WHy I follow a low fat raw vegan diet

I came to the realization that animal food products are bad for your physical being after reading the China Study (please read this study). It was a wide eye opener. My husband and I decided to go vegan. No it,s not easy and no it is not a diet. It is a new way of life. So far so good. Yes we lost weight but more importantly we feel so much better. I actually love the food. We don't eat just raw but a variety of vegetables, beans, grains anf fruit and vegies. After 4 years of struggling with weight I have found a new way of life.

Love it! Everyone has to find their own path for what works for them for where they're at in their life. I wanted to share this because -like you - I feel sooo000 good and I love the food I eat. I think it's interesting poeple read this and think we're trying to "convert" others. If it's not for you, that's fine, but I don't understand all the negativity and backlash. Like if eating fresh fruits and vegetables was the worst thing a person could do. I think people also don't realize that I was coming from an obese lifestyle being 220 lbs. If anything THAT's what the concern should be - not that I'm no longer eating meat.

I still think you feel better because you aren't downing 3 bottles of vodka a week. Life is nice without a perma-hangover.

:laugh: Now there;s a good point.

Agreed-- I think this has A LOT to do with it. I had gone months on end without drinking before- so I don't think it was that alone. It's been a year so i think it's a placebo affect. Plus blood tests don't lie. I think before I was overfed and undernourished. Now I get all the vitamins and nutrients I need from my food. I think this is what gives me the energy. I think you can't know what it's like until you actually do it and see if it's right for you. My diet just started getting cleaner and cleaner and I kept feeling better and better and it just is what it is. I know people that are multi-marathon runners that eat this way and say their recovery is like nothing else on this lifestyle. I'm not anywhere near a marathon yet, but before I started I couldn't even run a 1/4 of a mile without stopping and trust me it's something I had worked on since the beginning. Now I can do 2 miles and continue to cut the time down on my mile. I am planing to do a 5K this summer.
Anyways- I hope my answering questions doesn't come across some miracle solution that works for everyone. It's NOT an easy lifestyle for everyone, but there are people who make it work and thrive on it.

CHECK THIS OUT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13rGHDrokbM

Seriously, you have to quit using Youtube as a source of information.

Love it! Everyone has to find their own path for what works for them for where they're at in their life. I wanted to share this because -like you - I feel sooo000 good and I love the food I eat. I think it's interesting poeple read this and think we're trying to "convert" others. If it's not for you, that's fine, but I don't understand all the negativity and backlash. Like if eating fresh fruits and vegetables was the worst thing a person could do. I think people also don't realize that I was coming from an obese lifestyle being 220 lbs. If anything THAT's what the concern should be - not that I'm no longer eating meat.

I don't see you as trying to "convert" others. What many of us do see, and are trying to explain, is that your chosen way of eating is deficient in key nutrients. No, you don't have to eat meat (which wasn't the reason you were obese anyway). But if you don't take in adequate healthy fats and complete proteins, your "I feel sooo000 good" isn't going to last. Your health will start to deteriorate, though in a different way than if you had remained obese.

No one is saying fruit and veggies aren't healthy. They're saying that there are other healthy foods as well, that can't be omitted from your diet without consequences. When your body starts asking for those, please listen to it.

For sure-- I think that's some thing that I tried to stress in the post that i try to listen to what my body is asking me for. I get fat from things like avocados and nuts and seeds. I get protein from LOTS of greens and things like limited amounts of quinoa, lentils, beans, sprouts, seaweed, etc. and obviously I get my carbs from fruits and veggies.

I am not 100% anything and don't stick to an absolute label or rigid rules. I eat the food that tastes good to me and that my body craves. The cleaner I eat, the cleaner I want to keep eating. If I have food out at restaurants for example wit lots of salt and probably with oils, I don't feel as good as when I cook for myself.

I get regular blood work done and since last year when I started making the big change my calcium has gone from a deficiency -to normal. My folate as well. My cholesterol from high to normal and my doc is well aware of my lifestyle and keep an eye out for what he thinks he needs to but he says everything just gets better.

Trust me - no one here is more concerned about my health than I am. I keep tabs of things.

10% of calories from fat while in a calorie deficit is horrendously inadequate. Same for protein.

I came to the realization that animal food products are bad for your physical being after reading the China Study (please read this study). It was a wide eye opener. My husband and I decided to go vegan. No it,s not easy and no it is not a diet. It is a new way of life. So far so good. Yes we lost weight but more importantly we feel so much better. I actually love the food. We don't eat just raw but a variety of vegetables, beans, grains anf fruit and vegies. After 4 years of struggling with weight I have found a new way of life.

Love it! Everyone has to find their own path for what works for them for where they're at in their life. I wanted to share this because -like you - I feel sooo000 good and I love the food I eat. I think it's interesting poeple read this and think we're trying to "convert" others. If it's not for you, that's fine, but I don't understand all the negativity and backlash. Like if eating fresh fruits and vegetables was the worst thing a person could do. I think people also don't realize that I was coming from an obese lifestyle being 220 lbs. If anything THAT's what the concern should be - not that I'm no longer eating meat.

I still think you feel better because you aren't downing 3 bottles of vodka a week. Life is nice without a perma-hangover.

:laugh: Now there;s a good point.

Agreed-- I think this has A LOT to do with it. I had gone months on end without drinking before- so I don't think it was that alone. It's been a year so i think it's a placebo affect. Plus blood tests don't lie. I think before I was overfed and undernourished. Now I get all the vitamins and nutrients I need from my food. I think this is what gives me the energy. I think you can't know what it's like until you actually do it and see if it's right for you. My diet just started getting cleaner and cleaner and I kept feeling better and better and it just is what it is. I know people that are multi-marathon runners that eat this way and say their recovery is like nothing else on this lifestyle. I'm not anywhere near a marathon yet, but before I started I couldn't even run a 1/4 of a mile without stopping and trust me it's something I had worked on since the beginning. Now I can do 2 miles and continue to cut the time down on my mile. I am planing to do a 5K this summer.
Anyways- I hope my answering questions doesn't come across some miracle solution that works for everyone. It's NOT an easy lifestyle for everyone, but there are people who make it work and thrive on it.

CHECK THIS OUT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13rGHDrokbM

Well, yeah! I'm a drinker and won't deny that but I imagine it would take several months to completely dry out and start feeling better. All the things that come with drinking are hard on diets. Personally, I know when I drink more than one glass of wine I will overeat and I won't get up for my AM workout.

That said, I still drink wine about twice a week. I also eat whatever I want as long as it fits into my calorie goals and macros. In less than a year, I went from not being very fit to CrossFitting four times a week, running a couple times a week, knocking out several 5ks and completing a Tough Mudder.

So, with all due respect, the sensationalism of a couple of Frutarians who ran a marathon everyday doesn't really interest me. Good for them, but it doesn't really have anything to do with me. I'm interested in progressing my fitness, sticking to my food routine (mostly) and enjoying my life without needless restrictions.

Quite honestly, having recovered from an ED, I think this diet is just another way to make ED behaviors more publicly acceptable. This is not a fact, this is just my opinion.

All that aside, best of luck on your 5k. That's a good goal.

is Trader Joe's raw vegan? Shouldn't you be making your orange juice?

Disclaimer: I have just come back from the pub so may not know what I'm typing.

Oh and another - Dean Karnazes who ran 50 marathons in 50 days - I expect a good bit quicker than the couple featured in the Australian one now eats a Neanderthal diet. Just as silly to my mind - maybe all that running causes some, ah, 'issues' :P.
Oh and he's run 350 miles without stopping. Seriously; in the UK most people can't do that on a car and wouldn't on a motorbike.

As for protein - if you're maintaining weight, that's probably 'ok'... but where do you get the RDAs from? What research are they based on?

And yes; your fat levels seem SERIOUSLY low to me.

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein
Grams of protein needed each day
Children ages 1 – 3 13
Children ages 4 – 8 19
Children ages 9 – 13 34
Girls ages 14 – 18 46
Boys ages 14 – 18 52
Women ages 19 – 70+ 46
Men ages 19 – 70+ 56

I AM NOT DEFICIENT IN PROTEIN !!!

57 grams is about half of what you need to optimally maintain muscle mass while losing weight.

The RDAs do not apply to people who exercise intensely, nor people who are losing weight. You might be eating enough protein to prevent actual disease, but you are not eating nearly enough to prevent excessive lean mass loss.

Your fat intake is another story. Your fat intake is absolutely low enough to cause serious long-term health problems. 8 grams a day is horrifically low.

>400 grams of carbs and <10 grams of fat is mind-blowing.

Can you provide a reference for this? I personally know people that are body builders that eat like this and they are able to put on muscle mass.

My fat will range on a weekly basis not on a daily basis to about 10-15%. Some days I might have low fat, but then another day I will make something that is more high in fat- it averages out.

Literary review references for the protein claim:
http://www.jissn.com/content/3/1/7
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24092765
http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-10-53.pdf

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein
Grams of protein needed each day
Children ages 1 – 3 13
Children ages 4 – 8 19
Children ages 9 – 13 34
Girls ages 14 – 18 46
Boys ages 14 – 18 52
Women ages 19 – 70+ 46
Men ages 19 – 70+ 56

I AM NOT DEFICIENT IN PROTEIN !!!

56 grams? My breakfast practically contains that much! You might lose weight, but you certainly won't be building any significant strength gains.

ETA: You say vegan bodybuilders "eat like this" and build muscle. Here is a link to one that is vegan. They eat 300 grams of protein a day. http://vivalavegan.net/community/articles/172-where-do-vegan-bodybuilders-get-their-protein.html

So let's see what happens this year??? I am monitoring what I eat and my workouts and I'm keeping a video diary. I will come back to this post on the first of every month with stats and pics. How do I track muscle gain for you guys other than pics?

Body fat measurements. I personally use the 3-site method with calipers, using a body fat scale as a sanity check.

Also, I know of no bodybuilders of any kind who eat 56 grams of protein a day. Pretty sure you're mistaken about that one.

I could be wrong, but that seems like a crazy amount of sugar to me, especially with so little fat or protein to offset the impact on blood sugar levels.

I came to the realization that animal food products are bad for your physical being after reading the China Study (please read this study). It was a wide eye opener. My husband and I decided to go vegan. No it,s not easy and no it is not a diet. It is a new way of life. So far so good. Yes we lost weight but more importantly we feel so much better. I actually love the food. We don't eat just raw but a variety of vegetables, beans, grains anf fruit and vegies. After 4 years of struggling with weight I have found a new way of life.

Love it! Everyone has to find their own path for what works for them for where they're at in their life. I wanted to share this because -like you - I feel sooo000 good and I love the food I eat. I think it's interesting poeple read this and think we're trying to "convert" others. If it's not for you, that's fine, but I don't understand all the negativity and backlash. Like if eating fresh fruits and vegetables was the worst thing a person could do. I think people also don't realize that I was coming from an obese lifestyle being 220 lbs. If anything THAT's what the concern should be - not that I'm no longer eating meat.

Exactly. I mention that I limit processed foods including gluten, dairy, soy, caffeine and sugar and everyone is down my throat about it, though I feel better then I have in a long time. I too did raw a couple of years ago and felt wonderful, wouldn't mind going back to it. I think people need to be respectful that everyone does their own thing that works for them and realize that we are doing it for total health and not just to lose weight. I often wish that we could see how healthy people are later in life - processed food eaters vs. whole food eaters. People can tell me over and over again that I can lose the same amount of weight eating junk in moderation, but I make the decision to eat food that is readily available straight from the planet and not modified in a science lab. I just feel better on it. I'm not going to start eating processed foods just because some people on MFP told me I should. As I would expect those who do eat processed foods not to start eating the way I do just because I eat that way. Everyone has what works for them and should be able to share it without ridicule. That appears to be what message boards have become these days...a place for people to find others they don't agree with and call them out on it. Keep doing what your doing elfo. I can vouch from my personal experience that health is not just losing weight, it's how you feel overall and I feel better eating whole foods. The better I feel, the harder I work at it.

is Trader Joe's raw vegan? Shouldn't you be making your orange juice?

Disclaimer: I have just come back from the pub so may not know what I'm typing.

What she has selected is. I'm pretty sure nobody crammed a steak and deviled eggs into her pineapple tidbits bag or grilled her orange juice with a side of bacon. :laugh: You must have enjoyed yourself at the pub!

Ok I am now confused. I only commented as she is RAW vegan and has stated homemade juice but also trader joes. We don't have trader joes in the UK so I know nothing about them other than they are not raw (I think). I don't get the whole bacon and deviled egg comment.

Trader Joe's is a grocery store that specializes in whole and organic foods. Pretty sure they sell orange juice that is both raw and vegan. I've actually never heard of cooked orange juice and I'm not sure what animal ingredients typical OJ contains.

Maybe I just thought unprocessed not packaged

Exactly. I mention that I limit processed foods including gluten, dairy, soy, caffeine and sugar and everyone is down my throat about it, though I feel better then I have in a long time. I too did raw a couple of years ago and felt wonderful, wouldn't mind going back to it. I think people need to be respectful that everyone does their own thing that works for them and realize that we are doing it for total health and not just to lose weight. I often wish that we could see how healthy people are later in life - processed food eaters vs. whole food eaters. People can tell me over and over again that I can lose the same amount of weight eating junk in moderation, but I make the decision to eat food that is readily available straight from the planet and not modified in a science lab. I just feel better on it. I'm not going to start eating processed foods just because some people on MFP told me I should. As I would expect those who do eat processed foods not to start eating the way I do just because I eat that way. Everyone has what works for them and should be able to share it without ridicule. That appears to be what message boards have become these days...a place for people to find others they don't agree with and call them out on it. Keep doing what your doing elfo. I can vouch from my personal experience that health is not just losing weight, it's how you feel overall and I feel better eating whole foods. The better I feel, the harder I work at it.

You made a very specific claim: that eating a certain quantity of calories in "processed" food caused you to fail to lose weight while eating those same calories in "whole foods" caused you to lose weight.

You were jumped on because that is essentially impossible, barring some bizarre and rare metabolic disorder.

It turned out that we were right. You told us that you did not weigh your foods, and therefore you do not know how many calories you were eating. Your claim is therefore invalid.

Above I said I do it for overall health and how I feel, not just for losing weight. If you ate two differnet items and one made you feel better then the other, would you not continue to select those foods? I never said I have a rare metabolic disorder. I am insulin resistant and gluten intolerant. I have been diagnosed by my doctor. It also makes me ovulate incorrectly and is why my husband and I cannot have children. So don't make claims that I am making up some disorder. How dare you! I am actually on supplements to correct the insulin resistance. Educating and "jumping on" are two different things taken two completely different ways. Yes indeed, you guys jumped on me when I purely wanted to mention what made me feel good. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean you have to be condescending about it. I don't have to agree with you and you don't have to agree with me. End of story.

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein
Grams of protein needed each day
Children ages 1 – 3 13
Children ages 4 – 8 19
Children ages 9 – 13 34
Girls ages 14 – 18 46
Boys ages 14 – 18 52
Women ages 19 – 70+ 46
Men ages 19 – 70+ 56

I AM NOT DEFICIENT IN PROTEIN !!!

57 grams is about half of what you need to optimally maintain muscle mass while losing weight.

The RDAs do not apply to people who exercise intensely, nor people who are losing weight. You might be eating enough protein to prevent actual disease, but you are not eating nearly enough to prevent excessive lean mass loss.

Your fat intake is another story. Your fat intake is absolutely low enough to cause serious long-term health problems. 8 grams a day is horrifically low.

>400 grams of carbs and <10 grams of fat is mind-blowing.

I've read through all this trying not to comment... and Jonnythan and I rarely agree... but this is NOT GOOD. OP you are feeling better now because raw vegans do feel better AT FIRST because of all the nutrients from the fresh produce. But a long term sugar based diet (few human societies ate massive amounts of fruit year round!), with almost no fat and barely enough protein? Sorry, human biology and history do NOT support that. Unfortunately your brain health will suffer and you won't even recognize how sick you are getting because you know you are "right". PLEASE read as many accounts from other vegans who have done what you are doing long term. There are many out there who have published their experience in a valiant effort to help people like you.

You may think you are an expert and that your critical thinking skills are better than most other humans (you have a condescending tone in your responses) but an interesting pattern has been observed: the least skillful/knowledgeable people tend to have the most confidence that they are right and cannot adequately assess or incorporate new information that challenges the view they currently hold. (Amount of education alone does not determine skill or knowledge.) I think malnutrition plays a big role in that tendency as well.

Maybe I just thought unprocessed not packaged

By definition, Orange Juice is processed?
Otherwise it would be 'Orange'.

Also - pretty much any food at all that we eat will have had it's genetics modified by humans.

However it may not have been humans wearing a white coat at the time, so I believe that makes it ok?