Social Situations?

[Antaria]

How can I explain going raw when people ask at school? My close friends respect my decisions, and are actually curious and experimenting a tad with some of my raw foods, however other peers tend to make fun of me or try and start arguements. How can I avoid feeling like I always need to defend myself at school or when I'm at parties?

Im pretty good at making sure I'm not hungry and get plenty to eat before I go to social events so that I don't have to worry about what they are serving while I'm there, but theres still the problem of people just not getting why I am raw.

I tend to have trouble explaining why I'm raw as well because I don't really know why I went raw, I just did.

I'm starting to babble. Anyway, anyone else struggling with this? Any advice? =D

[RawSar]

What I do : Avoid any conversations about me, raw foods and my health.

Its none of their business and I dont need to explain my decisions to anyone.

I answer I love fruits and veggies, then change the subject...

[juliebove]

I think all you need to say is that you are on a raw, vegan diet.

Years ago when I heard of raw food, I didn't understand it. I remember seeing a recipe for lasanga and couldn't understand why someone would make something that looked like lasagna but obviously wasn't lasagna. I also thought the diet meant eating raw eggs, raw meat, sushi, etc. I think a lot of people assume that if you just say "raw" diet.

You could say you are eating a vegan diet and will not heat anything to above 110 (or whatever number you use) degrees because you want to preserve the live enzymes in the food for better nutrition.

I just don't understand all these people that supposedly pick fights about food or make fun of it. I've never run across any. I have gotten a lot of compliments on my salads though! There is a summer concert series here at a local grocery store. They serve cheap meals and most people get that food and sit outside to enjoy the concert and eat. My daughter and I always get there early, get huge salads from the salad bar, then take those outside. I always hear a lot of comments from people about how our food looks better than theirs!

[spicyfull]

I don't try to explain it anymore. I don't try to make any converts. I have given out 15 Green for Life Books to Family and Friends because someone is always looking for a Cure for something.

As I remember its just Hard being a Teen and talking about RAW to a bunch of sugar junkies and who knows what else, is a Chore I would rather leave alone.

This is YOUR Journey and you have to do it for yourself. People always think they have all the answers but Never look into that Mirror.

[somelikeitraw]

How can I explain going raw when people ask at school? My close friends respect my decisions, and are actually curious and experimenting a tad with some of my raw foods, however other peers tend to make fun of me or try and start arguements. How can I avoid feeling like I always need to defend myself at school or when I'm at parties?

Im pretty good at making sure I'm not hungry and get plenty to eat before I go to social events so that I don't have to worry about what they are serving while I'm there, but theres still the problem of people just not getting why I am raw.

I tend to have trouble explaining why I'm raw as well because I don't really know why I went raw, I just did.

I'm starting to babble. Anyway, anyone else struggling with this? Any advice? =D

I can only speak from my own experience. Some people don't understand my raw decision and support me in it anyway. Others think they know better than I do what is best for me and try to talk me out of eating raw. They say things like "Eating cooked foods and meat hasn't hurt me so far" and then pop another pill for high blood pressure, or take their blood sugar levels to see if they need to adjust their insulin.

I'm trying to remember back when I was in school (seems like several lifetimes ago ). I don't suppose it would be possible to just say to them "To each his/her own" and walk away? Some people really do get their knickers twisted up about this and will not let it go.

I read about a raw foodist eating something they used to eat when they were not raw and having a bad reaction to it and wondering why. It was explained with this analogy - Picture a white wall covered in dirt. Throw some more dirt on it and you really don't notice. Now picture a super clean white wall. Toss a speck of dirt on it and you really notice it. When you eat raw for an extended time, your body cleans itself and heals itself. Maybe you went raw because on some level you were intuitively listening to your body? Anyway, that analogy has helped me explain why I choose not to eat cooked food anymore. Bottom line is it's YOUR life. Live in YOUR bliss. I don't bring up the way I eat and I just make sure I'm covered in social eating situations by either eating before attending, making and bringing enough for me and to share, or both.

I wish I had been a raw foodist in my teens/twenties. I would be much better off now if I had been. Maybe directing others to some of the fantastic raw websites and tell them to check it out for themselves? You could point out that your skin is so much better, your mind is so much clearer, maybe you even get better grades? At least you don't have to spend through the nose for acne meds. I am sorry I am not much help here and I wish you all the best.

[Springtime]

I try to smile, be super-friendly, make sure to compliment other people's foods (cooked) and say that it is something i do because it makes me feel great, and if you really wanna know more about it, i'd be happy to tell you.
But most people are just curious, so if you tell them the truth in a simple positive way they'll settle for that.

Occasionally i've met people who have been somehow offended by the way i eat, but i've just tried to lay low and do my thing. Thankfully i've had supportive friends around me at those times, who've helped me to make the offended/offensive person mind her own buisiness.

Peace

[Myca]

I just don't go there. If they push, I say I ate before I came and then ask them something about themselves. I have discovered that people love to talk about themselves.
That is if I am not over at the table falling off the wagon...

[Springtime]

I have to update: this week i went to a afternoon-party sort of thing for a friend's graduation. There were lots of old friends of my family, relatives, spouses et.c. and i was a bit nervous about how they'd react to my new eating habits and..

they were so positive! Asking all these questions, wishing me well, being very supportive! yay!

[LiveLife]

Wow! All of these suggestions are so great! I, personally, have experienced both scenarios. My inlaws think that I am nuts, am going to be anerexic and that I ma doing the least healthy thing I can do, besides they say they are healthy. My husband says to ignore them or give a sly remark bc they are ALL overweght, some have dietbetes and most have some sort of health problem. My family was hesitent but curious and asked lots of questions; we basically decided that we were both happy with the way we are eating so we will continue with that and not have any disagreements over food. Some of my family is curious to try what I bring to eat when at their place, and my grandma says she would love to eat the way I do to get rid of her health problems but knows that she wouldn't be able to stick to it (I secretly hope that I have influenced her to at least eat more fruits and veggies).

Friends can be a little more difficult since eating has become a reason to socialize. Instead I meet up with my friends at my place or theirs and bring a dish for myself and to share and they make something for themself and something with just veggies or fruit to share with me. It has worked for the most part so far. When it comes to parties or events I ALWAYS bring water or am holding a glass of water. This helps with both temptations of you wanting to eat something (of course I eat before I go) and of anyone offering me food or suggesting I eat something (which still happens but not as often if you are already holding something).

Good luck!

[EZ rider]

I try not to go there if I can avoid personal topics unless I know that the person or group (this forum) is on the same page as I am because I don't enjoy arguments. I do make exceptions to this if I sense a genuine interest and empathy in the other person. If I am pressed for answers I try to stay with something like "I like fresh foods from the garden" and move on.

[LilacLavender]

I'm with you there...most people don't really want a reason when they ask. Just like they don't want to hear about the ethical reasons I'm vegan. So I don't really tell them unless I sense that rare genuine interest.