine-

The 13 year old daughter is going to be a bigger challenge as this is so NOT in with her 'crowd'-

Thank Goodness I am not 13 anymore

Best of luck to you and your fam on this fun journey!
Melissa

I forgot to say that I got him off his snack foods by taking him to the krafty foods website and teaching him about genetically engineered corn,,,the fly DNA made him give up a lot of that snacky stuff

[Mieke Benton]

I think that sounds very healhty to me!
Try it out. It is all about experience and learning. You cannot do it wrong.
Your children will notice that you are trying the best you can and on deeper levels they feel that.

Keep sharing and experimenting. This is very exciting!

[Rawkinlocs]

Peacelover, thank you for sharing your experiences and for your suggestions.

Thank you again Mieke.

Well, so far so good. I watched and observed my son throughout the day and he seemed fine. But tomorrow I'm going to ask him how he felt and how he feels and ask him what he'd like to do (the HEALTHIEST options...going back to that junk stuff is NOT an option!) and see if he wants to try this out for a while or do a high-raw thing for a while.

[rawpriestess]

Dear Rawkinloks,

It sounds so wonderful what you are doing for your family,

I think they KNOW that you are doing this because you care about them.

We are all waiting to hear how it goes.

Rawpriestess