(this picture is not what this post is about, it is just to tease you and show what you are missing out on if you don't come to our raw meetups--these are energy bites, made by yours truly)People, at least a few that I have met or heard about, that embark on a dietary change to vegan or raw vegan, often get carried away with labels. They become very strict and forgive no “sins”. They proudly wear T-shirts with RAW or Vegan slogans on them and count it almost beneath themselves to be around non-vegans (omnivores) and turn up their noses in disgust around family dinners where milk and dairy flow in abundance. I personally find such attitude and behavior silly. Most of us embark on the new journey in quest of a better health. In the process we become more eco- and animal friendly, and that is great. We just have to remember to be human-friendly as well. After all—most of us were not raised vegan or raw vegan, and paid some sort of price to get where we are. So, why now use that as investment into our families?
It is hard at times to be an only vegan, and especially raw vegan in our families in today’s society. Our birthday parties, Thanksgiving dinners and church picnics are centered around food. Food seems to be one thing that somehow brings people together. That is… unless you had the nerve to change and go against the grain. There were so many times when we were mocked and criticized because of our diet. We were the target of all jokes: “Elena, here, have a sausage.” “I am sorry there is nothing for you to eat—I just could not think of anything to make for you.” And my favorite: “You need to live a little!” as if my happiness and life were somehow determined by the foods I eat, or whether I eat chicken or greens.
It is very easy to become a bit defensive in such situations. When you know what a change in diet has done for your health and well-being, after you have spent thousands of hours in research and you know more than you family combined on the topic on nutrition, it is easy to start feeling self-righteous. We even can get to feeling superior, if we don’t watch ourselves.
I have observed this phenomenon especially in the raw community. What can I say? I am glad I don’t feel the same way. I am not sure if I will ever become 100% raw, but then I am also not into labels. I am however, into optimal health. If eating all raw does it for you—stick with it. If being 80/20 (raw/cooked) does it for you—go for it, if you just switched from SAD (standard American diet) and all you can do is 50/50 or 60/40—good for you!
For those of you who have enjoy raw fruit and greens 4 seasons of the year, then more power to you!
After living vegan for the last 2.5 years I am convinced that ultimatums are a dead end road. As soon as we create "Forbidden Foods" list in our mind, we end up slipping: bingeing, feeling guilty after that, and become obsessed with foods. I believe that it is more harmful for you to continually put your body through such a roll coaster, than for to find a happy middle and stick with it. It might not be optimal—but anything is better than being on SAD!
I would prefer that the entire world became vegan, and at least 50% raw, but I know it is not going to happen in this world. In the end, the goal is not to put "Raw Foodist" or “Vegan” stamp on your forehead and wear is as a badge of honor. The goal is to become engaged in the pursuit of optimal health and high energy living.
So, if you're not willing to become a hard-core Vegan, or if you decided to become Vegan but now Raw, then I have a few recommendations for you. Remove mental RESTRICTIONS! When that is done, the desire to indulge, or overeat on "forbidden foods" vanishes or is greatly diminished.
You need to make vegan living simple. Don’t feel bad if you cannot decipher nutritional vocabulary and understand everything about enzymes, anti-oxidants proteins and amino acids, as great as it can be, it is not necessary for you to thrive. It is great to know the basics, but you don’t have to get a degree to eat sensibly and benefit from it. If that was a requirement we all would be in trouble!
If you consider eating something, look at your plate and ask yourself: "Does this make sense?" “Is it natural—does this occur in nature?” “Can it be eaten without having to be cooked?” “Is it acidic?” (all animal products are acidic in nature)
If you are going to eat cooked foods stick to those that make sense. A veggie stew makes more sense to me than a fake meat-loaf made out of nuts, or a block of tofu.
Some of the raw foods, if made incorrectly can leave you feeling worse than some of the cooked foods. Does it make more sense to have a bowl of brown rice with steamed or raw veggies with zero fat in the dish or a raw cake loaded with ½ cup of coconut oil per serving?
If you have to over flavor your food for it to taste good, then set it aside. Overdoing in sauces and spices are can lead you to the desire to overeat. Eating such foods can stimulate addictions. You might be able to eat only a slice or two of whole grain bread, but start dipping into olive oil with spices and you won’t notice the damage until the whole loaf is gone. If you eat cooked foods, keep it simple. If you decide that all vegan diet is not for you, or not yet, than if you eat meat dishes, make sure to do it infrequently, consume only organic meats, and preferably locally raised. I hate to say this, since I am altogether against flesh eating, but this is a much better choice than going to a Burger Kind for a Double Whopper.
Simplify even your cooked foods, and you will learn to appreciate the true flavor of what you are eating. You will discover textures and tastes you were unfamiliar with, even though you might have had the same ingredients with spices before.
You will most likely be able to control your meat or cooked food consumption if you remove the “Forbidden List” out of your mind. Forbidden fruit always seems to be the most welcoming. Once you resolve in your mind that you can have something out the “forbidden” category once in a while, in moderation, the urge to overindulge will evaporate. How do I know—let’s just say that I do ; )
To sum it up, enjoy your new journey. Make sure to follow Food Combining guidelines as much as possible. Keep foods as close to their natural state as possible, and try to avoid over-flavoring your dishes.
Until next time: EAT HEALTHY!!! BE HAPPY!!!
It is hard at times to be an only vegan, and especially raw vegan in our families in today’s society. Our birthday parties, Thanksgiving dinners and church picnics are centered around food. Food seems to be one thing that somehow brings people together. That is… unless you had the nerve to change and go against the grain. There were so many times when we were mocked and criticized because of our diet. We were the target of all jokes: “Elena, here, have a sausage.” “I am sorry there is nothing for you to eat—I just could not think of anything to make for you.” And my favorite: “You need to live a little!” as if my happiness and life were somehow determined by the foods I eat, or whether I eat chicken or greens.
It is very easy to become a bit defensive in such situations. When you know what a change in diet has done for your health and well-being, after you have spent thousands of hours in research and you know more than you family combined on the topic on nutrition, it is easy to start feeling self-righteous. We even can get to feeling superior, if we don’t watch ourselves.
I have observed this phenomenon especially in the raw community. What can I say? I am glad I don’t feel the same way. I am not sure if I will ever become 100% raw, but then I am also not into labels. I am however, into optimal health. If eating all raw does it for you—stick with it. If being 80/20 (raw/cooked) does it for you—go for it, if you just switched from SAD (standard American diet) and all you can do is 50/50 or 60/40—good for you!
For those of you who have enjoy raw fruit and greens 4 seasons of the year, then more power to you!
After living vegan for the last 2.5 years I am convinced that ultimatums are a dead end road. As soon as we create "Forbidden Foods" list in our mind, we end up slipping: bingeing, feeling guilty after that, and become obsessed with foods. I believe that it is more harmful for you to continually put your body through such a roll coaster, than for to find a happy middle and stick with it. It might not be optimal—but anything is better than being on SAD!
I would prefer that the entire world became vegan, and at least 50% raw, but I know it is not going to happen in this world. In the end, the goal is not to put "Raw Foodist" or “Vegan” stamp on your forehead and wear is as a badge of honor. The goal is to become engaged in the pursuit of optimal health and high energy living.
So, if you're not willing to become a hard-core Vegan, or if you decided to become Vegan but now Raw, then I have a few recommendations for you. Remove mental RESTRICTIONS! When that is done, the desire to indulge, or overeat on "forbidden foods" vanishes or is greatly diminished.
You need to make vegan living simple. Don’t feel bad if you cannot decipher nutritional vocabulary and understand everything about enzymes, anti-oxidants proteins and amino acids, as great as it can be, it is not necessary for you to thrive. It is great to know the basics, but you don’t have to get a degree to eat sensibly and benefit from it. If that was a requirement we all would be in trouble!
If you consider eating something, look at your plate and ask yourself: "Does this make sense?" “Is it natural—does this occur in nature?” “Can it be eaten without having to be cooked?” “Is it acidic?” (all animal products are acidic in nature)
If you are going to eat cooked foods stick to those that make sense. A veggie stew makes more sense to me than a fake meat-loaf made out of nuts, or a block of tofu.
Some of the raw foods, if made incorrectly can leave you feeling worse than some of the cooked foods. Does it make more sense to have a bowl of brown rice with steamed or raw veggies with zero fat in the dish or a raw cake loaded with ½ cup of coconut oil per serving?
If you have to over flavor your food for it to taste good, then set it aside. Overdoing in sauces and spices are can lead you to the desire to overeat. Eating such foods can stimulate addictions. You might be able to eat only a slice or two of whole grain bread, but start dipping into olive oil with spices and you won’t notice the damage until the whole loaf is gone. If you eat cooked foods, keep it simple. If you decide that all vegan diet is not for you, or not yet, than if you eat meat dishes, make sure to do it infrequently, consume only organic meats, and preferably locally raised. I hate to say this, since I am altogether against flesh eating, but this is a much better choice than going to a Burger Kind for a Double Whopper.
Simplify even your cooked foods, and you will learn to appreciate the true flavor of what you are eating. You will discover textures and tastes you were unfamiliar with, even though you might have had the same ingredients with spices before.
You will most likely be able to control your meat or cooked food consumption if you remove the “Forbidden List” out of your mind. Forbidden fruit always seems to be the most welcoming. Once you resolve in your mind that you can have something out the “forbidden” category once in a while, in moderation, the urge to overindulge will evaporate. How do I know—let’s just say that I do ; )
To sum it up, enjoy your new journey. Make sure to follow Food Combining guidelines as much as possible. Keep foods as close to their natural state as possible, and try to avoid over-flavoring your dishes.
Until next time: EAT HEALTHY!!! BE HAPPY!!!
