Greetings Raw Food Friends,

I would like to add some suggestions to the wonderful lists of tips and
insights people have been noting regarding "orthorexia", cravings, bingeing,
etc among raw fooders.
I have been eating about 75% raw for about 3 years, and have endured
tremendous cravings most of that time, and recently done some major binges.
   Only recently have I begun to find a bit of balance, and these are some of
the things that seem to help:

*  I am currently attending eating disorder meetings.  This has helped break
my shame and isolation, and helped me know there are others who are also
struggling.
*  Grounding and centering tools such as meditation and yoga.  Also simply
"following our bliss" (for me hiking, photography, travel) gets us out of our
heads and enjoying life, leaving less time to dwell on food.
*  Letting go of rigid control.  On a spiritual level, I believe I created
this eating disorder to help me finally put my deep-rooted emotional issues
in my face.  Food is only one of a long line of emotional numbing and
stimulating tools I have used.
*  Less fasting:  For a thin, imbalanced vata, lesser-yin, hypoglycemic
addict to jump into a 2-week distilled water fast (3 years ago) was asking
for trouble!  Also, we never know what past-life stuff we may trigger.  I've
been told by claivoyant readers that I triggered lots of past life issues
around starving, self-punishment, and rituals.  I finally realized I had to
jump off of the "fast and binge" cycle.
*  Less Fruit:  I rigidly adhered (quite willingly, since I grew to love the
sweet, addicting fruit taste) to a diet of about 60% fruit for a couple
years, resisting the intense cravings I would have for salty stuff, beans,
rice, and bread, among others.  Eventually I would "give in" (sometimes after
actually dreaming of these foods), and perhaps binge on the "forbidden
foods", and start another punishment (fast or skip a couple meals) and binge
cycle.
*  I do not see any food as inherently "good" or "bad".  For awhile I was
seeing all cooked food as "bad", an evil toxic enemy.  (forgetting that I
have survived on this food for 40 years).  Then when I would eventually give
in to the "enemy" bread or whatever, I would eat with guilt, envisioning this
poison gunking up my colon.  The food didn't have a chance of doing any good
to my body with thoughts like that.
*  Become aware of the triggers that cause overeating or food fixations.  I
need to spend less time in the kitchen or shopping, more time having fun,
going to less pot-lucks and other gatherings focused on food (except for our
raw food group here in Seattle).
*  Very important:  Of late I've been eating much less fruit (about 20% of my
diet), and allowing myself ANYTHING I want.  I found that what I resist
persists.  I am learning to trust my body and its desires.  Surprisingly, as
I allow myself cooked foods, breads, etc, I find myself enjoy them to a
limited degree, but that I do prefer still eating about 75% raw.
*  Get enough nutrients.  I've really helped reduce my cravings by adding sea
vegetables, algae, spirulina, bee pollen, wheat grass, brewers yeast - even
an occasional range-free egg.  I'm finally getting the nutrients I need,
after ignoring my body's blatant cries for less fruit for over 2 years.  In
short, I'm not concerned about what other raw fooders will say, or about
being "wrong" in my earlier arguments about the benefits of fruit diets.
 I'll do whatever it takes to make my life livable again (although I am quite
resistant to using animal products due to personal ehtics.)
We must not let our pride, or our drive for "perfect" health and bodies get
in the way.  Let's be open, honest, and vulnerable, not rigid and defensive.
 I found lots of valuable information in books, but I eventually needed to
follow my own intuition.  Many of the raw fooders I have met seem to grasp
raw food dogma as the answer to their lifelong struggles and confusion, only
to become even more disillusioned to discover that we cannot eat our way to
God or to bliss - we must dig much deeper to the actual roots of our
imbalance.  Food can be an essential part of this journey, but not the only
thing.

Thank you all for you sharing and valuable insights, and good luck on your
healing paths.

Love,

Roy