Mostly raw plant based lifestyle

Fitnessflexibility · December 2017

Anyone here eat a mostly raw food plant based (little to no process foods) diet?

I'm interested to hear thoughts.

I love juicing and have found so many health benefits plus I just feel better over all when I juice. I feel our bodies do good with fresh living foods.

Rocbola · December 2017

Currently, i eat a whole foods, plant based diet, with plenty of starch, raw fruit and greens. It's the best way to eat that i have tried and my body thanks me every day.

Every year of my life up until i was 31, my health deteriorated a little bit. I just considered it to be aging, something natural that i couldn't do anything about. At 31, i decided to go whole foods plant based. Every year since then, my health has improved!

What i find a bit disheartening about this site is that you got voted woo for simply asking a question and stating your personal experience. So many are resistant to this way of eating without ever giving it a try. If they only knew how good you can feel!

deannalfisher · December 2017

woo can mean - woo for that makes no sense, but also woo - as in that's awesome woo

Unknown · December 2017

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MossiO · December 2017

deannalfisher wrote: »

woo can mean - woo for that makes no sense, but also woo - as in that's awesome woo

It looks like with the icon change, it means the former more clearly than before.

I eat raw food, but also cooked. I like variety.

lemurcat12 · December 2017

Juicing is processing -- you are removing the fiber.

I mostly base my diet on whole foods (although prepared in some way) and largely plant-based, but prefer to consume a mix of raw and cooked, since I think both are beneficial (some nutrients are more available from cooked foods). I also tend to get a lot of my plant-based protein from foods like lentils and beans of various sorts, which I tend to prefer cooked, and also consume tofu and tempeh (and a variety of cooked grains, like oats and rice, as well as potatoes and sweet potatoes, which I would not enjoy raw).

One thing to keep in mind, depending on where you live, is that fresh whole fruits and veg may be available in quite limited quantities in nature (or unless you dry them or freeze them or import them very long distances). That may not matter to you, but I tend to find myself eating kind of seasonally and so less (not no, I still have lots of salads) fresh and raw produce in the winter.

I think juice can be tasty and is great for people who enjoy it, but I don't consume it very often since I think the fiber is part of the benefit of the vegetables and fruit and tend to be more satisfied consuming it whole (although I'm currently obsessed with smoothies that involve avocado, lots of spinach or kale, winter squash (which I roast and chill), homemade cashew milk, and some berries. I usually add pea-based protein powder. For me that is very satisfying and keeps me from wanting food until lunch, which juice alone would not. But people are different. Some find drinking calories even in smoothies doesn't work for them (I usually go off smoothies in the winter but weirdly have not yet, even though it's been super cold.) (And yes, I admit that the avocado in my smoothie is not remotely local and I usually use frozen greens and berries.)

MelanieCN77 · December 2017

There's a sliding scale of woo response you'll get, from begrudged tolerance of diets that chop a macro all the way down to wooing of a raw vegan diet and juicing.

I would be curious how, Robcola, you measured/interpreted your decline and incline health-wise. What factors do you consider health markers that your diet helped?

Doing extreme things to one's diet is often filling a psychological need rather than a bodily healthy one, and is to do with a sense of control more often than it is with true nutritional health.

AmandaDanceMore · December 2017

I always have two big questions regarding people on raw, plant based diets (up until recently, I thought that was what raw meant, but I met someone recently who eats raw meat, as well....and not just nice raw steaks....the odds and ends, as well. Ewwww). The first is two parts: where do you live, and, if not in a tropical paradise with an abundance of fresh, local, year round produce, how do you sustain this type of diet when the fresh and local pickings are slim?

Second question is, again, if you don't live in a tropical paradise, aren't you always freezing in the winter?! This may be more my psychological hang up with food, but I take a lot of comfort in the winter from nice, warm, hearty food. The idea of exisisting on juices and mediocre, shipped in produce just makes me cold! It's snowing right now, and while I'll probably still make my typical smoothie for breakfast, I would prefer pancakes or vegan French toast to go along with this weather.

I'm not sure I believe all the hype that goes along with eating raw. I do think part of the reason we evolved like we did is because we learned how to cook. And while lots of fresh fruits and veggies is probably best for most humans, I think we're granted a lot more diversity with our diet because we're able to cook stuff that would otherwise be unpalatable or down right dangerous raw. And, personally, while I do feel it is important to fuel our body most of the time with quality, healthy food, I still occasionally want a freaking cookie or piece of cake! Balance and moderation. The keys of life!

Unknown · December 2017

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AmandaDanceMore · December 2017

moosmum1972 wrote: »

AmandaDanceMore wrote: »

I always have two big questions regarding people on raw, plant based diets (up until recently, I thought that was what raw meant, but I met someone recently who eats raw meat, as well....and not just nice raw steaks....the odds and ends, as well. Ewwww). The first is two parts: where do you live, and, if not in a tropical paradise with an abundance of fresh, local, year round produce, how do you sustain this type of diet when the fresh and local pickings are slim?

Second question is, again, if you don't live in a tropical paradise, aren't you always freezing in the winter?! This may be more my psychological hang up with food, but I take a lot of comfort in the winter from nice, warm, hearty food. The idea of exisisting on juices and mediocre, shipped in produce just makes me cold! It's snowing right now, and while I'll probably still make my typical smoothie for breakfast, I would prefer pancakes or vegan French toast to go along with this weather.

I'm not sure I believe all the hype that goes along with eating raw. I do think part of the reason we evolved like we did is because we learned how to cook. And while lots of fresh fruits and veggies is probably best for most humans, I think we're granted a lot more diversity with our diet because we're able to cook stuff that would otherwise be unpalatable or down right dangerous raw. And, personally, while I do feel it is important to fuel our body most of the time with quality, healthy food, I still occasionally want a freaking cookie or piece of cake! Balance and moderation. The keys of life!

My vegan friend eats raw "to save the planet" and yet 99% of her raw food has been flown 1000's of miles is always wrapped in plastic ....

I do believe reducing your meat and dairy consumption helps the environment. I definitely don't believe eating raw helps, unless you live somewhere produce is grown in abundance locally year round (Hawaii seems to be a popular spot for raw vegans).

lemurcat12 · December 2017

AmandaDanceMore wrote: »

I always have two big questions regarding people on raw, plant based diets (up until recently, I thought that was what raw meant, but I met someone recently who eats raw meat, as well....and not just nice raw steaks....the odds and ends, as well. Ewwww). The first is two parts: where do you live, and, if not in a tropical paradise with an abundance of fresh, local, year round produce, how do you sustain this type of diet when the fresh and local pickings are slim?

Second question is, again, if you don't live in a tropical paradise, aren't you always freezing in the winter?! This may be more my psychological hang up with food, but I take a lot of comfort in the winter from nice, warm, hearty food. The idea of exisisting on juices and mediocre, shipped in produce just makes me cold! It's snowing right now, and while I'll probably still make my typical smoothie for breakfast, I would prefer pancakes or vegan French toast to go along with this weather.

I'm not sure I believe all the hype that goes along with eating raw. I do think part of the reason we evolved like we did is because we learned how to cook. And while lots of fresh fruits and veggies is probably best for most humans, I think we're granted a lot more diversity with our diet because we're able to cook stuff that would otherwise be unpalatable or down right dangerous raw. And, personally, while I do feel it is important to fuel our body most of the time with quality, healthy food, I still occasionally want a freaking cookie or piece of cake! Balance and moderation. The keys of life!

The questions you ask about winter is something I was hinting at too, and one thing I always wonder at, so I'm also interested in the answer.

Fitnessflexibility · December 2017

I am from Hawaii, I just moved to the mainland and I can find fruits and vegetables just fine.
I guess I should ask a different way, I mean to ask about eating raw/fresh foods that have not been packaged and have tons of salt,sugar,fat, and artificial ingredients.
That's what I'm staying away from. I make oats,lentils,beans and all that. I'm just am taking out canned and pre made boxed food. I have been vegetarian for many years because I don't like meat, and I just went vegan 2 years ago because I found out how bad milk and eggs are for you.
I've lost weight and I feel great so it works for me.

MichelleSilverleaf · December 2017

Milk and eggs are only bad for you if you have an allergy or intolerance. In which case you shouldn't be eating them anyway. All that milk/eggs is bad for you nonsense is, well just that - nonsense.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld · December 2017

Eggs and milk are good for me.

Cheap ways to hit my protein goals.

lemurcat12 · December 2017

Fitnessflexibility wrote: »

I am from Hawaii, I just moved to the mainland and I can find fruits and vegetables just fine.

I'm in Chicago and I can find fruit and veg just fine too, but I look around me and know that the only way stores have "fresh" fruits and veg is because they bring them in from far away. I consume them anyway, of course, but also during this time of year lots of frozen fruit and veg (and my favorite green market is still running, but the selection is pretty sparse and focused on dried and canned foods, eggs and meat and dairy, and grains, plus some root veg/apples that store well).

Oddly enough, this is the time of year I tend to consume more of certain tropical fruits that never grow anywhere locally (bananas, clementines, pineapple, to some extent avocados, although I eat them in the summer too). Where foods are available locally (based on season), I tend to get those, and bananas or pineapple gets pushed aside.

Probably not relevant, just something that struck me as funny. Anyway, Hawaii is very different in terms of seasons than the areas surrounding Chicago, of course, and perhaps you are now in Southern Cal or some such so this all will be different for you and you won't have the urge the other poster spoke of to eat more hot food. (I just want raw veg more in the summer when I could eat salads 2 times a day sometimes. In the winter I want different foods.)

I guess I should ask a different way, I mean to ask about eating raw/fresh foods that have not been packaged and have tons of salt,sugar,fat, and artificial ingredients.

Ah, this is not at all what you conveyed. Normally raw means "not cooked" and there are people who try to eat all raw, and although there are ways to do grains and legumes that way, I've never tried but generally cook them.

Foods can be packaged (as with frozen berries and greens and peas or bags of grains or even many canned beans) without having lots of added ingredients, of course.

shaumom · January 2018

First - glad you found a diet that is working so well for you!

My main thoughts on the matter are that everyone is going to have the optimal diet for them, and that they can be quite different from each other. So I think it's great to hear about what everyone is eating, and what works for them, because it can be helpful to give folks ideas about what to try if their diet isn't working.

But I think it's important to remember that we can be so different from each other, you know? I know folks who were vegetarian (on a good, healthy, vegetarian diet) but were sick and didn't start getting better until they added in meat and/or animal products.

I know meat eaters (again, on a healthy diet, lots of veggies and stuff) who were also sick and didn't start getting better until they went vegan.

I know folks who weren't healthy until they dropped all grains, or had less protein, or until they added in lots more veggies, or fruits, or fermented foods, etc...

Seems to me we are all different, so congratulations to you again on finding a diet that makes you feel awesome.

UltraVegAthlete · January 2018

I’m High Raw Vegan. The only think I don’t eat are nuts, seeds, potatoes, and rice.
In the winter I eat a lot of steamed vegetables in the evening, because I get super cold even with layers on.

Mostly raw plant based lifestyle

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