Yeah, I think the title of this post says it all… Trying to explain my choice of food to people has been — amusing, I’ll say. I think most people in my circle understand vegetarian, and some even understand the difference between vegetarian and vegan. But raw vegan is just a whole new ballgame that many people can’t figure out. Let me share some of these amusing statements I have heard in the last few days…
You only eat raw food? So do you eat sushi???
Raw food? So does that mean you’ll want your steak rare???
(and the classic…) But where do you get your protein???
What’s sad about these statements is that the folks who said it weren’t kidding. Why is it so hard for people to wrap their head around food that is simple and direct from the source of life (or as close as it can possibly get in this part of Washington, DC)?
But then again, I guess I didn’t realize it either until I started to eat raw foods on a regular basis. It is possible to eat a few mangoes for dinner and be satisfied on those nights when you don’t feel like chopping, peeling, and waiting for stuff to boil. There is no greater culinary joy than to lop off the top of an ice-cold watermelon and dig in with a spoon. And, yes, making homemade salad dressings taste SOOOO much better than the crap you buy in a bottle with all those preservatives, sugar, and mayonnaise. All those nights I complained about not having any time to prepare anything was really just me being a programmed part of the fast food machine. This whole super busy lifestyle of working long hours away from home and not growing my own food and being dependent on chain stores for things I could have easily made my damn self with a little time and energy. It’s this same fast lifestyle that made young women like myself think that having children before fully establishing a career is an inconvenience rather than a gift. It is this fast lifestyle that make young women believe that preparing a home cooked meal for their husband is not nearly as important as pleasing their boss. It is this fast lifestyle that makes me feel bad every time I want to take an afternoon off for a doctor’s appointment when I know I have a ton of things to finish. I am realizing how much I don’t like this fast lifestyle and how it has impacted the choices I have made. It really just isn’t what God intended for human beings to live at all.
Garlic & Lemons 
Well said!