It is Not so Much What is Happening. It is How You Respond to It.

Hi,

I have been reading a very interesting book called "12 Steps to Raw Foods, How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food" written by Victoria Boutenko who, I am finding, is a rather amazing person with straight forward and pointed insight into the issues surrounding "going raw" from the reasons to go raw, to how to deal with temptation. She is a person full of curiosity who sought to solve a problem in her own life: the illness that was affecting herself, her husband, her son, and her daughter. She simply started looking for the solution to her immediate problem and did not give up until she found the raw food solution which changed all of their lives. Seek and ye shall find is the foundation that she operates from and she leaves no stone unturned.

I started reading this book because I found it at the library, along with a couple of others, and I was enticed by her writing, her ideas, and her story from page one. It is excellent reading. My own belief is that raw food is the most nutritious, and most healthy food we can choose to eat, but I have had such a time struggling to do it, falling off the wagon, and having to get back up again that I was feeling like I was at my wits end, wondering why others could do it but I could not. In her book, I discovered this is not unusual and I am not alone.

From Victoria's extensive experience in helping others to understand the importance of eating raw she also observed that many people who came to her classes and were enormously happy with the positive health changes that were wrought in their lives by doing what she taught, still did not remain raw foodists. At one point she discovered that every single person she had taught, not long afterwards, quit doing it. She wondered why and with the same curiosity and seeking she used to solve her health problems, she did what she needed to do to find out why this was happening, and how to solve this problem, too. What she discovered is that cooked food is addictive and that if you become aware of that, it is more likely that you can nurture your skills at getting off of the addiction and getting on to new and rejuvenating health with raw food. Now she has had the experience of visiting former students who not only remained "raw" and continued to live in their new health, but because of her students others have also gone raw and improved their health, too.

That, for me, is what I am seeking: the reasons for going raw, the how to go raw, and the way to stay raw all boiled down into something that I can keep fresh and in focus so I can actually reach my goal. Why do it if you are not going to keep doing it until there is a compelling reason to do something else? And how do you deal with temptation? 

It seems that some people go raw, and stay raw for a certain number of years and then make another change as is needed for their own health. Some people go for the rest of their lives as a raw foodist. It all depends on the individual. And, I think that is one of the main points that anyone needs to understand -- that I need to understand. It is about personal mission and purpose. It is also about listening and responding to your own body and its specific health needs.

She has also given me a way to begin to satisfy my body's cravings by feeding it highly nutritious green smoothies. She explains that the body wants and needs certain nutrients and if the foods we are eating (the Standard American Diet) are not fulfilling those needs we are left continually hungry and craving. The green smoothies are raw green leafy veggies and fruit that have been broken down for the body's use. Breaking the food down in a blender is like a supplement to chewing which makes it easier for the body to digest and actually use the fabulous nutrients to heal what needs to be healed. Once the body has been nourished for a few weeks in this manner the cravings begin to stop and then it is much easier to go raw with less problems. She said it took her and her husband about two months, but the children adjusted more quickly. The green smoothies were something I had left out. After reading this I made one this morning which was very satisfying. Who knew? In a few weeks I will know if this is actually true or not. I will keep you posted.

One of the revelations that I have gotten from reading Victoria's insight is that temptation is a distraction and can only be conquered by keeping the main goal in the fore front of your mind. As I thought back on times when I was able to accomplish some thing in my life, it did come from being completely focused on what I was going to get out of doing it. As I have gotten older something has changed in me. I suppose that is simply how life is. We do not remain as we were when we were young. Life and experience change us and sometimes the change is discouragement.

As I think about it, I am glad I did not stay where I was. I like many of the changes that have taken place in me as I have matured, but there are parts of me that I just never conquered. Weight and health being not only the most obvious, but also the most frustrating and difficult for me. It is no wonder. The standard American diet I was eating is not a healing nor a weight loss diet. It is what is causing the fat, the pain and the suffering. Not until a person realizes that for themselves and makes the drastic change to consuming healthy raw foods can they ever get beyond it. You are what you eat.

My recent setback with the Xylitol has given me a new impetus. I was taken back to square one with that one, but I have started over again, already. A friend pointed out to me her view that I did not simply stay down, that I continued to begin again, and I appreciated her encouragement. When she said that I realized that yes, there was a time in my life when for some long years I had completely given up on ever losing weight or improving  my health. But after praying for God to deliver me, I did get the motivation to no longer quit. I got the belief that I can get up and try again. Like Victoria, I just needed to seek and to find the answers that I needed.

I am about to begin doing some of the written exercises she suggests with the idea in mind of zeroing in on what my main reason for doing this is. I have kept my reasons vague, to myself, out of habit, and that seems to be one of the problems. I need to get clear on why I want to do this. What will be the benefit to me? Why is it so important? If I am honest I can see that I kept my reasons vague for the purpose of doing things my own way and continuing to sample the forbidden things. I wanted to make the change, but didn't want to change anything -- if that makes any sense. It was a way of having my cake and eating it too. But I can very clearly see that that does not work. I accomplish nothing when I plan to avoid what is really needed. If you skirt the real issues you simply keep going in circles and I'm really tired of doing that. I'd like to get on with it.

So. Here I am, again. I kind of like this place. It is exciting to think that I can do this. I just needed the right perspective, information, and help to get going again. I am grateful to God that he answered my prayers for help with Victoria Boutenko's experience, insight, and compassion for real life situations. Here is the URL to her web site: http://www.rawfamily.com/

I want to encourage you and let you know, that I believe you can accomplish your health and weight goals, too. I am rooting for you. Thanks for rooting for me, I appreciate it.

Be back soon

--Marcia