Hello from Erie Pennsylvania!

I am brand new to this forum. I joined today in search of information about the raw lifestyle/diet. This is something that is entirely new to me, but I must admit I am intrigued. I think for most of my life I have struggled with the concept of what good nutrition is. Like so many others I have tried to sort through a sea of information out there and have found so much of it to be conflicting that each time I try to sort through what the experts have to say I become more confused and frustrated. For every study or expert who says one thing, another study or expert will say the opposite.

I have dabbled in the vegetarian diet in the past on a number of occasions but each time I attempt it I am left discouraged. I bought all the books, did my homework to make sure I was doing it in a healthy way, only to have my hair fall out and develop a case of brain fog. Additionally, I am a borderline diabetic. My doctor wants to put me on medications, so this is pretty much my last effort to thwart that possibility. Last year when I made another attempt at going vegetarian, while my cholesterol did improve significantly, my HgA1C (blood sugars) rose to an all time high. I had to go back to eating animal products and stick to a low carb plan to bring down my sugars. They still are not where they are suppose to be yet. I also have hypothyroidism and take a synthetic pill that seems to be helping with my thyroid. I worry excessively about hair loss because it has been an issue for quite a few years. I notice when I go back to eating animal products that it seems to thicken up a bit more. I am also 54 years old and have reached menopause, so I worry about developing a diet conducive to someone my age.

Just this week I started incorporating a 32 ounce daily green smoothie into my diet. Actually this is my second day. Again, I am concerned because I read somewhere that vegetables from the cabbage family (such as spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, etc.. etc.. can hinder the thyroid). Most of the decent smoothie recipes use these greens, so I'm wondering if this is the right thing for me, yet, the raw diet is not something I have tried before, so I thought maybe I should give it a try. I did come across an interesting website yesterday that put out a documentary which followed several diabetics who went on a raw diet and had tremendous results, so I was encouraged.

It is possible that my vegetarian diet in the past was a bit too processed. I was using allot of meat substitutes which contain soy and I was eating allot of cooked vegetables and foods. It's made me wonder if I had gravitated toward a more raw diet if I might have fared better, which is why I am here today. I've been looking throughout this forum and see that the diet seems to be working for many of you and I am hoping to find a little guidance and as well as some encouragement. I have no clue how to do this type of eating plan correctly in order to get enough nutrients that my body needs. What combination of foods do I need to eat daily to meet all the protein, fats, carbs vitamins & minerals? I do love fruits and vegetables so I think this may be something that I can do. It's important that I do this correctly. One other caveat is that I am a very busy person and hate to spend long hours in the kitchen! I would like to find a way to do this so that it is quick and simple, with maybe fixing a few more time consuming dishes once a week maybe, just for a little variety. Is there an easy way to transition into this? How do I get started and how do I transition into doing this in a healthy way. I would so much appreciate any feedback from you more experienced raw food foodies. If I join this community, will I really find good support here? That's important to me as well. It's getting tiring becoming a causality of yet another diet. This go around I would love to be a success story, otherwise, I might as well throw in the towel, go on the medications and forget about it.

That's my story and I'm here to learn and absorb!

Best,
Jenny

P.S. What is the 30 day challenge all about?