what's the deal with RAF?

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Permalink Reply by ben "the beekeeper" stiller on June 20, 2009 at 4:04pm

the foundations of this community are varied and wide -- there's no "one way" to be raw (much to the chagrin of some 811ers) and yes, there are those of us who eat raw dairy, raw eggs, raw fish, raw meat, and/or really raw nuts and seeds -- like carol alt.

some people are more interested in health and wellness than any dogma around this or that accepted way of eating...

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on June 20, 2009 at 4:56pm

for the record, i didn't bring up 811; you did.. i'm trying to pinpoint a common raw philosophy and align it with the collective views of this forum, if this is possible

okay, so you're saying health and wellness as a general scope.. where does the "raw" concept fit in, in your opinion?\

PS: i'm a graphic designer as well.. respek :-)

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Permalink Reply by ben "the beekeeper" stiller on June 20, 2009 at 6:37pm

yes, i brought up 811 to make the point of a mono-ethical approach to raw foods. i can't speak for other people -- and on a whole, if you look at the types of conversations people are having -- you'll find a thread of everyone wanting good, whole foods...

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on June 20, 2009 at 9:52pm

i was a member of this site before joining 30bananasaday.. i thought he just mentioned it because he noticed something in my profile.. i didn't expect that he trolled other sites looking for me

but i just wanted to point out that it was a bit off topic

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Permalink Reply by Datura on June 20, 2009 at 4:20pm

Hey - compare Carol Alt to Lillian Muller. They were both Playboy bunnies, both raw. Lillian has been raw for about 30 years and doesn't consume animal products, and doesn't believe in plastic surgery...whereas Alt uses animal products, and has had plastic surgery. Interesting! Though, Alt has only been raw for about 12 years I think.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on June 20, 2009 at 5:00pm

believe it or not i'm not sure whether i've ever even read over this lol (maybe when i joined up i did).. thanks for highlighting it here

indeed this helps define this site's purpose.. but maybe the site is not in question as much as the theory behind the buzzword: "raw".. it feels too important to just be the simple fact that exposing a matter to high heat (however this is defined) decreases its nutrition

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on June 20, 2009 at 5:42pm

this could be short-sightedness on my part, but i came into this way of living believing that, while i found it seeking optimal personal health, it was also about coexisting eliminating pain and suffering for all species, as well as getting closer to how nature intended and what the planet furnishes for us with no need to meddle with it

the reason for the vegan assumption i guess would have to do with the fact that when i was transitioning to an all raw diet, all the books and other written materials and the 'gurus' talked about the 'raw food diet' in a way that made veganism seem like a no-brainer.. i wasn't even familiar with the paleo approach until reading about carol alt and joining up on GITMR

and my consensus that it was a movement that went beyond just food was just something that i gathered through written material, exposure to others, and feelings that came along with adopting this diet

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Permalink Reply by Rawzilla on June 20, 2009 at 6:16pm

Ryan,

A lot of people here, but certainly not all, did go through that evolution of vegetarianism to raw vegan, but ultimately found that eliminating animal food and even all cooked food did not support their health.

It seems like most, if not all, people here are very in touch with the realities of factory farming, animal abuse, and ethics and corruption surrounding the food industry. But that alone does not make for a healthy diet.

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Permalink Reply by telefunken on June 20, 2009 at 7:09pm

well said. me too!

i rarely eat RAF, but I wouldn't hesitate to, if I feel it may benefit me. (mostly raw eggs and/or dairy)

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Permalink Reply by Mark on June 21, 2009 at 2:15am

I considered what I do raw plant based rather than vegan, although my diet is vegan. If we're going to talk about compassion, well plants have lives too.

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Permalink Reply by Sistina on June 21, 2009 at 1:59am

I've reintroduced animal products back into my diet with raw goat's milk and raw eggs. It's helped substantially with health problems excaberated with raw veganism. Do you really think there's only one healthy way to eat? This isn't a vegan website; why are you surprized people aren't vegan? I started ignoring 811 propaganda when I was treated like I was stupid for eating seaweed. I've gone for months without eating sea vegetables and after I started eating them again I felt better, stronger. I'm so beyond people judging me for how I eat. It just tells me there's something bothering them about themselves.

Incidentally, one of the most important things about me eating raw animal products is that it's easier on the environment and I'm supporting holistic farming in my community, as opposed to the tropical fruit crew here.

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