Raw foodies?

DaniiDean · April 2011

I have been a veggie for a long time now, did go vegan for a bit but it is hard when I don't buy my own food and all of my family are meat eaters so I stuck with being vegetarian and it is going well. I love fish and eat at least one serving a day.
I have always researched into raw foodies and love the idea. I want to change my diet for a more cleaner natural one but wouldn't really know how to start.

Are you a raw foodie?
What advice would you give me when starting a raw food diet?

I would love as much info from you as possible please.Anything. Totally up for this and wanting to change my lifestyle.

DaniiDean · April 2011

Anyone.....?

Vicky14174 · April 2011

here is something that might help you:

High Energy Foods

Here is a handy list of high energy foods which you could attempt to integrate into your daily diet. A high energy food can supply your body with additional energy needed to get through the day.

Vegetables
The list of vegetables which supply your body with high amounts of energy is exhaustive.
The main foods in the vegetable area which provide high amounts of energy are; sprouts, broccoli, asparagus and spinach.

Nuts
Some nuts are a great energy source and are often very suited to a quick snack. Almonds, peanuts and soy nuts are perfect for this example.

Yogurt
Yogurt is full of vitamin-B, and this vitamin helps your body convert other nutrients into energy. You should not eat excessive amounts of yogurt due to the fat content. You could eat a nut yogurt to mix the yogurt and nut energy foods into one snack.

Eggs
Eggs are a great source of energy, and this food will supply a high amount of protein throughout the working day. Some experts advise not to eat more than three eggs a week, so try to mix your weeks food plan up with other high energy foods.

Orange & Other Fruit Juice
Vitamin C can help to reduce levels of fatigue, which will keep you going all day long. As with many other vitamins, too much vitamin C can be bad for your body, so drink these juices in moderation.
Citrus fruits are also very good in providing vitamin C, a great example of this is the main ingredient in the fairly new lemon detox diet.

Beans & Lentils
Beans and lentils are a great source of potassium and carbohydrates. Kidney beans, lentils, baked beans and many others provide a great source of energy for your body.

Seeds
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are also a great source of energy for your body. These are great as a stand-alone snack, and also combined with other ingredients in nut bars.

DaniiDean · April 2011

Thank you so much. I really want to do this. I want to be as natural as possible

JatieKo621 · April 2011

I tried a raw diet that was supposed to last 21 days....mine lasted 5. It was very tough for me and I did not plan enough. I didn't ease into it either, I jumped right in and it was a total shock. I wanted something to "jumpstart" healthier eating but it was way too strict for me.

First off: I am neither vegan nor vegetarian, so it may be easier if you are already used to no dairy/meat/animal products.

It takes a LOT of time and was pretty expensive for me. I work in a restaurant, so it was pretty difficult to be around food all day and feel like I couldn't touch any of it. I found myself absolutely craving warm food, I don't have a dehydrator so everything I ate was cold. My body started going through detox and that is when I quit. I had severe headaches and I am sure if I stuck to it then I would really appreciate the detoxifying effects, but I was not ready.

I did, however, come up with a few tasty dishes. The one thing I enjoyed most was a gazpacho made by blending fresh basil, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and raw tahini (which is ground sesame seeds) and some water into a soup. It was delicious and I plan on making it again. I also made a mango/avocado salad with red bell pepper, diced mangos, diced avocados, diced broccoli, and fresh sprouts on top. I blended mango with a bit of jalepeno and water as a dressing and really enjoyed it.

I hope you are able to stick with it longer than I did. I plan on trying again when I have planned more and have a bit more time, all of the chopping, washing, and juicing really was time consuming and did not fit into my schedule therefore there were times I barely ate anything except clementines and carrots.

The thing that made me quit the most was that no matter how much I ate, I was never going over 900 calories and as a very active person, it was way too restrictive. I felt faint and lightheaded while I worked which was difficult. Being a server means constant walking/standing for hours on end, therefore I didn't feel like it was healthy for me to only take in 900 calories when I was burning at least 200 at work.

I hope you do better than I did! I love the idea of it-it seems that our bodies are MADE to eat only natural, raw ingredients but I was not ready or prepared to do it at this time. If you have any other questions let me know, I would love to help with anything that I can!

joleciamichelle · April 2011

I stumbled upon this while taking a 5 minute break from writing a paper so I can't really write a thorough response to this now but if you message me I can write you one later tonight because I did raw with a friend for two months at the beginning of the year. I learned a lot about the good/bad and would love to share. Sorry I have no time right now.

DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo · April 2011

so the raw food thing almost killed me..

preface, i LOVE VEGGIES!! but apparently raw ones don't like me.... I can eat broccoli all night if it is steamed..yet raw gave me indigestion so bad I thought I was having a heart attack...

tried it with other veggies, same result....ended up in the E.R. from the pain... I have bo GI issues ( IBS, etc)

I am scared to try it again.....but raw is supposed to be so much better for you..

Suggestions?

Pande · April 2011

Hi!
I'm a Vegan [only one in my entire family]. I was Pescatariarian for 6 or 7 years. I went Vegetarian for a year. Then Vegan the last 2 years. Sadly I'm a junkfood vegan. I eat too many carbs like breads and chips.

If you have a job, you can grocery shop for the special things you need while your family buys the rest of what you'd normally get [like pasta, fruits, veggies, cereal] The only different things you'd buy are soymilk, meat alternatives, dairy alternatives [such as earth balance butter or Daiya cheese to help you get over your Dairy addiction quicker]. http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/accidentally-vegan.aspx <-- I site with sections of goods that are accidentally vegan. But you can live without meat and dairy alternatives buy just eating fruits and veggies and grains. Make pasta with just sauce and noodles. Make a veggie sandwhich. Make salads. Make wraps. Make bean and rice burritos.

But anyway those are my tips on being a vegan. It was a hard start for me. My dad really REALLY disliked me changing to a vegan and would often fight with me and pick on me. But after a while he grew to accept that this who I really was and I wasn't going to change.

I am not an expert on health and diet [trust me if I were I'd be thin and radiant]..

But raw foodism is usually vegan to the extremity of not eating anything cooked. Yes it is very good for you and yes any extra weight you have will fall off in a matter of weeks. But from what I've seen it is easier for people to get deficiencies. Raw Food vitamins are EXPENSIVE. Try $30-50 for a one month supply.

Deffiencies to worry about are:
-Vitamin B12
-Vitamin D
-Must take lots of probiotic in order to digest properly.
Those are just the few I know of from the top of my head.

Not to mention organic raw Nuts, Fruit and Veggies are expensive, you'd have to buy lots and lots to fill you up and you'd need a variety.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but if your family does shopping and can't buy you vegan food, I don't think they'll buy 3-5 meals x 7 days a week worth of Raw Food.

But even after all this, if you still wanna go for it: Beware, the first week is the hardest. Your body will be doing a LOT of detoxing. So you will be digesting often and you will have massive headaches.

I feel like only richer people can afford to buy healthy.

BUT HERE IS WHAT I THINK YOU SHOULD DO:
Instead of having a 100% raw diet, how about you have a 51% raw diet to start things out. Having 51% raw diet is very very healthy and it will make a difference.

-Drink 8 oz od water before breakfast.
-Eat some granola for break fast with some yogurt [i eat wholesoy yogurt as a Vegan] Also eat a piece of fruit, such as a banana. Maybe drink some OJ while you are at it.
-Eat a salad for lunch
-Snack on some carrot sticks or apple slices.
-For dinner maybe eat a veggie burger with lettuce and tomatoes on the bun.
-Maybe another snack would be some strawberries

The only non-raw items in that day are: granola, yogurt, Veggie burger, Bun
While the raw items you had were: Fruit for breakfast, Salad, Carrots/apples, Lettuce, Tomato slice, Strawberries.

If you have your heart set on going Raw, go for it, just make sure you educate yourself on the diet as much as possible. Maybe people don't educate themselves and end up sick. If you do go raw, don't go raw at once, gradually go raw. It will make the detox symptoms more bearable.

I really hope I didn't discourage you, I just dont want you to jump into this headfirst without knowing a little of the downsides of the diet.

Raw foodies?

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