100% Raw or High Raw?

This is a question that has entered my mind since going raw a mere 4 months ago. There are a couple ways that I see it. One way is that the more raw foods I eat, the better I feel. Ya can't bottle that! The other way I see is that I don't want to be so regimented that I don't go with life's flow.

For instance, this past July, we took a road trip to visit my mother. Steve (my boyfriend) my giant dog, and I camped along the way. I ate raw 'til dinner, (same as I'd been doing since May) at which time I'd enjoy steamed chicken or fish with my large dinner salad. This would be considered eating 'high raw'. We had a great time eating this way, and only encountered squirmy feelings when visiting 'non-raw' folks.

For example:

We visited Steve's older brother in Regina. We were sitting on the back deck, and it was decided that we would order Chinese. I had a look a the menu when it was passed around, but I didn't see anything that wasn't fried and greasy looking, so I screwed up my courage and said, "Um...I'm good. I've got salad an' stuff in my cooler in the car, so..."

You really should have seen the looks!!

Their food arrived, I came back from the car with a yummy salad, and I ate through one of my more uncomfortable dinner-times in recent memory. Later, I was offered tea -- something I've never liked even when I was eating beef and Twinkies -- so I said, "No thank you,"

"Oh. You don't do tea, either."

Sigh :)

On to London, Ontario...

I had prepared my mom over the phone that I ate differently these days, and to not bake all my childhood favorites because I don't eat that way anymore. I told her I would just have stuff in my cooler and to not worry at all about feeding me, though we'd eat together.

She didn't know how to take it! In the photo above, she's telling me "You can't just eat THAT!!" (Well, normally I would use a large silver mixing bowl, but this'll have to do!) On the other hand, I still had enough 'winter padding' that at least she didn't worry that I was starving myself. LOL

I decided that I had better loosen up and eat what was available, if I didn't want to spend 3 weeks feeling like a freak! (A hungry freak!) I would just go back to eating more raw when I returned. This decision made the rest of our vacation a lot looser and fun! I still sought the best choices, but loosened up about 'technicalities'.

Back from my vacation, I dove in to the 'Rawgust Challenge', going the month 100% raw. I made it to the last day, when I had steamed turkey while camping.

Since then, I've found it easy to stay 95-100% raw, as I feel so excellent this way.

Once I got a handle on dinners, it was a breeze to do it. By 'handle on dinner', I mean, discovered how satisfying this whole new world of tastes could be! Fresh, live, foods, from simple to gourmet, dinner is soived!!

If I didn't sincerely love the food I get to eat, I would run so fast the other way, my hair would fly. It's not about 'putting up with' or deprivation, or willpower, it's honestly SO DELICIOUS and the benefits are SO DIVINE and TANGIBLE...curing all that has ever ailed me including depression, asthma, being overweight, high blood pressure, joint pain, etc etc...that I truthfully have no interest in going back.

I don't mind including the odd heated food and I don't foresee giving up my morning coffee, and I don't care at all about being perfect in my eating habits. Besides, what on earth is that? Conflicting food messages abound!

I've read stuff, I've tried stuff, and ultimately, I'm doing what works best for me. I aim at a daily 100%, but if I use cocoa instead of cacao in a recipe, I'm not going to have a c-cow, lol.
Or if once in a very blue moon, I eat Indian food in my old favorite restaurant, I will enjoy it and move on, because my body is favoring this lightness of being, not because I've been 'bad'.
I don't wish to be so strict that I don't enjoy the spontaneity and the flow of living!

From one day to the next, I eat more, or I eat less, depending on my body's needs at the time, and I tweak it based on how I'm feeling, both physically and emotionally. If I see a blemish on my face, I do a quick scan of what I've been eating. For me, that's usually nuts. A lot of dips contain cashews, sunflower seeds, walnuts, or almonds. So I just lay off for a while, adding more seeds, and desserts, yeah, you read that right :) and go back to salads and sprouted grains and soups and chili, and all sorts of yummelicious foods.

So, along with not counting fat grams, or calories, I'm not going to worry about percentages. Why bother? The evidence is in: I've never felt more vibrant, balanced, alive, and well... in all my life! :)

One thing, though... I so wish I'd eaten my mother's baked goodies!