Interested in Raw Food Diet

[nyquil]

Hi guys,

I saw a wonderful documentary called Food Matters yesterday, and it has really got me interested in the raw food diet. Currently, i am already eating the paleo diet(give and take a few exceptions) in zone diet proportion.

I would love to go even further and perhaps try out the raw food diet, but i am a male, and have always been a hard gainer in terms of gaining weight and lifting. I was wondering if there are any other guys out there eating the raw diet and still able to gain size while working out and not end up real skinny due to the lack of calories in veggies/fruits in comparison to meat, sweet potatoes, etc?

In addition, i was wondering if anyone could direct me to a few good sources, either books or online web pages where i could learn even more about the diet?

Lastly, I'm a young professional so i dont really have THAT much time to go grocery shopping all that much, right now i pretty much shop for food once every 2 weeks, since i am eating paleo right now and besides vegetables and fruits, the meat usually lasts a while since i could put them in the freezer.. however, I was wondering if anyone is able to grow a lot of food in their apartment? either sprouts or something else?

And how about the dehydrator? The dehydrator is supposed to be able to extract out the moisture and keep all of the nutrients of the food in tact so that they dont lose their potency over time... but how do you actually eat these dehydrated food? I mean i know you can put them in the pot and make soup with them or simply eat them like snacks, but that's pretty much it right? or maybe put them in a blender?

Anyway, I would love to hear about your personal experiences! :D

[Shoney]

Get Alissa's book. In all the preparation I have done to go raw, buying her book is the single most important thing I did. She answers many questions, helps you anticipate, and has a huge range of recipes that are incredibly varied. I return to the book again and again as questions arise, or simply for a refresher. Plus, she gives you a full 30 day menu with shopping list and food prep tips included. I think that may be helpful for a lot of people who feel awkward about starting or don't think they can live on salads and fruit.

That said, my personal basics are: organic salad greens, avocadoes, onions, tomatoes, lemons/limes, apples, bananas, watermelon and the occasional pineapple. Young coconuts are fabulous, but so far haven't found them locally. If you are craving cooked foods, the substitutes are surprising, such as seed cheese, cake, bread, pizza, etc. A family favorite at my house is banana ice cream. I'll peel and slice several bananas, freeze them, then put them in the food processor with a quarter cup or so of water. Blend until it's the consistency of soft serve. Yum! We put a chocolate mint sauce on it consisting of honey, chocolate powder (not raw, but some are organic), and organic peppermint oil. Fruit shakes are also popular - chop up your favorite fruit, add water, a handful of ice cubes, some honey if sweet tooth requires, and there you have it! The possibilities are endless. Peach and banana are my favorites.

I have turned down the temp in my fridge so as not to freeze the produce, and have just filled the fridge with salad fixings, and made a couple things in advance, such as guacamole.

I eat a lot of salads and fresh fruit, drink a lot of lemon water and sometimes have a detox tea which, while not raw, still gives some benefit. Avocadoes and dates are two things I cannot live without!

In terms of kitchen equipment, I am fortunate to have an older Champion juice which, admittedly, I haven't used in over a year. I also have a food dryer where I can lower the temp (below 115 degrees otherwise you can kiss those enzymes goodbye!), a citrus juicer and blender - which is my most used kitchen appliance.

Keep reading throughout the site, but again, I cannot recommend Alissa's book strongly enough. It is huge but a wonderful, simple, gentle approach to living 100% raw.

Glad you found us!

[sport]

I was about to tell you to look at charliesgym.com but I can not find the website. Does anyone know what has happened to it.
He is a raw vegan body builder.
You should also look at Storm's website and blog on www.thegardendiet.com He is raw vegan and builds great muscle.

[freelive]

I am not a man, but from experience can tell you, that I became really thin at one point on raw, but because I was not working out much. Then, I started lifting weights and gained 10 pounds pretty quickly. I personally don't like bulky muscles, so now I don't use more than 3 pounds dumbells, but if you do- you shouldn't have any problems to bulk up. Elephants eat raw and vegan, but they have quite a bit of bulk.

[jurence]

Food Matters is a really good film, i'm glad you watched it. Sorry hunny, get used to going shopping at LEAST once a week if you plan on not starving. You saw the film- you want FRESH food that is ALIVE (;

[nyquil]

thanks for all the comments so far!

I'm going to get a book on raw food so i can get all the basics down. Is there one that you guys like in particular?

Is David Wolfe’s Sunfood Diet Success System book any good?

[Raw Angel Mom]

I highly recommend the book The Thrive by Brendan Brazier. Google his name. He is a tri-Athlete that do raw vegan diet. He has great protein powder made from raw ingredient.

I read an article from the news paper that the Australian actor Hugh Jackman has been following Brendan's book. Look the nice muscles he has. I had no clue that this man was doing vegan food.

My first year of raw food, i went underweight but then gain it back. My husband is also doing the raw vegan diet. He is doing rebounding everyday and i noticed his muscle mass going bigger.

[blizzardfrisbee]

Yes yes get Alissa's book--I have used it over and over again--for the recipes and also for the information. I've been making at least one "main meal" a week, something for breakfast(like breakfast muffins)-- plus always eat fruit and usually eat a salad each lunch time. I drink a lot of water-

[Icequeen]

There are many raw athletes and body builders out there. Even the NHL has started putting many of their guys on a raw diet to build their endurance, lean muscle mass and productivity. If you google raw athletes, you'll come up with tons of links for men who are VERY successful. I have a friend who is a raw MMA fighter (they are another sport where more and more men are going raw).