Community Is Everything!

Last night was the Sharing Circle for the Raw Meetup group. There were only 5 of us there, but we all got to know each other really well. I have probably said it before, but it is well worth saying again: having a raw community around you makes a big difference in how you experience being raw. You realize that you are not the only one eating like this and you have someone who understands what you are experiencing.

Connecting with other raw foodists has made all the difference for me in terms of getting raw and staying that way. I first heard of an all-raw diet back in 1972 but only from a book. In the late 80's I read "Fit for Life" by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond and tried to go raw. I lasted for about 6 weeks eating breakfast and lunch before I caved in to the cooked food world around me. I tried again in 2006 and lasted 10 days at 100% raw. It was very difficult to do when no one around me understood or offered any support.

Then in 2007 I began to look online and found several groups committed to promoting and supporting raw foodists. When I began to talk to others about eating and staying raw, I began to get serious about making this a lifestyle. I joined a couple of groups that weren't quite the support I needed, but offered a lot of helpful advice. I continued to reach out to others and as I did so, it became a much more natural transition to eating 100% raw.

Today my raw community has 4 levels. The first is the "raw gurus" that I follow by reading their books and blogs. The second is a small group of like-minded people that I connect with by daily e-mails. The third is the local meetup group which I am truly cherishing. And the fourth, the most recent, is my husband, who has demonstrated a real commitment to making this a way of life for himself.

So now I am expanding the circle even wider by publishing an e-mail address for you to connect with me directly. You are always free to leave comments as well, but if you would like a personal response, you can reach me here: gracefulgarden@insight.rr.com.

Wednesday's intake was:

• Breakfast: Muesli with walnuts and pecans, chia and sunflower seeds, goji berries, apple, banana and almond milk.
• Lunch: Green smoothie with mango, banana, orange and kale.
• Supper: Salad with arugula, bok choy, yellow bell pepper, tomato, celery, red onion and lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt for a dressing.
• Snack: Kale chips.

Thursday's intake was:

• Breakfast: Muesli (same as above).
• Lunch: Cauliflower with nutritional yeast, sea salt, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. (Have tried it raw and dehydrated now and like it better raw.)
• Supper: Citrus Avocado Salad with spring mix, pink grapefruit, orange, avocado, celery and a dressing of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, agave nectar and olive oil.