curious but skeptical

[unbitten]

hello,
my name is candace, and i live in texas. i am recetly married (to a
cheeseburger-lovin' man), work at a chinese restaurant as a cook (and when i
get home im tired and dont want to work in the kitchen anymore!) however, i
am intruiged by the raw food diet, and have been mostly vegetarian for
awhile. ive been slipping on the veg thing lately, though, because i feel
tempted by some meat dishes (i fancy myself a bit of a gastronome) and dont
want to feel deprived all the time. i like the ideas behind raw-foodism,
about getting more nutrients and enzymes, but i have heard from some people
about someone they knew who actually DIED while doing raw food. The thing
ive heard that has deterred me from getting more involved is that raw food
has more nutrients in it, but they arent as absorbable by your body, and
cooking breaks them down so that the ones that are left over are more
bioavailable to you. the guy that supposedly died on this diet basically
starved to death because of this. the other thing that is deterring me from
further exploring the raw food diet is that it seems like a lot of work, and
that i would need to invest in a lot of equipment (dehydrator, juicer, etc.)
despite these deterrents that i see from going 100% raw, i would like to
lose wight and include more raw foods in my diet. so if you could help clear
these things up for me, and make some suggestions on how i could easily and
quickly make delicious raw foods after a hard days work, it would be greatly
appreciated.

[JennaBoBenna]

Hi Candace! Welcom aboard! This place is so informative! You mentioned a person who died from the raw food diet, but do you know how many people world-wide die from a cooked food diet? Raw food is definitely the way to go. Especially if you know what you're doing and how to do it. About the nutrients and breaking them down: this is easily done with blending or juicing. There are so many great things in leafy greens that get broken down when you make juice! I do it almost every day! You can find cheaper appliances(dehydrator, juicer, etc) if you feel you need these things. I use a blender to juice my greens. I make about two cups of orange juice (with a Citristar) and put it in the blender with about a handfull of greens(dandelion, parsley etc) and then blend it up! When it's done, I strain it with cheesecloth and it's a nice smooth juice! Mmmm
Raw food is so easy once you get started! Just grab a piece of fruit and eat it! If you're still hungry, eat another fruit! :) If fruit doesn't quite cut it sometimes, and trust me it doesn't always, esp. during evil cravings, there are simple recipes that can be made to satisfy. There are a lot of recipes floating around here, like spaghetti! Peel up a zucchini and make a marinara sauce and voila! I'm sure so many others on here will have a lot more great advice, so I'll stop here ! :D Good luck on your raw journey!

[Kerilyn]

Welcome! I'm glad to see you're looking into becoming raw. I really didn't know much about the lifestyle before I switched over, but everyday I do a little more research behind it on the banana and in my books...and now I'm on day 16 completely RAW and LOVING it!! The more I read the happier I am that I switch over!! The nice thing about this lifestyle is you really don't need to know anything if you don't care to. There is a TON of science behind it..there are A LOT of different opinions on what/how/when/why you should eat certain foods. Some people think that you should live on only fruit- myself, I think we need the huge benefits and nutrients that the green leafs give us! Anyway- like I said before, if you chose not to get into it too deep right now- don't..just start eating RAW FOOD. That's ANYTHING raw...uncooked veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. They say it is much easier to start this lifestyle with the recipes, smoothies, dehydrator and such because then you don't get that "deprived" feeling of leaving the cooked food world. Eventually after getting use to the idea of not wanting cooked food you start to mono eat. What mono eating is one type/kind of food by itself. Only apples for one meal...then maybe a small very simple salad, then some mangos...and so on..you make it up. Whatever you feel like eating- eat it. That's another thing. When you start off they tell you to eat as much raw food as you want, but then again, when you get use to it- back off and only eat when you are hungry! (you kind of have to teach yourself what "true hunger" is!) Well...I'm gonna head to bed- I hope this helps you a bit and I know that MANY will write in with their suggestions as well. If you are looking to do any research I just finished Alissa's book which is very good for people that are new to this whole idea- also, the books below are the ones that have REALLY inspired my move into RAW!!! Good luck with your decisions. And again, welcome- you'll love it here!! :D

[Revvell]

hello, but i have heard from some people
about someone they knew who actually DIED while doing raw food.

WoW! Some people know ONE person who died who was supposedly eating raw food? I know of millions who have died eating cooked. Now, I can't tell you what exactly they were eating yet, I doubt these people who told you about the ONE person they "might" know of who died while allegedly eating raw food ~ could tell you exactly what he was eating either.

Now, what I can do is name quite a few people, many of them on this board who are not only surviving from eating raw, they are thriving. I know one man who's been raw for 30 years; I know a woman who's been raw for 10. These are 100% raw.



..... so if you could help clear
these things up for me, and make some suggestions on how i could easily and quickly make delicious raw foods after a hard days work, it would be greatly appreciated.

Get Alissa's book and dvd's. She makes it as easy as ya can get.

Revvell

[spicyfull]

Well said Revvell...............

[Sharon in Colorado]

Please do lots of searches about raw food to find out as much info as possible. It is the best way to heal the body of diseases, equalize weight and feel optimal.

Don't let a story about a person dying on raw food scare you or give you an excuse not to take the plunge. Like the others say, millions of people are dying on cooked food diets. Plus there are always circumstances as to why someone doesn't do well on ANY diet. There could be many factors.

There are so many ways to do raw. Alissa's book is excellent of course. If you want to go totally gourmet, Raw Food Real World is a great recipe book, by two chefs. Or you can get very basic, just eat tons of fruit, huge smoothies, giant salads, etc. You can eat one fruit at a time until full or combine them. Try playing around with your food when you aren't working to get some ideas of combinations.

All the best to you!

[misslinda]

Death by eating fresh foods?

:confused: I would have to say that we don't have all this information about why this person died......alot of people come into this lifestyle with serious conditions,chronic conditions,heavily medicated etc and some even maybe on their last leg........it's not the fresh foods that kill people it's their individual circumstance of health. I think there's also a misconception that RAW FOOD DIET is about deprivation which is completley untrue. We eat as much as we'd like......I mean some here eat 20 bananas a day plus other foods. .....but that's besides the point...... ;)

:) I would totally suggest getting Alissa's book where all the information about raw food eating (I hate to use the word diet),testimonies and yummy recipe are packed into one.....the live dvd's give you a visual of how to prepare these tasty recipes.........seems overwhelming but it really is not.

:) I'm curious,,,,,,,How did you hear about raw? How did you find this site? What health goals do you have in mind?


:D There's no where written here that you have to be 100% raw overnite! It's an individual progression. I would encourage you to read thru all of our threads and journals and see what you can and will experience. You are more than welcome to do the October "RAwking October Challenge" a great way to have fun and achieve results with LIVE eating.


Welcome Aboard and Best to you! btw, you can post a journal/pic as well :)

[Faithfullyfit]

Here is my non- scientific reasoning- My common sense perspective!

There are many species of animals domesticated and wild that eat only RAW fruits, seeds, nuts, greens and veggies- Not one of them cooks their meals.... :rolleyes: and they are healthy happy, alive and energetic! Have not seen too many wild animals hobbling around with arthritis and fibromyalgia, hormone imbalance---haha! But, I have seen domesticated dogs,cats with severe pain and disease because----we humans fed them a processed, cooked, fat filled pet food! I would guess that IF even one of the wild animals began to have all of their food cooked, canned and microwaved that it would not survive very long at all! :(

I have also heard this whole balance....yin and yang.....yada-yada stuff! But certainly have never heard of anyone dying! I would think you would experience symptoms of deficiency way before you just keeled over. So, my suggestion is try it but focus on how your body feels- yes, you will certainly have some transition and feel good and not so good at times- but give it 30 days- Unless you have a major health issue? then you owe it to yourself to experience RAW!

Have an amazing day!.............and congratulations on discovering RAW :D

[sport]

I do not think that anyone died simply because they did not cook their food. Is it possible that they were Breatherian. This is a belief that you do not need food at all.
Cooking food is a habit that man only developed in his recent history and we evolved (very nicely too) eating raw food so it must have all that we need.
Our bodies and our digestive systems evolved in response to the food that was available to us at the time. It is highly unlikely (I would say impossible)that we developed bodies that thrived on cooked when all thoes bodies were getting at the time was raw.

[luckitri]

Many people come to the raw diet out of desperation. The person that died could well have had something very wrong with him or her in the disease department. Often we feel poorly but the doctors can find nothing wrong. I suspect the individual who died had something very wrong that was too far gone for raw to fix.

[Revvell]

Love it when someone comes on; posts something like this ~ then disappear. :rolleyes:

[misslinda]

Love it when someone comes on; posts something like this ~ then disappear. :rolleyes:

nagh, that person is locked up in the back room with duck tape over their fingers. :p :D ;)



hee hee, morning humor. ;)

[Revvell]

nagh, that person is locked up in the back room with duck tape over their fingers. :p :D ;)
hee hee, morning humor. ;)

*spews morning juice all over keyboard and 'puter*

Don't do that!!!! :D

[sport]

Love it when someone comes on; posts something like this ~ then disappear. :rolleyes:
This person is listed as having 2 posts but I can not find the other one.

[Revvell]

This person is listed as having 2 posts but I can not find the other one.

Yeah. Noticed that as well.

[misslinda]

* chuckles *


I think we ought to encourage this person to stay SAD.

[Sharon in Colorado]

* chuckles *


I think we ought to encourage this person to stay SAD.

Yes, whatever you do, stay away from raw food. My cousin's husbands sister-in-law's son's pet iguana did this, and boy, was there trouble!

[misslinda]

My cousin's husbands sister-in-law's son's pet iguana did this........


Geeeeeez, I only had to read that like ten times :rolleyes:

:p


ps ya know what fascinates me, Some SAD people (not all) whether they go 50% or to 100% they think fresh fruits and vegetables is some kind of new invention with a hidden way to kill you.......I don't undertand that. I mean, you tell them that their Chinese food has MSG (proven to kill) and they defend it in a NEW YORK MINUTE :rolleyes:

;)

[Sharon in Colorado]

[QUOTE=Sharon in Colorado]My cousin's husbands sister-in-law's son's pet iguana did this........QUOTE]


Geeeeeez, I only had to read that like ten times :rolleyes:

:p


ps ya know what fascinates me, Some SAD people (not all) whether they go 50% or to 100% they think fresh fruits and vegetables is some kind of new invention with a hidden way to kill you.......I don't undertand that. I mean, you tell them that their Chinese food has MSG (proven to kill) and they defend it in a NEW YORK MINUTE :rolleyes:

;)

I know, isn't it weird?

I still can't get over that every article I see about raw food has an ending disclaimer paragraph of sorts that says "be sure to take a mulitvitamin supplement as you may get a nutritional deficiency".

I will never understand how getting much more nutrients in their original structure = nutritional deficiency.

And how we need to cook our food to make 1 single nutrient "useable" while destroying the other 999 (I know I've posted this before but it's worth repeating).

[Forever Young]

Its really amazing that of all the people that die every day they never think that what they eat could be the problem they just keep eating away. There is so much information out there now about the dangers of cooked food all they have to do is open there eyes. But its there life.

[misslinda]

I know, isn't it weird?

I still can't get over that every article I see about raw food has an ending disclaimer paragraph of sorts that says "be sure to take a mulitvitamin supplement as you may get a nutritional deficiency".

I will never understand how getting much more nutrients in their original structure = nutritional deficiency.

And how we need to cook our food to make 1 single nutrient "useable" while destroying the other 999 (I know I've posted this before but it's worth repeating).


....... yeah, let's think about that.....where did that multivitamin come from??? some disgruntled worker who desided to toy with the ingredients and add (BLEEP) to it......

Okay now I'm waking up * yawns * Where's the SARCASM thread :D

[misslinda]

Its really amazing that of all the people that die every day they never think that what they eat could be the problem they just keep eating away. There is so much information out there now about the dangers of cooked food all they have to do is open there eyes. But its there life.


I know (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) One of my buddies has HBP and I suggested he look at what he eats (classic SAD) but he always says "It's STRESS."

I feel like saying "You're sooooooooooo right, continue on with your big mac,baby back ribs and processed crap cuz I want you to be healthy!" :D

[unbitten]

hey, hey, hey now guys.....

sorry i seemed to *dissappear*....i went out of town for a few days. i am working on relocating to fort worth right now.

i'm glad so many of you guys responded to my questions, though, and a lot of what you're saying makes a lot of sense to me. i guess there really is no way to vouch for what this friend of a friend was eating, so its possible that maybe he *only* ate iceberg lettuce and apples, or something like that.

and it makes a lot of sense that humans evolved eating raw foods, and some chronic diseases which people experience now dont seem to have been as much of a problem until recently. (thank you mcdonalds....)

i'm not sure i'm ready to go 100% (plus my husband already said if i stopped cooking food, he'd stop eating it) :( but i guess my goal right now (or in the near future, once all this stressful moving nonsense is out of the way!) is to go about 50%. raw breakfast, cooked for lunch at work (there don't seem to be too many raw options at p.f. chang's anyway), and a raw dinner. so mostly i'll eat raw at home, where i have the ability to work with my own food.

another thing i'm really interested in doing is trying to eat locally, especially from the yummy garden i'm going to start next spring. for one, fossil fuels are tearing up the earth, and most of the food at the grocery store travels an average of 2,500 to 4, 000 miles!! that just shocks me. so they pick stuff really unripe so it doesnt spoil before it travels across the continent, and then it has less nutrients because it was picked prematurely. so, yea. big ol' garden for me, thankyouverymuch.

by the way, are any of y'all in the dfw area? cuz i'd like to have some foodie friends when i get there!!

[misslinda]

hee hee, Unbitten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're so glad you popped in........we get our share of "raw decoys" and relish in it :p

where is DFW?

Best to your raw endeavors..........let the games begin ;)

[sport]

where is DFW?

;)
Hey Linda you are slipping.
I am way over here and I figure it is Dallas Forth Worth. Do not know why but that was what popped in to my head.

[maraw]

Read this - it should settle your misconceptions about raw food and quiet your scepticism.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/773374.html

[unbitten]

correctomundo, sport. dallas/fort worth it is. ;)
never lived there before, but my husband has, and from what i understand it's much better than san antonio. the city of s.a. is currently courting tourism and rich, old retirees. it's a blossoming cesspool of chain restaurants and big box stores. bah humbug. but i digress.....

i guess my next question, then, is what kind of stuff can i make that's easy, and doesn't require a lot of new equipment or time? i guess you could call me a "chef," but cooking all day really takes the passion for cooking out of me, sadly. Ahem...or i guess "working with food" all day takes the passion for working with food out of me....cuz, yea, you guys don't "cook"....teehee. i guess "cooking" isn't an acceptable general term anymore once i start eating like this, huh?

oh, and also i see you guys referring to cooked food as "SAD." what does that stand for??

[sport]

SAD is Standard American Diet

[Revvell]

i guess my next question, then, is what kind of stuff can i make that's easy, and doesn't require a lot of new equipment or time? i guess you could call me a "chef," but cooking all day really takes the passion for cooking out of me, sadly. Ahem...or i guess "working with food" all day takes the passion for working with food out of me....cuz, yea, you guys don't "cook"....teehee. i guess "cooking" isn't an acceptable general term anymore once i start eating like this, huh?


You can make most stuff in two days in about 2 hours. Please pick up Alissa's book and dvd's if you don't already have them. Also, Jennifer Corbleet's book is really great. She explains how and what to make only using a blender and food processor. All recipes done in less than 30 minutes each.

Revvell