Trying raw for a month...

[Bates]

...starting today. I tried going raw for a month just a few weeks ago and I completely caved when it came to toast, pizza, chips, crackers, etc. I did go a whole week completely raw though. Also, I strongly feel that all these rumors about feeling full longer are untrue. The week that I was raw, I was starving all the time. Are there any suggestions that could help with that? I'm serious now. I figure if I allow myself ONE non-raw item a day that it would at least be bearable for me. This is something that I really want to try. It would be interesting if there were any considerable changes in energy and health that I keep hearing people talk about. So this morning I suppose I already had my one cooked food, which was whole-grain toast topped with sliced bananas. I am now starving so I'm going to see what I have...

[Bates]

Also...I don't have a dehydrater OR a blender. This is going to be tough....especially at work. Luckily I work in a place that sells raw foods, but it can be pricey. I just had a glass of hemp seed milk (I hope that counts as raw), and I need to go buy some food. Any suggestions for cheap and filling foods would be highly appreciated.

[ginkgo]

The hunger is all mental. People need very little food physically but have a lot of emotional needs for food. The only exception is that when you are full, your body produces a physical pain so you will not FEEL hungry.

[Bates]

I hope you're right. Today I had "sushi"...there was brown rice in it and of course no fish, but it was loaded with avocado and also had carrots and cucumber. YUM. Then I had a raw carob brownie. I wasn't hungry for about 5 hours after that. I usually have to eat every 3-4 hours. Although...I'm sure that all that avocado might have had a bit to do with that.
I just had some dal and rice. I don't have much time on my hands to sprout stuff...so I've decided to eat some cooked beans for protein. Also, of course, nuts and seeds. I ordered a raw cookbook and a raw chocolate bar from http://www.shazzie.com/
I am so excited...'cause I'm a chocoholic. Apparently, Shazzie is too.

[Pandora]

Hi Bates,

You have a great goal :) I will come in and read up on your progress regularly :D and show some support.
I myself love raw, but am currently struggling a bit staying raw, I am usually 'regular' vegan, but believe raw food is the best and healthiest diet for humans.

Goodluck! I think you might inspire me :D

[Bates]

Thank you so much for your encouragement! It's very appreciated.
So today I had a pineapple strawberry smoothie (no yogurt) from work. Then the "sushi yumminess" again. Also, a raw banana cookie. I just had some whole grain crackers with hummus. I know that the beans are cooked but the other ingredients are definitely not. Also, I know the crackers are not raw...but they were whole grain. *sigh* This is pretty tough. I like the suggestion of being 80% raw. I figure that's where I'm at right now.
I had a migraine today which is not new for me AT ALL, but I know why I got one. It's definitely caffeine withdrawals from no coffee. I'm ridiculously sensitive to caffeine in every way....yet I drink it anyway. I know...lame.

So, any recipe suggestions based on the food I have would be greatly appreciated. Here's what I got from Trader Joe's for $32:

Frozen crushed Garlic, Cilantro, Green Leaf Lettuce, Green Onions, Cucumber, Strawberries, Banana, Heirloom Tomatoes, Celery, Kalamata Olives, Sliced Black Olives, Orange Peach Mango Juice, Mediterranean Hummus, Artichoke Hearts, and Fresh & Spicy Guacamole.

I know some of it is not raw, but most of it is. Here's what I already had in the cupboard and can also use:

Pine Nuts, Flax Seeds, Raw Carob Powder, Dried Nori, Raw Peanut Butter, Olive Oil, Raw Cashews, Dried Lentils, and just about every Herb and Spice known to mankind.

[Pandora]

I like the suggestion of being 80% raw. I figure that's where I'm at right now.

You are definitely doing great! It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing, the more raw a person eats, the healthier, 80% is a huge change from say, 10 or 20, which I don't even think the average person gets in daily.

I want to share a website with you that I like, http://www.rawguru.com
the articles are nice, and there is plenty of information to be found.

I hope the migraines will fade soon soon. Keep it up, you are awesome :pibo:

[Libellula]

gingko, i don't understand why you hate food so much.

when i was vegan, I was eating mostly rawa nd loved it :)

[*AHIMSA*]

Hey Bates, I am not trying to rain on your parade but if you really want to be "raw" you need to do some research into what constitutes "raw". Shazzies book may help with that. :)

Many foods people eat thinking they are raw really aren't. That being said, any amount closer to your raw goal is great! :)

[*AHIMSA*]

Enen though many of these things aren't raw, they are certainly more "whole foods" than not!

The bolded items are not "raw" and the italicized ones are most likely not raw, unless you bought them from a store/company that observes raw food handling and processing guidelines.


Frozen crushed Garlic, Cilantro, Green Leaf Lettuce, Green Onions, Cucumber, Strawberries, Banana, Heirloom Tomatoes, Celery, Kalamata Olives, Sliced Black Olives, Orange Peach Mango Juice, Mediterranean Hummus, Artichoke Hearts, and Fresh & Spicy Guacamole.

I know some of it is not raw, but most of it is. Here's what I already had in the cupboard and can also use:

Pine Nuts, Flax Seeds, Raw Carob Powder, Dried Nori, Raw Peanut Butter, Olive Oil, Raw Cashews, Dried Lentils, and just about every Herb and Spice known to mankind.

[Bates]

You are definitely doing great! It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing, the more raw a person eats, the healthier, 80% is a huge change from say, 10 or 20, which I don't even think the average person gets in daily.

I want to share a website with you that I like, http://www.rawguru.com
the articles are nice, and there is plenty of information to be found.

I hope the migraines will fade soon soon. Keep it up, you are awesome :pibo:

I just bookmarked that site and will check it out as soon as I have the time. Thank you so much! As for the migraines...I've had them since I was a child and it's hereditary. I do know what most of the triggers are though and for the most part they can be avoided. I've gotten a lot better with them over the past year as far as prevention.....for instance I used to get them at LEAST once a week, sometimes more. Now I get them about once a month.

[Bates]

Enen though many of these things aren't raw, they are certainly more "whole foods" than not!

The bolded items are not "raw" and the italicized ones are most likely not raw, unless you bought them from a store/company that observes raw food handling and processing guidelines.

Thank you Ahimsa! Don't worry. You are not raining on my parade. I like that you are helping out. I know that not everything I'm eating is raw, and there are a few things. Here are the things that I didn't know were not raw....could you explain why?
Olives and Pine Nuts? They are raw pine nuts. Are olives only raw if they are bought fresh and not jarred? Also, the guacamole is not raw? Why? :(

[*AHIMSA*]

Unless you buy olives from a company that specifies they are "Raw" they are usually processed at too high a heat to be raw. Also, the vinegars and other things the olives are kept in often aren't raw.

All nuts and seeds marked "raw" are not always truly "raw". The processing may have them heated to well above 114 degrees for extended periods of time, rendering the enzymes that raw foodies seek to utilize, "cooked". Cashews and pine nuts aren't usually raw unless bought from a special raw company.

The guacamole is probably pasteurized (if it's the kind I am thinking of, and even if it isn't, most companies pasteurize anyway).

Best of luck and ask anything else you want. There are so many resources here and elsewhere. :)

[jenna]

homemade guacamole is far yummier than the store bought stuff, anyway. :lick: you'll always know, too, that yours is raw.

[Bates]

homemade guacamole is far yummier than the store bought stuff, anyway. :lick: you'll always know, too, that yours is raw.

I totally agree! All of their avocados were over ripe or seriously under ripe, so I had to do it. Yes....I had to. Ha ha!

So today I had a raw carob truffle cookie like thing and a raw apple ginger bar for breakfast. For lunch I had a huge salad of spinach, olives (probably not raw olives...I know :( ), tomatoes and onions. So now I am starving and must scrounge for food.

P.S. I've lost 7 pounds.

Yeah..normal for me is from 130-140 pounds. I'm even okay with 145 lbs. Seriously, I don't have a problem with having a big butt. So, lately I've been weighing myself and coming out at 160!! I've never weighed more than 150 so that's a bit scary. Even more importantly...less and less clothes are fitting me. So anyway, now I weigh 153.

[Pandora]

Hi Bates, still going good I see? A bit hungry perhaps :p
Here's a nice snack I occasionally make that is quite filling for a while...
Slice a banana in half, put raw peanut butter on both of the insides, cover with raisins and put it back together, banana peanutbutter sandwich!

[Bates]

Okay, so today I had celery and raw peanut butter and a glass of soy milk. Later, I had an apple for a snack. For lunch I had a huge salad with green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, green onions, olives and artichoke hearts. That was the last of my olive and artichoke stash....so I'll stop eating those. I'll just get fresh olives from work.

I don't have time to make almond milk, which is really good so I guess I'll have to buy it as well as soy and hemp milk. :(

Pandora, that banana peanut butter sandwich sounds soooooo good. Thank you!

[*AHIMSA*]

Hey Bates, do you ave a blender? You can make raw almond milk in 5 minutes after soaking overnight. Soak almonds (or cashews or whatever nut or seed you like) and a few dates or other dried fruit (like apricots or raisins) overnight, toss the soak water and blend in a blender with water. Put it in a pitcher with cheesecloth over the top, put a lid on and enjoy!

[Bates]

I used to make almond milk all the time....but I currently do not have a blender...and I'm kinda poor right now. Also, did you know that the leftover sediment from the almond milk makes a really awesome body scrub?

Thank you Ahimsa for your help and insight. I need it!

[jeezycreezy]

a) Where are you guys getting raw peanut butter from and b) how bad does it taste?

[*AHIMSA*]

Raw peanut butter is hard to find. In every HFS I have been in, the peanuts are roasted. I don't care for the taste, I love other raw butters though like sesame seed, cashew and almond.

[jeezycreezy]

Raw peanut butter is hard to find. In every HFS I have been in, the peanuts are roasted. I don't care for the taste, I love other raw butters though like sesame seed, cashew and almond.

Same here. Raw almond butter is by far my favorite with raw cashew butter coming in a close second.

I've just never seen or heard of raw peanut butter and having tasted raw peanuts I figured I knew why. They taste like earwax.

[Bates]

I prefer almond butter as well but it tends to be more expensive. I get it when I can. I just read the peanut butter jar....and it's not raw. *sigh* You'd think that with all the label reading I do, I would have noticed that. I'm a big dork.

[Pandora]

Hey Bates, how is it going?
I am on a raw ride myself, although I do have some oatmeal occassionally... I really do love oatmeal, sighhh...

I hope all is well :)

[Bates]

Hi Pandora.
I'm doing good and I suppose this has inspired me to just keep doing it. I'm working on adding more raw food to my diet. I don't suppose I'll ever be 100%...but 80% is making me feel great, so I want to stick with it.