Thinking About The Raw Guru Wars

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Debbie Took on July 7, 2009 at 1:08am

Good article, Andrew, and I 'resonate' with a lot of what you're saying!

Only one thing...you are critical of those who write something in a book, then are saying something completely different in five or ten years' time.

I think changes of mind can simply reflect development of thinking, openness to review, self-examination, whatever...!

As the late, great Anne Wigmore said: 'everyone's entitled to change their mind, dearie, even me!'

I just wish the raw gurus (of all persuasions) could just stick to recommending the variants of the raw diet they prefer, rather than knocking the diets of other raw gurus, saying they're 'wrong', 'dangerous' etc etc.

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Permalink Reply by John on July 7, 2009 at 1:44am

A book is only a snapshot of an author's mind at the time they write it.

The picture keeps changing.

Enjoy the view.

John
http://www.sunfoodliving.com

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Permalink Reply by John on July 7, 2009 at 4:35am

I just read your article. Good. Wish more people would be their own guru, ask questions, do their own research... and also simply grow some of their food and also support regional organic and family farmers.

Some of these products being pushed are a bit much, and often distant from the most healthful things a person could be eating. All of the packaged so-called raw foods are not as good as simply eating a variety of fresh foods. It seems every time you turn around someone is selling a new raw food product.

Not that I'm totally free from some of the raw junk foods. But, I understand your message.

It seems some people just have it in them to be followers... and often with blindfolds on. They seem to be lacking in curiousity, and are unable to decipher when they are being fed a load of garbage... and will spend, spend, spend on anything they are told is good by the salespeople selling the stuff.

If you have ever been to Erewhon natural foods store in L.A., you can get a really good idea of how many raw food products are out there. And most are really just raw junk food or raw fast food.

The produce section is really the raw food section. Not the packaged food section, no matter what the advertising claims.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on July 7, 2009 at 10:20am

I agree. The ability to think for yourself cannot be overrated.

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Permalink Reply by yogini on July 7, 2009 at 11:06am

I just read your article. It is wonderful.

The closest I have ever come to seeing anyone as my "raw guru": Jack LaLanne (he isn't raw!).

This is his message--
"If man made it don't eat it."

It can all be boiled down to ( ha ha pardon the pun ):

"If man made it, don't eat it. It nature made it, eat it and try not to cook it." I guess that doesn't make enough money.

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Permalink Reply by Eric S on July 7, 2009 at 12:04pm

One criticism is about avoiding "gurus" who aren't 100% raw. It is extremely difficult to eat 100% raw in this world. I am not going to lie and say I eat 100% raw because I don't. In the winter I like to lightly steam some vegetables and maybe make a warm soup. I also cook quinoa and eat that pretty regularly. I know you can make it raw but I just can't take the texture of it uncooked.

I'd rather have a "guru" who admits that they are human and slip every now and then and eat a cooked meal or a cooked ingredient, than someone who says they eat 100% raw all the time.

I also disagree about not allowing people to change their minds. Everyone changes their minds, opinions develop and evolve and I think the willingness of someone to adapt their message as they change is a trait to admire, not avoid.

I do wholeheartedly agree about avoiding people who are trying to sell you supplements and such. I have found that a lot of people who are well respected are starting to act more like TV informercials trying to sell stuff.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on July 7, 2009 at 1:03pm

I'm more than happy to see people adapt their views and grow.

But preaching about those views as if they're definitive when they're not really tried and tested, and when the people doing the preaching often go back and start advocating for what they were warning against, it becomes a big game of follow the follower.

Look at me! I'm doing this.

Ok, that wasn't working so well, but look at me now, I'm doing this, and you should too! Hey, I think I'll write a book!

I'd prefer a bit of responsibility and long term success.

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Permalink Reply by Eric S on July 7, 2009 at 4:54pm

I am glad it is not difficult for you, but it is difficult for me. I gave the examples that are difficult for me in my post. Another example is a raw bar I have sitting on my desk right now that I eat as snacks at work. On the back this one says "82.2% raw."

Other times that are difficult for me are if I am getting home late from work. If it's 10pm, I want to go to bed, I certainly don't want to prepare food out of fresh vegetables and sometimes just heating something up is very tempting.

Even the most committed raw foodists I know slip every now and then. I think asking anyone to be 100% anything is doomed to failure. People mess up and they should allow themselves the room to mess up every now and then.

As for changing your mind, it certainly is disturbing if someone does a complete 180 of their opinion. I was thinking more along the lines of small tweaks to your point of view every now and then. If you start advocating for what you were warning against that is a different issue.

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Permalink Reply by Debbie Took on July 8, 2009 at 2:07am

Eric - re late night eating - fruit doesn't need preparing. I don't usually eat after 7 pm, but for some reason last night I was hungry (comfort-eating perhaps - it was cold here, with heavy rain pelting down outside!)

Around 9 pm I put the fire on and had a whole Gala melon. It was...exquisite!

I didn't use to find the thought of a Gala melon as a late (ish) night treat attractive. In cooked days it would have been toast and peanut butter. But the longer and more raw you are the more tastes change!

Also, I slept well last night, despite eating late, and am guessing it was because melon digests very easily.

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Permalink Reply by Ian on July 8, 2009 at 7:37am

Many people ask me if it's really hard to eat 100%, and my usual response is "it's not overly difficult to do, but at the same time it's not easy". Oftentimes, people hear of elaborate benefits, jump right into 100% raw, and then find themselves not feeling any different after a couple of weeks, and therefore go back to eating worse than before.

The first task I would recommend to anyone is to truly ask yourself "why" 100% would be an optimal goal. Many times, we set our goals outside the reach of our ability to hit them. Those who fall short of this ideal have used words like "failure" when it comes to aiming for 100% and not reaching it. This should never be about "failing", but instead moving towards a healthier lifestyle, if one feels that is important.

I've messed up a couple of times over the past 3+ years of 100% (popcorn at the movies!), and each time I did so, I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and arthritis in both of my hands. As such, I actually learned more from "failing" on this path than anything else, and I have made it a point not to visit those mistakes again.

As you were :-)

Ian

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Permalink Reply by Debbie Took on July 8, 2009 at 1:09am

Thanks, Cliff.

Yes, Eric's second para did rather give the impression that if people describe themselves as 100% raw we must assume they're not telling the truth.

I don't find it 'extremely difficult' either. Yes, I have had the odd cooked ingredient, eg toasted pine-nuts in an otherwise raw salad while on holiday. If people mean this isn't '100% raw', well, sure...99.6865%? 'Rounding up' is easier!

But I don't have cooked meals, neither do I have the desire for them.

No I don't think Cliff and I are the norm in the raw food world, but, equally, if a raw food guru says they're 100%, I think we should go with that, unless we have evidence to think otherwise. And, sure, sometimes people don't tell the truth. But, in fact, very few 'gurus' do describe themselves as 100%. If they don't, then, sure, I think we can assume they have a little cooked every so often, and...fine!
High-raw people have done a huge amount to spread the raw message.

The only one I can think of who regularly uses the 100% label is Matt Monarch.

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Permalink Reply by Gia on July 7, 2009 at 1:19pm

That is one of the best articles I have read i a long time. I notice the so called gurus seem to be getting worse and worse the last few years. When I started 8 years ago it did not seem as bad. I never will understand writing a book and telling people this is how it is done and then not even following it your self makes any sense. That would like me writing a book on raising a vegan family and then not really been vegan.

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