New and not sure how to start.

[shauna]

Hi I'm 21 years old and have recently been feeling horrible. I'm always tired, sick and just all around unhealthy. I went to my Dr. and they tested me for quite a few things. I have kidney disease but we already knew that, but everything else came back normal. So my Dr. wants me to start a Raw Food diet. I've read it isn't a good idea to just jump right into the raw diet but to slowly ease your body into it all the way. Just wondering what is the best was to start all of this and some support would be nice. I'm not worried about the lack of meat in my life it is very rare for me to eat meat in the first place but I won't lie I love sugar and candy, that is my weakness. So this whole thing is stressful to me. Also I'm allergic to Soy is that going to make this difficult?

[Dimond]

Welcome to raw, Shauna. :) It's all simpler than you think. Starting off slow is a good idea if you're overwhelmed and can also make transitioning easier. There are tons of raw goodies you can make or buy to replace candy. You may want to start with green smoothies and go from there. You can find plenty of info here on them. I also give more detail here:
Green Smoothies & Soups (http://dimondhealth.com/SmoothiesSoups.htm)

Soy isn't considered raw, so you don't need to worry about it.

[Frugal Raw]

Welcome Shauna! I wish you the best of rawesome health!!! How do raw caramels, fudgeballs, cakes, ice creams and pies sound to you? There's plenty of recipes for raw sweets - I'm sure you'll find plenty of rawmazing things in your near future:D.

[kidkid]

welcome shauna!
It's no problem at all that you're allergic to soy because soy isn't really in the raw diet. Most soy products are cooked, and also i think soy is pretty high in stuff like estrogen and other things that can screw up your body if you have it too much. Not to mention you're allergic to it!

It sounds like you're worried about your protein intake on a raw diet. people talk about that a lot on this forum. Some good raw vegan sources of protein that i have heard of include greens like kale and spinach, avocados, nuts and seeds like almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, and sprouted legumes like sprouted mung beans and sprouted lentils. Also, I have read that when you eat a protein, your body breaks it down into amino acids, and uses the amino acids to do bodily functions. So what you need is really NOT proteins, but the amino acids that make up proteins. There are lots of foods that have plenty of amino acids, you just have to make sure your diet is diverse and you're getting everything you need!

keep reading, keep learning, keep eating! have fun!

[spicyfull]

I wish you everything you need to Stay RAW............Welcome to MY World.

[buffalogal]

I think it is wonderful that you have a Doctor who encourages you to eat the raw food diet!:)

[sugabutt]

Shauna, what kind of kidney disease do you have? I have polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and am also trying to go raw.
Heather

[StarFire]

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/welcome.gif … Aloha!! Welcome to RawFood Talk!! Well girl .. you've DEFINITELy come to the right place if you have a sweet tooth! The RAW desserts are wonderful, filling, and HEALTHY!!

You will find lots of support here and information to help on your path!

RAWk on! :D