New to the raw food way, advice appreciated.

[myrkur]

Hi everyone,

I am just now starting to incorporate a 100% raw food diet into my life. For the past 20 or so years, I have eaten nothing but processed cooked foods. I've always enjoyed fruit, but rarely ever ate any vegetables other than corn or potatoes. Very heavy meat, potatoes, pasta, fast food etc.. basically anything to make me feel full.

Since I never grew up eating vegetables (mother didn't force them on me so I grew to dislike them), I have built up a very large distaste for veggies. I will be changing that immediately now that I have been enlightened to the healthy body lifestyle. Hopefully this Vita-Mix I just purchased will make the greens go down easy, and re-train my body to love them.

My current goal is to eat a 100% raw food diet to compliment my very athletic training regimen. I train 6 days per week with 3 days dedicated to to the major muscle groups and 3 days dedicated to cardio, core muscle conditioning, endurance and flexibility.

I have done quite a bit of research.. but being new to this I want to make sure I get off to a right start. If anyone could give me any feedback on my starting diet plan that I created for myself, I would highly appreciate it. Although the diet is fairly bland and I am sure I will get very sick of this, I plan on changing things in and out as I get used to eating this way.

My Stats:
Age: 24
Height: 5'10
Weight: 150lbs
Fat %: 12%

Goal:
Weight: 170lbs
Fat %: Less than 10%

The diet/schedule is..

Meal 1 (Pre-Workout) - 5:00AM
4 Bananas (Medium Size): Cal = 420, Carb = 108g, Pro = 4g
Green Smoothie #1: Cal = 454, Carb = 106g, Pro = 16g
-Smoothie Ingredients: 2 Bananas, 200g Blueberries, 3g Spirulina, 2 cups Broccoli, 2 cups Kale, 2 Cups Spinach

Gym - 6:00am - 7:30am

Meal 2 (Post-Workout) - 8:00am
4 Bananas (Medium Size): Cal = 420, Carb = 108g, Pro = 4g
Green Smoothie #1: Cal = 454, Carb = 106g, Pro = 16g
-Smoothie Ingredients: 2 Bananas, 200g Blueberries, 3g Spirulina, 2 cups Broccoli, 2 cups Kale, 2 Cups Spinach

Meal 3 - 12:00pm
2 Oranges: Cal = 172, Carb = 44g, Pro = 4g
2 Peaches: Cal = 118, Carb = 30g, Pro = 2g
2 Pears or Apples: Cal = 206, Carb = 56g, Pro = 2g

Meal 4 - 4:00pm
3 Bananas (Medium Size): Cal = 315, Carb = 81g, Pro = 3g
1oz Whole Almonds: Cal = 162, Carb = 6g, Pro = 6g, Fat = 14g

Meal 5 - 8:00pm
3 Medjool Dates: Cal = 198, Carb = 54g
Green Smoothie #2: Cal = 759, Carb = 93g, Pro = 41g, Fat = 29
-Smoothie Ingredients: 1 Mango, 200g Strawberries, 2 Cups Broccoli, 2 Cups Kale, 2 Cups Spinach, 3g Spirulina, 20g Flaxseeds, 4tbs Hempseeds

Total Daily
Cal: 3678
Carb: 792
Pro: 98
Fat: 43

This whole diet is my blueprint. I plan on changing out items but equaling the same daily Cal, Carb, Protein and Fat values.

Thanks for reading.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Have you read Alissa's book? It's all about going with your flow and eating raw live foods. Few of us measure or keep track of this sort of thing. We are more into... enjoying the life within the food and enjoying our lives because of the food. ;)

[Revvell]

Wow! Did you do all that when you were eating "nothing but processed cooked foods"? Waaaay too much work! Now you're eating nutrients and enzymes you never had before and you want to keep track like that? Wow! I'm flabbergasted!!! Sheesh! :eek:

Raw food is about FREEEDOM! Not about tying yourself to a calculator and figuring every nutrient and whatever else you've got there which I didn't read to avoid my head spinning.

Let go; get Alissa's book and dvd's and enjoy eating!!!! Play with your food, not with all those numbers. :D

Oh, and if you're not liking the smoothies, understandable. More fruit, less greens.

[myrkur]

The precise data management of the diet is only there to help me get started. After I am used to this way of living and it becomes second nature, i wouldn't need to keep such a precise schedule.

I apologize for the post, I should have researched this forum more before posting this. I was more looking for any feedback on the overall aspect of the diet.

I understand what you're saying about having fun with your food and letting go. But I'm not eating just for the sake of enjoyment, at least not right now. I am eating to fuel my body and give it exactly what it needs to not only compliment my very rigorous exercise regimen, but completely revitalize my body and cells and bring it to its fullest, most purest healthiest form.

After this lifestyle becomes apart of me, then I can enjoy. Work comes first, play comes second.

Oh, and I've done this diet plan for 2 days now.. the green smoothies are very tolerable. I can barely stomach eating a salad, but drinking it with the slight taste of fruit makes it very easy.

Thanks for your time and good luck with your goals..

[Revvell]

I am eating to fuel my body and give it exactly what it needs to not only compliment my very rigorous exercise regimen, but completely revitalize my body and cells and bring it to its fullest, most purest healthiest form.


Me too but I would never resort to doing all THAT! How do you know EXACTLY minute to minute what your body needs in EXACT nutrients, etc.? For me, trying to figure all that adds stress which would mean more nutrients... nooooo! I'd rather relax, eat/drink a variety of fresh, raw food and enjoy life. Yet, maybe to you, that IS enjoying life. *shrugs*

Go to YouTube and check out ZenKahuna. They've been training for well over 1000 days EVERY day and don't do all that. I'm in the Mace Training Women vid.

But then, if that's what you feel to do.... have at it.... yet, you did ask for advice. If you're stuck on what you're doing...

[sport]

I think that you will be successful. You do it any way you want. What matters is that you do it and be prepared to make changes as you go along.
I think that you will need a change of texture before long so maybe you should plan to make a few crackers.
I also think that ice cream is a texture change even if it is still fruit. It just feels different.
Also consider some avocado. It feels different and is very filling.
The reason that everyone suggest having more fun with your food is that you have a better chance of sticking with raw if you are enjoying it. Cooked food is addictive and it will start calling you back after a while.

[rawrawks]

OOOOOOOO I sooo love the freedom of raw life! I never counted a thing or wrote down a thing I have been very successfully rawkin for two years!

Yes do it how you want, you will succeed.

[myrkur]

Thank you Sport for your advice.

I already know I will become sick of this gooey texture very soon. I will need to purchase a dehydrator, and figure out how to make flaxseed or other seed crackers from scratch. Raw avocado is something I am new to, and have never really indulged in until just recently.

I am well aware of the fact that if you enjoy the raw diet you're eating, it will be very easy to stick with. I will be fine tuning my diet everyday and mastering the art of creating variety in the raw food. I have plenty of patience and understand that I won't truly enjoy it until I have mastered it. All it takes is a bit of time.

[T-Bird]

That's a lot of bananas!

I try to not have too too much of one thing - excpet fresh seasonal fruit, like when cherries are in season.....yeah.....cherries:p

Bananas are great, but as sport suggested, maybe change out some B's for the A's...((avocado)). I love me the quacasmothie...like quacamole, but in the blender with some water....

I would also rotate those veggies rather than having the same in each smoothie....maybe one day do kale, then next spinach, etc......

Makes shopping easier too - shop what's on sale, in season, and fresh.

Good luck in your "iron man" adventures!

[sport]

I know that you are going to make it because I can feel your determination.
Good Luck.

[Blazin'Jane]

I appreciate that you are an athlete training hard and are used to monitoring calories, energy levels, rest, etc. More power to you! If you don't know them, two authors you might like are Douglas Graham, DC, and Brendan Brazier, triathlete, ultra-marathoner. Graham has several books, one of which is Nutrition and Athletic Performance. He says, among other things that bananas are an endurance athlete's best friend. Brazier's book is Thrive which I am not as fond of. Nonetheless, he makes some good points. You do sound very committed, and I agree that that commitment can see you through the beginning weeks on this new plan. That said, I echo the unanimous cheer from earlier posts to relax, eat what you want and trust your body to grow stronger, which it undoubtedly will on a RAW diet. Good luck!!

[anniez]

I agree that you need Alissa's book. The more you get into raw the more your body will tell you what it needs. It may be rough at first as you detox, but hang in there! Good luck.

Annie

[Suz58]

I think its a great idea to have a simple basic diet plan. You can start with just that and then branch out as and when you feel like it. Its easy to be come overwhelmed with so many new recipes so its good to have a base that you know will provide your dietary needs. Have fun with it and let us know how it goes.