[TheVeggieCat]

Hi guys, so it's been a full year since going vegan, and even though I have been eating well this past year, lately by body has been yelling at me every time I eat processed foods, oils, ect. But I feel better when I eat raw fruits veg and nuts ect. I even wonder if the bumps on my arm could be fixed if I go raw. Anyway, I am of course concerned for my health and well being, but I feel like it could be a transition I'm willing to make. SO, any advice is welcome, please educate me as much as possible. Pros, cons?

 

[melimomTARDIS]

I believe there is a book on amazon called "becoming raw" that covers how to have a nutritionally complete raw food diet.

 

[Kiwibird08]

I began transitioning to a raw diet almost a year ago (from ova-lacto vegetarian). I am not 100% raw, but am very close. I still allow myself a cooked meal every once in a while, but eat raw as my day in day out diet. It is not an easy transition. While not everyone does, there is a potential for a very unpleasant "detox" period of a few weeks where you feel like you have a stomach bug and the flu at the same time. Your body first dumps stored toxins then has to recalibrate itself to the dramatic increase in fiber consumption. You will also likely have to gradually work your way up to the portion sizes a long-term raw diet requires. The reason most people fail on a raw diet is incorrect portion sizes. Since fruit and veg aren't very calorie-dense and contain lots of water, you must eat HUGE portions to meet a 2000 calorie a day intake. This is difficult and in the time it takes you to work up to healthy RAW portion sizes, you will likely loose some weight and feel a little malnourished (because you will be). There is also the cost factor, you will be buying large amounts of fresh produce year-round. Yes, you can shop on sale, buy from co-ops if available in your area, grow some of your own if you can ext... but it will still likely increase your food bill. Especially if you eat variety. One of the best bits of advice I received when going raw was to "eat a rainbow" every day. Different color foods contain different nutrients, so you want a spectrum of colors in your diet and lots of variety. Whether or not the increase will be financially feasible for you is something to consider. You will also (if you don't already own) probably need a few essential kitchen prep tools (unless you just want to do the very most basic meals) that aren't cheap. High speed blender, good food processor, spiralizer, dehydrator ext...


Now that I have listed the NEGATIVES, lets get into the positives Not including the detox period, I have never felt healthier in my entire adult life. My skin has cleared up dramatically and my periods have improved. My boobs have gotten bigger, my eyelashes longer, my hair shinier and my lips look like I have fillers. The things women pay lots of money for I got just as a side effect of going raw I have more energy than I've had since I was a kid. I need less sleep and still feel more motivated during the day. I feel alive, because I'm eating living foods. And when I eat raw foods, I just feel clean and pure inside. It's hard to describe, it's not something I ever felt when consuming cooked. I do supplement B12, but that's it. According to cronometer, I am meeting or exceeding all my other daily caloric and nutritional needs. Raw food prep has also challenged me creatively and given me an entirely new set of skills to learn (I was already a proficient home cook and baker before going raw). I have yet to find a cooked food you can't make a raw version of (pizza, pasta, brownies, cookies, breakfast scramble, chips, burgers, fries, tacos, tuna salad, bruchetta, even soda and ice cream!). I know it's not for everyone, but personally, I love raw foods and don't ever foresee me going back to a mostly cooked diet.

 

[greengreekgoddess]

The Garden Diet offers a couple different programs that sound like just what you're looking for! I have been raw for the last 4 months and I used their programs for the first two. the 21 day cleanse is great and not too intense, feel free to message me for a link or you can google it...
namaste <3

 

[Vegan Dave]

I began transitioning to a raw diet almost a year ago (from ova-lacto vegetarian). I am not 100% raw, but am very close. I still allow myself a cooked meal every once in a while, but eat raw as my day in day out diet. It is not an easy transition. While not everyone does, there is a potential for a very unpleasant "detox" period of a few weeks where you feel like you have a stomach bug and the flu at the same time. Your body first dumps stored toxins then has to recalibrate itself to the dramatic increase in fiber consumption. You will also likely have to gradually work your way up to the portion sizes a long-term raw diet requires. The reason most people fail on a raw diet is incorrect portion sizes. Since fruit and veg aren't very calorie-dense and contain lots of water, you must eat HUGE portions to meet a 2000 calorie a day intake. This is difficult and in the time it takes you to work up to healthy RAW portion sizes, you will likely loose some weight and feel a little malnourished (because you will be). There is also the cost factor, you will be buying large amounts of fresh produce year-round. Yes, you can shop on sale, buy from co-ops if available in your area, grow some of your own if you can ext... but it will still likely increase your food bill. Especially if you eat variety. One of the best bits of advice I received when going raw was to "eat a rainbow" every day. Different color foods contain different nutrients, so you want a spectrum of colors in your diet and lots of variety. Whether or not the increase will be financially feasible for you is something to consider. You will also (if you don't already own) probably need a few essential kitchen prep tools (unless you just want to do the very most basic meals) that aren't cheap. High speed blender, good food processor, spiralizer, dehydrator ext...

Now that I have listed the NEGATIVES, lets get into the positives Not including the detox period, I have never felt healthier in my entire adult life. My skin has cleared up dramatically and my periods have improved. My boobs have gotten bigger, my eyelashes longer, my hair shinier and my lips look like I have fillers. The things women pay lots of money for I got just as a side effect of going raw I have more energy than I've had since I was a kid. I need less sleep and still feel more motivated during the day. I feel alive, because I'm eating living foods. And when I eat raw foods, I just feel clean and pure inside. It's hard to describe, it's not something I ever felt when consuming cooked. I do supplement B12, but that's it. According to cronometer, I am meeting or exceeding all my other daily caloric and nutritional needs. Raw food prep has also challenged me creatively and given me an entirely new set of skills to learn (I was already a proficient home cook and baker before going raw). I have yet to find a cooked food you can't make a raw version of (pizza, pasta, brownies, cookies, breakfast scramble, chips, burgers, fries, tacos, tuna salad, bruchetta, even soda and ice cream!). I know it's not for everyone, but personally, I love raw foods and don't ever foresee me going back to a mostly cooked diet.

Good Info!!!!

I'm really thinking about pulling the plug & going raw for most of my diet.

Then you are basically guaranteed of avoiding most processed foods, etc. (A vegan diet can be quite unhealthy if you don't eat the right foods).

I've read too many books, and watched too many videos that have me convinced that any food besides natural food is not good. An apple vs. an "energy bar"..... Hmmmmm. Really? One is from a plant, and one is made in a plant.

I have a few books on RAW eating, but just have to pull the band aid off.

This might leave a scar......

 

[billbryanrawvegan]

Of all the quick posts I have read on raw vegan, vegan, etc., sites... I like this one maybe the best of all.

Love the point blank matter of fact frank honesty, coupled w/ practical experience. Not trying to sell anyone anything just simply

sharing her experience, strength and hope with the raw food diet.


Thank You!

 

[tpkyteroo luebeck]

Vegan Society has a good article with links on the right side for more articles about where to get what nutrients you need.

Also, be sure you do your research properly as some legumes can not be ate raw. Kidney beans are lethal in their raw state. I forget which other beans are a no go here. I can not find my notes on this, and I did not post it on my website.

 

[David3]

Also, be sure you do your research properly as some legumes can not be ate raw. Kidney beans are lethal in their raw state. I forget which other beans are a no go here. I can not find my notes on this, and I did not post it on my website.

Kidney beans must be well-cooked (boiled for at least 30 minutes) before being eaten. Eating raw kidney beans will cause lectin poisoning ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney_bean#Toxicity ), with symptoms that can be very severe. However, the peer-reviewed medical literature doesn't report any cases where this was actually lethal. Please see this peer-reviewed study of 50 suspected cases of raw kidney bean poisoning in the U.K.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2271815/pdf/epidinfect00024-0031.pdf . None of these cases resulted in death..

The "raw kidney beans will kill you" claims all seem to come from paleo websites. These "lethal" claims are not backed by any peer-reviewed studies.

Final word: Don't eat raw beans. Boil them for at least 30 minutes before eating.
.

 

[Naturebound]

I've eaten raw, soaked, and sprouted lentils when I was doing a raw phase. I've also bought mung bean sprouts and sprouted those and eaten them. I had no trouble at all with those. But I very carefully followed instructions on how to soak and then sprout them (for at least three days). Here is some info about sprouting lentils:

http://www.lentilworld.com/Sprouting-Lentils.html

 

[David3]

I've eaten raw, soaked, and sprouted lentils when I was doing a raw phase. I've also bought mung bean sprouts and sprouted those and eaten them. I had no trouble at all with those. But I very carefully followed instructions on how to soak and then sprout them (for at least three days). Here is some info about sprouting lentils:

http://www.lentilworld.com/Sprouting-Lentils.html

Agreed: Sprouted beans are a different story. Beans sprouts are popular in salads etc.

 

[silva]

This is a very helpful site for eating raw- what's ok, what's not, and what can cause some people issues-
https://rawevolution.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/what-not-to-sprout/

 

[tpkyteroo luebeck]

Its not a Paleo myth. The scientific opinions about raw beans have existed long before Paleo. And Medical science does look at what has caused a rat (that was not used in lab work) to die, and found that rats have been dying after digesting raw kidney beans. Too much Lectin can kill you, its just that you are more likely to get very sick before you ate that amount. Also, those with weaken immune systems are more likely to die from the poison.

Here is an excellent article done by a Raw foodist.. Lentils and Mung Beans are the safest beans to eat raw - and what other raw foodist have said to me on other forums have said the same thing.

The biggest problem is that only recently, has Medical Science even started seriously looking at the Raw Food diets and testing beans. No one really wanted to (in my opinion) make guinea pigs out of humans to see how much raw bean can one eat, before one dies. Its not considered humane to do so, to that degree (unto death). However, anyone who is 100% pro-raw-foods, I've found to think differently and think that they should be able to try and experiment without it being considered even remotely "inhumane" as they would just know when to stop, and believe that they would not die.

I can not find it now, but one person I talked to, did land in the hospital and was in a coma for a while from eating raw kidney beans.

 

[David3]

The biggest problem is that only recently, has Medical Science even started seriously looking at the Raw Food diets and testing beans. No one really wanted to (in my opinion) make guinea pigs out of humans to see how much raw bean can one eat, before one dies. .

My cited peer-reviewed study on raw kidney bean toxicity is actually fairly old; it was published in 1990: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2271815/pdf/epidinfect00024-0031.pdf . You are correct that we shouldn't make guinea pigs out of humans for testing raw bean toxicity! The cases in this study weren't deliberate poisoning, but rather were cases of accidental poisoning. No deaths were reported in this study.
.

 

[tpkyteroo luebeck]

I am sure there are several studies that just do not get into the "public" sphere because almost no one reports on them where the non-scientist would get such info. My Raw foodist searches have brought me to blogs ran by largely, non-food scientists who has not necessarily, did the proper nutrition research to the degree in which perhaps it should have been done. For example, I only found out about choline from Dr. Oz, a non-Vegan. It turned out that my leg cramps were indeed caused by a choline deficiency. I ate 2 non-raw food, vegetarian items and that cleared up my leg cramps. It was due to my food allergies, that my choline levels were low. I do not tolerate Quinoa at all. With my food allergies, I would have to have 3 glasses of Soy milk, 2 servings of Tofu and spinach every day to get at least 300mg. I did the math earlier, and went out and bought me a choline supplement that I will use on days in which I feel I am not eating enough choline - like today. I am out and about and did not bring soy or spinach with me.

 

[vegamaniac]

I've eaten raw, soaked, and sprouted lentils when I was doing a raw phase. I've also bought mung bean sprouts and sprouted those and eaten them. I had no trouble at all with those. But I very carefully followed instructions on how to soak and then sprout them (for at least three days). Here is some info about sprouting lentils:

i had issues with eating sprouted mung beans, they came out fine but they seem to be hiding hard little stones inside many of the beans?

i would like to go raw for a few months to see if it would effect my body on a good way but it seems too costly if i wanted to make sure all nutrients, vitamins and amino acids were sufficiently covered.

 

[vegetaliano]

Hi tpkyteroo luebeck (ar you in Lübeck?)

Interesting about the choline link to quinoa: I have trouble with the mycoprotein products (Quorn) which bring on symptoms like food poisoning, so I now avoid that and also mushrooms I'm doubtful about (shame, I like most varieties of mushrooms, but now hesitate...)
I'll look further into the choline link.

While I'm here, how are you vegan and veggie folks all responding to the Trumpicisation of your country? Here in France I get news at second- or third-hand and wonder how much Donald T related info is real (rather than Alternative Truth). As a Brit in FRance, I'm also despondent about the UK government's determination to go for Brexit: I voted to stay in Europe last June and feel as pissed off as I imagine Democrat supporters do. I know it's not strictly vegan-related but I'm intrigued...

 

[121938]

Hi guys, so it's been a full year since going vegan, and even though I have been eating well this past year, lately by body has been yelling at me every time I eat processed foods, oils, ect. But I feel better when I eat raw fruits veg and nuts ect. I even wonder if the bumps on my arm could be fixed if I go raw. Anyway, I am of course concerned for my health and well being, but I feel like it could be a transition I'm willing to make. SO, any advice is welcome, please educate me as much as possible. Pros, cons?

I was just reading about gluten sensitivity (not celiac) and it was saying that one of the things that can happen is hard little bumps on your skin.
Do those bumps look like the photo on this link? http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/ss/slideshow-celiac-overview