Just when I was about to get my knickers in a twist...

I saw something great.

But let me back up a moment...

So, I mentioned my leanings towards getting back on to the raw food Path. I know it works for me, and I enjoy it, I have been feeing these litte pulls to get back to the basics for some time, especially when I decided to do the 8m-a-day challenge. Then I started perusing some of the old sites I used to frequent and I got pissed. Again. Everybody hates everybody else. One site says you MUST consume MASSIVE amounts of fruit every day to reach your bliss. If you don't do it THEIR way, you fail and are not a true raw foodist. If you are not totally blissed out, its your fault, you are doing it wrong. This site is FULL of angry people, bitching about every other raw food *guru* and saying how wrong everyone else is and how right they are, blahblahblah. Zip over to another site and fruit is EVIL, but hundreds of dollars worth of superfoods are the key to health. You can powder your way to heath! You too can be blitzed out on Maca and bee pollen and goji berries! Then there are all the sites in between with various levels of haters of anyne not doing what they are. Such is life, really. It is that way with ANY diet, ANY lifestyle, ANY belief. Seriously? What is UP with that? Why can't everyone just get along and agree to disagree, or respect that everyone needs to do what works for them?

Then, I saw this on my FB page...go watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKiZmeqfifU
Tim Van Orden is someone I have followed off and on over the years. I met him a few years back at one of my first trail races since college, and I also met another friend, Michael M(who has remained a friend) He has been a hard person to keep in contact with and I knew he had some issues in his personal life but I did not know to what extent. Now I do. I have to say, I am ABSOLUTELY going to watch and support his new video diary. The fact that as a successful raw foodist and successful runner, he is battling such severe depression DESPITE his *sunshiney* diet is showing how REAL he is. It also allows the rest of us who may have felt we were doing something wrong on the Path of raw food bc we didn't feel all blissed out and joyful 24/7, to see that its OK to be exactly where you are, in the moment you are in on this Path. You CAN follow this Path and STILL have sh*t going on in your life! Who knew? ;)

One of my issues when I was really sick, yet doing raw foods was the fact that I wasn't full of joy and health and/or completely HEALED by raw foods. I used to get so upset on these sites bc the *guru's* were telling the masses that all they needed to do was eat raw and eschew all else and they would be heaed/fine/cured regardess of the fact some people(myself incuded) had very REAL medical conditions that, while could be helped with a diet change, should not just jump into the raw pond and forgo all else. I do believe my diet has had a HUGE impact on my health, the extent to which I was sick to begin with, and my heaing/heath now. Is it the ONLY thing that helped? I doubt it. Would I recommend a raw diet to anyone with health/medical issues? Absoutely. At the very least, I would recommend starting to drink green smoothies every day. But, in all honesty, I don't much bother with what other people eat bc it is a very personal thing. If you want to eat meat, go for it. Just don't judge how I eat, and I won't judge you. I don't agree with meat eating, personally as I feel at the very least a whole foods vegetarian/vegan diet is best but your body, your life.

For me, right now, I am going to do a MOSTLY raw vegan Path. It is what I am being drawn to do health wise, spiritually, and what feels right for me. I say mostly, as right now I know I need to eat certian things, or WANT to eat certian things. Grains, for instance. Oatmeal in the morning has made a HUGE difference in how I feel on my runs, and in my energy for the day(eat breackfast, who knew? lol) I am not going to mess with that for now. I like to add a cup of cooked grains to my salad midday, usually quinoa or brown rice or amaranth. It works for me. Not every day, but particularly after a longer run. I have tried sprouting grains but they do start to ferment and my stomach simpy cannot handle fermented foods aside from the occasional miso soup. I am LOVING Trader Joe's rice tortillas to make a wrap once in a while. I also do not feel the need to be SO pure that I cannot exist outside my sheltered environment.

I know there are a few random ultrarunners out there who are raw, and when I say few, I mean FEW. I think to be 100% raw and do ultras is ALMOST impossible. I say ALMOST, bc it is being done, but I really think those people are in the minority(kudos to them!) and even the Frutitarian who won VT100 last year will eat non-raw foods during races if his body needs/craves it(good for him!!!) Personally, for me it always comes back to the running. Running is THE most important thing, if it prevents me from achieving my running goals, I am not doing it. My longer term goals are to run MORE not less, and this 8m/day challenge is simpy a stepping stone for me as I do want to run even more miles and of course diet will be key as I need to eat optimaly for *me* in order to keep up the mileage that I am planning, recover well, and ultimatey run longer races. Since this is a building year for me as opposed to a year where I will wreck myself racing every other week for months on end, I am focused on fueling as well as I can.

So all this rambing to say that though many raw foodies may live in a state of utter joy and bliss, the rest of us don't. We get depressed, cranky, bitchy and unicorns and rainbows do not follow us around. Our diets are just fine, thankyouverymuch, we are simply REAL people dealing with the reality that has been dealt to us. Its ok. Perfection is WAY overrated :)