Detox?

[veganman]

I agree with you about the kombucha -- routinely drinking mold and sugar isn't so great. I'm wondering about your focus on probiotics and digestion -- taking probiotics and enzymes AND drinking rejuvelac seems like it may be overkill. Have you had digestive problems?

I often get bloated, so I started researching and found that rejuvelac was supposed to be good for that and healthy, as well. I figure, with everything in our environment, you can't have too much probiotics in your intestine!

About Brian Clement - are there any books by him you recommend?

[RawTruth]

You might consider starting out with just one -- or none -- to give your body time to adapt to the raw and living foods. It needs to be allowed to begin healing. And, as you begin getting more in touch with it, you can see what happens with additions and adjustments after a while.

I don't know how you're taking them, and you probably already know this, but, for healing, the enzymes should be taken on an empty stomach. Regardless, it should be 20-30 minutes before a meal rather than with it or after it. (This was confirmed in recent talks with/by Brain Clement)

I hope you're not offended by me focusing on this, but, man, you are ingesting a lot of probiotic/enzymes, and I just have feeling that even though it may seem counter-intuitive, that may be a bit too much right now.

Ummmm ... the Optimal Foods book is good, but I've heard that his newer one is great. Haven't read it yet. I'd suggest The China Study if you haven't already read it. It's fantastic. And, very recent and research-based.

[dreamrawalwz]

Maybe I missed it, but are you just starting out 100% raw? If you are you need to give your body time to heal. I think in your case it may be best to eat as simple as you can (Water based foods and not recipes) to let yourself cleanse. Some people don't do well with sprouted grains at all and definitely not cooked ones. Thye can make some depressed and anxious (i know they did for me). If you are wanting more fats try avocado and olive oil maybe instead of nuts?

[veganman]

Maybe I missed it, but are you just starting out 100% raw? If you are you need to give your body time to heal. I think in your case it may be best to eat as simple as you can (Water based foods and not recipes) to let yourself cleanse. Some people don't do well with sprouted grains at all and definitely not cooked ones. Thye can make some depressed and anxious (i know they did for me). If you are wanting more fats try avocado and olive oil maybe instead of nuts?

I haven't eaten oils in 20 years, as I don't think they body needs that degree of refinement.

My concern right now is making sure I get enough calories. It seems like, although greens are the most important component of our diet, the calories are going to be in the fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, coconuts, and avocadoes. Legumes and grains are often viewed as transitional foods and not as health promoting as the other categories. However, the other categories are either high fat or high sugar. I am in a bit of a quandary as to the best course of action. That and I am not very hungry and am not eating more than 1000 - 1500 calories. I just don't want to eat too much high sugar (although natural) fruit or gain fat. I find when I eat more fat, I gain fat.

Thanks for letting me ramble...

[RawTruth]

That and I am not very hungry and am not eating more than 1000 - 1500 calories. I just don't want to eat too much high sugar (although natural) fruit or gain fat. I find when I eat more fat, I gain fat.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but .... the most important question here is: are you saying you gain weight from eating fats when you're eating all raw? If it's when you're eating cooked, well ... eating all raw is a completely different animal than even eating 95% raw (Hmmmm ... I seem to be stuck in the animal kingdom tonight - horse, etc. -- aw, never mind . I recall you saying you'd been raw for a while before. Alissa explains this really well -- when we begin eating raw, we need not count calories, look at food groups, carbs, etc.. In other words, we leave that old paradigm back in the cooked food world where it belongs. I know this is a biiiiiiig stretch for some of us. (My addition: this applies unless there is a SERIOUS health condition - life-threatening, or if one is morbidly obese.) Her discourse on it in her book ... and on this forum at various times in the past 1-1/2 years before she got so busy ... is very clear and simple. This is at the beginning -- which may be 3 months, 6 months, a year. It varies depending on each person. But!!! The most important factor in my students when they're not doing so well beginning raw is that they're not eating enough. If you could post what you're actually eating, you could get some very specific feedback. (Here or in a private email.) But -- the easiest is to get Alissa's book!

[veganman]

RawTruth -

thanks for your patience and sticking with me on this.

Yesterday -

AM - 2 apples, 1/2 cup dehydrated buckwheat sprouts (thanks to the suggestions on this forum - yummy!), 1 scoop raw Hemp protein

lunch - salad (lettuce, carrots, 2 cups lentil sprouts, 1 Tbsp ground flax)

Mid afternoon snack - 10 flax crackers

Dinner - 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk, 1 bunch broccoli, 3 bowls of salad (lettuce, bell pepper, @ 1/2 cup sunflower seeds)

Today -

AM - 2 apples, 1/2 cup soaked brown rice, 1 scoop raw Hemp

lunch - same

no snack (I find a snack sometimes causes me to have no appetite for dinner)

dinner - 3 carrots, 1 celery, large salad with avocado dressing.

Last weekend -

AM - smoothie (2 kiwis, 5 strawberries, 1 apple), Perfect Food, Hemp
Late AM - smoothie (2 bananas, bunch of kale, 1 apple, 3 celery)

Dinner - salad with 2 cups lentils

Dessert - 1/4 cup soaked almonds w/ 2 dried apricots and 2 cacao beans

Okay - that should give you an idea. I plan to get Alissa's book soon, I have just read so many (Gabriel Cousens, Rawsome, Raw Food Real World, The Complete Raw Book, to name just a few), that I wasn't sure if there was more it could tell me.