When it comes to the Raw lifestyle, one of the biggest hurdles for people has to do with social situations. To this I say… raise your standards. This includes your peer group. Family is usually another issue. You will always have your family (whether they are supportive of what you are doing or not), but your peer group you can choose. Hence, pick wisely. This is one of the keys to setting yourself up to win. Your life is typically a reflection of your peer group’s expectations.
Whether it’s family or friends, they might not be excited about what you are doing. The reason for this is because, typically, the changes you are making to better your health incidentally shine the light on their lifestyle choices. Important: This is not your fault, it’s theirs. You might never say a word to them about their diet, but you will almost certainly encounter people who object to the idea of Raw (and vegan in general) because they feel that their way of life is under scrutiny.
It’s a very strange and emotionally loaded issue for many people. They might take offense because they assume – through no fault of yours – that you look down upon them. This is the key issue: People do some crazy things to defend their egos. Many people will assume, from your dietary choices, that you think you are somehow superior to them… not just their food choices, but actually them. (This is most common among people with the worst diets and those who have never met a vegan, which varies greatly depending on which part of the country you typically roam.).
My advice:
1) Stay strong, passionate, and excited about your chosen lifestyle.
2) Be choosy with whom you spend your time.
3) If it’s family who is coming down on you, be prepared with a witty and informative elevator pitch that will either get them curious or pipe them down.
4) Spew off your blood data which is probably very healthy (or on its way to being super healthy) and extremely difficult to dispute i.e., cholesterol levels, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc. This is always impressive ammo.