Staying raw overseas?

Husband is in the military and we are set to move to Sicily pretty soon... I know Sicily has some amazing citrus fruits, and I bet dates, figs and olives aren't too hard to come by, but does anybody have any idea what other types of fresh produce will be available? I've heard it's pretty uncommon to be able to order a garden salad or smoothie at a restaurant, as most of the time greens are used in soups.

Thanks in advance...

Comments

  • Oh wow, I can't believe no one has responded yet. I hate to say it, but maybe having a 100% raw diet while in Sicily isn't a common thing, and you probably won't find too much variety there, because their diet isn't anywhere near as nasty as the SAD. I'm sure you could do raw for a majority of your stay, but I don't think that doing anything other than 100% will be bad. I think that once you arrive there, you'll find that their relationship with food is much better than most Americans. I've noticed that other countires tend to respect what goes into their bodies much more.

    I am currently living in Okinawa, Japan. It is not easy to be 100% raw here, BUT I'm not beating myself up over it, because I know I'm eating healthy. I even allow myself a little bit of meat here and there, because they don't have these giant "factories" of cows and chickens. They really respect animals and the earth much better than Americans.

    I do have to say though, that I WILL NOT PURCHASE AMERICAN VEGETABLES OR FRUITS OR MEATS FROM THE COMMISSARY. Over here, we have the option to purchase imported fruits and veggies OR local foods at the commissary. I always make sure to purchase anything under the Japanese flag, rather than under the American flag. A lot of the imported fruits and veggies look really good, but I'm sure they aren't organic, and they're probably a lot older than they look. When my husband and I were stationed here before, we used to buy a lot of imported items because it was our "comfort food" and it was all we knew. The potatoes were always black, and the meat was always tough, and brown before we even took it out of the package. Sometimes, the meat was red, but smelled rotten. We found out that they freeze the potatoes in order to ship them overseas. This turns the insides black, and just makes them not good to eat. The meat....well:

    We had a friend from our church who was a veterinarian for the military (I'm not sure if it was Airforce or Navy) and HE was the one who would inspect the meat at the commissary. He was the one who would decide which meat was safe to "re-stamp" with a new expiration date. If it wasn't outright nasty, it could be sitting in the commissary for quite a while.

    So NOW that the hubs and I know better, we try and eat only local, organic foods. If we are eating off base, at a restaurant, we don't beat ourselves up about eating meals with meat in them because we know it's not the same as a giant, overprocessed burger or steak. It's usually just small amounts of meat.

    Sorry if I'm not very encouraging as far as the possibility of a 100% raw vegan diet. The situation may be different for you.

    I think you should see what's available at your local commissary. Check and see if there are flags above the produce to tell you where your fruits and veggies are originating. I've heard many good things about Italy and the health of the locals. I think you'll have a great time shopping for your produce out in town. They treat groceries WAY different than most of us do, in America.

    Good luck! Hope it turns out well for you. We are slowly, but surely, learning what is good and not good here on this beautiful island.

    Grace

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