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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookWhile growing up I was always a very healthy, active, outgoing kid. I grew up in the suburbs of the midwest and my family always had huge gardens. We grew everything from grapes to grape tomatoes and what my parents didn’t grow my grandparents grew a few miles down the road. We had apple trees, corn, squash, spinach, let’s just say I lived in a utopia of fruits and veggies as a kid. I remember picking strawberries right from the garden and eating them whole, stem and all. We canned and froze what we couldn’t eat during harvests that way we could enjoy our food all year long. My favorite was frozen blueberries and canned peaches.
When I left for college in the fall of 1995 I weighed 125 at 5ft7in tall. That changed quickly as I settled into the dorm life of eating nothing but pizza, chips, and drinking lots of coffee and soda. By the time I graduated I weighed 165 and I left college with only a two year degree! By the time I had my first baby two years after that I weighed 185 and have stayed that way ever since. Although I did loose 20 lbs about two years ago but I quickly fell off the Atkins diet because I simply cannot stand eating or especially cooking meat.
A few weeks ago I had sort of an awakening when I visited my 80+ year old grandparents who still live in the same old house in the country. When I pulled in the drive they were out working in their garden and they were just as thin and healthy as they were twenty years ago, although their garden has shrunk a bit and they are slowing down they still have an exceptional quality of life for people their age. Let me tell you, I left there with more than a bucket of blueberries, a bunch of spinach, and six cucumbers that day.
I honestly don’t know as far as 100% vegan or vegetarian which is the right road for me yet. I do know that bread and pastas are my enemy though so, I’m trying the vegan lifestyle and will give it 110%. In nearly two weeks of eating vegan I have lost six pounds and one entire pant size! I have no more bloating, my stomach feels so good, I have tons of energy, and my skin is glowing! I feel like a kid again!
I have a few questions and concerns about going raw. First, I’m afraid of getting bored with the food I’m eating. Second, the winter months will get sooooo very expensive, how will I afford to feed my family? Also, what about social events, barbeques, and birthday parties? What foods are good to eat when you have an upset tummy? Lets just say I need some low fiber meals until my body adjusts. Also. is there a forum for raising vegan or vegetarian kids?
Comments
Julie! Welcom! Sounds like you had a similar childhood to me. I adored the gardens and fresh food. Now I’m married and have a small garden of my own that I am expanding as fast as I can.
What I decided to do for the social events is do all raw (or vegan if you choose) and make exceptions for social events. That’s a really good start. The farther you get along the more you’ll learn and when you go to the social events you can just eat things that work for you. Like avoid meats and fats and go for salads, rices, and beans. It’s a process.
What I did when I started raw was wrote out a rules and regulation sheet for myself to follow and I included exceptions and already after following it I’m slowly getting more and more strict with myself. It becomes easier but move at your own pace.
Welcome!
Hi Julie!
That’s a sweet story about your grandparents enjoying fresh garden produce. I have a few ideas for you. Transition gently – give yourself plenty of time to try out new recipes, and find favorite raw foods to replace your old foods. Also, an excellent place to start is to simply remove wheat, animal products, and white sugar from your diet. Once these foods are gone, you can continue to eat cooked foods, and increase your raw percentage whenever you’re comfortable. See if that works for you!
I mention this method because it helped me a lot. when i was a wheatfree sugar free vegan for 1 year, it was SUPER easy to eat raw, because there were no longer cravings for cooked food. You can try to do simple cooked vegan soups during your transition.
Congrats on your choice to live a healthy lifestyle! I hope that this site provides you the support that you need. I understand the fear of getting bored with food… don’t worry about it – just try one new raw recipe a week. Once you experiment with new fruits, new spices, flavors, and recipes – you’ll realize that there’s no way to be bored! There are so many amazing flavors to experience.
Hi! I really enjoyed reading your introduction!
I am only raw for 2 weeks now, so I am not sure about the “bored” thing…but I do know that I am no longer craving breads the way that I was when I ate them…and I could eat watermelon until I died. (I hope I never tire of that!)
I think you can be as bored as you like..or not! From eating simply to trying out the more gourmet style of eating raw, there is plenty to experiment with. It seems one is just as likely to become bored with any food. I have friends that only eat the S.A.D and are bored with their food, but do not know how to branch out…just branch out when you start to get bored! Try something new, go search a recipe or take someone’s favorite and make it for yourself!
I was a vegetarian for many years, too and am raising a vegetarian daughter..trying hard to keep her vegan, but she still wants cheese when we go to our neighbor’s house. (SHe had it there once and since then has wanted it whenever we are there!)
She is so healthy and happy…especially since I have gone raw, she has been eating with me and living it…except the dehydrated cookies, for some reason!
Have a great time in your transition and lots of people will be here for you when you are tired, bored, need to talk…whatever!
kirsten
Update! I have lost over 10 lbs so far! I have figured out a few favorite breakfast smoothies. I think breakfast is the easiest meal for me. I love my carrot, banana, strawberry smoothie with a little fresh ginger and honey, yummo! I have also found out that I can now add a small handful of spinach and it doesn’t yuck me out anymore! I’m really loving this way of eating. I am still having a little trouble with dinner though, still at about 80 to 90% raw for that meal but, doing pretty well.
For dinner tonight I had two thick slices of a large heirloom tomato, slathered on both inside slices with zucc. pne nut hummus,slice of sweet onion and slices of avacado. Put together like a sandwich. For dessert was a1/4 of a watermelon. Easy and not a bite boring.Yuuuuuum.