Tricks of the Trade

[Lea_t_singer]

Does anyone have any tricks that helped them curb cravings ~~ lose weight faster ~~ or maybe a great exercise routine that complemented the raw food lifestyle? ~~ Maybe some quick, easy recipies that are yummy too, yeah? ;)

[Lea_t_singer]

Does anybody know if sprouted rice, lentils, and stuff like that is healthy and helpful for losing weight? Thankx

[Arky]

Does anyone have any tricks that helped them curb cravings


1) Ensure you maintain a sensible calorie intake (even if you are trying to lose weight). Failure to do so will only result in cravings leading to possible binging which won't help you lose weight at all. On a raw diet, you have a few options available to consume good calorie levels:

a) Sugar - e.g. fructose (natural fruit sugars from eating fruit)

b) Fat - e.g. avocados, but please note that eating too high a proportion of fat in one's diet can impede one's insulin response. Coconut oil, according to Bruce Fife ('The Coconut Oil Miracle'), is less devisive in this regard, but one should still consume fat only in moderation. That being said, avocados, coconuts (and their oil), flax seed (I recommend consuming this freshly ground, not commercially-ground, and not as just oil-minus-the-fibre), nuts and seeds are all very healthy, important, and beneficial elements of a raw diet when eaten in sensible proportions on a regular basis.

c) Starches - e.g. sprouted grains, sweet potatoes etc. These aren't necessarily the swiftest to digest (fruit is very swiftly digested), however starchy foods exhibit less of a propensity to cause blood sugar/insulin 'spikes', which is an important consideration for some people (myself included).


2) Avoid excessive sugar intake (including fructose, although the fibre in fruits will slow down sugar absorption to some degree) - excessive sugar intake can lead to blood sugar imbalances (I'm not saying it will, but it can) which may lead to mood swings and binge behaviour. Although nowhere near as bad as refined sugar, do not let anyone fool you into believing that honey and fructose are not subject to the same cautions as sugar in general - they ARE still sugars - healthy in moderation, but to be treated with caution and respect. Also note that excess sugar consumption is associated with a general leaching of minerals from the body, which must be compensated for (through high green-leafy intake, for example) if associated problems are to be avoided.


3) Eat plenty of dark leafy greens - they are very 'balancing' to one's constitution and help ward off cravings. They also contain a high level of minerals which will, in itself, help to satisfy the body's needs for nutrients.


Please note, though, the distinction here, between calories and nutrients. While both are essential, they are not one and the same. A good book on this is Joel Fuhrman's Eat To Live, wherein he discusses the concept of 'nutrient density' of foods. I strongly recommend you read this book. Fuhrman is an extremely level-headed doctor and has a huge list of successful patients (he is a renowned NYC cardiologist, incidentally).

Lastly, it is of paramount importance, both for good nutrition and to avoid boredom and bingeing, that you ensure a broad spectrum of food intake. Don't be afraid to try new fruits and vegetables. You needn't have something different each and every day but you can vary every few days, if you find that more economical (i.e. buy a crate of vegetables at a time, finishing each crate before buying a crate of something different, and so on).

I do appreciate that you wish to lose weight, and that you probably feel that the sooner you lose it the better, but please be realistic and HONEST with yourself - if you disrespect your body's needs, it will only lead to counter-productive cravings and possibly even ill-health.

Take into account the above factors and the process should be less traumatic.


I wish you well. Good luck.

HTH.

J.

[deedub]

My experience is that I did not worry so much about too much fat or too much sugar or really anything. I concentrate on what I can eat or make for myself to eat. I am a person that can cook but perfered not to. So I love the idea of being able to make something without having to cook it. For me dehydrating is mostly out of the question. I got on jags, when I first started 5 months ago I ate a lot of nori wraps, sometimes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I ate nuts for snacks, btw I just noticed that I am eating less nuts but more avocado. I eat fruit for breakfast most days. Even when I was cooked I liked to make my own salad dressings so I still get a kick out of that. I love to make marinara sauce with zuchini noodles. I eat a lot of salads cause they are easy and fast. I read a lot of books on raw as well as health and nutrition. I also look things up on the net. I keep as open a mind as I can. I really belief that the body is a miraculous creation and that when I listen for my inner guidance I am "lead to green pastures."
Namaste

[AutumnBreezColordLeavz]

Cooking for your family and ONLY YOU ARE eating RAW-
Here is a suggestion if you must cook for them.... FIRST 1st- YOU EAT YOUR RAW FOODS TILL YOUR FULL, THEN PREPARE AND COOK THEIR MEAL. If you want to eat alittle something while they are eating, eat close to full and leave the remaining of your plate or make a smoothy to have while they are eating if you want to have this family eating time together. Only a suggestion from my own learnings. Still learning and working out the cravings, but seem to do best when not around the cooked stuff. Cravings for sweets and things seem to not taunt me the same as warmed foods. That is when warm herbal tea comes in.

[Elizrawbeth]

Take a look at some of the Zone diet principles. His is a blood sugar diet, not a raw diet, but you can take some of those principles and apply them very easily with the raw diet and avoid the cravings. His diet focuses on balancing blood sugar in the body while maintaining "healthy" (albeit not raw) diet. You can get it at the library.

[Arky]

With the greatest of respect, Elizrawbeth, the Zone diet simply does not add up, calorically - it's creator has been publicly humiliated on this point many times over, yet his books keep on selling, unfortunately. I sincerely suggest you read Joel Fuhrman's scathing critique of the Zone Diet, in the book 'Eat To Live', which I mentioned above. It is a real eye-opener :eek:


J.

[Ariannah]

My latest trick is deep green smoothies! The chlorophyll in the greens, served in megadoses, curbs cravings like you wouldn't believe.

My favorite is watermelon, banana, and kale. I like using watermelon because I dislike adding water to smoothies, and the melon waters it down naturally. My children just had some with their dinner, and they love it.

It's easy, natural, and quick. I also cook for my family, and I don't even get tempted.

So, for me the basic composition is...

A high-water fruit
A lower water fruit like a banana
Handful after handful of deep leafy greens.

[Jackie1995]

What great posts!

This is one reason why I love this board: intelligent responses to real questions. Arky, you're very detailed, and I've learned a LOT from your various posts!

Thanks to everyone for the chance to learn something new.
Jackie

[ReneeSC]

First suggestion: Relax

Second: You're not in a contest with anyone but yourself ( if you're at all competing with anyone )

Third: If you find something is not working for you - seek to ammend it immediately. Your body is telling you something is wrong.

Watch your metabolism: It is sometimes recommended to trick your metabolism into higher gear by doing something completely different: Some fast for a day once a week ( a different day each week, maybe ), others will load up on something more "fatty".. or the opposite "more watery".
If your body has begun to stabilize, you might consider not eating when your body just isn't hungry, rather than force feeding it in the beginning of detox and insulin transfer.

If you feel ill at any time - rest.