The Knights of the Raw Table

Soon after I started to tell friends and family that I was a vegetarian over 10 years ago, the questions began. "Where will you get your protein? How will you live? Don't you like the taste of meat? Won't you die from lack of vitamins or something?"

And then I started meeting other vegetarians. They would always ask, "Well, what kind of vegetarian are you? Ovo-lacto? Lacto-Ovo? Just Lacto?" Then they would go on and on about how delicious goat cheese was, or some other thing about their latest mock meat finds.

I entered a new world when I started being friends who were vegan. I'd talk about it, but that is for another time...

If you are going to eat a particular way, you have to know the lingo. There is a set of vocabulary and special phrases involved. And raw food is no exception.

In the raw food world, people ask "what kind of raw foodist are you?" Are you raw vegan, high raw, raw meat and raw cheese eating raw foodist, superfood eating raw foodist, 80/10/10 raw foodist...

Fortunately I have met a lot of amazing people who are on the raw path. Most of them are supportive of others wherever they are on their journey. I have met people with amazing energy and a positive happy vibe that I can relate to.

But once in awhile I hear some people say strong words against others:

"You're not a raw foodist."

or

"You're not raw enough..."

It makes me think about how people exclude other people from their clubs and groups. I remember the secret club in 4th grade; they wouldn't let certain girls in their club. Or some of these for profit business networking groups that will let you join, but you have to lay down the money, wear suits, and consume Continental breakfasts in mass quantities at your local Holiday Inn.

I believe that defining yourself as a raw foodist is a personal decision. I feel that whenever you are ready to "come out of the closet" and say you are a raw foodist, then you are. That's all there is to it.

No one can say you are or you are not a raw foodist.
There is no Knights of the Raw Table who decide if you are worthy enough to be a raw foodist.
There is no International Organization of Raw Foodists that give you a membership card.


Only you can decide if you are a raw foodist.

Today, I realized that I became a raw foodist when I ate one bite of raw apple pie six years ago. It sparked a new thought into me, and changed the way I look at the world forever.

No matter what kind of raw foodist you are, I welcome you into the raw food community!

And hey! Someday the whole world will be raw foodists. Then we won't need the term raw foodist anymore!!

~ Heidi