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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI’ve been considering going raw for some time now and went out and bought a book on Sunday. There’s so much information that it’s overwhelming right now. I feel like I’m going to have an issue with energy because I’m definitely a protein type (Dr. Mercola’s metabolic type test). I feel like I don’t have enough energy unless I eat meat and I don’t really want to eat raw meat. Are there fruit/veggies that will give me the same energy or the protein I need?
I’m also curious as to how people handle scrutiny from family and friends. It sounds like some get a real hard time from them. I think most of my family and friends will understand but I know I won’t be completely free from harrassment. Also, what do you when you’re invited to someone’s house (or to go out) for a meal and they’re making something you won’t eat? Do you eat before going to their house (or restaurant) or do you decline the invite? I go to my parents and in-laws often for dinner and my husband likes to eat out at least once a week for dinner.
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Nuts are a good source of protein and I think many of us use(d) them to transition. I also use hemp protein powder in my smoothies. I say try it and see what happens and adjust as necessary. You might be surprised because raw gives many people extra energy. As far as family and friends, most are envious that I am able to be so healthy. When they make jokes about it, I just reply that I plan to live forever! When I’m invited somewhere I usually offer to bring something and then bring something that I can eat and then eat what I can that they offer. The people that invite me know my diet and can usually at least come up with a salad, plus I reassure them that my life isn’t about food and that I am happy for their company. I will often call a restaurant in advance or check their menu online so that I can make sure that they have something. It doesn’t bother me too much if they don’t have much for me, but it tends to worry the people I’m dining with. I usually just tell them in a lighthearted way that I always eat salads, so no matter where we go they’ll have salad and I’ll be happy (which is true). So, I say, if it is what you want to do for yourself, do it! You will find easy ways to conquer any fears you may have. Also, in this time of diets that we live in, it is much more accepted. And, after a little time on raw and you start to look great, you won’t get much scrutiny, youll be envied!!!!
Hi Denali, Deniefon has loads of good points, lets hope you like these ones too : – ) In Gabrielle Chavez’s book she mentions that when going to a resaurant she takes a small containiner with raw salad dressing in it and also and avacado and then just adds these to the salad. When going round to a friends house she suggests taking along a dish that everyone can try and there’s still enough left for your main course, that way you get to introduce people to raw foods and also feed yourself. Also for thai food there is a recipie on this site for “green papaya thai salad” they have this in most thai restrants in the uk and you can ask them to take out the bits (prawns, roasted peanuts) that are in the usual recipie and are not raw. Hope this helps.
Don’t fret too much about getting proteins in their whole form. After all, your body does NOT use proteins from food directly, but instead, breaks them down into their amino acid components. So, it’s more important to make sure you eat a wide variety of foods, especially vegetables and greens, for those amino acids. I personally favor dark, leafy greens as a good source of protein and calcium. They tend to be well balanced for this.
I just got a juicer so I can get more greens in my diet, yay!
As for family and eating out, the others gave you great advice. Almost any restaurant will offer an array of salads. (tell the waiter to leave off the dressing) I don’t eat at fast food joints anymore. They serve filth and even if they do have a salad bar, I won’t support a place that sickens people with dirt. And of course, family will come around; just be patient and understanding with them and don’t buckle. You might want to ask ahead of time about dinner plans when you get an invitation, and ask for salad, raw fruits, etc. I don’t think it’s rude at all. If you were kosher, you wouldn’t be eating most of what is served at someone’s house, so look at it like a religious experience:-)
Toms mum has a good point about fruit, on shazzies website there is a picture of her at a family wedding with a plate of beutifully aranged fresh fruit which she was given for her main course. Any restarant (why is that word so hard to spell!!) which does fruit salad for pudding should be able to get you a larger one for a main course…
Here is the link, it is from shazzies raw food journal, an absolute must read, I read it like a book over a whole weekend, http://www.shazzie.com/raw/journal/2002/may.shtml
I had an incomplete sentence above. When I said to eat a wide variety of foods, it was to get your amino acids, sorry!
Such good advice here!
One thing I learned with family(I used to have exceptions in my diet for family stuff but I always got sick so I stopped eating cooked food there even if it was vegan) just so long as you don’t make a scene or big deal about your diet no one else makes a big deal. For example, I have a very supportive family but my mom is always trying to make things different for me and that makes a scene. I just tell her to make things like she normally would and I’ll glean what I can from it. She’s a healthy eater and there are usually great options for me. My friends are mostly also supportive and I just bring dishes when I go there like raw salsa and guacamole with zucchini slices for chips. It always goes over really well.
I agree – my family members used to stress a lot over what to plan that I would eat, until I finally told them not to worry about feeding me; I would bring my own food & they didn’t need to worry about it any more. I have had two great experiences with being invited to dinner by people who didn’t know about my diet – one I just (briefly) explained my eating choices and offered to bring my own food and enjoy their company, and the other time when I explained, the lady offered to come over to my house beforehand and help me make something raw that we could all eat!