For those on a raw food diet..... your experience, encouragement, helpful hints appreciated!?

Question

I have found raw foods to be fantastic in many ways & yet it is hard for me to stay with it.

Answer 1

I kind of did it for about 6 weeks.
But I modified it a bit. I allowed myself cooked wild rice at lunch.
I did feel better after doing it, but don't know if I would have wanted to do it for more than I did it.

It was a great detox, and I did feel lighter, although I did have days when I was really ill, but I put that down to the detoxing.

I normally do about 6 weeks of raw food throughout the year, every year, but the last time it was all in one long stretch, so it was different. I also do a lot of fitness, so found I was trying to eat loads of food, but all the fibre was just stuffing me up :o)

Stick with it, but don't feel bad if you need to take a break from it for a while... Also I drank a lot of hot water which I think helped.

Don't be too hard on yourself and only do what you can manage, even a few days a year on the raw food diet can really make a difference to the world!!

Answer 2

I found this solution, is very interesting:
15 Ways to Cut 50 Calories or More


A little here, a little there. Cutting calories is easier than you think! Think small! Trimming even just a small percentage of your body weight can do wonders for your health. And eating just a bit less is the way to do it. Shaving calories here and there is easier than you think. All it takes are a few no-sweat efforts like the ones that follow. Pick two a day and you'll cut 100 calories. Burn 100 more calories a day (a 15- to 20-minute walk will do the trick) and you'll lose almost half a pound a week. That may not sound like much, but it adds up to 20 pounds a year!

1. Leave the cheese off your sandwich.
2. Use 1 cup skim milk instead of 1 cup whole milk.
3. Use a nonstick spray instead of 2 teaspoons oil.
4. Drink seltzer or diet soda instead of regular soda.
5. Have an English muffin instead of a doughnut
6. Use 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise instead of 1 tablespoon regular mayo.
7. Eat 2 tablespoons less ice cream.
8. Drink 4 ounces less juice.
9. Use 1 tablespoon less cream cheese.
10. Order small fries instead of large fries.
11. Use 1 tablespoon less salad dressing.
12. Use one less pat of margarine
13. Substitute 4 ounces ground turkey for 4 ounces ground beef.
14. Have 1 ounce of pretzels instead of 1 ounce of potato chips.
15. Substitute 1 tablespoon jam for 1 tablespoon butter.

Answer 3

The first thing you need to ask yourself before embarking on such a huge lifestyle change is: Can I do this the rest of my life?

Raw food can be great, but it can be time consuming and really leave you craving something hot or warm, which is a very slippery slope. Once you give into something warm, you're probably going to want more and more and more. And it's not going to be healthy stuff. You can still live a healthy, vibrant life on a lifestyle that allows you to eat all your current favorite cooked foods as long as they are in moderation. I personally don't believe in the raw mantra that you can each as much of whatever you want as long as it's raw - it's just not reasonable. If you eat more calories than you are working off, I don't care who you are, but you're not going to be losing weight.

I'm not asking you this because it is not my favorite lifestyle, I'm asking because you seem to be struggling and you're at a bit of a crossroad. So, if you're *honestly* ready to throw away your oven and microwave forever and exchange them for a dehydrator and a spiral slicer, I'd recommend Alissa Cohen's website and forum, rawfoodtalk.com. There are lots of testimonials and encouragement and a very lively and warm community there!

Answer 4

120 Raw Diet Food Recipes : http://Go.StayEatingRaw.com/?akPo