Meredith writes:
>...imagine you are going on a sailing trip for a week or two
>and could only bring three different food items, what would they be?

1] Durian, 2] durian, and 3] durian. :) From the States? 1] Grapes (for
noon meal), 3] Romaine to chomp on after for the 3] Fish caught from the
sailboat... :)

>My question for those who've gotten there, was there a turning point or
>some impetus that inspired you to get from less than 100% to 100%.  How
>many tried did it take, or was it cold turkey and that was that.

To transition or not, that is the question. I don't think there will ever
be an answer to this. I went 100% and never looked back. I remember my
imptus being the idea that when, if I was 100%, anytime I felt bad/detoxy
than I would know that it was something _old_ being detoxed. On a 85% raw
(15% cooked grains) NH diet (for about three months before discovering
instincto, so I guess that _was_ a transition in a way) when I felt bad I
would always wonder was it intox or detox? Was I detoxing old denatured
foods, or last night's quinia, rice, or whatever? Of course, I know realize
there is more to it than just eating 100% raw, but eating intellgently as
well (a very individual matter, but for me that means less fruit, more
veggies, no snacking, etc.).

Melisa, on the other hand, would go a few weeks once in a while raw and
then get back to exceptions, and then swear off, and round and round, for
many years, until she had the willingness (ability?) to maintain 100%.

I think we all have a unique path and our personalities will dictate much
of the behavior. I also think that 100% raw, instincto or not, is not for
everyone. Some people may do better with some cooked, and that is fine.
There are people who are not comfortable at 80% and that becomes their
impetus to go 100%. And there are folks who are not comfortable at 100% and
balance out at 75%, or whatever. Note that there are people who obtain a
fine state of health on mostly denatured foods. The idea that anything less
than 100% is failure (or, for that matter, anything less than 100% plant
foods is a failure), may be un-useful. Still, we all know our own
addictions and must be honest. If exceptions cause trouble, then maybe try
w/o them. If 100% raw causes trouble, then do something else. How much
detoxing is one willing to put up with? Is it worth it? Do we have a
choice? And so on...

I do think however, that there may be something to the idea of waiting
until you are "really ready" before trying to go 100%, especially if you
are ill (which it sounds you are not). In France they find that seriously
ill people seem to have one shot at recovering their health. All too often,
a cancer or MS person does seriously instincto-therapy and once they
improve a bit they decide to ease up and start having some cooked foods,
and then more, and then their symptoms return with a vengence, whereupon
the return to 100% but it is not as effective the second time around.

Cheers,
Kirt

I'm done posting for a while. Once again, I'm burnt out a bit from
overposting ("thank God!" I can hear from the galleys :)).