Hi Raven

[Guest guest]

I have a co-worker who's pretty unhealthy and her

diet is atrocious. She's 56 and has constant

allergies, frequent inner ear infections and occasional

colds and even hemorrhoids. This is the same woman who

told me I was stupid for not going to a dermotologist

to have a small patch of skin cancer removed from my

face. I told her the raw diet will most likely allow my

body to heal it without needing to be cut on. She

thinks I'm whacked. I think she's an idiot. Oh

well.<br><br>The fast went very well but I didn't go the whole 12

days. I let Thanksgiving get in the way of that. I did

4 days prior to Thanksgiving and felt just fine and

lost 3 pounds. I personally think a water fast is

easier than a juice fast. I've done both and with water

only, your hunger goes away completely because your

digiestion ceases. With drinking juice, your'e keeping your

appetite stimulated. I got more hungry on the juice fast

than I did with just water. I'll go on another one

after the first of the year. Maybe juices for a day or

two then switch to water for 4-5 days.<br><br>That's

my plan, anyway ;~}

[Guest guest]

Well a four day water fast sounds great! I've

never been able to do a water fast...yet. I've heard

about how you stop being hungry, and that makes sense.

I'm going to start with the juice one first though.

I " m not sure when yet.<br><br>How long have you been

100% raw? When did you stop craving cooked

food?<br><br>I feel very good, but I have times when I'm really

upset about not getting to eat bread especially! I

understand mentally completely that I dont want it, but the

craving is still there. I know people in here have said

that all cooked food is addictive. That's a bit too

general of a statement for me. I do believe that some

foods are addictive and I'd be interested to find out

why. In Fit For Life II, it mentions an ex-Food

industry worker who 'spills the beans' on how awful the

industry is and how they add addictive substances. I think

that has a lot to do with it.<br><br>Raven

[Guest guest]

I went 100% raw exactly 68 days ago. I have to

say, I'm maintaining a 99% level right now. I eat

cooked food about twice a month. I go to Souplantation

and get a big salad with a baked potato and maybe a

cup of black bean soup but I only do that twice a

month. I don't think there's a big (if any) defference

health-wise between 97% (or so) - 100% raw regardless what

the hard core folks say. To do anything 100% of the

time for the rest of your life is a bit extreme and

most people can't adhere to ithat forever. I've been

hearing more and more about people who have fallen off

the wagon after being 100% raw for several years.

It's just too regimented for most people to stick to

for a long period of time. I sure do enjoy my baked

tater and bean soup a few times a month :-)<br><br>You

asked when I stopped craving cooked food. Well to be

totally honest with you, the cravings stopped the very

first day I went raw, no joke. I was soooooo ready to

make the transition, I didn't even think about cooked

food let alone crave it.<br><br>Well, about my 5th

week, I craved a piece of toast something awful for

about 15 minutes. I think it's because I saw a 1/2 loaf

of bread on my counter that I feed to the wild

pidgeons. I mean I look at the bread everyday but that

particular day, it triggered a craving. (bread was one of my

cooked faves)<br><br>Anyway, I don't buy bread too often

anymore for the birds. I buy wild bird seed and they like

that MUCH better (naturally)<br><br>Hey, if you wanna

read a great book that exposes the food industry, read

" Fighting the Food Giants " . I forgot who wrote it but the

author spied on the food manufacturing companies from

the inside and what he tells in his book is

astounding. Every parent should read that book and wise up

and stop giving their kids sugar/chemical laden CRAP!

[Guest guest]

I agree about going 100%. Being over 90% (or 95%)

is such an improvement over the awful American diet

that I think it's fine. I have a feeling the only

problem is psychological. I have to get to a point where

I can be 'a little bad' and not get sucked back in.

That's why I'm so interested in the physical addiction

facts. The more information we have, the better

decisions we might be able to make. <br><br>I'm the only

one in my household who is attempting 100% raw, so

I'm surrounded by cooked & bad food all the time.

Sometimes it's really tough (more at night, I've noticed,

and more when I'm extra stressed!).<br><br>I think

the book " Fighting the Food Giants " is the book I was

trying to remember the name too. Thanks.<br><br>By the

way, what countries were at the top of the healthy

eating list?<br><br>Raven

[Guest guest]

Well, what worked for me in the beginning was

reading that book I told you about, The Sunfood Diet

Success System but the author (David Wolfe) is extremely

hardcore and I don't think you have to be like that in

order to benefit. But what he says about the addiction

aspect of it all was very interesting. For me

personally, it's easier to stay close to 100% rather than eat

at 80% or so. I tried that and it didn't work for

very long and found myself eating about 50% raw before

I knew it. Everyone is different. You'll find what

works best for you but I think 100% is good for the

first month or so to break away from cooked foods then

SLOWLY introduce a few back into the diet on an

occasional basis. <br><br>I live alone so this diet is easy.

It's ridiculously easy, actually. I can imagine living

with cooked fooders, it would be a real

challenge.<br><br>That book didn't say what countries were involved

except for the US. That would've been kind of

interesting to see. Oh well.

[Guest guest]

I have been adicted to a few things in my life,

and every time I would try to quit, I would last a

month, or a few, then I would say to myself. Just one

ciggarette won't hurt me, or one beer once in a while is ok,

and every time I did that I would fail. It always

seems easy at first. One time I went out and got drunk,

because I felt that quitting was so easy, I could just

quit again tomorrow. The only thing that works is

complete abstinance. Adictions are always fed by that

substance which is IN you, and they always get WORSE.

Believe me 2 months is not enough time to get over any

addiction. It can take YEARS. What we think are innocent

cravings are not innocent at all. I know I am being harsh,

but if you go back and read your posts you can see

that you are justifying. We are not only getting over

cooked food adiction, we are learning a new way of life.

A life free of ALL adictions. I know its hard. I

loved to go out for dinner, with my friends, to a great

Pizza place, and I miss that, I miss just stopping

anywhere to eat, without explaining to a waiter for 20

minutes that I want a salad without anything cooked in

it. I sometimes hate the thought that I will never

again taste my favorite cooked foods, but I know from

past experiance with adictions, that all of this will

pass. Their is a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

<br><br><br>If you look at the list of members in this club you

will see that most of them don't post any more. They

just faded away. I realy want you guys to stay. I want

you to make it. I've grown to like you.<br><br>Doug

[Guest guest]

Yeah, I agree that this is an addiction and I'm

angry about that! I know that if it wasnt for the

psychological aspect, I could be 'a little bad' once a week and

then do a juice fast the next day. I know that I would

still be very healthy and could enjoy a treat once a

week. However, it is not easy and I agree that to quit

addictions, you have to go cold turkey. I understand what

you're saying about rationalization, and I'm aware of

it, but it is not the sole motivation behind all that

I say. I'll keep a check on it

though.<br><br>What do you think of the authors of Fit for Life who

said that although 100% is optimal it is unrealistic?

They claimed to be extremely healthy at about 70-80%

raw (I think I havent checked again).<br><br>I know I

have to add raw recipes into my diet or I'll go crazy.

I've actually found that I prefer to eat specific

veggies separate than in a salad. However, I hope to find

some salad mixes that have a new taste. <br><br>And

I'm still waiting for the SunFood diet book! It's

been forever!

[Guest guest]

Hi Raven. I thought I would have certain foods

rthat I could not do without when I first wet raw about

6 weeks ago. I was completly raw for three weeks,

now i only 'cheat' a little. I would say I am now 95%

raw. But I found now really strong cravings at all, I

realy enjoy my fruit and nuts, and I do tend to have

the same things all the time, but I don'r feel I am

missing much at all I worry a bit that I might not be

getting enough B12 and D (And possibly the other B vits,

but D is the one I worry most about)<br> BUt I do

feel better generally, I have lost 14 pounds in

weight, I hope it wont go down too much more now though.

<br> I enjoyed playing the part of Collins, I wasn't

as good as the film version Collins though!<br>

Chris;

[Guest guest]

Chris;<br><br>I just read in Blatant Raw Foodist

Propaganda by Joe Alexander, that raw food sources of

vitamin B12 are Alfalfa sprouts, and sea vegtables. He

also states that Alfalfa sprouts have vitamin

D.<br><br>Good eating; Doug