What is a good balance of Raw Foods?

[NoGMO!]

:rolleyes: there is probably no one "right" answer... but what are some of your ideas about the "raw food pyramid" - how much??? fruit - vegetable - bread / nuts/ seeds/ oils - sweet fruit - fresh foods - frozen - dehydrated foods - water ... constitutes a pretty good balance???
one can sometimes get in the habit of eating too much of the same types of food and get out of balance.
anybody care to share some guidelines - or should one just jugde by how they look and feel?

[rawpriestess]

Well, I think the best rule of thumb, is to eat whatever you want, when ever you want, and don't eat because it's a certain time or you think you should eat so many times a day.

I just eat when I feel hungry.

I know there is an 8-1-1 system, and many people think that you shouldn't eat too many nuts or avocados or oils, but personally I think that limiting yourself is just that, limiting yourself.

[Ariella]

personally I had done really well on the 8/1/1rv (80% carbs, 10% fat, 10% protein) I found I was out of balance on raw prior to adapting to that. I have changed it a bit since I am pregnant but am still trying to be close.

That may not be for everybody, but I know it works :)

Ariella

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[Amethyst_Rain]

I think that a lot of rawfoodist eat way too much fat, ie. nuts, seeds, oils, avocados...one avocado a day is more than enough fat for the whole day for example...but many rawfoodists eat way more than that...eating too many fats hinders digestion and doesnt let your body assimilate properly...that's why all those yummy RF recipes should only be eaten once in a while...I believe in the eat whatever you want theory only as a transition, but once you're at least 80% raw, I think you should use your head and really think about it...I personally think that eating some steamed veggies or a baked potato is way better for you than eating one of those crazy raw recipes that has sometimes the equivalent of 1 whole cup of oil or more, badly combined with other things just to simulate something that isn't raw...raw doesn't always equal good for you...think about it

[Wendy]

Yeah, tonight I tried the fettucine alfredo (I did 1/2 c. macadamia, cashew, and pine nuts) and it was very fatty tasting. I couldn't eat it.

I'd rather not make overly nutty things.

[VeganVixen]

I think that a lot of rawfoodist eat way too much fat, ie. nuts, seeds, oils, avocados...one avocado a day is more than enough fat for the whole day for example...but many rawfoodists eat way more than that...eating too many fats hinders digestion and doesnt let your body assimilate properly...that's why all those yummy RF recipes should only be eaten once in a while...I believe in the eat whatever you want theory only as a transition, but once you're at least 80% raw, I think you should use your head and really think about it...I personally think that eating some steamed veggies or a baked potato is way better for you than eating one of those crazy raw recipes that has sometimes the equivalent of 1 whole cup of oil or more, badly combined with other things just to simulate something that isn't raw...raw doesn't always equal good for you...think about it

could NOT agree more!

[NoGMO!]

thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and knowledge on the subject... ;)

[RawTruth]

I don't find that "most" raw foodists eat too much fats. The long time raw foodists that I've gotten to know at potlucks, talks, seminars, and those I've read about (in Paul Nisan's interviews, for instance) definitely do not. The most well known ones (Boutenkos, Alissa, Wolf, Storm, Graham, Rhio, etc.) do not eat that way either.

I think that, because the cookbooks (well, UNcookbooks, actually) have the raw gourmet recipes and the raw restaurants also often serve that type of fare and many potlucks are comprised of them, it's easy to assume that eating that way is the norm for "raw foodists." In fact, that is not true. The meals on these occasions are the exception, not the rule.

The books are for the period when someone first starts eating raw and those type of prepared meals feel more familiar. (When I say transition, I don't mean still eating cooked food at the same time; I mean the period of time between eating cooked and eating simple mono-meals.) Alissa clearly states in her book that when one goes 100% raw, the "gourmet" recipes are for those beginning months. After that, if you stay 100% raw, you will naturally start eating more simply. Her own recitation of her (was it 15 days?) eating shows just how she doesn't eat fat-laden meals. Many of the testimonials in her book also mention show that to be true.

I have been totally raw for 4 months now. I went cold turkey. I didn't and still don't eat according to some "raw pyramid." In fact, I totally reject that concept since the food group pyramid was created/pushed by the meat and dairy industry. Our belief that we need to eat according to the pyramid and to count calories and fat arises from the havoc caused by SAD foods, the "food" industry lobby, the medical profession (which wouldn't exist as we know it if everyone started eating raw -- think about it), and how far removed we are from being in touch with our own bodies and what they tell us.

It might help you to read some of Victoria Boutenko's books ... or other long-term raw folk ... I posted in another thread a long quote from a recent newsletter of hers where she recounts how her children, when allowed to eat exactly what they wanted, ended up healing the imbalances in their bodies. If she'd tried to control how much sweet fruit or nuts or whatever they ate, they wouldn't have gotten in touch with what their bodies were telling them ... and the healing wouldn't have happened.

One of the beautiful things about eating this way is that you don't have to worry about any of those things anymore. (Of course -- if someone is eating for reasons other than physical -- meaning eating from boredom or to fill emotional needs or stuff like that -- of course they can "overdo" on anything -- nuts, avos, strawberries, whatever. But ... it's not like overeating on chocolate cake or steak. The fat in raw foods doesn't have cholesterol, the sugar isn't processed.) You are free to eat what you want. This is such a foreign concept to us that it's natural to doubt it and still feel like we have to control and measure!

Also, I don't see that eating any cooked food is better than any raw food, even if the raw food is fat-heavy. If the person has been raw for long enough to get rid of the mucous "lining" in their digestive system and the toxins in their body, the cooked food is going to stir up a storm since their body is not longer protected (I hate using that word because it makes it seem like a good thing!) against the toxicity. And, if they haven't been raw for very long, it's going to interfere with their body detoxifying. The goal is to ingest live foods, right? Foods that are enzyme rich. Avocados and sprouted nuts fit the bill. Steamed veggies and baked potato don't.

If you disagree with me, that's okay. I mean to discuss, not offend, so ... if I've inadvertantly come across too sharply, please understand that's not been my intent.

[VeganVixen]

"the medical profession (which wouldn't exist as we know it if everyone started eating raw -- think about it"

I HAVE to disagree, there ARE congenital problems , freak accidents, reperccusions from those accidents ,germs,..........

Im sorry but a celery stick wont save you in a car wreck!

[RawTruth]

Duh! Silly! That's why I wrote "... as we know it ..." I was not suggesting that there should be no doctors -- as Alissa put it in her book, if she cut off her hand while chopping some raw veggies, she'd want a doctor to sew it back on!! But, the majority of the "diseases" are caused by the way we eat which has allowed the medical system "as we know it" to become what it is.

[VeganVixen]

O.K. I get ya ;) I have been sleep deprived and studying HARD~lol~Im not all here,I just get a bit touchy around the "anti-medical" stances that SOME raw foodist have ,I know an otherwise good raw interview where the interviewee said "doctors are idiots ,they know less than nothing ,they know less than nothing ,there is no such thing as disease -its made up!"

That part of the interview made me a bit mad ,Im wanting to be a doctor ,doctors have saved my life and I KNOW they are smart people - some just get WAY TOO cocky to use their skills!

Been touchy eversince!

[VeganVixen]

a celery stick wont save you in a car wreck!

ha ! just thought of something , "I need a celery stick NOW ,were losing him -and 10 c.c. 's of carrot juice YESTERDAY PEOPLE!"

[Sharon in Colorado]

:rolleyes: there is probably no one "right" answer... but what are some of your ideas about the "raw food pyramid" - how much??? fruit - vegetable - bread / nuts/ seeds/ oils - sweet fruit - fresh foods - frozen - dehydrated foods - water ... constitutes a pretty good balance???
one can sometimes get in the habit of eating too much of the same types of food and get out of balance.
anybody care to share some guidelines - or should one just jugde by how they look and feel?

Back to the original question. I went to a lecture where he talked about, in nature, we would eat one kind of food until full. He did use a bear as an example. He said a bear wouldn't go grab a fish out of the pond, then run across the meadow and grab some berries, then run to a nearby farm and grab some romaine and tomatoes and make a trout-berry-tomato-sandwich.

I think there is a lot of misinformation about nutrients being "needed" by accessing more than one type of food to eat at a time. I think our bodies are balanced on a healthy diet and it isn't particularly necessary to mix up our foods to eat, as much as we do it. We can go on eating watermelons for a week without worrying about defiencies. Of course, most of us are 'used' to eating this way and aren't completely comfortable eating a head of celery for a snack, or 6 oranges for lunch. It is better to just focus on eating as naturally as possible until your taste buds acclimate & enjoy a particular food on its own. This may take a while, and I'm still having to learn it.

It might be helpful to limit combinations, like using no more than 2-3 additions to a lettuce salad, etc. Keeping dressing simple (1 fat to 1 acid). Using 2-3 fruits in combination. This will also help to allow you to enjoy simpler foods as well, and not feel as much of a need for seasonings.

About the need for water. The 8 glass a day rule is based on a cooked diet. The more water rich foods (fruits, veggies) one eats, the less need for water. Of course, the more dense, dehydrated and fatty foods, the more water you'll need. And more water generally needed when more active/hot.

Hope that helps.

[Revvell]

I don't find that "most" raw foodists eat too much fats. The long time raw foodists that I've gotten to know at potlucks, talks, seminars, and those I've read about (in Paul Nisan's interviews, for instance) definitely do not. The most well known ones (Boutenkos, Alissa, Wolf, Storm, Graham, Rhio, etc.) do not eat that way either........"



Dittoooo.....

This is what I've found through personal experience. One usually does the "excess" fat; nuts, seeds, avocado stuff during transition. After it has cleansed itself from all the gunk, the body will crave more nutrients in the say of more fruits and veggies. I keep raw crackers around yet, rarely eat them. I hardly ever make anything such as a raw pie, or any gourmet dish unless I'm teaching orrrrrr I'm having some cooked food guests over (vegetarian) because I know they'll need it in order to satisfy their desires.

Revvell