The Youngin's Thread

[Pipen17]

I can SO relate to that! My grandpa asks me EVERY time I see him to eat pie or icecream or cookies or whatever. Maybe its his old age lol but its like it doesn't register in his head that I don't eat certain things. Especially with being vegan, people are like, "Just a TINY bit of milk/cheese/egg isn't goping to kill you, just eat it!" like they get some satisfaction from me eating it. They are always like, "why don't you eat dairy, an animal didn't DIE for that food!" I just tell people I don't support animal SLAVERY either.

Geeze! It drives me crazy! When i was younger and didn't really understand why we had become vegetarians my grandma took me out to lunch at a sea food place and told me fish isn't meat and that i should eat up. Nobody gets it... it's like their minds only undersatnd to a certain point and then after that...
My mom and i were talking the other day how my grandma prob. asks herself everyday, "Where did i go wrong?!?!" My mom grew up in a really old fashioned southern town where they had bacon and eggs for breakfast every morning! Now my mom is soooooo different. But i'm glad my grandma has noticed the weight loss on both of us cause otherwise she might excommunicate us from the family.

[Random Violin Guy]

hello guysss

im 20.

the hardest part being raw for me is when people either fuss over me ("well what on earth is SHE going to eat!?!?") after i already tell them NOT to worry and that ill be fine.....and when people dont respect my firm decision to be raw and cant understand why i cant have "just a little bit of pie" or "just a scoop of cheesy mashed potatoes"

i really wish we were more of a "live and let live" culture. i KNOW we are in comparison to many places in the world, but i still think we have a ways to go

I couldn't help but chuckle when I read this. You see, when you use negation, the unconscious mind doesn't process it. My brother and I had fun with this one time when we went to visit my oldest brother. My mom had asked us to call her when we got there. So my brother called her up and said, "Don't worry, we're fine." We couldn't get her to calm down after that. Hehe.

[Firicia]

firicia where in canada are you?

Good old British Columbia:)

[Alissa]

Please scroll down in the forum. There is now a section for raw teens.
Enjoy!

[trinity082482]

Hello! I am 24 years old.
I have a 3 year old son and since being raw his diet is so much healthier as well! He isn't raw but he gets much more fresh fruit and veggies than any other child I know of!
I have been living raw for a while now because of health issues that are now gone but I am sure if I maintain a raw life style I can keep those issues from coming back.
I recently went into our health foods store to purchase some Salba seeds and the lady at the counter told me I was one of the only people of my age group to frequent the store. I explained to her that I am about alternative therapies and that I live the raw way and etc.. and she seemed so happy to hear that. Then she says..

"You are doing a wonderful thing for your son by starting him off right"

I thought awwe!! It made my day!

[Rawzula]

I just turned 24 June 1st. I fell off the raw wagon back in April. I'm back on again due to more health issues.

Meat is like a drug to me...very VERY addictive and habit-forming. I'm glad I found Raw Food Talk. Talking with like-minded people really helps.

[blueberrygirl]

Hello to everybody!
I will turn 22 in Aug 19th.... 95-100% raw for three weeks and contuning, glad to meet simliar age people on board!

I am doing well but tomorrow will be bit hard... my friend will have party.. I need to think what to bring...

I live in Michigan

[laureliz85]

I am 22 and just starting to go 100% raw. The hardest thing for me is that everyone thinks I have an eating disorder or something even though I EAT A TON! I am a runner and naturally thin anyway, but when they see me only eating veggies, etc everyone jumps to conclusions. Just because I choose to fill up on salads and fresh fruits and veggies does not mean I am depriving myself! I work at a summer camp and bring my own food to eat at the cookouts and campfires, and I definately get some strange looks. I don't let what other's think bother me too much though, because I know I am getting so many benefits from a raw diet.

[laureliz85]

Hey blueberrygirl..where in MI? We are close to the same age and both starting out with raw food. It would be cool to keep tabs on how the other is doing- motivation, encouragement etc :)

[MelonManiac]

I'm 19 and just getting into this raw food lifestyle, and when I told my mom she immediately thought it was crazy and told me I had to eat some cooked food, and then proceeded to make my favorite cooked meal for dinner that night haha ... I go back to college in September and will be living in a beach house with 3 of my guy friends, who also think it's crazy to eat raw but wont try to stop me. So I am anxious for it to be September so my mom stops tempting me with cooked food lol. Friends don't eat out too much so it's not that big of a deal, I just get a plain salad with no dressing if we go out.

[Rossk]

Im 19 live in england, through depression i stop associating with people my age group around 16 when they went to college , they just were too silly for me .
im strongly against the whole going out getting wasted and falling down culture they all think life is about .
People at work dont know im raw they just think im odd and eat only fruit and vegtables but meh no big deal .

[britaniefaith]

I am 22 and for me the hardest part is definitely the social aspect... especially with drinking... it seems like I am the only person my age who doesn't drink and isn't interested in getting wasted everynight in order to have fun and that's hard to explain to people. Alot of people do not understand why I eat the way that I do, they think it's ridiculous and insist that it's "not healthy" because I'm "not getting protein or nutrients"... but I'm sure they know alot, considering most times they are telling me these things about how my lifestyle is NOT healthy, they are in the middle of eating a pizza or donut. Makes alot of sense right? haha. I don't pay attention and I know that the way I eat is the right and healthy way but it does get frustrating and lonely at times... but whenever I need support or inspiration, I just come online and go to this forum or other raw food websites and I remind myself AGAIN why I am doing this and I feel okay again.

I do wish more people my age were open to learning new ways of eating and more interested in their health and helping themselves and others but I think sometimes it just takes one person to spread the word around and slowly but surely more people will come around. :)

[mattm]

Hi britaniefaith, great words and I welcome you to this wonderful little forum for us youngins. Your pics are truely inspiring and a testament to the wonders this lifestyle can work....I don't know how on earth after looking at those anyone could say that raw is bad for you:). I see you share with me the attitude of just getting on with your life, being confident in what your doing and ignoring any negativity which is great. My friends (all SAD) respect me for being determined and confident in what I do and open about it with them. I also make sure I still go out and socialise as much as the next guy...if I go out to eat with friends I will order a large sald which everywhere I've been to eat is fine with knocking up and if we go out and people are drinking I just get water. I frankly couldn't care a less what people think or if I get the 'no-alcohol stares', I'm determined to have a good time and every night I do...at the end of the day a lot of it is pyschology, frame of mind!! Oh and everyday I wake up and take a look in the mirror, I think of all the problems I had all those years ago, what I used to look like etc and I don't need another second of incentive to lead this lifestyle...it is truely a gift.

All the best and again welcome.

[laureliz85]

Hi guys. I have been totally raw for one week yay! and i'm feeling great! I plan to keep this up but one of my friends is getting married on June 30th and I just realized that I will probably have to bring my own food to the wedding. I know weddings are a huge social gathering and are somewhat centered around the food. I was wondering what you guys thought would be appropriate to do in that situation. I don't really want to bring a cooler or anything, so I was goign to maybe bring an avocado and some other things in a bigger purse. Most of my friends who will be there don't know about my going raw yet, and I am sort of dreading having to be there and explain why I am not eating. Any advice?

[Pipen17]

I know weddings are a huge social gathering and are somewhat centered around the food. I was wondering what you guys thought would be appropriate to do in that situation. I don't really want to bring a cooler or anything, so I was goign to maybe bring an avocado and some other things in a bigger purse. Most of my friends who will be there don't know about my going raw yet, and I am sort of dreading having to be there and explain why I am not eating. Any advice?

Hey!
I know you can make a good trail mix with walnuts and raisins... so you could have that in a little baggy and casualy pull out handfulls sometimes... then it's won't look so obvious.
I don't know if in your area they have an place that would sell Larabars... but they are just raw fruit of carob bars (We found some at Krogers...) Then you could take those out of the packages before you go (so you're not pulling them out of bright green or orange packages and smiling at everyone while they're eating cake...) and eat them casually too.
I know it can be awkward at big social things but if you're well prepared you can make it look as if you're eating the little stuff they're eating!
Best of luck and congrats on your first week!!
-Pam

:)