A little support needed here !

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Permalink Reply by Marine on October 11, 2008 at 6:00am

Great, thanks for article, the picture helps !
Linden is very affordable so I'll try that.

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Permalink Reply by lex on October 10, 2008 at 2:25pm

Hi Marine

Don't feel lonely! I'm going to be spending the weekend getting back on the wagon after a week and a bit of raw bingeing then a couple of days of cooked awfullness, and am happy to chat if you're still struggling?

Much love

xxxx lex

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Permalink Reply by Marine on October 11, 2008 at 5:16am

I' me going back to raw this week end too.
And I'd love to chat !
How long have you been raw for ?

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Permalink Reply by lex on October 11, 2008 at 2:56pm

Only 6 months, and have really loved it, but something went a bit wrong this week (a cold, pmt, a couple of glasses of wine at a work thing = a really horrid hangover that took me by surprise = a cooked food binge). As backsliding go, it was contained within 24 hours, so I think I've been able to draw a line under it, but I did start to feel like I'd failed. I'm sure I'll do it again as part of the process at some point, so am trying to look at it lightly. I think it's more the falling off than the food itself that causes me all the worry. So if I can understand what the falling off is about, and then let it go, I think it will be ok.

But, I did have a really horrible two-week period when I'd been raw for about 6 weeks/2 months, when I felt very ill, very depressed, very unsure.

How has today been?

xxx lex

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Permalink Reply by sara on October 10, 2008 at 3:25pm

don't worry marine! it gets better! just think of this as a learning experiance. when ever i get off track and get back on i feel even more strong and ready to heal than the first time. after awhile you crave the healthy foods. remember not to be hard on yourself. love yourself and except that these things take a little trial and error before really getting them right.
i wish you the best of luck and send you lots of love.

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Permalink Reply by Marine on October 11, 2008 at 5:15am

I tried to see it just like you said : a learning experience, that's also what my dad says to me.
Thank you !

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Permalink Reply by monchamoncha on October 10, 2008 at 7:34pm

I've been going on and off raw food for the past couple of years. I've been trying out various ways of eating since I was 11 years old. I found that for me the main struggle is mental and emotional. Mostly this journey into raw food has been super energizing, mind-opening, and spiritually activating. It has really opened up new and amazing possibilities for my life. On the other hand there have been some really hard times. I would worry about which raw foods are the best for me. I would worry about having cravings and eating non-raw food. I would get concerned about my health and want to be perfectly clean and healthy instantly. Basically I would get obsessed with the whole thing.

So I have ended up mostly letting go of all my ideas of what I should eat - even whether to eat raw food or not. I decided to just relax about the whole thing and pay attention to my body and what it wants. To pay attention to what happens when I eat various foods. To let go of trying to discipline myself so I can let go of the inner conflict. The obsession is very stressful. What a relief it can be to let go of all that.

I am learning more all the time about food. I'm learning to pay attention to my body. I'm learning to let go of mental control and just be. To just be. What a nice lesson to find hidden in the pursuit of healthy eating.

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Permalink Reply by Marine on October 11, 2008 at 5:12am

It all started in my teens too.
I've been searching for the right way to live and eat for years, and went from junk to organic, to no dairies, to no meat, to no sugar, to no cereals and logically to no cooking.
But I've struggled a lot on the way with the eternal inner conflict between what I think is good for me, what I should do and what I'd rather do, what i crave.
It's terrifying to see that there are so many issues involved in food, it's so not just about getting nurtured.
And it's so true that it wouldn't be so hard if i could just listen to my body.
I'm going back to raw today.
Thanks for sharing your story, it really helps !

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Permalink Reply by Ollie on October 11, 2008 at 6:40am

Bonjour Marine,

I guess from your name that you must be French (so am I), but I'll stick to English so that all our "rawie" friends can follow the discussion.

Don't feel discouraged. If you live in Paris, there's bound to be quite a sizeable vegan community, where people are always very open to discuss things raw.

I live in Spain, close to Valencia and there is absolutely no-one around that doesn't look at my partner & I (we are both raw foodists) like we are complete freaks - it can get lonely here but we are hanging strong.

You know all the benefits of being raw, as I am sure you have experienced them before and you see that it is working wonders with your father.

As far as social life is concerned, It's always nicer to stick to a group that understands and respects , if not shares your raw diet. But there is always a salad to choose from the menu of any restaurant, isn't there?

Like the Pink Martini song goes: hang in there, little tomatoe!

A+

Olivier

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Permalink Reply by Marine on October 11, 2008 at 6:52am

Hey not all frenchs live in Paris, you should know that you're french ! :-D
I'm closer to Spain actually, I live in Montpellier. And I don't know anybody raw except my father now.
But I understand wht you mean, I've lived a little in Spain 10 years ago and my family and I were freaks beaucause we ate organic.

I am lucky enough to have friends (some not all) who support me, they wouldn't eat raw in a million year but they understand it can be important to me and respect it.
Also they notice that my mood is much better when I'm raw that's why they encourage me !

As for the salad in restaurant, it's really hard to find one with no meat, tuna, cheese, or eggs, or you end up with lettuce and tomatoes ...
That's not really a problem now because I can't afford restaurant anyway.

It's so great that you have a raw partner !

And i love Pink Martini.

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Permalink Reply by Jef on October 11, 2008 at 10:54am

Marine,
Have you read Angela Stokes book, Raw Emotions? That might be of help to you, if your struggle is coming from the emotional/craving side. Its a great book.

I have to admit, I have been on this path for a couple years, and still am not as much raw as I think would be ideal for me. HOwever, I have heard MANY people tell me to take it slow, and just gradually transition. I fight with them and say, well, I can't do that because I'm like an addict--one little bite drives me to eat a whole cake, etc.,,.........But I can see that what they say is coming true. When you look back at your life, you said, you have done a lot of moving already, meat to no meat, then no dairy, and I forget what else, but look at what you've already done! You have come so far.

I think its unkind to yourself to always see it as "falling of the wagon". What wagon? It helps me to see it as a journey. I'm walking along the path with my walking stick, and sometimes I pause for awhile, or even walk back a few steps to grab some cheesecake or pretzels..... then I keep moving, often making choices that are optimal for my health, and sometimes making less beneficial choices. But when I look back down the path from which I've come, I see I AM eating less and less of the unbeneficials, and more of the beneficials. Someday I may even eat 99% raw, or a good ACE diet. (Accepting Conscious Eater), but right now I want to eat curried chickpeas with rice with my family occasionally, or even something else.

I personally get really antsy and impatient. HOW LONG? Natalia Rose took several years to get to where she is, and I think, WOW< I don't want to WAIT that long....... but I'm seeing that its other than waiting...its travelling on the journey, seeing the sights along the way. Its a nice way to get there, if we can relax and trust the process.

Thanks for letting me spill my brain here for awhile. Its helped me to process my own journey as well, and I hope a little food for thought.
I'll see you along the path!
Love,
Jennifer

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Permalink Reply by Marine on October 11, 2008 at 11:57am

What you say is really true, it's really what I should be working on.

Thank You

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