Any Raw Fooders Here?

kathryn

kathryn

Cathlete
Any raw fooders?
Wannabes?
Exploring?
Transitioning?
Let's chat.

I've toyed with it before, very briefly (a few days of juice fasting, followed by about 2 weeks of all raw, back around 1978, when I had my wisdom teeth taken out pre-braces) and I felt great at the time (though didn't really know what I was doing).

I'm currently doing more research into it, and the more I read, the more it makes sense to me, but 100% raw seems like such a commitment. High raw (80%+)appeals to me more.

I've been making sure to add more raw foods to my diet (like transitioning to Larabars as snacks, and trying to get at least one raw food at the beginning of each meal) and have tried to include some 'all raw' meals more often. Last summer, I was between 80% and 100% raw for about 3 weeks, and I experimented with some recipes (some of whick I liked, some of which I didn't!)

I'm hoping to get more into it this spring and summer, but I feel like I'm still in the learning stage. I''ve read about a dozen books on it, including, most recently, "The Live Food Factor." That one is, I think, the most thorough treatment of it that I've seen that doesn't seem 'spacey' (some authors get a bit too 'new agey' for my left brain!).
 
Hello,

I tried raw for a little here and there. I made some tastey dishes (stuffed eggplant that had a filling that was cheesey) and some not so tastey ones (flax seed crackers with zero flavor bleh). Much like you I would like to go maybe 80% raw or something along those lines. My big problem with raw is it seems like a lot of the items that are good sources of protein on a raw diet are high in fat (nuts, seeds ect). I try to get a balance of good fats in my diet but I do not want to get to much fat. I was thinking of maybe making small changes and to try to be high raw by the summer.
 
I've dabbled with Raw off and on.
I have Jennifer Cornbleet's book and I really like it and I've been eyeballing Alissa Cohen's book for quite some time.

The reason I decided to look into raw was really, the, um, desserts.
I have a terrible sweet tooth and I figured at least with those recipes I'd be eating something better!

I've made cherry almond cookies and this chocolate "creme" pie with a nut/date crust. Ate almost half of it in one sitting! However, it didn't register on the scale at all.

I have been adding more raw foods to my meals, as well, but I'd really like to try the more "gourmet" raw in the summertime.

I'm not sure if I could do 100% raw, though.
 
I'm going to start incorporating more into my pescatarian diet.

I'll probably need a juicer (any recommendations?) and I'll be getting a dehydrator soon.

So I'll keep ya posted as I progress!
 
>I'll probably need a juicer (any recommendations?) and I'll be
>getting a dehydrator soon.

I eat mostly fish as well with salad and raw or blanched veggies. I still eat some grains, whole wheat pasta and brown rice. And I use a juicer almost every day!

I love the Breville Juice Extractor, it is pretty powerful and more importantly, very easy to clean. I had a Krups Juicer before and it didn't work so well and was a pain in the behind to clean.

Bought the Breville Juicer at Williams Sonoma, but I am sure you can find it cheaper if you look around on the Internet.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/prod...cm_src=sch&pkey=xsrd0m1|15|||0|||||||breville


Carola
 
>I've dabbled with Raw off and on.
>I have Jennifer Cornbleet's book and I really like it and I've
>been eyeballing Alissa Cohen's book for quite some time.
>
>The reason I decided to look into raw was really, the, um,
>desserts.
>I have a terrible sweet tooth and I figured at least with
>those recipes I'd be eating something better!
>
>I've made cherry almond cookies and this chocolate "creme" pie
>with a nut/date crust. Ate almost half of it in one sitting!
>However, it didn't register on the scale at all.
>
>I have been adding more raw foods to my meals, as well, but
>I'd really like to try the more "gourmet" raw in the
>summertime.
>
>I'm not sure if I could do 100% raw, though.


I have these two books on the way, so I hope they'll provide some guidance:

Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine By: Gabriel Cousens

Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People By: Jennifer Cornbleet

Have you found that a regular blender has worked well for you? I'd hate to think I'd have to spend money on a Vitamix or something like that. I quite like the Osterizer I currently have.
 
Ooh, David Wolfe is another raw foodist with several books.
"Eating for Beauty"
"The SunFood Diet System" and more. Don't have any of 'em, but they're on my wish list!
 
>I've made cherry almond cookies and this chocolate "creme" pie
>with a nut/date crust. Ate almost half of it in one sitting!
>However, it didn't register on the scale at all.
>
>

Wow...where did you get the recipes??

The stuff off the Alissa Cohen site looks really good.
 
>Wow...where did you get the recipes??
>
>The stuff off the Alissa Cohen site looks really good.

I got them from Jennifer Cornbleet's book, "Raw Food for 1 or 2 People".

Oh, I agree with you about Alissa's recipes...they do look good!
 
Yes, I hear you! I am pretty cheap, don't want to spend more than I have to. The Krups that I had, had the same reviews as the one that you linked to, but it couldn't do the leafy greens either and it turned out to be a pain to clean.

So in all reality I spent 90 or 100 bucks on something that I didn't use and collected dust in my cupboard. I ended up selling the almost brand new Krups for 7 bucks at a garage sale and bought the Breville anyway, after I wasted the money for the Krups!

Only my 2 cents, do what you feel comfortable with, just be aware that you get what you pay for and there are HUGE differences.

I am not on Breville's payroll, don't get anything for recommending it, just talking from my vast experience of wasting money and ending up with what I should have done from the get-go! What good is a $ 99 juicer going to do you if you don't use it, because it's inconvenient or only does half of what you want and it's a pain to clean it!

Carola




>
 
I have been reading up on raw eating also. It does sound appealing, but it seems as if it is a big commitment. I buy the 18 bar pack of larabars at Costco. I just got Alissa Cohen's book and DVD about 2 weeks ago, but have yet to really sit down and read it. I also browse raw food forums. For me, I can eat salad somedays, but after a few days I can't stomach it for a while, salad makes me gag, so I have to stay with my cooked beans and steamed veggies. Another thing about raw is the sprouting and soaking of nuts and beans. I get really lost on this subject, and dehydrating foods takes a great deal of time. There is always the talk of the live enzymes that are in the raw food that cooked foods supposedly don't have. Then I did read somewhere (can't remember off the top of my head) that when we eat cooked foods, it makes our white blood cell count increase, like our bodies are fighting off something. Don't know if this is true or not. It is a very interesting way to eat, but would take a lot of effort to go 100%. Being as that I don't care to eat salads or raw veggies everyday , or care to be fruitarian, I don't think I will ever be 100%.
 
I don't think anyone needs to get bent out of shape and follow everything to the t. My experience and research is, yes, raw food is good for you, does it have to be 100 %, no, it doesn't!!!!! I am a big proponent of everything in moderation (now after 40 years beating myself up and failing because I beat myself up for not doing whatever I wanted to do or what was the current "in-thing" to do excactly to the t)

Do what you feel comfortable with, but this 100 % or nothing is a recipe for failure!!! And I am talking from experience here, see above!

Incorporate what you can do at any given time, whatever you feel you can do, do it, every little thing that you can do is better than nothing, but if you only incorporate 10 % or 25 %, or whatever, and go from here, it is FINE! Do what you can, set your goals to reach more, add little steps/improvements and you will be doing better than 80 % of the American population!

It is kind of funny, it always seems to be all or nothing and we beat ourselves up for not doing ALL of it ALL the time. Now I think baby steps are fine, challenge yourself but don't beat yourself up, like I have!

Just on a side note, blanched veggies are fine, if you gag on raw veggies or salad, do the next best thing and work your way up, challenge yourself, BUT if you just can't, well, then don't, life is too short for making it miserable! A lot of people do just fine on a not all raw diet (not talking all McDonald's food here, incorporate healty food where you can, raw or otherwise and don't be too hard on yourself)! Just my 2 cents!

Carola
 
>Yes, I hear you! I am pretty cheap, don't want to spend more
>than I have to. The Krups that I had, had the same reviews as
>the one that you linked to, but it couldn't do the leafy
>greens either and it turned out to be a pain to clean.
>
>So in all reality I spent 90 or 100 bucks on something that I
>didn't use and collected dust in my cupboard. I ended up
>selling the almost brand new Krups for 7 bucks at a garage
>sale and bought the Breville anyway, after I wasted the money
>for the Krups!
>
>Only my 2 cents, do what you feel comfortable with, just be
>aware that you get what you pay for and there are HUGE
>differences.
>
>I am not on Breville's payroll, don't get anything for
>recommending it, just talking from my vast experience of
>wasting money and ending up with what I should have done from
>the get-go! What good is a $ 99 juicer going to do you if you
>don't use it, because it's inconvenient or only does half of
>what you want and it's a pain to clean it!
>
>Carola
>


I agree on all points. Does the Breville juice everything well -- fruit, veggies, greens, the whole bit?
 
>I don't think anyone needs to get bent out of shape and
>follow everything to the t. My experience and research is,
>yes, raw food is good for you, does it have to be 100 %, no,
>it doesn't!!!!! I am a big proponent of everything in
>moderation (now after 40 years beating myself up and failing
>because I beat myself up for not doing whatever I wanted to do
>or what was the current "in-thing" to do excactly to the t)
>
>Do what you feel comfortable with, but this 100 % or nothing
>is a recipe for failure!!! And I am talking from experience
>here, see above!
>
>Incorporate what you can do at any given time, whatever you
>feel you can do, do it, every little thing that you can do is
>better than nothing, but if you only incorporate 10 % or 25 %,
>or whatever, and go from here, it is FINE! Do what you can,
>set your goals to reach more, add little steps/improvements
>and you will be doing better than 80 % of the American
>population!
>
>It is kind of funny, it always seems to be all or nothing and
>we beat ourselves up for not doing ALL of it ALL the time. Now
>I think baby steps are fine, challenge yourself but don't beat
>yourself up, like I have!
>
>Just on a side note, blanched veggies are fine, if you gag on
>raw veggies or salad, do the next best thing and work your way
>up, challenge yourself, BUT if you just can't, well, then
>don't, life is too short for making it miserable! A lot of
>people do just fine on a not all raw diet (not talking all
>McDonald's food here, incorporate healty food where you can,
>raw or otherwise and don't be too hard on yourself)! Just my 2
>cents!
>
>Carola



I am not the least bent out of shape on this matter. I will never eat 100% raw..EVER... Am I ok with this. You bet I am!! Now, as for my eating, I grew up in Memphis, TN. I don't eat fried fish, fried chicken, home made mac n cheese, etc. as an adult that I had no choice but to eat as a kid. My eating habits are a lot better than my family's habits, they still eat this way!! So I know that even thought I will never be fully raw, my eating habits are a little better than some.
 
It sure does, even wheat grass which is a challenge with most juicers unless you spend $ 1,000 or more!! Don't use it a whole lot for Wheat Grass, Wheat Grass tastes kind of bitter, at least for my taste, but it does it, maybe not as efficiently as a commercial juicer at Jamba Juice (which is probably several thousand $$) but Wheat Grass Juice does come out. Raw ginger is a snap, I put Ginger in almost ALL of my veggie juices which I couldn't do with the Krups I had before.

I have done Starfruit, apricots, mangosteen, all kinds of exotic fruit, I have tried potatoes (it does it well, but I HATE potatoe juice), root celery, sweet potatoes, mostly for the pulp that it leaves in the container, I use that stuff not so much for the juice but the pulp for soups, stews ,raw for salads and my doggie food :+

That thing was my best investment in a long time!!!!

Carola
 
I wasn't really referring to you per se! It just seems in general, people (including myself) are trying to do 100 % or nothing and beat up on themselves, if they don't stick to it to a t.

I am with you on not eating 100 % raw, I think my eating habits are better than the majority of Americans but I could be doing MUCH better. I am originally from the Southern Region of Germany where pork roast, fatty foods and beer are a staple, my Mom is from Sweden, so I got some seafood when I grew up, but my diet now is very different from what I grew up with.

I guess it wasn't clear that I meant in general, didn't want to offend you or make an example of you! I think I was more referring to myself, sorry for the confusion! You seem to be doing very well!

Carola
 
>I wasn't really referring to you per se! It just seems in
>general, people (including myself) are trying to do 100 % or
>nothing and beat up on themselves, if they don't stick to it
>to a t.
>
>I am with you on not eating 100 % raw, I think my eating
>habits are better than the majority of Americans but I could
>be doing MUCH better. I am originally from the Southern Region
>of Germany where pork roast, fatty foods and beer are a
>staple, my Mom is from Sweden, so I got some seafood when I
>grew up, but my diet now is very different from what I grew up
>with.
>
>I guess it wasn't clear that I meant in general, didn't want
>to offend you or make an example of you! I think I was more
>referring to myself, sorry for the confusion! You seem to be
>doing very well!
>
>Carola



No problem Carola!!! :) :) :) , I too, know that my diet is better than some, but mine could also use some improving!! That "fried" way of eating, is why my mom has two siblings with cancer and my grandmother has heart problems, I don't want to be like this. Even if i do 10-20% raw, is still better than how my family eats.
 
>I'll probably need a juicer (any recommendations?) and I'll be
>getting a dehydrator soon.
>

I had an Acme (wasn't that the same company Wiley Coyote bought from? LOL!) for many years. It's a pain to clean!

I tried the Jack Lalanne juicer, similar to an Acme, but costs less..and for a reason. Many of the parts are plastic, and it didn't seem like it would be long-lasting, so I sent it back.

I now have a Green Star juicer. I still have to clean a screen (which you do on on juicers) but it's much easier than the other centrifugal kinds.

I read quite a bit before choosing it. The way it produces juice supposedly retains more nutrients, and gets less oxygen in the juice (so carrot juice, for example, doesn't get dark--oxydize---so quickly).

It juices not only veggies and fruit, but greens as well, including wheat grass (which I don't grow myself) and sprouts. It also can be used to make nut butters and 'ice creams' using frozen bananas and fruits, and to make bread sticks from sprouted grains.
 
>Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People By: Jennifer Cornbleet
>


I like her book. The collard rolls (adapted from Alissa Cohen) are delish! And I like that she uses mostly fresh foods (not dehydrated creations, which are sometimes great, sometimes horrible, IMO!) and doesn't overdo the nuts and fatty foods, which some books do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top