New to raw - Santa Cruz CA area

[GypsiAnsara]

Hello all!
What an inspiring board! I've been poking around here all week as I begin my transition to raw.
Little intro: 32, female, married with a 4yr old daughter (following unschooling principles), my mother lives with us, lacto-vege for 17 years - all vege household. Normal weight around 130 lbs. Currently around 145 (don't have a scale) - since my weight has basically remained constant for 15 years, this is a big change for me and doesn't feel good.
I went back to work last winter (in an office "over the hill" 3 days a week, home 2 days a week), and since then have been eating less, gaining weight, always tired, stressed, drink too much caffeine, need "help" to fall asleep... clearly doing it all wrong!
Last Friday I decided to give raw a try after reading all the insanely positive testimonials and stories on the internet! I felt like something was shaken up in my core - I could feel that this was a journey I had to make and I could not resist it. I was raised in a pretty natural way, and ayurvedic principles have definitely played a part in my diet - so have stayed away from too many raw foods and they weren't considered good for my constitution! I read somewhere that this does hold true if you are eating cooked food - and when your body adjusts to eating raw, it changes completely and that doesn't apply anymore. Guess I'll find out!
We went to Costco on Saturday, because I was convinced that the Vita-Mix table was there - and they were! We had him demo everything he could for us and bought one. We bought lots of vegetables at the health food store and I made an absolutely horrid soup for dinner. (Honestly, I am a very good cook. People rave about my soups. But the raw soups are so far eluding me! I do not want to dump out any more very expensive organic concoctions!)
Then Sunday I got a massive bonk to the head quite accidentally by my daughter. I had a headache that got worse and worse, and I was throwing up - my hubby thought I had food poisoning from the salad bar the day before. I don't know if it was that or a concussion... but either way, a difficult way to begin this journey! I also decided to come off of caffeine at the same time after that. So it is now Friday, 6 days almost totally raw - for some reason I thought Manna bread was raw and ate one loaf spread out over the week. I had a headache the whole time until yesterday. Maybe TMI - but did an enema and it left and hasn't come back. I woke up before my alarm went off this morning and I just felt good. I'm feeling very committed to this dietary change, and it hasn't been difficult to be around my family who are still eating cooked food.
The only thing that is frustrating me is the amount of time it is taking me to make things because I don't really know what I'm doing. But I assume it's just the natural learning curve and will get easier, especially with a board like this to help me.
Being in the Bay Area seems to be a really good thing as well. I've eaten at La Vie in Santa Cruz, and hear there are others around that I will try to find and check out.
If there is anyone near here who would like to contact me with local tips I'd much appreciate it!
Cheers!

[ski bumette]

Welcome to our raw world. It can be quite an adventure when you first start out. I've been raw for 10 days now and although my body doesn't feel as bloated and yucky as it did before I started from eating cooked foods, my head and stomach aren't quite in the right space yet. I have good days and then not so good days. I'm sure you'll find the same thing. I'm sure it'll take time to figure out what foods make us feel great and which ones tend to make us feel not so good, depending on our individual bodies. I ate raw for 4 months (April - July 2006) so I kind of know what to expect detox wise but each person is different. I have 2 cookbooks and have gotten recipes from this group and have made quite a few things and like you have had a few disasters. It's a hugeeeee learning curve. I think it's because our taste buds are so adjusted to the taste of cooked foods that it'll certainly take more than a few weeks to adjust to raw foods and the way of preparing them. I do great for breakfast and lunch but dinners are so so..... I'm willing to work thru it to find my way and I'm sure you will too. I haven't made any soups as yet so can't give any advice about their preparation or good recipes.
Good lucky to you (and to all the rest of us).

[Rawsome Ginger]

Welcome!! I'm in modesto!!

[spicyfull]

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

[StarFire]

Aloha and welcome to RFT.... So glad you have joined us!

BEST TIP IN THE WORLD.... get Alissa's book and DVD!!! These two tools saved me! I had no clue what I was doing either and being able to watch Alissa create these amazing meals - seeing the textures and seeing how easy they were to fix - made a huge difference.... Her book is not only inspiring - but it is an amazing guide to any rawbie - regardless of how long you've been raw.... there is sooo much information in the Living on Live Foods book.... and you will be AMAZED at how many incredible recipes there are....

If I could give you the most important tip on this lifestyle - how to be successful - and how to stay raw with joy and excitement.... that tip would be to get Alissas book and DVD... without these two tools in my library... and in my kitchen - there is no way - I would be raw today.

SOOOoooo... RAWK ON -- AND ENJOY THE RIDE!!!

blessings!!

[GypsiAnsara]

Thank you for the welcome! Does anyone know if Alissa's book/dvd is available in a store? I went all over this weekend and couldn't find it anywhere. Even though I've been a web designer for over 10 years I don't shop online much - I like bookstores where you can hold it in your hand first. Old habit I guess!
But I definitely want to get this one, even if I do have to wait for the mail.

StarFire - your story is very inspiring! And courageous of you to share it - I think it is helping a lot of people :)

[justinesmith]

SO glad you are here! As far as I know you can only get her book via website or local teachers. Maybe there is a certified teacher in your area? Welcome to RFT ~ love is in the air!