The Raw ... The Vegan ... The Vegetarian

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Permalink Reply by Joy on February 26, 2008 at 11:47pm

like to say I am a raw food advocate or an advocate for raw food. I used to go to vegetarian potlucks and the tables would be full of things like Oreos, and white flour Mac and Cheese. I remember saying, if we call ourselves vegetarians shouldn't we eat some vegetables, and I started bringing large salads and fruit salads. I had a good friend that was vegen who lived mostly on Reese's peanutbutter cups, tobacco, weed, alcohol, and Costco meat-free freezer stuff. I never saw a vegie pass his lips, (unless it was incorporated in one of those freezer foods). He was very strict about not eating anything like mussels or honey. I thought of that title someone mentioned above too, while reading all this, - sproutarian. Or how about garden eater. I also had many vegetarian friends who would not live without their Birkenstocks, which I could never understand. I have been a raw purist, another -ist word, but now, I think it is most important to be educated about raw food and to know what true health can be, and to strive to take care of myself, without worrying about what others think. I also stayed in a hospital when my son was a baby that was religiously vegetarian, they strived to have fake meat looking foods, full of salt. I ate their bland iceberg mix lettuce and two cherry tomato salads and asked for lemon to put on my salads and drank water. They also occasionally had a banana to bring me for breakfast. When my kids were growing up, the neighborhood kids learned what nuts, seeds, grains and legumes are, and sprouting, and loved to eat my banana icecreams and drink fresh juices, and helped to make them. I also was a garden coordinator so they learned about vegetables, herbs, weeds, edible flowers. It is amazing how many children and adults do not know what nature provides for us. It is true like someone also said above, that the SAD group does not label themselves, -SADists, or meatarians, or fleshists. Although that term SADist is appealing, because of what happens to the body and their kids bodies on the SAD-dist diet or SADist diet of all. Like my name, label? It really is my name.

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Permalink Reply by vegansquared on February 27, 2008 at 1:24am

Vegan is not just a label. It says you stand for something. It's explained pretty well in "Vegan with a Vengeance." Being vegan and raw food is something to be proud of, I think, so I embrace both terms wholeheartedly.

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Permalink Reply by Allis☀n on February 28, 2008 at 12:13am

I think this is true for many people, but not all. I am careful to describe myself as someone who eats raw vegan (if that's what I'm doing), not someone who IS raw vegan. What I eat is not a political or spiritual statement for me but a decision made for health reasons. This is important to state, because you might think I have the same philosophy about life that you do simply because I eat raw vegan. And hey- I might! But it's NOT because of what I eat. :-D

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Permalink Reply by Candy (aka Kan-Dee) on February 27, 2008 at 2:36am

I personally feel that it's kind of silly to define who we are by what we eat. What's next, basing my identity on what I wear or what what kind of keyboard I type on?

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn on February 27, 2008 at 7:28am

I agree... and when I define myself by what I eat, people then begin to judge everything that I put in my mouth.

"well, hummus isn't raw. Is it?"

"what about granola? that can't be raw."

"Well, it might not be raw, but I made it with love and without added junk so I know it's healthy and I'm enjoying every last bite with my raw carrots or raw almond milk. "

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Permalink Reply by Princess Judy on February 27, 2008 at 9:11am

Hmmm, I don't call myself anything. Except for Judy sometimes... :D

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Permalink Reply by Allis☀n on February 28, 2008 at 1:19am

As you say, it is convenient to use the terms vegetarian, vegan, etc. when describing the food you want to eat at a friend's house. but labeling OURSELVES by the food we eat is a whole 'nother issue. I still haven't decided how to describe how I eat when the Raw Police catch me at lunchtime. Sometimes I want to say, "yes, I'm eating raw today" to get out from under the raw foods box she has me in. Sometimes I just smile at the whole situation because it's due to our having the luxury of abundance that we can each choose to eat so differently.

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Permalink Reply by Joel on February 27, 2008 at 11:58pm

Now I feel a little strange eating vegan versions of meat dishes. Doesn't that make us look a little silly?

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Permalink Reply by Allis☀n on February 28, 2008 at 1:21am

Yeah, it's a little strange. It's like wearing faux fur or faux leather because you don't want to kill or harm animals. Even though it's fake, the message is that you want to look like you're wearing the hide or fur of an animal. Humans are a strange species, aren't we? :-D

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Permalink Reply by onelove.amyruth on May 5, 2008 at 4:51pm

haha! great topic.
i feel very similar. tagging can def cause separation. we are who we are without even a name like "amyruth". soooo many labels. i'll say "raw vegan" in a way that says i know what i like and i'm ready to answer questions for anyone interested in engaging in an openly, equally expressive way.
or i wont say anything at all and just enjoy the moment and the food. as with anything there can be extremes. like i choose not to count the days ive been raw.it can feel like another label to some as well. its also awesome for people who do count. i truly dig it and support them with conscious enthusiasm for sure. for me, i just lost count after a week thats all...it wasnt part of my personal journey.
sometimes labels are used just to break the ice. like at a bar or something right? good god i'm so over those convos. still sometimes they come up! even in a raw joint. whatever :) anyways, i like to ask questions when i'm truly interested and provide an open space for that person to shine so freakin bright! well, as bright as they'd like right?! the same goes for me :) i turn up the dial and radiate life's enthusiasm when i choose to feel welcomed and this way we all benefit no matter the label.
some labels are empowering and some limiting. perhaps some are no longer serving...yadda yadda yadda. its all good. we jus gotta check in and ask. ourselves..is it helpful? or self righteous? or threatening? or empowering? or connective?
sometimes i dig chatting with someone and not having a care/need to know their name and finding it out later on that night. just knowing the connection was so alive that those same questions were hardly entertained if at all. not that theres anything wrong with the times they do :)
sometimes it is helpful tho to help others feel more comfortable and empowered. for example explaining that the potluck is raw,organic, vegan will save those from bringing raw meats or something to that idea. it can give one more info to help respect the structure of an event or dinner or topic of convo.
i always like to relay the idea that all is welcome. all questions, ideas, newness, experiences. we learn from it all.

aum my goodness...happy ranting huh?!
just got back from eden hot springs and i'm still a lil floaty :) yay! thanks for following me thru this lil rantation. hope you picked up some love!
a.ruth

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Permalink Reply by Natalie on May 5, 2008 at 5:41pm

I don't mind labels so much, because they allow us as social beings to organize all the stimulus that we encounter into categories. Without this discretion, we are left with an infinite amount of possibilities for what people could/should/would be and we don't know how to discriminate from person to person.

I myself, sure I'm a raw foodist. I would never tell someone that that's what I am because it just sounds weird. Sort of like, I'm a buddhist. So I do say I eat raw food. But I'm not a raw vegan, I eat honey, sashimi, jerkey (if I could find some w/raw marinade!)

I don't think your labels should define who you are as a person, because thats what your personality traits are for. In my opinion, the right time to use labels (raw, vegan, vegetarian) is when another person thinks about you. For example, Mia is talking about Ian to a friend, "My friend Ian is a raw vegan" and that's just how she thinks about you, not necessarily because you've told her this but because you only eat raw, vegan food and that's how she categorized you in her head.

And yes, I was a psych major in school ;)

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Permalink Reply by Nina on May 5, 2008 at 5:47pm

I am not a big fan of labels either. They make me feel guilty...like if I call myself a vegan, but once a month decide to eat one non-vegan food, am I still a vegan? What would other vegans say? I prefer to say that I'm a vegetarian who limits dairy intake and eats primarily raw foods. That sounds much more complicated and annoying but it works for me.

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