Whos' Raw? and who wants to tell me about it?

[amawalke]

The book has made some interesting points so far; like how raw foodists need to be really careful about their dental health if they eat too many fruits (I love fruit but I'm leaning towards eating more veggies; I'm in love with green smoothies right now!) and it made a good point about added oils. I've been obsessed with coconut oil and was justifying it as a "health food" but the book made a good point that it's totally fine to get healthy fats in your diet but they should usually come in a nutrition package (like in avocados, nuts and seeds.) They talk about all the different variations of raw food diets, and suggest that going 100 percent raw isn't necessarily ideal for everyone. I like the idea that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. It's not like "once I go 100 percent raw, I'll be eating the perfect diet!" It just talked about aiming to include these good foods into your diet. I just started reading it last night, and even being a speed-reader I really just skimmed most of it. You all have been totally helpful too. It's nice to get multiple perspectives on it.

[beforewisdom]

My area has a big Asian and tropical population. It is very easy to find and enjoy coconut in many forms

[amawalke]

do you eat plain coconuts? I love them but I suck and cracking and preparing them. Any tips?

[beforewisdom]

LOL. The last coconut I tried to crack was back in highschool. Check youtube, I'm sure there is a video of someone doing it. Around here the Asian shops sell them out of the shell.

[amawalke]

nice! I'm going to look for one when I go grocery shopping this weekend! at whole foods and this cute store called sprouts

[katz]

I love young coconuts! We go through maybe 3 to 5 a week.

Here are two ways to open a young coconut. I have always used the first method, (John Kohler) works great for me. Never tried the second. I don't bother with the special tool to bore a hole in it to remove the water.

After I get it open & pour the water into my blender, I then scoop the meat out & place in the blender as well. It makes a great coconut milk/smoothie that lasts for several days in the fridge. However, it usually doesn't last that long at my house! YUM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Rh-MDM ... r_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFwyk4D-rBk

[amawalke]

Thanks! I'm going grocery shopping either tonight or tomorrow; if I grab a coconut (which I will if I see one!) I'll let you know how it goes. katz; what are your thoughts on coconut oil by itself? I love it, but I can definitely sub in other things for the creamy texture if it's not that great for me

[beforewisdom]

I don't know anything about bikini contests. If you have to lose weight for it, measure out the coconut, avocado and other high fat foods you eat as they have a lot of calories.

[katz]

Thanks! I'm going grocery shopping either tonight or tomorrow; if I grab a coconut (which I will if I see one!) I'll let you know how it goes. katz; what are your thoughts on coconut oil by itself? I love it, but I can definitely sub in other things for the creamy texture if it's not that great for me

I don't use coconut oil for anything, as that is really considered a "processed food" - and since I don't cook or prepare many fancy recipes, I don't have a need for it in any foods that I eat.

The coconut water is great for the electrolytes/minerals it contains, and if you blend the water & meat, it makes an excellent coconut milk to use as a base for smoothies/shakes or even in cereals.

My issue is that most young coconuts available in my area are from Thailand, not organic, and are treated with post harvest treatments such as bleaching agents, fungicides and preservative to survive the 3-week boat trip to the US and still arrive with weeks of shelf-life thereafter.

I still use them, although it is a concern for me. There are online sellers that sell organic untreated coco's here in the states, but they are a bit pricey...

BTW, with nutrient dense smoothies, nuts, seeds, fruits & vegs, and other raw foods there is no problem at all getting enough calories on a raw diet. The idea that a cooked vegan diet supplies more calories makes no sense to me;

How is cooking the raw food going to give you more calories? The only thing that would give you more muscle building calories on a vegan diet as opposed to raw would be the use of powdered proteins as a supplement.

[Fallen_Horse]

BTW, with nutrient dense smoothies, nuts, seeds, fruits & vegs, and other raw foods there is no problem at all getting enough calories on a raw diet. The idea that a cooked vegan diet supplies more calories makes no sense to me;

How is cooking the raw food going to give you more calories? The only thing that would give you more muscle building calories on a vegan diet as opposed to raw would be the use of powdered proteins as a supplement.

The idea is that there are many more vegan foods in total when you include non-raw foods, and those can be very calorie dense compared to raw foods....

[katz]

BTW, with nutrient dense smoothies, nuts, seeds, fruits & vegs, and other raw foods there is no problem at all getting enough calories on a raw diet. The idea that a cooked vegan diet supplies more calories makes no sense to me;

How is cooking the raw food going to give you more calories? The only thing that would give you more muscle building calories on a vegan diet as opposed to raw would be the use of powdered proteins as a supplement.

The idea is that there are many more vegan foods in total when you include non-raw foods, and those can be very calorie dense compared to raw foods....

Some examples, please?

[Fallen_Horse]

Clif Builder Bar. 70g and 270 cals
Chipotle Burrito. 700g and 1200 cals
Homemade Choco Pie. 500g and 3500 cals!

[katz]

Well Fallen_Horse,

You have me there, I suppose.

I guess with me, I have been a clean eater for so long, that I really wouldn't consider using processed foods.

I feel that when you are eating clean enough, your body will make better use of the nutrients that it takes in, thus requiring less than someone who eats a more traditional or cooked food diet.

Better bio-availability, higher nutrient uptake into the system, stuff like that.

[Zack]

Some examples, please?

Any whole grain vs fruit.

Basing your carb intake on fruit and fructose is NOT healthy.

[beforewisdom]

Interesting video, though he never gets around to telling you how much he spends on food or describing his workouts. He also spouts a lot of the anti-scientific claptrap raw foodism is famous for.

Still, it shows what people can do if they get adequate calories on a diet of good food and if they workout hard.