How Raw Are You?

by lilla on August 3, 2008

Yes, I’m talking about raw food. LOL.

People tend to define themselves by what they do, their marital status, nationality or whether they have kids or not. “Hi, I’m Joe Shmoe. I work for IBM, married with 2 kids.” The question whether those labels tell us who Joe REALLY is, is the subject of deeper philosophical question best left for another day, but when you hang out in raw food circles, the inevitable question is “How raw are you?”

When I first arrived to work at the Tree of Life Raw Food Retreat Center, I was the eager newbie. After the requisite “what’s your name, where you from,” the next question on my and most people’s minds there was the degree of some one’s rawness. The higher the percentage, the greater the admiration and esteem. There were some super raw rawies who rarely ate fruit to avoid all forms of sugar, subsisting mainly on nuts and greens. Others would go out of their way to buy exorbitantly priced cashews because they had been hand-shelled rather than steamed. And then there were those who would be raw during the week and then sneak off to grab pizza on the weekends when no one was looking.

Looking back it seems funny how I left my life behind “to find myself” and I just ended up trading one label for another - from corporate yuppie to raw food hippie, when in fact I’m truly neither of these and all of these. So AM I raw foodist? And what exactly constitutes a raw foodie? a percentage of food? a cooking temperature?

Well, there are a lot of definitions out there. Some say that it’s a person who eats 100% raw food 100% of the time. Or it’s a matter of not eating anything cooked over 115 degrees Fahrenheit. As an employee at the Tree of Life, I was “required” to be 80% raw and 100% vegan.

Personally, I feel anyone whose diet is mostly composed of greens, fruits, nuts, raw fish and raw dairy is a raw foodist. It’s more of a direction than a steadfast rule. A desire to seek the most pristine unadulterated food in it’s whole state. It’s trying to do the best for your body, which in turns affects the real “you” and not the superficially labeled you. Higher vibrational food begets higher vibration.

So my word of advise? Just reach for as much raw food as you instinctively care to without the pressure of a percentage or time frame or cooking temperature. And the more you do, the more your palate and body will change and the more you will see and FEEL the cumulative affect.

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  • juli gets happy
    Hey Lilla, I am not very raw...I love basic food and I know I should eat "more from the ground". Growing the spouts the "Lilla-way" will maybe improve my eating-habits...and I love sushi, does that count, ;-)?
    Am since 2 years on a smoothie-trip, mostly fruit-smoothies, salads are staple-food for me.



    You blog is really an inspiration, thank you for all this information.



    Juli
  • KaliLilla.com
    Sounds like you eat alot of fruit and salad and sushi does count in my book! Let me know how the sprouts come out. :)
  • Marbella
    Love that RAW blog. Have been so interested lately in all things raw, and have begun doing green smoothies daily to see if it really does make a difference in my life as they say it will. My energy level has gone off the charts, and no cravings, no hunger, so not bad for a start. For sure, will not be eating RAW FISH anytime soon tho. Wish you would give a class on raw and would be right in the front row.
    Thanx for helping me today.

    Lynda
  • Debbie
    Good points Lilla. I also think that striving for a 50% live food plan is a good place to start.
  • Michael
    I'm not very raw at all. Hey, I wanted to say that I'm not a big fan of having the "read more" link open in another window. I tend to avoid websites that constantly open up more and more windows for me. Simplicity is the best way to keep my interest. Just thought I'd mention that.
  • Andrew
    Hi Lilla


    I have been eating a predominantly raw diet since starting my transformation. I think that eating this way has returned some of my health and that in turn has allowed me to lose fat.



    I say 'predominantly' because I don't care much for labels and I don't think my body cares that much if I eat some chicken or noodles once in a while.



    I think if my body has survived through all the awful junk food I used to feed it the occasional piece of meat or cooked food will go unnoticed. Eating raw is not a competition but a source of nutrition and health.



    I have never eaten raw fish - urghh!! Perhaps it is nice, I don't know.



    Andrew
  • KaliLilla.com
    Haha - sounds like there aren't alot of sushi lovers out there. I used to not like and now I prefer it. Cooked fish seems so dry unless it's in sauce.


    Thanks for the advice Michael! I kind of like the snippets because I can scan blog posts for the highlights and decide if I want to read more vs. scrolling down long single blog posts to get to the next. Then if I want to read the comments (which I usually do) I have to click again anyway. But with the "read more," all the associated comments open up with the whole post which I like. But that's just me. Curious to hear other people's preference?



    "Eating raw is not a competition but a source of nutrition and health." Well said Andrew!
  • Michael
    Let me clarify: I like the snippets and the ability to "read more" but what I don't like is that when I click "read more" it opens up a completely new window, keeping the other window open as well, so now I have two browser windows open...one with the snippet and one with the entire article. I am sure it is just an adjustment to how the link opens from the page.
  • KaliLilla.com
    I see what you mean Michael. Darn, I don't know how to change that. Will have to research it. Thanks!
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