Newbie with a raw question

[wisslewj]

Hello and glad to meet ya all,

This is my first post! :)

My wife and I are new to the raw food eating an though I have done my research and such and know a bit about food combining etc, I was wondering if there are any suggestions that anyone can offer? Are there things I should watch out for or be aware of?

Specifically I have a few questions as well:

Does one need to cook beans? I have read that uncooked beans (not sprouts) can be toxic?

I am pretty thin and wanna gain a little bit of weight. Thus I was wondering what some good high calorie foods would be? Thus far I am thinking bannanas, coconuts and nuts/fats. Are there any very specific and easy to grab things that one could reccomend?

Do we need to worry aboit bacteria when sprouting/soaking?

Finally, are there ceratin foods taht we should be getting daily...or better...what makes a balanced regular diet? Perhaps a sample one would allow me to get some idea?

Thanks so much in advance in helping us make this transition. :)
Jeff

[JinxieKat]

Oo lots of questions, let me take a stab at them.

1) Beans, yes most beans are toxic unless cooked. So you just stay away from them. The ones that you can eat are Garbonzo, mung, and adzuki as long as you sprout them. You can also sprout green peas, quite tastey!

2) High calorie foods would be the ones you listed plus avacado's and dried fruit. I say dried fruit no so much because they are high calorie, but they are calorie dense, you can eat more without feeling full. But be careful and drink lots of water when doing dried stuff. Nut and seed pate's are also another good high calorie addition.

3) Sprouting, my favorite thing. I don't worry about bacteria, mold is your more common worry. Of course it all does depend on your water, your sprouts will only be as good as your water. To keep down mold don't grow your tails too long and rinse often and make sure you have optimal air flow for your climate. A dryer area doesn't need as much as a humid area does. I know of some folks that use GSE for bacteria control. I have no idea if that works or not, but you could research it to find out.

4) At first just eat, don't worry too much about food combining and such. Just let your body get used to eating raw. If you are like most you will eat, eat, eat, and eat some more. That's ok, it does taper down within the first month. Then start listening to your body, your cravings will tell you what you need. It really does happen! For the first time in my life I am craving good for me foods. It's been an amazing experience!

Jinx