Parenting / Introducting raw foods to loved ones

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

 

I have been busy the last couple of days and haven't had time to

write more about my experiences with parenting and introducing my

loved ones to raw foods.

 

I wrote on Friday about my 13 year old son and letting him choose

the foods that he eats.  I have gotten a couple of private emails

about this, and thought I would share a little more detail with the

group.

 

I am the only person in my house who *knowingly* seeks a low fat

raw vegan way of eating.   My son has always expressed a preference

for raw foods, and the examples I gave were that he loves to eat

sliced peppers, cucumbers, carrots, pineapple.... He and my husband

both still eat meat and cooked foods. 

 

I realized some time ago that my raw food journey is my choice, and

I can't make this choice for anyone else. _ I don't even try to_. 

What I do, is have plenty of raw choices for them that they love.  If

I keep oranges, apples and bananas sitting in a basket on the counter

they are going to reach for those items first because it is easy and

available.  I started " forgetting " to purchase the snacks foods they

once ate.  After a couple of times of " forgetting " to buy chips they

stopped missing them.  I did the same thing with milk.  Instead of

having a long discussion with them about no more milk.... I forgot to

buy it for a couple of weeks and they adapted.  In place of the milk,

I always have a case of bottled water sitting in the fridge cold and

ready to drink.  They choose the water now because it is easy and

effortless.

 

You might say I am playing mind games with them, but it really is

all about habit.  They were in the habit of eating chips, now they are

in the habit of eating apples.  (ALOT of apples these days!!) 

 

I have found that letting my health changes speak for itself works

best.  My husband is a smart man, he can see that I have been sick

fewer times in the last year and half than he has.  He can see that

when I do get sick, I REST and recover much quicker than he does.  He

has started asking questions, and when he does I share information

with him.

 

The same applies to my mother.  When she first heard that I was

eating raw vegan, she was very worried because she loves me and in her

limited understanding of health this is very radical.  I didn't try to

change her opinion, only asked that she respect my choices.  Now a

year and a half later, she is starting to ask questions. She is

choosing fruit only breakfasts and adding salads... drinking water. (I

am very proud!)

 

So, the key to all of this is that I don't beat anyone over the

head about what they eat.  I ask that they respect my choices, and I

respect theirs.  When they want to know more (genuinely want to know

more) I share. 

 

I have focused on ADDING raw foods to my son's diet, adding steamed

veggies, adding water, adding rest, adding sunlight.... See the

pattern? I focused on adding, not on what I was taking away and they

are coming along on my journey... without resisting and fighting with

me... because they didn't even realize they were doing it! If I had

tried the lecture route they would have put up a huge resistance and

eaten worse than they already were just because I /TOLD/ them not too.

 

 I decided years before I found raw that I would NEVER have food

related battles with my son.  I know for a fact that many of my

emotional eating issues started out as food battles when I was child

and I won't do that to him.  Thankfully, he has always preferred raw

foods.  He won't touch things that other kids eat, like cupcakes...

never has. So, when he wants to eat an entire watermelon for

breakfast... I am fine with that. 

 

I love watching my husband eat an entire meal of salad and steamed

veggies.  I don't say a word to him, but inside my head I am laughing

because just a year ago he said there was no way in h*ll he was going

to change the way he eats.  :-)

 

Leah

 

www.stampyleah.blogspot.com

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

AWESOME AND GREAT FOR YOU! THANKS FOR POSTING!!! Erica

[Guest guest]

Leah,

 

Thanks for your post And I love how you used your family's

reliance on you to shop to change their habits! Creatures of habit

that without changing their habits had them changed...LOL!

 

Nicole

 

rawfood , Leah Morrison <LeahMorrison

wrote:

>

>

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> I have been busy the last couple of days and haven't had time

to

> write more about my experiences with parenting and introducing my

> loved ones to raw foods.

>

> I wrote on Friday about my 13 year old son and letting him

choose

> the foods that he eats.  I have gotten a couple of private emails

> about this, and thought I would share a little more detail with

the

> group.

>

> I am the only person in my house who *knowingly* seeks a low

fat

> raw vegan way of eating.   My son has always expressed a

preference

> for raw foods, and the examples I gave were that he loves to eat

> sliced peppers, cucumbers, carrots, pineapple.... He and my

husband

> both still eat meat and cooked foods. 

>

> I realized some time ago that my raw food journey is my choice,

and

> I can't make this choice for anyone else. _ I don't even try to_. 

> What I do, is have plenty of raw choices for them that they love. 

If

> I keep oranges, apples and bananas sitting in a basket on the

counter

> they are going to reach for those items first because it is easy

and

> available.  I started " forgetting " to purchase the snacks foods

they

> once ate.  After a couple of times of " forgetting " to buy chips

they

> stopped missing them.  I did the same thing with milk.  Instead of

> having a long discussion with them about no more milk.... I forgot

to

> buy it for a couple of weeks and they adapted.  In place of the

milk,

> I always have a case of bottled water sitting in the fridge cold

and

> ready to drink.  They choose the water now because it is easy and

> effortless.

>

> You might say I am playing mind games with them, but it really

is

> all about habit.  They were in the habit of eating chips, now they

are

> in the habit of eating apples.  (ALOT of apples these days!!) 

>

> I have found that letting my health changes speak for itself

works

> best.  My husband is a smart man, he can see that I have been sick

> fewer times in the last year and half than he has.  He can see

that

> when I do get sick, I REST and recover much quicker than he does. 

He

> has started asking questions, and when he does I share information

> with him.

>

> The same applies to my mother.  When she first heard that I was

> eating raw vegan, she was very worried because she loves me and in

her

> limited understanding of health this is very radical.  I didn't try

to

> change her opinion, only asked that she respect my choices.  Now a

> year and a half later, she is starting to ask questions. She is

> choosing fruit only breakfasts and adding salads... drinking

water. (I

> am very proud!)

>

> So, the key to all of this is that I don't beat anyone over the

> head about what they eat.  I ask that they respect my choices, and

I

> respect theirs.  When they want to know more (genuinely want to

know

> more) I share. 

>

> I have focused on ADDING raw foods to my son's diet, adding

steamed

> veggies, adding water, adding rest, adding sunlight.... See the

> pattern? I focused on adding, not on what I was taking away and

they

> are coming along on my journey... without resisting and fighting

with

> me... because they didn't even realize they were doing it! If I

had

> tried the lecture route they would have put up a huge resistance

and

> eaten worse than they already were just because I /TOLD/ them not

too.

>

>  I decided years before I found raw that I would NEVER have

food

> related battles with my son.  I know for a fact that many of my

> emotional eating issues started out as food battles when I was

child

> and I won't do that to him.  Thankfully, he has always preferred

raw

> foods.  He won't touch things that other kids eat, like

cupcakes...

> never has. So, when he wants to eat an entire watermelon for

> breakfast... I am fine with that. 

>

> I love watching my husband eat an entire meal of salad and

steamed

> veggies.  I don't say a word to him, but inside my head I am

laughing

> because just a year ago he said there was no way in h*ll he was

going

> to change the way he eats.  :-)

>

> Leah

>

> www.stampyleah.blogspot.com

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

On Tuesday 13 November 2007, Leah Morrison wrote:

>    So, the key to all of this is that I don't beat anyone

> over the   head about what they eat.  I ask that they

> respect my choices, and I respect theirs.  When they want

> to know more (genuinely want to know more) I share.

 

I appreciate the grace shown here.

 

and what a delightful story of not resisting what is before

you, but by patience and love, changes can happen in their

own time (with a little of our help).

 

thanks Leah.

 

--

the kneeling fool

 

raw, holistic, natural diet for body and mind

http://health.rawfoodsforhealth/

urine_therapy