I'm vain as fuck. I'm way more dietary than ethical. But that's another topic. I've met many raw foodists over the past 5 years, and it seems some are 100% all the way, but most are aprx 90% raw with some cooked grains and no meat nor dairy.

I prefer raw vegan > vegan because it focusses on raw/uncooked produce whereas I find vegan to be mostly cooked food and easy to say 'aw fuck it, I'll just eat grains and pig out on Whole Foods' yummy processed vegan sweets.' The benefit of being raw (when they say raw, they mean raw vegan unless specified such as paleo raw where, yes, there are ppl who eat raw meat.) are that you're keeping the nutrients intact by not heating the shit outta them. Cooking your veggies? You've just cooked the nutrients out of them, defeating the purpose of eating vegetables in the first place! Ya feel me?

I'm guessing I'm almost 90%. Juicing 1 veggie juice per day (Cuz I'm lazy, I alternate between blening it myself or buying it at a juice bar...juice veggies, never fruit btw unless it's just a tad to sweeten up the drink. Me, I like a mean green palette.) definitely ups your raw percentage. Notice soooo many vegs going into that juicer!

Most of my daily intake is salads, a juice, various chomping on fruit as snacks or pick-me-ups throughout the day and raw sauces/garnishes atop brown rice or a sweet potato. A few times a month, I like meat. It's usually salmon, scrambled egg whites, thin slices of turkey at the deli, or steak tartar. The steak tartar at Orsay in NYC is the best I've ever had. I do not eat processed/packaged meats at all and aim for grass fed.

I admire those who are 100% raw, but they have serious cooking skillz to do so. Note, when I say cooking, I'm using it colloquially as in 'making food,' even though in raw food, making food is done without heat. These 100% raw people have mastered a delicious art that takes raw food to a bountiful, gourmet level where skills include dehydrating, sprouting, soaking, etc. As a novice to food prep, it's too detailed for me, but my goal is to learn from someone.

For now, one can get plenty of raw with a Vitamix blender to make soups, sauces, and dips, and even salad dressings- plus simple stuff like choosing an uncooked veggie side dish or salad with your meal if you dine out, eating tons of fruits and vegs throughout the day as snacks, and of course, making salads.

Being raw in the NW can certainly be done! My friend lives in Washington state and is a long-time 100% raw vegan. She's an amazing cook. I should pay her a visit just to learn a few things!

Hope that helps.