Too many nuts??

[Holli]

Since eating this way, my family and I eat a TON of nuts (prior, we almost never ate nuts). Nuts pretty much have replaced our animal products which we used to eat with almost every meal. My kids usually have nuts with breakfast, one or two snacks, dinner and maybe even lunch. All the recipes I make just call for nuts: garden burgers, walnut taco meat, grawnola, trailmix, desserts, nut butters, nut milks, etc.
I've been doing a lot of reading lately and most of my vegan books say to eat nuts and seeds sparingly. Logically, I know that almonds are much better for them than the cheese or turkey they were eating, but I'm wondering if I should cut back a little on the nuts. No one has appeared to be having any trouble (my little one gets constipated sometimes and with all the fresh food it amazes me...could be the nuts), but I do believe in balance. I don't like to give my kids too much of any one thing...but they do eat a variety of nuts and seeds-mostly almonds though. I heard once that if you give your children too many nuts they could develop an allergy. Is that a total myth?
Should I just leave well enough alone?

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Holli,

Well, since this forum is based upon Alissa's teachings, I shall come from that perspective...

You and your family eat whatever it takes to keep you raw - but not only raw, raw and HAPPY, satisfied...enjoying this lifestyle and way of eating! I'm not sure how long you and your family have been eating raw, but if you're somewhat new to it (and I'd say new would be like a year or less) then you definitely don't want to start depriving and all UNLESS...it is causing problems. But you indicated there are no problems from your nut/seed consumption so why change anything?

Alissa teaches when coaching as well as in her book (and I also believe this) that when you start out, you eat what you want and after a while of being raw and your body adjusting, etc. your body will begin to signal to you when to cut back on nuts or anything else for that matter.

That was my personal experience...the first year or maybe longer of being raw I ate a LOT of nuts and nut-based dishes...cashews by the handful, trail mixes, nut pate, ALMOND BUTTER and bananas (that was one of my main staples that kept me very satiated), etc.

Now fast forward several years and I rarely eat nuts...especially just by the handful to snack on. The most I eat in the way of nuts is in my ice cream and shakes because I use cashews, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds and sometimes I may eat a few cashews. Other than that, I hardly eat nuts BUT...I also allow myself the freedom that if/when my body does desire more nuts/seeds than usual, I listen and I eat them until I tire of them and then I stop again for a while. I figure my body needs the fat during those times I really, really desire nuts or nut-based dishes a lot and I oblige! :D

Here is a piece from Alissa that she wrote...it's actually the very end portion of the Rules and Guidelines posting but basically it is her giving her stance on her approach to teaching/coaching raw food to others and I just re-read that for the first time the other day and I think it's great what she says! Check it out...



Just a reminder of Alissa Cohen’s philosophy:

I do not promote a high fat raw food diet which some claim. I promote freedom of choice. For those of you who think I promote a high fat diet, my first response to you would be… READ the book! My second response to people who think I promote a high fat raw food diet is, “no, what I promote is a no starvation diet. That means that if I eat my typical daily diet of juice, smoothies, salad and fruit but once in a while I want something else, like mock salmon pate on top of my salad or if I want a dessert after eating simply for a week or so, im going to have it. My point in doing raw food is not to analyze everything I put in my mouth and not to beat myself up if I want to eat something other then a fruit or vegetable.

My diet is probably much simpler then most peoples here so it’s funny when people say I promote high fat. I think they say that because they get so neurotic about having a handful of nuts once a week or they eat so lightly and then god forbid they have a raw dessert. It’s also bizarre to me that the people who are the strictest and have the most rules are the ones who are not 100% raw or who fall off the raw wagon constantly. My philosophy and book do not promote a high fat raw food diet. I talk about all of this in my book. I talk about transitioning and using lots of recipes at first and then moving away from that to a lighter diet. Im not sitting around making calzones all day. I eat mostly whole fruits, veggies, juice and salads.

But I know that the reason most people fall off of this diet is because they get too rigid. Yes, you may after a time of eating raw foods move gradually to a simpler diet. But if you put rules on yourself around what you can and can’t have within a raw food diet, there will be a day when you want a flax cracker, dessert, pate or a prepared raw recipe and if you don’t allow yourself to have it, you’ll be driving to the local pizza hut. Or, you’ll be white knuckling it. What kind of way is that to live? Certainly doesn’t sound like a fun, easy way to live to me. This diet is supposed to be about, in my opinion, freedom. Don’t make this more complicated then it is. Stress causes just as much if not more sickness in the body then what you eat. Relax, eat raw, and live.

Hope this helps!

[Rawmommie]

No one has appeared to be having any trouble

I think you answered your own question! If there's no trouble with eating the amount you are all eating, you should eat up and enjoy! :) There may come a time, personally, in the future that your eating habits change (we all go through cycles of eating different stuff, I think) then take it in stride. Sounds like you are doing great!

[Morn]

I eat a ton of nuts as well as it also replaced my meat. Nuts are harder to digest so that could contribute to your children having a harder time in the bathroom areana. If you think you are doing too many nuts cut back a bit and do more smoothies, salads, and such. I don't think it would hurt. But me myself am not afraid to consume nuts. I have lost 95 pounds in 15 months and I ate a lot of nuts. But I also balance things out with eating a lot of fresh produce. I don't know what I would do without nuts especially when I first went raw.

[Holli]

Thanks for all your responses. They have helped a great deal. My family has been eating high-raw since last August, so we are still figuring everything out. But, we are all healthy and happy. I've lost approx 12% of my body weight, we have more energy, my husband who has an auto-immune disease has only been sick once or twice (which is SO good for him) ...we are doing great! It's funny how even when all is well, I question myself because this lifestyle is so different than how I was raised and how most of the world lives.

[BellaRawGirl]

so i was having problems with my bowels when i first started this, so i started taking a pro-biotic now everything is fine! sometimes the stomach enzymes need some help! they have kids version to so it is not too powerful!

[Lukesgramma]

To Holli,

I like nuts and seeds a lot and think they're a wonderful and nutritious food. Additionally, soaked and/or sprouted grains and legumes are dense and nutrion-packed, and have been helpful to me in adding balance to my diet, and lowering nut/seed consumption.

My favorite sprouted grain is kamut. It's a wheat variety, but bigger, and with less gluten. I soak it overnight, then rinse and drain it for a couple of days until it has little white roots about 1/2". I like it best just as it is, stuffed into a raw nori roll. But it can also be smashed up mechanically or in a sirubachi (sp?), shaped into a flat bread, and dehydrated to use for bread. On a sunny day, it can be placed wet on parchment paper and dehydrated outdoors (turn once). It's great topped with thinly sliced avocado, tomatoes and/or whatever.

Raw wheat germ is fantastic added to salads.

Sometimes I like garbanzos soaked overnight and/or rinsed and drained an additional day. I like them as they are, but some people blend them with tahini, etc., to make raw hummus for a spread or veggie topping, and that can lower the nut butter consumption somewhat.

Also, I noticed you didn't happen to mention seeds. You probably eat them, but I added this just in case. My favorite seeds are sesame (unhulled) and sunflower. I soak them during the day, then rinse and drain them overnight and the next day. They're just beginning to sprout at that point, and I think they're very good.

Also, chia is great. It's a complete protein, high in Omega-3, lower in fat than many nuts/seeds, and helps with bowel movement. It might be best to grind it and add to smoothies or whatever, but I like just soaking it whole for a few hours, and eating it in its gel form.

I love being on a forum that encourages people to discuss a raw lifestyle that includes all the wonderful raw vegan foods! :)

[CathyA.]

Isn't it funny how we concern ourselves with the food we are eating as if we were still on the SAD diet. I still have to remind myself that this is not junk food. Some of it just tastes so "naughty" that it must be bad right? LOL.

[Mikey_H]

Nuts seem to be an especially good "transition" food for starting out.
I was the same way, nuts were a big staple when I decided to eat all/mostly raw. Before that I didn't eat animal products for two years so the nuts were like my "replacement" for tofu, rice, wheat, etc.
Eventually I wanted them less and less and now fewer nuts satisfy me. I tend to eat more seeds now than nuts but even now I don't eat nearly as many seeds/nuts as I do fruit/veg.

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

Isn't it funny how we concern ourselves with the food we are eating as if we were still on the SAD diet. I still have to remind myself that this is not junk food. Some of it just tastes so "naughty" that it must be bad right? LOL.

It's not like raw foods can't cause health issues. Yes, too many nuts can cause problems. So can too much spinach. That doesn't mean that any of it is unhealthy, it's just to be eaten in moderation.

And not all of us came from this "SAD" diet btw.