Words from Alissa

[Alissa]

I never say that you can eat whatever you want as long as its raw, forever! I say in the book that the first month or two eat whatever you want. I wont go into all of why here as its in my book but basically so your body can get used to this radically (for most people) different diet, so you can learn how to make things and how easy it is and so when you start to eat simply you can walk into the kitchen after a couple of weeks of eating only fruits and veggies and say ‘hey im starving but I know how to whip up a date nut tort within 5 minutes” instead of saying, jeez this diet is boring and there is nothing to make so im headed out for pizza because I never taught myself how to do it.
It’s so funny to me that people think they can go on this diet and never take the time to teach themselves how to do it. Even on the atkins or mcdougle plan you have to read the book and learn how to do it!
But people give raw a week while eating fruits and veggies and then say, ‘oh this is boring, this doesn’t taste good, this is too hard’. This is why I wrote the book and why my book is different. It teaches you how to do it. At least get my DVD. I made that specifically for people like you! It shows you how to do this easily and quickly.

If your only looking for weight loss and that’s ALL, you can do that eating anything. Eat donuts three times a day and nothing else and im sure you’ll lose weight. Look at that sub guy… I forget what company that is, jarod is his name I think. He lost weight eating subs everyday. He looks pale as a ghost, very unhealthy, but hey, he’s thin. So you may drop dead from eating Twinkies 3 times a day and nothing else but at least you’ll be skinny.

In my book I say how at first to eat anything and get used to this way of eating. Most people will find that even when doing that they will lose weight but you may have to adjust that as you go along especially if you don’t have much to lose. You can still eat the desserts, meals and snacks but obviously eating almond with your morning smoothie, nuts in a big raw meal at lunch, nuts again for a snack, a salad with a nut base dressing and a dessert at night is too much. But people go to the extreme and cut out all nuts. There is a balance and everyone is different. And there is a huge difference between cooked fats and raw fats, tons of information out there on that, too much to go into here but let me know if you cant find it and ill come up with it. Actually if any of you haven’t read the China Study you need to get it. Especially if your asking these questions about the difference between fats.
I would say your not eating enough to lose weight and if your not 100% raw then all this is a mute point anyway. Now please don’t scream at me about not being ok with 80 percent raw, if your doing it and feel great then all the more power to you. But if you’re needing to cut fats to a minimum and watch every morsel of food but are still eating cooked food then that is why. When your not 100% raw and still eating tons of nuts and fats and think your going to lose weight. That’s why in my book it says that if you are 100% raw you can eat what you want AT FIRST.

Now some of you I know are not 100% raw and ok with that percentage of wherever your at. I have no problem with that at all but when you try to take something someone says (namely me) and put that into a context of a different diet (80 percent raw as opposed to 100% raw) and then say it doesn’t work, it doesn’t make sense. These so called ‘rules’ that I have stated in my book about eating whatever and however much you want when you first go raw apply to 100% raw. Ive had numerous arguments about this point and people don’t seem to understand. It’s like taking something from the medical model and trying to form it to fit this diet. You can’t take ‘rules’ and ideas from different diets and different systems and think they will necessarily work with raw. It would be like taking what you like from macrobiotic, Ayervedic , etc. and fitting them together to make a new system. The reason they work is not necessarily because of each part but because when formed together they make a whole and interact and work a certain way within that system. So thinking your doing a lot of raw, some cooked food and then being able to eat all the fat you want wont work. On the other hand eating all raw and not worrying about the fats works because of varies reasons such as your body being allowed to detox and cleanse because there is no hydrogenated fat clogging up your system, there is no dead carcass clogging your bowels for 100 hours before it can even be digested and there is no cooked caned food fermenting and awaiting assimilation.. So if you feel fine doing 80 percent raw that’s wonderful. But it’s just hard to believe that raw plant fats are the problem. Maybe it’s the 20 percent cooked that’s not allowing the plant fats to digest properly?

[Rawkinlocs]

This is another "oldie but goodie" post from Alissa. It was actually buried within another thread but I thought it deserved to have it's own thread and so, here it is!

Enjoy! :)

[StarFire]

WhoOooT!! Go Rawkinlocs!! thanks for posting that! I for one had not read it before and I think these words of wisdom from Alissa are answering a LOT of questions that are floating around on RFT site right now.

Thanks Alissa (even tho you wrote this a while back....) this will help clarify a lot!!

Rawk on... and Happy 4th of July!

[elfinbaby]

Thanks for finding the post Rawkinlocs. It is a good one.

Alissa's book was my very first raw food book and after reading it I stayed raw for 3 mos. straight - effortlessly! She makes it so simple and clear. I fell off the wagon at some point (due to a hangover ) but will keep trying until I make it happen 100% again. I know that if I just pull out the book and start implementing her program, I can make it happen. I'm starting my cleanse (not part of her program) tomorrow. Cleansing gives me time to plan, reflect, rid myself of cravings and salivate over all the delicious food that is to come.

For those of you who don't have her book and are struggling, it could make a world of difference. There are lots of books out there, going into great detail about do's and don'ts, rights and wrongs, but I have discovered that for a beginning raw fooder, being 100% raw is enough of a challenge. We shouldn't worry about rules and restrictions, *in the beginning*. That's what makes Alissa's book so great. She doesn't make it complicated. It's a feel good book with the basics of raw food laid out PLUS 4 wks of shopping lists and meal plans. She's created a raw food menu for a month that makes it impossible for you to go hungry.

I appreciate Alissa's approach. It makes 100% raw attainable. I feel like she wants her readers to go raw and feel good. Not get bogged down and discouraged because we ate a cashew or a possibly unraw date. After being raw and healthy I trust that my body will rebel when I put something in it that doesn't belong.

Thanks Rawkin and Alissa!
April

[the_lab_rat]

Thanks for posting this! (And for pointing out that it was an old post, because I almost replied to it thinking she'd written it today ) I actually do have a question about cooked vs. raw fats like Alissa mentions, but I was hesitant to post it on here because I'm not sure if I'm allowed to question the facts behind Alissa's plan. I guess my question kind of relates to what she says in her book about enzymes in raw fats...

Rawkinlocs, do you (or anyone else!) know any good sites or books that might explain this point in more detail? She mentions the "China Study" but I don't know what that is... and I tried googling but got so many useless/unrelated sites.

[konmai]

oh and definitely give the 30 day challenge a try! W/ being 100% raw for 30 days, even if you make a little mistake, it might be easier to go right back w/ being raw after seeing how it is for 30 days! If not for the weightloss but the enhance energy and focus!

[lavendarJ]

Thanks for posting that-really. I only found this site last January and what I liked about it is that it was a place where we could celebrate and find support in living 100% raw.

[Rawkinlocs]

Thanks for posting this! (And for pointing out that it was an old post, because I almost replied to it thinking she'd written it today ) I actually do have a question about cooked vs. raw fats like Alissa mentions, but I was hesitant to post it on here because I'm not sure if I'm allowed to question the facts behind Alissa's plan. I guess my question kind of relates to what she says in her book about enzymes in raw fats...

Rawkinlocs, do you (or anyone else!) know any good sites or books that might explain this point in more detail? She mentions the "China Study" but I don't know what that is... and I tried googling but got so many useless/unrelated sites.

the_lab_rat, The China Study is a book that has scientific evidence of why animal protein is not good for us (I'm speculating based on what I've heard as I've not read it yet myself ) but you can find it at Amazon.com or other places that sell books.

As for Alissa's stance on raw fat vs. cooked fat...take a look at this post and see if it gives you any insights on it: http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=29033 But if you're specifically seeking more scientific documentation on it, I don't know exactly where to send you for that information as I've not really researched it myself... but I'm sure someone may come along with that info

[the_lab_rat]

Thanks for the link and info, rawkinlocs!

That thread did help, but I am still a bit curious about the scientific side of it... But maybe I should just have some blind faith and assume "it works and that's all I need to know" LOL

I became vegetarian then vegan for ethical reasons anyway, but it sounds like the China Study would be a useful book to read so I'd be all prepared when people tell me "you aren't getting enough protein!!!11!"

[Dj 247]

The China Study is such a good book. I got a copy from my local library. I like the format, it explains the science in a understandable way.

[livenraw]

Perhaps the mantra should be changed from 'eat all you want' to 'eat all it takes' as someone who is eating all they want might gorge themselves till they are literally sick. But if you 'eat all it takes' and stop when satisfied, then perhaps that wouldn't happen.

[Anabbytree]

[QUOTE=livenraw;295459]'eat all it takes'

I like that!

[Sircaesar]

Alissa, thank you.. its like anything in life.. you can't half step ..and expect to see 100%

[JAusten]

Exactly what I needed to read.

[bowie]

bump.......