Basic Philosophical Questions for Newbie Thanks

[jenbooks]

I've read Alissa's book and I'm shifting even as of today to more of a raw food diet. I also viewed most of DVD#1 and got very hungry while viewing it! :)

I have some questions:

1) From my reading, most cashews are not raw, they are steamed or boiled. Anyone have any thoughts about this?

2) From my reading, almonds are now pasteurized. I bought some expensive Hunza almonds at the healthfood store just now and Artisana cashew butter but I'm assuming those cashews are not "raw" in the true sense

3) What is wrong with sushi? She says it's a no-no but why? And I get Amish farmer raw dairy from my collective and it is DELICIOUS. It seems to me this is a philosophical distinction and not one about "live food." This is a VEGAN live food diet, that does not allow dairy, meat, eggs, or fish. Am I correct? But there is a good case for raw grass fed dairy being very healthy, and certainly Eskimos and Japanese with their raw fishes do well.

I certainly wouldn't eat raw meat or eggs I'd be concerned about safety.

I am one of those people who do best with slow conversions, not sudden, and I've been doing reading today on dehydrators etc trying to figure out the best for me. I think for me, to grow some sprouts and to make some recipes (especially chips--I just downloaded Goddess Chips--I'm going to need SOMETHING instead of potato chips!!) and to buy sprouts as well (they aren't all that expensive if you don't overdo it) and to buy some nut butters will be best for me, and to try to add more raw into my diet while still testing what is ideal for my body. If I converted 100% it would actually be psychologically bad for me but I understand where she is coming from when she says most people need to convert completely in order to maintain discipline and feel the benefits.

Also, as gorgeous as the food is when she makes it, I don't mind just slicing up an avocado, tomatoe, garlic, parsely, without making a "beautiful" dish and just eating it. It's simple and its tasty.

Thanks for any insights.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Sushi is made with COOK rice and Roasted Nori roll. You can make raw sushi and buy raw nori roll, their color is dark purple.

Sadely, almond in the USA are required to be pasterized now and they are allowed to indicate raw on the package. You can still find some real raw almond, our local food store gets them from Italy. Also, if you know a farmer of almond, you can buy them directely from them.

It is also hard to find real raw cashew also because there is a problem with storage which lead to mold and they are therefore also pasteurize. You can also find real raw cashew. Check for Alissa, she may sell them.


What you can do, is to transition, allow yourself to have your sushi if this is important to you, and when you are ready, you can try a comitement of 100% raw vegan for 30 days. Do research and try out some recipe. If you make room for the good stuff and eliminate very bad food choice, it is much better then do nothing. When you are ready, you may transition to only raw food.

[Raw Joy]

Hi, Jenbooks. Everyone has to find their own path and what they either are most comfortable with or feel is best for them. Alissa does promote a raw, vegan diet, but some still pick at things like she uses honey. Or that Namu Shoya, although fermented, originates from cooked soybeans. Or almond butter isn't really raw.

There are many gray areas in the raw food world and you have to find what is best for you. Including philosophical and diet.

Specific questions: Cashews: The shell of a cashew has to be heated at very high temperature to get the nut out. So is the nut itself raw since only the shell was heated? Or did the heat cook the nut? One of those things you'll have to decide for yourself if you want to include.

Nut butters: Most store-bought raw nut butters, although they may start with a raw nut, do get heated during the processing and making of the butter. Again, some people won't touch them. Some feel that it's only killing a few enzymes, and using them occasionally is no big deal.

Sushi: Fish is raw, but the rice used in the rolls is not. Neither is the nori that wraps the rolls.

I, too, didn't feel like I could just go 100% because I'd end up rebelling against myself if I felt there was something I "couldn't have. I decided to eat as much raw as I could, but if I wanted something cooked, to eat it, enjoy it, and move on. That's what worked for ME. Others had to go 100% immediately to make it work, and others went slowly. Alissa herself took a few years to completely convert.

I don't think you'll get any arguments about simply slicing up beautiful fruits and vegetables. Recipes are to add in some some variety and contrast, or use as transition foods while you're becoming more raw.

Out of respect for Alissa and her generousity and impact on us, we try and keep focused on raw vegan here. Questions are more than fine; we just don't like to get into arguments or lengthy discussions about non-raw-non-vegan vs raw-vegan.

Please keep asking. It's the only way any of us have learned.

[oai]

3) What is wrong with sushi? She says it's a no-no but why? And I get Amish farmer raw dairy from my collective and it is DELICIOUS. It seems to me this is a philosophical distinction and not one about "live food." This is a VEGAN live food diet, that does not allow dairy, meat, eggs, or fish. Am I correct? But there is a good case for raw grass fed dairy being very healthy, and certainly Eskimos and Japanese with their raw fishes do well.

You're right. This is a raw vegan board. There is a good & bad case for lots of things.



I am one of those people who do best with slow conversions, not sudden, and I've been doing reading today on dehydrators etc trying to figure out the best for me. I think for me, to grow some sprouts and to make some recipes (especially chips--I just downloaded Goddess Chips--I'm going to need SOMETHING instead of potato chips!!) and to buy sprouts as well (they aren't all that expensive if you don't overdo it) and to buy some nut butters will be best for me, and to try to add more raw into my diet while still testing what is ideal for my body. If I converted 100% it would actually be psychologically bad for me but I understand where she is coming from when she says most people need to convert completely in order to maintain discipline and feel the benefits.

Also, as gorgeous as the food is when she makes it, I don't mind just slicing up an avocado, tomatoe, garlic, parsely, without making a "beautiful" dish and just eating it. It's simple and its tasty.

Thanks for any insights.

Everyone is different. Some are able to incorporate a permanent change in their life (like diet) by transitioning and some are able to do so "cold turkey." I do not think there is a wrong and right way. It is up to each individual person to take responsibility for their own life, and test out what works for them. No one's perfect. It's ok to make mistakes & learn from them.

Going cold turkey has its pros and cons. And going cold turkey would work for someone where the pros outweighs the cons. The same would apply for those who prefer transitioning.

Some people like recipes, and some like simple. They all have their place. It just is.

In the end, no matter how we decide to best get there, we all arrive at the same goal -- better health. :)

[jenbooks]

Hi thank you to both of you and anyone else who will chime in, thank you very much. I am in a research mode right now. For instance, I have a small galley kitchen in NYC so I have to think about what size dehydrator to get. I know for me the most difficult part will be chips and snacks. So I have to get started on learning a few of those recipes right away.

I hope Artisana nut butters are okay? I should try to call the company. I would like to make some nut butters and/or the mash potato recipe with jicama and macadamia garlic and so on sounded delicious (I found it somewhere on here) and the Goddess Chips sounded fabulous. Just a few of those things and I will not crave my potato chips :).

Yes I have to transition for just that reason--my whole life, has been somewhat self directed so if I had to follow any rules 100% I would rebel against myself. I can already feel that when i baked some organic potatoes in the toaster oven I was tired after, when I ate my mostly "raw" lunch today (with some steamed butternut squash) I felt pretty energized.

I am dealing with chronic lyme disease and will be very interested to see how this affects my energy levels. I feel it will be helpful. I know some others with chronic lyme who feel going mostly raw helped them quite a bit.

I just left a message for The Date People. I hope I can freeze some dates if I do buy them.

I am upset about mislabelling it really infuriates me (almonds, cashews etc) but at least we are here as a community to educate each other.

I won't ask lots of questions about Amish or fish--was just trying to clarify. I will keep in my diet what works for me and post questions on here that mostly conform with the forum. So as long as I understand that yes, this is vegan raw/live, then I know what I am learning here and can apply what works for me.

Alissa says she sprouts in a bowl--do you all sprout in a bowl? SIMPLE is best for me I don't want a kitchen full of gizmos, less is more. I just figured I must buy a dehydrator that will be my one purchase later this week. I also may have to get plastic containers and organize stuff. I already sensed, and Alissa's DVD made a very good point, CONVENIENCE and organization is impt. You need stuff THERE, easily accessible, so it can be so easy to make.

I told my bf he is going to be very happy with the snacks I start making him for work. I'm going to try eggplant bacon and Goddess Chips once I get a dehydrator. I shopped today to stock up and I had him shop for me too, just got me some organic spices, some jicama I couldn't find in my neighborhood and fresh figs and fresh dates.

[RawKnitster]

Word is out on the almonds. I've noticed recently in 3 of the stores where I buy bulk foods, Whole Foods, PCC, Central Market, they have changed the labels. The almonds that used to have a raw label now do not say raw, they are labeled "steam-pastuerized". The stores are providing another type of almond that is labeled "RAW, NOT steam-pastuerized", and it also lists the country of origin, Italy. The price is still about the same as organic steam-pastuerized almonds from California. If that's not happening in stores near you, it probably will be soon. Maybe a complaint needs to be registered to speed up the process.

Since I drink almond milk daily, getting them raw is important to me. Not so much with cashews. I love cashews as a special treat or in an occassional recipe. As long as they are not roasted, I don't care if the shell was taken off using a heated process. I've bought the so-called truly raw cashews online. There is absolutely no difference in taste or texture, which leads me to believe that the "raw" cashews I am buying are raw enough.

[oai]

sounds like you found a solution for your chips & snacks weakness in a dehydrator. good for you! :) don't forget to eat some fresh veggies & fruits daily that are not dehydrated. :D

eating raw will definitely boost your energy levels. my mom's bf's brother also has lyme, & the man is now zooming on his motorcycle. :cool:

[jenbooks]

Is it his motorcycle that's eating raw or him ;)

I did eat a delicious 90% raw lunch, avocado, sprouts, cucumber slices, carrot, organic watercress, steamed squash (not raw) and some black eyed peas (not raw) and organic lime juice on it and felt good!

I admit it was not nearly as pretty as Alissa's creations. It was a motley melange but it tasted great and took 2 minutes to prepare.

I will get my kitchen organized! THANKS everybody!

[rawlight]

Alissa says she sprouts in a bowl--do you all sprout in a bowl?

Hi jb, I sprout in a bowl. No fancy sprouter for me. I use a deep ceramic bowl with a cloth or paper towel over it. I soak it for the amount of time stated for each type of legume (Alissa's chart is great), and continue to use that same bowl and cloth for the duration of the sprouting. My lentils and chickpeas have never complained and grow glorious tails :)

[oai]

they're both very fast. :D

[annavon]

I would like to respond regarding raw fish.

1. Parasites. They are very common place in fish and contrary to popular belief freezing doesn't always kill them. I have eating a lot of sushi in my past and I have had to do a couple of parasite cleanses to get rid of them. (my colon hydro therapist detected them). If you go to a regular doctor, they only test for a couple of parasites so you could come up negative and still have parasites.
2. Heavy metals.
3. Concentrated protein and increase your acidity levels.

As far as raw dairy goes. Raw is better than pasturized, but most people can't digest dairy. High in concentrated protein (most people eat too much) and fats. Most naturopathic doctors do not recommend dairy products.

I just came from a meeting with a doctor who is an M.D. (very well credentialed doctor) who practices natural medicine. He said we do not eat animal products in our diet and we should not eat them because they are detrimental to our health.

Hope this helps. :)

[Dimond]

Artisana Butters Raw: Almond, Tahini
Not Raw: Cashew, Walnut, Pecan, Macadamia (due to cashews are in all of these)

Raw cashews don't need to taste differently in order for them to be toxic. We can't always taste things in food that could harm us. I rarely notice taste differences, but will sometimes have negative affects in how I feel.

If your very close to 100% raw or want to minimalize the affects of foods that aren't truly raw, just take digestive enzymes.

[jenbooks]

Thanks. The raw cashew butter was way too sweet for me anyway! OMG. That will last me a year. I can put about one teaspoon of it in something or other. I'll stick with my sesame butter for now.

Another question. "Teflex". How do I know that's safe? I think I'm going to line the teflex with parchment. So many plastics leach endocrine disrupters when they're heated. Even the so-called "safe" plastics have disrupted lab experiments because they leach hormone like chemicals. I don't want to risk it.

[Morn]

Sorry I can't answer you question about telflex sheets. I do not use them as I dehydrate things in my jennaire oven since the temperature goes low enough.

I have however sprouted in bowls and have had a lot of success. It depends on what you are sprounting. However for smaller seeds such as alfalfa you may want to do those in sprouting bags cause it is much easier to rinse and drain the water without losing the seeds (before they actually sprout). I bought a few online off someone on ebay.

[rawstrength]

Ethical/philosophical issues aside, fish and raw animal products have higher levels of pesticides and pollution from the environment in them. The bodies of animals concentrate toxins. The higher up on the food chain that you eat, the more polluted your food will be (even if it is organic).

I don't use teflex sheets, personally. I try to avoid plastic as much as possible. You should buy glass containers to store things in instead of plastic.

GOOD LUCK!! I'm sure eating raw will make a positive difference with your lime disease.

[debilana]

cashew butter is really good for making desserts. I don't have a vitamix, so when a ice cream recipe or pie calls for soaked cashews, I just use cashew butter=)