Raw Food
I have been vegan for 10 years and am now really keen to go 'raw' but never seem to get past the 3 week stage. When juicing and eating raw I feel so much healthier [sm=bouncy.gif] and think that I will never succumb to the drug-like effects of cooked/junk food again but, for one reason or another (usually emotional [sm=cry.gif]) I start sliding down that slippery slope. [sm=banghead.gif]
Has anybody else experienced this and how did you overcome it? Was there anything that you found really helpful in helping you to stick to a raw food diet? Any help that you can offer would be very much appreciated.
Reiki blessings
IndianRainbow
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Can't really help unfortunately, as this is not something that I have ever tried. I do try and make sure that at least 50 percent of my diet is raw or lightly cooked veg, but even that with the hours I work can be difficult at times, as when I am at work and get hungry, usually the only food available is crisps and chocolate from the vending machines. I suppose really it is a combination of will power and being prepared, i.e. taking more healthy options to work (and other places) with you.
June
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Thanks June, you've certainly hit part of the nail on the head! Time is definitely a big issue with me and it's causing a bit of a catch-22 situation. My commute to work takes nearly 3 hours a day so I don't have time in the morning to prepare anything and I when I get in at night I am so tired I just want to crash out. I know that eating raw gives me more energy but I need the energy to do the preparation. It is so much easier to live on ready-meals/sandwiches but as I have found out, these further drain my energy reserves. I think I just need to try harder - nothing worth having is ever easy!
Are there any other experienced raw-fooders out there who can offer any further suggestions on how to attain my goal?
IndianRainbow
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I know they are not quite the same, but you can buy ready prepared salads and juices from supermarkets now. Hope this doesn't sound like advertising, but Sainsburys where I work sell some really nice ones (at least they sound nice). They are expensive thouigh, but then I suppose a raw food diet is anyway. You must have to shop almost every day.
June
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I do tend to do this to some degree but the variety varies greatly from store to store - M&S do a fab avocado and tomato one with a balsamic vinegar dressing (... which I know won't be raw) but I'm currently in the rut of eating this virtually every day. The other problem with most commercial juices/smoothies is that they are pasteurised (and lots of them have added sugar too - I can't understand that one personally!! Why add sugar to something that already contains natural sugars and is therefore already sweet???). [sm=soapbox.gif]... OK, I'll get off now - sorry!
I have a basic juicer at home which I use but I can't take this juice to work as it separates out quite quickly. I'm thinking about buying a masticating juicer so that the juice will not oxidise as quickly. I think this would definitely help me as I tend to eat most junk when I'm at work and stressed. I'm less bothered at weekends as I keep myself busy on ebay!
I've also just bought a couple of raw food cookbooks. The recipes sound fab but are quite time consuming. Also, quite a few of the recipes use a dehydrator. Have any of you wonderful HP people invested in a dehydrator? Are they worth the money and do you use them or are they one of those pieces of equipment that get used a few times and then stuck at the back of the kitchen cupboard gathering dust? I'd be really interested to hear what you think about them.
IndianRainbow
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Hi
Very interesting reading, your posts. You may be able to cope better with your raw food diets if you can deal with the stress that causes you to feel too tired to prepare your food in the morning, or eat for the sake of it etc.
I got the impression that you fall by the wayside after 3 weeks for emtional reasons because it has tired you out.
Have you tried Emotional Freedom Techniques? If you have not heard of it before, there are many posts about it in the mind therapies forum. Basically it releases any blocked or built up energy that causes you to be/feel stressed, which then make you feel exhausted.
I wont go into it too much here, just in case I seem to be talking nonsense, which I hope it hasn't come across as being.
If you want to know more, go see the EFT posts on mind therapies. If you then want to know more, ask any of the practitioners on that forum or have a look at my web or ask me where to get more info.
Hugs[sm=grouphug.gif]
Steve
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Hi Steve!
I have only heard about EFT in the past 6 weeks or so and, coincidentally, was doing a little research on this last night. If you think that this may be helpful to me then I will certainly look a little deeper into this as I am open-minded and willing to try (almost) anything which may be of benefit to me.
Thanks for your help :)
IndianRainbow
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Hi Indian Rainbow
I believe EFT can help you. Without a doubt.
Come back to me anytime if you need me.
Hugs[sm=grouphug.gif]
Steve
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Thank you! [sm=rollaugh.gif]
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Hi Indian Rainbow
I appreciate you have less time than myself as I only work 2 and half days week. However on the days I work I always prepare myself a salad the night before put in a polythene box and put it in the fridge for the next day. This literally takes about 5 minutes to prepare. Despite being prepared half a day in advance it is always quite edible the following day. I am not vegetarian but along with cheese I always take separately a handful of nuts to work with me. You could take a couple of slices of bread with it or in my case I take Ryvita plus a couple of pieces of fruit.