Raw vegan lifestyle?
newstart1988
Posts: 154 Member
What is your opinion on a raw vegan lifestyle? Is it healthy eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables?
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Replies
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I know it wouldn't be sustainable for me. I wonder how a person gets enough protein on a diet like this? Could you eat tofu or beans?0
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I think it's like any chosen way of eating. It can be done with carefully planned intention. Or by carelessly jumping in without doing any research. How you approach it, is what will determine if it is healthy.7
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Depends why you want to do it really. The only reason to be vegan in my opinion is for ethical reasons. It is not superior in any way to any other way of eating and can in fact be harmful if not properly researched.12
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Eating just raw fruits and vegetables? Probably not. But most raw vegans eat more than that -- sprouted grains, nuts, and seeds are also part of the diet. I think you can even spout lentils and eat them (but I'm not sure about that).
It's not for me and I do think it would be pretty easy to miss out on something you need without careful planning, but I think that it could work for some people.4 -
The people I know that did this had bad breath. I know of no proven health benefit of this way of eating over many other less restrictive ways of eating.0
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newstart1988 wrote: »What is your opinion on a raw vegan lifestyle? Is it healthy eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables?
No...vegetables and fruit are good for you, but there is far more to a proper diet. Dietary fat and protein are essential. Also, there are some vegetables in particular where the cooking process actually allows for more nutritional value. Not to mention, many nutritional powerhouses cannot be eaten raw like beans and lentils...potatoes, etc.
Vegan is one thing...but healthy and knowledgeable vegans eat far more than just veg and fruit.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/raw-food-diet_b_2015598.html5 -
Also, I'm pretty sure most of the raw vegan lifestyle proponents don't eat exclusively raw? Just mostly? Either way, be vegan for ethical reasons as I said and just eat a broad and varied diet within those parameters and include necessary supplementation.0
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VintageFeline wrote: »Also, I'm pretty sure most of the raw vegan lifestyle proponents don't eat exclusively raw? Just mostly? Either way, be vegan for ethical reasons as I said and just eat a broad and varied diet within those parameters and include necessary supplementation.
I think you're thinking of the "raw till 4"...most proponents of a full raw vegan lifestyle do eat pretty much exclusively raw...I think they're allowed some broth here and there...but it would depend on how religious one is about the diet...most of them are pretty religious about the diet.
It's an ideological stance much like veganism itself...only lacking in logic. Their ideological stance is that cooking is unnatural processing of food...even though we've been doing it for about 2 million years.6 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Also, I'm pretty sure most of the raw vegan lifestyle proponents don't eat exclusively raw? Just mostly? Either way, be vegan for ethical reasons as I said and just eat a broad and varied diet within those parameters and include necessary supplementation.
I think you're thinking of the "raw till 4"...most proponents of a full raw vegan lifestyle do eat pretty much exclusively raw...I think they're allowed some broth here and there...but it would depend on how religious one is about the diet...most of them are pretty religious about the diet.
It's an ideological stance much like veganism itself...only lacking in logic. Their ideological stance is that cooking is unnatural processing of food...even though we've been doing it for about 2 million years.
Ah well there we go. Not up on my vegan sub-cultures!2 -
You don't just eat raw fruits and vegetables. I don't think it's particularly healthy, and it's also a lot of work and planning to make sure you're getting adequate nutrition, as well as a lot of prep. It's also not a "diet" (from a weight loss perspective) - a lot of the food is calorie dense, so you can still overindulge.3
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Read Richard Wrangham's "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human."
Raw veganism isn't our natural state. Sure, you'er likely to lose weight, but that's because its nearly impossible for humans to get all the necessary nutrients for life and health from a raw vegan diet; it takes a *lot* of work (and expense) to do it "right' (meaning, you get MOST of the necessary nutrients). A significant percentage of women put on raw vegan diets for extended periods *lose* their periods, which is a sign your body is really, really unhappy with your food plan.5 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »I think it's like any chosen way of eating. It can be done with carefully planned intention. Or by carelessly jumping in without doing any research. How you approach it, is what will determine if it is healthy.
this1 -
Read Richard Wrangham's "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human."
Raw veganism isn't our natural state. Sure, you'er likely to lose weight, but that's because its nearly impossible for humans to get all the necessary nutrients for life and health from a raw vegan diet; it takes a *lot* of work (and expense) to do it "right' (meaning, you get MOST of the necessary nutrients). A significant percentage of women put on raw vegan diets for extended periods *lose* their periods, which is a sign your body is really, really unhappy with your food plan.
That's a great book -- highly recommended.2 -
I think it is going unnecessarily out of your comfort zone for the sake of a puritanical ideology.4
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I eat vegan and I usually get my protien from beans, chia seeds, tofu etc. As for raw, I haven't done that2
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I've done raw and it's fine. I think you need to be very clear on the reasons you want to do it. Weight loss cannot be your only motivation... it's very easy in a lot of respects but contrary to what someone else said above, the food is low in calories and you need to have the money to make sure you can eat a lot of fruit and veggies. Dates and nuts are high in calories and you can sprouts beans and grains.
Check out forty below fruity or rawvana, two girls who rock the raw food lifestyle1 -
God gave us carnivore teeth for a reason. My sister says she's a vegan but keeps eating meat so I don't think it's a good idea just to eat veggies and fruits. Meat has nutrients in it. Eat the dang meat except pork. Pork is the worst meat for us.0
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God gave us carnivore teeth for a reason. My sister says she's a vegan but keeps eating meat so I don't think it's a good idea just to eat veggies and fruits. Meat has nutrients in it. Eat the dang meat except pork. Pork is the worst meat for us.
I think a person can have a very healthy diet without meat. But I'm mainly writing to ask what is wrong with pork?7 -
happydaze71 wrote: »I've done raw and it's fine. I think you need to be very clear on the reasons you want to do it. Weight loss cannot be your only motivation... it's very easy in a lot of respects but contrary to what someone else said above, the food is low in calories and you need to have the money to make sure you can eat a lot of fruit and veggies. Dates and nuts are high in calories and you can sprouts beans and grains.
Check out forty below fruity or rawvana, two girls who rock the raw food lifestyle
You just contradicted yourself...the other poster was in deed referring to the fact that not all raw foods are low calories...as you pointed out, nuts are calorie dense...I eat a lot of avocados...they're calorie bombs.1 -
God gave us carnivore teeth for a reason. My sister says she's a vegan but keeps eating meat so I don't think it's a good idea just to eat veggies and fruits. Meat has nutrients in it. Eat the dang meat except pork. Pork is the worst meat for us.
I'm vegan and eat a lot more than veggies and fruit, and whilst I agree meat has good nutrients in it, so does many plant based foods. You can be healthy being an omnivore or vegan. Its' just personal choice really.
I don't get the raw vegan diet at all though, I could not do it, wouldn't even want to try it. But fair play to those that do, I respect their food choices.
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God gave us carnivore teeth for a reason. My sister says she's a vegan but keeps eating meat so I don't think it's a good idea just to eat veggies and fruits. Meat has nutrients in it. Eat the dang meat except pork. Pork is the worst meat for us.
You certainly can choose to use your teeth to eat meat, but "carnivore teeth" aren't a thing that we have. Are you thinking of canine teeth? If God gave us those for the sole purpose of eating meat, s/he really could have helped us out and made them sharper.
What we are is omnivores. We can thrive on a diet that includes meat, but we can also thrive on a meatfree diet. We can decide whether or not we want to eat it. Yes, meat has nutrients. But so does a diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans.9 -
I don't believe it's sustainable but it's perfectly fine for short spurts of time. I usually live a mostly raw lifestyle during the summer when fruit is in season and ridiculously cheap. But I also take a multivitamin year round so I don't have to worry about a lack of vitamins.
If you look into it a bit deeper, you'll find that you can be healthy on a fully raw diet but it's easier and more sustainable to incorporate cooked foods as well. Fully raw people tend to miss out on some of the easily consumed nutrients from cooked plant foods. I believe a general whole food based vegan diet is far better long term.0 -
I have been vegan for a long time, but tried raw vegan a few years ago. I won't mince words - it's insanely difficult. It's costly, it takes a ton of prep work, and eventually you get burned out. If you really want to incorporate the benefits of eating raw, whole foods then I would highly recommend eating raw at lunch and eating a cooked meal at dinner time, or vice versa. It's like anything else. There's nothing inherently scientific about eating raw foods. If you enjoy eating raw, by all means go for it and don't let anyone discourage you, but many people who embrace raw eating as a lifestyle fall prey to disordered eating practices and an unhealthy obsession with their food.5
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https://youtu.be/GZN3HGiS4zw
Dr Morse - Everything you need to know about food
I have recently started a raw plant based diet that consists of fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds myself. It surely isn't for everyone. Is it healthy thought? Surely is. I am keeping it simple right now but there is a lot of information out there and good recipes too! Like other people said, I wouldn't do this if it were just for weight loss. I have no trouble reaching my protein and I do not eat tofu or other soy based products (most soy is GM and it's products are super processed).0 -
lulalacroix wrote: »I know it wouldn't be sustainable for me. I wonder how a person gets enough protein on a diet like this? Could you eat tofu or beans?
I believe you can eat a special type of tofu, but it's expensive, made from sprouted soybeans, and you can eat sprouted beans, like sprouted lentils and chickpeas.0 -
Read Richard Wrangham's "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human."
Raw veganism isn't our natural state. Sure, you'er likely to lose weight, but that's because its nearly impossible for humans to get all the necessary nutrients for life and health from a raw vegan diet; it takes a *lot* of work (and expense) to do it "right' (meaning, you get MOST of the necessary nutrients). A significant percentage of women put on raw vegan diets for extended periods *lose* their periods, which is a sign your body is really, really unhappy with your food plan.
What is our natural state?
Paleolithic man ate bugs, poisionious roots, bone marrow, and even clay.
Dogs acquired, through their 1000s of years associating
with humans, multiple genes that allowed them to tolerate complex carbs.
I don't think that is unreasonable to assume that neolithic humans acquired genes to enable them to process a diet rich grain-based carbs and little meat/veggies. Thus, making the neolithic diet a modern human's "natural state".
I would guess that many modern human's can't tolerate the American diet (highly processed food), which is the cause of childhood obesity and multiple other dietary deseases. However, that doesn't happen to all kids who are subjected to the American diet. There is probably a selection event , caused be highly processed food, that is happening right now before our eyes.
The genes that enabled westerners to eat dairy took over Europe in a very short time frame-- about a 1000 years. Sure things like universal healthcare will slow this process but it won't stop it. It all means that a "natural state" is what ever we're currently doing.1 -
A diet that incorporates moderate portions of everything is healthy. I think being a raw vegan is a good way to butcher your lean mass, which is your metabolic currency. I personally wouldn't but I have no issues with eating animals or animal products. If ethically you prefer to avoid animals and you're willing, why not? I think you will do so at the cost of your health though.1
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janejellyroll wrote: »Eating just raw fruits and vegetables? Probably not. But most raw vegans eat more than that -- sprouted grains, nuts, and seeds are also part of the diet. I think you can even spout lentils and eat them (but I'm not sure about that).
It's not for me and I do think it would be pretty easy to miss out on something you need without careful planning, but I think that it could work for some people.
Ya, it's wicked easy to sprout lentils. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/sprouting/how-to-sprout-lentils/ I like them in salads. They are edible overnight, although they will not have much of a sprout for a few days.
A few of my long-time ethical vegan friends went raw for a few months and found it impractical and undesirable once fall kicked in.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Eating just raw fruits and vegetables? Probably not. But most raw vegans eat more than that -- sprouted grains, nuts, and seeds are also part of the diet. I think you can even spout lentils and eat them (but I'm not sure about that).
It's not for me and I do think it would be pretty easy to miss out on something you need without careful planning, but I think that it could work for some people.
Ya, it's wicked easy to sprout lentils. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/sprouting/how-to-sprout-lentils/ I like them in salads. They are edible overnight, although they will not have much of a sprout for a few days.
A few of my long-time ethical vegan friends went raw for a few months and found it impractical and undesirable once fall kicked in.
My mom (who is also vegan) goes mostly raw in the summers, when produce is abundant and cheap. It's just the way she likes to eat. But for many people, it's just not practical for the whole year.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Eating just raw fruits and vegetables? Probably not. But most raw vegans eat more than that -- sprouted grains, nuts, and seeds are also part of the diet. I think you can even spout lentils and eat them (but I'm not sure about that).
It's not for me and I do think it would be pretty easy to miss out on something you need without careful planning, but I think that it could work for some people.
Ya, it's wicked easy to sprout lentils. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/sprouting/how-to-sprout-lentils/ I like them in salads. They are edible overnight, although they will not have much of a sprout for a few days.
A few of my long-time ethical vegan friends went raw for a few months and found it impractical and undesirable once fall kicked in.
My mom (who is also vegan) goes mostly raw in the summers, when produce is abundant and cheap. It's just the way she likes to eat. But for many people, it's just not practical for the whole year.
I froze my butt of going raw vegan in the winter for 3 months. It's very hard to keep your core temp up.2
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