I couldn't have put it better. I believe a lot of people have poor experiences with raw foods due to a desire to mimick their previous diets which can lead to, among other things, fermentation/candida; both of which can weaken mucosal layers in the gut leading to permeability.
Unless one has an emergency situation, like cancer, it's a good idea to go raw gradually without deadlines or ego coming into the mix. There's a Science and an art to living raw. The process is dynamic and sometimes the milestones have subtlety and nuance. A quieted mind is conducive to the transition.

Patricia,

Thank you for sharing that, your story is indeed quite an inspiration for me and many others in your life I'm sure! It's so easy to get discouraged with making this kind of positive change and sticking with it especially when since it's rare to find a good support system as it is hard to find individuals who eat a clean diet, treat their bodies with great respect, and follow their inner instincts rather than always look to outside sources for all the answers. I fully agree that simplicity works best and that one's approach is vitally important in achieving and maintaining success in transitioning to a raw food diet. Thanks again for sharing!

Regards,
Mike

Thanks, Patricia, for sharing your experiences. I'm 11 months into raw (like you, after trying many different approaches and really listening to my body), and I'm finding the need to be more protective of my associations, my space, and my time. I think it's just that I'm really beginning to listen to myself for the first time since early childhood. I suppose 42 isn't too late to begin doing that again! I must say, though, it has been, and still is, a suprising journey.

I want to echo your findings on emphasizing fruits and greens in your diet. As time goes by, I'm becoming less tolerant of nuts, especially in combination with fruit, and a greater need for greens. Seeds still seem fine, though I'm not likely to over-indulge on those anyway. I'm not great, yet, at finding the variety of fruits and greens that you talk about, but I'm working on it. Now that winter is here, I will be relying on the local organic food co-op, which generally carries excellent quality, but not a huge variety.

To Milena's original post, I agree that it's nice to hear about long-term raw-foodists, especially when there are posts warning us of the dangers of doing this long-term. Logically, I don't find arguments for cooking plausible, though I can understand that a lack of variety in the diet could certainly cause one problems.

My husband and I intend to eat raw 100% of the time, and we do, other than three exceptions in these 11 months, all made for other people. (One was a business associate in another city who invited us to share a "raw" meal that was actually cooked vegetarian. :-) The other two were for my husband's mother, who desperately wanted to see us eat "real" food. We caved because she was so loving and concerned.)

What have we noticed because of our diet? Clearer eyes and skin, more sensitivity to others' emotions (including other species), weight loss (dh lost 30 lbs almost immediately, I've lost only about 3-5, but feel that's appropriate), much greater openness and insight, more intense/insistent messages from my body about how I spend my time and what I eat, a greater appreciation for life, and joy, joy, and more joy!

As for the cleanses, I'd done several different ones prior to going raw, but since beginning this way of eating, I've not been feeling called to do them. I do think about repeating the liver cleanse from time to time, but when I check in with my body, I'm feeling that it's not time. Lately, the strongest message I'm getting is, "More greens!" So in addition to the green smoothies I have twice a day and the enormous salad I eat every lunchtime, I'm going to start either juicing or making raw soups again, so I can follow that directive.

Rambling here, but wanted to share. I wish you all the best!

-Prudence