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.

It's Not Easy Being Green

People always ask how I stay raw when there are so many temptations around all the time. It is true, it isn't easy to stay raw, especially when it is not very well understood or accepted as being an extremely healthy lifestyle. But I have had a lot of support from a small community that I have built around me since before I went 100% raw. Through the miracle of the internet, I have been able to connect with other like-minded people, both in my area and in other states and countries. Generally we are such a small segment of the population that we stick pretty close together.

Today, however, I was shocked when one of the pillars of my community told me she was going to back out of a group that has been supporting each other for several months. She felt the computer time was just getting to be too much. I understand her reasons, and know that she will still be my friend and will continue to improve her health through a raw vegan lifestyle, but I don't think she knows just how much all of us have depended on her rock solid support.

This is the second time in the past couple of weeks that one of the people I have supported and depended on for my support has decided to withdraw. It leaves me feeling very alone and makes me realize how I need to continue to reach out to others.

It also reminds me of all the times when someone else depended on me for something and I have decided that I needed to go my own way. We go along in our lives and try to make the best decisions for ourselves that we can, and frequently we don't live up to someone's expectations when we decide to take another path. I am reminded, once again, that other people depend on me and look to me to keep my promises.



Kermit's tone seems just as lonely as I feel tonight.

On Sunday I had:

• Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, orange, banana, kale.
• Lunch: The rest of the smoothie.
• Supper: A salad with baby bok choy, baby broccoli, red bell pepper, Vidalia onion and a dressing of cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and olive oil.
• Snack: A handful of cashews.

On Monday I had:

• Breakfast: Green smoothie of mango, orange, banana, collards.
• Lunch: More of yesterday's salad.
• Supper: Zucchini spaghetti with and alfredo sauce of macademia and pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, Celtic sea salt and a few spices.