Hello! a newbie who needs encouragement

[Sophia]

Hi everybody!
I found this forum a while ago and put it in my favourites , knowing that I will start reading it more seriously later. That "later" came :).
I have been a vegetarian since my last 7 years. Very convinced vegetarian. Though I rarely ate dairy products or eggs. In the beginning of my vegetarian years I used to keep Oshawa diets a couple of times a year to detoxify my body. And I used to fast one day per week, with just water or basil tea, and that day felt so great!!! i remember I had such a clear mind! But somehow, i stopped doing the purifying diets and the fasting. i remember I even had a period of time when I used to eat only raw stuff, like almonds and raisins.
years ago I met my husband, and then got married and then more than a year ago , moved in the States. Got pregnant, had lovely twins and a veeeery busy schedule. and that meant eating lots of processed foods, which in my opinion is poison. So since I moved here, I noticed that my health suffers more and more. Of course I have been very tired for months, being mom of twins is not easy at all. But I got yeast infection, like every single month. I used the Monistat, but what is the point of keeping poisoning me? It doesn't work. 2 weeks ago, I woke up at 5 a.m. with a great urge to go to the toilet and I was horrified to see that my urine was bright red, with a lot of blood!!! I went to the emergency of course, and I got a prescription for antibiotics for 10 days. So...more poison. And after that, of course, i got an yeast infection, which I try to fight right now.
Being so desperate with this yeast infections, I got a ebook " Yeast infection no more". The cure there consists basically in raw food. So this is how I introduced myself into raw world. A few days ago I started to eat only fruits and salads and drink water and tea ( no more bottled juices ). And the Candida symptoms disappeared, though I know it is still there, it doesn't die that easily. My skin looks so much better ( i had problems since I was a teen, but now I begin to wonder if it is not somehow related to the Candida infection ). Of course I have those mild headaches ( which proove the detoxification, right? ) but my mind feels clearer.
Now , my challenge is that my husband is a meat eater, not even a vegetarian. But since he saw me fighting this Candida since so long, he won't say anything about changing my diet. My babies are so far vegetarian and I really hope they will preffer it this way at least.
I feel myself very new and not knowing enough. When I look at the raw recipes , it seems there are so many ingredients that I don't know where from to buy them. I wonder how expensive they are. How long does it take to cook. So many other questions...
Hee hee...my babies started to cry so I have to finish my story.
So, considering my situation, will I be able to be raw? ( I don't want to stay in the kitchen all day cooking for everybody ). I really want to be healthy. i have a whole life ahead anf I don't evn want to think about being ill. My opinion is that we are meant to live healthy and be healthy every day of our life, and our illnesses come only from our actions.

[Maddy]

HI Sophia

And welcome

You have abusy life but there are lots of folks on here who can sympathise and the support is awesome

Good luck on your journey

You don't have to do complicated recepies I already eat very simply alot of the time but it does take a little time to get used to it all - afterall we are trying to change the habits of many many years

[StarFire]

Aloha and Welcome Sophia!! How wonderful that you have found your way to RFT!! If you do not have Alissa's book and DVD -- that is a wonderful way to start transitioning into the RAW FOODS. Alissa's book is an amazing wealth of information and recipes that will help guide you successfully into this lifestyle. There is even a 30 day plan (right down to the shopping list ~ lol!!)

take a look at these links when you get some time!!
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...ight=LOLF+book

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17

blessings on your journey!
RAWK ON!!

[smarison]

Hi Sophia, I have twins also, they are 3 1/2 now. I truly felt like I was loosing my mind the first couple years and do believe raw would have helped. I eat very simple green smoothie for breakfast, salad with lettuce brocolli and carrots with Alissa's basic dressing for lunch, and another green smoothie for dinner. For snacks I do an apple with raw almond butter and or frut and some raw nuts. I have a husband also who is a big meat and junk eater and I don't even go there. I do try to offer my girls fruits and veggies, but they are not raw by any stretch. Welcome.

[Sophia]

Thank you for your nice messages!:)
My twins are 1 year old and today I gave them some of my green smoothie ( kale, tomatoes and cucumber ) and they ate more than i expected! The taste was pretty strong for myself, so I thought they wouldn't like it so much. But it looked like they liked it more than me.
I try to keep a 3 days juice detox, today would be the first day, and I already feel so dizzy .
If it would be only me , I wouldn't worry so much, but I have to take care of the babies, so I wish I wouldn't feel too bad these days.
Thank you again for your nice words and I wish you all the bests!

[Shoney]

you're off to a great start! Awesome that your babies are vegetarians too. Go, Mom! :)

I have been coming and going with raw for about five months, struggling with various things, but keep returning to my body wanting raw. Funny thing is, when I think about eating raw (or close to it) compared with cooked, I feel happy. I can get excited about keifer, but not a chocolate milkshake. Alas.

Good luck, I look forward to hearing how you fare in this.

[RawTruth]

A few days ago I started to eat only fruits and salads and drink water and tea ( no more bottled juices ). And the Candida symptoms disappeared, though I know it is still there, it doesn't die that easily.

Sophia, this is exactly what you should be eating to rid yourself of Candida. Bravo! What a great job you're doing. Continue avoiding fats (plant fats: nuts, avocados, coconuts) for a while and the Candida should be totally gone. It took me about 2 weeks of this and mine was gone and hasn't returned even though it's been several years of eating plant fats again.

You can certainly continue eating simply rather than making complicated gourmet recipes ... and what an opportunity to start your beautiful babies on healthy lives.

A few hints: green smoothies can be very palatable using Victoria Boutenko's formula -- 16 oz. of water, 60% fruit and 40% green leaves (spinach & kale combination isn't that strong, maybe some dandelion greens or whatever else). The "green" comes from green leaves rather than vegetables. That way it's sweet but you're also getting the fantastic aminos and nutrients from the green leaves (www.rawfamily.com).

Also, if you haven't already done so, visit www. gardendiet.com not only to see a fantastic raw family with small children but because they espouse a simple diet with no dehydrated recipes and everyone is thriving.

Best of luck to you at this beginning of what can be a life-changing, marvelous adventure.

[Sophia]

Your messages are so encouraging! My babies just gave me a HARD time this afternoon, and on top of this I had a mild headache and felt dizzy all the time. And I was just thinking to eat popcorn ( I know, I know, I shouldn't , I won't!!! ).
Oh, this fight with Candida is looong, over many years I would say, only in the last year was too much and I have the feeling that it will eat me alive,if I won't do something.
I do try to feed my babies as healthy as possible, I couldn't breastfeed them for a long time ( only four months and that with a breastpump ) and I really want them to be healthy and to have healthy eating habits. My husband eats a lot of junk food and drinks a lot of power juices made with all kinds of sugars, flavors and chemicals. I know he is not a good eating model. I just hope they will follow my example. I read that somewhere ( that kids follow mommy's diet ), I hope it is true.
Oh, my goodness, you will laugh, my green smoothie from today was so thick! I didn't know I was supposed to put water in! Hee, hee! I ate it with a teaspoon, and it was STRONG. I just thought smoothie means to put the greens together and mix it. I need to read more about recepies :). And make more wild mixtures.
Thank you again for your support! You are great people!

[spicyfull]

I wish you everything you need to Stay RAW.......Welcome to MY World.