Brand new and from a food abusive home.

[aspie_and_proud]

Hi,

My name is Samantha, I am 22 years old and I grew up in an abusive home (not just food-wise). I am autistic (Asperger's), but currently undiagnosed, because I learned of it AFTER having lost insurance. I did my research on it for 2 years before I "self diagnosed." Besides that I have a slew of mental health problems from severe agoraphobia (housebound) to depression to anxiety (and panic attacks), which is genetic in my father's side of the family (as well as the autism). Besides my parents being drug users and alcoholics, they are also extremely manipulating, emotionally abusive and taught me literally no life lessons growing up. So growing up was hard enough with being autistic, but my family life made it much worse. My "family" never sat around at a table to eat and neither of my parents cooked really, so I grew accustomed to eating out and fast food, while vegetables and fruits were scarce growing up. I only just recently started learning how to cook, but have found that my autism makes it very difficult, because my learning process is - well, complicated. I know a lot of you may know little about High Functioning Autism/Asperger's, but I came here wanting a safe and friendly environment to talk and not be judged, so thank you in advance.

I want to break the cycle and I want to be healthy. Last year I was put on medication that made me gain 30 pounds in a month and a half and it has done a lot of damage to my self image (and it wasn't even that great before), but has also made me realize how unhealthy I am. The microwave was the only tool I knew how to use and I ate junk food even before the weight gain from meds. I started hearing about juicing 2 months ago and was absolutely inspired. But I am brand new and literally know NOTHING about it. As we speak, though, I am taking the first step by ordering "Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices - Dr. N.W. Walker! :) And in two weeks I am going to purchase a juicer (not before I do research though).

It is going to take a lot to discipline myself, but I hope I gain lots of information and support from these forums. If anyone can give me beginner tips about EVERYTHING on juicing, or direct me to anywhere that can, I would much appreciate it! Nice to meet everyone. :)

[trenchchic]

Nice to meet you too! You'll get a lot of support here. I'm so glad you found the raw food lifestyle.

[Living Food]

Nice to meet you too :) I think you'll find a lot of friends here.

As for juicing, there are two main types of juicers out there - centrifugal and masticating (same say that twin-gear, or triturating, juicers are a third type, but I classify them as masticating for simplicity). Juicers also come in both automated (electrical) and manual versions.

Centrifugal juicers tend to oxidize juice much more rapidly then masticating juicers, which results in greater nutrient loss and less healthful juice. Drinking juice from centrifugal juicers is still far better then not juicing, though. If that's all you can get, go for it. (Single gear) Masticating juicers cause far less oxidation and preserve more nutrients, as well as extracting more juice from the fruit/veggie (more bang for your buck). Twin-gear juicers extract the most juice and cause the least oxidation, but generally cost the most.

More on the different types of juicers: http://www.harvestessentials.com/whatjuicisri.html
http://www.bestjuicers.com/juicertypes.html
http://www.juicingandrawfoods.com/types-of-juicers.html
Walker's books should also be a good resource.

What to juice?

Just about any fruit or veggie. Certain ones are more detoxifying then others, certain ones are more nutritious, etc. Juice a wide variety of fruits and veggies for the best nutrition. It's my belief that fruit should be juiced in moderation, due to the high sugar content and the fact that the juice has virtually no fiber, but many people have thrived on juicing regimens very high in fruit. Experiment to see what works best for you.

No talk about juicing would be complete without discussing wheatgrass juice; wheatgrass is the young wheat plant that is planted in trays and "harvested" 6-10 days later, when it is a few inches tall. There's lots of information on this forum and elsewhere online about growing wheatgrass if it interests you...wheatgrass juice is one of the most nutritious and cleansing things you can possible consume. So much so, in fact, that you need to start with just 1-2 oz a day and work your way up to higher doses, increasing the dosage by about 1 oz/week.

Another great food that you can grow yourself for juicing is alfalfa sprouts. The reason that I'm mentioning foods that you grow yourself is that that they're infinitely higher in enzymes, vitamins, minerals, other phytonutrients and vital lifeforce (if you're new to the concept of food containing life energy, just trust me on this) then what you can get in the supermarket, which was probably picked weeks ago and grown in nutrient-deficient soil. If you can't grow some sprouts or grass for whatever reason, juicing is still a great way to improve your health (one of the best).

And now for some unsolicited advice *smile*

I know that you asked specifically about juicing, but I think you need some serious detoxification in general. See this post of mine for more details: http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?68034-Green-Smoothie-detox-fast-suggestions-tips-please-help!&p=692149&highlight=#post692149 The part about chlorophyll also explains why juicing greens is so important.

From hearing about your background, it seems like it would be a good idea for you to look into techniques that can eliminate stress/traumas (which have very negative impacts on your health, often without you realizing their existence). Two of the best techniques are Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Thought Field Therapy (TFT).

By the way, stay away from microwaves - all food cooked in them literally becomes toxic.

P.S - I don't know much about Asperger's, but general autism IS curable. More on that later if you're interested.

[Traceyraw]

Welcome. Take it one day at a time. Start by eating as many fresh fruits and vegetable as you can. As for juicing look up the recipes in the fasting thread. You have to experiment to find the ones you like. If you don't like it chances are you won't drink it. Good Luck.

[Aleesha Sattva]

I agree. Keep your foods simple and your juices simple as well. I find that if you keep your juices to 3 or less ingredients at first that you'll make better juices. The more ingredients the more complicated the flavours and it's harder to make it again if you did like it.

So... keep it simple and smile lots. Welcome to the forum!!! :hug

[Mary Kay]

Nice to meet you Samantha. You've gotten some really great advice already. Here's my two cents.

I assume money may be tight and these two machines are the best "bang for your buck" and will enable you to make quick smoothies and juices. A smoothie contains the whole fruit/vegetable and contains fiber, whereas with juice, the fiber is extracted. IMO these are the least expensive options that are best:

Juicer - Samson. It is a masticating juicer, is easy to clean, is a little slow, but slow and steady wins the race, IMO. Cost about $200 - $220. I could get you one for prob $200. I am not a dealer, just someone who got a bunch of people together (we have a farm/retail store) so I ordered a bunch and now am considered a distributor.) I think my cost is probably about $180 or $190. But I'm not telling you this one because I want to sell you one. I believe it.

Blender: The cheapest one that is above being a "toy" is the new Nutri Bullet. It's around $120. If that is too expensive, then a Magic Bullet (around $45 at Bed Bath and Beyond with a coupon) or a Tribest personal blender cost? $30 - 40.....would work well to hold you over. I know a woman who lost 20 lbs with my buying her a Magic Bullet and getting her started growing wheatgrass and juicing it with a one gallon paint strainer $1.50.

If you're totally tight on money, and want to get started right away, you can get a Magic Bullet, or something like the Tribest personal blender and a nylon mesh paint strainer bag at a paint store - all for under $50. Then save up your money for a better one later.

Also look for food processors and dehydrators at garage sales. The dehydrator needs to have a thermostat though. You can find lots of them for about $5, but they don't have a thermostat and this is important if you want to eat anything dehydrated raw.

Good luck on your journey. Pls take some "before" pictures ---and we'll be looking for your befores and afters!

Mary Kay

[MysticTree]

Lots of us here are various degrees of aspergers (diagnosed and undiagnosed) and it is possible to be raw and happy. Being organised and just "doing raw" is the best advice I can give. If you are doing it then you are raw and it is less complicated in the home setting than cooking is - are you in your own place now? If you want to make recipes you can but simply eating raw foods is a good start. It can be a bit harder to do if you eat out much but still doable and if you get Alissa's book/s there are lots of coping techniques and strategies to help you. You can get these books from the link by the lettuce at the top or you can sometimes get them from libraries and second hand from amazon etc.

[aspie_and_proud]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and welcomes. :)

Well, I should probably say first that I don't think I will be able to grow any foods (probably for some years). I also am completely ignorant on growing vegetables, fruits and etc. I have a friend who juices with his mom and he has lost 20 pounds in a month. They buy their fruits and vegetables from the grocery store, so that will probably have to do.

Thanks, Living Food. I will definitely look into EFT and TFT when I can. :)

I bought "Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices" by N.W. Walker recently and have just started reading that as well.

I tried eating the vegetables and fruits, but honestly I found it very overwhelming and I couldn't keep up with it. I feel juicing will be much simpler to get me started - especially for weight loss and lack of energy all the time. I have to force myself out of bed most days and sometimes I sleep 7-8 (even 9-10) and never feel I got enough sleep. :/ I even find I don't have the energy to lift my arms. o_o

Interesting. Do you need a garden to grow wheat grass??

And yes, money is tight. I live in a little house with my fiance. We're not extremely poor, but not exactly stable right now. He also wants to try juicing, because he is like me - always tired.

What will the purpose of the food processor be? Sorry, if that is a dumb question. Lol. Oh! And I have also found that I don't like the texture of smoothies (i.e. the thickness).

I am a bit confused on the juicer types.. Masticating and twin gear are probably the best, though, right?

Ahhh.. I feel like my brain is malfunctioning and filled with questions. Lol. What is a dehydrator??

I will try on the pictures.. I am not very photogenic. Hehe. ^//^

And I will definitely look into the book by the lettuce. :)

[Living Food]

Interesting. Do you need a garden to grow wheat grass??

No, you can grow it in trays filled with soil.


I am a bit confused on the juicer types.. Masticating and twin gear are probably the best, though, right?


And I have also found that I don't like the texture of smoothies (i.e. the thickness).

You can add water to get the thickness you desire.


What is a dehydrator??

A device that you can use to dehydrate foods at fairly low temperatures so that the enzymes and other nutrients remin intact. Not necessary, but some people like making foods like raw chips, raw pizza, raw bread, etc.

Yup.

[delmar]

Samantha
I too ended up here looking for juicing info after watching the Fat Sick and Nearly Dead video. I do like juicing, but I have gravitated even toward sprouting because I find it so easy. Also you could get started sprouting much cheaper, because all you need to get started is a couple of glass jars, some screen (or a pair of nylons) and some seeds. Clover is my favorite, but I sprout a lot of millet because it is just about the cheapest food in the world, aside for harvesting weed seeds.

[Living Food]

I do like juicing, but I have gravitated even toward sprouting because I find it so easy.

The magic starts happening when you start juicing your sprouts. Juicing is good, sprouting is great, juicing sprouts is AMAZING! Add a little wheatgrass and some microgreens and you'll never go back to mere vegetables.

[SunshineMN]

Welcome to the site! Lots of good advice to get you started. Don't be afraid of asking questions, everyone needs help in the beginning. :)

I too will chime in with sprouting. It's really cheap and easy to do. There is a forum here on gardening and sprouting, but we talk about sprouting in the main forum as well. Sprouts are really nutritious and they are easy to eat, just throw them in a salad, or like Living Food says, juice them. We have a manual juicer we really love. It does lemons, limes, oranges and pineapple really well. It's a wheatgrass juicer so we're all ready for that too when we can start trays indoors.

[Traceyraw]

I just got a manual juicer for wheatgrass. I am still waiting for the rest of my stuff to arrive. The manual juicer I got is called the Healthy Juicer. Its around $50. It would be good for somebody just starting out who doesn't have alot to spend on a juicer. It mascicates the items. I did try sprouts and it wrings them dry.

[Living Food]

I use a manual juicer too; they cause very little oxidation compared to the other ones available.

[SunshineMN]

That's the one that we have. Nice to know it does well on sprouts. Next goal for us is microgreens and wheatgrass.

[delmar]

If you don't like it chances are you won't drink it. Good Luck. That is going to vary from person to person. I grew up as a fat kid who didn't like vegetables much. Turns out I didn't like cooked vegetables! When it comes to juice I can drink anything and I don't mind so much about the taste, I can drink it down if I don't have to chew to swallow it. The texture of cooked vegies, it turns out was my main issue.

[Yon Little Pig]

Samantha, you did good to order that book by Norman Walker. My copy, many years old, is in shreds from reading it just for basic nutritional info. I don't bother with his strict juicing formulas, though they sound good. From reading his book I understand why I am attracted to certain juices and others, less.

Best to you! I keep going in fits & starts but feel encouraged now.

[MysticTree]

Delmar, can you even do cucumber juice? I love cucumber but not juiced!

[CaiHong]

Hi and welcome Samantha,

so glad you have decided to take control of your eating. good for you.



I bought an Angel twin gear masticating juicer and I must say this has to be the best juicer ever.

The juice does not separate or oxidize.
It is pricey. If I couldn't afford one I would go with the hand juicer mentioned by other posters.

All the best.

CaiHong