Tons of questions

[Ehren Lowers]

I have been raw a week. I started raw to lose weight, but after the research want to be raw so that I am healthier and disease free.

My question/statements are:

1)I get a lot of stuff from supermarkets. I try to get mostly organic, but some is not. Im going with something better than nothing on that, but am I wrong?

2) I have lost 10 lbs, most of which was from a heavy SAD. McDonalds is right around the corner, and I took advantage. Is that too much too quick?

3) The more I read, the more it looks like sprouts, wheatgrass, and blue-green algae should be a huge part of my routine. How does one incorporate that in to the diet?

4) I typically have just been eating watermelon, mango, kiwi, bananas, oranges, apples, canteloupe, honey melon, and baby carrots and brocolli. All finger foods. No blending or anything. I do enjoy huge salds with massive greens. They are the organic ones in Walmart with red and deep green leaves. I have been cheating with the dressing though. I love Newmans Light Rasberry and Walnut. (I know its not good, its my only cheat that I know of). I also consume about 10-15 almonds per day, sometimes more. Is this too many or not enough or wrong?

5) About the wheatgrass, would a blendtec blender take care of that or do I need something else. How do I consume algae and kelp? Whats the easiest way to grow wheatgrass?

6) I drink lots of water. at least 64 oz. Is that enough?

7) I haven't had a single urge to cheat (besides dressing because I haven't "made" anything yet). But I think I need to try to make some recipies. Can one get by on what I am forever? I am a lazy cook (typically spoiled male), but am willing to blend and chop, just not lots of over the top thinking. Me lazy and slow.

Im sorry if searching more would have found all this but I am really geared up and would love the answer to any or all of these questions. Again thanks for the info and the support.

Be Well

[rawdanig]

Well i can answer some:

1. Yes it's ok to buy some things non organic there's a list called the dirty dozens : http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/ i follow that when i shop as much as i can.

2. No that's not too much but then again i don't know what you look like. All i can say is the body can fluctuate in weight very drastically the first few weeks of raw as it detoxes and cleanses.

4. Your diet sounds YUMMY amazing! I find eating simply is the best especially for those lazy days as i have them too but on the weekends is when my inner chef comes out and i explore but for the weekdays there's nothing wrong with just smoothies, salads, and eating lots of fruits. Your amount of almond intake isn't bad either i think it's actually considered perfect lol

6. You drink as much water as you feel necessary. The best indicator of if your getting enough water is your urine, light yellow to almost clear is the range you want to be. Eating lots of fruits keeps you naturally hydrated on top of your 64oz i'm sure you're fine lol.

7. As far as can you eat this way for ever? Sure you can! You might get bored, so every now and then if you want to get fancy get fancy! If you want to make a dessert then do so, but eating simply is always your fall back and easy way to do raw and a lot of people eat that way. I'm trying to get to that point but i miss "cooking" so sometimes i have the urge to do fancy. Whatever works for you!

Sounds like you're off to a good start so good luck!

[Ehren Lowers]

thanks for the reply. I am 5'9" and started at 213 and I am down to 203. I am really curious about the algae and wheatgrass, and trying to incorporate that in to my diet. Are supplements sufficient or as I would guess do supplement pills rob the nutrients from eating them more "raw" or organic. I plan on eating wheatgrass as a juice, but the algae and other super-food stuff is still making my head spin.

Thanks again.

[MysticTree]

super foods and supplements are ultimately put in bottles to make someone rich. imo they are not necessary.

[speltrong]

I agree completely with Mystic regarding superfoods and supplements. Better to get your nutrition from whole live plants if you can. I am sure others here will disagree, but that's my opinion.

[Steven]

I have to agree with Mystic and speltrong on the supplements/superfood bit. The only supplements I think that should be used are vitamin B12(very easy to become deficient in due to various factors, sublinguals or intramuscular shots work best as they bipass the digestive tract) and vitamin D(D2 is vegan) if one lives in a colder climate without much sun.

[manker]

Juice your wheatgrass, if you don't have a juicer put it in your blender (I usually add in an apple or grapefruit cause I think grass would be kinda dry just for the blender to mix up into juice) you'll get a smoothie texture but just put it in a nut milk bag or cloth works too and squeeze out the juice into a bowl and there you go! I grow mine in soil but other people do on paper towel... As for the algae and supplements I want to start taking cholera but I haven't had a chance to pick up some but I believe you can just add the powder to any juice

[Nad]

So I think most your questions have been answered but I'll run through the ones I can shed some light on :)

1) Some better than none is always good. Not everyone is able to shop organic all the time, and to be honest even if you can't at all being raw and non-organic is better than being SAD.

2) 10 lbs may seem like a lot but again like Dani said your body will undergo a lot of changes while you detox and your body adjusts to a newer and cleaner way of eating.

3) I for one enjoy experimenting with different superfoods - I find them exciting/interesting if nothing else, but I'm sure you can have a perfectly balanced diet without them. I always add either one teaspoon of spirulina or wheatgrass powder to my green smoothies and I'll also sprinkle some ground flaxseeds/shelled hemp on my salads on occasion. I have a habit of buying things that intrigue me but I see how they're not for everyone. I also take a good multivitamin with B12 every day.

4) Your diet sounds great, the key with raw is to find what works best for you. Eating more simply at first might be a good idea to get your body to adjust before you start experimenting, but some people prefer to delve right in and start raw-ifying their faveourite cooked dishes - to each his own! For raw salad dressings, have a look at recipes online - there are TONS! You'd be surprised at how delicious they turn out.

5) Not sure about growing fresh wheatgrass, but I know you need a masticating juicer to juice it - and those can be pretty pricey, so I just stick to the freeze dried powder.

6) Drink as much water as you want, listen to what your body is telling you. As a rule of thumb I avoid drinking during and directly after/before meals as I find it messes with my digestion, but that's just me.

7) You could definitely get by on your current diet forever, but personally I would get bored of the same things over and over again. If you're not really up for complicated recipes etc. start small with something like a green smoothie. The combinations are endless and they're lots of fun to experiment with. Once you get comfortable with that you might want to explore some other combinations etc. A simple way to create variety is to rotate your salad veg and maybe throw some fruit in there every once in a while (strawberry+spinach = yum!)

Sorry if I've repeated what others have said but hope that helps :) happy rawking!

[Raw Angel Mom]

I have been raw a week. I started raw to lose weight, but after the research want to be raw so that I am healthier and disease free.

Then if you want fast result, do as much fresh fruits (if you do well with fruits), fresh leafy greens and herbs as possible. Eat live food like the sprout you mention, learn to grow them yourself. Do only raw gourmet to help you to transition and for intense craving

My question/statements are:

1)I get a lot of stuff from supermarkets. I try to get mostly organic, but some is not. Im going with something better than nothing on that, but am I wrong?

Check for a list of food that is somewhat ok to eat if it isn't organic. Berries, peaches etc.. is a big no no, it must be organic

2) I have lost 10 lbs, most of which was from a heavy SAD. McDonalds is right around the corner, and I took advantage. Is that too much too quick?

I lost 20 lb within one months. Do as much leafy greens you can to mineralize your body, you may want to look into a colonic therapy you will go through intense detox from eating food with very bad component in it, the colonic will help to reduce the symptom and your body. Focus on your health always. Consider to juice also. MSM if are ok with it and after researching, is great for the skin and prevent lose skin. Google and search on youtub



3) The more I read, the more it looks like sprouts, wheatgrass, and blue-green algae should be a huge part of my routine. How does one incorporate that in to the diet?

Definitely, chlorella is rich in B12 that your body cans take and it also help with heavy metal. Spirulina is high protein content. Yes, do this live food.

4) I typically have just been eating watermelon, mango, kiwi, bananas, oranges, apples, canteloupe, honey melon, and baby carrots and brocolli. All finger foods. No blending or anything. I do enjoy huge salds with massive greens. They are the organic ones in Walmart with red and deep green leaves. I have been cheating with the dressing though. I love Newmans Light Rasberry and Walnut. (I know its not good, its my only cheat that I know of). I also consume about 10-15 almonds per day, sometimes more. Is this too many or not enough or wrong?

Find recipe with dressing salad, so easy to do. Please don't use the commercial dressing, but be sure to be grateful for all your accomplishment and the good food that you put in your body. You have done a great gift for yourself and you had ate great choice of food.


5) About the wheatgrass, would a blendtec blender take care of that or do I need something else. How do I consume algae and kelp? Whats the easiest way to grow wheatgrass?

No, you need a juicer for that. Either a manual one or an nice one such a twin gear green star plus (expensive juice but i love it and it is worth every penny)


6) I drink lots of water. at least 64 oz. Is that enough?

The more fruits and whole fresh food you eat, the least thirsty you will be. The rule of tumb according to a detox program that i have done is half your body in lb change for oz. If you weight 100lb, you need 50oz of water.


7) I haven't had a single urge to cheat (besides dressing because I haven't "made" anything yet). But I think I need to try to make some recipies. Can one get by on what I am forever? I am a lazy cook (typically spoiled male), but am willing to blend and chop, just not lots of over the top thinking. Me lazy and slow.

I did 60 days perfectly fine without major appliance. Learn to do smoothie, it is easy, convenient and nutritive. Alissa sells a great DVD that teach you what to do. Dan Mcdonald came up with a new dvd that teaches you how to do recipe without appliance and food that you can find easy.

Im sorry if searching more would have found all this but I am really geared up and would love the answer to any or all of these questions. Again thanks for the info and the support.

Be Well

I want to say that i love your enthusiast and i know you are already a success. Please note that i am not a medical doctor and you need to do your own research. Wishing you all the best

[Ehren Lowers]

Thank you very much for that very informative reply.

I still have a few questions.

How do you eat green and blue-green algae.

Is it something you can juice or eat raw. It seems like it is only available in a processed form like powder or pills. In that case I would imagine that you just add it to juice or take the pills, or am I missing something. IS E3live the only way to get blue-green algae?

About the sprouts. Just add them to a salad, or do you juice or smoothie them? The sporilla and others seem to be the real secret to nutritional bliss, I really would like to start incorporating that, I just don't want to start habits that don't utilize them properly.

I'll do a weight thing here at the bottom, to clarify my weight loss goals if that helps in a reply:

Starting Weight: 213
First GW: 200
Final goal weight: 175 (with proper muscle density)



Thanks again for all the encouraging words. Reassuring me that I am on the right track gives me that much more will power to keep on track and keep focused.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

super foods and supplements are ultimately put in bottles to make someone rich. imo they are not necessary.

Not true!

Here are some very good reasons why blue-green algae is neccessaary in everyone's diet. lt's coming from two of the top health poeple in the world who have used it in clinical research. lt doesn't get better than this.

http://www.indigochild.net/a_die_indigo_kinder_blaugruene_algen.htm
http://secure.hippocratesinst.org/archives-and-articles/116-nutrition/168-algae-fresh-water-algae

Hippocrates don't sell their Chlorella to get rich. They rebrand $168 bottles chlorella (1,500 tablets) for only $68 so they can make it more affordable to families. They actually sell the patented world renowned `sun chlorella' under their own label.

Best to be open minded about these algae's. l used to be closed minded until l came across clinical research that showed that they DO work wonders. They may not be entirely natural in how they are packaged, but they work brilliantly, especially when a person is on a good diet.


l'll post some more later. Busy at the moment. Ehren Lowers: we'll have a good talk later.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

I have to agree with Mystic and speltrong on the supplements/superfood bit. The only supplements I think that should be used are vitamin B12

Contrary to popular belief, the AFA apparently does have enough of the right B12 to make a difference. Hippocrates Health lnstitute says either to take their B12 supplememnt or use the AFA, they wouldn't be saying this unless clincal research showed this to be true. Other sources say it is a reliable source of B12 too.

l am so impressed with the AFA that l bought half a kilo (big bucket) of it yesterday.

[MysticTree]

Not true!

Hippocrates don't sell their Chlorella to get rich. They rebrand $168 bottles chlorella (1,500 tablets) for only $68 so they can make it more affordable to families. They actually sell the patented world renowned `sun chlorella' under their own label.

That shows how much money is being made by those who sell the bottles at $168.00 and many more people are selling them at the higher prices. It is still less than a month's worth for a family of four if you follow the dosage on the label.

I'd be very happy to try AFA. It seems to work out at 60p a day as long as I can get either free postage or buy locally! I don't get paid yet though and I have barely enough income to eat raw food and keep the rent paid and the local tax people happy.

AFA isn't essential ... even though it may be benefical.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

That shows how much money is being made by those who sell the bottles at $168.00 and many more people are selling them at the higher prices. It is still less than a month's worth for a family of four if you follow the dosage on the label.
Yeah, not impressed about that. The `sun chlorella' has always been expensive, that's why l always bought a cheaper brand that's much harder to absorb. l even bought the liquid chlorella extract (1 liter bottle) in the mid 90's for a one off treat, it cost me a whopping $180.00...never did that again. l can now afford the best chlorella because Hippocrates have made it much much cheaper.


I'd be very happy to try AFA. It seems to work out at 60p a day as long as I can get either free postage or buy locally! I don't get paid yet though and I have barely enough income to eat raw food and keep the rent paid and the local tax people happy.
Good on you. lt's quite expensive online. l bought a bucket like container (almost half a kilo) for only $125.00 locally. lt is a 6 month supply. Shortly the price goes up to $199.00. l've still got half a bucket left in my other one, so l almost have 1 years supply. l need to source my stuff cheap otherwise l wouldn't be able to afford it.


AFA isn't essential ... even though it may be benefical.
Maybe...maybe not. We need all the help we can get in the modern age of high stress and pollution (those two nasties are big robbers of nutrition). One of the things l find is that it helps the mind to stay calm and it gives more energy. Having a sprout diet is fantastic, but having a sprout and algae diet is super-fantastic!

[MysticTree]

I take it you buy powder not capsules? I can't find capsules that are additive and animal product free that aren't uber expensive! Powder won't get used in my general eating habits.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

I take it you buy powder not capsules? Powder won't get used in my general eating habits.

l buy flakes. 97% absorbable apparently. Sprinkle it over your food, or put in smoothies, or put in a glass of water.

While you are thinking about AFA, why not start growing your own wheatgrass as well. That would make me smile from ear to ear. *winK*

l've been driving my motor vehicxle in bad tempered traffic today but l have remained a cool as a cucumber.

l start off my day with filtered energised water, then later on l drink grass juice followed immediately by AFA blue-green algae. lt always sets me up nice for the day.

Ehren Lowers; we'll talk later. lt will be lots of fun. l love talking about the grasses, weeds, sprouts and algae.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Watch this

http://www.youtube.com/user/liferegenerator#p/a/u/0/RV2R_B_p420

[MysticTree]

While you are thinking about AFA, why not start growing your own wheatgrass as well. That would make me smile from ear to ear. *winK*

lol ... I grow it for my hens!