No fat at all on raw, good or bad?

[sebzzz]

Hi,

I'm trying raw food since January 3rd and so far things are going well. I'm 20 years old and pretty healthy in my standards (not overweight at all, even some people think I might need more weight)

I haven't heard about the raw food diet since this time but I saw what Steve Pavlina (stevepavlina.com) is doing and read about it on different sources on the Internet and was inspired to do the same.

I come from a SAD diet with lots of dairy and some meat but I was considered a healthy eater (no junk food, ever). I do lots of sports, especially running, but I have problems with tight hamstrings that prevent me from running since 3 months (hoping the raw food diet could help here).

So far I'm having very good days as well as lower ones, but everything looks fine. The first two weeks were sometimes bad with sore troath and stuff but it passed.

A lot of people say that the transition should be gradual, but being an all of nothing kind of guy I decided to go a 100%. I even went for the low fat version of the diet.

I have no major cravings and so far I'm loving it. Don't know, maybe my emotions weren't so attached to food at the beginning.

Of course I read lot of things telling that I'll get deficient in this or this vitamin or nutriment, but I believe in those who tried and succeed.

However, I have a question. Being a student with no steady income, I try to cut on fancy food and since I read that lots of fatty raw food is not better than the SAD diet, I decided not to by any fatty raw food.

I had a couple avocados in the beginning but since the second week, I haven't bought a fatty fruit nor eaten any nuts or seeds.

So, the diet recommends 10% from fat, but I must get even less than that, maybe only 5% or maybe even less, I don't really know. I want to know if this is recommended or not. I read that eating no fat at all is very bad for ones body and it does damage to lots of things.

Now, someone posted on stevepavlina's forum that signs of Omega-3 deficiency are dry skin and urinating very often. Well, I have both. Very dry skin on my hand since the second week of going raw and I urinate often also, sometimes every hour.

Now, I'm used to get dry skin in winter and this could be normal or just from detox and the urine thing could come from the fact that I probably consume much more water since there is plenty in fruits and vegetables.

So, do you people think that not eating any fat is good or bad. Depending on your answers, I may introduce more avocados in my diet.

Thanks in advance. (sorry for the long post, I'm very verbose even if English is not my first spoken language)

[Riiiya]

Hello!

i am no expert... but from what the info i've accumulated, it's important to have a Balanced diet. Fats are so important- avocados are an amazing source of both saturated and unsaturated (you need good-guality saturated fat to protect your cells!!)

Besides, eventually you might start feeling unsatisfied and hungry if you don't get fats... That's what happens to me anyway. Personally, i have an avocado every day- i find them on sale ;) It's ok to not have fats for a bit (usually people do it to lose more weight) but in the end you should balance your diet with greens, sugars, And fats ;)

[Conscious Midwife]

fats are need for good nervous system function and immunity

[shashibala]

I think you do need some fats in your diet. Probably most of us tend toward too much rather than too little, but some fat is needed. Some nutrients are only absorbed when eaten with healthy fats. You can use raw olive oil, flax, hemp, sesame, and sunflower seeds, and of course avocados and nuts. This forum, Raw Food Talk, is based on the book and teachings of Alissa Cohen. She hosts the site for all of us. Please read her book if possible.If you can't, then a search of this site will offer much information. I do not speak for her, but from my reading of her book i believe that she advocates a generally free way of eating based on what your body wants. She does not, in my understanding, advocate restricting any food groups as long as they are raw. Try eating what makes you feel good! Being too restrictive can lead to feeling deprived and that will not help you stick to raw. Best wishes on your journey to health and happiness!:) :)

[Rawkinlocs]

Hello,

Yeah, you should eat a balanced raw diet. I mean, there are some raw fooders who eat minimal-to-no fat but I personally believe that you need balance.

Now, I also need to inform you that this forum is based upon Alissa Cohen's book, Living on Live Food and what she teaches in her book. So, we don't really get into long discussions about various approaches to raw foods such as the low-fat approach or the low-fruit approach, etc. It's all about going raw and getting accustomed to eating raw and being balanced. You may eat lower amounts of fat for the most part, but don't make it a mandate so to the point that when your body NEEDS and is "asking" for fats you deny it based upon what someone said you "should" or "should not" be eating.

Just be sure to get a good variety in your diet.

[jenjen]

fats are so critical, you need fats because:

-without raw fats your body cann't absorb vit k (your body cann't put calcium in your bones without vit k). over time this means osteoperosis. there are many studies which show this.

-one of the major causes of depression is when people's brain chemistry gets messed up from not getting enough omega 3 fats (found in flax seeds for one example).

you don't need alot of fat, just enough that feels good for your body (you'll figure it out over time). some people (like me) can eat a ton of fat, and i need it, and don't gain a pound (unless the source is nuts which makes me gain weight and tired).


are you a guy? there's a great blog, you'd probably get a ton of awesome info from (whether your a guy or gal). the writer is a male model living in NY who is a raw vegan. he focuses on eating super healthy with a slant on keeping that male body really perfect looking.
so if your a guy it'd be particularily interesting i think.
his site is rawmodel.com

check that out for sure. and eat your fats! you need omega 3 (flax, hemp seed) omega 6 (sunflower seeds, hemp seeds) and omega 9 (olive oil, avocado, hemp seeds). these are just a few examples. saturated fats art sooo good for you too, best source for that is coconut oil (be really picky about quality).

i could go on and on...just learn more about this subject and over time you'll see from the many studies done how seriously we need fat.

have fun!
j

[lore-ah]

Your body also needs fat to metabolize energy! For me that's the kicker. Back when low fat diets were all the rage I was a walking zombie, but I'd perk right up if I broke down and fed my body some fats. I never realized what was happening until many years later when I started reading books on diet and nutrition.

You need those fats!!

[sport]

Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that cannot be constructed within an organism from other components (generally all references are to humans) by any known chemical pathways; and therefore must be obtained from the diet. The term refers to those involved in biological processes, and not fatty acids which may just play a role as fuel. As many of the compounds created from essential fatty acids can be taken directly in the diet, it is possible that the amounts required in the diet (if any) are overestimated. It is also possible they can be underestimated as organisms can still survive in unideal, malnourished conditions.

There are two families of EFAs: ω-3 (or omega-3 or n-3) and ω-6 (omega-6, n-6.) Fats from each of these families are essential, as the body can convert one omega-3 to another omega-3, for example, but cannot create an omega-3 from scratch.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[beppa66]

Healthy hair, skin, nails, eye function etc. require some fat. What are you using for salad dressing? That would seem like a logical place to add fats.
Seeds are less expensive than nuts and supply decent amounts of oils.

The sore throat may have been detox. Or you may have been fighting off a cold. It sounds like you are doing great, but if you are noticing skin, hair, etc...it's time to listen to your body. Rawkin' is right...it's all about learning to listen to your body. Some days it wants peas...the next grapefruit. LOL

[jenjen]

one more thing sebzzz. regarding omega 3 fats. did you know this is the primary fat that your brain (and skin) is made of?.

in fact studies show that with out omega 3 the human brain will NOT grow or function at it's optimum state.

just for the sake of argument i'm going to have to talk about cows for a second, though i do not eat animals. but...

all grass fed and grass finished cows (as in they weren't fattened up before slaughter with grain) actually have the highest level of omega 3 fats. 3 times higher than salmon which is the current meat eaters choice for omega 3 cause cows are now never fed grass. when a cow is not fed grass or a salmon is farmed, there is....get this....zero omega 3 fat found in their bodies.

think of what that means. that means for millions of years of evolution, humanbeings have been evolving getting loads of omega 3. if they were vegan, they got it from flax, or hempseed. if they were vegetarian, they got it from milk, if they were meat eaters they got it from cows or wild fish.

it is ALL OF A SUDDEN only in the last 50 years (roughly 1 or 2 generations of humans) that omega 3 has vanished from our societies diet (because of factory farming).

is it any surprise that IQ scores have dropped almost 5 times since 1920, that depression rates are sky high?

you know how you need amino acids/protein for you muscle to grow?
well add this into your mantra of indisputable nutrients that you have to have for your brain to function properly
"protien, for my body. minerals for my bones and omega 3 for my brain and skin"

really important for those pregnant mothers out there.

[RawMistress]

your brain needs good fat!


why on earth would anyone want to cut out all the fat from their diet? I would think if a person did; they had a eating disorder.

[sebzzz]

I don't just cut fats on purpose. I'm just not used to eat avocados and seeds or nuts. Add that to the fact that a low fat raw diet is recommended for best results, and it results in me buying fruits and vegetables without worrying about fats.

As for salad dressing, I find myself happy with only lemon juice.

Well, after reading all your posts, I bought myself a bag of Flaxseeds. The brand is Natunola and they are 70% shelled so it says I don't need to refrigerate since they are more stable than whole seeds, and I can eat them without the need need of grinding them. I wonder if I should take seriously that I don't need to refrigerate them.

I also read that I should not eat more than 2 Tablespoon per day because they contain a certain toxic compound that can make damage in high doses.

So, last question, do you guys think that eating 2 Tablespoon of flaxseeds a day in salads or other preparations and eating 1 or two avocados per week in a salad would be considered the good amount of fat one should get. Also, will the 1 / 1 ratio preserved? I read that just avocados as a source of fat isn't good because it breaks the ratio.

I also want to struggle that right now I have no physical problems nor problems sticking to the diet, so I don't add fat to help me stick to the raw diet, but more to get the optimal nutrition for my body.

Thanks a lot

[iluvcacao]

I think that I would refrigerate the flaxseeds just to be safe. Sprinkling some hemp seeds on a salad each day would be a great way to add some healthy fat to your diet. I can get them pretty cheap at a store near me. Maybe cutting up an avacado and adding to a salad and then using some olive oil with lemon to make a dressing. You don't need to do this at every meal, but it is important to add some fat into your diet. Even non-raw nutritionist rave about all the good things for our bodies in nuts, seeds, avacados, and coconut oil. ;)

[iamacranberry]

Omega-3s are a specific TYPE of fat. You can find them in flax seeds and walnuts.

Different people have different metabolic types, and I personally do best on a 10% or less fat diet....it took me forever to learn this, too, as I was fatigued before I figured it out.

But when you do include fats, be sure to get a balance of lots of different sources.

[jenjen]

hi there,

sorry to say, but chances are you wasted your money on that bag of flax. you see, flax seed oil is one of the MOST volitile oils. meaning that it oxidates extremely easily. in other words it ROTS extremely easily.

i bet you anything this is why the package says to consume no more than 2 tbsp as oxidized fact is actually a carcinogen (very, very bad for the body and 100% unusable).

does it taste bitter? it shouldn't. if it doesn't i bet it will soon as the hulls (aswell as refridgeration) is what keeps the oils from touching oxygen, thus keeping it from oxidizing (rotting).

sorry, but i wouldn't even touch it...the same way i wouldn't eat an apple that has fungus growing on it...just cause you cann't see what rotten oil looks like doesn't mean it isn't rotten. for some reason this isn't regulated.

go out and buy a bag of organic (organic is worth it, if you can) whole flax seeds that have been stored in a fridge at the store. then grind it in a coffee grinder fresh. seems annoying i know, but you get used to it, it takes seriously less than a minute...and it's so important to eat. be like nike, just do it.

did you know flax seed is a complete protein also (1 cup provides 40 grams of protein). i make and awesome raw bread, called onion bread, out of it that uses 3/4 of a cup. i eat the whole recipe in a day (2 at most). you can search this site for that recipe.

about the "how much fat is enough" thing. you'll figure that out over time. there are basically 3 body types. i need fat for energy, you might not. you'll figure it out. just eat at the levels that make you feel awesome, then you're on the mark.



j

[raven]

I'd be careful about restricting my fat intake so drastically, especially if you're young and in good health. As other posters mentioned, fats are vital for nervous system function and hormonal balance. Of course, the quantity and quality of the fats are important considerations.

Your statement that low fat intake is recommended for best results depends on who's making the recommendations. Over a 35-year period, I've never seen anyone look good who drastically limited fat intake.

For good quality fats, I'd go more with whole food sources, avocadoes, coconut, seeds, nuts than oils, which are concentrated and prone to rancidity. The Hippocrates Institute, for example, recommends using either oil or another source of fats in recipes but not more than one type in a single meal.

Suzy

[jaurequi]

I believe you should consume those whole-food fats (not oils) rich in Omega 3's, if you are going to limit them. You need them for neurological reasons; they are necessary brain food.

Best,

[iamacranberry]

About flax seeds going rancid...not if you keep them in the freezer. I always buy massive bags of the things. And, so that the flax seeds don't pass through the body unabsorbed, it's best to grind them up before consuming them.