Raw Carbohydrate sources?

[Adelina]

Hello!

I am phasing to a raw diet, currently vegetarian and about 80% raw,
but would like to go to 100% raw staple diet.

I feel great during the day on raw food,
but at night, if I have a raw-only dinner,
and vegetables as only source of carbohydrate,
I feel very 'wired' and energetic,
and hard to fall asleep at night (need 9 hours of sleep, sometimes wake feeling unrefreshed).

I feel calmer in the evening and sleep better (7 hours, and wake refreshed)
if I have about 200 to 400 calories of concentrated carbohydrate during the day, including at least 200 to 300 with dinner.
All other variables are constant, including my total daily calorie intake.

A concentrated carbohydrate- like cooked rice or potato, a root vegetable,
that is mood effective (contributes to the serotonin balance of the brain)
(and is not a watery vegetable, or vegetable starches like corn or peas). But right now, I only know of concentrated, mood effective carbohydrates that are cooked.

So- I need to find a source of concentrated carbohydrate, that is RAW source. Does anyone know of one?

I have heard of pearled barley from a raw restaurant here, that could be one option, but I am not sure how to prepare it.
Does anyone have tips on this,
or any other option for a raw concentrated carbohydrate source?



Thanks!!

:)

[KatK]

How about sprouted grains?

[subbacultcha]

Yeah, sprouted grains. If you have a dehydrator you could make recipes with sweet potato or winter squashes in them. You can make good sweet potato/yam crisps (chips).

[lily]

I find that having more fats in the evening helps to ground me; something nut-based, or an avocado, or nice olive oil dressing, really help.

[GypsiAnsara]

Somewhere.... someone is selling sprouted and dehydrated RAW rice from Japan. I saw it a while ago, but can't remember where. I might have it bookmarked on my other computer, and will see if I can find it later.
I want to order some anyways, you soak it and apparently it is just like cooked rice. BUT RAW!
(sorry, I don't know if this is what you are actually looking for)

[shashibala]

Some people also sprout lentils, adzuki beans, garbanzo beans,...
I haven't yet, but it might be something heavier for you to try.

[juliebove]

Fruit contains carbs and some more than others. The highest ones I can think of are bananas, oranges and cherries.

[Adelina]

Thank you for the suggestions!

wow, you can eat sweet potatoes and yams raw?

sprouted rice sounds great!

I wonder if sprouted grains have the same carbohydrate content as cooked grains? Are there any other grains besides barley that can be soaked?


==
fruit might be choice, but I prefer not to eat it (prefer vegetables and no sugars, find my thinking is clearer).
it is also not a 'mood effective' carbohydrate, does not affect serotonin balance as grains or concentrated carbohydrates do.


==

will try some of these,
right now am living abroad, so will do the best I can to try with what we ingredients I can find here!
would like to try sprouting too!

Thanks!

[Bobbie]

Pearl barley is the equivalent of white rice therefore bad for you, which is shame because its delicious.

The spinach latkes contain potato, and therefore are a source of starch (they don't taste of potato though sorry). I make them without the flaxseed and they're lovely.

Eating lots of bananas in one go would give you a carbohydrate hit.

Other ways to help you sleep though - get lots of *outdoor* exercise or just spend a lot of time outside. Breathing outdoor air makes people sleep at night.
Cold showers - wake you up in the morning, but make you sleep at night.
Green Smoothies made with banana.
Really hot steam bath.

[daylene]

This doesn't exactly answer your question, but it addresses your problem, so it might work for you. The first time I went raw I had the same problem as you; I often stayed up 3 hours later than normal because of restless energy. But this time I've found myself not getting hungry after 4 or 5 in the afternoon, and on days that I eat earlier, I get drowsy earlier and can fall asleep easily. I'm a person who HAS TO read a book in order to fall asleep; I have all my life, but recently I just drift off as soon as my head hits the pillow. And I sleep much more deeply as well (I'm not sure if it's the raw thing or the eating early thing; maybe a combination of the two?).

Yesterday I ate nothing after 1 o'clock in the afternoon and went to bed at 8:15. I'm not advocating starvation; I just didn't have time to eat until 6:30pm and by then I had lost my appetite. And this may seem really extreme to you; after all, most people can't go to bed at 8:30 even if they wanted to. But have you tried eating earlier? It might help with the restless energy thing at night.

[veganman]

Hi Adelina -

raw chestnuts are a nice high carbohydrate option.

[Adelina]

Thank you for your replies!

I have found the following to use as concentrated carbohydrate staples:

-dried sweet potato (not sure if its raw, but it digests a lot more easily with fresh vegetables, than cooked sweet potatoes or roots do, for some reason. also much easier to add to breakfast and lunch meals than cooking them.)
-soaked pearl barley (right now have this delivered, may later prepare this if its easy to do)
-and raw oats (I also see it in the store on here)

and occasionally
beetroot soup (have a great raw restaurant that delivers this here!)

and occasionally cooked portions
like rice or grains, for dinner or meals out.


This will help to balance out meals (I would love to be able to eat vegetables only! but think having some concentrated carbohydrate right now is what my body needs. it might also be a seasonal thing, for wintertime).


Thanks again, and best of luck with all of your raw goodness!!!

:)

[jacsam]

Are you exercising or adding any physical activities for the extra energy you have? Just an idea!!!