New to Raw - Some Questions

[Raw41]

Hi, All. I'm new to this website. I've been exploring the forum and am anxious to become a participant.

I'm a 41 year old, mother of two, recently married in September 2011, and have always kept in pretty good shape with lots of exercise but eating what I want in moderation (cheese, pizza, pasta, bread, potatoes - all my favs). After my recent wedding, I eased up on the exercise and sadly, the pounds are starting to pack on. I'm 5'5" and have always been around 135 pounds. At my lowest, I was 125, which is where I'd like to get to again. I'm currently 148 pounds.

I'm on day 3 of my raw diet (but I don't like calling it a diet b/c I'm hopeful that it's a life change), and I'm already feeling FABULOUS. I have cut out all caffeine (wasn't drinking much anyway) and have only been eating raw foods. I have a few questions ...

1) I've drank a gallon of water per day for as long as I can remember and plan on continuing with that. However, I drink tap water as it would be too expensive to continually buy filtered water. Am I doing myself a huge disservice? Does it really matter?

2) My meals thus far have consisted of fresh fruits and veggies, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. A typical day has been: banana for breakfast, strawberries and an apple for a snack, cantaloupe, cucumbers and pumpkin seeds for lunch, grapes for an afternoon snack, cauliflower, strawberries and an orange for dinner. I've been full, I feel good - I'm just wondering if this is enough? Too much? My husband is concerned that I'm not getting the nutrients I need, but from everything I've read, this is not the case.

3) If I cheat every once in awhile with pizza or pasta (they really are my weaknesses), does it blow the whole point of living on a raw diet? I do want to lose weight, and I also place importance on my body being healthy (which I know it hasn't been with my SAD diet). I just feel like I will need to cheat every once in awhile, but does that ruin all the progress I've made if I do?

4) Finally, I'm curious if anyone has any experience with raw living and thyroid disease? I was diagnosed with hypothyroid after the birth of my son in 1997 and have been on a low dose of Synthroid ever since. I'm wondering if a raw lifestyle can eliminate the need for my daily meds (obviously with doctor maintenance - I wouldn't just stop on my own).

Any answers, thoughts, opinions would be appreciated.

[T-Bird]

for #1 - get a brita filter. relatively inexpensive, and good for the kids too.

[Living Food]

I've drank a gallon of water per day for as long as I can remember and plan on continuing with that. However, I drink tap water as it would be too expensive to continually buy filtered water. Am I doing myself a huge disservice? Does it really matter?

It really does matter. I would advise getting the brita filter like T-Bird said, and eventually phasing it out for a more effective one when you have the money for a really effective filter. Also, be aware that showering and swimming in pools allow more toxins into youre body then drinking even a gallon of tap water. I only swim in lakes and at beaches, and use a whole-house filtering system.


My meals thus far have consisted of fresh fruits and veggies, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. A typical day has been: banana for breakfast, strawberries and an apple for a snack, cantaloupe, cucumbers and pumpkin seeds for lunch, grapes for an afternoon snack, cauliflower, strawberries and an orange for dinner.

Just a warning, I highly doubt that the pine nuts are raw; you virtually cannot find (truly) raw nuts in the US unless you order them from sprouting websites or buy them directly from farmers.


I've been full, I feel good - I'm just wondering if this is enough? Too much? My husband is concerned that I'm not getting the nutrients I need, but from everything I've read, this is not the case.

Definitely eat more greens. Also try sprouting various seeds for some super-nutrition and super-fresh foods. From the list you gave, it sounds like you could end up being deficient in various minerals if you continue to eat like this for a long time - lots of greens will take care of that, and sprouted greens are even better if you care to try growing them.


If I cheat every once in awhile with pizza or pasta (they really are my weaknesses), does it blow the whole point of living on a raw diet? I do want to lose weight, and I also place importance on my body being healthy (which I know it hasn't been with my SAD diet). I just feel like I will need to cheat every once in awhile, but does that ruin all the progress I've made if I do?

It's what you eat all of the time that matters, not what you eat every now or then. You don't say, "Oh, well, I won't be able to exercise every day, so I'll just continue being a couch potato for the rest of my life", do you ? :D


Finally, I'm curious if anyone has any experience with raw living and thyroid disease? I was diagnosed with hypothyroid after the birth of my son in 1997 and have been on a low dose of Synthroid ever since. I'm wondering if a raw lifestyle can eliminate the need for my daily meds (obviously with doctor maintenance - I wouldn't just stop on my own).

I don't have any personal experience with it, but you can cure yourself of virtually everything with proper diet, exercise, and cleanses. When I say this, people tend to think, "Yeah, I can see how you could lower high blood pressure or help heart disease, but surely he doesn't mean it about my condition, because ". I literally mean virtually [B]any disease. On interesting note: Raw vegetables of the brassica family (including cauliflower, broccoli, kale, etc.) contain chemical compounds called goitrogens which depress thyroid function if eaten excessively, by preventing it from using iodine. On that note, you might want to think about including seaweed in your diet, becuase it is the most potent source of iodine known (and contains large quantities of virtually every mineral).

[Raw41]

Great information - thanks for your post. I'm curious when you say this ....

[QUOTE=Living Food;688181]Just a warning, I highly doubt that the pine nuts are raw; you virtually cannot find (trly) raw nuts in the US unless you order them from sprouting websites or buy them directly from farmers.[QUOTE]

The package says Pine nuts and under ingredients: raw pine nuts. I did just notice, it also says, "Made on shared equipment that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, soy, milk, eggs and wheat" on the packaging. So how do you know? Or you just have to assume they're NOT? And what does that mean - if they're not raw, they're what? Preserved? Just curious as I'm trying to make good choices. I will definitely look into sprouting my own (this will be a good project for me).

Thanks again for all the advice.

[Living Food]

By law, virtually all nuts sold in the US must be either pasteurized or treated with toxic chemicals, preumably to "sterilize" them and protect us, the poor consumer, from contaminated food. In reality, of course, the companies that sell the nuts just don't like competition, and our corrupt politicians are only too happy to oblige :mad:

The thing that truly upsets me is that the companies are still allowed to put "raw" on the label and ingredients list, although the nuts are dead. Even though the nuts aren't raw, they can still be called raw if they weren't roasted.

[BossLike]

I'm fully agreed with you

[qwerty988]

3) If I cheat every once in awhile with pizza or pasta (they really are my weaknesses), does it blow the whole point of living on a raw diet? I do want to lose weight, and I also place importance on my body being healthy (which I know it hasn't been with my SAD diet). I just feel like I will need to cheat every once in awhile, but does that ruin all the progress I've made if I do?

Learn to "cheat" everyday with delicious raw versions of the SAD dishes you love! You can have giant bowls of zucchini noodles and rich cheez or tomato sauce for breakfast every day and still feel wonderful and lose weight and nourish your body. You can make raw pizza and eat it every day. Last night I had a strawberry mylkshake for dinner.... YUM. I'm craving chocolate today so for breafkast I had a chocolate spinach smoothie and for lunch i'm having a big bowl of chocolate/avocado pudding, DELISH!

When you give yourself permission to enjoy healthy raw versions of the "wicked" foods you love, it's EASY to stay raw!

The diet you describe sounds fine, but I personally could not go for very long eating mostly fruit every day. Especially when you're just starting out!

[Traceyraw]

I got a ZEN filter from amazon.com for about $52.00. Its five stage it removes chlorine and remineralizes the water. It tastes really good.

If you are having cravings for pasta eat more fruit during the day.

Try to find DONANDCATHY. She is on the forum with the same condition. Good luck.