The philosophy behind Raw Odyssey has matured over the past two years. In the beginning it was a simple blog that I hoped would help me and other new raw foodists learn about raw foods as a way to gain health and vitality. As I became part of the wonderful raw food community, though, I discovered that there exist some deep debates. Some of these are: Who has a right to be deemed a guru? Which guru has the "right" answers? "How raw" we should be? Which foods are truly raw? Should the practice of eating raw have a spiritual component? Who should represent the raw community to the public? Some raw foodists are less tolerant of those holding views different from theirs, while others adopt more of a "live and let live" perspective.
I think that the raw "gurus" and others who strictly promote a specific way of eating as best for all humans forget that even though we all are of the same animal species, our minds, environment and lifestyles affect the choices we make and therefore create variations in how we actually live. For example, what works for one group of raw foodists may simply not be acceptable for my own taste buds, spiritual beliefs, fears, budget, time, skills, energy, geographic location, etc. When you take all of these variables into consideration, you can see that there is no single way to accomplish a successful diet of whole and raw foods. There are, indeed, multiple ways, all valid for those who are successful with them.
My commitment to raw and whole foods, and my affection for the raw community (debates and all!) has led me to develop Raw Odyssey into a site more reflective of the views I have discussed. I have registered Raw Odyssey as a domain and am creating a site which I hope speaks to those of us who sometimes feel we must be "doing it wrong." It will be a site that explores different ways of eating raw and addresses the various arguments for eating one way or another. As I am still developing the site I am testing it at godaddy.com. If site development and hosting work out well there I will keep the site there permanently (thanks go to Dhrumil and Philip McCluskey who both advised about domain, hosting and/or site issues- might as well talk to those who have gone before you, right?)
The new home for the Raw Odyssey blog is blog.rawodyssey.com and it is up now.
The rest of the site will be developed over time and will address raw food debates and the many different types of raw food eating we engage in. I plan for it to be fun and informative.
Any suggestions you have for the site as I've described it are welcome- you can leave them in the comments at blog.rawodyssey.com. (To read Raw Odyssey 2009, visit http://www.rawodyssey.com)
I hope to see you all there!
Who Am I?
- Allison
- NOTE: You are reading the archive- chock full of information but no longer updated. The new Raw Odyssey (as of 2009) includes this blog and the Farm Blog, which chronicles the efforts of my friends and I as we build a "subsistence farm" in Ohio to supply sustainably grown, organic foods for a raw diet. PROFILE (2006) I am a 42 year old grad student who has lots of weight to lose. I lost 70 lbs in 2006 through a raw food lifestyle, and learned that eating raw is not as simple as I thought it would be. The time it takes to prepare foods and the rising costs of produce are challenges for me. Despite the health improvements I experienced, I let stress get the best of me and fell off the raw wagon. In 2007 I decided to give healthy eating another try, this time focusing on whole foods both cooked and raw, and both fresh and prepared. Over time I will ease myself back into a raw lifestyle that works best for me. I've fallen off the wagon again a few times but I refuse to give up! The raw journey is not the same for all of us. I know that through my personal journey I will find the right combination of whole foods (raw and cooked) and a fitness program that work best for me.
