Raw Food Diet - fad or fab?

plaingirly
plaingirly Posts: 378
in Food and Nutrition
I like the idea of a (mostly!) raw food diet but don't know how you get enough protein / calcium and also fruit has a lot of sugars in it.

Is it a healthy and sustainable way of eating? I am assuming it could be quite expensive, well, unless tinned fruit is allowed.

I keep seeing articles about how much slimmer / lighter / healthier / brighter people feel on the diet!

Not sure it would fit in with calorie tracking and lifting weights albeit not huge ones.

Has anyone tried it?

Replies

  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I did it for awhile a few years ago. I did feel better, but honestly, I think it was all the additional fruit I was eating. It really isn't sustainable long term. At least not for me. And it can get expensive if you want to try some of the more gourmet recipes. Not to mention the lack of easy protein sources.

    I'm eating cooked meals now (have been back to normal foods for awhile now), and I've recently added in more fresh fruit than I was previously eating, and I already notice that I'm feeling better. I'd say just try mixing in more fresh fruits and vegetables with your regular meals.

    And tinned or canned fruit isn't allowed, generally, because the contents were heated during the canning process.
  • plaingirly
    plaingirly Posts: 378
    Didn't think tinned would be allowed somehow!

    I know that I feel much more alert when I cut right down on bread / pasta / rice / potatoes. Going to adding more fruit and vegetables!
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I'd say just try making your carbs whole grain and complex and cut the simple ones. And add in more fresh fruits and veggies, and see if that works for you.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    Not for me. Humans discovered fire a long time ago, so its cooked food all the way! Cooking food makes it easier to digest.

    Can't see the harm in having one meal a day totally raw and eating more fresh fruit and veg
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    Didn't think tinned would be allowed somehow!

    I know that I feel much more alert when I cut right down on bread / pasta / rice / potatoes. Going to adding more fruit and vegetables!
    [/quote

    I am with you! bread/pasta/rice/potatoes gone, feeling great. I am trying to do more raw foods,but I like most of meats cooked - sushi being the exception. All the sushi makers in houston will make you special order rolls without rice. quite nice
  • slfordstthomas
    slfordstthomas Posts: 23 Member

    Can't see the harm in having one meal a day totally raw and eating more fresh fruit and veg

    I agree! More fruits and vegetables is always best! Raw or cooked!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    Fad. Kinda hard to just eat raw steak and chicken.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I just got tired of always eating cold food. :) Besides the hassle. And lack of protein. AND the need for variety. The desserts were good, though!! REALLY good. Just expensive to make because most used nuts.
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
    I went all raw for about 8 months a couple years ago. I felt great but if you don't want to live on smoothies and salads or just macro meals the prep for dehydrated things and the more elaborate stuff is tough. I work full time so it was hard to stick to it 100%. At first it's fine but then you crave variety. Currently I eat 60-80% raw and that seems to work for me. This allows me some flexibility and I can play with the more complicated raw stuff but not be a slave to it.
    I would also note that I'm vegetarian, almost totally vegan, so the leap to raw vegan was not such a tough one for me. If you still eat animal products, though, it might be a much bigger adjustment.
  • Garlicmash
    Garlicmash Posts: 208
    I eat a lot of raw veg and fruits meals but some beans you won't be able to eat raw as some are toxic raw like kidney beans.
    tinned fruit and veg are normally cooked in the tins to help keep them in the tins so they are not raw at all.

    I eat very little meat and my levels are always low some very low like calcium but vitamin A and C are high A is rocketing like crazy some days.

    I only feel well if eating lots of veg raw or cooked and feel sluggish with to many other foods.
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
    I think eating some raw foods is a great idea. I love sushi and salads and fruits.

    As a diet where everything you eat has to be raw, I think it's ridiculous
  • plaingirly
    plaingirly Posts: 378
    I think that eating raw all the time would make me a bit obsessed as well as being super expensive.

    Nice fruit and vegetables are pricey things. x
  • dancinrascal
    dancinrascal Posts: 204 Member
    I went all raw for about 8 months a couple years ago. I felt great but if you don't want to live on smoothies and salads or just macro meals the prep for dehydrated things and the more elaborate stuff is tough. I work full time so it was hard to stick to it 100%. At first it's fine but then you crave variety. Currently I eat 60-80% raw and that seems to work for me. This allows me some flexibility and I can play with the more complicated raw stuff but not be a slave to it.
    I would also note that I'm vegetarian, almost totally vegan, so the leap to raw vegan was not such a tough one for me. If you still eat animal products, though, it might be a much bigger adjustment.

    ^ this. I went vegetarian/pescatarian first. I enjoy fruits and veg so this wasn't really a problem. And I like being creative to make vegan versions of my normal favorites. I still eat some cooked food and everything is going well. I did it to help my digestive system and it definitely helped! I still eat fish on the rare occasion, but if you eat enough fruit and veg (and it's ALOT), you will be satisfied.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    I've got my dogs on a raw food diet. They love it.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    I've got my dogs on a raw food diet. They love it.

    My dog loves fresh apples, carrots and lettuce!
  • organic0gf
    organic0gf Posts: 87 Member
    I went on a raw food diet for almost a month. It's a full time job. I was constantly making trips to the market for fresh veggies, etc. Then prepping (juicing, cleaning, cutting up, etc) them to be ready when needed... I bought 2 books on the benefits of raw eating and tried to follow them. I didn't lose any weight, but I did feel better after the first few days. Then the cravings for breads meats, etc kicked in. It was torture. I am at home most of the time and can't imagine a person that worked keeping up with the plan. Now I eat totally gluten free, and about 90% organic, dairy free, and soy free. I use meat more for seasoning rather than for main course now. I feel better than I have felt for years, which took about a month to realize.

    One way you can get protein is from rice protein powder. I use it all the time with my present diet. NutriBiotic Organic Vegan Rice Protein. You can get it on Amazon.
  • brainzap
    brainzap Posts: 145 Member
    Fad. You are missing out on many nutrients. Yes you can get protein from vegetables, but you have to eat truckloads to get enough. You can't get b vitamins.
  • kuanyin
    kuanyin Posts: 8 Member
    I'm having a lot of success eating raw. Its just two weeks now and ive lost over 7 lbs and I feel great! All of the inflammation I had is gone (no more joint pain) and I look like I lost 20 lbs! I no longer take Gerd medication. My skin looks amazing. I used to be a real snacker and craved sweets constantly. The cravings for those sugary foods are completely gone and I now crave real food and packing the most punch nutritionally. I eat a lot of kale which is a phenomenal source of calcium. Kale chips (I have a great recipe), adding kale to my romaine salad, smoothies etc and I juice. I make delicious food! I also eat a lot of nuts which I've incorporated into raw desserts, kale chips etc. and a lot of nutritional yeast which is packed with nutrients and adds a yummy cheesy flavor. I make sure I eat at least a half of an avocado a day. Its important to add a lot of variety and its there if you put some effort into researching. The beauty of it is that your body will start telling you naturally what you need. It is costly and I do shop more, but I'm taking excellent care of myself and feel happier. Aren't you worth it?
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I just got tired of always eating cold food. :) Besides the hassle. And lack of protein. AND the need for variety. The desserts were good, though!! REALLY good. Just expensive to make because most used nuts.

    I briefly dated a girl that did the raw thing(or at least tried as best she could) She swore by how much energy she had and how good it made her feel. All I remember were how awesome the desserts were! I've even tried looking a few up to find them to try and make because they were that good!
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member


    I briefly dated a girl that did the raw thing(or at least tried as best she could) She swore by how much energy she had and how good it made her feel. All I remember were how awesome the desserts were! I've even tried looking a few up to find them to try and make because they were that good!

    I still have a ton of recipes, if you want to message me what you are looking for, I may have it or something similar.
  • christiemerre
    christiemerre Posts: 2 Member
    I went raw in August 2013, and by Christmas, had lost 25 pounds. Yes, it was hard because we are a blended family with five kids, so it seemed impractical for me and my husband to go totally raw. I make dinner for my husband and me while supervising one of our kids as he/she makes a different dinner for the kids (one that they'll actually eat.). While it's not the easiest solution we chose to forage ahead anyway, and we noticed a lot of health problems went away. Skin cleared up (I struggle with psoriasis and monthly acne), joint pain disappeared, and we had a lot more energy. After the holidays and a move however, eating raw was too difficult with all we had going on. I regained 15 pounds, and here it is April! My skin problems reappeared, and inflammation returned. We've gone back to raw eating, but I need some support. I have several recipes that we like, but we need some more variety. I have some raw "un-cook" books, but a lot of them are ingredient intensive and I don't rely on my dehydrator much. If anyone has some good tips and recipes, could you please share those with me? Thanks!

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