New to the raw diet & clearing up the confusion

[jennyfedei]

Hello from Erie Pennsylvania!

I am brand new to this forum. I joined today in search of information about the raw lifestyle/diet. This is something that is entirely new to me, but I must admit I am intrigued. I think for most of my life I have struggled with the concept of what good nutrition is. Like so many others I have tried to sort through a sea of information out there and have found so much of it to be conflicting that each time I try to sort through what the experts have to say I become more confused and frustrated. For every study or expert who says one thing, another study or expert will say the opposite.

I have dabbled in the vegetarian diet in the past on a number of occasions but each time I attempt it I am left discouraged. I bought all the books, did my homework to make sure I was doing it in a healthy way, only to have my hair fall out and develop a case of brain fog. Additionally, I am a borderline diabetic. My doctor wants to put me on medications, so this is pretty much my last effort to thwart that possibility. Last year when I made another attempt at going vegetarian, while my cholesterol did improve significantly, my HgA1C (blood sugars) rose to an all time high. I had to go back to eating animal products and stick to a low carb plan to bring down my sugars. They still are not where they are suppose to be yet. I also have hypothyroidism and take a synthetic pill that seems to be helping with my thyroid. I worry excessively about hair loss because it has been an issue for quite a few years. I notice when I go back to eating animal products that it seems to thicken up a bit more. I am also 54 years old and have reached menopause, so I worry about developing a diet conducive to someone my age.

Just this week I started incorporating a 32 ounce daily green smoothie into my diet. Actually this is my second day. Again, I am concerned because I read somewhere that vegetables from the cabbage family (such as spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, etc.. etc.. can hinder the thyroid). Most of the decent smoothie recipes use these greens, so I'm wondering if this is the right thing for me, yet, the raw diet is not something I have tried before, so I thought maybe I should give it a try. I did come across an interesting website yesterday that put out a documentary which followed several diabetics who went on a raw diet and had tremendous results, so I was encouraged.

It is possible that my vegetarian diet in the past was a bit too processed. I was using allot of meat substitutes which contain soy and I was eating allot of cooked vegetables and foods. It's made me wonder if I had gravitated toward a more raw diet if I might have fared better, which is why I am here today. I've been looking throughout this forum and see that the diet seems to be working for many of you and I am hoping to find a little guidance and as well as some encouragement. I have no clue how to do this type of eating plan correctly in order to get enough nutrients that my body needs. What combination of foods do I need to eat daily to meet all the protein, fats, carbs vitamins & minerals? I do love fruits and vegetables so I think this may be something that I can do. It's important that I do this correctly. One other caveat is that I am a very busy person and hate to spend long hours in the kitchen! I would like to find a way to do this so that it is quick and simple, with maybe fixing a few more time consuming dishes once a week maybe, just for a little variety. Is there an easy way to transition into this? How do I get started and how do I transition into doing this in a healthy way. I would so much appreciate any feedback from you more experienced raw food foodies. If I join this community, will I really find good support here? That's important to me as well. It's getting tiring becoming a causality of yet another diet. This go around I would love to be a success story, otherwise, I might as well throw in the towel, go on the medications and forget about it.

That's my story and I'm here to learn and absorb!

Best,
Jenny

P.S. What is the 30 day challenge all about?

[jennyfedei]

Wow! I made my first post yesterday as a new person to this forum. I just now checked and see that my post had 68 views with not even one response from anyone.

I guess this isn't such a friendly group.

[MysticTree]

the forums have been swamped with spam posts which makes genuine post disappear from sight all too easily I'm afraid.

It's good to have you here.

Your opening post is a bit overwhelming in terms of answering all of it but the 30 day challenge is where you commit to 30 days 100% raw and everyone supports each other through.

As to learning about raw then a good place to start is by either reading Alissa's first book which is available on amazon or in libraries or by watching her DVDs. There is a link about these at the top left under the lettuce.

[jennyfedei]

Great, thanks... I'll meander over to the 30 day challenge... I need a good challenge right about now!!

[MysticTree]

I've found the 30 day challenge has been a real help. I've been a member here for a good few years and been on-again-off-again-raw. This time I have joined the 30 day challenge and am really doing great and feel very grounded in the raw vegan way.

[jennyfedei]

I just now posted on the 30 Day challenge thread. I'm DEFINITELY interested in giving this a try, but I need some guidelines and help with knowing what to eat and in what quantities to obtain full nutritional value. I haven't a clue as to how to do this diet. Can someone please point me to a website or some guidelines so that I can get started? I will go to the grocery story today and pick up what I need and start tomorrow if I knew what to buy and what to fix for my meals. I'm concerned about getting enough calcium, protein, iron etc.. Most of those nutrients I have gotten from eating animal products in the past, so I don't quite understand where and how I will get those from plant sources.

So sorry... but you are dealing with someone here who is completely clueless about what to do next. I am very open to this, but I just don't know how yet. I'm actually kind of desperate to get started because I have just received some very bad reports from my doctor about my health.

Thanks for your patience.

Jenny

[Raw Angel Mom]

Hello from Erie Pennsylvania!

A)....I am brand new to this forum. I joined today in search of information about the raw lifestyle/diet. This is something that is entirely new to me, but I must admit I am intrigued. I think for most of my life I have struggled with the concept of what good nutrition is. Like so many others I have tried to sort through a sea of information out there and have found so much of it to be conflicting that each time I try to sort through what the experts have to say I become more confused and frustrated. For every study or expert who says one thing, another study or expert will say the opposite.

B)....I have dabbled in the vegetarian diet in the past on a number of occasions but each time I attempt it I am left discouraged. I bought all the books, did my homework to make sure I was doing it in a healthy way, only to have my hair fall out and develop a case of brain fog. Additionally, I am a borderline diabetic. My doctor wants to put me on medications, so this is pretty much my last effort to thwart that possibility. Last year when I made another attempt at going vegetarian, while my cholesterol did improve significantly, my HgA1C (blood sugars) rose to an all time high. I had to go back to eating animal products and stick to a low carb plan to bring down my sugars. They still are not where they are suppose to be yet. I also have hypothyroidism and take a synthetic pill that seems to be helping with my thyroid. I worry excessively about hair loss because it has been an issue for quite a few years. I notice when I go back to eating animal products that it seems to thicken up a bit more. I am also 54 years old and have reached menopause, so I worry about developing a diet conducive to someone my age.

Just this week I started incorporating a 32 ounce daily green smoothie into my diet. Actually this is my second day. Again, I am concerned because I read somewhere that vegetables from the cabbage family (such as spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, etc.. etc.. can hinder the thyroid). Most of the decent smoothie recipes use these greens, so I'm wondering if this is the right thing for me, yet, the raw diet is not something I have tried before, so I thought maybe I should give it a try. I did come across an interesting website yesterday that put out a documentary which followed several diabetics who went on a raw diet and had tremendous results, so I was encouraged.

C).....It is possible that my vegetarian diet in the past was a bit too processed. I was using allot of meat substitutes which contain soy and I was eating allot of cooked vegetables and foods. It's made me wonder if I had gravitated toward a more raw diet if I might have fared better, which is why I am here today. I've been looking throughout this forum and see that the diet seems to be working for many of you and I am hoping to find a little guidance and as well as some encouragement. I have no clue how to do this type of eating plan correctly in order to get enough nutrients that my body needs. What combination of foods do I need to eat daily to meet all the protein, fats, carbs vitamins & minerals? I do love fruits and vegetables so I think this may be something that I can do. It's important that I do this correctly. One other caveat is that I am a very busy person and hate to spend long hours in the kitchen! I would like to find a way to do this so that it is quick and simple, with maybe fixing a few more time consuming dishes once a week maybe, just for a little variety. Is there an easy way to transition into this? How do I get started and how do I transition into doing this in a healthy way. I would so much appreciate any feedback from you more experienced raw food foodies. If I join this community, will I really find good support here? That's important to me as well. It's getting tiring becoming a causality of yet another diet. This go around I would love to be a success story, otherwise, I might as well throw in the towel, go on the medications and forget about it.

That's my story and I'm here to learn and absorb!

Best,
Jenny

P.S. What is the 30 day challenge all about?

A).... Welcome on the board. I hear you about the struggle. Here is the thing, you will need to learn to listen to your body, let go all the programming about food and follow the wisdom of your body. Don't make it complicated otherwise you will generate fear and discouragement about this life style when this is easy in truth.

First step is to train your mind and you do this with Alissa's Philosophie which is freedom. If you have done it yet, invest in her dvd and first book. Once your mind feels comfortable with this life style, you will naturally make adjustment and eat what your body want.


B)..... Don't be hard on yourself. You seem to have so much anxiety regarding food and making the wrong mistake. Maybe what you need to do, is to watch dvd's, youtube etc... and see for yourself. There are so much example of success and great health. Since your are borderline diabetese, i would probably go with dr. Gabriel Cousens, he specialize with this condition. He wrote a book about this. Or just go gently. Your body clearly need a reset. I have done a detox program with simply raw.ca and it made such huge difference for me. What you could do, is to start juicing and do your green smoothie. Many try to consume two bunches of green. If you are concern with the kale, you can use different green (herbs like cilantro, basal, dill, parsley or any greens you can find). Chlorophile is like a blood transfusion. Use raw gourmet food to help you to transition and do as much fruits/vegetables and leafy greens as possible. You can also google Dan Mcdonald, he lives on fruits, vegetables and leafy greens or herbs. He is currently crossing America on a bike. "I am not a doctor, you need to research"

C)... Soy is process and GMO. Stay away from this. It affect your thyroid gland in a very negative way.
Rule of thumb to make sure to cover everything you need. Eat as much variety of fruit/vegetables and including variety of color.

If you don't consume raw mushroom, bee pollen, chlorella or nutritional yeast, or you don't have a garden where you can eat your leafy green without washing them, consider to supplement with B12. Please get monitor with this. Many meat eater are low in B12 due to absorption problem and vegetarian that don't eat food that contain a B12 which our body will absorb, will decline very fast in B12 reserve, especially if you are pregnant and nurse on top of it. Google B12 Japan research.

Maybe you want to supplement with Chlorella (B12 and neutralize heavy metal), spirulina (rich in protein) and maca (help with hormone)

Learn how to sprout such microgreens etc.. and start drinking wheat grass juice. Best combination for me is orange and apple. The orange neutralize the strong taste.

Learn to relax, you will do fine. If you are worry so much, start slow.

As for the 30 days challenge, this is 30 days committed to stay 100% raw. Sometime we need this 30 days to heal the addiction to cook food.

Wishing you all the best

[belleadonna]

I'm with rawintexas. Just keep it simple. No rules. I am not one who likes to make exotic raw dishes so I just eat smoothies, salads, fruits, and some nuts. I use raw hemp oil on my salads and flaxseed in my smoothies for essential oils.

I do try to eat mono on my fruits meaning if I am going to have bananas I only have bananas at that meal. Later I will have cherries and just cherries. You get the idea. It makes it easier on the digestion to eat mono meals. That's basically it. Fruits and veggies will give you all of the minerals and vitamins you need especially if they are organic. Don't fall into the trap of people who say your will not get enough protein. That is nonsense. Give you body and chance to adjust and don't freak out over test results. It will take awhile to undo all the bad stuff you have ingested over the years. We all go through it.

Best of luck!!

[India1121]

a).... welcome on the board. I hear you about the struggle. Here is the thing, you will need to learn to listen to your body, let go all the programming about food and follow the wisdom of your body. Don't make it complicated otherwise you will generate fear and discouragement about this life style when this is easy in truth.

first step is to train your mind and you do this with alissa's philosophie which is freedom. If you have done it yet, invest in her dvd and first book. Once your mind feels comfortable with this life style, you will naturally make adjustment and eat what your body want.


b)..... don't be hard on yourself. You seem to have so much anxiety regarding food and making the wrong mistake. Maybe what you need to do, is to watch dvd's, youtube etc... And see for yourself. There are so much example of success and great health. Since your are borderline diabetese, i would probably go with dr. Gabriel cousens, he specialize with this condition. He wrote a book about this. Or just go gently. Your body clearly need a reset. I have done a detox program with simply raw.ca and it made such huge difference for me. What you could do, is to start juicing and do your green smoothie. Many try to consume two bunches of green. If you are concern with the kale, you can use different green (herbs like cilantro, basal, dill, parsley or any greens you can find). Chlorophile is like a blood transfusion. Use raw gourmet food to help you to transition and do as much fruits/vegetables and leafy greens as possible. You can also google dan mcdonald, he lives on fruits, vegetables and leafy greens or herbs. He is currently crossing america on a bike. "i am not a doctor, you need to research"

c)... soy is process and gmo. Stay away from this. It affect your thyroid gland in a very negative way.
Rule of thumb to make sure to cover everything you need. Eat as much variety of fruit/vegetables and including variety of color.

If you don't consume raw mushroom, bee pollen, chlorella or nutritional yeast, or you don't have a garden where you can eat your leafy green without washing them, consider to supplement with b12. Please get monitor with this. Many meat eater are low in b12 due to absorption problem and vegetarian that don't eat food that contain a b12 which our body will absorb, will decline very fast in b12 reserve, especially if you are pregnant and nurse on top of it. Google b12 japan research.

Maybe you want to supplement with chlorella (b12 and neutralize heavy metal), spirulina (rich in protein) and maca (help with hormone)

learn how to sprout such microgreens etc.. And start drinking wheat grass juice. Best combination for me is orange and apple. The orange neutralize the strong taste.

Learn to relax, you will do fine. If you are worry so much, start slow.

As for the 30 days challenge, this is 30 days committed to stay 100% raw. Sometime we need this 30 days to heal the addiction to cook food.

Wishing you all the best

***what does gmo stand for?***

[Aleesha Sattva]

genetically modified.

[streetsurfer]

genetically modified organism, such as roundup ready corn, bti corn or soy, etc. Where organisms are genetically inplanted into foods. Bti is a bacterial insecticide, roundup an herbicide-polyethelene salts of glyphosate

sorry aleesha, jynx, lol

[EZ rider]

Eating raw is very easy especially if you like fresh garden foods. Keeping it simple works the best for me. Listen to your body signals as your personal raw food coach. Good luck. :)