Getting Back on the Wagon

[Elin]

I might be the only one out here who can't stay on the raw diet even though it tastes good, and it's good for me. I once was on it seriously for five full months, that was 11 years ago. Since then, if out with friends, and I take even one bite of something cooked, I'm off the raw for weeks, sometimes months before I can get back. It happens all the time, even if I say it won't...I slip back gradually at first, then whole heartedly to eating my comfort foods. With life as stressed and chaotic as it is today...I slide back and unfortunately that's where I am right now.

[Chris]

I feel that soaked nuts make it easier to get back on such a diet, especially almonds. Unfortunately it is hard to get a good almond anymore. But other very fresh and soaked nuts and seeds will keep the craving down. They say not to eat to much fat but at first you might have to eat a lot of nuts to keep in check. Getting the highest quality organic foods available is the key, if they don't taste good then why would you eat them. Your body knows this and it will make it harder to stay raw. And maybe the most important thing, emotional challenges.

[Elin]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the input...about the soaking of the raw organic nuts and especially almonds...I think that makes sense, and I might add others along with them...and I know what you mean about not eating so much fat...but hey I already am on the cooked diet, so raw fat is better as a transition. I'm going to go out tomorrow to get some. I live in California, home of the almond, so finding tasty organic ones is not going to be too difficult. I'm going to try to remind myself, that I am what I eat. Thanks again for writing to me.

[Naomi]

Gluten has an addicting quality opiate to it and dairy too so when you cheat if you eat those things then it wakes up cravings for more gluten (wheat, rye, and barley) or more dairy and you have a rough time going back to juice and salads. Next time your out to eat something cooked make it vegan and gluten and dairy free and you'll likely be just fine to go back to raw without the big on the wagon off the wagon display. This is how it works for us. Trust me you aren't the only one, there are many going through the same thing and you just have to not beat yourself up about it and see if gluten and dairy trigger you.

[Sue Bermudez]

Oh Elin, we are walking in the same shoes together! I too absolutely love the raw lifestyle and have dabbled for many years on and off and even went completely raw for 4 months early this year and felt fantastic! Unfortunately some personal stressful events got in the way and I took the slippy-slide back down into bad eating habits and full-blown sugar addiction. I got a short sharp shock last week on finding out that someone close to me is facing cancer for the second time.

Elin - we have to just get up again, brush ourselves down and get back onto the wagon to good health and raw living. I hope that we might be able to support each other in our journey?

Love and light,
Sue x

[Elin]

Hi Naomi,

Your name is the name I gave to one of my former Siamese cats...a wonderful name. I had always wanted to name a daughter the name Katie, but when my daughter was born I also had a cat named Katie, so I named my daughter Mari instead.

All this aside, your tip for staying on the wagon once I get back on, makes sense, and I'm going to try it. In fact, maybe it's a way for me to gently get back on. Over the last two months or so, I've gained 16 pounds filling myself with triggers because of stress.

This morning before getting out of bed I made the thought to myself that one step forward is worth more than continuing one step backward. Not entirely profound, or new, but hopefully worth something. Below your comment, Sue Bermudez has written that maybe we can support one another back to good health. I like that idea, and I appreciate all who have written here.

Naomi said:

Gluten has an addicting quality opiate to it and dairy too so when you cheat if you eat those things then it wakes up cravings for more gluten (wheat, rye, and barley) or more dairy and you have a rough time going back to juice and salads. Next time your out to eat something cooked make it vegan and gluten and dairy free and you'll likely be just fine to go back to raw without the big on the wagon off the wagon display. This is how it works for us. Trust me you aren't the only one, there are many going through the same thing and you just have to not beat yourself up about it and see if gluten and dairy trigger you.

[Elin]

Hello Sue,

Yes we seem to be walking in the same shoes, so let's help one another get back to either a 100% raw road, or as Naomi has spoken a vegan and wheat free road. This seems especially beneficial during the cold days of winter when something warm is appreciated. I should like to bring into my classroom my college daughter's now unused mini refrigerator. Then I'd have what I needed every lunch break, and rather than running off to grab a sandwich and chips, I could heat up some homemade vegan soup in the teacher's lunch room..or bring in a bottle of homemade sesame milk and have some during the morning. Yes, let's help one another.

Have you seen the new film entitled "May I Be Frank?" It's a documentary not yet released to the mainstream market, and filmed by three young men and a man named Frank who wondered into Cafe Gratitude (a raw restaurant) in San Francisco. They set Frank out on a 47 day journey to turn his life around, with the three coaches constantly by his side...and it worked. The night I saw the film, Frank was also there along with the filmmakers for an afterward Q & A. It was indeed inspiring. Another thought I have, at the first of next month after payday I could purchase a $500. Cafe Gratitude (there's also a restaurant in Berkeley, CA) card and use it daily for one of my main meals....this should help immensely.

Where in the US do you live? I live in Oakland, CA where we are currently experiencing some very cold and wet weather.

Sue Bermudez said:

Oh Elin, we are walking in the same shoes together! I too absolutely love the raw lifestyle and have dabbled for many years on and off and even went completely raw for 4 months early this year and felt fantastic! Unfortunately some personal stressful events got in the way and I took the slippy-slide back down into bad eating habits and full-blown sugar addiction. I got a short sharp shock last week on finding out that someone close to me is facing cancer for the second time.
Elin - we have to just get up again, brush ourselves down and get back onto the wagon to good health and raw living. I hope that we might be able to support each other in our journey?
Love and light,
Sue x

[Sue Bermudez]

Hello Elin - nice to hear from you! I am an Aussie, but have lived in Southern Spain for the past 19 years. Your ideas sound good and I hope they work for you - fridge is always handy in the workplace. I am lucky at my work in that I have a access to full kitchen facilities, the only thing is that I have been making unhealthy lunches instead of the salads I used to do. I too have put on a few kilos in the past few months and am amazed at how quickly it piles on!

I am a bit of an "all or nothing" person (a Scorpio trait I have been told), so I have to be careful about making changes because I seem to go all out and then burn out just as quickly a few weeks later. So today I did my grocery shopping and I bought some lovely salad vegetables, and carrots, zucchini, etc and instead of the usual masses of sweets and chocolate, I bought 2 packs of plain-ish biscuits and yoghurts, so instead of a radical change, I am going to start swapping bad things, for slightly less bad and work my way down. I had lunch at Burger King with my hubby (we call it our "romantic burger date") and I ordered a salad instead of the usual burger, and a juice instead of a coke.

I am going to commit to having BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING starting tomorrow and it will be either a protein shake or mixed vegetable juice. I am also going drag out the Wii Fit and start on that. I will have to keep an eye out for that film, it sounds interesting.

Love and light,
Sue x

[Elin]

Hi Sue,

Very interesting how similar we are...I too am an extremist, but a Gemini rather than a Scorpio. I like your idea of substituting a less bad thing for the worse thing I've been eating. I'm prepared to get going in this journey back to better health, and a better looking body again so that even as summer arrives it will be quite noticeable indeed.

Sue Bermudez said:

Hello Elin - nice to hear from you! I am an Aussie, but have lived in Southern Spain for the past 19 years. Your ideas sound good and I hope they work for you - fridge is always handy in the workplace. I am lucky at my work in that I have a access to full kitchen facilities, the only thing is that I have been making unhealthy lunches instead of the salads I used to do. I too have put on a few kilos in the past few months and am amazed at how quickly it piles on!
I am a bit of an "all or nothing" person (a Scorpio trait I have been told), so I have to be careful about making changes because I seem to go all out and then burn out just as quickly a few weeks later. So today I did my grocery shopping and I bought some lovely salad vegetables, and carrots, zucchini, etc and instead of the usual masses of sweets and chocolate, I bought 2 packs of plain-ish biscuits and yoghurts, so instead of a radical change, I am going to start swapping bad things, for slightly less bad and work my way down. I had lunch at Burger King with my hubby (we call it our "romantic burger date") and I ordered a salad instead of the usual burger, and a juice instead of a coke. I am going to commit to having BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING starting tomorrow and it will be either a protein shake or mixed vegetable juice. I am also going drag out the Wii Fit and start on that. I will have to keep an eye out for that film, it sounds interesting.
Love and light,
Sue x

[Amanda Leigh]

I heard/read that almonds in California are not actually raw even if the package says raw. Something to do with a law or something of that nature. They roast all of the almonds. Can't remember the source though, so you may want to check.

Elin said:

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the input...about the soaking of the raw organic nuts and especially almonds...I think that makes sense, and I might add others along with them...and I know what you mean about not eating so much fat...but hey I already am on the cooked diet, so raw fat is better as a transition. I'm going to go out tomorrow to get some. I live in California, home of the almond, so finding tasty organic ones is not going to be too difficult. I'm going to try to remind myself, that I am what I eat. Thanks again for writing to me.