“What am I going to do??!!”
If you’re not fortunate enough to have a vast selection of Raw restaurants to choose from, then you’re going to have to improvise. But don’t be worried about it, it’s actually much, much easier than you think.
Here’s what that’s going to look like:
1. Bend the rules, don’t break them.
Just because you’re in a restaurant, don’t let all those saucy smells seduce you into thinking “one slice of double cheese pizza won’t hurt.” It will hurt. And worse, you’ll ride the guilt train for having done it along with indigestion, constipation, water retention and oh-ho-ho, doesn’t that make for a lovely way to feel on a date?
You can find compromises if you have to. There’s no need to play pious Susie while you crunch on iceberg lettuce and a slice of tomato.
The raw food lifestyle is a lifestyle of abundance. Though it may not seem that way at first, once you get in the groove of things you realize how much there is to discover and create from an extraordinary selection of foods that improve your health and well being on so many levels. And they just look better, too!
2. Put some boundaries in place for yourself. Hands off the cheesecake!
Before I give you the tricks for sticking to raw in a cooked restaurant, I just want to qualify it all by saying that it’s okay, sometimes, to make compromises.
I guarantee that some lightly steamed vegetables and brown rice will not back on an extra 10 pounds overnight. But, if a floret of steamed broccoli leads to the justification that a thick slice of double-chocolate cheesecake would top it off well, you know you’ve gone overboard and will likely be feeling the consequences the next day and may have a hard time getting “back on track” easily.
3. Make it an adventure—a challenge!
I’ll be honest. I’ve had some disastrous experiences in this area. In the beginning I would go through the very laborious process of explaining everything I did NOT want to eat.
“Nothing cooked.”
“No noodles.”
“No, no croutons.”
“No toasted nuts, either, please.”
“Nope, I don’t do salad dressing!”
And despite all my qualifiers and explanations, I invariably ended up with a plate loaded with toasted walnuts, goat cheese and croutons.
I felt defeated. An outcast doomed to disappointments in a cooked food world. I’ll admit to having taken it all so seriously that one day, I was drawn to the point of tears at the table.
Then I changed the Game a bit. I heard about one chef who loved a challenge and so decided to play the “I wonder if you’ll be able to save the day...” card.
I admittedly gave them my woeful puppy look when I said,
“You know, I have a little favor to ask of you, and I’m not sure if you can do it, or not, but I thought it can’t hurt to try. Just so you know, every other restaurant that I have asked to get this right, has totally failed. They just didn’t get it. But this looks like a good place, and you look pretty clever, so here’s the thing…”
A-ha! A chance to rise above the competition. A challenge and an opportunity to impress had been placed on the table. At the time I ate very simply and had gone on to request that the only thing I wanted was a billowing plate of spinach and freshly sliced tomatoes on top. But I didn’t want some flimsy side dish show. I wanted a mountain of spinach and lots of tomatoes.
I also made it clear that money wasn’t a concern for me.
It was a total glory moment when my plate arrived. I was thrilled. It was so simple, but they really did try and make it look and feel exactly like what I wanted. And they refilled my plate as often as I asked.
We all had a great time, and it wasn’t weird or strange and awkward to make these requests. It was FUN! I left a generous tip and felt completely satisfied with my meal.
Another glory moment came when I’d offered up the challenge to the chef to impress me with anything Fruit or Vegetable, but nothing in between.
WOW! One of the most gorgeous salads I’ve ever had.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of going out for a night on the town. Whenever possible, you can call in advance, too, and let the chef have a bit of notice! Often they’ll go to special efforts just to show off their skills a little. Whatever you do, don’t look upon the opportunity in fear. Make it an adventure.
4. Whatever you do, don’t apologize.
Some people have suggested or saying that the “Doctor says I have to eat this way…”
That’s just no fun at all and completely apologetic.
You do not have to make apologies for the fact that YOU are a health seeker. You do not have to make apologies for trying to go against the system and improve your conditions.
Smile with pride. Beam, giggle, flirt with your simple foods and look like the gorgeous diva you are! The world will catch on soon enough when they see your healthy glow! You are a pioneer for health in the world, and you should show it off, not hide in shame or apologize.
Don’t feel cooped up and isolated socially just because you happen to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. Snack a bit before if you have to, but get out and show off your healthy ways. If you keep the right attitude about it all, you’ll be sure to convert others who see your healthy habits.
