Raw Diet as CM anyone?

webbie,

I'm attempting to make the transition to a raw diet (or "living food").  80% raw is my rough target.  I bought a great book recently called The Raw Food Detox Diet and it's been tremendously helpful with implementing changes gradually.  The author is incredibly realistic about the different stages a person might be at as far as their diet and readiness to "go raw".

My favourite suggestion is to "go raw until dinner" and I've had reasonable success doing this.  I've started juicing in the morning, eating fruit until noon, eating a salad for lunch, and snacking on raw nuts in the afternoon.   I'm still new at the plan, so I tend to be craving cooked foods by dinner and eat nearly all cooked stuff (mashed potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce...eep), but the next goal is to make dinner a mix of raw and cooked foods.  The book has some great recipes to assist with this, too.

I have never done a cleanse.  I do eat all-organic now, though, and very little meat.

~Stacey

[edited to add: I did not implement these changes during chemo.  I had so little sense of taste during chemo that eating was based on what felt good in my mouth more than anything.]

I haven't switched to raw, but I'm tweaking my food all the time to move toward healthier choices.  I didn't used to pay extra for organic, for example, and now I do.  I dusted off my juicer a year ago.  I went from a few times a week and finally hit my stride last august when I found a combination I really like.  Since then, I've been juicing every day, sometimes twice. 

I did two cleanses last year also.  I got the supplies at herbdoc.com, and the 'full nine yards' includes a vegan diet and a juice fast for several days.  I suck at being vegan, so didn't follow the instructions to a T, but I think I received benefits anyway.  Did a bowel cleanse in April and I did give up meat for that time.  In August I did a liver/gall bladder cleanse.  Mainly, I'm interested in that increased energy that is promised.  That didn't happen, but for the first time since chemo, I've been able to eat pizza again without getting heartburn.  Major coup in my book!  

I'm putting a lot of effort into reducing the chemicals in my life.  It's something that is within my control, makes me feel like I'm doing something proactive to keep this monster from ever darkening my doorway again.