Hello from Washington DC

Hello everyone, I’m writing from Washington DC. I’m relativley new to the concept of a raw food diet but have been reading up on things like the benefits of raw fruits and vegetables. I’ve been athletic my whole life up. I boxed (amateur) until I was 35 and still played soccer up until a year ago. Injuries came fast and quick once I turned 36: chronic shin splints, torn hamstring, broken rib, two sprained ankles and a yet-to-be-diagnosed tendon problem in my lower right leg. I’m 37 now. Over the years I’ve tried various diets but I’ve always focused on lean protein (mostly whey, turkey and chicken) and healthy carbohydrates….or so I thought. Two years ago I started to re-think all of the grains and breads I was eating. After my broken rib I threw in the towel (so to speak) and slowly headed towards a typical American diet for the first time: empty carbs, soda, lots of fat and even fast food. It was like I suddenly disovered what undisciplined eating was like! Here I am, unexpectedly almost 23 lbs heavier (in one year) with a high body fat % and I feel like total s**t! I’ve slowly started to ease back into a healthy lifestyle and started reading about the benefits of a raw food diet. I’ve tried to start off by making my breakfast raw and any snacks before dinner raw. I understand an adjustment period exists and I don’t want to set unreasonable goals at this stage. So far the breakfast and snacks have been easy to maintain….but I am unsure of what to make of the powerful, consistent, often maddening cravings I start getting around 4:00 for meat, fat and particularly sugar! I’ve found my mood flucutates, I get irritable and I feel somewhat like an addict eyeing the coke cans at the grocery store!

I’m unsure of how much to eat too. I read on a fruitarian site about people eating anywhere from 6-10 banannas for breakast and half a dozen apples throughout the day. It seems excessive, but then I think “what do I know?”

Anyway, I wanted to introduce myself and say hi. I hope to learn a lot from you guys over the weeks and months.