Has dehydrating helped you stay raw?

[SkinniMinni]

I've posted before about having some troubles staying raw and wondered if using a dehydrator might help me stay raw. I notice the SAD cooked food I do eat (non-raw) seems to be crunchy carb stuff like crackers or breads. I don't miss meat at all, and have a high intake of fruit and greens (and green smoothies). I don't eat too many nuts/seeds because of the fat content. What I do miss is bread, crackers or a cookie now and then.

I just wondered if purchasing a dehydrator helped anyone stay on raw (and lose weight too)? Although I know some raw foodists stay away from dehyrated food when trying to lose weight, isn't dehydrated food better than cooked SAD?

[mongomango]

I think it probably would help! I have a friend who struggles and I have sent him blessings raw cookies and various other things...and to him they are a lifesaver and they can taste close enough to cooked to fool ya!

Good luck!

[StudentforLife]

You know, everyone is different. I don't think people should frown upon people who feel they need to dehydrate to successfully make the raw transition. I mean, you'd be doing it with the best intentions. Not everyone is lucky enough to just be happy jumping into basic raw.

I know that I will be buying a dehydrator soon. I will practice discipline with it and not use it every day though. I think it will help especially with winter right around the corner.

[Nini]

It has helped me stay raw, but has really s-l-o-w-e-d my weight loss down. In fact, it stopped. I lost 65 lbs. in 6 months and haven't lost any the last 3.

I don't know if weightloss is a concern to you.

Nini

[rawbeliever]

yep, it has definitely helped me stay raw. I dry eggplant slices in it, and they come out tasting like sweet, slightly chewy chips. It's a great snack. Using the dehydrator probably HAS slowed my weight loss down, though, and I only use it maybe twice a week for "treats." I try to keep my fat calories under 20% a day, so I don't make anything really fancy in it...at the moment. But I'm still losing about 1.5 lbs per week, and I have about 25 more to go. Plus...the dehydrator is FUN. :)

[madmel]

For me the dehydrator was the best decision ever - not only because of raw foods but because it really is a versatile appliance.

I don't think you will automatically gain weight just because you dehydrate things - you just have to be as cautious as with all other heavier foods like nuts or avos. I love my onion bread and crackers or the fruit leathers, but I monitor my intake. The same I do with nuts and avos, otherwise I would just indulge, indulge and, well, indulge

[cactus]

Hi there

Ive been raw for a while now and I started having no knowledge other than Alissas book, which contains loads of dehydrated recipes, I followed it exactly at the start but as I became confident I came up with my own way of doing things, I found that I didn't need as much of the heavy things in summer but used the dehydrator lots more in winter, Ive lost several stone over this time but with out concentrating on it, when I just listened to how my body felt and what it needed, over time my eating adjusted, Ive heard people for and against the dehydrator but for me it was an important part of helping me stick to raw because when I was feeling fragile or tempted I had things I could eat that resembled the cooked food I wanted, once I was past that I seemed to go back to a simpler form of eating, so to me, yes the dryer has been a huge help,
every person is different, both the way they think and the way their body reacts to certain foods, thats why I think we each have to try and find what works for us and be intune with your own body :)

[vgloveforlife]

Yes it does help. Flax crackers with macadamia or cashew cheese can really get any cooked craving.

[Dimond]

I don't have a dehydrator, but dehydrated foods among other prepared raw foods are what has kept me raw. I recently have cut back on them because I no longer need as much.

[Linda1970]

Yes, it has helped me stay raw and I think it will help you too, based on what you have written Dehydrated food is soooooooo much better than cooked.

[SkinniMinni]

Thanks for your responses!

I do have about 40lbs left to lose (I lost 85 in the last year the typical diet/exercise route, but since have gained 20lbs back after "trying" to eat more normally - therein started my raw journey!).

I'm in Canada and we don't have access to really any packaged raw foods (crackers etc.) so really there are not a lot of options other than simple raw, or just dehydrating your own.

I just worry that adding dehydrated food will hinder my weight loss, mind you the off and on raw foods certainly isn't helping either!

[Regen]

Onion bread and buckwheat cereal alone have made the purchase worthwhile. The first time I tried raw was in the summer and was fine until the days got colder. This time, I have warm breads and soups and burger-tpe things. It's much easier. I know they aren't as sound choices as salads but I'd rather stay raw with dehydrated stuff than eat cooked.

[Tangerina]

YES!! though for me it is because cooking and food prep are huge hobbies for me and I just couldn't get into a diet that doesn't let me do fancy things with food and the dehydrator opens up so many options.... I am really early in my journey and I don't know if it will hinder my weight loss, but the sorts of things I want to make in it still aren't as heavy as things like avo and nuts... I am more into the grain based items and just making "roasted" veggies... but, time will tell, stuff does get more concentrated when it is dehyudrated.... hmmm... a lot of people talk about how they started out eating all sorts of heavy look a like food and then transitioned to a really simple diet... I wonder if that will ever happen for me because it would mean giving up a lot of the food prep I do every day for fun.... hmmmm

[SkinniMinni]

Thanks guys - you've inspired me and I've ordered a dehyrator from alissa. I'm mostly interested in trying out the cracker/cookie receipes and some of the veggie chips look fantastic.

I'm hoping atleast when I want to go on a "cracker binge" - atleast this time it will be raw crackers and not SAD junk.

I think my mistake has been going too strict right out of the gate (no oils/nuts etc.) trying to keep the fat down and the cravings have lead me to going off raw. Perhaps thats a lesson for newbie raws, to give yourself permission to have some nuts, and some healthy fats. After a year of SAD dieting it's been tricky to accept that eating some nuts won't make me balloon. What I have found interesting is transitioning off meat has been easy (and I used to do the whole low-carb thing) I don't crave or miss it at all.

[Trinity]

I use mine for burgers, nuts and flax breads. It really saved my as I transition to 100% raw. Almost there, 98%, but that 2% seems like a big leap. This will be my first winter raw, so we'll see how much I use my friend:) I've lost 20lbs, eating avos, nuts, veg, salads, fancy dishes, dehydrated meals, you name it. I think when you make the switch your body is so happy. Don't stress, enjoy:)