Raw food Diet

[gardengirl72]

Does anyone have any experience with the raw food diet? I have been trying to move in that direction and during the growing season it is much easier for me, but now during the holidays its impossible. It's also difficult for me because my family won't even attempt it with me. Any thoughts?

[Cynthia]

Patti,
the raw foods I have experienced were incredible. You might look into macrobiotic recipes as well because they are definitely less processed.

There were some gorgeous cookbooks that came out a few years back. I am an avid and excellent cook, but I found the prep to be much longer than I was willing to do. Extremely long ingredient lists, etc -

I know there are many more user friendly recipes now, and very interesting combos of foods that give you taste and texture.

I've had fun eating things right off the vine in the garden - one happy discovery is how delicious kale is when the leaves are young - it doesn't need to cook to be tender it is just delicious. Ditto with baby chard.

My only question, for myself, is that I think some nutrients, in some foods, are more available to the body when food is even slightly cooked.

I would love to hear your experiences and what recipes you try.

[MoniDew]

Patti,

As you know, I am a retired nutritionist/naturopath. I used to teach and write extensively on raw/living foods. (I have actually been fired, twice, from two different places, at two different times in my life for teaching on the subject. Not for teaching it WRONG, mind you, but for teaching it PERIOD! Oklahoma is still quite backward. No wonder I'm retired!)

If I can help, please let me know. Just don't fire me! LOL! ;-)

[gardengirl72]

It is crazy to me that a nutritionist would get fired for teaching nutrition. My grandmother in law can't eat anything barely and from what they are telling her she shouldn't be having dairy. Instead of saying to her stay away from dairy they tell her margarine and 1% milk. It's just frustrating when I even mention that dairy is not good for you let alone why. I have "Skinny B..." which clearly lays out everything, but it's not quite the book for her and The Raw food Detox diet seems to radical and unattainable unless your sold on it completely. It is so gratifying when I am really strict with the diet how amazing I feel. Especially in the exiting department. Following the diet is so right on with what my body has told me for years. That's it, I'm off to the market!

[GardeninginAZ]

I did the raw food diet for a month. I truly believe in the concept of raw food but I found it to be very hard to maintain. In my experience the raw food diet was expensive and took a lot of time to prepare everything. I am now just trying to incorporate as many raw foods as I can and move in the raw food direction slowly. I have started my garden which I hope will provide me with a bounty of fresh vegetables and fruits. If you have any questions on my experiences with raw food I would be happy to answer all.

[MoniDew]

Just to be more clear: I was fired for pursuing my own agenda (I thought it was, um, TRUTH...) rather than touting the party line (more conventional wisdom I think is how they put it.)

At the moment, I am dizzied by the concept that something I had totally given up on is now coming full circle for me on a gardening site! LOL!

As for your grandmother: Has she been introduced to the concepts found in The China Study? It's written in the most simple of terms. And it's a pretty good place to start. no, it's not "raw," but it does lay out clearly what happens to a human body on a Standard American Diet vs a more "primitive" diet.

Would those of you who are interested in "Raw" like for me to start a few posts based on my old articles and class notes? Those old articles and class notes are still sitting here in my computer. Some of them are quite lengthy and detailed. Many of my "students" were fellow naturopaths, nutritionist, chiropractors, wholistic nurses, etc. (fellow professional health care practitioners) So they are BioChem heavy, but in plain English.

I may have to email them to Patti and have her post them because of the constraints of forum post length. Let me know and I'll get started digging them out.

Editing to add: just emailed a bunch off to Patti, to see what she thinks. She'll have to let us know whether she feels they will be useful to the site or not. It's way off topic, I suppose, for a gardening site. But, as my former occupation, it's something I can contribute to the greater good, so I offer it freely.

[Cynthia]

I received an excalibur food dehydrator for xmas - and it is drying a ton of fruit as I write :)

I was impressed to notice how much they emphasize raw foods in the recipe booklet, they include a long book list for raw foods and special temp settings for doing raw food prep with the dehydrator.

Good luck

[MoniDew]

I've always been so impressed with the chefs of the raw foods community. So creative! They use their dehydrators as something of an easy bake oven. Wonderful stuff comes out of those things: sprouted seed cheeses, nut/seed "burgers", cereals, crackers, cookies, and chips. You name it, they come up with it! Blows my mind.

Best raw fooding tip for dehydrates is one from Viktoras Kulvinskas. He STARTS all dehydrates at 130o just until it forms a crust. This prevents bacterial/fungal growth. Then lowers the temps to within raw foods tollerances, under 115o, preferable around 110o. The outside 1/8" isn't really raw anymore, but it certainly is inside. As any raw foodist who has gotten sick on food sitting at just above room temperature for a day or two knows, sacrificing an 1/8" is a whole lot better than food poisoning.

[HomesteadBaker]

I have a very dear friend who is a raw foodist (she aims for about 80% raw) and she has recently convinced me to give it a try. I am on day 3 of my Raw Foods journey. My family will not join me in it either, so I understand where you are coming from... but they will benefit by default, since I do all the meal preparation here! They are already getting a lot more raw veggies and fruit.

I hope it is ok to post this link, it is a Raw Foods Talk forum that I belong to.
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/index.php

I have learned a lot from reading there. Hope it helps!

[MoniDew]

when I was doing raw foods really faithfully I was a part of this board, too. It is very informative to newbies, but I felt that it had a "rawer than thou" tone. Not that I'm trying to talk anyone out of joining this board if they wish. It's just that when I posted that I was going through some personal stuff and needed to reduce the amount of raw foods I was consuming (for my personal sanity - I was absolutely OBSESSIVE!) the owner of the boards called me at home and kicked me off the boards. (I was at the time a raw foods professional myself and she thought I would drag people down by my statement.) so, if you plan to join this board be prepared for the obsessive/compulsive raw foodism attitude.

[HomesteadBaker]

when I was doing raw foods really faithfully I was a part of this board, too. It is very informative to newbies, but I felt that it had a "rawer than thou" tone. Not that I'm trying to talk anyone out of joining this board if they wish. It's just that when I posted that I was going through some personal stuff and needed to reduce the amount of raw foods I was consuming (for my personal sanity - I was absolutely OBSESSIVE!) the owner of the boards called me at home and kicked me off the boards. (I was at the time a raw foods professional myself and she thought I would drag people down by my statement.) so, if you plan to join this board be prepared for the obsessive/compulsive raw foodism attitude.

Yeah, I can see that that would happen after I read all the "Thou shall NOT" rules. I have learned a lot by reading there, though.

I found another raw foods board today where I've been reading, too...
http://goneraw.com/forum
I haven't decided what it's tone is yet. Do you know it?

So do you still eat mostly raw foods? I see a huge difference in my friend who aims for 75-85% raw. I'm aiming for about 75%... I need a "difference", know what I mean?

[HomesteadBaker]

...<snip>
At the moment, I am dizzied by the concept that something I had totally given up on is now coming full circle for me on a gardening site! LOL!
...<snip>

Would those of you who are interested in "Raw" like for me to start a few posts based on my old articles and class notes? Those old articles and class notes are still sitting here in my computer. Some of them are quite lengthy and detailed. Many of my "students" were fellow naturopaths, nutritionist, chiropractors, wholistic nurses, etc. (fellow professional health care practitioners) So they are BioChem heavy, but in plain English.

I may have to email them to Patti and have her post them because of the constraints of forum post length. Let me know and I'll get started digging them out.

Editing to add: just emailed a bunch off to Patti, to see what she thinks. She'll have to let us know whether she feels they will be useful to the site or not. It's way off topic, I suppose, for a gardening site. But, as my former occupation, it's something I can contribute to the greater good, so I offer it freely.
Been there, done that, they took my T-shirt back on the getting fired for not touting the party line!

Personally, I would love to draw knowledge from your years of study!

I don't think it is way off topic to talk about healthy eating, or eating raw, on a garden site... kind of seems to bring both ends of the spectrum together for me. But I might just be biased because of how I'm eating now.

[PJJ]

She'll have to let us know whether she feels they will be useful to the site or not. It's way off topic, I suppose, for a gardening site.

Keep in mind, Patti is the one that started this thread on eating raw.


Does anyone have any experience with the raw food diet? I have been trying to move in that direction and during the growing season it is much easier for me, but now during the holidays its impossible. It's also difficult for me because my family won't even attempt it with me. Any thoughts?

This is her message board. I'm sure if it was not something she wanted to have discussed on here, she wouldn't have posted about it.

I myself would love to learn more about it!!

Penny

[MoniDew]

Do I still eat mostly raw foods? No. I wish, but no.

(And I weigh an extra 80lbs as a result. I wouldn't trust an obese nutritionist either...)


Why do I no longer mainly eat raw foods? Suffice to say: fired twice, kicked out of the raw foods community, nearly divorced, lost everything I owned - including my religion and my politics, personal tradegies of biblical proportions that I can't even begin to go into here... I stopped because my world was bombed to armegeddon and back and I haven't got the strength to try again.

Yet.

But you all are helping...

PS...computer crashed since the post about "They are still right here in my computer..." I'm on a borrowed computer. So, for now, Patti has all the available raw documents. When I can afford another computer, my computer guy can transfer the memory/harddrive stuff to the new, and I'll have them back again.

PSS... Cynthia, do you engage in long-distance therapy for post-traumatic stress? :-)

[HomesteadBaker]

Hugs, Monica.

[Garden Green]

Hugs, Monica! And hugs again.

[gardengirl72]

Let's figure out how to post the docs you sent me. email me if you have any ideas. Raw food diets are hard to follow mainly because there is no support, like restaurants. For me my weakness is pizza. It's something I am not willing or able to give up. My taste buds have changed now that I'm older so that helps.

[MoniDew]

Post away! I just hope that someone finds them supportive.

One of the main "traps" of the raw food diet is the all-or-nothing approach. (rawer that thou). I really don't think that it is mentally/emotionally healthy to do that. Of course you are going to want a pizza once in a while (or a hamburger, or whatever your happy food is.) The whole concept of any diet is balance. If you are striking that balance for yourself, then you are both physically and emotionally healthy. And that's what matters.

The documents that I authored and taught were to explain the biological necessity for raw foods in the diet - in an area of the country with a lot of "good ol' boys" and "girls" who haven't eaten anything other than meat & potatoes and vegetables out of a can in generations. Their health is now suffering as a result.

They were also authored during the period of my own life when I was taking a very heavy handed approach (all or none). I have lived to regret that attitude. Hopefully, everyone will take them with a grain of salt, use what they can out of them, and throw away the rest.

Thanks for allowing me to contribute this knowledge.



By the way, one of the members sent me a private message to check up on me. I am so embarrased that I allowed myself to become so vulnerable in such a public place. The surprise of being confronted with my former self in such an unexpected place triggered the flood of emotions. I am very sorry that I allowed myself to become so emotional here. Please forgive me.

[HomesteadBaker]

Post away! I just hope that someone finds them supportive.

One of the main "traps" of the raw food diet is the all-or-nothing approach. (rawer that thou). I really don't think that it is mentally/emotionally healthy to do that. Of course you are going to want a pizza once in a while (or a hamburger, or whatever your happy food is.) The whole concept of any diet is balance. If you are striking that balance for yourself, then you are both physically and emotionally healthy. And that's what matters.

The documents that I authored and taught were to explain the biological necessity for raw foods in the diet - in an area of the country with a lot of "good ol' boys" and "girls" who haven't eaten anything other than meat & potatoes and vegetables out of a can in generations. Their health is now suffering as a result.

They were also authored during the period of my own life when I was taking a very heavy handed approach (all or none). I have lived to regret that attitude. Hopefully, everyone will take them with a grain of salt, use what they can out of them, and throw away the rest.

Thanks for allowing me to contribute this knowledge.



By the way, one of the members sent me a private message to check up on me. I am so embarrased that I allowed myself to become so vulnerable in such a public place. The surprise of being confronted with my former self in such an unexpected place triggered the flood of emotions. I am very sorry that I allowed myself to become so emotional here. Please forgive me.

Myself, I am striving for 75 to 80% raw... I think that is easily attainable for me. That allows me to have meat and eggs and pizza, if I want it!

Monica.... I hate that you feel embarrassed for having gotten emotional in your post. Personally I am glad you did! To have and feel passion is to be alive. Now you are so very real to me, not just some typed words on an internet garden forum.

Great big hugs to you!!!!!

[MoniDew]

aaaaaahhh, thank you!

PS, since I managed to highjack this thread and take it so far off topic, I have started another thread to (attempt to) answer the original question. Look for the "realistic raw foods plan" thread under Healthy Living.

[Blossome]

These are three of my fav, recipes that you can still make during the winter. I don't have any measurement I usually go by taste.

Kale Salad

A large bunch of kale salad
Scallions
Garlic Granulated/I use minced garlic
Beets
Carrots
Olive Oil
One Lemon
White wine vinger
Soy Sauce or Tamari or Liquid Aminos
can add bit of honey or Agava nectar

Chop Kale by hand or food processor. Same with carrots and beets. Chop scallions by hand. Mix it all together taste as you add lemon and soy sauce. Put in fridge and let sit for about an hour or so and it taste great.

Royal Seaweed Salad

Wakame dehydrated seaweed or Nori
chopped cucumbers
chopped tomatoes
chopped onions
Minced Garlic
Olive oil
Soy sauce
Sesame seeds

Mix it all together.

Avocado Burrito

Chunk chop avocado
chop onions
chop tomatoes
chop scallions
chopped cucumbers
lemon juice
salt to taste

Clean some collards and cut out stem. Use collards to wrap avocado filling. I think this would go great in rice paper but I haven't tried it yet.

[gardengirl72]

Thanks so much for the recipes. I am drooling right now.