I AM the One I've Been Waiting For!

Well, I haven't been exactly faithful to this new venture, but I have been burning up the keyboard this year with exchanges with other raw foodists. I have continued my efforts towards a raw lifestyle that has included a forum where others post their progress, and I mine. My only issue right now is that a new detox program has just been cancelled after I spent a few sleepless nights convincing myself that it was precisesly what I needed to seal in my new eating habits. Well, at this posting I am now on Day 5 of what is turning out to be "My Own Program."

Sometimes it takes a kick in the butt for me to realize that I am the one who knows what's best for me. I have been reading countless newsletters, blogs, books, and websites in search of my raw food guru. This has been a constant pursuit for about 18 months, but the interest in this new way of feeding my overweight body goes back decades. Now with the internet, everything is so much more accessible. The information is readily available and it is easy to see that I am not the only one on this path. In fact, there are many out there sharing their wisdom with the world. But after reading so many people's ideas, I have realized that not one program works for everyone. There is a process one must go through to find out exactly what does and does not work. I think I am finally starting to find my own balance and realizing that I need to dance to the beat of my own drum. It can be difficult just finding the right drum, learning what tempos you like, and then learning the dance. Like the members of Dancing With the Stars, I have made a lot of wrong moves and taken some hard falls. But I believe the benefits of this journey will be a life of health and happiness rather than the sharp slide into a debilitating old age.

Part of the transitioning process from a Standard American Diet (SAD) to a 100% raw lifestyle seems to always include the flogging one imparts on one's own conscious over not doing it perfectly. There tends to be a lot of failing and flailing before one starts to really fly on this light wave. To anyone taking this path, I will say to you right now: every meal is a new opportunity to get it right. Our food addictions in this country are so vast and deep-rooted that it is almost impossible for anyone to just go raw overnight. It can be done and has been done, but there is no point in beating yourself up if you can't do that. Just keep adding in more raw fruits and vegetables into your diet and you will get there.

I personally recommend that anyone who sees the long-term benefits of being raw might want to go vegan first. Make that a lifestyle before you try to move fully into the raw life. There is no point in trying to go raw and suddenly finding yourself stuffing a pepperoni pizza into your mouth! At least make it a veggie pizza!

As some of my dear friends have asked me to tell them how to do this and how well it is working, I shall post my thoughts on this subject more regularly. I will try to leave some bread crumbs on a path you can follow. Just don't eat them! Wheat gluten is not a good thing!