Feb. 23

It has been about 24 hours since I went raw. I feel a bit feverish, but otherwise I am noticing an increase in energy. I took a walk, and there was an extra spring in my step!
So far today I have had an apple, a grapefruit, a large salad, and several glasses of water.

Read on for my responses to recent notes:

I might decide to prepare some raw dishes for the community. It would be welcome, I think, especially if it is tasty. I'll talk to some of my friends who serve as cooks and ask them if I can tag on to one of their cooking shifts.

Another idea I have is starting a weekly or bi-weekly rawfoods dinner in one of the smaller kitchens in the community. I know of one woman here who has been raw before, who might be interested.

princessbee, I think I want to have a little more rawfoodism under my belt before giving an informational talk about it, but that's a good idea. Maybe I'll write a paper about it first and post it on the community's "Opinions and Issues" board. I think people will be more supportive where I live if they know where I'm coming from and why I'm deciding to eat raw. Also, it might spark some interest in people who might want to try rawfoodism.

sandy, we have fruit at the dining hall, and it is available any time during the day. It is usually limited to one or two kinds in the winter, and seasonal homegrown fruit in the summer. There is a committee that orders food for the community that I can talk to about my preferences and be heard. And to answer your question: members can buy their own food, but we often don't because we only have a small allowance each month for our own purchases.

Dear Everyone,

Thanks for your warm welcome and encouragement. It is nice to receive the support.

Thanks for the tip, Sandy and fruitypie -- I'll look for Doug Graham's book.

Just in case you all are interested, I am going to keep my journal under "Journal Beginning Feb. 22"

And now, I am off to read more of your writings...

Hi ABG,

Your journal is a pleasure to read. I like your sincerity and candid style. It is an inspiration for someone like me who is new to this whole thing. I look forward to checking in more an seeing how you are doing.

Cherry

Hello!
This is my second posting this evening. (I posted First Day Raw not long ago.) I decided to start the journal again, and this time label it as such, so people who might be interested to read it will know right away that it is a journal.

Today I ate mostly cooked food. It was late afternoon when I decided to go raw. I live in an intentional community of 100 people, and we all eat together in a dining hall. So when I go to dinner, I face an all-you-can-eat buffet of lovingly-prepared cooked foods. I could skip the dining hall and prepare my own meal in a separate kitchen, but mealtimes are times when the community comes together and interacts socially, and being social, I hate to miss that.

Fortunately, there is also a lovely large salad prepared most days at lunch and dinner, so I know I can find something to eat that is raw and good! (All of our greens are grown fresh and organic right here on the farm.) I had a plate of salad, with a simple vinagrette, some dried dill, and a clove of raw garlic minced on top for dinner today.

I confess that I am worried about my ability to keep raw here. I need to come up with some sustainable strategies. The community where I live is an income-sharing community and members only have a small allowance each month for our personal purchases. Because of this, I will not have the variety of foods available to me that I would have in a more traditional lifestyle. Chances are I will be eating the same (or very similar) foods day in and day out. I don't have a problem with this, intellectually, but I think it is going to require will power and a major shift in my thinking about food.

Well, I guess that's all I'll write for this first entry. Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone!

My name is Cherry. As of 4pm this afternoon, I am once again venturing into rawfoodism. Ever since I first heard about rawfoodism in May 2003, I have had a strong belief that it is the best way for me to eat. I have gone raw three times, for 1 1/2 to 2 months, over the past four years. I hope to be able to stick it out longer this time, and get to the six-month mark.

I am writing this post to make my intention public, and to begin a journal here, of sorts. I really intend to be a rawfoodist for life, and to not stop at six months.

Because I have been a rawfoodist before, I know what to expect over the first month or so. I hope that if there is anyone out there with advice for getting past the first two months and into the months beyond, they will write a response to my post.

Thanks for reading!