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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI rationalized it by telling myself… well it is a whole food (I air-popped it and added sea salt and coconut oil). And it only is hot momentarily… can it really get that hot etc…. and from this angle.. well cashews, agave nectar and chocolate are questionably raw and everyone is eating that…. etc etc etc. My question to you guys is: is it possible to stop the addiction to cooked foods? Does it make a huge difference being 100% as apposed to 99%... How do you overcome the cooked food cravings? I really enjoyed the popcorn and was very excited about replacing the butter with coconut oil… but now I am concerned that I am slowing my progress (this was my 12th day raw). I feel a bit disappointed in myself.
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I think you are being too hard on yourself. Transitioning to raw is a process and sometimes going too fast can make you feel frustrated if you don’t “stick to it,” but that’s not what it’s about. I think that there is no goal except to just be doing something really amazing for yourself and to try to eat as raw as possible so that you can feel good. It’s not like a reward/punishment system—it’s a journey and many things can happen along a journey. I think it takes time to find out what works for you, what compromises you want to make/not make.
Thanks Kelly :) Every now and then I find myself in a quandary about raw foods. Like before I went raw I was more or less vegan and high raw. But I would eat really healthy during the week and then eat things like pizza etc. junk food on the weekends. I really wanted balance… I didn’t want to be strict… but found that eating junk food after a week of healthy eating made me feel like crap. And now I am raw and feeling the same way about healthier cooked foods as I did about junk before… I still really want balance but it seems that I have to make a decision to get it… eat healthy or don’t eat healthy… I mean if you eat junk food everyday you feel pretty normal on junk and if you eat cooked vegan consistently than you feel normal with that and raw etc… but it seems to be difficult when you mix it up. Am I making any sense?
yea dont fret. and you can get truly raw cacao, cashews, AND agave nectar. ive been dying to get some raw cacao. but like kelly said, dont worry about it too much! atleast it wasnt slathered with butter!
Ya, I guess you are right. Thanks Phillip :) I do have a tendency to be a little intense about things… but I guess compared with what the vast majority of people on this planet are eating a little popped popcorn isn’t going to kill me! It is kind of funny when I look at it from that perspective. Think about all the terrible foods and drugs people are filling themselves with … we are really on the cutting edge! How cool are we in our raw food ways?!!
yea tell me about it. most people wont hear it when you try to tell them truth about things. so a little wont hurt you! :)
Check it out!!! I came up with a substitute for the popcorn!! I just added the “recipe” .... pumpkin seeds with coconut oil and sea salt! Genius! (If I don’t say so myself) ;)
I just commented on the recipe… It looks really good! I figured I would post the same comment here too though.
I think I will use my
Hey There! I agree with some of the others here…you should not be so hard on yourself. A little cooked food (preferably at the end of the day) will not hurt. Especially if you are using your juicer everyday and/ or taking superfoods such as bee pollen, wheatgrass juice, algae, etc. etc. Besides, there still is some nutrients in cooked food. Just not as much and no enzymes. Which is why you should not eat too much of it but keep it from 1-30% cooked. Dr. Richard Schulze from www.herbdoc.com has a broth he calls his potassium broth which he has had his sick patients take, mainly with his liver flush and it is very potent yet cooked. Carrot peelings, greens, beets with tops, potato peelings etc. It really detoxifies the body. So a little will not hurt and in some cases, it can do you some good.
Shgadwa, I used that K+ broth on a liver flush at the new year and it is awsome. I actually kept drinking it before meals with a smidge of himalayan salt. I figured it wasw more like “vegetable tea” because it is strained absolutely clear.
I agree with the others about not being so hard on yourself. Eventually, you probably won’t want that stuff.
Hi again northernlights—just wanted to let you know you make total sense. I’ve only been 75-80% raw for about three months and I feel great. At the beginning though, I made myself crazy by trying to eat 100% and punishing myself if I didn’t and that just made me unhappy and took away all of the wonderful feelings I had about raw food, including all of the good I was doing. Now I just take small steps toward being all raw when I am ready and that feels right to me. I think long-lasting change—in all things in life—requires that approach.
If it make you feel any better, I read once that there is a guy who eat popcorn after he does his juice fast because he claims all the fiber and bulkage from the popcorn helps to push out any waste in his colon that is still working its way out. He claims it is an excellent way to colon clean after a fast. Sounds a little crazy but I don’t know maybe it makes sense. :)
I know that after I eat popcorn I tend to go alot and I tend to get constipated easily – so it helps me in a way.
It sounds like you are doing really good. I sort of did that too – when from eating bad junk to healthier junk food. Now, I can’t even eat the bad junk anymore. So, you enjoy some popcorn every now and than – big deal. I don’t think I will ever give up popcorn and I am not going to beat myself up about it.
To me, it sounds like you are transitioning very well. There is plenty of time for you work on those “last” things you have trouble giving up.
Don’t forget too – there are lots of worse things you could have eaten – at least, you didn’t eat a Big Mac or something! :)
Thanks, guys. I really appreciate your feedback and support. :) I am kind of doing a month experiment of trying 100% raw. I beat myself up a little because I am having lots of cravings and hoping that if I just detox through them without giving in than I might get “there”. But you are all totally right that it is a process and one that in the big picture will take time and I will ultimately be more successful if I do it in joy. And I really have for the most part… I love this raw food. But, I am having some serious cravings. A couple days ago it was fried chicken (that I have never cared much about before) and today I am dreaming about a baked potato covered in cheese… I am really looking forward to the time when I won’t even want it. Is there anything I can do that will help with these cravings?
queenfluff: that was very interesting about the popcorn. I didn’t have any negative reaction to it… and in fact had a good BM the morning after… so it might be one of those things I will compromise on eventually. Thanks :)
It sounds like you are craving fat so I would recommend eating an avocado in some form—make guacamole or just eat it sliced with some tomatoes, in a salad. If you were craving sweet things, I would say definitely you should have a green smoothie. I have one every single day and it totally helps with my cravings. It really is the perfect thing!
Mmmmm … drool… ahhh… barbeque sandwich… hihi just kidding :) Thanks guys. Yes Kelly! green smoothies!! Those do help with cravings, don’t they!? Why didn’t I think of that! Thanks! I am going to up my green intake and see if that helps. I did a 3 day green smoothie fast and that is what started me on this month idea. The fast was so easy for me and I learned so much from it that I felt really excited and confidant enough to jump in and go raw. Since then I have made almost no green smoothies because I have been experimenting with all these other great recipes. But I am going back the the greens… I bet that will really help.
Hey northerlights .. well everyone’s pretty much said it all, but deffinetly don’t worry about it. I find that sometimes, if I put too stict rules on myself, I intentionally break them. Such a rebel! teehee. I think that being 100% raw is a journey and it will probably take me a while to get there. In the meantime, we can listen to our bodies, what they want, how they feel after we eat something. If you want to accomplish your 30 days 100% raw, you can still do that. A bit of popcorn is not going to change it!
And- awesome pumpkin seed recipe!! yummy!
This is such a wonderful and supportive space. I tend to be an all or nothing kind of girl and tried the same with eating raw. I “failed” nearly everyday. So, now I’m learning to be patient with myself. In my opinion it should be about doing the best I can for my body and spirit. The trappings of rules and guilt are often suffocating. Thank you all for your comments. I’ve been trying to eat raw for about two weeks now. Wow! What a journey.
I remembered a book that I think really talks about your initial question, northernlights, about the addictiveness of cooked foods and how to approach it as such.
Its writte by Victoria Boutenko and its called “12 Steps to raw food; how to end your dependency on cooked food.” I enjoyed it because it covers various topics and it is actually organized according to the AA 12 step program.
blizzful7 what you said reminded me of this book, because the other put her sick family on 100% raw food, they quit cold turkey. While I would like to be more flexible with myself, she said that when people ask her if there is a difference between 98% and 100% raw she answers that it depends on the person. If you are the type that eats emotionally and has difficult controlling yourself around food, then going 100% raw will be much easier, if you want to stay raw. If you have no such difficulties, than you probably wont weave off of the 98% to 75%, then to 50%, then to 20%, etc.
Im not sure if I agree, but hey, its some food for thought! :)
While we’re on the subject of “failing”/”cheating”, I had a bit of a cheat meal for dinner… and 30 minute later it’s gone right through me! My digestive system Never used to work this fast! I’m actually pretty bloated and feeling reallllly uncomfortable. It seems like more is coming out than went in (sorry for the detail lol). Any insight? is this quick exit just the result of being “cleared out” from detoxing?
Northern: I can top your popcorn crisis. I took my son to the movies the other day and pigged out on gross movie theater popcorn with butter!! I felt physically ill later, so I guess I won’t do that again any time soon.
Marysia: I’m with you. I’ll always be a rebel.
Kathryn: I think what you experienced was your body trying to get rid of that meal asap. That’s a good thing. Same thing happens to me when I drink a (very occasional) beer.
Blizzful: Welcome to goneraw! I know it this forum is so fantastic! I appreciate everybody here so much! And the recipes!! I have raw fudgesicles in the freezer as we speak! I can’t wait to see how those turn out!
Marysia: thanks for the book tip. I read Victoria’s “green for life” and LOVED it. So I am very interested in purchasing the family’s other books. I have read an excerpt from the 12 steps and it is a very interesting perspective she comes from. It seems that many of the raw food gurus like Victoria, David Wolfe and Alissa Cohen are coming from a 100% is best perspective. It is a very interesting topic for debate really. I guess I am going to give it a go and see for myself. But I think it would be pretty challenging and ultimately a drag to be 100% and miss out on those buttered popcorn at the movie moments like Sue gave us an example of. I guess I don’t expect to be 100% raw forever… but it is something I have to try! I am learning SO much about eating and my body and health in general. Is so interesting how when you clean up the body we want to clean up everything. For me today I was really aware of my thoughts. I feel like I am putting such great food into myself that I don’t want to dirty myself with frustrated or stressful thoughts either. It is a fantastic journey.
Kathrynintheraw: That same exact thing happened to me when I was eating a really healthy high raw vegan diet for a long period of time. Then I was invited to dinner and ate a really rich meal with meat and alcohol and goodbye dinner! In one end and out the other! haha!
Northerlights: I love your comment on how much more aware we become of thoughts we put into our minds, after putting in so much thought about what we put into our bodies. Its true! Its all integrated! And I do believe that eating food with high life force energy makes us radiate at a higher frequency too! A lot of people say that eating raw has made them so much more centered, happier, peaceful and loving. Sweetness!
You know, as Ive been going through my master cleanse, my cravings have changed. At first, I wanted old SAD junk. Now, I crave raw food. But I also am craving other vegan food, such as a black bean soup. (cant get my mind off that soup in fact.) At first, I was self critical thinking “No Marysia! The point of this MC was to transition back onto 100% raw!” But now I am just observing my cravings. I will deff first go to 100% raw since my body is telling me that it wants simple, raw, gentle foods for the transition period back to food in general, but I also want to be able to stay open and while I have never been vegan (I was a dairy and egg eating vegetarian for 10 years) I think that my body would not mind some cooked vegan food from time to time. Its funny though, I dont visualize grains at all- just vegies in soups. Anyways.. well see where this goes. I also like what someone had said about the evidence that shows that people who eat 75% raw already have huge health benefits.
But all in all, it is a very interesting debate: To be 100% or not to be 100%..ahhh that is the question!
Amen sistah! The radiating at a higher frequency thing you said… maybe that explains the feeling lighter? Of all the changes within me in this raw journey those have been the most surprising… the good vibes. I felt so secure and happy last week… more than before raw. It is really all connected and I was way skeptical when reading about how people felt so happy on raw. I thought … why would food have an impact on our souls, you know? I have always kind of separated myself from my body… like it is rented space or something… but there is something to it that is for sure. I like the way you put it: that eating food with high life force energy makes us radiate at a higher frequency. Well said.
Also, the grains thing… there are a lot of people down on grains so maybe there is something to it. Very interesting. There have been some threads here about getting sick after eating cooked or unhealthy foods…. maybe that will be a good test of whether or not something is beneficial for us or not… try it and see how we feel? I have also heard about using muscle testing to check foods and I really want to learn more about that. It would be good to have a tool… because I think we know on some level what is right for us to eat… it is just getting a hold of that info that is the trick…
WORD! :)