Rip to pieces my Daily Raw Food Intake... cause its not working!

[jamesey]

hi,

im chatting with karen knowler hopefully about this next week but id love other peoples opinions on my daily food intake and whats right/wrong with it.. as althothis intake is the best combination of foods ive had since going raw, i dont have increased energy, vitality, look no better for it, no detox symptons etc etc.. infact i just feel like dossing around all day doing nothing lol!!

my food from day to day doesn't really change much at all, so what you will see below is more or less what i have every day.. apart from the fruits which i sub with other fruits.

20 ounces water

20 ounces water

6 bananas

200g green leafy veg (spinach, chard, waterccress etc.)
2 avocados
3 tablespoons olive oil

4 apples

200g green leafy veg
1 avocado
2 tablespoons olive oil

75g sunflower seeds blended with water to make drink

75g sunflower seeds blended with water to make drink

-----------------------------------------------------------

So thats it! Theres a lot of fatty food there becuase i am underweight and want to gain (i was underweigh before starting raw foods tho) but to be honest none opf the fat seems to stay on me!!

Any suggestions and opinions on my daily food intake above would be really helpful!!

[Revvell]

I think you need more variety and more food in general. I don't know anything about grams so you COULD be eating a lot yet, you've got no color in your choices and where's the fruit????

I'm thinking you're making this way more difficult and complicated than it needs to be. Try this for 30 days ~ Eat what you want, when you want. Stop counting grams, fats, calories, or whatever.

Play with your food and make it fun!

Revvell

[Morn]

I concur with Revell. I think variety is key to success on this diet. Also are you trying to stay away from nuts? It sounds like you are trying to eat very simply and there is nothing wrong with that but I would do some research on making some raw recipes that appeal to you. Especially some raw dessert recipes. :) That is the best part of eating raw for me! Also a nice homemade trail mix of some kind (with nuts and fruit) would be an easy snack to incorporate if you are a person on the go. And if you are trying to gain weight on this diet, I doesn't seem like you are eating that much. However, it does seem like you have a decent balance of fruit, greens, fats, and seeds. I think you just need to add more variety to your diet. Do you have Alissa's book? If you don't I would get it.

[shashibala]

I am no expert at all, but i had a couple thoughts. First you might try adding some sea weeds to your diet like kelp, dulse, etc. These can help your weight regulation through supporting the thyroid. Can you eat almonds? They are very good for you and can add calories and good fats. Just soak them overnight, rinse and drain. Keep in the fridge if your house is warm. I keep mine on the counter as it is freeeeezing here. Eat as desired. Flax seeds ground into a powder also have good fats. I agree that you might try the grazing method. Eat however much you body wants whenever you want it. You don't seem like an overeater, so be free! Good luck with Karen Knowler. Let us know how it goes!
Best Wishes to you!

[earth_sista]

do you only drink 40 oz water a day? if so, you might want to increase your water intake

[Cabosun]

This is good advice from revvell and Morn. I would like to add a few suggestions too. I think that by making at least one large green smoothie per day, this would actually help nourish your cells better. By doing so, you may also notice that you start to detox and this will start your weight loss.
You could take one of those bananas and add some frozen strawberries, blueberries or rasberries to it, add some pure water, add a couple of cups of dark leafy greens, some hemp powder and a little agave and blend it well and drink slowly. Drink this in the morning or afternoon. Also, I see you are not drinking plenty of water, and what kind of water are you drinking? If it is city water that has fluoride and chlorine in it, then your body will never detox! Fluoride and Chlorine are both extremely toxic and the body will treat them as such, making it very hard to acheive the results that you desire. Please keep us posted and wishing you the very best with your Raw journey:)

Lynn

[Rawmommie]

Too much avocado maybe. I feel sluggish and gain weight (yes, GAIN on 100% raw vegan diet) when I eat more than 1 avocado a day. I agree you need more variety, maybe add in some more variety of fruits or smoothies here and there!

[raven]

You're consuming too much fruit and fat and, as the other posters mentioned, there's not enough variety. I know there are proponents of the mono-fruit diet but there's also a lot of strong opposition to it, from well-credentialed doctors such as Brian Clement and Gabriel Cousens. They recommend little to no fruit, depending upon the state of your health.

Two avocadoes per day is too many. It's best not to mix avocadoes with other fats.

Have you considered adding green juices or green smoothies to your diet?That will provide a lot of easily digestible phytonutrients and minerals. You always want to vary your diet and eat different greens and fruits each day. If you want to consume more fruit, go for the low-glycemic ones such as berries.

There's a vast number of veggies that you're not consuming. You can also add a small amount of soaked seeds and nuts.

Let us know what Karen Knowler tells you. Good luck!

Suzy

[jamesey]

Thanks for all replies so far!!

Oops about the water.. I forgot to mention it after the 40 ounces in the morning.. I also have another 40 ounces between the 2 avocados olive oil and the apples/fruit annd another 40 ounces between eating the 1 avocado and oil and the sunflower seeds blended.

So in total i'd have 120 ounces of water a day. I only just upped to 120 ounces, before that it was 80 ounces, but wioth 120 ounces my skin has a nice moisture, even greasy feel which is much nicer then the dry skin i usually have.

Revvell - Eating what i want when i want does really appeal to me and that is what i want to do. With the food/ food types ive listed in my first message.. sometimes i don't feel like those foods, or as much of them.. but like i said, i don't want to lose weight, and with my current daily intake, im getting a good 2500 calories a day, although most of the calories are from fats. The thing is eating what i want i'd probably get know where near this amount of calories!!! But if i did eat anything i like when i fel like it, as long as i feel satisfied and not hungry, that would be the main thing - right??

Morn - your right, looking at that list and it doesnt seem a lot, but because of the amount of fatty food listed there im getting a good 2500 - 3000 calories a day with it which be enough to at least normalise weight you would think , but i don't know.. that fat doesn't seem to stay in me.

[Rawkinlocs]

How long have you been eating raw, period...no matter the percentage?

Are you eating all raw? If so, how long have you been?

Do you have any history of eating disorders?

What makes you think/feel you're underweight?

Is it possible that you are just at your body's ideal weight?

You may also want to consider NOT grazing...from what I've heard/read, when you eat many small meals throughout the day you increase your metabolism and encourage weight loss but when you eat your meals more spaced apart (like 2-3 times a day) it slows down weight loss. But you may just be at your ideal OR perhaps if you are new to all of this your body has not had the chance to balance itself out yet...what may be needed here is just some good ole patience!

If possible, I highly recommend that you get Alissa's book if you don't already own it!

[about time]

just entered your intake into a nutrition calculator


about 3500 calories........2500 of which are from fats....

fats, good or not, in that quantity are gonna make you very sluggush indeed

[brydee]

I would suggest more sproats.

I also see no superfoods!!

Try adding maca, cacao, gogi berries etc

Even when i wasnt raw and added these to my diet i felt an oommph

[Goji]

I've been raw for nearly 20 years and I've found that vitality only comes with eating foods high in enzymes. In addition to everybody else's recommendations, I suggest you eat:

Vegetable juices first thing on an empty stomach (try juicing carrot, beetroot, radish, potato, celeriac together), or a green juice.

Eat lots of sprouts (mung, lentil (several different kinds), aduki bean, chick pea)

Eat more green veg

Eat fruit alone and on an empty stomach. Avoid drinking water while you still have food in your stomach as it dilutes your digestive juices.

Eat seaweed.

Also, I find goji berries and raw cacao powder give me vitality due to the magnesium in the cacao.

Hope this helps!

[jamesey]

No I am underweight.. it's not me being paranoid or thinking something I'm not.. I can see I'm underweight just as everyone ese knows. I need to put an another stone really at least!



about time - yes your probably right its probably all due to the high fat intake im feeling not great..i'm just worried about not getting enough calories without it and just eating what i want rather then what i think i need. Maybe if i just eat what i want and as long as i feel full and satisfied i should be ok?

[Rawkinlocs]

How long have you been eating raw, period...no matter the percentage?

Are you eating all raw? If so, how long have you been?

Do you have any history of eating disorders?

[Temperance]

Hi,

I would check your blood pressure. It could be low. Ideally it should be 120/80, but can be lower in lighter women, some even have 90/50 without symptoms of low blood pressure. If you were used to a higher salt diet before, this may be more likely if you suddenly reduced your salt intake. Also, you are drinking a lot of pure water but may not be replacing all the salts you lose as you excrete it through sweat and elimination. Another way to tell if you have low blood pressure is if you get dizzy/faint if you go from lying down to standing really quickly. Easily remedied by trying to eat foods with more salt, like seaweeds. I for one have a bad habit of drinking so much water that I get light-headed and then feel like I am going to faint.

[jamesey]

I've been eating 100% raw since July 2006.

About the blood pressure, I had a load of tests done for regular things like that a few months ago and blood pressure was apparently ok, although maybe adding some sea vegetables might be an idea to try... I remember trying sea vegetables ages and ages ago before i went fully raw, i think it was Wakame.. well its the one you put in water and after no time it really expands!! Maybe i should try some of this again but from what i remember its tough, chewy and not very juicy so im not sure about it. I've also tried those nori sheetes before but I think i heard most of these sold aren't raw...

Ay more suggestions would be greatly appreciated though!!

[subbacultcha]

It sounds like you are having way too much fat in your diet. Having too much fat can put strain on your liver and make you feel sluggish.

If you're trying to put on weight you could try eating more dried fruits, they are calorie-dense, easy to eat a lot of and won't weigh you down the same way fats do.

I think you should try eating sprouts and eating superfoods like Brydee said! Since I have started consuming sprouts, maca and cacao daily I've been feeling fantastic! And lots of greens (esp. in smoothies) and sea veggies of course.

Maybe if you really aren't feeling good you might have an allergy or intolerance?

[CrazyDelicious]

Hi Jamesey-

I eat alot of calories every day to maintain my weight/energy level/general well-being. I work out and lift weights and have no energy unless I eat alot. I do eat avocadoes, but the main difference I see in my diet is that I include more green smoothies with raw protein and I eat WAYYYY more nuts and seeds/dried fruit. I dehydrate fresh and dried fruit/nuts into bars/cookies to eat during the day or whenever my energy is low - particularly while exercising. But I wouldn't worry too much about the number on the scale - if you feel energetic and healthy - that is the key!!! And I find the more varied diet I have, the easier it is to feel great...

[subbacultcha]

I just had a thought...
From the sounds of it you are a long-term vegan
Do you supplement B12?
Maybe that could be it

[Ginger]

Seek out the foods & herbs with the most nutrition and benefits. Make them your staple diet and use the other stuff as filler if you like to eat.

[maui_butterfly]

yes your probably right its probably all due to the high fat intake im feeling not great..i'm just worried about not getting enough calories without it and just eating what i want rather then what i think i need. Maybe if i just eat what i want and as long as i feel full and satisfied i should be ok?

how would you eat if you were not afraid? in my experience raw foods are not to be feared, and that's really freeing. you are free to TRUST your body, and to eat what appeals to you, and to listen to how your body feels, and adjust. right now you are letting your head rule ("must eat fat") and not listening to your body ("eating this way makes me feel crappy"). i think you should listen to your own advice if it is coming from a place that feels true and authentic for you. trust the process. trust your body. and trust raw foods!

you want to gain weight. but it may be that what your body wants to do before it gains weight is detox (shedding the "cooked" body), and for that you need lots of nutrient/enzyme rich fruits and vegetables. the detox process will allow your body to better absorb the nutrients from food, so maybe that is a necessary piece of the puzzle for you.

good luck!

[Cabosun]

Just one more thought here.....have you ever had your hydrochloric acid level checked? In order to digest your raw foods properly and get the maximum benifits from it, hydrochloric acid in the stomach has got to be very strong. You would be amazed at the number of people who are lacking this!

[Carlsbad]

In terms of gaining weight and energy, I would suggest fresh orange juice. I never lose weight when I drink it, and my energy is always through the roof.

[virginia]

Do you soak your sunflower seeds first? This makes them much easier to digest. Also, with the greens, maybe younger softer greens like baby buckwheat greens, sunflower greens, sprouts...6 bananas seems like a lot, maybe mix with juicier fruits, be sure the bananas are very ripe and spotted, etc. Eat slowly. Enjoy, Virginia, long time raw fooder.

[chilove]

Hi there,

Email me through my website below privately for some (free) advice! I had the same problem.

Blessings,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[cayenne]

Jamesey, your intake of fat is definitely way too high. If that is correct 2500 cal of a total of 3500, that is over 70% calories from fat :eek: No wonder the diet does not work for you. You need more fruits to supply you more calories from carbohydrates. Digesting all those fats takes a lot of energy from the body, and is very hard on the liver. Simple carbohydrates need much less digestive energy, so more will be left for the needs of your body. Also weight training few times a week will help tremendously to put on muscle rather than fat, I guess it is muscle you are after, not fat?

[rawkchicster]

Also, I see you are not drinking plenty of water, and what kind of water are you drinking? If it is city water that has fluoride and chlorine in it, then your body will never detox!
Lynn

Seriously? I can't afford a purifier, and we drink city water only.... is that why we haven't detoxed? AND it's 100% NO DETOX if you drink city water?!?

[maui_butterfly]

Seriously? I can't afford a purifier, and we drink city water only.... is that why we haven't detoxed? AND it's 100% NO DETOX if you drink city water?!?

no, better city water than no water. a raw plant foods based diet is giving you plenty of raw materials for detox, whether you are eating conventional or organic, drinking city or purified water. it might be a bit slower than the all pure route, but still...

considering the city water you drink is better than most of the human populations, not something to get OVERLY concerned about. do what you can, and make changes when you can.