raw...light?

[rawyogi80]

I noticed, that raw foods tend to be dense and heavy, with a liberal use of nuts and seeds. As someone trying to shed those last 10 lbs...any advice on eating raw, yet light? Also, Tofu and legumes which are cooked, why do you abstain from these protein sources? And what are some alt. protein sources (no nuts)?

[Rawkinlocs]

If referring to recipes, you can always cut back on the amount of nuts/seeds used and sub with something else like sprouted buckwheat, carrots (depending) or just more veggies in general. It just depensds on what you're making/eating. There are also recipes that don't call for nuts at all or if they do, not too much.

As for protein, please see this article: http://rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3708 Also keep in mind that your fruits and veggies DO contain protein in minute amounts...BUT, it's assimilable protein. But making sure to get your greens for the amino acids that aid our body in creating protein is key too!

Some raw fooders DO use legumes that are soaked and sprouted such as lentils and chickpeas, etc. Tofu is a processed soy-based product that (as you said) isn't raw and since we're raw fooders...

Also, there is much controversy about soy that you might wish to investigate via internet search. So, many avoid soy due to health challenges that soy would only aggravate more or just simply do not wish to consume it in any form, raw or cooked.

[Pierre]

I think you're thinking of recipes for nut milk, nut bread, and the like. Try fruit smoothies or green smoothies (fruit smoothies with greens added) instead. My breakfast is usually a fifth of pineapple with some frozen fruit added, or the like. Also salads.

Avocados are a good source of protein. I found (and still find) that avocados and olives helped me lose a lot of weight. One a day is about right for me.

Don't try to lose weight. Try to build health. The weight will disappear when your body is ready. :)

[rawyogi80]

Thanks for your replies so far...looks like I'll have to look into learning how to sprout. Do they sell pre-sprouted legumes? And how do you eat these? I've been on the fence about cutting out tofu, since I've grown up with it and it's so heavily present in vegetarian/vegan fare, but I'm definately trying to cut out all processed foods. Also, any advice on the caution that eating raw foods exclusively is harder on digestion, and that nutrients in some foods are not as bioavailable if not cooked?

[Rawkinlocs]

Sprouting isn't hard...especially if you just sprout enough to grow a tail and not trying to do full-fledge sprout/sprouts. It's just a matter of rinsing/soaking overnight/rinsing and draining/and letting sit out and rinsing twice daily (upon arising and before going to bed) until a tail begins to form. Then you can eat them as/is, sprinkled in salads, make a dressing and just have a sprout salad or use them in recipes.

I've heard some say that raw foods are harder on the digestion...I'm thinking this is in referrence to certain veggies such as tough greens or root veggies. Many eat these foods with no problems but I think it's when one has pre-existing digestive issues that they face issues when eating certain raw veggies. But there are even ways around that such as marinating or marinating and dehydrating just until the veggies are a little softer/more tender, as for greens they can be massaged with sea salt and/or olive oil to kinda wilt the leaves or they can be blended into green smoothies. Veggies can be processed into pate's or raw soups to ease digestion.

But fruit is one of the easiest foods to digest and digests the quickest.

As for certain veggies yielding more nutrition when cooked...the main thing I've heard of in this case is tomatoes but I've not really researched it. I just feel that cooking destroys nutrients and if something HAS to be cooked in order to "release the nutrients" then perhaps it's not truly fit for us to eat. But I can't see tomatoes "truly" needing to be cooked - I mean cooked tomatoes are so unappetizing (at least in my opinion they are) but a bright, red, juicy, RAW tomato is!

[Pierre]

Raw foods contain the enzymes used to make them; these same enzymes, when not connected to the organism they were a part of, break them down. Heat destroys the enzymes.

I suspect that the studies showing that raw foods are harder to digest were done on coctivores. After being a crudivore for some time, your digestion changes. I used to see tatters of lettuce in the toilet. Then one day I splatted some trash, and since then I see no more tatters, though I still eat a lot of lettuce.

[luckitri]

Oh dang Pierre! You just gave me some more words I have to go look up! Soy was the new manna from heaven with so many wonderful health properties and now it is being demonized with so many dangerous health properties. There are sites that explain the positions and then you can decide....even on this site if you use the banana you will find much on old threads.

[RawTruth]

Perhaps it is raw restaurant food that you are finding heavy and dense. Or ... maybe the "transition" foods that many raw people eat when they first go raw.

You needn't eat anything that feels heavy to you. Some recipes felt like a rock in my stomach when I first started, so I just didn't eat them anymore.

You don't need legumes -- even sprouted. The old mindset of getting protein from beans and soy products can be discarded. You'll be much lighter without that erroneous information!

Your body is a protein-making machine. You just need to give it amino acids -- which are in greens (lots of different kinds) and veggies. Your body then turns those into protein.

I, too, ate lots and lots of soy products, especially tofu since I was a vegetarian for over 20 years before going raw. All soy products are cooked!!! Also, there is tons of research showing that eating soy is NOT good for our bodies. We have been brainwashed by the corporations that sell soy -- and they have funded medical research that doctors and nutritionists now spout -- to believe that it is an optimal source of protein and is especially good for women. It is NOT. If you have the time and inclination, read The China Study. If you don't have the time or interest, just read a summary of it ... it will prove this to you.

Many of your basic questions are answered in Alissa's book. If you don't already have it, it would be a really good investment. If you don't want to wait for online ordering, I have copies available and I'm in the area. Also, her DVDs.

Good luck in exploring the raw path -- its' the best!

[rawyogi80]

Rawtruth, Thank you for your informative reply!
I'm going to check out the China study since I've already seen it mentioned several times on this board. When I mentioned going raw to my parents they were worried that if I cut out tofu and beans it would leave me deficient in protein. To quote them they said, 'but your hair will fall out!' But I'm definately going through a transition period, I still crave things that are 'dried and breadlike'. Another Q, for root vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potatoe, etc. aren't these harder to digest w/o steaming? Or do you generally abstain from starchy veggies?

[RawTruth]

Another Q, for root vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potatoe, etc. aren't these harder to digest w/o steaming? Or do you generally abstain from starchy veggies?Rarely eat these things. Eat mostly fruits (sweet and not sweet - tomatoes, cucumbers, avos are all fruits), lots of leafy green things, some other veggies, too, a few nuts and seeds. BUT this is NOT how I ate when I first started raw. When I began raw, I followed Alissa's book and suggestions in addition to other books, ate raw restaurant food (still do, but what I eat out has changed drastically) and prepared and ate lots of dehydrated things, too.

See paragraphs 4 and 6 in my previous reply.

Best of luck.

[alex]

The last thing to worry about is protein!!

All living things contain protein!

Better to worry about minerals and enzymes.

It is almost impossible to eat an adequately caloried diet and be protein deficient. It is a myth originated by the meat industry.

The real danger is too much protein (China Study).

Human breast milk is only 5% protein and we never grow more rapidly in our lives than when we are babies.


alex