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